The pronunciation in English It is a determining aspect to know your level and domain to communicate efficiently, especially if you are learning the language for professional or business reasons.
Although phonetics is an important element, it is also necessary to clarify that it requires practice and dedication to be able to articulate and pronounce as a native speaker would.
In the professional area, this need becomes even greater, since you will find technicalities typical of your field. By not pronouncing them correctly, you will give the impression of not knowing English, even though you perfectly understand their use and meaning.
The importance of complementing basic English with technicalities from your work area
If you are learning English through a course, you may notice that the contents learned are mostly focused on life situations everyday, such as ordering in a restaurant or introducing yourself to other people.
This is because the topics are prepared based on functions that allow you to perform in the language. Surely in your classes you will work on different aspects such as writing, listening comprehension and even pronunciation in English.
However, if your reasons for learning English are related to work or financial reasonsIdeally, this knowledge can be complemented with expressions and technicalities typical of their field.
Reasons to learn technical English
In addition to knowing English at a communicative level, Having a good command of the technicalities of your work area gives you a series of benefits and advantages about other professionals who do not have command of the language.
The 75% of all technical and scientific literature is in English
If you want to specialize in a specific area of your field of work you will find that most of the books, articles and professional studies have been written in English.
Consequently, to keep abreast of developments in your area, you need a good command of the language, which allows you to better understand the text by knowing the technicalities and phrases used.
80% of the professional profiles of senior managers require a good level of English
To grow professionally and reach managerial positions, you will need to have a complete and comprehensive profile to meet current requirements and demands.
Knowing the use, meaning and pronunciation in English of the technical language of your area will allow you to stand out among other applicants whose knowledge of English is limited to the communicative area.
A technical command of English is a necessary requirement to lead international groups.
Currently, job demands they are getting older. As part of the fundamental functions, the leaders of large companies are in charge of people located in different parts of the world, so they must communicate in other languages.
If you, in addition to your knowledge of basic English, can handle technicalities in your area, negotiations will be made easier for you.. Additionally, you will have the facility to train your team to improve in your work area at a global level.
The most common technical terms in the Human Resources area and their pronunciation in English
The human resources area is one of the most important parts of a company, and being part of this team requires a series of requirements that allow you to meet the profile.
Knowing the English pronunciation of the different HR jargons will give you an advantage by going beyond simply understanding these terms.
| Vocabulary | Meaning | Pronunciation |
| Absenteeism | absenteeism | æbsənˈtiɪzəm |
| Absenteeism rate | absenteeism rate (work) | æbsənˈtiɪzəm reɪt |
| Applicant | candidate | ˈæplɪkənt |
| application form | application form | æpləˈkeɪʃən fɔrm |
| Basic salary | Basic salary | ˈbeɪsɪk ˈsæləri |
| business hours | office hours | ˈbɪznəs ˈaʊərz |
| Compensation for permanent disability | Permanent Disability Compensation | kɑmpənˈseɪʃən fər ˈpɜrmənənt ˌdɪsəˈbɪlɪti |
| contractual situation | contractual situation | kənˈtrækʧuəl ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən |
| day shift | day shift | deɪ ʃɪft |
| Direct labor cost | direct labor costs | dəˈrɛkt ˈleɪˌbaʊr kɑst |
| disability pension | disability pension | dɪsəˈbɪlɪti ˈpɛnʃən |
| Disciplinary measures | sanctions/disciplinary measures | ˈdɪsəpləˌnɛri ˈmɛʒərz |
| Dismissal without notice | dismissal without notice | dɪˈsmɪsəl wɪˈθaʊt ˈnoʊtəs |
| early retirement | early retirement | ˈɜrli rɪˈtaɪərmənt |
| employees | employee | ɛmˈplɔɪi |
| Employee turnover rate | employee turnover rate | ɛmˈplɔɪi ˈtɜrˌnoʊvər reɪt |
| employer | employer | ɛmˈplɔɪər |
| employment agency | recruitment agency | ɛmˈplɔɪmənt ˈeɪʤənsi |
| employment contract | Work contract | ɛmˈplɔɪmənt ˈkɑnˌtrækt |
| full-time employment | full time employment | fʊl-taɪm ɛmˈplɔɪmənt |
| Gross wage / salary | gross salary | groʊs weɪʤ / ˈsæləri |
| human resources department | HR department | ˈhjumən ˈrisɔrsɪz dɪˈpɑrtmənt |
| independent unions | independent unions | ˌɪndɪˈpɛndənt ˈjunjənz |
| intern | intern, internship employee | ˈɪntɜrn |
| internship program | internship program | ˈɪntərnˌʃɪp ˈproʊˌgræm |
| job application | job application | ʤɑb ˌæpləˈkeɪʃən |
| job description | job description | ʤɑb dɪˈskrɪpʃən |
| job security | employment stability | ʤɑb sɪˈkjʊrəti |
| Labor contract in force | current employment contract | ˈleɪˌbaʊr ˈkɑnˌtrækt ɪn fɔrs |
| Labor mobility | labor mobility | ˈleɪˌbaʊr moʊˈbɪləti |
| maternity leave | maternity leave | məˈtɜrnɪti liv |
| Minimum wage / salary | minimum salary | ˈmɪnəməm weɪʤ / ˈsæləri |
| nightshift | Night shift | naɪt ʃɪft |
| Outsourcing | Outsourcing | ˌaʊtˈsɔrsɪŋ |
| overtime pay | overtime pay | ˈoʊvərˌtaɪm peɪ |
| paid leave | paid sick leave | peɪd liv |
| Part-time employment | part time job | ˈpɑrtˈtaɪm ɛmˈplɔɪmənt |
| Payroll | Payroll | ˈpeɪˌroʊl |
| pension fund | pension fund | ˈpɛnʃən fʌnd |
| redundancy | dismissal | rɪˈdʌndənsi |
| redundancy payment | redundancy payment | rɪˈdʌndənsi ˈpeɪmənt |
| resign | resign, resign | rɪˈzaɪn |
| Skilled labor | skilled labor | skɪld ˈleɪˌbaʊr |
| Strike (to go on a strike) | strike | straɪk (tə goʊ ɑn ə straɪk) |
| temporary disability | temporary disability | ˈtɛmpəˌrɛri ˌdɪsəˈbɪlɪti |
| temporary employees | Temporary employees | ˈtɛmpəˌrɛri ɛmˈplɔɪiz |
| Unjustified dismissal | unfair dismissal | ənˈʤʌstəˌfaɪd dɪˈsmɪsəl |
| vacancy | vacant | ˈveɪkənsi |
| working hours | working hours | ˈwɜrkɪŋ ˈaʊərz |
If you need help to know the correct pronunciation of the International Phonetic Alphabet, click here.
Tips to learn the English pronunciation of technical terms
The development of the different skills of a language depends largely on practice. However, each of them can be perfected through different exercises, in this case to improve pronunciation.
It is important to remember that the sounds of English are very different from the sounds of Spanish. This makes the constant repetition of them necessary, in order to adapt to the production of sounds foreign to our native language.
Each phonetic symbol represents a specific sound and to be able to emit it correctly it is necessary to understand the correct articulation of each case, in this way you will be able to correctly pronounce each phoneme individually.
Consequently, this will allow you to significantly improve the English pronunciation of each word. Additionally, you can follow some of these actions that will help you in your daily practice.
- Listen to the radio or podcasts in English, in this way you will develop the ability to discriminate words and phonemes from an audio.
- Watch series and movies in English, in addition to allowing you to receive part of the culture, you will be able to hear different pronunciations and intonations for words.
- Read aloud, and record the sound of your voice. Then listen and check that you are pronouncing correctly.
This list is simply a base of the most used terms, however the list of vocabulary related to the human resources department is much more extensive and complex.
If you want to know more technicalities related to your work area and efficiently manage your pronunciation in English, the ideal is that you can take a technical english course specialized for companies.
You might be interested in:
English Courses for Companies
Personalized, with native teachers specialized in technical vocabulary.
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