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BEP 311 – Business by Phone 1: Discussing Production Problems

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on discussing production problems on the phone.

In today’s economy, it seems like most of our communication is at a distance. Just think about how much time you spend on your phone or writing emails. Of course, it’s no surprise: everything from bookkeeping to manufacturing can be done remotely.

What this means is that we end up dealing with some pretty tough challenges without being able to look someone in the eye. And if you’re in the business of manufacturing, that might include production problems. So if you’re the one overseeing production and you have to explain a problem over the phone, how can you do that?

The first thing you might have to do is explain the situation, like the results of a test run. And just as with any problem, you want to stay positive, or optimistic about solutions. Of course, what makes you worth your pay check is how you deal with the problem. And that might involve explaining the causes, showing you’ve taken steps to deal with the situation, and describing what you’ll do next. And, although today’s lesson focuses on production problems, you can use these techniques to deal with pretty much any problem over the phone.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear Cam and Dave, who work for a clothing company called Boston Vintage. The company has recently switched overseas factories, and Dave is reporting on the results of the new factory’s test runs. As you’ll hear, things haven’t gone perfectly. And Dave – who’s in China – has to discuss the problems over the phone with Cam, who’s back in the U.S.

Listening Questions

1. What does Dave say to introduce the fact that there were some problems in production?
2. What does Dave say are the root causes of the problems?
3. What are Dave’s next steps in dealing with the problems?

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925 English Lesson 14 – How to Talk about your Career

925 English, A2, Business English, English Video, Job Interview in English / August 27, 2017

In today’s 925 English lesson, we’re going to learn English for talking about your career.

Your education is an important part of your background. And there are lots of situations where you might talk about where you went to school and what you studied. A job interview is an obvious one, but you might also talk about your education in casual conversation.

925 English is a new series of English lessons for beginners. 925 English lessons focus on English phrases and expressions that you can use in work and business. Each 925 English lesson features English expressions you can use in different situations and tips on why and how we use them in Business English.

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925 English Lesson 13 – Talking about your Education

925 English, A2, Business English, English Video / August 13, 2017

In today’s 925 English lesson, we’re going to learn English for talking about your education.

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925 English Lesson 12 – Talking about Where you are From

925 English, A2, Business English, English Video / July 30, 2017

In today’s 925 English lesson, we’re going to learn how to talk about where you are from in English.

In the world of business, we have the chance to meet people from all sorts of backgrounds. And one of the most common questions we ask people we’ve just met is “where are you from?” In other words, “where do you come from?”

925 English is a new series of easy English lessons for beginners. 925 English lessons focus on English phrases and expressions that you can use in work and business. Each 925 English lesson features English phrases you can use in different situations and advice on why and how we use them in Business English.

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Business English News 39 – India Economic Outlook

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, Business News, Finance and Accounting / July 15, 2017

Emerging markets have been through a lot over the past few years: The oil-price drop in 2014; China’s botched devaluation of its currency in 2015; and India’s bungled “demonetization” in late 2016. This year, however, seems to be putting all that in the past, particularly for India. The BRIC nation has made strides in all areas which has led to a boom in business

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BEP 310 – English Idioms for Describing Innovation (2)

Business English, Business Idioms / July 8, 2017

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on English idioms we use to describe innovation.

The world is changing at a faster rate than at any other time in history. The way we work and the tools we use today were hardly imaginable 25 years ago. At that time, the average worker didn’t even use a laptop, let alone a smartphone. And somehow most people lived without email.

But now, with new ways of working, communicating, planning, and selling, this truly is the age of innovation. And “innovation” is a very common topic of discussion at all levels of an organization. In English, we have many idioms to describe innovation, and in this lesson we’ll learn some of these expressions.

In today’s dialog, we’ll rejoin Kristina, Kevin, and Fran, three colleagues at a telecommunications company. They have been discussing recent and upcoming innovations in their company. In their discussion, they use lots of different idioms. As you listen, see if you can pick out these idioms and we’ll talk about them later in the debrief.

Listening Questions

1. What does Kristina say about the work being done in the Analytics division?
2. According to Kevin, what was the purpose of the recent meeting about the Analytics division?
3. What does Fran think about the idea of a company incubator?

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BEP 309 – English Idioms for Describing Innovation (1)

Business English, Business Idioms / July 1, 2017

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on English idioms for describing innovation.

In the 21st century, companies that fail to change will likely fail to survive. For this reason, corporate leaders are constantly thinking and talking about change and “innovation.” Of course, when we hear the word innovation we immediately think about technology. And while it’s true that technology is changing the world of business at an amazing pace, innovation is about more than just adapting to the digital age.

Companies innovate in all sorts of ways. We see changes in how businesses are organized, how they communicate, how they learn, and how they build relationships with customers. Innovation is simply about doing things in new ways. And in English we have many idioms to describe innovation, as we’ll hear in today’s lesson.

In the dialog, we’ll hear a conversation between three colleagues at a telecoms company. Kristina, Kevin, and Fran are chatting over coffee about all the recent innovations in the company. They’ll use lots of different idioms in their conversation. Try to pick out these idioms as you listen, and we’ll talk about them later in the debrief.

Listening Questions

1. What innovative idea or service does Fran think the company should not pursue?
2. In what area does Fran say their company is ahead of other companies?
3. In which area does Kevin believe their company is very innovative?

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Skills 360 – Getting the Most out of a Conference (Part 2)

Business English, Business Skills 360, Socializing / June 24, 2017

Welcome back to the Skills 360 for today’s lesson on getting the most out of a conference.

Some people see conferences as a way to get away from the office for a few days and take a break. And sure, it’s helpful to step back from the daily grind and learn something, or reflect on your work and business. But if you really want to get the most out of a conference, you should look at it as more than just a learning opportunity. I mean, if you’ve got hundreds or even thousands of people in one place looking to connect with others, it’s a golden opportunity for networking.

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Skills 360 – Getting the Most out of a Conference (Part 1)

Business English, Business Skills 360, Socializing / June 17, 2017

Welcome back to the Skills 360 for today’s lesson on how to get the most out of a conference.

The digital age has changed the way we communicate and build relationships. And while it’s great to be able to connect with someone on the other side of the world by email, phone, or chat apps, face to face contact is certainly not dead. In fact, in this hyperconnected world, face to face contact is even more valuable, and one of the best opportunities for face time is at a conference.

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BEP 308 – English for Project Management 3: Initial Test Build

Business English, English for Meetings, Project Management / June 10, 2017

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on English for project management meetings. In this lesson, we’re going to look at delivering an initial test build to the client.

In our last lesson, we looked at how important it is to set clear expectations with a good project kickoff meeting. But no matter how well you’ve educated the client about your work process, you’ve still got work to do when you deliver an initial test build. You can’t just hand it over to the client and wait for their feedback. It would be nice if project management was that simple, but it’s not. Handing off an initial test build needs to be dealt with carefully.

For one thing, you need to manage the client’s expectations. That means making sure they understand that you’re not delivering a final product. Rather, you’re giving them something to try out, or test. In this way, project management involves collaboration, or working together with a client. And that’s something you will want to emphasize when you deliver the initial test build.

Collaboration is especially important during the testing process. And it’s a good idea to outline the procedures very carefully for the client. If you don’t, then you’re likely to encounter obstacles. When you hand over a test build, you might also discover the client’s needs have changed. Or that they want something new. In this case, it’s important to clearly identify a change in the project scope. And you need to make sure the client understands that there may be cost overruns connected to a change of scope.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear Martin, a project manager with OptiTech. He’s been leading the development of new software for a logistics company. Martin is having a teleconference with Zara, a manager at the client company, and Liam, their IT manager. They are discussing OptiTech’s initial test build.

Listening Questions

1. At the start of the conversation, what does Martin want to focus on when they look at the initial test build?
2. What does Martin say is the first step in the testing process?
3. How does Martin respond to Zara and Liam’s request for “load tendering tools?”

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