I have no idea what to say so I don’t say anything…

….she said to me when we met for a coaching session recently. I love working with this woman. This woman is smart. Sharp. Well-educated. Has a job she loves. And she. Is. Terrified. To. Speak. English. (She is not alone.)

We talked for a while about what was holding her back. Was she afraid of making a mistake? Did she not know the right words to express what she was thinking? Was she thinking too much about grammar and got stuck on the structures? Did she feel like an idiot? Turns out, it was actually a combination of all these factors. She built up all these fears to a size so huge in her head, it just took over her brain and there was no room left for logic or reason. I’m not the most logical of people (I have been known to go to the supermarket in my pajamas…more than once), but I do know how to get someone unstuck when this happens. So we worked together on developing strategies on how to tackle each fear, one by one. Baby steps. Each time you do something pro-active, you remove a brick in the wall that you’ve built. The wall of resistance. Of shame. Of doubt. Of fear. You put that wall up; you can take it down again. Believe me, you can. And I can help you in that process. I have seen this happen in hundreds of coaching sessions in the 25 years I’ve been doing this. Brick by brick, step by step, word by word, sentence by sentence. You can do it. She can do it. And she. Is. Doing. It!! I’m thrilled at the steps she’s taking. I love coaching!

If you’d like to get coached, and would like to spend an hour with me, for free, to get a boost in your English communication skills, just sign up for my free Webinar on March 3rd at the top of www.businessenglishcommunication.com. I’d love to work with you!

Your Questions: Answered! 
“Why is ‘video’s’ wrong? You marked it wrong on my paper!!” – from one of my lovely students.

Yes, my sweet student (who shall remain anonymous), I did. “I love watching video’s” is wrong. Always. Let me tell you why. If something is plural, just put an S on it (if it follows the rules. Some words, like ‘fish’, ‘sheep’, and ‘child’ break these rules – 1 fish, 2 fish. 1 sheep, 2 sheep. 1 child, 2 children. Isn’t English fun that way?) So if you mean more than 1 video, then it’s just ‘videos’. We use an apostrophe + s for 3 situations. One of them is to show possession. For example, my friend’s car. However, it is also used as a substitute for ‘is’ or ‘has’. It’s (it is) raining outside. He’s (he has) got a meeting at 5 today. So, the next time you use an apostrophe + s, make sure you mean possession, a substitute for ‘is’, or a substitute for ‘has’. Hope that helps!

Sending you all a super, magic-filled Monday.
Enjoy today, it will never come back again!

Wit lof from your friend (and mine),

buffi x