English trainer wanted: Cologne, January 4 through 22, 2010

[Torsten]

Dates: January 4 through January 22, 2010
Hours: 9 lesson 45 minutes each, from 8am to 4pm
Location: downtown Cologne, Germany
Purpose: Reviewing the basics, preparation for LCCI Exam

Dear English Trainer,

Would you like to teach English to 7 learners, level A2/B1 in Cologne?
Dates: January 4 through January 22 (three weeks, Monday through Friday)
Times: 8 am to 4:30 pm (9 units per 45 minutes every day)

The group uses 'Business Start-Up', Cornelesen Verlag.

Please let me know if you are interested and you'll get all the details via phone and email.

Many thanks,
Torsten

TOEIC listening, question-response: Do you want juice or milk?

[Roberto]

Cologne, a one-million city welcomes us cordially. I'd like to sum up some of the most important aspects we discussed together in the WBS training centre situated at the Quater-Markt.
As usual, we first had a short introduction of every participant. After a while I was able to assess their skills, find out their real wishes regarding the English language. The group is made up of different nationalities, one guy from Sibiria, one from Kyrgyzstan , one from Vietnam and the rest of the class comes from Germany.
On the first day, we covered some lessons and exercises in connection with getting a job, applying for a job etc. We also reviewed some of the units done last year.
We spent days doing all kinds of exercises, most of them, were of communicative nature, i.e, we preferred to talk more often. However, I stressed the importance of writing a lot too, since it is a business course, so we then turned to written exercises in order to check their spelling.
Some of the topics covered in this context were among other things:

- education, complaining and apologising
- telephoning skills, phone phrases
- making arrangements, confirming arrangements, appointments, collocations used with the word appointment
- layout of a business letter, writing an e-mail
- business travel, tourism and economy. Booking a hotel room.
- mindmap of a company. Words related to a company.
- weaknesses and strengths
- giving directions

to annul an appointment einen Termin streichen
to break an appointment eine Verabredung nicht einhalten
to cancel an appointment eine Berufung widerrufen
to confirm an appointment eine Verabredung bestätigen
to fix an appointment einen Termin vereinbaren
to have an appointment bestellt sein
to keep an appointment einen Termin einhalten
to make a time appointment einen Termin machen
to make an appointment sich verabreden
to make an appointment eine Verabredung treffen
to make an appointment einen Termin ausmachen
to make an appointment einen Termin vereinbaren
to obtain an appointment einen Termin erhalten
to schedule an appointment einen Termin ansetzen

Specially on Thursday and on Friday, we solved lots of grammar exercises such as:
- past tenses, differences between present perfect and past simple, including past perfect
- future tenses: -ing versus will-future. We also talked about the going to-future tense.
- phrasal verbs, use of some prepositions

and so on

More next week

On Friday, every participant excepting Oleg sat an exam concerning the last units covered in class. The exam lasted more than 1 1/2 hours.

Regards

Roberto
_________________
Graduate Management Admission Test
GMAT Preparation & GMAT Vocabulary
Learn more about: Roberto Enrique Steffens Villarreal

[Roberto]

We started the second week in Cologne with a review of some topics covered in the first week, such as appointments, arrangements etc.

Here is a summary of the lessons given in the four days (second week):

Topics/Vocabulary:

- marketing. Relevant vocabulary. Oral exercises
- international trade. Relevant vocabulary. Discussion in class. Reading of a text: protectionism and free trade.
- writing business letters. Layout of a business letter, an e-mail, salutation and complimentary close, usage of capital letters, sender and recipient.
- writing a letter of enquiry, an order, a delivery, letters of complaint.
- a covering letter.
- useful phrases when making a complaint, placing an order, delivering items.
- telephone phrases. Exercises in class.
- selling, sales and production.
- presentation of your own company. Oral exercise
- grammar: some phrasal verbs, usage of the prep. by, usage of both, either and neither; comparative and superlatives; past tenses in review, future tenses. Progressive tenses.
- comparison of education systems in GB/USA/Germany. Text reading and exercises.
- your job career.
- money matters. Text reading and exercises.

Grammar:

- some phrasal verbs, usage of the prep. by, usage of both, either and neither; comparative and superlatives; past tenses in review, future tenses. Progressive tenses.
- differences between everyday English and formal business English. Participants were asked to make up a list of these words, e.g. : need > require; ask > inquire; answer > reply; thank > be grateful etc.
- some etymologies explained in class. Techniques that can be used to learn new vocab.
- word derivation: usage of prefixes and suffixes.
- synonyms and antonyms (opposite nouns and adjectives).
- reasons for a complaint etc.

Regards

Roberto
_________________
Graduate Management Admission Test
GMAT Preparation & GMAT Vocabulary
Learn more about: Roberto Enrique Steffens Villarreal

[Roberto]

Please read the following texts and do the corresponding exercises then:
1. APPLYING for a job
In a society where work is hard to find it is more important than ever to write a CV (curriculum vitae) properly and to prepare the meeting with your future employer.
This may happen when you apply for a job:
a) Read job adverts d) Attend the interview
b) Write a covering letter (or cover letter) e) Be short-listed
c) Prepare your CV f ) Get letter of acceptance (or rejection)
TASK 1: Understanding the above-mentioned points:
Example: 1. Schriftliche Zusage = f) letter of acceptance
2. Anschreiben 3) Lebenslauf 4) Stellenanzeige 5) Vorstellungsgespräch 6) in die engere Wahl kommen. 7) Absagebrief

Please read the following text and discuss it in class with your class-mates. Please mind your pronunciation.
2. BANKS make our money go round
Banking is a big word for all of us. In the old days we put our money under the bed. Now we almost never see real money.Only figures on a statement. Nevertheless we still need to go to the bank even if we transfer money via Internet. We sometimes need to do some transactions personally such as opening, closing or freezing an account.
TASK 2: What can you do with your account?
Please translate these verbs into German or your mother tongue:
open, overdraw, settle, freeze, close, block an account.
In addition, explain these words: current account, overdrawal arrangement (or overdraft facility), bank charges, bank statements, take out a loan

3. BOOKING things

Busy businesspeople often have to book services and products in advance to be sure that they will get them. Often you can simply give your name orally over the phone, or in writing by fax or e-mail. For products you have to give details of your credit card and ist date of expiry. Booking or buying things in this way makes some people nervous. They feel they could be cheated when they give out their banking or credit card details.

Task 3: Translate this text into English:

Lars and Jan are two Managing Directors. They have a board meeting at UntraWare GmbH.

L: Momentan sind wir eine GmbH. Wir haben Potential, aber wir haben kein Bargeld um uns zu vergrößern.
J: Wir brauchen Geld. Woher kriegen wir es? Wenn wir niemanden finden, der in uns investiert, werden wir uns von Mitarbeitern trennen.
L: Ich weiss. Meine Idee ist an die Börse zu gehen. Wenn wir unsere Aktien an der Börse anbieten, werden wir ein Haufen Geld bekommen.
J: Du willst uns in eine AG verwandeln.
L: Der Groschen ist gefallen.
J: Wir werden eine am Aktienmarkt geführte Firma (= listed company) sein und wir werden Aktionären haben, die Gewinn sehen wollen.

Consider these synonyms when talking about dismissing personnel in a company:
Lay off, dismiss, part company with, fire, make redundant

4. Letter of apology

Dear Ms Rong-Davies,

We very much regret to inform you that we are forced ask for an extension of time in the execution of your order no. E560.
Industrial action at our plant has resulted in the delay in despatching some orders. However, we believe that we can carry out delivery within a week. We apologise for the delay. Please be assured that we are doing all we can to deliver on time.

Yours faithfully

James Wright

5 GRAMMAR EXERCISES IN CLASS (BUSINESS ENGLISH)

- prepositions by, on, at, in; present perfect/past simple/past perfect etc.
_________________
Graduate Management Admission Test
GMAT Preparation & GMAT Vocabulary
Learn more about: Roberto Enrique Steffens Villarreal

[Roberto]

Hi dear trainers,

here is the test all of the participants, excepting Oleg, sat on Friday, Jan 8.

Task 1: Please choose the right word from the list below to fill each of the gaps in the following telephone conversation:

Kim: Am I (a) ……..to Mr. Scott?
Linda: I’m (b) .......not - he's just left the office. I'm his secretary. If you could just hang (c) ..... a moment, I’ll see if he is still in the building.

Kim: No, don’t do that. I’m (d)……..long-distance, and you know how expensive that is.
I’ve already spent a fortune – your (e) ……..seemed to be having difficulties (f) …….me to the right number – she kept me waiting for over five minutes!

Linda: I’m ……about that. She’s new here and hasn’t got used to the (h)…..yet. Would you like me to ask Mr. Scott to call you (i)……when he returns? I’m sure he would be (j) to do so.

Kim: No that’s alright. I’ll try again in an hour or two. But I would be (k)……. if you could give me his (l) …………..number so that I can get straight (m)………to him next time.

Linda: Of course. It’s 509 or, if you cannot reach him (n)……….that number, you can try. ….

Kim: Could you speak (o) ……….please. I can hardly hear you!

Linda: I said try 509 or, if he’s not there, 511.

Kim: Thank you. Goodbye.

Choose these words: extension, sorry, up, through, under, back, on, happy, afraid, grateful, calling, connecting, speaking, operator, switchboard

Task 2:

Please look carefully at the letter below, translate the German words in brackets, decide whether you have to use present perfect or past simple (only in one sentence) and then answer the following following questions:

1. Which firm does Mr Matthews work for, i.e. which firm is the sender of the above letter? Which firm does Ms Leigh work for, i.e. which is the recipient of the letter?
2. Mr. Matthews uses a number of abbreviations in his letter. Which is which?
3. The abbreviation showing that his letter is accompanied by other material is……
4. The abbreviation showing that Ms Leigh must already have written him a letter is…..
5. The abbreviation that tells Ms Leigh what Mr Matthews is writing to her about is……
6. Mr. Matthews knows whom he is writing to. How do you begin a letter if you do not know whether you are writing to a man or a woman?
a) Ladies and Gentlemen!
b) Dear Sirs and Madams
c) Dear Gentlemen and Ladies,
d) Dear Sir / Madam,

Autoparts plc,
12 Industry Road,
Dagenham,
ESSEX.

6 May 1997
United Garages Ltd.,
34 High Street,
Leyton,
LONDON, E10 3MW.

Your ref.: Le.

Dear Ms Leigh,

Re: Order No. 4962

Thank you for your letter of 28 April 1997.

We were very sorry to hear that the last (Lieferung) of fog lamps which you received from us contained a number of defective goods. Our quality standards are high, so that we rarely have (Beschwerden) of this kind from our dealers. This makes the problems with your (Auftrag) all the more regrettable.

If you send the defective goods back to us, we will be happy to replace them (sofort) at no extra cost to your firm. Alternatively, we can credit the cost of the defective parts to your (Konto).

We would like to (uns entschuldigen) for any (Unannehmlichkeit) that may (have been caused or was caused?).
-2-

Yours sincerely,

J.Matthews
Sales Manager

Encl. : A statement of account.

Task 4:

Six reasons for complaints. In English, please

1. Half of the chips are fehlerhaft.
2. The Lieferung hasn’t arrived yet.
3. Ten vases were beschädigt.
4. Why are the chips no longer lieferbar.
5. The Verpackung was damaged.
6. The systems are unzuverlässig

Task 5:

Translate the verbs in brackets. Pay attention to the correct tense form!

Kathy Stevens is 23 years old and (wohnt) in Boise in the USA. She is an office junior at Wilson USA Ltd. She (verließ) the school at the age of 16 GCESs in English, maths, geography, German, history and art and now she (hat sich entschieden) to attend a part-time course in Business Administration at Boise College nearby. Wilson normally (bevorzugen) to train their employees themselves for the specific jobs they must do in the firm but as they (glauben) that what she (gerade lernt) (wird sein) of use to her at work she is given time off to attend the course.

Good luck!

Regards

Roberto
_________________
Graduate Management Admission Test
GMAT Preparation & GMAT Vocabulary
Learn more about: Roberto Enrique Steffens Villarreal

[Torsten]

Hi Roberto,

Thank you very much for your detailed reports and all your updates. Talk to you soon, Torsten

TOEIC short conversations: Two old friends meet on the bus