English Learning Guide

Competency 1
Unit 2: Maths
Workshop 1
Centro de Servicios Financieros- CSF
Name: Anderson Garzon Cohort: Date :
November /19

Training program: Instructor:

BASIC MATHS OPERATIONS (ADDING/SUBTRACTING/MULTIPLYING)

MONEY, CURRENCY EQUIVALENCE

This workshop attempts to help you strengthen your Math skills in English, by using the language in
the development and understanding of some basic math operations, talking about currencies around
the world and how to convert from one to another one.

Objective: from the development of this workshop, you will be able to talk about currencies and do
some math operations in English.

1. Work in groups and discuss the following statements:

- What do you know about the basic Math operations? Mention them, which one is your
favorite?
The basic operations are addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. And the one I like
the most is the sum, because it is the easiest.
- When is it common to use Math? Give some examples.
Every day we use math, when we buy something in the supermarket, when we pay for the bus ticket, when we
buy lunch, etc.
- Which basic Math operation is difficult to you?
The division is very difficult for me, it's horrible.

2. Skills practice: do the following activities to practice the learnt vocabulary and English structures.

2.1. LISTENING PRACTICE: video about basic math vocabulary

Before watching the video, find the definition for the following words:

operations, addition, multiplication, calculation, math symbols, equals, plus, minus, times, divided
by, add, subtract, divide, multiply, be good/bad at math.
 WORDS DEFINITIONS
Operations: Operaciones
Addition: Adición
Multiplication: Multiplicación
Calculation : Cálculo
Math symbols: Símbolos matemáticos
Equals : Igual a
Plus : Más
Minus : Menos
Times : Veces
Divided by : Dividido por
Add : Añadir
Subtract : Sustraer
Divide: Dividir
Multiply : Multiplicar
Be good/bad at math: Sé bueno / malo en matemáticas

Watch the video and identify the vocabulary.

Read and write the results to each one the exercises below 1

2.2. READING PRACTICE : Read the article

1 GC-F -005 V. 01
Taken from https://www.education.com/worksheet/article/missing-operations/ used by SENA for
academic purposes, exclusively.
 English Learning Guide
Competency 1
Unit 1: Customer Service
Workshop 1
Centro de Servicios Financieros- CSF

Before reading: work in pairs and discuss what you understand from the vocabulary and expressions
below:

India / casting doubt / global currencies / economists / pressure / weakening economy /

under attack / stability / the system / global financial markets / keeping faith

GC-F -005 V. 01
 DOLLAR UNDER THREAT AS THE GLOBAL CURRENCY2

India is the latest country to cast doubt on the U.S. dollar as the major global currency.
Suresh Tendulkar, a top government economist, has advised India to rely less on the dollar. He
suggests buying a number of different currencies instead of just the greenback. He told
reporters: “The major part of Indian reserves is in dollars. That is something that’s a
problem for us.” India’s treasury holds over $260 billion in foreign currency reserves. A
weaker dollar means those reserves could fall in value. This is especially possible with the
pressure on the dollar from America’s weakening economy. This may not exactly be the final nail
in the coffin for the dollar, but it seems to be losing ground on other currencies.

The dollar is not only under attack from India’s economists. China and Russia are also calling for a
new international foreign-exchange reserves system. On July the 3rd, China’s former Vice Premier
Zeng Peiyan called for a “system to maintain the stability of the major reserve currencies.” This
suggests China no longer views the American dollar as the world’s sole reserve currency, and that
the dollar is no longer the “system” at the heart of global financial markets. Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev has repeatedly called for a system that has a mix of currencies. Japan
appears to be the only economic power that is keeping faith with the dollar. This may change at a
meeting of the G-8 in Italy on July 8-10.

- Read the text again and find the definition of the underlined words/expressions.
Give some examples.

WORDS DEFINITIONS
global global
greenback ?
reserves reservas
treasury tesorería
foreign exterior
value valor
economy economía
coffin ataúd

foreign-exchange Divisas
stability estabilidad
financial markets mercados financieros

Examples:
- the global economy is in trouble
- Currency exchange can benefit o harm the bearer by its value
- Stability in financial markets helps a country o economic sector.
 - Based on the information presented in the text, mark the following statements as true (T)
of false (F)

India's rupee will soon overtake the U.S. dollar as the world currency. .
…………………………..F
A top Indian economist advised his country to sell all of its dollars. ……………………………… F
The economists said it's a problem to rely too much on the dollar. ……………………………………
T
Ten economists’ words pretty much means the death of the dollar……………………………….. F
The dollar is only under attack from India. ………………………………………………………………………..F
A Chinese official called for a system to maintain stability in currencies………………… ….T
Russia's president called for a system that has a mixture of currencies. …………………………… T
A meeting between the top economic powers in to take place in Italy……………………………..
T

2
Taken from https://breakingnewsenglish.com/0907/090706-us_dollar.html used by SENA for academic
purposes, exlusively.