


The secret L&D manager: What makes training effective?
This month’s secret training manager is Italian and has worked in a variety of fields including public research organizations and service companies. Here she talks with Scott Levey about the basic elements that make training and trainers effective.

Practical rules and resources for writing quality emails
This might be difficult to imagine if you are under 35, but when I started my career in finance there was no email. All written communication was by letter, and if something was really urgent you might send a telex or a fax.

How to avoid your emails going viral
“Worst email ever?” was the headline that got my attention when I read my newspaper on a Saturday morning. The story was about an Australian manager who had sent an email which he later described himself as a “Gordon Ramsay meets Donald Trump-style email rant”.

Schnelle Behebung von 5 typischen Fehlern, die deutschsprachige Personen auf Englisch machen.
Die Deutschen sprechen in der Regel gutes Geschäftsenglisch. Eine von Harvard Business Review veröffentlichte weltweite Studie belegte Deutschland den 14. Platz für die Kompetenz der englischen Mitarbeiter (oder "hoch" und mit 60,2 von 100 Punkten).


Business English training: on-the-job training (for the job)
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On-the-job (OTJ) training has been a cornerstone in our approach to in-house Business English training since our first InCorporate Trainers started their jobs. When we explain the concept of on-the-job training to potential clients...



Virtual training v. face-to-face training: How does it compare?
James Culver is a partner at Target Training Gmbh and has 25 years of experience in delivering customized training solutions. His career has encompassed being a HR Training Manager, a Major in the US Army National Guard and a lecturer at the International School of Management.


10 more sporting idioms you will hear in business meetings
Last year, we put together a list of 10 common American sport idioms that were well-received by our clients and readers. Since the blog post was so popular, we wanted to share even more more commonly used sport …


Quick fixes for 5 typical mistakes German speakers make in English
Germans generally speak good business English. A worldwide study published by Harvard Business review ranked Germany 14th for English workforce proficiency (or “high” and with a score of 60.2 out of 100).


Getting people to read (and respond to) your emails
Studies have shown that people are more likely to respond to emails written in a simple, straightforward manner than to emails with more complex language. In fact, emails written at a 3rd grade level have been shown to have the highest response rate!


50 ways to start a conversation in English at work
Socializing and networking doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Whether it be a language issue or a question of skills and behaviors, many professionals struggle when networking and socializing with new people.


Your first virtual presentation – practical planning tips for beginners
The move to delivering presentations virtually isn’t natural for most of us. Put simply, it feels weird. So here’s the good news. Most of the core principles behind what makes an effective presentation still apply.


6 ways to improve your Business English by yourself
Whether you have English training at your companies or private training out of work, you probably know that to really improve your business English you need to take responsibility and control of your learning.


Making a difference in meetings – 6 approaches for introverts to be heard
“You’re too quiet”, “you need to be more involved in our meetings and discussions” and “people who matter are getting the wrong impression of you because you aren’t forward enough “. This is the feedback Sven...


Why, statistically speaking, your emails probably aren’t as clear as you think they are
At the time of writing this blog it’s estimated that 269 billion mails are sent a day. Once we’ve cut out all the spam (say 50%) that is still an awful lot of communication. But how effective is email as a communication tool really?


Negotiations in English – tips and phrases (for beginners)
Working within a central purchasing and logistics business unit, negotiation is a word that one cannot escape. Most of my participants have dealings with suppliers within Germany, though some negotiate with suppliers worldwide.


Are language tests really the best way to assess your employees business English skills?
When a department manager asks us to “test their employee’s business English” there are typically 2 reasons – they want to know if somebody is suitable for a specific job, or they are looking for evidence that somebody has improved their business English.


Meetings in English are fine but the coffee breaks are terrifying
Martin, an IT Project Manager, was getting ready for a meeting with his European counterparts to review his bank’s IT security. As ever he was very well prepared so I was a little surprised when he confessed to being nervous.


How great training clients maximize the impact of their training budget
Training, whether it be Business English, soft skill or leadership programs, is most successful when there is buy-in across the board. HR and L&D are important, but it is the buy-in from operational and line managers that makes a real difference.


Key tips and English phrases for your next “lessons learned” meeting
Life is about continuously learning. We sometimes learn from our mistakes, and we can also learn from our successes. This was first brought to my attention early on in my career. After the successful completion of a tough project ...




Surviving and understanding English corporate buzzwords and business lingo
Recently I was working with a software development manager from a major German multinational. He’d just got off a 2 hour webex meeting and was frustrated. “I thought my English was pretty good – but what exactly does We’ve worked through it soup to nuts mean?!”.


How we built the Business English can-do statements: An interview with Chris Slattery
How good is your business English? B1? C2? These terms didn’t mean much to most of us ten years ago or so, but today the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is an international standard for describing language ability.



The importance of staff training
We're a training company. We meet with corporate clients and we ask them questions to find out their situation. They ask us questions too. If they like us, we send in an offer with a training concept. The answers to the questions (from both sides) are often similar.




Handling difficult and disruptive people in meetings
Naturally, some team members can feel uncomfortable when their processes and working methods are scrutinized and analyzed. It is not unusual for this discomfort to surface in meetings as difficult and disruptive behaviour.