Episode 249
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Read the Transcript
Follow the text while you listen, then repeat useful sentences aloud.
Hi! Thanks for joining me for another episode. I'm Georgiana and my mission is to help you improve your English fluency.
Okay! Let’s start!
I'm not sure if you're good with technology, but as you know over the past few years, many companies have adopted Zoom for work purposes. Therefore, you're probably already familiar with this app.
And you may have noticed that whenever we connect to Zoom, technical problems tend to arise. Sometimes it's you, and other times a team member.
However, today, let's focus on some useful phrases that can make our work-related Zoom conversations more effective.
To help you feel more confident and prepared, I have put together an example conversation on Zoom.
Participants: John (the host), Mary, Sarah, and Mark.
John: Good morning, everyone. Can you hear and see me okay?
Mary: Yes, John, we can hear and see you clearly.
John: Great! Then let's get started.
So, the first point on our agenda is the new marketing campaign. Sarah, would you like to start?
Sarah: Sure, John. I want to add something before we begin, though. We should also discuss our target audience and their preferences.
John: That's a good point, Sarah. Let's add that to our discussion.
Mary: Sorry, Sarah, I didn't catch that. Could you repeat what you just said?
Sarah: Of course, Mary. I mentioned that we should also discuss our target audience and their preferences.
Mary: Thanks, Sarah.
John: Alright, let's move on to the next point. Mark, please update us on the sales figures.
Mark: Sure, John. Our sales figures have been improving steadily, but we need to focus on our marketing strategies to reach our targets.
John: That's clear, Mark. Thanks for the update. Let's discuss the next point on our agenda. Mary, please summarize the progress on the new project.
Mary: Sure, John. To sum up, we have completed the initial design phase and are now moving onto the development stage.
John: Great work, Mary. Thank you. Does anyone have any questions or comments before we wrap up?
(Everyone remains silent.)
John: Okay, I’ll see you next week then! Bye! Bye!
Mary: Thank you, John. See you next week!
Mark: See you soon!
Sarah: Bye! Bye!
(Zoom call ends)
Also, if you want to communicate effectively in Zoom meetings, it is essential to speak clearly and slowly, listen actively, and ask for clarification if necessary.
Now, let’s practice.
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GRAMMAR MADE EASY
POV Story: Grammar in Context
Read the same story in two different points of view and notice how the grammar changes naturally.
Past Tense - Third Person
Now let's practice with a point-of-view lesson. I will tell you the same story twice. The second time, I will change the verb tense. So make sure to focus on the changes.
Hans had a dream of building an app to help people. So, he started his own software development company in Germany. He worked hard to build his company's reputation by attending conferences and networking events. Although he had some clients, he knew he needed something big to take his company to the next level.
One day, a corporation from America contacted him, wanting to partner with his company. This was the opportunity Hans had been waiting for. He arranged a Zoom call with the sales team but needed help understanding their thick southern accents. The team also needed help understanding Hans when he explained the advantages of his app.
To solve the problem, Hans used a language translation software he had been working on for months. He typed his messages in German, and the software translated everything into a thick American southern accent. The Americans loved the software and agreed to partner with Hans.
This experience inspired Hans to improve his language-translation software so that it could help people who have trouble understanding different accents. He wanted to become a software developer for companies that needed this service.
Present Tense - First Person
Hi! I’m Hans and some years ago, I had a dream of building an app that could help people. That's why I started my own software development company in Germany. I worked hard to build my company's reputation by attending conferences and networking events. Although I had some clients, I knew I needed something big to take my company to the next level.
One day, a corporation from America contacted me, wanting to partner with my company. This was the opportunity I had been waiting for. I arranged a Zoom call with their sales team but had difficulty understanding their thick southern accents. The team also struggled to understand me when I explained the advantages of my app.
To solve the problem, I used a language translation software I had been working on for months. I typed my messages in German, and the software translated everything into a thick American southern accent. The Americans loved the software and agreed to partner with me.
This experience inspired me to improve my language-translation software so that it could help people who have trouble understanding different accents. I want to become a software developer for companies that need this service.
Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you in the next episode.
Review
Vocabulary
Review the most useful words and expressions before listening again.
business meeting
a formal discussion about work matters.
agenda
a list of topics to be discussed in a meeting.
mute
turn off a microphone so others cannot hear you.
screen sharing
showing your computer screen to other participants.
connection issue
a problem with internet or call quality.
networking event
an event for meeting professional contacts.
partner with
work together with another person or organization.
follow up
contact someone again after a meeting or discussion.
Want more speaking practice? Continue with a complete audio course.
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