Červenec 2025

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Vital words for understanding

Why do I say I has and Do you had… when I know it’s wrong?

 

Most of my clients know what frustrates them about their English. It’s usually grammar. It’s usually a small thing that they repeat, and they know they repeat it. They see it, they hear it, they name it before I do: I said ‘I has a dog’ again, didn’t I? Then they laugh awkwardly, apologise, and say, I know that’s wrong. I don’t know why I said it. 

But here’s something we don’t talk about enough. That moment? That’s not failure. That’s proof your brain is doing something incredible. You say it because your brain is doing something complicated, brave — and very human. It’s managing two languages at once. And that’s messy.

Let’s talk Czenglish

If you’re Czech, your brain comes to English with a fully developed system already in place — your mother tongue. And Czech is very different from English. Just a few examples:

• Czech doesn’t use do/does/did to make questions → so Do you had? makes sense to your internal logic.
• In Czech, verbs don’t change depending on he/she/it → so He speak or They has doesn’t sound wrong at first.
• Czech has no present continuous → When I am spoking is you trying to fit Czech rhythm into English grammar.
• Personal changes → sounds totally natural in Czech but has a different meaning in English. We say staff changes instead.
• Two years before instead of ago → makes perfect sense, because Czech uses před dvěma lety — literally “before two years.”

All of this makes perfect sense from a Czech brain’s point of view. Your errors are not stupidity. They’re system interference. And you know what’s amazing? When you notice them — that means your brain is updating the system.

I has / We has / They has

But then: He has a meeting at 3.

You get the third person right — every time. So why not the others? It’s not because you don’t know. It’s because your brain is still rewiring. And when that happens, mistakes are part of the process.

What’s happening here: you’re applying has across all subjects instead of conjugating have/has correctly. Czech doesn’t have subject–verb agreement in the same way. The verb mít (to have) is conjugated, but not always consciously. You default to the most frequent form — often has.

This tells me you do know the rule. Your brain just struggles to apply it automatically across all subjects — especially under pressure.

I said him / He said me (instead of told me)

You’re mixing up say and tell, especially when there’s an object (me, him, her). In Czech, řekl mi (he told me) uses a different system — but there’s no clean difference between tell someone and say something. So it all merges.

What this tells me? You’re already handling reported speech and indirect objects. That’s complex grammar. You’re past beginner stage.

Do you had a Nokia?

You know English questions need do. You’ve internalised that rule. But sometimes, past tense slips through. It’s because Czech forms questions without auxiliary verbs. Měl jsi Nokii? becomes Did you have a Nokia? — but to a Czech speaker, the logic of Do you had? feels right.

This tells me you’re close. Your brain knows do belongs there — it’s just finalising the rules for past tense auxiliaries.

I fan for Arsenal

In Czech, you’d say jsem fanoušek Arsenalu — literally I’m a fan of Arsenal. You turn that into a verb (I fan), attach a preposition, and… it doesn’t work.

But what do I see? You’re trying to use identity vocabulary. You’re experimenting, trying to personalise your English. That’s a huge step forward. We just need to refine the structure.

When I am spoking…

Ah, irregular verbs and continuous tenses. Czech doesn’t have continuous forms like I am speaking. And irregular past forms (spoke, went, wrote) are patternless — they’re brute memory work.

This tells me you’re reaching for compound tenses, not just basic forms. You’re experimenting. That’s where real growth happens.

Personal changes (instead of staff changes)

A classic false friend. Personální změny sounds like it should mean personal changes, but in Czech, personální means HR-related.

So when you say this, I know you’re talking about workplace vocabulary, using high-level topics. Mistakes here are mostly lexical. No big deal.

It depends about… (instead of on)

This one’s a favourite. In Czech, we say záleží na…, and the preposition doesn’t line up with English. So about feels logical.

But here’s the thing — you’ve already learned the first part: It depends… That’s 80% of the job. The right preposition will follow with a bit of repetition. Trust me.

2 years before (instead of ago)

Another direct translation from Czech: před dvěma lety → “before two years.” But in English, we say ago — two years ago. Before is only used when comparing two events in the past (He died two years before the war).

This tells me you’re confidently using time expressions. You just need to polish the final detail.

Listen instead of hear

Many Czechs mix these up. They say, Czech doesn’t distinguish them — but I think it does. Slyšet vs poslouchat. The difference is there, but we blur it.

This mistake shows me you’re working with nuance — with subtle distinctions, not basic blocks. This is no longer beginner territory. This is fine-tuning.

What to say to yourself next time

When you notice a mistake, don’t groan. Don’t say, Ugh, I know this! Why do I keep doing it?

Say this instead:
Oh! My brain just spotted something. That’s a good sign.

Say it out loud. Smile, even. Because this is how fluency begins — not with perfection, but with awareness. So if you say we has again next week, I’ll smile — because I know what’s really happening. You’re shifting. You’re listening to yourself. And that? That’s fluency in motion.

Keep noticing. Keep speaking. Keep growing.
You’re doing better than you think.

Firstly, if you want to practise key vocabulary and read this article using the Duocards app (where you can tap on a word you don’t understand and it will show you the meaning), you need to join my email list. I will share these links there. Join here.

Vital words for understanding

I hadn’t planned to write this. I thought I’d skip this week – it’s been hot and cold; my brain has been melting and freezing; and I’ve been working on my DELTA: writing, preparing, reflecting and rethinking everything I do in class.

But then… two stories happened. Or better — two stories came back to me.

And I couldn’t keep them to myself.

They’re not dramatic. No fireworks. No certificates or official wins. Just two moments from real learners — two people I’m lucky to teach — that made me pause.

He almost stopped believing. Then life proved him wrong.

He’s shy. Quiet. He’s been through a tough year. The kind of year that leaves you unsure of everything — including yourself. But through it all, he kept coming to sessions. Every week. Twice a week. Showing up with notes, with questions, sometimes tired, sometimes uncertain — but always present. And that alone? Already admirable.

He said to me: I’m not sure about my English. I don’t see progress. Maybe I’m wasting time.

I didn’t argue. Just listened. Because I get it. English can feel invisible sometimes. The effort, the homework, the sessions — it all adds up in silence. And when there’s no test, no score, no finish line — doubt creeps in. But then… summer happened. He went on a family holiday.

And everything changed.

He was the one in charge. Kids depending on him. The only adult who could speak some English. Booking things, asking for help, navigating allergy issues. He had to explain gluten-free needs, ask detailed questions, respond quickly — and he did. No freezing. No shame. No panic. He talked. Naturally. In English.

This week, he told me: I was surprised by myself. I didn’t even feel nervous. It just… worked.

What he didn’t realise: it worked because of all those ‘invisible’ hours he spent speaking, learning, building confidence. The value of showing up twice a week, even when it feels pointless — well, now he knows. It wasn’t a miracle. It was months of tiny efforts, showing up even when he didn’t feel like it. It was earned fluency.

That’s what language is for. Not perfection. Use.

She stayed calm when it mattered most.

Another learner, a grandmother with a soft voice and a sharp mind, has been gently pushing herself to speak more fluently — mostly to enjoy her travels and feel prepared. One session at a time, she’s been building her confidence.

She was at sea with her grandchildren when the engine suddenly stopped. Middle of the water. Stuck.

And in that moment — she didn’t panic. She called for help. In English. Explained the issue. Described their location. Answered questions calmly. Got help.

It was a stressful situation, but language wasn’t the barrier. It was the bridge. She didn’t tell me this story as a big deal — but it was.
Because real-life English isn’t about flawless grammar. It’s about staying calm when you need to. It’s about knowing your words are enough.
And she was more than enough.

These aren’t just ‘success stories.’ They’re proof.

• Proof that quiet progress is still progress.
• Proof that sessions matter, even when it doesn’t feel like it.
• Proof that the skills you’re building now might save you later — from panic, from silence, from giving up.

And to both of these clients — if you’re reading this (and I know you are) — I want to say thank you. For sharing, for showing up, and for reminding me why I do what I do.

And to the rest of you reading:
→ You may not feel fluent. But what if you’re already ready for more than you think?

Your English is working even when it’s quiet.
Especially then.

Firstly, if you want to practise key vocabulary and read this article using the Duocards app (where you can tap on a word you don’t understand and it will show you the meaning), you need to join my email list. I will share these links there. Join here.

Vital words for understanding

What’s on my mind today

 

Most learners can name all the things they’re bad at. But ask them what they’re good at — and you’ll hear silence. Maybe we all tend to do that in various aspects of our lives, not only with learning — you know, seeing only the bad stuff. The stuff we lack, the things we don’t have (and wish we had), all those missing components we believe would make us happy. Entirely happy.

Let me stop here for a sec to think about this: is it even possible to be entirely happy? Is there ever a point in life when you can honestly say: there’s nothing else I want, nothing else I crave, nothing more to learn or do? I’ve never had that feeling. I guess it’s in our nature to chase things — and if you’re reading this, you’re a chaser. You’re constantly looking for something to do, to see, to learn, to get, to gain, to improve. And you’re very well aware of your deficiencies. You tend to be hard on yourself and expect a lot. I attract these people.

Let me say this clearly — you’re already better than you think.

Every time you show up to a session — tired, busy, or doubting yourself — that’s resilience. You keep trying. You could give up, but you don’t. Every time you open your homework and do it, and then get curious and open another video or article — that’s curiosity. Every time you look up a word you don’t understand and complain about not remembering it in our session — that’s learning.

All these things are not regular. They’re not something everyone does. You’re special. You push yourself. You suffer — and yet overlook the courage and enormous strength you show me every day. This doesn’t show up in a vocabulary test — but it’s the foundation of real progress.

I still remember a client who joined our first session almost whispering. She was afraid to say anything wrong — visibly tense. After a few weeks of work, she began sending me voice messages about her day. Not perfect ones — but real, brave, thoughtful ones. She started asking follow-up questions, laughing, even correcting herself mid-sentence. That kind of shift isn’t just language improvement — it’s growth.

You know that you understand more than you can say, and for some reason, that bothers you. This is the one thing I cannot really wrap my head around because I don’t share this frustration. But many of you say it’s uncomfortable. As a teacher who knows a bit about how languages are learned — and the neuroscience behind it — let me tell you: it’s a good sign. You need to understand more than you say. It’s natural. Comprehension is the first step to fluency.Fluency doesn’t begin with speaking. It begins with understanding.

Do you remember your first English session? How did you feel? Nervous? Stupid? Sweaty? Tired? Embarrassed?
I felt joy.

Joy because you just participated in — and survived — a real conversation in a foreign language. You may not have had perfect grammar, but you communicated. You used gestures, context, tone, and the words you had at that point to get your message across. That’s real language use — messy, human, and powerful.

Now think about how often you can spot your own mistakes — not just the ones we discuss at the end of our sessions. Think about those moments when you’re unsure whether what you’ve just said was right or not. When you think, “Hmm, that sounds weird,” or when you realise seconds later that you said something wrong — and you try to fix it, even if you’re not sure how. This shows growth.You’re developing that internal radar that leads to fluency. That’s not failure — that’s awareness.

🧠 In fact, neuroscience supports this. When you notice and reflect on your own errors, your brain activates the anterior cingulate cortex — the same region responsible for detecting and correcting conflict. That means every time you stop and think, “Wait, was that right?” you’re actually rewiring your brain for more accurate language use.

Let me give you a glimpse into what I see:

• You worry about misusing one word — I see you’ve used five others correctly.
• You’re frustrated by your grammar — I see how well you listen, and how much you care.
• You beat yourself up for forgetting the “-s” in third person — I notice how you understood my sarcasm and reacted with a smile.
• You feel stupid for not getting the grammar just right — I see you trusting yourself enough to even try.

And my favourite moment? When you ask a question. Any question. Because I know that question took thought, effort, planning, and courage. That’s when I’m proudest.

So, to slowly wrap it up:
Try to shift your focus just a little.
Instead of asking, What am I bad at? ask:
What do I already do well — and how can I build on that?
Don’t focus on what’s wrong. Focus on what’s strong and can grow stronger.

Think back a year:

• What couldn’t you do then that you can do now?
• How did you feel then? And how do you feel now?
• What got you here?
  Find the one positive habit that made a difference — and repeat it.

You’re not behind.
You’re building.
You’re not broken.
You’re becoming.

If you could see yourself through my eyes for just five minutes, you’d never doubt your progress again.

🎯 Your challenge this week:
Write down 3 things you already do well in English — even the tiny ones.
Then ask yourself: how can I build on these?

Share yours in the comments or DM me — I’d love to celebrate with you. 💬✨