One advanced mistake, 9 ideas to feel better, and an English detox quiz

Hi there,

Welcome back to The English Breakfast — the newsletter for Italian professionals who want to sound more confident and natural in English at work.

I hope the start of 2026 has treated you well so far.

I’m writing this from the mountains in Valle d’Aosta, taking a short break for some fresh air and (hopefully) a bit of snowboarding before my courses start again next week.

But wherever you are today, let’s take a minute to give your English a quick boost.

This week, I want to focus on a mistake I hear very often — especially from more advanced speakers. It’s not only a grammar problem, but also a question of mindset.

Watch this week’s short video to find out what the mistake is, why it happens, and how to fix it.

Let me know if you’ve ever caught yourself doing this while speaking English.

This time of year naturally invites a bit of goal-setting and “New year, new me” reflection.

If I’m honest, I’m not really one of those people — but I did come across an article from the BBC that I found genuinely interesting.

It looks at nine practical, science-backed habits that can help you feel better and improve your life in a meaningful (and realistic) way.

Your task

1. Read the article and see which of the nine ideas you agree with — or disagree with.

2. Note down five new words or phrases you notice while reading.

Here’s the article:

And here’s one more small way to make your life a little better — or at least your English.

My e-book “What did you say?” teaches 99 advanced phrases that native speakers use all the time in real conversations. It includes games, listening practice, and interactive activities to help you actually use what you learn.

If improving your listening and confidence is one of your goals for 2026, you can find it here.

Buy it now and give your English a boost this New Year.

New Year Detox

You might be thinking about hitting the gym or cutting back on calories if you slightly overdid it with the panettone recently.

But let’s take a moment to give our English skills a detox too.

Time to hit the grammar gym 💪

This B2-level quiz will test how solid your English really is.

There are 15 questions — can you get them all right?

Click here to take the test 🗒️ 

All right, that’s it for this week. I’m off to hit the slopes 🏂️ 🏔️ 

Have a great week and I’ll see you next time.

All the best,

Dan

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