Summary
This downloadable PDF lesson plan for English teachers helps B2 students master cross-cultural business communication. This ESL class material provides engaging activities to navigate global professional environments and improve communication skills. This comprehensive ESL lesson plan immerses students in the world of international business communication.
Activities include a warm-up discussion, vocabulary matching, a listening comprehension exercise, and a case study about a cross-cultural merger. Students practice polite communication through a grammar exercise focused on modal verbs and learn key phrases for meetings. The lesson culminates in a dynamic role-play where students must negotiate a project launch, applying the cultural awareness and language skills they've learned.
Activities
- Students begin by discussing their own views on directness and punctuality in business, activating their existing knowledge and preparing them for the lesson's main themes.
- The lesson includes a reading comprehension task based on a case study of a merger between US and Japanese companies, highlighting common sources of cross-cultural friction.
- A listening exercise challenges students to fill in the gaps in a short audio clip about adapting communication styles, followed by true/false questions to check comprehension.
- The final role-play activity puts students in a simulated international meeting, requiring them to use the lesson's language to negotiate a project timeline and slogan.
Vocabulary focus
The lesson introduces essential business and cultural terms. Students will learn and practice vocabulary like 'cultural nuance,' 'build rapport,' 'hierarchy,' 'business etiquette,' 'high-context culture,' and 'direct communication' through a matching exercise to ensure clear understanding.
Grammar focus
The grammar section concentrates on using modal verbs (could, would, might, may) to achieve polite and indirect communication. Students practice softening direct statements, making respectful suggestions, and disagreeing diplomatically, which is crucial in many professional cultural contexts.
