This method will transform your Business English skills 📈

Be honest.

How many TV series have you consumed in the past few days?

Seriously.

Haven't you got more useful things to do?

We work with tons of data and business analysts, engineers, account managers, developers, CEOs and HR specialists from big tech companies around the world.

There are three things they ALL have in common:

They want to increase their Business English skills at work
They come to us because we specialize in IT English
They spend a shit load of time watching TV series...

EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Look, there's nothing wrong with watching stuff.

TV series are a great way to kill time.

But it bugs me when I see those people thinking that they can improve their Business English skills at work by doing that.

The reality is that learning English by watching stuff is a huge

waste of time (read here to understand why).

Unless, of course, you know how to do it.

So today, I will give you a proven, 3-step method that most people who speak fluent English at work have used to reach a near native level.

Let's dive in.

The Sandwich Method

The Sandwich method is a way to increase your listening skills and vocabulary by consuming media content (videos, podcasts etc.)

It's incredible how it works every single time with every single person regardless of their abilities.

I can confidently say that it's the number one strategy to boost your English skills at work.

I mean... Grammar, shadowing, and speaking are all useful activities.

BUT,

If I had 1 shot, one option to choose, one strategy I could implement... I would hands down choose the Sandwich Method.

And you don't need to have a teacher for that. You can literally employ it for free today.

All you need is:

Some content (video/audio)
Text for that content (subtitles or transcripts)

There are 3 steps you need to learn to implement this method.

Step 1: First Listening

The first step is to listen or watch the content without stopping.

This might be difficult, but it's important.

It prepares your brain for new content and trains your ears to the sounds and rhythms of English.

If the content is at the right level, you may understand around 60 to 70%. This is a good range.

Pick your content carefully...

If you understand less than 60% = It's too hard
If you understand more than 70% = It's too easy

Whenever you listen for the first time, your goal should be to understand as much as possible.

Step 2: Reading and Analyzing

After you've listened once, it's time to dive into the subtitles or transcripts.

Read through them carefully.

Look up any words you don't understand and translate them.

The goal here is to get from 60-70% to 99% comprehension of the material.

This step is critical because it's where you learn new vocabulary and understand how sentences are structured.

Step 3: Second Listening

Now...

I know the sandwich method works. We've tried it with hundreds of students.

This is the reason we're preparing a dedicated course for tech professionals. (You can tell me what you want me to include in the course here).

But whenever we teach the Sandwich method people who are not familiar with it have many doubts.

So below are the most frequently asked questions:

Can't I just listen and read once?

No. The magic happens when you listen for the third time after reading. This is where your brain puts all the pieces together and it gives you the impression that you are truly LEARNING.

Can't I just listen without reading?

No. Think about it... If you don't recognize some words it will be impossible for you to look them up and learn them.

Why not only watch one time with subtitles?

It's just not effective. You must listen one time without subtitles to train your ears, and you must read one time to focus your attention only on understanding and learning.

Why only listen 2 times and not more?

The best gains come after the three steps. You can listen to the same content more but the improvement won't be as big. Also, it can become boring to watch the same stuff more than twice.

What if the content is too long?

The three steps are most effective when they are done together. One after the other. If you're watching a long episode the best thing you can do is split the episode into small parts and tackle them separately on different days. For each part, apply the three steps.

Isn't it bad to translate?

If you understood 0% of course translation would not be ideal. It would be completely artificial. With the sandwich method, as you understand already around 60% of the content, translation becomes a useful tool to achieve general understanding.

Can I learn English for Business that way?

Sure. Except for specific vocabulary like "revenue", "profit", "Back end" (that you probably already know because you hear it every single day) the structure never changes:

We will provide you with a nice room (Normal English)

We will provide you with a profit forecast (Business English)

Conclusions

If you find yourself struggling to keep up in meetings at work or want to sound more proficient among your teammates, try the Sandwich Method.

It's a focused approach that turns watching English media from a passive to an active learning session.

You'll not only improve your listening skills but also expand your vocabulary in a way that feels rewarding and effective.

Until next time, keep practicing and believe in your ability to improve.

Nick