The study of business English relates specifically to learning and improving English ability for use in international trade. It is studied by non-native speakers who wish to communicate with companies in English speaking countries. In addition, it is used between non-native speaking companies who communicate using English as a shared second language.

In principle, the same structures are used to teach business English as other areas of TESOL teaching. However, the contexts and vocabulary will differ. Areas of vocabulary will vary depending on the needs of the student but will generally fall into the region of general business vocabulary, trade, finance and international relations. Besides specific vocabulary, there is often a focus on communications skills needed in the workplace. This may include English for presentations, meetings, negotiations, small talk, socializing, correspondence and report writing.

Teaching business English is less likely to take place in a traditional classroom setting, although language schools often run specialist business English programmes. Courses frequently take place in residential centres or within companies, and opportunities for one to one private tuition also exist. Many experienced teachers who move into the area of business English find differences in the dynamics of the classroom. Students (or “clients”) are often highly motivated as improving English skills will result in career progression. However, there are instances where students are required to learn as part of their job and are only attending out of necessity. In these cases, motivation may be lower; especially if classes are taken outside of office hours so are eating into employees’ free time. On the whole, groups tend to be fairly small or conducted on a one on one basis, although this will vary between companies and countries.

The teacher will have to deal with those responsible for sponsoring the course, so is answerable to a wide range of stakeholders. This means that the approach to the classroom can be slightly different as the teacher takes on more of a facilitator role, working with the client to identify needs, appropriate learning styles and sets targets for learning. As such, teaching business English is recognized as a specialist field so salaries are often higher where teachers are responsible for planning programmes and developing materials. Moving into teaching business English also opens up new opportunities for teachers to gain experience in the area of interpersonal and cross-cultural communications. It can eventually lead to consultancy work in the communications field.

It is not essential to hold detailed knowledge about the world of business in order to teach business English. Complex or technical vocabulary will arise that the teacher may not be familiar with, but the students are experts in their field so are likely to already know these types of words. Also, it is important to note that the teacher is teaching English, not business studies – the students are already business people and want to improve their English skills rather than their business skills. However, knowledge of business is useful in preparing materials and for general conversation in class.

The internet is an excellent source of teaching materials. Websites with specific materials for teaching business English exist, but corporate websites can also be very useful. These can be tailored to suit the needs of the students, for example reports into financial markets can be downloaded and adapted for those working in the area of banking. News websites such as http://news.bbc.co.uk/ also contain a wide range of articles and a searchable database that contains specific material in many areas of business and commerce. Keeping the material relevant will make the lessons more interesting and meet the needs of the students more fully.