Business English

From the last week of August, Purdue ESOL's fall semester began. The Purdue ESOL is an English school which is located on the Purdue campus for international students. There are at least four English schools in this city. I've been every school. However, I love the Purdue ESOL most because each class is not big(maximam 15 students) and they have different kinds of classes for each level. I have taken these classes as follows: Integrated, Grammer Review, TOEFL preparation, Conversation, Presentation Skills, Academic Writing, Book Club, Vocabulary Roots up, Grammer in Action, English for Communication, Pronunciation, Business English, American Culture, and Coffee Talk...
I have taken each class two times, I think... If the textbook changed, I took the same course again because I thought I could learn other things. Taking the same class three times sounds like too much, but I think "taking it once again" was good for me! My English is not perfect yet AT ALL, but if I compare it to myself just after I came here. I think my English has improved a lot! It's because of the Purdue ESOL and my private tutor, Sally.

This semester, I am taking just TWO classes here because I have already taken many classes, and I have other activities outside this school. Which classes am I taking here? "Business English" and "Greater Lafayette Culture and Cuisine!" The second one will start later, so I am going to tell you about the "Business English" class. In this class, we use this textbook(including the CD) in the photo. Because native English speakers use many IDIOMS in business scenes, we learn 20-30 idioms which are frequently used in business scenes in one class. We read dialogues, listen to the teacher's explanation, answer some quizzes, and introduce other idioms, in the class. Outside the class, as homework, we write some sentences or passages using idioms we just learned.

The teacher in the class is Rachel, who was my teacher of Presentation Skills last summer. I know her well, so I made this situation to do my homework . Caution: Pink word are idioms. How many idioms do you know...?

Situation: Rachel, you are my friend. I worked at a Japanese lingerie company.
I send e-mails talking about my job.

Lesson 1:
Hello, Rachel!

My boss told me " Keiko, don't forget. Mum's the word!" but I can't keep any secret under wraps to you!! My company will get a new, amazing project off the ground. It's gonna be a blockbuster!! What is it? It is...a new type of "water bra." I don't remember if there are water bras in the U.S. or not... because you don't have to wear it! A water bra has pads which are made of "water." Why should it be water? Because water looks natural, as if the pads are part of your"real breasts!" You know, many Japanese women have "flat" breasts like me.. But we want to DECEIVE guys, so we like to wear these kinds of bras! However, even though "a water bra" LOOKS natural, when a guy touches it, he would know "these are pads!" Our project team has been researching to solve this problem, then,,, they did!! They found the way to make a new type of water bra, which looks more natural, and "feels" like the real one!
I am soooo excited about this! If my company gets a big win, I will also make a killing !! I can bring your whole family to Todai(Rachel's favorite Japanese restaurant) again and again!! I will talk to you soon !!!


Lesson 2:

Rachel!!

I can't believe what happened!! I said our project team invented a new type of water bra. However, they didn't think enough about the budget!!
They reported their back-of-the-envelope calculations. I was so excited about their invention that I forgot to confirm the budget..but, actually, we have to spend $3,000 to make a bra!!! It's impossible!!! I was the one who gave them the green light to proceed with this project, and I made several presentations to many clients.. Oh my God!! It's too late to stop this project!! It's already going on!! It will be better if my company is just in the red ..I guess, My head is on the chopping block!! What should I do? It blows my mind!! Help me, Rachel!!

How was that? How many idioms do you know? What? What did you say? It doesn't matter? You think... I should pick a more FORMAL topic if I want to use business English seriously? Yeah, you're right!!!