Introducing Business English into the ESL Classroom:

A Simple Approach

Linda Cypres, M.B.A., Ph.D., author

Many ESL students study English to be more successful in business, it makes all the sense in the world to start introducing business language into your class as soon as possible.

I believe that many teachers may be hesitant to teach Business English, either because they do not have access to usable materials, or because they may not know how best to approach it. My personal approach to the teaching to Business English is not that different from teaching any language, as you will see.

You could call Business English "survival English.. for business" because it is the language that you need to communicate in the business world.

Introducing Business English to your Class

Within business communication, ESL instructors have greater freedom to create different "scenarios" or ideas for role-playing, using a text as a point of departure. Much of the language is functional-which means it is applicable to many situations. Depending on the proficiency of your students, you can expand or limit the scope or complexity of any lesson, by picking and choosing what is appropriate for your class. For example, If you wish to emphasize spoken English, then I recommend frequent use of spontaneous role-playing.

Role-playing is basically having students-two, three or more-enact a scene, a conversation, or a mini "drama," using their own words and imagination. Here are some of the benefits of role-playing:

Students who practice speaking extemporaneously will develop greater fluency.
When students speak about personal work and interests, learning becomes more meaningful to them.
Students' scenarios will be truer-to-life (for them) than someone else's story in a text.
"Live" practice promotes better understanding and mastery of commonly-used expressions.
You and your class will enjoy the experience.

A Practical Example

Some of the most commonly-shared business situations are sales call, telephone calls, and meetings. In Let's Speak Business English!, I provide separate chapters for these. I use several methods to introduce concepts and useful expressions.

You can approach new business terms in the same way you would approach other vocabulary:

Introduce vocabulary in context, and used in a variety of sentences.
Have students listen to and repeat dialogues (which illustrate business practices and language).
With repetition drills, examples, questions and answers.
By students participating in role-play (or mini dramas) in groups of two or more.
With written and oral exercises.

Additionally, you may want to review grammatical structures, idiomatic expressions, add listening comprehension and writing exercises to this mix.

In a general English language class, your goal may be to just introduce some Business English topics for speaking or reading practice.

You may want to introduce the dialogues in each chapter as the first step, before any explanations or discussion, so as to acquaint students with the general context of what follows.

In some chapters of Let's Speak Business English! I take a "functional" approach to language. In the chapter on sales and negotiations, I have chosen a number of verbs to express agreement, disagreement, doubting, resisting, concern, and so forth.

When language is functional, new scenarios can be easily created. Making a sales presentation, for example, can be replaced by a discussion between friends--one trying to persuade the other to take a particular action, the other resisting, doubting and showing concern. Debates can also be a lively way to accomplish the same thing.

Using Tapes

If you want to emphasize spoken English, listening to taped conversations is a good point of departure, followed by questions, answers, and discussion. In Let's Speak Business English! the tapes contain all of the dialogues as well as a variety of exercises based on the chapter's content. For the more advanced class, unstructured discussions will help reinforce the ability to communicate in these particular situations; also, students can ask each other questions, using the expressions you want to emphasize.

Take a look at columns A and B:

A

Persuading Don't you agree that..

Let me assure you that..

You must admit that..

B

Resisting I'm afraid that..

I'm concerned that..

Nevertheless, that is not..

If you divide your class in half, you can have one half the students ask questions from A, the others can respond using expressions from B-- encouraging students to be as innovative as they wish. For students who are actually in sales, they can use real-life situations from work. Assigning homework for students to listen to the tapes--after class-- will help them remember the expressions studied.

Introducing Dialogues

In the chapter on sales, a conversation takes place between a customer and salesman. As with any dialogue, there are different approaches to teaching it. Here are several ideas::

Have your class listen to the taped recording or to your rendition of the conversation; then review pronunciation, accent, and flow.
Have students repeat sentences and check randomly for understanding and pronunciation.
Divide the class into two, each taking a role, then reverse roles.
Use a question and answer session after the dialogue, to check for understanding, and to practice using expressions.
Divide your class into groups of two. Have each student take the part of either the customer or the salesman, then read the dialogues with each other. Follow this with a scenario of your own making and have the students create their own dialogues based on your scenario.
Students create dialogues based on their own field of work. Students play their roles before the class, with discussion afterwards.
General discussion about cultural aspects of a business practice, compared to other cultures.

Striving for Fluency

As in any language class, reinforcing learning is important: asking questions about the dialogue, using expressions in different contexts, and encouraging structured or unstructured conversation practice promotes fluency.

For example, have students create and write up a sales situation, and conversation; then role play these "mini dramas" with other students. Where students have different careers and work experiences, this is valuable in that it enables them to express themselves in the context of their own business. As you monitor these conversations, you can help to supplement vocabulary and correct mistakes.

For a more advanced class, ask for two volunteers, give them an impromptu subject (or situation) and let them "tackl" it in front of the class. Offer a prize to the winner who uses the most (or best) expressions correctly!

Advanced students can do many creative things with sales and negotiations, expanding the range of expressions to conceding, downplaying, suggesting, recommending, and bargaining.

Different Subjects, Different Approaches

In Let's Speak Business English! I have provided a variety of exercises for the ESL and Business English teacher; many of these can be done both orally or written. It is a good idea to do them orally in class, and have them write the same exercises down as homework. You will also find, at the end of each chapter, subjects for discussion, for inside the classroom, or for use as homework.

This is really a broad approach to many topics of Business English. However, some subjects lend themselves more to speaking than others: meetings, talking on the telephone, socializing, anything that requires communication between people.

Other topics of Business English--such as investments, banking, trends, or the Internet-may require a different approach. In these cases, the increased complexity of vocabulary makes greater demands, and may be harder to use in role playing. In such chapters, you may want to introduce only one aspect of the chapter. For example, in investments, choose "buying stocks," in Friendly Financials, "banking terms." Create your lesson around one idea or business practice. Create new dialogues for your class's interests and language proficiency.

Although I emphasize the spoken language in my book, as a teacher you will, all of the lessons can be used for lessons on grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, writing-whatever you want to accomplish. For example, the chapter on Better Business Letters is ideal for writing practice in any ESL course, modifying types of letters, subject matter, and level of difficulty according to your own needs. Other chapters, such as Perfect Presentations, lend themselves easily to both to both written and conversational practice.

Some areas of Business English are suitable for reading practice. My chapter on Socializing at Work is great for reading and discussion. The material can be used as a point of departure for a comparison of work ethics in other countries: the do's and don'ts of socializing in the U.S. (and elsewhere). This kind of topic invites lively discussions-and thought-provoking writing assignments--about customs and cultures.

Conclusion

Integrating the language of Business English into the ESL classroom is a great way to prepare your students for the business world. It will enrich their classroom experience, broaden their understanding of business, and give them valuable lessons for the future.

Every teacher enjoys trying out different approaches, adding variety to lessons, and discovering the most effective methods of instruction. As you bring a new perspective to your classes-the challenges of everyday business life-you will be adding both variety and meaningful communication to the study of English.