6 tips for teaching business English to low level learners

Margaret O'Keeffe
A business woman in a suit sat at a laptop

The CEFR describes A1 and A2 learners as ¡®basic users¡¯ of a language. So how can we help these students to develop their English for the workplace?

Here are our six top tips:

1. Focus on high-frequency vocabulary for work

Learning English vocabulary for work context is the top priority for many low-level learners in business English classes. It helps them to communicate their message in a simple, effective way. This makes it important to teach common words and set expressions for everyday work situations.

These include:

  • lexical sets (words related to the same topic or situation) ¨C for example, days, months, numbers, verbs to describe work routines, verbs in the past.
  • common collocations with verbs and nouns (for example, manage a team, have meetings, place an order, solve a problem).
  • functional language and fixed phrases ¨C greetings (How are you? Nice to meet you.) and offers (How can I help you? Would you like¡­?).

2. Help students with vocabulary learning

Teach vocabulary items in realistic contexts. For example, phone calls, to-do lists, short emails, text messages etc.

While it might be tempting to give students lots of vocabulary to memorize, this can cause overload, be frustrating and ultimately demotivating for learners. Instead, you should aim to present eight to ten new words in a lesson as a general rule. This is an achievable number for working memory and helps to build learners¡¯ confidence. The number of words can be a little higher if items are easy to show in images or there is repetition; for instance, the numbers 20 to 100.

Have students make simple decisions about new words, as this helps with recall later. Start with simple tasks, such as matching words and pictures or verb and noun collocations they¡¯ve seen in a short text (for example, managing a team, call customers, writing emails, etc.). Next, ask students to complete sentences using the target words and write their own sentences using these words.

Getting students to personalize new vocabulary makes it more memorable, for instance writing sentences describing their work routines. Repetition also aids long-term memory, so make sure vocabulary is recycled in the materials in later lessons.

Finally, make a list of vocabulary games to use for revision exercises, warmers and to finish classes.

3. Maximize student speaking time

Learners need to develop their English-speaking skills for work. The classroom is a safe, low-stakes environment for them to gain fluency and confidence.

Use the audio and video scripts of short dialogues or an extract from a longer script. Students read the dialogue aloud in pairs or groups. Give feedback by drilling the stress and rhythm of any words or phrases which were difficult with the whole class. Back-chaining phrases ¨C starting with the last sound and building up going backwards ¨C is an excellent way to drill. Get students to swap roles and repeat the task.

You can also use another technique called disappearing dialogue. Put a short dialogue on the board for students to practice in pairs. Then delete parts of the dialogue and ask them to repeat the task, swapping roles each time. Gradually delete more parts to increase the challenge. Students can reconstruct the dialogue as a final task.

Moreover, surveys, questionnaires, true/false games, and information-gap exercises are ways to practice speaking in English, target structures, and vocabulary.

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4. Provide support for speaking tasks

Use a model dialogue from the coursebook or one you wrote yourself. Ask students to build their own short dialogues by changing some details (such as names, dates, prices, and quantities). Or use one half of the dialogue and ask students to write the other part.

Then, have them perform their dialogues together with their script. Then, ask them to try to memorize it without the script. Finally, they should perform the dialogue for another pair or even for the whole class.

Give students a reason to listen to their partners when they are speaking. For example, a speaking task like placing an order on the phone, gives them a reason. The listening student can note the essential information and check their answers afterwards.

Repeating tasks with slight variations increases the challenge, improves fluency, helps students remember useful phrases, and builds self-confidence.

5. Practice work skills your students need

Students are much more engaged and motivated when the class content is relevant to their everyday situations.? They will want to learn English for work and skills they need to practice include telephoning, socializing and giving presentations.

Writing skills are also important. This includes formal and informal text messages, simple forms, less formal emails to colleagues (e.g. to update on work) and more formal emails to customers (e.g. replying to a simple inquiry).

At the start of the class, make it clear what students will be doing in the lesson. You can refer to the lesson outcome on the coursebook page or write the lesson outcome in your own words on the whiteboard. For instance, ¡°Today you will learn to place a simple order on the phone¡±.

At the end of the class, ask students to respond to the self-assessment statement: ¡°I can place a simple order on the phone.¡±

This is a reminder of the purpose of the lesson. It also helps the students and teachers to reflect on the progress they are making.

The grammar syllabus should also relate to English learners' communicative needs (for example, describing your company, instructions, and talking about arrangements).

6. Teach functional language phrases

Draw students¡¯ attention to useful phrases and functional language in speaking and writing. For instance, when greeting visitors (¡°Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°See you later.¡±). They can memorize these utterances and put them to immediate use outside the classroom.

Use role plays to practice work skills and functional language skills. Give learners ample time to prepare and write down what they want to say. In a phone call role play, put students back to back to increase the challenge and add an element of authenticity; even better if they can call each other on their mobile phones from separate rooms.

Similarly, with presentations (for example, introducing yourself and your company), give students time to prepare and rehearse. They can ask colleagues to video them on their mobile phones for later correction work and feedback. Or they could rehearse and film themselves at home and show the final video in the next class.

These are just a few tips and techniques for teaching corporate English to low-level learners. It¡¯s especially important for these students to start simple, recycle language often and build their confidence in their workplace English.?

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    What to look for in an English placement test

    By Jennifer Manning

    If you¡¯re an English teacher, Director of Studies or school owner you¡¯ll know the importance of putting students in the right group. Whether it¡¯s a business English class, exam prep or general English ¨C a placement test is essential. Without one, you¡¯ll teach classes with such varied levels and needs, it¡¯ll be hard to plan an effective lesson.

    Placing students at the wrong level will not only lead to unmotivated learners, but it may also cost your institution money.

    But how exactly do you design a reliable, accurate and easy-to-use test? In this post, we¡¯ll examine the key questions you need to consider before making your own placement test. We¡¯ll also explore what features you need to achieve your goals.

    Problems with traditional placement tests

    Most private language schools (PLSs) and higher education institutions offer new students the opportunity to take a placement test before starting a course. However, these are often just a multiple-choice test, a short interview, or a combination of the two.

    While this does act as a filter helping us group students into similar levels, there are a number of downfalls. Students can guess the answers to multiple-choice questions ¨C and while they might give us a rough idea of their grammar knowledge, these tests don¡¯t consider the four skills: speaking, writing, listening and reading.

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    Another big issue with traditional tests is the amount of time they take. Multiple-choice exams are often graded by hand and interviewing every new student uses valuable resources that could be used elsewhere.

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    Before you re-design your current test completely, we¡¯ve put together a series of questions to help you think about your objectives, define your needs and explore the challenges you may face.

    Taking a few minutes to think about these things can make the process of finding the right English placement test go more smoothly and quickly. Once you know what you¡¯re looking for, you¡¯ll be ready to make a checklist of the most important features.

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    • Placing incoming ESL students into the appropriate English language program.
    • Measuring students¡¯ progress throughout the school year.
    • Final assessment of students' abilities at the end of the school year (¡°exit test¡±).
    • All of the above.

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    • How many students do you need to test at each intake?
    • How many students do you need to test each year? How many do you expect you¡¯ll need to test in three years?

    How quickly do you currently receive test results? How quickly would you like to receive them?

    If you can test your students weeks before the start of the school term, you may have time to wait for results. However, if you are continuously testing students, or have students arriving just before the term begins, you may need to get results much more quickly.

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    • a preliminary checklist for placement tests.

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    A preliminary checklist for placement tests

    What features do you need to achieve your goals?

    Now that you've analyzed how you want to use your new English Placement test, create a checklist of the features that you need to achieve your goals.?

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    Which exam is right for my students?

    By Jennifer Manning

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    Are you stuck on which English exam or test to offer your students? You¡¯re not alone ¨C there are lots of different assessments to choose from and it¡¯s often hard to see how they are different and why you should select one over another.

    We¡¯re bringing it all together in this handy guide to help you decide which English language assessment is right for your students.

    Exams for young learners

    Language exams can be quite daunting for your younger students, especially if they¡¯re taking them for the first time. That¡¯s why we think it¡¯s important to ensure what they have to do is interesting, fun, and motivating.

    English Benchmark and ÃÛÌÒapp English International Certificate Young Learners exams are designed with this in mind, so let¡¯s take a closer look at them both.

    English Benchmark

    Who it's for:?This assessment is aimed at young learners aged between 6 and 13, and who have Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels between pre-A1 and B1. English Benchmark is a great tool for teachers who want a simple way to assess the English abilities of their classes at any stage of the year.

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    What it tests:?English Benchmark aims to assess a student¡¯s competence in the four skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing (with the exception of Level 1, which does not test writing). It covers five different ability levels, with three tests per level.

    ÃÛÌÒapp English International Certificate Young Learners

    Who it's for:?This test is for young learners who are again aged between 6 and 13, and whose CEFR levels range from pre-A1 to A2. It is available in over 40 territories worldwide, and at different times of the year.

    Upon completion, the learners will be able to take pride in receiving an official certificate from , the UK¡¯s largest governing body for academic qualifications.

    What it tests:?International Certificate Young Learners?focuses again on integrating all four of the main skills and these are divided over four ability levels ¨C Firstwords (Level 1), Springboard (Level 2), Quickmarch (Level 3), Breakthrough (Level 4). It focuses on completing realistic communicative tasks throughout, giving them a great first experience of official assessment.?

    Spread out over two separate written and speaking parts; the learners are encouraged to talk effectively about their own lives, rather than simply reciting grammatical or vocabulary structures. This includes activities such as board games and picture matching.

    Exams for adults

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    ÃÛÌÒapp English International Certificate

    Who it's for:?ÃÛÌÒapp English International Certificate (PEIC) is designed for adults of any level who use English in a variety of daily activities, such as with work, at university or socially. As a result, we¡¯ve ensured that the content of PEIC is suitable for learners in any part of the world, age-appropriate, and available at various times of the year.

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    What it tests:?Throughout the six-level options, ranging from A1 (beginner) to Level 5 C2 (proficiency), authentic materials regarding specific themes are frequently used to assess all four key skills.

    Learners will complete tasks related to note completion, letter or email writing, and speaking role plays, along with defending a point of view at higher levels. This reinforces the PEIC as an exam which best suits those who complete everyday tasks in English.

    PTE Academic

    Who it's for:?If your learners are looking for reliable, unbiased proof of their English level for immigration or studying abroad, then the ÃÛÌÒapp Test of English Academic is perfect for them. by governments for their visa application processes, and multiple leading universities such as Harvard University in the USA, PTE Academic can be .

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    This theme continues through the subsequent listening and reading sections, where candidates complete various tasks such as interpreting information, reordering paragraphs, and summarizing a spoken text.

    Versant tests

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    Level test

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    Online English language testing for employment: Is it secure?

    By Jennifer Manning

    Managers and HR professionals have a global workforce at their fingertips ¨C and now, . This makes adopting a secure English language test for employment more important than ever.

    An online English test enables organizations to assess candidates¡¯ language proficiency from anywhere in the world, screen more applicants, and standardize the hiring process. They also help HR professionals and managers to save time ¨C ensuring only people with the right language skills advance to the interview stage.

    But how can employers be certain these tests are safe? And how easy is it for people to cheat? In this article, we¡¯ll explore a few of the top security concerns we hear, and share what features make online language tests?secure.

    What is an online English test?

    An online English test measures how well a job applicant can communicate in English, focusing on speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. They also assess a candidate¡¯s specific?English for business?skills ¨C for example, how clearly someone can communicate on the phone with clients, or understand what is being said during a conference call.

    Online tests can be taken in a controlled environment ¨C in a testing center with in-person proctors ¨C but also from a job applicant¡¯s personal computer or mobile phone at home. When tests are taken at home, they can be made more secure using virtual proctors or powerful AI monitoring technology.

    Cheating, grading and data security

    When many people think of taking a language test, they imagine the traditional way: students in a large testing center scribbling away with pen and paper. No mobile phones are allowed, and if test-takers are caught cheating, they¡¯ll be flagged by a proctor walking around the room.

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    Is cheating a problem?

    A large number of test takers admit to cheating on their tests. According to?research?by the International Center for Academic Integrity, 68% of undergraduate students say they¡¯ve cheated on a writing assignment or test, while 43% of graduate students say they have.

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    The truth is, not very. With Versant, exam cheating is actually quite difficult, and test takers would have to outsmart a?range of AI monitoring technologies.

    If a verified photo is uploaded to the platform, HirePro¡¯s face recognition technology can compare the live test taker with it. This ensures test takers are who they say they are, and haven¡¯t asked someone else to sit the exam for them. It is the institution¡¯s responsibility to verify the original photo.

    And since Versant tests are monitored using specialized AI algorithms ¨C without a human present ¨C even the slightest suspicious behaviors are flagged for review. For example, Versant notices if a different face appears in the video, or if the camera goes dark. With video monitoring, our platform also flags if the test taker moves from the camera, or looks away multiple times. And we¡¯ll see if someone changes tabs on their computer.

    Finally, the entire test is recorded. When suspicious behavior arises, HR professionals will decide whether to accept or reject the results ¨C or have the candidate retake the test.

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    We¡¯ve all had frustrating experiences with AI. Chatbots don¡¯t always understand what we¡¯re trying to say, and speech recognition technology sometimes isn¡¯t up to par. This leaves many wondering if they should trust AI to grade high-stakes tests ¨C especially when the results could be the difference between someone getting the job, or not.

    Versant uses patented AI technology to grade tests that are trained and optimized for evaluating English language proficiency. It evaluates speaking, listening, reading, writing, and even intelligibility.

    Our AI is trained using thousands of fluent and second-language English speakers. With these models, we¡¯re able to not only evaluate how someone should be assessed but also understand when they¡¯ve mispronounced words or have made another mistake. Using all this information, a candidate¡¯s final score is evaluated based on more than 2000 data points.

    Do online tests follow GDPR standards?

    HR professionals and managers deal with sensitive personal information every day. This includes each job applicant¡¯s name, full address, date of birth, and sometimes even their social security number. The HR tools they implement therefore must also keep this data secure.

    Most importantly, it must follow GDPR standards. The data must be gathered with consent and protected from exploitation. With Versant, test-taker data is securely stored and follows all?.

    All our data is encrypted at rest and in transmission. Versant assessment data is stored in the US and HirePro, our remote monitoring partner, stores the proctoring data in either Singapore or Europe, depending on customer needs. Both systems are GDPR compliant.

    Versant: a?secure English language test

    The?Versant?automated language test is powered by patented AI technology to ensure the most accurate results for test takers and employers alike. Even better, our remote testing lets HR professionals securely and efficiently assess candidates worldwide, 24/7 ¨C and recruit top global talent to help more companies scale.