English speaking lesson · Work & Career
Presenting an idea
You've asked a colleague for five minutes to share an idea you've been thinking about. You practise it as a real conversation, at whichever of the four levels fits you — the room and the steps stay the same, only the words get harder.
A chat with a colleague · you talk to the interested colleague
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What you have to do
Pitch your idea, explain the benefit, answer a question, and agree on a next step. You finish the lesson by getting there in conversation — not by answering questions about it. Nothing is corrected while you talk; the corrections are collected and handed to you at the end.
How it opens
Sure, I've got five minutes — what's the idea?
Spoken aloud by the tutor playing the interested colleague.
The 5 steps that finish it
A step clears when you say the thing that clears it. The steps are identical at all four levels — only the example line fades, and at Natural there is none at all.
- 01
Pitch your idea
Say what your idea is.
“I have an idea — I think we could try a new tool.”
- 02
Explain the benefit
Explain why the idea would help.
“It would make things faster, and better too.”
- 03
Answer a question
Answer the clarifying question.
“It wouldn't cost much, no.”
- 04
Check the idea
Check the summary of your idea is right.
“Yes, that's right.”
- 05
Agree a next step
Say what you'd need to get started.
“That would help a lot — when can we start?”
The words, at all four levels
The same room and the same steps, four vocabularies. These are the words the lesson listens for and scores you on — with what each one means and how it sounds when you are talking to the interested colleague.
Starter
A1 – A2Simple, everyday words with a full hint on every step.
- idea
- a new thought or plan
- “I have an idea.”
- think
- to have an idea or opinion
- “I think we could try this.”
- better
- of higher quality
- “It would make things better.”
- faster
- quicker than before
- “It would be faster.”
- cost
- how much something costs
- “It wouldn't cost much.”
- much
- a large amount
- “It wouldn't cost much.”
- right
- correct
- “Yes, that's right.”
- start
- to begin something
- “When can we start?”
- help
- support with something
- “That would help a lot.”
- great
- very good
- “That sounds great.”
Conversational
A2 – B1Common words at a natural pace, with hints to lean on.
- suggestion
- an idea put forward
- “I have a suggestion.”
- improve
- to make something better
- “It could improve how we work.”
- efficient
- working well without wasting time
- “It would be more efficient.”
- budget
- the money available to spend
- “It fits within budget.”
- timeline
- the schedule for something
- “What's the timeline like?”
- involved
- taking part in something
- “Who else would be involved?”
- accurate
- correct, matching reality
- “Yes, that's accurate.”
- onboard
- in agreement, ready to support
- “I'm fully onboard with that.”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for something
- “I appreciate you hearing me out.”
- cheers
- informal thanks
- “Cheers for that!”
Confident
B1 – B2Richer, more specific words, with only light hints.
- proposal
- a formal suggestion or plan
- “I've got a proposal for you.”
- streamline
- to make a process simpler and faster
- “It would streamline the process.”
- scalable
- able to grow easily
- “It's also fairly scalable.”
- resource
- people or tools needed for something
- “What resource would it need?”
- pilot
- a small trial version of something
- “We could run a pilot first.”
- outcome
- the result of doing something
- “The outcome would be worth it.”
- align
- to fit well with existing plans
- “It would align well with our goals.”
- buy-in
- agreement and support from others
- “I'd want your buy-in first.”
- sorted
- arranged and settled
- “That's sorted, thanks.”
- appreciate
- to be grateful for
- “I'd appreciate that.”
Natural
B2 – C1Advanced, idiomatic words — no hints at all.
- floating
- raising an idea informally (informal)
- “Just floating an idea, really.”
- low-hanging fruit
- an easy win with little effort
- “It's a bit of low-hanging fruit.”
- greenlight
- approval to go ahead
- “I just need a greenlight.”
- traction
- growing momentum or progress
- “It could gain traction quickly.”
- wins
- clear, positive results
- “Some quick wins, basically.”
- champion
- to strongly support and promote something
- “I'd love you to champion it.”
- sanity check
- a quick review to confirm something makes sense
- “Just wanted a sanity check first.”
- spearhead
- to lead a new initiative
- “I'm happy to spearhead it.”
- obliged
- grateful for a favour
- “Much obliged for the time.”
- sorted
- dealt with and settled
- “Great, we're sorted.”
More Work & Career lessons
- Give a meeting update
- Networking introduction
- Work phone / video call
- Small talk with colleagues
- One-on-one with your manager
- Requesting time off
- Giving feedback
- Delegating a task
- Negotiating a deadline
- Onboarding a new hire
- Job interview
- Asking for a raise
- Resigning