Speaker A
Here it's going to snow. I feel like they always freak out, and I didn't know what to expect. This is my—I don't live here. I mean, except for—I don't see a reason for that. I mean, uh, I've been here for like four years. I live.
A coaching session focusing on pronunciation and presentation skills for a formal talk on mergers and acquisitions.
Key Takeaways
- Pronunciation practice is crucial for clear communication in formal business presentations.
- Avoiding informal expressions helps maintain professionalism in presentations.
- Understanding stress and vowel sounds improves listener comprehension.
- Preparation includes anticipating difficult words and practicing them.
- Cultural and linguistic differences influence English pronunciation and word usage.
Summary
- The video features a coaching session where the speaker prepares for a formal presentation on mergers and acquisitions.
- Discussion includes common pronunciation challenges, especially with business terminology like 'diversification' and 'acquisition'.
- The coach provides feedback on stress patterns, vowel sounds, and consonant clarity in English.
- The speaker plans to travel for the presentation and discusses scheduling conflicts.
- There is emphasis on avoiding informal expressions in a formal presentation setting.
- The session covers strategies for clear communication and avoiding cultural-specific expressions.
- The coach highlights common errors related to pluralization and verb forms in business English.
- Practice on specific words and phrases related to mergers and acquisitions is a key focus.
- The importance of formal tone and clarity for an international or American audience is discussed.
- The session aims to boost confidence and reduce language-based misunderstandings in professional contexts.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction and travel plans
- 01:38Scheduling and availability discussion
- 03:29Pronunciation challenges and word practice
- 07:23Presentation topic overview: mergers and acquisitions
- 09:01Common pronunciation errors and corrections
- 14:20Stress patterns and word usage in business English
- 18:20Issues in mergers and acquisitions
- 21:46Practice on difficult words and expressions
- 26:24Formal presentation tips and cultural considerations
- 28:34Final practice and session wrap-up
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
years I live C classes have been cancelled only perhaps once you serious yeah I don't recall we never have S here and then before I forget next week I'll be out of town well you're going be out of town next week
Speaker A
Classes have been cancelled only perhaps once. You serious? Yeah, I don't recall. We never have snow here.
Speaker A
later flight I'll let you know but uh as of now I won't be able to come next week okay where you going uh probably um uh North to make a presentation it's um very short uh travel but short uh I have to make a
Speaker A
And then before I forget, next week I'll be out of town.
Speaker A
for what makes you what you want I have I have a we can do today but well I I can tell you a little about the presentation about the topic and you can see if you can catch up any Red Flags uh
Speaker A
Well, you're going to be out of town next week?
Speaker A
but you know like to catch you up so so that's uh that's good an acquisition is a topic and uh I'll be I'll be talking about uh Core Concepts and mostly why this strategy is so used by companies you
Speaker A
Okay, I won't be able to come.
Speaker A
say are you saying a company or companies because that changes how you say buys like if I okay companies yes I understand plural singular companies usually buy smaller companies in the diversify okay this is a question the i
Speaker A
Okay, this is the 27th, right? Uh, I'll be traveling, so most likely my flight is going to be in the afternoon, so I have to leave here in the morning.
Speaker A
found that the stress is always going to be on the the syllable right before shun communication diversification I'm just asking about the the I sound is the or D diversification diversification diversification diversify yeah that's a that's a common uh doubt for me when the
Speaker A
Okay, I will make—if I have a later flight, I'll let you know, but as of now, I won't be able to come next week.
Speaker A
falls falls FSE not Pete pit pit pit very good very good Falls okay and um some suggestions on how to prevent some common issues okay like what kind of issues I'm still listening to yourself okay uh issues like when you buy another company
Speaker A
Okay, where you going?
Speaker A
about the companies before wet so when you get it you just find some skeletons to deal with must coming on is that hid that I'm sorry okay so I heard I heard in in enough enough yeah okay now I hear
Speaker A
Uh, probably, um, uh, north to make a presentation. It's, um, very short, uh, travel but short. Uh, I have to make a presentation on Thursday, so I have to fly.
Speaker A
very similar because you have like air going through a very narrow part forward of the mouth but um it's different because of the you're really tucking in that that lower lip enough enough enough hey that's good enough good good good good good good
Speaker A
Are there any words in your presentation that you know you're going to get tripped up on?
Speaker A
that's good enough is enough enough already yeah that's a nice expression I mean it's a I mean I I like some Expressions uhuh uh in the way in the sense that they describe the culture of the of the people and yeah some are
Speaker A
Several.
Speaker A
use any expressions or would you like to use an expression I like to avoid because it's a formal presentation oh so I would like to avoid it's uh it's it's a formal presentation so it's U it's not a good thing to do I
Speaker A
Okay, do you want to start with that?
Speaker A
good strategy into your comfortable just playing safe even in if I in my everyday classroom if I'm misunderstood there are not much consequences I mean I can talk later students can come forward and ask clarifications but in a in a formal
Speaker A
Well, because I have a plan, but it's really for what makes you—what you want. I have—we can do today, but well, I can tell you a little about the presentation, about the topic, and you can see if you can catch any red flags.
Speaker A
another thing is because it's kind of specific to reach country that's probably really good to avoid that um let me hear Let me hear you talk a little bit more about what you're going to say in your presentation I'm not
Speaker A
The presentation is going to be about mergers and acquisitions.
Speaker A
uh mergers and Acquisitions as a strategy to pursue a specific uh goal and that may be diversification that may be uh entering different markets for instance I buy a company in Ecuador because I want to start selling there it may be
Speaker A
Oh, that's a good one.
Speaker A
as a matter of fact the position and strategy is to buy firms in order to acquire technology you hear say firms firms you hear say firms again firms I feel like you're rolling it just a little bit perms you say
Speaker A
Okay, mergers and acquisitions is one of your sounds that you practiced on, and I was going to have us practice on that a lot today. Not a lot, but, you know, like to catch you up.
Speaker A
level of culture that's how they pronounce the AR sound in my country how or okay now that's a little bit strange okay it's just I hear you doing M I hear the it's like the music is a little bit different
Speaker A
So, that's good.
Speaker A
an international Market you said join good let me hear it again join that was good cuz that's that's the sound that you've been working on so sometimes it's a hit or miss the words that I was actually I
Speaker A
An acquisition is a topic, and I'll be talking about core concepts and mostly why this strategy is so used by companies.
Speaker A
on or that are that sounds so I was listening to to you and what I hear is a substitution that I've heard very common in Spanish accent do you speak Spanish yes yeah okay so I I've heard that with
Speaker A
You know, the companies here in the U.S., they buy more companies. They buy more—sorry, buy more, not buys.
Speaker A
Spanish yeah and I've heard that and sometimes you would leave off the tea so I heard you sometimes say yes or yes it's a just just just just just justify just oh I have plenty of those words so
Speaker A
Wait, hold on. You said a company buys more smaller companies?
Speaker A
was like gery instead of Germany hey that good that was really that was very good and just in case this comes up what letter is this s it's what letter S I going to get you SS SS okay okay and
Speaker A
Oh, okay. Or do you say—are you saying a company or companies? Because that changes how you say buys.
Speaker A
common word you said was I heard student student instead of student there's no you you you are doing stent instead of St it's a student student yeah there's no u sound I mean it's confusing because there's a letter U but it's like to you
Speaker A
Like if I—okay, companies.
Speaker A
and I I want to also ask you about I wanted to get these words right because I you're probably going to use this when you introduce yourself as a speaker um so this is a stress thing um remember we
Speaker A
Yes, I understand plural.
Speaker A
family there you go yes and then also you hang I don't know if you're going to say your your so I got a graduate degree in chemical is it engineering or engineer engineering yeah okay because you told me you got a degree in chemical
Speaker A
Singular companies usually buy smaller companies in the diversify.
Speaker A
like engineer not because I intend to say engineer but because I cut the the end of the word just like you said also the past tense the Ed okay it's not a lack of knowledge of knowing which form to use but just not
Speaker A
Okay, this is a question: the "i" in diversification—diversify or diversify or both are fine?
Speaker A
PhD degree that's not grammatically wrong but no one really says it like that they would say I got my PhD in management they might say I got my doctoral degree in management or they might just say doctorate degree but they wouldn't say
Speaker A
Which, diversification or diversify?
Speaker A
speech I wouldn't say PhD I would say doctorate I got my doctorate in management business management or you can say I got my doctoral degree in business management that sounds better that's a little more formal my doctoral degree so I hear you
Speaker A
Yes, both.
Speaker A
I have a lot for us to do I'm excited okay I just wanted to repeat this from last time make sure because you're going to say this a lot in your speech the theth uh uh uh uh the very good the the
Speaker A
Now, subject.
Speaker A
pattern that's great it's like I would heard I heard on a lot instead of and and there we go good a moners okay so that's another difference it's a master Masters asers Masters and Masters it's the same sound as and and
Speaker A
Okay, I have noticed that anytime there's a, you know, if you ever notice that there's always a "shun." It's a very common word. I found that the stress is always going to be on the syllable right before "shun." Communication, diversification.
Speaker A
Masters and Masters family very good just good education that was good Germany baseball Fifth Fifth oh that's fifth that is really hard okay so what I have to do is fif when you do with the okay when you do the F
Speaker A
I'm just asking about the "i" sound—is it "or D" diversification, diversification, diversification, diversify?
Speaker A
you believe it's better to exercise for that when doing slowly or trying to do in uh regular speed several times I think that for most of the therapy we have done anything with speech it's kind of easier to do it slower at first like if
Speaker A
Yeah, that's a common doubt for me when the "i" has a "the" or "th" sound.
Speaker A
pattern in your brain and then you'll get faster but I think the important thing is to do it correctly and so I think it be better for you to practice it correctly um because then when you do it
Speaker A
And basically, I'm going to talk about—I’ll be providing some data on mergers and acquisitions, and I will explain why companies decide to go that way.
Speaker A
performing you're going to do it spontaneously then you're just automatically going to do it so if you want to practice this slower you can and I would slow it down and then as you get better you can get faster
Speaker A
Major bit falls—possible troubles, problems.
Speaker A
was good good good good um oh I'm going to spell it for you so you don't hear me say it what's this word Pitfall yeah that was good good good pitfalls what's this word enough enough yeah enough enough that was good
Speaker A
Hit falls?
Speaker A
the vowel on these all have the i i i they all have the I my I idea they all have that I and I would hear ma like a like a a little bit different it's like a m it's a little bit Yeah and but it's
Speaker A
Falls, FSE, not Pete.
Speaker A
okay let's see oh let me here you say entering good okay let's see oh by see I my idea can you hear it those are all the same I make sure you really hit that I very good okay we're also going to be doing more
Speaker A
Pit, pit, pit.
Speaker A
bridge bridge cage okay we may not do this whole list this time so we can just get to other stuff but we'll just go to there JW MH jeans jck job jog joke dry juice just okay edges High junk magic
Speaker A
Very good, very good. Falls.
Speaker A
only H it has the J twice project management very good that's good soldier soldier soldier like shorter not Soldier but Soldier yes soldier soldier Okay Ed fudge huge judge page R yeah stage wage cabbage good okay F through this okay
Speaker A
Okay, and some suggestions on how to prevent some common issues.
Speaker A
harder magic Genie Genie Genie mhm magic JY dirty dirty germs dirty germs yeah dirty JS we kind of do a little bit more slightly different on the T we say dirty dirty yeah yeah it looks like a tea but
Speaker A
Okay, like what kind of issues? I'm still listening to yourself.
Speaker A
t we would say dirty we don't do really it's not really a dirt a t it's not really a d because it be dir D dirty it's like a dirty it's like D that was good Dury GS germs germs okay dur ger
Speaker A
Okay, issues like when you buy another company, one of the problems is that you do not know how to perform a diligent search on the acquired company, so you don't perform a what?
Speaker A
germs are growing on the dishes germs are growing on the dishes dishes very good going to do like here we just go to here I'll do more next time tall giraffe rain jacket mhm raspberry Jem go to Japan the giant scared
Speaker A
Diligent search.
Speaker A
rained there you go good and let's see okay we're a little bit longer make sure we get to I'll come back we're just going to do the first paragraph and then we'll get to some of the proy okay Jerry the giant liked to
Speaker A
Yeah, right.
Speaker A
are going to come up so I'm going to hit them again so murders answering pitfalls pit it it not eat pit pitfalls good and not idea my I by oh you know I need to put this word too Masters oh that was good that was
Speaker A
And those FS—I mean, that you do not have enough information about the companies before wet.
Speaker A
haven't done that I haven't gotten that link yet no I sent call like w maybe I just need to check it you know what I wonder if it went to my spam yeah that's supp it probably I've had I've been having
Speaker A
So when you get it, you just find some skeletons to deal with.
Speaker A
anything so maybe we'll check okay let's see okay so that's a little bit of the sounds and before we leave I will practice these sounds again in these words that you're going to be using a lot um but I wanted to practice today um
Speaker A
Must coming on is that hid—that—I'm sorry.
Speaker A
you you speak what I hear is and that note changed can you hear it that is very much not appropriate for American English because we have we're B more Contours um so I want to practice making these I want you to
Speaker A
Okay, so I heard—I heard "in enough," enough?
Speaker A
that how people usually read it I know that me personal Lama can just I would make up any way to say it I would say Xavier just by reading it ex Xavier Xavier that's how I that's how I
Speaker A
Yeah.
Speaker A
people usually say Xavier Z Xavier and some people say xavior and I'm fine with them both I mean I you know what that is a really good question I actually have no idea okay I would say Xavier just
Speaker A
Okay, now I hear enough.
Speaker A
um okay so for here we're going to make these are just statements so it's going to sound you're not going to have the H at the end so me here so my name is Doctor Xavier second should be Professor
Speaker A
Okay, I wanted to hear that.
Speaker A
I heard that my name is Dr Xavier my name is Dr Xavier Xavier you hear that Xavier very good very good okay my name is Dr Xavier good I'm a professor you're oh yeah I'm a professor at Eastern New Mexico
Speaker A
Good. The "F" at the end, enough. There we go, because it sounded like when you don't hold it, it almost sounded like a "th" sound, enough, and it sounds very similar, right?
Speaker A
you would say I'm a professor Eastern New Mexico University that would be a question right that would be a question that's our next thing we're going to make it okay oh was born and raised in Brazil good that was
Speaker A
They're very similar because you have, like, air going through a very narrow part forward of the mouth, but it's different because you're really tucking in that lower lip.
Speaker A
you well we're going to do it just as a statement just straight it's nice to meet you good sorry oh I'm sorry have a nice day good you I'm leaving my office good that went down I like that I'll be right back
Speaker A
Enough, enough, enough.
Speaker A
that was very good dress okay so now what we're going to do is we're going to turn it all into a question now we're going to try to raise it on the end because you can make take any any statement and make it a question
Speaker A
Hey, that's good.
Speaker A
it is nice to meet you have a nice day I am leaving my office I'll be right back yeah question again yeah two yeah these are these are all questions too this will be on my sorry this will be on
Speaker A
Enough, good, good, good, good, good, good.
Speaker A
then say it as a question or would it be easier for you to say it as a question first then a statement whatever is easier for you okay my name is Dr Xavier my name is Dr Xavier I'm Professor sorry I'm a
Speaker A
Okay, we will practice all these words today, I promise.
Speaker A
right I am a professor a professor you know to be honest I've heard it both ways so that's not an issue I don't think it's issue let me get back to you a versus H A versus I'll get back to you that I will
Speaker A
Okay, enough.
Speaker A
okay I like that you know that IDI oh my gosh I love it yes it passes the sniff test but I will look it up just cuz I don't want to say yeah that's that's not really like if I've I've heard American
Speaker A
When to hear pitfalls, pitfalls, merger.
Speaker A
can be like it's different vowels that really place them but a versus ah and sometimes I might to be honest I might actually switch between the two of them I'll have to get back to you on that so
Speaker A
Very good. That was good. That was much better.
Speaker A
you have a nice day have a nice day I'm living my office I'm living in my office I'll be right back I'll be right back this will be on the final exam this will be on the final exam I'm fluent in
Speaker A
Diversification, diversification, divers, diversify, diversified.
Speaker A
we pick up an article to read but I wanted to try one more thing because you know English has to be so complicated so now I wanted to go over some exceptions because you know there are plenty there's plenty because it's
Speaker A
Okay, that was good. That was good.
Speaker A
questions oh yeah so this is a bit different this is now we're talking about wh questions um with the g g to go down at the end like this who is Dr Xavier I hear you say that too who is Dr
Speaker A
Um, you hear enough again?
Speaker A
class okay see that good now so that's the general rule but my students my students would add why do I have to read the textbook well for me I have already bought it and I still have to read it no
Speaker A
Enough.
Speaker A
this class flat when is this you know it's it's G to be one of these that's a general rule but here's the exception if you're like really emotional emotions change things like if your kid if okay your kid
Speaker A
That's good.
Speaker A
that so it's kind of the same who is Dr Xavier like you can hear it instead of who's Dr Xavier who is Dr Xavier what is Business Management where is his class when is this class well I still let's
Speaker A
Enough is enough.
Speaker A
excited could be excited angry excited happy so I wanted to kind of try that too I want to he you try that too hard so because you want to say who's Dr Xavier that goes down but when you go up
Speaker A
Enough already.
Speaker A
that again let me hear that again tell me tell me both give it to me both the angry that was Dr xavor that yeah or in the high how's Dr Xavier yeah you need to go to Dr xavor
Speaker A
Yeah, that's a nice expression. I mean, I like some expressions, uh-huh, uh, in the way, in the sense that they describe the culture of the people.
Speaker A
that we use for questions that who what where when why all begin with wh but how also goes in there that's what we mean by wh questions as versus yes no questions that's kind of the two umbrella terms so um or also so who's so
Speaker A
And yeah, some are universal, but some are very unique to a specific country.
Speaker A
stressing the last that's kind kind of what helps you like when I say stressing like when you stress something stress is three things you are saying it louder you're saying it longer and when you do that you're also
Speaker A
Are you ever going to—are you going to use any of those in your speech, like your speech next week?
Speaker A
say where's this class hey that good okay and say I use this my everyday uh situations even when I'm stressed just don't yell okay okay what is this class you're good how I study for this class that went down a little bit but that you
Speaker A
Are you going to use any expressions, or would you like to use an expression?
Speaker A
that what okay so repeat after me what did he say what did he say that's clarification he said it's due tomorrow what did he say you hear that what did he say you see it goes out what did he say but if
Speaker A
I like to avoid because it's a formal presentation.
Speaker A
that he said what let me hear you say he said what he said what there we go um now I we're doing it a little exaggerated in here but for if you know how to do it exaggerated you
Speaker A
Oh, so I would like to avoid it. It's a formal presentation, so it's not a good thing to do.
Speaker A
ask like I have I have to hear the music in my head why don't I help you so help the stress uh why don't I help you why don't they help you why don't I help you why don't I help you why don't
Speaker A
I mean, I'm not comfortable doing that, and especially I'm afraid of providing a bad—not a bad, but a message that's not exactly what I want to pass, so I would avoid.
Speaker A
bit at the end but it kind of goes up higher let me hear you say like so so that oh you're struggling why don't I help you why don't I help you yeah I I still see the stress and the help on the world
Speaker A
Okay, okay, try a good strategy into your comfortable, just playing safe.
Speaker A
yourself what don't what don't your brother help you see that's see that's that's the question because you're literally asking like for Logistics of why yeah versus your offering to help someone is a little bit different can you hear that yes it
Speaker A
Even if in my everyday classroom, if I'm misunderstood, there are not much consequences.
Speaker A
me hear it why don't I help you I think I would say it more like why don't I help you versus why don't I help you why don't I help you why if I help you why don't I help you versus why why
Speaker A
I mean, I can talk later. Students can come forward and ask clarifications, but in a formal presentation meeting people for the first time, I think—oh.
Speaker A
you're going to go lower for the actual question for the reason you're going to go lower why don't I help you why don't I help you why don't I help you why don't I it's very subtle it's a
Speaker A
And you—is this an international audience? Like sometimes you have, or is this just an American audience?
Speaker A
I'll find better examples next time too so that's kind of on me sometimes I have to like hear The Melody of my head night when I was writing this I could hear it but now I'm like okay see pitfalls good
Speaker A
Uh, next, not today, next week. International.
Speaker A
forgivable I don't know I feel like with your students they're going to Snicker too you know you made mistake if they Snicker yeah do you have a lot more guys your class are girls is it half half depends on the semester and this
Speaker A
Yeah, yeah, that's another thing, because it's kind of specific to each country.
Speaker A
students students or students good students I'm yeah I have to wor on the students because I used for a long time so it's students yeah male students that was good you hit the te really good students and that might
Speaker A
That's probably really good to avoid that.
Speaker A
when you hit a t it's always hitting the back of your T students students students that was better much better very good okay good next time next time time we practice and I can't wait cuz I really want to get into
Speaker A
Let me hear—you talk a little bit more about what you're going to say in your presentation.
Topics:mergers and acquisitionsbusiness Englishpronunciation coachingpresentation skillsformal presentationEnglish language learningaccent reductioncommunication strategieslanguage coachingprofessional English
