6.A Telephone Call

When Americans answer the telephone, they say, “Hello.” Not so in other countries. Germans methodically answer with their last names. Russians say, “I’m listening.” The curious French say, “Hello, who’s on the line?”, Italians greet callers with “Ready”, the English answer with their phone number, and the Chinese say, “Hey, Hey, who are you?”

A telephone call from a friend is a joy, unless you are in the middle of a meal, having a bath or on the point of going out to an engagement for which you are already late. But even when you have time, a telephone conversation cannot be savoured and rerun several times as a letter can. You cannot put a blue ribbon around a sentimental telephone call and keep it for years.

A letter sender in effect is saying, “I am setting aside some of my time for you alone, I am thinking of you. This is more important to me than all the other things that I could be doing.”

7.

8.The Importance of Learning English

English is the language of international communication in many areas of life: trade, diplomacy, tourism, sport and entertainment. At present English is the most important of the world’s languages. In number of speakers it ranks second. That’s why many people in our country study English as a second language. They study it to read and understand books in the original and to be able to speak. Speaking is considered by many as the main objective of language learning. The knowledge of spoken language will help you to express your opinions and feelings, to give and receive information, to say what you want to say, to listen and understand recorded tapes. Studying of foreign languages enriches the native language, makes it clearer, more flexible and expressive. It gives the great opportunity to compare two languages, to understand the mentality of another nation.

Knowledge of a foreign language opens up a whole new world to the one who possesses it. It is like the ship bearing explorers to new continents. Studying of English becomes an absolute necessity for any good specialist – an engineer, a manager or a secretary.

During our studying at Business College we had one (two) English lessons a week. At our lessons we read, translated, learnt words, made up a lot of dialogues and spoke English. I think, I am not so good at English now, but I’m going to improve it in the course of time.

9.My School (Cherkassy State Business College)

Cherkassy State Business College trains specialists for developing market economy. Here students can obtain one of the following qualifications: “Software developer”, “Office Manager”, “Economist”, “Accountant”, “Computer Graphics Designer”, “Computer maintenance operator”.

The teaching and learning process here is designed as a business game. This game is organized at a training firm, which is an exact replica of a real working trading company. The training firm “Ukrainian Folk Souvenir” has the following departments: Sales and Purchasing Dept., Administrative Dept., Personnel Dept., Advertising Dept., Accounting Dept., and Warehouse. These depts are situated on the second floor of the building.

The training firm is equipped with the latest office machines a prosperous Western trading company might have. Faxes, business telephone lines, xerox machines, printers are at our students’ disposal.

The IBM compatible computers are connected into a local network, which enables students to exchange documents quickly.

In the course of the game the students learn how to prepare catalogues, organize advertising campaigns, keep records of business activities, draft budgets, prepare balance sheets etc.

Of course the goods and money do not exist in reality, but the paper work is quite real and looks like a working commercial firm.

Besides, the students have a good opportunity to study such disciplines as English, Ukrainian, Typing and Psychology of Business Communication, which would make them better specialists.