تدريب Shadowing: How to Speak Up in Meetings in English | Beginner–Intermediate English Podcast - تعلم التحدث بالإنجليزية مع YouTube

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Welcome back to Natural English Daily Podcast.

Hello everyone and welcome to Natural English Daily.

I'm Sophie.

And I'm Jack.

And today we are talking about how to speak up in meetings.

Let's get into it.

Okay.

Before we start, I want you to think about something.

Think about the last time you were in a meeting,

maybe at work, maybe at school, maybe online.

And you had an idea.

A good idea.

But you didn't say it.

Yeah.

Why didn't you say it?

Honestly, I didn't know how to start.

Like, I knew what I wanted to say.

But the words, the moment just passed.

Exactly.

And I think so many people feel this.

Not because they don't have ideas,

but because in English, especially in a meeting,

starting to speak feels really hard.

You have to kind of jump in.

And jumping in is scary.

It is.

But today, we are going to fix that.

By the end of this episode,

you will have the exact phrases you need.

So let's talk about it.

So, Sophie, can I ask you something?

Do you actually like meetings?

That is a great question.

Honestly, it depends.

On what?

On whether I get to talk,

if I'm just sitting there and listening for an hour?

No, I don't love that.

But if it's a real conversation,

back and forth, people sharing ideas,

yeah, I actually enjoy that.

Right.

I think that's the thing.

When you can participate, it feels good.

When you can't, or when you feel like you can't, it's really frustrating.

So frustrating.

And I think for English learners especially,

meetings are one of the hardest situations.

Because everything happens so fast.

So fast.

And everyone seems so confident.

They seem confident.

That's the key word.

Seem.

A lot of people are nervous too.

They just have the phrases to hide it.

Oh, that's interesting.

So it's partly about having the right words.

Totally.

Like, if you know how to start speaking,

how to jump in, how to disagree politely,

suddenly the whole thing feels different.

You have tools.

Tools.

I like that.

Okay, so what are the tools?

Well, let's start with the basic one.

How do you actually start speaking?

How do you get into the conversation in the first place?

Yeah, because that's the hardest part for me.

Knowing when to speak.

And then, actually speaking.

Right.

So, one really natural way is to use a phrase like,

Can I just add something?

That's nice.

It's polite.

It's not aggressive.

And it signals, I have something to say,

but I'm not taking over.

I'm just adding to what's already there.

Hmm.

What about if someone is talking and you want to jump in?

Like, interrupt, kind of?

Good question.

So there are polite ways to interrupt and less polite ways.

Yeah.

I've definitely done the less polite way.

We all have.

So a polite interruption sounds like,

sorry to interrupt, but, or,

can I just come in here?

Oh, can I just come in here?

What does that mean exactly?

Like, come into the room?

No, no. It means join the conversation.

Like, can I enter this moment?

Oh, okay.

100

That makes sense.

101

Can I just come in here?

102

So it's not literal?

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Not literal.

104

It just means I want to speak now.

105

And it's very natural, very polite.

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I love that one.

107

Okay, and later, Sophie is going to share one phrase that I had never heard before,

108

and honestly, it's now one of my favorites.

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I use it all the time.

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Oh, you'll have to wait for that one.

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Worth waiting for.

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Okay, so let's talk about sharing your opinion,

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because that's a big one, right?

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In a meeting, you don't just want to add a fact.

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You want to say what you think.

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Right?

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I think this is a good idea.

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Or I think we should try something different.

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Exactly.

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And there are phrases that make your opinion sound more confident,

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more professional, like instead of just saying,

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I think, which is fine by the way,

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you can say, in my opinion, or from my perspective.

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From my perspective?

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Hmm, that sounds really professional.

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It does, and it signals, this is my view.

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I'm not saying it's the only view,

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but this is where I stand.

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What about, how do you say,

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when you want to agree with someone, but also add something?

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Like, yes, and...

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Oh, good.

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So, a really useful phrase for that is, that's a great point.

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And I'd also like to add...

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Oh, nice.

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So, you're building on what they said.

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Exactly.

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You're not competing.

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You're collaborating.

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and people respond really well to that in meetings.

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Okay.

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What about the opposite, disagreeing?

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That feels really risky.

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It does feel risky, but it doesn't have to be aggressive.

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There are really soft, polite ways to disagree.

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Like what?

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So, what I love is,

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I see your point, but I wonder if...

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I see your point, but I wonder if...

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So you're saying I understand you, but...

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Yes.

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You're showing respect first.

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Then you introduce your different idea.

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It's not you're wrong.

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It's, let me offer another perspective.

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That's much less scary.

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Hmm.

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But what if someone interrupts you?

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What if you're speaking and someone just talks over you?

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Oh, yes.

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That happens.

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And then you just lose your moment.

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So there are phrases for that, too.

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Like, if I could just finish my point?

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Ooh, that's quite assertive.

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It is.

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It's firm.

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But it's not rude.

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You're just saying, I'm not done yet.

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Please let me finish.

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I feel like I'd be nervous to say that.

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And that's understandable.

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But here's the thing, Jack.

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In most professional situations, it's completely acceptable.

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Even expected.

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People respect it.

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If I could just finish my point.

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Yeah.

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Okay.

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I can see that working.

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And another one?

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If you feel like you're being talked over a lot,

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you can say at the start,

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I just wanted to flag something important.

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Flag?

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Flag as in raise attention to?

187

Exactly.

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Like, raise a flag.

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Say, this is important, notice this.

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I actually didn't know flag was used like that, as a verb.

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Super common in professional English.

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Flag it, flag an issue, flag a problem.

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I love learning these.

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Okay, so I wanted to flag something.

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That makes people listen.

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It does.

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It's a signal.

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And combined with a calm, clear voice, very effective.

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What about if you're not sure what to say?

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Like, you want to speak,

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but you're not 100% confident in your idea?

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Great question.

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And this is where so many people go silent.

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They think, if I'm not sure, I shouldn't speak.

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Yeah.

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But actually, being a little uncertain is totally fine.

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You can say, I'm not sure if this is the right direction,

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but what if we tried?

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Oh.

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So you're being honest about your uncertainty,

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but still sharing the idea.

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Yes.

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And actually, people often respond better to that than to someone who sounds completely certain all the time.

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Because it feels more real.

215

Exactly.

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It feels human.

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It feels collaborative.

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Hmm.

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I think I've always felt like,

220

if I'm not sure I should wait.

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Maybe someone else will say it.

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And then someone does say it.

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And you think that was my idea.

224

Yes, exactly.

225

So, speak up.

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Even if you're not 100% sure, your idea has value.

227

Okay, so what's this phrase you mentioned earlier?

228

The one I love?

229

Oh, right.

230

Okay.

231

So, this is one that sounds very natural,

232

very confident, and works really well when you want to raise a completely new point.

233

Something that hasn't been discussed yet.

234

Yes?

235

The phrase is, I'd like to bring something to the table.

236

Bring something to the table.

237

Oh, I love that.

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And bring to the table is an idiom.

239

It means to offer something of value, to contribute.

240

So you can also say,

241

she brings a lot to the table,

242

meaning she's very useful, she contributes a lot.

243

Exactly.

244

Both uses are really common.

245

That is such a good phrase.

246

I'd like to bring something to the table.

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It sounds confident.

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It sounds professional.

249

But it's not aggressive at all.

250

I genuinely had never heard that before you used it in a meeting last year.

251

And now you use it all the time?

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Constantly.

253

In the wrong situations, probably.

254

Okay, quick pause.

255

If you're enjoying this conversation,

256

please subscribe to Natural English Daily.

257

It really helps us.

258

And share it with a friend who is learning English.

259

Okay, back to it.

260

Okay, so let's talk about tone,

261

because I think tone is actually just as important as the words.

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What do you mean?

263

Well, you can say, I see your point,

264

but I wonder if, in a really dismissive, cold way.

265

And it still sounds rude.

266

Or you can say it warmly,

267

with a smile, with genuine curiosity.

268

And it lands completely differently.

269

So the phrase helps, but the tone is the real thing.

270

The tone is everything.

271

In English, like especially in professional settings,

272

people are always reading your energy.

273

Are you open?

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Are you listening?

275

Or are you just waiting for your turn to talk?

276

That's a good point.

277

I think sometimes in meetings,

278

I'm so focused on what I'm going to say that I'm not really listening.

279

And people notice that.

280

If you listen well, really listen,

281

and then speak, your contribution has so much more weight.

282

Weight?

283

As in importance?

284

Yes.

285

It carries more meaning, more value.

286

Hmm.

287

So, listen first.

288

Then speak.

289

And when you do speak, be clear.

290

Short sentences, one idea at a time.

291

I think that's hard in a second language.

292

Because you're already thinking of the words,

293

And now you also have to be concise.

294

True.

295

But actually, short and clear is better in any language.

296

Even native speakers lose their point when they speak too long.

297

Guilty.

298

Me too, honestly.

299

Okay, one more situation.

300

What about raising a point that might not be popular?

301

Like, you have an idea that maybe not everyone will agree with.

302

Oh, this is so important.

303

Okay.

304

So, a good opening for this is,

305

I want to raise something that might be a different perspective.

306

Nice.

307

So you're preparing people.

308

You're saying, this might be different from what we've heard.

309

And immediately, people are a little more open.

310

Because you've been honest.

311

You're not pretending everyone will agree.

312

You're saying, here's another way to look at it.

313

I like that.

314

It's honest, but not confrontational.

315

And really, that's the whole approach.

316

Be honest, be clear, be respectful, and don't stay silent.

317

Don't stay silent.

318

That's the big one for me.

319

For a lot of people.

320

But you have something worth saying.

321

And these phrases, they're just the door.

322

Once you open the door, the conversation follows.

323

I like that.

324

The phrases are the door.

325

Okay.

326

Before the practice, let's quickly go over some of the phrases from today.

327

Naturally, just how we'd use them.

328

Yes.

329

So, can I just add something?

330

I love this one.

331

It's really gentle, not pushy.

332

Perfect for when the conversation is moving fast and you want to contribute without stopping everything.

333

And then, I see your point,

334

but I wonder if this is for disagreeing politely.

335

You're not saying no. You're saying,

336

let me offer a different idea.

337

Respectful and open.

338

What about bring something to the table?

339

That's become a favorite of mine.

340

We know.

341

I'd like to bring something to the table.

342

Great for introducing a completely new idea.

343

It sounds confident and professional.

344

And if I could just finish my point.

345

A little more assertive, but polite.

346

Use it calmly.

347

Clear voice.

348

It works really well.

349

And flag, as in, I just wanted to flag something.

350

Great verb for drawing attention to something important.

351

Super common in professional English.

352

Really useful.

353

And I'm not sure if this is the right direction,

354

but what if we tried I think this one is so freeing.

355

Because you can still share your idea,

356

even when you're not certain.

357

Exactly.

358

Uncertainty doesn't mean silence.

359

It just means, here's an idea.

360

Let's explore it together.

361

Okay, let's practice.

362

Let's do a short meeting scenario together.

363

Ready?

364

Ready, let's go.

365

Okay, everyone.

366

Thanks for joining.

367

So today we need to decide.

368

Should we launch the new website in July or wait until September?

369

Maria, I know you have thoughts on July.

370

Yes, I think July is better.

371

We need to move fast.

372

The market is ready.

373

Can I just add something?

374

Of course, Jack.

375

I see your point about July,

376

and speed is really important.

377

But I wonder if we have enough time to test everything properly.

378

That's a fair point.

379

What do you suggest?

380

Well, I'm not sure if this is the right direction.

381

But what if we tried a soft launch in July?

382

Just for a small group.

383

And then the full launch in September.

384

I like that idea.

385

Does anyone else have thoughts?

386

Actually, I'd like to bring something to the table.

387

The feedback from last year's launch,

388

I think we should look at that before we decide.

389

Great point.

390

Can you share that with the team?

391

Sure.

392

I can send it after the meeting.

393

Is that… Actually, Jack, you can say,

394

I'll share that with the team after the meeting.

395

Oh, right.

396

I'll share that with the team after the meeting.

397

Perfect.

398

Really good, Jack.

399

You used three or four phrases really naturally.

400

I did forget the all, though.

401

I said I can, and then stopped.

402

But you corrected it, and that's exactly what happens in real meetings.

403

You adjust.

404

You keep going.

405

That's all you need to do.

406

It actually felt okay.

407

Like, less scary than I expected.

408

Because you had the phrases,

409

the door was already open.

410

The door was already open, yeah.

411

Okay, so today we talked about how to speak up in meetings in English.

412

Really great conversation, Jack.

413

Really good.

414

So some of the key phrases from today,

415

Yura, can I just add something?

416

When you want to join the conversation?

417

I see your point, but I wonder if,

418

if, when you want to disagree politely.

419

And I'd like to bring something to the table when you have a new idea to share.

420

And remember, the best way to get better is to actually use these phrases.

421

Say them out loud.

422

Practice with a friend.

423

Use one of them this week, even just once.

424

And for today's question, we want to hear from you.

425

Do you find meetings difficult?

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Leave your answer in the comments below.

427

We read every single one.

428

If today's episode helped you,

429

please subscribe, give us a like,

430

and share it with one person who is learning English.

431

That is the best thing you can do for us.

432

Thank you so much for listening.

433

Keep practicing, and we'll see you in the next one.

434

Take care.

435

Bye, everyone.

436

Bye.

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تدريب Shadowing: How to Speak Up in Meetings in English | Beginner–Intermediate English Podcast - تعلم التحدث بالإنجليزية مع YouTube

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تدريب Shadowing: How to Speak Up in Meetings in English | Beginner–Intermediate English Podcast - تعلم التحدث بالإنجليزية مع YouTube

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