Business English Made Easy

Episode 47: Onboarding Success – Language for Training and Welcoming New EmployeesLet's be honest: the first day at a new job can feel like the first day at a new school. You don't know anyone. You're not sure where things are. You're learning names, systems, and rules all at once. Some people mask that nervous energy with confidence. Others go quiet and hope nobody notices. Either way, the onboarding process sets the tone for what comes next.Language is at the heart of it. The way you're greeted, the clarity of instructions, the tone of the policies, even the words in a training manual all of these shape whether a new hire feels included, overwhelmed, or ready to succeed.This episode focuses on the phrases and communication strategies that make onboarding smooth. If you're the one welcoming and training, you'll learn how to explain things clearly, set expectations, and make people feel part of the team. If you're the new hire, you'll learn how to ask for clarification, respond politely, and stay engaged without sounding lost.We start with welcome phrases that immediately lower tension and create respect before someone has even started working. You'll discover how to make remote onboarding feel warm when the first impression happens on Zoom rather than face to face. We tackle the challenge of giving clear instructions without overwhelming new hires, breaking down complex systems into guided steps instead of chaotic information dumps.The episode also covers how to ask questions professionally as a new hire without looking incompetent, and how to explain company culture through language so people understand not just what to do but how things work here. You'll learn training phrases that build confidence alongside competence, and how to use feedback as collaboration rather than criticism.For international teams, we explore how to avoid heavy jargon, explain acronyms clearly, and show openness when language or culture creates barriers. We close with realistic expectations for the first week, because no one should expect mastery immediately but people often pressure themselves anyway.Resources:Download this episode's worksheet for all the onboarding phrases and practice exercises: lvlinguistics.be/episode47Ready to Practice Your English with Real People?Listening to podcasts is great for learning, but nothing builds confidence like actually speaking. That's where our English practice membership Level Up comes in. It's made especially for professionals just like you.Inside Level Up, you'll find tons of exercises you can do on desktop or mobile, a community of professionals who are working on their English confidence for work and business, daily unlimited live practice sessions you can join anytime, anywhere, and support from our team of coaches who answer questions and track your progress.If you're serious about getting confident with English, keep doing what you're doing right now (studying, listening to podcasts, doing exercises), but don't forget the critical piece: actually speaking. The more you speak, the more confident and comfortable you'll be with the English language.My amazing team of coaches and I are ready to support you in Level Up. Head over to lvlinguistics.be/levelup for more information. I hope to see you on the inside.Rate, Review, & Follow 💜"I love Business English Made Easy. It's so useful!"If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show. This helps us support more people in enhancing their business English skills. Rate with five stars and write a review. Let us know what you loved most about the episode!Also, if you haven't done so already, follow the podcast. We're adding bonus episodes to the feed, and if you're not following, you might miss out. Follow now to stay updated!

There's a moment in almost every professional's life where the stakes are higher than usual. Maybe you're interviewing someone for a role on your team, or perhaps you're being interviewed for a new position yourself. Either way, the pressure is real because interviews are more than just question and answer sessions. They're decisions about the future.Here's the tricky part. Interviews can go wrong on both sides. As a candidate, you might walk out thinking you wish you'd explained yourself better. As an interviewer, you might realize halfway through that you didn't get the insights you needed. Both situations lead to regret, and both are avoidable.This episode focuses on the language that drives interviews forward. The right phrases keep conversations structured, professional, and human. They open doors, calm nerves, and uncover the truth. Whether you're leading interviews or preparing to be interviewed yourself, you'll walk away with practical phrases and strategies that build confidence and trust.You'll discover how to set the stage with opening phrases that reduce uncertainty. We cover the difference between closed questions that invite one-word responses and open-ended questions that encourage storytelling. You'll learn how to explain roles clearly, use behavioral questions that reveal how someone behaves under pressure, and close interviews with respect and clarity. If you're the candidate rather than the interviewer, many of these same phrases apply to show confidence and professionalism from your side of the table.Resources:Download this episode's worksheet for all the interview phrases and practice exercises: lvlinguistics.be/episode46Ready to Practice Your English with Real People?Listening to podcasts is great for learning, but nothing builds confidence like actually speaking. That's where our English practice membership Level Up comes in. It's made especially for professionals just like you.Inside Level Up, you'll find tons of exercises you can do on desktop or mobile, a community of professionals who are working on their English confidence for work and business, daily unlimited live practice sessions you can join anytime, anywhere, and support from our team of coaches who answer questions and track your progress.If you're serious about getting confident with English, keep doing what you're doing right now - studying, listening to podcasts, doing exercises, but don't forget the critical piece: actually speaking. The more you speak, the more confident and comfortable you'll be with the English language.My amazing team of coaches and I are ready to support you in Level Up. Head over to lvlinguistics.be/levelup for more information. I hope to see you on the inside.Rate, Review, & Follow 💜"I love Business English Made Easy. It's so useful!"If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show. This helps us support more people in enhancing their business English skills. Rate with five stars and write a review. Let us know what you loved most about the episode!Also, if you haven't done so already, follow the podcast. We're adding bonus episodes to the feed, and if you're not following, you might miss out. Follow now to stay updated!

You understand the individual words. You follow the logic of the sentence. But when someone says "let's wrap this up and pin down the details," you hesitate just long enough to lose the thread of the conversation. It's not your vocabulary that's the problem. It's the small, casual phrases that native speakers use without thinking - the ones that actually run most workplace conversations.This episode focuses on phrasal verbs with "up" and "down," the everyday building blocks that make English sound natural and confident in professional settings. Katherine from LV Linguistics shows you how these simple combinations carry the momentum of business communication. You'll learn which verbs drive energy forward and which ones bring situations back under control.We start with "up" verbs that signal movement and urgency. You'll see how "wrap up" sounds more decisive than "finish," why "follow up" keeps projects alive, and when "step up" shows leadership without announcing it. Then we shift to "down" verbs that restore balance. These help you calm tense meetings, break complex problems into manageable steps, and slow processes down before mistakes happen. The episode also covers verbs that completely change meaning depending on whether you use "up" or "down," like "back up" versus "back down." Finally, we walk through real workplace scenarios where choosing the right phrasal verb changes how people respond to you.This episode is important if you're leading teams, managing projects, or participating in meetings where you need to sound natural under pressure. The language applies across industries, from negotiations to daily email communication.Resources:Download this episode's worksheet with practice exercises and workplace scenarios: lvlinguistics.be/episode45Ready to Practice Your English with Real People?Listening to podcasts is great for learning, but nothing builds confidence like actually speaking. That's where our English practice membership Level Up comes in. It's made especially for professionals just like you.Inside Level Up, you'll find tons of exercises you can do on desktop or mobile, a community of professionals who are working on their English confidence for work and business, daily unlimited live practice sessions you can join anytime, anywhere, and support from our team of coaches who answer questions and track your progress.If you're serious about getting confident with English, keep doing what you're doing right now (studying, listening to podcasts, doing exercises), but don't forget the critical piece: actually speaking. The more you speak, the more confident and comfortable you'll be with the English language.My amazing team of coaches and I are ready to support you in Level Up. Head over to lvlinguistics.be/levelup for more information. I hope to see you on the inside.Rate, Review, & Follow 💜"I love Business English Made Easy. It's so useful!"If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show. This helps us support more people in enhancing their business English skills. Rate with five stars and write a review. Let us know what you loved most about the episode!Also, if you haven't done so already, follow the podcast. We're adding bonus episodes to the feed, and if you're not following, you might miss out. Follow now to stay updated!

You've written the numbers. You've checked the data. But when stakeholders read your annual report, they're not just evaluating financial results. They're judging clarity, credibility, and confidence. One phrase can make your company look stable and strategic, or uncertain and unprepared. The difference often comes down to vocabulary choices most professionals never think about.This episode explores the specific language patterns that make financial reporting sound authoritative and trustworthy. Katherine from LV Linguistics walks you through the phrases that transform raw data into compelling narrative. You'll learn how to present results without sounding defensive, acknowledge challenges without undermining confidence, and project future plans that feel grounded rather than vague.We start with the fundamentals of reporting financial performance, moving from simple statements to context-rich descriptions that give stakeholders the full picture. You'll discover how cause-and-effect language builds transparency and trust, even when discussing difficult quarters. We cover achievement vocabulary that celebrates milestones without crossing into promotional territory. The episode also tackles the trickiest part of annual reporting: addressing setbacks while maintaining credibility. Finally, we break down forward-looking language that sounds strategic rather than wishful.This episode is essential if you're drafting reports for leadership, preparing investor communications, or contributing to any document where financial performance needs clear explanation. The vocabulary applies whether you're in finance, operations, or project management.Resources:Download this episode's worksheet with all the vocabulary phrases and rewriting exercises: lvlinguistics.be/episode44Ready to Practice Your English with Real People?Listening to podcasts is great for learning, but nothing builds confidence like actually speaking. That's where our English practice membership Level Up comes in. It's made especially for professionals just like you.Inside Level Up, you'll find:Tons of exercises you can do on desktop or mobile. A community of professionals who are working on their English confidence for work and business. Daily unlimited live practice sessions you can join anytime, anywhere. Support from our team of coaches who answer questions and track your progress.If you're serious about getting confident with English, keep doing what you're doing right now (studying, listening to podcasts, doing exercises), but don't forget the critical piece: actually speaking. The more you speak, the more confident and comfortable you'll be with the English language.My amazing team of coaches and I are ready to support you in Level Up. Head over to lvlinguistics.be/levelup for more information. I hope to see you on the inside.Rate, Review, & Follow 💜"I love Business English Made Easy. It's so useful!"If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show. This helps us support more people in enhancing their business English skills. Rate with five stars and write a review. Let us know what you loved most about the episode!Also, if you haven't done so already, follow the podcast. We're adding bonus episodes to the feed, and if you're not following, you might miss out. Follow now to stay updated!

Numbers don't mean much until you compare them. Saying "We sold 10,000 units" is fine, but saying "We sold 2,000 more units than last quarter" makes the story clear.In this episode of Business English Made Easy, you'll learn practical phrases for comparing data in presentations and meetings. We'll cover how to:Highlight differences between products, teams, or regionsDescribe trends over time with simple verbs like increase and decreaseBreak down percentages and proportions into easy-to-grasp comparisonsGuide your audience through charts and graphs by explaining the "so what"Present both positive and negative results in a professional wayBy the end, you'll have the tools to turn dry numbers into meaningful stories your colleagues and clients will actually remember.Download the free practice worksheet at lvlinguistics.be/episode43 and start applying these phrases to your own presentations.Ready to Practice Your English with Real People?Listening to podcasts is great for learning, but nothing builds confidence like actually speaking. That's where our English practice membership Level Up comes in. It's made especially for professionals just like you.Inside Level Up, you'll find:Tons of exercises you can do on desktop or mobileA community of professionals who are working on their English confidence for work and businessDaily unlimited live practice sessions you can join anytime, anywhereSupport from our team of coaches who answer questions and track your progressIf you're serious about getting confident with English, keep doing what you're doing right now (studying, listening to podcasts, doing exercises), but don't forget the critical piece: actually speaking. The more you speak, the more confident and comfortable you'll be with the English language.My amazing team of coaches and I are ready to support you in Level Up. Head over to lvlinguistics.be/levelup for more information. I hope to see you on the inside."I love Business English Made Easy. It's so useful!" If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show. This helps us support more people in enhancing their business English skills. Rate with five stars and write a review. Let us know what you loved most about the episode!Also, if you haven't done so already, follow the podcast. We're adding bonus episodes to the feed, and if you're not following, you might miss out. Follow now to stay updated!Free Practice Worksheet: lvlinguistics.be/episode43Join The Level Up Membership: lvlinguistics.be/levelup--------------Business English Made Easy is a podcast for professionals who need English for their work but want to build real confidence when they speak. Hosted by Victoria Landa, founder of LV Linguistics, each episode gives you practical phrases, clear examples, and actionable tips you can use right away in meetings, presentations, and everyday business situations.Whether you're preparing for an important presentation, leading international teams, or simply want to sound more professional in English, this podcast is your go-to resource for building workplace communication skills.Rate, Review, & Follow 💜