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BUSINESS ENGLISH · BUSINESS ISSUES · PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2-B1)

TEAMWORK

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1 Warm up

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. What parts of your job need teamwork?

2. What do you enjoy about teamwork?

3. What do you not enjoy about teamwork?

4. Are you good at teamwork? Why/why not?

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2 Focus on vocabulary

Part A: Match the vocabulary to the definitions.

1. problem-solving (noun) a. the amount of, and speed at which goods or services are
produced
2. flexible (adj.) b. work with others to reach a goal

3. productivity (n) c. state exactly what you want or what it is you are talking
about
4. motivate (v) d. the way in which you see something

5. assign (v) e. the act of finding answers to difficult situations

6. perspective (n) f. make someone want to do something

7. collaborate (v) g. able to change for new situations

8. define (v) h. give a particular job or task to someone

Part B: Underline the stressed syllable for each of the words in Part A.

1. prob/lem/sol/ving (noun)

2. flex/i/ble (adj.)

3. prod/uc/tiv/i/ty (n)

4. mo/ti/vate (v)

5. a/ssign (v)

6. per/spec/tive (n)

7. col/lab/or/ate (v)

8. de/fine (v)

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Part C: Complete the following sentences with the vocabulary from Part A.

1. At the beginning of a project, it’s very important to your goals to the team so
everyone understands what the aims are.

2. When employees are stressed or unhappy, it can seriously affect the of a company.

3. There are always going to be difficulties with any job and a good manager should have good
skills.

4. In any team, there will be different points of view and it’s a good idea to try and understand the
of everyone on the team.

5. A team leader should generally try to tasks on a project based on the skills that
each employee has.

6. Although everyone will have different strengths, it’s important to try and be about
which tasks you will do when working on a team.

7. When several people well together, they can often produce better work than if
one person is doing it alone.

8. A good manager should be able to their team to do the best work that they are
able to do.

3 Listening for gist

Listen to three people talking about teamwork. Decide which of the following questions each of them
is answering. There are more questions than speakers.

Speaker 1 - Speaker 2 - Speaker 3 - Not used (x2)

a. Is anyone able to work well on a team?

b. What is important for a team to have if they want to work well together?

c. What qualities does a good team leader have?

d. What problems can you have if there’s no teamwork?

e. What are the benefits of teamwork?

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4 Listening comprehension
Complete the following table by putting a tick in the correct box. There may be more than one answer
for each question.

Who ... Speaker 1 Speaker 2 Speaker 3

a. says that people on

teams can teach each
other new things?

b. says that the ability

to be flexible is very
important?

c. talks about the

value of listening to
others?

d. says that teamwork

is good for the
productivity of a
business?

e. talks about the

importance of helping
others?

f. talks about
respecting others?

g. talks about a
situation which is
difficult for a
manager?

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5 Reading for gist

Read these first sentences from each paragraph. Match them to paragraphs A – C. There is one extra
sentence.

1. Of course, everyone hopes that their efforts to work as a team will go well and everyone will be
happier, but this is not always true.
2. Good teamwork is important for any department or organisation.
3. There are some important things to avoid when leading a team.
4. To create a good team takes time, but there are some key things to do.

All for one and one for all

Good teamwork

A. When a group of people works together, there is less focus on the manager
as ‘the boss’ and more focus on collaboration. This really helps relationships get stronger and does a great deal to
improve the atmosphere in the workplace. For most people, feeling as though you are an equal part in a machine is
much more motivating than just doing what you are told to do. It means that you are more invested in the project,
in the process and in the result. It’s also better for the manager as everyone is responsible for the result which
reduces some of the stress. There’s also the benefit of problem-solving and increased flexibility. With different
people, comes different perspectives and the team can deal with issues more effectively and more quickly.

B. Firstly, make sure each employee is doing a task that is suited to their skills.
Everyone wants to do their best, but it’s going to be easier if everyone is able to show their strengths. With this
first point in mind, you should make sure that when you hire new employees, that they have skills which will be
helpful to the team and bring new experience in. You should check regularly that everyone is making progress, but
allow everyone the freedom to find their own way to do that. Each employee will have different ways of getting
from A to B and it’s essential not to micromanage and show that you believe in them and their skills. Allow them
to make their own decisions and support them. Finally, be sure to thank them often for their work. It’s easy to
forget during busy work days, but a simple ‘thank you for your hard work today’ will help a lot to keep everyone
feeling as though they are an important part of the team.

C. . When things are not going well, there are signs to look out for. You may find that
some team members are arguing all the time and there is always a conflict between two or more people. Teams
who are not working together effectively will find it more difficult to make decisions. Communication could be
affected between everyone in this situation. As a result, it will be harder for the members to accept and understand
differences and other perspectives. You may also notice that no one is being very creative in their jobs or in their
ways of finding solutions to problems. As soon as you are aware of these problems, it’s a good idea to address
them quickly. To do this, you may want to talk to each team member on their own, before talking to everyone as
a group.

Sources: Potential, The Guardian

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6 Reading comprehension

Read the following statements about the article on page five and decide if they are true (T), false (F),
or not given (NG).

According to the article ...

1. ...a company is likely to fail without good teamwork.

2. ...teamwork is motivating because team members feel more responsible as individuals.

3. ...teamwork can often be slower, but more effective.

4. ...managers should try to assign tasks to team members based on what they are good at.

5. ...managers should show team members exactly the way they want something done and make
sure that they are checking their work regularly.

6. ...managers can do simple things to show that they are grateful to the team, such as bring in coffee
and doughnuts. This will increase motivation.

7. ...if the team is finding it hard to make a decision, it’s a sign that there are problems.

8. ...if a manager notices that there are problems, you should talk to the group all together first.

7 Finding vocabulary

Find the highlighted words in the article on page five which mean the same as the following. There
are more highlighted words than definitions.

1. the mood and feelings within a group of people (n)

2. to want to put the effort into a particular task because you think it is
important (phr. v)
3. difficulties or problems (n)

4. be a good match for someone (phr. v)

5. often (adv.)

6. control everything about someone else’s work (v)

7. a situation where two or more people do not agree in a serious way (n)

8. talk about a problem and what you are going to do about it (v)

What is the meaning of the two words that do not have definitions?

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8 Talking point

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Do you think you are someone who is good at problem-solving? Why/why not? Can you think of
an example where you were successful?
2. Do you need to be flexible to do the job you do? In what ways have you been flexible recently?
3. What do you think is the best way to deal with conflict at work?
4. Do you think there are any problems with productivity in your company? How could productivity
improve? What do you think are the reasons for low productivity in your industry?
5. Do you think you are suited to your job? Is there any other work that you think you would be
better suited to?
6. Would you say you are really invested in your work? Why/why not?

9 Extended activity/Homework

Write an email to your manager saying why you have good skills for teamwork.

Consider the following questions.

• What do you do really well?

• What skills do you have that other people may not have?
• What tasks are you most suited to?
• What kind of tasks are you not really suited to?

You should:

• Write at least 150 words

• Check your grammar, spelling and punctuation

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TEAMWORK

Transcripts

3. Listening for gist

Speaker 1: I think teamwork can really increase productivity for a business. When teams work well
together, it means that everyone doesn’t need to worry because they can trust that their
colleagues are going to get the work done. It’s also really good for problem-solving. If
one person is having difficulty, there are usually other people who know what to do or
can just help with the work. It’s so much better than just worrying about the situation on
your own. To add to that, everyone in the team can bring a different perspective to the
situation. We all look at our work in different ways and, on our own, we often do things
the same way all the time. Working with a team lets us see that there are different ways
of looking at situations. We can learn from each other and try new ways of approaching
problems.

Speaker 2: It’s really essential that you are able to collaborate with people from different
backgrounds. You should always listen to other people’s ideas, whether you are the
boss or the newest member of the team. We can all learn a lot from each other and
it’s important not to think that your ideas will always be the best. Everyone has different
experiences and you should respect the opinions of everyone in the group. You also need
to be very flexible. If you are working together as a team, you can’t think that there are
jobs that you will not do. You can’t always organise a project so that everyone only does
their own job. You must be happy to help other people with their work. If you do that,
you will also find that other people will help you with yours.

Speaker 3: Some people like to carefully define their jobs and are not very flexible about what they
will and will not do. When you have this in a team, you can create a feeling that everyone
will only do their own work and not help others. It becomes all about the individual and
not the group. So, it becomes much more difficult for a manager to assign tasks because
everyone is so careful about what they will do. In this situation, it is so much harder for
all of the work to get finished and actually makes a lot more problems for everyone. As a
result, it is very difficult to motivate everyone because there is no interest in the success
of the team, everyone is only interested in their own success.

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TEAMWORK

Key

1. Warm up

5 mins.
This section introduces the topic of teamwork and encourages students to think about and discuss their own
experiences of teamwork. Try to allow all students time to speak about their current or previous job, or perhaps
their experiences at school or university.

2. Focus on vocabulary

15 mins.
Part A
This exercise introduces key vocabulary needed for the listening exercises. Ask students to complete Part A
unaided in the first instance, but allow them to use a reference later if needed. For part B, encourage students
to sound out the syllables of the vocabulary and identify the stressed syllables. Then ask them to complete the
sentences for Part C.

1. → e. 2. → g. 3. → a. 4. → f. 5. → h. 6. → d. 7. → b. 8. → c.
Part B

1. prob/lem/sol/ving 2. flex/i/ble 3. prod/uc/tiv/i/ty 4. mo/ti/vate

5. a/ssign 6. per/spec/tive 7. col/lab/or/ate 8. de/fine
Part C

1. define 2. productivity 3. problem-solving 4. perspective

5. assign 6. flexible 7. collaborate 8. motivate

3. Listening for gist

5 mins.
This exercises gives students an opportunity to listen to a recording from which they are asked to answer five
questions. Tell your students that they will be able to listen to it again in preparation for the following exercise,
that will ask more detailed questions about the views of each speaker.

a. Not used
b. Speaker 2
c. Not used
d. Speaker 3
e. Speaker 1

4. Listening comprehension

5 mins.
Ask students to read through the questions carefully before listening for a second time. Circulate and help as
needed.
Answers to the table:
Speaker 1 → a, d, e;

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Speaker 2 → a, b, c, e, f;
Speaker 3 → b, e, g

5. Reading for gist

5 mins.
You may want to set a time limit to encourage students to skim read and identify the first sentences.
Of course, everyone hopes that their efforts to work as a team will go well and everyone will be happier, but this
is not always true. → Paragraph C
Good teamwork is important for any department or organisation. → Paragraph A
There are some important things to avoid when leading a team. → Not used
To create a good team takes time, but there are some key things to do. → Paragraph B

Article gaps in order:

A. Good teamwork is important for any department or organisation.

B. To create a good team takes time, but there are some key things to do.
C. Of course, everyone hopes that their efforts to work as a team will go well and everyone will be happier, but
this is not always true
Sources:
www.potential.com/articles/teamwork/
www.theguardian.com/theguardian/1999/mar/27/features.jobsmoney10

6. Reading comprehension

10 mins.
Instruct the students to read the article again, this time in more detail. If they are able to underline the places in
the article where they were able to elicit the correct answer, encourage this. Ask the student to answer true, false
or not given, and ask for their reasoning. The reasons for their answers should be taken from the text rather than
from their own opinion.

1. Not Given. This isn’t mentioned, although it says it’s important for a company to have.
2. True. "For most people, feeling as though you are an equal part in a machine is much more motivating than just
doing what you are told to do. It’s also better ... as everyone is responsible for the result..."
3. False. "With different people, comes different perspectives and the team can deal with issues more effectively
and more quickly."
4. True. Firstly, make sure each employee is doing a task that is suited to their skills.
5. False. "Each employee will have different ways of getting from A to B and it’s essential not to micromanage
and show that you believe in them and their skills."
6. Not Given. It mentions saying thank you, but there’s no mention of buying anything.
7. True. "Teams who are not working together effectively will find it more difficult to make decisions."
8. False. "To do this, you may want to talk to each team member o their own, before talking to everyone as a
group."

7. Finding vocabulary

5 mins.

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This exercises challenges students to find potentially new vocabulary in the article based on the given definitions.
Ask students to carefully read the definitions and draw their attention to the part of speech and the paragraph in
which the vocabulary can be found.

1. atmosphere 2. invested in 3. issues 4. suited to

5. regularly 6. micromanage 7. conflict 8. address

What is the meaning of the two words that do not have definitions? 7→ effectively (adv.) in a way that gets
the result that you want; solution (n) the answer to a problem

8. Talking point

10 mins.
This exercise is a chance for students to discuss the themes and ideas that have developed throughout this
lesson. Try to encourage the use of the vocabulary that has been newly acquired, and give all students an equal
opportunity to give their thoughts and opinions. If needed, offer help and modify the questions accordingly in
order to elicit more detail from the students’ answers.

9. Extended activity/Homework

20 mins+.
This is an opportunity for students to sell themselves and their skills. Ask them to consider the vocabulary from
the lesson and their specific jobs and think about how they can explain their strengths and weaknesses. Be sure
to give them feedback on their work.

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