Your surroundings dress your 'language' outfitNew Blog Post
From the Language Wardrobe:
Why your social circle and workplace culture decide what feels “wearable”
You don’t choose your phrases on your own
You think you choose words. But your friends, family, business colleagues and even teachers quietly chooses with you.
That’s why one person says “kindly reply” (hello, global corporate email culture), and another says “Can you send it over?” and both believe they’re speaking “the right English.”
The invisible stylists in your language life
Your vocabulary is shaped by:
Industry (engineering vs pharma vs IT)
Region and schooling (what English you were exposed to)
Company culture (formal vs relaxed)
Peer group (how your team speaks)
“Prestige English” (phrases that sound impressive—sometimes too impressive)
In other words, you’re constantly copying linguistic outfits around you.
I still remember mimicking some of the phrases my first boyfriend used to use and which were - up to that point - not part of my personal 'language wardrobe'.
Does this sound familiar? The meeting where “direct” sounded… aggressive
A German manager I worked with said in a project call: “We need this by Friday. This is not negotiable.” In German, that’s clear leadership. In English, it can sound like a door slam.
But the problem is that you don't realize that there is a cultural divide.
On my part, the reaction often wasn’t anger—just surprise. I know I used to ask myself why my colleague was so angry; they weren't angry just direct!
So, could it be that English doesn’t replace directness — it just changes how directness is packaged?
German business culture often values clarity upfront. English business culture (especially in international settings) often values relationship + face-saving + options.
So directness isn’t “wrong”—it just needs a different 'jacket' from the language wardrobe ;-)
Why not use the “tailoring trick” -add a softener, but keep the message
You don’t need to become vague, you can sound firm without sounding final.
German-style direct → English-tailored direct:
“We need this by Friday.” → “Can we agree on Friday as the deadline?”
“That’s not possible.” → “That could be tricky — what’s the constraint?”
“You are wrong.” → “I’m not sure I see it the same way — can we look at the data?”
Do you recognize the differences? (German-influenced → more natural English)
Here are eight upgrades that keep your meaning but improve the “fit”:
“I make a photo.” → “I’ll take a photo.”
“We see us tomorrow.” → “See you tomorrow.”
“I’m since 10 years in the company.” → “I’ve been with the company for 10 years.”
“Can you give me an information?” → “Can you give me some information?” / “Can you share the details?”
“Let’s discuss about it.” → “Let’s discuss it.”
“I’ll send it to you until Friday.” → “I’ll send it to you by Friday.”
“I become feedback.” → “I get feedback.” / “I receive feedback.”
“We must not forget.” → “Let’s not forget…” (less bossy, more collaborative)
Look at this in a practical way -
Borrow outfits, but don’t lose your style
Yes, you should copy useful phrases from your environment. But choose them like clothing:
Does it match your role? (who are being?)
Does it match your audience? (who are you talking to?)
Does it match your personality? (does it really sound like 'you'?)
Does it match the moment? (does it suit the situation?)
Mini exercise: Test your awareness (7 minutes)
Pick one context where you speak English:
internal meetings
customer calls
emails
negotiations
Now answer:
Which 3 phrases does everyone around you use?
Which one feels unnatural in your mouth?
What’s a better alternative that still fits the group?
Use the alternative once this week.
Tell us
What’s one English phrase your workplace uses that you secretly dislike (but keep repeating)? Share it with us.
