Confident Business English
Anna Connelly
Are you a senior manager who lacks confidence communicating in English at work? Accredited Neurolanguage Coach® Anna Connelly brings professionals like you, who already need to use English in their daily work, practical business English tips to help your boost confidence. The goal is to help you feel more confident using a framework of 1. Learn, 2. Take Action, 3. Repeat. Professionals say they love the podcast because it's to-the-point, it covers on very relevant topics and they get results just from listening.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 8, 2026 • 13min
319. Sound Like a Leader in English, Not a Micromanager: Get Your Team to Take Ownership (Without Pushing Them)
Learn how to structure coaching conversations in English to sound strategic and collaborative. Hear simple open questions to start productive check-ins. Discover phrase stems for active listening and ways to guide others without giving answers. Learn softer wording to offer suggestions and avoid sounding critical. Practice tips to build confidence in coaching conversations.
7 snips
Apr 1, 2026 • 18min
318. When You're Capable in English… But You Don’t Trust Yourself (A Conversation with Joely Pullen)
Joely Pullen, co-founder of Savvy English and coach for international teams, helps professionals use English with more self-trust. They discuss why capable speakers freeze under pressure. Short, practical strategies are shared: small challenges, momentum-building, and shifting focus from grammar to courage.
45 snips
Mar 24, 2026 • 13min
317. Ask Anna: Grasp an Essential Business Verb & Add More Impact to Your Messages
Practical tips for choosing the precise business verb 'consider' and its common structures. Guidance on when 'consider' sounds diplomatic versus when it lacks urgency. Ways to add impact using adverbs like significantly, fully, especially and strongly. Short phrases and delivery tips to highlight key points and improve speaking flow in meetings.
52 snips
Mar 17, 2026 • 12min
316. Real-Life Business English: Colleague Conversation After Conference (Anna Reports)
You overhear a British post-conference chat full of dry, self-deprecating humour and sarcastic remarks. Short complaints about travel, logistics and a laptop mishap pop up. Conversations show how people soften opinions, gossip about a presentation and use phrases like catch up. Listeners are encouraged to become tone detectives to read hidden meanings in workplace talk.
34 snips
Mar 11, 2026 • 14min
315. It’s Not Just You: The Reality of Speaking English at Work
They explore the strange doubts and self-questioning that come from speaking English at a senior level. They unpack reading faces and interruptions in meetings. They describe feeling like a different personality in another language and ways to rebuild nuance with vocabulary and technique. They offer mindset shifts and a simple weekly log to track progress and reduce confidence‑draining moments.
20 snips
Mar 3, 2026 • 14min
314. The Technical Series: Reported Speech for Senior Managers
Practical tips on relaying others’ words clearly at senior level. A breakdown of reporting clause versus reported content with simple structure notes. Common mistakes with say and tell and how to handle tense shifts. Ways to widen your reporting verbs and choose ones that match the action. Real business phrases for board and leadership updates to keep reports concise and natural.
25 snips
Feb 24, 2026 • 12min
313. Train Your Executive Voice with 3 Small Shifts
Learn three simple language shifts to sound more executive and project stronger presence. Hear how leading with the key message and asking "So what?" sharpens purpose. Discover how to extract a single strategic point from updates and make clear recommendations. Practice short phrases that replace tentative language and state intentions with confidence.
16 snips
Feb 17, 2026 • 15min
312. The Technical Series: 15 Minutes to More Precise Progress Updates
Practical tips for senior managers on making progress updates clearer and more believable. Short lessons on four adverbs that sharpen status reporting: still, anymore, already and yet. Examples of where to place each word and how subtle wording can change tone. Quick practice ideas to build precision into your next meeting reports.
Feb 10, 2026 • 5min
311. English, Energy, and Long Workdays: Little Snippets #21
Talking about why speaking English all day at conferences or meetings drains energy. Exploring voice fatigue and the ‘frog in the throat’ feeling. Comparing cognitive effort to a laptop overheating. Sharing short rest strategies for long days and the idea of riding energy waves. Encouraging self-compassion and prioritizing connection over perfection.
4 snips
Feb 10, 2026 • 6min
309. Communicating Effectively with Executives: Little Snippet #19
Quick tips on persuading executives by making messages crystal clear. Difference between freelance and consultant labels is explored. Hear a practical checklist: request specific feedback, define your core message, link ideas to business impact, and strengthen wording with modifiers.
