COURSE FINISHER

Well done, you have completed your training at Talk Business Languages.

This is a personalised study plan, plus recommendations and links, to help you maintain your English.

The key is to incorporate English into your life doing things you really enjoy. Here’s how:

 

1. Have a weekly English coffee or lunch break with colleagues at work.

2. On business trips abroad, speak English on the plane, car rental, hotel etc – if the workers speak in Spanish to you, tell them you want to practice your English.

3. If your partner and friends speak English, have an English hour once a week.

4. Read aloud and record yourself on your phone.

5. Speak to yourself aloud when driving, in the shower, etc.

1. Read articles about your work in English

2. Read the news in English

3. Read a couple of pages of a book every day

4. Read about your hobbies and interests in English

1. Find resources you’re interested in, so you really want to listen/watch for pleasure, not obligation!

2. Download podcasts onto your phone, so you can listen in your car, out walking, in the shower, wherever...

3. Watch series with your partner, and family films and cartoons with your children.

4. Change the language of your TV to English. And on business trips, change the TV to English in the hotel.

Practice grammar once or twice a week. Here’s how:

1. Send your work colleagues WhatsApp messages and emails in English.

2. Write messages and emails to suppliers in English.

3. Write your weekly report in English.

4. Make a WhatsApp English group with any friends who speak English.

English Grammar in Use, review units studied, do units not completed on course (answers at the back?), plus the revision activities at the back of the book.

British Council

English Grammar

English Grammar Online

Grammar Bank

Perfect English Grammar

Using English quizzes

Read on a tablet/e-book reader - the dictionary helps with new vocabulary.

Or instal a web reader. Readlang translates new words and makes flashcards to help you remember new vocabulary. The free version gives unlimited flash cards and word translations, plus 10 phrase translations per day

World Newspapers search for online magazines on specific subjects

English Page Reading Room: links to online magazines and newspapers

Cambridge English Write & Improve

British Council, writing skills

Indeed, examples of different business correspondence (search: emails)

Letter Whiz, templates for different emails, includes large section of business topics

Team Dev, email phrases

Using English, 100 useful phrases

Your Dictionary, business communication templates + advice

Search for topics you’re interested in:

Subscribe to Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, etc - watch series and films in English.

BBC

The Economist videos

Film On TV Live, live TV channels on different topics including travel, documentaries, sport, entertainment, etc

Google podcasts

ITunes, Apple

Spotify

Ted Talks

Ted Ed lessons

YouTube, documentaries with subtitles in English