Summary
This downloadable PDF lesson plan for English teachers provides C1-level ESL class material on business meetings. This lesson helps advanced students master the professional language and etiquette needed for effective boardroom communication.
This comprehensive business English lesson guides students through the complexities of formal meetings. Activities begin with a warm-up discussion and a key terminology matching task. Students then complete a listening gap-fill exercise based on a meeting report, analyze a news article about a corporate decision, and practice formal language structures.
The lesson culminates in a dynamic role-play simulating an emergency board meeting, allowing students to apply all the skills they have learned.
Activities
- Students start by discussing the characteristics of effective and ineffective meetings, sharing personal experiences to activate prior knowledge and set the context for the lesson.
- A vocabulary matching exercise introduces essential boardroom terminology like 'quorum,' 'agenda,' and 'to table a motion,' ensuring students understand the fundamental concepts.
- The lesson includes a listening exercise where students fill in the gaps in a meeting summary, sharpening their comprehension skills for formal, spoken business English.
- Students read a fictional news article about a company's strategic pivot and answer comprehension questions, enhancing their ability to analyze business-related texts.
- The final task is an engaging role-play where students act as board members in an emergency meeting, using the phrases and vocabulary learned to debate and make decisions.
Vocabulary focus
This lesson focuses on high-level, formal vocabulary essential for participating in and understanding business meetings. Students will learn and practice key terms such as 'agenda,' 'minutes,' 'quorum,' 'motion,' 'action items,' and 'to adjourn.' The material also provides a comprehensive list of useful phrases for opening meetings, presenting points, politely agreeing and disagreeing, and managing discussions.
Grammar focus
The grammar section concentrates on nominalization, the process of turning verbs and adjectives into nouns (e.g., 'decide' → 'decision'). This is a key feature of formal business writing and speech. Students will learn how this technique creates a more objective and authoritative tone and will practice rewriting informal sentences into a more professional style.
