Vocabulary
anyway (de todas formas, en cualquier caso)
a bit (un poco)
amount (cantidad)
a couple of (un par de)
apologies (disculpas)
a few (algunos)
balance (balance)
abroad (en el extranjero)
bill (cuenta)
Accounts Department (Departamento de contabilidad)
billboard (valla publicitaria)
actually (de hecho) address (dirección) advertisement (Ad) (anuncio) administration (administración) administrative (administrativo) agenda (orden del día) agreement (acuerdo) allowed (permitido)
bonus (bonus) both…and… (tanto…como…) brand name (marca) branch (sucursal) brochure (folleto) business (negocio(s)) buyer (comprador) by the way (por cierto) cash (al contado) charges (costes)
Business English Dialogues 1 Francisco lives in Madrid and he sells Spanish wines to clients in the rest of Europe. One of his best clients is Anne Smith. She lives in London and she runs a wine distributor in the United Kingdom. Anne is planning a business trip to Madrid to meet with Francisco and visit a couple wineries to try out some new wines. Here is their telephone conversation regarding Anne’s trip: He aquí su conversación telefónica sobre el viaje de Anne: Francisco: Hi, Anne. How are you? Anne: Very well, Francisco. How are you doing?
Francisco: Fine, thanks. So, for what day have you booked your flight? Anne: My flight leaves London on the 14th of November at 9:00 a.m. I arrive in Madrid at noon. Shall I take a taxi to your office? Francisco: Yes, that sounds great. I would offer to pick you up, but I have another meeting that morning. Anne: Oh that’s no problem. I don’t mind taking a taxi. Francisco: Where are you staying? Anne: I’ve booked a room at the Sol Plaza Hotel. Francisco: Fantastic, that’s a nice hotel and it’s close to my office. There is a winery I would like to take you to on the 15th. There are a few very nice red wines I’d like you to try there. Anne: That sounds great. What is the name of the winery? Francisco: Viñas de la Sierra. Anne: Oh, yes. I think you have mentioned it to me before. Francisco: Then on the morning of the 16th, I have an appointment with the Enologist at Bodegas Summon. I’d like you to come to that meeting too. What time do you fly out on the 16th? Anne: My flight back to London is at 3:00 p.m. Francisco:
Okay, great. The meeting is at 10:00 a.m. so that should work out well. Anne: Yes, that sounds great. Francisco: So, why don’t you write me an e-mail or a text message when you have landed in Madrid? Anne: Yes, okay, I’ll do that. Francisco: Have a good trip over. Anne: Thank you. See you in about two weeks time. Francisco: Bye-bye.
Reading Comprehension: Job Advertisements A) Job Advertisements St. Mary's Junior School Heath Drive, Ware, Herts SG12 ORL TEACHING ASSISTANT Required from: November 2002 - Term time only, four mornings weekly We are looking for a caring and enthusiastic teaching assistant to work in a Y3 classroom to work alongside children who require extra support. Experience of working with children is essential. You will be part of a friendly and committed staff team and we shall offer opportunities to help you develop professionally. Please telephone Jane Hannibal, School Secretary for further details. Visits are welcomed. Letters of application and CV with the details of 2 referees should be sent to Liz Neville, Head teacher by October 14. B) Job Advertisements CONTRACTS MANAGER
Diamond PLC has been providing a quality service for over 25 years, specialising in refurbishment and major alterations for Local Authorities & Housing Associations in the London area. Our continued success is due to the commitment of our dedicated team of professionals. We are looking for an experienced Contracts Manager, able to demonstrate the drive necessary to lead a team of Surveyors, Site Managers and Trades, reporting to the Contracts Director. You will be responsible for controlling projects of all s up to 3m using the company's management control process and our fully computerised ICT system. This is a great opportunity for an individual with a proven track record of delivering projects on time & within budget whilst able to maintain our mission statement of 'Building Quality on Time'. If you feel this is the challenge for you, please apply in writing with a full CV to: Sarah Curry HR Department Diamond Plc52 Stamford Road London N15 4PZ
Comprehension Questions 1. Read through the advertisements again and make a list of all the words and expressions used to describe: a) The job requirements b) The benefits offered by the job.
2. Look at the job advertisement labelled (B) and answer the questions. 1)
Who placed the job advertisement in the newspaper?
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What job is being offered?
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In what sector of business?
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What is required the job?
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Where will the succesful candidate work?
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Homework: Job Ads: Reading between the lines Checking out job advertisements is popular with executives worldwide. But though the activity is universal, is the same true of the advertisements? Are executive positions in different countries advertised in the same way? A comparison of the jobs pages of The Times of London, Le Monde of Paris and Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung suggests not.
First, what UK job seekers consider an essential piece of information -what the post pays- is absent from French and German adverts. It is often left to applicants to raise this themselves. In contrast, most British advertisements mention not only salary, but also other material incentives including a car and fringe benefits. French or German advertisements rarely refer to these. The attention given to rewards in the UK indicates the importance of the job and its responsability. In Germany and France, that information is given by the level of experience and qualifications demanded. Salary can be assumed to correspond with this. If French and German adverts are vague about material rewards, they are precise about qualifications. They usually demand "a degree in ...", not simply "a degree". In Germany, for example, a technical director for a machine tool company will be expected to have a Diploma.-Ing degree in Mechanical Engineering. French advertisements go further. They may specify not just the type of grande ecole degree, but sometimes a particular set of institutions. All this contrasts with the vague call for "graduates" (or "graduate preferred"), which is found in the UK. British companies often give the impression that they have a particular type of applicant in mind, but are not sure about the supply and will consider others. Their wording suggests hope and uncertainty, as in this advertisement from The Times: "Whilst educational standards are obviously important, a large measure of personal enthusiasm is likely to secure the success of your application." In the UK, qualifications beyond degree level make employers nervous, but in France or Germany it is difficult to be "overqualified". Many people on German executive boards have doctorates and the French regard five or six years of intensive postbacealaurat study at a grand cole as ideal training. British managers are not selected primarily for their intelligence, as managers are in France or for their expert knowledge, as in Germany. Instead the British give importance to social, political and leadership skills. This difference also shows in the personal qualities mentioned. British advertisements stress energy, ability to communicate and motivate. German advertisements like achievement, but it tends to be less personality-driven. German companies want candidates with sound knowledge, experience and competence in their field. They rarely recruit novices, as do British employers. French advertisements refer more to intellectual qualities like analytical aptitude and independence. Even the tone of the job advertisements is different in the three countries. By French and German standards, British advertisements are very audacious: They attract young executives with challenges such as: "Are you reaching your potential?" whereas French and German advertisements are boringly direct, aiming to give information about the job rather than to sell it. All this points to three different conceptions of management. The French regard it as intellectually complex, the Germans as technically complex, and the British as interpersonally complex. But they agree on one thing: it's complex.
Questions: