After nearly 13 years teaching Business English, I’ve noticed something interesting.

The students who improve the fastest are not the most fluent.
They’re the most curious.

They ask the questions other people are too shy to ask.

And those questions change everything.

Here are a few you should never hesitate to bring up in class.

1. “Can you correct me more?”

Many learners say they want confidence.
But what they really need first is clarity.

If you’re not sure whether something sounds natural, ask directly:

Is this how a native professional would say it?
Is there a better way to phrase this in a meeting?

Correction is not criticism. It’s refinement.

2. “How would you say this in a real meeting?”

Textbooks teach structure.
Real business conversations require nuance.

There’s a big difference between:
“I disagree with your idea.”
and
“I see your point, though I’d approach it slightly differently.”

Ask your tutor to model how professionals actually speak in negotiations, presentations, and difficult conversations.

That’s where growth happens.

3. “Does this sound confident?”

Business English is not only about grammar.
It’s about tone, positioning, and authority.

You can be grammatically correct and still sound unsure.

Questions like:
• Does this sound too direct?
• Does this sound weak?
• Is this polite enough for senior leadership?

These are powerful questions.

4. “What am I doing that’s holding me back?”

This one requires courage.

But if you’ve built trust with your tutor, ask it.

Maybe you translate in your head too much.
Maybe you overcomplicate sentences.
Maybe you avoid speaking unless you’re 100% sure.

A good tutor won’t judge you. They’ll guide you.

5. “What should I focus on next?”

Progress feels slow when you try to improve everything at once.

Ask for priorities.

Is it pronunciation?
Conciseness?
Meeting language?
Email tone?

Clarity reduces overwhelm.

After 13 years in the classroom, I can say this confidently:

Your tutor is not just there to deliver content.
They’re there to accelerate your growth.

And growth starts with better questions.

If you’re currently learning Business English, what’s one question you’ve been hesitating to ask?

You might be surprised how powerful it is once you say it out loud.

PS If you’re a professional working in English and you’re unsure whether you sound as clear and confident as you’d like, feel free to share your biggest challenge. I always find the most interesting conversations start there.