
187 episodes

Down to Business English: Business News to Improve your Business English Skip Montreux, Dez Morgan & Samantha Vega | Business English Instructors
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- Education
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4.7 • 28 Ratings
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A podcast for people who use English as a Second or Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) in their work environment and want to improve their overall language skills. In each episode, hosts Skip Montreux, Dez Morgan, and Samantha Vega discuss Business news making headlines around the world. Through their discussions, Skip, Dez and Samantha introduce English vocabulary & phrases related to business, review grammar, and identify cultural differences found in International business situations. An excellent way to improve listening comprehension skills, keep up with business trends, and advance your career.
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Self-Checkout Systems: technological breakthrough or consumer service breakdown?
Self Check Out Systems have been a part of our shopping experience for over three decades, promising efficiency and cost savings. From their introduction by a pioneering company in Florida in 1987 to their current status as a staple in supermarkets and convenience stores worldwide, self-checkouts have been both praised and criticized.
But as they become more prevalent, a critical question is being asked: have they truly delivered on their promises?
In this episode of Down to Business English, Skip Montreux and Samantha Vega discuss the challenges these systems present and the unexpected consequences for everyone involved in the retail experience.
Join Skip and Samantha and learn the answers to these questions:
Have self-checkout systems achieved their initial goals of reducing labor costs and providing lower prices to consumers?
What factors have contributed to the rapid increase in the adoption of self-checkout systems in recent years?
With growing customer frustrations and the issue of shoplifting, how are retailers around the world reevaluating their self-checkout strategies?
Skip and Samantha also explain and give examples of these useful business words and phrases:
To dread (verb / adjective)
An uptick (noun)
To be mounting (adjective) -
Rupert Murdoch: a retrospective of a media mogul
Rupert Murdoch, the titan behind global media empire News Corp and Fox Broadcasting, has announced he is stepping down. This marks the end of a staggering 70-year career that has had far-reaching influences in business, entertainment, and politics.
In this episode of Down to Business English, Skip Montreux and Dez Morgan take you on a comprehensive retrospective of Murdoch’s illustrious and often polarizing career. Spanning seven decades, his influence has not only shaped the media landscape but also had a profound impact on public opinion worldwide.
Join Skip and Dez and learn the answers to these questions:
How did Rupert Murdoch initially get involved in the media industry?
How did Murdoch grow his media empire, expanding from Australia to span the globe?
Who will succeed Murdoch and what potential challenges could arise?
Skip and Dez also explain and give examples of these useful business words and phrases:
A retrospective (noun)
A mogul (noun)
To be interim (adjective)
To be defunct (adjective)
A naysayer (noun) -
Unwrapping Kit Kat
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Kit Kat, a chocolate bar that has transcended borders and cultures, offers an intriguing lesson in business English. From its humble beginnings in a 17th-century pie shop to its current status as a global brand, the Kit Kat story is a fascinating case study in international business strategies and language.
Skip Montreux and Samantha Vega take you on a journey through the complex and fascinating world of Kit Kat. They discuss its origins, its dual manufacturing by Hershey’s and Nestlé, and how it became a global phenomenon.
Join Skip and Samantha and learn the answers to these questions:
What is the history behind this chocolate bar that is beloved world wide?
Why are flavored Kit Kats only available in some regions of the world and not others?
And what is the story behind Kit Kat’s famous slogan?
They also explain and give examples of these useful business words and phrases:
To take someone’s word for something (idiom)
To fit a mold / mould (idiom)
To renege (verb) -
The China - US Chip War: a tale of two smartphones (Public Introduction)
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The United States and China are engaged in a high-stakes struggle over semiconductor technology, a conflict that has a significant impact on geopolitics, national security, and global trade.
Skip Montreux and Dez Morgan discuss this pressing issue by spotlighting two flagship smartphones—the iPhone 15 from Apple and the Mate 60 Pro from Huawei. These devices serve as compelling examples that encapsulate the broader dynamics of the U.S.-China tech rivalry.
Join Skip and Dez and learn the answers to these questions:
How do U.S. export controls on semiconductor technology impact both American and Chinese tech companies?
What role do flagship smartphones like the iPhone 15 and Huawei Mate 60 Pro play in the larger geopolitical struggle between the U.S. and China?
How have both countries responded to each other’s tech restrictions, and what are the implications for global trade?
They also explain and give examples of these useful business words and phrases:
To encapsulate (verb)
To be minute (adjective)
To retaliate (verb)
To play hardball (idiom)
To be intricate (adjective) -
European Banks & Windfall taxes (Public Introduction)
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A windfall tax is a levy imposed on unexpectedly large or excessive profits, often considered unfairly obtained. In the financial world, this concept has recently gained traction as governments grapple with banks reporting massive profits.
Skip Montreux and Dez Morgan discuss the surge in bank profits across Europe and the role of interest rate hikes in this financial phenomenon. They’ll also examine how various European governments are taking action through measures like windfall taxes.
Join Skip and Dez and learn the answers to these questions:
Why are banks, particularly in Europe, reporting such significant increases in profits recently?
What is a “windfall tax”?
How are governments in different European countries responding to these soaring bank profits?
They also explain and give examples of these useful business words and phrases:
To hold your horses (idiom)
To be outsized (adjective)
To coin it (idiom)
The meat of something (idiom)
To reprimand (verb) -
Nvidia - The Journey from Video Games to AI Dominance
Nvidia, a name synonymous with cutting-edge technology, has a compelling story that spans from its early focus on gaming graphics to its current role as a leader in artificial intelligence.
In this episode of Down to Business English, Skip Montreux and Samantha Vega take you through the company’s fascinating history, groundbreaking technologies, and its meteoric rise in the tech industry. You’ll learn about the company’s unique naming story, its game-changing technologies like GPUs and CUDA, and its strategic moves that have made it a trillion-dollar enterprise.
Join Skip and Samantha and learn the answers to these questions:
Who are the key figures behind Nvidia’s founding, and what motivated them to start Nvidia?
What is the story behind Nvidia’s unique name?
How did Nvidia transition from a company focused on gaming graphics to become the dominant player in the field of artificial intelligence?
They also explain and give examples of these useful business words and phrases:
Dominance (noun)
To be dominant (adjective)
To fabricate (verb)
Put someone or something on the map (expression)
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Customer Reviews
Valuable programming
This is not only an excellent ESL program, but an excellent business news analysis program as well - top notch quality. I've lived and worked in the US for more than 30 years with an MBA. Nevertheless, after listening to 3 podcasts I am hooked. The measured pace of speech in the podcast dramatically increased my comprehension of complex business topics: Forex, Google Vs. Apple, etc. I never speak that slow myself. But what a difference it makes to have enough time to reconstruct in my mind what I have just heard.
Thank you.