5 Ways You Can Improve Business English Online
Learning Business English Online has many advantages. If you are someone who uses English for Business, and if you need to improve beyond general Conversational English, you need to practice at a higher level. Online practice, specially using channels such as Skype is a great way to take your Business English to the next level.
English Speaking is all about Practice
Whether it is learning Business English Online or just practicing General English, Speaking is the most important facet of second language acquisition and mastery. By speaking in the language you are trying to learn as much as you can, you are forcing your brain to think in this language, and once you are thinking in a language, you are on your way to proficiency in that language.
Without practicing speaking, you will never be fluent in English.
You have to master Pronunciation!
If you want to improve Business English Online, spend a few hours a day practicing Pronunciation. A good way to start is to read stuff from the Internet, preferably aloud.
There are a wide variety of English websites available online such as the Huffington Post and Buzzfeed which carry modern English, as well as media outlets such as Wall Street Journal and New York Time which are great for anyone learning Business English Online.
Remember, just because you want to improve Business English online does not mean you have to focus only on business-related sources. Documentaries on History, Food and Travel are good ways to broaden vocabulary depth as well as improve Pronunciation. Some great free resources are the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and the History Channel.
Forget Textbook English
If you are looking to improve Business English Online (or even just Conversational English), your goal should be to learn real English not textbook English. Let me explain.
Most English learners have a good understanding of basic written grammar but struggle when it comes to speaking fluently. The reason is that most of the grammar and textbook knowledge they have of English, is really not all that applicable when it comes to English spoken in the real world. Oftentimes grammar learned in textbooks is quite formal, with rigid, set structures. The way that people speak in conversations in books is sometimes not how people speak in real life. A good example is the expression “It is raining cats and dogs” which is very popular in English textbooks. In real life, Native English speakers don’t speak like that!
So focus on Real world English, not textbook English.
Increase your English inputs
Increasing the number of English inputs is critical to learning Business English online. Expand the material that you read online. Read the Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Men’s Health, Perez Hilton, Charles Dickens and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Read memoirs, personal essays, and biographies..anything you can get your hand on. You’d be amazed at how quickly you will expand your active vocabulary just by increasing number of English inputs you get.
Learning Business English online does not mean just learning business jargon. Improve your vocabulary overall. That’s how you become truly fluent.
Make it FUN, and not something Technical
Whether it is learning Business English online or just studying for an exam like TOEFL, it should be fun and not something tecnical. Learning English should be like learning to ride a bike or learning Salsa dancing. It should be intuitive and FUN!
The key to practicing your English speaking long term is to keep it simple and try to have fun. You don’t need to worry about grammar and making your language technically perfect. Conversations tend to be informal and the people you chat with won’t care if you use the wrong verb tense, or make other technical mistakes. Studies show that most Native English speakers know only about 20% of all grammar rules. Learning English should not be about grammar. Grammar is important to know, but confidence and familiarity are the backbones of natural fluency.
