Communication is the passing on of ideas and information. The contact may be between people, organisations or places and can be in a number of forms, such as speech, writing, actions and gestures. The ability to communicate effectively in business related English is now a required skill for many employees worldwide. Business English as a subject means different things to different people. For some, it focuses on vocabulary and topics used in the world of business, trade, finance, and international relations. For others it refers to the communication skills used in the workplace, and focuses on the language and skills needed for typical business communication such as presentations, negotiations, meetings, small talk, socializing, correspondence and report writing.

Below you can find a wide range of business related reading materials and a number of interesting links concerning theoretical and academic considerations associated with business communication and language.


Geert Hofstede - Cultural Dimensions

Geert Hofstede - Analysis of Countries and Concepts

Geert Hofstede - Personal Homepage





Business English Activities


Activities for Business Students - a selection of activities from non-stop English.
American Business Jargon - a look inside the American business world.
BBC Business English - practical lessons on how to write a great resume.
Bized - business and economics information for students and teachers.
Business Collocations - nice set of collocations all using the word business.

Business Email - making sure that your emails are not like a teenage chat room.

Business Email Etiquette - good and bads practices in email communication.
Business Emporium - business, vocabulary quizzes and a selection of tests.
Business English - an English/French business language website.
Business English Expressions 1 - multiple choice quiz for intermediate level students.
Business English Expressions 2 - multiple choice quiz for intermediate level students.
Business English Expressions 3 - multiple choice quiz for intermediate level students.
Business English Expressions 4 - multiple choice quiz for intermediate level students.
Business English Expressions 5 - multiple choice quiz for intermediate level students.
Business English Glossary - glossary of business terms from the Washington Post.
Business English Hangman - popular business expressions in a fun game.
Business English Idioms - popular business idioms in a mutiple choice quiz.
Business English Lessons - a comprehensive list of business English activities.
Business English Markets - this website is primarily for instructors.
Business English Online - extensive business language resource.
Business English Podcasts - a variety of listening activities for business.
Business in the US 1 - listen to and read an article about proprietorships in the US.
Business in the US 2 - listen to and read an article about partnerships in the US.
Business in the US 3 - listen to and read an article about corporations in the US.
Business Meetings - lesson plan with teachers notes and key vocabulary.
Business on the Telephone - lesson plan with teachers notes and key vocabulary.
Business Presentation Advice - 10 top tips on producing better business presentations.
Business Problems - lesson plan with teachers notes and key vocabulary.
Business Specific Web-Links - advice for accounting, banking and advertising.
Business Talk Radio - lots of podcasts to download on to your own computer.
Business Week Podcast - a selection of business focused podcasts.
Business Words in the News - the BBC's excellent website.
CNN Business Glossary - financially orientated business vocabulary.
Corporate Organisation - lesson plan with teachers notes and key vocabulary.
Faculty Specific English - a good source of subject specific terminology.
Marketing Edge Podcast - suitable for high-level business students.
Office Talk - a variety of exercises for business communication.
The Glossarist - a variety of business terminology.
The Times Business Studies - excellent elementary level guide to business theory.
Writing Business Emails - tips on better business communications through email.
Writing Business Letters - good advice on writing a common business letter.

10 Tips Regarding Choice of Words for Business Writing.





Business Reading Materials


Asian Business Strategy - articles and commentary on business & management in Asia.
Biz Journals - Americas largest publisher of metropolitan business newspapers.
Business Finance - how-to magazine for today's financial manager.
Business Standards - the role that quality and standards play in business.
Business Week - a wide variety of articles and news stories from Europe and Asia.
CRM Daily - customer relationship management news.
Dismal Scientists - detailed economic indicators and analysis.
Dollars and Sense - the magazine of economic justice.
Equities Magazine - previews into public companies that offer investment opportunities.
Entrepreneur - excellent business advice, stories and videos.
E-Week - the latest high-tech news.
Financial Times - world business, financial and political news.
Forbes - business and financial news.
Fortune - global business news from CNN.
Harvard Business Review - a reflective look at current business issues.
Inc Magazine - provides small business resources and advice.
InfoWorld - in-depth coverage and evaluation of IT products for technology experts.
International Treasurer - newsletter on global treasury and financial risk management.
Management Today - human resources, leadership, corporate responsibility, technology.
Marketing VOX - specialist stories from the world of marketing.
Mobile Tech World - news of 3G, Bluetooth, handhelds, palm and cellular technologies.
Money Week - the most important financial stories, and how to profit from them.
Practical E-commerce - the magazine to help grow your own ecommerce business.
Performance Magazine - numerous and varied applications of PM technology.
Smart Money - hourly market updates, personal finance investing research and advice.
Wall Street Journal - financial stories and world market news.
Workforce Management - employment law, human resource development and management.




Theoretical Considerations in Business Communication

A discourse analysis of business letters written by Iranians & native speakers

Adopting a common corporate language: IHRM implications

Analyzing international letters in a business communication class

An empirical study of best practices in virtual teams

An study of written communication apprehension and language choice in a business setting

Applying distributed learning theory in online business communication courses

Best practices for virtual team effectiveness

Business e-mail communication: some emerging tendencies in register

Business ethics judgments: A cross-cultural comparison

Business is booming: business English in the 1990s

Business-to-business interactions: issues and enabling technologies

Business with the Japanese: successful communication, management, and diplomacy

China: Business English: - A new wave

Communication and social identity theory: organizational identification research

Communication richness in electronic mail: critical social theory and the contextuality

Doing business in Korea and Japan

E-collaboration: the reality of virtuality

English as a lingua franca in Nordic corporate mergers

Enhancing communication and interactional effectiveness with Mexican-American trainees

Experiential learning, cases, and simulations in business communication

How can email communication affect your business?

Incorporating electronic mail into the business communication course

International business communication practices

Intra-language variation and its implications for international business

Japanese communication behavior as reflected in letter writing

Japanese international business communication: the place of English

Knowledge development and creation in email

Knowledge transfer and collaboration in distributed US-Thai teams

Language and visual imagery: Issues of corporate identity in East Asia

Language based communication zones in international business communication

Language choice and communication in Malaysian business

Language choice in a nation under transition: English and French in Cambodia

Language diversity and international communication

Language matters in global communication

Languages and business: The Hong Kong mix

Language: The forgotten factor in multinational management

Learning intercultural communication competence

Long distance leadership: communicative strategies for leading virtual teams

Managerial communication: bridging theory and practice

Managing communication within virtual intercultural teams

Mobile communications: evolution and impact on business operations

Right choice of words for effective business communication

Sketch of a basic theory for a formal language for business communication

Supporting knowledge creation with e-mail

The economic context for language choice

The role of communication competencies in international business relationship development

Using email for successful business communication

Using English for international business: A European case study





Intercultural Issues in Global Business Communication

A quantitative needs assessment technique for cross-cultural work adjustment training
Cross-cultural training: A critical step in ensuring the success of international assignments
Intercultural competence - creating context in business communication
Intercultural differences between Chinese and Americans in business

Intercultural influence: A study of Japanese expatriate managers in Canada

Measuring intercultural sensitivity: The intercultural development inventory
The cultural relativity of organizational practices and theories
The effectiveness of cross-cultural training for expatriates:
The effects of cultural adaptation on intercultural business negotiations:
The theoretical foundation for intercultural business communication: