Business English Listening Practice: R&D Meeting Expressions and Vocabulary (B2), Exercise 2

 

Exercise 2: Discussing Research Projects and New Ideas

Situation: A research team is evaluating different technologies for a new product.

Key expressions: investigate, explore options, potential, data, conclusions

Comprehension questions
1. What is the main objective of the research project?
2. What two options are being considered?
3. Why does the team need more data?
4. What problem does the existing product have?
5. Has the team confirmed that the new material will solve the problem?

Participants: Research Lead (woman), Researcher (Indian man), Product Engineer (British woman)

Business English Listening Practice: R&D Meeting Expressions and Vocabulary (B2), Exercise 1

 

Exercise 1: Opening an R&D Meeting and Setting the Agenda

Situation: An R&D manager opens a weekly meeting to review a new research project.

Key expressions: agenda, research activities, project status, priorities

Comprehension questions

1. What is the main purpose of the meeting?

2. What does the research team need to resolve?

3. What additional topic does the product engineer want to discuss?

4. How will the manager organize the meeting?

5. Which expression does the manager use to invite other participants to suggest topics?

Participants: R&D Manager (man) and Research Lead (woman)

B2 English Listening: Why Talking About Your Goals Can Stop You from Achieving Them

Inspired by Derek Sivers' speech “Keep Your Goal to Yourself” at TED Talk

PART 1: WHY ANNOUNCING YOUR GOALS CAN BE A PROBLEM

Vocabulary 1
A. Congratulate (verb) [French: féliciter]: To tell someone you are happy about their success. Example: I congratulated my sister on passing her driving test. (J’ai félicité ma sœur pour la réussite de son examen de conduite.)

B. Psychological research (noun phrase) [French: recherche en psychologie]: Studies about how people think, feel, and behave. Example: Psychological research helps us understand why children learn differently. (La recherche en psychologie nous aide à comprendre pourquoi les enfants apprennent différemment.)

C. False feeling of success (noun phrase) [French: faux sentiment de réussite]: A feeling of success without real progress or achievement. Example: Buying expensive sports equipment gave him a false feeling of success. (L’achat de matériel de sport coûteux lui a donné un faux sentiment de réussite.)

D. Praise (noun) [French: éloges]: Words that show approval or admiration for someone. Example: Example: The teacher gave her praise for her excellent presentation. (Le professeur lui a fait des éloges pour son excellente présentation.)

English Listening Practice: Shopping Habits and Useful Vocabulary (B2 Level)

 

Vocabulary

A. Vary (verb) [French: varier, être différent]: To be different from one person, thing, or situation to another. Example: Children's interests vary according to their age. (Les centres d'intérêt des enfants varient selon leur âge.)

B. Greatly (adverb) [French: considérablement, beaucoup]: By a large amount or to a large degree. Example: Regular exercise can greatly improve your health. (Une activité physique régulière peut considérablement améliorer votre santé.)

C. Conscious shopper (noun) [French: consommateur responsable]: A person who thinks carefully about what they buy. Example: A conscious shopper avoids wasting food at home. (Un consommateur responsable évite de gaspiller de la nourriture à la maison.)

D. Locally sourced (adjective) [French: d'origine locale, provenant de producteurs locaux]: Obtained from producers or suppliers in the nearby area. Example: The school uses locally sourced ingredients for its meals. (L'école utilise des ingrédients provenant de producteurs locaux pour ses repas.)

E. Carbon footprint (noun) [French: empreinte carbone]: The total greenhouse gas emissions caused by a person or activity. Example: Taking the train can help reduce your carbon footprint. (Prendre le train peut contribuer à réduire votre empreinte carbone.)

F. Conversely (adverb) [French: à l'inverse, inversement]: Used to introduce an opposite or contrasting idea. Example: Some students learn better in groups; conversely, others prefer studying alone. (Certains élèves apprennent mieux en groupe ; à l'inverse, d'autres préfèrent étudier seuls.)

G. Tech-savvy (adjective) [French: à l'aise avec la technologie]: Having good knowledge of modern technology and how to use it. Example: My tech-savvy colleague quickly solved the computer problem. (Mon collègue, qui est à l'aise avec la technologie, a rapidement résolu le problème informatique.)

H. Electronics (noun) [French: appareils électroniques]: Devices that use electronic components to perform specific functions. Example: The company repairs electronics such as televisions and computers. (L'entreprise répare des appareils électroniques tels que des téléviseurs et des ordinateurs.)

I. High-end products (noun phrase) [French: produits haut de gamme]: Products designed for the upper end of the market. Example: The hotel offers high-end products in its luxury gift shop. (L'hôtel propose des produits haut de gamme dans sa boutique de luxe.)