Business English: Small Talk With Business Visitors

In September we discussed "the art of conversation" in social situations. Today, we will look at small talk in international business. 

Using a second language at work can be stressful, but, remember the first rule: 

relax

Business people who travel abroad know that their hosts will be using a second language. So, focus more on making your guest and/or comfortable, and having a short but  lively conversation before "getting down to business".

Even if you are not the person the business visitor is meeting that day, you can create a good impression of your company if you  help the guest get to the meeting place and make them feel relaxed. 

Quickly, Slowly: Adverbs of Action

In November we talked about  adjectives, words we use to describe people, places, things, and ideas. Today, we're going to look at,

Adverbs of Action

Adverbs are used to describe actions, so we use verbs (actions) with adverbs. Let's look at an example showing the difference adverbs and adjectives. 

Look at the photo above:

Sprinters are very strong runners. (adjective) 

Sprinters run very strongly. (adverb) 

"Strong" is used to talk about the sprinters. However, "strongly" is used to talk about how the sprinters run (verbs). 

We make adverbs by adding "ly" to the end of the adjective (strong -> strongly). Words ending with "y", use "ily" (happy -> happily). 

We also have irregular adverbs that don't end with "ly": 

good ---> well

fast ---> fast

hard ---> hard

late ---> late

early ---> early

straight ---> straight

wrong ---> wrong or wrongly

(Note: there's the adverb "hardly" but that is an adverb of frequency, it's not used with verbs). 

A & An: Review

"A" or "An"?

I thought this would be a good time to review "a" and "an" (indefinite articles which were covered here in October).  

First, we use a/an in the following situations:

In writing when we introduce something for the first time. (I was looking for a post office near my hotel in Paris. The clerk said, "Try the post office around the corner on Rue Belleville). 

When we're writing/talking about something in general, unspecified. (I'm looking for a coffee shopm Chen needs a new blazer for the party, There's a large river near here,  etc). 

We don't use a/an for countries, cities, famous/well-known places, people's names, plurals, etc.

(x) I went to a Spain last year. 

(correct) I went to Spain. 

A: Which Starbucks did you go to?

B: Oh, you know, a Starbucks on the corner of 6th Street and Columbia Avenue. (x)

      Oh, you know, the Starbucks on the corner of 6th Street and Columbia Avenue.(correct)

"a" and "an" have the same meaning but:

We use "an" for words that start with vowels (a,e,i,o,u) or have vowel sounds .

Example:  an eraser, an hour (vowel sound)

We "a" for words that start with consonants (b,c,d,f,g,h,j,k, etc)

Also, watch out for compound nouns: a bus stop, an Irish coffee, etc. The first letter of the first word tells whether to use "a" or "an". 

Home Study: Your Hobbies & Interests

In previous posts we looked at home study using the Internet. We covered ESL websites and English teachers on YouTube. These are great resources, and ESL learners can get a lot from them.....

Good, Better, The Best: Superlatives

(copyright: National Geographic)

In the previous post, we looked at comparatives, comparing two or more things to each other. Today, we'll look at superlatives, where we compare one thing to many others.

Big, Bigger: Comparatives

Look at the photo above. There are two dogs: a chihuahua and a great dane. Of course, the great dane is a big dog, and the chihuahua is a small dog.

Chihuahuas and great danes are both dogs, but, great danes are bigger than chihuahuas. Chihuahuas are smaller than great danes.


Words like bigger and smaller are called comparatives: words we use to compare two (and sometimes more) things.


Short adjectives like big and small usually have "er" endings in the comparative form. Words like prettythe "y" becomes "i": prettier.

 Longer adjectives like expensive and beautiful, we add "more" or "less".  For example:  an iPhone is more expensive than an Android phone.


Be careful: there are exceptions to the rule about long and short adjectives. Look at the example below:

Math is boring, but history is  boringer.

Math is boring, but history is more boring.

If you want to show a big difference, you can add the word "much" to the comparative. an iPhone is much more expensive than an Android phone.

Because & So: What's The Difference?

a) The baseball game was cancelled because it started  to rain.

b) It started to rain, so the baseball game was cancelled.

The two sentences above don't look very different, but, "because" and "so" have two different functions.

Look at the examples below.

A: Why was the baseball game cancelled? 

B: It was cancelled because it started to rain.

____________________________________________

A: What happened?

B: It started to rain, so the baseball game was cancelled.

For and To: Explaining Yourself

A: Why are you going to Hawaii?

B: I'm going there because I want to see the Aloha Festival.

The word because is very common. We use it to answer "why" questions, to express the reason or purpose of our actions, decisions, and opinions. 

In today's post, we will look at other ways of explaining actions, decisions, and opinions using:

to and for

Phrasal Verbs: Review #1

JLB Language Services' second post was all about phrasal verbs. That was more than two months ago, so let's do a brief review.

Using Adjectives: ExcitING or ExcitED?

What's the difference between excited and exciting? 


In today's post, we will discuss how to use "ed" and "ing" adjectives (words used to talk about people, places, things, and ideas). 


Let's look at the photo at the top of this page. Choose the best word to complete the sentence below:

Kelly is __________ because she's going to Hawaii tomorrow. 

a) exciting

b) excited

Read more to see the answer.

English Conversation Textbook: The New Interchange Series

The New Interchange: English for International Communication by series of ESL textbooks, by John C Richards, is great for English language students who just want to learn basic, everyday conversation, review their grammar, practice reading and writing, and work on pronunciation and listening skills.

Each unit focuses on a communication task, and two or three grammar points, with listen and repeat drills for pronunciation. There's also a student workbook included in the full package set for study and review along with CDs and DVD ROMs. So, it's a good value for ESL students. New Interchange: English for International Communication units also include read and listen sections that are excellent for group lessons.

New Interchange: English for International Communication is an outstanding textbook because it makes each unit helpful, but also interesting. Topics like film, sports, movies, music, etc, are used to make the textbook interesting for ESL students. There are also many fun student-to-student activities at the back of every edition. There's a lot of material and focus on group and home study.

You can order New Interchange: English for International Communication elementary textbook here.

Jack C Richards has published other ESL textbooks that you can find on Amazon. 

Below is a sample from Unit 6 of the New Interchange Intro (for beginner ESL students). 

Giving Street Directions: Vocabulary & Practice

Yes, now, there is Google Maps, but, sometimes people still need help getting  around the city. In this post, we will look at the words we need to give street directions.

The words we need first are prepositions of place  (beside, on, in, etc) and direction (go left, turn right, go straight). Below are graphics to show you what these words mean. Please take a few minutes to study and/or review the vocabulary.

English Teachers On YouTube

Students usually like to stay with one teacher as long as they can, but, it's a good idea to receive lessons, and advice from other teachers. All teachers have different strengths, and approaches, and also come from different backgrounds. You can learn Canadian, American British, Australian, Irish, Scottish, etc.


This is why the Internet, and YouTube especially, are great resources for ESL learners. They are (usually) free, and can be used any time. I recently found this YouTube channel: Learn English with Emma, part or the EngVid group on YouTube which has many teachers you can choose from, and there's also the EngVid homepage.There's also a Facebook page.



This blog has had posts about telephone English. Below are two videos from EngVid's teacher, Emma.

Emma's lessons are outstanding: she, and the other EngVid, speak clearly, and have  vocabulary and expressions clearly written on a whiteboard.

Remember: if you'd like to practice telephone English, try a simple business call like ordering a pizza. It's a fun, comfortable place to start. Practice in real, "live" situations is very important.

Business English: Making A Phone Call/Leaving A Message

Last month, we talked about answering the phone and taking messages. In this post, we'll go over language for making business phone calls, leaving a message, and calling a non-English speaking country.


First,  always "have a smile in your voice" when you're talking on the phone, especially in a business situation. Even if you make a grammar mistake, use the wrong words, etc, if you sound friendly, you'll get better results from a phone call.



Now, let's look at an example of "bad phone manners" from a caller. What mistakes did the caller make?


Receiver: Good morning, ABC Company, sales office. How may we help you today?

Caller: Bob Jones, please.

Receiver: Certainly, may I ask who's calling, please?

Caller: Jim Porter.

Receiver: Please hold, Mr Porter. I'll put you through to Mr Jones.

(phone rings five times)

Receiver: Hello? Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr Porter. I am afraid Mr Jones isn't at his desk at the moment. May I take a message?

Caller: Please tell him to call me back at 514-867-5555,  and that I'll be in Vancouver tomorrow afternoon, around 3.

Receiver: I see. Your number is 514-867-5555, and you'll be in Vancouver tomorrow afternoon, around 3? Is that correct, Mr Porter.

Caller: Yes. Goodbye.

Receiver: Thank you for calling, Mr Porter. I'll make sure Mr Jones gets your message. Have a good day.

Asking Directions: Trains & Metros

In this post, we will learn how to ask and give directions for train and metro systems. There will be times when you can't use your smartphone, or a visitor to your city will ask you for directions.

Business English: Fast Talkers On The Phone

Using the phone in a second language is very difficult, especially at work. Today, we'll look at how to handle fast talkers on the phone.

Fast Talkers

First, politely ask the caller to slow down.  Use indirect questions to help you with the problem (see post).

Situation 1: The Caller is talking too fast.


Excuse me. _______________________

a) Slow down. You're talking too fast.

b) Speak slowly!

c) Speak slowly, please.

d) Could you speak more slowly, please?

Think about the answer then click "read more" to learn the answer.

Communication: Indirect Questions

Need help? Ask an indirect question.


Indirect questions are used mostly when we need help or information from a stranger. Today, we'll look at how to use indirect questions.

Home Study: Practice English with Karaoke

Learning English can be made even more fun by singing. Singing can help you with pronunciation, accent, reading, and listening. You can also build your English vocabulary with more conversation style words, and slang. 

So, let look at how you can use karaoke to enjoy learning English.

Grammar Activity: A, An, & The

"A", "An", and "The" are called articles, and they are difficult to use. Let's look at an example paragraph.

Lyon is the third largest city in France. It is near the border between France and Switzerland. There are two parts of Lyon: New Lyon and Old Lyon. Old Lyon is my favourite because of the old, 15th century buildings are beautiful. It is built around Lyon Mountain, so there are many stairways that connect the streets. The cafes in Lyon are famous for their strong coffee, and delicious. On my last day in Lyon, I had an espresso, and a strawberry tart. 

Click on "read more" for more information.

Fun In English: Play? Go? Do?

Student: I play swimming every weekend

Teacher: Oh really? You go swimming every weekend?

A common mistake. In some languages, talking about games, sports, and fitness activities is easy. For example, Japanese uses one verb "do":

"I play chess" = chesu shimasu  (チェスをします)

In English, we usually use go, play, and do. Which games, sports, or fitness activities do we use them with? Let's look at some examples.

Business English: A Great Textbook for Telephoning In English

As always, there are many textbooks using the phone (smartphone, home phone, etc) in English. In my fifteen years of ESL teaching, "Telephoning in English" is the best for ESL learners who work in an international business.

There's a lot of non-native English speakers, so ESL learners get to listen to accented English. In business, you may often speak to people from Germany, Italy, France, and other non-English speaking countries. Telephoning In English will help you get used to different accents.

Telephoning In English is not easy. The speakers talk more naturally (fast), and, again, have strong accents. This is good because that's what you will hear in real business situations.

 Telephoning In English covers taking messages, asking about late deliveries, and more. There's even a unit on ordering a pizza. So, you can practice different types of business telephone conversations.

Study Tip: If you're in an English speaking country, a good way to practice your telephone English skills is to order a pizza. The words you will need are very common (pepperoni is  pepperoni in most countries), and it's excellent practice.

You can order Telephoning In English here.

Business English: Answering The Phone & Taking A Message

Communicating on the telephone in a second language is much more difficult than face-to-face conversations. You can't see the other person's face, or body language.

In this post, we'll look at how to greet a business caller in English.

First, let's look at an example of bad telephone manner:

It's one o'clock in the afternoon. Phone rings three times at ABC Company.

Receptionist: Hello.

Caller: Hello? Is this ABC Company?

Receptionist: Yes. What is it?

Caller: May I speak to the sales manager, Bob Jones?

Receptionist: He's not in right now.

Caller: I see. Do you know what time he will be in the office?

Receptionist: Three o'clock. Please call back then.

Caller: Okay. Thank you. Bye.

Receptionist: Thank you. Goodbye.

The grammar in this conversation was fine. So, what communication mistakes did the receptionist make? Think about your answers, then click, "read more".

TOEIC: Reading Comprehension & Managing Time

Part 7 of TOEIC is reading comprehension. The October 11th post, we covered grammar in the test. Now, we're going to look at time management, and techniques for completing the reading part of the test.

Group Study: Speaking Games

 Studying with classmates, friends, or family can be a lot of fun. Speaking games are great activities for group study. You can practice your English language skills and enjoy a fun conversation with other ESL learners.

You can search online for games that are best for your group's level. ESL Games+ and English Media Lab are two excellent sites for ESL speaking activities and games.



Below are a few games you can  easily download, print, and enjoy. 

TOEIC: Using Grammar, Vocabulary & Parts of Speech

Parts 5 & 6 of TOEIC, incomplete sentences and error recognition are very difficult because they both test your grammar skills as well as your vocabulary. Reviewing grammar is very important for the test, and (more important) your basic English language learning.

Today, we'll look at techniques to build your vocabulary and improve your grammar. 

My Students & I: Socializing

 

I am a professional, ESL teacher, but, I have always enjoyed socializing with my students. It's fun, of course, but, I can also get to know my students better, and listen to them use English outside the classroom. Students also get more value out of the teacher/student relationship by getting a chance to use English in a more conversational, less formal way.

Below are a few photos from my after-class events with my students  (I've lost a lot of weight since these photos were taken).

Business English: Choosing A Private Teacher

Finding A Teacher

In large, international cities like Vancouver, Tokyo, Shanghai, etc, there are many schools, and colleges offering courses in business English. These places are usually very expensive, and often can't create a course of study for your unique needs and goals.

A private instructor is better if you want lessons that are made for you specifically. Today, we'll discuss how you should choose your teacher, and where to find private ESL instructors.

TOEIC Strategies: Short Conversations & Short Talks

In today's post, I will go over strategies for both short conversations (part 3) and short talks (part 4) of TOEIC's listening section.

Prepositions In Pictures

Prepositions (on, under, in, etc) are very difficult to understand. Below are a few graphics to explain the meaning of these words, and how they are used.

Prepositions of place and direction 

From the English  Is Fun Facebook page (there's a link to its page on the right of this blog)  the difference between "into" and "in to". If you have a Facebook account, you can find more helpful graphics on English is Fun.

TOEIC Strategies: Question/Response

The Question response section (part 2 of Listening) can be the most difficult part of TOEIC. The questions aren't written down, so you must listen carefully, then choose the correct option (a,b,c, or d). 

First, listen the question. What kind of the question is it?  There are 2 types of the question; yes/no questions and wh questions

 If the question begin with will,do,does,did,is,are,can,would, etc, the answer will usually be a "yes or no" type. 

If the question begin with wh word (what,where,when,why,who,how), the answer be longer. 

Be Careful

TOEIC has a lot of  "traps" like words with similar sounds, the same words. Also, there are types of answers you must listen for: Indirect and  negative responses. 

Indirect Answers. 

Example:

Man: Who didn't finish their dinner"

Woman: I wasn't hungry.

or

Woman: Have you invited anyone I know to the party?

Man: You know everyone on the guest list.

Negative Responses

Example:

Man1: So, which car do you like?

Man2: Well, not the one that looks like a taxi.

Woman1: What movies do you like?

Woman2: Anything that doesn't have snakes.

Remember: there's about 7 to 10 seconds between questions in the listening part of TOEIC. Answer quickly. 

You can practice the Question/Response section here.

Teaching Your Children English: The Internet

For English language learners with children, below are some websites you can use to teach your kids at home.

Teaching In Japan: Kids' Lessons

You will see in my profile that I spent 15 years teaching (and living) in Japan. I am an English conversation/business English. My students over the years were aged 2 to 90.

Kids' lessons are challenging in that they need more preparation time, materials, and a lot of patience. Teaching children is also fun, and, in its own way, very easy. Being there and having a good time is 99% of the job. Below are just a few of the students I was lucky to teach.

TOEIC Strategies: Photographs

The first part of  of the listening section for TOEIC is photographs. You will hear four sentences and must choose which sentence is best for the question.

Let's practice with the photo below:

If you're going to write the paper test, the best thing to do is arrive early, and look at the questions (but don't start the set time). This will help you make better choices when you're are writing the exam.

The options you will hear in this section are usually very basic sentences. Look at the photo. Note the possible nouns (people, places, and things), verbs (actions), and prepositions (in, on, under, etc).

Now, read the four sentences below, and choose the best answer.

a) The student is studying for a test
b) The student is reading a book
c) The library doesn't have any tables
d) There's a memo on the wall.

  Continue reading for the answer.