Improving Thought Organization

I'm Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP, a licensed speech-language pathologist. I help people organize their thoughts when they speak English, so their ideas come out clear and easy to follow.

Prefer one-on-one help? See my private accent reduction training.

You can start for free with English Pro Lite, my online American accent course, with 45 lessons and 2.5 hours of video.

English Pro is my full program, for intermediate learners and above. It's $49.99 a month or $479 for lifetime access, with a 10-day money-back guarantee.

Do you have trouble organizing your thoughts in English?

You lose your point in the middle of a sentence.
You know what you want to say, but it comes out too long or out of order.
Clients or colleagues seem confused after you explain something.
You stay quiet in group discussions because you need more time to put your ideas together.

Why it's hard to organize your thoughts in a second language

When you speak a second language, part of your attention goes to vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. That leaves less room for planning what you'll say. Native speakers have this problem too, especially when they're nervous or put on the spot.

A simple structure helps a lot. For example, say your main point first, give one or two reasons or examples, and then repeat your point in a short sentence. Speaking in short phrases with pauses between them (thought groups) also gives you time to think while you talk.

How I help you organize your thoughts

In private training, we practice the speaking situations you face, like answering questions in meetings, explaining a project, or telling a story. I give you simple ways to organize your ideas, and we practice them out loud until they feel natural. You get feedback on both how you organize your ideas and how you pronounce them.

Start improving your thought organization now with these lessons:

Questions about training? Contact me.

Common questions about organizing your thoughts in English

Why is it hard to organize my thoughts when I speak English?

In a second language, part of your attention goes to vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, so there's less room to plan what you'll say. A simple structure, like your main point first and then a reason or example, makes it much easier, and it gets easier with practice.