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925 English – Lesson 3: How to Keep a Conversation Going

925 English, A2, Business English, English Video, ESL Podcast, Socializing / April 17, 2016

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In our last 925 English lesson, we had a look at how to start a conversation in English. In this lesson, we’re going to learn how to keep a conversation going and how to end it.

There’s no point in striking up conversation with someone if you can’t keep it going. But what does that involve? I mean, it’s more than just asking and answering questions, right? So, what kinds of things can we say or do to make the conversation flow naturally? Well, one important way that we keep a conversation going is by showing interest in what someone says. Besides learning how to keep a conversation going, we’ll also look at language for showing interest, changing the topic and ending the conversation.

925 English will be a new business English podcast for beginner and intermediate learners. 925 English lessons will focus on chunks of language and English expressions that you can use in work and business. Each 925 English lesson will feature English phrases you can use in different situations and advice on why and how we use them in Business English.

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BEP 286 – Idioms of Personality and Character (2)

Business English, Business Idioms, Human Resources / April 10, 2016

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on English idioms related to people’s personality and character.

Think about all the different people you live and work with. There are probably some you get along with well, and others you don’t. There are some you would hire but not invite for dinner, and others you’d invite for dinner but would never hire. And the difference between all these people is probably their personality.

Different personalities make for more than just an interesting life; they make conversations interesting. Listen to the conversations around you in the staff room or at the café, and what do you hear? People talking about people. And because we talk so much about people, English has lots of idioms for describing personality. We’ll learn how to use some of these idioms in today’s lesson.

We will rejoin a conversation between three colleagues: Lola, Shane, and Anne. They’ve been trying to decide who in their company they should send on an overseas placement to Korea. They use lots of great idioms in their discussion of the different personalities under consideration.

Listening Questions

1. What does Lola think Marco would do well?
2. In Shane’s opinion, why isn’t Simone a good candidate?
3. What do the speakers say about Hank’s personality?

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BEP 285 – Idioms of Personality and Character 1

Business English, Business Idioms, Human Resources / April 3, 2016

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on Business English idioms for describing people’s personality and character.

In English we have a saying that “it takes all sorts to make a world.” This means that the world is made up of many different people and different personalities. And every company or organization needs different personalities for different roles and different kinds of work. This diversity of personality in the workplace is a popular and interesting topic of conversation, as you surely know from listening to your colleagues.

Whether we’re discussing which job applicant to hire or gossiping after hours about coworkers, we all talk about personalities. And English has lots of great idioms for describing personality and character, which is what we’ll look at in this lesson.

You will hear a conversation between three colleagues: Lola, Shane, and Anne. They are trying to figure out who to send to South Korea to work in their company’s office there. As they discuss the different possibilities, they use a lot of different idioms for describing personality.

Listening Questions

1. Why won’t they send David overseas?
2. What do the speakers say about Paula?
3. How does Shane seem to feel about Douglas?

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Skills 360 – How to Influence People (2)

Business English, Business Skills 360, Persuasion / March 27, 2016

*** Get all the Skills 360 lessons in our free Business English App for iPhone & iPad:
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Welcome back to the Skills 360 for today’s lesson on language and techniques for influencing people.

The power to influence can allow you to do many wonderful things, such as lead people, change their minds, motivate them to action, and negotiate successfully. These are abilities that can help you in life and in business. Now, it might seem like some people naturally have more influence than others, but that’s not always the case. Many powerful people have learned how to influence people using specific techniques.

In our last lesson, we had a look at what you should talk about and how you should talk about it. Today, I want to take a closer look at some language techniques that can open the door to greater influence. And these techniques all help build rapport or trust with the person you’re talking to.

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Skills 360 – How to Influence People (1)

Business English, Business Skills 360, Persuasion / March 20, 2016

*** Get all the Skills 360 lessons in our free Business English App for iPhone & iPad:
Download from the App Store

Welcome back to the Skills 360 for today’s lesson how to influence people.

There are many different reasons why you might want to influence people. Maybe you’re trying to get their support for your idea, or maybe you want to inspire them, or maybe you want to convince them to do something. Whatever the case may be, I think you’ll find the techniques we’re going to learn today very useful for winning people over.

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VV 48 – English Vocabulary for Manufacturing 2

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, English Video, Supply Chain / March 14, 2016

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In this lesson we’ll look at Business English vocabulary related to the manufacturing process. This includes research and development, or R&D, as well as making prototypes. Next we’ll look at different approaches to manufacturing, including lean manufacturing, total quality management, or TQM, and Six Sigma. And most manufacturers follow a set of standards called ISO, especially ISO 9001 and ISO14001. Finally, we’ll look at a variety of manufacturing processes, such as machining, molding and extruding.

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VV 47 – English Vocabulary for Manufacturing 1

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, English Video, Supply Chain / March 8, 2016

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In this English Video lesson, we’ll look at business English vocabulary related to manufacturing. Companies manufacture goods in plants, or factories, where they put together raw materials or various parts and components into a final product. We’ll cover ideas such as fabrication, as well as the assembly line, where goods are assembled. Manufacturers rely on quality control, or QC, to ensure the quality of their finished goods.

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BEP 284 – Business Trip 2: Giving Directions and Getting Around

Business English, Travel / February 28, 2016

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on giving directions and getting around a city. This lesson is part of a larger series that looks at the Business English you need for a successful overseas business trip.

Getting from point A to point B in a city isn’t always simple. Even with a map, there are lots of opportunities for confusion. First of all, a map doesn’t include the names of every little shop or house. And even though a map might show you where some major things are, it won’t tell you how to get there. For these reasons, we still rely on people for advice on getting around. And whether you’re traveling and need to understand someone’s directions, or whether someone asks you for directions, you need the right language.

This is what we’ll look at in today’s lesson. We’ll learn language and techniques for describing a location, suggesting the best travel option, and describing distance. We’ll also look at how to give basic directions, how to explain a change of course, and how to ask a stranger for help on the street.

In the dialog, we’ll rejoin Cam and Vanessa, who have traveled to Shanghai on business. They’re talking to the concierge at their hotel, who is explaining to them how to get to a specific coffee shop in the city’s Pudong business district.

Listening Questions

1. What does the concierge recommend as the best travel option?
2. How does the concierge describe the distance to Hengshan Lu Station?
3. When Cam approaches a stranger in the street, what is the first question he asks?

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BEP 283 – Business Trip 1: Taking a Taxi

Business English, Travel / February 21, 2016

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on taking a taxi. This will be part of a larger series that looks at the Business English you need for a successful overseas business trip.

When you travel to another city for business, what’s the easiest way to get around? Usually by taxi. You don’t have to interpret a subway map or a bus schedule. And you can be delivered directly to your destination with little confusion, though it will cost you more of course.

Yes, I said “with little confusion,” though that’s not always the case. Taxi drivers might not always understand what you want, or what you’re saying. You’ve still got to communicate clearly, directly, and politely with the taxi driver. Your fate is in his – or her – hands, and so you need to make sure you’re understood.

This is exactly what we’ll learn today. We’ll cover some important types of requests during a taxi ride, including asking for a destination, requesting a specific route, and asking for a change of course. We’ll also learn how to ask to be let out and request a receipt.

In this lesson, we’ll hear Cam and Vanessa, who have just arrived in Shanghai on a business trip. They’ve passed through immigration and collected their bags, and now they want to take a taxi to their hotel.

Listening Questions

1. What is the travelers’ destination, and where is it located?
2. Vanessa asks for a change of course to get to a bank. How does she describe how to get there?
3. How does Vanessa ask to be let out of the taxi?

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925 English – Lesson 2: Starting a Conversation

925 English, A2, Business English, English Video, ESL Podcast, Socializing / February 14, 2016

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In today’s 925 English lesson, we’re going to learn all about how to start a conversation in English.

Sometimes we call starting an English conversation “breaking the ice.” You can think of the “ice” as that initial silence between people. It could be between strangers on a plane or coworkers in a lunch room. And when we “break” the ice, we say something friendly to start a conversation. So how do you do that? What do you say? And what topics are best?

925 English will be a new business English podcast for beginner and intermediate learners. 925 English lessons will focus on chunks of language and English expressions that you can use in work and business. Each 925 English lesson will feature English phrases you can use in different situations and advice on why and how we use them in Business English.

Members: PDF Transcript | Lesson Module | Quiz | MP3 Audio

Download: Podcast Video