creating a business plan for esl

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Create A Company

Tags: advanced , business , intermediate , jobs , kids

The Create A Company ESL project requires students to create their own new businesses, describing what they do and the employees they will need.

Divide the class into groups of two or three.

• Elicit and write on the board the following information to include when describing a company: name, industry (e.g. retail, technology), product/service description, employees required (shop assistant, security guard, computer programmer etc.). With business students, include more in-depth information like a business plan, financial forecast etc.
• Each group creates a company, covering each of the above points.
• The students then present their company ideas to the class. With business students, this could be in the form of a Dragon’s Den/Shark Tank style pitch. Alternatively, the groups could make posters and do this as a trade show/jobs fair type event.

This project leads on well to a number of other activities. Students could advertise for the positions they created (see Job Adverts ), and/or interview potential candidates (see Job Interviews ). If you limit the companies to consumer product-based businesses, it could also form the basis of the Classroom City activity.

Target Language

The Create A Company ESL project is clearly a great fit for business English students or a business language topic. Students can practise using learned vocabulary appropriate to their level e.g. numbers for money, profit/loss, turnover etc.

You can also use it to practise jobs vocabulary and descriptions with high beginner or low intermediate students. In this case, students should focus on the employees and skills required for their company. Extending the project with Job Adverts and Job Interviews is recommended in this case.

Got a picture or video of this activity in action? How about snapping one next time you use it? We'd love to showcase your submissions- find out more here .

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Warmer of the day.

Tags: advanced , intermediate , jobs , warmer

In the Things They Might Say ESL game, students have to convey a person using only things that they might say.

Vocabulary Image Generator

Common tags, follow eslactive.

How to Start an ESL School

As more and more non-English speakers arrive in English-speaking countries, there is a growing need to help these new arrivals learn how to speak English to increase their chance to work or attend school. An ESL school meets this need by providing adult and children with instruction on how to speak, read, and write English. These types of schools are sometimes known as English Language Schools. ESL stands for English as a Second Language.

Learn how to start your own ESL School and whether it is the right fit for you.

Ready to form your LLC? Check out the Top LLC Formation Services .

Start an ESL School by following these 10 steps:

• Plan your ESL School
• Form your ESL School into a Legal Entity
• Register your ESL School for Taxes
• Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
• Set up Accounting for your ESL School
• Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your ESL School
• Get ESL School Insurance
• Define your ESL School Brand
• Create your ESL School Website
• Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your ESL School. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas .

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

What will you name your business?

• What are the startup and ongoing costs?
• Who is your target market?

How much can you charge customers?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our ESL School Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship , you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name , we recommend researching your business name by checking:

• Your state's business records
• Federal and state trademark records
• Social media platforms
• Web domain availability .

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

Want some help naming your ESL School?

Business name generator, what are the costs involved in opening an esl school.

In the beginning, you can offer classes out of your own home, out of a public place like a library, park, or coffee shop, or even visit students in their own homes. However, once you have accumulated enough students to actually open a school, you will need to have enough money set aside to cover certain expenses.

One of the highest costs is rent. The amount you must pay depends on your market. In the case of an ESL school, most schools are located in large metro areas because that is where the potential students live. These are the same places where rent can be higher than normal.

Labor is also a large cost. Instructors are usually paid based on the number of hours they teach each week. This allows schools to more easily control the cost for instructors. Instructors are usually paid between $25 to $50 per hour.

Office staff typically receive a lower wage than teachers, but still earn above minimum wage. Most of the office staff involved with sales earn the bulk of their salary through commissions.

Another large expense is purchasing the curriculum and extracurricular activities like games, toys, and teaching materials. Supplies costs will vary according to the number of students you have enrolled at each course level.

What are the ongoing expenses for an ESL School?

Rent and labor are two of the biggest ongoing expenses. Smaller monthly expenses include utilities and maintenance costs.

Who is the target market?

Most students who enroll in ESL schools in the US are out of school and working. Students are more likely to be male than female, and they typically have at least some experience with learning English in the past.

How does an ESL School make money?

An ESL school makes money by charging students for classes. Some schools charge students for each lesson they attend and students at other schools pay for a set time period. Most ESL schools have multiple pricing tiers based on the number of students in a class, the level of instruction, or the time when the students attend classes.

According to Thumbtack, students pay an average of $40 an hour for ESL instruction. That rate can vary based on location of the school and other factors like the number of students in a class or the level of instruction.

How much profit can an ESL School make?

Experts predict revenues for educational services will grow 2.4% over the next five years. An English language school which keeps a tight control of its expenses can expect to see a good return.

How can you make your business more profitable?

ESL schools can easily add new classes and events to increase their bottom line. English schools can supplement their income by selling a variety of educational tools like dictionaries, CDs, language-learning games, and other literary and digital learning materials. 

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC's free Small Business Startup Guide - a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship , partnership , limited liability company (LLC) , and corporation .

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your ESL School is sued.

Form Your LLC

Read our Guide to Form Your Own LLC

Have a Professional Service Form your LLC for You

Two such reliable services:

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

Recommended: You will need to elect a registered agent for your LLC. LLC formation packages usually include a free year of registered agent services . You can choose to hire a registered agent or act as your own.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website . If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil .

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
• Build your company's credit history , which can be useful to raise money later on.

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate an ESL school. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits .

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses .

Certificate of Occupancy

Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO).  A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.

• If you plan to lease a ESL school :
• It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
• Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a ESL school business.
• After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.
• If you plan to purchase or build a ESL school :
• You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
• Review all building codes and zoning requirements for your business’ location to ensure your ESL school business will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.

Services Contract

An English language school should require clients to sign a services agreement before starting a new project.  This agreement should clarify client expectations and minimize risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions, service level expectations, and intellectual property ownership.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance . This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance . If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners , we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

Recommended : Get a logo using Truic's free logo Generator no email or sign up required, or use a Premium Logo Maker .

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator . Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market an ESL School

It is a good idea to market an ESL school to potential students in their native languages. Schools should create brochures advertising your school in the languages of a few of the most popular groups of immigrants in your area. Then make contact with organizations which serve these communities, such as churches, social clubs, and associations.

How to keep customers coming back

Offering potential students free trial lessons to give them a taste of your school is pretty standard. It is also important to keep the quality of education high enough to prevent students from feeling like they are wasting their time and money. Instructors should focus their classes on presenting useful skills in a fun and interesting way.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business .

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

• All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
• Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
• Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended : Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders .

Other popular website builders are: WordPress , WIX , Weebly , Squarespace , and Shopify .

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2023 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it's fair pricing.

TRUiC's Startup Podcast

Welcome to the Startup Savant podcast , where we interview real startup founders at every stage of the entrepreneurial journey, from launch to scale.

Is this Business Right For You?

A person who is passionate about education and loves languages makes a great ESL instructor, but a successful owner of an ESL school needs to also possess the skill set required to run a business. In addition, an owner needs to have the desire to work with individuals from a wide range of cultural and sociological backgrounds. Due to the nature of the business, most schools are open until late at night seven days a week, as this allows students to work or attend school during the day. Therefore, being able to keep a flexible schedule is a must.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at an ESL School?

At the typical ESL school, the office staff arrives a few hours before the first class to prepare for the day. The first class at many ESL schools begins in the late afternoon, and many schools don't open until after lunch. After handling administrative work, like bookkeeping and marketing, the office staff usually spends the rest of the day dealing with the concerns of students and parents. Instructors typically arrive an hour before their first class to plan and attend a short meeting. After teaching classes, instructors usually write reports and meet with students or their parents. The owner needs to ensure everything runs smoothly.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful ESL School?

Many successful ESL school owners have experience teaching English to non-native student. Many owners have taught abroad or worked at private English language schools in their home country and have a clear understanding of the business. Quite often owners of ESL schools have a certificate or degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Owners should be capable of recognizing good teaching when you see it and have the ability to help instructors improve their teaching. Due to the high level of marketing and sales involved in this business, ideally an owner has experience running a company.

What is the growth potential for an ESL School?

An ESL school can start with a single owner who is also the instructor. Many small, independent schools start off this way. As a school builds up its student base, the owner can hire more instructors and staff members. In an English-speaking country with lots of new immigrants, ESL schools have a great growth potential.

ESL schools which are able to enroll foreign students directly are very popular these days. Unfortunately, it takes up to two years to become qualified as one of these "I-20" schools, and a school must be certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) in the US.

TRUiC's YouTube Channel

For fun informative videos about starting a business visit the TRUiC YouTube Channel or subscribe to view later.

Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor.

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting an ESL School?

Schools must start small and build slowly. Over expansion can easily force a school to close. Schools should not offer extremely low-cost, long-term classes as a way to attract students. This marketing technique can easily find schools filling their classrooms, but losing money in the end. Schools shouldn't make guarantees about academic improvements or minimum test scores. Most importantly, schools need to do all they can to keep students happy. One unhappy student can ruin a class and cause other students not to sign up for additional classes.

How and when to build a team

Build your team depending upon your needs. Ideally, your teachers should be able to focus one hundred percent on preparing and delivering classes, while other staff members handle advertising the school and registering new students. In addition, it is often necessary to hire staff members who are able to speak the native languages of your students.

Useful Links

Industry opportunities.

• What is TEFL and TEFL certification
• TESOL International Association
• International Association of Teaching in English as a Foreign Language

Real World Examples

• Cambridge Center for Adult Education
• Eastern Michigan University

Further Reading

• How to open your English language school?
• How to set up a language school
• Starting a English language school from home

Have a Question? Leave a Comment!

• Intermediate

Starting a Business

• 1.0 Overview
• 3.0 Vocabulary
• 4.0 Conversation Questions

Starting a business is a great topic for English learners to discuss. It helps improve language skills and covers important areas like innovation, strategy, and success. Talking about the challenges, risks and rewards of entrepreneurship helps learners practice vocabulary related to business .

These conversations questions also encourage critical thinking and problem-solving as learners think about real-life scenarios and share their own ideas.

Why People Start a Business

People start businesses for different reasons, such as seeking financial independence or pursuing their passions. However, starting a business comes with challenges. Securing funding, creating a strong business plan, attracting customers and competing in the market are common obstacles.

Managing resources efficiently, making smart financial decisions and adapting to changes are also ongoing challenges. Despite these difficulties, starting a business can offer opportunities for personal growth, innovation, financial gain and the pursuit of success.

Useful Vocabulary

Try and use the following vocabulary when answering the question. Click to look up the definition in the dictionary

• startup (noun)
• profitable (adjective)
• launch (verb)
• entrepreneur (noun)
• risky (adjective)
• funding (noun)
• figure out (phrasal verb)
• break even (phrase)
• competition (noun)

Conversation Questions

• Have you ever thought about starting your own business? Why or why not?
• What qualities do you think a successful entrepreneur should have?
• How important is market research when starting a business? Why?
• What are some common challenges entrepreneurs face when starting a business?
• Do you think it's better to start a business alone or with a partner? Why?
• What are some strategies to attract customers to a new business?
• Do you think technology has increased the amount of people wanting to start their own business?
• Is it better to start a business from scratch or buy an existing business?
• Should government regulations for starting a business be more relaxed or stricter?
• If you had unlimited resources, what type of business would you start?
• What role does innovation play in the success of a business?
• If you were to start a business in a foreign country, which country would you choose and why?
• Do you think it's important for entrepreneurs to have a formal education in business?
• Are small businesses or large corporations more beneficial to the economy?
• Would you say it's better to focus on a niche market or have a broader target audience when starting a business?
• Should government provide financial support and incentives for new businesses?
• If you could choose any mentor in the world to guide you in starting a business, who would it be and why?
• Is it necessary for entrepreneurs to take risks in order to succeed?
• Do you think it's more challenging to start a business in a rural area or in a metropolitan city?
• If you were to start a business in a completely different industry than your current expertise, which industry would it be?

Keep The Conversation Going!

Gregory is a qualified TEFL teacher who has been teaching English as a Foreign Language (ESL) for over a decade. He has taught in-person classes in Spain and to English learners around the world online.

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Write your business plan

Business plans help you run your business.

A good business plan guides you through each stage of starting and managing your business. You’ll use your business plan as a roadmap for how to structure, run, and grow your new business. It’s a way to think through the key elements of your business.

Business plans can help you get funding or bring on new business partners. Investors want to feel confident they’ll see a return on their investment. Your business plan is the tool you’ll use to convince people that working with you — or investing in your company — is a smart choice.

Pick a business plan format that works for you

There’s no right or wrong way to write a business plan. What’s important is that your plan meets your needs.

Most business plans fall into one of two common categories: traditional or lean startup.

Traditional business plans are more common, use a standard structure, and encourage you to go into detail in each section. They tend to require more work upfront and can be dozens of pages long.

Lean startup business plans are less common but still use a standard structure. They focus on summarizing only the most important points of the key elements of your plan. They can take as little as one hour to make and are typically only one page.

Traditional business plan

Lean startup plan

Traditional business plan format

You might prefer a traditional business plan format if you’re very detail-oriented, want a comprehensive plan, or plan to request financing from traditional sources.

When you write your business plan, you don’t have to stick to the exact business plan outline. Instead, use the sections that make the most sense for your business and your needs. Traditional business plans use some combination of these nine sections.

Executive summary

Briefly tell your reader what your company is and why it will be successful. Include your mission statement, your product or service, and basic information about your company’s leadership team, employees, and location. You should also include financial information and high-level growth plans if you plan to ask for financing.

Company description

Use your company description to provide detailed information about your company. Go into detail about the problems your business solves. Be specific, and list out the consumers, organization, or businesses your company plans to serve.

Explain the competitive advantages that will make your business a success. Are there experts on your team? Have you found the perfect location for your store? Your company description is the place to boast about your strengths.

Market analysis

You'll need a good understanding of your industry outlook and target market. Competitive research will show you what other businesses are doing and what their strengths are. In your market research, look for trends and themes. What do successful competitors do? Why does it work? Can you do it better? Now's the time to answer these questions.

Organization and management

Tell your reader how your company will be structured and who will run it.

Describe the  legal structure  of your business. State whether you have or intend to incorporate your business as a C or an S corporation, form a general or limited partnership, or if you're a sole proprietor or limited liability company (LLC).

Use an organizational chart to lay out who's in charge of what in your company. Show how each person's unique experience will contribute to the success of your venture. Consider including resumes and CVs of key members of your team.

Service or product line

Describe what you sell or what service you offer. Explain how it benefits your customers and what the product lifecycle looks like. Share your plans for intellectual property, like copyright or patent filings. If you're doing  research and development  for your service or product, explain it in detail.

Marketing and sales

There's no single way to approach a marketing strategy. Your strategy should evolve and change to fit your unique needs.

Your goal in this section is to describe how you'll attract and retain customers. You'll also describe how a sale will actually happen. You'll refer to this section later when you make financial projections, so make sure to thoroughly describe your complete marketing and sales strategies.

Funding request

If you're asking for funding, this is where you'll outline your funding requirements. Your goal is to clearly explain how much funding you’ll need over the next five years and what you'll use it for.

Specify whether you want debt or equity, the terms you'd like applied, and the length of time your request will cover. Give a detailed description of how you'll use your funds. Specify if you need funds to buy equipment or materials, pay salaries, or cover specific bills until revenue increases. Always include a description of your future strategic financial plans, like paying off debt or selling your business.

Financial projections

Supplement your funding request with financial projections. Your goal is to convince the reader that your business is stable and will be a financial success.

If your business is already established, include income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements for the last three to five years. If you have other collateral you could put against a loan, make sure to list it now.

Provide a prospective financial outlook for the next five years. Include forecasted income statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements, and capital expenditure budgets. For the first year, be even more specific and use quarterly — or even monthly — projections. Make sure to clearly explain your projections, and match them to your funding requests.

This is a great place to use graphs and charts to tell the financial story of your business.  

Use your appendix to provide supporting documents or other materials were specially requested. Common items to include are credit histories, resumes, product pictures, letters of reference, licenses, permits, patents, legal documents, and other contracts.

Example traditional business plans

Before you write your business plan, read the following example business plans written by fictional business owners. Rebecca owns a consulting firm, and Andrew owns a toy company.

Lean startup format

You might prefer a lean startup format if you want to explain or start your business quickly, your business is relatively simple, or you plan to regularly change and refine your business plan.

Lean startup formats are charts that use only a handful of elements to describe your company’s value proposition, infrastructure, customers, and finances. They’re useful for visualizing tradeoffs and fundamental facts about your company.

There are different ways to develop a lean startup template. You can search the web to find free templates to build your business plan. We discuss nine components of a model business plan here:

Key partnerships

Note the other businesses or services you’ll work with to run your business. Think about suppliers, manufacturers, subcontractors, and similar strategic partners.

Key activities

List the ways your business will gain a competitive advantage. Highlight things like selling direct to consumers, or using technology to tap into the sharing economy.

Key resources

List any resource you’ll leverage to create value for your customer. Your most important assets could include staff, capital, or intellectual property. Don’t forget to leverage business resources that might be available to  women ,  veterans ,  Native Americans , and  HUBZone businesses .

Value proposition

Make a clear and compelling statement about the unique value your company brings to the market.

Customer relationships

Describe how customers will interact with your business. Is it automated or personal? In person or online? Think through the customer experience from start to finish.

Customer segments

Be specific when you name your target market. Your business won’t be for everybody, so it’s important to have a clear sense of whom your business will serve.

List the most important ways you’ll talk to your customers. Most businesses use a mix of channels and optimize them over time.

Cost structure

Will your company focus on reducing cost or maximizing value? Define your strategy, then list the most significant costs you’ll face pursuing it.

Revenue streams

Explain how your company will actually make money. Some examples are direct sales, memberships fees, and selling advertising space. If your company has multiple revenue streams, list them all.

Example lean business plan

Before you write your business plan, read this example business plan written by a fictional business owner, Andrew, who owns a toy company.

Need help? Get free business counseling

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Category: Business

Talking about leaders

Students talk about good and bad leadership, watch an explainer video and share their experiences. Let them explain why they’d rather be a good leader or have a good leader.

Being a successful entrepreneur

Students immerse in the world of entrepreneurship: they generate questions, watch an explainer video, read inspiring success stories, describe pictures and answer thought-provoking questions.

Adaptability and other must-have traits

In this lesson, students discuss the article they read at home about adaptability as a must-have trait. They work with some vocabulary and discuss other traits necessary for business. 

Ready to go paperless?

In this lesson, students learn some vocabulary related to document management, talk about going paperless, watch a video, and work on word building learning suffixes ‘-ful’ and ‘-less’.

Business trips: fun or boring?

This lesson allows students to talk about business trips, learn some useful vocabulary, and have a lot of discussion and role-play. 

That’s a bit over the top!

This lesson focuses on business competition vocabulary through learning about unusual business ideas. Students learn useful phrases, watch a video, and discuss business cases.

Working for big and small companies

In this ESL lesson about work experience, students discuss working for big and small companies, learn useful phrases to talk about what they learned at work and watch a video. 

Mergers and acquisitions

In this lesson, students learn and practise some advanced Business English vocabulary. They also watch a video and talk about mergers and acquisitions. 

How useful is networking?

In this CRC lesson, students talk about professional networking, discuss networking tips, as well as learn and practise vocabulary related to the topic.

Can you elaborate on your thinking here? (polite language)

In this ESL lesson on polite language students watch a video, have a discussion, learn and practise useful phrases. 

Passive income

In this passive income ESL lesson plan, students watch a video, learn vocabulary and have speaking practice. 

Competition in business

With this lesson, students talk about business, watch a video about competition and learn some useful Business English vocabulary. 

Corporate speak

This ESL lesson on corporate jargon includes a video, a lot of discussion and practice of some popular phrases. 

How to succeed as a freelancer

In this lesson students discuss working as a freelancer. They watch a video, do four role-plays and talk about different freelancing ideas.

On the lookout for the ultimate productivity app

In this CRC lesson, students read an article about productivity apps, express their opinions on the matter and share their experiences.

Conversations we dread

In this ESL lesson about communication students talk about difficult conversations and share their experiences. They learn vocabulary, watch a video, have a discussion, role play and practise useful expressions. 

Word-of-mouth marketing

This lesson about marketing will spark a lot of discussion among students. Learners will also watch a video about word-of-mouth marketing as well as learn and practise useful collocations. 

Reimagining the workweek

In this Business English speaking lesson, students discuss the idea of a four-day workweek, watch a video and do a roleplay activity.

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Creative Resources for ESL/EFL Teachers

ESL Speaking Activity Worksheet: Business Plan

My students loved this speaking activity. It is fun, it is competitive and it kept the students engaged for a loooong time. It is easy to use, just print the worksheet and you are ready to go.

Download the FREE PDF Worksheet>>>>>> Business Plan Worksheet

Try also some other activities and worksheets:

ESL Role Play Worksheet: Travel/Holidays

At The Restaurant: ESL Pair Work and Role Play Lesson.

28 ESL/EFL Conversation Starters to Spark Conversation

Business English Vocabulary Card Game | Forbidden Words

Speaking Resources for ESL/EFL Teachers: Picture Prompts

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32 Inspirational And Creative Job Interview Questions For ESL/Business English Students.

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Conversation Questions for ESL Lessons

This speaking activity contains 30 ESL conversation questions for ES lessons. Great for teens and adult learners. (16+, B1+). It is best for small groups or as a pair-work. The slideshow can be used as a resource for online teaching, just share your screen on Zoom or another app when…

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More From Forbes

Business Plans: The Ultimate Guide To Building A Good Plan

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When starting a business, a business plan is essential. Whether you are launching an online store or opening a brick-and-mortar shop, having a well-written business plan is crucial to your success.

A business plan is essentially a roadmap that outlines your goals, strategies, and potential hurdles. It not only helps you stay organized but also provides a clear vision of your business to potential investors and stakeholders.

Think of the business plan as a blueprint that guides you towards building a profitable and sustainable business. If you're serious about starting a business, take the time to create a well-crafted business plan.

How a business plan benefits you

A business plan is not just a document for investors or loan officers - a business plan can be an invaluable tool for yourself as well. By taking the time to write out your idea and flesh out the details, you gain a deeper understanding of your business and what it takes to make it a reality.

Plus, having a plan in place helps you stay focused and motivated when the going gets tough, and can save you time and money in the long run.

Don't underestimate the power of a solid business plan. Not only does it benefit your bottom line, but it can also be a source of inspiration and guidance as you navigate the exciting world of entrepreneurship.

A 60-Year-Old Russian Tank Apparently Tried Attacking The Ukrainian Marines’ Dnipro Bridgehead. The Tank Didn’t Survive.

The openai drama: sam altman’s shocking ouster, board resignation and the struggle for ai’s future, today’s ‘connections’ hints and answers for monday, november 20, how a business plan benefits the lender.

It's no secret that starting a business requires ample financing. But if you're an entrepreneur, how do you convince lenders to invest in your vision?

The answer is simple: a well-crafted business plan.

Not only does a business plan outline your company's goals and strategies, but it also shows lenders that you've done your homework and have a clear understanding of your market and competitors. By presenting a comprehensive plan, you give lenders the confidence to trust that their investment will yield a return.

A business plan benefits not only the entrepreneur but also the lender, providing a roadmap to success and building a foundation of trust and accountability.

A strong business plan is a key factor that lenders consider when deciding whether to loan you money. It shows them that you have a solid plan in place for repaying the loan and growing your business.

By putting in the effort to create a comprehensive business plan, you’ll be setting your company up for success while also gaining the confidence of potential lenders.

Let’s explore the essential elements of a business plan that should be included:

1. executive summary.

When it comes to crafting a business plan, the executive summary is a critical segment. This section sets the stage for the rest of your plan, acting as a teaser for what’s to come.

The executive summary provides a clear and concise snapshot of your business, highlighting why it’s a worthwhile investment opportunity. If you’re seeking funding from potential investors, this section is your golden ticket, as it is their first impression of your business and your chance to captivate their attention from the onset.

It’s essential to craft an executive summary that’s not only informative but also compelling. Think of it as the ultimate elevator pitch - if you can’t sell your business in a few short paragraphs, investors won’t be sold on your vision.

2. Company description

The company description section of your business plan serves as the foundation for everything that follows. In this section, you'll provide a detailed account of your business's history, including how it came to be and what milestones it has achieved thus far.

You'll also shine a light on your company's unique qualities and competitive advantages, setting the tone for the rest of your plan. Beyond that, you'll outline the legal ins and outs of your company to help investors understand the ownership and management structure.

This section serves as your chance to make a memorable first impression and lay the groundwork for a successful venture.

3. Market analysis

The marketing section of a business plan is a crucial component that serves as a guide to identifying the industry, competition, and target market. This section needs to be thorough and well-researched, taking into consideration factors such as the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that the business may face.

By taking the time to analyze these factors, businesses are better equipped to develop sound marketing strategies that not only address potential risks, but also capitalize on opportunities for growth.

It’s important to remember that the marketing section of the business plan should be engaging and professional, conveying the business’s goals and objectives in a way that resonates with potential investors and customers alike.

4. Products and services

At the heart of any successful business lies a solid understanding of its products and services. In your business plan, this knowledge is communicated through the products and services section where you can showcase what sets your offerings apart from the competition.

This is where you delve into the specifics of how your products and services meet the needs of your target market and the ways in which you provide value to your customers.

You'll also want to highlight your pricing strategy and any intellectual property rights that add unique value to your business. By bringing these essential components of your business to life, you'll ensure that your business plan demonstrates a clear understanding of what your company is all about.

5. Competitive analysis

As an entrepreneur, it's important to recognize that no matter what product or service you're offering, there will always be competition out there. That's why your business plan should highlight what sets you apart from your competitors in the competitive analysis section .

Take some time to reflect on your unique selling proposition. Maybe you provide a more personalized experience for your customers, or maybe you use higher quality materials in your products. Whatever it may be, make sure to convey it in a clear and concise manner.

By doing so, you'll demonstrate to investors and potential customers alike that you have a clear understanding of what sets your business apart from the pack.

6. Strategy and implementation plans

When it comes to starting a business, having a solid plan of attack is essential. That's why the strategy and implementation plan section of your business plan is so important. This is where you get to showcase your vision for success and demonstrate just how you plan to achieve it.

Whether it's outlining your marketing strategies, detailing your management structure, or simply laying out your timeline for growth, this section offers you the opportunity to put your best foot forward and show investors, partners, and potential clients that you mean business.

Don't hold back. Be bold, be thorough, and above all, be confident in your plan.

If your strategy is solid and your implementation is top-notch, the opportunities are endless.

7. Financial projections

Don’t underestimate the importance of the financial projection section. In this section of your business plan, you will dive into the details of your financial projections, including your revenue, expenses, and cash flow.

But this section isn't just about crunching numbers . It's about showing potential investors that your business is not only financially viable but has the potential to succeed. And with a break-even analysis and a profit and loss statement, you'll give those investors a comprehensive look at what your business can achieve.

8. Closing statement

The closing statement is your final chance to convey the enthusiasm and passion you have for your vision while demonstrating your business acumen. A successful closing statement should be concise, professional, and leave the reader feeling excited and eager to learn more about your business.

Whether you want to leave the reader with a call to action, highlight your competitive advantages, or simply express your gratitude for their time and consideration, your closing statement is an integral part of the business plan.

As you craft your final words, remember that they can make all the difference and leave a lasting impression on potential partners, investors, and other stakeholders.

The bottom line is that building a business plan takes time and effort, but it’s well worth it. A well-crafted plan can help you secure funding, set goals, and measure progress. Remember to tailor your plan to your specific needs and be realistic in your projections. With a strong business plan in place, you’ll be better equipped to make informed decisions and achieve success in your endeavors.

Melissa Houston, CPA is the author of Cash Confident: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Creating a Profitable Business . She is the founder of She Means Profit, which is a podcast and blog . As a Finance Strategist for small business owners, Melissa helps successful business owners increase their profit margins so that they keep more money in their pocket and increase their net worth.

The opinions expressed in this article are not intended to replace any professional or expert accounting and/or tax advice whatsoever.

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Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Simple Business Plan

By Joe Weller | October 11, 2021

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A business plan is the cornerstone of any successful company, regardless of size or industry. This step-by-step guide provides information on writing a business plan for organizations at any stage, complete with free templates and expert advice. 

Included on this page, you’ll find a step-by-step guide to writing a business plan and a chart to identify which type of business plan you should write . Plus, find information on how a business plan can help grow a business and expert tips on writing one .

What Is a Business Plan?

A business plan is a document that communicates a company’s goals and ambitions, along with the timeline, finances, and methods needed to achieve them. Additionally, it may include a mission statement and details about the specific products or services offered.

A business plan can highlight varying time periods, depending on the stage of your company and its goals. That said, a typical business plan will include the following benchmarks:

• Product goals and deadlines for each month
• Monthly financials for the first two years
• Profit and loss statements for the first three to five years
• Balance sheet projections for the first three to five years

Startups, entrepreneurs, and small businesses all create business plans to use as a guide as their new company progresses. Larger organizations may also create (and update) a business plan to keep high-level goals, financials, and timelines in check.

While you certainly need to have a formalized outline of your business’s goals and finances, creating a business plan can also help you determine a company’s viability, its profitability (including when it will first turn a profit), and how much money you will need from investors. In turn, a business plan has functional value as well: Not only does outlining goals help keep you accountable on a timeline, it can also attract investors in and of itself and, therefore, act as an effective strategy for growth.

For more information, visit our comprehensive guide to writing a strategic plan or download free strategic plan templates . This page focuses on for-profit business plans, but you can read our article with nonprofit business plan templates .

Business Plan Steps

The specific information in your business plan will vary, depending on the needs and goals of your venture, but a typical plan includes the following ordered elements:

• Executive summary
• Description of business
• Market analysis
• Competitive analysis
• Description of organizational management
• Description of product or services
• Marketing plan
• Sales strategy
• Funding details (or request for funding)
• Financial projections

If your plan is particularly long or complicated, consider adding a table of contents or an appendix for reference. For an in-depth description of each step listed above, read “ How to Write a Business Plan Step by Step ” below.

Broadly speaking, your audience includes anyone with a vested interest in your organization. They can include potential and existing investors, as well as customers, internal team members, suppliers, and vendors.

Do I Need a Simple or Detailed Plan?

Your business’s stage and intended audience dictates the level of detail your plan needs. Corporations require a thorough business plan — up to 100 pages. Small businesses or startups should have a concise plan focusing on financials and strategy.

How to Choose the Right Plan for Your Business

In order to identify which type of business plan you need to create, ask: “What do we want the plan to do?” Identify function first, and form will follow.

Use the chart below as a guide for what type of business plan to create:

Is the Order of Your Business Plan Important?

There is no set order for a business plan, with the exception of the executive summary, which should always come first. Beyond that, simply ensure that you organize the plan in a way that makes sense and flows naturally.

The Difference Between Traditional and Lean Business Plans

A traditional business plan follows the standard structure — because these plans encourage detail, they tend to require more work upfront and can run dozens of pages. A Lean business plan is less common and focuses on summarizing critical points for each section. These plans take much less work and typically run one page in length.

In general, you should use a traditional model for a legacy company, a large company, or any business that does not adhere to Lean (or another Agile method ). Use Lean if you expect the company to pivot quickly or if you already employ a Lean strategy with other business operations. Additionally, a Lean business plan can suffice if the document is for internal use only. Stick to a traditional version for investors, as they may be more sensitive to sudden changes or a high degree of built-in flexibility in the plan.

How to Write a Business Plan Step by Step

Writing a strong business plan requires research and attention to detail for each section. Below, you’ll find a 10-step guide to researching and defining each element in the plan.

Step 1: Executive Summary

The executive summary will always be the first section of your business plan. The goal is to answer the following questions:

• What is the vision and mission of the company?
• What are the company’s short- and long-term goals?

See our  roundup of executive summary examples and templates for samples. Read our executive summary guide to learn more about writing one.

Step 2: Description of Business

The goal of this section is to define the realm, scope, and intent of your venture. To do so, answer the following questions as clearly and concisely as possible:

• What business are we in?
• What does our business do?

Step 3: Market Analysis

In this section, provide evidence that you have surveyed and understand the current marketplace, and that your product or service satisfies a niche in the market. To do so, answer these questions:

• Who is our customer? 
• What does that customer value?

Step 4: Competitive Analysis

In many cases, a business plan proposes not a brand-new (or even market-disrupting) venture, but a more competitive version — whether via features, pricing, integrations, etc. — than what is currently available. In this section, answer the following questions to show that your product or service stands to outpace competitors:

• Who is the competition? 
• What do they do best? 
• What is our unique value proposition?

Step 5: Description of Organizational Management

In this section, write an overview of the team members and other key personnel who are integral to success. List roles and responsibilities, and if possible, note the hierarchy or team structure.

Step 6: Description of Products or Services

In this section, clearly define your product or service, as well as all the effort and resources that go into producing it. The strength of your product largely defines the success of your business, so it’s imperative that you take time to test and refine the product before launching into marketing, sales, or funding details.

Questions to answer in this section are as follows:

• What is the product or service?
• How do we produce it, and what resources are necessary for production?

Step 7: Marketing Plan

In this section, define the marketing strategy for your product or service. This doesn’t need to be as fleshed out as a full marketing plan , but it should answer basic questions, such as the following:

• Who is the target market (if different from existing customer base)?
• What channels will you use to reach your target market?
• What resources does your marketing strategy require, and do you have access to them?
• If possible, do you have a rough estimate of timeline and budget?
• How will you measure success?

Step 8: Sales Plan

Write an overview of the sales strategy, including the priorities of each cycle, steps to achieve these goals, and metrics for success. For the purposes of a business plan, this section does not need to be a comprehensive, in-depth sales plan , but can simply outline the high-level objectives and strategies of your sales efforts. 

Start by answering the following questions:

• What is the sales strategy?
• What are the tools and tactics you will use to achieve your goals?
• What are the potential obstacles, and how will you overcome them?
• What is the timeline for sales and turning a profit?
• What are the metrics of success?

Step 9: Funding Details (or Request for Funding)

This section is one of the most critical parts of your business plan, particularly if you are sharing it with investors. You do not need to provide a full financial plan, but you should be able to answer the following questions:

• How much capital do you currently have? How much capital do you need?
• How will you grow the team (onboarding, team structure, training and development)?
• What are your physical needs and constraints (space, equipment, etc.)?

Step 10: Financial Projections

Apart from the fundraising analysis, investors like to see thought-out financial projections for the future. As discussed earlier, depending on the scope and stage of your business, this could be anywhere from one to five years. 

While these projections won’t be exact — and will need to be somewhat flexible — you should be able to gauge the following:

• How and when will the company first generate a profit?
• How will the company maintain profit thereafter?

Business Plan Template

Download Business Plan Template

Microsoft Excel | Smartsheet

This basic business plan template has space for all the traditional elements: an executive summary, product or service details, target audience, marketing and sales strategies, etc. In the finances sections, input your baseline numbers, and the template will automatically calculate projections for sales forecasting, financial statements, and more.

For templates tailored to more specific needs, visit this business plan template roundup or download a fill-in-the-blank business plan template to make things easy. 

If you are looking for a particular template by file type, visit our pages dedicated exclusively to Microsoft Excel , Microsoft Word , and Adobe PDF business plan templates.

How to Write a Simple Business Plan

A simple business plan is a streamlined, lightweight version of the large, traditional model. As opposed to a one-page business plan , which communicates high-level information for quick overviews (such as a stakeholder presentation), a simple business plan can exceed one page.

Below are the steps for creating a generic simple business plan, which are reflected in the template below .

• Write the Executive Summary This section is the same as in the traditional business plan — simply offer an overview of what’s in the business plan, the prospect or core offering, and the short- and long-term goals of the company. 
• Add a Company Overview Document the larger company mission and vision. 
• Provide the Problem and Solution In straightforward terms, define the problem you are attempting to solve with your product or service and how your company will attempt to do it. Think of this section as the gap in the market you are attempting to close.
• Identify the Target Market Who is your company (and its products or services) attempting to reach? If possible, briefly define your buyer personas .
• Write About the Competition In this section, demonstrate your knowledge of the market by listing the current competitors and outlining your competitive advantage.
• Describe Your Product or Service Offerings Get down to brass tacks and define your product or service. What exactly are you selling?
• Outline Your Marketing Tactics Without getting into too much detail, describe your planned marketing initiatives.
• Add a Timeline and the Metrics You Will Use to Measure Success Offer a rough timeline, including milestones and key performance indicators (KPIs) that you will use to measure your progress.
• Include Your Financial Forecasts Write an overview of your financial plan that demonstrates you have done your research and adequate modeling. You can also list key assumptions that go into this forecasting. 
• Identify Your Financing Needs This section is where you will make your funding request. Based on everything in the business plan, list your proposed sources of funding, as well as how you will use it.

Simple Business Plan Template

Download Simple Business Plan Template

Microsoft Excel |  Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF  | Smartsheet

Use this simple business plan template to outline each aspect of your organization, including information about financing and opportunities to seek out further funding. This template is completely customizable to fit the needs of any business, whether it’s a startup or large company.

Read our article offering free simple business plan templates or free 30-60-90-day business plan templates to find more tailored options. You can also explore our collection of one page business templates . 

How to Write a Business Plan for a Lean Startup

A Lean startup business plan is a more Agile approach to a traditional version. The plan focuses more on activities, processes, and relationships (and maintains flexibility in all aspects), rather than on concrete deliverables and timelines.

While there is some overlap between a traditional and a Lean business plan, you can write a Lean plan by following the steps below:

• Add Your Value Proposition Take a streamlined approach to describing your product or service. What is the unique value your startup aims to deliver to customers? Make sure the team is aligned on the core offering and that you can state it in clear, simple language.
• List Your Key Partners List any other businesses you will work with to realize your vision, including external vendors, suppliers, and partners. This section demonstrates that you have thoughtfully considered the resources you can provide internally, identified areas for external assistance, and conducted research to find alternatives.
• Note the Key Activities Describe the key activities of your business, including sourcing, production, marketing, distribution channels, and customer relationships.
• Include Your Key Resources List the critical resources — including personnel, equipment, space, and intellectual property — that will enable you to deliver your unique value.
• Identify Your Customer Relationships and Channels In this section, document how you will reach and build relationships with customers. Provide a high-level map of the customer experience from start to finish, including the spaces in which you will interact with the customer (online, retail, etc.). 
• Detail Your Marketing Channels Describe the marketing methods and communication platforms you will use to identify and nurture your relationships with customers. These could be email, advertising, social media, etc.
• Explain the Cost Structure This section is especially necessary in the early stages of a business. Will you prioritize maximizing value or keeping costs low? List the foundational startup costs and how you will move toward profit over time.
• Share Your Revenue Streams Over time, how will the company make money? Include both the direct product or service purchase, as well as secondary sources of revenue, such as subscriptions, selling advertising space, fundraising, etc.

Lean Business Plan Template for Startups

Download Lean Business Plan Template for Startups

Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF

Startup leaders can use this Lean business plan template to relay the most critical information from a traditional plan. You’ll find all the sections listed above, including spaces for industry and product overviews, cost structure and sources of revenue, and key metrics, and a timeline. The template is completely customizable, so you can edit it to suit the objectives of your Lean startups.

See our wide variety of  startup business plan templates for more options.

How to Write a Business Plan for a Loan

A business plan for a loan, often called a loan proposal , includes many of the same aspects of a traditional business plan, as well as additional financial documents, such as a credit history, a loan request, and a loan repayment plan.

In addition, you may be asked to include personal and business financial statements, a form of collateral, and equity investment information.

Download free financial templates to support your business plan.

Tips for Writing a Business Plan

Outside of including all the key details in your business plan, you have several options to elevate the document for the highest chance of winning funding and other resources. Follow these tips from experts:.

• Keep It Simple: Avner Brodsky , the Co-Founder and CEO of Lezgo Limited, an online marketing company, uses the acronym KISS (keep it short and simple) as a variation on this idea. “The business plan is not a college thesis,” he says. “Just focus on providing the essential information.”
• Do Adequate Research: Michael Dean, the Co-Founder of Pool Research , encourages business leaders to “invest time in research, both internal and external (market, finance, legal etc.). Avoid being overly ambitious or presumptive. Instead, keep everything objective, balanced, and accurate.” Your plan needs to stand on its own, and you must have the data to back up any claims or forecasting you make. As Brodsky explains, “Your business needs to be grounded on the realities of the market in your chosen location. Get the most recent data from authoritative sources so that the figures are vetted by experts and are reliable.”
• Set Clear Goals: Make sure your plan includes clear, time-based goals. “Short-term goals are key to momentum growth and are especially important to identify for new businesses,” advises Dean.
• Know (and Address) Your Weaknesses: “This awareness sets you up to overcome your weak points much quicker than waiting for them to arise,” shares Dean. Brodsky recommends performing a full SWOT analysis to identify your weaknesses, too. “Your business will fare better with self-knowledge, which will help you better define the mission of your business, as well as the strategies you will choose to achieve your objectives,” he adds.
• Seek Peer or Mentor Review: “Ask for feedback on your drafts and for areas to improve,” advises Brodsky. “When your mind is filled with dreams for your business, sometimes it is an outsider who can tell you what you’re missing and will save your business from being a product of whimsy.”

Outside of these more practical tips, the language you use is also important and may make or break your business plan.

Shaun Heng, VP of Operations at Coin Market Cap , gives the following advice on the writing, “Your business plan is your sales pitch to an investor. And as with any sales pitch, you need to strike the right tone and hit a few emotional chords. This is a little tricky in a business plan, because you also need to be formal and matter-of-fact. But you can still impress by weaving in descriptive language and saying things in a more elegant way.

“A great way to do this is by expanding your vocabulary, avoiding word repetition, and using business language. Instead of saying that something ‘will bring in as many customers as possible,’ try saying ‘will garner the largest possible market segment.’ Elevate your writing with precise descriptive words and you'll impress even the busiest investor.”

Additionally, Dean recommends that you “stay consistent and concise by keeping your tone and style steady throughout, and your language clear and precise. Include only what is 100 percent necessary.”

Resources for Writing a Business Plan

While a template provides a great outline of what to include in a business plan, a live document or more robust program can provide additional functionality, visibility, and real-time updates. The U.S. Small Business Association also curates resources for writing a business plan.

Additionally, you can use business plan software to house data, attach documentation, and share information with stakeholders. Popular options include LivePlan, Enloop, BizPlanner, PlanGuru, and iPlanner.

How a Business Plan Helps to Grow Your Business

A business plan — both the exercise of creating one and the document — can grow your business by helping you to refine your product, target audience, sales plan, identify opportunities, secure funding, and build new partnerships. 

Outside of these immediate returns, writing a business plan is a useful exercise in that it forces you to research the market, which prompts you to forge your unique value proposition and identify ways to beat the competition. Doing so will also help you build (and keep you accountable to) attainable financial and product milestones. And down the line, it will serve as a welcome guide as hurdles inevitably arise.

Streamline Your Business Planning Activities with Real-Time Work Management in Smartsheet

Empower your people to go above and beyond with a flexible platform designed to match the needs of your team — and adapt as those needs change. 

The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed. 

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time.  Try Smartsheet for free, today.

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• Business Type
• Business Plan for English Language School

English Language School Small Business Idea and Business Plan

Starting your own small business in the UK isn’t easy but having a properly developed business plan will help you achieve success.

To start a English Language School business in the UK, take the time and explain the idea via a business plan.

Understanding all of the aspects of the business idea will be the key to getting the English Language School business running like a well-oiled machine. The business plan you develop will help you organize the elements needed into a strategy that you can actually use to startup, by paving a clear road map as to what you need to follow for the lifespan of your business.

Starting a English Language School business isn’t easy, but when done right, it can lead to a lot of success.

To help you get started, you can use the free business plan builder tool to develop your own English Language School business plan.

The business plan template is very easy to use, is interactive and will quickly and easily help you create your business plan just by answering the needed questions about your small business idea.

Create your own English Language School business plan for free using the Business Plan Builder

The free business plan template builder is divided into a few easy to follow steps.

The free business plan builder template is provided by UKStartups.org to help you develop your own business plan. For step by step guidance, see the 5 steps below.

Once completed, the result will be a clean, professional plan that will help you start your own English Language School small business in the UK.

When you have completed your English Language School business plan, the next step will be to find available funding that will help, or to speak with a funding adviser who will assist you each step of the way to securing the needed funds to make your English Language School business startup.

If you are looking to limit your startup costs when starting up a English Language School small business in the UK, this free business plan builder tool will be it.

Starting a English Language School business is only one of the ways others have used this free business plan tool. There are hundreds of different ideas you can start, and if you need guidance, do reach out to a UKStartups expert to get the needed assistance and guidance.

Step 1. Your business information

To develop a proper English Language School business plan with the free business plan builder template, it is important to answer each of the questions about your business to the best of your abilities.

What is your business? What are the products/services you provide? Who are your customers? What are your goals…etc?

Having a clear explanation will help you create a in-depth business plan that you can actually use to start the English Language School business and to apply for needed funding to cover your startup costs.

Step 2. Projecting your revenues/income

The English Language School industry can have great results. Planning and projecting the financial figures to approximate what you will make each year is crucial to building a strong business plan.

What do you think your business will make from each of its products/services? Simply list your products/services, enter the appropriate financial figures (costs and expenses).

If you don’t have the figures, in many cases it is recommended to do a a bit more research on other English Language School businesses locally and within your own region to get an idea of potential revenue. You can do your best to estimate the figures and growth potential.

If you need assistance in projecting, you can always contact UK Startups funding experts for the help.

Step 3. Your business market

As a English Language School business, having a clear explanation of the market and industry that you are in will help you plan for the figure and will ensure you can take the business to the next level.

Explain your location of business, share specifics about your customers, showcase your competition and explain the advantages you have over your competition.

Step 4. The future plan

Starting your own English Language School business and getting it off the ground is important to you.

No matter if you’re planning on applying for government funding for your English Language School business or not, it is important to plan out the future and provide an explanation of how you will grow the business. This means explaining your marketing plan, your sales strategy and clearly outlining a growth plan for the next few years.

Be sure to break this down step by step to show how you intend on making sure your English Language School business can grow each year.

Keep in mind that often business plans are focused on key people. Be sure to discuss yourself, your role and any other key figures in the business as well.

Step 5. The financials

In the end, it all comes down to the financials. If you are seeking funding, or not – the business plan you develop needs to have clearly defined financials or projections. The business plan builder tool makes it easy to develop your financial charts by simply entering your expected revenues per month and year. If you don’t have the figures as it’s a new business be sure to project the figures based on your expectations. If you need help with this, ask the UK Startups experts .

A clear breakdown of your funding needs is also recommended in case you are seeking funding and this free business plan template will help you with exactly that. When developing your English Language School business plan using this free template, the above 5 steps are recommended in order to succeed. While there are other key points that will assist you in starting your business, finding funding...etc, the free template will help put you on the right path

Be sure to request a professional to review your business plan , to answer any questions you may have and to help you with the funding search once you’ve done the initial free template. You can request this directly via UKStartups.org and through the Small Business Startup Platform as a member.

If starting a English Language School business is just one of your ideas, perhaps considering other options, here are some popular small business’s others have chosen to startup

• Turkmen Restaurant
• Jewelry Engraver
• Tai Chi School
• Ice Skating Club
• Website Designer

• Teaching Tips

68 Free ESL Lesson Plans and Templates

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When it comes to teaching abroad (or teaching in general), one of the most challenging parts of the job is creating and updating ESL lesson plans.

Depending on your role, you may need to use dozens of lessons spread across multiple classes during the term – and sometimes there is just not enough gas left in the tank to come up with something new every time.

While many teachers might opt to “wing it” or reuse old lessons (both of which I was guilty of when teaching in Korea ), there is something to be said for fresh inspiration – sometimes you just need to introduce some new material into your routine.

In that spirit, we’ve put together a list of 68 ESL lesson plans and templates (broken out by topic) that you can start using today.

Other Free Resources :

• Free ESL Worksheets
• Free ESL Songs
• Free ESL Games
• Free ESL Flashcards

Science ESL Lesson Plans

This group of lesson plans will arm you with current, up-to-date science topics. These lessons can be tailored to fit any age group and any fluency level.

In the Thai ESL job market and others, it’s not unheard of for schools to ask foreign ESL teachers to teach other subjects like biology or chemistry . Such requests may sound exceedingly difficult to oblige – nonetheless, you might find yourself in need of a high-quality science/ESL lesson plan.

Feel free to edit these lesson plans to suit your own classroom, such as the hurricane lesson in order to reflect the latest hurricane disaster. You could even create a fictional hurricane for your lessons.

If you are looking for a specific topic, one of these plans just may be the right model for you to write your own lesson plan off of.

• Breaking Hurricane News
• Brain & Senses
• The Problem with Robots
• Space – the Sun, Moon, Stars and Planets

High School ESL Lesson Plans

Keeping teenagers engaged in their education can be a struggle. If you’ll notice, the topics, concepts, and accompanying terms might be a little advanced for some students, so you may want to adjust accordingly.

This list of lesson plans can help you prepare for the weeks ahead by supplementing any syllabus with educational and interesting topics.

• Doing the Right Thing
• Writing Drama Scripts
• “Back Door” History Lesson
• Compare and Contrast
• Relationships and Dating

Middle School ESL Lesson Plans

These lesson plans are great for use in the slightly younger crowd of learners, as many of these lessons incorporate different types of media, as well as fun activities to keep the lessons interesting.  

All lesson plans below are based more or less on the same basic structure; however, these are tailored to middle school aged students where attention span may not be very long.

• My Earliest Childhood Memory
• Comparing Countries
• Animal Social Climbers
• Celebrities

Reading ESL Lesson Plans

The ability to read quickly and efficiently with maximum comprehension and retention is a cornerstone of English fluency.

Many students will enter the classroom with little to no previous knowledge of English phonetics, grammar, or vocabulary and, depending on their level, it’s up to you to take them from recognizing letters to forming sounds to reading (and absorbing) entire paragraphs.

These reading ESL lesson plans will help you craft lessons for various age groups and can be adapted to suit different levels. Your students will be reading classic English novels in no time.

• Reading Winners
• Intermediate Reading Lesson Plan
• Jalapeno Bagels

Grammar ESL Lesson Plans

English grammar is exceptionally challenging for many ESL students. This is largely due to the frequent and vast differences with their native language, as well to the unique complicated structure of proper English.

Accordingly, teaching grammar is a tall order no matter what level your students are. Even experienced teachers sometimes struggle to convey rules that they may have forgotten or had to relearn in the interest of themselves delivering effective ESL instruction.  

These grammar ESL lesson plans serve well as the tip of the spear – the basis upon which a strong grammar lesson will be built and a familiar framework upon which less-experienced teachers can rely.

• Using the Conditional
• Past Simple and Asking Questions
• I Spy Lesson Plan (noun + verb + direct object agreement)
• Possessive Adjective
• How To Teach Prepositions Of Place

Pronunciation ESL Lesson Plans

Pronunciation is a particularly difficult skill to teach to non-native speakers. It’s also one of the most-demanded skills by schools that hire foreign teachers.

As a native-speaking foreign English teacher, chances are good that you’ll be asked to focus heavily on pronunciation in your lessons.

In addition to fluency, proper pronunciation can improve the students’ placement in future classes, the ability to get a job, and self-confidence when conversing with other English speakers.

Here is a sampling of the top ESL lesson plans with an emphasis on pronunciation.

• Beginner Pronunciation
• Working with Minimal Pairs
• The One-Computer Classroom
• Pronunciation of Voiceless ‘th’ Sound
• What Did You Say?

Business ESL Lesson Plans

Teaching “business English” effectively — often, by the way, to demanding “type A” corporate personalities with high expectations — poses unique obstacles for an ESL teacher.

Not only are the best topics often advanced, they may be made up of material that falls outside of your expertise. Accordingly, you may need to invest in a bit of self-education on a given topic to prepare for your next business class.

Business ESL lesson plans can play an invaluable role in this situation; not only do they provide a solid foundation to plan your class around, they also provide a template through which you can easily familiarize yourself with the material.

• The Job Interview
• Giving a Presentation
• 4 Business English Lesson Plans
• Teaching Telephone English
• Marketing – Business English

Beginners ESL Lesson Plans

Teaching beginners can be as fun as it is strenuous.  

Beginner classes are often filled with younger students full of energy. This classroom dynamic potential makes lessons a lot of fun to teach – but also requires optimal lesson planning to keep their attention.  

New teachers are often overwhelmed in terms of where to start when it comes to new learners because they need to learn everything from ABCs to introductions. This is where a good beginner lesson plan comes in.

These lessons can be adjusted to fit students of any age and serve as a great ESL template for teachers looking for ways to improve their other classes.

• Absolute Beginners
• Number Recognition
• How to Teach the Alphabet
• What Color Is It?
• Introduce Yourself

Adults ESL Lesson Plans

Adults, having experience in life, tend to appreciate topics that are a bit more “worldly” and relatable. As with all age groups, tailoring your ESL lessons to typically adult interests can encourage greater participation and, ultimately, greater learning.

To accommodate this preference, these ESL lesson plans for adults are almost all based around role play. They can be amended to focus more on the vocabulary or grammar part of the class.

One of the things I loved about teaching adults was the ability to engage in discussions that might escape the comprehension of lower levels.  Use this to your advantage and push your classes to discuss topics that will challenge their ability to learn as well as think.

• Face Recognition
• English Job Interview Skills
• Hypnotherapy
• Street Questions

Kids ESL Lesson Plans

Teaching kids is easiest when teachers rely heavily on stories and games. As a teacher, your lesson plans pay off most when they stress interaction and, in turn, maximize emotional buy-in from your students.

These tools serve not only to provide entertainment but also to reinforce the lessons in fun and memorable ways. If you teach young learners, you might find some structural similarities in these ESL lessons for kids that you can apply broadly across all your lessons. 

• First Day at School
• George and the Dragon
• The Mt. Diamonte Adventure
• Left and Right

Listening ESL Lesson Plans

A student’s ability to listen to and understand basic English is paramount for a good classroom experience – not only are they able to better comprehend instructions, they will have an easier time interacting with their fellow students.  

Luckily, a solid ESL listening lesson plan begins with the teacher. You can set the tone for effective listening by speaking slowly and clearly, facing the class, and engaging in warm-up activities that promote both listening and speaking.

Depending on your students’ ability you may also want to incorporate role play, movies, and even TV shows into your classroom material and homework.

• Basic Listening Comprehension
• Listening Comprehension Related to Jobs
• English Listening Lessons (from basic to advanced levels)
• A Man without Money
• How to Listen (/w Ted Talk)

Vocabulary ESL Lesson Plans

No matter what your students’ ages or abilities, learning new vocabulary is a continual process. Even the most advanced native speakers regularly discover new words or phrases they didn’t know existed.

New lessons beget new words and it’s important to teach them in a consistent and effective way. While using repetition, context, and games are all beneficial tactics, how you structure your vocab into your ESL teaching template is also something that can make or break a lesson.

Generally speaking, the most successful vocab-focused lessons introduce and/or reinforce new vocabulary at the beginning of each lesson, then structure the rest of the class around the new terms.

• Gourmet Cooking and Recipes
• Spot the Vocabulary
• Vocabulary Development
• Adult Vocabulary Development

Writing ESL Lesson Plans

Owing to the peculiar grammatical structure and the immense vocabulary of English (English has one of the largest vocabularies of any language on Earth), teaching writing effectively to non-native learners can be taxing – for the teacher and the students.

It’s also one of the most valuable skills for non-native speakers, one that can make the difference between getting a job or not, or placing into a higher-level English class.

With this in mind, I believe that it’s never too early to introduce writing into your classes with impactful ESL lesson plans.

The issue of “how” is obviously dependent on your students’ level, but even just practicing ABCs on the board (make a game out of it!) will be invaluable as they progress into bigger words and even sentences.

If your students are well beyond the basics, make sure you are having them write regularly as writing is a muscle that needs to be exercised to stay strong.

• Writing with Style
• Reading, Writing, and Discussion Related to CNN
• Developing a Writing Lesson Plan
• Writing a Creative Story

Preschool ESL Lesson Plans

Of all the age groups to devise an engaging ESL lesson plan for, the preschool age may be the most challenging.

When you instruct this demographic, you will learn quickly just how basic you have to make the lessons if you hope to make them “stick” in the minds of your students. After all, many preschoolers are just beginning to master their own language, much less English.

You’ll also want to make sure that you accommodate your very young learners’ limited attention span when you are planning your lessons with them.

The basic ESL rule of thumb for this age bracket is to keep it short, keep it simple, and keep it fun – i.e., tons of fun games, videos, and interactive activities.

• Actions, Verbs & Tense .
• Shapes in the World .
• Lesson Plan Template for Young Learners .
• Food I like/don’t like

Kindergarten ESL Lesson Plans

How to best develop an ESL plan for your kindergarten students depends heavily on their current skill level: Are they completely new to English, or do they have some basic foundational grasp on the language?

If English is all new to your 5-6-year-old students, you’ll want lesson plans focused on the most essential foundations of English such as the alphabet.

If your kindergarten students have a bit of English education under their belts, you might opt for lesson plans that include slightly more advanced (yet still simple and fun) vocabulary. Introducing the most basic grammatical concepts to this age group may be wise as well.

For maximum absorption and retention of the material, always remember to keep the subject matter light and include lots of moving around to maintain your very young students’ attention throughout the lesson.

• Alphabet Lesson Plan
• Chinese New Year
• How Many Apples?
• Hooray! It’s World Monkey Day!

Want more?  Here are some of the best online resources we found for ESL lesson plans and templates:

• One Stop English
• Education.com
• BBC Teaching English
• International TESL Journal
• Thought Co .

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9 Responses

Great lesson plans! Thank you!

Any chance to get a lesson plan for A1 to B1 level ESL students learning present continuous?

geat lesson plan !.I wonder if you suply me with more sessions .it would be wonderful .

I like this plan. Maybe i will try Vocabulary plan for myself. Thank you.

Can I get free worksheets or see more about your program?

Hi Mj – you can view more worksheets here: https://eslauthority.com/resources/free-esl-worksheets/

Dear Admin Could I please suggest a free English language site? http://www.speakenglish.biz Our site has 100 idioms, 20 free grammar lessons, and 15 free advanced lessons for speaking English.

I am an English language teacher. I would like to submit, game, teaching tip, and lesson plan to your platform (for free). Please let me know if you accept any. Thank you,

Sincerely yours, Dr. Ramin Hosseinpour Milaghardan,

Hi Ramin – we accept! Please let us know the URL and we will add it to our list – thanks!

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Business Support Resources

Starting your business.

There are a lot of businesses out there in the marketplace. And you will definitely face competition. So it’s important to have a clear idea about the keys to your success before you launch your business.

Maybe you offer a brand-new solution to a common business problem. Or maybe you have other strengths—like better pricing or superior customer service—that will help you gain market share from companies with similar offerings.

When you get right down to it, there are a lot of ways to create a successful business model. But first you need to have an in-depth understanding of the specific advantages you bring to the marketplace. Then you’ll be able to tell that powerful story to customers, investors, lenders, the media, and anyone else.

And don’t forget. You’ll want to include information on your competitive advantages in your business plan. You’ll find out more about that very important topic in our next tip.

• Want help thinking through the business case for your business? Read  “20 Questions About Starting A Business” from the Small Business Administration (sba.gov) .

After you think about the “20 Questions,” you’ll be ready to develop a document that will play a critical role in starting your business—your Business Plan. Read 20 Questions Before Starting a Business from the Small Business Administration.

What’s covered in your business plan? Here’s a quick overview.

You’ll talk about the “big idea” behind your business. You’ll describe your strengths and analyze the competitive marketplace. You’ll provide information on your location, your operation, your management team, and your key employees. You’ll also include important financial information and data.

When you’re finished with your plan, you will have a valuable document that will give investors, lenders, key vendors and potential partners confidence in your ability to manage your business effectively and achieve your goals.

Your plan will also guide your decision-making. So don’t think of your plan as tedious homework. It really plays a strategic role in launching a new business.

Learn more about how to develop your business plan on our Business Plan Basics page.

You bring unique skills and expertise to your role as business owner. But running a business is complicated. And there are times when you’ll need expert guidance on accounting, insurance, legal matters, and banking from professionals in those fields.

Here’s another advantage of having professionals on your team. They can help you choose the right business structure for you and your business. 

And let’s face it. That can be a complicated decision, since there are several different structures to choose from, including:

• Sole proprietorships
• Limited Liability Company
• Partnerships
• Corporations

So before you make a decision, carefully consider the pros and cons of each one. And keep these words of wisdom from the Small Business Administration in mind: “Choosing the most suitable (structure) for your business can have significant advantages both now and later. The correct decision may give you tax breaks and other benefits while the wrong one can put you under a mountain of paperwork.” To learn more about the different business structures that could apply to your business:

• Contact the Attorney on your Advisory Team
• Visit the  Small Business Administration (sba.gov)  or  Small Business Advice website (sba.com)

You can also find out how to apply for a specific business structure in New York State by visiting these websites:

• New York Department of State (dos.ny.gov)  

We hope this information will help you choose the right structure for your business.  

Licenses and permits are important, because they help protect the health, safety and welfare of people in our community. They are also required by law for many businesses. 

That’s why you’ll want to find out if you need any licenses or permits before you officially launch your business. Not only will it save you time, it will help you avoid potential problems that could interfere with the operation of your business. To find out about licenses and permits required in your community, visit these governmental websites:

• City of Rochester 
• Monroe County
• Genesee County
• Livingston County
• Ontario County
• Orleans County
• Wayne County

The development of new businesses is vital to the long-term health of our community. That’s why New York State and our local governmental organizations work hard to support entrepreneurship, economic development and business success. In some cases, they may even provide incentives that could be beneficial to your business. So take the time to explore all of these great opportunities.  After all, you might find an unexpected source of assistance that can help you get your business off to a great start. To learn more, visit:

• Start Up NY Program
• Small Business Administration (sba.gov)
• Greater Rochester Chamber
• City of Rochester

When you own a business, your intellectual property is one of your most valuable assets. And it should be protected through the U.S. patent process so others can’t copy it or use it without permission. Here’s something else to keep in mind. You don’t have to be a 21st century Thomas Edison to have intellectual property. Because the term covers a lot more than the invention of new products. According to the Small Business Administration, valuable intellectual property can include “not only physical products, but also communication implementation, cutting-edge processes, even innovative business methods.” So think carefully about your business and your competitive advantages. And if you have valuable intellectual property, make sure you get patents to protect it. To learn more, visit:

• Small Business Advice (sba.com)

At ESL, we work hard to help businesses succeed.  That’s why we offer a wide range of business-building resources, timesaving tools, and a comprehensive portfolio of financial solutions. You’ll find quick links to many of them here. But you can also count on us for something else that’s just as valuable: practical guidance and award-winning personal service. We look forward to playing an important role on your team. It’s all part of our effort to answer to you. For more information, contact an ESL Branch Manager today.

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How to Create a Perfect ESL Lesson Plan in 6 Easy Steps (Plus 3 Ready-to-use Lesson Plans!)

The perfect ESL lesson plan can help you prepare for an almost-perfect ESL class (there will always be surprises). 

With clear goals and a solid plan, you can go from flailing to confidently guiding your students through effective ESL lessons.

After a lot of trial and error throughout my years as an ESL teacher, I finally figured out a simple recipe to create ESL lesson plans that work . Now, I’m passing along all those lessons learned to you.

As a bonus, I’ve also included three ready-made plans that you can use in a pinch.

What is an ESL lesson plan

Questions to ask before making a lesson plan, step 1: decide on your lesson plan objectives, step 2: outline your lesson plan, step 3: choose activities to accomplish your lesson plan objectives, step 4: create esl materials and worksheets, step 5: create stellar visual aids for your esl classroom, step 6: the final stages of lesson planning, put it all into practice 3 ready-made esl lesson plans, lesson plan for kids/beginners: “what’s for breakfast”, lesson plan for young adults or adults: “introverts vs. extroverts”, lesson plan for adults/business english: “what makes a good conversation”, during class: troubleshooting your esl lesson plans, my lesson is finished, but there’s still time on the clock., my lesson is too long., the students aren’t interested., 6 great resources for esl lesson planning, ellii (formerly esl library), english speeches (youtube), linguahouse, film english, open culture, final encouragement to esl teachers.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

An ESL lesson plan (or a TEFL lesson plan) is a document that helps ESL teachers organize and structure their teaching so that it can be more effective. It usually includes the overall objectives for the lesson, a breakdown of how the time in class will be used, what activities the students will participate in and what materials will be used.

If you have a curriculum, each lesson plan and its objectives should be tied into the overall goals of the curriculum. 

Give these questions some thought before you outline your TEFL lesson plans. Knowing the answers will save you time and aggravation down the road.

1. Will you review what the school is teaching the students? Or will you create new learning goals? If the target language will be new, be sure it’s appropriate for the students’ level.

2. Will you focus on speaking, reading, writing or listening? Or a combination? Your school may have a preference.

3. Will you teach alone or will you have help? The simplest games, for example, can be difficult to teach without translation unless you’re very prepared.

This is the daunting part, but it’s crucial that you know this from the start. Step one is the foundation of everything that follows. Your focus could be:

• a song or a movie (be sure that your school permits this and that it won’t disturb neighboring classrooms). Remember that audio must be played loudly for students to understand it since it’s in a different language.
• a specific grammar point , such as forming questions or practicing the present progressive. Young or beginning learners might need to focus on the conjugation of only one specific verb such as “to be.” More advanced students could practice multiple irregular verb conjugations.
• a general exercise such as understanding a short passage from a “Harry Potter” book .
• a vocabulary group. For example, you might teach cooking, colors, medical terminology or animals.

To keep things organized, include the estimated time spent on each section. For example, a movie outline could be this:

1. Waiting for students to arrive and for the class to calm down  — 1 minute

2. Welcome/quick review of previous week/ ask students questions — 3 minutes

3. Pass out movie worksheets — 1 minute

4. Play preview of movie — 2 minutes

5. Introduce vocabulary needed to understand movie scene — 5 minutes

6. Individual practice of the vocabulary on student worksheets — 3 minutes

7. Giving answers to worksheets — 2 minutes

8. Listening exercises with the movie (includes playing the movie scenes several times, then going over the answers and letting the students watch the scenes a third time) — 20 minutes

9. Free watching of the movie (always a class favorite, but get permission from your head teacher first) — 6 minutes

10. Wrap up the class by asking vocabulary review questions — 2 minutes

It’s important to balance organization with time and flexibility for the unexpected . Be ready for the unanticipated questions that can throw off your timing.

Variety is the spice of the ESL classroom. Everyone learns differently. You need activities for visual and audio learners as well as doers.

• Use games in the classroom. Used correctly, games let students test what they’ve learned in a relaxed, exciting way. The key is to make sure everyone participates. Without proper management, weaker or lazier students will quietly sit back and do nothing. In a 45 minute class, a game shouldn’t be longer than 12 minutes. Watch your motivations. There’s a big difference between playing Charades to review animal names vs. playing Hangman to let the teacher relax.
• Balance individual and group work.  No lesson is complete without individual work. Everyone needs time to practice material on their own. These activities also help shyer students who can work quietly without the pressure of a spotlight. But group work is useful, too. Students can practice a dialogue with each other and learn from stronger partners. Team activities are often fun and give everyone a chance to relax a little. The drawback of group work, though, is that more advanced students tend to dominate the action. The right mix is essential.
• Repeat recent ESL activities. You can repeat activities. How often depends on how popular the activity is. One of my classes insisted on reviewing vocabulary by playing Pictionary every week. For classes that meet once a week, it’s best to recycle activities once a month if you can. Otherwise, your students might start to lose interest – and perhaps you will as well.

It’s true that the internet has a lot of free worksheets. By all means, use them. But rather than spending time browsing through tons of resources, try to identify a few favorite sites where you can find quality ESL material (see the list of helpful resources at the end of this post). 

Once you find the right materials, you’ll have to tailor them to your class’s level . Here are some tips that could make things go faster:

• Reuse workbook materials. Photocopy exercises from a textbook, white-out the answers and let students complete the questions as a review.
• If you do make your own materials, remember to include two sample questions with answers at the very beginning. Kids and low-level students always need a clear model to look at before doing individual work.
• For each grammar point, include five to seven questions.
• Include pictures on the worksheet. No one likes to look at straight, boring text.
• Puzzles of any type are fun and can help to quiet down an energetic class. “Boggle,” word searches or riddles (make sure they aren’t too hard) are always a welcome challenge.

Hang onto your ESL materials for future classes. Especially if you stay at the same school for more than one year, you’ll be able to reuse your materials. Buy a good binder and stick nice copies of your materials in it. It pays to keep your hard work on your computer as well as a USB drive.

You’ll need visual aids that add depth and interest to your class. It could be a PowerPoint presentation, a restaurant menu from home or things from your kitchen. Whatever you choose, make sure it enhances your lesson.

And if you’re using something that has a technological aspect, make sure you have a back-up plan in case the tech fails you. 

• Decide: Is a PowerPoint presentation necessary for this lesson? In class, PowerPoint presentations are good time savers. They can show interesting pictures and answers to questions, saving you the trouble of using the blackboard. Try to minimize using them, however. They take a lot of time to create, and bring the possibility of tech failures. 
• Weigh the pros and cons of using videos in ESL classes.   Videos quickly gain the attention of the class and are a sure hit. But be careful in selecting your videos. Even Disney movies have language that’s sometimes too difficult for low-level students. Background music, multiple people talking and jokes that don’t transcend cultures are all traps to avoid. 
• Find creative ways to add visual aids to your ESL class. Newspapers are an interesting prop. Even if the articles are too difficult, students can find the date, place of publication, price and the weather forecast. Jazz up a food vocabulary class by bringing a banana and an apple. For more advanced students, bring a colander, grater, bottle opener and other cooking items. Pass around currency from other countries.

Look at your lesson’s target language and see if anything already in your home applies. Try not to buy too much. It’s not necessary to spend a lot of money on this.

You’ve made it. Believe me, I sincerely congratulate you. Before you head into class, do a few things first:

• Get advice from other English teachers. Show your coworkers your ESL materials. Especially if you teach in a foreign country, their advice is invaluable. They understand your students better than you do and they’ll see gaps in logic, things that are too hard and cultural pitfalls. Take their advice and change your materials.
• Don’t stress about the outcome of the first class. Nobody’s perfect, and you won’t be either. On the first day, make copies only for that day. You’ll probably come back to your desk with a few things to change for tomorrow. Save trees by not making copies that’ll only go in the recycle bin.

To get you started, here are three ready-made ESL lessons that you can use today, if you’re in a pinch. Each lesson is organized around a video. However, they all address different learning objectives.

The first lesson uses a simple video to practice vocabulary and basic listening comprehension.

The second lesson uses a more difficult video to help students fine-tune their listening comprehension skills.

The third lesson features a thought-provoking video, which serves as a jumping-off point to help advanced students practice their conversation skills.

This lesson plan uses a simple video to teach grammar as well as breakfast food vocabulary . It incorporates several activities focused on questions in the present simple, vocabulary building activities and word games.

The video is short and can be played several times throughout the class if necessary. Because the video is on FluentU, you can toggle the English subtitles on and off depending on the needs of your class.

Warm-up Questions

These can be done in partners or with the whole group, depending on class size. Here are some examples:

What do you eat for breakfast?

What is your favorite food to eat for breakfast?

What do you think is a healthy breakfast?

Play the video

Play the video once (or twice, if you sense that your students are having a hard time understanding).

Activity: “Odd One Out”

For this game, you’ll need to compile a list of vocabulary taken directly from the video, plus one additional “odd word out.”

For example: Bananas, Eggs, Spaghetti, Coffee

Students will be asked to pick the odd one out. Of course, in this case, the answer is spaghetti, as it’s a dinner food, not a breakfast food.

You can ask questions such as Which of these would you not eat for breakfast? You can also follow up and ask students why they chose a particular food.

This activity can be done as a group exercise or individually depending on class size and whether this is done in a classroom or online.

Activity: Flashcards

For this game, you’ll need to compile flashcards related to the vocabulary shown in the video. Additional flashcards can be added for further study and can be food in general or breakfast foods. If you’re having difficulties preparing these materials, you can look at a website such as ESL flashcards for free resources.

The game is merely taking the flashcards and testing the vocabulary knowledge of your students. See if they can get all of the words through to the end without making any mistakes.

Questions in the Present Simple

Here you can ask questions in the present simple and encourage students to ask each other questions. As this is a beginner-level class, I’d focus on positive questions only.

You can model a question-and-answer scenario and then encourage your students to follow with their own questions. Be sure to write the question on the board or share a screen for an online class.

Do you eat breakfast in the morning? Yes, I eat toast with jam every morning.

This activity is to encourage conversation between your students. Longer answers are to be praised.

Do you like fruit for breakfast?

Do your parents eat breakfast?

What is your favorite breakfast food?

You can encourage students to follow up on these questions by asking Why? or Why not?

If you still have time , you can encourage students to play a game related to the class. This would also be an excellent chance to do some free practice or conversation.

Again, you could utilize the flashcards. Encourage students to make full sentences with the object shown on the flashcard and award points in two teams.

Or set up a fake cafe and have children take and place an order.

What do you want for breakfast?

Toast with eggs, please.

In this way, you’re consolidating vocabulary from the beginning of the class.

Think of this lesson plan as a template that can be tweaked depending on the specific topic your class is working on. For example, if your class is studying the past tense rather than the present simple, you can ask different questions like What did you eat for breakfast yesterday?

Or, you can use all the activities as listed but substitute out the video to cover a different vocabulary topic, such as animals , sports or clothing .

The video provided for this activity is called “ Introverts vs. Extroverts .” It’s quite technical, so it requires quite a high level of comprehension. For this reason, it would suit an intermediate to upper-level class of young adult or adult learners . If you need to adjust for different learning levels in the classroom, you can turn on subtitles.

The class is mostly focused on listening and awareness due to the nature of the video.

Tell your students that the title of the video is “Introverts vs. Extroverts,” and ask them the following questions.

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Tell us a story that highlights this!

What do you know about this topic already?

What do you think this video will be about?

Can you predict any vocabulary form the video?

Students will be encouraged to discuss these questions in pairs or small groups.

Comprehension in Context

Give students a hand-out with the following instructions and questions. Then, play the video twice—once for general comprehension, and once for answering questions.

Choose the best meaning in bold from the recording. Use the context of the video to help you. These are common phrases and phrasal verbs.

1. “It was Carl Jung who coined the terms introversion and extroversion.”

(a) Carl Jung discovered the terms. (b) Carl Jung stole the words from another psychologist. (c) Carl Jung invented the words introversion and extroversion to describe the phenomenon. [Correct]

2. “Introverts prefer to mull things over.”

(a) Introverts quickly forget about things. (b) Introverts think deeply about something before deciding what to do. [Correct] (c) Introverts are forgiving and generous.

3. “…introverts might have stuck to the sidelines…”

(a) Introverts willingly participated in activities. (b) Introverts acted like referees and made sure people followed rules. (c) Introverts stayed hidden to avoid dangerous situations. [Correct]

Free-response questions:

Who responds more strongly to rewards? Introverts or extroverts?

What does “extroversion bias” mean?

Activity: Emotional Profile and Video Discussion

Put students in pairs to discuss their takeaways from the video. They can answer questions like:

Did you agree with the video?

Do you think it’s better to be an introvert or an extrovert in today’s society? Why?

Do you think that being an introvert or extrovert is genetic? Why or why not?

Activity: Quiz and Discussion

For a bit of fun, the students will be encouraged to take this short quiz to determine if they’re an extrovert, introvert or ambivert .

Students will ask their partner questions and fill out the form for them as if they’re a psychologist and a patient. After this, they’ll read out the “prognosis” to their partner.

As a follow-up, you can ask students if they agree with the findings of the quiz.

If there’s time at the end of the class, a quick game such as hangman can be played using the vocabulary from the video.

If your class is set up on FluentU , you can send students away with the link to the video so that they can watch again and practice on their own time using the built-in comprehension quiz and learn mode.

This lesson plan uses a video called “ What Makes a Good Conversation ?” and is mostly about conversation and video analysis. It encourages the students to examine a video at different levels while discussing key lessons and concepts. It would suit an English business class or an advanced adult class, and it’s incredibly adaptable to both an online setting or an in-person class .

Due to the class’s conversational nature, it’s integral to provide sufficient feedback and play the selected clip several times for the students.

You can also encourage note-taking as there will be some questions specifically related to the content of the video.

These questions can be asked in pairs or as a whole group, depending on class size.

Are you a conversationalist? What do you think this means?

Have you ever been involved in an incredibly enriching conversation? Tell us about it!

Have you ever been involved in a very poor conversation? Tell us about it!

What makes a good/productive conversation? What makes a conversation pointless?

Watching to Get the Gist

Show your students the video, and then ask them some general questions about the topic at hand.

What is the video about?

What does a conversation require?

Watching for Detail and Comprehension

Show the video again, and then ask more detailed comprehension questions.

According to the speaker, people don’t know how to have a good conversation anymore. What does she mean? What are the causes of this?

What advice did Henry Higgins give in “My Fair Lady” for people to have good conversations?

How many texts does an average teenager send per day?

What do you think conversational competence means? Can you define it?

What is the speaker’s profession? Or what do you imagine it is?

Follow-up: Personal Questions

Have you ever unfriended/unfollowed someone on social media because they said something offensive?

Do you think that people listen deeply these days?

What advice would you have for someone who wants to improve their conversation skills?

Follow Up: Roleplay

Ask students to get in character using one of these two scenarios.

Business context: you’re having a meeting with a new customer and your boss. It’s taking some time for your boss to arrive, so you have to engage in polite conversation with the customer.

General context: you’re new in a neighborhood and have been invited to a welcome party. Introduce yourself to your new neighbors and have a good conversation with them, following the tips in the video.

At the end of these conversations, conduct a short reflection activity. You can ask questions like: Did you have a great conversation with your partner? Why or why not? What would you change to improve the situation?

Now you’ve got three ready-made plans, as well as a template to help you create even more great plans.

But be forewarned: even the best-laid lesson plans can go awry. Not to worry! You just need to know a few basic troubleshooting strategies. Let’s look at some of the most common problems that arise in an ESL classroom, and what to do if they should happen to you.

Extra time on the clock can mean that your class was too advanced for the lesson, or maybe that you overestimated the time you needed. Either way, go back to your desk and decide what to do differently in the next class.

• Have review games ready. Depending on the class, five minutes of vocabulary Hangman or Pictionary is legitimate. Let the students draw.
• Prepare three or four easy questions for a short conversation with the class. Make the topic similar to your lesson so nothing comes out of left field.
• Write a sentence from the lesson on the board. Give the class 15 seconds to memorize it. Erase the sentence and ask students to tell you what it was.

Know what is a priority. What must you accomplish for the lesson to be a success? Try to focus on that while watching the time. No matter what happens, remember to leave 2 minutes for a quick review. Back at your desk, figure out what went wrong and decide what to change.

There could be a lot of reasons for this. Are your English lessons too hard or too easy? Did they just get yelled at by their previous teacher for poor test results? Did three students just have a fight before you arrived and everyone got in trouble? Are you speaking too fast? Did your materials make sense?

The solution requires some reflection on what happened in order to fix it.

Whether you’re teaching in person or remotely, there are tons of amazing places to find ESL audio and video resources as well as ready-made ESL worksheets online. 

Familiarize yourself with these six resources now—they’ll come in handy over and over again as you plan your lessons.

Ellii is an incredibly accessible resource with a well-rounded and extensive catalog of activities ranging from ready-made ESL classes to digital homework activities . They also maintain a regularly updated blog focused on contemporary issues and trends in the ESL world.

Ellii is a subscription-based service, and it’s well worth a subscription for some ready-to-go activities if you’re a bit behind on your planning.

If you want all-in-one learning materials that’ll keep your students engaged, look no further than FluentU. 

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks —and turns them into personalized language lessons.

Each FluentU video features native English speakers, so your students can gain first-hand experience listening to authentic English conversations. Built-in vocabulary lists and interactive subtitles make these videos accessible, even for beginners.

The best part? Each FluentU video has its own “learn mode” that helps students practice vocabulary and grammar concepts. So, each video functions like a sort of “mini-lesson” where students learn through immersion .

We’re at a time when public debate, discourse and interaction have never been more relevant. Many ESL students don’t just want to learn English but are generally seeking more profound means of communication with people from around the world. The English Speeches YouTube channel compiles historical and contemporary speeches that are often moving, motivational or entertaining. Each speech is captioned with large lettering , and the speeches are categorized by English accent.

Linguahouse provides a wide range of ESL worksheets that are ready to use in class. The worksheets are divided into general, business, elementary and exam preparation, meaning you can utilize these resources for a specific class. You can also tailor the worksheets to suit the needs of a particular student or classroom. Access is free , and the website provides over 1,000 resources.

Film English is run by award-winning speaker, writer and educational trainer Kieran Donaghy . The content is based around (you guessed it) English films and short films. There are many well-prepared classes all devised around a particular video that can be downloaded. The lessons follow a very simple step-by-step format, and many of the topics are related to the themes of relationships, emotions and current issues.

Open Culture is a large-scale platform packed with educational and cultural content . The site is designed to be open-source, and you can draw from a deep well of specific topics and knowledge bases. The ESL section provides many audio and visual resources that can be easily adapted into an engaging and entertaining lesson plan.

As an ESL teacher, you have a hard job that most people can’t do. Making an exciting lesson out of a blank piece of paper is a real challenge. Even seasoned teachers who only use a book have trouble. To save your sanity, remember these points:

• Perfection will never be possible. That’s fine.
• Whatever comes out of your imagination will be awesome.
• Bells and whistles aren’t necessary. It’s the content and the thought behind English lessons that matter.
• When a lesson tanks, shrug it off. Fix what can be fixed. Forget about the rest.
• Teaching is a 50/50 relationship between the student and the teacher. You can do everything right, but if the student doesn’t do their part you’ll still have trouble. Do what you can and leave it at that.

The ESL classroom is an incredibly fun and exciting place. It can also be aggravating at times. But, hey, you’ll never be bored!

Teaching non-English speakers your language is an exciting privilege that you’ll never forget. Best of luck!

Course Plans

• English For Business

Type of English

Lesson time

I want to learn

RESOURCES FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

Provide a comprehensive course with our ESL worksheets. Each of our evolving course plans and worksheet series can be followed systematically or you can select lessons to use as supplementary material.

Business English

English for Business

Intermediate (B1-B2)

Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)

This course plan helps learners improve their English for business or work. A diverse range of topics, language areas and activities are covered. The course plan can be used as a supplementary resource or as a standalone course.

This lesson teaches expressions for first-time introductions. Through listening and role play, students learn how to introduce themselves to a colleague or business associate and make appropriate small talk. This worksheet is suitable for the first lesson of a business English course, and provides a good opportunity for the student(s) and teacher to get to know each other.

In this updated version of our classic lesson plan, students learn useful vocabulary to talk about their company and job, including expressions for describing a company’s history, location, size, market position, financial results and strategy. Students listen to or watch an animated video of three co-workers talking about their work. They learn how to talk about their job responsibilities and what they like/dislike about their work. This worksheet is particularly suitable for the first or second lesson of a business English course.

This lesson has been updated. The theme of this lesson is what makes a successful entrepreneur. Students read an article that discusses whether entrepreneurs are born with certain character traits or develop the necessary skills over time. Vocabulary for describing entrepreneurial activity and personality is studied, and students have an opportunity to share their opinions on the topic.

by Gillian Smylie

In this lesson, students learn and practise vocabulary related to job titles and career paths.

This lesson teaches learners how to avoid causing offence by expressing themselves in a more tactful, diplomatic way. After studying a variety of adjectives for describing different attitudes, the students learn how to use special ‘softening’ structures through reading, language practice and role play.

This lesson is based on an article that discusses why job applicants are increasingly lying on their CVs/résumés and how employers are trying to deal with the problem. Lesson activities include a game in which students write down and read out sentences about their own educational and professional background, and their partners try to guess if they are lying or not.

In this lesson, students learn vocabulary for describing areas of an office, shop or factory and practise giving a tour of their workplace using a variety of useful expressions.

In this lesson, students read about a survey on men and women business owners and learn some new adjectives for describing character traits. The worksheet includes a grammar exercise on the structure verb + object + infinitive/-ing.

This lesson plan is a great way to develop students' ability to talk about people’s personality and character traits at work. The worksheet presents a variety of adjectives for describing qualities and flaws, as well as additional expressions for describing typical office personalities.

Need to fill up 15 minutes of an intermediate business English class? Use this lesson filler to teach your students ten common expressions used in spoken English.

This lesson teaches useful expressions for starting and ending a phone call. Through listening and role play, students learn a variety of ways to answer the phone, introduce themselves to the receiver, ask to speak to someone, state the reason for calling and end a phone call.

This lesson teaches useful language for taking and leaving messages during a business call. Through vocabulary, listening and role-play exercises, students learn how to leave a message for someone, take down a message from a caller and exchange information on the phone.

This lesson teaches useful vocabulary for learners who need to write emails in English. The worksheet presents the differences between formal, informal and neutral email styles, and there are a number of writing exercises in which the students practise using different levels of formality.

In this lesson, students read an article on the benefits and drawbacks of the coffee shop as a place for work and business. In the grammar section of the worksheet, students practise using the present perfect for describing recent changes, changes over time and situations that have continued until the present. At the end of the lesson, the class shares their own opinions about working in cafes.

In this lesson, students learn and practise vocabulary related to tasks and time management.

In this lesson filler, students practise handling phone call interruptions. The worksheet presents a number of practical expressions which can be used to encourage the caller to be quick, persuade the receiver to listen as well as diplomatically avoid speaking to the caller.

This theme of this lesson is corporate health. Students read an article about a company that is attempting to improve the well-being of its staff and listen to two corporate health experts commenting on the firm’s health initiatives. In the grammar section of the worksheet, the present simple, present continuous, present perfect simple and past simple are reviewed. This is followed by a discussion on corporate health initiatives.

This lesson plan is suitable for students who deal with accounting issues, especially those who need to prepare or interpret financial statements in English. This worksheet presents vocabulary related to a company’s balance sheet and profit and loss statement . For teachers who are unfamiliar with accounting terms, we have included additional notes in the key to help clear up any confusion.

This lesson plan is based on an article about how bad debt is affecting small businesses in the UK and what they can do about the problem. The worksheet focuses on reading and vocabulary work, rounding off with some sample expressions for chasing payments via email.

This worksheet covers a range of vocabulary for talking about salary and pay. The lesson plan rounds off with a discussion activity in which students put the target language into practice.

This lesson plan covers vocabulary for talking about meetings. Students learn a number of terms for describing the different types and purposes of meetings as well as problems and other issues related to organised discussions.

This lesson teaches useful expressions for students who need English for business meetings and discussions. Through reading, language practice and role-play, students learn how to structure an argument with linking words and phrases as well as respond to opinions using a variety of techniques for agreeing and disagreeing.

In this lesson, students read about how a successful British co-operative is managed. The worksheet includes vocabulary work and a grammar review exercise on the present perfect.

This lesson teaches useful expressions for discussing problems and possible solutions. Through listening and role play, the students learn how to make, ask for and respond to suggestions in a variety of ways. The lesson plan includes an animated video version of the dialogue.

Technology has been developed to allow passengers to use their mobile phones safely on planes. Students read an article about the different attitudes among business travellers towards this development. In the grammar section of the worksheet, the first and second conditionals are studied and practised. Students then discuss the lesson topic and debate the pros and cons of in-flight mobile phone use.

Upper-intermediate (B2-C1)

This lesson teaches useful expressions for learners who need to chair meetings in English. After studying vocabulary for describing the skills and roles of a chairperson, students listen to a dialogue in which the managers of a language training centre discuss their company’s advertising strategy. Key expressions used by the chairperson of the meeting are studied. At the end of the lesson, the students role-play a meeting, taking turns to chair the discussion. In this updated version of the lesson plan, there is a fun animated video which can be played instead of the audio.

In this lesson, students learn how to talk about visual representations of statistics and describe trends using combinations of nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives.

Students briefly discuss their own experiences of presentations before identifying types of diagrams often used in presentations and their functions. They listen to a business presentation and identify and practise a range of functional language for structuring presentations. The lesson includes vocabulary development and a presentation activity which can be extended to include preparation of slides with visual aids. Students should prepare and practise their presentation as homework and deliver it in another lesson. The materials also include an optional extension activity relating to what can go wrong with a presentation.

by Stephanie Hirschman

This lively lesson plan presents 16 common phrasal verbs used in business. These business English phrasal verbs are presented in their natural context. There are two speaking activities in which students interview each using the target language. For larger classes, there is a 'Find someone who' activity at the end of the worksheet. This is the business English version of our general English worksheet Phrasal verbs 1 .

In this lesson, students learn important vocabulary for project management, including describing the progress of a project, key stages and useful terminology.

In this lesson, students read an article about mistakes that job candidates make on their CVs and the consequences of these errors. The worksheet activities focus on vocabulary, comprehension and speaking.

In this lesson, students read about some unusual incidents that have happened during job interviews, according to a survey of HR managers in the US. The worksheet focuses on vocabulary and speaking.

In this lesson, students learn how to talk about work clothing and dress code. The worksheet includes a recent news report about a London receptionist who was sent home for not adhering to her company's dress code policy.

The theme of this lesson is marketing in a recession. The worksheet is suitable for people who are responsible for marketing in their companies or who work for marketing agencies. Students read an article about successful marketing strategies for businesses during an economic downturn and learn a variety of terms for describing different marketing tools, strategies and concepts. At the end of the lesson, students talk about how the global economy has affected their or their clients’ approach to marketing.

This lesson plan is designed to get your students talking about marketing . The worksheet covers modern methods of marketing , including social media marketing, email marketing, internet advertising and search engine optimization. The lesson can be used to stimulate a lively debate among the students on traditional vs. online marketing.

Students learn how to present an idea to their colleagues or associates and persuade them to support the proposal. The worksheet focuses on listening comprehension, vocabulary, and speaking.

In this lesson, students read an article about a Canadian company that has been cashing in on China's pollution crisis. The worksheet includes a two-part grammar exercise on infinitive clauses.

This lesson teaches a variety of useful terms for learners involved in sales. Through vocabulary and role-play exercises, the students learn how to describe the benefits of their product/service and make an effective sales pitch in English.

This lesson introduces students to negotiating in English. Common terms for describing different points of discussion and negotiating positions are studied. Students then share their own experiences and opinions on a number of negotiation issues. In the second part of the lesson, there is a listening and role play activity in which useful expressions for negotiating are studied and practised.

The theme of this lesson is celebrity endorsement. Students read about the benefits and drawbacks of companies associating their brands with celebrities. Students learn key vocabulary related to marketing and advertising, and useful expressions for developing an argument are also studied. During the lesson, several aspects of the worksheet topic are discussed.

The theme of this lesson is handling complaints in business. Students study a text on the importance of welcoming customer complaints and dealing with problems promptly. Through listening and role play, the students learn useful expressions for making complaints, apologizing and taking action.

In this lesson, students learn vocabulary covering all aspects of trade fairs. Exercises cover reasons to attend, preparation, items to take, and questions that company representatives should ask during a trade fair. There is also an activity to write a follow-up email to a potential customer.

In this lesson, students read an article about innovative methods, ideas and devices designed to improve motivation among office staff. Students also learn how to speculate and make predictions with a variety of different structures. The lesson rounds off with a discussion activity on the worksheet topic.

This worksheet presents vocabulary related to product innovation and development. A variety of terms are introduced for describing the pre-launch stages of a new product as well as adjectives and expressions for describing technological innovation. The lesson plan includes discussion ideas and should be particularly useful for students involved in market research and/or product development.

This 6-page lesson plan is based on an article about the future of the music streaming sector. The worksheet covers a broad range of activities, including reading, vocabulary work, grammar practice (relative clauses) and speaking.

The theme of this lesson is outsourcing. Students read an article about how rising wages and a stronger currency are affecting the Indian outsourcing industry. In the grammar section of the worksheet, the difference between the present and past perfect is studied. At the end of the lesson, students talk about the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing.

The theme of this worksheet is business travel. Students read a traveller's tips on how to handle a long-distance business trip. The lesson activities focus on vocabulary, comprehension and speaking.

In this lesson, students learn and practise vocabulary related to business ethics and conduct.

This lesson plan is based on an article about changing shopping habits among consumers in the UK. The worksheet includes a grammar exercise on tenses for describing changes.

This lesson is based on an article on a dispute between the McDonald's fast food chain and the Italian city of Florence. The worksheet focuses on vocabulary development, reading comprehension and speaking.

Thinking of calling in sick? Under a new Belgian proposal, you will be obliged to remain at home for a medical check-up. In this lesson, students read about and discuss this proposal. The worksheet rounds off with a vocabulary exercise on common ailments and remedies.

The first of a two-part lesson plan that looks at the causes and impact of stress in the workplace. Students read about how stress is affecting small and medium-sized businesses in the UK. The lesson rounds off with a grammar exercise on reported speech in which students complete a stressful negotiation dialogue using the target language structures.

The second of a two-part lesson plan that looks at the causes and impact of stress in the workplace. Students read about and discuss how small and medium-sized businesses can reduce stress among employees. The lesson rounds off with an exercise on expressing future probability.

This worksheet is based on an article on job dissatisfaction and typical signs that show that someone may want to change their career path. The lesson focuses on reading, vocabulary and speaking.

This lesson is based on an article on the nascent space tourism industry. The text focuses on the different companies that will be operating in this market, including Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, as well as the future costs and environmental impact of commercial space flights. In the grammar section of the worksheets, reported statements and questions are studied and practised. At the end of the lesson, students discuss whether they believe space tourism could become mass market.

The theme of this lesson is e-commerce. Students read an article on the changing shopping habits of British consumers and the development of online retailing. Tenses for describing trends are studied and practised in the grammar section of the worksheet, followed by an end-of-lesson discussion on Internet buying habits in the students’ own countries.

The theme of this lesson is international investment. Students read an article about the investment potential of Iraq and study vocabulary related to infrastructure and development. In the grammar exercises, students practise asking each other for information using subject and object questions. At the end of the lesson, the class discusses their own countries’ potential for foreign investors.

In this lesson, students learn and practise vocabulary related to the economy.

In this lesson, students read an article about how young men in Britain now earn much less than those from the previous generation. The worksheet includes reading and speaking activities, vocabulary and a grammar exercise on present perfect vs. past simple.

Students follow a short business scenario based on a salary review. The worksheet focuses on past, present and future verb tenses (PPF) and vocabulary development and offers practice in listening comprehension and speaking.

By Stephanie Hirschman

In this lesson plan, students read an article about the trend in the UK to have more than one job or business. Exercises focus on key words, phrases, and collocations. Students discuss the topic at the end of the lesson.

Students read about Uber's legal problems in this lesson plan, concentrating mainly on the decision that Uber can no longer call itself an 'information service'.  There is an activity on legal terms, plus exercises on key vocabulary and collocations from the text. The worksheet ends with a role play activity where students debate the temporary ban on Uber that happened in Italy.

Level: Upper-intermediate (B2-C1)

This lesson teaches expressions and techniques for making conversation. The students study vocabulary for describing different types of social interaction as well as typical conversation openers and responses. Through listening and role play, the learners practise greeting each other and making small talk.

The topic of this lesson is the importance of understanding the cultural etiquette of different countries. The lesson introduces idioms concerned with etiquette and behaviour such as go Dutch, follow suit, return the compliment. Present modal verbs for advice, possibility and necessity are revised and past forms are introduced and practised. Finally, students get to talk about the cultural etiquette of their countries and their experiences doing business in a cross-cultural environment.

This lesson teaches language for sharing opinions during business meetings and discussions. Students listen to or watch an animated video of a teleconference involving the board members of an IT distribution company discussing a proposal to expand their business. After studying the key expressions from the dialogue, students role-play a management meeting in which they practise exchanging their own opinions and ideas.

The theme of this lesson is customer service. Students read an article about the opinions of business travellers on the customer service at hotels in different parts of the world. Words and expressions for describing customer service are practised. In the grammar section of the worksheet, tenses for describing a past experience are studied. At the end of the lesson, students talk about their own customer service experiences.

In this lesson, students learn useful language for handling and solving problems at work. Vocabulary for describing different types of problems and solutions is studied. Students then listen to several dialogues and study the expressions used by the speakers to declare and diagnose a problem as well as make suggestions and take action. At the end of the lesson, there is a role play activity in which the language from the lesson is put into practice. There are two animated videos which can be played instead of the dialogue or given to the student(s) as material to take away.

The theme of this lesson is work stress. Students read an article about an unusual method of relieving stress involving volunteers from Madrid. In the grammar section of the worksheet, reduced relative clauses are studied and practised. At the end of the lesson, there is a speaking activity in which the students discuss different stress relief methods.

This lesson teaches useful words and expressions for writing emails in English. The lesson warms up with a vocabulary exercise in which the students study some common terms for describing emails and email features, e.g. attachment, read receipt, disclaimer, etc. The worksheet then presents a variety of words and expressions that can be written in formal or informal style. This language is put into practice at the end of the lesson.

The theme of this lesson is networking. Students read an article on the benefits of making useful connections in business and how to be a good networker. In the grammar section of the worksheet, a variety of structures with ‘get’ are studied and practised. At the end of the lesson, students talk about the usefulness of networking in their businesses, careers and in job hunting.

This lesson plan looks at the benefits of working at home compared with office work. Students read an article about Yahoo!'s controversial decision to ban staff from working remotely.

In this lesson, students learn how to manage a phone conversation in English. Vocabulary for describing telephone behaviour is studied. Students then listen to a phone call and study the expressions used to direct and change the topic of the conversation. The language from the lesson is put into practice during a telephone call role play.

The theme of this lesson is business ethics. Students read an article about a UK chocolate company called Montezuma’s, whose founders decided to put ethics at the heart of their business. The lesson introduces a number of common phrasal verbs, which are studied and practised. Finally, students discuss attitudes to ethics in their own businesses and countries.

This lesson teaches students useful vocabulary for talking about competition in business. Learners listen to a talk about the rivalry between Burger King and McDonald’s, learn collocations with the word ‘competition’ and study competition idioms. The worksheet finishes with a speaking activity.

In this lesson, students read about how the modern office environment has changed and the innovative workplace practices of Google, Facebook and other big tech companies.

In this lesson, students learn how to query figures in English. Vocabulary for describing different numerical mistakes is studied. Students then listen to a phone call in which the speakers report and explain errors. The key expressions used for reporting an error, quoting a discrepancy, explaining an error and promising action are studied and practised.

This lesson plan is based on an article about 'mumpreneurs' -- women who combine being a mother with running a business. The worksheet comprises of reading, speaking and vocabulary activities, including an exercise on phrasal verbs. An American English version called 'Mompreneurs' is included.

In this lesson, students learn 13 common idioms used in Business English. The worksheet also provides opportunities for speaking practice.

The topic of this lesson plan is predictive shopping -- how technology companies are predicting buyers' behaviour by collecting data. Students read about a method developed by Amazon called 'anticipatory shipping'.

In this follow-up to our popular lesson plan Business idioms , students learn 13 more English idioms used in business. The worksheet focuses on vocabulary and speaking practice.

The theme of this lesson is the global financial crisis. Students read an article on how the economic downturn was affecting Britain in 2008. A number of economic terms are introduced, and a variety of structures for predicting and speculating about the future are studied and practised. Students discuss how their countries have been affected by the crisis.

This lesson plan introduces students to 18 common phrasal verbs used in a business context. These phrasal verbs are presented in their natural context. The lesson plan includes a speaking activity in which students interview each using the target language.

Students read about how the furniture chain IKEA has impacted the way people shop. The worksheet focuses on vocabulary, reading comprehension, grammar and speaking. 

The topic of this reading and discussion lesson is coupon marketing and the American internet company, Groupon. Students read an article about Groupon’s business model and its impact on the UK's discount marketplace. This is followed by a speaking activity in which students discuss Groupon's recent troubles and the drawbacks of the discount voucher business model.

This lesson teaches useful language for learners who need to negotiate in English. After studying vocabulary for describing the different stages in a negotiation, students listen to two extracts from a negotiation and study the tactics and key structures that are used by each side to make proposals, bargain, and reach a deal. At the end of the lesson, the students role-play a negotiation using the language from the lesson.

How can comedy be useful in a business environment? That's the topic of this lesson plan. Students read an article on the benefits of improvisational comedy in business and discuss whether learning improv would be useful in their professions.

In this lesson, students learn general expressions for discussing and selecting suitable candidates for a job. The worksheet is especially useful for students who work in human resources or management.

In this lesson, students learn words and phrases related to leadership and being a manager. Students read an article about what makes a good manager and practise vocabulary for positive and negative leadership qualities. They also learn management verbs and discuss what being a manager is like.

This lesson focuses on a video entitled ‘5 ways to create stronger connections.’ The speaker looks at small ways we can enhance our business relationships. Exercises focus on idiomatic language, related vocabulary and comprehension exercises. Discussion looks at ways that the ideas presented in the video can enhance the student’s working relationships.

by Joe Wilson

Note: appropriate for strong intermediate (B2)

Linguahouse.com is in no way affiliated with, authorized, maintained, sponsored or endorsed by TED Conferences LLC.

The theme of this lesson is what makes a country attractive to potential investors. Students read about the investment potential of Germany and learn a variety of important terms for describing a nation’s economy. At the end of the lesson, students discuss the investment potential of their own countries using vocabulary from the worksheet.

In this lesson, students read an article about the investment potential of Africa. The worksheet includes several vocabulary and discussion activities.

In this lesson, students watch David Grady talk about how bad, inefficient and overcrowded meetings negatively affect businesses and employees. The worksheet focuses on listening, vocabulary and speaking.

In this lesson, students learn useful words and phrases for talking about advertising methods and promotional strategies.

The theme of this lesson is employee misconduct. Students read an article about how companies in the UK deal with employees who have committed offences at work and in their leisure time. Terms for describing different offences, crimes and aspects of the legal system are studied. In the grammar exercises, the students review and practise the first, second, third and mixed conditionals. At the end of the lesson, the class discusses the worksheet topic.

In this lesson, students learn how to describe different types of corporate crime and read about big corporate scandals including Enron, Worldcom and Parmalat. There are plenty of opportunities for discussion.

Students read an article about a case of bullying at an Australian workplace. The lesson covers some key vocabulary related to law as well as a discussion activity designed to get students talking in depth about the issue.

This lesson teaches the vocabulary and grammar necessary for taking meeting minutes in English. Students listen to a dialogue of a meeting and read an extract from the minutes. After studying the vocabulary and grammar used in the text, they practise reporting statements and taking minutes.

The theme of this lesson is company dress code. Students read a short article about the changing attitudes towards employee dress code among businesses in the UK. In the grammar section of the worksheet, the passive voice is reviewed. This is followed by a discussion on the issues raised in the article and the general attitude to company clothes policy in the students’ own countries.

This lesson plan is the first of a two-part worksheet series based on an interview recorded in 2007 with the British entrepreneur and founder of the Virgin business empire, Sir Richard Branson. In this extract from the interview, Branson talks about the foundations of his empire, what the Virgin brand stands for and what drives him to launch new businesses.

Disclaimer: At 06.55, Sir Richard makes a joke that some teachers or students might find to be inappropriate.

In the second part of our Richard Branson interview series, Branson jokes about some of his business ventures, including his Virgin Galactic space tourism business. He recalls a daring hot air balloon flight and talks about his adventurous spirit.

This lesson plan covers a range of vocabulary for talking about general areas of IT, including software, hardware, web hosting, web design and troubleshooting.

The theme of this lesson is the growth of the social networking tool Twitter . Students watch Evan Williams, co-founder of Twitter, talking about the reasons for Twitter’s popularity. Several idioms and phrases related to launching a business are studied. In the grammar section, emphatic structures used by the speaker are studied and practised. Finally there is a discussion activity on Twitter and how social networking tools can be used in business, as well as an optional video-based exercise for more tech-savvy students. 

The theme of this light-hearted lesson is office jargon. Students read a satirical article on everyday business clichés used in the modern workplace. There is a speaking activity at the end of the lesson in which the students describe situations that illustrate particular clichés and discuss the use of business jargon in their own countries. The worksheet works well with advanced, good-natured classes.

In this lesson, students watch speaker Richard St John talk about the road to success.

In this third part of our Business Idioms lesson plans, students learn 13 more English idioms used in business. The worksheet focuses on vocabulary and speaking practice.

In this lesson plan, students read about bitcoin and its part in illegal trading on the internet. Activities cover key words, phrases, and understanding the text. There is also an exercise on adverbs. The lessons ends with a speaking activity for students to discuss the topic.

Level: Pre-intermediate (A2-B1)

Pre-intermediate (A2-B1)

In this dialogue-aided lesson, students listen to an employee being interviewed about her company. They then practise using the questions and key vocabulary from the dialogue to talk about their own companies.

Students learn how to meet and greet visitors in a business/work situation. In this updated version of the lesson plan there is an animated video that can be used for the listening activity.

In this business English version of our video-aided lesson plan Present review , students review the present simple and present continuous tenses. The worksheet is suitable for classroom practice or homework.

In this lesson, students learn how to describe colleagues and people at work using a variety of adjectives and expressions.

In this lesson, students read an article about how skipping lunch can affect productivity and wellbeing in the workplace. The worksheet includes an activity on the use of can/can't for talking about ability and possibility.

In this business English version of our video-aided lesson plan Past review , students review the past simple and past continuous tenses. The worksheet is suitable for classroom practice or homework.

Students read about and discuss the benefits of working in teams. The lesson focuses on vocabulary and speaking.

In this lesson, students read a text about the pros and cons of working in an open-plan office. The worksheet focuses on vocabulary and speaking. There is also an exercise on linking words and phrases.

Students learn how to describe office devices and machines. The worksheet presents key structures for describing how something works as well as expressions for explaining common problems.

In this lesson, students learn key vocabulary for office stationery, supplies and equipment. The worksheet includes a speaking activity and several image-based exercises.

In this lesson filler, students listen to a dialog between two work colleagues. One of the speakers has forgotten several items in his office and tries to explain where they are. The lesson rounds off with a role play activity in which students then practise using prepositions and expressions of place.

In this lesson, students read about the lifestyle of certain Google employees who have reportedly been living on the company's premises. The worksheet includes several vocabulary exercises and a discussion activity.

In this business English version of our lesson plan Present perfect practice , students study the past simple and past participle forms of common irregular verbs and practise the present perfect with 'since', 'for', 'ever' and 'never'.

In this lesson, students learn how to write emails for their work. The worksheet compares formal and informal styles of writing.

Students learn how to exchange and read information on the phone, including numbers, dates, email addresses, website URLs, prices, and other information.

In this lesson, students learn and use vocabulary connected with time management. Learners look at tips, prioritise tasks and discuss how good they think they are at time management.

Questions can be especially tricky for lower level learners. This business English version of our simple lesson plan Asking questions is designed to build the students' confidence when using question structures.

In this dialogue-based lesson, students listen to a short market survey interview with a consumer about her opinions on consumer electronics brands. The focus is on the comparative and superlative forms of adjectives. At the end of the worksheet, there is a role play in which students interview each other.

In this pre-intermediate+ lesson plan, students learn and use vocabulary related to marketing. Activities cover digital and offline marketing, marketing tips and common collocations. At the end of the lesson, students answer questions about marketing where they work.

Students learn how to manage a business meeting, including agreeing/disagreeing with propositions, arriving at a consensus, confirming a decision and closing the meeting. The lesson focuses on listening and practical, functional vocabulary.

In this video-aided lesson plan, students review the structures going to , will and the present continuous for talking about the future. The worksheet is suitable for classroom practice or homework.

In this lesson, students read an article about pros and cons of Sweden's six-hour work day. The 5-page worksheet includes a grammar activity on reported speech.

This pre-intermediate+ lesson plan covers vocabulary for talking about work pay. There are exercises on salary collocations, work benefits and how to read a payslip. The lesson finishes with questions for students to talk about pay in their own countries.

In this dialogue-aided lesson plan, students learn key vocabulary used for appraising performance. The lesson rounds off with students doing a performance review in pairs.

In this lesson, students read an article about the phrases that they should avoid using in their careers. The worksheet includes a grammar exercise on should/shouldn't + infinitive for giving advice and expressing expectation. The lesson recycles some of the vocabulary covered in the worksheet Describing colleagues .

In this worksheet, students learn and practise vocabulary connected with finance. Activities cover key verbs and nouns, financial businesses, and banking collocations.

Students learn how to negotiate in English. The lesson plan includes a short negotiation dialogue and focuses on vocabulary, listening comprehension, and role play.

This is the business version of our grammar lesson plan First Conditional Review . The worksheet is suitable for classroom practice or homework.

In this lesson, students read about UK businessman Richard Branson's ideas. The worksheet includes a grammar exercise on defining relative clauses with 'who', 'which', 'that', 'whose' and 'where'.

In this audio-based lesson plan, students learn how to describe a procedure. The worksheet focuses on vocabulary, listening comprehension, and speaking practice.

In this business English version of our popular lesson filler 'Learning English', students learn how to say the letters of the alphabet, how to ask about the meaning and spelling of unfamiliar words and how to describe different parts of speech (nouns, verbs, prepositions, pronouns adverbs). There is a pairwork activity in which partners take turns to ask each other questions about the English terms for common items found in an office.

Students learn how to tell stories and anecdotes, including how to use linking words and phrases to connect different facts.

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Business Lesson Plans

Business skills bank, business top trumps.

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Practical materials from our expert authors, covering essential business skills such as emailing, meetings and presentations.

Business Top Trumps: An Introduction

Check out this original set of Business Top Trumps cards and twelve complete lesson plans and inject some fun into your Business English classes.

Business Top Trumps: Lesson 10—Setting personal goals

In this lesson, students can discuss setting and achieving work goals and what changes they can make to improve their performance.

Business Top Trumps: Lesson 11—Presentations

In this lesson, students learn different ways of starting and giving a presentation.

Business Top Trumps: Lesson 12—Making proposals

In this lesson, students learn about the language of corporate responsibility through future forms, conditionals, and modals.

All Business Top Trumps

Students gain an introduction to emailing and practise using the present continuous for arrangements.

Lesson Share: Business writing basics

Students review important elements of good business writing in English, especially for letters and emails.

Lesson Share: Henry Ford

A gap-fill activity to exchange information about the life of Henry Ford and to complete a text by asking questions.

All Business Skills Bank

Business Tasks

Business tasks: Success and failure

This lesson will equip students with some common expressions for talking about their successes and failures.

Work and responsibilities

A lesson to help students talk about jobs and what they involve and to talk about what people are responsible for in a company.

Adrian Doff introduces a new series of lesson plans specifically designed for teachers of English for business. This article provides an overview of the series, as well as hints and tips on how best to exploit it.

Progress and achievement

A lesson by Adrian Doff for students to practise using common expressions for talking about making progress and achieving something.

All Business Tasks

Live from London: Business

Professional Communication Skills: Leading Discussions

Use these interactive materials to deliver an online or face-to-face lesson on how to lead a discussion.

Live from London: Business — Meetings

Teach your students about the benefits of regular meetings while developing their Business English.

Live from London: Business—Negotiations

Watch authentic London office workers describe the ways to conduct successful negotiations and the skills good negotiators need. Now Interactive!

All Live from London: Business

Let's Talk Business

Let’s Talk Business: Management—Doing an MBA

Get your students talking about business qualifications and their value with this ready-to-go worksheet.

All Let's Talk Business

Business Basics

Business Basics: Socializing with clients

In this lesson by Rosemary Richey, students practise small talk about weather, hotels and travel. Exercises include: revising small talk vocabulary, ordering words to make questions, listening to small talk conversations in a business scenario and role-playing.

Business Basics: A job interview

In this lesson by Rosemary Richey, students practise basic language associated with job interviews. Exercises include: identifying vocabulary used in job adverts, listening to a job interview and completing the gaps, creating a CV and role-playing a job interview.

Business Basics: Office procedures

In this lesson by Rosemary Richey, students practise helping a new colleague with office procedures. Exercises include: identifying the correct modal verb, listening to an office conversation, giving advice and writing a set of office procedures.

All Business Basics

Business Spotlight

Business Spotlight: Your plan for 2020

By Karen Richardson

This lesson, based on an article from  Business Spotlight , offers 20 tips that can help everybody further their career. 

Business Spotlight: Your workplace’s best friend?

This lesson, based on an article from  Business Spotlight , is about taking pets into work.

Business Spotlight: Dress for success

This lesson, based on an article from  Business Spotlight , is about what we wear to work.

All Business Spotlight

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"I knew that if I failed, I wouldn't regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying." Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon

• September 20, 2022
• Business English
• No Comments

Home » Startups

Latest lesson plans

This Business English ESL lesson plan on startups and new businesses has been designed for business professionals or other adults and young adults at an intermediate (B1/B2) to advanced (C1/C2) level and should last around 45 to 60 minutes for one student.

Starting a new business is no easy task. Yet startups are possibly the single biggest factor that drives economic growth, and forward-thinking governments will do what they can to assist startups. Unfortunately, most startups are doomed to fail. Perhaps they couldn’t secure sufficient funding for their ambitious plans, maybe they couldn’t hire the right people, or maybe the market just wasn’t ready for their idea. In this Business English lesson plan on startups and new businesses, students will have the opportunity discuss and express their opinions on issues such as the challenges of starting a new business and what they need to do to succeed.

For advice on how to use this English lesson plan and other lesson plans on this site, see the guide for ESL teachers .

PRE-CLASS ACTIVITIES

Reading activity Before the English class, send the following article to the students and ask them to read it while making a list of any new vocabulary or phrases they find (explain any the students don’t understand in the class):

CB Insights | The Top 12 Reasons Startups Fail

The article looks at the most common reasons why startups fail, including running out of capital, flawed business models, and being outmuscled by competitors. At the start of the class, hold a brief discussion about what the students thought about the article. What do they think about the issues raised in the article? Do they agree with what was written? Can they think of any ways they can add to the content of the article?

Video activity To save time in class, the English teacher can ask the students to watch the video below at home. In the class, the students will answer a number of conversation questions directly or indirectly related to the content of the video.

The video for this class is a TED Talk called “The single biggest reason why start-ups succeed” which analyses successful and unsuccessful startups to see which factor determines this success the most.

IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES

The focus in the class is on conversation in order to help improve students’ fluency and confidence when speaking in English as well as boosting their vocabulary.

This lesson opens with a short discussion about the article the students read before the class. Next, the students can give their opinion on the quote at the beginning of the lesson plan – what they think the quote means, if they agree with it and how it could relate to business. This is followed by an initial discussion on the topic including famous startups, identifying niche markets, and which startups are most likely to succeed or fail.

After this, students will learn some vocabulary connected with startups such as business model , angel investor and crowdfunding . The vocabulary is accompanied by a cloze activity and a speaking activity to test the students’ comprehension of these words.

If the students didn’t watch the video before the class, they can watch it after the vocabulary section and answer the conversation questions. Before the conversation, ask the students to give a brief summary of the video and what they thought about the content.

Finally, there is a more in-depth conversation about startups. In this speaking activity, students will talk about issues such as the most profitable businesses to start, government assistance to startups, and raising capital.

After the class, students will write business model for a startup idea. The writing activity is designed to allow students to practise business-style writing as well as improving their grammar with the feedback from their teacher.

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6 Teaching Business English Lesson Plans for All Learner Levels

Krzl light nuñes.

• May 31, 2022

From learning corporate terms to mastering expressions for negotiating, Business English is brimming with topics on how students can thrive in the workplace. Teaching each concept, however, requires thorough planning and choosing the most effective materials and methods. Whether you’re new to teaching professionals or are a seasoned Business English teacher looking to design better classes, here are some teaching Business English lesson plans you can use for different types of learners.

Learn more about what teaching Business English entails.

Table of Contents

What are some tips for teaching Business English lessons?

Before you get started in mapping your Business English classes out, here are some pointers to keep in mind when specializing in this ELT niche :

• Make sure that you know your students’ backgrounds. Where do they work? What are they responsible for? How do they use English at work? Conduct a needs assessment before launching into your course.
• Get your learners comfortable before you start your lessons by using icebreakers , Business English games , and other warm-up activities .
• Provide vocabulary and practice activities that students will be able to use at their actual jobs. 
• Prioritize skills that your learners need at work. If they often meet with offshore clients, for example, business meeting phrases should be one of the first lessons you teach.
• Better define your lesson objectives and teaching strategies by making use of Bloom’s taxonomy , which classifies cognitive skills.

Consider these additional strategies, from the Bridge Specialized Certification in Teaching Business English course , when planning your overall curriculum, as well as your individual lesson plans:

Business English lessons for beginners

These free Business English lesson plans are great for professional students with a lower level of English. They can be used in both online and in-person classes.

Find out how to get a job teaching Business English.

Lesson plan #1: Types of companies

Lesson topic: Types of companies

Lesson objectives: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to describe different types of companies and say the products or services each one produces or provides.

• A physical or virtual whiteboard
• PowerPoint slides containing 10 logos of different companies and pictures of different types of companies

Lesson plan #2: Staying at a hotel

Lesson topic:  Staying at a hotel

Lesson objectives: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to make requests and ask for information in a hotel.

• PowerPoint slides containing a list of expressions for booking a room, checking in, and asking about hotel services
• An audio file or video of a hotel receptionist and guest ( like this one )

Business English lessons for intermediate learners

The following teaching Business English lesson plans are great for intermediate learners who already have a thorough understanding of basic English concepts.

Lesson plan #3: Modals of obligation, necessity, and prohibition

Lesson topic:  Modals of obligation, necessity, and prohibition

Lesson objectives: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to talk about the rules in their workplace using the modals of obligation, necessity, and prohibition.

• Handouts (or PowerPoint slides) of the some of the points from this article on company policies

Lesson plan #4: Making a request by email

Lesson topic:  Making a request by email

Lesson objectives : By the end of the lesson, students will be able to write a formal email to make a request.

• PowerPoint slides showing expressions for writing formal emails
• An example of a professional email chain

In a recent BridgeUniverse Expert Series webinar , panelists discussed how Business English teachers can tackle the topic of writing business emails with their students. For additional lesson plan ideas, check out what these experts had to say:

Business English lessons for advanced learners

Lastly, these teaching Business English lesson plans should ideally be used with advanced students who are looking to take their language skills to the ultimate level: fluency.

Lesson plan #5: Working with people from different cultures

Lesson topic: Working with people from different cultures

Lesson objectives : By the end of the lesson, students will be able to talk about their experiences working with people from other countries and give advice on cross-cultural work relationships.

• Handouts (or PowerPoint slides) of the article “10 Ways to Work Effectively Across Cultures”

If you’re struggling when it comes to incorporating classroom tasks like those outlined in these free Business English lesson plans, take a look at the following video from the Specialized Certification in Teaching Business English course . It offers tips for conducting task-based learning in a Business English classroom:

Lesson plan #6: Creative presentations

Lesson topic: Creative presentations

Lesson objectives: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to present a product, a service, or an idea creatively.

• Five different simple objects (a ball, a bag, etc.)
• Equipment to play a video

Teaching professional students is one of the most rewarding ELT niches to pursue, as these students are highly motivated individuals. With the right teaching Business English lesson plans, you can be sure you’re meeting stakeholder expectations and helping your students succeed.

Learn the 21st-century skills and tools you need to effectively teach English to professionals by earning Specialized Certification in Teaching Business English.

Back in her hometown in the Philippines, Krzl worked as a writer at a TV station before moving to Chile. After she completed her TESOL certification, she worked for language institutes and then decided to become an independent English teacher to business professionals. When she’s not giving classes, she’s either surfing along Chile’s long stretch of coastline, traveling, or practicing photography by the beach.

: ESL Business English Lesson Plans

B1: esl business english.

Try our TEFL business English lesson plans today. Explore a wide range of Business English topics including; writing emails, job interviews, marketing, presentations, management and more!

Why is Business English important?

Many ESL students require business English lesson to progress in their careers, or to get a new English speaking job. Therefore, it is important to deliver specific business English lessons that cover vocabulary and grammar that is used in business. Furthermore, these business English lesson plans present the perfect opportunity to talk about cultural and etiquette differences in the corporate world.

Is there a Business English curriculum?

Yes, all TEFL business English lesson plans are presented in a clear curriculum for all ESL Pals members. Our business English curriculum covers important business topics and vocabulary that all students need to know to be able to work in an English speaking environment. Our curriculum will save you 100s of hours of planning!

What business English topics are covered?

If your students are looking to improve in all aspects of business English, you have come to the right place! At ESL Pals , we use videos and articles to introduce and dissect interesting topics. Through these videos and articles, we uncover essential vocabulary and grammar, while using fun, engaging exercises to practice the four skills; reading, speaking, listening and writing.

What is included in these ESL business English lesson plans?

ESL Pals don’t just provide a single lesson plan to members. We provide our members with a student version and teacher; the teacher version contains answers and teaching advice. Furthermore, each ESL lesson plan contains homework which is related to the topic of lesson, meaning students can continue to study in their free time. All TEFL business English lesson plan are available to download in PDF format, and new ESL lesson plans are added weekly!

B2: ESL Business English

ESL Pals has detailed TEFL business English lesson plans. Business English lesson plans include; marketing, sales, retirement, sustainability + more!

What ESL business English topics are covered?

A wide range of business English topics are covered throughout this B2 intermediate level, and all topics are relevant to the English speaking corporate world. Whether your business students need help with; communication, interviews, productivity, giving feedback, marketing or sales we’ve got you covered.

What type of exercises are used in these ESL business English lessons?

If you are looking for fun, engaging TEFL business English lesson plans that will enable your students to progress, you have come to the right place! All TEFL lesson plans use a thought-provoking video or article to explore a relevant topic, with a grammar point linked to the topic at hand. ESL business students will learn all relevant vocabulary related to the topic, before practicing the four skills through a range of exercises such as; role plays, sentence completion, case studies, comprehension questions and much more!

Are there business English homework tasks given?

Yes, all TEFL business English lesson plans from ESL Pals contain detailed, topic-related homework tasks. For progression, it is crucial that all ESL students practice in their free time, therefore ESL Pals have provided homework tasks in all lessons. Furthermore, completed homework provide the perfect introductory warm-up task for the next lesson, making ESL Pals ’ business English curriculum flow seamlessly.

Can I try a free TEFL business English lesson plan before purchase?

C1: esl business english.

ESL Pals ' advanced business English lesson plans topics include; data, job interview practice + more! Try our TEFL business English lesson plans today!

Why should I buy an ESL Pals subscription?

If you want to spend less time planning and creating teaching materials, you have come to the right place! Here at ESL Pals , we have awesome TEFL business lesson plans ready to use, saving you endless hours of planning. Each lesson plan teaches all necessary vocabulary, through an interesting subject, ensuring your ESL business English students can flourish in the English speaking corporate world. With an ESL Pals , you can say goodbye to planning - we plan, you teach!

Is there a business English curriculum?

At ESL Pals , we have structed our advanced business English lesson plans into an easy-to-use ESL curriculum. This step-by-step guide allows your students to navigate through the tricky world of business English jargon and idioms with ease. Each class is equipped with fun, educational activities which allows them to practice to the four skills.

Are ESL business lesson plans downloadable?

Yes, just like our free lesson plans, all ESL business lesson plans are available to download in PDF format for members of the ESL Pals community. Once downloaded, members can use the lesson plans over and over again – save lots of time from planning! For each class, there are student and teacher versions available to download, and every lesson plan contains a detailed homework task.

How long are the business English lesson plans from ESL Pals ?

With an ESL Pals subscription, you will never have to create advanced business English teaching materials again, as each lesson is equipped with detailed exercises all linked to an engaging video or article. Our advanced business English lesson plans last an absolute minimum of 1 hour, with some lasting over 2 hours. The longer lesson plans are perfect to split over two classes, meaning you can solidify students’ understanding of particular topics.

Business User

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Copilot for Microsoft 365

Microsoft Copilot combines the power of large language models (LLMs) with your organization’s data – all in the flow of work – to turn your words into one of the most powerful productivity tools on the planet. It works alongside popular Microsoft 365 Apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and more. Copilot provides real-time intelligent assistance, enabling users to enhance their creativity, productivity, and skills.

Prepare for Copilot

This blog provides an overview of Copilot, shares technical details, and how you can prepare for it.

Learn how Copilot works

Get an inside look at how large language models (LLMs) work when you use them with your data in Microsoft 365.

Join the Copilot community

The Copilot community is your hub for the official blog, latest news, and discussions on Microsoft Copilot.

Resources by role

Find resources to deploy, use, and scale Copilot for you, your team, and your organization. Have a question? Join our Microsoft 365 Copilot community to meet others on the Copilot journey.

Adoption Manager

Copilot is designed to benefit everyone in an organization. From leaders to IT professional managers, Copilot offers features that streamline tasks, automate workflows, and enhance collaboration. Its adaptability means that it can be customized to meet the unique needs of any organization. The ability to extend its capabilities through plugins makes it a continually evolving asset that can adapt to the ever-changing landscape of business needs.

To  understand the vision for Microsoft 365 Copilot business,  we recommend starting  with  Satya Nadella’s announcement and  the resources below, then click through to see tailored resources for specific roles.

Get started with Microsoft 365 Copilot

Additional resources.

Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, believes that the advent of next-generation AI will revolutionize our work methods and usher in a new era of productivity growth.​ Microsoft 365 Copilot, is a tool that embodies this vision. It aims to enhance efficiency, foster innovation, and boost productivity within an organization. To understand the vision for Microsoft 365 Copilot business, we recommend starting with Satya Nadella’s announcement .

In addition, we have curated a selection of additional resources to assist users in discovering and implementing this game changing advancements in technology. ​

We are entering a new era of AI, one that is fundamentally changing how we relate to and benefit from technology. Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, believes that the advent of next-generation AI will revolutionize our work methods and usher in a new era of productivity growth. ​

Microsoft 365 Copilot is a tool that embodies this vision. It aims to enhance efficiency, foster innovation, and boost productivity within an organization. To  understand the vision for Microsoft 365 Copilot business,  we recommend starting  with  Satya Nadella’s announcement .​

In addition, we have curated a selection of additional resources to assist business  leaders in discovering and implementing this game changing advancements in  technology. ​

Driving adoption of Microsoft Copilot is both unique and just like the adoption of any technology. It is a human centric action, an ongoing user and stakeholder engagement process. We have modified the standard Microsoft 365 Adoption Framework for this project and included it below and in the full adoption kit. This is a starting point and can be customized to fit your organization’s methods for sharing new service with your team.

Additionally, utilize Microsoft 365 technology to drive the adoption by using our Center of Excellence (CoE) best practices to build your own community of practice for training, questions, support, and information improves the velocity of delivering user satisfaction.

We are entering a new era of AI, one that is fundamentally changing how we relate to and benefit from technology. IT Professionals and admins play a critical role in an organization’s ability to prepare for and leverage the power of AI.   ​

Check out our admin documentation to  find the most up-to-date information on technical requirements, policies, enabling users, and reporting.

In addition, here are several other resources that have been specifically selected to help IT Pros and admins start this exciting journey.

For developers, Microsoft 365 Copilot isn’t just a tool for personal productivity; it’s a platform that can be extended and customized to fit specific organizational needs. The ability to develop plugins for Copilot opens up a world of possibilities for enhancing its functionality. Whether it’s integrating with third-party services, automating complex workflows, or adding new features, developers have the freedom to tailor Copilot to better serve their teams and clients. This extensibility makes Copilot not just a tool, but a versatile framework that can evolve with the changing demands of modern software development.

Videos for getting started with Microsoft 365 Copilot

What’s new in copilot.

Last updated on November 9, 2023

Microsoft Copilot blog announcement

Bing chat enterprise and copilot pricing, transform sales with microsoft sales copilot, start using bing chat enterprise today, introducing copilot in microsoft stream, explore what’s possible with copilot.

Inviting Copilot into your day accelerates your ability to improve your productivity, create compelling content and unleash your creativity. Don’t just take our word for it. View our content below to understand the Art of the Possible.

Curious about the art and science of working AI ? Want to learn more about how AI will revolutionize work? WorkLab delves into the latest science and the most innovative thinking, from Microsoft and elsewhere, about how and why and where people work—and how leaders can guide the workplace into the future. Check out their guides , podcast , and more .

Build your prompt skills

Prompts are how you ask Microsoft 365 Copilot to do something for you — like creating, summarizing, editing, or transforming. Think about prompting like having a conversation, using plain but clear language and providing context like you would with an assistant.

Improve your productivity

Copilot for you

Writing prompts is how you ask Copilot to do things on your behalf. Our Copilot Lab experience will help you to find your Power Prompts – those phrases you share with Copilot that accelerate your productivity, freeing you from day to day tasks like summarizing meetings and helping you to prepare for your next important meeting.

Try these featured prompts

Remember to include specifics like a person’s name or a topic:

What's new?

Catch up on messages.

Summarize Teams messages from this week about topic

Summarize emails

Provide a detailed summary of my recent emails about topic

Share meeting notes

Draft an email with notes and action from meeting

What did they say?

What did person say about topic

Where was I mentioned?

Summarize emails where I was mentioned recently. Make it details, highlighting the sender and categorizing by topic

Create content

Copilot for your team

Copilot for your team is a powerful tool that helps you collaborate more effectively with your colleagues. Copilot works seamlessly with Microsoft 365 and other popular apps, so you can access your files and data easily. With Copilot, you can save time, improve quality, and boost productivity across your entire team.

Draft an email with notes and action items from meeting

Draft an FAQ

Create an FAQ based on file

Write an intro

Propose a new introduction to file

Generate ideas

List ideas for a fun remote team building event

Suggest 10 compelling taglines based on file

Help me write

Write an email to my team about our top priorities for next quarter from file

Community & Events

Join our community to ask questions in our forums and to connect with other community members. Watch this space for our future community calls to meet others using Microsoft 365 Copilot, as well as on-demand training, both of which will be coming soon. We can’t wait to hear what you are doing with Copilot alongside you in your day.

Join our next Ask Copilot Microsoft Anything (AMA) event on November 9, 9:00 AM PT.

Missed our previous copilot ask microsoft anything (ama) events.

More events coming soon.

Copilot in your favorite Microsoft apps

Microsoft 365 chat.

Combine the power of AI with your work data to unlock productivity and uplevel skills.

Copilot in Teams

Have more effective meetings, easily catch up on chats, and find information faster.

Copilot in Outlook

Start emails quickly, generate a summary, and catch up on long emails easily.

Copilot in Word

Start a draft, add to an existing document, rewrite text, or generate a summary.

Copilot in PowerPoint

Create beautiful presentations, organize and summarize presentations, and more.

Copilot in Excel

Go deeper with data, identify insights, generate formulas, and more.

Copilot in OneNote

Summarize your notes, create a to-do list, design a plan, and more.

Copilot in Loop

Plan, brainstorm, create, and collaborate easier to stay in sync.

Copilot in Whiteboard

Creating, organizing, and understanding ideas has never been easier.

Ask questions and share your experience with other customers on the Microsoft Tech Community.

Explore adoption resources for other products

Microsoft 365 copilot.

Microsoft Teams

Become a Champion

Join our Microsoft 365 Champion Program.

Provide on-demand training for employees.

Validate your skills

Become a Service Adoption Specialist.

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• Categories:
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AT&T announces creation of standalone managed Cybersecurity services business

On November 17, 2023 AT&T announced the creation of a new managed security services business backed by WillJam Ventures. Press release here .

Businesses of all types and sizes want to, and need to focus on innovation, growth, and transformation strategies. Meanwhile, the complexity of managing the evolving cybersecurity landscape continues to expand. Adversaries are determined, well-funded, and on a mission to disrupt businesses of all types and sizes.

As this complexity continues to mount, the task of operating internal security operations centers (SOCs) often becomes difficult for a business to manage. Organizations face staffing shortages, professional burnout, rising costs, and struggle to keep ahead of the unrelenting cyber risks.

To help tame complexity, many organizations are engaging with managed security services. This is exactly the venture’s mission – to help simplify security. It will help manage the risk while our clients reap the rewards.

This new venture will help our clients:

• Secure their business intelligence through experienced advisors.
• Predict their security investments by driving efficiency into security operations.
• Mitigate risk and focus on innovation as an experienced and vigilant managed security services provider.

Both AT&T and WillJam Ventures are committed to investing in excellence and serving your security needs as our valued clients. I look forward to sharing more information about these exciting changes in the coming months.

Sundhar Annamalai, President AT&T Cybersecurity

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Insights Report

2023 AT&T Cybersecurity Insights Report: Edge Ecosystem

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Speaker Johnson adopted the right’s plan. Here’s why they oppose it now.

House conservatives have turned against their own proposal to keep the government open.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) faces a rebellion on his right-flank for advancing a plan to end the government shutdown that was originally hatched by the same conservative faction that now opposes it.

On Monday night, GOP leaders announced that they will need to rely on Democratic votes to approve a proposal to keep the government funded, reflecting the growing number of far-right lawmakers who said they would refuse to help Johnson advance the legislation.

Johnson’s plan, pitched this weekend to the GOP caucus, was intended to give conservatives greater leverage in future fights over federal spending. Adopting an idea pitched by Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, Johnson’s proposal sets up two deadlines for when different parts of the government would run out of money, which was intended to give Republicans more chances to cut spending in January and February.

Under Johnson’s plan , Congress would fund roughly 20 percent of government agencies at their current levels through Jan. 19. His bill would then fund the other 80 percent of agencies through Feb. 2, also at current funding levels. (These numbers exclude automatic funding for programs like Social Security and Medicare.) At least in theory, that would require Congress to take up funding the government in two distinct steps this winter, which is why some lawmakers refer to Johnson’s bill as a “laddered” or “bifurcated” plan.

This move to split up fights over government funding might seem a procedural matter of little real-world consequence. But Johnson has hoped it could prove a real victory for conservatives. Right-wing lawmakers have long complained that Republican leadership often works with Democrats to jam through huge spending bills right before the Christmas recess , when lawmakers are itching to go home, instead of voting on each part of the government separately. (The federal government is technically funded through 12 different appropriations bills, but when it can’t pass each one individually, Congress typically packages these together in what is called an “omnibus.”)

House GOP proposes two-step plan to fund government, raising shutdown risk

Johnson argues his approach puts an end to that tradition. If Johnson’s plan can pass this week, then Republicans can later dig in to insist on cuts to federal programs without the risk that they’d be blamed for shutting down the whole government. Such a maneuver aims to also ensure that other divisive issues for Republicans, such as funding for Ukraine and natural disaster relief, are settled piecemeal rather than as part of one giant deal. Congress has until 12:01 a.m. on Saturday to avert a shutdown.

But that step has not been enough to bring House conservatives on board. That impasse is forcing Johnson to reach across the aisle to keep the government open. Doing so is what led conservatives to force out former speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), though Johnson’s speakership does not seem imperiled for now.

Government shutdown updates

House conservatives have emphasized their frustration that the proposal does not cut spending, even if it sets them up in a better position to do so next time.

“It continues to perpetuate the very system my constituents sent me to oppose. They don’t want me to continue spending money we don’t have,” said Rep. Chip Roy (R-Tex.), a top conservative leader. “The bifurcation doesn’t change that.”

Rep. Andrew Ogles (R-Tenn.), a member of the House Freedom Caucus who sounded ambivalent about the plan, also told reporters: “I just think it’s status quo, business as usual. I didn’t come here to support the status quo caucus.”

New speaker Mike Johnson faces first test as government shutdown looms

Johnson has defended his plan as a major victory for the right.

In a memo to fellow Republicans circulated on Saturday, House GOP leadership argued the plan will “finally change the long-established, awful dynamics of government funding.” The memo also maintained Johnson’s plan will prevent the House from being jammed by a Senate package tying aid to Ukraine and Israel to keeping the government funded.

“The Senate jams the House right before the Christmas holiday with a giant bill that’s thousands of pages long and which few people have read … That is no way to run a railroad. This innovation — this ‘laddered CR’ we’re doing — prevents that from happening,” Johnson said on CNBC on Tuesday.

Johnson’s first moves show he’ll stick with House GOP hard-liners

Under Johnson’s proposal, Congress would agree to fund programs typically prioritized by Democrats — including the Food and Drug Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Transportation Department, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and more — until the earlier Jan. 19 deadline. The rest of the budget — including funding for the Labor Department, Department of Homeland Security, Defense Department and more — would expire in February, and, in theory, Congress wouldn’t get into debating the second batch until the first tranche is settled.

Some Democrats have said the proposal is a recipe for government dysfunction, while top conservatives have argued Johnson’s plan does not go far enough because it does not include any spending cuts.

Some critics have pointed out that it could prove impossible for lawmakers to come to an agreement on funding for the first set of programs without knowing what the overall federal budget will be. House Republicans have failed to coalesce on that number, other than demanding it be lower than the agreement reached by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and President Biden during the debt ceiling standoff this May.

‘You don’t have another option’: Inside the Biden, McCarthy debt ceiling deal

Bobby Kogan, a budget analyst at the Center for American Progress, a center-left think tank, said on X that the plan will “dramatically increase” the odds of a shutdown, because Congress will face less pressure to act on the less politically salient programs.

“I don’t understand this Jan. 19, and this February 2. That, in my view, doubles the opportunity for a shutdown,” said Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee. “There’s no allocation per subcommittee, which is the way we function.”

Marianna Sotomayor and Leigh Ann Caldwell contributed to this report.

Government shutdown: What to know

The latest: The Senate passed a bill to avert a government shutdown , sending it to President Biden’s desk days before the Saturday deadline. The bill would fund some government departments until mid-January and the rest through early February.

The votes: Here’s how each member of the House and Senate voted on the stopgap bill to avoid a shutdown.

What would be affected in a shutdown? When funding lapses, many government workers are furloughed until their agencies reopen. Certain federal workers — mostly those involved in national security or vital economic activity — continue working unpaid. Our roundup details what would happen in a shutdown .

History of shutdowns: Which president had the most shutdowns? Here’s a look at the shortest and longest government shutdowns in U.S. history.