Lesson 5

Welcome back to the blog.

In our fifth lesson we began by reviewing the Network article exercises. After that we read an article about Change Management. We then discussed the article specifically and then the topic of Change Management more generally.

We finished the lesson by practising pronunciation, and I introduced you to the Cambridge English Phonemic Symbols chart.

Here is a video that explains the Phonemic Symbols charts (some of the symbols are slightly different to the symbols I showed you, but the sounds are identical).

Here is an excellent video which will help you use the correct pronunciation for words that finish in ‘-ed’:

Here is an excellent video which will help you with pronunciation of words that end in ‘-s’:

For homework, I asked you to use the Phonemic symbols chart to explain how to correctly pronounce your first name and last name. I also asked you to email me a few paragraphs describing the company culture at your place of work.

That’s all for today.

Steve

 

Lesson 4

Hello again.

In our fourth lesson we began by going through some of the homework exercises regarding how to be polite and diplomatic. We spoke about how these issues can vary between different countries and cultures.

After that, we had an enjoyable conversation which covered a wide variety of topics. These topics included poetry, Shakespeare, different attitudes towards marriage, and religion amond others.

We also discussed networking and our attitudes towards it. For homework I asked you to complete the Networking worksheet that I gave you.

Here is an excellent short video on ‘How to Network’:

I also gave you exercises on Missing Words and Abbreviations, Common Mistakes, and Punctuation and Spelling.

That’s all for today,

Steve

 

Lesson 3

In our third lesson we began by doing an exercise that matched selected verbs with certain words that collocated with them in a business context.

After that we discussed negotiating in business. We discussed negotiations within your individual jobs, the difficulties that you face with negotiating, and if this was a task that you personally enjoyed. Our discussion article analysed selected Dos and Don’ts of Negotiating. We then discussed which of these specific tips we considered to be the most important.

Here is an interesting video with an alternative view on how to conduct yourself in negotiations:

For homework I gave you 4 exercise sheets. The fist exercise sheet  focused on how to be Polite and Diplomatic. The remaining 3 exercise sheets had a focuse on Financial Performance, Profit and Loss Accounts, and Accounting Standards.

For writing homework I asked you to write me a formal email of complaint related to a real-life issue that you may actually face in your current position at work. It could be written to your company’s management, or to a supplier, or anyone else with whom you might realistically lodge a complaint. Send your work to steven.brown@folkuniversitetet.se and I will check it for you.

That’s all for today.

Steve

 

Lesson 2

Welcom back to the blog.

In our second lesson we read an article which discussed DOs and DON’Ts for Presenting a Report. Following that we split into pairs and decided whether we agreed with all of the points the article made. We also spoke about the presentations that we both make and receive from others in our own worklives. Specifically, we spoke about the types of presentations these are and their target audiences.

Here is an interesting TED talk about making effective presentations:

After that, we read and discussed an article titled ’30 Useful Phrases for Presentations in English’.

We also did a vocabulary exercise where you were given a list of informal terms and asked to come up with as many formal synoyms as possible.

Click HERE for a link to an excellent webpage that looks in detail at the differences between formal and informal communication

For homework I asked you to do 2 separate writing tasks. Firstly, you need to write an imaginary formal email to a client/customer/business associate etc. relating to a matter that is specifically relevant to your field of work. Secondly, you should write an informal email to a close colleague at work regarding the exact same matter. You can include both writing tasks in a single email to me. Do not use any spellcheckers or A.I to help you, and type them in the actual email, NOT as an attachment.

Also for homework, I gave you 4 exercise sheets. One was an exercise about formal and informal writing. The other 3 were grammar worksheets about giving reasons, purposes and results, and contrasts. We can briefly review these in the next lesson.

That’s all for today.

Steve

 

Lesson 1

Hello everyone,

It was lovely to meet everyone who attended our first lesson.

We began the class by introducing ourselves and giving descriptions of our jobs and our English needs. We then read an article which suggested some DOs and DON’Ts for both the Chairperson and Participants in a workplace meeting.

Following that we worked in small groups to highlight these ideas as bullet points. After that we decided whether we agreed with all of the points the article made. Finally, we discussed meetings at our own workplaces, and how we thought they could be improved.

Click here for a vocabulary list related to meetings.

Here is a TED talk about how to prevent bad meetings:

Here is another TED talk about effective meetings:

At the end of the lesson I gave out four vocabulary worksheets for homework. One worksheet was about arranging a meeting, while the other three  looked at intercultural teams, meetings and networking. We might discuss these at the start of the next lesson if anyone has any specific questions relating to them.

Also for homework, I asked you to send me an email using formal English to give me an overview of the services that your company provides, and also an overview of your specific position. You should mention the qualifications needed, as well as a brief summary of your tasks and responsibilities.

That’s all for today.

Steve