Possible speaking subjects

BEC Vantage

1.1. What makes a good team? Give examples of positive and negative experiences within the team.
How did you solve your conflict?

1.2.What is important when deciding on team building (ex. where to hold a training session, setting
clear goals before you start, what type of training would work best for a team)

1.3. Discuss the importance of using formal communication in business. Give examples of formal and
informal means of communication. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each form of
communication?

1.4. What is important when discussing business with native speakers? (ex. asking the m to speak
more slowly, to repeat words, to rephrase etc.)

2.1. Give examples of criteria when choosing a hotel for a business trip. Describe the most
memorable hotel you have stayed in.

2.2. What is corporate hospitality? Give examples of ways to entertain business partners or clients.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of mixing business with pleasure?

3.1. How important is the relationship between suppliers and retailers?

3.2. What is cash flow in a company? What are typical inflows and outflows? Give examples and
explain your choices. How can you improve a company’s cash flow? (ex. cut the staff wages, pay
wages monthly, ask customers to pay in cash, add penalty for late payment etc.)

4.1. How important is brand reputation? Are big brands always better? Give examples.

4.2. What are co-operatives? Do you think they can be successful businesses? Would you be
interested in working in one?

4.3. What does it mean to have an ethical business? Give examples of ethical/non-ethical business
practices.

4.4. What are public relations? What are the duties of a PR representative in a company? What are
the benefits of good PR?

4.5. What companies do you know with positive public images? What makes them positive? Does
social media have an impact in this situation?

5.1. What is relocation? Why do people choose to relocate to another country? Give examples of
reasons. Would you consider relocating for a job? Which reasons would be important to you?

5.2. What arrangements to people and companies have to make when relocating? Is there a
difference between someone relocating alone/with the family?

5.3. Explain what company premises are. How do you think a company’s location contributes to its
corporate image?
6.1. Which of these can give you information about a company’s performance?: the share prices, the
annual report, newspapers, magazines. Which information is the easiest to find? Which is the most
accurate?

6.2. Explain the meanings of the following words. To plummet, to decrease, to go up, to soar, to
plunge, to increase, to go down. Explain the diagram below using these words.

6.3. How can a company measure the environmental impact it has? Name three things your company
or school could do to reduce the impact on the environment.

6.5. Doing good and doing well go hand-in-hand. Explain the quote from the perspective of green
businesses.

7.1. What is workplace safety? Think of three injuries that can happen at work. How can they be
prevented?

7.2. What health regulations are at your company/school? Are they important? Are safety drills
important?

7.3. Should employees who have a grievance be allowed to complain about their jobs in emails to
family and friends? Should they have the right to complain on social media?

7.4. Do companies have the right to dismiss someone for making a comment about their job on a
social media site? Should companies be allowed to monitor the social media profiles of their
employees?

7.5. Give examples of a situation for the following three courses of action. A. you would have a
friendly word with the person. B. you would give an official verbal/written warning. C. dismiss the
person.

8.1. What expenses do typically incur on a business trip? Who should pay for these?

8.2. Explain the system for claiming expenses in your country/company. Do you have suggestions for
improvement?

8.3. What are the most important three services for a business traveler? (flying) What are necessary
services and which are luxuries? Give example of a trip in which you had a positive experience in this
respect.

8.4. What are the differences between mainstream and low-cost airlines? How do you see their
future? Which do you prefer?

9.1. What are benefits? What are the most usual benefits the companies in your country can offer?
Can people choose the benefits they want?

9.2. How important are benefits to you when considering a job offer? If you could choose, which
benefits would you choose and why? Do you think flexible benefits are a good idea?

9.3. What do you know about staff appraisals? What is their purpose? What are the most important
reasons for appraising staff? How can you best prepare for an appraisal?
Other:

- what is the marketing mix? Explain each element. Give your opinion on the following quote:
Marketing is the art of making something better than it really is?

- what products have you bought recently? Why did you buy them? Which P influenced your
opinion? Talk about a marketing campaign that impressed you.

- what is celebrity endorsement? Is it necessary for a product/service to be successful? Give example

of some celebrity endorsement you know about.