Modern ESL Lesson Plans

Based on Real-World Videos

BUSINESS ETIQUETTE
BASICS
MARCH 16, 2021
STUDENT LEVEL: B1 (Intermediate)

Lesson Overview
In this Business English lesson plan for adults, students watch a video and do a listening exercise about
the basics of business etiquette. It includes discussion questions and conversation activities about
business and professional etiquette. Students learn some important vocabulary terms and phrases from the
video. The post-viewing section includes activities on vocabulary context usage, parts of speech and
prefixes, and rewriting sentences. The grammar activity features defining clauses with the conjunction
"although". There are additional speaking tasks included, as well as a quiz and review section with a bonus
activity.

Lesson Instructions
Complete activities Preview (I) - Preview (II) with students. Then watch the video together with your students.
Instruct students not to write during the video - only watch (so that students don’t miss important information
while the video is playing). Then, complete the viewing comprehension activity. Find the full, original Fluentize
version of this lesson with the remaining post-viewing activities for the lesson plan on Fluentize.

On Fluentize, you’ll also get the interactive lesson plan which is ideal for teachers and students who do lessons
online. The interactive lesson is in digital format, allowing students to type, write, and mark answers in the actual
lesson materials.

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PREVIEW ACTIVITY (I)
Work with a partner, group, or teacher. Do the activities below together.

PART I: What does “business etiquette” mean? Choose the correct answer below.

a. Goals and strategies that can help a business grow and succeed
b. Supplies and materials that are necessary to have in the workplace
c. Manners and behaviors that are expected within the workplace

Discuss proper business etiquette that comes to mind for...

...meeting someone new | ...speaking with others | ...using your smartphone

PART II: Write the indicated parts of speech and correct prefixes for the sentences below.

EX. I didn’t understand the task instructions clearly, so I made a few mistakes.
My misunderstanding of the task instructions resulted in a few
mistakes.
(noun)

1 If your colleagues are rude to you, you may feel like they don’t respect you.
If your colleagues are rude to you, you may feel _____________________ .
(participial adjective)

2 It’s hard to work with people who don’t cooperate well.

It’s hard to work with people who are really _____________________ .
(adjective)

PART III: Test your knowledge of the adjectives below and match them with their definitions.

1 _____ annoyed a. valued or respected

2 _____ bossy b. a little angry or irritated
3 _____ appreciated c. always telling others what to do
4 _____ vital d. strongly focused on and involved
5 _____ engaged e. very important

PART IV: Discuss the questions below about the image.

1 What are the people doing in the image?

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 2 In what kinds of situations is it expected to do this?
3 Why is it important to do this?

PREVIEW ACTIVITY (II)

PART I: Choose the correct definition for the vocabulary words as used in the sentences.

1 My job interview went really well. I think it’s likely that I’ll be hired.

likely means... a. impossible b. not probable c. highly probable

2 Business etiquette and customs vary across different cultures.

vary means... a. differ b. create c. manage

3 You should always try to show up on time for professional meetings.

show up means... a. inform b. increase c. arrive

4 When my co-workers talk and socialize loudly in the office it irritates me.

irritate means... a. make someone very surprised or shocked

b. make someone a little angry or annoyed
c. make someone feel important

5 Honesty and respect will help you build healthy relationships in business.

honesty is... a. the quality of being lazy

b. the quality of being truthful
c. the quality of being talkative

6 My boss treats the male employees a bit better than the female employees.

treat means... a. complain or talk negatively about someone

b. act or behave in a particular way toward someone
c. try to make someone believe an opinion

PART II: Write the missing word in the second sentence of each sentence pair below so that it expresses
the same meaning as the sentence above it.

1 My client wrote me an email and it sounded very polite and friendly.

My client wrote me an email with a polite and friendly __________________ .

2 It’s important to look people in the eyes when speaking at meetings.

It’s important to make eye __________________ when speaking at meetings.

3 During important work discussions, make sure you listen carefully to others.
During important work discussions, give others your full __________________ .

Bonus Phrase!

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make a strong impression = make yourself look good or create a positive mental image
EXAMPLE At your job interview today, try to make a strong impression.

Basics of Business Etiquette

PREVIEW DISCUSSION
What comes to mind when you think of a good “company culture”?
If you work for a company, describe the culture of that company.

GO TO VIDEO

VIEWING ACTIVITY
PART I: Write short answers according to the information in the video.

0:01 1 What is the definition of “business etiquette”?

____________________________________________________________________________________

--- 2 What are a few examples of basic business etiquette discussed in the video?

____________________________________________________________________________________

1:13 3 What should you do with your smartphone during conversations with others? Why?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_______

PART II: Choose true or false according to the information in the video.

0:08 1 TRUE / FALSE The basics of business etiquette are very different in every
country.

0:23 2 TRUE / FALSE It's recommended that you show up late for meetings.

1:23 3 TRUE / FALSE Your business etiquette can have a big impact on your career.

PART III: In the video, the narrator talks about using smartphones in business settings. He says...

“In a business setting, it's best to use your smartphone sparingly.”

What does “sparingly” mean in the sentence above?

a. complain or talk negatively about someone

b. act or behave in a particular way toward someone
c. try to make someone believe an opinion

POST-VIEWING ACTIVITIES

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Download the full lesson plan with all of the Post-Viewing Activities + Quiz & Review for FREE on
Fluentize! Our Post-Viewing sections feature activities on follow-up conversational material, vocabulary
context usage, prefixes / parts of speech, grammar, a quiz & review, and a teacher’s guide.

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