Job Discussion Forums

[booty]

I teach at an NGO where we have a number of different companies on our books. There is no set curriculum for some as many want English to suit their needs, so I find myself downloading stuff from onestop. This often causes the photocopier to break down.
We do use some course books, some of which are pretty dull. New Insights is really dated and monotonous. However, the In-Company books have plenty of social English necessary for business meetings and trips. I personally think this one's the best for your money. Market Leader's not bad though.

[John Hall]

I once had a trainer who said that teaching Business English really isn't about teaching Business at all. I would say that she was about 90% right, because about 90% of the time that I have taught B.E., I have not had to know the technical terminology of the business, or be an expert in the business. Your students will know all about semiconductors, but they won't know what the word "gadget" means. They'll know what a proposal is, but they won't know what it means to put one forward. They'll know that Bill Gates is in charge of Microsoft, but they won't understand that he is the CEO of Microsoft. They cannot differentiate the pronunciation of "can" and "can't." Or they cannot understand the difference in meaning between tag questions with rising intonation, and tag questions with falling intonation.

Most of teaching Business English is teaching the General English necessary to do Business.