The Business Result English Upper-Intermediate course materials are designed for adult
learners to quickly and effectively master the English Language
skills they need in the context of a professional work
environment, covering the core skills of grammar, writing,
speaking, and listening.
This course is designed for participants with Intermediate English
Language Skills.
Those who successfully complete this exam will be awarded
the City & Guilds IESOL Achiever B1 qualification (International
English for Speakers of Other Languages).
Established 125 years
ago, City & Guilds is the leading vocational awarding body in the
UK, awarding almost 50% of all National Vocational Qualifications,
and awards over 1,000,000 certificates every year. As the only major
awarding body solely dedicated to vocational learning, City & Guilds
offers companies worldwide a recognized skills benchmark.
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Working with Words |
Language at Work |
Practically Speaking |
Business Communication |
Case Study / Activity |
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1. First Impressions
Learning Outcomes: Talk about first impressions, introduce
yourself by email, make a follow-up call, arrange to meet a
business contact, exchange contact details, talk about your
work and company. |
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Talking about first impressions professionalism, reputation,
etc. |
Present simple and continuous |
Exchanging contact details |
Exchanging information introducing your-self by email Making
a follow-up call arranging to meet |
Making business connections |
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2. Motivation
Learning Outcomes: Talk about motivation at work, make small
talk, exit a conversation politely, use questions to find
out information and develop conversation |
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Motivation incentive scheme, annual, bonus, staff morale,
etc. |
Question form review |
Exiting a conversation |
Socializing
Making small talk |
Solving staffing problems |
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3. On schedule
Learning Outcomes: talk about managing projects, ask
for/give an update in a meeting, make and respond, to
suggestions, catch up with colleagues, update on current
projects. |
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Talking about first impressions professionalism, reputation,
etc. |
Present Perfect and past simple |
Catching up with colleagues |
Meetings
Asking for and giving an update Making and responding to
suggestions |
Organizing a road show |
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4. New Ideas
Learning Outcomes: Talk about ideas and innovations, present
and idea, product or service, thank someone and respond to
thanks, talk about present, past and future ability |
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Ideas and innovations technological breakthrough,
revolutionary idea, etc; phrasal verbs |
Present past and future ability |
Thanking and responding |
Presenting
Presenting an idea, product or service |
Investing in a new idea |
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5. Customer Service
Learning Outcomes: Talk about customer service, deal with
customers, reassure and sympathize, use direct and indirect
questions to deal with customers. |
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Customer service
Courteous, sub-standard; exceed, expectations, etc. |
Direct and indirect questions |
Reassuring and sympathizing |
Exchanging information
Dealing with customers |
Dealing with customer service problems |
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6. Ethical business
Learning Outcomes: Talk about ethical business, explain,
plans and arrangements, invite and recommend, respond to
spontaneous invitations, talk about the future. |
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Ethical business act responsibly, reduce the impact;
credibility, etc. |
Talking about the future |
Responding to spontaneous invitations |
Presenting Explaining plans and arrangements inviting and
recommending |
Dealing with customer service problems |
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7. Making decisions
Learning Outcomes: Talk about personality and decision
making, participate in a decision-making meeting, talk about
social plans, talk about improving service and facilities.
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Personality and decision-making rational, instinctive;
consider all the options, etc. |
Countability Expressing quantity |
Talking about social plans |
Meetings
Participating in a decision-making meeting |
Resolving an expansion crisis |
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8. Outsourcing
Learning Outcomes: Talk about outsourcing, present factual
information, apologize and respond to apologies, talk about
a law or regulation in your country. |
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Outsourcing offshore location; streamline operation, achieve
lower overheads, etc. |
The passive |
Apologizing and responding |
Presenting
Presenting factual information |
Making a case for outsourcing |
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9. Employees
Learning Outcomes: Talk about changing jobs, talk about ways
of keeping staff, negotiate solutions, make and respond to
quick requests ,negotiate a secondment |
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Changing Jobs
Keeping staff
Early retirement, relocation; job mobility, etc. |
First and second conditionals |
Making and responding to quick requests |
Meetings
Negotiating solutions |
Negotiating a repatriation package |
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10. New Business
Talk about starting up a new business, ask about work and
life, ask a favour, avoid saying ‘no’, talk about activities
and results |
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Starting up a new business:
Gap in the market, start-up capital, etc; adverb+ adjective |
Present perfect simple and continuous |
Avoiding saying ‘no’ |
Socializing
Asking about work and life Asking a favour |
Using contacts to help in business |
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11. Communications
Learning Outcomes: Talk about communications, explain
procedures, use teleconferencing phrases , deal with
situations on the phone, talk about obligations at work
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Collaborate with, have access to etc; word families |
Modal verbs – Obligations and prohibition |
Dealing with situations on the phone |
Meetings
Explaining procedures
Teleconferencing |
Solving a communication problem |
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12. Change
Learning Outcomes: Talk about change, present future plans,
be negative diplomatically, talk about future activities and
developments |
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Talking about change
Resist, react, ambivalent, etc; phrasal verbs |
Future continuous future perfect and probability |
Being negative diplomatically |
Presenting future plans |
Increasing operational efficiency |
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13. Facts and figures
Learning Outcomes: Talk about numbers and trends, ask for an
explain factual and numerical information, talk about news
at work, report what someone has said |
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Numbers and trends
Just over, slightly less than; rise substantially etc.
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Reported speech review |
Talking about news at work |
Exchanging Information
Asking for an explaining factual and numerical information |
Reaching target markets online |
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14. Culture
Learning Outcomes: Talk about cultural differences, narrate
past events, give an explanation, talk about films, TV and
books, talk about past events |
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Cultural differences
Hierarchical, risk taking; sensitive to, etc. |
Narrative tenses-past continuous, past simple and past
perfect. |
Talking about films, TV and books |
Exchanging information
Narrating past events Giving explanations |
Investigating an intercultural communication problem |
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15. Performance
Learning Outcomes: Talk about staff appraisals, discuss and
evaluate performance, make people feel relaxed, talk about
hypothetical past events |
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Staff appraisals monitor
Performance, address issues; assessment criteria, etc.;
phrasal verbs |
Third and mixed conditionals perfect modals |
Making people feel relaxed |
Meetings
Discussing and evaluating performance |
Overcoming business setbacks |
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16. Career breaks
Learning Outcomes: Talk about taking a career break, present
a personal case, talk about taking time off, review your
situation at work. |
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Taking a career break
(new) perspective, career development, etc |
-ing form and infinitive |
Talking about taking time off |
Presenting
Presenting a personal case |
Applying for a community placement |