Course contents: Business English Programmes

This lesson teaches expressions for first-time introductions. Through listening and role play, students learn how to introduce themselves to a colleague or business associate and make appropriate small talk. This worksheet is suitable for the first lesson of a business English course, and provides a good opportunity for the student(s) and teacher to get to know each other.

This lesson teaches students useful vocabulary for talking about their company and job. Learners study expressions for describing a company’s history, location, size, market position, financial results and strategy. Through listening and speaking, the students also learn how to talk about their job responsibilities and what they like/dislike about their work. This worksheet is particularly suitable for the first or second lesson of a business English course.

The theme of this lesson is what makes a successful businessman. Students read an article that discusses whether entrepreneurs are born with certain character traits or develop the necessary skills and mindset. Vocabulary for describing entrepreneurial activity and personality is studied, and students have an opportunity to share their opinions on the topic.

In this lesson, students learn and practise vocabulary related to job titles and career paths.

This lesson teaches learners how to avoid causing offence by expressing themselves in a more tactful, diplomatic way. After studying a variety of adjectives for describing different attitudes, the students learn how to use special ‘softening’ structures through reading, language practice and role play.

In this lesson, students learn vocabulary for describing areas of an office, shop or factory and practise giving a tour of their workplace using a variety of useful expressions.

This lesson teaches useful expressions for starting and ending a phone call. Through listening and role play, students learn a variety of ways to answer the phone, introduce themselves to the receiver, ask to speak to someone, state the reason for calling and end a phone call.

This lesson teaches useful language for taking and leaving messages during a business call. Through vocabulary, listening and role-play exercises, students learn how to leave a message for someone, take down a message from a caller and exchange information on the phone.

This lesson teaches useful vocabulary for learners who need to write emails in English. The worksheet presents the differences between formal, informal and neutral email styles, and there are a number of writing exercises in which the students practise using different levels of formality.

In this lesson, students learn and practise vocabulary related to tasks and time management.

This theme of this lesson is corporate health. Students read an article about a company that is attempting to improve the well-being of its staff and listen to two corporate health experts commenting on the firm’s health initiatives. In the grammar section of the worksheet, the present simple, present continuous, past simple, present perfect simple and past simple are reviewed. This is followed by a discussion on corporate health initiatives.

This lesson teaches useful expressions for students who need English for business meetings and discussions. Through reading, language practice and role play, students learn how to structure an argument with linking words and phrases as well as respond to opinions using a variety of techniques for agreeing and disagreeing.

This lesson teaches useful expressions for discussing problems and possible solutions. Through listening and role play, the students learn how to make, ask for and respond to suggestions in a variety of ways.

Technology has been developed to allow passengers to use their mobile phones safely on planes. Students read an article about the different attitudes among business travellers towards this development. In the grammar section of the worksheet, the first and second conditionals are studied and practised. Students then discuss the lesson topic and debate the pros and cons of in-flight mobile phone use.

This lesson teaches useful expressions for learners who need to chair meetings in English. After studying vocabulary for describing the skills and roles of a chairperson, students listen to a dialogue in which the managers of a language training centre discuss their company’s advertising strategy. Key expressions used by the chairperson of the meeting are studied. At the end of the lesson, the students role-play a meeting, taking turns to chair the discussion.

In this lesson, students learn vocabulary for describing visual aids and practise giving a presentation using a variety of useful expressions.

The theme of this lesson is marketing in a recession. The worksheet is suitable for people who are responsible for marketing in their companies or who work for marketing agencies. Students read an article about successful marketing strategies for businesses during an economic downturn and learn a variety of terms for describing different marketing tools, strategies and concepts. At the end of the lesson, students talk about how the global economy has affected their or their clients’ approach to marketing.

This lesson teaches a variety of useful terms for learners involved in sales. Through vocabulary and role-play exercises, the students learn how to describe the benefits of their product/service and make an effective sales pitch in English.

This lesson introduces students to negotiating in English. Common terms for describing different points of discussion and negotiating positions are studied. Students then share their own experiences and opinions on a number of negotiation issues. In the second part of the lesson, there is a listening and role play activity in which useful expressions for negotiating are studied and practised.

The theme of this lesson is celebrity endorsement. Students read about the benefits and drawbacks of companies associating their brands with celebrities. Students learn key vocabulary related to marketing and advertising, and useful expressions for developing an argument are also studied. During the lesson, several aspects of the worksheet topic are discussed.

The theme of this lesson is handling complaints in business. Students study a text on the importance of welcoming customer complaints and dealing with problems promptly. Through listening and role play, the students learn useful expressions for making complaints, apologizing and taking action.

The theme of this lesson is outsourcing. Students read an article about how rising wages and a stronger currency are affecting the Indian outsourcing industry. In the grammar section of the worksheet, the difference between the present and past perfect is studied. At the end of the lesson, students talk about the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing.

In this lesson, students learn and practise vocabulary related to business ethics and conduct.

This lesson is based on an article on the nascent space tourism industry. The text focuses on the different companies that will be operating in this market, including Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, as well as the future costs and environmental impact of commercial space flights. In the grammar section of the worksheets, reported statements and questions are studied and practised. At the end of the lesson, students discuss whether they believe space tourism could become mass market.

The theme of this lesson is e-commerce. Students read an article on the changing shopping habits of British consumers and the development of online retailing. Tenses for describing trends are studied and practised in the grammar section of the worksheet, followed by an end-of-lesson discussion on Internet buying habits in the students’ own countries.

The theme of this lesson is international investment. Students read an article about the investment potential of Iraq and study vocabulary related to infrastructure and development. In the grammar exercises, students practise asking each other for information using subject and object questions. At the end of the lesson, the class discusses their own countries’ potential for foreign investors.

In this lesson, students learn and practise vocabulary related to the economy.

This lesson teaches expressions and techniques for making conversation. The students study vocabulary for describing different types of social interaction as well as typical conversation openers and responses. Through listening and role play, the learners practise greeting each other and making small talk.

The topic of this lesson is the importance of understanding the cultural etiquette of different countries. The lesson introduces idioms concerned with etiquette and behaviour such as go Dutch, follow suit, return the compliment. Present modal verbs for advice, possibility and necessity are revised and past forms are introduced and practised. Finally, students get to talk about the cultural etiquette of their countries and their experiences doing business in a cross-cultural environment.

This lesson teaches language for sharing opinions during business meetings and discussions. Students listen to the board members of an IT distribution company discussing a proposal to expand their business by selling shares to the public. After studying the key expressions from the dialogue, students role-play a management meeting in which they practise exchanging their own opinions and ideas.

The theme of this lesson is customer service. Students read an article about the opinions of business travellers on the customer service at hotels in different parts of the world. Words and expressions for describing customer service are practised. In the grammar section of the worksheet, tenses for describing a past experience are studied. At the end of the lesson, students talk about their own customer service experiences.

In this lesson, students learn useful language for handling and solving problems at work. Vocabulary for describing different types of problems and solutions is studied. Students then listen to several dialogues and study the expressions used by the speakers to declare and diagnose a problem as well as make suggestions and take action. At the end of the lesson, there is a role play activity in which the language from the lesson is put into practice.

The theme of this lesson is work stress. Students read an article about an unusual method of relieving stress involving volunteers from Madrid. In the grammar section of the worksheet, reduced relative clauses are studied and practised. At the end of the lesson, there is a speaking activity in which the students discuss different stress relief methods.

The theme of this lesson is networking. Students read an article on the benefits of making useful connections in business and how to be a good networker. In the grammar section of the worksheet, a variety of structures with ‘get’ are studied and practised. At the end of the lesson, students talk about the usefulness of networking in their businesses, careers and in job hunting.

The theme of this lesson is business ethics. Students read an article about a UK chocolate company called Montezuma’s, whose founders decided to put ethics at the heart of their business. The lesson introduces a number of common phrasal verbs, which are studied and practised. Finally, students discuss attitudes to ethics in their own businesses and countries.

In this lesson, students learn how to query figures in English. Vocabulary for describing different numerical mistakes is studied. Students then listen to a phone call in which the speakers report and explain errors. The key expressions used for reporting an error, quoting a discrepancy, explaining an error and promising action are studied and practised.

The theme of this lesson is the global financial crisis. Students read an article on how the economic downturn was affecting Britain in 2008. A number of economic terms are introduced, and a variety of structures for predicting and speculating about the future are studied and practised. Students discuss how their countries have been affected by the crisis.

This lesson teaches useful language for learners who need to negotiate in English. After studying vocabulary for describing the different stages in a negotiation, students listen to two extracts from a negotiation and study the tactics and key structures that are used by each side to make proposals, bargain, and reach a deal. At the end of the lesson, the students role-play a negotiation using the language from the lesson.

The theme of this lesson is what makes a country attractive to potential investors. Students read about the investment potential of Germany and learn a variety of important terms for describing a nation’s economy. At the end of the lesson, students discuss the investment potential of their own countries using vocabulary from the worksheet.

This lesson teaches useful expressions for learners who need to chair meetings in English. After studying vocabulary for describing the skills and roles of a chairperson, students listen to a dialogue in which the managers of a language training centre discuss their company’s advertising strategy. Key expressions used by the chairperson of the meeting are studied. At the end of the lesson, the students role-play a meeting, taking turns to chair the discussion.

The theme of this lesson is employee misconduct. Students read an article about how companies in the UK deal with employees who have committed offences at work and in their leisure time. Terms for describing different offences, crimes and aspects of the legal system are studied. In the grammar exercises, the students review and practise the first, second, third and mixed conditionals. At the end of the lesson, the class discusses the worksheet topic.

This lesson teaches the vocabulary and grammar necessary for taking meeting minutes in English. Students listen to a dialogue of a meeting and read an extract from the minutes. After studying the vocabulary and grammar used in the text, they practise reporting statements and taking minutes.

The theme of this lesson is company dress code. Students read a short article about the changing attitudes towards employee dress code among businesses in the UK. In the grammar section of the worksheet, the passive voice is reviewed. This is followed by a discussion on the issues raised in the article and the general attitude to company clothes policy in the students’ own countries.