Business English Pod / A2 / Page 14

BEP 50 – Softening Negative Replies (Part 2)

A2, Business English, ESL Podcast, Functions, Intermediate English /

This is the second in a two-part Business English Podcast lesson on softening negative replies. Last time you worked on softening negative replies in conversation to keep the atmosphere friendly and cooperative. Also, you practiced refusing an offer of help and letting someone down gently.

Today, we’ll be looking at refusing and disagreeing politely.

All these skills form part of a soft or gentle speaking style, which should form part of your communicative repertoire or toolbox.

Listening Questions

1) Why is the GM of Avitek unable to meet with Nick on Thursday.
2) How is the weather in Kiev?

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BEP 49 – Softening Negative Replies (Part 1)

A2, Business English, ESL Podcast, Functions, Intermediate English /

This is the first in a two-part Business English Podcast lesson on softening negative replies – saying “no” politely.

“No” is one of the strongest words in any language. Because it carries so much force, “no” is hard to say politely. Yet giving a negative reply, disagreeing or refusing a request are all things we have to do on a daily basis. So it’s important to learn how to say “no” in a way that enables you to maintain good relationships. In many cases this requires you to take a softer and more indirect approach. So today we’ll work on ways to soften negative replies in a variety of everyday situations.

In the dialog we meet up again with Nicholas Fisher, the European sales director for Harper-Tolland from BEP 35 and 36. He is flying into Kiev to support local sales staff by meeting with a large potential customer, Avitek. This is a Ukrainian company that manufactures cargo and firefighting aircraft. In our dialog, Nick is being met at the airport by Harper-Tolland’s sales manager in the Ukraine, Oksana Ivanchuk.

Listening Questions

1) Has Nick been to the Ukraine before?
2) What day of the week is it?

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BEP 45 – Socializing: Keeping a Conversation Going

A2, Business English, ESL Podcast, Intermediate English, Socializing /

This is the second in a two-part intermediate Business English Pod lesson on the basics of socializing and networking. Last time you learned ways to start and finish a conversation appropriately. Today you’ll be studying how to keep a conversation going by maintaining interest.

The listening continues on from dialogue 1 from last time: As you’ll remember, it takes place at the Asia-Pacific HR conference for Multi-Fresh, a global producer of health beverages. Penny””an HR officer from Kuala Lumpur””has struck up a conversation with George””the regional learning and development manager. Where we left off last time, Penny had just used a tag question”-Interesting speech, wasn’t it?” – to help get the conversation started.

As you listen, try to answer the following questions. The answers will be posted in a few days on the Listening Quiz page.

1) Near the beginning of the dialogue, Penny changes the subject. What was the old subject and what is the new subject?
2) Where has Penny seen George before?
3) What is George’s hobby?
4) What does George mean when he says “It’s not really such a big deal.”
5) Is Penny going to join George in next year’s event?

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BEP 44 – Socializing: Striking Up a Conversation

A2, Business English, ESL Podcast, Intermediate English, Socializing /

Today’s Business English Pod lesson is the first in a two-part series on the basics of social English: starting a conversation, keeping it going, and finishing it appropriately. Successful conversation is an important part of networking – the skill of building up a network of contacts and relationships.

In this lesson, you’ll be learning skills and language for starting and finishing a conversation appropriately. In the next, you’ll practice how to keep a conversation going.

The conversations take place at the Asia-Pacific HR conference for Multi-Fresh, a major global producer of health beverages. A beverage is a drink.

You’ll hear two dialogues. In the first, Penny, an HR officer from Malaysia, strikes up a conversation with George, the Asia-Pacific learning and development manager. “To strike up a conversation” means to start a conversation, usually with someone you don’t know too well.

In the second dialogue, Pat, an HR officer from Australia, then tries his best to strike up a conversation with George.

Listening Questions:

1) What office is Penny from?
2) What does Penny think about the speech?
3) Have Pat and George already met?
4) Does George have time to talk to Pat?

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BEP 39 – Reporting in English: Project Update

A2, Business English, ESL Podcast, Functions, Grammar, Intermediate English /

In today’s intermediate Business English Podcast episode you’ll practice reporting on progress. That means informing your boss or colleagues about your current work. This is also called updating someone on the status of a project.

Reporting on progress happens in formal settings, such as at meetings, but often also in informal settings, such as around the water cooler or maybe even over a drink after work.

Today’s listening provides an example of this very common kind of informal project update. It takes place in the offices of AirMech Services, a company that specializes in the maintenance, repair and modification of Passenger Loading Bridges, which are commonly called “jetways”. You’ll hear Rudi, a project manager, update his boss, Wolfgang, on the status of one such project. They meet each other during a break in the coffee room.

As you listen, pay attention to both the vocabulary and the verb tenses Rudi and Wolfgang use to discuss the progress of the project.

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