Negotiations - Business English Worksheets, Role-Plays and Games
In this useful negotiation positions worksheet, students learn and practice expressing simple negotiation positions. First, students match keywords related to negotiations in a text to their definitions. Students then unscramble sentences to reveal six examples of simple negotiation positions. Next, students read about four common negotiation position types and match them to example sentences. Lastly, students imagine they are negotiating the sale of an apartment and use background information to write four negotiation positions that correspond to each of the four position types.
Here are two engaging business negotiation games to help students learn and practice language for making offers and counteroffers in negotiations. First, in pairs, students race to correctly categorise language cards under 'making offers' or 'making counteroffers' headings. Students take turns picking up a card, reading it aloud, and categorising it under 'making offers' or 'making counteroffers'. The first pair to correctly categorise all the cards is the winner. Next, students play a role-play game where they score points for using the language in bold on the cards. For the first role-play, Student A takes the cards for making offers, and Student B takes the cards for making counteroffers. Students then role-play the first negotiation. Each time a student makes an offer or counteroffer, they try to use the language in bold on one of their cards. If a student uses the language successfully, they score one point and remove the card from the game. This continues until the negotiation is finished. Students then repeat the game with the second role-play. This time, Student A uses the counteroffer cards, and Student B uses the offer cards. The student with the most points at the end wins.
In this authentic negotiations role-play activity, students simulate an employment contract negotiation between an employee and an employer. First, students complete negotiation phrases with vocabulary from a box. Students then preview the background details of an upcoming employment contract negotiation between an employee and an employer and rank the negotiation items in order of importance for both parties. Next, in two groups, employees and employers, students formulate a negotiation strategy using information on cards and the background details. Each student then pairs up with someone from the other group and role-plays an employment contract negotiation, scoring points in the negotiation depending on the terms agreed to for each item. The aim is for both sides in the negotiation to score reasonably high and come to a mutually beneficial agreement. Afterwards, pairs share their scores with the class and give feedback on their negotiations.
Here is a free business negotiations game to help students review and practice vocabulary that is commonly used in business negotiations. In groups, students take it in turns to turn over one negotiations vocabulary card and one definition card. If the negotiations vocabulary matches the definition, the student reads the two cards aloud, keeps the two cards and has another turn. If not, the student turns the cards back over, keeping them in the same place. The game continues until all the cards have been matched. The student with the most pairs of cards at the end of the game wins.
In this productive business negotiations worksheet and role-play, students practice language for the various stages of a business negotiation. To begin, in pairs, students decide whether tips for negotiating are true or false. If students think a tip is false, they correct the statement so that it's true. Working alone, students then match stages of a negotiation with useful language. Next, students read a negotiation dialogue and underline language that matches the negotiation stages. After that, students circle the correct preposition in each sentence. In pairs, students then take part in a negotiation role-play to practice the stages and language from the worksheet. Lastly, pairs report back to the class on the outcome of their role-play and what they agreed on.