Business English Insider

I still remember my first telephone conference where I used a telephone receiver. It felt like walking into a dark room because you couldn't see the other participants, just hear them. 

Writing emails in business seems like an easy task. After all, most businesspeople find them less intimidating than phone calls or direct conversations. But watch out for misunderstandings! Remember, with email, asking or answering questions to resolve confusion is trickier than by phone. Before you write an email, ask yourself:

Have you ever travelled to the UK for a few weeks to polish up your English? Maybe you tried some intensive language training or an immersion program in London, for example?

“I am afraid of talking on the phone in business.”

The other day, someone showed me an excerpt of a presentation he had difficulties understanding.

Do you watch your colleagues getting promoted because they seem to have some mysterious skill that makes them great at international business? But what is it? 

You're in a meeting (conference call) with your business partner. You've always wondered why he/she talks so much and doesn't seem to come to an end. You wait your turn to say something, but there doesn’t seem to be a turn. Instead, your business partner starts from the beginning but uses other words.

What is intercultural competence in business? And why does it matter? 

When you hear the word culture, what comes to mind?

What do literature and language have to do with your career if you work in business? More than you think. 

Do you find it embarrassing to communicate in English in business?