Episode 129 - How Can You Sound More Diplomatic in English?
Anglais - The easy way

Episode 129 - How Can You Sound More Diplomatic in English?

B1IntermediateSeptember 1, 20266 min

Dans cet épisode, Richard Watson de speakingchess.fr, enseigne l'art de la diplomatie en anglais pour éviter d'avoir l'air trop direct ou agressif. Il montre comment la minimisation (dire "a minor problem" plutôt que "a big problem") permet d'adoucir un message sans en changer le fond, et comment les modaux (might, may, could) retirent la certitude absolue d'une opinion pour ne pas mettre l'autre dans une position inconfortable. À travers une vingtaine d'exemples concrets qui transforment des phrases brutales en versions plus diplomates, il donne des outils immédiatement applicables pour paraître plus calme, posé et influent en anglais...

Play episode

Opens the player: the full transcript, every word clickable, with translation and flashcards.

Try it: tap any word

Real sentences from the start of this episode. Every word is marked with its level.

Sentence 1 of 12 · 0:00

, , .

You probably already know this because in your own language you have some way of doing this.

Hear this sentence

Tap a word to see its meaning in your language.

Do you know these words?

8 harder words from this episode. Tap one to see what it means, then mark it.

  • B20:00
  • B20:19
  • C10:55
  • C12:14
  • B22:50
  • B23:13
  • B24:36
  • B25:40

Mark a few words and we'll tell you how this episode fits your level.

Is this episode right for you?

B1

B1 · Intermediate

Fine if you can follow simple news

A1 48%A2 34%B1 10%B2 7%C1 1%
  • 92% of the words are B1 or easier.
  • 153 words a minute: a natural pace.
  • 17 harder words (B2 and up) in the whole episode.

Transcript

The opening of the episode. The whole transcript is in the player.

0:00

Hello everybody, this is Anglais the Easy Way, and today I'd like to start building your toolkit and teach you how to be diplomatic. You probably already know this because in your own language you have some way of doing this. But there's a massive trap waiting for people when they try to communicate in English. And it's not to do with grammar, it's to do with hitting things with hammers when you don't need to.

0:26

Our instinct when something goes wrong is to say it directly. We have a problem. You're late. There's a delay. You think you've been clear and saying it in a simple way, but to an English ear, that kind of blunt directness sounds a bit aggressive. It raises the temperature of the room and puts people on the defensive. And honestly,

0:50

it makes you look like you're losing your call. Real influence comes from knowing how to use diplomacy. It's the art of cushioning the blow so that you can deal with the problem or tell someone that they're off track while looking completely calm, collected, and in control of the situation. The first tool in your toolkit is the art of minimization. You

That was the opening. The rest of the episode (5 min) is in the player: every word clickable, with translation, saved words and flashcards.

Continue in the player

Automatically generated from the audio. May contain errors. Audio belongs to its publisher and is played from their feed. Rights holders can request removal — copyright & takedown policy