Workplace English Podcast - Workplace English Training E-Platform

Introduction Knowing how to welcome business visitors is an important business speaking skill. This is often the first impression that a visitor will have of a company so you need to make a good impression. Treat visitors in a friendly and relaxed manner, and make sure they are comfortable if they have to wait around. Take an interest in who they are and what they've been doing. Situation 1 Dan Roberts is an important client from England. He has an appointment to see Tina Chan, the sales manager, at 11:30. He arrives 20 minutes early so as to be in good time for the meeting. Tina Chan’s secretary greets him and makes him feel welcome. It is important for the secretary to make sure Dan is made to feel welcome and is comfortable while he is waiting for the meeting.

Introduction Most of us find it difficult to say ‘no’ when someone asks us for a favour, don’t we? It’s difficult to say ‘no’ when you know someone needs your help. It becomes even more difficult to say ‘no’ in the workplace, because you don’t want to offend anyone. However, it’s possible to refuse to do something in a polite and nice way that does not annoy anyone, hurt their feelings or cause offence. In this lesson, we will look at how to say ‘no’ in the workplace in a way that ensures that the other person can see your point of view. You can do this by speaking factually, firmly and using a calm and polite tone. Situation 1 You will now listen to two versions of a conversation between Jim and his boss. In the first version, Jim is not able to say ‘no’, and ends up having to do the favour and also make his boss feel that he is doing it unwillingly.

A common task in business is to compare things such as costs, service, reliability, performance, etc. It's only through making comparisons that we can make decisions about which is the cheapest, the most reliable, and the best buy. The characteristics of a product or service are described by adjectives, such as 'cheap,' 'heavy,' 'wide', 'reliable,' etc. So it's important for you to know how to compare adjectives. In this podcast lesson, we’ll look at a number of ways commonly use to compare adjectives. Situation You’re going to hear the Human Resources Manager, Marion, and the Technical Support Manager, Alex, have a meeting to compare three English language training consultants – Empire English, Superior Speaking and Accent on English. They have to decide which company to use. They will talk about each company, how long the company has been in business and how successful the company has been. They will also talk about the price of the training, the training materials, and the experience of the trainers.

  Persistent callers are people who keep calling until they can speak to a certain person. It may be your job to answer the phone and speak several times to the same caller. The caller may be trying to sell something, or may want to talk to someone in your office for a specific reason. Even if the same person calls many times, you should speak to them politely but firmly. There are many ways in which you can politely tell a caller that they do not need to call again, or that they can leave a message for the recipient In this lesson, we will look at how to use specific words and phrases to deal with persistent callers. Remember that you need to remain polite and patient while talking to callers, even if they call many times. Situation 1 You will now listen to a conversation between Sandra, a secretary, and Paul, a persistent caller.

 Internal disputes may arise in your workplace when two people are hostile toward each other’s opinions, or if they cannot work out a disagreement. When handling a serious disagreement between two people, you should ensure that you listen to each person’s point of view, and try to arrive at a consensus that will be agreeable to both of them. You can do this by using sympathetic language that shows them both that you are respectful of their points of view. Try to find a consensus of opinion that is agreeable to both parties, and which shows them how to work out a compromise. Stress the fact that it is important to work out the dispute in a harmonious way so that their work does not suffer.     SITUATION 1 You will now listen to a conversation in which James, a vice-president at an investment consultancy, tries to work out a dispute between Jack and Eliza, two project managers.  

Introduction The ability to understand verbal instructions is a necessary requirement in most workplaces across all industries. Giving verbal instructions is often the quickest and most effective way to communicate ideas. Having said this, verbal communication can often leave room for error and confusion. In this podcast lesson, we’re going to look at a number of basic techniques to help you to deliver spoken instructions in a manner which will help minimise any error and confusion. Situation Kevin, the Head Receptionist at Biometrics, is training a new receptionist, Jenny, on her first day at work. Listen in and decide when Jenny doesn’t understand, when she clarifies, i.e. checks what Kevin means, and when she understands. Consider what techniques Kevin uses to ensure his instructions are given clearly and concisely.

A meeting to discuss a business proposal is usually an integral part of creating a business plan. While it is common for the proposal to be written by one person, it is also common for team members or prospective clients to be available during such meetings to give their opinions and input on what they feel should be changed or included. The person who has written the proposal should be prepared to answer questions on the content and should be open to the revisions that may be necessary. The functional language involved in such a discussion focuses around two key areas. Firstly, we often find the conditional tense being used in such discussions, since the proposal has not been accepted yet. Secondly, auxiliary and modal verbs (also known as helping verbs) are commonly used along with words and phrases indicating personal opinions and suggestions as the speakers speculate about the future.   An unsolicited proposal is one that is created by a small company or charitable organization that wants to collaborate with a larger firm to increase the scale of its activities, and that approaches larger firms independently with its proposed course of business. In this dialogue, you will hear a conversation that two members of a non-governmental organization (NGO) have with a prospective charitable donor. Joyce has written the proposal and is discussing the details with her colleague, Nicholas, and the prospective donor, Michelle. Before moving on to the listening exercise, read the outline of the proposal below.

Introduction Showing a visitor around gives you a good chance to make a positive impression on your client. By welcoming a visitor warmly and talking to them clearly and politely about your firm, you can help to create a good business relationship between your company and your visitor’s. In this lesson, we’ll focus on how to make a visitor to your office feel welcome, and on language you can use to describe your building and your company. The use of correct tenses and the passive voice can be very important when showing a visitor around. Situation In this situation, you will find Kate, a manager at a design firm, talking to Tom, a client from an architectural company who is visiting her office. You will hear how Kate welcomes Tom and makes him feel comfortable. Then you will listen to how she shows him around the office and tells him about her company. She also listens carefully to his questions and uses different tenses while talking to him about different ways of working.

“Results depend on relationships. That’s what Don Petersen says. He is the ex-CEO of America’s Ford Motor Company. You will find that being able to make small talk—especially before a business meeting—will help build good relationships. And, good business relationships will help you get the results you want. Think of small talk as an engraved business card: small but impressive. Impressive, that is, if you do it well. SITUATION 1 Listen now to small talk used by Dan, who is about to make a presentation featuring his leadership training firm. He especially wants to win approval from Susan Lynch, head of employee relations for a multinational firm. Pay attention to Dan’s manner and manners as well.

In planning a business event such as a conference, the type of language that we use commonly includes verbs which refer to the future. In this podcast, we will see how the future simple tense, ‘will,’ ‘going to’ and the present continuous tense can be used to refer to future actions. We will also look at examples of how modal verbs can be used in discussing business plans. During the course of planning a business conference or workshop, we often need more than one meeting to plan the event. In this podcast lesson, we will listen to extracts from two meetings, one to plan a business conference and the other to discuss and assign specific tasks.

Introduction Introducing yourself to a stranger for the first time can be difficult for some people. For outgoing people, starting a conversation with someone they have never met is usually easy. On the other hand, most people find it hard. When you introduce yourself to someone at work for the first time, you have an advantage. You both work for the same company. You have something in common: something to talk about! And you’ve probably already seen each other around the place before. There are a number of ways of making a self introduction. It usually needs to be on a case by case basis; however, here’s some basic advice to get someone’s attention and finally make an acquaintance. • The direct approach works for most people who have the confidence to do so. Simply go up to the person whom you want to introduce yourself to. Say “hello,” offer a handshake and tell them your name. If, however, it is a group you are approaching, politely ask if you can join them. • Giving a compliment is also a good tactic. Remember to give a compliment that you really mean. Sincerity is the key here. You can start the conversation with a statement like, “I like your shirt” or “You have a nice watch”. The other party can reply with a, “Thank you”. From that point, be prepared to talk about the object you are complimenting on to prove that you really admire it. After a minute or two, or when appropriate, start introducing yourself. • Make a comment to someone about the situation you’re in or the environment. Once they’ve responded, introduce yourself. • If the person you want to introduce yourself to is speaking to someone you already know, then take it as a chance to get acquainted. Walk towards them and say hello to your friend or the person you knew. An introduction can then follow naturally. • If you want to introduce yourself to a person you only know by name, you can start a conversation by confirming their name - “Mr Reynolds?” Once you get their attention, continue by stating how you know about them and then introduce yourself. With the right introduction, a good attitude, and confidence, you can find yourself creating a good impression and friendly relationships. Situation 1 Peter Harvey and Sarah Rogers, who both work for the same multinational company in London, meet for the first time in the staff restaurant. Let’s hear how Peter first makes contact and then introduces himself to Sarah.

Introduction Talking on the telephone is a skill that you can develop by paying attention to the different things that you have to remember. Many times, you need to take down details like names, addresses and telephone numbers. You should always repeat these details back to the caller and confirm with the caller that you have noted them correctly. This is especially important if you are speaking to someone for the first time. You should take down their name and contact details very carefully and confirm all the details with the caller before ending the call. Situation Andy Wang has been asked by his boss, the Training Manager, to collect some information on language consultants offering in-company training courses. Andy then phones World Language Centre after seeing an advertisement in an English language learning magazine. Amy Nassar handles all phone enquiries for World Language Centre. It's very important that she notes down the details of each enquiry very carefully. She has developed several techniques to ensure that she notes down the correct information.

Introduction Remember when passing on messages to clients, details are very important. It does no good to relay a message if you’ve forgotten the time of the appointment or can’t remember the name of the person calling. Everyone makes mistakes and sooner or later most people forget a detail, but the most important thing is communicating this information clearly and accurately.  When you’re being given a message to pass on to someone, never be afraid to ask for clarification, repetition or anything else, particularly when dealing with detailed information. It’s much more important to ask a few times and be sure it’s right than to give out the wrong information. In this podcast lesson, you're going to listen to Beth relaying some messages to her company's clients. Beth works as a receptionist for a large garment manufacturer. Today is the first day back in the office after a one-week holiday, and several managers are still on vacation. They've instructed Beth to pass on messages to clients they know will be calling. Situation 1 In the first situation you’re going to listen to Beth passing on a message to a client.

A lot of people and businesses place their orders for products and services over the Internet these days, but many still prefer to do business over the phone. Speaking to someone personally gives a sense of security and peace of mind. And if you need to change or cancel an order, speaking directly to a representative of the company you’re ordering from gives confidence that they will carry out your instructions correctly. In this podcast lesson, you’re going to listen to three telephone conversations: placing an order, changing an order, and canceling an order. As you can imagine, when business is done over the phone, it’s important that details are recorded accurately. This process involves a lot of checking, repeating and confirming. We use specific phrases in English for these functions, which you’ll hear throughout these dialogues. SITUATION 1 (PLACING AN ORDER) You’re now going to hear a telephone conversation between Sara, a customer service assistant at a retail firm, and Bob, a regular customer who has called to place a new order for clothing items.

Whenever people work together, there is always a possibility of disagreement. It’s usually fine to tell friends bluntly that you disagree with them. But in business, we have to be quite careful about how we disagree. It’s not that we can’t do it, but that we have to do it in ways that won’t cause offence. We have to disagree indirectly. In this podcast lesson, we’ll be reviewing the language used to disagree politely with someone.