Business Language

• What is business language?

Business language is the language used in business such as in commerce, international trade,
insurance, and banking. It entails using specific vocabulary and grammatical structures and clearly
communicating clearly and concisely is vital in business communication.

The clarity in business writing

When using a language in a business context, it is vital to be clear so that nothing is left to
interpretation. If business writing lacks clarity time is wasted and money can be lost.

English

English is currently the language of international business; therefore, business people must be able
to communicate effectively in English in order to achieve professional success.

Importance of English in business communication

• Today despite the growth of other languages in global business communication, English is
still the most widespread language used for communication in almost all contexts. T
• his all originates from early colonization when English was introduced to many continents
and countries around the world in a comparatively short time frame.
• People in many countries are also eager to learn English as it gives them a window into the
world. Being fluent in English helps a business executive based in France to initiate a
business deal with a company in Australia as they can come together communicating in a
global language.

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English has now become a global language for business all over the world

• Because there are many people who can speak English fluently it allows for better
communication between those who live in different countries.
• This supports great opportunities for negotiating and discussing the main features
necessary for the success of the business relationship.
• Many international businesses have taken on English as the key language for working with,
even when the origin of the business isn’t from a country whose main language is English.
• Because English is now the most common language used globally, this makes it
automatically the most dominant language used by businesses throughout the world
because it allows a company to attract the greatest number of possible customers.
• Also, being a fluent English speaker helps in negotiations with possible business partners,
which is a great way to boost a business with English as the business language.

Top industries rely on English

Because so many industries produce products in countries that don’t necessarily have English as a
national language there is a need for English translators to translate product information for the
English-speaking market. This includes the following industries:

• training,
• retail,
• PR,
• pharmaceuticals,
• medical,
• marketing,
• advertising,
• consumer,
• E-commerce,
• education,
• healthcare.

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Here are some simple ways that will allow you to improve your business language skills quickly:

1. Increase Your Vocabulary

• Improving vocabulary is key in mastering the specialized words used in business language.
• You can easily improve your vocabulary through training software that offers a
comprehensive range of exercises.
• Learning commonly-used business idioms and abbreviations can also enhance your
vocabulary.
• Furthermore, you can do research on the Internet in order to find the terminology used in
the specific field that you are currently employed in.
• It is important that you adopt an inquisitive approach towards learning, and find the
meaning of any business word that you are currently unfamiliar with.
• A business dictionary can prove to be particularly helpful, since you'll be able to find the
complete meanings for new terms and their relevant usage within business communication.

2. Business Language Training

• If you're looking for a quick way to improve your business language skills, consider signing
up for a language training course.
• These courses can be intensive or simply provide a few tips on how to communicate more
effectively in business situations.
• You'll learn about things like listening skills, reading body language and how to speak
clearly and concisely.
• The best thing about corporate language courses is that they're accessible and affordable.
Many companies will subsidize the cost of these courses so that all employees can take
advantage of them — even if you're not in a management position.

If you're lucky enough to have access to this kind of training, take advantage of it!

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3. Read Business-Related Material

• You can significantly enhance your vocabulary by reading a wide variety of material related
to your field or business.
• Reading business information and current updates will not only allow you to remain abreast
with the recent changes in the business environment but also allow you to keep up with
any changes in terminology.
• This knowledge can prove to be essential when you are communicating with third parties
or working on customer contracts.

4. Watch Business-Oriented Programs

• Watching programs that focus on business is an excellent way to improve language skills,
because the people in those programs will be using key terms frequently and correctly.
• These programs are often hosted by experts in the field and therefore can prove to be an
important source of valuable information and knowledge as well as vocabulary terms.
• Business terminology is naturally used on these programs and merely watching them
attentively can help you grasp terms that are part of business communications.
• Listening to or watching these programs will not only allow you to become familiar with
new words but also learn their correct pronunciation and usage.

Simple knowledge of business terminology cannot completely eliminate the chance of

misunderstanding in organizations; rather, an employee must be able to correctly use the terms so
that the underlying message is effectively communicated to the second party. Watching these
programs will allow you to understand the current business scenario while also becoming familiar
with a range of words and their proper uses.

5. Practice

• Learning new business terminology will not impact your communication skills until and
unless these terms are used correctly in your the daily communication.
• You must try to use as many relevant words as possible during your conversations with
colleagues and peers. Furthermore, recently learned business terminology can and should

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 be incorporated into the presentations you give, so that you are able to gain confidence in
your ability to use the terminology.

Finally, you can practice your business language skills by writing business letters and memos.

• An individual working in an organization is likely to need to communicate with

stakeholders and peers through the medium of memos and letters.
• However, it must be remembered that letters and memos need to be to the point and precise.
Your business language skills are critical during this point, because short sentences must
convey your instructions, term, or requests.
• It is important to be familiar with the general writing pattern found in letter formats used
in your industry.
• Use a formal tone where appropriate, and make sure the language you use helps to clearly
convey the information.

Here are 50 common words/phrases that will help you get by (useful collocations, which are
words that frequently go together, have been underlined where relevant):

• team-player (n)
She has all the qualities of an excellent team-player.
Being a team-player means actively collaborating with others and working towards goals.
• collaborate (v) / collaborative (adj) / collaboration (n)
A British company collaborated with a French firm to develop the product.
The leaders of large- scaled businesses collaborate with one another to get their profit into a high level.
• coworking / shared workspace (n)
One of the benefits of coworking / shared workspace is that people don’t have the
isolation of working from home or in a noisy café.

• start-up (n)
Many start-ups fail in their first year because there is little or no market for their
product.

• entrepreneur (n)
These entrepreneurs made their money in technology and media.

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• multinational (n)
Tesco is one of the biggest multinationals in the UK.

• disruption (n) / disruptive (adj)

Airbnb, Netflix and Uber are examples of disruptive brands that have created new
markets.

• budget (n/v)
The marketing budget will be announced in the next meeting.

• diversify (v) diversification (n)

The company has diversified into new product areas.

• expand (v) / expansion (n)

We’re planning to expand our sales division next year, so we’ll be hiring 100 new staff.

• freelance (n)
After working at the company for many years, he decided to go freelance.

• consultant (n) / to consult (v) / consulting (n)

He now works as an IT consultant in various organisations.

• skill set (n)

We offered her the job as she has the right skills set for it.

• launch (n/v)
They’re launching their new product tomorrow.

• revenue (n)
We really need to increase our revenue from ticket sales.

• sector (n)
Salaries in the public sector have fallen again.

• invest (v) / investment (n)

It’s important for companies to invest in their staff.

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• leadership (n) / lead (v)
Her leadership style has been described as democratic as she asks for input and
considers feedback from her team before making a decision.

• deadline (n)
He’s met all of his important deadlines this month.

• core business (n) The company has decided to focus on their core business – affordable
fashion.
• go into administration (v) The company has gone into administration as it is unable to
pay back its debts.
• added value (n) With her experience and contacts, the new Business Development
Manager clearly offers added value.
• emerging markets (n) Emerging markets such as Mexico and Indonesia are popular
with traders as they tend to experience fast growth.
• agenda (n) There are several items on the agenda for today’s meeting.
• sustainability (n) / sustainable (adj) High-sustainability organisations take into account
the environmental and social performance of the company, as well as financial
performance.
• takeover (n) / take over (v) Employees are often concerned about losing their jobs
when a bigger company takes over their firm.
• board of directors (n) She currently sits on the board of directors.
• brand awareness (n) Working with influencers on social media is an effective way
of increasing brand awareness.
• staff (n) 10 members of staff are attending the conference.
• impact (n) Social networks are making a huge impact on sales.
• capital (n) We need to raise more capital in order to implement our new strategy
• close a deal (v) After months of negotiations, we finally closed the deal.
• competitor (n) / compete (v) / competition (n) Our major competitor is able to offer
much lower prices.
• conference call (n) Conference calls have reduced the need for business travel.3retailer
(n) Many high-street retailers are closing stores due to competition from online outlets.

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 • creditor (n) We need to pay our creditors by the end of next month.
• economies of scale (n) Bigger companies that operate globally often benefit from
economies of scale.
• HR / Human Resources (n) / (adj) As an HR professional, I specialise in training and
development.
• network (n/v) Conferences provide a great opportunity to network.
• project (n) I’m working on an exciting new project.
• go public (v) Many private companies go public by selling shares on the stock
exchange; one example is Manchester United plc.
(n) Shareholders own shares in a company and are usually paid dividends when the
company makes a profit.
• stakeholder (n) Stakeholders of a company include employees, suppliers, customers,
shareholders and the local community.
• digital strategy (n) Digital strategy involves the use of new technologies to maximise a
company’s competitive advantage.
• overheads (n) Overheads, or ongoing business expenses, include rent, utilities and
insurance.
• balance sheet (n) A balance sheet reports a company’s assets, liabilities and
shareholders’ equity at a given point in time.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Anuradha Diyalagoda

Lecturer (Sri Lanka Teacher Educators’ Service)

Dip. in Teaching English, TKT, B.A (UOK), P.G.D.E. (OUSL), M.A in TESL (USJP), B.Ed in TESL
(reading) (Lincoln Uni.)

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