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BEP 34 – Meetings: Clarifying What Was Said

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

This is the first in a two-part Business English Podcast series on clarifying. To clarify means to make clear.

Today we’ll look at phrases and skills for clarifying what was said. For example, “I didn’t quite catch that. Could you say that again?” This is useful when you don’t hear clearly or when someone speaks too fast. Then, in the second podcast (BEP 35), we’ll be looking at language for clarifying what was meant, for instance “What exactly do you mean by that?”

The listening today is from a shipping company. You’ll hear Wim Zeldenhuis and Andre De Vries in Rotterdam call their American colleague Benny McClenahan in Boston.

*** This lesson is part of our Business English eBook for meetings: Meeting Essentials. Premium members click here to download the complete eBook.

Members: PDF Transcript | Online Practice | PhraseCast | Lesson Module

Download: Podcast MP3

BEP 33 – English Presentations: Closing Down & Summarizing

A2, Advanced, Business English, ESL Podcast, Presentation in English /

This lesson has been updated – view the improved lesson here.

In today’s Business English Podcast lesson, we’ll be looking at closing down and summarizing your presentation in English.

As we mentioned a while back in BEP 101 (Click this link to listen to the podcast), a strong introduction is important to give your audience a reason for listening. Similarly, a strong conclusion is very important to leaving your audience with a great impression and giving them a clear message about what action to take.

So what structure should you use to close down an English presentation? We suggest this simple format:

1. Give your audience a clear signal that your are going to finish.
2. Briefly summarize the main points of your presentation.
3. State your recommendation or give your call to action – let your audience know what you want them to do.
4. Finish off by thanking your listeners and inviting questions or discussion.

In today’s listening we’ll be exploring this format. The listening takes place at Harper-Tolland, a major global producer of special purpose steel. Last year Harper-Tolland launched a new product line but the sales results in Europe have been quite disappointing. Nicholas Fischer, the new regional sales director for Harper-Tolland, has been hired to fix the problem. He is just finishing off a presentation in which he has been discussing his proposal.

Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Online Practice| PhraseCast | Lesson Module

Download: Podcast MP3

BEP 32 – Meetings: Brainstorming & Discussing Ideas

Advanced, Business English, English for Meetings, ESL Podcast, Teleconference English /

New versions of this lesson are available here:
BEP 32 A – English for Discussing Solutions to a Problem (1)
BEP 32 B – English for Discussing Solutions to a Problem (2)

In this Business English Podcast lesson we take another look at the language used to suggest and discuss ideas in meetings and teleconferences. We’ll also provide further language for diplomatic disagreement and agreeing action points at the end of the meeting.

The teleconference is run by Jim as a type of meeting called a “Brainstorming” meeting, which is useful for gathering and openly discussing ideas as the format is more relaxed.

Members: PDF Transcript

Download: Podcast MP3

BEP 31 – Meetings: Accepting and Rejecting Suggestions

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

A new updated version of this lesson is available here.

This Business English lesson is the second part of a two-part series on making, rejecting and accepting suggestions in English. In the first episode, we looked at how to make suggestions. In this episode, we’ll cover appropriate ways to reject and accept suggestions in English. Accept means to agree to a suggestion and reject means to disagree.

As you’ll remember, the listening takes place at a sports shoe company called Stratos. You’ll be listening to Karen, a marketing manager, meet with three members of her team, Charles, Sven and Miguel. They are choosing a celebrity spokesperson for a new product.

*** This lesson is part of our Business English eBook for meetings: Meeting Essentials. Premium members click here to download the complete eBook.

Members: PDF Transcript | Quizzes | PhraseCast | Lesson Module

Download: Podcast MP3

Business News 06 – Offshoring

Business English, Business News, ESL Podcast, Management English /

This Business English News podcast examines the topic of offshoring jobs. “Offshoring” means to move part of a company’s operations (usually supporting functions such as finance or HR) to another country – literally “off shore.” Another commonly used term related to this topic is “outsourcing” – this means to use a different company to handle some supporting tasks. The key difference is that outsourcing doesn’t necessarily mean the work is done in a different country.

The topic of offshoring, or outsourcing work overseas, is certainly a popular one these days, and many people in Western Europe and North America are quite concerned that this practice will lead to less job opportunities in their countries. However, our story details a report from a well know management consultancy that concludes these concerns may be exaggerated or “overblown.”

PDF Transcript: Study Notes

Download: Podcast MP3