How can you improve your Business English reading skills for specific industries?

Whatever your job is, you must master the technical vocabulary to have an outstanding performance. It won't be easy, but you always can read specialized books, blogs, and/or listen podcasts or vlogs to get familiar with most-common terms in your industry. To use a professional vocabulary in an adequate-relax way will get you and your colleagues/clients confidence in your expertise and capabilities to get the job done.

It’s important not only to identify your industry, but the target locale you’re aiming to use your language skills. Note that you might look like a fluent English speaker among those who know the basics, but maybe you’ll sound like a kindergarten kid talking to native speakers in a professional setting. Adjust your tone and vocabulary so that your audience will feel comfortable with you talking.

The most effective way to improve your business English reading skills is to recognize that reading is only one component of the process. All four skills require a solid foundation. When you understand how interconnected all four skills are, you will realize that improving your listening skills will benefit your reading. It becomes more useful when you learn with your ears rather than your eyes.

In my opinion, to enhance Business English reading skills for specific industries, it's crucial to adopt a strategic approach. Begin by immersing yourself in industry-specific materials such as articles, journals, and blogs to grasp the specialized vocabulary used in your field. Actively engage with the content by taking notes and creating a vocabulary list. Furthermore, seek opportunities to participate in professional networks and discussions within your industry, as this exposure to real-world language usage will contribute significantly to your comprehension and proficiency.

Enhance your Business English proficiency with industry-specific terminology and authentic materials such as reports and research papers. Stay updated with industry news to immerse yourself in current affairs. Consider enrolling in specialized online courses tailored for Business English within your industry. Cultivate a routine for regular reading and seek feedback from mentors or colleagues to refine your skills.

Learning English through authentic sources is a dynamic and effective approach that goes beyond traditional textbooks. Newspapers like The New York Times and The Guardian expose learners to current events, diverse vocabulary, and idiomatic expressions. Engaging with podcasts, such as TED Talks or NPR broadcasts, provides exposure to authentic spoken English, improving listening skills. Social media platforms like Twitter and Reddit offer glimpses into colloquial language and modern communication trends. Watching movies and TV shows in English, with or without subtitles, enhances both listening comprehension and familiarity with different accents. Industry-specific journals and blogs contribute to domain-specific vocabulary for professionals

Just remind that authentic sources might not be those you are used to read, but rather those that are broadly used and accepted by the industry as a whole. Learn to think “outside the box” so that you broaden your perception of what people are talking about.

In my experience working with scientific grad students, I'm rather appalled by their use of Google Translate for finding technical terms. One thing I've found helpful is using Wikipedia to find the right vocabulary with much better results than Google Translate. This resource has evolved dramatically over the years. They find the article on the concept in their language, then click over to the English article. Voilà, the right vocabulary in the right context written in natural English. Once they have the right words and the general overview of concepts they understand in English, they branch out to trade publications and TED Talks. Starting with a word list saves them time once they get into the meatier reading, watching, and listening.

Hay páginas especializadas que se dedican únicamente a redactar artículos científicos de calidad, mi recomendación sería buscar 2 o 3 diferentes para tener variedad

Colocando em prática: pesquise na web sobre a sua área em língua inglesa, provavelmente os primeiros resultados ir?o apresentar os sites, artigos e autores de língua inglesa que s?o autoridade na sua área. A partir daí, você poderá observar os principais temas e tópicos sobre o assunto e estar em contato com as palavras e express?es mais utilizadas em língua inglesa na sua área.

Keeping a critical stance when reading is essential. It is very important to identify if the author holds any potential biases or affiliations. If so, as translators we should check for reliable sources by cross-referencing whatever we search for. Biased viewpoints can also feature emotionally charged language or extreme rhetoric. In the translation business, we learn to take into account and be critical over multiple perspectives when reading a specialised industry-related article. In my experience, checking for supporting evidence and being able to separate facts from opinions is an indispensable skill. Last but not least, evaluating the publication's reputation and adherence to journalistic standards is crucial as well.

Reading actively and critically doesn’t mean to remain strictly within the text you have in front of you, but also understanding the author’s profile and background. Sometimes a text taken alone doesn’t tell the whole story, but rather a piece of a longer and more intricate scenario. Knowing the author’s intentions and historical ideas might give you a much better sense of what’s “behind the words” and what’s coming next.

Active and critical reading is an essential skill that involves engaging with the text thoughtfully to extract meaningful insights. Start by previewing the text to grasp its overall structure/purpose. While reading ask questions and make predictions to stay actively involved. Take notes on key points, main ideas, and your reactions to the content. Mark passages that stand out or seem crucial. Analyze the author's arguments, evidence, and tone to understand their perspective. Be aware of your own biases and strive for objectivity. Pause periodically to reflect on the material and connect it to your existing knowledge. Ultimately, it involves an ongoing dialogue with the text, fostering a deeper comprehension and a more nuanced interpretation

It's essential to pay attention the audience/target of the translation so you can adapt your language/tone and it will be naturally accepted by the readers...if you're not aware of it beforehand possibly you will make a mistake and maybe your text will not be as "understandable" as you wanted

Muitas vezes nos falta motiva??o para praticar uma leitura ativa de um texto, uma boa dica é se propor a produzir resenhar críticas sobre tais textos, respondendo ent?o às perguntas relevantes e praticando sua interpreta??o. Vale a pena trazer as cita??es que justifiquem sua interpreta??es.

I think the ways which also helped me in improving business English reading skills are, using social networking platforms and interacting with the business community. This helped me to practice my reading and writing skills, as well as to network and exchange ideas with other professionals. Using Business English self-study materials that focus on your industry is also good. This will help to review and reinforce vocabulary, grammar, and skills, as well. At last taking Business English courses in university was a good experience. This helped to learn from qualified and experienced teachers, as well as to interact and collaborate with other learners.

With abundance of large language model (LLM) AI services, you can use them so summarize long articles and save time. But be aware different services have different strengths so please do spend time to get familiar with them and test to see which service best suits you.

I use something I have written about is the use of teaching learners to use Lexical notebooks. This not only looks for new vocabulary but also focuses on the language they need to use such as collocations to express themselves better and repeat the language/words quite often. Having a habit of looking at reading text has a more specific focus as this strategy is better used for text of the same contexts for example, economics, law etc. My In company contracts start with this learning strategy always.

Los diccionarios y glosarios son útiles. También textos relacionados en Internet y usar Google Académico para acotar la búsqueda de documentos afines .

Visualizing is very important when learning new concepts, and comparison is a key technique to rely on. A good story told by someone is always nice to listen to, but nothing will be more effective than listening+viewing. Add practicing on top of it and you’ll have the best way to master an idea or concept.

Maybe this is a problem that only happens in Brazil, but I still see people translating articles and emails to Portuguese using Google Translator. They say this saves time, but actually it prevents any learning to take place. The first thing I'd say is "don't even start doing this!". If you are a beginner, start reading paragraphs, short texts. Even if you don't understand much, go on, practice, practice, practice.

The best point for Business English is to research your niche. Learn all the business jargon of your field. Immerse yourself in grammar and it's uses. I believe multi-linguals also learn non verbal communication skills. This can encourage conversation and clear discussion of topics.

On of the most critical steps in my opinion. Remember that using your new vocabulary incorrectly is better than not using it at all. Keep listening to the professionals and adopting their vocabulary. This is a gradual process. Accept that you can't know everything at once, but that you can learn more every day

Uma boa forma de praticar é criar um projeto dentro do tema, pois irá direcionar sua prática. Assim, durantes o projeto você terá tarefas que envolvem o contato real com a língua. Um exemplo: você cria um blog ou perfil em rede social para publicar sobre o tema, consequentemente terá tarefas como buscar material para guiar suas publica??es, seguirá outros blogs ou perfis da área e poderá interagir com eles e com outras pessoas interessadas na temática.

Reading is the best activity to improve vocabulary. But reading alone is not enough: use a little notebook to register the new vocabulary and make sentences with it regularly, so you can fixate it in your memory and also use the new words in context. Work with spaced repetition: review in 24 hours, then 1 week and, at last, in 1 month. If you work in an environment of English speakers, it is even better: incorporate new words and structures in your everyday life. There is no shame also in talking to yourself and record your sentences: you can use WhatsApp to record yourself or the website vocaroo.com. You are going to be amazed with your improvements when you listen to your previous audios!

You need to find subjects that interest you. It doesn't have to be anything too sophisticated. Look for subjects that interest you the most and choose books or texts with that theme. Start with simpler texts, smaller books and, when you feel more comfortable, look for more complex texts and books. Listen to TED Talks and Podcasts, listen and re-listen many times, watch films or series in English, put the subtitles in English too, if you're in the mood, take a pen and write down new words or expressions. With this technique you'll eliminate the phrases you don't know and you'll increase your vocabulary, thereby improving your reading skills.

You could always join English clubs whatever your country is, and regularly people who join those are professionals looking the same than you: to practice and improve their English skills as their jobs demands it. However is not easy to improve when you get some experience, and even harder to evaluate your actual knowledge. It is always a good investment to get an English certificate: TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge, to get an objective evaluation of your skills. Even if not related with your job, to listen podcasts and watch videos/movies in English would improve your skills and helps you when you need to read a business/job-related article.

Si cuentas con amigos o compa?eros en tu mismo ramo siempre es bueno pedir una segunda opinión y ver qué es lo que los demás entienden del texto o articulo

I believe that to become a good translator one must read a lot beforehand, know the different cultures and at the same time being curious and open to gather new information (everything will be useful when you have a translation task and you must put your mind to the effort.

Sometimes we might find studying English alone hard. We might struggle with procrastination, e.g., as well as Internet has infinite contents, which can disorientate us more than helping us. If I were in this situation, I would hire a good English mentor. They will be able to help you improve your skills and also give you an accurate feedback. I also recommend not being comfortable with your English level: there is the "fallacy of the intermediate student", who believes that only "handling" English is enough, speciall when we are talking about Business English. A person that only "handles" English will never improve their skills.

Mastering Business English of specific industry is very crucial for self , community and industrial development. Firstly, you have to cultivate the habit of reading novels, newsletters, articles and making use of the English Language dictionary. Use the business dictionary as well. Secondly, you must listen to news from the media like radio and television. Thirdly, you have to research the specific industry of interest for their jargons and expressions of usage. These can be learnt from the industry's website, their magazines and mass media where possible. Lastly, you must practice the information gathered from the sources of mastering general and business english for self, community and industrial development. Thank you

Besides of reading a lot, it's very important to contact the natives of the aiming language so that one can be sure the translation will be the most accurate as possible.

I believe that knowing the structural basis of the grammatical form of the languages used helps to avoid gross translation errors!