Mira: Hi! How are you?... Hi! Nice to see you!... Hello! 

Valerie: Mira, hi! I’m Valerie… we spoke on the phone.

Mira: Oh yeah - hi! How are you?

Valerie: Good! Thank you so much for inviting me to the grand opening of your café. This is quite an event!

Mira: It is, isn’t it? I’ve been looking forward to this for such a long time. Thank you for coming, Valerie. We can definitely use the publicity. Should we take a seat somewhere?

Valerie: Sure… thanks!

Valerie: I’m really happy to be here covering the grand opening of Café Damascus. It’s really a beautiful place!

Mira:  Aw, thank you! Glad you like it.

Valerie: From what I understand, there’s an interesting story behind your business, and I’d love to hear all the details. I’m sure our readers will too. So… tell me… what has your journey been like up to this point? I understand the café is named after your hometown?

Mira: Well… yes, I’m originally from Damascus. Like so many others, I left Syria… that was in 2015. My career, family, my community… I had to leave that all behind. That’s why Cafe Damascus, Ahwouit Dimachk, is so special to me. It’s a place where I can create community, here, for other people and for myself.

Mira: Hmmm. This journalist seems very eager to hear my story, and that could be great for business. I am eager to tell her my story too, but it has to be in a way that she, and her readers, can understand. I want her article to be accurate… not just another cliché refugee piece. And I really want people to know that this café is a truly special place. There is so much to say! So many details…

Conor: Dear listener, has this ever happened to you? You want to tell someone a story, and it’s important that the listener understands you clearly. Especially if you’re at work! Because whether you’re describing a project, giving a presentation, or pitching an idea - you’re sure to find the opportunity to use stories in your professional life. But… it can be difficult trying to put everything together and talk at the same time. Believe me, I know!

Conor: Welcome to Talking on the Job, we’re back with Season 2. I’m Conor, and once again your host and English language mentor, here to help you navigate the world of English in business and at work. 

Remember how in Season 1, we helped Rahim and his coworkers overcome challenges at the office? Well, guess what, we’ve got another exciting challenge ahead of us. Meet Mira: a business person and entrepreneur.

Mira: Hi, I am Mira. I was born and raised in Syria where I had a great career as a social worker but after being forced to leave my home I wasn't able to find a satisfying job. As a refugee there are so many limitations and it took a lot of time and work to get settled. But once I did, I decided to become my own boss and open my own cafe. I think my English is quite good but I had to work with so many different people and in some pretty stressful situations. It really put my language and my communication skills to the test.

Conor: Now, the title of today’s episode is Grand Opening, because… it’s the grand opening of Mira’s café! And she’s invited a journalist to report on the event. This could be great for publicity! So, Mira now has to tell her story in a way that’s easy to understand. Luckily I've got some tips that can help make her and you a better story teller and a better listener.

Conor: If you find yourself in Mira’s situation, the first thing to do is pause. Take a breath. Maybe even smile if you want to. This can help put you and your listener at ease. Then, you can say "Let me start at the beginning." And use a word like "initially" to get started, and add context. Why is context important? It’s the background information that gives your story more meaning, and helps the listener connect with you and what you have to say. Let’s go back to the party and hear how Mira handles this situation.

Mira: Erm, let me start at the beginning. Initially, I was looking for a job as a social worker. That’s what I did in Damascus, I mostly worked in hospitals, and occasionally in schools, too. I knew it would be difficult to pursue social work in a place where I myself was new to the culture. And… I spent some years trying to find a rewarding job, but it just wasn’t working out! When I became a permanent resident, I could finally get the loans I needed to open my own business, something I’ve been dreaming of for a long time. And, I decided to take a different approach to supporting my community. My own approach. So, with Café Damascus, I want to create a place that can be a home away from home, for myself and for others. Plus, well, I love coffee.

Valerie: Me too!

Conor: Did you notice?… Mira took a breath, paused, said "Let me start at the beginning", and used the word "initially" to add context; and to show that the situation started off one way, and then changed. Now she’s on a roll! Let’s check back in with Mira and Valerie. See if you can pick up on some of the other words or phrases Mira uses to make sure Valerie really understands her story.

Valerie: Hmmm… but you said you spent years trying to find a rewarding job as a social worker. What was that like for you? 

Mira: Well, at first, it was difficult, and disappointing. I sent out a lot of CVs and attended so many of these networking events. My language skills are excellent, and I have years of training and experience. But… it took me a while to get used to living here and to get settled… plus… I had to spend a lot of time dealing with bureaucracy and paperwork, and my opportunities as a refugee were limited. Every once in a while I would get a job offer, but I just couldn’t find a position that really suited me. And … eventually, I started to think that perhaps I should try something totally different.

Valerie: Hmmm… I know what you mean. Looking for work can be very difficult, especially when you’re in a new country, and dealing with so many challenges.

Conor: Were you able to notice any of the words or phrases that Mira used to help tell her story? I counted three of them. See if you can too! Let’s listen again…

Mira: Well, at first, it was difficult, and disappointing. I sent out a lot of CVs and attended many of these networking events. My language skills are excellent, and I have years of training and experience. But… it took me a while to get used to living here and to get settled… plus… I had to spend a lot of time dealing with bureaucracy and paperwork, and my opportunities as a refugee were limited. Every once in a while I would get a job offer, but I just couldn’t find a position that really suited me. And … eventually, I started to think that perhaps I should try something totally different.

Conor: Did you catch all three? She used "at first" to talk about how she was feeling when the story started. Then she said "every once in a while" to talk about something that happened occasionally… in this case, getting job offers. Finally, she used "eventually" to mean “in the end”, or after a lot of time and effort. All of these are great for explaining the order of events in a story. They can help you put those details that are tangled up in your mind into an order that makes sense for your listener. Speaking of listeners, Mira’s not the only one doing a great job here. You might have noticed that Valerie is an excellent listener. Sure… that’s part of her job! But she’s also using some strategies that show she empathizes with Mira, and understands what she’s saying. She asked…

Valerie: What was that like for you?

Conor: And she said…

Valerie: Hmmm… I know what you mean.

Conor: These are just some of the ways Valerie shows that she understands Mira’s point of view. Let’s listen in on some more of their conversation. See if you can pick up on any of the other words and strategies they use for telling and listening to stories.

Mira: … and couldn’t find a well-paying job… Consequently, I had to figure out how to get funding for a new café. As someone with refugee status, that was very challenging.

Valerie: Yeah, I can imagine. How did you overcome that?

Mira: Well, one day, pretty unexpectedly, I got the letter telling me that my application for permanent residency had finally been approved. That changed everything. Still, it was a very long and difficult process: I had to manage the construction, source the coffee, hire someone to help out… there were problems with the electricity, and many other “bumps in the road”, as they say… But as you can see, it all worked out pretty well, right?!

Valerie: Haha, yeah, I couldn’t agree more! That leads me to my next questions, about the construction of the space… How long did the construction take? And also, how did you decide -

Conor: It seems like this interview is going great! Did you notice? Mira used a lot of effective words and strategies there for telling her story. She used "consequently" to describe an outcome, or result; and "unexpectedly" to express that something surprised her. Words like "consequently" and "unexpectedly" are great to add to your storytelling toolbox. And when you’re listening to a story, follow Valerie’s example. If someone encountered a problem, get more details by asking "How did you overcome that?" or encourage the speaker and show that you agree by saying "I couldn’t agree more."

Conor: Stories are everywhere in our personal and professional lives. Try using some of the language you’ve heard today at work and see how it goes. You might be surprised by how much more you can share, and how much you can learn from your coworkers and their stories. Also, feel free to let me know! You can send me an email at podcasting@babbel.com! Just remember to mention Talking on the Job in the subject line.

Conor: You can also find a review of today’s vocabulary and some extra resources in the transcript. The link is in the episode description. And don’t miss the next episode, when we’ll find out more about Mira’s story, and how she was able to build and open her own business. Believe me, the challenges have only just begun! See you there!
 
 
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Useful phrases for telling and listening to stories:

To talk about the order of events:
- Let me start at the beginning…
- at first
- initially
- consequently
- eventually
- (every) once in a while
 
 To ask sympathetic questions:
 - What was that like for you?
 - How did you overcome that?
 
 To agree with someone:
- I couldn't agree more!
- I know what you mean.