Cross-Cultural Communication at Work
CEFR: B2
Read/Listen first
Last month our French team visited our British partner’s office for a project review. I have worked with them by email for years, but it was the first time we had met in person. The meeting was going well until I said that our client was very ‘sensible’ about money. Everyone laughed, because they thought I meant ‘sensitive’. My British colleague explained the difference and said it was a common false friend for French speakers. Later, during a coffee break, he reminded me not to say that the budget meeting was ‘funny’ if I only meant that it was enjoyable. He told me that in English we earn money through work, but we win money in a casino or lottery. At the end of the day I thanked him for his patience. I realised that small language mistakes could create cultural confusion, and I decided I would be more careful in future meetings.⚡ Learning goals
- Can describe a cross-cultural work meeting and explain a small misunderstanding.
- Can distinguish sensible/sensitive and fun/funny when talking about work.
- Can react politely when colleagues correct language or cultural mistakes.
✨ Key language
- a common false friend “Sensible is a common false friend for French speakers.”
- create cultural confusion “Small language mistakes can create cultural confusion at work.”
- be more careful in future meetings “I must be more careful in future meetings.”
⚙️ Rules & Grammar — 4 Structures
1️⃣ Present perfect for ongoing work relationships
Rule: Use the present perfect to talk about work relationships or experiences that started in the past and continue now.Examples: I have worked with them by email for years.; We have collaborated with this partner for a long time.; She has led international projects since 2019.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners often use the past simple for continuing situations (“I worked with them for years”). Use the present perfect instead (“I have worked with them for years”).
Choose the best sentence to describe a continuing work relationship.
Tip: Use the present perfect when the relationship is still true now.
Fill with the best answer: I ____ worked with international partners for many years.
Tip: Remember: have/has + past participle for the present perfect.
2️⃣ Past simple for finished meetings
Rule: Use the past simple to describe completed meetings or events at a specific time in the past.Examples: Last month our team visited our British partner’s office.; The meeting went well until I used the wrong word.; Everyone laughed when I said our client was sensible about money.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners sometimes mix present and past (“The meeting is going well yesterday”). Keep the whole finished story in the past simple (“The meeting went well yesterday”).
Which sentence correctly uses the past simple for a finished event?
Tip: For a finished time like last month, use the past simple.
Fill with the best answer: The meeting ____ well until I used the wrong word.
Tip: Use the past form of go to describe how the meeting progressed.
3️⃣ Past perfect after “the first time”
Rule: Use the past perfect to show an earlier past event, especially after expressions like “the first time”.Examples: It was the first time we had met in person.; It was the first time I had spoken English with the whole team.; It was the first time they had visited our office.
Common pitfall + fix: Many learners use only the past simple (“It was the first time we met”). Add had + past participle for clearer sequencing (“had met”).
Complete the sentence: It was the first time ________.
Tip: After “the first time”, use had + past participle to show earlier past.
Fill with the best answer: Before that trip, I ____ ____ only online.
Tip: Use the past perfect to show what was true before the visit.
4️⃣ Would for future intentions in the past
Rule: Use would to talk about intentions or decisions you made in the past about the future.Examples: I decided I would be more careful in future meetings.; He promised he would explain false friends more clearly.; They said they would avoid using tricky vocabulary next time.
Common pitfall + fix: Learners sometimes use will after a past verb (“I decided I will be careful”). After a past verb, use would (“I decided I would be careful”).
Which sentence correctly describes a past decision about the future?
Tip: After a past verb like decided or promised, use would, not will.
Fill with the best answer: He promised he ____ explain the difference next time.
Tip: Use would after a past reporting verb to show a future action.
✍️ Vocabulary
sensible
Meaning: making practical, careful decisions, especially about money and risk.Synonyms: prudent, reasonable, practical
Chunk/Idiom: a sensible decision about money
Example: Our client is very sensible about money and checks every invoice carefully.
Morphology: adjective; related forms: sensibly, sensibleness
Self-practice: Write two sentences about sensible actions in your job.
sensitive
Meaning: easily affected by other people’s feelings or by physical conditions.Synonyms: emotional, delicate, responsive
Chunk/Idiom: a sensitive topic at work
Example: Be careful, salary is a sensitive topic in our international team.
Morphology: adjective; related forms: sensitively, sensitivity
Self-practice: Describe one situation where you need to be sensitive at work.
false friend
Meaning: a word that looks similar in two languages but has a different meaning.Synonyms: misleading word, confusing pair, tricky vocabulary
Chunk/Idiom: a common false friend for French speakers
Example: “Sensible” is a common false friend for French speakers in English meetings.
Morphology: noun phrase; head noun: friend; adjective: false
Self-practice: List three other false friends you know between English and your language.
remind
Meaning: to help someone remember something they might forget.Synonyms: prompt, warn, nudge
Chunk/Idiom: remind someone not to say something
Example: My colleague reminded me not to say the budget meeting was funny.
Morphology: verb; regular past: reminded; noun: reminder
Self-practice: Write two reminders you often give colleagues in English.
cultural confusion
Meaning: misunderstanding caused by different habits, values, or language in cultures.Synonyms: misunderstanding, miscommunication, cultural clash
Chunk/Idiom: create cultural confusion at work
Example: Small language mistakes can create cultural confusion in international projects.
Morphology: noun phrase; adjective: cultural; noun: confusion
Self-practice: Describe one example of cultural confusion you have seen or heard about.
lottery
Meaning: a game where people buy tickets to try to win a large amount of money.Synonyms: draw, gamble, game of chance
Chunk/Idiom: win money in the lottery
Example: He said we win money in a casino or lottery, not from work.
Morphology: noun; plural: lotteries; related adjective: lottery-based
Self-practice: Compare earning a salary and winning money in the lottery.
☁️ Examples (+ audio)
Our French team visited the British office for a project review last month.
Small errors like ‘sensible’ can create big confusion in international meetings.
My colleague kindly reminded me not to call the budget meeting funny.
Since then I have been more careful with false friends at work.
✏️ Exercises
Grammar
Which sentence correctly uses the present perfect from the story?
Tip: Present perfect links past experience to the present situation.
Which sentence describes a finished past event from the meeting?
Tip: Use past simple for completed moments in the story.
Fill with the best answer:
It was the first time we ____ ____ in person.Tip: After “the first time”, the past perfect is very natural.
Fill with the best answer:
I decided I ____ ____ more careful in future meetings.Tip: After a past verb like decided, use would for future-in-the-past.
Vocabulary & Comprehension
In the story, what is a “false friend”?
Tip: Think about the example of “sensible” and “sensitive”.
According to the colleague, what is the difference between earn and win?
Tip: Remember the example of salary, casino and lottery.
Fill with the best answer:
His daughter is very ______; she cries when she thinks about her grandmother.Tip: Choose the adjective that describes strong emotions, not practical decisions.
Fill with the best answer:
The budget meeting was not ______, but it was very interesting and productive.Tip: Remember: funny usually means making you laugh; fun means enjoyable.
✅ Guided practice
Mini-dialogue:
A: That was a great meeting, but your client laughed when you said he was sensible about money.B: I know, I meant he was careful, not emotional. Thanks for explaining the difference again.
A: No problem. These false friends can create cultural confusion if we are not careful.
Why this matters:
Clear language helps international teams trust each other. When you avoid false friends, you show respect for your colleagues. Small corrections now can prevent bigger problems in future meetings.Verb & Adjective Pack:
create cultural confusion — Small mistakes can create cultural confusion in global projects.remind someone — Please remind me if I use a false friend in the meeting.
be sensible about money — Our manager is very sensible about money and travel costs.
be sensitive — Be sensitive when you talk about deadlines with stressed colleagues.
Try & compare:
Fill with the best answer: Our client is very ______ about money and checks every cost.
Tip: Choose the adjective that means practical and careful about money.
Self-correction: Fix the sentence: The meeting was funny, not fun.
Tip: Use funny for things that make you laugh and fun for enjoyable experiences.
Practice aloud: Listen, repeat, then type the sentence.
Small language mistakes can create cultural confusion at work.
Tip: Focus on the pronunciation of “cultural confusion” and “mistakes”.