Category Archives: Advanced

BEP 71 ADV (Transcript & Exercises) – Mergers: Office Gossip and Reported Speech

This is the second in a three-part series that follows some of the internal discussions that take place in a company going through a merger.

Today’s episode focuses on casual office conversation and gossip. Office gossip is a type of informal conversation in which we tell secrets or rumors about other people or other departments. Gossip is often called water cooler chitchat, since the water cooler is where colleagues meet by chance and discuss things that are happening in the office. You might also want to review some of our previous shows on socializing for more language to use in these types of conversations.

For the listening today, we rejoin Jack at the guitar manufacturer headquarters, after his short but difficult chat with his boss Jim. Jack is in the cafeteria when a co-worker meets him there by chance.

Key Language: Informal Socializing & Reported Speech

Online Activities & Exercises

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Study Notes
Phrases & Practice 		BEP 71 ADV – Office Gossip – Quiz

BEP 71 ADV – Office Gossip – Gap-fill

BEP 71 ADV – Office Gossip – Dialog & Vocabulary

BEP 71 ADV – Office Gossip – Language 1

BEP 71 ADV – Office Gossip – Language 2

BEP 71 ADV – Office Gossip – Language 3

BEP 71 ADV – Office Gossip – Flashcards


Listening Questions: BEP 71 ADV – Mergers: Office Gossip & Reported Speech

1) What did Frances hear from Joanna?

2) Who did Michelle take off with?

3) Where does Frances tell Jack she has to go?

BEP 70 ADV (Transcript & Activities) – Mergers: Breaking Bad News

This is the first in a three-part Business English Pod series that explores the use of many different language techniques in the context of a merger. Today’s episode focuses on vague, diplomatic language and probing questions. Vague and diplomatic language was introduced in podcasts BEP 24, BEP 51 and BEP 52, so you might wish to review those to refresh your memory. In addition, we’ll be covering probing questions, which we first looked at in BEP 64. To probe is to explore or investigate, so probing questions are used to gather more detailed and targeted information. And I should also point out that there are two speaking practices at the end of this podcast – an action packed episode indeed.

For this series, we again visit our U.S.-based guitar manufacturer, which has a production plant in Costa Rica. In this episode, we find out that the company is merging with a larger guitar manufacturer. To merge is to join together. When two companies join together, we call this a “merger.”

The new owners want to cut costs, which might mean cutting jobs. So, an important question in the mind of our old friend Jack is – who is going to be fired? We join Jack and his boss Jim, who meets Jack by chance in the hallway of the company headquarters.

Key Language: Meetings, Being Diplomatic & Vague, Probing Questions

Online Activities & Exercises

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Study Notes
Phrases & Practice 		BEP 70 ADV – Breaking Bad News – Quiz

BEP 70 ADV – Breaking Bad News – Gap-fill

BEP 70 ADV – Breaking Bad News – Dialog & Vocabulary

BEP 70 ADV – Breaking Bad News – Language 1

BEP 70 ADV – Breaking Bad News – Language 2

BEP 70 ADV – Breaking Bad News – Language 3

BEP 70 ADV – Breaking Bad News – Flashcards


Listening Questions: BEP 70 ADV – Mergers: Breaking Bad News

1) Who will Jack be meeting with after his chat with Jim?

2) What city might the Costa Rican plant move to?

3) Why do the new owners want to move the factory out of Costa Rica?

BEP 101e (Transcript & Exercises) – Presenting for Success: Making your Introduction

Making your Introduction is a preview of our upcoming audio / ebook on presentations skills and language. In this first chapter we take a look at how to make a good start as well as at the overall structure of a presentation. This recording is a re-edited and extended version of one of our earliest podcasts – BEP 101. The ebook will have nine units, including four never released lessons on describing charts and trends, using your voice and emphasizing your message.

Presenting for Success is a comprehensive study guide to the language and skills you need to give presentations in English more fluently, more confidently and more successfully. Learn on the go with over 2-hours of audio lessons, review key language and techniques with the detailed 100-page study guide, including full transcripts of each lesson, and practice useful phrases with the over 40+ online activities.

Presenting for Success is available free to all Premium Members or can be purchased by non-members for €17.95.

Key Language: Introductions & Signposting

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Study Notes
Phrases & Practice 		BEP 101e – Making your Introduction – Quiz

BEP 101e – Making your Introduction – Gap-fill

BEP 101e – Making your Introduction – Dialog & Vocabulary

BEP 101e – Making your Introduction – Language 1

BEP 101e – Making your Introduction – Language 2

BEP 101e – Making your Introduction – Flashcards

BEP 65 ADV (Transcript & Exercises) – Questioning Techniques (Part 2)

This is the second in a two-part Business English Pod series on questioning techniques. Last time in BEP 64 we looked at making small talk and gathering information with open questions, getting specific information with probing questions and guiding the conversation by showing interest.

This time we’ll learn several more advanced questioning techniques, including direct questions, to get information from someone who is being uncommunicative, reflective questions, to guide the conversation, and hypothetical questions, to suggest possible action. Together these techniques form a series that can be used to drill down to the information you need.

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Study Notes
Phrases & Practice 		BEP 65 ADV Questioning 2 – Quiz

BEP 65 ADV Questioning 2 – Gap-fill

BEP 65 ADV Questioning 2 – Transcript & Vocabulary

BEP 65 ADV Questioning 2 – Language 1

BEP 65 ADV Questioning 2 – Language 2

BEP 65 ADV Questioning 2 – Vocabulary Flashcards


Listening Quiz: BEP 65 ADV – Advanced Questioning Techniques (Part 2)

1) LCD TVs produce a lot of heat. Why is this important to Brad’s sales pitch?

2) What are Andy’s main priorities in selecting conformal coatings to protect the circuit boards Stratos produces?

3) What are the main good points of the coating that Brad wishes to sell to Andy?

BEP 64 ADV (Transcript & Exercises) – Questioning Techniques (Part 1)

Questions are an important part of almost every conversation. So being able to ask good questions is critical to communication. How can we make our questioning more effective and efficient? In this two-part Business English Podcast series we’ll be looking at some answers.

The communication skills we’ll be learning can be used in any situation, but we’ll be focusing in on an area where questioning techniques are particularly important: needs analysis. This refers to analyzing the needs of a customer as part of the sales process. We’ll study a series of questioning techniques that can be used to “drill down to” – that is, get to or uncover – the information you want.

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Study Notes
Phrases & Practice 		BEP 64 ADV Questioning Techniques – Quiz

BEP 64 ADV Questioning Techniques – Gap-fill

BEP 64 ADV – Online Transcript & Vocabulary

BEP 64 ADV Questioning Techniques – Language 1

BEP 64 ADV Questioning Techniques – Language 2

BEP 64 ADV Questioning Techniques – Vocabulary


Listening Quiz: BEP 64 ADV – Advanced Questioning Techniques (Part 1)

1) What does Brad think of the Stratos’ facility?

2) How long has Stratos been located in its current location?

3) How long has Stratos been located in its current location?