In Company Web Guides
In Company Web Guides
Upper-intermediate
General
Quotes
http://www.negotiationskills.com/quotes.html
Each unit in the book begins with a quote. These quotes are not only amusing and memorable, but they are also trying to make a point. Here is a source of more quotes which will often add to the lessons. You need to sign up (by giving an e-mail address) to get the quotes, but this is free.
Unit 1
Corporate entertainment
http://www.sportbreak.com/
http://www.thewrightevent.co.uk/corporate_entertainment.html
Why not try a simulation activity? Write out a few client role cards for your students of potential clients (e.g. Jonas Schmidt, 53, likes excitement, doesn't enjoy team games. etc). Put your students into groups and give each group a couple of client role cards. Then, ask the students to use one of these two websites to find appropriate ideas to entertain their guests.
Students could also discuss what type of event would suit their company.
Being polite
http://www.linguarama.com/ps/295-3.htm
This activity looks at different ways of saying 'No' which is a very important skill. Try out this activity before or after you have completed the no-no game on page 7.
http://www.linguarama.com/ps/294-3.htm
This is a brief but useful matching activity which focuses on ways to start a conversation. This links in nicely with the material on page 9. Once your students have done this activity you could get them to design one of their own.
Unit 2
The language of meetings
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/youmeus/quiznet/
newquiz54.shtml
It is very important in meetings to say exactly the right thing at the right time. Here is an online quiz which has the added element of being a race against the clock. Put your students into pairs and ask them to work together on the quiz - see who does the best.
http://www.linguarama.com/ps/polite.htm
http://www.linguarama.com/ps/297-4.htm
http://www.linguarama.com/ps/194-0.htm
Here are some more links your students might find useful for the language of meetings.
Inspiration
http://www.angelfire.com/nv/InspirationUniv/quotes/11.html
The article on page 10 is about Harold Geneen, regarded by many as an inspirational business leader. Here is a page dedicated to inspirational quotes, including five from Geneen. Some of the quotes are about meetings while others focus on how to run a successful business. Use a few of the quotes here to start a discussion.
Unit 3
The world's richest people
http://www.forbes.com/2003/02/26/billionaireland.html
Why not find out who are the richest people in the world? Forbes magazine is well known for printing a list of the richest people and here is the online version. You can compare year by year as well as finding out more about each of the people. Why not ask your students to read the information about the three richest people and decide who they think deserves their fortune? They could also try and see if they can find the youngest billionaire. Finally, the site also includes a fun game and an interesting poll.
Nick Leeson
http://www.thebubbleburst.co.uk/nickleeson/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/the_economy/375259.stm
Two web pages that take a look at Nick Leeson. After your students have done the activity on page 18 you could ask them to have a look at these two sites. The first gives a brief point by point list of key events and interesting facts, the second is a newspaper article that takes a look at the whole affair. After your students have read the information ask them what they think about the outcome and see if they can think of any other financial scandals.
Unit 4
Making presentations
http://www.presentationbiz.co.uk/tips/factsheets/elevatorpitch.htm
An interesting site that takes a look at a particular presentation technique - The elevator pitch. Ask the students to read the tips and then try some of the techniques out by doing classroom presentations.
Famous speeches
http://www.historychannel.com/speeches/speeches.html
On page 25 there are five famous speeches from the movies. This site contains hundreds of famous speeches from many different areas of life (some from the movies). Browse through, possibly selecting from a particular category, and get your students to listen to the speeches (and read them). You could ask your students to listen to five speeches and choose the one they think is most inspirational.
Unit 5
Problems on the phone
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/youmeus/quiznet
/newquiz65.shtml
This short quiz from the BBC Learning English site is a great way to start off a lesson. The quiz contains six multiple choice questions that test vocabulary specific to the phone. After taking the quiz you could ask the students to design one of their own.
The art of complaining
money.guardian.co.uk/howtocomplain/0%2C11609%2C643311%2C00.html
Although unit 5 focuses on the use of the phone, one of the underlying issues is complaining. This web page contains lots of links to a variety of articles looking at complaining. It's probably best to have a look at the site before you go into class, choose an article or two which will be of particular relevance to your students and use the articles as reading texts (they might even be the basis of a speaking or writing activity).
Unit 6
A simulation meeting
http://www.celt.stir.ac.uk/staff/HIGDOX/VALLANCE/Diss/FP.HTM
A ready-made online simulation program designed for teaching and practising meeting skills. Follow the onscreen instructions and away you go into the world of the virtual meeting.
Different types of meeting
http://www.ukans.edu/cwis/units/coms2/vma/vms.htm
Find out more about a variety of types of meetings with clear summaries of the purpose and differences between each type.
Collocations
www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/index.shtml Check out this site on a regular basis to see if there are any useful stories that you can use in class. The news stories here have been selected with a special focus on the words used in them - an excellent way for your students to pick up the right vocabulary, and in particular word collocations.
Unit 7
Headline news
'Business English words in the news' is a fantastic site brought to you by the BBC World service. On a regular basis short news stories from the world of business news are adapted for use by English language students. One of the great features is the facility to listen to the stories and individual words. Apart from reading and vocabulary practice you can use the stories here as the basis for opinions (agreeing and disagreeing) and debates.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/default.stm
http://www.sky.com/skynews/xml/0,,30400-,00.html
Keep the news stories you use in the classroom up-to-date. Here are a couple of sites that deal exclusively with business news. Have a look at what's current and see if there's anything that would interest your students.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/business/index.shtml
Lots and lots of excellent materials suitable for all kinds of Business teaching situations. If you have a particular topic or a recent news item that you'd like to use in your classroom this is probably the best place to start looking.
The Enron affair
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/business/2002/enron/default.stm
On page 39 there is an article about the fall of Enron. If your students are interested to find out more about what happened in one of the biggest business scandals in recent years then this website is an excellent resource.
Unit 8
Public speaking
http://www.toastmasters.org
Do your students get nervous when they have to speak in public? Here is a list of ten tips to help them become better public speakers. Ask them to make a list of three things they think will be included in the tips. Then get them to read the first page and see if their ideas were included. Finally, you could ask the students to rank the tips in order of which would be the most useful.
To find the list, look for the 'Interested in Toastmasters' box and open '10 Tips for Successful Public Speaking'.
www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/work/workskills/wsu4.shtml
A short, but very clear, article on presenting to a group which will give your less experienced students a lot of help. Use this as a check list before, and while, they are giving presentations and speaking in front of a group of people.
Intraprenuer
http://www.asiaonecareers.com/st_recruit/apr2001/r0304a.htm
The message here is "Get creative from within". This webpage takes a look at what it means to be a successful Intraprenuer. Ask your students to make a list of three qualities they think a successful Intraprenuer needs. Then get them to check out the page and see if their ideas match the ones here. Finally, why not discuss whether they think they have what it takes?
Unit 9
Getting it right
http://www.gradview.com/careers/etiquette.html
http://www.canoe.ca/LifewiseWorkEtiquette/eti_quiz.html
Much of unit 9 looks at situations in which knowing what to do and how to do it correctly are the keys to success. Here are two quizzes that focus on business etiquette in a variety of situations in which your students might find themselves. Ask the students to work through the quizzes in pairs, discussing the options they are given for each situation. This is a fun way to look at an issue that can be extremely important.
Entertaining in your home
http://entertaining.about.com/library/weekly/aa112700a.htm
Do your students ever need to entertain business clients in their home? On page 51 the students are asked to role play a situation where they are visiting a colleague's home, but what happens if the they are the ones doing the inviting? Ask your students to try out the online quiz and see if they would be the ideal host.
Unit 10
Dilemmas & Decisions
http://www.worstcasescenarios.com
Here is the website that is featured in Unit 10 of the book. There are a number of activities that you can do using this site. Firstly, choose a few situations and divide your class into groups (one group per situation). Ask the students to write down three things they might do in the situation you have given them. Next, ask the students to check the website and see if it has the same suggestions/ideas. Then, ask the students to report back to the other groups on the ideas they read.
http://www.cariboo.bc.ca/ae/php/phil/mclaughl/courses/ethics/bioeth/
dilemmas.htm
Here is a collection of moral dilemmas that you could get your students to do. Select the most appropriate for your group. Put the students into groups and give each group the dilemmas you have chosen.
http://bized.ac.uk/virtual/cb/welcome.htm
See how your students actually perform making decisions and dealing with problems. This 'virtual' programme allows your students to run a company from the safety of their classroom. Put the students into small groups and see which group is most successful. This is an activity that can be run over the duration of a course, and not just for a single lesson.
Unit 11
Branding & Logos
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3276945.stm
How do companies choose a name by which they will trade or even a name for a particular product? Well, here is an interesting article that takes a look at how 'nonsense' brand names have become all the rage.
After the students have read the article you could give them a number of different products & services (e.g. A travel company, toilet paper, cheese, soft drink, bus company etc) and ask the students to think of possible spoof names for each.
http://www.whatbrandareyou.com/
Why not try the website at the centre of the spoof story in the BBC article? Ask your students to choose a product or service. Then ask them to enter a name (this could be the type of product or the current brand name), then choose a core value and main goal, click on submit and see what happens.
http://adbusters.org/creativeresistance/spoofads/
Go one step further and don't just choose a spoof brand name but design your own spoof ad.
Adbusters.org take an alternative look at advertising. Ask your students to look at the ads on this site, vote for their favourite and then (possibly for homework) design one of their own.
Unit 12
E-mailing
http://www.learnthenet.com/english/section/email.html
This site has lots and lots of information on e-mailing. The animated sections are both informative and fun, while the text sections give a clear in-depth view of all there is to know about e-mailing.
http://www.eslnetworld.com/email2.html
Unit 12 takes a close look at e-mailing, a form of communication that is becoming more and more important in everyday business. Ask your students to read through this web page and then try the online quizzes at the end (click Try again to get a new quiz).
Spelling
On page 63 there is an article on bad spelling. Spelling can be an issue and is certainly important in terms of making a good impression. Here are some links to help your students to improve their spelling.
http://www.sentex.net/~mmcadams/spelling.html
This web page has a short spelling test looking at 50 of the most commonly misspelled words. All your students need to do is choose between the two possibilities. Note: The spellings here are American English.
http://www.uefap.co.uk/writing/spell/spelfram.htm
This site has an academic focus and therefore looks at words that may well also come up in a business context.
http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/spelling.htm
This page contains a lot of useful information as well as a selection of spelling quizzes.
BACK TO TOP
Unit 13
Impact!
http://www.ibc.fi/lessons/starting_a_business_presentation.html
This site looks at signposts, i.e. short phrases that are used at key moments during a presentation to give it structure. The link contains a simple matching activity that your students might find useful and enjoyable.
Rhetoric
http://www.eun.org/cn/vs/civics/rhetoric2.html
On page 70, rhetoric is the focus. Once your students have found out about rhetoric why not see how much they've learnt by putting it all into practice. This web page gives you a good guide to setting up a debate in which your students can practise their ability to influence people. Choose a topic that is relevant and follow the steps outlined.
http://www.bized.ac.uk/stafsup/options/argument/index.htm
Topical issues with examples of both sides of the argument. Take a look and see if any of these would make for a good classroom debate.
Bhutan
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/country_profiles/1166513.stm
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/indian_subcontinent/bhutan/
http://www.kingdomofbhutan.com/
Page 72 features Bhutan, a country that many people would have problems pointing to on a map. If your students are interested in finding out more about this fascinating country then try one of the three sites above.
Unit 14
Travellers' Tales
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/journeys/
Have a look at some of the travellers' tales on this site before finding out if your students have stories of their own. The stories here can be used to reinforce the style of retelling incidents used in the book, giving your students models that they can base their tales upon.
http://www.huumor.com/joke_312
More travellers' tales, but these all have an amusing angle. Again, use these as models for your students - do they have any amusing stories?
A business lunch
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/business/tendays/
day10.shtml
This is part of an online interactive Business video course from the BBC. Day 10 features 'Entertaining in a restaurant' which links in nicely with the material on page 79.
Unit 15
Humour counts
http://www.dilbert.com/
The article on page 80 states that the bestselling business books are the Dilbert series by Scott Adams. The link takes you to the official Dilbert site. Either find a cartoon that links nicely to one of the topics you have recently covered, or ask the students to take a look and choose their favourite one.
Business gurus
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/work/handy/index.shtml
Which of these business gurus do your students know? Find out more about each one and listen to a radio programme that examines each in depth.
Unit 16
Teleconferencing
http://www.telecomsadvice.org.uk/features/conferencing.htm
Did you know that there are three types of teleconferencing? This brief guide gives you some information on the different kinds of teleconferencing and the advantages of each.
Problem solving
http://199.249.167.160/dfc/bricksorclicks/About.htm
This website puts you in the role of a company CEO, see if your students can take/make the difficult decisions that will keep the company on the up?
Unit 17
Negotiating
http://www.sfhgroup.com/test.asp
How good are your students at negotiating? This website contains a number of excellent simulations including The Raise. Put your students into pairs and get them to discuss the options.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/business/
tendays/intro.shtml
This is an excellent site for many units of In Company and well worth taking a look at. One section links in nicely with the unit theme of negotiating in tricky situations - Day 6. To make it tricky simply select the Bad Day option which will give you one disaster after another to cope with. Good Luck!
http://www.bgateway.com/factsheet.asp?pageId=1.2.2.5.6
This webpage gives a number of tips on how to conduct a sales meeting and how to negotiate. One activity you could do would be to print out the page and blank out the headings (in bold). Write these on a separate piece of paper - but in a jumbled order. The students should match the headings with the tips before checking their answers on the site.
Bargaining
http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/center/students/trade/index.htm
Trading Around the World is an excellent simulation game from the IMF (International Monetary Fund). Students play as traders and trade commodities, negotiate and bargain. An excellent way to practise some of the skills they have learnt during the In Company course.
Unit 18
Shaping the future
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/
Why not find out what is in store in the future of science? Search this excellent site to find out what's in the news about the future.
http://www.newbusiness.co.uk/cgi-bin/showArticle.pl?id=208
An article which briefly looks at business innovations of the 20th century and predicts what might be on the cards in the future. Use this as the basis of a discussion.
http://www.fastcompany.com
Connect to the online homepage of the Fast Company magazine which is mentioned on page 98. You can search through the archives to find some interesting articles in the Futurist columns.
