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BEP 232 – Discussing the Economy (Part 2)

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, English Collocations, Finance and Accounting /

In this Business English Pod lesson, we continue our look at vocabulary and collocations for discussing the economy.

In the 21st century, the countries of the world are all closely connected. A company based in the U.S. might employ factory workers in Indonesia to make products they sell to Europeans with the help of a Chinese shipping company. In this global economy, we don’t just talk about what happens within the borders of our own country. We talk about all economies, or “the economy” in general. And we talk about it a lot!

If you’re going to do business, you need to talk about economics. And in English, there are many common expressions we use to describe the economy. Today, we’re going to listen to a dialog and learn some of these expressions.

The expressions we’ll practice today are examples of “collocations.” A collocation is a group of two or more words that we usually use together. For example, maybe you have heard the expression “to have an interview.” We can’t say “do” an interview or “make” an interview. The common expression, or combination of words, is “have an interview.” Learning collocations like these is very important, because they will make you sound more natural. When you hear today’s dialog, listen to how the speakers combine words naturally. Then we’ll explain what they mean and practice using them.

In the dialog, we rejoin David and Gordon, two expats in Southeast Asia talking about the economies in the region. Gordon has recently arrived in the area and done a tour of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Burma, while David has worked in the region for several years.

Listening Questions

1. What does David predict for Burma’s GDP?
2. What advantage does Burma have, according to Gordon?
3. How does David think their company should approach Burma?

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BEP 231 – Discussing the Economy (Part 1)

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, English Collocations, Finance and Accounting /

Welcome back to Business English Pod today’s lesson on discussing the economy.

Listen to the news, the politicians, or your coworkers, and what do you hear them talking about? The economy. It’s up or it’s down. It’s good or it’s bad. Conditions are improving or getting worse. And it’s important to us because as the economy goes, so goes our business and careers.

But what do people mean when they say the economy? Is there only one economy? Well, in this global age, the economy often refers to the world economy. But we also say the economy to talk about a specific country, whether it’s our own or another country we’re doing business with. In this lesson, you’ll hear about a few different economies and you’ll learn some common expressions used to discuss economic conditions.

Before we listen, let’s talk a little about collocations. A collocation is a group of words that native speakers often use together. A correct collocation sounds natural, while an incorrect collocation sounds unnatural. For example, in English we say “go online” to talk about using the Internet. But we can’t say “proceed online” or “travel online,” even though “proceed” and “travel” mean “go.” Those simply aren’t natural expressions.

You’ll hear many useful collocations in today’s dialog. As you listen, try to pick out these natural combinations of words. Then we’ll explain what they mean and how to use them in the debrief.

We’re going to hear a conversation between David and Gordon, two expats working in Southeast Asia. David has been around for several years and is familiar with the economic situation. Gordon is new to the region and has recently completed a tour of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Burma.

Listening Questions

1. What does David say the government of Vietnam has done well?
2. What is happening to the labor force in Vietnam?
3. What is one of the problems in Vietnam mentioned by the speakers?

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BEN 22 – Telecommuting: Back to the Office

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, Business News, English Collocations /

Business English News 22 - Telecommuting

In this Business English News lesson, we look at trends in the workplace, particularly changing attitudes to telecommuting.

The question of “live to work or work to live” has been around for decades, with many employees trying to strike that perfect work-life balance. Employees around the world benefit from the use of modern technology to do their work in the comfort of their own homes.

Recently though, Yahoo’s CEO, Marissa Mayer, made some waves with her decision that all employees must work their 9 to 5s in the office.

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Skills 360 – How to Get Good Customer Service (2)

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, Business Skills 360, Customer Service /

Welcome back to the Skills 360 podcast. In today’s lesson, we’re going to look at how to get good customer service. More specifically, we’re going to learn how to complain properly and get a good solution.

It all starts with a problem. You buy a product and it doesn’t work right. You get frustrated. You paid good money but you’re not getting what you expected. It’s time to complain. So you go back to the store or you ring up a customer service line. This interaction could end with more frustration or it could end with satisfaction, depending on the outcome. So how can you get a good outcome?

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BEP 224 – Financial English: Discussing a Budget (2)

Business English, Business English Vocabulary, English Collocations, Finance and Accounting /

In this Business English Pod lesson, we continue our look at vocabulary and collocations for discussing a budget.

A budget is a plan for spending money. And you’ll often hear the word “budget” used as a noun. But “budget” is also a verb. We can budget carefully or poorly. We can budget not only money but also time. And how we budget can help or harm our business. If we spend too much money, we may decrease profits. But if we don’t spend enough money, the business may not grow or thrive. It’s all about balance.

A typical budget includes a long list of items that we need to spend money on. And in a budget meeting, you’ll hear people talk, or argue, about where to spend more and where to spend less. So, how do we do this? Well, in today’s dialog, we’ll learn some of the common expressions we use when we discuss budgets.

Before we listen, let’s talk a little about English collocations. A collocation is a group of words that native speakers often use together. A correct collocation sounds natural, while an incorrect collocation sounds unnatural. For example, in English we say “budget cuts” to talk about lower spending. But we can’t say “budget slices” or “budget chops,” even though “slice” and “chop” mean “cut.” Those simply aren’t natural expressions.

You’ll hear many useful collocations in today’s dialog. As you listen, try to pick out these natural combinations of words. Then we’ll explain what they mean and how to use them in the debrief.

Today we’ll rejoin Kate, Harry, and Linda as they discuss the budget for their IT department. Kate and Harry are managers, and Linda is their supervisor. Last time, they talked about the past year’s budget. Today, you’ll hear them making a plan for the upcoming year.

Listening Questions

1. What does Kate say the finance department wants to focus on?
2. What is Harry’s concern about replacing the workstations?
3. What does Kate think can be changed to save money?

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