Valerie: I’m curious about how you got to, as you said, practice your argument skills. I mean, you and Muza decided to move forward with opening in June, didn’t you?

Mira: Right, yes. Well, I was saying that Giovanni has different priorities than I do.

Valerie: Mm hmm, okay…

Mira: But it’s up to me to make sure that everything gets done on time. So I had to go and convince Giovanni to speed things up, or at least stick to the 2 week timeline that we agreed on for fixing the wiring, and the walls.

Mira: Hello, Giovanni! Giovanni! Hello!

Giovanni: Oh, Mira! Hi! Nice to see you.

Mira: Hi, good to see you too. You said on the phone that you would have a moment to chat this afternoon.

Giovanni: Umm - oh yeah! Yes. Of course.

Mira: Should we go outside? It’s a nice day.

Giovanni: Ummmm… Okay, sure.

Mira: Okay, so… I have to convince Giovanni and the team to get things done. After all, I want my café to be safe and beautiful, but also, open! And this place is a mess! I negotiated the extra work time with Giovanni from four weeks down to two. But it looks like there’s still so much to do! There’s no way the walls will be finished in two weeks. There are so many benefits to opening in June, as Muza said, and I have to make sure we’re on track. Hopefully Giovanni understands.

Giovanni: So. Right. What did you want to talk about?

Mira: Well, I met with Muza, my accountant, and we agreed that you and I need to talk about the project plan, and the walls, and how to move forward.

Giovanni: Okay.

Conor: Hello, friends, and welcome back to Talking on the Job. I’m Conor, your host and English language mentor, back again to help you navigate the world of business and work, in English. I made a point of calling today’s episode Making a Point, which means, making something understood, or, making sure that something happens. Mira has to make a clear and convincing argument for getting the construction of the café done on time. And, luckily for you, I’m here to guide you through her process. Like a play-by-play sort of thing, in case you’re a sports fan. So, let’s see how she does it.

Conor: First, Mira starts out with “On the whole” to describe the general situation.

Mira: On the whole, I’m really happy with how things are going so far. I appreciate that you prioritize safety, and that you are so detail-oriented.

Conor: Then, she mentions what should have been done by using, well, “should have” and “in the first place”.

Mira: I didn’t love all of the mosaics, yes, but you really should have told me when the electrician was coming in the first place, like you said you would. Then this all could have been avoided.

Conor: Then, Mira states her opinion, starting with the phrase “I find it…”, and introduces a contrasting idea using “however”.

Mira: I find it admirable that you want to do such a good job, by making sure the structure and the wiring are all very safe. That’s important to me too, Giovanni. However, I need you to find a way to speed this up, so we can really open in June.

Conor: Finally, Mira uses the phrase “In other words”, to simplify her previous point. And “For instance”, which is handy when you want to give an example.

Mira: In other words, this can’t take more than two weeks. We need to open on time. And to me, it looks like there’s more than two weeks of work here. For instance, most of the walls are still open!

Conor: Now, let’s put it all together, and see how Giovanni responds.

Mira: On the whole, I’m really happy with how things are going so far. I appreciate that you prioritize safety, and that you are so detail-oriented.

Giovanni: Okay… …

Mira: I didn’t love all of the mosaics, yes, but you really should have told me when the electrician was coming in the first place, like you said you would. Then this all could have been avoided.

Giovanni: I mean, maybe, yes, I guess so, but I didn’t know she was coming, so it wasn’t because of -

Mira: I find it admirable that you want to do such a good job, by making sure the structure and the wiring are all very safe. That’s important to me too, Giovanni. However, I need you to find a way to speed this up, so we can really open in June.

Mira: In other words, this can’t take more than two weeks. We need to open on time. And to me, it looks like there’s more than two weeks of work here. For instance, most of the walls are still open!

Giovanni: Well, it might still be possible to finish in two weeks. Based on our original plans, I didn’t think an electrician would be necessary. I consulted with the architect, as you requested, and, initially, everything seemed fine.

Mira: Hmmm, okay…

Giovanni: But, well, it is my fault that we’re in this situation, I guess. We agreed on two weeks, so I could work overtime next week, to make sure the wiring is fixed and the walls are closed. And then I suppose we only really need one coat of paint.

Mira: So… you’ll be done with all this by the end of next week?

Giovanni: Yes. We will.

Mira: Okay. Great. Thanks, Giovanni.

Conor: It worked! And that’s because Mira used a lot of English phrases that are perfect for making a point. She expressed her opinion, and convinced Giovanni to stay on track. So let’s go back to the grand opening and find out if Giovanni kept his promise. And, what Mira had to deal with next!

Valerie: I see. So it sounds like you got what you wanted. But did you, really?

Mira: I did! Giovanni stuck to our agreement. The wiring was finished, and the walls were closed. They added paint where some of the mosaics used to be. And, actually, I think the color really brightens up the place.

Valerie: It does! So, what happened next?

Mira: Well, I could finally turn my attention away from the construction, and start thinking about hiring some help. That was an adventure, let me tell you. I had a lot of candidates who were interested, and some that were… let’s just say… interesting. I posted an ad online, and immediately got responses. So I had to sort through them all and look for people -

Conor: So, dear listener, next time you have to make a clear and convincing argument at work, follow Mira’s example, and see what happens! I bet you’ll be able to make your point more clearly and more convincingly than ever before. Take a look at the episode transcript for a reminder of all the handy English phrases that Mira used, and how she used them. You’ll find some more resources there too! As always, the link is in the episode description. And feel free to let me know how this podcast is working for you! Send an email to podcasting@babbel.com, and please remember to write Talking on the Job in the subject line.

Don’t miss the next episode, when we’ll get to listen in on a job interview, as Mira tries to hire someone to help her with running the café. I can’t wait to find out how that goes. See you there!
 
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 Useful phrases for making a clear and convincing argument

To describe the general situation:
- On the whole

To express what should have been done:
- should have/should’ve done something in the first place

To express your opinion:
- I find it + adjective + that (e.g. I find it admirable that…)

To introduce a contrasting idea:
- However,

To simplify your previous point:
- In other words,

To give an example:
- For instance,


Key Vocabulary

- admirable: having qualities that you respect
- play-by-play: continuous commentary on a sports competition