Episode 01B1–B2 — Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate
The Daily Stand-Up
11:40 · 10 vocabulary terms · Reporting a blocker in a daily stand-up role-play · Free PDF transcript
Free transcript PDF
Episode 1 — Free transcript & study guide
- 10-term vocabulary table
- Full role-play transcript
- Language breakdown notes
- Quiz with full answers
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Vocabulary
| Term | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Stand-up | A short daily team meeting, quick enough that everyone can stay on their feet. Usually three questions: what you did yesterday, what you're doing today, and whether you're blocked. | "Today: the daily stand-up. The fifteen-minute meeting almost every software team runs, every morning." |
| Blocked / blocker | An adjective describing being unable to continue without help. Contrast with the common non-native error of using 'block' as a noun ('I have a block'). | "Uh... actually, yeah. I'm blocked. The staging API's been down since this morning, and I can't test the login flow." |
| Sprint | A fixed period of work, usually one or two weeks, that a team commits to completing. The stand-up is the daily check-in inside this window. | "We're on day three of the sprint, so let's stay tight." |
| Circle back | To return to a specific topic that was paused earlier in a conversation. Not the same as a general check-in. | "Let's not dig into the cause right now — let's circle back on that after the call, once I've talked to DevOps directly." |
| Touch base | A quick, informal check-in with someone, without necessarily a fixed topic. | "For now, let's touch base after lunch." |
| Follow up | To continue or complete something after a meeting, often in writing. | "I'll follow up with you after lunch if I haven't heard anything by then." |
| On track | A status update meaning a task is progressing with no issues. | "So far I'm on track — no issues to report." |
| Action item | One clear, specific task assigned to a named owner after a meeting. Register-flexible: natural in both a casual stand-up and a formal client meeting. | "Action item: I'll ping the infra team the second we're done here and find out what's going on." |
| Actually | Means 'in fact,' used to correct or clarify. A false friend for French, Spanish, and Portuguese speakers, whose similar words mean 'currently.' | "Uh... actually, yeah. I'm blocked." |
| Eventually | Means 'in the end, after some time.' A false friend for Spanish and Portuguese speakers, whose similar words mean 'possibly.' | "We'll eventually need to fix the staging environment properly, not just patch it every time this happens." |
Episode structure
Hook + Intro
~1–1.5 min
Vocabulary Preview
~2–3 min
Role-Play
~8–12 min
Slow Replay
~2–3 min
Language Breakdown
~3–4 min
Quiz + Wrap-Up
~2–2.5 min
Your hosts

Alex
Tech Lead

Sam
Developer