Planning the future

It differs from the MBA (Master of Business

Teacher ’s notes
Level: Pre-intermediate upwards Administration) in that it is for recently graduated
students who have no previous experience in business.
Timing: 90 minutes plus

Material needed: One copy of the worksheets The next two questions rely on the students having some
and Vocabulary record per student knowledge of the higher education system in their own
country. If they have difficulties, ask prompting questions
Group size: Any such as: What education or degree do you need to become a
lawyer, doctor, engineer, etc. in your country?
Overview Key:
This lesson plan for both pre-experience and in-work MScBA and MBA
business students is based around an original article first Reading for detail
published in Business Spotlight Issue 6/2009. The article
The students should read through the table and decide
is a dialogue between two adult students who have both
what information they should look for in the article to be
decided to study abroad. They talk about matters that are
able to complete the table.
important to them, such as tuition fees and future
job prospects. Key:
international
gain further

by studying
accommodation experience
Intends to

The tasks in the student worksheets will encourage

£350 per month Siena, Italy

Shanghai,
in ...

the students to not only learn and use new business

China
vocabulary and functional language related to the topics
of higher education, tuition fees, life as a students and €500 per month

studying abroad, but also to bring their own professional

(small room)
Cost of

experiences into the classroom.

(nice flat)

The teacher’s notes aim to provide suggestions for

teaching and learning strategies as well as ideas on how
for foreign
Cost of

£3,225 (or
course

students)

to present the tasks in the classroom, any necessary

£11,750

€1,600

answer keys, and extension tasks and lesson plans.

Introduction
Management,
Netherlands
Studying

University,
where?

Rotterdam
School of

The article is a dialogue between a male Greek student

Oxford

who has chosen to study in the Netherlands and a female

UK

German student who is studying in the UK. They discuss

management

their reasons for studying abroad and why they have

Studying

MScBA in
what?

strategic

chosen that particular country to study in, where they

German (and law

might go to gain further qualifications and international

and intercultural experience, their worries concerning
British too as
Nationality

her father is

their professional futures, the costs involved in studying

English)
possibly

abroad compared to at home, different ways of financing

Greek

their studies and how they are managing financially

and socially.
Victoria Parr

Arampatzis
Name

Warmer
Tasos

The students should scan the article to find two types of

degree. If they have any difficulties, explain that what
Note: At the time of publication the exchange rate was
they are looking for acronyms and not whole words.
1.00 GBP = 1.10502 EUR. It would be helpful for the
students’ comprehension if you could provide them with
Note: An MScBA (Master of Science in Business
the exchange rates between their currency and the pound
Administration) is a postgraduate business degree.
and the euro.
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Planning the future

Writing

Teacher ’s notes
Teaching and learning strategy:
Reading for detail This task requires the students to bring in their own
This is also known as intensive reading. This is when we knowledge of their countries’ higher education systems
ask students to read a text to find very specific details. It is and use their imagination. Although they should for the
the opposite of extensive reading and skimming in which main part only rewrite one role – that of Tasos – it will
students are asked to read quickly and superficially to be necessary to reword some of Victoria’s questions or
get the gist of a text. In intensive reading students need
responses to fit in with the new dialogue. If students
to read certain parts of the text closely and carefully in
order to understand and extract specific information – have difficulty beginning this task, brainstorm and
especially information that may contain similarities and invent a character together on the board first giving him/
fine differences. It is a very useful skill for students to her a name, age, nationality, background, ambition, etc.
develop in a Business English context as it will help them and decide what he or she is studying and where. If the
when they read business documents such as contracts,
students are still insecure, suggest that they work in pairs
legal documents, application forms, etc.
to rewrite the dialogue.

Article summary Role play

In writing the answers to these comprehension Unless they worked in pairs in exercise 5, each student
questions students will find that they have written a will have a slightly different script. The students should
short summary of the article. now work in pairs and decide which of their two scripts
they prefer. They should practise reading through their
Extension task preferred script concentrating not only on the vocabulary
To extend this task the students should work in pairs, but also on pronunciation, intonation and body language.
cover up the article and report/retell the contents of the When they feel confident, they can read through (or even
article to their partner using only the information in the act out) their script in front of the rest of the class.
table in exercise 2 and their answers to exercise 3.
Vocabulary record
Key: Here students should be encouraged to record all the
1. Her father is English and she always wanted to experience new and useful vocabulary they have learned during the
living in England. lesson, not only in the form presented in the article but
2. He thinks they are very relaxed. also in related forms.
3. The tuition fees are lower than in Greece and (young) Dutch
people have fewer money problems than Greeks. More about planning the future and
4. She took out a student loan and her parents give her a fixed higher education
amount each term. For follow-up lessons on the same or related topics go to
5. No they can’t. the following lesson plans in the Business skills bank and
6. If a student works more than eight hours a week, the Dutch the Business tasks series on onestopenglish:
government supports them with extra money and free public
transport. Business tasks: Studying and learning
7. In Rotterdam there are many university social events. In http://www.onestopenglish.com/section.
Oxford, too, life centres round the colleges and its social events. asp?catid=59913&docid=156955
8. Victoria is worried that there aren’t enough jobs for lawyers.
Tasos has the same worries in his chosen field – graduates with Business tasks: Getting and losing jobs
top qualifications cannot get jobs or even interviews.
http://www.onestopenglish.com/section.
Talking points asp?catid=59913&docid=156741
If you have a large class, divide them into groups of three
to five students. Ask them to discuss the talking points Choosing a job
within their groups, bringing in their own personal http://www.onestopenglish.com/section.
experiences and opinions. One person in the group asp?catid=60008&docid=149181
should take notes for a class feedback session after the
students have talked in their groups for approximately
ten minutes.
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 Planning the future

1 Warmer

Worksheet
Scan the article to find two types of university degree. _________________ _________________

What types of degree can students do at university in your country?

__________________________________________________________________________________

Which of these do you think are internationally recognized (e.g. are useful when applying for a job
in another country)?

__________________________________________________________________________________

2 Reading for detail

Fill in the table with information from the article.

Intends to
gain further
Studying Studying Cost of Cost of
Name Nationality international
what? where? course accommodation
experience by
studying in ...
Victoria Parr

Tasos
Arampatzis

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 Planning the future

Worksheet
by Marley Obi
Planning the future
ria for their studies are different.
k studying in Rotterdam find that the crite
A German studying in Oxford and a Gree in their chosen professions in their
worry that they will not be able to find jobs
What they have in common, though, is the
own countries.
Great to speak to you. Where are you from?
VICTORIA PARR: Hi, Tasos. I’m Victoria.
I’m from Greece but I’m doing an MScBA,
TASOS ARAMPATZIS: Hello, Victoria. erlands.
Rotterdam School of Management in the Neth
specializing in strategic management at the
What about you?
law at Oxford
PARR: I’m from Germany and I’m studying
first year. How
University in England. I’ve just finished my
long is your course?
China.
ding it by five months to do an exchange in
ARAMPATZIS: It’s one year but I’m exten ol of Man agem ent in Shanghai.
at the Fudan Scho
I’m going to take some of the MBA courses

PARR: Wow! Why China?

g because I’ve been trying to learn Chinese
, which I find interesting. But I’m also goin
ARAMPATZIS: It’s an emerging economy
decide to study in the UK?
for four years — unsuccessfully! Why did you
to experience living in England.
R: Well , my father’s English, so I’ve grow n up with both cultures. I’ve always wanted
PAR

ARAMPATZIS: And is it what you expected?

to study and there is a lot of
yes. But I don’t think I’m really expe riencing everyday British life, because I’m here
PARR: So far,
find the Dutch?
pressure at Oxford to work hard. How do you
k students. If you have an
They ’re very relaxed. And Dutc h stude nts do have far fewer money problems than Gree
ARAMPATZIS: good job to be able to live alone.
. But young people in Greece need a really
ordinary job here, it pays enough to live well
?
PARR: Is that why you decided to study there
for my course. In a good Greek university,
tuition fees are lower. My parents pay €1,600
ARAMPATZIS: Yes, but also because the
it would cost about €7,000!

PARR: That’s a huge difference!

pay around €11,000! It must surely be
are for EU citizens. Other students have to
ARAMPATZIS: Yes, but the lower fees here
more expensive to study at Oxford.
overseas student. I took out a student loan,
same . My tuitio n fee is £3,225, and it’s £11,750 if you are an
PAR R: No, it’s abou t the allowed to work during the term time –
when I start earn ing a certain amount. Oxford students aren’t
whic h I’ll have to pay back to make sure it lasts. That’s why I try and
y strict abou t that. My pare nts give me a fixed amount every term and I have
they are reall student loans in Greece?
as muc h as possible in the summ er, so I can do things like go on holiday. Do you have
earn
go to university if their family can’t
TZI S: No. Som e peop le work their way through university but generally kids don’t
ARAMPA
afford it. It’s not a fair system.

PARR: Can’t students get grants?

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 Planning the future

Worksheet
by Marley Obi
Planning the future
s at least eight hours a week, the
help at all. In the Netherlands, if a student work
ARAMPATZIS: No. And the state doesn’t occasionally take part in experiments
and free public transport. I don’t work but I
government supports them with extra money
.
for PhD students that pay around €10 per hour
for the first year. So, I’m now sharing a
R: Univ ersity accommo dation is really expensive in Oxford and it’s only available
PAR
but it costs £350 per month.
rented house with friends. My room is tiny
price as university
S: My room mate and I each pay €500 per month for a really nice flat – about the same
ARAMPA TZI
accommodation.

PARR: Is your roommate Dutch?

d. I think about 30 per cent
he’s also Greek. Dutc h stude nts usua lly stick together. I only have one Dutch frien
ARAMPATZIS: No, university social events.
are foreign. Actu ally, it’s easy to mak e friends here, especially because of the many
of the students here
ts, where everyone dresses
here. Oxfo rd socia l life centr es roun d one’s college. There are lots of themed nigh
PARR: It’s the same
se-related dinners.
up, or sports events, fundraising events or cour
want to practise?
ARAMPATZIS: What field of law do you
job-hunting quite early. You start signing
become a lawyer! With law, you’ve got to start
PARR: Oh, I don’t even know if I want to gh jobs. I’ve read articles about how hard
year and I’m worried that there aren’t enou
training contracts by the end of your second know whether to do a master’s until the job
graduates with top qualifications, so I don’t
the next few years are going to be even for
s?
market improves. What are your plans, Taso
McKinsey but it’s going to be difficult. A lot
gy consultant for a prestigious company like
ARAMPATZIS: I want to work as a strate interviews because nobody is recruiting.
can’t get jobs. They don’t even get called for
of the students I know who graduated in June e.
that, I’d like to get more international experienc
That’s why I’m extending my studies. After
nal level, using my languages. I’ve got a place
ped out! All I know is that I want to work at an internatio
PAR R: You’ve got it all map their first year of law. I also want to improve
the Erasmus prog ramm e, so I’ll be spen ding my third year in Siena in Italy studying
on rience.
it’s very important to have international expe
my Italian, which I learned at school. I think
res. I’ve also spent five months in
TZI S: Gree ks aren ’t very open but I think it’s very important to understand other cultu
ARAMPA
up there and taught me some Flemish.
Belgium on an exchange. My mother grew
ese and Dutch!
es, you’ll speak Greek, Flemish, English, Chin
PARR: So by the time you finish your studi
is German.
ARAMPATZIS: And German! My girlfriend
s!
PARR: Good choice! Well, good luck, Taso
Goodbye!
ARAMPATZIS: And to you too, Victoria!

-spotlight.de
© Business Spotlight, 6/2009, www.business
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 Planning the future
3 Article summary

Worksheet
Answer these questions to summarize the main points of the article.

1. Why did Victoria choose to study in the UK?

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

2. What does Tasos think about the Dutch people?

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Why did Tasos decide to study in the Netherlands?

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

4. How is Victoria financing her studies?

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

5. Can students in Greece get financial help from the government?

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

6. How does the Dutch government help students financially?

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

7. What factors make it easy to make friends with other students in Oxford and Rotterdam?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

8. What worries do Victoria and Tasos have about their future professional lives?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

4 Talking points
Victoria and Tasos talk about the costs involved in studying abroad – tuition fees and rent for an
apartment.
• How does this compare to the amount a student would have to pay in your country?
• Have you or anyone in your family studied at home or abroad?
• What costs did studying involve?
• Do you think the fees are acceptable?
• Should the costs of higher education be higher or lower? Why?
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 Planning the future
5 Writing

Worksheet
Rewrite Tasos’ role in the space given using another character. The new character should be
someone studying in your country. He or she should answer Victoria’s questions. You may have
to adjust some of the details in Victoria’s questions or responses to make the new role fit into
the dialogue.
VICTORIA PARR: Hi, Tasos. I’m Victoria. Great to speak to you. Where are you from?

PARR: I’m from Germany and I’m studying law at Oxford University in England. I’ve just
finished my first year. How long is your course?

PARR: Wow! Why China?

PARR: Well, my father’s English, so I’ve grown up with both cultures. I’ve always wanted to experience living in England.

PARR: So far, yes. But I don’t think I’m really experiencing everyday British life, because I’m here to study and there is a lot of pressure at
Oxford to work hard. How do you find the Dutch?

PARR: Is that why you decided to study there?

PARR: That’s a huge difference!

PARR: No, it’s about the same. My tuition fee is £3,225, and it’s £11,750 if you are an overseas student. I took out a student loan, which
I’ll have to pay back when I start earning a certain amount. Oxford students aren’t allowed to work during the term time – they are really
strict about that. My parents give me a fixed amount every term and I have to make sure it lasts. That’s why I try and earn as much as
possible in the summer, so I can do things like go on holiday. Do you have student loans in Greece?
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 Planning the future
PARR: Can’t students get grants?

Worksheet
PARR: University accommodation is really expensive in Oxford and it’s only available for the first year. So, I’m now sharing a rented house
with friends. My room is tiny but it costs £350 per month.

PARR: Is your roommate Dutch?

PARR: It’s the same here. Oxford social life centres round one’s college. There are lots of themed nights, where everyone dresses up, or
sports events, fundraising events or course-related dinners.

PARR: Oh, I don’t even know if I want to become a lawyer! With law, you’ve got to start job-hunting quite early. You start signing training
contracts by the end of your second year and I’m worried that there aren’t enough jobs. I’ve read articles about how hard the next few years
are going to be even for graduates with top qualifications, so I don’t know whether to do a master’s until the job market improves. What are
your plans, Tasos?

PARR: You’ve got it all mapped out! All I know is that I want to work at an international level, using my languages. I’ve got a place on the
Erasmus programme, so I’ll be spending my third year in Siena in Italy studying their first year of law. I also want to improve my Italian,
which I learned at school. I think it’s very important to have international experience.

PARR: So by the time you finish your studies, you’ll speak Greek, Flemish, English, Chinese and Dutch!

PARR: Good choice! Well, good luck, Tasos!

6 Role play
Read through your role play with another student. Try to extend the dialogue by asking further
questions and giving spontaneous answers.
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Planning the future

Vocabulary record: Planning the future

Vocabulary record
verb noun adjective adverb
(+ opposite) (+ opposite)

study

support

loan

costly

qualify

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