Month: November 2021

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English Learning Resources English Learning Tips

5 Pandemic Vocabularies You Need To Know

During the pandemic, schools and other public places are closed. Human activities are very limited because everything needs to be done through screens. Living through screens is not everyone’s favorite and it could kill our creativity too. 

 

Writing down notes and journaling can be very helpful and valuable to slaughter our boredom. Writing helps us to toss out our uneasiness and revolting sentiments. Moreover, it could upgrade our creativity too.  Sometimes, the most noteworthy thoughts are born within the middle of a crisis. Let’s utilize this time to brainstorm a few thoughts of what you’ll be able to do next for your life and express your creativity, ET Mates!

 

We need a break to free our head from our gadgets. But before we move away from our gadgets and start writing,  take a look at these vocabularies that are utilized more regularly during pandemics.

 

Remote (adjective)

We can find the word remote in job vacancies. It is written “remote jobs” or “full-time remote”. What does the word “remote” mean? The word “remote” means a place that is located far away or in a non-specific location. Therefore, remote jobs means workers can do their jobs without coming to the office physically. 

 

“Freelancers usually work remotely.”

 

Fortnite (noun)

An object such as cutlery, dish, doorknob, and other open instruments that may be contaminated with infectious organisms and serve in their transmissions are called fortnite. If we look at the etymology, the word fortnite (or fortnight) means fourteen days. From this, we can conclude that the viruses on fortnite goods  last for fourteen days.

 

“Use a pair of gloves to open the doorknob, it’s a fortnite.”

 

Contagious (adjective)

When a disease is transmissible by direct or indirect contact with an infected person, it’s called contagious. Keep in mind that the word contagious is a very strong word. In all means, a contagious disease is quickly transmissible and could be serious at the same time.

 

“A covid carrier should self-isolate for fourteen days because they are highly contagious.”

Contact Tracing (noun)

Contact tracing is an activity of analyzing all people that a COVID-19 carrier has come in contact with in the last two weeks.Contact tracing is the key to slowing down the spread of COVID-19 and keeping you, your family, and your community safe.

 

“The COVID-19 task force is in contact tracing the people who’s in touch directly with the carrier.”

 

Herd Immunity (noun)

Herd immunity happens when the contamination or illness lessen within the unimmunized portion as a result of immunizing an extent of the populace. In another way, it’s a population that has a great immunity so that the disease is less contagious. 

 

“Our society will earn herd immunity if 70% of them get vaccinated.”

 

Now that you’ve learned some of the words that are frequently used during pandemics, you can use them for writing, journaling, or even blogging! Try writing in English, ET Mates! Because writing in English helps you think in English and stop the translation habits. 

Categories
English Learning Tips

Tips and Tricks: How to Learn Business English Fast

What is your first thought that pops  up in your mind when someone says  “Business English”? Some (people) would think it’s all about entrepreneurship. It is not entirely wrong, ET Mates. However, it is not also entirely correct. Business English is the specific term that we use in the professional world. Moreover, it is also about manners and delivery. 

 

Imagine this, someone is talking to their friends and, suddenly, their client called. Would they use the same manner when they are talking to their client? If they don’t want to lose their job then the answer is no. The manner and delivery we use represent our entire company. In English, there is a fine line that keeps daily basis conversation and professional delivery separated. 

 

Therefore, if you want to use English to pursue a better career or reach a bigger audience and clients, you need some tips and tricks on how to learn business English fast:

Understand English Grammar 

Before learning Business  English, it is very important to understand basic grammatical rules. You don’t need to memorize all of the sixteen grammatical rules perfectly and become a linguistics master to use business English, but at least, understand (their functions and when to use) them. 

Because, in the professional world,  you are either an entrepreneur or an employee, you want to avoid errors as much as you can to maintain your credibility. You can boost your English fluency by doing simple English exercises, reading English articles, reading English subtitles, and writing! 

 

Enrich Your Vocabulary

Expanding your lexical range will be a great benefit for you! Not only in Business  English but also in every aspect of your life, ET Mates! When you have a large vocabulary bank inside your head that means you can express your opinion better. Furthermore, you can distinguish which word has the best diction for certain contexts. Enrich your vocabulary by memorizing one word every day! To memorize better, you can write them down in your journal or apply them in your daily conversation. 

 

Find a  Great Mentor

Mentoring is one of the best ways to master Business  English quicker! A great mentor will be the equivalent to a speaking partner while you  practice  your English speaking. There is nothing wrong with learning alone or trying to figure it all out by yourself, but you’ll learn faster when you  have someone who can guide you during your learning journey.  

By having a mentor, you can get cultural insights that will open your eyes that Business  English is not only about language. You can get constructive feedback that will boost your confidence too. Most importantly, sometimes, your mentor can give you unexpected situations so you can learn how to respond fast in English. 

 

Learning Business English could be a very long journey if you have ineffective methods. However, it is one of the (most) vital skills we should have nowadays, especially as we are competing in the globalization era. Imagine the possibilities or opportunities you can achieve if you master Business  English. Good luck, ET Mates! 

Categories
English Learning Resources

Say These To Handle Tough Questions

Imagine in the middle of your presentation someone  asked you tough questions. It is good to be  honest but never say “I don’t know” (during a presentation). You should act like you are the expert on the topic, even though as humans, we could never expert a topic fully. It is normal to make errors, what we need to do is to solve them as fast as we can. 

When questions get tough, you need to act quickly. No matter how nervous you are, do not freeze. Use these tips to face the unknown during your presentation: 

 

Ask Back

When you are facing a difficult question, your brain will assume that if you don’t know  the answer, then nobody knows. That assumption is not true. It is just the illusion your brain makes because you are under pressure. Good news! Somebody in the audience might know the answer . Therefore, never be shy to toss the question back to the them . 

If one of the audiences voluntarily helped you, don’t be passive. You need to listen to what they say . When they are finished, you can add your own opinion, emphasize  some points, or close  it beautifully with a conclusion. 

 

Call an Expert

This tip is used to answer a very specific question that is out of your hands because you are not the master of the field. For example, the answer requires some insights in digital marketing but your expertise is account executive. Yes, even though you are not an expert in the relevant field, you still need to answer the question. What a relief that you don’t have to answer directly. You can ask one of your colleagues to answer the question. 

However, we don’t want to make it obvious that we are asking for help. So first, you can give your opinion but keep it general. Then, ask the expert politely, you could say, “Martha, you are the expert of digital marketing. Do you have anything to add?” 

 

Make a List 

Imagine it’s a question and answer time, you said, “Does anybody have a question?” and five people raised their hands. You can make a list of questions and write  them down on the whiteboard or any media you have. While you are writing, you can think or prepare the answer. If the questions are all hard, you can ask the first two to three questions, after that announce a fifteen-minute toilet break. During the break, you can sit in a quiet place and work on the answers. 

 

Use the Magic Word: We’ll Get Back to You

Sometimes, questions require difficult answers with a long explanation. When you face this question, you don’t need to give the answer right here, right now. You can always say, “That’s a good question, we’ll get back to you.” Don’t stop there. Ask them to give their name and email to the event’s committee. You will get more time to give them the answer with better elaboration, the rest of the audience won’t be bored, and the questioner will get their answer.