English for meetings5 min read
How to ask for clarification in English without sounding lost
Natural English phrases to ask for clarification in meetings: when you didn't hear, don't know a word, or want to check what someone meant.
Blog
Thoughts, stories and ideas.
Comparisons5 min read
The best AI meeting assistants in 2026, compared
AI meeting assistants do very different jobs. Here they are in four groups: notetakers that join the call, bot-free notetakers, assistants built into Meet, Zoom and Teams, and live help during the call.
English for meetings5 min read
Small talk before a meeting: examples that sound natural
Natural small talk questions and answers for the first minutes of a meeting, safe topics, and how to move smoothly from small talk to business.
Comparisons4 min read
Fireflies.ai alternatives: which one fits how you meet?
Fireflies.ai is a strong team notetaker. Here are the alternatives worth a look, grouped by how you actually meet: with a bot, without one, or with live help during the call.
English for meetings6 min read
English for meetings: phrases to open, interrupt, disagree and wrap up
Natural English phrases for every part of a meeting: opening, giving updates, interrupting, agreeing, disagreeing politely and wrapping up.
Comparisons5 min read
Otter.ai alternatives for live help during calls, not just notes
The main Otter.ai alternatives sorted by what they do: notes after the call, notes without a bot, or live help while you talk.
How-to5 min read
Google Meet translation: what works and what doesn't
Google Meet has two built-in translation features: translated captions and speech translation. Here's what each does, who can use it, how to turn it on, and where it falls short.
How-to4 min read
How to turn on live captions in Zoom, Teams and Google Meet
Step-by-step instructions for turning on live captions in Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet, how to change the caption language, and what translated captions need.
English for meetings4 min read
How to speak up in meetings when English isn't your first language
Practical ways to join the conversation, buy time, disagree politely and answer questions on the spot when you work in your second language.
Meeting prep4 min read
How to prepare for a meeting so you're never put on the spot
A practical way to prepare for meetings: guess the questions you'll get, write one-line answers, and keep your facts where you can see them during the call.
Meeting prep4 min read
The meeting preparation checklist (free template)
A short, practical meeting preparation checklist you can copy: what to do the day before, an hour before and ten minutes before any important call.
English for meetings4 min read
How to improve your English listening for fast native speakers
Why native speakers are hard to follow in meetings, and a practical plan to train your ear: reductions, accents, shadowing and what to do in the call itself.