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BEP 125 – Travel English: Renting a Car

Business English, ESL Podcast, Intermediate English, Travel /

Business travelers can’t always get where they need to go by catching a plane or taking a taxi. Sometimes we need our own means of transport, and that usually means renting a car. So, in this ESL podcast we’ll cover language you can use when choosing a car, discussing features and clarifying insurance options.

In the last episode (BEP 124 – Checking our of a Hotel), we met Honesto Salvador and Alan Chan, who have just finished attending a training program sponsored by their company in Boston. They’ve just arrived now at Logan Airport, where they need to rent a car for their upcoming trip to New Haven.

As you listen, pay attention to the language they use to ask about vehicle types, standard features, extras and insurance options.

Listening Questions

1. What kind of car would Honesto prefer?
2. What features are standard on all Beevis cars?
3. Why does Honesto not need extra insurance?

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BEP 124 – Travel English: Checking Out of a Hotel

A2, Business English, Customer Service, ESL Podcast, Intermediate English, Travel /

If you’ve ever checked into a hotel, there’s one more thing you’ll definitely have to do before you leave, check out of the hotel and pay the bill. So, in this Business English Podcast lesson we’ll be looking at some of the language you might use as you’re preparing to depart.

A while back, in BEP 55 and BEP 56, we were introduced to Alan Chan and Honesto Salvador, two employees of a US electronics manufacturer visiting the USA on a business trip. As part of their training they have made a trip to Boston and will also travel to a nearby plant in New Haven. We join Alan and Honesto at the hotel in Boston as they go to reception to check out and pay the bill.

Listening Questions

1. How does Honesto feel about breakfast at the hotel?
2. Who was responsible for the minibar charge?
3. Why does Honesto mention his club membership?
4. How will Alan and Honesto get to the airport?

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BEP 120 – Telephoning: Checking on an Order

Business English, ESL Podcast, Intermediate English, Sales English, Telephone English /

Doing business across borders requires precise coordination, especially in the era of “just-in-time” delivery where goods need to be shipped to the customer at exact times. When a product is made in one country, assembled in another, and sold in a third, the companies involved need to be in constant communication from start to finish. Making sure that orders are made and delivered on time is an essential part of international business, and a lot of the monitoring will be done by phone. So, in this episode we’re going to look at ways to check on the progress of an order over the telephone.

A while back in BEP 92 & 93 we met Bill, a buyer for Bancroft’s, a chain of women’s clothing stores in the U.S. He’s placed a large order with Viva, an Italian fashion company, which is being coordinated by Catherine Traynor, Foxtrot’s shipping manager. Foxtrot is Viva’s U.S. distributor.

It’s now several months later and the order is due to be delivered. But Bill has just received a call from Bancroft’s warehouse to let him know that only half the order has been delivered so far. Now he’s calling Catherine to check on the rest of the delivery.

Listening Questions:

1. How does Catherine let Bill know she’s looking for information about his order?
2. Where is the second part of the shipment?
3. What does Catherine offer to do to avoid separate deliveries in future?

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BEP 119 – Telephoning: Making an Appointment

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

In this Business English Podcast, we’ll be looking at the language used to make appointments on the telephone.

We live in the era of remote communication: teleconferencing, videoconferencing, and online meetings. More and more group efforts are getting done from a distance. In theory, at least, it’s possible to work closely with anyone in the world without leaving our desks. Nevertheless, there’s something about a face-to-face meeting that no virtual one can replace. We still need to shake people’s hands, read their body language, and make personal connections. That’s why – even today – one of the commonest uses for the telephone is to make appointments. In this episode, we’ll take a close look at making appointments on the phone.

Gordon Knight works for Bridgewater, a U.S. pension fund. (Pension funds are institutions that invest retirement savings.) At a recent conference, Gordon met Penny Yip, a senior financial analyst for the Asia Markets office of Solomon-Clyde. Solomon is a boutique – or small and specialized – global investment company that deals only with institutional customers – very large clients, like Bridgewater. Now, Gordon plans to be in Malaysia, and he phones Penny to set up an appointment to discuss possibilities for investment.

Listening Questions:

1. Where and when does Gordon say he met Penny?
2. When does Gordon suggest meeting with Penny?
3. Why does he want to meet with Penny?
4. What time do they finally agree on?

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BEP 96 – Socializing: Business Meals

A2, Business English, Intermediate English, Socializing, Travel /

In most parts of the world, having lunch or dinner together is an important part of doing business. In places such as North America, eating meals is a way of building a relationship or celebrating a partnership. And in other cultures, such as China, much of the real work of making deals actually often gets done over the dinner table.

No matter where you are doing business, it’s important to be able to handle the basics of dining out. This includes ordering food, recommending dishes, proposing a toast, and paying for the check, among other things. These skills will be the focus of this episode.

In the listening, we continue to follow Mario and Francesca, who represent the Italian fashion company Viva, on their visit to the U.S. As planned, they are having dinner in Las Vegas with their distributor Adriana, who works at the American company Foxtrot. Bill, one of their new customers, has also joined them.

When the dialog begins, the group has already made some small talk and looked at the menu. Now they are ready to order.

Listening Questions:

1) Why doesn’t Francesca want to try the “steak tartare?”
2) How does Francesca signal that she’s ready to go back to the hotel?
3) Who pays for the meal?

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