Unit 6. Woman fired for using capital letters

1. BEFORE LISTENING

1. Practice the pronunciation of the following words taken from the text which you are going to listen.

Angry, e-mails, lots of capital letters, New Zealand, accountant, co-worker, to complain, staff, constantly, mails, bold, confrontational, to cause, disharmony, workplace, company, court, to sue, unfair dismissal, to win, in damages, to appeal, further compensation, greater protection, disputes, white-collar workers, helpless, large employers, to fire, to fight, financial, mental, experience, mortgage, to re-mortgage, to borrow, nearly, to ruin, a widespread uncertainty, “netiquette”.

2. Give Russian equivalents to the following English words and word combinations.

To get angry, to get e-mails, lots of capital letters, a New Zealand boss, to see red, to use block capitals in e-mails to colleagues, accountant, to be fired, co-worker, to complain about her use of caps, members of staff, to fill mails with sentences in capital letters, bold and red text, to find the e-mails “confrontational”, to dismiss Ms Walker for causing “disharmony” in the workplace, to take to court, to sue for unfair dismissal, to win the case, to pay in damages, to appeal for further compensation, to speak out for greater protection, to be in disputes with big companies, white-collar workers, to feel helpless, large employers, to fire, to fight bosses, financial and mental stresses, to involve, to use smb’s own experience as an example, to be a single woman with a mortgage, to re-mortgage, to borrow money, nearly, to ruin smb’s life, to highlight a widespread uncertainty regarding “netiquette” and e-mails.

2. WHILE LISTENING

3. Listen to the text “Woman fired for using capital letter” twice. First time make notes about the numbers, geographical, proper or personal names which you might hear. When you are listening to the text for the second time, try to catch the events and the order in which they are spoken about.

4. Agree or disagree to the following statements.

1. A woman in New Zealand lost her job for speaking in capital letters.

2. The woman’s co-workers complained about her many hats.

3. Her colleagues said her e-mail style wasn’t good for office harmony.

4. The woman lost a court case when she sued her company.

5. The woman is planning on taking further court action.

6. She thinks office workers should be stronger against big companies.

7. The woman had to refinance her housing loan because she was fired.

8. The article suggests most people know the rules of writing e-mails.

5. Fill in the gaps using the following words.

Bold, fired, sued, boss, use, damages, colleagues, causing, experience, disputes, borrow, helpless, still, highlights, appeal, stresses

Woman fired for using capital letter

WOULD YOU GET ANGRY IF YOU GOT E-MAILS WITH LOTS OF CAPITAL LETTERS? A New Zealand _____ saw red after one of his employees used block capitals in e-mails to _____. Vicki Walker, an accountant in Auckland, was _____ after her co-workers complained about her _____ of caps. Members of staff at ProCare Health were angry with Ms. Walker for constantly filling her mails with sentences in capital letters, _____ and red text. They said they found the e-mails “confrontational”. Bosses at ProCare dismissed Ms Walker for _____ “disharmony” in the workplace. Walker took the company to court and _____ for unfair dismissal. She won the case and ProCare had to pay her US$11,500 in _____ and lost pay. According to the New Zealand Herald newspaper, Ms Walker is _____ not happy. She plans to _____ for further compensation. She also wants to speak out for greater protection for office workers when they are in _____ with big companies. Walker said too many white-collar workers feel _____ when large employers fire them. She says many people are not prepared to fight their bosses because of the financial and mental _____ involved. She used her own _____ as an example, saying: "I am a single woman with a mortgage, and I had to re-mortgage my home and _____ money to make it through. They nearly ruined my life." Walker’s case _____ a widespread uncertainty regarding “netiquette” and e-mails.

3. AFTER LISTENING

6. Answer the following questions.

1. What did you think when you read the headline?

2. What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘e-mail’?

3. What are your e-mail writing habits?

4. Which are better, e-mails or real letters?

5. What do you think of text with lots of capital letters?

6. What kinds of mails make you angry?

7. Have you ever sent an e-mail you regretted?

8. Do you understand why ProCare bosses fired Vicki Walker?

9. How could ProCare bosses have resolved this situation in a better way?

10. Do you think Ms Walker got the right amount of damages?

11. If you were Ms Walker, would you continue to fight in the courts?

12. Do you think workers are helpless against big companies?

13. What do you think of e-mails full of shortened English?

14. Are e-mails written in your language different from those written in English?

15. Do you know any “rules” when writing e-mails?

16. What questions would you like to ask Vicki Walker?

7. Match the following synonyms from the text.

to see red to fire constantly to complain pay to appeal further disputes mortgage to ruin

to protest to destroy salary arguments to get angry to dismiss housing loan to call always more

8. Match the following phrases from the text (sometimes more than one combination is possible).

   A New Zealand boss saw her co-workers complained about filling her mails with sentences took the company to court and sued pay her US$11,500 in damages She plans to appeal for too many white-collar financial and mental They nearly ruined widespread uncertainty regarding “netiquette”

   for unfair dismissal my life further compensation and e-mails red her use of caps stresses and lost pay workers feel helpless in capital letters

9. Write down different words you associate with the term ‘case’. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

10. Roleplay the dialogue between:

1. Vicki Walker and her boss at the moment of firin;

2. Vicki Walker’s boss and a journalist;

3. Vicki Walker, unhappy fired employee and a journalist .

11. Search the Internet and find more information about unfair dismissal in Russia and abroad. Talk about what you discover with your groupmates. If possible, try to make a presentation, because it will help you to present information in a way which contributes to better understanding and figures or different graphics which help to understand your report better. After presentations choose the best report.

12. Make a poster about how to write good e-mails. Include the do’s and don’ts of e-mail writing. Show your work to your groupmates. Did you all have similar things?

13. Write a magazine article about the unfair dismissal of Vicki Walker. Include imaginary interviews with Vicki, her boss and an unhappy colleague. Read what you wrote to your groupmates. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).

14. Write a letter to Vicki Walker. Ask her three questions about her experience. Give her three suggestions about how white-collar workers can stand up against big employers. Read your letter to your groupmates. Your groupmates will answer your questions.