Warm-up
Review: Mid-Course Simulation
Review: Mid-Course Simulation
After this lesson you'll be able to...
- Review key business vocabulary from the whole course
- Use the main B1 grammar structures accurately
- Take part in a meeting, a negotiation and a presentation in English
- Plan how to keep improving your business English
Get to know each other (3 minutes)
- Which lesson of the course was the most useful for your work?
- Which situation is still the hardest for you: meetings, emails, phone calls or presentations?
- What can you do now that you could not do at the beginning?
- Which phrase from the course do you use most often?
Say it out loud
Summarise your progress. → Since I started this course, I have learned to write emails, and I feel more confident in meetings, although negotiations are still difficult for me.
Fact worth knowing
Vocabulary
Review vocabulary
Useful phrases from the whole course
| Could you tell me when the deadline is? | Чи не могли б ви сказати, коли дедлайн? |
| If we order more, would you give us a discount? | Якщо ми замовимо більше, чи дасте ви знижку? |
| I have worked here for three years. | Я працюю тут уже три роки. |
| The report has been sent to all clients. | Звіт надіслано всім клієнтам. |
| She said that she would call us back. | Вона сказала, що передзвонить нам. |
| This option is cheaper than the other one. | Цей варіант дешевший за інший. |
| I’ll look into it and get back to you. | Я розберуся і повернуся до вас. |
| People tend to be direct, but it depends. | Люди, як правило, прямолінійні, але це залежить. |
Try out the new words
Say one thing you have achieved at work this year. → This year, I have …
Say what you would do if you had more time. → If I had more time, I would …
Which word is it?
Fill in the missing word
Choose the correct word
Translate the phrase
Write each phrase in English.
Grammar
Grammar review of the course
| Present perfect (L1, L18) | I have worked here for three years. Have you ever led a team? I have been working on this project since May. |
| Conditionals (L5, L20) | first: If we order more, we will get a discount. second: If I had more time, I would learn another language. Connectors: unless, as long as, provided that. |
| Passive (L8, L26) | The report was sent yesterday. The system will be introduced in May. The plan has been approved. The software is being tested. |
| Reported speech (L7) | She said that she would call back. He asked if we had received the invoice. Shift the tense back and change time words. |
| Comparisons and indirect questions (L22, L24) | Option A is cheaper than option B. The sooner we decide, the better. Could you tell me where the office is? No inversion in indirect questions. |
| Phrasal verbs and hedging (L21, L28) | I’ll sort it out. Please get back to me. People tend to be direct, but it depends. Pronouns go in the middle of separable phrasal verbs. |
Which sentence is correct?
Complete with the correct word
Transform the sentence
Rewrite the sentence as shown in brackets. Several answers are possible.
Correcting mistakes
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.
Put the words in order
Put the words in the right order and write the full sentence.
Say it about your own work
Choose one of the grammar points above and make a true sentence about your work. → …
Reading
Read: a short report on the course project
Final report: our training project
Over the last three months, our team has been working on a new training programme for customers. The plan was approved in March, and the first group is being trained at the moment.
At the beginning, we had some problems. The budget had been reduced, and several stakeholders asked us if we could finish earlier. After a long negotiation, we reached a compromise: the programme will be shorter, but it will include more practice.
The feedback from the first participants is very positive. Most of them said that the lessons were more useful than they had expected. One client asked whether we could create a similar course for their managers.
If the results stay good, we will extend the programme to all regions. However, we tend to be careful: the more we grow, the more important quality becomes. I will follow up with the team next week, and we will set up a meeting to discuss the next milestone.
True or false?
The plan was approved in March.
The budget had been increased.
The team reached a compromise.
The participants’ feedback is negative.
The programme has already been extended to all regions.
Answer the questions
What is happening at the moment?
What compromise did the team reach?
What did one client ask?
What will the writer do next week?
Find the key language
Write the word (or phrase) from the text.
Fill in from the text
Why is this a good text?
Your own opinion
- Which structures from this text do you want to practise more?
- What project could you describe in a similar report?
- What was the most difficult part of the course for you?
Practice
Picture the situation
Review → Practise → Simulate → Keep going. The real test of your English is how well you can use it in real situations.
Match the phrase to its function
Put the words in order
Put the words in the right order and write the full sentence.
Fill in the missing phrase
Say it in your own words
Write one sentence. Several answers are possible.
Translate into English
Write each sentence in English. Several answers are possible.
A useful tip
Speaking
How to use this section
This is a mid-course simulation. Your tutor will play a manager, a client, a colleague and a journalist. Use everything you have learned: clear structure, polite questions, careful language, phrasal verbs and the main grammar of the course.
Introducing yourself
Task: introduce yourself and your work at a business event, in a minute.
Starter: "Good morning, my name is … I work as … I have been working in this field for … years, and at the moment I am responsible for …"
Running a short meeting
Task: lead a short meeting: open it, give two points, ask for opinions and close it.
Starter: "Let’s get started. We have two items on the agenda. First, I’d like to know what you think about the new schedule. Could you tell me your opinion?"
Negotiating a deal
Task: negotiate a price with a supplier. Offer a compromise.
Starter: "If we order 500 units, would you give us a 10% discount? We could also agree to a longer contract."
Handling a complaint
Task: a client is unhappy. Apologise, investigate and promise action.
Starter: "I’m very sorry for the problem. I’ll look into it today and get back to you by 5 p.m. This will not happen again."
Giving a presentation
Task: give a one-minute presentation of a new idea, with a clear structure.
Starter: "Today I’d like to talk about … I’ll cover three points. First, … Second, … Finally, … To sum up, …"
Writing and reporting
Task: report orally what was agreed at yesterday’s meeting.
Starter: "It was agreed that the launch would be postponed. Anna agreed to prepare the budget, and Tom was asked to contact the client."
Cross-cultural conversation
Task: a foreign colleague asks about work culture in your country. Answer carefully.
Starter: "In my country, people tend to be quite formal at first, but it depends on the company. It’s polite to arrive on time."
Full conversation — no stops
Run through the simulation with your tutor: a short introduction, a meeting, a negotiation and a problem to solve — entirely in English, without stopping.
Let's talk — reflection
- Which part of the simulation was the easiest? Which was the hardest?
- Which structures from the course do you use automatically now?
- What is your next goal in English?
Cool down
Now I can...
- Review key business vocabulary from the whole course
- Use the main B1 grammar structures accurately
- Take part in a meeting, a negotiation and a presentation in English
- Plan how to keep improving your business English
Quick self-check
When do we use the present perfect?
What is the structure of the first conditional?
Where does the pronoun go in "sort out"?
One more thing before you go
Tell your tutor your next goal in business English. → My next goal is to …
Homework
Words to remember
| a deadline | дедлайн, кінцевий термін |
| a budget | бюджет |
| a stakeholder | зацікавлена сторона |
| a proposal | пропозиція, проєкт |
| feedback | зворотний зв’язок |
| a negotiation | переговори |
| to delegate | делегувати |
| a priority | пріоритет |
Fill in the missing word
Choose the correct form
Open the brackets
Correct the mistake
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.
Translate the phrase
Write each phrase in English. Several answers are possible.
Write it yourself
Write a short “My progress” text (8–10 sentences) about what you have learned in the course. Use the present perfect, one conditional, one passive and one phrasal verb, and finish with your next goal in business English.
Practise out loud
Say your text aloud as if you were telling a colleague about your progress. Record yourself and listen to it once.
Read aloud
Read the text “A short report on the course project” aloud twice. Congratulations on finishing the course!
- 8.7 I wrote a “My progress” text (8–10 sentences)
- 8.8 I said my text aloud and listened to it
- 8.9 I read the final report text aloud twice