"Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune" Jim Rohn
I am a great believer in self-education, especially in language learning. Language is something that go out and take for yourself, it is not something that someone can give you. It's a personal journey of discovery and creation as you build that new language through following your own interests and passions. What better than to improve your English and get up-to-date on key business issues at the same time!
These days there are more language learning resources available than we could ever hope to or even begin to use. The key, IMHO, is not quantity but quality. Here are 3 top quality resources that I use on a daily basis, not only for my classes but also for my own personal interest.
#1 Ted.com
This site is a big favourite. The key features are:
- interesting topics
- variety of speakers and accents
- video, so you can see the speakers
- there is a transcript to follow if need be
- the variety of business talks and topics to choose from is impressive
- you learn so much more than English
- it's authentic English, and once you get to B1 level+, this is what you need more than anything else.
- it's free
Although not specifically a business site the key features are:
- interesting topics
- topics only last 6 minutes
- easy to understand as it is designed for language learning
- transcript available
- explanations of key vocabulary
- it's free
This is my all time favourite business magazine due to both the standard of English and the rigorous analysis. Key points are:
- up-to-date information
- impecable authentic English
- audio edition
- selection of podcasts
- if you sign up you get 5 articles free per month.
I'd be interested to know what you think. Have you got a go-to favourite resource for English and business?