Hey there! This is TOP episode 306. Say, Tell, Speak, Talk
You read English. You understand English. You’ve been learning for years, but when it’s time to speak—your mind just freezes, and the words don’t come out. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. I’ve been exactly where you are. I’m Ola Mierniczak, and this is the Teacher Ola Podcast. I’m here to help you finally speak out loud—the words, the ideas, the English that have been stuck in your head for too long. This isn’t about perfect grammar or fancy vocabulary. This is about your voice. Your words. Your real English.
Hey everyone. Thanks for joining me today! Listen, it’s crazy and spontaneous, but today, on Sunday 14th September I’m running a free class on how to practice speaking on your own at home. Of course, having a real conversation, a human interaction is the best way of training speaking yet speaking to yourself at home is not useless! It’s actually a great and completely free tool! Join me tonight at 8 pm and I’ll show you how to do it right. I’ll give you a few simple and effective exercises. We’ll also practice together live. You will leave that meeting with knowledge on how to practice and more confidence in your own English. If you want to join, please sign up at teacherola.com/efekty. It’s teacherola.com/efekty. Don’t forget to open your email and confirm your address.
Before we start today’s episode, let me just tell you, the Speaking Club for the new group inside my SIOL programme starts on Thursday 18 September. That means you still have a chance to join the group. Listen, if you’ve been sitting on the fence, time to get off that nasty place and make a decision. One of the Members said in our WhatsApp group that she has a feeling that the course teaches her much more than just English. And that’s true! It teaches you to build good habits about speaking English, it teaches you to find your own confidence, it makes you speak up. We’ve got a great community, Speaking Club, voice messages daily + my feedback, Anki wordcards sets, you’ll fix your grammar and pronunciation and so so so much more. Join us at teacherola.com/kurs. Teacherola.com/kurs.
Let’s talk about 4 words that we often confuse: say, tell, speak and talk. Let’s go!
ONE. SAY.
When we use say, we care about the exact words. It’s about the sentence itself or what came out of the mouth. We don’t always mention who the words were directed to that part is not important. Yet you can mention the receiver, so to speak by saying: to someone. Like in: That’s what she said to me. To me. Listen to some more examples:
She said hello.
Don’t say bad words.
He said he was tired.
So, imagine you hear a child repeating a rude word. You don’t really care who he or she spoke to, but you do care about the words. You’d tell him: “Don’t say that!”
So! With say, we normally do not add a person. We don’t say “He said me” . We say “He said to me” or just “He said hello.”
Now, pay attention to these fixed collocations: say sorry, say hello, say yes/no, say something, say a few words, say nothing.
TWO. TELL
With tell, the focus is on giving information to someone. So here, the person is important. After ‘tell’, we usually have a person: me, you, him, her, us.
For example:
He told me the truth.
Please tell her the news.
Don’t tell anyone!
A highly useful list of collocations: tell the truth, tell a story, tell a joke, tell a lie, tell someone to do something.
THREE. SPEAK
We use speak when we talk about using languages or in more formal situations. It’s less about conversation and more about the action itself.
For example:
She speaks English very well.
I spoke to the teacher yesterday. (communication, a bit more formal than “talked”)
He is speaking at the conference. (giving a formal talk)
So if you want to sound more polite or more formal, you choose ‘speak’ instead of ‘talk’. For example, “Can I speak to the manager?” is more polite than “Can I talk to the manager?”
Here are some useful collocations: speak English/French/etc., speak clearly, speak to someone, speak at a meeting, speak in public.
FOUR. TALK.
‘Talk’ is the friendlier, more casual form of ‘speak’. We use it for conversations and informal situations.
For example:
They talked for hours.
Can I talk to you for a minute?
Stop talking and listen!
If you sit with your friend in a café, you don’t say “We spoke for two hours” (sounds too formal). You’d naturally say: “We talked for two hours.”
Another set of useful collocations: talk to/with someone, talk about something, talk on the phone, talk business, talk nonsense.
Time to speak sme English! In this podcast we always say things out loud, so don’t be shy, don’t stay quiet, speak up! Repeating sentences with me is cool, yet there are even better ways of practicing speaking on your own and I’ll show you them tonight and for free, so join me at teacherola.com/efekty. Ok, let’s go! Listen and repeat.
She said hello.
He said he was tired.
He told me the truth.
Please tell her the news.
Don’t tell anyone!
She speaks English very well.
I spoke to the teacher yesterday.
They talked for hours.
Can I talk to you for a minute?
Stop talking and listen!
Here you have it! Today we cleared up say, tell, speak, and talk, words you see every day, but often confuse. Now you know when to use each one, common collocations, and practical examples you can actually use in your conversations.
Remember, practice is key! That’s why today’s free live webinar at 8 pm is perfect, you’ll get hands-on exercises, practice speaking out loud, and build confidence with real guidance from me. Sign up at teacherola.com/efekty.
And if you want a deeper, ongoing way to improve, join the Say It Out Loud program and Speaking Club. You’ll get daily speaking exercises, feedback, grammar and pronunciation support, and a safe and fun space to finally turn your English from knowing into speaking. By the 4 of Deceber your confidence will get a boost. You won’t recognise your speaking. Sign up at teacherola.com/kurs.
I believe in you. You can speak English. All you need is exposure, practice, and real connection. Stay fearless, take care, and say it out loud. I’m your Teacher Ola, and you were listening to Teacher Ola Podcast. Bye for now!