When you are learning English, and in your ESL programs, you will come in contact with thousands of new words and it will be very difficult to remember all of them, thus, you have to choose the words you truly want to learn.

There are 3 things you must consider when learning new vocabulary:

1.How do you identify the words you should learn?
You must think about how useful a word would be to you.  Some words may work for casual and informal talk while others are better for formal and serious conversation.  Think of how often and where a word or expression is used, then, you will know if it is worth learning.

The best way to learn new vocabulary is to study words in context; however, it may be hard to decide which words to learn.  Words fall into two categories:

-Passive vocabulary (receptive)
-Active vocabulary (productive)

Your purpose for learning English will very much determine the level of effort you should put into learning active vocabulary.  You have to understand the contextual nature of vocabulary, how a word is employed, and why, where and when it is used.

2.What do you have to learn about a word?
In a dictionary you will find information about the word’s:

-Spelling
-Meaning
-Pronunciation
-Part of speech
-Inflected forms
-Grammatical features
-Collocations
-Similar and opposite words
-Examples on how to use it

You should write the words that interest you down, along with all this information or part of it; it all depends on what you need.  You must consider if you want the word to become a part of your active vocabulary or if you need to understand it when you read or listen.  If you want it to be a part of your active vocabulary, write down everything that is listed above.

3.How should you undertake learning new words?
Words have to be learned in context; never memorize them.  Pay attention to how and where a word or expression is used.

Look for interesting articles in newspapers or magazines. Listen to English as much as you can, in the radio, on TV, at the movies, at bars, at supermarkets, or in CDs.

Write down the new words you hear, sort them in alphabetical order, and look them up.  It may be easier if you write down the words by date, so that you remember what happened the day you heard it, but you should find the way that works best for you.  You can record the words along with useful information to listen regularly until you learn it.  The key is to get organized!

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Tags: english vocabulary learning, esl class, esl programs, esl vocabulary, learn english vocabulary, learn english words, learn words english, learning english vocabulary

Words alone and out of context can mean a lot of things. That’s why phrases and contexts are what give words a tangible meaning. It’s always useful to learn idioms, ways of expressing situations shortly and clearly. These are some of the idioms you’ll probably come across in your ESL classes:

Across the board
Meaning: something that affects or includes everyone or everything
Example: The new law establishes a salary raise across the board.

Bail a company out
Meaning: helping or rescuing a company that’s going through financial problems
Example: Luckily, the government decided to bail our company out.

Calculated risk
Meaning: an action whose chances of going wrong is somehow foreseen
Example: He took a calculated risk when he decided to quit his job before getting hired by the other company.

Deliver the goods
Meaning: fulfilling what was expected
Example: We need someone suitable for this job, somebody capable of delivering the goods.

Face value
Meaning: the apparent value of something
Example: He’ll try to use his business’ face value to negotiate.

Gain ground
Meaning: to make progress
Example: I’ve been actually gaining ground in the last few months. I think I’ll get the raise.

Hard sell
Meaning: an aggressive technique of selling a product or service, by putting pressure on the clients
Example: Whenever a salesman tries a hard sale with me, I lose my appetite.

In black and white
Meaning: in written form
Example: The customer service area didn’t pay attention to my complaints until I sent them in black and white.

Jack up
Meaning: to increase the price of something
Example: The price of steel was jacked up by local companies at the beginning of the year.

Keep books
Meaning: keeping records of income and outcome
Example: The new assistant to the sales manager has no experience keeping books and has made many mistakes.

Make a go of
Meaning: to succeed
Example: I know that if you keep up the hard work your business will make a go of it.

Number-cruncher
Meaning: an accountant, a person who works with numbers
Example: Although I don’t take care of numbers anymore, the success of my business depended a lot on my being a good number-cruncher. I understood all about the finances of our company.

On hand
Meaning: ready, immediately available
Example: Since we didn’t have any supplies on hand, we were unable to finish the job.

Pay off
Meaning: to result in benefits, to make a profit
Example: If we want to go on in this business, our efforts will have to start paying off. Otherwise, we’ll end up out of business.

Red ink
Meaning: debt; indebtedness as shown in red ink on a financial statement
Example: If we, the investors, continue seeing red ink in our financial statements, they’ll leave us.

Saddled with debt
Meaning: burdened with debt
Example: The company is saddled with a great amount of debt. We have to start making some profit or sell the company as soon as possible.

Take a nosedive
Meaning: to collapse; to go into a rapid financial decline
Example: The stock market took a nosedive when the Army’s invasion plans went public.

Work out
Meaning: to plan; to find a solution to something
Example: We’ll spend whatever it takes to work out the budget estimates for next year.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.englishlci.com as the original source).

Tags: Business English, english for executives, ESL Classes, esl classes for executives, executive english

We’re going to go over the meaning of some business-related words. If you’re a business executive and currently taking ESL lessons, it’s important that you review them once in a while so you don’t lose track of their subtleties, since these words are the basic substance of your communication. We hope the following list helps you keep your English fluent and robust. Good luck!

Acquisition – When one person or enterprise takes ownership of another business. It is often used along with the word merger, like in mergers and acquisitions or M&As.

Advertising – The use of communicational techniques with the purpose of attracting the public’s attention, generally through paid announcements, broadcasts, and electronic media.

Appraisal – An estimation of a product’s value on the open market. It also refers to the way that such estimation is made.

Business Incubator – A business whose main purpose is to provide workspace, coaching, and support services to other business (usually starting entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses).

Business Valuation – A way to estimate a business’ value by means of its assets.

Consumer Direct Marketing – A form of Network Marketing in which the distributors are also consumers of the product they sell.

Corporation – An organization recognized as a separate legal entity that has its own rights, privileges, and liabilities distinct from those of its members’.

Downline – In a Multi-Level Marketing business, the group of people signed up underneath an individual who receives payment on their sales.

Entrepreneur – An individual who starts a business, organizes it, is responsible for its development, and assumes the risks.

General Partnership – An organizational structure in which each general partner shares in the administration, profits and losses of the operation.

Home Based Business – As the name suggests, a home based business is a business located and operated from its owner’s home. It doesn’t necessarily refer to a small business; it can also be a large business, as long as it’s run from home.

Independent Contractor – A person who independently trades or does business, offering their services to the public directly. The person or company that contracts their services can only define the result they want, but not the means or methods used to accomplish such result.

Intrapreneur – A intrapreneur is an entrepreneur who works within a large corporate environment.

Joint Venture – A legal entity created by two or more businesses that come together to lead a business of specific objectives with both parties sharing profits and losses. The difference between a Joint Venture and a strategic alliance is that a Joint Venture is an actual legal entity.

Limited Liability Company (LLC) – A legal entity that is not taxable itself and distributes the profits to its owners, but shields personal assets from business debt like a corporation.

Limited Partnership – A business arrangement in which the daily operations are operated by one or more general partners and funded by limited or silent partners who are legally liable for losses based on how much they invested.

Line of Credit – Similar to a business loan, with the difference that the borrower only pays interest on the amount actually used.

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Tags: Business English, business english vocabulary, english for business, esl lessons, esl lessons for executives

Marketing – The study of markets and their behavior, based mainly on statistical research, with the aim to promote, sell and distribute a product or service. Marketing mixes a wide range of practices that include advertising, publicity, promotion, pricing, and overall packaging of the goods or services.

Merger – A fusion of two previously separate corporations into a new legal entity. Previous businesses are dissolved and their assets and liabilities moved into the rising entity.

Multi-level Marketing (MLM) – A business in which a person’s source of income isn’t limited to their own sales, but also proceeds from the sales made by people they have recruited, and also by people recruited by recruited people, and so on.

Network Marketing – A business built and sustained by a distribution network. Usually, such businesses are also MLM (see above).

Networking – As the name suggests, it’s a way of developing relationships in order to gain knowledge and grow your business base.

Outsourcing – When a company uses services from another business, such as accounting, payroll, IT, advertising.

Partnership – A business made up of two or more individuals legally regarded as a group of owners rather than a single entity.

Patent – A document stating that a certain idea or concept belongs to someone (inventor), and grants the inventor’s rights to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention for a limited time.

Public Relations (PR) – The deliberate promotion of a specific image for a business. Not to be confused with publicity, which refers only to the materials used in a specific stage of a public relations campaign.

Sales – The exchange of a product or service for money. It may also refer to this activity as a profession or to the department within a company that performs this activity.

Small Business Administration (SBA) – The United States Government Agency responsible of “providing customer-oriented, full-service programs and accurate, timely information to the entrepreneurial community”.

Sole Proprietorship – A business owned and run by one person.

Strategic Alliance – An ongoing relationship between two businesses in which they combine efforts for a specific purpose.

Trademark – A form of legal protection for words, names, symbols, sounds, or colors that distinguish goods and services. The main difference with patents, in this sense, is that trademarks can be renewed forever as long as they are being used in business.

Venture Capital (VC) – A form of financing for a company in exchange for partial ownership and control of the business, over a limited time period, usually 3-5 years. Investments typically range from $500,000 to $5 million, although there are occasionally VC investments for as low as $50,000 or as high as $20 million.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.englishlci.com as the original source).

Tags: Business English, business english vocabulary, business vocabulary for esl students, esl school, executive english, vocabulary for business english

It is the perfect occasion to encourage a global perception of the business arena, by promoting the interaction of foreign business students with native speakers who are in business themselves.

Many people study English for business reasons, and thus, the awareness of the cultural expectations in regards to business is as important as the basics of vocabulary and grammar learning.

Many quality business English programs pay special attention to presentation skills, as well as to teaching best practices in regards to conference calling and meetings.  The classes are small and are presented with case studies, role-play sessions, and debates about relevant articles found in newspapers and magazines.

A business English course does not benefit a lot from following a textbook; it is a different experience from learning the English language.  The interest resides on current events and on international business happenings, aiming to enhance the student’s communication abilities while helping them understand America’s lifestyle, society, culture, and political arenas, deeply and accurately.

The students of a business English program must have an intermediate level of knowledge in order to get the best out of the experience, since it is an important opportunity to also work on accent reduction and international business etiquette.

High-quality business English schools will take their students into the field to learn from practical experience.  They encourage them to interact in English in the real business world as a way of practicing the language.  In addition, they offer students networking opportunities and business seminars where they can meet native business people.

Business English programs are normally intensive but easily adaptable to the student’s needs.  The idea is that the student spend a large portion of the day with the teacher, communicating and interacting in different business environments, because the more contact the student has with the language, the better he or she will learn.

To intensify the contact with English speaking natives, the students are offered executive standard host family accommodation; however, they can choose to stay at a hotel instead.  The ones that choose the family experience are in for a treat, since they will gain a deeper knowledge of the culture and a non-stop learning opportunity in a natural environment.

Executives who are enrolled in an ESL program for Business English should be separated from other students, and offered facilities that are equipped with computer and student lounges as well as with free wireless connection, to make the experience as similar to the real business world as possible.

The business world is an exciting one, full of possibilities and opportunities to learn and grow. Mastering the English language is an important aspect of being the best professional you can be, and if you have the opportunity to learn it where the action is, you will put yourself ahead of the game.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.englishlci.com as the original source).

Tags: and so the awareness of the business culture is as impo, Many people study English for business reasons

Are you enrolled in an ESL class? If you are still trying to master business English and regularly have to write letters, don’t worry too much, keep it simple, pay attention to, and employ these phrases that are usually used in professional business letters to ask and talk about different topics:

1.To ask for information
-I am writing to inquire about…

-I am writing in reference to…

-I read/heard… and would like to know…

-Could you please send me… at the address below/above.

-Thank you for your assistance.  I look forward to hearing from you.

2.To answer a request
-Thank you for your interest/inquiry.

-Enclosed is the information you requested.  You can learn more about this at…

-If you have further questions/If you need assistance, please contact…

-Please feel free to contact me at… if I can be of further help.

3.To make a request
-Could you please send me your most recent brochure?

-Could you fax me the results of the market survey?

-I would like to order ten copies of the book…

-I would really appreciate if you could send me this information.

-Please return the enclosed envelope with your payment.

4.To show you care
-Thank you for your hospitality.

-I enjoyed very much having lunch with you last week when I was in Dallas.

-Congratulations on your promotion to General Manager.

-I wanted to congratulate you on your new position.

-I was very happy to hear that the negotiations went well.

5.To introduce a product or service
-I am writing to tell you about…

-Our new product will be available next month.

-This product/service is designed to help you…

6.To give or ask for an indication
-I am writing in regards to…

-I am writing in reference to…

-Please refer to the enclosed invoice/brochure.

-I hope you have had the opportunity to review the materials we sent you.

7.To confirm something
-I am writing to confirm…

-I would like to confirm what we discussed last Tuesday.

-I would like to confirm the main points we talked about…

8.To notify something
-I am writing to let you know that…

-Please be aware/informed that…

-I would like to inform you about a recent change/happening.  I am happy to notify you that your request for funding has been approved.

9.To offer help
-We would be happy to…

-If we can be of assistance, please don’t hesitate to ask.

10.To ask for a payment
-According to our records…

-Our records show that…

-Your monthly payment is past due.

-Please send payment as soon as possible.

Business letters must be concise while at the same time respectful and honest, and you can achieve all that by using these phrases in your day-to-day business communications.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.englishlci.com as the original source).

Tags: Business English, business english dialogues, business english phrases, business vocabulary, english business vocabulary, esl class, learn business english

For those who are just starting to study English as a foreign language, life can seem pretty tough. Especially if you are a beginner. As many say, beginnings are always scary Now, for beginners who need to study English in order to be able to work or function in a business environment in general, things seem even scarier. The added pressure students feel to achieve as much as they can in as little time possible is so great it ends up having the contrary effect. Frustration is never a good companion when learning. Well, here is some good news. It doesn’t have to be that way. It’s all a question of setting the right priorities. Want to know what they are? If you do you should definitely read on.

Priority 1
Identify exactly what vocabulary you should be learning first. What area of business will you be functioning in? What types of situations do you think you will be in? Keep in mind that although we can narrow things down to a selection of phrases needed for specific business related situations some general vocabulary is also important. After all, there are also social situations in the business world. Learning how to greet someone properly is just as important as knowing the specific words you will need to discuss business-related topics. Also, take into consideration there might be business lunches and dinners where the conversation might very generally be social.

Priority 2
Balance out fluency and accuracy activities so that your performance is both fluent and precise.  Just studying grammar will make your English more precise, but it will also make your performance slower. If you’re too concerned with being accurate it might take you too long to think of and produce a sentence. On the other hand an excess in fluency-based activities may not be enough to correct mistakes or even learn new grammar. This can also be a problem since some grammar mistakes can affect what you’re trying to express. A good way to increase fluency is to use the language as much as you can outside the classroom.

Priority 3
Just relax. Keep in mind that English is not your native language and that you are allowed to make mistakes especially where pronunciation is concerned. Very often pronunciation can be a huge barrier to overcome. You shouldn’t set your expectations too high. It is not very likely you will be talking like a native speaker of English if you just started to study.  Your main focus is to be understood as well as to understand. Everything else will come naturally with practice and exposure to the language. The use of audio tools that allow you to hear the language are very useful in helping you to learn proper English pronunciation easily. Audio tools (like the ones used in ESL classes) – such as CDs, cassettes, and downloads to your MP3 players are effective and convenient to use as you can listen to them in your car or while completing other tasks at the same time.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.englishlci.com as the original source).

Tags: advice for esl students, Business English, business english for beginners, english for beginners, ESL Classes, esl classes for beginners, esl tips

Are you desperate to expand into new markets or grow in the company where you are currently working? If that is the case I’m sure you would agree that English is not an option. It is a must. However, if English is your second language, simply attending classes at an ESL school and learning the right vocabulary to do business may not be enough. Using key phrases can give your English a more native sound. Here are popular phrases that can help you do business and sound like a pro.

To be a hitter – Someone powerful within the company. Someone successful.
Bill is incredible; he’s a really big hitter.

Core competencies – This is what you or your company does well.
We need to focus on our core competencies in order to maintain our position in the market.

Customer centric – Centered in the customer, customer driven.
We should be more customer centric from now on.

Cutting edge – The most recent version, often used with technology.
This is cutting edge technology we’re using.

E.T.A. – Short for “expected time of arrival”, in other words, how long it will take to get it finished.
What’s the E.T.A. on this report?

Going forward – In future.
Going forward, you should manage this project with a bit more focus.

High level – Similar to the big picture, an overall view rather than looking at details.
High level thinking is what we need right now.

Leading (market) – To be first, better than the competitors.
I want to develop a market leading proposition.

Low hanging fruit – This refers to things that can be done quickly and easily.
Let’s concentrate on the low hanging fruit first, before looking at the tougher problems.

Manage expectations – Make sure people expect realistic outcomes from a project.
It’s a good idea to manage expectations so that they don’t expect the impossible.

Out of the box – To be creative, original.
If you think out of the box you could generate some amazing ideas

Pro-active – To have initiative and drive. Get things done.
I think we need to be a bit pro-active here.

Quick win – Something that is fairly simple (in terms of time and/or cost) and beneficial.
Some quick wins would really be useful now.

Scalable – When something works for lots of people as well as just a few.
It might work for the local market, but is it scalable?

State of the art – The best, most modern solution.
This is a state of the art solution

To take something offline – Discuss the point further at another time.
That’s a delicate issue, so can you take it offline please?

To take ownership of something – To be responsible for something
You should really take ownership for this work.

To be a team player – Someone who works well with others.
Bill is a great guy; he’s a real team player.

To touch base with someone – To speak to someone about something.
I need to touch base with Fred on this one.

Win-win situation – A situation that is good for people on both sides.
Try and see if you can come up with a win-win situation.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.englishlci.com as the original source).

Tags: business english for esl students, business english phrases, business vocabulary, ESL Classes, esl school, phrases for business english

One of the greatest fears affecting non native speakers of English is not just being misunderstood but also being inappropriate when trying to express something. People often speak of language as being correct or incorrect. It would be more accurate to refer to particular language structures as being formal or informal, appropriate or inappropriate for a specific context.

In everyday conversation we do not have to follow the rules of grammar as carefully as we would in a formal address or a business letter. If we adhere too closely to formal rules of grammar in an informal situation, we may come across as being stuffy and unnatural. It is like wearing a tuxedo or a formal gown to an ordinary business meeting. Formal English follows rules of grammar very strictly. Sentences tend to be longer and more complex. It tends to be used in professional and business situations. It is also better organized and thought out.

Informal English on the other hand is generally used with friends and family. A number of grammar expressions have common forms which differ in their formal or informal use. These differences are noted both in written and spoken English. However, they are most notable in written English.

As seen in ESL lessons, participating effectively not only requires a solid grasp of English grammar, but also an understanding of key communication factors. If you want more helpful language hints as to the most appropriate forms of English or key points to take into consideration each time you are using English, read on.

Contracted Forms
Formal – Don’t use contracted forms, use the entire auxiliary verb: They have lived in New York for many years.
Informal – Use contracted forms: They’ve lived in New York for many years.

Relative Structures
Formal – Use relative structures: The woman thought that it was important to be on time.
Informal – Drop certain relative structures: The woman thought it was important to be on time.

The Use of ‘Whom’
Formal – Use ‘whom’ as an object: Whom have they chosen for the position?
Informal – Use ‘who’ as an object: Who have they chosen for the position?

Auxiliary Verb Usage
Formal – Always use the full form of an auxiliary: Have you finished your work?
Informal – Sometimes the auxiliary verb is dropped in informal speech. Note: This is often grammatically incorrect, but is certainly common in everyday usage: Finished your work?

Word Choice
Formal – Many words tend to be used in more formal situations. For example, certain verbs tend to be used in formal situations, but have other synonyms (often phrasal verbs) that are used in informal situations. Also, it uses more vocabulary derived from French and Latin (bigger words) It uses more synonyms and doesn’t repeat the same words as much. The police investigated the situation.
Informal synonym: We looked into the situation.

Passive structures
Formal – It uses more indirect language, making it less personal. The student was given a book.
Informal synonym: We gave the student a book.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.englishlci.com as the original source).

Tags: ESL Classes, esl lessons, esl tips, formal and informal english, formal english forms, informal english forms, tips for esl students

How many times has a colleague of yours suggested taking a business English course? You, as an experienced executive, whose agenda has no place for any other extra activity, and who has been working for the same company for more than ten years, simply answer, “what for?” Never in your business life in that same company have you needed business English to do your job, so for you that is just a ridiculous suggestion. But imagine that one day, your company decides to invest in an English speaking country, just to expand the business and try new horizons, which of course will involve travelling to that country, having meetings and conference calls, making presentations and answering letters and e-mails, all of which involves using business English. I guess that now your colleague’s suggestion does not sound that ridiculous, right?

At first, you believe that you will be able to handle the situation. Bearing in mind your years of experience in the business and the fact that you understand English pretty well, how complicated can this be for you? So the day comes in which you and the rest of the company must travel to the other country to explain the company’s investment objectives and purposes. Before flying you buy a business English dictionary, just in case you may need it. The meeting starts and you discover that all the company’s staff speaks and understands English easily. Suddenly, you realize that business English is not as easy as you thought; even when you understand some parts of the conversation, it is not crystal clear at all. Not to mention the fact that it is impossible for you to give your opinion or explain the tasks that the sector you are responsible for performs. Apparently, even when you know the business well, trying to express the same ideas in another language is not a piece of cake at all.

So, after the meeting, your boss asks you why you were so quiet. Of course you will not talk about your language problems; therefore, you make up an excuse. And now you only wonder what you will do: is this the end of your career?

Fortunately, there is a quick and efficient solution for you. Travel abroad and attend classes at a school that has a special ESL program for executives like you, who need to learn business English to continue doing business. The first thing they should do is enquiry about your real needs, in other words, they prepare the lessons considering all the situations that you will have to handle, and they teach you in consequence. A great three-week program involves travelling to the US and meeting other executives, which will not only allow you to learn the language in real life situations, but also to share business experience with other colleagues.

To sum up, it is not impossible to do business in English; you only need a program that focuses on your needs as an executive. And the most important thing: enroll in the program even if you may not need business English for your current job, as you never know when things can change.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.englishlci.com as the original source).

Tags: Business English, esl lessons, ESL Program, esl programs, esl school, how to improve business english, where to study business english

How many English courses have you started in your life? How much money have you spent on CDs, books and countless other tools to learn English? But…can you talk to an English speaker without filling countless gaps with mumblings, like err…, ehhh…, ummm, etc.? Probably the answer is NO. But the truth is that English is essential for you, but not just any type of English. What you need is to learn business English, which is very different from the general one that we all know. And why is that? Because you work for a very important international company and everyday you face the problem of not understanding what a person is saying in a business meeting. Is there a solution?

What is business English? Business English is the “language” that every executive uses to close deals, to talk to investors, to make presentations, etc. So if you cannot understand business English, you will probably lose several opportunities to expand your business. Business English is characterized by the fact that the meaning of the words are highly different, in other words, it is the English that we all know, but used by businessmen; therefore, the phrases and particularly the words can only be understood by those who do business.

Even when you take as many English courses as you can, and you purchase every new CD to learn English, your problems with business English will not fade away because those are tools to learn regular English, so you will find yourself repeating the names of animals and colors, and not the words that you use on a daily basis in your office. What you need is to find the perfect place that understands your necessities and gives you a quick solution as you certainly do not have time to waste; we must remember that you are an executive, whose agenda is full of meetings, conference calls, and presentation, which are, of course, in English.

Believe it or not, there is a solution to help you to tackle this annoying problem. You should go to a school that offers ESL programs and focuses on teaching the type of English that each person needs. In your case, a very busy executive, you should go for an intensive program which involves travelling to the US for three weeks to learn business English. The ESL school will prepare your lessons for the three weeks considering all the business situations that you have to handle everyday in your company. Moreover, this will give you the opportunity to meet other businessmen while you are learning; as a consequence, you will have the possibility to learn the language and to do some business networking at the same time.

To conclude, there is no need for you to worry any longer about understanding what an investor or a partner is saying in a meeting or in a conference call. After taking the ESL program, you will be able to cope with business English easily; so…what are you waiting for?

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention www.englishlci.com as the original source).

Tags: Business English, ESL Program, esl programs, esl school, how to improve business english, where to study business english

Delivering a business presentation can be a daunting task for many people. However for those who speak English as a second language a business presentation can pose a true challenge. People are sometimes afraid of speaking in public, and if you add the natural discomfort of speaking in a foreign language to that, the situation may seem overwhelming. The good news is that there is always something you can do to make things better. If you follow a few simple tips, giving a presentation is actually very easy.

Tip 1: Prepare, prepare, prepare

Preparation is everything! With good preparation and planning you will be totally confident and less nervous. And your audience will feel your confidence. Your audience, too, will be confident. They will be confident in you. And this will give you control. Control of your audience and of your presentation. With control, you will be “in charge” and your audience will listen positively to your message

Tip 2: Ask yourself these questions

“Why am I giving this presentation?” Do you need to inform, to persuade, to train or to sell? Your objective it very important. It should be clear in your mind. After all, it cannot possibly be clear to your audience if it is not clear in your mind

“Who am I giving this presentation to?”  You should try to know how many people there will be, who they are, where they are from, whether they are experts or non-experts, etc. This is important because it will give you a clue as to what they can expect from you.

“Where am I giving this presentation?” In a small hotel meeting-room or a large conference hall? What facilities and equipment are available? What are the seating arrangements?

“When am I giving this presentation and how long will it be?” Will it be 5 minutes or 1 hour? During what part of the day is it?

“How should I give this presentation?” What should your approach be? Formal or informal? How many visual aids should you use?

“What should I say?” Now you must decide exactly what you want to say. First, you should brainstorm your ideas. You should include only information that is relevant to your audience and your objective. You can always give additional information during the questions after the presentation. The title is also important since it will help you to focus on the subject.

Tip 3: Structure

A well organized presentation with a clear structure is easier for the audience to follow. It is therefore more effective. You should organize the points you wish to make in a logical order. Most presentations are organized in three parts, followed by questions:

Short introduction

•    welcome your audience
•    introduce your subject
•    explain the structure of your presentation
•    explain rules for questions

Body of presentation
•    present the subject itself

Short conclusion
•    summarize your presentation
•    thank your audience
•    invite questions

Remember a successful presentation is one of the most effective ways of communicating your message. And because English is so widely used in international business, a working knowledge of the vocabulary and techniques used in an English language presentation is a valuable asset. If you need to improve your English for this type of situation, sign up for an ESL program that covers business presentations.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).

Tags: Business English, business english for esl students, business presentations, ESL Program, esl programs

For many ESL students, doing business abroad can be tricky. Not knowing about the foreign culture can really work against you. Excessive anxiety or being overly eager to do business can become enormous obstacles that end up closing doors rather than opening them.

When business students learn English they accomplish their desire to know the language, which they need for business contacts. However, it does not mean complete and adequate preparation for international collaboration. When communicating with their foreign counterparts, business people encounter a different type of thinking, which determines decision-making. Thus, to be prepared for international cooperation there are many things to consider and many things to avoid. If you want to know what you shouldn’t and should do, read on.

Don’t get over eager to do business – They might take advantage of your disadvantage

Take your time to fully understand what is being said. Don’t make any rash decisions, ask for clarification if necessary. Use expressions like “can we go over that again” when in doubt. If you feel at all uncertain make sure you have everything written down and ask for a second meeting. Take all the time you need to review and go over all the info. Also, you might want to take an electronic dictionary. They have certain unique functions, such as error tolerant input, cross-referencing (e.g. synonyms and antonyms), and word and spelling and they are probably faster to use.

Be prepared

Make sure you have the information you are going to discuss written down. Take notes with you so you are very familiar with what you are going to talk about and how.  Make sure you know what you’re going to say; don’t assume people will be willing to help. Practice before the encounter so you will feel confident. You have to know all relevant vocabulary and expressions before any meeting and or presentations.

Try to learn a little about the culture, business and people you’re going to do business with

Because English is so widely used around the world, it is quite possible that many members of your audience will not be native English speakers. In other words, they will not have an Anglo-Saxon culture. Even within the Anglo-Saxon world, there are many differences in culture. If we hypothetically imagine a German working for an Israeli company making a presentation in English to a Japanese audience in Korea, we can see that there are even more possibilities for cultural misunderstanding. You should try to learn about any particular cultural matters that may affect your audience. This is one reason why preparation is so important. Cultural differences can also be seen in body language for example. To someone from Southern France or Italy, a presenter who uses his hands and arms when speaking may seem dynamic and friendly. To an Englishman, the same presenter may seem unsure of his words and lacking in self-confidence.

The importance of studying mentality differences has practical implications. Being aware of mentality differences leads to international cooperation and the chance to avoid many cross-cultural conflicts. If you feel you need to improve your English speaking skills, there are great ESL programs designed to help you overcome your language barriers.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).

Tags: business english students, cultural differences in business, doing business abroad, esl programs, improve business english

Learning essential business English is important when discussing and understanding contract options. This can be useful when during business deals or even in matters of employment.

Here are some important terms to know:

1.A ‘binding contract’ – this is a contract which cannot be stopped or legally broken. We will need to draw up a legally binding contract before we can conduct business together.
The contract is legally binding and means you must supply us with these services.
2.An ‘exclusive contract’ – this prevents the person signing the contract from working with other people.
You will have an exclusive contract with us which forbids you to work for anyone else.
We wish to offer you an exclusive contract if you are happy to accept it.
3.A ‘renewable contract’ – this is a contract that can be continued or extended after its initial expiry date has finished.
We do not have renewable contracts in this company and can only give you a one-year contract.
The contract is renewable after you have finished a six-month period and we are satisfied with your work.
4.A ‘temporary contract’ – this type of contract is for a fixed period and is not permanent.
We will offer you a three-month temporary contract.
You’ll start on a temporary contract and we may offer you a permanent contract when it finishes.
5.A ‘valid contract’ – this is a contract that has a legal force.
The contract will be valid once both parties have signed it.
The letter that was sent was not a valid contract.
6.A ‘breach of contract’ – this occurs when a person does something that breaks one of the terms of the contract.
You will be in breach of contract if you refuse to work overtime.
It will be a breach of contract if deliveries aren’t received on time.
7.’Terms of contract’ – these are the conditions which are spoken of and agreed on in the contract.
The terms of the contract say you must provide 10 deliveries a month.
Your request is something that is not stated in the terms of the contract.
8.’Draw up’ a contract – this means the contract is created and written.
I will draw up a contract after our meeting
Will you draw up a new contract for me?
9.’Go through’ a contract – this means looking at a contract in detail.
We will sit down and go through the contract.
It’s important to go through the contract carefully before signing it.
10.’Get out of a contract’ – this means ending the contract agreement.
There are a few options for getting out of the contract.
Is there a legal way to get out of the contract?
If you are interested in mastering your business English, consider taking an ESL class which focuses on teaching the essentials you will need for understanding business matters in various situations. Opt for an intensive program in the USA which teaches essential business English in as little as three weeks.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).

Tags: Business English, discuss contracts in english, esl class, esl course, esl intensive course, executive english, important business english, important contract terms in english, learn business english, master business english

Having a good understanding of business English is important when discussing important matters related to your salary.

If you are offered a job, or need to negotiate a job contract, it will be helpful to understand the following terms related to the amount you will be paid for your work.

1. ‘Salary’ – this is the amount you will be paid for the job you have been employed for. You may be given a figure for the amount you will be paid each month, or over the space of a year.
What type of salary do you offer?

I am expecting to earn a good salary

2. A ‘competitive salary’ – this means the salary is considered to be very good for that particular job, especially in comparison to the salaries of similar jobs.
The company wasn’t recruiting the best applicants because the salary wasn’t very competitive.

We are offering a competitive salary so we can attract good applicants.

3. A ‘salaried employee’ – this is a person who is on a long-term contract with a company and receiving a set amount of pay each month or year.
If you are a salaried employee, it is easier to get a loan from the bank.

Sometimes salaried employees are replaced by temporary workers when a company needs to cut costs.

4. A ‘salary advance’ – this is a payment for work given before the work has been completed or before the normal date of salary pay.
Would it be possible to have a salary advance for the first month of employment?

We can work out a salary advance if needed.

5. ‘Undertaking a salary review’ – this means looking over and reviewing the pay amounts given to a company’s employees.
The company needed to undertake a salary review as their salaries weren’t very competitive.

A committee is currently undertaking a salary review for the company’s employees.

6. A ‘salary scale’ – this is a range of pay amounts or salaries available.
It is easy to progress along the salary scale with this company.

Your pay will start at the bottom of the salary scale but our scale is very competitive.

7. An ‘attractive salary’ – this is a salary that is considered very good or generous.
We offer a very attractive salary for this job.

I will only accept a job with an attractive salary.

8. A ‘salary increase’ – this is an increase in pay for the work you do.
Would you be able to offer me a salary increase?

We will give you a salary increase every year.

9. A ‘basic salary’ – this is the amount you will be paid before any extras such as bonuses.
The basic salary is low but there is plenty of opportunity to receive bonuses.

We offer a very good basic salary and extra benefits on top of this.

10. An ‘initial salary’ – this is the starting pay you will receive when employed, though it is expected to rise later on.
We will give you an initial salary and negotiate a higher one after a temporary period.

The initial salary is low but you will be promoted quickly.

If you are interested in mastering your business English, opt to take an intensive ESL classes in the USA to teach you everything you need to know to be successful with your business matters. Executive English courses last from three weeks and equip you with the English you need to know for every business situation.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).

Tags: Business English, ESL Classes, esl course, esl intensive course, executive english, important business english, learn business english, master business english, negotiate salary in english, talk about salary in english

Free writing is a very simple process that has a lot of creative potential and is the starting point for discovering lots of hidden information.

The guidelines for free writing are:

-Write without stopping for a certain period of time, it could be between 10 to 20 minutes.

-Refrain from making corrections as you write.

-Keep writing, even if you must write, “I have no idea what to write”.

-Write anything that comes to your mind.

-Do not judge or censor what you write.

Yes, you got it right!  Free writing turns out to be chaotic; actually, if it isn’t, you probably aren’t relaxed enough, but there is no going wrong with free writing.

What matters about free writing is the process, not the result.  If you follow the guidelines above, you will be a successful free writer; one that will enjoy all its benefits:

-It makes you more comfortable about writing.

-It helps you get around your inner critic, the one telling you you can’t write.

-It helps release inner anxiety.

-It helps you discover topics to write about.

-It helps you improve your formal writing.

-It is fun.

When practicing free writing, use the tool that makes you feel more comfortable: pen, pencil, computer, or any other.  Do not cross anything out, if you have a new idea, write it down, but leave your old idea there too, and forget about punctuation, it will help you write faster and more fluently.

You can use free writing to practice things learned in your ESL lessons.  This technique will help you identify errors you commonly make, will help you notice sentence structure voids you may have, will help you understand what tone you use when writing, will help you detect words that you use too much, miss, or employ incorrectly, and basically, will help you understand how your brain is grasping the English language.

You can practice free writing anywhere; take advantage of this technique and use it to boost your learning experience outside the classroom.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).

Tags: English creative writing, English writing, esl class, esl lessons, free handwriting, free writing, improve English writing, practice english, writing skills

Here we show you several basic English pronunciation rules to help you during your classes at your ESL school and in your practice time alone.  Make your practice a dynamic and effective one by looking for new words these rules apply to:

1.    Pronunciation of the “Y”

“Y” is pronounced as ‘ai’ or ‘i:’.

-    In one-syllable words, “Y” is pronounced as ‘ai’.  For example: my, by, fly, shy, sky, dry, cry, fry, and try.

-    In two-syllable words, “Y” is pronounced as ‘i:’.  As example: happy, funny, baby, bony, puppy, party, tiny, city, candy, berry, penny, and turkey.

2.    Pronunciation of the “C”

“C” is pronounced as ‘s’ or ‘k’.  For example: city, cider, circle, and country.

-    When an “E” or “Y” follow the “C”, it is pronounced as ‘s’.  Good examples are: cellar, center, cent, ice, cycle, cell, cypress, and cyclone.

-    When an “O”, “U”, or “A” follows the “C”, it is pronounced as ‘k’.  Some examples are: cold, country, computer, couple, cup, curb, cut, cap, can, and cat.

Read these sentences aloud and compare both sounds:

_ The city is cloudy.

_ The center is covered.

_ We cycle in the city but drive the car in the country.

3.    Pronunciation of the “G”

-    When an “E”, “I”, or “Y” follows the “G”, it is pronounced as ‘ʤ’.  Examples are: gym, giant, gem, gorgeous, and George.

-    When a “U” or “A” follows the “G”, it is pronounced as ‘’ or ‘æ’.  For example: gun, gum, gas, garden, and gap.

4.    Pronunciation of vowel letters

-    The long “A” and the short “A”, for example: cape and gap.
-at: bat, cat, hat, fat, sat, rat
-ad: bad, had, mad, sad
-ag: tag, wag, rag, bag
-an: fan, pan, can, ran
-am: jam, ham, ram, yam
-ap: map, tap, nap

When the word ends in “E”, the “A” is pronounced as a long vowel.  Examples of this are: rake, gate, face, base, cage, wave, and take.

When the word ends in “R”, the “A” sound is as in: tar, jar, car, and far.

-    The long “I” and the short “I”.
-id: bid, kid, lid, did
-ig: big, rig, wig, pig, dig
-in: pin, fin, tin, win, bin
-ip: tip, lip, hip, rip, dip
-it: kit, hit, fit, sit, pit

When the word ends in “E”, the “I” is pronounced as a long vowel.  For example: kite, bike, dime, ride, and vine.

-    The long “O” and the short “O”.
-og: fog, hog, dog, jog, log
-op: mop, pop, hop, top
-ot: hot, pot, got, not
-ob: mob, cob, job, sob

When the word ends in “E”, the “O” is pronounced as a long vowel.  As examples: rose, pole, and hope.

-    The long “U” and the short “U”.
-ut: pup, cup, put, up, rut, hut, cut, nut
-ub: cub, tub
-us: bus, pus
-un: fun, sun, run, bun, gun
-ug: mug, bug, tug, hug

When the word ends in “E”, the “O” is pronounced as a long vowel.  Examples: tune, cube, and cute.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).

Tags: american english pronunciation, american pronunciation, English help, english pronunciation, ESL Classes, esl lessons, esl pronunciation, esl school, practice pronunciation, pronouncing english

If you need to negotiate a matter in the business world, you’ll want to equip yourself with good vocabulary to make yourself understood and help you understand many important negotiating terms.

Read, understand and learn the following words which you’re likely to hear during business negotiations:

1.Agent

MEANING: A person that acts for or represents a company
EXAMPLE: The company will send an agent to discuss our wishes with you.

2.Alternative

MEANING: Another option
EXAMPLE: You’ll have to find an alternative for the initial plans you had.

3.Arbitration

MEANING: The addressing / resolving of a conflict using a third impartial party
EXAMPLE: We will have to resolve this matter using arbitration if we do not reach an agreement.

4.Bottom line

MEANING: The lowest or final position someone is willing to reach
EXAMPLE: I’ll accept a 7% raise as a minimum. That’s my bottom line.

5.Bedrock price

MEANING: The lowest possible price
EXAMPLE: We want to sell you our products at bedrock price.

6.To bargain

MEANING: To try and change someone’s mind about their position
EXAMPLE: I’d like to bargain with you on that point.

7.Collective

MEANING: Together
EXAMPLE: We need to reach a decision collectively.

8.A commitment

MEANING: A pledge or promise of oneself to something or to doing something
EXAMPLE: I have a commitment to meeting your needs.

9.Compromise

MEANING: To reach an agreement with someone by both parties complying in some way to the other’s wishes
EXAMPLE: Let’s see if we can reach a compromise.

10.A condition

MEANING: Something that has to be fulfilled or given first in order for something else to happen
EXAMPLE: We will employ you once these conditions are met.

11.Consensus

MEANING: An agreement by all
EXAMPLE: It’s important that there is a consensus on this issue.

12.Contract

MEANING: A written and legal agreement between two or more parties
EXAMPLE: After our discussion, we will draw up a contract.

13.To cooperate

MEANING: To work together
EXAMPLE: Let’s cooperate on this business proposal.

14.A counter offer

MEANING: To present an alternative offer in response to an initial offer
EXAMPLE: I have a counter offer you might want to listen to.

15.Counter-productive

MEANING: Something that has the opposite effect to the one intended or needed
EXAMPLE: If we lower the price, that will be counter-productive to us.

16.A deal

MEANING: A business agreement
EXAMPLE: Let’s reach a deal on this issue.

17.Discount

MEANING: A reduction in price
EXAMPLE: We’ll offer you this product at a good discount.

If you are interested in mastering your business English, opt to take an intensive ESL program in the USA to teach you everything you need to know to be successful with your business matters. Executive English courses last from three weeks and equip you with the English you need to know for every business situation.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).

Tags: Business English, esl course usa, esl intensive course usa, ESL Program, esl program usa, executive english, important business english, important negotiating terms in english, learn business english, negotiate in english, negotiate using business english

Even as a student of Business English, you might get confused when common business idioms are used and you are unaware of their meaning. The following terms are ones that have been used by United States English speakers during business meetings or conferences. Note what they are and you’re sure to be a step ahead during business conversations.

1. Across the board

MEANING: Including everyone or everything

EXAMPLE: There was an internal restructuring across the board.

2. At a loss

MEANING: To incur a financial loss / To lose money

EXAMPLE: We may be forced to sell the remaining products at a loss.

3. At loggerheads

MEANING: In disagreement

EXAMPLE: The company owners are at loggerheads over how to proceed with our request.

4. An old hand

MEANING: Someone with long experience at something

EXAMPLE: He is an old hand at dealing with customer complaints.

5. Ball park figure

MEANING: A rough estimate or figure

EXAMPLE: We have a ball park figure for the cost of the supplies.

6. A calculated risk

MEANING: An action that may fail but has a good chance of success

EXAMPLE: We’ll have to take a calculated risk when introducing our new product to customers.

7. Cold call

MEANING: Call or approach a potential customer who has had no previous contact with the business

EXAMPLE: You’ll have to make cold calls to market our product.

8. Carve out a niche

MEANING: To find a special position to monopolize

EXAMPLE: We aim to carve out a niche among the elderly market of our customers.

9. A ‘Catch 22′ situation

MEANING: A situation that will never work

EXAMPLE: The contract we signed has placed us in a ‘Catch 22′ situation.

10. Computer bug

MEANING: A computer software corruption

EXAMPLE: Our new computer system has encountered a computer bug.

11. Deliver the goods

MEANING: To succeed in doing what is expected
EXAMPLE: If we work extra hours, we’ll be able to deliver the goods.

12. Double check

MEANING: To review a second time to make sure something is correct
EXAMPLE: It is important to double check every entry you make on the spreadsheet.

13. Face value

MEANING: The official worth or trust of something
EXAMPLE: The face value of the product is not much but the demand from customers will push it higher.

14. Gain ground

MEANING: To go forward/ To make progress
EXAMPLE: Our company has been gaining ground with the youth market.

15. Get a break

MEANING: To get an opportunity or a good deal
EXAMPLE: We got a break on the cost of the wheels we ordered.

16. Get off the ground

MEANING: To launch or start something successfully
EXAMPLE: We did not manage to get the product off the ground so we may have to wait until next year.

17. Hacker

MEANING: Someone who has gained access to or interfered with computer information without permission
EXAMPLE: We have a computer security system to prevent a hacker from accessing our files.

If you are interested in improving your business English, consider signing up for ESL classes in the USA to teach you everything you need to know to be successful with your business matters. Executive English courses last from three weeks and equip you with the English you need to know for every business situation.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).

Tags: Business English, business idioms that are useful to learn, els program usa, english business idioms, ESL Classes, esl course usa, esl intensive course usa, executive english, important business english, important business idioms, learn business english

The following 10 questions will help you start a casual conversation in English and keep it going along an interesting line.

The first five questions will help you get to know people.  These are simple questions that require simple answers and that give you information so that you can keep asking.

The last five questions will help you maintain a conversation and discover more about the person’s likes and dislikes.

1.    What’s your name?
This is a basic question that can prompt an interesting exchange of information.
After the person answers, you can reply:

-    “It’s a pleasure to meet you”
-    “Where are you from?”
-    “That’s an interesting name.  Is it French, Indian, Russian…?”

2.    Where do you live?
To keep the conversation going, you can ask:

-    “How long have you lived there?”
-    “Do you like it there?”
-    “Do you live in an apartment or a house?”

3.    What do you do?
You can find common ground with other people when you know what they do.  After breaking the ice, you can follow with something like this:

-    “Which company do you work for?”
-    “How long have you had that job?”
-    “Do you like your job?”
-    “What’s the best/worst thing about your job?”
-    “What do you like the most/least about your job?”

4.    Are you married?
If the person answers “yes”, other questions to ask are:

-    “How long have you been married?”
-    “Where did you get married?”
-    “What does your wife/husband do?”
-   “Do you have children?”

If the answer is “no”, you may ask:

-    “Do you have a girlfriend/boyfriend?”
-    “Do you like single life?”
-    “Would you like to get married someday?”

5.    Where are you from?
It is always interesting to know where other people come from, even more so if they are foreigners.  Keep the conversation going by asking:

-    “Where is …?”
-    “How long did you live there?”
-    “What is … like?”
-    “Do you like it here?”

6.    What do you like to do in your free time?
This is a great question to discover common interests.  You can ask:

-    “How often do you (eat out in restaurants, play video games, go to the opera, etc.)?”
-    “Where do you (eat out in restaurants, play video games, go to the opera, etc.) in town?”
-    “Why do you like (eating out, playing video games, going to the opera) so much?”

7.    Can you play soccer/ tennis/ basketball/ etc.?”
Ask about any sport you personally like and are a fan of.  Keep it going with:

-    “Do you enjoy playing soccer/ tennis/ basketball/ etc.?”
-    “How long have you played soccer/ tennis/ basketball/ etc.?”
-    “Who do you play soccer/ tennis/ basketball/ etc. with?”
-    “Would you like to get together sometime to play soccer/ tennis/ basketball/ etc.?”

8.    What kinds of films/ food/ vacations do you enjoy?
This topic offers great opportunities to learn new things.  Keep asking:

-    “What’s the best place to see/ eat/ go on vacation?”
-    “What’s your favorite kind of films/ food/ vacation?”
-    “How often do you watch films/ eat out/ go on vacation?”

9.    What do you do on weekends?
You can find new ways to have fun and even make a new friend.  Keep the conversation going along the lines of:

-    “Where do you go to …?”
-    “Can you recommend a good place to (go shopping/ take my children for a swim/ go dancing)?”
-    “How long have you done that?”

10.    What kind of music do you like?
Find out more by asking:

-    “Where do you go to listen to music?”
-    “Do you play a musical instrument?”
-    “Have you been to many concerts lately?”

You can use all of these questions in one conversation or use them separately to practice English outside of your ESL class, but remember that the most important thing when meeting people is to keep an open mind and enjoy the experience.  This is the best way to learn!

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our ESL blog as the original source).

Tags: conversation topics, daily english conversation, esl class, ESL Classes, esl lessons, esl school, esl speaking