Professional English

Section 1 : Teaching Exam Classes

Overview

 Background to Teaching Exam Classes 

 Common Exams 

 Preparing Students for Exams

 2.1 Background to Teaching Exam Classes

 Exams are a fundamental tool for measuring the progress of EFL students.  They are
useful for screening applicants for jobs and universities, as well as giving the students
themselves a clear understanding of where their English stands according to certain
standardised systems.  More than ever before, a good understanding of English is
essential for success in international fields of work, as English is often used as the
lingua franca in many industries.  Because of this, it is common for EFL teachers to
assist with exam preparation, so that students will be able to understand exams better,
use the English and skills they know most effectively, and learn necessary language
and skills for achieving the best grade they possibly can. 

 Different exams and examining bodies including Cambridge ESOL, the Educational
Testing Service (ETS), and others meet a variety of needs and abilities. Business
certificates such as BEC can give prospective employers an understanding of a
candidate’s ability to use English professionally, and tests like IELTS are used in the
university admissions process, and for immigration purposes. 

 Exam preparation is often challenging for teachers, as their students will have a high-
risk outcome at the end of the course, which in some cases will decide their future. 
This section will focus on the different types of exams that are widely taken by
students of EFL, as well as giving teachers ideas for how best to prepare students for
the various task types that are used to test different skills in exams.  It will look at the
way exams are assessed, and how teachers can use this knowledge to better prepare
their students. 

 2.2 Common Exams

 The following is a brief outline of the most common English proficiency exams and
their testing formats.

 2.2.1 Professional English Exams

 Cambridge ESOL Professional Exams

 BEC: Business English Certificate

 BEC is directed towards people who want to use English in the workplace, for their
career or in business. There are three different levels of BEC: BEC Preliminary (Level
B1 on the CEFR), BEC Vantage (Level B2 on the CEFR), and BEC Higher (Level C2
on the CEFR).   The BEC examines all four skills separately, except at the Preliminary
Level, where the writing and reading sections are combined in one paper.

 BULATS: Business Language Testing Service

 BULATS is taken by people who want to use English in the workplace.  The exam can
be taken in computer or paper-based form, and test formats vary accordingly, with
optional speaking and writing papers. BULATS is a multilingual exam, with French,
German and Spanish components. 

 Other Cambridge ESOL professional exams include the Cambridge ILEC:

International Legal English Certificate and the Cambridge ICFE: International
Certificate in Financial English.

 TOEIC: Test of English for International Communication

 TOEIC is aimed at people seeking employment or business opportunities in English. 

The TOEIC tests the four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking).  The
listening and reading tests are conducted in paper form, while the speaking and writing
test is done online; however, the online version is not available in all countries. 

  2.2.2 General English Exams

 While General English Exams are not intended specifically for business purposes,
their internationally accepted level of English proficiency can be used to gain
employment.  These tests include:

 PET: Preliminary English Test

 FCE: First Certificate in English

 CAE: Certificate in Advanced English

 CPE: Certificate of Proficiency in English

 (All from the Cambridge ESOL General Suite)

 2.2.3 Academic English Exams

 While Academic English Exams are also not intended solely for business purposes,
their internationally accepted level of English proficiency can be used to gain
employment, and for immigration as well as scholarly purposes.  These tests include:

 TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language/ The TOEFL iBT test (from ETS:
Educational Testing Service)
  IELTS: International English Language Testing (from Cambridge ESOL
Examinations, British Council, and Australia IDP)

 For examples 1-5, match the exams to their category.

 1) CAE

 2) BULATS

 3) IELTS

 4) BEC

 5) PET

 A) Professional English Exams    B) General English Exams             

 C) Academic English Exams

2.3 Preparing Students for Exams

Exams do not only test a learner’s knowledge of the subject, but also the ability of the learner
to take the exam.  This means that familiarity with the tasks in specific exams, as well as a
thorough understanding of the exam format, are essential for successful exam outcomes. 

2.3.1 General strategies

Analysing tasks

To get started, students must know what the questions or tasks on the test want them to do. 
What kind of question is the question on the test?  Some focus on grammar, others focus on
vocabulary or skills.  For students to succeed on tests, they do not necessarily need practice
doing the test over and over.  The essence of true test preparation is teaching students to
analyse the questions, so they are able to understand the motivation behind the questions. 
Students should ask themselves: a) what the question/ task is testing; b) how it is testing it; c)
how they can find the answer to the question, or complete the task successfully; and e) what
things they need to avoid while going about the process.

Reading instructions carefully

Reading the instructions of a task accurately is a vital skill for taking exams.  Many students
may be perfectly good at English, but lose points on tests because of careless reading of
instructions.  A fun assignment that you can give students to perfect this skill goes as follows:

1. Read all of the instructions on this page before acting on them. 

2. Write your name in the upper left corner. 

3. Arbitrary task (two).

4. Arbitrary task (three).

5. Arbitrary task (four). 

6. Only do tasks 2-5 if your first and last name begin and end with the same letter. 

Teachers will find that most students will end up with a page of work for 2-5 before students
actually read through all instructions.  It’s a hoot!

Fun activities

Exam preparation does not have to be boring, but it often is.  To combat this, teachers should
feel free to turn exam preparation into a game, or a quiz show.  This can be done according to
any popular game show system, as well as any other format that the teacher wishes.

Students respond well to making their own exams.  An example might be to take an article
and have students blank out words from it, and create, for example, multiple-choice answers
of their own that could fit.  Then students can swap tests or do their own next class after it is
no longer fresh in their minds.

2.3.2 Approaching reading and listening tasks

These classroom activities focus on helping students to develop strategies for approaching
different question types, and the value of prediction and grammar in recording accurate
answers.

Identify the keyword in each statement of a ‘yes/no/not given’ question. The keywords are
in fact those that express, for example, negativity, a specific number, positive and negative
connotation, and reference to time. Thus, key words can be quantifiers, modals, and adverbs
of frequency. For example, She was not tall enough to ride on the rollercoaster.’ (In this
sentence the word not is a key word)

Identify the similar headings in a list of headings and find the specific differences between
them.  This strategy trains students to choose between headings in ‘headings’ questions and
become more aware of distractors in a text. Distractors are words/pieces of information that
can be wrongly interpreted as the correct answer. In a multiple choice question, for example,
the distractors are the incorrect options. It is essential then for teachers to help learners to
develop the ability to be able to identify potential distractors and therefore differentiate
between the correct option/piece of information and the one that has been included to distract
them.  

Develop techniques for form filling.  This can be done in a number of ways:

1) practising sound discrimination of numbers and dates (e.g. thirteenth and thirtieth) through
illustrating stress patterns, drilling pronunciation, and playing number games such as Bingo;

2) discriminating sounds of the letters of the alphabet that are problematic when filling in
forms or speaking on the telephone, e.g. G/J, I/E, P/B, B/V; and
3) familiarising students with British/Australian/US address formats through having them
dictate their names and addresses to each other, or dictate information from business cards
over the ‘phone’.

Word-form/ grammar prediction to complete gap-fill summaries of texts by deciding what

grammatical form is needed to fill the gap. Ensure students know the different parts of speech,
i.e. verb, adverb, adjective, noun, etc., in order to successfully use this prediction strategy.

Guess the choices in multiple-choice questions by covering up the answers and guessing what
is in the blank.  Afterwards, students can look at the given answers and see if any of them
match what they had said. 

Eliminate choices in multiple-choice questions that are inappropriate, or that are put there to
trick them (distractors).

Pre-listening/ reading prediction for multiple-choice questions wherein the student may need
to discriminate between pictures, maps, diagrams, graphs etc. Students select images and
describe them to other students, who listen and identify them from a group of images.

Now decide whether these statements about are true or false.

    true false
1 . Filling in forms should be practised by having students dictate images to
each other.
2 . Having students describe images to each other, and identify images based
on these descriptions will help them to develop pre-listening prediction
skills.
3 . Identifying similar headings will not help students to weed out
‘distractors.’
4 . If students want to be successful at gap-fill exercises, they should be able
to identify different parts of speech.
5 . The keyword for ‘yes/no/not given questions’ is often a modal, an adverb
of frequency or a quantifier.
2.3.3 Preparing for listening skills tests

Before preparing students for listening activities, the teacher and the student should analyse
the purpose and format of the activity itself. Some activities are productive tasks, meaning
that the listener is required to write things that they hear, whereas other listening tasks
require a listener to choose the answer from a set of options.  Listening may include writing
words, numbers or whole sentences and phrases.  Listeners may be required to listen for gist,
ideas, or for specific information. Listening activities might be taken from short pieces of
dialogue, or from long monologues, depending on the exam. 

When preparing for listening, it is important that students develop skills such as identifying
and focusing on particular information, and being able to comprehend paraphrasing. 

Focusing on information
To develop listening skills that focus on particular pieces of information, the teacher can play
recordings from test preparation materials, without showing students the questions.  While
students are listening, they should take note of important information that they are exposed to
in the recording.  Be sure to play the recording twice (especially if the exam you are focusing
on plays the recordings twice) to give students practice verifying what they heard.  Structuring
the activity in this way will help students to not feel distracted by the questions, and instead
focus on the particular information they are meant to listen to.  This activity does not need to
be carried out using exam preparation materials.  The teacher should feel free to bring in other
appropriately long materials like magazines or newspaper articles, letters, or other documents
and read them to the class.  If you have the equipment to, you can play podcasts. If you should
choose current events as the subject matter, it will have the dual benefit of covering current
affairs as well as practising exam listening skills. 

Comprehending paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is essentially saying one thing in a different way. Understanding paraphrasing is

an important skill as exam questions often contain different words to the words used the text
(be it a written text for a reading exam or listening material for a listening exam). To help
students comprehend paraphrasing, lead them in discussion to deconstruct an authentic text or
practice test.  Start by administering the test to the students, and then go back through it with
them checking the answers, and explaining how the exam was formed.  Students should start
by examining the questions and highlighting or underlining the sections of the recording
transcript, which correspond to the questions, being sure to make sure they understand the
way in which the language has been paraphrased.

Identifying distractors

Special attention should also be paid to information that is put into the listening text and/or
questions that is intended to distract the student.  The teacher should point out where these
distracting pieces are in relation to the correct answers.  Once students grasp the mechanics of
the listening sections, they should have a much better idea of what to expect and therefore be
more successful. 

Overall, the surest way to prepare for listening tests is by regular exposure to exam formats,
practice of listening materials, and understanding of what the task is aiming to test.

2.3.4 Preparing for reading skills tests

 Guidelines for reading

The reading section of an exam can confuse students who do not employ proper test-taking
reading strategies. The following eight suggestions will greatly improve success in the reading
section. 

1) Students should not read the entire passage the first time through, instead they should skim
for about two minutes, noticing theme words, and organisational words. 

2) They should be sure to notice the title and its relevance to the passage. 
3) Students should read the instructions and the questions carefully to avoid making careless
mistakes, being sure they understand what they need to do. 

4) They should note that the questions also act as a summary of the passage. 

5) Students should read questions in sets and then locate their answers before moving on. 

6) They should not worry about words they are unfamiliar with; instead, they should focus on
key phrases that aid organisation.  If they choose to mark the text, they should use a pencil,
not a highlighter. 

7) Students should take extra care when filling in the answer sheet, making sure they have
checked their spelling and grammar, and that they haven’t repeated the text in their answer. 

8) Students should skip questions that they do not know the answer to. Spending too much
time searching negates the possibility of a good grade.

Other approaches may include making exam guidelines with your students, and getting their
input in the process. Another option is to give them a copy of the above suggestions, possibly
in chart form, and have them decide in pairs or in groups the positives or negatives of the
suggestions; or otherwise analyse the advice. 

Practice tests of the reading section should include:

1) Proper timing, including reminders of how far along the students should be at certain
intervals, possibly fifteen or twenty minutes

2) Ensuring that students are following the suggestions above while they are doing exam
practice.

3) Giving students practice of using the answer sheet format. 

Upon completion of the practise exam, students should check and analyse answers in pairs or
as a whole group. Encourage conversation and debate about the process to give students
practice thinking about it.  Emphasise the importance of spelling, as it has the potential to
change candidates’ marks greatly.

Increasing reading speed

Answering questions that test reading comprehension in most English proficiency exams
requires a well-developed set of test-taking skills, which do not necessarily overlap with
common reading practices.  The purpose of the following activity is to help students increase
their reading speed, especially when it comes to quickly extracting correct answers from a
text.

1) Lay out cut-up copies of exam reading passages and corresponding questions, separating
the questions from the passages.

2) Explain to the students that the purpose of the warmer is to match the reading selections to
their corresponding question sets as quickly as possible. 
3) Time the students as they match the sections, being sure not to aid them in the process.  If
mistakes are made, inform students, and elicit the correct match.

4) Discuss with the students which techniques they employed to quickly match the questions
and the text.  Suggestions might include: a) starting by reading the questions and not the text;
b) underlining information mentally; c) beginning with easy questions; d) identifying
information that is easy to locate, including words with capital letters and numbers.

5) If you wish to encourage your students, and give them the confidence to get faster, consider
having them shuffle the sections and try it again.

After the warmer is complete, give students two prepared worksheets that include a list with
six items, each item having two to three question options, and the text that the questions are
referencing.

6) Hand out the worksheets.  Have students put the text face down, and select the question
from the first item they think is the least complicated.

7) Have the students flip over their texts and race to find the answer.  The first student to find
an accurate answer gets zero marks against them, the second gets one against them, and the
last gets as many marks as there are students in the class.  While students are waiting for
others to find the answers, be sure that their texts are face down, so they cannot read ahead.

8) Repeat the race, having the students pick a question from the second item.

9) Have a feedback session, discussing what strategies students employed to find their
answers.

After practising the skills, beginning with the easiest question and matching answers to
questions quickly, go back to the authentic text and question sets taken from the original
exams. 

10) Have students form into teams and give them photocopies of the authentic test materials
(the first questions and texts they matched), but this time have the texts and questions on the
same piece of paper. 

11) Have the teams race to answer questions from the authentic texts, scoring one point for
every correct answer they find after a question set has been completed. 

12) After teams feel they are finished with the text and question sheet, do not tell them which
questions they got right and wrong, just inform them of the number of correct and incorrect
answers, leaving it to them to check each other’s work. 

13) End the activity when one team has finished all of the text and question sets.  Finish by
discussing the problems that arose when they were trying to find answers to the reading
questions.  Most likely, finding synonyms and antonyms will be the most difficult task for
students.

Order this suggested lesson plan sequence from beginning to end. Please note, the first
stage is A, the second is B, the third is C, the fourth is D and so on. 
  Students select questions they believe to be the easiest.
 Students race to find the answers to selected questions.
 Warmer:  Students match reading passages to corresponding questions
 In teams, students race to answer question sets from authentic text.
 Adapt challenges from the activity for future lessons.
 Discuss strategies for quickly matching questions to text.

 ‘True/ false/ not given’ questions (this is also relevant to many listening tasks)

 EFL students often struggle with these kinds of questions, because they are more
accustomed to taking exams that only give the options of ‘true’ and ‘false’ where
‘false’ includes ‘not given’.  In order to ensure success in this component, students
must be able to identify the three ways that contradictions are expressed.  They are as
follows: 1) the statement is the opposite of the text; 2) the statement is the opposite of
the text because it is negative; 3) statements are contradictory to the text, but do not
include a negative or opposite statement. Practising reading/ listening comprehension
and identifying the contradiction method will help students to be more successful on
this component.

Paragraph headings

The teacher can use the following suggestions to give students solid practice matching
paragraph headings with content:

 Give them a number of paragraph headings and have them tell you what might be in
such a paragraph
 Have them read the paragraphs and match headings to them
 Give the students some ‘true/false/not given’ questions
 Give them some ‘phrase matching’ questions
 Go over the answers they gave and analyse the incorrect answers.

2.3.5 Preparing for writing skills tests

To develop planning skills, the students could answer prepared short questions about the topic
to develop speed in using language and organising information coherently. 

To develop vocabulary and writing skills, students could:

 Write a sentence for each piece of information from a visual prompt to help make a
continuous text; 
 Put jumbled words or parts of the text of a model answer in the right order and then
write out the whole text; 
 Fill in the gaps of a model answer with complete or partial words and phrases, paying
attention to spelling and grammatical structure; 
 Find synonyms for words and phrases in a model answer;

 Insert their own information or prepared phrases into gaps of a skeleton text to expand
the answer, two paragraphs at a time;
 Add words to given single-word ideas for each section/ paragraph to make sentences;
  Read a text and decide on the most likely title/ headline from a set of options.

To develop editing skills, students could:

 Identify spelling mistakes in a piece of writing;

 Decide which highlighted words and phrases in a text are wrong and replace them
with a more suitable alternative;
 Use notes such as a word missing? Spelling? Tense? Singular/ plural? Register? to
help decide if corrections to a piece of writing are needed.

 Correct highlighted spelling mistakes;

 Decide whether highlighted nouns require an ‘s’ at the end or not;
 Remove the unnecessary words from a text that has too many words;
 Put highlighted verbs in an answer into the correct tense;

The following four-step activity uses integrated skills to prepare students to complete a
writing task:

1.  Students speak in class about the topic/ rubric (set of instructions for exam task) to
generate some interest and come up with some ideas for the piece of writing. Students ask
related questions in pairs or groups.

2.  Students read two different texts on a related topic in pairs, and make notes to summarise
the texts and then discuss their main points.

3.  Guided writing at the sentence level: a) students focus on using logical linking words to
construct sentences, by putting words (e.g. because, however, resulted in, due to,in addition,
despite, not only....but also, such as, for example, as well as) into correct categories (e.g.
giving an example, adding a point, expressing contrast, expressing cause/ result); b) students
complete sentences containing only headers using their own ideas and link them using the
words/ phrases from a).

4.  Guided writing at the text level: a) students briefly plan a response categorising their own
ideas ideas using keywords; b) Ss use a set section/ paragraph structure to write their ideas
into.

Order this activity from beginning to end.

a) Students read, summarise, and discuss different related pieces of writing. 

b) Students express their ideas with keywords.

c) Students finish incomplete sentences using linking words in concert with their own ideas.

d) In pairs or groups, students brainstorm ideas related to a rubric/ topic.

e) Students categorise cohesion words.

f) Students write their ideas into a set structure.

2.3.6 Preparing for speaking skills tests

The majority of English proficiency tests follow a similar three-part format for the speaking
component of the exam, i.e. interview/ Q&A on familiar topics, one-to-two minute
presentation on a given subject, and a freer discussion on related abstract issues.

Preparation for questions about familiar topics

Brainstorming

After eliciting examples of possible topics (exam topics vary according to the exam, but may
include: family life, hobbies, work, climate change, culture, food etc.) the teacher gives the
students a short amount of time (about three minutes) to brainstorm more topics.  Afterwards,
students can compile pair or class lists.

Writing Questions

After eliciting question words and forms from students, the teacher has them write questions
related to the particular topics brainstormed before.  The teacher should check the questions to
be sure they are correct. 

Asking and Answering Questions

Afterwards, students can practise asking and answering questions in class in pairs, changing
roles after four or five minutes.  Another option is to have one student go before the class and
answer questions from a number of students. 

Other Activities

To make speaking preparation more interesting, play a game of Noughts and Crosses (Tic-
Tac-Toe), asking and answering questions before putting down Xs and Os.  Another idea is to
toss a ball, asking a question before it is tossed, which the catcher has to answer, whereupon
they ask a question before throwing the ball to another student. 

Preparation for the presentation

The key to success is making good notes during the preparation time in the exam (often one
minute).  In order to practise this skill, the teacher starts by drawing a spider-gram on the
board, which includes information about a given subject.  The students then write questions
about the different items, taking note of the question words necessary for the questions. 
When taking their own notes, the students ask themselves questions using the question words
and put only one or two words down as their answer.  These words then act as the basis for
their presentation.

Preparation for freer discussion

Because examiners try to push the limits of candidates’ English in this part of the speaking
component, activities for practising the ability to engage in freer discussion revolve around
looking more deeply into part two topics.  Pick a topic explore it by eliciting different
opinions, uses, criticism, or general categories based on it.  For example: television can be
watched for leisure, it is part of the media it has potential for education, it’s electronic and
some people say it is bad for your health.  Taking the words in bold from the previous
sentence, brainstorm questions related to these topics and then consider ideas mentioned in
the sections on preparation for part one and two tasks above. 

2.3.7 Other skills testing

 Practising synonyms to help identify concepts

Some professional English exams, for example TOEIC, have sections wherein students must
be able to identify concepts in a text, as they are re-worded in comprehension questions about
the text.  This activity aims to build students’ vocabulary by learning and practising
synonyms.

1) In the beginning of class, have a general conversation with the students and write down on
slips of paper phrases or ideas that they say.

2) After the conversation, put the slips of paper face down, so the writing is not visible, and
have students turn over two slips of paper.  Students must find some way that the two items
are the same, even if no obvious connection exists.  For example: ‘movies’ and ‘apples’.  
These two phrases might be connected by saying, ‘Apples and movies are the same because
they are both enjoyable.’ 

3) If a student successfully explains why the two words/ phrases are the same, they get to hold
those slips of paper and go again. If you have a large class, have students make their own slips
and play in small groups.  If you have a small class, play together as a group.

4) When one group or the class is finished, ask a student if there is a real way to say the same
thing as is written on the slips.  For example, ‘I went to the movies’ corresponds with ‘I saw a
film’. 

In the second part of your lesson, have students practise real-life examples from the text you
are working on, by giving them useful vocabulary and synonyms that apply to their exam. 

5) Give students a matching worksheet that includes words, phrases and synonyms that appear
on their exams, or a text with corresponding phrases/ synonyms at the bottom and have them
underline/ number the phrases/ synonyms in the text.

6) Review answers/ feedback. 

7) Get some authentic material for the exam you are helping students prepare, highlighting
beforehand particular words and expressions.  Have the students write synonyms, or match
them to the actual exam questions where the information is restated in a different form. 

8) After another feedback session, have students work in pairs, where one student says a word
or phrase covered in the lesson, and the other student must supply the corresponding phrase or
synonym from memory. 
Order this suggested lesson plan sequence from beginning to end.

a) Students break into groups and find connections between phrases/ ideas.

b) The class engages in a casual conversation and the teacher takes notes.

c) Students say synonyms/ corresponding phrases to the teacher’s notes.

d) Students work in pairs to remember synonyms or corresponding phrases.

e) Students match/ write synonyms or corresponding phrases for authentic exam material.

f) Students do a phrase-matching or text-question matching worksheet.

g) The class goes over answers from the worksheet.

Section 2 : Teaching Business English

Overview

 The role and development of the Business English teacher

 Business English learner needs analysis

 Social English for business situations

 Making presentations in English

 Preparing for job interviews in English

Section 1: The Role and Development of the Business English Teacher

Introduction

You can teach Business English whether or not you have experience and expertise in
business.

Many Business English teachers have limited experience and expertise in business so it is
important to understand the role.

The role of the business English teacher usually includes

a)    identifying and analysing the student’s needs and wants

b)    discussing  the student’s needs and wants and advising on ways forward
c)    presenting appropriate information and exercises that help the student to learn

d)    correcting wrong or inappropriate use of English

e)     providing encouragement and support

f)     creating an environment where the learner feels safe to experiment with English

The role of the Business English teacher does not usually include:

a)    teaching business concepts which are new to the learner

b)    having a prior understanding of technical business terms known and used by the learner.

Business English Teacher Development

It is a vital part of being a Business English teacher to realise that the learning in a Business
English lesson is often a two-way street. While the teacher provides
material/knowledge/vocabulary and so on about English, it is the supposed learner who
provides material / knowledge / and so on about business.

Many lesson plans can be created which will revolve around the learner explaining ideas and
vocabulary to the teacher.  The learner will use their English and can be corrected/taught
while at the same time the teacher will gradually pick up the ideas and vocabulary of business.

Business English teachers usually acquire most of their knowledge of business ideas and
vocabulary from the learners!

Section 2:  Business English Learner Needs Analysis

Introduction

Generally the first contact with an individual or group of Business English students will
revolve around needs a analysis to assess their needs and wants. This can easily take an hour
or more. It is not time wasted as Business English students are (or should be) aware of making
products customer-centred.

The following prompts are to help you do the task that follows.

Read and reflect:

Think of how many ways that a business person may use their English – in speaking,
listening, reading and writing.

Think of the concerns they may have regarding their grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation

Think of what experiences of language learning lie in their past

Think of how they use English in their jobs. Where? When?  Who with?
Think of the ways they may plan to use their English in the future

Think of their preferred/non-preferred learning styles

Think of what do they want to do / don’t want to do on the course

Are there specific things they want to achieve during the course?

Are there specific parts of English that they think they need / don’t need?

Think of how long their course will be.  How many hours? What time of the day and how
often?

Think of their motivation.  Do they want to learn Business English or have they been sent to
learn Business English? Do they really want to speak English or do they want to pass an
exam?

Section 3: Social English for Business Situations

Introduction

It may seem strange but often business people find that the most difficult part of using English
is not the business part of the language but the social part.

Experienced and skilled business people know that creating and building good social
relationships is important in business.

You can create that vital good first impression by learning how to meet people and introduce
yourself and other people.

You can build good social relationships with business colleagues and the people you are
doing business with by having an extensive repertoire of social questions and small talk.

Learning Activity 1: Meeting People Face to Face for the First Time

Introducing the Topic to the Learner/s

Ask the learners about how important social English is in business, about judging levels of
formality and how the level of formality changes what is said and done.

Ask the learners about shaking hands and other ways of making greetings.

Ask the learners if they understand the meanings and use of Mr, Mrs, Miss and Ms.

Ask the learners about the importance of eye contact and facial expression

Ask the learners about any cultural differences they know of or have experienced

Examples of conversations to learn and practise

Hello my name is Mr Smith

Hello, I’m Mr Jones, pleased to meet you

A/B  shake hands

Hello, I’m Mr Jones secretary, Mr Jones will meet you in a moment.  This is Mrs Smith.
She’s the manager of our telecommunications department.

A/C shake hands

Hello, Pleased to meet you

Hi, Nice to meet you

May I also introduce Miss Brown who is the deputy manager of the engineering department

A / D shake hands

Hello, Pleased to meet you

Hello,

Learning Activity 2: Building a Good Social Relationship

Creating a repertoire of small talk for social situations is very important and very useful in
business and in general social life.

Ask the learners to create a list of 10 to 20 small talk questions to ask a business person over
lunch.

Correct any mistakes with the questions

Practise asking and answering the questions correcting as necessary

Section 4:   Making Presentations in English

Introduction

Here are three types of presentation that could be the basis for learning activities.

1)    Presenting yourself

2)    Presenting  your organisation

3)    A formal presentation of information on a specific business subject

The following learning activity looks at the first of these three types of presentation. After you
have looked at the learning activity below you can consider how you would prepare a learner
for types two and three.
Learning Activity 1: Presenting Yourself

Discussion Activity

Discuss with the student how often you need to present yourself. Everyone needs to be able to
present themselves and in business you present yourself every time you meet a new person. 

This personal presentation process may differ from country to country and culture to culture

More discussion points

 The importance of first impressions


 The importance of body language

 The importance of gestures

 The importance of personal space and physical touching or not

 The importance of facial expression

 The process of meeting, greeting and then moving on to social chat and then “getting
down to business”

Practise Activity

 Greetings – including shaking hands,


 Giving your Name

 Presenting your business card

 Giving your position in the company / your job title.

 Giving a brief description of your job/what you do

 Introducing other people

Reflection Exercise

How will the method/language of presenting yourself differ between a formal and an informal
situation, and between meeting males and/or females?

Section 5:   Preparing for a Job Interview in English

Introduction

If students are learning Business English they may need to be able to prepare for a job
interview conducted in English.
“The Good Interview” can be seen as a series of stages and each stage can be prepared and
practised and then all the stages put together and practised together.

You may also give the learner tips/advice on body language and suitable clothing and cultural
differences if appropriate

The Stages of the interview can be seen as:

1. Preparing for the interview

2. Greetings and introductions

3. Answering questions

4. Asking questions

5. Saying goodbye

The following are learner activities based on each of the 5 stages. Of course after going
through the learner activities for each stage you can then hold mock interviews and run
through everything that has been learnt and practised.

Learner Activity 1: Preparing for an Interview In English

Discussion Activities

Discuss previous experiences of interviews.

Discuss how you would prepare for an interview including suitable clothing and posture.

Discuss any vocabulary or grammar points that may be a difficulty

Discuss any cultural differences that may be relevant.

Learner Activity 2: Greetings and Introductions

Practice Activities

The learner needs to practise entering, sitting/posture, smiling, saying hello and answering
social questions such as

Did you find the place/building/office ok?

Would you like a cup of tea/coffee/a cold drink?

Replying to introductions (writing down names if appropriate)

Learner Activity 3: Answering Questions

Discussion and Practice Activities

Brainstorm possible questions that the learner may be asked. If you/the learner together can
make a list of 10 questions that have a high probability of being asked that is probably
enough.

Correct any errors of grammar/vocabulary/pronunciation

Brainstorm possible answers to the questions

Correct any errors of grammar/vocabulary/pronunciation

Practise asking and answering the questions. This can be done several times and the
interviewees usually enjoy and value the practice.

Learner Activity 4: Asking Questions

Discussion and Practice Activities

Brainstorm possible questions that the interviewee can ask the interviewer/s. They should aim
at asking at least one question and a maximum of three questions.

Correct any errors of grammar/vocabulary/pronunciation

Brainstorm possible answers to the questions

Correct any errors of grammar/vocabulary/pronunciation

Practise asking and answering the questions. This can be done several times and the
interviewees usually enjoy and value the practice.

Learner Activity 5: Saying Goodbye

Practice Activity

How to say thank you for the interview and if necessary ask when they will hear the result of
the interview and say goodbye (and smile)

Section 3 : Teaching One-to-One

Overview 

 Introduction to 1-to-1 teaching

 Approaching 1-to-1 teaching
 1-to-1 in practice
 Suggested Activities for 1-to-1 Classes

 Introduction to 1-to-1 teaching

 Approaching 1-to-1 teaching

  1-to-1 in practice

 2.1 Introduction to 1-to-1 teaching

 Teaching 1-to-1 can be one of the most arduous but also one of the most rewarding
experiences for the teacher. The challenges of this type of lesson can put teachers off
even attempting it. However, with the right preparation and mind-set, the teacher can
develop new skills and can find themselves in demand and in a better financial
situation than those who stick to group classes.

 Most teachers will, at some time in their careers, be asked to teach 1-to-1 lessons. This
may be by the school they work for or by individual students. In the first case, the
teacher may have no choice but to simply dive in and meet the challenge. In the latter,
the teacher must decide whether they can provide value for money to the student. 1-to-
1 lessons cost more and the teacher should avoid the temptation to take the lesson
purely for financial reasons.

 Many teachers set out their stall as private tutors without considering the implications
for themselves or the student. 1-to-1 lesson planning takes time and a lot of
preparation. A poorly planned lesson will lead to an unhappy student and, potentially,
a teacher with a damaged reputation.

 That said, 1-to-1 lessons can be a great way to supplement your income while honing
new skills, which are always in demand.

 2.1.1The student

 1-to-1 students vary just as in any class. You may find yourself teaching a housewife
or the president of a large company. How we approach the student depends on his/her
own needs and goals. It is important to take time to know as much about the student as
possible before commencing lessons.

 Some students are very good communicators while others are more reluctant to engage
in the lesson. However, it is important that we do not equate a good communicator
with a student who understands everything. Some are good at pretending to understand
and this, clearly, can lead to problems down the line.

2.1.2 Advantages and Disadvantages for students of 1-to-1 lessons

The 1-to-1 lesson holds many positives for the student. They will have the teacher’s undivided
attention and input. Depending on the student’s needs the course can be tailor made for them.
The accountant can focus on financial English while the doctor can be provided with medical
English. The progress in 1-to-1 lessons is usually more rapid as the teacher can correct
immediately and provide dedicated support to ensure errors are minimised or eliminated.

The student’s own work-related material can be used as the basis for lessons, thereby making
the lessons more relevant to the student’s own needs. This is particularly important in
situations where the student’s employer is paying for the lessons. It allows the employer to
gain some insight into what they are paying for if a student can show the immediate effect in
the workplace.

At times, students may wish to leave the planned lesson and merely engage in what they
would see as general conversation and discussion. Of course, you the teacher will need to be
flexible should this happen. As the teacher you will need to ensure that, when this happens,
the lesson is still a learning experience for the student.

The syllabus in a 1-to-1 course can be amended at will to suit whatever the changing needs of
the student may be. This provides real ownership of the lessons to the student.

The flexibility to alter class times to suit other commitments is a real bonus for students.
Many of them will have work/family commitments and lessons need to be scheduled around
these, though within limits as you too have other work commitments.

However, it isn’t all roses in 1-to-1 lessons. The student may at times feel isolated at being the
only one. They will find they have no group dynamic to draw upon for ideas and feedback.
The fact they are in the teacher’s focus 100% of the time may lead some to feel slightly
overwhelmed as there is no time to sit and let others do the work.

A student faced with a native speaker can feel somewhat at a disadvantage and may lead them
to feeling pressured to perform. They are, after all, in a position where they are the weaker
party. This may cause issues with students who may hold senior positions in a business or in
society in general as they are outside their comfort zone. Your job is to ensure they feel as
equal as possible in lessons.

The pressure of being the only student also manifests itself in the fact they are the only one
who can do the work and this can be a very tiring experience. Learning a language is hard
work and someone taking lessons after a long day at work may not be at peak performance.

The cost factor is also a potential negative. 1-to-1 lessons are expensive. As a rule of thumb,
most teachers charge private lessons at double their normal group rate, sometimes more
depending on the student’s needs and the preparation time required.

2.1.3 Advantages and Disadvantages for teachers of 1-to-1 lessons

Many teachers take great pleasure in teaching 1-to-1. The fact they are their own boss in many
cases provides a sense of freedom from the structures of school employment. This is an added
bonus to the extra pay. Being able to try new materials and approaches without the need to
consult with school managers is attractive to teachers who like to push their own learning.

Having just one person to adapt to means teachers can focus 100% on one person’s learning
without the need to juggle between students’, sometimes conflicting, needs. Being able to
adapt to the lesson as it progresses gives the teacher the opportunity to push both themselves
and the student to the limit.

Progress is easier to assess and the teacher often sees the improvement in a student’s
performance from one lesson to the next. Very often the teacher can find that what they have
used in one lesson can be adapted quickly and easily for the next lesson, thereby reducing
preparation time.

The student’s own work materials can often form the basis of lessons. This means the teacher,
should they choose, can avoid using standard course books for the lessons. Some teachers
look upon this as a breath of fresh air as, over the teaching year, course books can become
somewhat repetitive and this adds to the challenge of making them interesting for students.

In general, 1-to-1 lessons are more relaxed, especially after the first one or two. They tend to
develop a pace and mood of their own brought about by the developing relationship between
teacher and student.

Once the teacher has earned a good reputation with private students, the door is open to
making this type of work a primary or even sole source of income. Many teachers prefer the
freedom of self-employment to the more structured regime of school teaching.

It is worth noting that some of the advantages can, in some circumstances, also be a
disadvantage. The pressure is on the teacher to perform for their extra pay. Having just one
student means the teacher gets no break.

Whilst the student has some responsibility for their own learning, the teacher is the one who
must provide the conditions for continued learning.

This can be particularly difficult when faced with an unresponsive student. The teacher has to
spend considerable energy and patience in bringing the student out of their shell in order to
have them engage fully with the lesson.

Adapting to the student’s own learning style can be difficult as there may be a clash of
learning and teaching styles. Lessons can become boring as the benefit of group dynamics is
missing. There is little or no opportunity for some of the fun activities and games which can
be brought into group settings.

The insecurity of continued work sometimes causes teachers to see private lessons as a
supplement to their school work rather than a viable full-time option for work. Cancellation or
postponement of lessons is a frequent problem when providing 1-to-1 lessons and therefore
teachers have to set ground rules before agreeing to take on lessons. This in itself can be an
uncomfortable experience for teachers more used to being an employed school teacher rather
than a freelance entrepreneur.

2.2 Approaching 1-to-1 teaching

The teacher needs to approach 1-to-1 lessons every bit as professionally as they would school-
based lessons. This means being prepared not only for the lessons but for the business side of
the agreement.

There are considerations in 1-to-1 which generally do not have to be taken into account when
working directly through a school.

The first thing to decide is what the hourly rates will be. These can vary from student to
student and will depend on how much work you feel you will have to do as well as how many
hours the student requires. Most teachers provide discounted rates for students who book their
hours in blocks.

It is a good idea to have a clear idea of your rates and discounts before engaging in discussion
with students about 1-to-1 lessons. The teacher who hesitates when asked how much lessons
will cost runs the risk of being seen as trying to make up as high a figure as they can get away
with.

Being professional means having everything laid out and up front. Many teachers set an
hourly rate and then discount in blocks.

For example: 1 hour costs $30. 6 hours cost $150 (a $30 discount) 12 hours cost $300 and so
on.

Most 1-to-1 students are reluctant to commit to a block of hours with an unknown teacher so
some teachers provide an initial assessment and needs analysis lesson free of charge and then
return to the student with a written proposal based on their findings.

Doing this takes away any fears the student may have of paying for an unknown quantity and
of being taken for easy money. It also provides the teacher with valuable information about
the student’s current level as well as their goals, needs, and abilities. Occasionally, a teacher
may decide that the student’s goals are unrealistic and cannot be achieved. In these cases the
teacher may talk to the student to help them set more realistic goals. Should the student
persist, the teacher may simply decide not to take on the student.

(A) Payment

How much does the student pay and when?

This may depend on the number of hours agreed to.  Whatever the number of hours it is
usually in everyone’s interest to ensure that the thorny subject of money does not sour an
otherwise good relationship.

A simple payment plan could be the student pays for 50% of the total hours at the start of
lessons and the remaining 50% half-way through. This offers the benefit to the student of
parting with only half the money up front and of the teacher getting advance payment thereby
ensuring they won’t have their plans unpaid should the student have a change of heart and
cancel.

It also allows the student to assess the effectiveness of the teacher and ensures the teacher
stays focussed and committed.

(B) Cancellations and postponements

What happens in the event that either the teacher or the student need to cancel or postpone a
lesson?

Having an agreement about this is vital before lessons start as these are frequent issues which
come up in 1-to-1 teaching. The key here is to be firm but fair on both parties.
In general, teachers make changing lessons as easy as possible for students as outside factors
are often at play over which the student has little or no control.

Consider the following agreement between a teacher and student.

By the student:

Notice of 24 hours or more before the lesson = free rescheduling of lesson. No loss of
payment.

Notice of less than 24 hours before lesson = Loss of payment for that lesson.

Should the student cancel all remaining lessons any remaining fees for the paid block of
lessons is forfeited.

 By the teacher:

No loss of payment by the student for any cancellation/postponement made by the teacher.
Should the teacher cancel all lessons all remaining lesson fees must be repaid.

Teachers may find that after a few lessons they will feel it ok to relax some of these
conditions by mutual consent.

(C) Location

Careful consideration must be given to where lessons will be held. The most common places
are:

a. The teacher’s home

b. The student’s home
c. A café or other public building
d. The student’s place of work
e. Outdoors

It is up to the teacher to decide where they feel most comfortable, though clearly it is
important that the student also feels relaxed and safe wherever the teaching is to take place.
Common sense should prevail here. While unpleasant incidences are rare it is best to choose
somewhere public for the first few lessons or until both parties feel comfortable with moving
to another location.

Many teachers choose to vary the location of lessons as this can add variety and freshness to
them. Depending on the student, the teacher may even suggest a visit to the student’s place of
work. This can put the student in the position of power for once as they feel comfortable and
in control. It can also be a great way for the student to show their employer how much they
are learning as they provide a guided tour of the workplace in English. From the teacher’s
perspective this can provide a huge amount of material for use in future classes and a real
understanding of the student’s situation and work needs.

(D) Materials
Deciding on what to use during lessons can be almost as important as the lessons themselves.
Material which is irrelevant to the student will see them leave lessons quickly. Students often
ask if they can bring work-related material for use during lessons. This is a real bonus for the
teacher as the student will have both interest and motivation when using material directly
related to their work.

Should the lessons not be work focussed the teacher and student need to agree what course
book will be used. The teacher needs to make it clear that the cost of books is not covered by
the fees, though any supplementary materials/photocopies the teacher decides to use are.

(E) Duration

Many students feel that if they pack as many hours of 1-to-1 into a week as possible they will
learn more rapidly. It is up to the teacher to temper this enthusiasm with a reality check. There
is a limit to how much can be learned in a week. Just as there is a limit to how much a teacher
can teach effectively in a week.

Most teachers would agree that more than three hours of lesson time in one session is
ineffective. How many sessions a week is normally determined by the student’s needs and
reason for taking lessons.

Whatever is agreed, the teacher should always bring it to the student’s attention should they
feel the number of hours per week has reached the point of diminishing returns. Failing to do
so will eventually lead to the student quitting lessons.

2.3 1-to-1 in practice

Once you have sorted out the ground rules for lessons it is time for the teacher to focus
attention on the lessons themselves. However, before looking at these, we are going to take a
step back and look at the initial assessment carried out to determine the student’s level, goals,
and needs.

What sort of information does the teacher need to collect in order to make a well-informed
decision?

Firstly, the level of the student. There are many assessment tests on the market to choose
from. Most take around thirty to sixty minutes to complete. It is up to the teacher to decide
which to use. Whichever is used it is important the teacher also assesses the student’s oral
ability. With both of these known it will be easier for the teacher to decide how many hours
will be required to meet the student’s target.

In addition to the language ability of the student, the teacher should also take time to find out
as much about the student’s life as possible. A simple questionnaire or personal profile sheet
can be given to the student before the initial assessment.

Included in this profile should be the student’s interests outside work, their personal details,
and detailed reasons for learning English. Of course, the teacher needs to be sensitive to the
culture of the student and should not ask questions which may be seen as intrusive of the
student’s privacy.
2.3.1 A ten-point guideline for successful one-to-one teaching.

1.  Positioning

The teacher should think about where they should sit in relation to the student’s position.
Generally speaking, it is a good idea to sit next to the student so as to break the barrier of the
teacher being seen as an authority figure.

Again, cultural sensitivities should be taken into account. Some cultures find personal space
to be of great importance and sitting too closely can make the student feel uncomfortable or
even threatened.

As lessons progress the personal space needed may lessen but always bear in mind the
student’s own preferences.

2. Visual aids

Visual aids are of great importance in lessons and can act as great starter points for
conversation. Pictures can be used to lead in to the topic of the day. Diagrams or charts from
the student’s workplace can be used to practise vocabulary and structures the student needs
for their job. The student may bring in photos of their family or home. These could be used to
practise talking about relationships, hobbies, or general day-to-day routines.

They might also be useful for practising adjectives for describing people or situations.

3.  The student as a resource

The student’s profile sheet will be a great resource here. The teacher’s knowledge of the
student can be used to bring the student to discuss their work. The student is the expert here
and should feel confident in their knowledge of what they do. Ideally, if possible, the teacher
should find out as much about the student’s place of employment before commencing lessons.

In general, students enjoy talking about their work so this should be used to full advantage.
When they are engaged in something of interest they will find it easier to lose their inhibitions
about using English and they will seek help with the language in order to communicate what
they know best.

 4.  Feedback

It is important for the teacher to keep notes during lessons. Initially, the student may feel
uncomfortable with this but the teacher should let the student know why they are making
notes. After a short time the student will see this as a normal and beneficial part of the lesson.

The notes the teacher keeps should be used to provide feedback to the student on areas which
may need work. They can also be used by the teacher as a guide to planning future lessons. Of
course, positive feedback is of paramount importance and, again, the notes can be used for
this.
Base homework on these notes as it ensures the homework is directly relevant to what has
happened during lesson time. It also aids in preparing the student for the next lesson.

5.  Authentic materials

Where possible, students should bring authentic material to the lesson. This, ideally, should be
paperwork, manuals, forms, documents etc. from their place of work. Materials such as these
are not only of interest to the student but are also of great use in ensuring the lessons are
directly beneficial to their work. If the employers are paying for the lessons this will reassure
them that their money is being well spent.

Of course, materials such as these are of enormous use to the teacher in gaining a better
understanding of exactly what language requirements the student has in the workplace and
can therefore plan more effective and interesting lessons.

One note of caution here. It is vital the teacher reassures the student that all company
documentation will be treated in strict confidence and will never be discussed by the teacher
with anyone other than the student.

6.  The Internet

The internet is an endless source of material for both the teacher and the student. Should the
teacher not be able to find out about the student’s place of work, they can at least find out
about the area of work the student is involved in. Students react very positively to a teacher
who takes an active interest in the student’s profession.

The internet can be used for homework or in-lesson tasks. Having a student use their English
in this way provides real meaningful practice and boosts confidence. Homework might
involve the student sending the teacher one or more emails between lessons about their work
day, an event, or a problem they have had.

7.  Presentations

Depending on the student’s profession, presentations can form an important part of their
work. Most students find the practice of giving presentations in English to be a nerve-racking
experience. The student may hold a senior position within the industry and can therefore very
uncomfortable with the idea that their English may make them appear incompetent or foolish.

Regular practice of the language needed to give presentations and the skills necessary to
handle question-and-answer sessions should therefore form a major part of lessons if the
student faces this problem.
The teacher might even dedicate one or more lessons to the student giving full presentations
which the teacher can then provide feedback and further work on.

8.  Video and audio resources

Using video and audio can bring a wider range of language to the student. It can allow them to
experience different accents and situations outside their immediate lesson space. Leaving the
student in control of the medium provides them with a sense of control. Clear instructions
should be given before beginning. For example, it is not a good idea to allow a student to
listen to a piece of audio several times in order to get an understanding of the material. Twice
should be sufficient. The piece used should challenge the student but not be so difficult that
this issue arises.

9.  Homework

Most students expect to be given homework to do. When setting homework the teacher should
take into account the notes they have made during the lesson and amend or adapt any
homework in light of these notes.
It is important that both the teacher and the student agree on how much homework is to be
given. Setting unrealistic amounts only leads to frustration and can demotivate the student.
The teacher should always make homework relevant to both the lessons and the student’s
needs and goals.

10.  ‘Silent period’

Understanding your student is very important and never more so than when assessing their
learning style. While some students will happily talk for the full lesson others like to have
time to reflect on what has been done and to perhaps make notes. Giving students time like
this is not only beneficial for the students but the teacher can use this time to assess progress
in the lesson and make changes to the lesson plan if needed.

2.3.2 Conversation Ideas

It isn’t always easy to make conversation in a 1-to-1 lesson. It is important therefore that the
teacher has a list of topics with which to engage the student.

Work

Tell me about your current/last job.

Tell me about a job you would like to have.

What problems do you have at work?

What would you do differently at work if you could?

What are your colleagues like?

Do you enjoy your work?

Would you like a promotion?

What benefits would a promotion give you?

Sports

Do you like sports?

What’s your favourite sport?

Do you play any sport?

What do you think sport does for people?

What’s your favourite team?

Who’s your favourite player?

Hobbies

What hobbies do you have?

Why do you like them?

Would you like to have more time to practise your hobbies?

Would you like to turn your hobby into a job?

Music

Do you like music?

Do you play a musical instrument/which?

Who’s your favourite band/musician?

Do you listen to music often?

Family

How many people are in your family?

What do you like doing together as a family?

How many children/brothers/sisters etc. do you have?

Travel

Do you like to travel?

Do you travel for work?

What countries have you been to?

What country was your favourite?

Where do you go on holiday?

These are just some of the topics a teacher can introduce into discussion based lessons.
However, as with other areas the teacher needs to be culturally sensitive when asking about
these.

2.4 Suggested Activities for 1-to-1 Classes

News Stories

Start by cutting out pictures from a week’s worth of news.  Choose about five or six stories
that the student might know from the accompanying picture.  Get a piece of paper and cut a
square hole out of it.  Place the picture under the paper, and reveal a little of it through the
hole.  Ask the student what the picture might be, based on the part of the picture they can see,
and then ask them to tell you whatever they know about the event.

Post-It Challenge

Before you get to class, pick up a pack of Post-it notes.  When you get to class, write down
the names of things that are in the classroom on the Post-its.  Give the pack of notes to the
student and ask them to go around the room putting the notes on the things whose names are
written on them.  Towards the end of the lesson ask the student to go around the room and
retrieve the notes one by one as you say the words.

Translation Summaries

Translation summaries are a great way to practise real-life office skills with 1-to-1 business
professionals.  Many people who work in multi-lingual environments need to be able to look
at documents and say what they mean in another language.  To practise this in class, get some
authentic documents in the L1 (first language) that is used in your student’s workplace.  Ask
the student to tell you what the document means in English.  If you speak the student’s L1,
they could do the opposite with an English document.

Leave the Building

A 1-to-1 lesson is particularly mobile. It does not always have to take place in the classroom. 
The sky is the limit in terms of where you can hold your lesson.  Take a walk with your
student, go shopping together, maybe even take them on a tour of your house or ask them take
you on a tour of somewhere they like.  Changing the environment is a great way to refocus;
and making the world your EFL classroom is a great way to encourage spontaneous English.

Think of Someone Who…

Many of the course books for all ages and abilities are designed for groups, and not for 1-to-1 
usage.  But some activities, for example Find Someone Who… can be adapted for the 1-to-1 
classroom.  Change find someone who to think of someone who and you will get authentic
responses and explanations from your student by asking them to think about people they
know who fit the find someone who categories. Next, they write the names to fit the
categories in a jumbled order.  You do the same.  Then you swap lists and engage in dialogue
to find out which person fits which category.

Section 4 :Teaching English for Specific Purposes

Overview

 Background to Teaching English for Specific Purposes 

 Needs Analysis 

 ESP Categories

 4.1 Background to Teaching English for Specific Purposes

 Teaching English for specific purposes (ESP) is a form of English training wherein
students study English to become proficient with regard to a specific English task,
activity or profession, for instance marketing, hospitality and tourism, aviation,
finance, academia, healthcare or law.

 Where students might have problem areas at work, ESP seeks to give them the skill set
they need to perform better, more professionally, and to a higher standard.

 ESP training is closely linked to industry training, in that it borrows from the existing
methodology of the profession and expresses it through English.  ESP activities are
focused around real-life scenarios that students will encounter at work.  As a result of
this, the language taught in ESP is reflective of the language students/professionals
will find in the workplace.  In ESP lessons, the lexis, register, grammar, discourse,
genre, and study skills taught all revolve around the language needed to carry out
specific activities.

 Because ESP is taught within, or relating to, an already established discipline, it might
at times include teaching methods that differ from existing TEFL methods, to closer
align with methods in that field.  If a teacher is teaching legal English, for example,
students (who are most likely already lawyers) often respond better to the types of
exercises that they have already worked on during their normal law courses.

 The value of the teacher’s knowledge of the subject matter in teaching ESP is open to
question. Some researchers believe that prior knowledge of the field can in fact hinder
students' language acquisition, while opposing theories suggest that a teacher actually
becomes a subject teacher as opposed to an EFL teacher after six months of teaching
ESP in a particular field. In any case, it is most likely up to the course provider or the
students themselves to decide whether or not the instructor should have prior
experience and knowledge of the industry.

 Generally speaking, ESP is taught to adults, and not children.  The reason is simple
enough.  Adults are far more likely to receive English training in the field they already
work in than children, who are usually studying English to get a basic foundation, pass
exams, and to succeed in their coursework.  An exception to this might be students
studying at a vocational school, or secondary school, in which case their studies are
designed to expose them to, or train them for, specific real-life work situations. 
Having said that, EAP (English for Academic Purposes), one of the larger areas of
ESP, is taught to a large number of older teenagers who may wish to study at a college
or university which uses English as the language of instruction.
ESP is usually taught to students at intermediate or advanced level. Students will already have
at least some basic level of language training.  Therefore, most ESP books will not begin at a
starter English level, but will dive straight into the relevant subject matter.

 Some may argue that ESP is the direct opposite of General English, as they believe General
English teaches English without any specific purpose, other than getting better at the
language.  Others argue that there is no such thing as General English because all English is
learned for a purpose, even if that purpose is not specific.  In order to get started on teaching
an ESP student or group, it is important to discern what their needs are.  Only after
understanding what they need, can we seek to help them set goals.  It is also important to find
out what our students like and want in life, in order to get a better idea of their attitude toward
learning, their goals for the future, and how their learning matches their interests.

This section will look more in detail at drawing up a needs analysis, and teaching EAP and
Aviation English, as these are two areas that have experienced noticeable growth in recent
years.

4.2 Needs Analysis

A needs analysis is designed to discern exactly what a student should be studying.  When
considering how to draw up and carry out a needs analysis, with an individual student or a
group of students, two central questions are key:

 Why does the student need to learn English for work or study?
 How can I (the teacher) find a detailed answer to the first question?

It can be helpful to brainstorm a list of possible questions that you feel are useful for
analysing the needs of your ESP student.  After writing a comprehensive list of possible
questions, hone in on the best ones by eliminating overlapping concepts and focusing on the
ones you think are most significant.  The questions can be framed according to different
schemes including: using a question word, using language and skills, considering time, or
considering place.

The following are examples of needs-analysis questions using question words:

What specifically do you use English for at work or study?

When is the next time you will have to speak &/or write in English?

When is the next time you will have to listen &/or read in English?

Which aspects of English are most challenging for you?

Where are you most likely to use English?

Who do you usually converse with in English?

How long have you been studying English?

How often do you use English at work/for study?

Questions might also be framed explicitly in terms of language and skills.  You might ask
your students which sub-skills (e.g. summarising a text, listening for specific information)
they need to use the most or which area of the language (e.g. future forms, phrasal verbs,
functional language to express interest) they feel they need to work on the most.

Questions regarding time might include questions about the past, the present, and the future. 
You can ask the student questions about, for example, their English studies in the past, their
exposure to English in the present, or their plans to use English in the future.

You can carry out a needs analysis before class, and and/or during the first class.  If you
choose to do a comprehensive needs analysis before the lesson, you can give your students a
form or a worksheet to fill out, and/or give them a placement/diagnostic test.

How you carry out a needs analysis during the first class varies greatly according to the
situation.  In a 1-to-1 lesson it can be as simple as asking your student questions, and making
notes of the answers.  In a group, students can pair up, ask each other questions, and take
notes to give to the teacher to decide on a syllabus that best meets the needs of all the
students.

In order for this idea to really work, you'll have to help your students by brainstorming
questions or question categories with them.  These might be taken from the suggestions
above.  Students must record their questions and answers, in order to report back to you. 
When designing the syllabus, you could give the students a list of items, and ask them to
prioritise the items in order of usefulness, relevance and importance to them.  You could use,
for example, a pyramid ranking debate to guide the group towards agreeing on a set of
priorities, goals and needs.

 First-day needs analysis questions usually include questions about the students’ current work
or study situation, their use of English outside of work or study, their past experience of
English, their short-term and long-term goals and, last but not least, their wants, hopes and
dreams - anything that might involve some aspect of English.

4.2.1 Purpose mining

A concern that comes up when doing a classic needs analysis is that it might only give you a
general direction in which to take the course.  It does not provide much in the way of specific
information.  Course books and other materials that you bring into class and have the students
evaluate will help you understand their precise needs so that you can make your course
relevant and fulfilling.

'Purpose mining' can be very helpful in getting students to reveal their English needs.  To start
with, ask the student about a specific task they need to do in English.  When they answer, ask
another question, getting more and more specific as you go along.  You might ask a student to
describe the restaurant they work in, or what a customer might ask them, or how they feel in
certain situations.  After each answer the student gives, the teacher should ask another until it
reveals what exactly the student needs English for, or what exactly they need to work on. 
This can then become the focus of sections of the course. Be careful though - no-one likes to
feel like they are the subject of an interrogation! Gently does it.

Role-play can also help to reveal ‘hidden’ needs.  Ask the student to play their regular role at
work or study, while the teacher plays the role of colleague/ client/ professor, etc.  This can
also work with another student playing the role of the colleague, etc., provided the teacher
facilitates.  Role-plays can also be done the opposite way, where a student pretends to be their
own client etc.  The ESP teacher should pay close attention and note the students’ language
needs.

After a role-play between students, you can perform the same role-play, taking the role of one
of the students playing themselves.  After the class has seen the role played by both the
student and the teacher, as a group they should analyse what worked and what did not, as well
as problem areas that the teacher was able to smooth over, and how exactly it was done. 
What language did the teacher use? How did he/she deal with colleague/ client relations in a
way that was culturally acceptable? etc.

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Professional English
Section 4 :Teaching English for Specific Purposes

Task Page - Please note you will be graded on the answer you give on this page

4.3
ESP – Categories

There are many fields of special purpose teaching. However, it is unlikely that most
teachers would meet all of them, even in a long teaching career.

Below are listed some of the fields which teachers usually encounter at some point, though
some more often than others.

Business English

Teaching Business English covers every aspect of the business world. This may include
teaching senior managers, receptionists, sales people, export agents and so on. However,
you do not need to be daunted by this. Many of the skills required by a senior manager will
also be required by others so you will find lessons planned for one will transfer to another.

The precise activities you carry out in a Business English class will be determined by the
needs of the student. However, any, some, or all of the four skills may need to be dealt
with.

A receptionist will need practice in using the phone. What exactly does this mean to the
class situation? Let’s look at what the receptionist does.
Taking and Receiving calls.

Using the phone can be one of the most difficult things to do in a foreign language. There is
no visual information to help the listener so active listening and checking are important
skills to learn.

The student will need to practise using formal/semi-formal/informal English depending on

the relationship with the other speaker. They will also need ways of checking and
confirming what has been said. Taking notes will play its role as the receptionist will likely
have to pass on details of the call to a colleague.

Useful classroom ideas:

Use a sample conversation showing poor or impolite use of language. Have students
rewrite it in a more polite way.

Receptionist: .Hello. 12ABC Exports. What do you want?

Caller: I want to speak to Joe Bloggs.
Receptionist: You can’t.
Caller: Why not?
Receptionist: He isn’t here.
Caller: When will he be back?
Receptionist: No idea.
Caller: I want to leave a message.
Receptionist: Fine by me.
Caller: Tell him Mark Matty called. He must call me back today.
Receptionist: Ok. I’ll tell him just that.
Caller: Do that. Goodbye.
Receptionist: Goodbye.

Clearly the conversation above would not be a good one to have and by having students
draw and build on their existing knowledge of the language the teacher can help them in a
practical and meaningful way.

Checking information is also of importance and one of the most common problems
encountered when using the phone is in spelling.

Teaching students to use the phonetic spelling greatly increases the chances of correct
spelling and reduces the chances of wrong information being delivered.

Below is the NATO phonetic alphabet used widely internationally. Practice in this can be
provided by using the alphabet to dictate words to the students.

Students can also be put into pairs using word lists which they dictate to each other.

P Papa
Alpha
A Q Quebec
B Bravo R Romeo
C Charlie S Sierra
D Delta T Tango
E Echo U Uniform
F Foxtrot V Victor
G Golf W Whiskey
H Hotel X X-ray
I India Y Yankee
J Juliett Z Zulu
K Kilo - (hyphen) Dash
L Lima  
M Mike
N November
O Oscar
Anyone in business will find these exercises useful in their work as phoning is an
unavoidable part of carrying out work duties.

Presentations

Giving presentations is a common task for business people and the teacher must be ready to
facilitate students in class with practice. Use of formal language structures and vocabulary
along with active listening skills are important. Many presentations are followed with
question-and-answer sessions which the businessperson must be able to handle in a
professional manner.
Teaching useful phrases to field difficult questions can mean a student will be able to buy
time to think of the right answer or to come back to the answer at a later date. This is far
preferable to a student being put in the position of feeling inferior because they can’t
answer the question; not because they don’t know their business but because their English
isn’t up to scratch.

Report writing

Report writing is another area in which students frequently ask for help. Use of objective
language and formal styles of writing need to be worked on. Providing students with a
broad variety of reading tasks helps to build vocabulary with the result that they will be
able to write reports which are easier to read and less monotonous for the reader.

Help students to develop learning strategies for outside the classroom. Making vocabulary
cards on small index cards which can be carried in a pocket and studied at any time during
the day is a great way for students to build vocabulary without having to schedule dedicated
study time in an already busy work day.

Technical English

Technical English is taught to a wide range of students, from engineers to car mechanics.
Again, you will find a lot of crossover in this area.

Being able to describe in precise detail is a key skill for students of technical English. Their
work is precise and so therefore must the language they use.

One excellent exercise for technical students is to set tasks where they bring their technical
knowledge into play to complete a task in English.

Having students write a technical definition by class and differentiation is one way to do
this. An example would be to write a description of a bicycle. Seemingly easy at first, the
students will quickly realise they will need to draw on their professional skills if they are to
complete the task accurately.

e.g. A bicycle is a mode of transport (This is the ‘class’ to which the bicycle belongs)
which is powered by a human (this is the differentiation = what makes it different from
everything else in this class)
This may seem correct but a closer inspection of the definition will reveal the students have
left it open to describe more than just a bicycle. A tricycle? Roller skates? A skateboard?
Etc…

This exercise tests students in an engaging enjoyable way as they bring their professional
skills to complete the task. The language drawn upon and learned is of great use to them.

English for Tourism

With the exponential growth in tourism the demand for English to facilitate those involved
in the supply end of the industry is enormous. Many of the skills for business English cross
 over here but there are other areas which are niches. Restaurant workers may require
extended practice in listening, not just listening but dedicated listening whereby they gain
exposure to the many varieties of accents they may encounter. As English is the
international language of choice, students will be exposed to users for whom English is not
their first language.

The teacher may therefore be faced with providing listening practice with non-native
English speakers using the language. This is an added dimension to teaching which many
teachers overlook but to do so is to fail the students for whom this will be a key element of
their day-to-day work.

The internet will prove to be extremely useful as a resource here as many course books still
do not provide sufficient practice in this area. The teacher needs to be conscious of the fact
that students will probably struggle at times so it will be important to provide sufficient
support and pre-listening tasks if confidence is not to be damaged.

Teaching English for Academic Purposes

English for Academic Purposes (EAP) is the largest field within ESP.  EAP covers a broad
area and includes teaching the four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking, including
pronunciation) as well as preparation for academic pursuits.  EAP teachers are therefore likely
to spend a larger proportion of lesson time teaching study skills, including covering aspects of
English-language educational culture, such as our attitudes to plagiarism etc.  Teaching study
skills has become more common recently, as the number of international students applying for
and enrolling on further education programmes in English is rapidly increasing.  To this end,
many EAP courses (especially ‘foundation’ or ‘bridge’ courses) have been developed
specifically to prepare learners to study on diploma or degree-level courses where English is
the main language of instruction.  A component of this type of EAP course is often IELTS or
TOEFL exam preparation, as the majority of universities and colleges set a minimum score in
these tests as one of the entry requirements for international students.

Teaching study skills

Study skills and strategies can be integrated into an EAP syllabus, as students have to be able
to study effectively in order to be successful learners.  Study skills include self-motivation,
time management, note taking, memorisation, and dealing with stress and anxiety.

Redrafting and note taking

Redrafting and note taking are essential skills for the EAP learner.  A standard way to practise
redrafting is for the teacher to copy an article or passage, and highlight some of the key
grammatical structures or concepts.  Students then either match a list of synonyms and
paraphrases to the text in bold, or write their own version of the text with the same meaning. 
Another option for redrafting is to take a text and cover parts of words, whole words, or even
phrases, lines or multiple lines.  Students then try to reconstruct the text by guessing what the
missing words are.  Afterwards they can compare their result to the original text.  A classic
variation on this is to blank out all the verbs in the text and ask students to supply verbs that
can fit into the blanks with correct tenses etc.
Summarising

To practise summarising, give students a text with sections crossed out.  Students must read
the text, and decide what other sentences/phrases/words can be removed, leaving only the
main points.  Then they can rewrite the text in summary form.

Selecting source texts

When selecting source texts you can use any number of resources such as newspapers,
magazines, articles or anything on the Internet that is of interest to, and at an appropriate level
for, your students.  Ideally texts should be between 500 and 1500 words.  Put questions at the
end or break up the text by inserting questions at different points within the text.  Be sure to
include a range of question types (multiple-choice, T or F, short answers, etc.)  Published
course books or sample tests can give you good examples of types of question.

Teaching academic writing

Here are some useful exercises for helping students to write better essays. Many of them use
model essays (good examples for the students to analyse and learn from).

To develop learners' effectiveness and confidence with generating ideas ('brainstorming')

 write an opinion statement on the board

 ask learners to think of 3 things supporters of this opinion might say ('pros'), and 3
things opponents might say ('cons')
 an alternative for less confident students: give them the 3 'pros' and 3 'cons' but
jumbled up: they have to decide which are which

To develop learners' effectiveness and confidence with paragraph planning

 ask them to give each paragraph in a model text a title, or

 following on from the 'brainstorming' exercise above, ask them to put their 3 'pros' and
3 'cons' in the best order to mention in an essay

To develop learners' effectiveness and confidence with vocabulary (general)

 ask them to find synonyms for highlighted words and phrases in a model essay

To develop learners' effectiveness and confidence with vocabulary (linkers)

 take out all or some of the linking words/phrases from a model essay - ask learners to
guess what they might be
 an alternative for less confident students: give them the missing words/phrases but
jumbled up: they have to decide which goes where

To develop learners' effectiveness and confidence with editing/self-correction

 ask them to identify spelling mistakes in an essay

  ask them to decide which highlighted words and phrases in a text are wrong, and
replace them with a more suitable alternative
 use a correction code: return their own written work to them with annotations such as
word missing? Spelling? Tense? Singular/ plural? Register? and ask them to try to
make corrections

This is how a lesson on essay-writing might be staged (using or adapting some of the above
ideas):

1. Students speak in class about the topic in question to generate some interest and come
up with some ideas for the essay. They can then ask and answer questions in pairs or
groups.
2. In pairs, students read two different texts on a related topic and make notes to
summarise the texts and then discuss their main points, similarities and differences.
They could both be good examples (models) or one could be more successful.
3. Vocabulary and guided writing at sentence level: a) students put linking words (e.g.
because,however,resulted in,due to,in addition,despite,not only....but also,such as,for
example,as well as) into correct categories (e.g. giving an example, adding a point,
expressing contrast, expressing cause/ result); b) students are given a first sentence and
a linker and write a second sentence so that it follows logically from the given
sentence.
4. Guided writing at the text level: a) students plan a response to a question like ‘How far
do you agree with this statement?’ by categorising ideas into ‘Yes, because…’ and
‘No, because...’ using keywords; b) Students use a four-paragraph framework to write
their ideas into – an introductory paragraph, a second paragraph containing details
with examples (e.g. advantages), a third paragraph containing details with examples
(e.g. disadvantages), and a concluding paragraph with a summary and their opinion.

4.4 Aviation English

4.4.1 Background to Aviation English

Aviation English is a relatively new addition to the ESP field, and comes from a decision
made on 5 March 2008 by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in response
to studies that showed that from 1970 to 1995 over 1,500 flight crew members and passengers
died as a result of poor English language skills employed in emergency situations. 
International aviation has, for a long time, required that pilots and air-traffic controllers
working on international flights be able to communicate basic set commands in English;
however, in times of duress these basic commands are not adequate for communication.  The
ICAO has given the international community a three-year grace period to ensure all pilots and
air-traffic controllers working on international flights achieve a level 4 or higher according to
the ICAO Operational grading system.  Those who fail will not be licensed to fly
internationally.  Ultimately the ICAO would like all pilots to be fluent in aviation English, in
order to better handle emergency situations.

Level 4 of the ICAO Operational grading system requires English abilities specific to the
aeronautical community.  Pronunciation must be intelligible to members of the international
community, for the purpose of communication.  The pilot or air-traffic controller must be able
to use basic grammar in order to clearly communicate their point in times of emergency, even
if some mistakes are made.  Knowledge of specific vocabulary is essential for Aviation
English, as people in the industry often have to speak accurately about different parts of the
aeroplane and other aviation and emergency related topics.  Regarding fluency, pilots and air-
traffic controllers must be able to speak at an appropriate speed for clear communication,
including in emergency situations.  Their comprehension must be accurate enough to
understand descriptions or commands from ground control.  If emergency situations become
complicated, or unexpected circumstances arise, comprehension might suffer a little;
however, the level 4 individual should be able to work through the difficulty within a
reasonable timeframe.  Pilots and air-traffic controllers must be able to give immediate,
informative and appropriate responses when discussing unexpected changes.  They also must
be able to clarify, confirm, and check meanings, should misunderstandings arise.

At present, the ICAO does not have a standard proficiency test, but instead has a set of
requirements, which private companies have analysed and compiled into test materials, as
well as developing proficiency tests (such as TOEFA), which are speaking and listening tests 
(candidates are also required to demonstrate a range of Aviation English vocabulary).

4.4.2 Aviation English teaching activities

When teaching Aviation English, the teacher should focus on listening and speaking - reading
and writing are not covered.

Useful activity types for students might include:

 practising giving their position and status orally

 answering questions relating to listening texts
 watching/ looking at situations or events and describing them
 giving appropriate and accurate responses to spoken requests, correcting or confirming
instructions;
 giving details about events or situations
 describing or paraphrasing things or events when they do not know the exact word

Information-gap activities with pictures

 In pairs, one student identifies parts of a diagram/picture

by describing their position in relation to other parts and asking their partner to supply a label.
This activity could be useful for practising pronunciation of vital parts of an aeroplane or
airport apron, for example, and for practising the use of adjectival phrases and prepositions of
place.

 Using speech bubbles learners create a dialogue

that fits a context, e.g. in an air-traffic control tower. The activity could be expanded by
giving short, spoken clues about the background/situation.

 Students discuss what could be missing from a picture

which has elements blocked out - this exercise provides useful practice in language of
conjecture.  Alternatively, one student has a picture with some elements blocked out, and the
other student has a series of pictures of the missing elements.

 A learner 'guides' a classmate to his position

using a plan of an area (e.g. an airport plan) with his and his classmate's positions marked,
while his classmate traces the route on his own (unmarked) plan.

Audio-visual activities

Because emergency situations often result from, or are compounded by, poor quality
communication, it's worth having students listen to poor quality recordings or recordings with
background noise/interference.  Lower-level students will find it very difficult to extract a lot
of information from poor quality recordings; you might employ visual aids to assist the
students’ understanding of the context in which the recordings exist.  If you don't have a lot of
listening material available, you could make your own recordings using a digital recorder or a
mobile telephone.

Another idea for creating realistic listening and speaking exercises for Aviation English is to
use walkie-talkies in the classroom and have students positioned in places where they are
unable to see each other.