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BEP 42 – English for Meetings: Opening a Meeting

This is the first in a two-part intermediate Business English Podcast lesson on opening and managing meetings. In this episode, we’ll look at how to open a meeting. In the second part (BEP 43) we’ll look at language you can use to manage the discussion.

The listening takes place in the Singapore offices of Daneline, an international shipping company. Martin, the GM, is chairing a meeting with Sandra, David and Sam to discuss a budget shortfall. Shortfall means their budget has fallen short of expectations. In other words, they don’t have enough money, so they need to make some cuts. To chair a meeting is to lead the meeting. We can say that Martin is the chairperson. So in these two episodes on opening and managing meetings, you’ll be learning language for chairing meetings.

Listening Quiz
1) What is the amount of the budget shortfall?
2) Why doesn’t Sandra have a copy of the agenda?
3) How many possible cuts are under discussion?
4) What is the first item on the agenda?

*** This lesson is part of our Business English eBook for meetings: Meeting Essentials. Premium members click here to download the complete eBook.

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Business News 08 – Celebrities Losing Marketing Appeal

Today we have a Business English News story on a recent study by several universities that looks into the ”˜selling power’ or influence – of celebrities. Celebrity is another word for famous person, such as a movie or sports star.

The vocabulary we discuss in this podcast expands on the marketing terms we covered in Video Vocab 04.

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BEP 41 – Job Interview English: First Round Interview (Part 2)

This is the second in a two-part Business English Pod lesson on first round job interviews. learn how to answer common interview questions and useful phrases and vocabulary for English job interviews.

As you’ll remember from the first episode, Mike Barnes is interviewing William Chow for a job at the Hong Kong head office of First Mercantile International, a global bank. William had just finished telling Mike about his work history, management style and personal characteristics. Our HR manager, Mike, continues the interview with another very common first round question. Lets see what it is and think about how you would answer the question?

Download a PDF list of useful interview phrases to describe your personal characteristics here.

More ESL job interview lessons

BEP 41 – PDF Transcript

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BEP 40 – Job Interview English: First Round Interview (Part 1)

Today’s Business English Podcast ESL lesson is the first in a two-part series that follows job applicant William Chow through his first interview at an international bank.

In this podcast you’ll learn how to deal with some typical first round English job interview questions. Along the way you’ll also practice some great new vocabulary and useful phrases for job interviews.

In the dialogue we’ll listen as William gets interviewed for a position in the business development department of the main Hong Kong branch of Mercantile International. Mike Warner, a HR manager at Mercantile International Hong Kong, is conducting the interview.

More job interview English lessons

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BEP 39 – Reporting in English: Project Update

In today’s intermediate Business English Podcast episode you’ll practice reporting on progress. That means informing your boss or colleagues about your current work. This is also called updating someone on the status of a project.

Reporting on progress happens in formal settings, such as at meetings, but often also in informal settings, such as around the water cooler or maybe even over a drink after work.

Today’s listening provides an example of this very common kind of informal project update. It takes place in the offices of AirMech Services, a company that specializes in the maintenance, repair and modification of Passenger Loading Bridges, which are commonly called “jetways”. You’ll hear Rudi, a project manager, update his boss, Wolfgang, on the status of one such project. They meet each other during a break in the coffee room.

As you listen, pay attention to both the vocabulary and the verb tenses Rudi and Wolfgang use to discuss the progress of the project.

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BEP 38 – Describing a Procedure in English

In this Business English Podcast lesson we look at how to explain or describe a procedure. We’ll also look at some common computer vocabulary.

In our jobs, we often have to tell people about procedures and processes – explaining how to do something. This can be more formal – for example giving government visitors a demonstration of a production line – or informal – for example showing a colleague how to use the photocopier.

Today’s dialogue is a common situation where describing a procedure is useful – giving someone help. It takes place at Elektra, a fashion design company. You’ll hear Sandy, an accountant, call Felipe, who works in the IT department. Sandy is having a problem with her computer and Felipe describes to her the procedure for fixing it.

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BEP 37 – Presentations: Question and Answer (2)

Today’s advanced Business English Podcast episode is the second in our a two-part series on question and answer, or Q&A, during a presentation in Englishpresentation in English.

The listening starts where we left off last time. Nick, the new European sales director at Harper-Tolland Steel, is answering questions after his English presentation.

Nick has proposed to retrain key sales staff at Harper-Tolland in order to boost sales after a disappointing new product launch. Where we left off, Cindy, the regional sales manager for Germany, is asking Nick how they will measure the success of the new training program.

As you listen, pay attention to how Nick and Nick’s boss, Max, deal with questions and manage the Q&A session.

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BEP 36 – Presentations: Question and Answer (1)

In this Business English Podcast lesson we’re going to take another look at making presentations in English with the first in a two-part series focused on question and answer – popularly referred to as Q&A.

This listening is from the Q&A session that follows on from our previous episode on closing presentations – BEP 33. It takes place during a meeting of senior sales and marketing staff at Harper-Tolland, a global producer of special purpose steel. As we begin, Nick Fisher, the European sales director, is just finishing his presentation.

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Business News 07 – India’s Economic Growth

Today’s Business English News podcast comes from an article on the recent positive statements by the CEO of Infosys on the future of India’s economy.

India’s economy has long been overshadowed by the rapid rise of China and SE Asia. More recently though, attention has started to turn to India, who’s strong economic growth and skilled workforce have spurred interest. Many economists are now predicting steady growth at 8% per year with India set to become a 1 trillion dollar economy by 2008.

We use this article to look at some of the English words and expressions you can use to talk about economic trends and human resources.

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