International Negotiations

Extension activity

Elicit from the class the most useful phrases from exercise 2, which trainees might want 

to learn and use in their own negotiations (probably phrases c, d, f, g and h, the more 

diplomatic phrases). Then elicit from the class some statements and questions from one 

negotiator which might generate the disagreeing phrases in response, e.g. We’d like to 

have the right to cancel orders without notice. Can you cut the price by another 10%? 

Write these on the board. Trainees then close their books and test each other in pairs or 

groups of three by reading one of the phrases from the board to elicit the most suitable 

response. If you think trainees will struggle to come up with the responses from exercise 

2, you could also write the first letter of each word on the board (e.g. phrase c: IAWCAT).

3 

Discuss the question with the class, and then tell trainees to compare their answers with the 

commentary on page 76. Trainees then work in pairs to practise saying each phrase in two 

ways: as sarcastically (= saying the opposite of what you mean in order to hurt or humiliate) 

as possible and as delicately as possible. Of course, we should not train our trainees to use 

sarcastic intonation, but we should raise their awareness of what it sounds like, so that they 

can avoid it in real life.