The English Breakfast ☕
Hi there,
Welcome back to The English Breakfast — the newsletter for Italian professionals who want to feel more confident in English at work.
If you’re following the World Cup, you know it’s been a tense week for England fans (you’re supporting England too, right? 😜). The next game is tonight against Mexico, so fingers crossed we’re still in the running this time next week!
That brings us to today’s topic.
In football, the kick-off is the very start of the match. In business, a kick-off is the first meeting of a new project.
Starting a new project in English can be stressful. You might need to lead the meeting, explain the goals, and get everyone working together.
So today, we’re looking at the best vocabulary, phrasal verbs, and idioms to help you survive your next project kick-off with confidence.
Let's kick things off!
Fantastic phrasal verbs
“Kick off” is…surprise, surprise, a phrasal verb itself, but let’s see how many others you know with this week’s quiz.
Can you get 6/6 and survive the kick-off meeting?
Let’s find out.
📢 English in Action: Can you spot the 5 idioms?
Jill (Project Manager) and Matteo (Lead Developer) are kicking off a new software integration project with their team.
Can you find 5 idioms in the dialogue?
Jill: "Alright team, now that everyone is here, let’s get the ball rolling. We have a tight deadline for this software integration, so the goal of today's meeting is simply to ensure that we are all on the same page regarding the launch phases."
Matteo: "Perfect. The good news is that the client has already delivered the API documentation, so my team can hit the ground running first thing tomorrow morning."
Jill: "That's fantastic, Matteo. However, look—the timeline is aggressive. There will be a lot of minor feature requests from the client's side as we go, but we really need to keep our eye on the ball and focus purely on the core functionality for this first release."
Matteo: "Agreed. Let's stick to the brief. I'll have the first prototype ready by Wednesday. Should we touch base on Thursday morning to review it before we show the client?"
Jill: "Sounds like a plan. Let's do it."
🎲 Quick Quiz: Match the Idiom!
Can you match the corporate idiom from today's dialogue with its actual business meaning? (Reply to this email for the answers! 📧 )
Idiom | Business Meaning |
1. Get the ball rolling | A. To remain focused on the primary goal without getting distracted. |
2. On the same page | B. To briefly reconnect or check in for a quick progress update. |
3. Hit the ground running | C. To start a process or activity moving; to take the first action. |
4. Keep your eye on the ball | D. To start a new project immediately with high energy and no delays. |
5. Touch base | E. To have a shared understanding and be in full agreement. |
🚀 Take Action: Kick Off Your Next Meeting with Confidence
Don't just read these phrases—use them! Your challenge for the upcoming week is to use at least one of these idioms or phrasal verbs in your next English-speaking meeting where appropriate.
Have a project kick-off coming up soon?
Reply directly to this email and tell me the phrase you're planning to use. 📧
Quick Fix 🔧
In this week’s Quick Fix, we’re looking at a very common pronunciation mistake
It’s all about using the correct “S” sound (a classic trap for Italian speakers!).
Are you making this mistake without realising it? Watch the mini-lesson below to find out.
All right, that’s it for this week’s edition.
Have a great week and of course…come on England!! 🏴 ⚽ 😆
All the best,
Dan
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