Project · Spoken English: Zero to Fluent
Project: a week of work English
The brief
You work for an Indian company with a client abroad. Over one working week you make small talk before a client call, give a daily stand-up, write and read aloud a client email, fix common Indian-English slips, speak in a group discussion and polish your pronunciation. Every piece is scripted, recorded and checked.
Why it matters
IT services, BPO and KPO companies, start-ups and exporters across India work with clients in the UK, the USA, Australia and the Gulf every day. Stand-ups, client calls and emails in clear international English are part of the job, and people who handle them well are the ones trusted with clients and promoted to lead teams.
Skills you practise
- small talk and active listening
- the three-part stand-up update
- clear client emails
- phrasal verbs and natural word choices
- word stress and -ed endings
- group discussion phrases
You need
- A phone with a voice recorder app
- A dictionary app that plays the pronunciation of words
- Optional: two or three friends for the group discussion
What you will have at the end
Your work-week.txt with all scripts, fixes and the review, and six recordings: small talk, a stand-up, the email read aloud, the fixed sentences, a GD turn and the improved stand-up.
How it is marked (rubric, 100 points)
| Professional EnglishClear, polite and natural: no Indian-English slips that would confuse a client. | 30 |
|---|---|
| StructureThree-part stand-up, one-purpose email and a GD turn with every part. | 25 |
| Pronunciation and deliveryCorrect word stress, clear endings, calm speed and few fillers. | 25 |
| ReflectionAn honest weekly review with repeated mistakes and one measurable goal. | 20 |
0/7 steps done
Step 1 of 7
Monday: small talk before a client call
You have recorded an 8-line small-talk opening with a client that includes a question back and one active-listening reply.
Fill in your role and client at the top of work-week.txt, then write the Monday chat. Clients abroad often start with two minutes of small talk before business, and a short, warm reply builds trust. Answer, add one detail, then ask a question back. Show you are listening with replies like "Oh, that sounds lovely" or "Do you mean the trip to Edinburgh?". End by moving to business: "Shall we get started?"
Client: Hi Kiran! How are you doing?
Me: I'm good, thanks, Sarah. It's very hot here in Chennai this week. How's the weather in London?
Client: Cold and rainy, as usual!
Me: Oh no! Did you do anything nice at the weekend?
Client: We went to Brighton for a day.
Me: That sounds lovely. Was it busy?
Client: Very busy, but fun.
Me: Great. Shall we get started?Your notes: work-week.txt
Write down each command you ran. It goes into your project summary.