
Imagine walking into work and feeling confident in every word you say, in meetings, presentations, or even in casual talk by the water cooler. Maybe your co-workers will even tell you how well you are speaking and notice your improvement. By the end of this course, that will be your new reality.
Working and talking in a professional setting as an English as a Second Language (ESL) speaker can have many challenges. You may feel nervous that you will not understand, be understood, or be able to speak quickly and clearly with confidence. However, as we say in English, practice makes perfect. To improve your speaking skills, you must speak out-loud as much as possible. In this course, you will have access to high quality business English conversations that will enrich your speaking and listening abilities. You will have infinite opportunities to practice, exposure to the language, and a private and supportive environment.
Through this class, we will build your English vocabulary and practice through role plays that put you in situations with native English speakers and non-native speakers. You will be able to read and listen to conversations and then to participate in conversations yourself. You will complete guided self assessments to target the areas you want to focus on as we go through the scenarios. And by the end of this book, you will have mastered the basics of Business English.
The following role play is between two coworkers in an informal but important conversation about their hotel’s new website. Sarah is explaining to Jake how the project is unfolding and Jake is collecting the most important information to relay to the entire team during the formal project update.
The following video shows a full speed conversation between native speakers in a professional context. Listen to the conversation to prepare yourself for the shadow speaking activity. You may also wish to read the conversation in full to completely understand the context and what we will be talking about. If you wish to print the dialogue, a printable PDF version is linked in the resources. If there are any words or phrases you are unfamiliar with, make sure to look them up before you move on to the next activity.
Objective: By the end of this video, you should be able to understand the context and words used in the dialogue between the two speakers.
Teams discuss website launch, note phase one ahead of schedule, a coding glitch resolved by EOD, and plan phase two content creation, testing user experience, and a travel blog feature.
In the following video, you will hear the conversation broken down into smaller, slower phrases. Repeat each phrase during the pause, imitating the pronunciation and intonation you hear. If you find the video to be too fast, try turning the video speed (or playback rate) down to 0.5x or 0.75x and practice until you can work your way up to the regular video speed. You may wish to do this shadow speaking exercise multiple times, until you feel confident repeating after the speaker. Always remember to prioritize clarity of speech over speed. In other words, make sure to pronounce each word clearly.
If you want even more practice, try this self-reflection challenge: Record yourself speaking with the video using your phone and play it back to yourself after you finish. Are there areas you wish to improve? Certain words you would like to say more clearly? You may wish to repeat certain phrases with the video until you are satisfied with your recording.
Objective: By the end of this activity, you should be able to say the entire dialogue out loud, with confidence, using the proper intonation and pronunciation.
Coordinate a fast website launch by updating the team on phase one, resolving a coding snag, planning phase two content and ux testing, and proposing a travel blog feature.
Practice simultaneous speaking by shadowing the dialogue, adjusting playback speed to 0.5 or 0.75, and reading aloud in real time with clear pronunciation and matched tone.
Congratulations!
You have made it to the end of this section! Great job and keep up the good work!
Practice shadow speaking by repeating slower phrases, imitating pronunciation and intonation. Adjust playback speed to 0.5–0.75, record yourself, and practice until you can say the dialogue clearly and confidently.
Boost product sales by 20% by strengthening online presence and launching a marketing campaign with updated website, TikTok engagement, Amazon listings, influencer partnerships, and targeted ads.
Boost product sales by 20% by strengthening the online presence, launching a marketing campaign, updating the website, boosting TikTok engagement, refining Amazon listings, and pursuing influencer endorsements and targeted ads.
Practice shadow speaking to improve pronunciation and intonation by repeating slower phrases, adjusting playback speed, and recording yourself for feedback and confidence in dialogue delivery.
Develop listening accuracy in professional conversations by watching an instructions video, reading the dialogue, and looking up unfamiliar terms to understand context for the shadow speaking activity.
Tom and Sarah demonstrate problem solving and teamwork to locate a time-sensitive package for their boss, showcasing practical strategies for effective business communication.
Coordinate with the shipping company to locate a time-sensitive package delayed by a sorting error, while teammates check the app and office and inform the boss of the status.
Practice shadow speaking by repeating slower phrases, adjusting playback speed, and recording yourself to improve pronunciation, intonation, and spoken clarity until you can confidently say the dialogue.
In activity 2, participants practice shadow speaking to resolve a time-sensitive delivery delay, contact the shipping company, check tracking information, and coordinate with colleagues to locate the package.
Engage in simultaneous speaking by shadowing the dialogue, adjusting playback speed, and mirroring tone to read aloud in real time with clarity, pronunciation, vocabulary, and intonation for a professional setting.
Explore new initiatives to shorten weekly meetings and improve team efficiency as Dave, Jack, Tricia, and their boss discuss practical ways to streamline conversations.
Engage in shadow speaking by repeating slower phrases, adjusting playback speed, and recording yourself to improve pronunciation, intonation, and clarity with confidence.
Implement a structured agenda with time limits and a facilitator to keep the weekly meeting focused on key priorities, action items, and continuous improvement through quarterly reviews.
Explore context of conversation through a workplace dialogue about making weekend plans and coordinating an office outing to a new hamburger restaurant.
Enhance listening and casual conversation skills for business english by following a weekend plans dialogue featuring hiking, wilderness adventure, a backyard barbecue, a burger joint discovery, and team invitations.
Engage in shadow speaking by repeating slower phrases, imitating pronunciation and intonation. Adjust playback speed to practice for clear, confident dialogue with proper intonation.
Engage in shadow speaking through casual weekend conversations, planning hikes, home gatherings, and a group food outing to build practical business English fluency.
Celebrate reaching the end of this section, and congratulations on your progress. Keep up the good work toward mastering business English fluency.
Practice shadow speaking to improve casual conversation in business english by sharing weekend activities, hobbies like cooking and golf, family traditions, and asking for recommendations.
Celebrate completing this section of the master class in business English fluency, and stay motivated to keep up the good work as you continue learning.
Listen to a full-speed professional conversation to prepare for the shadow speaking activity, read and look up unfamiliar words to understand the dialogue between the two speakers.
Practice listening to casual conversations about films and TV shows, exploring Netflix recommendations and opinions on Casablanca, Breaking Bad, Stranger Things, and The Shawshank Redemption.
Welcome to our Master Class in Business English Fluency. If you’re looking to improve your ability to use and understand spoken English in professional settings, this course is for you.
We’re two teachers from the United States and we have designed a course, using a linguistically-backed dual-method that simulates one-on-one conversations with native speakers. This course will give you the tools to practice listening and speaking in a professional setting from the comfort of your own home.
You will have access to over 25 business conversations between native speakers, using natural vocabulary, phrases, grammar, pronunciation, intonation, and levels of formality, which are all important when you want to sound professional at work. On top of that, you will actually get to participate in the conversations!
Every unit includes listening, shadow speaking, and simultaneous speaking activities, gradually increasing in difficulty throughout the course. You can move through the course at your own pace and control the speed of each video, tailoring the lessons perfectly to your individual language needs.
We're excited you're here and we're ready to help you. If you’re ready to take the next step in your journey to become an even more professional, more fluent English speaker, you’re in the right place!