Practical English for Work: How to Disagree Professionally

Disagreement is a normal part of working with other people.

You may have a different idea, think a deadline is unrealistic or disagree with a suggestion from a colleague or manager.

The challenge is expressing your opinion clearly without sounding unnecessarily direct.

Start by showing that you have listened

You don't have to agree with someone to show that you understand their point.

Try:

“I see your point, but I’m not sure I agree.”

“I understand what you mean, but I see it differently.”

“I can see why you think that, but I’m not sure it would work.”

Then explain your reason:

“I’m not sure I agree. I think we might need more time.”

“I see your point, but I think we should look at another option.”

A useful structure is:

ACKNOWLEDGE → GIVE YOUR OPINION → EXPLAIN WHY

What if you have another idea?

You can make the conversation more constructive by suggesting an alternative:

“What if we tried it another way?”

“Perhaps we could look at another option.”

“I’m not sure that would work. Maybe we could…”

One phrase worth remembering is:

“I see your point, but…”

It's simple and easy to adapt to many workplace situations.

Remember

You don't need to avoid disagreement at work.

You need to be able to express a different opinion clearly and respectfully.

A PLACE THAT IS PART OF ME

What places do you know really well?

Maybe it's your neighbourhood, a street, a park, a river, or simply a place you have passed hundreds of times.

Sometimes, familiar places have stories we don't know. And sometimes, looking at an old photograph can make us see a place we know in a completely different way.

One of those places is part of my own story — and it inspired this simple speaking activity for English classes.

So why not practise your English by talking about a place that is part of your life, and maybe discover something new about it along the way?

Look at these two photographs.

They show the Arroyo Ramallo and the area around Barrio SOMISA in San Nicolás at different points in time.

What can you see?

What is different?

What has stayed the same?

What do you think this place was like years ago?

What do you think people did there?

Now make it personal.

Think of a place that is important to you.

Where is it?

What did you use to do there?

Why is it special to you?

Has it changed?

For an extra challenge:

Why do some places become part of our memories?

Useful language:

I remember…

I used to…

There used to be…

It has changed…

It hasn't changed much…

It's special to me...

English Connection — English in small doses, with real places and real stories.

Photos from Facebook (Fotografiando San Nicolás) and Coral Somisa Photographic Archive

 

OUR NEXT READ: DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE
A mysterious classic by Robert Louis Stevenson, full of secrets, suspense and questions about human nature.
We’ll discover the story together.

At Once Upon a Book Club, we use adapted audiobooks to match the level of our readers and make the most of every reading experience in English. Listening while you read helps with pronunciation, rhythm and understanding spoken English.

Want to know more about the author before we begin?
Watch a short video about Robert Louis Stevenson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ywk_fbziS4&t=24s


NUESTRA PRÓXIMA LECTURA: DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE

Un clásico misterioso de Robert Louis Stevenson, lleno de secretos, suspenso y preguntas sobre la naturaleza humana.
Vamos a descubrir la historia juntos.

En Once Upon a Book Club usamos audiolibros adaptados al nivel de nuestros lectores para aprovechar cada lectura como una oportunidad de practicar inglés. Escuchar mientras leemos ayuda con la pronunciación, el ritmo y la comprensión del inglés hablado.

¿Querés conocer un poco más sobre el autor antes de empezar?
Mirá un breve video sobre Robert Louis Stevenson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ywk_fbziS4&t=24s 

Spring is here! And it's a good time to do a little spring cleaning in your English, too.

You don't always need more vocabulary. Sometimes, you simply need more ways to express the same idea.

Instead of always saying “I want to…”, try:

I'm hoping to…
I'm hoping to travel more this year.

I'd like to…
I'd like to improve my English.

I'm planning to…
I'm planning to take a short trip.

I might…
I might start a new activity.

These expressions aren't exactly the same. They help you show whether something is a wish, a hope, a plan or simply a possibility.

So this spring, don't just learn more English.

Find more ways to say what you mean.

What are you hoping to do this spring? 

 Thanks to Edutopia

 

When You Don’t Know the Word: Don’t Stop — Explain It!

You know the word in your own language, but suddenly you can’t remember it in English. What do you do? Stop speaking? Say “I don’t know” and give up?

Not at all. You can explain the word.

This is a very useful skill, especially in conversations, meetings and situations where you need to keep speaking.

You can say:

• It’s something you use to…
• It’s a person who…
• It’s a place where…
• It’s something you…
• It’s similar to…
• It’s the opposite of…
• It’s like a…
• I don’t know the exact word, but…

For example, you want to say “ladder”, but you can't remember the word.

“I don’t know the exact word, but it’s something you use to climb up and reach high places.”

Or you want to say “neighbour”:

“It’s a person who lives near you.”

You don't need perfect vocabulary to communicate successfully. Sometimes, the ability to explain a word is more useful than knowing every word.

And there is another advantage: when you explain something, the other person can often help you find the word:

“It’s something you use to open a bottle…”

“A bottle opener?”

“Yes! That’s it!”

So next time a word disappears from your mind, don’t stop the conversation. Go around the word!