Go like Silk

No one is perfect. No one speaks perfect English, either. The only way to speak without making mistakes is to say nothing at all.

So don’t worry about making mistakes or constructing complicated sentences. Trying to speak ‘perfect English’ will get us nowhere. When you know what you want to say, you’ll also know how to say it.

‘If the meeting is in English, I won’t go.’ Do you know that feeling? Ever acted on it? Speaking English at work can often make us feel insecure. What if the others speak better English than me? What if I can’t find the right words? What if I just dry up and don’t manage to say anything at all?

Speaking English in international settings doesn’t mean you’re taking a language test. People want to hear your expertise and your input. Your English skills are not an issue. So when you take part in the international community, don’t worry about your English. Don’t miss out on important opportunities. Show what you know with confidence.

Publishing and presenting knowledge in English is essential for researchers and academics who want international recognition for their work. We all want to keep our audience interested and show commitment to what we do.

There’s no need to hide behind prepared manuscripts and technical jargon. Trust your audience. Let your knowledge and enthusiasm flow with spontaneity and conviction.

‘My English is okay, but I hate my accent!’ Have you ever said this? Or felt it?

English is the language of global communication. There are as many accents as there are people who want to reach one another through English. You are one of them. Our accent shows where we come from, the languages we speak, where life has taken us. So don’t feel bad about having an accent – everyone does. It’s part of who we are.

There is so much we want to say, but the words are not always there when we need them. We want to show that we care about what we’re talking about and get things right. But translating everything in our heads before we open our mouths or using AI tools doesn’t help us. It can stop us being spontaneous and feeling confident. We might even worry: Is the AI really saying what I mean?

You don’t need to rely on Google Translate, ChatGPT, Claude etc. Trust that you know what you want to say, and the right words will come.