Ten Seconds, No More

Before you finish your first sentence in English, the other person may already be forming impressions about whether they like you, trust you, and want to keep talking. That is not cynicism — it is how fast first impressions can start.

For non-native speakers, this window feels brutally short. You are still warming up your English brain while the other person is already forming opinions. The good news: first impressions often depend more on energy and body language than on perfect grammar.