Summary
This downloadable PDF lesson plan for C1-level ESL students focuses on the business English needed for due diligence. This class material is perfect for professionals looking to master presenting and discussing complex findings in an English-speaking workplace.
Activities include a warm-up discussion on potential business risks, vocabulary matching, a listening exercise to identify key report findings, a case study analysis of a failed acquisition, grammar practice on formal language, and a collaborative role-play simulating a high-stakes 'go / no-go' decision meeting. Students will learn and practice the language needed to report on complex business investigations.
Activities
- Students start with a discussion about a hypothetical company acquisition, brainstorming potential problems and key questions to ask during a due diligence investigation, activating prior knowledge and relevant vocabulary.
- A listening comprehension task requires students to fill in the gaps in a summary of a due diligence report, training their ear for key business terminology and formal reporting language used in a professional context.
- The lesson culminates in a group role-play where students take on roles like Financial Analyst and Legal Counsel to present findings from a case study and collaboratively decide whether to proceed with a major acquisition.
Vocabulary focus
This lesson introduces essential business vocabulary for discussing investigations and risk. Key terms include: scrutinize, compliance, probe (into), red flag, mitigation, liability, contingency, and valuation. Students will learn and practice using this lexicon to describe the process and findings of a due diligence report in a professional context.
Grammar focus
The grammar section centers on nominalization, the technique of turning verbs and adjectives into nouns (e.g., "analyze" becomes "analysis"). This is a key feature of formal business English, helping students make their speech and writing more objective, concise, and professional, which is crucial when presenting formal reports or findings.
