This week I taught a two-part A2 unit to a software developer. Part 1 gives learners the language to walk someone through a process (the bug-fix workflow, a deployment, a printer that will not print). Part 2 moves to the first conditional, so they can plan, negotiate and set up a plan B: “If we test early, we will ship faster.”

Level: A2 (pre-intermediate) · Focus: Explain a work process step by step, then plan what happens next with the first conditional

What we covered

• 12 process and workflow words: workflow, step, stage, sign-off, go-live, rollback…
• Sequencing language: first, then, next, before, as soon as, finally
• The first conditional for plans, offers and contingency plans (IF + present, WILL + verb)
• 12 “strategy room” words: ROI, payback, pipeline, conversion, contingency plan…
• Three games per part, a rapid poll and a timed final speaking task

How it went in class

The sequencing part felt easy, which was the point: it built confidence before the grammar. The game that worked best was the step sorter, where the learner puts a scrambled deployment into order and then reads the whole process aloud. In Part 2, the most common mistake was “will” after if (“If the client will approve…”), so I kept a sticky note on screen and drilled the correct form whenever it slipped back in.

Free downloads

• Student worksheet (PDF)
• Part 1 deck: How Things Get Done (PowerPoint)
• Part 2 deck: First Conditional (PowerPoint)

Free to print and use with your own learners. Please share a link to this page rather than the files themselves.

Want the rest of the course? This is unit 27% of my Business English course. The full Lower Intermediate pack (units 16–30%) has 15 units like this one. Student Edition packs start at $19 and the Teacher Edition (with every answer key) at $39. See the packs.

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Not sure which level you or your learners are? Take my free Business English Level Test (15 minutes) or download the free curriculum map and sample units.