Scrum Master
Scrum Masters facilitate ceremonies, coach teams, remove impediments, and protect the team from distraction. This path covers the precise English for every Scrum ceremony, agile metrics, conflict facilitation, and stakeholder communication — with a focus on the coaching language that distinguishes great Scrum Masters.
Topics covered
- Scrum ceremonies
- Agile metrics
- Impediment removal
- Retrospective facilitation
- Stakeholder management
- Coaching vocabulary
Vocabulary spotlight
4 terms every Scrum Master should know in English:
Any obstacle that prevents the team from meeting the Sprint Goal
"The blocked database access is an impediment — I'll escalate to the infrastructure team today."
The average number of story points a team completes per sprint, used for forecasting
"Our sprint velocity has stabilised at 42 points, so a 6-sprint release is realistic."
A shared agreement on all criteria a work item must meet to be considered complete
"The feature fails our definition of done — there are no unit tests."
A documented set of team norms and expectations for how the team operates together
"We added "no Slack after 18:00 local time" to our working agreement."
📚 Vocabulary Reference
Key terms organised by category for Scrum Masters:
Scrum Events
Scrum Artefacts
Facilitation
Metrics
Recommended exercises
Real-world scenarios you'll practise
- Facilitating a heated retrospective where team members disagree
- Explaining sprint velocity and capacity to a stakeholder requesting more scope
- Coaching a team member who consistently misses the definition of done
- Running a remote sprint planning session across three time zones
🎯 Interview questions specific to this role
Practise answering these questions out loud — or in writing. Each question targets a real interviewer concern for Scrum Masters.
- How do you handle a situation where the Product Owner keeps changing sprint scope mid-sprint?
- What is the difference between a Scrum Master and a project manager?
- Describe a technique you use to make retrospectives more effective.
- How do you measure the health of a Scrum team?
- What do you do when a senior developer dismisses the Scrum process?
Recommended reading
Frequently Asked Questions
What English skills do Scrum Masters most need to improve?+
Scrum Masters most commonly need to improve: technical vocabulary (the correct English terms for domain concepts), collocation accuracy (using the right verb for each action), written communication (bug reports, PR descriptions, technical docs), and spoken communication for standups, code reviews, and stakeholder meetings.
How long does the Scrum Master learning path take?+
The Scrum Master learning path contains 20–40 hours of material studied comprehensively. Most learners focus on the highest-priority modules first and return to the rest over time. Spending 30 minutes per day for 4–6 weeks produces noticeable improvement in workplace English.
What vocabulary should a Scrum Master prioritise first?+
Start with the vocabulary that appears most in your daily work — terms you read in documentation, use in commit messages, and hear in meetings. The Scrum Master path begins with the most frequent vocabulary clusters before moving to advanced communication patterns.
Are there interview exercises for Scrum Master roles?+
Yes. The Scrum Master path includes role-specific interview question modules with model answers and key phrases — the actual questions interviewers ask and the vocabulary needed to answer them fluently. There is also a dedicated Interview Practice hub for general interview skills.
Does this path include pronunciation help?+
Yes. The path links to pronunciation exercises for the technical terms most commonly mispronounced in this domain. The Pronunciation hub includes drills for acronyms, silent letters, word stress, and minimal pairs — all in IT context.
What are the most common English mistakes Scrum Masters make?+
The most common mistakes: incorrect collocations (using the wrong verb with a technical noun), false friends from L1, tense errors when narrating past incidents or walkthroughs, and using overly formal or overly casual register in written communication.
How do I improve my English for code reviews?+
Learn the standard code review collocations: approve a PR, request changes, leave a nit, address feedback, block a merge, resolve a conversation. Use hedging language for suggestions: "This might be cleaner as…", "Have you considered…?". The Collocations section includes a dedicated Code Review set.
Can I use this path alongside my daily work?+
Yes — the path is designed for working professionals. Each exercise set takes 10–15 minutes. The most effective approach is to study a vocabulary module before a meeting or task where you'll use that vocabulary, then practise immediately after. Context-linked practice produces much faster retention.
Is the content free?+
Yes, completely free. No registration required, no payment, no time limit. All vocabulary modules, exercises, glossary entries, and learning path guides are open access.
How do I track my progress through this path?+
Progress is tracked in your browser's local storage — completed exercise sets are marked with a checkmark when you return. No account is needed. You can bookmark specific modules and use the exercises overview to see which sets you've completed.