I’m just doing my annual soup fasting in Bad Orb, a pretty village east of Frankfurt, and although the homemade soups are actually quite tasty, I’m really looking forward to Sunday lunch with the family: roast lamb with mint sauce. I’ve tried really hard to persuade some German friends that mint sauce is delicious, but they mostly raised their eyebrows like I’d suggested eating dessert before the main course. Still, it’s very traditional in England. For me, though, apart from not having to cook myself, the best part is the gravy (Bratensoße) —my mum made the best gravy ever, and yes, I might just sneak an extra spoonful or two.

And I always find it interesting how English table talk is a bit different to German.

English people are masters of politeness, often phrasing things as if it’s really no big deal whether you say yes or no.

So instead of just asking for something, you’ll get: “Would you mind passing the potatoes?” or the classic “I don’t suppose there’s any more gravy, is there?” (Translation: yes, I really, really want more gravy, please.)

At the start of the meal, nobody says “Guten Appetit.” It’s more like “Enjoy!” or “Enjoy your meal”—or nothing at all. You just dive in, which somehow feels less formal and more dangerous for the gravy fans among us.

And if conversation gets awkward—which it inevitably does in families—you’ve got a few trusty tricks up your sleeve. Talk about the weather. Ask about holidays. Or, my personal favourite, lavish praise on the gravy. Guaranteed to get a smile, or at least a nod of approval from my mum’s invisible gravy ghost.

Last weekend we celebrated my Dad’s 99th birthday in England, and it was a truly special family day.

He was born in 1927. At that time, the world looked very different. Television had only just been invented – there were no computers, no mobile phones, and certainly no internet. Over the years, he has seen extraordinary changes. He has lived through the Second World War, the invention of modern television, the arrival of space travel, and the complete digital revolution.

When he was young, people wrote letters and waited patiently for replies. Today, he won’t leave the house without his iPhone. He has learned how to send messages and use FaceTime, and on his birthday he was delighted that he could speak with family in Germany and in different parts of England within seconds as he still remembers a completely different world, where he spent his youth listening to bombs in the cellar and where food was rationed.

What I admire most is his attitude. He has always tried to understand new things. He asks questions and listens carefully. Recently, I tried to explain Apple Pay to him. He was very confused at first. He simply couldn’t work out where the bank card was “inside” the phone. “But where is it?” he kept asking

If you ask him about the secret of his long life, he gives a simple answer: a positive attitude, a healthy diet and his motto “Keep moving.” You should see him charging around his bungalow with his rollator! He has never been someone who complains. He enjoys people, he stays curious, and he laughs easily.

Looking at him at 99, I don’t just see a Dad who was born almost a century ago. I see someone who has embraced change, stayed curious, and truly lived through history with an open mind. I am very proud to be his daughter.

It‘s carnival time in Germany. For many people, this is a serious matter. Costumes are planned carefully and shops are full of wigs and outfits. Carnival here is important and attracts many tourists in February. In England, things are different …

Let’s start with the vocabulary. In German, people talk about Kostüme or Verkleidung. These words sound practical and serious. In British English, we say fancy dress. This sounds a bit silly and not very serious at all. It already suggests that we feel slightly embarrassed about dressing up.

And embarrassment and understatement are a key part of British culture.

A famous example comes from the book and film Bridget Jones’s Diary. Bridget is invited to a “Tarts and Vicars“ party. This is a type of fancy dress party where people dress either as a “tart” (a very exaggerated, cheeky costume) or as a vicar, wearing a collar and sensible clothes. Bridget believes everyone will be dressed up, so she arrives in costume.

The problem is that the hosts have cancelled the fancy dress theme — and Bridget doesn’t know. Everyone else is wearing normal party clothes. Bridget is the only one dressed up, and she is completely embarrassed. This scene is funny because it shows a very British fear: being different from everyone else.

When British people do go to fancy dress parties, they usually play down how much effort they made. Typical things people say are:

•            “Oh, it’s nothing special.”

•            “I just threw something on.”

•            “I didn’t really have time.”

•            “I might have gone a bit too far.”

In American culture, people often do the opposite. They are very enthusiastic and confident and may say:

•            “I went all out.”

•            “I spent weeks on this costume.”

•            “I’m really proud of it.”

As for me, when carnival time comes, I still prefer the English tradition of eating pancakes instead of wearing costumes. You can read about it in my blog from February 2024. Some traditions are simply easier to enjoy without fancy dress!

If you are a carnival fan – have fun!

I’d like to wish you all a peaceful and joyful start to the year! My hope for 2026 is more calm, more kindness, and a stronger sense of community — in life and in learning English — also to help slow down the alarming loneliness statistics.

Learning a language is, not just about learning grammar and vocabulary, but about communication and connection, and one of the most enjoyable ways to practice is through community. Here are a few simple ideas:

• Join an international community around something you enjoy — a book club, sports group, or volunteer project. Shared interests make speaking easier.
• Be curious out loud. Ask questions, comment, react — you don’t need perfect English, just conversation!
• Start an English ‘Stammtisch’. Meet other English learners regularly for coffee or dinner in a relaxed setting. It’s a fun, social way to practice and build confidence without an agenda (Meet5 could be a perfect platform to start one). I ran one for 25 years in my village, and it was quite popular.

Language grows best when it’s used together. I’m really looking forward to seeing you in lessons soon — sharing ideas, practicing, and learning together.

Here’s to a year full of connection, growth, and everyday joys!

Every year, I make a traditional English Christmas cake. It is a very rich cake, full of dried fruit, and after it has rested for a while, I cover it with a layer of marzipan and then with smooth white icing. Normally, the icing looks like soft, fresh snow on top of a hill.

This year, however, things were a little different. The marzipan didn’t behave as it usually does, and the icing didn’t stay smooth. Instead of looking like peaceful winter snow, it looked more like a snowstorm in the desert. But Christmas baking doesn’t have to be perfect — and that’s what makes it all the more fun.

Luckily, my mince pies turned out really well. They are small, sweet pastries filled with a mixture of dried fruits and spices, just the right size for a snack or a little treat with tea. If you are in a lesson, you might even be able to enjoy one — if there are any left!

I am also looking forward to other traditional English Christmas treats, and of course there will be Christmas crackers, because it isn’t a real English Christmas without a paper hat and a silly joke.

I really enjoy the Christmas season in Germany too, with all the lovely Christmas markets, the delicious food, and the pretty lights everywhere.

Whether you’ll be celebrating Christmas or simply enjoying a well-earned break, I hope you have a wonderful time — and a happy, healthy New Year.

I’ve never been one to rely too heavily on textbooks in my classes. While they have their place, I find that real learning happens when we talk about real life. My students bring so many experiences, challenges, and stories into the classroom that it would feel wrong to put them aside and open a book instead.

We talk about what’s actually going on in their lives — whether it’s preparing for an event, sharing memories from a recent holiday, or discussing a work issue. Sometimes, it’s even about a personal problem they’re facing. These conversations are authentic and meaningful, and from them, we can explore grammar, vocabulary, and communication naturally. When language grows out of lived experience, it sticks — because it matters.

When we talk about what’s really going on, people forget they’re “studying English”. They’re just communicating – and that’s when the real progress happens and fluency and confidence grow. We laugh together, we think together and sometimes we share very moving moments.

One story that has touched me deeply recently is from one of my students, Christoph. He was found to be a perfect match for a blood stem cell donation and travelled to Nuremberg last week to donate. We talked a lot about it in his English lesson — about the process, the emotions, and the incredible gift he’s giving to hopefully save the life of someone with blood cancer. It’s not just a language topic; it’s a lesson in humanity, courage, and kindness, and has moved me greatly.

Moments like these remind me why I teach the way I do. Language isn’t just grammar and vocabulary; it’s connection, empathy, and understanding. When students share real parts of their lives, we all learn something — not just English, but something about what it means to be human. And it can be fun too of course!

And to Christoph — I just want to say what you’ve done is really inspiring. Thank you for reminding us what generosity truly looks like and hoping others will feel motivated to register too. (www.dkms.de).

My son got married last weekend, and it was, in many ways, a very modern wedding. There was a live stream so that family and friends from far away could joined virtually. The invitations? Not carefully handwritten cards tucked into envelopes, but a nice colourful website with all the details. Guests could upload their photos to a shared online album, and there were digital games to keep people entertained. It was all very efficient, very connected, and, I must say, a lot of fun.

It made me think back to my own wedding in 1984. Our “wedding website” was a carefully typed list of addresses for the invitations, produced on a manual typewriter which is still one of my prize possessions!  If you made a mistake, there was no delete button, just Tipp-Ex and hope. The wedding present list was also typed and then copied, with carbon paper no less, for the relatives who wanted one (did you know that cc in an email stands for carbon copy?)

And yet, despite the decades and the technology gap, both weddings had exactly the same ingredients: joy, laughter, nervous speeches, and far too much cake. The music may have changed, the photographs may now appear instantly on everyone’s phone rather than months later in an album, but the feeling in the room was identical.

Of course, weddings are always a little unpredictable—something will run late, a speech will go off-script, or the band will play the wrong song. But John & Rachael’s had a twist that no one saw coming. In total secrecy, the couple had slipped away to Denmark and got married beforehand, thanks to the joys of German red tape (an expression for bureaucracy), which found endless complications in the small matter of my daughter-in-law being British and changing her name a few years ago.

So, two weddings: one in the 1980s with a typewriter, Tipp-Ex, and carbon paper; one in the 2020s with a website, live stream, and cloud storage. Both were wonderful, both full of love, and both unforgettable. Technology changes, but weddings—thank goodness—remain timelessly joyous, romantic and just a little bit unpredictable.

I have just spent my weekend near Dresden with my dear student Astrid – and decided to take the train as I really didn’t fancy the long drive. Of course, true to form, the train was delayed and the other passengers started sighing …

To cheer everyone up, I opened my laptop and showed them a funny presentation by another student in Hamburg. Her task in the lesson had been to create a presentation in the form of a recipe – not for food, but for life, and hers was: How to survive German trains and feel joy in the centre of chaos.

Her “ingredients” were perfect: comfortable shoes, a layered look, headphones, a good book as well as tasty snacks and plenty to drink. The “method” was simple but wise and included keeping calm, going with the flow and not forgetting to laugh.

After my fellow passengers had read the presentation (and improved their English skills ), we came up with the idea of Mr Bean setting up camp in the train, cooking his dinner on his small stove and cutting a hole in the floor for “emergencies” as the train facilities were “out of order” …

We laughed so much, we forgot we were delayed :-). Astrid then asked the magic question of what ChatGPT would do with the idea … we tried it out and just loved the result (see illustration). By the way, the train home yesterday was punctual so we must not give up hope.

Today, I’d like to talk about the confusing world of days, dates, and times in English and the mishaps they can cause …

One Tuesday morning, I confidently arrived at my student’s door at 11:00, ready for our English lesson.
He looked at me, puzzled.
“Why are you here? The lesson’s on Tuesday.”
He’d of course confused Thursday with Tuesday – they do sound a bit similar .
Tip: Think of Tuesday like two’s-day – the second day of the week.

And then there’s the classic half two mix-up.
In German, halb zwei means 1:30 – half before two.
But in English, half two means 2:30 – half past two!
Tip: To avoid confusion, say two fifteen, two thirty, two forty-five, etc.

Then we have the confusion with the famous “next Tuesday” problem.
In German, nächsten Dienstag usually means the upcoming Tuesday.
But in English, next Tuesday often means the one after the upcoming Tuesday.
Tip: Always write the exact date, e.g. Tuesday, 6 March.

But be careful how you write dates:
– In the UK, we write day/month/year – so 6/3/2025 means 6 March.
– In the US, they write month/day/year – so 6/3/2025 means June 3.
Tip: Always write it in full, particularly in emails and just right the number on its own – it’s quite happy as 6 instead of 6th!

And one more cultural twist:
If an English person says they went to a great party last night, it probably just means yesterday evening – not an all-night affair! Now you can imagine how that misunderstanding might cause problems…
And finally: when we use time as an adjective, we drop the “s” and add a hyphen. So we say:
1. a two-hour journey (not two-hours)
2. a 30-minute meeting (not 30-minutes)

Little things, big difference. Especially when you’re trying to be in the right place at the right time!

How are you surviving the heat? It’s definitely not my cup of tea! I’m relieved to be in the UK, where it’s a few degrees cooler.

While sipping a welcome cup of English tea at Heathrow Airport (best thing in hot weather!), I noticed a sign on the friendly chap cleaning the Arrivals Hall: “Hygiene Operative.” It made me smile—so much more important-sounding, which of course it is. They do an essential job!

But it made me wonder: do they earn more with the new title, or have we just polished the job name while leaving the pay stuck in the past?

These days, job titles are getting glossier by the minute—a kind of rebranding. Here are just a few I’ve seen or heard recently:

1.           Hygiene Operative – cleaner

2.           Waste Management Technician – bin man

3.           Customer Experience Specialist – shop assistant

4.           Vision Clearance Engineer – window cleaner

5.           Knowledge Facilitator – teacher

6.           Media Distribution Officer – paperboy

7.           Interior Environmental Technician – caretaker

8.           Sandwich Artist – the hero of your lunchtime Subway

And yes—Knowledge Facilitator. That’s apparently me when I teach. It does sound better, I admit. I’ve never seen myself as the traditional teacher, chalk in hand, writing on a blackboard!

To be fair, I’m not against any of it. If a better title makes these important workers feel more respected, why not? But let’s hope their pay gets an upgrade too.

So, as my coach arrives, I raise my teacup to all the Hygiene Operatives out there. Whatever your title, you’re the real VIPs.

Have you come across any creative job titles lately—in English or your own language? I’d love to hear them!

Have a good week and stay cool – my best friend is my handheld fan – a fabulous idea!