What is business English?
"Business English" can be used to describe teaching specific language skills like English for negotiating or for meetings or for emails. It can be also used to describe teaching specialised vocabulary related to business, finance, production, HR, management or marketing. Finally, Business English can simply mean teaching English to people who happen to work in business. Sometimes, Business English contains elements of all of these and sometimes just two of these. In most 'Business English' contexts, there is a professional motivation for students, and so this is definitely different from teaching students who are teenagers and are preparing for exams. However, a professional motivation doesn't have to mean that the students will only want to learn about accounting, it often means that they want to know how to make small talk with international colleagues or clients.
Can any English teacher teach "Business English"?
Yes! Sometimes a teacher with no background in business believes that they can't teach Business English. This isn't true. In most cases, the language we are teaching will be familiar to us. The vast majority of what is said in business meetings and emails is just normal everyday English that any CELTA graduate will already be well-equipped to describe. The grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation will be the same, as will reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. In some Business English classes, you will need to be able to clarify new vocabulary related to specific fields in business. This can be a challenge for a teacher without a corporate background, but it is relatively easy to learn.
There are other challenges for a new Business English teacher. Business English students can have different levels of motivation if their lessons are being paid for by their employer or if they have to squeeze lessons into a lunchbreak. So a new Business English teacher needs to learn classroom management strategies for this. Teaching language skills to Business English students will often be more focused and looking at developing skills of speaking on the phone, writing emails, managing meetings, giving presentations or making small talk. This isn't harder than teaching any other type of speaking or writing lesson, but it will be new to many English teachers. Some English teachers will also find themselves a little lost in the world of business topics and business news and will want strategies to help them feel more at ease in this world.
Do Business English teachers get paid more than general English teachers?
The short answer is yes. Corporate training rates are almost always higher than the rates available in schools and language centres. Banks, insurance corporations, consultancy firms and all large corporations will typically have large budgets for training. If you teach one-to-one, business clients will pay more than school or university students so it's definitely worth considering Business English if you'd like to earn more than a typical English teacher.
What will I learn about on a Cert IBET course?
Cert IBET (Certificate in International Business English Training) is a course in how to teach Business English. It is made up of 11 units, which include looking at the differences between general English and Business English, specific speaking and writing skills for Business English students, strategies for developing better knowledge of business topics and vocabulary, ways of planning individual lessons and whole courses to suit Business English students' needs and a lot more.
Who recognises Cert IBET?
Cert IBET is probably the most well-recognised qualification in teaching Business English available. It is moderated by Language Cert. Language Cert are one of the biggest assessment bodies in the UK, who have run over 7 million exams and are recognised by many public and governmental bodies. The course is accredited by English UK, the representative body for English language schools in the UK. A Cert IBET is a genuine stamp of approval from leading bodies in the English teaching industry.
How can I get a Cert IBET?
If you are already a qualified English teacher, you are welcome on a Cert IBET course. DC Teacher Training are running the course online, on Saturdays, from 5th October to 21st December 2021. You can apply here. The course is made up of 50 hours of content and tutorial guidance (all delivered in live sessions) and you are assessed through a written assignment which you complete at the end of the course.
Dr Connor O'Donoghue hails from Ireland and he started teaching English as a foreign language in Poland in 2003 and he became a CELTA trainer in 2008. He has taught and trained in Ireland, the UK, France, Italy, Slovenia, Macedonia, Poland, Russia, Kazakhstan and Vietnam. Connor also holds a Masters and a PhD in Education from Trinity College in Dublin. He has previously managed large teacher training centres in Vietnam and in London before founding DC Teacher Training.
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