English for the Workplace

British Council via FutureLearn

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Details

This course may be unavailable.

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Provider

FutureLearn
Pricing

Free Online Course (Audit)
Languages

English
Certificate

$54.00 Certificate Available
Duration & workload

4 weeks, 2 hours a week
Sessions

Finished

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Develop your workplace English skills

This course is for people who are learning English and are interested in developing English language skills for employability and workplace contexts. It will help job seekers and young professionals with the English they need.

Each week, we’ll focus on key aspects of English for the workplace. You’ll watch videos and listen to audio recordings of people in various situations. This includes those searching and applying for jobs, preparing for and taking interviews, and those starting their new jobs and working with new colleagues.

Our experienced tutor will examine some of the language used and draw your attention to useful points to improve your English in workplace contexts.

Learn some key business English vocabulary

The course does not follow a language syllabus but takes workplace English as its starting point. It offers functional language phrases and real, authentic workplace scenarios. Short quizzes and discussions will help you measure your understanding and practise your English.

As you progress through the various topics, you’ll learn plenty of business English vocabulary and workplace English expressions that you can use at work and when applying for jobs.

Improve your skills in English at work

As well as practising workplace English and learning some workplace English expressions, you’ll examine what makes a successful job application and interview.

Throughout the course, you’ll be asked to share your opinions, ideas and questions with other learners. The best way to get the most out of the course is to be prepared to join in and share your experiences.

This course is aimed at non-native English speakers who have studied English to at least pre-intermediate level (approximately A2 on the CEFR). Those interested in improving their business English for the workplace will find new vocabulary and phrases to use at work.

Syllabus

Finding a job

Welcome!
What do you want from a job?
Talking about your job
Finding a job
Applying for a job
Review

Interviews

Welcome
Preparing for a job interview
Talking about yourself
Beginning the interview
Skills and experience
Finishing the interview
Review

Starting a job

Welcome
Getting a job offer
Learning the ropes
Who does Greg report to?
Company rules and regulations
Review of the Week.

Working with people

Welcome
Meeting new colleagues
Checking understanding
Working together
Dealing with problems
Praise and thanks
Review of the Week

Taught by

Chris Cavey

Reviews

4.8 rating, based on 1,509 Class Central reviews

4.8 rating at FutureLearn based on 779 ratings

Start your review of English for the Workplace

Anonymous

The course workplace split to four part. The first and second part focus on looking for a job, prepare the CV , covering letter and interview. I learn some useful expressions and key point in this situation. Such as application, we have to know wh…

The course workplace split to four part.
The first and second part focus on looking for a job, prepare the CV , covering letter and interview. I learn some useful expressions and key point in this situation. Such as application, we have to know what do we like doing and what are we good at? Prepare CV, we must list our skill to tell interviewer why we are the right person for this job? What's the hard skill and soft skill we have? When we are getting a offer to interview, don't have to dress a suit, but don't dress jacket , you should address appropriate. When interviewer ask you weak part to improve. you don't talk about any negative in details. Try to think about area you are already to try to improved. So, you can end in positive way.

The third and forth part are talking about how to start a new job. what should we know? How to get on with colleague and boss to finish a job? This part is more important to me. Each office has their regular and solution, we have to be familiar with it. When we need to cooperation with our colleague, we could polite to show up our opinion, making suggestion and agreeing or disagreeing politely. when we give praise to colleague or receiving praise from boss how to expression. When our hard work doesn't not be accept by leader, how to explain, give the alternative suggestion and make a plan, in the end apologize for the inconvenience.
In a word, this course is not only for language, that could teach you more about the office manner. For the new people who is going to the job, that's good course. For the people who has worked for years. We also could learn how to deal with office relationship. I think you need it too!
Anonymous

As a private face-to-face teacher of English as a foreign language, I am taking this course as part of my CPD because I intend to add adults to the list of my learners. Adults have different needs when they want to learn English, sometimes they are…

As a private face-to-face teacher of English as a foreign language, I am taking this course as part of my CPD because I intend to add adults to the list of my learners. Adults have different needs when they want to learn English, sometimes they are motivated by their intention to pursue an international career, and therefore want to improve all their skills.
This course leads you into the world of working people and allows you to learn how to find a job and to have interviews. It's well organized and covers all different aspects of the process of finding a new job, from the analysis of personal job expectations, through the steps of preparing for and interview and starting a new job, and in the end it focuses on useful and interesting aspects of the working environment.
Practical advice is given, as well as many digital sources to expand the available information: the educators follow and comment each step of the course and are also available to meet attendees of the course every week in a facebook online conference, answering questions and giving further information.
As an area of improvement I would focus on the digital aspects and tools that are more and more frequent parts of our daily life, giving some examples of video interviews for instance. Moreover, I wish the course would give a wider point of view exceeding the British borders, maybe eliciting comments and comparisons with the participants different countries of origin.
Yi Liu @Yi261

I enjoyed this course so far. I’m an advanced English speaker and I found the grammar sections in this course too easy for me. But it’s always nice to have a recap with the job hunting issues and see if I can do even better next time. The comments made by the course educators are a great motivation for the learners and it is lovely idea of interacting with other learners and exchange knowledge and view. I’ve been taking courses on futurelearn since 2017 and have recommended the website to many of my friends.
Anonymous

I've been teaching Business English for one month an it was my first experience in a company. I was looking for a course that help me to increase my knowledge and prepare me to be a very good teacher. I needed materials to share, and the right meth…

I've been teaching Business English for one month an it was my first experience in a company. I was looking for a course that help me to increase my knowledge and prepare me to be a very good teacher. I needed materials to share, and the right methods to help my students in order to acquire valuable and practical day-to-day knowledge, terminology and contents to be used in their workplace. I'm about to finish the third week, and I'm studying at night after work. I'm not regretted to make this effort and invest my time taking this course (and I'm really motivated!). In my opinion, it's essential for us, English learners and teachers, in order to give a step forward to our own growth and development. All the extra information, listening activities, videos and tasks make this course really interesting and let us with the desire to discover what's next :) After all this time, I can say I'm totally satisfied with this course. I highly recommend it!
Anonymous

In my view, first, I joined this course to develope my knowledge and skills of English teaching skills as I have been teaching in high schools from 2007 to date in Somalia and I took my primary, secondary and P1 teaching education in kenya w…

In my view, first, I joined this course to develope my knowledge and skills of English teaching skills as I have been teaching in high schools from 2007 to date in Somalia and I took my primary, secondary and P1 teaching education in kenya which its curriculum based on British system and the best in Africa in terms of educational rank I have been looking online English course to get English diploma graduates certificate from certified English professional organization that can add value to my career because here in Somalia there is no university that offers more than diploma in English and it is difficult for English learners to develope their careers . Next the well being students go abroad to prepare the IElTS . When I joined this course , I have found English professors and English students from different countries this made me to relief some of my cravings and I also learnt how to succeed in interviews and the right language to apply , what to wear , the time, how to introduce yourself, the future plan and what is not suitable during the interviewer. Moreover, my dilemma is will they give you certificate of achievement and what type will they give you.

I recommend to extend you course time to English teaching diploma or writing skills course that will enable students to get certificates to look for a job or join other universities for further studies.

Infact the course is interesting and educational. It has become my favorite channel and I become obsessed to it.
Anonymous

I'd like to say Thank you for all who create this course. I've got from the course a lot of information about how to write my CV and about the interview day in English. Honestly, I didn't know that the resume is called CV. It was a surprise for me.
Tutors speak very clearly, so I can understand almost each word in the video. It helps me to improve my perceiving skills a lot.
The material is very useful and the system of teaching it is very convinient and simple.

Best regards to creators and tutors of the course.
Anonymous

I have found this course so enlightening.. It has stirred within me things which I had put to sleep due to some disappointments during my working career where I saw people get promotions I thought I deserved. This course has restored faith in me making me realise that I must always be happy no matter what. Only I can change my attitude and thought of thinking and strive towards what is best for me. This course is a great mind- opener! Thank you, FutureLearn for having given me this opportunity to rise again!
Anonymous

Is excellent oportunity for improve our abilities and an escape for lack of opportunities , is necesary go ahead with the professionalism of Educators who loves his carreer.
They are a valuable contribution for all the learners.

in my personal case i have had an interview and I goes to next step, During the remainder of the course.

i hope get the job and have more practice , thanks
Annalisa Fantini @annalisafantini

This course is very helpful for people who want to approach the British job market and are looking for their first occupation in the United Kingdom.

The vocabulary and the sentences' structures are suitable for beginners/intermediate students but are too simple for an advanced English class.
Mervyn Medidi @Mervyn

Pretty basic till this point [they asked for a review at the halfway point], does a good job thoroughly engaging the learners, with interactive comments and quizzes . Nice
Mariam Kvernadze @mariam

The course make me know about some important issues in teaching process that is connected with children, class work and etc.
Anonymous

Very informative and work-based is English for the Workplace. Starting with the language and application models used for applying for jobs and preparing for interviews (Weeks 1-2), the course focuses on communicating and sharing learners’ thoughts,…

Very informative and work-based is English for the Workplace. Starting with the language and application models used for applying for jobs and preparing for interviews (Weeks 1-2), the course focuses on communicating and sharing learners’ thoughts, comments and answers to questions in the sections of COMMENTS, which definitely has improved our comprehensive linguistic and communicative competence in the workplace contexts after reading, making or replying to so many wonderful and creative comments from different areas of the world, especially following the educators’ scaffolding, instructive and constructive comments or replies.
The contents are very valuable and helpful. For example, important things to learn when we start a new job (Week 3) and working with people (Week 4) are, in particular, useful because we get to know how to deal with a job offer, how to be responsible for our work and how to handle problems. Besides, the introduction to company rules and regulations, health and safety at work, etc. are workable. Without learning them, we can not succeed in our work.
I appreciate the tutoring styles of the course very much. The introduction, elicitation, questions, further readings and communicative comments in each week are well-designed and very professional.
We have been in quarantine since January 25 for the health of our friends, our families and humanity. Many thanks to you, all the educators of this course for accompanying us fighting the Corvid -19.

Wang Shaojun
Changzhou Vocational Institute of Mechatronic Technology
Jiangsu, Changzhou, PRC
Anonymous

Truly unbelievable. I'm French, and i decided to resume studying English at 60 years old and worked by myself all last year ( i had not worked Englisht since i was sixteen). I had to wake up my schools memories. Work alone it a thing that internet permit but, i feel it, your mooc make me do a very big step. I discover than i can make phrases and exprimate me, understand the others and myself be understanded. That's give great courage and confidence. The way will be long and i'm afraid i don't will fend for myself before a long time but now i'm on my way and it's you that permit it. Thank you very much !
Anonymous

I have really enjoying taking part in this practical course because it's a useful way of reviewing and improving my English. I'd recommend it to people who want to keep learning English and to those who want to keep in contact with speakers of English (no matter if they are not native, you can learn from all of them). Besides, this kind of courses have many advantages like being flexible and free and, of course, you can learn in a multicultural atmosphere. So thank you very much and I'll keep on doing courses like this!
Anonymous

I was looking for a normal English course at FutureLearn: grammar, vocabulary, conversation, listening comprehension... However this English course for job application soon became a very suitable one. I am retired for 10 years and I intend to be back to market. Through this course I am forced to think about situations I will find when looking for job. That's why it has been so appropriate for me.
Ildefonso Gustavo Díaz Sandoval

I have learned many interestig things about English for the job. The tips given here are interesting , valuable and useful. I like the way the course is taught. Yo can interact with everybody within the course. I like to express my gratitude to the teachers for the way they are conducting the course.

With the very best wishes,

Ildefonso
Anonymous

I found this course is really useful for everyone no matter what his major is. It’s a very practical and detailed course which teaches the learner step by step what to do and how to be professional to get a job.
I do recommend the course to all people who really want to perform academically.
Anonymous

This is the best platform of learning which is a Nectar of Knowledge. It shapes our learning journey in a right direction. Flexible time for studying and giving exam which are the best part of it. Teachers give advice in details and also appreciate. Thank you so much, team members of it.
Anonymous

I enjoy this course. I find it very useful. It's my third attempt to begin and finish a course with your Universtiy and my first achievement. And I think that the way the course is designed has helped me very much to be able to finish it.
Thank you very much.
Anonymous

The course is very good, you can practice your English and get tips to make a good interview. There are many interactions with the teachers and the other students, it has been really useful, after this course I hope to make other courses in the Future Learn English website.