Business English Course Syllabus

This is where we fix the base before building anything fancy on top. A lot of capable professionals lose ground not because their grammar is broken but because their tone wanders, they hedge too much, or they sound unsure of themselves. So we work on clarity first. Speak in shorter units. Say what you mean and stop. We drill the small courtesies that carry weight in an office setting, the difference between formal and neutral register, and how to sound confident without sounding pushy. You practise introducing yourself and your role in a way people remember. We also cover the habit of listening properly and responding to what was actually said, which is rarer than you would think and quietly separates the smooth communicators from the rest.

• Formal versus informal English at work
• A clear, concise professional tone
• Workplace etiquette and politeness
• Structuring your thoughts before you speak
• Common corporate phrases done right
• Cross-cultural communication basics

By the end: by the end you can introduce yourself and your work with confidence, adjust your tone to fit the person and the setting, and hold a professional conversation without second-guessing every sentence.

Email is where most professionals are judged the hardest and taught the least. This module fixes that. We work on structure first, subject line that says the point, a clear ask in the opening lines, and a close that tells the reader what happens next. You learn the standard openers and sign-offs and, more usefully, when each one fits. A friendly nudge to a colleague reads nothing like a follow-up to a client who has gone quiet. Real phrases you will use straight away include, I am writing to follow up on my previous email regarding, and, please let me know if you need any further details from my end. We also cover short reports, meeting notes, and the polite chase that gets a reply without sounding annoyed. Tone under pressure gets special attention, since that is where written English usually goes wrong.

• Professional emails for any situation
• Requests, follow-ups and reminders
• Handling complaints and difficult replies
• Reports, summaries and short proposals
• The right tone for boss, client and team
• Proofreading and the common written errors

By the end: by the end you can write clear, well-structured emails and short reports, chase a reply politely, and match your tone to the reader instead of hoping it lands right.

Meetings are where quiet people get overlooked, so this module is about earning your place in the conversation. You learn to open a meeting cleanly with a line like, thanks everyone for joining, shall we get started, and to steer it back when it drifts. Phone and video calls get their own attention because audio-only English is genuinely harder, you lose the faces and the gestures, so we practise checking understanding and asking someone to repeat without any awkwardness. Sorry, could you say that again, you dropped for a second, is a phrase worth owning. We drill interrupting politely with lines like, can I just add something there, agreeing and pushing back, summing up decisions so nothing gets lost, and handling the moment when two people talk at once. We also cover the quiet skill of bringing a rambling call back on track without stepping on anyone, which is what people notice in whoever ends up running the room. By the end the goal is simple, you contribute instead of waiting for the meeting to end.

• Leading and taking part in meetings
• Agreeing, disagreeing and interrupting politely
• Conference and telephone call skills
• Taking and sharing clear notes
• Asking questions and clarifying
• Summarising and closing a discussion

By the end: by the end you can open and steer a meeting, join a discussion without hesitating, handle phone and video calls clearly, and sum up decisions so everyone leaves on the same page.

Standing up to present, even to five people on a call, undoes a lot of otherwise fluent speakers. This module builds the skill from the ground up. We start with structure, a clear opening that tells people why they should care, a middle that moves in logical steps, and a close that leaves one idea sticking. Then we work on delivery, pace, pauses that let a point land, and the useful trick of signposting so listeners always know where you are, first I will cover, then I will move on to. You practise handling questions, including the ones you did not prepare for, and the honest, buying-time lines that keep you composed. Nerves get real attention too, not with tricks but with rehearsal, since confidence on the day mostly comes from having said the words out loud before. We also work on the small habits that quietly wreck a talk, filler words, racing through the important slide, apologising for yourself before you have even started. Fixing those is often the fastest way to sound like someone worth listening to.

• Structuring a clear presentation
• Strong openings and closings
• Speaking to slides without reading them
• Handling questions and pushback
• Voice, pace and confident body language
• Managing nerves in front of a room

By the end: by the end you can structure and deliver a clear presentation, guide your audience through it with signposting, field questions without panicking, and speak in front of a group without your nerves running the show.

This module is about getting what you want without burning the relationship, which is the whole art of business. We work on making a case that persuades, leading with the benefit to the other side rather than to you, and backing claims with reasons instead of just repeating them louder. A big piece is disagreeing well, since most people either cave or turn blunt. You learn softer, stronger lines like, I see your point, though I would look at it a little differently, and, that could work, but I would want to check the timeline first. We cover bargaining language, making and answering offers, conceding on small things to hold the big one, and closing a deal cleanly. We also practise saying no politely but firmly, which is a skill in its own right and one that quietly protects your time and your rates.

• The language of negotiation and bargaining
• Persuading and influencing diplomatically
• Handling objections calmly
• Saying no and pushing back politely
• Building agreement and win-win outcomes
• Being assertive but respectful

By the end: by the end you can argue your position clearly, disagree without causing offence, handle back-and-forth bargaining, and say no in a way that holds firm and keeps the relationship intact.

The last module makes the English feel like it belongs in your actual job. We build vocabulary around your field, whether that is IT, finance, hospitality, sales, or something else, so the terms and turns of phrase you meet every day stop tripping you up. Alongside the words we work on etiquette, which is where a lot of cross-cultural friction quietly lives. Directness that reads as normal in one country can feel rude in another, and small talk that warms up a Western call can seem like a waste of time elsewhere, so we talk through those gaps honestly. Video-call manners get their own slot, muting when you are not speaking, not talking over the lag, keeping the camera at a sensible angle, and handling the frozen-screen moment gracefully. These are small things that add up to you looking like a professional who has done this before. We round it off with the everyday courtesies that grease business relationships, following up after a call, thanking people properly, and reading the unwritten rules of whoever you are dealing with.

• Vocabulary specific to your sector
• Business idioms and abbreviations
• Networking and small talk that builds rapport
• Professional social and dining etiquette
• Sharpening your LinkedIn and profiles
• Polishing your overall executive presence

By the end: by the end you can use the vocabulary of your own industry with ease, navigate cross-cultural differences without stepping on toes, and carry yourself well on video calls so the small things never undercut you.