Communication Skills Resources

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Developing effective communication and cooperation skills are an essential part of every relationship, affecting everything from our professional development to our personal social interactions. Whether verbally or nonverbally, through writing or visual imagery, it's important to understand how we share information, ideas and emotions with others.

From our dedicated Macmillan Dictionary Pragmatics series on expressions to our latest lessons on sharing stories in a Business English context, these resources are designed to help you communicate effectively.

More life skills resources

Beyond: Recognise non-verbal communication skills

Did you know that 85% of our message is communicated through body language? Watch the video and get your students talking about how we communicate feelings in different situations with this accompanying Beyond activity card on non-verbal communication. 

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Open Mind: Digital communication skills

Effective communication is also about keeping sensitive information secure. In this lesson from Open Mind, students consider digital privacy and data protection, as well as practising writing persuasive emails.

Download the lesson Download the teacher's notes

Looking for more resources to encourage speaking practice in class? Get your students talking with this downloadable Life Skills Discussion Game and accompanying game cards dedicated to sharing life experiences and opinions.

In Company 3.0: Telling stories

Telling stories can be an invaluable tool in business, to maintain conversations and foster positive relationships, as demonstrated in this sample lesson from In Company 3.0. Featuring three audio tracks as well as teacher's notes from the pre-intermediate level of the course, this lesson explores the development of communication skills through telling short stories and anecdotes. 

Download the lesson  Download the teacher's notes

Download audio track 1.30

Download audio track 1.31

Download audio track 1.32

Want more resources on business communication? Expert voice coach Carol Noakes offers her top tips on powerful presenting to help us improve our delivery when presenting in a professional context.

Lesson: Communication styles

This lesson is about different communication styles. It contains information about how to develop the valuable interpersonal skills involved in being an effective communicator.

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For fun: Communication Crossword

Can you fit the communication words into the crossword puzzle? The first is done for you.

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Communicate / Cooperate: Infographic

In how many different ways do we communicate across the world? From greetings to common languages, this infographic provides the perfect starting point to get your students thinking about communication.

Download the infographic

Macmillan Dictionary Lessons: Pragmatics

Understanding how to use language to convey different meanings in different situations is essential to language learning and a crucial part of communication. Explore ways to express yourself with our Macmillan Dictionary series of lessons on teaching pragmatics. 

Explore the series

Pronunciation Skills with Adrian Underhill

Pronunciation is often a neglected skill, but one that is important for verbal communication. In a brand-new series of exclusive videos, pronunciation expert Adrian Underhill gives you unmissable tips to teach your students all the sounds of the English language.

Explore the series

Lesson: Communicate / Cooperate

How can we make our day-to-day communication more effective? This lesson looks at communication and cooperation in depth, using writing tasks, activities and role-play to get students involved.

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Lesson: Teamwork

Good communication is key to cooperating well with others. This lesson encourages students to practise asking and answering questions while working together as teams to achieve a common goal.

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For Fun: Jigsaw

Each piece of the jigsaw contains a word related to a person's viewpoint. Can you unscramble the letters to spell the missing word for each jigsaw piece?

Download the puzzle

For Fun: Morse Code Mystery

There are lots of ways to communicate using English – like Morse code. Solve the puzzle using Morse code to read more about it!

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Onestopenglish Lesson: A class or company newsletter

Have you got the networking skills to navigate the office party? In these role-playing tasks, students practise their active listening and workplace vocabulary, as well as appropriate expressions, rhythms and stresses when giving important information.

Download the lesson plan from onestopenglish

Onestopenglish Lesson: Blackout

Making decisions, working with others and being able to adapt during a difficult situation is an essential skill. In this role-play lesson set during a blackout, students respond to different scenarios and practise key phrases around expressing fear.

Download the lesson plan from onestopenglish

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Beyond

Beyond is a six-level course for teenagers with a focus on  developing strong linguistic skills as well as wider life skills including  self-awareness, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication and  cooperation. More details here..

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Skillful is a five-level academic skills course designed to prepare students for university life. It offers students the opportunity to develop language skills by presenting them with ideas from today's world, while building critical thinking skills that are vital for academic success. More details here.

Featured Quotes

"I'm a great believer that any tool that enhances communication has profound effects in terms of how people can learn from each other, and how they can achieve the kind of freedoms that they're interested in."

- Bill Gates

“Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who with their soul encourages another person to be brave and true.”

- Charles Dickens

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