Upper-Intermediate English: Business and Industry

Take your English language skills to the next level. Learn how to write letters, use appropriate verbal tenses and enhance your vocabulary and grammar, all within the context of business.

About this course

This course is the first in a series of four English language MOOCs designed for students with an intermediate level of English looking to reach a higher intermediate level. The course is comprised of video lessons, reading comprehension activities, grammar explanations and exercises, listening comprehension activities and speaking practice.

The course covers interesting topics such assuccessful businesses, risk management, industrial design and radio broadcasting.

This course also includes preparatory materials and recommendations to take the Cambridge University First Certificate in English Examination (FCE).

Business English Skills: How to Navigate Tone, Formality, and Directness in Emails

This lesson is part of a full course, Business English Networking. Take this lesson to get a short tutorial on the learning objectives covered. To dive deeper into this topic, take the full course.

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to: – Distinguish between formal and informal language – Distinguish between direct and indirect language – Choose the appropriate tone based on your relationship with your recipient, the context, and request.

English for Business and Entrepreneurship

Welcome to English for Business and Entrepreneurship, a course created by the University of Pennsylvania, and funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of English Language Programs.

To enroll in this course for free, click on “Enroll now” and then select “Full Course. No certificate.” This course is designed for non-native English speakers who are interested in learning more about the global business economy. In this course, you will learn about topics and language necessary to succeed in the international workplace. You will explore business English through authentic readings and video lectures, while learning about business vocabulary, concepts, and issues. Unit 1 will provide an introduction to entrepreneurship by examining ideas, products, and opportunities. In unit 2, you will learn about the basics of market research, including how to identify an opportunity. The next unit in the course will focus on business plans, why these plans are important, and will give you a chance to practice composing a business plan. In the final unit of the course, we will present basics for funding a business and will help you create a persuasive presentation, or pitch, based on a business plan. Unless otherwise noted, all course materials are available for re-use, repurposing and free distribution under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution license. Supplemental reading materials were provided by Newsela, which publishes daily news articles at a level that’s just right for each English language learner.