Business Initiatives is a 20 unit book for business people who need to improve their level of English to meet the requirements of their work. It is pitched at a lower intermediate level of English. It is accompanied by a Teacher's Book and cassette(s). The book covers all 4 skills in contexts which are meaningful and relevant to the business learner, with the most emphasis placed on speaking. Speaking is dealt with through role play, simulation, discussion and problem-solving tasks. English is seen as a lingua franca not the preserve of the British. Thus, situations and scenes are international with a range of accents, both native and non-native, on the accompanying cassette(s). The 16 main units cover a variety of important subject matter, eg managing your time, dealing with customers, interacting with colleagues. They also have a grammar reference section for remedial language work. The 4 remaining units concentrate on the 4 skills separately: speaking, listening, reading and writing.