Special Courses: Using English at Work

LESSONS INCLUDED:

Lesson 1 – Arriving at Work

Learn how to talk about security gates, parking permits, key cards, badges, entrances, visitor passes, and the sort of English you'll need to get started in the morning. Included in this lesson:

• An explanation of the popular American phrase “TGIF”
• Vocabulary related to parking your car at work
• The difference between “at all times” and “in no time”
• What it means “to make fun of” someone, and why it’s not always fun

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Lesson 2 – Checking Email, Mail, and Voicemail

Every businessperson has mail, email, and voicemail to deal with. Understand how to use the most important terms for all three in this lesson. Included in this lesson:

• Vocabulary related to physical mail, including “junk mail”
• A typical routine for checking and sorting email
• What to do when friends “forward” personal emails to you at work
• Common steps to take when checking your phone’s “voicemail”

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Lesson 3 – Attending the Morning Meeting

Have to go to a morning meeting with your boss? Learn some typical English phrases and expressions used at these meetings. Included in this lesson:

• A description of where many meetings occur: the “conference room”
• Common meeting vocabulary, such as “agenda” and “handout”
• Why not everyone is “paying attention” in a meeting
• What a “pep talk” is at the end of a meeting

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Lesson 4 – Working at Your Desk

Can you describe everything on your desk at work right now in English? You will after listening to and reading this lesson, which will explain it all to you. Included in this lesson:

• Vocabulary related to your work desk and the things on and around it
• Common office supplies, including “paper clips” and “Scotch tape”
• An explanation of the phrase “get down to business”
• Tasks to do at work, such as “take notes” and “analyze data”

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Lesson 5 – Taking a Break and Eating Lunch

Some of the most important conversations with your co-workers happen when you're not working, such as on a break or eating lunch. Learn how to handle them in this lesson. Included in this lesson:

• The “break room” and what kind of snacks you can find there
• Being invited to go out to lunch with coworkers
• Vocabulary related to having lunch at a restaurant
• The difference between “separate checks” and paying together

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Lesson 6 – Having Computer Problems

Almost no one works without a computer anymore, and almost everyone has computer problems! Learn the most common ones and how to describe them in this lesson. Included in this lesson:

• Common computer vocabulary, such as “mouse” and “keyboard”
• Several different problems you might have with your computer
• Idioms including “make headway,” “acting up,” and “a mile a minute”
• What happens when you call the “computer tech” to help fix things

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Lesson 7 – Scheduling a Meeting

If you're not in a meeting every day, you're probably planning one. Learn how to talk about scheduling a meeting with a co-worker, customer, or client in this lesson. Included in this lesson:

• Different ways a person might schedule, or “set up,” a meeting
• The meaning and origin of the phrase “playing phone tag”
• Common idioms such as “the earlier the better” and “free and clear”
• The difference between being “tied up” and “free”

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Lesson 8 – Meeting with the Boss

Will your boss say good things to you at your next one-to-one meeting or bad things? Find out how to tell the difference in English in this lesson. Included in this lesson:

• Useful workplace terms such as “update,” “progress,” and “raise”
• The difference between a “heads up” and “to keep your head down”
• The common American custom of “shaking hands”
• Idioms including “to get a pat on the back” and “to jump the gun”

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Lesson 9 – Leaving Work

It's quitting time! But don't relax until you've learned some commons phrases and terms for getting ready to leave your desk and go back home. Included in this lesson:

• The meaning of the popular term “quitting time”
• An explanation of the idiom “to burn the midnight oil”
• Vocabulary related to leaving the office for the weekend
• The phrase “here I come” – and the song it comes from

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Lesson 10 – Socializing with Coworkers

Okay, so you're not going home right away. You want to go out and enjoy life with your fellow employees. This lesson takes you to your local bar or restaurant for some after-work drinks. Included in this lesson:

• An explanation of the American custom known as “happy hour”
• The types of happy hour food served at many restaurants
• Advice on when it might be smart “to change the subject”
• The difference between “to kick back” and “to kick off”