## Details
Part 1: The Foundation - Business English Essentials
Welcome & Icebreaker (10 minutes):
- Activity: "Two Truths and a Lie (Professional Edition)." Students introduce themselves by sharing two true professional experiences and one false one. The group has to guess the lie. This immediately gets students talking about their professional backgrounds and helps them use relevant vocabulary.
- Essential Business English Phrases (15 minutes):
- Topic: Introduce phrases for formal greetings, agreeing/disagreeing professionally, and asking for clarification.
- Activity: "Phrase Match-Up." Print out cards with common professional phrases (e.g., "I'd be happy to...") and their more casual equivalents (e.g., "Sure!"). Students work in pairs to match them up, then use a few in a short conversation.
- Part 2: The Main Event - Interview Skills Simulation (60 minutes)
- Deconstructing Interview Questions (15 minutes):
- Topic: Analyze common interview questions and the real reason employers ask them. For example, "Tell me about yourself" is a chance to sell your relevant skills, not your life story.
- Activity: "Question & Intent." Present a list of 5-6 common questions on the screen. In small groups, students discuss the underlying purpose of each question. (e.g., "What are your weaknesses?" -> "Can you show self-awareness and a willingness to improve?")
- Crafting Your Answers (20 minutes):
- Topic: Teach a structured method for answering questions, like the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
- Activity: "STAR Story Time." Give students a specific scenario (e.g., "Describe a time you had to deal with a difficult colleague"). In pairs, they practice crafting an answer using the STAR method. You can circulate to provide guidance and feedback.
- Mock Interviews (25 minutes):
- Activity: "Speed Interviewing." Set up two lines of chairs facing each other. One line of students are "interviewers" and the other are "interviewees." Give each interviewer a list of 2-3 questions. Students have 3 minutes to conduct a mini-interview before the "interviewees" move down one chair to a new partner. This provides high-intensity, low-stakes practice
Part 3: Final Touches - Q&A and Professional Etiquette (30 minutes)
- Asking Smart Questions (15 minutes):
- Topic: Emphasize that an interview is a two-way street. Teach them how to ask insightful questions at the end of an interview.
- Activity: "Reverse Interview." Students brainstorm and share questions they can ask the interviewer. You can act as the "hiring manager" and answer a few of their questions to demonstrate how to engage in a back-and-forth conversation.
- Professional Dos and Don'ts (10 minutes):
- Topic: Quick tips on body language, professional email etiquette (for follow-ups), and thank-you notes.
- Activity: "True or False." Present a few scenarios (e.g., "It's a good idea to send a follow-up email after the interview within 24 hours."). Students quickly vote "true" or "false" and you explain the reasoning.
- Wrap-Up & Feedback (5 minutes):
- Activity: Ask for one key takeaway from the session. This reinforces learning and provides valuable feedback for your next workshop.
