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Business English App for iOS – New Version Available

Announcements, Business English, Mobile Learning /

We’re excited to introduce Version 3.0 of our Business English by BEP app for Apple iOS is now available in the App Store:
https://apps.apple.com/app/business-english-by-bep/id568878613

This release is our most significant update in years, and it brings a fresh new look, smoother performance, and a better learning experience from the moment you open the app.

Business English App for iOS - New Version 3.0 available

All-new interface and modern design
A cleaner, more intuitive layout makes lessons easier to find, navigate, and manage your learning.

Enhanced lesson screens with new audio player
You’ll now find improved audio controls at both the top and bottom of each lesson page.

Continuous audio playback
Move seamlessly between lesson pages and lists without stopping the audio.

Smarter search + continuous scrolling
The new search and scroll functions help you browse and discover content faster.

Dark Mode support
Reduce eye strain and enjoy a new look with Dark Mode compatibility.

Bug fixes, performance upgrades, and updated code
The app is now more stable, faster, and ready for future improvements.

Watch out for new lesson updates – available in both Android and Apple/iOS.

If you already have the app installed, simply update through the App Store.
If you’re new to BEP, now is the perfect time to start learning.

Download Business English by BEP for iOS
https://apps.apple.com/app/business-english-by-bep/id568878613

Skills 360 – Developing a Persuasive Approach (2)

Business English, Business Skills 360, Communication, Persuasion /

Skills 360 - Developing a Persuasive Approach in Business 2

Welcome back to the Business English Skills 360 podcast as we continue our look at how to develop a persuasive approach in business.

To be persuasive in business, you need more than facts and logic, and you must also connect emotionally. People make decisions with both their minds and their hearts, so showing warmth and friendliness helps make them more open to your ideas.

You don’t need to be overly social; simply showing empathy and genuine interest in others is enough. Asking questions not only builds rapport but also gives you insight into what motivates people, allowing you to adapt your approach.

Emotions play a key role in persuasion. You can appeal to fear (“sales may drop if we don’t act”), hope (“this plan will give us our weekends back”), or pride (“this will make us leaders in our field”). Another powerful emotion is belonging – people want to feel part of a group or shared vision. You can use this by framing your message around teamwork or industry trends (“the whole industry is moving this way”).

A couple of useful techniques are contrasting and hyperbole. Contrasting means presenting two choices where one clearly supports your message. Adding hyperbole, or deliberate exaggeration, can also make your message more memorable (“this could be the most important decision in our company’s history”).

Persuasion isn’t purely an exercise in logic. It’s not just people’s minds that you need to consider, but also their hearts. That’s why we try to make a connection with them emotionally, or personally. We try to learn about them so we can adapt our approach. We appeal to a broad range of their emotions. And we use techniques like contrast and hyperbole to ramp up the impact of our ideas.

Members: Lesson Module | Quiz & Vocab | PDF Transcript

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Skills 360 – Developing a Persuasive Approach (1)

Business English, Business Skills 360, Communication, Persuasion /

Skills 360 - Developing a Persuasive Approach 1

Welcome back to the Business English Skills 360 podcast as we look at how to develop a persuasive approach in business.

Persuasion is one of the most valuable skills in business, enabling professionals to influence decisions, gain support, and advance ideas. But effective persuasion is not about slick talk or manipulation – it relies on sincerity and well-chosen techniques.

Sincerity is the foundation. People are persuaded when they believe you genuinely believe what you are saying. If your audience senses dishonesty or hidden motives, trust quickly erodes. To demonstrate sincerity, share how you came to believe in your idea. For example, acknowledge initial doubts and explain what changed your perspective. Transparency also plays a major role. If you stand to benefit personally, acknowledge it openly while emphasizing broader benefits. This honesty builds trust and credibility.

Once sincerity is established, persuasion comes down to tailoring your approach to your audience. Logical thinkers respond to structured reasoning, such as outlining clear criteria for a plan. Others may be more influenced by authority or social proof, in which case citing respected figures or supporters can be effective. The key is to understand what motivates the people you are trying to influence.

Beyond adapting to individual mindsets, several techniques are broadly effective. Repetition reinforces ideas and makes them more memorable. For example, emphasizing a chain of cause and effect – like lowering costs leading to stronger growth – creates impact. Rhetorical questions are another powerful tool, framing choices in a way that guides the audience toward your conclusion without directly telling them what to think.

In short, successful persuasion blends sincerity with strategy. Believe in your message, be transparent about your motives, and then apply techniques that resonate with your audience. With this balance of trust and skill, you can significantly enhance your ability to persuade in business.

Members: Lesson Module | Quiz & Vocab | PDF Transcript

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BEP 417 – English for Accounting: Discussing an Audit (2)

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

BEP 417 LESSON - English for Accounting: Audits 2

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson, the second part of our financial English series on discussing an audit.

Money is the language of business, and audits are one way companies prove they can be trusted with it. Audits check whether financial records are accurate and reliable. They help investors, managers, and the public see that the numbers tell the truth about the organization’s money.

If you’ve ever been a part of a discussion about an audit, you’ll know that there’s a lot of specialized language in the world of finance. And some of this language is what we call collocations, or natural combinations of words. We use collocations all the time. In fact, we store a collocation in our memory as one unit, rather than individual words.

Maybe you’ve noticed a few collocations I’ve already used. Earlier, I said “financial records,” which are the documents related to a company’s finances. I also said “to tell the truth,” which is a verb plus noun, showing that collocations include combinations of different types of words. And if you learn these combinations, you can both understand better and sound more fluent.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear a conversation between Ray and Elaine, who work for an international company that has just gone through an audit. Ray is the CFO, or Chief Financial Officer, and Elaine is the CEO. In their conversation about the audit results, they use many collocations. We’ll explain these collocations later in the debrief.

Listening Questions

1. Ray says that the “audit findings” revealed a gap. What financial process is this gap related to?
2. What question does Elaine ask about reporting?
3. What does Ray suggest rolling out this quarter to improve procedures?

Premium Members: PDF Transcript | Quizzes | PhraseCast | Lesson Module

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