Pre-intermediate
Communicate with confidence in public 06
Discussing a project
Lead-in
1 Put these stages of a project in order. What happens first? Compare with a partner.
• Bring together a team. • Have an idea.
• Do the project. • Write a plan.
• Write a report.
2 Why do projects have problems? Why do the following things cause problems? Which, in your
opinion is the worst?
• Managers don’t have enough planning time. • Unrealistic budget.
• Bad communication. • Not checking progress.
3 Can you think of other reasons for problems? Discuss with a partner.
Input
1 6.1 Listen to Edward Smith, a project manager at a computer company telling Michelle
Vaughan, one of the company’s directors, about a new computer they are working on. Which of
the problems in the Lead-in do they discuss?
2 6.1 Listen again and answer the questions below.
1 What will make this laptop different from other laptops on the market?
2 Why are Michelle and Edward discussing the battery?
3 Why did they bring in a consultant?
4 Who are UniversalTECH? Why did they get the contract?
5 Do you think the promotion will be on time?
Language focus
1 Match these expressions from the listening with the definitions below.
project team action plan budget limit behind schedule
as planned consultant lower the cost supplier postpone
1 Spend less money.
2 To be late / not on time.
3 To do something later than planned.
4 A seller / a company that sells to another company.
5 The different actions in a project.
6 The amount of money we can’t spend more than.
7 To do actions on time.
8 An outside person that helps a company with a project / part of a project.
9 People working together on something.
1 myClass Pre-intermediate 06 PHOTOCOPIABLE © British Council 2014
Pre-intermediate
Communicate with confidence in public 06
2 Complete the sentences with the correct phrase from Exercise 1. Change the form / tense if
necessary. Check with a partner.
1 We spent a few weeks planning and the had a lot of new ideas, especially
about the computer’s design.
2 Can you go through the for this project?
3 We were a little worried about but it looks like we’ll spend only a few
thousand above the limit.
4 Are we ? We were, a little, but we brought a to help
us change a few things and we will continue as planned.
5 Going back to the budget limits, we by giving the touch screen technology
contract to UniversalTECH.
6 I know they are not our regular but they gave us a really good price.
7 So we will NOT have to the promotion date, right?
8 Everything is going . I am sure the promotion will be a success!
3 Discuss these questions with a partner.
1 Who should be in a project team?
2 What should the project manager do if a project costs more than the budget limit?
3 Why do companies use consultants?
4 Do you think most projects finish as planned?
5 What should the project manager do if a project is behind schedule?
Task
1 Work in pairs and follow these instructions.
Student A: You are the project manager. Read your situation card and answer these questions.
1 What is your company?
2 What is your project?
3 What are the problems? What are the reason for the problems?
4 What are you doing about the problems to make sure the project is a success?
Student B: You are the CEO. Read your situation card and think of some questions to ask.
2 Meet and discuss the situation.
3 Report back to the class.
Review
2 myClass Pre-intermediate 06 PHOTOCOPIABLE © British Council 2014
