BE 567: Can You Use Folks without Sounding Fake?

This is the Business English Podcast, episode 567. Can you use folks without sounding fake? Welcome to the Business English Podcast from All Ears English. Get the English skills you need to achieve your dreams in global business.

For a presentation, a meeting, or your office party, this is Real Business English with your favorite American hosts, Lindsay and Michelle, coming to you from New York City and Colorado, USA.

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Go to allearsenglish.com slash fluency score. That's allearsenglish.com slash F-L-U-E-N-C-Y-S-C-O-R-E. Hey, Lindsay, how are you? Hey, Michelle, I'm doing great.

How are you? I'm doing well, thanks. Lindsay, how do you feel about Zoom business meetings? Zoom business meetings. Well, yeah, I feel okay about them.

I mean, we all work remotely here at Allers English, so we don't have any choice. Yeah, exactly. That's how they are. That's how they are. It's just a business meeting, right?

Yeah, exactly. So I'm thankful we have Zoom. But I think probably for some people, if they're not used to it, it could feel maybe a little awkward or a little forced. For sure.

So that's why if you can, if you work in an actual workplace, you know, you want to build those real connections. And, you know, in order to do that, it's important to use the correct language, right? Mm-hmm. Yep.

So today on the episode, we're answering a listener question. This listener comes to us from YouTube. Don't forget, guys, the All Ears English podcast has its own YouTube channel. So go to YouTube, type in All Ears English, hit subscribe.

This is from Yarin Cho. I'll go ahead and read Yarin's question. Okay. Okay. I'm listening to your podcast every morning. To warm up my English brain.

And it's so helpful. Thank you. That's beautiful. I like that. That's cute. The English brain. Warm up your English brain with all ears English. I've seen the word folks in emails several times, but I find it hard to understand the nuance.

I tried using it myself, but I felt like I was pretending to be a native speaker. Is it just a casual version of people? When can I use it and when should I avoid it? What a good question.

I thought that was really interesting how this listener put it. I felt like I was pretending to be a native speaker. That is really interesting. Yeah, yeah.

Fascinating. Yeah, really interesting. So yeah, great observation, great question. Yeah, folks, so we wanted to look at this from the business side. We may have even spoken about it on All Airs English before.

We're going to really focus on business here. So it's something that you will see in business emails or hear in meetings. And Yeah, you're right. It's a casual way to say people.

You wouldn't really say hi people when addressing a group, but you might say hi folks, right? That does work for sure. So it's appropriate for most business settings, but it does still feel warm and friendly, which is why you will hear people use it a lot. It's great for making others feel comfortable, building connections.

I think it's a good one, but it is nuanced, right? Yeah. Yes, exactly. So you have to learn how to use it correctly. So that's what we're going to talk about today.

We're going to break down when it sounds natural and when it's just awkward, right? Yeah, for sure. So guys, hit the follow button right here on the Business English Podcast. So we drop into your queue three days a week.

Don't miss a single one of our episodes. So hit follow now. Okay. Yes. Okay. Let's get into the nuance then. Our listeners love nuance, especially at their level B2C1 for business.

So when can you use folks in a business setting, Michelle, would you say? Yeah. Good question. So yeah, I would say when you already know the group. Okay.

Or maybe when you're part of the same team or project, right? Or if just the company culture is more relaxed or also if you just want to sound more friendly or approachable.

So yeah, these are all great times to use them. I mean, these are, it's good for a group emails or Slack or other messages addressed to your work team. Right.

So like, how might that sound Lindsay? So you might open an email by saying, hi folks, thank you for your hard work this week. I sent the data or you might see in an email, you might see, I sent the data to the folks over in the, in marketing, meaning instead of saying to the people in marketing,

or the workers, workers would be really weird. Yeah. I sent the data to the folks over in marketing. Yeah. Yeah. Lindsay, do you use folks? You know what?

I don't use it very much. So just yesterday I wrote an email to our whole team because we want to schedule a team sync in the next couple of weeks. And I said, hi, team. I think I said, hi, team.

And I like team just because, yeah, I feel like it packs a punch. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's interesting because this listener says, I feel like I'm pretending to be a native speaker.

Right. I also feel a little like it's out of my comfort zone. I am a native speaker, but I feel like, I don't know. I just... There's some things that just don't go with your personality.

And so I would say, I don't really use folks, but I hear it a lot. And it's important to know. So it's important to discuss it just because we don't personally use it that much. But if it doesn't feel right to you, you also don't have to force it.

Yeah. I think when people are using it, they're trying to be polite. They're trying to be respectful. But if it's not in your personality, and it sounds like all three of us, our listener, you and me, it's not really our vibe.

Yeah, exactly. But to someone whose vibe it is, it's great. I mean, so also, like, let's say you're the boss, or you're leading a team meeting, you might say, Hi, folks, thanks for joining. I could hear that a lot.

For sure. Yeah. Or what else? Or, all right, folks, let's get back to the main point. Or thanks for all your great ideas today, folks. So actually, these all sound pretty natural to me.

And I could imagine hearing this. But again, I'm not going to say it. Fair enough. Fair enough. I mean, we all kind of develop our own version of English.

Yep. It's your trademark English, Michelle. I mean, we all have our own and this is the goal of our listeners at the B2C1C2 level is we start to build our own English, which is so cool. But there is an important side note.

Folks can also be used to describe your parents in a very casual way. So don't get confused, guys. If you ever heard on like a movie from the 90s or the 80s, someone talks about their folks. Mm-hmm.

Um, they're talking about their parents. So my folks, my, usually it's with a possessive, right? My folks are in town for the weekend. Right. Right. You want to just say, I mean, I guess you could say the folks.

Yeah, the folks, but you would be using that in a way of saying my folks. You're saying my folks. Exactly, right. Exactly. This is a side note. Put this aside.

We're not talking about that today in this episode, okay? But you will hear that especially in movies maybe, for example, right? Yeah. Okay, what else do we need to know here, Michelle?

Yeah. So, well, the listener also asked when to avoid saying folks. So when would it sound particularly awkward? I guess when the work environment or the tone is even more formal, like legal communication.

You know, if you write an official legal email, usually lawyers write like letters, right, that they'll attach in an email. That probably wouldn't have the word folks in it, even if he's addressing folks. That would have like the names of the plaintiffs or the defendants or something. Corporate announcements, hierarchical environments, because usually in a hierarchy you're going to have more like titles like president this, vice president this.

Right. Mm-hmm. or maybe not with customers or clients, right? Because it might sound a little overly casual, like it might sound a little forced, like this relationship doesn't necessarily exist yet.

It sounds a little awkward. Or yeah, like what we said, you don't know the group yet. So if you're new on the team, you're the new one, it can sound forced, right? You should wait until you build some rapport within your team.

Yeah, it's tricky. Or giving orders when you're not the boss. Folks, this needs to be fixed quickly. This could sound bossy, condescending. Yes. But that's really about the tone of voice there.

Yeah. But I also think folks has kind of had a bit of a resurgence lately because with an awareness of gender, we still say sometimes I still say guys like hi guys. It's a huge part of American culture. It's impossible.

It's a very hard habit to drop. I'm trying to, but it's a hard one to drop. I mean, I say it with every Instagram video I do. I mean, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I don't know. That's just one. I don't know. There was actually a column in the New York Times about that, about like opinions around that. I mean we're aware – like it's important to be aware that that could be offensive to some people at some times and that's just what I'm saying.

That's why I think the word folks has had a bit of a resurgence that people are maybe looking for an alternative even in the workplace. Instead of saying hi guys, you know, right. It's not, yeah, right. Exactly.

It's not tied to a specific gender. Right. Exactly. But it's not a great alternative. Like it's just, if it doesn't feel like your personality, you need something different in a way.

Yeah. Right. Um, so what could be an alternative, another alternative, this one I'm more likely to use. Yeah, everyone. I mean, this is simple. It's neutral.

You don't have to worry about your tone as much. So for example, good morning, everyone. I appreciate you're joining on such short notice. Or all right, everyone, let's move on to pricing.

Right. Or thank you for your time, everyone. Yeah. This is neutral. Totally neutral. I mean, it's not very exciting. It's kind of boring, I'm going to say, but it is the one that I would use before folks.

Yeah. Same. I agree. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Let's do a role play. So here you and I are joining a team video call. So you are the boss and I am speaking on behalf of my team.

So there are a few other team members on the call. All right. Here we go. Okay. Hi, folks. Thanks for hopping on today. Let's get started. Can you hear me okay?

Yep. Sounds good. All right, folks. Let's keep this one short today. I just wanted a quick update on how the client meeting went yesterday. Were they comfortable with the proposal?

Overall, yes. They agreed to almost all the terms, but they asked for updated pricing on the annual plan. I know we need your approval to move forward with that.

Okay. In this situation, I'm okay with adjusting the pricing. They've been a long-term client. Great. I'll follow up with them this afternoon. All right.

Well, perfect. That was quick. Thanks for your time, folks. Have a great weekend. Yeah. And this is almost veering into the person using folks too much.

Yeah, exactly. Like they're all going to get off and say like, oh, that's Mrs. Folks. Very folksy. Yes, exactly. Yep. Yep. But just for the sake of the example here.

Exactly. No, we have a lot of good examples here. So yeah, I said, hi, folks. Thanks for hopping on today. And then you said it again, right? You said, all right, folks, let's keep this one short today.

So you're addressing the group. Probably trying to be, again, politically correct a little bit, respectful, professional. It's all wrapped up in there, right? In your choice.

Yep. And then I said at the end, thanks for your time, folks. Have a great weekend. Yeah. Again, so I think it's kind of brought up an interesting conversation today, Michelle, around what is really in your personality.

We agree with the listener. I mean, there's a bit of – if you feel like a bit of imposter syndrome when you're using a certain word, maybe that word is just not for you. Maybe that's okay. Yeah.

Yeah, I think that's really interesting. I mean, that's why I thought it was so well put how the listener said, oh, that you feel like you're pretending to be a native speaker. Again, I feel awkward using it too. And like Lindsay said, that's okay.

And you don't have to force something that doesn't feel right to you. You can always try it, try it once or twice. And if you're just like, hmm. not me okay like it doesn't necessarily mean that you're pretending that you like it's not necessarily about being a native speaker it's more just about this is kind of a this is not like a neutral sounding word this is a stylized word in a way yeah exactly however a caveat to that

keep track of how many times you're saying that. If you're saying that for many words, idioms, for example, sayings, then that might be something else that's happening. Right. If you start to realize, okay, I'm avoiding a lot.

Right. Now we need to look at that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But if it's just one word here and there, that's fine. Then maybe it's just not in your personality.

And I completely agree. I also just don't really use it. So Michelle, another episode our listeners could check out right now, guys, go over to 517, roll the dice and start an English conversation. Any other takeaway today our listeners should know?

I think we already, we've been kind of getting to the takeaways before the episodes recently. I mean, yeah, if it doesn't feel right, don't force it. But watch how often you have that feeling. That's something important.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it's interesting. It's important to know like why certain words are Right. Yes. Right? Like if you've got a party and you're about to cut the cake or I don't know, do a toast.

Hey, friends, listen up. I'm going to make a toast, right? Instead of hi, guys. So there you go. So just understand the cultural context of things too and why certain words become more popular at certain times.

It's interesting. Yeah. Yeah, it really is. All right, Lindsay. Well, thanks for chatting about this with me today. And all right, folks, have a good day.

No, just kidding. It kind of feels like, I don't know, like my fifth grade teacher or something. I don't know. It just doesn't feel right. Yeah, exactly.

All right. All right, everyone. We'll talk to you next time. Take care. Bye. Thank you for listening to Business English, a podcast just for you, the high achieving global professional.

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