Lesson 2 Teacher View

Teacher Notes: Blocked Invoices and Escalation

This follow-up lesson develops more realistic finance English. The learner moves from understanding basic SSC vocabulary to describing mismatches, pending approvals, internal follow-up, and escalation.

Best use Run this after lesson 1 or as a review lesson for a student already working in finance.
Main language status update, pending approval, mismatch, follow up, escalate, payment date
Interactive focus One drag-and-drop task and one typed collocation task
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Lesson Flow

Suggested 45-minute class

  1. Warm-up and recap from lesson 1: 5 minutes
  2. Main reading and discussion: 10 minutes
  3. Interactive vocabulary tasks: 10 minutes
  4. Speaking role-play: 8 minutes
  5. Email writing: 7 minutes
  6. Grammar recap and wrap-up: 5 minutes
If the learner is strong, shorten the drag-and-drop task and spend more time on speaking and email reformulation.
Target Output

Useful sentences to model

  • The invoice is pending approval.
  • There is a mismatch between the invoice and the PO.
  • I will follow up with the buyer today.
  • We may need to escalate if the deadline is too close.
  • I cannot confirm the payment date yet, but I will send an update tomorrow.
Answer Key

Reading and interaction answers

Comprehension

  1. She works in accounts payable in a Shared Services Center.
  2. The vendor asks about payment for invoice INV-90314.
  3. There is a price mismatch and one approval is missing.
  4. She follows up with the buyer.
  5. Because the deadline is close and she might not get an answer in time.

True or False

Answers: False, True, False, True, True

Interactive tasks

Drag and drop: approval, mismatch, follow up, vendor, deadline, escalate

Typed collocations: date, approval, issue/case, mismatch, update

Sample Email

What a good answer should include

  • A calm opening that acknowledges the vendor's message
  • Two problem details: pending approval and price mismatch
  • An internal action: follow-up with the responsible team
  • A realistic promise: another update tomorrow, not a fake payment date
  • A polite closing
Useful Phrases in Spanish

Translate the lesson 2 target language

  • The invoice is pending approval. = La factura esta pendiente de aprobacion.
  • There is a mismatch between the invoice and the PO. = Hay una diferencia entre la factura y la orden de compra.
  • I will follow up with the buyer today. = Hoy voy a dar seguimiento con el comprador.
  • We may need to escalate if the deadline is too close. = Puede que necesitemos escalar si la fecha limite esta demasiado cerca.
  • I cannot confirm the payment date yet, but I will send an update tomorrow. = Todavia no puedo confirmar la fecha de pago, pero enviare una actualizacion manana.
New Vocabulary in Spanish

Lesson 2 vocabulary support

  • mismatch = diferencia / discrepancia
  • pending approval = pendiente de aprobacion
  • follow up = dar seguimiento
  • escalate = escalar
  • resolve = resolver
  • payment date = fecha de pago
  • status update = actualizacion de estado
  • buyer = comprador
  • purchase order = orden de compra
  • deadline = fecha limite
Coaching Notes

Common speaking problems

  • The learner may overuse direct language like Send it now. Push them toward Could you please confirm...?
  • Many learners say We make an escalation. Prefer We escalate the issue or We raise it to the team lead.
  • Watch out for article issues: a mismatch, the approval, the deadline.
  • Push for sequence language: first, then, after that, if needed.
Pronunciation

Words worth drilling

  • approval
  • mismatch
  • purchase order
  • escalate
  • deadline
  • supplier
Grammar Focus

How to teach the modal language

  • should = advice or best practice
  • need to / have to = necessity or obligation
  • could = polite option or suggestion
  • may need to = soft escalation or possible next step
After each answer, ask: "Is this advice, obligation, or a polite option?"
Extension Ideas

If the student finishes early

  • Ask them to give the same update by phone instead of email.
  • Add a second blocker such as wrong tax amount or missing remittance advice.
  • Have them summarize the issue to a manager in exactly three sentences.

Lesson 2 should feel slightly more demanding than lesson 1 but still highly guided.