CSE Career Captain Xiaoyu Wang MSF’23 shares recommendations for fellow students looking to improve their English language skills while juggling busy schedules.
If English is not your first language, you might find it challenging to live and study in an English-speaking country. But don’t worry, there are easy (and fun) solutions!
Here are my five suggestions for improving your English language skills.
1) Read English business news
The first thing people should do when learning a foreign language is to have language inputs. By reading up-to-date business articles, you can not only learn about professionally written English, but also keep up to date with industry and market trends — which is very important for business school students.
There are multiple options for business news, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Economist. You can also subscribe to daily newsletters like Morning Brew or Bloomberg’s Five Things You Need to Know to Start Your Day. Just spend 15 minutes each morning reading the news and this will make a difference.
2) Watch Netflix (no, seriously!)
Besides professional inputs, it’s also nice and necessary to have language inputs that are related to our daily lives. Spending a cozy night watching Netflix helps you learn more about American slang, habits and culture. Remember: if you strictly watch K dramas, you’ll be improving your Korean rather than your English!
3) Attend CSE events
The CSE holds many career-related events that are beneficial to students’ career development. You can attend the Case Interview Workshop with Senior Associate Director of Career Advising and Mentoring Geri Brehm or go to a CSE walk-in session to have a short discussion with a Career Coach about your job hunt.
A full event calendar is posted on CSE Connect. And don’t forget to read your CSE Newsletter and the CSE Connect Scoop to see new events each week!
4) Practice with fellow classmates
Pursuing a graduate degree is not just about taking courses. It is equally important to create personal and professional connections with your classmates. One of the many rewarding and enriching aspects of studying at Brandeis International Business School is how you can chat with friends from places all over the world. Creating and sharing memories together not only helps you develop friendships, but also enables you to practice small talk in English.
5) Work with English Language Programs
Last but not the least, work with Brandeis University’s English Language Programs (ELP)! Associate Director Angela Tribus Ramos is your go-to person if you want to develop your abilities in either academic language, professional language, business communication proficiency or intercultural communication. Students can make appointments for language coaching sessions with Angela throughout the semester — check your most recent CSE Newsletter for the link.
