information overload key.pdf

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Teacher’s Notes

3 Divide the class into groups. Hand out the 12 information

cards equally among the students (four per group of

three, three per group of four etc. If you only have two

students, you can take part yourself to provide a more

realistic ‘meeting’.) Tell students not to show their cards

to each other and to memorise the information on each

one. Stress the importance of this or they may not be able

to solve the case. When they have memorised all the

details, collect in the cards. (This stops students putting

all the cards on the table, which decreases the

authenticity and the length of discussion.)

4 Students pool and analyse their information to solve the

case. Don’t appoint a chairperson at this stage. Most

groups will realise that they need a chairperson and

probably a secretary – wait to see if and how this

happens. Monitor the activity. If students are struggling

with the case, suggest they use a table to organise the

information (see below). We are not told specifically who

chaired the meeting, but most people will conclude that

it was Charles, especially as he’s an accountant. If students

can justify a different suspect, so much the better!

5 Students discuss their roles within the group during the

discussion. If students feel defensive about their role,

remind them that a silent thinker/evaluator is as

important to the group as a talkative hypothesiser.

Answers

7 Information overload

8b A radical proposal

Preparation

One copy of the worksheet for each student.

Procedure

1 Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Ask the

students to discuss the importance of corporate colour

and to give examples of colour associations with

different products and services. Hold a short feedback

session.

2 Hand out copies of the worksheet to each student. They

work individually to think of companies/products and

associated colours. Students read the text to check the

appropriateness of the colours and then compare

examples and ideas in pairs.

3 Hold a short feedback session and then encourage

discussion with the students in pairs or small groups. You

could ask some of the following questions: Do the

colours of the companies in the text appropriately reflect

their products and services? Do the colours mentioned in

the text have any other or different connotations and

associations in your country or culture? What is your

company’s corporate colour? Is it appropriate for your

company’s products and/or services? What colour

associations do other organisations, for example political

parties, sports teams, in your country have?

4 Students work in pairs or small groups to do exercise 2.

If appropriate, allocate five items from the list to each

pair/group for them to discuss. Ask the students to feed

back anything interesting from their discussions.

5 As an optional follow-up, ask students to imagine that

their company is going to change its corporate identity

and to decide what the new colour(s) should be. The

students then prepare a two-minute presentation to the

board outlining the new identity. If you have students

from the same company, they could give team

presentations.

Overview

Students predict figures from a text on information

management and read the text as preparation for a ranking

exercise and follow-up discussion.

Preparation

One copy of the worksheet for each student.

Procedure

1 As a warmer, ask students how much information they

have to handle on a daily basis. Ask if they think it’s too

much and what can be done about it. Note down

students’ ideas on the board.

2 Check/Pre-teach: to handle , to restrict , bombardment ,

to filter , distracted , thorough , to nurture , hierarchy .

3 Hand out copies of the worksheet to each student. Have

them cover the text when doing exercise 1. Students

complete the prediction exercise based on their own

experience and then discuss with a partner.

4 Have students read the first paragraph of the text to

check their answers to exercise 1. Ask if they were

surprised by any of the figures. Students then read the

rest of the text and compare their experiences with those

described by the writer and with a partner/rest of the

group.

5 Individually, students rank the six skills in order of

usefulness/feasibility for dealing with information

overload. They then work in pairs/small groups to

compare rankings and discuss. Hold a short feedback

session.

6 If appropriate, ask students to relate the skills to their

learning of English and choose the most useful tips for

managing the information they receive both inside and

outside the classroom.

Overview

Students prepare and give presentations on a controversial

scheme. They then ask/answer searching/difficult questions.

Preparation

One copy of the worksheet for each pair of students. Cut the

worksheet into two.

Procedure

1 Ask students if they have ever had to make a difficult

presentation, or persuade somebody to do something

that was unpopular or controversial.

2 Check/Pre-teach: emissions , greenhouse gases , global

warming , scheme , ration , quota , to issue , to allocate ,

smart card , to debit , register , to bury , reservoirs , to

recover , to dispose of . Model the pronunciation of difficult

words as necessary.

3 Divide the class into AB pairs. Hand out the correct half

of the worksheet to each student and have them read the

information. Monitor and give further help with

vocabulary as necessary. Ask students for initial reactions

to the ideas, and check that the information about the

schemes is clear.

4 Ask students to prepare their presentation and make

notes on the key questions. Allow plenty of time for this.

Monitor, helping with vocabulary and the organisation of

the presentation as necessary.

5 Students give their presentations to a partner/small

group. (Alternatively, students can give team

presentations.) Allow enough time for both the A and B

students/teams to give their presentations. Ask the

‘audience’ to make notes and to prepare key questions.

Feed in language from the box below to help students

with this. Students have a question and answer follow-up

after the presentations.

Anne

Brian

Charles

Dianne

Ellen

secretary

production

accountant

personnel

sales

always scoring points

time waster

always pulls rank

rarely contributes

always late

6b A meeting on meetings

Overview

Students prepare for and participate in a meeting on how to

improve the meetings they have in their workplace.

Preparation

One copy of the worksheet for each student.

Procedure

1 Ask students to give examples of what they like and

dislike about the way meetings are run where they work.

2 Explain to the students that they are going to participate

in a meeting on meetings! Hand out copies of the

worksheet to each student. Check they understand that

they have to complete items 2–5 of the agenda in order

to prepare for their meeting. Refer students to the task

hints to help them. Allow about 15 minutes for the

preparation stage. (With larger groups, have students

prepare in pairs.)

3 Divide the class into small groups and appoint or allow

the students to choose a chairperson. Set a time limit of

about 30 minutes for the meeting. Monitor the activity.

4 After the meeting, ask students to complete the

evaluation checklist. Ask them to reflect on the meeting

and evaluate their group’s performance against the

targets they set for an effective meeting. Students then

compare their evaluation with other members of their

group.

5 Hold a short feedback session on the most popular

suggested changes for meetings in the students’

workplace.

8a Options and choices

Presentations: asking questions

Could you just explain/describe how X will work?/how

you will deal with the problem of …?/how you will

organise …?

I’d be very interested to know …

Could you just give us a bit more information about …?

You mentioned … in your presentation. I’d like to

know …

You used a phrase, …, that I am not familiar with.

What exactly does it mean?

Can I just pick up on the point you made about …?

I was very interested in what you said about … . Could

you tell us a little more?

Are you seriously suggesting that …?

If I understand correctly, you’re saying that … . How

would that work in practice?

9b Socialising with confidence

Overview

Students review phrasal verbs for presenting options and

choices. In pairs, students hold a meeting to decide which

choices to make for a new business and then present their

decisions to the rest of the group.

Preparation

One copy of the worksheet for each student.

Procedure

1 Students complete the phrasal verbs in exercise 1. Check

the answers.

2 In pairs, students hold a meeting to evaluate the

alternatives for the scenario in exercise 2. Remind them

they need to choose just one solution for each point on

the agenda. Monitor the activity.

3 Refer students back to the useful verbs in exercise 1. In

pairs, students present their choices to the rest of the

class, who play the part of business coaches. The

coaches should query the decisions and give feedback

on the feasibility of the plans.

Answers

a into b out c with d away e for f up g for

choose – plump for, go for; not to choose – rule out, stay

away from

Overview

Students practise polite language in awkward social

situations.

Preparation

One copy of the worksheet for each student.

Procedure

1 Ask students to give examples of social settings in

business e.g. corporate entertaining including lunch,

dinner, drinks, parties/receptions and business-related

events/functions like meetings, seminars, conferences,

presentations, telephoning and trade fairs.

2 Elicit examples of students’ own experience in

uncomfortable social situations.

3 Hand out copies of the worksheet to each student.

Students rephrase the language in exercise 1, working

individually or in pairs. Remind students to think of two

ways of rephrasing the language for each situation and

that in English people expect an explanation/justification

for refusing an invitation, leaving an event early etc.

9a First impressions last

Overview

Students read a text as a springboard for discussion of the

significance of corporate colour.

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146 Resource materials

Resource materials 147

Teacher’s Notes

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