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An introduction to giving professional presentations in English. You will learn some easy to use techniques to make yourself understood, and structure a memorable presentation.
Who? This class is for Intermediate members. You need to give professional presentations in English to your new boss, but you have no idea what to do! Before you go red-faced in front of your managers and colleagues, make sure you come to this lesson to give yourself the confidence to get up there and put your point across.
What? In this class, you will look at the use of sequencing in making sure your audience can follow what you’re saying. You will also discover some high-level techniques for getting your point across in a way people will remember. On top of all this, you will learn some useful language to help you deal with any tricky questions that come your way. Book Now»
Getting Through
Learn about different ways to make contact over the phone, and deal with important incoming calls.
Who? This class is for intermediate members. Do you feel uncomfortable when you receive a call from a foreign customer or colleague? Do you have trouble getting your point across and keeping up with the conversation? Do you need some help when you get an unexpected call? Then this is the class for you!
What? We’ll start off by looking at some essential vocabulary for talking about telephones. Next, we’ll look at the steps you need to take when planning a call in your second language, and also some key phrases that we need in most telephone calls. Finally, we’ll put these phrases into practice by roleplaying a selection of telephone calls. Book Now»
Money To Burn
Learn the language you need to talk about your money, finances and spending habits.
Who? This class is for intermediate members. Can you ever have enough of it? Why are people so jealous of those who have it? How do you try and make sure you have enough to get by? Wondering what we’re talking about? It’s money of course! If you love talking about money, make sure that you’ve booked this class.
What? You’ll walk away being able to talk about your own spending habits, and those of the people around you. We’ll also look at different attitudes to money, and discuss our own opinions on what are the right and wrong ways to think about it. Book Now»
It’s a Deal!
Learn the language you need for a negotiation between a customer and a supplier.
Who? This class is for Intermediate members. Do you need to negotiate contract terms with your customers and suppliers? Or is this an area you’d like to learn about to help your career in the future. Then come to this class and find out how to make sure you get the best deal you can!
What? In this class, you’ll learn the names for different negotiating techniques and look at how different cultures like to negotiate. You’ll look at the specific phrases and language you need to persuade your negotiating partner to giving you the best deal they can, and how you can help to save you and your business time and money. Then you will have the chance to practise how to use this language to see how good your negotiating skills really are! Book Now»
Learn to describe your company’s culture, management styles and different kinds of relationships at work.
Who? This class is for upper-intermediate members. Does your company have a strict hierarchy? Or is it loosely organised and casual? Either way, its culture affects the way you work. This class will help you to talk about it, so you can be a better employee and a better boss.
What? The relationship between employees and their boss affects an organisation’s efficiency and your own. Some people prefer formal relationships, others think that informality allows people to be themselves. This lesson is about describing relationships at work, so you can explain why you and your foreign colleague don’t work well together, why you don’t speak up at meeting or why you’re the world’s best boss. Book Now»
Learn how to talk about the internet: what you use it for and how it is changing the world.
Who? This class is for intermediate members. The Internet has changed the world. We all use it, some of us more than we should. New kinds of websites are put online everyday – like englishcollective.org, which I designed. So, if you’d like to be able to talk about the difference between online and offline, uploads and downloads, virtual reality and, well, reality, this class is for you.
What? Some people think that the Internet is wonderful, amazing, fantastic – a big step forward for people everywhere. Others aren’t so sure. They think the Internet has changed our relationships and made it harder for people to really connect. What’s your opinion? In this class, you’ll learn to express it clearly, without saying it is only good or only bad. You’ll also take a close look at the language we use to talk about using a computer, so that next time a foreigner needs help, you can give it to them with ease. Book Now»
Cornering a Market
Learn the language of marketing, plan the introduction of an exciting new product into the Chinese fast-food market and practise presenting your ideas.
Who? This class is for intermediate members. Market is a big word in English. You can use it to describe the place where you buy vegetables and you can use it to describe selling vegetables to the whole of China. There is a local market, a domestic market and a global market. And that’s just the noun! If you sell anything, you’ll want to learn how to describe where you sell it, and to whom; in other words, how you market it.
What? To find a market for your products, you need to do some careful thinking and discussing first, and some careful planning afterwards. In this class, that’s exactly what you’ll do – in English of course – and once you have your strategy worked out, you’ll practise presenting your ideas and learn how to convince people how good they are. Book Now»
English or Chinglish?
Learn the difference between Chinese-English and natural English.
Who? This class is for upper-intermediate members. If you, like many students, feel that your English has improved, but you still speak or write in a Chinese way, you will benefit from this class.
What? This class will teach you about the most common mistakes that Chinese students of English make, in speaking and writing. You will learn to identify strange grammar, vocabulary and sentence structures that make students’ English sound unnatural. You will become aware of the differences between native English and Chinese-style English / Chinglish. You will learn how to change your habits to make your spoken and written English more natural. Book Now»
Have We Met Before?
Learn to make people think “WOW!” when they meet you!
Who? This class is for intermediate members. Do you sometimes feel shy when you meet an English speaker for the first time or don’t know what to say to them? Do you worry that people forget you soon after meeting you? This class will help you to build the confidence necessary to make a first impression nobody will forget!
What? You will learn to describe the cultural differences between meeting someone in English and in Chinese. You will practice introducing yourself and other people with confidence. You will learn how to start an interesting conversation and practice improving your social skills. At the end of the class you will know how to make a great impression the first time you meet an English speaker. Book Now»
I’d Like to Return This
Learn how to make and deal with complaints in a professional and courteous manner and with a ‘can do’ attitude!
Who? This class is for upper-intermediate members. Do you deal with complaints at work? Or are you a serial complainer? If you need to discuss the quality of products and services, and what people do when something goes wrong then this is the lesson for you!
What? In this class, you will talk about the different ways to describe the quality of a product or service, and the vocabulary of after-sales customer service. On top of this, you will learn some useful English phrases for dealing with and making complaints in a professional way. Finally, you will have the chance to practise your new language in a variety of situations designed to test how effectively your new language works! Book Now»
Learn how to talk about holidays and give foreign visitors advice on where to go in China.
Who? This class is for intermediate members. Sometimes you just need to leave the city and get away from it all. Some people go up mountains, where they can get in touch with nature, other people prefer the excitement of a new city or just lying on the beach. And we all like to talk about where we have been. In this class you’ll learn to do just that.
What? This class is all about travel. You’ll practise talking about holidays you have been on – an excellent way to practise the tricky past tense – and learn how to give people advice on where to go so that next time your colleagues talk about travelling in China, you’ll know exactly what to say. Book Now»
A Strong Second Quarter
Learn to describe trends and improve your presentation skills.
Who? This class is for upper-intermediate members. If you’d like to speak with confidence about your company or team’s performance, you need to speak about trends. But business men and women are not the only people who speak about trends: we talk about them when we discuss fashion, politics and sport.
What? This class is about trends. A trend describes events over a period of time. It could be long – 10 years, for example – or short, like the last few hours. And trends are sometimes used to talk about what will happen in the future. We most often see trends drawn onto a graph, like the one in the picture. Describing them is about all about the different kinds of ups and downs, and can make a big difference to your next presentation. Book Now»
A Good Chair
Learn the language of chairing and leading meetings, taking control of a conversation, and encouraging others to speak up.
Who? This class is for upper-intermediate members. Do you need or aspire to chair meetings in work? All good managers need to be aware of the best ways to use English to make sure their meetings run efficiently, remain productive, and stay on topic. Are you a good manager – or would you like to be? Then make sure you come to this lesson!
What? In this class, you will talk about the best techniques for involving participants in meetings you chair – making sure you don’t miss out on important ideas or vital expertise. You will also leave with an ability to keep a discussion under control and on topic. Finally, you will be able to use English to make sure that your meetings and discussions are kept as brief as possible – leaving you time to get on with other important tasks.
Book Now»
Better City, Better Life
Learn to describe your environment, development and the difference between cities and the countryside. Practise talking about your opinion.
Who? This class is for upper-intermediate members. Shanghai is constantly changing and, most people agree, constantly being improved. Roads, buildings and trains are always being upgraded, but soft things, things like culture and manners, are changing too. If you’d like to learn how describe your always changing environment in the year of Shanghai’s World Expo, this class is for you.
What? People all over the world are leaving the countryside and moving to big cities, exchanging rural life for a nine-to-five job and urban living. While there are advantages to living in the city, it is also stressful, unhealthy and sometimes very lonely. This class is about describing how you experience where you live – what you like, dislike, miss and want, as well as describing the trend that is transforming China and the world. Book Now»
Lets Grab a Bite To Eat
Learn how to talk about Western eating habits and customs, as well as describing food and how you would recommend it in a restaurant.
Who? This class is for intermediate members. What exactly is Western food? What do Westerners eat every day? If you are interested in Western food culture, or you’re going abroad and have no idea what to order when you get there, then this is the course for you.
What? In this class, you’ll learn how to confidently suggest places for Westerners to eat in Shanghai. You’ll also learn about different countries eating habits and table manners, different countries specialties and local dishes, and ordering food in a restaurant. Book Now»
The Global Office
Learn to describe how modern business is done and improve your ability to discuss ideas and opinions.
Who? This class is for upper-intermediate members. Modern technology has made it possible to do business across borders and timezones, making today’s world more connected than ever before. This process, which we call globalisation in English, affects everything – in fact, it is the reason you are visiting englishcollective.org right now. This class will look at the positive and negative effects of globalisation – its pros and cons – as well as the future of a process that seems to only get faster.
What? Globalisation is complicated: it’s shaped by economics, politics and technology for a start. This means that high-level vocabulary, the vocabulary you find in good English newspapers, is an important part of the class. But not everybody thinks globalisation is a good thing, so you’ll also learn to use this vocabulary to express your opinions and win arguments. Book Now»
Take a Look at This Figure
An introduction to giving professional presentations in English. You will learn some easy to use techniques to make yourself understood, and structure a memorable presentation.
Who? This class is for intermediate members. You need to give professional presentations in English to your new boss, but you have no idea what to do! Before you go red-faced in front of your managers and colleagues, make sure you come to this lesson to give yourself the confidence to get up there and put your point across.
What? In this class, you will look at the use of sequencing in making sure your audience can follow what you’re saying. You will also discover some high-level techniques for getting your point across in a way people will remember. On top of all this, you will learn some useful language to help you deal with any tricky questions that come your way. Book Now»
Risky Business
Learn how to describe the decision-making process and discuss the future consequences of your decision.
Who? This class is for upper-intermediate members. Are you a confident decision maker? Or do your English skills hold you back when faced with a tough decision? If you want to become an assured decision maker who can take control of a situation when everyone else is losing their head, then this is the class for you!
What? In this class, you will look at different ways to describe the decision-making process, and some of the useful language used by cool, confident decision makers. Also, you’ll learn the phrases you need to talk about the alternatives and consequences of your decisions. Finally, to prove that you’ve got what it takes, you will look at a number of situations where a cool head is needed and come up with a clear cut solution. Book Now»
Split Personality
Learn to talk about your own and other people’s personalities and characteristics.
Who? This class is for pre-intermediate members. Do you come across as an outgoing person? Do you give off the impression that you’re shy? Or are you just simply rude! If you want to know how to talk about your own and other people’s personalities and characteristics then this is the lesson for you.
What? In this lesson you will look at pictures of different people and use high quality language to describe their personality to each other and the impressions they give off. We’ll also look into using comparatives and superlatives and finally do some role plays to practice the language. Book Now»
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
Learn how to describe someone as “tall, dark and handsome with eyes you could lose yourself in…” Learn how to describe what different people look like.
Who? This class is for elementary members. If you want to describe a new colleague or find a client at the airport, you need to describe how different people look – so this class is for you!
What? Learn the most common words for describing people (hair, eyes, face, height, nose, skin and body). Practice talking about how people look and describe the differences between people using new vocabulary. Book Now»
Fancy Going For a Drink?
Learn how to talk about schedules and making arrangements, and also inviting people and making excuses.
Who? This class is for elementary members. Do you sometimes find it difficult to invite your foreign colleagues or friends out? Would you like to learn how to invite them out politely? Or have they ever asked you to suggest where to go and you’re weren’t sure how to answer them? If so, then this is the lesson for you!
What? In this lesson we will practice inviting colleagues out for events and recommending activities for them to do. We will also be looking into clarifying language and practice how to make excuses politely and reschedule times. Book Now»
Food Glorious Food
Learn to talk about your favourite food and practice ordering Western food in a restaurant.
Who? This class is for elementary members. If you want to know how to describe your favourite foods and learn to order food in a restaurant in English, you will find this class helpful.
What? Learn vocabulary for the most common Chinese and Western food and your favourites. Learn to talk about why you like to eat certain food and practice ordering a meal in a restaurant. Book Now»
Around the World in Twenty Customs
Learn about cultures from all over the world!
Who? This class is for intermediate members. If you are interested in the world around you, and want to learn about cultures, traditions and customs from all over the world, you will enjoy this class.
What? Learn to describe the cultures of different people from Africa, Europe and Asia. Practice explaining the meanings of different customs and their cultural background. Learn to give people advice about being culturally sensitive and respectful when they visit a new country, and how they can avoid culture shock. Book Now»
Cornering a Market
Learn the language of marketing, plan the introduction of an exciting new product into the Chinese fast-food market and practise presenting your ideas.
Who? This class is for intermediate members. Market is a big word in English. You can use it to describe the place where you buy vegetables and you can use it to describe selling vegetables to the whole of China. There is a local market, a domestic market and a global market. And that’s just the noun! If you sell anything, you’ll want to learn how to describe where you sell it, and to whom; in other words, how you market it.
What? To find a market for your products, you need to do some careful thinking and discussing first, and some careful planning afterwards. In this class, that’s exactly what you’ll do – in English of course – and once you have your strategy worked out, you’ll practise presenting your ideas and learn how to convince people how good they are. Book Now»
I’m Working Nine to Five
Learn to tell people what you do at work every day and learn to describe other people’s jobs too.
Who? This class is for elementary members. If you know how to say the name of your job in English, but sometimes can’t tell people exactly what you do in your job, this class is for you.
What? Practice describing your job and why you love or hate it! Learn to talk about other people’s jobs and their responsibilities. Book Now»