by Christine Burgmer | Aug 12, 2026 | Sparks of English |
What I’d love to tell anyone working on their English Sometimes I wish I could gather everyone working on their English into one room and simply say this. Your English doesn’t have to be perfect to make a good impression. People aren’t sitting there...
by Christine Burgmer | Aug 11, 2026 | Sparks of English |
“You always forget” (three words that end the conversation) “You always forget.” Three words in, and you’ve stopped talking about the problem. “Always” rarely means always. It tells the other person they’re the problem,...
by Christine Burgmer | Aug 10, 2026 | Sparks of English |
“Meet me on the first floor” (which floor, exactly?) You said, “Meet me on the first floor.” Your British colleague went up a flight of stairs. You meant the floor you’d just walked in on. In British English, the floor at street level is...
by Christine Burgmer | Aug 7, 2026 | Sparks of English |
The word that cancels every sentence before it You said “but”. Everyone in the room stopped listening to what had come before. “That’s a good idea, but…” The compliment is gone the moment “but” arrives. Whatever follows...
by Christine Burgmer | Aug 6, 2026 | Sparks of English |
Stop comparing your English to theirs There’s always someone in the meeting whose English sounds smoother than yours. You hear them speak and immediately start judging yourself. But here’s the problem. You’re comparing your English from the inside,...
