The Speak Confident English Podcast

Welcome to the first episode of Confident English Conversations. Once a month, I sit down with a woman I know and we talk in English, the way friends do.
I'm doing this for 2 reasons. First, I love a real conversation. For me, there's nothing better than connecting with another person; it's pure joy.
And second, I want you to hear what English confidence really sounds like. You'll hear easy moments and small mistakes. Laughter and uncertainty. Sometimes we pause and search for a word. That's normal. It happens in every real conversation.
My guest this month is Sima. I've known her since she joined my Confident Women Community in January 2024. She's from India and has lived in California for 19 years.
In this conversation, we talk about the strange California weather, helicopter parenting, and how to disagree in English while staying true to your values. Sima also shares what has helped her feel calm and confident when she speaks.
Sima built that confidence by practicing English with other women every month, in a safe and friendly space. That space is the Confident Women Community. You can join us here: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/community/
Want a free first step? Get my free training, Say What You Want in English: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english

Do you want to talk about your past in English? There are three easy ways to do it: used to, would, and the past simple. Each one is a little different. This lesson shows you when to use each one.
"Used to" tells people that something has changed. "Would" brings an old routine back to life. And the past simple, with words like always and every summer, tells the simple facts. I'll also show you the most common mistake people make with "would." At the end, I share four things that make a memory feel warm and real when you tell it.
Then it's your turn. Try telling a short story about a childhood memory. Listen on a walk or in the car, and say one story out loud before you finish.
Get my free training, Say What You Want in English: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english/
Read the full lesson here: https://speakconfidentenglish.com/talk-about-the-past-in-english
Telling stories about your past is one of the best ways to connect with people in English. And it's easier than you think.
Episode Timestamps:
00:00 Sharing Your Past Memories
01:04 Used To
04:16 Would
09:28 Past Simple + Frequency Adverbs
12:21 Putting It All Together
13:40 Creating Nostalgia
16:06 Practice
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Thank you for listening! I share new episodes every Wednesday. Make sure you click the follow button to get notified.
If you prefer video or want closed captions, you can watch all my episodes on YouTube → ⁠https://www.youtube.com/speakconfidentenglish⁠
 
COME SAY 'HI!'
Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/speakconfidentenglish/⁠
Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/speakconfidentenglish⁠
 
MORE RESOURCES FOR YOU:
How to Get the Confidence to Say What You Want in English (Free Fluency Training) → https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english/
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review! It really helps get encouragement and actionable advice to non-native English speakers around the world.

There's a feeling that says, "Yes, this is my place. These are my people." And there's the opposite, when everyone is kind to you but you're still standing on the outside of the conversation. This lesson is about how to talk about feelings like these in English: belonging, trust, connection, and what it's like to be left out.
Here's what you'll learn:
You'll get the phrases English speakers use to welcome someone in, like to make room at the table and to bring someone in. You'll learn the language of trust, including to let your guard down and to let someone in. And you'll get the words for the other side of the experience, when you feel shut out: to be on the outside looking in, to freeze someone out, to give someone the cold shoulder, and to put your walls up.
Near the end, I'll give you a moment to stop and think about your own life: where you feel like you're on the inside, and whose circle you're in.
Get my free training, Say What You Want in English: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english/
Read the full written lesson: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/english-phrases-for-belonging
Once you have these words, you'll start hearing them everywhere. In a friend's story, a colleague's frustration after a meeting, a podcast, a song.
 
Episode Timestamps:
00:00 Why Belonging & Trust?
03:28 Welcoming Others
06:18 Feeling Trust
08:30 Feeling Connected
11:59 Feeling Distance
 
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Thank you for listening! I share new episodes every Wednesday. Make sure you click the follow button to get notified.
If you prefer video or want closed captions, you can watch all my episodes on YouTube → ⁠https://www.youtube.com/speakconfidentenglish⁠
 
COME SAY 'HI!'
Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/speakconfidentenglish/⁠
Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/speakconfidentenglish⁠
 
MORE RESOURCES FOR YOU:
How to Get the Confidence to Say What You Want in English (Free Fluency Training) → https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english/
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review! It really helps get encouragement and actionable advice to non-native English speakers around the world.

The grocery store is one of the first places you have to speak when you live in or travel to an English-speaking country, and it can feel stressful. This lesson gives you the real phrases people actually use at the grocery store in English, from making your list to asking for help to checking out.
You'll learn natural ways to talk about what you're running low on and need to stock up on, how to ask someone to grab or pick up a few things, the casual phrases for inside the store (it's packed, it's dead, that's a rip-off, that's a steal), how to ask for help without feeling awkward, and exactly what to say to the cashier at checkout.
And because knowing the words isn't the same as saying them out loud, here's a simple way to start practicing so these phrases feel natural, not memorized. ➡️ My free training, Say What You Want in English: [link]. Full written lesson: speakconfidentenglish.com/grocery-store-english-phrases/
Episode Timestamps:
00:00 Avoiding stores?
02:16 Making the grocery list
04:44 Making requests
06:30 Going to the store
11:05 Asking for help
12:40 Checking out
---
Thank you for listening! I share new episodes every Wednesday. Make sure you click the follow button to get notified.
If you prefer video or want closed captions, you can watch all my episodes on YouTube → ⁠https://www.youtube.com/speakconfidentenglish⁠
 
COME SAY 'HI!'
Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/speakconfidentenglish/⁠
Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/speakconfidentenglish⁠
 
MORE RESOURCES FOR YOU:
How to Get the Confidence to Say What You Want in English (Free Fluency Training) → https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english/
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review! It really helps get encouragement and actionable advice to non-native English speakers around the world.

You're on a call. The conversation is moving, you only have 40 minutes, and you need to say so without sounding rude. Or someone is sharing a long story and you have a question that can't wait. Learning how to interrupt politely in English changes how comfortable you feel in those moments, at work, in meetings, and in everyday conversations.
In this episode, you'll get:
5 tips for stepping into a conversation without sounding rude, including timing, tone, body language, and a cultural note that makes everything else easier
11 polite English phrases you can use right away, sorted by situation
What changes when you're on Zoom or Teams
You'll also learn the visual signs that tell you whether someone is finished talking or just thinking. Once you can read those, the words come easier. Listen on your next walk or commute, then try one or two of the phrases in a real conversation this week.
Get my free training, Say What You Want in English: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english/
Full written lesson: https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/interrupt-someone-politely-in-english/
Episode Timestamps:
00:00 Interrupt politely? How?
01:18 Cultural tips
02:17 Tip 1: Reasons
03:01 Tip 2: Politeness
03:41 Tip 3: Tone
04:39 Tip 4: The moment
07:08 Tip 5: Signals
08:40 11 Ways to Interrupt
13:25 Interrupting online
 
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Thank you for listening! I share new episodes every Wednesday. Make sure you click the follow button to get notified.
If you prefer video or want closed captions, you can watch all my episodes on YouTube → ⁠https://www.youtube.com/speakconfidentenglish⁠
 
COME SAY 'HI!'
Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/speakconfidentenglish/⁠
Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/speakconfidentenglish⁠
 
MORE RESOURCES FOR YOU:
How to Get the Confidence to Say What You Want in English (Free Fluency Training) → https://www.speakconfidentenglish.com/say-what-you-want-in-english/
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review! It really helps get encouragement and actionable advice to non-native English speakers around the world.