top of page

Search Results

30 results found with an empty search

  • Asking questions - a basic required skill in any conversation

    How to formulate questions in English? It is not enough to simply put a question mark at the end of the sentence. Look below at how to formulate questions in English - a short, summarized version. For a more comprehensive and detailed explanation and examples, watch this video.

  • These confusing words...

    These words may sound the same, however they are spelled differently and mean different things. For example: coach & couch. You say: career coach (not couch). You call someone who is lazing around on the couch/sofa all day, a couch potato (not coach). Below are some of the most commonly mis-used words.

  • I want to talk and sound like a native speaker

    I know English. I talk English. But...I want to talk more professionally. Is it possible? Certainly. Is it easy? Instant? Not really. It requires some effort, learning and using business phrases and businss jargon, and re-using the newly learned phrases, else, you'll simply forget them. Activate them, in other words, use them, a couple of times till they become part of your DNA. For example: Can you please give me a ballpark estimate? (=rough estimate) It's still up in the air whether the CEO will approve this project. To stay ahead of the curve (=ahead of the competition) we'll have to raise the bar (=raise the standards). I'd love to work on this project, however, I don't have the bandwidth (=time, resources...) Below are some common business phrases. To make it easier for you, I have assembled some commonly used business phrases with meanings, explanations, and examples of how to use in a sentence. Select 2-3 that you think you can use in your daily interactions, use them and reuse them again and again, and then move forward and select the next 2-3 phrases.

  • What are Phrasal Verbs and why do we need them?

    How do we know when to use 'give in' or 'give up'? What is the difference? Shouldn't we simply use regular verbs? In addition to regular verbs, the English language has 'phrasal verbs'. This is a group of verbs that consist of a verb + a preposition or an adverb or both. In many cases, given there are not enough verbs in the English language, the only way to express an action is by using a phrasal verb. For example: try on clothes (note: you don't 'measure' clothes) to see if they fit you. For a more detailed explanation, examples and commonly used phrasal verbs in a business environment, open the attached document.

  • A Crash Refresh Course on English Tenses

    Are you confused? Asking yourselves when to use the 'ing' form and when not? When to use the present perfect simple? other tenses? It doesn't have to be that complicated. For some, trying to figure out when to use what tense, may be stressful, however, it doesn't have to be that way. If you work systematically, you can overcome the challenge of learning the English tenses. Focus on when to use what tense, what are the cue words, and that's it, you are on your way to success. Attached is a short summarized document covering often used tenses: formulation, when to use and cue words. For a more detailed explanation and videos, click here.

  • If only I had the beginning of the sentence, then I'd...

    Do you feel you're using the same limited vocabulary? If so, it's time to activate the words from your 'database of unused words' (see here for more detail): https://bit.ly/ActivateYourLanguage A second option, is to use the attached document that will help you quickly find the words/phrases you need whether you're in a meeting, need to write an email, need to voice your opinion, & more.

  • Wrap yourself in English - 10 tips on how to do that

    You are most probably familiar with the discussion around 'important' and 'urgent' and that we tend to be very good at doing the urgent stuff, less so the important stuff. When people consult in me and ask how to improve and sharpen their Business English, I always tell them that once a week is nice, but not enough. I tell them that if they really want to give a boost to their English, they should build a weekly/monthly schedule. For example: on Mondays. listen to podcasts in English, on Tuesdays schedule a lesson with a professional, on Wednesdays watch a TV series but in English (no subtitles), on Thursdays have a 15 min. conversation in English with someone...etc. And if you are not convinced, watch this short 5 minute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73Ot80nngvY&t=10s . And if you are convinced, watch this video, and prepare your weekly/monthly schedule, and you'll find many materials in this blog to help you. Start with the attached pdf document where you'll find ideas and tips for how to wrap yourself in English. One day or Day One. You decide.

  • How to disagree agreeably?

    How to say 'no' politely? How to enthusiastically agree? The Israeli 'dugri' style is not always welcomed by others. At times, it even sounds rude and unprofessional. So, what language should I use? How should I respond back? It is recommended to use positive language and avoid using the word 'no'. If you partially agree, begin with what you agree and then move to discuss disagreements. Start using some of the language and examples in the below document.

  • Ace your Job Interview

    Did you turn down a job offer because they told you the interview will be in English? Really? Then let's start acquiring some language and confidence. Welcome to our series: Common Interview Questions. Each post will review one question. Question #4: Tell us about a challenge you've had and how did you handle it? Answer this question by: Explaining the situation, the task you needed to accomplish, and what method you chose (and why) Sharing the outcome. What was the result? Sharing your lessons learned. Example: In my last job, we were facing a tough deadline and my boss was out for the day. Our client was expecting a project to be delivered by 5:00 PM, but we were far behind schedule. I took the lead on the project, delegated tasks to the four other team members in a way that I thought would utilize everyone’s strengths best. And then I re-organized my own personal tasks so I could dedicate my entire day to contributing to this project as well. The project was a success and we delivered the work on-time. I went on to lead more projects after that, and used what I learned to be a better project manager. In summary: Focus on a specific work-related challenge Talk about how you overcame obstacles How you used it as a learning experience How you ended up with a positive result! That’s how to answer this interview question.

  • Grow your Vocabulary - Use it or lose it?

    How do you grow your vocabulary? Aren’t you tired of endless lists of words? Learning them by heart?! Use it or lose it! Yes, if you don’t use the words, they simply won’t come out when you need them. It is therefore, of utmost importance to ‘activate’ words. A true learning process is an active one, especially learning a second language. It is not enough just to look at the word, tell yourself I know this word, I understand it. You need to ‘activate’ the word – in other words, use it, say it out loud. OK, how do I know what words to activate? We all have vocabulary that we often use – our ‘database of active words’. We also have a database of words that we know/understand but don’t really use – our ‘passive database of words’. So, instead of learning new words from scratch, let’s shorten the learning curve and activate words from our ‘passive database of words’. How do we do that? Say out loud the words, roll them off your tongue, use them in a sentence, say them in the next meeting, phone call…extract them from the database and ‘activate’ them. For example: Change the interface language on your mobile and desktop to English – see a word that you know/understand – use it in a sentence. Say it. Talk to yourselves in English: I am going to pick up my kids from school.. I am preparing dinner, I need to go shopping…and when you get stuck, extract the word from the ‘database base of seldom used words’. Watch a series/TV/movie – select 2-3 words that you know/understand and say them, once, twice, three times, use them in a sentence. By doing the above you’ll gradually activate more and more words. It’s time to walk the talk and activate more words.

  • Describing a Process - Practical Tips

    So, what's the big deal? Is there a special langugage to describe work processes? It is recommended to: Use the 'active voice' and mostly use the present simple form Start each step with a verb Use a variety of transition words to express moving between one step to the next. You're welcome to download the complete guide.

  • How to Write Get to the Point Emails in English?

    What is the correct way of writing? Should I use formal or informal language? How should I open an email? How should I end an email? Here are a few tips and key sentences (formal / informal) that you can reuse in many of your emails, thus, saving yourself precious time. Click on below to download the file. Most importantly, remember that bottom line up front (B.L.U.F), so start with your bottom line and end with a call to action. If you're not sure your email is written professionally enough, consider using tools such as: Grammarly or Wordtune.

whatsapp icon
bottom of page