Business English Vocabulary – Page 7

BEP 331 – English Idioms for Giving Advice and Warnings (2)

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, Business Idioms / October 20, 2018

Welcome back to Business English Pod. My name’s Edwin, and I’ll be your host for today’s lesson on business English idioms for giving advice and warnings.

People don’t usually deal with problems or make big decisions on their own. No, they usually turn to those around them for advice. And unless you work alone on an island, you probably find yourself giving advice to others on a regular basis. Could be a colleague coming by your office to chat about a difficult project. Or it might be a friend calling you up for help with a workplace conflict.

But we sometimes find ourselves giving advice even when it’s not asked for. You might be chatting with an employee and realize they’re about to take a big risk. Or a co-worker might be about to accept a bad deal. Whatever the case, it’s your job to warn them about the hazards of their choices.

When you give advice, you can rely on the usual language of suggestions, and expressions like “should” and “how about doing” something. But we also have a lot of English idioms for these situations. And it’s these idioms of advice that we’ll look at today.

In the dialog, we’ll hear a conversation between two work friends, Ryan and Dana. Dana has had ongoing problems with another colleague named Jane. She’s telling Ryan all about the latest developments in the conflict. And Ryan is giving both advice and warnings to her about her approach to the problem. In their conversation, they use lots of useful business English idioms.

Listening Questions

1. What does Ryan think Dana should do instead of avoiding Jane?
2. What does Ryan say about Dana’s plan to send Jane an email?
3. Dana misunderstands some of Ryan’s advice. What does she incorrectly think he is telling her to do?

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BEP 330 – English Idioms for Giving Advice and Warnings (1)

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, Business Idioms / October 9, 2018

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on Business English idioms for giving advice and warnings.

Everyone needs a bit of advice from time to time. Maybe we’re dealing with a difficult colleague, or maybe we’re deciding whether to accept a job offer. At some point we all turn to a colleague, a mentor, a boss, or a friend for a bit of guidance. And sometimes we get advice when we’re not even looking for it. These same people might warn us about things we aren’t even aware of.

At some point, all of us will be called to serve on the other side of the advice equation. Colleagues and friends may come to us for help when they have problems. Our job is to advise, to warn, and to guide them. Whichever side of the equation you’re on, there’s lots of useful Business English idioms for these situations. It’s these English idioms for advice and warnings that we’ll learn today.

In the lesson, we’ll hear a conversation between two friends. Sheldon is having difficulties at work and is considering quitting his job. His friend Tanya is providing some advice and guidance on Sheldon’s situation. She uses many English idioms of advice and warning in their discussion.

Listening Questions

1. What did Tanya previously advise Sheldon to do?
2. What does Tanya think Sheldon should do instead of quitting his job?
3. At the end of the dialog, what does Sheldon say about his own approach?

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Business English News 41 – Data Privacy

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, Business News, IT and Computers / July 21, 2018

The digital age has brought unprecedented access to information and new online services. And in exchange, people have proven very willing to provide personal information and to have their online activities monitored. But is it worth it? As Wired reports, more and more people are questioning this trade-off:

The US has found itself in the middle of a data privacy awakening, and you can credit the recent spate of headline-grabbing scandals as the kick-starter. Cambridge Analytica illicitly took the personal information of up to 87 million Facebook users and turned it into targeted political ads. And Equifax let slip the sensitive details of 148 million Americans because it couldn’t be bothered to patch a known vulnerability.

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BEP 164 R – English Idioms: Football Idioms (Part 2)

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, Business Idioms / June 30, 2018

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on business English idioms that come from football, or soccer.

Since sports and business are so similar, it’s easy to see how there could be so many related English idioms. Companies are like teams; employees are like players. Ideas are like balls that get kicked around. Success is like scoring a goal. And there’s always plenty of competition.

In the previous lesson, Marilyn and Karl, two colleagues at a publishing firm, discussed Karl’s interest in a job at the company’s Sydney branch. Karl isn’t completely sure it’s the right move for him and has asked Marilyn for her opinion. Today, we’ll hear more of their conversation, as Karl explains his hesitation about applying.

Listening Questions

1. How does Karl’s wife feel about moving to Sydney?
2. Why does Karl feel like he’s cheating on his own company?
3. What advice does Marilyn give at the end of the conversation?

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BEP 163 R – English Idioms: Football Idioms (Part 1)

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, Business Idioms / June 23, 2018

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on English idioms related to football.

Have you ever stopped to think about how many similarities there are between business and sports? Groups of employees work together as teams. Teams, or companies, compete against each other, trying to win recognition, profits, or new clients. Given these similarities, it’s not surprising that language would be similar when we talk about business and sports. And a number of different sports have contributed idioms to the English language.

Today, our focus will be on English football idioms. As you listen to the dialog, you might hear some phrases that are new to you. Thinking about the relationship between business and sports may help you guess their meaning. And off course, we’ll go over them later in the debrief.

In the dialog, we’ll hear Karl and Marilyn, two friends who work at a publishing company. Karl is thinking about applying for a job at the company’s Sydney office. He has some doubts though, so he asks Marilyn what she thinks.

Listening Questions

1. Why does Karl want to leave his current job?
2. What are two points Marilyn mentions about the Sydney branch?
3. What has Karl heard about the Sydney branch?

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