Summary
This B2 English lesson focuses on modern employee onboarding processes. Students will explore first impressions, read about the evolution of onboarding, and watch a video with practical tips. Activities include vocabulary matching, grammar exercises on the passive voice in business, sequencing tasks, writing a professional welcome email, and engaging in role-play scenarios. The lesson aims to equip learners with the language and understanding needed to discuss and participate in effective onboarding.
Activities
Discussing initial job experiences, focusing on what creates a welcoming or anxious atmosphere for new employees and reflecting on desired information and settling-in time.
Reading and comprehending an article on the transformation of employee onboarding, from traditional methods to modern, strategic approaches, and completing gap-fill sentences.
Watching an informative video detailing seven key tips for successful employee onboarding, followed by a true/false comprehension check to reinforce understanding.
Expanding business vocabulary by matching essential onboarding terms such as leverage, retention, and gamification with their precise definitions in a table-based exercise.
Focusing on grammar by learning about the use of the passive voice in professional business communication and rewriting active sentences into the passive form to enhance formality.
Practicing logical thinking by arranging a list of typical onboarding activities into a coherent sequence, based on information presented in the lesson's video segment.
Developing business writing skills by drafting a professional welcome email to a new employee, incorporating at least six key vocabulary items learned during the lesson.
Engaging in communicative practice through role-playing various onboarding scenarios, such as for remote employees or executives, using newly acquired vocabulary and the passive voice.
Applying knowledge critically by working in groups to design an innovative onboarding program for a specific company type, considering elements like past insights and gamification.
Concluding with a reflection on key takeaways from the lesson, including new vocabulary, the utility of the passive voice, and cultural relevance of onboarding tips.
Vocabulary focus
Key terms include integrate new employees, comprehensive, strategic, crucial for retention, streamline paperwork, gamification elements, meaningful interactions, mentorship opportunities, remote and hybrid models, leverage, new hires, tailored approach, fine-tune, metrics, retention, pertinent, brand-centric, and champions. This vocabulary is essential for discussing modern HR practices.
Grammar focus
The lesson emphasizes the use of the passive voice in business contexts. This structure (be + past participle) is often preferred for describing processes and official communications as it focuses on the action rather than the agent, lending a more formal and objective tone. Students practice transforming active sentences related to onboarding tasks into the passive voice.
