ESL WORKSHEET - Insurance in a Business Context

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

GETTING INSURED

LinguaHouse
Apr. 17, 2023

Level: Pre-Intermediate (A2-B1)
Type of English: Business English
Tags: Business People; Health and Well-being; Insurance; Workplace and Equipment; Health and Well-Being; Insurance Terms; 16-18 Years Old; 18+ Years Old; Article Based
Publication date: 04/17/2023

This lesson looks at the subject of insurance in a business context. Students will listen to three business owners discuss their insurance and read an article discussing the different types of insurance and in what situations it may be needed. Exercises focus on related vocabulary, listening and reading skills and offer students the opportunity to discuss questions on the topic (by Joe Wilson).

• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in British English.
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in British English.
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audios (Am/Br English).

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Speaker 1: Last year, I began a business making cups and pots which I sell locally and nationally. One of the most important things I use is a big oven called a kiln where all the items I make are baked until they are ready. It was very important to insure it because if it breaks, it’s a big problem for my business. Not only the cost of repairing it but the money I would lose from lost production. I haven't had any problems so far and it should last for years and years, but you never know what will happen. I also have two people working for me, Stef and Rachel. I had to make sure I could cover them in case of any accidental injuries. When you are working with heat, it can be very easy to hurt yourself, even when you are being very careful. Also, if one of them falls ill for a long period of time, I need to be able to cover the lost income and maybe hire someone else. I think it is quite expensive to insure my business, but it does mean I don’t have to worry as much which is very valuable to me.
Speaker 2: I run a small accountancy business and we have a small office in the town center. One day, I went to the toilets in our office and turned the tap in the sink and it came off in my hand! I couldn’t turn it off. There was water everywhere. I was wet, the walls were wet, and the floor was wet. So very quickly, I had to call a plumber to come and help. He was there for about two hours, charged me a lot of money and left. Everything seemed OK, but later that day, we noticed water coming up through the floor. It turned out that the plumber had damaged the pipes and actually made the problem worse. Well, I called my insurance company and they sent some people to look at the situation. Fortunately, they said that he was liable for the cost of it all. It took a little while, but I ended up getting a new bathroom and money to compensate for the problems it had caused. We had to use the McDonald's across the street for about three months, which we were not happy about.
Speaker 3: I work for myself and deliver goods from one company to another around the country. I spend a lot of time driving and lifting. It’s very important for me that I have insurance because every day presents a situation where something could go wrong. I’m very careful and I’ve had special training, but I lift heavy loads all the time, so it would be very easy to injure myself. If I do that and can’t work; I can’t make money. So my insurance covers that. There’s also the potential for having a traffic accident. I’m very careful, but other people drive like idiots and you can’t always know what they are doing. Anyway, I’ve been doing it for over 20 years now and never had an accident. Recently, the company assessed my policy with them and they actually managed to reduce my payments which I’m really pleased about. It’ll save me a lot of money. I just need to stay out of trouble now.

Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/business-english/getting-insured. Accessed on December 11, 2023. © 2008–2023 LinguaHouse.com. All rights reserved.