C1 — AdvancedProfessional

Professional Communication

Master the vocabulary of emails, meetings, and feedback at work. These are the words Canadian managers and colleagues actually use every day — learn them and you will sound confident in any professional conversation, from a quick stand-up to a performance review.

14 words

Word List

Word	Phonetic	Part of Speech	Definition	Example
liaise	/liˈeɪz/	verb	To communicate and coordinate between people or groups so that everyone stays informed	You will liaise with the Vancouver office to keep both teams on schedule.
escalate	/ˈɛskəleɪt/	verb	To pass a problem to a higher level of authority when it cannot be solved at the current level; also, to become more serious	If the client is still unhappy after two calls, escalate the issue to your manager.
delegate	/ˈdɛlɪɡeɪt/	verb	To give part of your work or authority to someone else, usually someone you supervise	A good team lead knows how to delegate tasks instead of doing everything herself.
streamline	/ˈstriːmlaɪn/	verb	To make a process simpler and more efficient by removing unnecessary steps	We streamlined the onboarding process from ten forms down to three.
deliverable	/dɪˈlɪvərəbəl/	noun	A specific piece of work that must be completed and handed over as part of a project	The main deliverable for March is the final report for the client.
milestone	/ˈmaɪlstoʊn/	noun	An important stage or event in the progress of a project or career	Signing the first international contract was a major milestone for our small company.
consensus	/kənˈsɛnsəs/	noun	General agreement among the members of a group	After an hour of discussion, the committee finally reached a consensus.
facilitate	/fəˈsɪlɪteɪt/	verb	To make a process easier, or to guide a meeting or discussion so that it runs smoothly	Priya will facilitate tomorrow's workshop, so send her your questions in advance.
articulate	/ɑːrˈtɪkjuleɪt/	verb	To express an idea clearly and effectively in words	In the interview, she articulated exactly why the project had failed and what she learned from it.
concise	/kənˈsaɪs/	adjective	Giving information clearly and in few words	Keep the summary concise — executives rarely read past the first page.
diplomatic	/ˌdɪpləˈmætɪk/	adjective	Able to deal with people in a sensitive way that avoids causing offence	Be diplomatic when you point out the error in your colleague's report.
candid	/ˈkændɪd/	adjective	Honest and direct, even when the truth is uncomfortable	To be candid, I don't think this deadline is realistic for a team of three.
rapport	/ræˈpɔːr/	noun	A friendly relationship in which people understand each other and communicate well	She builds rapport with new clients by remembering the small details they mention.
accountability	/əˌkaʊntəˈbɪlɪti/	noun	The state of being responsible for decisions and being expected to explain them	Clear accountability means everyone knows who owns each part of the project.

Flashcards

verb

liaise

/liˈeɪz/

Click card to flip

Definition

To communicate and coordinate between people or groups so that everyone stays informed

“You will liaise with the Vancouver office to keep both teams on schedule.”

Click to flip back

Card 1 of 14

Practice Exercises

1 / 7

Which word means 'to pass a problem to a higher level of authority'?