Talk about English
Business Language To Go
Part 12 - Business socialising
This programme was first broadcast in 2001.
This is not an accurate (精确的)word-for-word transcript of the programme.
In this programme we join Carmela and business English expert David Evans, for the last in the
series of Business Language to Go - the series that brings you the kind of everyday English
that you won’t learn from your standard text book.
Carmela: Today we’re looking at business socialising. And as usual I’m joined by
business English expert, David Evans. David - how would you describe
business socialising?
David: Well I suppose business socialising really means any kind of communication
between business people which doesn’t relate（涉及） specifically to the job that they are
doing at that time. So it could be some colleagues socialising after work, or it
could be people entertaining（娱乐） their customers maybe over a meal or over drinks.
It could be the kind of conversation that happens at a conference or at some
kind of party or social event at which business people are meeting one another.
In fact socialising is often one of the hardest things for business people to do.
In a meeting or in a presentation（简报）there is a clear purpose to the business
communication but when you are socialising there are just no rules.
Carmela: But having said there are no rules there are certain expressions that you’ll often
hear and we’ll be looking at those throughout today’s programme. Let’s join
our first scenario. We’re going to a breakfast meeting of Business Network
International - a group of people from all professions who regularly get together
to make business contacts.
CLIP
Louise: Oh Hello, you must be Darren Johnston.
Darren: Yeah, hi there. Nice to meet you. You are ...?
Louise: I’m Louise Moore. I think we met last time in Birmingham.
Daren: Right. Yes of course. Sorry I forgot all about it. That’s right, that was a couple
of years ago wasn’t it.
Louise: Actually Darren, I think there would be somebody that would be really useful
for you to meet. Let me introduce you to Kevin Hann later. He’s a financial
advisor.
END OF CLIP
Carmela: A very typical start to a conversation there. David, can you talk us through
some of the phrases those two people used.
David: Yes, they used a lot of very good expressions for introducing people or meeting
people. Right at the beginning we heard her say you must be Darren. She’s
using that phrase because she thinks she knows his name, she’s not certain of it
but she thinks she does, so she says you must be. Then they remember the
previous time that they met and if you think you’ve met someone before you
might well say I think we met last time in…in Birmingham, in this case. And
then finally when she wants to introduce the man to somebody else she uses
again a standard phrase - let me introduce you to Kevin, she says.
Carmela: Now let’s hear another conversation. This next one is the kind you might have
during a coffee break at a conference.
CLIP
Callum: Hi I’m Callum. I don’t think we’ve met before.
John: No, hello I’m John.
C: Pleased to meet you
J: So what line of work are you in?
C: I work in new media … mainly online projects, web design, that kind of thing.
And what about you?
J: Well quite similar to you really. I’m in new media too ... but more on the
broadband technology side.
C: Oh broadband, do you know Alison Weaver? She’s also here at the
conference. She’s in broadband too.
J: No, I don’t think I’ve met her.
END OF CLIP
Carmela: So some similar expressions to the ones we heard earlier. David, can you pick
some of them out?
David: There was a very good way of introducing yourself to someone you don’t know
there. The phrase was I don’t think we’ve met before, to which the reply here
was pleased to meet you, a very standard way of greeting someone. I think in
the previous conversation we had the phrase nice to meet you, which again has
exactly the same function. They then move the conversation on when the person
asks, What line of work are you in? It’s a very common, a very friendly way
of asking, what’s your job? The other one replied I’m in new media, meaning I
work in the new media industry. He could have said I’m in sales / I’m in
insurance. And he then returns the question by simply saying What about
you….?
Carmela: Now let’s go beyond simple introductions and move on to some phrases that are
useful for asking more detailed questions about people’s jobs.
CLIP
Male 1: So…. how long have you been in business?
Male 2: I’ve been in this business for about four or five years now, providing IT
solutions for companies.
Male 1: So what exactly do you do? I mean I know you’ve mentioned IT solutions but
what exactly do you do?
Male 2: I used to only provide computer training and now I’m also providing database
solutions and internet solutions by way of web development and setting up
networks.
END OF CLIP
CLIP
C: Everyone’s talking about it. Broadband is a very interesting area at the
moment. How did you get into it?
J: Well to be honest it happened by accident. I was involved in a project with a
strong broadband element and I just sort of fell into it, really. What about
you? How long have you been in web design?
C: Well not very long at all, actually. Only about a year. Before that I was a
teacher.
END OF CLIP
Carmela: Now in both conversations people are going into a lot more detail about their
professions and there were lots of questions. Could you isolate some of the
questions we heard there?
David: Well yes, to ask someone to tell you in a little more detail about their job you
can use the question what exactly do you do? This will mean they won’t just
say, I’m a teacher, I’m a web designer or I’m a policeman, they will tell you the
way that they spend their working day.
Carmela: And once you’ve actually got a few details about their duties, about the kind of
things that they do at work, what would be the next logical question to ask
them?
bbclearningenglish.com
David: Well there we heard the person ask How long have you been in web design?
How long have you….. been in something, again is a good way of moving the
conversation on. And the other question that they used to move the
conversation on was how did you get into it? In other words how did you start
in this particular profession or this particular career?
Carmela: And again we heard someone ask the same question back with that phrase
What about you? Of course, often the whole point of business socialising is to
network and make useful contacts for future possible business. So knowing
how to get people’s contact details is extremely important.
CLIP
Female: So what line of work are you in?
Male: I’m actually a VAT consultant for a firm of chartered accountants.
Female: Oh really? Do you have a business card I could take?
Male: Yes sure, hold on.
Female: Oh thanks ever so much. Are you on email?
Male: Yes, yeah, I do have email. In fact, I do most of my work via email now. So
it’s actually on the bottom of the card.
Female: Oh sorry. So I’ll be in touch.
Male: OK, that would be great.
Female: Thanks…
Male Bye.
END OF CLIP
CLIP
J: Well it was a pleasure to meet you. Your work sounds very interesting. Maybe
we could swap some ideas at some point in the future. Can I take your
business card?
C: Yep by all means. There you go.
J: And are you on email?
C: Yes, sorry, that’s, that’s an old one. So the email address is on the back.
J: Well I must go and say hello to a former colleague of mine. Enjoy the rest
of the conference. I’m sure I’ll see you around, and I’ve got your contact
details so I’ll be in touch.
END OF CLIP
Carmela: Lots of giving out of the all-important business card there and David, there
were lots of useful expressions too. Can you pick out some for us?
David: Yes if you want to maintain contact with somebody I suppose the three key
phrases you need to remember are Can I take your business card?, Are you
on email?, and just to show that you are going to maintain the contact
remember the phrase I’ll be in touch.
Carmela: Plus we heard an extremely useful expression there that’s a great way of ending
a conversation, that phrase I must go and….
David: Yes, that’s a very good way of ending a conversation. You can use all sorts of
different reasons for ending it. I must go and talk to my colleagues, i must
and speak to my boss, I must go and introduce myself to a customer. Any
phrase like that will do and it’s a good, polite way of showing that the
conversation is over.
Carmela: Many thanks to David Evans for talking us through the expressions used every
day in the workplace. I hope Business Language To Go has equipped you
with some quick phrases for those different situations that occur during your
working day.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)
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