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I think it depends entirely on the learners approach and needs. Some of them might be in a situation where they are forced to learn English related to their area of work fast, for example due to the deadlines at work or for visa purposes. With these kind of learners we cannot afford to weave in much of unrelated topics or activities. With all the other business learners, however, it is advisable to alternate some elements of general English (the area in which there is room for improvement) or even weave in some fun activities. They will give the learners a break from their routine and will keep their levels of attention high throughout the entire lesson.
It is highly encouraged to relate the class content and work to the business student’s work, using their particular industry.
The training material should be modified when possible to the individual needs of the business learner. If a lesson or exercise can be changed to more closely reflect the situation or immediate needs of the learner then the learner will likely retain the information more readily.
When working with a group, all of the learners needs should be considered to decide what examples, exercises, reading material, etc. will work best for all of the learners in the group. Business learners should be given practical knowledge that they can apply to their current situations. However, there can be some benefit to using imaginary or more generalized material when teaching business learners. Adding an occasional creative or imaginative exercise can give the learner a break from the ‘grind’ of their professional life and stimulate their creativity. The exact balance between real-world and other material will depend on the learner.I feel that the class should be as relevant to the learner’s work as possible. This makes understanding and remembering easier for the student. Because realia is more relatable than abstract, it will also make the class more engaging for the learner. This will help the learner’s interest and keep him/her focused in class. In addition, I feel that the learner a little break from the workplace can equally expose the learner to other things either than his place of work.
I think it depends entirely on the learners approach and needs. Some of them might be in a situation where they are forced to learn English related to their area of work fast, for example due to the deadlines at work or for visa purposes. With these kind of learners we cannot afford to weave in much of unrelated topics or activities. With all the other business learners, however, it is advisable to alternate some elements of general English (the area in which there is room for improvement) or even weave in some fun activities. They will give the learners a break from their routine and will keep their levels of attention high throughout the entire lesson
In general, business learners are not completely different from other language learners, as we are speaking of adult learners and all of them have their own goals which they are pursuing by taking language classes. The only case, Business learners could differ in terms of their original motivation to attend a language class is when they are obliged to attend it by their boss and do not actually have an interest in learning the target language. But even in this case, learning the new language is probably required for practicing their job, which is why they generally have even higher motivation to progress with the language, so that their carreer opportunities improve. Another factor which is different for business learners from all others is probably the time window in which the learner wants to or has to finish a certain class to obtain the certificate of a certain language level. But the most obvious difference in a language class with business learners is definetely the vocabulary which they have to acquire and the writing competencies they need to get capable of, which are certainly more complex than in the case of people who just learn a language to be able to communicate in general in that target language. So because of this, the trainer should be familiar with some business related topics before giving business language classes, as they have to be able to discuss them in the right way, whereas in “Normal classes” it is spoken normally only about topics related to the everyday world, which a language trainer doesn’t have to study before giving classes.
I think that classes including the personal reality of a learner is always a positive way to make a class more intersting and give the learners the feeling of being involved. So therefore I think it is a good idea to relate the lesson content to the learner’s work, as it also makes sense for the learners to be able to talk about their work in the target language or use the target language in their work environment. Of course the class should at the same time not be limited to that, as it is more interesting to have a variety of topics discussed in class and get to know different business areas.
When designing Business English classes, striking a balance between relevance to learners’ work and providing a break from their routine is crucial. While incorporating industry-specific content is important, it is equally important to introduce elements that allow learners to explore topics outside their immediate work context. The ideal approach is to find a middle ground that caters to both aspects.
Relevance to learners’ work and industry is essential in Business English classes. It allows learners to directly apply what they learn to their professional roles, improving their communication skills in their specific field. By integrating industry-specific vocabulary, case studies, role-plays, and simulations, learners can enhance their language proficiency in contexts they encounter daily. However, it is equally important to offer a break from their routine by incorporating diverse topics and activities. This serves multiple purposes. First, it provides learners with a mental and emotional respite from the intensity of their work environment. It allows them to explore different subjects and engage in discussions that stimulate their curiosity and broaden their horizons.
In my opinion, this is more of a case by case situation. As much as their goals might be to focus solely on vocabulary and terminology which go with their work, it is also important to learn all aspects of the TL.
The non-work related parts of the TL, as important as they are, might not be necessary or important to a business learner, especially if they don’t “need a break.” Some learners might be so involved and focused on their work to where they do not feel the need to learn the rest.
However, there are also going to be plenty of business learners who want to focus on using the learning of a new language as a way to get away from work, they might see it as a stress-free hobby/activity and not want to even bring up work or work related terminology, depending on their job.We, as trainers, need to listen to our learners and teach them what they want to or do not want to learn, when it comes to business oriented learners.
I do not have much experience teaching business learners, nevertheless, I believe their motivation in learning or improving a new language is evidently different from other learners due to the impact that it may have in their workplaces or their job position, so these learners tend to have less time rather than others, consequently, they take advantage of each lesson to rich their goals in a shorter term. Another important point to consider is that sometimes business learners want to improve a specific skill, I mean their focus could be speaking because the usage of the language is mainly oral or because they have to give a conference or have an interview with others. In this way, the teachers must know their aims very well in order to offer them way they are looking for or need.
Using the learner’s work context and material can be very valuable as it helps to personalize lessons and make them more relevant to the learner’s needs. However, Business English learners especially those who do in-company courses may feel that they are not in the lesson but at work again. I believe, that a personal relationship and empathy are crucial here. A trainer may simply ask learners how they feel about bringing their work into class. If it is not comfortable for them, a trainer may focus on relevant skills, but change the context. For example, if learners need to develop presentation skills, but prefer not to speak about their current project, they may ‘swap’ departments or present on behalf of an imaginary company.
I believe the ratio between the two should be balanced between 50/50. It is important for the learners to be able to relate personally to the material that they are learning, but not too much so. It is equally as important to be somewhat distanced from it to give them a different point of view on the matter.
I think the majority of the classes should be related to the learner’s work or particular industry. This of course depends also on the learner’s starting level of language learning, I will assume that there is already a good base of general language known by the learner.
The whole reason the learner has come to learn is for the business to use the language in his job and this is the most important language items that the learner wants to learn.This question can only be answered after the analysis of the specific learner’s needs. There is no fixed or general amount of ‘specialised language’ that should be taught in the classroom. In the case of one-to-one lessons, I believe that the best course of action is to let the student be the judge of what he or she needs, listen and act accordingly. In fact, business learners are generally aware of what they need to learn from their English lessons, and they best understand the specificites of their job. Group lessons are different, as the course goals are set by the business. Once again, the amount of specialised language should be established with regards to the course objective; however, individual circumstances have to be taken into account: a restless, or bored, or overwhelmed by work talk, learner clearly defeats the purpose. Mixing up work with more light-hearted topics of conversation could come to the rescue.
Business learners need a general knowledge and fluency level before they progress to learning language based around their work vocabulary. Learners need to be able to produce sentences accurately enough for it to convey the meaning of what they want to say, however, a solid language base is key and cannot be ignored or skipped. Once a certain level of foundation has been laid and a certain level of progression has been learned, trainers can focus more on target language related to business learners work. The learners may work in an office, sales, law, or health and wellness industries. Too much focus can be frustrating for the learner. If the learner learns general english language skills, this will give the learner a break from their work and they will still learn other language vocabulary that will relate to their english language and communication skills. Learners need time to relax and break from work and if they only focus on work related vocabulary, they may feel like they are working too much. This may rob them of the value and enjoyment of learning another language and motivation may become stagnant.
It is important to make the material of the lessons relatable to the learners otherwise they won’t see the practical side of learning the target lesson.
Having said that it is important to create a friendly atmosphere in the classroom, so the learners can engage and not see the lesson as a chore but a way of achieving their goal.
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