LESSON OVERVIEW

Don’t bite off more than you can chew! In this lesson, learners will explore the challenges of starting and owning a business. The lesson features a video discussing the reasons why young people are increasingly choosing not to start their own businesses. Students will learn and practice relevant vocabulary and idioms related to the topic. The lesson includes plenty of lively speaking activities and practical worksheets that are suitable for both adults and teens, ensuring an engaging and informative learning experience.

LESSON OBJECTIVES

• Listening: Students will listen to an explanation of a survey about young people’s attitudes towards starting a business. The speaker discusses the reasons behind the declining interest in entrepreneurship among youth, highlighting challenges such as social anxiety, fear of failure, and the reality of business ownership. This listening activity will enhance students’ ability to comprehend detailed explanations and discussions in English, focusing on vocabulary and concepts related to entrepreneurship and business challenges.

• Speaking: The conversation activities will encourage students to express their views on the challenges and rewards of starting and owning a business, using newly learned vocabulary and idioms.

• Vocabulary: Key terms and idioms related to business startups, such as “wantrepreneur,” “fledgling business,” and “overnight success,” will be introduced and practiced.

• Homework: The tasks include answering true or false questions related to business concepts, filling in blanks with correct prepositions in business-related sentences, and using specific words to complete sentences that discuss business dynamics. These exercises aim to reinforce the lesson’s vocabulary and concepts, helping students better understand the intricacies of starting and running a business.

VIDEO

Have you thought about starting a business before? Are you ready to take the plunge? Watch this video to learn about why some people may choose not to start a business.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Good morning, John. I just sent a Twitter survey out to my followers asking them some of their thoughts on starting a business. 15% of those over 18 said that they’d already started a business. 55% said they had considered starting one. Only 11% said that they weren’t at all interested in starting their own business. While I think there’s a strong entrepreneurial attitude among young people right now, the rate at which we in America are starting small businesses, and young people in particular, is dropping fast. And the easy thing to do is to put this on young people themselves. We aren’t interested, or we crave the stability of a normal job, or we fear failure. And indeed, social anxiety, uncertainty, and fear of failure all showed up, high up in my survey. And starting a business isn’t for the faint of heart. You have to take risks. You have to jump into stuff that you don’t understand or know very well. You have to do stuff you don’t want to do. You have to hire people, and you have to fire people. A lot of the time it sucks to own a business. I’d say this as a person who owns businesses. Like there’s parts that are not super fun. And I think people know that.

VOCABULARY AND PRONUNCIATION

• bite off more than one can chew [idiom]: take on a task or responsibility that is too challenging or overwhelming
• entrepreneur [noun]: a person who starts and runs a business, taking on financial risks in the pursuit of profit
• back to the drawing board [idiom]: starting over or changing plans due to unexpected problems
• entrepreneurial attitude [noun phrase]: a way of behaving and thinking that is focused on creating or running a business
• fledgling [noun]: a new company with little experience
• trait [noun]: characteristic or quality that distinguishes an individual, feature, or attribute
• wantrepreneur [noun]: a person who aspires to set up a business but never gets started
• inner strength [noun phrase]: the mental, emotional, and resilient qualities that enable an individual to face challenges and adversity with confidence and determination
• lose sight of something [phrasal verb]: no longer see or understand a goal, purpose, or perspective, often due to distractions or loss of focus
• pull oneself together [idiom]: regain control of one’s emotions or composure, often in the face of difficulty or stress
• eye-opening [adjective]: surprising, enlightening, or revealing; providing a new perspective or understanding
• not for the faint of heart [idiom]: indicates that something is intense, challenging, or requires courage and resilience to endure or experience
• on call [adjective]: being available for work or assistance, especially outside regular hours
• behind-the-scenes [adjective]: used to describe activities or processes that happen out of the public eye, typically in the production or organization of an event, performance, or project
• get out of hand [idiom]: a situation or behavior is no longer under control and is becoming disorderly or chaotic