The new gadget – A paradigm shift!

Here´s an engaging Business English Lesson Plan meant for B2/C1 level students. Vocabulary & Expressions: STATE-OF-THE-ART, FEASIBLE TIMELINE, THE CLOCK IS TICKING, HIT THE SHELVES, UP AND RUNNING, AT THE CUTTING-EDGE OF, YOU NAILED IT! and MORE.

I – LISTENING INPUT #1 – THE NEW GADGET – A PARADIGM SHIFT! (followed by Dialogue Comprehension)

Dialogue comprehension – True, False or I don´t know?

Brian is the CTO of the company. True ___ False ___ I don´t know ___
Roger doesn´t sound very excited about their new product. True ___ False ___ I don´t know ___
Their new product is not quite ready yet. True ___ False ___ I don´t know _
The company Roger and Brian work for is at the forefront of digital technology. True ___ False ___ I don´t know ___

II – Find words or expressions in the dialogue that mean the same as:
a- Viable; capable of being done: _______________________________
b- At the most advanced stage of something: _______________________
c- Interest or attract someone: __________________________
d- Time is going by quickly: __________________________
e- A plan that shows when something should happen and how long it will take: _____
f- Important aspects of something: _______________________________
g- The possibility of future success: _______________________________
h- Actively working; functioning: ______________________________
i- Small electronic device or appliance: ______________________________
j- Something very successful: ____________________________
k- You got it right!; that´s exactly it: __________________________
l- Very modern; at the highest level of development: ______________________
m- You are right; that’s true (to agree with a statement): ___________________
n- Hurrying can cause people to make mistakes: ________________________
o- Your idea is right: _____________________________
p- Close friend; buddy: ______________________________
q- Arrive in the stores; be available for sale: __________________________
r- The time when the usual way of doing something changes completely; a radical change in ideas or beliefs: _______

III – Business vocabulary & expressions – Match the words and expressions below to the definitions.

TOUCH BASE WITH BUDGET AHEAD OF SCHEDULE TRICKS OF THE TRADE

SPREADSHEET OUT OF THE QUESTION UPS AND DOWNS IN THE PIPELINE

a) A computer program for financial calculations. _______
b) Highs and lows; good and bad times. _______
c) Being planned; in the process of being developed. _______
d) Impossible. _______
e) The amount of money a company has available to spend. _______
f) Get in touch with; maintain contact. _______
g) Special knowledge associated with a profession. _______
h) Done earlier than the expected time. _______

Gap filling – Use the business vocabulary and expressions in the box to fill in the gaps in the sentences below

UPS AND DOWNS IN THE PIPELINE BUDGET OUT OF THE QUESTION

AHEAD OF SCHEDULE TOUCH BASE WITH SPREADSHEET TRICKS OF THE TRADE

“They´ve been in this business for such a long time that I´m sure they know all the ____________ .
“Can you e-mail the financial _____________ to me later?”, Kurt asked Jill.
The sales manager travels to San Francisco twice a month to ____________ the sales people at the branch office there.
“That company you told me about is an active player in the market. Seems like they have lots of projects ______________ .”, said Joe to a coworker.
“Buying a new machine now is _______________. We simply can´t afford it now.”, said the financial manager at the meeting.
“This is a very competitive market so there will always be __________________ in business my friend.”, said the manager to the new recruit.
“Apparently they run their business on a very tight ____________.”, said Bill to a friend.
“Fortunately we´re __________________ and will surely meet the deadlines for our current projects.”, said Burt to a coworker.

IV – LISTENING INPUT #2 – LISTEN & WRITE & ANSWER

_________________________________________________?
a) No, I´m not familiar with it yet.
b) That´s right! It´s a new app.
c) Sure, I work every single day.
d) Who knows? Let´s wait and see what happens.

_________________________________________________?
a) I´m okay with that.
b) I don´t think they can afford it now.
c) We do. We often use LinkedIn. It´s designed specifically for the business community.
d) I agree. Networking plays a major role in the corporate world.

_________________________________________________?
a) I usually do because that saves time, you know.
b) I had a good first impression, but I need to learn more about them.
c) They´re planning the launch of their new product for the next quarter.
d) Not that I know of.

_________________________________________________?
a) Sure, we set up a meeting for next week.
b) That´s what I needed to know, thanks!
c) They seem to be excited about the upcoming trade show.
d) Yep, everything´s ready, don´t worry!

V – ANSWER KEY

Dialogue comprehension – True, False or I don´t know?

I don´t know 2. False 3. True 4. True

Find words or expressions in the dialogue that mean the same as:

a) feasible b) at the cutting-edge c) appeal d) the clock is ticking e) timeline f) features
g) prospects h) up and running i) gadget j) a hit k) you nailed it!

l) state-of-the-art m) you can say that again n) haste makes waste o) you have a point p) pal
q) hitting the shelves r) paradigm shift

Business vocabulary & expressions

a) Spreadsheet b) Ups and downs c) In the pipeline d) Out of the question e) Budget
f) Touch base with g) Tricks of the trade h) Ahead of schedule

Gap filling

“They´ve been in this business for such a long time that I´m sure they know all the tricks of the trade.
“Can you e-mail the financial spreadsheet to me later?”, Kurt asked Jill.
The sales manager travels to San Francisco twice a month to touch base with the sales people at the branch office there.
“That company you told me about is an active player in the market. Seems like they have lots of projects in the pipeline.”, said Joe to a coworker.
“Buying a new machine now is out of the question. We simply can´t afford it now.”, said the financial manager at the meeting.
“This is a very competitive market so there will always be ups and downs in business my friend.”, said the manager to the new recruit.
“Apparently they run their business on a very tight budget.”, said Bill to a friend.
“Fortunately we´re ahead of schedule and will surely meet the deadlines for our current projects.”, said Burt to a coworker.

Listen & Write & Answer

Do you know how this app works? a) No, I´m not familiar with it yet.
Do you use any social networking websites? c) We do. We often use LinkedIn. It´s designed specifically for the business community.

3. So, what was your first impression of their products? b) I had a good first impression, but I need to learn more about them.

Is everything all set for the launch? d) Yep, everything´s ready, don´t worry!

VI – DIALOGUE SCRIPT – The new gadget – A paradigm shift!

Roger: I have the feeling we´re on to something big. This new digital watch combines some of the best features available today. I´m sure it will be a hit with the young crowd.
Brian: You can say that again! I´m really excited about the prospects. I´m sure this new gadget will appeal to a large number of people. Besides its state-of-the-art technology it´s got a great design to it.
Roger: Sure! Do you think we´ll have it ready to be launched at the next tech fair?
Brian: I´m not sure, I think it might take a while before we have a final version up and running. The next fair is coming up soon and the clock is ticking you know. I´d really rather not rush it, you know the saying, haste makes waste!
Roger: Right! I guess you have a point there Brian. Ok, let´s schedule a meeting with the tech team and find out what would be a feasible timeline for this new product. I can´t wait to see it hitting the shelves of stores across the country. I think we´ll be sending a new message to the market.
Brian: Really? What would that message be?
Roger: A paradigm shift!
Brian: Wow Roger, I think you nailed it! That´s right. A paradigm shift! It feels great to work for a company at the cutting-edge of digital technology like ours.
Roger: It sure does pal!

Talking Business – José Roberto A. Igreja / DISAL EDITORA

José Roberto A. Igreja is the author and co-author of several ELT books, including:

LET´S TALK ABOUT IT! – The Ultimate ELT Conversation Book, now available on the Amazon stores of the following countries:

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