Business English

As English is the lingua franca - the common language - used for business around the world, it is now more important than ever to have a high standard of English, both spoken and written. For a business to be successful on the international stage, it requires directors, executives, managers and staff to have excellent communicative skills to enable them to form effective relationships with those with whom they do business.

Those skills involve a high level of general English, but also specific abilities in terms of vocabulary, phraseology, jargon (e.g. business slang). abbreviations which are used in conversations, meetings, presentations and - importantly - in socialising. It is to your benefit to build up a rapport with your clients, your suppliers, or whomever you are in contact with.

And socialising in the business world can be very different from being social in your personal environment.

Those high levels of skills apply equally to communicating verbally and in writing. You also need to be an effective listener, of course, to understand what is being said and to take a genuine interest - and adequate reading skills. If the people you deal with struggle to understand you or to make themselves understood, then success will be much harder to achieve - and your business and career prospects will be slower.

I spent 20 years in business as a Marketing & Sales Manager, then General Manager of a Major company. So I am familiar with business terminology and communication and can assist you with English speaking, writing, reading and listening skills.

So go ahead - book online English lessons with me and let's work together to develop your career and business prospects. And I really do mean that we work together because the first thing we will do is a needs analysis to discover what you wish to achieve.

Below are some of the skills we can cover. The emphasis depends on you, your present level of English and what you wish to achieve, although I can guide you.

Speaking & Listening

Introductions, etiquette, getting to know people, talking about yourself, your business, what you wish to do, asking for advice, offering advice, compliment, agreeing, disagreeing (nicely), asking questions, giving answers, making a presentation, listening to a presentation, interviewing and being interviewed, asking for clarification, bargaining, making phone calls, receiving phone calls.. Whatever you need to deal with speaking and listening situations.

Writing Effectively & Grammatically

Writing emails and letters, forms of address/greeting, pleasantries, making requests, asking for information, replying to requests, dealing with complaints, choosing the correct vocabulary and phrases, being polite yet firm, making complaints, agreeing and disagreeing with proposals, setting up meetings, giving directions, arranging to meet, Whatever you need to assist you in more effectively communicating in wiriting.

Business Vocabulary

Business terminology, phrases, business idioms, permitted business slang, acronyms, financial terms. action verbs, effective adjectives, word order, spelling, British vs American English, prepositions, avoiding old-fashioned English, skimming and scanning documents/letters/emails for gist and then working out the meaning. Whatever areas you think you need assistance with.

S.M.A.R.T. Confidence

Building up your confidence to communicate in English by practice, practice, practice. Discovering your strengths and where you need to improve and working on them together. Setting objectives together for your English business language development that are S.M.A.R.T. - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound. Or S.M.A.C - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, and Compatible. T hen attaining them!