Summary
This downloadable PDF lesson plan for English teachers helps B2-C1 students master concise business communication. This ESL class material focuses on using ellipsis and substitution to write more effectively and avoid redundancy in a professional context. This complete lesson plan guides students through the art of concise business writing.
Activities include comparing verbose and clear emails, a vocabulary matching exercise, and a listening gap-fill. Students will analyze a text about a company's communication strategy and practice rewriting a lengthy email using ellipsis and substitution techniques, which are explained in dedicated grammar sections. This material is perfect for improving professional communication skills and making writing more impactful.
Activities
- Warm-up and vocabulary: Students start by comparing verbose and concise emails to understand the importance of brevity, followed by a matching exercise to learn key vocabulary like "streamline" and "redundancy."
- Grammar and listening practice: The lesson provides clear explanations and targeted exercises on ellipsis and substitution. A short listening exercise reinforces the topic, having students fill gaps in a manager's speech about clear communication.
- Reading and production: Students read an article about a company's communication overhaul and answer questions. The lesson culminates in a practical task where they rewrite a verbose email, applying all the learned techniques for clarity and impact.
Vocabulary focus
This lesson introduces vocabulary essential for discussing effective communication. Students will learn and practice terms such as concise, redundancy, verbosity, to streamline, digestible, and impactful. These words help articulate the difference between clear, efficient language and unnecessarily long communication in a professional context.
Grammar focus
The grammar section is dedicated to making language less repetitive and more natural. It clearly explains and provides practice for ellipsis (omitting understood words) and substitution (using words like do, so, not, one, ones to replace phrases). These advanced techniques are crucial for achieving fluency and professionalism in both written and spoken English.
