It’s not your fault: native speakers don’t speak clearly

Hi there,

Welcome back to The English Breakfast — the newsletter for Italian professionals who want to feel more confident in English at work.

I work with clients at all levels, but most are upper-intermediate (B2, if you like letters and numbers).

At this stage, people usually feel quite confident speaking. They can express their ideas clearly enough and get their message across.

But there’s almost always one skill they still struggle with: listening.

If understanding English speakers feels difficult, here’s some good news — it’s not your fault.

Native speakers don’t actually speak very clearly.

That’s because we use two very different approaches to pronunciation.

Watch this week’s video to discover what they are — and see if you can pass the challenge. 🏆️ 

Give your listening skills a boost here

8 essential B2 level business English phrases you can use in the office on Monday

You’ve been invited to a presentation titled A bold vision for people who hate washing up (= fare i piatti).

A groundbreaking new product is about to be unveiled.

Read the presentation below and pay attention to the language.

Then decide:

Would you buy these products?

“Good morning everyone, and thanks for joining. Let’s get the ball rolling by addressing a problem we’ve all experienced: doing the dishes. Plates, forks, knives… endless cleaning.

So today, I’d like to invite you to think outside the box — or, more precisely, outside the dishwasher.

Our solution? Chocolate cutlery and crockery.

Yes, plates you can eat. Spoons you can snack on. Cups that disappear faster than the coffee inside them.

Now, before you panic, I’ve already touched base on our core concept with the board, and they love it!

This isn’t just chocolate. This is structural chocolate. Engineered to survive soup. Mostly.

At this stage, we want to make sure we’re all on the same page. The benefits are clear:

• Zero washing up

• A dessert with every meal

• Extremely happy children, slightly confused adults

That said, our early tests showed… some challenges. Hot food caused melting. Cold food caused cracking. One focus group ate the plates before the meal arrived. So yes — in some areas, it’s back to the drawing board.

But innovation is never a straight line. We’ll circle back to durability later, once legal finishes reviewing the phrase “edible knife.”

For now, we just want to help you get up to speed on the vision. This is about disruption. Sustainability. And the joy of biting your fork when nobody’s watching.

Before we open the floor to questions, please keep me in the loop if you have allergies, strong opinions about dark chocolate, or concerns about eating your own bowl.

So — any questions?”

Did you notice the phrases in bold? See if you can match them to their meanings below.

Business phrases

1. Get the ball rolling

2. Think outside the box

3. Touch base

4. Be on the same page

5. Back to the drawing board

6. Circle back

7. Get up to speed

8. Keep me in the loop

Meanings

A. to start over because a previous attempt failed
B. to be in agreement or have the same understanding
C. to start a project or process
D. to briefly contact or update someone
E. to think creatively or in an unconventional way
F. to revisit a topic or talk about something later
G. to bring someone up to date with information
H. to keep someone informed about a situation

You can find the answers at the bottom 👀 

Are you getting enough rest?

Work and rest are polar opposites — or so we think.
We work during the day and rest at night. Simple.

But what if resting during the day actually helped you work better?

In this final task, you’ll find out what rest really means — and whether it could help you perform better at your job.

🏆 Challenge:
Make a note of three new words or phrases while you listen.

Here are the answers from the B2 business phrases activity:

1. Get the ball rolling – to start a project or process

2. Think outside the box – to think creatively or in an unconventional way

3. Touch base – to briefly contact or update someone

4. Be on the same page – to be in agreement or have the same understanding

5. Back to the drawing board – to start over because a previous attempt failed

6. Circle back – to revisit a topic or talk about something later

7. Get up to speed – to bring someone up to date with information

8. Keep me in the loop – to keep someone informed about a situation

Did you get them all right? Reply to this email and let me know.

All right, that’s it for this week’s edition.

Have a great week and I’ll see you next time.

All the best,

Dan

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