In another article, “Vocabulary For Your Meetings & Presentations,” we explored the notion of a language called “corporatese.” We define corporatese simply as the language of the corporate world, which is also known as corporate speak, business lingo, and workplace jargon.
Since English workplace jargon is spoken inside companies all around the world, Thailand’s non-native English speaking professionals should understand it. So in this context, we will refer to English corporatese as “workplace English” instead.
You may ask, “Is workplace English really different from speaking plain old English?” In our opinion, yes it is. The example we gave in the previous article was this: I have certainly said the multi-word vocabulary item “have you had a chance to review…?” many times to coworkers, but I have probably never said it to my spouse. At home, using day-to-day English, I would say something informal like “have you checked…?”
For Thailand’s non-native English speakers who are trying to excel in their jobs, the distinction between workplace English and day-to-day English is important.
While both share the foundation of “language,” they differ in terms of vocabulary, tone, and attitude being expressed. Building a strong vocabulary of workplace multi-words is not only essential for effective communication, but it is also a tool for career growth.
Workplace English, often referred to as Business English, goes beyond basic conversational phrases to include the specific terminology of professional environments and the jargon of specific industries.
This includes vocabulary for business meetings & presentations, chatting in Slack & Gmail, negotiating & influencing, and more. The goal of building up your vocabulary of workplace English is to ensure that you can convey ideas clearly, collaborate efficiently, and respond to your boss’s orders effectively.
Key Differences Between Workplace English and Day-to-Day English
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Vocabulary & Terminology
In contrast to everyday English where casual common words are used, workplace English involves more professional-sounding vocabulary and industry-specific terminology. This is crucial for you to know so you can show expertise and confidence in your job.
ECSC can help you in this area because our trainers have a lot of professional experience beyond English instruction.
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Formality & Tone
While day-to-day communication can be informal and flexible, workplace communication often requires a higher degree of formality and consistency. A polite, respectful tone of voice is essential to creating a positive impression and maintaining effective relationships with colleagues, clients, and superiors.
ECSC can help you in this area because our trainers have been employed in many different levels of business, from entry-level to management.
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Chatting in Slack & Gmail
Written communication in the workplace, such as direct messaging, emailing, and preparing reports & memos requires a certain degree of clarity and structure. And, your English-speaking colleagues and clients have expectations for concise sentences, direct questions, and appropriate formatting, all of which contribute to their being able to understand you and forming positive impressions of you.
ECSC can help you in this area because our trainers have worked for companies of all shapes and sizes with all manner of communication tools.
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Presentations & Public Speaking
Communicating your ideas in English during presentations requires not only the language skills necessary for discussing the content of your presentation, but also language skills necessary for indicating the stages of your presentation and what your audience should expect, whether it’s a small team meeting or a large-scale product demo.
ECSC can help you in this area because our trainers have experience standing in front of rooms full of people in both corporate and classroom settings.
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Negotiations & Conflict Resolution
Workplace English equips professionals with the ability to handle situations where it is important to influence people. This involves knowing when to speak, knowing when to listen, and knowing which multi-words vocabulary to use to reach agreements, make people happy, and maintain harmonious working environments.
ECSC can help you in this area because our trainers have had jobs that are client-facing, in which they had to learn to be diplomatic.
How Can You Improve Your Workplace English?
In the 21st century workplace, most companies recognize the following competencies as key to “workplace readiness”: Enthusiasm, Teamwork, Professionalism, Communication Skills, and Problem Solving Skills.
That’s a lot of competency for anyone to possess, especially if they are expected to do so in a job that requires them to speak in a second language. But ECSC can help.
For us it is straightforward. No matter what industry you are employed in – business, finance, healthcare, education, the arts, science & technology, food & hospitality – we will customize an English communication skills training course that concentrates on three things to help you improve your workplace English:
- Building a bigger vocabulary
- Practicing pronunciation
- Having conversations
Mastering workplace English will help you bridge the gap between basic language proficiency and professional language excellence. By investing time and effort into doing those three things, you’ll not only excel in your current role but you’ll also put yourself on a path to a successful and fulfilling career.
To learn more about multi-words and how they can help you speak English more clearly and confidently, contact ECSC today. You can reach us on Line or at 064-934-5284.
