Personnel Service group (AFI Delitzsch)

ESL Projects English Team Trainers
41

Hi dear English trainers,

I’m posting the two main texts we read in class last Friday, June 18.

"Just when you think you know London, you turn your back it’s suddenly different. Britain’s exciting capital is ever-changing, so if you haven’t been for a while it’s time to go back and discover the new London. If you’ve never been, what is your excuse? The city is big, brash and loud; full of history yet crammed with new ideas; packed with quiet corners, hidden museums, beautiful boutiques and a vibrant nightlife.

Like all great cities, London never stands still. Approaching the magnificent National Gallery, you no longer dodge London’s traffic, for the north side of Trafalgar Square is pedestrianised - and site of an open-air café and regular entertainment. (And there is less traffic in the city altogether, since a £5 charge has been levied to drive in the centre.)

All the big international fashion designers are represented in London, and, of course, the classic tailors that exemplify the inimitable ‘British look’ - Burberry, Pringle, Daks, with the latest in chic checks and cashmere. It is also the place to buy inexpensive catwalk copies (try Topshop and New Look), unique clothing from up-and-coming designers (especially Camden Market and Portobello Road) and unusual presents.

Seeing as everything else changes in London, so, of course, does the food. Out has gone outdated ideas of unimaginative dinners with gravy and custard and in has come an international, inventive cuisine. After all, this is the city boasting the most Michelin stars – with the exception only of Paris. Haute cuisine now comes from India and the Orient as well as from Europe and Britain.

St Katherine’s Docks

Eating out in London can be very, very good – and sometimes very expensive. But it doesn’t have to be. There’s a whole range of restaurants that emphasise value – and with 12,000 eateries in the city, there’s certainly no lack of competition. Watch for set priced lunches, from £5 in Chinatown to £30 at the stunning Connaught in Mayfair, and competitively priced pre-theatre menus in the West End.

London is home to some of the most spectacular musicals and talked-about dramatic productions in the world. Again prices can be high, but there are always special offers (two-for-ones, or same-day bargains at the official Tkts ticket booth in Leicester Square). And the capital’s club scene is legendary – always a new club night, always the latest celebrity DJs and the hottest sounds … every night of the week, often until dawn.

For those who prefer their nights in a comfortable hotel, in the last few years, several budget hotel chains have moved into the city. There’s plenty of choice from names such as Travel Inn and Holiday Inn Express. Pay a little more and you will get quintessential English country house hotels, or modern minimalist chic. Very attractive weekend rates are available at some of London’s best hotels, to attract leisure business once the corporate clients have gone home. Cool and stylish hotels have been opening at a steady rate, from Zetters and Malmaison in trendy Clerkenwell, to The Cumberland on Oxford Street, its spacious lobby more art gallery than hotel reception.

London has never been easier to reach. Eurostar trains into London Waterloo are faster than ever and there are plenty of bargain fares to be had from the big airlines as well as from the highly lauded budget ones. With six airports and numerous airlines serving the city, there’s plenty of choice."

As usual, we read through and translated this text, paying attention to the pronunciation and spelling of hard words.

Some grammar aspects:

-The silent pronunciation of the k-: know, knew, known
-The pronunciation of the vowel i: exciting, think, invite, invitation, idea, boutique, -vibrant, life, live, give etc…
-Adverbs: suddenly, usually, generally (ending -ly).
-Review of auxiliary verbs do/does/did and negative sentences
-Review of the present perfect: If you’ve never been to London, what’s your excuse?

I noticed the some of the ladies in class would like to travel some day to London or the UK after having read this article about London. I hope so.

On the other hand, we read a part of this text about logistics:

"
Influences from business and society

  1. Society is changing. At the same time, new economic concepts are having a far-ranging impact on the entire economy. Modern logistics systems are optimally adapting to these changes.
  • Relevant aspects: pronunciation, right stress of words: economic, politics, impact, economy, system: different stress than in German; the -ing-present; the adverbs in -ly: optimally

Globalization
Post-industrial society
Shortened product life cycles
Growing environmental awareness
Structure and process orientation
Deregulation and privatization
Shareholder-value thinking
The macroeconomic significance of logistics

  • Relevant aspects: the pronunciation of the ending -ization/isation: privatization/globalization;
  • the meaning of shareholder-value thinking: e.g.: It’s no secret that a consistent global brand enriches the customer experience and therefore has a direct impact on shareholder value = Es ist kein Geheimnis: Eine konsistente globale Marke wird vom Kunden positiv wahrgenommen und hat deshalb direkten Einfluss auf den Unternehmenswert. Shareholder-value is an English term that also exists in German.
  1. Numerous industrial sectors can no longer do without logistics providers’ services. As a result, these providers make a significant contribution to microeconomic value creation.
  • Relevant aspects: the adverb “no longer”; the verb “do without”.

The business significance of logistics

Company networks and flows of goods are being reshaped by globalization and process orientation. Logistics is optimally and rapidly adjusting to this development and is fueling success in the process.
5.
Logistics in a global comparison

From densely populated regions in western Europe to the vast expanses of Australia - regional logistics markets are characterized by differing stages of development and geographic conditions.

  • Relevant aspects: adverbs in -ly: densely. The noun: the expanses; develop > development; populate > population

Logistics in North and Latin America

North and Latin America are united by their immense geographic reach. But there are wide differences in the infrastructure. As a result, the demands placed on logistics service providers are just as diverse.

Regional characteristics
The United States
Brazil

Logistics in Europe

Logistics in Europe is shaped by the creation of common markets, the elimination of trade barriers in the European Union, the introduction of the euro and the union’s eastern enlargement.
Regional characteristics
Western Europe
Northern Europe
Eastern Europe
Russia
Turkey

Logistics in Asia & Pacific Rim

Asia has a world of differing geographic, cultural and political characteristics. Growth in China and India is imposing, casting a shadow on the performance of other countries.
Regional characteristics
China
Japan
India
ASEAN
Australia

Logistics in Africa & the Middle East

Difficult geographic and political conditions complicate business activity in Africa and parts of the Middle East. As the region’s economic hub, Dubai stands out from its neighbors.
Regional characteristics
South Africa
The United Arab Emirates"

Regards,

Roberto

42

Hi dear trainers,

here I am again to update you on the last sessions given in Delitzsch. In spite of the high temperatures and the World Cup euphory, we were able to work in a very dynamic and productive atmosphere. Brave ladies!

I’ll post this text,

J.S. : Ms Collins, may I ask you a question?
S.C. : Yes, sure. What do you want to know?
J.S. : I don’t know very much about the company. What exactly is a wholesaler?
S.C. : Well, a wholesaler is a company that buys goods from other companies, usually a manufacturer, and sells them for example, buy clothes from many different manufacturers. We also import goods from abroad. The goods are then stored in our warehouses until they are sold to different retailers.
J.S. And what’s a retailer?
S.C.: That’s a shop that sells goods to the consumers , you know, people like you and me, the ones who actually buy these goods and use them .
J.S. : Why don’t retailers buy directly from the manufacturers?
S.C: Well, you know, there are an awful lot of companies that produce clothes, not only in out country but also abroad. It would be rather difficult for smaller shops to order directly from all the manufacturers, especially the foreign ones. And besides, the retailers can come to our warehouses and take a look at the goods if they want to. And you know these small boutiques usually don’t have that much storage space, so they can always buy the quantity they need and get some more within a short period of time, if necessary.
J.S: And how are the goods transported?
S.C. : We usually deliver goods to the retailers by van. Smaller quantities are sometimes sent by post.
J.S. I see. And how do we get the goods from the manufacturers?
S.C. It depends on the company. Some deliver goods in their own lorries or vans , but often this job is done by freight forwarders.
J-S.: What are they?
S.C. : Freight forwarders?
J.S. : Yes.
S.C.: They are companies who organize transport. For example, if we order goods from a manufacturer in Italy, they handle all the export documents that are necessary and they arrange the transport, either by road or by rail. We also import goods from Asian countries, these are usually sent by air.
J.S.: And who pays the freight forwarder?
S.C.: That depends on the terms of delivery. If a price is “ex works”, it only includes the goods that means , the importer has to pay the freight forwarder. If the price is “DDP” or “Delivered Duty Paid”, all the transportation costs are already included in the price.
J.S.: Thanks , Ms Collins. I think I’ve learned a lot now.

Notes: Introduction of some INCO-terms: DDP, EXW, FOB, FAS, CIF, DAF, DDU, DEQ, CIP; DES, FCA etc. In addition: more business-related vocabulary (customs, import, export, logistics, HR). Review of some “known” business-related words.
Grammar: Present simple and frequency adverbs (signal words); the use of the preposition by; the relative clauses using who/that; present perfect, past participles

Anne und Sabrine wrote a short CV that I corrected then. In addition, the participants were handed in some notes on Curricula Vitae we read carefully in class. We discussed the following issues:

  • Personal Details/Personal Profile
  • Objective of the CV
  • Professional Skills/Work experience/Key experience/Career summary
  • Education/Key qualifications
  • Computer skills
  • Languages
  • Hobbies and interests
  • References (Testimonials)

After that, we made a short comparison between educational systems in UK and Germany: Degrees (Master’s Degree, Bachelor’s Degree, Degree in BA, IM etc…), majoring, High School, College, University, Secondary School, GCSE, O-level, A-level etc.

Additional grammar: adjectives describing your personality (useful for a CV or covering letter): e.g.: capable, ambitious, sensitive, industrious, helpful, responsible, receptive, punctual etc…or: (negative): confused, nervous, lazy, selfish, weak, worried etc… Signs of zoodiac (reading).

Review of the general language vocab we have collected so far (flip charts).

We also read some additional important sentences concerning “transport and forwarding”. Key words: forward, ship, shipment, load, dispatch, lorry/truck, HGV, forwarding agent, trial shipment, customs officers, highways, motorway tolls, on time, bill of lading, customs clearance, air freight, airline, airway bill, inner-community purchase, VAT , Federal Finance Office, pallets, damaged, boxes, consignment, insurance broker, assessment, claim, delay, customer, commercial invoice, customs broker, consolidated and full shipment, freight space etc.

Other relevant activities in class: pronunciation skills. Due to the heterogeneous character of the participants, I split up the class into different level groups on Monday 28 in order to test their language skills according to their language level. It was a kind of oral test.

Regards and enjoy the summer sun and the World Cup festivities!!

43

Hi dear trainers,

here I am again to give you a short report on the last two days in Delitzsch:

Thursday 19th

  1. Text reading (handouts): America and American English;
    “When Columbus arrived on the shores of San Salvador, Cuba and Haiti in 1492 he thought he was in India. Only a few years later, another Italian, Amerigo Vespucci, found out that all that land was a whole new continent. He was the man who gave America its name. America really is the huge twin continent on the other side of the Atlantic, but if you ask people what they mean when they say “America” they will probably say “The United States of America”, and not Brazil, Mexico or any other of the countries in South or North America. American English is spoken by more than 220 million people in the USA and it has more native speakers than any other form of English. When the first English-speaking settlers came to America they met natives with many different languages and dialects. Although some of these languages have died out, you can still find traces of them in modern American English. A lot of geographical names, like Oklahoma or Massachussets, and animal names, like moose or skunk, are of Native American origin. American English was also influenced by settlers from other European countries, and so Italian, German, French and Spanish words found their way into modern American English.”
  2. Verb patterns: meet-met-met; find-found-found; speak-spoke-spoken, give, gave, given etc…
    Exercises in class
  3. Regular past tense forms: -ed: arrived, named etc…
  4. Exercise in class: Questions regarding the text. Text comprehension exercises.
  5. Numbers: inhabitants, countries, dates, salaries
  6. Question words: wh-words. Exercises online
  7. Words of Native American origin: skunk, opossum, moose, wigwam, canoe, moccasin, totem, toboggan.
  8. Differences between British and American English. Exercises. Different spelling (centre/center, honour/honor etc.). Different pronunciation (glass, dance, bottle, water etc…). Different words (autumn/fall, lift/elevator etc.).
  9. US-American and British cities/capitals. Exercises in class.
  10. Card games. We played card and translated some relevant sentences from German into English. Objective: understanding the English word structure in a sentence.
  11. Jokes in class

FRIDAY 27

  1. Review of important sentences regarding logistics vocab.
  2. Dialogue: Wholesale and retailing
    “Jason Stewart has just arrived his job as a trainee office clerk at Foxon Fashions Ltd, wholesaler for ladies’, men’s and children’s wear. He doesn’t know very much about the company yet and so he is talking to the secretary, Samantha Collins.
    J.S. Ms Collins, may I ask you a question?
    S.C.Yes, sure. What do you want to know?
    J.S. I don’t know very much about the company. What exactly is a wholesaler?
    S.C.Well, a wholesaler is a company that buy goods from another company, usually a manufacturer, and sells them to retailers. Foxon Fashions, for example, buy clothes from many different manufacturers. We also import goods from abroad. The goods are then stored in our warehouses until they are sold to different retailers.
    J.S. And what is a retailer?
    S.C. That’s a shop that sells goods to the consumers, you know, people like you and me, the ones who actually buy these goods and use them.
    J.S. Why don’t retailers buy directly from the manufacturers?
    S.C.Well, you know, there are an awful lot of companies that produce clothes , not only in our country but also abroad. It would be rather difficult for smaller shops to order directly from all the manufacturers, especially the foreign ones. And besides, the retailers can come to our warehouses and take a look at the goods if they want to. And, you know, these small boutiques usually don’t have that much storage space,so they can always buy the quantity they need and get some more within a short period of time, if necessary.
    J.S. And how are the goods transported?
    S.C.We usually deliver goods to the retailers by van. Smaller quantities are sometimes sent by post.
    J.S. I see. And how do we get the goods from the manufacturers?
    S.C. It depends on the company. Some deliver goods in their own lorries or vans, but often this job is done by freight forwarders.
    J.S. What are they?
    S.C.Freight forwarders?
    J.S. Yes.
    S.C. They are companies who organize transport. For example, if we order goods from a manufacturer in Italy, they handle all the export documents that are necessary and they arrange the transport, either by road or by rail. We also import goods from Asian countries, these are usually sent by air.
    J.S.And who pays the freight forwarder?
    S.C.That depends on the terms of delivery. If a price is “ex works”, it only includes the goods, that means, the importer has to pay the freight forwarder. If the price is “DDP” or “Delivered Duty Paid”, all the transportation costs are already included in the price.
    J.S. Thanks, Ms Collins. I think I’ve learned a lot now.”
  3. Usage of Mr, Mrs and Ms.
  4. Relative pronouns: that and who
  5. Present perfect: signal words “just”, “yet”. Oral exercises in class.
  6. INCO-Terms. Introduction of some important INCO-TERMS.
  7. Vocabulary: bank transfer, consumer, contract, document, export, import, freight forwarder, hire purchase, instal(l)ment, interest, invoice, lorry, retailer, supplier, van, warehouse
  8. Exercises in class. Match the words on the left and the words on the right (handouts).
  9. Text comprehension. Question-and-Answer session.
  10. Commonwealth. Definition. Member states.
  11. Review of do/does/did in interrogative and negative sentences.
  12. English-test.net online

Interesting article> telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne … erman.html

Regards

Roberto

44

Hello Roberto, thank you very much for doing such an excellent job with the customs group. I’ll get back to you with more ideas soon. Best regards, Torsten[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC short conversations: Employee asks co-worker to help him with a report on investing psychology.[YSaerTTEW443543]

45

Hi Roberto,

On Friday please incorporate this exercise into your lesson plan:

Print off the following worksheet and dictate the questions to the group. Once they have written down the questions, split them into pairs and have them interview each other. Give them about 20 minutes to ask and answer the questions in pairs, then have them present the answers to the group: www.english-team.com/PDF/Learners_Profile.pdf

As they give their reports, take notes so you can share the information with us later.

Also, please tell the group that for the next couple of days in October I will be working with them.

Many thanks,
Torsten[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC short conversations: Two people discuss a newspaper article featuring the company profile[YSaerTTEW443543]

46

Hi Torsten,

thanks for that! I’ll give you a report on the results of the worksheet and these last two sessions in Delitzsch (as to September) as soon as possible. Enjoy your weekend and your holiday abroad!

Please give my regards to Mr. Gromov!

We’ll keep in touch!

Roberto

47

Hi dear trainers,

I’d like to sum up the main aspects covered in the last two sessions (Delitzsch AFI).

September 17:

We started the day with some fresh grammar exercises in class. I’ll post only a part of the exercises. Prepositions of place: in, on, at, between, along, next, under, over, below, outside, inside, in front of, behind etc. (Source: Grammar in Laughter)

  1. Waiter, there is a fly in my soup.

Don’t worry, sir. The spider on your bread will eat it.

  1. Crime in New York is very bad. Last week a man said to me:

Do you want to buy a watch?
Let me see it first, I asked.
Keep your voice down, he said. The man next to you is still wearing it.

  1. How did you cut your nose?

Do you see that door over there?
Yes, I see it.
Well, I didn’t.

  1. When an elephant sits on your chair, what time is it?

Time to get a new chair!

etc…

  • Review of the auxiliary verbs: do/does/did. Oral exercises in class.
  • Educational system (GB, USA). Marks, grade. Schools.
  • Review of possessive pronouns (my, your, his/her etc…).
  • Short introduction of “if-sentences”. Usage of the past tense with if-tenses (rough overview)
  • rough overview concerning the usage of the auxiliary "would " in conditional clauses: What would you do if ( + past tense).
  • -ing-present (short review)
  • review of some important modal verbs: may, must, can
  • translation of the 12 “jokes” in the form of short dialogs.
  • enhancement of the basic vocabulary.
  • text reading comprehension in class: “How to cope with having no friends”. Grammar: Imperative. Examples: be active, Write letters, be kind, generous and helpful to everyone. Look on the bright side of life. Stop hating. Try to make friends with an animal, such as a dog or cat. Find a hobby. Go outside, even for a little while. Don’t be afraid to fail. Be your own best friend. Be good to yourself and treat yourself with a lot of respect and kindness.

September 24

In the morning:

  • NATO-Alphabet
  • learner’s profile. Every participant got a copy. Unfortunately, some of them (e.g. Yvonne, Bianca, Heidi) refused to answer the questions. I’ll drop in personally at your office next week and hand in the results (their answers).
  • usage of some suffixes such as -ment, -ure, -ing etc. in order to form nouns from verbs: depart > departure; pay > payment; begin > beginning etc…Special cases: sell > sale; live > life etc…
  • explanation of the new words in the learner’s profile. Heidi, Ulrike, Anja Wagner, Ivette hadn’t learned English before they started this course. Ulrike is willing to learn English and she does enough outside the class. Heidi is somewhat reluctant to learn a foreign language. Peggy, Ivette, Sandy were not present. Anne, Gudrun, Sabrina and Anke are highly motivated and would prefer to attend an intensive English course.
  • question words: Review. What, how, when, how much/many, why etc…Oral exercises in class.
  • Review of some basic verbs: wash, want, eat, drink, spend, save, clean, play, write, like, read, watch, listen to, answer, etc…Question-and Answer-Session (Pronouns, question words, verbs)
  • revision of the auxiliaries do/does/did in negative and interrogative sentences
  • time expressions: when, what time? at five o’clock. Days, months, years…Numbers

At noon (business English for beginners):

  • making appointments. Standard phrases (handout). Keywords: appointment, date, be convenient, suit, all right, suggest, meet(ing), meeting point, my/your place etc…, look forward to (-ing).
  • right order of words in a sentence. Exercises in class. PLACE > TIME (not like in German!!). Some exercises.
  • the usage of “let us” > “let’s”. The usage of “shall I/we?”

In the afternoon:
(more business)

  • Reading comprehension and translation: Kati, Babsie and QUick Foods. Review of old words and introduction of new vocabulary: order, documentation, whole, turn into a nightmare, cut-throat price, complain about, complaint, satisfied, charming, serious, hope, anyway, accpet/decline an invitation, schedule (verb and noun), suppose, customer (The customer is king), salary (salaries), pay, payment etc.
  • more exercises in class:
  • Game in class: BINGO. Review of numbers
  • Game in class: Chinese Whisper. In the game variously known as Chinese whispers, Telephone (USA), Grapevine, Broken Telephone, Whisper Down the Lane, Gossip, Arab Phone (from the French Le téléphone arabe), Stille Post (German for “Silent Post”), and Pass the Message, the first player whispers a phrase or sentence to the next player. Each player successively whispers what that player believes he or she heard to the next. The last player announces the statement to the whole group. Errors typically accumulate in the retellings, so the statement announced by the last player differs significantly, and often amusingly, from the one uttered by the first. We had two guests in class in the afternoon on Friday 24: Ronny and Kim (Janette’s daughter).
  • test in class (handout): test your vocabulary. Words having the opposite meaning: win/loose, begin/end, build/destroy, increase/decrease, open/close,sow/reap, love/hate, come/go, command/obey, attack/defend, reward/punish etc…
  • Question-and-Answer-Session. END OF THE EVENT
48

Hi Roberto, thank you very much for your great work and your detailed reports. Can you please also forward email me a copy of all the handouts you have used with the group? It’s important that every trainer working with a group has at least seen the materials that have been used. Many thanks, Torsten[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC short conversations: Employee is being briefed on how to get travel costs reimbursed.[YSaerTTEW443543]

49

Hi Torsten,

most of the work (texts, tasks etc…) done with these two groups has been published here. I’d like to drop in at your office and give you the rest of copies or handouts personally (or to Slava).

Regards

Roberto

50

Hi Roberto,
my best congratulation to your great successes with these two groups.
best regards Uli.

51

Hi Uli,

thank you very much!

Regards

Roberto

52

Hi Torsten,

when you come back from your holiday - I hope you are refreshed and inspired by your new impressions abroad-, you’ll find some copies of my handouts on your desk. I was at your office last Friday and met Slava and his compatriot.

Regards and keep in touch!

Roberto

53

Hi Roberto,
good success for your creative lectures / discussions with the learners.
Best regards Uli.

54

Hello Uli and Roberto, best regards from the Czech capital – it seems that every second person here speaks either Russian or Ukrainian :wink: Talk to you more next week. Many thanks for your support. Torsten[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC short conversations: Employee congratulates co-worker on his job promotion.[YSaerTTEW443543]

55

Hi Torsten, have a relaxing working stay in Prague.
Thank you for the invitation to our workig meeting next week with Roberto in your office.
Best regards Uli .

56

Hello Roberto,

Thank you very much for dropping off the handouts and materials – this really helped me get a better understanding of where the group is at. Today we reviewed the basics (NATO alphabet, spelling words, using English in the classroom, explaining words in English, simple present). In the future we will implement the following guidelines:

  • Before you hand out your own materials, please send a copy to me so I can review them. (Do don’t use any materials I haven’t seen before.)
  • Start with the tasks and ideas I have outlined here: www.english-team.com/PDF/Starting_new_course.pdf
  • If possible, have the group spend most of the time in a room without computers.

More on that soon.
Best regards,
Torsten[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC short conversations: Two colleagues talk about their current projects.[YSaerTTEW443543]

57

Hi Torsten,

welcome back to Saxony and thanks for your hints!

I wish you a pleasant learning atmosphere in Delitzsch!

Keep in touch!

Roberto

58

Hi Torsten and Roberto,
good learning successes with the Delitzsch groupe.
Best regards Uli.

59

Hello, Roberto,

Torsten asked me to look in and comment on the Joan Peters resume that you posted above. In addition to being an English teacher, I am a former university administrator who has looked at many curricula vitae over the years.

You mention that your group has found parts of it to criticize, but I found only two specific internal comments that you inserted:

(1) ‘someone doubted the relevance of these sentences’ – This comment refers to the ‘Experience’ section, and I agree that the last three bulleted points would be better located in the general ‘Personal Profile’ section or in the cover letter. In fact, the first two bullets could also easily move to the cover letter and the ‘Experience’ section be removed, since the pertinent detailed information appears in the ‘Career Summary’ section immediately following.

(2) ‘two different addresses??’ – Yes, indeed, that is odd as it stands. If there is some reason for inclusion of the different addresses (e.g. home and contact), then that should have been made clear.

Although the categorizations might have been a bit different if I had written the resume myself, I find nothing really to fault it over. It is a good CV. The information included seems all to the point, and it is concise and direct in presentation. An all-important feature to which many CV writers give inadequate attention is the overall layout: the way it actually looks on the paper. I cannot of course comment on Joan Peters’s CV layout here.

60

Hi Roberto, thank you very much for brining this up. Hi Charles, thanks a lot for your detailed comments.[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC listening, talks: Product advertisement[YSaerTTEW443543]