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Business English Tip of the Week

business-english-tipsEvery week we publish a business English tip concerning different aspects of business English. Topic areas include writing, speaking, listening, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, exams as well as general English. Many tips include audio clips. To receive 'Business English Tip of the Week' by email, just subscribe to the newsletter from the link above. 

Study Skills to improve your English

Below we suggest some basic study skills to help you improve all aspects of your English.

Listening

  • listen for the general idea
  • listen for important details
  • listen for grammatical forms
  • listen to tapes or radio programs about your personal interests
  • check your progress with comprehension questions

Reading

  • read quickly for the general idea (skimming)
  • read silently without moving your mouth
  • read carefully for important details
  • notice word order and grammatical patterns while reading
  • find the most important words and highlight only these words
  • read about your personal interests in English
  • check your progress with comprehension questions

Vocabulary

  • repeat new words by speaking and writing
  • gesture while repeating a new action verb
  • list new words by topic
  • read dictionary entries thoughtfully
  • check dictionaries for all the meanings of a word
  • check other similar-sounding or similarly-spelled words
  • write hard-to-remember words on cards
  • sort vocabulary cards into topics
  • sort vocabulary cards alphabetically
  • sort vocabulary cards by how well you know the words
  • think about ways you can use a new word in your life
  • make an example sentence to use a new word
  • speak or write your new words in real communication
  • chart words by meanings – with similar and opposite meanings
  • cut apart long compound words and identify prefixes, roots and suffixes
  • study variant forms of prefixes, roots and suffixes

Pronunciation

  • test your hearing of similar but distinct English sounds
  • use a mirror to see if your tongue and lips are in the correct position
  • repeat difficult phrases to exercise your mouth muscles
  • copy English speech rhythm with a drum or nonsense syllables
  • check your progress by dictation to a native speaker

Grammar

  • compare the charts and explanations of one grammar point in different books
  • compare English word order and grammar forms with your language
  • use computer grammar practice for quick feedback
  • listen for grammar
  • practice grammar in speaking
  • check progress with grammar tests

Speaking

  • rehearse model recorded conversations
  • relax to develop fluency
  • meet people who use English for conversation
  • use English at certain times with friends or family members
  • arrange a conversation practice group
  • give a little speech about something of personal importance

Writing

  • study spelling rules
  • learn cursive writing or italic calligraphy
  • write your personal story in English
  • write letters to a pen pal
  • write a letter to a newspaper or politician
  • write stories and practice irregular past tense forms
  • write a report after reading something interesting
  • translate something from your language then compare your English with a native speaker's translation to study word order and communication style.
 

Welcoming business visitors – Open and closed Questions

Taking Telephone Messages

Using Modal Verbs to express possibility

Welcoming business visitors – Offering Help

Checklist for writing effective emails

Easily Confused Words

Using the International Alphabet

Telephoning Skills – Questioning

Using the Past Perfect Tense

Cut out Wordy Phrases and Redundancy from your writing

Using Capital Letters in your writing

Having an Awareness of Tone

Problems with prepositions

Telephoning Bad News - Making Difficult Requests

Email Etiquette

Improve your Listening Comprehension

Comparison of Adjectives

Difference between British and American English

Avoid using too many negatives

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