Same Message, Different People

Speaking cards for practising formal and informal English at work, made for teachers of adult B1-B2 learners and Business English students. Students say the same work message to different people (a manager, a colleague, a client) and learn to adjust their tone, politeness and directness when they speak.

• Tone Check (B1-B2) – 12 warm-up cards: real things people say at work in the wrong register, such as “I want Friday off” to a manager, “Hey guys!” to a new client or “I would like to kindly inform you…” to a colleague at the coffee machine. The student decides if it’s too casual, too formal or too direct, and says it better.
• Same Message, Different People (B1-B2) – 16 cards: one work message for three people: your manager, a colleague and the client. The report will be late, the price in the offer was wrong, you’re leaving the company, you can’t take on more work. Each person has their own situation, so the tone has to change.
• Your People (B2) – 10 role-play cards: real messages for real people from the student’s own work: asking for a day off, saying no, admitting a mistake, complaining politely, giving feedback.
• Teacher Reaction Cards – 16 cards: a reaction line for the manager, the colleague and the client on every message, so each version turns into a real conversation.