Unit 11 cultures

MARKET LEADER(Elementary)

DAVID COTTONDAVID FALVEYSIMON KENT

PEARSONLongman

Starting up: TipsA. Use words from box to complete tips

1. Find out about the most popular ________ in the country.2. Always take ________ in US dollars.3. Find out the normal working ________.4. Be careful how to write the ________.5. Find out about the most important ________ and festivals.6. Learn how to speak little of the local ________.7. Read a ________ about the history of the country.8. Eat some of the ________ before you go.9. Wear formal ________.10. Translate your business ________ into the local language.

date clothes hours book customsmoney cards food sport language

sportmoney

hoursdate

customslanguagebook

foodclothes cards

Starting upTips

B. Which of the tips in Exercise A do you think are:

very useful useful not usefulC. Which tips are good advice for your country?

Add some others.Eg: It is important to learn how to greet people in

theirlanguage.

Vocabulary: Company Cultures A. Complete with words in brackets

Dress (uniforms / casual Fridays / weekend clothes)1. We don’t have to wear business suits at the end of the week.

My company has a system of _____________.2. In many banks, staff can’t wear what they like. They have to

wear _____________.Time keeping (flexible hours / part-time / shift work)3. For two weeks each month, we work at night. I can’t sleep

during the day. I hate _____________.4. We have a _____________ system in our office. Some people

work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; others work from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Time off (childcare / annual leave / public holiday)5. I am so busy at the moment that I worked on Year Year’s

Day, which is a(n) _____________.6. How many days’ _____________ do you get in your company?

casual Fridays

uniforms

shift work

flexible hours

a public holidaysannual leave

Vocabulary: Company Cultures A. Complete with words in brackets

Reporting procedures (written report / face-to-face / e-mail)7. We often speak on the phone but never ______________.8. We sends us a(n) _____________ in the post each month.Types of meeting (informal / formal / social)9. Our department starts every day with a(n) _____________

meeting. It is very relaxed.10. Companies have an Annual General Meeting (AGM) once a

year. It is a very _____________ meeting, with a lot of people.

Names (job title / first name / family names)11. In some countries, the company culture is formal. Staff use

_____________ when they speak to each other.

12. What’s your _____________ now? Are you ‘Chief Executives’?

face-to-face

a written report

an informal

formal

family names

job title

Uniforms?

Casual clothes?

A lot of formal

meeting?

Flexible hours?

Vocabulary: Company Cultures B. Would you like to work for an organization which has:

WHY? – WHY NOT?

Listening: Cultural mistakesA. Three people are talking about cultural mistakes

11.1.Listen to John’s story and answer the questions

1. What meal was he invited to?

2. What did John look at?

3. What was his mistake?

A. John talked during an important silence.

B. John talked about his host’s table.

C. John didn’t want a gift.

dinner

table


11.2.Listen to Cameron’s story and answer the questions

4. Where was Peter’s new job?

5. What was his mistake?

A. He did not use first name.

B. He did speak French.

C. He did not use his family names.

6. How did the staff feel when Peter used first name?

In France

They were not happy


11.3.Listen to Susan’s story and answer the questions

7. Where did Susan make her mistake?

8. Who did she go out for a meal with?

9. What was her mistake?

A. Susan poured her own drink.

B. Susan did not laugh.

C. Susan poured too many drinks.

10. What did she forget to do?

Japan

Japanese sales staff

To pour drinks for the others

Listening: Cultural mistakes

Remember:It is easy to make mistakes in other cultures. What other examples do you know?

=> Work in pairs then share with the whole class.

Language focus 1Should – Shouldn’t

We use should and shouldn’t to give advice and make suggestions.- We should wear formal clothes to the dinner.- He shouldn’t be late for meetings.

We often use I think or I don’t think with should to say something is or isn’t a good idea.- I think you should go on a training course.- I don’t think you should interrupt her.- Do you think I should learn to speak the local language?- Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.

Language focus 1: Should – Shouldn’tComplete these sentences using should or shouldn’t and a phrase from the box

1. Our online business is bad. We .................................... . 2. Our team is working too many hours.We ................................................... .3. The meeting is very important.We .......................................... .4. She wants to visit a lot of customers in Spain.She ............................................................... .5. We have to cut costs. You ........................... .

speak to our boss buy an expensive computer be latedevelop a better website stay three days

should develop a better website

should speak to our boss

shouldn’t be late

should stay three days

shouldn’t buy an expensive computer

Language focus 1: Should – Shouldn’tGive the opposite advice by using should, shouldn’t or I don’t think

1. I think he should go to Paris next week.............................................................. .2. You should buy a franchise............................................ .3. She shouldn’t take the customers to an expensive

restaurant....................................................................................... .4. I think you should launch the new product now........................................................................... .5. My boss thinks it is too late to send the report now................................................................................ .6. We should order online....................................... .

I don’t think he should go to Paris next week.

You shouldn’t buy a franchise.

She should take the customers to an expensive restaurant.

I don’t think you should launch the new product now .

My boss doesn’t think it is too to send the report now

We shouldn’t order online.

Language focus 1: Should – Shouldn’tUse the note to write suggestions to colleague going on a business trip for the first time

Write on business cards Use surnames Give an expensive gift Shake hands Be lateEg: You shouldn’t write on business cards.

Reading: fast food in JapanA. Match these words to their meanings

1. Franchise

2. Franchisee

3. Adapt

4. Outlet

5. Chain

a. A shop or other place to buy things

b. One company allows another company to sell its goods and services

c. A number of shops owned by the same company

d. Changee. A person or group of people

who can sell another company’s goods or service

Reading: fast food in JapanB. Which of these companies do you think have franchise?

Companies Body Shop Benetton IBM McDonald’s Marks and Spencer

Products Clothes Computers Clothes and food Fast food Natural cosmetics

Companieshave

franchise McDonald’s

Benetton

Body Shop

Reading: Fast food in JapanC. Read the article about fast-food chain in Japan. Mark each statement true or false.

1. Subway has 14.000 outlets in Japan.2. McDonald’s is the biggest fast-food chain in

America.3. A lot of Subway Franchises failed because the

Japanese don’t like fast food.4. The company said to Mr. Ono, ‘Thank customers

when they leave the shop.’5. Subway ran a lot of advertisements.6. Mr. Ono’s store was not successful.7. Mr. Ono took a lot of holiday.8. Mr. Ono has a new job.

FalseFalse

False

FalseFalseTrue

False

True

Reading: fast food in JapanD. Find these verbs in the article. Match them to their meaning.

1. Set up (paragraph 1)

2. Come back (paragraph 1)

3. Shut down (paragraph 3)

Line 5

Line 16

Line 38

a. Return

b. Closed

c. opened

Reading: fast food in JapanE. Use the verbs from Exercise D to complete these sentences.

1. The company ........................ its factory in India after the accident.

2. Do you think we should ........................ to this restaurant tomorrow?

3. He ........................ a new company with a loan from the bank.

shut down

come back

set up

Language focus 2Could / Would

We often use could or would to make a request.Could I use your mobile phone, please?Would you open the window, please?

We often use would you like to make an offer.Would you like a brochure?

Language focus 2A. These questions were asked on a plane journey. Which does a flight attendant (FA) ask, and which does a passenger (P) ask?

1. Could I have another drink, please?2. Would you put your seat up, please?3. Would you like a newspaper?4. Could you show me how to turn on the light,

please?5. Would you like another drink?6. Could I have the chicken, please?7. Would you like coffee or tea?8. Could you fasten your seat belt, please?9. Could you help me find the movie channel, please?10. Would you like any duty-free goods?

(P)

(FA)(FA)

(P)

(FA)(P)

(FA)

(FA)(P)

(FA)

Language focus 2B. which of the questions in exercise A are offers (O) and which are requests (R)?

1. Could I have another drink, please?2. Would you put your seat up, please?3. Would you like a newspaper?4. Could you show me how to turn on the light,

please?5. Would you like another drink?6. Could I have the chicken, please?7. Would you like coffee or tea?8. Could you fasten your seat belt, please?9. Could you help me find the movie channel, please?10. Would you like any duty-free goods?

(R)

(R)(O)

(R)

(O)(R)

(O)

(R)(R)

(O)

Language focus 2C. You are at a hotel reception desk. Use the verbs in brackets to make polite requests.

1. You want to make phone call. (use)

2. You didn’t hear that. (say)

3. You want a taxi. (call)

4. You don’t know the way to the station. (tell)

5. You want to pay by credit card. (pay)

6. You want to go to a good restaurant. (recommend)

7. You need a map of the city. (have)

Could I use the phone, please?

Could you say that again, please?

Could I call a taxi, please?/ Could you call me a taxi, please?Could you tell me the way to the station please?Could I pay by credit card, please?

Could you recommend a good restaurant, please?Could I have a map of the city, please?

Skills: Identifying problems and agreeing actionA. Listen to the dialogue. Tick the problems which are mentioned in the dialogue.

1. Jane doesn’t enjoy the work.2. She hasn’t got enough work.3. She has got too much work.4. She is bored.5. She has very challenging work.6. She doesn’t like the general office.7. She doesn’t like her boss.

Skills: Identifying problems and agreeing actionB. Complete sentences 1 to 4 with suitable ending a) to d)

1. The problem is

2. I think we should

3. The best thing to do

4. OK, so we’re going

a) to find out the real problem.

b) she doesn’t enjoy the work.

c) talk to her.

d) is to transfer her.

Skills: Identifying problems and agreeing actionC. Which expressions 1 to 4 in exercise B:

1. The problem is she doesn’t enjoy the work.

2. I think we should talk to her.

3. The best thing to do is to transfer her.

4. OK, so we’re going to find out the real problem.

a) Identifying the problem?

b) Suggest action?

c) Agree action?

Skills: Identifying problems and agreeing actionD. Role play this situation. An employee goes to the human resources manager with a problem.

EmployeeYou go to see the HR manager to discuss a problem.• You are not happy in your department. You do not have enough work and you don’t like your boss.• You want to move to a different department or work from home more.• Discuss your problem with the HR manager and try to agree on a solution.

HR managerAn employee comes to your office. Find out what his / her problem is.• You do not want employees to work from home.• There are jobs in other departments.• The company will be very busy in a month’s time.Try to agree on a solution with the employee.

Skills: Identifying problems and agreeing actionUseful language

Identifying the problem

There’s a problem with …

The problem is …

Suggesting action

We could / should / shouldn’t …

I think / don’t think we should …

Agreeing action

So we’re going to

I agree. We’ll …

Case Study A Change of Culture

BackgroundAlice Baumann is the new general manager in an overseas branch of Kelly’s, an international bank. She wants to bring the best new ideas from head office to the overseas branch.Alice wants:• all staff to use first names.• all staff to dress casually on Fridays.• to introduce a system of flexible working hours.• smaller, more informal meetings.• more face-to-face reports.• an open-door policy so staff can see at any time.

Bank company culture now• staff use family names.• staff wear uniforms at all times.• working hours are fixed (9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.).• many big, formal meetings.• staff write a lot of reports.• staff need an appointment to see the manager.

11.5. Listen to Alice as she talks to Jeremy Owen, her manager at head office, about the problems.


TaskAlice and Jeremy meet some of the senior staff to discuss the ideas for a new company culture.1. Work in groups of three or four.

Alice Baumann: turn to page 139.Jeremy Owen: turn to page 143.Office manager and senior cashier: turn

to page 144.2. Meet and discuss Alice’s ideas. Decide what you will change and what you will keep the same.

Task

Alice Baumann

U want to introduce all the new ideas

U think the image of the bank is not good

U think the bank will lose customers if it doesn’t change

U think the staff will enjoy a more relaxed culture.

U know some good staff members had to leave because the working hours are difficult for them.

U want the bank to do well because it will be good for your career

Jeremy Owen

U want all the overseas branches to have the same culture as head office.

The new culture is working very well at head office.

U know that meetings with fewer people are more efficient.

U want the bank to make more profit.

U know there is a lot of competition from other international banks.

Some of the other banks are changing their cultures.


KELLY’S BANKSubject: New ideas from head office

Date:

Participants:

Agenda item Decision Reason Action

1. Staff to use first names

2. Staff to dress casually

On Fridays

WritingWrite some action minutes of meeting.

Technology

Unit 11 cultures