are you a non-native English speaker do
you struggle to speak in English or at
times are you a little embarrassed
speaking in English well you don't have
to worry because we have some survival
English phrases for you hi friends
thanks for clicking I am Niharika and
today's lesson we have some survival
English phrases and some tips for
non-native speakers so are you planning
a trip to an english-speaking country or
do you deal with a lot of English
speakers especially native English
speakers and if you or your English is
not that great then what do you do about
it well in today's lesson we will help
you with some phrases that you can use
now here there are set of four phrases
that you can use but the ones in the
black are the phrases that people
usually use and I want you to stop using
them so let's get started the very first
phrase that I commonly come across
people say is my English is terrible
it's okay well your English is not very
good but I'm sure your other languages
are great which probably we can't speak
so you don't have to feel so bad about
it you don't have to literally explain
that ah my English is terrible or my
English is awful it's a better
expression that you can use is I'm
working on improving my English now when
you end up saying my English is terrible
or my English is just awful it gives a
very negative impact to your statement
if you keep saying that I am sure that
one day you will just give up or you
start believing that yes my English is
bad so please stop using this if you are
doing so don't use it furthermore you
are gonna use this statement instant
which is I am working on improving my
English okay so this is for the English
learners if you use this and then don't
do it use this okay the next one sorry
for my bad english hey it's alright you
don't have to be so apologetic about not
knowing English like I said there are
other languages that you speak and
probably we can't
so here when you know people end up
saying especially English learners when
they speak to native speakers they say
sorry for my bad english okay don't be
apologetic you don't have to say sorry
you don't have to apologize a better
positive statement that you can use is
English isn't my first language so
please excuse any mistakes now here when
you are making this point in front of an
English native speaker it shows that yes
English is not your first language okay
so you are gonna struggle or you are
gonna make mistakes while speaking in
English so indirectly you're asking that
person to be patient and understanding
and people will do so it's okay if you
don't know English it's okay if you're
not very good at it once you use this
statement people will always give you a
very positive response so rather than
apologizing by saying sorry for my bad
english don't do that
use this statement that English is in my
first language so please excuse any
mistakes alright let's move on to the
third statement which is I don't
understand what now when you speak to a
native and
speaker you are not accustomed to their
accent you don't know what they are
saying and probably you think that they
are speaking too fast and that's why you
are not able to understand them so while
they are saying something while they are
talking and if you fail to understand
them you are not gonna say I don't
understand what that's gonna be rude
that's not a good way of saying this to
someone that person will not appreciate
so instead of saying I don't understand
what are you saying you would say could
you repeat that please
so in a very courteous tone you will say
could you repeat that please okay so
that will definitely make that person
repeat whatever he or she just said
there's another statement that you can
use either you can say could you repeat
that please but you can also say that
could you speak a little slower so that
I understand better so again when you
say that could you speak a little slower
so that I understand you better is a
very positive way of asking someone to
repeat themselves right so if you are
using this what oh I don't understand
you don't do it use this phrase instead
okay and now let's move on to the fourth
one do you understand
okay now again when you go to an
english-speaking country or if you are
having a conversation with an English
native speaker that person is probably
not accustomed to your accent so he or
she fails to understand what you are
trying to say now if you think that he
has this puzzled look on his face he's
confused he's like trying to catch every
word that you're trying to say it's
alright
you're not gonna say do you understand
okay even if you say it in a very polite
toan do you understand it would still
come out in a very rude way so instead
of saying do you understand you are
gonna say that let me repeat that for
you
now here either you can say let me
repeat that for you or let me clarify it
for you both these phrases can be used
when you think that the opposite person
is not able to understand you now again
since your English is not very good and
you're trying to explain things in
English make sure that you speak very
slowly okay don't go too fast because
you are trying to use the limited
vocabulary that you have so go slow and
if you think that the person is not
understanding you then you would say let
me repeat that for you or let me clarify
okay that's the way you will try to
build a conversation with that person
okay so the four statements or the four
phrases that I need you to stop using
are my English is terrible sorry for my
bad english stop apologizing
I don't understand what do you
understand okay stop using these phrases
and instead of using these phrases try
the phrases written in the red which are
I'm working on improving my English
English is in my first language so
please excuse any mistakes could you
repeat that please and then the last one
is let me repeat that for you or let me
clarify okay so start using them trust
me people will understand you better
and people would like to build a
conversation with you even if your
English is not that great okay so please
follow these tips and I will be back
with a new lesson soon till then you
take care and have a great day