108 - You're Preparing Too Much Before Speaking English episode artwork

EPISODE · May 13, 2026 · 28 MIN

108 - You're Preparing Too Much Before Speaking English

from BritSpeakPod

Get the STOP FREEZING Workshop - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeak.co/freeze⁠Book Your Action Plan Call - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeak.co/action-plan⁠⁠⁠⁠A lot of English learners think they are not prepared enough. But sometimes, the real problem is the opposite. You are preparing too much.You prepare because it feels safer. You want to avoid mistakes. You want to choose the right words. You want to make sure your grammar is correct before you speak.And that makes sense when you’re writing an email or sending a message. You can take your time. But real conversations are different. You can’t pause a conversation for five minutes while you check what to say.In this episode of the BritSpeakPod, I talk about why overpreparing can actually make speaking English harder, why it leads to freezing in real conversations, and how to start practising spontaneous communication instead.Because speaking English is not a test. The goal is not perfect grammar. The goal is to communicate your message clearly enough for the other person to understand.In this episode, I talk about:Why loads of learners prepare too much before speaking EnglishHow fear of mistakes creates dependence on preparationWhy written English and spoken English are different skillsWhy prepared English and spontaneous English are not the same thingHow overpreparing can make you freeze in real conversationsHow to practise speaking before you feel readyA simple one-minute exercise to build confidence speaking without preparationWant more episodes? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeakpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Welcome to BritSpeakPod, a podcast designed to help you stop freezing and start communicating in English with confidence. Each episode focuses on real communication... not just learning more words, but actually knowing what to say and how to say it in real situations.Who am I?My name is Dan and I am a CELTA qualified ESL teacher with over 10 years experience. I’m originally from Sheffield, UK, and I’ve been living in Japan since 2016. I help people who understand English but freeze when it’s their turn to speak, so they can communicate clearly, confidently, and naturally in real conversations.Learn from me for free:YouTube - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@brit-speak⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Articles - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeak.co/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/britspeak⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Work with me:Coaching - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeak.co/store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Academy - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeak.co/britspeak-academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Courses - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeak.co/courses⁠

Get the STOP FREEZING Workshop - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeak.co/freeze⁠Book Your Action Plan Call - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeak.co/action-plan⁠⁠⁠⁠A lot of English learners think they are not prepared enough. But sometimes, the real problem is the opposite. You are preparing too much.You prepare because it feels safer. You want to avoid mistakes. You want to choose the right words. You want to make sure your grammar is correct before you speak.And that makes sense when you’re writing an email or sending a message. You can take your time. But real conversations are different. You can’t pause a conversation for five minutes while you check what to say.In this episode of the BritSpeakPod, I talk about why overpreparing can actually make speaking English harder, why it leads to freezing in real conversations, and how to start practising spontaneous communication instead.Because speaking English is not a test. The goal is not perfect grammar. The goal is to communicate your message clearly enough for the other person to understand.In this episode, I talk about:Why loads of learners prepare too much before speaking EnglishHow fear of mistakes creates dependence on preparationWhy written English and spoken English are different skillsWhy prepared English and spontaneous English are not the same thingHow overpreparing can make you freeze in real conversationsHow to practise speaking before you feel readyA simple one-minute exercise to build confidence speaking without preparationWant more episodes? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeakpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Welcome to BritSpeakPod, a podcast designed to help you stop freezing and start communicating in English with confidence. Each episode focuses on real communication... not just learning more words, but actually knowing what to say and how to say it in real situations.Who am I?My name is Dan and I am a CELTA qualified ESL teacher with over 10 years experience. I’m originally from Sheffield, UK, and I’ve been living in Japan since 2016. I help people who understand English but freeze when it’s their turn to speak, so they can communicate clearly, confidently, and naturally in real conversations.Learn from me for free:YouTube - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@brit-speak⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Articles - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeak.co/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/britspeak⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Work with me:Coaching - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeak.co/store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Academy - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeak.co/britspeak-academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Courses - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeak.co/courses⁠

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108 - You're Preparing Too Much Before Speaking English

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This episode was published on May 13, 2026.

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Get the STOP FREEZING Workshop - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeak.co/freeze⁠Book Your Action Plan Call - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeak.co/action-plan⁠⁠⁠⁠A lot of English learners think they are not prepared enough. But sometimes, the real problem is...

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