Lesson 2.1 — Business English 101 (Spoken English B1)

Listen first

Someone gives a 30-second update in a team meeting. Listen for the order: what's done, what's in progress, and where they're stuck. That three-part shape is what managers want to hear.

🔊 Real audio — spoken by your browser in Spoken English. Tap any word below to hear it.

New vocabulary — tap to hear

I hope you're doing well./aɪ hoʊp jʊr ˈduɪŋ wɛl/ · warm, safe email opener 🔊

Just a quick update on…/dʒʌst ə kwɪk ˈʌpdeɪt/ · sets up a short status message 🔊

Can I jump in here?/kən aɪ dʒʌmp ɪn/ · polite way to interrupt in a meeting 🔊

To give you some context,/tə ɡɪv ju sʌm ˈkɑntɛkst/ · frames background before details 🔊

I'm on track to…/aɪm ɑn træk tu/ · progress is going to plan 🔊

I'm a bit stuck on…/aɪm ə bɪt stʌk ɑn/ · flags a blocker honestly, not weakly 🔊

Now say it

Tap the phrase to hear it, then press the mic and repeat — we score your pronunciation for real (Chrome/Edge).

« Just a quick update — I'm on track, but a bit stuck on one part. » 🔊

Say "just a quick update" briskly and cheerfully; land firmly on "stuck" so the blocker gets noticed without sounding like an apology.

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Pronunciation

Live conversation lab

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Read the dialogue

Tap any line to hear it. Grammar appears in context, never as a dry rule.

Just a quick update — the report's finished and sent to the client. 🔊Opens with the completed item first

Great. And the budget numbers? 🔊Asks a targeted follow-up

I'm on track to have those by Friday. I'm a bit stuck on the tax section, though. 🔊Gives progress, then names the blocker honestly

Can I jump in here? I've dealt with that part before — let's talk after. 🔊Interrupts politely and offers help

Grammar in focus · present continuous for work in progress

Use "I'm doing / I'm working on / I'm waiting for" for tasks happening now, and present perfect ("I've finished") for what's done. Learners often write "I working on it" — you need the "am": "I'm working on it." And it's "waiting FOR a reply," never "waiting a reply."

Full lesson: present continuous vs present perfect

Write it yourself

Write the first two lines of an email to a colleague giving a short update on a task you're doing.

Your answer

Saved to your writing portfolio

Tip for this task
Skip "Dear Sir/Madam" for a colleague — it's too stiff. "Hi Sam, hope you're doing well" fits a coworker far better.

Quick check

An adaptive quiz confirms you've got it and schedules the right words for review.

1. You need to add a point while someone is talking in a meeting. The polite phrase is…

2. Which is correct?

3. Which opener best fits an email to a coworker you know?

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