Business Communication- Pairwork Correction Game

Business communication pairwork correction game

Student A

Without showing your worksheet to your partner, try to work out whose version of each phrase below is the correct one and change the wrong version.

Meeting people/ Starting face to face conversations

Is this seat free?

Can I introduce me?

You must be John.

 

Starting telephone calls

Good morning. ABC Corp. Alex Case is speaking. How may I help you?

Hi John. This is Alex.

I’m calling about the marketing plan.

Please put me through to Jane Doe.

 

Small talk/ Social language at the start of conversations

How is your flight?

Did you have any troubles finding us?

How’s it going?

How’s business?

What time is it now over there in New York?

 

Starting emails

Thanks for your emailing.

I’m writing to you about our meeting next week.

 

Starting presentations

The tema of my presentation is…

If you have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them at the end.

 

Ending small talk/ Getting down to business

By the way, we have to leave this room at six, so shall we get started?

 

Requests

Please send me some information on…

 

Talking about documents

If you see page 73,…

Please find the agenda attached.

 

Moving on/ Changing topics

Let’s move on the next point on the agenda.

 

Turn taking (interrupting, etc)

John, what do you think about that?

Of course. Please go ahead.

 

Dictation/ Taking and leaving messages

I’m afraid but she’s away from her desk. Can I take a message?

Yes, please. Can you ask him to call me back?

Just moment while I write that down.

 

Checking/ Clarifying/ Dealing with communication problems

Sorry, I can’t hear you very well. Can you speak a little more louder?

 

Making arrangements (fixing meetings, etc)

I’d like to meet next week, if you are available.

I’d love to come, but unfortunately I’m flying to America on that day.

 

Apologising/ Dealing with complaints/ Giving bad news

I’d like to apologies for any inconvenience caused.

 

Asking for information/ Enquiries

I’d also like an information about…

Last of all, I was wondering if you could tell me…

 

Checking that you have finished

Is there anything other we need to discuss?

We seem to covered everything.

 

Finishing conversations

I have to speak to a few more people, but I’d love to hear more about your company. Do you have business card?

 

Ending telephone calls

Thanks for calling.

 

Ending emails

If you need any more information, please hesitate to contact me.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

 

Small talk/ Social language at the end

Do you have any plan for the weekend?

It was a pleasure to meet you.

Mentioning future contact

Let’s speak again in two weeks.

See you next week.

Hint: There should be the same number of mistakes and therefore the same number of corrections on each worksheet (21 on Student A’s worksheet and 21 on Student B’s).

Student B

Without showing your worksheet to your partner, try to work out whose version of each phrase below is the correct one and change the wrong version.

Meeting people/ Starting face to face conversations

Is this chair free?

Can I introduce myself?

You must John.

 

Starting telephone calls

Good morning. ABC Corp. Alex Case speaking. How may I help you?

Hi John. I’m Alex.

I call about the marketing plan.

Can you put me through to Jane Doe?

 

Small talk/ Social language at the start of conversations

How was your flight?

Did you have any trouble finding us?

How’s going?

How’s your business?

What time is there now in New York?

 

Starting emails

Thanks for your email.

I write to you about our meeting next week.

 

Starting presentations

The topic of my presentation is…

If you have any question, I’ll be happy to answer them at the end.

 

Ending small talk/ Getting down to business

Anyway, we have to leave this room at six, so shall we get started?

 

Requests

Can you send me some information on…?

 

Talking about documents

If you look at page 73,…

Please see the agenda attached.

 

Moving on/ Changing topics

Let’s move on to the next point on the agenda.

 

Turn taking (interrupting, etc)

John, how do you think about that?

Of course. Please.

 

Dictation/ Taking and leaving messages

I’m afraid she’s away from her desk. Can I take a message?

Yes, please. Can you tell him to call me back?

Just a moment while I write that down.

 

Checking/ Clarifying/ Dealing with communication problems

Sorry, I can’t hear you very well. Can you speak a little more loudly?

 

Making arrangements (fixing meetings, etc)

I’d like to meet next week, if you are convenient.

I’d love to come, but unfortunately I will fly to America on that day.

 

Apologising/ Dealing with complaints/ Giving bad news

I’d like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

 

Asking for information/ Enquiries

I’d also like some information about…

At last, I was wondering if you could tell me…

 

Checking that you have finished

Is there anything else we need to discuss?

We seem to have covered everything.

 

Finishing conversations

I have to speak to a few more people, but I’d love to hear more about your company. Do you have a business card?

 

Ending telephone calls

Thanks for your calling.

 

Ending emails

If you need any more information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I’m looking forward to hear from you.

 

Small talk/ Social language at the end

Do you have any plans for the weekend?

I was a pleasure to meet you.

Mentioning future contact

Let’s speak again two weeks after.

See you at next week.

Hint: There should be the same number of mistakes and therefore the same number of corrections on each worksheet (21 on Student A’s worksheet and 21 on Student B’s).

All errors stage

Without looking above, work together to correct all the mistakes below.

Meeting people/ Starting face to face conversations

Is this chair free?

Can I introduce me?

You must John.

 

Starting telephone calls

Good morning. ABC Corp. Alex Case is speaking. How may I help you?

Hi John. I’m Alex.

I call about the marketing plan.

Please put me through to Jane Doe.

 

Small talk/ Social language at the start of conversations

How is your flight?

Did you have any troubles finding us?

How’s going?

How’s your business?

What time is there now in New York?

 

Starting emails

Thanks for your emailing.

I write to you about our meeting next week.

 

Starting presentations

The tema of my presentation is…

If you have any question, I’ll be happy to answer them at the end.

 

Ending small talk/ Getting down to business

By the way, we have to leave this room at six, so shall we get started?

 

Requests

Please send me some information on…

 

Talking about documents

If you see page 73,…

Please see the agenda attached.

 

Moving on/ Changing topics

Let’s move on the next point on the agenda.

 

Turn taking (interrupting, etc)

John, how do you think about that?

Of course. Please.

 

Dictation/ Taking and leaving messages

I’m afraid but she’s away from her desk. Can I take a message?

Yes, please. Can you tell him to call me back?

Just moment while I write that down.

 

Checking/ Clarifying/ Dealing with communication problems

Sorry, I can’t hear you very well. Can you speak a little more louder?

 

Making arrangements (fixing meetings, etc)

I’d like to meet next week, if you are convenient.

I’d love to come, but unfortunately I will fly to America on that day.

 

Apologising/ Dealing with complaints/ Giving bad news

I’d like to apologies for any inconvenience caused.

 

Asking for information/ Enquiries

I’d also like an information about…

At last, I was wondering if you could tell me…

 

Checking that you have finished

Is there anything other we need to discuss?

We seem to covered everything.

 

Finishing conversations

I have to speak to a few more people, but I’d love to hear more about your company. Do you have business card?

 

Ending telephone calls

Thanks for your calling.

 

Ending emails

If you need any more information, please hesitate to contact me.

I’m looking forward to hear from you.

 

Small talk/ Social language at the end

Do you have any plan for the weekend?

I was a pleasure to meet you.

Mentioning future contact

Let’s speak again two weeks after.

See you at next week.

 

Check with your corrected versions of the original worksheets.

Part Two: Adding errors game 

Student A

Choose one of the functions below, tell your partner which one you chose, and then say the sentence there but changed to have some kind of error in it. Make sure that it is actually an error, not just a different correct sentence.

Possible errors to add:

Take out one or more words                                   Add one or more words

Change one or more words                      Change the word order (= Mix up the words)

Make the sentence very rude                                 Change the function

If they can’t correct the mistake, give them hints such as which of the problem above you have given to the sentence.

 

Meeting people/ Starting conversations

Is this the right place for the new English course?

 

Small talk/ Social language at the start

How’s work?

 

Starting teleconferences

How is the weather over there now?

 

Starting telephone calls

Good morning. ABC Limited. Alex Case speaking. How can I help you?

 

Starting emails

Thanks for your quick reply.

 

Starting presentations

Thanks for coming to this presentation so early in the morning.

 

Ending small talk/ Getting down to business

Well then, I’d love to chat more, but we have a lot to get through today, so shall we make a start?

 

Requests

Could you possibly give me a hand with this document?

 

Talking about documents

Let’s turn to the second paragraph on page 73.

 

Moving on/ Changing topics

Turning to the next topic, we also need to look at…

 

Turn taking (interrupting, etc)

Sorry, can I come in here?

 

Asking people to wait

Just a second while I check.

 

Dictation/ Taking and leaving messages

I’m sorry, she’s on another line. Would you like me to take a message?

 

Checking/ Clarifying/ Dealing with communication problems

Sorry, I couldn’t catch the last thing that you said. Could you say it again?

 

Making arrangements (fixing meetings, etc)

That would be great. See you then.

 

Apologising/ Dealing with complaints/ Giving bad news

Please accept our apologies for the problems with the delivery.

 

Asking for information/ Enquiries

My last question is about the guarantee.

 

Ending presentations (Q&A, etc)

So, that brings me to the end of my presentation.

 

Summarising

To sum up what we have agreed,…

 

Checking that you have finished

Is there anything else that we need to talk about?

 

Finishing conversations

It was really nice to meet you.

 

Ending telephone calls

Speak to you then.

 

Ending emails

If you have any more questions, please let me know.

 

Ending meetings

Well, I’m afraid I have to go to another meeting.

 

Small talk at the end/ Social language at the end

Have you finished for today?

 

Mentioning the next contact between you

Are you free to meet again next week?

 

Student B

Choose one of the functions below, tell your partner which one you chose, and then say the sentence there but changed to have some kind of error in it. Make sure that it is actually an error, not just a different correct sentence.

Possible errors to add:

Take out one or more words                                   Add one or more words

Change one or more words                      Change the word order (= Mix up the words)

Make the sentence very rude                                 Change the function

If they can’t correct the mistake, give them hints such as which of the problem above you have given to the sentence.

 

Meeting people/ Starting conversations

Can I introduce myself?

 

Small talk/ Social language at the start

Long time no see. How have you been?

 

Starting teleconferences

Thanks for agreeing to speak to us.

 

Starting telephone calls

Can I speak to someone in your marketing department?

 

Starting emails

Hope you had a good weekend.

 

Starting presentations

Today’s presentation is about the reorganisation of the HR department.

 

Ending small talk/ Getting down to business

So, it’s been lovely to chat but we’d better get started, if you don’t mind.

 

Requests

I’d be very grateful if you could help me with…

 

Talking about documents

Can you take one and pass them along?

 

Moving on/ Changing topics

So, shall we have a look at the next item on the agenda?

 

Turn taking (interrupting, etc)

Sorry to interrupt but can I say something here?

 

Asking people to wait

If you can give me a minute, I’ll find the information for you.

 

Dictation/ Taking and leaving messages

No, that’s okay, thanks. I’ll call again later.

 

Checking/ Clarifying/ Dealing with communication problems

Sorry, what does the last word mean?

 

Making arrangements (fixing meetings, etc)

I’m afraid I can’t make it on Tuesday. How about Wednesday?

 

Apologising/ Dealing with complaints/ Giving bad news

I’m afraid it won’t be possible for us to do that before the deadline.

 

Asking for information/ Enquiries

I’d also like to enquire about your after-sales service.

 

Ending presentations (Q&A, etc)

That is the last thing that I wanted to say today.

 

Summarising

So, if I understood correctly, we have decided to…

 

Checking that you have finished

Is there any other business before we finish?

 

Finishing conversations

I have to speak to another couple of people, but I’ll email you in the next couple of days.

 

Ending telephone calls

Thanks for your help.

 

Ending emails

See you on Tuesday.

 

Ending meetings

Thanks, that was very productive.

 

Small talk at the end/ Social language at the end

It was great to see you again.

 

Mentioning the next contact between you

I look forward to seeing you then.

 

Brainstorming stage

Without looking above, work together to orally brainstorm at least two phrases for each of the functions below. Tick off any which you are sure you have brainstormed correctly and put a question mark next to any you aren’t sure about. There is no need to write anything in the gap.

Starting

Meeting people/ Starting conversations

 

 

Small talk/ Social language at the start

 

 

Starting teleconferences

 

 

Starting telephone calls

 

 

Starting emails

 

 

Starting presentations

 

 

Ending small talk/ Getting down to business

 

 

Body

Requests

 

 

Talking about documents

 

 

Moving on/ Changing topics

 

 

Turn taking (interrupting, etc)

 

 

Asking people to wait

 

 

Dictation/ Taking and leaving messages

 

 

Checking/ Clarifying/ Dealing with communication problems

 

 

Making arrangements (fixing meetings, etc)

 

 

Apologising/ Dealing with complaints/ Giving bad news

 

 

Asking for information/ Enquiries

 

 

Ending

Ending presentations (Q&A, etc)

 

 

Summarising

 

 

Checking that you have finished

 

 

Finishing conversations

 

 

Ending telephone calls

 

 

Ending emails

 

 

Ending meetings

 

 

Small talk at the end/ Social language at the end

 

 

Mentioning the next contact between you

 

 

Go through the categories above which you wrote question marks next to as a class.