Like it or not, it is well-known that English has become practically indispensable at work. No matter where we work – even if we are preparing to go abroad in search of new professional opportunities or experiences – we cannot get by without English. In fact, English is an international language and therefore is essential for those who work in the tourism, food service, marketing, and pharmaceutical industries, among others.

The question we should be asking ourselves is, what is the necessary level of English I need in order to be able to perform my job? The answer is: it depends! The vocabulary needed varies by work sector. In some areas, it is enough to know a few basic expressions, while others require a much broader knowledge of vocational language.

Below you can find a list of useful phrases in English, arranged according to the line of work they can be used in. Let’s take a look!

In a Restaurant

We have selected the most common phrases that you will hear in a restaurant. Knowing English is an advantage when serving the tourists who visit your restaurant. Restaurant language is always formal, polite, and relatively simple.

• Good morning, here’s the menu!
   
• Are you ready to order?
   
• Would you like to have something to drink?
   
• Would you like something else?
   
• Shall I bring the bill?
   
• I hope you enjoyed your meal!
   
• See you soon.

If you’d like to learn more vocabulary related to restaurants, you can check out our post on phrasal verbs you might need if you’re eating out.

In a Travel Agency

The following are the most common phrases that you will use in a travel agency. Travel agents must answer questions, describe places, and give recommendations and directions. They must communicate politely with customers while making sure that everything is clear.

• How can I help?
   
• Do you need to buy a plane ticket?
   
• Do you want to buy the return ticket?
   
• Do you need the transport to / from the airport?
   
• Are you interested in buying insurance, too?

In a Store

Below are the most common phrases that you need to assist customers in a shop. Whether in a supermarket, a clothing store or a pharmacy, everyone needs to go to the shops. Speaking English to customers will help them find what they need faster and leave happier!

• Good morning, how can I help you?
   
• Are you looking for something in particular?
   
• Would you like to try something on?
   
• This dress really fits you! That dress looks really good on you!
   
• Have a lovely day!

In the Office

Here are the most common phrases that you will use in the office. Many companies now use English to work and communicate in the international market. Knowing how to use English to navigate the workplace can help you enhance your professional prospects.

• Welcome!
   
• I am …, the head of this department.
   
• What is the order of the day? What is today’s schedule?
   
• Sorry, I didn’t understand you. Could you repeat that, please?
   
• Can we proceed? or Can we continue?
   
• Today we want to talk about…
   
• Does anyone have any questions?
   
• Would you like to have a coffee before we start?
   
• I agree with you.
   
• Thank you for your attention.
   
• The main reason for this meeting is…
   
• When can I get in touch with you?
   
• How do you prefer to be contacted?
   
• I will contact you by e-mail.

On Skype

Skype is an application that is used all over the world to communicate easily via voice, video, or chat. The following phrases in English can help your Skype session go more smoothly for both parties.

• Can you hear me?
   
• I understand your point.
   
• We will also need to meet in person.
   
• I am going to send you an e-mail with the points we have discussed today.
   
• Could I have your contact details?

These are just some examples of useful phrases to help you communicate in English at work. The secret to being able to communicate effectively in English at work is good preparation, a lot of willpower, and above all an effective study method.

If you are looking for an easy way to learn English vocabulary that you need for your job, then we have something that is perfect for you. ABA English offers 144 free grammar video classes as well as short films and interactive activities for each level.

If you already know that you will need to use English for your job, what are you waiting for? Start today!

Regardless of which kind of person you are, there are a few habits you could learn from people who are considered “applied students”. By adopting some of these habits, learning could be made a lot easier for you. Would you like to know what these habits are?

Never put off until tomorrow…

Surely you already know the famous quote “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today”! If you are a person who tends to procrastinate, you may find this sentence irritating. Although it is rather tempting to postpone your tasks, it does not really make life easier, the opposite is actually true, in the end the work you need to do ends up accumulating and finally you are left with little time and a mountain of work. The same thing happens when you learn a new language.

It is important to study a little every day, otherwise, you will not really get into the rhythm of learning a language, and finally your work will accumulate and you will be forced to try and study everything in one sitting. That doesn’t sound to good now does it? For this reason we recommend that you work a little every day and try to complete your homework sooner, rather than later. This way you will have a lot more time to do the other things that you enjoy doing.

The magic word: routine

Apart from trying to avoid procrastination, it is also useful to establish a routine when studying. When you are learning English for example, it helps to do the more monotonous tasks like memorising the grammar and vocabulary little by little, at your own pace. without trying to learn too much too quickly.

If you learn 10 new words every day, it is not much work and it is easy to do. In this way, you will learn 70 new words per week, or a total of 3640 words per year, which is a considerable amount, in a short time! And, you will also be immersing yourself in the language every day, which is very important, especially at the beginning. Over time, you will find it much easier to learn even more words each day.

Personal motivation

It is clear that the easiest way to learn is when you have personal motivation. Whether you want to live abroad, apply for a new job for which it is imperative to speak English, or even if you have met a person who speaks English and you’d like to better your communication skills, whatever your motivation, any motivation is great. So, find that motivation and start learning!

Throw yourself into the deep end

Let’s get down to the most exciting and fun part of learning a language, practice! It is a great feeling when you have finished learning a new grammar concept or new vocabulary and you use it in conversation with your flatmate from the UK or USA. The idea of ​​having to study for hours and hours can seem rather unpleasant and boring, but when you realise how your English level has improved, you feel great. In addition, the best way to learn a new language is to practice speaking it as quickly as possible. If you practice every day, whether with tourists that have stopped to ask you for directions or with a language exchange partner, every little helps. Don’t be shy! Speak to people in English whenever you can and practise what you have learned! Throw yourself into the deep end!

Curiosity wins

Another very useful quality of applied students is their curiosity. Try to find out what form of learning is the best for you, and what other options there are. Are you more of a visual learner, who learns by seeing and watching? If you are, then stick post-it notes with the words of each of the objects around your house in English. For example, your furniture, kitchen appliances etc. This is a great way of learning new vocabulary. Do you have difficulty pronouncing words correctly? Watching films or a series in English is a fantastic way of learning intonations, slang, vocabulary and even improving your accent. In no time you will be speaking just like a native! You could also find out about local language exchanges in your city or town, possibly have meetup groups with other English speakers. Every little helps!

So, you see it is not that hard to learn or better your English, if you follow the advice given. If you need more help and learning options to integrate into your daily life, subscribe for free to our English course online. Because our course is available 24 hours, 7 days a week, either on the computer or on your smartphone or tablet, you have no excuse!
 

This post was written by Brandon Bender, teacher and content creator for ABA English.