Stop Fearing English Phone Calls- Do This Instead.

Have you ever seen your phone ringing, looked at the name and immediately thought, please don't let this be in English? Because somehow making a phone call in English can feel much harder than having the exact same conversation face to face. You can't see their face, you can't read their body language, and when they say something you don't understand, you can't just smile and pretend you understood. You can, but I don't recommend it. And today I want to share what actually helped me feel calmer making phone calls in English. Not perfect English, not a perfect accent, just a few things that made the conversation feel much more manageable. Hi, I'm Karin, and if speaking English at work sometimes makes you feel less confident than you actually are, you are in the right place. On this channel, I share practical tools to help you speak more calmly, clearly, confidently in professional situations, even when you don't have the perfect words. And honestly, phone calls used to make me nervous, especially unexpected ones. If I knew I had a meeting in English, fine, I could prepare, I could look at the agenda, I could think about what I wanted to say, but the phone ringing unexpectedly, that was a completely different situation, because suddenly my brain had to go from Swedish mode to professional English immediately. No warm-up, no countdown, just hello. And that used to stress me more than the actual conversation. I remember one phone call in particular. I was working, completely focused on something else. Then my phone rang. I looked at the screen, an international number, and immediately I knew. Okay, this is probably going to be in English, I answered, and the person started speaking, fast, of course. They explained why they were calling, mentioned a project, a deadline, and something they needed from me. And I understood. Maybe 80%, which is actually pretty good. But instead of focusing on the 80% I understood, I panicked about the 20% I didn't. And suddenly, I wasn't listening anymore. I was thinking, what did they just say? Should I ask them to repeat it? Maybe I'll understand if they keep talking. Spoiler, it didn't. Because while I was trying to solve the previous sentence in my head, they had already said three new ones. And that's when I learned something really important about phone calls in English. You don't need to understand everything immediately, you just need to know what to do when you don't. Tip number one, don't pretend. Pause the conversation. This was probably the biggest change for me. I used to think asking someone to repeat themselves made me sound less confident. So I nodded. Well, not on the phone, but mentally I was nodding. Yes, absolutely. Meanwhile, I had no idea what I had just agreed to. Not ideal professionally. So now, if I don't understand something, I stop the conversation. Simple phrases like, sorry, could you say that again? Or, could you repeat that last part? Or my personal favorite, sorry, I didn't quite catch that. That's it. You don't need a complicated explanation. And here's what I discovered. Confident people ask for clarification. They don't pretend to understand. Because pretending might save you three seconds of awkwardness and create three weeks of problems. Tip number two, use time-buying phrases. This is something I've tested a lot. When I felt stressed, I thought I needed to answer immediately. But you don't. You are allowed to think. Especially when you're speaking another language. So I started using little phrases that gave my brain time to catch up. For example, let me just think for a second. That's a good question. Let me check that for you. Just to make sure I understand. These phrases do something really useful. They slow the conversation down. And when I slowed down, I noticed something. I actually understood more. Because panic takes up a lot of space in your brain. Calm gives you some of that space back. Tip three, repeat the important information. This is something I really wish I had started doing earlier. At the end of an important conversation, I now repeat the key information back. For example, so just to make sure I've got this, you need the presentation by Thursday. Or, okay, so our next step is, this is such a simple habit. But I think it makes you sound incredibly professional. Because you're not just listening, you're checking understanding. And honestly, this isn't only useful for non-native speakers. I've seen plenty of misunderstandings happen between native speakers too. The phone is simply a difficult communication channel. People speak quickly. Connections are bad. Someone's dog suddenly starts barking in the Sorry, could you repeat that? Your dog had something important to say. So don't blame your English for every communication problem. Sometimes it's just the phone. Over the years I've tested different ways of handling phone calls in English. And here's what worked best for me. Before an expected call, I prepare three things. First, why are we talking? Second, what information do I need? And third, what do I want to say before the call ends? Not a full script. I don't recommend that. Because then you spend the whole conversation desperately trying to find your place in your notes. I've done that too. Someone asks you a completely normal question and suddenly you're scrolling through your notes thinking, this wasn't on page two. Instead, I just prepare key words, a few phrases, a few questions. That's enough. And for unexpected calls, I remind myself, I don't have to be ready for every possible conversation in English language. I just have to be present for this one. That mindset has helped me a lot. I think many non-native speakers believe confidence means handling the entire call without any problems. Understanding everything. Answering immediately. Never asking anyone to repeat themselves. But that's not confidence. That's an impossible standard. My definition of confidence today is different. Confidence is being able to say, could you repeat that? Let me think for a second. I'm not sure I understood. Can you explain what you mean? Because that means you're staying in the conversation. You're not hiding. You're not pretending. You're communicating. And isn't that the whole point? So here's what I want you to try. The next time you make a phone call in English, don't try to sound fluent. Pick just one thing from this video. Maybe ask for clarification. Maybe use a time-buying phrase. Maybe repeat the important information in the end. Just one thing. Because confidence doesn't usually arrive in one big moment. It grows when you survive a small situation and realize, oh, I could actually do this. I still don't love unexpected phone calls. To be honest, I don't think anyone does. Even in Swedish. But today, when my phone rings and the conversation switches to English, I don't expect myself to be perfect. I know I can slow things down. I know I can ask questions. And I know I don't have to understand every single word immediately. Because speaking confidently in English isn't always about knowing exactly what to say. Sometimes, it's simply knowing what to say when you don't know what to say. And that is a skill you can practice. One phone call at a time. So tell me in the comments, what is the hardest part of making a phone call in English for you? Understanding people? Knowing how to start? Or speaking when you feel nervous? See you in the next video!