Learning to speak English with confidence isn’t just about grammar or vocabulary.

Sometimes, it’s about giving yourself permission.

• Permission to have a German accent—and love it.
  It’s the echo of your hometown baker calling your name across the street.
• Permission to think in German and translate. That pause before you speak? It’s your brain doing a quick work of art.
• Permission to mix languages with other German speakers. Half a sentence in English, half in German… like a sandwich you didn’t plan but still tastes right.
• Permission to feel frustrated. Some days the words slip away. That’s still part of learning to catch them.
• Permission to celebrate small wins. The joke that lands. The coffee you order without stalling. The phone call where your hands stay still.
• Permission to invent words. Shakespeare would be proud.
• Permission to answer in one language and finish in another. Efficiency is bilingual’s best-kept secret.
• Permission to exaggerate pronunciation for fun. Sometimes water deserves to sound like a Hollywood trailer voiceover.
• Permission to use hand gestures as part of your vocabulary. They’re free, and they never need conjugation.
• Permission to forget a word and replace it with “thingy.” Native speakers do it all the time.

💬 Your English journey isn’t a test.
It’s a path. And every step, no matter how tiny, leaves a footprint.

I’ve been asked about napkin vs. serviette more times than I can count.

Here’s the deal:

🇺🇸 In American English, ‘napkin’ is the standard word. You’ll hear it in restaurants, business settings and formal contexts.

🇬🇧🇨🇦🇦🇺🇳🇿 In British, Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand English, ‘serviette’ is more common in  casual, everyday conversation (though ‘napkin’ isn’t wrong there either).

So how do you decide? Context matters:

• Paper ones → ‘napkin’ almost everywhere
• Casual meals → depends on location
• Cloth ones → often ‘serviette’ in British circles
• Formal business or dining worldwide → ‘napkin’

My advice to clients

If you’re working internationally, go with ‘napkin’. It’s safe, professional and understood everywhere.

Neither word is wrong. It’s all about where you are and who you’re talking to.

Which one do you use? Will this change how you choose?

Welcome to this week’s Sparks Plus — your quick, practical boost for clearer, more confident English.
Five short sections, all easy to read and use right away.

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1️⃣ Quick Win

We don’t say in the near.

❌ They live in the near of Cologne.
✔ I live near Cologne.

near + place

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2️⃣ Real-World English in Action

A client asked: Is it by myself or by my own?

In English, by myself means “alone” or “without help.”
✔ I painted the room by myself.

On my own means the same thing. It’s just another way to say it.
❌ By my own is not used in English.

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3️⃣ Christine’s Pick

Website I Recommend: ENGLISH@THEMOVIES — a short video series by VOA Learning English that explains American English phrases or idioms heard in popular movies, using film clips as practical learning tools

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4️⃣ Reader Question

Q: Should I say “I’m going in holiday” or “on holiday”?

A: In English, we say on holiday.
✔ I’m going on holiday next week.

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5️⃣ Spotlight

Want a confidence boost for your English?
Inside What I Say Matters, you’ll find:

• A short but powerful reminder that your voice matters in English
• Self-reflection prompts to help you speak up more boldly
• Encouragement to let go of perfection and connect instead

Perfect if you want to:

• Feel more confident speaking up
• Stop overthinking your English
• Be yourself in another language

Download your free copy here.

A German friend once told me they’d arranged to meet a British business partner for the first time.
The partner was picking them up from the airport.

In the email, my friend wrote:

“When you see me, please wink so I know it’s you.”

What they meant: raise your hand and wave. 👋
What the partner read: close one eye slowly, like a secret signal. 😉

Just imagine that.
One person waving enthusiastically.
The other… blinking at them in the arrivals hall.

It’s funny.
It’s harmless.
And it’s a reminder: language isn’t just about knowing the words — it’s about knowing how they’re used.

These little mix-ups happen to all of us.
They make great stories — and even better teachers.

💬 What’s your favourite (or funniest) language misunderstanding?