18-Jul-2025

Greetings from Fluent & Fearless,

Welcome to the Fluent & Fearless Weekly — your new go-to newsletter for making sense of all the weird, wonderful, and (often) nonsensical corners of the English and Spanish languages. Whether you’re a multilingual pro, freelancer, student, or just someone who’s tired of second-guessing their grammar and syntax — we’re here for you.

ESL Word/Phrase of the Week

English Phrase: “Break the ice.”

Meaning: To start a conversation in a relaxed way, especially when people are meeting for the first time.

Example Sentences:

• “To break the ice, she told a funny story about her cat.”

• “Games are great for breaking the ice in class.”

Quick Tip:
Using idioms like this one helps you sound more natural and fluent. Just make sure to learn the context where they fit best — don’t try to “break the ice” in the middle of a serious meeting!

• “Para romper el hielo, ella contó una historia divertida sobre su gato”.

• “Él no se decide si mudarse al extranjero por trabajo”.

Highlighted Language Mistake of the Week

Mistake: “He don’t like pizza.”
Correct: “He doesn’t like pizza.”

Why?
Many English learners mix up auxiliary verbs like “do/does” or “don’t/doesn’t.” In standard grammar, “doesn’t” is used with he/she/it, not “don’t.”

✅ I/You/We/They → “don’t”

✅ He/She/It → “doesn’t”

❌ “She don’t play football.”

✅ “She doesn’t play football.”

How to Fix It:
Listen closely to native speakers and notice the helping verbs they use. It's a small change, but it makes a big difference in sounding fluent.

Punctuation Tip of the Week

Spotlight: Em Dashes (—)

What are they?
Em dashes are long dashes used to add emphasis, explain a thought, or insert extra information into a sentence — like this!

When to use them:

Instead of commas or parentheses: “I finally understood — it wasn’t about the grammar, it was the confidence.”

To show a break or pause in thought: “She opened the door — and there he was.”

Featured Story of the Week

Learning a Language Isn’t About Perfection — It’s About Progress

We often think we need to speak perfectly before we speak at all. But the truth is, language is meant to connect, not impress. Imagine a child learning their first language — do they get every word right?

Of course not!

They play, try, and laugh through mistakes. That’s exactly how adult learners should approach English. Perfection can slow you down. But practice, confidence, and small consistent steps lead to fluency. Speak up in class, write that e-mail, ask the awkward question — that’s how you learn.

Moral of the story? Don’t chase perfect. Chase progress.

Cultural Corner – Idiom/Slang of the Week

Idiom: “To throw someone under the bus.”

Meaning: To betray or sacrifice someone else—usually a friend or colleague—to protect yourself or gain an advantage, often in a public or humiliating way.

Example:

• “When the project failed, he threw his teammate under the bus to avoid getting in trouble.”

Spanish equivalent: “Echar a alguien a los leones”.

"Echar a alguien a los leones" es una expresión idiomática en español que significa exponer a alguien a una situación muy difícil, crítica o peligrosa, normalmente para que reciba todo el castigo, la culpa o la presión, a menudo sin defensa ni apoyo.

Ejemplo:

“Cuando el jefe descubrió el error en el informe, echó a su secretaria a los leones en la reunión, aunque todo el equipo había trabajado en ese proyecto”.

Comentario:

La frase evoca una imagen dramática y antigua, como en los tiempos del circo romano, y aunque hoy no hay fieras reales, los "leones" modernos pueden ser colegas implacables, redes sociales o cualquier entorno hostil.

Reader Poll / Puzzle / Comment

Brain Teaser:
What begins with T, ends with T, and has T in it?

Answer: A teapot.
(It begins with T, ends with T, and has “tea” inside it.)

Your Turn! What’s your favourite English idiom or Spanish expression that you find strange or fun? Hit reply or leave a comment below — we might feature it next week!