Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Breakout Business English - Improve your vocabulary and confidence using English at work.
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| WORSE or BETTER, How to talk about CHANGE at work - Business English Vocabulary Lesson (Ep.53) | 05 Nov 2025 | 00:24:49 | |
Change is one of the only things that is certain at work. Therefore, being able to talk about things getting worse or getting better is certainly something that can be useful in professional contexts. However, for international professionals, sounding natural and native when talking about change at work can be difficult. In today's podcast I'll give you some great vocabulary to discuss these ideas and to communicate your thoughts. I'll give you the grammar to use them in a natural and native way and I'll you'll hear some examples of how these would sound in a real English speaking workplace. 🔗 Book a one-to-one coaching or tutoring session with me at breakoutbusinessenglish.com Do you want to see what I do? Click here: Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and request future topics! Today's examples: Things have been looking up for the past 2 quarters. Your performance has really improved over the past few weeks and I really appreciate how much effort you've been putting in. The team was heading in the wrong direction but they've been working hard on fixing this situation and I think we've really turned a corner this week. it was raining earlier but I think it's looking up now Once one thing goes wrong, it has a knock on effect and we end up in a vicious cycle. We missed our Q1 target and it's been all downhill from there. The project started well but it's all gone a bit pear shaped. #businessenglish #englishtips #englishlesson #englishclass Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How to ask for LESS or MORE DETAIL - Business English communication lesson | 29 Oct 2025 | 00:21:33 | |
Telling your colleagues, clients, and customers, in English that you need more detail, or maybe less detail can be difficult. Especially if you're a non-native English speaker and you use English at work as a second language. In this podcast I give you some great vocabulary that you can use to ask someone elaborate on something, or maybe to be a little more concise. So, if you want to sound more native and natural when speaking English at work, then I hope today's podcast is useful for you! 🔗 Book a one-to-one coaching or tutoring session with me at breakoutbusinessenglish.com Do you want me to analyse your English on YouTube? Contact me here: Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and request future topics! Today's examples: I know we don’t have much time so I’ll keep it short and sweet. This is just a succinct summary of the work we’ve been doing. If you could be a little more concise I’d really appreciate it. Could you elaborate on that a little for us please I think you’ve got the bones of a good presentation there but you really need to flesh it out a little. You mentioned that you had an idea for us earlier, could you expand on that a little please? #businessenglish #englishtips #englishlesson #englishclass Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How to fail and still succeed - Business English lesson (Intelligent failure - part 2) | 06 Aug 2025 | 00:23:37 | |
This is our second episode discussing Harvard Professor of Leadership and management and her book on intelligent failure. So if you speak English at work, but aren't a native English speaker, then this episode will help you to think about failure, how to communicate with your colleagues on this topic and give you all of the natural and native sounding vocabulary that you need to do this. 🔗 Book a one-to-one session with Chris at breakoutbusinessenglish.com Do you want me to analyse your English on YouTube? Contact me here: Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and request future topics! Today's examples: - We've done our homework on this so we're pretty confident about the outcome. - If this doesn’t pan out then we need to make sure that it doesn’t impact the wider project. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How to FAIL the RIGHT way - Business English lesson on INTELLIGENT FAILURE | 31 Jul 2025 | 00:23:37 | |
Today we're talking about how to fail at work the right way. We listen to some native and natural sounding words, vocabulary, and phrases to talk about failure, and the four elements that make a failure intelligent. So, if you speak English at work as a second language and you'd like to fail in a more intelligent way, then this episode is for you. 🔗 Book a one-to-one session with Chris at breakoutbusinessenglish.com Do you want me to analyse your English on YouTube? Contact me here: Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and request future topics! Today's examples: - We really are at the bleeding edge of the industry here. - These are novel ideas and we really are in uncharted territory. - We’re breaking new ground with this work and there’s no blueprint for how to go about this. - We’re definitely heading in the right direction but setbacks are to be expected. - It’s important that we articulate a concrete goal for the project before we start allocating resources. - I think we all have a vested interest in figuring this out. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How Great Teams Work – Structure, Clarity & Meaning (Project Aristotle Part 2) - Business English lesson | 23 Jul 2025 | 00:24:04 | |
In this podcast we continue our deep dive on how great teams work and Google's project Aristotle. If you're a non-native English-speaking professional who wants to sound more native and natural when speaking English at work, this podcast uses real-world vocabulary, Business English phrases, and grammar insights that you can immediately use in the workplace. Today we explore how to talk about "Structure and clarity" and "meaning" when building an effective team. 🔗 Book a one-to-one session with Chris at breakoutbusinessenglish.com Do you want me to analyse your English on YouTube? Contact me here: 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and request future topics! Today's examples: - Now that we've laid out a clear roadmap for where we're going, we just need to execute on it. - If you find yourself sailing through these targets then we've set a couple of stretch goals for you too. - This is a really dynamic project so I'll make sure that I keep you up to speed if anything changes. - You’ve got a couple of pieces of work outstanding this week but you’ve done some outstanding work so far. - I want to give a shout out to Emma for the great work she's done this week. Thanks for going the extra mile. - The project your working on really is central to what we're trying to achieve so feel free to give me a shout if there's anything I can do to help. Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How great TEAMS WORK, Google's Project Aristotle - Business English lesson | 16 Jul 2025 | 00:24:36 | |
What makes a team truly effective? In this episode of the Breakout Business English podcast, Chris breaks down Google’s Project Aristotle, a research study that reveals the top characteristics of high-performing teams — starting with psychological safety and dependability. If you're a non-native English-speaking professional, this podcast is packed with real-world vocabulary, practical phrases, and grammar insights that you can immediately use in the workplace. Learn how to confidently speak up at work, how to “air your concerns,” and what it really means to follow through on a commitment — all while improving your English communication skills. Chris has helped over 1,000 international professionals, from graduates to CEOs, enhance their workplace English. Now it's your turn! ✅ Learn the meaning and usage of key business English terms like:
✅ Today's examples: - If we commit to this deadline then we need to make sure that we follow through. 💼 Ideal for professionals working in English-speaking environments who want to:
🔗 Book a one-to-one session with Chris at breakoutbusinessenglish.com Do you want me to analyse your English on YouTube? Contact me here: 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and request future topics! Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| FAILING AT WORK and how to deal with it - Business English vocabulary lesson. | 07 Jul 2025 | 00:25:34 | |
Are you a professional who uses English as a second language at work? Do you want to feel more confident, fluent, and natural in business conversations? Join Business English Coach Chris in this episode of the Breakout Business English podcast as we explore how to talk about failure, responsibility, and consequences in a professional setting – all in clear, natural English. You'll learn essential workplace vocabulary and phrases like “inevitable,” “in the grand scheme of things,” “ramifications,” “on my watch,” “pass the buck,” and more. Chris also breaks down real-world examples, common expressions, and cultural references to help you speak English more effectively and confidently at work. Whether you're preparing for meetings, presentations, or daily conversations with international colleagues, this episode gives you the tools to communicate clearly and professionally when things go wrong. Do you want to work with me to improve your English? Click here: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com Do you want me to analyse your English on YouTube? Contact me here: Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. -------- Today's examples: Failure is an inevitable part of any career. If you're not failing then you're not trying. In the grand scheme of things this is not the end of the world. This will likely have ramifications beyond just our team. It’ll likely impact the whole company. This happened on my watch so I'm accountable for everything that went wrong. I have no intention of passing the buck. This was my responsibility and the buck stops with me. I overlooked some key variables and that’s entirely on me. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| Vocabulary and tips for DELEGATION - Business English lesson | 01 Jul 2025 | 00:25:20 | |
Delegating in English can be challenging for new managers, especially if speaking English is your second language. Today's podcast is full of Business English and professional vocabulary, grammar, and tips, to help you to sound more natural and native when speaking to your colleagues in English at work and delegating tasks to them. Whether you're delegating tasks to your staff and your team, or you're accepting tasks delegated to you from your managers, hopefully you'll find value in today's podcast. Do you want to work with me to improve your English? Click here: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com Do you want me to analyse your English on YouTube? Contact me here: Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| BUSINESS TRIPS - Vocabulary and English lesson for professionals | 23 Jun 2025 | 00:23:15 | |
Business trips and traveling for business are an essential part of professional life, but speaking in English and talking about these can be challenging you don't speak English natively. Today's class is full of vocabulary and phrases that you can use to talk about travel for work, including formal and informal words and grammar structures that you can use to sound more native and natural when communicating in English at work. Whether you're speaking to customers, clients, or colleagues, the tips in today's lesson will help you to be understood better and help you to understand other English speakers too. Book a session with me: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| 2 key LEADERSHIP ideas from Amazon's CEO - Business English vocabulary lesson | 16 Jun 2025 | 00:29:43 | |
If you're a leader or need to talk about leadership at work in English, Amazon's leadership principles are a great place to start. If you use English at work, but you're not a native speaker then the vocabulary, phrases, and grammar is today's podcast will help you to talk about leadership and grow professionally. Today we're discussing the leadership themes of innovation and learning. We'll look at some formal, professional vocabulary, and some informal natural and native sounding words and phrases, as well as examples of how you can use these in real life. Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. Book a session with me: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. Book a session with me: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| Should you KEEP GOING or GIVE UP? Perseverance - Business English Lesson | 10 Jun 2025 | 00:24:05 | |
Deciding when to quit and when to keep going, when to give up and when to persevere, is a hard topic to discuss, especially if you speak English as a second language. In today's podcast we're talking about how to support and encourage your colleagues when doing difficult tasks, how to talk about quitting strategically, and some natural and native sounding vocabulary, both formal and informal, to do this. We'll also briefly discuss one of the ideas in the book The Dip by Seth Godin. Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. Book a session with me: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How to APOLOGISE and SAY SORRY at work - Business English lesson + DISCOUNT coaching call! | 02 Jun 2025 | 00:25:12 | |
Apologising at work and saying you're sorry in English can be difficult, especially if you speak English as a second language. If you want to sound more native and natural when speaking English at work then this podcast can help. Today's episode is about apologising to your colleagues and offering apologies. You'll hear some natural and native vocabulary, for both formal and informal situations, as well as some great grammar structures to help you communicate better in English. So, if you need to apologise to a colleague at work, I hope you find this episode useful. Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. Book a session with me: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| STORYTELLING Skills for professionals - Business English vocabulary and grammar lesson, PART 2 | 22 Oct 2025 | 00:23:09 | |
Storytelling is an important speaking skill in any language, but if you're speaking English and you want to sound more native and natural then improving your storytelling skills is a great goal. Today we discuss how to talk about thoughts, emotions and dialogue when telling stories at work. We learn some natural and native sounding vocabulary, both formal and informal, that you can use to improve the way that you communicate at work, and we'll hear some great examples of how native English speakers might use these words and phrases. 🔗 Book a one-to-one coaching or tutoring session with me at breakoutbusinessenglish.com Do you want me to analyse your English on YouTube? Contact me here: Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and request future topics! Today's examples: Eventually the boss called on me for an update and I completely blanked. I was in the middle of my presentation when our intern interjected, and said, “I think I could help with the implementation of this” I overheard our CTO talking to someone from HR so I decided to jump in. I said, “I’d love to help draft the person spec for the new role”. He was talking about how great this new idea was, and I just blurted out, I don't think it'll work. #businessenglish #englishtips #englishlesson #englishclass Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| INVITATIONS at work, how to say YES and NO - Business English lesson with professional vocabulary. | 26 May 2025 | 00:23:31 | |
Learn how to confidently accept or politely decline invitations in professional English when speaking or writing. This episode provides essential business English vocabulary and natural phrases for networking and building work relationships. Master the art of professional communication with practical tips and real-world examples. Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How to RESCHEDULE and talk about TIME - Business English lesson + Vocabulary | 19 May 2025 | 00:26:02 | |
Rescheduling events and talking about time in English can be hard when speaking English, especially if you're not a native English speaker. In this podcast we talk about how to schedule and reschedule events, appointments, and meetings, how to sound more polite when doing this in spoken English at work, and pronunciation. We talk about how to ask people about times and their availability. We look at phrasal verbs, idioms, formal, and informal language, and you'll hear some great natural and native sounding examples of spoken English, using all of this new vocabulary. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How to MOTIVATE YOUR TEAM - Business English Vocabulary lesson for managers | 12 May 2025 | 00:26:38 | |
In this Business English vocabulary lesson we talk about some natural and native sounding phrases, idioms, and words that we can use to motivate our teams and reward their performance. So if your a leader or a manager and you want to sound more native when you speak English and talk to your colleagues then hopefully today's podcast will help. We hear a quote from a past leader and take a brief look at some research on what staff really want from their managers and companies and hear both formal and informal vocabulary tips and ideas. Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| LEADERSHIP TIPS from Amazon - Business English lesson | 05 May 2025 | 00:28:01 | |
In this episode Business English coach Chris explores Amazon’s leadership tips to help international professionals improve their speaking and communication skills in English. Whether you’re a manager, team leader, or aspiring professional, you’ll learn how to talk about leadership, ownership, and customer obsession, and confidence and in a natural and native sounding way. We break down key business vocabulary and phrasal verbs like touch on, in the loop, and hold up to scrutiny. You’ll hear real-world examples of native English expressions used in the workplace, so you can speak more naturally at work, whether you're in IT support, HR, or customer service. If you're a non-native English speaker looking to improve your professional English, this episode is full of practical advice, natural phrases, and mindset tips to help you sound more confident and capable at work. Whether you’re preparing for interviews, meetings, or leadership roles, this podcast is your guide to effective, fluent English communication. Also, if you're preparing for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests then you should find a lot of useful vocabulary in here too! This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. 🔗 Book a 1-to-1 coaching session at www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| Vocabulary for PROBLEM SOLVING - Business English lesson | 28 Apr 2025 | 00:28:18 | |
Problem solving is a skill that we all need at work. Speaking about problem solving in English can be particularly hard if English is not your native language. In this podcast we discuss problem solving at work, natural and native sounding vocabulary that we can use to discuss problem solving with our colleagues, and some tips that we can use to help us solve problems more effectively. If you want to speak English in a more natural and native sounding way, at work, then the vocabulary, phrasal verbs, and idioms in today podcast will help you to achieve your goals. In this podcast I also talk about leadership skills and company culture at Amazon and the fintech company Revolut, including a little about the hiring process, promotions, and performance reviews at both. Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How to talk about CHANGING JOBS and sound professional - Business English vocabulary and grammar lesson | 21 Apr 2025 | 00:24:46 | |
Talking about changing jobs can be challenging, especially in job interviews. We all want to sound professional when speaking English at work but there are so many ways to make mistakes when discussing this topic! Let's talk about quitting jobs, getting fired, and being unemployed, and why you should never use this vocabulary in job interviews. We'll also talk about some professional sounding, natural and native ways to communicate about these times in your career. So if you speak English as a second language at work, and you want to improve your communication skills when changing jobs, then hopefully the phrases, vocabulary, grammar, and examples in today's podcast will help. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How to TALK ABOUT AI at work, with your colleagues - Business English Lesson / (Artificial Intelligence, A.I. Vocabulary) | 14 Apr 2025 | 00:27:39 | |
Artificial intelligence is appearing in every English speaking workplace these days and talking about AI with your colleagues and managers is something that is important. Today let's discuss some professional English vocabulary that we can use to sound natural and native when talking about AI at work, including some phrasal verbs and idioms that we can use to discuss our ideas. We talk about how to give your opinions on AI tools like Chat GPT, Microsoft CoPilot, Google Gemini, and Deepseek. We also discuss how to explain how you are currently using artificial intelligence in your working day and how to sound more natural and native when giving your opinions on the future, in English. Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com/start Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How to BE UNDERSTOOD in presentations - Business English communication lesson | 07 Apr 2025 | 00:26:24 | |
If you need to give presentations at work, in English, and it's not your first language then speaking and communicating with your English speaking colleagues can be difficult. Today we're talking about how to make sure that you're understood, some vocabulary that we can use to check that our colleagues have listened carefully to what we've said, and some tips to ensure that you have communicated your ideas and key points successfully in the most natural and native sounding way possible. Giving presentations in English can be challenging, but hopefully today's podcast can help you to make your next English language presentation a success! Don’t forget that my full time job is helping international professionals who use English at work to improve their communication skills. So, if you need English to do your job but don’t speak it natively then maybe we can work together to help you to achieve your language goals. If you’d like to book some time to meet with me through one to one video calls, then you can go to: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com/start Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How to LEAD MEETINGS in English - Business English lesson | 31 Mar 2025 | 00:26:57 | |
Let's discuss some Business English vocabulary and grammar that we can use to lead meetings. Running a meeting or being in charge of an event often means that you have new responsibilities and today's podcast we’re discussing the professional vocabulary and phrases that you can use to talk to your colleagues and managers about what is happening during your meeting. We’ll talk about starting meetings, avoiding delays, staying on track, and also give you some natural and native sounding words and phrases to help you sound more natural and native when speaking English at work. Don’t forget that my full time job is helping international professionals who use English at work to improve their communication skills. So, if you need English to do your job but don’t speak it natively then maybe we can work together to help you to achieve your language goals. If you’d like to book some time to meet with me through one to one video calls, then you can go to: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com/start Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How to DEAL WITH CONFLICT at work - Business English lesson | 20 Mar 2025 | 00:23:53 | |
Let's discuss some professional English vocabulary that we can use to resolve conflicts at work. We're talking about how to deal with difficult colleagues and how to solve arguments and disagreements with your team mates and coworkers. We'll hear some idea for what to do in these situations and some natural and native sounding vocabulary so that you know exactly what to say when people start to get angry in the workplace. This is also one of the most common job interview questions and a lot of the vocabulary in this podcast can be used to build a great answer to that job interview question. Arguing with your colleagues is challenging, especially in your second language. Hopefully this podcast can help you in those professional situations. Don’t forget that my full time job is helping international professionals who use English at work to improve their communication skills. So, if you need English to do your job but don’t speak it natively then maybe we can work together to help you to achieve your language goals. If you’d like to book some time to meet with me through one to one video calls, then you can go to: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com/start Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How to tell great stories at work - Business English communication lesson | 15 Oct 2025 | 00:28:03 | |
Storytelling is a key professional skill and if you speak English as a second language at work then this might be something that you can work on. Today we're discussing the grammar, vocabulary, phrasal verbs, idioms, and skills that you can use to boost your storytelling in Business English and sound more native and natural when speaking to colleagues, clients, and customers. From job interviews and networking events, to presentations and building professional relationships, there are many times when great storytelling skills can help you in your career. These are 5 ideas that you can use in any story, either all together or individually, to make sure that your stories are engaging and impactful. Do you want me to analyse your English on YouTube? Contact me here: Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and request future topics! Today's examples: The elevator was tiny and there must have been ten of us in there shoulder to shoulder. We walked into a vast conference space with wall to wall seating, all decked out in the company colours. The offices were cramped and stuffy. Definitely not the kind of place I could work for any length of time. In the elevator, I had to jostle my way to the door when we arrived on my floor My presentation wasn't going to be until the next day but I wanted to have a dry run before the big moment. After a couple of minutes in the stuffy office, I had to crack a window #businessenglish #englishtips #englishlesson #englishclass Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How to TALK ABOUT COMPLICATED INFORMATION at work - Business English lesson | 25 Feb 2025 | 00:26:04 | |
Do you need to discuss complex or complicated information at work? If English is not your native language and you find it difficult to sound natural when you communicate complex information at work then I have some great Business English vocabulary, grammar structures, and communication ideas for you. We talk about how to simplify the information you're communicating, how to make sure that everyone in the meeting or the presentation understands what you told them, and how to ask people to use more simply and understandable English. Don’t forget that my full time job is helping international professionals who use English at work to improve their communication skills. So, if you need English to do your job but don’t speak it natively then maybe we can work together to help you to achieve your language goals. If you’d like to book some time to meet with me through one to one video calls, then you can go to: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com/start Also, I talk about an article in this podcast regarding the rule of threes. You can read that here: https://bigthink.com/the-learning-curve/3-rules-express-your-thoughts-clearly Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| PRIORITISING at work - How to talk about which tasks are important - Business English Class | 18 Feb 2025 | 00:28:55 | |
Today's Business English class is about which tasks are important and which tasks are not important. We listen to native and natural English vocabulary and sentence structures that can help us to discuss prioritising our tasks with our colleagues at work. Prioritising our tasks and discussing what's important with our colleagues can be challenging for non native English speakers who use English as a second language, so let's study some ways to help you talk to your colleagues in a more natural and native sounding way. Don't forget! Helping international English speakers to improve their communication skills is my full time job! If you use English at work and it's not your native or first language then consider booking a call with me and let's work together. To find out more, go to; https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com/start https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How to MEASURE YOUR PROGRESS in English as a learner or improver. | 08 Feb 2025 | 00:25:40 | |
How do you know if your English is improving and getting better? Measuring progress is difficult when learning English, especially for intermediate and advanced speakers. Should you take a test or exam like IELTS or TOEFL for instance? Today we talk about 6 methods to measure your progress and track how much better your English is getting. So if you use English as a second language at work, as a non native speaker, and your goal is to sound more native and natural, then hopefully you’ll find this podcast useful. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How to SAY NO to your colleagues and protect your time at work - Business English lesson + FREE PDF | 05 Dec 2024 | 00:25:56 | |
Do you find it difficult to say no to your managers or colleagues at work? If you want to protect your time and your schedule when people ask you to do things then today Business English vocabulary and tips might help! If you use English at work and want to sound more native and natural when your colleagues ask you to do tasks, take new duties or responsibilities then today's 5 stage system should help. This is a framework for politely but directly explaining to your colleagues that you can't say yes to their request. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How to ANSWER QUESTIONS at work - Business English vocabulary and tips + FREE PDF | 15 Nov 2024 | 00:31:30 | |
Answering questions at work in English can be difficult. Today's podcast is about How to Answer Questions at work. We discuss some great, professional vocabulary, some natural and native sounding examples, the grammar that you need to know, and how these phrases change depending on the situation and context. So if you use English as a second language to communicate and answer questions at work then I hope you'll find this podcast useful. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How to QUIT YOUR JOB - BUSINESS ENGLISH vocabulary and communication tips + FREE PDF | 28 Oct 2024 | 00:27:45 | |
Quitting your job can be really stressful, especially in your second language. If you use English to communicate at work and you're not a native speaker then today's podcast aims to give you the professional vocabulary and Business English communication tips that you need to do this in the most polite, courteous, and professional way possible. To maintain a great relationship with your manager and your colleagues, and to make sure that you ask all the right questions! Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How to get a PROMOTION - Business English tips and vocabulary lesson | 10 Oct 2024 | 00:28:00 | |
Getting promoted at work is an important part of growing your career and making progress in your professional life. Today we're talking about some tips that can help you to achieve this and some Business English vocabulary that you can use to talk about promotions at work. We'll look at some formal, more professional ways to speak about this topic, and some less formal, more casual ways to discuss this idea. If you use English as a second language at work then improving your communication skills can be really important for promotions and getting hired for new jobs. I hope this podcast will help you improve your English, communicate better, and have more natural, native, and fluent conversations with your colleagues, managers, and friends. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| Talking about WORK LIFE BALANCE - Business English lesson | 02 Oct 2024 | 00:30:55 | |
Today we're talking about work like balance. This is one of the most important topics that we discuss with our colleagues and friends so today I want to give you some vocabulary and ideas to make you more confident and fluent when speaking about this subject. Maybe you want to ask your boss if you can work from home, or maybe you're trying to protect your time and stop working on weekends! Hopefully today's podcast can give you some tools, tips, and ideas for how to do this. We'll talk about some natural and native ways to talk about your journey to and from work and negotiating for more time when scheduling deadlines. Also, if you're taking the IELTS or TOEIC tests, hopefully you'll find some useful, natural, and native sounding vocabulary here too that can improve your score. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| Business English vocabulary in sport! - BUSINESS ENGLISH vocabulary and communication lesson | 17 Sep 2024 | 00:26:06 | |
There is so much professional Business English vocabulary that we can use at work that originally came from sports! In this podcast we're talking about phrasal verbs, idioms, nouns and verbs that we can take from football, athletics, and the Olympic games, and use at work to improve the way that we communicate in English. So, if you want to express your ideas more clearly in meetings, explain your experience better in job interviews, or make your presentations sound a little more natural and native then hopefully you'll find this episode really useful. Also, if you're taking an IELTS test soon, either the general or academic test, then this is all great vocabulary to take into the exam with you. Especially for the speaking part of the test where informal, natural, and native vocabulary is encouraged! Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| Using English on the phone - BUSINESS ENGLISH vocabulary and communication tips | 14 Aug 2024 | 00:21:42 | |
Using English at work as a second language can be challenging. If you spend a lot of time on the phone this is even more true! Today we're talking about Business English vocabulary and communication skills that you can apply to your phone calls to sound more natural, native, and professional when you make or answer phone calls. We might call it telephone English! We talk about how to clarify information, how to ask someone to wait, how to transfer a call, and more. At the end of the podcast we'll have a quiz to check your understanding and find out how much of the new vocabulary and ideas you can remember. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| OVERTIME - Business English vocabulary lesson about working extra hours | 17 Sep 2025 | 00:23:04 | |
Deciding whether to work overtime is often a challenging decision to make, and speaking in English about it can make it harder! Today let's talk about overtime, the vocabulary that we can use to discuss it, how we get paid for overtime, and the phrases and grammar structures that we use at work, in English when discussing overtime. If you're a non-native English speaker and you want to sound more native and natural when you're speaking English with your colleagues, managers, customers and clients then this podcast is for you. Do you want me to analyse your English on YouTube? Contact me here: Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and request future topics! Today's examples: If you can stay behind for a couple of hours this evening then I can pay you time and a half. I really need someone to come in this weekend. If you can help me out then I'll make sure that you get paid double time. Jane is on vacation this week and I'll need someone to cover for her. Is anyone interested in the overtime? I can't pay you but you'll get time off in lieu. I would love to do some overtime tonight but unfortunately I have a prior commitment. I'm usually more than happy to do overtime given enough notice, but tonight I really need to get away on time. #businessenglish #englishtips #englishlesson #englishclass Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| Working from home - BUSINESS ENGLISH vocabulary and communication tips | 21 Apr 2024 | 00:27:48 | |
Great communication and a good knowledge of business English is essential to developing your career, however this is even more true when we work from home! Working remotely, whether you're a digital nomad, location independent worker, or have a hybrid job, is more common than ever before. In this episode we look at some great business English vocabulary to talk about working from home, including idioms and phrasal verbs to help you sound more native and natural when you speak and write in English. We hear a natural and native sounding conversation about working remotely, and we finish with a quiz to find out how much of this new vocabulary you've remembered. Don't forget, if you want to work with me in one on one, private sessions then I am a full time Business English coach and tutor. I spend my whole professional life helping international professionals to improve the way that they communicate at work. You can book some of my time at www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com and I look forward to speaking with you soon. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| STARTING A JOB at an English speaking company - Tips and Vocabulary | 28 Feb 2024 | 00:25:23 | |
Starting a job at an English speaking company can be a challenge. So much new information, meeting new people, and lots of conversations. Although listening is important, knowing what to say when you speak is important too. So for people who speak English as a 2nd language, today we're going to discuss some tips and vocabulary that we can use to make starting work at an English speaking employer as easy, simple, and stress free as possible. We'll hear some idioms, phrasal verbs, and more formal ways to express your ideas, to ask questions, to clarify information, and to introduce yourself. At the end we'll have a vocabulary quiz to see if you can remember what you learned, and a speaking challenge to get you talking! Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| How to GIVE FEEDBACK to your colleagues at work - Business English lesson | 20 Jan 2024 | 00:27:10 | |
Let's talk today about how to give feedback at work, especially if you use English as a second language in the workplace and are not a native English speaker. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| Ep 9. How to disagree at work in English - Business English lesson | 27 Jul 2023 | 00:29:45 | |
Disagreeing with people is an important and healthy part of working on a team towards shared goals. The challenge is therefore, how can we do this in a way that protects and even strengthens our professional relationships? It would be great if the only thing we had to do at work was to agree with people. If everyone around us had great ideas, and if our colleagues' suggestions always seemed like the best things to do. However, this is not the case. A lot of people worry that if they disagree with their co-workers then this could upset them or damage their professional relationships. However, if we do it right, disagreeing with colleagues when it’s appropriate can be great for your team, your career, and your reputation at work. Today we’re going to hear some tips and ideas for how to disagree with your colleagues, we’ll hear some great natural and native sounding vocabulary that we can use to do this, and then we’ll finish off with some challenges for you. Including a speaking challenge and a vocabulary quiz to see what you’ve remembered from today’s podcast. As always, if you find this podcast useful and helpful please feel free to leave a review on Apple podcasts, it really helps me out. OK, with that said let’s get started. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| Ep8. How to ask for help and support at work in English - Business English lesson | 01 Jul 2023 | 00:26:25 | |
It can be difficult to ask for help or support at work in English, especially if English is your second language. However, we all need advice and assistance sometimes, so let's practice speaking about this difficult topic. In this Business English class and lesson we'll look at how to ask your colleagues and your managers for help, how to thank people for their help, and how to decide who is the best person to ask for help. We'll hear some natural and native vocabulary that you can use in these situations, including some phrasal verbs and idioms, and we'll finish off with a quiz and a challenge to get you speaking. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| Ep 7. Teamwork and how to work better with your colleagues! - Collaboration tips - Business English class. | 01 Jun 2023 | 00:29:35 | |
Teamwork and collaboration are two of the most important topics in Business English. Today let's listen to some vocabulary, grammar, phrases, idioms and ideas for speaking about this in English. As an international professional you are always collaborating with colleagues from around the world, working together to complete projects and deliver great work. Learning and understanding how we can work together better, build better teams, and have better relationships with our team mates is key to being the best professional possible. If you're listening on Apple podcasts please don't forget to leave a review, it really helps me out! Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| Ep 6. Speaking in meetings. How to become more confident! | 23 Mar 2023 | 00:25:27 | |
Today's topic is, how to be more confident when speaking in meetings. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| Ep. 5 - Job interview vocabulary | 04 Nov 2022 | 00:25:15 | |
Today we're talking about job interviews. We’re going to look at some vocabulary that you can use to improve how you perform in your next job interview. Or, if you’re writing a CV, cover letter, or a resume, these are words and phrases that you should think about including. Whether you're a student, a graduate, or someone with a lot of experience, job interviews can be scary. Especially if you're not a native English speaker. Hopefully today we can make them a little easier for you! I work with people from all over the world to improve how handle job interviews and hopefully you will find some of that in today's podcast. Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| Ep 4. How to talk about planning at work. | 24 Jul 2022 | 00:22:07 | |
Whether you work for a small company, a large company, you're a student, or you're looking for your next job, planning is an essential part of our work days. Today we're going to look at some important vocabulary that we can use to communicate our ideas when planning out our days. We've got a bunch of vocabulary here, including two phrasal verbs and an idiom. Don't forget that I'm a full time English coach and tutor right here on iTalki so if you're interested in working together to improve the way that you communicate at work then please feel free to send me a message! Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| Ep 3. Practice speaking when you're alone (How to) | 05 Jun 2022 | 00:19:28 | |
Speaking practice is one of the most important parts of improving your English, but can also be one of the most difficult things to figure out how to do! Don't worry, I've got you covered! In episode 3 I go for a deep dive into how to practice speaking when you're alone. How to make it effective and how to make the habit stick! Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| Leave me alone! management styles and paying for success - Business English vocabulary lesson | 10 Sep 2025 | 00:25:44 | |
In part 2 of our series on management styles we're looking at transactional management and laissez faire management. We talk about the details of each style, the situations that you might find it useful to use each style, and some vocabulary, phrases, and words that you can use to communicate in these styles. So if you're a manager who speaks English at work and is a non-native English speaker, or maybe you speak English as a second language and you just want to understand your manager better, hopefully this podcast episode will help you. 🔗 Book a one-to-one coaching or tutoring session with me at breakoutbusinessenglish.com Do you want me to analyse your English on YouTube? Contact me here: Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and request future topics! Today's examples: - If you think you've got a good idea, feel free to run with it, don't worry about getting me to sign off on it. - I want you to use your initiative and follow your gut. I'm here if you need anything. - I'm going to take a step back on this project and I'll only step in if something goes wrong. - I want to make this worth your while so there are extra vacation days up for grabs for anyone who hits all of their KPIs. - If the floor as a whole is able to achieve a 93% sale we all get an additional 1.3 million dollars a piece. #businessenglish #englishtips #englishlesson #englishclass Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| Ep 2 - Business English vocabulary for presentations | 13 Mar 2022 | 00:19:05 | |
So when I was deciding which topic to focus on for our second episode I really only needed to look at what the people I work with are actually asking for. One of the most common topics that I discuss with people is presentations. Presentations can be great opportunities to use those English skills that you work so hard on, but they also have their own stresses and challenges. Today we’re going to look at some vocabulary that you might hear when watching a presentation and some that you might want to use when giving your own. At the end we also have our 'big discussion question' to help you with your speaking practice. You can find the vocabulary from this podcast in the vocabulary sets on my profile. I hope you enjoy today's podcast and I look forward to meeting you on a call very soon! Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| Ep 1 - Vocabulary for talking about meetings | 27 Jan 2022 | 00:18:12 | |
Meetings can be intimidating for a lot of people, even to native speakers! Especially if you’re meeting with people who you don’t know very well, if at all. Today we’re going to look at a few pieces of vocabulary that you might hear in meetings and that you might be able to use yourself. At the end we also have our 'big discussion question'. I hope you enjoy today's podcast and I look forward to meeting you on a call very soon! Vocabulary bank for this episode:
Remember, I'm an online business English coach and tutor! If you would like to book a call with me then you can do that at www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| MANAGEMENT STYLES Business English vocabulary lesson - Part 1; Democratic and Autocratic leadership | 03 Sep 2025 | 00:26:19 | |
Today we're talking about management styles and the business English vocabulary, phrases and grammar that we can use when speaking about them, in English, at work. In part one of our series on leadership styles we're talking about democratic leadership and autocratic leadership. We discuss what these two styles are, when each is appropriate, and the vocabulary that we can use to communicate with our staff, colleagues, and teams, in these ways. So, if you're looking for vocabulary, phrases, and idioms to talk about management styles then today's episode is for you! 🔗 Book a one-to-one coaching or tutoring session with me at breakoutbusinessenglish.com Do you want me to analyse your English on YouTube? Contact me here: Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and request future topics! Today's examples: I want to get everyone's buy in on this and make sure that we're all onboard before we move ahead so let me know where you're at on this. I really want the whole team to have a say in how we come at this so if you have any ideas then I'm all ears. I really want your insights before we move forwards with any changes because whatever we do should reflect the ideas of the whole team. I need everyone to drop what they're doing and focus on this for the rest of the day. Remember to adhere strictly to the new policies and let me know if you need my help with anything to get us over the finish line. By this point I'm sure you've all seen the new guidelines that were issued this morning. We're dealing with big changes across the board so I need everyone to be fully bought in. #businessenglish #englishtips #englishlesson #englishclass Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||
| VACATIONS and HOLIDAYS - Business English vocabulary lesson | 27 Aug 2025 | 00:25:42 | |
Taking vacations and holidays is a great break from professional life. However, talking about these to your colleagues and agreeing these with your managers in English can be challenging. Especially if you speak English at work as a second language. Today we'll discuss the vocabulary, grammar, and phrases that we need to arrange our holidays. We'll look at the differences between American and British English when speaking about these things, and we'll talk about emails and email etiquette when going on vacation. 🔗 Book a one-to-one coaching or tutoring session with me at breakoutbusinessenglish.com Do you want me to analyse your English on YouTube? Contact me here: Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is all about helping you to communicate better, in English, at work. I work with international English speakers from around the world who use English, at work, as a second or third language and I hope that I can bring some of the ideas, vocabulary, and grammar, from those sessions, to you in this podcast. 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and request future topics! Today's examples: I’ve put in for a couple of weeks at the end of June. I’ve submitted a leave request, I’m just waiting for the management team to sign off on it. I’ve got a few days of annual leave left for the year but I think I'll just roll them over. I’ll be out of the office until the first Monday in April. I’m on annual leave next week. If you have any urgent requests then Jane will be covering for me so feel free to contact her and I’ll ensure we have a full handover before I go. Just to give everyone advanced notice, I’ll be unavailable for the next couple of weeks, and will get to any emails when I’m back at my desk. #businessenglish #englishtips #englishlesson #englishclass Book a coaching session with me at: https://www.breakoutbusinessenglish.com | |||