Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Unit 3: Human Resources
Unit 3: Human Resources
Human Resources
UNIT 3
additional activities
Indirect questions
1 What do you think causes conflict at work? Think of some examples to illustrate
your answers.
2 What is the difference between direct and indirect language?
3 When do you think it is appropriate to use more direct language in the workplace?
When it is more appropriate to use indirect language?
4 Think about how your own language compares to English. Do you feel that English
seems to be too indirect (e.g. it seems to take a lot of words to say something very
simple)? Or do you feel that it is too direct (and possibly a little rude)?
b Use the direct interview questions (112) to complete an indirect version of each
one. Then say which type of question (direct or indirect) would be more suitable
for an interview.
1 What can you bring to this position?
Could you tell us
2 Why should we hire you?
Would you mind telling us
3 Where do you see yourself in five years time?
Wed like to know
4 What do you consider to be the key skills necessary for this position?
Could you tell us
5 Why did you leave your last job?
Would you mind
6 Tell us something about yourself.
Could
7 Do you prefer to work with people or with information?
Can you tell us
8 Tell me about your ability to work under pressure.
Would you mind
9 Do you have any plans for further education?
Could
10 What motivates you in terms of work?
Wed like to know
11 What are your weaknesses?
Would you mind
12 When have you been happiest at work?
Could
Photocopiable
Professional English
Human Resources
UNIT 3
additional activities
Teachers Notes
a Students discuss the questions in pairs. Then ask them to make groups of four to
compare ideas. Finally, feed back to the whole class. For question 2, you may need
to explain some of the rules (e.g. we use ing after Would you mind ?; we use
if or whether when there is an auxiliary, such as do, and not a wh- question word).
Suggested answers
1 being tired, stressed and overworked; not taking the time to explain things
properly; making assumptions about what the other person knows or doesnt
know; different personal or cultural styles; shyness being mistaken for
arrogance
2 Indirect language tends to be more polite than direct language in English.
Indirect questions usually includes a phrase which requests the answer (Do
you think ? Would you mind ?).
3 In general, the bigger the request or the less familiar the person, the more
indirect language will be appropriate. When you know the person quite well
and you do not have much time, direct language may be acceptable. In the
context of a job interview, if you are too direct you can make the interview too
stressful for the candidate and create a negative impression of the company.
You may also fail to recruit the best candidate. If you are too indirect, you may
be perceived as weak or indecisive, especially in some cultures.
Note: Answers to this question may vary widely according to the culture of
the students, but it is worth opening up this debate with students as different
nationalities tend to perceive directness and indirectness differently.
b Check that students understand the task by completing the first one or two
questions on the board as a class. Then ask students to complete the rest on
their own. They then check their answers in pairs and discuss whether direct or
indirect questions would be better.
Answers
1
2
3
4
Photocopiable