business trip topic

20+ Great Business English Topics and Lesson Activities

For Business English students, it’s important that ESL lessons are based on the needs of their day-to-day work.

They want to practice situations taken from their professional environment, and discuss real-life Business English topics.

Some are: making phone calls, being able to hold and carry on conversations, speaking with colleagues, preparing and giving presentations, or negotiations. 

Coming up with creative activities and finding good topics for your lessons can be tough and time-consuming.

The Business English activities in this post will save you time and effort in making quality content for your lessons.

About the Business English Topics And Activities

Lessons including well-designed activities will prepare your students for their professional lives and give them the necessary skills and vocabulary needed to communicate effectively in English.

The 20 activity suggestions you’ll find in this post relate to the topics of business travel, commuting to work, big business, artificial intelligence, technology, and music.

The activities you can do on these business English topics are from specific lesson plans based on videos , which come equipped with a range of different printable Business English worksheets , conversation topics, speaking exercises, listening activities, and writing exercises for adults.

Below are some examples of activities from these lessons that can help your Business English students improve their communication skills.

Topic: AirBnB Business Travel

Airbnb has been expanding their services to open up the market for business travelers.

They are simplifying the process of booking and launched some tools which automatically organize your business trip expenses. This new business travel program is coming out strong.

• Phone Calling
• Writing Accommodation Descriptions
• Leaving Reviews
• Mobile App Concepts
• Debate With Hotel Owner
• Comparing and Contrasting

This topic works especially great with Business English lessons in the real estate, hospitality, or mobile app industries, but also in general for any businessmen or women who have to travel for their jobs.

This is an especially engaging Business English topic for a few reasons: it’s controversial (hotel owners aren’t happy about AirBnB) and it’s a hot topic (more and more people are choosing Airbnb over hotels).

Airbnb is a relatively new global powerhouse, revolutionizing the hospitality industry the same way that Uber revolutionized the taxi industry.

Activity: Phone Calling

Put students in pairs or a group. Assign each student a different role from the roles below, or they can choose one.

Students have to imagine that they are Airbnb hosts who just hosted:

• A small group of middle-aged business travelers
• A small group of young adult party travelers
• A small family of 4 with young children
• An individual traveler who came with his dog

Students then ‘call’ their ‘friends’ (another student in the class) to either leave a voicemail or talk about the experience (or complain about the experience!).

They should describe how the experience was as the host for these types of travelers:

• What was different about hosting each of their stays?
• Was it positive or negative and why?
• Did anything good, bad, surprising, or unusual happen during their stay?

You could even have them imagine what could be a positive and negative experience for hosting these types of travelers.

You could even get a bit more creative with this one by assigning a pair of students a role from the list above, and they have to call the ‘host’ (their partner) and ask them questions or make special requests about their stay, e.g:

• Am I allowed to bring my dog to your property?
• Is there a nice cafe in the area where I can bring my laptop to do work?
• We have a baby who cries a lot during the night. Will this bother you?

Even though with Airbnb, you would probably just message the host online, but in this case, you can make it a phone call to practice speaking.

Activity: Writing Accommodation or Property Descriptions & Reviews

Students work with a partner or group and imagine they are Airbnb hosts offering a special, exotic, or unique type of accommodation rental.

They should discuss and agree on the type of home rental they have to offer, where in the world it is, and create their own online listing for this rental on Airbnb.

In the listing, they should explain what type of rental it is, the location, the check-in and check-out procedure, a description and special features of the accommodation, and other housing details and rules.

Make students offer something different or special about their property – something they wouldn’t get somewhere else. Remember, they want to sell the experience!

Students then present their accommodation profile description to the other students in the class and then give their listing to another student or group.

The other student or group then makes a detailed review for that listing, imagining they actually stayed there.

Activity: Creating Mobile App Concepts in the Sharing Economy

Put students in pairs and give them a list of other mobile apps in the sharing economy.

• Neighborgoods

Based on the name of the app, students have to discuss and explain what they imagine the concept of the app to be and how it works.

After students work together for a couple of minutes, go around the class and ask them to report their answers. If they’re not able to imagine what it might be, you can just tell them.

Ask them questions like:

• Would this type of app be useful for you? Why or why not?
• Which app from this list would help you the most?

Try to create an in-depth class discussion about all of these apps.

For the apps listed above specifically, you can discuss things like:

• If parking is a problem for your students (JustPark)
• What they do with their dog when they go on a trip (DogVacay)
• If they would be interested to drive with a stranger for many hours (BlaBla Car)
• If they’ve ever eaten at someone’s home, from another country or culture (HomeDine)

Then, students can either work with the same or different partners to create their own concept for a mobile app in the sharing economy.

They should focus on things like:

• The special features of the app
• What problem it solves / Why it’s a good idea
• How it works
• What problems could happen when people use your app

An alternative to this one is I’ve also had students imagine that they were the founders of Airbnb, and they have to come up with their own detailed story behind the establishment of the company, which turned out to be a fun activity.

Activity: Debate Between AirBnB Representative and Hotel Owner

Put students in pairs or two small groups and they prepare for a debate.

One student or group takes the position of an AirBnB company representative and the other takes the position of a Hotel Owner.

Each side must prepare, defend, and present their positions to the other groups, presenting information about…

• Why they believe their accommodation service is better (at least 3 advantages of your service) Students must talk about the top reasons to stay in a hotel over Airbnb, or vice versa.
• If you think Airbnb should be legal or illegal and why (obviously the AirBnB rep will say it should be legal and the hotel owner will say it should be illegal)
• The positive impact your service has on society and the economy
• What actual people and guests have said about your accommodation services

You can refer to this article to help students talk about Airbnb versus hotels  if they are having trouble coming up with ideas.

Your role as the teacher will be the moderator during the debate – generating follow-up questions for the students or groups when they present their sides. Keep the debate clean and flowing smoothly.

Activity: Comparing and Contrasting (Hotels vs. AirBnB or Uber vs. Taxi)

If for any reason you don’t want to make this an official ‘debate,’ another thing you could do is just make it a general, in-depth class discussion, conversation, or compare & contrast about the advantages and disadvantages of staying in Airbnb in comparison with hotels.

Make sure students talk about their own experiences.

Transition the discussion to the conflict between Uber and Taxi, because they are facing a similar conflict for similar reasons.

If your students enjoyed the discussion about AirBnB and hotels, an interesting follow-up lesson topic for you might be about a  businessman who is building hotels designed for outer space .

Topic: Commuting to Work

Many businessmen and women in the modern world have to commute for hours and hours per week to their jobs or for work purposes. Sitting in the car or public transit like this can really have a negative impact on one’s overall lifestyle.

• Telling a Story
• Commenting on YouTube
• Expressing Frustrations or Complaining
• Talking About Lifestyle & Daily Routines

The reason this topic works so well in Business ESL lessons is that it reaches such a wide spectrum of people.

Everyone who has a job as an employee in a company, a school, a factory, etc has a unique situation. All Business English students usually have a lot to say about their experience commuting (or home office if they have that privilege!).

Activity: Telling a Story

Students work in pairs.

Student A: This student imagines that he/she spends a lot of time commuting and is very pessimistic about the situation.

This student believes that they have the worst commute in the world. Describe the situation in detail. The student should complain about it as much as possible and why they hate it so much.

They should take notes on:

• Where you live
• Your daily routine
• Where you go to work
• What’s so bad about the commute / What are the conditions of the commute
• How commuting makes you feel

The student then has to tell one negative story that they have had during their commute.

Student B: This student imagines that they spend a lot of time commuting but is very optimistic about the situation.

This student loves the situation that they have. They should discuss and explain in detail why they have the best commute in the world, talk about it as much as possible and why they enjoy it.

Also, they take notes on:

They tell one positive story that they’ve had during your commute.

After the students write notes for their roles (give them a few minutes), have them describe their situations to their partner.

They should listen to their partner’s situation carefully because they should then report the details of their partner’s situation back to the class!

Activity: Commenting on YouTube

At the beginning of the video, the reporter complains about her long daily routine and commute, and then she says to the audience:

“Before you go and post that comment telling me to ‘move closer’, you need to see that I’m not the only person doing this.”

In pairs, students should come up with a response that the following type of people would write or say to the reporter in the YouTube comments section, e.g:

• What could be a rude response to that statement in the comment section of the video?
• What could be an empathetic response to that statement in the comment section of the video?
• What could be a funny response to that statement in the comment section of the video?

Another activity you could do is give students some imaginary comments to that video, and then the students have to write responses to these imaginary comments. You can make it a speaking or writing activity.

For example, here are a few possible comments to that video:

Comment #1:

“Americans are completely crazy and lazy. You drive these huge cars to work and in  reality , you don’t need to. Look at the Netherlands and Denmark – they have very efficient bicycle transport systems and bicycles are much more environmental. It’s stupid to drive everywhere.”

Comment #2:

“The best solution to this problem is self-driving cars. Our tax money should go more to support the production of self-driving cars. That way when people commute they can do productive things.  The solution to public transit is getting better wifi connections on the subways and buses.”

You can instruct one student to write a response which agrees with each comment, and the other student to write a response which disagrees with each comment, something along those lines.

Activity: Expressing Frustrations & Complaining

Put students in pairs, or in two groups. You’ll distribute to each student pair or group two cards which read:

• A: Riding on public transport
• B: Driving in a car

Students must work together to come up with a list of all the things that frustrate them, annoy them, stress them out, or make them angry while (1) riding on public transport and (2) driving a car.

The group which comes up with the most things in the time limit (3 minutes should be good) wins.

This activity usually works really well because everyone gets angry, stressed, frustrated, etc. at some point while driving a car or riding public transportation.

A lot of good vocabulary can also come out of this one. You can even teach a couple of fun phrasal verbs related to driving when you talk about this topic:

• Cut (someone) off  – “I hate when I’m driving and someone cuts me off and then I have to slam on my brakes.”
• Pull (someone) over  – “I hate when I’m driving only a little bit above the speed limit and a police officer pulls me over.”
• Freak out  – “I hate driving with my father. He always drives aggressively and freaks out about small things.”
• Run over  – “I hate when I run over a nail or a sharp object and my tire goes flat.”
• Hold (someone) up  – “I hate when traffic holds me up and makes me late for work.”

You can use this activity for teaching students other terminology that is useful for expressing complaints or frustrations:

• I get frustrated when…
• I get all stressed out when…
• It gets me so worked up when…
• It pisses me off when…
• I totally freak out when…
• I lose my mind when…
• It drives me nuts when…

Have students then use these expressions to talk about their frustrations commuting or about their job in general.

Activity: Talking About Lifestyle, Commuting, and Employment Situations

Spending hours commuting and then hours at the office has become so integrated into the modern working world that it can have quite a profound impact on our quality of life and lifestyle, which is why it’s good to talk about in a language lesson.

Here’s an activity you can do that will give your students a good opportunity to talk about their lifestyle, commute, and employment situation.

It’s also simple, easy to prepare, and generates quality conversation.

Print a number of statements on cards and give them to the students or write them on the whiteboard in class.

Put students in pairs or groups. Have them discuss if they think the following statements are generally true or false and why:

• People are generally happier if they travel to work by car instead of public transportation.
• In the USA, people generally commute to work or school by train or bus.
• 10 days of paid vacation per year is fair from an employer.
• Regular exercise helps people deal with stress from work.
• People are more productive if they have a 4-day working week instead of 5.

Put students in pairs or groups. Have them discuss if the following statements are true or false for them personally and have them explain why:

• There is a positive working atmosphere at my job.
• I am satisfied with my work-life balance.
• Every day I eat a balanced and healthy breakfast before work.
• When I commute to work I try to be productive on the way.
• I prefer working from home rather than going to an office.
• I spend too much time at work socializing with my colleagues.

Speaking about daily routines is also a great activity if you’d like to focus on the present simple as a grammar point for your lesson.

Topic: Big Business (Amazon, Coca-Cola, Netflix, etc.)

Using big companies and corporations as a topic in your Business English lessons is practical for obvious reasons and you can make it fun too for your students.

It’s especially great to use big business as a topic if you actually have adult students who work in big companies, but they’re also applicable topics for students who have their own business or who work in smaller companies.

• History & Fun Facts
• Developing a Product
• Making Slogans
• Analyzing the Impact of Technology on Jobs

Activity: History & Fun Facts About Big Companies

As a lead-in or warm-up exercise to a lesson about big business, you can search and find some fun or interesting facts or history about the companies.

One quick activity you could do to lead to a topic is a simple fill-in-the-blank that looks something like this:

Below are 5 interesting facts about Amazon. Let the students fill in the blanks with words that they think fit.

• The founder Jeff Bazos wanted to name the company Amazon which has products from ‘A to Z’ symbolizing a large size, just like the Amazon ________________________ .
• Amazon.com started as a bookstore in Jeff Bazos’ ________________________ .
• The combined ________________________ of Amazon’s warehouses is enough to hold more water than 10,000 Olympic pools.
• Today Amazon has more than 350,000 ________________________ .
• One of Amazon’s first offices had a ________________________ which employees would  ring every time a sale was made.

Below are 5 interesting facts about Coca-Cola. Fill in the blanks with words that you think fit.

• The Coca-Cola ________________________ is recognized by 94% of the world’s population.
• The word “cola” is derived from the kola ________________________ , which contains caffeine and can have medicinal value.
• Coca-Cola can be a good ________________________ for insect bites on your skin.
• Coca-Cola spends more money on ________________________ than Microsoft and Apple combined.
• A few people once tried to sell the Coca-Cola ________________________ to Pepsi, but they were reported to the FBI.

A fun activity you can follow up with this one is instruct students to research any big business they have in mind and search for some fun facts about that company or the story behind how it started.

If they can’t think of one, you can give them  a list of the biggest or most well-known companies  in the world.

Have them give a few-minute presentation in the following lesson about the start or history of the company and a few fun facts about it. This is also good for developing presentation skills for adults in English.

They can use the questions below to help them give their presentation:

• Who started the company and when? How did the idea originate?
• What were some important moments in the company’s history?
• What are some of the company’s most successful products or services? Describe them in detail.
• What’s special or different about this company compared to the competitors?
• What are some fun facts about your company?

Activity: Developing a Product

Amazon launched a prototype store called ‘Amazon Go’ in December of 2017 – it’s a type of grocery store where you can go shopping and add things to your virtual cart so that you don’t have to wait in line or check out.

You add the products to your shopping cart and you can just leave the store, and Amazon will automatically charge your account.

They have developed other types of products and services over the years that have been successful, such as the Amazon Kindle (E-Reader) and Amazon Echo (voice-controlled smart speaker/personal assistant).

In this activity, what you do is have students work together on product development for Amazon or for another big company.

Students work with a partner or group. They imagine to be product developers for Amazon and create two of their own products, or services provided and sold by Amazon.

They should discuss and create names for the products or services, which industry the products or services are in, and then write a description for each explaining how it works, what problem it solves, what’s so special about it, as well as what problems they have experienced in the development.

It can be a special kind of mobile app, tech gadget, clothing item, or something else.

Of course, it doesn’t necessarily have to be from Amazon. You can have students choose another company.

One way you could get your students to come up with a good idea is instruct them to think of some brands that they generally buy, and then brainstorm what products they think would be cool to have from those brands.

Or you can have them think of some problems or frustrations they have in their daily life and what product or service would solve those problems for them. In the case of Amazon Go, the problem was that people hate waiting in lines at supermarkets.

Remind students that it doesn’t have to be realistic, it can be something imaginary.

Most of your students who will do this activity probably haven’t developed a product before. Keep it basic, simple, and fun, and it should go ok.

You just want students to be creative and work together to make something special.

One time I had a group who made a personal assistant who did all of his presentations for him because he hated public speaking, which I thought was pretty funny.

Students should then present their new product to the other students or groups.

Activity: Making Slogans

This is a straightforward activity and easy to assign and it works great with any student who is in marketing. Students also tend to have fun with it.

Basically, all you need to do is assign students to make a slogan for whatever company or brand you’re discussing.

One thing I’ve done to make it interesting and add a little twist to it is to have students make a list of good and bad slogans for one company.

That one has definitely brought a couple laughs to the lesson, especially for the bad slogans.

Here are a few examples I’ve gotten from students for bad company slogans for Coca-Cola:

• “Feed your sugar addiction.”
• “Put on the big pounds.”
• “Teeth are overrated.”

Anyway, give them some examples of some real slogans that have already existed for the brand before they make their own.

A few actual ones for Coca-Cola are:

• “Open Happiness”
• “Life Tastes Good.”
• “Taste the Feeling.”

The advantage of having students make their own slogan or quote is that it lets student use creativity. When students have to think creatively, they’re forced to use important vocabulary terms and language structures in a special kind of way.

In any case, have your students share and present their slogans and quotes to the other students in the class.

Another great type of ESL group activities are information gap activities. Get 10 ideas here.

Activity: Analyzing the Impact of Technology on Jobs

Another great theme and activity that comes from a discussion about companies like Amazon, is analyzing the impact of technology on jobs.

That’s one big criticism of concepts like Amazon Go that I’ve discussed with my students. The more jobs that robots do for us, the more jobs they take away from humans (Amazon Go takes jobs away from cashiers).

One activity you could do on this is to have students brainstorm and come up with two more jobs, companies, or businesses that have been taken over or lost to technological advances.

Students should specify the name or type of the technology, which industry it is in, and three general impacts of this technology (can be positive or negative impacts).

Two examples I remember hearing from students was about VHS and video rental stores being lost to online streaming services like Netflix, and driving jobs being lost to self-driving cars.

Technology : Online streaming

Industry : Entertainment

• It put VHS video rental stores out of business
• It makes people lazier because they don’t go to the video store anymore
• Illegal online pirating of films and TV becomes easier

Technology : Self-driving cars

Industry : Automotive

• Less need for delivery drivers, truckers, and taxis
• Fewer accidents on the road because machines are more precise than humans
• People can focus on other things in the car if they don’t have to concentrate on driving

You can give these examples to your students if they don’t think of them.

You can also give students the task of coming up with two jobs where it could be very difficult for technology to take over. Which jobs do you think technology couldn’t do in the future? Students should specify why it would be difficult to take over these jobs using this technology.

Topic: Artificial Intelligence and Future Technology

Doing an ESL lesson activity about the impact of technology on jobs leads us to the next point: Artificial intelligence and future technology, which has its feet in many industries and certainly draws interest from Business English students.

• Interview With a Humanoid Robot
• Making a Sci-Fi Film Plot
• Forming Opinions

This topic works especially great with Business English lessons in the IT or programming industry, but also in general for any businessmen or women who use technology regularly for their jobs.

This is an especially engaging Business English topic for a few reasons – it can get a little dark (a humanoid robot which can communicate freaks people out a bit!) and it’s also relevant – artificial intelligence and machine learning is making its way into a lot of industries, products, and software these days.

It’s interesting when the stuff that used to be sci-fi stuff turns into reality, and that’s what you want to focus on in your Business English lessons.

Activity: Interview With a Humanoid Robot

Watch the video about Sophia the robot with your students.

Basically, what students do is make an interview with her.

Sophia the robot makes for a great English lesson, period. Students are usually quite intrigued by “her” and there are so many different directions you can take this lesson.

After watching the video, instruct each student to create and write five extra questions that they would want to ask Sophia. (Questions which are not in the video interview).

After they are finished making their questions, they ask their partner the questions they made. Students then answer their partner’s questions from the perspective of Sophia the robot.

Here are some words or topics students could either use in their questions or use just as general topics to help them make their questions:

After a student answers each question, their partner should try to ask a follow-up question or two – a question you ask on the spot based on the answer you get.

Explain the concept of a follow-up question to your students and show them examples:

Original question : “What emotions do you feel?”

Answer : “I feel curious.”

Follow-up question : “Why do you feel curious?”

Answer : “I feel curious because I want to know why I was created and why I’m different than normal humans.”

Follow up question : “Can you imagine why you were created?”

Having students ask follow-up questions is great practice for developing interview and conversational skills because they have to think on their feet without time to prepare.

Activity: Making a Sci-Fi Film Plot

Watch the sci-fi short film about ‘Sight Systems’ which forecasts the evolution of ‘Google Glasses’ and Virtual Reality (which are also great topics to discuss in your Business English lessons).

After you watch the video with your students, a fun activity you could have your students do is to imagine that they are directors creating the next scenes to the short film they just watched about Sight Systems.

They should work in pairs and discuss and write what the next five scenes will be. Have them describe the scenes in detail and explain what happens in each scene.

Students then share what they came up with the other students in the class.

After this, put the students back together and they should come up with a short plot for a similar type of short film that they saw.

The plot must focus on the dangers of future technology. Alternatively, you could give them the option of creating a movie plot focusing on the bright sides of technology.

Activity: Forming Opinions and Interview Quotes

This activity can actually be applied to a range of different topics.

Put the students in pairs and have them imagine to be speaking from the perspective of the following companies or people.

Students have to make an opinion from the standpoint of each company or person.

• Gas Company
• Electric Car Company
• Solar Panel Company
• Environmental Activist
• Auto Technician
• Car Consumer

For the people above, you could have students imagine they were interviewed about their thoughts on electric charging highways.

What do they think about electric highways? Do they support or oppose them? Let them explain their opinion.

Then they have to agree on what would be the most important quote or statement from that interview.

Give students some  useful phrases for expressing opinions  to help them make their opinions or quotes, which are at least three sentences long and they explain their opinion.

You could give students an ideal example quote from an interview with an Environmental Activist:

“In the long-term, electric charging highways will be a great solution for decreasing pollution because it promotes the consumption and usage of electric vehicles, which are much better for the environment than gas-powered vehicles. However, in the short-term, electric charging highways could produce a negative impact on the environment because of the intense construction work that will be needed to create these highways all across the country. Therefore, I see a positive long-term effect and a negative short-term effect.”

You want your students to form something similar for each of the roles, then students should present the opinions or quotes they made together to the rest of the class.

Topic: Music

Doing ESL lesson activities about music is fun and there’s a lot of different directions you can take this topic in a lesson.

Music is also a big business with all of the jobs in music production, sound technology, festivals, online streaming services like Spotify, and these days even vinyl is making a comeback.

• Organizing an Event
• Making a Business Plan
• Giving a Presentation

This topic works especially great with Business English lessons in the music industry, but also in general for any businessmen or women who use are interested in music.

This is an especially engaging Business English topic for a few reasons – people love music and it’s a big part of life for many people.

Activity: Organizing an Event

Have students work with a partner. They should imagine they are event organizers and are planning a festival concept for next summer.

They want to make it even better than the Belgian festival “Tomorrowland” and the most luxurious festival in the world.

What luxuries will there be? What special things can be added, implemented, planned, organized, or done in order to create a better festival experience for the guests?

Students should discuss these points together. They can use the discussion questions below to help them:

• What special luxuries, things, offers, products, facilities, and features you will provide?
• What will be different about the campsite? How will you make it better than Dreamville?
• Describe the atmosphere. What’s unique about the stages and performances?
• Describe the security concept. How will you make the event safe and what are the policies?

Students should then give a presentation about their festival concept to the other groups and describe in as much detail as possible what the festival will be like.

After hearing from the other groups, students can discuss which festival concept was the best and why and give advice about what might help their festival to be better.

Activity: Making a Business Plan

Students work together with a partner or group. They imagine that they are opening a vinyl store in their town. They must make a business plan and a to-do list.

Watch the video “Czech businessman leads vinyl revival” here.

They can answer these questions in their business plan:

• What is the name of your vinyl shop?
• Other than vinyls, what will you need to get started?
• How will your vinyl shop stand out from the competition?
• Describe what kind of theme or atmosphere the shop would have. How would you decorate the shop/front window?
• Describe your ideal kind of customer or target market.
• Describe your ideal kind of employee or shop assistant.
• What could be some clever ways to advertise your shop?
• What will be the biggest challenges of opening the shop?

Students can then present their business plan to the other students in the class.

Activity: Giving a Presentation

Students work with a partner or group. They imagine they are giving a presentation to a group of vinyl fanatics.

They should choose from one of the topics below they’d like to do a presentation about, or they can also make their own topic.

They should prepare and give a one-minute presentation to the other groups on their chosen topic.

Even if they don’t know much about the topic, you can just instruct them to be as creative as possible and come up with some interesting things to talk about.

Here are the topics they can choose from:

• How to create a sustainable future for vinyl
• The guide to shopping for and listening to vinyl like a pro
• The future of music
• Why the age of vinyl in the 70s beats today’s digital age
• The steps to starting up a successful vinyl shop

You can have students do research on the internet if they have access.

You can also give students the choice to also come up with their own idea for a presentation, anything in the music sector. It doesn’t have to be specifically related to vinyls.

The most important thing is that students have a structure for their presentation, have researched important information about it, and teach the class something interesting.

You can also have students include one of each of the following things in their presentation:

• A problem (Music has become too digital in modern ages.)
• A statistic or fact (Over 7.6 million vinyls were sold in the US in 2018.)
• An opinion (We believe that vinyls will continue to be popular for years.)
• A quote (Zdenek Pelc said, “If people like something, they need something touchable.”)

Bonus Activity

This one last bonus activity you could do will help your students develop the skills they need for business and professional reasons.

Have them give a “show and tell” presentation or just simply talk about three gadgets, tools, products, services, etc they’ve bought in the recent past related to one of their personal interests.

Have the students teach the class either how to use this product or service, how it works, why they bought it, what the features are, what problem it solves for them, etc.

Here are some actual examples from my students, which you can show your students to give them an idea of what you’re looking for:

• A new running watch
• A subscription to Netflix
• A Nintendo NES Classic Edition
• A new bicycle helmet
• A portable speaker

All of these activities referenced are meant to be engaging for your adult students in Business English lessons, but the most effective way to do them is with the full lesson plans via the links above.

Watching the videos with your students should generate extra discussion and give you extra content to work with.

Find more resources and ideas for your ESL lessons here.

Jake Young is a creative teacherpreneur from Pennsylvania who lives in Prague, CZ. He’s the brain behind Fluentize.com – a resource dedicated to providing teachers with comprehensive and modern lesson plans based on real-world videos. He’s also a passionate language learner, fluent in Czech language and an intermediate Italian language speaker.

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Practicing the business English lessons in he student life can be very helpful in longer run. This helps in the proper development of the individual for professional world. Thanks so much for sharing this!

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Business Trip ESL Lesson Plan [Free PDF]

• Posted by by ESL Questions About
• 6 months ago

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Business Trip ESL Lesson Plan is designed to equip students with the language skills and cultural understanding necessary for successful business trips. In today’s global economy, professionals often need to travel for work, and being able to communicate effectively in English during these trips is essential. This lesson plan will focus on practical vocabulary, expressions, and scenarios commonly encountered during business travels, helping students feel more confident and prepared in a professional setting. With this lesson plan, students will gain valuable language skills that can be directly applied to real-world situations, making it an essential topic for ESL learning.

Vocabulary Building

Contextual usage.

1. We need to finalize the itinerary for the upcoming business trip before we book the flights. 2. The company covers accommodation expenses for employees traveling on official business. 3. Don’t forget to submit your expense report along with all supporting receipts by the end of this week. 4. The client meeting has been rescheduled to next Tuesday at 10 AM. 5. Sarah will be giving a presentation on our latest project during the conference next month.

ESL Warm-up Activity

To kick off the lesson on business trips, start with a roleplay activity where students are divided into pairs and given specific business travel scenarios. For example, one student can act as a business traveler arriving at an airport, facing language barriers or transportation issues, while the other plays the role of a helpful local or service provider. This will encourage students to use vocabulary related to travel, communication, and problem-solving in a practical context. It sets the tone for the lesson by immersing students in realistic situations they may encounter during business trips.

Main ESL Lesson Activities

Vocabulary activity: travel scenarios.

Divide the class into groups of three or four. Provide each group with a set of travel scenarios related to business trips. Instruct the students to discuss and identify relevant vocabulary words and expressions associated with each situation. Encourage them to create dialogues using the vocabulary they have learned, simulating real-world conversations during business travels. Afterward, each group can present their dialogues, allowing for peer feedback and further discussion.

Roleplay Exercise: Business Meeting Simulation

Pair up the students and assign roles such as company representatives, clients, or service providers. Provide each pair with a scenario involving a business meeting during a trip. Students will engage in roleplay, practicing conversational English and professional etiquette in a simulated business setting. This activity offers an opportunity for students to apply their language skills in context while also developing confidence in using English for business interactions.

Listening Comprehension: Trip Itinerary Details

Play an audio recording detailing a typical trip itinerary including flight details, accommodation arrangements, meeting schedules, and transportation information. After playing the recording once, have the students work in pairs to jot down important details they caught from listening. Following this, facilitate a class discussion where students share what they heard and compare notes with their peers.

Reading & Writing Task: Expense Report Analysis

Distribute sample expense reports from previous business trips to individual students. Ask them to analyze the reports and summarize key information such as total expenses incurred, breakdown of costs (e.g., transport, accommodation), and any reimbursement claims made by employees if applicable. This exercise encourages reading comprehension while enhancing analytical skills related to financial documentation commonly encountered during professional travels.

ESL Homework Assignment

For homework, students will be tasked with preparing a mock business trip itinerary. They are to research a destination and compile a detailed plan of their travel schedule, including flights, accommodation options, and potential meeting or event locations. Additionally, students should create an expense report for this trip based on estimated costs for transportation, lodging, meals, and any other associated expenses. This assignment reinforces the vocabulary and concepts covered in class while also fostering independent research skills related to business travel planning.

Key Points Summary

Throughout this lesson, students explored essential vocabulary and scenarios relevant to business trips, gaining a deeper understanding of communication and cultural aspects involved in professional travel. They engaged in practical activities such as roleplays, listening exercises, and reading comprehension tasks, preparing them for real-world situations they may encounter during business travels.

Reflection and Application

It’s important for students to reflect on how the language skills learned in this lesson can be applied to their overall language development. Understanding the nuances of communication in professional settings not only improves their ability to navigate business trips effectively but also enhances their overall English proficiency. By mastering the vocabulary and communication strategies vital for successful business interactions, students can elevate their language skills for both personal and professional growth.

Why this topic is great for ESL learning

The Business Trip ESL Lesson Plan offers practical and relevant content for English language learners who have an interest in or need for business-related communication skills. As English continues to be the global language of business, equipping students with the language and cultural knowledge necessary for successful business trips is crucial. This lesson plan not only enhances students’ professional communication abilities but also provides them with valuable real-world skills that can be immediately applied in their careers. By engaging in scenarios, vocabulary building, and practical exercises related to business travel, students develop both linguistic proficiency and cultural awareness essential for professional settings.

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What Is Business Travel? Importance and Types

Business travel has always been an integral part of the corporate world. It provides opportunities to meet clients face-to-face, attend conferences and networking events, and explore new markets. 

However, as much as business travel can be exciting, it also comes with its fair share of challenges. From flight delays and cancellations to tracking approvals and keeping spending in check, numerous obstacles can make business travel stressful and overwhelming. 

In this blog, we will explore the challenges and solutions of business travel and provide insights on how businesses can optimize their policies and practices to make them more efficient, cost-effective, and enjoyable for everyone involved. 

What is Business Travel?

Millions of professionals worldwide engage in business travel each year. Business travel is when you hit the road or take to the skies for work-related purposes. So, if you've ever traveled across state lines for a meeting or hopped on a plane for a conference, you've been on a business trip. 

According to  the Bureau of Transportation Statistics , Americans take over 400 million long-distance business trips yearly, accounting for roughly 16% of all long-distance travel.

What is the Importance of Business Travel?

It's clear that business travel is a significant part of many companies' operations, but what motivates them to send their employees on these journeys? There are several reasons why companies invest in business travel. Here are some of them: 

1. Closing Deals

Business deals often involve significant negotiation, and in-person meetings can be critical to reaching an agreement. When people meet in person, they can build trust and establish personal connections that are difficult to achieve through virtual communication. As such, closing deals in person is a common reason for business travel. 

2. Exploring New Markets

Companies looking to expand into new markets often send representatives to explore the conditions on the ground and conduct research. Visiting a new market can provide valuable insights into consumer behavior, local regulations, and cultural norms that can help companies tailor their products and services to a new audience. 

3. Building Relationships

One of the primary advantages of business travel is its opportunity to build stronger relationships with clients, partners, and colleagues. While email, phone, and video conferencing are convenient, nothing beats face-to-face interactions regarding establishing trust and rapport.

You can pick up on nonverbal cues during in-person meetings and establish a more personal connection. It can lead to a deeper understanding of the other person's needs and goals, which can ultimately help you provide better service or products. Additionally, in-person meetings can help address any concerns or issues more quickly and efficiently, preventing them from becoming more significant problems down the line. 

4. Networking

Attending industry events, trade shows, and conferences can provide networking opportunities, learning about new trends, and meeting potential clients and partners.

Networking can be invaluable for building relationships, finding new clients or partners, and staying up-to-date with industry best practices. For example, attending a trade show can provide opportunities to showcase your products or services, meet potential clients, and learn about the latest market trends. 

5. Competitive Advantage

Companies prioritizing business travel and investing in face-to-face meetings with clients and partners can gain a competitive advantage over those relying solely on digital communication. By meeting with clients and partners in person, companies can establish more personal connections and build trust, leading to more business opportunities and revenue. 

Here's a  business travel checklist  to make business travel for your employees less stressful. 

Different Types of Business Travel

Business travel can take many forms, depending on the purpose of the trip and the activities involved. Here are some of the most common types of business travel: 

• Event and Conference Travel:  Companies often send employees to corporate events and conferences where attendees can learn and network with peers, potential clients, and service providers. 
• Training and Education: Companies may send employees to conferences and workshops to learn about trends and best practices in their functional areas. These events can provide valuable opportunities for professional development and networking, helping employees stay up-to-date on the latest industry developments and build relationships with others in their field. 
• Internal Meetings and Visiting Offices:  National and multinational companies may need to send employees and leadership to other offices to discuss specific projects and business strategies or to build a more integrated organizational culture. 
• Company Retreats:  Some companies hold retreats annually or multiple times yearly to help teams grow stronger and build company culture through shared activities.
• Client Meetings:  Maintaining solid relationships with existing clients is crucial for many businesses. Account managers and others may regularly visit their most prominent clients to check in on them, take them out for a meal or drink, and generally show gratitude for their business. These visits can strengthen relationships and potentially lead to additional business. 
• Trade Fairs:  Many organizations attend trade shows and expos to display their products and services and connect with potential clients. Attending these events can effectively generate leads and build relationships with potential customers, especially in industries where face-to-face interactions are critical. 
• Transfers and Offshore Work:  Long-term transfers involve relocating employees to a different city or country for a certain period, usually to work on a specific project or set up a new function or business process. 
• Transient Travel:   Business transient  travelers typically refer to individuals who frequently travel for short periods, often for a business meeting or work-related. These travelers usually stay in hotels or temporary accommodations and frequently move between locations for work or other activities. 
• Bleisure Travel:  This hybrid travel style combines business and leisure travel, allowing employees to extend their business trips to leave time for sightseeing and relaxation. Bleisure travel can benefit employers and employees, encouraging employees to volunteer for business trips more often and providing a relaxing break. 

Top Challenges To Manage Business Travel 

As many businesses need help managing company travel, several issues affect day-to-day operations. These include: 

1. Managing Large Numbers of Requests

When managing large numbers of travel requests, keeping track of all the information and ensuring that requests are processed efficiently can be challenging. It can result in delays and frustration for employees waiting for travel approvals or information. 

For example, imagine a small company with just one finance person responsible for managing all travel requests. They receive requests from various team members in different formats—email, Slack messages, and in-person visits. It can lead to confusion and delays in processing the requests and distract the finance person from other essential tasks. 

2. Tracking Approvals

It's a massive headache if your company's travel approvals are manually emailed. Tracking travel approvals can be time-consuming and prone to errors. It can result in missed approvals, delayed travel, and frustration for employees waiting for approval. 

Imagine a team member submits a travel request, and the finance person then sends an email to the manager for approval. If the manager is busy or forgets to respond, the request may be delayed or even missed altogether, causing frustration for the employee who is scheduled to travel. 

3. Keeping Spending in Check

Managing travel costs can be difficult, especially when employees book trips independently or through different channels. It can result in overspending and frustration for finance teams who aim to keep costs under control. 

For example, imagine a company where employees book travel through different channels. Some employees book expensive hotels and flights, while others find cheaper options on discount travel websites. It can lead to inconsistency in travel costs and make it difficult for the finance team to manage and budget travel expenses. 

4. Being Flexible

Flexible travel policies can result in consistency, especially when balancing cost control with employee satisfaction. It can result in frustration for both employees and finance teams. 

For example, a business with restrictive travel policies can limit employees to specific airlines, hotels, and routes. It may help control costs, restrict employee options, and make travel less enjoyable. On the other hand, if policies are flexible, employees may book expensive options outside the budget. 

5. Reducing Errors

Reducing errors in travel management can be challenging, but it is essential to ensure accurate tracking of expenses and approvals. This can help prevent delays and frustration for employees and finance teams. 

How Companies Can Manage Business Travel  

Companies must make the process straightforward to ensure that team members comply with travel policies. If the process is simple, team members will find ways to circumvent the rules, and compliance will improve. The following are some common pitfalls to avoid: 

• Too many rules:  Too many, incredibly confusing or contradictory, can be overwhelming and frustrating for team members. It can lead to non-compliance or errors. 
• A high number of touches:  Too many touchpoints, like requiring additional emails to managers for approval, can slow down the process and make it difficult. 
• Lots of manual steps:  Requiring team members to file printed documents and receipts can be time-consuming and create opportunities for errors. 
• Unclear processes:  If team members are unsure of the steps or rules they must follow, they may become frustrated and disengage from the process. 

To ensure compliance and simplify the process, use  a corporate travel management system  that walks employees through each step. By automating the process and making it easy and intuitive, team members are more likely to follow the rules and comply with company policies. 

What is a Business Travel Solution? 

A travel management system is a software platform that helps companies manage their employees' travel-related activities and expenses. These systems can be purpose-built tools from third parties or developed in-house by large companies. However, building a travel management system from scratch doesn't make sense with the availability of corporate travel management tools out of the box for a relatively low cost. 

These systems aim to oversee, regulate, and coordinate a company's employees' travel activities and expenses. Previously, a company's office administrators or a dedicated travel manager would handle these tasks. However, with a travel management system, these manual tasks can be streamlined or automated, freeing up staff for more valuable work than monitoring others' travel plans. 

A  business travel solution  typically offers features such as online booking, expense tracking, policy compliance, travel budgeting, and reporting. They make booking, managing, and tracking business travel much simpler and more efficient for companies and their employees.  

As a business, it's essential to recognize the value of investing in business travel. There are numerous reasons why companies send their employees on these trips, including closing deals, exploring new markets, holding internal meetings, prospecting, educating, and visiting existing clients. These opportunities provide valuable experiences and insights to enhance your company's operations and bottom line. 

However, managing business travel can present challenges, such as managing large requests, tracking approvals, and dealing with changes in travel plans. To address these challenges, it's crucial to have a straightforward and streamlined travel policy outlining the process for requesting, approving, and booking travel and any expense and reimbursement policies. 

Another essential aspect of managing business travel is providing support and resources to employees while on the road. It includes ensuring they have the necessary technology and tools to stay connected and productive, providing guidance on safety and security, and offering access to travel support services in emergencies.

By recognizing the importance of business travel and implementing strategies to manage it effectively, your company can reap the benefits of enhanced collaboration, improved relationships with clients and partners, and increased opportunities for growth and success. 

So let your employees stay connected, build relationships and enjoy their next business trip!

John Hunter

John is the Senior Manager of Event Cloud Content Marketing at Cvent. He has 11 years of experience writing about the meetings and events industry. John also has extensive copywriting experience across diverse industries, including broadcast television, retail advertising, associations, higher education, and corporate PR.

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Business Travel: The Beginner’s Guide

June 12, 2019

by Rob Browne

In a world where it has become as easy as a quick few taps on smartphone to book a trip across the world, business travel is more widespread and accessible than ever before.

Are you a recent graduate or new employee looking for an introduction to business travel? This article provides an overview of the field as a whole as well as a guide to traveling for work and managing your business travel expenses .

What is business travel? A step-by-step business trip guide

Research from Statista shows that business travel contributes almost $1.3 trillion to the global economy in a single year, making it one of the world’s largest economic industries. Further research highlights only upward trends in the amount that is spent on business travel as well.

This research reflects an increasingly intertwined global economy. With the speed at which businesses on opposite sides of the world can interact over the internet and travel to meet with each other, employees are operating in a space where location is fluid and business interests can converge across state, national, and continental lines.

Thus, business travel is a vital part of many companies’ lifebloods. In this article, we’ll explore the four temporal components of a business trip and use them as a lens through which to discuss business travel.

Booking business travel

Oftentimes, the dates and general logistics of your business trip are determined by the wants and needs of the client(s) you visit on the trip. If possible, it’s always best to book as far in advance as you can to plan on being out of office. Of course this won’t always be the case, as business trips occasionally arise on short notice if a client needs a quick turnaround time on a particular task that requires a visit.

Booking a business trip is not the same as browsing the internet for the best deals on a family vacation . The online booking platform (OBT) that you use for securing your transportation and hotel depends on your company’s internal travel policy.

Some companies require their employees to book through a specific brand of travel management software  or using a travel management company . A key motivator for companies to use travel management software is that it makes it easier to ensure that employees comply with corporate travel policies. These policies include which airfare class employees are allowed to book, which hotel star class they can stay in, and the class of rental car they can use.

For others, booking your business trip may be a similar experience to booking a trip outside of work, as some companies tolerate open market bookings.

The rigidity with which you’ll be dealing with in terms of booking compliance is dependent upon your company’s travel policy and budget. In most cases, you’ll be looking at a range of mid-tier flight and hotel options that best fit your needs in terms of schedule and distance from the site where you’ll conduct most of your business.

Preparing for the trip

Business trips are often short and have a singular purpose. Get to your destination, meet with the people you need to meet with, and go home. Because of the high energy level required for such a focused itinerary, you’ll want to make sure that you are well-rested going into the trip.

After arriving at your destination, there may not be time to catch a nap  before heading to your first meeting, so you’ll want to ensure that you are able to operate at peak performance as soon as you arrive.

Travel with your important items in your carry-on bag just in case anything happens to your checked luggage. Almost everything you bring on a business trip should be essential to your work, and with a short turnaround between arrival and meetings, you can’t risk not having item X, Y, Z..

On the trip

While on your trip, optimize for everything you can. Outside of any business-related commitments, you’ll want to make sure you have as much time as you need for your work. If there is a particular company policy regarding a daily per diem, or allowance, for meals or transportation, you’ll also need to keep that in mind.

If your trip is to a destination with a lot to see outside business hours or a place where you have friends or family, you can also check with your company’s travel policy regarding bleisure travel. Bleisure, a combination of “business” and “leisure,” means adding a few days onto the beginning or end of your trip to enjoy the opportunity to spend some time not only inside an office.

After the trip

The most important part of finishing a business trip is gathering your expenses and filing an expense report. Between flights, hotels, other transportation, and food, you likely spend a decent amount of money and would like your expenses to be approved and reimbursed as quickly as possible.

Having your expenses approved and reimbursed is typically an easy process, especially if your company uses a form of expense management software .

It’s a trip!

Traveling for work may seem daunting, but thinking about your trip in terms of these four segments will help you succeed at all points of your trip. If your job allows you the opportunity  to spend time outside of your office, enjoy it—and maybe spend time in some exciting destinations along the way.

Rob is a former content associate at G2. Originally from New Jersey, he previously worked at an NYC-based business travel startup. (he/him/his)

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A selection of business English discussion questions.

Other topics you may be interested in...

General topics.

Air Travel , Animals , Appearance , Art , Childhood , Cinema , Crime , Eating Out , Education , Environment , Ethics , Fame , Family , Fashion , Food , Football (Soccer) , Friendship , The Future , Globalisation , Health , History , Holidays (Vacations) , House and Home , The Internet , Language , Language Learning , Life , Literature , Marriage , The Media , Money , Music , Personality , Politics , Religion , Romance , Science , Shopping , Smartphones , Sport , Technology , Time , Town and City , Transport , Travel , University , Video Games , War , Weather , Work .

Business Topics

Advertising , Brands , Building Relationships , Change , Communication , Competition , Consultants , Crisis Management , Cultures , Customer Service , Employment Trends , Ethics , First Impressions , Human Resources , International Marketing , International Markets , Job Satisfaction , Leadership , Management Styles , Marketing , Mergers and Acquisitions , Money , New Business , Online Business , Organisation , Project Management , Raising Finance , Risk , Strategy , Success , Team Building , Training , Travel .

Grammar Topics

Present Simple , Present Continuous , Present Perfect , Present Perfect Continuous , Past Simple , Past Continuous , Used to , Have to , Going to / Pres. Continuous , Going to / Will , Comparatives , Superlatives , First Conditional , Second Conditional , Third Conditional , Mixed Conditionals , Should , Should have , Can , Could , Can / Could / Be able to , Is done / Was done , Being done / Been done .

How to use the travel ESL discussion questions

It is recommended that you download the travel ESL discussion questions in PDF format using one of the links above. The best way to encourage classroom interaction is to download and print the travel discussion questions in the 'pairs' or 'threes' PDF format and then divide the questions by cutting along the dotted lines. This allows students to take turns asking and answering the travel discussion questions in groups of two or three. Alternatively, you could use the 'cards' format to distribute the questions to any number of students to ask and share.

It is advisable to prepare students for using these discussion questions by first introducing them to the topic of travel in an interesting and engaging way. An anecdote, quiz question or a related image or video could all be used to achieve this. Depending on the level, it may also be necessary to pre-teach any challenging vocabulary related to travel contained in the discussion questions.

For more ESL discussion questions, see this site's main page. There are discussion questions on a range of topics including general, grammar and business English topics.

For further information about the site and its author, see the about page.

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Top tips on how to plan a business trip

Follow these 6 steps for an effective business trip:

• Make your travel arrangements well in advance
• Select your accommodation based on both price and convenience
• Create an itinerary

Research your destination

• Remember your electronics, accessories and travel documents
• Prepare for your meeting

In today’s digital world, we can communicate across different time zones at a moment’s notice. However, when it comes to brokering a big deal or fostering a solid and long-lasting business relationship, nothing beats face-to-face interaction.  

Corporate travel is still so important, and it’s equally important for anyone making a business trip to prepare thoroughly. When you arrive at your destination relaxed and well-prepared, you’re better equipped to make a good impression and focus on the purpose of your meeting. Preparation lets your mind focus on the here and now, making sure you stay on the ball in that all-important meeting. If you’d like to fine-tune how you get ready for your next excursion, follow these essential tips to become an effective business trip planner.

Make travel arrangements

Whether it’s your name on the travel documents or you’re a travel manager, planning business travel thoroughly is important. Your first step should always be to familiarize yourself with your company’s corporate travel policy . You’re making travel arrangements for a business trip, not planning a personal or a short break, so being compliant with your company policy is essential.

Next, it’s time to book your travel. This may involve traveling by air, rail, car hire or even boat. Think about the journey door-to-door, balancing travel times against cost and convenience. Visualize the various steps of the trip from A to B. Consider details like how long it will take to move between airport and railway station, the time it takes to fill out paperwork at the vehicle hire company, and whether luggage storage might be useful. Use multiple sources and different comparison sites, researching which companies are offering the best deals. Again, be aware of any budget restraints in your company’s travel policy.

Don’t forget the small details. Does the airplane have Wi-Fi so you can work on the move? Would leaving a day earlier allow you to arrive at your first meeting better rested and prepared? At this stage, the more carefully you prepare, the more confident and relaxed you’ll be when you depart.

Select your accommodation

Preparing business travel is, of course, only half the job. Choosing the best accommodation for your requirements is also essential. If you’ve only got one meeting place to reach, make sure you book a hotel that’s nearby – rather than be swayed by a more luxurious option that might be a stressful 45 minute trip away. Use maps on your smartphone to measure distances from the station or airport to your hotel – and remember the roads and transport networks will be busier at certain times of day.

Check your company’s hotel policies to see if there are any preferred hotels - you might be able to get a good deal too. When considering the cost, make sure you compare rates for similar types of accommodation and make sure you select something that’s fairly priced – some companies even stipulate a cost per day that would limit the choice of hotels.

It’s also a good idea to pay close attention to the amenities at the hotel. Some tourist-focused hotels may serve breakfast too late for your early starts, and as a business traveler you’re likely to want free Wi-Fi, 24-hour room service, plenty of power points for charging your devices. CWT Hotel Intel gives travelers access to trusted peer hotel reviews and can be a handy tool for business trip planners.

Create a detailed itinerary

Your itinerary is your blueprint for a successful business trip. Use it to stay in control of every detail – from transport times and the names of those you’re meeting, to your travel reservations and hotel address. Be sure to allow yourself extra time on your itinerary for relaxing, meetings that have been delayed or overrun, and busy traffic. Consider using a specially designed tool like the myCWT app , which syncs your itinerary with work calendars, and allows travelers to share this with colleagues. This is handy from a communication and efficiency perspective, and as a safety measure if you’re travelling to an unfamiliar destination.

It may be that you’re traveling to a destination you are familiar with and feel comfortable in. Or, you may be entering unchartered territory. If that’s the case, research is essential to avoid unnecessary risk. For example, some cities are well known for pick pockets, so you’ll need to be extra careful when storing important and expensive items like phones in your pockets. Depending on where you’re going, reading up on the current political situation at your destination could also be prudent.

Perhaps you’re traveling to a city or country with a different culture and customs to your own. Avoid looking foolish or, worse, causing offence, by researching the differences in behavior and manners before you arrive. For example, if you’re taking potential clients for a meal, do you know the etiquette on tipping, or when to give people your business cards? Or, if you’re visiting a country where English isn’t the common language, you could even learn a few basic phrases, such as greetings and “thank you”, which could make all the difference when making a good first impression.

Prepare your travel documents

Hours of careful preparation and research will all be wasted if you forget vital travel documents. Traveling between countries requires a current, valid passport, travel tickets and sometimes a visa. It’s key to research whether or not you need a visa as soon as possible, even if you are just transiting through a country, without stepping foot outside the airport. Some embassies can take a number of days or even weeks to issue visas. Even if you’re not traveling to a different country, you may need photo ID to clarify that your name corresponds to the one on the ticket - your passport or driving license are the best options so keep them safe at all times.

Remember your electronic accessories

Stay as productive as possible on your trip by taking a laptop or tablet – it’ll make your travel time really count. Remember to pack the relevant chargers and adapters, too. You can usually pick these up at the airport when you’re passing through, but being prepared is key and will save you time and money in the long run.

Get ready for your meeting

So you’ve followed all the right steps for planning a business trip, but what about your business objectives and the meeting itself? Making a note of what you hope to achieve on the trip can help improve your focus - even if you simply want to reach out to new contacts or gain a general overview of potential new client. Arm yourself with as much information as possible about the people you’ll meet, as well as the places they’ll be. What’s the dress code? If you’re visiting an industrial site, for example, will you need sturdy shoes? If you’re going to be giving a presentation, what format will it take and will your host have the equipment you need? Simply emailing ahead to check if they have suitable screens and cables can ensure you avoid embarrassing delays or confusion that would get your meeting off to an awkward start. That first impression counts so give yourself the best chance of making a good one.

By setting aside the time to prepare, conducting some detailed research and following these business travel tips, you can optimize your chances of a productive and enjoyable trip.

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Business trips: fun or boring?

LESSON OVERVIEW

This lesson allows students to talk about business trips , learn some useful vocabulary , and have a lot of discussion and role- play . 

B1 / Intermediate 60 min Standard Lesson Unlimited Plan Unlock these lesson worksheets with the Unlimited subscription

WARM-UP & VIDEO

The lesson starts with a warm-up activity. Students answer a few general questions and talk about business trips. Then, they look at different activities (e.g. delivering or taking professional training, networking with other professionals, trying local food , etc.) and discuss which things they would find interesting to do on a business trip. After that, students move on to a video. First, they watch the video and say why it was made. Then, they work with vocabulary (e.g. upgrade the room, grab a book, head to a pool, etc.). Students read sentences and choose the correct words . They watch the video again and check their answers. There is also a list of concept-checking questions for teachers to make sure students understand the key vocabulary. 

ACTIVITIES TO TALK ABOUT BUSINESS TRIPS

In this part of the lesson, students practise the vocabulary and talk about business trips more. First, they discuss the tips from the video and add two or three tips of their own. Then, they complete the sentences with their ideas and add details. After that, students have a discussion and talk about business trips, what is important when you have one, and whether they are more stressful than regular work. As a final activity, students do a role play . They read the information about their business trip (e.g. hotel location and facilities, schedule, etc.) and decide how they will spend their free time together. 

HOMEWORK/REVISION

This lesson also includes an additional task that you can use as homework or revision. In the task, students practise the use of the vocabulary to talk about business trips while describing pictures and brainstorming ideas. The task is available in the teacher’s version of the worksheet. You can print it and hand it out to your students. It’s also included in the e-lesson plan.

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10 business travel questions asked the most 

If you’re an office manager, executive assistant, or you’ve somehow become responsible for organising business trips for your team, it's probably not the only thing on your plate. Business travel planning isn't easy, and you're likely to get asked plenty of repetitive (and perhaps even frustrating) questions.   

Here's a list of frequently asked traveller questions (and a cheat sheet with quick and easy answers so you can get hours back in your day!) 

1. How do I book a flight/hotel/car rental for my upcoming trip, or can you do it for me?

Booking travel is easier/faster/more cost-efficient if you use Melon. You can find everything you’re looking for in one place, and book your flights, hotel, and car rental in minutes. Plus, it’s super user-friendly and already has your profile loaded! 

Or, if your itinerary is really complicated, you can contact our dedicated travel consultant at Corporate Traveller. 

2. What are the best travel options for my budget and preferences?  

If you haven’t read it, our travel policy is loaded into Melon. It outlines what you can and can’t book. It should answer a lot of your business travel questions. You can choose to book yourself online with Melon, and it’ll flag if you are out of policy. Check it out and see what options are available! 

Also, our dedicated travel consultant at Corporate Traveller knows what is allowed, so if you run into any trouble or your trip is more complicated, they’ll let you know if you’re out of policy. 

3. Are there any travel restrictions or visa requirements for the destination I'm planning to visit?  

Great question! This information is really easy to find in Melon. If your trip is more complex and you’re visiting several countries, our team at Corporate Traveller will advise you. 

4. Sorry to call you at midnight but I’m in Europe and my flight just got cancelled. What do I do?  

That’s a bummer! Luckily, we have a 24/7 line for Corporate Traveller. The emergency contact number is on your itinerary and their after-hours team are travel experts who will sort you out ASAP. They might even have been alerted about your trip already. Ok, I’m going back to bed.  

5. Are there any corporate discounts or negotiated rates available?  

Yep, because we book everything through Corporate Traveller, we get access to discounted airfares with certain airlines, and we’ve also been able to negotiate special rates at certain hotel chains. We have access to Melon Exclusive deals, which gives us certain perks at some hotels like free breakfast, Wi-Fi, or even a late check-out if you need. Pro tip…when breakfast is included, your subsistence allowance goes further for lunch and dinner. 😉    

6. Can you help arrange a group meeting? And we also have to start planning the next quarterly conference. Can you help with that?   

Yep, the team at CT can manage this one for us too. If you send me the list of everyone who needs to be there and the dates of the meetings, I’ll get them to take care of it. Or actually, just send that info directly to Corporate Traveller and copy me in. Even better!  

7. How can I ensure traveller safety and security during the trip?  

Regardless of how you book your trip, we’ll be able to monitor you if something drastic happens in the world. If we need it, we’ll be alerted to where everyone is easily through the risk management tool in Melon. It shows us a dashboard of where everyone is and how we can easily get in touch. 

8. What about my frequent flyer programme? I want to make sure I get my points.   

Yep, you’ll still get points when you book through Corporate Traveller. In fact, if you set up your travel profile properly, they’ll have all your details on hand already. They’ll also know your preferences too – like whether you prefer the aisle or window seat.  

9. Can you recommend any travel apps or tools for better travel management?  

You bet! The Melon mobile app makes it super easy to book travel on the go. You can also easily access your travel itinerary, chat with an expert, and a lot more. Make sure to download it before you go! 

10. What about my---  

Don’t worry! There isn’t an answer we can’t find. Most information is easily accessible in Melon, on our travel policy, and if you’re still stuck, reach out to our dedicated travel consultant! No need to stress. They’ve managed all sorts of travel hiccups including missed and delayed flights, weather disruptions, lost luggage, global pandemics, and a whole lot more.  

For 30 years, Corporate Traveller has been lightening the load of travel management for executive assistants, travel bookers, administrative staff, and more. 

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Learn English for travel with our lessons on travel English. Learn English phrases and vocabulary for checking into a hotel, making travel arrangements and dealing with customs and immigration at the airport.

Travel English Lessons

Learn travel English with Business English Pod lessons on English for travel .

Business English Pod offers English for travel lessons that cover various travel English topics, such as airport check-in, hotel reservations, ordering food, and making small talk with locals. These lessons provide practical vocabulary and phrases for different situations, helping learners communicate effectively while traveling.

Our travel English lessons are listed by published date with the newest lessons first.

BEP 295 – Business Trip 4: Factory Inspection

Bep 294 – business trip 3: confidential discussion, bep 284 – business trip 2: giving directions and getting around, bep 283 – business trip 1: taking a taxi, bep 26c – travel english: dealing with problems.

BEP 25c – Travel English: Checking in for a Flight

BEP 248 – Socializing with Strangers (2)

BEP 247 – Socializing with Strangers (1)

BEP 188 – Socializing: Hosting a Dinner Party 2

BEP 187 – Socializing: Hosting a Dinner Party 1

BEP 186 – Air Travel: Connecting Flights

BEP 185 – Air Travel: Checking In to a Flight

BEP 135 – Travel English: Airport Security

BEP 134 – Travel English: Getting Online at the Coffee Shop

BEP 125 – Travel English: Renting a Car

BEP 124 – Travel English: Checking Out of a Hotel

BEP 96 – Socializing: Business Meals

BEP 89 – Telephoning: Making Arrangements

BEP 88 – Telephoning: Booking a Travel Ticket

BEP 80 – Travel English: Checking In to a Hotel

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on conducting a factory inspection in English.

In the global economy, a company might have its headquarters in Germany, but outsource production to China and technical support to India. Or you might find a Korean company that contracts out to one factory in Malaysia and another in Vietnam. In any case, to make the right decision on production facilities, you’ll most likely need to conduct a factory inspection.

So if you’re flying halfway around the world to tour a factory or another facility, what kind of questions should you ask? And how can you make sure the factory is the right fit for your needs? Well, you’ll definitely want to ask questions about quality control to make sure the factory can meet your expectations. You might also ask about production capacity so you know they can handle the work properly. And you might ask about their approach to standards, to make sure they’re in line with your values.

Of course, talk is cheap. You might find a factory manager makes claims that are a bit unbelievable. In these situations, you’ll want to show skepticism, or doubt, and ask for evidence. This is all part of the due diligence necessary to make sure you’re making the right choice.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear Cam and Vanessa, who work for an American clothing company. They want to find a new production facility, so they’re touring a factory in China. You’ll also hear Chen, a factory manager who’s giving Cam and Vanessa a tour of the facility. Cam and Vanessa want to find out if Chen’s factory is a good fit for their company.

Listening Questions

1. How does Vanessa react to Chen’s claim that they have a .25% defect rate? 2. What important issue does Cam say their company is very serious about? 3. What kind of proof does Vanessa want to see of the factory managers’ training?

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on having a confidential discussion during a business trip.

If you’ve got colleagues or clients in other parts of the world, you probably rely a lot on email and the phone. But meeting in person continues to be important for building relationships and trust, and for discussing important issues. That’s one reason, of course, why the overseas business trip remains important.

And there’s one type of discussion that can be especially difficult: discussing a confidential matter. Perhaps you need to deliver bad news, or share sensitive information or tell someone about an important change. Meeting face-to-face in these types of situations is often the best way to break the news.

So what’s the best way to go about this? Well, to begin, it’s important to set a positive tone to put the other person at ease. Next, you might want to ask him or her how things are going. That can help break the ice, and the other person might actually mention the topic you want to discuss. Once you’ve started this way, you can introduce the sensitive information you want to deliver. And because the information is sensitive, you need to ask for discretion. Finally, depending on the nature of the discussion, you might also have to provide reassurances. After all, after we hear important information, we might wonder how it will impact us.

In today’s dialog, we’ll hear Cam, who works for an American clothing company. He’s visiting the head of the company’s Chinese office, David. The company manufactures some of its clothing in China, and has been considering how to expand their retail activities in Asia. Cam needs to have a confidential discussion with David to share some important news.

1. How does Cam ask for David’s perspective on the current situation? 2. Cam needs to tell David about a decision regarding retail in China. What point does Cam mention to introduce this decision? 3. How does Cam reassure David near the end of the conversation?

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on giving directions and getting around a city. This lesson is part of a larger series that looks at the Business English you need for a successful overseas business trip .

Getting from point A to point B in a city isn’t always simple. Even with a map, there are lots of opportunities for confusion. First of all, a map doesn’t include the names of every little shop or house. And even though a map might show you where some major things are, it won’t tell you how to get there. For these reasons, we still rely on people for advice on getting around. And whether you’re traveling and need to understand someone’s directions, or whether someone asks you for directions, you need the right language.

This is what we’ll look at in today’s lesson. We’ll learn language and techniques for describing a location, suggesting the best travel option, and describing distance. We’ll also look at how to give basic directions, how to explain a change of course, and how to ask a stranger for help on the street.

In the dialog, we’ll rejoin Cam and Vanessa, who have traveled to Shanghai on business. They’re talking to the concierge at their hotel, who is explaining to them how to get to a specific coffee shop in the city’s Pudong business district.

1. What does the concierge recommend as the best travel option? 2. How does the concierge describe the distance to Hengshan Lu Station? 3. When Cam approaches a stranger in the street, what is the first question he asks?

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on taking a taxi. This will be part of a larger series that looks at the Business English you need for a successful overseas business trip .

When you travel to another city for business, what’s the easiest way to get around? Usually by taxi. You don’t have to interpret a subway map or a bus schedule. And you can be delivered directly to your destination with little confusion, though it will cost you more of course.

Yes, I said “with little confusion,” though that’s not always the case. Taxi drivers might not always understand what you want, or what you’re saying. You’ve still got to communicate clearly, directly, and politely with the taxi driver. Your fate is in his – or her – hands, and so you need to make sure you’re understood.

This is exactly what we’ll learn today. We’ll cover some important types of requests during a taxi ride, including asking for a destination, requesting a specific route, and asking for a change of course. We’ll also learn how to ask to be let out and request a receipt.

In this lesson, we’ll hear Cam and Vanessa, who have just arrived in Shanghai on a business trip. They’ve passed through immigration and collected their bags, and now they want to take a taxi to their hotel.

1. What is the travelers’ destination, and where is it located? 2. Vanessa asks for a change of course to get to a bank. How does she describe how to get there? 3. How does Vanessa ask to be let out of the taxi?

Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on how to deal with problems you might experience when traveling by air.

This Business English lesson is part of our new series of fresh takes on some of our older lessons. We’ve kept the same dialog but have new explanations and practice for our lower level learners.

When you are traveling for business, have you ever had problems that seem beyond your control? Like when you show up at the airport and your flight is cancelled. Or when your flight is late and you can’t get to your destination on time? These situations can be frustrating and difficult to deal with. But there are some language techniques that you can learn to help you solve your problems.

In this lesson, we’ll look at some of these techniques, such as getting someone’s attention, using negative questions for requests, and agreeing reluctantly. We’ll also cover making polite refusals, correcting yourself, and asking about payment. These are all things you might have to do or understand as you solve a travel problem.

In the dialog you’re going to hear a traveler called Robert. If you heard our last lesson, you might remember that Robert was traveling to Nice but stopping in Paris first. In this lesson, you’ll hear Robert in the Paris airport. He has missed his connecting flight to Nice and now he’s trying to find a way to get to his destination in time for a meeting the next day.

1. When is the next available flight to Nice? 2. Why is the next available flight not acceptable to Robert? 3. What does Robert want instead of the next available flight to Nice? 4. What type of seat does the agent say is the only type available?

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105 Business Trip Vocabulary Words and Phrases

If you’re an English learner who will be taking international business trips, having the right vocabulary is crucial. Learn the words and phrases in this guide to make you feel more confident speaking English, no matter where your work takes you. 

These business trip vocabulary terms can help you with getting to your destination, participating in business meetings and dining with your coworkers or clients, and more.

Useful Business Trip Vocabulary

Traveling by air , getting around in a new city , at the hotel, in business meetings, at business meals, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

These vocabulary words and phrases will likely come in handy on your next business trip. 

Here are some useful terms for traveling by plane for your business trip: 

When you arrive at your destination, you’ll have to find your way from the airport to the hotel or business venue (meeting place). 

You’ll also have to figure out the most convenient mode of transportation : taxis, train, subway, bus, Uber, etc. Speak to locals or to your coworkers who live there and ask them for recommendations.

Here are some example questions you can use to help you get around a new city:

It’s likely your company has made a hotel reservation (booking) for you ahead of your business trip.

Here are some example phrases that might be useful when talking to the receptionist at the hotel: 

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Of course, the most important part of your trip is the time when you’ll be discussing business and accomplishing your professional goals.

In order to be successful, you’ll need to know some key vocabulary for business meetings . 

Lunches and dinners play an important part in making business deals, building business relationships and celebrating partnerships.

Whether you’re attending or hosting a business meal, it’s important to know how to handle the basics of dining with your business partners.

If you pack this vocabulary guide, you won’t be caught speechless when you travel for work. 

Good luck with your future business trips!

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LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

Going on a business trip.

Level: Intermediate (B1-B2)

Type of English: Business English

Tags: business travel conferences, exhibitions and trade fairs travel and leisure Vocabulary lesson

Publication date: 02/08/2018

In this business vocabulary lesson, students will learn words and phrases to talk about business trips. There are exercises on preparing for business trips, reasons to go and ways to talk about a business trip. The lesson ends with a speaking activity for students to talk about their personal experiences of business trips.

This is an excellent lesson that address grammar, speaking and reading comprehension. Writing activities can easily be developed, from the lesson, for students. The colour and layout is attractive. The level is correctly set at intermediate.

Great activity! It can tackle useful vocabulary, speaking practice, and grammar! I love it!

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Student worksheet

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In this business vocabulary lesson, students will learn words and phrases to talk about business trips. There are exercises on preparing for business trips, reasons to go, and ways to talk about a business trip. The lesson ends with a speaking activity for students to talk about their personal experiences of business trips.

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Travel | Past Simple Business Trip

A fun ESL lesson to learn the past simple and how to describe and talk about travel and a past business trip. Learn vocabulary and expressions to talk about travel. Get the downloadable and printable worksheets, ESL digital flashcards, ESL listening and reading exercises, and everything you need for the perfect digital and remote English lesson when you subscribe.

Travel | Talking about a Business Trip

Esl video past simple business trip.

ESL Conversation about a Business Trip

Today is the first day of John’s business trip. He got up early and took a taxi to the airport. The driver helped him with his luggage when he arrived, so John gave him a tip.

At the airport, John went to the check-in desk and checked his luggage . Then, we went through security. The security guard asked to check his carry-on luggage. In the departure lounge, John used the free Wi-Fi to watch some videos online.

On the plane, he had a business-class seat. It was very comfortable. When John arrived, he went to baggage claim to get his luggage and then took a taxi to his hotel. His room is very comfortable, so tonight John is going to relax.

Use the following ESL Printable flashcards to tell a story in the past simple.

• What is it the first day of?
• Why did John get up early?
• Why did John give the driver a tip?
• What did John do when he first arrived at the airport?
• What did John do in the departure lounge?
• How was John’s seat on the plane?
• How did John get to his hotel?
• What is John going to do tonight?

Storytelling Images using the Past Simple

Retell the story by putting the images in the correct order.

Match the words on the left to their meaning on the right.

Put the following words in the past tense:

help  _______________

arrive _______________

get up _______________

ask _______________

use _______________

go  _______________

take _______________

check _______________

give _______________

Vocabulary Review

www.pocketpassport.com Questions? [email protected]

Reference: bComm18B

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Business trips

By David Riley and Simon Greenall

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A writing and speaking activity to talk about business trips.

• Printable Worksheet
• Up to 30 mins
• Whole Class

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Post-Vacation Blues? Here’s How to Cope.

• Rebecca Knight

Expert advice on motivating yourself when you’re not ready to log back on.

Call it the post-vacation paradox: Instead of feeling recharged and refreshed upon returning to work after a break, you’re drained and struggling to regain your drive. In this article, the author shares insights from two experts on how to boost your motivation and feel more confident about returning to work.

Your summer vacation was bliss: mornings at the beach, impromptu stops for ice cream, and afternoons whiled away with a good book. Now you’re back at your desk, facing what feels like zillions of Slack messages and emails, and your vacation juju is fading. You need to motivate, stat.

• RK Rebecca Knight is a journalist who writes about all things related to the changing nature of careers and the workplace. Her essays and reported stories have been featured in The Boston Globe, Business Insider, The New York Times, BBC, and The Christian Science Monitor. She was shortlisted as a Reuters Institute Fellow at Oxford University in 2023. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade as an editor and reporter at the Financial Times in New York, London, and Boston.

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