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BEP 193 – English Idioms: Time Idioms (Part 2)

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, Business Idioms, Project Management /

This is the second of our two-part Business English Pod series on idioms related to time.

Time is a very precious resource. And for this reason, time management is a very important issue at work and in business. We’re always thinking about how to better manage our time, get our work done, juggle deadlines, arrange schedules, and follow timelines. Time, like money, is something that we can measure, budget, save, and even waste.

English is rich in idioms related to time. These idioms are very useful in business considering time is such a constant concern. In our last episode, we covered many common and useful expressions related to time in general. Today, we’ll look at a few more, particularly ones related to a lack of time and expressing a sense of urgency.

We’ll rejoin Jeff and Claire, two managers who are overseeing the development of a mobile phone app and a new website. Previously, we heard them talking about the design and development of the app. Today, they’re going to focus their discussion on the new website.

Listening Questions

1. Why is the website behind schedule?
2. Which part of the team usually waits to do their work?
3. When do they hope to assemble the website?

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BEP 192 – English Idioms: Time Idioms (Part 1)

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, Business Idioms, Project Management /

Welcome back to Business English Pod. In this lesson, we’re going to take a look at business English idioms related to time.

At work and in business, time is always a concern. We rush to get to the office “on time,” we work hard to finish projects “in time” and we sometimes have to work “overtime” to get it all done. If you’re like most people, you watch the clock and the calendar constantly. It’s hard not to with such busy schedules and tight timelines.

In English, time idioms focus on a few key ideas. We hear the word “time” a lot, as well as the words “clock” and “hour”. Many of the idioms are related to speed, duration, regularity, and how late or early something happens or is finished. We also see a lot of idioms related to time pressure.

In this lesson, we’ll hear a conversation between Jeff and Claire, two project managers who are overseeing the development of a mobile phone application and a new website. We will hear them discuss timelines on different parts of the project and different project teams.

Listening Questions

1. What does Claire say about the designers?
2. What does Jeff say about the writers?
3. Which part of the project is behind schedule?

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VV 25 – IT Vocabulary: Internet Technology (2)

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, English Video, IT and Tech /
YouTube video

This business English video vocabulary lesson is the second of our two-part series on Business English vocabulary related to Internet technologies. In our last episode, we looked at the basic tools and concepts behind Web 2.0. In this lesson, we’ll focus on the programming of websites and web-based applications.

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BEP 184 – Discussing Training Plans (Part 2)

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, English Collocations, Human Resources /

This is the second part of our Business English Pod series on English training and development vocabulary and collocations.

Good training is crucial for any company, big or small. How can we expect people to do a good job if they don’t have the right knowledge, skills, and tools? Providing employees with these tools is a key function of training.

And training is what we’ll be talking about today. We’ll be looking at some important vocabulary and collocations related to training. Remember, collocations are natural combinations of words that native speakers commonly use. There are no clear rules to collocation, only patterns. When you learn a new word, you should try to learn what other words are used with it. For example, you might think that “crime” is a useful word to know, but it will be difficult to use it if you don’t know that we usually use the verb “commit” before it, as in: “commit a crime.”

In the last episode, you heard many useful training collocations. We listened to Jeff, who works in HR at an engineering firm, talk with David, who has just given a presentation on new approaches to training. We heard Jeff explain how his company wants to improve their learning and development program. Today, David will explain more about learner-centered training.

Listening Questions

1. What is a traditional approach to training?
2. What does David say another company has recently started?
3. What is David’s biggest piece of advice for Jeff?

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