The world\u2019s only getting more connected every day, and for professionals in emerging markets, learning English is the key to international business opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s no surprise then that the business English training market is worth an estimated $19.5 billion<\/a> and is only expected to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you teach business English online, how do you ensure that you help your students from developing countries as best as possible? Here are 10 strategies to make your teaching more effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A good teacher meets students where they\u2019re at. It\u2019s crucial to assess your students\u2019 needs in order to determine the best way to teach them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conduct a needs analysis <\/strong>by asking your learners:<\/p>\n\n\n\n From here, you can develop a tailored curriculum rooted in their real-world needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Curricula and lesson plans must also be scaffolded \u2013 designed in a way that meets students where they\u2019re at and builds them up gradually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As much as possible, give learners a real business task to complete (e.g., draft an email, role-play a client call) \u2013 you can then generalize grammar\/phrases from their output. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Do not rely solely on language learning textbooks (even ones specifically for business English). Make sure to incorporate actual business documents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Show them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The more learners are exposed to actual real-life examples of business English, the easier it becomes for them to apply it in their daily tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Compared to a general approach to learning English, Business English cares less about obscure grammar or rare sentence constructions and instead focuses on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, it\u2019s critical to expose them to common phrases and abbreviations used in professional settings, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can start with 8-10 new lexical items per session \u2013 and make sure to recycle them in different contexts (writing, speaking, reading) so they internalize them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While reading and writing are most definitely also important, speaking practice<\/strong> is what truly builds confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make students simulate and role-play meetings, calls, negotiations, and presentations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Start by providing a model dialogue, then let students make it their own by changing names, figures, and even the context of the dialogue. Then swap roles and repeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Online classes offer a rich toolkit for learning, but some learners from developing regions might face connectivity constraints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As such, be prepared to host audio-only conferences, compress videos, and have plan B materials (like downloadable PDFs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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