This lesson will focus on using a variety of expressions generally related to progress.
This lesson will help you use these idioms describing progress. You will also get a chance to talk about your own experiences.
The topic is project progress, which should be a familiar subject for most students.
Guide to Business Idioms
Why idioms?
Idioms bring up a lot of pre-packaged imagery. They are emotive and they resonate with native speakers.
Don't over-use them, but on the other hand, a well-placed idiom will bring your language to life.
Warm Up
- Be quick & interesting.
- Note idioms the student uses unprompted.
- You may say, "That was a clear answer, but it wasn't very natural. Let's add some natural expressions using the phrases in the Language section."
- Praise or recommend good spoken grammar:
- use of contractions (it isn't, they're, etc...);
- short, active sentences (clear spoken English often employs such language);
- emphatic language.
Language section
You may take multiple classes for this.
- Encourage short answers, but don't move too quickly (find a balance).
- Focus on the phrase at hand.
- Make sure the student is confident with each one before moving on.
- Encourage the student to express themselves using their own experiences or knowledge as much as possible.
- Model the target language as much as possible.
What's the most important thing to do when beginning a project?
This warm-up should take 2–3 minutes.
Example answers:
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Gauge the scope of the project. The scope of the project is the first thing that has to be ascertained.
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Set the success criteria—what's the KPI you are working towards? What do you expect?
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Do effective ice-breaking or team building. Interestingly, in international projects, sometimes a whole day is reserved for this.
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If you want to work with that team well, you've got to start on the right foot together!
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Please consider each expression and match them to the images. Your instructor has an example and a question regarding each one.
- get something off the ground—begin something.
- get the ball rolling—begin something.
- in full swing—in progress.
- start (get) off on the wrong/right foot—begin something badly/well.
- run (go) around in circles—make no progress.
A. |
B. |
C. |
D. |
E. |
Spend as long or as short a time as necessary on each phrase, but make sure the student can use it smoothly before moving on. The student should rephrase the "Practice" sentence with the target idiom, and then answer the "Question" using the target idiom.
1. (D) get something off the ground
E.g.: We had a lot of trouble getting this project off the ground because we couldn't get approval from the CEO.
Practice: When the schedule was finalised, they were able to begin the project.
→Example answer: When the schedule was finalised, they got the project off the ground.
Question: When do you have problems starting a project?
→Example answer: If the client won't agree to the proposal, it’s hard to get the project off the ground.
2. (C) get the ball rolling
E.g.: Welcome to the conference everybody. Now let’s get the ball rolling with our first speaker.
Practice: I gave the first presentation at the meeting.
→Example answer: I got the ball rolling at the meeting.
Question: How do you usually start a team meeting?
→Example answer: I usually ask someone to get the ball rolling with a short report of the last meeting.
3. (E) in full swing
E.g.: When I joined the team, the project was in full swing.
Practice: I was late, so when I arrived they were in the middle of the meeting.
→Example answer: I was late, so when I arrived, the meeting was in full swing.
Question: What's it like when you're in the middle of a project?
→Example answer: When a project's in full swing, I never get enough sleep!
4. (A) start /get off on the wrong / right foot
E.g.: We were late for the very first client meeting, so we got off on the wrong foot.
Practice: I didn’t wear a tie to the interview, so I didn’t make a good first impression.
→Example answer: I didn’t wear a tie to the interview, so I didn’t start off on the right foot.
Question: Have you ever made a bad start at work?
→Example answer: When I met my boss, I asked where he was from in Japan, but he was Korean, so I don’t think we got off on the right foot.
5. (B) run/go around in circles
E.g.: We aren’t getting anywhere with this method. We're just running/going around in circles.
Practice: We didn’t have the right information, so we couldn’t make any progress with the project.
→Example answer: We didn’t have the right information, so we were just running/going around in circles.
Question: Have you ever been unable to take a project forward for some reason?
→Example answer: Yes, when the boss was on holiday and we didn’t know how to proceed, we were running around in circles.
A. Complete the anecdote
Read each section and choose an appropriate idiom from the list above.
- The entrepreneur had a great business plan but not enough capital to put it into practice. When he found an investment firm willing to fund his start-up, he was able to…
- In this company, we have lots of meetings, but people don’t contribute ideas very much. Some meetings are not very productive because nobody really wants to be the first person to say anything. So, whenever we have a brainstorming session, I always prepare a couple of suggestions to…
- Bob thought the meeting was at 10, but it actually started at 9. So when he arrived, the meeting was…
- I wanted to make a good impression at the first meeting with a client, so I made sure I knew all the details of the proposal to impress them and establish a good foundation for working together. I always say that if you want to have a successful business relationship, it’s important to…
- We tried several solutions to the problem but none of them worked. When the boss suggested we go back and try the first solution again, that was when I realised we were…
B. Discussion
Use idioms to discuss the following topics.
- Have you ever had a problem with a project?
- Have you ever made a good or a bad start with a colleague?
- What's the most exciting part of a project?
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Images:
Pixabay via Pexels
Nick Nguyen via Flickr
Maurício Mascaro via Pexels
Annielogue via Wikimedia Commons
