Teacher Notes

Unit 10 · Global Challenges & Change · Lesson 48

Make It Happen

Learn to structure plans with sequencing and purpose language. You'll pitch a project so you can turn ideas into concrete action.

CEFR B255–65 minPlanning languageCore

Warm-up · §1

5 min

Get talking

reflection

One project

One project (personal, professional, community) you'd start tomorrow if time and money were sorted.

discussion

Killer step

In your experience, which step kills most projects: idea, plan, funding, first execution, follow-through?

activity

Team of five

Pick five people (real or types) for the project team. What's each person's job?

Grammar focus · §2

8–10 min

Planning language — sequencing, purpose, contingency

Open in Reference Centre

Quick rule

SEQUENCE: first / next / by the end of / by month X. PURPOSE: in order to / so that / with the aim of. CONTINGENCY: in case / if / should + subject + verb (formal).

Pattern builder

Sequence
First, / Next, / By the end of X, / Once X is done, /
e.g. By the end of week one, the team will be recruited.
Purpose
to + verb / in order to + verb / so that + clause / with the aim of + -ing
e.g. We're running a pilot in order to test demand.
Contingency
in case + clause / should + subject + verb (formal)
e.g. Should funding fall through, we'll delay by a quarter.

Compare

Function	Structure	Register
Sequence steps	first, next, then, by	Neutral
State purpose	in order to / so that	Neutral to formal
Cover risk	in case (of) / should…	'Should' = more formal

Examples

→
First, we'll map the stakeholders. Then, we'll draft a one-page pitch.
→
By the end of month one, we aim to have secured seed funding.
→
The purpose of the pilot is to test demand before scaling.
→
We're doing a small pilot in order to test demand.
→
In case attendance is low, we've booked a smaller room as backup.
→
Should funding fall through, we'll delay launch by a quarter.

Common mistakes

We're running a pilot for to test demand.
✓ We're running a pilot to test demand. / …in order to test demand.
Never say 'for to' — either 'to' or 'in order to'.
In case of the funding falls through, we'll delay.
✓ If the funding falls through / In case the funding falls through, we'll delay.
'In case of' + noun; 'in case' + clause.
Should funding will fall through, we'll delay.
✓ Should funding fall through, we'll delay.
Formal 'should' inversion takes bare verb, not 'will'.

Natural English

In pitches, native speakers speak in threes: 'First we'll…, then we'll…, and finally we'll…' This rule of three sounds structured and memorable.

Deep dive (full explanation)

Talking about a plan clearly needs three tools: SEQUENCE (order of steps), PURPOSE (why each step exists), and CONTINGENCY (what if it goes wrong). B2+ speakers layer all three.

Question 1.'We're running a pilot ___ demand.'

Question 2.'___ funding fall through, we'll delay launch.'

Question 3.'By the end of month one, we ___ seed funding.'

Question 4.'We booked a smaller room ___ attendance is low.'

Question 5.Which is WRONG?

Answer all items, then check.

Conversation Builder

Say it naturally

Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.

1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.

Step 1 · Build

Tap words below to build the sentence…

2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.

Step 1 · Build

Tap words below to build the sentence…

Quick check 1.'We're running a pilot ___ demand.'

Quick check 2.'___ funding fall through, we'll delay launch.'

Answer all items, then check.

Vocabulary · §3

5–7 min

Words & phrases to own

Open in Reference Centre

milestone

an important checkpoint in a project.

stakeholder

anyone with an interest in the project.

scope

the boundaries of what a project covers.

deliverable

a specific output produced by the project.

pilot

a small-scale test version.

budget

the money available for the project.

timeline

the schedule of the project.

risk

something that might go wrong.

contingency

a backup plan for a risk.

to scale up

to grow something to a larger size.

buy-in

genuine support from key people.

MVP (minimum viable product)

the smallest version that delivers real value.

Activate it now

Use each word about a real project you know.

Make it yours#1
One milestone from a project you've worked on — did you hit it or miss it?
milestonetimeline
Your view#2
Is scope creep a project killer or a sign of ambition?
scopedeliverable
Rank#3
Rank hardest to secure: budget, buy-in, time, talent, luck.
budgetbuy-in
Complete#4
Finish: 'The MVP for my dream project would be ___.'
MVP (minimum viable product)pilot
Discuss#5
Should contingency plans be public or kept quiet?
contingencyrisk

Matching

Match term to meaning.

Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

Answer all items, then check.

Categorise

Sort these into how you would actually use them when talking about planning · planning language.

Answer all items, then check.

Pronunciation · §4

3–4 min

Rhythm in structured sentences

In three-part pitches, native speakers use even rhythm on the sequence markers and stress the content: 'FIRST, we'll SCOPE it. NEXT, we'll PILOT it. FINALLY, we'll SCALE it.' Consistent rhythm sounds confident.

FIRST we scope it, NEXT we pilot it, FINALLY we scale it.
By the END of month ONE, we'll have SECURED funding.
In ORder to TEST demand, we're running a pilot.
SHOULD funding fall THROUGH, we'll deLAY by a QUARter.
The purpose of the PIlot is to TEST buy-in.

Reading · §5

8–10 min

The Idea Was the Easy Part

Listen to the passage

Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.

Every serious project begins with an idea and dies from something else — usually poor scoping, missing buy-in, or a timeline built on optimism. Ideas are cheap. Delivery is expensive. Good project people design in three phases. First, they scope aggressively — deciding what the project is NOT going to do is more important than what it will. Second, they build for the smallest viable version — an MVP that produces real value in weeks, not years. Third, they plan contingency openly: 'Should the pilot fail, we'll do X.' Naming the risk out loud makes stakeholders trust the plan more, not less. Milestones matter, but the deliverables between them matter more. A slide deck is not a deliverable. A working prototype, a signed partnership, a paying customer — those are. Every timeline should be readable as a sequence of these concrete outputs. The boring truth about making things happen: it's mostly small, unglamorous choices, repeated on schedule, under budget, with the right people in the room. The idea was the easy part.

Question 1.What does the writer say kills most projects?

Question 2.Why is scoping so important?

Question 3.What is an MVP for, according to the writer?

Question 4.What effect does naming risk have on stakeholders?

Answer all items, then check.

True / False / Not Given

Decide if each statement is True or False

Q1.The writer says a slide deck counts as a deliverable.

Q2.The writer recommends naming risks openly.

Q3.According to the writer, ideas are more expensive than delivery.

Answer all items, then check.

Listening · §6

8–10 min

A project pitch to a small panel (about 1:30)

Listening audio

Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.

Show transcript

Investor:So — one minute. What are you actually building?

Nia:First, an MVP — a simple app that connects local growers to restaurants. Small scope. Two cities.

Investor:Timeline?

Nia:By the end of month three, we'll have onboarded fifty restaurants and a hundred growers.

Investor:Budget?

Nia:Ninety thousand for the pilot. Sixty percent staff, thirty percent tech, ten percent contingency.

Investor:Biggest risk?

Nia:Growers not adopting. In case of low uptake, we've pre-scoped a lighter version — SMS-based, no app required.

Investor:And if it works?

Nia:By month twelve, we scale to five more cities. Should the pilot exceed target, we bring that forward to month nine.

Investor:Who's your first partner?

Nia:A regional grower coalition. Signed letter of intent. Not a pitch — a commitment.

Question 1.What is the MVP?

Question 2.What's the month-three milestone?

Question 3.What's the biggest risk?

Question 4.What's the contingency for low uptake?

Answer all items, then check.

Tick what you hear

Tick every phrase you hear.

Answer all items, then check.

Exam skills · §7

5 min

Strategy focus — Pitching in Speaking Part 2/3

Open in Reference Centre

Task

Weak pitches ramble; strong pitches use a three-part frame every time.

Strategy

Frame: SCOPE (what and what NOT) → SEQUENCE (three milestones) → RISK (one contingency). This fits any pitch in 45–60 seconds.

Example

First, the MVP is a small app connecting fifty local growers to fifty restaurants in two cities — nothing more. By month three we'll have onboarded them; by month six we'll have processed our first thousand orders. Should adoption stall, we've pre-scoped a lighter SMS version to guarantee we still ship value.

Practice · §8

8–10 min

Fill in the blank

Question 1.___ funding fall through, we'll delay launch.

Question 2.By the end of month one, we ___ seed funding.

Question 3.We're doing a pilot ___ test demand.

Question 4.The smallest version that delivers real value = an ___.

Question 5.A backup plan for a risk = a ___.

Question 6.Genuine support from key people = ___.

Answer all items, then check.

Sentence transformation

Type a short answer (1–3 words)

Q1.Fill: 'By month three, we w___ h___ onboarded fifty restaurants.' (future perfect)

Q2.Fill: 'A specific output produced' = a d___.

Q3.'To grow something to a larger size' = to s___ up.

Answer all items, then check.

Writing · §9

5 min

Put it in writing

Your task

Write a 140–180 word pitch for a project (real or imagined). Use at least ONE sequence, ONE purpose and ONE contingency structure, plus FIVE items of project vocabulary.

Your answer

0 words Restoring…

Show model answer

Our MVP is a small app that connects local growers directly to independent restaurants — fifty growers, fifty restaurants, two cities. Deliberately small scope. First, we'll spend month one securing partnerships and buy-in from a regional growers' coalition. By the end of month three, we'll have onboarded the first fifty of each side and processed a live pilot week. By month six, we aim to have hit five hundred orders. The purpose of the pilot is not to prove the app works technically — it will — but to test whether growers will actually adopt it. Adoption, not code, is the real risk. Should uptake fall short of target, we've pre-scoped a contingency: a lighter SMS-based version that requires no smartphone at all. Our budget for the pilot is ninety thousand, with ten per cent held as contingency. If the pilot hits its milestones, we scale to five more cities in year two — carefully, and only where the same coalition model can be built first.

Speaking · §10

10–15 min

Make it a real conversation

Useful expressions in Reference Centre

ROLEPLAY — 60-second pitch. Your teacher/partner plays an investor: 'You've got one minute — pitch it.' Answer using ONE sequence, ONE purpose and ONE contingency structure, plus FIVE project vocabulary items.

Useful phrases

• First, we'll ___
• By the end of month ___, we'll have ___
• The purpose of the pilot is to ___
• Should ___ fall through, ___
• Our MVP is deliberately ___
• Ten percent contingency ___

Dialogue completion

Pick the most natural B2 line.

InvestorOne minute — pitch it.
You_______________
InvestorTimeline and budget?
You_______________
InvestorBiggest risk?
You_______________

Answer all items, then check.

Optional · Teacher-led

Teacher Activities

Optional group extensions. ~18 min total

Homework · §11

Take-home

Take it home

writing

Write a 150-word pitch using one sequence, one purpose and one contingency structure.

speaking

Record a 60-second voice pitch of any project you're serious about.

vocab

Write true sentences with: milestone, stakeholder, MVP, contingency, buy-in, scale up.

listening

Watch a 3-minute pitch clip and note one sequence, one purpose and one contingency structure.

Recap · §12

2–3 min

What you've learned

You can structure a plan with sequence, purpose and contingency.
You can pitch a project with B2+ project vocabulary.
You can use future perfect for planning milestones.
You're ready for Lesson 49 — 'What I Stand For'.

Lesson 47 · Voices of Change Lesson 49 · What I Stand For