Speak English with Confidence | More Than Words
by Richard Marshall
Speak English with Confidence | More Than Words (previously 'From Lost to the River') is a podcast for anyone who speaks English as a second language and wants to feel like themselves when they use it. Maybe you've spent years studying and practising, or you've built a life, a career or a family in English, and still something closes down when it matters. A meeting, a phone call, a chat with a neighbour. You overthink every sentence, you freeze, and you walk away wondering why the words wouldn't come out. For most people, the English is already there. What gets in the way is everything around it: the fear of making mistakes, the worry about being judged, the sense that you sound less clever or less like yourself than you really are. Confidence coach and author Richard Marshall shares extracts from his conversations. Some are
Episodes
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(6 min) Is AI Helping Your English or Holding You Back? | with Daniele Ponzo
Do you reach for AI the moment you’re stuck for a word in English? When English coach and author Daniele Ponzo moved to Ireland, there was no ChatGPT to help him. He had very little English, and every day at work felt like a test. So I asked him a simple question: "if AI had existed back then,...
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(8 min) Native English Speakers Aren’t Better Than You | with Alba Guerrero
Have you ever stayed quiet in English because you felt you’d never sound as good as a native speaker? I know that feeling, only for me it was podcasting. I recorded this conversation with English teacher Alba Guerrero González in 2024 and sat on the footage for over two and a half years. I was...
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(7 min) Speaking English at Work? A Pilot on When You Need to Be Exact & When You Don’t | with Alberto Rodríguez
Do you treat every conversation in English as if one mistake could ruin everything? In this episode, I’m joined by Alberto Rodríguez, a corporate aviation captain who has flown in more than 140 countries, to talk about fluency, accuracy and knowing which one really matters when you speak English…
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(11 min) Is It Too Late to Learn a Language as an Adult? | with Quang Dang Tran
Have you ever told yourself it’s too late to learn a language properly, that you should have done it as a child and now the moment’s gone? In this conversation, I’m joined by Quang Dang Tran, a professional writer whose Substack, ‘Late Learning Vietnamese’, follows his own journey back into his...
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(6 min) Your Accent Is Your Superpower: How to Embrace Your English Accent as a Non-Native Speaker | with Verónica Vitale
Do you ever wish you could switch off your accent before you open your mouth in English? In this short clip, I talk with English teacher Verónica Vitale, founder of Vital English, about why your accent is something to embrace and how it can help you speak English with confidence. I share the…
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(6 min) Stop Worrying About How Your English Sounds | Ben Eden on Speaking with Confidence in Meetings
Do you get nervous before you speak English in a meeting, worrying about every word before it leaves your mouth? Today I’m joined by author, speaker and former HR executive Ben Eden. I ask him how he’d help a senior professional who leads with confidence in their own language but freezes when…
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(7 min) English Confidence for Executives: You Don’t Need to Prove You’re Clever
Have you ever been the most senior person in the room and the quietest one in English? In today’s clip, I talk about why so many successful professionals freeze when speaking English at work, even when their English is better than that of the people around them. Your experience and authority…
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(6 min) Your English Is Better Than You Think | Ángel Gabaldón Ortega on Imposter Syndrome
Have you ever told someone your English isn't very good, in perfectly good English? Today I'm joined by Ángel Gabaldón Ortega, Relationship Manager for Large Corporates at Bankinter, to talk about imposter syndrome, self-doubt and the fear of making mistakes in English. Ángel calls his English...
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(7 min) Ashamed of Your English Accent? Why Clarity Matters More Than Sounding Native | with Stefy Vaclavikova
Do you wish you could get rid of your accent when you speak English? Today, I'm joined by Stefy Vaclavikova, an ICF-accredited coach who has helped thousands of teachers build their own businesses, to talk about her non-native English accent and the school director who wouldn't let her appear in...
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(7 min) Language Identity: "Do You Know How Intelligent I am in My Own Language?" with Daniele Ponzo
Do you ever feel like a smaller version of yourself when you speak English? In this seven-minute extract from a longer conversation (which you can watch HERE on YouTube), I'm joined by English coach Daniele Ponzo, originally from Italy, to talk about language identity and the thirteen years he...
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(3 min) Your English Mistakes Sound Worse to You Than to Anyone Else | with Lauren Martin
Have you ever stopped yourself halfway through a sentence in a meeting because you weren't sure the grammar was right? In this short clip from a longer conversation, I'm joined by Lauren Martin, a language expert and copywriter who runs Simply Copy and helps language teachers, coaches and schools...
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(6 min) Stop Comparing Your English to Everyone Else's | Verónica Vitale on Speaking English with Confidence
Most people who have studied English for years still measure themselves against the colleague who lived in California, or against native speakers, and come away feeling they will never be good enough. Add the "fluent in six weeks" promises all over social media, and speaking English confidently...
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(7 min) You Know English. So Why Can’t You Speak It Confidently?
You already know English. So why does something stop you the moment it matters? In this six-minute conversation, I'm joined by master coach Peter Freeth to talk about what's actually happening when you freeze - the inner critic, the fear of embarrassment, the perfectionism that feels like it's...
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(4 min) Why Years of English Classes Still Leave You Frozen in Meetings | with Nines López
You've studied English for years. You know the grammar. So why does speaking it at work still feel so hard? In this four-minute conversation, finance manager Nines López talks about what English learning got wrong - too much grammar, not enough real conversation - and what actually helps...
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(7 min) Why Fluency Beats Perfection - A Language Coach on Fear, Blocking, and Speaking with Confidence | with Nacho Fernández
You understand more than you speak. You freeze in meetings. You know the grammar but can't get the words out in the moment. In this seven-minute conversation, language coach Nacho Fernández - who works with CEOs and senior professionals on exactly this - talks about what actually unlocks speaking...
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(8 min) Exam English vs Real English: Why Certificates Don’t Make You a Confident Speaker
Many Spanish professionals have the certificates — B1, B2, even C1 — but still struggle to speak English confidently in real conversations. Why? Because the system teaches you to pass exams, not to communicate. In this episode of Speak English with Confidence, previously 'From Lost to the River',...
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(2 min) It’s Not Your English: Why People Don’t Understand You (Even When You Speak Well)
Many people speak English well, yet still panic when someone says, “Sorry, could you repeat that?” In this short episode of Speak English with Confidence, previously 'From Lost to the River', I explain why these moments often have nothing to do with your English level. You’ll learn the hidden...
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(7 min) What Happens to Your Confidence When Someone Looks Confused | with Daniele Ponzo
You're mid-sentence and someone's face changes. Suddenly everything you know disappears. In this seven-minute conversation, language coach, author and podcast host Daniele Ponzo talks about exactly that moment -- and what it taught him about confidence, imperfection, and what communication is...
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(3 min) Why Perfectionism is Killing Your English Confidence | with Daniele Ponzo
Most people who freeze when speaking English have already done everything they were supposed to do. The classes, the grammar, the certification. And it still wasn't enough. In this three-minute clip, language coach and author Daniele Ponzo talks about the moment he realised perfectionism was the...
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(49 min) The Psychology Behind Real English Confidence with Daniele Ponzo
Why does the professional who runs meetings brilliantly in their own language go quiet the moment the conversation switches to English? In this conversation, I'm joined by Daniele Ponzo, Italian language coach, author of Easy English for IT and host of The Non-Native Leader Podcast, who spent 13...
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(8 min) Positivity & The Sexiest Accent in the World!
Do you ever get so busy checking every word that you lose track of what you actually wanted to say? In this eight-minute episode, I share how I used to stress over my Spanish, convinced it was never good enough, and what changed when I started treating language as a tool for getting my message...
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(30 min) De “Me da Vergüenza Hablar” a Expresarte con Confianza
What happens when the coach who spends his days telling people to speak without fear has to do it himself, in his second language? In this conversation, recorded entirely in Spanish, I'm joined by Nacho Fernández, a Spanish language coach, to talk about the mental blocks that hold learners back,...
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(4 min) Learning a Language | One Mistake at a Time
Have you ever made a mistake in another language so awkward you wanted the ground to swallow you up? In this four-minute episode, I tell the story of the day, fresh in Spain and still finding my feet in Spanish, an Amazon delivery driver asked me "¿Quieres ver mi carne?" and I thought he was...
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(3 min) The Chicken Story
Is there a word in your second language you still avoid saying, just in case it comes out wrong? In this episode, I take you back to my early days in Spain and a trip to the butcher's, where one slightly mispronounced word for chicken turned an ordinary order into something very different, and…
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(6 min) How to Speak English with Confidence | with Alba Guerrero
Most Spanish professionals already know English. Speaking it confidently is another story. Perfectionism, fear of mistakes, and the pressure to "sound correct" can make even simple conversations feel stressful. In this six-minute conversation, I talk with English teacher Alba Guerrero González...
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(10 min) My Story | Fear, Frustration & Finding My Purpose
Visit my website for more info: procoachenglish.com. In this deeply personal ‘off-camera’ conversation with Sarah Smit, I share how the pandemic forced me to rethink my path. How my frustrations with Spain brought out a darker, more negative side of my personality. And how transforming this...
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(8 min) Deja de Buscar la Perfección | Una Charla en Inglés
Visit my website for more info: procoachenglish.com. Here’s an extract from my conversation with Sarah Smit, a polyglot and language expert who knows firsthand what it takes to go from zero to fluent, because she did just that while living in the Netherlands for over a decade. We discuss the...
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(20 min) Una Charla en español | The Spanish Mindset
Visit my website for more info: procoachenglish.com. Today, I’m speaking with my client, Miguel Ángel Carrasco Delgado, COO of PRG (Toys R Us & Prenatal), who has nearly 40 years of experience working with top brands like Sephora. He shares how he overcame the fear of making mistakes and built...
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(14 min) Fluency Over Perfection | The Key to Speaking English
Visit my website for more info: procoachenglish.com. Struggling with your accent? You’re not alone. In this episode, we break down why perfection is overrated and how real communication is the main objective. Hear insights from Alberto Rodríguez on the Spanish-English pronunciation clash and why...
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(2.5 min) ¿Eres Una Persona Perfeccionista?
Visit my website for more info: procoachenglish.com. In this episode, I talk about how perfectionism can stop us from improving in a new language. I’ll share my personal journey of accepting my accent and occasional mistakes in Spanish, and how this mindset shift can help you embrace your unique...
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(4 min) F.E.A.R: False Evidence Appearing Real | Why You Think Your English Is Worse Than It Is
Many people speak English far better than they think, yet still feel a wave of fear the moment someone doesn’t understand them. In this short episode of More Than Words ‘From Lost To The River’, I explore how fear creates stories in our mind that feel true even when they’re not. You’ll hear the...
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(4 min) "Tú Puedes" Your English Is Better Than You Think
Visit my website for more info: procoachenglish.com. En este extracto del primer capítulo, abordo la lucha de sentir que "no eres lo suficientemente bueno" ("not good enough") al hablar inglés y por qué es hora de cambiar esa mentalidad. A continuación, algunos puntos claves que aprenderás: Tu...
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(21 min) La Comunicación
Visit my website for more info: procoachenglish.com. Listen to why others’ reactions affect our confidence when speaking English and how many communication factors are beyond our control. Learn why mutual effort matters, why fears about mistakes are often false, and how to reset your perspective....
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(21 min) La Perfeccíon
Visit my website for more info: procoachenglish.com. In this episode of From Lost to the River, I talk about why perfectionism can block your progress and how embracing your accent and your mistakes can actually help you connect with confidence. You'll hear a Spanish speaker’s perspective on...
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(17 min) Why I Started a Podcast About English Confidence | Richard Marshall
This is where it started. The first episode, recorded with man flu, no script, and no interest in following anyone's template for how a podcast should sound. In this seventeen-minute introduction, confidence coach Richard Marshall explains why so many people who already speak English well still...
About this show
Speak English with Confidence | More Than Words (previously 'From Lost to the River') is a podcast for anyone who speaks English as a second language and wants to feel like themselves when they use it. Maybe you've spent years studying and practising, or you've built a life, a career or a family in English, and still something closes down when it matters. A meeting, a phone call, a chat with a neighbour. You overthink every sentence, you freeze, and you walk away wondering why the words wouldn't come out.
For most people, the English is already there. What gets in the way is everything around it: the fear of making mistakes, the worry about being judged, the sense that you sound less clever or less like yourself than you really are.
Confidence coach and author Richard Marshall shares extracts from his conversations. Some are
Hosted by
Richard Marshall