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Considering that most business learners are driven to learn a new language because of their profession, I think most classes should be business related but also from time to time, include a more day to day topic that could help them expand their language knowledge.
Classes should strike a balance between relevance to learners’ work and providing a break from their routine. Ideally, they should be closely related to learners’ industries to ensure practical applicability and engagement. However, incorporating some elements that are slightly removed from their daily work can foster creativity, broaden perspectives, and prevent burnout. Finding this equilibrium is vital to effective and engaging learning experiences.
This is a very good question. Business learners usually move quite fast in environments that are familiar to them, for example, their particular industry, and their job. However, what many such learners have recently realized is that if they are able to communicate in English only about their jobs, they are extremely boring, not only to their business partners but to other people as well. To give an example, somebody who is good at selling socks but is unable to speak about anything else but socks, might not be able to find anyone to talk to even during the coffee break of a negotiation meeting. Thus, it is obvious that when sitting at the business table, business partners do business only, but, most real business is done during the business partners’ free time. A lot of research is done on that. Therefore, if a business learner is able to discuss a variety of topics, he/she has greater chances to do a successful business, create and maintain faithful partners and, under favourable circumstances, even create business partnerships and friends. Therefore, having a variety of classes on topics that are of much more common interest is vital for business learners. In the end, every business conversation starts with a small talk!
I think that for the majority of the time, the lessons should relate to the learners’ work whenever possible. In general, the company is contracting inlingua in order to train their employees in the English language. It can be assumed that the intent is for their newfound English skills to enhance the value of the business. Therefore, it makes sense to expose the learners to language they may readily find in practice while working. While it isn’t a problem to branch out and talk about other things, I believe that whenever possible it should relate back the company. In a similar vein, I think that this is where the teacher’s relationship with the learners will play a major role. If the end state is for them to learn, and they are not learning or paying attention due to overload of company engagement/information, it can be advantageous for the teacher to switch things up and talk about other topics, like sports or celebrity gossip (so long as it relates to the lesson, of course).
Broadly I believe that it is a good idea that a class should be related to the learners’ work and their particular industry. The central focus of business English is to give the learner the language tools necessary to carry out tasks at work using English and progress in their profession. By using specific vocabulary or phrases which the individual may need at work, this will give them the relevant practice they need in order to communicate within their industry.
At the same time, it is important to note that an English lesson could be seen as a break from the routine of work and something to look forward to as the individual would be focusing on something different and taken away from the challenges they face during the working day.
By introducing the reading of articles and alternative talking points, interest and contrast can be created within a lesson. A broad selection of subjects can be used which are not directly associated with the learners’ profession but could be relevant on certain levels.
From this we can see that balance is key. All these points should be assessed, as well as the individual needs of the learners when providing business English training.This depends a lot on the type of class you have, some people may really need it to work better so they will want to learn as much as possible and ask for a hard working class. Others might be overwhelmed by their jobs and see English lessons as a little break from their usual routine, so they might want to learn but also take it less seriously.
So I think that it’s good to keep them focused on what they have to learn and make them do as much as possible but by having fun. Including games is one of the best ways. So you feed them new things, you make them weave and talk as much as possible and then you introduce little games so they can memorize without getting board or too tired.I think that balance is always the key to success and goal achievement. This means that both the Inlingua materials and the learner’s company materials should be used.
It is essential that the learner be and feel always linked to his/her own work environment because the need to improve Business English starts with this context and its requirements as well as the interesting possibilities and options it offers.
Once the learner perceives his/her language improvement, he/she will be extremely satisfied and rewarded because this is the path to his/her own soft/hard skills recognition and appreciation.If the learner perceives that the materials used are too detached from his/her own context, he/she may feel perplexed and confused. Of course, the trainee will certainly see his language improvement but will not grasp the immediate use and usefulness of this or that vocabulary, expressions etc. in his/her own workplace.
Therefore, a good teacher should select the Inlingua materials to be used during the Business classes based on the learner’s needs, expectations and goals, blending them with the learner’s, unequivocably suggesting continuity, in-depth information and accuracy.
Classes should be invariably related to their trades all them time, as their specific needs are based on what they are going to use and what will be helpful to them. Hence the nature of of the courses Business English, at least in my particular case, in which all of my students base come from company and business relted fields or backgrounds. It wouldný make sense at all if I gave them a course structure of general English. We have to think about the time they dipsose for this kind of learning. The mission of these kind of courses are devoted mostly into making the learners practice and improve their speaking skills more than anything else. This though – doesn´t mean the course will not be teaching some grammar and listening, but the main focus is 80% of the time lessons orientated to practice speaking the language.
The trainer’s main focus should be reaching the educational goal of the student. If the student is comfortable with spending as much productive time as possible on the goal of the lessons this should be done, still creating an environment where the student feels the progress and keeps working toward the end goal while having freedom to express themselves. As trainer it is very important to prevent the students from getting sidetracked thus, we need to make sure that the level of the lesson prepared coincides with the knowledge of the student you are working with. In saying this, it can also be very beneficial to casually teach new or extra vocabulary if the lesson time allows, the student is comfortable with the “extra information” and the target language and main focus of the lesson has been taught and understood.
It is important that trainers help their learners achieve their goals. It isn’t beneficial for them to learn/discuss topics that are irrelevant to those goals because they could become uninterested and unmotivated. That being said, it is difficult to focus on content only related to their job. The trainer can instead teach about grammar, phrases, or vocabulary that aren’t necessarily related to their industry as long as they are still important skills. This will add to their proficiency and be able to speak more fluidly, while getting a bit of a break. I think 70% and 30% is a good balance.
The classes in business English should be mostly related to the students jobs in order not to make them bored and unmotivated. However, if the classes are always run with the topics related to their jobs, can be an other reason of getting the Ss bored. In my opinion, after every 2 or 3 sessions focused on the jobs, some general topics related to the field that they have been instructed, can be given for speaking. And while talking, Ss can be focused for the accuracy and fluency. For instance, if the topic of the class is mostly about written communication in English, some spoken topics related to presentation and business meeting may be given in order to check their accuracy and also have the learners structures improve. This way make the Ss happy and avoid getting them bored.
I think it’s important that some of the sections are tailored to their industry, but it’s not realistic to have dedicated training books for each industry. Obviously, there will be general topics – for example, finance and customer service, and as a trainer, it’s possible to add in examples related to their field. Depending on whether the company is paying for the training, onsite works well, giving them a break from their work, while ensuring they’re present for training, because they are already on site.
In designing language classes for business learners, finding the delicate equilibrium between work-related content and providing a respite from their professional routines is crucial. Recognizing the importance of relevance, integrating industry-specific language and real-life scenarios into lessons can enhance the practical applicability of language skills, fostering motivation among learners. This tailored approach ensures that the linguistic competencies acquired directly align with their work responsibilities, such as presentations, negotiations, and meetings. However, a judicious mix is necessary to prevent monotony and mental fatigue. Introducing a diverse array of topics, including general conversational themes, cultural insights, and everyday scenarios, adds dynamism to the learning experience and helps maintain engagement. The balance should also be attuned to individual preferences; some learners may thrive on a more focused, industry-centric curriculum, while others may appreciate variety to sustain interest. =
Business learners have both similarities and differences to general learners and these should be taken into consideration when working in a business oriented setting.
Business learners often have a very specific motivation for studying language, and this is most likely related to their own business-oriented goals, whether that be current job necessity, career growth, customer relations, personal ambition, or something similar. This motivation, if stemming from their own ambition and objectives, may push them to work extra hard in the course, depending on the circumstances. If, however, the motivation is coming from an external source, for example, a company-mandated business English course, perhaps personal motivation may be lacking.
Along with specific motivation, business learners often have specific goals and objectives. This means that course content can and should reflect their specific objectives, whether that be Business English, presentations/public speaking, sales/negotiating, customer relations, project management, or more.
Business learners often have less time than general learners and therefore are focused on learning as much as possible in as little time as possible. Optimization and efficiency, just like in any business activity, should be key (time is money!). While general learners may appreciate and benefit from longer asides and explanations, business learners may not see the same value in this and may want to remain focused on their goals.
Lastly, general interest in languages may differ from among business and general learners as business learners may be more interested in the communicative effects of the language and being able to communicate clearly and effectively to reach certain goals (presenting, closing a deal, etc.). A general interest in the language may be secondary in this case.
However, learners should have a strong interest in learning and improving their language skills specifically for the reasons discussed above meaning that the class can still reach its objectives clearly and effectively.
Overall, there are a few important differences to consider when working with business learners, including motivation, time, and general interest.
the trainer needs to find out the business learners’ goals and motives and use the inlingua material based on these motives.
you can change after about 3 or 5 lessons and focus on grammar and vocabulary but must still be relevant to the learner and his/her field. it is important for the learner to practice and improve there speaking time. a mix is important but must still be relevant i would say after3 or 5 classes you can mix it up.
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