Summary
This downloadable PDF lesson plan for English teachers explores how comedy skills can improve workplace communication. This ESL class material uses the 'Yes, and...' principle to teach constructive collaboration, ideal for a business English lesson.
This practical business English lesson plan helps students transform negative communication habits into positive ones. Through a short video, students learn the improv comedy principle of 'Yes, and...'. Activities include vocabulary matching, transforming 'idea-killing' phrases, practicing second and third conditionals in workplace contexts, and a final group brainstorming role-play to apply the new skills. It's a dynamic and interactive lesson focused on improving collaboration and creative thinking in professional settings.
Activities
- Students begin by brainstorming common 'idea-killing' phrases used in meetings, setting the stage for the lesson's core concept. This warm-up activates their existing knowledge of workplace communication and highlights a common problem in collaboration.
- A video introduces the 'Yes, and...' principle from improv comedy, showing how it fosters creativity. Students watch a segment and answer comprehension questions to ensure they understand how this simple phrase shift can create a more positive environment.
- The lesson provides targeted practice in rewriting negative 'Yes, but...' statements into constructive 'Yes, and...' alternatives. This helps learners internalize the concept and apply it directly to common workplace objections, building a key communication skill.
- A final role-play challenges students to use the 'Yes, and...' principle in a simulated brainstorming session. This speaking activity allows them to apply all the vocabulary and grammar from the lesson in a dynamic, interactive, and collaborative group setting.
Vocabulary focus
This lesson focuses on key phrasal verbs and expressions related to professional communication and idea generation. Vocabulary includes phrases like 'to shut down an idea,' 'to contribute to a discussion,' 'to be better off,' and 'to stay silent,' helping students discuss collaboration and meeting dynamics with more precision.
Grammar focus
The grammar section revisits the second and third conditionals, placing them in realistic professional contexts. Students practice forming hypothetical statements about past and present workplace situations (e.g., 'If we had used 'Yes, and,' the meeting would have been more productive.'). This reinforces complex grammar through relevant, practical application.
