Individual Business English

INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS ENGLISH TRAINING

Most participants (levels: elementary up to advanced level) come for one or two intensive weeks. There are no fixed start-dates, and we are open all year. Before coming, they return a questionnaire and speak with a trainer by telephone. In this way their objectives, target situations and difficulties are known, and preparation can begin.

CLIENT EXAMPLE 1

Client: German HR manager.
Responsibilities: Co-ordinating management development in overseas subsidiaries.
Target situations: Presenting HQ's policies to the subsidiaries.
Leading quarterly HR meetings.
Daily telephone calls.
Special requests: Review and practice of HR-related vocabulary.
Winning the co-operation of local management not under her authority.

The trainers will simulate these situations with you in detail to give you the language support and cultural awareness which will help you manage them successfully and maximise your personal confidence and credibility in them. Video recording is used to give you feedback on the impression which you create in certain situations in English.

Every individual seminar is different! Examples of content include:

• key expressions to manage a conversation and ensure

• total clarity and understanding

• how to disagree, or take a firm position, while

• maintaining a positive relationship

• useful phrases to start, progress, focus and summarise

• meetings or telephone calls efficiently

• how to prepare and deliver an effective presentation in

• line with international expectations

• tactics and language for starting and continuing

• interesting social conversations

The training day

This runs from 9am to 4.30pm, with a mid-morning break and lunch between 1pm and 2.15pm. You will usually work with two trainers, but mainly with the one who is principally responsible for your course. When you need more than one trainer - to practise meetings, for example - this will be arranged.

It is not necessary for you to wear formal clothes. We usually invite two external lunch visitors per week from a similar activity to your own, but they know that you are doing a training course and so even on those days it is not necessary for you to be formal unless you wish to do so.

Other activities

We usually take participants on a short visit of the town, but, because the week is very intensive, it would not be easy for you to go to London during the week for an evening meeting, for example. Participants on a two-week course often choose to spend a day at the weekend in London, or instead visit the historic town of Colchester or the region, or simply stay with the family and join in with their activities.

Before the course

After you return the booking form and questionnaires sent to you, we will contact you to discuss your needs further and give you details of your host family. It is not necessary for you to contact the family directly before your arrival, but please let us know which flights you have reserved! Please be sure to bring with you any papers, presentations or other support which may be useful in the preparation and practice of your target situations.