Business English for Project Management

Section 1:

Key Points to Know About Project Management

What is Project Management?

Project management is the process of planning, executing, and overseeing tasks to achieve specific goals within a set timeframe and budget. It involves organizing resources, managing risks, and ensuring that stakeholders are informed throughout the project lifecycle.

Key Aspects of Project Management:

1. Project Planning – Defining goals, scope, and timeline.

2. Task Allocation – Assigning tasks to team members.

3. Risk Management – Identifying and mitigating potential problems.

4. Communication – Keeping all stakeholders updated.

5. Monitoring & Evaluation – Tracking progress and making necessary adjustments.

Section 2:

Key Vocabulary Used in a Project and a Follow-Up Call

20 Key Vocabulary Words for Project Management:

1. Milestone – A significant point in the project timeline.

2. Deliverables – Expected results or products of a project.

3. Scope – The boundaries of what the project will cover.

4. Stakeholders – People involved or affected by the project.

5. Budget – The allocated financial resources for the project.

6. Deadline – The due date for project completion.

7. Risk Assessment – Identifying potential problems and solutions.

8. Resource Allocation – Assigning time, money, and people to tasks.

9. Timeline – The schedule for completing the project.

10. Feedback Loop – A process for getting continuous feedback and making improvements.

11. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) – A hierarchical division of tasks in a project.

12. Critical Path – The sequence of tasks that determine the minimum project duration.

13. Gantt Chart – A visual representation of a project schedule.

14. Dependencies – Tasks that rely on the completion of other tasks.

15. Scope Creep – Uncontrolled expansion of a project’s scope.

16. Baseline – The original plan used as a reference for tracking progress.

17. Sprint – A short development cycle in agile project management.

18. Kickoff Meeting – The initial meeting where a project is officially started.

19. Change Management – The process of handling modifications to a project.

20. Project Closure – The final stage where a project is completed and reviewed.

20 Key Vocabulary Words for a Follow-Up Call:

1. Status Update – A report on current progress.

2. Pending Issues – Unresolved problems.

3. Next Steps – Actions to be taken after the meeting.

4. Adjustments – Modifications to the plan.

5. On Track/Off Track – Whether the project is proceeding as planned or not.

6. Roadblock – An issue preventing progress.

7. Escalation – Bringing a problem to higher management for resolution.

8. Action Items – Specific tasks assigned after the meeting.

9. Wrap-Up – Summary and conclusion of the meeting.

10. Follow-Up – A subsequent check-in to track progress.

11. Bottleneck – A point of congestion slowing progress.

12. Workload Distribution – The assignment of tasks among team members.

13. Deliverable Status – The current state of expected project outputs.

14. Task Ownership – Assigning responsibility for specific tasks.

15. Blockers – Obstacles preventing task completion.

16. Progress Review – Analyzing work completed so far.

17. Alignment Check – Ensuring all stakeholders are in agreement.

18. Turnaround Time – The expected time to complete a task.

19. Client Feedback – Input or suggestions provided by the client.

20. Final Approval – Official confirmation that a task or project is completed.

Section 3: Dialogue Play Role Activity

Scenario:

A project manager is following up with a team member regarding the progress of a website development project.

Project Manager: Hello, Mark. I’d like to get a status update on the website development project. Are we on track to meet the deadline?

Mark (Team Member): Hi, Susan. We’ve completed most of the backend work, but we have a few pending issues on the front-end design. We are slightly behind schedule.

Project Manager: What’s causing the delay? Is there a specific roadblock?

Mark: Yes, the client requested a design change, which required additional time to implement. Also, one of our developers was out sick last week.

Project Manager: I see. Have we escalated this to the design team? What are the next steps?

Mark: Yes, the design team is making the changes now. We expect to have it finalized by Thursday. After that, we will conduct testing before deployment.

Project Manager: That sounds like a good plan. Let’s set up another follow-up call on Friday to ensure everything is moving forward. Make sure to document all changes and inform the client about the adjusted timeline.

Mark: Will do. Thanks for the update.

Project Manager: Thanks, Mark. Talk to you Friday.

True or False Comprehension Test

1. Mark has completed both the backend and front-end design work.

2. The project is behind schedule due to unexpected design changes.

3. One of the developers was sick last week.

4. The client did not request any changes to the project.

5. The design team has not yet started working on the requested changes.

6. Testing will be done after the design changes are finalized.

7. The next follow-up call is scheduled for Monday.

8. Mark needs to document all changes and inform the client.

9. The project manager suggested postponing the project indefinitely.

10. The call was about a marketing campaign instead of a website development project.

Answer Key

1. False

2. True

3. True

4. False

5. False

6. True

7. False

8. True

9. False

10. False