The Importance of Business English and How to Learn it

What is Business English?

Learning English is no easy feat – whether it be words with a million meanings, or words not sounding how they look. English can be a struggle, however, it is well worth the time. Given that English is one of the most spoken languages in the world (it’s the official language of 67 countries, and the native language of 360 million people), it’s bound to be important in the business world. This is shown by the fact that 8/10 of the best-performing companies in the world are US-owned. But is conversational English enough in order to work for one of these companies? 

The short answer is probably not. In order to get your foot in the door of an English speaking company, extra steps are required. ‘Business English’ is a part of the English language that differs from the every-day conversational part. It is used in situations such as business meetings and presentations, negotiations, and sales.There are a number of colloquial phrases and vocabulary that are used exclusively in a business setting. Also, learning how to format and write emails is important given this is a large form of communication within business. You will also want to practice how to give presentations, as the language used is more formal.

How can I learn Business English?

If you are looking for an inexpensive way to learn business English, then I would recommend reading business reports, business and economics targeted newspapers and watching videos of business presentations. Blogs related to jobs and careers, such as Europe Language Jobs, are also a great option. I really like watching TED talks and listening to podcasts such as Freakonomics. These are very informative, interesting videos whilst being useful in getting used to the difference between conversational and business English. With access to the internet, I can’t imagine you’d be stuck finding ways to practice.
 
Social media platforms such as LinkedIn are also great places to go, as you will be able to see how people interact in a ‘business way’ online. I’ve also found Facebook groups to be helpful in the past, as they have large communities of people aiming for the same goal as you and sharing helpful resources. If you’re willing to spend some money on your learning, getting a tutor is always a great idea. 

So, hopefully I’ve helped you understand why Business English will help broaden your professional horizons. It’ll take some work, but these tips should help you understand where you can go to improve! After all, good things come to those who work hard!

Learn Business English Faster Using LingQ

Immersing yourself in English doesn’t require you to travel abroad or sign up for an expensive language program.

However, it can be a bit tiresome to find interesting content, go back and forth between sites, use different dictionaries to look up words, and so on.

That’s why there’s LingQ. A language app that helps you discover and learn from content you love.

You can import videos, podcasts, and much more and turn them into interactive lessons. For example, here’s a quick example showing how you can import content from Europe Language Jobs into LingQ to help you practice your reading skills.

Open one of the site’s articles:

After downloading the LingQ extension, use it to import the article into LingQ:

Now you can read the article in LingQ. Keep all your favorite English content stored in one place, easily look up new words, save vocabulary, and review. Check out our guide to importing content into LingQ for more information.

LingQ is available for desktop as well as Android and iOS. Gain access to thousands of hours of audio and transcripts and begin your journey to fluency today.

We’re often asked: is English hard to learn? Well, not if you enjoy the learning process! That’s why there’s LingQ, which allows you to learn English from content you love! This means you can catch up on your favourite English Netflix series or podcasts while furthering your language skills. Check out LingQ today to get started!

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Europe Language Jobs is a job board that helps young, multilingual Europeans find jobs. Their blog provides advice on CV writing, interview skills and finding a job abroad.