This is an All Ears English podcast episode 2032.
Happy to help.
How to volunteer your assistance.
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How can you show you are eager to help someone in English?
Today we share some special ways to connect when offering to help and we talk about the human desire to reciprocate favors.
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Hey there, Michelle.
How's everything today?
Hello, Lindsay.
I feel like we're both having kind of crazy mornings, don't you think?
We really are.
I brought my dog to the vet this morning and he went crazy and you had some debacle with the doctor and craziness, baby sickness and child care.
And I sent Lindsay a text this morning.
I can't record it.
That's 20 minutes later.
I said, actually, I can record.
Yeah, we're just like, oh, it's craziness.
Now we have a wolf in the house and my dog is about to be on the microphone.
He'll be a scar pretty soon here.
So that's great.
Well, oh, my gosh.
Well, I feel like we were both like happy to kind of just like be flexible with each other and work this all out so we could record for our listeners.
You know michelle, flexibility is the key.
I mean it helps that we actually really enjoy, you know, recording because we just want to make it work um, because we love this show, and so yeah, i'm usually happy to be pretty flexible with things and kind of move in and out of stuff and we just make it work in the end yeah, i love it, We do.
Yeah.
So guys well, we are actually.
I don't know if you noticed, Lindsay and I are throwing around this expression.
I'm happy to.
I'm happy to.
And we're going to talk about this because on the Business English podcast, episode 115, that was Teamwork English Skills for Business Success.
So guys, if you don't know this, we have another podcast called the business English podcast.
And this is a great way to prepare for business things in your life.
We know that you guys are global professionals, so there's so much to learn.
So we're uh, three days a week over on that podcast right, lindsay?
Yes, it's 100.
It's a great show, guys.
So go open your search bar, search for business english.
You'll see the big yellow cover art and hit follow on that show and make sure you're following this one too, so that it just drops right into your queue every Monday Tuesday Wednesday, Thursday.
But today's episode of Michelle is going to be good for our listeners is definitely a native skill to be able to say this.
I'm happy to do something.
Let's talk about it.
Yeah.
So on that episode of business, English one 15, we were talking about dividing up work.
Uh, school projects, teamwork Listen to that.
Definitely.
And we were we were using this expression.
I'm happy to.
And that was for splitting up work.
And it was kind of used like this.
I'm happy to start with X. Do you want to do Y?
So, Lindsay, what did that sound like?
Yeah.
So X.
I'm happy to start with eggs, do you want to do?
Should I throw in an example?
I'm happy to start with the pictures.
Yes, do you want to do the charts right?
So there we're grabbing some work and we're saying I'll do this, would you like to do that?
Right sounds professional.
It sounds giving right.
You want to feel like you're pulling your weight at work or in life.
Right for sure.
And but what was interesting was kind of while we were using that, we realized that there's more to discuss with this phrase.
So that happens a lot of times.
Sometimes we just get an idea from another episode.
And because I mentioned that sometimes I feel funny saying this and I don't know why.
If there's a reason,
So we're going to.
Yeah.
We're going to talk about this today and our thoughts, opinions, and teach you guys how to use it.
Because do you think it's common, Lindsay, to say, oh, I'm happy to do this?
I think it's pretty common.
And I'm also thinking for our listeners.
Maybe, if you guys are not necessarily working, I could see this for like a parent carpool which I'm sure you'll get into in a couple of years Michelle, pretty soon.
Yeah.
I'm thinking of Aubrey driving around all her kids, right?
And then other kids and, oh, I'm happy to do Friday if you can do Tuesday.
Right.
So it's really just great for work life um, community building, that kind of thing, sharing responsibilities.
But i'm wondering why you feel funny about it.
What, what is it, i don't know.
Um well, i mean, let's talk, we'll get into it.
But like i, i i don't know when you so, but basically when you say i'm happy to x, it's like offering suggesting, like lindsay said, saying you're good with doing something.
It's like a different way of saying i'll do this, like it seems.
It seems a little bit more polite show.
I think it shows a sense of eagerness or just being willing to help.
So in that way, it's very nice.
Yeah, exactly.
But maybe there's another side to it, but we'll see.
We'll see.
And I do, I would say that personally, I do use this.
I think it's good for work, good for social life.
I'm trying to think.
Yeah, when we take care of other people's dogs, like we'll do like dog swaps, right?
If we go away for a weekend, someone will take Kiefer and then we'll take their dog.
You know, we're happy to take care of Pip.
That's our friend's dog's name, Pip.
He's this cute little dog with an underbite.
So cute.
We're happy to take care of Pip.
If you can take Kiefer.
You know it is sometimes.
Maybe what you're getting at Michelle, is that it signals a bit of a like a transaction.
It's transactional.
Like, I'll do this if you do that.
Is that what you mean, that you feel funny?
I don't know what it is.
I had explored this idea.
Now I kind of lost it.
Like, why is it that sometimes I feel funny when I say it?
I guess, you know what?
I was thinking maybe it sounds like a little insincere.
Like I don't know.
Just a little bit funny, formal.
Like I feel like yeah, I feel like maybe it can sound like like okay, let's say I am not really happy to do something especially um, but I'm offering and I use that.
I just feel sometimes a little bit fake and I don't know why, but it just saying like Oh, I'm happy to do this.
Like, I don't know.
It just feels sometimes in insincere to me.
I don't know why, but it's so, it's so common and I don't think people take it as that way.
No, for sure.
Let's give some more examples.
What do you think?
What else can we use it in?
What do you think?
OK, well, so you can say happy to help.
Right.
So so this is you could say I'm happy to help.
But don't you think people also just cut off the I'm and they just say happy to help?
Oh, for sure.
And that's kind of often used when someone has said thank you to you more than anything, rather than volunteering to take on that task on the front end.
It's more on the back end.
And this role play is perfect.
So should we do it, Michelle?
Let's do it.
Okay.
Thanks so much.
That really made my day easier.
Oh, happy to help Lindsay.
Yeah, so that one's easy.
I don't feel any funniness about saying that, because that's nice, like that's when you have already helped someone and you want to.
Just it just feels good.
It's a nice exchange there right right yeah, exactly exactly.
I don't know, maybe it's just me, i it's just.
It's not all the time, but every once in a while i say it and then i feel funny and it's just a silly michelle thing i get um, but anyway.
So there's another thing people might say is I'm happy to hear that.
So that's when there's hearing good news.
So for example, I finally got to relax this weekend.
Oh, I'm happy to hear that.
Yeah.
Okay.
So happy to help.
Happy to hear that.
So kind of starting with happy to do X or something X, right?
Yes.
Okay, Michelle, what else do we need to know here?
All right.
So we also just one more have I'd be happy to do something.
So this is kind of what we went over already.
But you can also say I'd instead of I'm.
I would be happy to.
So, for example, can you help me with those boxes?
I'd be happy to.
Right.
So so it's I would be happy to.
Or as we said earlier in the episode, I'm happy to.
What is the difference, Michelle, when we say I'd be happy to versus I'm happy to?
I feel I I'm happy to can like, I'd be happy to, you wouldn't say that afterwards.
Uh-huh.
Right.
You want to say like, well, thanks for doing that.
I'd be happy to know that's for, that's a good point.
More for the future for like a, a future thing that might happen.
Um, whereas I'm happy to, um, or happy to help that could be at the end.
Or if like, let's say you're saying, Oh, could you, could you do this for me later?
Um, And I said, sure.
And you say, thank you.
I say, oh, happy to help.
Even though it's still in the right, like it's still before the action takes place.
We've already made this agreement that I'm going to do that.
So you're thanking me.
So the I'd be happy to is more when you're being asked.
Yes.
And I think, when it comes to accepting it on the front end, both are fine right, i'm happy to.
You know, will you?
Uh oh someone, or just someone, needs to go pick up the dog at the vet.
Oh, i'd be happy to, or i'm happy to.
Both are interchangeable in that scenario right, michelle?
Yes, that's true, that's true.
Good point okay, i love it.
So guys, there's some nuances here, for sure, but what we're communicating here is openness, kind of an eagerness, or just wanting to.
You know, i think human beings really have this, even though we don't want to be transactional.
It's the reciprocity effect right, and we keep things in mind.
It's not so much we're always scheming like oh, i did this for you, you need to do something.
But i think it's built into our brains as human beings, and goes way back to evolution, that when someone has done something nice for us, we want to come back and do something for them.
It's, it's very hardwired into us as humans.
So this will help you do that guys, That's right.
That's right.
Yeah.
And I think for that, like what you're saying, it shows that this can bring about connection because it just you know that idea that you're willing to help, that you're eager, that you're happy to.
And I think it's interesting how the word happy because it's kind of an informal sounding word, just happy, you know it can kind of have an elevated meaning tone when you use it in this expression.
So you can use that at work.
And it's, you know, formal sounding or informal sounding.
So either is good.
I love it.
So let's give our listeners a little role play to finish up today's episode.
So today Michelle, we are planning a trip, and this is a place where it is really good especially if you're taking a trip with friends to be able to jump in and say you know, I'd be happy to do this, if you'll do that.
Right.
Exactly.
Yes.
So here we are.
We're friends planning this trip.
Let's go.
Okay.
So I'm happy to look up the hotels in the area.
Okay.
That would be great.
I think I can get us some discounts.
Oh, I'm happy to hear that.
Can you call about the car rental?
I'd be happy to.
Oh, man.
Michelle, when you travel with Dan, does he do most of the planning or do you share it pretty well?
He does most of it.
What about for you guys?
I'm guilty of that, too.
I'm guilty of that, too, unfortunately.
I just show up often.
Yeah.
Oh, me, too.
And then I get there and I'm like, oh, where are we?
Yeah.
It's so bad.
I need to get better at that, really.
I mean, you know, when your partner's really good at planning trips, that you know they enjoy it, and then they want to do it, but then it can get overwhelming, right.
That's so funny.
That's why sometimes I feel like you and I are very similar, like in more ways than we even realize.
Like whenever we, you know, it always happens that we feel the same way about something or we take on a certain role.
But yeah, I feel it's so...
I was just thinking about that on our trip.
Like, why do I do nothing?
Yeah, I know.
It's something I really want to change.
But anyways, to be revisited, we'll come back to this.
Maybe we'll do an episode about something around pulling your weight or something.
I don't know.
Or when the two of us are going on another trip.
We should like challenge each other to do some of the planning and do an episode about that.
I know.
Or Michelle, you and I should not take a trip together because no, we wouldn't be going anywhere.
We would just be we would barely make it to the airport.
All right.
Let's go back through this role play here for our listeners.
So we said I said, OK, I'm happy to look up the hotels in the area.
And this is where I'm just throwing it out there.
We know we're planning a trip.
And so I'm volunteering to do the first thing.
Right.
Um, and then you said you could get us some discounts.
So I said, I'm happy to hear that.
Yeah.
And then finally you said, well, I said, can you call about the car rental?
Right.
And so I'm asking you to do something and you said, I'd be happy to.
Right.
So yeah, good stuff.
Well, what's the takeaway for today, Michelle?
What do we think?
How do we want to leave our listeners planning a trip, right?
Yes well, we hope everyone can take a trip sometime soon, but basically, I think leave I want to leave you guys with.
This is that this is all about connection right, and this eagerness to show you're willing to help.
Don't listen to me about feeling funny about it.
I don't even know what I'm talking about.
Like, even as I talk through it, I'm still like it.
You know it's.
It happens only in very specific moments where I say it and then I feel funny saying it.
I still have to.
Once that comes up, maybe I'll do a follow-up.
Report back to All Ears English.
Yes.
Exactly.
Yeah.
But these are great ways to connect with people and show you're willing to help.
Anything else, Lindsay?
Yeah.
I mean, keep in mind that reciprocity effect.
We know it because it's hardwired into us, like I said.
So we want to compensate.
When someone has done something, we want to do something else.
It's normal, right?
It's not transactional.
It's just how human beings function in the world.
And so now guys, you have the language to do that, whether it's at work, planning a trip with your spouse or just sharing a carpool with friends in your community.
This works for many arenas.
So go and use it.
So good.
Perfect.
Okay.
Well, this was fun, Lindsay.
So, all right.
I'll talk to you later.
All right.
Talk soon, Michelle.
Take care.
Bye.
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