Lesson 1: Business Trip

Type of class: English practice.
Age of student: 17-18 (first year student level B1)
General Topic: Business Trip
Goals of the class: to develop listeting and speaking skills
Goals of the activity: working in group




1. Warming up

Good day!

I’m glad to see you! Take your seats!

What date is it today?

What day is it today?

What was your home task for today?

Business trips are just part of doing business. A company tries to choose only its best people to represent it . 

How do you think why?

To be the best you should be ready to discuss different points of a contract to your business partners. So today we are going to make acquaintance to Mr. Calder, a successful American businessman. We should help him, but to do it, we should learn new words first of all.

2. Tasks

a) Read the text.

Mr. Calder is a successful American businessman. He has been in business for about 13 years. His company produces good equipment. The equipment is sold well in his own country. But he needs more customers. He has an idea. Why not sell his equipment abroad? He began to look for new customers in foreign markets. He knows that it may take him months or years to become a successful exporter. He decided to go to Russia to get export orders.

Mr. Calder believes that one of the best preparations for a trip is reading magazines about the country to which he intends to go. He learned a lot about the Russian economy, the country’s trade, the main suppliers, customers, customs and traditions of the people.

Before he left for Russia he had contacted the commercial representatives of his country in Russia to get some information about the market and import duties.

His secretary booked tickets, a room at a hotel and made some business appointments for her boss.

Mr. Calder is an experienced businessman and he hasn’t forgotten to get letters of introduction, lots of business cards and pictures of the equipment and his plant.

Mr. Calder has arrived in Omsk to discuss some business matters with the people of the plant. The company is interested in buying Mr. Calder’s equipment.

Mr. Belov, a representative of the plant, phone him.

Belov: Good morning Mr. Calder, glad to know you are in Omsk at last. Did you have a good trip?

Calder: Oh, yes. Thank you. Everything was all right.

B: Is it your first visit to Omsk?

C: Yes, it is.

B: Oh, I’m sure Omsk will impress you greatly. There are many places of interest here and you’ll enjoy sightseeing I think. I’m sure, I will. Thank you. And now I’d like to discuss with you some points of the contract.

C: I think it’s better for us to make an appointment.

B: Absolutely agree with you. Could I meet you on Monday?

C: Oh, I’m very busy on Monday. How about Wednesday morning at 10 o’clock?

B: Good. See you on Wednesday. Good bye!

b) Complete the sentences from the text.

1.     Mr. Calder is ...

2.     He has been in business for about ...

3.     His company produces ...

4.     He began to look for ...

5.     He decided to go to ...

6.     Mr. Calder believes that one of the best preparations for a trip is ...

7.     He learned a lot about ...

8.     His secretary booked ...

9.     The company is interested in...

10.  Mr. Belov is ...

11.  C: Oh, I’m very busy on ... How about Wednesday morning at …?

c) Watch the video 'How to pack for a business trip' and make the tips:

3. Home Assigment