Archive for October, 2007
BEP 70 ADV (Transcript & Activities) - Mergers: Breaking Bad News
This is the first in a three-part Business English Pod series that explores the use of many different language techniques in the context of a merger. Today’s episode focuses on vague, diplomatic language and probing questions. Vague and diplomatic language was introduced in podcasts BEP 24, BEP 51 and BEP 52, so you might wish to review those to refresh your memory. In addition, we’ll be covering probing questions, which we first looked at in BEP 64. To probe is to explore or investigate, so probing questions are used to gather more detailed and targeted information. And I should also point out that there are two speaking practices at the end of this podcast – an action packed episode indeed.
For this series, we again visit our U.S.-based guitar manufacturer, which has a production plant in Costa Rica. In this episode, we find out that the company is merging with a larger guitar manufacturer. To merge is to join together. When two companies join together, we call this a “merger.”
The new owners want to cut costs, which might mean cutting jobs. So, an important question in the mind of our old friend Jack is – who is going to be fired? We join Jack and his boss Jim, who meets Jack by chance in the hallway of the company headquarters.
Key Language: Meetings, Being Diplomatic & Vague, Probing Questions
Listening Questions: BEP 70 ADV - Mergers: Breaking Bad News
1) Who will Jack be meeting with after his chat with Jim?
2) What city might the Costa Rican plant move to?
3) Why do the new owners want to move the factory out of Costa Rica?
BEP 69 INT (Transcript and Exercises) - Telephoning: Leaving a Message
People are busy. When you telephone people, they often aren’t there to take your call, so you need to leave a message. And almost everyone has to answer the telephone and take a message sometimes. Doing so professionally leaves a good impression on your customers, colleagues and boss.
In this business English podcast lesson we will hear a bad example and a good example of taking and leaving a telephone message.
Justin Thomas is with Trivesco, a major shipyard, or maker of ships. He is calling Sylvie Peterson at Daneline, a shipping company. Sylvie is a sales and purchase (S&P) broker. A broker is a middleman or negotiator. Sylvie specializes in negotiating the purchase of “newbuildings” or newly built ships. Amy, the receptionist, answers the phone.
Key Language: Telephoning, Checking Back & Confirming
Listening Questions: BEP 69 INT - Telephoning: Leaving a Message
Bad Example
1) Does Amy answer the phone professionally?
Good Example
1) How does Amy answer the phone?
2) What is Mark calling about?
3) How does Amy make sure that she has got Mark’s correct phone number?
BEP 68 INT (Transcript and Exercises) - Meetings: Interrupting and Resisting Interruption
As a non-native speaker of English, you might often find yourself in situations like this: You’re sitting in a meeting or a teleconference, and some of the participants are native English speakers. They are speaking with one another very rapidly, and they are using some idiomatic or difficult-to-understand expressions. Someone says something you don’t understand, or perhaps something that is not true or that you disagree strongly with. You should interrupt to ask what they mean, to clarify, to correct – but you just can’t bring yourself to open your mouth. How do you start? How do you interrupt?
That’s the focus of today’s business English podcast lesson. We’ll be studying useful language and expressions for interrupting and for resisting or stopping interruption.
Key Language: Meetings, Interrupting & Resisting Interruption.
Listening Questions: BEP 68 INT - Meetings: Interrupting and Resisting Interruptions
1) What does Bill mean when he says they’re facing a “bottleneck?” What is the bottleneck?
2) Why can’t Bill just retrain the engineers he has?
3) What is Mei Lin’s suggestion to speed up the recruitment process?
BEP 101e (Transcript & Exercises) - Presenting for Success: Making your Introduction
Making your Introduction is a preview of our upcoming audio / ebook on presentations skills and language. In this first chapter we take a look at how to make a good start as well as at the overall structure of a presentation. This recording is a re-edited and extended version of one of our earliest podcasts - BEP 101. The ebook will have nine units, including four never released lessons on describing charts and trends, using your voice and emphasizing your message.
Presenting for Success is a comprehensive study guide to the language and skills you need to give presentations in English more fluently, more confidently and more successfully. Learn on the go with over 2-hours of audio lessons, review key language and techniques with the detailed 100-page study guide, including full transcripts of each lesson, and practice useful phrases with the over 40+ online activities.
Presenting for Success will be Free for all Premium Members and can be purchased on BEP.com next week by non-members for €12.99.
Key Language: Introductions & Signposting
