Workplace English: getting a word in at meetings

Xin chào! Week two of the Workplace English series. Last week was emails, where you have time to think. This week is the opposite: meetings, where the conversation moves on while you are still building your sentence.

My students all describe the same moment: "I understood everything, and I had something to say, but by the time I was ready they were on the next topic." This post is about closing that gap.

Prepare one sentence, not a speech

Before the meeting, look at the agenda and choose one item where you have something to add. Write one sentence for it. Just one. Say it out loud twice on the way in.

You are not trying to be fluent for an hour. You are trying to say one useful thing, clearly, at the right moment. One sentence per meeting, every meeting, is how speaking confidence is built.

Getting in

Fluent speakers rarely wait for silence; they use a short phrase to signal that they want to speak. Learn three:

• Can I add something here?
• Sorry, just a quick point on that.
• Before we move on, ...

Say the phrase, then pause for half a second. People will turn to you, and that half second is also your time to breathe.

When you did not catch it

Not understanding is normal; pretending is what causes problems. Ask in a way that sounds professional:

• Sorry, could you say that again? Simple, and completely fine.
• Just to make sure I understood: you mean ...? Even better, because it shows what you did catch.
• Could you give me an example? Useful when the words are clear but the idea is not.

Restating is a skill the TOEIC trained without telling you. Paraphrase was the whole game in Parts 3 and 4; here you produce it instead of recognising it.

Agreeing and disagreeing

Vietnamese workplace culture often avoids open disagreement, and English meetings can feel blunt. You do not need to become blunt. Use the soft frame instead:

• I see your point, and I wonder if ...
• That makes sense. One concern I have is ...
• I agree with most of that. The part I'm less sure about is ...

Agree with something true first, then add your point. It sounds polite in any language.

After the meeting

Send a short follow-up email: what was decided, and what you will do next. Use the shape from last week's post. People remember who wrote the summary.

This week's practice

In your next meeting, say one prepared sentence and use one "getting in" phrase. That is all. Afterwards, write down what you said and what you wish you had said; next time, the second one becomes your prepared sentence.

Next Wednesday: phone calls, where there is no slide and no face to help you. Hẹn gặp lại! 🌸