Introducing Course Builder: search, select & save lessons into your own personalized course.
With hundreds of lessons on BEP to choose from, Course Builder provides a quick and easy way for members to organise the resources into courses based on their preferences and needs. Users can search for lessons by topic or custom search queries and select individual lessons they want to study. These lesson can then be dragged into your preferred order and saved as a course which is exclusively available to you and easily accessible from the Course Builder page.
This is the second in our two-part Business English Pod lesson on delivering workplace training.
Delivering training requires you to lead and control a group. This is no easy task, as you’ll know if you’ve ever done something similar such as delivering a presentation. You need to engage people, you need to make the topic interesting or relevant to them, and you need to make sure they participate.
In the end, you want them to learn something. If their ears or minds are closed, they won’t do that. So how can you get them to listen, to respond, and to learn? Well, you can try some of the language and techniques we’ll look at in today’s lesson.
In our last episode, we heard some useful language for introducing a training session. Today, we’ll hear about eliciting input, encouraging participation, and giving feedback. We’ll also look at connecting to personal experiences and checking understanding. These are all important ways to make sure you are an effective trainer, or presenter.
We’re going to rejoin Zack as he delivers a workshop on customer service. You’ll also hear Ian and Nicole, two of the participants.
Listening Questions
1. Why is it a good idea to use a customer’s name when talking to them?
2. What does Ian suggest doing when talking to customers?
3. According to Zack, what should we do more than we speak?
At some point in our work, we all have to teach others how to do something or explain a certain topic. So how can we do this effectively? How can you make sure that the participants are following what you say, focused on what you want, and reaching the outcomes you expect?
The skills you need to deliver effective training will help you in other ways too. Whether you’re giving a presentation or making a sales pitch, there are lots of techniques and language that overlap.
We’ll learn some of these techniques today. We’ll look at language you can use to connect the topic to people’s experience and create a sense of inclusion. We’ll also look at organizational issues, like outlining your topics, establishing objectives, and transitioning to a new topic.
In this episode, we’ll hear a trainer named Zack. He’s delivering the first of a series of workshops on customer service. You’ll also hear a couple of the participants, Ian and Nicole, as they interact with Zack.
Listening Questions
1. What experience did Ian have recently?
2. What is the goal of the training course?
3. What does Zack say is the first thing they’ll talk about?
In this lesson, we’re going to look at some more tips and ideas for making the most of your personal learning. Last week, we looked at setting yourself up with a system of personal learning. Today, we’re going to look at how to maintain your momentum and stay on track.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you have a regular schedule for studying English?
2. How can you know whether you’re improving your English skills?
3. What are your greatest personal motivators for studying English?
We’ve got a great lesson today on making the most of personal learning. We’ll start by looking at setting SMART goals and personalizing your studies with a personal learning plan. We’ll also look at how you can vary your input by using a variety of sources and study what is interesting and relevant to both you and your job.
Discussion Questions
1. What are the different things you do to study or practice English?
2. What aspect of English would you most like to improve?
3. What do you find are the best online resources for studying English?
