Course description

You can already work in English, but some tasks still feel harder than they should: the email that needs to be firm but polite, the client call where everyone speaks fast, the meeting you have to chair, or the presentation full of figures. This course takes those tasks one at a time and gives you the language, structure and confidence to handle them well.

It's a full course of 10 sections and 50 written lessons. You follow a new key account manager at a valve manufacturer in Peterborough through her first six months with a client in Portugal: chasing a late payment, answering a complaint, chairing a review, negotiating a price rise and presenting a year of growth. Every lesson has phrase boxes, example emails and dialogues, and every section has a worksheet, model answers, a cheat sheet and ready-to-use templates.

What you'll learn

• Emails: structure for busy readers, the right register, requests, chasing, complaints, bad news and persuasive emails.
• Calls: opening and closing client calls, understanding fast speech and accents, calls with several people and difficult calls.
• Meetings: giving opinions, disagreeing diplomatically, chairing, actions and minutes, and meetings across cultures.
• Presentations: planning, openings, signposting, describing figures and trends, delivery and questions.
• Negotiating: preparing, making and trading offers, holding your position and confirming the deal in writing.
• Reports and proposals: structure, executive summaries, precise numbers and concise editing.
• Relationships: introductions at events, small talk, business meals, feedback and keeping in touch.

Who it's for

Professionals whose first language isn't English, at about intermediate level (B1+ to B2), who work with UK or international colleagues and clients. The aim isn't to sound British; it's to be clear, professional and confident. It ends with a final project that takes one business situation from first email to final report.

What will I learn?

• Write clear, well-structured business emails in the right register, including chasing, complaints and bad news
• Open, run and close client calls and video calls, and check understanding without embarrassment
• Contribute to, chair and minute meetings, and disagree diplomatically
• Plan and deliver a business presentation, describe figures and trends accurately, and handle questions
• Negotiate in English: make offers, trade concessions and confirm agreements in writing
• Write short reports, executive summaries and persuasive proposals
• Network, make small talk and give feedback across cultures
• Build a personal phrase bank and a plan to keep improving

Frequently asked questions