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BEP 189 – Getting Your Ideas Across in Meetings (1)

Business English, Communication, English for Meetings /

English Meeting Phrases

This is the first in a three-part Business English Pod series on getting your ideas across in meetings in english.

Meetings are an important part of most people’s jobs. And doing well in meetings requires very effective communication skills. You need to make sure you are getting your ideas across clearly with the right amount of subtlety and tact. If you do this well, then you will be able to influence people and the direction of the organization you work with.

So, how can you get your ideas across with tact and clarity? That’s what we will look at in this lesson. We’ll cover some important ways of giving opinions of differing strength. And we’ll learn about supporting and contradicting other people’s opinions.

In today’s dialogue, four managers are meeting to discuss ways of saving money on travel expenses. The chair of the meeting is Alison. The other participants are Stewart from sales, Pat from HR, and Nate from marketing. We’ll hear the group express a variety of opinions as they discuss how to cut 15% from the travel budget.

Listening Questions

1. What are three things that Pat mentions could be cut?
2. What does Pat think they should focus on?
3. Why does Stewart disagree with Pat?

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Skills 360 – Telephone English Tips (Part 2)

Business English, Business Skills 360, Customer Service, Telephone English /

Welcome back to the Skills 360 podcast.

Communicating effectively on the phone is an essential skill. And whether you’re talking to a client, a colleague, a supplier, your boss, or a bicycle courier, you need to make sure your purpose and the information is clear. Last week, we focused on your telephone attitude. Today, we’ll look at ways you can make sure information is flowing smoothly and that you are guiding the conversation.

Discussion Questions

1. How much planning do you usually do before an important telephone call?
2. What do you usually do when you don’t understand what someone is trying to say on the telephone?
3. What information do you normally include when you leave a message for someone?

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Skills 360 – Telephone English Tips (Part 1)

Business English, Business Skills 360, Customer Service, Telephone English /

Welcome back to the Skills 360 podcast.

Today, we’re going to take a look at an activity we do every day: talking on the telephone. We’ll look at how to start the call off on the right note by using a positive attitude, smiling over the phone, being polite, and speaking clearly.

Discussion Questions

1. How do you usually answer the telephone at work?
2. What do you think a good telephone attitude involves?
3. What do you think it is okay to speak informally on the telephone?

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BEP 188 – Socializing: Hosting a Dinner Party 2

Business English, ESL Podcast, Socializing, Travel /

This is the second in a two-part Business English Pod lesson on hosting visitors. Today, we’re going to look at drawing the evening to a close.

Hosting visitors is a great way to get to know the people you do business with. Sharing a meal and drinks in someone’s home can really help strengthen a relationship. It gives us a chance to get to know people on a more personal level. But at some point, the evening has to end.

In our last episode, we heard Tanya and Mark hosting Tanya’s business colleagues, Grace and Lee. The group sat down to dinner and had very pleasant conversation about their home, family, and the food.

Today we’re going to rejoin this group. They’ve had a lovely evening, but all good things must come to an end. Grace and Lee are going to draw the evening to a close and express their appreciation. We’ll also hear the hosts and guests invite each other to future social events.

Listening Questions

1. Why does Lee say that he and Grace should leave?
2. What does Grace want to do for Tanya and Mark?
3. What does Mark offer to do for Grace and Lee?

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BEP 187 – Socializing: Hosting a Dinner Party 1

Business English, ESL Podcast, Socializing, Travel /

This is the first in a two-part Business English Pod lesson on hosting a dinner party for overseas visitors.

Have you ever had the good fortune to be invited to someone’s home during a business trip? Perhaps it was a client or a prospective client. Maybe it was a colleague or potential business partner. And have you ever had the opportunity to have overseas visitors in your own home?

These are great chances to get to know the people you do business with. You are engaging with people on a personal level and building better relationships. And it’s important to do that right. The language you use, either as a host or a guest, requires great care.

In today’s lesson, we’re going to hear a conversation among four people. Grace and Lee are on a business trip to their company offices in California. During their trip, they have been invited to visit the home of a work colleague, Tanya. Tanya and her husband, Mark, are hosting a dinner for the two guests.

This is a perfect situation to learn some important aspects of English. We’ll look at how to make people comfortable, how to show interest in others, how to refuse offers politely, and how to show modesty. These are all essential skills when you sit down to dinner with colleagues or clients.

Listening Questions

1. What does Grace say is usual on business trips?
2. What is interesting about Tanya and Mark’s home?
3. What is Grace hoping to do if they finish their work on time?

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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 186 – Air Travel: Connecting Flights

Business English, ESL Podcast, Intermediate English, Travel /

Welcome back to Business English Pod as we continue to look at the language and vocabulary of air travel.

Air travel relies on a very complex system of scheduling. Unfortunately, that means that travel plans don’t always work perfectly. The possibility of problems goes up whenever you have one or more connecting flights. What if one airplane is late? What if your bags aren’t transferred properly to your next flight? What if the connecting airport has delays?

Problems happen, and you need to be prepared to deal with them. This is what we’ll be looking at in this lesson. Last time (in BEP 185), we heard Robert check in for a flight to London, with a connecting flight in Chicago. Everything went smoothly at check-in. Robert stated his destination, checked his bags, chose a seat, and confirmed his gate and timing. But his connecting flight was scheduled to leave soon after he arrived in Chicago. And for that reason, a delay in landing has ruined Robert’s travel plans.

Today we’ll hear Robert trying to work through the problem of a missed connection. He needs to work out a solution so that he can get to London for an important meeting the following morning. To do that, he’ll need to explain his problem, express urgency, make special requests, work through options, and agree reluctantly.

Listening Questions

1. Why did Robert miss his connecting flight?
2. What solution does Robert request from the ticket agent?
3. What does the ticket agent remind Robert about?

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BEP 185 – Air Travel: Checking In to a Flight

Business English, ESL Podcast, Intermediate English, Travel /

In today’s Business English Pod lesson, we’re going to look at language and vocabulary related to air travel, particularly checking in to your flight at the airport.

You’ve probably been in this situation before. You are taking a trip, either for business or pleasure, and you’ve already reserved your ticket. It’s the day of your flight, and you’ve packed your suitcase and another bag that you want to carry with you onto the plane. You make sure you have your passport and wallet, and you catch a taxi to the airport.

What’s the first thing you have to do when you get there? You need to “check-in,” as we say. So you find the correct airline desk and wait in line. Finally, it’s your turn to talk with the ticket agent. What is she going to ask you about? What information do you need to give her? And what information is she going to give you? This is what we’re going to talk about today.

In today’s lesson, we’ll hear a conversation between Robert and a ticket agent. Robert is traveling to London on business. He and the ticket agent have several things to discuss before he can go through security and get on the airplane.

Listening Questions

1. What is Robert concerned about regarding his suitcase?
2. Where does Robert want to sit?
3. Why does the ticket agent recommend going through security immediately?

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Skills 360 – Selling your Ideas (Part 1)

Business English, Business Skills 360, Communication, Persuasion /

Welcome back to the Business Skills 360 podcast. In this lesson, we’re going to take a look at how to ”˜sell’ your ideas and be persuasive.

You may be full of great ideas, but exactly how do you get people to buy into them? How do you get people on board with your brilliant plans? Well, today I want to share a few tools and techniques that will help you do just that.

These tools and techniques have two important effects: they build connections and they build credibility. The connections can be between you and your listeners, but they can also be between your listeners and your idea. Those connections will generate buy-in. And that credibility can be your credibility and your idea’s credibility. You, and your idea, have to be believable and trustworthy.

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