Business and ESP socializing sub skills
You can use this list to:
- To ask your students which of these things they need as a very precise needs analysis for students who have only said “I need to speak”, and so have not given you much to go on
- To plan a course and decide your exact priorities
- To organise supplementary files for Business and ESP teachers
- To have in mind when looking through textbooks etc. for supplementary activities
Business and ESP socializing sub skills list
Cultural differences
Culturally taboo topics
Easy topics
Body language- bowing, shaking hands, personal space etc.
Eating customs
Things people can’t eat and drink
Table manners
Forms of address- first names etc.
Attitudes to honesty/ straight talking and disagreeing
Levels of status and levels of formality
Men and women
Interrupting
Gifts
Who pays
Silence in conversation
Seating
Humor
Lateness
Spending time with colleagues
Taking about yourself
In a restaurant/ bar
Recommending food/ drinks
Describing food/ drinks
Commenting on the place
Food
Drink
Atmosphere
Service
How you knew about the place
How typical it is
Paying
At the office
Introducing people
Giving a tour
Making people comfortable
Offering food and drinks
Welcoming
At the airport
Asking about the flight
Helping
With luggage
With hire car
Welcoming
Others
Telling someone about your/ town country
Asking someone about their town/ country
Sounding interested- echoing,
Keeping the conversation going- tag questions
Recommending places to go
Areas
Towns
Restaurants
Museums
Sporting events
Talking about your experiences in their town/ country
What to say when you meet someone
When they have been traveling
When they have come from a hotel
When you’ve met them before
Asking after their family/ colleagues
Catching up- finding out what has changed
Talking about the last time you met
Introducing other people
When you’ve never met them before
Introducing yourself
Finding things in common
Inviting people out
Being invited
Accepting
Turning people down
Suggesting alternatives
Turn taking
Being polite
Making arrangements
Deciding where to meet
Saying goodbye
Thanking
Apologizing
Being vague
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Here is the same list as a Word document so that you can easily edit it for your own purposes: