Разговорный английский для инженеров. Тренинг навыков устной речи. Учебно-методическое пособие по английскому языку-1

6)In the next paragraph the author`s attention is focused on

…

7)The author comes to conclusion that …

8)I find the text interesting (informative, gripping, topical, dull, boring, of no value, hard to understand). The text is intended for students of … specialty.

Module 14. QUALITY ISSUES

I. Answer the questions using your own ideas:

1)How do you understand the term “quality”?

2)Do you always pay attention to the quality of a product or a service?

3)How can you characterize a product/a service of an excellent quality and a product/a service of a poor quality?

4)What defects may goods have? What should a person do to return a defective product?

5)Are there any standards to define quality?

6)How should the quality control be carried out?

7)Can the brand name of a company guarantee the quality of its products/services?

8)What should a company do to meet customer needs?

9)How often should standards of quality be renewed?

71

10) How do computer technologies help improve quality of goods/services?

II. Give a short talk about quality issues. Choose one variant A or B and use the plan:

Variant A

Describe a product/service of poor quality you bought. You should say:

What product/service it was;

Where you bought it;

What defects it had

and say how you solved this problem (exchanged a product/service, got a refund, etc.).

Variant B

Describe your approach to quality management. You should say:

Why you take quality management seriously;

What quality standards are accepted in this country;

What problems can arise in quality control

and explain why do you think quality management is so necessary.

III. Train your pronunciation. Find the word with an odd sound:

1)accuse – assess – access – accuracy – accept

2)science – scissors – masculine – indict – muscle

72

3)artificial – official – beneficial – practical – financial

4)climb – dumb – plumb – thumb – combine

IV. Match the English words with their Russian equivalents, then choose 5 words and make up sentences with these words:

V. Read the text.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT

A Complex Idea

Quality can be defined in different ways. Nevertheless, we can create a unifying definition that includes the reference to customers` experience and view of the world. Thus, quality is defined by the customer and is associated with creating customer value. A quality good or service meets the whole range of customer expectations. Quality is a complex concept

73

that can be only addressed by the whole organization working together.

Principles of Quality Management

The approach and process for getting quality is called Quality Management. There are a number of principles which are central to the practice of Quality Management: customer focus, strategic focus, leadership focus, process focus, continual improvement, innovation and learning.

First Legal Standards of Quality

With the formation of factories and increasing automation, work became progressively de-skilled and more repetitive. The supplier/end-user relationship was lost. To solve this problem, factories had to employ inspectors. Thus, the responsibility for the quality of work was removed from the individual and placed with the Quality Department that employs inspectors. The inspector becomes the barrier between the production operation and the customer. In the early 1900s, Frederick Taylor legitimized the use of inspectors to ensure adequate quality of finished product. He was known as the father of Scientific Management and focused on work output, labour efficiency and characteristics of poor quality.

Humanist Approach

In 1961, Dr Armand Feigenbaum published a book entitled Total Quality Control which was the first to express the view that quality was not just about manufacturing, but could be used in such departments as Engineering, Development, Sales and Service. It emphasized the need to build the human element into quality. Dr Armand Feigenbaum also developed the technique of measuring the cost of quality. Nowadays

74

most companies stick to the principle according to which quality is closely connected with people – “People are our most important asset”.

Quality Standardization

ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, promotes global standardization for specifications and requirements for materials, products, procedures, formats, information and quality management. Certification under ISO standards is an assurance that the ISO-required management of processes and documentation is correct. ISO 9001 is a set of requirements for quality-management systems and ISO 14001 is for environmental-management systems. Neither of them regulates what should be done by an organization but each establishes a framework for effective operation. Certification in both ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 involve a series of internal audits and ISO audits to ensure that all procedural requirements and documentations are followed to during everyday practices.

VI. Give the answers to the following questions according to the text:

1)Do you agree that quality is conformance to requirements?

2)Why is quality a complex concept?

3)Which principle of Quality Management is the most important from your point of view?

4)How can be the labour efficiency valued / measured?

5)How do you understand the saying “People are our most important asset”?

75

6)What does the International Organization for Standardization promote?

7)How is the process of certification carried out?

VI. Read the dialogues which describe the models of complaining. Choose one dialogue and role play it by heart.

Dialogue A

Guest: “Excuse me, I have a problem with my room.” Administrator: “What seems to be the problem, ma’am?” Guest: “The noise. The walls are wafer-thin. I can hear the street and next door.”

Administrator: “I’m afraid it is the only room we have.”

Guest: “Well, I cannot stay there. I have a vital meeting tomorrow and need some rest.”

Administrator: “I’m very sorry.”

Guest: “I’d like to check out and get my money back.” Administrator: “I’m sorry ma’am, but hotel policy is no refunds once guests have checked in.”

Guest: “What?! I’m afraid that isn’t good enough. Let me speak to your manager, please.”

Administrator: “OK, please wait a moment.”

Dialogue B

Shop assistant: “Good afternoon, sir. How may I help you?” Customer: “I want to file a complaint. Where is the administrator of the store?”

Shop assistant: “Wait here, sir. I’ll call him in minute.” Customer: “OK. I’m waiting.”

Administrator: “Good afternoon, sir. My assistant told me you have a complaint. What happened? “

76

Customer: “Four days ago I bought this toothbrush at your shop and now it doesn’t work.”

Administrator: “Have you changed the batteries?”

Customer: “No, I haven’t. Your shop assistant said they were totally new and charged. Unfortunately, they lasted only four days.”

Administrator: “I’m sorry to hear that. I’m sure the problem isn’t in batteries. Perhaps, the toothbrush itself was damaged. Can we offer you a new one with fully charged batteries?”

Customer: “That would be lovely, thank you.”

77

78

Учебно-методическое издание

Филичева Оксана Сергеевна

РАЗГОВОРНЫЙ АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ДЛЯ ИНЖЕНЕРОВ. ТРЕНИНГ НАВЫКОВ УСТНОЙ РЕЧИ

Учебно-методическое пособие по английскому языку

Изд. № 202-21

79