This downloadable PDF lesson plan for English teachers helps B2 students master leading virtual meetings. This business English lesson covers scheduling, inclusive language, and the communication challenges presented by different time zones.
This comprehensive lesson plan for B2 ESL students tackles the modern challenge of global virtual meetings. Through a series of engaging activities, learners will discuss scheduling difficulties, match key business vocabulary, and read about innovative company policies. The material includes a practical grammar focus on modal verbs and culminates in a realistic role-play where students must negotiate a fair meeting time across three continents, applying all the language and strategies they've learned in the class.
Activities
- Students begin by discussing the challenges of working across time zones and matching key vocabulary terms like 'asynchronous' and 'inclusive' to their definitions, setting the stage for the lesson's core business communication theme.
- The lesson includes a listening gap-fill exercise where students hear a manager explain strategies for effective global meetings. This is followed by a reading comprehension task about a company's innovative policy on virtual collaboration.
- Learners practice using modals of suggestion and obligation (should, must, could) before moving to the final speaking task: a group role-play where they must negotiate a meeting time between colleagues in London, Tokyo, and San Francisco.
Vocabulary focus
This lesson introduces essential business English vocabulary for managing global teams. Students will learn and practice terms such as 'asynchronous' vs. 'synchronous' communication, 'to accommodate' different needs, creating an 'inclusive' environment, 'time-sensitive' tasks, and how 'to share the burden' fairly among colleagues in different locations.
Grammar focus
The grammar section focuses on using modal verbs for suggestion and obligation in a professional context. Students will practice differentiating between strong obligations (must, have to), recommendations (should, ought to), and polite suggestions (could, might want to) to improve their communication when scheduling and setting meeting expectations.
