Technical English for Engineers: A Focused Starting Point

Name: Technical English for Engineers: A Focused Starting Point
Rating: 4.8 (8 reviews)

A practical system for speaking clearly + confidently in international meetings, without translating in your head first

Created byOlivia Augustin

Last updated 9/2026

English

What you'll learn

How to use language 'chunks' to speak faster and more clearly
Simple sentence structures that reduce overthinking
Strategies to feel confident in fast meetings and when speaking up
How to fix English mistakes on the spot: without freezing or panicking
Practical Business English Skills
How to communicate better in company meetings
Key business communication skills for everyday work
Communication skills are transferable to other languages
Strategies also help native speakers sound clearer and more confident

Course content

2 sections • 9 lectures • 1h 5m total length

Start Here: How This Works3:23
Speed Beats Perfect Grammar5:13
You’ll learn why translating in your head is slowing you down, what to do instead so you can start thinking and responding more naturally in English
Speak in Chunks, Not Words10:27
You’ll learn how to speak using ready-made chunks, and how to train them using a method that helps you sound clear and confident in real meetings.
Think in English Without Being Fluent20:10
You’ll learn how to start thinking in English efficiently by using sentence templates, chunk patterns, and self-talk strategies that reduce translation time and build confidence. PS: Ditch the perfectionism!
Too Many Tabs Open9:51
In this module, you’ll learn how to combine language chunks, sentence templates, and structural patterns to speak with clarity and pick up tools to manage nerves when speaking English in meetings.
Debug Your Own English10:00
You’ll learn how to review and improve your English communication by reflecting on what worked and fixing what didn’t.

Your Chunk Library1:54
20 More Chunks for Real Meetings

In Module 2, I said you need 20–30 chunks you've actually tested. I gave you 10. Here are the other 20.

These cover the five moments engineers tell me are hardest: getting a word in, delivering bad news, pushing back, admitting you don't know something, and closing a point cleanly.

Same rules as before. Don't memorise all twenty. Pick three that sound like something you'd actually say, run them through Prepare – Practise – Debrief this week, and keep the ones that survive. The rest can wait.

The PDF is attached below.

Getting the floor
The hardest part of an international meeting is often not what to say. It's finding the gap to say it in.
Can I add something here?
Before we move on — one thing on that.
Sorry, can I come back to the schedule for a second?
I'd like to flag something on this.

Delivering bad news
Say it early and say it short. The instinct is to soften and explain first, but in English that buries the message and confuses people.
I have an update, and it's not the one we wanted.
We've hit a problem with [X].
The short version: [X] will be late.
I'd rather give you this early than late.

Pushing back
The "yes, but" situation from Module 2. Lead with what is possible, then name the cost.
That's possible, but it costs us [X].
I'd advise against it — here's why.
We can do that. The trade-off is [X].
Technically, yes. Practically, it's risky.

Admitting you don't know
This is the one engineers avoid, and it's the one that builds the most trust.
I don't have that number in front of me.
I'd rather check than guess.
That's outside my scope — [name] owns that one.
Let me confirm and come back to you today.

Closing a point
Meetings drift when nobody closes anything. Do it, and you look like the person running the room.
So, to summarise: [X], [Y], and [Z].
Who's taking this one?
Can I hand over to [name] on this?
Are we agreed on [X]?

What next
You now have a system: chunks for speed, templates for structure, self-talk for training, and a debrief for fixing things one at a time. Your English doesn't have to be perfect. It has to be effective.

If you want to keep this going, the English for Engineers podcast is where I go deeper on all of this — real situations, engineers who've lived them, no textbook English. Free wherever you listen: https://marcode.org/podcast/

And if you'd like to stay in touch, I'm on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-d-augustin/
Always happy to hear how this lands in a real meeting.

Thanks for joining me. Now go and use it.
Podcast Pathway1:45
The 30-Day Self-Talk Sheet2:29

Requirements

Understanding English at a B2 level.
Speaking fluently is not required.
You can follow technical conversations and workplace meetings (even if you miss a few words).
You can read clear, structured emails or documents.

Description

You're in a meeting. Someone asks you a direct question in English. You know the answer. Your brain just needs a second to translate it first... and by the time you're ready, the moment's gone.

That's the problem this course solves. Not with more vocabulary lists. With a system.

What's inside

Speed Beats Perfect Grammar. What's actually happening in your brain when you translate, and why speed matters more than perfect grammar in a live conversation.

Speak in Chunks, Not Words. Pre-built phrases you can use in meetings without building every sentence from scratch, trained with a Prepare–Practise–Debrief method.

Think in English Without Being Fluent. Simple Subject-Verb-Object structure, reusable sentence templates, and daily self-talk practice that gets you out of translation mode for good.

Too Many Tabs Open. Putting chunks, templates and structure together under real pressure, plus a pause-and-breathe technique for when your mind goes blank.

Debug Your Own English. A 3-minute self-debrief to review what worked after a real conversation and improve one thing at a time.

Included

An 8-page workbook to build and track your own set of ready-made phrases as you go.

Plus three bonus resources: a downloadable library of 20 more meeting chunks grouped by situation, a printable 30-day self-talk sheet, and a guided route through the English for Engineers podcast.

Who this is for

Engineers who understand every technical detail of their job but freeze up in English meetings
Project, site, civil, mechanical and structural engineers working with international teams, contractors or suppliers
Anyone who translates in their head before speaking and wants a faster system instead
B2 English speakers who want practical tools, not another grammar course

About your instructor

I'm Olivia — a civil engineer and certified English teacher. I've taught technical English as a university guest lecturer, trained engineers in global companies, and I host the English for Engineers podcast. I teach English the way an engineer would approach any system: test it, refine it, make it repeatable.

A note on scope

This is a focused course, not an exhaustive one. Five modules built around one working system, plus the bonus material to keep practising afterwards.

Please note: this course contains a promotion. On the final slide I mention my 1:1 coaching in two sentences, and Udemy asks instructors to disclose that.

Who this course is for:

Engineers who speak another language but work in English-speaking teams
Non-native professionals who feel frustrated during English meetings and calls
Engineers who are tired of using Google Translate and want real fluency tools
Native and non-native speakers who want to be more authentic, articulated and relaxed in real-time conversation

Technical English for Engineers: A Focused Starting Point

What you'll learn

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Course content

The System: Chunks, Templates, and Self-Talk6 lectures • 59min

Bonuses3 lectures • 6min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: