In today’s intermediate Business English Podcast episode you’ll practice reporting on progress. That means informing your boss or colleagues about your current work. This is also called updating someone on the status of a project.
Reporting on progress happens in formal settings, such as at meetings, but often also in informal settings, such as around the water cooler or maybe even over a drink after work.
Today’s listening provides an example of this very common kind of informal project update. It takes place in the offices of AirMech Services, a company that specializes in the maintenance, repair and modification of Passenger Loading Bridges, which are commonly called “jetways”. You’ll hear Rudi, a project manager, update his boss, Wolfgang, on the status of one such project. They meet each other during a break in the coffee room.
As you listen, pay attention to both the vocabulary and the verb tenses Rudi and Wolfgang use to discuss the progress of the project.
In this Business English Podcast lesson we look at how to explain or describe a procedure. We’ll also look at some common computer vocabulary.
In our jobs, we often have to tell people about procedures and processes – explaining how to do something. This can be more formal – for example giving government visitors a demonstration of a production line – or informal – for example showing a colleague how to use the photocopier.
Today’s dialogue is a common situation where describing a procedure is useful – giving someone help. It takes place at Elektra, a fashion design company. You’ll hear Sandy, an accountant, call Felipe, who works in the IT department. Sandy is having a problem with her computer and Felipe describes to her the procedure for fixing it.
The listening starts where we left off last time. Nick, the new European sales director at Harper-Tolland Steel, is answering questions after his English presentation.
Nick has proposed to retrain key sales staff at Harper-Tolland in order to boost sales after a disappointing new product launch. Where we left off, Cindy, the regional sales manager for Germany, is asking Nick how they will measure the success of the new training program.
As you listen, pay attention to how Nick and Nick’s boss, Max, deal with questions and manage the Q&A session.
In this Business English Podcast lesson we’re going to take another look at making presentations in English with the first in a two-part series focused on question and answer – popularly referred to as Q&A.
This listening is from the Q&A session that follows on from our previous episode on closing presentations – BEP 33. It takes place during a meeting of senior sales and marketing staff at Harper-Tolland, a global producer of special purpose steel. As we begin, Nick Fisher, the European sales director, is just finishing his presentation.