English for Workers: Business Conversation

In Japan, business English usually means one thing: TOEIC.

TOEIC is a useful test of reading and listening comprehension, but it fails to provide real communication practice. Even people with TOEIC scores of 800 or above can be at a loss for words when placed in actual business situations!

In this seminar, you’ll learn one important thing: how to have a good business conversation. By practicing with a series of partners, you’ll become a more confident and natural English speaker. For example, you’ll learn how to:

• Describe what you do for a living
• Describe the place you work
• Describe what you like and dislike about your job
• Describe what you’re good at
• Describe the challenges you face at work
• Describe your future career goals

Along the way, you’ll pick up and practice essential work-related phrases. These include common business idioms and euphemisms that can be baffling to non-native speakers. You’ll also learn why it’s not natural to say:

• “I’m waiting for your reply.”
• “Now I’m going back to my office.”
• “Tomorrow is a holiday.”

What are the natural ways to say these things? This seminar will show you!

To participate fully in this seminar, you’ll need to have at least some basic English conversation skills. A TOEIC score of 600 or above would be a helpful place to start.

This event is for you if:

• You want to have better conversations in English at work.
• You’re not satisfied with a TOEIC score and you want to practice real communication.
• You want to learn insider tips on business English.

Format: Interactive Seminar (90 mins)
Language: English
Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Speaker: David Willoughby has taught English for over ten years in Japan and has been an English communication instructor at Azabu, Otsuma, and Nihon Universities. He is an expert in preparing students for the Speaking and Writing sections of IELTS and TOEFL.

Organiser: Workers University is Tokyo’s pop-up university. During Summer 2016, we’re open on Saturday afternoons at our secret classroom in Dogenzaka, Shibuya. If you see an event you like, please join us. There’s no registration process – just pay a small charge for each seminar.