Meeting the challenge of bringing
variety into the Business English
classroom
Karen Richardson
Monday 11th November 2013
11am – 11.45am (GMT)
Agenda
•
•
•
•
•
Something about me
Something about you
3 teaching situations
Practical suggestions for more variety
Round up
2
Something about me - then
3
Something about me - now
4
5
6
7
Something about you
Poll 0
Are you…..
A. female?
B. Male?
8
Poll 1
Do you teach…..
A. in-company?
B. at a college / university / business school?
C. at a private or state language school?
D. somewhere else?
9
Poll 2
Are your students mostly…..
A. under 30?
B. 30 - 55?
C. over 55?
D. all of the above in the same group?
10
Poll 3
Is their English language level…..
A. beginner – elementary / A1-A2?
B. pre-intermediate – intermediate / A2-B1?
C. upper intermediate – advanved / B2-C1?
D. all of the above in the same group?
11
• Challenge?
• What challenge?
12
3 teaching scenarios
1. Business university, 24 students in a group,
20-30 hours per semester, advanced.
2. (re)Training courses, job seekers, every
morning or afternoon for 6 weeks, mixed
/elementary.
3. In-company, 6 employees, 90 minutes after
work once a week, good intermediate.
13
3 suggestions
1. The vocabulary in (con)text way
2. The hands-on way
3. The holistic way
14
1. vocab in (con)text
1. Listen for gist.
2. Listen for trend words and make notes.
3. Listen for other useful chunks of language.
15
1. Possible answers (trend words
and phrases)
RYANAIR'S profits dropped sharply in the quarter ending 30 June due to
rising fuel costs and a lack of last-minute bookings. To combat the loss, the
budget airline's pilots have been instructed to fly at a slower pace to cut the
fuel bill.
Accounts published yesterday reveal that, despite an increase in revenue,
Ryanair's profits in the April–June quarter fell by 21 per cent to €78m.
The airline's revenue increased during the period by five per cent to
€1.3bn. But fuel costs rose by six per cent and now account for 47 per cent
of Ryanair's overall expenditure. Hence the order to pilots to slow down and
burn less fuel.
Ryanair said its profits were also affected by a drop in last-minute summer
bookings due to the heatwave in Britain and by the early timing of Easter,
which meant the holiday profits were not included in this quarter.
16
2. (re)training
17
2. ready-made
18
3. holistic
19
3. notes
cars
machines
shouting
Mr X leaving his office
the door the cleaner
phone ringing
Mrs Y on the phone
footsteps
coffee machine fridge
printer clock
text message
20
3. elaborated
Shop floor workers going home by car.
Mr X‘s footsteps in the corridor.
Mr X saying goodbye to Mrs Y who was on the
phone.
The main door closing automatically.
The fridge humming in the coffee area.
Someone getting a text message while our eyes
were closed.
21
The greatest thing a
human soul ever does in
this world is to see
something and tell what
it saw in a plain way.
John Ruskin
1819 – 1900
English art critic, draughtsman, water colourist, a prominent
social thinker and philanthropist.
22
Review
• 3 teaching scenarios and their challenges
• 3 possible ways of bringing variety
1. The vocabulary in (con)text way
2. The hands-on way
3. The holistic way
23