Negotiating well in another language is one of the most difficult
skills, especially nowadays when it is often done by distance by
videoconference, teleconference or email. It is also one of the most
important things to do well, with usually a clear financial penalty for
doing it badly.
To really master this skill, students need a
thorough understanding of the very many phrases they might hear during a
negotiation and an ability to show fine shades in meaning in their own
contributions. For this, they need to closely examine the exact meaning
of a great deal of language, get lots of controlled practice of the same
kind of language, and then take part in more realistic but still
intensive practice of negotiating to give them a chance to use all that
language in context. Games are good for all three of those stages. 21
possibilities are presented below in that order.
Games for presenting negotiating language
- Negotiating language simplest responses game
Quite
a lot of negotiating language can be divided into two opposing groups
of phrases, e.g. starting and ending negotiations, insisting and
softening your position, positive and negative, sure and unsure,
commenting or getting the other person to comment, formal and informal,
direct and indirect, and extending or trying to end a negotiation. I
like to present this kind of language with one of my favourite games,
which I call the Simplest Reponses Game.
Students are given
cards which have the names of the two functions from the list above that
you are presenting, e.g. a “Starting” card and an “Ending” card each.
They race to hold up the right one depending on what they think about
the functions of the phrases that they hear the teacher reading out. For
example, with the “Insisting” and “Softening position” cards they can
lift their cards in response to phrases like “I can’t give way on this”
and “Perhaps, but only if…”. They can then label those phrases on a
worksheet with the same categories and test each other in pairs or small
groups in the same way. You then need to move onto helping them produce
such language, perhaps by getting them to brainstorm phrases into
subcategories like “setting conditions” and “explaining why you can’t
move” and/ or getting them to help each other produce such sentences
with hints such as key words.
You can also sometimes use this
game with language divided into three categories, e.g. “Yes” and “No”
with both cards up if the phrase means “Maybe”.
- Negotiation language list dictations
Another
thing that you can do with phrases which have something in common is to
read out a bunch of them until one student in the class works out what
they have in common. As well as useful functions like “Suggesting
compromises” and “Apologising”, students can also spot negotiating
expressions based on the same metaphor (sport, war and poker being the
most common), and phrases with the same word missing.
Students
can then label the phrases in the same way on the worksheet and test
each other in small groups in the same way, before perhaps brainstorming
language to fit into other similar categories such as “giving reasons”.
- Negotiating longer phrases jigsaw game
Even
more than other kinds of functional language, using negotiating phrases
which say exactly what you want to say and have the right level of
formality/ indirectness often involves using longer phrases. This game
combines presenting short simple phrases with giving students the
language they need to extend them to make them more polite and/ or
precise in meaning.
To prepare a version of this game, start by
collecting around 15 to 20 important negotiating phrases which have
optional words in the middle such as “This point is (absolutely)
crucial”, “According to our (previous) agreement,…” and “Actually, that
is (basically) what we were suggesting”. Put the phrases into a
three-column table in Word with the optional words and phrases in the
middle column. Photocopy and cut up one set per group of two or three
students, with the middle column cards divided from the others. Give
students just the left-hand and right-hand column words to make basic
phrases with (“This point is” + “crucial” etc), then give them the
middle cards to check and expand on their answers. They can then use the
same cards to prompt those or similar phrases during speaking in a game
similar to the key words speaking game below.
- Negotiation conversations jigsaw texts
Write
out the whole of a short negotiation such as extending the deadline for
a project, then cut it into sections which students should put back
together, something like a jigsaw puzzle. One good place to split the
dialogue is before useful reactions to what people say such as “Great!”
after “In that case, we accept your proposal” and “I’m sorry to hear
that” after “I really don’t think we can move on this at all”. Another
possibility is in the middle of useful collocations like “long” +
“relationship” and “bulk” + “discount”.
Photocopy and cut up one
copy per group of two or three students. After they have put it in
order and checked their answers, they can then try to have similar
conversations, perhaps starting while being able to see at least part of
the conversation they have just put into order.
You can also do
this with two dialogues mixed up together, for example one positive
negotiation and one negative one, one formal one and one informal one,
one telephone and one face-to-face one, or the initial negotiation with
people meeting for the first time and a second or final negotiation with
people who already know each other. Students should divide the two
conversations up as they are putting them in order.
- Matching negotiating phrases and responses
This
can be useful for all stages of the negotiation from small talk (“How’s
business?” “Not too bad”) to finalising a deal (“Do we have a deal?”
“We certainly do!”). However, simple one-to-one matching up like this is
too boring and easy, meaning students don’t get involved enough in the
activity for the language to stick. The best way round this is to
prepare cards with three possible responses to each phrase, such as “I
don’t think we can either”, “That’s a shame” and “Perhaps we can show
some flexibility then” as replies to “I don’t think we can move on
this”. Students work together to try to match up the phrases. After
checking their answers, they can move onto testing each other orally and
then building whole conversations around some of the exchanges.
- Negotiations dominoes
Another
way of dealing with statements/ questions and responses is to prepare
cards like dominoes that students can try to make a complete chain out
of, with the responses on the left of each domino needing to be put next
to the right phrase on the right of each domino. This game can also be
played to present and practice the two important language points for
negotiating of collocations (“That’s our last” + “offer”) and word
formation (“I was expecting a bit more flexib” + “ility”). Actually
playing the game of dominoes tends to waste too much time and need too
much constant checking by the teacher, so instead nowadays I usually
just get students to work together in small groups to make the whole
circle out of the dominoes.
Games for intensive practice of specific kinds of negotiating language
Some
of these games are only suitable for one particular language point such
as giving reasons, while others could be adapted for one or more – or
even almost all – the possible kinds of functional language that could
come up in a negotiation.
- Negotiating coin games
Before
responding to their partner’s proposal, students have to flip a coin
and then respond positively if they get a head or negatively if they get
a tail. This continues with every exchange until their reach an
agreement. They should still try not to give too much away, only
conceding very little when they get a head. This should also work with
the sides of the coin meaning “Ask a question” (such as asking for
clarification or “How about…?”) and “Make a statement”.
You can
also do the opposite thing, with students flipping the coin but keeping
what they get secret, then trying to get that response from their
partner.
Some of the games below are basically the same as these games but without a coin.
- Use the negotiating phrases
This
is the simplest game in this section and one of the most useful ones.
Get groups of two to four students to deal out cards with one useful
phrase on each one and then try to use those phrases during a roleplay
negotiation. The person who has discarded most cards at the end of the
negotiation wins the game. You’ll then need to test students’ memory of
the phrases by getting them to brainstorm into categories like “Phrases
for compromising”, perhaps with key words to help them. They can then
move onto doing the same thing with names of functions or key words, as
explained below.
- Negotiating functions card games
Students
are dealt some cards with the names of functions on them like “Insist”
and “Soften position” and/ or “Yes”, “No” and “Maybe”. During the
speaking activity they must do those things with phrases not yet used in
the game to be able to discard those cards. The other people can give
them the cards back if they repeated a phrase that someone had already
said or what they said doesn’t match the card that they discarded. The
person who has successfully discarded most cards when the teacher says
“Stop” is the winner.
You can also play this game without
cutting up cards by students crossing “Yes” etc off a worksheet every
time they successfully do that thing with original language.
As
with the coin games above, you can also play the opposite game of trying
to get the response on the card to be able to discard it, e.g. being
able to get rid of an “Insist” card if they can make their partner stick
to their position by offering something unacceptable.
For more
of a challenge, both kinds of games can also be played with students
taking cards from a pack one by one and only being able to take the next
one when they have successfully discarded the one that they hold.
- Negotiating key words card games
Students
are dealt cards with key words for making negotiating phrases on them
such as “compromise” (for “I think I have a suitable compromise” etc)
and “flexible” (for “I think we’ve already been quite flexible” etc).
They must say phrases with those words in while they are negotiating in
order to discard those cards. The person with fewest cards left at the
end of the game wins. You can also include more than one of each card
and tell they can’t discard the cards if they use a phrase that someone
else has already said.
This game can be played for just one or
two functions (e.g. different key words for making proposals), for a
whole range of different phrases, or even all the suitable negotiating
functions that you can think of.
- Single function negotiating competitions
Students
compete to do a single thing more often than their partners during a
negotiation, e.g. politely rejecting more often than the people that
they are speaking to. You will probably also want to tell them to use
different phrases to do that each time. Other functions that they can
compete to do more times during a single conversation include:
- asking questions
- clarifying/ checking
- giving reasons
- insisting
- making concessions
- moving the negotiation on
- requesting
- summarising
- talking about the future
- Longer and shorter meetings game
One
student is told to get the meeting over with as quickly as possible and
the other is told to try to extend it as much as possible. Although
there are ways round it for very smart students, this probably won’t
work if students can just give way straightaway, so you’ll need to give
them backup positions that they can’t go below when they are
negotiating. This game is useful for phrases for starting negotiations
(small talk, getting down to business etc), moving things on, insisting
or giving ground, and ending negotiations.
- Strictly timed negotiations
Students
are given a time limit such as “Five minutes” and must try to make
their negotiation last as close to exactly that time as they can. This
game is good for language for starting and ending negotiations, as well
as cutting down or stretching out the middle with counterproposals,
compromises, etc.
To make it more challenging, you could make
them do it without being able to see the time. To help them and force
more practice of the suitable functional language you could write up
and/ or shout out the stage of the meeting they should probably be at to
finish exactly on time, e.g. holding up a flashcard saying “Get down to
business” about 45 seconds into a ten-minute negotiation.
- Give reasons in negotiations game
Students
are given situations which are very difficult to explain such as
renegotiating a deal that was only signed yesterday and changing your
mind after they accept your proposal. They must think of good enough
reasons for those things that the other people will find acceptable. The
situations can be chosen from a worksheet, taken from a pack of cards,
or written by students to challenge their classmates. They can simply
try to come up with reasons that the other people in their group accept,
or actually roleplay a negotiation during which that comes up. You can
then test on their memory of phrases for giving reasons such as “This is
due to…”
- Negotiating to predict the response
Students
try to predict if their partner’s response to what they say will be
“Yes”, “No” or “Maybe”, maybe writing it down before they make their
proposal and then showing their partner what they wrote after they get
the response. The proposals can be made up by the person making them,
made up using words on a worksheet like “renegotiate”, or just chosen
from a worksheet or pack of cards. Students could then write similar
proposals for other students to use in the same way like “How would you
feel about us investing in your company as part of this deal?” Students
can then be tested on phrases for making proposals and/ or saying yes,
no and maybe.
- Negotiating expressions mimes
There
are many phrases for negotiating which can be made easier to understand
and more memorable by students miming them, mostly ones based on
metaphors like “I’m going to lay all my cards on the table” and “This is
a win-win solution”. One student should mime one from a list on a
worksheet until their partner guesses what it is supposed to represent,
probably while looking at the same worksheet unless they know all the
phrases really well. After going through what might be suitable gestures
as a class, they can then do the same thing with the person guessing
trying to come up with the phrases from memory. They can then be tested
on their memory of the phrases from different prompts such as key words
and/ or categories to brainstorm into.
- Negotiating politeness competition game
Give
students a list of phrases which are too impolite for negotiations that
they are likely to take part in such as “No way” and “No? What about
two dollars then?” After they work out that rudeness is the problem with
all the phrases that they have been shown, they should choose one and
take turns trying to make it more and more polite, e.g. from “No way” to
“There’s no way I can accept that”, “I don’t see any way that I can
accept that”, “I don’t really see any way that I can accept exactly what
you have suggested”, etc, getting as silly as they like as long as it
is more and more formal/ polite. When they can’t get any more formal,
they should discuss which of those was actually the most useful.
When
they finish the game, you could give them useful words for making
phrases more polite such as “seem” and “not so” to add to those rude
phrases to write better versions.
- Negotiating chains
Students
take turns making conditional offers to try to make a huge and
complicated chain of proposals such as “If you accept this price, we
will offer you 60 days to pay” being followed by “If you offer us 60
days to pay, we’ll double our order, but we won’t accept the price
unless you offer us sale or return”. If you want to turn it into a
competition, they win if their partner gets confused about what offers
have and haven’t been made, probably shown by contradicting themselves
or offering the same thing twice.
Negotiating board games
- Negotiating meeting criteria board game
Students
are given a board game of at least twenty squares with a situation on
each like “(negotiate a) pay rise” and “extended payment terms”.
Students work in groups of at least three and take part in negotiations
on the topic of the square that they are on. As they are doing so the
other people in the group tick criteria on the worksheet such as “Being
polite” and “Suggesting compromises”. When they have finished the
negotiation, the other students add up the number of ticks and that
person can move that many squares forward on the board. The person who
progresses round the board furthest when the teacher stops the game is
the winner. Possible criteria include:
- small talk
- getting down to business
- insisting/ not changing your position
- softening your position/ changing your mind
- making suggestions/ suggesting compromises/ suggesting solutions
- trading/ linking offers and conditions
- moving the meeting on/ quickly coming to agreement/ not getting stuck on a point/ leaving decisions to later
- giving reasons
- using polite/ softening language
- being positive/ using positive language
- asking about their position
- summarising
- mentioning future contact
- the right level of formality/ friendliness
- Negotiating functional language board game
This
is a slight variation on the game above. Most of the criteria above are
kinds of phrase which there are many possibilities for in a negotiation
such as “How have you been?”, “Did you have any trouble finding us?”
and “Is it your first time in London?” for small talk. If you cut down
the number of categories to just these ones, students can get one tick
for each phrase not yet used in the game that they use with one of those
functions. That means they can get two or more ticks for one category
as long as none of those phrases have been said before. This should
hopefully push them to use the range of language that you have presented
and come up with their own ideas.
- Negotiations journey board game
Most
of the board games described in this article can also be set out as
more of a “Negotiations Journey” with each square a step towards final
agreement in the same order as when those stages would usually take
place, starting with negotiating things like use of the meeting room and
who from your company will attend in the first few squares. The last
few squares could be things like negotiating the contract signing
ceremony.
- Score the square negotiations game
This
is another way of getting students to concentrate on expanding their
functional language for negotiations, but this game lets them
concentrate on one function at a time. Instead of situations in the
squares, each one has a function like “small talk questions” and “delay
decisions”. The person who is on that square can roleplay any
negotiating situation they like and should try to do that thing as many
times as possible during the negotiation, using different language each
time. Their partner(s) will give them a point for each successful
attempt during the speaking, then they can move that many squares. You
might want to set a maximum number of squares such as six or ten,
perhaps letting them stop speaking when they reach that number instead
of getting to the end of each negotiation.
Freer (but still intensive) practice of negotiating in English
- Multiple negotiations game
Divide
the class into at least three teams. It is okay to have one-person
teams, but if larger teams are possible that will lead to more
communication. Decide on one product that each group will want to buy,
e.g. photocopiers, mechanical diggers and raw copper for team A, team B
and team C respectively. The teams are also suppliers of all the other
goods apart from the ones that they want to buy. Each team should play
off the other teams from each other to get the best price from their
suppliers while also selling their own goods without giving them away
too cheaply. Students are usually specifically motivated by the set up
not to need winners and losers, but if you want to score you could give
points for:
- Getting something cheaper after a more expensive quote from another group
- Getting a group to offer something lower than their previous offer (with one point for each time)
- Getting a group to offer a higher price for your products than they originally did
- Agreeing to a price for your products which is less than 2% below your original quote
- Attaching conditions to the price (with one point for each condition)
- Getting other concessions (e.g. good payment terms, with one point for each concession)
To
stop the other teams too quickly spotting what negotiating tactics are
being used on them, you could give worksheets with different scoring
criteria on them to the different teams.
This game needs to be
done as emailing, telephoning and/ or videoconferencing practice, which
is luckily very realistic for many students. Emailing can be done with
real technology, with scraps of paper handed back and forth, or just
with people saying what their emails would say. Emailing without
speaking to each other is probably best, as all the other options allow
other teams to listen in to what is being offered. If you have at least
two rooms available, doing it with telephone messages being left for
each other is also a great method.
- Everyday negotiations roleplays
Get
students to negotiate situations which they come across every day but
probably don’t negotiate during such as talking to the dustbin men or
going to the post office. Ask them to negotiate something in each
situation, with free choice about what that could be. You can get them
to choose from the list of situations or choose randomly by picking a
card or closing their eyes and pointing at the worksheet.
This
activity is useful as a further challenge for students who usually have
the same old negotiations all the time and need something to stretch
them. It is also good as a way of making negotiations something that
pre-experience students can imagine.
- Negotiations problems roleplays
Another
way of adding some spice to negotiations is to add an element of
difficulty such as one or both people not having the authority to
actually make concessions or receiving a phone call halfway through the
negotiation that changes the whole situation.
- Negotiating bluff
Get
students to roleplay real life negotiations such as a new deal with a
supplier, with their partner taking the other role. Give the person who
is playing themselves five cards from a pack of cards marked “T” or “F”
and ask them to place those cards face down on the table when they make
true or false statements about their position such as “We were offered a
cheaper price last week by another supplier” and “We’d lose money on it
at that price”. When the negotiation finishes, the person who they were
negotiating with tries to spot what the false statements were. You can
then discuss their opinions on using honesty and dishonesty in
negotiations.
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