Transcript

Business Spotlight 5/2012

This did not necessarily make his life easier, however.

“People started to notice my arms being shaved, my eye-
brows being plucked. People were wondering if I was gay,”
Roussel told The Toronto Star.

Now that the sex change has been com pleted, Roussel

still faces some prejudice. Prisoners can be verbally abusive,
she says, but this does not happen often. “Most of them are
scared,” she points out. “God made me who I am because
I have a mission to educate people. To help people behind
me, following in my footsteps.”

Business Spotlight 5/2012, p. 6

4. Introduction

David Ingram: We’ll now take you to New Zealand, where
we’ll have a look at the country’s restaurants.
Erin Perry: Oh, that sounds great! I’m ready for a nice, hot
lunch! Maybe some Asian food... so, what do you think is
on the menu?
David Ingram: That’s a very good question indeed! Let’s lis-
ten.

5. Communication problem

Speaker: Brian McCredie

Asian restaurants and companies in New Zealand are los-
ing out on business because prospective customers can’t
decipher their signage and menus, according to research by
Massey University in Auckland. The Massey survey says that
the businesses’ failure to provide English translations has
prompted reactions that range from “annoyance” to “repug-
nance”.

“I would like to try all those wonderful, delicious-looking

dishes I see through the restaurant windows, but would not
have a clue what to order if I stepped in,” says Jane Reeves
of Northcote, a suburb of Auckland. Reeves told The New
Zealand Herald that her dining experiences in the city cen-
tre have been limited because she cannot read Chinese. In
other areas, restaurant goers need to be fluent in Korean.

Some local residents have vented their frustrations on

Facebook. One commented: “I’m pretty tired of immigrants
refusing to become part of New Zealand culture, and this
is one symptom of that.” Another wrote: “I avoid places ...
that purposely refuse to acknowledge our language [and]
culture and pretty much do not want our business.”

But Manying Ip, a professor of Asian Studies at the Uni-

versity of Auckland, says it is unlikely that Asian immigrants
are deliberately trying to exclude non-Asian customers.
“These migrants come from countries where everyone un-
derstood their language, and it might not even occur to
them, when they put up these signs, that there are people
here who don’t,” Ip points out.

Business Spotlight 5/2012, p. 7

1. INTRODUCTION

David Ingram: Welcome to Business Spotlight Audio
5/2012. I’m David Ingram from England...
Erin Perry:

And I’m Erin Perry from the United States.

David Ingram: We’re glad you could join us! In this record-
ing, you can listen to articles, news and interviews from the
world of business English. We also offer exercises to help
you to improve your language and communication skills.
Erin Perry: As always, we have a special focus on two main
areas. In our Business Skills section, we look at a five-step
process of working in groups, and at how to make sure that
everyone is heard during group meetings.
David Ingram: And in our Language section, the focus is on
easy ways to learn words. We offer exercises on learning and
practising vocabulary — and we also hear from American
language researcher Keith Folse, who will tell us which
methods he finds most useful.
Erin Perry: You can find all of the texts, dialogues and ex-
ercises in your audio booklet. A full transcript is also on our
website, at www.business-spotlight.de

NAMES AND NEWS

2. Introduction

Erin Perry: In our first news item, we’ll travel to Canada,
where you’ll meet a prison guard who has become a com-
pletely different person in the past few years.
David Ingram: Oh, I can imagine it’s very difficult to deal
with prisoners every day. That would influence your person-
ality, wouldn’t it?
Erin Perry: Well... it wasn’t really the job that changed An-
drea Roussel’s perspective, but something else. Let’s find
out more.

3. From his to hers

Speaker: Elisa Moolecherry

Andrea Roussel has one of the most difficult jobs in Cana-
da: guarding male prisoners at Toronto’s Don Jail. It’s an un-
usual job for a woman, but when she began working there,
nearly 20 years ago, Roussel’s name was Andre — and she
was a man.

Roussel, 45, had gender reassignment surgery in Montre-

al almost three years ago. The married father of two had
wanted to be a woman since childhood, but had kept his
sexual orientation secret, even excelling in sports like
wrestling and Canadian football.

Although Andre was a tough guard, who was ready to

wrestle unruly prisoners to the ground, in his private life, he
was secretly dressing in women’s clothing. After his mar-
riage broke up, he told his employers about his situation:
they supported him as he gradually transformed himself into
a woman.

■

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Business Spotlight 5/2012

BUSINESS SKILLS

6. Introduction: group dynamics

David Ingram:

We’d now like to introduce our special seg-

ment on working in groups. The term “group dynamics” is
used to talk about the processes that shape behaviour in
groups. The concept refers to the individual as well as to the
collective characteristics of people in the group.
Erin Perry: Yes, for example, the members of a group usu-
ally feel a shared purpose, and identify with the group’s ob-
jectives. But they also need to communicate and to coop-
erate with each other. For more on how to do this
successfully, let’s welcome communication skills expert Ken
Taylor.

7. Exercise: five stages

Ken Taylor: Hello! This is Ken Taylor from London. In many
types of jobs, we spend a lot of time dealing with customers
or clients. But much of our working lives also involve coop-
erating with colleagues in groups of different kinds. We take
part in meetings, participate in project teams and are mem-
bers of departments and informal networks. Often, the suc-
cess of our organization depends heavily on the performance
of these different groups of people.
And if the groups to which we belong are international ones,
then we will need to know the correct expressions for de-
scribing group processes and for managing the group’s ac-
tivities.

Ken Taylor: First, let’s look at how groups develop. Bruce
Tuckman, who studied the theory of group dynamics, cre-
ated a five-stage model of the process that groups go
through. The stages are:

forming

—

when the group meets;

storming

—

when there may be initial disagreement;

norming

—

when the group begins working together;

performing

— when the group delivers high-quality results;

adjourning

— when the task is completed and the group

dissolves.

OK. Now, let’s see what you know about each of the stages.
You’ll hear a statement about each stage. In the pause, de-
cide whether this statement is “true” or “false”, and why.
Then, you will hear my explanation. Right. We’ll start now.

Stage 1

— Forming. At this stage, it’s essential to thorough-

ly discuss all areas of disagreement.

False. At the “forming” stage, individuals need to feel
accepted and want to avoid conflicts. You first need to
concentrate on forming relationships.

Stage 2

— Storming. The different personalities clash and

different ways of working can cause disagreement.

True. The “storming” stage is necessary to clear the air
for future cooperation.

Stage 3

— Norming. Deep understanding and trust support

the group at this stage.

False. It’s too early for that. At the “norming” stage, the
basis for cooperation is created, and people start to ap-
preciate each other’s strengths.

Stage 4

— Performing. High-quality results are achieved.

True. At the “performing” stage, people have developed
trust, and do their best work. Some teams never get to
this point!

Stage 5

— Adjourning. This is the stage where the team

loses interest with the tasks and needs to be refreshed.

False. Although this might happen with some groups
during the performing stage, the adjourning stage is
when the team is no longer needed, celebrates its suc-
cesses and disbands.

Ken Taylor: When you are working in a team, it’s good to be
aware that most groups go through these five stages. If you
know how groups develop, you might be able to help the oth-
er team members move on smoothly to the next stage.

8. Dialogue: managing discussions

Ken Taylor: One problem of working in groups is that some-
times just a few people tend to dominate the meetings and
discussions. There may be a number of reasons for this:
some people are simply more extroverted; some people have
more expertise on a particular topic; some people prefer the
role of listener; and some people are not confident in a sec-
ond language, so they do not speak freely.
If you are in charge of an international meeting, you need
to make sure everyone’s voice is heard. Listen now to how
the chairperson, Irene, handles this in a meeting.

John: As I just said, if we don’t deliver on time, we’re go-

ing to have huge problems with the customer. And my rep-
utation is at stake here, too, you know. I think it’s time
that we...

Irene: John. Sorry to interrupt you. I’d like another opinion.

Martina, what do you think?

Martina: Well, I realize it’s important to meet our commit-

ment, like John says. But I think we should wait until our
product has passed all of the quality tests before we de-
liver it.

Irene: Thank you. Let’s just go round and get everyone’s

opinion on this. Charles...?

Ken Taylor: Here, Irene handles the discussion effectively.
She interrupts the speaker who is dominating the conver-
sation. Then, she invites another person to speak. Finally,
she opens up the discussion by asking everyone’s opinion.
We’ll now practise the phrases she used. Repeat them
after the speaker.

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

■

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

■

To interrupt someone who has been speaking too much,
use the person’s name, like this:

John. Sorry to interrupt you.

■

To bring in someone who has not said much, use their
name, and ask for their opinion:

Martina, what do you think?

■

To involve everyone, you can say:

Let’s just go round and get everyone’s opinion on this.

9. Exercise: handling speakers

Ken Taylor: Now, let’s practise this. The meeting will con-
tinue. You take the role of Irene, and use the phrases we’ve
just practised to handle the dominant speaker. I’ll give you
some help. You speak in the pause. Then you will hear a
model answer. OK? Good.

1. We’ve been in this situation before, you know. It’s sim-

ply a matter of setting priorities. I think it’s time that we
really...

■

Say his name and interrupt him.

John. Sorry to interrupt you.

■

Now bring Martina into the discussion, using her name
and asking for her opinion.

Martina, what do you think?

2. I’m afraid I don’t agree. We’re building a whole new sys-

tem here — of course it’s going to take longer.

■

Thank her, and ask for everyone’s opinions, starting with
Charles.

Thank you. Let’s just go round and get everyone’s opin-
ion on this. Charles...?

Ken Taylor: Well done. With these three expressions, you can
keep the distribution of communication more equal in your
international team meetings.

10. Exercise: results or

relationship-based?

Ken Taylor: When you’re working in groups, there are two
main types of communication you’ll need. One is results-
based — this is directed at solving problems and complet-
ing tasks. The other is relationship-based — this is aimed
at creating a good atmosphere and supporting cooperation
in the group. Here are two examples of results-based lan-
guage, used by the chairperson, Irene.

Irene: Can we come to a decision on this now?

Here, Irene is pushing for a conclusion.

Irene: It’s essential that we reach our targets next month.

Here, she’s stating aims and objectives.

Ken Taylor: Now listen to two examples of relationship-based
language.

Irene: Great job! Well done, everyone.

Here, Irene is praising her team.

Irene: Charles, Martina, what do you think?

Now she’s bringing quieter people into the discussion.

Ken Taylor: Now you try. I’ll give you the situation. Then you
speak in the pause. Afterwards, you will hear a model ver-
sion. Let’s start with some results-based language. Ready?

1. You want John to give the team more information on the

project budget.

Could you give us more information about the project
budget, John?

2. Explain that you believe it’s important to reach consen-

sus on this.

I believe it’s important to reach consensus on this.

3. Remind the team that this was agreed at the last meet-

ing.

Remember that we agreed this at the last meeting.

Ken Taylor: Now let’s practise some relationship-based lan-
guage. Again, I’ll give you the situation. Then you speak in
the pause. Afterwards, you will hear a model version. OK?

4. Ask the group how they feel about the proposal.

How do you all feel about this proposal?

5. Tell Martina that she has made a very important point.

That’s a very important point, Martina.

6. Say that you think the group has made a lot of progress

today.

I think the group has made a lot of progress today.

Ken Taylor: How well did you do? Were you able to use both
results and relationship-based language? Both are impor-
tant, and a group needs the right balance between these two
types of communication. What about the communication in
your team? Is the balance right, do you think?

Business Spotlight 5/2012, pp. 38–44

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

11. Introduction: Singapore

David Ingram: Let’s now turn our attention to Singapore.
This small city-state, off the southern coast of Malaysia, has
one of the busiest ports in the world. It is a modern, high-
tech metropolis, with dynamic banking and trade sectors,
and its economy offers almost full employment.

Business Spotlight 5/2012

Erin Perry: Many Singaporeans have Chinese roots, but
English is one of the four official languages, and is used
widely in schools and business. For more, we’d now like to
welcome intercultural communication trainer Robert Gibson
and his guest.

12. Working with Singapore

Robert Gibson: Welcome to our Intercultural Communication
section. This is Robert Gibson. I’m very pleased to have with
me Emily Tang, who is going to tell us about her experiences
with Singapore. Emily, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Emily Tang: Of course, my pleasure. My name is Emily, and
actually this is my English name, because my real name is
Tang Qi Yu. I’m originally from mainland China, and since
my Chinese name is so difficult for foreigners, I was given
this name, “Emily”, by my English teacher while I was still
in the university. And by the way, you will find most of the
Singaporean Chinese have the similar situation — they may
have a Chinese name, whom they are called at home, and
in business world they have English name. That’s very com-
mon in Singapore as well.
Gibson: What is your connection to Singapore?
Tang: In my previous company, our IT support was located
in Singapore, and in my current job, I conducted training
in Singapore. So I went there several times a year. I worked
quite a lot with them and I have friends also in Singapore.
Gibson: What do you think of the main features of Singa-
porean culture?
Tang: As you know, they have Chinese and Malay and Indi-
an. These are the three main cultures you will find in Sin-
gapore, and from my point of view, these people, they just
living and work together very well with each other. That’s a
part I really, really appreciate about this country. And also
they treat you really nice, so it’s a safe country, it’s a safe
place. No cheating on taxi, for example, which is very, very
popular in other Asian country.
Gibson: What advice would you give Europeans working with
Singapore?
Tang: Compare with most of Asian country, I think European
working in Singapore would be easier, because they have
very good education background and they have a lot of train-
ing regarding Western style of be professional in the office.
So from that point of view, it’s easier. They are good imple-
mentor, which means they will listen and make sure they un-
derstand you, and then they start to implement. They will
not ask a lot of question to challenge your opinion.
Gibson: What do you like about working with Singapore?
Tang: They go to the point fast. In the business contacts,
you don’t need to have too much small talk. They don’t real -
ly appreciate that. They want to go to the point and as I
mention not too much argue “why we need to do that” and
“if it makes sense”. It’s more on clarification and implemen-
tation.
Gibson: How do meetings typically start?
Tang: It’s quite professional. I think one thing may mislead
foreigners — I call “foreigners” from Western country — as
a Singaporean will not ask you too much question on the

reason behind a action, so if you want to have more initia-
tive from their part, you really need to ask a question. Oth-
erwise, it’s just like a normal meeting.
Gibson: Is the working day very long?
Tang:

Yes. Singaporean also are proud of their hard work.

This is a big value in their culture. And I think part of the
reason is it’s a very small country with no nature resource.
And many Singaporeans still remember the time when they
were kicked out by Malaysia, and Singaporean think they
really need to work hard, to fight for surviving, and this is
still kept until today. So they are proud of their hard work.
Gibson: What other tips do you have about business culture
in Singapore?
Tang: One thing is mentioned a lot by foreigners there they
couldn’t understand. It’s in Singapore they set the temper-
ature in the building at 18 degree, and outside it’s more
than 30 degree. So, if you’re going to have a meeting in Sin-
gapore, do bring a jacket. It’s going to be cold in the meet-
ing room.
Gibson: Thank you very much, Emily, for sharing that with
us.
Tang: It’s my pleasure.

Business Spotlight 5/2012, pp. 28–33

FALSE FRIENDS

13. Exercise: Translation

David Ingram: Let’s do some vocabulary work now with false
friends. These are pairs of words that sound similar in Ger-
man and English. But their meanings are very different, so
they can cause misunderstandings. Now, in this exercise,
we’d like you to translate German words and sentences into
English, being careful to avoid the false friends. Let’s be-
gin.

Erin Perry: The first word is what you call people who have
finished their studies at university. Translate this into En -
glish.

German:

Akademiker

English:

graduate, university graduate

David Ingram: You can’t say “academic” here. In English,
an “academic” is a teacher or researcher at a university. The
German word Akademiker is used for people who have com-
pleted their studies at university. So we say “graduate” or
“university graduate”. Now translate this sentence.

German: Nur einer meiner Kollegen ist Akademiker.
English: Only one of my colleagues is a university graduate.

Erin Perry: The next word refers to something that might
happen. Translate this.

German:

eventuell

English:

possibly, perhaps

Business Spotlight 5/2012

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

■

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

David Ingram: “Eventually” is wrong here, as this means “at
some time in the future”. The German word eventuell is
translated with “possibly” or “perhaps”. Now translate this
sentence.

German: Wir könnten Ihnen eventuell einen Rabatt geben.
English: We could possibly give you a discount.

Erin Perry: The next word is used to describe strong mate-
rials. Translate it, please.

German:

massiv

English:

solid

David Ingram: Do not say “massive” as this refers to some-
thing that is very large — huge, even! The German word
massiv refers to an object that is not hollow. This is “solid”
in English. Translate the sentence.

German: Die neuen Büromöbel sind aus massiver Eiche.
English: The new office furniture is solid oak.

Erin Perry: Our next word is a verb that means “to keep mon-
ey” instead of spending it. Translate this word.

German:

sparen

English:

save

David Ingram: You can’t say “spare” here. To “spare some-
body from something” means that you keep something un-
pleasant away from that person. Sparen means that you in-
crease the amount of money you have by not spending it.
This is “save” in English. Now try the sentence.

German: Ich denke nicht, dass wir viel mehr sparen können.
English: I do not think that we can save much more.

Erin Perry: Our last word means you fail to notice something.
Translate this.

German:

übersehen

English:

overlook

David Ingram: “Oversee” is wrong here, as this means to
manage somebody or something. The German word überse-
hen means you don’t notice something you should have. In
English this is “overlook”. Translate this sentence.

German: Ich muss diesen Satz übersehen haben.
English: I must have overlooked this sentence.

Erin Perry: Well done.

Business Spotlight 5/2012, p. 76

SKILL UP!

14. Introduction: Conferences

David Ingram:

Thousands of conferences take place every

year, in some of the world’s most exciting cities. Confe -
rences offer a good opportunity to network, exchange ideas
and learn about the latest trends and developments in your
industry.
Erin Perry: Many international events are held in English —
which means you may have to know the vocabulary for
preparing one. So let’s skill up on the language of confe -
rences. Here’s Ken Taylor.

15. Dialogue/exercise: planing an event

Ken Taylor: There is a lot of work involved in preparing an
international conference. And to do it properly, you need to
be able to talk about the processes and people involved. Lis-
ten to Mark and Samantha discussing an upcoming event.
Listen in particular for the way they describe activities and
tasks related to organizing it — and think about your own
experience in event planning. We’ll do an exercise on this
vocabulary together later. Ready?

Mark: OK, Samantha, let’s go over what we’ll have to do. We

were lucky to secure a sponsor for the conference. We’ll
still need to organize funding for catering, however.

Samantha: Have we booked a venue?
Mark: Yes, we’ll be at the conference centre again this year.
Samantha: OK. What about the speakers?
Mark: Well, we’ve invited key people in the industry, and

have had a good response so far.

Samantha: How will we publicize the event?
Mark: We’ve sent out material to the firms on our mailing

list. And just last week, we created a website, and set up
registration forms online.

Samantha: OK! It sounds like you already have everything

under control, Mark. All I’ll have to do is welcome the
guests!

Ken Taylor: How was that? Now let’s practise some of the
key words and phrases that Mark and Samantha used for
planning the conference. I’ll give you a definition for an ac-
tivity or task involved. In the pause, see if you can use a
phrase that means the same thing. Then you will hear the
expressions. OK? Let’s start.

To find someone who will financially support the event.

To secure a sponsor

2. Another way of saying “to get money” for the event.

To organize funding

3. To reserve a place where the event will be held.

To book a venue

Business Spotlight 5/2012

4. To ask experts to attend.

To invite key people

5. To let the public know about the conference.

To publicize the event

6. To post or email information about the event.

To send out materials

7. To greet people who come to the event.

To welcome the guests

Ken Taylor: Well done. You might want to listen to the dia-
logue again, or do the exercise one more time to learn any
phrases you did not know. They are useful expressions when
organizing events — and you can use them in general busi-
ness discussions, too.

Skill Up! Issue 16, pp. 12–13

OFFICE TALK

16. Introduction: The Maine Event

David Ingram: It’s time now for The Maine Event, our reg-
ular dialogue at an event management company in London.
Erin Perry: As we join the staff at work, something very
strange is going on. Malcolm, in particular, is not his usu-
al self. He’s got everyone on his team a bit worried.
David Ingram: And Sandra, his capable event manager, has
got some... unexpected news for him, too!
Erin Perry: Uh-oh! Let’s listen. The first voice you hear be-
longs to Malcolm Maine, the owner of the company.

17. The heart of the matter

Malcolm: Hi, Elaine. Is Sandra in yet?
Elaine: Not yet. You look tired. Is everything all right?
Malcolm: It’s nothing a six-month trip to Antigua won’t fix.
Elaine: You are due for a holiday, you know.
Malcolm: I think we all are, after the past year. Darling,

would you do me a big favour and get me a cup of tea?

Elaine: Of... of course.
Malcolm: I’ll be in my office. Would you send Sandra in

when she gets here? Thanks. [shuts the door]

Elaine: Oh, dear.
Jeff: What is it? Was that Malcolm?
Elaine: I’m not sure it was! He seems... unwell. He asked

me for a cup of tea, which is completely unlike him. And
he called me d... — he called me by another name.

Jeff: Wow. I wonder what’s going on.
Elaine: I’m sure it’s nothing. Did you have something you

wanted to see me about?

Jeff: No, no. Forget it. It can wait.
Elaine: I’ll go and make the tea, then. If you see Sandra,

could you let her know Malcolm wants to see her in his
office?

Jeff: I will. [Elaine leaves; Sandra walks into the main en-

trance]

Speak of the devil!

Sandra: You were speaking of the devil... to yourself?
Jeff: No, to Elaine. She wants you to go into Malcolm’s of-

fice. Or Malcolm does.

Sandra: Great. I don’t really feel up to a meeting right now.
Jeff: That’s funny. Elaine says Malcolm’s not looking too hot

either. Did you two have fermented fish or something?

Sandra: Not recently, no. Nothing fermented to eat or drink,

actually. I’ll just go in there now and tell him I can’t do
this today. [knocks on Malcolm’s door, enters]

Malcolm: Oh, Sandra! It’s good to see you!
Sandra: Malcolm, I’m sorry, but I don’t feel well today...
Malcolm: Don’t worry, I’ll make this quick. Have a seat,

please.

Sandra: It’s nothing serious, is it?
Malcolm: It’s serious enough. I’m having a triple bypass next

week.

Sandra: What? When did this happen?
Malcolm: I was lucky — it seems they found it in the nick

of time.

Sandra: That’s... I’m shocked. Tell me what I can do.
Malcolm: Become acting MD. Take my job.
Sandra: No, I’m serious.
Malcolm: So am I. I’ve thought it through. It’s the only way

to save the company and me at the same time. You want-
ed to work more now, I need you to work more, you’re the
only one who can do this.

Sandra: I’m sorry, Malcolm, but I can’t. I can’t.
Malcolm: Yes you can. You have it in you, Sandra.
Sandra: [gently] Ironic choice of words, Malcolm. I’m...

pregnant again.

Malcolm: Oh my God.
Sandra: I can’t tell you how sorry I am about this timing. ...

Malcolm?

Malcolm: I... get...
Sandra: Elaine! Jeff! Come quickly!

Business Spotlight 5/2012, p. 83

VOCABULARY

18. Introduction: on a plane

David Ingram: No matter which airline you use, travelling by
plane has its rituals: you check in, board the plane and find
your seat. And, once you’re comfortably seated, there is one
more ritual to perform...
Erin Perry: That’s right, listening to the safety announce-
ment. You’ve probably heard it many times before. But how
well do you know the vocabulary in English? Here’s Ken
Taylor, with an exercise.

Business Spotlight 5/2012

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

■

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

19. Listening exercise: safety first

Ken Taylor: Imagine you are on an aeroplane. As you sit wait-
ing for take-off, the flight attendant asks you to pay atten-
tion to a safety announcement. You’ll hear this now. Listen
carefully, and afterwards, I’ll ask you some questions about
what you have just heard. OK? Ready?

“Ladies and gentlemen. Please give us your attention as we
demonstrate the safety features on board. Be sure to fasten
your safety belt for take-off and landing. Put your seat back
in an upright position and close the tray table. Place your
carry-on luggage underneath your seat or in an overhead
locker. As this is a non-smoking flight, smoking is prohib-
ited in any area of the cabin, including the lavatories. There
are four emergency exits, which are clearly marked. Floor-
level lighting will guide you to the exits. If needed, oxygen
masks will automatically drop from the ceiling compartment
above you. You will find a life jacket under your seat. Please
also have a look at the safety card in the seat pocket in front
of you. We wish you a pleasant flight. Thank you for choos-
ing our airline!”

Ken Taylor: How was that? Let’s see if you have understood
the announcement. I’ll ask you a question. You answer in
the pause. Then you will hear the correct answer. Let’s start.

1. What should you do with your safety belt for take-off and

landing?

You should fasten your safety belt.

2. In what position should your seat back be?

Your seat back should be in an upright position.

3. You could place your carry-on luggage underneath your

seat. Where else could you put it?

You can place your carry-on luggage in an overhead lock-
er.

4. Where is smoking prohibited?

Smoking is prohibited in any area of the cabin — includ-
ing the lavatories.

5. How many emergency exits are there?

There are four emergency exits.

6. What will drop from the ceiling above you if needed?

Oxygen masks will drop from the ceiling above you.

7. What can you find under your seat?

You can find a life jacket under your seat.

8. What is in the seat pocket in front of you?

A safety card is in the seat pocket in front of you.

Ken Taylor: Did you get them all right? If you did, you are
now all clear for take-off! Have a safe flight!

Business Spotlight 5/2012, p. 74

SHORT STORY

20. Introduction

David Ingram:

Let’s stay on the topic of air travel now. A

business class ticket lets you fly in style. With priority check-
in, more legroom and better food than in the economy class,
flying can be a real pleasure!
Erin Perry: Well, not every business traveller has such lux-
ury — as we find out in our short story, by James Schofield.

21. Business Class

Speaker: Ken Taylor

Somewhere in my mailbox, I’ve probably still got the email.
But you know how it is. When more than 70 emails come
in every day, you can’t read them all, so I missed the one
with our company’s new travel regulations. But Colin Smith,
my efficient new assistant, didn’t. Unfortunately, I have to
add.

My troubles began three days ago, when I arrived at

Heathrow airport to fly to Tokyo. Since 9/11, Heathrow has
become only slightly easier to escape from than Guantá-
namo Bay. You need hours to check in, go through securi-
ty and get to the departure gate. But business people who
travel a lot — and I travel over 100,000 miles a year — have
special priority check-in cards that minimize the time they
have to wait. The cards also get you air miles that you can
use for your holidays. So, you can understand that when the
check-in assistant handed me back my “President” gold air-
line card, it was a shock.

“I’m sorry, sir. The card was cancelled last week by a

Mr...” she checked her computer. “Colin Smith.”

I gave him a call.
“Colin, why the hell have you cancelled my President

card?”

“It’s the new cost-cutting travel regulations, Mr Taylor. All

air miles now belong to the company, not the employee. The
email with all the details was sent last week. I knew you
were very busy, so I cancelled the card for you. I also
booked...”

I was about to fire him when I realized that I would miss

my flight if I didn’t hurry. I turned back to the assistant at
check-in.

“Listen…” I looked quickly at her name tag. “Ashlee. Is

there any way you can help me to get to the departure gate
a bit faster?” I left a £50 note on the counter and looked
away. When I looked back, it was gone, and so was Ashlee.
She returned a minute later with a man pushing a wheel-
chair.

“Rajiv, can you take Mr Taylor to gate 52 as fast as pos-

sible? He’s having problems walking...”

Rajiv drove like a minicab driver. At least two people

dropped their coffee as we shot past, but he got me to the
gate in record time. I threw him £50, then rushed onto the
plane and went into the business-class section, where I re-
ceived another shock.

Every seat was full.

Business Spotlight 5/2012

I began searching my pockets for my reading glasses so

I could check my boarding card.

“Can I help you, sir?”
“Yes. There should be a seat for me somewhere here!”
The flight attendant took the card. Then she looked at me

with pity and pointed back to the economy class. As I sat
down, a baby in the row behind me saw the look on my face
and immediately started crying. The plane was soon mov-
ing toward the runway and while the flight attendants were
explaining the safety regulations, I pulled out my mobile
again.

“Colin! Why am I in cattle class?” I hissed.
“Regulations. I tried to tell you, but...”
“Daddy, that man’s using his mobile. We’re all going to

die!” shouted a ten-year-old boy next to me. A large flight
attendant suddenly appeared. “Sir! Please turn off your mo-
bile immediately!”

“Look! We’re still on the ground! I just need a second to

fire this idiot...”

“Sir!” he repeated, loudly this time. “Turn off that phone

or I will follow airline regulations and remove you from the
plane!”

The next 11 hours were torture. There’s only one other

place where living things are crowded together in such a
small space — where they spend their lives laying eggs —
it’s called a battery farm. The baby cried during the entire
flight, the food was clearly not intended for humans and the
boy was sick onto my shoes.

By the time we landed at Narita airport next morning, I

could hardly walk, and mentally, I was close to a nervous
breakdown.

Understandably, my meetings that day were not very suc-

cessful, and as soon as they ended, I took a taxi to my ho-
tel. As I entered the lobby, I had a moment of panic when
I thought that Colin might have booked me into one of those
Japanese capsule rooms. But no, I had a comfortable suite
with two beds and a bathroom. I lay down and fell asleep
immediately.

Knock, knock!
Huh?
It was 1.30 a.m. and there was somebody at my door. I

opened it and found a very drunk Englishman holding onto
the wall.

“Room 218?” he said, with difficulty.
“Yes.”
“Hello, ol’ boy. I’m Maynard Church. We work for the

same company. I’m your room-buddy and we...”

I slammed the door in his face and went back to bed. He

knocked a couple of times, then it went quiet. I went back
to sleep.

Knock, knock, knock, knock!
It was now 2 a.m. and Church was back with two securi-

ty guards. One was holding Church and the other wanted to
speak to me.

“Good evening, Mr Taylor...” he said, slowly and careful-

ly in his best English. “Mr Church is company room-buddy.”

Church giggled. “Told you so. But you wouldn’t listen!”

He gave a big belch and sat down on the floor.

“I don’t understand.”
“Mr Church from same company. Here on business trip

at same time. Share room, save costs. We have email from
your company in London — Mr Smith writes: “New travel
regu...” — it was a difficult word for a Japanese speaker of
English — “...regu...lations!” he smiled triumphantly.

I don’t remember exactly what happened next. I think I

threw myself at the guard and tried to strangle him, which
was not a good idea, because he was a karate black belt.
And that’s why I woke up in a hospital in Tokyo with a bro-
ken leg.

Anyway, I’ve told the hospital to contact Colin and

arrange for me to be flown home as soon as possible. I’m
sure the company travel insurance included repatriation of
employees. And then I shall fire Colin. Slowly and painful-
ly.

“Mr Taylor?” A doctor came in. “We’ve just spoken to your

assistant.”

“Yes?”
“Mr Smith says that two seats, or one in business class

— which would be needed when you have a broken leg —
isn’t possible under your company’s new travel regulations.
So, unfortunately...”

Business Spotlight 5/2012, pp. 80–81

HEAD-TO-HEAD

22. Introduction

Erin Perry: As a part of their education, many young people
take on internships. These are work arrangements lasting
several weeks or months, and are intended to give students
and recent graduates work experience in their chosen field.
David Ingram: Internships are often unpaid, as many com-
panies say that training young people is expensive enough,
and should be considered a part of schooling.
Erin Perry: However, in many cases, the interns are quali-
fied in their field, and are doing useful work for the firm.
And besides, who can afford to work for free?
David Ingram: What do people in Britain think? We sent our
correspondent Julian Earwaker on to the streets of Ipswich,
England, to ask: Should interns be paid?

23. Should interns be paid?

1. Yes, they should. Because it’s slave labour to not, slave

labour not to pay them. Minimum wage, and pay them.
Because a lot of the time, they can’t even make a cup
of tea. They think they’re smarter than they are, but
that’s about it. So pay them, but minimum wage.

2. I don’t think they should, no. The main point of it is for

the experience, to get a job maybe after. I don’t think
it’s... they should be paid.

Business Spotlight 5/2012

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

■

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

3. Of course they should, yes. Because if they’re doing a

job, then why should they not be paid? If somebody’s do-
ing a job for you, it’s always respectful to pay them, be-
cause then at least they’ve got a bit more job satisfac-
tion, and they’re more likely to go the extra mile and, you
know, for, your business — at the end of the day, your
business is also benefiting from that person working for
you.

4. That is a really difficult question for me to answer, be-

cause I’m a director for local charity and we are... look
at recruiting interns. But ideally, because we’d like to of-
fer them certain experience, we would try as much as
we could that they wouldn’t be paid. But we appreciate
that that might reduce our chances of being successful.

5. I think so, yeah. I think they should pay at least a little,

you know. It’s to encourage the workers, and I think they
should be paid.

6. No, you shouldn’t be paid for being an intern, you should

have your expenses paid. As long as you’re having ex-
penses paid for, you should be grateful to be able to have
the experience to be able to be an intern. Absolutely!
You pay for your education so why should someone pay
you to learn something? Truthfully.

7. Yes, of course they should. They’re doing the job,

they’re making a contribution, so I think — obviously,
not as much as you’d expect a semi-skilled or skilled
person to be paid — but while they’re there, I think they
should be rewarded for what they do.

8. If they do the work, they should be paid. They should

be given a nominal wage. I mean just like an apprentice.

9. Yeah, I don’t really understand the idea of the intern-

ship, right? It does come down to whether or not it’s ben-
efiting solely the individual, or the organization that
they’re working for.

Business Spotlight 5/2012, pp. 22–23

LANGUAGE

24. Introduction

Erin Perry: Welcome now to our second special segment, on
ways to learn words. You already know that, if you want to
increase your vocabulary in English, you have to invest a lot
of time. But perhaps you’re not sure which methods will be
most effective.
David Ingram: First, we’ll practise listening to, speaking and
writing words using a word list. In each issue of Business
Spotlight magazine, you’ll find a list of about 70 English
words and their German translations.

Erin Perry: As an audio subscriber, you can download the
list and an mp3 file of the pronunciation of the words from
our website. Instructions on exactly where to find these are
in your audio booklet.

[In Business Spotlight magazine, the word list is on page 79.

The list and mp3 file are found at www.business-spotlight.de/

our-products/downloads/vocabulary-pull-out-mp3-52012]

David Ingram: For this exercise, you’ll also find the words
that we practise in your audio booklet.

Erin Perry: OK? Then let’s get started! Here’s Ken Taylor.

25. Exercise: listening to words

Ken Taylor: An important part of learning new words is to
review and repeat them. You need to look at or listen to the
words again and again to help you to remember them. Let’s
do an exercise together now. We’ll practise three steps for
learning new vocabulary with the word list from Business
Spotlight magazine. You might have to stop this recording
a few times while you think, or for your reply. OK, then let’s
begin.

Step 1:

The first step is just listening.

■

The words and phrases in your list are given in English
and in German. The English words are spoken twice, first
by a British speaker, and then by an American speaker,
followed by the word in German.

OK? Now we’ll practise a few of these together. Here, you’ll
hear three nouns or noun phrases, and their translations,
from the word list. For this exercise, you’ll also find them
in your audio booklet. If you wish, you can look at them as
you listen. Ready?

Nouns and noun phrases:

abbreviation

Abkürzung

accuracy

Genauigkeit

annoyance

Ärger, Verärgerung

Ken Taylor: Good. Do you know these words? If not, stop this
recording to think about them again. Right. Now on to the
next step.

26. Exercise: speaking words

Step 2:

This step is listening and speaking.

■

Listen to the word or phrase in English. You’ll hear it
twice.

■

Stop your mp3 player. Then repeat the word or phrase,
trying to match the British or the American speaker. Ask
yourself if you know what the word means.

■

Start the mp3 again, listen to the German translation
and check whether you were right.

Business Spotlight 5/2012

So, let’s try this together, with a section of the list called
“verbs”. For this exercise, we’ve added short pauses for you
to repeat the words. Now, — listen to the English, repeat
the word or phrase, then check the meaning. Ready?

decipher sth.

etw. entziffern

exclude sb.

jmdn. ausschließen

exploit sth.

etw. (aus)nutzen, ausbeuten

Ken Taylor:

Again, if you had trouble, you might want to re-

peat the words one more time. You’ll find them in your au-
dio booklet. OK? Let’s continue.

27. Exercise: writing words

Step 3:

This step is listening and writing. Get a pen and

piece of paper ready so you can write the words down. ...
Right. Here are the instructions.

■

Listen to the word spoken twice in English.

■

Stop the mp3 and write down the word in English.

■

Check the spelling with the list. For this exercise, you
can check the words in the audio booklet. Then check
the meaning by listening to the translation.

Now, let’s try this together, using words from the section
“adjectives and adverbs”.
Listen, write them down and check your spelling. ... Here
they are:

abusive

beleidigend

combustible

brennbar

equitable

gerecht

Ken Taylor: And here’s one more tip: you might want to start
a vocabulary notebook for the words you write down.
These are all useful steps towards learning new vocabulary
— but there is no one method that is best for everyone.
Some people prefer just listening to words, others prefer say-
ing them out loud and other people would rather write them.
Use our word list and the mp3 file to help you. Repeat the
steps that you like best, until you feel that you really know
the new vocabulary.

28. Interview: Keith Folse

David Ingram: We’ll now hear from Keith Folse, from the
University of Central Florida. He has spent years research-
ing, teaching and studying languages, and has written more
than 50 textbooks on vocabulary, grammar and other sub-
jects.
Erin Perry: Keith Folse also has experience as a language
learner — he speaks several languages. So we asked him
which method of learning vocabulary words he personally
prefers.

Keith Folse: My personal preference for learning vocabulary
in terms of methods is really very old-fashioned. It’s not very
fancy. It involves something as simple as a vocabulary note-
book, or vocabulary flash cards. I like a vocabulary notebook
for several reasons. First of all, it’s my notebook. I mean,
it’s a personal record of all the words that I have run into,
or that I have found myself actually needing in conversation,
or in writing. I made myself keep the notebook, I wrote down
words, I translated words. I think that you should definite-
ly translate vocabulary, especially at the early phases.

When I was learning Arabic, for example, I would write

down the word in Arabic, I would write down the translation
in English, my native language, off to the other side. And
then I would leave a lot of space in between words, so that
on any page of my notebook, I probably only had five or six
Arabic words on that page, and as I heard the words later
on, I would go back and jot down things next to those en-
tries. That’s why I saved the white space there.

I’ve done this in many, many different languages, Malay,

Arabic, Japanese, even in German. I took German at the
Goethe Institut in Kuala Lumpur. But the vocabulary note-
book is something I’ve used with every single second lan-
guage, or foreign language, that I was studying.

29. Exercise: word families

David Ingram: Let’s now look at another method for learn-
ing words. One way to expand your vocabulary is to learn the
various words that are in a “word family”. These have the
same core, and the various parts of speech take different
forms.
Erin Perry: In this exercise, we’ll test your business vocab-
ulary using word families. We’ll give you a verb, and you give
us the noun form. Here’s an example:

■

organize

organization

David Ingram: OK? Now for each of the following verbs, you
give us the noun form. But be careful. These nouns are
formed in various ways. Let’s begin.

1. apply

application

2. perform

performance

3. assess

assessment

4. claim

claim

David Ingram: Good.

Business Spotlight 5/2012

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

■

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Erin Perry: Next, we’re going to give you a noun and you give
us the adjective. Ready?

5. profit

profitable

6. competition

competitive

7. strategy

strategic

8. encouragement

encouraging

Erin Perry: Well done. If there were words you did not know,
you might want to find out what they mean. Then try the ex-
ercise again to review the words, and improve your vocab-
ulary.

Business Spotlight 5/2012, pp. 10–15

GRAMMAR

30. Adjectives and prepositions

David Ingram: Let’s now turn to our Grammar section! This
time, we’ll look at word combinations with adjectives and
prepositions.
Erin Perry: Some adjectives can be followed by different
prepositions, and the choice of preposition determines the
meaning of the combination. In this exercise, we’d like you
to decide which preposition is right for what the speaker
wants to say. OK, let’s start.

1. When you speak French well, are you “good at” it or

“good for” it?

When you speak French well, you are good at it. “Good
for” means that something is useful.

2. When your colleagues did your work while you were ill,

are you “grateful for” them or “grateful to” them?

You are grateful to them. This means you appreciate
what they have done. “Grateful for” means that you are
thankful that they are your colleagues.

3. When something pleasant happens, are you “happy for”

it or “happy about” it?

When something pleasant happens, you are happy
about it. “Happy for” means that you feel pleased for
someone, for example, because this person got a new
job.

4. When your responsibilities include a spe cific task, are

you “responsible for” it or “responsible to” it?

When your responsibilities include a specific task, you
are responsible for it. If you are “responsible to” some-

one, it means you report to that person, who is usually
above you in the company.

5. When you run away from dogs, are you “afraid for” them

or “afraid of” them?

When you run away from dogs, you are afraid of them.
“Afraid for” means that you fear that something bad
could happen to them.

Business Spotlight 5/2012, p. 75

INSIGHT

31. Introduction

David Ingram: And now, for a look at the business news, we
turn the microphone over to British journalist Tania Higgins
for our regular Insight section.

Tania Higgins:

Hello, and welcome to Insight, our regular look at the busi-
ness world, in which you’ll hear the voices of today’s news-
makers. I’m Tania Higgins.

Coming up:

■

Concerns that the Chinese economy may be slowing
down.

■

A growing number of boat refugees head for Australia.

■

And in our round-up of corporate news: 3D printing goes
mainstream, and Google enters the tablet market. Also,
a home HIV test may soon become available.

32. China’s economy

Is China’s super-high growth phase coming to an end? There
are some worrying signs. The country has seen weaker per-
formance for two of the main engines of its economy, real
estate and exports. Reaching this year’s target of a 10 per
cent increase in trade seems unlikely, says Jing Ulrich,
chairman of global markets at JP Morgan:

“In the last several months, we’re seeing China’s export
growth dropping to single digits, and actually, Chinese ex-
ports to Europe have begun to drop to negative territory.”

Source: CCTV

In an effort to reverse the slowdown, the Chinese govern-
ment cut interest rates twice this year, which has made
some economic observers nervous. But Brian Caplen, edi-
tor of The Banker, says there is no need to worry. Four of
the world’s top five banks are Chinese, Caplen says, and the
country’s banking system is healthy:

“You see that Chinese banks are very well capitalized and
they’re very conservatively funded, so we’re not terribly wor-
ried that they’re going to run into trouble if the Chinese
economy turns down.”

Source: CNN

Business Spotlight 5/2012

33. Australia’s boat refugees

In June, the sinking of two refugee boats between Indone-
sia and Australia’s Christmas Island resulted in nearly 100
deaths — and has reopened the country’s debate over asy-
lum policy. Tony Abbott, leader of the opposition coalition,
strongly supports a “turn back the boats” policy. He wants
to order the navy to forcefully turn or tow boats back to In-
donesia, from where most of the refugee boats have
launched:

“The great thing about turning the boats around is that it
sends the clearest possible signal to the people smugglers
and their customers: the game is up. The game is up.”

Source: ABC

Critics of the policy, including Australian Prime Minister
Julia Gillard, say that turning boats back also puts Aus-
tralian sailors at risk:

“This policy is dangerous for our navy personnel. Our de-
fence force leaders have made that abundantly clear.”

Source: ABC

Former secretary of Australia’s Department of Defence, Paul
Barratt, says the debate could damage relations with In-
donesia, and it is getting in the way of important econom-
ic matters:

“The president of Indonesia comes to meet with us, and all
we want to talk about is asylum seekers and drug traffick-
ers — he comes to talk about economic relationships and
trade links.”

Source: ABC

Now for a look at corporate news.

34. 3D printing

An innovative technology is moving into the mainstream. 3D
printing, which produces plastic objects by “printing” them
one layer at a time, has been around for several decades.
Now the cost has come down enough for the technology to
be used more widely, both in industry and by consumers.
Israeli-born Abe Reichental is chief executive of 3D Sys-
tems, based in South Carolina. He says 3D printing will
“change everything”:

“I believe that this is the next disruptive technology that’s
going to change everything. It’s going to change how we
learn; it’s going to change how we create; and it’s going to
change how we manufacture.”

Source: FT.com

35. Google’s tablet

In the world of consumer electronics, the battle of the
tablets is getting more ammunition. Google has introduced
the Nexus 7. The new device offers many features of an Ap-
ple iPad, which has a ten-inch screen, but in a smaller, sev-
en-inch format — the size of an e-book reader. In the US,
the Nexus 7 is offered at $199, about half the price of an

iPad. Hugo Barra, director of product management at
Google, believes this is the perfect combination:

“The seven-inch tablet is going to change the world as we
see it today. And it’s both because of the size... but also be-
cause of price.”

Source: Bloomberg.com

But the tablet battle isn’t over yet. There are rumours that
an iPad-mini will be joining the fight soon.

36. In-home HIV test

And finally, a development that — rather than just change
people’s lifestyles — may actually save lives: an HIV test
that can be used at home. Doug Michels, chief executive of
OraSure Technologies, says the company has sold its
OraQuick test to doctors for the past ten years. Now he plans
to offer the product directly to consumers:

“We’ve sold over 25 million units into the professional mar-
ket, but it’s still not satisfying the complete need in the mar-
ketplace.”

Source: TheStreet.com

And that’s it for this round-up of international business
news. Until next time, I’m Tania Higgins.

37. CONCLUSION

David  Ingram: Well,  we’ve  come  to  the  end  of  Business
Spotlight  Audio 5/2012.  We  hope  you’ve  enjoyed  it  and
have found our exercises helpful.
Erin  Perry: As  an  alternative  to  the  CD,  we  also  offer
Business Spotlight Audio as a subscription download, so you
can take the sound of business with you wherever you go.
For more information, or to find out about our range of prod-
ucts, visit our website at www.business-spotlight.de
David Ingram: Until next time, this is David Ingram...
Erin Perry: And Erin Perry...
David Ingram: Wishing you success with your business En -
glish.

Business Spotlight 5/2012

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

■

Business Spotlight 5/2012

■

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

ERAUSGEBER UND

ERLAGSLEITER

Dr. Wolfgang Stock

HEFREDAKTEUR

Dr. Ian McMaster

TELLVERTRETENDE

HEFREDAKTEURIN

Deborah Capras

ESCHÄFTSFÜHRENDE

EDAKTEURIN

D):

Maja Sirola

UDIOREDAKTION

Carol Scheunemann, Ken Taylor

ONDERBEITRÄGE

Julian Earwaker, Robert Gibson, Hildegard Rudolph, Ken Taylor

ESTALTUNG

Bettina Gorn, Sabine Dienelt

ACHREDAKTION

Barbara Hiller, Hildegard Rudolph, Michele Tilgner

BERSETZUNGEN

Ina Sinning

RINT

NLINE

RODUKTION

Sabine Dienelt

RODUKTION

Dorle Matussek

ERTRIEBSLEITUNG

Monika Wohlgemuth

NZEIGENLEITUNG

Axel Zettler

RODUKTION UND

Karl Braun

ONSTUDIO

Artist Studio, 80333 München

PRECHER

David Ingram (UK): Anmoderation, Office Talk
Erin Perry (US): Anmoderation, Office Talk

Doug Bolduc (US): Business Skills, Office Talk, Language
Tania Higgins (UK): Insight
Brian McCredie (UK): Names and News, False Friends, Skill Up!
Elisa Moolecherry (CAN): Names and News, Skill Up!, Vocabulary
Hilary Owers (UK): Business Skills, Office Talk, Language
Hildegard Rudolph (GER): Business Skills, False Friends

NSIGHT

-B

EITRÄGE

ABC, Bloomberg.com, CCTV, CNN, FT.com, TheStreet.com

IMPRESSUM

AUSANSCHRIFT

Spotlight Verlag GmbH
Postfach 1565, D-82144 Planegg
Tel. (089) 8 56 81-0
Fax (089) 8 56 81-105

E-M

AIL

UNDENSERVICE

abo@spotlight-verlag.de

E-M

AIL

EDAKTION

business@spotlight-verlag.de

NTERNET

www.business-spotlight.de

OWNLOADABLE AUDIO FILES ARE AVAILABLE AT

www.spotlight-verlag.de/hoeren

ESCHÄFTSFÜHRER

Dr. Wolfgang Stock, Dr. Michael Brockhaus
Amtsgericht München HRB 179611
USt-IdNr. DE 265 973 410