Business Builder: Can I Learn Business English from a Book?

It is natural to want to improve your Business English skills with learning materials designed for your business. Unfortunately, there is a limit to what you can learn using even a specialist Business English textbook. In my opinion, the most important skills are not available to you in a textbook.

English Skills and improving them through textbooks:

• Speaking: No – there is no way for you to practice your speaking skills with a book.

• Reading: Yes, but your field might be difficult to find - You can improve your Business English reading skills quite well through a Textbook. If you are lucky there may been business English textbooks and exercises with answers in your specific working field (finance / catering etc.)

• Writing: Maybe, but you will not get feedback. You will not know what mistakes you have made.

• Listening: Maybe, but it is very unlikely your field will be found – Some books have listening CD’s, and some come with apps with listening exercises. It is very unlikely you will find a large variety of listening exercises in your area.

English Skills and improving them with a Business English teacher:

• Speaking: Yes! – You will be able to speak about, discuss, and practice the exact situations you need English for in your lessons with your teacher.

• Reading: Yes! – A good teacher will find appropriate reading material for you in your chosen field. You can also use actual materials from work to learn specific phrases and vocabulary.

• Writing: Yes! - A good teacher will set you writing exercises in your field, and assist you with email and report writing.

• Listening: Yes! – You can practice listening exercises found for you by your teacher, and practice conference calls, small talk, negotiations, apologies, giving bad news… anything you need.

Skilled Business English teachers will refer to books to provide you with clear exercises and general phrases and vocabulary. If you find that your Business English classes are just flicking through each page of a textbook, you deserve a better service. There is no textbook out there that will teach exactly what you need, in the order that you need it. For that you need a professional Business English teacher.