7 business slang you must know to speak English like a pro😎
Business English made simple: context & brain-friendly Learning
Hello, it’s Oh Really,
When you do business in English, you will encounter business slang or jargon - words that do not have a straightforward meaning and aim to convey complex ideas succinctly.
To avoid feeling totally lost in your next business interaction, I am going to share 7 slang words/phrases that you must know.
This week, I felt a little bit inspired so I am going to introduce them to you while telling some news about my business, because learning words in context is the best way to learn them.🧠
This year, I have started a live series in English on LinkedIn. I am extremely excited about this. Why did I start? I wanted to go the extra mile (1)*👇 regarding tasks that I know will bear good fruits. Through live sessions, people can truly appreciate my work and content. They can get to know me on a deeper level and build trust. I can also deliver valuable content in a meaningful way. Besides, since I became a mum last September, I now only have bandwidth (2) for tasks that matter.😅
That being said (3), I do not have everything under control. It will be a learning experience where I hope to make weekly progress one step at a time. I will need to think outside of the box (4)to find relevant live themes and guests as well as an entertaining way to do them.
For the moment, the lives will answer common questions or be about people's journeys with English and the impact it had on their lives.
The first one was about my journey from insecure language learner to confident business English coach. The second one was about how to upgrade your English pronunciation with a special guest, Deborah Wright, the CEO of SpeechDesigner and accent & pronunciation trainer. Yesterday, Rachel Paling, a fascinating woman - entrepreneur, CEO, lawyer, polyglot, coach, neuroscientist and now PhD candidate - shared insights about adult learning, common barriers, and how to overcome them.
Doing lives and being a host is also an excellent & fun exercise. I will need to do a couple more to get the hang of it (5). I need to improve the introduction, the flow, how I handle the questions asked during lives, how I make sure it is pleasant to listen to and follow if you watch the replay. Moreover, there is also the tech aspect of allowing me to stream live on LinkedIn. So far, I have used StreamYard but I want to try OBS. I need to play around with (6) different servers and see what works best for me.
The future of these lives is up in the air (7). What is sure though is my main challenge and goal at first is to be consistent. Let's see!
You can join these lives and practice your English every Wednesday at 18:30 (for the moment) on my profile. If you have any ideas or questions, please let me know (by sending an email or commenting on this article below); I will be happy to do a live session about it.
Brain fact 🧠
To help you better understand those words, you will find their definition below. But did you know that the brain memorises new words and phrases better when we use authentic and meaningful contexts to make learning relevant.
By reading the text above, your brain naturally connected these new expressions with real situations and emotions - this is called contextual learning. When we learn vocabulary through meaningful contexts, it activates multiple neural networks, including those involved in memory, emotion, and language processing. This leads to approximately better retention compared to memorising isolated definitions. So, by learning these business expressions through my personal story about starting live sessions, your brain has already created stronger neural pathways for remembering them!
👉Definition:*
Go the extra mile: To do more than what is expected or required. For example: Instead of just sending an email, you call the client to explain in detail.
Bandwidth: The amount of time and energy you have available to do something. For example: “I don't have the bandwidth to take on new projects" means "I don't have enough time/energy for new tasks."
That being said: Used to introduce a contrasting or different point of view. Similar to "however" or "nevertheless."
Outside of the box: To think creatively and differently from the usual way. To find new and unusual solutions to problems.
Get the hang of it: To learn how to do something through practice until you become comfortable with it. For example: "After practicing three times, I got the hang of presenting online."
Play around with: To experiment with something in a relaxed way to learn how it works. For example: "I played around with the software to learn its features."
Up in the air: Uncertain or not decided yet. When something is "up in the air," it means the final decision or outcome is not known yet.
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Well done and thank you for reading till the end! 👏
Until next week, keep on shining!
Aurélie aka Oh Really
Your English Coach
I like learning new words in context!