If you can reach THIS level, you can excel in any English-speaking job.

Hello, lovely students! In today's video,  we're going to explore a challenge that so  

many English learners face at work. It is hitting  the intermediate plateau and getting stuck there!  

I'm going to explain what this means, why  it happens, and most importantly, how you  

can break free and start speaking with confidence  and ease. Oh hello—it's Lucy from the future here!

I've created something really special  for this lesson. Yes, don't worry—I have  

created a free PDF, but I have integrated it  into my brand-new C1 Business English ebook,  

and, for a limited time, you can download  it for free. This isn't your average PDF;  

it's a powerful resource to help  you break free from the intermediate  

plateau and start speaking advanced  professional English with confidence.

Inside, you will find a detailed  breakdown of today's lesson,  

including all of the key strategies for  overcoming common challenges at work and  

targeted exercises to help you practice and  solidify your understanding of the concepts we  

cover. And that's just the PDF section. The rest  of the ebook is packed with all of the grammar,  

vocabulary and pronunciation tools  you need to excel in the workplace.

It's everything you need for C1-level  business English. And there's more:  

by downloading this ebook, you will automatically  join the waiting list for my brand-new C1 Business  

English programme. It's called the Professional  English Programme (Level 3). This course is  

designed to help you feel completely at ease  using professional English in any situation,  

whether it's delivering a presentation,  negotiating deals or managing teams.

We are just days away from launching this  programme. Don't miss your opportunity to  

download the ebook and join the waiting list.  The link is in the description box or you can  

scan the QR code on the screen. You'll just  sign up to my mailing list, and I'll send  

the ebook straight to your inbox. You'll also  be the first to hear about my new programme!

Now, are you ready to stop feeling stuck and  start thriving with your English at work?  

Let's get into it. Let's talk about the plateau  at the B2 level. At the B2 level of English,  

your English is really good. You can get your  ideas across and your colleagues can understand  

you. But there is something missing. You might  hesitate when trying to find the right words.

You might often second-guess your tone. Am  I being polite enough? Maybe I'm being too  

formal. And what about the hidden meanings—the  jokes, nuances, subtle phrasing, shades of  

meaning? They sometimes slip right past you.  And the worst thing about being at this plateau,  

or stuck at this level, is it feels like  you aren't making any progress anymore.

This is called the intermediate plateau. You've  worked so hard to get to B2—it's a fantastic  

level, a huge achievement—but you're still  not able to speak English as freely as you'd  

like. You're fairly fluent, but it doesn't feel  totally natural yet. And you know what? That's  

completely normal. I've been through it in 2 other  languages. Let's talk about the C1 difference.

Here's the thing—moving from B2 to C1 doesn't  just mean learning more grammar or memorising  

overly formal words. It's about removing the  barriers that stop you from communicating with  

confidence. With this C1 level of English,  you gain the language that professionals  

need to thrive at work. You can get by in an  English-speaking work environment at the B2 level,  

but to truly feel comfortable, to truly  thrive, I really recommend reaching C1.

Let's look at 3 fairly realistic workplace  scenarios. I'll share a B2-level response first,  

and I want you to think how could this be  improved?. Then we'll look at this C1 response  

and break down why it's so powerful. Scenario 1:  explaining ideas in a meeting. Imagine you're in  

a team meeting. Your manager has just asked  you to share your thoughts on a new project.

Here's what you say at around a B2 level: 'I  think that's a good idea. It could work. Let's  

start slowly to make it less risky.' This is  a decent response. The message is quite clear,  

but the wording isn't very precise. How could  this be improved at more of a C1 level? We  

could say something like: 'This approach  has strong potential to solve the problem.

We could implement it in phases to minimise  risks.' At C1, you learn to use precise word  

combinations called collocations. Look  at these phrases—instead of 'good',  

we use 'strong potential'. Instead of  'try it slowly', we use 'implement in  

phases'. And instead of 'make it less risky' -  'minimise risks'. Why does this matter? Well,  

in professional settings, clear, precise  language helps you communicate more effectively.

It makes your ideas stand out and earns you the  trust of your colleagues and managers to carry  

out high-stakes tasks and lead teams. If this is  the kind of confidence and clarity you're aiming  

for in your professional life, join the waitlist  for my Professional English Programme (Level 3)—  

this is what we focus on. You will learn to  implement these C1 structures effortlessly.

Let's move on to our next scenario: responding  to a question when you don't know the answer.  

You're on a video call presenting the outcomes of  a recent project. Everything is going well until  

someone asks a question that you don't know the  answer to. It happens to all of us! Here's the  

question: do you have the exact figures for the  impact this change had on the team's productivity?

A B2-level response is: 'Well, um… I'm not exactly  sure if the finance team has finished preparing  

them. Maybe I can check and get back to you?' It's  a fairly good response because it shows honesty,  

but it's a bit blunt. How can we soften  this message? How can we improve this to  

sound more confident and professional,  even when we don't know the answer?

Let's try it at C1 level: 'I'm  glad you've brought that up;  

the figures are key. I believe the finance team  may still be working on those figures, so I don't  

have them to hand at the moment. I'll check and  follow up with you by the end of the day. Would  

that work for you?' So, the C1 concept we're  working on here is buffer phrases and hedging.

At C1, you learn to use hedging language and  confident phrasing to handle situations where  

you don't have all of the information. Let's  break it down. First, buffer phrases are short,  

polite phrases like 'That's an excellent  question' or 'I'm glad you brought that  

up'. These are great ways to show  confidence, acknowledge the question,  

and give yourself a moment to organise your  thoughts—you're buying yourself a bit of time.

Next, hedging language uses modals and softer  phrasing to make your response less direct. For  

example—'The finance team may still be working  on those figures' sounds more measured than  

'The finance team is still working on those  figures.' This helps you express uncertainty  

politely while maintaining professionalism.  Next, we have direct follow-up actions.

They include phrases like 'I'll check and follow  up with you by the end of the day' or 'I'll  

review the report and send you the details'. These  phrases reassure your audience that you're taking  

ownership and offering a clear next step. And for  confirming questions, these are polite, engaging  

questions like 'Would that work for you?',  'Does that sound like an appropriate next step?'

These help confirm expectations and show that  you're focused on finding a solution that  

works for everyone. So why are these essential  professional skills? Well, in the workplace,  

you'll often face situations where you don't  have all the answers. How you handle those  

moments affects your credibility. At  C1, you have the language you need to  

stay composed under pressure, show honesty  while maintaining confidence and control,  

and keep the conversation moving  forward by offering a clear next step.

Responding this way shows you're able to find  precise words even in high-stress situations. We  

mimic those situations in my programme so that  you are fully prepared for professional life,  

and this type of language works in any  professional situation—from presentations  

to client meetings. So remember, you  don't always need to know the answer,  

but you do need the language  to respond with confidence.

And that's exactly what you'll gain in my  programme! The link to join the waiting  

list is in the description below. Now, let's  move on to our final scenario of the day:  

responding to feedback from a manager. Your  manager has just given you some critical feedback  

on a report. Here is your first instinctive  response at just below a B2 level, actually.

'Ok, I'll try to fix it. Sorry for the  mistake.' This response is perfectly fine,  

but let's see what you could say at a C1 level:  'Thank you for pointing that out. I'll revise  

the report to include the changes and ensure  it meets your expectations.' So, our final  

C1 concept here is professional, proactive  language and building relationships. At C1,  

you learn to respond to feedback  with language that builds trust.

Let's break it down. 'Thank you for  pointing that out' shows gratitude and  

a growth mindset. 'I'll revise the  report' highlights accountability.  

And 'ensure it meets your expectations'  shows professionalism and commitment to  

quality. Why are these essential professional  skills? Well, in professional environments,  

how will you handle feedback—especially negative  feedback—impacts your relationships and your  

reputation. A response like that positions  you as solution-focused and reliable.

This kind of language sets you apart as someone  who welcomes feedback and responds professionally.  

If you're looking to hone this skill and so  much more, enrol on the waiting list for my  

Professional English Programme (Level 3); you  will develop the nuanced, flexible English needed  

to shine at work. So, these scenarios  show you the real power of C1 English.

These are just a few of the many situations you  will find yourself in where advanced English will  

help you thrive at work. Because at this level,  you don't just speak English. You speak it fairly  

instinctively, with confidence and precision, in  any situation. You're able to share your ideas  

persuasively, handle tough questions calmly,  respond to feedback positively and proactively.

And when you communicate like this, you  build trust, you open new doors to new  

opportunities in your career. This can mean more  responsibility, higher salaries. We go into so  

much more detail about C1-level business English  in my new ebook that you can download for free  

right now. The link is in the description  box or you can scan that QR code there.

The link to the waiting list for my Professional  English Programme (Level 3) is in the description  

box as well. If you are learning English with  the goal of thriving in an English-speaking  

workplace or an international workplace,  then I really think this is the programme  

for you. Thank you so much for watching!  I will see you in the next video! Muah!