This is the Business English Podcast, Episode 261.
Here's my two cents, how to walk back your opinion at work.
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Hey, Lindsay, how are you? Fantastic, Michelle.
What's going on for you? Oh, not too much.
Not too much. Lindsay, do you carry around change?
I actually don't carry around very much change these days.
Things have changed a lot. Change and change and change.
Do you have two cents for me? Do I have two cents for you about what topic?
Right? Good question. Okay. Today we are going to be talking about a fun expression dealing with two cents.
But before we do that, guys, we want to thank our listeners who have left us a review we are so thankful when we get these reviews from you um and just if you haven't left a review go ahead and do that but lindsay who do we want to thank today yes we want to start the summer off strong and let's say a big thank you to malia and sophie from germany morteza akbari from the us and oh oh nine one eight three two seven two three which is a listener who's been listening for a long time.
These are all review names or Apple usernames from our listeners.
Guys, leave us a review to get your name read aloud on the show.
All right, let us know what you think of the show.
Give us an episode topic idea. We'd love that right inside your review.
Right. You could do that. Yes. Yeah, exactly.
So thank you so, so much for those reviews, guys.
And today we have a listener question. Speaking of listener questions, that is really useful for the business world and for outside the business world.
This question came to us from YouTube. Guys, you can also ask your questions on YouTube.
We make it really easy for you to submit your questions.
You can do it on YouTube. You can do it on Instagram.
You can do it. You can do it in your review.
You can email us. There's so many ways to ask your question.
So if you have a question, please send it to us.
Lindsay, would you like to read the question for us?
Sure. Here we go. So the listener says, could you please show me how to use my two cents in conversations?
Is it only used in the US? Thanks. Good question.
This is a fun one. Yes. So that's what we're going to talk about today.
If you haven't already, head on over to episode 254 of the Business English podcast.
That was how to respond to a person of higher status in English.
Good one. Status matters, right? So how do we do that?
Go over and check out that episode. So you asked, do you have two cents for me?
And so I immediately thought about not so much change, like physical money change.
I thought about opinions. And I said, on what topic?
Right. Yes. Right. Right. Exactly. So we're not talking when we say my two cents, we're not actually talking about actual pennies. it's about your opinion and so we're going to show you how to use this but this can be good for meetings or brainstorming sessions with co-workers this listener and the question said is it only used in the u.s honestly i have to say i don't know i don't know if it overlaps into other other languages other cultures i don't know so guys you'll have to let us know or even or even british english i don't know either australian english i I actually don't know.
Oh, that's a good question. Yeah, I have some British friends.
Maybe I'll contact them. I'm curious, actually.
So let's do an example. So this is basically my two cents or someone's two cents is their opinion, like Lindsay said.
So let's show you how this works. All right.
So Michelle, can you give us your two cents on the sales plan?
Sure. Nice. So I'm basically asking you to say, what do you think about our sales plan?
Right. And this is a little more interesting than just saying, what's your opinion all the time?
You can say that or you can say, what do you think?
But if you want to add a little color, change things up a little bit, give this a try.
I love that. All right. And then when is it most used?
When do we tend to use it, Michelle? What would you say?
Right. So you can use it in that way, but I feel that it's most used when you're giving advice or an opinion that you may know that it was going to contradict your with what someone else thinks.
I often hear something like, that's just my two cents or just my two cents.
Do you hear it like that, Lindsay? Yes, 100%.
Another way to make sure you gracefully introduce your opinion.
When you feel someone might not, we don't know how they'll respond to it.
It could be placed at the end, like you said, xyz that's just my two cents or this is just my two cents but or here's my two cents maybe more in the end is where i feel like i hear it more at the end of a sentence or your your contribution Right, right.
I think it could be either, but I do agree.
It sounds to me most natural in this kind of context at the end.
So, Lindsay, you want to try an example for us?
Here we go. Well, I know you want the report out on Monday, but I don't know that the team can get it done.
That's just my two cents. Okay. So that's your opinion.
Yeah, that's your opinion. And it seems that this could often be used for a touchy subject or something that's a little controversial.
It's not always used in that way, but that sounds kind of common.
So in this example, Lindsay just did, you're saying expectations can't be met and you're being honest.
You're just saying what you really think, what's realistic.
So you're saying that's just my two cents.
Right. So it's really a qualifier. It's a stepping back from what you've just said, kind of separating yourself from what you've said in a way.
It's just an opinion, but it's, you know, here's what I think.
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Exclusions apply. See details online. Okay, any other example?
I think we need to see this in context here, Michelle.
So. Let's do it. Yeah, here we go. Let's do some role plays, here we go.
We need to get these sales done immediately.
Michelle, you're rushing it, but hey, that's just my two cents.
So that's interesting. I kind of immediately said, I didn't say, I think you're rushing it, it's my opinion that you're rushing it.
I said, Michelle, you're rushing it, but hey, that's just my two cents.
I'm really stepping back. Maybe I feel like I said something too strong.
Interesting. Okay, so it can be used as a way to step back a little bit if you're almost putting down what you said.
Yeah. Yeah. That's just my two cents. Maybe you're doing it because maybe you know that I'm about to get really mad at you.
You start to see the fire coming out of your nose and ears.
Yeah, you're like, oh, tell me I'm rushing it.
How dare you, right? Yeah. I like it. All right, here's another one.
She's a good worker. I know that, but she still needs some training.
That's just my two cents. Nice. Okay. So my two cents is great.
It's kind of, it's friendly. It becomes, it makes things a little more casual, right?
But it's still useful in business. That's why we're doing it today on business English, right?
But what could be some other things that we might say, Michelle?
Well, the basic could be just my opinion or that's just my opinion.
Yeah. Or just my feeling. That's just my feeling.
Mm-hmm. And and then this is one you can throw out kind of tying into these make of it what you will This is a little bit different.
You could even say this after That's my two cents.
You could add this on you could say that's just my that's just my opinion make of it what you will Do you hear that Lindsay?
Yeah for sure. I hear this works for business, too as well as everyday English and Uh, just another thing to say, and it's even further stepping back, right?
It's like when you say that's just my two cents, you've stepped back and we're going to take another step back and say, make of it what you will.
Which is, it's basically interpreted how you want or use this advice, use what I'm saying, however you want, take it, don't take it, whatever.
Sure. What about adding just, so we've done episodes before on All Ears English more about adding just, and when we say that's just my two cents instead of that's my two cents, what are we, are we changing the meaning?
You're backing away even further. You're kind of putting down what you're saying.
So a lot of times we talk about not using just, as a way to sound more confident.
However, sometimes you might know, okay, maybe I've overstepped a little bit.
Maybe I'm giving some advice that is unsolicited or I shouldn't really be this critical.
And so using just as a good way to say, okay, I'm stepping back, I'm stepping back.
This whole episode, it's like a dance. Like we're stepping back.
It's a dance. Go to the back, go to the back.
Moving forward, stepping back. Yeah, that's how we negotiate language.
To the front, to the side, yeah. Yeah. This is, yeah, that is language.
That's how we work, right? Depending on who are we talking to?
What's their status? What is it that we're saying?
Is it critical? Is it constructive? Is it positive?
All these things we have to take into account.
Love it. I like this idea of language as a dance, actually.
Me too. I love that. Very cool. What about a hand gesture, intonation?
How does that play in? Right. So if guys, if you're watching on YouTube, you might want to, So for intonation, if you're going to say, that's just my two cents, it has to be said in that kind of way.
That's just my two cents. And sometimes you might even make a hand gesture like you're backing up.
That's just my two cents. That's just right.
You're almost shrugging or backing up a little bit.
Interesting. Yeah, I hadn't thought about that.
But nonverbal communication absolutely matters, Michelle.
100%. Sometimes it matters more than the words we're using.
Yes, yes, absolutely. The expression on your face.
So, so much that goes along with this because sometimes people get touchy when they're hearing an opinion that's different than theirs.
So again, guys, with my two cents, it can be used.
Just somebody might say, oh, what's your two cents?
What do you think about this? But very frequently we hear it in this second way that we spent most of the episode talking exactly and by the way guys speaking of videos watching videos that is what our b2 fluency course is based on michelle video interviews of interesting conversations and that course is going to be live is live now is live this week in our brand new campaign to launch this course we're super excited michelle what are you most excited about with our b2 fluency course I'm excited about the fact that these are natural interviews.
So I did an interview of my friend Ian and we talked and talked and talked and it wasn't anything.
I didn't say, here's the script. I didn't say, use these words. i i it there's none of that and so because we want you to get the real english that people are really using we're going to pull the content out of what people naturally say so i i like that method and i think that that's very useful for people working on their english oh for sure and ian had an interesting story right he's essentially a nomad right van life nomad very modern lifestyle which you can learn all about in michelle's conversation with him When you're in the b2 course so guys keep your eyes and ears open for our Announcements to find the magic link to go and get that course the offer will expire at the end of the month All right, good stuff Michelle.
Shall we? Dive right into the roleplay here then let's do it So here we are co-workers and we are brainstorming about a project All right, so we should use the company logo right at the beginning Yeah, but but small I don't think small.
People need to get used to our branding, but that's just my opinion.
Yeah, but it may be too much at first. I think people need to see it right up front.
It will make them remember us. That's just my feeling.
Make of it what you will. I know. Here's my two cents.
We get some swag with our logo and that will help them remember us.
Interesting idea. Nice, nice. All right.
So here we used some great phrases. So I said, I don't think small or you're saying logo should actually be small.
And I'm saying, I don't think small people need to get used to our branding, but that's just my opinion.
And if you saw us on YouTube, I did kind of put my hands up a bit and step back.
There was a bit of a defensive physical positioning.
Yes. Yeah. Right. Yes, exactly. Exactly.
And then I said, oh, I think it's going to be too much.
You said, I think people need to see it right up front.
It will make them remember us. That's just my feeling.
And then you use this bonus one, make of it what you will.
So you're saying interpret it. You think of what you think, but that's what I think.
Yeah, this one feels a lot. I would be less likely to add this piece on because it does feel more formal.
It feels a little more impersonal. I don't know.
I don't love it. I don't love it, but it is something people use and our listeners might hear it.
That's funny. I have a different opinion on it.
To me, it sounds smart. It sounds open-minded.
It's a It's funny. Yeah, I like it. Sometimes we disagree about words.
I don't agree. Yeah, that's okay. But hey, that's just my two cents, Lindsay.
I love it. Our listeners can let us know what they think.
Good stuff. Yes. And then I said, oh, then how did I introduce my opinion?
You said, I know. Here's my two cents, right?
And then here's your proposal. Here's what I think we should do, right?
We get some swag with our logo and that will help them remember us.
Yes. Right. So and here I stuck it at the beginning.
And this is it when it's at the beginning, I think, especially it's more confident when it's in the end, I think maybe that's when you're backing off.
I'm saying it and then I have this second like that's my two cents.
Right. Whereas if you say here's my two cents, I think it sounds a little more confident, actually.
That is interesting. Yeah. it's almost like it's kind of being used in a slightly different way different usage it's more similar to here's what i think yeah when you start it off start off the uh the what you're going to say with that interesting okay i like that we came to that at the end of the episode guys so the meaning might be slightly different it's still the same but different usages here and different vibes in terms of confidence or how much you're backing up your idea Right.
Yeah, exactly. Absolutely. So this is a fun one, Lindsay.
And this is a great question. I loved it.
So what's the takeaway for today? Guys, always coming back to connection, human connection, right?
In business, in life, no matter where you're speaking English.
So these ideas are useful. Think about have you just said something that's maybe a little too strong, a little too controversial?
Do you want to back up or do you want to do you need this?
Don't always say this. Don't say this too much. right yeah yeah um then people will think you're not confident in your ideas use it selectively but use it at the right moment it's based on context who are you talking with is the person above you below you is your idea controversial okay so there's a lot much to think about dance that dance you got it dance that dance that's how to do it love it michelle all right you have a good day and guys follow on this show we'll see you next time bye everyone bye Thank you for listening to Business English, a podcast just for you, the high achieving global professional.
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