Welcome

Welcome to NetworkMilan!

Hi! This is Network Milan – the online news magazine published by the Milan Business English Network. We have some great articles on a range of topics for people who are learning, teaching or using English for their work. Here you can read information on how to use your English to find a job in Italy or the UK – and how to improve your CV and covering letter. We’ve also got advice on where to find a qualified teacher who can help you with your communication skills – as well as tips on improving your speaking and writing skills. Plus news and links about business and study in the English-speaking world. Get connected today!

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Join the Milan Business English Network

Milan Business English Network

The Milan Business English Network is for people who want to develop their communication skills and meet other professionals who use English on a daily basis.

Want to get in touch with people who recognise the importance of effective communication in our increasingly interconnected world? Then here’s a good place to start. Click here to learn more…

We’re on both LinkedIn and Facebook. Sign up today !

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What are soft skills?

There is a lot of interest currently in soft skills. But what exactly are soft skills and why do you need them? “There’s a saying that hard skills will get you an interview but it’s soft skills that get you a job,” says Debbie Hance of the Association of British Psychologists.
Read more about soft skills and emotional intelligence (EQ) in this article from the British Guardian newspaper…

Click here to read “The secret to understanding soft skills” …

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Robert Dennis of the Milan Business English Network joins John Peter Sloan and friends at Zelig for the launch of Instant English 2

Head to head: Robert Dennis and John Peter Sloan talk business at Zelig

To mark the launch last month of Instant English 2, the enormously successful follow-up to John Peter Sloan’s first bestselling English language book, he invited some old friends to appear on stage with him at Zelig Cabaret. Among them was a “new” face: Robert Dennis, the founder of the Milan Business English Network.

“This is the first time I have done any acting since university,” said Robert, who appeared in a Business English sketch with John.

Click here to find out what happened next…

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Lorna Allen of Live & Learn Homestays reaches finals of national business awards in UK

Lorna Allen, Director of Live and Learn Homestays Ltd, with learner Mauro

MUMPRENEUR 2011 AWARD

BIRMINGHAM BASED “MUMPRENEUR” REACHES FINALS OF NATIONAL BUSINESS AWARDS

Local mum and entrepreneur, Lorna Allen, has earned herself a place in the final lineup of The Mumpreneur Awards, an annual ceremony aimed at celebrating parents throughout the UK who manage the difficult task of juggling business with family life.

Click here to read more about Lorna Allen and The Mumpreneur Awards…
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Get ready to learn… and laugh! Italy’s favourite English teacher, John Peter Sloan, is back with “Instant English 2”

John Peter Sloan's "Instant English 2"

John Peter Sloan, author of the best-selling “Instant English” and “English in Viaggio”, returns this September with his “Instant English 2” and the unique brand of humour that has turned him into Italy’s favourite English teacher.

Packed with interesting and useful material, “Instant English 2” can justifiably claim to be the “most revolutionary English course of today” – and now it covers even more areas of the language.

Check out the Instant English website to find out more about “Instant English 2” and John’s other books, shows – and much more, too!

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Design will be at the centre of the UK government’s economic growth plans

Design for Growth

Today sees a high-level summit meeting of global business leaders, leading designers and Government, to discuss how design can contribute to economic growth in the UK.

The Government is to put design at the heart of its plans for economic growth in the UK. The commitment will be made by Universities and Science Minister David Willetts at Design for Growth, a summit meeting which is being co-hosted today by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Design Council.

Speakers include Jonathan Ive, Senior Vice President of Industrial Design at Apple and the British designer of the iPod.

Click here to get the full story on the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) website…

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Lorna Allen, Live and Learn Homestays: Improve your English and feel at home in the “Heart of England”

Lorna Allen, Director of Live & Learn Homestays

Live and Learn Homestays Ltd is a small English language homestay company based in Birmingham, the “Heart of England”, in the UK. Owned and managed by local entrepreneur Lorna Allen, Live and Learn Homestays combine high-quality language courses with friendly, welcoming accommodation in the tutor’s own home: a unique opportunity that allows students to not only learn English intensively, but also to experience family life right in the centre of Britain.

In this interview with NetworkMilan.com, Lorna explains what a homestay is and talks about its unique benefits for people who want to study English and experience the culture in a truly authentic way.
Click here to read our interview with Lorna and discover if a homestay is right for you…

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Should you use formal or informal language in a job interview?

Formal or informal?

Getting the balance right between formality and informality when you have an interview can be quite tricky (difficult). In a recent discussion on the Milan Business English Network an MBEN member asked about this important topic.

Click here to read the question and our reply…

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Use your English to find work in Italy or abroad

Are you considering changing your job? Do you speak English? If you answered “Yes!” twice, you may be interested in the answer to this question, which appeared recently on the Milan Business English Network:

What is the best way to find a job in Italy (or abroad) using my English? Read the reply…

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Make that call! (Part 1)

Learn to make business phone calls with confidence

Effective business telephone calls in English are not as difficult as you think…

Are you afraid of using the phone in English? Do your hands start to shake when you dial a telephone number and know that you will have to not only speak in English – but also understand the other person? Millions of non-native speakers of English face exactly this situation every day – often at work and in high stress environments, where there is no alternative to talking on the phone. Find out how to make the perfect business phone call…

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How to get a job in the UK / US if you have an Italian law degree

Business English Questions and Answers

I've got a question!

What’s the difference between a CV and a resume (or resumé)? When do you start a letter “To whom it may concern”? What is “Dragon’s Den” and why is it so popular in the the UK? What do the acronyms CEO, CSR and CRM mean? Why are fat cats always in the British business news? What is a poisoned pill, a white knight and a golden parachute?
Get all the answers…

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What are the main differences between an Italian CV and a British / American one?

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