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Business Travel

“Investment in travel is an investment in yourself.” Matthew Karsten, travel blogger

• December 9, 2021
• Business English
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This Business English lesson plan on business travel has been designed for business professionals or other adults and young adults at an intermediate (B1/B2) to advanced (C1/C2) level and should last around 45 to 60 minutes for one student.

People have travelled for business purposes since the emergence of commerce. Nowadays, instead of a caravan pulled by a camel along the silk road, we take these trips by car or plane. Many businesses are departments dedicated to these experiences. For some, business travel can be a stressful time; for others, it can be the opportunity to have an exciting new experience. In this Business English lesson plan on business travel, students will have the opportunity discuss and express their opinions on issues such as the pros and cons of business travel, their experiences travelling for work, and what to pack for a business trip.

For advice on how to use this English lesson plan and other lesson plans on this site, see the guide for ESL teachers .

PRE-CLASS ACTIVITIES

Reading activity Before the English class, send the following article to the students and ask them to read it while making a list of any new vocabulary or phrases they find (explain any the students don’t understand in the class):

INC | 12 Surprising Benefits of Business Travel

The article looks at a number of ways business travel can be beneficial, including exploring new places, escaping a routine, and meeting new people. At the start of the class, hold a brief discussion about what the students thought about the article. What do they think about the issues raised in the article? Do they agree with what was written? Can they think of any ways they might add to the content of the article?

Video activity To save time in class, the English teacher can ask the students to watch the video below at home. In the class, the students will answer a number of conversation questions directly or indirectly related to the content of the video.

The video for this class, by Mr Porter, is called “How to Pack for a Business Trip” which looks at the essentials needed for a business trip and how to avoid creases in your clothes.

IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES

The focus in the class is on conversation in order to help improve students’ fluency and confidence when speaking in English as well as boosting their vocabulary.

This lesson opens with a short discussion about the article the students read before the class. Next, the students can give their opinion on the quote at the beginning of the lesson plan – what they think the quote means, if they agree with it and how it could relate to business. This is followed by an initial discussion on the topic including how often the students have to travel for work purposes, common reasons why people take business trips, and any negative experiences they have had while travelling for work.

After this, students will learn some vocabulary connected with business travel such as red-eye flight , jetlag and travel expenses . The vocabulary is accompanied by a cloze activity and a speaking activity to test the students’ comprehension of these words.

If the students didn’t watch the video before the class, they can watch it after the vocabulary section and answer the conversation questions. Before the conversation, ask the students to give a brief summary of the video and what they thought about the content.

Finally, there is a more in-depth conversation about business travel. In this speaking activity, students will talk about issues such as problems people can encounter at the airport, what to consider when booking a hotel, and whether they would apply for a job specifically because it involved a lot of travel.

After the class, students will write a memo to memo to staff members explaining the company’s travel expenses policy. The writing activity is designed to allow students to practise business-style writing as well as improving their grammar with the feedback from their teacher.

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Learn English for travel with our lessons on travel English. Learn English phrases and vocabulary for checking into a hotel, making travel arrangements and dealing with customs and immigration at the airport.

Business English Travel Lessons

Learn travel English with Business English Pod lessons on English for travel .

Business English Pod offers English for travel lessons that cover various travel English topics, such as airport check-in, hotel reservations, ordering food, and making small talk with locals. These lessons provide practical vocabulary and phrases for different situations, helping learners communicate effectively while traveling.

Our travel English lessons are listed by published date with the newest lessons first.

BEP 295 – Business Trip 4: Factory Inspection

Bep 294 – business trip 3: confidential discussion, bep 284 – business trip 2: giving directions and getting around, bep 283 – business trip 1: taking a taxi, bep 26c – travel english: dealing with problems.

• BEP 25c – Travel English: Checking in for a Flight
• BEP 248 – Socializing with Strangers (2)
• BEP 247 – Socializing with Strangers (1)
• BEP 188 – Socializing: Hosting a Dinner Party 2
• BEP 187 – Socializing: Hosting a Dinner Party 1
• BEP 186 – Air Travel: Connecting Flights
• BEP 185 – Air Travel: Checking In to a Flight
• BEP 135 – Travel English: Airport Security
• BEP 134 – Travel English: Getting Online at the Coffee Shop
• BEP 125 – Travel English: Renting a Car
• BEP 124 – Travel English: Checking Out of a Hotel
• BEP 96 – Socializing: Business Meals
• BEP 89 – Telephoning: Making Arrangements
• BEP 88 – Telephoning: Booking a Travel Ticket
• BEP 80 – Travel English: Checking In to a Hotel
• BEP 79 – Travel: Making a Hotel Reservation
• BEP 67 – Socializing with Colleagues at Work
• BEP 66 – Working with Colleagues and Making Requests
• BEP 56 – Business Travel 2: Customs and Immigration
• BEP 55 – Business Travel: Airport Departure and Take Off
• BEP 26 – Travel: Connecting Flights and Travel Problems
• BEP 25 – Travel: Airport Check In and Making Polite Requests

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on conducting a factory inspection in English.

In the global economy, a company might have its headquarters in Germany, but outsource production to China and technical support to India. Or you might find a Korean company that contracts out to one factory in Malaysia and another in Vietnam. In any case, to make the right decision on production facilities, you’ll most likely need to conduct a factory inspection.

So if you’re flying halfway around the world to tour a factory or another facility, what kind of questions should you ask? And how can you make sure the factory is the right fit for your needs? Well, you’ll definitely want to ask questions about quality control to make sure the factory can meet your expectations. You might also ask about production capacity so you know they can handle the work properly. And you might ask about their approach to standards, to make sure they’re in line with your values.

Of course, talk is cheap. You might find a factory manager makes claims that are a bit unbelievable. In these situations, you’ll want to show skepticism, or doubt, and ask for evidence. This is all part of the due diligence necessary to make sure you’re making the right choice.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear Cam and Vanessa, who work for an American clothing company. They want to find a new production facility, so they’re touring a factory in China. You’ll also hear Chen, a factory manager who’s giving Cam and Vanessa a tour of the facility. Cam and Vanessa want to find out if Chen’s factory is a good fit for their company.

Listening Questions

1. How does Vanessa react to Chen’s claim that they have a .25% defect rate? 2. What important issue does Cam say their company is very serious about? 3. What kind of proof does Vanessa want to see of the factory managers’ training?

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on having a confidential discussion during a business trip.

If you’ve got colleagues or clients in other parts of the world, you probably rely a lot on email and the phone. But meeting in person continues to be important for building relationships and trust, and for discussing important issues. That’s one reason, of course, why the overseas business trip remains important.

And there’s one type of discussion that can be especially difficult: discussing a confidential matter. Perhaps you need to deliver bad news, or share sensitive information or tell someone about an important change. Meeting face-to-face in these types of situations is often the best way to break the news.

So what’s the best way to go about this? Well, to begin, it’s important to set a positive tone to put the other person at ease. Next, you might want to ask him or her how things are going. That can help break the ice, and the other person might actually mention the topic you want to discuss. Once you’ve started this way, you can introduce the sensitive information you want to deliver. And because the information is sensitive, you need to ask for discretion. Finally, depending on the nature of the discussion, you might also have to provide reassurances. After all, after we hear important information, we might wonder how it will impact us.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear Cam, who works for an American clothing company. He’s visiting the head of the company’s Chinese office, David. The company manufactures some of its clothing in China, and has been considering how to expand their retail activities in Asia. Cam needs to have a confidential discussion with David to share some important news.

1. How does Cam ask for David’s perspective on the current situation? 2. Cam needs to tell David about a decision regarding retail in China. What point does Cam mention to introduce this decision? 3. How does Cam reassure David near the end of the conversation?

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on giving directions and getting around a city. This lesson is part of a larger series that looks at the Business English you need for a successful overseas business trip .

Getting from point A to point B in a city isn’t always simple. Even with a map, there are lots of opportunities for confusion. First of all, a map doesn’t include the names of every little shop or house. And even though a map might show you where some major things are, it won’t tell you how to get there. For these reasons, we still rely on people for advice on getting around. And whether you’re traveling and need to understand someone’s directions, or whether someone asks you for directions, you need the right language.

This is what we’ll look at in today’s lesson. We’ll learn language and techniques for describing a location, suggesting the best travel option, and describing distance. We’ll also look at how to give basic directions, how to explain a change of course, and how to ask a stranger for help on the street.

In the dialog, we’ll rejoin Cam and Vanessa, who have traveled to Shanghai on business. They’re talking to the concierge at their hotel, who is explaining to them how to get to a specific coffee shop in the city’s Pudong business district.

1. What does the concierge recommend as the best travel option? 2. How does the concierge describe the distance to Hengshan Lu Station? 3. When Cam approaches a stranger in the street, what is the first question he asks?

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on taking a taxi. This will be part of a larger series that looks at the Business English you need for a successful overseas business trip .

When you travel to another city for business, what’s the easiest way to get around? Usually by taxi. You don’t have to interpret a subway map or a bus schedule. And you can be delivered directly to your destination with little confusion, though it will cost you more of course.

Yes, I said “with little confusion,” though that’s not always the case. Taxi drivers might not always understand what you want, or what you’re saying. You’ve still got to communicate clearly, directly, and politely with the taxi driver. Your fate is in his – or her – hands, and so you need to make sure you’re understood.

This is exactly what we’ll learn today. We’ll cover some important types of requests during a taxi ride, including asking for a destination, requesting a specific route, and asking for a change of course. We’ll also learn how to ask to be let out and request a receipt.

In this lesson, we’ll hear Cam and Vanessa, who have just arrived in Shanghai on a business trip. They’ve passed through immigration and collected their bags, and now they want to take a taxi to their hotel.

1. What is the travelers’ destination, and where is it located? 2. Vanessa asks for a change of course to get to a bank. How does she describe how to get there? 3. How does Vanessa ask to be let out of the taxi?

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on how to deal with problems you might experience when traveling by air.

This Business English lesson is part of our new series of fresh takes on some of our older lessons. We’ve kept the same dialog but have new explanations and practice for our lower level learners.

When you are traveling for business, have you ever had problems that seem beyond your control? Like when you show up at the airport and your flight is cancelled. Or when your flight is late and you can’t get to your destination on time? These situations can be frustrating and difficult to deal with. But there are some language techniques that you can learn to help you solve your problems.

In this lesson, we’ll look at some of these techniques, such as getting someone’s attention, using negative questions for requests, and agreeing reluctantly. We’ll also cover making polite refusals, correcting yourself, and asking about payment. These are all things you might have to do or understand as you solve a travel problem.

In the dialog you’re going to hear a traveler called Robert. If you heard our last lesson, you might remember that Robert was traveling to Nice but stopping in Paris first. In this lesson, you’ll hear Robert in the Paris airport. He has missed his connecting flight to Nice and now he’s trying to find a way to get to his destination in time for a meeting the next day.

1. When is the next available flight to Nice? 2. Why is the next available flight not acceptable to Robert? 3. What does Robert want instead of the next available flight to Nice? 4. What type of seat does the agent say is the only type available?

20+ Great Business English Topics and Lesson Activities

For Business English students, it’s important that ESL lessons are based on the needs of their day-to-day work.

They want to practice situations taken from their professional environment, and discuss real-life Business English topics.

Some are: making phone calls, being able to hold and carry on conversations, speaking with colleagues, preparing and giving presentations, or negotiations. 

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Coming up with creative activities and finding good topics for your lessons can be tough and time-consuming.

The Business English activities in this post will save you time and effort in making quality content for your lessons.

About the Business English Topics And Activities

Topic: airbnb business travel, topic: commuting to work, topic: big business (amazon, coca-cola, netflix, etc.), topic: artificial intelligence and future technology, topic: music, bonus activity.

Lessons including well-designed activities will prepare your students for their professional lives and give them the necessary skills and vocabulary needed to communicate effectively in English.

The 20 activity suggestions you’ll find in this post relate to the topics of business travel, commuting to work, big business, artificial intelligence, technology, and music.

The activities you can do on these business English topics are from specific lesson plans based on videos , which come equipped with a range of different printable Business English worksheets , conversation topics, speaking exercises, listening activities, and writing exercises for adults.

Below are some examples of activities from these lessons that can help your Business English students improve their communication skills.

Airbnb has been expanding their services to open up the market for business travelers.

They are simplifying the process of booking and launched some tools which automatically organize your business trip expenses. This new business travel program is coming out strong.

• Phone Calling
• Writing Accommodation Descriptions
• Leaving Reviews
• Mobile App Concepts
• Debate With Hotel Owner
• Comparing and Contrasting

This topic works especially great with Business English lessons in the real estate, hospitality, or mobile app industries, but also in general for any businessmen or women who have to travel for their jobs.

This is an especially engaging Business English topic for a few reasons: it’s controversial (hotel owners aren’t happy about AirBnB) and it’s a hot topic (more and more people are choosing Airbnb over hotels).

Airbnb is a relatively new global powerhouse, revolutionizing the hospitality industry the same way that Uber revolutionized the taxi industry.

Activity: Phone Calling

Put students in pairs or a group. Assign each student a different role from the roles below, or they can choose one.

Students have to imagine that they are Airbnb hosts who just hosted:

• A small group of middle-aged business travelers
• A small group of young adult party travelers
• A small family of 4 with young children
• An individual traveler who came with his dog

Students then ‘call’ their ‘friends’ (another student in the class) to either leave a voicemail or talk about the experience (or complain about the experience!).

They should describe how the experience was as the host for these types of travelers:

• What was different about hosting each of their stays?
• Was it positive or negative and why?
• Did anything good, bad, surprising, or unusual happen during their stay?

You could even have them imagine what could be a positive and negative experience for hosting these types of travelers.

You could even get a bit more creative with this one by assigning a pair of students a role from the list above, and they have to call the ‘host’ (their partner) and ask them questions or make special requests about their stay, e.g:

• Am I allowed to bring my dog to your property?
• Is there a nice cafe in the area where I can bring my laptop to do work?
• We have a baby who cries a lot during the night. Will this bother you?

Even though with Airbnb, you would probably just message the host online, but in this case, you can make it a phone call to practice speaking.

Activity: Writing Accommodation or Property Descriptions & Reviews

Students work with a partner or group and imagine they are Airbnb hosts offering a special, exotic, or unique type of accommodation rental.

They should discuss and agree on the type of home rental they have to offer, where in the world it is, and create their own online listing for this rental on Airbnb.

In the listing, they should explain what type of rental it is, the location, the check-in and check-out procedure, a description and special features of the accommodation, and other housing details and rules.

Make students offer something different or special about their property – something they wouldn’t get somewhere else. Remember, they want to sell the experience!

Students then present their accommodation profile description to the other students in the class and then give their listing to another student or group.

The other student or group then makes a detailed review for that listing, imagining they actually stayed there.

Activity: Creating Mobile App Concepts in the Sharing Economy

Put students in pairs and give them a list of other mobile apps in the sharing economy.

• Neighborgoods

Based on the name of the app, students have to discuss and explain what they imagine the concept of the app to be and how it works.

After students work together for a couple of minutes, go around the class and ask them to report their answers. If they’re not able to imagine what it might be, you can just tell them.

Ask them questions like:

• Would this type of app be useful for you? Why or why not?
• Which app from this list would help you the most?

Try to create an in-depth class discussion about all of these apps.

For the apps listed above specifically, you can discuss things like:

• If parking is a problem for your students (JustPark)
• What they do with their dog when they go on a trip (DogVacay)
• If they would be interested to drive with a stranger for many hours (BlaBla Car)
• If they’ve ever eaten at someone’s home, from another country or culture (HomeDine)

Then, students can either work with the same or different partners to create their own concept for a mobile app in the sharing economy.

They should focus on things like:

• The special features of the app
• What problem it solves / Why it’s a good idea
• How it works
• What problems could happen when people use your app

An alternative to this one is I’ve also had students imagine that they were the founders of Airbnb, and they have to come up with their own detailed story behind the establishment of the company, which turned out to be a fun activity.

Activity: Debate Between AirBnB Representative and Hotel Owner

Put students in pairs or two small groups and they prepare for a debate.

One student or group takes the position of an AirBnB company representative and the other takes the position of a Hotel Owner.

Each side must prepare, defend, and present their positions to the other groups, presenting information about…

• Why they believe their accommodation service is better (at least 3 advantages of your service) Students must talk about the top reasons to stay in a hotel over Airbnb, or vice versa.
• If you think Airbnb should be legal or illegal and why (obviously the AirBnB rep will say it should be legal and the hotel owner will say it should be illegal)
• The positive impact your service has on society and the economy
• What actual people and guests have said about your accommodation services

You can refer to this article to help students talk about Airbnb versus hotels  if they are having trouble coming up with ideas.

Your role as the teacher will be the moderator during the debate – generating follow-up questions for the students or groups when they present their sides. Keep the debate clean and flowing smoothly.

Activity: Comparing and Contrasting (Hotels vs. AirBnB or Uber vs. Taxi)

If for any reason you don’t want to make this an official ‘debate,’ another thing you could do is just make it a general, in-depth class discussion, conversation, or compare & contrast about the advantages and disadvantages of staying in Airbnb in comparison with hotels.

Make sure students talk about their own experiences.

Transition the discussion to the conflict between Uber and Taxi, because they are facing a similar conflict for similar reasons.

If your students enjoyed the discussion about AirBnB and hotels, an interesting follow-up lesson topic for you might be about a  businessman who is building hotels designed for outer space .

Many businessmen and women in the modern world have to commute for hours and hours per week to their jobs or for work purposes. Sitting in the car or public transit like this can really have a negative impact on one’s overall lifestyle.

• Telling a Story
• Commenting on YouTube
• Expressing Frustrations or Complaining
• Talking About Lifestyle & Daily Routines

The reason this topic works so well in Business ESL lessons is that it reaches such a wide spectrum of people.

Everyone who has a job as an employee in a company, a school, a factory, etc has a unique situation. All Business English students usually have a lot to say about their experience commuting (or home office if they have that privilege!).

Activity: Telling a Story

Students work in pairs.

Student A: This student imagines that he/she spends a lot of time commuting and is very pessimistic about the situation.

This student believes that they have the worst commute in the world. Describe the situation in detail. The student should complain about it as much as possible and why they hate it so much.

They should take notes on:

• Where you live
• Your daily routine
• Where you go to work
• What’s so bad about the commute / What are the conditions of the commute
• How commuting makes you feel

The student then has to tell one negative story that they have had during their commute.

Student B: This student imagines that they spend a lot of time commuting but is very optimistic about the situation.

This student loves the situation that they have. They should discuss and explain in detail why they have the best commute in the world, talk about it as much as possible and why they enjoy it.

Also, they take notes on:

They tell one positive story that they’ve had during your commute.

After the students write notes for their roles (give them a few minutes), have them describe their situations to their partner.

They should listen to their partner’s situation carefully because they should then report the details of their partner’s situation back to the class!

Activity: Commenting on YouTube

At the beginning of the video, the reporter complains about her long daily routine and commute, and then she says to the audience:

“Before you go and post that comment telling me to ‘move closer’, you need to see that I’m not the only person doing this.”

In pairs, students should come up with a response that the following type of people would write or say to the reporter in the YouTube comments section, e.g:

• What could be a rude response to that statement in the comment section of the video?
• What could be an empathetic response to that statement in the comment section of the video?
• What could be a funny response to that statement in the comment section of the video?

Another activity you could do is give students some imaginary comments to that video, and then the students have to write responses to these imaginary comments. You can make it a speaking or writing activity.

For example, here are a few possible comments to that video:

Comment #1:

“Americans are completely crazy and lazy. You drive these huge cars to work and in  reality , you don’t need to. Look at the Netherlands and Denmark – they have very efficient bicycle transport systems and bicycles are much more environmental. It’s stupid to drive everywhere.”

Comment #2:

“The best solution to this problem is self-driving cars. Our tax money should go more to support the production of self-driving cars. That way when people commute they can do productive things.  The solution to public transit is getting better wifi connections on the subways and buses.”

You can instruct one student to write a response which agrees with each comment, and the other student to write a response which disagrees with each comment, something along those lines.

Activity: Expressing Frustrations & Complaining

Put students in pairs, or in two groups. You’ll distribute to each student pair or group two cards which read:

• A: Riding on public transport
• B: Driving in a car

Students must work together to come up with a list of all the things that frustrate them, annoy them, stress them out, or make them angry while (1) riding on public transport and (2) driving a car.

The group which comes up with the most things in the time limit (3 minutes should be good) wins.

This activity usually works really well because everyone gets angry, stressed, frustrated, etc. at some point while driving a car or riding public transportation.

A lot of good vocabulary can also come out of this one. You can even teach a couple of fun phrasal verbs related to driving when you talk about this topic:

• Cut (someone) off  – “I hate when I’m driving and someone cuts me off and then I have to slam on my brakes.”
• Pull (someone) over  – “I hate when I’m driving only a little bit above the speed limit and a police officer pulls me over.”
• Freak out  – “I hate driving with my father. He always drives aggressively and freaks out about small things.”
• Run over  – “I hate when I run over a nail or a sharp object and my tire goes flat.”
• Hold (someone) up  – “I hate when traffic holds me up and makes me late for work.”

You can use this activity for teaching students other terminology that is useful for expressing complaints or frustrations:

• I get frustrated when…
• I get all stressed out when…
• It gets me so worked up when…
• It pisses me off when…
• I totally freak out when…
• I lose my mind when…
• It drives me nuts when…

Have students then use these expressions to talk about their frustrations commuting or about their job in general.

Activity: Talking About Lifestyle, Commuting, and Employment Situations

Spending hours commuting and then hours at the office has become so integrated into the modern working world that it can have quite a profound impact on our quality of life and lifestyle, which is why it’s good to talk about in a language lesson.

Here’s an activity you can do that will give your students a good opportunity to talk about their lifestyle, commute, and employment situation.

It’s also simple, easy to prepare, and generates quality conversation.

Print a number of statements on cards and give them to the students or write them on the whiteboard in class.

Put students in pairs or groups. Have them discuss if they think the following statements are generally true or false and why:

• People are generally happier if they travel to work by car instead of public transportation.
• In the USA, people generally commute to work or school by train or bus.
• 10 days of paid vacation per year is fair from an employer.
• Regular exercise helps people deal with stress from work.
• People are more productive if they have a 4-day working week instead of 5.

Put students in pairs or groups. Have them discuss if the following statements are true or false for them personally and have them explain why:

• There is a positive working atmosphere at my job.
• I am satisfied with my work-life balance.
• Every day I eat a balanced and healthy breakfast before work.
• When I commute to work I try to be productive on the way.
• I prefer working from home rather than going to an office.
• I spend too much time at work socializing with my colleagues.

Speaking about daily routines is also a great activity if you’d like to focus on the present simple as a grammar point for your lesson.

Using big companies and corporations as a topic in your Business English lessons is practical for obvious reasons and you can make it fun too for your students.

It’s especially great to use big business as a topic if you actually have adult students who work in big companies, but they’re also applicable topics for students who have their own business or who work in smaller companies.

• History & Fun Facts
• Developing a Product
• Making Slogans
• Analyzing the Impact of Technology on Jobs

Activity: History & Fun Facts About Big Companies

As a lead-in or warm-up exercise to a lesson about big business, you can search and find some fun or interesting facts or history about the companies.

One quick activity you could do to lead to a topic is a simple fill-in-the-blank that looks something like this:

Below are 5 interesting facts about Amazon. Let the students fill in the blanks with words that they think fit.

• The founder Jeff Bazos wanted to name the company Amazon which has products from ‘A to Z’ symbolizing a large size, just like the Amazon ________________________ .
• Amazon.com started as a bookstore in Jeff Bazos’ ________________________ .
• The combined ________________________ of Amazon’s warehouses is enough to hold more water than 10,000 Olympic pools.
• Today Amazon has more than 350,000 ________________________ .
• One of Amazon’s first offices had a ________________________ which employees would  ring every time a sale was made.

Below are 5 interesting facts about Coca-Cola. Fill in the blanks with words that you think fit.

• The Coca-Cola ________________________ is recognized by 94% of the world’s population.
• The word “cola” is derived from the kola ________________________ , which contains caffeine and can have medicinal value.
• Coca-Cola can be a good ________________________ for insect bites on your skin.
• Coca-Cola spends more money on ________________________ than Microsoft and Apple combined.
• A few people once tried to sell the Coca-Cola ________________________ to Pepsi, but they were reported to the FBI.

A fun activity you can follow up with this one is instruct students to research any big business they have in mind and search for some fun facts about that company or the story behind how it started.

If they can’t think of one, you can give them  a list of the biggest or most well-known companies  in the world.

Have them give a few-minute presentation in the following lesson about the start or history of the company and a few fun facts about it. This is also good for developing presentation skills for adults in English.

They can use the questions below to help them give their presentation:

• Who started the company and when? How did the idea originate?
• What were some important moments in the company’s history?
• What are some of the company’s most successful products or services? Describe them in detail.
• What’s special or different about this company compared to the competitors?
• What are some fun facts about your company?

Activity: Developing a Product

Amazon launched a prototype store called ‘Amazon Go’ in December of 2017 – it’s a type of grocery store where you can go shopping and add things to your virtual cart so that you don’t have to wait in line or check out.

You add the products to your shopping cart and you can just leave the store, and Amazon will automatically charge your account.

They have developed other types of products and services over the years that have been successful, such as the Amazon Kindle (E-Reader) and Amazon Echo (voice-controlled smart speaker/personal assistant).

In this activity, what you do is have students work together on product development for Amazon or for another big company.

Students work with a partner or group. They imagine to be product developers for Amazon and create two of their own products, or services provided and sold by Amazon.

They should discuss and create names for the products or services, which industry the products or services are in, and then write a description for each explaining how it works, what problem it solves, what’s so special about it, as well as what problems they have experienced in the development.

It can be a special kind of mobile app, tech gadget, clothing item, or something else.

Of course, it doesn’t necessarily have to be from Amazon. You can have students choose another company.

One way you could get your students to come up with a good idea is instruct them to think of some brands that they generally buy, and then brainstorm what products they think would be cool to have from those brands.

Or you can have them think of some problems or frustrations they have in their daily life and what product or service would solve those problems for them. In the case of Amazon Go, the problem was that people hate waiting in lines at supermarkets.

Remind students that it doesn’t have to be realistic, it can be something imaginary.

Most of your students who will do this activity probably haven’t developed a product before. Keep it basic, simple, and fun, and it should go ok.

You just want students to be creative and work together to make something special.

One time I had a group who made a personal assistant who did all of his presentations for him because he hated public speaking, which I thought was pretty funny.

Students should then present their new product to the other students or groups.

Activity: Making Slogans

This is a straightforward activity and easy to assign and it works great with any student who is in marketing. Students also tend to have fun with it.

Basically, all you need to do is assign students to make a slogan for whatever company or brand you’re discussing.

One thing I’ve done to make it interesting and add a little twist to it is to have students make a list of good and bad slogans for one company.

That one has definitely brought a couple laughs to the lesson, especially for the bad slogans.

Here are a few examples I’ve gotten from students for bad company slogans for Coca-Cola:

• “Feed your sugar addiction.”
• “Put on the big pounds.”
• “Teeth are overrated.”

Anyway, give them some examples of some real slogans that have already existed for the brand before they make their own.

A few actual ones for Coca-Cola are:

• “Open Happiness”
• “Life Tastes Good.”
• “Taste the Feeling.”

The advantage of having students make their own slogan or quote is that it lets student use creativity. When students have to think creatively, they’re forced to use important vocabulary terms and language structures in a special kind of way.

In any case, have your students share and present their slogans and quotes to the other students in the class.

Another great type of ESL group activities are information gap activities. Get 10 ideas here.

Activity: Analyzing the Impact of Technology on Jobs

Another great theme and activity that comes from a discussion about companies like Amazon, is analyzing the impact of technology on jobs.

That’s one big criticism of concepts like Amazon Go that I’ve discussed with my students. The more jobs that robots do for us, the more jobs they take away from humans (Amazon Go takes jobs away from cashiers).

One activity you could do on this is to have students brainstorm and come up with two more jobs, companies, or businesses that have been taken over or lost to technological advances.

Students should specify the name or type of the technology, which industry it is in, and three general impacts of this technology (can be positive or negative impacts).

Two examples I remember hearing from students was about VHS and video rental stores being lost to online streaming services like Netflix, and driving jobs being lost to self-driving cars.

Technology : Online streaming

Industry : Entertainment

• It put VHS video rental stores out of business
• It makes people lazier because they don’t go to the video store anymore
• Illegal online pirating of films and TV becomes easier

Technology : Self-driving cars

Industry : Automotive

• Less need for delivery drivers, truckers, and taxis
• Fewer accidents on the road because machines are more precise than humans
• People can focus on other things in the car if they don’t have to concentrate on driving

You can give these examples to your students if they don’t think of them.

You can also give students the task of coming up with two jobs where it could be very difficult for technology to take over. Which jobs do you think technology couldn’t do in the future? Students should specify why it would be difficult to take over these jobs using this technology.

Doing an ESL lesson activity about the impact of technology on jobs leads us to the next point: Artificial intelligence and future technology, which has its feet in many industries and certainly draws interest from Business English students.

• Interview With a Humanoid Robot
• Making a Sci-Fi Film Plot
• Forming Opinions

This topic works especially great with Business English lessons in the IT or programming industry, but also in general for any businessmen or women who use technology regularly for their jobs.

This is an especially engaging Business English topic for a few reasons – it can get a little dark (a humanoid robot which can communicate freaks people out a bit!) and it’s also relevant – artificial intelligence and machine learning is making its way into a lot of industries, products, and software these days.

It’s interesting when the stuff that used to be sci-fi stuff turns into reality, and that’s what you want to focus on in your Business English lessons.

Activity: Interview With a Humanoid Robot

Watch the video about Sophia the robot with your students.

Basically, what students do is make an interview with her.

Sophia the robot makes for a great English lesson, period. Students are usually quite intrigued by “her” and there are so many different directions you can take this lesson.

After watching the video, instruct each student to create and write five extra questions that they would want to ask Sophia. (Questions which are not in the video interview).

After they are finished making their questions, they ask their partner the questions they made. Students then answer their partner’s questions from the perspective of Sophia the robot.

Here are some words or topics students could either use in their questions or use just as general topics to help them make their questions:

After a student answers each question, their partner should try to ask a follow-up question or two – a question you ask on the spot based on the answer you get.

Explain the concept of a follow-up question to your students and show them examples:

Original question : “What emotions do you feel?”

Answer : “I feel curious.”

Follow-up question : “Why do you feel curious?”

Answer : “I feel curious because I want to know why I was created and why I’m different than normal humans.”

Follow up question : “Can you imagine why you were created?”

Having students ask follow-up questions is great practice for developing interview and conversational skills because they have to think on their feet without time to prepare.

Activity: Making a Sci-Fi Film Plot

Watch the sci-fi short film about ‘Sight Systems’ which forecasts the evolution of ‘Google Glasses’ and Virtual Reality (which are also great topics to discuss in your Business English lessons).

After you watch the video with your students, a fun activity you could have your students do is to imagine that they are directors creating the next scenes to the short film they just watched about Sight Systems.

They should work in pairs and discuss and write what the next five scenes will be. Have them describe the scenes in detail and explain what happens in each scene.

Students then share what they came up with the other students in the class.

After this, put the students back together and they should come up with a short plot for a similar type of short film that they saw.

The plot must focus on the dangers of future technology. Alternatively, you could give them the option of creating a movie plot focusing on the bright sides of technology.

Activity: Forming Opinions and Interview Quotes

This activity can actually be applied to a range of different topics.

Put the students in pairs and have them imagine to be speaking from the perspective of the following companies or people.

Students have to make an opinion from the standpoint of each company or person.

• Gas Company
• Electric Car Company
• Solar Panel Company
• Environmental Activist
• Auto Technician
• Car Consumer

For the people above, you could have students imagine they were interviewed about their thoughts on electric charging highways.

What do they think about electric highways? Do they support or oppose them? Let them explain their opinion.

Then they have to agree on what would be the most important quote or statement from that interview.

Give students some  useful phrases for expressing opinions  to help them make their opinions or quotes, which are at least three sentences long and they explain their opinion.

You could give students an ideal example quote from an interview with an Environmental Activist:

“In the long-term, electric charging highways will be a great solution for decreasing pollution because it promotes the consumption and usage of electric vehicles, which are much better for the environment than gas-powered vehicles. However, in the short-term, electric charging highways could produce a negative impact on the environment because of the intense construction work that will be needed to create these highways all across the country. Therefore, I see a positive long-term effect and a negative short-term effect.”

You want your students to form something similar for each of the roles, then students should present the opinions or quotes they made together to the rest of the class.

Doing ESL lesson activities about music is fun and there’s a lot of different directions you can take this topic in a lesson.

Music is also a big business with all of the jobs in music production, sound technology, festivals, online streaming services like Spotify, and these days even vinyl is making a comeback.

• Organizing an Event
• Making a Business Plan
• Giving a Presentation

This topic works especially great with Business English lessons in the music industry, but also in general for any businessmen or women who use are interested in music.

This is an especially engaging Business English topic for a few reasons – people love music and it’s a big part of life for many people.

Activity: Organizing an Event

Have students work with a partner. They should imagine they are event organizers and are planning a festival concept for next summer.

They want to make it even better than the Belgian festival “Tomorrowland” and the most luxurious festival in the world.

What luxuries will there be? What special things can be added, implemented, planned, organized, or done in order to create a better festival experience for the guests?

Students should discuss these points together. They can use the discussion questions below to help them:

• What special luxuries, things, offers, products, facilities, and features you will provide?
• What will be different about the campsite? How will you make it better than Dreamville?
• Describe the atmosphere. What’s unique about the stages and performances?
• Describe the security concept. How will you make the event safe and what are the policies?

Students should then give a presentation about their festival concept to the other groups and describe in as much detail as possible what the festival will be like.

After hearing from the other groups, students can discuss which festival concept was the best and why and give advice about what might help their festival to be better.

Activity: Making a Business Plan

Students work together with a partner or group. They imagine that they are opening a vinyl store in their town. They must make a business plan and a to-do list.

Watch the video “Czech businessman leads vinyl revival” here.

They can answer these questions in their business plan:

• What is the name of your vinyl shop?
• Other than vinyls, what will you need to get started?
• How will your vinyl shop stand out from the competition?
• Describe what kind of theme or atmosphere the shop would have. How would you decorate the shop/front window?
• Describe your ideal kind of customer or target market.
• Describe your ideal kind of employee or shop assistant.
• What could be some clever ways to advertise your shop?
• What will be the biggest challenges of opening the shop?

Students can then present their business plan to the other students in the class.

Activity: Giving a Presentation

Students work with a partner or group. They imagine they are giving a presentation to a group of vinyl fanatics.

They should choose from one of the topics below they’d like to do a presentation about, or they can also make their own topic.

They should prepare and give a one-minute presentation to the other groups on their chosen topic.

Even if they don’t know much about the topic, you can just instruct them to be as creative as possible and come up with some interesting things to talk about.

Here are the topics they can choose from:

• How to create a sustainable future for vinyl
• The guide to shopping for and listening to vinyl like a pro
• The future of music
• Why the age of vinyl in the 70s beats today’s digital age
• The steps to starting up a successful vinyl shop

You can have students do research on the internet if they have access.

You can also give students the choice to also come up with their own idea for a presentation, anything in the music sector. It doesn’t have to be specifically related to vinyls.

The most important thing is that students have a structure for their presentation, have researched important information about it, and teach the class something interesting.

You can also have students include one of each of the following things in their presentation:

• A problem (Music has become too digital in modern ages.)
• A statistic or fact (Over 7.6 million vinyls were sold in the US in 2018.)
• An opinion (We believe that vinyls will continue to be popular for years.)
• A quote (Zdenek Pelc said, “If people like something, they need something touchable.”)

This one last bonus activity you could do will help your students develop the skills they need for business and professional reasons.

Have them give a “show and tell” presentation or just simply talk about three gadgets, tools, products, services, etc they’ve bought in the recent past related to one of their personal interests.

Have the students teach the class either how to use this product or service, how it works, why they bought it, what the features are, what problem it solves for them, etc.

Here are some actual examples from my students, which you can show your students to give them an idea of what you’re looking for:

• A new running watch
• A subscription to Netflix
• A Nintendo NES Classic Edition
• A new bicycle helmet
• A portable speaker

All of these activities referenced are meant to be engaging for your adult students in Business English lessons, but the most effective way to do them is with the full lesson plans via the links above.

Watching the videos with your students should generate extra discussion and give you extra content to work with.

Find more resources and ideas for your ESL lessons here.

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3 thoughts on “20+ great business english topics and lesson activities”.

Brilliant content. Relevant topics and articles with comprehensive structural lesson plans. Thank you.

Practicing the business English lessons in he student life can be very helpful in longer run. This helps in the proper development of the individual for professional world. Thanks so much for sharing this!

This sight seems to be very good. Complete lessons for a teacher like me. Thank you so much for sharing it free of charge.

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A selection of business English discussion questions.

Other topics you may be interested in...

General topics.

Air Travel , Animals , Appearance , Art , Childhood , Cinema , Crime , Eating Out , Education , Environment , Ethics , Fame , Family , Fashion , Food , Football (Soccer) , Friendship , The Future , Globalisation , Health , History , Holidays (Vacations) , House and Home , The Internet , Language , Language Learning , Life , Literature , Marriage , The Media , Money , Music , Personality , Politics , Religion , Romance , Science , Shopping , Smartphones , Sport , Technology , Time , Town and City , Transport , Travel , University , Video Games , War , Weather , Work .

Business Topics

Advertising , Brands , Building Relationships , Change , Communication , Competition , Consultants , Crisis Management , Cultures , Customer Service , Employment Trends , Ethics , First Impressions , Human Resources , International Marketing , International Markets , Job Satisfaction , Leadership , Management Styles , Marketing , Mergers and Acquisitions , Money , New Business , Online Business , Organisation , Project Management , Raising Finance , Risk , Strategy , Success , Team Building , Training , Travel .

Grammar Topics

Present Simple , Present Continuous , Present Perfect , Present Perfect Continuous , Past Simple , Past Continuous , Used to , Have to , Going to / Pres. Continuous , Going to / Will , Comparatives , Superlatives , First Conditional , Second Conditional , Third Conditional , Mixed Conditionals , Should , Should have , Can , Could , Can / Could / Be able to , Is done / Was done , Being done / Been done .

How to use the travel ESL discussion questions

It is recommended that you download the travel ESL discussion questions in PDF format using one of the links above. The best way to encourage classroom interaction is to download and print the travel discussion questions in the 'pairs' or 'threes' PDF format and then divide the questions by cutting along the dotted lines. This allows students to take turns asking and answering the travel discussion questions in groups of two or three. Alternatively, you could use the 'cards' format to distribute the questions to any number of students to ask and share.

It is advisable to prepare students for using these discussion questions by first introducing them to the topic of travel in an interesting and engaging way. An anecdote, quiz question or a related image or video could all be used to achieve this. Depending on the level, it may also be necessary to pre-teach any challenging vocabulary related to travel contained in the discussion questions.

For more ESL discussion questions, see this site's main page. There are discussion questions on a range of topics including general, grammar and business English topics.

For further information about the site and its author, see the about page.

Business Travel English: Essential Phrases and Etiquette

Business travel English encompasses language and communication skills necessary for conducting business meetings, negotiating deals, making presentations, and networking effectively while traveling for professional purposes, emphasizing clear and concise language, cultural sensitivity, and professionalism in interactions.

From Greetings to Goodbyes: How to Navigate Business Travel English with Confidence

Effective communication is crucial in all aspects of life, but it becomes even more important when it comes to business travel. When traveling for business, professionals often find themselves in unfamiliar environments, interacting with people from different cultures and backgrounds. In these situations, being able to communicate effectively in English can make all the difference.

Polite greetings are an essential part of effective communication, as they set the tone for the entire conversation and help establish a positive rapport with clients and colleagues.

Polite greetings in English are not only a sign of respect, but they also show that you are professional and considerate. They can help create a positive first impression and set the stage for a successful business interaction. Whether you are meeting a client for the first time or attending a conference with colleagues, using polite greetings in English is essential for building relationships and establishing credibility.

Making a Great First Impression: Introducing Yourself in English

When introducing yourself in a professional setting, it is important to do so in a manner that reflects your professionalism and confidence. Here are some tips for making a great first impression when introducing yourself in English:

1. Be clear and concise: When introducing yourself, keep your introduction brief and to the point. State your name, your position or role, and any relevant information that will help establish your credibility.

2. Use appropriate body language: Body language plays a crucial role in making a great first impression. Stand tall, make eye contact, and offer a firm handshake when introducing yourself. This will convey confidence and professionalism.

3. Practice beforehand: Before attending a business meeting or event where you will need to introduce yourself, take some time to practice your introduction. This will help you feel more confident and ensure that you deliver your introduction smoothly.

While it is important to know how to introduce yourself effectively, it is equally important to avoid common mistakes that can make a negative impression. Here are some common mistakes to avoid when introducing yourself in English:

1. Rambling or providing too much information: Keep your introduction concise and focused. Avoid rambling or providing unnecessary details that may confuse or bore the listener.

2. Using inappropriate language or slang: When introducing yourself in a professional setting, it is important to use formal and appropriate language. Avoid using slang or informal language that may be considered unprofessional.

3. Forgetting to listen: While it is important to make a great first impression, it is equally important to listen to the other person when they introduce themselves. Show interest and engage in active listening to establish a positive rapport.

How to Navigate Small Talk with Clients and Colleagues

Small talk may seem insignificant, but it plays a crucial role in building relationships and establishing rapport with clients and colleagues. Engaging in small talk can help break the ice, create a comfortable atmosphere, and build trust. Here are some strategies for navigating small talk in English:

1. Be prepared with conversation starters: Before attending a business meeting or event, prepare some conversation starters that can help initiate small talk. These can include topics such as current events, sports, or common interests.

2. Show genuine interest: When engaging in small talk, show genuine interest in the other person. Ask open-ended questions and actively listen to their responses. This will help create a positive impression and foster a deeper connection.

3. Be mindful of cultural differences: When engaging in small talk with clients or colleagues from different cultures, be mindful of cultural differences. Avoid topics that may be sensitive or offensive in their culture and adapt your conversation style accordingly.

Small talk is not just about filling the silence; it is about building relationships and establishing connections. By mastering the art of small talk, you can create a positive and comfortable atmosphere that will enhance your business interactions.

Understanding Cultural Differences in Business Travel English

When traveling for business, it is important to be aware of and understand cultural differences in order to communicate effectively. Cultural awareness plays a crucial role in building relationships, avoiding misunderstandings, and showing respect for others. Here are some common cultural differences to be aware of when communicating in English:

1. Communication style: Different cultures have different communication styles. Some cultures may value direct and assertive communication, while others may prefer indirect and diplomatic communication. Understanding these differences can help you adapt your communication style accordingly.

2. Body language: Body language varies across cultures and can have different meanings. For example, in some cultures, maintaining eye contact is a sign of respect and attentiveness, while in others, it may be considered rude or confrontational. Being aware of these differences can help you avoid misunderstandings.

3. Etiquette and customs: Etiquette and customs vary greatly from culture to culture. It is important to familiarize yourself with the customs and etiquette of the country you are visiting in order to avoid unintentionally offending or disrespecting others.

By understanding and respecting cultural differences, you can navigate business interactions more effectively and build stronger relationships with clients and colleagues from different backgrounds.

Essential Vocabulary for Business Meetings and Presentations

Having a strong vocabulary is essential for effective communication in business meetings and presentations. Here are some key vocabulary words and phrases that can help you communicate more effectively:

1. Agenda: The list of topics or items to be discussed in a meeting or presentation.

2. Action items: Tasks or actions that need to be completed as a result of the meeting or presentation.

3. Deliverables: The specific outcomes or results that are expected from a project or task.

4. Stakeholders: Individuals or groups who have an interest or stake in the outcome of a project or decision.

5. KPIs (Key Performance Indicators): Metrics or measurements used to evaluate the success or performance of a project or task.

6. ROI (Return on Investment): The financial return or benefit that is expected from an investment or project.

7. Synergy: The combined effect or interaction of different elements that produces a greater result than the sum of their individual effects.

8. Value proposition: The unique benefits or advantages that a product or service offers to customers.

9. Benchmark: A standard or reference point against which something can be measured or evaluated.

10. Milestone: A significant event or achievement that marks a key stage in a project or task.

When using vocabulary in business meetings and presentations, it is important to use it effectively. Here are some tips for using vocabulary effectively:

1. Use vocabulary that is appropriate for your audience: Tailor your vocabulary to the level of your audience. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that may be unfamiliar to them.

2. Provide context and examples: When using new vocabulary, provide context and examples to help your audience understand its meaning and usage.

3. Use vocabulary confidently: Use vocabulary confidently and pronounce words correctly. This will help establish your credibility and ensure that your message is clear.

Tips for Communicating Clearly and Concisely in English

Clear and concise communication is essential in business travel English . Here are some strategies for communicating effectively:

1. Be clear and specific: When communicating in English, be clear and specific in your message. Avoid vague or ambiguous language that may lead to misunderstandings.

2. Use simple language: Use simple and straightforward language to ensure that your message is easily understood by others. Avoid using complex or technical terms that may confuse your audience.

3. Organize your thoughts: Before speaking, take a moment to organize your thoughts and structure your message. This will help you communicate more effectively and avoid rambling or going off-topic.

4. Use visual aids: Visual aids such as charts, graphs, or diagrams can help convey complex information more clearly and concisely. Use visual aids when appropriate to enhance your message.

5. Practice active listening: Active listening is an important part of effective communication. Show interest in what others are saying, ask clarifying questions, and paraphrase their message to ensure understanding.

By implementing these strategies, you can communicate more clearly and concisely in English, ensuring that your message is understood by others.

Asking and Answering Questions in English: Strategies for Success

Asking and answering questions is an important part of business travel English. Here are some tips for asking and answering questions effectively:

1. Ask open-ended questions: Open-ended questions encourage discussion and allow for more detailed responses. Avoid asking yes or no questions, as they may limit the conversation.

2. Be concise when answering questions: When answering questions, be concise and to the point. Avoid rambling or providing unnecessary details that may confuse or bore the listener.

3. Seek clarification when needed: If you do not understand a question, do not hesitate to seek clarification. Ask the person to repeat or rephrase the question to ensure that you fully understand what is being asked.

4. Use appropriate language: When asking and answering questions, use formal and appropriate language. Avoid using slang or informal language that may be considered unprofessional.

5. Be confident: When asking and answering questions, be confident in your communication. Speak clearly and assertively to convey confidence and professionalism.

By following these strategies, you can ask and answer questions effectively in English, ensuring that you are able to communicate your thoughts and ideas clearly.

Negotiating and Persuading in English: Key Phrases and Techniques

Negotiating and persuading are important skills in business travel English. Here are some key phrases and techniques that can help you negotiate and persuade effectively:

1. Key phrases for negotiating: – “I understand your position, but…” – “Let’s find a compromise that works for both parties.” – “What if we consider this alternative solution?” – “I believe we can reach a mutually beneficial agreement.”

2. Key techniques for negotiating: – Active listening: Listen to the other party’s needs and concerns to find common ground. – Building rapport: Establish a positive relationship with the other party to create a more collaborative negotiation process. – Offering alternatives: Propose alternative solutions or options to find a win-win outcome.

3. Key phrases for persuading: – “Here are the benefits of this solution…” – “This approach has been proven to be effective in similar situations.” – “Let me show you how this can benefit your company.” – “I believe this is the best course of action because…”

4. Key techniques for persuading: – Presenting evidence: Use data, facts, and examples to support your arguments and persuade others. – Addressing objections: Anticipate and address potential objections or concerns to alleviate any doubts or resistance. – Tailoring your message: Adapt your message to the needs and interests of your audience to make it more persuasive.

By using these key phrases and techniques, you can negotiate and persuade effectively in English, increasing your chances of achieving your desired outcomes.

Handling Difficult Conversations with Diplomacy and Tact

Difficult conversations are inevitable in business travel English. Here are some strategies for handling difficult conversations in a professional manner:

1. Stay calm and composed: It is important to stay calm and composed during difficult conversations. Take deep breaths, maintain a neutral tone, and avoid becoming defensive or aggressive.

2. Use active listening: Show empathy and understanding by actively listening to the other person’s perspective. Repeat their points back to them to ensure that you have understood their concerns.

3. Choose your words carefully: Be mindful of the words you use during difficult conversations. Use neutral and non-confrontational language to avoid escalating the situation.

4. Focus on finding a solution: Instead of dwelling on the problem, focus on finding a solution. Collaborate with the other person to find common ground and work towards a resolution.

5. Maintain a positive relationship: Even during difficult conversations, it is important to maintain a positive relationship with the other person. Be respectful, acknowledge their perspective, and show a willingness to find a mutually beneficial solution.

By implementing these strategies, you can handle difficult conversations with diplomacy and tact, ensuring that relationships are maintained and conflicts are resolved in a professional manner.

Expressing Gratitude and Appreciation in Business Travel English

Expressing gratitude and appreciation is an important part of business travel English. Here are some common phrases for expressing gratitude and appreciation in English:

1. Thank you for your time and consideration. 2. I really appreciate your help with this matter. 3. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with you. 4. Thank you for your support and guidance. 5. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your assistance. 6. Your contribution has been invaluable, and I am truly grateful. 7. I cannot thank you enough for your generosity and support. 8. Your hard work and dedication are greatly appreciated. 9. I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt thanks. 10. I am so grateful for all that you have done.

Expressing gratitude and appreciation not only shows respect and gratitude towards others, but it also helps build stronger relationships and fosters a positive work environment.

Saying Goodbye: Polite Farewells and Follow-Up Actions in English

Saying goodbye in a professional manner is just as important as making a great first impression. Here are some tips for saying goodbye in English:

1. Use polite farewell phrases: Use polite farewell phrases such as “Thank you for your time,” “It was a pleasure meeting you,” or “I look forward to our next meeting.” These phrases show respect and leave a positive impression.

2. Offer follow-up actions: Before saying goodbye, offer any necessary follow-up actions. This can include sending an email with additional information, scheduling a follow-up meeting, or providing any promised materials.

3. Shake hands and maintain eye contact: When saying goodbye, offer a firm handshake and maintain eye contact. This shows professionalism and respect.

After a business meeting or trip, it is important to follow up with any necessary actions. This can include sending a thank-you email, providing requested information, or scheduling a follow-up meeting. Following up shows professionalism and ensures that any loose ends are tied up.

Effective communication is crucial in business travel English. Polite greetings, clear and concise communication, and cultural awareness are all essential for successful business interactions. By mastering the art of introducing yourself, engaging in small talk, understanding cultural differences, using essential vocabulary, asking and answering questions, … , you can communicate effectively in English and enhance your professional relationships.

Originally posted 2024-03-06 10:06:04.

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ESL Activities

ESL Games, Activities, Lesson Plans, Jobs & More

in Listening · Speaking

English for Tourism: Learn Vocabulary for Working in Tourism Industry

There are various kinds of tourism vocabulary to learn, from working in a restaurant to a hotel or as a travel guide. If you want to brush up on your English for tourism, then you’re in the right place. Keep on reading to find out more about English for tourism industry workers.  This English for Tourism Vocabulary Builder might be exactly what you need!

• Amazon Kindle Edition
• Bolen, Jackie (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 86 Pages - 03/11/2021 (Publication Date)

English For Tourism Workers

Learn the most useful English expressions, phrases, idioms and other vocabulary  words to assist people in a hotel, airport, restaurant or on a tour. You can improve your confidence to be able to speak English to your guests. Impress your boss and maybe even get a better job because of your language skills!

Tourism English vocabulary

There are a number of reasons why you might consider picking up this book. Here are just a few of them:

• Get a better job in the tourism industry because you’re able to speak English well
• Learn some new English idioms and phrases designed to assist travellers.
• Have a variety of authentic dialogues at the airport, in restaurants or hotels at your fingertips
• Improve your American English which can allow you to interact with guests easily
• Speak English to people who need your help in a hotel or restaurant fluently and confidently
• Have some fun while learning travel English

How can I Learn Tourism English?

To learn tourism English, you can follow these steps:

Build a Strong Foundation in General English

Before focusing on tourism-specific vocabulary and phrases, it’s important to have a solid grasp of general English. Improve your reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills through textbooks, online courses, language exchange programs, or language learning apps.

Identify Tourism-related Vocabulary and Phrases

Make a list of common terms and phrases used in the tourism industry. This may include words related to accommodations, transportation, attractions, dining, greetings, directions, and customer service. Use English-English or bilingual dictionaries, travel guides, and tourism websites to compile a comprehensive list.

Take Tourism English Courses

Look for specialized courses or language schools that offer tourism English programs. These courses are designed to teach you the specific vocabulary, phrases, and communication skills needed for the tourism industry. They may cover topics such as hotel reservations, tour guiding, customer service, and cultural awareness.

Practice Speaking and Listening

Engage in conversational practice to improve your speaking and listening skills. Find language partners or join conversation groups where you can practice discussing tourism-related topics. This will help you become comfortable using the vocabulary and phrases you have learned.

Use Online Resources

Take advantage of online resources tailored for learning tourism English. Websites, podcasts, and YouTube channels focused on travel and tourism can provide valuable listening and reading material. Some websites also offer exercises and quizzes to test your understanding.

Read Travel and Tourism Materials

Read travel guides, brochures, websites, and blogs in English. This will expose you to authentic tourism-related content and help you understand how the language is used in real-life scenarios. Pay attention to the vocabulary, sentence structures, and idiomatic expressions used in these materials.

Watch Travel-related Videos and Movies

Watch videos, documentaries, or movies about travel and tourism. This will not only improve your listening skills but also expose you to different accents and cultural contexts. Pay attention to how native English speakers communicate in tourism-related situations.

Role-play and Simulations

Practice role-playing scenarios that commonly occur in the tourism industry. This could include activities like making hotel reservations, providing directions to tourists, or recommending local attractions. Act out these scenarios with a language partner or even by yourself to enhance your fluency and confidence.

Take Advantage of Real-life Opportunities

If you live in a tourist destination or have access to tourists, take advantage of these opportunities to practice your English. Offer assistance to tourists, guide them around your city, or work part-time in a tourism-related job. This will give you practical experience and help you apply your language skills in a real-world setting.

Keep Learning and Engaging

Learning a language is an ongoing process. Stay motivated and continue to practice regularly. Stay updated with current tourism trends, attend workshops, and participate in language exchange programs to maintain and enhance your skills.

Remember that consistency and dedication are key to mastering any language. By following these steps and immersing yourself in tourism-related English content, you can improve your language skills and become proficient in tourism English.

Pick up a Copy of this Tourism Vocabulary Book Today

Does it sound like the right option for you? You can easily find this book on Amazon in a variety of formats. Get the paperback or hardcover copy to read on breaks at work. Or, take the digital version with you on the subway or bus.

Whatever way you choose, get ready to learn the phrases, idioms, expressions and other vocabulary you need to know to work in the tourism industry. Check it out:

Last update on 2022-07-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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Travel | Past Simple Business Trip

A fun ESL lesson to learn the past simple and how to describe and talk about travel and a past business trip. Learn vocabulary and expressions to talk about travel. Get the downloadable and printable worksheets, ESL digital flashcards, ESL listening and reading exercises, and everything you need for the perfect digital and remote English lesson when you subscribe.

Travel | Talking about a Business Trip

Esl video past simple business trip.

ESL Conversation about a Business Trip

Today is the first day of John’s business trip. He got up early and took a taxi to the airport. The driver helped him with his luggage when he arrived, so John gave him a tip.

At the airport, John went to the check-in desk and checked his luggage . Then, we went through security. The security guard asked to check his carry-on luggage. In the departure lounge, John used the free Wi-Fi to watch some videos online.

On the plane, he had a business-class seat. It was very comfortable. When John arrived, he went to baggage claim to get his luggage and then took a taxi to his hotel. His room is very comfortable, so tonight John is going to relax.

Use the following ESL Printable flashcards to tell a story in the past simple.

• What is it the first day of?
• Why did John get up early?
• Why did John give the driver a tip?
• What did John do when he first arrived at the airport?
• What did John do in the departure lounge?
• How was John’s seat on the plane?
• How did John get to his hotel?
• What is John going to do tonight?

Storytelling Images using the Past Simple

Retell the story by putting the images in the correct order.

Match the words on the left to their meaning on the right.

Put the following words in the past tense:

help  _______________

arrive _______________

get up _______________

ask _______________

use _______________

go  _______________

take _______________

check _______________

give _______________

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Tourism English: 6 Types of Working Vocabulary

Every year, over 1 billion people visit other countries. These people have a special name: Tourists .

Wherever tourists come from, there is one thing they often have in common: They often speak English.

Knowing tourism English is a skill that can give you an advantage in getting a job or in progressing your career.

Tourism English has a lot of specific vocabulary and repetition. Learning tourism English is a great idea if you plan to work at any job that deals with tourists.

And as you are about to find out, there are lots of different opportunities in the tourism industry!

1. Hotel and Hospitality Tourism English

2. transportation tourism english, 3. medical tourism english, 4. tourist guide english, 5. english for outdoor and indoor attractions, 6. travel agency english, the benefits of learning tourism english, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

When you hear the term “tourism English,” you might just think of hotels ; however the tourism industry is much bigger than that!

There are many other types of jobs that deal with tourists daily, where a good knowledge of English (and specifically tourism English) would give you an advantage.

Let’s look at what some of them are!

The tourism industry might not be entirely made of hotels, but hotels are definitely a large part of it. Hotel jobs include working as a  receptionist  (who works at the front desk and makes sure everyone has a room) or  concierge (who helps the hotel’s customers find whatever they need to make their stay enjoyable).

You might also get a job as a bellboy (or girl!) and be responsible for helping visitors with their luggage, or a cleaner , who cleans rooms and prepares them for the next guest. Some hotels also employ spa workers , cooks and waiters .

Sample vocabulary:

• Check-in / Check-out : The time when a visitor receives (check-in) or returns (check-out) the keys to their room.
• Room service : A food or other service that is ordered by the visitor and delivered to their room by hotel staff.
• Vacancy : A room that is available to be rented out to a hotel guest.
• Reservation : When a person books a room or service in advance.

How to learn more:

You can find tips and more basic vocabulary for hotel and hospitality English  here and here .

The website EnglishForMyJob.com has a nice selection of worksheets and vocabulary lessons for the hotel industry.

Just learning vocabulary is not enough, though. Working on your listening and communication skills is very important for any job in the tourism industry.

When you visit a new place, you need a way to get around. You could use the public transportation system (buses and trains), but there is a good chance you will take a taxi. That is why transportation is another big part of the tourism industry.

Much of the tourism transportation field is made up of private or government-run car services and taxis. However, you can also find a job on a cruise ship or a sightseeing boat, or as a steward or stewardess on an airplane.

• Destination : The location somebody is trying to get to.
• Single [ticket] / One-Way ticket : A ticket valid for one trip to a destination.
• Round trip ticket : Also known as a  return ticket ,  valid for a trip to a destination and back.
• Fare : The money a passenger has to pay for being transported (taken to a location).
• Flat fee :  This is a fixed price passengers pay, instead of paying for time or distance traveled. (Many hotels and some car services have a flat fee for getting to and from airports.)

The English Club has a page with sample taxi driver phrases and conversations. This website is meant for ESL teachers, but you may find some useful information and exercises to try with a group of friends. 

Although most of these are for taxi drivers, they are also good guides for any jobs in transportation!

Not all tourists are traveling to enjoy themselves. The field of medical tourism is also growing, and so are the jobs that deal with it. Medical tourism is when people travel to different countries to have certain operations or medical procedures. This happens for many reasons, including price and availability.

If your country is a popular medical tourism destination, English skills will prove extremely useful in finding a job as a nurse —or doctor , if you have the credentials (skills and education)! English can also help you work in any other caregiver role or as a  receptionist  in a medical setting.

• Procedure : A procedure is an official way of doing things. A medical procedure is an operation or other kind of medical care given to a patient.
• R & R : A casual term that stands for Rest and Relaxation . A visitor who has just had a medical procedure needs a lot of it!
• Appointment : A meeting between a patient and a doctor or medical professional.
• Medical insurance : Financial cover for medical emergencies or treatment while abroad.

You can find several articles with vocabulary on Thoughtco. and a large list of worksheets and vocabulary for ESL medical workers on the English Club website .

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Tourists often need someone to show them around, or take them on tours . Tours are planned explorations of certain places, and are meant to educate tourists about these locations.

A tour is led by a tour guide . To become a tour guide, you need to learn English—but you also need to know the history of a place, as well as interesting facts about it. You can also get a job at an information desk  near certain tourist attractions. These positions require a wider vocabulary, since you often have to answer historical and factual questions.

• Monument : A public sculpture or display that honors a person or event.
• District : A certain area in a city or a town, often known for something specific. New York’s fashion district , for example, is famous for its beautiful and stylish clothes.
• Scenic : Very beautiful and pleasant to look at. For example, “a scenic view.”
• Meeting point : The place a guide agrees to meet those who are partaking in the tour at a certain time.

Online course website Alison has a course specifically teaching tourism English, which you can find here . You can also find a large list of useful vocabulary for tour guides on this website .

There are well-known places in a city or country that are fun for people to visit, and many tourists enjoy seeing these places. These are called attractions , and they can be outdoors or indoors. Not all attractions are meant specifically for tourists, but many deal with tourists on a regular basis.

There are many different types of attractions, which can make it easy to find something you enjoy and care about. Attractions include museums, zoos, aquariums, amusement parks, casinos and many more. There are lots of opportunities here!

• Recreational : For fun. Swimming in a pool can be recreational. Tourist attractions are recreational.
• Concession stand : A place in or around an attraction where visitors can purchase drinks, snacks or food. Also known as snack bars . In British English , these can be called snack kiosks .
• Ticket office : The place where you buy a ticket.
• Height/Age restrictions : A minimum height/age required for a person to partake in an activity or ride.

Travel agencies and the travel agents who work there help people plan their trips. They deal with purchasing plane tickets, booking hotels and creating schedules for visiting attractions and going on tours.

As a travel agent, you would work one-on-one with tourists to plan a trip that is perfect for them. This means being on the phone a lot and working with other employees in the tourism industry. The English necessary for being a travel agent is more business-oriented but still polite and friendly .

• Itinerary : A schedule, or a list of planned routes (ways to get somewhere) or events. A travel agent creates itineraries for his clients.
• Package deal : A special deal that includes more than one purchase, and is usually cheaper than buying them separately. You might get a package deal for a flight and a hotel together, for example.
• Visa : Permission for a person to enter a country. There are many types of visas; however, tourists will usually opt for a “tourist visa” (a visa specifically for tourism purposes). Visa requirements can vary significantly depending on what passport a tourist holds and the country they intend to visit.
• Excursion : A trip to a location. Excursions are often organized.

You can find several great videos online with sample travel agency conversations. Here is one from Two Minute English:

Tourism is a huge industry. In fact, the number of tourists has been increasing for the past 60 years. A large number of tourists means a large number of jobs for the tourism industry. The tourism industry includes any field that deals in some way with visitors to your country.

One out of every 11 jobs is related in some way to tourism. Lots of jobs means lots of people hired every year, so starting a career in the tourism industry is not as difficult as in some other fields.

That is why knowing tourism English is so important. It can help you better communicate with foreigners, which will make you a better worker, and maybe even help you get a promotion!

The tourism industry is a whole world of opportunities.

Knowing which opportunities you want, and learning English specific to them, is a great way to get ahead in your career!

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.

For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:

FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.

FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.

The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

Business trips.

Level: Elementary (A1-A2)

Type of English: Business English

Tags: business travel present perfect Grammar practice

Publication date: 08/04/2015

This business English version of our popular elementary worksheet I have been to ... introduces students to the present perfect form of the verb 'be'. The worksheet also recycles grammar from previous elementary lessons, e.g. 'going to' + infinitive.

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This business English version of our popular elementary worksheet  I have been to ... introduces students to the present perfect form of the verb 'be'. The worksheet also recycles grammar from previous elementary lessons, e.g. 'going to' + infinitive.

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Saudi Arabia needs peace in the Middle East for its $500 billion Neom megaproject to succeed

• Conflict in the Middle East is a threat to Saudi Arabia's ambitious Vision 2030 plans.
• Some Neom projects are located along the Red Sea coast, where tensions have been escalating.
• The renewed conflict in the region has left Saudi officials walking a difficult political line.

Escalating tensions in the Middle East are threatening the success of Saudi Arabia's ambitious Vision 2030 plans — especially its desert megacity called Neom .

The kingdom has announced grand plans to boost its tourism industry to 150 million visitors a year by 2030 , aiming to build new resorts and cities that will act as Dubai-style travel hubs in the region.

But many of these planned tourist destinations are located on the Red Sea coast, where tensions have been escalating since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel and the subsequent conflict in Gaza and beyond.

Iran-backed Houthis have launched numerous missiles and armed drone attacks at Israel and the threat of ongoing conflict has disrupted Red Sea shipping routes, with companies opting to avoid the area .

The conflict in the region has left Saudi officials walking a political tightrope.

Earlier steps toward normalizing relations with Israel have been derailed by a resurgence of local support for the Palestinian cause, while the threat of prolonged conflict risks hobbling officials lofty goals for Neom.

A de-escalating force

Before the October Hamas attacks, Saudi Arabia already appeared to be seeking de-escalation and normalization with its foreign policy in the region.

In March 2023, Iran and Saudi Arabia brokered a deal to re-establish diplomatic relations. With some help from China, the two nations agreed to reopen their embassies in their respective capitals.

In the months before October 7, Saudi Arabia was also reportedly edging toward a deal with the US that would have included a normalization agreement with Israel. According to a New York Times report , one reason is that it's hoping for a US security guarantee if it's ever attacked by Iran.

Progress on the deal appeared to stall after the Israeli offensive in Gaza sparked anger across the region, leaving Saudi officials caught between a wave of local support for the Palestinian cause and US pressure to normalize ties with Israel.

While Saudi Arabia has called for an end to the war in Gaza and accused Israel of committing war crimes , officials have continued to express interest in normalizing relations with the Jewish homeland as long as any deal includes the creation of a Palestinian state.

Related stories

The US and Saudi Arabia are in the final steps of a new agreement on security guarantees and civilian nuclear assistance, Reuters reported last week . Normalization of an Israeli-Saudi relations is still far from being agreed.

International optics

The conflict in the region poses a problem for Saudi's hopes of attracting millions of new foreign visitors.

Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a fellow for the Middle East at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, told Business Insider: "The Saudis are so concerned about any potential escalation because they realize they have this largely untapped Red Sea coastline, which they are now developing and see a lot of potential in."

Many of Neom's projects aimed at capturing the luxury tourism market are located along the Red Sea coast. Set to open next year, Neom's luxury island resort of Sindalah is advertised as an "exclusive gateway to the stunning Red Sea."

Saudi officials need to show that the locations are safe from nearby conflict zones to be able to attract high-spending visitors.

"The optics of stray missiles and drones slamming into Saudi cities when they're trying to attract the sort of high-end luxury markets would be disastrous," Ulrichsen said.

The 2022 Formula 1 Grand Prix in Jeddah, which took place against a backdrop of thick black smoke after Houthi missiles hit a fuel depot five miles away from the racetrack, is unlikely to be far from officials' minds.

After the attack, plumes of black smoke were visible from the circuit and seen during the first practice session, sparking alarm from international drivers.

Supply chain issues

Conflict in the region may also cause issues when it comes to the construction of ambitious projects like Neom.

"The remote location of the project, combined with renewed tensions in the Red Sea, also pose specific issues around construction and delivery of equipment and materials," Robert Mogielnicki, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute, told BI.

Officials will also need to convince firms and residents to buy into Neom and attract tourists to visit. Mogielnicki said these demand-related variables mean the Saudi government and planners have less direct control over Neom's success.

Saudi officials are already fighting to combat claims that Neom is facing delays and setbacks.

In recent months, Western media outlets have reported that the country is scaling back population estimates for The Line and seeking to borrow funds .

Last month, Bloomberg reported that the financial realities of the project, which could see cost spiral up to $1.5 trillion , have started to cause alarm within the Saudi government.

Difficulties getting construction materials to the Red Sea coast could further delay some Neom projects, which are essentially already "moving targets," according to Ulrichsen.

Neom did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Watch: Houthi rebels hijack ships in Red Sea, demanding cease-fire in Gaza

• Main content

Money blog: 'Loud budgeting' - The money-saving trend that has nothing to do with giving up your daily coffee

Created accidentally by a comedian, "loud budgeting" is breaking down the taboo of speaking about money. Read this and the rest of our Weekend Money features, and leave a comment, and we'll be back with rolling personal finance and consumer news on Monday.

Saturday 11 May 2024 09:05, UK

Weekend Money

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• £12m tea advert, downsizing, £320 tasting menus and job interview mistakes: What readers have said this week
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• Where has huge week for UK economy left us?

Best of the week

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Ask a question or make a comment

By Jess Sharp , Money team 

Money saving trends are constantly popping up on social media - but one in particular has been gaining huge amounts of attention.

Created accidentally by a comedian, loud budgeting is breaking down the taboo of speaking about money.

The idea is based on being firmer/more vocal about your financial boundaries in social situations and setting out what you are happy to spend your money on, instead of "Keeping up with the Joneses". 

On TikTok alone, videos published under the hashtag #loudbudgeting have garnered more than 30 million views - and that figure is continuing to climb. 

We spoke to Lukas Battle - the 26-year-old who unintentionally created the trend as part of a comedy sketch. 

Based in New York, he came up with the term in a skit about the "quiet luxury" hype, which had spread online in 2023 inspired by shows like Succession. 

The term was used for humble bragging about your wealth with expensive items that were subtle in their design - for example, Gwyneth Paltrow's  £3,900 moss green wool coat from The Row, which she wore during her ski resort trial...

"I was never a big fan of the quiet luxury trend, so I just kind of switched the words and wrote 'loud budgeting is in'. I'm tired of spending money and I don't want to pretend to be rich," Lukas said. 

"That's how it started and then the TikTok comments were just obsessed with that original idea." 

This was the first time he mentioned it...

Lukas explained that it wasn't about "being poor" but about not being afraid of sharing your financial limits and "what's profitable for you personally". 

"It's not 'skip a coffee a day and you'll become a millionaire'."

While talking money has been seen as rude or taboo, he said it's something his generation is more comfortable doing. 

"I've seen more debate around the topic and I think people are really intrigued and attracted by the idea," he said. 

"It's just focusing your spending and time on things you enjoy and cutting out the things you might feel pressured to spend your money on."  

He has incorporated loud budgeting into his own life, telling his friends "it's free to go outside" and opting for cheaper dinner alternatives.

"Having the terminology and knowing it's a trend helps people understand it and there's no awkward conversation around it," he said. 

The trend has been a big hit with so-called American "finfluencers", or "financial influencers", but people in the UK have started practising it as well. 

Mia Westrap has taken up loud budgeting by embarking on a no-buy year and sharing her finances with her 11.3k TikTok followers. 

Earning roughly £2,100 a month, she spends around £1,200 on essentials, like rent, petrol and car insurance, but limits what else she can purchase. 

Clothes, fizzy drinks, beauty treatments, makeup, dinners out and train tickets are just some things on her "red list". 

The 26-year-old PHD student first came across the idea back in 2017, but decided to take up the challenge this year after realising she was living "pay check to pay check". 

She said her "biggest fear" in the beginning was that her friends wouldn't understand what she was doing, but she found loud budgeting helped. 

"I'm still trying my best to just go along with what everyone wants to do but I just won't spend money while we do it and my friends don't mind that, we don't make a big deal out of it," she said. 

So far, she has been able to save £1,700, and she said talking openly about her money has been "really helpful". 

"There's no way I could have got this far if I wasn't baring my soul to the internet about the money I have spent. It has been a really motivating factor."

Financial expert John Webb said loud budgeting has the ability to help many "feel empowered" and create a "more realistic" relationship with money.

"This is helping to normalise having open and honest conversations about finances," the consumer affair manager at Experien said. 

"It can also reduce the anxiety some might have by keeping their financial worries to themselves." 

However, he warned it's important to be cautious and to take the reality of life into consideration. 

"It could cause troubles within friendship groups if they're not on the same page as you or have different financial goals," he said.

"This challenge isn't meant to stop you from having fun, but it is designed to help people become more conscious and intentional when it comes to money, and reduce the stigma around talking about it." 

Rightmove's keyword tool shows Victorian-era houses are the most commonly searched period properties, with people drawn to their ornate designs and features.

Georgian and Edwardian-style are second and third respectively, followed by Tudor properties. Regency ranked in fifth place.

Rightmove property expert Tim Bannister said: "Home hunters continue to be captivated by the character and charm of properties that we see in period dramas.

"Victorian homes remain particularly popular, characterised by their historic charm, solid construction, and spacious interiors. You'll often find Victorian houses in some of the most desirable locations which include convenient access to schools and transport links."

Throughout the week Money blog readers have shared their thoughts on the stories we've been covering, with the most correspondence coming in on...

• A hotly contested debate on the best brand of tea
• Downsizing homes
• The cost of Michelin-starred food

Job interview mistakes

On Wednesday we reported on a new £12m ad from PG Tips in response to it falling behind rivals such as Twinings, Yorkshire Tea and Tetley....

We had lots of comments like this...

How on earth was the PG Tips advert so expensive? I prefer Tetley tea, PG Tips is never strong enough flavour for me. Shellyleppard

The reason for the sales drop with PG Tips could be because they increased the price and reduced the quantity of bags from 240 to 180 - it's obvious. Royston

And then this question which we've tried to answer below...

Why have PG Tips changed from Pyramid shape tea bags, to a square? Sam

Last year PG Tips said it was changing to a square bag that left more room for leaves to infuse, as the bags wouldn't fold over themselves.

We reported on data showing how downsizing could save you money for retirement - more than £400,000, in some regions, by swapping four beds for two.

Some of our readers shared their experiences...

We are downsizing and moving South so it's costing us £100k extra for a smaller place, all money from retirement fund. AlanNorth

Interesting read about downsizing for retirement. We recently did this to have the means to retire early at 52. However, we bought a house in the south of France for the price of a flat in our town in West Sussex. Now living the dream! OliSarah

How much should we pay for food?

Executive chef at London's two-Michelin-starred Ikoyi, Jeremy Chan, raised eyebrows when he suggested to the Money blog that Britons don't pay enough for restaurant food.

Ikoyi, the 35th best restaurant in the world, charges £320 for its tasting menu. 

"I don't think people pay enough money for food, I think we charge too little, [but] we want to always be accessible to as many people as possible, we're always trying our best to do that," he said, in a piece about his restaurant's tie up with Uber Eats... 

We had this in... 

Are they serious? That is two weeks' worth of food shopping for me, if the rich can afford this "tasting menu" then they need to be taxed even more by the government, it's just crazy! Steve T

If the rate of pay is proportionate to the vastly overpriced costs of the double Michelin star menu, I would gladly peel quail eggs for four-hour stints over continuing to be abused as a UK supply teacher. AndrewWard

Does this two-star Michelin star chef live in the real world? Who gives a toss if he stands and peels his quails eggs for four hours, and he can get the best turbot from the fishmonger fresh on a daily basis? It doesn't justify the outrageous price he is charging for his tasting menu. Topaztraveller

Chefs do make me laugh, a steak is just a steak, they don't make the meat! They just cook it like the rest of us, but we eat out because we can't be bothered cooking! StevieGrah

Finally, many of you reacted to this feature on common mistakes in job interviews...

Those 10 biggest mistakes people make in interviews is the dumbest thing I've ever read. They expect all that and they'll be offering a £25k a year job. Why wouldn't I want to know about benefits and basic sick pay? And also a limp handshake? How's that relevant to how you work? Jre90

Others brought their own tips...

Whenever I go for an interview I stick to three points: 1. Be yourself 2. Own the interview 3. Wear the clothes that match the job you are applying Kevin James Blakey

From Sunday, eligible working parents of children from nine-months-old in England will be able to register for access to up to 15 free hours of government-funded childcare per week.

This will then be granted from September. 

Check if you're eligible  here  - or read on for our explainer on free childcare across the UK.

Three and four year olds

In England, all parents of children aged three and four in England can claim 15 hours of free childcare per week, for 1,140 hours (38 weeks) a year, at an approved provider.

This is a universal offer open to all.

It can be extended to 30 hours where both parents (or the sole parent) are in work, earn the weekly minimum equivalent of 16 hours at the national minimum or living wage, and have an income of less than £100,000 per year.

Two year olds

Previously, only parents in receipt of certain benefits were eligible for 15 hours of free childcare.

But, as of last month, this was extended to working parents.

This is not a universal offer, however.

A working parent must earn more than £8,670 but less than £100,000 per year. For couples, the rule applies to both parents.

Nine months old

In September, this same 15-hour offer will be extended to working parents of children aged from nine months. From 12 May, those whose children will be at least nine months old on 31 August can apply to received the 15 hours of care from September.

From September 2025

The final change to the childcare offer in England will be rolled out in September 2025, when eligible working parents of all children under the age of five will be able to claim 30 hours of free childcare a week.

In some areas of Wales, the Flying Start early years programme offers 12.5 hours of free childcare for 39 weeks, for eligible children aged two to three. The scheme is based on your postcode area, though it is currently being expanded.

All three and four-year-olds are entitled to free early education of 10 hours per week in approved settings during term time under the Welsh government's childcare offer.

Some children of this age are entitled to up to 30 hours per week of free early education and childcare over 48 weeks of the year. The hours can be split - but at least 10 need to be used on early education.

To qualify for this, each parent must earn less than £100,000 per year, be employed and earn at least the equivalent of working 16 hours a week at the national minimum wage, or be enrolled on an undergraduate, postgraduate or further education course that is at least 10 weeks in length.

All three and four-year-olds living in Scotland are entitled to at least 1,140 hours per year of free childcare, with no work or earnings requirements for parents. 

This is usually taken as 30 hours per week over term time (38 weeks), though each provider will have their own approach.

Some households can claim free childcare for two-year-olds. To be eligible you have to be claiming certain benefits such as Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance or Universal Credit, or have a child that is in the care of their local council or living with you under a guardianship order or kinship care order.

Northern Ireland

There is no scheme for free childcare in Northern Ireland. Some other limited support is available.

Working parents can access support from UK-wide schemes such as tax credits, Universal Credit, childcare vouchers and tax-free childcare.

Aside from this, all parents of children aged three or four can apply for at least 12.5 hours a week of funded pre-school education during term time. But over 90% of three-year-olds have a funded pre-school place - and of course this is different to childcare.

What other help could I be eligible for?

Tax-free childcare  - Working parents in the UK can claim up to £500 every three months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of their children to help with childcare costs. 

If the child is disabled, the amount goes up to £1,000 every three months (up to £4,000 a year).

To claim the benefit, parents will need to open a tax-free childcare account online. For every 80p paid into the account, the government will top it up by 20p.

The scheme is available until the September after the child turns 11.

Universal credit  - Working families on universal credit can claim back up to 85% of their monthly childcare costs, as long as the care is paid for upfront. The most you can claim per month is £951 for one child or £1,630 for two or more children.

Tax credits -  People claiming working tax credit can get up to 70% of what they pay for childcare if their costs are no more than £175 per week for one child or £300 per work for multiple children.

Two big economic moments dominated the news agenda in Money this week - interest rates and GDP.

As expected, the Bank of England held the base rate at 5.25% on Wednesday - but a shift in language was instructive about what may happen next.

Bank governor Andrew Bailey opened the door to a summer cut to 5%, telling reporters that an easing of rates at the next Monetary Policy Committee meeting on 20 June was neither ruled out nor a fait accompli.

More surprisingly, he suggested that rate cuts, when they start, could go deeper "than currently priced into market rates".

He refused to be drawn on what that path might look like - but markets had thought rates could bottom out at 4.5% or 4.75% this year, and potentially 3.5% or 4% next.

"To make sure that inflation stays around the 2% target - that inflation will neither be too high nor too low - it's likely that we will need to cut Bank rate over the coming quarters and make monetary policy somewhat less restrictive over the forecast period," Mr Bailey said.

You can read economics editor Ed Conway's analysis of the Bank's decision here ...

On Friday we discovered the UK is no longer in recession.

Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.6% between January and March, the Office for National Statistics said.

This followed two consecutive quarters of the economy shrinking.

The data was more positive than anticipated.

"Britain is not just out of recession," wrote Conway. "It is out of recession with a bang."

The UK has seen its fastest growth since the tailend of the pandemic - and Conway picked out three other reasons for optimism.

1/ An economic growth rate of 0.6% is near enough to what economists used to call "trend growth". It's the kind of number that signifies the economy growing at more or less "normal" rates.

2/ 0.6% means the UK is, alongside Canada, the fastest-growing economy in the G7 (we've yet to hear from Japan, but economists expect its economy to contract in the first quarter).

3/ Third, it's not just gross domestic product that's up. So too is gross domestic product per head - the number you get when you divide our national income by every person in the country. After seven years without any growth, GDP per head rose by 0.4% in the first quarter.

GDP per head is a more accurate yardstick for the "feelgood factor", said Conway - perhaps meaning people will finally start to feel better off.

For more on where Friday's figures leaves us, listen to an Ian King Business Podcast special...

The Money blog is your place for consumer news, economic analysis and everything you need to know about the cost of living - bookmark news.sky.com/money .

It runs with live updates every weekday - while on Saturdays we scale back and offer you a selection of weekend reads.

Check them out this morning and we'll be back on Monday with rolling news and features.

The Money team is Emily Mee, Bhvishya Patel, Jess Sharp, Katie Williams, Brad Young and Ollie Cooper, with sub-editing by Isobel Souster. The blog is edited by Jimmy Rice.

If you've missed any of the features we've been running in Money this year, or want to check back on something you've previously seen in the blog, this archive of our most popular articles may help...

Loaves of bread have been recalled from shelves in Japan after they were found to contain the remains of a rat.

Production of the bread in Tokyo has been halted after parts of a "small animal" were found by at least two people.

Pasco Shikishima Corp, which produces the bread, said 104,000 packages have been recalled as it apologised and promised compensation.

A company representative told Sky News's US partner network, NBC News, that a "small black rat" was found in the bread. No customers were reported to have fallen ill as a result of ingesting the contaminated bread.

"We deeply apologise for the serious inconvenience and trouble this has caused to our customers, suppliers, and other concerned parties," the spokesman said.

Pasco added in a separate statement that "we will do our utmost to strengthen our quality controls so that this will never happen again. We ask for your understanding and your co-operation."

Japanese media reports said at least two people who bought the bread in the Gunma prefecture, north-west of Tokyo, complained to the company about finding a rodent in the bread.

Record levels of shoplifting appear to be declining as fewer shopkeepers reported thefts last year, new figures show. 

A survey by the Office for National Statistics shows 26% of retailers experienced customer theft in 2023, down from a record high of 28% in 2022.

This comes despite a number of reports suggesting shoplifting is becoming more frequent. 

A  separate ONS finding , which used police crime data, showed reports of shoplifting were at their highest level in 20 years in 2023, with law enforcements logging 430,000 instances of the crime.

Let's get you up to speed on the biggest business news of the past 24 hours. 

A privately owned used-car platform is circling Cazoo Group, its stricken US-listed rival, which is on the brink of administration.

Sky News has learnt that Motors.co.uk is a leading contender to acquire Cazoo's marketplace operation, which would include its brand and intellectual property assets.

The process to auction the used-car platform's constituent parts comes after it spent tens of millions of pounds on sponsorship deals in football, snooker and darts in a rapid attempt to gain market share.

The owner of British Airways has reported a sharp rise in profits amid soaring demand for trips and a fall in the cost of fuel.

International Airlines Group said its operating profit for the first three months of the year was €68m (£58.5m) - above expectations and up from €9m (£7.7m) during the same period in 2023.

The company, which also owns Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling, said earnings had soared thanks to strong demand, particularly over the Easter holidays.

The prospect of a strike across Tata Steel's UK operations has gained further traction after a key union secured support for industrial action.

Community, which has more than 3,000 members, said 85% voted in favour of fighting the India-owned company's plans for up to 2,800 job losses, the majority of them at the country's biggest steelworks in Port Talbot, South Wales.

Tata confirmed last month it was to press ahead with the closure of the blast furnaces at the plant, replacing them with electric arc furnaces to reduce emissions and costs.

In doing so, the company rejected an alternative plan put forward by the Community, GMB and Unite unions that, they said, would raise productivity and protect jobs across the supply chain.

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