Business English

Material
Level 1 – Rank D
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 1: Talking About Marketing

Read the story aloud.

See
TC Com is an international telecommunications company. TC
Com’s marketing department researches types of services
customers want and how much they can pay. There are many
types of customers, so there are many different needs. The
marketing department also researches their competitors’
services and tries to offer products that are more attractive.
There are many telecommunications companies, so it’s hard to
offer the best service to all customers.
John works in the marketing department at TC Com. John is
responsible for finding out customers’ needs. John gets
information from customers by doing customer surveys. The
cheapest way is by e-mail; however, the response rate is very
low. Another method is telephone surveys, but many customers
hate doing them. Another method John uses is face-to-face
surveys. However, this takes a lot time and money.
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 1: Talking About Marketing

Complete the tasks below.

Try
1. Practice answering and asking Yes-No-Key questions.
Example:
• Is TC Com an international telecommunications company?
• Is Hyundai an international telecommunications company?
• Which is an international telecommunications company?
2. Summarize the story above.

Act Consider the points below as you talk about marketing.

• How your company gets information from its customers

• The importance of marketing to your company’s business
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 2: Talking About Meetings

See Read the story aloud.

John attends a lot of meetings at TC Com. He has internal

meetings with his colleagues and people from other
departments. John also has external meetings with vendors
and prospective customers. Internal meetings at TC Com are
usually informal, but external meetings are formal.

John has a meeting with the marketing director. The purpose

of the meeting is to talk about the next advertising campaign.
The meeting is for one hour and there are four items on the
agenda. The attendees will be John, the marketing manager,
and the marketing director. John hopes he can express his
opinion openly in the meeting.
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 2: Talking About Meetings

Complete the tasks below.

Try
1. Practice answering and asking Yes-No-Key questions.
Example:
• Does John attend a lot of meetings at TC Com?
• Does John attend a few meetings at TC Com?
• How many meetings does John attend at TC Com?
2. Summarize the story above.

Act Consider the points below as you talk about your usual meetings.

• The purpose of these meetings

• The agenda and the attendees
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 3: Talking About Gossip

See Read the story aloud.

John often has lunch with his colleagues. They sometimes talk
about people they don’t like John says nothing bad about other
people, but he enjoys getting new information about them. He
knows that much of the gossip is not completely true.

John heard some big news from his colleagues. John heard
that his boss, George, may be transferred next year. John
dislikes his boss a little, so he’s happy to hear the news.
According to his colleague, George is very unhappy about the
transfer and is thinking of resigning from the company.
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 3: Talking About Gossip

Complete the tasks below.

Try
1. Practice answering and asking Yes-No-Key questions.
Example:
• Does John often have lunch with his colleagues?
• Does he often have lunch with his boss?
• Who does he often have lunch with?
2. Summarize the story above.

Act Consider the points below as you talk about gossip at work.

• What you talk about with your colleagues

• The last gossip you heard at the office
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 4: Talking About Promotions

See Read the story aloud.

Every March, HR holds a promotion test for its employees.

Employees recommended by their managers can take the test.
The test is different depending on the position. Because there
are so many employees, only a few people can pass the test
each year.

John has been selected to take the promotion test this year.
John is very excited about this, but he doesn’t have confidence
in himself. He needs to have an interview with the HR manager
and his boss. In the interview, they will ask him many
questions about his work and his performance. He needs to
prepare for his interview.
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 4: Talking About Promotions

Complete the tasks below.

Try
1. Practice answering and asking Yes-No-Key questions.
Example:
• Every March, does HR hold a promotion test for its employees?
• Every March, does the sales department hold a promotion test for
its employees?
• Every March, which department holds a promotion test for its
employees?
2. Summarize the story above.

Act Consider the points below as you talk about promotions.

• Your company’s promotion system

• The next position you’re aiming for
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 5: Talking About Company Facilities

See Read the story aloud.

The facilities at TC Com are very good. Its cafeteria offers

healthy dishes at reasonable prices. The company also has a
large area outside for employees to sit and eat their lunches.
The lobby is very big with meeting rooms for customers. On
the second floor, there’s a first aid room with a company
nurse. On the top floor, there’s an executive lounge for the
directors.

John is happy with the facilities at TC Com, but he would like

a better smoking area. There’s only one smoking area at TC
Com, and it’s outside. It has a small roof, so when it’s windy
and rainy, he gets wet. In winter, it gets really cold, and in
summer, it gets really hot. There are only a few smokers at TC
Com, so John knows his company won’t make a new smoking
area soon.
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 5: Talking About Company Facilities

Complete the tasks below.

Try
1. Practice answering and asking Yes-No-Key questions.
Example:
• Are the facilities at TC Com very good?
• Are the facilities at TC Com very bad?
• How are the facilities at TC Com?
2. Summarize the story above.

Act Consider the points below as you talk about your company
facilities.

• The types of facilities your company has

• What you think about your company facilities
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 6: Talking About Company Systems

See Read the story aloud.

All employees at TC Com use computers in their daily work. E-

mail is commonly used as a communication tool. They also
record and organize information using computers, such as
writing reports and other documents. Computers are also used
to analyze data which help people make decisions. Thanks to
computers, employees at TC Com can work anywhere at
anytime.

TC Com has recently installed a new computer system. The

system manages employees and customer information. The
system is really expensive, and many employees are having
trouble using it. Employees attended a workshop on how to use
the system, but it’s still not very clear. Many employees are
complaining about it.
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 6: Talking About Company Systems

Try Complete the tasks below.

1. Practice answering and asking Yes-No-Key questions.

Example:
• Do all employees at TC Com use computers in their daily work?
• Do all employees at TC Com use calculators in their daily work?
• What do all employees at TC Com use in their daily work?
2. Summarize the story above.

Act Consider the points below as you talk about your company’s
computer system.

• General overview of your computer system

• What you use computers for at work
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 7: Talking About Presentations

Read the story aloud.

See
John is really good at making presentations. John first thinks
about who the presentation is for. Then, he thinks about the
main message of his presentation. After that, he thinks of
three subtopics to support his main message. After he creates
his outline, he thinks of the details. Once he has written his
presentation, he practices it with his colleagues.
John made a presentation to the company executives. He
presented his new marketing idea. The presentation only
lasted for about 15 minutes, but the Q&A session took over 30
minutes. The executives asked him many difficult questions
about his idea. When John had trouble answering some of the
questions, his boss helped him. John felt the presentation
went well, and he thought the executives would approve his
idea.
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 7: Talking About Presentations

Try Complete the tasks below.

1. Practice answering and asking Yes-No-Key questions.
Example:
• Is John really good at making presentation?
• Is Tim really good at making presentation?
• Who is really good at making presentations?
2. Summarize the story above.

Act Consider the points below as you talk about your presentations.

• How you prepare for your presentation

• The goal and usual topics of your presentations
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 8: Talking About Stress

See Read the story aloud.

John is happy at TC Com, but he sometimes gets stressed with

work. Since John got promoted to assistant manager last
month, he has been given more work. He usually finishes work
at 10PM and sometimes works on Saturdays. He also has to
report to his boss on a weekly basis and has business trips
twice a week. He wishes he could take a vacation soon.

When John feels stressed out, he talks to his boss about it. He
listens carefully to his problems. After John talks to him, he
feels much better. John also goes out drinking with his
colleagues. He feels relieved when he talks about his
problems. He’s glad that he has supportive colleagues.
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 8: Talking About Stress

Try Complete the tasks below.

1. Practice answering and asking Yes-No-Key questions.
Example:
• Does John sometimes get stressed with work?
• Does John sometimes get stressed with his family?
• What does John sometimes get stressed with?
2. Summarize the story above.

Act Consider the points below as you talk about stress.

• Things that stress you out

• The way you manage stress
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 9: Talking About Teleconferencing

See Read the story aloud.

John is a member of a global project. He has a lot of

teleconferences with his global project team. Teleconferencing
is similar to having a meeting. However, it’s more difficult
because he can only hear his team members. To help
understand the meeting, John asks his members to speak
slowly. He also asks many questions to check if he understands.

John has a teleconference with his global team next week. To

prepare for his teleconference, he is putting together some
PowerPoint slides. He wants to show the slides while he speaks
so that the other members can understand him more easily. He
will also send his slides before the teleconference so that his
members can see them before the teleconference. John hopes
that everyone will understand his idea.
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 9: Talking About Teleconferencing

Try Complete the tasks below.

1. Practice answering and asking Yes-No-Key questions.
Example:
• Is John a member of a global project?
• Is Sandy a member of a global project?
• Who is a member of a global project?
2. Summarize the story above.

Act Consider the points below as you talk about teleconferencing.

• Your last teleconference

• The participants in the teleconference
 Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 10: Review

 Lesson 1: Talking about marketing

Tell me how your company gets information from
customers.
 Lesson 6: Talking about company systems
Tell me about what you use computers for in your
 Lesson 2: Talking about meetings work.
Tell me about the types of meetings you have at
your company.
 Lesson 7: Talking about presentations
Tell me about a presentation you delivered.
 Lesson 3: Talking about gossip
Tell me some gossip that you heard in your
company.  Lesson 8: Talking about stress
Tell me about what makes you stressed and what you
do when you’re stressed.
 Lesson 4: Talking about promotions
Tell me about the promotion system at your
company.  Lesson 9: Talking about teleconferencing
Tell me about your teleconferences in your company.
 Lesson 5: Talking about company facilities
Tell me about your company facilities.
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 11: Talking About Company Events

See Read the story aloud.

At TC Com, the company holds an annual employee dinner

party. Employees’ families get a chance to visit the company
and meet other employees. Each year, about 1000 people visit
TC Com for the event. There are always lots of food and
drinks. For entertainment, the company hires a live band.
They also hold a raffle and give out prizes. Everyone always
has a lot of fun.

Last year, John and his wife attended the annual company
dinner. This was John’s wife’s third time attending this event.
John introduces his wife to his new boss and his colleagues.
John drank lots of beer with his colleagues. His wife won a
prize in the raffle. It was a new music player. She was really
happy about it.
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 11: Talking About Company Events

Try Complete the tasks below.

1. Practice answering and asking Yes-No-Key questions.

Example:
• At TC Com, does the company hold an annual employee dinner party?
• At TC Com, does the company hold an annual customer dinner party?
• At TC Com, what party does the company hold?
2. Summarize the story above.

Act Consider the points below as you talk about the events in your
company.

• The kind of events your company holds for its employees

• How you feel when you attend these events
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 12: Talking About Miscommunication

See Read the story aloud.

Miscommunication is a common problem in any company. As TC

Com is a telecommunication company, employees need to be
careful when communicating. Meetings are always recorded by
a note taker, and the notes are sent out to all the attendees.
Also, employees are told to double-check e-mails before
sending them out.

There was some miscommunication in the marketing

department at TC Com. John wanted to have a meeting with
his colleagues last Wednesday. So, when John went to the
meeting room, only a few of his colleagues were there. So,
John had to reschedule the meeting.
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 12: Talking About Miscommunication

Try Complete the tasks below.

1. Practice answering and asking Yes-No-Key questions.
Example:
• Is miscommunication a problem in any company?
• Is motivation a problem in any company?
• What is a problem in any company?
2. Summarize the story above.

Act Consider the points below as you talk about miscommunication.

• Common reasons for miscommunication at work

• How you resolve this kind of issue
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 13: Talking About Customer Service

See Read the story aloud.

Good customer service is very important at TC Com. Their

employees are trained to be helpful to customers. TC Com also
responds very quickly to complaints. They have a 24-hour
hotline where customers can call and ask any questions about
TC Com’s services. TC COM also listens to customers and makes
changes to their service to meet the customers’ needs.

John is working on a new project. He wants to offer better

customer service. John feels that it’s not enough to just satisfy
customers. He thinks that it’s important to do something
special for customers. His idea is to offer some gifts to
longtime users. He will present this idea to his boss tomorrow.
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 13: Talking About Customer Service

Try Complete the tasks below.

1. Practice answering and asking Yes-No-Key questions.
Example:
• Is good customer service very important at TC Com?
• Is bad customer service very important at TC Com?
• What is very important at TC Com?
2. Summarize the story above.

Act Consider the points below as you talk about customer service.

• How your company tries to meet customer’s needs

• What do you do to go the extra mile
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 14: Talking About Time Management

See Read the story aloud.

Poor time management causes a lot of stress. At TC Com,

employees are trained to prioritize their work. Employees
should do the work that is the most important first. However,
many employees often do the work that they like first. This is
a common problem at TC Com.

John needs to improve his time management skills. He often

makes mistakes with his schedule and is late for meetings.
Recently, he started to keep a To-Do list, but often forgets to
update it. Last week, John’s boss was very angry with him
because John missed a very important deadline. John needs to
learn to better manage his time.
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 14: Talking About Time Management

Try Complete the tasks below.

1. Practice answering and asking Yes-No-Key questions.

Example:
• Does poor time management cause a lot of stress?
• Does poor time management cause a little stress?
• How much stress does poor time management cause?

2. Summarize the story above.

Act Consider the points below as you talk about time management.

• The way you manage your time

• The benefits of good time management
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 15: Talking About Teamwork

See Read the story aloud.

There are many opportunities to work in teams at TC Com.

John’s boss selects team members and a leader. When john’s
boss sets up a team, he selects employees who think
differently from each other. He does this so that the team can
come up with many new ideas. The members sometimes
disagree with one another, but John’s boss thinks it’s OK.

John is the team leader of a new team at TC Com. It’s his first
time to lead a team, so he’s very nervous. It’s very difficult to
lead the team because two members oppose each other. In
team meetings, when one of them expresses an opinion, the
other person always disagrees. John wishes his team members
could get along.
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 15: Talking About Teamwork

Try Complete the tasks below.

1. Practice answering and asking Yes-No-Key questions.

Example:
• Are there many opportunities to work in teams at TC Com?
• Are there many opportunities to work individually at TC Com?
• What opportunities are there to do at TC Com?
2. Summarize the story above.

Act Consider the points below as you talk about teamwork.

• The kind of teamwork you have at work

• The pros and cons of working in a team
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 16: Talking About Office Problems

See Read the story aloud.

HR at TC Com receives many complaints from employees. One

common complaint is noise. Many employees complain that
some workers are too loud. If the noise is coming from music or
chatting, it’s easy for the HR manager to handle the problem.
However, sometimes the employee just has a loud voice.

John has a very sensitive nose. So, he really dislikes strong

smells. However, every lunchtime, his colleague always brings a
smelly lunch. His colleague likes garlic and spicy foods, so the
smell is usually very strong. John complained about this to the
HR department, but he was told that there is no rule about
smelly lunches. So, John has requested to move to a different
desk.
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 16: Talking About Office Problems

Complete the tasks below.

Try
1. Practice answering and asking Yes-No-Key questions.
Example:
• Does the HR department at TC Com receive many complaints from
employees?
• Does the sales department at TC Com receive many complaints
from employees?
• Which department at TC Com receives many complaints from
employees?
2. Summarize the story above.

Act Consider the points below as you talk about office problems.

• Common office problems you have

• How you feel about certain office problems
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 17: Talking About the Internet

See Read the story aloud.

The Internet is a very important tool for TC Com employees,

especially for the marketing department. Marketers can do
research on competitors and see consumer trends. They can
also get the most recent information on business news. This
information helps the marketing department to make quick
decisions for their company.

One problem is that employees can use the Internet for

personal use. Some employees check their personal e-mails
and shop online. John and his wife work 5 days a week. So
they’re too busy to do grocery shopping during the week. So,
John usually spends a few minutes each day at the office to
buy food online. He thinks it’s not a big deal.
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 17: Talking About the Internet

Complete the tasks below.

Try
1. Practice answering and asking Yes-No-Key questions.
Example:
• Is the Internet a very important tool, especially for the marketing
department?
• Is the Internet a very important tool, especially for the sales
department?
• Which department is the Internet a very important tool?
2. Summarize the story above.

Act Consider the points below as you talk about the Internet.

• Your business and personal use of the Internet

• The pros and cons of using the Internet at work
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 18: Talking About Outsourcing

See Read the story aloud.

At TC Com, outsourcing has become a common part of their

business. When John joined TC Com five years ago, the IT
department had over 50 people. However, now there are only
about 15. IT work is now outsourced to India. The IT engineers
in India are very productive.

TC Com has recently outsourced their call center to a small

European company. However, TC Com has received several
complaints from customers. Some customers have complained
that the call center operators lack information about TC Com’s
services. John’s boss needs to decide what to do. He hopes to
meet with the call center manager to discuss the problem.
Level 1 – Rank C – Lesson 18: Talking About Your Guests

Try Complete the tasks below.

1. Practice answering and asking Yes-No-Key questions.

Example:
• At TC Com, has outsourcing become a common part of their business?
• At TC Com, has networking become a common part of their business?
• At TC Com, what has become a common part of their business?
2. Summarize the story above.

Act Consider the points below as you talk about outsourcing.

• A business process you’d like to outsource

• The pros and cons of outsourcing this process
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 19: Talking About Networking

See Read the story aloud.

John would like to know more people in different industries.

He only knows a couple of vendors. John’s boss told him that
he could meet many people through networking. John is
thinking where he could meet these people.

John attended a telecommunications trade show last week. He

visited many booths and exchanged business cards. He met
with people from many companies in the telecommunications
industry. He met with some people working for competitors
too. When he got back to the office, he sent a thank you e-
mail to all of them.
Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 19: Talking About Networking

Try Complete the tasks below.

1. Practice answering and asking Yes-No-Key questions.

Example:
• Would John like to know more people in different industries?
• Would he like to know more people in the automobile industry?
• In which industry would he like to know more people?
2. Summarize the story above.

Act Consider the points below as you talk about networking.

• The kind of people you’d like to make connections with

• The importance of networking in your job
 Level 1 – Rank D – Lesson 20: Review
 Lesson 11: Taking about company events
Tell me about company events at your
company.
 Lesson 12: Talking about miscommunication
Tell me about a time you had some
miscommunication at work.
 Lesson 13: Talking about customer service
Tell me about customer service in your
company.
 Lesson 14: Talking about time management
Tell me how you manage your time.
 Lesson 15: Talking about teamwork
Tell me about a team that you worked with.
 Lesson 16: Talking about office problems
Tell me about some common problems in your
office.
 Lesson 17: Talking about the Internet
Tell me how you use the Internet for work and
for personal use.
 Lesson 18: Talking about outsourcing
Tell me what type of work your company
outsources.
 Lesson 19: Talking about networking
Tell me how networking is important for your
business.