by Christine Burgmer | Aug 5, 2026 | Sparks of English |
“We can’t meet the deadline” (and then what?) “We can’t meet the deadline.” Five words, and the meeting is already over. Nobody asks what comes next, because “can’t” doesn’t leave room for a next. The...
by Christine Burgmer | Aug 4, 2026 | Sparks of English |
7/4 or 4/7? Depends who’s reading You wrote 7/4/2026. Your American colleague read that as the 4th of July. You meant the 7th of April. Same numbers, same date, two different days on the calendar. That’s the whole trap. In British English, the day comes...
by Christine Burgmer | Aug 3, 2026 | Sparks of English |
The word that’s stuck on the tip of your tongue (and how to get it back) You know the word. It’s right there. Just not in English, not right now. This happens to almost every client I work with. Mid-sentence or mid-email, the word you want disappears, and...
by Christine Burgmer | Jul 31, 2026 | Sparks of English |
A mindset shift that might change how you feel about your English You might deserve to feel confident when you speak. You might even be entitled to be taken seriously in meetings. But somewhere along the way, expectations crept in. “I should be fluent by...
by Christine Burgmer | Jul 30, 2026 | Sparks of English |
How to spot a (mildly mad) Brit abroad: lovely weather for ducks We talk about the weather as if it were a national emergency. Too hot. “Can’t cope.” Too cold. “Typical.” Rain. “Lovely weather for ducks.” None of this is...
