Talking on the Job

Follow Mira as she tries to open her own café! Conor, our host and English language mentor, will be there too, pointing out handy tips and helpful phrases for using English in the workplace.

In every episode, Mira will encounter tricky situations while trying to start her business. She’ll have to work with many different kinds of people to get the job done. Find out how she uses her English skills to solve problems along the way!

You can check out new episodes every two weeks.

Rahim has trouble understanding an excited Mason at the company BBQ.
Mason is using lots of idiomatic and colloquial language. Let’s see if they can find a way to understand each other before their big karaoke performance! Listen to find out and read along with the transcript here: https://player.timelinenotatio...

Key vocabulary:
to be lit - exciting and fun
to burn the midnight oil - working late into the night
to pick someone’s brain - getting helpful information from someone
to pencil in - making an unconfirmed appointment
to talk shop - talking about work/your job
to blow off steam - releasing tension/destressing
to tear it up - performing with energy and passion

Rahim wants to help Mason with his task, but he has some conditions.
Let’s see what advice Conor has for working out a fair deal with a colleague.
If you wanna read along, you can find the transcript for this episode here: https://player.timelinenotatio...

Key vocabulary:
make a deal - agree on terms of an agreement
to lay out conditions - to list conditions
schedule - timetable
unreasonable - undoable
deadline - finish date
error - mistake

Rahim feels his company can do more to protect the environment.
During a coffee break he meets senior manager, Julie. This is his chance to talk about making some changes.
Will Julie agree with Rahim? Listen to find out and read along with the transcript here: https://player.timelinenotatio...

Key vocabulary:
compostable - can break down into non-toxic, natural elements
sustainability - balancing the planet, people, and profit
convenient - easy to use
company mission - why a company exists
values - what a company believes
superior - boss
alternative suggestion - another idea

Mason emailed some confidential information to the wrong people.
He didn’t read the instructions carefully and now Sabine needs to show him how to do better next time. If you wanna read along, you can find the transcript for this episode here: https://player.timelinenotatio...

Key vocabulary:
etiquette - rules & behaviour
to cc - to send a copy of an email
sensitive information - data that should be protected
secret - confidential
empathy - understand and share someone’s feelings
ethical wall - a virtual barrier that protects information

It’s Mason’s first day and Rahim is responsible for his onboarding.
But Mason seems to know a lot already. Can Rahim teach him something new without it being too boring for Mason? If you wanna read along, you can find the transcript for this episode here: https://player.timelinenotatio...

Key vocabulary:
onboarding - introductory training for new employees
workflow - a detailed plan of a process
report generation - creating reports
to do your homework - to research something
desired outcome - goal
to come aboard - to join

Mason realises that he is interviewing for a completely different job!
Can Sabine think on her feet and lead a successful interview? Also, if you wanna read along, you can find the transcript for this episode here: https://player.timelinenotatio...

Key vocabulary:
To be good with numbers - skilled in mathematics
R&D department - research and development department
Mix-up - a misunderstanding
to think on your feet - react spontaneously
Situational questions - questions about hypothetical situations
Behavioural questions - questions about past behaviour

Sabine leads her first online job interview but it doesn’t start off well!
The trainee candidate, Mason, is really nervous. Can Sabine put him at ease and lead a successful interview? Also, if you wanna read along, you can find the transcript for this episode here: https://player.timelinenotatio...

Key vocabulary:

on mute - your computer microphone is turned off
to put sb. at ease - to help someone feel relaxed
to be nervous - feeling unsure or worried
remote interview - online or virtual interview
traineeship - a trainee position

Rahim needs to complain about a poor hotel conference experience.
The finger food was stale and the equipment was faulty. Can Rahim negotiate some compensation for his company? Also, if you wanna read along, you can find the transcript for this episode here: https://player.timelinenotatio...

Learn more in the Babbel lesson - “Business English: Competencies - Course 8: Negotiation”.

You can follow this link to the book mentioned in the podcast - “Getting to Yes!” by Roger Fisher and William Ury: https://www.shortform.com/summ...

Key vocabulary:
dongle - a portable internet modem
canapés - bite-sized snacks
discount - a deduction from the usual cost
faulty - having faults or defects

Rahim is challenged with international colleagues not showing up for meetings.
Rahim needs Conor’s help to present some suggestions on how to work asynchronously in a glocal company without sacrificing cross-team collaboration. And don’t just listen, read along! You can find the transcript for this episode here: https://player.timelinenotatio...

Key vocabulary:

glocal - having both local and global considerations
asynchronous - not happening at the same time
remote work/working remotely - work outside of a traditional office environment
cross-team collaboration - employees from different teams work towards the same goal

Additional links:
TED talk on remote work: https://www.ted.com/talks/work...
TED talk on being connected, but alone: https://www.ted.com/talks/sher...