Peterka

How to learn Business English

The Automotive Industry is truly global now, with many alliances, shared platforms, and certainly thousands of air-miles! Increasingly Japanese and Koreans are having to communicate in English with their counterparts in the US, UK and Europe. English is a global language the other day I was driving along a British road, with a Turkish guest who was talking on his mobile to a Vietnamese colleague in France about a project for a French Customer built by a German Company: they spoke English.

I have sat in numerous meetings with overseas colleagues, discussing various international projects, only to watch my colleagues struggle with communicating ideas in English.

So we have established the need its very real and immediate what is the solution? There are a number of things that an employer can consider when looking to train his people to speak, write and understand English as she is spoken in the international marketplace:

1. Lessons in the workplace.

These have the advantage of being flexible, on-site, and relatively in-expensive, and that several people can be trained at once. The disadvantages are that students are readily distracted, being on-site, or that they are not taught by a native-speaker, and certainly that there are significant gaps between sessions, with little opportunity to practice.

2. Lessons in an English school.

Attending these, often in their own time, employees show commitment to the learning process, and are taught (often by native speakers) in classes of varying sizes and abilities.

3. Teach Yourself.

This route takes real commitment, but lacks flexibility you learn what is on the tape and where do you practice?

4. Learn in a foreign country in a language school

There are many language schools out there, in various parts of the UK, where students can learn in varying group sizes, and even one-to-one. Students generally stay with host families or in hotels and guest houses when not in lectures / classes.

5. Learn in a foreign country in a teachers home

We offer this service - whilst a little more expensive than all the other options, the student has individually tailored English teaching, one-to-one, with a native speaker. Plenty of conversation practise, individual attention, learning in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

Andrew is a qualified TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) teacher, with 15 years experience of the global Automotive Industry as a Sales manager with an International component and systems supplier. For more information about learning English with Andrew at his home in the UK, visit the Lets Talk 2 website.