Teaching Business English is a different experience from teaching general English for language teachers. It’s a unique language niche, which calls for its own approach. Business English students are usually motivated individuals with career-oriented goals, which makes the teaching process more engaging and fulfilling. 

However, before embarking on this educational journey, conducting a thorough needs analysis of your students is essential. This involves not only understanding the students’ industry and role but also their vocabulary requirements, cultural awareness, and language proficiency. Once you have equipped yourself with a comprehensive understanding of your students’ needs, you’ll be able to target areas of weakness, choose the most relevant topics, and structure your lessons more effectively. 

So keep reading as we will explore strategies and engaging activities that can help you create impactful Business English lessons. These techniques are suitable for both experienced instructors and those new to teaching Business English.

Three steps to creating a Business English teaching strategy

Let’s take a look at three main steps to take to help you create a robust Business English teaching strategy. This way, you can make sure that your Business English classes are targeted to your students’ needs, helping them to progress more quickly, achieve their language learning goals, and recommend you as a Business English teacher to their colleagues and friends! 

1. Conduct a needs analysis 

The first step in teaching Business English effectively is getting to know your students on a deeper level and understanding their language needs and learning motivations. Here are some key considerations:

Language Proficiency

Assess your students’ current English proficiency levels to ensure that they have a basic grasp of grammar and vocabulary before going into business-specific content.

Vocabulary Needs

Identify whether your students require English primarily for international communication, understanding internal systems, job interviews, or business presentations. Customizing the vocabulary you teach is essential to their success.

Industry and Role

As teachers, it’s important to be aware that not all Business English students work in traditional office environments. Some may be designers, engineers, or even individuals seeking employment. So, it’s crucial to tailor your lessons to their specific industry and role.

Cultural Awareness

Acknowledge the significance of cultural differences in business communication. Teach your students how to address people appropriately, engage in meetings effectively, and interpret non-verbal cues across various cultures to build their confidence in communicating in English. 

2. Structure your lessons to include engaging activities 

Once you have gained insight into your students’ unique requirements, you can structure your lessons more effectively. Here are some engaging activities to consider including in your Business English classes:

Resume and CV Analysis

Request your students’ CVs to gain a better understanding of their backgrounds and expertise. This exercise not only builds rapport but also allows you to tailor your lessons more precisely. As English teachers, you can also help them to hone and perfect the language in their CVs as a writing exercise. 

Mock Interviews

Organize mock interviews where students take on both the roles of interviewer and interviewee. This activity familiarizes them with the vocabulary and questions used in interviews and enhances their speaking skills, as well as building their confidence. 

Business Pitch Practice

Assign students random objects and challenge them to create persuasive business pitches. This activity sharpens their persuasion and presentation skills while incorporating essential business vocabulary.

3. Cover key Business English topics in your classes

In addition to these activities, there are some essential topics which you should cover during your Business English lessons:

• Cultural behavior in business is an important topic for students to understand. Help students navigate the complexities of cultural differences and understand appropriate behaviors in various business contexts.
• Phone calls and business emails are an important part of professional communication. Guide students in writing professional emails and handling phone calls with the appropriate level of formality.
• Customer service skills in English are crucial in many roles. Train students to deal with challenging customers, address complaints effectively, and ensure overall customer satisfaction.
• Equip your business students with strong presentation skills. Assist students in preparing compelling presentations to effectively sell products or ideas in Business English. 
• Cover the latest innovations in marketing and social media. Discuss marketing strategies, using social media to reach international audiences, and effective negotiation skills.
• Explore different leadership styles. Help your students to learn what different leadership styles they might encounter in their careers, and how to adapt to various types of bosses.
• Prepare your business students to attend meetings in English. Help them to practice their small talk skills in English, learn key meeting phrases, and get an idea of the expectations for participants during business meetings.
• Talk about the importance of working conditions. Teach students how to discuss holidays, salaries, overtime, and other working conditions with their employers.
• Build your students’ awareness of health and safety. Address workplace health and safety topics, such as ergonomic considerations and creating a safe work environment.

Business English: challenges, support, and rewards

Teaching Business English offers both challenges and rewards for teachers. With a comprehensive understanding of your students’ needs, effective lesson structuring, and coverage of essential business topics, you can help them excel in their careers. 

Clear communication, facilitated by good pronunciation and speaking skills, is paramount for success in the business world. So we suggest exploring supplementary resources like ELSA, our app designed to improve English pronunciation and speaking skills. 

If you join our affiliate program as a teacher, you can recommend the app to your Business English students and earn generous commissions. Learn more about it here! 

If you have any suggestions or questions, please don’t hesitate to share them in the comments below. We wish you all the best in your teaching endeavors!