EN311: English for Business Purposes I (Conversation)

1. EN311: English for Business Purposes I (Conversation)

2. EN311: English for Business Purposes I (Conversation) A. Visara Ekahitanond Language Institute Kluaynamtai Campus: Building 4, Ground Floor Rangsit Campus: Building 10, 4th Floor E-mail: visara.e@bu.ac.th Tel: 02-350-3500 ext. 1680

3. EN311: English for Business Purposes I • 2 periodsReading & Writing 70 points • 1 periodConversation 30 points

4. Textbook& Supplementary Sheets • Conversation • New Insights into Businessby Graham Tullis, Tonya Trappe • Publisher: Longman • Mid-term Unit 1 2 3 • Final Unit 4 5 6

5. EN311 (Cont.Ed.)Conversation30 points MTFN • Group Presentation 15 15 • In Class Listening Test 10 10 • Activities & Participation 5 5 • Total 30 + 30 • = 60 / 2 • = 30 points

6. Unit 1 Company Structures • Page 4 • Most companies are made up of three groups of people: • the shareholders (who provide the capital) • the management and • the workforce • The management structure of a typical company is shown in this organization chart. • Board of Directors • Managing Director • Senior management • Middle management

7. Page 5 Lead-in 1 • Listen to 7 people talking about their work and decide which department each one works for. • Speaker 1 • Every six months we produce a report showing how the company is doing. This past week, we’ve been busy with our accountants preparing the results that will be included in our next report. • E. Finance • Speaker 2 • I’m a member of a team engineers and we’ve just finalized the design of our new portable computer. This model will be more powerful and more adaptable than our previous one. We’re constantly looking for new ideas and experimenting with new products. • G. Research and Development / R&D

8. Page 5 Lead-in 1 • Speaker 3 • Before selling our latest product, our department must decide in which regions it will be the most successful and what types of consumers we want to reach. • A. Marketing • Speaker 4 • Communication is a key aspect of my department’s work. We answer enquiries made by our customers and are also in contact with the press to inform them of our new products and changes within the company. • B. Public Relations / PR

9. Page 5 Lead-in 1 • Speaker 5 • We’ve been having problems with the quality of certain electronic parts made in our factories. So several members of the department have got together to talk about ways of improving some of our manufacturing techniques. • F. Production • Speaker 6 • Our company is going through a difficult period and we have to reduce the number of employees in several departments and to review salaries throughout the organization. • D. Personnel / • Human Resources

10. Page 5 Lead-in 1 • Speaker 7 • In today’s changing work environment, computer systems play an essential role in how the company is run. In our department we not only ensure that all systems are working properly but we also design and develop new applications to make it easier for our employees to exchange and share information. • C. Information Technology or IT

11. Page 7 Part 4 • Practice reading the figures aloud. • 4,000,000 • $ 4millions • $ 4million • 12,839 • Twelve thousand eight hundred and thirty nine • 452,210 • Four hundred and fifty-two thousand two hundred and ten • 6,391,000 • Six million three hundred and ninety-one thousand • 2,021 • Two thousand and twenty-one 

12. Practice reading the figures aloud. Listen to the cassette and check your pronunciation. Two hundred and fifty-six thousand, four hundred A hundred and fifty Six Three thousand Fifty million Listen and write down the numbers you hear. 7.4% 364 12,839 1,001 13.57 $451,210 £6,391,150 0.2% Page 7 Part 4

13. This job involved … I reported directly to … I was employed as … I worked … The next position I held was … I was then promoted to … In this role … I’ve worked … When I first started working in Guinness 1. I was employed as a general worker. For three years 2. ________ in the bottling plant as a machine operator. 3. ________ for a period of seven years in the engineering department as a maintenance assistant. This involved working with technically skilled personnel in maintaining plant and equipment.In both jobs 4._______ a supervisor. Since then, however, the structure of the company has significantly changed and the supervisor layer no longer exists. General workers now report to a plant manager. 5.________ the position of laboratory officer in the quality assurance laboratory. 6. _______ carrying out a wide range of analyses on all aspects of the brewing process. For the past year 7. _______ in the personnel department as an Industrial Relations Manager. 8. _______ I report directly to the Personnel Manager of the company. Page 10 – 11 1c 2d 3e 4b 5f 6a 7h 8g

14. Page 11 Part 3 • My position from general worker to a managerial position came about as a result of my involvement in industrial relations as an active trade union member for several years, as well as studies I undertook in my spare time. In fact I’ve recently completed a Masters in Business Studies at University College, Dublin. • While my current job title is ‘Industrial Relations Manager’, my role at present is more concerned with manpower planning. This involves talking with line managers to identify the manpower requirements of the company over the next three to four years. I’m also responsible for recruiting and drawing up contracts for temporary personnel as well as redeployment of permanent employees to new positions within the company. • One of the consequences of major structural change like that which has taken place in Guinness is that job titles don’t always reflect actual roles. In many respects Guinness is going through a period of transition where new roles are still evolving. If you were to ask me what, above all else, is the key competency for managers today, I would have to say it is the ability to manage change.

15. Page 11 Part 3Listen to part 2 and answer the questions. • 1. What contributed to Mr. Guerin’s transition from general worker to a managerial position? • He was an active trade union member and he completed an MBA in his spare time. • 2. What is his principal role in the company? • Manpower planning and recruiting • 3. What does this involve? • Talking to line managers and drawing up contracts • 4. What does he think is the main skill that a manager needs today? • The ability to manage change.

16. Contract out Industrial unrest Consultation Negotiation Early retirement Compulsory redundancy During the time I’ve been with Guinness the companyhas undergone several programs of change involving the introduction of new technology and the contracting out of non-core activities such as security, catering and major maintenance projects. And this in turn has led toa significant reduction in the number of people directly employed by the company. I should add, however, that this was achieved without any industrial unrest. Guinness has always sought, has always sought to achieve major structural change through consultation and negotiation with trade unions. The age profile in the company was quite high and the necessary personnel reductions were achieved through early retirement rather than compulsory redundancies. Page 11 Part 4How has the company changed since Mr. Guerin joined?

17. Group Presentation (5 pts.)Thai Companies • A group of 4-6 students • Choose a situation and do a role play. • Use the vocabulary and expressions learned in Unit 1 in the role play. • Situation 1: Executives from different companies share their experiences, problems and opinions in Human Resource Management Conference 2008. • Situation 2:TV hosts interview the Thai executives on how to become a successful businessman.