What to do if you are speaking and you don't know a word you need.

Worrying about what to do if you are speaking English and you don't know a word you need, is often a huge source of anxiety for people. So much so, it stops some people speaking at all in their meetings, even though they have valuable information to share.
So, what can you do? 

The answer is definitely NOT try and learn every single English word you don't know. If you don't live in an English speaking country, this is simply not possible.

Instead;
👉 Firstly you need to accept this is a perfectly normal situation when you are speaking in a foreign language. It is nothing to be embarassed or ashamed about.

I know accepting this is very hard for high acheivers/perfectionists. If this is you, remember, real life is not an English exam. The people listening to you are interested in what you are saying, not if your English is perfect. And if you deal with the situation quickly and professionally, afterwards the other people in the room probably won't even remember that it happened. 

👉Secondly, you need a plan of what to do if this happens:

1. Pause. Can you explain the word or find a similar word?
If yes, great.

2. If no, simply say 'Excuse me, I just need to check a word'. Look the word up or ask a colleague and then carry on. 
To make sure this is as quick as possible;
     -for online meetings open AI or a translator on your computer (not phone) before the meeting
     -for in-person meetings, have a phone easily accessible
     -if you want to ask a colleague, know beforehand which colleague you will ask.

That's it.

Once you have done this a few times, you will realise it's not a big deal. And once this happens, you stop worrying about 'Oh my god, what happens if I don't know a word I need'. And then your English meetings get so much easier.🙂