How to warm up your English before a meeting – in just 10 minutes

You wouldn’t run a race without warming up – so why go into an English-language meeting cold?

If English isn’t your first language, those first few minutes of a meeting can feel like jumping into a swimming pool before your body’s ready. Your mouth hasn’t caught up with your brain. You stumble. You mumble. You lose your flow.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Here’s a simple, structured 10-minute warm-up routine to boost your fluency, clarity, and confidence—before you even click “Join” on that call.

Minute 1–2: Loosen your tongue

Start with some light articulation to get your mouth moving and your voice working:

• Read aloud a short paragraph—try a recent email, a LinkedIn post, or even one of my blog articles (they’re full of natural business English).

• Practise a tongue twister like:“This, that, these, those – those are the things that throw them.”

• Focus on tricky sounds like th, and repeat slowly, then faster—like a gym for your mouth.

  
  

💡 Tip: Stand up. Speak out loud. Own your space—even if you’re alone.

Minute 3–4: Stretch your vocabulary

Think of five words you might need in your meeting (e.g. deadline, proposal, confident, revenue, delay). Now:

• Say each word in a full sentence.

• Try to paraphrase it (e.g. “delay” → “postpone” or “push back”).

• Say it again with a slightly different structure.

  
  

💡 This builds flexibility and prevents “word block” when the pressure’s on.

Minute 5–6: Rehearse a self-introduction

Whether it’s a team update or stakeholder pitch, you’ll likely introduce your role or ideas.

• Practise a 30-second version of “Who you are and what you do.”

• Add 1–2 things you’ve worked on recently.

• Try different sentence starters: “At the moment I’m working on…” / “Recently, I was involved in…”

  
  

💡 Don’t memorise. Just get used to flowing naturally.

Minute 7–8: React to a simple question

Choose a common opener:

• “What’s your take on this?”

• “How are things going on your side?”

• “Can you walk us through that?”

Now answer it aloud—twice. Once with a short answer, once with a more detailed response.

💡 Practice signposting: “Well, firstly…” / “One challenge is…” / “To summarise…”

Minute 9: Shadow someone

Play 30 seconds of a native English speaker on YouTube or a podcast. Then:

• Play it again and speak at the same time as the speaker.

• Match their rhythm, tone, and pauses.

• Don’t worry if you miss words—focus on flow.

  
  

💡 This boosts pronunciation and listening/speaking coordination in real-time.

Minute 10: Take a breath – and smile

Finally, breathe. Relax your jaw and shoulders. Smile. You’re ready.

You’ve just activated your English—physically, mentally, and emotionally. You’ll start the meeting warm, not wobbly. Confident, not clumsy. And remember: fluency isn’t perfection. It’s preparation.

Want a personal warm-up plan?

I help professionals like you warm up, speak up, and stand out—in English. Take my free assessment or book a coaching session to sharpen your impact where it matters most.