Archive for December, 2007
BEP 78 INT (Transcript & Exercises) - Socializing: Discussing Politics
In this podcast lesson we look at the language you can use to discuss politics with your English speaking colleagues.
There’s a trick to talking about politics in business. In international business culture, it’s usually better not to express strong opinions. The focus is generally on the exchange of information rather than on debate, because the main goal is to maintain harmonious relations. To avoid conflict, we are often non-committal in stating our opinions. That means we don’t voice a strong view one way or the other. Instead, we prefer to be vague, or ambiguous. This strategy helps avoid conflict.
In addition to covering some useful phrases and vocabulary for discussing politics, we’ll be studying how to soften your questions and be non-committal when necessary.
Listening Questions: BEP 78 INT - Socializing: Discussing Politics
BEP 106e (Transcript & Activities) - Presentations: Using your Voice
In this episode from Presenting for Success we’ll be studying how to speak naturally and how to emphasize, or highlight, key language and ideas. In addition, we’ll be looking at a few expressions and phrases you can use to add extra emphasis to your presentation.
BEP 77 INT (Transcript & Exercises) - Happy Hour: After-Work Socializing
In this business English podcast lesson we explore language that you can use to socialize with colleagues during happy hour or during other informal occasions.
Whether you drink alcohol or not, in many places around the world you will likely be invited to the bar or pub with colleagues. It’s important to know how to offer to buy drinks for others and how to make polite excuses when you’ve had enough or when it’s time to go. The same skills are also useful for other types of after-work social activities.
In the dialog, we join Greg, a manager, and three people in his team – Joanna, Gary, and Ben – as they order.
Listening Questions:
1) Who is paying for the first round of drinks? How can you tell?
2) Who is the person who doesn’t drink?
3) When it’s time for her to go, what excuse does Joanna make?
BEP 76 ADV (Transcript & Exercises) - Performance Appraisals: Setting Goals (Part 2)
This is the second in a two-part Business English Pod series on performance appraisals interviews. In the first lesson, we covered giving feedback. In this podcast, we will discuss setting goals.
To reach our dreams, it’s necessary to set goals. Without goals, there is no change, no development, no success. This is just as true for an individual as it is for an organization. That’s why, along with feedback, goal setting is a very important part of the appraisal process. So in this follow-up podcast on job appraisals, we’ll be focusing on strategies and expressions for setting goals during the appraisal interview. Much of the language we’ll be learning in this lesson is also useful in any meeting where we need to discuss and set targets.
Wendy and Derrick, Wendy’s manager, have already discussed her progress and set goals for the areas of customer satisfaction and job training. As the listening continues, they turn to talking about two important productivity measurements. Pay attention to the language Derrick uses to structure the conversation and to negotiate and agree goals with Wendy.
Listening Questions: BEP 76 ADV - Performance Appraisals 2: Setting Goals
1) What are the two important productivity measurements that Derrick discusses with Wendy?
2) How does Derrick feel about Wendy making one-off (or special) solutions for each customer?
3) What does Derrick advise Wendy to tell a customer who has not booked enough bandwidth?
BEP 75 ADV (Transcript & Exercises) - Performance Appraisals: Giving Feedback (Part 1)
Performance appraisals - sometimes called job performance evaluations or reviews - are a powerful way to develop staff’s potential. These skills are important not just for HR (Human Resources) professionals, but for any manager or supervisor who has responsibilities over other staff.
For appraisals to succeed, however, it’s important that they are conducted in a structured way. In addition, it’s important that skill and diplomacy are used to handle the two main tasks of the appraisal - giving effective feedback and setting goals.
So this is the first in a two-part Business English Podcast series that focuses on structure, skill and diplomacy in performance appraisals. In this podcast, we will deal with giving feedback. In the second, we will handle setting goals.
This episode focuses on giving effective feedback that creates a positive environment and builds trust. These feedback skills are useful not only in performance appraisals, but also in any situation that requires making critical comments to someone about their work.
Listening Questions: BEP 75 ADV - Performance Appraisals 1: Giving Feedback
1) How many meetings is Wendy handling per day at the moment?
2) What’s the main issue that Derrick wants to give Wendy feedback on?
3) What advice does Derrick give Wendy to help her correct the problem?
