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Teach English in Shangyong Zhen - Shiyan Shi

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To illustrate how to create a lesson plan for Business English, it is most practical to show an example and many details will be self explanatory. In this case I will use the first part of the Business English Lesson Plan - Language of Business Meetings, and it specifically emphasizes on Agenda Setting and Meeting Interruptions. The lesson plan is to use the framework of ‘ESA’ - Engage, Study, and Activate by Jeremy Harmer. Part 2 and Part 3 of the lesson plan are not included in the illustration below. Business English Lesson Plan - Language of Business Meetings (ESA Framework) Business English lesson plan - language of business meetings includes agenda setting, meeting interruptions, agreeing and disagreeing, any other business (AOB), language expert, and challenge yourself. The entire lesson plan will be covered in three class sessions; each class session will be 90 minutes in length. Hence, the Business English lesson plan - Language of Business Meetings will be divided into the followings: Part 1 - Agenda Setting, and Meeting Interruptions Part 2 - Agreeing and Disagreeing, and AOB Part 3 - Language Expert, and Challenge Yourself Note: The lesson plan can be adapted for longer sessions incorporating each activate phase of the lesson plan. Assumptions: The students can understand the main point of clear standard input on familiar matters and have the capacity to achieve most goals; somehow the students have the difficulties to express themselves on a range of vocabulary related to the business field such as participating in meetings, workplace, or conference call. However, the students can give a clear presentation on a familiar topic, and answer predictable or factual questions. Business English Lesson Plan - Language of Business Meetings Part 1 Teacher: Chiang Mei Hu Class level: Intermediate Time: approx. 90 minutes Date and time: 28/08/19 6:30pm Room: 11-5 Expected number of students: 12 Language point: Vocabulary and key phrase related to business meetings, speaking practice and collaborative writing Teaching aids: White board, Handouts with questions, worksheets, Activate activity Learner objectives: By the end of the lesson student will be able to identify and engage useful phrase and vocabulary related to business meeting, utilize phrase and vocabulary appropriately in business conversation, and improve the ability to lead meetings and deliver workplace presentations. Personal aims: Improve board work presentation Anticipated problems for students: Students may not be able to recall some ‘key phrases or vocabulary’ related to business meetings. Students may have difficulty using proper phrase or vocabulary related to business meetings. Solutions: Repetition practice and feedback, gap-filling, and solved by demonstration and drilling Anticipated problems for teacher: To introduce and explain the concept of ‘key phrases or vocabulary’ related to business meetings Solutions: To use lots of examples, handouts with questions, and gap-filling ESA sequence: E.S.S.A.S.A ENGAGE - Business English lesson plan Timing: 10 minutes Interaction: T-S; S; S-S Aim: To introduce students the topic on the language of business meetings, which are central to business communication. Aids/Materials: Handouts with business meeting questions 1/Board Procedure: The students will be given a ‘Handouts with business meeting questions 1’, and the teacher will explain to students most meetings have an agenda, and during meeting is sometimes possible to interrupt a speaker. Then, ask students to think a. what does meeting agenda mean? (possible answer: a list of matters to be discussed in the meeting.) and b. the name calling of the person who in charge of setting the agenda and running the meeting is? (possible answer: the ‘chairperson’) c. if you are in a meeting, and you want to interrupt to ask a question or make a comment. How might you do it? (possible answers: sorry to hold the meeting up, or can I just ask you, etc.) Then, put students into pairs to discuss and ask them to imagine if they are the chairperson in a meeting and it is the beginning of the meeting a. what will the list of items to be discussed on the agenda? (possible answers: new product launch, sale target, or report discussion, etc.) b. what phrases might you use? (possible answers: on the agenda today, just a couple things on the agenda, or greeting ,etc.) Finally, ask students a. if they found it easy or difficult to express themselves in English during the business meeting situations and why they think it is easy or difficult. Then, b. encourage students to talk about their experiences and share the experiences with the class. STUDY 1 - Business English lesson plan Timing: 13 minutes Interaction: T; T-S; S-S Aim: To introduce words and phrases relate to business meetings. Techniques: Gap-filling Aids/Materials: Board/Vocabulary - Business Meetings Language Worksheet 1 Procedure: Students will be given a ‘Vocabulary - Business Meetings Language worksheet 1’ that uses words and phrases suitable for business meetings. a. The teacher will first write key words on the board and give explanations, then b. Students are asked to work in pairs in order to fill in the blanks of the passage. c. After students have completed this activity, the teacher will take it up as a whole class and discuss any vocabulary words they were unsure of. Vocabulary: Business Meetings Language Worksheet 1 Complete the following business meeting dialogues using the words below. [Thanks] [Any other thoughts] [Alright then] [Let’s get down to business] [Go through them in order] [Just a couple of things] [To hold the meeting up] [First of all] [Publish(ed)] [Can I just ask you] [Public relation(s)] [comment] [Quite] [Finally] [secondly] [Fairly] [Executary] [launch] [Range] [any choice at all] • Business Meetings: Agenda Setting Agenda 1 Chiang Mei: ______________, Ping Sze, ____________________. On the agenda today for our ____________ meeting are the research project, the ________ of the website, the timeline for press releases, and the _________ of the year award. Are you quite happy with those points? Ping Sze: Yeah, that’s fine. If you could _______________________, that’d be great. Agenda 2 Chiang Mei: OK everybody, ________for coming. Let’s keep this meeting ______ brief, really ___________________on the agenda. ____________, as you can see, the news on the book re-launch; and ________ , the office move; and ________, we will have a little bit of time for any other business. • Business Meetings: Interruptions Meeting Interruptions 1 Ping Sze: First of all, the book re-launch. I just wanted to remind everybody that we will be re-launching the fairy-tales ______ with new modern covers, and that this is going to happen at the beginning of next month. Chiang Mei: Actually Ping Sze, _____________ – sorry _______________ – can I ask you about those dates, because I thought that this was going to be __________ the month after next, and I understand that everybody has got their dates, but I do feel ______ strongly that we’re bringing this out too soon. Ping Sze: Well, ____________________ before I _________ on that? Maryann: I don’t think we’ve ___________________ about it. If the radio programmes are going out at the beginning of next month, we’ve got to launch the book at the same time if we’re going to have any sales impact. Answer Key: Alright then, let's get down to business , Public relations, launch , executary , go through them in order, thanks, fairly, just a couple of things, first of all, secondly, finally, range, can I just ask you, to hold the meeting up, published, quite, any other thoughts, comment, any choice at all STUDY 2 - Business English lesson plan Timing: 12 minutes Interaction: T; T-S; S-S Aim: To outline the questions related to business meetings and be able to give the answers Techniques: Collaborative Writing Aids/Materials: Handouts with the outline related to business meeting questions 2/Board Procedure: The Students will be given a ‘Handouts with the outline related to business meeting questions 2’ and will be asked to answer the questions. 1. Put the students into pairs and have them brainstorm the ideas of the following questions: a. Have you ever organized a business meeting? If you were the meeting organizer, how did you plan the meeting? b. Do you use a checklist to develop your agenda? c. How do you keep your meeting on time and on track? 2. Have students to discuss the ideas of how to answer the handout with the outline related to business meeting questions, once students have finished discussing in pairs, a. have the students to write their own answers on a piece of paper, the teacher will walk around the classroom to monitor and observe the students if they need any necessary assistant of their writing, after b. the students have completed the activity, have the students to compare the answers with their partners, then c. the teacher will reinforce the students’ correction and provide them with feedback, explaining written mistakes, on the board in the class. Possible answer of the outline questions: a. Yes, I have organized a business meeting before. When I planned the meeting, I would send the meeting agenda via email, and put the list of items to be discussed on the agenda…… b. Yes, I use a checklist in order to develop an effective meeting agenda….. c. First to create a detailed meeting agenda, then invite key players to the meeting only, also….. ACTIVATE 1 - Business English lesson plan Timing: 20 minutes Interaction: T-S; S-S; SSSS Aim: To develop students competence and fluency in English related to business meetings Techniques: Speaking Practice Aids/Materials: 1. Vocabulary- Business Meetings Language Worksheet 1 2. Handouts with the outline related to business meeting questions 2/Board Procedure: The teacher will use previous ‘Vocabulary- Business Meetings Language worksheet 1’ from Study 1 and ‘Handouts with the outline related to business meeting questions 2’ from Study 2 in the activate stage: 1. The teacher will first use previous ‘Vocabulary- Business Meetings Language worksheet 1’ from Study 1 and have a. the students work in partners, and to practice saying aloud the business meeting dialogues a few times as a role-play of previous worksheet from Study 1 has provided. Then, b. the teacher will re-group students of 4 and ask students to cover the worksheet 1, then to speak, use a normal tone, as in real life business meeting situations in front of the class. Once c. the students have done for presenting in front of the class, the teacher will go over entire business meeting dialogues as a whole class. The teacher will correct the students’ pronunciation where necessary. 2. The teacher will then use previous ‘Handouts with the outline related to business meeting questions 2’ from Study 2 as another activate activity, the teacher will continue on the previous Study 2 activity, after the teacher reinforce students’ correction and explaining written mistakes, then a. the teacher will ask students to pair up and to practice what they have written on the ‘handout with the outline related to business meeting questions 2’ from Study 2 answers a few times, then will b. have the students to role-play and to present , like native speaker and not to use handout if possible, in front of an entire class. Once c. the students have done for the activity, the teacher will provide them with feedback, explaining written and spoken mistakes, on the board in the class. STUDY 3 - Business English lesson plan Timing: 10 minutes Interaction: T; T-S; S-S; S Aim: To identify and engage useful phrase and words, and to utilize them appropriately in business meetings conversation. Techniques: Drilling/board Aids/Materials: 1. Handout with the Sentences 3 – Meeting Agenda Setting 2. Finish the Sentence With the Correct Phrase- Meetings Interruptions Worksheet 2 Procedure: 1. First, the students will be given a ‘Handout with the Sentences 3- Meeting Agenda Setting’, then a. the students will put into pair and have them discuss how to rearrange the sentences in a correct order so the sentences all make sense. Once they have done for the discussion, b. the students will need to cut the worksheet out and rearrange the sentence, or just write them in a correct order. c. the teacher will check if the students understand the material and reinforce the correction and provides the students feedback. The teacher then will review the students answer to the activity and go over any errors. Handout with Sentences 3 - Meeting Agenda Setting Instructions: The following sentences are in the wrong order. Cut them out and re-arrange them, or simply write them in the correct sequence so they all make sense. • Secondly we want to have a look at the production budgets. • And then we’ll see if there’s any other business. • OK, everybody thank you all very much for coming today. • If we could go through each of them in order. • And finally we need to look at the staffing levels for the project. • Just three things on the agenda today. • First of all we need to discuss our aims for the project. • Alright let’s start with item number one. Answers: • OK, everybody thank you all very much for coming today. • Just three things on the agenda today. • If we could go through each of them in order. • First of all we need to discuss our aims for the project. • Secondly we want to have a look at the production budgets. • And finally we need to look at the staffing levels for the project. • And then we’ll see if there’s any other business. • Alright let’s start with item number one. 2. Second, the student will be give a ‘Finish the Sentence With the Correct Phrase- Meetings Interruptions Worksheet 2’, then a. the students will need to work independently to choose correct phrase and to complete the sentence. Then, b. the teacher will walk around the class and give the students assistance whenever necessary, then ask questions to check students’ comprehension. After students have completed the activity, c. the teacher will check if the students understand the material and reinforce the correction and provides the students feedback. The teacher then will review the students answer to the activity and go over any errors. Finish the Sentence With the Correct Phrase- Meetings Interruptions Worksheet 2 Instructions: Finish the sentence with the correct phrase. 1. ___________, I would like to begin by saying that the company profits are up on last year's figures. A To begin at B First of all C And start with D And for starters 2. ___________ about the plans for next month's meeting? A Can I hear you B Can I clarify you C Can I ask you D Can I include you 3. ____________ , but I just wanted to clarify a couple of points before continuing. A Sorry to hold the meeting up B Sorry to hold the meeting down C Sorry to hold the meeting around D Sorry to hold the meeting along 4. ___________that all of the staff members should have an opportunity to give their opinion about the company review. A I don't feel very strongly B I am feeling quite strongly C I am feeling more strongly D I do feel quite strongly Answers: 1.B 2.C 3.A 4.D ACTIVATE 2 - Business English lesson plan Timing: 25 minutes Interactions: T; T-S; S-S; SSSS Aim: Students will create a business meeting dialogues related to the agenda setting and meeting- interruptions with the assistance of teacher. Techniques: Speaking practice, collaborative writing and discussion/role-plays /board Aids/Materials: 1. Vocabulary: Business Meetings Language Worksheet 1 2. Handouts with the outline related to business meeting questions 2 3. Handout with Sentences 3 - Meeting Agenda Setting Procedure: For this final activate stage of the lesson, teacher will tell students that they are going to create a business meeting dialogues related to the ‘agenda setting and meeting interruptions’ from the Study 1 worksheet. It will much like the one students practiced in the previous Study 1 worksheet. 1. Teacher will briefly go over previous worksheets from Study 1, 2, and 3, then ask the students to create a business meeting dialogues, it must follow or similar to the worksheet 1 format. The teacher then asks the students to explain the concept, just to confirm the students’ understanding. 2. Then, Students are to work in pairs in order to discuss how to write the business meeting dialogues. Teacher will walk around the class and to see if students need any assistance, and then monitor the students’ writing and discussing the ideas of meeting dialogues. 3. Once students have completed creating business meeting dialogues, students will be asked to practice the meeting dialogues as a role-play with their partners a few times. 4. Finally, the teacher will re-group students of 4 and have students to present their creative meeting dialogues. Teacher will tell student only use their note as reference and not to read directly from it, and to speak with a normal tone as much like native speaker as possible, just like in real life business meeting situations in front of the class. 5. After the students have finish the presentation, teacher and the rest of the class will give them feedback regarding the group’s meeting dialogues and to find out where needs to be improved. 6. Then teacher will reinforce students’ correction and provide them with feedback, explaining written and spoken mistakes, on the board at the end of the class. Note: 1. Answers for all the worksheets / handouts will be delivered at the end of the class that includes the creative writing of business meeting dialogue from the teacher. 2.The vocabulary highlighted (or underlined) in the business meeting dialogues will be discuss in the subsequent class. Possible Answers of the business meeting dialogues: Agenda Setting Chiang Mei: Good morning, my fellow employees. I hope our meeting today will go [smoothly]. Maryann: That’s our [intention], too. Chiang Mei: First of all, let’s review today’s agenda, which is on the yellow sheet on your table. If you have any [queries], please put them forth [immediately]. The meeting is [presided] over by me as [per usual]. I won’t give a long speech as in formal conference, because it’s just an internal meeting. O.K. Back to the agenda, any questions? Meeting Interruptions Ping Sze: Our team has worked on a special project to estimate the market size of our new product. [According to our research], many of the young people find it an [attractive] item that they would like to purchase. If the price is under 800, they will buy it without any other considerations. If the price is between 800 and 2000, they may give a second thought. But if the price is above 2000, they regard it as a [luxury item] and only put it on their second [priority] list. Maryann: Excuse me. Can I just ask you, but on what is your research based? Ping Sze: We targeted a group of young people from 13 to 25. We have used both telephone sampling and street surveys to reduce possible errors. This is at the end of the business English class - Language of Business Meetings Part 1. The next session we will continue with Business Meetings Part 2. Useful Reference Link: The ALTE Can Do Project https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/Images/28906-alte-can-do-document.pdf BBC Learn English http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/business/talkingbusiness/unit2meetings/1agenda.shtml BBC British Council https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/meetings-1-getting-down-business


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