Giving and receiving feedback

This Business English lesson deals with the topic of feedback, and how to give and receive it effectively. Students will discuss different aspects of giving and receiving feedback, will learn useful expressions, and will practice giving feedback in various professional and personal situations. Other lessons you might like, related to soft skills are: “Hards skills vs soft skills”, “The art of listening”, “Small talk (making questions)”, “Performance appraisals”, “Communication styles: assertive vs aggressive”, “Business meetings: getting your point across”, “Perfectionism vs progress“, as well as the worksheet “Phrasal verbs: communication”.
Speaking: The lesson starts with a few discussion questions about feedback. Next, students are given a list of different people (e.g. a close friend, a romantic partner, a mentor) and are asked to discuss how easy or difficult it is to give and receive feedback from each of them. After that, they discuss the importance of feedback in various situations (e.g. starting a business). Then, students look at statements about receiving feedback and say which are true for them.
Constructive vs toxic feedback: Students look at a few statements and decide whether they refer to toxic negative feedback or constructive feedback.
Useful language: Students learn expressions they can use to give praise and positive feedback, to identify gaps, and to give suggestions for improvement. To practice, they are given 4 toxic feedback statements and are asked to turn them into constructive feedback.
Listening: Students watch a video called “How to give effective feedback to employees (5 tips for managers)” and complete 2 listening comprehension activities.
Speaking: Finally, students are given different situations to practice giving feedback.
For more speaking practice, you can use the conversation cards.