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ancient_dweller · Joined: 12 Aug 2010 Posts: 415 Location: Woodland Bench

I have a group of Business English students - been teaching them for a few weeks now.

Their company has paid for their lessons, so they are not at a loss. However, they love to go off topic.

However hard I try to keep to the books, grammar leads to talking about something else, they don't want to read, they only want to practice speaking. Now, that is fair enough, but I am conscious that the results they get with just speaking, will be far less than the potential results if they followed the structured speaking exercises in any book. Therefore, I am a bit stuck as to what to do.

Surely they will quit soon - when they realise they are just paying me to sit and talk with them/listen to them speak.

Anyone had experiences like this before. What happens?

There are 3 but usually one is missing for some reason or another.

If Russians are straight talking they would tell me. Yet, the people in this group have my number and when they want to cancel a lesson they call the agency - not me. At least they call to cancel!

Anyway, any ways to try to keep the students on track? At first i thought that their level was int/upp-int because their speaking is very very good. But i think, after taking some lessons from books at both levels, they find the int stuff too easy and get bored and find the upp int stuff too difficult so talk about what they want to talk about!

How to get people onto a plan of action and get them to stick to it?

smithrn1983 · Joined: 23 Jul 2010 Posts: 320 Location: Moscow

I've had this happen a couple of times, especially when the employer is paying for the lessons. Sometimes the students see English lessons as merely a break from work.

It could also be the case that the books you're using don't suit the students' needs. Most business English textbooks are written to cover a wide range of careers, which means that for many students the material is irrelevant. My students who work in accounting and finance couldn't give two hoots about the HR or marketing chapters, so those usually get skipped. Any relevant grammar or vocabulary is replaced with more appropriate material.

It can be difficult, especially midway through a course, but doing a detailed needs analysis, and then building a course around the topics discussed is IMHO the best way to handle such a situation. The students may still go off track now and again, but will be more willing to let the teacher guide them back if they see the relevance of the material to their own lives/jobs.

ancient_dweller · Joined: 12 Aug 2010 Posts: 415 Location: Woodland Bench

i will give it go. they are in finance and they prefer to talk about politics, culture, travel - anything but the book!

Maybe they are treating it as a break from work. But at the same time they know they need to do their work, so it can be a bit stressful for them.

I am a little bit confused is all. i'll try to find some books that are more related to their field and then maybe they will be more interested.

Jazziz23 · Joined: 08 Apr 2011 Posts: 61

Don't fight it, just teach them what they want to learn. Motivation comes from within. If they don't want to read or see any value in it no use to force it on them.

Ask them what in what business context do they want to learn English, to understand TV and media, etc...find out what they are interested in.

I've got a business degree so if you need specific ideas let me know.

Mikalina · Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:27 pm Post subject:

Wow - brings back memories!!

Teaching Business English to Russians in Moscow, I learnt that you need to forget the 'facilitator' role - think more along the lines of lion taming!!

You are in charge - and you will feel it!! Not comfortable for 'nice' teachers but if they fail to learn the comprehensive skills their company expects them to, it will be because of your teaching - not the quality but the 'classroom control' element.

Start the lesson with the tough stuff - new vocab, written exercises to put the vocab in situ; second look at and anlyse something 'real' relating to the subject - newspaper article, radioprogramme - do your research. Then set up a 'talking excercise' for the final third of the lesson and let them rip steering them towards using the ideas, concepts and vocab that you have inroduced. Loads of books on business speaking excercises.

When dealing with Russian business people forget the 'subtle' and replace it with 'in yer face'.

Mikalina · Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:30 pm Post subject:

Wow - brings back memories!!

Teaching Business English to Russians in Moscow, I learnt that you need to forget the 'facilitator' role - think more along the lines of lion taming!!

You are in charge - and you will feel it!! Not comfortable for 'nice' teachers but if they fail to learn the comprehensive skills their company expects them to, it will be because of your teaching - not the quality but the 'classroom control' element.

Start the lesson with the tough stuff - new vocab, written exercises to put the vocab in situ; second look at and anlyse something 'real' relating to the subject - newspaper article, radioprogramme - do your research. Then set up a 'talking excercise' for the final third of the lesson and let them rip steering them towards using the ideas, concepts and vocab that you have inroduced. Loads of books on business speaking excercises.

When dealing with Russian business people forget the 'subtle' and replace it with 'in yer face'.

ancient_dweller · Joined: 12 Aug 2010 Posts: 415 Location: Woodland Bench

Mikalina - wise words and I i follow something similar religiously. The example i gave was a special case. These guys are Russia's golden kids - bankers.

Before me they hadnt had a teacher for longer than a month (and they had 3) i've been going 10 weeks or so, so i'm waiting for the sacking... Cool