Stop Being Polite! Master Crisis Communication in English

Hi there! Ever wonder how to speak English when you’re stressed, excited, or in a rush? 🤯 This lesson is for you!

We’re using amazing, fast-paced scenes from the movie ‘A House of Dynamite’ to teach you Crisis Communication—the clear, simple, and direct English that native speakers use when every second counts. This is about being effective, not polite!

What we’re breaking down in this clip:

• Commands: The difference between a request and an urgent order.
• Simple Language, Big Impact: How phrases like “Go! Go! Go!” and “Just start driving” are actually perfect English.
• Tense Vocabulary: Learn official emergency terms like “Shelter in place.”
• The Power of Tone: How one word (“Now”) can change the entire meaning of your instruction.

This is a great lesson for improving your listening comprehension and understanding the tone behind fluent speech!

New Vocabulary & Expressions

‘confirm track’. They don’t say, ‘Can you please confirm the track?’ They just use the verb ‘confirm’ directly. This is called the imperative form, or a command.

’track on scope’. This isn’t a full sentence. It’s short-form English meaning, ‘The track is visible on the radar scope.’ Professionals use this short, factual language to save time.

‘add SECDEF and POTUS to the call’. She also shortens her speech by using acronyms. SECDEF and POTUS are the common acronyms for the Secretary of Defense and the President of the United States.

’now, Davis’. In English, adding the word ’now’ to a command doesn’t just mean ‘in this moment.’ It means: ‘Stop everything else you are doing,’ ‘This is the highest priority,’ and ‘Do it immediately, with no excuses.’ Using ‘Now’ at the end of a command makes it sound much more serious and urgent.

’listen to me’. They are preparing to give you a life-changing command. It’s not just ‘Hear me’; it means, ‘You must pay attention and do what they say’.

‘just start driving’. The word ‘just’ makes the action simple and immediate. The message is: Move first, ask questions later.

‘shelter in place’. This is a modern, critical piece of emergency vocabulary. It means: ‘Find a safe location indoors right now and stay there until you are told it’s safe.’

‘confirm the arming’, and ‘activate launch’. These are simple, powerful command verbs.

‘copy’. This is military and professional slang that means ‘message received and understood.’ You can use ‘copy’ when talking to colleagues.

‘it’s negative’. ‘Negative’ means ’no result’ or ‘a failure.’ It missed the target.

‘object remains inbound’. ‘Inbound’ is a very formal way of saying ‘it is still coming toward us.’

‘we need to pull him’. To ‘pull someone’ in this context is a kind of slang that means ’to quickly take or extract someone from a dangerous place.’

Conclusion

The main lesson is simple: In a crisis, skip the ‘please’—be crystal clear!

Let’s quickly review the three main rules for giving urgent orders in English:

1. Use the imperative: That means just the verb! ‘Confirm track,’ ‘Activate launch.’ No fancy words needed!
2. Use ‘Now’ for absolute priority: When you say ‘Do it now!’ everyone knows that’s the number one job.
3. Keep it short: Drop titles and just use simple, short verbs, like ‘Go! Go! Go!’

Listening Practice

Full scenes for listening practice are available on my BuyMeACoffee page: Extended lesson with FULL SCENES for listening practice