The teaching of BusinessEnglish in Brazil

The demand for learning English for professional purposes has been scaling up, as we have seen an increased presence of international companies in Brazil. More importantly, the advent of remote work has enabled many Brazilian professionals to pursue their dreams of trabalhar para a gringa — a common slang expression among Brazilian technology professionals referring to obtaining a job at an international company.

From answering questions in a job interview to negotiating with a foreign client, it is common to see learners struggling in this area. Conversely, I have also met several ESL/EFL professionals who tend to doubt whether they are capable of helping learners with this challenge. Therefore, several questions arise from this practice. Below, I have outlined some of the most frequently asked questions, along with their answers:

Is BE the same as ESP?

No, it is a subset of ESP. BE focuses on the skills needed for the business world, while ESP is broader, covering a wider range of fields.

Do I need to be a business expert to teach Business English?

No, you don’t. However, it is vital to study the basic principles of each area being taught, such as HR, finance and accounting, management and leadership, etc.

What are the most common needs of students of Business English?

Most Brazilian students aim to develop basic communication skills for their corporate environment needs. To a lesser extent, there are students who can already communicate well in English and simply need to acquire specific vocabulary for their work.

Where can I learn more about the teaching of BE?

Two essential books are: One-to-one by Priscilla Osborne and How to Teach Business English by Evan Frendo. You can find some good courses online, but I recommend starting to teach even without much experience, as this will give you a better grasp of your local context. Moreover, specializing in needs analysis is a must.