BEP 44 – 社群: 進行對話

Today’s Business English Pod lesson is the first in a two-part series on the basics of social English: starting a conversation, keeping it going, and finishing it appropriately. Successful conversation is an important part of networkingthe skill of building up a network of contacts and relationships.

在本課中, you’ll be learning skills and language for starting and finishing a conversation appropriately. In the next, you’ll practice how to keep a conversation going.

The conversations take place at the Asia-Pacific HR conference for Multi-Fresh, a major global producer of health beverages. A beverage is a drink.

You’ll hear two dialogues. 在第一, Penny, an HR officer from Malaysia, strikes up a conversation with George, the Asia-Pacific learning and development manager. “To strike up a conversation” means to start a conversation, usually with someone you don’t know too well.

In the second dialogue, 拍, an HR officer from Australia, then tries his best to strike up a conversation with George.

聽力問題:

1) What office is Penny from?
2) What does Penny think about the speech?
3) Have Pat and George already met?
4) Does George have time to talk to Pat?

PDF Transcript

Download: Podcast MP3

商業新聞 09 (增強型M4a) – 銳步推出廣告活動

This is an enhanced version of the first intermediate Business English News podcast on Reebok’s new marketing campaign. Now you can view pictures and text related to the article on your computer or video iPod (you should also be able to see the images on most video MP3 players and phones).

To download a set of study notes for this podcast ‘right-clickon this link, select save target and then choose which folder on your computer to save the file to.

PDF Transcript: Study Notes

Download: Podcast MP3

商業新聞 09 – 銳步推出廣告活動

Today we’re introducing our first Business English News podcast for intermediate listeners. This will now be a regular show with new episodes each month. Most of the time, we’ll cover a similar topic to the current Advanced Business News podcast but the articles and vocabulary will be simplified to make them more suitable for intermediate learners.

The topic today is marketing and, 尤其, Reebok’s new advertising campaign and slogan.

核心詞彙:
1. to launchto release a new product
2. Ad campaigna campaign is an organized series of activities and Ad is short for advertising.
3. to motivateto get people interested in something
4. take a swipe at somethingtake a hit at something or to make fun of something.
5. slogana short memorable phrase used to promote a product.
6. strategya plan or approach intended to achieve a major aim or goal.
7. competeto try and win a game or to gain an advantage over somebody.
8. competitorsother companies that Reebok is competing against.
9. purportedlyto claim to do or say something.
10. ties to something – 連接.
11. celebrity endorsera famous person who publicly promotes a product.

This weekend we will also release an enhanced MP4 version of this podcast with text and pictures.

PDF Transcript: Study Notes

Download: Podcast MP3

BEP 43 – 會議英語: 管理討論

This is the second in our two-part intermediate 商務英語播客 series on opening and managing 用英語開會. In the first episode, we looked at how to open a meeting. In today’s podcast lesson we’re going to cover how to manage the discussion.

馬丁, the GM of Daneline Singapore, is discussing with his staff how to make up a budget shortfall. He has just asked Sandra to kick off the first item on the agendaoutsourcing the cleaning.

聽力測驗

1) How much money can Daneline Singapore save by outsourcing cleaning?
2) Does Sam like pizza?
3) Does Dave agree with the strategy of outsourcing cleaning?
4) How does Dave suggest dealing with the brochure redesign?

*** This lesson is part of our Business English eBook for meetings: 會議要點. Premium members click here to download the complete eBook.

Members: Study Notes | Quizzes | PhraseCast | Lesson Module

Download: Podcast MP3

BEP 42 – 會議英語: 開會

This is the first in a two-part intermediate 商務英語播客課程 on opening and managing meetings. 在這一集, we’ll look at how to open a meeting. In the second part (BEP 43) we’ll look at language you can use to manage the discussion.

The listening takes place in the Singapore offices of Daneline, an international shipping company. 馬丁, the GM, is chairing a meeting with Sandra, David and Sam to discuss a budget shortfall. Shortfall means their budget has fallen short of expectations. 換句話說, they don’t have enough money, so they need to make some cuts. To chair a meeting is to lead the meeting. We can say that Martin is the chairperson. So in these two episodes on opening and managing meetings, you’ll be learning language for chairing meetings.

聽力測驗
1) What is the amount of the budget shortfall?
2) Why doesn’t Sandra have a copy of the agenda?
3) How many possible cuts are under discussion?
4) What is the first item on the agenda?

*** This lesson is part of our Business English eBook for meetings: 會議要點. Premium members click here to download the complete eBook.

Members: Study Notes | Quizzes | PhraseCast | Lesson Module

Download: Podcast MP3