In a recent
article, a man wrote how he had agreed to give some lectures on art, and was asked to include some humour. As he isn't a funny man, he decided to take a course in comedy. Over the course, he learnt about the different types of humour, and how to be funny. And his conclusion? "I will never resort to Powerpoint in a lecture again. I will always talk to, and not at, audiences."
July 22nd 2008 |
Speaking skills
A journalist on the Boston Globe was recently criticised for using non-standard English in an article. According to the critic, the column in which the article appeared qualified as "formal written English" and so shouldn't include non-standard English.
July 17th 2008 |
Writing skills
A recent
article from the India Times reports on how business outsourcing companies in India are training their staff in accent neutralisation.
How often do you pay your colleagues a compliment? We all like to receive positive comments about how we look, but how you do it is important. To avoid any possibility that you are making someone feel uncomfortable, men should only compliment men, and women should stick to complimenting other women.
How up-to-date is your vocabulary? Words come in and go out of fashion rapidly, so having a recent dictionary is useful. Here are some of the new words (taken from
a recent article) in the 11th edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary.
If you manage to get away for a week or two during the summer, it's a good idea to send your colleagues a postcard. You don't have to write very much, and you can use the same sort of abbreviations you use in emails (missing out subject pronoun, auxiliaries and so on).
June 19th 2008 |
Writing skills
An article on the
BBC website today lists 50 examples of "management speak" phrases. One reader wrote: "My favourite which I hear from the managers at the bank I work for is
let's touch base about that offline. I think it means have a private chat but I am still not sure."
June 17th 2008 |
Business culture
If you're motivated, reliable, and prepared to work flexible hours, then you have a good chance of getting a job in the UK. Government studies show that employers prefer the work ethic of Eastern Europeans to British workers.
If you're starting a new job and want to make a good impression on your new colleagues, try these cultural tips!
June 10th 2008 |
Socialising
I'm ashamed to say that the following instructions were written by a native speaker of English. How many errors can you spot? (Hint: look for spelling mistakes, and absence of punctuation.)
June 5th 2008 |
Writing skills
