Global English: Implications for the Business English Classroom
A key role of English today is as a lingua franca. But to what extent does the globalization of English affect what we do in the business English classroom? In this talk I will briefly compare the terms EFL and ELF, and then look at the implications of internationalization of the English language for teachers of Business English.
The Sudden Specialist
One of the most unnerving moments in the career of many ELT professionals is the prospect of teaching engineers, accountants or business studies undergraduates. Trained in humanities, English teachers feel intimidated by texts characterised by technical vocabulary and obscure field-specific concepts. This talk looks at why we shouldn’t panic at the thought of such classes.
Keys to Teaching English for Tourism
There is far more to teaching English for Tourism than providing learners with the vocabulary of brochures or guided tours. Determing learner profiles is an essential starting point, and other keys, such as course and unit design, or the selection of meaningful and motivating input texts, stem from the correct identification of who our learners are and what they need from the course.
English Words with Specific Purposes
Vocabulary in ESP. Strategies and techniques for dealing with vocabulary from the teacher’s end, beginning with exploring what we mean when we say we ‘know’ a word, before moving on to strategies for dealing with vocabulary from the learner’s end. We finish the session looking at pronunciation, a crucial part of ‘knowing’ words, with massive impacts both on intelligibility in ESP.
Task-based Learning in ESP
TBL has been around for long enough, but can we use it in ESP, where time is limited and clients want results? In this workshop session we’ll explore the relationship between TBL, what learners do with their English in their professional lives. Then we’ll see how a typical TBL cycle plays out by looking at practical examples of tasks that we can use in the ESP classroom.
Case studies: Integrated Practice for Business Studies
Case studeis ahve been used in business for a long time. More recently they have begun to be used in Business English classrooms. What advantages do they bring to the BE classroom? What problems are there when using them? And how do you go about using them when you’re not an expert in the professional field that the case study focuses on?
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