This Business of English
The United States of America which is an English-speaking country is still one of the biggest countries in terms of economic growth in the last two centuries. The US rose to economic power where there are a lot of opportunities when it comes to trading. The main reason why the English language became the international language for it is used for international relations. Speaking about international relations, the United States has trade relations with 75 countries around the world which makes the US still a powerful country and the English language still considered the business language.
On a different note, third-world countries like the Philippines have been using the English language to earn income. In the 1980s, services outsourcing to India started and right now, one of the biggest BPO companies can be found in the Philippines started in 1992. Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) has generated jobs for Filipinos and increased the country’s GDP. The industry’s clients mostly are living in English-speaking countries and one of them is the United States. Since the Philippines ranked fifth in the Top Ten English countries in the world, the BPO industry drastically spread all over the country.
Nowadays, when you have a good demand for English you will have a better career for it is the language of business. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced student, you still want to speak English professionally.
Business English focuses on verbal and non-verbal. So, there are four main types of English skills to study if you want to become a pro at business English:
- Reading Comprehension
- Listening Comprehension
- Speaking
- Writing
These are the tools for you to master your English skills. This will be very beneficial when you want to talk to someone formally whether it is going to be spoken or written.
Firstly, interpreting and understanding what is being read is called reading comprehension. To improve your skills in reading comprehension, you must know or at least be familiar with the words that you are reading. Improving your vocabulary is very important so that you know the meaning of every word and avoid confusion. Also, look for the main idea of what you are reading, what is the context, and the content.
Secondly, understanding and decoding the spoken language is called listening comprehension. You must understand the meaning of every word, pronunciation, and intonation and acknowledge the speech sounds.
Thirdly, an act of conveying a message through spoken language is called speaking. Speaking is important in business English for talking with other person is a must. When you speak, you should be an effective communicator to be understood by the listener. When you express something orally, every word should be clear. You must observe proper intonation, enunciation, and pronunciation.
Lastly, communicating in a readable form is what we call writing. Writing is vital in business English for you have to write formal letters, reports, and presentations. To write formally, you must choose simple words, and precise sentences, use an active voice, short paragraphs, and be specific.
You have to observe these main types of English skills if you want to be effective and knowledgeable in business English. These are the keys for you to be confident when talking to your interviewer, exchanging thoughts with co-workers, sharing ideas with your boss, and presenting a report to clients. It is fundamental to be equipped with these skills to provide
