Summary
This downloadable PDF lesson plan for English teachers is perfect for a business English class. This ESL material for B1 students covers the essential vocabulary and phrases for welcoming and onboarding a new colleague, with a focus on practical communication at work.
This lesson helps students practice the language needed for onboarding. It begins with a warm-up discussion about first-day experiences, followed by a vocabulary matching task. Students will then complete a listening exercise, a reading comprehension text about a company's welcoming program, and a grammar exercise on modal verbs for requests and offers.
The lesson culminates in a practical role-play activity where students simulate a new hire's first day, solidifying their learning in a real-world context.
Activities
- Warm-up and vocabulary: Students start by discussing their own first-day experiences, then match key terms like "onboarding" and "mentor" to their definitions to build a foundation for the lesson's topic. This activates prior knowledge and introduces essential lexis.
- Listening and reading: This lesson includes a listening exercise where students fill in gaps in a short text about a positive onboarding experience. They also read an article about a company's award-winning program and answer true/false comprehension questions.
- Grammar and role-play: Students focus on using modal verbs like "could," "can," and "should" for making polite requests, offers, and suggestions. The lesson concludes with a structured role-play, allowing them to practice these skills in a simulated workplace scenario.
Vocabulary focus
This lesson focuses on essential business English vocabulary for welcoming new employees. Key terms include nouns like "onboarding," "new hire," "mentor," "orientation," and "company culture," as well as useful phrasal verbs and expressions such as "to show someone around," "to set up," and "to get the hang of something."
Grammar focus
The grammar section concentrates on using modal verbs for polite and functional communication in a professional setting. Students will learn and practice how to form requests with "can" and "could," make offers with "can I" or "I can," and give suggestions or advice using "should" and "you might want to."
