Intermediate · B1 / B2 · Digital Life

Video Calls & Online Meetings

Your goal: handle audio/video problems, share your screen, and participate smoothly in a video call.

1

Survival Phrases

Joining & audio

  • Can everyone hear me? — I'll mute when I'm not speaking.
  • You're breaking up — could you repeat that?
  • I think my mic's muted.

Camera & screen

  • Could I share my screen for a second?
  • I can't see the shared screen — could you resend the link?
  • My camera's not working — mind if I join audio-only?

Connectivity

  • I'm freezing — let me rejoin.
  • I think my connection's dropping; I'll turn off my video.

Participating

  • Could you just scroll up a bit? — I can't see the bottom.
  • Sorry, you cut out there — from where?
2

Model Dialogue

Read the dialogue aloud twice — once for each speaker. Notice how B picks up A's words and adds something.

Marina: Hi all — can everyone hear me? I'll mute when I'm not speaking.

Sam: Yes, loud and clear. Ravi, you're breaking up a bit.

Ravi: Sorry — I'll move closer to the router. Better?

Sam: Much better. Marina, could you share the brief?

Marina: Sure — sharing now. Can everyone see it?

Sam: I can't see the bottom — could you scroll up a bit?

Marina: There. How's that?

Sam: Perfect. Oh — Ravi, you froze. Let's give him a sec.

Ravi: Back. Sorry, connection dropped. I turned off video to save bandwidth.

Sam: No worries. Let's carry on.

3

Register: formal vs informal

SituationMore formalMore informal / natural
Checking audioCan everyone hear me? I'll mute when not speaking.Can you hear me? Muting.
ReportingYou're breaking up — could you repeat that?You're freezing — say again?
Screen sharingCould I share my screen for a moment?I'll share my screen.
Asking to scrollCould you scroll up a bit — I can't see the bottom?Scroll up a touch?
At B1/B2 the line between formal and informal is often tone and softeners (just, a bit, possibly), not different words. Soften requests when the stakes are higher.
4

Typical Mistakes (B1/B2 & Portuguese interference)

  • Can you listen me? → Can you hear me? ((hear, não listen))
  • My microphone is muted. → My mic's muted. / I'm on mute. ((on mute))
  • You are breaking. → You're breaking up. / You're freezing. ((breaking up))
  • I will share my screen for to show. → I'll share my screen to show you. ((to show, não for to))
  • Scroll up the page. → Could you scroll up a bit? ((scroll, não scroll up the page))
  • I lost my connection, I am back. → My connection dropped — I'm back. ((dropped))
5

Culture Note

  • Mute when not speaking is the single biggest kindness on a video call — background noise wrecks meetings.
  • Turning off video on weak connections is normal and accepted — say it ('I'll turn off video to save bandwidth').
  • 'You're breaking up' is the standard polite way to flag bad audio — not rude.
  • Screen-share etiquette: share the window, not the whole screen, to avoid embarrassing notifications.
6

Practical Task

  1. Rebuild the dialogue with a frozen screen and a screen-share that won't load.
  2. Record your part, flagging issues politely.
  3. Write three phrases for common call problems.
  4. Real-life mission: note the mute/raise-hand shortcuts for a tool you use.

Before you finish, can you…

  • ☐check audio and offer to mute?
  • ☐flag 'breaking up' politely?
  • ☐ask to share and to scroll?
  • ☐handle a dropped connection gracefully?
Bring your dialogue — the teacher plays a colleague whose audio keeps cutting out.