Starting and ending business communications simplest responses game

A LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS

Easy review of opening and closing emails, phone calls and face to face meetings

By: Alex Case

Level: All Levels

Theme: Business English

Study Area: Functions & Text

Download Lesson Plan (PDF) 313 KB

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Lesson Plan Content:

Starting and ending business communications simplest responses game

Instructions for teachers

Give out one of each of the cards below to each student. Students race to hold up the right card as you read phrases from below one at a time. If anyone holds up the wrong card, explain why that would be wrong.

When students have got the idea of the activity, give out the worksheet for them to label each section with S for starting and E for ending. Then ask them to go through again to label them with T for telephone, F for face to face or M for (e)mail. Explain that the ones in italics could be more than one of those, but one use is more common and anyway the other phrase(s) in that section will only be possible for one of the three ways of communicating.

Check their answers as a class. Before or after the brainstorming stage, they can test each other in pairs or groups by:

Playing the same raising cards game
Racing to identify which kind of communication is being read out
Brainstorming suitable phrases for starting or ending one of the kinds of brainstorm (with the help of the person looking at the worksheet)
Replying to the phrases (but only the ones which have obvious replies, e.g. not the emailing phrases)

Cards for students to hold up

Starting

Ending

Starting

Ending

Starting

Ending

Starting

Ending

Starting

Ending

Starting

Ending

Starting

Ending

Label the sections below with S for starting or E for ending. All the phrases in one section are the same, so if you aren’t sure about one phrase look at the ones above and/ or below it.

Best wishes

Best

ATB

Can you put me through to John Smith, please?

Hi. Is Alex there?

Dear Mr Case/ Dear Ms Smith

Dear Alex

Hi Alex

Dear Sir or Madam

Dear Sir/ Madam

Do you have to go straight back to your office?

Are you finished for today?

Do you have many more meetings today?

Do you have any plans for the weekend?

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

Hello?

Jim Thompson’s desk.

Hi John, this is Steve.

Is that Alex?

Hi, you must be John.

Can I introduce myself?

Okay then, same time same place next week.

I hope we have the chance to meet again soon.

See you then/ again/ soon/ on…

I know it’s very late over there, so we are really grateful for you making the time to speak to us.

Thanks for agreeing to this conference call.

I’d like to talk more about this but I’m afraid someone has just come in, so…

I’d love to chat more, but I have someone on another line, so…

So, can I help you with anything else (today)?

I’ll check (…) and call you (right) back.

Okay. Speak to you then/ tomorrow/ soon/ later/… (, then).

Please call again if you have any other questions/ problems/...

(I’m very) pleased to meet you.

(We’ve emailed many times but) it’s so nice to finally meet you.

I’m writing to you about/ concerning/ in connection with/ regarding/ with regards to…

I’m writing to you because…

I’m writing to you (in order) to…

If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact me.

Any more questions, just drop me a line.

Is this seat free?/ Is anyone sitting here?

Is this the right place for…?

I don’t think we’ve met, have we?

What time is it over there?/ It’s about 3 pm over there, right?

I guess things are really busy over there at the moment.

How’s the weather over there?

It’s a pleasure to welcome you to…/ Welcome to….

Thanks for coming all this way (to…)

Would anyone like tea or coffee before we start?

It’s so nice to see you again.

Long time no see. (How have you been?)

It’s really crowded, isn’t it?

Is this your first time here?

Did you have any trouble finding us?/ Did you have any problems getting here?

It was a pleasure to meet you.

It was so nice to see you again.

Look forward to hearing from you soon.

I look forward to your reply.

Please come in and take a seat.

This way please.

Sincerely (yours)

Best regards

So, what can I do for you today?

Anyway, the reason I’m phoning is…

Sorry to phone so late in the evening/ at lunchtime/ last thing on Friday….

Sorry to ring again so soon (but…)

Sorry, who shall I say is calling?

Sorry, who am I speaking to, please?

Thank you for your quick reply.

Thank you for your email yesterday about…

Sorry for my late reply.

Thank you in advance.

Thanks.

Thanks for calling me back.

Thanks for getting back to me (so quickly).

Thanks for your help.

Thanks for your call./ Thanks for calling.

This is Steve. I’ve also got John and Jane here. And who’s over there?

I’m Alex and my colleagues Steve and Geoff are here too. Can I check who’s that end?

To: All staff

Dear all

Hi guys

Well, just a quick call to say…

Good morning. I’m calling to…

Well, I’m afraid I have to meet a few more people, but…

I’m sorry but I have another meeting at five, but…

Yours

Regards

All the best

Label the sections above with T for telephone/ teleconference, F for face to face or M for (e)mail. The phrases in italics could match more than one situation, but all the phrases in one section can only match one of three kinds of communication.

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Brainstorming stage

First of all without looking above, brainstorm suitable phrases into each of the categories below.

Emails

Starting emails

Email opening greeting when you know someone’s name

Email opening greeting when you don’t know someone’s name

Email opening greeting to more than one person

Email opening line

Email opening line mentioning the last contact between you

Email opening line with the topic

Ending emails

Email closing line

Email closing line mentioning the next contact between you

Emailing closing line for a (big) request

Email closing greeting

Phone calls and teleconferences

Starting phone calls and teleconferences

Answering the phone

Asking to speak to someone on the phone

Mentioning names at the beginning of a phone call or teleconference

Small talk at the beginning of a phone call or teleconference

Polite language at the beginning of a phone call or teleconference

Talking about the reason for the call

Ending telephone calls and teleconferences

Smoothly ending the call or teleconference

Talking about the next (telephone) contact between you

Polite language at the end of a call

Face to face conversations

Starting face to face conversations

Smoothly starting conversations with strangers

Talking about names (face to face)

Polite and friendly language when you meet someone (for the first time or again)

Small talk at the beginning of a (face to face) conversation

Ending face to face conversations

Giving reasons for ending the (face to face) conversation

Polite and friendly language at the end of a (face to face) conversation

Small talk questions at the end of a conversation

Talking about the next (face to face) contact between you

Look at the mixed phrases on the first pages for more examples, brainstorm any more you can, compare your phrases with the key below. Many more phrases are possible, so if you have different ones please check them with your teacher.

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Starting and ending business communications simplest responses game

A LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS

Lesson Plan Content:

Starting and ending business communications simplest responses game

Instructions for teachers

Cards for students to hold up

Brainstorming stage

Suggested answers