Personal Learning – Business English Skills 360 https://www.mybeonline.com The ESL Podcast that Looks at the Other Side of Business English Thu, 21 May 2020 14:44:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.mybeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/cropped-business-english-skills-360-amp-banner-1-32x32.png Personal Learning – Business English Skills 360 https://www.mybeonline.com 32 32 Business English Skills 360 podcast lessons provide essential tips and language for communicating in English. Free transcripts and PDF downloads are available on the website: https://www.BusinessEnglishPod.com www.BusinessEnglishPod.com clean episodic www.BusinessEnglishPod.com BusinessEnglishPod@mac.com BusinessEnglishPod@mac.com (www.BusinessEnglishPod.com) Copyright Business English Pod Ltd. 2006-2020 Business English Skills 360 - The podcast that looks at the other side of Business English. Personal Learning – Business English Skills 360 https://www.mybeonline.com/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/Business-English-Skills-360-iTunes-1500.png https://www.mybeonline.com/category/personal-learning-english/ TV-G Skills 360 – Habits of Highly Effective Language Learners (2) https://www.mybeonline.com/skills-360-9-habits-of-highly-effective-english-language-learners-2/ https://www.mybeonline.com/skills-360-9-habits-of-highly-effective-english-language-learners-2/#respond Sun, 26 Feb 2017 04:08:32 +0000 https://www.businessenglishpod.com/?p=10122 Learn how to effectively learn a language and develop successful habits for learning English.

The post Skills 360 – Habits of Highly Effective Language Learners (2) appeared first on Business English Skills 360.

]]> https://www.mybeonline.com/skills-360-9-habits-of-highly-effective-english-language-learners-2/feed/ 0 Learn how to effectively learn a language and develop successful habits for learning English. Learn how to effectively learn a language and develop successful habits for learning English. www.BusinessEnglishPod.com 7:44 Skills 360 – Habits of Highly Effective Language Learners (1) https://www.mybeonline.com/skills-360-habits-of-highly-effective-english-learners-1/ https://www.mybeonline.com/skills-360-habits-of-highly-effective-english-learners-1/#respond Sat, 18 Feb 2017 20:05:32 +0000 https://www.businessenglishpod.com/?p=10109 Learn how to effectively learn a language and develop successful habits for English learning.

The post Skills 360 – Habits of Highly Effective Language Learners (1) appeared first on Business English Skills 360.

]]> https://www.mybeonline.com/skills-360-habits-of-highly-effective-english-learners-1/feed/ 0 Learn how to effectively learn a language and develop successful habits for English learning. Learn how to effectively learn a language and develop successful habits for English learning. www.BusinessEnglishPod.com 7:38 Skills 360 – Business English Hacks (2) https://www.mybeonline.com/skills-360-business-english-hacks-2/ Sun, 13 Sep 2015 16:07:53 +0000 http://mybeonline.com/?p=1034 Quick and easy tips for improving your Business English.

The post Skills 360 – Business English Hacks (2) appeared first on Business English Skills 360.

]]> More tips for improving your Business English. Lesson Module | Quizzes | PDF Transcript

Transcript

Hello and welcome back to the Skills 360 podcast. I’m your host, Tim Simmons, and today I want look to give you more great tips for ramping up your business English skills.

You’ve probably heard that one of the traits of a great business leader is the ability to communicate. So, what does it mean to be a good communicator? What does a good communicator actually do? Well, there are a few things that every good communicator does. In our last lesson I covered a few of these simple techniques, and today I want to add to that list.

When you think of being a good communicator, you probably think about speaking skills. But my first bit of advice is all about listening. Nobody likes it if you drone on and never give anyone else a chance to speak. You’ve got to learn to keep your mouth closed and your ears open. And you’ve got to listen actively to actually show people you’re listening. That starts with smiling and nodding, which are simple habits that let the speaker know you’re tuned in.

But that’s not all. You can throw in the occasional “yes,” or “I see.” Or you can echo what the other person is saying, like “a 30% increase? Impressive.” If you do this, people know you’re engaged. And that’s especially important when you can’t actually see the other person, like when you’re talking on the phone or in a teleconference.

All right, so we’ve covered listening. Now I want to give you some speaking techniques. First off, have you ever found yourself at a loss for words when you have to criticize someone or their work? Because you know that it’s not just what you say that is important, it’s how you say it, right? If you just come out and say “your report was lousy,” you’re going to put the person on the defensive. Instead, you need to be a bit more indirect. Try something like “well, I think there are some things you could work on.” Better yet, combine the criticism with some praise, like this: “I think you captured the main ideas, but you might want to make the summary a little clearer.” Wouldn’t you rather hear feedback like that?

This kind of indirect criticism is wrapped up in something bigger that every great communicator has a special knack for: being diplomatic. Diplomatic language is careful language. And I’m not just talking about criticizing or disagreeing. Careful language is also necessary when you make suggestions or pitch an idea.

One of the tricks to being diplomatic is using words that soften what you’re saying. We can do that with modal verbs, like “can” and “could” and “might.” For example, think about the difference between “that is too expensive” and “that might be too expensive.” Sure they have the same meaning, but one is softer. And a bit of indirect language will make it even more diplomatic, like “I’m wondering if that idea might be a bit on the expensive side.” That’s certainly not going to get anyone’s back up, is it?

Another way to soften a statement is to use words of possibility, such as “maybe” or “perhaps.” Imagine you want to suggest buying new computers. You might say “we need to buy new computers,” but that might sound too forceful. Instead, how about something like “perhaps we could buy some new computers?”

So, a diplomatic approach can make people more receptive. But you also want your ideas to stick in people’s memory, and a great way to do that is with repetition. You can try repeating an important word or idea so people don’t f...]]> Skills 360 for Business English 7:08 Skills 360 – Business English Hacks (1) https://www.mybeonline.com/skills-360-business-english-hacks-1/ Sun, 06 Sep 2015 16:00:28 +0000 http://mybeonline.com/?p=1030 Learn quick and easy tips for improving your business English.

The post Skills 360 – Business English Hacks (1) appeared first on Business English Skills 360.

]]> Quick and easy tips for improving your business English. Lesson Module | Quizzes | PDF Transcript

Transcript

Hello and welcome back to the Skills 360 podcast. I’m your host, Tim Simmons, and today I want look at some quick and easy hacks you can use to improve your business English.

Business is all about relationships, and relationships are founded on good communication. And while English may seem like a difficult language, being a great communicator and connecting with people isn’t rocket science. You can learn just a few techniques that will take your business English skills to the next level. And I’m not talking about learning a thousand new words or some obscure rules of grammar. The tips I want to give you are fully within your grasp right now.

Let’s start with a real easy one: keep it simple. Use the language you know, and that your listeners know, to communicate your message in simple terms. Do you really think a sophisticated vocabulary is going to impress people? Or help you negotiate a good price from a supplier? Probably not. And it won’t help you connect with people on a human level. Listen to any great political speech or watch any great presentation online, and you’ll notice that the speaker keeps things simple.

Simple also means short, or concise. Why use 50 words when you can use 15? Everyone appreciates language that is clear and to-the-point. So keep it simple, and you’ll keep people engaged.

But what happens when other people don’t keep it simple? Communication is a two-way street, and sometimes you find yourself scratching your head at what someone else is saying. So what you really need to do is to clarify. And remember to be specific about what it is you don’t understand. If a supplier tells you a part is “temporarily unavailable,” which isn’t very clear, don’t just raise your eyebrows and say “pardon?” Instead, say something like “what exactly do you mean when you say this part is temporarily unavailable?” That will encourage the speaker to be more specific.

Another way to clarify is to check back and confirm. That sounds something like “So, you think we shouldn’t build a new website, right?” Or maybe it means saying “You’re saying John is the best applicant, am I correct?” Checking back and confirming is a great way to clarify because it poses a yes-no question. The person can either say “yes, that’s what I mean,” or “no, that’s not what I mean.” And if it’s the latter, the person can then give it another shot. And you can bet they’ll be extra clear so you don’t have to ask again.

So, we’ve talked about being simple and clarifying. Now here’s another crucial technique for communicating clearly: connect your ideas. Your ideas are, in fact, connected, right? So make that clear to your listeners. You can use simple linking words, like "and," "so," and "but."

Or you can dress it up a bit with some more formal expressions. For example, you might say: “Product A is the cheapest. However, cost is not the only consideration. We also need to think about quality. For this reason, I think we should go with Product B.” Can you hear how important those words “however” and “also” and “for this reason” are? These linking words help show the connection between your ideas. And they help listeners see your logic.

Connecting your ideas can also mean showing a sequence. And once again, you don’t have to get fancy. Basic words like “first,” “second,” “next,” and “lastly” can help people see where you’re going. But if you don’t connect your ideas,]]> Skills 360 for Business English 7:39 Skills 360 – How to Improve your English Vocabulary 2 https://www.mybeonline.com/business-english-skills-360-how-to-improve-your-english-vocabulary-2/ Sun, 22 Jun 2014 09:43:42 +0000 http://mybeonline.com/?p=1007 Learn how to build a better English vocabulary.

The post Skills 360 – How to Improve your English Vocabulary 2 appeared first on Business English Skills 360.

]]> Learn how to build a better English vocabulary. Quizzes | PDF Transcript

Transcript

Hello and welcome back to the Skills 360 podcast. I’m your host, Tim Simmons, and today I want to look at more ways to take your English vocabulary to the next level.

So, you’ve found some great resources for studying English that suit your purpose. You’ve got a variety of listening and reading material chock full of great words and expressions that you want to learn to use. But how do you do it? How do you take those words and expressions and not only remember them but also make them an active part of your working vocabulary? Well, there are several things to keep in mind, and a few key techniques that you can use, as we’ll see today.

One really important idea is that words are used in groups. Sometimes we call them “chunks” or “collocations.” The basic idea is that we put words together in common patterns, and we should learn those patterns, not just individual words. Think of a simple sentence like “Dave is interested in golf.” Understanding what “interested” means is a piece of cake. But if you really want to make that a useful word, you need to pay attention to the fact that we say be interested in something. Take another example like the noun “profit.” It’s hard to use the word if you don’t know that we usually say make a profit or turn a profit.

The idea of groups of words is especially important when it comes to idioms and phrasal verbs, because together words can have a new meaning. So when we hear “give up”, we don’t think about giving or the idea of up, but the meaning they have together, which is “quit”. And don’t think about squares when you hear the expression “back to square one.” Together, those words mean “start again.”

Once you understand the importance of chunks of language, how can you sort out what those chunks mean? A good starting place is context. Look at how the words are used in the situation. From the situation, you can usually get clues to the meaning. Only after examining the context should you look at a definition. And if you really want to get a solid grasp on the meaning, you should look at more examples of the word or expression in a sentence. Good study materials should give you example sentences to learn from.

But it’s not enough just to notice vocabulary and chew over its meaning. You need to do something with it if you’re going to remember it and be able to use it. That starts with writing vocabulary down. Keep a record of good words and expressions that you come across. Write down the word, the context, and example sentences if you can. This is not just so that you have something to review. The act of writing the word and examples down will help you remember it later.

Okay, beyond writing down what you’ve learned, you need to put your new vocabulary to good use. The means trying to use the words you’ve learned in new sentences. You don’t need to write a masterpiece on business communication; you just need to practice putting that new word into a different context. And if you struggle, look back to where you found it or your example sentences. From that context, you should be able to see how the word or expression fits into a sentence. And again, practicing like this will really give you a leg up in recalling the words.

Okay, it seems like we’ve been dwelling on reading and writing, but let’s not forget listening. Learning words through listening is great if you want to actually apply them in conversation. We can learn how individual words sound, and how groups of words sound together. If you’re using listening materials that include a transcript, don’t lean on that transcript too soon.]]> www.BusinessEnglishPod.com clean 6:38 Skills 360 – How to Improve your English Vocabulary 1 https://www.mybeonline.com/business-english-skills-360-how-to-improve-your-english-vocabulary-1/ Sun, 15 Jun 2014 13:28:51 +0000 http://mybeonline.com/?p=1001 In this Skills 360 lesson, we look at how to improve and expand your English vocabulary.

The post Skills 360 – How to Improve your English Vocabulary 1 appeared first on Business English Skills 360.

]]> How to improve and expand your English vocabulary. Quizzes | PDF Transcript

Transcript

Hello and welcome back to the Skills 360 podcast. I’m your host, Tim Simmons, and today I want to look at ways to take your English vocabulary to the next level.

Many students of English have the feeling that they’ve learned pretty much all the grammar they need. Many also feel that they can understand fairly well and speak and write at an acceptable level. But these same people sometimes feel that they’re missing something, and that they say the same things in the same way all the time.

In fact, once you’ve reached an intermediate level, vocabulary becomes more important than ever. You need to add more and more words, idioms, and expressions to your stock of language so that you can take the next step up in proficiency. So how can you learn new words? What are the secrets of expanding your language ability?

First, let’s talk about materials, or what you use to learn English. You need to find good sources of English that will include words and expressions that will be useful to you. I strongly recommend you use both listening and reading materials. If you focus only on reading, as many students do, you won’t learn how language sounds and feels in your mouth. If you focus only on listening, you won’t know how it’s written.

So then what should you be listening to and reading? You want resources that are relevant to your purpose, both in terms of context and topic. Let me explain what I mean. If your purpose is to improve your conversation and presentations skills to do your job as a salesperson, then use resources that teach you conversational English and the language of presentations. That’s the correct match for the context of your English development. And if your work as a salesperson is in the hi-tech sector, then find resources that include vocabulary related to technology. That’s the correct match for the topic of your studies.

I don’t mean that you should limit yourself to only the kinds of language that you’ll meet every day. Variety is important too, and you need to read and listen to things that are interesting to you, not just practical. But there are only so many hours in a day, and if you’re like most people in business, you need to find what gives you the best bang for your buck.

Now, I’ve mentioned what kind of resources you should look for, and you’ll notice that I didn’t mention anything that is specifically about vocabulary. I mean like a vocabulary book, or word lists. That’s because it’s best to study vocabulary in context. You might have memorized words and definitions for language tests in high school or university. But did that really teach you how to use those words? Did you really understand the kinds of situations that those words can be used in? Probably not, so instead of memorizing lists, study vocabulary in its natural environment, and it’ll be easier to incorporate new words into your own speaking and writing.

So, you have found some good resources, and you understand the importance of context, but when you read and listen, which words and expressions should you be learning? How do you choose the vocabulary that you should study? Well, a lot of good study materials will identify the useful vocabulary for you. And they might give you definitions and examples. So with the context and this added info, you’ve got something to work with.

But if you’re trying to choose vocabulary on your own, you should focus on two ideas: relevance and frequency. Put another way: words that suit your purpose and words that are common. Words that suit your purpose are those that are related to your work and your English output.]]> www.BusinessEnglishPod.com clean 6:06 Skills 360 – Top 10 Words for Business 2 https://www.mybeonline.com/business-english-skills-360-top-10-words-in-business-2/ Mon, 02 Sep 2013 08:53:43 +0000 http://mybeonline.com/?p=962 Learn English vocabulary for related to essential leadership skills.

The post Skills 360 – Top 10 Words for Business 2 appeared first on Business English Skills 360.

]]> Learn English vocabulary for related to essential leadership skills. Quiz & Vocab | PDF Transcript

Transcript

Hello and welcome back to the Skills 360 podcast. I’m you’re host, Tim Simmons, and today we’re going to continue our look at the 10 key characteristics of the successful business leader. And just like last time, we’re going to match these qualities to useful words or phrases that you can use in your everyday work life.

To begin, I want you to imagine you’re called to an emergency meeting to talk about a crisis. Like there’s a big project to finish and you’re short-staffed. One person says “oh no, this is never going to get done.” Another person says “This happens all the time and it drives me nuts.” But this is not what the good business leader says. The good business leader starts by saying “how about…” As in: “how about bringing staff over from another department for a couple of weeks.” And what does this show? It shows that you are solution-minded. When problems arise, and problems always arise, you can’t moan and complain. You have to think of solutions.

Being solution-minded is related to another quality of a good businessperson: optimism. A great man once said “if you plant potatoes, don’t be surprised if you get potatoes.” Now, you might not be in the farming business, but what this means is that if you think and talk negatively, you get negative results. But if you think and talk positively, then you get positive results. And the key expression here is “I believe.” So when your colleague says “is this going to work?” You say “Yes. I believe it will work.” Others might not believe. They may be filled with doubt and pessimism. But optimism will see you over many hurdles that will force the pessimist to give up.

Of course, thinking positively means keeping your eye on the prize, even when the prize isn’t right in front of you. A wise business leader can see that prize miles away. He says, “in the future…” to help people overcome the present. This is what we call “vision,” or the ability to imagine what success looks like down the road. In fact, how can you know which road to take if you don’t even know what the ultimate destination is? Well, we ask the people with vision, the people who say “in the future…”

Okay, so we’ve talked a lot about overcoming problems, and how optimism, vision and being solution-minded can help us do that. But there are a couple of other qualities that you may need. One of them is the ability to say “no.” Not “maybe”, or “maybe not”, or “let’s think about that”, or “well, I’m not sure.” I mean just a plain and direct “no.” Sometimes people come up with bad ideas, ideas that clearly won’t get you to where you need to go. And while sometimes you need to be diplomatic about things, at other times you need decisiveness. And that means saying “no” when you think “no”.

The road to success can be bumpy, as we all know. And if you ask successful entrepreneurs and business leaders how they got where they are, they will have a lot of different answers. And they’ll show the qualities we’ve mentioned in different amounts. Jack might be more diplomatic than Helen. But Helen might be more visionary than Jack. However, there is one quality that absolutely every successful business person displays. And this quality relates to a phrase that these people think and use all the time. That phrase is “yes, we can.” And what it shows is determination. You can’t be on the fence about success. You have to be all-in and 100% determined to make it. And every organization is led by people like this, who can persuade everyone through the strength of their determination that “yes, we can.”

So, can you?]]> www.BusinessEnglishPod.com 5:42 Skills 360 – Top 10 Words for Business 1 https://www.mybeonline.com/business-english-skills-360-top-10-words-for-business-part-1/ Mon, 26 Aug 2013 16:22:27 +0000 http://mybeonline.com/?p=955 Learn key characteristics of successful leaders.

The post Skills 360 – Top 10 Words for Business 1 appeared first on Business English Skills 360.

]]> Learn key characteristics of successful leaders. Quiz | PDF Transcript

Transcript

Hello and welcome back to the Skills 360 podcast. I’m you’re host, Tim Simmons, and it’s great to have you back for a new season of podcasts from Business English Pod.

For today’s lesson, I want to take a look at 10 key skills or characteristics that every successful business leader needs. You’ve probably heard this kind of list before, but I want to do something a bit different. I’ve matched these key skills with simple but powerful words or phrases that you can use every day. In business, competition is fierce, and you want every advantage you can get, right? So let’s find out how you can get a leg up.

Okay, for the first one, let me give you a couple of situations. Say your boss tells you her plan to reorganize the office. You love the idea, and you want to show your enthusiasm. Or say your business partner comes up with an idea for a new app that you think could go gangbusters. You want to convey your energy for the idea, right? So what can you say? How about “Let’s do it!” This is a great way to show your enthusiasm and energy. And without those qualities, you can’t go anywhere in business. Just ask the folks at Nike.

Now, enthusiasm is great, but you also need balance. You can’t rush into everything headlong without careful consideration. It’s often impossible to undo a bad decision, and every room needs someone to play devil’s advocate. So when everyone is getting fired up about your colleague’s latest bright idea, you can provide that balance. When he lists the advantages of his plan, you can say “on the other hand” before pointing out some things he might have failed to mention. In this way, you show a more balanced perspective.

Next, I want to talk about a pair of simple words that we all know, but many of us don’t use enough. That pair of words is “thank you.” And I don’t just mean saying thanks casually and automatically. I’m talking about looking someone in the eyes, maybe shaking their hand, and saying with all sincerity “thank you.” It might be for a business lunch, for someone’s time, for someone’s purchase, or for someone’s service. And what does saying thank you show? It shows respect. And believe me, I know that business can be tough, but you’ll go much further if you learn to show all the respect that you yourself like to be shown.

Yes, business and work life can be tough, but we still need to mind our manners. And at a very high level, minding our manners means being diplomatic. Someone who is diplomatic can disagree, can negotiate, can criticize, can express displeasure, and do all of these things while still being polite and respectful. The magic expression here is “Yes, but…” As in, “yes, I understand your point, but there’s something else we need to consider…” My friend Dave is a genius at this. He can make you feel great about your opinion, but still reject it. Like this: “Yes, Julie, I think that’s a really fantastic idea. But in this situation I don’t think it will be possible…”

Okay, so we’ve done enthusiasm, balance, respect, and diplomacy. There’s one more for today, and it’s the characteristic of every successful entrepreneur. It’s something people like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs had a ton of. It’s ambition. And the simple word that I want to encourage you to use properly here is “yes.” When your boss asks if you think you might want to help expand the company into new territory, what do you say? You say “yes.” And when your friend asks you if you want to create a business to market the fantastic piec...]]> www.BusinessEnglishPod.com 5:57 Skills 360 – Making the Most of Personal Learning 2 https://www.mybeonline.com/business-english-skills-360-making-the-most-of-personal-learning-2/ Sun, 25 Sep 2011 13:04:21 +0000 http://mybeonline.com/?p=784 In this Business English Skills 360 lesson, we’re going to look at personal learning and how you can organize your English learning.

The post Skills 360 – Making the Most of Personal Learning 2 appeared first on Business English Skills 360.

]]> In this Business English Skills 360 lesson, we’re going to look at personal learning and how you can organize your English learning. PDF Transcript | Quiz & Vocab

Transcript

Welcome back to the Skills 360 podcast. My name’s Tim, and today we’re going to look at some more tips and ideas for making the most of your personal learning.

And FYI: listening to Skills 360 just got easier. Yes, this podcast now has its own channel on iTunes. If you don’t already subscribe, visit BEP or myBEonline for the free subscription links.

Okay, so last week I talked about setting yourself up with a system of personal learning. Today, I’m going to be talking about maintaining your momentum and staying on track.

All right. You’ve set some goals, found some resources, and come up with a plan for your personal learning. How are you going to stick to that plan? One of the greatest things you can do to maintain your momentum is to establish a routine. If you keep thinking that you’ll study if and when you get the time, or if you just try to fit in some listening practice every now and then when you get 20 minutes of free time, chances are you won’t achieve your goals. You’ll go nuts with frustration. You need to be regular. This usually means studying at the same time every day. Whether it’s on your commute, over your morning cup of joe, or part of your evening routine, doing it the same time every day will help make it a habit. It will become second nature, just like brushing your teeth.

Part of your routine should include a regular review of what you’ve already done. There’s nothing worse than putting in the work to learn something and then forgetting it a short time later. In last week’s episode we talked about variety, which means the breadth of input. But you also need depth. So don’t forget to look back and reinforce what you’ve already studied.

Now, remember in our last episode I talked about setting goals… SMART goals? Well, as you work toward those goals, you need to track or assess your progress. Are you actually coming closer to reaching your goals? Assessing your progress could involve breaking your goals down into stages. Reaching those stages means making progress. This could also mean keeping a careful record of what you do and what you can do. You will be able to look back through your record and see how far you’ve come. Another way to track yourself is to use our BuddyBucks system on mybeonline.com. What are BuddyBucks? Basically, they’re points that you earn for participating and learning. The more BuddyBucks you earn, the more progress you’re making. It’s a great way to see how much you’re getting done.

But tracking your progress is not always enough to keep your learning on track. You might need to dangle a carrot in front of yourself. I’m talking about rewards, which are closely related to motivation. You have to feel like you’re getting something for your hard work. You can certainly set different kinds of rewards for yourself for achieving certain milestones or reaching certain goals. For short-term goals, it could be something as simple as a cup of coffee. For larger goals, it could be a movie or concert or even a weekend away. And this is another way that BuddyBucks might help give you a spark. When you earn enough BuddyBucks, you can cash them in for access to more Business English Pod resources. Or access to human resources... by that I mean teachers... which brings me to my next point.

]]> www.BusinessEnglishPod.com clean 6:20 Skills 360 – Making the Most of Personal Learning 1 https://www.mybeonline.com/business-english-skills-360-making-the-most-of-personal-learning-1/ https://www.mybeonline.com/business-english-skills-360-making-the-most-of-personal-learning-1/#comments Sun, 18 Sep 2011 12:21:58 +0000 http://mybeonline.com/?p=761 In this Business English 360 lesson, we’re going to look at personal learning and how you can organize your English study.

The post Skills 360 – Making the Most of Personal Learning 1 appeared first on Business English Skills 360.

]]> https://www.mybeonline.com/business-english-skills-360-making-the-most-of-personal-learning-1/feed/ 1 In this Business English 360 lesson, we’re going to look at personal learning and how you can organize your English study. PDF Transcript | Quiz & Vocab

Transcript

Hello everyone, Tim here with another Skills 360 podcast. Hope you had a fantastic summer and now you’re feeling refreshed and ready to get down to work. We’ve got a great lesson today on making the most of personal learning.

And here’s some good news for everyone interested in personal learning: the Skills 360 podcast is now available as its own channel in iTunes. Just head over to the BEP or myBEonline websites for the free subscription links.

Okay, now I mentioned personal learning. And I’m guessing that if you’re listening to this, you must be a pretty motivated learner. Am I right? You are keen to improve your language ability, your communication, and your overall business skills. And you’ve decided to tune in to a podcast to do those things. That’s great. But does it stop there? Is that all we have to do? No, not if you want to make good progress, so lets look at some ideas to make the most of your personal learning.

Let’s start with goals. Now, I went on a lot about goals and how to achieve them in a previous episode of Skills 360 series. Anyone remember what makes a good goal? Well, in case you don’t recall, let me jog your memory: goals should be SMART. That’s S-M-A-R-T. And what do those letters stand for? S is for specific. M is for measurable. A is for attainable. R is for relevant. And T is for time-sensitive. So make your goals specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely. If you do, they’re SMART goals. Feel free to look up our previous episodes, if you want more on setting and achieving your goals.

Now, your goals can be big or small. Whatever works for you. I mean, one of your goals could be to devote one hour every day to studying English. That’s pretty straightforward. Or your goal could be to develop your skills enough to attain a high score on an English test such as TOEIC or BULATS. Achieving a goal like that will most likely mean you will have to set many smaller goals (to achieve it).

Great. Now your goals can be a part of something bigger, part of what we call a personal learning plan. To create a personal learning plan, you need to sit down and figure out what your strengths and weaknesses are, which skills you want to develop, how much time you have, how much money you can commit, and what exactly you want to accomplish. Then you can create your plan. This will help put some method behind what you’re doing.

The word “personal” is very important. Your learning should suit you, your interests, your schedule, your abilities, and your SMART goals. There are gads of online tools that can help you do this. You can use bookmarking tools like Delicious, social networking tools like Google Plus, as well as YouTube and SlideShare. In fact, if you think about the online tools that you use for business, communication, and entertainment, these are probably all useful in building a personalized learning plan. If you want to take it up a notch, you can try the new “Course Builder” tool on mybeonline.com.

All right, now one thing to keep in mind is variety. Variety in what? Variety in everything. You should be varying your type of input, the source of that input, and the difficulty of your input. Your type of input could include both reading and listening, as well as vocabulary work and grammar, if that’s up your alley. The source of your input could be radio, television, podcast, newspapers, and face-to-face interaction. And the difficulty could range from materials created specifically for language learners to those targeting native speakers. In a word, mix it up. Listen to some of my 360 shows, work on a couple of BEP podcasts,]]> www.BusinessEnglishPod.com clean 6:51