Managing client expectations and scope creep

Summary

This downloadable PDF lesson plan for English teachers helps B2 students discuss project management. This ESL class material uses a business context to practice vocabulary for managing client expectations and preventing "scope creep." This practical business English lesson engages students with a warm-up discussion about plans becoming too complicated.

Activities include vocabulary matching, a listening gap-fill, a case study reading on project delays, and grammar exercises. The lesson culminates in a realistic role-play where students practice managing client expectations, using useful phrases to set boundaries and politely push back against new requests. This class material provides a complete, structured learning experience.

Activities

• Students begin by matching key project management terms like "scope creep" and "deliverables" to their definitions, followed by a gap-fill listening exercise to hear the vocabulary used in context.
• A reading exercise presents a case study about a tech project gone wrong, allowing students to analyze the causes and consequences of poor project planning and communication in a real-world scenario.
• The lesson culminates in a structured role-play where one student acts as a project manager and the other as a client with extra requests, creating a dynamic and practical application of the lesson's language.

Managing client expectations and scope creep B2

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Vocabulary focus

This lesson introduces essential business and project management vocabulary. Key terms include: scope creep, deliverables, Statement of Work (SOW), upfront communication, budget overruns, timeline, to push back, and to reinforce boundaries. These terms are crucial for discussing project planning and execution.

Grammar focus

The grammar section concentrates on the first and second conditionals. Students learn to use these structures to discuss potential future risks and consequences ("If we agree, it will affect the budget") as well as hypothetical situations ("If we had more time, we would add that feature"), which is essential for project negotiations.