Business English for professionals: communicating, managing, selling (Level 2)

What is the course about?

This course will give you the chance to improve your business and work English language skills. You will develop speaking, writing and listening skills for work, e.g. for writing emails and giving presentations. You will focus on conducting meetings – for example, the use of small talk and making conversation, what makes a meeting good, bad or difficult, how to respond to these situations, and the phrases needed in negotiation. You will look at diplomatic language, when you should be direct or indirect and we also focus on cultural differences in the workplace. You will practise writing business emails including formal vs informal as well using the phone and appropriate phrases. There will be a focus on structuring presentations and using language for signposting and sequencing. Throughout the course, there will be a lot of emphasis on vocabulary including phrasal verbs and using the most effective language at the right time.

What will we cover?

Each class will be situated around the most important in-demand job skills in London: communication, sales, managing, presenting, innovating, leading, negotiating and persuading, problem-solving, customer-service and social media use. While developing these skills, you will focus on the language needed for:
• conducting meetings – for example, the use of small talk and making conversation, what makes a meeting good, bad or difficult and how to respond to these situations, and phrases needed in negotiation
• diplomatic language, when should you be direct or indirect
• cultural differences in the workplace
• writing business emails including formal vs informal
• using the phone with appropriate phrases
• structuring presentations and using language for signposting and sequencing
• vocabulary for the workplace including phrasal verbs and using the most effective language at the right time.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

• identify the skills you have and what you need to do in order to develop them to make yourself as employable as possible
• conduct and participate in meetings more confidently – for example, by using appropriate small talk, making conversation, responding appropriately to different types of meeting and using phrases needed in negotiation
• use diplomatic language and decide when should you be direct or indirect
• respond appropriately to cultural differences in the workplace
• write effective business emails both formal vs informal
• use the phone with appropriate phrases
• structure business presentations and use language for signposting and sequencing
• use vocabulary for the workplace including phrasal verbs
• use the most effective language at the right time
• identify areas you need to improve and develop strategies to do this.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This course is for Level 2 (C1) students and above: i.e. upper intermediate to advanced level. You should be able to take part in fairly long and complex conversations, understand authentic written texts and handle practical tasks in everyday work situations.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

Classes are activity and task- based, with language input, error correction and feedback from the tutor in each class. The class will be very interactive and dynamic and role play will help you develop your language for real business situations. Homework may include exercises for consolidating language points, or contributing/exchanging ideas via our online platform. Taking the most in-demand skills in the job market as a starting point, each class will be built around a task focusing on the skill, asking participants to consider the behaviours, strengths and abilities required in that skill. From this point, class members will work together to complete a task which has been specifically created to explore and practice those behaviours, strengths and abilities, drawing from each member’s experience and insight. It is believed that working on a task in groups, with linguistic support from the tutor, will provide learners with excellent opportunities to both develop and reflect on the skill in question.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

Handouts are provided by the tutor. No books are required for the course, but please bring pens and paper.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

There are many courses you could do before, at the same time or after this course. The most relevant courses include:
• ESOL level 2 (speaking and listening) / (reading and writing)
• ESOL for hospitality: front of house (level 1-2)
• ESOL pronunciation: stage 1 (level 1-2)
• Advanced English writing skills: how to write creatively, expressively and clearly (level 2)
• Communicating at work: formal, informal and being polite (level 1)
• ESOL Communicating at work: letters, emails, memos, notes, meetings and presentations (level 1)
• English Communication Skills for professionals: finding the right word in business (advanced)
• Grammar in practice: upper intermediate (level 1-2) / advanced (level 2+)

There also many maths, English, employability and digital skills courses you can do. Ask your tutor or contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / (telephone temporarily unavailable) for more detail. These include:
• Maths for life and work (foundation) / (level 1)
• Business administration: maths for administrators (level 1-2)
• Business Administration (with digital skills): English communication skills for administrators and office workers (level 1-2)
• Essential digital skills for the workplace: Word, Excel and PowerPoint (foundation-level 1)
• Getting job ready: identifying the most in-demand work skills and how you can develop them
• Professional communication skills: how to make your writing clear, concise and organised (level 2)
• Professional communication skills: reading, analysing, and comparing data and text (level 2)
• Becoming data literate: how to understand the data all around you (level 1-2)
• Becoming data literate: how to present data for work or study (L2+)





ESOL Pronunciation Stage 1 would also be helpful. Other possible courses include: Matters of Opinion, English dialogue: speaking, listening, pronunciation, performance (level 1-2)ESOL and Reading Stories, ESOL and Making Podcasts, ESOL and Film. Your tutor will advise you.