Motivating and Challenging
Advanced Business English Learners
Rachel Appleby, IH Barcelona ELT 2010
1 APPROACH:
Finding out about your students
1. Sentence starters
e.g.
If I wasn’t a teacher, [I’d be a … because … ]
Not many people know that I am particularly interested in …
By this time next year, [I’ll have … ]
If I didn’t have to work to earn money, [I’d … ]
One of my most memorable experiences is …
Put these on the board *, and give students slips of paper, asking them to choose and complete, e.g. three of them. Then get them to share and discuss their full sentences in small groups. Elicit feedback on the more interesting ideas and suggestions!
* decide if you want to elicit / give the continuing structure in []brackets
2. Introductions
Work in pairs. Interview each other, and find out as much as possible – both socially and professionally – bout your partner (3’).
Your teacher will now give you a slip of paper to ‘put you in context’.
Introduce your partner (1’) to the rest of the group in the given context. The others will guess what context you have. Afterwards, encourage the group to ask questions to find out more about your partner!
Note for the teacher: Don’t forget to listen out and make discreet notes of any mistakes you hear so that you can work on these later, either with individuals, or as a group.
II Grammar
Conditionals are often given focus in terms of whether they’re, e.g. second, third or ‘mixed’. Can you ‘label’ the three sentences below in this way?
Context: Extracts overheard earlier this week from a meeting of the IH Barcelonaconference team, who are discussing the conference over coffee…
Now consider the following: Match the sentences above, 1-3, with a context, A-C, below.
- The speaker is questioning the result of a future situation. ____
- The speaker is discussing past in-/action and past results. ____
- The speaker is discussing past in-/action and present results. ____
Sample task (Conditionals):In each of the sections 1-3 below, which type of conditional would be most appropriate?
YP fitness studio is having its yearly review and planning meeting. Look at the notes below (edited). Work with a partner, and use conditionals to talk about what happened and to discuss future plans.Last year
1 Past action / inaction and past results
invest in new equipment able to increase membership fee
failed to develop competitive June special offer lost potential customers to competition
2 Past action / inaction and present results
failed to recruit new personal trainers only 3 trainers: all overworked, long waiting lists
developed partnership with local school overweight teens now following fitness programme
Next year
3 Suggestions / predictions for next year plus results
start more initiatives with teenagers improve gym reputation and get new young members
employ more trainers more personal programmes for customers and more profit
Now think of a situation you’re familiar with …
Source: based on Oxford University PressBusiness Result Advanced, U9, p71
III Vocabulary
1. Familiar words – new contexts?
Phrases with “say”. Match an example with its meaning below.
1
a. communicate an idea ____
b. introduce a strong opinion ____
c. s.o. has made a good point;you agree ____
d. it’s obvious ____
Source: based on OUPBusiness Result Advanced, U7, p59
2. Confusing words
Choose a pair of words from the box below for each pair of sentences; decide which goes where.
1. We’re expecting him at 10, so I’m sure he’ll arrive ______.
So, ______, let’s summarize what we’ve done so far.
2. Alan’s leaving in 3 months, but due to the holiday he’s owed, ______, he’ll be leaving mid-March.
We travelled ______every weekend – there was hardly a Saturday when I was at home.
3. We had ______a great time in Peru – I’d love to go back.
The weather was ______wonderful – we were really lucky.
practically / in practice so / suchshortly / in brief
IV Skills: Freer-speaking activities
1. Topics / Discussions - Breaking down a topic, e.g.
SPORT (& LEISURE)
“Leisure time is that five or six hours when you sleep at night.” George Allen
1 Is a global event like the Olympic Games more about politics and money rather than sport itself?
2 Are hobbies only for people who have too much leisure time?
3 Is Formula 1 motor racing really a sport?
4 Who is your country’s most famous sportsperson? How are they a reflection of national identity?
5 Which sports are most popular in your country with a) teenagers and b) women?
6 Describe your perfect weekend.
7 How will you spend your retirement?
Source: based on OUPBusiness one:one Advanced, Discussion Bank 2
Debates, discussions, writing activities
2. Activating students’ passive language
In speaking activities, focus on:
challenge – pronunciation – clear communicative aims
Use a check-list sheet to help sts use the target language … (NB Who ticks the boxes?!)
/ How to improvise in a meeting (a.k.a. an impromptu presentation)I’m not sure how much you already know, but …
What was I saying?
It has just occurred to me that ...
... or strips of paper:
Source: based on OUPBusiness one:one Advanced, U17
V Showing progress, e.g.
Go back to your course plan / register. Sts indicate, for each unit / language point / skill:
e.g. / * I did this, but I’m not sure about it yet. / ** I feel quite confident about this / *** I feel very confident about thisFunctions of conditionals / √
Phrases with ‘say’ / √
Confusing words
Source: based on OUP Business one:one Advanced, MultiROM Needs Analysis/Review
Rachel Appleby, IH Barcelona ELT 2010 rachelappleby @ mail.datanet.hu
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