How to Improve Your Business English? Try These 15 Tips

Sometimes you may reach a plateau (a point of no noticeable progress) in your language learning journey. This simply indicates that you need fresh approaches to practice Business English to keep advancing your abilities.

To move past this hurdle, consider these strategies that will help you maintain momentum and enhance your professional communication in English.

Ask for Help

Some individuals find it very challenging to ask for assistance. If you can relate, here's some straightforward advice: You must move past your pride and begin seeking help from others!

Every English speaker you encounter is a potential resource you can use to improve your business English.

1. Get someone to edit your written work.

Are you preparing a document for work? Before you send an important proposal or presentation to a client or your manager, ask a native English speaker to review it.

Request that the person note your errors and explain how to correct them, rather than just making the changes for you. This method allows you to learn from each mistake.

For instance, the editor might correct an error like this: Return for Investment (Correction: Return on Investment)

2. Tell your coworkers to tell you when you use incorrect English.

Have you ever been at lunch with someone and noticed they had a piece of food stuck in their teeth? You sit there wondering if you should mention it. Unless you know the person well, you probably decide not to say anything.

You remain silent, even though you know that if you were in their position, you would want to be told so you could fix it, rather than continue talking with the food visible.

The same principle applies when your colleagues hear you make mistakes in English. They will recognize that:

“On a shoelace budget” is incorrect, and that you meant “on a shoestring budget.”

“The bottom of the line” should be “the bottom line.”

However, they likely won't correct you simply because they feel it's not their role (the person doesn't have the authority or right to do something).

Therefore, it's up to you to let your coworkers know that they have your permission to correct your English. Tell them you welcome the feedback! Once you give your colleagues the green light (permission) to correct you, they will feel more at ease doing so.

3. Practice your presentation with someone beforehand.

Just as you should have someone review your presentation slides, whenever you have to give a presentation, you should ask someone to be your practice (pretend) audience.

Ask the person to take notes and provide feedback afterwards. They should tell you:

If you made any grammatical or English errors.

If any part was confusing.

How you could do better.

Watch and Listen to Business-related Media

4. Listen to podcasts.

You can listen to podcasts at any time and in any place. A few helpful business English podcasts include:

Ted Radio Hour — These motivational discussions are sure to broaden your perspective and stimulate your thinking, ultimately making you a more effective business person, even if the topics aren't exclusively about business.

Startup — This podcast details the entire journey of how a successful company was founded.

5. Watch TV Series.

Viewing television shows with business themes is an enjoyable method to practice your English. Remember to pause and rewatch sections if you don't grasp a phrase or conversation. Using English subtitles can also be beneficial.

“The Office” — Discover business English and workplace humor through this unique sitcom .

“Shark Tank” — Observe entrepreneurs present their ideas hoping to obtain investment.

“Fast Money” — This program features genuine Wall Street traders and is more appropriate for advanced learners.

Naturally, there are challenges when watching and listening to authentic English content. You might struggle to find material that matches your exact language level. You may also not understand every word, particularly if the speakers use slang or business jargon (industry-specific/technical terms).

If you encounter these difficulties, you might find Lingflix to be a useful resource.

Write Down New Words and Phrases

Learning opportunities are practically everywhere—you just need to be observant! However, when you're constantly exposed to English phrases throughout the day, it can be difficult to remember them all. We recommend this routine.

6. Carry a notebook or keep notes on your phone.

Whenever you come across a new English phrase, write it down! Don't overcommit, though. Try to record 3-7 new phrases or words each day. Here are a few phrases and their meanings to get you started:

Let’s kick things off. (Meaning: Let’s get started)

I don’t have any more bandwidth. (Meaning: I do not have any more time or energy to do something because I am busy with other work.)

What does he bring to the table? (Meaning: What makes him valuable in this specific situation?)

7. Review new phrases nightly.

Maintaining a list won't benefit you unless you review it. Go over your list each evening and try to absorb the material you've learned.

8. Try to use the new phrase the following day.

Remember the items you learned the day before and make an effort to use them when discussing business matters with colleagues or others.

Practice as Much as You Can

Your business English skills will only get better with practice, so seize every opportunity.

9. Make a conscious effort to integrate newly learned phrases.

As suggested with the words and phrases you've recorded in your notebook, we recommend that you consciously try to use any new phrases you learn whenever possible.

10. Talk with your colleagues at work.

You might feel hesitant to converse with your English-speaking colleagues, but you shouldn't! The more you engage with them, the more self-assured you will become. You can:

Attempt to speak in person rather than through email.

Have lunch with your colleagues to engage in informal conversation.

11. Rehearse conversations.

If you plan to ask your boss for a raise, spend some time the night before practicing that discussion in front of a mirror.

If you have a friend who is fluent in English, you could ask them to help you act out the conversation.

Make Time to Study

If you truly want to use business English expertly, then you need to establish a study routine. A basic, consistent commitment can help you enhance your business English quickly!

12. Wake up early.

This may be difficult for some, but as the saying goes—the early bird catches the worm. By waking up just 15 minutes earlier each morning, you will accumulate over 90 extra hours of study time in a year. Imagine how much your English could improve!

13. Use the commute.

If you take public transportation to work, browse business news on your phone. Drive to work? Use an aux cable to listen to a podcast. By studying during your daily commute, you create a consistent study period.

14. Study throughout the day.

Turn every moment into a learning opportunity. Instead of scrolling through social media when you're bored, review your latest business English phrases or read some business news in English .

The more you do this, the more natural it will feel, and the greater your improvement in business English will be!

15. Review 10 minutes before bed.

Research suggests that thinking about something right before sleep helps you absorb it, increasing the likelihood you'll remember it later.

The sooner you begin applying the tips from this blog post, the faster you will see progress in your business English!