cross-culture cafe

Business English for Entrepreneurship and Startups

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Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Objective:

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Understand key phrases and vocabulary words related to entrepreneurship and startups

• Use the key phrases and vocabulary words in a role-play activity

• Listen to a real-world example of a startup pitch and take notes on key phrases and vocabulary words

Time: 60-90 minutes

Materials: (handouts included below)

• Vocabulary matching game cards 

• Role-play scenario cards 

• Video or audio clip of a startup pitch (suggested resources included)

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Procedure:

1. Introduction (5 minutes):

• Welcome the students and introduce the topic of entrepreneurship and startups.

• Ask the students what they know about entrepreneurship and startups and why they think it's important to learn about it in English.

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2. Activity 1: Vocabulary Matching Game (20 minutes):

• Divide the class into small groups of 3-4 people.

• Give each group a set of cards with words on them. One set should have the word and the other set should have the definition.

• Ask the groups to match the words with their definitions.

• The first group to match all the words with their definitions wins the game.

• Review the key vocabulary words and definitions with the whole class.

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3. Activity 2: Role-Play Activity (30 minutes):

• Divide the class into pairs.

• Assign each pair a role: one person will be the startup founder and the other person will be the investor.

• Give the startup founder a scenario to pitch their idea to the investor. The scenario can be anything from a new app to a physical product (see handout for more ideas).

• The startup founder has to pitch their idea to the investor using the key phrases and vocabulary words we learned in the previous activity.

• The investor should ask questions and provide feedback on the pitch.

• After the role-play is finished, switch roles and repeat the activity.

• Provide feedback and corrections on the students' use of key phrases and vocabulary words.

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4. Activity 3: Listening Comprehension Activity (20 minutes):

• Play a video or audio clip of a startup founder giving a pitch to a group of investors.

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    Here are some resources for finding videos or audio clips of startup pitches:

     

    • ​TED Talks (https://www.ted.com/topics/startups)

    • ​TechCrunch (https://techcrunch.com/tag/startups/)

    • Inc. (https://www.inc.com/startup)

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• Ask the class to listen carefully and take notes on key phrases and vocabulary words used during the pitch.

• After the video or audio clip is finished, ask the class to share their notes and discuss what they learned from the pitch.

• Review the key phrases and vocabulary words used in the pitch with the whole class.

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5. Conclusion (5 minutes):

• Recap the key phrases and vocabulary words learned in the lesson.

• Ask the students to reflect on what they learned and how they can apply it to their future business endeavors.

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6. Assessment:

• Monitor the students' participation and use of key phrases and vocabulary words during the role-play activity.

• Evaluate the students' notes and understanding of the key phrases and vocabulary words used in the startup pitch.

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7. Extension:

• Assign a writing task where the students have to write a business proposal using the key phrases and vocabulary words learned in the lesson.

• Ask the students to research a successful startup and prepare a presentation on how they used key phrases and vocabulary words related to entrepreneurship and startups.

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In this lesson, the students learned key phrases and vocabulary words related to entrepreneurship and startups, practiced using them in a role-play activity, and listened to a real-world example of a startup pitch to investors.