“I’m starting a Business English class next week, PLEASE, tell me what to do”
by George Athanasopoulos, Area Manager for Greece & Cyprus, Elt Instructor, UoA E-learning program designer & tutor
I know that many teachers of English feel intimidated by the prospect of teaching Business English. This is to some extent understandable because there are quite a few misunderstandings about what Business English teaching really entails. However, I think that things are not that difficult or scary.
As a teacher of Business English for more than 10 years (yes, I still consider myself a teacher), I have taught several business classes, and very important business personalities, in various business contexts. If I was asked to give some advice to a colleague starting to teach Business English, this would be two things:
ALWAYS carry out a needs analysis of your student/students
This should be done BEFORE you teach your first lesson. It is essential to know why your students want to learn Business English and understand their goals. Needs analyses will also help you to find out your students’ particular objectives and problem areas. A well-organized needs analysis may also reveal details such as how motivated your students are if they are obliged to attend the course etc., and all these details are crucial in designing the course.
Performing a needs analysis will also help you decide which areas to focus on. For instance, secretarial personnel might want to focus only on telephone skills, reading and writing emails, correspondence, etc. The lessons should be adapted to the student’s individual requirements. Based on your needs assessment, you will be able to measure the progress of each student and design ways to better their learning.
Therefore, through a needs analysis, you will be able to understand your students, their objectives, their strengths, and weaknesses, which areas of Business English to focus on, which materials to use and how to use them. It the A-Z guide for designing the course.
Therefore, through a needs analysis, you will be able to understand your students, their objectives, their strengths, and weaknesses, which areas of Business English to focus on, which materials to use and how to use them. It the A-Z guide for designing the course.
ALWAYS be professional
By nature, teaching Business English will require you to have a more professional approach than teaching young learners or even general English to adults..
Ensuring professionalism doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be dressed or behave as the Secretary of State, but it definitely means that you have to take care of your appearance. Develop unique and SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound) resources, and choose activities and ice-breakers suitable for professional adults. Do what you promise. For example, if you tell your class I’ll send you an email tomorrow, send them the email tomorrow, not the day after tomorrow. Finally, be punctual, have manners, and be sociable..
