Business English: Role-playing activities part 3

8th May 2020

The final activity sheet is devised for a totally different type of client. This firm uses urban, street lingo (language), trying to attract a young, modern and dynamic workforce. They attempt to stand out from other companies by their use of non-standard vernacular and images.

There are some notes at the end of the blog to help explain some of the vocabulary.

TEACHERS’ NOTE: When I make physical copies, I use an appropriate font, looking like a hand-written flyer, so play around with the style and alignment.

GOTAJOB INNIT

Fun work for fun peeps

Here at Gotajob Innit, we try to sort you out with cool work, so you can get some cash to party and buy some wicked stuff. Work don’t have to bring you down, man 🙂 it can be a laugh …… INNIT !!!

Why do this ?

When you could do this ?

Fun work for fun peeps

Yo – check out these little beauties

1 Junior web designer. Travel company

Young, energetic company seek candidate to join their lively and fast-moving team. Some experience preferable. Basic programming skills essential. Qualifications not necessary, talent and potential more important.

Candidate must be fun, energetic and able to work to a deadline. Candidate will be required to submit an example of own work.

Salary starts at £17K per annum plus bonus.

2 PR – party planner

We love this job – we wanna do it. Young and amazing person needed to promote events and organise parties. Take something boring and make it F U N

Got to be able to work and drink, and organise and drink, and shout at people.

No experience, no qualifications … can you drink ? This could be your perfect job. Salary – lots of fun and drink and also some money.

3 Lotteria shift manager

Join this fun, lively, bright red hangout and get experience in the food and retail industry. We know you ain’t going to stay long, but tell your friends and give them a discount ! You’ll be in charge of a small team so you can be boss, a little, and tell people to clean the floor hahaha ! The money is rubbish, but you can eat all the junk your stomach can digest. Great way to meet other cool cats. You can wear the cool uniform and the uber-cool hat – WOW !

PowerPoint 프레젠테이션

Good luck, peeps !

Notes:

Wicked means very bad or evil in standard English, but in urban talk, it means very good, amazing and fantastic.

Gotajob (got a job ?) is taken from a British TV show from the 1980s, when unemployment was high. One of the characters walks from job site to job site, asking, aggressively, “Gotajob ?”

Innit is urban vernacular for the tag question ‘isn’t it ?’ as in, “Hot today, isn’t it ?” or “Hot today, innit ?”

Peeps is taken from a British TV comedian, and is short for ‘people’, but was later used to mean someone’s close friends, ‘my peeps.’

Rubbish is what the British use for the US English trash or garbage. Also used to express contempt for something that is not good e.g. “The film was rubbish !”

Lotteria is a Japanese fast-food chain popular throughout east Asia. You could substitute it for a similar franchise in your country.

Business English: Role-playing activities part 2

8th May 2020

A second job market or careers fair activity, following on from the previous blog.

The idea is for some students to work for a recruitment agency, while other students search for an appropriate career. The recruiter will interview the candidate then suggest possible jobs.

Students will develop speaking skills in both asking and answering questions, as well as having an opportunity to practise using new vocabulary, phrases and terminology.

This time the focus is on office work, future executives, movers and shakers, and is aimed at business graduates and professionals.

Again, the name of the company is important. They use a London icon, symbol of reliability and stability to attract clients.

Big Ben Consulting

The biggest name in the City since 2009. Specialists in white collar recruitment. 

World-wide reputation for matching the best people to the best jobs.

Start your countdown to a new career NOW with Big Ben 

Don’t put it off any longer – visit our website www.bbenc.com.uk/vn

email on info@bbenc.com.uk/vn

Don’t put up with the rest – try the best

Big Ben Consulting

Our top three positions

Number One: Trainee Marketing manager. Pharmaceutical company

International company wishing to increase it’s presence in Vietnam requires young person to set out on a career in Marketing. 

No experience required but must be presentable and willing to work hard.

A degree in Marketing or business studies is preferred.

Candidate must be enthusiastic, reliable, honest, trustworthy, able to work as a team as well as on own initiative.

General computer skills required. English essential. Clean police record.

Salary entry band £11K – £12.45K, rising annually.

Number Two: Junior Sales. Import / export

Learn the art of selling with this Singapore-based company. New office in central business district require a young person. No experience required, full training given. Deal with customers by phone, email and face-to-face. Candidate must be highly presentable, highly motivated and want to make a high income. Must own new business suit. Must be confident, sincere, persuasive and articulate. English at IELTS 7.5 or above a must.

Salary basic (to be negotiated at interview) plus commission. 

Number Three: Junior accountant. International logistics company.

Position opened up for accounting junior. Entry level position with guaranteed job after period of probation. Degree preferred but not essential. Work to a routine. Would suit quiet, dependable, hard working, serious-minded person.

Be part of a small team. Benefits include free membership of company chess team and a safe and secure future. 

For more details, contact us online or drop in to one of our shops. 

Business English: Office chat

29th April 2020

How would you describe the activity in these photos ?

Picture of young angry woman blaming her friend in the business ...
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Use expressions of opinion – 

In my opinion// I believe // I feel // (It) seems to me // I assume 

They look like // In my view // (He / it) appears to me // I imagine 

Business Talk

General questions 

Do Workplace Wellness Programs Work? Yes, But it Depends…

How is it going ? // How are you ? // how are you doing ?

How is it going with the new software ? // How is the new software ? // Any problems with the updates ?

Are you busy ? // Can you give me a hand ? = Can you help me ?

Can you take over from Jill ? = Can you do what Jill is doing now ?

Have you made any progress // Have you made any headway ? // Are you working well on a big task ?

How did your interview go? = How was the interview ?

How did the meeting go?

Get back to me by 5 ? = Contact me by 5 o’ clock

Did you hear back from IT ? = Did IT contact you ?

What are you up to ? = What are you doing

What are you working on ? Can mean at the moment OR in general

Idioms

Learning the ropes = learning what the job involves

snowed under = very busy

Let’s call it a day = We can finish work now

Can you run that by me again ? = Please repeat.

REMEMBER – saying ‘what ?’ can be quite rude in English; better to say:

Sorry ? Excuse me ? Pardon ?

Asking about current projects: 

  1. What are you working on at the moment ? 
  2. How is it going with your new assistant? 
  3. Have you made any progress with your big project?

a) She is a little slow because she is still learning the ropes

b) We are preparing wages

c) It’s a big job but we’re making headway

Asking about recent events: 

  1. How did your presentation go last week ? 
  2. How was your business trip? When did you get back ? 

a) It was great, thanks. I got back Monday evening.

b) Really well. Powerpoint is so useful !

Asking about news: 

  1. What’s new? 
  2. Did you hear back from that potential big customer yet? 
  3. What have you been up to in your department? 

a) Not yet, I’ll have to chase him up

b) In my job ? Nothing is new, same old thing, day in, day out !

c) We have been doing our year-ends.

Asking about plans and predictions 

  1. When do you think they will finally sign the contract? 
  2. Did you go to the conference this weekend? 

a) No, I couldn’t make it, I was snowed under.

b) We should get their signature by Friday. 

Glitch– a computer term meaning any small, unexplained problem with IT – now used to mean any small problem in life.

To "Learn the ropes" means to learn the... - Eurocentres ...