Masters_part_1_2013

Unit 3

the icebreaker you need. Now walk over to Joe

Smith and say, ”Hi, you’re Joe Smith, aren’t you? Susan was just telling me what a great skier you are. Where do you ski?”

Technique 3.

Boston-based company have designed a conference badge with a difference: delegates enter information about their jobs and interests. When they meet another person with similar hobbies, the interactive Badges introduce the wearers and tell them what they have in common. The aim is to make networking easier by using the badge to help start conversation.

SPEAKING.

Ex.1. What information would you put on your badge? Make a badge for yourself and include information about:

a)your job

b)your interests outside work

c)something interesting or surprising about who you are or what you do.

Use no more than ten words for each topic.

Ex.2. Answer the following questions:

1.Do you find it easy or difficult to start a conversation?

2.What do you find most difficult?

3.Do the badges help? How?

4.What do you talk about with different people?

Ex.3. Do you think a badge is a useful idea to help break ice when starting a conversation?

Imagine you are attending a conference where you don’t know anyone. It is first coffee break and lots of people are standing around talking. How would you start a conversation? What techniques can you think of to join in a conversation with a group of people? Would you use the same techniques to break the ice with an individual?

OPTIONAL

TRANSLATION PRACTICE

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Unit 3

HOW TO BE PERFECT IN BUSINESS COMMUNICATION.

Read the “Good Business Practice” and prepare a translation for your Russian partners.

GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICE.

A. Building the relationships

---Be the first to say hello and introduce yourself to others.

---Use your eye contact and smiling as your first contact with people.

---Make an effort to remember people’s manes.

---Be able to tell others what you do in a few short sentences.

---Ask open questions (not questions that can be answered ‘Yes’ or ‘No’).

---Encourage others to talk more by showing interest.

---Respond positively to what they say.

---Look for common interests, goals and experiences that you can talk about.

---Be tolerant of other people’s beliefs if they differ from yours.

B. Good business relations

To develop a mutual understanding with your business partners, it will be important to devote some time to getting to know them through small talk and conversation.

---Be aware of how important small talk is in the cultures you do business with.

---If you find small talk difficult, prepare some topics before the meeting.

---Avoid topics that could arouse strong feelings (e.g. politics, religion).

---Prepare some questions; use open questions. (What? Where? How?)

---Listen and respond to the other person – don’t talk too much.

---Even if the meeting is difficult, always stay calm and polite.

---After the meeting, say a warm goodbye and talk about the next contact.

SELS – STUDY PAGE. (for doing at home, in writing)

REFRESH YOUR MEMORY

Open and closed questions.

Look at these conversational questions. Which are closed (can be answered with a simple “Yes” or “No”)? Which ones are open (more likely to lead to a longer response)?

1.Are you staying at this hotel?

2.What do you think of the hotel?

3.It’s very informal here, isn’t it?

4.Are you here on your own?

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Unit 3

5.What are things like in your country?

6.What kind of business are you in?

7.Do you travel much in your job?

8.What do you like about traveling?

Ex.1. Read six short conversations between people who have just met at a conference and answer the questions:

1)What types of questions do people ask?

2)In which conversations do people ask open questions?

3)In which conversations do people responding sound interested and friendly? Conversation 1.

A:Which company do you work for?

B:Oh, it’s just a small company. You probably haven’t heard of it.

Conversation 2.

A:Which talk are you going to this afternoon?

B:Oh, I’m going to one called ‘A merger of cultures’. It’s especially interesting for me because my company’s recently merged with a

US company and we’re finding that there are quite a lot of differences in the management style.

A:Oh, really? How interesting! What kind of differences have you noticed? Conversation 3.

A:I see from your badge that you’re on the Planning Committee.

B:Yes, I am.

A:And what does that committee do exactly?

B:Oh, just planning next year’s expenditure really.

Conversation 4.

A:Have you been to this conference before?

B:Oh, yes, several times. I think this one is one of the best, don’t you?

A:Well, actually, it’s my first conference but I’ll definitely be here next year Conversation 5.

A:The food’s good, isn’t it?

B:Hmm. Yes, it is.

A:Do you know what those things are – the ones that look like little cakes?

B:They are fishcakes. They’re quite hot and spicy. Very nice if you like spicy food!

A:I’m not very keen on spicy food.

Conversation 6.

A:What kind of job are you in?

B:I’m a geologist. I work for a gold-mining company.

A:Gold mining!

B:Yes, I carry out surveys to find out where the best gold deposits are likely to be.

Ex.2. Rendy Hemp from the US is visiting a customer in Taiwan. He is talking to the Production Manager of a manufacturing plant in Taipei. Read the extract of their conversation and answer the question:

“What is wrong with what the production manager says?”

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Unit 3

a)What is wrong with what the production manager says?

The answer is that it breaks a “rule” of conversation. Generally, if you ask a question you should comment on the answer or ask a supplementary

question. Remember to use open questions and respond with interest.

(1)question

(2)answer

(3)comment or supplementary question

b)Now suggest a better version of the same conversation.

c)Compare your version with a model version given below.

PRACTICE.

1.You are attending a welcome party on the first evening of a conference. Start a conversation with at least three other people.

After a few minutes, stop the conversation and move on to someone new. Remember to:

---use open questions

---respond with interest

---use a polite phrase to move on

e.g. “You’ll have to excuse me a moment…..” , “It was good to meet you …..”

“I have to go now, but it was good talking to you ….”

2.Analysis. Answer the questions:

a)Were you able to think of suitable ways of starting a conversation?

b)Were you able to respond to questions?

c)How did your partner show interest?

d)Did you find it easy or difficult to move on to the next person?

3.Self-assessment. Think about your performance on the tasks. Were you able to:

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M O D U L E 2. Telephoning.

Unit 4. Preparing to make a telephone call. Vocabulary

Making a call

Taking and leaving messages A cold call

Unit 5. Cross-cultural communication on the telephone. Barriers to oral communication

Handling complains.

Improving a conversation.

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UNIT 4.

PREPARING TO MAKE A TELEPHONE CALL.

INTRODUCTION.

Many people will do everything possible to avoid telephoning in English. For obvious reasons, using the phone has special difficulties. However, it is worth pointing out three things you should keep in your mind.

Firstly, most of the language used on the telephone in the business context is fairly restricted. There are numerous functions that recur repeatedly in various phone calls. The second point is that with increased practice, confidence develops and so does efficient performance. The third is that it is possible to control what happens in a telephone conversation, to ask the caller to call back, to ask for repetition, to ask the other person to speak more slowly, to check and to summarize information.

Telephoning is not a problem, the problem is how to do it.

Making a phone call isn’t always easy – especially if you don’t know the person on the other end of the line very well. Why is it so?

Discuss the following questions:

1.What is difficult about making a first-time call to a stranger?

2.What can you do to make calls easier?

3.What can you do to establish a relationship more quickly?

4.How can you make sure that the stranger knows who you are and what you want?

5.What is difficult about dealing with an angry person on the phone?

6.Should you be an active listener and always polite while speaking on the phone?

Task 1.Read the story and correct the statements which you think are not right. Many people nowadays avoid the telephone and prefer to send emails instead.

But calling is more effective in a number of situations: dealing with urgent problems, getting an immediate response, discussions and joint decision-making and making personal contact with your business partners. Many of us will do everything possible to avoid telephoning in English. For obvious reasons, using the phone has special difficulties. It is worth pointing out three things you should always keep in your mind.

Firstly, most of the language used on the telephone in the business context is fairly restricted. There are numerous functions that recur repeatedly in various phone calls.

The second point is that with increased practice, confidence develops and so does efficient performance.

The third is that it is possible to control what happens in a telephone conversation, to ask the caller to call back, to ask for repetition, to ask the other person to speak more slowly, to check and to summarize information.

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Unit 4

IMPROVE YOUR VOCABULARY.

A Telephones and beyond

public telephone/payphone: phone in a public place operated with money, a credit card or a phone card.

mobile phone, mobile(BrE)/cellphone, cellular phone, cellular (AmE): a phone you can take with you and use anywhere.

WAP phone: a mobile phone with access to the Internet (WAP – wireless application protocol).

extension: one of a number of phones on the same line, in a home or office. cordless phone, cordless: an extension not connected by a wire, so you can use it around the house or in the garden.

pager: allows you to receive written messages.

webcam: a camera attached to a computer and phone line, so that two people talking on the phone can see each other.

Webcams and videophones enable videoconferencing: holding a meeting with people in different locations.

videophone: a special phone with a screen so you can see the other person.

Telephone can be used as a noun or a verb, as can the short form phone which is four times more common in spoken English. If someone phones you, you have or receive a call (not a telephone) from them. If you want to phone a friend or call them (or ring them up, give them a ring / call), you dial their (phone) number. If you are phoning long distance, you will need to dial the code (BrE)/ area code (AmE) for the region or country where they live as well as their local number. All these numbers are found in the phone book or directory (BrE) or by phoning directory enquiries(BrE)/ information (AmE).

If you have a problem getting through to the person you are phoning, you may ring the operator for help. When you phone someone, their phone will ring, and if they are at home they will answer by picking up the phone (or technically the receiver, or on cordless phones the handset).

If they are busy they may ask you to phone/call/ring back later or to hold on or more officially and in American English hold (wait).

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Unit 4

If they do not want to speak to you, or have finished speaking to you, they may hang up (=replace the receiver or switch off the handset).

If someone is already on the phone when you call them, their number is engaged (BrE)/busy (AmE).

If someone does not want to receive any calls, they may the leave their phone off hook (=the receiver is not in its proper place) so that no calls will get through. A telephone in a public place is a public phone or payphone, often placed in a phone / call box (BrE) or phone booth (AmE).

Remember: we use “to phone a place or a person”, “to be on the phone to someone”.

D Read the following word combinations. Use a dictionary to find out the meaning of unknown verbs a). Then decide which of the verbs fit best in the sentences in b). a)

1.The phone’s ringing .Why don’t you ………………………………..the receiver?

2.Mrs Scott isn’t available at the moment. Can you ………………………….. later?

3.Can you …………………………….Ms Dumas’s number in the directory please?

4.I’m afraid she’s with a client, shall I ………………….you ………………….to her secretary.

5.I’m sorry about that. I’m glad you’re still there. We must have been for a moment.

6.Mr Green never seems to be in the office. I’ve been trying to him all morning.

7.Could you …………………...…………….for a moment, I’ll just find out for you.

8.Is Graham there? If so, could you …………………………….………..him please?

9.If the telephonist says “Thank you so much for calling “ and plays me that awful electronic music, I’ll ……………………………………..………… .

10.You’ll never get New York at this time of day, If I were you, I’d ……………….

……………………………………………….. .

11.If an American telephonist asks “Are you through?”, she wants to know if your call …………………………..…… .

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Unit 4

Task 1. Read the talking of Clare Macey, a director of Inter Marketing, suggesting ways to prepare for telephone calls. Then check off the suggestions that she makes that are included in the list below.

If I am making a call, prediction is one thing. I have to try to guess what the other person might say – or ask. I think a lot of it is subconsciously really – it’s a subconscious preparation. But there are more conscious things too, like getting together any information I need, having the right file nearby, my diary, notepaper, a pen and also I might need some particular stuff on the computer screen. All that – what you call desk preparation – is important. Then in addition there’s specific things like checking recent correspondence, knowing exactly what’s going on – knowing what we ought to be doingso understanding the situation or the relationship. Then finally, I would say that part of the preparation needs to be –if you’re making the call

– you have to think about your objectives, what you want from the call, what you may need to ask or need to say. All that should be clear in

your mind. So, in conclusion, I’d stress that it’s terrible if you’re not prepared – it sounds unprofessional and it wastes a lot of time too.

Task 2. Read another short extract from the talking of Clare Macey. Here she is talking about being prepared for incoming calls. Tick (V) what she recommends.

1)send a tax suggesting someone calls you – then be prepared for their call.

2)If you expect a call, think about what the other people will say or what they will ask.

3)Check any relevant documentation or correspondence.

4)If you are busy or not ready when they call, ask them to call back later.

Another type of preparation – you can prepare for incoming calls. Of course, you don’t always know when someone is going to call, but you can have some idea just by knowing, what work is going on. So, I think, if I know someone’s going to call me … then it makes sense to think about what they’ll be talking about and try to anticipate what they might ask or say.

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