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BEP 42c – Meeting in English: Starting a Meeting

Business English, English for Meetings, Intermediate English /

BEP 42c - Meeting in English: Starting a Meeting

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on how to start a meeting in English.

Many jobs require us to spend a lot of time in meetings. Sometimes we might think there are too many meetings. In part, we might feel this way because a lot of meetings aren’t run very well or facilitated effectively.

There’s a good chance that you will have to run meetings some day, if you don’t already. You have a chance to make sure those meetings are effective by running the meeting well. Fortunately, running a meeting involves skills that you can learn.

Today we’ll focus on starting a meeting, which begins with getting people’s attention and acknowledging them. Next, you might clearly state the purpose or goals of the meeting before reviewing the agenda with everyone. Then you may invite someone to begin speaking about the first item on the agenda.

In this lesson, we’ll hear the start of a meeting about budget cuts at an international shipping company. The meeting is being led by Martin, the General Manager. We’ll also hear Sandra, David, and Sam, employees who are attending the meeting.

Listening Questions

1. What does Martin apologize for as he is acknowledging the meeting attendees?
2. What does Martin say is the objective of the meeting?
3. What does Martin invite Sandra to do at the end of the conversation?

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BEP 359 – Video Conference Meetings

Business English BEP 359 - Virtual Teams 1: Video Conference Meetings

Welcome back to Business English Pod for this lesson on English for video conference meetings.

The business world has seen an explosion in video conferencing in English. With tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, more and more people are working from home. And more and more meetings are happening virtually instead of in-person. Staff meetings, client meetings, project meetings, even social functions are happening online.

This shift in how we work in virtual teams brings many new challenges. And if you’re leading a team, or managing a group, or facilitating a meeting, you need a new set of skills in addition to the ones you already have. You have to manage the group in different ways, and manage the technology effectively.

This all begins with establishing ground rules at the start of a meeting. You’ll also want to provide clear advice on how to use different meeting software. And you might also have to interrupt the meeting to deal with sound or video problems.

Interacting in virtual meetings feels different. It doesn’t flow the same as a face-to-face meeting, so you might find yourself asking people to take turns, or trying to facilitate open discussion.

In today’s dialog, we’ll listen to a weekly check-in meeting at a business consulting firm. The meeting is being led by Heather, a skilled and experienced manager. We’ll also hear Dave, Cathy, and Adam, three members of her team. During the check-in, Heather has to juggle the technology and the people.

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BEP 327 – Expressing Opinions

BEP 327 - Expressing Opinions in Business English

Welcome back to Business English Pod for this lesson on expressing opinions in English.

Imagine you’re in a difficult meeting where everyone is disagreeing. Tension is high. And the boss turns to you and says “so what do you think?” In this situation, you need to express your opinion. But giving an opinion isn’t always easy, as you surely know. You’ve got to say it the right way.

But the right way has changed a bit. Ten to fifteen years ago business meetings were often quite formal. But many business English meetings today tend to be more informal. And you can see this change in the different ways of expressing your opinion in English. Sometimes we need to be cautious, while at other times we might want to be more direct or stronger. And there’s still a difference between giving opinions in a group setting and speaking informally.

When we want to be informal, we are often more direct. We say exactly what we think. But when we’re being formal or cautious, we tend to add words and expressions to soften our opinions. We also use words like “might” and “could” instead of “must” and “should.” Overall, we try not to sound too strong or direct.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear a conversation between Kerry, Nick, Gregory, and Lola. Their company hired a freelance writer to do some work, but the writer hasn’t communicated with them lately. Kerry is asking the group for their opinions about what they should do.

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BEP 39c – English for Project Management: Reporting on Progress

Business English, Intermediate English, Project Management /

BEP 39c - Project Management English: Reporting on Progress

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on reporting on the progress of a project.

Project management isn’t just for people who consider themselves a “project manager.” No matter what kind of work you do, you’ll likely have to lead or participate in some kind of project. And if you are a project manager, then today’s lesson is particularly important.

Reporting on progress can happen in various settings, ranging from formal meetings with stakeholders to more casual interactions, like a quick chat at the water cooler or over a coffee. While the tone and format may differ, the core principles remain the same. Effective communication in these moments is crucial to keep everyone aligned and ensure no details slip through the cracks.

For example, you’ll likely want to ask for an update and confirm key details. You’ll also have to identify follow-up actions, assign responsibility, and establish clear deadlines. Ultimately, strong reporting and follow-up skills are essential to fostering accountability and driving projects to successful completion.

In this lesson, we’ll hear a project manager named Rudi giving updates to his boss, Wolfgang. They work for a company that maintains and modifies jetways, the bridges that connect airplanes to the airport gates. They’ve been working on a project to modify jetways at an airport for a large type of plane called an A380.

Listening Questions

1. How does Wolfgang respond to the possible problem that Joe has identified?
2. What actions does Wolfgang ask Rudi to take after he mentions Joe’s solution?
3. After they discuss costs and budget, what topic does Wolfgang ask about near the end of the conversation?

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BEP 35c – Meetings: Clarifying What Was Meant

Business English, English for Meetings, ESL Podcast, Functions /

BEP 35c LESSON - English Meetings: Clarifying Meaning

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on clarifying in English meetings. Previously we looked at how to clarify what was said when you didn’t hear properly. Today we’re going to look at how to clarify what someone means in order to avoid misunderstandings.

Life would be simple if everyone said what they meant clearly and directly. But that’s not the way things work. People often speak indirectly or use words that are a bit confusing. For this reason, we often need to clarify what people mean.

There are several ways to do this. You can tell someone you don’t understand. Or you might confirm an idea or restate what someone says if you think you might understand. And it may take some time to work out the general meaning or the meaning of a specific word.

Today we’ll listen to a meeting between Michael, Rachel, and Ryan. Michael is leading the meeting and talking about the disappointing launch of a new product. During the conversation, it’s not always clear what people mean. For this reason, they use several different expressions for clarifying what was meant.

Listening Questions

1. What expression does Michael use about the “numbers” that Ryan tries to clarify?
2. What does Ryan ask about that Michael wants to clarify?
3. What word does Michael use that Rachel asks about near the end of the conversation?

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BEP 400 – Socializing with Colleagues 1: Meeting New People

Advanced, Business English, Socializing /

BEP 400 LESSON - English for Socializing with Colleagues 1: Meeting New People

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on English for socializing with your colleagues. In this lesson we’re going to learn how to socialize with colleagues you’re meeting in-person for the first time.

What do you talk about when you meet someone new or see your colleagues socially? Some outgoing people apparently never have to think about it. They’re just natural socializers and feel comfortable with small talk. For most of us though, making small talk with new people or co-workers feels uncomfortable at best, or painful at worst. But it doesn’t have to be.

We call it “small talk” because it’s light, simple, and informal conversation. It’s not serious, deep, or overly formal. Small talk is often about personal matters, but not too personal if it’s at work. We often talk about places or things that are safe and avoid controversial topics. And there’s a flow to small talk that can be tricky to master. Your comments can’t be too short, or you’ll seem rude. But if they’re too long, people will lose interest.

So what can you talk about if you’re meeting colleagues for the first time at say a conference or a company retreat? Well, some key topics include your name and job, of course, but also places and travel. And key strategies include building on other people’s comments, making guesses or inferences, and using unfinished sentences to invite other people to speak. With a handle on these approaches, you can comfortably chat socially with your colleagues.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear a conversation at a company retreat. People from a large company are gathering for meetings and team-building. We’ll hear Michelle, Jen, and Ryan meet each other for the first time. In their conversation, you’ll hear the topics and strategies that I just mentioned.

Listening Questions

1. What information does Jen give in her short personal introduction?
2. What comment or fact given by Michelle does Jen build on with a further comment?
3. What does Jen ask Ryan about once he has introduced himself?

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BEP 31c – English for Meetings: Responding to Suggestions

Business English, English for Meetings, ESL Podcast, Functions, Intermediate English /

BEP 31 LESSON - English for Meetings: Responding to Suggestions

Welcome back to Business English Pod. Today’s lesson is the second in a series about handling suggestions in English meetings. Last time we looked at how to make suggestions. And this time we’re going to look at how to respond to suggestions.

Business is a team sport. And behind every successful team is a healthy internal dialog and debate. If you want to succeed in business and be a good team player, you need opinions and the skills to express them effectively. But that doesn’t only mean making your own suggestions. It also means responding to other people’s suggestions.

So in this lesson, we’ll learn different ways of responding to suggestions. That includes responding positively, by accepting or praising the idea. It also includes rejecting ideas or casting doubt on them.

In today’s dialog, we’ll listen to a marketing team meeting at a sports shoe company. The four colleagues are talking about a new ad campaign. They are making suggestions for a “spokesperson,” or recognizable figure to promote their shoes. During the discussion they use a variety of techniques and language to respond to suggestions.

Listening Questions

1. What does Miguel think of Sven’s idea to hire an overweight business executive as a spokesperson?
2. How does Karen react to Miguel’s suggestion of hiring a famous sports star?
3. What is the group’s response to Karen’s final suggestion of hiring a golfer?

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BEP 30c – English for Meetings: Making Suggestions

Business English, English for Meetings, Functions /

BEP 30c LESSON - English for Meetings: How to make Suggestions

Welcome back to Business English Pod. Today’s lesson is the first in a series about making and responding to suggestions in meetings in English. This is part of a broader project to take another look at some of our older lessons.

Solving problems and coming up with ideas in groups is a big part of work. Succeeding in business means participating effectively in these kinds of group meetings. And to do that, you need to know how to make and respond to suggestions. It’s no use having a good idea if you can’t express it!

In this lesson, we’re going to focus on how to make suggestions. We’ll look at several different expressions we use to suggest ideas. Expressions like “one possibility,” and “maybe,” and “how about” are essential when you want to make suggestions in a meeting. And it’s good to have lots of different expressions for different situations.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear a conversation between four people who work in marketing for a sports shoe company. They are discussing a new ad campaign and coming up with ideas for a “spokesperson,” or a famous person to advertise their new shoes. In their conversation, they use lots of expressions for making suggestions.

Listening Questions

1. What words does Sven use to introduce his suggestion of using a famous business executive?
2. What suggestion does Miguel introduce with the word “perhaps?”
3. How does Charles introduce his suggestion of choosing someone from a sport where it’s normal to be heavy?

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BEP 29c – Meetings in English: How to Disagree

Business English, English for Meetings, Functions, Intermediate English /

Welcome back to Business English Pod This lesson is the second part of our series on agreeing and disagreeing. Today we’re going to look at how to disagree.

In the board room or the break room, it’s great to be able to support other people’s ideas by agreeing. But you won’t get far in business if you just agree with everything. You need to be able to disagree confidently and politely. Only then can you convince people that you have an even better idea.

In this lesson, we’re going to talk about how to disagree in meetings in English. Sometimes you’ll need formal polite expressions, and sometimes you can use shorter more informal expressions. And to take things to the next level, you can learn how to disagree using the “yes… but” approach. Another effective technique is to use questions to disagree. As you can see, you’ve got lots of options for disagreeing.

In today’s dialog, we’re going to listen again to a conversation between Gene, Louis, and Carina. They work for a pharmaceutical, or drug company, and they’re talking about the tests of a new drug. During their conversation, they use many different expressions for disagreeing

Listening Questions

1. How does Carina start her first statement to show she disagrees?
2. What negative question does Carina use to show disagreement about the test results?
3. How does Gene disagree with Carina’s statement that there may still be issues with the new drug?

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