Her first call in English. Microphone on mute.
Twelve short, funny stories that teach the English you really use at work: on calls, in emails and in meetings. Written for Italian, German, French and Spanish speakers, with the mistakes of your own language explained in your own language.
- 12 story episodes
- 120 key phrases
- Audio for every chapter
- Free downloads
Available on Amazon. The audio and downloads are included free with your copy.
You know the English. Then the call starts.
You read English emails all day. You understand the meeting. But when it is your turn to speak, the words disappear. You write notes, check every sentence, and say nothing.
That is not a grammar problem. It is a practice problem. You need to hear real workplace English, see how people say things politely or directly, and get the chance to say it yourself, before the meeting.
“Many of the professionals I coach prepare for a call in English like an exam. Pages of notes. Every sentence written out.”
That is Giulia in Chapter 1. She is new at Quattro, a packaging company with offices in Milan, Munich, Lyon and Madrid. On her first video call, she spends four minutes on mute.
This book is how she, and you, get past that moment.
A story you want to finish, and English you can use on Monday.
Follow Giulia (Milan), Lukas (Munich), Camille (Lyon) and Javier (Madrid) through twelve episodes as they prepare their first trade fair together. Nobody on the team is a native speaker. Every character makes the mistakes real learners make, so you can notice them, fix them and keep talking.
It is a story, not a textbook
Short episodes at B1 level, with humour and real situations. You read to find out what happens next, and the English sticks without you trying to memorise it.
It teaches real workplace English
How to start a call, ask for help, say no politely, fix a mistake, write a clear email and win over a client at lunch. 120 key phrases, each with when to use it and how it sounds.
It knows where you come from
Every chapter has “Watch out!” boxes for Italian, German, French and Spanish speakers. They explain, in your own language, the exact mistakes your first language causes.
Every chapter follows the same eight steps
The same routine in every chapter means you always know what to do next, and you build a habit of reading, listening and speaking.
- Before you readMeet the situation and predict what happens.Read with purpose
- The episodeRead and listen to a short story, with audio for every chapter.Train your ear
- Pause and summariseCheck you followed the story.Build confidence
- Read it againNotice how people say things.Spot the patterns
- Language LabTen key phrases, with when to use them and the tone.Learn what to say
- Watch out!Mistakes in your language, explained in your language.Stop repeating errors
- Your turnRole-plays, a writing task with a model answer, and a personal task.Say it yourself
- Coach’s noteA simple communication framework to use at work the same day.Use it on Monday
A real look at the pages
These are actual pages from the book. Tap or click any page to see it larger.
This is the English you will read
Short sentences. Clear, natural B1 English. A situation you know. This is the opening of Chapter 1, The First Call.
You do not need to understand every word. Read for the story, listen to the audio, and the phrases begin to feel like yours.
Read more on AmazonAT 8.52 ON MONDAY morning, Giulia Ferri was sitting in a small meeting room on the third floor. Her laptop was open. Her notes were ready. She had three pages of them.
The call started at nine o’clock. Her first call with the whole team. Milan, Munich, Lyon and Madrid, all on one screen.
She read her notes again.
Good morning, everyone. My name is Giulia. I work in marketing.
Easy. She practised it twenty times on the train.
At 8.55, her laptop made a sound. The call had started. Early.
“Oh no,” Giulia said to the empty room. She clicked the link.
“Good morning!” said the man with the croissant. “You must be Giulia. Welcome to the team! I’m Javier, from Madrid.”
Written for the way you learn English
Italian, German, French and Spanish speakers make different English mistakes, because each language gets in the way differently. This book names them and fixes them. These patterns are common wherever these languages are spoken, including in Switzerland, so readers in German-, French- and Italian-speaking Switzerland will recognise them too.
Impara l’inglese che ti serve davvero al lavoro: telefonate, riunioni ed email. Con note in italiano sugli errori più comuni di chi parla italiano.
- Understand why actually, eventually and similar words trick Italian speakers, and what to say instead.
- Hear natural workplace English with audio for every episode, and practise the phrases aloud.
- For learners in Italy and Italian-speaking Switzerland who want to sound clear and confident, not just correct.
Lernen Sie das Englisch, das Sie im Beruf wirklich brauchen: Telefonate, Meetings und E-Mails. Mit Hinweisen auf Deutsch zu den typischen Fehlern deutschsprachiger Lernender.
- Learn why correct English can still sound like an order, and how to sound polite without writing long, stiff emails.
- See false friends like bekommen / become in context, then practise the right phrase.
- For learners in Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland who want to be understood the first time.
Apprenez l’anglais dont vous avez vraiment besoin au travail : appels, réunions et e-mails. Avec des notes en français sur les erreurs les plus courantes des francophones.
- Stop the “faux amis” that make your English sound strange, like assist / attend.
- Learn to be polite, but not too polite, so your emails sound natural and not like legal letters.
- For learners in France and French-speaking Switzerland who want to speak up in meetings with confidence.
Aprende el inglés que de verdad necesitas en el trabajo: llamadas, reuniones y correos. Con notas en español sobre los errores más habituales de los hispanohablantes.
- Fix the false friends that appear every day at work, like carpeta / folder, and avoid embarrassing mix-ups.
- Learn when to be direct and when to soften, so you keep your warmth and sound professional.
- For learners in Spain who already speak fast and want to speak accurately too.
Meet the team
Quattro has four offices and one shared language: English. Nobody on the team is a native speaker, and that is their secret strength. It can be yours too.
Giulia Ferri
Creative, organised and very well prepared. Her English is better than she thinks. Her problem? She is afraid to use it.
Lukas Brandt
Reliable, honest and always on time. His English is correct, but sometimes it sounds like orders. He doesn’t mean it that way.
Camille Laurent
Calm, kind and very precise. In English she is polite, very polite. Maybe too polite: her emails read like legal letters.
Javier Morales
Warm, funny and the best salesperson in the company. He speaks English fast and confidently, and with a lot of small mistakes.
The audio and downloads companion
Reading is only half of learning English. The companion gives you the listening, the speaking practice and the revision tools, so what you learn in the book is still in your head next week. It is free to everyone who owns the book, and works on your computer, tablet or phone.
Audio episodes
Every story, recorded with natural, clear voices. Listen on your commute, read along, or shadow the speakers to improve your pronunciation and rhythm.
Phrase audio tracks
The key phrases from each Language Lab, read aloud. Say them back and get the stress and intonation right before you need them.
Bonus chapter and audio
An extra story, The Interview, with its own recording and a full chapter to read. More practice with the same team, at no extra cost.
Full transcripts
Every episode as text, whole-book or chapter by chapter. Check what you heard, find words you missed, and print them for study.
Phrase cards
All 120 key phrases on printable cards, with when to use each one. Keep the most useful ones next to your keyboard.
False-friends guides
One guide for each language: Italian, German, French and Spanish. Words that look the same but mean something different, and what to say instead.
Flashcards for Anki and Quizlet
Ready-made decks so you can review the phrases a few minutes a day with spaced repetition, plus a short how-to guide to get you started.
Frameworks cheat sheet
The communication frameworks from the Coach’s notes on one page. Open it before a call, a meeting or an important email.
Offline companion website
One easy page with all the audio, transcripts, phrases and flashcards, plus a progress tracker for each chapter. It works offline, so you can study anywhere.
How to get it
- Get your copy of The New Team on Amazon.
- Scan the QR code printed in the book.
- Download the audio and files you want, and start listening.
Who this book is for
This book is for you if…
- You work in English but freeze on calls, in meetings or when you write emails.
- You are a lower-intermediate (B1) learner who wants real workplace English, not textbook dialogues.
- You speak Italian, German, French or Spanish and want to avoid the most common mistakes for your language.
- You live or work in Italy, Germany, France, Spain or Switzerland and use English with international colleagues.
- You are a teacher or coach: each chapter makes a complete lesson of 60 to 90 minutes.
What B1 means, and what you get
- B1 (lower intermediate) means you can follow clear, simple English and handle most everyday situations, but you still stop to find words.
- The stories use simple, clear English, so you read for pleasure, not for a dictionary.
- It is not a grammar book. You learn phrases you can use in real situations, in the order you need them.
- You do not need to speak another language to use it, but if you speak Italian, German, French or Spanish you get extra help made for you.
Before you decide
Is my English level right for this book?
The book is written at B1, lower intermediate. If you can follow simple English and handle everyday work tasks, but you want to feel more confident on calls and in emails, this is your level. The audio helps you with pronunciation, and the Language Lab explains each phrase.
Do I need to speak Italian, German, French or Spanish?
No. The English is clear for any learner. But if your first language is Italian, German, French or Spanish, you get something no other business English book gives you: notes in your own language about the exact mistakes you are likely to make.
I live in Switzerland. Is it right for me?
Yes. Many professionals in Switzerland speak German, French or Italian and use English every day with international colleagues. The “Watch out!” notes for German, French and Italian speakers cover mistakes that are common across those languages.
What do I get with the audio companion?
Audio for all twelve episodes, audio for the key phrases, a bonus chapter and recording, full transcripts, phrase cards, false-friends guides for each language, Anki and Quizlet flashcards, a frameworks cheat sheet and an offline companion website with a progress tracker. It is all free with the book.
How do I get the audio?
Scan the QR code printed in the book. It takes you to the audio and downloads.
Is it a grammar book?
No. It is a story with practice. You learn the phrases people really use, the tone of each one, and the mistakes to avoid. Grammar comes through the stories, not through rules and gap-fills.
Can I use it with a teacher or in a class?
Yes. Each chapter makes a complete lesson of 60 to 90 minutes, with a reading, language work, role-plays and a writing task with a model answer.
Where can I buy it?
The New Team is available on Amazon. Use this link and it will take you to your own country’s Amazon store.
Paul M. O’Neill
Paul is a British English language coach with 25 years of experience. He helps professionals from all over the world communicate with confidence in English: in meetings, on calls, in presentations and in everyday conversations at work. He runs English Language Lab and is the author of Say It Better.
The Four Offices series
A series of business English stories that grows with you. Start at your level, then follow the same colleagues, and your English, to the next level.
- Book 1, The New Team (B1): the team’s first calls, emails and trade fair. Available now on Amazon
- Book 2, The Deal (B2): a big British client, a tough negotiation and a delivery that goes wrong. Coming soon
- Book 3, The Merger (C1): a merger with a British company, where the real message is between the lines. Coming soon
Be ready for your next call in English
Twelve stories. 120 phrases. Audio for every chapter. Notes in your own language. Start with Giulia’s first call, and by the end you will have your own.
Get The New Team on AmazonAvailable on Amazon · Free audio and downloads included