BEN 23 – The End of the PC?

BEN 23

Learn Business English vocabulary and collocations for describing trends and technology in this Business English News lesson on the recent decline in PC sales.

It wasn’t long ago that many of us could count on a new computer every three years or so. With both hardware and software upgrades coming in leaps and bounds, consumers and businesses sought to replace obsolete machines for shiny new boxes. However, as Forbes explains, things have changed dramatically: “PC shipments are down 14% year-over-year despite the launch of Windows 8. While Microsoft and its fans might not want to admit it yet, Windows 8 is a flop. The failure to generate new sales is bad; the acceleration of the declining trend in PC shipments is downright awful.”

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VV 34 – Financial English Vocabulary: Macroeconomics (2)

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In this business English vocabulary lesson, we’ll look at some key macroeconomic terms related to consumers and prices. This includes ideas such as the income gap, the cost of living, and the consumer price index (CPI). We will also explore concepts such as inflation and purchasing power, as well as disposable income, household debt, and consumer spending.

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VV 33 – Financial English Vocabulary: Macroeconomics (1)

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In this business English vocabulary lesson, we’ll look at some key macroeconomic terms, such GDP and GNP. We’ll explore the natural business cycle, which includes periods of expansion, recession and sometimes even depression. We’ll also look at the idea of trade balance between countries, which can be described as either a trade surplus or a trade deficit.

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BEN 22 – Telecommuting: Back to the Office

Business English News 22 - Telecommuting

In this Business English News lesson, we look at trends in the workplace, particularly changing attitudes to telecommuting.

The question of “live to work or work to live” has been around for decades, with many employees trying to strike that perfect work-life balance. Employees around the world benefit from the use of modern technology to do their work in the comfort of their own homes.

Recently though, Yahoo’s CEO, Marissa Mayer, made some waves with her decision that all employees must work their 9 to 5s in the office.

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Skills 360 – How to Get Good Customer Service (2)

Welcome back to the Skills 360 podcast. In today’s lesson, we’re going to look at how to get good customer service. More specifically, we’re going to learn how to complain properly and get a good solution.

It all starts with a problem. You buy a product and it doesn’t work right. You get frustrated. You paid good money but you’re not getting what you expected. It’s time to complain. So you go back to the store or you ring up a customer service line. This interaction could end with more frustration or it could end with satisfaction, depending on the outcome. So how can you get a good outcome?

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