Cross-Cultural Communication in Business
ESL Lesson PlansCross-Cultural Communication in Business

Cross-Cultural Communication in Business

This ESL lesson plan on cross-cultural communication focuses on reading, speaking, and group discussion. Using a flipped model, students read an article on cultural differences in business and prepare to discuss real-world culture clash scenarios. The 90-minute lesson targets C1-level learners, helping them interpret cultural practices and improve communication strategies within global teams.

Skills

  • Can sensitively explain the background to and interpret and discuss aspects of cultural values and practices drawing on intercultural encounters, reading, film, etc
Online Interactive
Based on CEFR
Fully Customizable
1

How Cultural Differences Can Impact Global Teams

Before the lesson: read the article and decide if the statements below are true or false. Was there anything new or surprising in the text?
1
Global virtual teams often face challenges due to differences in time zones and languages.
2
The majority of studies on cross-cultural communication focus on the positive effects of team member differences.
3
Personal diversity is shown to enhance team cohesion and reduce conflicts.
4
Contextual diversity is particularly advantageous for tasks requiring innovative solutions.
5
Managers should prioritize personal diversity for routine tasks to ensure efficiency.
6
Cross-cultural communication training can help mitigate the negative impacts of personal diversity.
7
The author suggests that contextual diversity hinders creativity and decision-making.
2

Useful vocabulary

3

Read the facts and fill in the missing information. Discuss whether they are true for your culture.

4

The article: What did you learn ?

5

Share your thoughts on the questions below. Check if you remember the vocabulary from the pre-lesson task.

6

Global teams: Cultural clash scenarios