Phase 4

Business English Teacher Training (BETT)

The trainer performs the manifold roles towards the

overall implementation of the training session. It’s important to
understand the efficacies of ESP and how this ESP lends towards better
understanding of the technicalities of Business English. This module
etches this concept in a manner that would certainly hold the attention of
the participants of this program. How the trainer is going to make the
trainees learn to cope with this ever-changing dynamics of business
requirements is another element that this module brilliantly deals with. It
is important to break the ice and how the trainer is going to mentally
prepare the participants to come out from their shells and break the
inhibitions to participate is of the many vital aspects of this segment. The
trainer’s ability to mould the participants starts with understanding their
requirements and the ways to hold on to the attention of the participants.
The module comprises with such appealing activities that it would make
trainers enthralled. It’s important to delve into the minds of the
participants and design the activities in a manner that would appease the
trainers. There are the many shades of a trainer and it’s like trainer
bridging the gap and reaching out to meet the requirements of the
trainees.

The Client Approach

 Adult, personal and professional

 Differing “roles” for the trainer – e.g. coach, consultant facilitator
 Empowering learners

The module discusses the feature that distinguishes BE from ESL

(English as Second Language). TBE is the need to redefine the trainer-
trainee relationship. The age difference that usually divides the trainer
from the trainees is often not there, and, the ‘trainee’ in this case is also
a ‘client’ – i.e. a person paying for the services offered by the trainer.
This is no minor distinction, and one often mentioned by BE learners as
a source of misunderstanding.

Three key points need to be made in this regard:

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 Adult, personal and professional. First of all, the learners in this
case are adults, and must be treated as such. There must be mutual
respect between the trainer and the trainee on an equal basis,
something that is often not the case in other types of English
training. It is also important that the trainer understands that the
business trainee is a ‘whole’ person with priority business
obligations, and often a family. The ‘learning style’ of the business
client is profoundly affected by both the age of the trainee, and the
context of the business environment itself. For example, while
grammatical explanations may not be useful in training general
English, it may be desirable in TBE simply because the learner
expects it. And finally, there must be a ‘professional’ basis for the
relationship. The learner in TBE is a ‘professional’ and expects to
be treated as such. The trainer must also establish his role as a
‘professional’ by acting dressing and performing as a professional
as defined in a business context.
 Differing “roles” for the trainer – e.g. coach, consultant, and
facilitator. The traditional role of the trainer as ‘knower’ and sole
director of the learning process is not sufficient to TBE. Business
trainees, in general, are often low-intermediate or above, and the
synergizing of the existing knowledge within the learning group is
a key role for the trainer. This means that the trainer must create
learning activities where the trainees can teach each other, and the
role of the trainer is that of monitor, facilitator and coach, rather
than the source of learning and direction. Trainee- centered
learning is not just desirable in TBE, but essential to:

 respect the trainees as independent learners

 encourage the learners to take responsibility for their own
learning
 empower the trainees to share and learn from each other

 Results orientation. It is critical in TBE to keep an eye on the

bottom line – i.e. performance. Are the trainees able to do
something now that they couldn’t do before they started the
course? This means that the trainer must design a course with
doable results which occur at regular intervals during the time
frame of the course. Failure to do this is probably the most
frequent reason that BE courses fail – in other words, they fail to
meet the performance expectations of the client, the individual
trainees and the company.

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 The term 'Client Approach’ in the context of training English language
focuses on the adaptation of the style of approach specified by the
genre of English Language taught.
Under the broad umbrella of communicative English or EGP (English
for General Purpose), the training can attain several overlapping
dimensions like ESL (English as Second Language), EFL (English as
Foreign Language) , EAP (English for Academic Purpose) and ESP
(English for Specific Purpose) etc. The fine conceptual and applied
demarcation between ESL /EGP and ESP can form a prelude to how a
Business English client can be approached by his/her trainer.

English as Second Language (ESL) learning contexts are those in

which the classroom target language is readily available out there.

 In a typical second language context, the trainees have a tremendous

advantage. They have an instant “laboratory’ available twenty-four
hours a day. For them, the classroom hours are only a fraction of
language learning hours.
 The trainees generally have more chances to use English naturally
outside class, such as while playing with their friends, shopping, or
surviving in daily life.
 They are also likely to have much more exposure to English, such as
when watching TV or just hearing conversations around them. In
general they are more likely to deeply understand the importance of
English and feel it as natural and necessary to learn it.

For instance training English in the United States or Australia clearly

falls into this (ESL) category. With an increased usage of English
worldwide for variety of purposes, ESL contexts vary from an American
or British context, where monolingual native speakers abound, to
countries such as India or Singapore, where English is widely used as

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 second language for education, government and commerce, to
Scandinavian countries, where English has no official status but is
commonly spoken by virtually every educated person.

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is specifically devoted to

professional fields of study, further beyond the dictates of ESL/EGP. A
course in English for Agriculture or in Business writing would fall
under the general rubric of ESP. Usually ESP courses are differentiated
from Vocational/Technical English in that ESP refers to discipline in
which people can get university majors and degrees, while Voc/Tech
refers to trades and other non-baccalaureate certificate programs.

 ESP as a recognized area of English language training covers an

enormous periphery including business, medicine, the law, engineering,
history and art and design; in fact, any area of contemporary academic
or professional life in which English is needed.
 ESP is not an approach, a method or a technique (although simulation
and role-play activities are often identified as business ESP courses).
The only feature common to all types of ESP course is the selection of
the content and training approach according to the perceived needs of
the learners. Consequently, needs analysis generally plays a more
pivotal role in ESP than in EGP (English for General Purposes).

In fact the dividing line between ESP and EGP/ESL is not always clear;
where do we place for example, a course designed for a Korean
Business person who is to assume a post abroad in the near future? If
the learner’s proficiency level is very low, a great deal of the course
content will probably be of a general English type with emphasis on
survival situation. Most should probably agree that the course should
be classified as ESP, simply because the aims are clearly defined, and
analysis of the learner’s needs play an important part in deciding what
to include in the course. However, ESP should ideally not be regarded
as a discrete division of ELT, but simply an area (with blurred
boundaries) whose courses are usually more focused in the aims and
make use of a narrow range of topics. Most of the points we will
address are of equal relevance to the training of general English.

Both ESP and EGP courses are expected to pay detailed attention to
learner needs and expectations, and to respond to them as efficiently
and effectively as possible.

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Currently Business is apparently a dominant area in ESP – ranging from
published courses to situation-specific materials developed by trainers
in a company or educational institution. Whereas the emphasis in early
ESP was mainly on reading and writing skills, all four language skills
including listening and speaking are now given equal attention, and
emphasis on a skill or skills will depend on the aims of the course. In
present-day ESP, as in other areas of ELT, there is now acceptance of
many different approaches and a willingness to mix different types of
material and methodologies. More attention is paid to developing
effective communication (as opposed to purely linguistic) skills, e.g.
making presentation, participating in meetings, and no less
importantly, socializing. The blatantly Anglo-centric world-view of past
materials has generally been replaced by a multicultural approach,
discussion activities based on cross-cultural topics being one example.
English is presented as an ‘international’ language, and courses will
often feature non-native speakers in recordings.

Business English is special because of the opportunity it provides for

the fulfillment of the trainees’ immediate and specific needs. As
compared to the general English classes trainees, needs are rarely so
immediate or urgent. Since work is so central to most people’s lives and
since Business English relates to trainee’s occupational or professional
needs, the trainer has the opportunity to make a real difference to the
trainees’ day to day experience.

The foremost feature of Business English is its redefining of trainer-

trainee relationship. The age old conventional difference that usually
disengages the trainer from the trainees, elevating them to a higher
plane, is often not there. The ‘trainee’ in this case is also a ‘client’ – i.e. a
person paying for the services offered by the trainer.

In Business English the trainer is responsible to provide insight and

support while imparting knowledge and wisdom and for this reason
he/she needs to understand the perspectives of the trainees. The
trainees are likely to belong to different professions and some may
aspire to join new areas of employment as well. As a trainer it is
essential to bridge the gap and understand the mindset of the trainees
so that the training can be productive and relatable. This would allow
better interaction with the trainees and they in turn, can also look at the
training with a fresh eye and gain relevant knowledge from the training
session which they can incorporate in real life situations. This would

5
 help the trainer to understand and reflect upon the purpose of the
training session.

Introduction

Before allowing trainees to introduce themselves to each other (if

necessary), using some of the procedures described in this section, give
your new trainees a formal introduction to yourself and the course. It is
important to include this introduction at some stage in the first lesson.
Adults studying for their work like to be told what’s going on! As
already emphasized, trainees will be more motivated from Day 1 if you
communicate your intentions and objectives clearly and if you show
that you are well-organized and serious about the course as a whole.

In the formal introduction:

 Introduce yourself briefly.

 Introduce your company, if necessary.
 Outline the course’s main objectives (very briefly).
 Introduce the training ‘rules’ (e.g. no homework is compulsory but the
company expects approximately three hours per week; lateness to be
minimized; absences to be approved in advance).
 Deal with any necessary paperwork (e.g. attendance forms).
 Stress that the course aims to fulfill the trainees’ needs and make them
better able to use English at work.
 Encourage trainees to give you feedback on the course content,
methods or materials at any time.

The activity suggested is designed to supplement your formal

introduction and should mostly be used after your more formal
beginning, However, if you give this formal, ‘serious’ introduction after
an initial activity, the initial activity will act as ‘taster’ for the more
relaxed learning which should follow later in the course. Part of your
introduction can in any case be made more interesting if it is turned
into an activity (e.g. a jigsaw reading to discover the class rules). Don’t
use too many unusual techniques, though, because trainee’s attention
needs to be focused on your message at this stage, not your method or
manner of communicating it.

In order to get your message across effectively speak slowly and clearly,
and even consider the trainees own language if you can. Trainees need

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to feel that they will be treated with respect, irrespective of their level
of English.

METHOD – Ball Introductions

Trainees learn each other’s names or introduce themselves to the group

by throwing balls. There is a ‘physical shape’ to what is said because a
ball is thrown each time someone speaks. Trainees themselves have
control over who speaks, when and how often.

Language names, questions and answers

Level any

Time 5 minutes

Procedure
Using soft balls which are unlikely to damage equipment or people, ask
trainees to throw a ball to someone and say their own name. After one
ball is circulating well, throw other balls to free trainees. Be careful not
to ‘swamp’ the group with too many balls!

Variation 1

Trainees say the name of the person to whom they are throwing the
ball. After this has been done successfully, trainees continue saying the
next person’s name and also ask him or her question. Questions and
answers alternate with each throw of the balls. This works best if more
balls are gradually fed into the circle trainees until pairs or threes are
throwing balls across the room to each other.

Variation 2

Trainees say the person’s name as they throw the ball and say
something about that person, remembered from previous
introductions, classes or activities etc. Using different methods at
different times might well maximize the learning which actually takes
place in the class since individuals themselves seems to vary
enormously in terms of learning style; even the same learner responds

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differently at different times, depending on level of difficulty, mood or
need.

If we are to select methods appropriately we must remain sensitive to

our trainees and alert to their linguistics, intellectual, social, emotional
and professional needs. A certain amount of experimentation is
inevitable while doing this, but attempting to ‘tune into’ trainees
selecting the methods we use will bring enormous benefits in terms of
improved class dynamics and real learning on the part of the individual
trainees. This means listening to trainees and watching their reactions,
then responding in a way which seems appropriate as well as being
alert to trainees when selecting and using methods.

How to address trainees

A Business English context essentially requires the trainees to be

addressed appropriately. The learners here are adults and must be
treated as such. There must be a mutual respect between the trainer
and the trainee on an equal basis, something that is missing in training
EGP. Using the appropriate style of language is primarily important
because it makes trainees feel respected – which in turn will make them
more willing to co-operate. The style of the language may affect
trainees’ impression of the trainer as a professional, and this will affect
the success of a course and the amount of motivation the trainer
manage to inspire.

Secondly, it is often the language that the trainer uses in class (i.e. the
meta-language) which trainees pick up first, so there is a practical spin-
off. In other words, addressing trainees appropriately – as respected
equals – is a key to developing an appropriate relationship with
trainees, as well as being motivating and useful in practical terms. Even
when training low-level trainees, language can be carefully selected so
that it seems respectful (e.g. Could you? Or, if you have time to preface
most requests about homework?). More advanced trainees will have no
trouble coping with more sophisticated forms of language (e.g. Another
idea would be Or, by any chance?). All trainees should be able to cope
with the language which the trainer chooses, thus inculcating a habit of
following more sophisticated expressions with simpler version of the
same thing. For example, after saying to intermediate trainees, I would
appreciate if you could have this done by tomorrow, pause, and then
say by tomorrow, please if possible. If the trainer does this, the trainees
will not only appreciate the efforts to treat them with respect but will
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 also learn more complex expressions over time. Accompanying the
words you select for any level of trainees with the appropriate
paralinguistic features (tone of voice, intonation, facial expression and
other body language) will also ensure that the simplified version of
expressions are interpreted as respectful.

This ‘respectful’ style of language might be in stark contrast to the style

of language often used in the general EFL classroom even though most
general EFL trainers have the very best intentions. The precise style of
language you use needs to be adapted according to the trainees’ present
or future work environment.

Some industries or corporate cultures favor a direct style (for the sake
of clarity), while others prefer a less direct, almost deferential style.
People in some countries may also have certain preferences, so where
trainees use English is also a factor. The key is to make trainees aware
which styles of languages are appropriate for different situations. This
will involve focusing their attention on whether something is spoken or
written, on the relationship of the participants (people who are
interacting) and on the purpose of the interaction in any particular
case. Using this respectful style of language as the day-to-day meta-
language should affect the atmosphere of a class, which should
gradually become more and more open and more and more focused on
the work in hand. When this happens the trainer will probably find that
the style of language which is used at some stages of lesson also loosens
up. This is a time to be careful because it is important not to become too
familiar with the trainees. It is sometimes useful to compare your
language with that of manager chairing a daily departmental or
interdepartmental meeting. He or she – as a native speaker of English –
would naturally use a more formal style of language whenever ‘taking
back control’ of the meeting, whenever summarizing and whenever
making requests. This does of course mean that there is still plenty of
room for humour. However, this along with all other communication in
class needs to be respectful, considerate, non-sexist and non-racist, if it
is to be helpful.

Regulating the motivation factor

In Business English, the trainer-trainee relationship should be

appropriate in inculcating high motivation. Low motivation might
result when:

 You are not respected as a professional

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 Trainees feel you are manipulating them or, on the other hand, you are
insufficiently decisive.
 Trainees’ needs are not being fulfilled.
 Trainees feel you are wasting their time.
 Materials are inappropriate in terms of needs, level or personal
preferences.
 There’s a bad atmosphere in class and trainees do not work well
together.
 Attendance is poor.

Motivation level in the class can be enhanced through the feature like -

Present yourself professionally

The trainer needs to be appropriately dressed with an open and

informative mode of communication. Re-evaluate your personal
appearance. Dirty shoes, T-shirts and carriers bag can make a bad
impression on well-dressed Business English trainees. Check what is
considered appropriate in the local or corporate culture through careful
observation and informal chats with key personnel. Make sure all your
handouts and OHTs are carefully produced and copied, with no shaded
edges or errors. The trainer can arrange pre-cue tapes and pre-test
equipment in advance so as to avoid embarrassing mid-lesson glitches.
The strategy planning is very much similar to that of public relations
personnel.

Have a system for dealing with absence and lateness

Attendance may be poor for professional pressure, time constraint and

other priorities on the side of the trainee. Trainer needs to deal with
attendance either by persuading trainees to leave the program and
postpone studying until they have more time or by getting them to
realize (through the attendance policy) that they will need to
reprioritize English in their lives.

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Trainers can play many roles in the course of training. In Business
English the role of the trainer differs from a manager to a consultant to
a facilitator, a client and so on. The traditional role of the trainer as
‘knower’ and sole director of the learning process is not sufficient to
TBE. Business trainees, in general, are often low-intermediate or above,
and the synergizing of the existing knowledge within the learning group
is a key role for the trainer. When trainees meet the trainer in an ideal
constructive working relationship, Business English not only turns
special but can also become an exciting and surprising area of training.

The Trainer as a Manager

This metaphor captures the trainer’s role as one who plans lesson,
modules and courses and who structures the larger longer segments of
classroom time, but who then allows each individual player to be
creative within those parameters. Managers of successful corporations,
for example, retain control of certain larger objectives of the company,
keep employees pointed towards goal, engage in ongoing evaluation
and feedback, but give freedom to each person to work in his or her
own individual areas of expertise. A language class should not be
markedly different.

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The trainer as a facilitator

A less directive role might be described as facilitating the process of

learning, of making learning easier for trainees: helping them to clear
away roadblocks, to find shortcuts, to negotiate rough terrain. The
facilitating role requires that you step away from the managerial or
directive role and allow trainees, with your guidance and gentle
prodding, to find their own pathway to success. A facilitator capitalizes
on the principle of intrinsic motivation by allowing trainees to discover
language through using it pragmatically, rather than by telling them
about language.

Relate to the trainees

Trainees should be viewed as individuals having valuable life

experience and opinions to offer. Draw on these experiences as a
fundamental base of any new performance area by deriving
information from them before imparting any. Check with all trainees
whether they understand the rationale behind any training procedure
applied in the class, and if required explain them all over again.
Try to understand your trainees’ motivation for learning English, not
only by enquiring about their precise job needs but also by asking them
how they feel about learning English and by finding out how they
manage to fit this extra study into their busy life.
While attempting to tune into your trainees, continue to feel confident
about making decisions for the class. You will probably know more
about language learning than your trainees and have a clearer
perspective of how much progress is being made. You need to take a
lead because it is, after all, you who is ultimately responsible for the
success or failure of the course.

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 Check that you’re fulfilling trainees’ real-life occupational needs

Find out from the course organizer why the course was set up in the
first place. If you discover that no needs analysis was conducted at the
beginning of the course, conduct one mid course. With trainees whose
needs were initially clearly established, confirm repeatedly that the
initial needs analysis still applies. This may be necessary since trainees’
work situation can change mid course, skills are sometimes acquired or
improved on the job and the progress is often unpredictable and
difficult to track – both faster and slower than expected at times.
Trainees’ real-life occupational needs can be fulfilled by encouraging
them to accomplish on-the-job work in class. This gives an assurance
that the class-works are relevant and valuable to the trainees’ real life.
Trainees will appreciate being able to work on important memos, e-
mails, reports or presentations in class. In case of trainees having
longer-term objectives elicit probable scenarios and role-play what
they will probably experience in the future. Well-planned role-plays
will make trainees realize the trainer is fulfilling their future
occupational needs.

METHOD – Deep-Ending

Trainees are asked actually to do something (e.g. write a memo, deal

with a visitor, take a telephone message) before the performance skill
has been ‘taught’ or practiced in class, i.e. they are asked to jump into
the deep end of an imaginary swimming pool before they can swim!
Doing this gives trainees an opportunity to show and become aware of
what they can and can’t already do.

Language depends on which performance skill you choose to work on

Level any, except absolute beginner

Time anything up to 40 minutes

Procedure

1. Tell trainees you need to find out more about what they can and cannot
do so that what you do in class is totally relevant to their needs. Then
ask trainees to do something which they need to be able to do. Make
sure that you ask them to do something very practical (e.g. write a fax
or a memo). If you want to find out about trainees’ speaking skills, ask
them to role-play a situation; clarify the situation and characters before

13
 everyone starts so that the trainees know exactly what they are doing.
Before and during trainees’ performance make sure the trainees
understand that it doesn’t matter how well or how badly they perform.

2. When trainees have finished,’ debrief’ them by asking them how they
feel they did and adding your own comment. Set class objectives and
follow up.

Encourage trainees to develop an English-speaking personality

While selecting, prioritizing and presenting language, encourage

trainees to develop an English-speaking personality, i.e. a set of
behavior – both verbal & non-verbal, to be used when speaking or
writing in English, which are internally consistent and appropriate for
the trainees’ situation.(Making ‘personalities’ internally consistent
means ensuring that outgoing trainees who chose assertive phrases
such as Hi, let me introduce myself. I’m ….You’re new here, aren’t you?
Also, use similarly assertive language at other times, as in, What can I
do for you?). Trainees’ English speaking personalities need not relate
directly to any specific English-speaking culture, but must be acceptable
both in an international business context and to the individual trainees
themselves.
Since trainees will sound very strange in the real world if they use an
inappropriate mix of formal and informal styles, or if they use assertive
expressions alongside ones which sound more deferential, it is
important to give trainees feedback on any ‘discrepancies’. If necessary,
discourage individuals from using particular expressions which seem
‘out of character’ and explain why. Encourage trainees to make
informed choices whenever possible because they are likely to be more
knowledgeable about their working persona than you are.
The advantage of using the concept of an ‘English-speaking personality’
with trainees is that it will give them ‘permission’ to behave in a way
which is also emotionally acceptable to them when they are using
English. (They may cringe at the idea of being so informal or direct in
their own language). It will make participation in role-plays in class
more enthusiastic. The concept will also help trainees to bring together

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 and personalize the disparate elements of a course. In order for
Business English to become special and an efficient tool for achieving
some business objective, the trainer needs to build a special and
interactive relationship with the trainees. This helps trainees to come
out with their problems as well. Trainees will be grateful if the trainer
succeeds because in developing a good relationship the trainer needs to
infuse within the learners and the users of English, the quality of self –
reliance. The trainees should also be invested with more power, in
contrary to a normal ESL class.

Encouraging trainee self-reliance

Making trainees reliant on their own resources mean ‘empowering’

them, i.e. giving them power. In practical terms this means putting
trainees in control as far as possible, i.e. allowing them to make minor
and major decisions about their learning both in class and outside it,
while at the same time remembering our responsibility for the ultimate
success of a course. While remembering our trainees’ need for input, we
need to strike a balance between training and facilitating so that our
aim is primarily to make learning possible in day-to-day practical terms
and to help trainees and managers track progress. To do this, we need
to take account of both our own and our learners’ expertise and use it
to maximum effect.

It is important and advantageous to encourage trainee self-reliance for

various reasons:

 Empowering trainees help us to develop a productive relationship with

our trainees in which learning is maximized and our job becomes more
satisfying.
 Trainees become more motivated, so our job becomes easier.
 We find ourselves getting to know our trainees as equals, so our
relationship with them are likely to become increasingly open and
informal – which is good for everyone.
 We find out more and more about trainees’ work situation and
consequently about the world of work in general, which gives us a fresh
perspective on day-to-day life.
 Being better informed about our trainees’ work, it’s easier for us to
make class-work relevant and interesting to trainees. Materials that the

15
 trainees bring into class provide a resource for developing new
material.
 Individual differences in a class which emerge when trainees are more
active make lessons increasingly varied.
 Given the financial constraints operating in most training contexts, it is
likely our trainees will be working alone soon after our courses.

Handing over control early on in a course

A certain amount of trainer control is expected and appreciated early

on in courses and, to a lesser extent, later on. Working adults, who are
often forced to work under considerable pressure, are usually well
aware of the need for a systematic approach, which they hope the
trainer will bring to the language learning process. Trainees may even
associate trainer control with professionalism, so they might need to be
coaxed out of this expectation into a more active role. Their expectation
in this respect may be a hangover from their experience at high schools
or in other learning contexts.

In order to coax trainees into a more active role early on in a course, try
the following:

 Get trainees to make seemingly ‘trivial’ decisions about which colour

pens should be used (e.g. on a whiteboard or OHT), how they should sit,
or where they should stand during stand up activities.
 Get them to make learning-related decisions, e.g. whether or not to
listen to a recording for second or third time.
 Get them to decide whether to do listening or reading practice first in a
lesson.
 Get them to decide which characters are in role-plays and why people
are talking, etc.
 Get them to prioritize short-term learning objectives for their course.

Setting homework

If homework is handled sensitively it can be an invaluable way of

handling over control to trainees because it is one time when trainees
are active on their own, right from the beginning of the course.

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 In order to achieve good results:

 Establish a routine. If trainees are always expected to do something

outside class, they will get used to allocating some of their personal (or
work) time to this end.
 Make an assignment as far as possible an extension of work done in
lessons.
 Make all homework as work-related as possible.
 Encourage trainees to adapt homework assignments to their needs.
 Make homework optional. Avoid putting pressure on trainees to do
work outside class. We must assume that if trainees do not do
homework either they consider it inappropriate, insufficiently useful,
overtly time-consuming, or boring.
 Give trainees a wide variety of homework ‘ideas’ (i.e. options). Get them
to record these ideas during lesson and have a quick ‘recap’ of
possibilities at the end of a session.
 Provide models when asking trainees to write e-mails or reports etc.
 Always respond positively to trainees when faced with any work they
have done outside class, even it appears to be strange or a
misinterpretation of what you were hoping to get.
 With real, adult-to-adult messages on homework, not judgmental and
fairly meaningless words such as Good! A useful approach is to write
description of what was good or bad about the trainee’s work. Add
cartoons to illustrate reactions or explain points if you can. In other
words make your feedback for informative and fun.
 Encourage trainees to buy extra materials for self study.
 A lot of expectations of trainer from his or her trainees usually give rise
to challenge. On the other hand, when a situation or a person is ‘written
off’, expectations are not fulfilled, and the results are rather depressing.

Ongoing approaches

There are numerous other ways of empowering trainees on an ongoing

basis:

 Prioritize objective with trainees on a session-by-session basis by

simply writing up a list of things /topics that can be the day’s lesson on
the board and getting trainees to decide what to start with.
 Discuss and review objectives with the class whenever this seems
appropriate.

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 Give trainees a choice as often as possible on both minor and major
issues, while at all times respecting the aims of the course.
 Encourage the use of answer keys, and reference material in course
materials
 Encourage trainees to use old course materials or to find
supplementary materials in libraries, self access centers (if available to
them), local bookshops or the workplace.
 Invite trainees to lead sessions or parts of sessions, not forgetting you
may need to intervene here and there with information, example or
suggestions.
 Review progress, deadlines and priorities with trainees on a session-
by-session basis.
 Give trainees opportunity to give feedback, and then respond to it. Note
preferences, strength or weaknesses in individual trainees and adapt
your approach as necessary.

When giving feedback, the style of language must show respect and
openness towards trainees’ own perception. To avoid a defensive,
negative and unreceptive response to the feedback or correction, the
trainer should begin by asking trainees questions such as the following:

 How did you feel?

 What do you think you did well?
 What would you like to improve?
 So, what do we need to do next?

Experiment and persevere

The trainer should adapt an approach which fosters a cooperative and

collaborative atmosphere. Every group of trainees functions differently
not only because they are separate individuals but also because of the
differing classroom dynamics and the fact that every group of Business
English trainees will have slightly different reason for being in the
classroom. When the trainer is experimenting, he/she should remain
receptive of the trainees’ response. Beware of being over-influenced by
only the ‘loudest’ trainees in a class, though and at all times remember
the need analysis.

Even if you experience difficulties, persist with the idea of involving

trainees. Passive trainees who expect English to be administered as a
magic potion are unlikely to make progress. The more involved and

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 active trainees become, on the other hand the more they are likely to
learn. Activating trainees is undoubtedly the key to motivating them
and prolonged focus motivation is usually associated with high levels of
success. In other words, encourage interactions about learning,
constantly invite and respond to trainee feedback, and enjoy your
livelier, ‘empowered’ trainees.

METHOD – Passing the Buck

Trainees are encouraged to begin to accept responsibility for achieving

goals through a sentence-completion task. This is a useful activity for
intermediate or advanced trainees

Language can be any but can be controlled by cues given on a

worksheet
Level intermediate and above

Time 10mins

Procedure
Ask trainees to complete sentences such as the following:

1. During the course I plan to …..(box)

2. My English is now good enough to …..
3. My English should be good enough to …..
4. I am going to improve my rate of progress on this course by……..
5. I shall track my progress by………..

If you feel that trainees need help with language or ideas for 2 and 3,
provide them with sentence endings such as those listed overleaf but
make sure everyone understands them.

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 ……. introduce myself.
……. introduce others.
……. answer the telephone.
…….make telephone calls to ask for information or arrange
appointments.
…… make conversation with colleagues.
…… make conversation with visitors.
…… give simple instructions.
…… give persuasive presentations.
……. participate in discussions in meetings.
…… report to my supervisor face to face.
…....write brief work reports for my supervisor.

Help trainees to fill out sentences 4 & 5 by having a quick

brainstorming session with the class. If trainees are stuck for ideas,
again suggest a few possibilities. For example:

4. I am going to improve my rate of progress on this course by

 Participating more actively in class.

 Answering and asking questions in class as often as possible.
 Bringing ‘work’ problems to class, so that my practice can be
more relevant.
 Doing more studying out of class.
 Buying a good monolingual dictionary.
 Buying a good Business English dictionary.
 Using the language laboratory at least once a week.
 Talking to English-speaking staff as often as possible.

5. I shall track my progress by

 Using a homework record sheet.

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  Regularly maintaining a learner’s diary.
 Recording my voice once a week.
 Filing my class writing carefully so as to get an overview of
typical mistakes.
 Using a learning organizer, both in and outside classes.

Encourage trainees to discuss their ideas as and when this seems

appropriate.

METHOD – Milling Discussions

Trainees consider ways to maximize learning by discussing their ideas

with other trainees. The fact that everyone is milling around during this
procedure makes everything less intense and formal.

Language free but based on your predetermined questions

Level upper-intermediate and above

Time 10minutes

Preparation

Prepare a sheet similar to the one cited below. Add any ideas which you
think would be good for trainees to consider. It is perfectly okay if all
the ideas listed are good ideas – the sheet gives an opportunity to
consider them.

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 Procedure

Briefly consider with trainees how to maximize learning and then

distribute the worksheet. Give trainees a few moments to consider the
following questions:

 Do you agree with the ideas?

 Do you do them? Why/Why not?

An asterisk can be used for any ideas which the trainees find
particularly interesting and a question mark for any ideas they find odd.
They should mark things they do with a tick and things they don’t do
with a cross. Next, ask trainees to stand up and find a partner. After
trainees have discussed their answers to the questions for a while, ask
them to find another partner. Encourage trainees to discuss their views
and judgment. (All the ideas listed might be useful to certain people at
certain times.) Encourage trainees to find out what could work best for
them and to consider how the ideas could fit into their daily lives, at
work or elsewhere.

A possible worksheet for Milling Discussions

BUSINESS ENGLISH THINK TANK

If I want to maximize learning is it a good idea to …..?

…. Study English for at least 5minutes everyday

…. Listen to the BBC World Service
…. Try not to read the subtitles when watching a movie in English
….Watch MTV
…. Read as much as possible
…. Use a monolingual dictionary
…. Guess the meaning of words before looking them up
…. Use vocabulary cards to focus on and review important words
…. Think about corrected mistakes
…. Try to correct my own mistakes before going to a trainer
…. Learn phrases, not just words
…. Organize my notes

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 …. Think before looking at the answers in a self-study book
…. Plan before writing
…. Plan before speaking
…. Have practice conversations in my head
…. Practice pronunciations using pronunciation exercise
…. Practice pronunciations by reading texts aloud in private
…. Record my own voice
…. Experiment with different ways of speaking English on tape.
…. Keep a diary in English
…. Go to a bookshop to buy other English books
…. Do other English courses outside class as self-study
…. Speak to foreigners in the street
…. Get coaching from senior managers

Business English like any business deal is result oriented – aiming at a

profited outcome. The trainees should be able to do something now
that they couldn’t do before they started the course. Selection of
appropriate language, responding to the needs and wishes of the
trainees, paying attention to effective learning strategies; all these
elements are vitally important.

Selecting and using methods

The term ‘method’ here denotes an approach which reflects a full-

blown, carefully considered theory of learning. The term in its widest
sense means any way of proceeding in the classroom. It is used to refer
to both 5-minutes activities and longer term approaches. This is
because any procedure used in the classroom will reflect some
perception of how learning takes place.

Business English courses seem most successful when a range of

methods are used and when methods are carefully selected to suit
individual trainees. The classroom procedure planned at the beginning
sets the tone for the entire course. Therefore while launching a new
course, the aims can be:

1. To clarify practical arrangements, e.g. when and where classes are

being held;
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 2. To introduce the class ‘rules’, e.g. rules about attendance, lateness
and homework;
3. To motivate trainees;
4. To clarify or communicate objectives, as expressed in your course
outline;
5. To introduce trainees to some of the methods you will be using;
6. To show trainees how your approach will help them achieve their
objectives;
7. To help trainees relax and use whatever skills they have with
confidence;
8. To help trainees get to know each other;
9. To get trainees working together as a group;
10. To get trainees thinking faster, in a more focused way;
11. To start getting trainees to take control in the classroom and share
in the ongoing decision- making which takes place in the class;
12. To embark on the first part of the course in terms of language
input and practice;
13. To begin making trainees more self-reliant.

The activities you use will also help you to find out more about your
trainees’ level, strengths and weaknesses and, as such, will provide a
starting point for further language practice. Alternatively, if they did
English at high school it is quite possible that their receptive skill will
be better than their productive skills resulting in dramatic progress in
the first few weeks as language knowledge becomes activated.

Because of the ambiguity of the information you will receive on

trainees’ real level in your first few lessons and the importance of
getting everybody to relax, beware of over-correcting. Instead of
correcting, think in terms of ‘prompting’ or ‘awareness-raising’.
At this stage your primary aim is to build group rapport and positive
attitude towards learning so that trainees will be more receptive in
follow-up lessons. Do however include some interesting input so that
trainees feel they are already beginning to do some substantial
learning.

Frequent use of role-plays

1. Enjoyable and motivating

2. Help trainees realize how discreet bits of language fit together in real
use.

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3. With less usage of realistic methods, role plays can facilitate
contextualized language practice.
4. Trainees get an opportunity to develop fluency and confidence.
5. With pointing out of inappropriate behavior for specific situations
trainees grow awareness of cultural differences in the international
business arena.
6. Role-plays by the virtue of involving simulated real-life language should
be the mainstay of BE training practice.

METHOD – Prioritizing Objectives

Trainees demarcate their objectives for the course as a whole or for a

particular lesson. After prioritizing the objectives, trainees approach
you for feedback and on how their list matches up with the needs
analysis and your own perceptions. This procedure is especially useful
for involving trainees and getting them to share responsibility for what
is done in class. It can be used on a class-by-class basis throughout a
whole course or periodically, if you prefer.

Language any

Level elementary and above

Time 10minutes

Procedure

 Get trainees to call out the course objectives by saying okay so

what are our objectives for this week/term/year? Write the
objectives on the board. Alternatively, hand (or throw) a pen or
chalk to trainees, and ask them to write an objective on the board.
Coax omissions from trainee with the odd comment here and
there, e.g. So you don’t need to do any listening practice?
 Ask trainees to prioritize the objectives on the board in pairs or in
two groups (Which is the most important? Which is number 1?,
etc). Ask trainees to continue changing partners or groups until the
class can come up with a final version. Write numbers against
objectives listed on the board to indicate the final order and take
careful note of this for later reference.
 Respond briefly to trainees’ priorities by agreeing and/or
disagreeing with other choices, or by adding comments on
omissions, etc. When doing this, you will need to take account of

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 both the initial and ongoing needs analysis and also the progress
which the trainees have made. It is possible that a trainee may feel,
for example, that they need more practice on a particular area
even when they are already performing at an adequate level. The
opposite might also be true. If appropriate, negotiate changes in
the prioritization of objectives.
 Annotate the list on the board with a timescale (e.g. times or days),
if you feel this is helpful. Take care to ensure that all trainees’
needs are given equal value.

Note that instead of objectives, classroom procedures or performance

areas can be listed if this seems more appropriate.

Variation

Get trainees to write objectives on slips of paper. They then put them in
order on a table or on the floor. This involves trainees in a more
physical way which might facilitate pair and group discussion.

Give trainees models of language

With many commonly used methods trainees are asked to produce

language before they have heard, or read a suitable model. Trainees
cannot realistically be expected to produce language which they have
never seen or heard before. In the same way, they cannot be expected
to visualize an entire picture, having only been given a pile of jigsaw
pieces; this is why it is very difficult for trainees to write good business
letters – even if provided with a list of suitable phrases – if they have
never seen a business letter before. Likewise it is difficult for trainees to
participate in a meeting in a foreign language and culture, armed only
with a list of functional exponents. In some cultures, both written and
spoken communication styles are very different from English.
To overcome this problem, make sure you supplement methods which
focus on practice of discrete items with other methods which expose
trainees to models of spoken and written English, i.e. to whole
conversations of faxes, for example.

Realistically contextualize language practice

Besides practicing discrete language items out of context, many

methods also involve asking trainees to practice language in contexts

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which have no relevance to their work. While trainees will tolerate this
from time to time, they – and you, yourself – may lose sight of the
bigger picture (i.e. the course’s overall objectives) if these methods are
overused. Less real learning might also result from methods which de-
contextualized or poorly contextualized practice because it will not
always be clear to trainees how lexis or grammar (which has
apparently been well-practiced) applies to their real-life contexts; for
some reason, their brains fail to make the necessary connections.
If you use methods which involve de-contextualized or poorly
contextualized practice of language, make sure you follow up with
usefully contextualized practice of the same language as soon as
possible. Also, before or while doing de-contextualized or poorly
contextualized practice, remind trainees of the utility of the language. In
this way, you will help trainees to appreciate the value of all language
practice in class, which will at least help with motivation, if not with
actual learning.

Encourage trainees on communicating through language

Language is one of the basic components of communication in real life.

Thus, naturally a non-communicative classroom practice (however
good the method might be) can sometimes alienate or bore trainees.
Therefore, make sure language practice attains a communicative
dimension as frequently as possible. This will help to make language
practice relevant to trainees’ needs; it should also help classroom
dynamics and will also fuel trainees’ motivation.
In practice, this means getting trainees to exchange information,
opinions or comments or to formulate sentences which have meaning,
i.e. which are true in some sense – in the trainee’s life, in terms of the
classroom or the real world. Allowing and encouraging free comments
in English, even during controlled practice, will also facilitate
communication generally in class.

Focus on pronunciation

Pronunciation can be effectively blended with the course if the trainer

uses it as backdrop to most speaking practice activities with a
consistent focus on it. Getting trainees to use appropriate intonation
patterns and to stress key words will help them to develop confidence.
Trainees can also be requested to repeat utterances. Furthermore, a
stress on pronunciation during role-plays and other language practice
can imbue it with authenticity which is highly motivating. Most

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 importantly, trainees can develop a style of speaking which is easily
intelligible in business context.

Recycling of language through different methods

Language should ideally be practiced through various methods

capturing trainees’ interest. While moving from one activity to the
other the trainer might aim at:

1. Waking up the trainees and motivating them

2. Getting trainees to think faster, in a more focused way.
3. Coaxing trainees to go beyond their normal patterns of behavior.
4. Clarifying and communicating objectives.
5. Clarifying to the trainees, the utility of the methods in achieving their
objectives.
6. Training, practicing or raising awareness of an area of language.
7. Tapping into trainees’ real life learning needs, e.g. by finding out more
about their work.
8. Establishing a positive atmosphere in class.

The trainer should try to vary approach, using as many different

procedures as possible so that the trainees get a varied introduction to
lessons.

METHOD – Experience Exchange

Trainees talk about their experience of using language in the workplace

before practicing in class. As well as motivating trainees, this procedure
also helps you to understand the nature of the problems which the
trainees face.

Language any

Level lower-intermediate and above

Time 10minutes

Procedure

Give trainees a stimulus to remind them of a particular situation they

may encounter at work. The stimulus could be a video snippet (e.g. of a
meeting), a short newspaper article about an issue (e.g. downsizing
after being bought up by a multinational), a short listening (e.g. a

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telephone conversation about a complaint), or anything else which
seems suitable. Focus briefly on the stimulus by asking basic gist and
detail comprehension questions, then invite trainees’ comments by
asking, What do you think? Is that a familiar situation? Finally, ask
trainees how they get on in the same situation. Ask , Did you enjoy?
How did you feel about being in this situation? After everyone’s
comments have been heard, remind trainees of the importance of the
area and tell them you’ll be practicing it in the lesson.

Balance methods

When experimenting with training and learning methods, make sure

you provide trainees with various routes to improve their English.
There are many views on how language is best acquired (or learned)
and over-depending on any one method might mean you close yourself
off to some unexpected but pleasant surprises. Allow trainees to
comment on the methods you are using too because their perception
may be very different from your own.

Develop your own principles

Don’t dismiss methods if you hear them getting a bad press. Some
methods are discredited, and then readopted as new theories are
accepted when research throws up unexpected results. Many simply
remain controversial due to the wide range of theories about how
second language learning (or ‘acquisition’) best takes place. Instead
develop your own theories and principles by watching and listening
carefully to what goes on in the classroom. Remember, though, that the
success of any methods will be affected by the trainer and that the
response of the trainees might be due to factors which have nothing to
do with the method itself. Preoccupation with work, boredom,
confusion as to what’s going on, mood, misunderstanding reasons
behind class work and level of difficulty can all affect your trainees’
reactions. Similarly your own mood and attitude, as well as training
skill or language proficiency, might also affect your ability to use a
method successfully on a particular occasion, so use ‘working
hypotheses’ about methods, instead of jumping to conclusions. Often
slight adaptation to methods will result in dramatically different trainee
reactions, in terms of both the amount of learning that seems to be
taking place and your popularity rating.

Above all, when using any method:

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1. Relate all class language practice to bigger performance areas so that
trainees will be able to see how everything fits together.
2. Make your objectives clear to trainees at all times.
3. Tell trainees what you expect of them so that they will know how to
behave. Don’t jump from a highly trainer-controlled method like
drilling to role-play and expect trainees to suddenly become active. Tell
them when one type of activity has finished another is beginning.
4. Sell methods to trainees because they will certainly not respond well, if
you yourself have no faith in the methods that you are using. Show
trainees how the method can work.
5. Be realistic about why methods succeed or fail at different times.
6. Adapt methods (or combinations of methods) to suit the situation.
7. Elicit feedback from trainees, and then act on it. Remember, as adults
on an expensive Business English program, your trainees are partners
in the learning process – they deserve to be consulted.

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