TEACHING BUSINESS ENGLISH TO SPANISH SPEAKING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS artículo para Journal de English Studies Diciembre 28 2006

TEACHING BUSINESS ENGLISH TO SPANISH SPEAKING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS Master Dina Romo R I INTRODUCTION English in Business is so important because it is used as a means of communication In everyday business situations Let’s think about how much time we spend communicating ideas to others or receiving ideas from others When you are reading a report, listening to instructions, filling out an application form, or speaking about your interests, you are spending time communicating To communicate effectively, one needs to develop his/her abilities in speaking, writing, listening, reading, and observing Miscommunication can occur easily in any situation-especially in our electronic age, where even the pressing of a button can send an incorrect message Thus, this article contributes to the Teaching of Business English to Spanish Speaking University Students by teaching Oral Communication in the Business World, the Teaching of Business English and the Technology in Written Business II ORAL COMMUNICATION IN THE BUSINESS WORLD A INTRODUCTION It is very important to realize that teaching Business English is not only teaching to write letters and memos, for it is also essential to realize that communicating orally is very important in any office situations By using the correct communication skills, one may be able to solve any difficulty of communication that could arise in the enterprise It is important to consider the following habits, that are considered the basis of your communication skills: -Using your voice effectively.- A pleasant voice is an asset in the business office, it is one that does not distract from the message being spoken Pronouncing words properly.- You should pronounce words the way they are most readily understood and accepted in the office, where you work, and the community where you live Enunciating words carefully.- Enunciation is the precision with which you pronounce each word It is important to learn to enunciate clearly so that you will always be understood Two of the most common errors in enunciation are running words together and failing to sound all the syllables of a word Avoiding colloquial words and expressions.- The spoken language of a society is constantly changing There will be, at any given time, certain words and expressions that are considered satisfactory for informal communication, but not appropriate for more formal situations, such as communication in a business office Eliminating slang.- Although colloquial expressions are sometimes acceptable, slang is out of place in a business office Slang is made up of new words or meanings that are popular for only a short time Expressing ideas clearly.- Understanding messages is very important in a business office Misunderstanding can cause problems between people and errors in work Nonverbal influences.- A general attitude towards people influences the quality of your communication skills People who believe that only they have worthwhile ideas tend to be impatient or inattentive while others are talking It is very necessary for students to practice communication activities in the English class, so they will be able to communicate easily in any situation that could arise in an office B PRINCIPAL SKILLS IN WRITTEN COMMUNICATION It is important to know that the presentation of written communications gives a first impression of the secretary and the company While writing any type of business documents, it is important to consider the following aspects: 1.Using Proper Grammar.- In the business world, secretarial workers must have a command of grammar which is essential to write any type of communications Understanding Business Vocabulary.- In all types of business activities, there are specialized terms; it is important to increase your comprehension of the vocabulary used and to know the correct meaning of it 3.Determining appropriate words.- Business messages should be clearly understood by their readers, because misunderstandings can cause delays in completing transactions Composing your message.- It is helpful to develop a way of proceeding when you are asked to compose a message, to prepare a message that means exactly what you intended it to mean 5.Organizing your message.- If a message is to read easily, it must have a structure Structure means that there is a definite pattern of organization A correct structure includes an appropriate opening, a correct division of the message by paragraphs, and its logical presentation C THE BUSINESS LETTER In today’s business world, letters still play an important part in business The modern businessperson realizes that the ultimate purpose of all commerce is to achieve sales The two main approaches to this are, first, personal contact by travelers or agents, secondly, impersonal communications like circulars, catalogs, price lists, advertisements and last, but not least, letters Nothing can completely replace the directness of the personal visit, where every question can be answered, every problem discussed and all difficulties explained on the spot But there are countless occasions where a personal visit is impossible This is true for National Trade; it is true to a still greater extent for Export Trade The use of the telephone, quite apart from its cost, has its limits In short, the greater the distance between seller and buyer, the more difficult it is to maintain constant personal contact, and the greater the necessity of using the written word The three C’s.- There are certain essentials of letter writing, but the writer’s success will depend largely on his own abilities, on his own initiative, originality and personality The essential qualities of business letters can be summed up in the “three C’s” In other words, letters should be clear, concise, and courteous Clear.- First of all, make sure that your letter is so clear that it cannot be misunderstood Next, when you are sure about what you want to say, say it in plain, simple words Good, straightforward, simple English seems to be the best for business letters You will still find in business letters, particularly in those old-fashioned unprogressive firms, the jargon that is known as “Commercial English” It consists of a collection of strange, pompous, and often meaningless phrases For example: “Your esteemed favor of even date has just come to hand…… ” “We beg to acknowledge your esteemed favor of July 14th.” And what was meant was: “I received your letter of July 14th But be careful! We want letters to be clear and natural, but in a business letter, a certain degree of formality is desirable We would not, therefore, dispense with all formality Concise.- Clearness and conciseness often go hand-in-hand A concise letter is not necessarily a “short” letter Sometimes a letter, perhaps dealing with a lot of different matters cannot avoid being long Generally speaking, you will gain in clearness and conciseness by writing short sentences rather than long ones, and, incidentally, you will be less liable to make grammatical mistakes A paragraph for each point is a good general rule Courteous.- One of the most important of the elementary rules of politeness is promptness “Punctuality is the courtesy of kings.” This proverb should not be reserved for royalty Make it a definite rule that every letter is answered on the day it is received Where you have reason to be grateful, make a point of mentioning it in your letter and of expressing your gratitude Obviously, you must be especially polite when asking for favors like information or references Under no circumstances should a business letter ever be discourteous: you may lose a customer Comprehension Questions.Answer the following questionnaire to see how much you have understood about business letters 1.- Why are letters important in business? 2.- Why is a personal visit more complete and direct? 3.- What the C’s stand for? 4.- What you understand by clearness? 5.- In order to be clear, should you dispense with formality? 6.- Does concise have the same meaning as short? 7.- What is advisable to in order to write a good concise letter? 8.- What is the relationship between courtesy and punctuality? 9.- What may happen if you write an impolite letter? 10.- What should you before answering a letter? 11.- What is jargon? D THE PURCHASE-SALE PROCESS Like any other process, the purchase-sale process has a beginning and an end The two main characters involved are, obviously, the customer- whose interest is to buy a certain product or service- and the provider- the one who sells that product or service Let’s analyze what you usually when you, as a customer, want to buy something The only thing you know is that you have a necessity For instance, a refrigerator You need a refrigerator badly Write the steps you would follow from the moment you make the decision of buying the refrigerator until you have it at home ready to be used As a customer, what would you or say? And as a provider? a ……………………………………… a …………………………………… b ……………………………………… b …………………………………… c ………………………………………… c …………………………………… d ………………………………………… d …………………………………… e …………………………………………… e ………………………………… f …………………………………………… f …………………………………… When doing business with a foreign company, the process is basically the same The major difference, and a very important one, is that we must make use of letters and the telephone because of the distance that separates the customer from his provider The purchase-sale process begins then when a particular and potential buyer becomes interested in a certain product The buyer may have been informed about it by different means: a circular, an advertisement on television or in the press, a comment, a catalog, etc Once a client has made the decision of buying a product, the business correspondence begins Types of Business Letters.1 The enquiry The quotation Letter asking for references Letter giving references a) The rejection of offer b) The order The confirmation of order The enquiry for freight rates The quotation for freight rates The advice of dispatch and invoicing 10 Complaints of a) delay b) of wrongly delivered items c) damage d) missing articles e) poor quality f) wrongly extended invoice 11 Replies to complaints 12 Collection letters a) First reminder b) Second reminder c) Third reminder 13 The adjustment of settlement Of course, there are other types of letters such as: reservations, recommendations, invitations, and circulars The following is an examples of what can happen when a reservation is not made on time Practice the conversation with a classmate: Receptionist: Good evening, sir Can I help you? James Morris: Good evening I’d like a room, please Receptionist: Have you made a reservation, sir? James Morris: Well, I wrote last week, but I haven’t had any confirmation Receptionist: What’s your name, sir? James Morris: James Morris Receptionist: No, I’m sorry, sir We have no reservations under the name of Morris James Morris: What a nuisance! Well, you have any rooms free? Receptionist: Would you like a suite, a double bedroom with bath….? James Morris: I’d rather have a single room Receptionist: For how long, sir? James Morris: Well, just for two nights, if that’s possible Receptionist: Let me see … Yes, 216 Here’s your key Would you like to sign the register, please, sir? Apparently, James Morris did not make his reservation in advance You must make sure that you make your bookings on time so as not to have the problem Mr Morris had E INTEROFFICE CORRESPONDENCE MEMORANDA Memoranda.- In most companies, good memos pass between departments, between the management and the staff, between individuals in different departments, etc Most companies provide business forms and restrict inter-office correspondence to one subject at a time, to facilitate filing and encourage conciseness and clarity Salutations and signatures are superfluous and are omitted EXAMPLE: The three-part structure of a memo allows for ease of organization MEMO TO: Janet Peterson FROM: Jennifer Freeman DATE: May 20, 2004 SUBJECT: Structure for Writing Memos As you requested, this is an example of the structure of a memo used in organizations Memos are organized into three basic sections: the purpose (beginning), message (middle), and conclusions (ending) The beginning consists of the introduction, which includes the purpose of the memo The middle section includes the message and a discussion of the information- all relevant points should be addressed The conclusions and suggestions are placed in the ending section These must be tied directly to the statement of purpose made in the opening, and supported by facts presented in the middle section In addition, it is important that the message be presented clearly, concisely, and completely By following the structure, you should be able to develop clear, effective memos that will improve communication with your organization III TEACHING BUSINESS ENGLISH INTRODUCTION This section provides new ideas and supplementary material for business courses The activities provide communication easily adaptable to different professions, countries and cultures It is for work with commercial and business school students, also students of the faculty of Business Administration, Economy, and LEAI who not have work experience yet, as well as for professionally active people who know exactly which specific job-related linguistic abilities they want to improve The activities are accessible and easy to use, and they are designed to reduce the time the teacher spends in planning and preparation 2.GENERAL ENGLISH vs BUSINESS ENGLISH Communication for business and technical needs tends to be more limited in scope than general English Essentially it involves gathering, processing, and sharing information directly related to a particular field, whereas general English leans more towards socializing and entertainment Everyday English communication is often deeply enhanced by personal opinions, attitudes, beliefs, and prejudices In Business English, however, precise communication of information is vital THE BUSINESS STUDENT AND THE ENGLISH TEACHER Business people typically have a great deal of knowledge in their own field Generally, they have a lack of English to communicate that knowledge In fact, in talking with business people and technicians the attitude, which comes across is that they not want or need their English teacher to teach them their job Their desire is to be able to work in a context which draws on their technical expertise, at the same time, as it affords them language input and practice where they need it This means working in partnership with your students, with you being the ‘English expert’ and your student the ‘business expert’ This partnership works specially well when you are interested enough to be able to learn from your student and vice-versa B.GENERAL TECHNIQUES LEARNING STYLES Different students have different learning styles The more you are aware of these and are able to vary and adapt your own teaching techniques the more success you will have To a certain extent, people’s learning styles have been influenced by their past learning experiences Even if the class is having their first experience with English, they have all been learners of something before and have all had teachers Discussing past experiences will influence these experiences if they still have them today Procedure 1.Ask students to think back and bring to mind a teacher and a classmate from the past Students may wish to write down any words or short sentences they associate with these two people In pairs, they tell each other their remembrances Bring the group back together and discuss reactions, attitudes, and patterns which are still very much alive today Students bring into the classroom attitudes towards learning acquired over the years Very often these are based on failures, real or imagined difficulties with learning, and bad memories of school in general Once these have disappeared, there is space for more positive experiences To achieve this, the teacher will have to sit down and think about how she/he wants the class to be SOME QUESTIONS FOR THE TEACHER TO THINK ABOUT In what ways can the arrangement of tables, chairs, and desks be a barrier or an asset? How could this arrangement hinder or help activities requiring movement? How could I use realia to create a micro-culture in the classroom? How would using color, flowers, posters, and music affect my attitude towards teaching and my students’ attitude towards learning? Who does what in my classroom? Is it always I who set up the role plays or could a student take over this job? How all these points affect my students’ willingness to work in groups and participate in games, mimes, and role plays? ANALYSIS OF NEEDS Business and professional people fix goals as an everyday part of their job Very often, advancement in their career is in direct relation to their ability to reach these goals The English course needs to adapt to the students’ way of working towards goals They need, as quickly as possible, to learn enough to communicate The course content has to give them the language they need to fit their own professional situations The success or failure of their company to business may depend on it An analysis of needs is the beginning of the business student’s training There are some advantages for the students: It gives them the opportunity to make choices and establish priorities for the course It asks them to consider what can be accomplished in a short period and what should be long term goals For example, the student may eventually need English to participate in formal discussions and meetings, but today’s immediate need may be to send a clear and concise fax To mention an example, a student says he / she needs to know lots of new vocabulary However, the immediate goals are necessary, so the student realizes he /she is making progress A task-orientated chart of analysis of needs can help the student to break down the vague overall goal of knowing lots of vocabulary into tangible professional situations in which he /she felt he was unable to communicate effectively Procedure To use the chart of analysis of needs it is necessary to: Here is a problem-solving activity for when you are stuck for ideas It involves finding a solution to a problem by thinking of ways to achieve the opposite effect to the one you are looking for LEVEL: Advanced TIME: 40 minutes OBJECTIVE: Discussing and creating problem-solving Procedure As a warm-up to this activity, begin a discussion on creativity, its importance, and how to develop it Or you can have the discussion after the actual problem- solving activity Explain to the group that they have come together to find a solution to a company problem The problem is: Finding a way to spend more money Ask them to explore ways of making things much more expensive Motivate the group to get really wild Give everyone a luxury company car! Enroll everyone in a health insurance periodically! Once the idea has caught on and everyone is acting, change to explore the opposite side of the issue Tell the group their mission is to come up with ways to reduce or cut costs As a follow-up, students take notes and prepare a report on the meeting to present in the next class Comments One technique to develop creativity is to break routine This is important for teachers and students Brainstorming is a widely used technique to stimulate creativity For brainstorming to be successful, there must be rules The central rule is not judging In using creativity in the classroom, it is important to separate the ‘new idea’ portion of the brain from the ‘refining’ part Here are four recommendations to follow in creative decision making/ problem solving: -Put aside a specific period of time -Just let ideas come -Do it without judgment -If possible don’t it alone, be receptive to others’ ideas H PRESENTING INFORMATION It is very important to develop the fluency and language competence of learners of Business English It is important to focus on the most common business communication situations and give learners the opportunity to practise the typical language of those situations, both in controlled and free speaking activities Language in context When you give a presentation, how you deliver the information is just as important as what you say Knowing your subject well and knowing your audience are both very important for your preparation but there are other things to consider Make a list of the features in your order of priority and discuss your list with the rest of the group Body language notes language Confidence voice humor Speed visual aids length 2.Listen to a short presentation about a holiday tour company It is being given to a small group of people who work for an advertising agency How clear you think the presentation is in terms of content and delivery? Clear OK Content (what was said) Delivery ( how it was said) Listen to the presentation again and complete the data sheet: Cultural Study Tours Data sheet Location : Head office: a) …………………………… Branch office: b) …………………………… Company Structure: Status: c) ……………………………… Liability company Number of directors: d) ……………………… Responsibilities: Allan: e) …… Peter: f) Not clear Number of staff: g) ………………… tour leaders h) ………………………… Staff Tour leaders’ responsibilities i) ……………………………, The Russian Federation …………………., ………………………………… …………………………… Administrative staff’s responsibilities j) ………………………………………………………… Company’s activities k) …………………………………………………………… Language in Use Describing organizations a Use the information in the presentation and in the organization chart to answer questions to Cultural Study Tours Marketing director Finance director (Allan) Tour leader (UK) Adm Staff (Peter) Tour leader Tour leader (Russian Federation) (E Europe) Adm Staff Adm Staff (China) Tour leader (Med.) (Med.) Adm Staff Adm Staff Adm Staff Questions: Who is in charge of marketing? Who is responsible for the financial aid? Where is the company based? What form of company is it? Who is responsible for a particular group? Who are the tour leaders supported by? Tour leader Structure of your presentation A presentation will be much clearer to an audience if the structure is clearly signaled Look at the following table which gives examples of how you can structure your presentation Presentation signals Introduction Topic I’d like to talk to you about our management training scheme I’d like to say a few words about Outline I’ll be dealing with three areas I’ve divided my talk into Middle Showing steps First of all, Firstly, let’s look at in-service training Then I’ll go on to external training Next Conclusion Closing Finally, we hope to provide even more specialist To sum up, Courses next year Inviting questions Are there any questions? If there are any questions, I’ll be happy to try to answer them Now prepare notes, and record an introduction and conclusion to one of the following topics: -your company’s holiday scheme -flexitime -a guide to your town or city Listen to your recording, checking your Presentation Signals presentation features and your list of good III TECHNOLOGY IN WRITTEN BUSINESS Civilization has progressed from tediously chiseling into rocks, signs and symbols to instantaneously communicating messages by machine Human beings, however, must still generate the messages processed by these machines People are responsible for the content, organization, wording, and format of the information processed Therefore, users of modern technology must be skilled in the communication process The advanced technologies that have emerged during the last three decades include word processing, information processing , e-commerce and e-business, digital transformation, telecommunications, and networks A Word Processing People have been processing words since the Semites developed the first known alphabet, but the concept of word processing as we know it today, was introduced by the IBM Corporation in the early 1960’s Word processing is used in universities, all kinds of companies, including law firms, banks, hospitals, insurance companies, airlines, government institutions, etc B E-commerce and E-business E-commerce (electronic commerce) refers to a wide array of interconnected business concepts, technologies, and cultural phenomena Technology and business professionals alike need to command this new fields of knowledge to ensure they profit from it They need to acquire a level of familiarity and confidence with e-commerce so they can evaluate the opportunities it may afford, to both themselves and their competitors An e-business is defined as a company that has an online presence E-businesses that have the ability to sell, trade, barter and transact over the Web can be considered ecommerce businesses The combination of a company’s policy, operations, technology and ideology define its business model The Internet and World Wide Web are revolutionizing conventional business models and, in some cases, producing new ones For instance, before the World Wide Web, most people did not participate in auctions With the advent of e-Bay and other online auction sites, however, people are auctioning off everything from computer games to gardening tools To figure out how fast the Internet company is growing, the Center for Research in Electronic Commerce at the University of Texas at Austin conducted a study of over 2000 Internet companies It found explosive growth from $322 billion in 1998 to $524 billion in 1999, a 68 percent increase The fastest growing sector was e-commerce, which skyrocketed by 72 percent from $99.8 billion to $171.5 billion According to researcher estimates, over 50,000 companies make some or all of their money online By 2002, it was expected that over a trillion dollars in revenue would be generated through the Internet E-business has become standard operating procedure for the vast majority of companies Setting up and running an e-business, especially one that processes a large number of transactions, requires technical, marketing and advertising expertise Customers want access to products and services on a 24-hour basis, and the easiest way to provide that is to move operations online The businesses that provide the most reliable, most functional, most user-friendly and fastest services, will be the ones that succeed Banks are moving their operations online, as it becomes clear that the Web unconstrained by geographic boundaries, is a more efficient vehicle for their services, and allows them to work on a truly global scale Real-time trading in foreign markets has been made possible, as has instantaneous currency conversion Soon, global data on financial activity will be available online in real time, and global transactions through the Internet will become the norm People are now able to pay their bills, write and cash checks, trade stocks, take out loans, mortgage their homes and manage their assets online Money as we know it, may cease to exist, replaced by more convenient technologies such as smart cards and digital cash Intelligent programs will take care of financial aid and logistical aspects of the interactions between both individuals and corporations who populate the Internet All that a person will need to go shopping is a connection, a computer, and a digital form of payment In addition to business-to-consumer operations such as electronic stores, businessto-business marketplaces and services are also taking their place on the Internet A business which orders products from a supplier online not only completes the transaction with greater speed and convenience, but also can keep track of the shipment constantly Business-to-business e-commerce Web sites are also channels that permit close cooperation between different businesses, as well as the outsourcing services that are and will continue to be so crucial to the Internet economy It is now possible for a business to work without an office, because the employees can conduct all communication via phone, voice mail, fax, e-mail and capabilities of the Internet There are already Internet services that integrate phone, fax, voice, and e-mail, and in the future, new technologies will further facilitate the virtual office Many e-businesses can personalize the users’ experience, tailoring Web pages to their individual preferences and letting them bypass irrelevant content This is done by tracking the consumer’s movement through the Internet and combining the data with information provided by the consumer, which could include billing information, interests and hobbies, among other things Personalization is making it easier and more pleasant for many people to surf the Internet and find what they want With the promise of personalization, however, comes the problem of privacy invasion What if the e-business to whom you give your personal data sells or gives that data to another organization without your knowledge? What if an unauthorized party gains access to your private data, such as credit card numbers? These are some of the questions that must be addressed by the consumers, e-businesses and lawmakers alike The demand for the security of intellectual property is helping the development of new technologies including digital signatures, digital certificates and digital stenography These technologies, which are constantly advancing to higher degrees of security, are becoming standard for online transactions and communications C E-BUSINESS MODELS Storefront Model Shopping online is an increasingly popular activity At the end of 1999, nearly 55 million people, 60 percent of Internet users, were shopping online The move toward e- commerce presents many benefits The storefront model is what many people think of when they hear the word e-business The storefront combines transaction processing, security, online payment and information storage to enable merchants to sell their products on the Web This is a basic form of e-commerce where the buyer and the seller interact directly Although the term e-commerce is fairly new, large corporations have been conducting e-commerce for decades by networking their systems with those of business partners and clients For example, the banking industry uses Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to transfer money between accounts Many companies also use Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), in which business forms are standardized, so that companies can share information with customers, vendors and business partners electronically Until recently, e-commerce was possible only for large companies However, the Internet and the World Wide Web make it possible for small businesses to compete with large companies E-commerce also allows companies to conduct business 24 -by-7, all day, everyday, worldwide Some of the most successful e-businesses are using the storefront model For example, more.com (www.more.com) is a health and beauty e-commerce site that uses a shopping cart to allow customers to shop, buy and arrange shipment Products include skin care, eye care, pharmaceuticals and many other products associated with health and wellness Shopping-cart Technology One of the most commonly used e-commerce enablers is the shopping cart This order processing technology allows customers to accumulate items they wish to buy as they continue to shop Supporting the shopping cart is a product catalog, which is hosted on the merchant server in the form of a database The merchant server is the data storage and management system employed by the merchant A database is a part of the merchant server designed to store and report on large amounts of information For example, a database for an online clothing retailer would typically include such product specifications as item description, size, availability, shipping information, stock levels and on-order information Databases also store customer information, such as names, addresses, credit-card information and past purchases The Amazon.com feature explains how these technologies are implemented Amazon.com Perhaps the most widely recognized example of an e-business that uses shoppingcart technology is Amazon.com Opened in 1994, the company has rapidly grown to become one of the world’s largest online retailers Amazon offers millions of products to more than 17 million customers in 160 countries For clients who prefer choice, Amazon.com also offers online auctions In its first few years, Amazon.com served as a mail-order book retailer Their line of products has expanded to include music, videos, DVDs, electronic cards, consumer electronics, hardware, tools, beauty items and toys The Amazon catalog is constantly growing, and the site allows you to navigate quickly among millions of products Amazon.com uses a database on the server side that allows customers to search for products in a variety of ways This is an example of a client/server application The Amazon database consists of product specifications, availability, shipping information, stock levels, on-order information and other data Book titles, authors, prices, sales histories, publishers, reviews and in-depth descriptions are also stored in the database This extensive database makes it possible to cross-reference products For example, a novel may be listed under various categories, including fiction, best-sellers and recommended titles Amazon.com personalizes its site to service returning customers; a database keeps a record of all previous transactions, including items purchased, shipping and credit-card information When one returns to the site, customers are greeted by name, and lists of recommended titles presented, based on customer’s previous purchases Buying a product at Amazon is simple You begin at the Amazon.com home page and decide the type of product you would like to purchase For example, if you are looking for C++ How to Program: Third Edition, you can find the book by using the Search Box in the top-left hand corner of the home page Select Books in the Search Box , then type the title of the book into the window This takes you directly to the product page for the book To purchase the item, select Add to Shopping Cart on the top-right corner of the page The shopping-cart technology processes the information and displays a list of the products you have placed in the shopping cart You then have the option to change the quantity of each item, remove an item from the shopping cart, check out or continue shopping When you are ready to place your order, you proceed to checkout As a first-time visitor, you will be prompted to fill out a personal identification form including name, billing address, shipping address, shipping preference, and credit-card information You are also asked to enter a password that you will use to access your account data for all future transactions Once you confirm your information, you can place your order When your order is placed, Amazon sends a confirmation to you by e-mail A second e-mail is sent when the order is shipped A database monitors the status of all shipments You can track the status of your purchase until it leaves the Amazon.com shipping center by selecting the Your account link at the bottom of the page and entering your password This will bring you to an Account Maintenance page You can cancel your order at any time before the product is shipped, which usually occurs within 24 to 48 hours of purchase Amazon.com operates on secure servers that protect your personal information If you feel uncomfortable using your credit card on the Web, you can place your order through the Web site using the last five digits of your credit card and later complete your order by calling Amazon’s Customer Service Department to provide the remaining numbers Although the shopping cart is only one method of conducting transactions online, it is an effective way of buying and selling products on the Internet Many companies combine a number of purchasing methods to give their customers a wide array of options Auction Model The Web offers many different kinds of auction sites, in addition to sites designed to search existing auction sites in order to pinpoint the lowest prices on an available item Usually, auction sites act as forums through which Internet users can log-on and assume the role of either bidder or seller As a seller, you are able to post an item you wish to sell, the minimum price you require to sell your item and a deadline to close the auction Some sites allow you to add features, such as a photograph or a description of the item’s condition As a bidder, you may search the site for availability of the item you are seeking, view the current bidding activity and place a bid The reverse auction model allows the buyer to set a price as sellers compete to match or even beat it One example of a reverse auction site is Liquid price.com which processes your action within two days A faster option is available when the buyer sets a reverse price A reserve price is the lowest price that the seller will accept in any type of auction Sellers can set the reserve price higher than the minimum bid If no bid meets the reserve price, the auction is unsuccessful If a seller sets a reserve price at Liquidprice.com the seller will receive a series of bids within six hours of their initial post However, if a successful bid is made, the buyer and the seller must commit Although auction sites usually require a commission on sales, these sites are only a forum for online buying and selling They not involve themselves in payment or delivery After the auction has been completed, both the seller and the bidder are notified, and the method of payment and the cost of delivery is then worked out between the two parties e-Bay Online auctions have become an enormously successful method of e-commerce The leading company in this business is eBay.(www.ebay.com) (see attached copies) On eBay, people can buy and sell just about anything The company collects a submission fee plus a percentage of the sale amount The submission fee is based on the amount of exposure you want your item to receive, with a higher fee required if you would like to be among the “featured auctions” in your specific product category, and an even higher fee if you want your item to be listed on the eBay home page under Featured Items This listing will not appear every time you go to the home page, but it will be shown on the site periodically Another attention-attracting option is to publish the product listing in a boldface font; this requires a small additional charge eBay uses a database to manage the millions of auctions that it offers This database evolves dynamically as sellers and buyers enter personal identification and product information When a seller enters a product to be auctioned, the seller provides a description of the product, keywords, initial price and personal information This data is used to produce the product profile seen by potential buyers The auction process begins when the seller posts a description of the item for sale and fills in the appropriate registration information The seller must specify a minimum opening bid If potential buyers feel this price is too high, the item many not receive any bids In many cases, a reserve price is also set Sellers might set the opening bid lower than the reserve price to generate bidding activity If a successful bid is made, the seller and the buyer negotiate the shipping details, warranty and other particulars eBay serves as a connection between the parties- it is the interface through which sellers and buyers can conduct business eBay does not maintain a costly physical inventory or deal with shipping, handling or other services that businesses such as Amazon and other retailers must provide The impact of eBay on e-business has been profound The founders took a fairly restrictive offline business model and, by using the Internet, were able to bring it to the destops of consumers worldwide This business model consistently generates a profit on the World Wide Web Portal Model Portal sites give visitors the chance to find almost everything they are looking for in one place They often offer news, sports, and weather, as well as the ability to search the Web When most people hear the word portal they think of search engines Search engines are horizontal portals, or portals that aggregate information on a broad range of topics Other portals are more specific, offering a great deal of information pertaining to a single area of interest, these are called vertical portals Online shopping is a popular addition to the major portals Sites such as: About.com, altavista.com, and Yahoo.com provide users with a shopping page that links them to thousands of sites carrying a variety of products (See attached copies) Portals linking consumers to online merchants, online shopping malls and auction sites provide several advantages See the feature on Yahoo! For a better example of a shopping portal Portals help users collect information on the item for which they are looking and allow users to browse independently owned storefronts, unlike some online shopping malls Yahoo! Permits users to browse a variety of sites while maintaining the convenience of paying through their Yahoo! Account About.com offers users and individualized experience through Guide Site, a service that acts as a personal shopper for the user About.com’s “guides” each specializing in a particular product type, continually update de Web site and are accessible via e-mail for consumer comments and questions Yahoo! Yahoo! is a horizontal portal with an enormous number of site links and categories (see attached copy) It also provides consumers with shopping cart capabilities Through Yahoo!, consumers can link to a variety of online stores adding items to their Yahoo! shopping cart When they are ready to check out, consumers can purchase all their items through Yahoo! rather than moving from store to store By limiting the number of registration and billing forms, this use of shopping-cart technology greatly reduces the time needed to make an online purchase To participate, a consumer clicks on the Shopping link at the top of Yahoo’s home page From there, a consumer can search for a product by selecting a category, conducting a keyword search or visiting one of the Featured Stores Other features included on this page are gift registration, What’s Selling Now and the Yahoo! In order to purchase through Yahoo!, you must register with the site This is a simple process completed by clicking the Sign-In link and creating a username and password Once you are registered, you may begin searching for products within many Yahoo! stores After selecting a product and merchant, users have the option of adding the item to their shopping cart or putting it on their wish list Getting a Loan Online Online lending is a growing segment of e-commerce You might find a loan with a lower rate online than through traditional lending channels The following companies make loans to customers over the Web E-LOAN (www.eloan.com) offers credit-card services,home equity loans and the tools and calculators to help you make educated borrowing decisions E-businesses can seek loans at eCredit (www.ecredit.com) This company has formed partnerships with leading lenders to speed the financing process Once a business has received funding, eCredit will also help the business manage their new assets eCredit customers include Hewlett-Packard, Intel and many other Fortune 1000 companies LoansDirect (www.loansdirect.com) offers a comparable service It is important to investigate a variety of options when getting a loan A difference of a few interest points can significantly increase bills IV CONCLUSIONS This contribution describes the importance of English in Teaching Business English to Spanish Speaking Students in the twenty-first century By teaching the Oral Communication Skills, the Written Communication Skills and the Technology in Written Business, students can achieve a complete learning of Business English Thus, this article contributes to teaching Business English to university students BIBLIOGRAPHY Comfort, Jeremy, Rogerson, Pamela, Stott, Trish & Utley, Derek Speaking Effectively, Developing Speaking Skills for Business English Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1993 Deitel, H M., Deitel, P J & Nieto, T R., e-Business and e-Commerce How to Program New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc., 2001 Irigoin, Judy and Tsai, Bonnie Business English Recipes Essex: Longman Group Limited, 1995 Sabin, William The Gregg Reference Manual Ninth Edition Columbus, Ohio 43420: Glencoe/McGraw Hill, 2002 Satterwhite, Marilyn L & Olson-Sutton, Judith Business Communication at Work Columbus, OH 43240: Glencoe/ McGraw Hill, 2000 ... Technology in Written Business, students can achieve a complete learning of Business English Thus, this article contributes to teaching Business English to university students BIBLIOGRAPHY Comfort,... organization chart to answer questions to Cultural Study Tours Marketing director Finance director (Allan) Tour leader (UK) Adm Staff (Peter) Tour leader Tour leader (Russian Federation) (E Europe)... Pamela, Stott, Trish & Utley, Derek Speaking Effectively, Developing Speaking Skills for Business English Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1993 Deitel, H M., Deitel, P J & Nieto, T R., e-Business