#345 Stop Apologizing So Much in English!

Hi, I'm Georgiana and I'm back with a new episode of the Speak English Now Podcast. The podcast that helps you speak English fluently with no grammar and no textbooks. If you want to help me, share the podcast with your friends and family. That would mean a lot.

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Okay, let's start. The days episode is about something many English learners do too often. Saying sorry all the time even when they don't need to. Let me give you some examples.

Sorry. Can I ask a question? Sorry. My English is bad.

Sorry for bothering you. Sorry for my pronunciation. Maybe you've said these before. Maybe you say them often.

That's okay. It's a common habit. Especially for people who want to be polite. But here's the truth.

Saying sorry too much makes you sound nervous even when you're doing nothing wrong. It makes your voice sound small. It makes you feel weak inside and it teaches other people not to take you seriously. Why do people say sorry too much?

There are a few reasons. You're learning English, so you feel insecure. You don't want to seem rude. You're afraid of making mistakes, or you want to be extra polite.

that being polite does not mean apologizing for speaking. And it definitely doesn't mean apologizing for your English. When should you say sorry? Yes, it's okay to say sorry when you interrupt someone, or you're late, or you do something

that causes a problem for others. But don't apologize just for speaking. Don't say sorry before every question. And don't say sorry because you're not perfect.

You don't need permission to talk. You're learning. You're trying. And that's something to feel proud of.

a shame. Say this instead. Let's look at some better ways to express yourself with confidence and respect. Instead of, sorry for my English.

Say, thanks for your patience. I'm still learning. Instead of, sorry to bother you, say, do you have a moment or I appreciate your time? Instead of, sorry for the question, say, can I ask something quickly?

These are respectful, but they don't make you sound small or afraid. They say, I value your time, but I also value myself. And don't undervalue what you say. Here's another important thing.

Stop putting yourself down before you even speak. any learners start their sentences like this. This is probably a dumb question. Or I don't know if this is right but, or my English is bad but I'll try.

Please don't do this. When you speak like this people stop listening. And if your idea is great, your word sound weak. And your brain starts to believe that what you say is not important.

So instead of saying, this might be a stupid question. Try this. Can I build on that idea? Here's what I'm thinking.

or I'd like to share a thought. These phrases are strong, they're polite, and they show confidence, even if your English isn't perfect. The message is simple.

You don't need to say sorry for learning English. You don't need to apologize for asking something. you don't need to speak like a native speaker to deserve respect. You just need to breathe, stay calm, and speak with honesty and confidence.

Let's continue with a point of view story. I will tell you the same story, but in different points of view. This will help you practice grammar in a natural way. You can find more about this method in my Premium Quarces.

Visit SpeakEnglishPotCast.com slash courses to get my Premium Quarces. They are designed for learning by listening. Let's listen to the story in the past tense. Nate was a kind man who loved meeting his friends at a small cafe near his apartment.

Every Saturday they gather to talk about live sports, music, anything. But Nate had a habit. Before he said anything, he always apologized. He would say things like, sorry, maybe this sounds dumb.

Sorry, I talked too much. Sorry, my English isn't great. Even when he had something interesting to say, he made it sound weak. He's voice got quiet. He looked down. He's friend smiled and listened. But they didn't

really pay attention. One day someone knew joined the group. Sarah, a friend of a friend. After Nate said sorry for the third time, she asked kindly. Why do you keep apologizing? You haven't done anything wrong. Nate left nervously and shrugged.

I don't know. I guess I just don't want to sound silly. Sarah replied, you don't sound silly. But when you say sorry first, it's like you don't believe what you're saying. That night, Nate thought a lot about her words.

She was right. He had made Sariah habit, a shield. But it wasn't protecting him. It was making him small.

So he decided to stop. The next Saturday, when his friends met again, Nate said, I've been thinking about that movie you mentioned. Can I share my opinion? No apology, no excuse, just calm clear words.

Everyone listened. He didn't speak loudly or perfectly. But for the first time, Nate felt that his voice mattered. He didn't feel afraid. He felt present.

He felt like himself without sorry at the beginning.