The world of business English is powered by words. Reports, meetings, and emails can sometimes seem like a puzzle to solve with all the complicated and specific business jargon that they use. So how can you improve your own business English vocabulary without memorizing the definitions of hundreds of words? Research into vocabulary development has changed how we approach word knowledge. These business English vocabulary tips can be easily adopted by any professional who wants to build their business English vocabulary.
Table of contents: Business English Vocabulary Tips
When it comes to studying vocabulary, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. You can even be discouraged by how many words you don’t know rather than figuring out how to build on what you do know. And with our hectic schedules, it’s hard to find the time to dedicate to developing our English language word skills.
This first business English vocabulary tip is to focus on what words you need to know i.e what words are important for your job. If you work in the IT department, you don’t need to spend hours memorising financial terminology if accounting is not a key part of your job. If you are a project manager, do you really need key phrases for sales presentations or customer service? Paying attention to your unique needs in your business English journey can give you a solid foundation for building your mental word library, as well as make sure what you are learning is useful to you in your current workplace and in the long term, in your career.
Some learners like to rely on long lists of words and phrases with definitions in their own language, or an explanation in English. If that works for you, great! But this takes the words out of their context – and this can often change the meaning of the word and how it is used. One of the difficult parts of studying English is that words often have multiple meanings and uses, which changes depending on its context.
Take the word “market”. In some contexts, it can mean a lovely local shop where you pick up your groceries for the week. But in the context of a sales meeting, “market” can take on the meaning of an area you wish to develop a presence in, such as “the European market” or “the Southeast Asian market.”
Context is also key for using idioms. Even if you grasp the meaning of these confusing terms, using them correctly and – most importantly, naturally – is where language learners often struggle. Looking at the context of an idiom’s use, as well as its meaning, makes it easier to incorporate these phrases like a native.
Keeping the vocabulary in context with example sentences along with the definition can help to raise awareness of the multiple meanings that English words can have and make sure you’re using the right words in the right context.
A language chunk is a phrase of two or more words that appear together and act as one unit. “Nevertheless” is one word, while “How do you do?” is one unit that can communicate meaning. Studies show it is much easier for foreign language learners to memorise and store chunks of language in their memory rather than individual words.
Looking again at our example of “market” – it can be used to make countless language chunks that are much easier to remember than the word on its own. Putting different words together to make chunks or phrases will not only widen your vocabulary, but also make your memory stronger when recalling the word.
This can be very helpful with the most common type of chunk; the dreaded phrasal verb. Memorizing the meaning of “bring up” may be simple, but “chunking” it with some related words, such as “bring up the issue with you” or “bring up the topic in the meeting” gives you more practice with the word as well as making it easier to produce it when needed.
Being able to recognize a word when you’re reading or listening -“receptive language”- is just one aspect of vocabulary knowledge. Actually using the vocabulary themselves, is what causes issues for many people- their “productive language”. So while it’s great to have a long word list for the pharmaceutical sales industry, how can you make sure you are able to produce those English words and phrases spontaneously when you need them?
The key is to increasing your productive language is to practice production of vocabulary yourself, both with writing and speaking. If you don’t have someone willing to sit down and speak with you, try recording yourself speaking on a unprepared but useful topic for a minute – then listen back and see how many of your target words you used. Your nerves may cause you to slip up and make mistakes, but these recordings are a space for you to do so, rather than in the office!
For writing, practice writing emails, reports, memos, whatever your job requires you to do, and use your new vocabulary within it. All that wonderful business vocabulary is just sitting in your brain. The key is to this business English vocabulary tip, as we say in English, is to “use it or lose it!”t!”
“Rinse and repeat” is an English idiom meaning, “Do it again. And again. And again.” The cold hard truth that many students can’t grasp about learning a language is that it doesn’t happen overnight. Learning vocabulary, like learning anything to a high standard, takes time and repetition in order to reach the level of business English that you need for professional success.
Whatever methods you take on to build your business English vocabulary, try to make a habit of them. Whether it’s reading an article in English related to your field, practicing vocabulary with flashcards, or even just pushing yourself to chat with your colleagues in English, establish a routine of whatever you find most helpful for developing your skills and knowledge.
Repetition not only has the benefit of helping you get better with your language skills, but can also help develop your confidence in your abilities. The more you speak with colleagues or clients in English, the more confident you will feel each time, and confidence is key in the business world.
These 5 tips will help you focus on the vocabulary relevant to you and your job. Building and retaining your business English vocabulary can also be done quickly and effectively in an intensive course. If you are starting a new job soon or have recently been promoted in your company, an intensive course is a great choice.
Author: Clare Kelleher, MA TESOL, October 2021
Updated by: Eva, Business English Trainer, November 2024
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