Don’t Say “INTERESTING”, Choose these English Adjectives Instead!

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone who isn’t a native in your language…

…and something they say sounds kind of odd or makes you think “I have no idea what they’re trying to say!”?

Or perhaps you were the one speaking English and mid-conversation you notice a confused look on their face, while they try to ‘decode’ what you’re saying?

If you know what I’m talking about, don’t worry! 

I’ve lost count of the times this has happened to me when I speak Portuguese to natives (even though I’m an advanced speaker)!

It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, it happens for a good reason, but I do understand how frustrating it can be, especially, when you’re certain you’re saying the right thing!

So what’s happening? 

Sometimes when we’re talking in a second language, namely English, our mother tongue can get in the way a little (or a lot!), for example, with certain vocabulary, pronunciation, or expressions…

…and even HOW we use those same words can differ from language to language and from culture to culture.

Hence the confused faces staring back at you, no matter how perfect you may think your sentence is.

And one classic example of this mistake in English, that I ALWAYS hear is with the word: ‘INTERESTING‘…

…and it definitely confused me the first time I heard it.

I first noticed this mistake while teaching Business English to corporate executives in Brazil.

Although the word is very similar between Portuguese and English, in Brazil they also have a different use of the word ‘interesting’, as do many other languages, and when it’s translated literally or used this way, it doesn’t make sense in English.

So, to show you exactly WHAT this mistake is and HOW the word ‘interesting’ should be used, check out this short video below, AND I’ve also included also some PERFECT alternative adjectives that NATIVES do use instead.

Watch the video below now and remember to write your comments and questions afterwards…

…and of course, if you found this video of value or ‘interesting’ :), please Like and Subscribe to my channel for more English tips and lessons, especially if you found this video helpful and… interesting! 🙂

If you have a question about Business English or English in general, send it to me here and I’ll endeavour to answer as soon as possible, I may even make a video about it for you!

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Best,

Adam

P.S.: Was it easy for you to understand everything in this article and video? If you’d like to expand your professional vocabulary and improve your English, check out our fantastic range of courses here!