Talking to Your Boss – Simple Tips for Better Conversations

🚪 You are standing outside your manager’s office. Your hands are sweating. Your heart is beating fast. You know you need to speak — but your English suddenly disappears. This episode of the Context English Podcast is built around that exact moment.

🎧 In this A2–B1 level English podcast, Anna and Mike talk about talking to your boss in English and handling workplace conversations with confidence. Through honest, relatable stories from real office life, they show how small misunderstandings and silence can create stress — and how simple, clear English can solve it.

💼 The episode focuses on real workplace English, not textbook sentences. You will hear natural office conversations, polite professional phrases, and practical language you can use immediately. The podcast helps you ask for time, give updates, clarify instructions, and respond confidently — even when you feel nervous.

🗣️ This podcast is perfect for A2–B1 English learners who work in international teams, plan to work abroad, or use English in professional settings. It is especially helpful if you worry about grammar mistakes, freeze during conversations with managers, or avoid asking questions because of fear.

✨ By listening to this episode, you don’t just learn new phrases. You learn how to stay calm, think clearly, and communicate professionally in English. You discover that confidence at work comes from clarity, not perfection. Step by step, English at work becomes less stressful — and much more manageable.

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DIALOGUE

Anna: Okay… I can do this. I have the papers. My hands are sweating. Should I knock? No, wait… what if he is busy? What if he says “not now”? Maybe I will just come back tomorrow. No, Anna, the deadline is today! Okay… here goes nothing.

GREETING & INTRODUCTION

Mike: Whoa, Anna! Take a breath! You sound like you are going to a fight, not a meeting!

Anna: Haha, hi Mike. It feels like a fight sometimes, doesn’t it? My heart was beating so fast!

Mike: It really does. I think we all feel that way sometimes. Hello everyone! Welcome back to the Context English Podcast.

Anna: Hi everyone! I am Anna, and I am finally breathing again.

Mike: And I am Mike. Today, we are talking about a very important topic: Talking to your Boss. We want to share some simple tips for better, easier conversations at work.

Anna: That is right. Speaking to a manager in a second language can be scary. But by the end of this episode, you will know how to ask for a moment of their time, give a simple update, and feel much more confident.

RECENT EVENT / RELATABLE ANECDOTE

Mike: You know, Anna, that feeling outside the office door… I remember my first office job in London. I had to tell my manager, Mr. Thompson, that a big project was going to be late.

Anna: Oh no. Mr. Thompson sounds like a very serious man.

Mike: He was! He was very tall, he had a very loud voice, and he never smiled. I was terrified. I stood outside his office for ten minutes. I even practiced my opening sentence fifty times in my head!

Anna: Fifty times? What was the sentence?

Mike: It was: “Excuse me, Mr. Thompson, I have an update about the report.” Simple, right? But when I finally walked in, I was so nervous that I forgot everything. My brain just… went blank.

Anna: Oh, I hate when that happens! So, what did you say?

Mike: I just stood there like a statue. He looked at me and said, “Yes, Mike? Is everything okay?” and I just said… “Uh… the papers… they are… slow.”

Anna: “The papers are slow”? Mike, that is terrible!

Mike: I know! It was so embarrassing. He just looked at me for a long time, and then he sighed. But that is the point—we often think the boss is a monster, but they are just people. They just want information. I didn’t have the right phrases, so I panicked.

SMOOTH TRANSITION

Anna: Exactly! “The papers are slow.” Oh Mike, I’m going to remember that. But you are right—we get so worried about our English that we forget how to speak professionally and clearly.

Mike: We really do. But we can avoid that “statue” moment. We just need a little bit of preparation and a few good phrases in our pocket. Anna, you had a situation like this recently, didn’t you?

Anna: Exactly! And it’s not just a theory. Let’s look at a story of how a conversation like this can actually go well.

MAIN TOPIC: REAL-LIFE STORY

Anna: You know Mike, your “slow papers” story is funny, but I had a very similar situation last year with my manager, Mrs. Miller. She is very professional and always very busy. I had a big problem: I was working on a project, and I didn’t understand one of her instructions.

Mike: Oh, that is the worst feeling! Did you just guess what she wanted?

Anna: I almost did! I sat at my desk for two hours just staring at my computer. I thought, “If I ask her, she will think my English is bad,” or “She will think I am not good at my job.” I was so stressed! I even started to feel a bit of a headache.

Mike: I think we all do that. We wait and wait, and the problem just gets bigger.

Anna: Exactly! Finally, I realized that saying nothing is much worse than asking a question. So, I remembered a few simple phrases. I didn’t try to be “perfect.” I just wanted to be clear. I walked to her office. I saw she was typing an email. I waited for a second, and then I said, “Mrs. Miller, do you have a moment to talk?”

Mike: That’s a great start. It’s very polite. What did she say?

Anna: She stopped typing, looked up, and said, “Sure, Anna. Come in.” I felt a little bit of relief. Then, I gave her a tiny update. I said, “I’m working on the project, but I’d like to clarify one thing.”

Mike: “Clarify.” That is such a good word to use with a boss. It sounds very professional.

Anna: It really does! I told her exactly what I didn’t understand. And guess what? She wasn’t angry at all! She said, “Oh, I’m glad you asked! I didn’t explain that part very well.” She explained it in simple words, I took some notes, and I was finished with the task in thirty minutes.

Mike: Wow. So, two hours of stress… solved in two minutes of talking?

Anna: Yes! I felt so silly for waiting. I learned that my boss doesn’t want me to be a robot. She just wants the work to be done correctly. Talking to her didn’t show that my English was “bad”—it showed that I am a responsible worker.

Mike: That is a huge insight, Anna. Being professional is about communication, not just perfect grammar.

BREAKDOWN OF 5 USEFUL PHRASES

Anna: Precisely. So, let’s look at the five phrases I used—and some others—that can help our listeners in the same situation.

Mike: Great! Let’s start with the one you used to open the door. Phrase number one: “Do you have a moment to talk?”

Anna: “Do you have a moment to talk?”

Mike: This is the perfect way to start. It is polite because you are asking if the boss is busy. You can also say “Do you have a minute?” It’s the same thing. For example: “Hi, Sarah. Do you have a moment to talk about the meeting?”

Anna: Excellent. Phrase number two is for giving information. It is: “I’d like to update you on…”

Mike: “I’d like to update you on…”

Anna: Use this when you want to tell your boss about your progress. It sounds much better than saying “I finished the work.” For example: “I’d like to update you on the new schedule.”

Mike: I love that. Now, phrase number three is very important for understanding. It is: “Could you clarify what you mean by…?”

Anna: “Could you clarify what you mean by…?”

Mike: This is what Anna used! “Clarify” means “make it clear.” Use this when you don’t understand a specific word or instruction. For example: “Could you clarify what you mean by ‘the final deadline’?”

Anna: It’s so much better than saying “I don’t understand.” Okay, phrase number four shows you are ready to work. It is: “I’ll get right on that.”

Mike: “I’ll get right on that.”

Anna: This means “I will do it immediately.” Bosses love to hear this! It shows you are fast and helpful. For example, if the boss asks you to send an email, you say: “Sure, I’ll get right on that.”

Mike: And finally, phrase number five. This shows a positive attitude. It is: “I’m happy to help with that.”

Anna: “I’m happy to help with that.”

Mike: Use this when the boss gives you a new task. It shows you are a “team player.” For example: “If you need help with the presentation, I’m happy to help with that.”

Anna: These five phrases are like a “work survival kit.” They are simple, but they make you sound very confident. I think we should show our listeners how they work in a real office, don’t you think, Mike?

PRACTICE DIALOGUE

Mike: Okay, everyone. Let’s see how these phrases work in a real office. Imagine Anna is an employee at a design company. I am her manager, Mr. Thompson. Anna needs to talk to me about a project. Let’s listen!

Anna: Hi, Mr. Thompson. Do you have a moment to talk?

Mike: Oh, hi Anna. Yes, please, come in. Have a seat. What can I do for you?

Anna: Thank you. I’d like to update you on the website design for our new client.

Mike: Excellent! I was just thinking about that. How is it going?

Anna: It is going well! I have finished the main page and the colors. But… I have one question. In your last email, you mentioned a “client portal.” Could you clarify what you mean by that?

Mike: Ah, yes! I mean a small area where the client can log in and see their own files. It doesn’t need to be complicated.

Anna: Oh! I see. Okay, that makes sense. I’ll get right on that this afternoon.

Mike: That would be great, Anna. Also, we have a team meeting on Friday. Could you help me prepare the slides for it?

Anna: Of course! I’m happy to help with that. I’ll send them to you by Thursday morning.

Mike: Perfect. Thanks, Anna.

Anna: Thank you, Mr. Thompson!

Mike: See? No “slow papers” this time! Anna was professional, clear, and very polite.

Anna: Exactly! Now, let’s listen to three of the most important lines again, very slowly.

Mike: Do you have a moment to talk?

Anna: I’d like to update you on the project.

Mike: Could you clarify what you mean by that?

CONCLUSION & KEY TAKEAWAY

Anna: Wow, Mike. I feel much better about talking to bosses now. It really is about having the right tools in your pocket.

Mike: It really is. Remember, everyone: your boss is just a person who wants the job to be done well. Using these phrases shows that you are professional and that you care about your work. It’s not about having 100% perfect grammar.

Anna: That’s so true. So, here is our one simple tip for this week: Before you go to talk to your manager, take a piece of paper. Write down your “update” and your “clarify” question.

Mike: Yes! Having it on paper will help you if you feel nervous or if your mind goes blank. You don’t have to be a statue! You have the words now.

Anna: You can do this. We believe in you, and your English is getting better every day.

OUTRO & CALL TO ACTION

Mike: Well, that’s all for today’s episode of the Context English Podcast. We hope you found these tips useful for your career!

Anna: We want to hear from you! What is the hardest thing for you when you talk to your boss in English? Tell us in the comments. We love reading your stories!

Mike: If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a like, subscribe to our channel, and share it with your colleagues. It really helps us grow.

Anna: Thank you for listening, and stay confident at work!

Mike: Thanks everyone! See you in the next video!

Anna: Bye for now!