Socializing – Page 5 – BEP Dev (9to5English)

BEP 235 – English for Conferences 3: Actively Participating

Business English, Socializing, Training / July 14, 2013

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on attending a conference.

Conferences in English and other corporate events can be fantastic learning opportunities. They can also be good chances to connect with other people in your field. But just how good they are depends on more than just the speakers, the workshops, and the other participants. How much you get out of an event depends in large part on what you as a participant do.

You need to put your best foot forward, get engaged in the activities, and meet the people around you. In this way, you’ll learn a lot and make some good connections. But if you sit back, don’t ask questions, and just wait for others to talk to you, you’ll miss out on a great opportunity.

Today we’ll learn some techniques that can be very useful at any kind of event such as a conference, a networking social, or a fundraiser. We will learn how to ask good questions and show you’re engaged. We will also learn how to ask people about their background, give a compliment, and connect a topic to your own experience.

In the dialog, we’ll rejoin a regional HR conference of a large American company. We’ll hear Hanna, a conference attendee, during a workshop. Then we’ll hear Hanna approaching the presenter – Brent – later during lunch.

Listening Questions

1. What concept does Hanna express interest in?
2. What is the first topic of discussion between Hanna and Brent during lunch?
3. What does Hanna think Brent did well?

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BEP 234 – English for Conferences 2: Hosting a Social Event

Business English, Sales, Socializing / June 30, 2013

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on hosting social events at a company conference.

Conferences and other corporate events are about much more than just speakers and workshops. They’re a chance for people to network, to socialize, and to have some fun. Every good host knows this. And every good host works hard to make sure that people are enjoying themselves.

If you think about it, hosts actually have a pretty tough job. They have to organize activities and people while maintaining a smile. They have to solve frustrating problems with a positive attitude. It’s a tricky balance, but there are techniques you can learn to help you get that balance right.

Today we’ll learn a few useful techniques that will help you to be a good host. We’ll learn to ask people about needs, elicit feedback on the event, and make yourself available for help. We’ll also learn to keep conversations going and connect people.

In the dialog, we’ll revisit a company’s regional HR conference. The host is Amy, VP of HR at the company’s Chicago office. She’s organizing people during the evening conference event. We’ll hear Amy talking with two of the participants: Tom and Hanna.

Listening Questions

1. What topic does Amy invite more detail from Tom about?
2. How do Tom and Hanna meet?
3. What does Amy encourage Tom and Hanna to do at the end of the dialog?

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BEP 215 – Telephone English: Keeping in Touch (2)

Business English, Socializing, Telephone English / September 16, 2012

In this Business English Pod lesson, we continue to look at language for keeping in touch with colleagues and customers by telephone.

Good business is built on good relationships. And good relationships are built on good communication. Of all the tools we use for communicating over long distances, the telephone is one of the best. We can listen and respond to the other person immediately. We can hear the other person’s voice and emotions. And we can use our own voice to convey feeling.

But talking on the phone isn’t always easy. It can be hard to set the right tone and strike a good balance between work and personal issues. There are certain techniques you can learn to help you do just that. In this lesson, we’ll hear several.

Today we’ll cover how to lower the formality in a conversation, show interest in where someone else is located, and keep the conversation going. We’ll also learn how to offer personal information and transition to work issues using a topic that has already been introduced.

We will hear Susan, the shipping broker from our last episode. She is calling from Amsterdam to a customer named Paul. Paul is an expat working in Santos, Brazil. Susan and Paul are chatting about personal matters a bit before getting down to business.

Listening Questions

1. What does Paul say about the weather?
2. What does Susan say about Venice?
3. Which word or topic that Chris mentions does Susan use to transition to work matters?

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BEP 214 – Telephone English: Keeping in Touch (1)

Business English, Socializing, Telephone English / September 9, 2012

In this Business English Pod lesson, we look at how to keep in touch with your colleagues and customers over the telephone.

Can you imagine doing your work without your phone? It’s a regular part of most people’s work day. Talking to people is a big part business. And the talking that we do is not always about work. Whether it’s with a client, customer, or colleague, the conversations we have on the phone usually have a social element as well.

There’s a very good reason for this. Good business relies on good relationships. And if you can connect with someone on a personal level, your work will be easier and smoother. And when that someone doesn’t work in the same office, that connection will often happen on the phone. It doesn’t matter if they are across the street or across the globe.

So what are the skills you need to keep in touch by phone? Well today, we’ll look at several important techniques, including cutting to work issues, asking someone about past and personal issues, and personalizing our sign-offs, or goodbyes.

In the dialog we’ll hear Susan, a shipping broker in Amsterdam, talking with Chris, a colleague in the UK. Susan and Chris used to work in the same office together, but now they’re in different countries and have to keep in touch by phone. Let’s listen in and see how they get along.

Listening Questions

1. What is the purpose of Susan’s call?
2. What past issue does Susan ask Chris about?
3. What does Susan invite Chris to do?

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BEP 195 – Small Talk before a Meeting in English (2)

Business English, Intermediate English, Meeting English, Socializing / October 9, 2011

This is the second of our two-part Business English Pod lesson on English small talk, or casual conversation, in business meetings.

Imagine you’re sitting in a room with several co-workers. You’re waiting for a meeting to start. Does silence feel comfortable? Probably not. You should be talking. But about what?

Well, this is where the art of small talk comes in handy. And it’s not only something we do before a meeting. We use small talk in the airport lounge, on the train, or standing in line for a movie. We use it with colleagues, clients, and acquaintances. And it’s something that takes practice to do well and feel at ease with.

Previously we looked at some common conversation topics and techniques, including how to handle topics you don’t know much about. In this lesson we’ll look at a couple more very common topics: talking about the weather and talking about current events. We’ll also cover strategies for changing the topic and steering the conversation towards business.

In today’s dialog, we’ll rejoin Liz, Coby, and Shawn as they get ready for another meeting. As you might have guessed, their colleague Gordon has yet to arrive so they chat amongst themselves while they wait for him to show up.

Listening Questions

1. What does Shawn think about the summer weather?
2. Why does Coby seem upset or shocked?
3. How does Liz steer the conversation toward business?

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