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CESEM 1 LV1 2023 – 2024

2324_LV_3_X_040_E

Business Communication
in English
Semester ONE

HENRY Caroline
JAMES Johnnie
LHEOTE Mary
MASSET-BEACH Melanie
NEAVYN Barbara
ROBERTS Paul
SOHET Belinda
STEAD Joanne

Course description and objectives:

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The main objective of the English course is to introduce students to the language and vocabulary
necessary to be operational in an English-speaking professional and academic environment. The
lectures will address one of the primary objectives of NEOMA BS, “to communicate through different
business situations and media in several languages” and more specifically to CESEM “to relate
managerial practices across cultures and across disciplines”.

Through a variety of themes linked to the world of business, students will acquire fundamental
linguistic and communication skills through role-plays, case studies, team projects etc. Professional
and academic writing skills will also form an intrinsic part of the lectures so that students will be able
to deliver high quality academic work respecting register, structure, and research etiquette.

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of Semester 1, you will be able to:

 give a presentation in front of an audience

 write an essay
 master professional vocabulary
 act as a responsible team member
 give and receive constructive feedback

Semester 1 will focus on the acquisition of academic and professional linguistic skills: public speaking,
debating, academic writing, note taking.

Course Structure – Semester ONE – 20 lessons

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Lesson Lesson Content Homework

Lesson 1 Who’s Who? - IELTS Speaking Section Introduction - Company Practice on Speaking Section 1
Vocabulary with partner. Revise company
vocab
Lesson 2 IELTS Speaking continued & Presentation Skills Practice Speaking sections 2
&3
Lesson 3 Management Styles Research work; Road to
IELTS study plan
Lesson 4 Leadership & Management Styles continued Group preparation of
PowerPoint presentation
Lesson 5 MS PowerPoint presentations Self-practice IELTS Speaking;
Road to IELTS study plan
Lesson 6 Introduction to IELTS Writing Task 1 Complete any exercises
Lesson 7 Commentary on Company Performance (WT 1-related Road to IELTS study plan
task)
Lesson 8 Grammar Pitfalls Practice WT1 in groups of 3
Lesson 9 Introduction to IELTS Writing Task 2
Lesson 10 Introduction to IELTS Listening & Reading Practice WT2 in groups of 3
Via ZOOM
Lesson 11 Group work on IELTS Writing Tasks 1 & 2 Look over Writing Task skills
Lesson 12 Full Mock Exam - IELTS
Lesson 13 Grammar & Vocab Consolidation Consolidate grammar points
Lesson 14 The Field of Luxury Research into the luxury
Listening Comprehension - The Apprentice. market
Lesson 15 HCC Going global Project Research into the male
fragrance market
Lesson 16 Advertising & the Henri Claude Marketing Mission Complete any remaining
exercises
Lesson 17 Henri Claude Marketing Mission Meeting and group Prepare group PowerPoint
preparation of PowerPoint presentations presentations
Lesson 18 Group PowerPoint presentations of the Henri Claude Note reading from
Marketing Mission. (CC Oral Mark) Marketing PowerPoint
presentations
Lesson 19 Introduction to Short Report Writing (HC example) Exam preparation and
revision
Lesson 20 Exam Revision

Evaluation

Continuous Assessment: Weighted as 60 % of final semester mark.

100% Composed of ONE final written assignment mark & ONE oral assignment mark - namely: Going
Global Case Study (Oral) 35%; Road to IELTS 10 %; IELTS WT1 10% & IELTS WT2 25%; Soft Skills 20%)

January exam: Weighted as 40 % of final first semester mark (QCM Vocabulary/Grammar; IELTS-
oriented Writing Tasks)

All written tasks will be assessed using the following mark breakdown of /20.
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Grammar Accuracy (GA) = 5

Lexical Range (LR) = 5
Content (C) = 5
Structure (S) = 5

NB Teachers will carry out individual student IELTS Speaking practice/assessments

throughout the semester to ensure a mark can be taken into consideration by Lesson
TWENTY.

IELTS

In Semester 2 you will sit the official IELTS certification. Your performance in the IELTS certificate is a
photograph of your command of English written and oral comprehension, as well as your written and
oral expression.

Obtaining a satisfactory score in IELTS will be essential to your studies in a foreign university.
Furthermore, your studies in 3rd and 4th year will be conducted exclusively in English so you must
demonstrate a sufficient command of the language in order to pursue your studies successfully.

The score is recognized on the CECRL table as shown below.

Band score 9 Proficient user - Mastery C2

Band score 7/8 Proficient user - Advanced C1
Band score 5 /6.5 Independent user/Upper B2
Intermediate

Tips for success:

 Familiarize yourself with the format.

 Identify the section which you find the most challenging.
 Be attentive to vocabulary and variations in use.
 Seize every opportunity to listen to English.
 Practice the online tests regularly.
 Consult resources in the library Campus 1/online.
 Take responsibility for your progress.

Formal Preparation:

 Your teacher will introduce the test format and provide exercises & tests.
 There will be an in class mock IELTS in Semester 1.
 Advice and guidance from your teacher throughout the semester.
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Lesson ONE

IELTS Speaking

The IELTS Speaking section generally consists of personal questions about familiar topics. You will
be expected to speak correctly, clearly, and with ease and confidence in response to each question.
The Speaking section is divided into FOUR parts.
For this lesson, we will concentrate on Part 1.

You will be required to speak to your classmates in order to find out who’s who.

Part 1 –General talk Section

Part 1 of the test will last 4-5 minutes.
 The examiner will ask you to confirm your identity.
 The examiner will introduce him or herself and ask general questions on familiar topics.
 Typical topics include: Home, family, work, studies & interests.

You can anticipate these and prepare prior to the exam….

The questions you will be asked follow a similar pattern, whatever the topic itself.
Anticipate how to answer different questions, with regard to tenses, sentence structure, use
of contrast and linking words. Make word lists of associated nouns/adjectives and adverbs.

Part 1 - Sample questions…

Let’s talk about your home town or village:
What kind of place is it?
What’s the most interesting part of your town/village?
What kind of jobs do the people in your town/village do?
Would you say it’s a good place to live? (Why?)

Sample questions...
Let’s talk about accommodation:
Tell me about the kind of accommodation you live in.
How long have you lived there?
What do you like about living there?
What sort of accommodation would you most like to live in?

Practice subject questions for Part 1 (4-5 minutes)

FAMILY
o Do you have a large or small family?
o How much time do you spend with your family?
o What do you like to do together as a family?
o Do you get along well with your family?
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o Are people in your country generally close to their families?

HOMETOWN
o Describe your hometown.
o What’s special about it?
o Where is your hometown located?
o Is it easy to travel around your hometown?
o What is it known for?
o What do people in your town do?
FRIEND
o Describe a friend.
o How long have you known each other?
o What do usually do together?
o What do you like the most about him / her?
o How often do you see each other?
PLACE
o Describe a place you like to go.
o Why is this place special to you?
o When did you first visit this place?
o Where is this place located?
o What language is spoken here? Do you speak this language?
HOBBIES
o Do you have any hobbies?
o What are some of your hobbies?
o When did you first develop this hobby?
o What are some of the advantages of having a hobby?
o How much time do you spend on your hobby?
FILMS
o Do you enjoy watching movies?
o What’s your favourite film?
o Who are your favourite actors?
o How often do you watch films?
SPORTS
o Do you like sports?
o Do you enjoy watching sports?
o Which sports are most popular in your country?
o When did you first become interested in sports?
o How often do you participate in sports?
o What equipment do you need for your favourite sport?
FESTIVALS
o What’s the most important festival in your country?
o How do people celebrate this festival?
o What special food is associated with this festival?
o What special activities are associated with this festival?
o What do you enjoy most about this festival?
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o Do you think festivals are important for a society?

YOUR COUNTRY
o Which country are you from?
o Where is this country located?
o Which part of the country do most people live in?
o What are the main industries in your country?
o Is it easy to travel around your country?
CLOTHES
o What type of clothes do you like to wear?
o What kind of clothes do people in your country usually wear?
o How important is fashion to you?
o What kind of clothes do you dislike?
o Do you think people behave differently in different kinds of clothes?
GOING OUT
o Do you like going out or staying at home?
o What do you like to do when you go out?
o How often do you go out?
o Do people in your country go out a lot?
o How and where do people in your country usually socialize?
o What kind of entertainment is popular in your country?
COLOURS
o Do you have a favourite colour?
o What are your country’s colours?
o Do you think colours affect our moods?
o Can you learn anything about a person from the colours he / she likes?
o Do you like the same colours now as you did when you were a child?
MUSIC
o What kind of music do you like?
o When do you usually listen to music?
o What kind of music did you like when you were younger?
o What kind of music is popular in your country?
o Do you play any musical instruments?
o Which is your favourite instrument?

Introduction to general business vocabulary

 Insert the appropriate vocab in the gaps

current assets cashflow to borrow perks cash cow to launch USP sales patent
target wealthy location recovery microchip market share rate to go bust COGS
Profit & Loss account competitive edge customer loyalty SWOT loss leader creditors
to improve competitors worth to fire loan to manufacture balance sheet quarter
to forecast product range supply and demand
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1/ The number of items sold ; ___________

2/ Something at which someone is aiming/an objective. ___________

3/ A measure of an organization's liquidity ; _____________

4/ The percentage of the market for a product or service that a company supplies ; ___________

5/ Special benefits that are given to employees in addition to salary ; __________

6/ A place/site where something is or could be found; ______________

7/ A very small silicon component inside a computer ; _________

8/ Another way to say rich ; __________

9/ An official right to be the only person/company allowed to make or sell a product/service ; ______

10/ To present a product/service to the public for the first time ; ________

11/ A measure or quantity measured against another quantity or measure ; ___________

12/ Another way to say to go bankrupt ; ___________

13/ A factor that differentiates a product from its competitors ; ____________

14/ The advantage that you have over your competitors ; ________

15/ Direct costs attributable to the production of the goods sold by a company ; ___________

16/ The fact of a customer repeatedly buying products or services from the same company ; _______

17/ A return to a normal or healthy (economic) condition ; __________

18/ A form of analysis that identifies the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an
organization ; _________

19/ Cash or anything that can be sold (e.g. stock) - converted into cash within a year ; _________

20/ The opposite of the verb to lend ; _________

21/ An article that is sold cheaply in order to attract the public and make them buy other items ; ___

22/ A product that is a dependable source of income or profit ; ___________

23/ A person or firm to whom money is due (as opposed to debtor) ; __________

24/ Another way to say the income statement ; ____________

25/ A more formal way to say to produce/make ; ________

26/ The amount of a product which is available (offered) and the amount which is wanted by
customers ; ____________

27/ A three-month period on a financial calendar ; _________

28/ The opposite of to hire ; ________

29/ Any company which is a rival against another ; ________

30/ A collection of products sold by the same manufacturer/brand ; _________

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31/ Another way to say to make something of better quality ; _________

32/ A statement of the financial position of a business which states the assets, liabilities, and owners'
equity at a particular point in time ; ___________

33/ An amount of money that is borrowed - often from a bank ; _________

34/ L’Oréal’s slogan – ‘Because you are ________ it !’

35/ The act of predicting business activity for a future period of time ; __________

A closer look at companies

Why do companies exist?

A/ Read the following list of possible reasons why companies exist and prioritise your answers
(from the most important reason = 1 to the least important reason = 8).

Use the justification column to explain your level of priority.

Reason Position Justification

A/ To make money for the owners and the

shareholders
B/ To provide employment for people

C/ To offer goods and services to customers

D/ To outperform other companies in the same

field
E/ To generate and distribute wealth in society

F/ To make the most of the talents of each and

every member of staff
G/ To supply the market with the products and
services people need.
H/ To maximise the economic potential of a
town or region.

B/ What kind of a company would you like to work for?

1/ The number of employees?

a)1-10 b) 10-50 c) 50-100 d) 100- 700 e) more than 700

2/ The ratio of men to women?

a) 10:1 b) 5:1 c) 2:1 d) 1:1 e) 1:2 f) 1:5 g) 1:10

3/ The average age of the company’s employees?

a) 20-29 b) 30-39 c) 40-49 d) 50+

4/ The amount of overseas travel for executives?

a) once a month b) three times a year c) once a week d) none

5/Conditions of service?
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a) good with average salary b) poor with a potentially high salary

6/ Working environment?
a) small private office b) large open-plan offices
7/ Working hours?
a) respecting the legal maximum b) working the time it takes to get the job done.
8/ Holidays?
a) just the legal minimum and no more b) paid leave to compensate for the high level of
employee commitment

9/ Rewards for employees?

a) high salary b) job satisfaction

10/ Decision making structure?

a) top down b) bottom up c) at all levels

11/ Teamwork?
a) lots b) some c) none

12/ Transparency about salaries?

a) everyone knows what everyone earns b) total confidentiality on salaries

13/ The location?

a) in a major city b) in a provincial town c) in a remote rural area

14/ Perks?
a) a company car b) discount on the company’s products c) none but higher basic pay

15/ Canteen facilities?

a) one canteen for everyone b) separate canteens for executive and non-executive staff.

Homework for Lesson TWO – Practice Speaking Section 1 with a partner.

Be fully acquainted with the company target vocab.

Lesson TWO

Presentation skills - Vocab & Expressions

The Introduction - with a HOOK!

 Greeting the audience
Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone/ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to thank you all for
coming here today.

 Presenting yourself (names & who you present)

My name's ...I’m the new Human resources manager.

 The subject/title of the talk

I’m going to talk (to you) today about...
The subject/topic/focus of my talk is...
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I’m going to present... /explain our position on... /brief you on… /inform you about...
/describe...

 The purpose/objective of the talk

We are here today to decide/agree/learn...
Hopefully this presentation will help to persuade/convince you that...
The purpose of my talk is to update you on/give you the background to
This talk is designed to act as a starting point for discussion.

 How the talk is structured

I’ve divided my presentation into three parts - they are...
My talk will be in three parts;...
First/To start with/First of all I’d like to…
Second/Then/Next I’ll move onto...
Then/After that I’ll focus on/deal with/explain/describe...
Finally/Lastly/Last of all we’ll consider...

 How long the talk will last

I shall only take a few minutes of your time.
This should only last....

 Referring to questions
If you don't mind, we’ll leave questions till the end.
I’ll be glad/happy/pleased to answer any questions at the end of my talk.
After my talk there’ll be time for discussion and questions.

 The hook
Did you know that…
What would you do if/Have you ever...?
Recently, I…
Effective Openings - The HOOK.

The first three minutes of a presentation are the most important. A ‘hook’ is a simple technique for
getting the immediate attention of the audience. A good start makes you feel more confident.

Here’s how you can ‘hook’ your audience:

 Give the audience a problem to consider

 Give the audience some amazing facts
 Give the audience a story or personal anecdote

Use the structures below to help you prepare effective openings by using……

 The PROBLEM technique

 The AMAZING FACTS technique

 The STORY technique

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1/ PROBLEM Technique

Suppose __________ . How would you __________ ?

Have you ever wondered why it is that __________ .

Well, if I could show you __________ would you be interested?

How many people here this morning/afternoon/etc __________ .

Well, imagine __________ Do you think that’s possible?

2/ AMAZING FACTS Technique

Did you know that __________ ?

According to the latest study __________ .

Statistics show that __________.

I read somewhere the other day that __________ .

3/ ANECDOTE (story) Technique

You know, when I think about __________ I’m reminded of __________ .

Have you ever been in the situation where __________ .

I remember when __________ .It turned out that __________ .

Now practice a brief introduction with a hook, using the models above.

• For a revolutionary health care product (of your choice)

• For an innovative household item (of your choice)

• For a new personal coaching service (of your choice)

The Presentation Body

 Sequencing/ordering/going from one section to another...
Firstly/Secondly/Thirdly...
First/Second/Third...
Then/Next/Finally/Lastly...
So that concludes the introduction/section on.../second part…
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Now, let's move on to (the next part which is)...

So now we come to...

 Referring backwards & forwards...

I mentioned earlier…
As I have already indicated…
I’ll say more about this later.
We’ll come back to this point later.
Let’s go back to...
 Transition from one person to another...
I shall hand you over/pass you over to my colleague….who will talk about…
My colleague will now talk about the...
Let’s now turn to the other team members, who will talk to you about...

 Linking more ideas...

Giving reasons/causes = Therefore/So/As a result/That's why
Contrasting = But/However
Comparing = Similarly/In the same way
Contradicting = In fact/Actually
Summarising = To sum up/In brief/In short
Concluding = In conclusion/To conclude
Highlighting = In particular/Especially
Digressing = By the way/In passing
Giving examples for example/For instance/Such as
Generalising = Usually/Generally/As a rule

 Checking understanding
Is that clear so far?/Are there any questions?

 Referring to the audience

As you know/As I’m sure you are aware...
You may remember...

 Describing trends/charts & graphs

Have a look/Take a look at this graph/pie-chart/table/chart etc
If you look at this graph etc you can see...
I’d like to draw your attention to this graph showing our... You will notice that...

 Conclusion
Signalling the end
That brings me to the end of my presentation.
That completes my presentation.
Before I stop/finish let me just say....
That covers all I wanted to say today.
Summarising
Let me just run over the key points again.
I’ll briefly summarise the main issues...
To sum up...
Concluding
As you can see, there are some good reasons for...
In conclusion...
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I’d like to leave you with the following idea...

Recommending
So, I would suggest that we...
I’d like to propose (*more formal)
In my opinion, the only way forward is...
Closing
Thank you for your attention.
Thank you for listening/being such an attentive audience.
I hope you have gained some insight into...

Answering questions
I’d be glad to try and answer any questions.
Any questions?

Welcoming the question

That's an interesting/good question.
I’m glad you raised that point...

Clarifying the question

If I understand correctly, you are asking/saying....
Could you go over that again?
I’m not sure what you are getting at.

Avoiding giving an answer

Perhaps we could deal with that later?
I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that!
Can I get back to you on that later?

A few practical considerations & the Importance of Body Language

 Maintain good eye contact with different people in the audience.

 Do not just look at one person/group of people.

 Do not look at the floor or ceiling!

 Use facial expressions for emphasis.

 Use your hands to emphasize your ideas, therefore keep them out of your pockets!

 Move around with moderation.

 Maintain good posture.

 Do not just read from the PowerPoint - the audience knows how to read!

Presentation Elements Checklist

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Greeting?

Introduction of team members?

Statement of task? Objective of talk?

Division of presentation? Statement of length? Policy on questions?

Hook?

Language - clarity, good intonation & appropriate speed?

Register – appropriate for content & audience? No verbal tics “Like” or slang/swearing?

Hand-over language between presenters?

Use of rhetorical questions?

Eye contact?

No or minimal reading from text/screen?

Appropriate body posture?

Body language - gestures for emphasis/pointing to the screen?

Content - clear, relevant analysis?

Argumentation – Valid and persuasive?

Respect of time limit per person & overall?

General PowerPoint images & slides - good visuals, clear & concise slides? Key facts on slides
(names/dates/figures)? No spelling mistakes?

Conclusion – signaled clearly?

Résumé of key points?

Restatement of objective?

Thanking audience? Response to questions?

 Face the audience, but point to the relevant elements on the screen.

 Do not block the audience's view of the screen.

 Use key words, with bullet points.

 Always have TWO computers and a USB key ready per presentation.

IELTS Speaking Continued… Section TWO

Part 2 – ‘Two-minute Task Card’ Section - 3-4 minutes in total.

In the Speaking Part 2 test you will be given a task card on a particular topic, and this will include key
points that you should talk about.
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This section of the test gives you the opportunity to speak for longer on a topic.

 You will be given one minute to prepare to talk about the topic on the task card.

 A pencil and paper will be provided for you to make notes.

 You will have to talk ‘solo’ for between 1-2 minutes.

 The examiner will ask you one or two questions on the same topic (approximately 1 minute.

Part 2 Sample question…

Describe something you own which is very important to you.

You should say:

Where you got it from...

How long you have had it…

What you use it for…

Explain why it is important to you.

Rounding-off questions in Part 2.

To conclude Part 2 section of the Speaking test, you will be asked ‘rounding-off’ questions…

Tell me :

Is it valuable in terms of money?

Would it be easy to replace?

Part 3 – Topic-connected Questions

This section will last 4-5 minutes.

In Part 3of the Speaking test the examiner will ask further questions which are connected to the
topics discussed in Part 2.

 You will talk about more abstract issues & ideas.

 It is a two-way discussion with the examiner.

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Sample Connected questions…

Leading on from the Part 2 task card dealing with what you value most in Life…

Let’s consider first of all how people’s values have changed.

What kind of things give status to people in your country?

Have things changed since your parents’ time?

Sample questions…

Leading on from the Part 2 task card on your favourite advert…

Finally, let’s talk about the role of advertising.

Do you think advertising influences what people buy?

Practice subject questions for Part 2 & Part 3

Part 2 (2 minutes ‘solo’)

Describe an app or program that you think is useful.
You should say:
What it is…
Where you got it from…
Explain why you think is useful.

Part 3 – Connected questions linked to Part 2 (4-5 minutes)

Leading on from the Part 2:
What would the world be like without the internet?
Can computer games be a part of our education and learning? How?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of social networking apps?
Has technology caused many environmental problems? Why?

Part 2
Talk about a road trip you have done.
You should say:
Who you did it with…
What happened on the trip…
Why you remember it…
Explain how a road trip can change your life.
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Part 3 - Connected questions linked to Part 2

How will self-driving cars change cities?

Why do people prefer to take cars even though it takes longer than the train?

Do you think people will stay with cars in the future?

How can people reduce car dependency?

Part 2

Describe a goal that you set in your life.

You should say:

What it was…

Why you set this goal…

How you will achieve it…

Explain why this goal is important for you.

Part 3 - Connected questions linked to Part 2

What makes people successful? Why?

Do successful people have different abilities?

Is the genotype of successful people different from others?

Part 2

Talk about something you did that might have had a negative result but ended up positive.

You should say:

What the thing is…

When and where it happened…

What you did…

How you felt about it…

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Part 3 - Connected questions linked to Part 2

Is it worth taking risks in life? Why or why not?

Do you think that when we stop taking risks we stop living life?

Do you think children need to take risks?

 Use the scoring grid below to test a partner…

Lesson THREE

What is management?

Management is the function that coordinates the efforts of people to accomplish objectives, using
available resources efficiently and effectively.

What is the role of a manager? Choose your top three roles from the following and explain your
ideas.
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• motivator • problem-solver • friend• mediator • monitor • organiser• leader • decision-maker

• role model

A/ Which of the following you believe…

Managers should:

1/ know when your birthday is.

2/ know where you are and what you are doing at all times during working hours.

3/ not criticise or praise.

4/ not interfere in disagreements between members of staff.

5/ not ask people to do things they are not prepared to do themselves.

6/ be available at all times to give staff advice and support.

7/ keep their distance from staff and not get involved in socialising outside work.

8/ use polite language at all times.

9/ work longer hours than their staff.

10/ comment on the personal appearance of their staff.

There are several different management styles…. Here are a few.

 Autocratic
In this management style, the manager becomes the sole decision maker.
“My way or the highway” The manager does not greatly care about the subordinates and their
involvement in decision making. Decisions do not reflect the team's collective opinion

There are TWO types of Autocratic manager:

Directive autocrat:
makes decisions alone and supervises the subordinates closely.
Permissive autocrat:
makes decisions alone, but allows subordinates to freely execute the decisions.

 Democratic (Participative)
Welcomes the others’ contribution in the decision-making process.
Every decision is made with the majority's agreement.

 Paternalistic (Persuasive)
In the best interest of company/ employees.
When the management makes a decision, it is explained to the employees & obtains their support as
well. Maintains a high morale within the organization.

 Laissez-faire (Delegative/Chaotic)
Hands-off, laid-back management.
The manager is a facilitator for the staff.
The employees take the responsibility of different areas of their work.
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 Which style would you prefer and why?

10 Rules to Success….. Phil Knight – CEO of NIKE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob6Y6yzhwPI

1/ Phil Knight is an American business magnat, who is the co-founder of NIKE and has an estimated
net worth of __________ .

2/ Where did Knight’s initial business idea come from ?

3/ At the time of the company’s creation, where and by whom were the best running shoes made ?

4/ What was Knight’s ‘crazy idea’ ?

5/ The key element is _________ and getting them to __________ , for a common ______ .

6/ To motivate the work force, you must create the right __________ and give them a little
__________ .

7/ It is important to recognize that each __________________ and that you should not
_________________ .

8/ The whole focus of the first ten years of the company was ____________ with large amounts of
investment in ______________ .

9/ However, it is vital to find a ________ in the market and have a reason to _________ .

10/ What was NIKE’s niche ?

11/ An entrepreneur must be prepared to cope with the _______ moments, when everything is on
___________ .

12/ Much of NIKE’s success today came from the _____________ of the mid-80s _____________ ;
deciding ________ and defining the __________ .

13/ Unlike many other entrepreneurs, Knight says that getting help should indeed be encouraged as
part of a lifelong search for ________ .

14/ What does a brand stand for ?

15/ What is Knight’s attitude to competition ?

16/ The corporate HQ in Oregan is a _________ to sporting excellence. The workers there are
referred to as ‘____________’ .

17/ Heritage is the _______ that holds great companies together.

18/ To Knight, NIKE is more than just a ________ , it is more than just _________ . It is a _________ .

B/ Match these pairs of contrasting management styles.

1/ autocratic a/ collaborative
 22

2/ centralising b/ controlling

3/ directive c/ delegating

4/ empowering d/ democratic

5/ hands-on e/ people-orientated

6/ task-orientated f/ laissez-faire

C/ Read the article below about Anna Wintour, Chief Executive of Vogue, the fashion
magazine and decide which of these statements are true for this CEO.
1/ Thinks most meetings are a waste of time.

2/ Is good at making decisions quickly and firmly.

3/ Wants people to know who the boss is.

4/ Thinks artificial deadlines are stressful.

5/ Believes in hiring the best staff they can.

6/ Thinks staff feel happy working there.

D/ Which of these adjectives do you think describe Anna Wintour?

approachable demanding perfectionist ruthless volatile

E/ Match the adjectives in the box to the definitions below.

anti-authoritarian approachable demanding perfectionist ruthless

self-motivated talented volatile

1/ Not caring if you have to harm others to get what you want.

2/ Not satisfied with anything unless it is exactly right.

3/ Having a natural ability to do something well.

4/ Wanting to achieve something by themselves.

5/ Against forcing people to obey strict rules.

6/ Friendly and easy to talk to.

7/ Expecting a lot of time and effort from others.

8/ Liable to suddenly become angry.

F/ Complete this paragraph with adjectives from Exercise E.

At my last company, the managers were remote and not at all ........... . They were hard
to get to know. The only one who showed any emotion was the CEO, who had a …………
 23

temper. He was completely ruth less and did not care about his staff at all. He acted like a
dictator. He had a ……….. management style, insisting that everything was exactly right.
He was also very demanding, making us work really unsociable hours. In my new company,
the managers are good communicators, decision-making is open and transparent and the
style is ………….. Management is by consensus. All the staff are ……….. and experts in
their own fields. They are ............and trusted to work without supervision.

Anna Wintour
60 Minutes' Morley Safer interviews Vogue's Editor in her first lengthy U.S. T.V. profile. She is said
to be the most powerful woman in fashion and she does nothing to dispel that belief. Her name is
Anna Wintour, a name that strikes terror in some and loathing in others. It should also be said she
commands a loyal band of friends and admirers. "The blurb on your unauthorized biography reads
'She's ambitious, driven, needy, a perfectionist'. Accurate?" 60 Minutes correspondent Morley
Safer asked Wintour. "Well, I am very driven by what I do. I am certainly very competitive. I like
people who represent the best of what they do, and if that turns you into a perfectionist. then
maybe I am ,"
Wintour replied.
Wintour is involved in every detail of the magazine: the clothes, editing the pictures and articles.
She is decis ive, impatient . and bears a look that says "I'm the boss, and you're boring." "An editor
in the final analysis is a kind of dictator-a magazine is not a democracy?" Safer asked. "lt's a group
of people coming together and presenting ideas from which I pick what I think is the best mix for
each particular issue, but in the end. the final decision has to be mine." Wintour explained. "We're
here to work. There's on-duty time and off-duty time, and we·re drawn together by our passion for
the magazine. If one comes across sometimes as bei ng cold or brusque. it's simply because rm
striving for the best." "lt 's not Ii ke a tea party here. We work very hard," Vogue's Editor-at-large
Andre Leon Talley told Safer. Asked what kind of boss she is. Talley told Safer, "Let's say thatAnna
can be intimidating. I think that is her armor, to intimidate. To give the people the sense that she is
in charge. She is not a person who's going to show you her emotions ever. She's like a doctor,
when she's looking at your work. it's like a medical analysis." Vogue Creative Director Grace
Coddington says, "I think she enjoys not being completely approachable, you know. Just her office
is very intimidating. right? You have to walk about a mile into the office before you get to her desk,
and I'msure it's intentional."

G/ Give the opposite meaning for each of these adjectives, using the prefixes:
in-, ir-, un-, il- or dis-. Then provide the noun forms.
1/ considerate 9/ loyal

2/ competent 10/organized

3/ creative 11/ decisive

4/ diplomatic 12/ responsible

5/ efficient 13/ sociable

6/ flexible 14/ supportive

7/ inspiring

8/ logical
 24

Lesson FOUR

 Which of the following gives you the best definition of leadership?

«You manage things, you lead people».

«Leadership inspires, management plans».

«Leaders praise, managers find fault».

«Leaders ask questions, managers give directions».

«A true leader is born, not made. They simply have brains that are wired differently to most».

« Great leadership is based, on Nature, not Nurture».

«A leader does not lead through official authority and power alone, they also do so through
inspiration, persuasion and personal connections».

«Leaders don’t lead by telling people what they have to do. Instead, leaders cause
people to want to help them».

«Understanding social networks and key influencers in that social network is another key part of
leadership».

«Leaders are working towards a goal that’s greater than themselves».

«Leadership is more often than not about “soft skills” rather than hard skills».

«Great leaders are born, but it takes circumstances to make them great. Some are
born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them».

«If a leader lacks charisma, they will have few followers».

«Leaders are like scientists ; they learn by trying out new techniques and figuring out
what will work and what will not work».

«While many see 'failure', as negative, leaders see this as the potential to take a bad situation and
create something good out of it».

«The most successful leaders have more grey matter in places that control decision-
making, self-regulation and memory, giving them a vital edge».

«Most people can ride a bicycle, but not everyone can be an Olympic winner. It's the same with
management and leadership».

«Integrity play a big part in good leadership».

«Leaders network with people higher up the food chain in order to rise».

«Effective leaders look forward to change because it brings far more opportunity
than statis».

A/ Which of the above statements do you agree with? Explain your reasons.
 25

Vocab Consolidation
 Fill in the gaps with the appropriate vocab.
highway subordinate to delegate bossy hands-on people-oriented involved
self-starter proactive laid-back selfish loyalty consistent the bigger picture
to take advantage conflict resolution trouble-shooting participative to empower
task-oriented demanding driven assertive

1/ Someone who is _________ behaves confidently and is not frightened to say what they want or
believe but does so without shocking or offending other people.

2/ An individual who is of a lower or inferior rank or position is your _________ .

3/ The process of identifying, planning and resolving a problem, error or fault ; _________ .

4/ An autocratic manager will say, «My way or the _________ ! ».

5/ Being a part of something or associated with it; __________ .

6/ Having a broad, long-range vision that is not distracted by detail ; to see ____________ .

7/ Closely involved in managing and organizing things and in making decisions ; _______ .

8/ To give control, authority, a job, a duty, etc., to another person ; ___________ .

9/ Finding a peaceful solution to a disagreement in the workplace ; ___________ .

10/ To unfairly get what you want from someone, to your own benefit ; _________ .

11/ A workplace where each individual is respected, valued and empowered is ___________ .

12/ An individual who gives people orders and who wants things his/her own way ; _______ .

13/ A person who is sufficiently motivated or ambitious to work on their own initiative without
needing direction is a ___________ .

14/ Style of management in which the boss involves subordinates in goal setting, problem solving
etc ; _____________ .

15/ Focused on getting a job done without worrying about the personal development or satisfaction
of the team ; ____________ .

16/ Making others work hard or meet high standards; not easily satisfied (adj) ; ___________ .

17/ Taking action to make changes rather than just reacting to things that happen ; _________ .

18/ A strong feeling of support or allegiance ; __________ .

19/ To give someone the authority, power or strength to do something ; __________ .

20/ Someone who is informal, relaxed and not too demanding is __________ .

21/ The opposite of altruistic ; _________ .

22/ Behaviour that is free from variation or contradiction is ______________ .

23/ An adjective to describe someone who is determined to achieve something or be successful ;

___________ .
 26

Heroes and Demons – Research & Presentation Task

In mini groups, select a leader/manager in the business world – past or present – in order to give a
PowerPoint presentation (around 12 mins) offering an analysis of the personal profile and
influence of the individual, their management style and its pros and cons. The presentations will
be performed in Lesson FIVE.
Refer to Presentation Checklist and respect target language & register.

Lesson FIVE

PowerPoint Group presentations of Hero/Demon leaders.

 Do not just read from the PowerPoint - the audience knows how to read!

Presentation Elements Checklist

Greeting?

Introduction of team members?

Statement of task? Objective of talk?

Division of presentation? Statement of length? Policy on questions?

Hook?

Language - clarity, good intonation & appropriate speed?

Register – appropriate for content & audience? No verbal tics “Like” or slang/swearing?

Hand-over language between presenters?

Use of rhetorical questions?

Eye contact?

No or minimal reading from text/screen?

Appropriate body posture?

Body language - gestures for emphasis/pointing to the screen?

Content - clear, relevant analysis?

Argumentation – Valid and persuasive?

Respect of time limit per person & overall?

General PowerPoint images & slides - good visuals, clear & concise slides? Key facts on slides
(names/dates/figures)? No spelling mistakes?
 27

Continued practice of IELTS Speaking. Section 2 & 3…

Lesson SIX
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 (data-based writing)

In the IELTS exam, you have 2O mins to write an answer of 150 words minimum in response to a
given task, focused on visual data – ie an infographic (chart/graph/table/diagram). The final band
score (1-9) is based on your Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, Coherence and
Cohesion & Task Achievement (each worth 25%).

The response to this task is an objective (neutral) written description of the facts. This is not an essay,
where you are expected to explain, elaborate, give meanings, draw conclusions and make
predictions. There are no personal references (I/me/we).

It follows the standard structure below:

 Introduction: briefly describe what your graph shows.

 Overview: state main trends/salient features.
 Body paragraphs: describe specific features/differences, providing data.
 NO conclusion

The Introduction

Start your Task 1 answer by introducing the graph from your question, writing 1-2 sentences to say
what your graph shows and for what period of time (if there is one).

To do this, underline the key words in the IELTS task statement and the visual data to focus your
attention and then paraphrase the information given. You do not have to make up a completely new
introduction. Just take the given topic as a base, and change/add some details, use different forms of
vocab (noun – verb etc).

Change introductory expressions.

The graph/chart/table/diagram (do not change the name of your visual data):

 gives information about/on…

 provides information about/on…
 shows/illustrates/represents/depicts/describes/reveals…(upward/downward trends etc)
 gives reason why (*only if graph provides reasons for something)…
 explains why (*only if graph provides explanation for something)…
 compares… (when several items are compared), in terms of…
eg.

The table compares five companies in terms of the number of employees.” OR “The table illustrates
the number of employees in five companies.”
 28

Paraphrase

You can rewrite a phrase by using the word how (+ verb):

 shows the number of people ... = shows how many people ...
 depicts changes in spending on ... = depicts how much/how far spending on ...changed….

You can rewrite a phrase by using synonyms:

 number of = quantity of (not interchangeable with amount of)/percentage of/proportion of

 spending = expenditure
 rate = percentage
 ratio = proportion
 information = data
 change = sometimes replaced by increase, decrease, variation, shift
 share = portion
 place = site, location

Rephrase time periods

 from 1985 to 1995 = between 1985 and 1995

 in 1985 = in the year 1985
 in 1985 and 1995 = in 1985 and 1995 respectively = in the years 1985 and 1995 = in two
different years (1985 and 1995)
 Commencing from 1980/After 2012.
 By 2012/Within a time span of ten years/Within three months
 Over the period 1980-2012/During the period…/During the last quarter of the year
1980/During the next 6 months/During the first decade
 In the first half of the year/For the first two quarters

Paraphrasing Numbers for Writing Task 1: Language of fractions, approximation &

proportion.
Sometimes data in Writing Task 1 is expressed in percentages. To avoid repetition, these can
be replaced by fractions:

75% of global expenditure was spent on food in 1990, while only 20% was allocated on
education.
= 75% of global expenditure was spent on food in 1990, while only a fifth was allocated on
education.”

 Four fifths - 80%

 Three quarters – 75%
 Seven out of ten – 70%
 29

 Just over half – 53%

 Two fifths – 40%
 Just over a third – 30%
 One quarter – 25%
 A fifth – 20%
 Less than a fifth – 15%
 One in ten – 10% (this is used for people or objects)
 From two fifths to less than a fifth – 40% to 15% (for trend graphs)
 Halved (verb) – dropped by half

Around fourth fifths (80%) of unemployed youths stated that…

Coal accounted for one quarter of fossil fuels (25%) …
One in ten people (10%) reported that they frequented….
According to the graph, manufacturing halved (-50%) over the
period…
Just under a third (29%) of domestic waste is recycled…

Approximation and Proportion:

If the percentage is, for example 51% or 23%, we can use approximations.

The proportion of foreign students experienced an increase from 25% to 31% in 2004.
= The proportion of foreign students experienced an increase from 25% to just below a third in
2004.

 A minority of – 5% -10%
 A small/insignificant number of – around 2%
 Just over a fifth – around 22%
 Just under a fifth – around 18%
 Nearly a fifth, almost 19%,
 Slightly less than a quarter – 23%
 A small fraction, a moderate number, a small minority
 More than two fifths – around 42%
 Approximately half – 48%
 Double
 Twice as many/much
 Around a fifth – 19%
 In the region of 40%
 A significant portion, the overwhelming majority
 Increased three-fold
 Around two thirds
 More or less three quarters
 A large/significant number of – around 70%
 A large/considerable proportion of – around 80%
 30

Approximately half (52%) of all the inhabitants…

A large proportion (79%) of manufacturers…
This figure rose, but then fell to slightly less than a quarter
(24%) that year…
A significant amount (85%) of data was collected…

Comparisons using half, twice, three times, etc. with as many/much…as.

In the 2004 Olympic Games, China won 32 gold medals, while Japan won 16 gold medals.
= In the 2004 Olympic Games, China won twice as many gold medals as Japan.

Between 2010 and 2015, £20,000 was spent on advertising, whereas in 2016 it was
£40,000.
= Between 2010 and 2015, £20,000 was spent on advertising, whereas in 2016 it was twice
as much/twice that amount..

Using double, treble, quadruple, etc.

The number of businesswomen was 20 in 1994 and it rose to 60 in 1998.

= The number of businesswomen was 20 in 1994 and it trebled four years later.

Using twofold, threefold as an adjective or adverb.

In 1998, the proportion of unemployed people was 15%. 2 years later, it increased to 45%.
= In 1998, the proportion of unemployed people was 15%. 2 years later, it saw a threefold
increase/it increased threefold.
There was a twofold increase in homelessness over the given period/Homelessness
increased twofold…

 Exercises – fill in with an appropriate expression…

1/ According to the chart (75%) ____________________ of imports came from China in
2018.
2/ Asians accounted for (85%) __________________ of purchasers of luxury goods.
3/ Production of smart tablettes (-50%) _________________ in the period between 2015-
2018.
4/ Unemployment reflected (23%) a gradual rise of _________________ in 2014.
5/ (85%) __________________ of the population will suffer from health issues linked to
pollution.
6/ (40%) ____________________________ of the people interviewed…
 31

7/ Unemployment stood at (30%) ____________________________ …

8/ (11%) ___________________________________ of the people claimed that…
9/ (15%) ________________________________ of the inhabitants stated that…
10/ Poverty rose from 20% to 60% in the community over 2018. _______________
11/ Jobs were slashed from 10,000 posts to 5,OOO over the summer. _______________
12/ It rose from 25 units to 75 between 2005-2010. __________________________
13/ 20,000 inhabitants voted in 2000, in 2019 that figure rose to 60,OOO.
______________________
14/ £50k spent on health care in June, £5k in August. ______________________________
15/ It was three times bigger. There was a ________________ increase.
16/ The numbers increased twofold. They were ___________________ .

The Overview

It is vital to give an overview in your writing, preferably straight after the Introduction or possibly
after your final body paragraph. It is best to write 'Overall,…' when giving an overview so that it is
clearly highlighted. Without an overview, your writing will not accomplish the task set and you will
lose points for your band score of Task Achievement.

You should not state any specific details in the overview, simply write what is shown on the graph in
a general sense. Briefly describe the major trends on your visual support. Ideally, you should describe
2-3 key features (do not give precise figures etc here).

Remember to respect the appropriate tense use.

The present simple is used to introduce the topic (This line graph depicts…), but then if the
infographics refer to the finished past (years provided on data), use a past tense. Likewise, if the
material gives dates concerning the future, use an appropriate future form (present progressive,
going to, will etc).

eg

The line graph below shows the household recycling rates in three different countries between 2005
and 2015.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where
relevant.
= Introduction…
The line graph illustrates the percentage of households recycling in the UK, France and Germany
from 2005 to 2015.
= Overview…
 32

Overall, the recycling rates of the UK and Germany showed a steady but significant rise over the period,
while the percentage of recycled waste in France experienced a downward trend.
(Basically, in the overview you are saying - UK and Germany’s rates ↑ , France’s rates ↓, but without
giving any numbers…)

The Body Paragraphs

After the overview, you should group data by some feature (category/trend etc) and give specific
details (figures etc) to support this.

Compare and contrast, using linking words:

 however/although/even if/despite+ing/while/whereas etc & in addition to…+ing/not

only+inversion subject and verb.
Do not infer, draw conclusions of causality or consequence to explain or link unless specifically asked
to do so.

In Writing Task 1 you are not giving your opinion, you are just giving a written description of visual
data provided.

eg.

In 2005 the recycling rates of the UK and Germany were nearly 35% and 20% respectively.
Germany's rate increased sharply throughout the period, exceeding France's rate in 2009 and
reaching almost 60% in the end of the period. In the meantime, the percentage of recycled waste
in the UK grew to 40% in 2007, and then remained steady until 2009. During 2009-2011 it
experienced a rapid surge to more than 50% and continued with a gradual increase to 60% in
2015.

In early 2005 the recycling rate of France (50%) was the highest among these three countries.
However, it dramatically declined to 30% in 2013. Then, there was a growth of 10% in 2015, but
France's recycling rate was the lowest in the end of the period.

IELTS Bar Chart Task 1 Writing Question

The bar chart shows the divorce rates in two European countries from 2011 to 2015.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons
where relevant.
 33

The introduction is 1 or 2 sentences, paraphrasing the statement information, mentioning what the
what graph shows, and for what period of time.

eg

 shows → demonstrates/provides information about

 divorce rates → percentages of divorces
 two European countries → Finland and Sweden (be more specific)
 from 2011 to 2015 → between 2011 and 2015.
Sample Introduction =

The bar chart provides information about the percentages of divorces in Finland and Sweden between
2011 and 2015.

The general overview is the second paragraph of your answer, briefly describing major trends
without numbers…, starting with ‘Overall….’.On the graph here, it is obvious that:

 Sweden experienced a downward trend.

 Finland experienced an upward trend.
 Both countries showed fluctuations
 Initially Finland had a lower rate, but in 2015 Finland overtook Sweden.

Sample Overview =

Overall, Sweden experienced a downward trend, while Finland showed an upward trend throughout
the period. Both countries’ divorce rates had some fluctuations. Although Finland initially had a lower
rate, it overtook Sweden at the end of the period.

The Body paragraphs provide detailed information. When you have two countries (or any other
two things depicted on the graph), the simplest way of grouping data is to describe each entity’s
trend in a separate paragraph. NB* When analyzing a bar-chart, we cannot always give exact details
(due to inaccuracies of the chart), so use words around, about & approximately when giving inexact
data.

Sample Body paragraphs =

 34

Sweden’s divorce rate was about 45% in 2011, being higher than Finland’s rate by approximately 8%.
Then, it rose to almost fifty percent in 2012. However, the figure showed a gradual decrease to about
47% in 2013 and continued to decline steadily to the end of the period, reaching around 45% in 2014
and hitting a low-point of about 37% in 2015.

Percentage of divorces in Finland was less than 40% in 2011, and it decreased in 2012, when about
one third of marriages in Finland ended with a divorce (as opposed to almost a half in Sweden).
However, the figure experienced a steady growth during the next two years. It rose to approximately
39% in 2013, then increased by around 3% in 2014, and remained steady for the next year, outracing
the rate of Sweden.

IELTS Pie Chart Task 1 Writing Question:

The two pie charts below show the percentages of industry sectors' contribution to the economy
of Turkey in 2000 and 2016.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.

The Introduction
Look at the information from the task statement, underline key words and paraphrase the whole in
the following way:

 shows → illustrates
 the percentages of industry sectors' contribution to the economy of Turkey →
 how different industry sectors contributed to the Turkish economy
 percentage-wise
 in 2000 and 2016 → in the years 2000 and 2016.
 NB *pie charts = pie charts (do not change this)

Sample Introduction =

The two pie charts illustrate how different industry sectors contributed to the Turkish economy
percentage-wise in the years 2000 and 2016.

The Overview
 35

Give your overall view in one or two sentences. There are two main options to describe key features
here:

 Find the biggest and smallest slices of each pie chart

 Find which slices became bigger/smaller or did not change
You can adapt the following constructions for any pie chart:

 The smallest segment = contributed the least to…/made the lowest contribution to…/made
up the smallest part of the chart/was the least significant part of ….
 The largest segment = contributed the most to…/made the greatest contribution/made up
the biggest part of the chart/was the most significant part of …
Use linking words such as:

 In comparison/Conversely/as opposed to/in contrast to… or Likewise

Sample Overview =

Overall, at the beginning of the period construction contributed the least to the economy of Turkey
and agriculture was the most significant economic sector. In comparison, at the end of the period
healthcare and education became the largest economic segment and the lowest contribution was
made by financial, business and other services.

The Body Paragraphs

Group the specific details of your chart in 2 (or 3) paragraphs, no less.

You can group data in the following way:

 Sectors that had an increase (to reach a peak)

 Sectors that had a decrease or did not change (to hit a low-point/to remain stable)
Use expressions such as:

 accounted for/represented/made up
 to experience an increase/decrease
Sample Body Paragraphs =

The construction sector accounted for 3% of Turkey's economy in 2000, and experienced a more than
threefold increase to 12% in 2016. Economic income from trade, utilities and transportation was 14%
in 2000 and experienced a slight growth of 2% in 2016. At the beginning of the period, manufacturing
and finance, business and other services made up 8% and 5% of Turkey's economy, respectively, and
these figures rose to 12% and 8% in 2016.

Agriculture, which comprised almost a quarter of Turkey's economy in 2000, fell to 14% in 2016. In
2000 economic outputs from government and leisure and hospitality sectors were at 12% and 17%,
respectively, and both decreased by 3% after 16-year period. In contrast, contribution from
healthcare and education sector remained constant in both years at 17%.

Vocabulary to write a percentage of a certain sector:

 Sector X was 3%
 36

 Sector X made up 3%
 Sector X accounted for 3%
 Sector X comprised 3% of [the whole chart]

IELTS Diagram Description Task 1 Writing Question:

Although diagrams are not very common in IELTS Academic, they do appear in Writing and are very
different from the other types of graphs you may get as a task.

The diagram illustrates how steel rods are manufactured in the furniture industry.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons
where relevant.

The Introduction
Use synonyms and paraphrase the topic from your task statement.

Sample Introductions =

The diagram demonstrates the way in which steel rods are produced for the furniture industry.

The diagram shows the process of metal rod production for the furniture industry.

The Overview

Give a general overview to summarize what is going on in the diagram. Unlike line graphs, pie charts
and bar charts, diagrams have no general trends or key changes to identify. So, in the overview
paragraph you need to write:

 How the process begins and ends

 The number of stages
If the diagram has loops or repeating stages, or your process is cyclical - write that in your overview
too.

Sample Overview=
 37

Overall, the process consists of eleven stages, beginning with the raw material and ending up with
the product’s inspection.

The Body paragraphs

Write about specific details of your diagram in the body, describing each stage of the process in
detail. Do not forget that you should provide information in a logical way.

Sample Body paragraphs =

First of all, iron ore, yellow ore and carbon are collected to serve as a raw material for steel rod
manufacturing. After that, this raw material is melted in a melting slit, where it is heated to a
temperature in range of 1300-1500 °C. The melted mass is then transferred to a smelting cabin to
undergo refinement. Next, the candescent metal is put in a pouring machine and poured into ingots.

In the next stage, the ingots are connected to a cooling reservoir, where the temperature falls to 60-
100 °C. Metal goes through special nozzles and cools down, forming strands. Following this, the
metal strands proceed to rollers that change their shape. Next, the products are put into a heating
machine, where they undergo heat treatment. Subsequently, a measuring automaton completes a
surface check of the products.

After that, the metal rods are sized by special cutters and get ID stamping. Finally, the products
undergo inspection and are ready for use.

Using connectors

A Process is a series of changes that happen over time and therefore connectors are extremely
important when writing about process diagrams. Use these words to describe specific features of
your diagram:

 First of all…
 Firstly…
 To begin…
 After that…
 Then…
 Next…
 In the next stage…
 Following this…
 Subsequently…
 Finally…

Using additional information

The task diagram will often provide additional information and hints for most stages of the process.
Make sure that you use all of this when describing the specific features of the data given.

However, sometimes you may see that some stage lacks information for description and so you do
not actually know what happens exactly during this stage. In this case, you can use a verb to undergo
( = to experience).
 38

Do not draw conclusions in Writing Task 1 as you are not giving your opinion, you are merely
describing the facts provided.

Vocab for all types of infographic material….

Nouns for upward/downward movement

 a rise (of…. $/in population… etc)  a fall (of….£/in profit…etc)

 an increase  a decrease
 a growth  a decline
 a peak  a dip
 a surge  a fluctuation (of/in)
 a variation

Verbs

Upward movement

 to rise  to peak
 to increase  to rocket
 to surge  to soar
 to grow  to leap

Downward movement
 to fall  to plunge
 to decrease  to plummet
 to decline  to nose-dive
 to dip  to fluctuate/to vary
 to dive

Adverbs

 sharply  wildly
 suddenly
 rapidly  steadily
 abruptly  slightly
 dramatically  gently
 significantly  gradually
 considerably  steadily
 markedly  modestly
 marginally

Adjectives
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 sharp  substantial
 sudden  spectacular
 rapid  marginal
 abrupt  slight
 dramatic  gentle
 steep  gradual
 significant  steady
 considerable  consistent
 marked  modest

Language Register

Do not use ‘lazy’ words…. Your language should sound formal and professional. You should avoid
repeating the same basic adjectives and nouns, where possible.

 Good (depending on the context) -=

beneficial/positive/profitable/worthwhile/trustworthy/eco-friendly/rewarding/time-saving/
inventive/insightful/life-changing/commendable/reputable/ top-rate/sensible…
 Bad = negative/time-consuming/ill-paying/time-wasting/detrimental/unreliable/polluting/
ineffective/hazardous/life-threatening/worthless/inferior/insignificant/second-rate/foolish/
unwise…
 New = innovative/ground-breaking/state-of-the-art/up-to-the-minute/advanced/cutting
edge/just-out…
 A lot of/lots of = many/much/a great deal/an appreciable amount/manifold/a significant
number/ a considerable quantity…
 More and more = an increasing amount or number/ever-growing
numbers/progressively/increasingly/progressively…
 Fewer and fewer (+countable nouns) = decreasing numbers of …
 Less and less (+ uncountable/mass nouns) = decreasing amounts of …
 Very = greatly/highly/significantly/remarkably/noticeably/heavily…
 Important (in French) = significant/considerable…
 To cause = to produce/to lead to/to engender/to bring about/to trigger…
 Common = commonplace/widespread/renowned/ubiquitous/extensive…
 Probable = likely/in all likelihood/plausible/to be odds-on/to be bound to…
 To show = to highlight/to emphasize/to throw light on/to underline/to draw attention to…
 Permettre = to enable (to give the ability)/to allow (to give permission)…
 Possible = feasible/credible/do-able/workable/within reach/viable/achievable…
 Intéressant = note-worthy/worthwhile/attractive/competitive/good value for money/money-
making/cost-effective/profitable/rewarding…
 For example = for instance/such as/namely (not like)/let us cite…
 Do not use the to talk of things in general…
eg. The Pollution is an issue that cannot be ignored. The Time is money. The Unemployment
worsened.

 Connaitre un problème etc = to experience/to undergo/to witness/to have/to live through…

 Somebody/anybody/nobody = them/their/themself = NEUTRAL PRONOUN
eg Somebody left their door open, so I warned them (him/her/it)…
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 Do NOT start a sentence with :

And = In addition/Furthermore/What is more… But = However/Nevertheless… Because = Due
to/Thanks to/As a result of…

Lesson SEVEN

Company Performance – Describing evolution…

 Read the headlines below & indicate which direction the trend is going ↑ or ↓.
1/ Freddie Mac posts $3bn 2007 loss. _____

2/ BNP Paribas reveals profit tumble. _____

3/ Pension buy-outs gathering pace. _____

4/ Hong Kong eyes slower 2008 growth. _____

5/ Alibaba shares soar on HK debut. _____

6/ Yahoo boosts presence in S Korea. _____

7/ Gretna financial problems easing. _____

8/ Wheat prices surge to new high. _____

9/ Rentokil plunges on profit warning. _____

10/ Xstrata shares slide as talks collapse. _____

11/ Oil dips as gold reaches new peaks. _____

12/ Domestic demand fuels Brazil’s growth. _____

13/ Brazilian Real trades close to 9-Year high. _____

14/ House building hits 4-year low. _____

15/ Mortgage fraud spirals out of control. _____

• Underline the odd one out…

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a) Sales rose disappointing/slightly/steadily/tremendously/hardly.

b) Prices increased considerably/keen/marginally/sharply.
c) Coffee fluctuated dramatically/enormously/gradually/wildly.
d) Demand slumped disastrously/moderate/rapidly/suddenly.
e) Inflation fell considerably/enormously/slightly/steady.
 Use the words in the boxes and the charts to complete the sentences below:

rose dramatically
stabilized
maximum
minimum
increased slightly
slight dip
peaked
levelled off
fluctuated wildly

From week 1 to week 5, profits _______________________. Then from week 6 to week 8, profits
_______________________ and _______________________ at 3.0 million at week 8. From week 8
to week 15 profits _______________________ with a _______________________ at week 11. Then
from week 15 to week 21 profits _______________________ with a _______________________ of
3.5 million at week 16 and a _______________________ of 2.2 million at week 17. From week 21 to
week 23, profits _______________________ at 2.8 million.
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increased gradually
dropped substantially
minimum
spike
decreased slightly
maximum
fluctuated mildly
bottoming out

From week 24 to 28, profits _______________________ and then from weeks 29 to week 36, profits
_______________________ with a _______________________ at week 33 of 4.2 million. From week
37 to week 40, profits _______________________, _______________________ at 1 million at week
40. From week 40 to week 46, profits _______________________ with a _______________________
of 1.2 million and a _______________________ of 0.8 million.

Describing a trend - Target Vocabulary

go up remain stable go down peak recover fluctuate

increase remain constant decrease reach a peak

rise remain the same fall

level off

shoot up drop

plummet

slump

Sales increased sharply because of promotion campaigns.

There was a sharp increase in sales due to higher demand in the market.
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Sales fell slightly owing to more competitors in the market.

Production dropped steadily as a result of lower demand in the market.

Due to, Because of…

When stating the cause of something or the reason why something happened, people often use the
expressions ‘due to’ or ‘because of’ followed by a noun, gerund, or a noun clause. Here are some
examples.

The meeting was cancelled due to illness. (‘illness’ = noun)

He’s quitting because of what you said. (‘what you said’ = noun clause)

In a business setting, these expressions can be used to explain why changes took places in the
corporation. Here are some more examples:

Sales fluctuated due to a price war among competitors.

Airfares increased dramatically because of rising oil prices.
Investment declined due to higher interest rates.
Production dropped because of the labour strike.
The stock price fluctuated wildly due to rumours of bankruptcy.

 Rewrite the following sentences using the expressions ‘due to’ or ‘because of’.

1/ Inflation caused a rise in the cost of raw materials.

The cost of raw materials rose due to inflation

2/ Corruption caused a decline in efficiency.

3/ Poor quality control caused an increase in complaints.

4/ A price war among competitors caused a fluctuation in prices.

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5/ An increase in accidents caused a dramatic increase in insurance rates.

Discourse markers…
Sequences Similarity Contrast Effect Addition Example
Firstly, First of all, Similarly, However, Therefore, In addition, For example,
Next, In the same Nevertheless, As a result, Moreover, For instance,
Then, way, In contrast, As a consequence, Furthermore,
After that, On the Consequently,
Finally, contrary

In groups of 4/5 students, find an example in the business world of a company that experienced
significant change in performance (+ or -) in recent years.
You will prepare to give a short (10-minute maximum) PowerPoint presentation of the sector
concerned, company performance, putting this clearly into a social/economic/historical context
where possible.

You must highlight the relevant numerical data using the appropriate target language, as studied,
to demonstrate the evolution observed and employ an appropriate formal register.

Lesson EIGHT

Grammar Pitfalls for IELTS and beyond…

Lesson NINE

Introduction - IELTS Writing Task 2 – Essay

The IELTS Academic Writing section lasts 60 minutes and has two independant tasks, which must
both be completed. Although it is recommended to spend approximately 20 minutes on Task 1 (data-
based writing) and about 40 minutes on Task 2 (essay writing), you can divide your time between two
sections the way you prefer.

The two written tasks demand different responses.

For Task 2, you will be presented with a specific topic and asked to write a 250-word essay.

There are many different topics for the IELTS Writing task 2.
 45

Usually, the IELTS essay will require you to do one of the following:

• Give your opinion

• Agree/disagree

• Say to what extent you agree/disagree

• Suggest causes and solutions

• Offer pros and cons

You will be tested on Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, Grammar Accuracy
and Range to give a band score of 1-9.

Common IELTS Writing Task 2 themes

• Art

• Education

• Environment

• Friends and family

• Government and society

• Health

• Jobs and Employment

• Relationships

• Science and technology

• Sport Travel and tourism

• TV, music and media

Determine your opinion on the given topic.

Depending on the topic, decide what your opinion is and why. Take a clear position, do not hesitate
between two opinions. Then find examples to support your position.

Structure your work.

You will be marked on your structure (Cohesion and Coherance). How you lay out your ideas will
obviously have an impact on the effectiveness of your work overall (Task Response).

1 Introduction:

Paraphrase the topic statement + give your Thesis Statement. This should give an indication to
structure (Body paragraphs 1 & 2) but NOT in the ‘French’style ie We will see…in a first time.
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2 Body paragraphs:

Each should have its central idea, which is generally stated in the first sentence. Develop your point,
giving reasons and supporting them with appropriate examples. Write at least 2 and no more than 5
sentences per paragraph.

Conclusion:

Rephrase the central message of your Thesis Statement from the Introduction; do not repeat word
for word.

Respond fully to the task.

If you only answer half of the question and fail to expand your opinion, you will lose points for Task
Response. Be sure NOT to go off the subject. Make sure that each paragraph in Writing task 2 has a
central idea that is not repeated.

Respect the word count limit.

It Is a bad idea to write more than 300 words in Task 2 Writing, as this will lose you points in your
final band score.

Use a wide range of vocabulary.

Expressing personal opinions:

• In my opinion,

• Personally, I think that …

• I must admit that …

• I believe/suppose that ...

• I would argue that ...

• In my experience, ...

Very strong opinions:

• I am fully convinced that ...

• I am certain that ...

Proving your arguments

• to attest

• to prove

• this (fact) is attested/proven/supported by ...

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• this (evidence) establishes that ...

Expressing general point of view:

• It is (generally) claimed/said/thought/held that …

• A common opinion/popular belief is that ...

Outlining facts

• The fact is that …

• It is obvious/clear that …

• There is no doubt that …

• This proves that …

Generalizing

• Generally speaking, ...

• On the whole, ...

• By and large ...

Giving examples

• For example/for instance...

• A good illustration of this is ...

• Evidence for this is provided by ...

Concluding

• To conclude, ...

• In conclusion, ...

IELTS WT2 - The ‘discuss-both-sides-and-give-opinion’ essay

You must ensure that you cover equally both views to the given topic of discussion and then clearly
state your opinion.

Example

Many governments think that economic progress is their most important goal. Some people,
however, think that other types of progress are equally important for a country.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Write your Introduction in two sentences:

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Sentence 1 - Paraphrase the task statement to give a clear indication of the topic of the essay.

The government and citizens of a country sometimes have contrasting views about how their
country’s progress should be measured.

Sentence 2 – Write your Thesis Statement, clearly stating your opinion.

Include a contrast linking word (whereas/while/even if/despite+ing/in spite

of+ing/however/nevertheless) or an extra information linking word (not only+inversion subject-
verb/in addition to+ing/neither – nor). This compound sentence will enable you to structure your
Body paragraphs 1 & 2 and therefore ‘drives’ your essay.

While I agree that economic growth is essential (Body 1), I believe that other forms of progress are
just as important (Body 2).

*In this manner, you do not need to state the structure of your essay since this is incorporated into
your Thesis Statement (ie This essay will look at….and then study……)

Some people think that all university students should study whatever they like. Others believe that
they should only be allowed to study subjects that will be useful in the future, such as those
related to science and technology.
Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

First, introduce the general topic before you present the two different sides.

People have different opinions about the subjects that university students should be permitted to
study ( = General topic). While some people that students should only study areas perceived to be
useful in the future, such as science and technology ( = View 1), I believe that students should be free
to pursue their studies of choice ( = View 2 & Opinion).

IELTS WT2 - The ‘agree-or-disagree’ essay

Agree-or-disagree essay questions are very common for IELTS Writing Task 2. This type of question
asks you to say whether you agree or disagree with a given statement and to justify your opinion.

Example

A big salary is much more important than job satisfaction.

Do you agree or disagree?
Provide relevant examples if necessary.

Choose your opinion & generate ideas

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An agree-or-disagree question asks you to clearly determine whether you agree or disagree with the
statement. Unlike questions that ask you to what extent do you agree or disagree, this question asks
you to have a clear opinion. After you have decided your opinion, generate 2-3 supporting points.

Write your Introduction

Write your introduction in two sentences:

Sentence 1 - Paraphrase the task statement (you can use ‘It is argued/considered/thought that’ to
start):

It is often argued that it is more advantageous to choose a job with high wage, even if the work does
not appeal to you at all.

Sentence 2 – Write your Thesis Statement, stating whether you agree or disagree and extend your
opinion. Include a contrast linking word (whereas/while/even if/despite+ing/in spite
of+ing/however/nevertheless) or an extra information linking word (not only+inversion subject-
verb/in addition to+ing/neither – nor).

However, I would disagree with this since money alone cannot bring satisfaction nor can it bring
lasting advantages.

Body paragraph 1: State the first reason you agree/disagree with the task statement and then explain
the reason. Give examples to support your arguments.

Body paragraph 2: Give a second reason – remembering to refer and respond to the opposing
argument(s) to substantiate your answer and to avoid it seeming too one-sided.

Conclusion

You can write the conclusion in one sentence that summarizes your opinion and briefly gives the
reasons for it. Do not write new ideas in the conclusion!

IELTS WT2 - The ‘to-what-extent-you-agree-or-disagree’ essay

Such questions are very common for IELTS Writing Task 2. Your task is to say whether you:

• Completely agree with a given statement…

• Completely disagree with a given statement…

• Partly agree/disagree…

and justify your opinion.

Example

The government's investment in arts, music and theatre is a waste of money. Governments should
invest these funds in public services instead.

To what extent do you agree with this statement?

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Unlike classic agree/disagree questions, to what extent you agree or disagree questions do NOT ask
you to clearly determine whether you agree or disagree with the given statement.

You can therefore write the supporting points of your body paragraphs in the following ways: agree +
agree/ disagree + disagree/agree + disagree.

Introduction

Write your introduction in two sentences:

Sentence 1 - Paraphrase of the task statement = General topic of the essay.

You can use ‘It is argued/considered/thought that’ to start:

It is often argued that the government should finance public services instead of spending its budget
on arts, music and theatre.

Sentence 2 – Thesis Statement = Giving your opinion:

Although I agree that government’s investments in public services play a very important role, I think
that proper funding of the arts sector is also crucial for society.

Body paragraph 1 - The 1st supporting point

Sentence 1 - State the first reason you agree/disagree.

Sentences 2-3 - Explain the reason and give an example.

Body paragraph 2 - The 2nd reason you agree/disagree etc etc

Conclusion - Write the conclusion in one sentence that summarizes your opinion.

Full Sample Response

(Intro statement paraphrase) It is often argued that the government should finance public services
instead of spending its budget on arts, music and theatre. (Thesis statement ) Although I agree that
government’s investments in public services play a very important role, I think that proper funding of
arts sector is also crucial for the society.

(Body 1) On the one hand, the government should definitely allocate a large part of its budget on
public services. This economic sector determines the overall quality of life, ensuring that some basic
services, like schools, hospitals and roads, are available to all citizens irrespective of their income or
social status. Public services satisfy the primary needs of the society and thus need a proper funding,
while artists and musicians are not curing diseases or building houses, so their role is secondary. For
example, any country can live without music concerts, but absence of medicine will create significant
problems. That is why the government should adequately finance public services in the first place.

(Body 2) On the other hand, arts, music and theatre are not a waste of money, since they are an
integral part of the society’s cultural and intellectual development and amusement. Firstly, art and
music draw people’s attention to diverse phenomena and represent the inward significance of things.
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Quite often a single drawing, piece or song can exhort myriads of people to reconsider their attitude
towards some situation. This way, art serves as a major source of nation’s personal and intellectual
development. Moreover, visiting museums, watching movies and listening to music are common
ways of relaxation and entertainment. Thus, art sector is also important for the society and should
not be neglected.

(Conclusion) To conclude, although I agree that the government should allocate a large part of its
budget on such urgent needs of the society like public services, I think that arts, music and theatre
should also be financed since they play an important role in people’s development and
entertainment.

Another example

As well as making money, businesses also have social responsibilities.

To what extent do you agree or disgree with this statement?

Sample Introduction

(Intro statement paraphrase) While the main purpose of a business is most often to earn money,
some people believe that businesses also have social obligations. I strongly agree with the idea that
businesses have responsibilities to society, especially in terms of their environmental policies

( = Body 1) in addition to providing good working conditions ( = Body 2).

And another…

Some people claim that not enough of the waste from home is recycled. They say that the only
way to increase recycling is for governments to make it a legal requirement.

To what extent do you think laws are needed to make people recycle more of their waste ?

Sample Introduction

(Intro statement paraphrase) Although recycling has become more common in recent years, certain
people feel that the percentage of household waste is still too low and that the only way to
encourage people to recycle more is through legislation. Greater recycling is certainly required (Body
1) but I fully believe that laws are unnecessary since raising awareness and positive incentives are
sufficient (Body 2).

IELTS WT2 - The causes-and-solutions/problem-solving essay

The causes-and-solutions essay is one of the most common question types in IELTS Writing Task 2.
This question asks you to describe causes and propose solutions for a given problem.

In some countries the average weight of people is increasing and their levels of health and fitness
are decreasing.
 52

What do you think are the causes of these problems and what measures could be taken to solve
them ?

Sample Introduction

In different countries worldwide, levels of health and fitness are deteriorating whilst average weight
is increasing. The main causes of these problems are poor nutrition and exercise habits (= causes –
Body 1). Fortunately, these issues can be solved by the provision of healthier food and more
opportunities to exercise ( = solutions – Body 2).

IELTS WT2 - The ‘two-part-question’ essay

This type of essay often seems more complicated because of the double question format.

Nowadays the way many people interact with each other has changed because of technology.

In what ways has technology affected the types of relationships people make?
Has this become a positive or negative development ?

Sample Introduction

Social technology has altered the way people communicate in the modern world ( = general topic).
Due to this, we can instantaneously communicate with each other worldwide and maintain
relationships that would have previously been impossible ( = Body 1). While this such technology has
also had negative effects on social interactions, overall the advantages far outweigh the drawbacks
( = Body 2).

Homework - Practice IELTS WT2 in groups of 3 for Lesson TEN

Lesson TEN

Introduction to IELTS Listening & Reading

The Listening section lasts 30 minutes (plus additional 10 mins to transfer your answers onto the answer sheet). It contains
40 questions (10 questions per section). Each question is worth 1 mark.

It consists of 4 recorded texts:

 Section 1 & 2 are set in a social context

 Section 3 & 4 are set in an academic context

NB: You will hear the text ONCE only.

The 4 listening sections:

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Section 1 - A social or transactional dialogue between two speakers.

You are listening for specific, factual information.

Examples of typical scenarios:

Booking conference facilities/Finding out about specific courses/Finding out about travel services.

Section 2 - A monologue talk or short speech on a topic of general interest with a transactional purpose.

You are listening for specific, factual information.

Examples of typical scenarios :

Information about a public event/Talks about different tourist attractions/Information about facilities e.g. a library

Section 3 - A discussion between 2 and 4 people set in an educational context eg. tutorial or seminar.

You are listening for specific information, attitudes and opinions.

Examples of typical scenarios :

Discussion about a research project/Talk and questions about a specific topic/ Interview with an expert on a topic

Section 4 - A monologue in an academic-style lecture or presentation.

You are listening for main ideas, specific information, attitudes and opinions.

Examples of typical scenarios :

Talks about scientific research/A Lecture on environmental problems/ A talk about how to develop in a specific career

There are a variety of question types including:

• multiple choice

• short-answer questions

• sentence completion

• labelling a diagram, map or plan

• matching

•completion tasks (forms, notes, summary completion etc).

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• classifying

Listening tactics

Identify the situation

Predict the answers

Get instructions right

Anticipate next question

Section 1 - Getting the Instructions right…

There are a variety of question types so making sure the instructions are understood is very important, especially in short
answer questions.

Examples:

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

Write ONE WORD AND/OR NUMBER for each answer.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.

Things to remember:

There is a reason for listening – identify it.

Use the time wisely – look at the pictures and questions carefully.

Listen to and read the instructions carefully.

Don’t worry about understanding every word – concentrate on picking out the information you need.

Don’t panic!

Sections Two to Four

Prediction, preparation and anticipation

As in Section One, survey and skim the questions, tables, pictures.

Practise anticipating the next question while listening/writing the answer to the previous one.
 55

Don’t over-worry about correct spelling/grammar now, wait until the 10-minute answer transfer time to check
your answers.

Marking

1 mark per correct answer.

To be considered correct, the answer must be the right information, spelt correctly and grammatically correct.

There is no negative marking so test takers should not leave blank answers but should try to write something.

Raw scores are given in full and half bands.

The Reading (academic) section

This is 60 minutes in total length (including time to transfer answers to the answer sheet.

The academic version includes 3 texts ranging from descriptive to analytical (they become increasingly more difficult)

There are 40 questions in total.

The sections are as follows:

2 / 3 short texts (eg advertisements)

2 texts related to a professional context

1 long discursive text

Question types

Fill in gaps in text or tables

Matching

Complete sentences

Short answers to open questions

Multiple choice

True, false, not given / Yes, no, not given

Choosing headings
 56

Categorising/classifying

Labelling

Problems & Solutions

Timing can be difficullt.

Develop good reading skills !

Understanding the question is vital……. Develop good question-answering strategies !

Reading sub-skills :

SURVEYING Looking at a text very quickly before reading to get an idea of lay-out: title, pictures, graphs, headings
which helps with prediction.

SKIMMING Reading a text very quickly to get the general understanding and to activate your schematic
knowledge.

SCANNING Reading a text with the specific purpose of extracting information such as numbers, facts, words etc.

READING FOR DETAIL / CLOSE READING Reading a text in order to understand the detailed meaning.

INFERRING MEANING Reading a text in order to discover the writer’s opinions or feelings from the language and
way it has been expressed or presented.

DEDUCING MEANING Reading a text and working out the meaning of vocabulary from the surrounding context
and information given.

Question type: Gap-filling / Complete sentences

Read the instructions carefully.

The question states the number of words to be used (hyphenated words count as one word, contracted words
are NOT tested).

The question states that the words must come from the text. Do NOT use own words.

Question Type: Matching

Read through the items.

Read through match alternatives. What type of information are you looking for? e.g. nationalities/countries.

Scan the text and underline the items.

 57

Read text around each item for the type of information you need.

Compare the information with the alternatives, if it matches write in the answer.

If there is no match, go back to context. Look for negatives or references to previous or following information.

Question type: Matching headings

It is assumed that students have surveyed, predicted etc.

Read through the headings and underline key words.

Identify topic sentences in each paragraph.

Match key words with key words in topic sentences.

If necessary, choose two headings and then quickly go back to check.

Question type: Y/N/NG and T/F/NG

There is a difference between ‘No’ and ‘Not Given’ (or ‘False’ and ‘Not Given’). In the first variation of the task, ‘No’
means that the opinions or claims of the writer explicitly disagree with the statement – i.e., the writer somewhere
expresses a view or makes a claim which is opposite to the one given in the question; ‘Not Given’ means that the
view or claim or statement is neither confirmed nor contradicted.

Any knowledge the students have from outside the passage should not play a part when deciding on their
answers.

Question type: Multiple Choice

The order of the questions is the same as the order the information appears in the text.

Go to the appropriate part of the text and underline/note key words.

Close read the text to find the best match.

Reading Top Tips

Survey the text to get main idea – underline topic sentences, be aware of what each paragraph deals with.

Analyse questions – underline key words.

Find answers, considering synonyms, put (possible) answers directly on answer sheet.
 58

Check that instructions are followed.

Time management – do NOT spend more than 20 minutes on a passage.

Do NOT leave a question unanswered. Guess – there is no negative marking!

Lesson ELEVEN

Group work on IELTS Writing Tasks 1 & 2

Lesson TWELVE

Full Mock IELTS Exam (CC mark for Writing Tasks 1 & 2)

Lesson THIRTEEN

Grammar & Vocab consolidation

Lesson FOURTEEN

 For the next few lessons, you will be working on an international marketing campaign
concerning the field of luxury. This will enable you to put into practice new skills and notions
through teamwork, in preparation for a professional PowerPoint presentation (CC Oral mark).

What is LUXURY ?

 Look at the quote below and discuss its meaning with a partner.

«Luxury is the ordinary of the extraordinary people and the extraordinary of the ordinary».
Jean-Noel Kapferer (New Strategic Brand Management)

 Together, give a general definition of luxury.

 Now think how you could define it under the headings of the 4Ps of marketing. What comes
to mind when you associate ‘luxury’ with these different aspects ?

 Product
 Price
 Place
 Promotion

“Luxury is a necessity that begins where necessity ends” – Chanel.

The word ORIGINATES from the

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LATIN term “luxus” meaning:

‘soft, extravagant living, indulgence,
sumptuousness or opulence’.

Hedonist: a person who believes that the pursuit of pleasure is the most important thing in
life.

The core of Luxury is the symbolic desire Luxury products are ‘timeless’ or
to belong to something that represents part of a cultural heritage.
superiority ; an elite.
Luxury doesn’t suffer crisis.

Premium brands have a supply greater than demand whereas luxury has
demand greater than supply/sales.
Mass market products have in-built
obsolescence.
They are not made to last but to provide
instant gratification.

Luxury is based on the superlative form – not the comparative.

Luxury is like the male peacock ; ostentation and

sophistication that defies Darwinian survival of the fittest
and the most practical.

The ubiquitous logos, symbols and icons of the luxury world do not seek the
democratization of the brands.

Cheap glamour will never equate sleek sophistication.

The Conspicuous Consumption phenomenon identified by the economist and sociologist

Thorstein Veblen (1857–1929), reflects the social and material aspirations of the ’bling
culture’, and NOT the world view of luxury.

The world of luxury is not the business of fashion - based on trends or what is
‘in’ or ‘out’ for the season.

A luxury pricing policy is vital to retaining a luxury positioning.

 Now, in pairs decide what symbolizes luxury in your own country.

 How easy it is to export luxury products to other countries – what are the factors to
consider ?

 How important is the ‘luxury label’ to perfume ?

 Now find some examples of the most successful perfume brands.

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 What marketing strategies do they use ?

Listening Comprehension – The Apprentice – Luxury Retail

 Watch the video and fill in the gaps with the missing word that you will hear. PART
ONE 1min.
1/ For almost _____ years, Burlington Arcade has been home to the finest in luxury retail, as
the first shopping centre.
2/ Despite the post-2008 recession, there is a great market for ________ luxury.
3/ The apprentices’ task is to come up with an affordable luxury product ________ to
present to industry experts.
4/ From chocolates to cosmetics, premium products with an affordable price tag are part of
a current ________ that just keeps growing.
5/ With Ricky as Project Manager, the team decides to focus on the male ________ market.
6/ The other team choose to concentrate on ________ – especially chocolate. END 9.10
______________________________
7/ Once the product line has been decided, the two teams decide on the brand ________,
product range and business model.
8/ The male grooming team wish to focus on the ________ and traditional products &
service.
9/ The confectionary team’s PM decides that they should extend their range to include
________ but Nicolas believes this will distract from the focus of the task.
10/ While the male grooming products all ________ each other, the confectionary team has
too many products in their range.
11/ Design, packaging and branding are all ________ to brand success, otherwise the public
will turn their noses up.
12/ Why is Karen Brady shocked by Sweet Thing’s pricing strategy? Is a supermarket a
suitable _______ of distribution?
PART THREE 5 (from start to end).
13/ Which team has better feedback, Modern Gentleman or Sweet Thing?
14/ While Modern Gentleman regret their ________, Sweet Thing think that their brand may
be ________
15/ During their pitch, Modern Gentleman inform the audience that the male grooming
industry is worth £________ in the UK.
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16/ They wish to take it out of the UK later on as the exports ________ are extremely good.
17/ Modern Gentleman plan to open a ‘booty’ ________ store in their first year in London.
18/ Sweet Thing want to create a retail ________ centre around confectionary – being
forward-thinking.
19/ They will specifically reach their target on celebratory moments of the year; Christmas,
birthdays, ________ , Valentine’s Day, but will have year-round appeal.
20/ Sweet Thing’s pricing strategy is problematic because with such low price-marking the
company cannot cover ________ from their retail sales.
21/ Although Lord Sugar found that Modern Gentleman had no ________ factor, he thought
their concept was more professional and better thought-out than the other team’s.
22/ Indeed, Sweet Thing was lacking in ________ with their product range and lacked
attention to detail.
23/ Ultimately, you cannot retail a prestigious products at ________ _market prices, and you
cannot sell luxury in the bottom-end market.

Lesson FIFTEEN

Going Global: HENRI CLAUDE COSMETICS

A successful French brand plans to go global.

Background

Henri Claude Cosmetics (HCC), a French cosmetics & personal care products company, has developed
a highly successful eau-de-cologne for men under the name Physique.

This is the company’s best-selling men’s fragrance and best known in the company’s product
portfolio. HCC is now planning an international campaign for Physique early next year. It intends a
high-profile launch in a foreign country, which will enable the brand to achieve international
recognition.

The theme of the campaign will be ‘Physique; for the Urban Man’.

A celebrity who captures the essence of Physique will be chosen to lead this new ambitious
campaign.

Key features of Physique

Based on exotic wood essence, with citrus and spices, Physique has a fresh, woody, long lasting
aroma.

 The scent is very appealing to women. Men who wear Physique say they feel confident,
attractive and sophisticated.
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 Its target audience in France is ambitious, career minded men in the 30 -40 age range.

The eau-de-cologne is positioned as a premium fragrance, priced at the top end of the market.

Product details

Bottle shape:

Tall rounded bottle, solid appearance. Black, with the brand name in the centre. Silver top with screw
or spray function.

Average retail prices:

40ml - 60 euros

75ml - 75 euros

100ml – 95 euros

125ml – 110 euros

The price places Physique in the ten most expensive male fragrances.

Distribution in France:

Sold exclusively in perfumeries (specialized stores for

cosmetics and toiletries) and shops in exclusive hotels.

Promotion: commercials on French television, radio

spots; full page advertisements in prestigious magazines,
e.g. Paris Match, Marie Claire, etc.

Special promotions at high-class events such as Longchamp racing stadium and in embassies and
duty-free shops at the airports.

Words associated with Physique by consumers:

“Masculine, sensual, sophisticated, elegant, energetic, alluring, spicy, glamorous, individualistic ”…

Quotation from sales literature:

‘Physique man is confident, ambitious and resilient. He is at home in any city, and enjoys the
challenge of urban life. He has a lot of creative energy, travels widely and is optimistic about the
future.’

 Listening Comprehension – Fill in the

following table…

Main points Findings from survey Your perception

Target audience
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Brand image

Name

Positioning

Packaging

Slogan

Price

Homework - Carry out research on men’s perfume in different outlets for Lesson
SIXTEEN

Lesson SIXTEEN

Advertising
Exercise
A/ Look at the following words and match them to the correct definition/s:

advertising advertisement advert ad publicity PR

1/ ______________means making a product or service known to the public (through the press,
television, radio etc.) in order to sell it (uncountable noun e.g. an____________ is incorrect)

2/ ________________ any public notice, as a printed display in a newspaper, short film on television,
radio announcement, etc. designed to sell a product or service to the public. Countable noun with
shortened forms : ________ (USA) _________ (UK)

3/ _______________ involves attracting the public’s attention but not necessarily to sell
 64

anything specific. e.g. Sponsorship of the French football team in the World Cup gave them a lot of
_____________________________.

4/ _____________________ has no direct involvement in selling. Its purpose is to build up a good

image and reputation to show that the firm is socially aware and has the public interest at heart.

Exercise

B/ Fill in the gaps with words from the table below:

awareness range target

endorsements P.O.S (point of sale) developing customer loyalty

above the line advertising breakdown below the line advertising

free samples billboards catchy
brief gap institutional advertising

price reduction media planner commercial

consumer brands coupons

hype rates vouchers

campaign XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

1/ Another word for a T.V. advertisement is a T.V.__________________.

2/ A company contacts an advertising agency so that they produce an advertising _________.

3/ The company wants to create a lot of ____________ around the launch of their product.

4/. However the advertising ____________ are indeed very expensive.

5/. A slogan is a phrase or sentence that must be very _______so as to have maximum impact.

6/. On the motorway or in the city we often see hoardings or ________________.

7/. Before designing an advertisement, it is important to analyse the ___________ audience.

8/. Most companies want to develop brand ____________ by advertising in the media.

9/. ______________ habits change according to age & sex & type of socio-economic group.

10/. L’Oreal is a company that relies on the use of _____________ by stars from the pop,
sport, cinema or fashion world.

11/. TV, radio, cinema, the press, poster campaigns etc. are called _____________________
which is usually expensive but has a long-term impact on the consumer.

12/. Mail shots, telemarketing, discounts, vouchers, coupons, competitions & shelf-displays
are examples of ______________________________ & are less expensive than (11) but
have a more short-term impact.

13/. Chanel has a wide _____________ of prestigious___________.

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14/. Sales promotions aim at _______________________; they try to make sure people not
only buy the product once but regularly.

15/. When you do not manage to get your information across to the target audience you have a
communication _______ or ________________________.

16/. ________________ promotions are temporary tactics to increase sales, and include

_________ _____________, ____________and ________________.

17/. The statement of objectives of an advertising campaign worked out between the company
and the advertising agency is called a __________.

18/. The person who decides where to advertise, to reach the right people at the right time is
called the _________________.

19/. Many companies use ______________________ __________________ which is

designed to build up their reputation rather than sell a particular product.

Exercise
C/ Put the words in italics in the correct order.

1/ Our base/expanding/customer is one of the things we are very proud of.

2/ We are having the meeting at the business/centre/development/international.

3/ You need to complete the claim/travel/form/insurance immediately.

4/ The sales/amazing/figures last month cheered everyone up.

5/ We have just signed the brilliant/deal/most/sponsorship.

6/ We are now the leaders in the mobile/competitive/fiercely /market/phone.

7/ The confidential/report/sales/highly is missing. We cannot find it anywhere.

8/ We thought it was a campaign/interesting/really/advertising.

9/ We’ve set up a new/department/services/customer to deal with the initial problems.

10/ The features/innovative/product seem to appeal to our customers.

What kinds of advertising exist?

Above-the-Line
This is an advertising strategy to promote brands through conventional forms of mass media. It
involves:
• long-term planning
• long-term investment
• long-term impact
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Below-the-Line
This involves short-term promotional methods (such as catalogue marketing, direct marketing, and
trade fair marketing, point of sale displays, coupons, loyalty incentives) that are under the direct
control of the marketer. It involves:
• short-term planning
• boosting sales
• inciting repeat purchases

Media options
Media Options Advantages Diasdavantages Other
remarks
Internet Economy viral
Borderless lack of control
Flexibility overexposure
Timeliness privacy
Measurable
Newspapers Selected geographical coverage Wasted readership
Flexibility Short ad life
Timeliness Lack of Prominence
Communication potential
Low costs

Radio Universal infiltration Poor listening

Market segmentation Need for repetition
Flexibility & timeliness
Limited message
Friendliness
TV Broad coverage Brief exposure
Visual Costs
Flexibility
Design assistance

Magazines Long life span Costs

Multiple readership Long closing times
Target marketing Lack of Prominence
Ad quality
Transit advertising Wide coverage Generality
Repeat exposure Limited appeal
Low cost Brief message
Flexibility
Street advertising Mass market Easy to overlook
Visibility No specific target
Strategically located High cost
Reinforces brand dominance
Talking point
Accessible to lower income
earners
Word of Mouth No cost Lack of control
Credibility Bias
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Social Media Direct customer communications Difficulty in

Speed of feedback/results choosing
Learning customer preferences appropriate
Reach network
Brand-building Requires skill
Low-cost Requires
management

 Now find some examples of successful advertising campaigns for male fragrance.

Meetings

You need to call a meeting with your colleagues to discuss the findings
from the Physique survey research above. Crucial decisions will have to
be made which may have an impact on the overall strategy of the
company. Some colleagues may not necessarily share the same views
so a consensus will have to be reached diplomatically!

Desired outcome: Agreement on a marketing strategy to enable HCC to go global for international
success.

Useful expressions

Agenda I am afraid I totally disagree If I understand you

correctly…….
AOB (Any Other Business) I hear what you are saying,
but … There is no point in pursuing
To chair this any further
With all due respect…
To intervene We are just going around in
Correct me if I’m wrong, but
To agree/disagree circles!
I thought…..
I agree to an extent

We cannot afford to take There is a great deal at Aren’t we forgetting…

that approach… stake…
All agreed?
The risk is huge/minimal Where do we go from here?
Is everyone on board?
It is worth the risk/the price Could I just point out that…
Any objections
It is not worth + ING I would just like to remind
you….

Task: HCC Going Global

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Based on the survey results and your perception

you now need to decide on the following points for
the marketing campaign:

1/ Which country should be chosen for your launch?

What are the reasons for this?

2/ Which changes need to be made to the current

strategy in order to adapt to new demands?

3/ Consider each of the elements studied in the survey (Target audience; Brand image; Positioning;
Name; Slogan; Packaging; Price) and devise your strategy according to your selected country.

4/ What will the marketing strategy involve? Your 4P strategy must be fully coherent with your
campaign!

Remember:

For the Physique campaign, your marketing group can introduce any changes considered
appropriate but the fragrance composition cannot be altered in any way.

All decisions must be presented making reference to the current Physique strategy, and
justifying any modifications you wish to make (or not).

Your group must demonstrate how the new marketing strategy will lead HCC to international
success.

Your group must prepare a full PowerPoint presentation of your final Physique marketing
campaign to last approximately 20 minutes. Refer back to the Presentation Element checklist and
ensure that your speech is dynamic and convincing.

Each group will present their Physique campaign to the CEO of HCC – Dominique FREGATE - and is
therefore competing with the other campaign groups in the class (CC Oral mark).

Lesson SEVENTEEN

Mini group meeting on marketing strategy for the Henri Claude ‘Going Global Marketing project.
Full preparation of PowerPoint presentation and revision of presentation structure & target language. Oral
rehearsals.

Lesson EIGHTEEN

Henri Claude Marketing group PowerPoint presentations (20 mins each -questions included) CC
Individual oral mark 20%.
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HCC Marketing Presentation Assessment

Greeting?
Introduction of team members?
Statement of task? Objective of talk?
Division of presentation? Statement of length? Policy on questions?
Hook?
Language - clarity, good intonation & appropriate speed?
Register – appropriate for content & audience? No verbal tics “Like” or
slang/swearing?
Hand-over language between presenters?
Use of rhetorical questions?
Eye contact?
No or minimal reading from text/screen?
Appropriate body posture?
Body language - gestures for emphasis/pointing to the screen?
Respect of time limit per person & overall?
Relevance of campaign to selected country?
Justification of modifications with reference to the original Physique?
Full description of the 4Ps?
Choice of celebrity endorser?
Quality of advert?
General PowerPoint images & slides - good visuals, clear & concise slides? Key
facts on slides (names/dates/figures)? No spelling mistakes?
Conclusion – signaled clearly?
Résumé of key points?
Restatement of objective?
Thanking audience? Response to questions?
Group Mark =
Student ONE
Student TWO
Student THREE
Student FOUR
Student FIVE
Student SIX

Lesson NINETEEN

How to write a short report…(using Henri Claude marketing mission)

What is the function of a short report?

 Reports are used to present information that must be communicated in a clear,

succinct, structured, logical manner.
 Rather like a legal document, the contents must be set out under clear headings that
follow an appropriate order.
 The short report should NOT resemble a letter or a simple text or list of elements.

What should a report look like?

 70

The length of a short report will vary depending on the amount of information and commentary that
it contains, however most short reports are between two to four pages long.
A report should be structured so that the reader can find the relevant information quickly. Generally
speaking, each section has a set function.
The short report format must have the following headings for the different sections:
Title /To /From /Date /Executive Summary /Introduction /Findings /Conclusions
/Recommendations /References /Appendices

 Title
This should give a precise indication of the subject matter.
e.g. Title: Short Report on the recommendations for the future CSR policy of Boots UK Ltd.
It also states to whom the report is addressed (To = Name, Function & Company name), From = who
sent it (Name, Function & Company) and Date = when.
e.g. To: Mr Steve DUNCAN - CEO - Boots UK Ltd/
From: Ms Elizabeth JONES – Marketing Manager – Boots US Ltd
Date: 10th/June/2021
 The Executive Summary
This section serves as a ‘mini short report’, covering three areas; background situation, objective &
recommendation(s).
Indeed, it should provide the following content:
 A clear overview of the context situation - why the report is required.
 The objective of the research/analysis - what you wish to demonstrate- the mission.
 The recommendations – which result you have arrived at from your research.

The Executive Summary gives the reader a brief vision of the task in hand and provides the essential
information of the full report. Normally it is just a few sentences in length.
Note that the Executive Summary is not the same as the Introduction, which generally gives the basic
precision facts of your mission (names/dates & other specifications).
 The Introduction
The Introduction is the ‘precision section’, presenting the elements to be studied, giving dates and
other concrete specifications. It highlights the criteria for selection/points of consideration. It may
also define the sequence of elements presented, and/or and should include the terms of reference
(why it is written and for whom and when it is due).The methods used for the research can also be
included here, if applicable.
e.g. This short report will compare and contrast the following _________ (elements/category
e.g. ‘no-frill’ airline companies)…, namely (names e.g. Ryan Air, Easy Jet etc… ) in order to
_________(purpose e.g. select the most suitable ____ for….) ……(dates)……. The following
points of consideration were used…..(e.g. affordability/availability/duration of trip etc). Mr
James SMITH of the Personnel Dept has requested this report be submitted by 28th June
2021.
 The Findings
This is ‘fact section’ which presents the information that your research has revealed. It can be divided
into several subsections. Graphs, tables, etc should be shown in the Findings section.
No interpretation or analysis of the facts stated is required here.
 The Conclusions
This section shows what can be interpreted and analysed from the concrete facts, often through
analysing/comparing & contrasting (where relevant) the information gathered. The conclusions
section usually ‘speaks for itself’ and is based on objective vision. The section uses appropriate
grammatical structures (even if/although/however/despite/while/whereas etc).
Avoid any new information; the conclusions section draws logical conclusions based on the findings.
 71

e.g. From the findings, it was concluded that whilst _______ offers a more attractive price
range compared to _______, it failed to satisfy ________ .Although ________ initially
appeared to be ________ , on closer analysis it proved to be _______ …..
 Recommendations
This is the ‘result section’ that highlights clearly the outcome of the conclusion section and where the
final choice is stated.
It also contains practical suggestions for future action to implement this choice/plan of action or
draws the reader’s attention to potential problems that may need to be addressed. This may offer a
more subjective vision as it states actions and advice that the writer of the report feels need to be
taken based on the findings and conclusions. However, the tone of the writing should still be formal
and impersonal.
e.g. The research clearly demonstrated that __________ (result) however, it is also
highly recommended to ________ (further advice), in order to…..
 References & Appendices
The sources of all information should be clearly indicated. Graphs, tables, etc. should be shown
within the Findings section if they need to be consulted whilst reading the text. Appendices only
include information that may be referred to out of interest or is required as evidence. All graphs,
charts, etc. must be clearly referenced beside or beneath.

What kind of language should be used in the short report?

A short report is a document that uses a formal, impersonal writing style.
Therefore….
 Do not use contracted verb forms (For example; it’ll/don’t/gonna).
 Avoid using the personal pronoun (I/we/you).
 Write using the Passive (eg Students are trained/Tickets are sold).
 Use modal verbs for emphasis eg. must/should.
 Use short paragraphs - with one idea per paragraph. Bullet points are for longer
reports.
 Avoid long, complicated sentences or obscure vocabulary.

Language examples
Introduction
 As requested in the company email of 16 August 2020, the final short report
summarizing/analysing…..together with recommendations.
 This report was commissioned by…./ requested by
 It includes / consists of / is divided into / contains…
 It is based on interviews with/ a negotiation with … / information obtained from….
information was gathered from the following sources: face-to-face interviews, a
questionnaire was sent to ….., internal company documents and market research carried
out…
Findings
 It was found that…
 The research showed that…
 The following key areas were identified…
 45% of those who replied to the questionnaire thought that….
 The survey highlighted the following areas of concern.
 This will inevitably have an impact on…
 One of the big advantages of this proposal is that…
 The negotiation showed that…
Conclusion
 A key challenge facing the company is…
 72

In the light of the above findings, the following conclusions were drawn...
On the basis of the figures presented above….would be very profitable.
There is clearly a gap in the market, however serious obstacles still remain.
It is clear that there are significant levels of…. Unless these issues are addressed as a
matter of urgency
 This has the potential to be a successful project provided/as long as ……
Recommendations
 There are three main recommendations to make.
 The Marketing/Operations department should….
 Further research should be carried out to find out…
 It is recommended that funds are provided for…..and that…..
 It would be advisable to hold a meeting in 6 months’ time between both parties to
evaluate the progress made.....

Lesson TWENTY

Exam revision

English for Customer Care - Rosemary Richey - Oxford University Press 2011

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-customer-service-representative.htm

http://www.kirkwood.edu/pdf/uploaded/838/AP%20Difficult%20Customers.pdf