Shadowing Practice: English for Project Management | Key Words & Phrases - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Jack, our weekly status update meeting starts in five minutes.
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Are we on track with the new customer app?
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Well, overall we're on track, but we're a little behind schedule on the login screen design.
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Okay, thanks for telling me.
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Since our last meeting, we finished the main user dashboard, so that is great news
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but I need to flag a problem with the new payment feature the sales team wants to add.
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Oh, no. Is that another feature request?
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That sounds like scope creep to me.
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Exactly.
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If we add it now, it will delay our main deliverable and push back our launch date.
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I see your point, but maybe we can ask the team for sign -off on the original plan first before we change anything?
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That is a very smart idea.
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Let's get the ball rolling on this meeting.
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Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Daily Business English Talk.
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I am Jack.
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And I am Anna.
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We are so happy you are listening to us today.
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That quick chat you just heard was Jack and me getting ready for a project meeting.
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And that brings us right to today's topic.
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Today is a very special day because this is episode one of our 16 -episode series called English for Project Management.
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That's right, Jack.
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In this series, we will follow one main story from start to finish.
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Jack and I work at the same company, and we are building a brand new customer app.
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Through this project, you will learn real business English that you can use at your job every single day.
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If you want to improve your business vocabulary, make sure to subscribe to the show so you never miss an episode.
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Today, we are talking about speaking the language of projects.
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We will look at what a project actually is, the five main phases of a project, and something very important called the triple constraint.
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By the end of this episode, you will know how to give a clear status update, how to raise a problem politely,
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and how to say no professionally when people ask for too many changes.
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You know, Anna, before I learned about formal project management, I used to think a project was just any long task at work.
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I remember my first month here when my manager asked me for a status update and I just said, I am working hard.
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I had no idea what words to use.
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That is so common, Jack.
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Many English learners feel nervous when talking about projects because there are so many special terms.
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But don't worry if this feels new to you we are going to break everything down using very simple words.
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That makes me feel much better.
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So, Anna, to start from the very beginning, how would you explain a project in simple English?
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Think of a project as a temporary piece of work with a clear start and a clear finish.
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It is created to make a specific product, service, or result.
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For example, our new customer app is a project.
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It has a start date, an end date, and a final result.
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Ah, that makes sense.
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A regular daily task like answering emails every morning is not a project because it never ends,
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but building an app is a project because once the app is finished and launched, the project is done.
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Spot on, Jack, and every project moves through five standard steps, which we call the project life cycle.
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The project life cycle.
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That sounds like a big term, but it just means the life story of a project from birth to death, right?
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Exactly.
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Simple as that.
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The first phase in the project life cycle is initiation.
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This is where you get the ball rolling.
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To get the ball rolling is an idiom that simply means to start something or get a process moving.
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In the initiation phase, you define the main idea and identify every stakeholder.
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Let's pause there, Anna.
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Stakeholder is a word I hear in almost every meeting.
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What does it actually mean?
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A stakeholder is any person or group who is interested in the project or affected by its outcome.
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This includes your boss, your team members, your clients, and even the end users of the app.
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Everyone who cares about the result is a stakeholder.
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Got it.
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So if the sales manager cares about our new app, she is a stakeholder.
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Once we identify our stakeholders, what comes next?
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The second phase is planning.
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Here you create a roadmap.
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You define your scope, which is the total work that needs to be done.
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You also set your timeline and budget.
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Scope is another huge word.
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Scope just means all the features, tasks, and deliverables that are included in the project, right?
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Yes, and a deliverable is simply the real result or item you produce.
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For example, a design draft, a software update, or a final report are all deliverables.
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In the planning phase, you also set milestones.
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A milestone is an important.. important event or checkpoint on your timeline, like finishing the first working prototype.
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I love reaching milestones.
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It feels like leveling up in a video game.
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But what happens after planning?
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The third phase is execution.
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This is where the actual work happens.
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The team builds the product, writes the code, or designs the screens.
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The fourth phase happens at the same time, monitoring and controlling.
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This is where you check if you are following your plan, manage risks, and make sure you do not fall behind.
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To fall behind means to move slower than planned and miss your schedule.
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And finally, phase five is closing.
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That is when the project is completely finished, the client signs off, and everyone celebrates.
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Exactly.
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Now, to keep all these phases under control, project managers rely on three main things.
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Scope, time, and cost.
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Together, these three things are called the triple constraint.
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The triple constraint.
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Imagine a triangle.
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One side is scope, which is what you build.
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The second side is time, which is how long it takes.
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The third side is cost, which is how much money you spend.
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If you change one side, the other sides must change too.
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That is the perfect picture, Jack.
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If your manager asks you to add five new features to the app, the scope goes up.
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That means you'll need more time, or more money, or both.
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If you don't adjust time or money, the quality will drop.
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When extra features get added slowly without extra time or money, we call that scope creep.
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It creeps up on you silently, like a ghost, until your project is in trouble.
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It really does to prevent scope creep, you need a solid baseline.
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A baseline is your original approved plan for scope, time, and cost.
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You compare your daily progress against this baseline to see if you're on track or falling behind.
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That makes so much sense.
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Now, let's practice how these concepts sound in real workplace conversations.
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We have prepared three practical dialogues.
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Listen closely to how we talk about progress, raise problems, and say no politely.
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Let's jump into Scenario 1.
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In this scene, Jack is updating me on his progress during our weekly stand -up meeting.
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Hi, Anna.
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Do you have two minutes for a status update on the app design?
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Sure, Jack.
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How are things going with the user interface?
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Overall, we're on track.
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Since our last meeting, we've finished the homepage layout and the login screens.
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That is fantastic news.
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Are we ready to move to the payment system?
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We are a little behind schedule on the payment system because we had to wait for the security approval,
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but we set a new milestone for Friday, and we expect to hit it easily.
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Great work.
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Thanks for keeping me updated.
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Let's analyze that exchange.
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Notice how I started with a summary sentence.
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Overall, we're on track.
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That gives Anna immediate peace of mind.
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Then I use the phrase, since our last meeting, we've finished.
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This shows clear progress.
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And when Jack had a delay, he used a polite phrase, we're a little behind schedule.
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He didn't panic.
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He just explained the delay and shared the new milestone.
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That is how professional project managers communicate.
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Now let's listen to scenario two.
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Here, I'm facing a technical blocker, and I need to raise a problem to Anna before it damages our timeline.
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Anna, do you have a quick moment?
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I need to flag a problem with our database integration.
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Of course, Jack.
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What's going on?
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We ran into a severe bottleneck with the external server.
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It is slowing down our entire critical path.
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If we don't solve this by tomorrow, it will push back our launch date by two weeks.
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I see.
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Do we have anything in our risk register for this or a contingency plan we can use?
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Yes, our contingency plan was to switch to a temporary cloud server.
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What I need from you is your sign -off to spend the extra budget for that cloud service.
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You have my approval.
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Let's make that switch immediately so we don't fall behind any further.
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In that scenario, I used the key phrase, I need to flag a problem.
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To flag a problem means to bring attention to an issue before it becomes a disaster.
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You also heard two very important technical terms, bottleneck and critical path.
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A bottleneck is a point where workflow gets clogged or slowed down, like the narrow neck of a glass bottle.
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And the critical path is the sequence of essential tasks that determines the total length of the project.
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If a task on the critical path is delayed, the whole project is delayed.
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That's why I asked for Anna's sign -off on our contingency plan.
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A contingency plan is your backup plan B in case a risk becomes reality.
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And sign -off means official written or spoken approval.
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Finally, let's listen to Scenario 3.
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Here, Jack comes to me with a new feature request from another department, and I have to push back politely.
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Hey Anna, the marketing team just called.
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They want to add a live video chat into the customer app before next month's launch.
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I see your point, but adding video chat right now will cause major scope creep.
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It will completely ruin our timeline.
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They are a key stakeholder, though.
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They say it is urgent for their campaign.
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I understand, but we cannot move the goalposts at this late stage.
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If we add video chat, we will miss our launch baseline what I need from you is to tell them
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we can put it in phase two after the initial launch
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we need buy -in from the project sponsor before we change the scope
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that sounds fair I will explain the situation to them
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and ask them to sign off on holding that feature for phase two in this third scene
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Jack asked for a major change
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and I had to push back to push back is a phrasal verb
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that means to oppose or disagree with a plan or change politely.
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For example, the engineering team had to push back when management requested three new features in one week.
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Anna used the phrase, I see your point, but...
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This is a brilliant phrase for English learners.
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It shows respect for the other person's opinion
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while allowing you to disagree without sounding rude
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or aggressive i also used another great key phrase what i
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need from you is this phrase gives clear direct instructions
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so the other person knows exactly what action to take next
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now let's take a closer look at the vocabulary phrasal verbs
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and idioms we use today
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so you can lock them into your memory let's start with
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our four phrasal verbs the first one is push back as we just
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First mentioned, to push back means to oppose or disagree with a plan or change politely.
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For example, the engineering team had to push back when management requested three new features in one week.
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The second phrasal verb is bring forward.
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To bring forward means to move an event, task, or meeting to an earlier time or date than originally planned.
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For example, because the client is traveling next week, we need to bring forward our final presentation to Thursday.
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The third phrasal verb is fall behind.
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To fall behind means to fail to keep up with a schedule or pace.
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For example, if we lose two developers this month, we will fall behind on our software testing.
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The fourth phrasal verb is sign off on.
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To sign off on something means to give official approval to a document, decision, or deliverable.
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For example, the The department director needs to sign off on the new budget before we hire any contractors.
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Excellent.
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Now let's examine our three idioms.
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The first idiom is on track.
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To be on track means that everything is happening according to plan and schedule.
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For example, despite the bad weather, the construction team is completely on track.
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The second idiom is get the ball rolling.
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As we said earlier, this means to start an activity or start a project moving.
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For example, let's set up a kickoff meeting tomorrow to get the ball rolling on the redesign.
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The third idiom is move the goalposts.
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To move the goalposts means to unfairly change the rules, expectations, or targets of a project while it is already in progress.
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For example, every time we finish a draft, the client changes the requirements and moves the goalposts.
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That is such a frustrating feeling.
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Now, let's review the rest of our professional key terms in simple English exchanges.
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Jack, how would you define risk register?
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A risk register is simply a document or table where you list all possible problems that could happen during a project,
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how serious they are, and how you will deal with them.
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For example, we added server downtime to our risk register during the planning phase.
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Perfect.
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And what about buy -in?
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Buy -in means getting agreement and enthusiastic support from key stakeholders for an idea or plan.
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For example, we cannot start the project until we get buy -in from the finance department.
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That's right.
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And let's not forget baseline.
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A baseline is your fixed reference point, your original approved schedule, cost, and scope that you measure future progress against.
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For example, we are comparing our current spending against our financial baseline.
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We also talked about bottleneck, which is any delay point that slows down the whole flow of work.
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For example, the legal department's slow review process created a major bottleneck for our team.
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And contingency means a plan or financial fund set aside to handle unexpected events or emergencies.
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For example, we kept 10 % of our budget as a contingency for sudden price increases.
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Finally, we had status update, which is a brief report on the current condition and progress of a project.
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For example, I send a written status update to my manager every Friday afternoon.
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Every single one of these words will help you sound confident, clear, and competent in any business environment.
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That brings us to our question of the day.
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Participating in this section is one of the best ways to practice your output.
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Today's question is, think about a project you are working on right now at work, at school, or in your personal life.
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Is your project on track, or are you a little behind schedule?
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Answering this question helps your English
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because it forces you to use today's key phrases in a real context about your own life.
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When you connect vocabulary to your personal experience, you remember it much faster.
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Here is a natural example answer you can copy or adapt.
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Currently, I'm managing a website update for my company.
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Overall, we're on track, but we're a little behind schedule on writing the new content.
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What I need for my team is to finish the text by Friday.
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Or you could say, I am planning a family trip for next summer.
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Since our last meeting, we've finished booking the flight tickets.
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I need to flag a problem with our hotel budget, but we have a contingency plan ready.
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We would love to read your answers.
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Please write your answer in the comments section or send us a message.
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We try to read every response.
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Remember, learning business English is a step -by -step process.
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Don't worry about speaking perfectly right away.
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The key is consistent practice and repetition.
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Re -listening to this episode while walking or driving is a great way to let these patterns sink in naturally.
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Absolutely.
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In our next episode, episode two, we will dive into the topic of selling the idea.
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We will learn how to present a new project proposal to your boss, get executive buy -in, and convince stakeholders to say yes to your plans.
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You won't want to miss it.
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Thank you so much for spending your time with us today.
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Keep practicing, stay positive, and build your confidence every day.
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Goodbye everyone and happy learning.
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See you next time on Daily Business English Talk.
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Woordenschat en spreektips bij deze les
Deze spreekles is gebaseerd op de video “English for Project Management”. Deze woorden komen het vaakst terug: project, example, Jack, scope, phase. Deze video bevat 255 zinnen en 2866 woorden om na te spreken. Het gesproken deel duurt 17:56. De spreker praat in een natuurlijk tempo van ongeveer 160 woorden per minuut, dicht bij een alledaags gesprek. 85% van de woorden hoort bij de 3.000 meest gebruikte Engelse woorden; de rest kun je beter vooraf bekijken.
Belangrijke woorden in deze video
15 woorden uit de video die het leren waard zijn, met uitspraak en betekenis:
| Woord | Uitspraak | Betekenis |
|---|---|---|
| scope zelfstandig naamwoord | /skəʊp/ | domein, bereik |
| phrase zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/ | uitspraak |
| delay zelfstandig naamwoord | /dɪˈleɪ̯/ | vertraging, oponthoud |
| verb zelfstandig naamwoord | /vɝb/ | werkwoord |
| creep werkwoord | /kɹiːp/ | kruipen |
| milestone zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈmaɪlˌstoʊn/ | mijlpaal, mijlsteen |
| scenario zelfstandig naamwoord | /sɪˈnɛəɹioʊ/ | scenario |
| timeline zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈtaɪmˌlaɪn/ | tijdlijn |
| server zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈsɝvɚ/ | server |
| define werkwoord | /dɪˈfaɪn/ | bepalen, determineren |
| triple bijvoeglijk naamwoord | /ˈtɹɪp.əl/ | drievoudig, driedubbel |
| disagree werkwoord | /dɪsəˈɡɹi/ | niet overeenkomen, niet overeenstemmen |
| vocabulary zelfstandig naamwoord | /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/ | woordenschat, vocabulaire |
| topic zelfstandig naamwoord | /ˈtɑpɪk/ | onderwerp, thema |
| temporary bijvoeglijk naamwoord | /ˈtɛmp(əˌɹ)ɛɹi/ | tijdelijk |
Phrasal verbs die je zult horen
| Woord | Uitspraak | Betekenis |
|---|---|---|
| bring forward werkwoord | vervroegen | |
| slow down werkwoord | afremmen | |
| set up werkwoord | /ˌsɛt ˈʌp/ | bereiden, voorbereiden |
| stand up werkwoord | opstaan |
Zinnen om te herhalen
Korte, volledige zinnen uit de video die je in alledaagse gesprekken kunt gebruiken:
- Are we on track with the new customer app?
- Once we identify our stakeholders, what comes next?
- Are we ready to move to the payment system?
- Anna, do you have a quick moment?
- Jack, how would you define risk register?
Grammatica in deze video
De structuren die de spreker het meest gebruikt, met de exacte woorden uit de video:
| Structuur | In de video |
|---|---|
| Voorwaardelijke zinnen if + zin, will/would + werkwoord — een voorwaarde en het gevolg | If we add it now, it will delay · If we add video chat, we will miss |
| Betrekkelijke bijzinnen who / which + zin — extra informatie over een persoon of ding | Everyone who cares · scope, which is · time, which is |
| Lijdende vorm be + voltooid deelwoord — het gaat om wat er gebeurt, niet om wie het doet | is created · be done · are included |
| Present perfect have/has + voltooid deelwoord — iets uit het verleden dat nu nog telt | have prepared · we've finished |
Uitspraak om op te letten
De spreker gebruikt 21 samentrekkingen en verkorte vormen, zoals we're, don't, we've. Spreek ze kort uit, zoals je ze hoort.
- De klanken “sh” en “zh”: initiation /ɪˌnɪʃ.iˈeɪ.ʃən/, presentation /ˌpɹɛzn̩ˈteɪʃn̩/, execution /ˌɛk.sɪˈkjuː.ʃən/, integration /ˌɪn.tɪˈɡɹeɪ.ʃən/, instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/
- Lange woorden — let op de klemtoon: vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, temporary /ˈtɛmp(əˌɹ)ɛɹi/, initiation /ɪˌnɪʃ.iˈeɪ.ʃən/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, participate /pɑːˈtɪs.ɪ.peɪt/
Klanken die Nederlandstaligen lastig vinden:
- Stemhebbende eindmedeklinker — /b/, /d/, /g/, /z/, /v/ niet verscherpen: phrase /ˈfɹeɪ̯z/, verb /vɝb/, cloud /ˈklaʊ̯d/, approve /əˈpɹuːv/, oppose /əˈpoʊz/
- /æ/ — opener dan de Nederlandse “e”: vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/, naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, practical /ˈpɹæk.tɪ.kəl/, narrow /ˈnæɹəʊ/, panic /ˈpænɪk/
- /g/ — een harde plofklank, geen Nederlandse “g”: disagree /dɪsəˈɡɹi/, ghost /ɡoʊst/, aggressive /əˈɡɹɛs.ɪv/, goodbye /ɡʊdˈbaɪ/, dialogue /ˈdaɪəˌlɑɡ/
Zo oefen je met deze video
- Luister de hele video één keer zonder te spreken en noteer de woorden die je niet kent.
- Begin op 0,75× snelheid, spreek zin voor zin na en ga terug naar normale snelheid zodra het makkelijk gaat.
- Neem jezelf op en vergelijk met het origineel; let daarbij op woorden als scope, phrase, delay.
Wat is de Shadowing-techniek?
Shadowing is een wetenschappelijk onderbouwde taalleermethode die oorspronkelijk is ontwikkeld voor professionele tolkentraining en gepopulariseerd door polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. De methode is eenvoudig maar krachtig: je luistert naar native Engelse audio en herhaalt het onmiddellijk hardop — als een schaduw die de spreker volgt met slechts 1–2 seconden vertraging. In tegenstelling tot passief luisteren of grammaticadrills, dwingt shadowing je hersenen en mondspieren om echte spraakpatronen tegelijkertijd te verwerken en te reproduceren. Onderzoek toont aan dat het de uitspraaknauwkeurigheid, intonatie, ritme, verbonden spraak, luisterbegrip en spreekvaardigheid aanzienlijk verbetert — waardoor het een van de meest effectieve methoden is voor IELTS Speaking-voorbereiding en echte Engelse communicatie.