Summary
This downloadable PDF lesson plan for English teachers helps students master the language of spreadsheets. A practical ESL resource for any business English class material that focuses on explaining data, charts, and calculations in a professional setting.
This B1 business English lesson helps students confidently discuss data. Activities include a vocabulary matching game, a listening exercise with a data expert, a grammar section on giving instructions, a reading comprehension task about a small business, and a final speaking practice where students present a budget. This class material provides a comprehensive introduction to using English for spreadsheet-related tasks in the workplace, making it a valuable resource for any professional English class.
Activities
- Define key spreadsheet terms like "cell," "formula," and "sort" in a matching exercise. This builds the foundational vocabulary needed to discuss data and understand spreadsheet functions.
- Engage in a listening comprehension gap-fill exercise featuring a data expert. This task helps improve listening for specific details and introduces relevant professional vocabulary in context.
- Read a short case study about how a small business used spreadsheets to improve efficiency. This is followed by a true/false comprehension check to test their understanding of the text.
- Practice their presentation skills in a final speaking activity. In pairs, students use a sample budget and useful phrases from the lesson to prepare and deliver a short presentation, explaining the data to their peers.
Vocabulary focus
This lesson focuses on essential terminology for working with spreadsheets. Students will learn and practice key nouns such as "cell," "row," "column," "formula," and "data set." They'll also work with verbs like "sort" and "filter." In addition, the material introduces useful phrases for presenting data, such as "This sheet shows..." and "As you can see from the line graph..."
Grammar focus
The grammar section concentrates on giving clear and direct instructions, a crucial skill for explaining processes. Students will learn to use the imperative mood (e.g., "Enter the data," "Select the cells") for commands. They will also practice using the present simple tense to describe what a function or formula does (e.g., "This formula calculates the total"). A rewriting exercise helps solidify this practical grammar point.
