Giving Updates and Asking Questions in Aussie Meetings.

In this lesson you practise the short, focused contributions that keep Australian meetings moving. You listen to extracts from a daily stand-up and a mixed in-person and online meeting, noticing how people give quick updates, mention delays and ask for help. You learn flexible phrases like "We’re pretty much on track", "I’m just waiting on the results" and "I didn’t quite catch that, could you say it again?". You also explore how Australians soften disagreement and suggestions so they sound cooperative, not bossy. Then you plan and deliver your own short update, combining earlier work on pronunciation, politeness and small talk. A brief checkpoint task helps you review key chunks from the first half of the course. By the end, you can take part actively in meetings without feeling you are talking too much or too little.

1. Listening in on a daily stand-up.

Let’s drop you straight into a very typical Australian meeting moment: the daily stand-up. Imagine it’s your first week in a Sydney tech company. It’s 9.15 in the morning, people are standing around a screen with coffees in their hands, and the team lead, Sam, says, “Alright, quick updates.” In Australian offices these updates are usually short, informal and very focused. People don’t give a long speech. They quickly say what they’re working on, whether things are on track and if there’s any delay or problem. In this block, your job is to train your ears. You’ll listen to two team members giving their updates. Don’t worry if you don’t catch every single word. Focus on three questions: What are they working on? Are they on track or delayed? And what’s the main reason or blocker? After listening, you’ll write a short summary in your own words. This is exactly what you’ll need to do in real meetings: catch the key message, not every detail.

What an Aussie daily stand-up feels like.

Daily stand-ups are very common in Australian offices, especially in tech, marketing and project-based teams. They are usually:

• Short: often 10–15 minutes.
• Fast: people speak fairly quickly and informally.
• Focused: each person gives a quick update and then moves on.

People usually stand in a circle or around a screen, and the team lead will say something like:

• Alright, quick updates.
• Let’s go around the room.
• Keep it short and sweet.

Then each person speaks for about 30–60 seconds.

Typical content of a quick update.

In the audio at the top of this block, you’ll hear two colleagues, Priya and Alex, giving updates. In a typical Australian-style update, people often cover three things:

What they’re working on right now

> Quick update from me. The new onboarding screens are pretty much on track.

Any problems or delays

> We’ve had a bit of a delay because of a crash bug.

What will happen next

> We’ll probably need to push the release back to early next week.

Notice how the language is quite relaxed, but still clear. Phrases like pretty much on track or a bit of a delay sound less dramatic than very strong language like everything is perfect or it’s a disaster.

Your listening focus.

When you listen, do not try to write down every sentence. Instead, listen for:

• the project or task each person mentions,
• whether they are on track or delayed, and
• the main reason for that situation.

You’ll then write a short summary of each person’s update, in full sentences, as if you’re explaining it to a colleague who missed the meeting.

Practice & Feedback

Listen to the short stand-up extract. You will hear Sam leading the meeting and then Priya and Alex giving quick updates. Listen once for the general idea, then a second time if you need to.

After listening, write 2–4 sentences in total where you:

• briefly summarise Priya’s update (what she’s working on, if she’s on track, and what she’s waiting for), and
• briefly summarise Alex’s update (what he’s working on, what the problem is, and what will probably happen with the release date).

Use your own words; you do not need to copy exact phrases. However, if you can reuse expressions like pretty much on track, a bit of a delay or we’ll probably need to, that’s excellent. Focus on clarity first, then on using one or two natural-sounding chunks.

2. Noticing natural update phrases.

You’ve just heard how a real Aussie stand-up sounds. Now let’s slow things down and look closely at the language people use for quick updates. In Australian offices, the *tone* of your update is almost as important as the information. If you sound too formal, people may feel it’s a bit stiff or distant. If you sound too dramatic, it can feel like you’re making a big deal out of normal project bumps. In this block we’ll unpack a simple structure you can reuse in most meetings, and we’ll look at some very flexible, natural-sounding chunks like “Quick update from me”, “We’re pretty much on track”, and “We’ve had a bit of a delay”. I’ll also show you how to mention concerns in a calm way, for example, “I’m a bit concerned about the timeline”. After reading the examples, you’ll write your own mini update about something from your real work or study, using this structure and at least two of the key phrases.

A simple structure for Aussie-style updates.

Most Australian teams like updates that are short, honest and low drama. A useful structure you can copy is:

Signal the update

Quick update from me.

From my side, / Just from my side,

Say if you’re on track or delayed

We’re pretty much on track.

We’ve had a bit of a delay.

Give a short reason

I’m just waiting on some data from analytics.

We hit a crash bug in testing.

Mention next steps or timing

We should still hit the end-of-week deadline.

We’ll probably need to push the release back to early next week.

You don’t need to use long sentences. Two or three clear sentences are enough.

Sounding natural, not extreme.

Australians often avoid very strong words like perfect, terrible, disaster, huge problem in normal updates. Instead, they use softer expressions:

• pretty much on track (not 100% perfect, but fine)
• a bit of a delay (there is a delay, but we’re staying calm)
• I’m a bit concerned about the timeline (I’m worried, but I’m not panicking)

This softer language shows you’re aware of issues but still practical and solution-focused.

Examples in context.

Here are two complete mini updates using this structure:

> Quick update from me. The client workshop is pretty much on track. We’re just waiting on final confirmation of the attendee list, but that should come through tomorrow, so we can still run it on Friday.

>

> From my side, we’ve had a bit of a delay with the report. I’m just waiting on sales figures from New Zealand. That means we’ll probably need to push the submission back to early next week.

Notice how each update is only three sentences but gives a very clear picture.

Practice & Feedback

Now it’s your turn to give a short update about something from your own work, study or a current project in your life. It doesn’t have to be a big, important project – it could be preparing a presentation, finishing an assignment, onboarding a new client, or organising an event.

Write 3–5 sentences that follow the structure on the screen:

1. Start with a short signal like Quick update from me or From my side.
2. Say if you are on track or if you’ve had a bit of a delay`.
3. Give one short reason in natural language.
4. Finish with your next step or expected timing.

Try to use at least two of these chunks: Quick update from me, We’re pretty much on track, We’ve had a bit of a delay, I’m just waiting on, We’ll probably need to push, We should still hit the deadline.

Mini reference: update structure and chunks.

Structure:

1. Signal: Quick update from me.
2. Status: We’re pretty much on track. / We’ve had a bit of a delay.
3. Reason: I’m just waiting on some data.
4. Next step / timing: We should still hit the deadline. / We’ll probably need to push it back to early next week.

Useful chunks:

• Quick update from me.
• From my side,
• We’re pretty much on track.
• We’ve had a bit of a delay.
• I’m just waiting on …
• I’m a bit concerned about the timeline.
• We’ll probably need to push the launch back a week.
• We should still hit the end-of-week deadline.

3. Asking for clarification in meetings.

Even when your listening is strong, there will be moments in fast Australian meetings when you simply don’t catch something. Maybe the person was speaking quickly, maybe your internet glitched for a second, or maybe they used a new acronym. In Australian culture, it’s completely normal to ask for clarification, but the key is to do it in a way that feels light and cooperative, not heavy or formal. In this block we’ll focus on short, friendly questions you can use, such as, “Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that”, “Just to double-check, do you mean…?”, or “Can you say that slightly slower?”. You’ll see how these phrases help you interrupt politely, and how people usually respond. Then you’ll practise writing your own clarification questions based on the situations you face in your real meetings. This is a powerful skill, because once you can do this comfortably, you don’t need to panic if you miss a detail.

Why clarification questions matter.

In real meetings, nobody hears everything perfectly, especially in online calls with mixed accents. Confident communicators don’t pretend to understand. Instead, they have simple phrases ready to:

• ask someone to repeat,
• ask someone to slow down, or
• check they understood correctly.

In Australian workplaces, this is seen as responsible, not weak.

Soft, natural clarification phrases.

Here are some very common Aussie-style ways to ask for clarification:

• Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that.
• Sorry, can you say that slightly slower?
• Just to double-check, do you mean we start at nine?
• So you mean we push the launch back a week, yeah?
• I missed the last bit, can you repeat that part?

Notice a few things:

• Starting with Sorry is a softener. It doesn’t mean you did something wrong; it just makes the request gentle.
• Phrases like a bit and slightly also soften the request.
• Ending with yeah? is very common in Australian speech. It invites confirmation.

Mini dialogue from a meeting.

> Sam: We’ll bring the deployment forward and run it first thing Monday, before support comes online.

> You: Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. Just to double-check, do you mean we deploy on Monday morning?

> Sam: Yeah, that’s right, Monday around eight.

Here, you didn’t understand the timing. Instead of feeling lost, you used two soft phrases: Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. and Just to double-check, do you mean…?

In the listening activity below, you’ll hear a short moment in a meeting where you need to ask for clarification.

Practice & Feedback

You’ll now hear a short extract from a meeting where the speaker mentions a time and a task quite quickly. Imagine this is happening in a real call and you did not catch everything clearly.

1. Listen once and focus on what information you miss or are not sure about.
2. Listen a second time if needed, but don’t stress about understanding every word. Your goal is to notice where you might need clarification.

Then, write 2–3 clarification questions you could ask in that situation. Use the patterns from the screen, for example:

• Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that …
• Just to double-check, do you mean …?
• I missed the last bit, can you repeat …?

Try to include the specific detail you want to confirm, such as a day, time, or task, based on what you understood from the listening.

4. Raising delays and making soft suggestions.

Now let’s look at one of the trickiest parts of speaking up in meetings: telling the team there’s a delay, or that you think the current plan won’t work. In many Australian workplaces, people expect you to be honest about problems, but they also expect you to stay calm and solution-focused. If you sound too negative or too direct, it can feel like you’re blaming others or creating drama. In this block we’ll look at how Australians often soften bad news and suggestions with little words like “a bit”, “maybe”, and “I’m not sure that will work because…”. You’ll compare direct sentences such as “The timeline is impossible” with more natural versions like “I’m a bit concerned about the timeline”. Then you’ll practise rewriting some direct sentences into polite, cooperative Aussie-style language that you can actually use in your next meeting.

Being honest without being heavy.

When there is a problem with timing or a plan, your job in an Australian meeting is to:

1. Flag the issue early.
2. Stay calm and avoid blaming.
3. Offer or invite solutions.

Language choices make a big difference here.

Direct vs Aussie-soft versions.

Look at these pairs of sentences. The meaning is similar, but the tone is very different.

Notice how the softer versions:

• use hedging words: a bit, maybe, I’m not sure, I think;
• often start by acknowledging the other person: I see what you’re saying, but …;
• move quickly to the reason or solution.

Putting it together in an update.

Here’s a full example you might use in a mixed in-person and online meeting:

> Quick update from me. We’ve had a bit of a delay with testing, and I’m a bit concerned about the timeline. I’m just waiting on results from the external lab. Maybe we could push the launch back a week so we’re not rushing it. Does that work for everyone?

You’ve:

• mentioned the delay,
• expressed a concern,
• given a reason, and
• made a soft suggestion and invited reactions.

Now you’ll practise softening some direct sentences.

Practice & Feedback

Below you can see some very direct sentences that might sound too strong in an Australian meeting. Your job is to rewrite them in a softer, more cooperative style, using the patterns and chunks from this block.

1. Read the sentences in the table carefully.
2. Rewrite at least three of them in a softer Aussie-style way. You can:

• add small words like a bit, maybe, I’m not sure, I think,
• change the structure to start with I see what you’re saying, but …,
• or offer a suggestion with Maybe we could ….

Try to keep the same basic message, but change the tone so it feels calm and helpful.

Write your answers as full sentences. You can also use your own workplace example if you prefer.

Sentences to soften.

Rewrite these in a softer Aussie meeting style:

1. The timeline is impossible.
2. We have a huge problem with testing.
3. We can’t launch next week.
4. That plan won’t work.
5. You’re wrong about the numbers.

Remember the useful chunks:

• We’ve had a bit of a delay …
• I’m a bit concerned about the timeline.
• Maybe we could push the launch back a week.
• I’m not sure that’ll work because …
• I see what you’re saying, but …

5. Following up in a Teams chat after the meeting.

Meetings don’t end when the call finishes. Very often in Australian workplaces, especially with hybrid or remote teams, the conversation continues in a chat tool like Teams or Slack. This is where people ask quick follow-up questions, flag small risks, or confirm what they’re supposed to deliver. The tone here is usually friendly and relaxed, with short messages, not long paragraphs. In this block, you’ll see a short example of a Teams-style chat between a manager and a team member after a stand-up. Notice how they use some of the same phrases from the meeting, like “Quick update from me” and “We’ve had a bit of a delay”, but the format is more like texting. Then you’ll jump into a mini simulation: your manager pings you after the meeting and asks for a quick written update and any concerns. You’ll reply in several short chat-style messages, using the natural chunks you’ve been practising.

How Aussie work chats usually look.

In tools like Microsoft Teams, Slack or Google Chat, Australians often write the way they speak in informal meetings: short, relaxed and to the point. You’ll see:

• quick greetings like Hey or just the person’s name,
• shorter sentences, sometimes without a full stop,
• meeting chunks reused in writing: quick update from me, a bit of a delay, no worries.

Sample Teams chat.

> Sam (manager): Hey Priya, got a sec for a quick update on the onboarding screens?

> Priya: Hey Sam, sure. Quick update from me: we’re pretty much on track.

> Priya: I’m just waiting on data from analytics, that should land Thursday.

> Priya: We should still hit the end-of-week deadline.

> Sam: Awesome, thanks for that. Any risks I should know about?

> Priya: I’m a bit concerned about the mobile performance, but QA are running some extra tests.

> Sam: No worries, keep me posted.

A few things to notice:

• Priya sends separate short messages, not one big block of text.
• She uses chunks you already know: Quick update from me, We’re pretty much on track, I’m just waiting on …, I’m a bit concerned about ….
• The tone is friendly but still professional.

Your chat simulation.

In the activity, you’ll imagine that Sam messages you after the meeting about your own task. You’ll write several short chat messages, not one long paragraph. Try to:

• give a quick status update,
• mention any delay or concern using soft language, and
• make a small suggestion or ask a clarification question if needed.

Think of it as practising for the real moment when your manager sends you, “Hey, got a sec?”

Practice & Feedback

Imagine this situation: after today’s stand-up, your manager Sam messages you in Teams and writes:

> Sam: Hey, can you give me a quick update on your part of the project and flag any risks?

Reply as you, in a short chat-style conversation. Write 3–6 separate messages, each on a new line, like in the example above. In your messages, try to:

• start with a brief greeting and signal your update (Hey Sam, Quick update from me …),
• say if you’re on track or if you’ve had a bit of a delay,
• mention one concern or risk using a soft phrase like I’m a bit concerned about …, and
• optionally, make a soft suggestion (Maybe we could …) or ask a quick clarification question (Just to double-check, do you mean …?).

Use natural, relaxed language, but still professional. Don’t write a formal email; keep it like a real Teams or Slack chat.

Reminder: useful chunks for chat.

• Hey Sam,
• Quick update from me …
• From my side, we’re pretty much on track.
• We’ve had a bit of a delay with …
• I’m just waiting on …
• I’m a bit concerned about …
• Maybe we could push the deadline back a week.
• Does that work for you?
• Just to double-check, do you mean …?
• No worries, I’ll keep you posted.

6. Delivering your full meeting update.

You’ve now worked with real stand-up audio, practised natural update phrases, asked for clarification and softened delays and suggestions. It’s time to put everything together in a short, well-structured contribution you could actually use in your next Australian meeting. In this final block, you’ll plan and write a mini script for a daily stand-up or project meeting. Think of it as a rehearsal: you decide what you want to say, write it out, and then later you can practise saying it aloud. Your update should include a clear signal that you’re starting, a status update, any delay or concern, a brief reason, and a soft suggestion or question to the group. You can also include a polite clarification question at the end if that fits your situation. I’ll give you a simple checklist and a model, then you’ll write your own version in 6 to 8 sentences.

Bringing the skills together.

Let’s build a full contribution you could make in an Aussie-style meeting. You want to sound:

• clear about your work,
• honest about delays or concerns, and
• cooperative in your suggestions.

You can reuse everything from this lesson:

• update signals: Quick update from me, From my side,
• status language: We’re pretty much on track, We’ve had a bit of a delay,
• concerns: I’m a bit concerned about …,
• suggestions: Maybe we could …, Does that work for everyone?,
• clarification: Just to double-check, do you mean …?

Model mini update.

> Quick update from me. From my side, the client dashboard is pretty much on track. We pushed a test build to QA yesterday. We’ve had a bit of a delay with the reporting module because I’m just waiting on some data from analytics. I’m a bit concerned about the timeline if that slips again. Maybe we could push the launch back a week so we’re not rushing the testing. Does that work for everyone? And just to double-check, do you mean we present this in the Monday leadership meeting?

This update:

• starts clearly,
• gives the overall status,
• explains a delay and a concern,
• offers a soft solution, and
• checks one important detail.

Success checklist.

Before you write, plan your own situation. Think of a real or imaginary project you’re working on. Then aim to include:

1. A signal that you’re starting.
2. A status: on track or some delay.
3. A short reason for the situation.
4. One concern or risk (optional, but useful).
5. A soft suggestion or question to the group.
6. (Optional) a clarification question about timing or expectations.

You don’t need to be perfect. This is your safe place to experiment and get feedback before you try it live.

Practice & Feedback

Now write your own full meeting update as if you are speaking in a real Australian stand-up or project meeting.

1. Choose a real project or task from your work or study (or invent one that feels realistic for you).
2. Write 6–8 sentences as a continuous short speech, not separate chat messages.
3. Include:

• a clear opening signal (e.g. Quick update from me),
• a status (We’re pretty much on track / We’ve had a bit of a delay),
• a brief reason (what you’re waiting on or what happened),
• an optional concern (I’m a bit concerned about …),
• a soft suggestion or question (Maybe we could …, Does that work for everyone?), and
• optionally, one clarification question using Just to double-check, do you mean …? or something similar.

Write it the way you would say it out loud in a friendly Australian meeting. Don’t worry about being too formal; aim for clear, calm and cooperative.

Quick checklist while you write.

Ask yourself:

• Did I start with a clear signal like Quick update from me?
• Did I say whether things are on track or if there’s a bit of a delay?
• Did I give one short reason in natural language?
• Did I use at least one softener (for example, a bit, pretty much, maybe, I’m not sure)?
• Did I offer or invite a solution (Maybe we could …, Does that work for everyone?)?
• Optional: Did I include a polite clarification question (Just to double-check, do you mean …?).