Course description
People like to do business with people they trust and there is no substitute for meeting someone face to face. English for Socialising course will provide you with a clear guidance on how to use English effectively in order to establish and maintain new business contacts. The skills you develop will enable you to network effectively in a range of situations from dinner parties to conference coffee breaks, from chance meetings with influential people to networking online, from “breaking the ice” in meetings to starting negotiations effectively.
Course outcomes
By the end of this course you will be able to:
– Develop interpersonal communication skills
– Explore the form and significance of diplomatic language
– Be aware of intercultural communication
– Establish a good rapport
– Expand your range of English expressions used for a variety of networking situations including initiating and ending conversations, exchanging business cards etc
– Develop strategies for dealing with sensitive issues, e.g. overcoming communication breakdowns or barriers
Sample syllabus
Making contact: Making arrangements via email, Meeting visitors on arrival, Talking about the weather, Talking about plans, Attitudes to time in different cultures.
– Welcoming visitors: Welcoming visitors to your company, Talking about the offices and the company, Offering a visitor refreshments, Giving directions in the building, Introducing a visitor. Language: Using first names, Asking for clarification
– Getting acquainted: Making small talk before a meeting, Talking about free-time activities, Talking about personal possessions, Talking about travel and places you have visited, Following up a visit with an email. Language: Talking about mutual acquaintances, Moving from small talk to actual business, Keeping a conversation going
– Entertaining a visitor: Showing a visitor around your town, Talking about the place where you live, Recommending things to do and places to see, Giving directions in a town or city
– Eating out: Making small talk in a restaurant, Deciding what to order, Talking about family and relationships, Talking about education, Thanking somebody for a meal. Language: Explaining a menu, Keeping a conversation going, The role of humour in different cultures
– Networking at a trade fair: Starting a conversation with a stranger, Talking about your company, Talking about products at the stand, Trying out small-talk topics, Following up a new contract via email. Language: Safe small-talk topics, Ending a conversational politely
