✈️ “That’s Terrific!” — My Awkward Moment with a Native Speaker 😳😂

I still remember the first time I ever had a real conversation with a native English speaker. His name was Tom, an American and I was just a student (well I still am). This story that ‘m about to tell you happened, I think, around the fifth session out of eleven. So yeah, you can imagine… I was still a bit shaky. Every time I turned on my camera or had to speak, I would overthink every single word I was about to say. Classic overthinking mode. 😅

Anyway, that day we were talking about something really serious: airplane crashes. 😔 We were discussing how tragic they were and how many people had died in different incidents. Tom even mentioned some statistics like, real numbers of people who had lost their lives. It was sad. The kind of conversation that makes you stop and reflect. So, there I was, trying to sound engaged and thoughtful, and I wanted to respond to something he said. I meant to say "That's terrible" to show empathy. But guess what I said?

"That's terrific." 😶

Yup. I told him that all those tragic airplane deaths were terrific. Like I had just heard great news! As you already know, “terrific” means something amazing, exciting, or wonderful. Not something tragic. Definitely not what you want to say when talking about people dying in crashes. And the worst part? I knew the meaning of the word. I knew. But somehow, that word just slipped out of my mouth, like my brain betrayed me in the most awkward moment possible. “Oh my God, I’m sorry! I meant to say that’s terrible, not terrific!” I said. Tom’s reaction? Oh, he was so polite. He just kind of paused for a second, maybe let out a little giggle, and then moved on. It was so awkward and funny too, now that I look back on it. Moments like that remind me that even if we know the vocabulary, our nerves or our brain can sometimes create the perfect comedy scene.

Moral of the story? Be kind to yourself. We all mess up sometimes. Just laugh at yourself, learn, and keep going.