BUSINESS ENGLISH

UNIT 1 INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS ENGLISH

1.1 Introduction to Business English

1.2 General English Verses Plain English Verses Business English
1.3 Concept
1.4 Objectives
1.5 Identification of the Language of Business English
1.6 Learners of Business English
1.7 Importance of Business English
1.8 Summary

Unit Objectives:

 Describe the concept of Business English

 Explain the objectives of Business English
 Identify the unique characteristics of Business English
 Discuss the categories of typical learners of Business English

1.1 Introduction to Business English

The relationship between India and the English language goes back to the 17theCentury when the
British invaded India. To effectively administer a vast and vibrant empire across the subcontinent where
thousands of languages were spoken, the British declared English as the official language to easily
communicate with the Indians. The Indians, on their part, learned English not just to communicate with
their colonial lords, but also to do business with them; get jobs in administration,
services,andmilitary;learnscience,medicine,law,andengineering;and,generally, to improve their
standard.

Even after independence in 1947, English has continued to be used for all official purposes in India,
including parliamentary proceedings, judiciary, and communications between the Central Government
and the State Governments. Today, India is the second-largest English-speaking country, after the US.
About 10% of the Indian population, which is about 125 million people, speak English. Indian businesses
use English as their language of communication inside and outside the boardrooms. It is the language
that has enabled businesses to expand their reach worldwide. For example, a Marwari businessman
from India may be dealing with a businessman from Saudi Arabia, who prefers to speak in Arabic.

However, when they will meet for the first time, both of them will speak English– English becomes the
common link between them .In the world of the Internet and social media, English has assumed even
more importance. Millions of Indians can now access websites, apps, news, and other forms of

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information on the Internet. Most of these tools are in the English language only. According to a study
titled ‘The National Spoken English Skills of Engineers Report’ by Aspiring Minds, 97% of engineers in
India are unable to get their aspirational jobs due to inadequate English fluency. The Indian Human
Development Survey conducted in 2012 revealed that 21% of respondents can speak a little English;
whereas, only 5.2% indicated that they were fluent in the language.

In this unit, you will learn about the concept of Business English, its significance in today’s world, its
objectives, and its prime learners.

1.2 General English Verses Plain English Verses Business English

English, being widely used worldwide as a language for communication, has become the lingua franca in
businesses for many years already. Learning a second language results in stronger communication skills
leading to improved understanding and trust when it comes to dealing with people in various fields.

However, did you know that general English and business English have been distinguished apart? Aside
from the fact that General English is commonly used for day to day conversations, business English is
learned and used for specific purposes.

The difference also between the two kinds of English as forms of communication is the purpose of why
people are learning the language. Business English is considered to be the advanced form of the
language and is regarded to be focusing deep within its vocabulary to practice analysation of various
content and topics.

Plain English

There is a growing move to simplify the language used in official and business documents since many of
these have become so convoluted that the intended message is lost. This move is known as the
campaign for plain English.

The Plain English Campaign says,” Plain English gets its meaning across clearly and concisely to its
intended audience.”

“Plain English is clear, straightforward expression, using only as many words as are necessary… Writers
of plain English let their audience concentrate on the message instead of being distracted by
complicated language. They make sure that their audience understands the message easily” said by
Professor Robert Eagleson.

Overly complicated, bureaucratic language and corporate jargon have infiltrated much contemporary
writing and limit our ability to communicate.

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Being able to communicate effectively is one of the most important life skills and so the infographic
below introduces the concept of plain English and gives some examples of how you can make your
writing clearer.

Plain English is a style of writing that enables the reader to understand the message the first time they
read it. It uses short, clear sentences and everyday words without unnecessary jargon.

To use plain English, you may need to edit your writing several times over, or even ask someone else to
read it for you.

When you first write a document, do not worry too much about using plain English but just get the
words down and your message across.

Here are our tips on how to then review your work:

1. First take a break before rereading what you have written so that you can come to it fresh.
2. Pick out the jargon. Look for the phrases listed in the infographic above, as well as stock ones such as
“client services”, “think outside the box” or “hit the ground running”. Ask yourself what you mean by
these and rewrite or delete the phrase.
3. Delete unnecessary words. Look for extra words that you don’t really need such as “in order to” instead
of just “to”, “together with” or “in conjunction with” instead of “with” on its own.
4. Shorten your sentences. You may find that in some places you made a point but then had to qualify it by
explaining background information as an afterthought in lots of sub clauses. If you have, reorder the
information and use more than one sentence to rewrite it.
5. Repeat these stages until you are happy with the text.

Remember that the point of plain English is to communicate clearly and concisely with your intended
audience.

(Source: https://www.skillsyouneed.com/)1

1.3 Concept of Business English

Business English has evolved as a special branch of the English language. It is particularly in demand
among non-native-English-speaking countries. Business English is the language of communication in
international trade, commerce, and finance. It has specific vocabulary and jargon, which are used in
business meetings, presentations, negotiations, correspondence, and reports in offices.

Business English skills are essential for getting ahead at work. Improving your business English
vocabulary and knowledge will help you work more effectively and open up new career opportunities.
Companies across the world have made English the mandatory language for corporate communications.
They are doing so to ensure that they do not miss out on opportunities. The French, the Japanese, and
the Chinese may be passionate about their local languages, but they are realizing that they must learn to

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communicate in English to deal with their international partners and customers. The global world means
a global workforce. It is common in multinational companies to have a localized team, but a manager
based in some foreign country. That is the reason why several multinational companies have made
English mandatory for official purposes and communication.

Proficiency and fluency in English enable a person to not only communicate the message successfully,
but also to stand out from the rest. Many successful professionals have built sterling careers on account
of their comprehension, clarity, and coherence in Business English. General English and Business English
are not the same. General English is not designated to improve employees’ skills, but Business English
helps employees improve their communication and interaction skills. The path to learning Business
English may have its challenges, but it surely opens many doors of opportunity. Learning Business
English enables a person to do his job in a better manner. Companies often hire professionals for
improving employees’ communication skills.

1.4 Objectives of Business English

Business English is a branch of English for Special Purposes (ESP). It is designated to improve the job-
related skills of people so that they become operationally effective. In a business environment where
there is cut-throat competition, it is necessary for people to become effective communicators. They may
not be much concerned about understanding the refinements of the English language, butwant to learn
adequate English to perform their jobs sufficiently. If persons are working full time, then they have even
less time to learn a new language. Time is usually scarce among learners of Business English. Therefore,
the main objective of learners of Business English .Courses is to use the language to be able to perform
their jobs better.

Some important objectives of Business English are as follows:

 To develop confidence and fluency in speaking English

 To organize and structure information in English language
 To communicate ideas clearly and confidently
 To respond promptly to the messages delivered by others
 To develop awareness of the appropriate behavior and language for the culture in which they are
operating
 To develop practical reading and writing skills (optional for some learners)

1.5 Identification of the Language of Business English

Learning of Business English depends on individual needs. In order to learn Business English, learners
need not be fluent in General English. The foundation of the English language is built through Business

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English. Business English builds on the basics of General English to focus on business situations that
require clarity, logic, comprehension, articulation, and presentation of information in business
communications. General English focuses on topics centered on family, friends, and general life
situations, whereas Business English deals with task-basedor job-related situations.

Considering that China is going to be the dominant economy of the world at some point in the near
future, will Mandarin replace English as the lingua franca? Probably, but not likely because:

 English had a huge head start due to the British colonialism and Mandarin would not be able to cover
that gap.
 Mandarin is relatively more difficult to learn than English

There are three unique characteristics of Business English:

a. Sense of purpose
b. Social aspects
c. Clear communication

a. Sense of Purpose

Not only companies but the employees working within companies also compete with each other to
promote their careers. Therefore, an employee in any organization would want to use English to achieve
performance objectives rather than to learn the language for its own sake. For example, the aim of a
Chinese manager working in a company branch in Noida, India would be to use English to build better
relations with the local staff and local business people. Similarly, if a team of Indian programmers go to
Paris on a project, then their aim would be to know enough English to be able to communicate their
requirements to the onsite French team. Here, the French team also must know adequate English to
communicate with their Indian counterparts. Any hidden risk of mistakes and misunderstanding in the
use of English may cost a company dearly.

The use of Business English is mostly objective rather than subjective. People usually learn Business
English to crack business deals by negotiating and convincing other parties to understand their
viewpoint by expressing facts (objective use) rather than their personal feelings (subjective use). For
example, if a person disagrees on something in a business meeting, then he/she is more likely to say
‘This has a disadvantageof…,’ratherthan‘Idon’tbelieveinthisbecauseIfeelthat….’

b. Social Aspects
A critical aspect of working in a company is to build social relations with strangers. If people are working
in an international business context, then they may need to contact and connect whom they have
never met before or know only slightly. Meetings also tend to be quick and specific. Therefore, it is
important for people from different cultures and languages to quickly break ice with each other and get

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straight to the point. Consequently, there are certain-known social protocols, which are maintained in a
predictable pattern of exchanges.
For instance, people use prescribed language as they greet and introduce one another. The style is
generally polite and also brief and direct. There may be specific situations where meetings are extended
to give participants more time to get to know each other, such as a business lunch. However, the style
and content of such interactions are such that a good social relation is built without stepping too close
for comfort.
c. Clear Communication
Communication must be clear without any misunderstanding even if there is no time to refine the
message or process the information. Therefore, the sender of the message must present a clear and
logical thought process. This can be done by using words such as ‘in order to ‘for this reason’, and ‘as a
result’.
The information must be clear and precise, particularly if it is being exchanged over a telephone or an
email. To do so, users can employ certain familiar business words/ terms, such as just in time delivery,
primary industry, or parent company.

1.6 Learners of Business English

Learners of Business English can be classified into the following three categories:
a. Pre-experience learners
b. Low-experience learners
c. Job-experienced learners
Let us understand the three categories of learners in detail:

a. Pre-Experience Learners
The pre-experience learners are those who do not have any experience of English speaking and who
have not done any work in English. Therefore, this category of learners does not have any immediate or
clear requirement of Business English courses. They just want to pass the examination or interviews.
They must start delivering presentations in a mix of both local and English languages to get hold of the
language.
Pre-experience learners expect Business English courses to revise their grammar, teach some basic
Business English, and improve general vocabulary to appear in the examination or interviews. Therefore,
Business English courses for general purposes are mostly taught to the pre-experience category of
learners. These courses also include business situations. The Business English curriculum for pre-
experience learners provides the foundation of Business English and sets exact objectives for the course.
The following are some tips for instructors to teach Business English to pre- experience learners:
 Learners should be asked how they will use English in their jobs .If they are unable answer this question,
then experts, HR managers, or books should be consulted. The instruction should be tailored based on
the requirement of learners.
 If it is not possible to accurately predict how learners will be using English in future, then a wide range of
business situations should be covered in the curriculum.

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 Learners can be given imaginary role-plays and assigned homework on research accordingly.
 The chosen business topics should be relevant and interesting event or learners who do not belong to
the field. These topics can be found in Business English textbooks, articles from newspapers and
magazines, and questions from trivia games.
 Learners can be asked to appear in Business English exams, such as BULATS and TOEIC. These exams
include Business English vocabulary appropriate for pre- experience learners.
 During the sessions, learners should be encouraged to talk about any subject of their choice. This will
help them build their confidence in speaking in English and become more fluent.
 Each class can be started with an on-job related warmer such as ‘What did you do during the weekend?’.
This will help students to practice their fluency and gain confidence in speaking English language. To
build confidence among learners, the first topics for discussion must be easy.
Organizations must initiate the culture of English speaking at workplace from the initial stage and, for
that, it must:
 Involve all employees (explain why learning English is beneficial to them and to the organization)
 Ask managers to ensure compliance and train them to handle sensitive issues related to change
 Coach native English speakers to speak more clearly and use simpler words
 Ensure compliance from non-native English speakers

b. Low-Experience Learners
Low-experience learners are in the middle of pre-experience and job-experienced learners. This
category of learners requires the use of Business English to get new positions or gain new skills. They
may be given courses with skills, such as writing email, participating in meetings, or presenting
information in formal or informal meetings, depending on their types of jobs.
These learners are interested in learning the practical use of the English language rather than theories.
They want their courses to prepare them adequately for a new job or a new project. For example, a
salesperson would want an English course to teach him how to call on a potential customer comfortably,
discuss the product features, and resolve the customer’s queries. The salesperson would want to know
the basic vocabulary terms used in the job, rather than the proper English grammar.
The following are some tips for instructors to teach Business English to low- experience learners:
 Learners’ career goals and aspirations must be determined early on. This can be done through a needs
analysis. A class of Business English should start with need analysis only. Learners’ jobs can be divided
into specific skills, such as conducting more effective telephone conferences, writing clear and precise
emails, facilitating meetings, etc.
 The context in which the learners need to use English should be determined. This includes finding their
purpose of learning English, the people they need to communicate with during their work, the
conditions under which they communicate, etc.
 Teachers should demonstrate business-like behavior. They can do so by being punctual, professional and
competent.

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 Learners should be motivated by teachers. They should keep energy levels in the class high and give
enough collaborative tasks and speaking practices. The self- study work should be best given as
homework.
 The relevant situations for teaching Business English must be searched. Learners can be asked to provide
examples from their working lives. These materials can be leaflets, emails, presentations, or reports.
Learners should be asked why these resources are important to the man d what they want to take away
from the lesson. Then, the teacher and the learner must mutually agree on how to meet their
requirements.
 Low-experience learners can have high expectations from their Business English class. They might want
to have the Business English class time early on in the morning or late in the evening to accommodate
their busy schedules. There is also a probability of last-minute cancellation by learners due to work
emergencies. Therefore, teachers should not get frustrated with such unforeseen circumstances; they
should accept that to learners, work is their priority. What they can do, however, is negotiate a
cancellation policy, such as informing of a cancellation 24-48 hours in advance. It is also important to
demonstrate flexibility. A teacher may have prepared a class for 6-8 people, but only one person might
show up. In such cases, the teacher must flexibly adjust the session on a one-to-one basis.

c. Job-Experienced Learners
Job-experienced learners have specific requirements related to their job. For instance, Neetu, a learner,
works in the public relations or external communications department, and thus she would know exactly
what she needs from the Business English course. Therefore, such learners are taught on an individual
basis. Their curriculum is specifically tailored to their requirements, which must be practical. It must be
noted that Business English should mostly be taught within the context of learners. The flexibility trait
among Business English teachers will help them the most while teaching a job-experienced class for
which work is their priority.

Most job-experienced learners have had a previous opportunity to use English in their jobs. They are
familiar with the basic vocabulary used in their area of business. What they may lack, however, is the
specialist knowledge of English to express themselves confidently in real business situations. Although
they would have little hesitancy in speaking English, they may be using incorrect grammar or their
vocabulary may be pretty basic. As a result, they may not be getting the desired promotion or projects.
Some learners may even have lost confidence due to inadequate knowledge of grammar, use of tenses,
and sentence construction. Therefore, these students need to know the basic rules of English grammar
and have enough practices to improve their fluency with the language.

Here are some tips to improve fluency in Business English among job-experienced learners:

 Establish-specific goals: The goals should be exact, challenging, and achievable, with clear deadlines.
 Non-example: ‘I want to deliver a presentation in English.’

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 Example: ‘I want to comfortably deliver a 10-minute presentation in English about the sales
performance at the end of the quarter.’
 Develop habits: Encourage the habit to practice English every day or week. This will help to build
momentum and develop a habit of learning among learners.

Some examples to develop habits include:

 Reading one business or industry-related article every day

 Delivering a presentation in English every week or once in 15days
 Writing weekly reports in English
 Self-belief: Learners must believe that they would be able to achieve their established goals. This will
motivate them to take on more challenging tasks.
 Develop a positive attitude: Learners must enjoy the learning experience. If they fear practicing in
English, then they should re-evaluate their approach towards the practice sessions. To make the
learning experience more enjoyable, they can watch English movies every week or practice reading the
English version of their favorite books.
 Use original English materials: Learners must watch original English programs, such as BBC News and
TED Talks. This will expose them to the use of English language as spoken by the native speakers. This
will help them get the proper pronunciation of words, dialect, etc. Learners may also imitate the format,
structure, and style of their favorite speakers in real-life situations.
 Join a learning community: There may be lots of apps in the market claiming to improve English skills.
However, the best results can only be achieved by joining a supportive learning community with an
effective teacher. The teacher will help learners set realizable goals and overcome roadblocks that may
impede their learning progress. Members in the learning community will push learners to keep up with
their lessons and give honest feedback on the progress made. The learning community can be a real one
or it can be on social media, and both are effective.
 Ask for feedback: Finally, learners must seek immediate and frequent feedback on their learning
progress from their teachers or learning community mentors. They can seek feedback while practicing
for a critical speech or a presentation. Learners should seek opinions from those who love to nit-pick on
basic grammar and pronunciation; these people are the most effective sources for perfecting language
skills

1.7 Importance of Business English

English has fast become the most widely used language in the world of trade and commerce over the
past decade or two. As a result, having an excellent knowledge of English for business has become vital
for success in any employee’s career. No more so than in that of international students seeking better
career prospects in an English speaking country.

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The spread of the English language can be traced back to the days of the colonial expansion and has fast
become the default language in all official forms of communication in most countries around the world.
In today’s business oriented world, English is widely used as the major medium of communication for
both small business concerns and large corporate entities alike. As the Lingua Franca in almost all of the
developing nations all over the world, English is the preferred language in the business community as
many business partners nowadays do not speak the same native language.

It can cross international borders and transcend language compatibility barriers that have made English
the most sought after language in today’s corporate world. The proficiency of the language has also
made it a vital part of success in the highly competitive corporate world. Many reputed organisations
around the world rely on English as a means of communication in everything from emails to corporate
documentation to even popular and well-read business resources both in print and over electronic
media. English is being used as the official language in over 70 countries. Fluency in English, both written
and spoken plays a critical role in many aspects of corporate life from securing employment to
communicating with clientele and achieving cohesive business partnerships all over the world.

English has now become a global language for business all over the world to such an extent that it is the
standard official language in certain industries such as the shipping and airline industries. It has resulted
in the knowledge of English being a near-mandatory requirement for critical jobs such as airline pilots
and naval officers, etc. Apart from having an impressive command of spoken English today’s competitive
corporate culture demands an equally impressive command of written English as well. It is mainly
because almost all forms of business communication such as emails, presentations, sales and marketing
and even corporate legal documentation are now carried out in English.

(Source: https://tv-english.club/)

1.8 Summary

Business English has evolved as a special branch of the English language. It is the language of
communication in international trade, commerce and finance. Companies across the world have made
English as the mandatory language for corporate communications. The main objective of people to learn
Business English is to use the language to perform their jobs efficiently and effectively. The three
characteristics of Business English are sense of purpose, social aspects, and clear communication. The
three main types of learners of Business English are pre-experience learners low-experience learners
and job-experienced learners. Pre-experience learners are those who do not have any experience of
English speaking and who have not done any work in English. Low-experience learners are in the middle
of pre-experience and job-experienced learners. Job-experienced learners have specific requirements
related to their job.

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Self Assessment Questions

English level test

This English level test will give you an approximate indication of your English level.

About the online level test

 10 multiple-choice questions
 5 minutes

Results

Your result will be one of three possible levels:

 Beginner to pre-intermediate
 Intermediate
 Upper intermediate or above.

1. Choose the best word to complete the sentence.

The baby boy saw ... in the mirror and started to cry.

a. itself

b. herself

c. himself

2. Choose the best word or phrase to complete the sentence.

A lot of trains ... late today due to the heavy storms.

a. are run

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b. run

c. are running

3. Choose the best word or phrase to complete the sentence.

... was a strong wind last night.

a. There

b. Here

c. This

4. Choose the best word or phrase to complete the sentence.

Firstly, I want to congratulate you all. Secondly, I would like to wish you good luck and ... I hope you have
enjoyed the course.

a. in the end

b. at last

c. finally

5. Choose the best word or phrase to complete the sentence.

You ... clean your teeth twice a day to avoid having problems.

a. can

b. should

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c. will

6. Choose the best word or phrase to complete the sentence.

The children thought they were ... when they saw the bull.

a. in a danger

b. in danger

c. in the danger

7. Choose the best word or phrase to complete the dialogue.

Jack: I think it’s going to rain.

Jill: I ... , the clouds are clearing.
Jack: We’ll soon see.

a. disagree

b. complain

c. argue

8. Choose the best word or phrase to complete the sentence.

I really don’t like this meal. ... money in the world wouldn’t get me to eat it.

a. Whatever

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b. Enough

c. All the

9. Choose the best word or phrase to complete the sentence.

Last year, Joanna bought two ... coats in New York.

a. long, black, leatherb. black, long, leatherc. leather, black, long

10. Choose the best word or phrase to complete the sentence.

I must report to the meeting that Cyrus completed his first piece of work well ahead of schedule. ...,
however, his work has been handed in late.

a. Sequentially

b. Subsequently

c. Consequently

(Source: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/online-english-level-test)

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