The document provides 15 ways to improve communication in business English. It discusses using introductory phrases to catch attention, memorizing key vocabulary, and using one idea per sentence for clarity. It also recommends using gestures, signposting when changing topics, learning to interrupt politely, and being aware of word order in English. The document stresses the importance of appropriate register, fillers to fill pauses, correct pronunciation, question tags, avoiding false friends, practicing intonation, and creating rapport.
The Language of Business
1. Tone
2. Outlook
3. The "You Approach"
4. Organization
5. Gender Neutral Language
6. No Slang
7. Electronic Mail
*Based on Barron's ESL Guide to American Business English
The Language of Business
1. Tone
2. Outlook
3. The "You Approach"
4. Organization
5. Gender Neutral Language
6. No Slang
7. Electronic Mail
*Based on Barron's ESL Guide to American Business English
Tutoring/Coaching for speakers of Mandarin Chinese (Intermediate or Advanced or above). Pronunciation and Accent Improvement. Professional users of Mandarin take note. My blog is at akn6z.wordpress.com.
English accent improvement: At this time, just Mandarin.
Business English Workshop Highlights:
• Enhance Small Business Talk phrases.
• Enrich your diction with business phrases and words.
• Boost up your Receptive and Expressive language communication.
• Explicit effective professional writing expressions.
Speaking using appropriate language content and style .KAZEMBETVOnline
SPEAKING USING APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE CONTENT AND STYLE .
OBJECTIVE:
By the end of this chapter you will be able to:
i. Respond appropriately to instructions
ii. Give effective and sensible instructions
iii. Listening to main ideas and taking notes.
iv. Make summaries.
v. Write down what you hear correctly.
SECTION 1: MAKING REQUESTS
Requests take many different forms and may be:
i. Very polite
ii. Moderately polite(or)
iii. Not very polite (rude)
When you make a request, you want someone to do something for you. If you get this important social interaction wrong, you may offend your teacher, your friends, or your parents.
- Some requests show that the person you are speaking to can choose to do as you want.
- Other ways of speaking indicate that if the request is not followed there will be trouble.
The difference between requests and instructions
Instruction/imperatives – I
Here I consider some aspects that differentiate BE from GE as means to become aware of the need to specialize in this area of teaching, due to the fact that we are not trained to deal with people who have special working needs.
Important facts to take into account when teaching English.
Presentation based on in-company teaching mainly. It was a presentation/workshop design to professors of Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica.
Too often, public speakers and company spokespeople stand before an audience or the media and say things they simply should not say. Not that their language damages the organization they represent, but the words or phrases they use damage their credibility or trust.
Eliminate the following list of words and phrases and improve your standing with the audience.
Tutoring/Coaching for speakers of Mandarin Chinese (Intermediate or Advanced or above). Pronunciation and Accent Improvement. Professional users of Mandarin take note. My blog is at akn6z.wordpress.com.
English accent improvement: At this time, just Mandarin.
Business English Workshop Highlights:
• Enhance Small Business Talk phrases.
• Enrich your diction with business phrases and words.
• Boost up your Receptive and Expressive language communication.
• Explicit effective professional writing expressions.
Speaking using appropriate language content and style .KAZEMBETVOnline
SPEAKING USING APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE CONTENT AND STYLE .
OBJECTIVE:
By the end of this chapter you will be able to:
i. Respond appropriately to instructions
ii. Give effective and sensible instructions
iii. Listening to main ideas and taking notes.
iv. Make summaries.
v. Write down what you hear correctly.
SECTION 1: MAKING REQUESTS
Requests take many different forms and may be:
i. Very polite
ii. Moderately polite(or)
iii. Not very polite (rude)
When you make a request, you want someone to do something for you. If you get this important social interaction wrong, you may offend your teacher, your friends, or your parents.
- Some requests show that the person you are speaking to can choose to do as you want.
- Other ways of speaking indicate that if the request is not followed there will be trouble.
The difference between requests and instructions
Instruction/imperatives – I
Here I consider some aspects that differentiate BE from GE as means to become aware of the need to specialize in this area of teaching, due to the fact that we are not trained to deal with people who have special working needs.
Important facts to take into account when teaching English.
Presentation based on in-company teaching mainly. It was a presentation/workshop design to professors of Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica.
Too often, public speakers and company spokespeople stand before an audience or the media and say things they simply should not say. Not that their language damages the organization they represent, but the words or phrases they use damage their credibility or trust.
Eliminate the following list of words and phrases and improve your standing with the audience.
omnilife productos y beneficios
omnilife peru zona de empresarios
omnilife peru estado de cuenta
omnilife peru lista de precios
descargar catalogo de productos omnilife
omnilife peru productos
omnilife catalogo de precios
catalogo seytu 2017 peru
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Developed by Rajkrishna Paul, B S Engg ( USA), Technical Lead ,Verizon Data Services
Goodhope Asia Holdings Ltd. Company profile, incorporated in Singapore, is a holding company with investments in the Food Ingredient industry in Indonesia, Malaysia and India.
PT Agro Harapan Lestari, Menara Global Building, 16th Floor, Unit C - D, JI, Jend. Gatot Subroto Kav. 27, Jakarta Selatan, 12950, Indonesia, Tel: + 62 21 52892260, Fax: + 62 21 52892259
There is no denying that internationally, English language has become the most convenient mode of communication and education. If you really want to be a part of a global community and have thousands of avenues open up to you then you have got to perfect this language. In this blog, you will find the ways to perfect your English oral skills, speaking skills and English conversation skills.
10 Tips to be a great speaker [Visual Guide]SpeakerHub
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The personality can also be modified to a certain extent, as previously people were thinking good personality is by born. But in recent years have seen a variety of efforts by professionals to design courses, that develops certain positive trends in personality. The objective of such courses is to remove those barriers or obstructions that stand in the way of the good personality.
Speaking skills are the skills that give us the ability to communicate effectively. These skills allow the speaker, to convey his message in a passionate, thoughtful, and convincing manner. Speaking skills also help to assure that one won't be misunderstood by those who are listening.
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Students, digital devices and success - Andreas Schleicher - 27 May 2024..pptxEduSkills OECD
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1. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
by Andrew D. Miles
2. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
15 Ways to
Improve Oral
Communication
in Business
English
C o p y r ig h t b y An d r e w D . M il e s , B a r c e l o n a , 2 0 1 3 .
Al l r ig h t s r e s e r v e d . N o p a r t o f t h i s p u b l i c a t io n m a y b e
r e p r o d u c e d , s t o r e d in a r e t r ie v a l s y s t e m , o r t r a n s m i t t e d ,
in a n y f o r m w it h o u t w r it t e n a u t h o r iz a t io n f r o m t h e
a u t h o r .
C o v e r p h o t o g r a p h b y An d r e w D . M il e s
T h i s i s t h e a b r i d g e d v e r s i o n o f A n d r e w ’ s “ 1 0 1 W a y s t o
I m p r o v e y o u r B u s i n e s s E n g l i s h ” . T h e e b o o k c a n b e b o u g h t
a t www.amazon.es and the printed version at www.profiteditorial.com.
a n d r e w .m il e s @ b a r c e l o n a e n g l i s h . c o m
w w w .e n g l i s h f o r b u s in e s s .e s
3. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
Andrew’s note:
A common mistake is to
think people will be
listening when you say
something important.
In fact, they don’t know
it’s important until
you’ve said it!
1. INTRO PHRASES
Use introductory phrases before your
message to catch people’s attention,
so they are listening before you emit
your main point.
This will also let listeners adjust
their hearing to your speed,
pronunciation and tone of voice.
Therefore, they’ll already be used to
your phonemes when you display the
main idea.
EXAMPLES
From my point of view,
this idea is wrong.
As a matter of fact, this
idea is wrong.
4. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
1. INTRO PHRASES
I’d like to remind you that
From my point of view
Let me tell you that
Apparently
In my opinion
I believe that
It seems that
It appears that
In fact
It sounds as if
Evidently
Seemingly
At first sight
On the face of it
As a matter of fact
Essentially
I’m sure that
Today I’d like to say that
According to what I know
5. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
Andrew’s note:
Knowing the meaning of expressions is different to being
able to apply them automatically. Vocabulary is not useful
until it’s at the tip of your tongue.
2. MEMORISING
Memorise key words – since you
will not have time to look for them
when needed.
Knowing the meaning of words is
not enough. They aren’t useful until
you’ve been through the whole
learning cycle. This implies that you
have to understand the word, know
how to use it, memorise it and be
able to recall it when needed.
Try to revise vocabulary a week
after you’ve learned it and check if
you remember it one month later.
6. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
Andrew’s note:
Transmit a concept more effectively by explaining it, then
giving an example, showing a graph and if possible also by
including it in a story, joke or anecdote.
3. ONE-IDEA PHRASES
Use one idea to a sentence and build the
sentence around the idea.
English is a language of few, precise
words where economy is a plus.
Many listeners are used to short
sentences and find it hard to handle
several notions in one phrase.
It is better to repeat the same ideas in
several formats so people who do not
follow your point in one way have the
chance to understand it in another.
7. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
Andrew’s note:
It’s important to
use gestures
when speaking.
However, act out
your conversation
in front of your
teacher and check
whether your
non-verbal signs
are suitable for
the culture of the
country you are
visiting.
4. GESTURES
Magnify facial gestures, since they
will help to get your message across
in case verbal language fails and
people don’t follow your words.
Remember that body
language transmits a
lot of information
so don’t be afraid of
gesticulating.
Listeners will take
non-verbal signs as part
of your personality and
will not pay conscious
attention to your gestures.
As a foreign speaker your weakest
area of communication is verbal
language, so make up for this lack
with stronger non-verbal signs.
8. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
Andrew’s note:
Remember that if it’s
difficult for you to
speak, it is also difficult
for listeners to
understand. Thus,
give them lots of clues
to help them navigate
your speech.
5. TOPIC CHANGE
Give clear clues when you change
subjects so listeners become aware
that you’re no longer talking about
the same issue.
It’s a good idea to remember you
must give listeners a map of your
speech – people must know exactly
where they are standing so they
don’t get lost.
Listeners might be
getting just part of
your message, so
markers help them to
know which subject is
now being discussed.
9. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
5.TOPICCHANGECLUES
SAMPLES
By the way, now we can talk about
I’d like to move onto
Could we now deal with?
Incidentally, may I mention that?
I believe this is the right time to
It has just crossed my mind to
To bring up another subject
An alternative point to consider
Changing subjects, I want to
While we are on the subject
Before I forget
On quite another matter
10. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
6. INTERRUPTING
Interrupting is difficult in a language
that you don’t handle well, because
often when your opportunity comes
you can’t find the right words!
Therefore, it’s essential to learn how
to interrupt with proper expressions.
You will need to use these phrases
without any delay when inserting a
comment or disagreeing with a
statement. Speed is important, as
opportunities to say something rarely
last for long.
The key to effective interruptions is
the right mix of forcefulness and
politeness. Also, you’ll sometimes
need to insist several times until you
catch people’s attention.
11. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
6. INTERRUPTING
Er
Sorry
Actually
Excuse me
May I have a word?
Can I make a comment?
May I come in here?
May I interrupt?
Could I say something?
Sorry, that’s not right.
What are you trying to say?
What are you getting at?
You’re wrong.
Please listen to me.
Can you let me speak?
Won’t you let me give an opinion?
Will you shut up for a minute, please?
+
P
O
L
I
T
E
N
E
S
S
-
12. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
Steven Pinker, The
Language Instinct,
1994, New York,
Perennial:
English is an
"isolating"
language, which
builds sentences by
rearranging
immutable word-
sized units, like
Dog bites man and
Man bites dog.
Other languages
express who did
what to whom by
modifying nouns
with case affixes,
or by modifying
the verb with
affixes that agree
with subjects in
number, gender,
and person. One
example is Latin,
an "inflecting"
language in which
each affix contains
several pieces of
information.
7. WORD ORDER
English is a language
with few inflexions
so order is vital to
establish sense.
Organise words in your
sentences according to
rules, because mixing
priorities will confuse
listeners.
Define a word pattern
and try to apply it to
all your constructions
because even though
there are several ways to
say a sentence correctly,
it’s better to play it safe
if you are not sure.
13. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
7. WORD ORDER
Classic word order:
Adverb of time subject
auxiliary verb frequency adverb
verb direct object
indirect object adverb of
manner adverb of place
adverb of time
SAMPLES
Politicians will sometimes block deals during
election times.
Yesterday, our director asked Mary to finish
her letter by hand at her own desk.
The lawyer wrote the contracts at his office in
the morning.
14. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
Andrew’s
note:
Register is
the type of
language we
use in
specific
situations,
such as
“speaking in
an informal
register” or
“writing in a
scientific
register”.
Andrew’s
note:
We can’t say
at Church
all of what
we say at
the pub!
8. REGARD REGISTER
When you learn a
new word, always
ask your teacher for
the context in which
it can be used. Is
it formal? Informal?
Can I use it with friends?
What about writing?
Do not use slang, ironical
expressions or foul
language, even if others
do. This could confuse
listeners because your speech will
unexpectedly change register.
15. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
9. FILLERS
Resort to fillers for those seconds
you spend looking for words you
can’t find.
Sometimes, you cannot afford to
stay quiet while you plan what
you’re going to say next, so use
fillers to gain time.
FILLERS
Really Clearly
Well OK
Of course Undoubtedly
I believe Certainly
Surely Fine
16. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
Andrew’s
note:
Always ask
your teacher
how to
pronounce
key words
(for example,
terms related
to your job).
Do not trust
your instinct,
because
pronunciation
is often
unpredictable.
10. PRONUNCIATION
Memorise difficult words and
practise them often.
When in doubt with names,
ask how to pronounce them
correctly.
Don’t hide your accent by
speaking with your mouth
closed or increasing your
speed, because people will find
it harder to follow you.
Talk slowly, look at listeners and
don’t try to compete with outside
noises. If there’s a noise, wait until it
subsides.
17. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
10. PRONUNCIATION
Dow Jones (dou j½nz)
bush (b‹sh)
Finance (f…-n²ns“, fº“n²ns”)
NYSE (µn) (wº) (µs) (¶)
Samuelson (s²m“y›-…l-s…n)
factorage (f²k“t…r-¹j)
Keynesian (k³n“z¶-…n)
leverage (lµv“…r-¹j)
liability (lº”…-b¹l“¹-t¶)
18. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
11. QUESTION TAGS
Apply tail phrases on leading
questions, since they are a legitimate
way to make listeners assert to your
proposals.
Question tags ending with negative
tail phrases elicit affirmative answers.
Question tags ending with positive
tail phrases elicit negative answers.
SAMPLES
This sounds interesting, doesn’t it?
(It elicits an affirmative reply.)
You won’t let a client escape, will you?
(It elicits a negative reply.)
19. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
12. FALSE FRIENDS
Be careful with false
friends, because many
expressions that seem
straightforward to you
can end up messing up
your speech.
Don’t assume that
terms which look like
words in your native
tongue mean the same.
Sometimes, there are
surprises!
Also, some English words that
become part of another language’s
colloquial vocabulary (think of slip
in Spanish) lose their original sense
and end up meaning something else.
If you enjoyed this e-
book you might want
to download “100
Ways to Say It in
Business English” by
Andrew D. Miles at
http://www.words300.
com/books
20. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
12. FALSE FRIENDS
FALSE FRIENDS
English
Word
Correct
Translation
Wrong
Translation
affluent acaudalado afluente
casual informal casual
actual real actual
compromise acuerdo compromiso
comprehensive global comprensivo
familiar conocido familiar
apparent obvio aparente
sensible sensato sensible
COMMONLY MISUSED WORDS
parking parking lot or place
mister trainer
basket basketball
slip briefs
21. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
Andrew’s
note:
You need
your
teacher’s
help to
improve
intonation. A
good exercise
is for you to
read and for
the tutor to
guide your
tone while
you go
through the
text.
13. INTONATION
Practise intonation before your
speech, as natives grant
importance to words based on
stress. Remember that every
language’s cadence is
different, so tone variations
applied in Spanish are not
valid for English. Sometimes
listeners will not get the gist of
your sentences if you apply
the wrong intonation patterns.
SAMPLES
o Lawyers help company fire victims. (Here the
stress is on company, so this sentence means
that lawyers help the company to dismiss the
employees.)
o Lawyers help company fire victims. (Here the
stress is on fire, so it means that lawyers help
the victims of a company fire.)
22. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
Dr Harry Alder & Beryl
Heather, 1999 sustain in
their 1999 NLP textbook
that you can create rapport
by emulating speakers in
body movement, voice tone
and speed. Likewise,
affinity can be encouraged
by following language
styles and type of word
choice, including the
metaphors used.
Andrew’s note:
A good way to improve rapport
is to listen to the other person’s
metaphorical language.
He compares business to rugby?
Use an example from sport. She
talks about cars? Think of a
story that involves driving…
14. EMULATE NATIVES
Emulate native speakers
by listening and then
applying their type of
language in your
phrases, because it is
easier to convince people
employing their own
style of speech.
Politely mimic people
by using the same type
of language. However,
do not copy every
word because this
could prove offensive.
Don’t concentrate so much on your
own phrases that you forget to listen
to the way others speak!
23. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
Andrew’s
note:
Think of
all the
situations you
could use
English for
and list the
phrases you
might need.
Then, role-
play them
with your
teacher.
15. FUNCTIONS
We use language for different
functions, such as answering the
phone, saying hello or expressing
dissatisfaction.
It is better to learn a few
phrases for every function
than many phrases for a few
functions. Therefore,
instead of memorising
countless ways to ask for
coffee use part of that time
to practise how to book a
room, how to disagree or
how to hire a car.
Automate those expressions so you
don’t have to look for them when
you need them.
24. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
15. FUNCTIONS A
Please see below a list of phrases
for meetings:
Giving Opinions
I feel that
In my opinion
The way I see things
Asking for Opinions
Heather, can we get your input?
How do you feel about?
What’s your opinion, John?
Commenting on Other Opinions
I never thought about it that way
I get your idea
I see what you mean
Agreeing with Other Opinions
Exactly!
That's just how I feel
I have to agree with James
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25. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
15. FUNCTIONS B
Disagreeing with Other Opinions
Up to a point I agree with you, but
I'm afraid I can’t see it that way
I don’t think so
I’ve got another point of view
Advising and Suggesting
We ought to
Why don't you?
How about
I suggest we
Clarifying
Have I made that clear?
Do you see what I'm getting at?
Let me put this another way
I'd just like to repeat that
Requesting Information
I'd like you to
Would you mind?
I wonder if you could
26. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
15. FUNCTIONS C
Connecting Cause and Consequence
This means that…
It implies that …
A results in B.
The measure will cause…
Contrasting
Although A seems fine, B is better because…
In spite of the evidence, I’d like to add that…
We could opt for A. On the other hand…
I like your idea. Nevertheless, I prefer…
Asking for Repetition
Sorry, I didn't catch that
I missed that. Could you repeat it, please?
Could you run that by me again?
Asking for Clarification
I don't quite understand
Could you explain to me how that is going to work?
I don't see what you mean
May we have some more details, please?
27. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
15. FUNCTIONS D
Stating Purpose
I’m here today to…
What I’d like to do is…
My objective is to…
My aim now is to…
Asking for Verification
Do you mean that?
Is it true that?
Are you sure about this?
Are you one hundred percent positive?
Asking for Spelling
Would you mind spelling that for me, please?
Could you spell it, please?
Sorry, how do you spell it?
Is that double m double s?
Asking for Contributions from Other Participants
What do you think about this proposal?
Would you like to add anything, Cynthia?
Has anyone else got anything to contribute?
Are there any more comments?
28. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
15. FUNCTIONS E
Describing Graphs
I’d like you to see this graph…
Please observe this matrix.
Have a look at this model.
Let me show you a chart.
Correcting Information
Sorry, that might not be quite right
I'm afraid you don't understand
what I'm saying
That's not what I had in mind
This is different to what I meant
Keeping the Meeting on Track
Well, that’s another subject altogether
I'm afraid we can’t discuss that issue today
That's outside the scope of this meeting
Let's get back on track
Finishing the Meeting
Well, that seems to be all the time we have today
Could we make a decision right away?
We’ll have to leave that for now
Time to finish!
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29. 15 ways to improve communication in business English
Copyright by Andrew D. Miles and English for Business
www.englishforbusiness.es
An d r e w D . M il e s i s t h e d i r e c t o r o f
E n g l is h f o r B u s i n e s s B a r c e l o n a ,
E n g l is h f o r B u s i n e s s M a d r i d
E n g l is h P h o n e a n d t h e B e t t e r E n g l is h f o r
B u s i n e s s P e o p l e On l in e P r o g r a m m e
E n g l is h f o r B u s i n e s s B a r c e l o n a
t e a c h e s E n g l i s h l e s s o n s t o
c o m p a n ie s in t h e
B a r c e l o n a a r e a w h il e
E n g l is h f o r B u s i n e s s M a d r i d
t e a c h e s E n g l i s h l e s s o n s t o
c o m p a n ie s in t h e
M a d r i d a r e a .
E n g l is h P h o n e p r o v i d e s l e s s o n s
b y t e l e p h o n e t o s t u d e n t s w h o
w a n t t o i m p r o v e t h e ir o r a l
c o m m u n i c a t io n s k il l s a n d t h e B e t t e r
E n g l is h p r o g r a m m e o f f e r s b u s in e s s
E n g l is h o n l in e l e s s o n s .
w w w .e n g l i s h f o r b u s in e s s .e s