Vocabulario de Trabajo Cultura Conexiones

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1 Unit 2.6 - Work - Culture and Connections // Zapp! English Vocabulario de Trabajo - by Inglés.fm

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Vocabulary for Work / Level 2 Unit 6 - Work - Culture and Connections

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Introduction This unit is about social and cultural things at work. Each language and culture has different traditions and habits at work, and in this unit you’ll learn about some of those differences, as well as practising your listening skills with natural conversations.

Vocabulary and Listening 1 Listen to a conversation between me, Christine and Fran. We’re talking about introductions and getting to know people in the workplace. Are there any differences between what we describe and your country or workplace?

KATIE: Hello.

CHRISTINE: Hello.

FRAN: Hello.

KATIE: Well in a minute, I’m going to in…ask you to introduce yourselves…because, we’re going to talk a little bit about erm…introducing people, introducing yourself, introducing others. We’re sitting in my…lounge. It’s a little bit windy…you might be able to hear, the wind in the background. (laughter) But we’re going to talk about introductions and titles, so, who are you?

CHRISTINE: Erm hello, I’m Christine and I’ve just met Katie today for the first time and er…so I’ve just come along to erm…to help her with this t…erm…speaking English, and hopefully, everybody’ll be able to understand my Yorkshire accent.

KATIE: I’m sure they will.

CHRISTINE: And I’m here with my friend, with another friend which I’m sure you’ll meet in a minute.

KATIE: Well maybe you can introduce your other friend.

CHRISTINE: Well. Yeah that’s a good idea. Brilliant, yeah…erm, this is my friend Fran…erm…

FRAN: Hi.

KATIE: Well, nice to meet both of you and…we’re meeting in sort of an informal situation aren’t we? Erm, so…our greetings and introductions have been; Hi, Hello, Nice to meet you, My name’s…

CHRISTINE: How’re you doing?



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KATIE: Yeah, all of those sort of informal things. Erm…sometimes, at work, you have to be…a little bit more formal. What…what…ha…if you…if you meet someone new in a work situation, what…what kind of things do you tend to say or…how do you introduce yourself?

CHRISTINE: Well I worked as a teacher for a number of years and when I, was introduced to a new colleague for example…my boss, would say, This is so and so, and I’d say, Oh, and I’d offer my hand…

KATIE: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: …to shake it and I’d say, Oh…hello, my name’s Christine, welcome to…and then I’d name the school that I was working at.

KATIE: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: And erm…that was…quite polite.

KATIE: Yes. Yeah.

FRAN: I once made the mistake…of…I was working for social services and, I was quite young at the time…and…when the boss rang up, I said, Oh I’ll go and get my friend. Well…I was told off for this. It certainly isn’t your friend, Fran, I was told…It’s your colleague. So…the words and language, I realised, are quite impoi…important, when we are, introducing, or talking about people at work…

KATIE: Yeah.

FRAN: …rather than, on a social level.

KATIE: Yeah. I think…in general, I think British workplaces…are…I suppose it depends what you do but…usually, once you know your colleagues, you’d refer to them by their first names wouldn’t you?

CHRISTINE: Yeah.

FRAN: Yes.

KATIE: Unless they’re…a lot…higher up the chain than you are. (laughter)

FRAN: Yes yeah.

KATIE: Erm…

FRAN: Yeah I think in all the places I’ve worked, we’ve always used our Christian names.

KATIE: Mmm.

FRAN: Even on the first day. Erm…because we’ve seen ourselves as a team and we’re…it’s an informal…



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KATIE: Yes.

FRAN: …setting really.

KATIE: Yeah. And that can be different, country to country. I mean some countries are more…formal, so you would always, talk about a colleague as being Mr…something or Mrs something. But I think in England generally, we’re quite…informal, once we know someone.

CHRISTINE: Yes.

KATIE: Even at work.

CHRISTINE: Yes.

FRAN: Yes.

KATIE: Interestingly…erm…Miss…is quite an interesting one…because in…normally, we only use the title Miss in school, or when you’ve got to fill out a form. Erm, and even then, nowadays it’s probably more common…like I would never call myself Miss. I’d always call myself Ms. But…people have different ideas, so if you’re married, you can be…Mrs…or Ms…

CHRISTINE: Yeah

KATIE: And if you’re not married, you can be…Miss, or Ms.

FRAN: But no-one’s ever come up to you and called you Ms…Katie, have they?

KATIE: No…N…erm...when I’ve been abroad…sometimes, people from other countries think that you can say Miss…and then the first name, which doesn’t work in English does it? We can’t say Miss Katie or, Miss Fran.

FRAN: No.

KATIE: We’d have to say, Fran…or…Ms or Miss or Mrs and your second name.

CHRISTINE: Well I’ll tell you where you will find Ms…you find it…er…mostly…in the written form. If someone’s…

KATIE: Yes.

CHRISTINE: …writing you a letter they might address you as Miss Christine blah, blah.

KATIE: Yes.

CHRISTINE: You know.

KATIE: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: Er, so that’s when you find it but…



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KATIE: Spoken very rarely isn’t it?

CHRISTINE: It’s very rare. Very very rare. You know.

KATIE: When…what are some, more sort of formal ways to…introduce somebody else? You used the most common one. This is…and then the name. Can you think of any more, sort of…formal introductions?

CHRISTINE: Well you could say something like er, Ooh I’ve got…I’d like to introduce you to my friend, or I’d like to introduce you to my…to my boss.

KATIE: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: You could say I…so that’s sounding much more formal, I’d like to introduce you…

KATIE: Yeah. That’s a good one, I’d like to introduce you…very formal. Let me introduce…

FRAN: Or, meet…

KATIE: Mmm.

FRAN: It’s j…just that one word is often used…

KATIE: Yes.

FRAN: …used isn’t it?

KATIE: And I think another common phrase when, a group of people are…erm…talking and you want to introduce someone you’d say, Oh, have you met my colleague…? And then the name.

FRAN: Yes.

KATIE: Yeah. Or…

CHRISTINE: Yeah or sometimes you can just assume that somebody knows somebody, like you’ll say, You’ve met Jack haven’t you?

KATIE: Mmm hmm. And I think I…when you came in today, I said, Oh Hello and, Oh nice to meet you. I think we use that at all levels don’t we? From informal to quite formal.

FRAN: Yes, yeah we do.

CHRISTINE: Yes.

FRAN: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: It’s lovely to meet you.

KATIE: Yes.



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CHRISTINE: It’s lovely to meet you or…sometimes you can say, It has been lovely t…to meet you. When…when you’re departing from the situation.

KATIE: When you leave yeah.

CHRISTINE: When you’re leaving, you know…or it’s like, It’s a pleasure. Sometimes when you offer the hand…you shake the hand and you say, sometimes simultaneously, pleasure to meet you.

KATIE: Mmm hmm.

CHRISTINE: You know.

KATIE: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: Erm…that’s what I’ve found…

KATIE: Yes.

CHRISTINE: …in…in various places but…when I’ve lived ab…when I’ve er…I…I…when I’ve lived in…abroad, I’ve noticed that the…the greetings are much…more…they’re different…to what I’m used to. You know they’ve been much more affectionate…

KATIE: Yes.

CHRISTINE: Especially in France or in Italy, and possibly Spain, I don’t really know much but…that…

KATIE: Yeah.

CHRISTINE: …the kissing of…of cheeks, you know.

KATIE: That’s a really good point I think, because I think…the British are…erm…more formal in…in their ph…in the way they’re physical. It would usually be a handshake wouldn’t it? Or nothing.

CHRISTINE: Ah but times are…

KATIE: In a…in a…work environment anyway.

CHRISTINE: Times are changing for England, because at one time, it used to be very English and very very upper lip and very cold. You know, they’d just do, the formal polite, introduction. But now they’re…we’re turning much more…Mediterranean.

KATIE: Yeah I think so.

CHRISTINE: Very warm, you know, giving each other kisses now. You know.

KATIE: But still. If you went into a work place…

CHRISTINE: Oh yeah.

KATIE: …and…kissed people on the cheek, they would…probably be…Ooh! What’s going on?



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Vocabulary and Pronunciation 1 So let’s look at some phrases and vocab related to introductions. You may know some of these, but remember, we want you to sound natural and use the correct level of formality. Repeat after the beep.

Some introduction phrases that can safely be used in pretty much any situation are;

This is…

This is my manager Graeme West. This is Steve.

Have you met…?

Have you met my manager, Graeme West? Have you met Graeme?

Slightly more formal ways to do the same thing are;

Can I introduce you to…?

Can I introduce you to my manager, Graeme West? Can I introduce you to Graeme?

I’d like to introduce you to…

I’d like to introduce you to my manager, Graeme West. I’d like to introduce you to Graeme.

Safe ways to respond are;

Nice to meet you.

or

Good to meet you.

Nice to meet you. Good to meet you.

A much more formal response would be;

It’s a pleasure.

It’s a pleasure. It’s a pleasure to meet you.



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There is one more very formal phrase, that we don’t use very often, and only in really formal situations. You could hear;

How do you do?

And the response is exactly the same.

How do you do?

How do you do? How do you do?

Now for some vocabulary. We usually introduce ourselves using one or two kinds of name. For example our first name. My first name is Katie. An old fashioned word for this is a Christian name. But then I have another name, we can call this our family name or surname.

first name first name

Christian name Christian name

Then,

family name family name

surname surname

We also heard about some titles. In English we only use titles when we don’t know someone or we are being polite or formal. Mr is for a man and Mrs is for a married woman. Which one is for an unmarried woman and is a little old-fashioned?

Miss

Miss Brown Miss Wilson

Which word is a more modern term for a woman who may or may not be married?

Ms

Ms Kent Ms Shaw

And finally, what is the name of the action people often do with their hands when they first meet?

shake hands

shake hands shake hands



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Vocabulary and Listening 2 Now we’re going to hear about some more cultural differences in the work place. Do any of these surprise you? Which things are the same or different about your place of work or culture?

KATIE: Hello Beth.

BETH: Hello.

KATIE: You used to work in Spain.

BETH: Yes I did. For a year.

KATIE: Mmm hmm. And…in terms of work…what kind of erm…cultural differences…did you…notice?

BETH: Erm…the main difference I noticed was the attitude towards drinking at work. Erm…in erm…I worked in a school in Spain and in the staffroom in the fridge, there was…bottles of wine, and at lunchtimes teachers would pour themselves a glass of wine. Erm…one time we went to the bar, and the head teacher, of the school bought us all shots…erm…before we went back to school. And if that was in the UK, they’d be fired, for drinking. You can’t drink at all, during the day, if you’re on duty or…you’re in a school.

KATIE: If you’re a teacher yeah.

BETH: If you’re a teacher.

KATIE: But…but I mean in general it’s…

BETH: Yeah for any.

KATIE: …it used to be culturally acceptable didn’t it? I think…

BETH: Yeah.

KATIE: …years ago to…go to the pub at lunchtime or something but I mean…

BETH: Even…even when I work in a pub I’m not allowed to drink anything.

KATIE: Yeah. You know so, I think…that could be a big difference…

BETH: Yeah.

KATIE: …to other parts in Europe, I mean…in offices in…in the UK you can’t…

BETH: No.



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KATIE: …you would…you would be fired wouldn’t you?

BETH: Yeah. The UK is quite strict about things like that. Whereas the rest of Europe seems to be a bit more…laid back. Compared to the UK.

KATIE: Yeah. What…did you notice any cultural differences in terms of how…you know, when you meet people for the first time in Spain…in…in a…in any environment but particularly…the work environment? Any differences?

BETH: Yes I think…erm, in Spain people are…immediately more…friend…er friendly or intimate maybe, you know with their kissing on the cheek. Erm…whereas in England we wouldn’t do that we’d…shake someone’s hand. You know, if…if you met someone in a work environment for the first time…erm…and that can be a bit…erm…yeah, a bit…a bit of a shock maybe if people aren’t used to that. If they were to go to Spain and, be kissed by everyone they’d…

KATIE: Yeah, yeah. Or…or in fact to come to England and…

BETH: Yes, and not be…

KATIE: Yeah and to…to kiss people at work, people would be (noise) what?!

BETH: What are you doing?! Yeah precisely.

KATIE: Yeah.

----------

KATIE: Are there any differences do you think…did you find any differences when you, fir…I know it’s a long time ago now, but when you first…started working…here?

PIOTR: Yeah well, you know…er…compared to my country, and to the way er…that business is done, back home, you know people in England are a lot more private…and reserved. Er so…you know, asking too…er…questions that are too direct…

KATIE: Yeah.

PIOTR: …or too personal er…erm are…it’s just not done.

KATIE: Mmm.

PIOTR: And that’s something I had to get used to because I’m a…you know…I was used to a completely different cultural set up where…you know…f…for example discussing money, is, quite OK in Poland…er…

KATIE: Ah-ha.

PIOTR: …among people in the same job you know. Er, although it is changing slightly now.

KATIE: Yeah.



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PIOTR: I mean Europe, as a whole, is…is becoming very very homogenic, if you will. Culturally.

KATIE: Yeah more and more similar.

PIOTR: Yeah, yeah. Er, but yeah, there are certain things er…that…er that you don’t…that you don’t er…discuss in England that would be perfectly OK to discuss back…back where I’m from.

KATIE: Mmm.

PIOTR: Mmm.

KATIE: So money is one of them.

PIOTR: Yeah. Yeah.

KATIE: So it would be OK for…one colleague to ask another about salary in Poland? For example.

PIOTR: It would be yeah. They would actually compare notes about it…

KATIE: Really? (laughter)

PIOTR: …you know, quite often yeah…yeah…(laughter) And…and…and get angry and frustrated when they find out that somebody makes more than they make. And er…yeah…It will always…be a good…a good topic of con…of conversation, something that you don’t do…in England.

KATIE: Yeah.

PIOTR: Have you had a similar experiences working abroad?

KATIE: Erm…yes, I think…erm…I’ve been asked questions…erm…at work, that you wouldn’t ask in England, so for example, in Asia I’ve been asked…erm…like about your personal life…

PIOTR: Mmm.

KATIE: First question…

PIOTR: Mmm.

KATIE: …Are you married?

PIOTR: Mmm exactly. Yes, yes,

KATIE: Before someone knows you.

PIOTR: Yes, yeah.

KATIE: Erm or, What’s your blood type?

PIOTR: Mmm. (laughter)



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KATIE: Or, How much money do you make? Yeah…and you would never ask…you might ask those in…in…in Britain, when you know someone.

PIOTR: Yeah, it’s very…it’s very interesting, I have students from other countries you know, who grill me about not being married…you know…

KATIE: Yeah…

PIOTR: …when they find out that I’m fifty years old, and they go, Well s…and you’re still not married, to this day?

KATIE: Yes.

PIOTR: Er, and I find that kind of awkward…because er…

KATIE: Yeah.

PIOTR: …you know, this is not the…kind of…thing that I’m ready to discuss…err…

KATIE: Yes.

PIOTR: …although like I said, I do have a sense of humour and I never make a big deal out of it, yeah but personal questions are not a good…good thing to discuss in England.

KATIE: Yeah.

PIOTR: Most definitely.

KATIE: So you should avoid…personal questions, questions about money, until you know someone.

PIOTR: That’s right. Until you know someone really well.

KATIE: Yes.

PIOTR: I should say. Erm…yeah.

KATIE: And the other thing I think, that I notice…erm…is how…we value a lot…things…that are different in…in other speaking countries, like we say please and thank you…all…the…time.

PIOTR: All the time. Yeah. It’s not just erm…the things that people say…it’s also…er, body language…

KATIE: Yes.

PIOTR: …you know, facial expression, er people smile a lot…to each other…er…in England…er something that in my country people don’t really do on a regular basis.

KATIE: Well it’s interesting because…years ago…I had a…class, of…mostly Polish learners…

PIOTR: Mmm hmm.



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KATIE: …and their English was very good. They were all, upper intermediate…advanced.

PIOTR: Mmm hmm.

KATIE: Erm…and when I first met them…I was terrified of them…

PIOTR: (laughter) Why is that?

KATIE: Because they didn’t smile…

PIOTR: Uh-huh.

KATIE: …and every question was…direct.

PIOTR: Yes,

KATIE: Do you want this?

PIOTR: Yes.

KATIE: What do you want me to do?

PIOTR: Right.

KATIE: And for the first week I thought…Oh God…

PIOTR: (laughter)

KATIE: Actually, they turned out to be…one of the best groups of students I’ve ever had.

PIOTR: Yeah.

KATIE: And they were extremely friendly and lovely people.

PIOTR: Yeah. Yeah.

KATIE: But it was the difference about how you, behave when you first meet someone.

PIOTR: Yeah.

KATIE: They never said please, they never said thank you.

PIOTR: Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

KATIE: They said everything very direct

PIOTR: Yeah. Yeah.

KATIE: And they never smiled.

PIOTR: Yeah.



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KATIE: For about a week…

PIOTR: Yeah.

KATIE: And then…

PIOTR: Once you get to know them it’s a different…

KATIE: As soon as they knew me they were the smiliest most polite people.

PIOTR: Well see that’s the difference between England and…and er…and…and...and my country, I don’t know how it works in…in…in other cultures but…er in England people smile erm…err…to each other, you know, even to perfect strangers…

KATIE: Yes.

PIOTR: You…you pass somebody in the street and you exchange a little smile. Er…which doesn’t necessarily mean anything.

KATIE: Yes.

PIOTR: I mean that’s just the way of erm…of, you know, of acting in a society.

KATIE: Yeah.

PIOTR: You know.

KATIE: And…

PIOTR: Er...in…in…in…in my country where the smile always is supposed to, be a sign of deep friendship, you know…

KATIE: Yes.

PIOTR: …so you don’t exchange smiles with strangers by…

KATIE: Yes. And…er…

PIOTR: …definition.

KATIE: …friends from other…European countries especially, have said…But English people smile when they aren’t happy. Especially at work.

PIOTR: Mmm.

KATIE: You do…people will say, Good morning, how are you?

PIOTR: Yeah. That’s right.

KATIE: Yeah...and…and often…a question…doesn’t…



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PIOTR: Doesn’t really…

KATIE: …require an answer.

PIOTR: Yes. Yes. Yes.

KATIE: How are you? What’s…what’s…what should you say in England to this question?

PIOTR: Well you always say, I’m well.

KATIE: Yeah.

PIOTR: Even if you’re dying you know…

KATIE: Yes.

PIOTR: …you will say, I’m fine thank you. How are you?

KATIE: Yep.

PIOTR: Which is a good point because er…you know when er…when you ask the same question in my country…er…people will tell you their life story.

KATIE: (laughter)

PIOTR: You know. So, How are you? Oh not so good you know, my wife is sick and I lost my job, and my dog…is dying, I have to take it to the vet and you know…someone stole my car two weeks ago, and they will tell you everything that’s wrong with their lives when you really don’t want to know that.

KATIE: Yeah. And if you did that in England…

PIOTR: Ah!

KATIE: …people would be moving away from you…

PIOTR: (laughter)

KATIE: …because, we have this set, thing don’t we?

PIOTR: Yes.

KATIE: Hello, how are you? I’m fine thanks and you?

PIOTR: It’s almost like a handshake you know.

KATIE: I’m fine.

PIOTR: Oh yeah.

KATIE: Yeah.



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PIOTR: It’s a handshake and it…er…it’s…it’s…it’s just what people say.

KATIE: Yes.

PIOTR: And I think this is very important when you learn…a language to er…to understand this, cultural context…

KATIE: Mmm.

PIOTR: …er…around the language, because that really…er…it…it…it becomes…it becomes really really really important, especially when you start working with people from that…er from that country, or people who speak that language, you know, to understand…the…er, cultural ramification…as it was.

KATIE: Yeah.

PIOTR: Yeah.

KATIE: Yeah. Absolutely.

PIOTR: Hmm…(laughter)…And also er…w…one…one…one more thing about England, is…you know…is…is banter. Is…something that English people call banter…and it’s very difficult for someone coming from a country like Poland, to learn. Because banter is…well how you would you describe banter? I mean what…what is banter?

KATIE: Erm…I guess it’s like a…just…a fun conversation…

PIOTR: Mmm.

KATIE: You just want to er…an…and…and maybe you say things to erm…to joke about the other person.

PIOTR: Exactly, yeah.

KATIE: So you…we have banter and we have, taking the mickey.

PIOTR: Right.

KATIE: Where you laugh at somebody.

PIOTR: That’s right.

KATIE: Which…you might think…

PIOTR: Which doesn’t necessarily mean any…any harm.

KATIE: Exactly.

PIOTR: Yeah.



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KATIE: It’s a…it…you’re saying things that are not that nice, but you’re saying them just to be funny.

PIOTR: Exactly.

KATIE: And we do it to each other. And usually…you only…say things that are…jokey or…horrible but jokey…

PIOTR: Mmm.

KATIE: …to somebody that you get on with well, so…

PIOTR: Absolutely.

KATIE: If…an English person…starts…bantering with you…you know…joking about you…then it…

PIOTR: That means…

KATIE: …probably means they like you.

PIOTR: Yeah. And that...that also means that you’re free to fire back, so to speak.

KATIE: Exactly.

PIOTR: Mmm.

KATIE: Yeah. That’s a good word…to banter.

PIOTR: Good stuff, yeah.

Summary Well, we hope you found the cultural difference interesting and that they help you make connections more easily in international situations. The best advice we can give, is that to begin with, it’s better to sound too polite than to sound rude. And watch, listen and do what other people do!



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Extra Materials

Exercise 1

Put the words in the correct order to make a sentence.

1 you met my / John / Have / Clarke? / colleague

2 meet / a pleasure / It’s / to / you.

3 please? / I / Can / take / surname / your

4 you / do? / do / How

5 you to / introduce / CEO, Mr Sheard. / to / our / I’d like

Exercise 2

Put a tick (√) next to the ways of saying someone’s name (in speech) that are usual in English.

1 Mrs Jane.

2 Smith Peter.

3 Mr Peter Smith.

4 Ms John White.

5 Miss Price.



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Extra Materials - Answers

Exercise 1

1 Have you met my colleague John Clarke?

2 It’s a pleasure to meet you.

3 Can I take your surname please?

4 How do you do?

5 I’d like to introduce you to our CEO, Mr Sheard.

Exercise 2

1 Mrs Jane. X - This must be Mrs Jane + surname or Mrs + surname.

2 Smith Peter. X - The first / Christian name (Peter) usually comes before the surname (Smith) in speech.

3 Mr Peter Smith. √ - This is correct although a little more formal than only using the first name.

4 Ms John White. X – This is incorrect because Ms is used for women and the name is male.

5 Miss Price. √ - This is correct although a little old-fashioned / we need to know that the woman is single to use this title.

Documents

Vocabulario de Trabajo Cultura Conexiones