Shadowing Practice: How to Talk About Project Budgets & Cost Estimation in English - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of Daily Business English Talk.
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I am Anna.
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And I am Jack.
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We are so happy to have you listening to us today.
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Whether you're at your desk, taking a walk, or having your morning coffee, we are thrilled to spend this time with you.
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That is right, Jack.
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If you want to build confidence speaking English at work and and learn practical vocabulary for your job, you have come to the right place.
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Before we begin today, if you enjoy our channel and find our lessons helpful, please hit that subscribe button.
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It really helps our show grow and ensures you never miss a new lesson.
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Exactly.
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Today we are covering a topic that was actually requested by one of our wonderful listeners.
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We are going to learn how to talk about project budgets, cost estimation, and calculations in English.
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Numbers and financial terms can feel a little intimidating a second language, but talking about money, costs, and estimates is something almost everyone has to do at work,
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whether you work in marketing, management, sales, or IT.
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So true, Anna.
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By the end of today's conversation, you will know how to describe direct and indirect costs, talk about contingency plans, explain overheads,
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and use everyday math words smoothly when presenting numbers to your team or manager.
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That is our mission today.
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So Jack, let us start with a little personal story.
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When you first started working on project estimates, how did you feel about explaining the numbers in English?
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Oh, I was terrified, Anna.
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I remember sitting in a meeting early in my career, and my manager asked me, Jack, what is the estimated total cost for this campaign?
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I knew the numbers in my head, but trying to explain addition, multiplication, and extra buffer money in English made me stumble over my words completely.
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Oh, I completely understand that feeling.
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It's one thing to know the math in your head, but speaking it aloud in front of colleagues adds a lot of pressure.
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I used to worry that if I made a small mistake with a word like overhead or contingency, people would think I didn't know my job.
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Exactly.
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I used to just say, the total cost is $10,000, and pray that nobody asked me follow-up questions about how I calculated that number.
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That is such a common experience.
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But as we learn the right vocabulary, explaining how we reached a number actually becomes very simple and logical.
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Today we want to help all of our listeners feel completely relaxed when talking about money and estimates at work.
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I love that.
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So do not worry if some of these terms are brand new to you today.
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We will take it step by step, explain everything in simple language, and give you plenty of practical examples.
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Absolutely.
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So, Jack, let us start at the very beginning of creating a project budget.
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What is the first thing we usually do when we try to figure out how much a project will cost?
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Well, first we have to look at the different types of expenses.
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We usually divide costs into two main categories, direct costs and indirect costs.
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That is a fundamental place to start.
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Let's explain what those mean in simple terms.
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A direct cost is money that you spend directly on the project itself.
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For example, if you're building a new software feature, the salary of the developer writing the code, or the cost of buying specific hardware for that project,
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would be a direct cost.
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Right.
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It's directly tied to creating the final product.
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On the other hand, indirect costs are expenses that support the overall business or project, but are not tied to just one specific item.
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We often call these overhead costs, or simply overhead.
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Overhead is such a great business word.
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includes general costs like office rent, electricity, internet, and general management salaries.
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Even though you can't point to a single piece of work and say, this used $50 of electricity, those background expenses still exist.
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Yes.
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So when you create a comprehensive estimate, you have to factor in both direct costs and indirect costs or overhead.
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Exactly.
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Factor in is a wonderful phrasal verb here, Jack.
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To factor in means to include a specific cost or piece of information when making a calculation or plan.
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For instance, you might say, we need to factor in the cost of software licenses before we finalize the budget.
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That is so clear.
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So once we list our direct costs and overhead, we usually have to do some basic math.
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Ana, let us talk about how we express basic calculations aloud in business conversations.
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Sometimes learners know the math symbols, but they feel unsure about which words to speak.
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That is very true.
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Let us start with addition.
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When we want to join two numbers together, we can use the words add or plus.
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For example, if direct costs are $5,000 and indirect costs are $1,000,
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we say, 5,000 plus 1,000 equals 6,000.
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Or in a regular sentence, you might say, when we add the material expenses to the labor costs, the total increases.
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Exactly.
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And what about when we take away an amount, Jack?
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That is subtraction.
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We can use the word subtract or minus.
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For instance, if a client gets a discount, you might say, If we subtract the 10% discount, the final price is lower.
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Or, $10,000 minus $2,000 gives us $8,000.
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Very clear.
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What about when we need to repeat a number multiple times?
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That's multiplication.
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We can say, multiplied by, or simply, times.
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Ah, times is so common in spoken English.
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For example, if we have five freelancers working for 10 hours each at $20 an hour, we say five people times 10 hours is 50 hours.
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Then 50 hours multiplied by $20 is $1,000.
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You made that math sound so easy, Jack.
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Saying times or multiplied by is very natural in spoken meeting updates.
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Now, Ana, there's another very important concept in project estimation that every manager loves to hear about.
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It's called contingency, or a contingency fund.
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Can you explain what contingency means?
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I would love to.
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In business, things do not always go perfectly according to plan.
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Unexpected problems happen, prices go up, tasks take longer, or tools break.
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A contingency is extra money that you add to your budget as a safety buffer for those unexpected expenses.
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A safety buffer.
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I really like that description.
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So if my estimated total cost is $10,000, I might add a 10% contingency, which is an extra $1,000, just in case something goes wrong.
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Precisely.
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You can present this to your boss by saying, We have included a 10% contingency to cover any unforeseen costs.
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Unforeseen means things that we cannot see or predict right now.
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That sounds so professional.
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Including a contingency shows your manager that you are realistic and cautious.
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proves you're thinking ahead.
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It really does.
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Now, what about the money the company actually makes after paying all these costs?
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That brings us to profit and profit margin.
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Right.
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Profit is the money left over after all expenses, both direct costs and overhead, have been paid.
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And the profit margin is that profit expressed as a percentage of the total revenue.
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Yes.
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So, if a client pays us $15,000 for a project and our total costs,
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including overhead and contingency, were $10,000, our profit is $5,000.
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And we can say our profit margin on this project is very healthy.
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Healthy is a nice word we use in business to mean good or strong.
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Absolutely.
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A healthy profit margin means the business is making good money on the project.
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Now let's talk about how we summarize all these numbers when we talk to a colleague or client.
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What are some smooth phrases to bring all the calculations together?
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You can use expressions like, to summarize the figures, or the grand total comes out to.
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Another very common phrase is, the total cost breaks down as follows.
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Breaks down.
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That is another great phrasal verb.
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To break down a budget means to separate the total figure into smaller, detailed parts so everyone can see where the money is going.
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Exactly.
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For example, you can say, the budget breaks down into three main parts, labor, equipment, and marketing.
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That makes it so much easier for people to understand complex financial plans.
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Let us listen to how all of these words and concepts sound when used in real office conversations.
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Yes, let us do some realistic dialogue so our listeners can hear these terms spoken naturally.
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Imagine Jack and I are project managers sitting down to review an upcoming proposal before sending it to a client.
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I am ready.
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Let us start.
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Hi, Jack.
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Do you have a few minutes to look over the draft budget for the new mobile app project?
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Sure, Anna.
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I would love to.
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How are the numbers looking so far?
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Well, to summarize the figures, our initial estimate for direct costs is around $20,000.
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That covers software development and design.
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Okay. $20,000 for direct costs.
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Have we factored in our overhead expenses yet?
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Yes, I added 15% to cover indirect costs like server hosting and project management tools.
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When we add that overhead, it brings the subtotal to $23,000.
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That makes sense.
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What about a contingency fund?
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You know how development projects often run into unexpected tech issues.
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Definitely.
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I included a 10% contingency.
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If we multiply our subtotal by 10%, that adds another $2,300 as a buffer.
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Great thinking, Anna.
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So what does the grand total come out to?
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The grand total comes out to $25,300.
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That gives us a very safe cushion while keeping our profit margin healthy.
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Excellent work, Anna.
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This breakdown is super clear.
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Let's send it to the director for approval.
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That was a great dialogue, Jack.
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Did you notice how we naturally wove together words like direct costs, overhead, factor in, contingency, subtotal, and grand total?
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It sounded completely natural and smooth.
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It did not sound like a math lesson.
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It sounded like two professionals collaborating on a real workplace task.
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Exactly.
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Now let's try a second scenario.
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In this situation, let's imagine Jack is presenting a project update to a client who wants to reduce the overall price.
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Listen to how Jack explains where the costs come from and negotiates politely.
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Good morning, Sarah.
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Thanks for taking the time to meet today.
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I have the updated budget estimate for your brand redesign.
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Good morning, Jack.
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Thanks for sending that over.
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I looked at the numbers, but the total price is a bit higher than we anticipated.
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Could you explain how you reached this figure? Of course.
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I would be happy to break down the costs for you.
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The main driver is the video production, which is a direct cost of $12,000.
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That's calculated by multiplying three filming days by $4,000 per day.
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I see.
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Is there any room to subtract some of those costs?
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Our target budget is around $15,000 in total.
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If we want to bring the total down, we could reduce the filming from three days to two days.
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If we subtract one day of filming, that immediately saves us $4,000.
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That sounds like a reasonable adjustment.
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What about the contingency amount in the quote?
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We currently have a 15% contingency built in.
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If we lower that safety buffer to 5% and reduce the filming schedule, the new grand total will align perfectly with your $15,000 target.
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That sounds fantastic, Jack.
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Thank you for walking me through the calculations so clearly.
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That was another very useful exchange.
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Notice how Jack did not panic when the client said the price was too high.
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He politely explained the breakdown, used subtraction and multiplication terms naturally, and adjusted the contingency to meet the client's needs.
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is the power of knowing these key phrases.
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You can stay calm, explain your math clearly, and find solutions that satisfy everyone.
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Before we move on, let us encourage our listeners.
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When you listen to these examples, try repeating the key lines out loud.
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Practicing the rhythm of spoken numbers and financial terms will build your confidence for your next team meeting.
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Yes, speaking aloud is the best way to make these words feel like second nature.
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Don't Don't worry if it takes a few tries to get comfortable pronouncing phrases like indirect costs or contingency fund.
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Now, let us naturally revisit eight key words and phrases
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that we use throughout today's episode so you can store them in your active memory.
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Excellent idea, Jack!
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Let us start with our first phrase, direct costs.
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How would you explain direct costs in simple words to a colleague?
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Direct costs are expenses directly tied to making a product or delivering a service, like raw materials or the wages of workers building the product.
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For example, purchasing paint for a renovation project is a direct cost.
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Very clear.
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Our second phrase is indirect costs, or overhead.
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Overhead refers to the ongoing operational expenses of running a business that cannot be traced to a single project, such as office rent, utilities, and insurance.
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For instance, we must factor in overhead when calculating our monthly expenses.
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Perfect.
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The third phrase is factor in.
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What does that mean in practical terms?
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To factor in means to include a specific amount, cost, or detail in your total calculation or planning.
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For example, don't forget to factor in travel expenses when planning the conference budget.
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Our fourth term is contingency or contingency fund.
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Anna, how would you summarize that?
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A contingency is an extra amount of money set aside in a budget to cover unexpected costs or emergencies.
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For example, we added a 10% contingency in case material prices rise next month.
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That is such a vital word.
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The fifth term is grand total.
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The grand total is the final sum after adding all different costs, fees, taxes, and buffers together.
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For example, after adding shipping and tax, the grand total comes out to $500.
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The sixth phrase is break down.
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To break down means to divide a total number or complex idea into smaller, more detailed parts so it's easier to understand.
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For example, can you break down the budget so we can see how much is spent on marketing?
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The seventh expression is profit margin.
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Profit margin is the percentage that shows how much money a company keeps as profit for every dollar of sales, after paying all expenses.
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For example, selling our products online gives us a much higher profit margin.
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And our eighth phrase is subtract, or minus.
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Subtract means to take away an amount or number from a total.
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For example, if we subtract the discount from the original price, we get the net cost.
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a powerful list of workplace vocabulary.
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Having these eight terms ready will make talking about numbers, estimates, and project finances so much smoother for all of our listeners.
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It really will.
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Remember, you do not need to memorize every single calculation term today.
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Just pick two or three that fit your current job, practice saying them in short sentences, and build from there.
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Great advice, Anna.
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And now it is time for our question of the day.
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This is the part of our show where you get to put your learning into practice right away.
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That is right.
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Today's question is, when you plan a project or personal budget, do you usually include a contingency fund for unexpected expenses?
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That is such a relatable question.
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Answering it gives you a chance to practice using today's financial vocabulary in a simple, personal way.
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Let us give our listeners two quick example answers that they can adapt for themselves.
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Here is the first example answer.
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Yes, whenever I plan a project budget at work, I always factor in a 10% contingency fund because unexpected delays almost always happen.
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That is a great answer.
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Here's a second example answer.
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In my personal budget, I try to set aside money for overhead and emergencies, but I need to get better at calculating my grand total every month.
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Both of those examples use today's keywords so naturally.
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Listeners, please share your answers with us in the comments section or write them down in your study notebook.
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We always love reading your thoughts and supporting your learning journey.
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Yes, please leave a comment.
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Seeing your responses makes our day.
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And it's a wonderful community where we all learn together.
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Now, before we conclude today's show, let's do a quick, friendly recap of what we discussed.
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Today we learned how to talk about project budgets and cost estimation in English with confidence.
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We covered direct costs, indirect overhead, adding contingency funds, calculating profit margins,
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and using simple math words like add, subtract, and multiply in spoken conversations.
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We also listened to realistic dialogues showing how to present budget breakdowns
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and discuss price changes with clients in a polite, professional manner.
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Being able to discuss numbers clearly shows that you are organized, capable, and ready for greater responsibility at work.
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Thank you so much for joining us for today's episode of Daily Business English Talk.
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We hope you feel encouraged, guided, and excited to try out these phrases in your next meeting.
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Keep practicing, keep listening, and remember that every lesson you complete builds your confidence step by step.
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Have a productive and wonderful week ahead, everyone.
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Stay positive, keep learning, and join us next time.
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Goodbye, everyone.
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Goodbye, and see you soon.
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Vocabulario y notas de pronunciación para esta lección
Este vídeo tiene 261 frases y 2886 palabras para practicar shadowing. La parte hablada dura 17:54. El hablante habla a un ritmo natural de unas 161 palabras por minuto, cercano a una conversación cotidiana. El 83 % de las palabras está entre las 3.000 más comunes del inglés; conviene repasar el resto antes de empezar.
Vocabulario clave de este vídeo
15 palabras menos comunes del vídeo, con su pronunciación y significado:
- overhead /ˈəʊvəˌhɛd/ (sustantivo) — gastos generales. The expense of a business not directly assigned to goods or services provided.
- expense /ɪkˈspɛns/ (sustantivo) — gasto, dispendio. A spending or consuming, often a disbursement of funds.
- phrase /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ (sustantivo) — frase. A short written or spoken expression.
- estimate /ˈɛs.tɪ.mət/ (sustantivo) — presupuesto, estimación. A rough calculation or assessment of the value, size, or cost of something.
- margin /ˈmɑɹ.d͡ʒɪn/ (sustantivo) — margen. The edge of the paper, typically left blank when printing but sometimes used for annotations etc.
- indirect /ˌɪn.daɪˈɹɛkt/ (adjetivo) — indirecto. Not direct
- mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/ (sustantivo) — matemáticas, matemática. An abstract representational system studying numbers, shapes, structures, quantitative change and relationships between them.
- calculation /ˌkælkjuˈleɪʃn̩/ (sustantivo) — cálculo, calculación. The act or process of calculating.
- listener /ˈlɪs(ə)nɚ/ (sustantivo) — oyente, escucha. Someone who listens, especially to a speech or a broadcast.
- unexpected /ʌnɪkˈspɛktɪd/ (adjetivo) — inesperado, inopinado. Not expected, anticipated or foreseen.
- buffer /ˈbʌfəɹ/ (sustantivo) — tampón, solución amortiguadora. A solution used to stabilize the pH (acidity) of a liquid, such as by resisting a change in pH when an acid or alkali is added.
- naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/ (adverbio) — naturalmente, a natura. In a natural manner.
- calculate /ˈkælkjʊleɪt/ (verbo) — calcular. To determine the value of something or the solution to something by a mathematical process.
- lesson /ˈlɛs.ən/ (sustantivo) — lección. A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided.
- vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ (sustantivo) — vocabulario. A usually alphabetized and explained collection of words e.g. of a particular field, or prepared for a specific purpose, often for learning.
Phrasal verbs que vas a escuchar
- talk about (verbo) — hablar de, hablar sobre. Used to draw attention to the speaker's characterization of someone or something.
- break down (verbo) — descomponerse, averiarse. To stop functioning.
- look at (verbo) — mirar, funar. To observe or watch.
- take away /ˌteɪk əˈweɪ/ (verbo) — quitar. To remove something and put it in a different place.
- come from (verbo) — ser de. To have as one's origin, birthplace or nationality.
- figure out (verbo) — averiguar, captar. To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce.
- follow up (verbo) — dar seguimiento, dar un seguimiento. To take further actions remaining after an event; to continue, revisit, or persist; especially, to maintain communication or verify.
- go up (verbo) — subir. To move upwards.
Pronunciación a tener en cuenta
El hablante usa 8 contracciones y formas reducidas, como don't, you're, can't. Dilas en su forma corta, tal como las oyes.
- Los sonidos de “th”: mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, smooth /smuːð/, sixth /sɪksθ/, seventh /ˈsɛvənθ/, eighth /eɪtθ/
- Los sonidos de “sh” y “zh”: calculation /ˌkælkjuˈleɪʃn̩/, operational /ˌɑ.pəˈɹeɪ.ʃə.nəl/, negotiate /nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/, cautious /ˈkɔːʃəs/, renovation /ɹɛnəˈveɪʃən/
- Palabras largas — cuida el acento: mathematics /mæθ(.ə)ˈmæt.ɪks/, unexpected /ʌnɪkˈspɛktɪd/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, electricity /ɪˌlɛkˈtɹɪsɪti/
Cómo practicar con este vídeo
- Escucha el vídeo entero una vez sin hablar y anota las palabras que no conoces.
- Empieza a velocidad 0,75×, haz shadowing frase por frase y vuelve a la velocidad normal cuando te resulte fácil.
- Grábate y compara con el original, prestando atención a palabras como overhead, expense, phrase.
Gramática en este vídeo
Las estructuras que más usa el hablante, con las palabras exactas del vídeo:
| Estructura | En el vídeo |
|---|---|
| “Used to” used to + verbo — un hábito o estado pasado que ya no es cierto | used to worry · used to just say |
| Voz pasiva be + participio pasado — importa lo que ocurre, no quién lo hace | was actually requested · have been paid · cannot be traced |
| Present perfect have/has + participio pasado — una acción pasada que sigue importando ahora | have come · have included · have been paid |
| Oraciones de relativo who / which + oración — información extra sobre una persona o cosa | contingency, which is · production, which is |
¿Qué es la Técnica de Shadowing?
Shadowing es una técnica de aprendizaje de idiomas respaldada por la ciencia, desarrollada originalmente para la formación de intérpretes profesionales y popularizada por el políglota Dr. Alexander Arguelles. El método es simple pero poderoso: escuchas audio en inglés nativo y lo repites en voz alta de inmediato, como una sombra que sigue al hablante con solo 1-2 segundos de retraso. A diferencia de la escucha pasiva o los ejercicios de gramática, el shadowing obliga a tu cerebro y músculos de la boca a procesar y reproducir simultáneamente patrones de habla reales. Las investigaciones muestran que mejora significativamente la precisión de la pronunciación, la entonación, el ritmo, el habla conectada, la comprensión auditiva y la fluidez al hablar, convirtiéndola en una de las metodologías más efectivas para la preparación del IELTS Speaking y la comunicación en inglés en el mundo real.