Many learners stay stuck because they will not ask. The fear is that asking reveals weak English — but the asking itself is what most demonstrates competence.

Asking someone to repeat

Choose based on how much you missed.

  • Missed one word: "Sorry, what was that last word?"
  • Missed part: "Sorry, could you say that again?"
  • Missed everything: "I didn't follow that — could you explain it another way?"

Asking someone to slow down

This is completely acceptable and people do it in their own language too.

  • "Could you slow down a little? I want to make sure I've got this."
  • "Sorry, you lost me at the part about the invoice."

Asking for help at work

  • "Do you have a minute? I'm stuck on something."
  • "Could you walk me through this?"
  • "I've tried X and Y — do you have any ideas?"
  • "Who's the right person to ask about this?"

The third one matters. Showing what you already attempted turns a request into a collaboration.

Checking you understood

  • "So just to confirm — you want it by Thursday?"
  • "Let me repeat that back to you."
  • "If I've understood correctly, the issue is…"

Asking for a word you do not know

Describe it instead of stopping.

  • "What's the word for the thing you use to open bottles?"
  • "How do you say it when someone…"
Every fluent speaker forgets words. The difference is that they talk around the gap instead of stopping at it.