The Glass Cliff - Why Are Women More Likely to Lead During Crises? - B2 Listening Exercise

 

Vocabulary 2
A. Cliff (noun) [French: falaise]: A very steep side of a mountain or rock. Example: We stood near the cliff and looked at the sea.

B. Tendency (noun) [French: tendance]: A usual way of behaving or developing. Example: He has a tendency to worry about small problems.

C. Raises (verb) [French: soulève / pose]: Brings a question or problem to people's attention. Example: This report raises several important questions about the project.

D. Discriminate (verb) [French: faire preuve de discrimination envers]: Treat someone unfairly because of who they are. Example: Companies must not discriminate against people because of their age.

E. Struggling (adjective) [French: en difficulté]: Having serious problems or difficulties. Example: The struggling restaurant may close next year.

The Glass Cliff - Why Are Women More Likely to Lead During Crises? - C2 Listening Exercise

 

Vocabulary
A. Cliff (noun) [French: falaise]: A steep rock face, often beside the sea. Example: We stood at the edge of the cliff and watched the waves.

B. Tendency (noun) [French: tendance]: A usual way of behaving or developing. Example: He has a tendency to arrive early for meetings. 

C. Attain (verb) [French: atteindre]: To successfully reach a goal or level. Example: She worked hard to attain her professional goals.

D. Raises (verb) [French: soulève]: Brings a question, problem, or issue to attention. Example: This decision raises several concerns about the new policy.

E. Prolonged (adjective) [French: prolongé(e)]: Continuing for a long time, especially longer than expected. Example: Prolonged exposure to sunlight can damage your skin.

Influencing Without Authority (B2 Level) English Listening Practice (Workplace English)

 

Vocabulary
A. Influencing (verb) influencer: To affect someone's decisions, actions, or opinions. Example: Good teachers are skilled at influencing their students.

B. Authority (noun) autorité: The power to make decisions or give orders. Example: The manager has the authority to approve the budget.

C. Launch (noun) lancement: The official introduction of a new product or service. Example: The company planned a launch for its new smartphone.

D. Feature (noun) fonctionnalité: An important part or function of a product. Example: The camera feature makes this phone very popular.

E. Bring everyone together (expression) réunir tout le monde: To get people together to work toward a goal. Example: The festival helped bring everyone together after a difficult year.

G. In contrast (expression) en revanche / par contraste: Used to show a clear difference between two things. Example: My brother enjoys winter; in contrast, I prefer summer.

H. Pressure (verb) faire pression sur: To strongly encourage someone to do something. Example: My parents never pressure me to choose a particular career.

I. Less likely (expression) moins susceptible de: Having a lower chance of doing or experiencing something. Example: People are less likely to forget appointments with a reminder.

J. Gain (verb) obtenir / gagner: To get something useful, valuable, or important. Example: She gained valuable experience while working abroad.

L. Tight (adjective) serré / court: Having very little extra time available. Example: We have a tight schedule, so we must leave early.

Business English: People Management & Team Leadership (30 Questions for Managers) B1-B2

People Management & Team Leadership

1. How do you plan the work for your team each week? (Comment planifiez-vous le travail de votre équipe chaque semaine ?) Sample answer: I check the projects and deadlines, then I share the plan with the team.

2. How do you decide who does which task? (Comment décidez-vous qui fait quelle tâche ?) Sample answer: I look at skills, experience, and current workload.

3. What do you do when the team has too much work? (Que faites-vous lorsque l’équipe a trop de travail ?) Sample answer: I change priorities or ask for help from other teams.

4. How do you check if work is done on time? (Comment vérifiez-vous que le travail est fait à temps ?) Sample answer: I follow deadlines and have regular meetings.

5. How do you measure good performance in your team? (Comment mesurez-vous la bonne performance dans votre équipe ?) Sample answer: I look at quality, timing, and teamwork.

C1 English Listening Practice: Leading Remote and Hybrid Teams

Vocabulary 1

A. Distinguish (verb) distinguer: To recognize the difference between two or more things. Example: It is difficult to distinguish the twins from a distance.

B. Visibility (noun) visibilité: How easily someone’s work or actions can be seen. Example: The visibility of the new store has improved.

C. Notice (verb) remarquer: To see or become aware of something. Example: Did you notice the new painting in the hallway?

D. Signals (noun) signaux: Signs that give information about something. Example: The traffic signals changed from green to red.

E. Weaker (adjective) plus faibles: Less strong, clear, or reliable than before. Example: The signal is weaker in this part of the building.

F. Performative (adjective) destiné à donner une impression: Done mainly to create a particular impression. Example: His performative confidence disappeared during the difficult interview. [Sa confiance de façade a disparu pendant l’entretien difficile]

G. Busyness (noun) activité intense: The state of having many things to do. Example: Despite her busyness, she always finds time for her family. [NOTE: “busyness” is different from “business.”]

H. Nevertheless (adverb) néanmoins: Used to show that something is true despite another fact. Example: The weather was cold; nevertheless, we went for a walk.

I. Vocal (adjective) qui s'exprime beaucoup: Often expressing opinions or ideas openly and strongly. Example: She is very vocal about her love of classical music.

J. Generate (verb) générer: To produce or create something. Example: Solar panels generate electricity from sunlight.

 

Available (adjective) disponible:

[a] Free and ready to be used. Example: Is this table available for four people?

[b] Free and ready to talk, help, or meet. Example: Is your manager available for a quick meeting?

Influencing Without Authority (C1Level) English Listening Practice (Workplace English)

Vocabulary
A. Relying on (phrasal verb) compter sur; s'appuyer sur: Depending on someone or something. Example: We are relying on good weather for the picnic.

B. Procurement (noun) approvisionnement; achats: The process of buying goods or services. Example: She works in procurement for a hospital.

C. Department heads (noun) chefs de département: Managers responsible for departments. Example: The department heads met to discuss next year's budget.

D. Critical (adjective) essentiel; crucial: Extremely important for success. Example: Water is critical for good health.

E. Reassign (verb) réaffecter: To give someone a different job or task. Example: The coach decided to reassign players to new positions.

F. Shared outcomes (noun) résultats communs: Results that everyone works to achieve together. Example: The volunteers celebrated their shared outcomes after the event.

G. Build consensus (expression) crée un consensus: Helps people reach general agreement. Example: She builds consensus by listening to every opinion.

H. Momentum (noun) élan; dynamique: Continued progress or growing success. Example: The team gained momentum after its first victory.

I. Competing objectives (noun) objectifs concurrents: Goals that conflict with each other. Example: The family balanced competing objectives during the holiday.

J. Declining engagement (noun) baisse de l'engagement: Decreasing interest or involvement. Example: The teacher noticed declining engagement during the long lecture.

K. Tight (adjective) serré; limité: Having very little time available. Example: We have a tight schedule before the concert.

PATTERN: Depend less on + noun/gerund + and more on + noun/gerund

This is used to compare two factors and show that the second one is more important than the first.

Structure: Subject + depend(s) less on A and more on B
French equivalents
dépend moins de... que de... (most common)
repose moins sur... que sur...
est davantage fondé sur... que sur... (more formal)

Examples

• Success depends less on talent and more on consistent effort. La réussite dépend moins du talent que d'efforts constants.
• Customer loyalty depends less on price and more on the quality of the service. La fidélité des clients dépend moins du prix que de la qualité du service.

Other common English patterns
less... and more...
The meeting was less about blaming people and more about finding solutions. La réunion visait moins à chercher des responsables qu'à trouver des solutions.

Business English (Listening): "Delegation Versus Control" (2 parts)

Vocabulary 1 
A. Meet (verb): Reach the required standard. Example: This product meets international safety standards.

B. Hesitate (verb): Pause before acting or deciding. Example: He hesitated before signing the contract.

Guide Questions 
1. What does the speaker say about delegation?
2. What does the speaker say about personalities?
3. What does the speaker say about managers and employees?
4. What other factors should managers consider when delegating?

How to Be Diplomatic at Work, Parts 3 and 4: Essential Workplace English for B1 Learners

Vocabulary 3: Concern – (preoccupation) a feeling of worry

Guide Questions:
1. What is the third way to be diplomatic?
2. What do diplomatic people do? Explain and talk about the examples.

How to Be Diplomatic at Work, Parts 1 and 2: Essential Workplace English for B1 Learners

Vocabulary 1
A. Diplomacy - (diplomatie) a skill for handling situations carefully and politely
B. Workplace - (lieu de travail) place where people work
C. Conflict - (conflit) serious disagreement or argument
D. Neutral language - (langage neutre) language without strong emotion or bias
E. Rude - (impoli) not polite or disrespectful behavior
F. Calmly - (calmement) in a quiet and controlled way
G. Respectfully - (respectueusement) showing politeness and care for others
H. Instead of - (au lieu de) replacing one option with another
I. Explore - (explorer) to consider or examine ideas
J. Respectful - (respectueux) showing politeness and consideration

Business English: "Human Resources - Request for HR Support"

Vocabulary 1
A. implement (apply) - mettre en œuvre
B. lead (manage) - diriger
C. oversee (monitor, supervise) - superviser 
D. execute (perform) - exécuter
E. deliver (provide) - fournir
F. align (coordinate) - aligner
G. optimize (improve) - optimiser
H. streamline (simplify)- rationaliser

Guide Questions
1. What are the main responsibilities of the local HR manager?
2. What does the local HR manager ask the Head of HR to help with?
3. What is the difference between a local HR manager and the Head of HR?

My English Class #43: "Adapting to Change at Work" (B1)

Vocabulary
A. Systematic – Systématique
B. Define – Définir
C. Analyze – Analyser
D. Require – Exiger, nécessiter
E. Allocate – Allouer
F. Acquire – Acquérir
G. Implement – Mettre en œuvre
H. Evaluate – Évaluer
I. Streamline – Rationaliser
J. Review – Revoir
K. Workflow – Flux de travail

Business English (B1): "Sustainable Development"

Vocabulary: Live in comfort – having what you need to feel relaxed (French: vivre dans le confort)

Guide Questions
1. What does the speaker say about sustainable development?
2. Explain the speaker’s example.
3. What are experts doing?
4. What does the speaker say at the end?

My English Class #33: "Benchmarking” (B2)

For B1 level, click this

Vocabulary

A. Benchmarking: étalonnage, analyse comparative,
B. Gaps: écarts / lacunes (Missing parts or differences between actual and expected performance.)
C. Operational data: données opérationnelles (Information about how daily business activities are running).
D. Defect rates: taux de défauts (Percentage of products with errors or quality problems).
E. Availability: disponibilité (Being ready or present for use or work).
F. Continuous improvement: amélioration continue (Ongoing effort to make processes better over time).

Business English (Listening): "Risk Assessment" B2

Vocabulary

A. BUSINESS VENTURE
Example: They started a new business venture in the tech industry.

• French: entreprise (Ils ont lancé une nouvelle entreprise dans le secteur technologique.)
• Korean: 사업 (그들은 기술 산업에서 새로운 사업을 시작했다.)
• Japanese: 事業 (彼らはテクノロジー業界で新しい事業を始めました。)
• Chinese: 创业项目 (他们在科技行业开始了一个新的创业项目。)

B. INVOLVES (verb)
Example: Her job involves talking to international clients.

• French: impliquer (Son travail implique de parler à des clients internationaux.)
• Korean: 포함하다 (그녀의 일에는 해외 고객과 대화하는 일이 포함된다.)
• Japanese: 含む (彼女の仕事には海外の顧客と話すことが含まれています。)
• Chinese: 涉及 (她的工作涉及与国际客户交谈。)

C. MID-WAY
Example: We stopped for a break mid-way through the journey.

• French: à mi-chemin (Nous nous sommes arrêtés pour une pause à mi-chemin du voyage.)
• Korean: 중간에 (우리는 여행 중간에 휴식을 위해 멈췄다.)
• Japanese: 中間で (私たちは旅の途中で休憩のために立ち寄った。)
• Chinese: 中途 (我们在旅程的中途停下来休息。)

D. KEEP BOTH SIDES ALIGNED
Example: You need to keep both sides aligned to ensure the project runs smoothly.

• French: garder les deux côtés alignés (Vous devez garder les deux côtés alignés pour assurer le bon déroulement du projet.)
• Korean: 양쪽을 정렬된 상태로 유지하다 (프로젝트가 원활하게 진행되도록 양쪽을 정렬된 상태로 유지해야 한다.)
• Japanese: 両側を整列させる (プロジェクトが順調に進むように、両側を整列させる必要があります。)
• Chinese: 保持双方对齐 (你需要保持双方对齐，以确保项目顺利进行。)

Business English (Listening): "Risk Assessment" B1

Vocabulary

A. BUSINESS VENTURE
Example: They started a new business venture in the tech industry.

• French: entreprise (Ils ont lancé une nouvelle entreprise dans le secteur technologique.)
• Korean: 사업 (그들은 기술 산업에서 새로운 사업을 시작했다.)
• Japanese: 事業 (彼らはテクノロジー業界で新しい事業を始めました。)
• Chinese: 创业项目 (他们在科技行业开始了一个新的创业项目。)

B. INVOLVES (verb)
Example: Her job involves talking to international clients.

• French: impliquer (Son travail implique de parler à des clients internationaux.)
• Korean: 포함하다 (그녀의 일에는 해외 고객과 대화하는 일이 포함된다.)
• Japanese: 含む (彼女の仕事には海外の顧客と話すことが含まれています。)
• Chinese: 涉及 (她的工作涉及与国际客户交谈。)

C. DELAYED (adj)
Example: The train was delayed because of the heavy rain.

• French: retardé (Le train a été retardé à cause de la forte pluie.)
• Korean: 지연된 (기차는 폭우 때문에 지연되었다.)
• Japanese: 遅れた (電車は大雨のせいで遅れました。)
• Chinese: 被延误的 (火车因为大雨被延误了。)

D. GETTING PAID
Example: She enjoys getting paid for doing creative work.

• French: être rémunérée (Elle aime être rémunérée pour son travail créatif.)
• Korean: 돈을 받는 것 (그녀는 창의적인 일을 하고 돈을 받는 것을 좋아한다.)
• Japanese: お金をもらうこと (彼女は創造的な仕事をしてお金をもらうのが好きです。)
• Chinese: 收到报酬 (她喜欢因为做有创意的工作而收到报酬。)

E. DEPOSIT (noun)
Example: I gave a deposit to reserve the apartment.

• French: acompte (J’ai versé un acompte pour réserver l’appartement.)
• Korean: 보증금 (나는 아파트를 예약하려고 보증금을 냈다.)
• Japanese: 頭金 (アパートを予約するために頭金を支払いました。)
• Chinese: 押金 (我为了预订公寓支付了押金。)

English Lesson (Speaking): "Q&A - Managing Workplace Conflict"

CATEGORY 1: INTRODUCTION

1. How would you describe a typical conflict situation at work?

Sample Answer: A typical conflict at work might happen when two team members disagree on how to complete a project. For example, one person may want to take a creative approach, while another prefers a more structured, traditional method. This can cause frustration if both sides don’t understand each other’s point of view.

2. What kind of conflicts have you faced at work in the past?

Sample Answer: I’ve faced conflicts where there was a lack of communication between colleagues. For instance, I once worked on a team project, and some members didn’t share updates regularly, which caused confusion and delays. We had to address the issue and set clear communication expectations to resolve it.

3. Why do you think conflicts happen in the workplace?

Sample Answer: Conflicts happen because people have different personalities, opinions, and ways of working. For example, some people like to plan everything, while others prefer to be more flexible. Also, stress and deadlines can make conflicts worse. I think communication is the key to solving these problems.