シャドーイング練習: Workplace English: Stop Being So Formal! - 動画で英語スピーキングを学ぶ

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Hi, everyone.

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.

I'm Kat, your American English teacher.

And I'm Mark, the British English teacher here at High Level Listening.

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.

Right.

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.

But in business English textbooks, they don't always tell you what's appropriate to use just talking to your coworkers.

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.

Yeah, so if you've received the same feedback from work or you've been having trouble communicating with your English-speaking colleagues,

in today's episode we'll show you how to fix it by showing you some overly formal sentences,

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.

And if you never want to forget a word, we have a professionally organized list of all the phrases today.

Come check out our Business English Study Pack.

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.

You can check that out in the link below.

So here's the first example of an overly formal message.

I would like to inquire about the status of the report.

Oh, oh, you would like to, okay.

You would like to inquire about this?

Oh, right, right.

Now, if someone said this to me at the office, I would feel a little, oh, okay, fancy.

I'll get that to you right away.

But it would almost kind of come as a shock a little bit,

especially if you're just another co-worker you're just another guy that works with me at the office remember in american

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

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.

Just checking in on the status of the report.

The word I disappears and it actually becomes more friendly and it's still appropriate for work.

Just checking in on the status of the report.

Hey, good morning.

Just checking in on the report for tomorrow.

Very casual, very friendly.

We're on the same level here.

Very easygoing.

All right, we've got example number two of something that is way too formal.

I kindly request your assistance with this matter.

Oh, do you now?

Okay.

Yes, Your Highness, I will help you.

Yes, please.

I kindly request your assistance with this matter.

You there.

Yes.

So again, we are mainly focusing on things that you would say to colleagues at the same level as you.

And if you use very high tone or high register vocabulary, like I kindly request your assistance,

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.

You might come across as a bit rude, arrogant, or just a bit strange, like you don't want to be close with them.

So instead of, I kindly request your assistance, a much friendlier way is, would you be able?

That's, I kindly request, would you be able?

And your assistance is, give me a hand.

Give me a hand.

So together, would you be able to give me a hand with this?

And another way to ask someone for help, don't just say help, help.

Would you be able to help me out?

Help me out kind of is like, I don't necessarily need the help.

I'm not dying.

Help me, help me.

But it would be nice if you could take a moment and help me out.

So would you be able to help me out with this?

Okay, another example that's overly formal.

I'm writing to inform you that the meeting has been postponed.

Okay, now this sentence is not wrong.

It's not even that formal, but it sounds like I don't know this person.

This sounds like a very formal official announcement.

We are writing to inform you.

I am writing to inform you.

It almost sounds like I've never met this person before.

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.

So it kind of makes sense that they would be so formal.

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?

Right.

Very old fashioned.

So a little bit more of a friendly version might be just letting you know.

I am writing to inform you.

Just letting you know.

Hey, just letting you know.

Again, it's another example where we don't say, I am just.

Start with just.

Just letting you know, the meeting's been pushed back.

Postponed is quite a formal phrase.

When you're talking to colleagues, pushed back has the same meaning.

So just letting you know, the meeting's been pushed back.

The meeting's been postponed.

The meeting's been pushed back.

Or the meeting's been moved.

to a later date.

Hey, just letting you know, the meeting's been moved to a later date.

We have another example for you.

I would greatly appreciate it if you could provide me with your feedback.

I can't even say it.

It's almost too long.

Okay, I'll try it again.

I would greatly appreciate it if you could provide me with your feedback.

back.

You saw, that was hard for me to say because it feels so formal.

There's way too many words going on.

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.

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Let's just change it to really.

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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.

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I'd really appreciate.

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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.

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Another phrase that's a bit too formal is provide me.

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Provide me again sounds a little bit high, too high.

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If we're talking to teammates or colleagues, your thoughts, your feedback.

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So altogether, I'd really appreciate your feedback on this.

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Hey, I'd really appreciate your thoughts on this.

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Feedback is a really good word, especially for someone above you, maybe a mentor, a boss, a manager, things like that.

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I'd really appreciate your feedback.

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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.

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Okay, another example that is quite formal, maybe too formal.

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I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

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That sounds very formal.

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That sounds like a kind of one size fits all the, you know, if you're, if there's some construction at the airport.

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We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, right?

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It sounds a bit robotic.

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So simply enough, I apologize.

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Sorry.

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Oh, sorry.

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For any inconvenience.

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Sorry for the trouble.

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Sorry for the trouble.

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This really does sound like, oops, my bad.

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Sorry for the trouble.

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Thanks for understanding.

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The thanks for understanding wasn't really in the first formal sentence, but it is a very, very natural way to continue that.

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Oh, sorry.

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Thanks for understanding.

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Yeah, it's a good phrase to use in the office.

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Thanks for understanding.

137

Another good phrase that we like is, I appreciate your patience.

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Sorry for the trouble.

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I appreciate your patience.

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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.

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So yes, I appreciate your patience.

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Sorry I'm a bit late.

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I appreciate your patience.

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That's the perfect one.

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Sometimes I won't even say sorry.

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I'll just be like, hi, everyone.

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I appreciate your patience.

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I'm here now.

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Let's move on.

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Especially for little tiny things.

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I don't always feel like you need to say sorry all the time.

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All right.

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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.

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Wow.

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Okay.

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That just makes me want to know what happened.

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Wow.

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This sounds so mysterious and vague, right?

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Yes.

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There's lots of longer words in here that can be shortened to make a little bit friendlier.

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I am unable.

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I am unable sounds very written and again sounds like an announcement and you're not expecting a response or expecting a reply.

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If my colleague said this to me, I would say, Okay, why did you say it like that?

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I'm right here.

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Instead of I am unable, I can't.

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Simple, I can't.

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The original sentence was I'm unable to attend the meeting.

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Instead of attend a meeting, make the meeting.

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If you make the meeting, you go to the meeting, you join it and you attend it.

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So I can't make the meeting.

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That sounds like a message I would hear from a teammate who knows me and we have a good relationship.

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Last part, unforeseen circumstances.

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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.

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Something's come up.

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That something has come up, which is more common in British English, the present perfect.

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So I can't make the meeting, something's come up.

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I like that.

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So yes, I'm unable to attend a little bit too much.

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I can't join today.

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I'm so sorry, I can't join today.

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Something unexpected instead of unforeseen.

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We often use the word unexpected, like, oh, that's a surprise to me.

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That was unexpected.

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Something unexpected came up.

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I like what Mark said that when in British English, they tend to use the present perfect more often.

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This is a good example.

189

I would say something came up.

190

I'm so sorry.

191

Something unexpected came up.

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It just showed up.

193

It just came up.

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Mark would probably say something has come up.

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Don't worry.

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Both of them are perfectly acceptable.

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Whatever feels comfortable for you.

198

But that is one of the cultural differences between American English and British English.

199

Okay.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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このレッスンについて

このレッスンでは、ビジネス環境でよく使われる英語表現について学びます。特に、あまりにもフォーマルな言い回しを避け、自然で親しみやすい表現に置き換えることが重要です。あなたがB1またはB2レベルの学習者であれば、テキストブックで学んだ堅苦しい言い回しが実際の職場でどう響くかを理解し、スムーズにコミュニケーションを取るためのスキルを向上させることが目的です。

重要な語彙とフレーズ

I would like to inquire about... - ...の状況をお伺いしたいです。
Just checking in on... - ...の進捗を確認したいのですが。
I kindly request... - ...をお願い申し上げます。
Would you be able to...? - ...していただけますか？
Assistance with this matter - この件についての支援
Friendly alternatives - よりフレンドリーな代替表現

練習のコツ

この動画のスピードとトーンに合わせたシャドーイングを行うことで、より効果的に英語スピーキング練習ができます。まずは、自然な口調で話す部分を選び、一文ずつ声に出してみてください。例えば、“Just checking in on the report for tomorrow.”の部分を何度も繰り返し練習し、自分の声に慣れさせます。

また、shadowing siteなどを活用し、実際の会話と照らし合わせながら練習するのも良い方法です。IELTS スピーキング対策を意識し、フレンドリーでカジュアルな言い回しを身につけることで、あなたのコミュニケーションスキルは飛躍的に向上します。YouTubeで英語学習をする際にも、このアプローチを取り入れて、より効果的な学びを実現しましょう。繰り返し実践することで、ビジネスの場面でも自信を持って話せるようになります。

この動画の文法

話し手がよく使っている文型を、動画の実際の表現とともに紹介します。

文型	動画での表現
現在完了進行形 have/has been + -ing — 以前に始まり今も続いている動作	you've been having · have been using
現在完了形 have/has + 過去分詞 — 過去の出来事が今も関係している	you've received · has been postponed · I've never met
受動態 be + 過去分詞 — 誰がするかより、何が起きるかに焦点を当てる	has been postponed · been pushed · been postponed
関係詞節 who / which + 節 — 人や物について情報を加える	vocabulary, which is · them, which is

シャドーイングとは？英語上達に効果的な理由

シャドーイング（Shadowing）は、もともとプロの通訳者養成プログラムで開発された言語学習法で、多言語習得者として知られるDr. Alexander Arguelles によって広く普及されました。方法はシンプルですが非常に効果的：ネイティブスピーカーの英語を聞きながら、1〜2秒の遅延で声に出してすぐに繰り返す——まるで「影（shadow）」のように話者を追いかけます。文法ドリルや受動的なリスニングと異なり、シャドーイングは脳と口の筋肉が同時にリアルタイムで英語を処理・再現することを強制します。研究により、発音精度、抑揚、リズム、連音、リスニング力、そして会話の流暢さが大幅に向上することが確認されています。IELTSスピーキング対策や自然な英語コミュニケーションを目指す方に特におすすめです。

シャドーイングのやり方: ステップ別の完全ガイドを読む →

シャドーイング練習: Workplace English: Stop Being So Formal! - 動画で英語スピーキングを学ぶ

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重要な語彙とフレーズ

練習のコツ

この動画の文法

シャドーイングとは？英語上達に効果的な理由