109 - You’re Not Bad... You’re Just Speaking in Survival Mode episode artwork

EPISODE · May 20, 2026 · 17 MIN

109 - You’re Not Bad... You’re Just Speaking in Survival Mode

from BritSpeakPod

Get the free STOP FREEZING Workshop - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeak.co/freeze⁠⁠Join the Speaking Confidence Bootcamp- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeak.co/bootcamp-early-accessDo your English conversations often stop after one or two sentences?Maybe someone asks, “How was your weekend?” and you say, “Good, thanks.” Then the conversation becomes awkward, and you start thinking, “I’m just not good at speaking English.”In this episode, I explain why this happens (and why it does not mean you are boring, rude, or bad at English.)Often, English learners give short answers because they are trying to stay safe. They want to avoid mistakes, so they keep everything simple. But the problem is that short answers give the other person nothing to respond to.In this episode of the BritSpeakPod, we will talk about:Why English conversations often die after one or two sentencesWhy short answers feel safe but limit your communicationWhy your personality can feel “smaller” in EnglishHow to use the simple Answer → Detail → Question frameworkWhy you don’t need advanced vocabulary to have better conversationsA simple speaking exercise you can practise this weekWant 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 free STOP FREEZING Workshop - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeak.co/freeze⁠⁠Join the Speaking Confidence Bootcamp- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeak.co/bootcamp-early-accessDo your English conversations often stop after one or two sentences?Maybe someone asks, “How was your weekend?” and you say, “Good, thanks.” Then the conversation becomes awkward, and you start thinking, “I’m just not good at speaking English.”In this episode, I explain why this happens (and why it does not mean you are boring, rude, or bad at English.)Often, English learners give short answers because they are trying to stay safe. They want to avoid mistakes, so they keep everything simple. But the problem is that short answers give the other person nothing to respond to.In this episode of the BritSpeakPod, we will talk about:Why English conversations often die after one or two sentencesWhy short answers feel safe but limit your communicationWhy your personality can feel “smaller” in EnglishHow to use the simple Answer → Detail → Question frameworkWhy you don’t need advanced vocabulary to have better conversationsA simple speaking exercise you can practise this weekWant 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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109 - You’re Not Bad... You’re Just Speaking in Survival Mode

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Get the free STOP FREEZING Workshop - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeak.co/freeze⁠⁠Join the Speaking Confidence Bootcamp- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.britspeak.co/bootcamp-early-accessDo your English conversations often stop after one or two sentences?Maybe...

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