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BEP 56 – Business Travel 2: Customs and Immigration

A2, Business English, ESL Podcast, Intermediate English, Travel /

Continuing our series on ESL for business travel, we rejoin Alan and Honesto on their business trip to the USA. In BEP 55 – Airport Departures and Take Off, Alan, the main character in our story, and Honesto, his colleague, have left Hong Kong for San Francisco. There they will go through immigration, collect their bags, and change planes to Michigan, which is where their company, Ambient, is headquartered.

Immigration is the process you follow to enter a foreign country. So in today’s ESL lesson, you’ll learn helpful travel vocabulary and phrases you can use when you enter the U.S. or other countries.

Listening Questions

1) What is an I-94 form?
2) How much money can you bring into the U.S.?
3) Where does Alan want to go sightseeing?
4) What does Alan mean by “just pulling your leg?”

Members: PDF Transcript

Download: Podcast MP3

BEP 55 – Business Travel: Airport Departure and Take Off

A2, Business English, ESL Podcast, Intermediate English, Travel /

This Business English Podcast lesson is the first in a series of shows that will follow an employee of a manufacturing company on a training trip to the U.S. Over the series, we’ll practice many situations that will be useful for you on your business trips overseas, including going through immigration, renting a car, checking into a hotel, using wireless internet and so on.

The main character in our story is Alan Chen. He works for a major multinational electronics manufacturer, Ambient, which is headquartered in Michigan in the USA. Having recently received a promotion, Alan is going to America to learn 6 Sigma, which is a system for improving quality.

Today’s episode starts at the beginning of the business trip with “boarding the airplane.”

Listening Questions

1) What row are Alan and Honesto sitting in?
2) What should passengers turn off before the plane takes off?
3) What does Alan mean by “murder a scotch.”

Members: PDF Transcript

Download: Podcast MP3

BEP 54 – Customer Service: Handling Complaints 2: Resolving the Complaint

Advanced, Business English, Customer Service, ESL Podcast, Telephone English /

This is the second in a two-part Business English Podcast series on handling angry customers on the telephone. In today’s show we’ll be looking at how to resolve the customer’s complaint.

First a quick review: In part one we learned the first three steps for calming down angry customers and dealing with their complaints: First, we need to acknowledge their emotions by showing empathy. Second, we should identify the background to their problem so that we can take the right steps to fix it. And third, we should listen actively to show them that we care.

Where we left off last time, Sandy, a service associate at the front desk of the Majestic Hotel, had just finished identifying Steve’s problem. Let’s continue listening to see how Sandy resolves the complaint.

Listening Questions

1) How does Sandy show that he is actively listening to Steve?
2) What does Steve need?
3) What steps does Sandy take to ensure that Steve is satisfied with the outcome of the call?

Members: PDF Transcript

Download: Podcast MP3

BEP 53 – Customer Service: Handling Complaints 1: Empathizing

Advanced, Business English, Customer Service, ESL Podcast, Telephone English /

Good customer service is essential to success in any industry, but it is particularly important in the service and hospitality sector. “Hospitality” means treating guests well; and here, we’re talking specifically about hotels. Because service is so vital to hospitality, hotels are a good place to look for excellent service practices.

So today we’ll be listening in on a phone call from an angry customer at the Majestic, a five-star hotel in Shanghai. By listening to a bad example and a good example of service practice, we’ll be studying skills that are useful in any industry, no matter whether you are dealing with internal or external customers.

We’ll see that a very important part of handling angry customers is showing empathy: Empathy is similar to sympathy – it means showing that you understand the customer’s pain.

Listening Questions

Bad Example:
1) How does the customer, Steve, learn the service associate’s name?
2) What is Steve’s problem?
3) How could Jenna have handled the complaint better?

Good Example:
1) When Steve says, “I’m at the end of my rope,” what does he mean?
2) What does Sandy do to calm Steve down?

Members: PDF Transcript

Download: Podcast MP3

BEP 52 – Using Vague Language (Part 2)

Business English, ESL Podcast, Functions, Intermediate English /

This is the second in our two-part Business English Pod series on strategically using vague language. Last time we covered being vague to make a polite excuse or to avoid sounding arrogant. We saw how you can use vague language to create flexibility.

Today we’ll work on referring to vague numbers and learn language you can use when you don’t remember the name of someone or something. You’ll also practice some more strategic uses of vague language, such as avoiding socially inappropriate or impolite topics.

Listening Questions

1) Why doesn’t Mike want to come to the party if Tracy is there?
2) When should Mike show up at the party?

PDF Transcript

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BEP 51 – Using Vague Language (Part 1)

Business English, ESL Podcast, Functions, Intermediate English /

Today is the first in a two-part Business English Podcast lesson on using vague language. “Vague” means not clearly defined. For example, if you ask someone what time it is and they say “About 7 or so,” they are being vague. There are lots of reasons to be vague. Sometimes you need to be vague because you don’t know some information or because the information is not important. And sometimes vague language is just more polite.

In these two episodes, we’ll be looking at how to speak in a vague way, but different situations require different styles. You’ll have to use your knowledge of the culture, the people and the situation that you are dealing with to decide which style is most appropriate. Our goal is to give you the communication tools you need to succeed in different environments. In future episodes, we’ll also be looking at other styles of speaking.

You’ll be listening to Jen and Mike, two employees at Nexus communications. Jen is inviting Mike to a party.

Listening Questions

1) What do you think Jen means by “ulterior motive?”
2) Is Mike a computer expert?

PDF Transcript

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Business News 10 – Viacom Sues YouTube for 1 Billion Dollars

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, Business News, ESL Podcast, Intermediate English, Legal English /

Today we have a Business English News story on a company that’s been in the news quite a bit recently – YouTube. In particular, we refresh and discuss some of the key vocabulary we covered in our Video Vocab series on the law and legal vocabulary:

Video Vocab 04 – Basic Legal Terms
Video Vocab 05 – Court Cases
Video Vocab 06 – Commercial Law

PDF Transcript: Study Notes

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BEP 50 – Softening Negative Replies (Part 2)

A2, Business English, ESL Podcast, Functions, Intermediate English /

This is the second in a two-part Business English Podcast lesson on softening negative replies. Last time you worked on softening negative replies in conversation to keep the atmosphere friendly and cooperative. Also, you practiced refusing an offer of help and letting someone down gently.

Today, we’ll be looking at refusing and disagreeing politely.

All these skills form part of a soft or gentle speaking style, which should form part of your communicative repertoire or toolbox.

Listening Questions

1) Why is the GM of Avitek unable to meet with Nick on Thursday.
2) How is the weather in Kiev?

PDF Transcript

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BEP 49 – Softening Negative Replies (Part 1)

A2, Business English, ESL Podcast, Functions, Intermediate English /

This is the first in a two-part Business English Podcast lesson on softening negative replies – saying “no” politely.

“No” is one of the strongest words in any language. Because it carries so much force, “no” is hard to say politely. Yet giving a negative reply, disagreeing or refusing a request are all things we have to do on a daily basis. So it’s important to learn how to say “no” in a way that enables you to maintain good relationships. In many cases this requires you to take a softer and more indirect approach. So today we’ll work on ways to soften negative replies in a variety of everyday situations.

In the dialog we meet up again with Nicholas Fisher, the European sales director for Harper-Tolland from BEP 35 and 36. He is flying into Kiev to support local sales staff by meeting with a large potential customer, Avitek. This is a Ukrainian company that manufactures cargo and firefighting aircraft. In our dialog, Nick is being met at the airport by Harper-Tolland’s sales manager in the Ukraine, Oksana Ivanchuk.

Listening Questions

1) Has Nick been to the Ukraine before?
2) What day of the week is it?

PDF Transcript

Download: Podcast MP3