….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 […]
“I have no idea why he reacted that way. He seemed really upset! ” “I’m curious…what did you say to him?” “You’re wrong.” “Oh. I see.” ***** This is a quote from one of my recent coaching sessions. The person I was working with was a Dutch executive. Which means, at times, she translated from Dutch […]
“Buffi, I’m so tired of using English. It’s getting boring.” “Um…why?” “Because I’m sick of using the same words over and over again.” “I get that. That’s not only boring for you, but also for the people you’re talking to. Have you ever tried to use different words?” “Um, not really.” “Ok. Grab a coffee […]
Hello sweetie, how is this Monday treating you? I hope it’s going swimmingly! I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for the reactions I got from last week’s newsletter. So many of you emailed me personally and really touched me with your comments. Remember, if you don’t get a chance to use English […]
Sweetie. How are you on this lovely Monday? I hope your week is off to a great start. Mine sure is, because I’m spending part of it with you! Darling, I have a question for you – how much English have you actively used since my last newsletter dear? I was just wondering. Every week I get […]
He cuts down trees. And what does he do after he cuts them down? He cuts them up. Oh, sweetie – aren’t phrasal verbs fun? I thought I’d brighten up your Monday with a grammar joke (lame as it was). Hope now you’re singing this! I’ve just come back from the epic Eurosonic/Noorderslag music festival held […]
Hello dear, and how is your year going so far? I hope it’s off to a great start. Mine is going really well – I’m thoroughly enjoying getting back in the saddle again and reconnecting with my students and clients after spending a couple of weeks only connecting with my family and friends. I so […]
Happy New Year sweetie! How’s your year been going so far? I haven’t seen you since…last year, and you look exactly the same. How do you do that? Wow. On my first day back at work I talked to my students about their New Year’s Resolutions – what were their goals for 2015? What did they want […]
Thank you all for your support in 2014. It’s been an incredible year in so many ways. Looking back I’d like to share some of the highlights (and the lowlights) with you. It’s very hard to focus on just a few things, but in the spirit of brevity, I’ll try to keep it short! *My […]
Hey! Last week I got a lovely email from Joost who asked me to focus a bit on British English. Aye aye, Guv’na (she said while twirling her umbrella and swaying her pinafore on the Tower Bridge)! 😉 Although I’m American, my book Rock Your English! teaches British grammar (with American exceptions ;)). I get […]
