Английский язык для студентов факультета бизнеса коммуникативные навыки, выбор карьеры и поиск работы (предпороговый уровень). English for Pre-interme
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READING
9. Read the text and translate it.
Soft Skills: Definition, Importance and Examples
Soft skills are an important aspect of strengthening one’s ability to work with others and may help you advance in the profession. Soft skills are skills that are not very easy to define because they’re not measurable skills. Soft skills are character traits and interpersonal skills that characterize a person's ability to interact effectively with others. In the workplace, soft skills are considered to be a complement to hard skills, meaning skills that are directly connected to our ability to perform a particular task or do a certain job. Psychologists may use the term "soft skills" to describe someone's emotional intelligence quotient (EQ) as opposed to intelligence quotient (IQ).
Many employers look for a balance of hard skills and soft skills when making hiring decisions. For example, employers value skilled workers with a track record of getting jobs done on time. Employers also value workers with strong communication skills and a good understanding of company products and services. When communicating with prospective clients, workers with soft skills can put together compelling presentations even if their specific job is not in sales or marketing. Another valued soft skill is the ability to coach co-workers on new tasks.
Company leaders often are most effective when they have strong soft skills. For example, leaders are expected to have good speaking abilities, but great leaders are also good at listening to workers and to other leaders in their fields.
Negotiation is also a big part of the job for many company leaders. When negotiating with employees, clients, or associates, leaders need to be skilled in staying considerate of what others want while remaining focused on achieving what they want. Good leaders also need to know how to effectively assign tasks to other team members.
Comparing hard and soft skills, it should be noted that workers acquire hard skills through formal education, training programs, and concentrated effort. Hard skills are the quantifiable skills that workers need to successfully perform a specific job. Employers often test or evaluate
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a candidate's hard skills before hiring. Examples of hard skills include computer programming, writing, web development, and graphic design.
Hard skills can be learned and perfected over time, but soft skills are more difficult to acquire and change. Coaching is one of the most effective methods for improving soft skills.
Soft skills benefit businesses when they are practiced on a companywide basis. For example, a collaborative spirit among workers is important. Team members who are able to work well with people of different generations and backgrounds are generally more productive and better able to focus on common priorities. Efficiency and output improve when workers collaborate by sharing knowledge and tools to get jobs done. The ability to learn new methods and technologies is also a desired soft skill for all workers.
Good troubleshooting is another soft skill that companies value. For example, companies can operate more efficiently and increase productivity when all workers know how to troubleshoot software problems instead of relying on the information technology (IT) department for every fix.
Soft skills can also be thought of as people skills. These can include good communication and interpersonal skills, leadership, problem-solving, work ethic, time management, creativity, flexibility, motivation, organization and teamwork. These types of skills are important, as they help to form a well-rounded person and employee. For both a job-seeker and an employer, these are so-called “transferable skills”, and are highly sought after.
Emotional intelligence is one specific soft skill worth talking about on its own. It involves the ability to recognize, understand, and manage your own emotions. A major part of emotional intelligence is self-awareness. This means being aware of your emotions, strengths, and weaknesses, and understanding how they affect others. Self-aware people are better at receiving feedback and making personal improvements because they can objectively assess their behavior and attitudes. Empathy is another important aspect of emotional intelligence. It’s the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, which helps you connect with colleagues, clients, and customers on a deeper level. Empathetic leaders can better support their teams by recognizing their needs and motivations, leading to a more engaged and productive workforce.
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How to Develop Soft Skills
There's no one single way to best develop soft skills. However, a combination of the methods below may help you gain social and interpersonal skills that could help you across a variety of jobs or industries.
•Practice Active Listening: Focus on truly understanding what others are saying without interrupting. This helps in building empathy and stronger relationships.
•Seek Feedback Regularly: Ask colleagues, managers, or mentors for feedback on your communication, teamwork, and other soft skills. Use their insights to make conscious improvements.
•Work on Emotional Intelligence: Develop self-awareness and learn to manage your emotions. This will help you navigate complex social situations and be able to connect with others more easily.
•Improve Time Management: Prioritize tasks and set realistic goals. Effective time management reduces stress, increases productivity, and helps you stay better organized.
•Engage in Team Projects: Collaborate with others on group tasks to improve your teamwork and interpersonal skills. This also enhances your ability to work with diverse personalities.
•Enhance Communication Skills: Practice clear and concise communication in both written and verbal forms. This will help avoid miscommunication and help you become a better leader.
•Develop Problem-Solving Abilities: Break down problems into smaller parts and explore multiple solutions. This will help you tackle different issues in the future, regardless of your job or industry.
•Cultivate Empathy: Put yourself in others’ shoes to understand their perspectives. Empathy strengthens collaboration and helps in building trust.
• Practice Public Speaking: Engage in activities like presentations or toastmasters to build confidence in speaking.
• Learn Stress Management Techniques: Practice mindfulness, exercise, or other relaxation techniques to handle stress better. Managing stress helps maintain productivity and may help with focus.
The career success is dependable on how well you interact and treat others. Trust develops through positive interactions and relationships, and productivity increases in environments where soft skills flourish.
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AFTER READING TASKS
DEVELOPING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
10. Make the glossary to the text.
word/ word combination |
translation |
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Interpersonal skills |
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Emotional intelligence |
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to enhance communication skills |
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Problem-solving abilities |
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to cultivate empathy |
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Stress management techniques |
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Self-awareness |
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to seek feedback |
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Leadership |
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Time management |
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Work ethic |
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Teamwork |
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Transferable skills |
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Troubleshooting |
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Efficiency |
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Well-round person |
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Job-seeker |
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In the workplace |
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to engage in |
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Public speaking |
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Career success |
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11. Make up 8 sentences with the words from the glossary.
READING COMPREHENSION
12. Answer the questions.
1. What skills does a person need for a job? 2. What do soft skills characterize?
3. What do hard skills mean?
4. What is the difference between hard and soft skills? 5. How can a person develop soft skills?
6. What does the career success depend on?
13. Complete the sentences choosing the appropriate variant.
1.Hard skills are directly connected to performing...
a measurements b motivation
c a particular task
2.Soft skills can be thought of as...
a quantifiable skills b people skills
c vocational skills
3.One example of a soft skill would include...
a continuing education b a specific job
c written and verbal communication
4.Another soft skill would be when one...
a transports people
b motivates and leads people c gets a college degree
5.Soft skills are also...
a industrial skills b measurable skills c transferable skills
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14.Look at the types of skills. Put them into correct category: hard skills or soft skills.
1.Computer programming
2.Troubleshooting
3.Time management
4.Writing
5.Problem-solving
6.Flexibility
7.Emotional intelligence
8.Web development
9.Negotiation
10.Graphic design
11.Stress management
15.Fill in the gaps with hard skills or soft skills. Translate the sentences into Russian.
1.… refer to personal qualities and traits that enhance how you work and interact with others.
2. … refer to specific technical skills and knowledge required for a particular job or industry.
3.… are often job-specific and require training or education.
4.… are often transferable between industries and job roles.
5.… can be easily measured and demonstrated through certifications or degrees.
6.… can be difficult to quantify and measure.
7.… can be learned and perfected over time, but … are more difficult to acquire and change.
16. Match the following terms with their definitions:
1. communication |
a. a person who guides or directs a group by |
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establishing a clear vision, sharing that |
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vision with others, and providing the |
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information and knowledge and methods to |
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realize that vision |
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2. ethics |
b. the active process of receiving and |
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responding to spoken messages |
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3. interpersonal skills |
c. |
to stimulate interest in or enthusiasm for |
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doing something |
4. leadership |
d. |
discussions between people who have |
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different aims or intentions, during which |
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they try to reach an agreement |
5. listening |
e. |
the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, |
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trouble, or suffering without getting angry or |
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upset |
6. motivation |
f. |
the skills people use to interact and |
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communicate with individuals in an |
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organizational environment |
7. negotiation |
g. |
moral principles that govern a person’s |
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behavior or the conducting of an activity |
8. patience |
h. |
the ability to convey information to another |
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person effectively and efficiently |
9. problem solving |
i. |
conscious knowledge of one’s own character, |
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feelings, motives, and desires |
10. self-awareness |
j. |
a collaborative effort of a group to achieve |
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a common goal or to complete a task in the |
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most effective and efficient way |
11. teamwork |
k. |
the process of finding solutions to difficult or |
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complex issues |
17. Classify the following word collocations according to proper types of soft skills. Add your own examples.
1.identify problems, their causes and find solutions
2.express ideas and opinions persuasively
3.find solutions by communicating with the opponent
4.collect and record data
5.direct other people
6.follow a plan through
7.speak effectively
8.do multiple tasks at a time
9.lead and guide your team to achieve goals
10.relate to and deal with other people
11.deal with lots of information
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Communication skills |
Leadership skills |
Analytical skills |
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18. Find the corresponding prepositions for the following verbs in the text and give Russian equivalents.
1.to rely ____
2.to focus ____
3.to negotiate ____
4.to work ____
5.to communicate ____
6.to interact ____
7.to work ____
8.look ____
19. Write your own sentences with the phrasal verbs from the previous exercise.
WRITING
HOW TO WRITE AN ESSAY
An essay is a piece of writing from a personal point of view that methodically examines and evaluates a topic or issue.
Tips:
1.Plan your English essay
2.Follow the structure.
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Essay Parts
Introduction
Body
Conclusion
Brief
Explore your topic
Provide the background information
Provide a thesis statement
Here the arguments and insights take center stage.
Each paragraph will focus on a single main point.
Each paragraph is supported by evidence and
backed by expert analysis
Start with a clear and concise topic sentence
Here all the threads of your argument come together
Tie together your main points
Make a call to action
3.Be concise
4.Adduce arguments to support
5.Adhere to a formal style
6.Vary your vocabulary and grammar
7.Use synonyms in your English essay
8.Paraphrase, don’t copy
9.Use linking words
10.Be correct
11.Check for mistakes
Useful essay words and phrases
Opening
The essay discusses… | In this essay/article/document… | The theme of this essay/article… | We will be discussing…
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Introducing points
Firstly, secondly, thirdly… | Earlier… | Afterwards… | First of all… | Finally… | In addition… | In the first instance… | After this… | Additionally… | With this in mind… Finally… | To begin with…
Comparing and Contrasting
However… | Nevertheless… | That being said… | Then again… | On the other hand… | Although… | In comparison… | Whereas… | On the one hand… | Other than… | Outside of… | Rather… | Still…
Emphasizing
Above all… | As usual… | Generally speaking… | For the most part… | In this situation… | No doubt… | Obviously… | Still… | Especially…
Adding ideas
Furthermore… | Also… | Then… | In addition… | Moreover… | As well as… | Coupled with… | Another reason… | Indeed… | Identically… | Likewise… | Additionally…
Giving examples
For example… | Such as… | For instance… | As an example… | You might consider… | For one thing… | Especially… | As an illustration… | To illustrate this… | Markedly… | In this case… | This can be seen… | Specifically…
Giving inconclusive ideas
Perhaps… | There is some evidence to suggest that… | It may be… | It could be… | It is possible that…
Giving rare or common ideas
A few… | Rarely… | Unusually… | Seldom… | On occasion… | Quite often…
Expressing result
As a result… | For this reason… | For this purpose… | Otherwise… | Since… | So that/then… | Subsequently… | This means that… | Therefore… | That is why… | Because… | Due to the fact that…
Concluding
In conclusion… | To summarize… | We have seen that… | It has been demonstrated that… | To sum up…
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