FIRST STEPS IN BUSINESS ENGLISH

UNIVERSITATEA CREŞTINĂ “DIMITRIE CANTEMIR” FACULTATEA DE MANAGEMENT TURISTIC ŞI COMERCIAL FIRST STEPS IN BUSINESS ENGLISH Luiza Caraivan Ioana Ştefan TIMIŞOARA 2009 Mulţumim doamnei conf dr Mariana Popa CONŢINUT I PREZENTAREA MANUALULUI DE STUDIU INDIVIDUAL Generalităţi 1.1 Obiect 1.2 Obiective principale 1.3 Descrierea structurii manualului 1.4 Bibliografie generală: Unit 1.1 Introducing Yourself Unit 1.2 Greetings 10 Module 14 Unit 2.1 What Time Is It? 15 Unit 2.2 About You 20 Module 26 Unit 3.1 At Work 26 Unit 3.2 Company Presentation 32 Unit 3.3 Describing Hotels 39 Unit 3.4 Checking In and Checking Out 44 Module 50 Unit 4.1 Eating Out 50 Unit 4.2 Present Activities 55 Unit 4.3 Job Responsibilities 58 Module 67 Unit 5.1 Kids in Business 67 Unit 5.2 Inventions 71 Unit 5.3 A Short History of Tourism 79 Module 85 Unit 6.1 Future Plans 85 Unit 6.2 Making Money 88 Unit 6.3 Million Dollar Products 93 Module 100 THE BUSINESS TRAVELLER; COMPARING HOTELS 100 Unit 7.2 Making and Doing 108 Unit 7.3 Making a Phone Call 111 Module 118 A COMPANY’S HISTORY 118 Unit 8.1 Finding Solutions 118 Unit 8.2 Business and the Environment 126 Unit 8.3 Tourism and the Environment 131 Unit 8.4 Marketing and Advertising 136 Module 144 Unit 9.1 Products that Fail 144 Unit 9.2 Franchising 150 Unit 9.3 Setting up Your Own Business 155 Module 10 163 Unit 10.1 Revision and Stress 163 Module 11 171 Module 12 174 I PREZENTAREA MANUALULUI DE STUDIU INDIVIDUAL Generalităţi 1.1 Obiect Obiectul de studiu al manualului este limba engleză de afaceri (Business English), axându-se cu precădere pe engleza folosită ỵn turism şi comerţ Cu toate acestea, vor fi ỵntâlnite şi alte teme din domeniul englezei de afaceri 1.2 Obiective principale Obiectivele principale ale manualului de studiu individual sunt următoarele: - să ofere studenţilor un material practic şi eficient pentru ỵnsuşirea şi aprofundarea limbii engleze; - să ỵndrume studenţii spre titluri bibliografice semnificative în vederea unor exerciţii suplimentare; - să instruiască studenţii în a-şi realiza un program propriu de autnvăţare, prin divizarea materiei pe module şi unităţi; - să permită studenţilor să realizeze un program propriu de autoevaluare, prin testele concepute ỵn acest sens ỵn cadrul fiecărei unităţi de ỵnvăţare 1.3 Descrierea structurii manualului Manualul are ỵn structura sa următoarele componente: - ghidul de ỵnvăţare ỵn sistem de autoinstruire; - generalităţi privind prezentarea manualului; - modulele de studiu, defalcate pe unităţi de ỵnvăţare Manualul ỵncepe de la un nivel de „false beginner” (fals începător) şi conduce studentul spre un nivel de „intermediate” (intermediar) 1.4 Bibliografie generală: Bailey, S., Humphreys Sara, 1998 Accelerate Elementary Macmillan Heinemann Oxford Bantaş, A., 1999 Dicţionar Român- Englez Teora, Bucureşti Brieger, N., Sweeney, S., 1998 The Language of Business English, Grammar and Functions Prentice Hall, London Cotton, D., 1989 World of Business Nelson, Edinborough Emmerson, P., 2002 Business Grammar Builder Macmillan, Oxford Firman, S., Bosewitz R., 1998 Penguin Students’ Grammar of English Exercises Penguin, London Gălăţeanu- Fârnoagă, G., Comişel, E., 1993 Gramatica limbii engleze Omegapres Bucureşti 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Grant, D., McLarty, R., 1995 Business Basics Oxford University Press Hall, E., 1977 The Language of Hotels in English Prentice Hall Regents, Englewood Cliffs Hall, E., 1978 The Language of Tourism in English Prentice Hall Regents, Englewood Cliffs Helgesen, M., Adams, K., 1996 Workplace English: Travel File Addison Wesley Longman Ltd., Harlow Hollett, V., 2000 Quick Work- A Short Course in Business English- preintermediate Oxford University Press Hollinger, A 2000 Test Your Business English Vocabulary Teora, Bucureşti Jacob, M Strutt, P 1997 English for International Tourism Longman, Harlow Lannon, M., Tullis, G., Trappe, T., 1993 Insights into Business Nelson, London Leviţchi, L., Bantaş, A., 1999, Dicţionar Englez- Român, Teora, Bucureşti Leviţchi, L., Preda, I 1992 Gramatica limbii engleze Editura Mondero, Bucureşti Lodge, P., Wright- Watson Beth, 1998 Accelerate Intermediate Macmillan Heinemann London Pawlowska, B., Kempinski, Z., 1998 Teste de limba engleza Teora, Bucuresti Pohl, A., 2002 Test Your Professional English Hotel and Catering Penguin English Powell, M., 2002, In Company- Intermediate Macmillan Oxford Seidl, J., 1987 Grammar in Practice Oxford University Press Soars, Liz & John, 1998 Headway- Elementary Oxford University Press Turner, J.F., 2000 Business Grammar and Vocabulary Cornelsen &Oxford University Press Berlin Turton, N D., 1995 ABC of Common Grammatical Errors Macmillan Heinemann, Oxford Module • • What you should know at the end of this module (Ce ar trebui să ştiţi după parcurgerea modulului): - the English alphabet (alfabetul limbii engleze); - the present tense of the verb to be (prezentul verbului a fi); - the use of the indefinite article a/an (folosirea articolului nehotărât o/un); - all the vocabulary included (tot vocabularul inclus) What skills you will have at the end of this module (Ce competenţe veţi deţine după parcurgerea modulului): to spell different names, to introduce yourself, to greet, to ask and answer some usual questions (să puteţi spune pe litere diferite cuvinte, să vă prezentaţi altor persoane, să salutaţi, să ỵntrebaţi şi să răspundeţi la diferite ỵntrebări) Unit 1.1 Introducing Yourself • • • • Objectives (Obiective): to introduce the basic grammar and vocabulary related to the topic (prezentarea unor noţiuni de bază de gramatică şi vocabular) What you should know at the end of this unit(Ce ar trebui să ştiţi după parcurgerea unităţii): the English alphabet (alfabetul limbii engleze), the present tense of the verb to be (prezentul verbului a fi); What skills you will have at the end of this unit (Ce competenţe veţi deţine după parcurgerea unităţii): to spell different names, to ask and answer some usual questions Content of the unit: study time- no more than hours (Conţinutul de idei al unităţii: timp maximal de studiu- ore): The Alphabet: A - M - - [eǺ] [bi:] B N C - [si:] D E F - [di:] [i:] G - H - I [ǫf] [dʒi:] [ǫm] Y - [waǺ] - [ǫn] Z - [zǫd] O - P Q R - [əȚ] [pi:] [kju] [ǡə] S - [eǺtȓ] T - [ǫs] [ti:] - [aǺ] U - [ju:] J - [dʒeǺ] V - [vi:] K - [keǺ] W - [dȜbəlju:] L - [ǫl] X - [ǫks] Read aloud the alphabet and answer the question: How you spell your name? (Citiţi cu voce tare alfabetul şi răspundeţi la ỵntrebarea de mai sus) Ex.: How you spell your name? I-O-N G-E-O-R-G-E-S-C-U [aǺ əȚ ǫn ] [dʒi: i: əȚ ǡə dʒi: i: ǫs si: ju:] TO BE – positive form I AM= I’m WE ARE= We’re YOU ARE= You’re YOU ARE= You’re HE IS= He’s THEY ARE= They’re SHE IS= She’s IT IS= It’s (it is used to talk about objects, animals, abstract concepts) (it se foloseşte pentru a vorbi despre obiecte, animale, concepte abstracte) Negative form: in order to form the negative the negation not is added to the verb to be (pentru a obţine forma negativă a verbului a fi, se adaugă negaţia not): I am not= I’m not We are not= we aren’t You are not= You aren’t You are not= You aren’t He is not= He isn’t They are not= They aren’t She is not= She isn’t It is not= It isn’t Question: in order to form the interrogative the inversion between subject and the verb to be is needed (pentru a forma o ỵntrebare are loc inversiunea dintre subiect şi verbul a fi): Am I ? Are we ? Are you? Are you ? Is he ? Are they ? Is she ? Is it ? The verb to be is used in sentences to answer the question “What you do?” to find out the profession of the interlocutor (verbul a fi se foloseşte pentru a răspunde la ỵntrebarea “Ce faci, cu ce te ocupi?”): I am a teacher (Sunt professor/ profesoară.) I’m not an artist (Nu sunt artist/ artistă.) I am an actor (Sunt actor.) I’m a student (Sunt student/studentă.) You can introduce yourself to another person giving and asking for more information and using just the verb to be (vă prezentaţi folosind verbul a fi şi puteţi afla mai mule informaţii cu ajutorul aceluiaşi verb): What is/ What’s your name? (Cum te numeşti?) My name is (Numele meu este) Where are you from? (De unde eşti?) I am /I’m from Romania (Sunt din România) What you do? (Cu ce te ocupi?) I am a student (Sunt student/ă) What is your address? (Care este adresa ta?) It’s How old are you? (Câţi ani ai?) I’m twenty years old (Am 20 de ani.) The verb to be is also used to ask about a person’s age Expressing age will be studied in Unit 2.1 (Verbul a fi este folosit şi pentru a exprima vârsta unei persoane Exprimarea vârstei se va face ỵn Unitatea 2.1) Questions (ỵntrebări de auto-control) What are the positive forms of the verb to be? What are the negative forms of the verb to be? What are the interrogative forms of the verb to be? How you form the negative form of the verb to be? How you form the interrogative form of the verb to be? Exercises: Fill in the gaps with the right word (completaţi folosind cuvântul potrivit): Where are … from? What is your …? What … you do? … she French? I… Spanish He … an actor … is an actress … is your address? … you spell your name? 10 … am Romanian Spell the following names using the English alphabet (spuneţi pe litere numele care urmează folosind alfabetul englezesc): William Shakespeare, John F Kennedy, Paul McCartney, Jane Stewart, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vivian Leigh, Paul Munroe, Michael Jackson, Liza Minelli “Don't introduce me to that man! I want to go on hating him, and I can't hate a man whom I know.” Charles Lamb (1775-1834), British Essayist, Critic Test Choose the right answer: How old … you? a am b is c are d What … you do? a am b is c are d Where … you from? a am b is c are d What … your name? a am b is c are d My… is Annie a address b name c age d student How … you spell your name? a am b is c are d Where … she from? a am b is c are d She … a teacher a am not b aren’t c isn’t d are Where … they from? a am b is c are d 10 They … from Portugal, they are from France a am not b aren’t c isn’t d are Test Answer the following questions (răspundeţi la următoarele ỵntrebări): What’s your name? How you spell your name? Where are you from? Are you an actor? Are you a businessman? What you do? What is your address? How old are you? How you spell ‘Romania’? 10 How you spell ‘Timisoara’? Unit 1.2 Greetings • • • What you should know at the end of this unit (Ce ar trebui să ştiţi după parcurgerea unităţii): to use the indefinite article a/an (folosirea articolului nehotărât o/un); What abilities /skills you will have at the end of this unit (Ce competenţe veţi deţine după parcurgerea unităţii): to greet, to ask and answer some usual questions Content of the unit: study time- no more than hours (Conţinutul de idei al unităţii: timp maximal de studiu- ore): Here are the usual greetings people use when they meet and when they leave (forme de salut uzuale): Good morning!- Bună dimineaţa! Good afternoon! -Bună ziua! Good evening! -Bună seara! Hello!- Hi!- Bună! Good bye!- La revedere! Here are some things people say when they introduce themselves (Câteva formule de prezentare): Hello I’m Annie (Bună Sunt Annie.) How you do!- How you do! It’s nice to meet you!- I’m glad to meet you, too (Mă bucur să te cunosc.) There is people in the street Mens usually watch football Not sell your car! They talk about Womens and childrens’ rights Those people are some of my usuals customers 10 There one person in the room Fill in the gaps with the Past Simple, Present Perfect Simple, or Present Perfect Continuous of the verbs in the brackets: I… (wait) here for two hours and he isn’t coming She … (order) the googds yet When … (you / last/ see) her? … (see/ Helen) this week? How long … (you/ work) here? Peter … (stop) drinking three years ago I … (not talk) to her for five years She … (not be) in this town since she … (be) 20 years old I last … (buy) a new outfit two years ago 10 Anna … (come) back from France yesterday Complete the sentences with a time expression from the list below: Just; always; for; since; yet; already; ever; never; so far; often I’ve lived in Timisoara … 1983 Thanks for your surprise I’ve … wanted a surprise party I’ll start reading something else because I’ve … finished this book Have you … been to Italy? He can’t be very far He has … left Why haven’t’ you talked to him … ? Linda has been with us … two years now They’ve … watched this show before but they find it interesting I haven’t found the right slogan; and I’ve been listening to more than 50 … 10 I’ve … dreamed about going to California Choose the correct variant (Future Simple, be going to or Present Continuous): Wait for me I’ll be/ I am being ready in a moment The visitors will arrive/ are arriving at 10 o’clock Justin will/ is going to probably get the job Helen is going to / will lend me a copy of the report this afternoon I’m meeting/ I’ll meet Jane tonight The flight will/ is going to probably be delayed What are you doing/ will you tonight? The phone is ringing – I’m answering/ I’ll answer it I’m thirsty – I’m going to / I’ll bring you a glass of water 10 We are going to/ will probably go to Spain next year Choose the correct variant (Modal verbs): Anne isn’t in her office She can/ must be at lunch I think you must/ have to listen to them I might/ can be able to help you but I’m not sure She has/ should see a doctor We don’t must/ have to bring anything You mustn’t/ haven’t leave your valuables in the hotel room Can/ Must I help you? May/ Should I suggest the soup of the day? He doesn’t should/ shouldn’t smoke so much 10 I’m afraid I can/ can’t help you Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verb in the brackets (infinitive or verb-ing; Verb patterns): I can’t afford … (eat) out every night Do you mind … (call) back in half an hour? He wants … (come) with us tomorrow I tried … (explain) everyting to her but she didn’t listen I can’t stand people … (talk) all the time If she doesn’t answer, keep on … (try) I’ve arranged … (meet) them at the airport I can’t manage … (find) her She must be really busy I enjoyed … (meet) your family 10 The manager refused … (see) me Match the beginning of a sentence from A with its ending from B: A B In my job I deal Here is the form Can you fill I take care of the retail part of the business and Anne looks You must find Linda I can’t The larger companies will take Can you pick me Can you drop me The doctor says I should give I don’t know his number Look it 10 I can’t make the meeting on Thursday Can we put Answer the following questions: Where are you from? When is your birthday? How old are you? What time is your favourite programme on? How much is a cup of coffee? What you usually on weekends? a with all kind of people b after the wholesale side c without her on the negotiation team d up smoking e it in and sign, please? f it off to Friday? g over smaller ones h up from the airport? i off at the police station? j up in the phone directory What did you yesterday? What have you done this week? What are you doing right now? 10 What have you been doing for the past few hours? 11 Where you have to go tomorrow? 12 What should you tomorrow? 13 What you want to this week? 14 What will you probably next week? 15 What are you going to on your summer holiday? “Brain cells create ideas Stress kills brain cells Stress is not a good idea.” Richard Saunders, singer 10 Read the following text: Stress and People at Work Stress is a perfectly natural part of living Crossing a road, going to a party, driving a car, these are all stressful activities We live in a fast-moving age, so we must learn how to relax properly Here are some of the most common symptoms of stress: sleeping badly, poor appetite or overeating, drinking too much alcohol, difficulty in concentrating Longterm stress is associated with high blood pressure, headaches and heart disease But how you deal with these problems? The average business person often doesn’t have time to sit down and work out answers But if you want to survive, you have to know how to cope with stress First, take up a hobby, if possible an active outdoor activity You won’t worry about your problems when you are concentrating on a hobby that really interests you You must take plenty of exercise This will keep you fit and should also help you sleep better At work, it’s important to make lists of tasks that you need to complete during the day Set realistic deadlines that you are sure to achieve It’s essential to take proper breaks during the day, so that you don’t become too tired Learn to say ‘no’, if you think your colleagues ask for unreasonable things And don’t forget that laughter is the best medicine But what you if your workplace is statistically number one when speaking about violence and stress? Within the European Union, the hotel and catering industry has been identified as the industry with the most physical violence Staff may work in very stressful conditions, very often having contact with drunken clients and customers For example, half of all recorded incidents of violence in Norway happen inside or directly outside hotels, inns, restaurants, etc and are largely connected with abuse of alcohol or drugs Other specific factors of violence in this industry are unusual working hours (night work); persons working alone; vulnerability of young employees, with little experience and little training; a majority of female and a large proportion of migrant workers Nevertheless, over the past few years therapeutic tourism has become an alternative form of tourism Services and facilities should provide a relaxing environment for tourists and these services range from socializing to relieving stress by doing massage, for example Is it therapeutic for the staff working in the tourist industry, too? When we speak about stress-free activities, we speak about traveling And traveling was a form of leisure for the upper classes, which used to go to warmer climates during the winter to get away from the bad weather in the cities Nowadays, traveling is a very popular way to spend your leisure time Each year people spend billions of dollars in the travel and tourism industry From the spring break trips to Cancun, Mexico and Hawaii, to vacations in the Swiss Alps and safaris in Africa, people travel to relieve some of the stress that they experience in their every day work and home lives Unfortunately, many places that people go to relieve the stress from their lives are simulations of stressfree environments For instance, you can be in Las Vegas, Nevada and be dining in a French café in Paris, or in Disney World standing outside a European castle while enjoying the Florida sunshine In conclusion, try to relax wherever and whenever you can, and don’t let the modern type of life take over You can manage stress starting today if you enjoy every bit of your free time Test (1 hour) (Writing Task) Answer the following questions about the text above: Do you feel stressed? Name some stressful activities for you Name some medical problems related to stress How can you reduce stress at work? Statistically, which is one of the most stressful industries? Why? What is therapeutic tourism? What people to relax? Can you really have diner in a French cafe and be in Las Vegas at the same time? Do you have a hobby that helps you reduce stress? What is it? 10 Is traveling, in your opinion, a good way to reduce stress? Why/why not? Test Translate the following sentences into Romanian: Crossing a road, going to a party, driving a car, these are all stressful activities We live in a fast-moving age, so we must learn how to relax properly Long-term stress is associated with high blood pressure, headaches and heart disease Set realistic deadlines that you are sure to achieve Staff may work in very stressful conditions, very often having contact with drunken clients and customers Other specific factors of violence in this industry are unusual working hours (night work); persons working alone; vulnerability of young employees, with little experience and little training; a majority of female and a large proportion of migrant workers Traveling was a form of leisure for the upper classes, which used to go to warmer climates during the winter to get away from the bad weather in the cities Nowadays, traveling is a very popular way to spend your leisure time Unfortunately, many places that people go to relieve the stress from their lives are simulations of stress-free environments 10 You can manage stress starting today if you enjoy every bit of your free time Test (Module 10- hours) Choose the right answer: How … you spell your name? a am b is c are d What time is it? - It’s half past eleven p.m a 23.30 b 11.15 c 23.15 d 11.30 What time is it? - It’s ten to eight a.m a 8.11 b 8.10 c 49 d 7.50 … is my brother He is a marketing assistant a this b that c these d those I have a cat It is … cat a my b your c its d his We like … good books a read b reading c not read d no read I never … to the seaside a not go b don’t go c go d going I usually arrange … at hotels a accommodations b informations c accommodation d information I give … about destinations around the world a accommodations b informations c accommodation d information 10 There is … on the balcony I think it is John a something b someone c anything d anyone 11 There are … lovely flowers in the garden a no b some c something d any 12 Heathrow is … international airport a some b any c a d.an 13 I want … newspaper a some b any c a d.an 14 Where can I find a supermarket? - …right at the second street a Turn b Turns c Turning d Don’t turn 15 The bank is … ahead, in front of you a left b near c along d straight 16 Can you meet me tonight? a Not b I can’t c I don’t d I’m afraid I can’t 17 May I … you to your room? a take b taking c takesd to take 18 … coffee you drink a day? a how much b how many c a lot of d a little of 19 I … you are a finance manager a understanding b am understanding c understand d understands 20 My train … at 7.00 a is leave b leave c is leaving d leaves 21 What you do? – I … an engineer a be b am being c am d being 22 What are you doing? – I … TV a watch b watching c watches d am watching 23 She … playing football a isn’t liking b not likes c not like d doesn’t like 24 The negotiations very well a going b are going c goes d is going 25 … I turn off the TV? a Have to b May not c Don’t have to d Can 26 You … serve alcohol to people under 18 a mustn’t b must c don’t must d may 27 You don’t look very well You … see a doctor a can b may c should d have 28 Your money … on the table a is b are c d does 29 He … teaching students and not children a is used to b used to c can d cannot 30 My parents … run a pub a is used to b used to c can d cannot 31 She …the book yesterday a buyed b buy c buys d bought 32 Someone… him the recipe last year a gave b gaved c given d gived 33 They …their car last year a not sold b not sell c didn’t sold d didn’t sell 34 … you have coffee for breakfast yesterday morning? a did b c does d is 35 We always go away … weekends a at b on c in d ago 36 This Christmas I … probably on a trip to Greece a am going to go b am going c will go d go 37 They … for dinner tomorrow at 7.00 a are coming b are going to come c coming d come 38 I didn’t meet my friends last night a I b I not c Me too d Me neither 39 I spend too much money a Me too b Me neither c I d I did 40 I … arrive until 7.00 a willn’t b won’t c don’t will d not will 41 Your homework was … hers a better b gooder c gooder than d better than 42 Nothing is … than being stuck in a traffic jam a worse b worst c bad d badder 43 After … a long time he didn’t recognize me a so b such c too d enough 44 Today is … than yesterday a more hotter b much hotter c much hottest d more hottest 45 She left work early …the shopping a b make c to d to make 46 No, I’ve never … there a been b went c was d existed 47 Profits have… since he resigned a fell b felt c falled d fallen 48 I … for him since o’clock It’s 1.45 and he hasn’t arrived yet a have waited b have been waited c have been waiting d have waiting 49 Nobody saw you, … a did they? b didn’t they? c did nobody? d didn’t nobody? 50 If we had any free room, we … offer it to you a will b would c should d let Test (Module 10) Correct the following sentences: My sisters name is Linda People English are nice Does he is your brother? He don’t work for Volkswagen She is usually going shopping on Friday They watch TV right now When you last see a film? This book is me This people are waiting for you 10 I am waiting here for half an hour 11 Why you come from? – I come from Spain 12 I haven’t never seen such a thing 13 Let’s go home, will we? 14 I haven’t met you before, haven’t I? 15 I must to speak to you 16 The hotel is more farer than I expected 17 She is more tall then her brother 18 They are so disappointed as you 19 She is interested about your work, 20 What did you lately? Module 11 APPLYING FOR A JOB 11.1 Complete the paragraph using the words below: covering letter offer interview position CV (Am English: resume) application forms apply advertisement candidate After reading an ………… in a newspaper, my brother decided to ………… for a job He is going to fill in the ………… , send his ………… and the …………… If he is a good ………… , he will be shortlisted for the …………… If the interview is a success, they will ………… him the ………… 11.2 If you want to apply for a job and you don’t know how to find the words to “sell yourself”, look at the following list and complete the sentences reliable good track record PC literate good command hard-working dynamic highly motivated good career prospects persuasive mother tongue highly qualified good interpersonal skills Others can count on you You are a ………… person You are ambitious and you want to gain a promotion You want a job with ………… You know how to communicate to others, how to build relationships You have ………… You have omputer skills, so you are ………… You don’t hesitate to work whenever necessary You are a ………… You are very interested in the job You are ………… You have a successful working experience You have a ………… You act as an energiser for your team You are …………… You were born and brought up in Romania Romanian is your ………… 10 You speak English very well You have a ………… of English 11 You know how to make people change their minds You are a ………… person 12 You graduate from one of the best universities in the country and you attended a lot of international conferences You are ………… 11.3 Look at these common interview questions Then, write down your possible replies What would your strengths and weaknesses be? How hav you changed over the past three years? How you spend your free time? What is your hobby? How you react to stress? How you work in a team? Have you ever been out of work? Why? Which newspapers you read? Why? What would you like to achieve in the next five years? What you know about our organisation? 10 What sort of salary are you expecting? 11 Have you got any questions for us? 11.4 Look at the following list of tips for a successful job interview and rank them as: x + ++ +++ not necessary quite important important very important Forget your personal style, and dress for the job you want Remove all jewelry before the interview Arrive on time or even 10 minutes earlier When invited to take a seat, turn the chair 45 degree (as a sign of self-confidence) Don’t sit on the edge of the chair and don’t make yourself too comfortable by stretching and leaning back Don’t study the pictures on the walls, or look at your fingernails or shoes Cross your legs at the foot or at the lower leg, not at the knee Listen attentively during the interview Smile, nod and give other non-verbal feedback to the interviewer 10 Have a firm handshake 11 Think about the worst question you can face in an interview 12 Ask about the next step in the process 11.5 A good and effective CV is the best way of insuring that you make it to the interviews Look at the following example and then put up your own CV Follow the advice given at the end CURRICULUM VITAE PERSONAL DATA Marius COMAN Date and place of birth Permanent address Current address Telephone number E-mail Nationality Citizenship Marital status 17 Jan 1972; Brasov, Romania 24 Coralia street, Brasov, Romania 45 Simion Barnutiu 300452 Timisoara +40 256 225 224 0748 555 325 (mobile) mcoman@hotamil.com Romanian Romanian Single, no children EDUCATION 1995 – MA in European Studies, Central European University, Budapest 1994 – Faculty of Accounting and Finance, University of the West, Timisoara WORKING EXPERIENCE 1995 – present: Assistant Manager, Euro Hotel Timisoara OTHER QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS Foreign Languages English – Fluent (The Cambridge Business English Certificate, Higher) Italian – good knowledge PC Literate Driving Licence INTERESTS Current affairs Sports Travel REFERENCES I am a keen observer of international politics and a reader of the Economist Ski, mountain climbing I have travel around Central Europe, and I am familiar with the political and social problems of this region Available on request • • • • • • • • • • • Always give yourself plenty of time to prepare your CV Gather and study all the information you need about the job and the organisation you plan to apply to; - tailor your CV to the needs of your prospective employer! Be consistent in the way in which you present your material Make youself come alive as a person rather than just a list of facts Don’t use more than two sheets of A4 paper Use good quality paper and don’t write on the back of the sheet Don’t use abbreviations Don’t forget what you have written Write your first name first, surname second List your education and working experience in reverse chronological order The layout of your CV creates an immediate impression Make sure that your different sections are identifiable by the reader Use bold to highlight headings or dates Module 12 THE BUSINESS LETTER 12.1 A letter has two purposes It is both a messenger and an ambassador As a messenger, it carries what you want to say, as an ambassador it carries your image, the image of your organisation or of the firm for which you work Therefore, when you write a business letter, remember that what is written is as vital as how it is presented There are various styles appropriate to business letters These styles are constantly changing in line with different international business practices and new language developments However, a good business letter should aim to be: accurate clear simple brief positive polite 12.2 The parts of a businessletter are as follows: A The letterhead A proper business letter should be written on a special sheet of paper with a printed heading that includes the company’s name, address, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail address, etc If a letterhead is not available, the sender’s name and contacts will be written B Address Immediately under the letterhead, comes the name and the address of the person to which the letter is being sent to C Date D Beginning E Body of the letter F Ending G Signature + name + title Look at the following letters and identify the above labels: A letter of application: Ina Muntean tel 0256 366 235 e-mail: inam@euronet.ro Modern Graphics Lucian Blaga 300 256 Timisoara 25 October 2007 Dear Ms Jones, I am writing in response to your advertisement for a Personal Assistant to the Managing Director I am enclosing a copy of my CV, that will give you the details of my qualifications and experience As you will see, I have had years experience of working in a business environment and I have attended several training courses in both Public Relations and Business English Although I didn’t have to travel in my previous job, I would appreciate the opportunity I will be available for interview at any time Looking forward to hearing from you Sincerely yours, Ina Muntean A letter of enquiry Johnson & Partners 15 River street Reading BG Tel/fax +(00) 44 588 121 419 IT Studio 45 North Road Port City C18 April 2007 Dear Sir or Madam, We are interested in purchasing a new set of laptops for our company and would like to receive details of your range of products, prices and terms of delivery Sincerely Yours, Ana Janson, Purchasing Manager There are several ways of starting a letter Consider the following: Dear Sir Dear Madam Dear Sir or Madam - to a man, if you don’t know his name - to a woman, if you don’t know her name - in a situation in which you don’t know whether the person you are writing to is a woman or a man Dear Mr Perkins Dear Mrs Morgan Dear Ms Blake Dear Alice - to a man (you know his name) - to a woman (you know her name) - you don’t know her marital status - to a friend or a rather well-known acquaintance However, when you write a business letter, it is advisable that you find out the recipient’s name, rather than begin the letter with Dear Sir or Madam In letter writing certain endings correspond to certain beginnings Study the following chart: Business letters Beginnings Endings (US) Endings (GB) Dear Ms Smith Sincerely yours Yours sincerely Dear Mr White Yours truly Dear Sir / Madam Sincerely yours Yours faithfully Personal letters Beginnings Dear Mary Dear John Endings Yours Take care Best wishes 12.3 Rearrange the following items so as to form a letter Add anything that is missing Hilda Collins Hepta Engineering Ltd 34 Queen’s Square KLN Manchester Tel./fax +44 602 455 218 Thank you for your letter of September I enclose details of our product range, price list and delivery terms as requested Yours sincerely, 58 Aviola 44G Barcelona Looking forward to hearing from you Dear Ms Sanchez, We are extremely interested in your enquiry and I hope you will be able to visit us in Barcelona Hilda Collins Sales Manager Please contact us as soon as you know your itinerary 12.4 A letter of application is normally your first introduction to a possible employer A letter badly written creates a poor impression; a neat and coherent letter, wellorganised and presented makes a favourable impression Write a letter of application in reply to a job advertisement for the position of sales representative Make sure the following facts are included: • Reference to the advertisement • Education • Relevant training and qualifications • Previous employment and work experience • Willingness to attend the interview ... My hobbies ……….… (include) reading and watching westerns In summer we ……….… (like) going to southern Europe In winter we ……….… (go) skiing, either in Switzerland, or sometimes in Canada Who ………... pentru dimineaţă şi p.m pentru după-masă şi seară) E.g 9.00- It’s nine o’clock a.m OR 21.00- It’s nine o’clock p.m OR It’s nine o’clock in the morning It’s nine o’clock in the evening Other questions... Test Your Business English Vocabulary Teora, Bucureşti Jacob, M Strutt, P 1997 English for International Tourism Longman, Harlow Lannon, M., Tullis, G., Trappe, T., 1993 Insights into Business Nelson,