Тема 9. Business ethics

Vocabulary: doing the right thing (wrongdoing, bribery and corruption, fraud and embezzlement, code of ethics, ethical standards, ethical investment).

Reading: ethics count

Language in use: articles. A and an: 1) to refer to a single countable noun; 2) for jobs; 3) in certain expressions with numbers, where the indefinite article means each or every. The: 1) to refer to a specific, understood thing; 2) for things which are unique; 3) with the adjective, to describe a social group or the people who come from a particular country; 4) for various international organizations; 5) for rovers, seas, oceans, groups of islands, chains of mountains and deserts. Zero article: 1) plural and uncountable nouns, to refer to thongs in general; 2) cities, continents, islands, mountains, sports, countries.

Listening: ethical issues (filling the gaps, matching, answering the questions).

Writing: a report to the department heads on progress in introducing the company’s first code of ethics.

Планы семинарских занятий Занятие 1. People and companies

(активная форма проведения: групповая работа; обсуждение)

Expand business vocabulary: work and jobs (What do you do?, word combinations with ‘work’, types of job and types of work); ways of working (old and new ways, nice work if you can get it, nature of work) – active form of studying (filling the gaps, finding synonyms / antonyms, matching, etc).

Phrasal verbs describing the life of a company: build up, close down, start up, sell off - active form of studying (filling the gaps, finding synonyms / antonyms, matching, etc).

A short profile of a well-known company – active form of studying (independent work + discussion)

Listening: Being self-employed - active form (discussion).

Home task: essay ‘Being self-employed: pros and cons’

Занятие 2. People and companies

(активная форма проведения: групповая работа; обсуждение + интерактивная форма: ролевая игра)

Discussion Essay ‘Being self-employed: pros and cons’

Language in use – question forms; direct / indirect questions: filling the gaps, opening the brackets, changing direct questions into indirect ones.

Discussion (обсуждение):

1. Would you like to have nine-to-five job? What are advantages and disadvantages of such kind of job?

2. Would you like to work under a flexitime system? Why / Why not?

3. What are your ideal working hours? Explain your choice.

4. Could you do your job working from home? If so, would you like to?

5. Do you know people who work in shifts? What do you think about this working scheme?

6. Are there many commuters in your city?

Speaking (ролевая игра):

1. Interviews: employer – employee (speaking about nature of work, working environment, working hours, system of work).

2. Conversation: two or more former groupmates / classmates talk about their work / jobs.

3. Conversation: two or more graduate students talk about their potential work.

4. Conversation: employer – employee discuss changing conditions of work.

Writing – Letters, faxes, emails – contents and style. Structure of a letter: sender’s address, date, inside address, salutation, body of a letter, complimentary close, signature. Beginnings and endings. Email: advantages and disadvantages, emails and other forms of correspondence, email addresses, header information, message text, signature, style, email abbreviations. Letter, faxes, email – points to remember. Test yourself – analyzing a letter.