on a business trip dialogue

Business small talk: examples and useful phrases

Manoeuvering small talk situations is an important skill — especially in the business context. To help you improve it, we have put together some examples of English business small talk. Along with these dialogues, we provide you with handy lists of English small talk phrases.

Two people shake hands in a meeting situation

In the following, we present dialogues and key phrases for English business small talk. You will also find lists with useful phrases from these examples that will help you in future conversations.

Introducing yourself and others in English

In the first two conversations, you will find useful phrases for introductions and situations in which you meet people again.

This is the setting for our fictional English business small talk: Jason, Susan, Gesine, Fridtjov and Ben are all at a conference, where they are making new contacts and reconnecting with old ones.

1. Starting a conversation: introducing yourself

Jason: I don’t think we’ve been introduced. I’m Jason . Jason Horn. Susan: Nice to meet you. I’m Susan. Jason: Pleased to meet you, Susan. How are you enjoying the conference so far? Susan: It’s been great. I’ve met so many interesting people. And it’s a nice break from the office, to be honest. Jason: I know what you mean. Have you been to one of these conferences before? Susan: Yes, I was at the one in Glasgow a couple of years ago. What about you? Jason: That’s funny, I was there, too.

Phrases to introduce yourself in English

I don’t think we’ve been introduced.
You must be ... . I’m ... .
Nice to meet you. I’m ... .
Pleased/Good to meet you.
Could you say your name again for me?
... . Is that how you say it?

Business small talk tip: What’s in a name?

People from English speaking countries usually use their first names at work and in business situations. If someone says their last name first, however, they probably expect you to use it. Ask the person to say their name again if it’s unclear. It’s important to get it right.

2. Introducing someone else in English

Jason: Susan, this is my Norwegian colleague, Fridtjov. We work in the same department. Fridtjov, this is Susan. Fridtjov: Good to meet you. Susan: It’s nice to meet you, too. Em, could you say your name again for me? Fridtjov: It’s Fridtjov. Don’t worry. Everyone has difficulty pronouncing my name. Susan: Fridtjov. Is that how you say it? Fridtjov: Yes. Perfect!

EngIish phrases to introduce others in business small talk situations

Susan, this is my colleague, ... .
I’ll introduce you to my colleagues.

Starting a conversation with someone you already know

If you already know the other person, you wouldn’t start the conversation by introducing yourself. The following dialogues represent business small talk situations in which people meet again, speak for the first time in person or remind somebody that they have met before.

3. Reconnecting with someone

Susan: Gesine? Hi, it’s Susan. Susan Christie. Gesine: Oh, hi, Susan! I thought I recognized you. How are you? Susan: I’m great, thanks. And you? Gesine: I’m fine. Fancy meeting you here! What are the chances? Susan: [laughs] I know. You wouldn’t have time for a quick coffee, would you? Gesine: Sure. That would be lovely.

4. Starting a conversation: Meeting in person

Jason: You must be Gesine. I’m Jason. It’s good to meet you at long last. Gesine: Ah, Jason. It’s great to meet you. We’ve been talking on the phone for years — it’s funny that this is the first time we’ve actually met. Jason: I know! Come on, I’ll introduce you to my colleagues.

5. You don’t remember me

Jason: Ben? Hi, I’m Jason. You don’t remember me, do you? Ben: I’m sorry. Can you jog my memory? Jason: Jason Horn. We met last year in Bristol. At the conference. Ben: Oh, right. I remember now. We met at one of the evening events, right? Was it the one in the town hall? Jason: Yes, that’s the one. Ben: Goodness, I’m so sorry. It’s good to see you! Jason: No worries.

EngIish phrases to reconnect with people in business small talk situations

I thought I recognized you.
So, are you still with the same company?
You don’t remember me, do you?
I’m sorry. Can you jog my memory? (if you don’t remember someone)
It’s good to meet you at long last. (if you meet someone for the first time in person)

Breaking the ice in small talk situations

After you have started the conversations, you’ll want the small talk to go on for some time and avoid awkward pauses.

It’s never wrong to ask your conversational partner how they are. The answer to this question, however, is usually very short in English conversations. Detailed recountings of your health issues or marital problems are not the best small talk topics. It’s a lot more innocuous to ask how your conversational partner likes the event at which you’ve met. Other quite universal small talk topics are the weather, travel, accomodation or your background. In the following dialogue extracts, you’ll find how you can get a conversation with a business partner going using these small talk topics.

6. Travel small talk

Jason: How was your trip, Gesine? Not too arduous, I hope. Gesine: [laughs] No, it wasn’t arduous at all. The plane was almost empty, so I had three seats all to myself. And I took the tram here. The venue is very central, isn’t it? Jason: You can say that again! Now, how about we grab a coffee before we get down to business? Gesine: That would be great. Thanks.

English phrases to talk about business travel

How was your trip?
The venue is very central, isn’t it?

7. Small talk about your background

Susan: Jason said you’re from Norway. How long have you lived here? Fridtjov: I moved here in 2007. Susan: Oh, that’s quite a while. I’ve always wanted to go to Norway. Whereabouts are you from? Fridtjov: I’m from Trondheim. Have you heard of it? Susan: Yes, I have. A friend of mine lived there, actually. The world’s biggest sundial is in Trondheim, isn’t it? Fridtjov: [laughs] Yes, that’s right! The Trondheim Torg. That’s funny that you know about that.

Business small talk tip: Things in common

Small talk is about finding a connection with the person you are talking to. Listen carefully to the information people share with you in a conversation and try to follow with a question to find out more. When someone asks a question, offer a little more information than they asked for. As soon as you find a topic on which you both have plenty to say, you’ll be off to a good start.

8. Asking someone where they come from

Fridtjov: And what about you, Susan? Where are you from? I can’t quite place your accent. Susan: I’m from Northern Ireland. But I moved here when I was a teenager, so my accent isn’t as strong as it used to be. Fridtjov: Oh, right. I’ve never been to Northern Ireland before. Are you from Belfast? Susan: No, I’m from Portstewart. It’s about 60 miles north of Belfast.

English phrases to talk about where you or someone else is from

Whereabouts are you from?
Are you from ... ?
I’m from ... . Have you heard of it?
It’s about ... miles north/west/south/east of ... .
How long have you lived here?

9. Small talk about your accommodation

Susan: So, where are you staying while you’re here? Gesine: At the inn by the park. Do you know it? Susan: I’ve never stayed there, but I’ve only heard good things about it. It’s very handy for the conference venue. Gesine: It is, and it’s very comfortable. I don’t travel much in my job, so it’s a bit of a treat to stay in a nice hotel and not to have to worry about my kids and so on. Susan: [laughs] I bet.

English phrases to talk about accommodation

So, where are you staying while you’re here?
I’ve never stayed there.
It’s very handy for the conference venue.

10. Small talk about the weather

Ben: I can’t believe the weather we’ve been having — rain, rain, rain. It’s so depressing. Jason: Yeah, I know. I heard that it’s supposed to get better by the end of the week. Ben: Really? Isn’t that what they said last week? Jason: Yeah, well, you can’t really trust the weather forecast. It’s the time of year, though, isn’t it? It’s always miserable in January.

English phrases to talk about the weather

I can’t believe the weather we’ve been having.
I heard that it’s supposed to get better by the end of the week.

Keeping the conversation going

Let’s keep the conversation going. Once you’ve started off with a general and rather unpersonal topic, you might want to lead over to a somewhat more personal topic. Small talk is all about finding out what you have in common with other people. If you can find a topic that you are both interested in, conversation should flow quite easily.

11. Small talk about your family

Susan: I think I remember you said you had three kids. Is that right? Gesine: Yes, just the three. Susan: Just three? Sounds like a bit of a handful to me. Gesine: It’s getting easier, now that they’re older. They can even be quite good company sometimes. Susan: And you have a dog, too, don’t you? Gesine: Well, we did. He passed away last year, unfortunately. Susan: Oh, dear. I’m so sorry. Losing a pet is awful. Gesine: Yeah, it is. Anyway, let’s talk about something cheerier.

Business small talk tip: Changing the subject

You may want to change the subject because you find the current small talk topic awkward, or because you would like to start talking about business. Using the following English expressions can help make the transition smooth:

So, tell me …
Oh, by the way…

12. Telling a story

Gesine: You’ll never guess what happened to my daughter the other day. Susan: What? Gesine: Well, she’s 15 and loves entering competitions. But sometimes, you have to be 18 to enter, so I let her use my name. Well, she won. Or rather, I did. Susan: Cool! What did you win? Gesine: A luxury holiday for two in the Maldives! Susan: That’s amazing! Are you taking your daughter or your husband? Gesine: My daughter, of course.

English phrases to tell or respond to a story

You’ll never guess what happened.
That’s amazing!

13. Small talk about work

Jason: So, are you still with the same company? Ben: Yeah, I am, actually. It’ll be ten years next year. Jason: And everything’s going well? Ben: Things have noticeably picked up, so that’s a relief. What about you? Have you been promoted yet? Jason: [laughs] I have, actually. I remember telling you about that. Ben: Good for you! What’s your official title these days, then? Jason: Principal planning consultant.

English phrases to talk about your job

And everything’s going well?
What’s your official title these days, then?
Things have picked up noticeably, so that’s a relief.

Inviting somebody along

Especially if you meet at an event, you might want to ask the other person to join you for a cup of coffee or some other activity. Here is how you can do that:

14. An invitation to the pub

Jason: A few of us are going to the pub. Would you like to join us? Ben: I’d love to. Thanks. What time are you going? Jason: Around 7.30 this evening. Ben: Oh, I forgot. I’ve got to call the New York office at eight. I’m not going to be able to make it. Jason: Why don’t you come along after your call? Ben: OK, I could do that. Where are you going to be? Jason: At the Prince of Wales on Market Wynd.

English phrases to invite someone to something

You wouldn’t have time for a quick coffee, would you?
How about we grab a coffee before we get down to business?
A few of us are going to the pub. Would you like to join us?
Why don’t you come along after your call?

Accepting or declining an invitation in English

I’d love to, thanks.
I’m not going to be able to make it.

Ending a conversation

Ending small talk can feel as awkward as starting the conversation. However, especially at professional events, it is important that you don’t spend the whole time talking to the same person. It’s therefore important that you know how to end a conversation politely in English.

15. Saying Goodbye

Susan: Is that the time? I’d better get back to work. Listen, it was lovely catching up. I’m so glad I bumped into you. Gesine: It was great to see you, too, Susan. It made my day. Susan: Give me a call next time you’re in London. Gesine: I will, for sure. Susan: Have a safe trip back home and a great time in the Maldives! Gesine: Thanks, I will! Take care.

English phrases to close the conversation

Is that the time? I’d better get back to work.
Listen, it was lovely catching up.
I’m so glad I bumped into you.
It was great to see you, too, ... .
Give me a call next time you’re in ... .
Have a safe trip back home.

The art of English small talk

Are you looking for more tips on how to keep conversations going? Or which topics work in English business small talk and which don’t? Ian McMaster, editor-in-chief of the business English magazine Business Spotlight shares some tips:

Illustration: three people in a small talk situation

Business English small talk phrases

Tips for Business English small talk

At meetings and events, we need a good level of business English to listen to or make presentations and take part in discussions. You may also need to speak to colleagues or clients in the breaks before and after the official talks. This usually involves small talk and here are some ideas to make it more natural.

We provide prompt cards for eight different topics to help you with small talk conversations in English at business events or at work.

You can also use these cards to practise speaking English with colleagues or an take an English course with an English trainer in Munich (or online) to prepare for your next business event.

Business English small talk cards

Each of our Business English small talk cards is divided into five useful stages and provides phrases and expressions for each part of the conversation:

Start the conversation
Choose a topic
Listen and respond
Ask others in the group
Close the conversation

Recommendation: Try to remember a few business English small talk expressions and questions for each stage. Then you can use these for future business events, but try to mix it up if you always meet the same people!

Business English small talk topics

We recommend the following topics for small talk because they will be suitable in most situations. These topics cover

Work and location
Transport for work
Work in general
Free time, Hobbies, Sport
Food and drinks
Education and training

Topic 1: Work & location

It is always safe to ask questions about where you work and for how long you have been at a company.

Click to enlarge and print

Topic 2: Transport for work

You can also ask about how people get to work and make comparisons with your own experiences.

Topic 3: Work in general

It is also possible to find out more information about someone's position.

Topic 4: Weather

We can all talk about the weather!

Topic 5: Free time, Hobbies, Sport

You can also ask questions about what others do in their free time and find things you have in common.

Topic 6: Holidays

Asking about and sharing holiday experiences can be a great way to break the ice.

Topic 7: Food and drinks

You might have drinks and snacks before and after meetings, so you can find out more about preferences.

Topic 8: Education and training

At business events, you often meet people from the same industry and can compare notes on education experiences.

An Artificial Intelligent English Learning Platform

Business English Dialogues for Productive Discussions

Why do effective business english dialogue skills matter today.

Business English is the language of transactions and getting things done. We use it in our everyday lives in buying goods, asking for directions, and inquiring about and paying bills. Moreover, Business English encompasses our professional lives, from our job application process to our everyday office conversations.

Effective Business English dialogue skills make you achieve your goal in a conversation. In the fast-paced business world, it is important to convey your message with brevity, flexibility, and accuracy.

When you speak clearly and intentionally, you create more meaningful and productive conversations between yourself and others. Therefore, the utmost importance of business English dialogue skills is making successful conversations.

Why do English Learners find Developing Business Dialogue Skills Hard?

Learners, both native and non-native English speakers, find it hard to develop business dialogue skills because it is different from the informal dialogue. Business dialogues use formal language and follow definite rules.

English learners often find it difficult to adjust their tone when speaking to colleagues, business partners, associates, and executive members. The formal language of business uses jargon, idioms, and phrasal verbs that learners don’t usually use in everyday casual conversations.

Aside from this, learners encounter challenges in finding English lessons that expound on listening and speaking exercises in real-life common office conversations.

With proper study material and consistent practice, English learners can grasp strategies and overcome hardships in developing business dialogue skills.

What are Effective Strategies to Learn Business Dialogue Skills in English

There are many ways to learn business dialogue skills in English. The strategies differ between corporate improvement and individual exercises, but ultimately, the best strategy is practicing business conversation skills daily.

For Businesses

Businesses should invest in their employees as part of their business development plans. This means that they should continuously provide opportunities for professional development. Here are three ways to learn business dialogue skills at an enterprise level:

provide access to learn Business English online through corporate training or paid courses
make business information like protocols and organizational structure available for reference
use project management tools to streamline communication

For Individuals

Individual learners have the flexibility to create a study plan to learn business English conversations. Here are some tips to get better at speaking business conversation skills:

find your perfect conversation partner to practice with (e.g., an English foreign speaker, business savvy friend)
simulate business situations like interviews, meetings, and presentations
listen to business news and podcasts
read books, journals, and blogs about your profession
explore social media and connect with the business community

How Should Business English Learners Practice Speaking Skills?

Business English learners often face difficulty speaking confidently in meetings or presentations. The first step for improvement is to assess the level of your skill. After that, the development of your speaking skills will be on an upward trend.

Beginner Learners

Beginner learners usually have little background knowledge about English speaking skills. Their first step would be familiarizing themselves with the common words and expanding their business vocabulary.

Secondly, they should study the business basics of their target profession. For example: if a beginner learner’s target is to enter the marketing industry, they should research the typical processes in that field.

Learners in this stage acquire the core speaking skills by listening and mimicking. A model or instructor should demonstrate common work conversations (e.g., greetings, introducing one’s self, asking for information, borrowing materials). The learners’ task would be to copy the model until they achieve mastery. Mimicking activities develops the listening skills of English learners.

The learner’s goal in this stage is to acquire speaking knowledge and comprehension as well as be confident in carrying out simple everyday conversations.

Intermediate Learners

Moving on to the next level, intermediate learners can apply and analyze speaking strategies. They move from having simple conversations to elaborate English dialogues. Some activities to exercise are presenting at a meeting, responding to a complaint, and giving instructions.

Intermediate learners can practice their skills by doing simulations. The language exercises for intermediate learners are mock interviews, presentations, business speeches, telephone conversations, and giving recommendations.

The learning goal for this level is to apply their speaking and listening skills in industry practices. Learners are to analyze conversations and formulate responses on their own.

Advanced Learners

Finally, advanced learners can practice more on synthesis and evaluation. Advanced learners have the business skills to speak and hold lengthy, complex conversations.

Advanced learners can practice their skills by participating in business meetings, and business brainstorming sessions in the daily work setting. The best language exercise for advanced learners is to be in the actual workforce. They grow their skill through face-to-face interactions, business phone calls, and video conferences.

Business English Dialogue Examples:

In this part of the blog, our resident businesswoman, Lilly, and businessman, Tad will walk us through dialogues on various common business activities.

Dialogues for Everyday Casual Office Conversation

Casual conversations are the easiest way to connect with a colleague. Compared to informal dialogues, conversation topics in casual business talks consist of light general knowledge. Remember to refrain from talking about your personal struggles during casual office conversations.

Knowing how to bounce back questions is crucial as it ensures a two-way conversation.

Let’s meet Lilly, Tad, and their other colleagues in these sample dialogues:

Greetings with Colleagues

Scenario: Lilly and Tad are co-workers who run into each other in the office lobby.

Lilly: Hi Tad! Good morning.

Tad: Hello Lilly! How are you?

Lilly: I’m good. I had a restful weekend. How about you?

Tad: I had fun doing barbeque with my family. Do you want to ride the elevator with me?

Lilly: Sure! Lead the way.

Introductions

Scenario: Tad will introduce a new co-worker to Lilly.

Tad: Lilly, I would like to introduce Fred to you. He’s the new member of the team. Fred, Lilly is the head of the finance department.

Fred: Hi, Lilly! Nice to meet you. I’m the new accountant, and it’s my first day today.

Lilly: Welcome to the team, Fred! Nice to meet you too. Feel free to approach me if ever you have questions about our process.

General Small Talk

Scenario: Lilly and Tad went for a coffee during their break time.

Lilly: Today’s weather is great, isn’t it?

Tad: Yes, after two rainy days, it’s great to see the sunshine again.

Lilly: By the way, have you seen the new season of the Game of Thrones?

Tad: I’m not aware they released a new season! I will add it to my weekend ‘watch list.

Scenario: A video conference meeting has ended.

Tad: That ends our meeting. Thank you for your time, and have a great day!

Fred: I’ll email you the minutes before this day ends. Goodbye!

Dialogues for Business Calls

Everyday phone conversations are a norm in the business world. Knowing how to properly handle phone calls will contribute to your success as a business person. During calls, it is important to use our listening skills and engage respectfully.

Introducing your Business on Cold Calls

Scenario: Tad will call Lilly, a prospective client, for his new business.

Tad: Hello, this is Tad, from the General Cleaning Services Inc.

Lilly: Hi, Tad. How may I help you?

Tad: Can you spare me two minutes to introduce my business?

Lilly: Sure. What services do you offer?

Tad: General Cleaning Services Inc. helps busy people make their homes sparkling clean! We use state-of-the-art equipment and environment-friendly cleaning products to polish and disinfect your space. Avail 25% off our services on your first booking at http://www.generalcleaninginc.com . Would you like me to reserve a schedule for you now?

Lilly: No, thank you. I will keep your contact in case I need it in the future.

Tad: That’s great! Thank you for your time.

Introducing yourself to Existing Clients

Scenario: Lilly will call Tad to introduce herself as the customer service lead of LillyPad.AI

Lilly: Hello, may I speak to Tad?

Tad: This is Tad speaking. Who is this by the way?

Lilly: Hi Tad! This is Lilly of LillyPad.AI. I’m in charge of our customer service. You subscribed last week on the LillyPad App.

Tad: Yes, that’s right.

Lilly: I just want to connect with you to inform you that you can contact this number if ever you have questions regarding our product.

Tad: Thank you! I will save your number on my phonebook.

Lilly: Awesome! Happy learning from the LillyPad.AI team! Goodbye.

Speaking with Business Partners

Scenario: Tad and Lilly are business partners who are deciding on a business venture.

Lilly: I suggest we expand our business to creating electric bikes following the trend in mobility and transportation right now.

Tad: That is a great idea, but we need to conduct a feasibility study before proceeding.

Lilly: I agree, let’s get the ball rolling. I will relay this project to our automobile engineers.

Tad: I’ll inform our market researchers too. Let’s touch base in a week.

Asking for Clarification or Additional Details

Scenario: Lilly requests further explanation regarding her task.

Lilly: Hello, Tad. I called to ask about my recent project.

Tad: Okay, how can I help you?

Lilly: Could you clarify what kind of editing I should do? Will I have to do line editing or copy editing?

Tad: It’s line editing, another member did copy editing before the paper landed on your desk.

Lilly: That clears the mud. Thank you.

Dialogues about Problems or Issues

Scenario: Lilly calls the customer service of her internet service provider for her disconnection notice.

Customer service: Hi, how may I help you?

Lilly: I’m wondering why my line was disconnected when I already paid my bill before its due date.

Customer service: Let me check our system. May I know your account number?

Lilly: It’s 00123456.

Customer service: According to our records, your payment was posted after your due date. I will submit a ticket for your service reconnection right now.

Lilly: It can’t be right that my payment was posted after my due date. I have my statement of account with me.

Customer service: You paid using a different mode of payment that requires one business day of processing.

Dialogues with an Angry Customer

Scenario: Tad calls an online shop for delivering his order late.

Customer service: Good morning, how may I help you?

Tad: I’m very disappointed with your service. I ordered one week in advance and the parcel hasn’t arrived yet today! This is my third time following up on my order.

Customer service: Let me track your order, sir.

Tad: It’s too late now! That is a gift for my mother’s birthday today. Now, because of your inefficiency, I have to arrive at the party empty-handed!

Customer service: Apologies for the inconvenience, a member of our team is already reaching out to our courier service partner. We will try to send the package ASAP.

Tad: That’s nonsense! The celebration is in an hour, I want a refund!

Customer service: I can process your refund today. And to make it up for the inconvenience, we will send you a coupon with a 15% discount on any of our products. This time, we will make sure that your order will arrive on time.

Asking for the Order

Scenario: Tad finished explaining the benefits of his product, a multivitamin.

Tad: You will need this every day. And it’s worth spending on your health. Would you want to place an order?

Fred: You’re right about the benefits. Do you offer a 30-tablets bottle of this instead of 1000? I’d like to try it out for a month first.

Tad: Of course, we have that available. Do you want to pay via bank transfer or credit card?

Ending the call

Scenario: Lilly will adjourn their video conference meeting.

Lilly: That is all for today, thank you for your ideas. I will send you the action items tomorrow. Have a great evening!

Team member 1: This meeting has been fruitful. Pleasure working with you. Thank you too!

Team member 2: I will look forward to the action items. Goodbye, everyone!

Dialogues for Business Meetings

Business meetings are an essential avenue for sharing ideas and information, establishing goals and priorities, and discussing issues that require resolution.

There are two types of meetings: formal and informal. Informal meetings are usually spontaneous, casual gatherings where everyone shares their thoughts and opinions.

Formal meetings are planned events where participants follow a specific agenda. Both types are important, but the latter has its advantages over the former.

Business Presentations

Business presentations generally have four parts: introduction, discussion, summary, and feedback.

Introduction

The presenter will greet the attendees, introduce themselves, and state the background or overview of the presentation in the introduction. In addition, the presenter will also set the rules for the presentation.

Sample template:

Good [morning, afternoon, day], everyone. Thank you for attending this meeting. I am [state your name and position], and I am part of [state the business you are representing]. My presentation is about [state your topic]. I will discuss [summarize your subtopics]. Please reserve your questions after my presentation. I will entertain your queries after my discussion.

The discussion is the meat of the presentation. During the discussion, the presenter ensures the flow by arranging the topics chronologically or according it their relevance. Transitional words ensure the coherence of your speech.

A few examples of transitional words are:

Summarizing wraps up your presentation and reiterates to your audience the topic and points of your presentation. A clear summary ties up your discussion and provides a brief conclusion.

In summary, the gamification of LilliPad.AI allows its users to track their progress, thus giving them the motivation to meet their learning goals.

To put it briefly, we need to strengthen educational technology in language education by introducing LillyPad.AI to our learners.

For the audience, feedback gives them the chance to question, clarify, and comment of the discussion. As for the presenter, feedback is their moment to synthesize and evaluate points raised by answering the audience’s question.

Vocalizing opinions

During business presentations, the presenter gives the audience a chance to express their opinions or offer suggestions as part of the feedback.

For example:

Lilly: What do you think about our new product? Tad: Overall, it is great and very unique. I would just like to move the production date to the concerned departments enough time to package it and prepare its launch. Lilly: I see your point but we cannot risk moving the production date and having our competitor get ahead of us.

Here are some phrases you could use when giving an opinion:

Asking good questions in meetings

In order to make sure that the discussions are productive, you need to ask good questions. Good questions help keep the discussion focused, and they encourage people to share their views.

Questions should be open-ended so that the answers are not limited to yes or no. They should also be relevant to the subject at hand.

You can ask questions such as:

What do you think of our strategy?
Could you provide evidence to support your point?
How is this model responsive to our customers?
How can we mitigate the risk?
What is our timeline for this project?

Introducing yourself and others in English

Networking with professionals always starts with an introduction. A good introduction following the rules of business etiquette will define the connection you will make.

Starting a conversation: how to introduce yourself

If you want to initiate a conversation with someone, here are some tips to help you out. First, smile and greet them before stating your name and details about yourself, such as what you do for work. The details you provide help you build rapport and establish trust. Second, be genuine and honest, don’t lie or exaggerate anything. Third, listen to their answers and respond accordingly. Lastly, try to keep the conversation going until you both decide to end it.

Example Scenario: Lilly and Tad work in the same industry but will meet for the first time at a business conference. Tad: Hi, my name is Tad. I work in the marketing department of Company Y.

Lilly: Hello, Tad. I’m Lilly. I work for the advertising team of Company X. Your name sounds familiar. Are you the same Tad who launched that successful marketing campaign?

Tad: Yes, that’s me! How did you know?

Lilly: Fancy meeting you here! I followed and studied your campaign. You did a great job.

Tad: Thank you. I will deliver a presentation at this conference. How about you?

Lilly: It’s my first time attending this conference. It’s nice to meet you, Tad. Catch you at your lecture later!

Tad: Nice to meet you too, Lilly. See you around!

Professional Phrases to introduce yourself in English

You only make the first impression once. Hence, it is important to leave a good impression when introducing yourself. Here are a few phrases you can use for a proper introduction:

I’d like to introduce myself. My name is…
Hello, I’m…
Let me introduce myself. I’m…
Pleased to meet you. My name is…
Nice to meet you. I’m…

Introducing a coworker in English

When you have colleagues, it is necessary to introduce each other to your respective connections and widen your network. Remember that business introductions are based on rank —not gender, age, or race. Thus, it is best to introduce your junior coworker to your executive colleague first.

Observe this scenario: Lilly: Hi, Tad. I’d like to introduce you to Fred, he is one of our sales managers. Fred, this is Tad. He is our Vice President for Sales, and you will report directly to him. Fred: Nice to meet you, Tad! I heard great things about you. Tad: Nice to meet you too, Fred. Welcome to my team!

English phrases to introduce others in business small talk dialogues

Business conversations often include small talk. Small talk helps people get to know each other better and creates more opportunities for future interactions. Here are examples to introduce others in a business small talk:

Hi everyone! Let me introduce Tad, he works for Company Y.
May I introduce Lilly? She’s our executive secretary.
Have you already met Fred? Fred works in the IT department.

Professional Small talk about your experience and background

Small talk is a great way to establish a connection. You can share about yourself and find common ground with your colleagues. Remember to be modest and respectful when sharing your background to avoid sounding like you are bragging. Topics you can share about yourself are your educational background, brief work history, and business trips or conferences you attended. For example:

Hi, I’m Lilly. I work in the sales department of Company Y for two years now. I graduated in 2018, and my undergraduate degree is a BS in Marketing Management.

Asking someone about their professional background

One of the topics of conversation when networking is one’s professional background. This topic builds the foundation of a meaningful business conversation.

Here are a few questions to ask someone about their professional background:

What do you do?
How long have you been working here?
Where did you study?
When did you graduate from college/university?
What did you do in your previous job?
What’s the memorable thing that happened to you in this profession?
Where do you see yourself if you didn’t pursue this profession?
What’s the greatest lesson you learned in this occupation?
Do you have a professional philosophy? Would you mind sharing it?
What’s your favorite thing about your job?

Business English dialogues result in productive discussions when colleagues speak intentionally, follow business English etiquette, and provide an avenue for healthy discussions. Business English learners may encounter challenges when studying however, they can overcome them by practicing their listening and speaking skills through real-life conversations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Start talking to a prospect with a greeting and set a light atmosphere when talking to a prospect. After that, you can transition into your business dialogue and ask about their problems or needs. You can ask open-ended questions such as: What are some troubles you face today? What would make your life easier? How does this problem affect your daily routine?

Casual office small talks are light conversations. Some examples are talking about the weather, pop culture, online trends, sports, hobbies, and movies among others.

You don’t need to force yourself to stop the small talk. If you feel uncomfortable while having a conversation, just say “I’m sorry but I need to go.” It will help you end the conversation on a good note.

Hello, my name is Lilly. I am the head of the sales department at Company X. In the next 20 minutes, I will discuss how our software can increase productivity by streamlining your workflow and automating common tasks. The three parts of my presentation would be our company’s vision, the features of our product, and our corporate pricing.

Good business English dialogue topics include: general small talk, making introductions, telephone conversations, delivering speeches, business presentations, addressing complaints, and giving instructions among others.

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Learn English for travel with our lessons on travel English. Learn English phrases and vocabulary for checking into a hotel, making travel arrangements and dealing with customs and immigration at the airport.

Travel English Lessons

Learn travel English with Business English Pod lessons on English for travel .

Business English Pod offers English for travel lessons that cover various travel English topics, such as airport check-in, hotel reservations, ordering food, and making small talk with locals. These lessons provide practical vocabulary and phrases for different situations, helping learners communicate effectively while traveling.

Our travel English lessons are listed by published date with the newest lessons first.

BEP 295 – Business Trip 4: Factory Inspection

Bep 294 – business trip 3: confidential discussion, bep 284 – business trip 2: giving directions and getting around, bep 283 – business trip 1: taking a taxi, bep 26c – travel english: dealing with problems.

BEP 25c – Travel English: Checking in for a Flight

BEP 248 – Socializing with Strangers (2)

BEP 247 – Socializing with Strangers (1)

BEP 188 – Socializing: Hosting a Dinner Party 2

BEP 187 – Socializing: Hosting a Dinner Party 1

BEP 186 – Air Travel: Connecting Flights

BEP 185 – Air Travel: Checking In to a Flight

BEP 135 – Travel English: Airport Security

BEP 134 – Travel English: Getting Online at the Coffee Shop

BEP 125 – Travel English: Renting a Car

BEP 124 – Travel English: Checking Out of a Hotel

BEP 96 – Socializing: Business Meals

BEP 89 – Telephoning: Making Arrangements

BEP 88 – Telephoning: Booking a Travel Ticket

BEP 80 – Travel English: Checking In to a Hotel

Business-English-Pod-295-Lesson-English-for-Factory-Inspection

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on conducting a factory inspection in English.

In the global economy, a company might have its headquarters in Germany, but outsource production to China and technical support to India. Or you might find a Korean company that contracts out to one factory in Malaysia and another in Vietnam. In any case, to make the right decision on production facilities, you’ll most likely need to conduct a factory inspection.

So if you’re flying halfway around the world to tour a factory or another facility, what kind of questions should you ask? And how can you make sure the factory is the right fit for your needs? Well, you’ll definitely want to ask questions about quality control to make sure the factory can meet your expectations. You might also ask about production capacity so you know they can handle the work properly. And you might ask about their approach to standards, to make sure they’re in line with your values.

Of course, talk is cheap. You might find a factory manager makes claims that are a bit unbelievable. In these situations, you’ll want to show skepticism, or doubt, and ask for evidence. This is all part of the due diligence necessary to make sure you’re making the right choice.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear Cam and Vanessa, who work for an American clothing company. They want to find a new production facility, so they’re touring a factory in China. You’ll also hear Chen, a factory manager who’s giving Cam and Vanessa a tour of the facility. Cam and Vanessa want to find out if Chen’s factory is a good fit for their company.

Listening Questions

1. How does Vanessa react to Chen’s claim that they have a .25% defect rate? 2. What important issue does Cam say their company is very serious about? 3. What kind of proof does Vanessa want to see of the factory managers’ training?

BEP 294 - Holding a Confidential Discussion in English

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on having a confidential discussion during a business trip.

If you’ve got colleagues or clients in other parts of the world, you probably rely a lot on email and the phone. But meeting in person continues to be important for building relationships and trust, and for discussing important issues. That’s one reason, of course, why the overseas business trip remains important.

And there’s one type of discussion that can be especially difficult: discussing a confidential matter. Perhaps you need to deliver bad news, or share sensitive information or tell someone about an important change. Meeting face-to-face in these types of situations is often the best way to break the news.

So what’s the best way to go about this? Well, to begin, it’s important to set a positive tone to put the other person at ease. Next, you might want to ask him or her how things are going. That can help break the ice, and the other person might actually mention the topic you want to discuss. Once you’ve started this way, you can introduce the sensitive information you want to deliver. And because the information is sensitive, you need to ask for discretion. Finally, depending on the nature of the discussion, you might also have to provide reassurances. After all, after we hear important information, we might wonder how it will impact us.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear Cam, who works for an American clothing company. He’s visiting the head of the company’s Chinese office, David. The company manufactures some of its clothing in China, and has been considering how to expand their retail activities in Asia. Cam needs to have a confidential discussion with David to share some important news.

1. How does Cam ask for David’s perspective on the current situation? 2. Cam needs to tell David about a decision regarding retail in China. What point does Cam mention to introduce this decision? 3. How does Cam reassure David near the end of the conversation?

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on giving directions and getting around a city. This lesson is part of a larger series that looks at the Business English you need for a successful overseas business trip .

Getting from point A to point B in a city isn’t always simple. Even with a map, there are lots of opportunities for confusion. First of all, a map doesn’t include the names of every little shop or house. And even though a map might show you where some major things are, it won’t tell you how to get there. For these reasons, we still rely on people for advice on getting around. And whether you’re traveling and need to understand someone’s directions, or whether someone asks you for directions, you need the right language.

This is what we’ll look at in today’s lesson. We’ll learn language and techniques for describing a location, suggesting the best travel option, and describing distance. We’ll also look at how to give basic directions, how to explain a change of course, and how to ask a stranger for help on the street.

In the dialog, we’ll rejoin Cam and Vanessa, who have traveled to Shanghai on business. They’re talking to the concierge at their hotel, who is explaining to them how to get to a specific coffee shop in the city’s Pudong business district.

1. What does the concierge recommend as the best travel option? 2. How does the concierge describe the distance to Hengshan Lu Station? 3. When Cam approaches a stranger in the street, what is the first question he asks?

BEP 283 - Travel English - Taking a Taxi

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on taking a taxi. This will be part of a larger series that looks at the Business English you need for a successful overseas business trip .

When you travel to another city for business, what’s the easiest way to get around? Usually by taxi. You don’t have to interpret a subway map or a bus schedule. And you can be delivered directly to your destination with little confusion, though it will cost you more of course.

Yes, I said “with little confusion,” though that’s not always the case. Taxi drivers might not always understand what you want, or what you’re saying. You’ve still got to communicate clearly, directly, and politely with the taxi driver. Your fate is in his – or her – hands, and so you need to make sure you’re understood.

This is exactly what we’ll learn today. We’ll cover some important types of requests during a taxi ride, including asking for a destination, requesting a specific route, and asking for a change of course. We’ll also learn how to ask to be let out and request a receipt.

In this lesson, we’ll hear Cam and Vanessa, who have just arrived in Shanghai on a business trip. They’ve passed through immigration and collected their bags, and now they want to take a taxi to their hotel.

1. What is the travelers’ destination, and where is it located? 2. Vanessa asks for a change of course to get to a bank. How does she describe how to get there? 3. How does Vanessa ask to be let out of the taxi?

BEP 26 - Travel English: Dealing with Problems

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on how to deal with problems you might experience when traveling by air.

This Business English lesson is part of our new series of fresh takes on some of our older lessons. We’ve kept the same dialog but have new explanations and practice for our lower level learners.

When you are traveling for business, have you ever had problems that seem beyond your control? Like when you show up at the airport and your flight is cancelled. Or when your flight is late and you can’t get to your destination on time? These situations can be frustrating and difficult to deal with. But there are some language techniques that you can learn to help you solve your problems.

In this lesson, we’ll look at some of these techniques, such as getting someone’s attention, using negative questions for requests, and agreeing reluctantly. We’ll also cover making polite refusals, correcting yourself, and asking about payment. These are all things you might have to do or understand as you solve a travel problem.

In the dialog you’re going to hear a traveler called Robert. If you heard our last lesson, you might remember that Robert was traveling to Nice but stopping in Paris first. In this lesson, you’ll hear Robert in the Paris airport. He has missed his connecting flight to Nice and now he’s trying to find a way to get to his destination in time for a meeting the next day.

1. When is the next available flight to Nice? 2. Why is the next available flight not acceptable to Robert? 3. What does Robert want instead of the next available flight to Nice? 4. What type of seat does the agent say is the only type available?

Business Travel

“Investment in travel is an investment in yourself.” Matthew Karsten, travel blogger

December 9, 2021
Business English
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Latest lesson plans

This Business English lesson plan on business travel has been designed for business professionals or other adults and young adults at an intermediate (B1/B2) to advanced (C1/C2) level and should last around 45 to 60 minutes for one student.

People have travelled for business purposes since the emergence of commerce. Nowadays, instead of a caravan pulled by a camel along the silk road, we take these trips by car or plane. Many businesses are departments dedicated to these experiences. For some, business travel can be a stressful time; for others, it can be the opportunity to have an exciting new experience. In this Business English lesson plan on business travel, students will have the opportunity discuss and express their opinions on issues such as the pros and cons of business travel, their experiences travelling for work, and what to pack for a business trip.

For advice on how to use this English lesson plan and other lesson plans on this site, see the guide for ESL teachers .

PRE-CLASS ACTIVITIES

Reading activity Before the English class, send the following article to the students and ask them to read it while making a list of any new vocabulary or phrases they find (explain any the students don’t understand in the class):

INC | 12 Surprising Benefits of Business Travel

The article looks at a number of ways business travel can be beneficial, including exploring new places, escaping a routine, and meeting new people. At the start of the class, hold a brief discussion about what the students thought about the article. What do they think about the issues raised in the article? Do they agree with what was written? Can they think of any ways they might add to the content of the article?

Video activity To save time in class, the English teacher can ask the students to watch the video below at home. In the class, the students will answer a number of conversation questions directly or indirectly related to the content of the video.

The video for this class, by Mr Porter, is called “How to Pack for a Business Trip” which looks at the essentials needed for a business trip and how to avoid creases in your clothes.

IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES

The focus in the class is on conversation in order to help improve students’ fluency and confidence when speaking in English as well as boosting their vocabulary.

This lesson opens with a short discussion about the article the students read before the class. Next, the students can give their opinion on the quote at the beginning of the lesson plan – what they think the quote means, if they agree with it and how it could relate to business. This is followed by an initial discussion on the topic including how often the students have to travel for work purposes, common reasons why people take business trips, and any negative experiences they have had while travelling for work.

After this, students will learn some vocabulary connected with business travel such as red-eye flight , jetlag and travel expenses . The vocabulary is accompanied by a cloze activity and a speaking activity to test the students’ comprehension of these words.

If the students didn’t watch the video before the class, they can watch it after the vocabulary section and answer the conversation questions. Before the conversation, ask the students to give a brief summary of the video and what they thought about the content.

Finally, there is a more in-depth conversation about business travel. In this speaking activity, students will talk about issues such as problems people can encounter at the airport, what to consider when booking a hotel, and whether they would apply for a job specifically because it involved a lot of travel.

After the class, students will write a memo to memo to staff members explaining the company’s travel expenses policy. The writing activity is designed to allow students to practise business-style writing as well as improving their grammar with the feedback from their teacher.

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Business English Dialogues for Meetings and More

Discussions in meetings and around the office are a major part of any working day.

It can be really helpful to practice different business English dialogues that will help you be confident and communicate effectively .

In this post, I will provide sample dialogues and scripts for a number of everyday office conversations.

Dialogues for Participating in Business Meetings

Introducing business presentations, expressing opinions, asking questions in meetings, navigating negotiations, dialogues for handling conference calls, beginning the call, asking for someone to repeat something/slow down, ending the call, dialogues for casual conversation at the office, introductions, small talk (casual conversation), and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Like it or not, a lot of your time at work is probably going to be spent in business meetings . Having appropriate business English dialogues memorized for these situations can make all the difference in how well you present yourself to your boss and colleagues.

For these dialogues, we will use brackets to indicate information you should fill in yourself.

Otherwise, the dialogues will refer to sample situations that you can adapt to your own company, projects and needs.

If you are giving a presentation , it is a good idea to have an introduction planned ahead of time . You want to give an organized and professional first impression.

Here is a sample introduction that you could use to begin any meeting:

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Presenter: Welcome everyone, please be seated. I am [your name and position] with [your company/team]. These are my colleagues [colleague’s name] and [colleague’s name]. We are here today to tell you about [your project, product, service, etc.].

At this point, you should briefly explain the topic and scope of your presentation.

To give directions regarding when questions should be asked, you can say:

Presenter: Please hold your questions until the end of the presentation.

Presenter: Please ask questions at any point during our presentation.

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When you are participating in a meeting , it is important to show that you care about the topics being discussed by expressing your opinion.

Consider this dialogue about an upcoming launch for a new product:

Project lead: What do you think about our plans for this product launch?

Colleague: It looks to me like you have a lot planned before your deadline. I would suggest you push your deadline back so you have time to run a successful advertising campaign.

Project lead: I respectfully disagree with you there. The priority is to launch before the holidays, so we do not want to move this deadline.

Colleague: I would suggest you discuss this further with the advertising team.

If you do not fully grasp a concept it is important to get clarification instead of pretending you understand.

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Presenter: Did anyone have any questions before we move on?

Colleague: Your third point was a bit unclear to me. Could you elaborate on that?

Or maybe you noticed a flaw in the project, product or plan:

Presenter: I would love to hear any suggestions or feedback you have.

Colleague: I noticed [issue]. How would you go about resolving that?

Part of doing business is knowing how to negotiate. Sometimes it involves very simple issues like when to schedule the next follow-up on a project, while other times it can be more complex, like closing a major deal.

Boss: How do you think we should move forward with this project? As you know, we are expected to present it to our clients next week.

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Employee: How about we get in touch with Acme Corp and discuss moving the deadline out three weeks?

Boss: We really need to push forward with this project to have it completed by the deadline. They are not interested in extensions.

Employee: In that case, we could delay completion on the Archibald Co. work.

Boss: I think you are right, that is the only way we can finish working on the Acme project by next Thursday.

To learn more about what is said during a business meeting, check out this example from Crown Academy of English:

Knowing how to handle a conference call with professionalism is a very important skill to have.

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When you begin a conference call it is important to indicate you are on the line and to determine if everyone has shown up for the call:

Call leader: Hi everyone, this is [name]. I am the [position] at [company]. I am calling in with [names and positions of people who are joining in leading the call]. Please introduce yourself and state your position.

You: Hi, this is [your name and position].

Other call participants will introduce themselves as well.

Call leader: It sounds like everyone is on the line, so we will get started.

When someone is speaking and you miss something because you cannot hear them or they are speaking too quickly, wait for a pause and then ask:

Speaker: Sorry [name], I did not catch that last part. Would you mind repeating yourself for me?

It is good practice to say goodbye before ending a conference call.

Call leader: I believe this concludes our call. Thank you, everyone, for joining us.

Speaker: Thank you for setting up this call. Discussing [conversation topic] was very helpful. I look forward to being in touch on this topic again soon. Bye, everyone.

Here are some dialogues for casual conversation around your office .

Get the conversation going by saying “hi” when you see someone you know:

Amir: Hey, Jane!

Jane: Hi Amir, how are you?

Amir: I’m doing well, thanks for asking. How about yourself?

Jane: I’m great!

If you are meeting someone for the first time, it is a good idea to be polite and introduce yourself:

Miguel: Hi, I’m Miguel. I’m not sure we’ve met—what’s your name?

Stacy: I’m Stacy.

Miguel: It’s nice to meet you. I work in the marketing department, how about you?

Stacy: It’s nice to meet you, too. I’m in accounting.

Being able to comfortably navigate chit-chat will make your work life a more pleasant experience.

You will often find yourself talking about the time at work:

Fatima: What time is it?

Liam: 2:30.

Fatima: Great, thanks. When does our afternoon meeting start?

Liam: You have some time. It starts at 3:00.

Another common topic of casual conversation is the weather:

Chris: Crazy weather we’ve been having!

Joan: I know! I can’t believe how rainy it has been.

Chris: On top of everything, I forgot my umbrella today.

Joan: Oh, no! So you had to swim into the office!

In general with small talk, it is a good idea to try and find some common ground with your colleagues . Sports, movies, books and food are all fruitful subjects.

Pat: Did you see “Wonder Woman” this weekend?

Daniel: I did! How about you?

Pat: I did, too. What did you think of it?

Daniel: I really enjoyed it.

Pat: So did I. What was your favorite part?

For more ideas on how to small talk, watch TV shows, movies and vlogs (especially the latter). You can study small talk and other business English dialogues in more depth on FluentU . The program’s authentic English videos—like movie clips, commercials, vlogs and more—provide a chance to hear natural English in use.

FluentU’s subtitles can help you learn all the vocabulary you need for your business English conversations. Just click on a word to see a definition, discover other videos where it shows up and add it to your flashcards. Study videos and flashcards with FluentU’s personalized quizzes and practice speaking some of your answers out loud to prepare you for a real-life encounter.

Saying a quick goodbye is a nice way to end a short chat with a colleague:

Erin: It’s been great chatting with you. Catch you later.

Maria: See you soon, Erin!

Business English dialogues can help you navigate life at work with ease. Knowing what to say for each situation you encounter helps you maintain a professional appearance regardless of what is thrown your way.

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

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LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

Going on a business trip.

Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)

Type of English: Business English

Tags: business travel conferences, exhibitions and trade fairs travel and leisure Vocabulary lesson

Publication date: 08/02/2018

In this business vocabulary lesson, students will learn words and phrases to talk about business trips. There are exercises on preparing for business trips, reasons to go and ways to talk about a business trip. The lesson ends with a speaking activity for students to talk about their personal experiences of business trips.

This is an excellent lesson that address grammar, speaking and reading comprehension. Writing activities can easily be developed, from the lesson, for students. The colour and layout is attractive. The level is correctly set at intermediate.

Great activity! It can tackle useful vocabulary, speaking practice, and grammar! I love it!

Vocabulary & Expressions - Lesson 1.2

Business english dialogues 1, (inglés de negocios: diálogos 1).

Exercises Complete the exercises in order to update your progress

Business small talk: examples and useful phrases

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In the following, we present dialogues and key phrases for English business small talk. You will also find lists with useful phrases from these examples that will help you in future conversations.

Introducing yourself and others in English

In the first two conversations, you will find useful phrases for introductions and situations in which you meet people again.

This is the setting for our fictional English business small talk: Jason, Susan, Gesine, Fridtjov and Ben are all at a conference, where they are making new contacts and reconnecting with old ones.

1. Starting a conversation: introducing yourself

Jason: I don’t think we’ve been introduced. I’m Jason. Jason Horn.

Susan: Nice to meet you. I’m Susan.

Jason: Pleased to meet you, Susan. How are you enjoying the conference so far?

Susan: It’s been great. I’ve met so many interesting people. And it’s a nice break from the office, to be honest.

Jason: I know what you mean. Have you been to one of these conferences before?

Susan: Yes, I was at the one in Glasgow a couple of years ago. What about you?

Jason: That’s funny, I was there, too.

2. Introducing someone else in English

Jason: Susan, this is my Norwegian colleague, Fridtjov. We work in the same department. Fridtjov, this is Susan.

Fridtjov: Good to meet you.

Susan: It’s nice to meet you, too. Em, could you say your name again for me?

Fridtjov: It’s Fridtjov. Don’t worry. Everyone has difficulty pronouncing my name.

Susan: Fridtjov. Is that how you say it?

Fridtjov: Yes. Perfect!

Starting a conversation with someone you already know

3. Reconnecting with someone

Susan: Gesine? Hi, it’s Susan. Susan Christie.

Gesine: Oh, hi, Susan! I thought I recognized you. How are you?

Susan: I’m great, thanks. And you?

Gesine: I’m fine. Fancy meeting you here! What are the chances?

Susan: [laughs] I know. You wouldn’t have time for a quick coffee, would you?

Gesine: Sure. That would be lovely.

4. Starting a conversation: Meeting in person

Jason: You must be Gesine. I’m Jason. It’s good to meet you at long last.

Gesine: Ah, Jason. It’s great to meet you. We’ve been talking on the phone for years — it’s funny that this is the first time we’ve actually met.

Jason: I know! Come on, I’ll introduce you to my colleagues.

5. You don’t remember me

Jason: Ben? Hi, I’m Jason. You don’t remember me, do you?

Ben: I’m sorry. Can you jog my memory?

Jason: Jason Horn. We met last year in Bristol. At the conference.

Ben: Oh, right. I remember now. We met at one of the evening events, right? Was it the one in the town hall?

Jason: Yes, that’s the one.

Ben: Goodness, I’m so sorry. It’s good to see you!

Jason: No worries.

Breaking the ice in small talk situations

After you have started the conversations, you’ll want the small talk to go on for some time and avoid awkward pauses.

6. Travel small talk

Jason: How was your trip, Gesine? Not too arduous, I hope.

Gesine: [laughs] No, it wasn’t arduous at all. The plane was almost empty, so I had three seats all to myself. And I took the tram here. The venue is very central, isn’t it?

Jason: You can say that again! Now, how about we grab a coffee before we get down to business?

Gesine: That would be great. Thanks.

7. Small talk about your background

Susan: Jason said you’re from Norway. How long have you lived here?

Fridtjov: I moved here in 2007.

Susan: Oh, that’s quite a while. I’ve always wanted to go to Norway. Whereabouts are you from?

Fridtjov: I’m from Trondheim. Have you heard of it?

Susan: Yes, I have. A friend of mine lived there, actually. The world’s biggest sundial is in Trondheim, isn’t it?

Fridtjov: [laughs] Yes, that’s right! The Trondheim Torg. That’s funny that you know about that.

8. Asking someone where they come from

Fridtjov: And what about you, Susan? Where are you from? I can’t quite place your accent.

Susan: I’m from Northern Ireland. But I moved here when I was a teenager, so my accent isn’t as strong as it used to be.

Fridtjov: Oh, right. I’ve never been to Northern Ireland before. Are you from Belfast?

Susan: No, I’m from Portstewart. It’s about 60 miles north of Belfast.

9. Small talk about your accommodation

Susan: So, where are you staying while you’re here?

Gesine: At the inn by the park. Do you know it?

Susan: I’ve never stayed there, but I’ve only heard good things about it. It’s very handy for the conference venue.

Gesine: It is, and it’s very comfortable. I don’t travel much in my job, so it’s a bit of a treat to stay in a nice hotel and not to have to worry about my kids and so on.

Susan: [laughs] I bet.

10. Small talk about the weather

Ben: I can’t believe the weather we’ve been having — rain, rain, rain. It’s so depressing.

Jason: Yeah, I know. I heard that it’s supposed to get better by the end of the week.

Ben: Really? Isn’t that what they said last week?

Jason: Yeah, well, you can’t really trust the weather forecast. It’s the time of year, though, isn’t it? It’s always miserable in January.

Keeping the conversation going

11. Small talk about your family

Susan: I think I remember you said you had three kids. Is that right?

Gesine: Yes, just the three.

Susan: Just three? Sounds like a bit of a handful to me.

Gesine: It’s getting easier, now that they’re older. They can even be quite good company sometimes.

Susan: And you have a dog, too, don’t you?

Gesine: Well, we did. He passed away last year, unfortunately.

Susan: Oh, dear. I’m so sorry. Losing a pet is awful.

Gesine: Yeah, it is. Anyway, let’s talk about something cheerier.

12. Telling a story

Gesine: You’ll never guess what happened to my daughter the other day.

Susan: What?

Gesine: Well, she’s 15 and loves entering competitions. But sometimes, you have to be 18 to enter, so I let her use my name. Well, she won. Or rather, I did.

Susan: Cool! What did you win?

Gesine: A luxury holiday for two in the Maldives!

Susan: That’s amazing! Are you taking your daughter or your husband?

Gesine: My daughter, of course.

13. Small talk about work

Jason: So, are you still with the same company?

Ben: Yeah, I am, actually. It’ll be ten years next year.

Jason: And everything’s going well?

Ben: Things have noticeably picked up, so that’s a relief. What about you? Have you been promoted yet?

Jason: [laughs] I have, actually. I remember telling you about that.

Ben: Good for you! What’s your official title these days, then?

Jason: Principal planning consultant.

Inviting somebody along

Especially if you meet at an event, you might want to ask the other person to join you for a cup of coffee or some other activity. Here is how you can do that:

14. An invitation to the pub

Jason: A few of us are going to the pub. Would you like to join us?

Ben: I’d love to. Thanks. What time are you going?

Jason: Around 7.30 this evening.

Ben: Oh, I forgot. I’ve got to call the New York office at eight. I’m not going to be able to make it.

Jason: Why don’t you come along after your call?

Ben: OK, I could do that. Where are you going to be?

Jason: At the Prince of Wales on Market Wynd.

Ending a conversation

15. Saying Goodbye

Susan: Is that the time? I’d better get back to work. Listen, it was lovely catching up. I’m so glad I bumped into you.

Gesine: It was great to see you, too, Susan. It made my day.

Susan: Give me a call next time you’re in London.

Gesine: I will, for sure.

Susan: Have a safe trip back home and a great time in the Maldives!

Gesine: Thanks, I will! Take care.

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Dialogue: A Business Presentation

Reading Comprehension
Pronunciation & Conversation
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Business English
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TESOL Diploma, Trinity College London
M.A., Music Performance, Cologne University of Music
B.A., Vocal Performance, Eastman School of Music

This dialogue focuses on asking questions about a business presentation with the present perfect and past simple tenses. Make sure you understand the differences between these two tenses, practice the dialogue and then have your own conversations about work. Ask questions about what he or she has done, and use the past simple to ask specific questions on details. Teachers can use this guide to teaching the present perfect to further practice this form.

On a Business Trip: A Presentation

Betsy: Hi Brian, this is Betsy. How are you doing?
Brian: I've just returned from the Head Office. The weather is great! Boston is a great city!
Betsy: Have you met Frank yet?
Brian: No, I haven't seen him yet. We have a meeting at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. We are going to meet then.
Betsy: Have you made your presentation yet?
Brian: Yes, I made the presentation yesterday afternoon. I was very nervous, but everything went well.
Betsy: Has management given you any feedback yet?
Brian: Yes, I've already met with the sales director. We met immediately after the meeting and he was impressed with our work.
Betsy: That's great Brian. Congratulations! Have you visited any museums yet?
Brian: No, I'm afraid I haven't had any time yet. I hope to take a tour around town tomorrow.
Betsy: Well, I'm happy to hear that everything is going well. I'll talk to you soon.
Brian: Thanks for calling Betsy. Bye.
Betsy: Bye.
What Were You Doing?
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Using Reading Comprehension in Lessons
Practice English Using This Dialogue With a Famous Actor
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Lesson Plan on Switching Between Present Perfect and Past Simple
Example Sentences of the Verb 'Bring'
English Verbs - Tense Resources
How Many Verb Tenses Are There in English?
How to Teach the Present Perfect
ESL Present Perfect Worksheets
Beginner Dialogue: A Busy Day
Example Sentences of the Verb 'To Keep'
Example of the Verb 'Meet'
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ESL Taking a Trip Conversation

The two example ESL taking a trip conversations on this page show you how a natural conversation would happen. You can use them to see how a conversation should progress.

As well as being able to read the two example conversations you can watch them as cartoons. This is another way for you to try to learn the correct way of speaking, as the pictures in the cartoons will act as clues to help you understand. If you do not know any of the words used you can look at the ESL taking a trip vocabulary page that has definitions of many words.

Then after that there are three exercises for you to do. These will help you practice using the taking a trip vocabulary in example ESL taking a trip conversations. The exercises are as follows:

Filling in the blanks in a conversation.
Writing your own conversation.
Conversation topics for you to talk about.

Conversation 1

Situation: Lucy and Andrew are talking about their end of year holiday.

Lucy: Where did you go on holiday? Andrew: I went to Beijing with my parents. Lucy: How was it? Did you have a good time? Andrew: It was wonderful. Beijing is a great city with many historical landmarks. Lucy: What did you see there? Andrew: We saw the Great Wall and other interesting places such as old palaces, as well as pandas. They were really interesting! Lucy: I have been to Beijing once to attend a conference, but I didn’t have time to travel around. Andrew: Too bad. You could have stayed longer. It’s not difficult to find cheap hotels in Beijing. Lucy: Really? Where did you stay, anyway? Andrew: We stay at the Orange Hotel near the Palace Museum. Lucy: Was it good? Andrew: Yes, it was a great budget hotel. The room was clean and it offered free drinks, fruit and snacks every day. How about your holiday? Lucy: I didn’t go out because I took a charity job as volunteer tutor. Andrew: Oh, that’s good. I may want to try that on my next holiday.

Conversation 2

Situation: Jane and Patrick talk about Jane’s plan to take a vacation in San Francisco in the United States.

Jane: Guess what! I’m going to San Francisco! Patrick: Really? When? Jane: Tomorrow. I’m flying with Ocean Airlines. Patrick: Do you need a ride to the airport? Jane: No, thanks. I’m OK. I can get a taxi. Have you ever been to San Francisco? Patrick: Yes. I have been there several times. There are many interesting places that you can visit, such as the Golden Gate Bridge. Jane: What about Fisherman’s Wharf? Patrick: Oh, that’s one of my favorites! There are lots of seafood restaurants you can sit at for lunch. Where are you going to stay? Jane: I have booked a room at the Pacific Tradewinds Hostel. It is geared towards international travelers and it is close to Chinatown. Patrick: How long are you going to be there? Jane: Just three days. Patrick: Why don’t you stay longer? Jane: I plan to go to New York to see an old friend. Patrick: Have you booked the flight? Jane: Yes, I have.

ESL Taking a Trip Conversation Exercises

Now you should do the following ESL taking a trip conversation exercises. You can use the example conversations from above a guidelines to help you.

Exercise 1 – Fill in the Blanks

The first ESL taking a trip conversation exercise is a fill in the blanks task. You need to decide which option (A-D) is the best to fill in each of the gaps in the following conversation. Once you have finished you can click the get score button to see how many you got correct.

Situation: Tui wants to book a flight to Bangkok.

Agent: Skyscanner Travel. How can I help you? Tui: Yes. ___________(1)__________ London to Bangkok on September 20th. Can you find me the least expensive flight? Agent: Would you prefer to leave from Gatwick or Heathrow Airport? Tui: __________(2)__________ Gatwick Airport. Agent: Let me see. Yes. I have a 5:30 flight on Thai Airways. Tui: 5.30! What’s __________(3)__________? Agent: One hour for economy class and thirty minutes for business class. Will you take that? Tui: No. I won’t get to the airport in time. When will __________(4)__________? Agent: There won’t be another direct flight on Saturday. There will be one on Friday at the same time. Tui: I can’t leave before September 20th. What about from Heathrow Airport? Agent: Just let me check. Oh, there is an 8:30 flight on British Airways. Tui: How much will that be? Agent: Economy class costs £386. Tui: Alright, let’s go with that. Agent: How many seats would you like? Tui: Just one. Does that include airport tax? Agent: No, you have to add another £50 for the tax. Would you like __________(5)__________? Tui: No, thanks. Can I book that, then? Agent: Certainly. How would you like to pay? Tui: Can I pay by credit card? Agent: Sure. Could you give me your credit card number and expire date?

Exercise 2 – Writing a Conversation

For the second ESL taking a trip conversation task you need to write your own conversation. You should decide who is having the conversation, what they are talking about and where they are. Try to use as much of the vocabulary about taking a trip as possible. By using the vocabulary you will learn it better. Once you have finished writing your ESL taking a trip conversation you should find some friends and act it out so you get practice speaking.

Exercise 3 – Conversation Topics

For the third ESL taking a trip conversation you need to use the following sets of conversation topics to have a conversation with one of your friends. Each of you should take one set of questions, and then you should take turns asking the questions. Try to say as much as possible and give full long answers. At the end you can exchange questions and start again.

The questions have also been made into some conversation cards for you to download by clicking the picture.

For more conversation cards you can download my ‘ 80 ESL Conversation Cards ’ ebook.

Questions set A

Describe the last trip you took.
How do you like to travel when going on a trip?
Who do you like to take trips with?
How often do you go on trips?
What was the furthest you have ever travelled for a trip?

Questions set B

Why do you like to take trips?
Where do you like to go when you take a trip?
Have you ever been on a trip where you had to use an airplane?
Do you get ill when travelling for a trip?
What was the first trip that you remember taking?

Other Pages about Taking a Trip that You Might Like

ESL Taking a Trip Listening ESL Taking a Trip Reading ESL Taking a Trip Vocabulary ESL Taking a Trip Writing

Excellent ESL 4U

New! Comments

Learn english, english idioms, kids english, contact excellent esl 4u, site information, recent articles, esl new year listening.

Dec 18, 16 03:17 AM

There are several ESL New Year listening tasks for you to do on this page so you can learn how to listen to the vocabulary.

ESL New Year Writing

Dec 11, 16 03:40 AM

This page has a range of ESL New Year writing exercises for you to do.

ESL New Year Conversation

Dec 04, 16 02:07 AM

There are example ESL New Year conversations on this page as well as some exercises and activities.

www.excellentesl4u.com

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Pope to participate in dialogue with Asia-Pacific students ahead of September trip

Pope Francis greets visitors as he rides the popemobile around St. Peter's Square before his weekly general audience at the Vatican May 29, 2024. (CNS/Lola Gomez)

by Christopher White

Vatican Correspondent

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Ahead of his ambitious trip to the Asia-Pacific and Oceania in September, Pope Francis will participate in an online dialogue with students from the region, once again providing young people with an opportunity to engage in frank conversations with the pontiff about challenges facing their lives and the church in the modern world.

The June 20 conversation will include students from Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and more and is sponsored by the Building Bridges Initiative organized by Loyola University Chicago, and co-organized with the Vatican's Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

This will be the fourth online dialogue of its kind and is part of an effort to continue the pope's promotion of synodality, and to show his commitment to directly listening to voices across the Catholic Church.

While the papal conversation is a high point of the Building Bridges Initiative, according to organizers, the primary purpose of the program is not the encounter between the pope and the students, but among students themselves and the network that is being built between cultures and countries that continue long after the encounter with the pope.

Pope Francis speaks during a virtual meeting titled "Building Bridges: A Synodal Encounter" with university students from North, Central and South America Feb. 24, 2022. The meeting was hosted by Loyola University Chicago, in partnership with the Holy See. (CNS screenshot/YouTube)

During past encounters , students have engaged in unscripted dialogue with the pope on matters ranging from war and conflict, the climate crisis, migration and a myriad of local social concerns. The upcoming conversation will be livestreamed in both English and Spanish.

The announcement that the pope will once again sit down with students for this distinctive type of meeting comes just days after Francis met with a delegation from its lead organizer, Loyola University Chicago.

During their May 20 meeting, Francis emphasized that education should go beyond the transmission of knowledge and equip young people with the values of reconciliation and justice.

"I commend to you especially intercultural and interreligious dialogue as a means of fostering mutual understanding, cooperation and the building of bridges between different traditions, cultures and worldviews," the pope told the delegation.

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2 teachers bought a $25,000 Italian lake house instead of spending more to move back to the US. Take a look.

Kristina Knighten and Paul Cordier bought a fixer-upper listed for $27,000 by a lake in Italy.
The couple are teachers and stumbled upon Lake Iseo during a European road trip in 2018.
They ditched plans to move to the US after falling in love with the area — and have no regrets.

Kristina Knighten was never interested in a conventional life . Luckily, neither was her husband, Paul Cordier.

The couple, who are both teachers of English as a second language , met while working in Vietnam in 2014. Bustling Ho Chi Minh City was a far cry from the suburbs of Chicago, where Knighten, 38, grew up.

But the move made sense for Knighten.

"I need to see new things, and my wanderlust needs to be satiated," she told Business Insider.

After a few years in Asia, Knighten and Cordier, who's 46, got teaching jobs in the United Arab Emirates with annual salaries just shy of $70,000.

"Making $1,500 a month was not going to cut it for the rest of our lives," she said.

They decided to save for a down payment on a house in Chicago, where the typical home sells for about $350,000, according to Realtor.com .

It would have been tough, even with their new salaries, as many young Americans struggle to buy homes amid a challenging housing market with low supply, high prices, and relatively high mortgage rates — but it wouldn't have been impossible.

Nevertheless, a fateful European road trip in 2018 led Knighten and Cordier to abandon their plans. Take a look.

Knighten and Cordier fell in love with a lakeside town in northern Italy.

As teachers, Knighten and Cordier get summers off. In 2018, they spent it driving a rundown car that cost £250, or about $315, on a road trip through Europe.

Eventually, the couple ended up in Italy.

After a brief stay in San Remo, a coastal city they found too touristy, they found a travel blog with a photo of Monte Isola, an island in the middle of a lake close to the Alps.

The couple drove to the lake and stayed for a few days, getting to know the area and meeting locals.

Knighten and Cordier booked a small bed-and-breakfast on Monte Isola, a roughly five-square-mile island dotted with small villages in the middle of Lake Iseo, a glacier lake surrounded by lush green mountains.

They were awestruck — and shocked an island this beautiful wasn't better known.

"We've traveled all over the world together, through South America, the Middle East, and Asia," Knighten said. "And this place blows our minds."

At a small bar on the island, Cordier, whom Knighten describes as "gregarious," approached a few locals to ask what there was to do.

"They were like: 'We're actually going to a party tonight on a boat. Do you want to come?'" Knighten said.

The couple went and ended up making lasting friendships.

Within days, Knighten and Cordier were scouting properties on the island and even considered buying a pig shed.

Knighten said she and Cordier had nearly saved $40,000 to put toward a down payment on a house in Chicago, even though that sum could only buy them a property "not in a great neighborhood."

But stunned by the lake's beauty, Knighten and Cordier were curious about the cost of buying a home there. Quickly, they realized they could afford a fixer-upper in Lake Iseo with the cash they already had in their bank accounts.

On that first trip, Knighten and Cordier toured two properties for sale.

One was an old pig shed listed for 34,000 euros, or about $36,000. They seriously considered converting it into a tiny home but decided against it because it was too remote and would have cost too much money to fix up.

Undeterred, they came back in 2019 and found a house for sale for 25,000 euros.

Knighten and Cordier returned to Monte Isola on a house-hunting mission in the summer of 2019.

They eventually found a house listed for 25,000 euros, or about $27,000.

"It didn't have any photos of the interior. It was one of those with one photo of the outside of the house," she said. "You're like, 'Is this a bait property?'"

Thankfully, it wasn't, but they were told other buyers had beaten them to the punch.

But when those buyers fell through, the couple went to see it.

The house was beautiful but had an "eerie" feel because the previous owner had suddenly died.

The previous owner, who died a few years before Knighten and Cordier came to Lake Iseo, primarily used the home for vacations.

Walking in for the first time, it seemed that the owner's death was unexpected, Knighten said.

"There were nightgowns hung in the wardrobe, a toothbrush in the bathroom, salt and oil and stuff in the kitchen," she said. "You almost felt like you were trespassing."

Even though it was a little "eerie," Knighten and Cordier fell in love with the house, which had a kitchen and a multipurpose room on the ground floor and two bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor.

Unlike the pig shed, it was closer to the lake and public transportation.

It needed a lot of work, but the couple ended up putting down a 500-euro deposit the day they saw it.

Knighten and Cordier offered 23,000 euros, or about $25,000, and signed an agreement to buy the house in July 2019. They put down a 500-euro good-faith deposit.

Knighten said that at the time, they were thinking of using it as a summer house, as they didn't think they could afford to move to Italy full time given her $730-a-month student-loan payment and how much less they thought teachers made in Italy.

The plan was to continue living in the UAE and visit Italy in the summers, when Cordier, who worked in construction before going into teaching, could gradually renovate the house.

But, yet again, the plan changed.

When the couple got married in 2022, their families got a chance to see the magic of the lake.

Knighten said she and Cordier got engaged before their first trip to Italy in 2018 but had never given much thought to when or where they'd actually tie the knot. That changed when they saw Lake Iseo.

"That's the first time we kind of got excited about 'Oh yeah, let's get married, let's have a wedding,'" she said.

After a delay because of COVID-19, they finally hosted their wedding in Italy in 2022, with loved ones and friends who they'd made on their first visit to the lake in 2018 in attendance.

No one was surprised they'd bought the lakeside house.

"We both have always wanted an unconventional life and made choices to live an unconventional life. So it didn't surprise anyone in our family," Knighten said. "When they came to the wedding, everyone was like, 'This place is magic.'"

Around the same time, the couple began thinking their fantasy of living in Italy could become reality.

Before their wedding in 2022, Knighten and Cordier had the idea of starting an online subscription-based exam-preparation business for the UAE's equivalent of the SATs.

The growth of their business eventually gave them the confidence to quit their teaching jobs in the UAE and move to Italy full time during the summer of 2023.

Although their test-prep business, which they finally launched in the fall of 2023, has yet to turn a profit, Knighten said the teaching jobs they ended up finding in Italy paid better than they'd anticipated.

"We're really happy," she said.

The renovation kicked off in full swing in March — and it's still ongoing.

The house required a lot of TLC, which isn't cheap. Knighten said she and her husband estimated the project would cost roughly $100,000.

But she added that the budget was expensive because they were making significant changes. For example, they're adding ensuite bathrooms to both bedrooms and structural upgrades like a new roof and skylights.

While they're renovating their house, they're living in a rental apartment nearby.

They've hired professionals to help with major changes, but Cordier also lends a hand whenever he's available. Knighten said it had still taken longer than they expected to move in.

Knighten said they'd hoped to be living in the house by June, but it was looking closer to December as most people in Italy wouldn't work full time in August.

During renovations, Knighten and Cordier discovered their house was a lot older than they thought.

Knighten said a real-estate agent told them the house was probably built in the 18th century.

But during the renovation process, the couple found a stone window hidden behind plaster that their architect said indicated the property was potentially medieval.

The discovery was all the more exciting because Knighten and Cordier love old artifacts.

"We're both really into history, and particularly history you can touch and feel," she said.

They also kept a lot of furniture the previous owner left behind to add character and save money.

When the couple was sold the home, the real-estate agent offered to get rid of all of the previous owner's furniture for them, which didn't sit right with Knighten or Cordier.

"There were loads of really cool vintage pieces," she said. "We went through everything in the house, and we've kept a lot."

Doing so has helped them cut down on costs and get creative with the renovation process.

For example, the couple can't afford new kitchen cabinets, so they've decided to use old wooden dressers that were already in the house for kitchen storage instead.

They may have been happy in the US, but Knighten has no doubts Italy was the right choice.

Knighten has no regrets about choosing their slice of Italian paradise over a chance to move back to the US.

"The quality of life here is beyond. It's incredible," she said. Benefits they're enjoying include better grocery produce, how walkable everything is, and, of course, free healthcare, which the couple can enroll in because they are residents.

It's a game changer for Knighten, who recalled experiencing an ovarian-cyst rupture when she was living in the US without health insurance. Despite having two jobs at the time, she hesitated to go to the hospital because of how much it would cost.

"Looking back at it, I'm like, how is America considered the developed world?" Knighten said.

Given the great deal they have as teachers in Italy and how poorly many teachers are paid in the US , Knighten and Cordier have no plans to move stateside.

But Knighten wouldn't rule anything out.

"Five years ago, I didn't expect to be doing this, and 10 years ago, I did not expect to be in the UAE or Vietnam," she said. "I'd 100% live in Chicago again. But I just don't see that happening for me, especially in my profession."

Main content

IMAGES

Business English Listening Comprehension
Biz english #2 traveling situations dialogues_basic expressions
At the Travel Agency: A Dialog related to Traveling
Public Transportation
Business English Archives
Business Trip Wishes, Messages and Quotes

VIDEO

Business to business dialogue Italy
English for Business and Tourism 13
English for Business and Tourism 14
Relaxing Road Trip In Slowroads (No Dialogue, Day/Night Cycle)
Issues at a hotel in Italian 🛎️ 🇮🇹 #italianlanguage #italiantrip #shorts
English for Business and Tourism 12

COMMENTS

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