Do the preparation exercise first. Then watch the video and do the exercises to check your understanding and practise the language.
Transcript
Ana: Hi! I'm Ana. Welcome to What to Say!
Do you know what to say when you want to challenge someone's ideas? Listen out for useful language for challenging someone's ideas. Then, we'll practise saying the new phrases – after this.
Vanya: Guys! I've got it! I've figured it out!
Emir: Figured what out?
Paul: That it's polite to knock on the door before coming in?
Vanya: This idea is just too good, Paul! It's too good!
Paul: Go on, then.
Vanya: So! Cats!
Emir: I'm a bit lost. What are you talking about?
Vanya: Videos. Cat videos! For our social media account. Hundreds of them. Everyone loves cats!
Paul: I hate cats.
Vanya: Everyone except you, Paul.
Paul: Have you considered the fact that we're a branding agency, not a pet shop?
Vanya: I take your point, Paul, but, come on, be imaginative! Cat videos are some of the most searched videos on the internet.
Emir: I see where you're coming from, Vanya, but I think I agree with Paul here. How is this relevant for a branding agency?
Vanya: Look. Social media, it's a numbers game. If we share dozens of cat videos each day, then we get more followers.
Emir: That's true. So how exactly do you see this working? I mean, who's going to find all these videos?
Vanya: Erm, OK, I'm very aware of the challenges here, but I'm convinced this is going to work.
Paul: I'm not so sure.
Emir: Well, I guess you have to look at it from both sides. Why don't we try it for a couple of weeks and see if there's any impact?
Vanya: Great! We are going to get so many more followers. I'm absolutely positive!
Paul: Good luck with that! I hope it doesn't turn out to be a cat-astrophe ... What? ... It's a good joke.
Ana: Hello again! Well, I thought that was a good joke! So, did you notice the useful phrases used for challenging someone's ideas? Listen to me and then repeat.
I'm a bit lost. What are you talking about?
Have you considered the fact that we're a branding agency, not a pet shop?
I take your point, but be imaginative.
I see where you're coming from.
I think I agree with Paul here.
How exactly do you see this working?
I'm very aware of the challenges here, but I'm convinced this will work.
You have to look at it from both sides.
Ana: Try and use some of these phrases the next time you want to challenge someone's ideas in English. Bye for now!
so do i.
Not really as we usually recycle the old ideas and most wouldn't want to try anything new anyway as they might not work out and some might not be too happy of the consequences so we chose to play safe and repeat what we did before since they're already proven successful. So, why take the risk?
If on one occasion I showed them an idea of a project where I told them that I wanted to implement a race to be able to raise money for a campaign for underprivileged children in Sinaloa and they liked it, that made me realize that I should show my ideas.
Do the expressions "figure it out" and "get it" mean the same ?
Tks
Hello sinara_sandri,
Not quite. Both are connected with understanding something but there is a difference.
When you get something it means you understand it. It may be through your own thought processes or it may be because someone explained it to you.
When you figure something out (or work something out, which has the same meaning) you reach understanding through your own mental effort. We sometimes emphasise this by adding 'by myself' to the phrase: It's OK, there's no need to explain it. I've figured it out by myself.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Peter,
What would you say if "I get It" was through personal effort. Like saying "Yes, I get it" after one figured it out".
Hello consults,
As I said in the previous answer, get it means to understand something. It can be through your own effort or by someone explaining it to you. How you came to understand it is not important; 'I get it' tells us only that you understand it.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Really, these are very usefull phrases and increasing our stock English words, thanks. When I'm challenging some one's idea I realy feel the rarity of my phrases asnd words.
No I had never
I didn't get the joke