Pratique du Shadowing: Workplace English: Stop Being So Formal! - Apprendre l'anglais à l'oral avec YouTube

C1
Contrôles de Shadowing
0% terminé (0/295 phrases)
Hi, everyone.
⏸ En pause
Toutes les phrases
295 phrases
1
Hi, everyone.
2
Welcome back to High Level Listening, our English learning podcast where you learn real, everyday English that actually helps you sound more natural and confident, especially at work.
3
I'm Kat, your American English teacher.
4
And I'm Mark, the British English teacher here at High Level Listening.
5
And today we're going to talk about a problem we hear from a lot of our business English students, and that is using English that sounds too formal.
6
Right.
7
A lot of learners, especially if you're at a B1 or a B2 level, you're taught this very high level textbook vocabulary, which is great for expanding your vocabulary.
8
But in business English textbooks, they don't always tell you what's appropriate to use just talking to your coworkers.
9
So in real English speaking offices, that super formal way of speaking can kind of to sound too serious, too stiff, or even a little old-fashioned.
10
Yeah, so if you've received the same feedback from work or you've been having trouble communicating with your English-speaking colleagues,
11
in today's episode we'll show you how to fix it by showing you some overly formal sentences,
12
ones that you might see in very official announcements or official business English books, and then we'll give you some friendlier alternatives that are much more personal and will help you build relationships with your English colleagues much more quickly.
13
And if you never want to forget a word, we have a professionally organized list of all the phrases today.
14
Come check out our Business English Study Pack.
15
It comes with PDF transcripts, vocabulary and phrases lists, and other dialogues and helpful materials that will help you feel more comfortable and confident in your business English skills.
16
You can check that out in the link below.
17
So here's the first example of an overly formal message.
18
I would like to inquire about the status of the report.
19
Oh, oh, you would like to, okay.
20
You would like to inquire about this?
21
Oh, right, right.
22
Now, if someone said this to me at the office, I would feel a little, oh, okay, fancy.
23
I'll get that to you right away.
24
But it would almost kind of come as a shock a little bit,
25
especially if you're just another co-worker you're just another guy that works with me at the office remember in american
26
and in british culture business is often about building relationships and using this language i would like to inquire that that's way too formal it can feel a little cold so the word here mostly inquire
27
is too way too serious another good phrase that you might use instead just checking in on something So you could say, just checking in on the status of the report.
28
Just checking in on the status of the report.
29
The word I disappears and it actually becomes more friendly and it's still appropriate for work.
30
Just checking in on the status of the report.
31
Hey, good morning.
32
Just checking in on the report for tomorrow.
33
Very casual, very friendly.
34
We're on the same level here.
35
Very easygoing.
36
All right, we've got example number two of something that is way too formal.
37
I kindly request your assistance with this matter.
38
Oh, do you now?
39
Okay.
40
Yes, Your Highness, I will help you.
41
Yes, please.
42
I kindly request your assistance with this matter.
43
You there.
44
Yes.
45
So again, we are mainly focusing on things that you would say to colleagues at the same level as you.
46
And if you use very high tone or high register vocabulary, like I kindly request your assistance,
47
it can sound like you think you are above your colleagues, maybe superior to them, and you're talking down to them, which is not good for the relationship.
48
You might come across as a bit rude, arrogant, or just a bit strange, like you don't want to be close with them.
49
So instead of, I kindly request your assistance, a much friendlier way is, would you be able?
50
That's, I kindly request, would you be able?
51
And your assistance is, give me a hand.
52
Give me a hand.
53
So together, would you be able to give me a hand with this?
54
And another way to ask someone for help, don't just say help, help.
55
Would you be able to help me out?
56
Help me out kind of is like, I don't necessarily need the help.
57
I'm not dying.
58
Help me, help me.
59
But it would be nice if you could take a moment and help me out.
60
So would you be able to help me out with this?
61
Okay, another example that's overly formal.
62
I'm writing to inform you that the meeting has been postponed.
63
Okay, now this sentence is not wrong.
64
It's not even that formal, but it sounds like I don't know this person.
65
This sounds like a very formal official announcement.
66
We are writing to inform you.
67
I am writing to inform you.
68
It almost sounds like I've never met this person before.
69
Maybe there's somebody in the office that is very high up the level, you know, high up in the company, and I've never met them before.
70
So it kind of makes sense that they would be so formal.
71
But if this was coming from, you know, my office mate or somebody just that was working in the cube next to me, I would be like, oh, I'm writing to inform you, huh?
72
Right.
73
Very old fashioned.
74
So a little bit more of a friendly version might be just letting you know.
75
I am writing to inform you.
76
Just letting you know.
77
Hey, just letting you know.
78
Again, it's another example where we don't say, I am just.
79
Start with just.
80
Just letting you know, the meeting's been pushed back.
81
Postponed is quite a formal phrase.
82
When you're talking to colleagues, pushed back has the same meaning.
83
So just letting you know, the meeting's been pushed back.
84
The meeting's been postponed.
85
The meeting's been pushed back.
86
Or the meeting's been moved.
87
to a later date.
88
Hey, just letting you know, the meeting's been moved to a later date.
89
We have another example for you.
90
I would greatly appreciate it if you could provide me with your feedback.
91
I can't even say it.
92
I can't even say it.
93
It's almost too long.
94
Okay, I'll try it again.
95
I would greatly appreciate it if you could provide me with your feedback.
96
back.
97
You saw, that was hard for me to say because it feels so formal.
98
There's way too many words going on.
99
I can't imagine one of my students trying to memorize each single little word.
100
So let's start with the word greatly.
101
Greatly.
102
Let's just change it to really.
103
We can keep the rest of it.
104
I would change it to I'd greatly change it to really.
105
I'd really appreciate it.
106
I'd really appreciate.
107
Yeah, the word appreciate is totally fine in formal and casual English.
108
The words greatly and kindly also have this kind of old-fashioned feel that is not personal at all.
109
Another phrase that's a bit too formal is provide me.
110
Provide me again sounds a little bit high, too high.
111
If we're talking to teammates or colleagues, your thoughts, your feedback.
112
So altogether, I'd really appreciate your feedback on this.
113
Hey, I'd really appreciate your thoughts on this.
114
Feedback is a really good word, especially for someone above you, maybe a mentor, a boss, a manager, things like that.
115
I'd really appreciate your feedback.
116
But if you're just talking to somebody who's on the same team and you just want them to look at it or give them, give their opinion, hey, I'd really appreciate your thoughts on this.
117
Okay, another example that is quite formal, maybe too formal.
118
I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
119
That sounds very formal.
120
That sounds like a kind of one size fits all the, you know, if you're, if there's some construction at the airport.
121
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, right?
122
It sounds a bit robotic.
123
So simply enough, I apologize.
124
Sorry.
125
Oh, sorry.
126
For any inconvenience.
127
Sorry for the trouble.
128
Sorry for the trouble.
129
This really does sound like, oops, my bad.
130
Sorry for the trouble.
131
Thanks for understanding.
132
The thanks for understanding wasn't really in the first formal sentence, but it is a very, very natural way to continue that.
133
Oh, sorry.
134
Thanks for understanding.
135
Yeah, it's a good phrase to use in the office.
136
Thanks for understanding.
137
Another good phrase that we like is, I appreciate your patience.
138
Sorry for the trouble.
139
I appreciate your patience.
140
This is a really good way of turning a possible mistake into a compliment for the other person so they don't feel as angry or upset and you still look very professional and mature as well.
141
So yes, I appreciate your patience.
142
Sorry I'm a bit late.
143
I appreciate your patience.
144
That's the perfect one.
145
Sometimes I won't even say sorry.
146
I'll just be like, hi, everyone.
147
I appreciate your patience.
148
I'm here now.
149
Let's move on.
150
Especially for little tiny things.
151
I don't always feel like you need to say sorry all the time.
152
All right.
153
This one's a pretty good one because it's got lots of great vocabulary that we just never use.
154
I am unable to attend the meeting due to unforeseen circumstances.
155
Wow.
156
Okay.
157
That just makes me want to know what happened.
158
Wow.
159
This sounds so mysterious and vague, right?
160
Yes.
161
There's lots of longer words in here that can be shortened to make a little bit friendlier.
162
I am unable.
163
I am unable sounds very written and again sounds like an announcement and you're not expecting a response or expecting a reply.
164
If my colleague said this to me, I would say, Okay, why did you say it like that?
165
I'm right here.
166
Instead of I am unable, I can't.
167
Simple, I can't.
168
The original sentence was I'm unable to attend the meeting.
169
Instead of attend a meeting, make the meeting.
170
If you make the meeting, you go to the meeting, you join it and you attend it.
171
So I can't make the meeting.
172
That sounds like a message I would hear from a teammate who knows me and we have a good relationship.
173
Last part, unforeseen circumstances.
174
Yes, sounds like you got picked up by a tornado or something really extreme happened.
175
In real life, it's probably something smaller, a little incident, an emergency, a delay, unforeseen circumstances.
176
Something's come up.
177
That something has come up, which is more common in British English, the present perfect.
178
So I can't make the meeting, something's come up.
179
I like that.
180
So yes, I'm unable to attend a little bit too much.
181
I can't join today.
182
I'm so sorry, I can't join today.
183
Something unexpected instead of unforeseen.
184
We often use the word unexpected, like, oh, that's a surprise to me.
185
That was unexpected.
186
Something unexpected came up.
187
I like what Mark said that when in British English, they tend to use the present perfect more often.
188
This is a good example.
189
I would say something came up.
190
I'm so sorry.
191
Something unexpected came up.
192
It just showed up.
193
It just came up.
194
Mark would probably say something has come up.
195
Don't worry.
196
Both of them are perfectly acceptable.
197
Whatever feels comfortable for you.
198
But that is one of the cultural differences between American English and British English.
199
Okay.
200
For example, of an overly formal message, please be advised that the deadline has been extended.
201
Please be advised that the deadline has been extended.
202
This one is a really good example, just like what Mark said, that you would hear this kind of at the airport in a very hard to hear speaker announcement, please be advised that the deadline has been extended.
203
And why do they do that?
204
They speak really formally, trying to make sure that nothing is misunderstood.
205
But at the same time, there's no warmth.
206
You know, there's no connection to the people.
207
Remember, it's just an announcement.
208
It's almost a robotic recording.
209
I'm not supposed to answer back.
210
So if you kind of want a more friendly tone, hey, just a heads up.
211
Hey, like I'm giving you an update or hey, this is kind of important.
212
Hey, Just a heads up.
213
And then we can keep the rest of the sentence the same.
214
The deadline's been extended.
215
Another example.
216
Just a heads up.
217
The deadline got pushed back.
218
Pushed back.
219
Similar to moved back that we heard before.
220
It's been delayed, postponed.
221
Just a heads up.
222
The deadline got pushed back.
223
Now it's at 3pm.
224
Okay, here's another one that's kind of funny and sounds a little old-fashioned.
225
I would be most grateful if you could confirm your availability.
226
Mark, please.
227
Most grateful.
228
I would be most grateful if you could confirm your availability mark please i would be most grateful the most appreciative yes um this
229
sounds like something you know we'd probably hear on bridgerton or you'd hear in kind of uh some sort of 1900 period drama period drama exactly i I would be most grateful.
230
I would be most grateful.
231
Honestly, I would appreciate it.
232
I would appreciate it, right?
233
I would be most grateful.
234
But I'll be honest, it's a little too far.
235
You're just telling me when you're free.
236
You're just telling me when you're available.
237
So we're going to kind of skip the niceties and we're just going to say, hey, let me know.
238
Let me know what days work best for you.
239
Yeah, it may be something different from your culture, but in American and British offices, if you have a request for information, if you need something from your colleagues, you can be quite direct and it still won't be rude.
240
So I would be most grateful if is super, super polite, but it just isn't necessary to still have a good working relationship.
241
So you can be a bit more direct.
242
Let me know.
243
Hey, let me know.
244
In writing or in speaking, So let me know which days work best for you.
245
It's not even a question.
246
It's a statement.
247
Let me know which days work best for you.
248
That's still perfectly acceptable.
249
All right, here's another sentence that would be overly formal.
250
Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
251
Even when I read this, I do like a certain voice that's very like high, superior.
252
should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
253
That is way too much.
254
So another way that we could say, should you require any further information?
255
Simply, if you need anything else.
256
Hey, if you need anything else.
257
The last part, please do not hesitate to contact me.
258
This translates really well from some languages, we just don't use it as often.
259
So here we go again.
260
Just let me know.
261
Just let me know.
262
If you need anything else, just let me know.
263
And another friendly variation, if you have any other questions.
264
So instead of further information, the word further is very formal.
265
Further inquiries, further information, further details, super formal.
266
Instead, other questions, other information.
267
If you have any other questions, just let me know.
268
All right.
269
And our last one for today, something that's a little bit formal.
270
I will endeavor to complete the task at my earliest convenience.
271
Endeavor.
272
Complete the task.
273
My earliest convenience.
274
So really, one of the best ways if your boss sends you a message and needs something done right away, I need this.
275
I need this project.
276
I need this email.
277
I need this information, this research.
278
Sure.
279
I'll get this done as soon as I can.
280
I will get this done as soon as I can.
281
Yes, we like to use the word get in English.
282
Another way to say send to your boss or send to someone is get this to you.
283
I'll get this to you.
284
I'll email it to you.
285
I'll send it to you.
286
But most casually, I'll get this to you.
287
So I'll get this to you as soon as I can.
288
Okay, so those are our examples and our friendly alternatives.
289
If you have been taught or have been using the formal, the super formal examples, or you've read them somewhere or read them in English textbooks,
290
don't worry because they're not wrong, but they just don't sound as warm, as friendly or as natural in English speaking workplaces as they could.
291
If you'd like to get all of these phrases in a nicely organized PDF, check out our Business English bundle with transcripts, vocabulary lists, and extra dialogues from all of our business English videos.
292
Yes, you can find them in the link in the description below.
293
Thank you very much for watching and we will see you again for another episode on high-level listening very, very soon.
294
Bye-bye.
295
you
📱

Shadowing English

Maintenant disponible sur les appareils mobiles, téléchargez-le maintenant !

5.0
Download on theApp Store
GET IT ONGoogle Play

Context & Background

In a professional setting, effective communication is key to building relationships and ensuring collaboration among coworkers. This lesson focuses on the importance of using natural, everyday English instead of overly formal language that can create barriers between colleagues. The dialogue shared in the video features Kat, an American English teacher, and Mark, a British English teacher, as they help learners navigate the nuances of business English. They emphasize that many English learners at B1 and B2 levels often default to textbook vocabulary, which may come off as stiff or overly formal in real-life office interactions.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • Instead of: "I would like to inquire about the status of the report."
  • Try: "Just checking in on the status of the report."
  • Instead of: "I kindly request your assistance with this matter."
  • Try: "Would you be able to help me with this?"
  • Instead of: "We appreciate your feedback and look forward to your response."
  • Try: "Thanks for your feedback! Looking forward to hearing back from you."
  • Instead of: "Please confirm your attendance at the meeting."
  • Try: "Can you let me know if you'll be at the meeting?"
  • Instead of: "We will take your suggestions under consideration."
  • Try: "We'll definitely think about your suggestions."

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To improve your English speaking skills, particularly through the shadowing technique, follow this structured approach using phrases from the video. Shadow speech involves mimicking the pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm of native speakers. Here’s how to effectively implement this technique:

  1. Watch the Video: Begin by watching the YouTube video attentively, familiarizing yourself with the context and the casual phrases introduced.
  2. Listen Closely: Rewind to sections where they illustrate the overly formal phrases and their friendlier alternatives. Pay special attention to the speaker's tone and delivery.
  3. Repeat After Them: Use the shadowspeak method by repeating the phrases immediately after the speakers. Focus on matching their tone and pace as you practice English speaking.
  4. Record Yourself: Make recordings of your attempts. This will help you observe areas where you may improve your articulation and delivery.
  5. Practice Regularly: Incorporate these phrases into your daily communication. Regular practice will help you feel more comfortable using natural English in professional settings.

By utilizing the techniques from this video, you will enhance your business English communication and foster better relationships with your English-speaking colleagues. Remember, the goal is to sound more approachable and competent while engaging with your coworkers.

Qu'est-ce que la technique du Shadowing ?

Le Shadowing est une technique d'apprentissage des langues fondée sur la science, développée à l'origine pour la formation des interprètes professionnels. Le principe est simple mais puissant : vous écoutez de l'anglais natif et le répétez immédiatement à voix haute — comme une ombre suivant le locuteur avec un décalage de 1 à 2 secondes. Les recherches montrent une amélioration significative de la précision de la prononciation, de l'intonation, du rythme, des liaisons, de la compréhension orale et de la fluidité.

☕ Offrez-nous un café