GETTING INTERNATIONAL.- Session 1.Passport to London.

Narrator: Lourdes and Susana always wanted to go abroad. They were born in a small quiet village in the
South of Spain and they always dreamt about exploring new countries and getting to know other cultures,
however, they didn't know how. Years passed and the two girls saw how their dream disappeared till one day,
everything changed!
They finished secondary school and they didn't feel like going to university, so they decided to try some
Vocational Training. They were very enthusiastic about it and they finally chose Business, since they thought
it would be great one day to work within a company or even start their own! However, what they had never
thought about was that that decision would definitely change their lives.
They passed their first year with really good grades and it was time for them to decide where to do their FCT
internship. They thought about many companies till suddenly Lourdes came up with an idea!
Lourdes: Why don't we do our internship in London?
Narrator: Susana was shocked! She had never thought about that before!
Susana: In London? Holy cow! You must be joking! (surprised)
Lourdes: Why not? Gema tried the same thing three years ago, and now she's working for a great British
company in London, why don't we apply for an internship in her company?
Narrator: They discussed about that crazy idea for hours, they thought about the pros and cons and even
about their families' opinion, but they finally took a decision: They were going to London! (narrator very
enthusiastic).
Lourdes and Susana: Yeaaaaah! We're going to London!! (screaming, very happy).

1.- What to say: Getting to places.

Quotation
"Be curious always! For knowledge will not acquire you: you must acquire it." Sudie Back
Situation
After an hour and 50 minutes' flight, Lourdes and Susana finally get to London City airport. During the
flight, they were so nervous that they couldn't even ask for an orange juice to the flight attendant. They were
so excited that they couldn't stop thinking about how their new lives will be like. When they land, they take a
quick look around and everything seems really different to what they are used to. "Am I dreaming? This
looks like a film!" Susana thinks. Lourdes on the contrary cannot utter a word.
They follow the sign "baggage claim"; they pick up their baggage and go to the exit to look for a taxi and
start their adventure. However when they get to the entrance, there are no taxis around; they look and look
and there are no signs around, what would you do?
Of course! Ask someone for help!

1.1.- Asking for directions.

When you are lost, do you know how to ask for directions?
First, relax and breathe deeply. Think that the most important thing is to get your ideas across. Below you
will find some useful phrases that you may need to know to find your way.
Asking for directions. Useful vocabulary
COMMON EXPRESSIONS
TRANSLATION
Excuse me, could you tell me how to get a taxi,
Perdone, podra decirme por favor cmo puedo
please?
conseguir un taxi?

COMMON EXPRESSIONS
Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the British
Museum, please?
Sure! Go straight on this street/ Go ahead this street.
Cross the street/ road.
Then, turn right/ left.
Pass the roundabout/ traffic-light.
Until you get to the corner.
You'll find the taxi stand opposite to you.
Behind you.
Next to the Caf.
Between the Caf and the tube station.
Thank you very much!
You're welcome! / No worries!

TRANSLATION
Perdone, podra decirme por favor cmo llegar al
Museo Britnico?
Claro! Siga recto por esta calle.
Cruce la calle/ carretera.
Luego, gire a la derecha/ izquierda.
Pase la rotonda / el semforo.
Hasta que llegue a la esquina.
Encontrar la parada de taxis delante de usted.
Detrs de usted.
Al lado de la cafetera.
Entre la cafetera y la estacin de metro.
Muchas gracias!
De nada!

1.2.- Now you put it into practice (I).

If you go up to the fifth floor, you'll find his office________your right as you come out of the elevator.
Go to the end of the road and ____ left by the traffic lights.
_____ a right just after the supermarket.
You ____ his house, it's painted bright pink!
Go ____ on to the end of the road.

2.- How to say it: The present: Simple and Continuous.

Read these two sentences carefully, what is the main difference between them?
My boss always speaks English to his partner in London.
My boss is speaking English with his partner.
As you already know the Present continuous is used to express:
Actions that take place at the moment of speaking E.g.
I'm checking my emails at the moment.
Mr. Parker is having lunch right now.
Sometimes we use the present continuous to talk about the future. We use it when we want to talk
about what we have already arranged to do.
I'm meeting my colleagues tomorrow at 7.30 a.m.
My boss is travelling to China on Friday morning.
How to make the Present Continuous:
Affirmative Form:
Subject+ Verb To Be + main Verb + ING Paul is talking on the phone.
Negative Form:
Subject+ Verb To Be + NOT + main Verb + ING Joseph isn't reading the newspaper.
Interrogative Form:
Verb To Be + Subject + main Verb + ING + Complements + ? Is he working at the moment?
Common Present Continuous Time Expressions:
At the moment, now, today, this week, this month, tomorrow, next week (for future arrangements), currently.

2.1.- Now you put it into practice (II).

Choose the correct verbal tense.
1. What your sister for a living? (do).
2. Math in a factory at the moment till he finds a better job. (work).
3. Molly always at the canteen on Fridays. (have lunch).
4. After work, he often down to the gym round the corner. (go)
5. Apple a new IPOD in two weeks. (launch).
6. My boss a videoconference with his partner in Tokyo right now. (have).
7. John to the office today? (come).
8. Paul and Rachel always about her job. (complain).
9. I am at the bank. I here, I just some money. ( not work / withdraw).
10.She the new manager. He is very demanding. (like).
11.The dollar against the Euro. (fall).
12.I like doing all this stuff today. (not feel).
13.you a lot for business? (travel).
Complete this text with the correct present tense.
My name (to be) Peter, I (to live) in the suburbs of Boston with my family. Most people (believe) we (to be)
rich because we (to live) in a big house. But our family (to seem) to be like any other one. Have a look:
Maggie, my wife, (to love) cooking. She (to enjoy) being in the kitchen with her friends. At the moment she
(to make) a cake and you can't talk to her. What really (to worry) her is our daughter, who (to prefer) to chat
in front of her computer instead of cooking with her.
Like many teenagers, Jenny always (to complain) about her parents and she (to think) it (to be) easier to get
advice from someone she (not + to go to) see later than listening to her parents.
It's 5 p.m. Paul, my son, (to play) basketball in the garden and I (to watch) TV, waiting for that delicious cake
that Maggie (to cook). I told you, a family like yours.
Peter.

2.2.- Stative verbs.

According to grammarians, there are two types of verbs: Stative and Dynamic. That is, those verbs that
cannot be used in the present continuous and those that can be used in any verbal tense.
Here you have a list of the verbs that cannot be used in the present continuous.
Like.Know.Belong.Love.Realise.Fit.
Hate.Suppose.Contain.Want.Mean.Consist.
Need.Understand.Seem.Prefer.Believe.Depend.
Agree.Remember.Matter.Mind.Recognise.See.
Own.Appear.Look. (=seem)Sound.Taste.Smell.
Hear.Astonish.Deny.Disagree.Please.Impress.
Satisfy.Promise.Surprise.Doubt.Think (=have an opinion).
Feel (=have an opinion).Wish.Imagine.Concern.Dislike.
Be.Have.Deserve.Involve.Include.Lack.
Measure. (=have length etc)Possess.Owe.Weigh. (=have weight).

2.3.- Revision of Grammar.

A piece of advice
Why don't we revise some of the main grammar points we've seen in this unit? Take a look at the following
presentation. You might find it interesting.

2.4.- Pronunciation. The third Person Singular: Voiceless sounds.

Look and learn.
The -(e)s of the simple present tense is pronounced as /s/ after a voiceless sound, except /s/, /sh/, and /ch/.
The voiceless sounds are sounds that are produced with no vibration of the vocal chords. The voiceless
sounds in English are:
/f/, /k/, /p/, /s/, voiceless th (as in with), ch (as in watch), sh (as in wash)
Examples: laughs, talks, stops.
Now it's your turn
-(e)s pronounced as [S].
Read these words aloud. Make an effort to pronounce the final (e)s sound:
Attacks AttemptsAttractsBeeps.
BlinksBoastsBreaks Circulates.
CitesCoastsConflictsConfronts.
ConsistsCorruptsCoughsDefeats.
DemonstratesDetectsDevelopsHits.
IrritatesJumpsKnocksLaughs.
LeapsRatesReactsReflects.
ResentsRetreatsRisksShapes.
SitsSleepsSnapsStacks.
SticksStopsSwapsTapes.
Thanks ThinksTypesWinks.
HitsQuotesPuffsProps.

3.- Words you need: At the airport.

When you get to airport there is some useful vocabulary that you should know to move around. Take a look
and try to learn the most important ones.

ENGLISH WORDS
Air steward.
Airline counter.
Arrivals.
Aisle-seat.
Baggage claim.
Boarding gate.
Boarding card.
Cabin crew.
Carry-on luggage.

Useful vocabulary at the airport

TRANSLATION
Auxiliar de vuelo.
Mostrador de la compaa area.
Llegadas.
Asiento de pasillo.
Recogida de equipaje.
Puerta de embarque.
Tarjeta de embarque.
Personal de abordo.
Equipaje de mano.

Check-in desk.
Customs.
Departures.
Departures are delayed on Schedule.
Direct flight / non-stop flight.
Duty free.
Emergency exit.
Flight attendant.
Flight number.
Jet lag.
Landing.
Life vest.
Meeting point.
One-way trip.
Overbooking.
Overweight.
Pilot.
Restroom / lavatory.
Round trip.
Seat.
Seat belt.
Shuttle bus.
Stopover.
Take-off.
Time of arrival.
Time of departure.
To get on board.
To check-in.
To fasten the seatbelt.
To land.
To take off.
Take-off.
Tourist.
Travel agency.
Trolley.
Window seat.

Mostrador de facturacin.
Aduana.
Salidas.
Las salidas estn retrasadas / en horario.
Vuelo directo.
Libre de impuestos.
Salida de emergencia.
Azafata, auxiliar de vuelo.
Nmero de vuelo.
Descompensacin por la diferencia horaria.
Aterrizaje.
Salvavidas.
Punto de encuentro.
Viaje de ida.
Sobreventa (De Asientos).
Sobrepeso.
Piloto.
Sanitarios.
Viaje de ida y vuelta.
Asiento.
Cinturn de seguridad.
Autobs de traslado.
Escala.
Despegue.
Hora de llegada.
Hora de salida.
Abordar.
Facturar el equipaje.
Abrocharse el cinturn de seguridad.
Aterrizar.
Despegar.
Despegue.
Turista.
Agencia de viajes.
Carrito.
Asiento del lado de la ventanilla.

3.1.- Now you put into practice (III).

1. When I travel by plane, I always ask for a . I love looking through the window and see the landscape.
2. The flight- attendant told us that it was compulsory to during take-off and landing.
3. When I went to the USA I had a terrible headache due to the terrible
4. My is G-22, what about yours? Is it the same one?
5. When our flight was cancelled, we went to the to ask for an explanation.
6. I love buying items at the airport. With the they are much cheaper.
7. When you get to the airport, the first thing you have to do is to your luggage.
8. In case of an emergency, your is the yellow item under your seat.
9. If you want something to drink, call the they will come immediately to your seat
10.Though we usually buy our tickets directly on the internet, when we went to London, we arranged our
journey through a .

Match the words on the left to their definition on the right.

Matching exercise
Word
Match
Definition
A. The process of moving a plane down onto the ground at the end of a
PASSENGER.
journey.
DEPARTURE
B. A card that each passenger has to show before they are allowed to get on a
TIME.
plane or a ship.
C. A strong belt in a car or plane that you fasten around yourself to hold you in
TAKE OFF.
your seat.
D. A bus, train or plane that makes frequent short journeys between two places,
LANDING.
especially at the airport.
CHECK-IN.
E. To arrive at an airport and show your ticket to an official.
BOARDING
F. Go on a journey to a place and come back again.
CARD.
MEETING
G. Someone who travels in a motor vehicle, aircraft, train or ship but it is not
POINT.
the driver or one of the people who works on it.
SEAT BELT.
H. A point at an airport or railway station where people can arrange to meet.
SHUTTLE BUS.
I. When a plane leaves the ground and starts flying.
ROUND TRIP.
J. The time when a bus, plane or train leaves.

GETTING INTERNATIONAL.- Session 2.Getting used to it.

Situation
Lourdes and Susana are finally in London! They had some difficulties finding Gema's house but with a
little bit of patience and their few words in English they managed to get to their destination.
Today is a really important day since they start their internship at the company. They get up very early, have
some breakfast and take a taxi to British Corporation, the company they are going "to work for".
When they get to the office, they go to the reception desk and ask for Mr. Parker, the Business manager and
their new boss.
Lourdes: Good morning, we are Lourdes Serrano and Susana Moreno. We're starting an internship here,
could we talk to Mr. Parker, please?
Mr. Parker comes immediately, he's tall and slim, he has got blonde hair and blue eyes and in the girls'
opinion
Lourdes and Susana: He is gorgeous! (very enthusiastically).
Lourdes and Susana introduce themselves and Mr. Parker shows them around the company so that they
meet the rest of their colleagues.

1.- What to say: Meeting new people.

Quotation
"You meet people who forget you. You forget people you meet. But sometimes you meet those
people you can't forget. Those are your friends." Unknown author.

Situation
In their tour around the office, Mr. Parker introduces the girls to the rest of their colleagues and shows them
around the different departments. They start at the Sales Department where they meet Francesco, an Italian
boy; they follow with the IT Department where they meet Karen and Steve, who are British, and they end up
at the Human Resources Department, where Miss Brown asks them some questions to fill in some
application forms and asks them to fill in other documents.
Miss Brown: What's your name? Lourdes: My name's Lourdes Serrano.
Miss Brown: Is "Serrano" your surname that is, family name?
Lourdes: Yes, it is.
Miss Brown: Ok. Ms. Serrano, Where were you born?
Lourdes: I was born in Spain. I'm Spanish.
Miss Brown: When were you born?
Lourdes: I was born on August 26th, 1990.
Miss Brown: Could you please tell me what's your address at home?
Lourdes: My address is number 34, Alcal street. Badajoz (Spain).
Miss Brown: Have you already got an address here in London?
Lourdes: Yes, I have. It's 20 Paddington Lane WC2H 7LA. London
Miss Brown: Great, What's your home telephone number?
Lourdes: My telephone number is 00 34 924245638
Miss Brown: Have you got a mobile phone?
Lourdes: Yes, It's 00 34 654768749
Miss Brown: Are you married?
Lourdes: No. I'm not. I'm single.
Miss Brown: Do you suffer from any illness? Lourdes: No, I don't, though I'm allergic to nuts.
Miss Brown: Ok, Ms. Serrano I think that's all for now. Thank you very much.
Lourdes: You're welcome, bye.

1.1.- Talking about yourself.

When meeting new people, it is quite normal to talk about oneself since after all, this is what meeting people
consists off. Here you will find some useful phrases for you to ask, and others to help you introduce yourself
so that you can interact with other people in English.
Talking about yourself
Common questions
Hello/Hi, my name's X, what's your name?
Hi, how are you?
Where are you from?
What do you do for a living?
What nationality are you?
Where do you live?
What's your telephone number?
What's your job?
What do you usually do in your free /
spare time?
What's your address?

Translation
Hola, me llamo X, cmo te llamas?
Hola, qu tal?
De dnde eres?
Cmo te ganas la vida? A qu te dedicas?
Cul es tu nacionalidad?
Dnde vives?
Cul es tu nmero de telfono?
En qu trabajas?
Qu sueles hacer en tu tiempo libre?
Dnde vives? Cul es tu direccin?

Common answers
Hi, nice to meet you.
It was nice meeting you, bye!
My name's X and I'm X years old.
I live in London.
My address is number 8, Princess Avenue.
My home telephone / mobile number is
I've got 2 brothers and one sister.
I'm an only child.
I'm a teacher / an engineer.
I'm English.
I'm single / married / engaged.
I love / enjoy playing basketball /
travelling.
In my free time I usually read books.
My favourite film / book is
I'm good at painting / languages
I'm interested in politics.

Translation
Hola, encantado / encantada de conocerte.
Ha sido un placer, hasta la prxima.
Me llamo X y tengo X aos.
Vivo en Londres.
Mi direccin es Princess Avenue, nmero 8.
Mi fijo es / mi mvil es
Tengo dos hermanos y una hermana.
Soy hijo nico / hija nica.
Soy profesor, soy ingeniero.
Soy Ingls / Inglesa.
Estoy soltero o soltera / casado o casada / comprometido o
comprometida.
Me encanta jugar al baloncesto / viajar.
En mi tiempo libre suelo leer.
Mi pelcula favorita / libro favorito es.
Se me da bien pintar / se me dan bien los idiomas.
Me interesa / me gusta la poltica.

2.- How to say it: Past simple versus Past continuous.

Think about it
Read the following sentences carefully. What is the difference between them?
When he arrived, we had lunch.
When he arrived, we were having lunch.
Usage.
The past continuous tense expresses an action at a particular moment in the past. The action started before
that moment, but has not finished. For example, yesterday I watched a film on TV. The film started at 7 pm
and finished at 9pm; therefore, I can say that at 7.30 pm I was watching a film on TV.
Moreover, We often use the past continuous tense to "set the scene" in stories. We use it to describe the
background situation at the moment when the action begins, whereas we use the past simple to introduce an
action which interrupts the longer one. Often, the story starts with the past continuous tense and then moves
into the simple past tense. Here is an example: Mr. Parker was working hard in his office. It was raining. The
wind was blowing ,when he suddenly heard a noise.
To conclude, remember that there are some verbs that can't be used in the continuous form in English. For
further information, review unit 1, session 1, section 2.2.

2.1.- Used to/Would.

Think about it
Read the sentences. Do you notice a difference?
When I was a child, I used to go to school every day.
When I was a child, I went to Italy three times with my parents.
The past simple, would + infinitive, and used to + infinitive are all possible ways to talk about the past.
You can use would to talk about regular or repeated past actions. It sometimes suggests a feeling of nostalgia
so it is often used to talk about personal memories.

 Every day my friends and I would play after school.

I would go cycling to school every day.
You rarely use would with this meaning in the negative or question form.
You can use used to like would for regular or repeated past actions, and also for past states or situations. You
can use used to in negative forms and in question forms.
Children didn't use to have mobile phones.
Did you use to like going to school?
Think about it
Look at the sentences below; they are all in the past simple. Read them and discuss these questions.
1. Which sentences could be changed to would + verb?
2. Which sentences could be changed to used to + verb?
3. What does this tell you about how to use these two structures?

I believed in ghosts.
I was afraid of spiders.
I had long hair.
I started learning English.
I went to school every day.
I didn't like fish.

2.2.- Now you put it into practice (I).

Are you ready to test what you have learned? Let's give it a go.
Now it's your turn
Put the verb into the correct form, past continuous or past simple. Use contractions where possible.
1. When the post man (arrive), I (have a shower).
2. While my sister (study), my boyfriend (make) some muffins.
3. I (go) to the dentist 3 days ago because I (have) a terrible toothache.
4. Ryan (arrive) at Kara's house a little before 10 o'clock, but she (not/be) there. She (study) for her final
exam.
5. When I (be) 8, I (eat) cookies every evening.
6. He (miss) the bus because he (talk) with some friends.
7. The burglars (come) into the house while the man (sleep).
8. I (drink) a glass of orange juice at ten. I'm not thirsty now.
9. When I (walk) into the busy office, the secretary (talk) on the phone, several clerks (work) at their
desks, and two managers (discuss) methods to improve customer service.
10.(you write) the composition last Monday?
11.My grandfather (not/be) at home when he (fall) down the stairs.
12.The children (play) in their room when their mother (call) them.
13.I (not/understand) what they (talk) about.
14.Rachel (live) in London for more than two years. In fact, she (live) there when.
15.When it (start) to rain, our cat (want) to come inside.
Choose the correct answer to complete the sentence. The children _____ often help me make a cake.
They still do sometimes.
would.
used
either
to.
used to / would.
You _____ like him... Yes, but now I hate him!
used to.
either
would.
used to / would.
I remember we _____ go camping every summer when I was a child.
used to.
either
would.
used to / would.
He _____ be a very good footballer, until he broke his ankle.
used to.
either
would.
used to / would.
When we were children, we _____ on holiday to France twice.
used togo.
went.
would
go.

2.3.- Pronunciation. The third Person Singular (II): Voiced sounds.

Think about it
Take a look at these sentences and answer, what do they have in common?
He works in an office.
She plays the piano.
Paul tries to work hard every day.
Voiced sounds.
1. The -(e)s of the simple present tense is pronounced as /z/ after a voiced sound, except /z/, /zh/, and /j/.
The voiced sounds are sounds that are produced by vibration of the vocal chords. The voiced sounds
in English are:
1. All vowels.
2. /b/, /g/, j sound (as in judge), /l/, /m/, /n/, /r/, voiced th (as in bathe), /v/, ng (as in bang), zh
sound (as in measure), z sound (as in buzz).
Examples: plays, sees, goes, robs, hangs, calls, rams, learns, blurs, clothes, receives.
2. However, when a word ends in /s/, /sh/, /ch/, /z/, /j/ the -es is pronounced as a separate syllable:/ z/.
Therefore, if a verb ends in one of these sounds, the present tense will have one more syllable than the
simple form.
Examples:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

fix (1 syllable)-->fixes (2 syllables).

kiss (1 syllable)-->kisses (2 syllables).
wash (1 syllable)-->washes (2 syllables).
watch (1 syllable)-->watches (2 syllables).
damage (2 syllables)-->damages (3 syllables).
memorize (3 syllables)-->memorizes (4 syllables).
exercise (3 syllables)-->exercises (4 syllables).

2.4.- Now you put it into practice (II).

Now it's your turn
-(e)s pronounced as [z].
Read these words aloud. Make an effort to pronounce the final (e)s sound:
Endangers

Allows

Plays

Favours

Annoys

Pretends

Fears

Appears

Reads

Goes

Approves

Removes

Grades

Arrives

Repels

Has

Attends

Roams

Hears

Belongs

Sags

Hinders

Calls

Says

Joins

Cries

Seems

Knows

Dazzles

Sees

Leaves

Decides

Sighs

Lives

Defends

Snores

Maintains

Delays

Survives

3.- Words you need: Parts of a company.

As you already know, most companies are divided into different departments and sections, all of them with
workers carrying out different tasks. Let's take a look at the most common ones.
Vocabulary related to the parts of a company
Parts of a company
Translation
Departments
Departamentos
Human Resources.
Recursos Humanos.
Research and Development.
I + D.
IT Information technology.
Informtica.
Production.
Produccin.
Finance.
Contabilidad.
Marketing.
Marketing.
Sales.
Ventas.
Customer service.
Atencin al cliente.
Logistics.
Logstica.
Purchasing.
Compras.
Jobs / positions
Cargos
Secretary.
Secretario / Secretaria.
Manager.
Gerente, administrador.
Deputy manager.
Sub-gerente, segundo de abordo.
Director.
Director.
Accountant.
Contable.
Intern.
Becario / Becaria.
Analyst.
Analista.
Designer.
Diseador.
Chairman / president.
Presidente.
Commercial agent.
Comercial.
Cleaning staff.
Plantilla de limpieza.
Caretaker.
Conserje.
Other facilities
Otras instalaciones
Parking lot.
Aparcamiento.
Reception desk.
Mostrador de recepcin.
Cafeteria / Canteen.
Cafetera.
Lifts (British English) / Elevators (American
Ascensores.
English).
Vending machine.
Mquina expendedora.
Toilets (B.E.) / Restrooms (A.E.).
Baos.
Staff room.
Sala de personal.
Cleaning room.
Cuarto de la limpieza.
Copy machine.
Fotocopiadora.

3.1.- Now you put it into practice (III).

Now it's your turn
Match up the following departments to what they do.
Human Resources Research and Development IT Information technology Production
Logistics Finance Marketing Sales Customers.

Responsible for taking care of customers needs. .

Responsible for making the product. .
Responsible for selling the product. .
Responsible for how the product is launched. .
Responsible for hiring and dealing with staff. .
Responsible for the company's network and computers. .
Responsible for payments, bills and expenses. .
Responsible for developing and improving the product. .
Responsible for the shipping and handling of the product. .
Now it's your turn
There are different posts in a company. Fill in the gaps with the right job.
Analyst designer chairperson partner secretary manager commercial agent accountant
receptionist cleaning staff.
Amancio Ortega is the of Indetex.
Our will visit your business soon.
I work as a at the Royal Hotel.
Please, contact my to arrange our next meeting.
Sam works at Bank of America as a financial .
I would like to speak to the of the sales department.
Oh, sorry, you are right. The has made a mistake in the bill.
The of our company logo has been awarded a prize.
Mr. Fox has been my business and my friend for over 20 years.
My office has been refurnished. Now I need the to tidy up the mess.
GETTING INTERNATIONAL.- Session 3.- A new day at the office.
Situation
The girls are a little bit overwhelmed with all the changes: new city, new company, new colleagues.. They
didn't expect it would be so hard to adapt to a new country and culture.
Susana seems to be particularly unhappy. Lourdes finally asks her: "What are you thinking, Susana? What's
going on?"
Susana thinks for a few seconds and then finally replies: "Not much, Lourdes, I was just thinking that
maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come all the way to England to do our internship after all. We are far
away from our friends and family and we don't know any of these people... we don't have any friends here..
yes, there is Gema, but..."
Lourdes tries to cheer her friend up: "Don't worry! I'm sure things will get better soon, we'll meet new
people, improve our English... you'll see."
A few minutes later, Mr. Parker approaches the girls: "Good morning, girls. How are you? I just wanted to let
you know that your corporate email addresses are ready. Yours, Lourdes, is
lourdes.serrano@britishcorp.co.uk, and yours, Susana, is susana.moreno@britishcorp.co.uk. Now you can
communicate with everybody in the company and we'll be able to be in touch with you too. Also, most
employees here don't know who you are or what you do and I'd like you to meet everybody and start working
as soon as possible. I've had an idea: why don't you prepare a short presentation? You can talk about
yourselves, your country, your education and past work experiences, etc., so that everybody here can get to
know you. It'll be fantastic! I'll organise everything. If you need any help, come and see me. See you later."
Susana can't believe it: "We have to give a talk... in front of everybody... in English!"

1.- What to say: Getting in touch.

Quotation
"Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely." Auguste Rodin
Situation
Mr. Parker also wants the girls to fill in a questionnaire:
"It's an informal online questionnaire", he says, "can you fill it in fill it in now please? It will help us to get to
know you better and it might help you with your presentation."
"Aha, says Lourdes, there are some interesting questions here. For example...
1. Can you briefly describe your education / work background?
2. Can you describe your experience learning English? When did you start learning it? Where did you
learn it? Do you like it?
3. Who told you about us?
4. Why did you decide to do your training in the UK?"
Susana looks at the questionnaire for a few seconds and then says:
"You're right, Lourdes, let's start by answering these questions and they we'll continue with the presentation.
Have I ever told you that I love quizzes and questionnaires? Even those in magazines. You know, like Are
you really in love? or Which Star Trek character are you? "
The girls can't help bursting out laughing.
Think about it
Look at questions numbers 1-4. What is the word order in questions? Is there anything special about question
number 3?

1.1.- Writing informal emails.

How often do you use your email? Most of us use it on a daily basis, but do you know how to write a good
email in English? Let's see.
Email is electronic mail. You can send an email to someone, or email them. They will reply to your email or
email you back.
When we write informal emails, we use a more direct language than the one we use for letter writing. For
example, instead of using "I am writing with reference to..." we simply say "about..." and instead of writing
"please accept our apologies for this misunderstanding", we e-mail "sorry about". We normally keep emails
short and to the point, dealing with one topic per message. It is recommended to use a neutral style, neither
too formal nor too familiar.

reply to all: send an answer to the person who sent an email, and everyone who received a copy of it.
reply: send an answer to the person who sent an email.
forward: send an email you have received to someone else.
delete: get rid of an email you don't want.
cc: send a copy to...
bcc: send a blind copy to... (the other people don't know you're sending this copy).
attach: send a document, for example a picture, with an email.
@: at.
_: underscore.
-: hyphen.
.com: dot com.
/: (forward) slash.

Situation
Let's take a look at another email that Lourdes has just received:
From: chris.lippett@britishcorp.co.uk
To: lourdes.serrano@britishcorp.co.uk
CC: mark.parker@britishcorp.co.uk
Subject: Paper volume
Hi Lourdes,
Thanks for your email asking for ways of reducing the paper volume. We really need to be more aware of the
global environmental problems. Please find attached a word document with specific plans for this. Please let
me know if you can't read this attachment. I'm copying Mark Parker in on this. Do forward it to the other
interns if you feel that's appropriate.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Best wishes,
Chris.

2.- How to say it: Questions.

Think about it
Look at the following questions. Do you remember what the word order in questions is? What is different
about question 3?
1. Does he like jazz?
2. Why do you want to learn English?
3. Who wrote Romeo and Juliet?

2.1.- Questions: form.

When learning a language you soon need to ask a lot of questions. This is what we are learning here, to ask
questions. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but I'm sure it's good for you.
Questions with yes/no answers begin with an auxiliary or modal verb (is, are, do, does, can...)
followed by the subject. We usually answer these questions with yes or no.
Can he type letters? Yes, he can.
Does she work for British Corporation? No, she doesn't.
Negative questions are formed with not, but there is a difference in the word order between
the short form and the full form.
Full form: auxiliary+subject+not+verb.
Do you not like the working hours?
Short form: auxiliary+n't+subject+verb.
Don't you like the working hours?
We use negative questions in speech.
To ask for confirmation.
This is a great restaurant! Wouldn't it be nice to come here more often?
To express surprise, admiration or annoyance.
Don't you know how to make a reservation?
Isn't she a great secretary?
Can't you be quiet for one minute?
Wh- questions begin with a question word (Who / Whose /What / Which / When/ Where/ Why /
How).
Who is used without a noun to ask about people.
Who do you want to see? The manager.

 Whose is used to ask about possession.

Whose is that car? It's Carla's.
What is used alone or before a noun to ask about things.
What time did you get up yesterday? // What are you doing?
What is also used to talk about people, animals or things when there is an unlimited choice of
answers.
What countries have you visited?
Which is used alone, before nouns, before one/ones or before of, to ask about people, animals
or things. It is normally used when there is only a limited choice of answers.
Which is our rental car?
Which option do you like best, train or coach?
Where is used to ask about places.
Where is the nearest post office?
When is used to ask about time.
When is he arriving?
Why is used to ask about reasons.
Why do you recommend local restaurants?
How is used alone or before an adjective or an adverb to ask about manner.
How did you get to Prague? By train.
How old are you? Twenty-five.
How long ago did you start work? Two years ago.
How often do you travel abroad? Three times a year at least.

2.2.- Subject/Object questions.

Subject and object questions is something you may not be familiar with because we don't have a similar thing
in Spanish. It may sound confusing but in reality it is quite simple.
Object questions are questions we ask when we want to know the object of the sentence. If the
question word is not the subject of the sentence, we use the auxiliary verb.
How often do you have coffee?
Where does he live?
Question Word + auxiliary verb + subject + main verb?
We ask subject questions ask when we want to know the subject of the sentence. If the question word
is the subject of the sentence, we don't use the auxiliary verb.
Who works at the Paris office?
Which costs more, the red or the white?
Question Word+ main verb?
In Object questions if a verb is followed by a preposition, the preposition usually comes at the end of the
sentence.
Where are you from?
Think about it
Some common mistakes when asking questions are:
Who does work with you in the office?
Does he likes dancing?
Can you correct them?

2.3.- Now you put it into practice (I).

It's time to test what you have learnt!

Now it's your turn

Fill in the blanks with a suitable question word "wh-?"
1. is your surname?
2. do you spell your surname?
3. do you live?
4. do you do?
5. were you born, in 1986?
6. in Spain were you born?
7. have you been waiting?
8. money do you have?
9. brothers or sisters do you have?
10.people registered for the course you are attending?
11.are you going with?
12.does your classmate look like?
13.of these two briefcases is yours?
14.is this passport?
15.do you like learning English?
Now it's your turn
Make suitable questions for these answers.
1. ? We went to Brighton.
2. ? We had a meeting.
3. ? We came back on 23rd October.
4. ? I went with Christopher.
5. ? Our partner John arranged everything.
6. ? There were about 50 people.
7. ? They were writing a memo.
8. ? We went there by car.
9. ? Yes, I used to go camping every summer.
10.? He's upset because he didn't get a promotion.

2.4.- Intonation in questions.

Did you know that asking questions with the right intonation is key to understanding and being understood?
Questions can be pronounced with the voice going up at the end or going down at the end.
Normally questions with yes/no answers have a rising intonation, that is, the speaker stresses the
ending of the question.
Wh- questions have a falling intonation and the speaker stresses the beginning of the question.

3.- Words you need: Informal emails (I).

Here you have a number of standard phrases used for emails.
You can begin your email with:
Hi / Dear Daniel,
You can end with:
(All) Best wishes.
(Kind / Best) Regards.
To people you know well, you can end with:
All the best.
Best.

If you are expecting a reply:

I look / Looking forward to hearing from you.
Please write soon.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Making reference:
About
With reference to...
Thanks for your email...
Replying to a request:
Here is / Here are...
Thanks for...
Providing information:
Just to let you know
A quick note to tell you
Confirming:
Just to confirm that
Asking for information or advice:

Can you tell me about

Please tell me about
Could you tell me if
Please let us know about

Explaining and clarifying:

Here's some information about...
Just to clarify
Enclosing information:
Please find attached a...
Attached is...

3.1.- Informal emails (II).

And more standard phrases for emails.
Apologising.
Sorry for
Sorry about
Arranging a meeting.
See you on
Let's meet up to discuss
Requesting.

Could you
Please could I have
Please could you give me
Please send me

Establishing context.
Mrs Blanco asked me to write to you about
Could you give me some information about
Would you be interested in...
Offering help.
Let me know if you'd like any other information.
Feel free to contact me
For urgent matters.
Please get back to me asap.
Please reply asap.
Sometimes abbreviations are used in emails.
AFAIK: As far as I know.
HTH: Hope this helps.
Now it's your turn
What do you think the following abbreviations mean?

ASAP
BTW
CUL
FYI
IMO
POV
TIA
TTFN

3.2.- Now you put it into practice (II).

Now it's your turn
How would you change this email to make it sound more professional? Use expressions that mean the
same as the underlined expressions.
From: chris.lippett@britishcorp.co.uk
To: daniel.owen@britishcorp.co.uk
CC: nora.peterson@britishcorp co.uk
Subject: Advertising budget.
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for your email asking for ways of reducing the advertising budget. I'm sending this email to Nora
Peterson too. With this email, you'll find a word document with specific plans for this. Please let me know if
you can't open the document that comes with this email. I'm sending it to the rest of the board.
Send me a reply soon.
Bye,
Chris

Now it's your turn

Match the bodies of emails with their responses. Write A, B or C in the central column.
Matching exercise
Body of emails
Match
Response
Dear Sharon,
Just a quick note to tell you that the meeting has been
arranged for Monday next week at 9 a.m. All the
trainees are expected to attend.

A. Thanks for the info. I have already

marked the date on my calendar.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Kind regards,
Dear colleagues,
The fire alarms are going to be tested next Friday at 8.
This is going to happen on a weekly basis.

B. About the meeting on Monday next week,

I know I should go but, I was wondering...
do I really have to go?

Best wishes,
Hi Sean,
Just a quick email to remind you that we have a very
important conference next Thursday. Please remember
to bring the presentation with you.

C. See you at the conference with the

presentation.

All the best,

GETTING INTERNATIONAL.- Communicative activities.
Situation
It's Saturday morning and Lourdes and Susana have been in London for a really long week. In just seven
days, they have moved to a foreign country, started their FCT in a company and started to live on their own
with no parents around. Too many changes for such a short period of time. The girls feel weird, on the one
hand they are excited because at last, they are exactly where they wanted to be, however on the other, they
miss their family and friends and the idea of not seeing them for a long time makes them really sad,
especially Susana.
Lourdes: Come on Susana, cheer up! Look around you: we are in London! This is our dream! I know you
miss your family and so do I, but this is a unique opportunity; this only happens once in life! Let's enjoy our
time here; Christmas is almost round the corner, you'll see!
Susana: I know. You are right but ugh! Till Christmas, it's a long time, we are just at the beginning of
September!
Lourdes: Don't think about that Susana! Let's live day by day; let's enjoy every second as if it were the last
and, who knows? Maybe by the end of the year, we will be like Gema, looking for a job because we don't
feel like coming back!
Susana: I see what you mean but OK, you are right, Lourdes, no more tears! Let's enjoy this great
opportunity; we have plenty of time to be at home listening to our mum telling us to do things! Let's have
fun, we are in London!
Narrator: The girls hug each other and suddenly Susana: Oh no Lourdes! Lourdes: What's wrong?
Susana: Did you notice that we've been in London for a week and we haven't visited any monuments yet?
We haven't even seen Big Ben from a distance!
Lourdes: Are you thinking the same as I? Lourdes and susana: Yes. Let's go sightseeing!

Think about it
And you? Have you ever been in a similar situation? Enter the forum and tell your class mates about a
situation in which you felt really lonely in a new place.

1.- Reading Exercise.

Situation
Lourdes and Susana tell Gema about their plans, but she cannot go with them because she s got things to
do. She gives them a travel card for the underground and tells them how to get to the nearest Tourist
information Office. The girls take all their stuff, camera included, and leave the house ready to enjoy their
first day off in London! When they get to the Tourist Office, they find a long queue ahead them, so they take
a brochure about the Tower of London and read it while they wait to be helped.
Tower of london, U.K.
The Tower of London is one of London's most popular and iconic tourist attractions. Built by William The
Conqueror in the early 1080s the Towers role has been as a fortress, palace and prison.
One of the main reasons to visit the Tower is to see the working collection of Crown Jewels. There are
23,578 in the collection including one of the world's most famous diamonds. Find out who dared to try and
steal the Jewels in 1671 and whether they succeeded.
Many people lost their heads in the Tower and the Prisoners exhibition looks at some of the Towers more
infamous inmates including Anne Boleyn, Edward V, Guy Fawkes and Sir Thomas More. The Tower's
history as a prison continued during the two world wars and still held executions.
There is so much to see at the Tower including the 'Yeomen of the Guard', the Ravens, Henry VIII's armour,
instruments of torture in Lower Wakefield Tower and the Traitors Gate.
The nearest tube station is Tower Hill on the Circle and District underground lines. The Tower Gateway
station on the Docklands Light Railway is also within easy walking distance.
Text adapted from: http://www.tourist-information-uk.com/tower-of-london.htm#ixzz1JyG42fEJ
Opening Times
November to March:
March to October:
Tues Sat 9:00 - 16:30. Tues - Sat 9:00 - 17:30.
Sun/Mon 10:00 - 16:30. Sun/Mon 10:00 - 17:30.
The Tower is closed 24-26 December and 1 January.
Ticket Prices
Age
Price
Adult
16.50.
Child (6-16) 9.50.
Students 14.00.
Senior
14.00.
Disabled 14.00.
Family 16.00.
Under 5 yrs Free.
Now it's your turn
Who built the Tower of London?
If it is April 19th (Sunday), what time does The Tower open and close?
How many roles did the Tower have in the past?
If you are a student and you are visiting the Tower with a child and a 70 yeared-old person, how much
would it be?

2.- Listening Exercise.

Situation
The girls are still at the tourist office, they have been waiting for more than ten minutes and they are really
nervous since they will have to use their English to ask for the information they want to know, do you think
they will be able to do so?
Now it's your turn
Choose the correct word in bold to make true sentences. The tourist asks for a of the city centre.
First of all, the tourist would like to visit the
Next they would like to go to the
Now it's your turn
Complete the directions given to the tourist with the words below.
Right map left traffic lights station down turn metres marked opposite.
"Turn out of the hotel and continue for 250 until you arrive at a set of . right at the lights on to Museum
Street. Continue this street for a few minutes and you will see the Natural History Museum on the hand side,
the police . It's clearly on the ."
Now it's your turn
Listen again and complete the sentences below with the numbers you hear.
1. The history museum is only about a minute walk.
2. Bus number goes to the zoo.
3. The bus leaves every minutes.
4. The bus journey to the zoo is only minutes.
5. The bus fare is per person.

3.- Speaking Exercise.

Imagine you are sitting down in a pub in London having a delicious and refreshing pint of beer! Next
to you, there is a really attractive person you would like to meet. Introduce yourself to that person in
the forum of the unit.
Say hello and at least your name, age, nationality, hobbies, studies, and telephone number!
Remember to follow an order, and be natural.

4.- Writing Exercise.

You have been to London for about a week and want to send a few lines to your English teacher in
Spain telling him/her about your experience. Fill in the postcard below and send it in the forum to your
teacher.
Dear Mr./Ms.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

GETTING INTERNATIONAL.- Culture and

people. Cultural differences and stereotypes.
Situation
Is it polite to shake hands in China, or to smoke in a business meeting in Australia? Let's take a minute to
stop and think about cultural differences.
When working with people from different countries, you have to understand and respect cultural diversity:
the differences between regions, countries and cultures. You have to learn the skills of proper etiquette,
manners, and intercultural communication.
First of all, when people go into another cultural environment, some of the things that can be different for
them are such things as the verbal communication style, that can be radically different. And we're not just
talking about a different language but literally the way that we use verbal communication.
Secondly, the non-verbal communication, body language, the gestures and the things that we do as part of our
communication. For example, when you greet someone, body contact is generally taboo in most Asian
countries but in other parts of the world hugging and kissing is acceptable. Even within France, some people
kiss on one cheek only, some on two cheeks, some on three cheeks.
Another good example of cultural difference is in the way different cultures view time. Do we see time as a
linear process with a fixed series of events following each other, or is time something much looser, much
more flexible? People have different attitudes to time and experience time in different ways. Westerners feel
that Easterners are rude when they come 20 minutes to half an hour late to an appointment. But when an
Easterner says "11:00" he or she means "between 11 and 12". In contrast Westerners divide time into strictlymeasured hours, minutes and seconds, into which one carefully arranges one's plans, appointments, and
activities so as to fit exactly and not cause delays to one's own or anyone else's plans. When persons with
different assumptions come into contact there is great room for misunderstanding!
You have to be very careful with stereotypes. A national stereotype is a system of culture-specific beliefs
connected with the nationality of a person. This system includes beliefs concerning those properties of human
beings that may vary across nations, such as appearance, language, food, habits, psychological traits,
attitudes, values etc. When we stereotype someone, we assume that they will behave in a certain way. Don't
stereotype people from other nationalities. Keep an open mind and remember that we all are individuals.
Now it's your turn
Activity adapted from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/country-profiles.html
Decide if the following are true or false:
In Japan you can introduce yourself if you are attending a large meeting.
In the USA, a handshake is not a common greeting.
Business is viewed as being very serious, and Germans do not appreciate humour in a business context.
In Hong Kong it is common to accept a gift the first time it's offered.
If you do not speak French, it is very important that you apologize to French people for your lack of
knowledge.

1.- Experiences of people living abroad.

If you were an exchange student in a different country, which cultural differences do you think would affect
you the most? Which would you enjoy and which would bother you?
What cultural differences would exchange students in your country have trouble with? Which cultural
differences might they enjoy?
We are going to watch a video in which some exchange students talk about some of the quirky differences
between their homelands and the United States.

Now it's your turn

Watch the following video. Can you match the speakers to the topics they mention?
Text summary
Matching exercise
Topic
There's a lot of school spirit in America.
Stuff is big in America.
A lot of food has peanut butter in it.
Americans don't kiss each other on the cheeks.

Match

Speaker
1. Student 1 (boy from Spain).
2. Student 2 (boy from Germany).

Measurements.

3. Student 3 (girl from New

Zealand).

American high schools have organized sports teams and

cheerleaders.

4. Student 4 (boy from Norway).

Americans drive on the wrong side of the road.

5. Student 2 again (boy from

Germany).

Activity adapted from http://www.esl-blog.com/archives/003859.html

A step ahead
There are a lot of nuances to life in the US that you can only learn by living here. Nevertheless, this website
will help you to find out about some of the more important cultural differences:
Studying in the USA.

2.- Adjusting to a new culture.

Quotation
"Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Do you remember this song?
"I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien.
I'm an Englishman in New York..."
"Englishman in New York" is a song by Sting, from his 1987 album ...Nothing Like the Sun. Sting was
inspired to write this song by the eccentric British author and actor Quentin Crisp, who lived in New York for
many years. Read the lyrics and then listen to the song and watch its video.
Why do you think the singer describes himself as a "legal alien"?
Think about it
Give your opinion in the forum:
Tell us about the experiences (good and bad) of a person from your country living or working abroad.
Tell us about the experiences (good and bad) of a person from abroad living in your country.