HEAAADERLOGORIGHT

BUSINESS ENGLISH · BUSINESS ISSUES · PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2-B1)

TIME
MANAGEMENT

QrrkoD Scan to review worksheet

Expemo code:
1A9S-K45A-19MJ

1 Warm up

Match the photos to the vocabulary.

apps calendar colour-coding diary schedule to do list

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

Which of the tools above do you use?

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 1/6

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Miss School's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2-B1)

TIME MANAGEMENT

2 Focus on vocabulary

Part A: Match the vocabulary to the definitions.

1. priority (n) a. a time when you are going to meet someone to talk about a
particular subject
2. aim (n) b. a particular job that needs to be done, often one that is
difficult
3. task (n) c. very important and needs to be looked at very soon

4. appointment (n) d. the process of improving something or getting closer to a

goal
5. due (adj) e. your goal and the focus of what you are trying to achieve

6. progress (n) f. working in the way that you want and doing the job well

7. effective (adj.) g. a situation that is more important than everything else and
needs to be focused on first
8. urgent (adj.) h. expected to happen or arranged

Part B: Decide how many syllables each of the words in Part A has. Then, with each word of more
than one syllable, decide which syllable is stressed.

Part C: Complete the following sentences with a different part of speech from the same family as the
Part A word in brackets. You may need to use a dictionary.

1. There’s a problem with the order from Sweden, so I’m going to have to that this
morning. (priority)

2. We’re to finish by 5pm today as we’ve got an early start tomorrow. (aim)

3. Our department has been organising the conference this year, so let’s plan a
meeting to discuss our plans. (task)

4. I believe they are going to him to the CEO position tomorrow, but it’s being kept
secret at the moment. (appointment)

5. I’m sorry I have to go now. My report is and I need to spend more time on it, but
I’ll call you later. (due)

6. This project is quite smoothly. I’m really happy with it. (progress)

7. We’ve had lots of problems with the electricity this morning, making it very difficult to work
when the computer keeps going off. (effective)

8. Tina, there’s been a problem with the tickets for tomorrow. I need to meet with you
to find a solution. (urgent)

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 2/6

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Miss School's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2-B1)

TIME MANAGEMENT

3 Listening for details

Listen to three people talk about how they organise their work. Which of the tools for organisation
from the Warm up does each speaker use?

1. Speaker 1:

2. Speaker 2:

3. Speaker 3:

4 Listening comprehension
Complete the table by putting a tick in the correct box.

Who... Speaker 1 Speaker 2 Speaker 3

a. likes to organise
their work in the
morning?

b. avoids looking at
their phone before
working?

c. leads a team?

d. arranges their
meetings in the
afternoon if possible?

e. has a regular
meeting every day?

f. starts work very

early in the morning?

g. says they spend

time working on their
own?

h. thinks a quick
conversation can be
helpful to save time?

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 3/6

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Miss School's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2-B1)

TIME MANAGEMENT

5 Reading for gist

Match the headings to paragraph A – D on page four. There are more headings than paragraphs.

Not used Not used Paragraph A Paragraph B Paragraph C Paragraph D

1. Resting is important

2. Managing your team’s time

3. What you get from time management

4. The challenge of time management

5. The dangers of time management

6. Strategies for time management

Organising yourself
Time management for business

A. When working in business in the modern day, effective time management is both essential and a challenge. It
is normal for today’s workers to be connected to phones, tablets and computers during their work day, all of
them built to hold our attention. Although we have constant access to information to help us do our jobs, that
information can also stop us from doing anything that is considered work. It’s very easy to spend time answering
emails, texting colleagues, arranging appointments, and taking phone calls, without getting the actual work needed
for your job done effectively.

B. There are many benefits to organising your time to use it in the most useful way. Firstly, it means that you have
more time. The results of someone who is organised will be far quicker than someone who is not. Spending time
focused on your tasks instead of on websites, emails and your phone will lead to you having more time to spend
with your family, friends or other tasks. There is also the feeling of achievement you get naturally from working
through your to do list, which reduces stress. To add to this, the progress you make will help you to achieve your
own aims with your career. Those who can organise themselves stand out in any business and you are more likely
to get better job opportunities, whether you work in an office or for yourself.

C. The way to manage your time has to begin with your goals. You need to look at what you are trying to do and
make sure that it is specific. Ask yourself: Do I know exactly what I have to do here? It’s very easy to agree with
a manager in a meeting about a task and then later realise you have no idea what to do. The goal also needs to
be measurable. Questions such as: How will I know when I have completed the goal? and How will I know if I
have done it well? are important to consider at the beginning. It’s also a good idea to ask yourself if the goal is
attainable. Do you have everything you need to do it? You may even need to decide if you are the best person
to do it and if it is relevant to your position. You may find that it is better to delegate the task to someone who is
more experienced than you, or has more time to complete it. Lastly, you should also look at if you can complete
the project in a timely manner. With a larger project, you may have to look at all of the individual stages you need
to go through before you can decide this.

D. You should also remember that taking a break is important, and just as much a part of work as the work itself.
Tired, stressed and worried people are not good at time management.

Sources: MindTools, The Guardian

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 4/6

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Miss School's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2-B1)

TIME MANAGEMENT

6 Reading comprehension

Complete the following summary with one, two or three words from the the article on page four.

1
These days in the modern workplace, there are many things which can (para. A) and
2
prevent us working (para. A). Managing your time well results in more time for your
3
private life or other tasks, and also (para. B) by allowing you to see your progress.
4
As well as this, it’s also likely to lead to more professional (para. B). Focusing on
5
(para. C) is essential and the first thing is to ensure that you are very clear on what
6
these are. You also need to know what it will look like when you (para. C) the task. It’s
7
also worth checking who the (para. C) to do the task is, as it may not be you. Breaking
8
the project down into (para. C) will also give you a clear idea of how long it will take,
9
which is another important factor. Lastly, remember that (para. D) is just as vital as
doing the work itself.

7 Identifying vocabulary

Match the following definitions to the words in bold in the article on page four.

1. a successfully completed task or challenge, usually involving difficulty (n)

2. able to achieve or possess something (adj.)

3. a test of someone’s skill or ability (n)

4. to give work to someone who is in a lower position than you (v)

5. so important that something will not work without it (adj.)

6. able to see how long something will take and when it will be complete (adj.)

7. connected closely to the particular subject you are dealing with (adj.)

8. involving the exact details of something (adj.)

9. happening at the time that it was planned (adj.)

FOOOOTERRIGHT Learn without forgetting! 5/6

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Miss School's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2-B1)

TIME MANAGEMENT

8 Talking point

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. What are your usual priorities during your working day?

2. What action do you take when something urgent but unexpected happens at work? What do you
do in that situation?
3. How do you measure the progress you are making with a project?
4. What do you do to make sure that the work you are doing is effective?
5. How do you manage your time?
6. Are you good at time management? What could you do to improve? What do you do that is likely
to waste time?

9 Extended activity/Homework

Write a paragraph describing a typical work day with a focus on what you do to manage your time.

Consider the following questions:

• What is the best time of the day for you to focus?

• What can stop you from managing your time effectively?
• What is essential for you to get your work done?
• How do you check that the goals you are working on are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant
and timely?

You should:

• Write at least 150 words

• Check your grammar, spelling and punctuation

FOOOOTERLEFT Learn without forgetting! 6/6

Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Miss School's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
TEACHER MATERIALS · PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2-B1)

TIME MANAGEMENT

Transcripts

3. Listening for details

Speaker 1: I find that the best time to make progress with my work day is first thing in the morning.
I usually get up early at around 5.30 am. It’s really quiet then and I have time to think. I
have a rule that I don’t look at my phone until after 10 am each day. If I do, it’s easy to
start thinking about films, or friends, or family and then I’m not very effective or focused.
I have a to do list, that I keep on my desk and I put a little star next to the jobs that are
a priority. I do those first and I always feel much better if I can do one or two before
breakfast.

Speaker 2: As a manager, I have a meeting on my schedule with my team at 9 am every morning.

My main aim is to get everyone in and thinking about what they are doing and it also
helps because each person knows what tasks everyone else is working on. Sometimes
a quick conversation in the morning can mean that we don’t have to email each other
which saves time. If someone is working on an urgent task and we don’t have much time,
I can ask a few people to work on it together during the meeting and that helps to speed
things up.

Speaker 3: My job involves both working alone and meeting people to talk about my work. So I
spend time organising my day and I have to keep my calendar up to date at all times.
I usually try to spend the morning working alone as that is the best time for me to
work. Although sometimes, if a project is due, I have to work in the evening too. In
the afternoon, I usually feel a bit tired, so that is when I try to have my appointments
with people. It’s a lot easier to talk to people in the afternoon than it is to focus on my
work. I make sure I colour-code all of my projects so that I can easily see what I’m working
on and what is the most important task to work on.

FOOOOTERAPPENDIXRIGHT
Learn without forgetting! i
Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Miss School's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
TEACHER MATERIALS · PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2-B1)

TIME MANAGEMENT

Key

1. Warm up

5 mins.
This provides some basic vocabulary which students will use later in the lesson.

1. apps 2. colour-coding 3. diary

4. schedule 5. calendar 6. to do list

2. Focus on vocabulary

15 mins.
Part A
Ask students to complete Part A unaided in the first instance, but allow them to use a reference later if needed.
For Part B, ask them to sound out the vocabulary and note the syllables and stressed syllables. The aim of Part C
is to encourage students to explore other words in the same family as new vocabulary they acquire in an effort to
extend their vocabulary.

1. → g. 2. → e. 3. → b. 4. → a. 5. → h. 6. → d. 7. → f. 8. → c.
Part B
pri/or/i/ty (4); aim (1); task (1); a/ppoint/ment (3); due (1); pro/gress (2); e/ffect/ive (3); ur/gent (3)

Part C

1. prioritise 2. aiming 3. tasked with 4. appoint

5. overdue 6. progressing 7. effectively 8. urgently

3. Listening for details

5 mins.
This recycles the vocabulary from the Warm up section and gives students the chance to listen to the audio ahead
of listening in more detail.

1. to do list
2. schedule
3. calendar, colour-coding

4. Listening comprehension

5 mins.
This asks students to listen more closely. Point out that the questions may require more than more one tick. Ask
students to read the questions carefully before listening.
Answers to the table:
Speaker 1→ a, b, f; Speaker 2 → a, c, e, h; Speaker 3 → a, d, g

FOOOOTERAPPENDIXLEFT
Learn without forgetting! ii
Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Miss School's lessons.
 HEAAADERLOGORIGHT
TEACHER MATERIALS · PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2-B1)

TIME MANAGEMENT

5. Reading for gist

5 mins.
You may want to set a time limit to encourage skim reading rather than reading in detail.

1. Paragraph D 2. Not used 3. Paragraph B

4. Paragraph A 5. Not used 6. Paragraph C
Sources:
www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_00.htm
www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2014/may/01/golden-rules-of-time-management-entrepreneurs

6. Reading comprehension

10 mins.
Ask students to read more carefully and choose one, two or three words from the text which would complete the
summary.

1. hold our attention 2. effectively 3. reduces stress

4. opportunities 5. goals 6. have completed
7. best person 8. individual stages 9. taking a break

7. Identifying vocabulary

5 mins.
This offers further support to the reading task and can be done before or afterwards. It also provides some useful
vocabulary connected to the topic.

1. achievement 2. attainable 3. challenge

4. delegate 5. essential 6. measurable
7. relevant 8. specific 9. timely

8. Talking point

10 mins.
Ask students to discuss the questions in pairs or small groups. Circulate and help as needed.

9. Extended activity/Homework

20 mins+.
Ask students to apply the ideas and vocabulary they have learned in the lesson to their own working lives. Ask
them to plan, write and edit their paragraphs. Be sure to give them feedback.

FOOOOTERAPPENDIXRIGHT
Learn without forgetting! iii
Scan the QR at the top of Page 1 to review the lesson flashcards with Expemo.
© Linguahouse.com. Photocopiable and licensed for use in Miss School's lessons.