Further AheadA communication skills course for Business English

Learner's Book

Sarah Jones-Macziola with Greg White

C a m b r i d g eU N IV E R S IT Y P R E SS

Contents

Unit 1 People 41.1 Meeting people 41.2 Keeping the conversation going 61.3 Finding out about people 8

Unit 2 Talking abou t com pan ies 102.1 Describing a company 102.2 Starting a business 122.3 Getting product information 14

\3tnt 5 Jobs 163.1 Company structure 163.2 Describing responsibilities 183.3 Leaving a message 20

Unit 4 Work and play 224.1 Inviting 224.2 Getting to know you 244.3 Market research 26

Unit 5 Revision and conso lidation 28 Summary 30

Unit 6 Transportation 326.1 Describing infrastructure 326.2 Forms of transport 346.3 Dealing with an order 36

v>m a n d expo rts 387.1 Talking about industries 387.2 Talking about imports and exports 407.3 Made in America 42

Unit 8 A rrangem ents 448.1 Discussing an itinerary 448.2 Dealing with correspondence 468.3 Making and changing an appointment 48

Unit 9 Products and services 509.1 Services 509.2 Describing a product 529.3 Keeping the customer happy 54

Unit 10 R evision and consolidation 56Summary 58

U nit 11 M arketing 6011.1 Projecting an image 6011.2 Choosing your media 6211.3 Choosing a promotional product for your

company 64

U nit 12 Statistics 6612.1 Describing performance 6612.2 Cause and effect 6812.3 Presenting information 70

U nit 13 M oney 7213.1 Negotiating the price 7213.2 Getting paid 7413.3 Chasing payment 76

U nit 14 Socializing 7814.1 Gift-giving 7814.2 Planning a free day 8014.3 Eating out 82

U nit 15 R evision and consolidation 84Summary 86

U nit 16 Business culture and ethics 8816.1 Corporate culture 8816.2 Everyday dilemmas 9016.3 A wom ans place 92

U nit 17 M eetings 9417.1 Greening the office 9417.2 R eporting 9617.3 Cutting costs 98

U nit 18 Processes 10018.1 Talking about regulations 10018.2 Describing a process 10218.3 Company history 104

U nit 19 Conferences 10619.1 Finding a location 10619.2 Organizing the conference 10819.3 Presenting your product 110

U nit 20 R evision and consolidation 112Summary 114

Files 116 T apescrip ts 125T hanks an d acknow ledgem en ts 135

Contents

Unit 1 People 41.1 M eeting people 41.2 Keeping the conversation going 61.3 Finding out about people 8

Unit 2 Talking about com panies 102.1 Describing a company 102.2 Starting a business 122.3 Getting product information 14

Unit 3 Jobs 163.1 Company structure 163.2 Describing responsibilities 183.3 Leaving a message 20

Unit 4 Work and play 224.1 Inviting 224.2 Getting to know you 244.3 Market research 26

Unit 5 R evision and consolidation 28Summary 30

Unit 6 Transportation 326.1 Describing infrastructure 326.2 Forms o f transport 346.3 Dealing w ith an order 36

Unit 7 Im ports and exports 387.1 Talking about industries 387.2 Talking about imports and exports 407.3 Made in America 42

Unit 8 A rrangem ents 448.1 Discussing an itinerary 448.2 Dealing with correspondence 468.3 Making and changing an appointment 48

Unit 9 Products and services 509.1 Services 509.2 Describing a product 529.3 Keeping the customer happy 54

Unit 10 R evision and consolidation 56Summary' 58

U n it 11 M arketing 6011.1 Projecting an image 6011.2 Choosing your media 6211.3 Choosing a promotional product for your

company 64

U nit 12 Statistics 6612.1 Describing performance 6612.2 Cause and effect 6812.3 Presenting information 70

U nit 13 M oney 7213.1 Negotiating the price 7213.2 Getting paid 7413.3 Chasing payment 76

U nit 14 Socializing 7814.1 Gift-giving 7814.2 Planning a free day 8014.3 Eating out 82

U nit 15 R evision and consolidation 84Summary 86

U n it 16 Business culture and ethics 8816.1 Corporate culture 8816.2 Everyday dilemmas 9016.3 A w om ans place 92

U nit 17 M eetings 9417.1 Greening the office 9417.2 R eporting 9617.3 Cutting costs 98

U nit 18 Processes 10018.1 Talking about regulations 10018.2 Describing a process 10218.3 Company history 104

U nit 19 Conferences 10619.1 Finding a location 10619.2 Organizing the conference 10819.3 Presenting your product 110

U nit 20 R evision and consolidation 112Summary 114

Files 116 Tapescripts 125Thanks and acknow ledgem ents 135

PeopleAIMS

Introduce yourself and others Greet visitors

Keep a conversation going Ask questions to find out more about people

QuestionsQuestion tags

Question forms

1.1 Meeting people

Look at these pictures. W h ere are the people? D o they know each other?

r ^ l () N ow listen to three conversations. M atch them to the correct picture,

4

Study these introductions and

Introducing yourselfHello, I'm Gina.

my name's Paulo.

a : H o w d o y o u do?Pleased to meet you.

b: How do you do?Pleased to meet you, too.

Introducing someone elseThis is Wendy.I'd like to introduce Dirk.

Do you know Mikikol Have you met Oscarl

Greeting someone you knowa : How are you? b : Fine thanks.

Not too bad, thank you.

Look at the pictures in A again and practise the conversations w ith a partner. Talk about yourself this time.

o Find out about o ther learners. Use this table to help you.Learner 1 Learner 2 Learner 3 Learner 4

Name

Country

Profession

Company

N ow introduce tw o o f these people to the rest o f the class like this:

This is (name).S /h e s from (country).S /h e s a /n (occupation).S /h e works fo r (company).

greetings.

5

1.2 Keeping the conversation going

O A visitor is com ing to yourcompany. You are m eeting them for the first tim e. W rite dow n three questions you can ask.

2

5

^ I I Listen to B runo Soares talking to Ms Novak, a visitor to his com pany in Porto, Portugal. Are his questions the same as yours?

Listen again and w rite dow n the questions you th ink help to keep the conversation going.

6

^ ^ Practise the questions w ith a partner. Use your ow n inform ation for the answers.

Look at these questions. M atch them to a picture.

1 W here are you staying? CD2 Is the traffic always like this? CD3 W hat do you think o f the conference? CD4 D o you work here in Paris?5 Is it your first trip to N ew York?6 Did you have a good flight? CD

b c

W hich ones does the host (H) ask, w hich ones does the visitor (V) ask and w hich ones could either (E) ask?

T hink o f an answer to each question. T hen choose one o f the situations andprepare a dialogue.

7

1.3 Finding out about people

W h a t do you th ink this subscription form is for:

A book club? A CD club? A magazine?

SAVE 20% ON THE NEWSSTAND PRICEYou pay only AUD$4.96 per issue instead of AUD$6.20

Please write in BLOCK CAPITALS

Surname: .......................................................................................................

First name: ......................................................................................................Job title: .........................................................................................................

Company name: ..........................................................................................

Address: ........................................................................................................City: ................................................................................................................

Country: .........................................................................................................

Tel.: ........................................... Fax: .......................................................

I wish to pay by:

Cheque EH Mastercard EH Visa EHCredit card EH American Express EH

Account number ..........................................................................................

Valid until ......................................................................................................

Signature .......................................................................................................

N ow try to com plete the form for Pamela Thom as.

Gold MasterCardL

5 < + I2 0 0 1 2 4 5 b 15412

r 12-97 P A H E L 4 THOMAS

P A M E L A T H O M A S

E X T R A T O U R3 00 Bourke Street, Melbourne 3 000

Tel. (61 3) 9 67 2 6 50 0 Fox (61 3) 9 6 0 5 3 002

0 9 / 9 6 THRIsIiSifflS P . THOMS

^ L^lJ () Listen to the subscription office calling Pamela Thom as and fill in any missing inform ation.

Study these ways o f checking inform ation.

Your first names Pamela, isn't it?You're an accountant, aren't you?You work for Extratour, don't you?

N ow check inform ation about Sim on Tan like this:

1 Your names Simon Tan, Snf i f ? ...............................2 You work for M cC ash ,...................................................3 Youre the Assistant M anager,.........................................4 You live in Portland, .......................................................5 Youre A m erican ,..............................................................6 Youre not married, .........................................................

McCash41 Second Avenue Portland, OR 97712

Simon TanAssistant Manager

Tel. (503) 767 1111 Fax (503) 7671212

W rite dow n some things you know about o ther learners in the class and then check your inform ation w ith them .

Practise checking inform ation about o ther people. L earner A looks at File 1 onpage 117 and Learner B looks at File 2 on page 120.

9

Talking about companies

AIMS

Describe different types of companies Find out about companies

Find out about a particular product

Past timePast simple - statements and questions

Irregular verbs Questions

Who, What, etc.

2.1 Describing a company

O Look at these com pany nam es and logos. W h a t lines o f business do you th ink they are in? Use the industries in the box below to help you.

- S E E B B 11

0 >

Aerospace Airline Banking Bar coding Catering ComputingFinancial services Food processing Packaging Telecommunications TransportVehicle manufacturing

oI d o n t ag ree . I th in k

i t s in a e ro s p a c e .

/ ]/ a g re e w ith yo u . Im

s u re i t 's in a e ro s p a c e .

C om pare your answers in small groups like this:

f \ / th in k J u p i te r S c ie n c e s c o u ld be in th e a ir lin e

bus ine ss .

10

( |) N ow m atch these com pany profiles to the com panies in A.

?

We are a space technology com pany that designs, m anufactures and m arkets a broad range o f space products and services, including spacecraft systems, satellite-based data com putation and observation services.

We opened our first restaurant in 1978 and currently operate the largest chain in the country with 103 restaurants.

Our restaurants feature best quality Tex-Mex food and traditional-style Mexican food at affordable prices. We provide an alternative to higher-priced traditional sit-down restaurants and lower quality fast food establishments.

4

We manufacture and market a range of consumer packaging in metal, glass and plastics. Our main customers are in the European beverage and food industries. We are one of the leading packaging companies in Europe with production units in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, the UK and Austria. We have approximately 5,300 employees, 75% of whom work outside Sweden.

W e are a R ussian-based brokerage and consulting com pany established in 1992 at the start o f the privatization process in Russia. O u r m ain office is located in M oscow and we also have regional branches in Siberia and the Krasnodar region. W e deal in shares o f Russian privatized enterprises and also provide a full range o f financial services related to Russian securities operations.

^ You are doing some research on this company. H ow m any o f these questions can you answer from this text?

1 W hats the name o f your company?2 W hat line o f business are you in?3 W hat goods or services does your

company provide?4 H ow many employees does your

company have?5 W here are your headquarters?6 W here are your main markets?

I _ I () Listen and check your answers. T hen practise asking and answering these questions w ith a partner.

The long-term goal of the Atlas Copco Group is to be the worlds leading company within its specialized areas of business:compressor, construction and mining and industrial technologies. The group employs more than21,000 people, of whom 14% work outside Sweden. Operations are conducted through 17 divisions, which manufacture products in 57 plants in 15 countries. The major share of manufacturing is conducted within European Union countries. Each division has total business responsibility.

Find out about ano ther learners company. T hen report back to the rest o f the group like this:

... works fo r . . . company.They 're in the . . . business. They make They have . . . employees The headquarters are in . . .Their main markets are . ..

; I. >

2.2 Starting a business

O R ead this article. W h a t kind o f business is Servcorp?

Instant office at the ready

For the first six weeks Joan Slater sat alone in an empty office. I thought I had a good idea, but then I wasnt so sure, she remembers.

In 1978 she set up her company, called it Servcorp and leased half a floor of a central Sydney building. Her business plan was to meet the temporary office needs of busy business people. In those first six weeks she was general manager and the only employee of the company! However things got better when an overseas lawyer became her first client. Servcorps secretaries, receptionists and other employees have been busy ever since.

Today Slater runs a network throughout Australia and Southeast Asia. Servcorp now leases a total of 22 floors of office space. The company offers modem office facilities complete with staff, telecommunication links and computers. As a business takes its first steps offshore, it has to have somewhere to call home. Servcorps offices in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand and in ten Australian cities provide these homes.

Annual turnover was US$28 million last financial year and the company made a large profit. Servcorp is now expanding in Japan, Korea and China. Slater went to Japan last June where she studied Japanese and established Servcorp offices in Tokyo and Osaka. She said the secret was to set up the business to an international standard. Our client can expect the same quality of service as they move from country to country.

N ow correct these statem ents.

1 Slater started her business in M elbourne.2 Servcorp was a success from the start.3 The first client was a local lawyer.4 Servcorp provides offices, but not staff for new businesses.5 Servcorp operates in Australia, Southeast Asia, Japan and the USA.6 The companys turnover was AUD$28m last year.

CJOOOO

M atch a w ord or phrase in the tex t w ith these definitions.

a to start a new companyb a report saying what your company aims to do c something that lasts for a short time d equipment or services for a particular purpose e to get bigger

Study the past simple tense.

Statements^ called the company Servcorp.

leased a building in Sydney.

QuestionsWhat did she call her company?Where did she go last year?

These verbs are irregular. Find them in the article and w rite the past simple nex t to the base form .

be ............................... have ............................... make ...............................become ............................... get ............................... say ...............................do . . .d id ...................... go ............................... think ...............................

H ere are the answers to some questions. W h a t are the questions? Use the words in the box to help you.

W hen (x2) Where Who What Why

1 In 1978. VVhe-ii d id JoanS ta fe -r .$+ up. her2 In the centre o f Sydney .........................................................................................................3 An overseas lawyer.....................................................................................................................4 US$28 billion...............................................................................................................................5 To set up an office......................................................................................................................6 June, last year................................................................................................................................

W ork w ith a partner. O ne learner takes the role o f Joan Slater and the other the interviewer. Add three m ore questions o f your ow n and interview your partner.

2.3 Getting product information

You w ork for ABC C om puting in Taipei. You receive a le tte r from X Electronics in M exico. W h ere do these parts o f the letter go?

1 Truly yours M . A. FarhM. A. Park (Ms)Sales Manager

4 ABC Com putingF8, no 142, M in-C huan E. R dSec. 3 TaipeiTaiwan

2 May 21, 199-

3 Dear Sir or Madam:

5 X Electronics Jaie Balmes 11 CO L Los Morales 11510 M xico D.F. Mxico

I saw your advertisement in th is m onths issue of Asia-Pacific Computing World and would like to receive more information on your range of electronic components.

I look forward to hearing from you.

[1 N ow w rite a reply to X Electronics in M exico.

H ere are some phrases you can use. C an you com plete them?

Thank you for your letter o f ....................................................................We enclose ...................................................................................................Please contact me i f ....................................................................................

14

l l () This is R ita Tong. She is a colleague o f yours at ABC C om puting. H er jo b is to answer enquiries and send out inform ation to custom ers.

Listen to h e r taking some calls and com plete the addresses:

Pavl............................................................

Wet Oapi+ol S

Arkansas ............................................

r'\c-a ..................................................

TAZ- Technologies

.................................................... S fr e e i

San f r a u d s

C-alifornia ...............................................

R ita Tong is o ff sick today and you are taking calls for her. Practise this conversation w ith a partner.

Answer the phone.

Ask for information about Vari-X filters.

Offer to send brochures.Ask for callers name and address.

Give your name and address.

Promise to mail information today.

1Finish the call.

Practise dealing w ith enquiries on the phone. L earner A looks at File 3 on page124 and L earner B looks at File 4 on page 120.

15

AIMS

Talk about company organization Draft an advertisement for a vacancy

Talk about your job and its responsibilities Ask to speak to someone and to leave a message

Present timePresent simple and present progressive

3.1 Company structure

Look at this organigram o f C om ex Xpress. Put the departm ents in the correct box.

Finance Human Resources Production Sales/Marketing

Chief Executive Officer

I

Plant Manager Sales Manager

W h ich departm ents do these people w ork in?

Accounts Clerk After-sales Clerk Pay Clerk Export Clerk

Credit Controller Quality Controller Sales Representative Technician

Maintenance Officer Purchasing Officer Recruitment Officer Training Officer

^ I ^ I () N ow listen to the training officer o f C om ex Xpress explaining the com pany structure to some new employees. C heck your answers in A.

Look at these tw o jo b advertisem ents. W h a t positions do you th ink they are for?

We are a successful advertising agency located in the central business district. We are looking for someone with good keyboard skills. A pleasant telephone manner and the ability to deal with clients are also essential. We can offer the successful applicant an attractive salary and a pleasant work environment.

Our firm is one of the leading importers of engineering tools with

offices close to the city centre. We are seeking a person who can sell and is w illing to travel. A clean

driving licence is essential. We are offering an attractive salary and benefits package including six

weeks holiday a year. For an application form or further

information, please ring 01225 334455.

You need an assistant at w ork. M ake notes about the jo b under these headings and then draft an advertisem ent for this person.

Youk com pany

Slcill and tpal'tfioai'm

Worthing. conditions

3.2 Describing responsibilities

O These people all w ork for Acm e International. W h a t departm ent do you think each person works in?

I d e a l w ith e n q u ir ie s a b o u t o u r p ro d u c ts .

Im re s p o n s ib le fo r invo ic in g o u r c u s to m e rs .

Im in c h a rg e o f th e t ra in in g p ro g ra m m e .

Im in c h a rg e o f s o f tw a re

d e ve lo p m e n t.

/ d e a l w ith c u s to m e r p rob le m s .

Im re sp o n s ib le fo r b uy ing ra w m a te r ia ls .

^ l l N ow listen to interview s w ith them and com plete the chart.

Speaker Departm ent C urrent projects

Frank Sending, rewinde-rs to low paijer

Suzanne

Peter Technical Scrvic& i

Uschi

Rolando

Elke

18

Study the present tenses.

Present simple (usually, often, sometimes) I send out invoices to customers.He organizes conferences.We deal with customer complaints.

Present progressive (around now, temporarily)I'm sending reminders to slow payers.He's organizing the sales conference.We're preparing for a trade fair.

N ow m ake some sentences about the people at Acm e In ternational like this:

Frank ivorks in Accounts. H e sends out invoices to customers.A t the moment hes sending reminders to slow payers.

T hen practise asking and answ ering w ith a partner.

I D M ake a list o f your responsibilities. T hen m ake notes on w hat you are doing at the m om ent.

I work in the Accounts department.

I m responsible for invoicing our customers. in charge of sending out invoices.

I deal with invoices and payments.

At the moment I'm sending out reminders.

Find ou t about ano ther learner. Use these questions to help you:

W hat do you do?W hat are your responsibilities?D o you have to ... ?Ii'hat are you doing at the moment?

H I . . . ARE YOU N E D HERE? I'VE N E V E R 5 E E N YOU B E F O R E .

r n THE LOST EMPLOYEE. I VE B E E N H ID IN G I N THE BUREAUCRACY S IN C E TH E F IF T IE S . . . P A ID BUT FO R G O TTEN .

19

HW11""

% *

Study these expressions. T hey are often used on the phone.

THE FAR SIDEAsking to speak to someoneI'd like to speak to Stephanie.Could you put me through to Rolando?

Saying someone is not availableshe's in a meeting, he's on holiday, the line's engaged, there's no reply.

I'm afraid

Asking to leave a messageCould I leave a message? Could you take a message?

By GARY LARSON

N ow practise this phone call w ith a partner.

Practise taking messages. L earner A looks at File 7 on page 118 and Learner Blooks at File 8 on page 123.

21

19

88

FarW

orks

, Inc

. Us

ed

with

perm

ission

. All

Rights

Re

serve

d.

=AIMS

Make and accept/reject invitations Talk about hobbies and interests

Get information Talk about likes and dislikes

Verb patternsVerbs followed by -ing

Adverbs of frequency

Work and play

4.1 Inviting

Youre in Sydney on business. W h a t w ould you like to do in your free time?

^ I I () M alcolm Carey is an Australian businessman and often entertains clients w ho visit his com pany in Sydney. Listen to three conversations w ith a client. W h a t does he invite he r to do?

Invitation Reply (V /X )

1

2

3

Listen again. D oes she accept ( ^ ) or decline (X) the invitations?

Study these ways o f m aking, accepting and declining invitations.

InvitingWould you like to have dinner with me tonight)How about taking a harbour cruise?

AcceptingI'd love to.That sounds nice. That would be great.

Declining

I'm afraidI'm leaving tomorrow. I'm visiting a client.I have a meeting.

N ow practise m aking invitations w ith a partner like this.

Make an invitation.

1 ..Decline. Give a reason.

rMake an alternative invitation.

1Accept.

Practise m aking m ore invitations. L earner A looks at File 11 on page 116 andL earner B looks at File 12 on page 121.

23

I I () Listen to tw o people talking at dinner. W h o does what?

Activity Man W oman

Mountain biking

Gardening

Jogging

Sailing

Cinema

Reading

Study these ways o f talking about your interests and hobbies.

W ork w ith a partner.Find five things you have in com m on. You can ask questions like this:

W hat do you do in your free time? D o yon play any sports?Do yon ever . . . ?Do you like . . . ?Are you interested in ... ?

25

L^J () Listen to tw o people talking at dinner. W h o does what?

Activity Man W oman

Mountain biking

Gardening

Jogging

Sailing

Cinema

Reading

Study these ways o f talking about your interests and hobbies.

W ork w ith a partner.Find five things you have in com m on. You can ask questions like this:

W hat do you do in your free time? D o you play any sports?Do you ever . . . ?Do you like .. .?Are you interested in . . . ?

I like/enjoy

Im interested in Im keen on ...

I dont really like ...Im not really interested in

25

4.3 Market research

You w ork for a m arket research company. W h a t k ind o f products do you think these people w ould be in terested in? M atch each one to a p roduct below.

26

S i Look at this questionnaire. W h ich o f the products in A do you th ink the com pany is researching? D o you th ink the person answ ering the questions w ould be in terested in it?

Age: 15-18 19-24 ( 2 5 - 3 4 ) 3 5 -4 9 5 0 -6 4 65+ Sex:(W l/F

1 2 3 4 5 6

Travels for business X

Works at home X

Gives presentations X

Does own typing X

Uses computer at work X

Buys computer magazines X

(1 = regularly; 2 = frequently; 3 = often; 4 = sometimes; 5 = seldom; 6 = never)

P P 1a I () Listen to an in terview w ith another potential custom er for the sameproduct and com plete the questionnaire. D o you th ink she w ould be interested in the product?

Age: 15-18 19 -24 2 5 -3 4 35 -4 9 5 0 -6 4 65+ Sex: M /F

1 2 3 4 5 6

Travels for business

Works at home

Gives presentations

Does own typing

Uses computer at work

Buys computer magazines

(1 = regularly; 2 = frequently; 3 = often; 4 = sometimes; 5 = seldom; 6 = never)

M W ork w ith a partner. C hoose one o f the products in A and prepare a m arket research questionnaire for it.

You can use questions like this:

Do you ever . . . ?H ow often do yon .. . ?W hen did you last . . . ?W hat kind o f . . . ?D o you prefer . . . ?H ow much do you spend on ...?

W h e n you have prepared it, in terview some o ther learners. Are they potential customers?

27

Revision and consolidation

O Grammar C orrect the mistakes in these sentences.a Joachim is engineer, b He work in the Frankfurt office, c You work for IBM, doesnt you. d Had you a good journey?e I start working at this company w hen I left school, f W hen jo ined you the company? g Did you went to last years sales conference?h Anita works in After-sales shes dealing with customer complaints, i We develop a new model at the moment, j Would you like seeing the factory after lunch? k Are you interesting in sports?1 I play often tennis and I sometimes play golf.

What do you say? M atch the function to the actual words.1 Introduce a colleague.2 Ask for information about a product.3 Ask who someone works for.4 Invite someone to do something.5 Offer to take a message.6 Say what you do.7 Ask someone about their interests.8 Ask to speak to someone on the phone.

a Can I give him a message?b Im responsible for enquiries about our products, c Have you m et Ms Suzuki? d D o you play any sports? e W ho do you work for?f Could I speak to someone in Accounts, please? g H ow about a drink after the meeting?h Could you send me some information on your filter systems?

N ow w rite a short dialogue using some o f these phrases.

Vocabulary Look at these categories. H ow m any words can you p u t in each category?

Departments Lines o f business Professions

28

H Reading R ead this article about R eu b en Singh. W h y is he unusual?

Another million made, then back in time for school

by Geoffrey Beattie

Reuben Singh is 18 and studying for his final exams at William Hulme School, Manchester. He also runs his own business, Reuben Singh Holdings, which deals in fashion jewellery and accessories. He is worth almost 10m.

The recipe for his success is simple: Girls dont have the money to go out and buy new clothes every day. By using accessories they can change how their clothes look. Its also a business with a good turnover and a very high profit margin.

He started learning about business at the age of 12 in his parents company, which supplies fashion jewellery to British chain stores. He began by dealing with customers. Then he started to accompany his mother on buying trips to the Far East. At 14 he made his first independent trip - accompanied by 12

1^1 () Listening Listen to an in terview w ith a young businesswom an and take notes on w hat she does at these times:

5.00 ............................................................................................................................................7.00 ............................................................................................................................................8.45 ............................................................................................................................................

12.30 ............................................................................................................................................15.30 ............................................................................................................................................21.00 ...........................................................................................................................24.00

M ake notes on your day and tell a partner about it.

assistants. He dealt directly with the manufacturers and negotiated with chain stores. Four years later, at 18, he says he is almost a veteran businessman. He makes nine or ten trips a year to the Far East, and travels to Milan and Barcelona nearly every week.

The

Inde

pend

ent

on Su

nday

21

May

1995

Summary

Question tags

Positive sentences Negative sentencesPamela is an accountant, isn't she? She's not married, is she?She works for Extratour, doesn't she? She doesn't smoke, does she?

Present simple tense

I work in After-sales.We don't export to South America.Do you deal with customer complaints? Yes, I do.

U se To talk about activities which happen again and again or all the time.N.B. We often use adverbs o f frequency w ith the present simple.

Adverbs of frequency

always regularly often sometimes seldom never frequently

N.B. Adverbs o f frequency go before the main verb but after the verb to be.

Present progressive tense

I'm working on the sales report.We're not organizing the sales conference this year.Is Uschi running the training course? Yes, she is.

Use To talk about temporary activities or activities happening around now .N.B. Verbs which express a state (e.g. know , like, want) are usually used w ith the

present simple, even if we are talking about now .

Past simple tense

She leased a building in Sydney.She didn't start her business in Melbourne.Did she go to Japan last year? Yes, she did.

Irregular verbs

begin began begun give gave given see saw seenbuy bought bought g went gone sell sold soldcome came come leave left left speak spoke spokendo did done make made made take took takenfind found found meet met met tell told toldfly flew flown put put put think thought thoughtget got got say said said write wrote written

Use To talk about completed actions in the past.N.B. We often use time markers (e.g. yesterday, two years ago) with the past simple.

30

Useful words and expressionsYotir translation

IntroductionsH ow do you do? ............................................................Pleased to meet you. ............................................................D o you know M s Lefi ............................................................Have you m et M r Tan?. ............................................................

GreetingsH ow are you? ............................................................Fine, thanks. ............................................................N ot too bad. ............................................................

W hat do you do? ............................................................W ho do you work for? ............................................................

I agree. ............................................................I dont agree. ............................................................headquarters ............................................................main markets ............................................................employees ............................................................manufacture ............................................................market ............................................................Im responsible for quality control. ............................................................H es in charge o f Sales. ............................................................They deal w ith customer complaints. ............................................................

C orrespondenceThank you for your letter o f 3 June. ............................................................We enclose a catalogue and price list. ............................................................Please contact me fo r further details. ............................................................

O n the phoneId like to speak to M r Bird. ............................................................Could you put me through to M s Greene? ............................................................Theres no reply. ............................................................The lines engaged. ............................................................W ould you like to leave a message? ............................................................Can I take a message? ............................................................W hos calling? ............................................................

Inviting people to do thingsW ould you like to ...? ............................................................H ow about ... ing? ............................................................Id love to. ............................................................That sounds great. ............................................................

Talking about your interestsIm interested in ... ............................................................Im not really interested in ... ............................................................I quite like ... ............................................................I dont really like ... ............................................................

You might also find it helpful to make lists o f the following vocabulary: industries, departments and jobs which are important for your work, and your free time activities.

31

Punctuation and capitalization

6.1 Describing infrastructure

Look at the p icture and find the following:

airport truck1 railroad2 highway3 port cargo ship tanker container freight train4

British English: 'lorry; 2railway; motorway; 4goods train

AIMS

Talk about infrastructure Describe facilities

Compare advantages and disadvantages Deal w ith orders

Comparative and superlative adjectives Adjectives describing quality

ITransportation

I

32

R ead this article about Virginia. H ow m any different form s o f transport are m entioned?

Virginia, USAVirginia is fast becoming the transportation hub of theeastern USA............ (1)

And our 14 commercial airports put us within easy reach of practically every major city in the world. We offer supersonic transport service with Concorde to London and Paris. Non-stop flights to Frankfurt and Tokyo. Direct flights to Moscow, Jeddah, Stuttgart,Warsaw and Geneva............ (2)

Our seaports are equally top flight. More goods are exported through the Port at Hampton Roads than any other seaport in the country. The cargo handling facilities at Hampton Roads Port are the mostadvanced in the world............ (3)

We also have important railroad lin k s :.......... (4)We have the third largest highway system in the

United States, almost 54,000 miles............ (5)When it comes to transportation, no other state

delivers like Virginia.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Virginia

These sentences are missing from the article. W here do you th ink they belong?

a We also offer non-stop flights to 65 domestic destinations, b There are also plans to add $10 billion worth o f new roads and highway

improvements.c O ur location in the center o f the eastern seaboard puts us w ithin 500 miles o f half

the population o f the U nited States, d More than 80 shipping lines link the harbor with 270 ports in 100 different countries, e Virginia is the junction point for major northsouth and eastwest lines.

These words can be used to say how good the facilities are. Put them under the correct heading like this:

adequate terrible first class fair poor excellent satisfactory very good unsatisfactory

+ + +

W hat are the transport links like for industry w here you live? D escribe them using the words above.

Find out about the transport facilities in Sydney, Australia and Singapore.Learner A looks at File 13 on page 118 and L earner B looks at File 14 on page122.

6.2 Forms of transport

|c (j Listen to som eone from Transworld Freight Forwarders talking about different types o f transport and com plete the grid.

Transport Advantage Disadvantage

a ............................... fast expensivelarge quantities not possible

b suitable for heavy goods or large quantities ports expensive

delays common

c door-to-door service

d ............................... economical use of labour no door-to-door service

&EIG//7-

34

l l Study these ways o f com paring things.

Transporting goods by air is much faster than by sea. Transporting goods by sea is not as fast as by air. Transporting goods by air is the fastest method.

Transporting goods by air is more expensive than by sea. Transporting goods by sea is not as expensive as by air. Transporting goods by air is the most expensive method.

N.B. good better best; bad worse worst

M ake some sentences com paring air and road transport. Use the words in the box to help you like this:

Transporting goods by air isnt as cheap as by road.

cheap fast difficult dangerous slow expensive easy safe

W hich m ethod o f transport is

a the most flexible? b the most reliable? c the most environmentally friendly?

C om pare your answers w ith a partner.

^ You w ork for a consultancy firm . W rite short reports on the best m ethods o f transport for your clients.

1 Leuwan Florist o f Holland deals in flowers and supplies the European market.2 Johnson Chemicals o f Britain distributes chemicals to the European market.3 H eriot Meats o f N ew Zealand supplies the Middle East and Japan with livestock

and frozen meat.4 A C R o f Taiwan supplies the world market with computer monitors.

D o n t forget to give reasons for and against the different m eans o f transport.

M atch the type o f cargo to the symbol.

Types o f cargo

1 perishable goods

2 hazardous goods

3 livestock

4 high value cargo

5 fragile goods

6 flammable goods

C an you th ink o f o ther exam ples o f these types o f

35

ft i/o

6.3 Dealing with an order

Q You are B rian D avisons assistant at VAC Industries. Look at this fax and fill in the missing inform ation in the header.

28 August Spain Ms Sanchez Royale Engineering Company

I n d u s t r i e s

28 Devon Road,Plymouth PLI 1HZ

Fax: + + 4 4 (0)1752 323821 Tel: + + 4 4 (0)1752 328822

AttentionCompanyCountryFromDate

Brian Davison

dear ms sanchez

thank you for your order of 23 august we are pleased to confirm your order of 20 units of model 1 203 payment by letter of credit we will deliver the goods by 20 September by ship to bilbao i will send you shipping details on Monday

i look forward to hearing from you soon

yours sincerely

brian davison marketing manager

Look at the rest o f the fax and add capitals and full stops.

[ ] Listen to Ms Sanchez calling VAC Industries. W h a t does she w ant to change?

payment conditions H3num ber o f machines ordered EH m ethod of delivery (Umodel o f machine CH

This is the m em o Brian D avison sent to the dispatch departm ent. Is it correct?

MEMO

Change delivery conditions (Royale Engineering Ms Sanchez) - order no. E 5490.

A ir freight to Bilbao as soon as possible.Ms Sanchez to pay additional freight costs.

! B rian D avison has asked you to w rite to Ms Sanchez confirm ing the changes. Look at these sentences. W h ich tw o can you use?

1 Please send me the information as soon as possible.2 Additional charges for delivery by air freight will be paid by you.3 Thank you for your enquiry.4 Please find enclosed information on terms o f payment and conditions o f delivery.5 We have arranged for the immediate dispatch o f the goods by air freight.

N ow w rite a fax confirm ing the new arrangem ents.

I n d u s t r i e s

28 Devon Road,Plymouth PLI 1HZ

Fax: ++44 (0)1752 323821 Tel: ++44 (0)1752 328822

Attention : Company : Country From Date

Message

37

AIMS

Talk about imports and exports Talk about quantity

Describe change: past and presentQuantity

Mass and count nouns

Past timePast simple and present perfect

Imports and exports

7.1 Talking about industries

M atch these industries to the icons below and w rite them in the blanks.

textile automobile pharmaceutical computer chemical tourism petroleum agriculture

Un it e d States ofI T - ?

E I I f

E I

I f

# E I E I

MONTERREY

M exico

I

MEXICO

CITY

ACAPULCO

C / f r ,

c e a m

38

I D 1 1 Listen to an in terview w ith a M exican businessman.Are the industries in A exports (E) or im ports (I)? T ick the boxes as you listen.

Listen again. W h a t industry does he w ork in?

Look at these types o f industries. C an you explain each type?

Commodities M anufacturing Services

oil fe-rfi\c ....................................... fo\ir'im and fra/e-l

Put these industries into the correct colum n.

consumer electronics advertising oil rice pharmaceuticals coffee retailing banking coal furniture textiles cars insurance wool tourism and travel

^ M ake a list o f im portant industries in your area or country. T hen com pare w ith a partner.

You can use these expressions to help you:

The main industry is ...O ur major export is ...We are developing the . . . industry/business.Other important service/manufacturing industries are ...... employs a lot o f people in my area.

39

7.2 Talking about imports and exports

This chart shows South K orean im ports from China.

ProductsChemical Mineral & mining Textiles Agricultural

I Iron & metal I Machinery

Electric/Electronics Others

CHINA

Are these statem ents true (T) or false (F )?

South Korea imports:1 a lot o f electrical products2 quite a lot o f chemicals3 only a few textiles4 only a little machinery EH

South Korea doesnt import:5 many agricultural products6 m uch iron or metal EH

Beijing < NORTHPyongyang KOREA

S eou l SOUTH

YELLOW KOREA SEA

SEAOF

JAPAN

fn

f t

JAPAN I oky

40

Study these ways o f talking about quantity.

How m an y...?

fffffln iiim n

iffiriifiiM im n il n inn

fftttf in n n nM lil Ml Ml 11 Ml

Mil!not any a few not many quite a lot a lot

N ow com plete these conversations, using words from above.

A: H ow nnvcb........................... (1) does your country earn from tourism each year?B: I dont know exactly, but Id say .................................................................... (2).

A: H o w ....................................... (3) tourists visit your country each year?B: I c a n t re a lly say, b u t I t h i n k ....................................... (4).

A: Do you im p o r t....................................... (5) coal?b : N o ,................................................... (6).

A: Do you e x p o rt........................................(7) cars?B: No, o n ly ....................................... (8 ).

This pie chart showsSouth K orean exports to China.M ake some sentences like this:

South Korea exports a lot o f .............Textiles

S I Iron & metal

S I Machinery

Electric/Electronics

Chemical

Mineral & mining

Others

Practise finding out about a coun try s im ports and exports. Learner A looks at File 15 on page 121 and L earner B looks at File 16 on page 124.

7.3 Made in America

Look at these statem ents about A m erican m anufacturing in the 1980s. D o youth ink they are true (T) or false (F)?

In the 1980s, American companies: i 1 had an international outlook.

2 still used old-fashioned methods o f production.3 took a short-term view o f business.4 were good at developing new products.5 neglected hum an resources. '6 didnt cooperate effectively with their business partners. I I

N ow read this article and find out if you are right.

THEN

I

1 Then American firms relied too much on the domestic market, despite increasing competition from Europe and Japan. They were blina to science and innovation outside the USA and therefore failed to adapt foreign discoveries for use at home.

2 Then American industry continued to mass producegoods long after the Japanese had learnt that not only economies of scale but also quality, reliability ana different products for different segments of tne market are important.

3 Then American firms had short-time horizons. WhileJapanese companies invested heavily in consumer technologies, American consumer electronics firms diversified into other businesses such as car rentals and financial services. They eventually lost the market altogether.

4 Then there was too much emphasis on 'basicresearch' and too little on the technical work needed to turn brilliant ideas into products that people would buy. Designers didn't bother to make sure products could be manufactured easily and reliably. The art of manufacturing was not respected.

5 Then on-the-job training in Germany and Japan gave these countries an advantage over American firms. These did not try to improve workers' skills.

6 Then American firms were bad at cooperating. Bothcustomer-supplier relations and labour relations were poor.

N ow m atch a paragraph from this article on A m erican m anufacturing in the 1990s to a paragraph from A .

a Now firms as well as universities have begun to take manufacturing more seriously. More engineers, and better ones, work in manufacturing. 'We realized you couldn't just invent', says a senior vice-president at Intel. 'You also had to make a few million things.'

b Now no big firm ignores its suppliers any more.

c Now American manufacturers, in the middle of an export boom, are focused on the outside world. The number of exporting businesses has increased. Many firms are looking for openings in Russia, China, India or Brazil.

d Now the biggest American companies say that people are their most valuable resource. Since 1982,80,000 Ford workers have been through training programmes. Chaparral Steel tries to keep 85% of its employees enrolled in training courses at any time.

I e Now from Coca-Cola to Fidelity Investments, American companies have learnt to segment the market. They have also discovered continuous quality improvement. In 1994, AT&T became the first American company to win Japan's Deming prize for quality control. Many companies nave introduced quality raising initiatives.

I f Now American firms have begun to take a longer view.Shareholders are behaving more like long-term owners and managers are more accountable for their performance.

Study these ways o f talking about the past.

Past simple (then)American firms relied on the domestic market. American firms did not try to improve workers' skills.

Present perfect (result now)The number of exporting firms has increased.80,000 Ford workers have been on training programmes.

R ead this article about an A m erican rail com pany and underline the correct tense.

AT YOUR SERVICESouthern Pacific is now the sixth-biggest rail company by revenue. In 1980, it employed / has employed (1) 30,000 people. Now it has 18,000. Under the ownership of a Denver billionaire, the company invested / has invested (2) heavily in new technology. It

consolidated / has consolidated (3) many of its operations and sold / has sold (4) some of its track. A further 4,000 employees lost / have lost (5) their jobs last year, but revenue ton-miles per employee went up / has gone up (6) last year to 7.5m from 4.3m in 1990.

W ork in small groups. M ake notes on your area or com pany ten years ago. W h a t has changed since then? C om pare your ideas w ith another group.

"43 "

AIMS

Talk about schedules Make and change arrangements and appointments

Deal with correspondence Make a telephone call to arrange a meeting

Future timePresent progressive for future

will future

o

8.1 Discussing an itinerary

W h a t arrangem ents have to be m ade before som eone goes on a business trip abroad? M ake a list.

Arrangements

OBERO' HOTEL BOMBA*s S A

^ 1 I () Olivia M iller is going to Bom bay on business. Listen to her discussing the trip w ith her secretary and com plete the itinerary.

Olivia M iller - Trip to Bom bayMonday, O c to b e r 3rd................................. C ar t o London H e a th ro w , Term inal 4................................. BA F lig h t 1 3 9 t o B o m bay................................. Arrive Bom bay, t ra n s fe r t o h o te l

Tuesday, O c to b e r 4 t h................................. M e e tin g w ith M r S hah

W ednesd ay , O c to b e r 5 t hAll d a y Tour o f new p la n t in B o m bay an d m ee tin g w ith d ire c to rs

T h u rs d a y , O c to b e r 6 t h................................. BA f l ig h t 1 3 8 t o London H e a th ro w................................. A rrive London H e a th ro w................................. S a le s m ee tin g , London

Study these ways o f talking about the future.

Present progressive (for arrangements)I'm arriving on Monday.You're seeing him at 2.00.She's staying at the Oberoi.

W ill (for sudden decisions and promises) make an appointment, ask my boss, confirm it at once.

C om plete this conversation w ith the correct form o f the verb. Use the verbs in the box to help you.

come fly see fax stay

OLIVIA: W h e n ................................................................................. (1) to N ew York?ASSISTANT: Friday morning.Your flights at nine o clock.OLIVIA: W h e re .................................................................................(2)?ASSISTANT: At the Royalton Hotel. Im afraid the Plaza is full.OLIVIA: W h e n ................................................................................. (3) Bill Urwin?ASSISTANT: Friday afternoon at four o clock, local time.OLIVIA: ...................................................................................................

N e i l ........................................................................... (4) to the meeting too?a s s is t a n t : Yes, he is.OLIVIA: Good, but h e needs a copy o f the report for it.ASSISTANT: R ight................................................................................ (5) it this afternoon.

Practise talking about schedules. Learner A looks at File 17 on page 118 andL earner B looks at File 18 on page 122.

45

8.2 Dealing with correspondence

Look at these letters. W hich one is:

a thanking b arranging c confirming d inviting e accepting f cancelling

1 2

February 2, 199-

Dear Mr Oliver Schmutz:

I am pleased to be able to invite you to the Annual Conference of Packagers, which will take place in Los Angeles 4 - 7 July.

I enclose a program with details of the speakers and the various topics that have been proposed, together with a registration form. On receipt of your form we will send you details of accommodation in Los Angeles, together with a booking form. Any further enquiries should be sent to me at the above address.

I look forward to seeing you in Los Angeles in July.

Sincerely,

Sheila Legl

February 5, 199-

Dear Oliver

Thank you very much for your hospitality while I was in Portland.

It was very useful to see the new warehouse and I hope to be able to implement some of your suggestions here in Germany.

I look forward to seeing you when you come to Frankfurt in the fall.

Best regards

Dieter

4

3

February 9 , 199-

Dear Mr Schmutz:

Unfortunately Ms Gilbertson is not able to keep the appointment with you on Wednesday, February 11 at 2.20 as an urgent matter will prevent her from travelling to Portland.

Please accept her apologies. She will contact you as soon as she returns to HQ.

5

February 9 , 199-

Dear S ir/Madam:

Please reserve a single room with bath for the nights of February 22, 2 3 ,2 4 .

I would be grateful if you could confirm my reservation.

Sincerely,

Oliver Schmutz

February 11,199-

Dear Mr Schmutz:

We are pleased to confirm your reservation for one single room with bath from February 22 to 24.

Please let us know your time o f arrival and departure.

Sincerely yours,

6

February 8 , 1 99-

Dear Mr Riddlestone:

Thank you for your invitation to attend the opening of your new training center.

I would be most pleased to attend and look forward to seeing you there.

Best regards,

Oliver Schmutz

R eread the letters and underline the words and expressions that helped you get the answers.

^ These expressions are often used in correspondence.

RequestingCould you please confirm my reservation?We would be grateful if you could return the booking form today.

Giving good newsI am pleased to invite you to the annual conference.

Giving bad newsUnfortunately, Ms Gilbertson is not able to meet you.I am afraid we will not be able to meet as planned.

ThankingThank you for your hospitality.We were pleased to see you last week.

ConfirmingI confirm your meeting next Thursday.I am pleased to confirm your reservation for next week.

I I Listen to Je ff M organ discussing a business trip to O rlando.

1 W hen is he travelling to Orlando?a 9 January b 19 January c 29 January

2 How many nights does he want to stay there?a 1 night b 2 nights c 3 nights

3 W hen is the meeting with Orion?a 1 February b 5 February c 21 January

You are Je ff M organs assistant. W rite a fax to the M arrio t H ote l and a fax to O rion for him.

N ow rew rite these phrases to m ake them m ore polite like this:

I would be grateful i f you could cancel my reservation.

123456

Cancel my reservation.M r Petersen can come to the reception on 1 May Mrs Lindgren cant come to the reception on 1 May.I want an appointment on 22 May.Send me confirmation o f my booking.Thanks for dinner last week.

47

8.3 Making and changing an appointment

I 1 () This is Kate W illiam s diary. Listen to tw o phone calls and fill in the appointm ents.

OctoberM O N . 10

TUE. 11

Freent n e iv brochur& WED. 12

2.^)0 M r. A^ocM THUR. 13

t.O F rin+ er FRI. 14

SAT. 15

SUN. 16

l H Study these ways o f m aking an appointm ent.

Suggesting a timebe convenient?

When would suit you?

Are you free on Monday1 How about 10.001

Saying yesThat's fine. That suits me.

Saying noI'm afraid I cant make Wednesday.I'm sorry, I can't manage the morning.

48

N ow practise this conversation w ith a partner.

Answer the phone.

1Explain why you are calling.

rFind out when would be a good time to meet.

1Suggest a day.

rAgree. Suggest a time and place to meet.

Agree.

rConfirm the arrangement.

Finish the call.

I ^ l K ate W illiam s phones Ian N orm an to change their appointm ent. W h at do you th ink she will say to him?

N ow listen and w rite the new appointm ent in her diary.

1 9 Practise m aking and changing arrangem ents. L earner A looks at File 19 on page 117, Learner B looks at File 20 on page 120.

49

AIMS

9.1 Services

Describe a product Make and deal w ith com plaints

Apologize

Adjectivesm aterials/shapes/qualities

9 Products and services

O R ead this leaflet about First D irect. W h a t services does it offer?

Welcome to a new and different way of bankingFirst Direct offers a banking service that enables you to do all your normal banking business without having to set foot inside a bank branch.First Direct is a division of Midland Bank pic and offers a person to person banking service 24 hours a day, every day - at the end of a telephone. Your call will always be answered by a banking representative whose job is to assist you with a full range of banking products and services. Our interest rates are highly competitive because our overheads are low. We have no branches so we can pass on cost savings to our customers.

The banking service that gives you time for the important things in lifeFirst Direct lets you make more of your time. Whether you are busy at work, or relaxing at home, the UKs first 24-hour person-to-person banking service is more convenient.It lets you manage your finances whenever you want. You can call us at any time of the day or night, at weekends, even on public holidays, for a wide range of banking services.You can call us 24 hours a day to arrange payment of domestic bills (gas, electricity, water, etc.); transfer money in the UK or around the world; check the balance of your Cheque Account, or order foreign currency or travellers cheques.Make the most of your time with a First Direct Cheque Account.

Why you should bank with First Direct

We are open 24 hours a day, every day.

You can transact your banking needs over the telephone.

You can pay bills over the telephone.

You can withdraw up to 500 cash a day from over 13,500 cash machines.

You can guarantee cheques up to 100.

You will always deal with friendly and efficient staff.

R ead the leaflet again and correct these statem ents.

a First Direct has branches in all major cities, b The bank is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. c Bank charges are higher than in other banks, d It offers only a limited range o f services.e You can withdraw 5 0 0 a week from cash machines in the UK. f You can guarantee cheques up to ,50.

W h a t do you think? W ould you like to use First D irect as a bank? D oes your bank offer a similar service?

M atch a w ord or phrase in the leaflet w ith these definitions:

a to enter a buildingb the local office o f an organizationc a company which is part o f a large groupd the person from the bank you will speak toe money you get when you deposit money with the bankf money spent on the day-to-day costs o f a business.

H L Listen to a phone call betw een First D irect and a potential custom er. W h a t does he w ant to know?

You are going to role play some phone calls to First D irect. L earner A looks at File 23 on page 119 and L earner B looks at File 24 on page 124.

W h en you have practised your role plays, act them ou t for another pair. Ask them if they th ink you are friendly, helpful and efficient!

9 .2 Describing a product

[ f 1^1 () Listen to a sales representative describing the bed to a potentialcustom er and com plete the missing inform ation. W h a t are the advantages o f this range o f furniture?

Look at this bed. W h a t questions can you ask to com plete the missing inform ation?

Length: ................................W idth: ................................Height: ................................Colours: ................................Material: ................................Price: ................................

Look at these words for describing a product.

robust plastic easy-to-use metal round wood attractive leather square sphere cotton wool cube good-value cone triangle flexible long-lasting

Put them into categories like this:

Shape M aterial Quality. rovnd........................................plaitit-.......................................rokvsf

Use some o f the words above to describe som ething in your bag or pockets.

^ Practise describing some products. L earner A looks at File 27 on page 116 and L earner B looks at File 28 on page 120.

53

9.3 Keeping the customer happy

L^J You w ork in the Sales D epartm ent at Leroy M otors. Listen to a colleague phoning the printers. W h a t is the problem?

N ow listen to the p rin te r retu rn ing your colleagues call. W h ich brochures is she waiting for? W h en will she get them?

T he brochures have now arrived. R ead this le tte r your colleague has w ritten to a custom er. W hy has she w ritten it?

L E R O YM O T O R S I N C

199 Heidelberg Rd,Ho Industries Ivanhoe,Attn: Mr Peter Wong Victoria 3177Shoei Yuan RoadTaipeiTaiwan, ROC

April 27, 199-

Dear Mr Wong

I apologize for the delay in sending you information on our complete range of industrial motors. This was because some of the brochures were still at the printers.

Please find enclosed the missing brochures on our models in the A90 range.

I hope this did not cause any inconvenience. Please accept my apologies again.

Best regards

J&nnif&r Avi'm

Jennifer Austin Sales Manager

R ead the le tte r again. U nderline the phrases the w riter uses to apologize.

54

Study these ways o f apologizing and accepting an apology.

Apologizingvery Im ' really

sorry.

Accepting an apologyI see.That's OK.Never mind.

Practise m aking apologies. R o le play this phone call betw een another custom er w ho is still waiting for the brochures and yourself.

Answer the phone.

1Explain why you are calling.

rApologize. Explain why you havent sent the brochures.

I_ I Listen to some voice-mails. W h a t are the problem s? First decide i f you will w rite or call the custom er. T hen role play the call or draft the letter.

Message Problem Action

1

2

3

55

I Revision and consolidation

Grammar C orrect the mistakes in these sentences.a Is it more quick to transport goods by rail or by road? b W hich is the expensivist m ethod o f transport? c We im port much computers but we dont im port much machinery, d How much cars do you export each year? e Unem ploym ent has increased during the eighties, f Transport improved a lot. We now have a new rail link, g W hen go you to headquarters? h How much nights do you want to stay? i I booking a room for you at the Sheraton.j Im afraid M r Honda cant come to the meeting because he will go on a course on

Thursday.k H ow much weigh those shelves over there?1 Its 3.5 metres length.

What do you say? M atch the function to the actual words.1 Describe facilities.2 Ask about the price o f something.3 Talk about arrangements.4 Offer help.5 Otfer to do something.6 Apologize.7 Describe a product.8 Suggest a time for a meeting.

a Ill meet you at the station, b W hat can I do for you? c W ould Thursday m orning suit you? d W hat does it cost? e Its excellent value-for-money. f The airport is excellent, g Im sorry. W hat exactly is the problem? h Im seeing M r Honda on Tuesday.

N ow w rite a short dialogue using some o f these phrases.

Vocabulary Put these words in to three categories and then give them a heading.

tanker oil insurance truck port plastic container leather chemicals wood tourism cotton

A dd some m ore words to each category.

I 1 () Listening This chart W h y customers Excessive accountshows w hy people change banks. have moved charges 30%

N ow listen to Jam es Shaw explaining w hy he changed banks W hich reasons does he m ention? W h a t o ther reasons n o t in the chart does he give?

Account charges imposed without warning

Account charges that were unjustified or unfair

Inconvenient branch location/ closed local branch

Slow service in the branch/ queues in the branch

Poor advice from the institution

Reading R ead this article about changing banks and p u t these steps in the righ t order:

] C ut your cheque-guarantee card in half.] Tell the new bank to take over payment o f the standing orders and direct debits.] W rite a letter to the old bank to close the account.] Instruct your employer to pay your salary into the new account.

I I Ask your old bank to send you a list o f standing-order and direct-debit commitments.

Cancel the payment o f standing orders with the old bank.

THE ITCH TO SWITCHDissatisfied with your bank? Many people are, but few actually move.

According to a recent survey, about 36 million of us run a current account, but more than 6 million of us are dissatisfied with our bank.

Excessive charges and poor service are the most common complaints. But we also grumble about low interest rates for accounts in credit, too few cash points and inconvenient branch opening hours and location.

If you get the itch to switch, the first step is to instruct your employer to pay your salary into the new account - give at least one month's notice.

Next, ask your bank to send you a list of direct-debit and standing-order commitments. Tell your new bank to take over the payment of the standing orders and then cancel them with the old bank.

Dealing with direct debits is more difficult. You must send a letter to everyone you pay by direct debit to let them know you are changing banks. They will then send new direct-debit forms, which you must complete and return before you cancel the old direct-debits.

Once all payments into and out of your old account have been switched to your new one, cut your old cheque-guarantee card in half and send it to your old bank, together with any unused cheques and a letter to close the account.

The whole process can take up to two months - and things can go wrong. Direct debts may be paid twice, or missed altogether. Customers may also find that payments go out of the account before the salary has gone in. Unless the bank offers free overdraft facilities you could pay the price for being in the red.

byNaomiCaine

Summary

Comparison

Adjective Comparative Superlative

One syllable cheap cheaper cheapestOne syllable + y easy easier than the easiestTwo or more syllables reliable more reliable most reliable

ComparativeWe are cheaper than our competitors. We are also more reliable.Transworld are the fastest freight forwarders. They are also the most expensive. We are as flexible as our competitors.

Quantity

Countable nounsa few, some, a lot of not many, any How many?

Uncountable nouns+++ a little, some, a lot of-------not much, any??? How much?

We export a little rice and we import a few trucks.We do not export any oil and we do not import any cars.How much wheat do you export? How many buses do you import?

Present perfect tense

Present perfect Past simpleWe've made 100,000 widgets. We made 10,000 widgets in April.We haven't sold all of them yet. We didnt sell any last month.Have you confirmed that order? When did you confirm it?

U se We use the present perfect to talk about past actions w hen we are thinking about the result now.

N.B. If we are talking about a definite time in the past (e.g. yesterday, last week, two years ago) we use the past simple and not the present perfect.

The future

Present progressive WillI'm flying to New York on Monday. Have you confirmed my flight yet? No, I haven't. I'll do it now.We're not staying at the Hilton. I still have a lot of travellers' cheques. OK, I won't order any more.Is your boss coming to the meeting?

U se We use the present progressive to talk about future arrangements.We use will for decisions and promises made at the time o f speaking.

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Useful words and expressionsYour translation

airport ....................................................................cargo ship ....................................................................container ....................................................................courier ....................................................................goods train/freight train* ...................................................................lorry/truck* ...................................................................railway/railroad* ...................................................................m otorway/highway* ...................................................................port ...................................................................tanker ...................................................................

adequate ...................................................................excellent ...................................................................fair ...................................................................poor ...................................................................unsatisfactory ...................................................................terrible ....................................................................

flexible ...................................................................reliable ...................................................................environmentally friendly ...................................................................

arrange a meeting ...................................................................confirm a booking ...................................................................accept an invitation ....................................................................cancel an appointment ....................................................................

height ....................................................................length ....................................................................w idth ....................................................................weight ....................................................................

M aking appointm entsW hen would be convenient? ....................................................................W hen would suit you? ...................................................................Are you free on M onday? ....................................................................H ow about 1 0.00? ....................................................................T hats fine. ....................................................................That suits me. ....................................................................Im afraid I cant make Wednesday. ....................................................................Im sorry, I cant manage the morning. ....................................................................

C orrespondencePlease could you send us a price list. ....................................................................I am pleased to invite you . . . ....................................................................I am afraid that I will not be able to a tte n d ...........................................................................I apologize for the delay. ....................................................................Unfortunately there was a problem . . . ....................................................................Please accept my apologies. ....................................................................

You might also find it helpful to make lists o f the following vocabulary: industries which are important for your country, types o f cargo, shapes, adjectives to describe your companys products, and materials.

American English

AIMS

Discuss a com pany's image Talk about d iffe rent ways o f p rom oting a product

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various form s of p rom otion

Relative pronounswho and which Marketing

11.1 Projecting an image

Look at these tw o logos for the British Broadcasting C orporation (BBC) W hich one do you prefer? W hy?

B B C

These logos are trade m arks o f the British B roadcasting Corporation and are used under licence.

Il () N ow listen to som eone from the BBC talking about the tw o logos and answer these questions.

1 W hy did the BBC decide to change its logo?2 W hat were the problems with the old logo?3 W hat were the aims o f the new logo?4 W hat has it cost the BBC to change the logo?

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Look at this com panys p rin ted and m arketing m aterial. W h a t are the different b randed items?

W hich o f these items are used as prom otional materials?

o Study these ways o f defining objects.who/that = people (not things) A customer is someone who buys something from a company.

which/that = thingsAn invoice is something which asks for payment of goods or services.

C hoose an ending to m ake sentences about the items on the left like this:

A catalogue is something which lists items for sale and their prices.

1 catalogue2 newsletter3 supplier4 letterhead5 graphic designer6 logo7 printer

prints books and leafletsis printed at the top o f writing paperis used on products and advertising materialgives news about a companylists items for sale and their pricesdesigns logos, etc.provides a company with goods or equipment

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11.2 Choosing your media

Q T here are m any different ways o f p rom oting a product. H ow and w here are these tw o products advertised?

R ead this extract from an article on different ways o f prom oting goods and services. Put in the correct term s.

Direct mail Advertising Merchandising Consumer promotions

Special offers, discounts and free offer and sample coupons are all exampleso f .................................... (1)They can persuade consumers to try a product for the first time, to change from a competitive product or to increase the size of a purchase.

.................................................. (2)consists of giving away or selling useful objects, such as sports bags or shopping holdalls with your brand name. You can also associate a character, personality or animal with your products and produce stickers, key rings, pens or other giveaway items to help

people connect this image with your business.

.................................... (3)is promotional communicating by post. It is whatever the sender wants it to be - advertising, market research or a thank you letter to customers.

It is useful where a product or service has a limited customer base because it addresses named targets only. It can be extremely cost- effective. It is also flexible in size, content and timing. It is most effective when it is linked with other opportunities to communicate. You can follow it up by telephone,

meeting or other forms of advertising.

A lthough................... (4)is very expensive, it is an economical way of getting a message to a large audience. If considering a magazine, study its circulation carefully. How many people does it go to? Are they people who might buy from you? W hat other advertisers does the magazine have? Local radio and regional television can be affordable. However, remember they are best suited to consumer goods and not industrial or business products, where needs m ust be more closely targeted.

N ow reread the article. Are these statem ents true (T) or false (F)?

1 O ne o f the aims o f sales promotions is to get customers to buy new products.2 Special offers, discounts and free samples are all forms o f merchandising.3 If you have only a small num ber o f customers, direct mail is ideal.4 Direct mail is a very expensive way o f promoting a product or service. L_J5 Radio and TV are cost-effective means o f advertising.6 Radio and TV are ideal for advertising industrial products. CD

| J W ork in groups. You w ork for an in ternational advertising agency and have to prepare an advertising cam paign for these products in your country. First, th ink about the potential custom ers and w here the product is sold. W h ere w ould you advertise them ? W hy w ould you choose these m edia over others? W rite a short report giving your suggestions, then com pare w ith o ther learners.

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11.5 Choosing a promotional product for your company

O l l () You w ork in the M arketing D epartm en t o f N iche W ear, a clothing store for young adults and children. You have a reputation for good quality at a reasonable price and are expanding rapidly.

In six weeks you are opening another store. Listen to this message your boss has left you and m ake notes.

FKDM O TIO HAI'

N ow com plete this order form for the products you have chosen.

Q u an tity ................ P ro d u c t............................ Product colourQ u an tity ................ P ro d u c t............................ Product colourQ u an tity ................ P ro d u c t............................ Product colourQ u an tity ................ P ro d u c t............................ Product colourQ uan tity ................ P ro d u c t............................ Product colour

Print co lo u r............................

Company n a m e ......................................... Nam e of buyerA ddress .........................................................................................

P ostcode ................................ Tel..................................... Fax

These sentences can be used in the letter to accom pany your order form . First m atch the beginnings and endings. T hen draft a letter to accom pany your order form .

Please confirm ... ... receiving the goods.We would like to ... ... you can deliver the goods within ... days.We enclose ... ... place an order for the following items.We look forward to ... ... your official order form.

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Statistics

AIMSDescribe trends

Talk about cause and effect Give reasons for changes in performance

Discuss training programmes Make a short presentation

Adjectives and adverbs

Sequencing language

12.1 Describing performance

R ead these extracts from Volvos annual report and m atch each one to a graph.

- v 0

1 Sales of cars were 2 per cent lower than last year. In Europe, sales increased by less than 2 per cent to 197,000 cars. Market shares were just under 2 per cent. In North America, the number of cars sold remained unchanged. In other markets, sales declined slightly. The number of cars sold in Japan fell 15 per cent to 8,600 units. Sales in Southeast Asia increased to 10,700 units.

2 Sales of trucks were down 9 per cent compared with last years figures. Volvo delivered a total of 48,130 trucks of which 5,100 were medium-heavy units and 43,000 were in the heavy class. In Europe, the number of heavy trucks sold decreased by 21 per cent to 18,400 and the share of the total market in Europe shrank slightly to 12 per cent. In North America, sales followed the upturn in the market and deliveries rose 25 per cent to 16,720. In other markets, sales of trucks dropped by 4,020 to 8,180 units.

3 Sales of buses increased by 16 per cent over the preceding year. Deliveries of buses rose 20 per cent to a total of 5,580 vehicles. In Europe, Volvo delivered a total of 2,360 buses. The market share fell slightly from 14 to 12 per cent. Volvo buses are not marketed in North America. In other markets, the number of buses sold climbed to 3,230, a dramatic increase of 45 per cent.

A 60,00050,000

5 ^75 94 -nn

40.000 Europe30.00020.000 North Amerjca10.000

Other markets

B 6,000

Last year This year

5,000 4 fi5fl4.0003.000 Europe2.000

1,000 other markets

C 400,000

Last year This year

300.000

200.000 Europe

100'000 m rth a North America

309^300 301800

Other marketsLast year This year

R eread the texts. U nderline all the words and phrases w hich describe an upw ard (T) or dow nw ard () m ovem ent.

These verbs describe trends. Put them under the correct heading like this:

to soar to drop to remain unchanged to decline to rise to decrease to jump to remain stable to climb to plunge to fall to increase

tt T 't/i i Uto Soar.......................................................................................................................................................

These words describe the degree o f change. G roup them like this:

gradually suddenly slowly steadily slightly dramatically sharply

+ + + + + +

sradvallii

This table shows sales o f trucks around the w orld. W rite some sentences like this:

Sales in Brazil fell slightly.

Last year This year

Brazil 1,070 950

Iran 470 470

Uruguay 50 470

Singapore 0 300

Sweden 360 290

Peru 150 220

Study the difference betw een adjectives and adverbs.

Adjectives

There was a

Adverbssharp increase in sales. Sales increased sharply.slight decrease decreased slightly.

N ow rew rite the sentences in B like this:

There was a slight fa ll in sales in Brazil.

Practise giving inform ation about the sales o f com m ercial aircraft. Learner Alooks at File 29 on page 119 and Learner B looks at File 30 on page 123.

12.2 Cause and effect

Soft drinks are big business. W h a t do you th ink could m ake sales go up or down?

1 I () Listen to five m anagers describing the sales o f Fizzo. C om plete the chart like this:

Area Profit Sales Reasons

United Kingdom T T

Europe

Americas

Australia

Africa

N ow listen again. W hy did sales go up or down?

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Study these ways o f giving reasons.

increased because ofSales have risen due toProfits decreasedfallen

as a result of

our new soft drink, our new factory, a price increase, the bad weather.

M atch the beginning o f the sentence to an end.

1 Production is more efficient ...2 Distribution is more efficient ...3 Customer service has improved ...4 Consumers have greater access to our products ...5 O ur market share has increased ...6 450 employees have lost their jobs ...

a ... the advertising campaign, b ... new packaging methods in the factory, c ... rationalization o f management structures, d ... our new centralized warehouse, e ... new vending machines on all railway stations, f ... our new distribution centre.

T hen w rite some sentences like this:

Production is more efficient as a result o f new packaging methods in the factory.

Find ou t m ore about the sales o f soft drinks in the Am ericas and the Pacific R im . L earner A looks at File 31 on page 116 and Learner B looks at File 32 on page 121.

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12.5 Presenting information

You w ork for M area, a small insurance company. Look at this extract from the in-com pany training program m e. W hich courses w ould you be in terested in?

C O N T E N T S

1 Com puting In tro d u c tio n to W in d o w s- W o r d p ro ce ss in g- S p readshee ts- D a ta b a s e- Presenta tions

2 Languages- English- French- S p an ish- G e rm a n- O th e r

3 Telephone training

4 Personal development- tim e m a n a g e m e n t- c o p in g w ith stress- e ffe c tiv e c o m m u n ic a tio n

5 Induction courses for new employees

I I () Listen to the training m anager presenting the com panys new training program m e to ex ternal trainers. N um ber these points in the order in w hich they are m entioned:

time of change at Marea I sales have increased

set up in-house training programme ] installation o f PCs] identity areas for improvement

increasing competitionI I took a hard look at the way we do things

Listen again. W h a t expressions does the speaker use to structure the presentation?

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Look at these expressions. They are useful w hen you have to present inform ation.

GreetingsWelcome to Marea.

IntroductionI'm going to talk about our new training programme.

BeginningI'll begin by looking