Where can I find information on how to teach a lesson on present
progressive (continous)in the work place or employment context.  I
have already tried a search using those words together but come up
with employment opportunities on a site that has present continous
lesson plans or examples.  I know what present progressive (contionus)
is but I need to teach it in the employement context.  It is very
important that the information is in relation to  beginning level ESL
students.

Hello wonderwoman1, 

  I’d like to commend you on teaching ESL, an extremely worthwhile and
rewarding occupation. My daughter and I have both taught ESL,
informally, and found our biggest challenge was the educational level
of the student. It can be difficult, but not impossible, to explain
grammatical terms or present written materials when the student lacks
reading  and grammar skills in their native language. I have also
found, generally, that adult ESLstudents are not bothered by using
child-oriented material in the beginning, and gradually advancing to
adult-oriented subject matter.

Some of the sites I found that offered teaching tips for the present
progressive tense were not geared towards business, but were easily
adaptable. Many of the sites which I have found contain online,
interactive games for the student to reinforce the concept you are
teaching. If the student does not have access to the internet, perhaps
you can create flash cards to achieve the end result with the ideas
presented on some of the sites I am including in my answer. At the end
of my answer, I also present a list of sites that have a great deal of
information on teaching ESL. It is not geared specifically towards
your question, but may come in useful none the less.

The following site seems geared towards children, yet offers ideas,
puzzles and exercises which can easily be adapted to adult learning.
For example, the first example on this page “ Piggy is reading” can be
changed to “Mary is typing” or “Fred is dusting the shelves”. In this
way, the student can see, in a simple manner, that the present
progressive indicates currently occurring action.
http://www.stufun.com/verbs/presentprogressive.php3


This site, from ESL Home, offers ways to teach the progressive tense,
and has also some interactive games the students can play. There are
numerous useful links on this site.
http://home.earthlink.net/~eslstudent/grammar/verbs/present.html#progressive

http://www.collegeem.qc.ca/cemdept/anglais/precomts.htm

An About site that offers beginning English, with an office theme, and
an online exercise.

http://esl.about.com/blbeginner.htm

This site has a mock telephone conversation, using the present
progressive tense that can be adapted to the business environment:

Tracy: Hello, can I speak to Alex.
Alex: This is Alex, who is speaking? 
Tracy: Hi, this is Tracy.
Alex: Hi Tracy. What are you doing? 
Tracy: Oh, I'm just watching TV. What are you doing?
Alex: Well, I'm cooking dinner. 
Tracy: What are you cooking?
Alex: I'm baking some potatoes, boiling some carrots and grilling a
steak.

Can be changed to: 

Caller: Hello, can I speak to the manager please?
Student: This is Alex, the manager, who is speaking? 
Caller: Hello, this is Mrs. Jones. I am calling about a problem.
Student: Really. Please tell me about the problem you are having. 
Caller: Ok. I’m using the product I bought at your store. It is not
working properly.
Student: Tell me what the product is doing. 
Caller: It is leaking water. It is making noise.

http://esl.about.com/library/beginnercourse/bl_beginner_course_whatdoing.htm


Daves ESL Café has some ideas for business English

http://www.eslcafe.com/ideas/sefer.cgi?Business:English:


One of Dave’s ideas is to discuss what the student “employees” have
done for the company, demonstrating the present perfect. You can
easily change it to the progressive present. For example, changing the
question “What have you done for the company?” to “What are you doing
to improve the workplace?”. Answers could include “I am arriving on
time every day”,  “ I am keeping the merchandise in order” “I am
smiling at the customers” and so on.

http://www.eslcafe.com/ideas/sefer.cgi?display:941234386-3084.txt

Dave also uses an opening movie scene to prompt a “review” using the
present progressive tense.

http://www.eslcafe.com/ideas/sefer.cgi?display:996786879-7071.txt



Should your students have internet access themselves, this site offers
a short and simple interactive exercise in progressive present tense:

http://www.woodward.cl/QEPresVsProg.htm

This site offers printable exercise in the present, past and future
progressive tenses.

http://standarddeviants.school.aol.com/resources/grammartestverbs.pdf


Karins ESL Partyland lists some teaching methods such as oral drills,
scrambled sentences, listening activities and student surveys which
can easily be adapted to the workplace, by choosing “The Job” or “The
Workplace” as a topic or theme.

http://www.eslpartyland.com/teachers/grammar/Simplepresandprog.htm


Karins ESL Partyland also has an entire page of recommended ESL
teaching books.

http://www.eslpartyland.com/coolstuff.htm/grammar/trgr.htm

About sites:
This About site has a page of links to lesson plans for the ESL
beginner as well as reference materials:

http://esl.about.com/library/courses/blcourses_beginner_lessons.htm

http://esl.about.com/library/courses/blcourses_beginner_reference.htm


This About site has examples and another online quiz:

http://esl.about.com/library/grammar/blpresentcont.htm

Another About site presents a “Tense Timeline”. You can easily print
just the timeline, without the surrounding columns:
Click “File” in your browser tool bar
Click “Print” 
Choose “Selection” when the printer dialogue box pops up. 
Click OK and print.
http://esl.about.com/library/weekly/aa011201a.htm

More About examples and an online quiz:
http://esl.about.com/library/weekly/aa032598.htm

Scroll to the middle of the page for some continous tense examples”
http://www.susancanthony.com/Resources/ESL/3verbs.html#Present%20Continuous


On teaching reading, from the JALT Journal
http://esl.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kyoto-su.ac.jp%2F%7Etrobb%2Fsussrobb.html

Finally, these sites give you some ideas for teaching techniques:

http://esl.about.com/bllessonplans.htm?PM=ss12_esl

http://www.btinternet.com/~ted.power/teflindex.htm

http://coe.sdsu.edu/people/jmora/Grammar.htm#GrmLesson

http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/2527/teachinggrammar.html

http://www.susancanthony.com/Resources/ESL/esl.html

http://www.countryschool.com/aboutefl.htm

From Everything ESL, some teaching tips:
http://everythingesl.net/inservices/


The Educational Clearinghouse has numerous links to ESL sites:

http://etc.usf.edu/flang/flang912.htm

I hope this helps you in your teaching endeavors. If any part of my
answer is unclear, please request an answer clarification before
rating, and I will be happy to assist you further.

Regards,
crabcakes-ga

Search Strategy
============
Present progressive tense verbs
Continuous tense 
ESL teaching methods
Teaching present progressive tense

My search was for exactly; websites that would direct me to the
"teaching present prgressive (continuous) in a business or work
context for esl students" and although I didn't get exactly what I
asked for I guarantee you I got more then I expected In return.  I am
very, very pleased with the results of my request.  You Rock
Crabcakes-ga!!!!