The Institut Universitaire de Technologie in Le Havre welcomes students back from lockdown by playing the Business on the Move!

Compiled by Caroline Montier, Teacher of English, in the Logistics and Transport Department

1. How many students of what approximates ages played?

   Fourteen students played, mainly young men aged 19/20. I did two sessions.

2. What course are they studying?

   It’s their first year at the Institute of Technology. They are studying Logistics and Transport Management.

   Their subjects include Management, the Supply Chain, Warehousing, and Road / Rail/ and Air transport ~ see https://www-iut.univ-lehavre.fr/glt

   Business on the Move is perfect for them!

3. Was it their first ever game or have they played before?

   It was their first game and straight after their return from lockdown. We studied the rules first and then started to play level 1.

   The students played for about 30 minutes. I allowed them to speak in French.

   

   To be honest, I was delighted to see them laugh and have fun together after this long and lonely winter. I didn’t insist on them speaking English.

   That was for the next session playing level 2.

   I am considering quite regular sessions and adding complexity as we progress.

4. What did the students gain most from playing Business on the Move?

   The students practised their English and had a lot of fun with plenty of smiles on their faces!

   Playing in partnership pairs encouraged them to speak English even more.

   The game enabled them to put their new vocabulary into practice and learn more.

   After explaining the rules the students play for about 45 minutes (using the Standard A6 Rules) followed by a 2 hour session using the Advanced A5 rules.

   The students need to understand the texts / activities step by step to play the game and perform the tasks properly. Very important is our focus on the vocabulary and vocabulary tests!

   Session 2 the following week was really great! They all spoke English for almost two hours which is quite an achievement in itself. By playing Business on the Move, the students improved their expression skills and their reading skills.

   Reading and understanding some of the more technical “Air and Sea” and “Rail and Road” cards was quite a challenge!

   The students then had to explain in English how the game went.

   Feedback was structured in the form of a grid, requiring the students to answer questions about their Company, their competitors, their performance (why did they win/lose?), what they would do differently if they could play again, what they learned and whether they

   enjoyed playing the game… with an explanation

   This game is a ‘goldmine’ and so is the accompanying Learning Zone.

   Its versatility means it can be used from A2 to C2 learners according to the Common European Framework for assessing students’ level in English

   For more details on the framework go to www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages

For your further information an early part of the introductory Activity is shown below:

Logistics and Transport Management Introduction to Logistics and Transport

Vocabulary: Choose the right French translation:

To run a business: diriger une entreprise / étendre une entreprise dans le monde

Delivering orders to customers: Donner des ordres aux douanes / donner des ordres à ses clients / livrer ses commandes à ses clients

To make profit: faire une marge / faire du profit