Shadowing Practice: English at Work: Teamwork and Collaboration Vocabulary and Dialogues - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Hello, hello, high-level listeners.
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Hello, hello, high-level listeners.
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Welcome back to another video here on high-level listening.
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This is our YouTube channel where we give you side-by-side British
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and American English to help take your English to the next level.
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And we've got another business English episode for you today,
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this time to help you communicate more easily and clearly with your teams in English.
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right hey everybody welcome back just as mark said we're diving
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into a topic that's essential for anyone working in a team
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or collaborating with others we're going over 12 new business english phrases
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that can help you work better with your colleagues and these phrases
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that we've chosen are commonly used in workplaces in the united states
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and the uk
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so wherever you are we think these phrases will be super helpful whether you're leading a project keeping everyone updated
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or just trying to make your workflow a bit smoother within your team.
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Yes.
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Okay.
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If you really want to get a hold of these 12 phrases and study them deeper,
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you can get a PDF transcript of this episode and all of our other episodes.
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If you click the link in the description below,
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you can join as a high-level listening member,
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and then you can get access to exclusive community posts,
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which have the links.
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So you can see every sentence of this episode written down so you can study at your own pace.
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Okay, so let's get started.
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Like last time, we'll go through small groups of phrases and explain their definitions first.
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Then we'll give you a short dialogue using the same phrases so you can hear how they sound in conversation.
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Here's the first group of phrases.
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Get up to speed, touch on, and take the lead.
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So one more time, get up to speed,
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touch on, and take the lead.
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So those are are three different phrases that we're going to use today.
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Now, our very first one,
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to get up to speed, okay?
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To get someone up to speed.
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Get me up to speed.
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Get you up to speed.
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This is to quickly bring someone up to date on a topic.
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Get them all the news that they need,
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all the updates that they need,
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so that we are, if you listen to our last video,
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on the same page, okay?
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So let me get you up to speed on what we discussed last week.
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Definitely think of if you have a colleague who was away for a few days
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and missed some meetings or missed some important events,
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you can bring them or get them up to speed.
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You can tell them what's new,
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what happened, and what has changed since you last saw them.
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The second phrase is to touch on something.
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I want to touch on this quickly means I want to talk about this quickly.
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If you touch on something,
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you don't talk about it for a long time,
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maybe just a couple of minutes.
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Maybe it's just something small,
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not that important, or you don't have a lot of time.
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So I just want to touch on the main points and keep it quick.
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Yes, don't forget the word touch on, okay?
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Touch on this topic.
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And again, because if you just touch a topic,
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it doesn't really work, right?
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So we're going to briefly talk about this.
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We're just going to quickly touch on the main points to keep it quick.
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Our next phrase is to take the lead.
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Okay, so if any of you are managers or your team leaders,
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you're going to need to take the lead.
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or you can tell someone else to take the lead,
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which means to be in charge or to be the leader of a task,
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a project, a group, a team.
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Okay, so why don't you take the lead on this project?
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That means I want you to be the leader.
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Okay, why don't you take the lead on this project?
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Yeah, great phrase when you want to delegate some responsibility or give responsibility to another teammate.
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Take the lead.
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You can even volunteer.
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Can I take the lead on this one?
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If you want to try something.
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Yeah, that would be a real go-getter, right?
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I'll take the lead on that.
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I'll take the lead on that.
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Yeah, good initiative.
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So those are the three phrases we've got.
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Get up to speed.
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Touch on.
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Take the lead.
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Now we're going to use them in a short dialogue.
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This dialogue would be between two colleagues at work
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and maybe one of those colleagues has been out of the office
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or away for a while and now they are back at work for the first time in a while.
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Hey Ryan, I know you missed the last meeting.
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Let me get you up to speed on the project.
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Sure, thanks Emma, I'd love that.
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We'll just touch on the main points so we can keep it brief.
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I'll take the lead on the budget,
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but I'll need your help with timelines.
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Okay, sounds good.
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Let's go over it.
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All right.
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So here's the next group of phrases all about teamwork and collaboration.
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Run with it, on board,
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and bring to the table.
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One more time, those three phrases,
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run with it, on board and bring to the table.
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The first phrase in this group is run with it.
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So I want you to run with it.
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We're going to run with it.
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If you run with it,
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then you take control of that project and you continue developing it.
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You keep going with it.
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Maybe it's already started and they want you to keep going.
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Maybe you like what they've done so far.
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You're like, okay, that looks good.
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Keep going.
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Okay, I want you to run with it.
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Maybe, though, management will give you an idea that's not totally finished or not completely ready,
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and they'll give it to you and see what you can do with it.
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Maybe you can improve it,
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or maybe you can make it slightly better.
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They say, I want you to take this and run with it and see what happens.
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So as an example sentence,
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once you have the initial plan,
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you can run with it.
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So you can continue growing it and developing it how you would like to.
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Yeah, just like Mark said,
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how you would like to,
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which kind of makes sense if you really trust someone
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or you really respect their position and you know that they have the expertise.
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So you just run with it.
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All right.
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You just run with it.
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I trust you.
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Your expertise is the best.
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You can just run with it.
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You take control.
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You keep going.
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So the next one is on board.
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On board, similar to on the same page,
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is when everyone understands something and everyone agrees to it.
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Okay.
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So before we start, let's make sure everyone's on board.
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Everyone says yes.
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Yes, yes, yes, yes.
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Everyone understand?
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Yes, yes, yes.
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Okay.
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Everyone is on board.
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Let's make sure everyone's on board.
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You'll hear phrases like we need everyone on board for this means everyone to agree before we go.
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Or as a final question,
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are we all on board?
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Does everyone understand?
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We're all on board?
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Oh yeah, I'm on board for sure.
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Definitely on board.
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Last phrase in this group is bring to the table.
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Bring something to the table.
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Ideally, you will bring your skills to the table.
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You'll bring your expertise or your knowledge to the table.
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means that you will contribute your skills to the team,
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to the project, or to the meeting.
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Ideally, if you're working in a group,
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every person has slightly different skills,
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so they all bring something different to the table,
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and when you all work together,
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it creates something really impressive.
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So what can each of us bring to the table for this project
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means what skills or knowledge can you contribute to this project?
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So I like the word the table because it really sounds like,
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you know, the table that you're working on.
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Yes, but it could be the meeting, the project.
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It could be the department,
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the company, the business, the section.
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It really could be anything.
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So what do you bring to the table is a common interview question,
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which means what are your skills?
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Like, why do we need you in this project?
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Why do we need you?
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Oh, well, I can bring quite a bit to the table.
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I can bring my expertise to the table.
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I've got something to bring to the table.
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All right, so our next dialogue is going to feature two colleagues that are collaborating or working together on a project, okay?
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So they might be two colleagues,
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two team members, and we're collaborating together.
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Thanks for the outline, Clara.
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Are we all on board for this approach?
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Yes, I think so.
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I'm hoping each department will be able to bring their own expertise to the table.
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Great.
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Yes, once I add some details,
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I'll hand it over to you to run with it.
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Perfect.
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I'll make sure it's ready for the next step.
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Okay, so let's go on to the third group of phrases.
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They are get a handle on,
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in the loop, and pull together.
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Get a handle on, in the loop, and pull together.
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All right.
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So I like this first phrase because if I don't understand something,
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I need to get a handle on it.
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If I'm starting something new and it's my first time learning how to do something,
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I need to get a handle on it.
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So this is to begin to understand or to learn something new and get better and better at it.
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So I need to get a handle on this.
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So I can think of kind of grabbing it and getting control of it.
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Let's get a handle on this.
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Once we get a handle on the main issues,
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it'll be easier to move forward.
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So once we learn to do the task,
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once we learn to do the project,
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once we learn more or understand more about it,
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we've got a good handle on it.
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I need to get a handle on the main issues.
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It'll be easier to move forward.
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Yeah, it's definitely a learning phase.
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At the beginning of a project where things are still new or unfamiliar,
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you are still getting a handle on it.
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Your boss might say, hey,
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how are things going with the new software?
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You're like, pretty good.
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Yeah, I'm still getting a handle on it,
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but I've almost figured it out.
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The second phrase in this group is in the loop.
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I want to keep someone in the loop.
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Or can you keep me in the loop means can you keep me up to date?
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Can you inform me of what's going on?
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Again, this could be similar where I've missed a couple of meetings before or I've missed a few days.
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I need to catch up.
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I need to know what has changed or what's new.
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I need you to keep me in the loop.
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Or maybe I'm away for a few days.
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You keep working and you send me messages every time you make a step forward.
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Keep me in the loop.
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If you change something, tell me about it.
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If you think you made good progress, tell me about it.
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If there's a problem, tell me about it.
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Keep me in the loop.
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Keep me updated.
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I don't want to miss any updates or anything like that.
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So as a phrase, you might say,
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please keep me in the loop about any updates.
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Usually, as Mark said, if we want to continue to keep those updates,
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we want to keep in the loop or stay in the loop.
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Right.
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So please keep me in the loop.
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I want to stay in the loop, right?
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I don't want to go out of the loop, right?
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So I don't know.
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I'm out of the loop here,
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meaning I've missed some updates.
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I've missed some news or some sort of new tasks or anything that's going on.
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I'm a bit out of the loop.
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Can you please keep me in the loop for next week while I'm gone?
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So we can use both of those phrases.
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All right, pull together.
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This is a really good teamwork, right?
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If we're going to pull together,
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we're going to work as a team, okay?
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So if we all pull together,
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we can meet the deadline.
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Now, we could use this outside of work as well.
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If we're going to pull together,
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that just means that we are going to work together as a group, as a team.
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We can work inside of work or outside of work,
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we're going to be pulling together on this one.
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Sounds like we're going to do some hard work as well.
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Maybe the deadline is really close.
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Yeah, the deadline's tomorrow.
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We need to pull together.
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Like we all need to work hard, everybody.
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Yeah, pull.
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All right, so we'll do another dialogue using those three phrases.
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Again, they were get a handle on,
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in the loop, and pull together.
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Here's a dialogue.
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This is between two colleagues who are trying to work together.
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Hi, Carlos.
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So we need to get a handle on the project's main challenges.
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Yes, I agree.
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Let's keep each other in the loop as we go.
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Definitely.
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If we all pull together,
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I'm sure we can finish this on time.
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Sounds like a solid plan.
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Okay, and here's the fourth and final group of phrases in this episode.
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They are nail down, come up with, and follow up.
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Nail down, come up with, and follow up.
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The first one again, nail down.
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You might know nail if you are building a house or putting up a shelf.
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You put a nail.
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Nail down is when you confirm any final details.
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So it is 100% confirmed and the plan is not changing.
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Maybe you're making good progress on a project,
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but there's still a few little details and you're not sure if I should do this or if I should do that.
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I need to talk to my colleagues to nail down those details.
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I need to confirm exactly what we want to do.
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So let's nail down the timeline so we can stay on track.
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That means give me the final confirmed timeline
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so I know exactly what my deadline is and I know exactly how much time I have.
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Nail down the details.
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Now this is just a personal opinion
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but I think nail down is starting to kind of go out the window a little bit.
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I hear my boss say this a lot and it really sounds like
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when he's yeah we really need to nail down this timeline.
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It sounds a bit aggressive.
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So I definitely hear people using it quite a bit,
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but I tend to prefer, let's finalize the details.
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Let's confirm.
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Let's confirm.
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Definitely two very easygoing words that you can use as well.
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So let's nail down the timeline or let's confirm the timeline.
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Let's finalize those details so we can stay on track.
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This one is really, really good when you're brainstorming or you're thinking or suggesting ideas to come up with an idea.
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So to come up with an idea is to think of a new idea or to suggest a new idea.
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When you're brainstorming, you're kind of getting together with other colleagues or other teammates,
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and you're trying to come up with something new,
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come up with a marketing plan,
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come up with an idea.
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So we need to come up with a new plan for this task.
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And the third one is follow up.
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If you want to follow up on a task,
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it means you want to check the progress of that task.
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That can also be if you have a question.
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You've your colleagues and you have already explained some parts of it,
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but there's one final detail that you're not totally sure.
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You could say, sorry, can I just follow up on the deadline?
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Is it the 25th or the 26th?
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Ah, OK.
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So if you're looking for confirmation or any extra details,
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you can follow up.
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You can just ask a few more questions.
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The other meaning you can use with this is to start working and then a few days later,
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come back and see how it's going.
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Follow up.
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So maybe you told your colleague to start working on Monday and then Tuesday, Wednesday on Thursday.
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Say, hi, I just wanted to follow up with the project.
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How's everything going?
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An example sentence could be,
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I'll follow up with you next week to see how it's going.
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Yeah, I like what Mark said.
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It's basically continuing something.
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So if I say, hey,
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knock, knock, just following up on our conversation from last week.
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Knock, knock, just checking back on our conversation from last week.
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So I'm kind of double checking in a way,
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but I might just be continuing the conversation as well.
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Very nice.
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All right.
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So this last dialogue is between two colleagues who are asking each other for help and they need some input.
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OK, I need some help,
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please, on a current project.
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Thanks for meeting, Chloe.
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I think we still need to nail down the final steps for this project.
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Agreed.
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Let's come up with a few ideas and we can decide from there.
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Great.
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Okay, I'll follow up with you next week and see where we're at.
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Perfect.
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I'll have some ideas ready by then.
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All right, High Level listeners,
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that is a wrap on today's episode.
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We hope you're ready to put these new phrases into action with your team.
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Let us know in the comments below which phrases were new for you.
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Have you heard of any of them before?
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Let's get in touch, okay?
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So we read and reply to every single comment,
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or we like to follow up on our students.
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and we love to read your comments and help you out if you need any corrections.
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If you have any questions,
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go ahead and leave us a comment down below.
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Yes, we do enjoy that.
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So give these phrases a try.
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You can even tell us what other kinds of phrases in business English you would like to see in future videos.
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We take on all suggestions as well.
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And of course, don't forget to like,
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subscribe and follow the podcast if you haven't already.
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Plus for our members, we've got a downloadable PDF with all of these phrases and examples from today's episode ready for you.
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All right.
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Thanks for listening and for watching everyone.
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We'll be back next time with more ways to help you sound more natural and confident in your business English.
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Take care and we'll see you soon.
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See you soon.
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Context & Background
In the world of business, effective communication is vital for successful teamwork and collaboration. The video titled "English at Work: Teamwork and Collaboration Vocabulary and Dialogues" highlights essential phrases that enhance workplace communication in both American and British English. By incorporating these phrases into your conversations, you can express yourself more clearly and confidently while working in diverse teams. This content is particularly beneficial for non-native English speakers seeking to improve their English pronunciation and fluency, using the shadowspeak and shadowing technique for practice.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
Here are five key phrases extracted from the video that can greatly assist in everyday business interactions:
- Get up to speed: This phrase means to quickly update someone on the current situation, especially after they have missed important information. For example, "Let me get you up to speed on our project timeline."
- Touch on: To briefly discuss a subject without going into detail. For example, "I’d like to touch on the budget cuts in our next meeting."
- Take the lead: To assume control or responsibility for a task. You might say, "I’ll take the lead on the presentation next week."
- On the same page: Being in agreement or understanding with others about a specific topic. For instance, "Let’s ensure we’re all on the same page before we move forward."
- Follow up: To check in or inquire about the progress of something. An example could be, "I will follow up with you on the client feedback by Friday."
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To effectively master these phrases, follow this step-by-step shadowing guide:
- Active Listening: Begin by watching the video and listening carefully to the dialogues. Pay close attention to pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm.
- Repetition: Break down the phrases and repeat them softly after the speakers. This repetitive process is key to improving English pronunciation.
- Use the Shadowing Technique: With the shadowspeak approach, try to speak along with the video in real-time. Focus on mimicking the natural flow of speech.
- Record Yourself: Use your phone or a recording device to record your voice as you practice. Compare it with the original dialogue to identify areas for improvement.
- Practice with a Partner: If possible, engage with a colleague or a friend who is also learning English. Practice using the phrases in role-playing scenarios to build confidence.
By integrating these strategies into your learning routine, you can significantly improve your English speaking skills and enhance your ability to communicate effectively in a professional setting.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
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