Professional Documents
Culture Documents
INTRODUCTION
In this semester the students will learn English focusing on both oral and
written. There are 7 Units to be discussed altogether those are Notes Taking,
Composing Paragraph, Conducting Meeting, Negotiation, Business Report,
Presentation to The Board, and Writing and Presenting Simple Papers. Each
Units requires the students to practice Speaking, Listening, Reading, as well as
Writing skills either individually or in group. The title of the Units is just a means
for the students to use their English in a prospective real situation. As the time
allocated is limited so the students are also given some home works to do.
Read the(body) of the letters below and then answer the questions:
1
a.
b.
Dear Ms. Rahmawati
We thank you for your letter of 23 June, and are glad to inform you that we have a
great range of typewriters for modern office. We are enclosing a brochures for the
items you are interested in.
If you wish to place a firm order, will you please arrange for settlement of the
invoice by draft through your bank, and advise us at the same time.
We are looking forward to hearing from you, and ensure you that your orders will
receive our immediate attention.
Yours faithfully
2
c.
3
d..
Thank you for your order No: 68/ GT dated 9Th March 2014 for requesting an
extension of your credit for the payment of $100,000 against 20.000 spare
parts supplied in November 2012 for a duration of three months.
We regret to inform you that under the current situation of the economy, we
would only be prepared to supply on a cash basis.
As soon as the economy shows an upward trend, we will resume our credit
policies as earlier. We sincerely hope that you will consider our situation, and
continue to share a business relationship.
Yours sincerely
M. Jacob
M. Jacob
Sales Manager
e.
Dear Sirs
On 25 September we placed our order number RT56 for printed headed
notepaper and invoice forms. You acknowledged the order on 30
September. As that is some 3 weeks ago and we have not yet received
advice of delivery, we are wondering whether the order has since been
overlooked.
Yours faithfully
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UNIT 2
NOTE - TAKING
Note-taking is a race against time. The note taker typically is under severe time
pressure, and different note-taking styles and techniques try to make the best use
of time. The average rate of speech is 2–3 words per second, but the average
handwriting speed as only 0.2–0.3 words per second.[5]
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Develop a note-taking method that works for you. Fine-tune the structure
and organization of your notes to increase your note-taking speed and
comprehension later.
Start each new lecture on a new page, and date and number each page.
The sequence of material is important.
Write on one side of the paper only. You can set them out side-by-side for
easier reviewing when studying for an exam.
Leave blank spaces. This allows you to add comments or note questions
later.
Make your notes as brief as possible. “Never use a sentence when you can
use a phrase, or a phrase when you can use a word” (Berkeley).
Develop a system of abbreviations and symbols you can use wherever
possible.
Note all unfamiliar vocabulary or concepts you don’t understand. This
reminds you to look them up later. (cited 2016, June 26) Available at
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic1/taking-notes-5-college-
success-tips/
An example: Look at the text on underwater cameras below and then look at
how the text is presented in note form. The most important words to include in notes are
the information words. These are usually nouns, adjectives and verbs. (cited 2016,
July 12) Available at https://student.unsw.edu.au/note-taking-skills.
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Many of the strategies for reading note taking also apply to listening note
taking. However, unlike reading, you can't stop a lecture and review as you listen
(unless you listen to a taped lecture). Therefore preparation prior to listening can
greatly improve comprehension.
The use of symbols and abbreviations is useful for lectures, when speed is
essential. You also need to be familiar with symbols frequently used in your
courses. Develop a system of symbols and abbreviations; some personal, some
from your courses and be consistent when using symbols and abbreviations.
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= for example, NB (nota benne) =note well, etc.(et cetera)= and so on. (2)
Discipline-specific abbreviations, e.g. in chemistry: Au for gold and Mg for
magnesium, (3) Personal abbreviations. Here you can shorten any word that is
commonly used in your lectures. E.g. diff =different, Gov = government, NEC =
necessary.
Use concept maps and diagrams. You can set down information in a
concept map or diagram. This presents the information in a visual form and is
unlike the traditional linear form of note taking. Information can be added to the
concept map in any sequence.
Concept maps can easily become cluttered, so we recommend you use both
facing pages of an open A4 note book. This will give you an A3 size page to set
out your concept map and allow plenty of space for adding ideas and symbols.
Begin in the middle of the page and add ideas on branches that radiate from
the central idea or from previous branches.
Arrows and words can be used to show links between parts of the concept
map.
Color and symbols are important parts of concept maps, helping illustrate
ideas and triggering your own thoughts. (Cited 2016, July 12) Available at
https://student.unsw.edu.au/listening-and-note-taking-strategies.
a. Now Try to take note on the passage ‘Underwater Camera’ above using
Concept map or Diagram.
b. The Teacher dictates short paragraph and the students take note on it.
c. Listen the conversation dictated by the teacher and then complete the
table below!
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Conversation 1, Business Itinerary (Available at ‘Executive Listening’
by Mark Waistell, page 11)
pm
22 Tuesday am
pm
23 Wed. am
pm
Conversation 2.
out back
Flight no.
Date
Time
Customer’s name
Type of car
Place of breakdown
Action needed
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UNIT 3
COMPOSING PARAGRAPH
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So, let’s suppose that you have done some brainstorming to develop your thesis.
What else should you keep in mind as you begin to create paragraphs? Every
paragraph in a paper should be:
Unified: All of the sentences in a single paragraph should be related to a
single controlling idea (often expressed in the topic sentence of the
paragraph).
Clearly related to the thesis: The sentences should all refer to the central
idea, or thesis, of the paper (Rosen and Behrens 119).
Coherent: The sentences should be arranged in a logical manner and should
follow a definite plan for development (Rosen and Behrens 119).
Well-developed: Every idea discussed in the paragraph should be adequately
explained and supported through evidence and details that work together to
explain the paragraph’s controlling idea (Rosen and Behrens 119).
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3.2. Paragraph Analysis
EXAMPLE
After finding the topic, the student is to look for the main idea, which can
be a definition, a classification, a purpose, or an explanation of the topic. He
can often find the main idea in the topic sentence. If the paragraph has no topic
sentence, the student should make up his own topic sentence by drawing the
requisite information from the paragraph.
A topic sentence is a sentence whose main idea or claim controls the rest
of the paragraph; the body of a paragraph explains, develops or supports with
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evidence the topic sentence's main idea or claim. The topic sentence is usually the
first sentence of a paragraph, but not necessarily. It may come, for example, after
a transition sentence; it may even come at the end of a paragraph.
Topic sentences are not the only way to organize a paragraph, and not all
paragraphs need a topic sentence. For example, paragraphs that describe, narrate,
or detail the steps in an experiment do not usually need topic sentences. Topic
sentences are useful, however, in paragraphs that analyze and argue.
EXAMPLE 1
EXERCISES
The largest icebergs in the north are one-half to one mile in length and
may show 300 feet of ice above the water. Since only about one-ninth of
the total iceberg is visible above water, such icebergs actually may attain
heights of up to 2700 feet. The greatest of all icebergs are those that are
broken off the Antarctic glaciers. Some of these icebergs are over forty
miles in length and a thousand feet thick. They are usually flat at the top
and bottom, and are described as tabular.
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The students should practice to find the major supporting details that
modify the main idea. They should also know the function of these details, which
are of many types as follows :
a. Details that Define
This type of detail support the main idea by giving a definition of
something presented in the main idea.
b. Details that Classify
This type of detail expands the main idea by classifying something
presented in the main idea. To locate this type of detail, the signal words
would be of great help such as : furthermore, moreover, also, and, either
…..or, neither …….nor, in addition, first, second, next, the other, another,
etc.
c. Details that explain.
This type of detail expands the main idea by explaining/describing
something. In general, it is used in explaining /describing processes,
measurements, forms, properties, and functions.
d. Details that illustrate/exemplify
This type of detail expands the main idea by illustrative examples. The
signal words to locate this details are as follows: that is , for example,
for instance, such as, include.
e. Details that Compare/Contrast
This type of detail expands the main idea by comparing similarities and
differences of objects or concept. The signal words that are helpful in
locating this type of details: like, unlike, similarly, in the same way,
likewise, etc.
f. Details that show cause-effect relationship
This type of detail expand the main idea by showing cause-and-effect
relationships. The signal words are if, in consequence, consequently, so,
as a result, therefore, thereby, for this reason, thus, since, because,
accordingly, the effect, that is why, etc.
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g. Detail that restate
This type of detail restates the main idea by repeating it in another way,
or by concluding it. The signal words are : in other words, that is, in
conclusion, in brief, in short, etc.
EXAMPLE
1) Many scientists believe that life on earth will eventually end. (2)
The oxygen supply in our atmosphere, for example, has been gradually
decreasing and will be used up in a billion years. (3) Other fates may
overtake us before that time. (4) The sun may explode, as other stars
occasionally do, destroying life in an instant. (5) Or another star may
pass so close as to disrupt the gravitational pull between the sun and
the earth and shift the earth closer to the sun, where it will face
destruction from the intense heat.
EXAMPLE
1) The purification of water is basically a two-step or three-step process carried
out under the strict supervision of public-health scientists and engineers.(2)
As the first step, natural water from the least contaminated source is allowed
to stand in large reservoirs, where most of the mud, silt, and clay settle out;
this is called “ sedimentation.”(3) Often, in water with high mud content, lime
and aluminum sulphate are added to the water in the setting reservoirs.(4)
These chemicals react in the water to form aluminum hydroxide, which
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settles slowly and carriers much of the suspended material, including most of
the bacteria, to the bottom of the reservoirs. (5) As the second step, the water
is filtered though beds of sand and gravel, which remove other impurities and
chemicals in it. (6) During or after filtration, antibiotic chemicals are
ordinarily added to the water to kill any remaining harmful bacteria.(7)
Chlorine is one of the most common chemicals used for this purpose. (8) A
third step taken by some municipalities is adding to the water other beneficial
chemicals such as fluoride to make tooth enamel hard, and soda ash to make
the water itself soft. (9) The water purification process, carried out with little
variation from one large city to another, is perhaps the biggest factor in the
prevention of major outbreaks of disease.
The topic of the paragraph is………………………………………………….
The main idea of the paragraph is …………………………………………….
Major supporting details are sentence number ………………………………
Minor supporting details are sentences number ……………………………
The function of sentence number 9 is ………………………………………..
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b.
Acer warrants any Acer computer hardware product (“system”) first sold
to an end-user in a country of the Asia Pacific area (the “Territorial Scope”),
to be free from defects in materials or workmanship under normal use for the
duration of the warranty period as stated on this limited Warranty Booklet
supplied with your system (“Warranty Booklet”). The warranty period
commences on the date of purchase. Your original purchase invoice (sales
receipt), showing the date of purchase of the system, is your proof of the date
of purchase. This Limited Warranty extends beyond the original purchaser to
any lawful successor in interest, provided, however, that anyone claiming
under this warranty must, upon request, produce the original purchase invoice
to be entitled to warranty services. Warranty service will be performed based
on the primary language used in the Acer Asia Pacific (“AAP”) country
where the service request is made. Warranty repair services involving
language based aspects of your System (e.g. keyboards, software) may not be
capable of being performed in another language than the primary language
used in the AAP country where the service request is made. Acer will, as its
position, repair or replace any defective System or parts thereof covered by
this Limited Warranty with new or factory-refurbished parts or Systems that
are equal to new products in performance. All exchanged parts and Systems
replaced under this limited Warranty will become the property of Acer.
Questions (for paragraph a and b above)
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may include changes in the amount and pattern of rainfall resulting in floods
and drought.
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2. It is said that switching the older lighting to the latest technology will
bring huge savings in energy costs and CO2 emissions. Why?
Explain your answer!
Well in Nature viruses occur from a power outside of our control. But, with
computers it’s different, humans, mean or ignorant humans are creating these
viruses. Why? Usually these are disgruntled people who want to wreak some
havoc on others or companies that they feel have done wrong to them. In any
case we have to be in the know and prepared to deal with these debilitating
scourges.
There are many ways to approach the protection of your computer. First of all
there’s the step of awareness. Be aware of how viruses are transmitted. You
can catch them from a disc but in most cases it is through your email system.
Check your email carefully. Be very wary of anything that has an attachment.
Check whom it’s from and look at the title of the mail, is it something you
were expecting? Even if it’s from someone you know, be careful as their
computer could be infected and the virus being transmitted without their
knowledge.
Next, read the cover message, you can’t catch the disease without actually
opening the message. Look at the name of the attachment; remember viruses
are written to entice you. Beware of free offers and generally anything from
people you don’t know, as well as messages that sound irrelevant to your -
contact’s usual style. Delete them straight away. Delete, delete, delete. This
will ensure you of a lower risk of infection. You can even send the message
back to the sender without opening it to make sure it is valid.
Now for the heavy protection: Virus scanning and virus protection software,
and rescue discs are all readily available and easily utilized. Some are free,
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and others are obtained for a very small charge. Most software manufacturers
offer subscriptions for updating services, which automatically download
protection to the latest viruses.
There are two main types of virus scanning software: one searches through
your entire computer files looking for recognizable viral signatures, the other
scans your incoming and outgoing emails. Alerts will show you when a file
needs to be erased or repaired. If you do receive a virus that none of the
software can repair you can send a copy of it to a company like Symantec
who will be happy to develop a cure for it.
The main message here is not to get too worried about your good friend Mrs.
PC getting ill or sick. The humans are on top of the case and they seem much
better adapted at fixing their technology than they are at beating the viruses
that attack our physical bodies. If only we could cure human virus and illness
as easily as we solve the problem of computer sickness.
Jesse S. Somer
Questions
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UNIT 4
CONDUCTING MEETING
Solid Preparation
The first step to a productive meeting is to be well prepared for it. This
means defining the objectives and desired outcomes of the meeting in an
agenda. This agenda lets the meeting attendees know exactly what to expect.
Include the topics that will be covered during the meeting in as much detail
as necessary. Deliver the agenda through mail or email before the meeting so
the participants have a chance to look over it and make notes of anything
they wish to discuss during the meeting. Bring extra copies of the agenda to
the meeting in case any unexpected attendees show up or someone leaves
their agenda behind. Make sure to have enough copies of any other handouts
that will be distributed during the meeting.
All the equipment needed for the meeting should be readily available. This
may include audio/visual equipment such as a laptop, a Wi-Fi network
connection, an LCD, and a microphone rental (if necessary). Some meeting
organizers like to provide refreshments such as coffee, tea, water, or cookies
to the attendees.
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meeting should have someone assigned to take notes. This helps the
attendees of the meeting review what was covered later and also allows those
that could not make it to know what was discussed. This duty can be
permanently assigned to someone or regular meeting attendees can swap the
note taking duties.
Group Contribution. While conducting the meeting, the moderator and all
other attendees should take the time to hear each person’s opinion on a
matter. Meetings work best if everyone is allowed to contribute. If no one
offers any ideas, it is the moderator’s job to try to employee brainstorming
techniques to help come to a decision on a topic. Stay focused on the agenda
and don’t allow the attendees to stray to other areas. If a good topic arises,
but will involve some detailed discussion, ask the note taker to add that topic
to the agenda for the next meeting so it can receive its proper discussion
time.
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either through mail or email. (Cited 2016, June 27) Available at
https://meetingtomorrow.com/content-library/how-to-conduct-a-meeting
Rob :Well the open evening …er…last time we had it was quite successful,
wasn’t it?
Peter : Mmm.
Rob : But we didn’t seem to have …. I don’t know….you get about one in
ten people out of it that are any good.
Rob : Yes
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Peter :We employed one of them through that and the chap we’re actually
giving a trial to at the moment actually came on that evening as well…
but he actually re applied … er …through the …..the newspaper when
we ran the advert two weeks ago. So he’s come on trial through that and
he finishes today and we’ve just got him on a three day trial.
Gordon: Are you going to keep him …er …What do you think?
Peter : Well the funny thing is that it’s turned out…..that he seems to be a bit
better than the guy that we’ve actually employed, at the moment.
Gordon: Is that just because he’s …er… you know, he’s working on …er … you
know – on a short term basis? Is he under pressure and that’s why he’s
performing that much better or ……?
Rob : No… even when he’s not ….. he’s no high performer or anything like
this he’s just …er…he’s got a better attitude to it and can get into it and
he’ll ask questions if he’s got problems.
Gordon: So, as far as staff recruitment’s concerned, we’ve got all the people that
we need.
Gordon: Uhuh .
Peter : …from Mann Egerton. We’ve got good reference from them; and
we’ve got another guy starting a week Monday from Station Garage in
Topshamp who Seth saw, and….. Chris spoke to him as well. I haven’t
seen him – I don’t think you saw him either and you Rob?
Peter : Yeah, but I mean Chris thinks he’s OK, so that will do for me.
Gordon : OK, if Chris says that, that’s great. Erm …and obviously we’ve in …
informed head office, the Salaries Department, so they are gonna get
paid, have we?
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Gordon : There are letters of appointment going out ….
Peter : Letters of appointment have all gone out, they’ve gone to David Morley
so that’s not a problem.
Gordon : So,…the Training Manager’s got that. And what about training = do
any of them actually need any training?
Peter : Well, obviously, as time goes by we’ll sort be able to ascertain that = I
workshops and see how they get on…
Gordon : At this moment in time they are …they’re up and running = we don’t
need anything to do with them yet.
Peter : Well, we need to work out what their strengths and weaknesses are,
really, before we decide on a …training policy.
Rob : We’ve actually got one down for a course already, haven’t we?
Rob : XU engines.
Gordon : Yeah
Peter : It’s a four day course. It … it’s not a particularly intense course it’s
quite a basic course as sort but it’ll give them a good idea of the
product…..which will be quite useful. And that’s in June. But other than
that there is no other courses available from Peugeot so we’d have to
look elsewhere if we decide to do some training on .. with them.
Peter : Mmm.
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Vocabulary
Oddballs : strange, unusual people – in this case it means time-wasters
Trial : a test period
That’s do for me : I am satisfied with that
To ascertain : to discover the situation
A. Read the discussion above and decide if the following statements are true
or false.
1. They employed a lot of oddballs through the open evening
2. They are going to keep the new recruit who has been on a three-
day trial
3. The man coming from Station Garage has not been seen by
anyone.
4. The new recruits need immediate training
5. There are no Peugeot training courses available apart from the one
in June.
B. Write down the words which the speakers use in place of the phrases in
italics
1. “ ….you get about one in ten people out of it that are any good.”
“ Well, you are sure to get a lot of oddballs coming along”
2. “He’s a steady guy.” “ So with reference to staff recruitment,
we’ve got all the people that we need.”
3. “…at the moment we’re gonna have to put them in the workshops
and observe their progress….”
4. “ But apart from that there is no other courses available…”
5. “Right. OK – that seems to be a problem at the present time,
doesn’t it ?
C, In a group of three Dramatize the meeting above!
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4.3 Role-Play
27
UNIT 5
NEGOTIATION
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Conversation 1.
Interviewer : Mr Wells, is it fair to say that negotiation is an art?
Mr Wells : Well, I think it’s both an art and science. You can prepare for a
negotiation quite scientifically but the execution of a negotiation has quite
a lot to do with one’s artistry. The scientific part of a negotiation is in
determining your strategy: What do you want out of it? What can you
give? What do you expect? What do you need? Then of course there are
tactics: How do you go about it? Do you take an opening position in the
negotiation which differs from the eventual goal that you’re heading for?
And then, of course, there are the behavioral aspects.
Interviewer : What do you mean by the behavioral aspects?
Mr Wells : Well, That’s I think, where the art comes in. In your behavior
you can either be an actor, you can pretend that you don’t like things
which you’re actually quite pleased about, or you can pretend to like
things which you’re quite happy to do without. Or you can be the honest
type negotiator, who’s known by his partners in negotiation, and always
plays everything straight. But the artistic part of a negotiation, I thing, has
to do with responding immediately to cues one gets in the process of
negotiation. These can be verbal cues or even body language. This is
where the artistry comes in.
Interviewer : So really you see two types of negotiator then: the actor or the
honest one.
Mr Wells : That’s right. And both can work.
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Mr Wells : Oh I’m definitely the honest negotiator. It’s impossible for me to
act. My language and my body language give me away immediately so I
can only be myself as a negotiator and try to be as successful as possible.
Questions.
1. According to Mr. Wells, is negotiation an art or science?
2. What does Mr. Wells consider to be scientific about negotiation?
3. What does he consider to be artistic about negotiation?
4. Which are the two types of negotiator that he mentions?
5. Which type does he consider himself to be?
Conversation 2
Interviewer : Is there a definition of what makes a successful negotiator?
Mr Wells : Well, not a definitive one, but I think successful negotiators have
several things in common. They are always polite and rational people;
they are firm but flexible; they can recognise power and know how to use
it; they are sensitive to the dynamics of a negotiation - the way it rises and
falls and may change direction many times; they project an aura of
confidence = and, perhaps most importantly, they know when to stop.
Interviewer : And what about an unsuccessful negotiator?
Mr Wells : Well, this is probably all of us when we start out. We are
probably naïve and overtrusting, too emotional or aggressive. We are
unsure of ourselves and we want to be liked by everyone. The good
negotiator s learn fast. The bad one remains like that and go on losing
negotiation.
Interviewer : In conclusion, in your opinion, can negotiation be ta ught?
Mr Wells : Well, you can teach someone how to prepare for a negotiation.
There are perhaps six stages in every negotiation: get to know the other
side, state your goals, start the process, clarify areas of disagreement or
conflict, reassess your position, making acceptable compromises – and
finally reach some agreement in principle. These stages can be studied
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And strategy in each can be planned. But I think the really successful
negotiator is probably born with this sixth sense about responding to the
situation.
Interviewer : The artistic sense as you describe it?
Mr Wells : Yes
Stages in a negotiation
1 ……………………………………………………………………….
2. ……………………………………………………………………….
3. ……………………………………………………………………….
4. ……………………………………………………………………….
5. ……………………………………………………………………….
6. ……………………………………………………………………….
Example 1.
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Malone : Uh, when we first put these machines in operation, install them in
our factories, can you send over a group of technical advisors who
speak English and could train our engineers and workmen?
Blake :Yes, certainly. In fact we have some engineers in a language
training program now and they could come over within a few
months and be available anytime you need.
Malone : Great, great, that sounds good. Another one of our major concerns
is the service manual. We are quite concerned about getting a
service manual in English that will be easy to read and very clear
and useful for our engineers.
Blake : Yeah. Again, as I told you, we are pre paring a translation of the
Japanese manual we now have, and we expect that to be ready in a
short time.
Malone : By short time ………………… could you give me an estimate?
Blake : Uh, I’d like to say two weeks, but I’d have to get back to you , but
probably say about two or three weeks.
Malone :Oh, that sounds quite reasonable. As you know we have until
January 1st to actually install these machines and get them
operating, no we are under no deadline pressure here.
Blake : Okay, well that gives us a fair amount of time to work with.
Malone : Plenty of time. That sounds good, Mr. Blake. Another concern is
your professional record, performance record in Japan with these
machines.
Blake : Why don’t I send you some reports that we have on the
performance of the robot in some Japanese companies who are
also our clients. And I am sure you’ll be quite pleased with what
you see.
Malone : Okay, great. Could you get those off to me within a few weeks?
Blake : Sure. That shouldn’t be a problem. In fact as soon as I get back to
Tokyo I’ll see to it.
Malone : Excellent. Thank you very much.
Blake : Is there anything else?
Malone : Well, no. That covers all the major points.
Blake : Okay, Fine.
Malone : Sounds good.
Example 2.
This is a negotiation between me and the client regarding a request that an agency
representative review all videos before sending them for uploading.
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Client: We wish to change the SLA and
include a provision for an agency
representative to review all your works Establishing what the client wants.
before it is sent for uploading on our
website.
Myself: I don’t like the idea of having
one of your representatives reviewing Putting forward opinion and requesting
our work before we send it for a reason
uploading. Why do you request this?
Client: It is so that we know that the
quality of the work is up to the standards
Questioning whether or company is
that we want and expect. After all we are
worth the money.
paying you quite a bit of money. Is this
going to be a problem?
Myself: Well there are several reasons
why I think having our videos reviewed
before uploading is a bad idea. We are
already under the pressure of having to
produce 5 videos a week for you. That
I state why this request can’t be met.
deadline is already quite tight, and
having your representative review each
video and wanting changes would make
it impossible for us to meet your weekly
deadline.
Client: I understand that you have a
tight deadline, but I would like to have a
Acknowledges problem, but also wants
say in what goes in the videos. As a
to have control of what goes in the
client I must be able to have a say in
video.
what we want as I feel we know how
best to advertise our homes.
Myself: Our creative design studio is
one of the best in the world. I think we
would know what the difference is
between a good video and a great video.
You hired us knowing we will be doing Asserting how great our creative team is
an excellent job for you guys. I think our and doesn’t need to be shown what to
team is very capable and would know do.
how to create and design a lot better
then what your sales staff would. Just
like vice versa, your sales staff would be
better at selling then my creative team.
Client: Very well. I understand you Client agrees and understands. Client
guys are professionals at what you do still wants input thou.
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and I understand what you mean. I don’t
like people telling me how to sell my
homes too. However I still wish to have
a little bit of input into a few of the
homes we are selling. My representative
can give you the best selling points of
the house so that you can exploit them to
your best potential.
Myself: Hmmm. Very well I will allow
you to review 1 home video out of the 5,
but you must tell us upfront which one
that you will be reviewing. We might A little bit of give, if you let me have
need more time then due to the process some extra time
especially if we want to keep producing
at the same quality that we have been so
far.
Client: Agreed. I will extend the
deadline to 2 weeks if u let me review Client agrees and will give more then
and have some input on 2 videos out of enough if promised what she wants.
the 5. Is that an agreement?
Myself: Yes. That will suit us fine then.
We shall work out the finer details at a Satisfied. Win/Win for both parties.
later date.
LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS
Function Phrases
Clarifying/Conforming In fact …
Accepting/agreeing That sounds good.
Expressing/worry … one of our major concern is …
Expressing worry We’re quite concerned about …..
Conforming/clarifying As I told you …..
Requesting/inquiring Could you give me an estimate?
Stalling I’d like to say …., … probably say ……
Accepting/agreeing …. That sounds quite reasonable.
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Conforming/agreeing As you know ….
Offering Why don’t I ….
Promising/assuring ..I’m sure you’ll be quite pleased with that you see.
Requesting Could you ….
Assuring/promising That shouldn’t be a problem
Clarifying/conforming In fact …
Promising/assuring I’ll see to it.
Inquiring Is there anything else?
Accepting That covers all the major points.
5.4 Follow-up
UNIT 6
BUSINESS REPORT
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6.1 What is Business Report?
When a report is written for business purpose, it is called business report.
It is a little bit different from other reports. It deals with business related
information. A business report is prepared containing business related
information that assists the management to take better decisions. In short,
a business report can be defined as an organized, written
statement of facts related to specific business matter. It helps
the interested persons to get insight into the problem and to
overcome the problem. (bizcom_coach,2015) Available at
http://bizcommunicationcoach.com/what-is-business-report-characteristics-of-
business-report/
EXAMPLE
Good morning, gentlemen. I want to take a little of your time in this session of
the conference to consider the sales of our products over the last year.
Unfortunately a few of our sales staff are away on business, but this can’t be
helped.
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Most our products have had a successful year, and none of them have fallen
below the sales target. However, some of them have been more successful than
others. But more of that later.
As far as our customers are concerned, a few of them have asked us to increase
some of our range in particular our coloured pens. However, all of them have
expressed satisfaction with the quality of our products and our service. I shall
return to this point later.
If you cast your minds back to our last meeting, you’ll remember the
questionnaires we handed out, in which we asked you to put forward suggestions
about our products and services. We have now looked at most of them.
Although all of your ideas were reasonable, some of them were unrealistic in the
present financial climate. However, we intend to give them further consideration
and I am sure a few of them will be implemented. Anyway, I should like to thank
all of you for your co-operation.
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6. 3 Trip Report
Trip reports are written whenever people leave their normal place of work
to do something elsewhere. The reports can cover many kinds of events, such
as :Installation or modification of equipment, Assistance on a field project,
Attendance at a conference, seminar, workshop or a meeting, Repair to client’s
equipment or field instruments, Evaluation of another firm’s buildings, facilities,
or methods.
6. 4 Occurrence Report
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An occurrence report tells about an event that has happened, explains how
and why it occurred, and describes what effect the event had and what has been
done about it. Sometimes it also suggests that corrective action be taken or what
should be done to prevent the event from recurring.
The report arrangement.
The report is mostly arranged in psychological organizational plan. It
contains four main parts those are :
1. summary statement : explain very briefly what happened and the effect it
had.
2. Background : Answer the questions that ( to whom the report is addressed ) is
likely to ask :
- When did it happen?
- Where did it happen?
- Who is responsible?
- How many casualties are?
3. The event : describe exactly what happened and explain why the event
could not be eventide.
4. The outcome
Answer the question what was done about it.
EXAMPLE
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MEMORANDOM
Due to the explosion of our delivered gas tank, one of our customer’s kitchens
caught fire and it damaged part of the kitchen. It causes us to compensate the
customer’s total loss of Rp. 4.000.000.
The fire was caused by the explosion of a gas tank which was about to be hooked
up. The blaze could not have been extinguished unless the supplier put it out by
water.
Yesterday afternoon, I contacted out insurance company and asked them to check
the incident. This morning the insurance company agreed to compensate our
customer’s loss. We are now checking all gas tanks in the store under 2 police
and 3 fire brigade officers’ supervision. Since the incident the office has been
closed. We will open the office when conditions allow us to do so.
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UNIT 7
PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD
One of the questions I most frequently get asked when people hear I sit on
company boards isn’t about executive pay packages. Instead, they want to know
how to present to a board so its members will say yes. The question always calls
to mind a presentation that went wrong. Several years ago, a rather dandified
fellow from inside a company gave a presentation to a board I sat on. He was
snide at times, made several off-colour jokes, winked at board members and
made his political leanings clear with side remarks about the government of the
day. When he didn’t know the answers to questions we asked, he tried to fob
them off as irrelevant. When the chair finally ended the presentation, we looked
at each other in disbelief. We weren’t just unsure about the proposal, but also
unsure of the person who brought the proposal. I think you can guess how we
voted.
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Board Presentations Do’s:
Know what you are walking into. Board meetings are often jam packed
with a long agenda. In the past couple of months I’ve been in meetings
that have lasted up to 8 hours, covering up to 20 topics. Your topic is
special to you, but you have a finite amount of time to get essential
information across.
Do your homework. Who is on the board? What is their background? It
helps to be able to tailor the presentation when applicable, so you are not
telling them things they already know, nor assuming knowledge they
might not have.
Send documents in plenty of time. I try to ensure board members get their
papers at least a week in advance. If there’s a deadline, meet it with
several days to spare in case there is feedback before it goes to the board.
Please don’t “surprise” us, as in “I didn’t provide the papers in advance
because I wanted to keep you in suspense”. This isn’t an Agatha Christie
novel, it’s a board meeting. Give us the tools we need to make a decision.
Know in advance how much time you have. Do not go over your
allotment. If the chair feels more time is warranted, he or she will extend
it. Make sure to leave plenty of time for questions.
Ask how the board would like the information presented. For example,
ask the chair, “shall I present the whole thing or hit the high points?”.
Another approach: suggest that you “take the papers as already read”.
That means you presume that everyone has reviewed the documents you
sent in advance, and you will just address the most important points and
avoid repeating every detail.
Be prepared. Be professional. Be concise. Board members will judge the
content of your presentation, but also the confidence with which you
deliver it.
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Stay calm and answer the question asked. If you don’t know the answer,
don’t get flustered, defensive or try to fake it. Instead, promise to come
back with the answer as swiftly as possible. Then follow through quickly.
Also, and this is really important, don’t get thrown off if you get a lot of
hard questions.
Be clear and concise about the outcome. If there is a decision to be taken
by the end of your presentation, make sure the options are very clear. It
never hurts to state the options up front, explain them and then present the
options again.
End with grace. When it is time for you to go, say thanks and leave. Don’t
linger.
You may be kept waiting — don’t complain. Meetings can run late
depending on the agenda. If it is a closed door meeting you’ll be kept
waiting outside. If not, you’ll be there watching other people presenting,
or listening to debates on other agenda items. Don’t under any
circumstances grumble about it, as it will taint the room’s view of your
presentation before it even starts. A cheerful “no problem” goes a long
way.
Don’t bore us. I recently sat through a report that essentially told everyone
in the room something we all already knew. The presenter quickly lost our
attention. Even worse, we had all mentally checked out by the time he’d
gotten to the “ask”.
Don’t lobby. Your presentation is not an opportunity to take the stand on
other areas. If you are there to talk about upgrading the IT infrastructure,
throwing in a “while I’m here I’d like to make a pitch for better parking
facilities” is not helpful to you or us.
Don’t use jargon. We are not necessarily experts in your field. Use clear
language that everyone around the table will understand.
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We are not all the same — don’t air your bias and political
inclinations. With any luck the group around the table is a diverse one,
with diverse opinions. Off-colour jokes and political comments have no
place in your presentation and could offend the very people you are trying
to persuade.
Don’t go over the top with bells and whistles. There’s no need to pass out
flowers or an entertaining video unless it is directly related to the topic.
Useful: “Here is a sample of what we are talking about.” Strange: “Here is
a flower for all you lovely people.” And yes, I was in a meeting where
someone once handed out flowers to “all the lovely lady board members”.
Give it a go and let me know if it helped, and if you know someone who is
preparing to give a presentation, clip this and send it to them. Chances are not
only will they be grateful, but so will the board members who hear the
presentation.(Lucy Marcus, Cited 2016, July 12) Available at
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2014/10/15-presentation-tips-corporate-boards/
7.2 Example
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Ladies and Gentleman, I should like, now, to tell you something about the
details of ….. er …..the business we were able to do last year in the
company’s hotels. I think you might find the statistics over the course of
the year of considerable interest. First of all, let me tell you that the
number of bed-nights per month in our hotels, last year, was higher than
ever before. At the beginning of the year – that’s to say in April- the
occupancy rates rose to 15.000, and that was after a very bad winter and
was achieved because of our successful press campaign for short weekend
holidays in the country and by the sea side. In May, as you will
remember, we had dreadful weather, and the numbers fell very suddenly
to a trough of 10.000. The early part of the summer also was
disappointing. We continued to have bad weather, the pound got even
stronger and the economic situation abroad deteriorated so that in June
we recorded only 15.000. July – not very good: 18.000 but August was a
great deal better when we reached our target of 25.000 – the peak for the
year. The new conference facilities in the London and south coast hotels
proved very popular indeed and the figures for September – 17.000 – and
October – 16.000 – reflected this. It encourages us to think that we may
extend these facilities to some of our other hotels in the near future. In
November we experienced the normal decrease for the time of year and
we were down to 11.000. The Christmas period, as ever, showed a
substantial increase and in December we had 14.000. January was, I’m
sorry to say, a very disappointing start to the year with 10.000 and
February hardly any better at 11.000. However in March, we started our
‘Spring Weekend’ advertising campaign and achieved a jump to 16.000.
At the moment there’s every sign that this will prove even more successful
I April and May. Now, I think you’ll agree that … er ….in the
circumstances in which we live at the moment these results are really
very satisfactory indeed.
Questions
1. Is the director generally happy, unhappy or satisfied with the result?
2. What are the starting and finishing points for the group’s financial year?
3. There were two new initiatives during the year. What were they?
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Complete the Notes on year’s Performance!
Month Performance Reasons
April good
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
Read the script above once again and then draw the graph below!
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DE FORT HOTELS
Number of beds occupied per month (in thousands)
If we look at last year’s attendance statistic for the Cardiff plant, we can see
some quite informative trends. In January we had the usual seasonal factors
causing the ……………………..(1) of 73%. This increased slightly to 77% for
February and then ………………..(2) to 85% in March. In April, May and
June we reached a ……………………..(3) of 90% for three months but then a
………………...(4) took the figures to 80% for July. If you remember, the
weather was particularly good in July. From August to November we had a
series of ………………….(5) August showed an increase to 85% but this
……………….(6) to 77% in September, rose to 87% in October and then fell
again to 81% in November. In December, the figures …………………..(7) to a
………………..(8) of 97%, no doubt because of the need for Christmas money
– and of course this month ( January ) it looks like being around 75%.
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Exercise 2: Read the passage below carefully and then based on it draw the
graph describing the development of the rate of inflation.
Perhaps we could look briefly at the way inflation has developed during the
period 1975 to 80 since this has certainly had an effect on our general
performance. On the graph in front of us, the horizontal axis represents the
years 76 to 80 divided up into six monthly periods. The vertical axis shows
the % rate of inflation from zero to 25. Let us now look in detail at the
development………
If we start with 1975, we can see that at the beginning of the year, inflation
stood at 5%. It increased steadily over the next 12 months to 8%. Things
improved at the beginning of 1976 and it leveled off for a six moth period.
The improvement continued and inflation decreased gradually by 2% during
the rest of the year. Unfortunately, as we can see, the decline was not
maintained and over the next six months inflation rose slightly and reached
9% by the middle of 1977. Then we hit a bad patch – I am sure you will
remember how inflation went up dramatically to 17% during the next 12
months and the effect this had on our exports. After a drop of 3% over the
second half of 78 when we all thought that things were improving, inflation
increased rapidly until it reached a peak of 24% in mid 79. This marked the
low point for us and the high point for inflation. It then fell to 20% by the end
of 79 and subsequently leveled off until the middle of 1980.
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REFERENCES
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