Specialized Track · Career

Business Administration

Handle everyday administrative conversations at work.

The vocabulary of everyday office management and administration — organizational structure, HR basics, and the routine phrases used across any administrative role.

Why this matters This lesson connects directly to your progress: it covers basic management vocabulary; everyday admin phrases; basic admin situations. Mastering this content lets you move forward confidently, and reinforces patterns you'll use again later. Take time to review every example before moving to the assessment — repetition is what actually locks knowledge in long-term.

01

What will you be able to do?

The goals of this lesson.

02

Before you start

You've completed general English. This is the first lesson of the Business Administration specialization — vocabulary for everyday office processes and operations.

03

Basic management vocabulary

Core terms for describing roles, structure, and hierarchy within a company.

Examples

She manages a team of ten employees.
Management
We need to delegate some of these tasks.
Delegation
The company has a clear organizational structure.
Org structure
He was recently promoted to supervisor.
Promotion
We're hiring three new employees this month.
Hiring
The department reports directly to the CEO.
Reporting lines
Our company culture values collaboration.
Company culture
She's in charge of the daily operations.
Operations

04

Everyday admin phrases

Standard phrases used in administrative coordination and workflow.

Examples

Please submit the report by end of day.
Deadlines
We need to update the employee handbook.
HR documentation
Let's schedule a performance review.
Performance review
I'll coordinate with the other departments.
Coordination
The new policy takes effect next month.
Policy
We're implementing a new onboarding process.
Onboarding
Can you approve this request?
Approval workflow

05

Basic admin situations

Common scenarios: recruitment, training, and office management.

Examples

We're conducting interviews for the open position.
Recruitment
The training session starts at ten o'clock.
Training
I need to file this paperwork today.
Paperwork
Let's organize the files by department.
Filing
We're updating our record-keeping system.
Record keeping
The office manager handles supply orders.
Office management
Please cc my supervisor on that email.
Email etiquette

06

Reading

Read the text and answer the questions. You can try as many times as you want.

Marta manages a team of ten employees in the administration department. This month, she's conducting interviews for an open position, since the company is hiring three new employees. She also needs to update the employee handbook before the new policy takes effect next month.

"We're implementing a new onboarding process," she explained to her supervisor. "I'll coordinate with HR to make sure the training session starts on time." Her supervisor approved the plan and asked her to submit a summary report by the end of the day.

1. How many employees does Marta manage?

2. What is Marta doing this month?

3. What does she need to update?

4. What is she implementing?

5. What did her supervisor ask her to do?

💪 Solid foundation in administrative English! Review this lesson, or continue to the Intermediate level.

07

Reading: Hiring a New Assistant

A second reading, a bit longer. Read it and answer the questions below.

The office manager needed to fill a position quickly after an assistant left. She put in a request with HR and they helped her interview three candidates for the role that same week.

The new assistant reported to the office manager directly and needed a few days to get up to speed on the filing system. “Just follow company policy and hand in your timesheet every Friday,” the manager explained. Within two weeks, the new assistant could even cover for the manager during meetings.

1. Why did the office manager need to act quickly?

2. Who helped her interview candidates?

3. Who did the new assistant report to?

4. What did the assistant need time to do?

5. What could the assistant do within two weeks?

08

Match the Terms

Tap a term on the left, then tap its matching definition on the right. Ungraded — repeat as many times as you like.

Term

Definition

09

Fill in the Blanks

Usa las pistas para completar cada palabra en inglés. Sin calificar — repite las veces que quieras.

10

Key Points

The essentials of this lesson, summarized.

11

Vocabulary in This Lesson

Key terms to remember.

manages
/ˈmæn.ɪdʒɪz/

supervises or is in charge of something

administra, dirige
"She manages a team of ten employees."
to need
/niːd/

to require something

necesitar
"We need to delegate some of these tasks."
company
/ˈkʌm.pə.ni/

a business organization

empresa
"The company has a clear organizational structure."
recently
/ˈriː.sənt.li/

not long ago

recientemente
"He was recently promoted to supervisor."
hiring
/ˈhaɪər.ɪŋ/

employing new people

contratando
"We're hiring three new employees this month."
department
/dɪˈpɑːrt.mənt/

a section of a company with a specific function

departamento
"The department reports directly to the CEO."
supervisor
/ˈsuː.pər.vaɪ.zər/

a person who oversees the work of employees

supervisor/a
"My supervisor approved my vacation request."
policy
/ˈpɒl.ə.si/

an official rule followed by a company

política (empresarial)
"Please review the new company policy before Monday."
candidate
/ˈkæn.dɪ.dət/

a person applying for a job

candidato/a
"We interviewed three candidates for the position."
onboard
/ˈɒn.bɔːrd/

to help a new employee start and adjust

incorporar (a un empleado)
"We'll onboard the new employees next week."
payroll
/ˈpeɪ.roʊl/

the process of paying employees

nómina
"Payroll is processed on the last day of each month."
promotion
/prəˈmoʊ.ʃən/

a move to a higher position at work

ascenso
"She received a promotion after two years."

12

Common Phrases & Expressions

Common expressions used in everyday office administration and HR.

fill a position
"We're trying to fill the position by next month."
put in a request
"I put in a request for time off next week."
report to
"The new intern reports to the marketing manager."
cover for someone
"Can you cover for me while I'm out sick?"
set up a meeting
"Let's set up a meeting with HR this week."
follow company policy
"All employees must follow company policy on remote work."
hand in
"Please hand in your timesheet by Friday."
get up to speed
"It took her a week to get up to speed on the new system."

13

Build the Sentence

Tap the words in the correct order to form the sentence. Ungraded — repeat as many times as you like.

14

Choose the Correct Verb

Tap the correct verb form to complete each sentence. The other options are conjugations from other tenses — on purpose, so you learn to tell them apart.

Please my supervisor on that email

She a team of ten employees

Can you this request

The policy takes effect next month

Please the report by end of day

16

Assessment

You need at least 80% to unlock the next lesson. You can retake it as many times as you want — your best score is saved.

1. Which option matches: "Let's schedule a performance review."?

2. Choose the equivalent of: "Please submit the report by end of day."

3. "We're updating our record-keeping system." — which one is correct?

4. Which option matches: "The office manager handles supply orders."?

5. "We're conducting interviews for the open position." — which one is correct?

6. Choose the equivalent of: "Can you approve this request?"

7. "Our company culture values collaboration." — which one is correct?

8. Which option matches: "The company has a clear organizational structure."?

9. "I'll coordinate with the other departments." — which one is correct?

10. What does this mean: "Please cc my supervisor on that email."?

Review — Lesson 67 What matches: "Our team exceeded the sales targets this quarter."?

Review — Lesson 67 What matches: "The merger is expected to close by the end of the year."?

17

Summary and next step

You now know everyday administrative vocabulary. Next lesson: processes, performance, and organizational change.

🗣️ Practice out loud

Use the conversational tutor to practice this topic.

Open the tutor

18

Games

Practice this lesson's vocabulary with a word search and flashcards. Ungraded — play as many times as you like.

Word Search

Tap the first and last letter of a hidden word to find it. Los términos de varias palabras van sin espacios en el tablero (ej. "give up" aparece como GIVEUP).

Flashcards

Elige la respuesta correcta. Si aciertas, la tarjeta queda lista por hoy; si fallas, vuelve a aparecer pronto para reforzarla. Tu progreso se guarda en este dispositivo.

Term