focussed listening for business english

How can we improve our listening skills for Business English?

Here's a good overview of the best business English listening strategies & exercises, including this list:

To help you improve your business English listening skills, we’ve compiled some practical tips and strategies that you can incorporate into your daily routine.

1. Practice active listening

Active listening involves hearing what is being said and paying attention to the speaker’s body language, tone of voice, and context. To practice active listening, engage with the speaker by asking clarifying questions, summarizing their main points, and providing feedback. You must also avoid distractions. No checking your phone or daydreaming! Focus on the conversation at hand.

2. Take plenty of notes

Another effective way to improve your business English listening skills is by practicing note-taking techniques. You can enhance your comprehension and retention of the information by jotting down key ideas, main points, and unfamiliar words. Some note-taking techniques include mind mapping and creating a database of useful phrases.

3. Record virtual meetings

Much like note-taking, recording virtual meetings is a great way of practicing your listening skills. You’ll have the video to refer back to if you miss something, and you can also relisten to the recording to pick up phrases your colleagues or clients use. You can also combine recordings with transcription software like Otter or Descript. This allows you to listen to the recording whilst reading along.

4. Attend English networking events

Networking events in English allow you to connect with like-minded professionals while gaining exposure to different accents and language styles. There are plenty of events worldwide, giving you a chance to practice and build your confidence outside of the office where the pressure’s off.

5. Listen to podcasts and YouTube videos

Try online resources, such as YouTube channels and podcasts, to supplement your learning. There’s plenty of content that focuses on business English, offering you an engaging way to practice your listening. More advanced learners might enjoy TED Talks, whilst beginners can find practice lessons like the one below...

When you build your listening routine, it’s important to ensure you’re listening to authentic materials. That way, you’ll be able to understand different accents and vocabulary used in a business context.
 Again, search for suitable content for your field. Entrepreneurs might enjoy the Diary of a CEO podcast, while the Dear HBR podcast is perfect for HR staff. If you’re a streaming junkie, shows like Succession and The Office can also provide light-hearted business English practice.

VIDEOS AND PODCASTS:

The British Council has some good lessons in B2 listening at LearnEnglish [as well as other levels]

And BBC Learning English - Business English is full of good quality courses and exercises.

Lectures from experienced business people can be found on the business pages of TED Talks.

And there are some fantastic YouTube videos - for example, Listening Practice to Improve Your Business English in 80 Minutes, where we hear lots of business phrases at normal and slower speeds.

But for authentic listening, you need to search for specific material, for example VAT and Financial Services and Sales Tax Vs. VAT. How they both work!

The question is how to listen, as there are many ways of listening - but using subtitles and slowing down the speed are very good ways to help focus on the language.

SHADOWING:

All the above audio material can be used to practice the shadowing technique - which is all about careful, focussed listening and which can be done on your own.

It's become much more mainstream recently - and many online tutors are giving tips on how to get the shadowing technique right

DICTATION:

Exactly the same audio material can be made use of at home - through practical dictation, with online texts and audio

And here's an extra place to go: Breaking News English Lessons at different levels and speeds to help you also with Business English Lessons.

USING AI BOTS:

Finally, we can do lots of practising your english speaking with chatgpt - and set things up to ask for all sorts of listening and conversation sessions.

Have fun!

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