“Sorry, my English isn’t good” makes the speaker look weak and draws attention to errors. Professionals communicate better by setting an outcome, structuring for the listener, and checking understanding, not by chasing perfect grammar.
Replace the apology with
- Name the outcome you want before speaking.
- Order ideas the way the listener needs them.
- Decide what to include and leave out from the listener’s side.
- Listen actively; allow silence.
- Summarise what the other person said, then check with a hypothesis.
Related: difficult conversations (2022)
Get curious (ask), don’t focus on convincing, question your own view, start with facts, not judgements. Stress narrows access to words, so lowering emotional heat frees up language.
Limits
Coaching anecdotes; the neuroscience is simplified and unreferenced.
Apply in my context (Claude)
- IELTS Speaking: ban “sorry, my English…”; teach the repair phrases that replace it (Let me put that another way…).
Connections
Twelve conversation strategies worth teaching · Going blank when speaking - compensation strategies