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B2 Level ⏱ 20 Minutes

Speaking & Meaning: 10 Essential Communication Words

Master body language cues, speech habits, and subtle word meanings for natural English conversations.

📌 How to Use This Lesson

For Teachers

Spend 8 minutes on vocabulary patterns and body cues, then 12 minutes on interactive practice and shadowing.
Have students justify collocation choices and read dialogue lines aloud to check tone and rhythm.

For Students

Read the core words and memory tips first, paying close attention to natural word pairings.
Complete the 16 practice questions, then record yourself in the shadowing booth until your rhythm feels easy.

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Theme 1: Body Language

Part 1 of 3

A modern illustration of two people talking in an office, one gesturing with hands open and confident posture, while the

Physical signals often speak louder than spoken sentences.

Word	Meaning	Collocations	Forms	Example	Memory Tip
gesture	To move hands or head to express an idea	gesture toward, wild gesture	gesture (v)	He gestured toward the empty chair.	Think of a conductor's hands guiding music.
posture	The position in which someone holds their body	poor posture, upright posture	-	Sitting straight improves your posture.	"Post" stands tall like a straight back.
frown	To bring eyebrows together showing displeasure	deep frown, frown upon	-	She frowned when she read the bad news.	Turn that smile upside-down.
shrug	A quick raising of the shoulders showing doubt	give a shrug, indifferent shrug	shrug (n)	With a casual shrug, he walked away.	Shoulders up = "I honestly do not know."

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Themes 2 & 3: Speech Habits & Word Meanings

Parts 2 & 3

Word	Meaning	Collocations	Forms	Example	Memory Tip
Group 2: How People Speak
slang	Very informal words used by specific groups	use slang, street slang	-	Avoid slang in formal job interviews.	Street language is short and relaxed.
mumble	To speak quietly and unclearly	mumble an apology, quietly mumble	-	Do not mumble; speak into the microphone.	Mouth barely moves when you mumble.
interrupt	To stop someone while they are speaking	rudely interrupt, constant interruption	interruption (n)	Please do not interrupt while I am talking.	"Inter-" means breaking in between two things.
Group 3: What Words Mean
imply	To suggest an idea without stating it directly	strongly imply, serious implication	implication (n)	Are you implying that I made a mistake?	Reading between the lines of a message.
ambiguous	Having more than one possible meaning; unclear	ambiguous reply, avoid ambiguity	ambiguity (n)	Her instructions were too ambiguous to follow.	"Ambi-" = two sides, so you are unsure which one.
rephrase	To say something again using different words	rephrase the question, politely rephrase	-	Let me rephrase that so it makes more sense.	"Re-" means do it again with a fresh phrase.

Two people sitting at a cafe table having a lively conversation where one person leans forward to interrupt while the ot

Clear speech and active listening prevent confusing ambiguities.

Practice Arena: 16 Items

Apply all 10 words through collocations, context gaps, smart choices, and word forms.

Exercise 1: Collocation Matching

Match each verb or descriptor to its natural companion noun.

1. Match: "poor" connects most naturally with...

____ posture ____ shrug ____ slang ____ gesture

2. Match: "give a" connects most naturally with...

____ posture ____ shrug ____ slang ____ interruption

3. Match: "use" connects most naturally with...

____ posture ____ shrug ____ slang ____ ambiguity

4. Match: "clear" connects most naturally with...

____ posture ____ shrug ____ slang ____ gesture

Exercise 2: Dialogue Gap-Fill

Use the Word Bank: imply | rephrase | frown | mumble. Type the base form correctly.

Speaker A: "Why do you always look so upset whenever I mention our deadline?"

Speaker B: "I don't mean to; that worried expression is just an unconscious ___."

____

Speaker A: "Can you please speak clearly? When you ___, nobody at the back table can understand you."

Speaker B: "Sorry, I will project my voice more loudly."

____

Speaker A: "Did our manager directly state that the project failed?"

Speaker B: "No, but her negative remarks seemed to ___ that major budget cuts are coming."

____

Speaker A: "The customer seemed completely puzzled by that technical description."

Speaker B: "Let me ___ the explanation using everyday words so everyone understands."

____

Exercise 3: Choose the Word

Select the word that accurately completes the context. All 3 choices are valid English words.

9. In an international business conference, using too much local ___ can make your presentation hard for foreign partners to follow.

____ a. posture ____ b. slang ____ c. shrug

10. It is considered impolite to ___ a speaker when they are in the middle of introducing their key findings.

____ a. interrupt ____ b. mumble ____ c. rephrase

11. Legal contracts must avoid ___ statements so that both parties interpret obligations in the exact same way.

____ a. posture ____ b. gesture ____ c. ambiguous

12. Standing tall with your shoulders back demonstrates confident ___ during public speaking events.

____ a. slang ____ b. posture ____ c. frown

Exercise 4: Word Formation

Change the base word in brackets into its specified related form to fit each sentence.

13. The sudden ___ caused the speaker to lose her train of thought during the live podcast. [interrupt → noun]

____

14. What is the real ___ behind the director's subtle comment about our team restructure? [imply → noun]

____

15. Clear guidelines help eliminate any potential ___ in the employee handbook. [ambiguous → noun]

____

16. The presenter ___ toward the presentation screen while explaining the final sales figures. [gesture → past verb]

____

Audio Shadowing Studio

Listen first using the speaker button, then record your voice to match pacing and intonation.

Studio Part 1: Collocations (Short Chunks)

Chunk 1

poor posture

[Bài tập luyện nói]

____

Chunk 2

give a shrug

[Bài tập luyện nói]

____

Chunk 3

rephrase the question

[Bài tập luyện nói]

____

Chunk 4

serious implication

[Bài tập luyện nói]

____

Studio Part 2: Natural Sentences

Sentence 1

She answered with a silent shrug.

[Bài tập luyện nói]

____

Sentence 2

Please do not mumble your reply.

[Bài tập luyện nói]

____

Sentence 3

His deep frown showed his concern.

[Bài tập luyện nói]

____

Sentence 4

I apologize for the sudden interruption.

[Bài tập luyện nói]

____

Studio Part 3: Long Sentences (Connected Speech)

Long Sentence 1

When speaking in public, maintaining upright posture helps project confidence and clarity.

[Bài tập luyện nói]

____

Long Sentence 2

If something is ambiguous, try to rephrase it clearly.

[Bài tập luyện nói]

____

Studio Part 4: Target Words Focus

Target Word 1

gesture /ˈdʒes.tʃər/

[Bài tập luyện nói]

____

Target Word 2

ambiguous /æmˈbɪɡ.ju.əs/

[Bài tập luyện nói]

____

Language, Communication, and Body Language

Speaking & Meaning: 10 Essential Communication Words

📌 How to Use This Lesson

Theme 1: Body Language

Themes 2 & 3: Speech Habits & Word Meanings

Practice Arena: 16 Items

Exercise 1: Collocation Matching

Exercise 2: Dialogue Gap-Fill

Exercise 3: Choose the Word

Exercise 4: Word Formation

Audio Shadowing Studio

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