Shadowing Practice: Write Professional Emails in English | Step-by-Step - Learn English Speaking with Video
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How much time do you spend sitting at your desk worried about clicking that send button on an email? Is your email clear?
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Is your grammar accurate? Is it easy to understand, professional and polite?
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Perhaps you regularly use a translation tool, but you're still not sure. In this Confident English lesson today, I want to help you write stress-free, worry-free emails in English.
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I'm going to share with you seven tips plus sentence starters.
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You can immediately begin using to write professional emails in English.
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Before we get started, just in case this is your first time here, let me quickly introduce myself. I'm Annemarie with Speak Confident English.
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Everything I do is designed to help you get the confidence you want for your life and work in English.
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One way I do that is with my weekly Confident English lessons where I share my top fluency and confidence-building strategies as well as training and communication skills, just like in this lesson today. So while you're here, make sure to give this lesson a thumbs up on YouTube and subscribe to the Speak Confident English YouTube channel so you never miss one of my Confident English lessons. Before we get to the first tip for easy to write emails in English, let's talk about what professional emails should be.
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Your emails should be clear, concise, polite, and productive. In other words, emails that you send for work purposes should be easy to read and they should get the job done. Whether the job of the email is to inform, negotiate, propose, or make a request.
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Unlike emails to friends and family, professional emails have standards we need to follow.
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Whether you're writing an email to your boss, a potential new client you'd like to impress a colleague in another country, a human resources manager about a job opportunity or an employer about a job interview, the emails you send in these situations represent you and perhaps represent the company you work for.
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What you say is going to leave an impression by writing an email that is clear, concise, polite, and productive.
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You are ensuring clear and effective communication.
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So let's get right into tip number one.
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Use a simple specific subject line.
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As I'm sure you know, when you open your email inbox every day, you do a quick scan through all the emails, and there are certain ones that jump out to you, certain emails you want to open.
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Those tend to have clear specific subject lines.
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You know exactly what the email is about or the subject line captures your attention.
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No matter who you're communicating to in a professional email, it's important to have a subject line that is going to tell your reader exactly what the email's about.
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Doing this increases the likelihood that your reader will open and read your email and respond as well.
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So let's take a look at a quick example of what not to do and what to do instead.
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Rather than simply use the words meeting request in a subject line, you can make it more specific by saying, meet Monday about schedule change.
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This subject line is not a complete sentence.
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If I were writing this in an email, I might say, can you meet on Monday to talk about a schedule change?
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But I want to make this subject line as clear and short as possible, so I'm focusing on the keywords, the most important element of my email. Before we go on to tip number two, here are a few more great examples of subject lines.
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Suggestion for your presentation, answer to your question about pricing plans, two ideas to solve budget issue, update on software bug, new user stats now available.
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Each one of those says exactly what the email is about so your reader knows what to expect. Now, I don't know about you, but I like to write my subject line last.
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I say what I need to say in my email and make sure that I know exactly what the focus or purpose of the email is, and then I use that information to help me write that clear, concise subject line.
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Tip number two is use greetings always.
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This one seems obvious, but you might be surprised how many emails get sent in a work environment without an appropriate greeting, and an email without a greeting might appear rude or too familiar.
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I'm going to share a few examples with you in just a moment.
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All of them are ideal for the workplace, for contacting or reaching out to someone you don't know, requesting information about services or products, or aiming to connect with a new potential client. Of course, if you're communicating outside of work with coworkers, you know well, friends or family, we can be far more casual.
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We can even eliminate a greeting. But in the workplace, when we're writing professional emails, always, always, always include a greeting.
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The first on our list and the most common is, hello, a simple hello.
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After that, we typically include someone's name, and I have to tell you, I'm an American. I live in the United States. We tend to be rather informal, so most of the time if we're writing to an individual, we'll say hello with their first name. But of course, if I want to be even more formal and show respect, I can use someone's title and their last name. For example, Ms.
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Fowler or Mr. Williams.
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A second common greeting for professional emails and one that is more formal is to use the word dear, followed by someone's first name or their title and their last name.
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So Dear Laura, Dear Dr. Sloan, Dear Ms. Williams, you'll typically see this used in very formal emails, almost like a business letter, for example, an email offering a job position for a more casual tone, you can certainly use the word high in a professional email followed by someone's first name. And lastly, we can use to whom it may concern or dear. Plus, the job title that you're writing to, I recommend only using this last one.
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If you cannot find the name of the person that you're writing to, it is always best to personalize your greeting with someone's first or last name, but if you can't find it, you could certainly use to whom it may concern or Dear Hiring manager, dear Human resources manager, and now, tip number three, follow the KISS principle in the body of your email.
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If you've never heard the acronym KISS before, it stands for keep it short and simple. As I'm sure you know, no one really wants to spend 10 minutes trying to read through an email.
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Long complex sentences with multiple paragraphs in an email is a sure way to lose your reader's attention.
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It also leads to more miscommunication because important details can get lost to keep your email short and simple. Here are five recommendations.
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Number one, use short sentences. Number two, use simple grammar and simple sentence structures. Number three, use short words if you can. Four, avoid long paragraphs.
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And number five, use bullet points for lists or key details.
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If you've ever worried about using complex grammar or difficult vocabulary in an email, I hope this makes you feel a little bit more relaxed because the best strategy Let me give you an example of what not to do and what to do.
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Instead, I could send an email like this, dear Sarah, I'm writing with recommendations on how to best write an email in English, and I want to share several with you, including a clear, clear subject line, the importance of starting with a professional greeting and making the purpose of your email clear. Before you click the send button, you'll also want to make sure you've included a closing and double check your email for any potential errors.
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Compare how that email looks and reads to this alternative. Dear Sarah, I have some recommendations on how to best write emails in English.
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These include a clear subject line, a professional greeting, a statement of purpose or request, and a polite closing. Lastly, it's important to proofread before you click send, which one of those was much easier for you to read and understand immediately? Definitely the second one. While you're writing that short, simple email, you want to keep tip number four in mind.
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Make your purpose or request clear.
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The moment your reader opens your email, they're going to start doing one thing.
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They're going to start scanning that email very quickly to identify the purpose of the email and to identify any steps they are supposed to take or any responses that you're expecting.
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That information needs to be extremely clear.
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To help you think about how to do that, I've identified a few common scenarios for writing emails or a few common purposes, and I've included some sample sentences you can use to get you started.
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If you're reaching out to a potential contact or trying to do some networking, you may likely be introducing yourself in an email if that's the case.
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Not only do you want to state who you are, but it's also helpful to state where you got that individual's information.
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How did you hear about them or where did you get their email address?
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So here are a couple of examples you could use. Example number one, my name's Annemarie. I'm with Speak Confident English, and I got your name from Susan.
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She recommended you as a potential partner on a project I'm working on. With that example, I've immediately identified the individual who helped me make this connection. By doing that, I'm helping to establish some immediate trust or rapport.
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A second option might be, my name's Annemarie and I got your contact information from your company's website I'm writing in reference to, and then you would continue to state your purpose, which we'll talk more about right now.
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The next thing you want to do after stating who you are in an email if it's necessary to do that, is to state your purpose, the reason you're writing.
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For example, I'm writing in response to your inquiry from last Thursday, or you might use a specific date. For example, I'm writing in response to the email you sent last week, or I'm writing in response to the email you sent on April 13th.
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I'd like to respond to your inquiry about, or I'd like to, to respond to your email about, or I'd like to get a quote on, I'd like to get pricing information on, and then you might identify the specific service or product you're inquiring about.
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If you want more examples of effective sentence starters for stating your purpose, I recommend that you visit this particular lesson at my Speak Confident English website where I've provided a fuller list in writing with sentence starters.
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You can begin using right away after you introduce yourself in your email if necessary, and after you state your purpose, plus any other important details, it's important to also thank the individual you're writing too.
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You might be thanking them for promptly replying.
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You might be thanking them for information.
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You might thank them for your time in reading your email.
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Here are a few easiest sentences you could use.
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Thank you for the information you provided.
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Thank you for responding to my request so quickly.
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Thank you for your prompt reply. Thank you for your time.
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And then before you finish, you want to add any final remarks or end with a call to action. What is it that you want your reader to do?
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A call to action is basically telling your reader what you expect them or want them to do. Are you asking them to reply, to share information with you, to send you an attachment?
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Whatever that call to action is, make sure that it's clear. For example, I look forward to receiving your reply.
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I look forward to getting more information about, and then the product or service.
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Please let me know if that meeting time works for you.
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Each of those tells the reader exactly what you're waiting for.
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It's time for tip number five.
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Just like you want to always include a greeting, you always want to include a closing as well without one.
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The end of the email feels abrupt and even slightly rude.
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Some common formal professional closings include, best regards, warm regards, or simply regards for a more informal tone.
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You could use take care, best wishes, or all the best.
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By following those first five tips for writing a professional email in English, you're ensuring that your email is clear, concise, polite, and productive.
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But there are two more things we want to do before clicking that send button.
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Tip number six, review your email for clarity and accuracy.
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One of the most effective ways you can do this is to read your email aloud.
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Doing that will ensure you're paying attention to each word and it will give you the opportunity to better reflect on what you've said in the email.
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It's easier to hear errors or identify sentences that don't quite make sense or don't work.
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It's also a helpful way to determine whether there are sentences that are unnecessary.
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Maybe there are details you can remove to keep your email concise.
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In addition to all of that, you also want to ensure accuracy with your grammar, your punctuation, and your spelling. Now, if you're not sure about your own proofreading or editing skills, I recommend using an online editing tool. There are several available online, many of which have free options and are very effective for making sure that your emails are accurate. And lastly, tip number seven for a professional email in English, include a signature.
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Your signature is what you typically see at the end of a business email, and it includes someone's name and their email address at the very minimum.
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If it's appropriate, you could also include a phone number, a link to a company website, links to your company, social media accounts, and so on. And with that, you have seven simple tips to write a professional email in English plus multiple sentence starters. You can immediately begin using.
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Don't forget to visit this lesson at the Speak Confident English website.
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You'll find the lesson written in full, and there are more examples of sentence starters there for you.
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If you found this lesson helpful, I would love to know.
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You can tell me by giving this lesson a thumbs up here on YouTube.
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Leave a comment below, and while you're at it, don't forget to subscribe to this channel on YouTube.
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Thank you so much for joining me, and I look forward to seeing you for your next Confident English lesson.
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Vocabulario y notas de pronunciación para esta lección
Esta lección de conversación de nivel B2 se basa en el vídeo “Write Professional Emails in English”. Las palabras que más se repiten: email, writing, English, clear, professional. Este vídeo tiene 99 frases y 2505 palabras para practicar shadowing. La parte hablada dura 16:19. El hablante habla a un ritmo natural de unas 154 palabras por minuto, cercano a una conversación cotidiana. El 86 % de las palabras está entre las 3.000 más comunes del inglés; conviene repasar el resto antes de empezar.
Vocabulario clave de este vídeo
Las 15 palabras más avanzadas del vídeo, con su pronunciación y significado:
| Palabra | Pronunciación | Significado |
|---|---|---|
| greet verbo | /ɡɹiːt/ | saludar |
| concise adjetivo | /kənˈsaɪs/ | conciso, breve |
| polite adjetivo | /pəˈlaɪt/ | cortés, educado |
| grammar sustantivo | /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/ | gramática |
| lastly adverbio | /ˈlæstli/ | postreramente, postrimeramente |
| recommendation sustantivo | /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/ | recomendación |
| regards sustantivo | /ɹɪˈɡɑɹdz/ | saludos |
| proofread verbo | /ˈpɹuːfɹiːd/ | revisar/corregir la prueba/galera/galerada de |
| informal adjetivo | /ɪnˈfɔɹ.m(ə)l/ | informal, aformal |
| thumb sustantivo | /ˈθʌm/ | pulgar, pólice |
| subscribe verbo | /səbˈskɹaɪb/ | suscribirse, subscribirse |
| paragraph sustantivo | /ˈpæɹəɡɹæf/ | párrafo, parágrafo |
| workplace sustantivo | /ˈwɝkˌpleɪs/ | lugar de trabajo, curro |
| scan verbo | /skæn/ | escrutar |
| abrupt adjetivo | /əˈbɹʌpt/ | repentino, súbito |
Phrasal verbs que vas a escuchar
| Palabra | Significado |
|---|---|
| look forward to verbo | no ver la hora de, quedar a la espera de |
Frases que vale la pena repetir
Frases cortas y completas del vídeo que puedes reutilizar en la conversación diaria:
- Is your email clear?
- Is your grammar accurate?
- What is it that you want your reader to do?
Gramática en este vídeo
Las estructuras que más usa el hablante, con las palabras exactas del vídeo:
| Estructura | En el vídeo |
|---|---|
| Oraciones condicionales if + oración, will/would + verbo — una condición y su resultado | if we're writing to an individual, we'll say |
| Present perfect have/has + participio pasado — una acción pasada que sigue importando ahora | you've never heard · you've ever worried · you've included |
Pronunciación a tener en cuenta
El hablante usa 62 contracciones y formas reducidas, como you're, I'm, don't. Dilas en su forma corta, tal como las oyes.
- Los sonidos de “sh” y “zh”: recommendation /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/, punctuation /ˌpʌŋk.t͡ʃuˈeɪ.ʃən/, negotiate /nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/
- Palabras largas — cuida el acento: recommendation /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/, personalize /ˈpɜː.sə.nə.laɪz/, punctuation /ˌpʌŋk.t͡ʃuˈeɪ.ʃən/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, negotiate /nəˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪt/
Sonidos difíciles para hispanohablantes:
- s + consonante al inicio — sin añadir una “e” delante: starter /ˈstɑɹ.tɚ/, scan /skæn/, spelling /ˈspɛl.ɪŋ/
- /z/ — sonora, no /s/: regards /ɹɪˈɡɑɹdz/, personalize /ˈpɜː.sə.nə.laɪz/, propose /pɹəˈpəʊz/
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 greet, concise, polite.
¿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.