Is it professional?

Inna | Jun 04, 2025Jun 02, 2025

LESSON OVERVIEW

The main objectives of this speaking lesson on business etiquette are to:

• discuss professionalism and workplace conduct;
• watch a video on professional behaviour;
• share experiences and opinions about attitudes at work. 

With this lesson, students discuss business manners, talk about their experiences and watch a video about professionalism. They discuss opinions on work ethics, share views on workplace scenarios and evaluate professional and unprofessional actions. Students can also do an extra vocabulary activity to practise phrasal verbs for discussing work (e.g. call off, get on with, carry out). 

WARM-UP AND VIDEO

Before this speaking lesson on business etiquette begins, students can do an extra vocabulary activity. They match sentence halves and create phrasal verbs for discussing work (e.g. dress up, stick to, take on). They use three phrasal verbs to talk about their behaviour at work. Students then do a warm-up. They think of a person they consider to be professional and name things they’d like to learn from them. Afterwards, they choose items they think show professional behaviour (e.g. being on time, helping your colleagues, speaking politely). Students explain their choices. After that, they watch a video where a speaker talks about professional behaviour. Students watch the first part of the video. They discuss if the speaker’s behaviour is unprofessional and say how they would react. Next, students watch the second part of the video where the speaker gives advice. They evaluate the advice and talk about it.

DISCUSSION

In this part of this speaking lesson on business etiquette, students say if they agree or disagree with statements on different views and factors that influence professionalism. They give details. Following that, students discuss questions about personal experiences and opinions on work conduct. Afterwards, they look at pairs of behaviours at work (e.g. Following your manager’s personal Instagram account. OR Asking your manager about their personal life.). Students say which action they think is more unprofessional and explain their opinion. After that, they discuss whether some items (e.g. admitting you don’t know something, making small talk, showing emotions) can make someone seem professional or unprofessional. Finally, students look at different situations (e.g. You are an office worker. Your coworker came to work sick. You’re worried they might spread the illness.) and discuss what would be a professional thing to do or say.

WORKSHEETS

8

0