Shadowing Practice: How to Speak Up in Meetings in English | Beginner–Intermediate English Podcast - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Welcome back to Natural English Daily Podcast.
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Hello everyone and welcome to Natural English Daily.
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I'm Sophie.
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And I'm Jack.
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And today we are talking about how to speak up in meetings.
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Let's get into it.
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Okay.
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Before we start, I want you to think about something.
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Think about the last time you were in a meeting,
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maybe at work, maybe at school, maybe online.
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And you had an idea.
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A good idea.
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But you didn't say it.
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Yeah.
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Why didn't you say it?
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Honestly, I didn't know how to start.
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Like, I knew what I wanted to say.
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But the words, the moment just passed.
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Exactly.
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And I think so many people feel this.
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Not because they don't have ideas,
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but because in English, especially in a meeting,
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starting to speak feels really hard.
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You have to kind of jump in.
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And jumping in is scary.
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It is.
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But today, we are going to fix that.
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By the end of this episode,
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you will have the exact phrases you need.
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So let's talk about it.
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So, Sophie, can I ask you something?
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Do you actually like meetings?
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That is a great question.
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Honestly, it depends.
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On what?
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On whether I get to talk,
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if I'm just sitting there and listening for an hour?
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No, I don't love that.
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But if it's a real conversation,
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back and forth, people sharing ideas,
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yeah, I actually enjoy that.
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Right.
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I think that's the thing.
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When you can participate, it feels good.
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When you can't, or when you feel like you can't, it's really frustrating.
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So frustrating.
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And I think for English learners especially,
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meetings are one of the hardest situations.
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Because everything happens so fast.
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So fast.
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And everyone seems so confident.
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They seem confident.
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That's the key word.
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Seem.
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A lot of people are nervous too.
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They just have the phrases to hide it.
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Oh, that's interesting.
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So it's partly about having the right words.
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Totally.
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Like, if you know how to start speaking,
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how to jump in, how to disagree politely,
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suddenly the whole thing feels different.
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You have tools.
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Tools.
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I like that.
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Okay, so what are the tools?
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Well, let's start with the basic one.
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How do you actually start speaking?
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How do you get into the conversation in the first place?
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Yeah, because that's the hardest part for me.
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Knowing when to speak.
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And then, actually speaking.
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Right.
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So, one really natural way is to use a phrase like,
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Can I just add something?
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Can I just add something?
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That's nice.
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It's polite.
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It's not aggressive.
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And it signals, I have something to say,
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but I'm not taking over.
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I'm just adding to what's already there.
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Hmm.
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What about if someone is talking and you want to jump in?
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Like, interrupt, kind of?
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Good question.
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So there are polite ways to interrupt and less polite ways.
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Yeah.
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I've definitely done the less polite way.
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We all have.
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So a polite interruption sounds like,
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sorry to interrupt, but, or,
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can I just come in here?
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Oh, can I just come in here?
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What does that mean exactly?
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Like, come into the room?
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No, no. It means join the conversation.
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Like, can I enter this moment?
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Oh, okay.
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That makes sense.
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Can I just come in here?
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So it's not literal?
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Not literal.
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It just means I want to speak now.
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And it's very natural, very polite.
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I love that one.
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Okay, and later, Sophie is going to share one phrase that I had never heard before,
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and honestly, it's now one of my favorites.
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I use it all the time.
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Oh, you'll have to wait for that one.
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Worth waiting for.
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Okay, so let's talk about sharing your opinion,
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because that's a big one, right?
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In a meeting, you don't just want to add a fact.
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You want to say what you think.
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Right?
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I think this is a good idea.
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Or I think we should try something different.
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Exactly.
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And there are phrases that make your opinion sound more confident,
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more professional, like instead of just saying,
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I think, which is fine by the way,
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you can say, in my opinion, or from my perspective.
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From my perspective?
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Hmm, that sounds really professional.
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It does, and it signals, this is my view.
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I'm not saying it's the only view,
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but this is where I stand.
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What about, how do you say,
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when you want to agree with someone, but also add something?
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Like, yes, and...
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Oh, good.
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So, a really useful phrase for that is, that's a great point.
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And I'd also like to add...
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Oh, nice.
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So, you're building on what they said.
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Exactly.
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You're not competing.
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You're collaborating.
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and people respond really well to that in meetings.
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Okay.
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What about the opposite, disagreeing?
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That feels really risky.
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It does feel risky, but it doesn't have to be aggressive.
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There are really soft, polite ways to disagree.
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Like what?
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So, what I love is,
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I see your point, but I wonder if...
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I see your point, but I wonder if...
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So you're saying I understand you, but...
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Yes.
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You're showing respect first.
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Then you introduce your different idea.
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It's not you're wrong.
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It's, let me offer another perspective.
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That's much less scary.
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Hmm.
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But what if someone interrupts you?
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What if you're speaking and someone just talks over you?
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Oh, yes.
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That happens.
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And then you just lose your moment.
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So there are phrases for that, too.
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Like, if I could just finish my point?
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Ooh, that's quite assertive.
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It is.
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It's firm.
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But it's not rude.
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You're just saying, I'm not done yet.
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Please let me finish.
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I feel like I'd be nervous to say that.
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And that's understandable.
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But here's the thing, Jack.
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In most professional situations, it's completely acceptable.
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Even expected.
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People respect it.
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If I could just finish my point.
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Yeah.
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Okay.
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I can see that working.
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And another one?
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If you feel like you're being talked over a lot,
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you can say at the start,
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I just wanted to flag something important.
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Flag?
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Flag as in raise attention to?
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Exactly.
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Like, raise a flag.
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Say, this is important, notice this.
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I actually didn't know flag was used like that, as a verb.
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Super common in professional English.
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Flag it, flag an issue, flag a problem.
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I love learning these.
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Okay, so I wanted to flag something.
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That makes people listen.
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It does.
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It's a signal.
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And combined with a calm, clear voice, very effective.
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What about if you're not sure what to say?
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Like, you want to speak,
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but you're not 100% confident in your idea?
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Great question.
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And this is where so many people go silent.
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They think, if I'm not sure, I shouldn't speak.
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Yeah.
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But actually, being a little uncertain is totally fine.
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You can say, I'm not sure if this is the right direction,
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but what if we tried?
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Oh.
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So you're being honest about your uncertainty,
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but still sharing the idea.
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Yes.
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And actually, people often respond better to that than to someone who sounds completely certain all the time.
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Because it feels more real.
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Exactly.
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It feels human.
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It feels collaborative.
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Hmm.
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I think I've always felt like,
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if I'm not sure I should wait.
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Maybe someone else will say it.
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And then someone does say it.
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And you think that was my idea.
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Yes, exactly.
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So, speak up.
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Even if you're not 100% sure, your idea has value.
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Okay, so what's this phrase you mentioned earlier?
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The one I love?
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Oh, right.
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Okay.
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So, this is one that sounds very natural,
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very confident, and works really well when you want to raise a completely new point.
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Something that hasn't been discussed yet.
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Yes?
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The phrase is, I'd like to bring something to the table.
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Bring something to the table.
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Oh, I love that.
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And bring to the table is an idiom.
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It means to offer something of value, to contribute.
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So you can also say,
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she brings a lot to the table,
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meaning she's very useful, she contributes a lot.
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Exactly.
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Both uses are really common.
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That is such a good phrase.
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I'd like to bring something to the table.
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It sounds confident.
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It sounds professional.
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But it's not aggressive at all.
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I genuinely had never heard that before you used it in a meeting last year.
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And now you use it all the time?
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Constantly.
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In the wrong situations, probably.
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Okay, quick pause.
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If you're enjoying this conversation,
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please subscribe to Natural English Daily.
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It really helps us.
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And share it with a friend who is learning English.
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Okay, back to it.
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Okay, so let's talk about tone,
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because I think tone is actually just as important as the words.
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What do you mean?
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Well, you can say, I see your point,
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but I wonder if, in a really dismissive, cold way.
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And it still sounds rude.
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Or you can say it warmly,
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with a smile, with genuine curiosity.
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And it lands completely differently.
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So the phrase helps, but the tone is the real thing.
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The tone is everything.
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In English, like especially in professional settings,
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people are always reading your energy.
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Are you open?
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Are you listening?
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Or are you just waiting for your turn to talk?
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That's a good point.
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I think sometimes in meetings,
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I'm so focused on what I'm going to say that I'm not really listening.
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And people notice that.
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If you listen well, really listen,
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and then speak, your contribution has so much more weight.
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Weight?
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As in importance?
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Yes.
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It carries more meaning, more value.
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Hmm.
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So, listen first.
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Then speak.
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And when you do speak, be clear.
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Short sentences, one idea at a time.
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I think that's hard in a second language.
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Because you're already thinking of the words,
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And now you also have to be concise.
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True.
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But actually, short and clear is better in any language.
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Even native speakers lose their point when they speak too long.
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Guilty.
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Me too, honestly.
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Okay, one more situation.
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What about raising a point that might not be popular?
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Like, you have an idea that maybe not everyone will agree with.
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Oh, this is so important.
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Okay.
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So, a good opening for this is,
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I want to raise something that might be a different perspective.
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Nice.
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So you're preparing people.
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You're saying, this might be different from what we've heard.
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And immediately, people are a little more open.
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Because you've been honest.
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You're not pretending everyone will agree.
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You're saying, here's another way to look at it.
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I like that.
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It's honest, but not confrontational.
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And really, that's the whole approach.
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Be honest, be clear, be respectful, and don't stay silent.
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Don't stay silent.
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That's the big one for me.
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For a lot of people.
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But you have something worth saying.
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And these phrases, they're just the door.
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Once you open the door, the conversation follows.
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I like that.
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The phrases are the door.
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Okay.
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Before the practice, let's quickly go over some of the phrases from today.
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Naturally, just how we'd use them.
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Yes.
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So, can I just add something?
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I love this one.
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It's really gentle, not pushy.
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Perfect for when the conversation is moving fast and you want to contribute without stopping everything.
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And then, I see your point,
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but I wonder if this is for disagreeing politely.
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You're not saying no. You're saying,
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let me offer a different idea.
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Respectful and open.
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What about bring something to the table?
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That's become a favorite of mine.
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We know.
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I'd like to bring something to the table.
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Great for introducing a completely new idea.
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It sounds confident and professional.
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And if I could just finish my point.
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A little more assertive, but polite.
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Use it calmly.
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Clear voice.
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It works really well.
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And flag, as in, I just wanted to flag something.
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Great verb for drawing attention to something important.
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Super common in professional English.
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Really useful.
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And I'm not sure if this is the right direction,
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but what if we tried I think this one is so freeing.
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Because you can still share your idea,
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even when you're not certain.
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Exactly.
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Uncertainty doesn't mean silence.
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It just means, here's an idea.
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Let's explore it together.
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Okay, let's practice.
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Let's do a short meeting scenario together.
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Ready?
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Ready, let's go.
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Okay, everyone.
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Thanks for joining.
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So today we need to decide.
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Should we launch the new website in July or wait until September?
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Maria, I know you have thoughts on July.
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Yes, I think July is better.
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We need to move fast.
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The market is ready.
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Can I just add something?
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Of course, Jack.
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I see your point about July,
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and speed is really important.
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But I wonder if we have enough time to test everything properly.
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That's a fair point.
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What do you suggest?
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Well, I'm not sure if this is the right direction.
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But what if we tried a soft launch in July?
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Just for a small group.
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And then the full launch in September.
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I like that idea.
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Does anyone else have thoughts?
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Actually, I'd like to bring something to the table.
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The feedback from last year's launch,
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I think we should look at that before we decide.
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Great point.
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Can you share that with the team?
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Sure.
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I can send it after the meeting.
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Is that… Actually, Jack, you can say,
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I'll share that with the team after the meeting.
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Oh, right.
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I'll share that with the team after the meeting.
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Perfect.
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Really good, Jack.
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You used three or four phrases really naturally.
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I did forget the all, though.
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I said I can, and then stopped.
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But you corrected it, and that's exactly what happens in real meetings.
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You adjust.
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You keep going.
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That's all you need to do.
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It actually felt okay.
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Like, less scary than I expected.
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Because you had the phrases,
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the door was already open.
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The door was already open, yeah.
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Okay, so today we talked about how to speak up in meetings in English.
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Really great conversation, Jack.
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Really good.
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So some of the key phrases from today,
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Yura, can I just add something?
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When you want to join the conversation?
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I see your point, but I wonder if,
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if, when you want to disagree politely.
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And I'd like to bring something to the table when you have a new idea to share.
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And remember, the best way to get better is to actually use these phrases.
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Say them out loud.
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Practice with a friend.
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Use one of them this week, even just once.
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And for today's question, we want to hear from you.
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Do you find meetings difficult?
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Leave your answer in the comments below.
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We read every single one.
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If today's episode helped you,
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please subscribe, give us a like,
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and share it with one person who is learning English.
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That is the best thing you can do for us.
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Thank you so much for listening.
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Keep practicing, and we'll see you in the next one.
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Take care.
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Bye, everyone.
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Bye.
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Why practice speaking with this video?
Participating in meetings can often feel daunting, especially for those learning English. This video titled "How to Speak Up in Meetings in English" addresses this common challenge, offering beginner to intermediate English learners a unique opportunity for english speaking practice. The discussion focuses on how to articulate ideas during meetings, which is a crucial skill in both academic and professional settings. By listening to Sophie and Jack, viewers can not only absorb practical tips on speaking confidently but also engage with real-life dialogues that mirror actual meeting scenarios.
This engaging approach makes it perfect for learners looking to enhance their communication skills. Practices such as shadowing—where you mimic the speakers' cadence and intonation using a shadowing app—can significantly improve your speaking fluency and confidence. This video can serve as a valuable resource for those wanting to learn English with YouTube by providing relatable content that challenges and encourages active participation.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
Throughout the video, several key structures and phrases stand out that learners can adopt in their own conversations:
- "Can I ask you something?" – This phrase is a polite way to pose a question and can help ease into discussions.
- "Honestly, it depends..." – Using "it depends" allows for nuanced answers, making conversations feel more genuine and personal.
- "Jumping in is scary." – This expression acknowledges common feelings of hesitation in meetings, which makes it relatable.
- "I think that's the thing." – A great way to emphasize a point, this structure invites others to agree or discuss further.
Embedding these phrases into your regular english speaking practice will create a more fluid conversational style and encourage more dynamic interactions.
Common Pronunciation Traps
During meetings, quick dialogue can lead to several pronunciation pitfalls that English learners should be aware of:
- "Jumping in" – Pay attention to the blending of sounds; practice saying this smoothly to avoid sounding hesitant.
- "Honestly" – This word can often be mispronounced; practice emphasizing the 'hon' syllable clearly for better recognition.
- "I don't love that." – The contractions in this phrase can be tricky. Work on fluidly combining the words to improve your overall naturalness in speech.
Utilizing a shadowing app with this video can enhance your ability to tackle these pronunciation challenges. Consider shadow speak techniques to correct these traps effectively.
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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