International Negotiations

1 

Make sure everyone understands the meaning of goodwill (= positive feelings for another 

person based on trust) in question c. Trainees discuss the four questions in small groups. 

After a few minutes, open up the discussion to include the whole class. You could encourage 

trainees to think of real-life examples of the two types of negotiations implied by question b 

(i.e. one-off negotiations, e.g. selling your house, and repeated negotiations, e.g. getting a 

good price from a regular supplier). Finally, tell trainees to read the commentary on page 62 

to compare it with their ideas. Discuss any differences with the class.

2 

Discuss briefly with the class whether anyone has seen the film Jingle All The Way. 

Trainees read the instructions and the information on page 82. You could check trainees’ 

understanding of the situation by asking questions (e.g. Why do you want the toy so badly? 

Who is the other person that grabs the toy? How are you feeling when you grab the toy?). 

Trainees then work in pairs to conduct the negotiation. They should stand up to allow better 

use of body language. Note that you could make the negotiation more realistic by giving 

trainees a physical object (e.g. a pencil) to serve as the toy. Allow around five minutes for the 

negotiation.

If you have an odd number of trainees, the negation will work just as well in a group of three.

3 

Go through the seven words and phrases with the class to make sure everyone understands 

the words. Trainees then discuss in pairs which techniques they used and how they felt about 

the negotiation. After a few minutes, open up the discussion to include the whole class.

Language notes

•  Bullying involves using your power (e.g. physical strength, professional status, etc.) to 

make others do what you want them to do, typically by using threats of what you will 

do if they don’t follow your instructions.

•  If you justify yourself, you explain the reasons for your behaviour.

•  Emotional blackmail involves using emotions like guilt to make the other person feel 

bad. For example, one person in this negotiation could say that his/her child is very ill.