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After years of feeling nervous about speaking English in the United States, Mirtha can now say: "I'm not afraid anymore."  In this month's Confident English Conversation, Mirtha and I talk about her experience moving to the US, overcoming shyness, and learning to enjoy speaking English. We also talk about running (including the marathon she ran by herself!!!), her love of poetry and books, and one of her favorite study guides from the Confident Women Community: moving from languishing to flourishing after the pandemic. One part of our conversation I especially loved was Mirtha's description of confidence coming in waves. She shares what helped her keep practicing when a difficult conversation made her question her progress. And she tells me what English confidence means to her today. Mirtha joined my Confident Women Community in 2023. Since then, she's joined our book club and even started hosting conversations with other women. If you'd like to build your English confidence through regular practice with women around the world, explore the Confident Women Community → https://bit.ly/4xX5Hl7 Read the episode summary and transcript: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/english-conversation-with-mirtha Want a free first step? Get my training: How to Get the Confidence to Say What You Want in English → https://bit.ly/4xRhVvC

Want to speak English with confident authority without sounding more aggressive than you intended? In this episode, you'll hear how your words, tone, and the situation can change what your listener hears. We compare assertive and aggressive English in common work situations: setting a firm deadline, disagreeing, asking about a problem, giving feedback, and handling an interruption. You'll hear why direct English is sometimes exactly right, and how blame, criticism, or unnecessary pressure can change the message. As you listen, use the questions from the lesson to think about what the situation requires and whether your language stays focused on the issue. Learn more about Fluency School: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/fluencyschool/ Full written lesson: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/assertive-vs-aggressive-english

When someone asks what you think in English, do several ideas come to mind at once? You know you have something to say, but you don't know what to say first. In this episode, you'll learn how to organize your thoughts when speaking English so your main point is clear and you can avoid rambling. You'll learn how to decide what you want to do first, choose one idea to start with, and decide which details belong with that idea. You'll also learn why you don't need to organize every thought before you start speaking. At the end, we'll practice with a simple example so you can see how these decisions work together. If you want more practice organizing your ideas and speaking clearly, this is also something we work on deeply in Fluency School. You'll learn a simple structure for organizing your ideas and practice using it with guidance and feedback. Learn more about Fluency School: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/fluencyschool/ Related lesson: How to Think Out Loud in English https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/think-out-loud-english/ Full written lesson: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/organize-your-thoughts-when-speaking-english

English fluency can feel easy in one conversation and difficult in another. You may answer simple questions easily, then lose your train of thought when you need to speak for several minutes. Or perhaps you speak clearly one-to-one, but struggle to join a fast-moving group discussion. Your English level did not suddenly change. The speaking situation changed. In this episode, you'll learn what English fluency really means and why different speaking situations require different skills. We'll look at three types of speaking: everyday exchanges, where you need to listen and respond quickly speaking at length, when you tell a story, explain a problem, give an update, or share an opinion group discussions, where you need to follow several speakers and find the right moment to join You'll also think about your own speaking practice. Which of these three situations is most difficult for you right now? Your answer can help you decide what kind of speaking practice you need next. Get my free English training, Say What You Want in English: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english/ Learn more about Fluency School: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/fluencyschool/ Read the full written lesson: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/speaking-practice-for-english-fluency/

You've probably heard this advice: stop saying very in English. Use stronger words instead. In this episode, I'll tell you why the answer is no. Words like very, really, so, and super are called intensifiers. They make an idea stronger, and native speakers use them every day. So let's talk about how these words are different from words like exhausted, hectic, and furious. Plus, how to choose the word that says what you mean, and how "not very" can make a negative comment softer. Full written lesson: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/stop-saying-very-in-english/ Want to get comfortable in English conversations, period? Join me in my next Fluency School program → https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/fluencyschool/

Is confidence in English something you have or something you choose? In this real English conversation, my guest Anna and I talk about the myths vs reality of confidence in speaking another language. Anna and I are both strong introverts, so we also talk about how personality shapes the way we speak, plus... We chat about the book Happy Mind, Happy Life by Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, which Anna recommended for our Confident Women Community Book Club; my decision to leave social media (thanks to the book she recommended); and toxic positivity. Like any real-life conversation, the topics evolve, with starts and stops along the way. Anna has been a member of my Confident Women Community since 2022. If you'd like to get the same kind of speaking practice and support that has helped Anna gain confidence, you can do that here: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/community Get the full lesson and transcript at https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/english-conversation-with-anna Want a free first step? Get my free training, Say What You Want in English: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english

A coworker says, "I'm already on my third cup of coffee, and it's not even ten." You understand every word. But what do you say next? That small moment is an invitation, and knowing what to do with it is the start of social fluency in English: the ability to join the everyday conversations that help people get to know you, and help you get to know them. In this lesson, you'll learn how to recognize when someone is opening the door to small talk, a simple way to respond (show you heard them, then ask one simple question), and how to tell whether the conversation is continuing or naturally ending. Then you'll get one small, low-pressure way to practice this week, in a moment where nothing important depends on the outcome. Get my free training, Say What You Want in English: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english/ Full written lesson: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/social-fluency-in-english/ As promised, if you'd like to know more about Fluency School, learn more here: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/fluencyschool/

You know what happened. You remember every detail. But when you tell a story in English, it can be hard to show when each thing happened. In this lesson, you'll learn how to use 3 past tenses to tell one clear story. The past simple tells your listener what happened next. The past continuous shows what was happening when something else happened. And the past perfect explains what had happened earlier, like the phone you forgot to charge the night before. At the end, you'll practice with a short story from your own life, in just 4 to 6 sentences. Get my free training, Say What You Want in English: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english/ Full written lesson: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/tell-a-story-in-english/ Start enjoying English conversations without fear. Get more details about the Confident Women Community: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/community/

Think of someone you'd like to know better. Maybe a neighbor, or another parent at your child's school. You've talked a few times, but the conversation never goes past simple facts. In this lesson, you'll learn how to ask better questions in English so your conversations can go deeper. You'll learn how to listen for one detail and use it to form your next question. You'll learn what makes a question better when you want to know someone. You'll also get phrases like "I remember you said..." to return to a topic the next time you talk, and simple ways to ask without putting pressure on anyone. At the end, I'll guide you to form one follow-up question for a real person in your life, so you can use this lesson right away. Get my free training, Say What You Want in English: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english/ Full written lesson: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/deeper-conversations-in-english One better question can lead to a deeper conversation. And over time, it can help a friendship grow.

Do you feel stressed in English conversations? Do you prepare everything you want to say before you speak, and still worry about mistakes? My guest this month did that for years. Today she enjoys her conversations in English. In this real English conversation, she shares the simple mindset shift that helped her: communication over perfection. My guest is Chih-shian. I've known her for almost 4 years, since she joined my Confident Women Community in the summer of 2022. She's from Taiwan and works in academia, with a busy schedule of lectures, conferences, and travel. And she still makes time for English every week. Along the way, we talk about childhood memories, a green onion cold remedy, her 8 days in Oxford, and why neither of us has read Harry Potter. This conversation is unscripted, the way friends talk. You'll hear easy moments and small mistakes. Sometimes we pause and search for a word. That's normal. It happens in every real conversation. I want you to hear what English confidence really sounds like. Chih-shian built her confidence by practicing English with other women every month, in a safe and friendly space. That space is the Confident Women Community. You can join us here: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/community/   Want a free first step? Get my free training, Say What You Want in English: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english

How many times have you told the story of how you met someone you love? In this lesson, you'll learn 16 phrasal verbs for relationships in English, so you can tell that story naturally, from the first meeting to your life now. You'll learn how to describe the moment you met, with run into, strike up, and set someone up. You'll hear the difference between fall for and grow on, including the grammar change that surprises people. And you'll get the phrasal verbs for the harder chapters too: get through, stand by, break up, get over, and move on. At the end, I'll give you a simple storyline to practice with, so you can tell the story of your own relationship or friendship in English. Get my free training, Say What You Want in English: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english/ Full written lesson: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/phrasal-verbs-for-relationships Your story deserves to be told in English too. This lesson gives you the words for it.

Two little words help you explain a complicated situation in English: for now. In this episode, you'll learn how to say what is true right now, without telling the whole story. You'll hear the difference between "for now" and "for the time being," and when each one sounds natural. You'll learn how to use "for the moment" for a current feeling or decision. And you'll get the professional phrase "at this time," so you can name a limitation at work without giving extra details. At the end, there's a short practice prompt, so you can use one of these phrases about your own life today. Get my free training, Say What You Want in English Full written lesson: Use "For Now" to Explain Complicated Situations in English These small phrases help you be clear and natural, even when the situation is complicated.

Cold isn't just cold. Sometimes it feels crisp and fresh, and sometimes it feels bitter and painful. In this lesson, you'll learn how to describe winter and summer in English with 24 specific words, so you can say what each season really looks like and feels like, at its best and at its worst. You'll learn words like blanketed, frosty, and bracing for winter, and lush, balmy, and sweltering for summer. You'll hear why crisp does not feel the same as bitter, and why balmy does not feel the same as muggy. You'll also get two useful collocations: in the dead of winter and in the height of summer. At the end, there's a quick practice: choose three words from the lesson and use them to describe the weather where you are right now. Get my free training, Say What You Want in English: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english/ Full written lesson: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/describe-winter-and-summer-in-english/ The next time someone asks, "How's the weather where you are?" you'll have more than hot and cold. -- Thank you for listening! I share new episodes every Wednesday. Make sure you click the follow button to get notified. If you prefer video or want closed captions, you can watch all my episodes on YouTube → ⁠https://www.youtube.com/speakconfidentenglish⁠   MORE RESOURCES FOR YOU: How to Get the Confidence to Say What You Want in English (Free Fluency Training) → https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english/ If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review! It really helps get encouragement and actionable advice to non-native English speakers around the world.

Talking about the weather in English can seem boring and pointless, right? But what if it's actually one of the easiest ways to feel more joy and connection in your day? In this episode, you'll learn what common weather phrases really mean, even when the words are simple and the meaning is not. You'll hear what to say when someone asks, "Cold enough for you?" or complains, "I'm so over this rain." You'll also learn why some weather comments are little jokes that mean the opposite, and how to respond without sounding flat or saying too much. And I share the surprising science behind why this kind of small talk can help you feel happier and less alone. At the end, I give you a simple challenge: make one small weather comment in a real conversation this week, and notice how often it comes up. It's a good one to listen to on a walk or your commute. Get my free training, Say What You Want in English: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english/ Full written lesson: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/respond-to-weather-small-talk This is a skill worth practicing, and it's easier than you think.   --- Thank you for listening! I share new episodes every Wednesday. Make sure you click the follow button to get notified. If you prefer video or want closed captions, you can watch all my episodes on YouTube → ⁠https://www.youtube.com/speakconfidentenglish⁠   MORE RESOURCES FOR YOU: How to Get the Confidence to Say What You Want in English (Free Fluency Training) → https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english/ If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review! It really helps get encouragement and actionable advice to non-native English speakers around the world.

What does English confidence really sound like? In this first episode of Confident English Conversations, I sit down with Sima, a member of my Confident Women Community since January 2024. Sima is from India and has lived in California for 19 years. In our conversation, she shares what has helped her feel more calm and confident when she speaks English — especially through regular practice with other women in a safe, friendly space. We talk about life in California, helicopter parenting, and one topic that became especially meaningful for her: how to disagree in English while staying polite, honest, and true to your values. You'll also hear what real conversation sounds like: easy moments, small mistakes, laughter, uncertainty, pauses, and searching for words. That's normal. It happens in every real conversation. Confident English Conversations is a monthly series where I sit down with women I know and talk in English, the way friends do. My hope is that you hear what English confidence can sound like — not perfect English, but real connection. If you'd like to practice English with other women in a safe, friendly space, join us inside the Confident Women Community: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/community/ Want a free first step? Get my free training, Say What You Want in English: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english