The Sommelier's Dilemma
Grammar: Professional register: fixed expressions and formal written grammar
A Business English English lesson exploring business.
What's in this lesson
A Business English ESL lesson on business, practising professional register: fixed expressions and formal written grammar. The worksheet has a reading, target vocabulary and discussion questions.
From the reading: The Sommelier's Dilemma
In 1976, a British wine merchant named Steven Spurrier organised a blind tasting in Paris that humiliated the French wine establishment. Eleven expert judges — including some of France's most decorated sommeliers — were asked to rank a selection of wines without seeing the labels. They awarded first place in both categories to wines from California, a region most of them had never taken seriously. The result was not just an embarrassment; it was a lesson in how expertly we can mistake confidence for competence, and how our assumptions about quality often tell us more about our expectations than about the thing itself.
Vocabulary
- at
- for
- in
- on
- I am writing with regard to
- at your earliest convenience
- further to
- it has been decided that
- on balance
- with a view to
Discussion questions
- How do you know when someone is genuinely talented, rather than just impressive?
- Have you ever been wrong about a person after a first impression?
- Do you think job interviews actually identify the best candidates?
The Sommelier's Dilemma
Grammar: Professional register: fixed expressions and formal written grammar
What's in this lesson:
Full lesson plan with reading, grammar, vocabulary, and discussion.
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