Working remotely for a company abroad has become a goal for many professionals, and English is often the barrier. The good news is that remote work English is quite specific: a handful of situations repeat every day.
The three skills that matter most
1. Writing clearly
Remote work is very written: Slack, email, comments on documents. Short, direct, organized messages are worth more than sophisticated vocabulary.
- “Quick question: are we still meeting at 3?”
- “Just a heads-up: the deploy is delayed until tomorrow.”
- “Could you take a look at this when you have a minute?”
- “Following up on my message from yesterday.”
2. Understanding meetings
This is where most people struggle. Several speakers, different accents, bad audio and lots of informal speech. What works is listening to real conversations, not course audio.
3. Explaining your own work
In stand-up meetings, you need to say what you did, what you will do and what is blocking you:
- “Yesterday I finished the login page.”
- “Today I’m going to work on the tests.”
- “I’m blocked on the API, I’m waiting for access.”
Phrases for meetings
| Situation | Phrase |
|---|---|
| You missed something | ”Sorry, you cut out for a second. Could you repeat that?” |
| Asking to speak | ”Can I add something here?” |
| Agreeing | ”That makes sense to me.” |
| Disagreeing politely | ”I see your point, but I’m not sure that…” |
| Confirming a task | ”Just to confirm, I’ll take care of…” |
| Wrapping up | ”I think that covers everything. Thanks, everyone.” |
Everyday remote work vocabulary
- heads-up: advance warning
- to follow up: to check back on something
- ASAP: as soon as possible
- EOD: end of day
- to sync: to talk to get aligned
- async: communication that does not happen at the same time
- OOO: out of office
- bandwidth: availability (“I don’t have the bandwidth this week”)
How to train your ear for meetings
Interview podcasts, behind-the-scenes company videos, talks and office comedies have the same kind of speech as real meetings: fast, informal and full of different accents. Watching with English subtitles and clicking new expressions builds your repertoire. In Telidioma you can also select text on any website, like a document or technical article, and see the translation in context. For the written side, read how to write an email in English.
Frequently asked questions
What level of English do I need to work remotely for a foreign company?
It depends on the role, but most jobs expect conversation at around CEFR B2: understanding meetings, taking part in them and writing clearly. Technical roles sometimes accept less speaking and more writing.
What is the hardest part of English for remote work?
For most people, understanding video meetings: several speakers, different accents, poor audio and inside jokes. Training your ear on real conversations, not textbook audio, helps the most.
Is writing at work easier than speaking?
Usually yes, because you have time to revise. That is why remote work, which relies heavily on written messages, is a good entry point for people who still freeze when speaking.