I always try to do these things in my business English lessons:
- Review: A quick summary of the last lesson will teach new things to those who missed, and offer a review to those who attended. No need to say I am a fan of the spaced repetition theory!
- Homework: I publicly thank those who handed homework in. It lays a bit of pressure on those who didn’t.
- Objective: stating today’s objective will keep the session focused. If I don’t want to disclose my goal, I tell students they’ll have to wait and see.
- Jobs: I always teach something that relates to my students’ jobs. This doesn’t need to be complex; focusing on one specific business word or practicing a common workplace situation is often enough.
- Oral practice: students should speak more than I do—I’m already fluent!
- Grammar: Grammar explanations go into all my lessons. Well, “grammar” in a very broad sense. A simple pronunciation guide would also count.
- Writing: It also goes into every class. I dictate rules that come up and get them to produce sentences with new vocabulary, as this record provides tangible proof of what happened in the lessons. I aim for 50 words every period.
- Synopsis and homework: my last five minutes include an outline of what was taught plus homework for next week.
Read Andrew’s business English books here: www.anadymiles.com