I am a non native English speaker working at a consulting firm. I'd like to seek tips on how to learn new words efficiently so that I can communicate more effectively on client materials.
Are there better ways than memorizing words on a dictionary, or doing google translation? I'd like to learn advanced business vocabularies that would be used on business occations, client proposals, presentations, etc. Thanks!
Hi there,
I think the key here is not the materials, but how to activate your vocabulary.
To begin with, I'd do a simple exercise. In every meeting or discussion you participate in from now on, write down the words that you hear and that you don't know or don't commonly use. Look them up, write down the translation and then make a point of using a couple of them in the next meeting or discussion.
This is a good method because of a few reasons:
Good luck!
Best,
Cristian
For every single language I've learned I've always gone with good old-fashioned note cards. Nothing, seriously, nothing gets you more quickly ramped up w/ vocabulary than this.
When learning a language I pull them out whenever I'm on a bus, plane, etc.
In order to add to the list, I get inspired by 1) Book vocabulary 2) TV Show/Movie vocabulary and 3) Day-to-day thinking about words.
There are also great language flashcard apps like Quizlet and Brainscape!
(edited)
Hi there,
I relate to this question because I worked in consulting in my fourth language. I 100% agree with the tips given by Cristian and Lucie, that's exactly what I used to learn Italian fast.
However, if you're already advanced, listening to podcasts and reading news articles might not be an efficient way to get exposed to new vocab, because native speakers tend to use the same terms over and over again. If it is the “top-SAT-score slash went-to-an-Ivy-league-school vocab" that you're after, I would just use specialised apps that allow you to learn many synonyms in a fun, game-like manner. I love using the app Elevate and its Speaking/Reading section to keep my English afloat (English is my second language) - it's much more efficient, I find, since I spend only 3-5 minutes a day using it.
Good luck!
Hi there,
from my own experience not being a native speaker myself, I would recommend:
1. Read business articles, and news (e.g. The Economist)
2. Listen business-oriented podcasts
3. Get an English speaking teacher
Anything practical is probably better than just memorizing new words.
Good luck!
Lucie
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Hello!
English wansn´t my first language either, but it´s the one that I have always used for work.
I echo what other coaches said, and emphasis that you focus very much on the business world vocab - it doesn´t make sense to just learn more English, broadly, unfocused.
As recommended before, reading The Economist can be killing two birds with one stone.
Hope it helps!
Cheers,
Clara
