This is the Business English Podcast, Episode 198.
Arguably the best vocabulary for a classy brag in English. welcome to the business english podcast from all ears english get the english skills you need to achieve your dreams in global business for a presentation a meeting or your office party this is real business english with your favorite american hosts lindsay and michelle coming to you from new york city and colorado usa Still translating in your head when you speak English?
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Hello, Aubrey. How's it going today? I'm great.
How are you, Lindsay? I'm feeling good today.
What are we talking about on Business English?
Oh, this is going to be really fun. This is part two of a series that we started over on All Ears English.
Love that. We shared informal ways to minimize something, especially if you're sharing a fault in or a weakness.
That was episode 2125. If you missed it, scroll up.
It's called, or not scroll up, make sure you're following Aller's English, right?
It was called How to Share Your Faults in English for Deeper Connection.
And we promised to follow up here on Business English because the more formal ways to say this, we really just use at work.
They would actually be great for sharing accomplishments in an interview. yes so we know across the board self-disclosure or sharing your faults sharing your weaknesses sharing your humanness matters for connection right aubry that's the baseline yeah absolutely and also during your accomplishments right in interviews as i started working on these sort of more formal ways to do this i realized we use them more as native english speakers to minimize an accomplishment to like share something we're proud of but sort of kind of bragging here got it so in the social world we're kind of sharing our weaknesses or maybe our faults and over here we're kind of sharing our wins but we're using certain modifying words Exactly.
To do what, Aubrey? Again, to... Yeah, to maybe not make it feel like such an outright brag.
Okay. We're sort of softening statements when sharing something that we did that was amazing.
And sometimes we certainly can just say this.
We're in an interview. We recognize we're sharing our accomplishments.
This is fine. But this is language. The words we're sharing today that native English speakers use without even realizing because it just kind of sort of softens that brag.
Yeah, I know. It's true. I wonder at what point kids start to learn that they shouldn't brag, right?
It's kind of sad in a way, right? That you've got to function as a person in society.
You can't go around being like, I'm so great at this and I'm so great at that.
But it's also kind of sad. It's kind of amazing when kids do that.
They're like, I'm the best colorer in my class.
It's true. It's true. So I have mixed feelings about it.
In a way. Yeah, it's interesting. We also want to make sure you guys don't miss episode 173, how to organize your points in English with letters and numbers.
You and Michelle shared this. This was an amazing episode.
So scroll up and listen to it if you missed it.
All right, good stuff. And as you're right here in Business English, might as well hit that follow button, guys, because 2024 is going to be a good year.
We're going to do some amazing series. We're going to stay deep into the grammar that we've gotten into in 2024.
Lots of good new business courses are coming to All Ears English.
So hit the follow button so you don't miss a single thing.
All right. What's the first one, Aubrey?
What are we doing today? Instead of saying like, you know, that project had the best possible outcome.
We will add a word like this. We might say this project arguably had the best possible outcome.
It sounds very professional and polished, sort of softens that statement about how amazing you did.
Yeah. And when you're doing that, you're kind of, I mean, functionally, what is that word doing?
It's changing the meaning a little bit, right?
It's really kind of saying it is up for argument.
Like it's up for debate, but I'm saying that this is the best.
Yeah, it's interesting, right? Because you're saying like it had the best possible outcome, but I recognize that there's You know, there are definitely ways to interpret that, right?
Other people might think what they could come up with was the best.
So you can see how it's sort of just softening that statement of what I did was the best thing that could have been done.
Yeah, but it's smart. It sounds astute. It sounds intellectual and professional.
I like it. Yes. Another example is that was arguably my greatest achievement.
And it's interesting how the meaning here is basically saying like, you know, that was definitely my greatest achievement, but I can recognize that like other people have had amazing achievements as well.
It's interesting. Or I could recognize within my own achievements, something else might have been better.
But I'm just saying this. That was arguably my greatest achievement.
There could have been another one that was better too, right?
Oh, that's a good point too, right? You're saying I've had tons and tons of great achievements.
This was arguably my best. Yeah. I like it.
Number two, what's our next one, Aubrey?
Yeah, we just use the word perhaps, right?
This expresses possibility. So instead of making this outright statement of something being the most impressive thing ever, we'll throw in a perhaps.
Yes. So for example, increasing our sales was perhaps my most impressive accomplishment.
So again, like you said, Aubrey, in an interview, this could be useful.
Talking to a new team when you've just joined a new company, that could be great.
Talking about your past. Yes, we use this a lot, right?
Instead of just saying outright, that was my most impressive accomplishment.
That was the best thing that ever happened.
We'll just sort of throw in this perhaps.
It's almost sort of recognizing that you're not omniscient.
You don't know everything, right? So we'll say like, from my perspective, I believe this was the best thing, but I'm recognizing other people might have a different perspective.
It really, it's so sort of inclusive of everyone else's opinions.
Yeah, I love it. I love it. And here's another example.
Though it was a challenge, the result of that effort was perhaps what I'm proudest of.
Yeah, it just, you know, we do a little intonation there too.
We kind of change our tone, don't we, Aubrey?
When we say perhaps, it's kind of like a benchmark word in the sentence.
Yeah, definitely. And if you take the perhaps out, it's interesting.
If you say, you know, the result of that effort was what I'm proudest of.
It's just so definitive when you make a statement like that, right?
You're thinking of all the things I've ever done.
So then we'll throw in the perhaps. Was perhaps what I'm proudest of.
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Exclusions apply. See details online. Okay, Aabria, where are we going from here?
We have a role play. We're gonna show our listeners how we put these into action.
Here we go. Yeah, you are interviewing me for a position at a city library in this role play.
So we're doing a little chunk out of a mock interview.
All right, here we go. I'll start us out.
Thank you for coming in today to chat with me.
Oh, I have me interviewing you, actually.
Yeah, you're interviewing me. I am interviewing Lucy for a position at a city library.
Okay. Oh, let's see. It looks like I've switched it.
Oh, let's see. It's good to hear anything particular.
Let's just take this out. Okay. Oh, okay.
You interviewing me after this, once I started using the vocabulary.
Got it. Okay. All right. I'll start us out here.
Okay. Role play coming in three seconds.
Yes. All right. Thanks so much for having me.
I appreciate you taking the time. Okay. So where am I reading from?
You're right here. Okay. I saw that you have arguably the best collection of first edition novels in the state.
Yes, we do. We're very proud of that. So first, tell me about your past experience.
Have you worked in this field before? Yes, I've always loved books.
They're perhaps my greatest love. I volunteered at a local library and then worked at the campus library when I was at university.
Nice. Okay. A little tricky, right? It's always kind of tricky when it's an interview because I'm like, okay, I've got to like, we can't do all of the small talk at the beginning or just diving right in.
Yeah. And again, these words make you sound smart.
They're high level. They're more formal.
So they're good to throw in here. So first I said, I saw that you have arguably the best collection of first edition novels in the state.
Nice. Yes. So this is interesting, right?
You're saying something you know about the place that you're interviewing.
And this is, like you said, it's very polished to say arguably.
I feel like you have arguably the best collection of first edition novels.
Yes, I love that. And then what did I say next?
And you said, I've always loved books. They're perhaps my greatest love, right?
Because it might be a little too definitive, a little too overarching to say they're my greatest love.
What about your dog? What about your family?
Perhaps they're perhaps my greatest love.
Yeah. And it's just more conversational to add in that perhaps.
It makes it feel a little more artistic, more high level for some reason.
Yes. Which is interesting, right? Because sometimes you might think of the conversation you have in an interview of not being conversational, like it should be more professional and polished.
But really, the more conversational you can be, then you feel more like a human, someone who they will actually want to hire and spend time with.
Yeah, 100%. So what's the takeaway for our listeners today, Aubrey?
Where should we leave them? Yes, there's an art to bragging, guys.
You need to be able to share accomplishments during interviews without giving a bad impression.
Today's vocabulary can really help you do that, help soften those statements.
Yes. There's an art to bragging, right? There's a time, there's a place, and there's a way.
And this is the way. By adding some smart words like perhaps or arguably, it also just kind of, I think it kind of adds a little class to the bragging.
Do you know what I mean? Oh, that's a good point.
Yes. Right. We're not quite putting my finger on it.
That's what it is, right? It makes it just a little classier.
A classy brag. It's the classy, classy, professional brag.
It's a classy brag. All right. Good stuff.
Aubrey, thanks for hanging out today. I'll see you back on very soon.
Awesome. See you next time. Take care. Bye.
Bye. Thank you for listening to Business English, a podcast just for you, the high achieving global professional.
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