The thought of teaching business English used to strike fear into my heart. Surely you need to be some kind of business expert to teach business people? Won't a class of executives just laugh at me for not knowing what the FTSE 100 is? Well, no. You don't need to be Sheryl Sandberg, you just need to do a bit of homework.
1. Knowledge is power
Make sure you know your students and what they do. Use the first lesson to find out as much as possible about their working lives. What do they do from day to day? Which parts of their job require English? What do they hope to acheive from classes? Plan your lessons accordingly.
2. It's not all work, work, work
Just because the class is called 'business English', it doesn't mean that every class has to be work-related. Maybe your students also need to improve their knowledge of the present perfect or learn how to form a question correctly. Not every exercise needs to be jam packed with business vocab.
3. Keep it competitive
For a lot of professionals, English classes are a break from the daily grind, especially if you give the classes in their place of work. Make the classes fun and the students will love you forever. Don't be afraid to include games. It might take a while for students to relax into it but once they do, they'll be looking forward to every class. I'm yet to find a student who doesn't enjoy competing against other students. For one to one students, try this fun board game.
4. Tailor-make your classes
The word 'business' covers a huge range of jobs. Although some terms are common to all workplaces, not everyone will need to study the same vocabulary. Once you know what your students do, find the vocabulary that is specific to their industries and include it in class. If you're not sure what vocabulary they need to know, ask them to make a list!
5. Role play
If your students will need to do interviews in English, practice them in class. If your students will need to give presentations in English, practice them in class. Build their confidence by giving them positive experiences and they will go from strength to strength.
5 tips for teaching business English.
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