(ACT) The Language of Business Lesson

The Language of Business

Think about what it takes to learn another language. You have to learn the vocabulary, of course, but you also have to learn sentence structure, the parts of speech and how they fit in the sentence structure, punctuation, and idioms. The same is true in accounting. You need to learn the vocabulary of accounting, how the parts fit together, and how to present it. Begin to learn the language of business by using the flash cards below to learn some of the vocabulary.

Knowing the words alone is not enough. You need to be able to put the words together into a format that other speakers of the language understand. Here are some tips that will help you improve your fluency in accounting, or any other language:

• Immerse yourself in the language - Reading business articles, especially those that deal with accounting and finance, will help you get a feel for the language and how it is used.
• Pay attention to how information is presented - Other than vocabulary this is the most important part of accounting. The structure of reports and records was created so that everyone who understood the structure would understand the report. Deviating from the standard structure would be confusing for those who understood accounting.
• Practice! - Accounting is best learned through practice. Begin with the basics, work through the accounting cycle, create financial statements, and analyze them.

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