Affirmation Audio for Moving On After a Speaking Mistake

Now you’ve missed part of what they said, which gives you something else to feel bad about.

If that sounds familiar, it may help to decide what you’d like to say to yourself when it happens again. Affirmation audio gives you a way to hear and rehearse that response ahead of time. “I can correct myself and keep talking” is a useful place to begin.

Give yourself a next sentence

“Everyone makes mistakes” might be true, but it’s fairly vague when you’re in the middle of a conversation. Try pairing a reminder with something you could actually say out loud.

Suppose you tell someone an event starts at eleven, then remember it’s twelve. Your reminder could be “I can fix that.” What you say is simple: “Sorry, I meant twelve.”

Or perhaps you’ve started a sentence and halfway through realize it doesn’t make sense. Try “I can start that sentence again,” followed by “Let me put that another way.”

If you’ve lost track of what someone said while worrying about your own words, ask: “Could you repeat that last part?” You don’t have to pretend you heard it.

Choose words you’d use with a friend: “It’s okay. Just tell them what you meant.” Your recording can sound like that, too.

Leave a gap to try it aloud

A recording for this situation needs some quiet. Hearing a reassuring sentence is one part; having time to practice your next words is another.

Ask for a short scene, a reminder, and a pause. During the pause, try the correction in your own words. Then let the recording bring you back to the conversation. You don’t need a different example every ten seconds.

Here’s a request to try in Manai:

Make a short affirmation recording for when I make a mistake while speaking and keep thinking about it. Use the line “I can correct myself and keep talking.” Include an example where I say the wrong time, then leave a pause for me to correct it aloud. Keep the tone calm and matter-of-fact.

Check the script for phrases you’d never say. Listen through once to see whether the pause is long enough. If you want different wording or more time, revise the script and have the audio made again.

You can still care about getting it right

Some mistakes need a clear correction. Some deserve an apology. If someone was relying on the detail you gave them, follow up and make sure they have the right one.

For a small slip in conversation, though, “Sorry, I meant twelve” may be all that’s needed. Try letting the exchange continue from there. Ask the next question. Hear the answer. Give the person in front of you your attention again.

You can feel a little embarrassed and still do those things. The recording doesn’t need to insist that the embarrassment disappear before you move on.

Make your own affirmation recording in Manai.

Related: Perfectionism and high standards · What to say when you lose your train of thought.

For reminders before you speak, try these affirmations for speaking English with more confidence.

Create your personal practice with Manai →