102: How to be Indirect in Conversations
Summary
Hosts celebrate reaching 100 episodes and 250,000 YouTube subscribers while sharing a listener message from an English teacher. The main topic covers ten ways to be indirect in English, focusing on British politeness. They discuss using softeners like "perhaps" and "maybe," turning requests into questions, and employing negative questions to criticize gently. The episode highlights how these phrases help maintain harmony in sensitive situations, such as workplace feedback or personal opinions.
Topics discussed
Introduction and welcome to the podcast
Celebrating 100th episode and 250k subscribers
Listener message from Paloma, an English teacher
Feedback on Paloma's accent and request for engagement
Promoting the new conversation membership and free trial
Introducing the topic: 10 ways to be indirect in English
Method 1: Using 'perhaps', 'maybe', or 'might'
Method 2: Turning requests into questions
Method 3: Using negative questions
Method 4: Soft criticism and personal anecdotes
Method 5: Using 'perhaps we should'
Method 6: Using 'a bit' and 'a little'
Method 7: Saying 'I am not sure'
Teaser for after-show and final membership call to action
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