A Spark a day.
One idea. Every weekday. Under a minute.SPARKS OF ENGLISH
Notes from the real world of English at work. The mistakes, breakthroughs and surprising moments that happen when English leaves the textbook and enters the meeting room.
You already speak the language. But under pressure, it does not always feel that way. That’s when overthinking and second-guessing tend to appear.
The Sparks are short prompts for exactly those moments – and now and then, something you can try out straight away.
Designed specifically for German-speaking professionals who want to speak clearly without checking every sentence before they say it.
After a few weeks, many readers notice they:
- Keep talking, even when the perfect word is missing.
- Respond faster when a conversation shifts unexpectedly.
- Stop losing precision in the moments that count.
_________
✦ Your welcome gift: “50 Quick Fixes for Clearer English”. So small details don’t slow you down.
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❝Einer der ganz wenigen Newsletter, auf die ich mich an jedem (!) Werktag aufs Neue freue.❞
Barbara Gölz
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Criterias.
You wrote it. Then deleted it. Then wrote "criteria." Then weren't sure that was right either. English has a small group of irregular plurals –...
You meant polite. It landed blunt.
Welcome to this week's Sparks Plus. Short reflections and examples to help you speak up, respond and disagree in English without putting extra...
The first time I froze in Germany wasn’t at work.
It was at a dinner party in Hamburg. I was new. My German was decent. But in that room, it suddenly felt invisible. Everyone talked confidently. The...
You’ve been adding “please” to every request. It’s not doing what you think.
In German, bitte is a softener. You reach for it automatically. It rounds off a request. It removes the edge. So in English, you add "please." Same...
You already know when to use wollen – and when to use möchten
In German, you switch automatically. You wouldn't say Ich will einen Termin mit Ihnen to a client. You'd say Ich möchte einen Termin vereinbaren....
You said it. Your colleague went quiet. You didn’t know why.
"That makes no sense for me." In German, Das macht für mich keinen Sinn is neutral. You're saying something doesn't fit your thinking. Clear....
You said it right. It landed wrong.
Welcome to this week's Sparks Plus. Short reflections and examples to help you speak up, respond and disagree in English without putting extra...
She apologised for her English every single time.
"I'm sorry — my English isn't very good." A client said this at the start of almost every call. Every meeting. Every presentation. Until a colleague...
The exit door from a bad sentence
You start a sentence. It goes well for about four words. Then something happens. The word isn't there. The grammar gets complicated. The sentence...
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