Hi all,
My newly-opened language school has decided to run a business English course based on the textbook "first insights into business." I am supposed to be designing the curriculum and tests for this. While I am touched by my school's confidence in me, I don't fully believe it to be merited as I have never even taught business English before...
Among my many questions, the most pressing is, what changes (if any) should be made to a needs analysis form to adapt it for business students?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Needs analysis for business English students
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Business English
Hi,
I teach English to business people but I don't consider myself a teacher of Business English. If Business English exists then there is also Medical English, Computer English, Holiday English and Sports English, to mention just a few.
The term Business English is a marketing gimmick. You will be teaching English to adults who need the same skills as everyone else to function in English. You won't have to teach, and you're not expected to know, specific Business terms. Your students will already know most of them. What they need to learn from you is how to use them.
Gordon
www.myprofe.com
www.myprofe.com/foro
I teach English to business people but I don't consider myself a teacher of Business English. If Business English exists then there is also Medical English, Computer English, Holiday English and Sports English, to mention just a few.
The term Business English is a marketing gimmick. You will be teaching English to adults who need the same skills as everyone else to function in English. You won't have to teach, and you're not expected to know, specific Business terms. Your students will already know most of them. What they need to learn from you is how to use them.
Gordon
www.myprofe.com
www.myprofe.com/foro
Objectives
Hey there!
I agree that Business English is a marketing trick. The only difference between Business English and English might be formality of speech, or vocabulary, but in the end, they will have to correctly manipulate the helping verbs in questions and negatives, and those would be your objectives.
More important are the objectives of the students. I assume that the "needs analysis" form is a way of finding out or diagnosing the objectives of the students. My experience is that most of them need to be able to use English effectively in a business setting. like in meetings, formal social occasions, traveling, etc.... Even so, if they don't handle English in general, a long list of vocabulary will not help them negociate a contract or defend a project idea. However, you are right in considering this "needs analysis" formost, and you must take seriously the answers the students list in the development of the final curriculum. So, a basic ESL curriculum would work as a starting point, then add practice material, ample practice material so that your students are moving their mouths constantly. Pattern drills and role-play work for me, but not all teachers are adroit in making such activity useful.
peace,
revel.
I agree that Business English is a marketing trick. The only difference between Business English and English might be formality of speech, or vocabulary, but in the end, they will have to correctly manipulate the helping verbs in questions and negatives, and those would be your objectives.
More important are the objectives of the students. I assume that the "needs analysis" form is a way of finding out or diagnosing the objectives of the students. My experience is that most of them need to be able to use English effectively in a business setting. like in meetings, formal social occasions, traveling, etc.... Even so, if they don't handle English in general, a long list of vocabulary will not help them negociate a contract or defend a project idea. However, you are right in considering this "needs analysis" formost, and you must take seriously the answers the students list in the development of the final curriculum. So, a basic ESL curriculum would work as a starting point, then add practice material, ample practice material so that your students are moving their mouths constantly. Pattern drills and role-play work for me, but not all teachers are adroit in making such activity useful.
peace,
revel.
Thanks for the help and ideas. Nice to know that i don't have to know business terms. After all, if I was any good at business, I'd have negotiated a much better contract. 
I've received back the first few of the needs anlalysis forms and they are all adamant that they neither need nor want any grammar work. Well, I can believe the second part of that statement. Any ideas on how to slip grammar tidbits under their radar?
As for the main body of the course, I think I'll be focusing on communication - lots of role-plays, discussions and presentations - with a bit of formal writing thrown in. Does this sound about right or totally wrong-headed? Any ideas for activities that you have used and found worthwhile?
Once again, thanks for your help and encouragement. Oh and MyProfe, you're dead-on about the "marketing gimmick" jibe. At this school, marketing staff outnumber teachers 2 to 1. Doncha just love it?
I've received back the first few of the needs anlalysis forms and they are all adamant that they neither need nor want any grammar work. Well, I can believe the second part of that statement. Any ideas on how to slip grammar tidbits under their radar?
As for the main body of the course, I think I'll be focusing on communication - lots of role-plays, discussions and presentations - with a bit of formal writing thrown in. Does this sound about right or totally wrong-headed? Any ideas for activities that you have used and found worthwhile?
Once again, thanks for your help and encouragement. Oh and MyProfe, you're dead-on about the "marketing gimmick" jibe. At this school, marketing staff outnumber teachers 2 to 1. Doncha just love it?
I think it will depend on what your students want to do. Here are some threads in which I talked about what I did with the students I had--they were assembly line workers who were supposed to participate in workplace discussions and quality improvement, etc. Anyway, here are some links in case they are useful:
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/teacher/v ... highlight=
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/teacher/v ... highlight=
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/teacher/v ... highlight=
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/teacher/v ... highlight=
Hey there!
In my experience, the business student's reaction to grammar comes from preconceived notions about studying grammar. If they are faced with a grammar book that covers things like verb tenses, reported speech, the three conditionals, they are usually frustrated with having not only to learn the grammar but also the framework in which grammar is taught, that is, grammatical terms and the like. And, I agree with them.
I slip the grammar in by using structural exercises. If you look for other posts of mine, you will see how I structure the class to allow time for pronunciation, structure and practical practice. Any good sentence pattern book will offer you material for concentrated practice on the points or objectives you have decided to present in the course. At first many adult students think that such structured exercise is not economical, but persevere, when they realize that even with a sentence prepared for them they have difficulties saying it from beginning to end, they will realize the value of the exercise in learning basic patterns that they will use in the more complex exercises. Not much time has to be spent explaining (I usually don't even bother to explain grammar or structure, but rather when they might use these sentences and get right down to the oral practice). Assign them homework from these exercises, tell them to take five or six of the most difficult sentences and practice them from time to time at home. That way, they take on a bit of the responsibility for their own improvement.
peace,
revel.
In my experience, the business student's reaction to grammar comes from preconceived notions about studying grammar. If they are faced with a grammar book that covers things like verb tenses, reported speech, the three conditionals, they are usually frustrated with having not only to learn the grammar but also the framework in which grammar is taught, that is, grammatical terms and the like. And, I agree with them.
I slip the grammar in by using structural exercises. If you look for other posts of mine, you will see how I structure the class to allow time for pronunciation, structure and practical practice. Any good sentence pattern book will offer you material for concentrated practice on the points or objectives you have decided to present in the course. At first many adult students think that such structured exercise is not economical, but persevere, when they realize that even with a sentence prepared for them they have difficulties saying it from beginning to end, they will realize the value of the exercise in learning basic patterns that they will use in the more complex exercises. Not much time has to be spent explaining (I usually don't even bother to explain grammar or structure, but rather when they might use these sentences and get right down to the oral practice). Assign them homework from these exercises, tell them to take five or six of the most difficult sentences and practice them from time to time at home. That way, they take on a bit of the responsibility for their own improvement.
peace,
revel.