Language Seminars

English seminar

Our English language seminars focus on an area of daily business and are beneficial across departments.

We aim to boost your employees’ skills and confidence for their day-to-day tasks.

Participants will feel encouraged and able to actively contribute to meetings, discussions and presentations.

Our trainers always consider individual preferences to optimise results for every participant.

Corporate English language seminars

The language seminars take place in groups of 3 to 6 people and focus on the employees’ area of work. We offer seminars for human resources, meetings, assistants, telephoning, negotiations, daily business, presentations, finance and international projects.

The limited group size and preliminary evaluations allow us to give participants optimal support, so they will master their professional challenges in English with ease.

Your trainers are all native English speakers and experts on the subject.

The seminars take place over the course of two days and can be held in-house or online. If you want to organise a seminar, we look forward to hearing from you!

Our language seminars at a glance:

  • Two days
  • In-company seminar – max. 6 participants; dates and prices available on request
  • Seminar at an EnglishBusiness training centre – max. 6 participants; locations, dates and prices available on request

Contact our consultants to start organising your language seminar!

Don’t have time for 2-day seminars? Mix and match these 21 short seminars for high impact in a short time:

English for Human Resources

Leading your international team with confidence

English for Human Resources seminar goals

Today’s culturally diverse workplace environment makes this an exciting and challenging time to work in human resources. Accessing top professionals often means drawing from a global pool. English has become the lingua franca of many companies in recruiting, managing and training their team of international employees.

This language seminar provides HR professionals with an intensive setting to focus on the language tools they need for working in just such a global business environment. Through a combination of role plays, discussions and guided activities, our highly qualified trainers will help you sharpen the key communication skills you need for your work.

English for Human Resources seminar content

A typical two-day programme covers a selection of the following topics:

  • Describing company structure and roles
  • Recruiting
  • Structuring and conducting interviews
  • Communicating with international teams
  • Discussing difficult and sensitive issues with employees
  • Mastering negotiating skills
  • Understanding what motivates people
  • Handling cross-cultural issues
  • Practising relevant grammar, e.g. modals and conditionals. These are explained in a simple and fun way, making it clear and immediately useable

English for Meetings

  • International conferences and team meetings in English? No problem!

    English for Meetings seminar goals

    Meetings in English are part and parcel of business life. This English for Meetings language seminar equips managers and employees with the language and skills they need to run or take part in meetings in English.

    Learn to argue your point eloquently, ensure people listen when you speak, strike the right tone and moderate your meetings confidently. Find out what it takes to write objective reports, evaluate options, formulate next steps and end every meeting on time without being undiplomatic. Real-life situations are role-played (with optional video feedback) to give participants the chance to experience and work on meeting scenarios.

    English for Meetings seminar content

    A typical two-day programme covers a selection of the following topics:

    • Getting your point across; agreeing and disagreeing
    • Being aware of body language in meeting situations
    • Conducting small talk before, during and after a meeting
    • Understanding language and culture in meetings
    • Drafting agendas and minutes
    • Chairing meetings
    • Using relevant grammar, e.g. modals and conditionals, explained in a simple and fun way, making it clear and immediately useable
    • Optional: Teleconferencing – a particularly challenging meeting situation

English for Assistants

  •  Eloquent administrative staff make excellent first impressions

    English for Assistants seminar goals

    Executive assistants, PAs, administrative assistants or receptionists are often the first point of contact when clients reach out to a company. When dealing with international clients and partners, assistants are under additional pressure to appear assured and competent when communicating in English. Our English for Assistants language seminar equips participants with the linguistic tools necessary to approach even the most challenging situations and ensure that business opportunities aren’t lost in translation.

    English for Assistants seminar content

    A typical two-day programme covers a selection of the following topics:

      • Welcoming visitors
      • Organising meetings and making travel arrangements
      • Telephoning in English
      • Crafting professional correspondence and emailing in English
      • Making small talk in a business setting
      • Writing minutes and reports
      • Handling difficult situations in English
      • Practising grammar topics on an as-needed basis

    This language seminar is aimed at reception staff, executive assistants and secretaries dealing with international clients.

English for Telephoning

  • Staying cool when the phones ring hot

    English for Telephoning seminar goals

    A client’s first contact with a company often takes place over the phone. For businesses working on, or breaking into the international marketplace, it’s essential that every phone call goes smoothly and that clients feel they are in competent hands. This not only requires strong English language abilities, but the key communication skills for talking on the phone as well. Our English for Telephoning language seminar addresses your daily challenges, from taking and transferring calls to negotiating the terms of a deal, and helps you gain the confidence you need to do business naturally and successfully over the phone.

    English for Telephoning seminar content

    A typical two-day programme covers a selection of the following topics:

      • Mastering greetings, small talk and politeness on the phone
      • Spelling out names and addresses
      • Making, taking and transferring calls
      • Arranging appointments and meetings
      • Pronunciation, intonation and speaking clearly on the phone
      • Avoiding common mistakes made during phone calls
      • Practising grammar and vocabulary-building exercises as needed

    This seminar is ideal for executive assistants, marketing and sales employees and anyone building and maintaining client relationships in English.

English for Negotiations

  • Don’t let language stand in the way of results

    English for Negotiations seminar goals

    Every word counts when you’re negotiating. Our seminar is designed for business professionals from all industries who regularly negotiate or are preparing to negotiate in English. We can equip you with the linguistic tools necessary to succeed when negotiating in English and help you avoid the language traps that non-native speakers frequently fall into. This language seminar emphasises practising real-life scenarios and key communication skills that can be directly applied to your daily work.

    English for Negotiations seminar content

    A typical two-day programme covers a selection of the following topics:

      • Mastering the language of diplomacy and persuasion
      • Getting your message across
      • Recognising and responding to hostile language
      • Dealing with numbers and bargaining with confidence
      • Applying questioning tactics
      • Conducting small talk before, during and after the negotiation
      • Practising relevant grammar points on an as-needed basis

    This seminar caters to business professionals negotiating in English or wanting to do so in the future.

English for Daily Business

  • Successful communication for everyday business situations

    English for Daily Business seminar goals

    In today’s international business world employees face numerous challenges in English, from meetings and telephone conferences to social interactions with colleagues. While the English you learned in school may be sufficient for taking a message or introducing yourself, business professionals working in English require more in-depth language knowledge. Our English for Daily Business language seminar is an intensive programme of language competence combined with key communication skills that allows you to practise and fine-tune your daily business English.

    English for Daily Business seminar content

    A typical two-day programme covers a selection of the following topics:

      • Participating in meetings in English: agreeing, disagreeing and getting your point across
      • Telephoning in English
      • Writing professional correspondence and emails in English
      • Conducting small talk and social English in business settings
      • Reviewing relevant grammar points on an as-needed basis

    This seminar is for employees looking to refresh or improve their business English.

English for Presentations

  • Convincing, powerful words in persuasive presentations

    English for Presentations seminar goals

    Presenting effectively can be one of the most challenging aspects of doing business. Add English to the mix, and even the most confident presenter will begin stumbling over his or her words. Our English for Presentations language seminar is designed for business professionals from all industries who present or are preparing to present in English. A highly qualified trainer who specialises in the language of presentations will help you hone your linguistic skills, avoid common mistakes and deal with even the most nerve-racking presentation scenarios. This language seminar emphasises practising real-life situations and key communication skills that can be directly applied to your daily work.

    English for Presentations seminar content

    A typical two-day programme covers a selection of the following topics:

      • Using language to clarify your objectives and conclusions
      • Structuring your presentation and using language to “signpost”
      • Describing figures, graphics and trends
      • Mastering language tactics for taking and responding to questions
      • Using the appropriate vocabulary and tone for your audience
      • Practising relevant grammar points on an as-needed basis

    This seminar is aimed at employees of all levels wanting to improve their English presentation skills.

English for Finance

  • Helping your numbers do the talking

English for Finance seminar goals

Business professionals working in the financial sector have extremely specialised and unique English communication needs. The terms and vocabulary required in this field, as well as the ability to explain these terms clearly and concisely, can be especially challenging for non-native English speakers in an international business environment.

Our English for Finance language seminar is designed for bankers, auditors, accountants, analysts, bookkeepers and anyone facing the challenge of understanding, illustrating, discussing, reporting on or presenting financial information in English. A highly qualified trainer with experience in the financial sector will help you overcome your language weaknesses and avoid common mistakes. Real financial data from annual reports and other current financial publications are used to ensure the highest topic relevance and applicability.

English for Finance seminar content

A typical two-day programme covers a selection of the following topics:

    • Expanding vocabulary related to accounting and bookkeeping
    • Describing types of assets
    • Reporting profit and loss
    • Reading and understanding financial statements
    • Communicating company law
    • Discussing topics such as bankruptcy and auditing

This language seminar is ideal for managers or employees of financial institutions and investment banks as well as auditors, analysts and anyone else whose work depends on understanding and communicating financial information in English.

English for International Projects

  •  Clear communication for complex projects

    English for International Projects seminar goals

    It’s a fact of business life today that more and more of us work in international project teams. Many of us are involved in projects where four, five, six or more nationalities are represented. Typically, we have to work together closely to deliver results and meet tight deadlines.

    Our English for International Projects language seminar will help you discuss and report on key project topics with clarity, accuracy and a broader vocabulary. You will practise talking about goals, project plans, resources, costs and handling deadlines in face-to-face meetings as well as in simulated telephone conferences.

    Our aim is to help you work optimally with a mix of colleagues, whether they are native speakers or using English as a bridge language.

    English for International Projects seminar content

    A typical two-day programme covers a selection of the following topics:

      • Describing timeframes and benchmarks
      • Reporting on time, cost, and quality in English
      • Using diplomatic language
      • Working with common communication challenges
      • Handling teleconferences, video conferences and remote teams in English
      • Using appropriate vocabulary and tone

CompactMINIs

Don’t have time for 2-day seminars? Mix and match these 21 short seminars for high impact in a short time:

Fire up your English!

No time for a language seminar? Can’t commit to weekly English lessons? Need a solution which is both flexible and goal-orientated? Our CompactMINIs cover a wide range of business topics and are engineered to maximise the most important English communication skills within a short space of time.

  • Fast and to the point. Low-cost and effective.
  • CompactMINIs are exclusively in-company formats
  • 180-minute live-session
  • Group size is limited to 6 participants
  • The minimum language level requirement is B2
  • There are now two MINIs available for B1-level language learners
  • All CompactMINIs can be blended to suit you

1. How to present your company in just 5 minutes

In daily business you often need to explain what your company does in an interesting yet accurate way. Learn to summarise what your company has achieved and describe your services and products in a way that starts conversations and sparks interest in doing business with you. Whether you are at a networking event, in a sales meeting or talking to your friends, this effective communication tool (often referred to as an elevator pitch) will leave you feeling confident and prepared to talk about your company. You’ll never be caught off guard again!

2. How to present yourself in just 5 minutes

You only have one chance to make a first impression. In this MINI you learn to talk about yourself: describe what you do, summarise your achievements and highlight your strengths in order to make a lasting and positive impression. Learn to choose which information is interesting for the person you are speaking to. Whether you are introducing yourself to colleagues, speaking in front of an audience, networking, or socialising, this is one skill everyone should master.

3. How to present in an interesting and memorable way

A great product deserves a great presentation. Can you draw attention to your company’s unique selling point without using slides? Can you describe in a few minutes why your product is better than the competition’s alternative? In this MINI you will receive tips and techniques to make your product presentations both clear and memorable. We will look at how to structure product information to make sure your audience doesn’t miss key information while giving you tips and tricks to keep them alert and wanting more.

4. How to begin and end a presentation

When people listen to a presentation, the parts they remember best are the end and the beginning – in that order. Whether you are presenting your ideas in a formal or informal setting, learn to make the openings and conclusions of your presentations more memorable with this MINI. You will have the chance to practise what you learn and get immediate feedback from an expert and your peers, providing you with a helpful list of tips as well as useful language for your next presentation.

5. How to present figures, graphs and numbers in English

Just the facts, please! When presenting numbers, you want to be certain your audience gets the right information. Let our expert trainer teach you the vocabulary you need to explain trends, talk through figures, describe graphs and more. Whether you are talking about budgets, sales targets, research or performance, this MINI will help you communicate information precisely and clearly. This is the advanced level MINI on numbers and includes vocabulary building and presentation practice (CEFR level B2 and higher).

6. How to make small talk for successful business connections

Much of the important business in our world is conducted outside the board room: in restaurants, on the golf course and even in the car park. In many cultures, it is small talk and informal conversation that creates the relaxed business environment necessary for deals and agreements to be reached. With the objective of making and maintaining business connections in informal settings, this MINI is full of the tips, tricks and language you need to navigate through conversations on topics of general interest.

7. How to introduce and moderate a business meeting in English

Leading a meeting requires skill and a certain amount of diplomacy in any language. If English is the language of your meetings, then take this opportunity to brush up your language and your communication skills. Learn phrases and vocabulary for starting and concluding meetings in English, tips for making sure you remain on topic, and techniques for moderating a discussion. This MINI involves active practise with feedback from your peers and an expert trainer.

8. How to argue your point convincingly in meetings

It is no use having good ideas if no one hears them! Learn how to make yourself heard in meetings, how to politely agree and disagree, support your argument, and give reasons for saying “no”. Whether you take part in large meetings or have small face-to-face discussions with one or two team members, this MINI will help you argue your point and say what you mean in a more professional way.

9. How to give clear instructions and directions

The clearer the instructions are, the easier they are to follow! Delegation, instruction and explanation are part of the everyday interaction of most business professionals in many different types of job. Do you need to explain how to use software, operate a machine, or give directions to your office? This MINI gives you tips, tricks and the language you need to precisely and understandably explain, describe and instruct others to perform tasks and follow your directions.

10. How to sound more professional on the telephone

The telephone is often a client’s first contact to a company. Are you ready to make and take calls in English as professionally as you do in your native language? This MINI will give you phrases for starting and ending different types of telephone calls, as well as other useful vocabulary and tips on how to sound friendly and polite. Because the best way to improve your English is to speak it, you will put what you learn into practice through role plays and peer feedback. This is our advanced level MINI on making and taking calls. (CEFR level B2 and higher).

11. How to talk through conflict on the telephone

In English we say that you can’t please everyone all the time. In business that often isn’t good enough. Especially on the phone, where face-to-face dialogue is not possible, conflict conversations are a daily challenge in many different jobs. This MINI will teach you how to de-escalate tense situations on the phone, offer help and stay calm during difficult calls. Prepare yourself with tips and language to give clients and customers your very best through role plays and feedback from our expert trainer and your peers.

12. How to master the language of teleconferences

Your office is in Germany, your project leader is in Denmark and your head of department is in Belgium. Meetings over the phone and in English are an especially demanding daily challenge for international teams. Do you want to make sure you get the information you need despite bad connections or noisy conference rooms? This MINI gives you tips and tricks for introducing yourself, keeping track of the conversation, and making sure your opinion is heard during a teleconference.

13. How to set the right tone in business email

Email is by far the most common form of business communication, but how do you make sure that what you mean to say is what is understood? The first step is to set the right tone. Even in your native language it is challenging to transmit the right message in an appropriate, fitting tone for each recipient. This introduction to email, with a focus on the difference between formal and informal emailing, gives you a practical guide to key techniques of writing business emails in English.

14. How to write complaint emails in English

When things go wrong, good email communication helps set things right. Perhaps you ordered a machine and it arrived broken, or maybe you booked a hotel for a business trip and the room was unacceptable. Now you need to tell someone that you are unhappy with their product or service. This MINI provides you with helpful tools and language for formulating email complaints elegantly and constructively, enabling you to explain the problem without ruining your business relationships.

15. How to conduct a job interview in English

You want the right team for the job and have taken time and care to find good candidates. Now it is time for the interview. If your candidate is English-speaking or your company requires excellent English, you may need to hold the interview in English. Brush up your relevant English communication skills and get useful interviewing tips from our expert trainer. This MINI includes guided practice and the opportunity to role play different interview situations while receiving direct feedback on your own interviewing skills.

16. How to give feedback to colleagues in English

We all need feedback in order to expand and improve our skills, but delivering that feedback diplomatically and constructively can be a challenge. Musicians make recordings of themselves, dancers practice in front of a mirror, business professionals rely on their peers and mentors for constructive, useful feedback. This MINI provides you with useful English vocabulary and phrases for giving critical feedback as well as tips for delivering your message effectively.

17. How to work in an international team

In today’s global economy, working with the best often means working with people from all over the world. In international teams the common language of business is often English, and cross-cultural differences present unique communication challenges. This MINI examines some of the reasons for misunderstandings between cultures and gives you resources for helping your team function at its very best. This introduction to intercultural communication will help you bridge the culture gap in your daily business interactions.

18. How to handle complaints from angry clients

Sometimes things don’t work out perfectly and clients get angry, but that shouldn’t be a reason to lose a business contact. If you communicate with clients in English, this MINI will help you keep your relationship positive through difficult situations. You will get helpful vocabulary and phrases for letting your client know that you understand the problem, offering help and de-escalating tense conversations. Don’t lose your cool or your customer because you don’t know what to say!

19. How to negotiate what you want while staying polite

We have all seen the tough Wall Street executives in the movies. They always get what they want, and their motto is, “I win, you lose.” However, real world negotiations require more diplomacy. To reach a win-win result in English you need to set the right tone. This MINI offers expressions, phrases and tips for politely saying what you really want in a negotiation. You will put what you’ve learned into practice and get feedback from our expert trainer and your peers.

20. How to present figures, graphs and numbers in English (intermediate)

Let’s learn to talk about numbers! This MINI is full of vocabulary, phrases and tips needed by business professionals in finance, marketing or sales. If you regularly need to talk about numbers, explain charts, or talk about trends to English-speaking audiences, this MINI is for you. This is an introductory level MINI which gives you the tools to say numbers accurately and clearly present numerical data to an audience. Recommended English level: CEFR B1

21. How to make and take telephone calls (intermediate)

The telephone rings and you see that it is a foreign number – do you feel ready to answer? Whether you speak English on the phone every day or only once or twice a year, this MINI will help you sound more professional and confident. You will practise common telephoning situations such as transferring a call to a colleague, taking a message and calling for information. With feedback from one of our trainers, get in shape for telephoning with this intermediate level training. Recommended English level: CEFR B1

Your contact person:

Marlen Schrader

Get in touch with Marlen:

Phone: +49 (0)40 650 5253

Email: training@englishbusiness.de