Lesson
C1ENGiving & Receiving Feedback in English
Master the language of feedback in English! Learn how to give constructive criticism, receive feedback gracefully, and create a culture of continuous improvement. Perfect for B2-C1 professionals who give or receive feedback as part of their daily work.
Feedback Culture
Talk Time
- Describe a piece of feedback that genuinely changed how you approach your work. What made it effective?
- How do you personally react when you receive critical feedback? Has this changed over time?
- What is the difference between feedback and criticism? Why does this distinction matter?
- Do you think it is harder to give feedback to someone more senior than you, or someone more junior? Why?
- Describe a time when you had to give feedback that you knew would be difficult to hear.
- How important is timing when giving feedback — should it be immediate or should you wait?
Feedback Vocabulary
Speed Match
- Constructive→Feedback intended to help someone improve rather than simply criticise
- Specific→Feedback that refers to particular actions or behaviours rather than generalisations
- Actionable→Feedback that gives someone a clear sense of what to do differently
- Defensive→A reaction to feedback that involves justifying or denying rather than reflecting
- Self-assessment→Evaluating your own performance before receiving feedback from others
- 360-degree feedback→Feedback gathered from multiple sources including peers, managers and direct reports
- Sandwich method→A feedback technique that places criticism between two positive comments
- Blind spot→An area of behaviour that others notice but the individual is unaware of
- Receptive→Open and willing to consider feedback without becoming defensive
- Follow-up→A later conversation to check on progress after feedback has been given
- Tone→The emotional quality of how something is communicated
- Validation→Acknowledging that someone's feelings or perspective are reasonable
- Impact→The effect that someone's actions or behaviour has on others or outcomes
- Growth area→An aspect of someone's performance that has potential for development
- Recognition→Acknowledging and appreciating someone's positive contribution or achievement
Feedback Phrases
Word Bank
I wanted to ___ some feedback on the presentation you gave yesterday. One thing that really ___ out to me was how clearly you explained the data. I think it would be helpful if you could ___ a bit more detail in the next report. Going forward, it might be worth ___ your points before the meeting starts. I really ___ the effort you put into preparing for this project. Something to work on for next time is making sure everyone has a chance to speak. I noticed that the deadline was ___ — can we talk about what happened? Overall, I think you are ___ in the right direction, but there is room to grow. Thank you for ___ this feedback — I know it is not always easy to hear. I would love to ___ how things go after you try this approach.
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The secret to giving great feedback
Content Block
Professional Feedback Language
Correct the Mistake
I think you should of asked for help before the deadline instead of struggling alone.
I think you should have asked for help before the deadline instead of struggling alone.
She told him that his work was not meeting the standard and he need to improve quickly.
She told him that his work was not meeting the standard and he needed to improve quickly.
The feedback session was suppose to focus on strengths but became quite negative.
The feedback session was supposed to focus on strengths but became quite negative.
He didn't received the feedback well and became quite defensive during the meeting.
He didn't receive the feedback well and became quite defensive during the meeting.
We need to discuss about your performance over the last quarter in more detail.
We need to discuss your performance over the last quarter in more detail.
I have gave him some constructive feedback after the presentation yesterday.
I have given him some constructive feedback after the presentation yesterday.
She is responsible to give feedback to all junior members of the team.
She is responsible for giving feedback to all junior members of the team.
The manager asked if he could give some feedback, but the employee said no, he don't want any.
The manager asked if he could give some feedback, but the employee said no, he didn't want any.
The Feedback Model
Word Bank
One of the most widely used ___ for giving feedback is known as the SBI model, which stands for Situation, ___ and Impact. The idea is simple: instead of making ___ about someone's character, you describe the ___ situation in which something happened, the particular behaviour you observed, and the impact that behaviour had on you, the team or the outcome. For example, rather than saying someone is disorganised, you might say that during yesterday's client call, when the presentation slides were not ready, the client appeared frustrated and the meeting overran by twenty minutes. This approach tends to feel less personal and more ___, which makes it easier for the person receiving feedback to listen without becoming ___. Many managers find that practising this ___ regularly helps them give feedback more ___ and more often, rather than saving it all up for an annual review.
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The Feedback Conversation
Roleplay Quest
Scenario
A team has just finished a major project. The project had mixed results — some parts went very well, others did not. The team is gathering for a retrospective meeting where everyone will give and receive feedback about the project and each other's contributions. Tensions are running slightly high as some team members feel their contributions were not recognised, while others feel they had to compensate for colleagues who did not deliver.
Project Lead
You feel the project was a partial success but are aware that two team members have unresolved tension. You want this retrospective to be constructive, not a blame session, but you also know some honest feedback is overdue.
Secret goal: Facilitate fairly. Acknowledge both strengths and areas for improvement across the team.
The Overworked Contributor
You feel you carried the project for the final two weeks because a colleague did not deliver their part on time. You are frustrated but also do not want to seem like you are attacking anyone personally. You want this acknowledged.
Secret goal: Be honest but professional. Use specific examples. Avoid sounding like you are blaming anyone directly.
The Underperforming Colleague
You know your part of the project was delayed because you were dealing with a personal issue you did not feel comfortable sharing with the team. You feel guilty but also slightly defensive, fearing you will be blamed publicly.
Secret goal: Listen carefully. Be willing to acknowledge the impact without becoming defensive. Share context if it feels safe to do so.
The Quiet Observer
You noticed the tension building throughout the project but did not say anything at the time. You have useful observations about team dynamics but are naturally quiet and may need encouragement to speak up.
Secret goal: Share your observations when invited. Be diplomatic but honest about what you noticed.
Feedback Culture
Speed Debate
Useful phrases
- I would argue that...
- From my perspective...
- The evidence suggests...
- On the other hand...
- I think it depends on...
- That's a fair point, but...
- In my experience...
- The key issue here is...
- Feedback should always be given in private, never in front of other people.
- Anonymous feedback is more honest and therefore more valuable than feedback given face-to-face.
- Companies that give frequent informal feedback perform better than those relying on annual reviews.
- It is the responsibility of the person receiving feedback to ask for it, not the manager to give it unprompted.
- Positive feedback is just as important as constructive criticism, if not more so.
- Some cultures find direct feedback rude, and this should always be respected over company policy.
- Feedback delivered in writing is more effective than feedback delivered verbally.
- People who struggle to receive feedback well should not be promoted into leadership roles.
- The "sandwich method" of feedback (positive-negative-positive) does more harm than good.
- Junior employees should feel comfortable giving feedback to senior colleagues.