No one ever corrects my Spanish mistakes.

And that is NOT because I have perfect Spanish.

It’s because I have decent Spanish. I can keep a conversation going.

I can talk about my dog Laika 🐶, a funny situation on public transportation 🚇, and my favorite place to eat Mexican food in Bogota. 🌮

The only time I get a Spanish correction is when I ask for help. Like when I don’t know the phrase for scheduling something on the calendar (agendar), or when I think I need to use hubiera. 😜

I’m making mistakes ALL of the time, and I don't realize it.

Why does this matter to you?

Well, I promise, the same thing is happening in your English interactions at work.

Most of the time, people understand your ideas. And if they don’t, they probably don’t correct your English. Instead, they ask you to repeat or explain a little more.

Which is great. 😀

For many of you, you need to feel more comfortable speaking English. Realizing that people understand you and aren’t judging you is incredibly freeing.

But sometimes, you want to be more aware of your mistakes in English, so that you can fix them.

Fossilized language 🦖

In language learning, we talk about fossilized language.

This is NOT language about dinosaurs, but mistakes that you’ve said so many times that they have become set in stone.🪨 (set in stone = permanent, certain, firm).

They are really hard to change.

Mistakes like:

❌People who is . . .

❌It depends of. . .

❌Our organization is committed with. . .

As I mentioned above, sometimes these mistakes don’t matter. But here’s an example where they do matter.

Has or have?

A client kept repeating this mistake:

❌ We work with financial institutions that has . . . .

As the listener, I hear the word has more than the plural -s on institutions.

Instead of hearing that their organization is working with many institutions (which they are),

I might hear that they just work with one (which isn’t accurate or, in this case, what their funder wants to hear.)

Or, I just might feel confused.

STEP 1: Finding your mistakes

So, how do you identify these types of mistakes, especially if no one is going to tell you about them?

1. Ask someone for help. Find a trusted colleague or friend who will tell you when you make English mistakes. Write them down.
2. Record yourself in a meeting or presentation. Listen to it later and check the words or grammar you aren’t sure about.
3. Use AI. Ask ChatGPT to help you correct an email you’ve written or some sentences you've said. Compare the original with the corrected version.

STEP 2: Un-learning your mistakes

Now that you are aware of a problem, how do you un-learn it?

😠When you make the mistake:

• Say the correction aloud the moment you realize it is a mistake.
• Write the mistake and correction on a list in your phone or a notebook that you keep near your workspace.

⏰Within 24-48 hours:

• Write at least ten sentences using the word or phrase correctly. These sentences should be relevant to your context. Read them aloud.
• If it’s a pronunciation mistake, use Youglish.com to listen to the correction in context. Repeat the words as you listen.
• Find a situation to use it in. Force yourself to do this.

📆Ongoing

• If you notice yourself making the mistake while speaking or writing:
  • Feel proud that you recognized it, and
  • Then, correct yourself.
• Review your list of words/phrases once a week to remind yourself of the corrections.

With commitment, time and practice, you CAN un-fossilize these language habits. 💪

This article by Chris Ahterton offers an interesting perspective (and a little more science) on this process.

Bad habits in your second language

And if you’re not sure how to correct the mistakes I listed above, here’s a LinkedIn Post with the answer:

6 Tricky Little Words

🚀Hope you are having a great month. Feel free to reach out if you need anything at all.

Schedule a free consultation with me

All the best,

Amy