How to progress from basic English to business English

Want to impress your colleagues, clients, and customers with your business English? Do you want to be able to communicate with people overseas? There are many upsides to progressing your English language skills. English is not only a ‘lingua franca,’ but it is the global language of business in particular.

Keep reading our tips on improving your English to speak more confidently in professional situations.

Get an advanced English tutor

An effective way to progress with your business English is by learning from an online tutor. You can become confident and master professional English quickly with dedicated one-on-one lessons with an English tutor online. One benefit of studying with an online tutor over video chat is that you can try out different tutors until you find someone suited to you. You can choose from one-on-one classes, group classes, or, even better, a mixture of both.

The benefit of one-on-one lessons with a dedicated tutor is that you can focus on more specific topics based on your individual needs. Depending on what you have coming up and the sector you work in, you can work with your tutor to prepare for meetings or interviews. Group classes are also very beneficial, as they allow you to practice your speaking and listening skills in a relaxed environment. The group-style lessons are great for building confidence and fluency.

Set clear objectives

Simply starting with the objective of learning all business English might be a little daunting and generic.Instead, decide on a specific goal or milestone you want to reach to achieve fluency in business English.. Include what you need to focus on for work; for example, practice interview techniques and terminology if you have an interview.

The first step is taking a free online test to determine your current level. Next, have a timeframe. You can make a lot of progress in a short amount of time. The more specific your goal, the faster you will make progress. For example, your goal could be to deliver a presentation on a team project by the end of the month.

Some companies require that you have a language certificate at a certain level to apply for specific jobs, so another example goal could be to prepare for and pass your exam.

Learn business English expressions

There are certain situations or business environments where informal English is appropriate; however, one of the most significant aspects to master is using formal business expressions. Set a target of how many phrases or words you aim to learn per week and how you would use them in a business setting.

Here are a few examples of how to replace standard, less formal verbs for business English:

• Got = Received (I received your email).
• Need = Require (I require some assistance).
• Give = Provide (Please provide more information on your products).

A few hours a week of practising will improve your confidence and open many doors to incredible opportunities. Good luck on your journey of advanced language learning!