English for executives: 6 Best executive business English courses [2022]

While a firm grasp of English is vital for international executives, their time is at a premium. With the right planning, executives can find convenient, effective business English classes that fit their schedules — giving them the tools they need to communicate with clients, explore new markets, and negotiate pivotal deals.

To help you choose the best executive English courses, we’ve profiled six of the top business English programs. We’ll also discuss some pointers for enhancing your learning outside the classroom.

6 Best business English for executives courses & classes

Most of these programs offer placement tests, progress tracking, and course customization to meet your particular needs. Each course takes different approaches to teaching executive English.

ELS

Best for: executives learning American English, taught immersively in the United States

Accredited in the US, Canada, and Australia, ELS (a Berlitz subsidiary) teaches English for executives in individual and group settings. These classes are taught in person at a dozen American ELS centers in the States. Some locations, such as the English Language Center in Manhattan, are also testing centers where you can take a standardized English proficiency test (IELTS for work).

Whichever city you choose, studying English while surrounded by American English speakers creates an immersive learning experience. This way, you can become more comfortable with the language used in day-to-day environments.

The ELS English for Executive Group Lessons is designed to teach the fundamentals of English in the business world. On average, there are fifteen students per class. New class sessions begin about every two weeks, with 35 lessons taught per week.

English for Executives One-on-One Lessons for intermediate and advanced students are more customizable. The lessons cover industry-specific topics and can address your company’s unique needs. This can be especially helpful if you’re in a niche industry or a highly technical field.

For executives who need to learn English as quickly as possible, ELS’ Super Intensive English program teaches executive English in laser-focused, one-on-one classes. Based on how fast you want to reach your learning goals, you can take 15 to 45 lessons per week. Courses can last a single week or continue for an entire year.

Preply Business

Best for: flexible, customizable executive English training, with world-class customer support and built-in reporting tools for progress tracking.

Corporate English training from Preply Business is expressly designed for corporate clients. We curate a list of potential tutors from around the English-speaking world who can provide just the type of instruction your executive staff needs.

Qualified tutors will provide individual lessons whenever it’s most convenient. Students can easily log into Preply’s feature-filled virtual classroom. They can enjoy live lessons in this online learning space with listening, speaking, reading, and writing practice. They can also review grammar notes and vocabulary, complete assignments, communicate with their tutors, and schedule lessons.

Preply has customized corporate English training for groups of virtually any size. We teach all levels, from beginner to advanced. Our verified tutors can teach you executive English in your preferred language so that lessons are completely clear.

Preply’s personalized lessons start with placement tests to assess current levels of English proficiency. Using the placement tests and your learning goals as a guide, we’ll create lesson plans to keep students moving forward. On our dashboard, Learning and Development staff can see student attendance and lesson progress reports. Regular progress tracking ensures that each student continues to advance.

And, if you ever have questions about the lessons or corporate billing, Preply provides a dedicated customer support team to address your concerns.

Oxford School of English

Best for: upper-intermediate level English learners who want to study business English in Britain with fellow executives worldwide.

About 10 minutes drive from Oxford University, the Oxford School of English’s main facility is at Clarendon House in Oxford, UK. While not directly connected to Oxford University, the Oxford School of English is accredited by the International Schools Inspectorate (ISI) and the British Council for teaching English in the UK.

Both individual and group lessons are available. Group lessons require a minimum of three students. At any given time, executives might be studying English in Oxford with students from two dozen different countries. This cosmopolitan mix provides plenty of practice in communicating in English as a lingua franca.

The Oxford School’s Business English for Executives courses lasts from one week to one month, although it’s possible to arrange an even longer course. Marketing, finance, and management are the main focuses of these business English courses. Other study areas can be added upon request.

Students enter the program at an upper-intermediate level of proficiency. They will work on business English skills such as interviewing, negotiating, writing emails, and socializing with other professionals. Class sizes are kept to a maximum of six students for these activities.

Students who attend lessons in Oxford may also have the opportunity to participate in cultural activities, immersing themselves in local landmarks like Oxford Castle, the University of Oxford, and Sheldonian Theatre. The school also has options for online study.

Workplace Languages

Best for executives trying to cultivate a natural-sounding American accent, with an option for less-intensive “Lunchtime Language” sessions.

With over two decades of experience, Workplace Languages has provided language training for clients in many industries, such as food service, hospitality, agriculture, and biotechnology. Their Business English for Executives classes can be customized according to your industry and learning goals.

For executives interested specifically in cultivating a more native-sounding American English accent, Workplace Languages has Accent Reduction Training. This training covers English pronunciation and pacing speech appropriately. It also teaches executives how to add natural stress to American English phrases, refining the rhythm of their English speech.

If you’re not sure you’re ready for a commitment of 20 to 25 hours for the executive-level course, Workplace Languages has a Lunchtime Language program that can be customized for any language at any learning level. Unlike the more intensive Business English for Executives training, these onsite lunchtime lessons emphasize conversation skills over grammar. In addition, Online English as a Second Language (ESL) classes from Workplace Languages can give executives and other staff members a firm foundation in basic business English.

Executive Language Training (ELT)

Best for: a “boot camp”-style executive English course focused on accent reduction and business English writing skills

With a presence in sixty countries, ELT has provided training for some of the world’s largest corporations and organizations. ELT teaches business English to executives at all levels of the language, from beginner to advanced. They offer training in a wide range of skills, from written business communications and technical writing to presentation skills. They help learners improve their oral communication in business English, emphasizing accent reduction.

ELT has two primary types of executive English training: Business English and Intensive Business English. Depending on your preference, executive English classes from ELT can take place online, at your workplace, or an ELT training facility.

Taught at a moderate pace, the standard Business English Training course is available for either a small group of executives, or a single executive. Before you begin the course, ELT will ask you to fill out a needs assessment. 

This is a questionnaire used to determine your learning goals. It will also help your ELT trainer understand the best approaches for teaching the class effectively based on your learning styles. For example, some executives might learn better through visual aids; others might benefit more from conversation.

ELT’s Intensive Business English course is designed to quickly improve your mastery of the language. Lessons are given for seven hours a day, five days a week.

English Accelerator

Best for: native Spanish, Portuguese, and Indonesian speakers pursuing English fluency and career development.  

While not as large as the other executive English training programs we’ve mentioned, English Accelerator offers some interesting features. Its founder, Katie Joy, is a multilingual Australian English speaker who has worked in Western Asia, South America, and South Asia. She is an experienced English teacher with advanced degrees in Business and Entrepreneurship. 

Reflecting its founder’s professional background, English Accelerator combines individual English lessons for intermediate to advanced English students with career development training. English Accelerator has additional services for up-and-coming executives, such as assistance with writing cover letters and résumés.

English Accelerator uses real-world business content, such as lectures and articles, as part of its English lessons. In addition to the Business English course, English Accelerator is planning to open up a course called ZOOM Conference Mastery.

Tips to learn business English for executives faster

Learning business English most efficiently means staying focused on your learning goals and fitting English language practice into everyday life. With that in mind, here are a few tips to consider when planning your English-language study strategy.

1. Choose the type of English that serves you best

English is truly a global language, but English is spoken differently worldwide. Besides British and American English, there’s Australian English, South Asian English, African English, and European English. To make the most of your study time, focus on the standard of English that will be used by most of your business partners.

So, if you mostly deal with clients in the United States or Canada, concentrate on learning American English. For conducting business in the UK and Ireland, try to master British executive English. If your business partners are primarily in Nigeria or Ethiopia, you’ll want to learn African English. South Asian English will serve you best for making business deals in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Look for materials and instructors from parts of the world where your preferred type of business English is spoken. For instance, Preply has thousands of tutors from dozens of countries who specialize in business English. 

2. Keep up with business news in English

There are many English-language business publications. Some of these are known internationally:

In addition to general business news, you can find industry-specific publications in English for almost any type of business. These will help you learn English words and phrases related to your industry.

Of course, stumbling over unfamiliar words can slow you down while reading. Fortunately, there are several browser-based tools to help you out. These include Readlang and Language Crush’s Reading Tool, which will translate any English word you select — right on the page where you’re reading the article.

To improve your English listening skills, try the fast-paced business news broadcasts from channels like Bloomberg (with editions for the UK, US, Africa, and other regions) or Cheddar News.

3. Learn from English business lectures

Depending on where you live, you might be able to attend business conferences in English. Although this is not an option, resources like TED and TEDx Talks are available for streaming anywhere.

TED Talks are particularly helpful. They often come with captions and full transcripts in multiple languages, giving you several learning options. If you feel less confident about your English skills, you could listen to a talk in English while reading the captions in a more familiar language. When you get more fluent in English, you could use the English captions or remove the captions completely.

There are thousands of such talks available, covering a wide range of business topics in English — and more are being added all the time.

4. Practice English with colleagues

From chit-chat around the water cooler to more formal discussions in meetings, you can make executive English an everyday part of your workday.

Consider setting aside a table in your break room or cafeteria for executives and colleagues who want to practice English together.

Send brief emails or instant messages to colleagues in English. An app such as LanguageTool will not only find errors and suggest corrections but explain grammar and style rules. There’s even a business version that your entire team can use.

Final thoughts

Whether you choose a course that’s taught online, such as an online business English course for executives, at your work location, or in an English-speaking city, there are numerous ways for executives to learn business English thoroughly and efficiently. No matter what path you take, your company and your career will benefit.