business comm games

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Photocopiable games and activitiesfor students of English for business

Angela LloydAnne Preier

Oxford University Press

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ContentsList of games Business/social function practised

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2a-c

3a-c

4

5

6a-b

7a-d

8a-b

9a-b

l0 Whatts your product?

| | a-b A difficult choite!

| 2a-b Hold the line, please.

| 3a-d Whots calling, please?

l4a-b Business letter memory

| 5a-d Please take the floor.

| 6 Business letter jigsaw

l7a-d Bargraph bingo

Whatts your position?

Find the colleague who . . .

What were you doing when the boss came in?

The ideal boss

Priority pyramids

Burnout

Wheretr the General lrlanagerts office?

And where do you work?

The snowball definition game

D escribing comp alry structure

Introducing ; exchanging information

Describing ffice actiaities ; persuading

Describing and eaaluating character

Discussing j ob s atisfoction

Analysing work situations

Describing the workPlace

Describing the adztantages of dffirent jobs

Learning oocabulary of sales andfinance

Adztertising a Product

Expressing opinions ; agreeing I disagreeing

hactising telephone skilk (1)

Practising telephone skilk (2)

Studying writing style for business letters

Reaiewing the language of meetings

Learning the standardformat of

a business letter

Describing tends

Justrfuing decisions

D e s cr ib ing ac co mPlis hment s

Describing a compa/ry and its history

18a-c

l9a-b

20a-c

Entrepreneurst board game

Brag a little!

A company profile

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ContentsL-E'

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2l A difficult day

22a-b Businessappointments

23a-d The itinerary game

24a-c Working it out

2, ltleet your match!

26a-b Forming a subsidiary

27a-b Uilla for sale

28 Situationsvacant

29a-b Howtogetthatiob

30a-b What would you do about it?

3la-b ltve got a solution.

32a-f Behave yourself

33a-d Amazing facts

14 A night on the town

35a-c Headhuntersrlnc.

36a-b Talking about the boss

92 Teacher's Notes (including Games instructions)

128 Indexes

Relating afinished chain of eaents

Making arrangements

Talking about future plans

Negotiating an agreement

Using the language of negotiations

Analysing uiteria; expressing opinion

D escribing ; comparing ; persuading

Applying for jobs ; interaiewing

Ea aluating j ob -hunting state gies

Discussing options

Offering adaice

I nter- cuhural c omp etenc e

Comparing cuhures

Making polite suggestions

S o cializ ing ; p ersuading

Describing the executiae lifestyle

I What's your position?

Managing Director

Executive Secretarv

Sales and Marketing Manager

Sales Representative

Production Manager

Someone who heads a company and isresponsible for its running.

Someone who does secretarial work fortop management.

Someone who heads the departmentthat advertises and sells the product.

Someone who is responsible for sellingthe product to customers.

Someone who heads the departmentresponsible for manufacturing theproduct.

Personnel Manager

R & D Manager(research and development)

Finance Director

Accountant

Receptionist

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Photocopiable @ Oxford University Press

Someone who heads the departmentresponsible for staff matters) such as thehiring of employees.

Someone who heads the departmentresponsible for scientific research andthe development of new products.

Someone responsible for running thecompany's financial affairs.

Someone who keeps the accounts in thefinance department.

Someone who sits in the lobby, answersthe phone, and greets visitors.

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You are the Managing Director of thecompany and are in charge of runningit. You've been with the company for20 years. Your hobby is playing golf.You often play with business clients.

You are the Personnel Manager.You are in charge of staff matters, suchas training programmes and hiring.You've been with the company for oneyear. Your hobby is gardening.

You are the Sales and MarketingManager. You are in charge of yourcompany's sales and marketing strategy.You've been with the company for 7years. In your free time you like to gohiking.

2a Find the colleague who . . .

You are an executive secretarv.You are the 'right hand' of theManaging Director. You've been withthe company for 5 years. Your hobby isItalian cooking and in your free timeyou like to give dinner parties.

You are a sales representative.Your job is selling the company'sproduct to customers. You've been withthe company for 2years.In your freetime you take evening classes to learn

Japanese.

You are an accountant in the financedepartment. Your job is keeping thecompany's books and accounts. You'vebeen with the company for 4 years andare hoping for a promotion soon! Inyour free time you like to read detectivestories.

You are the company's ProductionManager. You head the department thatmakes the product. You are a newcomerto the company. In your free time youlike listening to classical music.

You are the Finance Director and arein charge of the company's financialaffairs. You've been with the companyfor 10 years. In your free time you takeballroom dancing lessons with yourpartner.


with your partner!

You are the R & D Manager and are incharge of scientific research and thedevelopment of new products. You'vebeen with the company for 9 years. Inyour free time you like to collectbutterflies.

You are a technician in the productiondepartment and work on technicalaspects of production. You've been withthe company for 8 years. Your hobby isbuilding and flying model planes. Youspend every free minute on this hobby

2b Find the colleague who . . .{-II

You are the company's receptionist.You take all the incoming calls and greetand screen visitors. You've been with the

You are the company's driver. You are incharge of taking company executives

company for 3 years. Your hobby isand important visitors to appointmentsand to the airport in the companylimousine. You've been with thecompany for 6 years. In your free time

watching old movies on your home

you play cards with your friends.video. Your favourite is Casablanca.

You are a software expert. You are incharge of developing softwareprogrammes for your company. You'vebeen with the company for 18 months.Your hobby is disco dancing.

You are a security guard for thecompany and work the night shift.You've been with the company for 5years. In your free time you like to watchwrestling on TV.

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You are the company's head cook. Youare in charge of planning and preparingthe staff restaurant lunches. You've beenwith the company for 17 years. Yourhobby is entering recipe competitions.

You are on the company's maintenancestaff. Your job is keeping the buildingand grounds in good shape. You've beenwith the company only 6 months. Inyour free time you like to go hang-gliding.


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Find the colleague \ilho . . .

plays golf with clients

loves cooking Italian food

is in charge of hiring

takes evening classes in Japanese

is in charge of marketing strategy

is hoping for a promotion soon

is a newcomer to the company

collects butterflies

takes ballroom dancing lessons

builds and flies model airplanes

greets and screens visitors

drives the executives to appointments

has been with the company for 18 months

works at night

cooks your staff restaurant meals

goes hang-gliding

nafne position

2C Find the colleague who . . . Questionnaire


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3a What were you doing when the boss came in?

You were working at your computerwhen the boss came into your office.The colleague who shares the offrce withyou was eating a chocolate bar.

You were sorting the day's mail whenthe boss came into your office. Thecolleague who shares the office with youwas stapling some papers together.

You were just leaving for anappointment when the boss came intoyour office. The colleague who sharesthe office with you was faxing a letter toa client.

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answering machine when the boss cameinto your office. The colleague whoshares an office with you was wateringthe potted plant.

You were adding figures on yourcalculator when the boss came into youroffice. The colleague who shares theoffice with you was making somephotocopies.

You were eating a chocolate bar whenthe boss came into your office. Thecolleague who shares the office with youwas working at the computer.

You were stapling some papers togetherwhen the boss came into your office.The colleague who shares the office withyou was sorting the day's mail.

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You were faxing a letter to a client whenthe boss came into your office. Thecolleague who shares the office with youwas just leaving for an appointment.

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You were watering the potted plantwhen the boss came into your office.The colleague who shares the office withyou was listening to messages on theanswering machine.

You were making some photocopieswhen the boss came into your office.The colleague who shares the office withyou was adding some figures on thecalculator.

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3 b What were you doing when the boss came in?

You were reading the newspaper whenthe boss came into your office. Thecolleague who shares the office with youwas making a private long-distancetelephone call.

You were filing some importantdocuments when the boss came intoyour office. The colleague who sharesthe office with you was reading a memo.

You were dictating a letter to yoursecretary when the boss came.into youroffice. The colleague who shares theoffice with you was on the telephonewith an important client.

You were writing an appointment inyour desk diary when the boss came intoyour office. The colleague who sharesthe office with you was snoozing in aswivel chair!

You were making espresso coffee whenthe boss came into your office. Thecolleague who shares the office with youwas doing a yoga headstand!

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You were making a private long-distancetelephone call when the boss came intoyour office. The colleague who sharesthe office with you was reading thenewspaper.

You were reading a memo when theboss came into your office. Thecolleague who shares the office with youwas filing some important documents.

You were on the telephone with animportant client when the boss cameinto your office. The colleague whoshares the office with you was dictating aletter to the secretarv.

You were snoozing in a swivel charrwhen the boss came into your office.The colleague who shares the office withyou was writing an appointmentin his/her desk diarv.

You were doing a yoga headstand whenthe boss came into vour office. Thecolleague who shares the office with you

was making espresso coffee.

3C What were you doing when the boss came in?

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Colleague A: You are in your office. The colleague whoshares the room with you has some annoying habits. He isa fresh air fanatic and is always opening the windowwithout asking permission. He also makes herb tea in theoffice coffee-machine, often just when you want a cup ofcoffee! You have decided to have a talk with him todav. Betactful, but try to convince him to change.

Colleague B: You are in your office. The colleague whoshares the room with you has some annoying habits. He isa heavy smoker and doesn't ask your permission beforesmoking in the office. He is also a big coffee-drinker, buthe usually forgets to wash his cup and clean the machine atthe end of the day. You are tired of doing it for him. Youhave decided to have a talk with him todav. Be tactful. buttry to convince him to change.

Colleague C: You are in your offrce. The colleague whoshares the room with you has some annoying habits. Hespends hours talking on the phone and many of his phonecalls are of a private nature. You can't concentrate on yourwork while he's talking. And since you have the sameextension number, you're sure you miss importantincoming calls. He also has a very untidy desk. You havedecided to have a talk with him todav. Be tactful. but trv toconvince him to change.

Colleague D: You are in your offrce. The colleague whoshares the room with you has some annoying habits. Everytime you do some photocopying, he asks you to copysomething for him, too, and then gives you a stack ofpapers, which means you waste a lot of time. In addition,he is always losing his pen and taking one of yours fromyour desk. Yesterday you could find nothing to write with!You have decided to have a talk with him today. Be tactful,but try to convince him to change.

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4 The ideal boss

hard-working

polite

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punctual

experienced

generous

well-organized

humorous

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tidy

supportive

sociable

diplomatic

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critical

arnbitious

calm

decisive

considerate

authoritative

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a good salary low level of stress

5 Priority pyramids

real responsibility job security

opportunity to be innovativeand creative

good chances of promotion

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good relationship with boss within easy travelling distance

friendly colleagues flexible working hours

6a Burnout Questionnaire1

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Find someone who . . .

works from dawn to dusk.

seldom takes their full holiday entitlement.

has little time to take any exercise.

is bad at time-management.

spends their free time behind a desk.

drinks pints of coffee a day.

is bad at delegating tasks.

spends little time with their family.

has difficulty sleeping.

is determined to make an impact in

the workplace.

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Find someone who . . .

works from dawn to dusk.

seldom takes their full holiday entitlement.

has little time to take any exercise.

is bad at time-management.

spends their free time behind a desk.

drinks pints of coffee a day.

is bad at delegating tasks.

spends little time with their family.

has difficulty sleeping.

is determined to make an impact in

the workplace.

Name

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IYou are the Boss. You are pleased withthe performance of your staff, but havenoticed signs of burnout. You havetherefore called a meeting of your topmanagers to decide how you can alleviatestress among the employees. You want tofind an effective but not too costly way ofpreventing stress-related illnesses. Listen tothe suggestions of your co-workers anddecide on the best course of action.

2You are a top manager in a small buthigh-powered cornparry. You have beenexperiencing burnout recently. You havedecided to get out of the rat-race and areplanning to open an artist's supply shop inyour town. (Your boss doesn't know thisyet.) Your boss has called a meeting to hearsuggestions on how to alleviate the staff'sstress. You want to persuade the boss toencourage employees to take up water-colouring and sketching. It's inexpensiveand relaxing.

3You are a top manager in a small buthigh-powered company. A lot of the staffhave been showing signs of burnoutrecently. Your boss has called a meeting tohear suggestions on how to alleviate thestaff's stress. Your brother-in-law runs theonly chauffeur service in town. You plan tosuggest that the boss should arrangechauffeur-driven transport to and fromwork and to the airport for seniormanagement. This would reduce the stressinvolved in traffic jams, aggressive driving,etc.

6b Burnout Role-play cards

4You are a top manager in a small buthigh-powered company. A lot of yourcolleagues have been showing signs ofburnout recently. Your boss has called ameeting to hear suggestions on how toalleviate the staff's stress. Your partner is anaromatherapist and the only one in the area.You want to persuade the boss to runaromatherapy sessions for the employees.Treatments can be relaxing or invigoratingand are always completely natural. The oilsare inexpensive. And there are eventreatments for jet-lag!

5You are a top rnanager in a small buthigh-powered company. The staff havebeen showing signs of burnout recently.Your boss has called a meeting to hearsuggestions on how to alleviate the staff'sstress. Your brother is a qualified fitnesstrainer and you want to suggest providingpersonalized exercise programmes andwork-out facilities for the employees.Working the body, heart, and lungs is goodfor general health and better than a drink atthe bar for relaxing. And after initialexpenses for equipment, it will be cheap!

6You are a top manager in a small buthigh-powered cornpany. The staff havebeen showing signs of burnout recently.Your boss has called a meeting to hearsuggestions on how to alleviate the staff'sstress. Your best friend, a qualified masseur/masseuse, is unemployed at the moment.You think it would be a good idea to employhim/her full-time to provide gentle orvigorous massage treatment whenever theneed arises. This would not be tooexpensive and you're sure everyone wouldmake use of the service.

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The Acrounts Department

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The company has decided to adopt Arnerican methods of staffmotivation and giveout an Employee of the Month award every four weeks. With your partner, put thisfloor plan together as quickly as you can. The first pair or group to finish anddiscover where the General Manager's office is will share this month's award.

The reception areaIt has recently been redecorated and newly furnished. There is even a little white marblefountain in the middle! All the clients are very impressed. The reception area stretchesacross the whole front of the building. The lift is just behind it on the right-hand side ofthe building.

The post roomIt is between the Gents' and the After-Sales Service Department. It is important becauseall the correspondence passes through here and its staff know all the gossip.

The liftIt is between the reception area and the conference room. Its doors open on to the maincorridor. It is opposite the ladies' room. It was always very popular, but since it got stuckbetween the third and fourth floors last week people seem to be avoiding it.

The main corridorIt runs down the centre of the building from the reception area at the front to the staffrestaurant at the back. It is the heart of the company. At the moment there is a beautifulexhibition ofJapanese prints on its walls.

The conference roomIt is between the lift and the Production Department on the right-hand side of thebuilding. All the important meetings take place here. Sometimes discussions get veryheated. In fact, just last week, someone banged her fist on the table.

It is beside the Production Department, and across the corridor from the After-SalesService Department. Its staff have had a lot of stress over the years and just don't seemable to relax.

The After-Sales Service DepartmentIt has got nothing but trouble at the moment. The telephone doesn't stop ringing and iteven had a visit from the General Manager the other day. It is between the post room andthe Sales and Marketing Department on the left-hand side of the building.

7 a Where's the General Manager's office? Information sheet 1


, ' J 7b Where's the General Manager's office? Information sheet 2

The Personnel DepartmentLife has been stressful in this department because the company has had to make severalemployees redundant this year. Fortunately, it is opposite the staff fitness room so that itsoccupants have a chance to unwind there. It is also just in front of the staff restaurant -

most convenient for that next cup of coffee.

The Research and Development Department (R & D)It is between the Sales and Marketing Department and the Personnel Department, onthe left-hand side of the main corridor. The company is not very happy with its results atthe moment.

The Production DepartmentIt is situated between the conference room, which can be very handy, and the AccountsDepartment. It is opposite the post room and After-Sales, where there are a lot ofproblems at the moment.

The Sales and Marketing DepartmentIt is located between R & D and After-Sales Service. Its motto is '\$7e aim to please', butrecently products have not always been up to standard.

The GentstIt is opposite the conference room) between the Ladies' room and the post room.LJnfortunately it is run-down and has been waiting for a face-lift for years.

The Ladiest roomIt is just behind the reception area on the left-hand side of the main corridor. The gents'is just behind it. It is definitely more attractive than the gents', especially with those pinksatin toilet-roll covers.

The staff fitness roomIt is opposite the Personnel Department, next to the staff restaurant. It's becoming verypopular with the staff. It certainly sees some strange sights.

The staff restaurantIt stretches all the way across the back of the building at the far end of the main corridor.It is large and ultra-modern. Everyone enjoys coming here. Today there is the delicioussmell of seafood pasta in the air.

The General Managerts office


7 C Where's the General Manager's office?=

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Personnel

R & D

Sales and Marketing

After-Sales Service

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Ladies'room

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Staff restaurant

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General Manager's office

Accounts

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9a The snowball definition game

What you get when sales are higher

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(receipt) (/oss)

Money borrowed from a personor bank

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The result when costs are higherthan total sales

A business that sells productsto the general public

Money that people or companies have topay to their government

than production costs

Qtrofit)

A document that shows you'vepaid for something

The money you get back when youare not satisfied with a product

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The people that buy productsand services

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Everything a company or person The money that you earn fromyour jobowns that is worth monev

(assets) (salary)

The money needed to start a business A person who has bought parts orshares of a company

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(consumers) (taxes)

A reduction in price The total sales of a company

(discount) (turnoaer)

Money spent on goods or services A business that sells goods in largequantities to retail stores

(expenditure) (wholesale)

The money a bank charges for a loan The money a country uses

(interest) (currency)

A bill listing the products delivered Money that a company owes

(inaoice) (liabilities)


9b The snowball definition game

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1 Everything a company or person owns.

2 The total sales of a company.

3 A paper showing you've paid.

4 Money spent for goods and services.

5 \7hat a bank charges for goods and services.

6 A business selling goods to retail stores.

7 A reduction in price.

8 \tr7hen you get your money back.

9 The money you earn from your job.

10 Money needed to start a business.


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I The people who buy products.

2 A person owning shares of a company.

3 A bill listing the products delivered.

4 Money borrrowed from a bank.

5 A business selling products to the public.

6 When revenue is higher than costs.

7 \7"hen costs are higher than sales.

8 The money a country uses.

9 Money you pay to the government.

10 Money that a company owes.

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high-quality components

unequalled performance

standard and deluxemodels available

high-tech design

completely reliableat all temperatures

distinctive style

easv to use

robust construction

laboratorv tested

l0 What's your product?

a choice offashionable colours

state-of-the-art design

available in small,medium, and large

all natural materials

on-slte malntenance

durable

48-hour deliveryguaranteed

one-vear warrantv

portable

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30-day money-backguarantee

eye-catchingpackaging

compact

user-friendly

sophisticatedtechnology

maximum speed of . . .

w i d t h o f . . .

height of .

built-in safety features IIIIIII

The Polar Bear Ice Cream Company, Ltdplans to introduce one of the following tothe market next year:a) Teddy bars: chocolate ice-cream on a

stick shaped like teddy bears to appealto children.

b) Multivitamin bars: A lO-fruit sherbeton a stick with vitamins added for thehealth-conscious.

c) Charnpagne-truffle bars: champagne-flavoured ice-cream with a chocolatetruffie coating to appeal to adults.



b) Multivitamin bars: A l0-fruit sherbeton a stick with vitamins added for thehealth-conscious.

c) Champagne-truffle bars: champagne-flavoured ice-cream with a chocolatetruffie coating to appeal to adults.




c) Champagne-truffle bars: champagne-flavoured ice-cream with a chocolatetruffle coating to appeal to adults.


I la A difficult choice! Product information sheet

The Polar Bear Ice Cream Company, Ltdplans to introduce one of the following tothe market next year:

a) Teddy bars: chocolate ice-cream on astick shaped like teddy bears to appealto children.

b) Multivitamin bars: A 1O-fruit sherbeton a stick with vitamins added for thehealth-conscious.


The Polar Bear Ice Cream Company, Ltdplans to introduce one of the following tothe market next year:

a) Teddy bars: chocolate ice-cream on astick shaped like teddy bears to appealto children.

b) Multivitarnin bars: A lO-fruit sherbeton a stick with vitamins added for thehealth-conscious.






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You are the Managing Director of the

Polar Bear Ice Cream Company Ltd. You

will chair the meeting which is being held to

choose your company's new product.

Everyone at the meeting will help to make

the decision. You are very interested in

hearing the arguments and hope the group

can achieve consensus. You personally

favour option b and are against option c.\il[rhen presenting your opinion, emphasizeyour concerri for the image of the company

and for making a profit.

You are the Export Sales Manager of

the Polar Bear Ice Cream Company Ltd.

The General Manager has called a meeting

to choose a new product. You are very

much for option c and definitely against

option b. \fhen presenting your opinion at

the meeting, remember to bring up your

knowledge of the export market to support

your argument.

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You are the Domestic Sales Manager of

the Polar Bear Ice Cream Company Ltd.

The General Manager has called a meeting

to choose a new product. You are very much

for option c and definitely against option a.

When presenting your opinion at the

meeting, remember to bring up your

knowledge of the domestic market to

support your argument.

You are the Marketing Manager of the

Polar Bear Ice Cream Company Ltd. The

General Manager has called a meeting to

choose a new product. You are very much

for option a and definitely against option b.\When presenting your opinion at the

meeting, remember to bring up market

research reports and promotional issues to


You are the Production Manager of the




for option b and definitely against option a.\ilfhen presenting your opinion, remember

to bring up issues of production costs and

feasability to support your argument.

You are the Purchasing Manager of the




for option a and against option c. When

presenting your opinion at the meeting,

remember to bring up the varying costs for

the different ingredients involved to


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I 6 Business letter iigsaw

Sea Star Sports Articles

l l

i te May 1996 il l

t - - - - - - - - - - -t l

i Dear Mr Wilson i, ll- - - - - - - - - - - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ Jt lt _ _

100 Hayward Road, London NWZ 4HF te/fax: 0171-886 6789

Mr J. WilsonManagerBrighton Sports10 Putney StreetBrighton BN3 6FE

i Thank you for your letter of 3 May 1996 enquiring about our new sales

catalogue and price list. We are pleased to hear of your shop's interest- - - - - - - - - i

l l

i in stocking our products. Unfortunately, the new catalogue is not yet back i, - l- - - - - - - - - - . iI t

i from the printers. I will send it to you under separate cover as soon as i" - it - - - - - - - - - - -l l

i possible. Please note our new line of children's water toys which has been i- l

t ll- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Jl l| . . - |I sellinq verv well. ';

- - - - - - - v I

t 'i - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - r, tI

i You asked about a quantity discount. We will be happy to discuss this with iI

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i you if you can give us some idea of the quantity you are thinking of ir lF - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . iI tt rj ordering. Our terms of payment are one month after receipt of invoice. Don't iI tL - - - - - - - - - - - - r - _ _ _ _ _ iI tl r r l

I hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions. it l

! - - - - - - - - - - -t

- - - - - - - - - - - _ J

, ,i I look forward. to hearing from you in the near future. if . - ' tI - - - - - - - - - l

Mary BatesSa/es Manager

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Sheet B

fall slow slump

growth gradual peak

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expand trough boom

nse rncrease rapid

slight sudden decline


l7b Bar graph bingo Sheets C+D

fall short of trough reduce

growth rapid tncrease

dramatic sudden rise

slump peak expand

decline exceed decrease

slight gradual fall

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17 d Bar graph bingo Graph information sheet

iI In 1990, company sales were 16 million pounds. i

t ll - - - - - - - - - - -

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ ;I

2 In 1991, company sales increased gradually, reaching 16.5 million pounds bythe end of the vear.

3 1992 was a year of healthy growth. Sales exceeded those of the previous yearby 1.5 mill ion pounds.

4 In 1993, sales decreased sharply to l5 million pounds due to the launch of arival product.

5 In 1994, sales recovered slightly, totalling 15.5 million pounds.

6 In 1995, sales improved dramatically, reaching a peak of 19 million pounds.

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\il(rill you pay higher than average salaries orwill you introduce a profit-sharing scheme?Defend vour decision.

\)flill you send your managers to anti-stressseminars at company expense?til[rhv or whv not?

\7ill you have a dress code at yourcompany? What kind of clothes will beexpected and why?

Will you make most of the decisions orwill you have a team-style management?Defend your decision.

Will you add a second product line after afew years or will you improve the quality ofthe first product instead? Defend yourdecision.

t$7ill you turn the basement into a companyfitness room for the staff to use duringlunch-break and after hours? Why or whynot?

Will you make your staff travel economyclass rather than business class to savemonev? Defend vour decision.

Will you send your senior managers toexpensive training seminars to improvetheir performance? \Vhy or why not?

Will you spend a large amount of moneyon long-term research and developmentprojects? Why or why not?

\7ill your company give public supportand company money to environmentalorganizations? Why or why not?

$7ould you consider hiring someone for aresponsible job who has not had atraditional academic education? Why orwhy not?

II

Will you make a long-term or a short-termplan for your company's growth anddevelopment? (3, 5, or 10 years?) Defendvour decision.

Will you have one large yearly party forall the employees and their partners orencourage departments to organize theirown celebrations? Explain.

\7ill you allow everyone interested toattend international conferences or onlythose giving presentations? Defend yourdecision.

Will you limit smoking on your company'spremises to one smokers' lounge, or willyou permit it in all rooms? Defend yourdecision.

F - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - +t lI rrrv.ri in_nnrnrrqnrr lqnor

' \fi l l you give your Sales Reps companyi \fill you offer in-company language I

| ^oro tn . l r i r ra ^- t t r i l l . r^r t r .a i tnhrrrce thern fnrtraining for staff during working h-ours? i c.ars to drive or will you reimburse them for

DefenJyoirr decision. i the kilometres they drive in their own cars?

i Defend your decision.

Will you ask bosses to write yearlyappraisals of their subordinates before payrises and promotions are given? Why orwhv not?

l l l

L - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ' tl r l

Will you hire teleworkers or'mobile i You call yourself an'Equal Opportunities' i- - - ^ - - t - J - - ^ - - |

empl,oyees' (people who work at home and i employer. !ilhat measures would you i, r r - , , - - - - - ^ r ^ - - ^ ^ - - - - t - ^ ^ - ^ ^ l I ^ - it .

i sray m roucn oy phon. and computer)? i introduce for employees who are older, iIi fVtw or why noti i disabled, or have young children? iL - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . 1


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You are a successful business person.You have been with the same company for25 years. You were given a25-year awardat the last offrce party. You are proud thatyou have been so loyal!

You finished a very important report foryour company a week before it was due.You did it early because you don't workwell under pressure. You are glad thatyou've learned to be so well-organized.

You are an unsuccessful Sales Rep.You thought about making a major careerchange. But you attended some seminarson selling instead. Since then you've hadmore success and you enjoy your workmore. You're glad you don't give upeasily!

You have begun a new job as adepartment head in a company. You havemany new ideas, but you haven't madeany big changes yet. First you want toearn the trust of your team. You areproud that you have been so sensitive!

You were self-employed for many years.It was very stressful. You finally sold thebusiness and found a good employer.Since then you have had fewer worries.You are glad you knew when to quit!

i You are a successful business person.| - -i You've changed jobs and companies ati least 6 times during your career. Each

change was a step up the ladder for you.You are proud that you've been so mobile!

You've just stayed up all night to finish avery important report for the company.You are tired but happy that you can handthe report in on time. You are proud thatyou have always worked so well underpressure!

You are an unsuccessful Sales Rep.You've finally found the courage to makea major career change and find a job thatsuits your personality better. You arehappier and more successful in the newjob. You are proud of your new-foundflexibility!

I' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ' r

You have begun a new job as adepartment head in a company. You arefull of new ideas and have begun toreorganize the department. You'vealready noticed positive results and arepleased that you have shown so muchinitiative!

You have recently given up the security ofa good job to become self-employed. Ithas been difficult, but you are happy to beyour own boss. You're glad you've learnedto take risks!

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You were asked to help organize anexhibition for your company, but youhave also had many other projects anddeadlines to meet. You've workedovertime to meet all your goals. You areproud of your hard work andproductivity!

You are an executive. TWo members ofyour team have not got on well recently.As a result their work has not beenproductive. Finally you removed onefrom his job. Now things are going welland you are glad you were so decisive.

A new company has just tried to recruityou. They made you quite a good offerbut you refused. You feel it is unethical torecruit employees from rival companies.You are proud of your high moralstandards.

You were asked to help organize anexhibition for your company, but you'vealso had many other projects anddeadlines to meet. Therefore you'vedelegated some of your other tasks.You're glad you've learned to setpriorities!

You are an executive. Two members ofyour team have not got on well recently.As a result, their work has not beenproductive. You've met with them andhelped them work out their problems.Now things are going well and you areproud of your diplomatic skills!

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ZOa A company profile Vocabulary sheet

mergerjoint venturetakeover bidstructural reorganizationincrease in product rangeperiod of heavy investmentnew production methodsannual turnover of . . .foundation of a companyopening a subsidiarymarkei leadersslumptraining programmes

new eralaunching a new productpurchasing new equipmentperiod of expansionstaff redundanciesdiversificationproduction target / sales target

mergerjoint venturetakeover bidstructural reorganizationincrease in product rangeperiod of hear,y investmentnew production methodsannual turnover of. . .foundation of a companyopening a subsidiarymarket leadersslumptraining programmes

new eralaunching a new productpurchasing new equipmentperiod of expansionstaffredundanciesdiversificationproduction target / sales target

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20b A company profile

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22a Business appointments

You are the European-based SalesManager of an automobile plant in theUSA. You are visiting the American plant.You want to meet your colleague, the USSales Manager.

You are an R & D Manager fromGermany qttending an internationalconference in Las Vegas. You expect tosee a French colleague there and wouldlike to have a chat with him.

You want to buy some computer softwarefor your company in Scotland. You are inthe USA and want to meet the Sales Repof an American computer softwarecompany.

You are an American ProductionManager visiting a German factory inMunich to purchase some of theirequipment. You have many questions forthe German Sales ReP.

You are the Director of a bank that'sthinking of making a major investment in

a large telecommunications company.You have just arrived at the company andwill be meeting the Managing Directorsoon.

You are the US Sales Manager for anAmerican automobile Plant. Youroverseas colleague, the Sales Manager forEurope, is visiting the American plant.Suggest a time for a meeting in Youroffice.

You are an R & D Manager from Franceattending an international conference inLas Vegas. You run into a colleague fromGermany. Make a date with him for adrink at the Gold I'{uggetbar.

You are the Sales Representative lbr anAmerican computer software company. Aprospective client from a Scottishcompany is in town. Invite him to a roundof golf at your private club.

- - - - - - - - 1

You are the Sales Representative of afactory in Munich, Germany. AProduction Manager from the USA is intown to buy some of the equipment yourfactory produces. It is autumn. Offer totake your visitor to the city's famousO ktob erfe.s/ beer festival.

You are the Managing Director of a

telecommunications company. A large

bank is thinking of making a majorinvestment in your firm. The Director hasjust arrived for negotiations and you will

be meeting him. He is an opera fan. Invite

him to fly with you to the BaYreuth\Wagner festival in your private plane!

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You are an American computer expert.You are visiting the British branch of anAmerican bank to help them set up a newcomputer system. This morning you havean appointment with the BranchManager.

You are an Italian engineer attending theLeipzigtrade fair in Germany. You arevery intere'sted in a German company'sstand there and hope to have a talk withthe sales rep. Call in to see him.

You are a freelance British Englishteacher living on the continent. You haveapplied for an in-company teaching job ata large pharmaceutical company. Youdrop off your application at the Personneloffice.

22b Business appointments

You are the Branch Manager of anAmerican bank in London. An Americancomputer expert is helping your bank setup a new computer system. Offer to showyour guest the sights of London. Arrangea time and a meeting place with him orher.

You are a German Sales Representativeworking at your company's booth at thetrade fair in Leipzig. You know an Italianengineer who is very interested in yourproduct and expect to see him at yourstand. Make a date for coffee with him.

You are the Personnel Manager of alarge European pharmaceutical companythat wants to offer in-company languagetraining to its employees. A freelanceBritish English teacher is in the officeapplying for the job. Make an interviewdate with him or her.

You are Chief Executive Officer of aCalifornia-based company and a majorshareholder is in town. Invite him to ameal this evening in one of SanFrancisco's best Chinese restaurants.Offer to pick him up at his hotel andfix a time.

You are a major shareholder in aCalifornia-based company which you arevisiting. Now you are due to meet theChief Executive Offrcer.


23a The itinerary game

Mr Braun, Marketing Manager from a large German company'

is going to the States on a business trip. He is going to visit several

different places and he has scheduled many appointments and\'\.

activities. Help him put his itinerary together.

Partner A Complete this part of Mr Braun's itinerary'

Thursday lune2?: 1.00 p.m. flight to New Yorkfor Marketing Conference, LH 1608

Friday lune 23:

Saturday lune 24:

Mr Btaun, Marketing Manager from a large German company'

is going to the States on a business trip. He is going to visit several N'

different places and he has scheduled many appointments and

activities. Ilelp him put his itineraty together.

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Partner B Complete this part of Mr Braun's itinerary'

Sunday lune 25: 8.45 a.m.: Harlem gospel and jazz tour'

4.00 p.m.: member of panelfor closing session'

Monday lune 26:

Tuesday lune?7:

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Mr Braun, Marketing Manager from a large German company,is going to the States on a business trip. He is going to visit severaldifferent places and he has scheduled many appointments andactivities. Help him put his itinerary together.

Partner A Complete this part of Mr Braun's itinerary.

Thursday lune 22:

Friday June 23: 3.00 - 6.00 p.m.: conference registrationfollowed by buffet dinner.9.00 p.m.: drink with Ed Ellis in hotel lounge.

Saturday lune?4:


Partner B Complete this part of Mr Braun's itinerary.

Sunday June 25:

Monday lune 26: 12.30 p.m.: lunch with Peter Schmidt at the Oliae Garden.5 p.m.: UAflight 104 to Chicago. Visit sister in Eztanston.

Tuesday lune?7:


23c rhe itinerary game


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Thursday lune22:

Friday June 23:

Saturday June 24: 10.00 -11.30 a.m.: listen to opening address.8 p.m.: dinner with Bill Anderson in Chinatown.

- - - - - - - - - - - - {

Mr Braun, Marketing Manager from a large German company'is going to the States on a business trip. He is going to visit severaldifferent places and he has scheduled many appointments andactivities. Ilelp him put his itinerary together.

Partner B Complete this part of Mr Braun's itinerary.

Sunday

Monday June 26:

Tuesday lune?7: 1 .00 p.m.: Sightseeing tour of Chicago with sister and ntece.

6.00 p.m.: LH fl.ighr 2061 to Frankfurt, Germarty.

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23d The itinerary game Questionnaire

Now look at your completed itinerary and fill in the missing words to find out why Mr Braun

had to cancel his trip at the last minute. Write the first letter of each answer at the bottom of

this questionnaire to solve the puzzle.

Mr Braun planned to attend a conference.

He planned to meet Ed for a drink.

On Saturday he wanted to listen to the opening

He planned to go on the Harlem gospel and,iazztour on

morning.

He planned to have

His sister lives in

with Peter Schmidt on Mondav.

He planned to go on a tour in Chicago.

His trip was cancelled because he became ill with the

Now look at your completed itinerary and fill in the missing words to find out why Mr Braun

had to cancel his trip at the last minute. Write the first letter of each answer at the bottom of

this questionnaire to solve the puzzle.

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He planned to go on the Harlem

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He planned to have

His sister lives in

with Peter Schmidt on Monday.

He planned to go on a tour in Chicago.

His trip was cancelled because he becarne ill with the - - !

24a Working it out

Customers Suppliers

You are a customer negotiating asales contract. You work for a companythat produces yoghurt and want to buy8 yoghurt-packaging machines from asupplier. Role-play the contractnegotiations and remember to cover thefollowing points:

o price and form of paymento delivery ti.meo credit period. warranty


o price andform of paymento deliztery time. credit perioda warranty


o price andform of paymento deliztery timeo credit period. warranty

You are a supplier negotiating asales contract. Your company producespackaging machines and you are sellingsome of them to a company that producesyoghurt. You hope to sell at least10 machines. Role-play the contractnegotiations and remember to cover thefollowing points:

o price and form of paymento delivery timeo creditperiodo warranty

You are a supplier negotiating asales contract. Your company producespackaging machines and you are sellingsome of them to a company that producesyoghurt. You hope to sell at leastl0 machines. Role-play the contractnegotiations and remember to cover thefollowing points:

o price and form of payment

o deliaery timeo credit periodo warranty

You are a suppter negotiating asales contract. Your company producespackaging machines and you are sellingsome of them to a company that producesyoghurt. You hope to sell at least10 machines. Role-play the contractnegotiations and remember to cover thefollowing points:

o price andform of paymento deliztery timeo credit periodo wa.ruanty


cYou should try to negotiate an earlierdelivery date than your supplier wouldlike.

cYou should try to negotiate a longerwarranty period than your supplierusually gives.

cYou should try to negotiate a largediscount for bulk purchase.(You want 8 machines.)

cYou should try to negotiate a longercredit period than your supplier usuallygives.

cYou should try to negotiate free deliveryand installation by the supplier.

L - - - - - - - - - -


24b Working it out

cYou should try to negotiate a penalty

clause for late delivery.

cYou should try to negotiate aninexpensive after-sales maintenanceagreement.

cYou should try to negotiate specialfeatures for the machines at no extracost.

cYou should try to negotiate a training

course for operators, included in the

final price.

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cYou should try to negotiate for thesupplier to pay for the insurance of themachines during transport.

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You should try to negotiate a trainingcourse for machine operators, at anadditional charge.

sYou should try to negotiate for deliveryand installation charges to be paid bythe customer.

s

You should try to negotiate a fairlyexpensive ten-year service contract formaintenance of the machines.

s

You should try to negotiate a severepenalty for late payment.

s

You should try to negotiate a laterdelivery date than your customer wants.

L - - - - - - - - - -


24C Working it out Suppliers'sheet

sYou should try to negotiate a minimumorder of at least 10 machines. (You areonly prepared to offer a bulk discountfor 10 or more.)

sYou should try to negotiate a severecancellation penalty.

sYou should try to negotiate a shortercredit period than your customer wants.

sYou should try to negotiate a shorterwarranty period than your customerwants.

sYou should try to negotiate payment in3 instalments: one third immediately asdown-payment, one third at delivery,and one third at the end of the creditperiod.

25 Meet your match!

I'm afraid that proposal is . . .

\il(/e seem to be talking . . .

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not acceptable to us.

. . . at cross purposes!

I'm afraid I haven't . . . made mvself clear.

I'm not in a position . . to comment on that.

L e t m e s u m u p . . . the discussion so far.

L e t m e p u t i t . . . . another wav.

I'm not convinced . . by your argument.

Could you send us . . . a fax to confirm that?

I suggest that we discuss that point later.

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26a Forming a subsidiary

computer software shoes

x-rav macnlnes. t 'mrcrowave olnners

motor vehicles household linens

bicvcles stationery and wrapping Paper

cuddly toys domestic electrical appliances

26b Forming a subsidiary-*J_

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proximity to international airport good cheap housing

good road links tax incentives to attract newbusiness to the area

loans for companies at attractiveinterest rates

availability of unskilled labour good telecommunications system

good industrial relations high quality of life

' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ' t

pleasant climate large working population

good rail and sea links high level of productivity

no language problems low wage rates

availability of raw materials large home market for product

low cost of business premises good healthcare facilities

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availability of skilled workforce


27 a vifla for sale

ROle A Yo.rr company wishes to purchase a villa to use for small conferences,management training seminars, banquets and overnight accommodation for importantguests, etc. You, the Public Relations Manager, and your team have been asked to look fora possible property to recommend to the board. Before you begin to contact estate agents,have a brief meeting to decide what important features you are looking for. Discuss:

o sizeo location I neighbourhood. age ofpropertyo number and kind of rooms necessaryo amenities you would like. upper price limit

Of course you realize you will have to remain flexible as you consult estate agents, sinceyour ideal property may not be on the market.

ROle B Yo,r are an estate agent with a wonderful property for sale. It is a country villawith several amenities. With your partners, prepare a detailed description of the property

for interested customers, as well as deciding on a price. Be sure to include in your

description:

o sizeo location I neighbourhoodo styleo yearbuiho number of roomso groundso amenities

Then do your best to sell your property to interested customers.

ROle C yo.t are an estate agent with a wonderful property for sale. It is a villa in the citywith several amenities. ril7ith your partners, prepare a detailed description of the property

for interested customers) as well as deciding on a price. Be sure to include in your

description:

o sizeo location I neighbourhoodo styleo year buiho number of roomso groundso amenities

Then do your best to sell your property to interested customers.

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basement sauna French doors onto garden

Japanese garden private helicopter landing pad

ballroom with chandelier

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central heating throughout

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bathrooms with gold fixtures brick outdoor barbeque on patio

iheated outdoor swimming pool i double garage

brick fireplace wonderful views

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sunny ultra-modern kitchen inner courtyard with fountain

rose $arden telephones in all rooms

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27b Vi[a for sate Amenities sheet


28 Situations vacant

fob Description

Name of company:

Position offered:

Job responsibilit ies:

Qual if icaiions requ i red :

Experience required:

Further comments:

Salary:

Curriculum Vitae

Name: Address:

Date of birth:

Telephone: Marital status:

Education and qualifi cations :

Work experience

From: To:To: From:

Employer: Employer:

Responsibilities:

Interests:


Responsibilities:

You make a list of questions youwant to ask the interviewer.

You meditate for half an hourl a roerore leavmg ror your toointerview.

29a How to get that iob

You wear very flattering clothesfor your job interview although thewaistband pinches and you feeluncomfortable.

You decide to wear your mostcomfortable clothes for the jobinterview although they are notvery smart.

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You have a small whiskv beforeyou leave for your interview, tocalm vour nerves.

You make it clear to a prospectiveemployer that you have a numberof other interesting interviewslined up.

I

When the interviewer asks you'Vlhat job would you like to be doingin ten years' time?', your answer is'Your job!'.

29b How to get that iob Strategy cards

You phone your local employmentoffice to see if they can offer Youa job.

You squeeze in a hairappointment just before animportant job interview.

You send unsolicited letters ofapplication to companies You areinterested in working for.

It .

You have a very definite idea of

how much money you want to

earn.

As you sit down, You tell theinterviewer you are really nervous.

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Your interviewer is uncomfortablelooking you in the eYe, so You avoid

his gaze and look elsewhere as Youtalk to him.

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You see an interesting job

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Before you start looking for a job,

you decide what citY or region Youwant to work in and exactly whatkind of work you want to do.


You go to the interview with some

notes on how You would develoP

their product or some idea of

improving customer service.

Your interviewer has not Preparedvery interesting questions. You take

the opportunity to direct theinterview in your own way.

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i convenient for you and your family?I

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How would you deal with a colleague who always complains to the boss aboutother colleagues?

Answer:

You think the work procedures of your company are badlywould you suggest this to the boss?

Answer:

in need of change. How

What would be your advice to a friend who is preparing for a job interview?I

Answer:

How would you entertain a very important client?

Answer:

The instruction manual (a very thick one!) for your latest piece of equipment isin Japanese only. $flhat would you do?

Answer:

Staff motivation is very low at the moment. How would you suggest motivatingpeople to work harder?

Answer:

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How would you react if your boss (of the opposite sex) started taking a more thanbusiness-like interest in vou?

Answer:


risky

aggresslve

irnpractical

cheap

dishonest

sensible

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30b What would you do about it? Adjective sheet

expensive

irnpolite

tactful

cautious

realistic

humorous

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I am meeting a Japanese businesspartner tomorrow and am not sure howto behave.

I am stuck in a traffic jam on my way toa very impdrtant meeting. I have nomobile telephone in my car.

I own a shop and have been having a lotof problems with shoplifting recently.

My company wants its product (a line ofcosmetics) to be less harmful to theenvironment. I must make some good

suggestions to my boss.

I get a terrible headache every time Ihave a meeting with my boss!

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I suspect that a colleague has been

stealing money from my company and

am not sure what to do.

I have just arrived at a party at my boss'shouse. I thought it was a fancy-dressparty and have come as a penguin, but

everyone else is dressed normally.

; ;;; ;; ;,,J.;;;;;; ;;;;company's new product. To my horror I

discover that I have left my papers on

the train!

I am finding it difficult to juggle my

family and my work obligations. I enjoy

my job and need the money, so quitting

is not the solution.

I have been entertaining some businesspartners at an expensive restauranthoping to sell them my new product.

When the waiter comes with the bill, I

discover I have forgotten my wallet with

my money and credit cards.


I have a successful parry-catering servicein a country area. It's the only onearound. To my horror I realize at 5 p.m.that the editor of the local newspaperhas booked my services this evening fora Christmas party and I've overlookedhis order.

I am meeting American businesspartners ner(t week and would like toclinch a deal. Last time I met I felt thatcommunication was not very successful.I need advice on how to improve mycommunication techniques.

I am the manager of a large departmentstore. I have received a number ofcomplaints from customers aboutunfriendly service. I must think of someways to encourage my staff to be morehelpful.

I have been offered a promorion whichwill enhance my career very much. It'san interesting position with an excellentsalary in the Middle East, but my wifeand three children do not want to moveso far from home.

There have been a number of cases offood poisoning in the company.Everyone affected had eaten at the staffrestaurant. I am in charge of therestaurant and am verv worried that itmight happen again.

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3l b I've sot solution!

I have been unemployed for the pastthree years. I would like to go back towork, but I feel more and more unsureof myself as time goes by. til(rhat can I doto increase my self-confidence?

I am the manager of an exclusiverestaufant. The patrons of a nearbydisco always park their old cars in thecar park reserved for my customersbecause there is nowhere else to parknearby. I'm afraid I'll lose customers.

I'm very worried because an increasingnumber of my staff are arriving late forwork. This is happening too often andtheir excuses seem rather feeble. Thishas to stop!

I was on a management training courselast week. I saw a video film of myselfgiving a presentation and was horrified.My body language was a disaster! Thecourse was too short to help me muchand I can't take another course untilnext vear.

I am the Trade lJnion representative atmy company. I have tried to negotiate a5Yo wage increase, in line with inflation.The employers have refused to agree tomore than 2%. This is definitelv toolittle!

32a Behave yourself Puzzle pieces 1 and 2

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32t Behave yourself lnformation sheet

X If you are a houseguest in the USA, you should send a handwritten note ofthanks to your host and hostess afterwards.

* If you have a business appointment, you should dress conservatively. (A suit andtie for a man and a dress or skirt and blouse for a woman.)

* American business people usually use first names when addressing each other.But only call a person of a higher position by their firsr name if they invite you ro.

* It is only necessary to shake hands with an American if you are meeting for thefirst time.

* $7hen you go out to a nice restaurant in the States, you must wait in line for atable and be prepared to pay a l5%o tip at the end of the mear.

* \il7hen talking to Americans, never ask what their house cost or how much rentthey pay.

* $(rhen doing business in the States, remember that most Americans appreciateand expect some small talk, smiles, and humour.

* If you are working in the States, you shouldn't miss work except for unavoidablereasons! Dedication to your job is expected of you.

* If you want to smoke in the USA, you should always ask if you may. Many areasare non-smoking and many people object to this habit.

* There's no pressure to drink when you go out with Americans for a businesslunch or dinner. Alcohol mav not even be available.

* Americans generally want to achieve their goals quickly, so they like gettingstraight to the point at meetings.

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i Question IWhich European country gives free butcompulsory language lessons to refugeesand immigrants?a) Swedenb) Denmarkc) UK

Question 6In what country will decisions made atformal meetings not necessarily be carriedout?a) USAb) Belgiumc) Italy

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Question 2In which country do employees often countsick days as holidays?a) Germanyb) Finlandc) Japan

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i Question 3Which European workers work the shortesthours?a) Britishb) Germanc) Italian

Question 7In which country is it still common for aman to kiss a woman's hand?a) Austriab) Switzerlandc) Italy

Question 8

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Question 4\7hich European countrynumber of foreign-owneda) Portugal

b) Irelandc) Finland

has the highestcompanies?

The smallest spread of earnings betweenthe highest and the lowest-paid employeesis in which EU country?a) Irelandb) Germanyc) Sweden

Question 9\flhich country has the largest proportionof people over 65 in the world?a) Turkey

b) Swedenc) Hungary

Question 5\Yhich European country only gave thevote to women in L97l?a) Switzerlandb) Greecec) Spain

Question l0In which country is it most difficult to workyour way from a junior position to a topone in a company?a) Germanyb) usAc) France

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33b Amazing facts Question cards

Question 1lIn which country does the working daystart early and finish at lunchtime?a) Spainb) Greecec) Russia

Question | 2\(rhich country has mostly open-planoffrces (also for senior staff)?a) Japanb) Portugalc) USA

Question | 3

In which country is it very important to

start a presentation with a joke or

humorous anecdote?a) France

b) Greece

c) t/I(

Question l4

$(rhich of the following countries has the

lowest proportion of unionized workers?

a) USAb) Germarryc) France

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Question 15In which country has unpunctuality beenformalized so that it is almost impolite tobe on time?a) Spainb) uKc) Italy

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Question 16

In which country is there a tradition of

making business deals in the sauna?

a) Swedenb) Finlandc) Russia

Question | 7Instructions should sound like polite

requests in which country?a) UKb) I'{etherlandsc) Germany

Question l8In which country is writtencommunication (reports, memos, etc.) animportant aspect of business life?a) Japanb) Germanyc) France

il;;; ;;In which country is there seldom a formal

agenda for a meeting?a) Russiab) Spainc) France

Question 20In which European country do people

have the most positive attitude to life?a) Netherlandsb) Irelandc) Greece

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Answer to question 1:a) Right! It's Sweden. Move on to 3.b) Wrong! It's Sweden. Move on ro 2.c) tVrong! It's Sweden. Move on ro 2.

Answer to question 2:a) Wrong! It's Japan. Move on to 3.b) \frong! It's Japan. Move on to 3.c) Right! It's Japan. Move on to 4.

Answer to question 3:a) tVrong! Itls the Germans. Move on to 4.b) Right! It's the Germans. Move on to 5.c) t0Trong! It's the Germans. Move on to 4.

Answer to question 4:a) \frong! It's Ireland. Move on to 5.b) Right! It's Ireland. Move on to 6.c) $7rong! It's Ireland. Move on to 5.

Answer to question 5:a) Right! It's Switzerland. Move on to 7.b) tVrong! It's Switzerland. Move on to 6.

j c) Wrong! It's Switzerland. Move on to 6.r - - - - - - - - - -

; Answer to question 6:a) Wrong! It's Italy. Move on ro 7.b) Wrong! It's Italy. Move on ro 7.c) Right! It's Italy. Move on to 8.

Answer to question 7:a) Right! It's Austria. Move on ro 9.b) tVrong! It's Austria. Move on to 8.c) \ilfrong! It's Austria. Move on to 8.

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Answer to question 8:a) Wrong! It's Germany. Move on to 9.b) Right! It's Germany. Move on to 10.c) $frong! It's Germany. Move on to 9

a) Wrong! It's Sweden. Move on to 10.i b) Right! It's Sweden. Move on to I l.i c) \Xzrong! It's Sweden. Move on to l0

Answer to question 10: ia) tVrong! It's France. Move on to I l. ib) \frong! It's France. Move on to I 1.c) Right! ft's France. Move on to 12.

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Answer to question 11:a) Wrong! It's Greece. Move on to 12.b) Right! It's Greece. Move on to 13.c) Wrong! It's Greece. Move on to 12.

Answer to question 12:a) Right! It's Japan. Move on to 14.b) $frong! It's Japan. Move on to 13.c) \7rong! It's Japan. Move on to 13.

Answer to question 13:a) Wrong! It's the UK Move on to 14.b) tVrong! It's the UK Move on to 14.c) Right! It's the UK Move on to 15.

Answer to question 14:a) $frong! It's France. Move on to 15.b) Wrong! It's France. Move on to 15.c) Right! It's France. Move on to 16.

Answer to question 15:a) STrong! It's the UK Move on to 16.b) Right! It's the UK Move on to 17.c) tVrong! It's the UK Move on to 16.

I- - - - - - - - ' l

Answer to question 16:a) Wrong! It's Russia. Move on to 17.b) \[rong! It's Russia. Move on to 17.c) Right! It's Russia. Move on to 18.

Answer to question 17:a) Right! It's the UKMove on to 19.b) Wrong! It's the UK Move on to 18.c) \il7rong! It's the UK Move on to 18.

Answer to question 18:a) Wrong! It's Germany. Move on to 19.b) Right! It's Germany. Move on to 20.c) $frong! It's Germany. Move on to 19.

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Answer to question 19:a) W'rong! It's Spain. Move on to 20.b) Right! It's Spain. Move on to 20.c) Wrong! It's Spain. Move on to 20.

Answer to question 20:a) and c) tvrong! It's Ireland.b) Right! It's Ireland! Congratulations!

3 3C Amazing facts Answer cards

33d Amazing facts lnformation sheet for the teacher

Here is more detailed information about some of the questions in the game' which you might

want to bring up in a class discussion when the activity is finished. The information was taken

fuomMindyour Manners bYJohn Mole.

Question 2 Japanese employees may work regularly on Saturdays and rarely take their full

holiday entitlement.

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public holidays, Germans have

is 33 and in Italy, 34.

have more paid holidaY than most

an average of 39 daYs' Paid holidaY

other employees'

a year. In Britain

Including

the figure

Question 4 There are over 900 majority foreign-owned companies controlling 50% of total

turnover. The largest percentage of companies are American, followed by British and German'

Question 6 In Italy the purpose of a meeting is to enable the decision makers to evaluate the

mood and opinions of others.

Question 10 This is particularly true in large companies' The top positions are usually

reserved for family members or graduates of the Grandes Ecoles' An estimatedT5o/o of senior

managers are the sons of wealthy families, compared with 25oh \n Germany and 10% in the

USA.

Question I I Large companies are increasingly changing to northern European hours'

Question 12 Japan is a group-oriented society where everyone in a particular work group is

kept informed of all details.

Question | 4 only abou t 20% of the workforce is unionized. French labour laws are very

comprehensive and contracts are strictly regulated'

Question | 5 For social occasions it is polite to arrive about 20 minutes after the appointed

time. Despite attempts to improve punctuality at work, it is not uncommon to be about 10

minutes late for work, meetings, etc.

Question l6 In Soviet times, state-owned companies maintained their own saunas'

Question 20 This information came from the World Competitizteness Reporr, published by the

IMD management development school and the world Economic Forum'

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You are an American businessman orwoman attending an internationalconference in a European city. Youarrived only yesterday and are stillsuffering from jet-lag. Tonight you aregoing out with a small but internationalgroup of colleagues. You want to havedinner somewhere where you can try thelocal cuisine and then perhaps attend aquiet concert. And then you want toreturn to your hotel. Try to convince theothers in your group.

You are an Australian businessman orwoman attending an internationalconference in a European city. Tonightyou are going out with a small butinternational group of colleagues. Youwould like to have a quick meal, such as abeer and a sandwich and then you wouldlove to go to a musical or a jazz concert.Try to convince the others.

You are an Indian businessman or woman iattending an international conference in a iEuropean city. Tonight you are going out iwith a small but international group of icolleagues. You only eat vegetarian food. iYou are very interested in culture andwould love to go to the opera, ballet orconcert after dinner. Try to convince theothers to do what interests vou.

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34 A night on the rown

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You are an Argentinian businessman orwoman attending an internationalconference in a European city. This isyour first trip abroad and you want to doas much as possible while you're here.You are especially interested in thenight-life of the city. You want to visit thenight clubs, bars, and discos. You lovespicy food! Tonight you are going outwith a small but international group ofcolleagues. Make your suggestions andtry to convince the others.

You are a Japanese businessman orwoman attending an internationalconference in a European city. Tonightyou are going out with a small butinternational group of colleagues. Youwould like to eat at a Japanese restaurantbecause you are afraid you won't like thelocal food. And then you'd like to go onan evening sightseeing tour. You want totake lots of films with your new videocamera. Try to convince the others.

You are a European businessman orwoman attending an internationalconference in the European city whereyou live. Tonight you plan to spend theevening with a small but internationalgroup of colleagues. Since your companywill pay your expenses, you want to eat atan expensive restaurant with fine foodsand wines and then do somethingexciting, such as seeing a good show orgoing to a casino. Try to convince theothers.


3 5a Headhunters, Inc. Role-cards

Role A You work for Headhunters, Inc.Your company is interested in recruiting a

certain person for an exciting job. A business conference in your town is just

ending and you know that the person you are looking for will be at the closing

cocktail party this evening. It is your job to find this person, who is a stranger to

you, and clinch the deal! As discretion is most important, you have arranged to

find each other by chatting about the same thing. $7hen you meet the person

whose topic of conversation is the same as yours, you will both try out a pre-

arranged "password". If sentence and response go together, you have found the

right person and can explain your job offer.L - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Jr l

i norc B You have an interesting and well-paid job but you know that Headhunters, iInc. hasbeen trying to reach you. It is the final day of a business conference and

you plan to attend the closing cocktail party this evening. You have arranged to

meet a contact person from Headhunters, Inc. who is a stranger to you, at the party.

Since your present boss will also attend the party, you must be discreet, so you

have arranged to find each other by chatting about the same thing. When you meet

the person whose topic of conversation is the same as yours, you will both try out a

pre-arranged "password". If sentence and response go together, you have found

your partner and can find out more about the job offer.' l

L - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - iL

Role A You work for Headhunters, Inc.Your company is interested in recruiting a

certain person for an exciting iob. A business conference in your town is just

ending and you know that the person you are looking for will be at the closing

cocktail party this evening. It is your job to find this person, who is a stranger to

you, and clinch the deal! As discretion is most important, you have arranged to

find each other by chatting about the same thing. \il(rhen you meet the person

whose topic of conversation is the same as yours, you will both try out a pre-

arranged "password". If sentence and response go together, you have found the

right person and can explain your job offer.

Role B You have an interesting and well-paid job but you know that Headhunters,

Inc.hasbeen trying to reach you. It is the final day of a business conference and

you plan to attend the closing cocktail party this evening. You have arranged to

meet a contact person from Headhunters, Inc.rwho is a stranger to you, at the party.

Since your present boss will also attend the party, you must be discreet, so you

have arranged to find each other by chatting about the same thing. \il(rhen you meet

the person whose topic of conversation is the same as yours, you will both try out a

pre-arranged "password". If sentence and response go together' you have found

your partner and can find out more about the job offer.

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- - - - - - - - - 1 -

Topic: the weather a i rrr. ' : . . rha rrrao+tr o* ------- l

A ; fopic: the weather B iI

Password:You say

Password:Your partner says

Please help yourself to a drink.Your partner answersIt{ot just now, thanks.

Password:You sayCan I gizte you a hand?Your partner answersTltere's no need, thanks.

B

Password:You sayCold for the time of year, isn't it?Your partner answers

Password:You sayHaae a good weekend.Your partner answersThanks. The same rc you.

Topic: hobbies

Password:You sayI'm afraid I can't make it this eztening.Your partner answersWhat a pity! Another time, perhaps.

A B

I'm afraid I can't make it this eaening.You answerWhat a pity! Another time, perhaps.

Topic: cars Topic: cars

Password:Your partner saysColdfor the time of year, isn't it?You answerIt certainly is!

A B

Please help yourself to a drink.You answerNot just now, thanks.

Topic: the conference

Password:Your partner saysCan I give you a hand?You answerThere's no need, thanks.

Topic: the hotel you're staying at BPassword:Your partner saysHave a good weekend.You answerThanks. The same n you.

Topic: hobbies

Password:Your partner says


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3 5C Headhunters, Inc.

i Topic: your families A

Password:You sayLet me take your coat.Your partner answersThank you, that's very kind of you.

Topic: spo{t

Password:You sayWould you like to join me for a drink?Your partner answersThank you. That's a good ideq..

Topic: holidays

Password:You sayWell, here's to the success of the project!Your partner answersI'll drink to that! Cheers!

Topic: something in the news A

Password:You sayDo you mind if I smoke?Your partner answers

A

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I'm afraid this is q non-smoking area.

Topic: food and restaurants

Password:You sayRemember me to Dqaid.Your partner answersCertainly. I'll be glad to.


Topic: your families B

Password:Your partner saysLet me take your coat.You answerThank you, that's ztery kind of you.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - l

Topic: sport

Password:Your partner saysWould you like to join me for a drink?

You answerThank you. That's a good idea.

Topic: holidays

Password:Your partner saysWell, here's to the success of the project!

You answerI'll drink to that! Cheers!

Topic: something in the news B

Password:Your partner saysDo you mind if I smoke?You answer

B

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I'm afraid this is a non-smoking Qrea.

Topic: food and restaurants

Password:Your partner saysRemember me to Daz;id.You answerCertainly. I'll be glad to.

36a Taking about the bosst 1 ^

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You are the boss's secretarv.

You are the boss's tax-consultant.

You are the boss's bartender.

You are the boss's barberor hairdresser.

You are the boss's dog.

L - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - {


You are the boss's driver.

You are the boss's solicitor.

You are the boss's tailoror dressmaker.

You are the boss's mother-in-law.

You are the boss's travel agent.

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36b Taking about the boss

You are the boss's employee.

You are the boss's neighbour.

You are the boss's business rival.

You are the boss's therapist.

You are the boss'sfitness-trainer.

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You are the boss's tennis partner.

You are the boss's son.

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You are the boss's mother.

You are the boss's doctor.

You are the boss's wife/husband.

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Activity type

Number of students

Business function Practised

Lexical areas

Typical syntax

Grammar involved

Matching game

Minimum 10: maximum 20, or one-to-one.

Describing comPanY structure

Job titles and job descriPtions

Someonewho . . .Someone res7onsible for ' ' .

Present Simple tense; relative clauses

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Setting upphotocopy Game Sheet I and cut it into twenty cards: ten job title cards and ten job description

cards. Give half your students a job title role-card and the other half the corresponding job

description role-cards.

Playing the gameThe object of the game is for students to find their partners.To do this, they must move around the

room telling (not reading!) their roles to each other until they have found the student with the

corresponding card. lyhen all the students have found a partner) let them introduce themselves to

the rest of the class to see if they are correctly paired'

VariationIf you don't have enough students to play the game as suggested, you can give each individual

student or pair of students a cut-out set of the twenty cards and ask them to lay out the matching

iob titles and descriptions.

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Number of students

Business functions practised

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Typical syntax

Information search

Maximum 8;min imum 16. Ind iv idual .

Introducing oneself; asking for and giving information

Jobs, responsibilities, and hobbies

My job is _ing ...l'm in charge of ...I've been with X for ...ln my free t ime L..

The Present Simple, Present Perfect, and relative clauses

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Setting upPhotocopy Game Sheets 2a and2b, and cut them up to provide a role-card for every student inyour class. If you play with fewer than sixteen students, you must remove questions from thequestionnaire and remove the corresponding role-cards. Copy as many questionnaires (GameSheet 2c) as you will need, depending on which variation of the game you plan to play.

Playing the game

Variation 1 (for a lower level intermediate class)Copy a questionnaire for each student. Distribute the role-cards and questionnaires to thestudents and give them a moment to read the information. The object of the game is to identif,i allthe people described on the questionnaire.To do this, they must move around the room,introducing themselves and asking each other questions until they have found everyone mentionedon their list.

Variation 2 (for a higher level intermediate class)Do not hand out the questionnaire immediately. Just give the students role-cards, ask them tomingle and tell each other about themselves. Let them know that they should try to speak with asmany colleagues as possible. After about ten to fifteen minutes, depending on how many playersthere are, stop them and put them into groups of three to five students. Now give each group aquestionnaire and ask students to pool their knowledge. \il(rhat do they remember about thecolleagues they spoke to? The group that is able to complete the questionnaire first, or answer rhemost questions is the winner.

Source: This game was inspired byJill Hadfield's 'Chit-chat' in Elementary Communication Games, (ThomasNelson and Sons Ltd, 1984).

Business Communication Games Teacherts notes Y 5

Activity type

Number of students


Lexicalarea

Grammar involved

Matching game and role-play

Minimum 8; maximum 20.

Describing office activities; negotiating and persuading

Routine office tasks and habits

Past Continuous tense in combination with the Past Simple

Setting upPhotocopy Game Sheets 3a and 3b depending on the number of students in your class. Cut out as

many of the ten role-card pairs as you will need. Give each student a role-card'

Playing the game

Step 1The object of the game is for every student to find his or her partner with the corresponding role-

card. To do this, students move around the room telling one another what they were doing when

the boss came in and listening for the activity their office-mate was engaged in at the same time.

Vhen partners have been found, the pairs should describe their office activities to the class. New

vocabulary can be gathered on the board.

Step 2If you want to extend the activity, pairs can now be given the role-play cards for Step 2 on Game

Sheet 3c (Colleagues A, B, C, and D) and asked to work out their differences. End the activity

with a brief discussion of the results as a class.


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Social function practised

Lexicalarea

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Extras

Rating activity, translation

Any number including one-to-one. Individual, pairs, or threes.(NB: lf the class is multilingual, students should be paired or grouped withspeakers of the same mother tongue or should works alone.)

Describing and evaluating character

Character adjectives

Present Simple, modals, comparatives, superlatives

For each pair, group, or individual player you will need dice and a dictionary.

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Nore: This game depends on translating into the student's first language and back again into English. It istherefore most suitable for monolingual classes or groups or pairs in multilingual classes that share the same firstlanguage. For advanced multilingual classes you could use synonyms or opposites instead of translations.

Setting upStudents can work alone, in pairs, or in threes. Photocopy one copy of Game Sheet 4 for eachstudent, pair or group. Cut out the adjectives and give each group a set. If your class is lower level,you might want to give them fewer words. A minimum of about twelve words is suggested.

Playing the game

Step IAsk the students to look at the words and consider their meanings. By pooling their knowledgeand/or using their dictionary, they should write a translation in their own language on the back ofthe card.

Step 2 (practice phase)Ask students to arrange the cards English-side-up in a circle. Give each group (or student workingalone) a dice. Decide which card to begin with. Now one student in the group rolls the dice. If a sixis rolled, for example, he or she counts from this card moving clockwise and puts the dice on wordnumber six. He or she must give the translation of this word and turn it over to see if it was right.The translation of the English word should now be left face up. The next student (or the samestudent if playing alone), starting at word number six, rolls the dice, moves clockwise, lands on anew word, and gives the translation as before. Students proceed, moving around the circle severaltimes. If they land on the translation of an English word, they must say the English equivalent andturn the card over, leaving the English face up. Thus the students are moving back and forthbetween recognizing the meaning of English words when they see them and actually producing thenew word from memory. You can suggest, as the game progresses, that students remove wordswhen they feel they have mastered them, so that the circle of words gets smaller and smaller andstudents have a feeling of accomplishment. (This is a technique common in Suggestopedia.)

Step threeStudents should now choose the three character traits that they feel are most important for anideal boss to have. Collect the words the groups have chosen on the board and let them vote on thesingle most important quality!

Business Communication Games Teacher's notes 95

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Activity type

Number of students

Business/social functionpractised

Lexicalarea

Typical syntax

Grammar involved

Rating activity

Any number, or one-to-one.

Rating and discussing factors contributing to job satisfaction

Various aspects of the work situation

X is not as important to me as Y, because . . .X is more important than Y. . really matters to me.My priorities are . . .

Comparatives, superlatives

Setting upPhotocopy one Game Sheet 5 per student and cut out the ten cards that make up the sheet.

Mark each card in the set with a differently coloured dot or paste onto ten differently coloured and

slightly larger squares of construction paper, using the same colour system for each student.

Playing the game

Step 1Students work individually. Ask each student to sort the ten job factors according to their

importance to him or her, and then to put the cards in a resulting pyramid form that reflects his or

her personal priorities.

Step 2Pair students. Students compare their arrangements of cards, looking for differences and

similarities and explaining their choices. The colour-coding enables students to see at a glance

where their arrangements differ. If time allows, you could discuss the results with the whole class'

or do a class survey about the students'priorities.


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Information search and role-play

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Analysing work situation and personality; persuading

Stress in the workplace

Question forms, Present Simple, Present perfect,Present Perfect Continuous, future, conditionals

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Setting,rlr for Step 1Step 1: The game begins with a 'Find someone who. . .'worksheet. Make enough photocopies ofGame Sheet 6a so that each student has one. (There are two worksheets on the page, so if you havesix students, you'll need three copies of sheet one.)

Setting up for Step 2Copy and cut up as many of the role-cards from Game Sheet 6b as you have students in your class.

Playing the game

Step 1Ask your students to walk around the room, asking each other questions from the worksheet in thesecond person. (Example: 'Do you work from dawn to dusk?') If they get an affirmative answer,they should note the name of the student who said 'yes'. Give students enough time to have realconversations, but try to stop this activity before the conversation dies out altogether! Then gothrough the worksheet as a class, letting the students share their findings and some anecdotes withthe whole class. This activity is a nice mood-setter for the role-play to follow.

Step twoPut the students in groups of four to six and give each student in each group one of the sixrole-cards from Game Sheet 6b. Make sure that you have a boss (role-card l) in each group.

Give the students time to read their texts, and then ask the 'bosses' to begin the role-play byopening the meeting. The role-play ends when all sides have been heard and the boss has madeand given the reasons for his or her decision. Then compare the outcomes of the role-plays as aclass. You might want to follow up by hearing other suggestions for combating burnout from yourstudents.

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Activity type

Number of students

Business function practised

Lexical area

Grammar involved

Arranging a floor plan

Any number or one-to-one. Pairs or threes.

Describing the workPlace

Office layout (rooms and departments)

Present simple, Past simple, Present Perfect, Present continuous;

Prepositions and prepositional phrases

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each of the following for each group: Game sheet 7a, 7b,7c, and 7d' Cut up 7d into jigsaw pieces

corresponding to the sixteen rooms. Time the activity.

Playing the gameThe aim of the game is to discover where the General Manager's office is as quickly as possible.

Since there is no information about this room, the students must assemble the rest of the floor plan

first to see where the last room will go.To arrange the rooms in the proper order' the students must

read the information sheets and work the floor plan out together according to the information

given. The pair or group to finish first are the winners. When a group finishes the floor plan, ask

them to agree on a description of the missing room (the General Manager's office) and write it

down. Listen to the written texts as a class.

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Information exchange

Minimum of 6.

Describing the advantages of various jobs; persuading

Various types of job and places of work

Present Simple, Present Continuous, second conditional

Setting upPhotocopy and cut out one job picture for every student. If you have more than eighteen students,you can give more than one student the same picture.

Playing the garneAsk the students to look at their pictures, decide where they think the person in the picture works,and think for a moment about the advantages and disadvantages of this kind of work. rMhat is goodabout the job itself, the work place, the opportunities, the pay, the people you meet, the prestige?

Now they must imagine that this is their own job. They move around the room describing their joband its advantages to each partner they meet. At the same rime they will be listening to the jobdescriptions and evaluations of the other students. The object of the game is to try ro swap jobs ifthey meet someone whose job sounds better. If the other person is unwilling to swap jobs, theymust be more persuasive about the advantages of their own job. They can only swap jobs once.Pairs who have swapped sit down. \When everyone is finished, discuss the results as a class. Findout who swapped jobs and why, or who tried to swap but was unsuccessful.

VariationThis game can also be played as a guessing game, with students describing the advantages and thedisadvantages of the job without naming it or without giving too much away, followed by thepartner asking questions about the job that can only be answered withyes or no. After guessingeach other's jobs, they can then swap their cards with other pairs.

The jobs are as follows:

Game Sheet 8a: photographer, cook, market research consultant, sales representative, secretary, cardealer, architect, manager, advertising copywriter

Game Sheet 8b: bank teller, travel agent, sound engineer, hotel receptionist, pet shop owner,souvenir shop owner, fast food restaurant manager, scientist, accountant/tax consultant

Source: This activity was inspired byJill Hadfield's 'Lifeswap' in Intermediate Communication Games, (ThomasNelson and Sons Ltd, 1990).


Activity type

Number of students

Function practised

Lexical area

Grammar involved

Information exchange

Minimum of 8 .

Learning or practising vocabulary

Sales and f inance

Present Simple, relative clauses

Setting up.Copy enough of Game Sheet 9a for every student to have one of the word cards on the sheet. If

your class is no larger than 20, you'll need only one copy. However, keep several spare cards

yourself to prolong the activity if there are few students. Cut out the cards. Give one card to each

student and make sure everyone understands his or her word and definition.

Playing the garne

Step 1The object of the game is for the students to teach each other their words. To do so, they walk

around, find a partner, and take turns giving their definitions. If the partner doesn't know the word

being described, the student tells him or her, and vice-versa.Then the students exchange word

cards and move on to a new partner with a new word. If there are only a few students in your class,

let them replace their words with new word cards from you every so often to ensure that enough

new vocabulary is learned. As a last step, ask your students to sit down and read out the definitions

on their final slip. Now, with any luck, the whole class will be able to call out the corresponding

word!

Step 2If you wanr ro extend the activity, you can give your students the word-grid (Game Sheet 9b) as a

vocabulary revision activity.

Source:rWe learned this technique for teaching or revising vocabulary at a workshop given by Christine Frank in

Berlin. The technique is also described in her book I ctiaity Bank ( Ernst Klett Verlag, Stuttgart, 1992).

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Task-orientated discussion and role-play

Minimum of 3. Groups or individuals.

Advertising a product

Descriptive phrases

Present Simple tense, gerunds, adjectives, adverbs

4Setting upPhotocopy Game Sheet 10. Cut out the word cards. Divide your class into a minimum of threegroups. Give each group three word cards, chosen at random. If you have only three to fivestudents, give each student three word cards and let them work on their own. Make sure thestudents understand the words or phrases on their cards.

Playing the gameThe object of the game is for each group to invent a new product that has all the features describedon the three word cards. The groups then can either present their products to the class usingvisuals, marketing slogans, ideas for the launch, etc., and vote on which is the most interesting, orstudents can mingle and try to 'sell' their products to the other students. Students may only votefor or buy one product, and it may not be their own group's product. The group or student thatwins the most votes or sells the most products is the winner.

Business Communication Games Teacherts notes '10' l

Activity type

Number of students


Lexical area

Typical syntax

Grammar involved

Role-play

Minimum of 6. Groups.

Expressing opinions, agreeing and disagreeing

Products

ln my opinion ...That's a good idea.lquite agree.I'm afraid I see that differently.l'm afraid I don't think that is a good idea?ls that really such a good idea?Don't you think it would be better to ...?It is surely far more important to ...We can't ignore the tact that ...

Present Simple, modals

Setting upPhotocopy Game Sheets l la and 1lb so that there is a role-card and an information-card for every

student in the class. Put the students in groups of six or more. Six of the students in the group will

need the role-cards describing their position in a fictitious company; any extra students are

observers with the task of listening for the proper use of exponents.

Playing the garne

First review or brainstorm the language of expressing opinions, and agreeing and disagreeingpolitely. Then give the students time to read the information on their role-cards; make some notes

to help them formulate their arguments and to study the exponents gathered on the board. $fhen

everyone is ready, let the Managing Director in each small group call the meeting to order. The

Managing Director should listen to each individual's opinion as well as expressing his or her own.

The aim of the game is to try to convince the others that the option you've chosen is best.

However, the group must ultimately reach consensus.

After giving groups plenty of time to argue, the teacher should tell students that compromise will

be necessary to make a decision. In a second round, every company member may cast a final vote,

based on the arguments that convinced them most during the simulation. Make it clear that they

do not have to vote for the product they argued for! The product with the most votes wins. If the

observers are also given a vote) there is less danger that the result will be undecided. If the result is

still a tie, the Managing Director may make the final decision. Compare the results and

experiences of the small groups as a class. Ask any observers for their comments.

Variation: You could let six students carry out this role-play in front of the rest of the class, with all

the watching students listening for the proper use of exponents. Then let the whole class vote on

their favourite product.


Activity type

Number of students


Lexical area

Grammar involved

Card game


Telephone skills

Standard telephone English

Present Simple, future

Setting upPut studentd into groups of three to four. Photocopy one of both Game Sheets l2a and, l2b pergroup. Cut out a set of twenty cards for each group.

Playing the gameAsk students to shuffle the cards and deal them out. The object of the game is to collect as many'tricks' or pairs of cards as possible. To do so, player one begins by reading out an .A, card. Theperson on player one's left (player two) must see if he has the 'B' card that would be the properresponse. If he does' he gives it to player one who wins the trick. All the players must agree that the'A' and the 'B' card really go together. If player two does not have the proper response, player onemust draw a card from player two's hand.

Now it is player two's turn to read out an 'A' card and see if player three has the appropriateresponse. As cards are changing hands constantly, students are exposed to many different phrasesand must remain alert. The game ends when all the cards have been played, and the winner is theperson who collected the most tricks. The teacher could go through the 'A' cards with the class atthe end to make sure that all groups agree on the matching'B'card.

Business Communication Games Teacherts notes 1 0 3

Activity type

Number of students


Lexical area

Grammar involved

Jigsaw puzzle

Any number including one-to-one.

Telephone skills

Standard telephone English

The imperative, Present Simple, Past Simple, Present Continuous

Setting upOne corriplete puzzle (Game sheets l3 a-d) can be put together by a group of one to four

students. Copy as many puzzles as you will need for your class. If you copy them on coloured card,they will look nicer and last longer. IJse a different colour for each puzzle to help you keep them

sorted. Cut the pieces out.

Playing the gameAsk the students to fit the pieces together by matching up the functional task with the appropriate

sentence. To make the task more challenging, do not tell them in advance that the pieces will form

a telephone! The objective of the game is to assemble the puzzle correctly. Then go over these

standard telephone phrases with your class, to be sure they have all been understood.

Phrases appearing on the puzzle:

Follow-up actiaity: You can ask your students to write a telephone dialogue incorporating several of

the phrases.

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Lexical area

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Pelmanism

Any number, including one-to-one. Groups.

Comparing more and less formal language for business letters

Standard English phrases for correspondence

Present, Past Simple, Present Continuous, modals

Setting upThis activity is a variation of Pelmanism also known as Memory or Concennation.Plan to put yourstudents in groups of two to four. Copy one set of cards( Game Sheets 14a and l4b) per smallgroup and cut out (or have your students cut out) the 20 cards in each set. Be sure to use paperthat is not too thin; students must not be able to see through the cards.

Playing the game

Step IStudents should shuffle the cards and lay them out in rows face down on the table. The first playerturns up any two cards. If there is a match, he or she keeps the cards and gets another turn. If not,the next player turns up two cards. A match consists of two cards with phrases that express thesame thought or have the same function, but using more or less formal language, (for example: thegreetings 'Dear Madam' and 'Dear Mary'). The object of the game is to try to remember whichcard lies where, so as to collect as many card pairs as possible. The person with the most pairs isthe winner.

Step 2When the game is over and all the pairs have been collected, ask your students to put the pairs faceup on the table with all the more formal phrases lined up on one side and the more informal on theother. Check for correctness. If your time is limited, you could, of course, reduce the activity to thesecond step only.

Follow-up actiaity: Students write a short business letter using some of the phrases learned.


Activity type

Number of students

Language practised

Lexical area

Grammar involved

Extras

Board game

Minimum of 2

Reviewing the language of meetings

Formal and informal meetings

Present Simple, Past Simple, Present Continuous, Present Perfect

You will need one die for each group and a game marker such as asmall button for each player.

Setting upDivide your class into small groups of two to five players. Copy the two board game sheets (GameSheets 15a and l5b) and a set of eighteen task cards (Game Sheets l5c and 15d) for each smallgroup. Cut out the task cards.

Playing the gameThis game is intended as a revision activity. The winner of the game is the person who gets fromstart to finish first. But there are tasks along the way. Each time students land on a square thatinstructs them to take a task card, they must try to answer the question. If they can't, their fellowplayers may help them. If the task card asks for specific language to make a particular point at ameeting, two possible answers are suggested on the card. Of course there may be otherpossibilities, so students should be encouraged to make a note of their answers if they are different.Discuss diverging answers as a class at the end of the game.


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Number of students


Lexicalarea

Grammar involved

Jigsaw letter

Any number, including one-to-one. Groups.

Learning the standard format of a business letter

Standard phrasing of a business letter

Present Simple, Past Simple, future{

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Playing the gameGive each group an envelope and ask them to put the letter into the proper order. Then read thetext aloud so they can check their work. Discuss the sequencing. Point out typical phrases and goover any new vocabulary as a follow-up. Make sure your students replace all the strips in theenvelopes, so that you can use them again.


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Functions practised

Lexicalarea

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Bingo game as a vocabulary revision exercise

Minimum of 6.

Recognizing word meanings; completing a graph

Vocabulary for describing trends

Present Simple, Past Simple

Setting upPlan to put your students in small groups. Groups of three to four are ideal although a group of upto six is possible. Copy a bingo sheet (Game Sheets l7a and 17b) for each student in the group.There are four different bingo sheets: A, B, C, and D. Plan to give each student a different sheet.However, should you have a group with more than four players, you can give two studentsidentical sheets. Copy one word sheet (Game Sheet 17c) and one bar graph information sheet(Game Sheet 17d) for each group. Cut out the twenty word cards from the word sheet as well asthe six strips of bar graph information and the bar graph itself.

Playing the gameThe aim of the game is for students to complete the bar graph as quickly as possible. Studentsshuffie the cut-out word cards and put them face down in the middle of the table.They also make apile face down of the bar graph information cards.They should take turns turning up the wordcards and reading them out. They should not supply the answers; each student is expected todecide individually what the correct answer is. If students have the correct answer on their wordsheet, they may cross the word out. When they have crossed out three words in a row, eitherhorizontally, vertically, or diagonally, they call out'bingo!'. Each time a student gets a bingo, he orshe may take one of the bar graph information cards. Vhen members of a group have a total of sixbingos and have drawn all the information cards, they may stop the bingo game and begin tocomplete the graph. The group to complete the graph first is the winner.

VariationIf you have a minimum of preparation time, you can skip the bar graph phase of the game and justplay a straightforward bingo game with the whole class instead of groups. Then, of course, youwon't need to cut up the word sheet. Just read all the definitions on your word sheet to the classuntil everyone in the class has had at least one bingo. It is fun (even with adult students) to rewardeach bingo with a small sweet or some other token pize.

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Lexical area

Typical syntax

Extras

Board game


Justifying decisions

Corporate cultures

ln my company, people will ...I have decided to... because ...

You will need one dice for each group and a game marker such as a smallbutton for each player.

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Setting upPhotocopy the sheet of decision cards (Game Sheet l8a) and the two halves of the board game(Game Sheets l8b and l8c) for every group of two to four studenrs. Cut out a set of decision cardsfor each group. They place them in a pile, face down, beside the board.

Playing the gameThe scenario is that the students are setting up a new company. First they must decide what theirproduct is going to be; this can also be a service, such as insurance. The decisions they will makethroughout the game relate to company policy. The aim of the game is to get from start to finish asquickly as possible. Each time a student lands on a space labelled 'Thke a decision card', he or shemust choose a card from the pile, read it out, and then make a decision and justifu it to the group.The game ends when one or all of the players have reached 'FINISH'. If time permits, hearprofiles of the company from each group.

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Lexical area

Grammar involved

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Minimum of 8.

Describing accomplishments

Work situation

Present Simple, Past Simple, Present Perfect

Setting ppPhotocopy and cut out as many role-cards from Game Sheets 19a and 19b as you have students,making sure that you use corresponding role-cards.

Playing the garneThe aim of the game is for students to find the person whose role-card describes a similar worksituation or problem, but a very different solution to the problem.

To do this, they must circulate and describe their situation and their accomplishments to eachother. \?hen partners have been found, ask the pairs to discuss how they would behave undersimilar circumstances and which of the accomplishments they can identifii with. -1

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Group story creation

Any number or one-to-one.

Describing a company and/or a company's history

The business activities of companies

Present Simple, Present Continuous, Past Simple, present perfect,future tenses

Setting upPhotocopy the vocabulary sheet (Game Sheet 20a) enough times for every student in your class tohave a word list. Photocopy and cut out one complete set of pictures (Game Sheets 20b and 2Oc)for each small group. Then put your students into groups of three or four.

Playing the garneThe aim of this activity is to use the available pictures to create a fictitious company profile orhistory. Ask students in the group to deal out the cards as in a card game. Appoint one student inthe group to take notes. Another student (Student A) begins. He or she looks at the pictures in hisor her hand and tries to associate them with events that could happen as a company does business.The student then makes a statement describing a fictitious company and puts down one of thepictures to illustrate this statement. The pictures are so designed as to stimulate the imaginationwithout being totally concrete; they are open to personal interpretation.

The student to the left of Student A now adds a picture from his or her hand, expanding on thecompany description, but not contradicting anything said so far. If the new statement is about thepresent' the picture should be placed to the right of Student A's picture, but if it is about thecompany's past, the picture should be put on the left-hand side.

As the game continues, the students gradually build up a company profile and/or history. $(rhenthe students have finished, ask the note-taker to re-tell the company's story to the class. If youwish, you can ask your students to write the stories down as a follow-up activity.Source: We learned about using this kind of picture to describe business activities from Marcus Child in aworkshop at the IATEFL conference in york, England, 1995.

Business Communication Games Teacher's notes

Activity type

Number of students

Language practised

Lexicalarea

Grammar involved

Information exchange about a picture


Relating a finished chain of events

A Sales Rep's business tr ip

Present Continuous and Past Simple

Setting upPhotocopy Game Sheet 2l for each group and cut out the five pictures. Give each student in thegroup one of the five pictures. If you have groups with more than five players, you will have to makemore copies of the picture story and give some members of the group the same picture. Divide yourstudents into groups with a minimum of five students per group.

Playing the gameAsk your students to study their picture carefully. Tell them it is part of a five-part story. It will betheir job to describe their picture in detail (without showing the picture) to the other students intheir group, as well as listening to the other students' descriptions and taking notes. Ask them toexchange information. When they have a description of all five pictures, they may sit down and tryto work out the proper sequence. When someone thinks they understand the story, let them telltheir version to the class or their group. Ask if the others agree. Then let them see the five picturesand lay the story out on the table, correcting the sequence or interpretation if necessary.

Nore: Students will probably use the Present Continuous to describe what is happening in their picture. But whenthey have sequenced the story and realize that it is a finished chain ofevents, encourage them to use the PastSimple in relating the narrative.

Variation

Divide the students into five groups. Give each group (not each student) one of the five pictures.Ask each student in the group to be prepared to describe the picture in detail. Then explain thattheir picture is one part of a five-part story and send them out to the other groups to exchangeinformation and take notes about the five pictures. When a group has finished collectinginformation, they are ready to sit down and try to work out the proper sequence together. The firstgroup to finish wins.

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Typical syntax

Matching game and role-play

Min imum 8; maximum 18.

Making arrangements; apoloogizing and changing plans

Formal and informal business situations

Are you free on ... ?Can you make it at ... ?Good, I'll see you on ... at ...Look, I'm really sorry but could we change the date?I'm afraid lcan't make it on ...I'm sorry to have to postpone our meeting.Could we rearrange the meeting for ...?Would you mind if we changed the date?

Present simple, Past simple, modals, present continuous for the future.Past Continuous, Present perfect

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Grammar involved

Setting upPhotocopy Game Sheets 22a and 22b and, cut out as many pairs of corresponding role-cards asyou will need to give one card to each student. Distribute the cards and ask the students to readtheir roles.

Playing the game

Step 1The object of the game in this first phase of the activity is for students to find the partnermentioned on their role-card as a person that they want to meet or do business with. To do so, theywill have to mingle, explaining who they are and who rhey're looking for. \ilfhen the students arecorrectly paired they can make arrangements for a meeting.

Step 2Now ask one half of each pair to approach his or her partner with an apology and reason for havingto change the appointment. Encourage them to use their imaginations! The game is over when anew date has been agreed upon. Pairs can now introduce themselves to the class as a whole andexplain why they had to change the appointment and when and where they are meeting instead.


Activity type

Number of students

Function practised

Lexical area

Grammar involved

lnformation search

Minimum of 6. Pairs.

Talking about future plans

Schedules (dates, times, appointments)

Present Continuous for the future

Setting ppPhotocopy the three incomplete itinerary sheets (Game Sheets 23a,23b, and 23c), and a

Questionnaire(Game Sheet 23d) for each pair. Each student will get half an itinerary sheet, so you

will need only one copy of each sheet if you have six students. For every student above six, you

need another half a sheet. Each partner in the pair has a different half of the itinerary to complete.

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Step IThe object of this phase of the game is for students to fill in the missing information on their halves

of the itinerary sheet as quickly as they can.

To do so, they must mingle with their fellow students, exchanging the information that appears on

their sheets. Make sure that they don't just read or show each other the information, but that they

explain Mr Braun's plans for that day using full sentences and the appropriate grammatical form(Present Continuous for the future). However, point out that they may fill in the itinerary sheets in

note form. As soon as students have finished, they should see if their partner is nearly finished as

well. If their partner is much slower, they can now help them complete their half of the itinerary.

As soon as both are finished, they sit down together and the teacher proceeds with step 2.

Step 2As soon as a pair sits down, give them a copy of the questionnaire.They should answer the

questions and solve the word puzzle. (Answers: marketing, Ellis, address, Sunday,lunch, Eaanston,

sightseeing.) The pair to come up with the correct answer (measles) first is the winner'


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Lexical area

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Role-play


Negotiating an agreement

Sales contracts

Future tense, conditional

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Setting upPlan to put your students in groups of four to six. Half of each small group will be customers andthe other half suppliers. Photocopy and cut up the role-card sheet (Game Sheet 24a) and give yourcustomers and suppliers the appropriate role-card. In addition, copy the customers' and suppliers'sheets (Game Sheets 24b and 24c) and cut them into slips. Each 'customer' will need at least twoof the slips describing negotiation points from the customers' sheet (Game Sheet 24b) and each'supplier' will need at least two slips from the suppliers' sheet (Game Sheet 24c). Copy and cut outas many slips as you will need, depending on the size of your class, and let them choose theappropriate slips at random from you.

Playing the gameReview the language and vocabulary of negotiation, if necessary. Then tell your students that,during the negotiation, they are particularly responsible for bringing up the points mentioned ontheir slips and for fighting for these conditions. Ask them to role-play the situation in their smallgroups simultaneously. The object of the game is for each side to try to negotiate a sales contractthat is advantageous to them, while using appropriate language and strategy. Then discuss theresults of the negotiations as a class.

Follow upAs homework ask your students to write a brief written statement about the sales agreement.

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Lexical area

Grammar involved

Matching

Minimum 8; maximum 20,or one-to-one. lndividual.

Learning the language of negotiations

Negotiations

Present Simple

Setting upGame Sheet 25 consists of ten sentence beginnings down the left side of the page and the

corresponding sentence endings down the right side of the page. Make one photocopy of the game

sheet and cut out as many half-sentences as you have students, making sure that you have included

matching sentence parts.

Playing the gameThis game is intended to practise typical phrases of negotiation that have already been introduced

to the student. The aim of the game is for students to find their partner with the matching sentence

half. To do this, they must mingle, repeating their half-sentence until they find the person whose

half-sentence completes theirs. \fhen everyone has found his or her partner, the pairs present their

sentences to the rest of the class.

VariationFor one-to-one teaching, cut out all the sentence halves and ask your student to lay out the ten

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Extras

Role-play


Analysing criteria; expressing opinion; persuading

Choosing a factory site

Present Simple, modals, comparatives, first conditionalA hat, basket, or paper bag to contain the cards

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Setting up'You will need one copy of the product sheet (Game Sheet 26a) and,one copy of the criteria sheet(Game Sheet 26b) with all the cards cut out. Divide your students into small groups of evennumbers. There should be no more than six in a group. Put the product cards in a hat and let astudent choose one. The product on the card will be the product that all the groups are producingin their fictitious companies. Or, if you have a large class, give half the class one product and halfthe class another.

Playing the game

Step 1Give each group four or five of the twenty criteria cards, which you deal out at random. Eachgroup's criteria will differ from those of its partner group. Tell the groups that they are members ofa very successful company in their home country which wants to build a subsidiary abroad. Nowthey must propose an appropriate location. If it is a large country, they should specifu the region aswell. It should be a country that has the advantages mentioned on their criteria cards. But theirpartner group (a group producing the same product) will be proposing a different location andthey must be prepared to argue and persua d,e. (Note: Be sure that the parallel groups producing thesame product really do choose two different regions as potential sites, or they will have no conflictto work out when they meet for the role-play.) After choosing a potential site, the group shoulddiscuss which of the four or five advantages they will want to emphasize in the role-play. They mayadd any other advantages which they feel the country or region really has. Give them some time toprepare their arguments.

Step 2Now the role-play can begin. The aim of the role-play is to convince your partner that yourlocation is the better one. If your students' language skills are very good, you can pair up two fromcorresponding groups with the same product but different criteria. If some of the students are notso confident, you might prefer to do the role-play in groups of four (put two students from onegroup with two from another) so that they can share the task of persuading. Tell your students thatalthough they should defend their proposal, at some point in the game they are going to have tomake a decision. \When the game is over, see how many pairs were able to reach consensus.


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Functions practised

Lexicalarea

Grammar involved

Role-play


Describing, comparing, persuading

Property (US: Real estate)

Present Simple, Present Perfect passive

Setting upPlan to'divide your students into three small groups of two to four. If you have a very large class,then form six groups for two parallel role-plays. Photocopy one role-card sheet (Game Sheet 27a)if you have three groups, and copy two sheets if you have six. Each group (not student) shouldreceive a role-card. Make sure that you give out equal numbers of roles A, B, and C. Make onephotocopy of the amenities sheet (Game Sheet 27b) and cut it up into slips. Let each group choosetwo or three slips at random. The group should include these features in their description of theproperty they are selling or looking for, as well as adding more of their own. The slips serve as astarting point and help fire the students' imaginations.

Playing the gameThe objective of this role-play is for the estate agents to try to sell their property, and for thecompany employees to buy the property which is closest to their ideal. When the groups have hadenough time to prepare their descriptions, they are ready to begin the role-play. Divide your groupor groups of potential customers in half, and send one half to estate agents (realtors) selling acountry villa and the other half to estate agents (realtors) with a villa in the city. Let them listen tothe property description and ask questions. Then ask the customers to switch groups, so that theycan now hear the property description that the other members of their team have just heard. Whenthis phase of information gathering is finished, put your students back into their original groups.Give the potential buyers five minutes to discuss the two alternatives and decide which propertythey will buy, which they then announce to the class. Discuss together what the deciding factorswere.

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Role-play

Minimum of 6.

Applying for jobs and interviewing

CVs and job descriptions

Present Simple, Past Simple, Present Perfect

Setting upMake one photocopy of Game Sheet 28 for every two students. Give half the class CV sheets andthe other half, job description sheets.

Playing the gameAsk your students to fill in the sheets with information about a fictitious person or fictitious job.The object of the game is for the job applicants to try to find jobs and for employers to findappropriate employees. Tell the employers that they must hire someone, even if no candidate isideal. After filling out the sheets, students mingle, interviewing or being interviewed as many timesas possible in the course of the game. Ask students to sit down when you feel the game has gone onlong enough. Then employers announce which person they would like to hire and why. This gameleads naturally into a discussion of appropriate preparation for job interviews and strategies forimpressing the interviewer.


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Activity type

Number of students


Lexicalarea

Grammar involved

Rating activity

Any number, or one-to-one. Pairs or small groups.

Evaluating strategies; expressing opinion

Job-hunting and job interviews

Present Simple, imperatives, modals

Setting upYour students can work in pairs or groups of three or four. For each pair or small group,photocopy one complete set of the twenty strategy cards (Game Sheets 29a and 29b) and cutthem out.

Playing the gameAsk your students to evaluate the job-hunting strategies on the cards and put them in three pilesaccordingly: one pile for good, one for bad, and one for neutral strategies. Afterwards, discuss theresults with the whole class by asking, for example, what people consider to be unwise strategies.

Business Communication Games Teacherts notes120

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Functions practised

Lexicalarea

Grammar involved

Extras

Guessing game

Maximum 20; minimum 4.

Discussing options; producing written material

Various problem situations; adjectives

Second conditional, adjectives

Hat, basket, or paper bag to contain cards

Setting upPlan to divide your class into two or more small groups depending on the size of your class. Thereshould be no more than five students in each group.

Make one photocopy each of the problem and adjective sheets (Game Sheets 30a and 30b). Cutthe problem sheet into strips and give each group an equal number of problems. If you have morethan two groups, then each group will get two problems each. If you have only two groups, eachgroup could have half the page to work on. Cut up the adjective cards, mix them and put them in ahat, bag, or basket. Let each group draw as many adjective cards at random as they have problemsto work on.

Playing the gameStudents must now create solutions suggested by the adjectives: if they drew'risky' and'humorous', they must write down a risky solution for one of their problems and a funny one forthe other. (If a group is very unhappy with one of their adjectives, you have a few extra and couldlet them trade one in for a new one.) When everyone is ready, problems and solutions can either beread aloud to the class or handed to the next group to be studied. In either case, the students mustnow guess which adjective the other students had in mind when writing their solutions. Give onepoint for each correct guess and the group or student making the most points wins.

VariationAn alternative way to play this game would be to photocopy the problem sheet several times andgive each group the same problems. (But only three or four at the most, or your students will bestressed!) Then the fun will be in hearing different solutions to the same problems as well asguessing the different adjectives.


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Activity type

Number of students

Function practised

Lexicalarea

Typical syntax

Grammar involved

Extras

Guessing game

Minimum 8;maximum 16.

Offering advice

Problems involving work situations

I think you should/ought to ...lf lwere you, lwould ...lf you _e{ you woutd be abte to ...You could try _ing .../to ...Why don't you ...?Have you thought of _ing?

Present simple, Present perfect, present continuous, modals, conditionalsTransparent adhesive tape

Setting upPhotocopy one or both of Game Sheetswill need one problem per student. Cutwith adhesive tape.

Playing the gameThe object of the game is for students to guess as exacrly as possible what their problem is. To dothis, ask the students to stand up, walk around and find a partner. Student A reads student B,sproblem and volunteers one solution. Now student B reaJs A's problem and likewise gives onepiece of advice. The student hearing the possible solution is not allowed to ask any questions, onlyto listen' After hearing each other's advice, students should move on to new partners, tell themwhat they know about their problem so far, and ask for new advice. For example:

'I'm thinking of taking a course in communication skills. what else can I do?,-(lsy could try to meet more Americans!'

After hearing several pieces of advice, students should be able to guess their problem. After that,they can continue to go around giving the benefit of their good advice to others who are stillguessing.

3la and 3lb, depending on how large your class is. youthe problems out and tape one on the back of each student

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Number of students

Function practised

Lexicalarea

Grammar involved

Jigsaw puzzle

Any number, or one-to-one. Groups.

I ntercultural competence

Cultural habits in the USA

lf and when, conditionals

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Setting upYou will need one complete puzzle for every four to five people. Photocopy Game Sheets 32a-e andcut out the puzzle pieces. It's nice to copy them on coloured paper or thin card - a different colourfor each ptzzle. You might want to paste the puzzles onto cardboard before cutting them out, tomake them more durable. In class, divide your students into small groups. Give each group onecomplete set of puzzle pieces. Photocopy information sheets (Game Sheet 32f) for each student ifyou would like them to keep the cultural tips.

Playing the gameThe aim of the game is to put the puzzle together. To do so, students must pay attention to thelanguage on the puzzle pieces. Tell them that they will find incomplete sentences or ideas on thevarious pieces, and they must fit the pieces together so that the sentences are complete and makesense. The sentences will give the students information about cultural habits and norms in theUSA: information that should be useful to someone doing business there. \il7hen all the groupshave completed their puzzles, you can have a class discussion on the cultural information. youmight want to give each student an information sheet to keep in their files.

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Quiz

Any number, or one-to-one. Groups.

Making international comparisons in order to expand internationalknowledge

Work and social situations

Present Simple, Past Simple, Present Perfect, superlatives

Photocopier paper in two colours

Setting upDivide your class into small groups of 2-6. For each group, photocopy the two question cardsheets (Game Sheets 33a and 33b) and an answer sheet (Game Sheet 33c) and cut them up intocards.We suggest that you copy the questions on one colour paper and use another colour for theanswer cards. It is important to write the question number on the back ofyour answercards to avoid confusion. Game Sheet 33d is information for the teacher for further discussion.The question and answer cards for each group should be arranged in the proper order, startingwith question one.

Playing the gameGive the sets of question and answer cards to each group and instruct them to put the answer cardsface down on the table. A member of the group reads out question one and together the groupdecides on an answer. Groups should give a reason to back up each decision. Then they may turnup the corresponding answer card to see if they guessed correctly. The answer card will give theminstructions on what question to answer next. The aim of the game is to finish the quiz as quicklyas possible while answering as many questions as possible correctly! The more correct answers agroup has, the faster they will finish because they may skip a question for every correct answer.Therefore, you should point out to your students that if they don't spend enough time discussingthe possible solutions in order to make educated guesses, they will lose rather than gain time in thelong run. The first group to finish is the winning team. \When the activity is over, you may want tofind out which groups got which answers right and why they guessed as they did. You can alsodiscuss the information contained in the quiz in more detail. \7e have included a teacher'sinformation sheet to provide additional facts for such a discussion.

Source: The information for this quiz was taken from MindYour Manners, Managing Business Cuhures in EuropebyJohn Mole, Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 1995 with kind permission.

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Role-play

Minimum 4. Groups.

Making suggestions politely; achieving consensus

Evening entertainment

Present Simple. Going tofor the future

You will need some authentic material from the town or city nearest to your

school. Authentic material could consist of some restaurant listings,possibly menus, and some copies of the evening entertainment section ofyour local newspaper. Each group will need several pieces of materialtowork with.

Setting upEach group of students should consist of four to six students. Photocopy Game Sheet 34 to ensurea role-card for every student.

Playing the garneGive each group their role-cards and the local material and ask them to work out their group's

evening plans, beginning with the evening meal. Individuals should communicate their likes and

dislikes (as described on the role-card) to the group, but should practise polite forms of making

suggestions. rJ7hen the groups have reached consensus, let them present their plans to the class.Make sure they use the appropriate grammatical form for expressing future intentions.

Business Communication Games Teacherts notes 125

Activity type

Number of students


Lexical area

Grammar involved

Matching and role-play

Minimum B; maximum 20. Groups.

Social izing; persuading

Smal l ta lk

Present Simple, Present Continuous, Present Perfect, future tenses

Setting upPhotocopy Game Sheet 35a and cut out enough role-cards for each student in the class to receiveone. Give half your students role A and the other half role B. Copy and cut up one or both of thesmall talk sheets (Game Sheets 35b and 35c), depending on the size of your class. (One sheet hassmall talk topics for up to ten students.) Give each student one of the twenty small talk cards,making sure that the As and the Bs receive corresponding small talk cards.

Playing the garneGo over the role-card texts with the class to make sure your students understand the task, which isto find the person who is chatting about the same topic, see if the passwords go together, and thengo on to role-play a job offer. Then give your students a moment or two to think about their smalltalk topics and to prepare a few questions or comments. When everyone is ready, ask the studentsto stand up and mingle until they have found their partner and completed the role-play. When therole-play is over, students may sit down and you can gather the socializing topics and phrases onthe board, as well as finding out what persuasion strategies the headhunters used successfully.

Business Communication Games Teacher's notes126

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Function practised

Lexicalarea

Grammar involved

Guessing game

Minimum 6; maximum 20.

Describing the executive lifestyle using student-generated language

Habits; past actions

Most likely Present Simple and/or Past Simple

1Setting upPhotocopy as many role-cards from Game Sheets 36a and 36b as you have students in your classand cut them out. Let the class decide if they want a male or a female boss in the game. Give eachstudent in your class a different role-card and explain that it names his or her relationship to theboss.

Playing the gameAsk the students to think of one sentence that the person on their role-card might say about theboss. At the same time, this sentence should give some clue as to the identity of the personspeaking. (For example, the son might say'She doesn't giae me enough spending money!') Eachstudent says his or her sentence to the class. Go around a second time, hearing the sentences oncemore and letting the class guess the relationships.

Source: $7e learned this game at a workshop in Berlin led by Bernard Dufeu, founder of 'Psychodramaturgie

Linguistique'.

Business Communication Games Teacher's notes 1 2 7

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Indexes

Lexical index with game numbers

accomplishments 19advice 30,31appointments 22business letters 14,16character adjectives 4company history 20company layout 7company structure Icultural behaviour

American 32Euiopean 33

entertainment 34executive

decisions 18lifestyles 36

finances, vocabulary of 9itineraries 23job

applications and interviews 28,29descriptions 8satisfaction 5stress 6

meetings, language of l5negotiations 24, 25office activities 3past events 20,21personal information 2products 10, 1 Iproperties (real estate) 27sales agreements 24sales trip 21sales, vocabulary of 9small talk 35socializing 34,35stress 6subsidiaries 26telephone skills 12, 13trends 17workplace 7, 8

Functional index with game numbers

advertising products 10analyzing one's work situation 5, 6apologizing 22applying for jobs 28,29comparing formal/informal business letters l4

completing a graph 17describing

accomplishments 19company layout 7company history 20company structure Iexecutive lifestyles 18, 36jobs 8office activities 3personal characteristics 4pictures of past events 2lreal-estate properties 27trends 17

discussing opt ions 41 6, | 1, 18, 19, 24,26'27 '30 ,34

giving advice 30,3Igiving/getting personal information 2' 5,6introducing oneself 2jus t i fu ingdec is ions 4 ,5 ,6 ,8 , 10 , 11 , 18 ' 24 '26 '

2 7 , 2 8 , 2 9 , 3 4 , 3 5learning about cultural differences 32' 33

making and changing appointments 22

mak ing suggest ions 6 , 10 , 11 ,22 ,24 ,26 ,30 ,31 ,34

narrating a chain of past events 20,2lnegotiating a sales agreement 24persuading 3, 6, 8, 10, 1 1, 24, 26, 27' 34' 35practising

telephone skills 12, 13language and layout of business letters 14' 16

language of negotiation 25language of socializing 35

putting past events in order 21putting a text in order 16rating

personal characteristics 4factors in iob satisfaction 5job-finding strategies 29lking about future plans 23

ing spec i f i c vocabu lary l r 419,10 ,12 ,13 'L 4 , 1 5 , 1 7 , 2 0 , 2 5 , 3 0


business comm games

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