This exercise focuses on students' abilities to both present and evaluate information. Divide the class in half, with one side as the committee and the other as presenters. Depending on your students' particular needs, choose a product or service they must present for the committee to consider investing in. For example, a student in the fashion industry could write a short presentation on her new line of swimwear, while another student in the IT field could present an idea for a new computer application. Give the class time (about 15 to 30 minutes) to prepare, with the presenters writing a one-page summary of the product and the committee preparing a set of questions for each presenter. Students take five minutes to each present their product, followed by five minutes of questions from the committee. Afterwards, the committee must decide whether or not to invest in the student's product and why.
Most business professionals must have the ability to analyze charts and graphs, which requires knowledge of specific words and phrases. Rather than simply memorize the definitions, use this to create a practical exercise. Prepare a few different charts and graphs for students, such as those found on BogglesWorld ESL (see References). Explain how to read the graph, then ask students specific questions about the graph. For example: "How did profits in week two compare to week one?" Elicit a response that includes the proper vocabulary, such as "peaked," "rose," or "dropped." When students are comfortable with this exercise, have them draw a graph then fill it in based on your description to work on their listening comprehension skills.
Business ESL students must learn to have confidence speaking and hearing English on the phone, which is a challenge as watching lips and facial expressions is often a crutch when learning a language. Prepare a few short phone call prompts on flashcards, such as "Can you work on Saturday?" and "When will you send that fax?" Have one student at a time come to the front of the room and sit at your desk facing away from the class. Choose another student to "call" the first (say "Ring!" and wait for the first student to answer). Hand the calling student a flashcard and encourage a role play phone call. The first student must ask to speak to three other students by name during his time, encouraging the use of phrases like "may I please speak to" and "hold on." These students can each ask a question based on your prompts. Rotate until each student has had a turn at the front of the room.