Business English Pod (9to5English) / ESL Podcast / Page 33

BEP 44 – Socializing: Striking Up a Conversation

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

Today’s Business English Pod lesson is the first in a two-part series on the basics of social English: starting a conversation, keeping it going, and finishing it appropriately. Successful conversation is an important part of networking – the skill of building up a network of contacts and relationships.

In this lesson, you’ll be learning skills and language for starting and finishing a conversation appropriately. In the next, you’ll practice how to keep a conversation going.

The conversations take place at the Asia-Pacific HR conference for Multi-Fresh, a major global producer of health beverages. A beverage is a drink.

You’ll hear two dialogues. In the first, Penny, an HR officer from Malaysia, strikes up a conversation with George, the Asia-Pacific learning and development manager. “To strike up a conversation” means to start a conversation, usually with someone you don’t know too well.

In the second dialogue, Pat, an HR officer from Australia, then tries his best to strike up a conversation with George.

Listening Questions:

1) What office is Penny from?
2) What does Penny think about the speech?
3) Have Pat and George already met?
4) Does George have time to talk to Pat?

[tp no_translate=”y”]PDF Transcript

Download: Podcast MP3[/tp]

Business News 09 – Reebok Launches Ad Campaign

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

Today we’re introducing our first Business English News podcast for intermediate listeners. This will now be a regular show with new episodes each month. Most of the time, we’ll cover a similar topic to the current Advanced Business News podcast but the articles and vocabulary will be simplified to make them more suitable for intermediate learners.

The topic today is marketing and, in particular, Reebok’s new advertising campaign and slogan.

Key Vocabulary:
1. to launch – to release a new product
2. Ad campaign – a campaign is an organized series of activities and Ad is short for advertising.
3. to motivate – to get people interested in something
4. take a swipe at something – take a hit at something or to make fun of something.
5. slogan – a short memorable phrase used to promote a product.
6. strategy – a plan or approach intended to achieve a major aim or goal.
7. compete – to try and win a game or to gain an advantage over somebody.
8. competitors – other companies that Reebok is competing against.
9. purportedly – to claim to do or say something.
10. ties to something – connections.
11. celebrity endorser – a famous person who publicly promotes a product.

This weekend we will also release an enhanced MP4 version of this podcast with text and pictures.

[tp no_translate=”y”]PDF Transcript: Study Notes

Download: Podcast MP3[/tp]

BEP 42 – English for Meetings: Opening a Meeting

Business English, ESL Podcast, Intermediate English, Meeting English, Teleconference English /

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.

[tp no_translate=”y”]Members: Study Notes | Quizzes | PhraseCast | Lesson Module

Download: Podcast MP3[/tp]

Business News 08 – Celebrities Losing Marketing Appeal

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

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.

[tp no_translate=”y”]PDF Transcript: Study Notes

Download: Podcast MP3[/tp]

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

Advanced, Business English, ESL Podcast, Interview English /

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

[tp no_translate=”y”]BEP 41: Study Notes

Download: Podcast MP3[/tp]