Lola Badiola - A Business English Thriller 65531g

For technical reasons we had to re- this episode. Apologies for any inconvenience.  In this chapter I'm ed by Marina, my partner,  to explain the making of the podcast, and the plans for the future. We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here: www.gratton.es/club-gratton-info Bring English into your life!  And gain the language skills and confidence to succeed in international communication.

In this chapter I'm ed by Marina, my partner,  to explain the making of the podcast, and the plans for the future. We hope you enjoy it! 

Lola and her colleagues walk away from the headquarters of TechSpania with a deal in their hands, and as one adventure ends another one begins.  In the final chapter of our story, we discuss a lot of relevant vocabulary. In the world of geopolitics, we explain the term ROGUE NATION. And we review the purpose of a COVER STORY. We add another four relevant phrasal verbs to your vocabulary, namely - TO RUN THROUGH, TO GO OUT, TO SORT OUT and KICK OUT. We explain a couple of very common idioms. Do you have ANY LOOSE ENDS TO TIE UP before the end of the day? How does it feel when THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER?  And finally, we review the grammar rules of REPORTED SPEECH. We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here: www.gratton.es/club-gratton-info Bring English into your life!  And gain the language skills and confidence to succeed in international communication.

Lola and her companions enter the boardroom of TechSpania as the deal to buy JBlock is being finalised. In this chapter we have some interesting vocabulary related to DRESS CODE in an office. Is it important to be IMPECCABLY DRESSED? Have you ever bought a TAILOR-MADE SUIT? Do you know how to create a WINDSOR KNOTTED TIE?  We also explain some relevant in dealmaking. Do you know how to keep a POKER FACE when negotiating? And who does the final PROOFREADING of the contract? We do some work on the pronunciation of the “I” VOWEL SOUND in words such as Wi-Fi. And finally, we talk about the importance of BODY LANGUAGE when communicating, negotiating, and presenting. We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here: www.gratton.es/club-gratton-info Bring English into your life!  And gain the language skills and confidence to succeed in international communication.

The deal between TechSpaina and JBlock is finally signed, but it is not the agreement that anyone expected.  We discuss two advanced grammatical structures that are used in this chapter. The first is called an INVERSION, the second it’s called a QUESTION TAG.  We continue to enrich your use of adjectives with words such as MALICIOUS and SLANDEROUS. And we explain the concept of SARCASM and how it differs from irony. There are five common expressions related to business deals. Who holds THE UPPER HAND in a negotiation? Who will be THE FIRST TO BLINK? Are you a STRAIGHT SHOOTER. Do you always do EVERYTHING BY THE BOOK? Or are your agreements NOT WORTH THE PAPER THEY ARE WRITTEN ON? Finally, we analyse a BODY LANGUAGE technique that can be used to demonstrate authority and influence. We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here: www.gratton.es/club-gratton-info Bring English into your life!  And gain the language skills and confidence to succeed in international communication.

Mario Ruiz de Velasco and the team from TechSpania are enraged by Lola’s last-minute intervention in their negotiations.  In this chapter we explain some really cool verbs related to physical reactions in stressful situations, they include TO FLINCH, TO SQUIRM,  and TO DRUM YOUR FINGERS. We discuss a couple of important business . What is PROOF OF CONCEPT and why is it so important in the technology sector? What does it mean to be BEST IN CLASS? We also explain a couple of everyday expressions. Do you know anybody who has a TWINKLE IN THEIR EYE?  Finally, we focus on the grammatical structure THE SOONER… THE SOONER. We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here: www.gratton.es/club-gratton-info Bring English into your life!  And gain the language skills and confidence to succeed in international communication.

Lola makes an audacious attempt to prevent TechSpania from buying JBlock. This chapter is full of interesting vocabulary. Has anybody ever treated you with DISDAIN, have they PATRONIZED you, have they tried to MANSPLAIN something to you? How does a company get a FOOTHOLD in the market? And how does it create SYNERGIES when acquiring another company? There are also a couple of relevant expressions. Who is THE WHALE in your market? And do you keep AN ACE UP YOUR SLEEVE? Finally, we discuss some sensitive issue within the business world. How do you prevent your body from shaking due to nerves when you are PUBLIC SPEAKING?  How do you put a value on a TECHNOLOGY COMPANY with no revenues but tremendous potential? And how does it feel to be the ONLY WOMAN in a boardroom? We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here: www.gratton.es/club-gratton-info Bring English into your life!  And gain the language skills and confidence to succeed in international communication.

Lola and her team arrive at the headquarters of TechSpania, but they still need to the security guards to reach the boardroom on the 51st floor. There are a couple of interesting common expressions in this chapter. Why do people make LAST-MINUTE CHANGES to agreements? And what does it mean to be in the EYE OF THE STORM? We discuss the role of a company’s BOARD OF DIRECTORS. We consider the philosophical question of whether THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS. And finally, we offer some GOOD BUSINESS ADVICE for the moment just before you enter a meeting room full of people. We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here: www.gratton.es/club-gratton-info Bring English into your life!  And gain the language skills and confidence to succeed in international communication.  

Lola has a plan to stop JJ selling the company to TechSpania, but she needs to act fast! Let’s examine the advanced grammatical structure of QUESTION TAGS. You know what they are, don’t you? In the vocabulary section we explain the verbs TO REBOOT, TO PATCH and TO GATECRASH. We also illustrate what a BINDING CONTRACT is. We focus on a very common mistake in Business English ,  the confusion over BORROW vs. LEND,. And finally, we discuss two common expressions. Do you prefer it when people GET TO THE POINT? And what happens when THE PENNY DROPS?  We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here: www.gratton.es/club-gratton-info Bring English into your life!  And gain the language skills and confidence to succeed in international communication.

Park reveals his true identity to the secret agent and his wife, causing confusion and conflict. There are plenty of colorful expressions and idioms in this chapter. What makes the HAIRS ON THE BACK OF YOUR NECK STAND ON END? Have you ever STROKED THE EGO of your boss? And is it best to do a sales pitch via webinar or IN THE FLESH? We do some pronunciation work using the VOICED “S” CONSONANT. Make sure you play the game with me! We explain what it means when tears fall from the eyes of THE VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE. And finally, we discuss the purpose of STOCK MARKET INDICES including the IBEX 35, the FTSE100 and the Dow Jones. What are they? How do they work? And what do they tell us? We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here: www.gratton.es/club-gratton-info Bring English into your life!  And gain the language skills and confidence to succeed in international communication.

The secret agent brings Park to his home in Madrid and introduces him to his suspicious wife.  In this chapter we give examples of words that differ depending on whether you are using BRITISH ENGLISH or AMERICAN ENGLISH for example, apartment vs. flat, and elevator vs. lift. We cover several everyday expressions. Do you have to WEAR DIFFERENT HATS at work? What MAKES YOUR HEAD SPIN? And what kind of event TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY? Finally, we continue our discussion of CAPITALISM, using the simple example of a fridge full of food to demonstrate how effective this economic system is. We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here: www.gratton.es/club-gratton-info Bring English into your life!  And gain the language skills and confidence to succeed in international communication.

The secret agent delivers Park to the headquarters of Interpol and receives an unexpected reaction from the agency.  There are loads of interesting everyday expressions in this chapter. Do you know what a DESK JOCKEY is? Do you expect other people to DO YOUR DIRTY WORK? When was the last time you were IN A DAZE? We explain the word DUMBFOUNDED and discuss the meaning of IRONY - why do some people use it, and other people misunderstand it. Finally, we analyse a controversial business issue, 90-DAY PAYMENT . Why do some companies delay payments to their suppliers? We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here: www.gratton.es/club-gratton-info Bring English into your life!  And gain the language skills and confidence to succeed in international communication.

With the help of the secret agent, Park completes his journey to the West, unsure of what awaits him there.  In this chapter we explain three phrasal verbs, TO TOUCH DOWN, TO SETTLE DOWN and TO BREEZE THROUGH. We also make sure you understand some advanced vocabulary. What is a PAYDAY? When do you need a COVER STORY? And what is your BACKSTORY? We discuss three useful expressions. Have you ever experienced a CULTURE SHOCK What kind of things BLOW YOUR MIND? Have you ever taken a VOW OF SILENCE And did you know that AN ARMY MARCHES ON ITS STOMACH? Finally, we talk a little bit about the FILM INDUSTRY, how are films and TV series made? We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this chapter. When you are ready for more, please sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here: www.gratton.es/club-gratton-info Bring English into your life!  And gain the language skills and confidence to succeed in international communication.

Lola has a conversation with a mysterious man in a bar that makes her reconsider events in the past. In this episode we explain three everyday expressions. When do you need to be ON YOUR GUARD at work? What activities are your BREAD AND BUTTER? And do you expect to get a promotion SOONER RATHER THAN LATER? We discuss an appropriate idiom for international professionals WHEN IN ROME DO AS THE ROMANS. However, most of this class is focused on CORRUPTION. We look at the work of Transparency International investigating levels of corruption in different countries around the world. We explain the BRIBE and BLACKMAIL and how they are both examples of WHITE-COLLAR CRIME. Finally, we explain what happens when a crime is COVERED UP. We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this episode. When you are ready for more, sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here: www.gratton.es/club-gratton-info Bring English into your life!  And gain the language skills and confidence to succeed in international communication.

Lola meets JJ Thompson for dinner and receives some shocking news. This episode is full of interesting and relevant business expressions and idioms. Let’s go through them one by one. Is there somebody in your company who you consider to be a BAD APPLE? Have you recently received a COLD CALL from a mobile telephone salesman? What would be the best-case scenario for your career at the moment? And what would be the WORST-CASE SCENARIO? Do you have an EQUITY STAKE in in the company that you work for? Have you ever sold anything for a SONG? When was the last time you were ON A ROLL? And is your next big career move JUST AROUND THE CORNER? We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this episode. When you are ready for more, sign up to live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here: www.gratton.es/club-gratton-info Bring English into your life!  And gain the language skills and confidence to succeed in international communication.

Welcome back! In this episode Lola decides to confront Cayetano in the offices of JBlock in front of all the programmers. Is this the fight that everyone has been waiting for? In the vocabulary section, we'll visit the courtroom and discuss words like LAWSUIT and TO SUE. Then we'll examine some words that English borrows from French such as FACADE and COUP DE GRACE.  And finally, we'll explain why Cayetano Tolosa is considered a MOLE. There are several common expressions that we need to explain. What happens when you PULL THE TRIGGER on a deal? When do you need to CALL IN FAVOURS from your colleagues? And have you ever been LOST FOR WORDS in a discussion. Throughout the episode we will argue that BUSINESS MEETINGS ARE LIKE THEATRE, we will also explain the difference between RHETORICAL AND LITERAL QUESTIONS. And finally we'll remind ourselves that when we suffer a disappoint or failure, THE BATTLE MAY BE LOST BUT THE WAR WILL CONTINUE. We hope you enjoy the diverse and relevant content in this episode. When you are ready for more, sign up lo live and interactive classes with Marina and me, right here: www.gratton.es/club-gratton-info Bring English into your life!  And gain the confidence to succeed in international communication.

Park attempts to cross the Chinese border. VOCABULARY deadpan to grunt utterly to perish - perishable vs. non-perishable onslaught deadweight to writhe (around) EXPRESSIONS state of mind pat on the back in the flesh METAPHORS legs like jelly thrown around like a ragdoll PRONUNCIATION focus the "schwa" vowel sound

Park meets the Old Grey Man and continues his journey along Dead Man's Highway. PRONUCIATION Comfortable Vegetable Chocolate Restaurant Interest Rates VOCBAULARY Overwhelmed Tug Wits ECONOMICS Free trade Exports Imports COMMON EXPRESSIONS Win-Win Scenario

Park travels to Banshori Station. VOCABULARY French words in English: Business: rendezvous, entrepreneur, résumé, bureau Art: art noveau, avant-garde, genre Fashion: chic, haute couture, silhouette of the family: Stepmother, stepfather, stepbrother, stepsister, stepson, stepdaughter Widow, widower Sugar Daddy, Toy Boy, Gold-digger, Cougar, MILF  PHRASAL VERBS To wrap up To take out vs. to put away To speed up vs. to slow down To swap over To sit up To flatten out To cover for

ADJECTIVES Diligent, hardworking, focused, committed Enormous, huge, gigantic, gargantuan Excellent, outstanding, fabulous Fascintaing, intriguing, engaging Furious, irate, enraged INTENSIFYING ADVERBS Bitterly cold Fully understand Sincerely hope Absolutely clear Categorically deny Deeply regret INTERROGATIVES How far is it….? How long does it take….? How long does it last…? VOCABULARY Orphanage Boarding School Bullying ECONOMICS Famine in North Korea The “March of the Suffering”