Getting Things Done in Everyday Office Conversations.

In this first lesson you step into a new international office and start using English to get things done from day one. You will follow short dialogues between colleagues as they introduce themselves, ask about tasks and check small details. You will notice practical phrases for saying what you do, asking for help, clarifying priorities and confirming deadlines. Then you will personalise the language by talking about your own role, current tasks and typical workday. Guided speaking and writing activities help you practise short interactions such as asking a colleague for support, checking what exactly your manager expects, or agreeing how and when to send an update. The lesson also acts as a light diagnostic, helping you see which everyday expressions you already use confidently and where you need more support. By the end, you will feel more comfortable starting and finishing quick workplace conversations in English.

1. Your first morning in the new office.

Imagine it is your first morning in a new international office. You do not really know anyone yet, and you are a bit nervous about speaking English. You arrive at your desk and a colleague stops by to say hello. In this block, we will listen to that first short conversation and see how you can use simple, clear phrases to start building good relationships and to understand your first small task. You will hear a short dialogue between you, the new colleague, and Sara, who works in the same team. Notice how you both introduce yourselves, ask about roles, and mention today’s priorities. Do not worry about understanding every single word. Focus on the key ideas: who does what, and what needs to be done today. After you listen, you will see the dialogue on the screen. We will highlight practical phrases such as “Nice to meet you, I work as…”, “I am responsible for…”, and “Do you have a minute to talk about…?”. Then you will listen again and answer a few questions to check your understanding. This will help you see which everyday expressions you already recognise easily and where you might need more practice. Ready? Let us step into your new office.

Scenario: arriving at your desk.

You have just joined a new international team. It is 9:10 on Monday morning. You are turning on your computer when a colleague appears next to your desk.

Read the short dialogue between you (the new colleague) and Sara.

> Sara: Hi, you must be the new person on the project. I am Sara.

>

> You: Hi Sara, nice to meet you, I am Alex. I work as a project coordinator.

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> Sara: Nice to meet you too, Alex. I am responsible for client communication on this project.

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> You: Great. It is my first day, so I am still finding my way around.

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> Sara: No problem. Do you have a minute to talk about today’s tasks?

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> You: Sure.

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> Sara: We need to finish the slides for the client by four o’clock. Could you help me with this report section?

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> You: Yes, of course. When is the deadline for the report section?

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> Sara: Ideally by two, so I can put everything together.

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> You: Ok, let me just write that down.

Useful everyday phrases.

From this one short conversation, you can already build a small personal phrase bank.

• Introducing yourself and your role

“Nice to meet you, I am Alex. I work as a project coordinator.”

“I am responsible for client communication.”

• Starting a quick work chat

“Do you have a minute to talk about today’s tasks?”

• Asking about deadlines

“When is the deadline for this?”

“When is the deadline for the report section?”

These phrases are short, but they help you sound clear and professional. You will hear a very similar conversation in the audio below. Listen carefully for:

1. The job titles and responsibilities.
2. Today’s important task.
3. The deadline for your part of the work.

You will then answer a few questions so you can check your understanding.

Practice & Feedback

Listen to the short conversation between you and Sara. Then answer the three questions in full sentences. Try to use some of the useful phrases you saw above, for example phrases like “I work as…” or “The deadline for… is…”.

1. What is your role in the team?
2. What is the main task that needs to be done today?
3. What is the deadline for your part of the work?

Write your answers in one text box, but make it clear which sentence answers which question. For example, you can write 1), 2) and 3). Focus on being clear and professional rather than perfect. I will then check your understanding and help you improve your sentences.

2. Introducing yourself and your role clearly.

Now that you have heard a first short conversation, let us focus on one very common situation: introducing yourself and your role in a new or international team. This happens not only on your first day, but also when you join a new project, meet a visiting colleague, or join a call with people who do not know you. Many learners say too little, for example just their name, or they give a very long speech with too much detail. In this block we will build a short, clear introduction that you can reuse many times. We will keep it simple: your name, your job title, one key responsibility, and maybe a current task. You will see a model introduction from Alex, our new colleague from the first block. We will highlight useful phrases like “Nice to meet you, I work as…”, “I am responsible for…”, and “At the moment I am working on…”. Then you will write your own short introduction about your real job. Think of this as your personal script for the next time you meet someone new in English.

A simple model introduction.

Here is how Alex, the new project coordinator, might introduce themselves to a new colleague or at the start of a meeting.

> Alex (model introduction):

> “Hi, nice to meet you, I am Alex. I work as a project coordinator in the digital team. I am responsible for planning timelines and making sure everyone knows their tasks. At the moment I am working on the new client onboarding project.”

This short introduction has a clear structure:

1. Greeting and name – “Hi, nice to meet you, I am Alex.”
2. Job title and team – “I work as a project coordinator in the digital team.”
3. Main responsibility – “I am responsible for planning timelines and making sure everyone knows their tasks.”
4. Current focus – “At the moment I am working on the new client onboarding project.”

Useful phrases for your own introduction.

You can build your own introduction using similar building blocks.

• Giving your job title

“I work as a… (marketing analyst / HR specialist / software engineer).”

• Describing responsibilities

“I am responsible for… invoices and payments / internal communication / our main website.”

• Talking about current tasks

“At the moment I am working on…”

“Right now my main task is to…”

Try to keep your introduction to 3–4 sentences. This is long enough to give useful information, but short enough for a quick everyday office conversation. You can always add more detail later if the other person asks.

In the activity below, you will read Alex’s introduction again, and then write your own version for your real job.

Practice & Feedback

Read Alex’s model introduction below one more time. Then write your own introduction as if you are meeting a new colleague in the office or joining an online meeting for the first time.

Aim for 3–5 sentences. Include:

• a friendly greeting and your name,
• your job title and possibly your team or department,
• one or two main responsibilities using a phrase like “I am responsible for…”,
• a current task or project, for example “At the moment I am working on…”.

Write in the first person, as you would really speak at work. Do not worry about being perfect – focus on being clear and professional. I will then give you feedback on your language and show you how to make your introduction even more natural.

3. Asking about tasks, priorities and deadlines.

You can now introduce yourself clearly. The next step is to use English to **get things done**: asking about your tasks, today’s priorities and deadlines. This is essential on your first days in a new team, but it is also useful any time your workload changes. Many professionals feel unsure how to ask about priorities without sounding rude or demanding. The good news is that at B2 level you only need a small set of questions to manage most situations. In this block, we will look at short, polite questions you can use with your manager or colleagues. You will read a short dialogue between you and your manager, Maria. We will highlight question patterns such as “Which task is the priority today?”, “When is the deadline for this?”, and “Do you have a minute to talk about…?”. These phrases help you sound proactive and organised. Then you will see a list of example questions. Some are natural and polite, others are a bit too direct for many workplaces. Your task will be to choose or adapt good questions and then write questions that you could actually ask your own manager about your real work.

Talking to your manager about today’s work.

Read this short dialogue between you and your manager, Maria.

> You: Hi Maria, do you have a minute to talk about today’s tasks?

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> Maria: Sure, go ahead.

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> You: I have a few things on my list. Which task is the priority today?

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> Maria: The client report is the priority. We need to send it by the end of the day.

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> You: Ok, and when is the deadline for the presentation slides?

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> Maria: For the slides, tomorrow is fine.

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> You: Great. Can I just check I have this right? So my main task today is to finish the client report, and I can work on the slides tomorrow?

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> Maria: Exactly, that is right.

Notice how you:

• open the conversation politely – “Hi Maria, do you have a minute to talk about today’s tasks?”
• ask about priorities – “Which task is the priority today?”
• ask about deadlines – “When is the deadline for the presentation slides?”
• confirm understanding – “Can I just check I have this right? So my main task is to…”

These questions are short but very powerful. They help you avoid confusion and show that you want to organise your time well.

Which questions sound polite and natural?.

Here are some possible questions you might ask your manager.

1. “Which task is the priority today?”
2. “When is the deadline for this?”
3. “What do you want?”
4. “Do you have a minute to talk about my current tasks?”
5. “Tell me what I must do now.”
6. “Could you please clarify what exactly I should focus on this morning?”

Questions 1, 2, 4 and 6 are polite and professional. Questions 3 and 5 sound too direct or even rude in many workplaces.

In the activity below, you will use this idea to write your own questions about your real tasks and deadlines.

Practice & Feedback

Think about your real job today. Imagine you are speaking to your manager now about your tasks. Using the examples above, write 3–5 questions you could ask to clarify your work, priorities and deadlines.

Try to:

• start with a soft opening, such as “Do you have a minute to talk about…”;
• include at least one question about priority, for example “Which task is the priority today?”;
• include at least one question about a deadline, for example “When is the deadline for this?”;
• optionally, add a question to clarify expectations, such as “Could you please clarify what exactly I should focus on this morning?”.

Write all your questions in one text box, each on a new line or numbered. I will then check if they sound natural and polite, and help you improve any that might be too strong or unclear.

4. Checking you understood your tasks.

You have practised asking about tasks and deadlines. The next key skill is **checking and confirming** that you really understood what you need to do. This is especially important when you are new, when people speak quickly, or when the information is complex. In English, it is perfectly professional to ask for confirmation. In fact, managers often appreciate it, because it reduces mistakes later. Useful phrases include “Can I just check I have this right?” and “Let me just summarise what I will do.” These show that you are careful and responsible. In this block, you will first read a short follow-up conversation between you and Maria, your manager. You will see how Alex uses a quick summary to confirm the plan. Then you will listen to Maria giving you instructions. Your task will be to write a short summary of your responsibilities for today, using phrases from the lesson. Try to focus on the **key points**: what to do, by when, and how to update your manager. Do not worry if you miss a small detail; you can always listen again.

Confirming the plan with your manager.

Read this short follow-up conversation later the same morning. After your first chat about priorities, you go back to Maria to confirm what you will actually do.

> You: Hi Maria, can I just check I have this right?

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> Maria: Of course.

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> You: So my main task is to finish the client report today. I will focus on the analysis section before lunch, and then the conclusions in the afternoon.

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> Maria: Yes, that is correct.

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> You: When I finish the report, shall I update you by email or chat?

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> Maria: Just send me a quick chat message, that is fine.

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> You: Great. I will send you a message by three o’clock to confirm it is done.

>

> Maria: Perfect, thanks for your help, I really appreciate it.

Here you use two powerful strategies:

Checking understanding

“Can I just check I have this right?” signals that you want to avoid confusion.

Summarising next steps

“So my main task is to finish the client report today.”

“I will send you a message by three o’clock to confirm it is done.”

You also clarify how to update your manager:

• “Shall I update you by email or chat?”

These small phrases make a big difference to how professional and reliable you sound.

In the activity below, you will listen to Maria giving you instructions for the rest of the day. Then you will write your own short summary of what you will do, using some of these patterns.

Practice & Feedback

Listen to Maria’s instructions carefully. You can listen more than once. Then write a short summary of your tasks and next steps for today.

Your summary should be 3–5 sentences and include:

• your main task or tasks,
• deadlines or time frames,
• how and when you will update Maria.

Try to start with a checking or summarising phrase such as “Let me just summarise what I will do.” or “So my main task is to…”. You do not need to write every detail, just the important points.

Write in the first person, as if you are speaking back to Maria. I will then check if you captured the key information correctly and help you improve the language of your summary.

5. Using chat to ask for help at work.

In many modern workplaces, quick conversations do not always happen face to face. Very often, you will use an internal chat tool such as Teams, Slack or another system. The language in chat is usually shorter, but it should still be polite and clear. In this block, we will stay in our project scenario with Alex, Sara and Maria. You will see an example of a short chat between Alex and Sara about a report. Notice how they use polite requests, quick questions and brief confirmations, not long paragraphs. We will highlight useful expressions such as “Could you please send me the file?”, “Do you have a minute to look at…?”, and “Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it.” These phrases help you sound friendly and professional, even in a fast chat. Then you will write your own mini chat conversation. You will imagine that you need help from a colleague with a task, for example checking a document or sharing a file. You will write your messages as if you are really typing in a chat window. This is also a good chance to practise closing conversations politely in English.

Example: asking for help by chat.

Here is a short internal chat between Alex and Sara later the same day.

> Alex: Hi Sara, do you have a minute to look at the report?

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> Sara: Hi Alex, sure, what do you need?

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> Alex: I am just finishing the analysis section. Could you please send me the latest client figures? I cannot find the file.

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> Sara: No problem, I will send it now.

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> Alex: Thanks! Also, could you quickly check the wording in the conclusion later?

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> Sara: Yes, just send it to me by chat when you are ready.

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> Alex: Great, thanks for your help, I really appreciate it.

Even in chat, Alex uses polite request phrases:

• “Do you have a minute to look at the report?”
• “Could you please send me the latest client figures?”
• “Could you quickly check the wording…?”

Alex also closes the conversation politely:

• “Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it.”

Notice that the messages are short and focus on one thing at a time. This makes the chat easy to follow.

Building your own help-request chat.

When you ask for help by chat, it is useful to:

• say hello and use the person’s name;
• say what you are working on now;
• make a clear, polite request using “Could you…?” or “Could you please…?”;
• if needed, ask about timing: “When would be a good time…?”;
• say thank you at the end.

In the activity, you will imagine a realistic situation from your work and write a short chat where you ask a colleague for help.

Practice & Feedback

Imagine you want to ask a colleague for help by chat today. Choose a real situation from your work, for example:

• you cannot find an important file,
• you need someone to quickly check a document,
• you need clarification about a small task.

Write a mini chat conversation with 3–6 short messages from you (you do not need to write your colleague’s messages). Include:

• a short greeting with their name,
• one or two clear, polite requests using phrases like “Could you please send me…?” or “Do you have a minute to look at…?”,
• if relevant, a quick question about timing or deadline,
• a polite closing, for example “Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it.”

Write it as if you are really typing in a chat tool, with each message on a new line and your name once at the top if you like. I will answer as your colleague and then give you feedback on your English.

6. Putting it all together in a full conversation.

You have now practised all the key pieces for everyday office conversations in your new team: introducing yourself, asking about tasks and priorities, checking deadlines, confirming what you will do, and using chat to ask for help. In this final block, you will put everything together in one integrated situation. Imagine tomorrow is your **second day** in the same international office. You see your manager, Maria, in the corridor and you want to make sure you are clear about today’s work. You will have a short conversation where you: 1. greet Maria and introduce yourself briefly, 2. ask about today’s tasks and priorities, 3. ask about deadlines, 4. confirm what you will do and how you will update her, 5. close the conversation politely. On the screen you will see a checklist and some helpful phrases from earlier blocks. Your task is to write your **side of the conversation** with Maria: what you would actually say in real life. This is your chance to create a reusable script for everyday office conversations in English. Focus on sounding clear, polite and confident. You already know the building blocks; now you are just combining them into one smooth interaction.

Your second day: a quick corridor conversation.

Here is the situation:

> It is 9:30 on your second day. You meet your manager, Maria, near the coffee machine. You want to check what you should focus on today and confirm how to update her.

Conversation checklist.

In your short conversation, try to include these steps:

Greeting and mini-introduction

• “Good morning Maria, nice to see you again.”
• “Just to remind you, I am Alex, the new project coordinator.”

Asking about tasks and priorities

• “Do you have a minute to talk about today’s tasks?”
• “Which task is the priority today?”

Asking about deadlines

• “When is the deadline for this?”
• “Do we need to finish it today, or is tomorrow ok?”

Confirming understanding and next steps

• “Can I just check I have this right?”
• “So my main task is to…”
• “Let me just summarise what I will do.”

Closing politely

• “Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it.”
• “Shall I update you by email or chat?”

Example outline (not a full script).

You do not need to write Maria’s answers, only what you say. Your conversation might look something like this in outline:

1. Greet Maria and remind her who you are.
2. Ask if she has a minute to talk about today’s tasks.
3. Ask which task is the priority and when it needs to be finished.
4. Repeat the plan in your own words: “So my main task is to…”.
5. Ask how to update her and by when.
6. Thank her and close the conversation.

In the activity below, you will write your own complete version, using language that fits your real job.

Practice & Feedback

Write your side of a short conversation with your manager in this corridor situation. Imagine Maria speaks, but you do not need to write her lines. Focus only on what you would say.

Write 6–10 sentences, in the order you would say them. Try to:

• start with a friendly greeting and, if necessary, a quick reminder of your role,
• ask about today’s tasks and the priority,
• ask at least one question about deadlines,
• use a summarising phrase such as “So my main task is to…” or “Let me just summarise what I will do.”,
• ask how you should update your manager (email or chat),
• close politely with a short thank you.

Write in the first person and imagine this is a real conversation in your workplace, not in a textbook. I will then give you feedback on how clear, natural and professional you sound, and I will show you a possible improved script you can reuse.