Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Define and Identify the meaning of key business and lifestyle vocabulary
- Apply these words in a new context.
- Produce original sentences using these keywords during role-play scenarios
Warmer
Answer the question
- Have you ever given a presentation? What was it about? How did you feel?
- If you could create an app, what would it be?Â
Pre-listening
Have you ever been stuck in an elevator or weird situation? What happened?
How do you stay calm when things get weird or out of control?
Pre-listening vocabulary
Read the sentences and guess the meaning of the words in bold.
- I am feeling very tired, so I will take time off next week to visit the beach.
- The teacher asked for a note to explain my absence from school yesterday.
- Please be careful with the new laptop; I do not want you to harm it.
- I use an app on my phone to track how many miles I run.
- The employees were happy and smiling; the office morale was very high.
- Some people claim that drinking coffee helps you live longer, but I am not sure.
- Sony launched the new PlayStation just before Christmas.
Matching exercise
Vocabulary Gap-fill
Choose the best word
Listening
Listening for Gist
Comprehension Questions
Listen again and answer the questions.
What would you do?
Answer the following questions.
Text
I sat in the cold, glass-walled boardroom, waiting for the final presentation of the day. A young man named Leo walked in, looking quite stressed. He was an entrepreneur who had spent three years developing a new language-learning app. As an investor, I am always looking for the next big thing, and his proposal looked promising on paper.
Leo began his presentation by talking about his team. He mentioned that their morale was incredibly high because they had recently launched a beta version of the software in small markets. He made a bold claim that his app, “LingoPath,” could help a user learn a language 50% faster than any other method.
“The problem with most apps,” Leo explained, “is that they don’t accurately track the user’s actual progress”. He showed us a slide that showed a student their daily statistics. He argued that when life gets busy and people take time off from their studies, most apps lose their data. His app was designed so that a brief absence from practice would not harm the user’s long-term memory or their placement in the course.
Then, it was time for the live demo. Leo picked up his tablet— “I will now show you the interface that uses AI to adjust to your speaking level,” he said. He pressed a button, but nothing happened. He pressed it again. The screen turned bright red and displayed a “System Error” message.
In that moment, Leo began to panic. The absence of a working demo clearly terrified him. Instead of staying calm and talking about his business model, he started hitting the tablet. He was the kind of person whose anxiety became visible the moment things went wrong. His hands were shaking, and his explanation became a series of whispered apologies.
“I’m sorry,” he stammered, “I don’t know why it isn’t working. This will harm my chances, won’t it?”.
He was right. We didn’t give him the investment. As we left the room, I felt a bit bad. It was a great product, but the pitch was terrible. Leo didn’t realize that investors don’t just buy an app; they buy the person who runs the company. I think he needs to take some time off to practice his presentation skills before he tries to launch his product again.
Post-listening activity
Discussion Questions
 Answer the questionsÂ
- Leo’s app failed to work, but usually, apps are good at collecting data. Do you think it is useful for your boss or your teacher to track exactly how many minutes you work or study every day? Or is this too stressful?
- Â Think about a famous app (like Instagram, TikTok, or WhatsApp) that was launched in the last 10-15 years. How has it changed the way people communicate?
- Â Many companies claim their products are “the best in the world.” When you see a new business advertisement, do you usually believe these claims?
- Â In the story, the team’s morale was high before the meeting. If you were a manager, how would you help fix the team’s morale after this terrible failure?
- Â Â The investor suggested Leo needs to take time off. Do you think working too hard without a break actually causes harm to a business owner’s success?
Role Play 1 -Skeptical Investor
Role A (Presenter): You are excited. You have just launched the beta version of your app. You need to explain why your app is special. You claim it helps people learn 50% faster. You explain how the app helps maintain student morale.
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*Teacher Notes*
Each group/student must create an app idea they want to present. Give students time to prepare for the role play. Switch roles when the activity is over.
