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What to watch to improve your business and IT English
Welcome to November's Resource Roundup
Tom @ Speak Tech English
November 18, 2024
In partnership with
Welcome to our Resource Roundup, Reader! Throughout the month, I collect a list of useful resources for learning English or working in tech and send out my latest finds in a special, once-a-month email.
Stick around until the end to get the vocabulary template that has helped my students build the active vocabulary needed to land jobs at top global companies.
Today, learn business English using:
You’ll hear from us again next Monday when we return to the usual mini lessons.
WATCH
Films & TV Series
Learn business English by watching films or tv shows that are set in the workplace.
The Office: Mockumentary series about the daily lives of employees at a newspaper company. I’ve linked the UK version (which I think is funnier, but I’m biased, of course) and there’s also a US version.
→ Good for: slang (be careful - it might be rude!), common workplace expressions
The IT Crowd: Sitcom about the IT department of a large corporation, showing the interactions between tech staff and non-tech employees. (British English)
→ Good for: British work culture, tech vocabulary
The Internship: Comedy film about two middle-aged men who get internships at Google. (American English)
→ Good for: tech vocabulary, business language used in startup environments
WATCH
Youtube
Computerphile: Educational channel explaining computer science topics from basic algorithms to cybersecurity. (British English)
→ Good for: learning how to explain complex technical topics in English
Numberphile: Sister channel to the above, exploring mathematic concepts and puzzles. (British English)
→ Good for: logic and numerical reasoning questions in interviews
On a side note...Which English accent are you aiming for? |
READ
Newsletters
This isn’t traditional business news
Welcome to Morning Brew—the free newsletter designed to keep you in the know on the business news impacting your career, company, and life—in a way you didn’t know you needed.
Note: this isn’t traditional business news. Morning Brew’s approach cuts through the noise and bore of classic business media, opting for short writeups, witty jokes, and above all—presenting the facts.
Save time, actually enjoy business news, and join over 4 million professionals reading daily.
STUDY
What should you be doing whilst watching?
This downloadable vocabulary checklist template is the key to improving your active vocabulary when watching content in English.
How to use it:
Make a note of key words and phrases from the video and their definitions
Highlight the phrase orange if you understand it but don’t use it and red if you don’t understand it and don’t use it
Challenge yourself to think of synonyms
Write it in a sentence
Review regularly!
Use the spreadsheet as a prompt in your meetings or online classes to encourage yourself to use new phrases
To build vocabulary: you should also practice understanding new vocabulary without looking up the definition but instead learning from context, just like in real-life conversations
To practice speaking: occasionally pause the content and repeat what the speaker says, focusing on pronunciation, intonation and rhythm
To improve comprehension: after watching the video, try to summarise it in your own words
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