18: It’s Not Always About The Language with Olivia Augustin

In today’s episode of Transmit Safety, I'm talking with Olivia Augustin about learning English, writing emails, and being more inclusive.

In our Health and Safety roles there are people we work with who have English as a second language, third language, fourth language, or more, and let’s face it, English is the suckiest language in the world. So, how do you navigate that situation and guarantee you’re being inclusive?

However, even if we are native speakers, whenever we start work in a new company or a new industry we have to learn a new workplace language, the specific slang that is used there, and because we’re Health and Safety people, the inevitable acronyms, which is not an easy process.

Luckily, in this episode, we have Olivia Augustin, a certified Technical + Business English teacher who's also an engineer and the host of the English for Engineers Podcast, as our guest and she has all the answers.

Tune in to hear her tips for learning a new (workplace) language, how to be more inclusive with non-native speakers, a way to help with your written business communication, and much more.


In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Olivia’s journey from an engineer to a certified English teacher
• The biggest concern engineers who work with Olivia have 
• 5 tips to learn a new (workplace) language
• The great benefits of using templates for email writing
• How to be more inclusive when working with non-native English speakers
• “Engineer speak” and other perception errors about engineers

The Transmit Safety Podcast is here to help health and safety practitioners achieve a holistic approach to workplace health and safety so they can become impactful leaders and put the value of safety into action.


Resources and links

Check out Olivia’s Email for Engineers [Template Package] with more than 30 English email templates to help you streamline your email writing efforts.

Today's episode was sponsored by Transmit Safety, a consulting business where I help streamline and simplify health and safety management systems through education, program development, audits, and coaching.

If you'd like to join the next cycle of Upgrade and Optimize a group coaching program, go to: transmitsafety.com/program

For more of the Transmit Safety Podcast, go to transmitsafety.com/podcast


Connect with Olivia Augustin

Olivia is a civil engineer and certified English teacher turned corporate trainer, her specialty is dissecting the intricate structures of the English language and only putting back the pieces engineers really need to become skilled communicators.

LinkedIn: Olivia Augustin
Instagram: @_marcode_
Podcast: English for Engineers
Website: marcode.org

Connect with Aimee Arsenault

Aimee Arsenault is a CRSP and CHSC. She is the founder of Transmit Safety, a business that helps you simplify and streamline health & safety management systems.

Linkedin: Aimee Arsenault
Instagram: @transmit.safety
Twitter: @transmitsafety
Website: transmitsafety.com