7 Cambridge Exam Techniques to Improve Listening in Business Meetings

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7 Cambridge Exam Techniques to Improve Listening in Business Meetings

Many Business English students find listening in meetings and conferences one of the most challenging aspects of communicating effectively in English.

If this is you, you should consider using some techniques used by students sitting Cambridge English exams. One reason that I like and recommend Cambridge English exams is that they properly test comprehension in Listening and Reading skills.

I teach Cambridge exam techniques which offer valuable strategies that can be applied to improve listening in Business English settings. Let’s look at some examples:

1. Prediction

Cambridge students have some time at the beginning of each section to read the questions. They use this time to predict the topic and the language that might come up.

Business English students should do the same thing by carefully reviewing agendas of meetings or conferences in advance. Business students have an advantage because they have more time for this than Cambridge exam students.

If you are also speaking at the meeting practice talking about your ideas with a colleague or Business English coach in advance of the meeting.

2. Identify Keywords

Keywords are the most important words in a sentence. As above, identify the keywords in the agenda. But also listen out for keywords when the speaker is talking. For example:

• Timeframes: last week, last month, last quarter, next quarter, in the first quarter, etc

• Locations: Italian sales, US figures, etc

• Company names and people: directors names, key sales representatives, key competitors, etc

3. Signpost Words and Phrases

I teach Cambridge English students to listen out for ‘distractors’. Distractors are things that sound like the answer but are, in fact, not correct (some people think of it as a trap but I think of it as a method to check comprehension). Let’s look at a simple example:

You will notice that in this case the correct answer is not mentioned in the listening text. Students have to derive the answer by adding 30 minutes to 08:30 to get to answer b) 09:00.

Answers A) 08:30 and C) 09:30 are distractors.

What is the signpost phrase on the listening text? Read the text again and see if you can identify it.

The signpost phrase to listen for was ‘except for’. Students who listened out for ‘except for Saturday’ would quickly identify the correct answer.

Other signpost words and phrases are: however, whereas, firstly, in conclusion, on the other hand, while etc.

4. Focus on Intonation and Stress

Intonation and stress are key pointers to whether something is positive or negative. For example:

If this is said with stress on ‘increased’ and with a rising tone it suggests that this is a good performance and probably better than expected.

If the same sentence is said without any stressed words and with a falling tone it suggests that they had hoped for a better percentage increase in sales figures.

5. Concentrate on General Meaning

I teach my Cambridge exam students to concentrate on the general meaning and not to get put off by one word that they do not understand. You can usually understand the context of what is being said without understanding every word.

I also encourage my students to make notes of any words that they do not understand and we will discuss them after the exercise. Business students should look up any words that they didn’t understand after the meeting or presentation or discuss these words with their Business English coach in the next lesson.

6. Stay Calm Under Pressure

Linked to number 5 above, try not to get flustered because you have not understood something. Keep calm, make notes and try to re-engage in the talk. Understanding 50% is better than not understanding anything.

7. Develop Note Taking Skills

I encourage my Cambridge students to make notes on the question paper along with the keywords they have identified in the questions. Business students should get into the habit of making notes during meetings. Ideally, try and put the meaning from the talk into your own English words (not your native language). Practice summarising each part of the meeting in your own words.

Conclusion

By incorporating these Cambridge exam techniques into your business meeting practice, you can significantly enhance your listening skills. Remember that improving your listening skills is an ongoing process, so stay patient and most importantly of all, keep practising.

Volatility in the Markets - Anything to Worry About?

Markets have seen a big increase in volatility over the last few days but is this anything for businessmen and women to worry about?

While no one, especially me, can predict the future, I do not see any fundamental changes in the business cycle.

Let’s look at some possible causes:

• Central Bank Action: The Bank of Japan raised interest rates which can have a big influence on the global economy (this is beyond the scope of this newsletter)

• Economic Data: the US recorded an unexpected increase in the unemployment rate, raising fears of an economic slowdown

• Tech Sector Volatility: There have been mixed earnings reports from the Tech sector which makes up a very large weighting of the S&P 500.

• Geopolitical Tensions: Markets do not like uncertainty and the threat of war certainly brings that. There are tensions in the Middle East between Iran and Israel. In addition, the result of the Presidential Election is now more uncertain as Kamala Harris gains in the polls.

Generally, I feel that the US economy, which is the driver for world markets, is still reasonably strong. There may be fundamental changes in the future that we should watch out for - war in the Middle East, for example.

For those day trading (buying and selling within the same day) increased volatility brings with it increased risks. However, for medium and long-term investors, this increased volatility may even present buying opportunities.

We will look at this topic in more detail in Friday’s Financial Fluency newsletter. You may join with the link below:

False Friend - Agenda

Agenda - noun - a list of topics to be discussed at a meeting

This should not be confused with:

Diary - noun - a book with a separate space or page for each day in which you write down your future arrangements, meetings or appointments.

A diary can also be used to record your thoughts or feelings or what has happened each day. This is also known as a ‘journal’.

False friend - do not confuse an ‘agenda’ with a ‘diary’.

Word of the Day: Flustered

Flustered - adjective - upset and confused

Do you have any Business English Questions?

Please email me and I will do my best to answer them in future newsletters.

Until next Wednesday - have a great week!

Iain.

www.communicateenglish.com