Current projects

[Hans_Ulrich]

Hi Torsten and Daniel,
I'll do the BZ Leipzig job tomorrow as discussed following your good advice.
Best regards,
Uli

[Torsten]

Hi Uli,

Sounds great. Please review the things Daniel did with the group last time. You can dictate some typical sentences in the present simple and they have to make them negative. For example, you say "I work for Siemens". Then one of the students has to make this sentence negative and another one has to create a question ("I don't work for Siemens." -- "Where do you work?/Do you work for Siemens".) Have each of the students convert 3 or 4 sentences that way until they are comfortable using the structure.

Have them create a list with verbs they use on a regular basis when they speak German. Then go through the list and see if they know the English equivalents of those verbs. Next you can have them create sentences in the simple past with those verbs. As for vocabulary training you can give them some of the Incoterms and ask them to tell what they stand for.

Let us know how it went.
Thanks,
Torsten
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Hans_Ulrich]

Hi Torsten and Daniel,

Yes indeed the BZ Leipzig group of future logistics skilled worker is very challenging.

I have felt like an animal trainer / tamer .

But we managed rather good to discuss interesting questions about rational communication, telephoning, intelligent job application etc. for their time after June 2008 when they will finish their formal qualification with the BZ.

Mrs Schneider was very happy that we could at least a little bit concentrate in rational matters.

Morris has some problems with his concentration deficits. Here we can do only very smart attempts to assist him to overcome this gap step by step.

I think we can motivate the group - or at least some members ( Daniel, Lutz, Robin, Dirk, Maikel, and Christian ) - with practical hints for their job application (Writing an application, telephoning etc.) .

Hope to see you soon healthy and strong for the future .

Best regards Uli .

[Daniel]

First of all many thanks to you, Uli for doing my BZ group on Thursday. You're right the group is challenging but it's one of the two groups I teach there that shows at least a workable ratio of slightly committed students.
Then, yes, Josef Hader is an Austrian actor and cabaret artist. His films are somewhat special and difficult to understand due to his Viennese accent but the cabaret shows are rather open to a wider audience. There's a good deal of accent remaining but it seems cute and somehow backs his style of comic.
The aloha Hostel in Paris isn't hard to find on the internet. I just googled "hostels paris" in French and the sort of network they're a member of was among the first rusults I was shown. They have 6- and 4-bed dorms, a nice bar area on the ground floor and some tables and chairs in the basement. Unfortunately there is a curfew at 2 am but since I was there to work anyway I didn't mind.

That's it for now,
Regards,
Daniel

[Hans_Ulrich]

Hi Torsten and Rolf,
tomorrow Thursday , 10th of April I shall work with the Delitzsch group.
Please give me some advice how to manage this group.
Thank you .
regards Uli

[Torsten]

Hi Uli,

Most of the Call Center Agents are are beginners to intermediate learners so please review the basics with them. Start with the alphabet, have them spell simple words to each other. Review the numbers, the simple present (positive, negative questions), the question words, how to tell the time, basic adjectives, etc. There is one young woman whose English is rather advanced, I forgot her name but you'll notice her. She is very interested in Scandinavia and Nordic cultures and she is planning to work abroad. Please give her some additional tasks. For example, have her prepare a short presentation of her favourite country.

If you get time, you can start to introduce some basic telephoning.

Please note that Rolf is doing a different group so he might know anything about the call center agents. Hope this helps. Have a great day and let me what you think.
Many thanks,
Torsten
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Hans_Ulrich]

hi Torsten,
many thanks for your advice.
I shall do this.
regards Uli

[Hans_Ulrich]

Hallo dear Rolf and Torsten,
Today we have managed very well our English beginners’ class in Delitzsch Dübener Street with the Call Centers Ladies group.
The problem in groups like this is always that we have very different levels of qualification as far as the knowledge or “pre-experiences” of English is concerned.
I my understanding it is very important to create, to maintain and to generate permanently an innovative climate of learning, of interest to learn and to assist each other to use the limited time efficiently.
Today the Participants have worked creatively in small groups. Each participant has informed the partners about telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, postal indexes , city codes, postal addresses etc. in order to train numbers and practise spelling exercises like in a real call centre.
Ellen, Manuela, Anke, Franka, Yvonne, Jana were very active . The other Ladies have participated a bit less intensive.
Mrs B and Mrs H were very happy that we managed so well.
Tomorrow we shall repeat some grammar paragraphs (plural, forming adverbs from adjectives, forming questions, negations etc. ).
Best regards Uli

[Hans_Ulrich]

Hi Torsten,
Today Friday we have managed with the future Call Center Agents planned.
We have reviewed the numbers,
the simple present
(positive,
negative,
questions),
the question words,
how to tell the time,
basic adjectives,
adverbs etc.
And we talked about front office and back office tasks in a call center, as well as about inbound and outbound calls, about payment conditions when selling tickets online etc.
The Ladies were very motivated and cooperative.
Best regards,
Have a great weekend.
Best Regards Uli

[nomisyar]

Hello,
Last Thursday the 10th, and Friday the 11th, I in Jena, with the High Potentials group. Very motivated bunch of people. The levels of ubderstand is high amongst the whole group, and when working in smaller groups, the stronger speakers are willing help the weaker ones. We focused on a lot of work related discussion, and a couple mock interviews, mainly for the purpose of practicing English. The entire group utilizes audio libraries, mainly in the form of English DVD's. We focused mainly on preparing for the job search, I tried to get the group to actualize what type of career they wanted, specifically. I want people to actually work towards getting a job. There is a new addition to the group, who just landed a job and wants to practice his English, he has been a good resource in helping the others plan and focus on a goals. It was fun, and I look forward to another meeting.
-Ray

[Daniel]

Hi Torsten,

I think the test should not contain more than ten multiple choice questions. Here are some suggestions based on what we have covered so far:

What is a swap body?
A tool needed to load and unload containers
An empty container
A type ofcontainer that can easily be transferred from one means of transport to another
A tool to secure cargo during transport

Which of these Incoterms is the most favourable for the buyer?
FOB
DDU
EXW
CPT

How must tank containers for foodstuffs be labelled?
Only for drinks
Potable liquids
Drinks inside
Potable liquids only

Besides we could show them one of the signs for hazardous materials and ask what it stands for.

Let me know what you think and I'll come up with some more soon.

Kind regards,
Daniel

[Torsten]

Hi Daniel,

Your idea is excellent since the questions you created test both -- reading comprehension as well as knowledge of logistics. Maybe we could also include some geographical questions and questions related to logistics companies. For example:
What does DHL stand for?
Deutsche Handels Linie
Dalsey, Hillblom and Lynn
Department of High Logistics
Dow Howard Line

Let me know what you think.
Thanks,
Torsten
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Daniel]

Hi Torsten,

I discussed the online-test project with Frau R and she was very interested. I'll be doing the lessons with three groups next Wednesday and Thursday because these were the last dates the computer workstations at BZ were avalable. I'll probably have laptops to do it with the remaining group some Monday in May.
She's showing me everything I need to know next Monday and I'd like to give her an idea of what we're doing that day as well.
In addition I designed some more test questions:

Which of these does not stand for a big logistics company?

TNT
DHL
NBC
UPS

Which of these tasks does a warehouse worker not perform?
pack
tick
check
pick

What does FIFO stand for?
Final Instructions For Others
Find In Forthcoming Order
Fear In Face Of
First In First Out

What does this sign mean?
Oxidizing Material
Highly Inflammable Material
Explosive Material
Extremely Inflammable Material

There should be displayed an icon to label hazardous materials but I could not paste it. Is it possible to include pictures in the test questions at all?
I liked your DHL question (I didn't know it before I browsed through their textbook) but it might be of more use for them to know a few companies than to know the guys' names.

Let me know what you think.

Best Regards,
Daniel

[Torsten]

Hi Daniel,

Thanks a lot for your great work. To get an idea of what our online tests can look like please check our first warehouse and logistics test. We can change and improve the questions and answer options any time.

Let me know what you think.
Regards,
Torsten
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Yankee]

.
My crystal ball is suggesting there is a misspelling of the word 'potable', Torsten.
.