Tag: Business

Conversation with Colleagues

B1 – Intermediate

Business is all about good communication. While communicating with customers is important, internal communication must be given attention, too.

Communicating effectively with your colleagues minimizes misunderstandings and increases work efficiency. Active communication also produces healthy working relationships. This, in turn, creates a more pleasant and less stressful work environment.

Watch the video about a conversation with a colleague.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Is it easy to communicate with your colleagues? Why or why not?
  2. What do you often talk about with your colleagues?
  3. Talk about a situation when you had a miscommunication with your colleagues. How was the problem resolved?
  4. What can be done to avoid miscommunication at work?

Rip-off Restaurant

B1 –  Intermediate

Japanese tourists were allegedly ripped off their meal at a Venice restaurant. The tourists reported the incident to the police which was then escalated to the mayor.

Let’s find out more by clicking on the links.

Audio  (Listen before reading the text)

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1801/180124-rip-off-restaurant.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What’s your take on the issue?
2. What do you think of the mayor’s reaction?
3. Have you ever been ripped off? If so, how and why?
4. Do you check TripAdvisor.com for a certain establishment’s rating?

Corporate Social Responsibility

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We normally associate business with financial gains. But at the end of the day, is it really just about the money?

In recent times, a lot of companies are moving toward dedicating their efforts to developing their company’s corporate social responsibility’s arm.

Check out the link below for a better understanding of CSR.

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/corp-social-responsibility.asp

Discussion Questions:

1. In your own understanding, what is CSR?
2. In your opinion, should CSR be an important part of any company? Why or why not?
3. Talk about your company’s CSR.

UK Ban on Petrol and Diesel Cars

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Undeniably, air pollution has been a problem in every country around the world. No wonder a lot of car companies are heading for electric and hybrid cars in the future. Just recently, the UK has announced its plans to fight air pollution by banning petrol and diesel cars starting 2040.

Is it a good idea or will it be a little too late by then?  Let’s read the article below and let us know your opinion about the subject.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-26/uk-to-ban-sales-of-petrol-diesel-fuelled-cars-from-2040-reports/8744076

Let’s talk:

1. What do you think about Britain’s plan to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2040?
2. Would you support such a ban in your country? Why? Why not?
3. How long do you think it will be before all cars on the road are electric? Why?
4. Do you believe that electric cars will be cheaper to maintain than ICE cars by 2025-2029? Why? Why not?
5. What do you think governments should do to encourage people to buy electric cars?
6. Why do you think some people are still skeptical about electric cars?

Public Napping Space in Madrid

B1 – Intermediate

Siesta is an old Spanish tradition. With the advent of technology and amidst the fast-paced city life, a Spanish company opened a place for taking naps.

This Madrid-based nap bar said on their website, “The siesta is considered one of those small pleasures of life, especially recommended in every way for its clear health benefits”.

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about this interesting public napping space.

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/madrid-becomes-the-latest-city-to-open-public-napping-space/3976843.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think about Siesta & Go’s nap bar?
  2. Would you be interested in visiting a nap bar? Why? Why not?
  3. Are you able to sleep anywhere? Why? Why not?
  4. Do you think that naps are beneficial for one’s health? Why? Why not?
  5. Are there napping spaces in your town or city? If so, please describe how they work. If not, do you think there should be one? Why? Why not?

Instant Gratification in Marketing

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Humans are naturally inclined to have desires for things. In the business setting, whoever provides these desires in the best way and timely manner possible, gets ahead of the competition.

With this in mind, instant gratification can offer a wide array of benefits for digital marketers.

Get a deeper understanding of instant gratification, how it works to a company’s advantage in marketing, and ways to provide it to customers.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/235088

Discussion Questions:

1. Explain why people expect immediate responses now.

2. What are your thoughts on the ideas presented in this article?

3. What are some other ways to handle customer’s desire for instant gratification?

4. Does the company you work for use instant gratification? In what ways?

5. Do you agree that instant gratification provides benefits for businesses?

Google to Stop Searching Email to Sell Advertisements

 

© user: photo-mix / Pixabay / Public Domain
© user: photo-mix / Pixabay / Public Domain

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Do you ever wonder why the right products show up on the side of your screen whenever you open the Google website? They are secretly scanning and searching for our activities and match it with the products we would likely buy. For some, the thought of it is scary. No wonder human rights activists are concerned about it for years.

Read more about it here:

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/google-stop-scanning-ads-gmail/3916800.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What email service do you use? Why?
2. Do you find online ads useful or annoying? Why?
3. Why do you think Google is the most popular search engine?
4. Do you worry about your privacy when you browse the internet? Why? Why not?
5. Do you think that email scanning is an invasion of privacy? Why? Why not?

Forget Office Cubicles, Try ‘Co-working’

© Josh Hallett from Winter Haven, FL, USA / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-2.0

B2 – Upper Intermediate

In a more globalized world, sharing resources hasn’t been new. Now, a new concept of a “Co-working Space” which helps small businesses and self-employed individuals to stay connected with others by renting a room or small place to work.

Let’s learn more about this and read the article below!

https://www.voanews.com/a/co-working-new-office-style/3365475.html

Discuss:

1. What does Carl Pierre think the advantages of such a workspace are?
2. What do you think about the concept of co-working spaces?
3. What does your workspace look like?
4. Do you prefer working outdoors or in an office? Why?
5. Do you think that, in the future, all business will be conducted from a co-working space? Why or why not?
6. Do you think that, in the future, offices will become obsolete because of the Internet? Why or why not?

How to Haggle: Successful Bargaining Tips

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Bargaining or haggling is a type of negotiation in which the buyer and seller of a good or service debate the price of a transaction.  Not all purchases are open to bargaining. Typical places where bargaining is common include markets, antique shops, and second-hand car shops.

Click the link and read a few guidelines to help us get the best bargain. Answer the discussion questions that follow:

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/money/how-to-haggle

Discussion Questions:

  1. Is bargaining an acceptable practice in your country?
  2. In what kinds of shops is it acceptable?
  3. Do you like to bargain?
  4. What sort of things have you bargained for?
  5. What’s the best bargain you have got?
  6. What strategies did you use?
  7. Have you ever been ripped off?
  8. What is the bargaining etiquette in your country?
  9. What other negotiating do you do in your everyday life?
  10. What are some reasons people give for wanting a price reduction?

Tesco Homeplus Virtual Subway Store

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Innovation is the development and implementation of ideas that lead to more value for whatever business you are in.

When grocery chain Tesco wanted to expand their market share in South Korea, they came up with a brilliant idea. Because the people in South Korea work long hours, Tesco thought of an efficient way to sell their products.  Why is this shop interesting to view?

Watch the video to find out. Be able to answer the questions that follow.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think about Tesco’s virtual store at subway stations in South Korea?
  2. How was Tesco better than its competitor in terms of innovation?
  3. Do you think this innovative idea could be successfully applied in all countries? Explain.
  4. What are the most important innovations for you in your daily life?
  5. Have you ever worked for a company that has implemented any innovative ideas? Talk about it.
  6. Have you ever had an innovative idea? If so, did you put it into action?