Breakout Business English - Improve your vocabulary and confidence using English at work.

Send us Fan Mail If you want to understand your colleagues, clients, and customers every time they speak English, then today I’ve got a strategy for you that means that you’ll always understand what they’re talking about. Today we’re talking about the worst question that you can ask, the best question that you can replace it with, and a technique called looping for understanding that can really improve your professional communication. Then we’ll finish with our English grammar quiz. Als...

Send us Fan Mail Speaking clearly and being easy to understand when speaking English is much easier when you use structure. Today we're looking at two ways to structure your English to make sure that you're understood by your colleagues, clients, and customers, every time. We also look at some natural and native sounding vocabulary including the idiom "out of the gate" and the verb and noun, "recap". Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, DET or Cambridge English tests and exams...

Send us Fan Mail Small talk in English with your colleagues, clients, and customers is important for building the professional connections that grow your career. The FORD method is an English speaking framework that gives you the questions that you need to sound more natural and native when speaking English and to have conversations that make people want to work with you. Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, DET or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of ...

Send us Fan Mail Talking about numbers can be challenging, especially if English is your second language. Today we’re discussing vocabulary that we can use to speak about calculation, math, and numbers, in English. We’re mostly focusing on idioms and informal English that can be used in professional situations today. We’ll also hear the answer for last week’s English grammar quiz, and you’ll get a new grammar quiz question. Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, DET or Cambridge...

Send us Fan Mail Small talk is one of the most important communication skills when it comes to building a career in an English speaking company. In this episode we discuss a framework that we can use to have great conversations, make small talk easier, and help you to build brilliant professional relationships. Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, DET or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is all ab...

Send us Fan Mail Today we’re talking about giving presentations, and how to control the attention of your colleagues, clients, and customers, when presenting complex information on complicated slides. So, if you often have to present slide decks that have a lot of information on them then hopefully you’ll find today’s episode useful. We talk about how to draw people’s attention, highlighting key information, and addressing the elephant in the room. Also, if you're studying for the IELTS...

Send us Fan Mail Dealing with negative situations at work with a positive attitude is a great way to make sure that you build a reputation for handling challenges in the best way possible. Your attitude and mindset when things go wrong can also connect directly to the opportunities that you have for career growth and promotion. Today we’re talking about the vibes that you bring to the workplace. We talk about clarifying information when people misunderstand you, and how to make sure that you ...

Send us Fan Mail Communicating with your manager is important, and yet we rarely talk at work about how we're going to do it! In this podcast we're discussing how we can update our managers and how we can build a great professional relationship that enables us to do our best work. Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, DET 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 commun...

Send us Fan Mail Today we're wrapping up our conversation on how to manage Gen Z so if you're a manager of a young team and you want some tips on how to communicate with your colleagues in their 20s then this episode of the podcast is for you. We're looking at 2 key ideas that can improve the way that you manage and communicate with Gen Z team members and some vocabulary and phrases that can help managers to build these professional relationships. Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL...

Send us Fan Mail Managing Gen Z is the challenge that we're discussing today so if you're a manager of a young team and you want some tips on how to communicate with your colleagues in their 20s then this episode of the podcast is for you. We're looking at 2 key ideas that can improve the way that you manage and communicate with Gen Z team members and some vocabulary and phrases that can help managers to build these professional relationships. Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, DE...

Send us Fan Mail If you manage a team and want to avoid arguments and conflict between colleagues and departments then today's episode should have the communication ideas and vocabulary to help you. Managing a team when speaking English as a second language is a big challenge so today we're discussing some ways to make this easier. This is part 2 of our exploration of these ideas. If you missed part 1, you can find that in last week's podcast. Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, DE...

Send us Fan Mail We've talked about how to resolve and fix conflicts in the past, now let's talk about how to prevent conflict before it occurs. If you speak English to manage your team and you want to build an atmosphere where conflict is rare and everyone works together without arguments or disagreements then this episode it for you. Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, DET or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really usef...

Send us Fan Mail If you have a job interview coming up, and you're asked a question that you don't have a good answer to, what can you say? If you're an international English speaker then this can be extra difficult. Today we're talking about 3 techniques and native and international English speakers can use to communicate really well under this kind of pressure. Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, DET or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary ...

Send us Fan Mail Want to improve your business English speaking and vocabulary at work? Today we're talking about how non-native English speakers in professional settings can interrupt politely. You'll learn practical vocabulary and grammar patterns to jump into a conversation confidently, whether you're speaking with colleagues, clients, or customers, without sounding rude or pushy. We build on the "yes, and" principle from improvised comedy to create natural, native-sounding interruptions t...

Send us Fan Mail If you want to be more assertive when speaking English at work, without sounding rude then this episode is for you. Maybe you want to sound more native and natural when having difficult conversations in English. Hopefully the communication tips and vocabulary in this podcast will be able to help you. Also, if you're studying for the IELTS, TOEFL, DET or Cambridge English tests and exams then you might find some of the vocabulary in this episode really useful. This podcast is ...

Send us Fan Mail Sometimes detail is important, and sometimes you want to focus on the big picture. Today we're talking about vocabulary that we can use to do both. We discuss idioms, phrases, and vocabulary that native English speakers use in professional environments. So, if you want to sound more native and natural when talking about details then I hope you find this podcast valuable. - Book a one-to-one coaching session with me at breakoutbusinessenglish.com - Use code PODCAST30 for...

Send us Fan Mail Today we're talking about investing money and time in your business. We discuss advanced professional vocabulary that talks about both putting money into a business, and taking it our and hopefully profiting from your investment! If you speak English at work and want to sound more native and natural when talking to colleagues, customers, or clients, then I hope that the vocabulary, grammar, and communication tips in today's episode will be useful for you. - Book a one-t...

Send us Fan Mail Change is a constant part of working life — but are you using the right language to talk about it? In this episode, we explore six powerful words and phrases for describing change at work in natural, professional English. From the dramatic overhaul to the careful fine-tune, and from incremental improvements to a quick tweak, you'll learn exactly when and how to use each one with confidence. We also uncover the surprising history behind the idiom throw the baby out with the ba...

Send us Fan Mail If you can’t find the words to express yourself, or you know what you want to say, but not how to say it, then today’s podcast might help. We’re exploring a three stage framework that you can apply to those situations when you need to speak English in high pressure situations, but you can sound as native or natural as you do in your first language. If you speak English at work and want to sound more native and natural when talking to colleagues, customers, or clients, then I ...

Send us Fan Mail The SCQA framework is the topic of todays podcast, continuing our series on speaking frameworks. If you need to solve problems at work and present your solutions to your colleagues then the SCQA framework might be a great structure for you. This speaking framework was created at McKinsey consultants and if you use English at work to communicate with your clients, colleagues, and customers, then you might find it useful. If you speak English at work and want to sound more nati...

Send us Fan Mail Our communication frameworks series continues with the STAR model. If you've got an English language job interview and you're not a native speaker then this framework can help you to tell stories and communicate your experience in an effective way that gets you hired. If you want to sound more natural and native when speaking English the using frameworks like STAR can stop you worrying about how you speak and let you focus more on what you're saying. If you speak Englis...

Send us Fan Mail Let's talk about the PEEL framework. This is a structured way to present arguments at work that convince and persuade your colleagues, clients, and customers. Trying to make convincing points can be challenging if it's not your first language. The speaking framework that we're discussing today however can be applied to any language. This podcast gives you a clear way to structure your ideas so that you communicate clearly why someone should come around to your way of thinking...

Send us Fan Mail If you want to make suggestions and give opinions clearly at work, when speaking English, then today's podcast will help. For non-native English speakers, communicating clearly can be worrying and you might not have the confidence to offer your ideas in case you're misunderstood. Today we're talking about the PREP framework and how you can use it to make sure that your managers, colleagues, clients, and customers, always understand your ideas and suggestions when you're speak...

Send us Fan Mail If you want to communicate more clearly when speaking in English and ensure that your colleagues understand exactly what you're trying to communicate then the ideas in this podcast should help. This week we're talking about frameworks, specifically how to apply the 321 framework to your spoken English and use it to communicate more effectively at work. We'll also take a look at some useful vocabulary that you can use to help you to communicate with more clarity. If you ...

Send us Fan Mail Asking questions in English is something that we all do, but how good are yours? In this podcast we'll learn how we can ask better questions that our colleagues, clients, and customers will find interesting and engaging. We'll look at some natural and native sounding English vocabulary that we can use to do this, and we'll heard some great examples of question structures that you can use. If you speak English at work and want to sound more native and natural when talking to c...

Send us Fan Mail If you want to sound more polite and improve your relationships with your colleagues, clients, and customers, then using things like modal verbs and trying to be less direct can help. This week we look at some ways that you can be more polite when speaking English at work, some professional English vocabulary that can help you with this, and we even have a little English pronunciation lesson in here. If you speak English at work and want to sound more native and natural...

Send us Fan Mail Writing emails in English as a non native English speaker is challenging, as is talking about them. If your colleague asks you to BCC them in on at email, and don't include your email signature, do you know what they mean? Today you'll learn the vocabulary and the grammar to communicate about email with your colleagues, clients, and customers like a native English speaker. We'll learn from formal and professional English, some informal idioms and phrasal verbs and we'll...

Send us Fan Mail Are you ever late for meetings? Or maybe you're always on time? How can you tell people that you're going to be late or promise then you'll be on time in the most natural and native sounding spoken English possible. Today you'll learn the vocabulary and the grammar to communicate about punctuality with your colleagues, clients, and customers like a native English speaker. We'll learn from formal and professional English, some informal idioms and phrasal verbs, and you might e...

Send us Fan Mail How can we talk about focus at work? Becoming focused and losing our focus, and all of the distractions that take our focus away. That's the focus of today's podcast. If you work in a busy office then maybe you find yourself talking, in English about focus. In today podcast we're talking about some natural and native sounding ways that you can discuss this topic. You'll hear some great words, phrases, and idioms that you can use to discuss your focus in English and this week ...

Send us Fan Mail If you work in an international business environment and need to discuss data, graphs, or charts in English, this episode is for you. Today I'm sharing a set of powerful, natural-sounding vocabulary words, including bounce back, fluctuate, tank, plateau, and level off, that will help you sound more confident and professional the next time you're presenting figures, discussing reports, or analysing trends with colleagues. Rather than relying on basic phrases like "it went up" ...

Send us Fan Mail 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 gr...

Send us Fan Mail If you need to talk about statistics an data at work then the vocabulary in today's lesson will help you to sound native and natural when communicating with colleagues, customers, and managers. Today we're talking about data and numbers going up and going down, increasing and decreasing. We're going to explore vocabulary like, "surge", "stall", "soar" and "fall off a cliff. We'll also discuss some common mistakes that you need to avoid. The episode is particularly useful if y...

Send us Fan Mail Thinking in English is difficult for many professionals who speak English at work, but aren't native speakers. In this podcast we discuss how professionals can start to think in English at work, some ways to bring English thinking into your meetings and even some higher level ideas for more advanced English speakers. And we'll learn some professional vocabulary too. If you speak English at work and want to sound more native and natural when talking to colleagues, custom...

Send us Fan Mail Time is one of the most important things that we talk about at work, and in my coaching experience it's also one of the things that English speaking professionals around the world have the most trouble communicating in English. In this episode we're talking about events that happen before and events that happen after other events. In the first half, we will look at some great, professional ways to talk about things that happen before other things. We'll look at words li...

Send us Fan Mail How do you ask your boss for more money in professional, business English. That depends on how much money you're asking for. If you want to sound natural and native when speaking English to your clients, customers, and colleagues, about money they the workplace English vocabulary and grammar in this podcast should help. We talk about words like "budget" and"reimburse", as well as phrases like "per diem" and "petty cash". This is also an episode with a lot of discussion of the...

Send us Fan Mail Today we're talking about time, specifically when you need more time for deadlines and meetings. If you're ever been in a meeting that finished late or had a task that you didn't quite finish before a deadline then hopefully you'll find the natural and native sounding Business English vocabulary in this episode useful for you. If you speak English at work and want to sound more native and natural when talking to colleagues, customers, or clients, then I hope that the vocabula...

Send us Fan Mail 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 ...

Send us Fan Mail Workplace culture is important, but sometimes what a company says it does and what it actually does are two different things. Today we talk about the vocabulary that native English speakers use to talk about this problem at work. So when your company's goals don't match how they use their resources, or their values don't match how they treat their staff, today you'll learn the vocabulary you can use to discuss this in a natural and native sounding way. If you speak English at...

Send us Fan Mail Today we're talking about location. Whether you're talking about where you live or where you work, discussing location is always important and a common topic. So, if you want to improve your confidence when speaking about this in English then this episode has the vocabulary, phrasal verbs, and grammar, to help you. If you speak English at work and want to sound more native and natural when talking to colleagues, customers, or clients, then I hope that the vocabulary, gr...

Send us Fan Mail In the new year we're often talking about starting new project and continuing existing projects. If you need to do this in English and you're not a native speaker then you might hear your colleagues using words and phrases that you don't know. In this business English vocabulary lesson we look at some vocabulary that you'll hear native English speakers using at work to talk about these ideas. If you speak English at work and want to sound more native and natural when ta...

Send us Fan Mail Happy Christmas! In this episode we're talking about Christmas vocabulary that you might here at work, including adjectives that we can use to talk about this time of year, and idioms that we can use for the whole year. So if you need to speak, in English, to colleagues, clients, or customers, and you want to sound more natural and native when doing it, hopefully you'll find this podcast useful. If you speak English at work and want to sound more native and natural when...

Send us Fan Mail Speaking about performance at work with your colleagues and managers can be hard and if you speak English as a second language then I'm here to help! In today's podcast we hear informal and formal vocabulary that we can use to talk about performance at work. We'll hear the grammar structures that you need to use this new vocabulary correctly and we'll hear some great, natural and native sounding examples of how you can talk about performance, at work, in English. If you speak...

Send us Fan Mail Today we discover the essential vocabulary professionals need to confidently talk about writing in English, both informal phrases like jot down, take down, and type up, and formal workplace language such as record, document, and the minutes. Learn how native speakers really describe note-taking, meeting records, and written communication at work, along with clear pronunciation tips and practical examples you can start using immediately. Perfect for international professionals...

Send us Fan Mail Sometimes you need to keep secrets and work and sometimes it's important to be honest with your customers and clients. In this business English vocabulary lesson we're going to hear some natural and native sounding English vocabulary, both formal and informal, for talking about information at work. We'll hear some examples of native English speakers discussing confidential and open information and we'll even do a little psychology and a little history! If you speak Engl...

Send us Fan Mail Discussing KPI targets, in English, at work, is challenging if you’re a non-native English speaker. Today we discuss how to sound more native and natural speaking English when talking about targets and KPIs. We have vocabulary for when you achieve your targets and for when you miss them. We discuss formal and informal vocabulary, phrasal verbs and idioms. If you speak English at work and want to sound more native and natural when talking to colleagues, customers, or cli...

Send us Fan Mail Today we're talking about risk at work, how to sound like a native English speaker when describing risk and how to use natural and professional sounding English to discuss reducing risk. If you speak English at work and want to sound more native and natural when talking to colleagues, customers, or clients, then I hope that the vocabulary, grammar, and communication tips in today's episode will be useful for you. 🔗 Book a one-to-one coaching session with me at breakoutb...

Send us Fan Mail Steve Jobs' return to Apple can teach us about leadership and communication, but also vocabulary, grammar, and how to improve your English speaking abilities. If you speak English at work and want to sound more native and natural when talking to colleagues, customers, or clients, then I hope that the vocabulary, grammar, and communication tips in today's episode will be useful for you. 🔗 Book a one-to-one coaching or tutoring session with me at breakoutbusinessenglish.c...

Send us Fan Mail 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 na...

Send us Fan Mail 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 ...

Send us Fan Mail 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 ...