/ by Steven Hobson / Business English
Small talk—an often misunderstood art—is far from insignificant. Despite its name, small talk serves as a powerful tool for building connections, fostering relationships, and expanding one’s cultural fluency. For non-native English speakers, navigating small talk can pose unique challenges, but with the right strategies, it becomes a skill that enhances professional and social interactions. Challenges […]
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Still Translating Instead of Thinking in English?
/ by Steven Hobson / Business English
In this guide, you’ll discover three easy-to-implement steps to help you think in English and gradually stop translating from your mother tongue. For non-native speakers, “thinking in English” means forming thoughts, ideas, and sentences directly in the English language rather than translating from their native language into English. Instead of mentally constructing a sentence in […]
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How to Speak English Politely By ‘Softening’ Your Language
/ by Steven Hobson / Business English
In this guide, you’ll learn how to speak English politely during professional interactions by using an effective approach called ‘softening’. Knowing how to sound polite in English is crucial because it helps demonstrate professionalism, shows cultural awareness, and facilitates better collaboration with colleagues. However, speaking politely in English can be challenging for non-natives due to […]
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How to Enhance English Fluency with Language ‘Chunks’
/ by Steven Hobson / Business English
In this guide, you’ll discover how learning language ‘chunks’ can significantly improve your English fluency and help you sound more native-like. To begin with, let’s get clear on what language ‘chunks’ are. ‘Chunks’ are another name for groups of words or expressions. Up to 60% of English language use involves chunks, which include collocations (e.g., […]
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3 Ways to Boost Confidence Communicating with the C-Suite
/ by Steven Hobson / Business English
Today I aim to show you how to communicate more confidently at the C-suite level. This is for non-native English-speaking managers who need to participate in meetings at the Board level. Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to help (and learn from) executive leadership from South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia improve […]
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Why a Growth Mindset Makes You a Confident English Speaker
/ by Steven Hobson / Business English
Today, I’ll guide you through the process of how a growth mindset enhances confidence and fluency while speaking English in the workplace. Let’s begin by defining what a growth mindset is. Someone with a growth mindset believes abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort and learning, while a fixed mindset views them as static […]
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Stop Comparing Your English with Others
/ by Steven Hobson / Business English
It’s common to see non-native speakers compare their English skills with others in the workplace. In this guide, I’m going to show you why comparisons can damage your confidence speaking English. Additionally, I’ll explain how you can overcome the comparison trap. Understanding how to deal with comparisons is crucial if you want to feel confident […]
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How to Be a More Persuasive Speaker of English
/ by Steven Hobson / Business English
In this article, you’ll learn how to become a more persuasive English speaker using a simple and effective persuasion speech framework. As a non-native speaker, mastering persuasion in English is crucial because it can greatly help you to influence others during meetings, lead projects better, and open opportunities for career growth. Many non-natives struggle with […]
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How to Overcome the Fear of Being Judged When Speaking English
/ by Steven Hobson / Business English
Speaking English in front of others poses unique challenges for non-native English-speaking professionals. Whether you’re presenting at a business meeting, participating in a conference, or simply speaking up in a team setting, the fear of judgment can be overwhelming. This fear is more common than you think among professionals who need to speak English as […]
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How to Master Small Talk: for Non-Native English Speakers
/ by Steven Hobson / Business English
Small talk—an often misunderstood art—is far from insignificant. Despite its name, small talk serves as a powerful tool for building connections, fostering relationships, and expanding one’s cultural fluency. For non-native English speakers, navigating small talk can pose unique challenges, but with the right strategies, it becomes a skill that enhances professional and social interactions. Challenges […]
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How to Stay Motivated to Reach Your English Goals
/ by Steven Hobson / Business English
Becoming fluent in English is often a journey filled with ups and downs. Intermediate learners, especially, often face a unique set of challenges that can make it difficult to stay motivated. Understanding these common hurdles and employing effective strategies to overcome them is crucial for continuing progress and achieving fluency. There are strategies that can […]
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