Tag: Business English

The Pecking Order

B2 – Upper Intermediate

By definition, hierarchy is a way of organizing people, in which people or groups are ranked one above the other according to status or authority. When is hierarchy bad and when is it not?

Let’s listen to know the answer and learn how chickens’ pecking order work as well.

Discussion Questions:
1. What did you learn from the chickens’ pecking order?
2. According to the audio, what is the best hierarchy? (Do you agree?)
3. When is hierarchy bad?
4. Talk about your workplace pecking order.

A Movie on Incentives

C1 – Advanced

We are offered a lot of carrots to motivate us to be at our best in everything we do. The most popular of which is monetary incentives. The best performers get rewarded with cash. Thus, this became a pattern for most to achieve more productivity.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you think money is a good motivator?
  2. How well do rewards and incentives motivate you?
  3. Do you think extrinsic motivation creates a lasting change to your commitment or values?
  4. How would you like to be motivated?
  5. What do you think are some positive and negative effects of incentives on people?

How Buffet Restaurants Make Money

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Buffet restaurants typically offer all-you-can-eat (AYCE) food for a fixed price.

The good thing about buffet themes is that the customers can immediately see all the food being served and then choose which dishes they prefer to eat. They can also control how much food they put on their plates.

This dining style is usual in events like business conventions or big parties.

Watch the video below and find out how this kind of restaurants make profits.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Talk about the tricks buffet restaurants apply to make money.
  2. What are your thoughts on this type of restaurants?
  3. Have you ever experienced going to a buffet restaurant? Share about it.
  4. How can you get the most out of a buffet?
  5. Talk about your favorite restaurant and its strategy on getting people in the door.

Work Friends

B2 – Upper Intermediate

We spend so much of our time working. It is quite unhealthy not to be happy where you work.

Watch as author Annie McKee tells us why it’s important to have friends at work and why getting too personal can sometimes be a problem too.

Discussion Questions:
1. What’s the importance of having a work buddy?
2. Do you think it is wise to be too personal with your colleagues?
3. Talk about your work best friend.

Samsung Pays After Worker Deaths

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Samsung is one of the world’s largest producers of electronic devices. In the latest news, the company has agreed to compensate  workers who had fallen ill and died from on-the-job chemical exposure at its South Korean factories after protests at various Samsung sites to pressure the company into the deal.

Click the link to read more about the article:

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-46060376

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think Samsung will stand by its promise to compensate its employees?

2. What are the health effects of chemical exposure?

3. What safety measures should companies have for their employees who are working in a hazardous environment?

4. How can companies replace hazardous chemicals to safer alternatives?

5. Name some companies which has workplace hazards. How can they improve?

 

Pricing Effect

B2 – Upper Intermediate

More often than not, people always shop for value. Is the price a signal for value? Do you have some hints to tell if something is more valuable than the other but why does a higher price tag make wine taste better?

Let’s check out the video and see what’s going on inside our brains when we see the tag:

Discussion Questions:
1. Tell something about the experiment.
2. What Kind of buyer are you?
3. What do you consider when shopping? How do you decide?
4. Can you set apart an expensive wine from a cheap one?

What is Good Business?

C1 – Advanced

Often times, we have this notion that most corporations operate in unjust and corrupt ways. Are there ways to make any business good?

Watch the video below to learn about the six things needed in achieving not only a profitable business culture but also one that is ethical.

Discussion Questions:
1. Talk about the six things that make a good business.
2. Think of other things that are necessary in order to have a good business.
3. Talk about some good companies in your country.
4. Imagine putting up your own business, what would it be and why? Talk about details of your dream business.
5. Would you prefer to be a robber baron or make a bit of cash doing good things?

Give All Tips to Staff

B1 – Intermediate

Waiting tables is one of those jobs that pay too little. A lot of waiters who work in restaurants depend on tips for more salary.

However, not all restaurants give the full amount of tips collected to their waiters.

Read the article below about a new law that obliges restaurant owners to give all the tips to their waiting staff.

https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1810/181004-tipping-1.html

Vocabulary Questions:

  1. What does “tip” mean, “UK restaurants will soon have to give all tips to their staff.”? Give a synonym and use the word ‘tip’ in a sentence.
  2. What does “staff” mean, “Many waiting staff are happy with the new law.”? Give a synonym and use the word ‘staff’ in a sentence.
  3. What does “to be fed up with sb/sth” mean, “They are fed up with chain restaurants keeping their tips.”? Use this expression in a sentence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you agree with this new law? Do you think it is necessary to have this law?
  2. What is your opinion on restaurants not giving the tips to their staff?
  3. Do you need to tip waiters in your country? Why or why not?
  4. What are some low-paying jobs in your country?
  5. How can we make sure all workers are treated fairly by their employers?

Why Louboutin Shoes Are So Expensive

B2 – Upper Intermediate

Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton are some very famous designer brands. For the average shopper, just an item or two from any of these high-end products can cost an entire month’s salary or even more.

What makes a designer piece different from the rest? And what makes it so desirable that some people are willing to pay ridiculous sums in order to attain one?

Try to learn more from this video, which takes a look at the world of Christian Louboutin, an iconic shoe designer.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Explain why Louboutin shoes are so expensive.
  2. Do you think designer pieces are worth their hefty price tags? Why or why not?
  3. “When it all comes down to it, people are paying for the status symbol.” Share your thoughts on this.
  4. Would you pay for a pair of shoes for $1000+? Why or why not?

Personality Types

B2 – Upper intermediate

In the world of business and even in our day to day interactions, we will meet with and talk to people with different personalities. Understanding other people’s personality traits can completely transform your communication skills with others in any setting.

Learn about the four personality traits in the video below.

Discussion Questions:

1. Explain the four personality types and how to deal with them in a business transaction.

2. What personality do you think you have?

3. What personality type/s do most of your clients have?

4. How can we de-escalate or resolve personality clashes with a friend, family, and co-worker?