Tag: business and business english

Ways To Drive Traffic To Your Website

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Almost everyone in the world is on the world wide web nowadays. Doing business online has never been more important for businesses in offering their products and services and for reaching out to their target markets.

Read the article below and be ready to answer the questions that follow.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertadams/2017/04/10/23-proven-ways-to-drive-traffic-to-your-website/?sh=668d84ec2654

Discussion Questions:
1. What do you think of Jeff’s idea to compete against yourself? Do you think this would work?
2. What are the benefits and drawbacks for a business to go online?
3. Does your company do business over the internet?
4. What features do you look for in a website when doing some transactions?
5. How do online businesses make the market competitive?

What Is Branding

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The businessdictionary.com defines “branding” as “the process involved in creating a unique name and image for a product in the consumers’ mind, mainly through advertising campaigns”.

Watch this video explaining what branding is in a nutshell.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What did you learn about branding from the video?
  2. What are ways to build a strong corporate identity?
  3. How do you think branding has changed because of social media and the internet?
  4. What is your company’s branding like? How can it be improved?
  5. Name some companies you think has the best and the worst branding. Describe their brand and explain why you find it impressive or otherwise.

Giving Employees an Ownership Stake

C1 – Advanced

Employees of Chobani learned that they are getting ownership stake that could make them millionaires. They are getting shares worth up to 10 percent of the company when it goes public or is sold. Hamdi Ulukaya, the CEO, believes it’s just right to give the wealth back to his workers who have helped him build this company that is already several billion dollars worth.

Watch the video below to find out more.

http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/chobani-ceo-giving-employees-an-ownership-stake-in-yogurt-empire-674292291768

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think of Hamdi Ulukaya’s gesture? If you were him, would you do the same thing?
2. What are things that can transform business to a higher level?
3. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of being your own boss?
4. Have you ever thought of starting a business?

The Rise of Alternative Funerals

B2 – Upper Intermediate

In most countries, planning your funeral is something not often talked about. But a new generation of entrepreneurs are encouraging people to be more open and comfortable about it.

Click on the title below to read more about the business of death and how businesspersons are breathing new life into it. Be prepared to discuss words and expressions.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-35235590

Discussion Questions:

1. Describe the different funeral business featured in the article and what they offer.
2. What is your general opinion of a less traditional funeral?
3. Why do you think this business is starting to pick-up in the UK?
4. What is the advantage of having an alternative type of funeral?

Barbie the Most Famous Doll in the World

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The Barbie doll has always been an iconic toy. It’s  famous throughout the globe. During the past decades, Barbie doll has undergone through many developments in terms of its appearance. But recently, another toy company has produced a doll that also captures the eyes of children.

Read this lesson about Barbie, the most famous doll, turning 50.

http://www.english-online.at/hobbies/barbie/barbie-famous-doll-at-50.htm

Discussion Questions:

1. Was the Barbie doll famous during your time? How about now?
2. What are some of the popular toys that became part of your childhood?
3. What can guarantee the popularity of a certain toy or merchandise?
4. What kind of toys are good for children?

Business Ethics on the Job

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Ethics is all about doing the the moral or right thing and making sure that you know how your decisions will affect others. It is a very important to uphold some ethics when doing business.

For this activity, you will be able to know words and phrases used when dealing with business ethics. Be ready to answer some discussion questions.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the purpose of business, in your opinion? Is it just to make money?
  2. Are some jobs more ethical than others? Explain.
  3. What examples can you give of businesses behaving badly?
  4. What ethical issues does the industry you work in face?
  5. Why do you think companies are becoming more interested in corporate responsibility?
  6. What can employees do to try to change the behaviour of businesses that are behaving unethically?

South Korean Government Made K-Pop a Thing

B2 – Upper Intermediate

K-pop or Korean pop music is big in Asia and is now spreading to some European countries. But, in South Korea, K-pop is more than just music. Read the article below and discover how the government of South Korea treats their music industry.

This resource includes an audio clip so feel free to listen to the audio as well.

https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/04/13/399414351/how-the-south-korean-government-made-k-pop-a-thing

Discussion Questions:

1. Are you familiar with K-pop? Describe the music industry in your country.
2. Who are some of the very famous musicians in your country? Talk about your preferences in music.
3. Talk about some of the industries in your country that are doing very well or are being taken care of by the government.

Successful 20-year-old Owns a Chinese Factory

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Take a peek into the life of a young and successful man who started creating his products when he was 11 and now owns a factory in China:

https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/20-old-brooklyn-successful-owns-133159062.html

Discussion Questions:

1. What were you doing when you were 20?
2. What do you think are the perks and pitfalls of being a young millionaire?
3. Are there many start up businesses in your city run and managed by young entrepreneurs?
4. If you became a multimillionaire, how would you manage your wealth?

Lego Ends Ties with Shell

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Lego had a partnership with Shell and made toys that had Shell logo on them. There were over a million people who emailed Lego asking it to end its deal with Shell that brought pressure to finally end its contract with the oil company.

Read the article about Lego ending its tie-up with Shell.

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1410/141012-lego.html

Discussion Questions:

  1. Give your opinion about Greenpeace’s move to pressure Lego from ending their contract with Shell.
  2. Do you think that parents have a responsibility in choosing the right toys to educate their children about preserving the environment?
  3. Are there specific projects to tackle environmental issues in your country? Talk about some that you know of.

PepsiCo CEO Indra K. Nooyi Women Can’t Have It All

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Being a women and a CEO of one of the world’s top companies might not be a walk in the park for anybody. But we’ve watch a lot of boss ladies successfully conquer both family and work life.

Watch the interview of Indra K. Nooyi and why she said, “Women can’t have it all.”

Discussion Questions:

  1. How would you react to your mother if you were Indra?
  2. Do you agree or disagree that women can’t have it all? Explain.
  3. If you are/were a working parent, what do you think would be your coping mechanisms in being a good parent and at the same time, the best employee/boss at your company?
  4. Share your thoughts on this statement, “The biological clock and the career clock are in total conflict with each other.“