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BUSINESS ENGLISH · ENGLISH IN VIDEO · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

CREATING
STRONGER
CONNECTIONS
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1 Warm up

In pairs, discuss the following questions. Makes notes about your answers.

1. How would you describe your relationships with people in your team or people who you work
with directly?
2. How would you describe your relationships with other people in the company who you don’t work
with as closely, but you see regularly?
3. How do you feel when meeting new people in a business situation for the first time? What do you
usually do or talk about?

2 Idiomatic language

Look at the following questions. In pairs, discuss what the phrases in bold mean.

1. Do you find connecting with people difficult or not?

2. When was the last time you showed someone that you really care?
3. What can you do in your job to go above and beyond what is asked of you?
4. What have you done in your life that has really made a difference?
5. Who or what sets the tone of your work environment? How?
6. Do you find it easy to open up with people you meet? Or not? Why?
7. In your everyday life, do you find it difficult to be present? Why/Why not?
8. What would you have to do to realize your dreams?

Now answer the questions

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3 Focus on vocabulary

Part A: Match the words to the definitions

1. fast-paced (adj.)
2. pursue (v)
3. impact (n)
4. transparent (adj.)
5. feedback (n)
6. underlying (adj.)
7. mechanism (n)
8. genuine (adj.)

a. in a way that is not clear or obvious, but important

b. in a way that moves or changes with speed
c. not trying to hide anything or lie
d. parts of a machine or a system that have a specific function
e. some information which is aimed at improving something or someone’s work
f. something which is real and not a copy or fake
g. the strong effect that one thing has on another
h. to attempt to achieve something

Part B: Now put the words from Part A into the correct gaps in the following sentences.

1. His job is very and exciting. He really enjoys the thrill of it.
2. Stress was an problem that negatively affected her work.
3. The main speaker at the conference had a real on how I thought about my job.
4. The pay scale isn’t very in this company. No one knows how much anyone else
gets paid.
5. The product contains a that locks it when it’s not being used, preventing anyone
from stealing it.
6. We’ve had some great from the new customers, which I think my line manager
will be pleased to hear.
7. I trust her enormously as an employee. She’s a very person and always honest.
8. He’s leaving his sales job to a career in teaching.

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Now in pairs, answer the following questions.

1. Do you enjoy getting feedback from people at your job? Or do you prefer to give feedback? Why?
2. Does your company have transparent rules for hiring and promotion? Why/Why not?
3. What is your underlying motivation in your career?
4. What event or person had the most impact on your work life?
5. Are you attracted to a fast-paced work environment? Or a steady and gentle one? Why?
6. How do you know if someone is being genuine when they talk to you? What signs do you look
for?

4 Watching for main ideas

Look at the advice in the table below. Watch the video and put a tick by the advice given in the video.

Answer questions with honesty

Buy a gift

Write a letter

Give them advice

Pick up the phone

Turn the video on

Ask interesting questions

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5 Focus on comprehension

Now watch again and answer the following questions.

1. What point does the speaker make at the beginning of the video?

a. We can communicate much faster than we used to be able to.

b. In the modern day, we are much more efficient.
c. Ordering food is cheaper now than cooking it.
d. Connecting with people isn’t easier because of technology.

2. What tip does the speaker give regarding thank-you letters?

a. Tell the person about how they have changed your life.
b. Email them as quickly as possible after you see them.
c. Include a photo of yourself so they remember you.
d. Use black ink so that it looks professional.

3. Why does the speaker say that talking to people on their last day of work at a company is a good
idea?
a. They are usually relaxed, easier to talk to, and not very busy.
b. Knowing they have to talk to the boss will prevent them from leaving early.
c. They are often more truthful about their experience with the company.
d. You can find out useful information about their plans for the future.

4. What does the speaker say is a benefit of the third tip he gives?

a. It’s a good way to get invited to more social events.

b. You can really understand what people’s motivations are.
c. You get really skilled at interviewing people.
d. You get to know the people you work with on a deeper level.

5. According to the speaker, why do people say things like, "Good, how was yours?" when asked
about their weekend?
a. They want to keep their personal lives a secret.
b. They find it difficult to be open with others.
c. People usually have worse weekends than they expected.
d. Many people don’t like to mix business with pleasure.

6. Why does the speaker recommend the last tip?

a. It requires you to focus on the situation.

b. It’s a lot easier and less stressful.
c. It’s more convenient than a face-to-face meeting.
d. You can check where people are.

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7. According to the speaker, what is the benefit of developing meaningful relationships?

a. You’re able to take bigger risks as you have plenty of support.

b. You can build a company full of people you love to spend time with.
c. You create longer lasting friendships and a great work environment.
d. People will be less likely to leave your company if you know their secrets.

8. Which of the following is the best summary of his advice?

a. Technology stops people from having meaningful relationships.

b. Taking the time to personally connect with people is extremely rewarding.
c. Always be open and honest about what you are thinking and feeling.
d. Doing things quickly isn’t always the best way.

6 Talking point
In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. When was the last time you wrote a handwritten note to someone? Or received one? What was
the reason for writing it? What was the effect of it?
2. Do you prefer to call someone personally, or are you more likely to communicate with them in
another way? Why?
3. When you’re talking to people in business relationships outside the office, what do you usually
discuss?
4. If someone at work asked you right now, "How was your weekend?" what could you say that
would be more meaningful than, "Fine, thanks"?
5. Do you prefer video calls or phone calls? Why?
6. Look back at the answers you gave in the Warm up section of this lesson. How could you improve
the answers with the tips from this lesson?

7 Extension activity/homework
Write a note to someone you have a professional relationship with thanking them for helping you.
Remember to be specific about how their help or advice had an impact on you.

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Transcripts
4. Watching for main ideas

Robert Reffkin: So when was the last time that you wrote a handwritten note? It’s probably been
a while. Technology has changed the way we communicate. We send emails, not
letters, text messages, not phone calls. We order delivery instead of cooking dinners
in our kitchen, all in the name of efficiency. But here’s the point. Technology has
made it easier to communicate. But it hasn’t made it easier to connect with other
human beings. I’ve found that the secret to connecting in the high-tech, fast-paced
world that we live in is doing a few small things the old-fashioned way.

Robert Reffkin: Write a letter. I’ve written thousands of handwritten notes, thanking people for
advice, thanking them for an interview. It just puts that extra effort to show someone
that you really care and that you’re willing to go above and beyond. Some advice for
writing a thank-you letter is to really make it clear to the person that you’re writing
to the impact that they have had on your life.

Robert Reffkin: Talk about something specific, like "Thank you for the advice that you gave me. It’s
because of the advice you gave me that I am now doing x." People are looking to
make a difference. And so if you can show someone that they’ve really had an impact
on the life that you’re living, the life you’re pursuing, it could have a huge impact.

Robert Reffkin: Pick up the phone and dial. We’ve hired thousands of employees. And I’ve personally
called every single one of them to welcome them to the Compass family. I’m able
to set the tone of really what I want the company to be, where, you know, people
go above and beyond to make people feel welcomed and to give people a sense
of belonging. And sometimes I call people on their last day of work. When people
leave, sometimes they’re more transparent than they ever were when they were still
at the company. And so it’s a great opportunity to get feedback that is very hard to
get otherwise.

Robert Reffkin: Ask interesting and meaningful questions when you get outside of the office.
When I’m traveling the country, every night I’ll have dinner with people in the
company. And I like to ask questions like "What’s your underlying motivation?
What’s something that’s happened this week that meant a lot to you?" And when
you go around the table, and people really open up and are able to engage, it sets a
different tone. When people come back to the office, they can see each other, and
they know each other in a deeper way.

Robert Reffkin: Answer questions with honesty. You know how it feels when you go into an elevator
and someone says, "How was your weekend?" It could’ve been the best weekend
ever, you could’ve met the love of your life, and you would say, "Good, how was
yours?" If you want to connect with people, then you have to open up. I’m not
always that good at it, and I imagine most people aren’t. But that’s why being open
stands out so much, because most people aren’t.

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Robert Reffkin: Turn the video on. I would always recommend a videoconference over a phone call
because that’s when you can see the real personality come out. When you’re on
video, you’re forced to be present. It’s almost a forcing mechanism to be in the
moment. Nobody succeeds alone. The more you can take time to develop genuine,
authentic relationships, the more you’re going to be able to realize your dreams.
You’re going to be able to take big risks and know that there’s a network of people
to cheer you on and to support your efforts.

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Key

1. Warm up

10 mins.
Ask the students to discuss the questions and make notes on their answers. They will return to their answers later
in the lesson. You may want them to make notes on their partner’s answers and report back to the class. As this
is quite a personal exercise, ensure the atmosphere is supportive.

2. Idiomatic language

10 mins.
Ask students to discuss the language in bold in the questions and attempt to define it. If they struggle, you may
want to allow them to use a dictionary or the Internet, but ask them to attempt it without in the first instance.
When they have completed this and you are sure they understand the answers, ask for them to discuss the
questions. Circulate and help as needed.
1. To find things in common with another person and create an understanding relationship
2. To prove that you genuinely have someone’s best interests at heart
3. To do far more than is expected or asked of you
4. To affect or change someone or something in a positive way
5. Something which creates the character or the atmosphere in a place or situation
6. To be able to talk about personal matters or ideas without any embarrassment or shyness
7. To be involved in the moment and not thinking about other things or another time
8. To make your dream a reality

3. Focus on vocabulary

Part A:
5 mins.
Ask the students to match the vocabulary to the definitions. Lower-level students may require a dictionary or the
Internet.
1. b 2. h 3. g 4. c 5. e 6. a 7. d 8. f

Part B:
15 mins.
Ask students to use the answers from Part A to help them add the correct words to the gaps in the sentences.
Then ask them to discuss the questions. Circulate and help as needed. Share particularly interesting or good
answers with the class with the permission of the student concerned.
1. fast-paced 2. underlying 3. impact 4. transparent
5. mechanism 6. feedback 7. genuine 8. pursue

4. Watching for main ideas

5 mins.
This allows students to have a first look at the video and get the general idea of the structure.

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X Answer questions with honesty

X Write a letter
X Pick up the phone
X Turn the video on
X Ask interesting questions

5. Focus on comprehension

10 mins.
Ask students to watch the video again and take notes to enable them to point to evidence for their answers. You
may want to ask students to predict the answers to the questions before re-watching.
1. d 2. a 3. c 4. d 5. b 6. a 7. a 8. b

6. Talking point

10 mins.
Ask the students to discuss the questions. Circulate and help as needed.

7. Extension activity/homework

10 mins.
Ask students to personalize the advice by writing a note to someone who has helped them recently. Point out
that the specific and the personal is preferable to the general in this situation. Remind them of the section in the
video which said:
"Some advice for writing a thank-you letter is to really make it clear to the person that you’re writing to the impact
that they have had on your life. Talk about something specific, like "Thank you for the advice that you gave me.
It’s because of the advice you gave me that I am now doing x." People are looking to make a difference. And so if
you can show someone that they’ve really had an impact on the life that you’re living, the life you’re pursuing, it
could have a huge impact."
You may want to ask them to think of more than one person and write more than one note. Underline that it’s the
content, not the length of the note, that is important.

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