Practice English for your performance review

A performance review asks for three hard things in one conversation: describing your own results, taking feedback calmly, and asking for something, such as a promotion or a raise. In a second language it is easy to undersell your work because the right words do not come in time.

Airi plays your manager so you can rehearse the whole review out loud: presenting your achievements, responding to criticism, and making your request in one clear sentence, without apologizing. Rehearse first, and the real meeting is not the first time you say those sentences.

A quick example with Airi

I'm your manager. So, how do you feel this year went?

I think it went well. I lead the migration project and we finish it two weeks early.

Small fix: "I led the migration project and we finished it two weeks early." That's a strong result. One area I'd like you to work on is communication with other teams.

Thank you for the feedback. Could you give me an example so I understand what to improve?

Excellent response — calm, open, and asking for specifics. That's exactly how to take feedback.

Try a conversation like this, free600 free credits, about 8 minutes of speaking. No card.

Performance review questions to expect, and how to start your answers

Review formats differ from company to company, but the conversation usually covers the same ground: what you achieved, what went less well, feedback, and goals for the next period. Questions like these five are common. Prepare a spoken answer for each one, in shorter sentences than you would write in a self-evaluation.

Question	What a good answer includes	A way to start
How do you think this year went?	A short verdict, then two or three results.	Overall, I think it was a strong year. The two results I'd point to are ...
What didn't go as well as you'd hoped?	The miss, the reason, and what you changed.	I didn't hit the target for ... The main reason was ..., and since then I've ...
What would you like to improve?	One real skill and a plan.	I'd like to get better at ... My plan is to ...
Where do you want to be a year from now?	A direction that fits what the team needs.	I'd like to take on more ..., and eventually move into ...
What do you need from me?	One or two specific requests.	It would really help if I could get ...

How to describe your achievements in a performance review

It is easy to describe duties ("I was in charge of the monthly reports") when the review is about results. A result sentence has three parts: an action verb, what you worked on, and what changed because of it.

Verb + what + result. "I redesigned the onboarding guide, which cut training time from three weeks to two."
Say "I" for your part and "we" for the team's. "I planned the launch, and we delivered it a week early."
No number? Say who benefited and how. "I trained two new colleagues, and both were handling client calls on their own by their second month."
Verbs worth having ready, in the past tense: led (the past of "lead"; it rhymes with "red"), built, launched, delivered, cut, reduced, increased, trained, negotiated, automated.

Keep each achievement to two sentences. If your manager wants more detail, they can ask.

Phrases for feedback, ratings and raises in a performance review

Three moments are hard to improvise in a second language: unexpected criticism, a disappointing rating, and the pause after you bring up money. One ready sentence for each gives you something to say while you think.

Moment in the review	What to say
You hear criticism you did not expect	That's useful to know. Let me make sure I understand: you'd like me to ... Is that right?
You disagree	I see that a little differently. Could I share some context?
Your rating is lower than you expected	I was hoping for a higher rating. What would I need to do differently to get there next time?
You want a promotion	I'd like to be considered for the senior role. What would make me a strong candidate?
You want a raise	Given what I delivered this year, I'd like to talk about my compensation.
The answer is "not right now"	I understand. What would need to change, and when could we revisit this?
You need time to think	I'd like to think that over. Could we come back to it later this week?
You are closing the meeting	Just to confirm, my priorities for next quarter are ... Did I miss anything?

None of these lines begins with "sorry". You can be polite in a review without apologizing: "I understand" and "that's useful to know" acknowledge what was said, and a question keeps the conversation moving.

Performance review English: common slips and what to say instead

Instead of	Say	Why
I achieved to reduce the costs.	I managed to reduce costs.	"Achieve" takes a noun ("achieve a result"), not "to" and a verb. Before "to" and a verb, use "manage".
I have launched the new portal in March.	I launched the new portal in March.	With a finished time such as "in March" or "last year", use the past simple, not the present perfect.
Can you explain me the rating?	Could you explain the rating to me?	After "explain", say what is explained first, then add "to" and the person: "explain the rating to me".
It wasn't my fault. The other team was late.	The delay came from a dependency on another team. Next time I'll flag the risk earlier.	Blame sounds defensive. A cause plus a fix sounds professional.
I will try my best to improve.	I'll send a status update every Friday, starting this week.	A specific action is something your manager can check. A promise to try is not.
I want more salary.	I'd like to discuss a raise.	"I want" can sound like a demand; "I'd like to" makes the same request politely. The usual noun is "a raise" in American English and "a pay rise" in British English.

A performance review rehearsal with Airi, step by step

Say your lines out loud before the meeting, not only in your head. Your free credits cover about eight minutes of speaking, so on a first run concentrate on steps 1 to 4. Run the full routine the day before your review.

Set the scene: "Be my manager in my performance review. I'm a customer support specialist. Ask one question at a time."
Answer "How do you think this year went?" in under a minute, with two results.
Ask for the hard part: "Now give me some critical feedback about missed deadlines." Reply by checking that you understood it, or by asking for an example.
When Airi shows a small fix, say the corrected sentence once before you go on.
Set up the refusal first: "When I ask for a raise, say 'not right now' so I can practice my reply." Then make your request: "I'd like to talk about my compensation."
Confirm your priorities for next quarter, then run it again with a tougher manager: "This time, be more critical and push back on my answers."

How to get the most from it

List results, not tasks

Rehearse three achievements with numbers. "Led", "delivered", "reduced" — out loud.

Take feedback gracefully

Practice "Thank you, could you give me an example?" until it's your reflex.

Make the ask

Rehearse asking for a raise or promotion in one clear sentence, then stop talking.

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Frequently asked questions

Can Airi give tough feedback in the role-play?

Yes. Ask her to be a critical manager, for example: "Be a strict manager and give me negative feedback about my deadlines." Then practice staying calm and professional.

Can I rehearse asking for a raise?

Yes. Ask Airi to play your manager, state your case, and tell her to answer "not right now" so you can practice your reply. The negotiation page has more phrases for salary talks.

What should I say if I disagree with feedback in my review?

Acknowledge the feedback first, then add a fact your manager may not have, rather than a feeling: "I see that a little differently. The report was late because the data arrived on the 28th." If you need time, ask to come back to it later in the week.

How do I talk about a goal I missed?

State it plainly, give the main reason, and say what you changed: "I didn't hit the target for new accounts. The main reason was a late start, and since then I've moved my outreach to the first week of each month."

Is it free?

It is free to start. You get 600 free credits when you sign up with Google, about eight minutes of speaking, with no credit card. After that, credits come in one-off packs of USD 5, 10 or 20, with no subscription.

Last updated: 2026-10-03