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Business English News 49 – Inflation and Interest Rates

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, Business News, Finance and Accounting / January 30, 2022

In this Business English News lesson we look at business English vocabulary related to the economy, particularly the relationship between inflation and interest rates.

Government spending throughout 2021 was a boon to the business sector. Jobs returned, production rose, and many countries ended the year on a positive note. But growth – and years of low interest rates – has raised the specter of inflation, or rising prices. Now all eyes are on central banks, especially in the United Stated, to see how they’ll respond. As the NY Times reports:

Federal Reserve policymakers have moved into inflation-fighting mode saying they would cut back more quickly on their pandemic-era stimulus at a moment of rising prices and strong economic growth. This move will cap a challenging year with a policy shift that could usher in higher interest rates in 2022.

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925 English Lesson 39 – Expressing Doubt in English

925 English, A2, Business English, English Video, Functions / January 16, 2022

In today’s 925 English lesson, we’re going to learn how to express doubt in English.

Have you ever been in a meeting when someone says something and you think “hmm… I’m not really sure about that.” You might be unsure about whether it’s true, or whether it’s a good idea. We call that feeling “doubt.” And it’s important that you are able to express doubt confidently and politely.

Now, if you’re a little bit unsure of something, you can use the expression I just used, and say something like “I’m not really sure” or “I’m not 100% sure.” Or you could say very directly “well, I have a few doubts.” Another way to express doubt is with a question, like “Are you certain that would work?” Just by asking the question, you are telling people you have doubts.

925 English is a series of English video lessons for beginners (CEFR level A2). With 925 English you can learn business English expressions and vocabulary for business and work.

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BEP 382 – Collocations for Discussing a Partnership (2)

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, English Collocations, ESL Podcast / January 2, 2022

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on business English collocations for discussing a business partnership.

The expression “two heads are better than one” tells us that it’s easier to solve a problem with someone else rather than alone. This isn’t just true on an individual level. It’s also true on an organizational level. Two companies, if well matched, can accomplish more together than they can alone.

But successful partnerships aren’t developed overnight. There’s a lot that goes into building a relationship, exploring possibilities, and coming to terms on an agreement. And in today’s lesson, we’ll hear a conversation about a new partnership that has taken a lot of time and discussion to develop. In the conversation, you’ll hear many useful expressions that we call “collocations.”

Collocations are simply words that go together naturally. A second ago I talked about “building a relationship.” That’s a collocation. The verb “build” goes together with “relationship” very naturally. Native English speakers learn these combinations over time, by hearing them over and over again. As a language learner, it’s useful to study English collocations so you can sound more natural.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear Carlos and Miranda talking with a business consultant named Rolland. Carlos and Miranda’s company, Pineview Wines, is about to enter into a new partnership with Visser Hotels. In their conversation they use many English collocations for talking about partnerships.

Listening Questions

1. What does Rolland call the partnership at the start of the conversation?
2. What has a lawyer helped Pineview Wines do?
3. While benefiting from close collaboration, what do Carlos and Miranda want to maintain?

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BEP 381 – Collocations for Discussing a Partnership (1)

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, English Collocations, ESL Podcast / December 12, 2021

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on English collocations related to business partnerships.

The world of business is highly competitive. But does this mean companies never cooperate? Of course not! In fact, partnering with other companies can be a great way to achieve your business goals. That might mean cooperating with a company in the same industry or in a completely different industry.

But good partnerships take a lot of work. And before you get to the actual partnership stage, there’s a lot of discussion. In this lesson, we’ll hear a discussion about a potential partnership between two companies. And during this conversation, the speakers use a lot of useful expressions related to partnerships. The type of expression you’ll hear is called a “collocation.”

A collocation is just a natural combination of words. For example, we talk about “cultivating” or “nurturing a relationship.” But we don’t say “make” or “create a relationship.” It’s not a rule of grammar. It’s just a common and natural pattern for native speakers. And if you want to sound more natural, you should learn these collocations.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear Carlos and Miranda, who work for a wine producer called Pineview Wines. They’re talking with a consultant named Rolland about a possible partnership with a hotel chain called Visser. During their conversation, they use lots of English collocations we can use to talk about partnerships.

Listening Questions

1. What have Carlos and Miranda asked Rolland to sign before their discussion?
2. According to Miranda, fostering collaboration with hotels is a good way for their winery to achieve what goal?
3. What does Rolland emphasize two companies must share in order to work together?

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Skills 360 – Time Management 3: How to Delegate Effectively

Business English, Business Skills 360, Management English / November 21, 2021

Welcome back to the Business English Skills 360 podcast for today’s lesson on time management and how to delegate effectively.

As a manager, have you ever felt bad about adding tasks to an employee’s workload? Or have you ever thought that it’s easier to do something yourself than explain how to do it? Or do you like the feeling of being indispensable because you’re the only one who knows how to do something?

If any of these things are true, then I’m sorry to say you’re setting yourself up for failure. And you need to check your ego. Great managers on great teams don’t try to do everything themselves. They build their team’s skills and confidence through effective delegation. And this frees up time for more strategic work.

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Skills 360 – Time Management 2: Learning to Say No

Business English, Business Skills 360, Management English / November 7, 2021

Welcome back to the Business English Skills 360 podcast for today’s lesson on time management and the importance of saying “no.”

“No” is one of the most powerful words in the English language, and it’s one of the keys to good time management. It might be odd to think that saying “no” is a skill, since it sounds so simple. But it is a skill. Some people seem to have been born with it. Other people learn it. Either way, it’s a critical ability when it comes to managing a business and managing yourself.

Just to be clear, when I talk about saying “no,” I’m talking generally about not taking on something new. When we do this, we don’t simply say “no” to someone. In fact, we’ve done a two-part series just on how to say “no” the right way! And if you want some tips on how to say “no” effectively, those lessons are worth a look. Today, however, I want to focus on why we need to say “no.”

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Skills 360 – Time Management 1: Prioritizing and Scheduling

Business English, Business Skills 360, Management English / October 24, 2021

Welcome back to the Business English Skills 360 podcast for today’s lesson on time management.

When we talk about “management” and “managers,” we’re usually thinking about managing people. And that involves many different skills. But all these skills are useless if the manager can’t manage his or her own self. So good management starts with good self-management. And an essential part of self-management is managing your time effectively, which in turn depends on effective scheduling.

So, as a manager, how do you set a schedule that works? Well, that starts with prioritizing. You can think of tasks on two dimensions: importance and urgency. The first key to good time management is avoiding things that are neither urgent nor important. That includes daily distractions, trivial tasks, and anything minor that simply wastes time. The second key is to minimize things that seem urgent but are not important. A lot of meetings, emails, phone calls, and interruptions fall into this category.

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BEP 380 – Video Conferences: Presenting Online (3)

Business English, Presentation in English, Video Conferences / October 10, 2021

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on videoconferences and presenting online. Today, we’re going to focus on handling questions and managing the Q&A.

With the rise of hybrid teams, presenting online is just a regular part of work for many professionals. And while the basics of delivering information in a virtual setting may seem simple, interacting with your audience and dealing with questions feels very different online than in person. Skilled presenters have a variety of tricks for ensuring a productive Q&A, or question and answer, session.

For example, when someone asks a good question, you might redirect it to the entire group. That gives the Q&A more of a discussion feel. And if people aren’t asking questions, you can ask some yourself. Of course, sometimes people introduce ideas that you don’t really have time to explore. In this case, you can suggest more discussion at a later time.

Good presenters are also ready to admit any limitations to what they’ve presented. Nobody has all the answers, so don’t pretend you do. And finally, once the Q&A is finished, it’s a great idea to encourage people to follow up with you later if they have any other questions.

In today’s dialog, we’ll listen to the end of a presentation by Adam, a business consultant. He’s handling some questions and encouraging discussion after presenting his ideas on ways to increase sales. We’ll also hear Adam’s colleague Nancy and his boss Heather ask questions and participate in the discussion.

Listening Questions

1. What question does Nancy ask that Adam redirects to the entire group?
2. What question does Adam ask everyone to encourage them to share their ideas?
3. What key point does Adam admit they’re still not sure about?

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BEP 379 – Video Conferences: Presenting Online (2)

Business English, Presentation in English, Video Conferences / September 26, 2021

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on videoconferences and presenting online. Today, we’re going to look at how to wrap up your presentation and transition to the Q&A.

Great presenters always make time and space for questions at the end of their presentation. And if you’ve done a good job of engaging your listeners, they may have lots to say or ask. Before you open it up for questions, however, you need to summarize.

One thing you can do to emphasize key points near the end is to ask a question yourself, then answer it. And an effective way to answer it is with a visual or some kind of illustration. That will help your ideas stick, not just at the end, but throughout your presentation.

Near the end of a presentation, there may be people who have to leave early so it’s important to acknowledge these people and let them know how you’ll follow up. Finally, it’s a good idea at the end to summarize your key points. Once you’ve done these things, you can make the transition to the Q&A section of your presentation.

In today’s dialog, we’ll rejoin a presentation by a business consultant named Adam. He’s wrapping up a talk about how the company can increase sales. We’ll hear how Adam finishes up and transitions to the Q&A.

Listening Questions

1. What question does Adam ask his listeners which he then answers by showing a visual?
2. What does Adam offer to do for people who have to leave early?
3. What’s the first big opportunity Adam mentions as he summarizes his presentation?

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BEP 378 – Video Conferences: Presenting Online (1)

Business English, Presentation in English, Video Conferences / September 12, 2021

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on videoconferences and presenting online. Today, we’re going to focus on how to get your presentation off to a good start.

Videoconferences are now a normal, everyday part of business life. And people have had to develop a new set of skills for this new reality. Consider giving a presentation online. It definitely brings some new challenges, especially technical ones. But virtual presentations also require many of the same skills as presenting in-person.

For example, you still need to be engaging and confident, especially at the start as you get people excited about your presentation. And besides getting them excited, you need to help them understand. So outlining your presentation clearly is also a good idea.

Now, how can you present information and data in a way that keeps your listeners engaged? Well, for one thing, you can talk about your own experience. And you can also relate the information to your listeners’ experience. That will help your presentation connect with your audience. And finally, one technical skill that you’ll need in the virtual format is sharing your screen.

In today’s dialog, we’ll listen to part of an online presentation given by Adam, who works as a business consultant. He’s presenting on the topic of sales to several colleagues, including Chris, Nancy, and his boss Heather. We’ll hear how Adam begins his online presentation.

Listening Questions

1. What is the last thing Adam will do in his presentation, according to his outline?
2. What experience does Adam talk about to ground his presentation?
3. What information does Adam present on his shared screen?

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