Business Spotlight Meetings: Test your language skills! (Vorschau)

BusinessSpotlight 


Englisch für den Beruf 

Mai–Juni l Ausgabe 3/2013 

Easy English 

Key tips for 

telephoning 

Careers 

Working in 

the arts 

Meetings 

Test your 

language skills! 

Business Skills 

Building 

relationships 

Profile 

Al Gore’s hopes 

for the future 

Production 

All the 

vocabulary 

you need 

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■ EDITORIAL 

Happy endings 

Erweitern Sie Ihren 

Business-Englisch- 

Wortschatz! 

Ask people what part of their jobs 

they like least and there is a good chance 

that they will reply “meetings”. Regardless 

of whether these are formal or informal 

meetings, in large groups or one-toone 

with line managers or direct reports, 

most people’s instinct is to say that meetings 

are boring and a waste of time. And 

Ian McMaster, editor-in-chief 

yet meetings are nothing more than people interacting — face-to-face, 

electronically or both. So why not improve your communication skills 

so that you can make the most of the meetings you attend and, in the 

end, get the results you want? Our special test will help you (p. 38). 

Talking of meetings, in our latest Business Skills article, 

Bob Dignen argues that we need to develop a sixth sense to make accurate 

judgements about new people we meet at work. This helps us 

to build effective relationships quickly and, as a result, to be more successful. 

Bob says that this skill is a business competence much like the 

skills needed for speed dating. To find out more, turn to page 30. 

We held a competition in Business Spotlight 1/2003 

in which we asked you to finish off a short story — “The Problem in 

a Nutshell” — that James Schofield had started. Many thanks to all 

of you who took part. Our two winners are Andrea Schrepfer and 

Jürgen Hartung. You can read their entries, along with James’s original 

ending, by going to www.business-spotlight.de/story. Pro Tag ein englischer Begriff 

Meetings: 

more fun if 

you have 

the right 

language 

Die Business 

Spotlight-App: 

mit Audio-Datei für das 

Aussprache-Training 

mit Erklärung und Beispielsatz 

auf Englisch 

Übersetzung ins Deutsche 

iStockphoto 

Ian McMaster, editor-in-chief 

Contact: i.mcmaster@spotlight-verlag.de 

GRATIS! 

Über iTunes Store oder Android Market 

business-spotlight.de/apps 

3/2013

■ CONTENTS 3/2013 

16 Al Gore 

30 Building relationships 

picture-alliance/dpa 

Brand X Pictures 

WORKING WORLD 

6 Names and News 

The latest from the world of business 

all levels 

LANGUAGE TEST 

➤ 38 Meetings 

Test your knowledge of English for meetings 

all levels 

GLOBAL BUSINESS 

10 Relocation 

Helping people to move between countries 

14 Head-to-Head 

Should we be forced to buy low-energy light bulbs? 

➤16 Profile 

Al Gore, former US vice president 

21 Behind the Headlines 

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 

22 Culture and Medical Care 

Understanding patients’ cultural backgrounds 

27 Looking Back 

Maja Sirola on changes in Croatia 

28 Travel Tips 

Derry-Londonderry and a Florida festival 

English on the Move Saying goodbye 

BUSINESS SKILLS 

➤30 Building Relationships 

The importance of using your sixth sense 

Survival Guide to cut out and keep 

36 Toolbox 

How to use questions at work 

37 Say It in Style 

Vague language in spoken communication 

advanced 

medium 

advanced 

advanced 

advanced 

medium 

medium 

easy 

medium 

medium 

medium 

medium 

LANGUAGE SECTION 

44 Vocabulary Election day 

45 Grammar at Work Describing products 

➤46 Easy English Successful phone calls 

48 Wise Words Deborah Capras on “this, that 

and the other” 

50 Short Story Cyber romance 

52 Translation False friends and more 

53 Language Cards Pull out and practise 

➤ 55 SKILL UP! The language of production 

56 English for… Sea travel 

58 Legal English Advising clients 

59 Economics and Finance Supply and demand (1) 

60 Teacher Talk Interview with Vicky Loras 

62 Products What’s new? 

CAREERS 

➤66 Culture and the Arts 

A look at career possibilities in the arts 

70 Tips and Trends 

On working late and common career regrets 

73 Leisure Time 

What to do when you are away from your desk 

easy 

medium 

easy 

medium 

medium 

medium 

advanced 

advanced 

advanced 

medium 

medium 

advanced 

medium 

medium 

Multimedia learning with Business Spotlight 

Business Spotlight plus 

Practise the language in the 

magazine with our exercise booklet. 

In this issue, we look at classical 

music, Coca-Cola and production 

problems. See page 20 

for subscription details. 

plus This symbol indicates that 

related exercises can be found 

in Business Spotlight plus. 

Business Spotlight in the classroom 

This six-page supplement for teachers 

and trainers provides lesson activities 

based on articles in Business Spotlight. 

It is free to those who subscribe to the 

magazine. To order, send an email to: 

schulmedien@spotlight-verlag.de 

READERS’ SERVICE 

Email: abo@spotlight-verlag.de 

Internet: www.spotlight-verlag.de 

Telephone: +49 (0)89/8 56 81-16 

Fax: +49 (0)89/8 56 81-159

38 Test: Meetings 66 Careers in the arts 

iStockphoto 

Mauritius/M. Tunger 

MANAGEMENT 

74 Identities 

Three managers discuss their different selves 

78 What Happened Next 

Coca-Cola’s biggest mistake 

79 Executive Eye 

Adrian Furnham on the myths about talent 

TECHNOLOGY 

80 Detroit 

IT firms bring new life to a dying city 

82 Trends 

A polar caravan and avatars 

83 Language Focus 

Point-of-care testing 

PEOPLE 

86 My Working Life 

Edwin Broni-Mensah, green businessman 

REGULAR SECTIONS 

3 Editorial 

63 Classified Ads 

64 SprachenShop 

84 Feedback / Impressum 

85 Preview 

medium 

medium 

medium 

advanced 

medium 

advanced 

easy 

➤ Cover topics 

55 Production 

vocabulary 

GUIDE 

LANGUAGE IN BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT 

Articles in the magazine use the style, spelling, punctuation and 

pronunciation of British English unless otherwise marked. 

US American style, spelling, punctuation and pronunciation 

are used in these articles. 

easy Approximately at CEF level A2 

medium Approximately at CEF levels B1–B2 

advanced Approximately at CEF levels C1–C2 

All articles are marked with their level of language difficulty. 

CEF stands for the Council of Europe’s “Common European 

Framework of Reference for Languages”. 

ifml.: informal word or phrase; vulg.: vulgar word or phrase; 

sl.: slang word or phrase; non-stand.: non-standard word or phrase; 

UK: chiefly UK usage; US: chiefly North American usage 

Cover photograph: Stockbyte 

Business Spotlight Audio 

Business Spotlight Audio offers more than 70 minutes 

of texts, dialogues, language exercises and interviews. 

In the current issue, you can practise the language of 

meetings and listen to our short story. 

This symbol indicates that related texts and exercises 

can be heard on Business Spotlight Audio. 

Business Spotlight Online 

Our website offers activities for even 

more language-learning, as well as 

news and blogs. Subscribers have 

full access to our online content. 

www This symbol indicates that related 

content can be found on our 

website: www.business-spotlight.de 

www.business-spotlight.de 5

■ WORKING WORLD NAMES AND NEWS 

Happy to be back: 

the Opuni family 

at home in Accra 

Nana Kofi Acquah 

BELGIUM GHANA 

Welcome, Coming home Gérard! 

Julian and Rebekah Opuni are part of a new elite. After 

years in Britain, the Opunis have returned to their 

homeland in Ghana to work and to build a better life. 

Banker Julian, 40, worked for Lloyds TSB in Britain for 

nearly 20 years. Now, he has a promising position with 

Fidelity Bank in Accra. “It’s a good time for the banking 

sector in Ghana,” he told The Guardian. Thanks to an oil 

boom, the Ghanaian economy is growing rapidly. “Ghana 

has lots of opportunities,” Opuni says, “and there are so 

many markets that haven’t been tapped into yet.” 

His 28-year-old wife, Rebekah, is a fashion designer. She 

grew up in Ghana but moved to Britain after meeting her 

husband. “I stayed in the UK because of Julian but I 

didn’t like living there. I studied fashion at the University 

of Hertfordshire, but it was cold,” she says. “I didn’t make 

a lot of friends [and] I didn’t have that much in common 

with the people there.” Rebekah is happy to be back in 

Ghana, where her designer gowns are selling well. 

Julian Opuni says he experienced racism in Britain.“I 

knew I could never become CEO of Lloyds TSB.” But that 

changed when he returned to Ghana. “One of the first 

things my director said to me was: ‘The thing about Ghana 

is, you could become CEO one day. Or you could start 

your own bank. Or you could become minister of finance.’’ 

53,000 9,438 

Population of the Cayman 

Islands 

easy 

Number of hedge funds 

registered in the Cayman 

Islands 

Sources: Financial Times; Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (www.cimoney.com.ky); 

CIA’s World Factbook (www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cj.html) 

CEO (chief executive officer) [)si: i: (EU] 

elite [i(li:t] 

gown [gaUn] 

tap into sth. [)tÄp (Intu] 

Vorstandsvorsitzende(r) 

[wg. Aussprache] 

Kleid, Gewand 

etw. anzapfen 

Getty Images 

“If you don’t like bad news, 

you should get out of 

the leadership business” 

Kim Campbell, 66, former Canadian prime minister 

6 www.business-spotlight.de

Controversial: offshore oil 

rig in New Zealand 

NEW ZEALAND 

advanced 

Too green for oil? 

Asked to name New Zealand’s most important 

natural resource, most foreigners 

would probably suggest sheep. Yet, the country 

exports petroleum products and is selfsufficient 

in natural gas as a result of the discovery 

of the Maui gas field off the coast of the 

North Island in 1969. 

Now, the government wants to increase its 

petroleum exports to 40 per cent of gross 

domestic product (GDP) by 2025. To do so, it 

is getting the help of foreign oil companies, including Royal 

Dutch Shell, the American firm Anadarko Petroleum and OMV 

of Austria. Shell currently has two exploration permits in the 

Great South Basin. 

Environmental campaigners are concerned about oil spills 

and the effect that increased petroleum exploration could 

have on New Zealand’s green image. “There are alternatives 

which have received less meaningful attention and are more 

consistent with our nation’s clean, green brand and existing 

NGZGO 

comparative advantages,” says Rob Morrison, the head of 

Pure Advantage, a not-for-profit organization that promotes 

green growth. 

Nick Hallet, chief adviser for resources policy at New 

Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment 

(MBIE), says that New Zealand would do well to follow 

the example of Norway, which has combined domestic oilindustry 

profits with strong environmental policies. “Norway 

would be a nice target to aspire to,” Hallet comments. 

advanced economies 

[Ed)vA:nst i(kQnEmiz] 

aspire to sth. [E(spaIE tu] 

brand [brÄnd] 

comparative advantage 

[kEm)pÄrEtIv Ed(vA:ntIdZ] 

consistent: be ~ with sth. 

[kEn(sIstEnt] 

exploration permit 

[)eksplE(reIS&n )p§:mIt] 

gross domestic product (GDP) 

[)grEUs dE)mestIk (prQdVkt] 

mobile device [)mEUbaI&l di(vaIs] 

natural resource [)nÄtS&rEl ri(zO:s] 

not-for-profit [)nQt fE (prQfIt] 

oil spill [(OI&l spIl] 

petroleum [pE(trEUliEm] 

self-sufficient [)self sE(fIS&nt] 

target [(tA:gIt] 

Industrieländer 

More and more people are using smartphones and 

other mobile devices to shop online. In the US, 24 

per cent of online shopping on Black Friday (the 

day after Thanksgiving) in 2012 was done via mobile 

devices. This is up from six per cent in 2010. 

Sources: 2012 “Internet Trends” report (www.kpcb.com/insights/ 

2012-internet-trends-update); The Guardian 

nach etw. streben; 

hier: etw. nacheifern 

Marke; hier: Image 

Wettbewerbsvorteil 

mit etw. übereinstimmen 

Erkundungsgenehmigung 

Bruttoinlandsprodukt 

(BIP) 

Mobilgerät 

Naturschatz 

gemeinnützig 

Ölteppich, Ölunfall 

Erdöl 

autark 

Ziel; hier: Vorbild 

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EF bietet Kurse für jeden Bedarf. Sie entscheiden über Kurslänge, Kursdauer, 

sowie Kursintensität. 

The number of women in advanced economies 

who work in industry continues to fall, with 85 per 

cent now working in services, primarily education 

and health. 

Source: International Labour Organization (www.ilo.org) 

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■ WORKING WORLD NAMES AND NEWS 

BRITAIN 

No-brainer 

advanced 

Business jargon can be colourful, but many people 

dislike it. In fact, 47 per cent of British 

workers say they lose respect for colleagues who 

use a lot of jargon. 

According to a survey of 1,014 people, 30 per 

cent of men said they used jargon to improve their 

chances of promotion. Only 12 per cent of women 

said they did so. But more women than men said 

they used jargon daily — 34 per cent compared 

to 30 per cent. 

“It is clear the majority of us find jargon unnecessary,” 

says Darryl Bowman, a representative of 

Wonga.com, the digital finance company that did 

the survey. “We would prefer colleagues to be 

more straight-talking.” 

At the end of the day 

Most common business jargon 

Phrase 

% using it daily 

1. It’s a no-brainer 32% 

2. Thinking outside the box 30% 

3. At the end of the day 26% 

4. It’s a win-win situation 26% 

5. Touch base 25% 

6. Going forward 24% 

7. 110 per cent 21% 

8. Close of play 20% 

9. It’s on my radar 19% 

10. Flagging up 19% 

Sources: The Daily Telegraph; www.wonga.com 

More on this topic on Business Spotlight Audio 

Stockbyte 

What they said… 

“If you see a bandwagon, it’s too late” 

Sir James Goldsmith (1933–97), British billionaire industrialist 

“Why join the navy if you can be a 

pirate?” 

Steve Jobs (1955–2011), Apple founder 

“Every day I get up and look through 

the Forbes list of the richest people in 

America. If I’m not there, I go to work” 

Robert Orben, 86, American comedian and political speechwriter 

at the end of the day 

[Ät Di )end Ev DE (deI] UK ifml. 

bandwagon: if you see a ~, 

it’s too late 

[(bÄnd)wÄgEn] 

(bandwagon 

billionaire [)bIljE(neE] 

close of play [)klEUz Ev (pleI] 

flag sth. up [)flÄg (Vp] 

founder [(faUndE] 

going forward [)gEUIN (fO:wEd] 

it’s on my radar 

[Its )Qn maI (reIdA:] 

jargon [(dZA:gEn] 

navy [(neIvi] 

no-brainer: it’s a ~ 

[(nEU breInE] ifml. 

promotion [prE(mEUS&n] 

straight-talking: be ~ 

[(streIt )tO:kIN] 

survey [(s§:veI] 

think outside the box 

[)TINk )aUtsaId DE (bQks] ifml. 

touch base 

[)tVtS (beIs] ifml. 

win-win situation 

[)wIn )wIn )sItSu(eIS&n] 

im Endefekt, letzten 

Endes 

etwa: wer einen 

Trend erkennt, hat 

ihn schon verpasst 

Festwagen mit Musikkapelle) 

Milliardär(in) 

(Geschäfts-)Schluss 

auf etw. hinweisen, etw. 

durchleuchten 

Gründer(in) 

künftig, von jetzt an 

ich behalte es im Auge 

Fachsprache, -jargon 

Marine 

das versteht sich von 

selbst 

Beförderung 

Klartext reden 

Umfrage 

nicht nach Schema F 

denken 

sich mit jmdm. in 

Verbindung setzen 

Situation, von der alle 

Beteiligten profitieren 

“Live as if you were to die 

tomorrow. Learn as if you were 

to live forever” 

Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948), Indian activist 

www You’ll find more stories online: www.business-spotlight.de/news 

3/2013

INDIA 

medium 

Time for (our) tea 

Darjeeling is a luxury brand, the Rolls Royce 

of the tea world. But outside the Darjeeling 

region in India, wholesalers frequently blend 

Darjeeling with less expensive teas while keeping 

the Darjeeling name. 

Now, Darjeeling growers are campaigning to 

limit the use of the name. Like Champagne and 

Cognac, the name Darjeeling is protected under 

intellectual-property laws. Last year, the EU 

agreed to phase out over the next five years 

blended teas that include the name Darjeeling. 

“Darjeeling tea has always been more expensive,” 

says tea industry expert Ranen Datta. 

“And we found that sellers all over the world 

were selling tea under the name Darjeeling,” 

Datta told The New York Times. 

Local tea producers say that protecting the 

name is essential in order to protect Darjeeling’s 

reputation for quality. “The brand name 

Darjeeling was being misused,” says Anil K. 

Jha, superintendent of the Sungma Tea Estate. 

Listen to this text on Business Spotlight Audio 

Mauritius Images 

WIRTSCHAFT | TECHNIK | SPRACHEN 

Exclusive: picking tea leaves 

in the Darjeeling region 

Can$ 38,840 

Amount that the Bank of Canada 

spent to promote its new $20 bill. 

Promotional spending equalled 

1,942 of the new notes. 

blend sth. [blend] 

brand [brÄnd] 

equal sth. [(i:kwEl] 

find sth. [faInd] 

intellectual property 

[IntE)lektSuEl (prQpEti] 

phase sth. out 

[)feIz (aUt] 

superintendent 

[)su:pErIn(tendEnt] 

tea estate [(ti: I)steIt] 

wholesaler [(hEUlseI&lE] 

Source: Maclean’s magazine 

etw. mischen 

Marke 

etw. entsprechen 

hier: etw. feststellen 

geistiges Eigentum; hier: 

gewerblicher Rechtsschutz 

etw. schrittweise 

abbauen 

Inspektor(in); hier: Verwalter(in) 

Teeplantage 

Großhändler(in) 

Jetzt 

4 Wochen 

kostenlos 

testen! 

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Moving 

on 

Zieht man aus beruflichen Gründen in eine andere Stadt oder gar ein anderes Land, muss man viele Dinge 

bedenken und regeln. Alles kein Problem! Es gibt Firmen, die sich um alles kümmern. MARGARET DAVIS hat 

sich mit dem Einsatzleiter des Europäischen Relocation Verbandes unterhalten. 

advanced 

iStockphoto

RELOCATION GLOBAL BUSINESS n 

Moving to another country for work can be 

exciting, and it is often an important step up 

the career ladder at multinational companies. 

But it also involves personal and logistical 

challenges. Here’s where relocation 

companies come in, whose role it is to help companies and 

individuals deal with these challenges. Not surprisingly, 

this is a growing industry in the globally mobile business 

world. 

“The process of being relocated to a new country ranks 

right up there with divorce and redundancy as a life 

stress,” says Dominic Tidey (see interview on page 12), 

operations director at the European Relocation Association 

(EuRA). Why do overseas assignments fail? There are 

many reasons, but false expectations about the job or the 

location, as well as partners and children having trouble 

adjusting, are among the major factors. 

Interestingly, although one might think that moves to a 

completely different culture with a different language 

would have the highest failure rate, in fact, the highest rate 

is for moves between the US and Britain, Tidey says. 

“There is an expectation for American citizens of familiarity 

with Europe, as we have a long shared history and 

many common societal references such as similar political 

systems. But scratch just a little deeper and the commonality 

ends. European social democracies work with an entirely 

different mindset to the American self-determinist 

model.” 

of an international 

move is the cost of living. Housing prices are 

much higher in Europe than in the US, which makes it difficult 

to find equivalent accommodation. As a result, companies 

moving employees from the US to Europe often 

have to provide extra incentives in the form of housing 

allowances and other benefits. (The opposite situation is, 

of course, that someone moving from an expensive European 

city like Paris to an assignment in Omaha will find 

that they are able to afford more luxurious accommodation 

than they would have done at home.) 

For relocation specialists, the job is relatively simple if a 

move involves an improved standard of living for an individual 

or family — better and cheaper housing, good 

schools and so on. It becomes more complicated if the situation 

is reversed, Tidey says. In this case, a relocation expert 

may have to combine the abilities of “a psychiatrist, 

social worker, estate agent, lawyer, marriage counsellor, 

linguistics expert, child psychologist, interior designer, 

intercultural coach, tour guide, personal shopper and dog 

whisperer”. 

is the 

world’s largest relocation company, offering a variety of 

services, including finding and selling houses as well as intercultural 

and language training. In its 2012 survey on4 

Relocation checklist 

If you — or your partner — are about to be transferred to 

another country, here are some questions to think about. 

n Is this a door-to-door move or will your goods be transported 

only as far as the nearest port? 

n Does your company’s relocation package include assistance 

once you’ve arrived at your new location? For example, 

will you receive help with bank accounts, driving 

licences or car insurance as well as necessary translations? 

Will anyone explain the health-care system to you? 

n What about visas and immigration? Will your partner be 

permitted to work? 

n Does the country you are moving to allow you to bring 

your pets? How much will it cost to transport your pet? 

Will transporting put the animal’s health at risk? 

accommodation [E)kQmE(deIS&n] UK 

adjust (to sth.) 

[E(dZVst] 

assignment 

[E(saInmEnt] 

benefit [(benIfIt] 

car insurance [(kA:r In)SUErEns] 

challenge [(tSÄlIndZ] 

coach [kEUtS] 

commonality [)kQmE(nÄlEti] 

divorce [dI(vO:s] 

dog whisperer [(dQg )wIspErE] 

door-to-door move 

[)dO: tE )dO: (mu:v] 

estate agent [I(steIt )eIdZEnt] UK 

goods [gUdz] 

health-care system 

[(helT keE )sIstEm] 

housing allowance [(haUzIN E)laUEns] 

Unterkunft; hier: Zuhause 

sich eingewöhnen; sich (an 

etw.) gewöhnen 

(beruflicher) Einsatz, (befristete) 

Tätigkeit 

Zusatzleistung 

Kfz-Versicherung 

Herausforderung 

Trainer(in) und Berater(in) 

Gemeinsamkeit 

Scheidung 

Hundeflüsterer(in) 

komplett durchgeführter 

Umzug 

Immobilienmakler(in) 

Güter; hier: Umzugsgegenstände 

Gesundheitssystem 

Wohngeld 

housing price [(haUzIN praIs] 

incentive [In(sentIv] 

interior designer [In)tIEriE di(zaInE] 

marriage counsellor 

[(mÄrIdZ )kaUns&lE] 

mindset [(maIndset] 

operations director 

[)QpE(reIS&nz dE)rektE] 

pet [pet] 

redundancy [ri(dVndEnsi] 

relocated: be ~ [)ri:lEU(keItId] 

relocation company 

[)ri:lEU(keIS&n )kVmpEni] 

relocation package 

[)ri:lEU(keIS&n )pÄkIdZ] 

reversed [ri(v§:st] 

scratch deeper [)skrÄtS (di:pE] 

self-determinist model 

[)self di(t§:mInIst )mQd&l] 


Immobilienpreis 

Anreiz 

Innenarchitekt(in) 

Eheberater(in) 

Sichtweise 

für den Betriebsablauf zuständige(r) 

Direktor(in) 

Haustier 

Arbeitslosigkeit 

versetzt werden 

Firma, die den Umzug und 

alle Formalitäten erledigt 

Leistungspaket bei einem 

Standortwechsel 

umgekehrt 

hier: etwas genauer betrachten 

Leitbild, nach dem jeder für 

sich zuständig ist 

Umfrage, Studie 

3/2013 


n GLOBAL BUSINESS RELOCATION 

INTERVIEW 

“Eighty per cent of assignments that fail do so because 

the family doesn’t settle in the new location” 

DOMINIC TIDEY is the operations director 

of the European Relocation Association 

(EuRA). The organization provides training 

and accreditation for companies offering 

relocation services. 

What are the priorities for companies and individuals in a relocation? 

For the company, the most important thing is that the employee goes 

from one job to another with very little interruption. Best practice 

would be a phased transfer, whereby the employee would be mentored 

by the team in the new location before the relocation takes 

place. Settling the family is key. Eighty per cent of assignments that 

fail do so because the family doesn’t settle in the new location. So 

best practice would be that the company would say, “We’re sending 

you to New York for five days. You’ll be staying in a hotel in midtown. 

We’ll show you the areas you want to live in, where the schools 

are, asking what type of school you want.” When the family comes 

back for the long-term transfer, the relocation company will offer a 

range of services, mainly to do with immigration, legal-compliance 

issues, finding the house and settling the children in school. 

You say that’s best practice. Does that happen most of the time? 

It does. If companies have large, globally mobile populations, it’s 

pretty unusual these days for them to run their own relocation programmes. 

When I was a child, my family were moved to the US and 

then to Central America and then to Asia. My mum would go and 

talk to the wife of the last person who had been integrated. That 

doesn’t really happen so much now, because it is important for companies 

to keep the people who generate income for them. So if you’re 

talking about somebody who’s at senior level, who has skills that are 

valuable to a competitor, it’s very important that the company handles 

their mobility programmes so as not to lose people. 

Have you noticed any changes in what companies or individuals expect 

today, compared to what they expected in the past? 

The trend we have seen over the last five or ten years is for much 

lower-funded packages for lower-level, globally mobile people. It is 

becoming more common for middle managers to be transferred. 

More people are coming out of emerging markets who will be transferred 

on shorter assignments to bring skills back or to take skills to 

foreign markets. We’re seeing a lot more basic packages being offered 

to middle managers coming out of China and India, who are 

working for only six months. They won’t get an orientation, and the 

family is much less important. If it’s an emerging market and there 

are a lot of people in the same sort of position, companies are not 

too worried about whether or not they go to a competitor. 

Are language and intercultural training the sort of things that relocation 

companies offer themselves or do they subcontract them? 

It’s a mixture of the two. We’ve got two different types of relocation 

companies. There are relocation management companies that hold 

big global contracts but don’t do the on-the-ground work: they subcontract 

to a destination service provider in the location that the 

company is moving somebody to. Large destination service providers 

will have intercultural trainers and specialists on their teams. Language 

training would probably be outsourced to specialists because 

there are so many language schools. If you were moving to a smaller 

city, like Ottawa, the destination service providers are small, so 

they would outsource intercultural training and language training. 

Language training schools normally also offer intercultural training. 

global relocation trends, Cartus found that employees 

being moved are generally accompanied by a partner. The 

locations where they are being sent present their own challenges, 

the company says. For example, assignments to 

Central and South America raise safety concerns, while 

being relocated to China is likely to result in language 

problems for employees and their families. Finding acceptable 

housing and schools is also a factor for families 

relocated to China. In Africa, limited infrastructure and 

transportation difficulties are listed as typical problems. In 

Central and South America, bureaucracy “adds significantly 

to the time needed to relocate employees”, Cartus says. 

accreditation [E)kredI(teIS&n] 

assignment 

[E(saInmEnt] 

best practice [)best (prÄktIs] 

competitor [kEm(petItE] 

destination [)destI(neIS&n] 

emerging markets [i)m§:dZIN (mA:kIts] 

issue [(ISu:] 

key [ki:] 

legal compliance 

[)li:g&l kEm(plaIEns] 

lower-funded [)lEUE (fVndId] 

mentored: be ~ by sb. 

[(mentO:d] 

Akkreditierung 

(beruflicher) Einsatz, (befristete) 

Tätigkeit 

das optimale Verfahren 

Konkurrenzunternehmen 

Zielort; hier: am Zielort 

Schwellenländer 

Thema 

entscheidend 

Einhaltung gesetzlicher 

Vorschriften 

preisgünstiger 

von jmdm. unterstützt und 

betreut werden 

middle manager [)mId&l (mÄnIdZE] 

on the ground [)Qn DE (graUnd] 

operations director 

[)QpE(reIS&nz dE)rektE] 

relocation [)ri:lEU(keIS&n] 

relocation company 

[)ri:lEU(keIS&n )kVmpEni] 

senior level [)si:niE (lev&l] 

service provider [(s§:vIs prE)vaIdE] 

settle sb. [(set&l] 

subcontract (sth.) to sb. 

[)sVbkEn(trÄkt tu] 

mittlere Führungskraft 

hier: vor Ort 

für den Betriebsablauf zuständige(r) 

Direktor(in) 

(beruflicher) Umzug, Standortwechsel 

Firma, die den Umzug und 

alle Formalitäten erledigt 

Geschäftsführungsebene 

Dienstleistungsunternehmen 

hier: dafür sorgen, dass sich 

jmd. einlebt 

(etw.) an jmdn. weitervergeben 

12 www.business-spotlight.de 3/2013

Mauritius/Alamy 

School days: 

children often 

need help 

when they 

return to their 

homeland 

new options 

for families. “The challenges associated with many of these 

locations — limited schooling options, the need for security 

precautions, and often the cost and scarcity of housing 

— are leading a growing number of companies to consider 

‘split-family’ solutions,” says Cartus executive Ian 

Payne. “In these situations a family may reside in a more 

developed city in the host country, with the assignee travelling 

to the office or plant location, or in some cases the 

family may not make the move at all, but remains in the 

home location for the duration of the assignment.” 

Whether together or apart, families often suffer during 

relocation. “My personal feeling is that HR departments 

are badly distanced from the people they should care about 

assignee [)ÄsaI(ni:] 

Person, die versetzt wird 

bother to do sth. [)bQDE tE (du:] sich die Mühe machen, etw. zu tun 

consulting firm [kEn(sVltIN f§:m] Unternehmensberatung 

duration [dju&(reIS&n] 

Dauer 

executive [Ig(zekjUtIv] 

leitende(r) Angestellte(r) 

expatriate [eks(pÄtriEt] 

dauerhaft im Ausland lebende 

Person 

generate (money) [(dZenEreIt] (Geld) erwirtschaften 

go bad [)gEU (bÄd] 

schlecht verlaufen 

host country [(hEUst )kVntri] Gastland 

HR (human resources) department Personalabteilung 

[)eItS (A: di)pA:tmEnt] 

HR (human resources) manager Personalleiter(in) 

[)eItS (A: )mÄnIdZE] 

item [(aItEm] 

Posten 

let alone [)let E(lEUn] 

geschweige denn 

neglected [nI(glektId] 

vernachlässigt 

odd [Qd] 

merkwürdig 

plant [plA:nt] 

Werk 

posting [(pEUstIN] 

Entsendung; hier: Stelle im Ausland 

re-entry [ri(entri] 

hier: Rückkehr (ins Heimatland) 

repatriation [)ri:)pÄtri(eIS&n] Rückführung 

reside [ri(zaId] 

wohnen 

scarcity [(skeEsEti] 

Knappheit 

security precautions 

Sicherheitsvorkehrungen 

[sI(kjUErEti pri)kO:S&nz] 

soft issue [)sQft (ISu:] 

“weiches” Thema 

split-family solution 

hier etwa: Zweihaushaltslösung 

[)splIt )fÄmli sE(lu:S&n] 

spouse [spaUs] 

Ehepartner(in) 

Returning to the 

home country 

can feel like 

“wearing contact 

lenses in the 

wrong eyes” 

the most,” says expatriate writer 

Amanda Carter. “It’s not employees 

who make postings go 

bad; it’s their families,” Carter 

told ExpatExpert.com. “In most 

postings, HR managers never 

even bother to meet the spouses, 

let alone ask them if they actually 

want to go on assignments.” 

Intercultural relocation expert 

Robin Pascoe agrees. When 

times are tough, spending on 

family support goes down, Pascoe 

says. “Cross-cultural training, 

a soft issue that costs money 

instead of generating it for a 

company, is the first item to be cut from mobility budgets.” 

to Pascoe, is 

repatriation — helping employees and families to readjust 

to life in their home countries on their return. During their 

absence, their home country has changed, while they remember 

it as it was when they left. The company may also 

have changed: returning employees may need to adjust to 

new management and policies or to a new job. “Re-entry 

shock is when you feel like you are wearing contact lenses 

in the wrong eyes,” Pascoe writes. “Everything looks almost 

right.” 

According to a recent survey by consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, 

71 per cent of young people say they 

both want and expect to have an overseas assignment during 

their careers. Dominic Tidey believes it is essential for 

companies to meet those expectations. “It sounds like an 

odd thing to say when Europe is going through a recession 

and we know that in Spain 50 per cent of people under 25 

are out of work, but there will always be a massive demand 

for highly educated, globally mobile young people,” Tidey 

comments. “Companies have to be very clear about how 

they support that, or they will lose those people.” nBS 

For more information 

WEBSITES 

n Cartus relocation services: www.cartus.com 

n The European Relocation Association (EuRA): www.eurarelocation.com 

n Robin Pascoe (ExpatExpert.com) offers online training videos 

for relocating families: www.youtube.com/robinpascoe 

n “Talent mobility: 2020 and beyond” is a report on relocation 

trends by consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers: 

www.pwc.com/gx/en/managing-tomorrows-people/future-ofwork/global-mobility-map.jhtml 

MARGARET DAVIS is a Canadian journalist and is the 

editor of the Careers and Global Business sections of 

Business Spotlight. Contact her at: m.davis@spotlightverlag.de 

3/2013 


■ GLOBAL BUSINESS HEAD-TO-HEAD 

Should we be forced to buy 

low-energy light bulbs? 

Bedeuten die neuen Sparlampen einen Fortschritt für Mensch und Umwelt oder sind sie nichts weiter als eine 

Verkaufsmasche der Beleuchtungsindustrie? VICKI SUSSENS hat von beiden Seiten Argumente eingeholt. medium 

NO! 

“This is nothing 

more than a 

marketing trick” 

HOWARD M. BRANDSTON 

Banning the incandescent light is a declaration of 

war. While we need to save energy, this ban hasn’t 

been properly thought through. We do not have a 

replacement for the traditional light bulb that is 

safe, will save energy, provide good light and is reasonably 

priced. Early studies show that compact fluorescent lamps 

(CFL) and light-emitting diodes (LED) are potentially dangerous 

to our health and the environment. We need more 

research to remove these concerns. Worse, consumers 

haven’t been properly warned about the dangers. 

CFLs have high electromagnetic fields, and we don’t 

know enough about the health effects of filling our homes 

with them. CFLs also contain mercury and are regarded as 

hazardous waste, requiring great care in cleaning up a broken 

bulb. Few local governments have safe methods to dispose 

of them yet, so most CFLs will end up in landfills. We 

also need more research on LEDs, which contain arsenic, 

lead and other poisonous materials. A French study has 

found they harm the sight of young children. 

We have been told CFLs and LEDs will save energy and 

cut carbon emissions. Yet, in June 2012, the US Department 

of Energy found that, on average, CFL manufacturing 

is over four times and LED manufacturing eight times 

more energy intensive than making the traditional bulb. 

Finally, CFLs give an unnatural light. I have designed 

lighting for over 2,500 projects in 60 countries, including 

the Statue of Liberty in New York and the Petronas Towers 

in Kuala Lumpur. The most important part of designing 

a lighting system is selecting the right lights, and I cannot 

with good conscience recommend CLFs or LEDs to my 

clients. Being forced to buy low-energy light bulbs limits my 

ability to do good design. I know many lighting experts 

who have bought a lifetime supply of incandescent bulbs. 

Forcing consumers to buy low-energy bulbs is nothing 

more than a marketing trick. It is another example of a 

huge business lobby using its close relationship with the 

government to help it sell products. This is a symbol of the 

times, and of businesses no longer feeling a duty to society. 

This is not the first time Osram, Philips, General Electric 

and other lighting-industry firms have formed a cartel. 

In 1924, they formed the Phoebus cartel, in which they 

agreed to reduce the hours a bulb burns and to give each 

company exclusive territorial rights. In 1939, antitrust 

laws brought the cartel to an end. 

The lighting industry developed CFLs and LEDs as a 

response to global warming but, despite a huge publicrelations 

campaign, the bulbs didn’t sell. So they used their 

lighting-industry lobby to help write legislation to ban the 

incandescent bulb. We’re now at the mercy of a government-sponsored 

cartel that takes away our choices as consumers, 

and that no antitrust laws can touch. 

HOWARD M. BRANDSTON, the founding partner of the Brandston 

Partnership in New York City, holds a Lifetime Achievement Award 

from the International Association of Lighting Designers and is the 

only lighting designer in the Interior Design Hall of Fame. 

antitrust law [)Änti(trVst lO:] 

arsenic [(A:s&nIk] 

ban (sth.) [bÄn] 

carbon emissions [(kA:bEn i)mIS&nz] 

compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) 

[kEm)pÄkt flO:)res&nt (lÄmp] 

consumer [kEn(sju:mE] 

department [di(pA:tmEnt] 

founding partner [)faUndIN (pA:tnE] 

hazardous waste [)hÄzEdEs (weIst] 

incandescent light 

[InkÄn)des&nt (laIt] 

landfill [(lÄndfIl] 

lead [led] 

legislation [)ledZI(sleIS&n] 

light bulb [(laIt bVlb] 

light-emitting diode (LED) 

[)laIt i)mItIN (daIEUd] 

lighting [(laItIN] 

mercury [(m§:kju&ri] 

mercy: be at the ~ of sb. [(m§:si] 

research [ri(s§:tS] 

Kartellgesetz 

Arsen 

Verbot; etw. verbieten 

CO 2 -Emissionen 

Kompaktleuchtstofflampe, 

Energiesparlampe ugs. 

Verbraucher(in) 

hier: Ministerium 

Gründungsgesellschafter(in) 

Sonder-, Giftmüll 

Glühlicht, Glühlampe 

(Müll-)Deponie 

Blei 

Gesetze 

Glühbirne 

Leuchtdiode 

Beleuchtung, Licht 

Quecksilber 

jmdm. ausgeliefert sein 

Forschung, Studien 


Hemera 

The big question: who benefits 

most if we change our lights? 

YES! 

“My test is 

simple: does my 

wife like these 

new lamps?” 

PETER HUNT 

One often-quoted idea — that the phasing out of incandescent 

lamps is removing consumers’ choice 

— is wrong. In my 35 years in the lighting industry, 

I have never seen so much choice: halogen 

lamps, CFLs, LEDs of every shape and cap type. The 

choice is actually now so great that there is a real problem 

in educating consumers to understand the differences, 

correct applications and benefits of each, including the 

payback periods for the more expensive types. 

Energy costs are rising and will continue to do so. Would 

it be right for governments to ignore this and not act 

against inefficient technologies that are well over a century 

old? By phasing out those inefficient technologies, governments 

around the world are encouraging innovation in 

the lighting market. The industry has responded with enthusiasm, 

developing products that can save nearly 90 per 

cent of the energy the old ones consume, while delivering 

quality lighting. 

Most lighting experts agree that CFLs are a transitional 

technology. In Europe, the phasing out of the old bulb has 

been planned to give the industry time to develop better alternatives, 

which indeed are arriving every day. 

Less expensive alternatives are still available in the form 

of halogens with improved efficiency. And, yes, they look 

great. But for me, why would I want to burn so much energy 

and buy a new lamp every 18 months when I can get 

what I want for less? 

Good-quality LEDs are still relatively expensive but 

prices are dropping fast as they sell more, and the market 

becomes more competitive. LEDs bring us other advantages. 

Their small size and low heat provide new design opportunities, 

and lighting can now be installed in places it 

could never have been before. The new technology also 

brings us colour changing and intelligent controls that can 

adjust to our biorhythms, respond to daylight and improve 

our well-being. Even our streets can be lit with a bright 

white light — no more dull yellow glow. 

My test is simple: does my wife like these new lamps? 

For years, I’ve been given new lamps to take home and test, 

and I do. I put the early CFLs of the 1980s into shaded 

lamps without her knowing. But by the time I arrived 

home the next day, they had been removed. In recent years, 

as CFL technology improved, I changed a few that she 

hasn’t noticed yet. The first LED retrofit lamps suffered the 

same fate because she didn’t like the cold, blue light. Not 

now. I have successfully replaced over 60 lights in our 

house with LEDs, and she noticed. They were brighter and 

had a better colour; she liked them and they stayed. When 

we improved our kitchen this year, the first thing she asked 

for was LED lighting. They passed the test. 

I have a whole lot of replacement incandescent lamps in 

my garage. I can’t bring myself to get rid of them but I 

know I’ll never use them. 

■BS 

PETER HUNT is head of The Lighting Association, Europe’s 

largest lighting trade association, as well as a board member of 

the European lighting-industry association LightingEurope. 

board member [(bO:d )membE] 

cap [kÄp] 

competitive [kEm(petEtIv] 

controls [kEn(trEUlz] 

dull [dVl] 

often-quoted [)Qf&n (kwEUtId] 

payback period [(peIbÄk )pIEriEd] 

phase sth. out [)feIz (aUt] 

Vorstandsmitglied 

Sockel 

wettbewerbsbetont 

Bedienelemente, Steuerung 

matt 

oft zitiert 

Amortisationszeitraum 

etw. allmählich abschaffen, 

auslaufen lassen 

nachgerüstete Lampe 

Schirmlampe 

Wirtschafts-, Fachverband 

Übergangs- 

Wohlbefinden 

retrofit lamp [(retrEUfIt lÄmp] 

shaded lamp [)SeIdId (lÄmp] 

trade association [(treId EsEUsi)eIS&n] 

transitional [)trÄn(zIS&nEl] 

well-being [)wel (bi:IN] 

3/2013 


Al Gore: warning the world about the 

dangers of ignoring the future 

Getty Images 

Future 

Was treibt den globalen Wandel in Wirtschaft, Politik, Gesellschaft und Technologie tatsächlich an? 

Welche Rolle spielen dabei Lobbyisten? In seinem neuen Buch geht der frühere US-Vizepräsident Al Gore 

diesen und anderen Zukunftsfragen nach. VICKI SUSSENS hat sich mit seinen Visionen befasst. advanced 

Al Gore, former US vice president, was often in 

the news after his 2006 documentary An 

Inconvenient Truth focused attention on global 

warming. In the past few years, we haven’t 

heard much from him. Now we know why. 

Eight years ago, someone asked him what he thought was 

driving global change. The next morning, he had a long 

flight home and began thinking about answers. Although 

he was still a climate campaigner, he became “obsessed” 

with the subject. Two years ago, he realized that the question 

would not let him go until he had fully answered it, 

as he writes in his new book, The Future: Six Drivers of 

Global Change. Released in January, with a planned German 

version in 2014, it’s become Gore’s new crusade. But 

will it end in as much controversy as his climate-change 

activism? The first signs suggest that it may. 

In particularly bad timing, The Future came out just after 

Gore had sold Current TV to Al Jazeera, which is 

backed by the Qatar government. The sale of the channel, 

which Gore started with businessman Joel Hyatt in 2002, 

personally earned him $100 million. So it’s not surprising 

that the media have focused more on this sale than on his 

book. “The next time you see Al Gore on TV telling us 

how evil fossil fuels are, remember this: that fat gold Rolex 

on his chubby little wrist was paid for by oil,” wrote one 

blogger on The Telegraph website. 

This is a pity, because The Future is an impressive 

attempt to connect the dots in a world many no longer 

back sb./sth. [bÄk] 

chubby [(tSVbi] 

connect the dots [kE)nekt DE (dQts] 

crusade [kru:(seId] 

driver [(draIvE] 

fossil fuel [)fQs&l (fju:El] 

obsessed: become ~ with sth. [Eb(sest] 

Qatar [(kÄtA:] 

release sth. [ri(li:s] 

jmdn./etw. unterstützen 

rundlich, plump 

Zusammenhänge herstellen 

Kreuzzug; hier: Kampagne 

Antriebsfaktor 

fossiler Brennstoff 

von etw. besessen sein 

Katar 

etw. veröffentlichen 


PROFILE GLOBAL BUSINESS ■ 

A CLOSER LOOK 

Limousine liberal is a term Americans use for rich politicians 

on the left, who are seen to be hypocrites because, for example, 

they tell people to use public transport while they 

themselves are driven around in limousines. 

understand. It may be long (374 pages) and dry (it is 

packed with information), but it is an important read. The 

problem, though, is that Gore the man often gets in the 

way of Gore the visionary, as his public life shows. 

The young Gore swept to fame at the side of Bill Clinton 

in the US election campaign they won in 1992. Wearing 

blue jeans and sneakers, the two promised freshness, 

fairness and a revitalization of the American dream. Environmentalists 

were delighted when Gore, the author of 

Earth in the Balance, became vice president. 

However, he never seemed comfortable as a politician. 

In fact, as The New York Times wrote about him when, 

after two terms with Clinton, he campaigned to become 

president in 2000: “Deep down he suspects 

it is dishonourable to be a politician, and 

this can make him a bad one.” He can also 

appear unnatural and arrogant. After a TV 

election debate in 2000, political analyst 

Stuart Rothenberg wrote: “[t]he vice president 

... looked and sounded about as 

appealing as a case of the flu.” After losing 

the election and leaving politics, Gore has remained in the 

business of looking after the public’s interests. His main 

concern now is warning the world about what he calls “the 

almost pathological silence concerning the most important 

challenges we face, and a dangerous collective disregard for 

the future consequences of our present actions”. However, 

he still has to learn the importance of image, and in 

particular, if you point fingers at those ruining the world, 

you need to be squeaky clean yourself. 

When he called on Americans to cut down their 

energy bills in An Inconvenient Truth, it didn’t take long for 

journalists to discover that his 20-room, eight-bathroom 

home in Nashville was using more energy in a month than 

the average American household did in a year. Soon, cartoons 

appeared showing, for example, Gore’s giant carbon 

footprint as a pair of boots stretching halfway across the 

globe. 

It didn’t help Gore’s case that he pushed very strongly in 

2009 for the US government to implement a cap-and-trade 

system, which encourages firms to cut the carbon they emit 

by giving them carbon credits. These can be traded on 

carbon-exchange markets. Gore invested in firms that 

would broker these trades, which, had the government approved 

the system, could have earned him billions. When 

a US senator questioned him about this conflict of interests, 

he said he was putting his money where his mouth is. “Do 

you think there is something wrong with being active in 

business in this country?” he asked. “I am proud of it.” 

By the 2012 US election campaign, as Gore laments in 

The Future, few questions were asked about climate change. 

Now, Gore is again being seen as a “limousine liberal”, with 

cartoons showing him “going greener” by filling his pockets 

with green dollar bills from Big Oil. But let’s forget for 

a moment that Gore may have tried to profit from climate 

change. And let’s also forget that he has got rich on the 

same system he criticizes in The Future as destroying 

democracy. After all, he won’t be the first visionary with 

private weaknesses. So what does the book say? 

Gore says both capitalism and democracy have 

been “hacked”. Powerful, interconnected global corporations, 

which he calls Earth Inc., have bought their way into 

politics in order to create great wealth for themselves at the 

expense of not only the rest of society but also the environment. 

Society has changed its incentive system, which once 

rewarded hard-working Americans with the promise of the 

“The fat gold Rolex on his chubby 

little wrist was paid for by oil” 

American dream, to one in which short-term benefits are 

given priority over long-term rewards. The result is growing 

inequality. But also, we are not fulfilling our duty to 

protect the fruits of this earth for future generations. 

Those who usually report wrongdoing, investigative reporters, 

are not doing their job, not only because the print 

media can no longer afford well-paid journalists, but also 

appealing [E(pi:&lIN] 

einnehmend, reizvoll 

Big Oil [)bIg (OI&l] 

die Ölmultis 

billion [(bIljEn] 

Milliarde(n) 

broker sth. [(brEUkE] 

etw. vermitteln 

cap and trade 

Emissionshandel mit festen 

[)kÄp En (treId] 

Obergrenzen 

carbon credit [)kA:bEn (kredIt] Emissionszertifikat 

carbon-exchange market 

Emissionshandelsbörse 

[)kA:bEn Iks(tSeIndZ )mA:kIt] 

carbon footprint [)kA:bEn (fUtprInt] CO 2 -Fußabdruck, -Bilanz 

case of the flu [)keIs Ev DE (flu:] Grippeerkrankung 

disregard [)dIsri(gA:d] 

Missachtung 

Earth Inc. (Incorporated) 

etwa: die Welt der 

[)§:T (INk] 

Großunternehmen 

emit sth. [i(mIt] 

etw. ausstoßen 

fame: sweep to ~ [feIm] 

auf einen Schlag bekannt werden 

hypocrite [(hIpEkrIt] 

Heuchler(in) 

incentive [In(sentIv] 

Anreiz 

lament (sth.) [lE(ment] 

(etw.) beklagen 

limousine [)lImE(zi:n] 

Luxuslimousine (mit Chauffeur) 

put one’s money where one’s mouth is seinen Worten Taten folgen 

[)pUt wVnz )mVni weE wVnz (maUT Iz] lassen 

squeaky clean 

blitzsauber; hier: ohne Fehl 

[)skwi:ki (kli:n] ifml. 

und Tadel 

suspect sth. [sE(spekt] 

etw. argwöhnisch vermuten 

term [t§:m] 

hier: Amtszeit 

wrongdoing [(rQN)du:IN] 

Vergehen, Fehlverhalten 

4 

3/2013 


■ GLOBAL BUSINESS PROFILE 

because powerful interest groups control the media. The 

result is that the media no longer have sufficient integrity 

and independence to play their essential role in democracy. 

At the same time, we have made what Gore calls a “Faustian 

pact” with new technologies that excite us now, but 

that are being pushed through with little understanding of 

their impact. For example, internet users accept a certain 

loss of privacy in order to enjoy the benefits of being connected. 

However, the growing ability of governments to collect 

data on individuals threatens to put into place a Big 

Brother mechanism, which is a serious threat to liberty. 

The problem, says Gore, is that, while power in the 

global economy has moved away from nation states to 

private players, we are still applying national policies, regional 

strategies and economic measures that are no longer 

relevant. For example, by outsourcing and automating 

factories and services, businesses have increased their productivity. 

Policymakers count this as progress, because 

productivity is still regarded as “the Holy Grail of progress”. 

Yet, outsourcing and automation are killing jobs 

and the power of workers to negotiate good conditions. 

The focus on GDP to measure economic success is also 

harmful, because it excludes essential indicators of economic 

health, such as sustainability and levels of equality. 

And with Earth Inc. using its power to make sure policies 

“The media no longer play their 

essential role in democracy” 

serve the market rather than the people, there is a chronic 

underinvestment in education, health care and other 

public services. Greece, Ireland, Italy and Spain, for example, 

are being forced to make policy choices based on what 

is good for the global marketplace rather than on the 

democratically expressed will of their citizens. By the end 


capital flow [(kÄpIt&l flEU] 

compete [kEm(pi:t] 

device [di(vaIs] 

Faustian pact [)faUstiEn (pÄkt] 

GDP (gross domestic product) 

[)dZi: di: (pi:] 

genetic modification 

[dZE)netIk )mQdIfI(keIS&n] 

Goliath [gE(laIET] 

health care [(helT keE] 

Holy Grail [)hEUli (greI&l] 

impact [(ImpÄkt] 

life sciences [)laIf (saIEnsIz] 

negotiate sth. [nI(gEUSieIt] 

policymaker [(pQlEsi)meIkE] 

privacy [(prIvEsi] 

restore sth. [ri(stO:] 

sustainability [sE)steInE(bIlEti] 

unsustainable [)VnsE(steInEb&l] 

Milliarde(n) 

Kapitalfluss, -strom 

konkurrieren 

Gerät 

Teufelspakt 

BIP (Bruttoinlandsprodukt) 

gentechnische Veränderung(en) 


Gesundheitswesen 

Heiliger Gral 

(Aus-)Wirkung(en) 

Biowissenschaften 

etw. aushandeln 

politische(r) Entscheidungsträger(in) 

Privatsphäre 

etw. wiederherstellen 

Nachhaltigkeit 

nicht nachhaltig 

The six forces driving global change 

In his book The Future, former US vice president Al Gore 

identifies six forces changing the world: 

■ The deeply connected global economy, which has developed 

a completely new relationship to capital flow, 

labour, consumer markets and national governments. 

■ Digital communications connecting billions of people, 

as well as increasingly intelligent devices, robots and 

thinking machines. 

■ A new balance of political, economic and military power, 

which is moving away from nation states towards 

private actors and markets. 

■ Unsustainable growth in population and the size of 

cities, along with environmental destruction. 

■ A revolutionary new set of powerful biological, biochemical, 

genetic and material-science technologies. 

■ A new relationship between the power of human civilization 

and the earth’s ecological systems. 

of the book, one hopes for answers, and Gore does, in fact, 

identify the reforms necessary for change. 

At the top of his list is the need to rebuild confidence in 

market capitalism and democracy. He sees the internet as 

providing an opportunity to re-establish the healthy public 

forums needed for democracy that traditional media no 

longer provide. However, it must be protected 

from dominance by interest groups. To restore 

the usefulness of capitalism, he calls for better 

measures of value. They should, for example, 

be able to identify “hyper inequality”. Capitalist 

incentive systems must be changed to prevent 

short-term thinking. And public services 

must again be recognized as essential to building a healthy 

economy. We also need much stricter controls on experiments 

in life sciences, and especially, to make sure the 

genetic modification of plants and animals is not being 

driven by short-term profit. 

But who should make these changes, given the 

failure of politics? You and I, it seems. Gore hopes that ordinary 

people, using the internet, will force change collectively 

— which brings us back to the limousine liberal. Gore 

was himself in a position to create change from within the 

ranks of power. He says he sold Current TV to Al Jazeera 

because it couldn’t compete with the media conglomerates 

in the US. Instead of importing Al Jazeera to solve 

his problem, he should have used Current TV as a highprofile 

case to fight those conglomerates. He had a chance 

to play David versus Goliath and he didn’t even try. ■BS 

VICKI SUSSENS is a South African journalist and 

an editor at Business Spotlight, with a special 

focus on man agement and social issues. Contact: 

v.sussens@spotlight-verlag.de 


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BUSINESS PRESS GLOBAL BUSINESS ■ 

Behind the headlines 

Headlines in the English-language media are often difficult to understand because they use jargon and 

wordplay, and leave out words. Here, we look at the meaning of recent business headlines. 

advanced 

Financial Times 

The Economist 

Gone fission: This is a play on the fixed phrase “gone fishing”, 

which means “taking a break from something”. Here, 

it refers to investors taking a break from investing in 

nuclear power plants, which are now seen as uncertain investments. 

The word “fission” is used because it is a 

nuclear term (“nuclear fission”) and sounds like “fishin’”, 

an American way of saying “fishing”. 

In simple English: Moving away from nuclear energy. 

International Herald Tribune 

Chips off the old block: This is a play on words. If someone 

is a “chip off the old block”, they are just like one of 

their parents. The idiom refers, literally, to a wood chip 

taken from a block of wood. Note that one normally does 

not use “chip” in the plural form in this idiom. Here, 

“chips” refers to electronic chips and is the key to what the 

story is about: the electronic devices available for parents 

to track their children. 

In simple English: Electronic child-tracking devices for 

parents. 

The Wall Street Journal 

German automakers: Here, the German carmakers Daimler, 

BMW and Volkswagen are meant. 

cash in on: If you “cash in on” something, you get some 

form of reward for an action you have taken. Here, the reward 

is financial and comes from selling cars. 

push: This means a “big effort to make something happen”. 

to woo: If you “woo” someone, you do something to win 

that person’s support. German carmakers won support for 

their business in America by continuing to produce cars 

there at a time when other carmakers moved their factories 

to cheaper countries, such as China. 

U.S. drivers: Car owners in the United States. 

In simple English: German carmakers are selling well in the 

US after a big effort to win the support of car owners there. 

bond [bQnd] 

Anleihe 

break [breIk] 

hier: Auszeit 

cash in on sth. [)kÄS (In Qn] ifml. aus etw. Kapital schlagen 

chip [tSIp] 

Span; Computerchip 


Gerät 

fission [(fIS&n] 

Spaltung; hier: Kernspaltung 

literally [(lIt&rEli] 

wörtlich 

mortgage debt [(mO:gIdZ det] Hypothekenschuld(en) 

nuclear power plant 

Atomkraftwerk 

[)nju:kliE (paUE plA:nt] 

track sb. [trÄk] 

jmdm. nachspüren; hier: jmdn. orten 

treasury [(treZEri] 

Schatzamt 

woo sb. [wu:] 

jmdn. umwerben 

word string [(w§:d strIN] Wörterkette 

Fed: This is the informal name of the US central banking 

system, the Federal Reserve. 

bond buying: This refers to the buying of bonds in a programme 

started by the Fed in September 2012. The idea 

was to add to their bond portfolio by buying mortgage 

debt. 

risks cuts: The word string “buying risks cuts” is hard to 

interpret because each of these three words can be both a 

noun and a verb. In this case, “buying” is a gerund, so 

“Fed bond buying” is the subject. “Risks” is the verb and 

“cuts” is a noun (the object is “cuts to treasury payout”). 

This programme is risky because the Fed may have to sell 

bonds later at a loss. 

Treasury: The US Treasury. 

payout: This refers to the profits earned by the Fed, which 

are paid into the US Treasury. 

In simple English: The Fed’s bond programme risks losing 

money for the US Treasury. 

www Are you confused by the language in the press? Keep your 

English up to date at www.business-spotlight.de/news 

3/2013 


A good start: medical workers 

must be open to other cultures 

Healthy 

communication 

Für die einen bedeutet Krankheit der Befall von Keimen, für die anderen ein Ungleichgewicht zwischen Yin 

und Yang. ROBERT GIBSON erklärt, warum Ärzte und Pflegepersonal auch über interkulturelle Kompetenzen 

verfügen sollten, um Patienten aus aller Herren Länder wirksam behandeln zu können. 

advanced 

Fuse

CULTURE AND MEDICAL CARE INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION ■ 

As the patient population becomes ever more diverse 

in many countries, health practitioners 

must learn to treat their patients in a culturally 

sensitive way. This is often difficult, as there 

are major cultural differences in attitudes to 

health, illness and health care around the world. Because 

of the diverse nature of the US population, it is not surprising 

that many approaches to intercultural health care have 

been developed there. 

The differences begin with the definition of what constitutes 

health. While in Western countries, health might be 

defined as the absence of harmful bacteria, commonly 

known as “germs”, in China, the definition is traditionally 

more likely to involve harmony between yin and yang. 

While in some cultures, it is considered healthy to be slim, 

in others, being overweight is seen as a sign of affluence 

and well-being. 

A question of attitude 

Attitudes to treatment differ, too. While some patients will 

expect to be given medicine when they visit a doctor, others 

may view this as unnecessary and even as a sign that 

they don’t trust in fate or in God’s power to heal them. In 

Western cultures, fitting the mouth with braces is a standard 

dental procedure to correct the 

position of a child’s teeth; in other 

cultures, this is seen as a form 

of cruelty. 

Medical journalist Lynn Payer 

writes in Medicine and Culture 

(see “For more information”, 

page 26) that low blood pressure 

is viewed as a sign of health in the US but as a sickness in 

Germany. The cure for a German with low blood pressure 

could simply be to move to another country! 

Attitudes to death also vary widely across cultures. In 

some societies, it is considered normal to talk about death 

in a direct way, while in others, this is not only undesirable 

but it is also believed that it can even speed up the loss of 

life. 

The Institute of Medicine in the US reports that racial 

and ethnic minorities tend to receive a lower quality of 

health care than other groups, even when patients’ insurance 

status and income are considered. The institute 

claims that stereotyping, bias and uncertainty on the part 

of health-care workers all contribute to this unequal treatment. 

Problems occur when doctors and nurses insist on 

their own approach rather than considering the different 

attitudes of their patients. 

Doctor and patient 

A key area in which cultural differences are important is 

the relationship between the doctor and the patient. Communication 

is often the first problem. Patients may have 

difficulty expressing themselves in a foreign language or 

have a way of talking about their symptoms that is different 

from what their doctor is used to. People learn to express 

symptoms in ways that are acceptable to other 

members of their own culture. People have different associations 

with symptoms and causes in different cultures. 

For example, some people connect headache with stress, 

while for others, stress is connected to stomach pains. Even 

Attitudes to health, illness and treatment 

vary widely across cultures 

if patients speak the foreign language, they may not know 

the medical vocabulary needed to talk about their condition 

or to understand the diagnosis provided by the doctor. 

When it comes to treatment, doctors should keep in 

mind that patients may not follow medical advice, either 

because they have not understood it or because they do not 

trust their doctor. Doctors also need to be aware that their 

advice could be misinterpreted. For example, when a doctor 

says, “Take one pill”, is this a single action or does it 

affluence [(ÄfluEns] 

Wohlstand 

attitude [(ÄtItju:d] 

Einstellung 

bias [(baIEs] 

Vorurteil(e) 

mean “one pill per day”? As in all intercultural encounters, 

braces [(breIsIz] 

Zahnspange(n) 

it pays to make your message more explicit than you 

constitute sth. [(kQnstItju:t] 

etw. ausmachen 

cure [kjUE] 

Heilmethode 

would when dealing with people from your own culture. 

encounter [In(kaUntE] 

Begegnung 

It is also important to give and get more feedback than you 

germ [dZ§:m] 

Keim 

might normally do in order to make sure that you have understood 

your patients and that they have understood you. 

health care [(helT keE] 

medizinische Versorgung 

health practitioner 

Mediziner(in), medizinische 

[(helT prÄk)tIS&nE] 

Fachkraft 

In cultures with a high level of respect for hierarchy, the 

hierarchy [(haI&rA:ki] 


doctor’s decision may not be questioned as easily as in a 

insurance status [In(SUErEns )steItEs] Versicherungsstatus 

occur [E(k§:] 

auftreten 

culture with lower power distance (see Business Spotlight 

pay: it ~s to do sth. [peI] 

es lohnt sich, etw. zu tun 2/2013). In high power-distance cultures, nurses may expect 

to be given very precise instructions by their superi- 

power distance [(paUE )dIstEns] 

Machtdistanz 

sensitive [(sensEtIv] 

einfühlsam 

slim [slIm] 

schlank 

ors and may not take the sort of initiative that might be expected 

of nurses in cultures with flatter hierarchies. superior [su(pIEriE] Vorgesetzte(r) 4 

3/2013 


■ INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION CULTURE AND MEDICAL CARE 

Key concepts 

Person- and task-orientation 

When you work with people, you are inevitably involved 

with both people and tasks. Different cultures differ 

in their focus. While members of some cultures tend to 

focus first on the task and later on the person involved, 

people in other cultures need to spend time building 

relationships before they focus on the task at hand. 

Neither of these concepts is good or bad in itself, but it 

is important to know about the preference of the person 

or group you are dealing with and to adjust your behaviour 

accordingly. If task-oriented people are faced with 

someone who spends a lot of time trying to get to know 

them (for instance, by using small talk or going out for a 

meal together before doing the work), they may see 

this as a waste of time and be frustrated. If someone is 

person-oriented and their business partner wants to 

get down to business too quickly, they may be disturbed 

by what they see as a lack of interest in them personally 

as well as in the relationship. 

Person or task? 

Acceptable? Does his culture 

permit a woman to touch him? 

In person-oriented cultures (see “Key concepts”, this page), 

patients may expect doctors to spend time building up a 

relationship by making small talk or talking about their 

families rather than just concentrating on the medical aspects 

of the diagnosis or treatment. In task-oriented cultures, 

doctors tend to see themselves as neutral professional advisers 

who concentrate on the facts, even in the case of lifethreatening 

diseases. Examples of communicating bad 

news to geriatric patients from different cultures are to be 

found on the website of Stanford University’s School of 

Medicine (see “For more information”, page 26). 

Different attitudes to intimacy and modesty also have to 

be taken into consideration. Is it acceptable for a Muslim 

woman to undress in front of a male doctor? Can a patient 

Alamy/Mauritius 

adjust sth. [E(dZVst] 

get down to business 

[)get )daUn tE (bIznEs] 

inevitably [In(evItEbli] 

modesty [(mQdEsti] 

etw. anpassen 

zur Sache/zum Geschäftlichen 

kommen 

unweigerlich 

Sittsamkeit 


Two pills a day: or was it 

one pill twice a day? 

iStockphoto 

Health professionals need to be aware of the cultural 

background of their patients, while avoiding stereotypes 

in a hospital ward be examined in public with doctors, 

consultants and junior staff? These questions need to be 

considered if patient satisfaction is to be guaranteed. 

Normal? 

What is considered to be “normal” differs widely across 

cultures. What some people consider to be hysterical behaviour 

will seem quite normal to others. Of course, this 

is of particular importance when dealing with patients with 

psychological complaints. People in different cultures have 

different attitudes to pain. While the British are often 

bring sb. up [)brIN (Vp] 

hospital ward [(hQspIt&l wO:d] 

impending [Im(pendIN] 

junior staff [)dZu:niE (stA:f] 

leave sth. up to sb. [)li:v (Vp tu] 

midwife [(mIdwaIf] 

painkiller [(peIn)kIlE] 

stiff upper lip: have a ~ [)stIf )VpE (lIp] 

terminally ill [)t§:mIn&li (Il] 

jmdn. erziehen 

Krankenstation 

bevorstehend 

Arzt/Ärztin im Praktikum, 

Assistenzarzt/-ärztin 

jmdm. etw. überlassen 

Hebamme 

Schmerzmittel 

Haltung bewahren 

todkrank 

brought up not to complain about pain and to have a “stiff 

upper lip”, many Americans are used to being open about 

their symptoms. A midwife reports that the loud screams 

accompanying childbirth, which were the cultural norm 

for the patient, were interpreted by hospital staff in another 

culture as an urgent need for strong painkillers. 

Role of family members 

The extent to which family members are involved in caring 

for a patient also varies widely. In some societies, health 

care is largely delegated to the state or to private institutions, 

while in others, the primary responsibility lies with 

the family. 

What does the hospital provide and what is left up to 

friends and family members to offer as support? For example, 

are meals served by the hospital or is it the responsibility 

of the relatives to arrange for them? What role 

should the family play when caring for a terminally ill patient? 

How should the impending death of the patient be 

communicated? 

4 

3/2013 


n INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION CULTURE AND MEDICAL CARE 

Culture clues 

The University of Washington Medical Center provides a 

number of suggestions to help doctors treat patients from 

different cultures (see “For more information”, below). 

Here are some of them: 

n Help your patients to feel comfortable. This may include 

explaining the health-care system to them. Involve an 

interpreter, if necessary. Involve family members in care 

and in decisions as appropriate. 

n Establish a relationship with your patients. Treat them as 

they want to be treated, not how you would want to be treated. 

Ask your patients how they would like to be addressed 

(first name or family name?). 

n Provide health information in ways your patients accept. 

Find out about religious or spiritual beliefs that might have 

an impact on health care. 

n Maintain good communication with patients. Respect 

your patients’ interpretation of their illness. Use open questions 

(instead of yes/no questions) to check that you have 

a common understanding. 

n Show your patients respect. This involves understanding 

their cultural norms: beliefs about the causes of illness, the 

appropriate physical distance to be maintained, eye contact, 

touching, decision-making, birth customs, food, 

clothing. 

Avoiding stereotypes 

When treating patients from different cultural groups, it is 

very important for health professionals to avoid stereotyping. 

Just because people come from a particular culture or 

ethnic group doesn’t necessarily mean that they are typical 

members of that group. It is essential to keep three key 

questions in mind when treating a patient: 

n In what ways is this patient like all human beings? 

n In what ways is this patient like some human beings (for 

example, other members of the same culture)? 

n In what ways is this person like no other human being? 

Solutions 

Just as people working in international business need intercultural 

competence to be effective in their work, health 

professionals need to be aware of the cultural background 

of their patients, while at the same time avoiding stereotypes. 

Sometimes, it is necessary to have help from 

someone who can translate not only the language 

of the patient but also the culture. Especially in 

serious cases, a medical-cultural mediator can be 

appropriate [E(prEUpriEt] 

clue [klu:] 

edit sth. [(edIt] 

end-of-life care sheet 

[)end Ev )laIf (keE Si:t] 

family physician [)fÄmli fI(zIS&n] 

health-care system 

[(helT keE )sIstEm] 

health professional [(helT prE)feS&nEl] 

impact: have an ~ on sth. 

[(ImpÄkt] 

interpreter [In(t§:prItE] 

resource [ri(zO:s] 

senior consultant [)si:niE kEn(sVltEnt] 

angebracht, situationsgerecht 

Hinweis, Tipp 

etw. herausgeben 

etwa: Ratgeber für Sterbebegleitung 

Hausarzt/-ärztin 

Gesundheitswesen, medizinische 

Versorgung 

Mediziner(in) 

eine Auswirkung auf etw. 

haben 

Dolmetscher(in) 

hier: Informationsquelle 

leitende(r) Berater(in) 

essential for effective treatment. For those working under 

extreme pressure and with a wide range of different 

cultures, all this can be a considerable challenge. It is not 

surprising that more and more training programmes for 

doctors and nurses are including modules in interculturalcompetence 

development. 

nBS 


BOOKS AND ARTICLES 

n “Intercultural Competence in Health Care: Developing Skills 

for Interculturally Competent Care”, Rohini Anand, Indra 

Lahiri, in The SAGE Handbook of Intercultural Competence, 

edited by Darla K. Deardorff, Sage Publications, Inc. 

n Medicine and Culture, Lynn Payer, Henry Holt and Company 

Ltd. 

n Understanding Culture’s Influence on Behavior, Richard 

Brislin, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers 

WEBSITES 

n “Culture Clues” and “End-of-Life Care” sheets provided 

by the University of Washington Medical Center: 

http://depts.washington.edu/pfes/CultureClues.htm 

n Management Sciences for Health site: http://erc.msh.org 

n Video case studies on intercultural health care provided 

by the Stanford University School of Medicine: http:// 

geriatrics.stanford.edu/video 

n Web-based resources for cross-cultural medicine are provided 

by the journals of the American Academy of Family 

Physicians: www.aafp.org 

Listen to Robert Gibson on Business Spotlight Audio 

plus You’ll find a related quiz in Business Spotlight plus 

www Read Robert Gibson’s blog at www.business-spotlight.de/blogs 

ROBERT GIBSON is a senior consultant for intercultural 

business competence at Siemens AG in Munich 

(www.siemens.com) and the author of Intercultural 

Business Communication (Cornelsen). Contact: 

gibson.rob@siemens.com 


LOOKING BACK INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION ■ 

“Croatians are often critical of everyone and everything 

— especially of those in power” 

MAJA SIROLA ON PEOPLE AND POLITICS IN CROATIA 

medium 

We are our 

worst enemy! 

In dieser Kolumne berichten unsere Mitarbeiter über ihre Heimatländer. 

MAJA SIROLA wirft einen Blick auf die Politik und Wirtschaft Kroatiens und 

die Zustände im Land vor dem EU-Beitritt im Laufe dieses Jahres. 

Shortly before Croatia’s last parliamentary 

elections, in December 2011, 

I visited Dubrovnik. In a country of 

just 4 million people, I counted more 

than 100 parties, representing interest 

groups as diverse as peasants, pensioners, 

minorities and various regions. 

An alliance of four centre-left parties 

won the election. The alliance 

calls itself “Kukuriku” because it was 

founded in a restaurant of the same 

name near my home town, Rijeka. 

“Kukuriku” is the sound a cock 

makes at dawn. Was this meant to be 

symbolic of a new beginning? 

Croatia’s economy has been hit 

hard by the recession. Unemployment 

is currently 22 per cent, and the country’s 

credit rating has been downgraded 

to “junk”. The average wage 

is around €700 a month, most of 

which is spent on food and rent. To 

alliance [E(laIEns] 

charge [tSA:dZ] 

credit rating [(kredIt )reItIN] 

dawn: at ~ [dO:n] 

downgrade sth. [)daUn(greId] 

embarrassment: be an ~ to sb. [Im(bÄrEsmEnt] 

entry [(entri] 

extended family [Ik)stendId (fÄmli] 

found sth. [faUnd] 

Hague: The ~ [(heIg] 

junk [dZVNk] ifml. 

peasant [(pez&nt] 

reshuffle [(ri:)SVf&l] 

resign [ri(zaIn] 

tribunal [traI(bju:n&l] 

reduce living expenses, over 20 per 

cent of Croatians live in an extendedfamily 

household. 

While in Dubrovnik, I could see how 

fresh the wounds still are from the 

War of Independence (1991–95). 

Candles were lit everywhere in memory 

of the fallen. It was the 20th anniversary 

of the Battle of Vukovar — 

a town in eastern Croatia that was 

destroyed by Serbian forces. And, last 

November, General Ante Gotovina, 

who was commander of the military 

operations that put an end to the 

war, was given a hero’s welcome in 

Zagreb. He had just been cleared of 

all charges by the war-crimes tribunal 

in The Hague. In his short speech, he 

called on all citizens of Croatia, regardless 

of their nationality and religion, 

to live together in peace. 

Bündnis 

Anklage, Beschuldigung 

Kreditwürdigkeit, Bonität 

bei Tagesanbruch 

etw. herabstufen 

jmdm. peinlich sein 

Beitritt 

Großfamilie 

etw. gründen 

Den Haag 

Ramsch 

Bauer/Bäuerin 

Umbesetzung, Umbildung 

zurücktreten 

Gericht(shof) 

There is a tendency among Croatians 

to be critical of everyone and 

everything — especially of those in 

power. This attitude can also be seen 

in sports. If we are winning or successful, 

then we are the best in the 

world. But as soon as we don’t do as 

well as expected, we are simply useless. 

And then there are Croatia’s football 

hooligans, whose nationalism and 

racism are an embarrassment to the 

whole country. As my brother often 

says: “We are our own worst enemy!” 

AFP/Getty Images 

National pride: football is more than just a sport 

Since the last election, the Kukuriku 

alliance has come under pressure. 

There have been personal arguments 

and scandals, including one involving 

a former minister, Radimir Čacic, ˇ ´ 

who had to resign after having caused 

a car accident in Hungary, in which 

two people were killed. A recent ministerial 

reshuffle is a step in the right 

direction, but much more is needed to 

prepare Croatia for a smooth entry 

into the EU on 1 July. ■BS 

MAJA SIROLA was born in Croatia but 

went to school in Italy, Croatia and England, 

and to university in Slovenia. She 

settled in Germany in 1991 and has 

since taken German citizenship. 

3/2013 


n INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION TRAVEL TIPS 

Where to go and what to do 

medium 

Sie planen eine Geschäfts- oder Urlaubsreise? SARAH GOUGH empfiehlt Ihnen Orte und Ereignisse, die 

Sie nicht verpassen sollten, und gibt Ihnen noch weitere interessante Informationen. 

What’s on? 

n All eyes are on Northern Ireland. The 

1,400-year-old walled city of Derry- 

Londonderry, once a hotbed of the 

Troubles, is UK City of Culture 2013. 

The town’s history, culture and people 

will be celebrated with a year of exhibitions, 

films, theatre, dance, music 

and sporting events. One of the many 

highlights will be the Fleadh Cheoil 

na hÉireann, a national festival of 

Irish music. This is the first time since 

its creation, in 1951, that the yearly 

event will take place in Northern Ireland 

(11–18 August). www.cityofculture2013.com 

Idyllic: Lough Erne 

Resort in Enniskillen 

Also in Northern Ireland, British Prime Minister David 

Cameron will host the 39th G8 summit at the beautiful 

Lough Erne Resort, in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh 

(17–18 June). The resort has a championship 

golf course. www.lougherneresort.com 

n The year-long Viva Florida 500 festival celebrates Florida’s 

“discovery” by explorer Juan Ponce de León in 

1513, who claimed the land for Spain. The organizers 

want to show “Florida’s native heritage and 500 years 

of influence by peoples from Spain, France, Great 

Britain, Africa and the Caribbean”. For more information, 

go to www.visitflorida.com/viva 

Luxury flat: all the comforts of home 

Places to stay 

Exclusive 

The idea is simple: to live 

like a local while abroad by 

staying in someone else’s 

home. The rental company 

onefinestay offers luxurious 

properties in London and 

New York, in a wide variety of locations. You can choose a 

flat with a terrace, a loft or a house with garden, and enjoy 

maid service and other comforts. www.onefinestay.com 

Budget 

Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice awards are “best of” lists 

put together from users’ ratings. In the budget category, 

some of this year’s winners are Lauriston Court Hotel in 

Llandudno, Wales; Clark’s Sunny Isle Motel in Summerside 

(Prince Edward Island, Canada); and the Sea Coast Inn in 

Hyannis (Cape Cod, Massachusetts). www.tripadvisor.com 

28 www.business-spotlight.de 

DID YOU KNOW? 

Have you heard of the global greeter network? These 

enthusiastic, friendly volunteers will take you around 

their city, showing you their favourite places. Choose 

a themed tour or let the greeter know what you are especially 

interested in. The idea was born in New York 

in 1992 and the network now has greeters in 45 

places, from Adelaide, Australia, to Chicago, Illinois. 

The tours are free. www.globalgreeternetwork.info 

Caribbean: the ~ [)kÄrE(bi:En] die Karibik 

championship golf course Meisterschaftsgolfplatz 

[)tSÄmpjEnSIp (gQlf kO:s] 

claim sth. for sb. [(kleIm fO:] etw. für jmdn. beanspruchen 

exhibition [)eksI(bIS&n] 

Ausstellung 

greeter [(gri:tE] 

hier: Fremdenführer(in) 

host sth. [hEUst] 

Gastgeber(in) von etw. sein 

hotbed [(hQtbed] 

Brutstätte, Nährboden 

inn [In] 

Gasthaus 

maid [meId] 

Hausangestellte 

native heritage [)neItIv (herItIdZ] Vermächtnis der Urbevölkerung 

property [(prQpEti] 

Immobilie 

rating [(reItIN] 

Bewertung 

summit [(sVmIt] 

Gipfel(treffen) 

themed [Ti:md] 

thematisch ausgerichtet 

Troubles: the ~ [(trVb&lz] Unruhen in Nordirland 

volunteer [)vQlEn(tIE] 

ehrenamtliche(r) Mitarbeiter(in)

Books 

Detroit’s tech renewal is the subject of our article on pages 80–81. But a lot 

of the downtown area still lies in ruins. Here is a selection of photography 

books featuring the “ruin porn” discussed in the article: The Ruins of Detroit 

by Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre (Steidl); Detroit: 138 Square Miles by 

Julia Reyes Taubman (D.A.P.); Detroit Disassembled by Andrew 

Moore (Damiani); and Lost Detroit by Sean Doerr (History Press). 

Detroit City Is the Place to Be, by Mark Binelli (Henry Holt), describes 

the city’s history since the 1950s. 


disassembled [)dIsE(semb&ld] 

feature sth. [(fi:tSE] 

fixed rate [)fIkst (reIt] 

make a move [)meIk E (mu:v] 

ruin porn [(ru:In pO:n] non-stand. 

rush [rVS] 

rush hour [(rVS aUE] 

scatterbrain [(skÄtEbreIn] 

school run [(sku:l rVn] 

stay over [)steI (EUvE] 

tech renewal 

[(tek ri)nju:El] 

walk sb. (to a place) 

[(wO:k] 

Bündnis 

zerlegt, demontiert 

etw. behandeln 

Festpreis 

sich auf den Weg machen 

Bilder des Verfalls 

sich beeilen 

Hauptverkehrs-, Stoßzeit 

zerstreute Person, Schussel 

Fahren der Schulbusse 

über Nacht bleiben 

hier: Erneuerung durch 

Technologie-Gründerzentren 

jmdn. zu Fuß (zu einem Ort) 

begleiten 

App 

Atlas by Collins: Download 

interactive themed globes 

for offline use. There are 

satellite and 3D physical 

maps but also energy, 

communications, political and population maps. Click 

your way through a wide range of information, including 

migration trends, birth rates, mobile-phone usage, energy 

use, political alliances and historical maps. For 

iPad2, iPhone4 and above. http://atlasbycollins.com 

English on the Move 

Saying goodbye 

Die Verhandlungen sind beendet. Sie verabschieden sich und 

nehmen ein Taxi zum Flughafen. KEN TAYLOR hilft Ihnen dabei. 

easy 

BranX pictures 

Sabine: I know I’m a scatterbrain but I’m not that bad! 

Mark: Sorry! I take three kids to school every morning before 

work and you know what they’re like. Let me walk you to the 

taxi. 

At the end of the meeting 

Mark: That was a really good meeting, don’t you think? 

Sabine: It certainly was. And I know the Hamburg office will 

be pleased with the results. 

Mark: Do you have time for a coffee before you leave? 

Sabine: I’m afraid not, Mark. I’ll miss my flight. I’ve got a taxi 

ordered for a quarter past four and it’s almost half past now! 

Mark: Don’t worry. The traffic shouldn’t be too bad at this 

time of day. It’ll take you about 30 minutes to get to the airport 

from here. 

Sabine: Hasn’t the rush hour started yet? 

Mark: It’s just starting now. But the school run is over. That’s 

almost as bad. 

Sabine: OK. I should make a move. 

Mark: Have you got everything — coat, hat, laptop… ? 

At the reception 

Receptionist: Ms Braun? Your taxi is waiting outside. It was 

to Terminal One, wasn’t it? 

Sabine: Yes, that’s right. And it’s a fixed rate, isn’t it? 

Receptionist: It’s £40 plus any tip you want to give. 

Sabine: About ten per cent? 

Receptionist: That would be fine. 

Mark: I’ll say goodbye here, then. 

Sabine: Thanks so much. Hope to see you in Hamburg soon. 

Mark: You’ll be back here in a couple of months, won’t you? 

Sabine: That’s right. 

Mark: Well, next time, if you stay over, come and have dinner 

with June and me. 

Sabine: Great, I’d love to. Thanks. I’d better rush! Bye for 

now! 

nBS 

3/2013 


A sixth 

sense 

Beim schnellen Aufbau von beruflichen Beziehungen zu Menschen, die wir 

nicht näher kennen, hilft oft ein sechster Sinn. Entscheidend ist aber auch 

das ganz konkrete Vorgehen, wie BOB DIGNEN erklärt. 

medium 

Mauritius Images

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS BUSINESS SKILLS n 

In the increasingly complex global business world, we 

have to interact with more and more people, but 

often less frequently and only superficially. At the 

same time, we have to deliver results together to tight 

deadlines. Building effective working relationships 

quickly has therefore become both more necessary and 

much more challenging. 

Indeed, we need to develop a completlely new talent — 

a kind of sixth sense for people. This includes an ability to 

figure people out fast, whether it’s in a project meeting, on 

the phone or during a brief chat in the corridor. Being able 

to suss people out quickly is a business competence close 

to the skills of speed dating. We need to understand other 

people’s mindsets, talents, prejudices and needs fast. We 

then have to decide how to communicate and interact as 

effectively as possible with them. 

In this article, we explore this sixth sense and how to 

connect to others quickly. Before you read further, think 

about how you would answer the following questions: 

n What aspects should we observe in other people in 

order to understand them better? 

n What different styles of thinking and communicating 

are there? 

n What strategies can you use to build good relationships 

with others? 

n How can we encourage people to be open with us, 

so that we can learn about them more quickly? 

As you read on, compare your answers with the points that 

are made in the article. 

A learning cycle 

Many people love to play the role of amateur psychologist, 

analysing their colleagues and clients. But developing a 

sixth sense is not about making these kinds of judgements, 

which are often too confident and categorical. Human beings 

are highly complex, and most of us struggle to understand 

even ourselves, let alone other people. So although 

we often need to make quick judgements, we also have to 

recognize that these are superficial — and should therefore 

commit to the following four-step learning cycle: 

Interact 

¬ 

¬ 

Observe 

A 

learning 

cycle 

Strategize 

¬ ¬ 

Assess 

Step 1: Observe 

To understand others, we first need to observe them and 

to collect information. But what should we observe? A useful 

image is that of an iceberg, which is frequently used in 

intercultural training. Some aspects of other people’s behaviour 

and personality are clearly visible, for example, the 

words they use, their tone of voice and their body language. 

But many aspects — possibly, like with an iceberg, 

the majority — are less obvious, such as their beliefs or 

motivations. 

If we think of other people as icebergs, we can create a 

framework of questions to discover more about their invisible 

depths (see box below). And as we observe more 

closely, ask questions and listen carefully, we can begin to 

draw some initial conclusions. 4 

Visible aspects 

Invisible aspects 

Framework of questions 

QUESTION 

What do they say? 

How do they say it? 

What do they do? 

How do they do it? 

What don’t they say? 

What do they think? 

What do they feel? 

What do they want? 

What do they believe? 

Who are they? 

amateur [(ÄmEtE] 

assess (sth./sb.) [E(ses] 

attitude [(ÄtItju:d] 

brief [bri:f] 

challenging [(tSÄlIndZIN] 

commit to sth. [kE(mIt] 

figure sb. out [)fIgEr (aUt] 

framework [(freImw§:k] 

initial conclusions: draw some ~ 

[I)nIS&l kEn(klu:Z&nz] 

learning cycle [(l§:nIN )saIk&l] 

let alone [)let E(lEUn] 

mindset [(maIndset] 

mood [mu:d] 

objective [Eb(dZektIv] 

paralinguistic 

[)pÄrElIN(gwIstIk] 

prejudice [(predZudIs] 

strategize [(strÄtEdZaIz] US 

superficially [)su:pE(fIS&li] 

suss sb. out [)sVs (aUt] UK ifml. 

visible [(vIzEb&l] 

ASPECT 

Verbal behaviour 

Paralinguistic 

behaviour 

Actions and 

skills shown 

Working style 

Non-verbal 

behaviour 

Opinions and 

attitudes 

Emotions and moods 

Objectives, needs 

and motivations 

Values, principles 

and beliefs 

Sense of identity 


(etw./jmdn.) beurteilen, einschätzen 

Einstellung 

kurz 

schwierig 

sich auf etw. einlassen 

sich ein Bild von jmdm. 

machen 

Rahmen; hier: Katalog 

erste Schlüsse ziehen 

Lernzyklus 

ganz zu schweigen von 

Mentalität 

Stimmung, Laune 

Ziel(setzung) 

paralinguistisch, sprachbegleitend 

Vorurteil 

eine Strategie entwerfen 

oberflächlich 

jmdm. auf den Zahn fühlen 

sichtbar 

Hemera 

3/2013 


n BUSINESS SKILLS BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS 

Forming an opinion: try to 

judge others accurately 

Step 2: Assess 

After observing people, we need to be 

able to assess them in a quick and effective 

way. To do so, it is useful to have 

some kind of model or framework. In 

professional settings, many psychometric 

models are used to profile people, 

such as the Myers-Briggs or Team Management 

System (TMS) models (see 

“For more information” on page 34). 

But such complex frameworks don’t 

really help us to assess others when we 

meet them briefly and there is no opportunity 

to get them to complete a detailed 

questionnaire. 

One simple tool is the “Diversity Icebreaker”, 

developed by Bjørn Z. Ekelund of Human Factors 

in Norway (see “For more information” on page 34). 

Ekelund is a psychologist who has worked for more than 

25 years in management consulting. The tool identifies 

three fundamental styles of thinking and communicating 

— called “Blue”, “Red” and “Green” — with the following 

characteristics: 

Blue 

cautious 

concrete 

fact-oriented 

logical 

practical 

precise 

organized 

loyal 

Red 

easy-going 

emotional 

empathetic 

harmonious 

sensitive 

sociable 

warm 

Green 

creative 

impatient 

independent 

philosophical 

provocative 

visionary 

Source: Human Factors AS (www.human.factors.no) 

Ekelund says that, although everyone has all three styles 

inside them and is capable of using them all, one style normally 

dominates. Test your own ability to assess people using 

this model. Decide which type of person — Blue, Red 

or Green — is most likely to do each of the following. Then 

compare your answers with those in the key on page 34. 

a) Act independently to come up with a strategic plan 

b) Say in meetings that the discussion needs to focus more 

on the current situation 

c) Argue and defend their position quite aggressively 

d) Ask if others would like some coffee 

e) Point out that it’s time for the next item on the agenda 

f) Insist that research is done before a decision is taken 

g) Fall asleep when figures are discussed in detail 

h) Give positive feedback 

i) Stress the impact of changes on the team 

j) Ask what happens next and when 

Judging people too quickly is risky. We have different 

moods at different times and we each have our own psychological 

and cultural filters. We often see the positive in 

people who comfort our own sense of identity, and feel aggressive 

towards those who threaten it. A few simple rules 

will help you to improve your ability to judge accurately: 

n Know what mood you are in when assessing others (bad 

moods don’t lead to accurate judgements). 

n Manage negative perceptions carefully (you may be guilty of 

“projection” — blaming others for the faults you don’t 

want to admit in yourself). 

n Be wary of positive perceptions (you may like the person 

simply because they are like you). 

n Back up initial perceptions (by asking for second opinions). 

Step 3: Strategize 

Now comes the hard part: to come up with a strategy for 

communicating and interacting with others in a way that 

engages and motivates them — and helps us to deliver the 

agenda [E(dZendE] 

argue sth. [(A:gju:] 

back sth. up [)bÄk (Vp] 

cautious [(kO:SEs] 

come up with sth. [)kVm (Vp wID] 

diversity [daI(v§:sEti] 

easy-going [)i:zi (gEUIN] 

empathetic [)empE(TetIk] 

engage sb. [In(geIdZ] 

impact [(ImpÄkt] 

item [(aItEm] 

management consulting 

[(mÄnIdZmEnt kEn)sVltIN] 

perception [pE(sepS&n] 

point sth. out [)pOInt (aUt] 

questionnaire [)kwestSE(neE] 

research [ri(s§:tS] 

sensitive [(sensEtIv] 

setting [(setIN] 

sociable [(sEUSEb&l] 

stress sth. [stres] 

wary: be ~ of sth. [(weEri] 

Tagesordnung 

für etw. argumentieren 

etw. untermauern 

vorsichtig 

sich etw. ausdenken 

Verschiedenheit, Vielfalt 

locker, unkompliziert 

empathisch, einfühlsam 

jmdn. beteiligen 

Auswirkung(en) 

(Tagesordnungs-)Punkt 

Unternehmens-, Managementberatung 

Wahrnehmung 

auf etw. hinweisen 

Fragebogen 

Recherche(n) 

sensibel 

Rahmen, Umfeld 

kontaktfreudig, umgänglich 

etw. betonen 

vor etw. auf der Hut sein 

Stockbyte 


50 

43 

42 

41 

9/ 1 

40 

Joe DiMa gio Highway 

46 

Gr enwich Str et 

Hudson Str et 

West Broadway 

Church Str et 

Pike Str et 

38 

St. 

Mo t St. 

famous for? 

America 

Mulbe ry 

47 

Varick Str et 

37 

Bowery 

39 

Orchard St. 

Mo t St. 

Mulbe ry St. 

Gr enwich Str et 

Eleventh Avenue(West Side Highway) 

34 

Broadway 

Lafaye te Str et 

1st Avenue 

Avenue A 

Avenue B 

Avenue C 

Avenue D 

Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive 

36 

3 

35 

3rd Avenue 

2nd Avenue 

Fifth Avenue 

Park 

32 

1st Avenue 

Broadway 

24 05 

31 

30 

26 29 

Park Avenue 

Lexington Avenue 

park 

28 

Eighth Avenue 

R osevelt Drive 

Twelfth Avenue 

Broadway 

26 

25 

Seventh Avenue 

27 

Fifth Avenue 

Madison Avenue 

Park Avenue 


3rd Avenue 

2nd Avenue 

Franklin D. 

1st Avenue 

21st Str et 

24 

23 

2 

Eleventh Avenue 

Tenth Avenue 

Ninth Avenue 

20 

21 

18 

Eighth Avenue 

17 

15 

19 

16 

14 

0 

Broadway 

9 

1 

Central Park West 

10 

48 


12 

13 

The 

Lake 

3rd Avenue 

2nd Avenue 

1st Avenue 

York Avenue 

4 

Broadway 

2 

8 

Museum Mile 

1 

3 

Madison Avenue 

Park Avenue 

6 

7 

Riverside Park 

5 

West End Avenue 

Amsterdam Avenue 

Columbus Avenue 

Central Park West 

We 

1st Avenue 

3rd Avenue 

2nd Avenue 

Museum Mile 

desired results. This does not necessarily mean simply being nice to someone 

or accepting their behaviours and values. Here are some strategies you 

can use: 

Spielend New York 

entdecken und 

Englisch lernen! 

a) Adapt. This is the approach usually recommended by management trainers. 

There is a strong logic to adapting: being flexible is an attempt to make 

others feel more comfortable and more motivated to cooperate. Look at 

the following opposites drawn from the Diversity Icebreaker model. In 

which direction on each dimension do you need to show more flexibility 

to the different people you work with? 

cautious 

harmonious 

logical 

practical 

precise 

sociable 

impatient 

provocative 

emotional 

philosophical 

visionary 

independent 

b) Blend. Blending means developing a communication style that keeps the 

best dimensions of your natural style, while integrating components from 

other styles. For example, you might prefer to state the truth clearly and 

directly. Honesty is likely to be a shared value and should thus be retained. 

But in some situations, you may need to adapt your style so that you don’t 

seem rude or disrespectful. Instead of saying, “You’re absolutely wrong”, 

you could say, “I understand your point of view but the facts are very different”. 

In other situations, it may be all right for you to be direct, as long 

as others understand that your directness is an expression of honesty. 

c) Co-create. This involves discussions with others in order to develop a 

common communication and working culture, with agreed norms. This 

sounds attractive, but it can be very difficult in practice. It works best if 

you keep the number of agreed norms to a minimum and check regularly 

to make sure that everyone is practising what they agreed. 

d) Divide. This could be a spoken or unspoken agreement to vary the way 

things are done. For example: “We do it your way in your country. We do 

it my way in my country.” Or: “In finance meetings, we talk detail. In marketing 

meetings, we try to look at the big ideas.” 

e) Enforce. It can happen that people upset others at work, don’t listen, act 

selfishly, deliver late and shirk responsibility. Many forms of behaviour, 

attitudes and values can be destructive in the workplace. Unfortunately, 

4 

FINANCIAL 

DISTRICT 

High Str et 

5 

Wa l Str et 

Br oklyn Bridge Park 

6 

North 

Cove 

Marina 

Wa l Str et & 

NYSE 

South Str et Seaport 

Water Str et 

7 

C 

Memorial 

Fulton Str et 

Br oklyn Bridge 

Manha tan Bridge 

Vesey Str et 

0 1 km 

South Str et Viaduct 

8 

Statue of 

Liberty 

City Ha l 

9 

Chambers Str et 

Park Row 

Madison Str et 

QUESTIONS 

What is the street ca led Broadway 

famous for? 

a) having the ta lest buildings in 

America 

b) its large number of theaters and 

playhouses (Schauspielhaus) 

c) dividing the city between uptown 

and downtown 

QUESTIONS 

D 

Che ry Str et 

Governors Island 

CHINATOWN 

East 

Broadway 

A 

TRIBECA 

Canal Str et 

Lafaye te Str et 

East Broadway 

Madison Str et 

LITTLE 

ITALY 

Orchard Str et & 

Tenement 

Museum 

© 2010 Gru be Media GmbH 

© 

Canal Str et 

QUESTIONS 




playhouses (Schauspielhaus ) 


and downtown 


famous for? 


America 


playhouses (Schauspielhaus) 


and downtown 

What was once located at Manha tan’s 

“Ground Zero”? 

a) New York’s first bank 

b) a large lake 

c) the World Trade Center 











Canal Str et 

LOWER EAST 

SIDE 

Grand Str et 

E lis Island 

Br oklyn-Ba tery 

Tu nel 

Grand Str et 

Ho land Tu nel 

Canal Str et 

Br ome Str et 

Wi liamsburg Bridge 

E 

Delancey St. 

SOHO 

Spring Street 

B 

Broadway- 

Lafaye te St. 

Prince Str et 

East Houston Str et 

West Houston Str et 

LOWER 

MANHATTAN 

Bl ecker Str et 

East 4th Str et 

EAST VILLAGE 

F 

ANSWERS 


playhouses 

Some 17 miles (27 kilometers) long, 

Broadway is one of the longest streets 

in Manha tan, and it continues on 

into the Bronx. The part of Broadway 

between 41st and 53rd Streets is the 

Theater District, which has more than 

40 theaters. 


This important center of international 

business was destroyed in the te rorist 

a tacks on September 11, 2001. Genera 

ly, “ground zero” is a place where a 

big explosion has happened. 

Hudson River 

Christopher St. 

4th Str et 

Tompkins 

Square Park 

Washington 

Square Park 

St. Mark’s 

Place 

Christopher Str et 

GREENWICH 

VILLAGE 

Gr enwich Avenue 

Subway 

(ausgewählte Linien) 

Lines A & C 

Lines 4 & 5 

Line F 

Roosevelt Island 

Tramway 

C 

Roosevelt Island is a quiet spot 

in New York City, lying between 

Manhattan and Queens in the 

East River. The aerial tramway, 

which was built by a Swiss company, 

looks like a big cable car. 

I takes commuters (Pendler(in) ) 

and tourists from Manhattan to 

Roosevelt Island and back. For 

the same price as the train, the 

four-minute trip offers a fantastic 

view of the Manhattan skyline 

and the East River. 

M 

2 

1 | Bronx Zoo & 

Botanical Garden 

H 

8 

Gansev ort Str et 

6th Avenue 

14th Str et 


15 | Roosevelt Island 

Tramway 

G 

Union Square 

14th Str et 

West 14th Str et 

MEATPACKING 

DISTRICT 

GRAMERCY 

PARK 


Union Square 


Flatiron 

Building 

0 1 km 

D 

East 23rd Str et 

CHELSEA 

Hotel Chelsea 

Madison 

Square 

Park 

NEW YORK CITY 

H 

Chelsea Piers 

West 23rd Str et 

Avenue of the Americas 

East River 

BROOKLYN 

E 

High Line 

Madison 

Square 

Garden 


Empire State 

Building 


34th Str et 

Pe n Station 

34th Str et 

I 


GARMENT 

DISTRICT 

Qu ens- 

Midtown Tu nel 

Macy’s 

Long Island Expre sway 

F 

Port 

Authority 

Bus 

Terminal 


West 42nd Str et 

Avenue of the Americas 

Grand 

Central 

Station 

Chrysler 

Building 

United Nations 

Jackson 

Avenue 

Lincoln Tu nel 

THEATER 

DISTRICT 

Times 

Square 

MIDTOWN 

TURTLE 

BAY 

MoMA PS1 

J 

Intrepid Sea, Air & 

Space Museum 

Twelfth Avenue 

Rockefe ler 

Center 

Saks Fifth Avenue 

Waldorf- 

Astoria 

& St. Bart’s 

QUEENS 

G 

47th–50th 

Str ets 


MoMA 

Radio City Music Ha l 

St. Patrick’s 

You take the Metro-North 

train from Connecticut and 

arrive at Grand Central Station. 

Starting point: 

Grand Central Station 

East 53rd Str et 

STATEN 

ISLAND 


Vernon Blvd. 

21st Str et 

Coney 49 10 km 

Island 

Brighton Beach 

NYC 

Pa senger 

Ship 

Terminal 

R osevelt 

Island Tramway 

Silvercup Studios 

K 

West 53rd Str et 


Carnegie Ha l 

Trump 

Tower 

Plaza 

Hotel 

Ti fany & Co. 

59th 

Str et 

Qu ensboro Bridge 

FAO 

Schwarz 


R osevelt 

Island 

H 


Central Park South 

59th Str et 

Columbus Circle 

A ple Store 

Lexington 

Avenue 

63rd Str et 

Bl omingdale’s 

BROOKLYN 

John F. Ke nedy 

International Airport 

Lincoln 

Center 


L 

(East River Drive) 

R osevelt 

Island 

Central Park Z o 

UPPER 

EAST 

SIDE 

I 


Central 

Park 

Flushing 

Meadows 

Corona 

Park 

QUEENS 

UPPER 

WEST 

SIDE 

East 72nd Str et 

MANHATTAN 

Frick Co lection 

Bethesda 

Fountain 

West 72nd Str et 

M 

The Apo lo 

LaGuardia 

Airport 

Strawbe ry Fields 

& The Dakota 

Franklin D. R osevelt Drive 

Das Spiel zur Stadt – für Englischlerner 

und New York-Fans! 

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ARRIVAL 

H 

6 

Carlyle 

Hotel 

7th Str et 

J 


Yank e Stadium 

American 

Museum of 

Natural 

History 

1 

The Cloisters 

Bronx Z o & 

Botanical Garden 

Metropolitan 

Museum of Art 

YORKVILLE 

THE 

BRONX 

81st Str et 

2 


Gracie Mansion & 

Carl Schurz Park 

K 

3 


Jacqueline 

Ke nedy Ona sis 

Reservoir 

Gu genheim 

Museum 

4 


5 

L 

96th Str et 

97th Str et 

6 


7 

103rd Str et 


8 

9 

M 

adapt [E(dÄpt] 

approach [E(prEUtS] 

blend [blend] 

component [kEm(pEUnEnt] 

deliver [di(lIvE] 

enforce sth. [In(fO:s] 

retain sth. [ri(teIn] 

rude [ru:d] 

selfishly [(selfISli] 

shirk responsibility [)S§:k ri)spQnsE(bIlEti] 

upset sb. [)Vp(set] 

sich anpassen 

Herangehensweise 

hier: verschiedene Kommunikationsarten 

vermischen 

Element 

hier: Vorgaben erfüllen 

etw. durchsetzen 

etw. beibehalten 

unhöflich 

eigennützig 

sich vor der Verantwortung drücken 

jmdn. aufregen, verärgern 

JETZT BESTELLEN! 

www.sprachenshop.de/spiele 

oder im Buch- und Spielwarenhandel 

3 29,95 (UVP) 

Ebenfalls lieferbar: 

3/2013

n BUSINESS SKILLS BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS 

Digital Vision 

some of the people involved are immune to feedback or 

coaching. One solution, if you have the authority, is simply 

to enforce your own expectations on them. This is not 

pleasant but it is an approach that may be necessary at 

times. 

Step 4: Interact 

Next, you have to use your selected strategy to communicate 

with colleagues, and to see how they respond. Do people 

react positively to your style? Do they listen and take 

your ideas on board? Do they understand your priorities 

and needs? Do they deliver on agreed targets? If you are 

getting a significant number of negative answers to these 

questions, there are a number of possible explanations: 

n Your assessment of the other person could be incorrect. You 

need to observe them more closely, understand their communication 

style and develop a new strategy. 

n Your assessment was correct but your strategy is not working. 

Perhaps your calculated flexibility is seen as superficial or 

weak. Maybe your intended toughness is seen as disrespectful. 

Think again and try something different. 

n There could be hidden factors driving this person’s behaviour 

— psychological, cultural or organizational. People may 

appear open and collaborative, yet in reality, live in a very 

different world. This dissonance may become clear only 

over time. Cultural differences can also appear suddenly. 

Globally, we use common terminology, such as “leader”, 

“decision” and “urgent”. But words mean different things 

to different people and in different places. Finally, you may 

be underestimating the negative influence of other people 

in the background, such as the other person’s boss. 

Knowing me, knowing you 

Getting to know others is a challenging process. But we 

can make the task easier if we model the openness and 

transparency we wish to see. If we make ourselves easier 

to know and to trust, we may inspire others to be more 

transparent with us about who they are, how they think 

and feel, and how they best like to work together. Here are 

four ideas for how to inspire openness in relationships: 

n Show your competence. If people understand what you are 

good at, they are more likely to respect and trust you. 


Teamwork: talk about things you have in common 

n Talk about things you have in common with other people. 

Beginning with safe ground allows you to approach aspects 

of problematic diversity more confidently at a later 

date. 

n Offer support for people. If others sense that you care about 

them, they are more likely to confide in you. 

n Don’t keep secrets. Share information and your inner 

thoughts freely. This can encourage others to show their 

feelings and share their insights. 

n Ask for feedback about your communication style. This encourages 

others to think about your working relationship. 

Modern organizations throw people together in the most 

challenging and contradictory circumstances. Other people 

can be puzzling, fascinating, inspiring and frustrating. 

The trick is to observe, assess, work with different strategies, 

interact and try to keep learning. As you do this, you 

will develop a sixth sense for people that allows you to 

build relationships and take smart decisions faster nBS 

BOOKS 

n The Art of Profiling: Reading People Right the First Time, 

Dan Korem (International Focus Press) 

n Figuring Out People: Reading People Using Meta-Programs, 

L. Michael Hall, Bob G. Bodenhamer (Neuro-Semantic 

Publications) 

WEBSITES 

n For more information about the “Diversity Icebreaker” model, 

see: www.diversityicebreaker.com 

n Find out about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicators: www. 

myersbriggs.org 

n Learn more about Team Management Systems (TMS): 

www.tms.com.au 

n Read about David Kolb’s learning theory, which inspired 

some of the ideas in this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ 

David_A._Kolb 

approach sth. [E(prEUtS] 

assessment [E(sesmEnt] 

circumstances [(s§:kEm)stÄnsIz] 

collaborative [kE(lÄbErEtIv] 

confide [kEn(faId] 

contradictory [)kQntrE(dIktEri] 

insights [(InsaIts] 

model sth. [(mQd&l] 

on board: take sth. ~ [)Qn (bO:d] ifml. 

puzzling [(pVz&lIN] 

safe ground [)seIf (graUnd] 

smart [smA:t] 


an etw. herangehen 

Beurteilung, Einschätzung 

Umstände 

kooperativ 

vertrauen 

widersprüchlich 

Einsichten; hier: Gedankenwelt 

ein Beispiel für etw. geben 

hier: etw. annehmen 

rätselhaft 

sicheres Terrain 

klug 

Ziel(vorgabe) 

Do exercises on this topic on Business Spotlight Audio 

www Watch our Business with Bob series of videos for more tips on 

how to improve your communication skills: www.businessspotlight.de/videos/bob 

BOB DIGNEN is a director of York Associates 

(www.york-associates.co.uk), which specializes in language, 

communication and intercultural training. He 

is the author of many business English books, including 

Effective International Business Communication 

(Collins). Contact: bob.dignen@york-associates.co.uk 

Answers to “Assessing people”, p. 32: Blue: b, e, f, j; Red: d, h, i; Green: a, c, g 


SURVIVAL GUIDE BUSINESS SKILLS n 

Building relationships 

Here are some suggestions for the language you could use to build relationships. However, you 

should use only the language that you feel comfortable with in your work situations. medium 

1. Using questions to learn about others 

Asking questions is an excellent way to discover more about 

what is important to other people. 

Finding out opinions and feelings 

n What’s your opinion on this? 

n How do you feel about this? 

n Is this idea convincing to you or do you still have doubts? 

Understanding motivation, values and principles 

n What’s the most important part of this for you? 

n What really matters to you here? 

n To what extent is this a question of principle for you? 

Clarifying work objectives 

n What is the main objective for you here? 

n What is your priority: cost or quality? 

n What do you want from all this? 

Negotiating working processes 

n How would you prefer to do this? 

n Who should do what? 

n Shall we begin by… ? 

2. Inspiring openness in others 

If others feel intimidated by too many questions, try giving 

information about yourself to encourage them to be open 

towards you. 

Showing competence 

n I have some knowledge in this area. I was responsible for… 

n I have quite a bit of experience in this from my time at… 

achievable [E(tSi:vEb&l] 

agenda [E(dZendE] 

anxious [(ÄNkSEs] 

approach [E(prEUtS] 

big picture: the ~ 

[)bIg (pIktSE] 

brief sb. on sth. [(bri:f Qn] 

clarify sth. [(klÄrEfaI] 

commonality [)kQmE(nÄlEti] 

grounded: be ~ [(graUndId] 

intimidated [In(tImIdeItId] 


objective [Eb(dZektIv] 


update [(VpdeIt] 

erreichbar, praktikabel 

Tagesordnung 

besorgt 

Herangehensweise 

Gesamtperspektive, das 

große Ganze 

jmdn. (kurz) über etw. 

informieren 

etw. klarstellen 

Gemeinsamkeit 

gute Sachkenntnisse haben 

eingeschüchtert 

etw. aushandeln, über etw. 

verhandeln 

Ziel(setzung) 

Ziel(vorgabe) 

hier: neueste Informationen 

Identifying commonalities 

n That’s interesting. I have also worked in… 

n I think we have the same approach here. 

n I agree with you that… 

Offering support 

n If you need any help with… 

n Would you like me to… ? 

n Just let me know if you need help. 

Sharing information and feelings 

n Can I just brief you on… ? 

n I’ve received an update on… 

n I’m feeling worried/anxious/confident/frustrated about... 

Asking for feedback 

n How are you finding the team so far? 

n Is there anything you need me to change to make your life 

easier? 

n How do you feel about the way we work together? 

3. Applying the Diversity Icebreaker model 

Learn to communicate effectively with different types of 

people. 

“Blue” type 

Be grounded, practical and well prepared. Talk about details 

and achievable targets with a clear cost-benefit focus: 

n I’ve prepared a detailed agenda. 

n The real benefit of this idea is… 

n To be more specific, the actual cost is… 

“Red” type 

Be personal and enthusiastic. Focus on people and relationships. 

Show consideration and trust: 

n How do you feel about this? 

n I’m interested to hear your opinion about this. 

n I think your idea is really good because… 

“Green” type 

Give positive feedback on new and alternative ideas. Allow 

others time to reflect on the big picture without focusing too 

quickly on details: 

n That sounds like a good idea. Tell me more. 

n How could we do this differently? 

n Shall we take a few minutes to brainstorm? nBS 

3/2013 


n BUSINESS SKILLS TOOLBOX 

Three questions about questions 

In dieser Rubrik nutzt KEN TAYLOR seine Erfahrungen, die er in vielen Organisationen und in 

verschiedenen Ländern sammeln konnte, und beantwortet häufig gestellte Fragen zur 

Kommunikation im internationalen Geschäftsleben. 

medium 

iStockphoto (2) 

1. Is it better to use open or closed 

questions in social conversation? 

It depends on what you want to ask. 

Open questions are useful for moving 

the conversation along and for creating 

an active dialogue. For this, we often use 

the “w” question words: Why? When? What? 

Which? Where? Who? And hoW? These questions offer 

your partner the chance to give a fuller answer. This 

will provide you with more information on which to 

base your next question: 

n What are your plans over the weekend? 

n Where did you go on your holiday? 

n How did you find out about our company? 

Closed questions are useful for checking or confirming 

information: 

n Did you arrive this morning? 

n Are you staying at the Grand Hotel? 

n Have you been here before? 

However, be careful about asking too many questions 

— it can make social conversation feel like a police 

interrogation! Break up the questions by offering information 

about yourself in the form of statements. 

You can do this directly (“I’ll be playing golf this weekend”) 

or more indirectly (“I have to leave by five 

tomorrow, as I’m picking up one of my kids from 

football practice”). Social conversation should be a 

two-way street. 

2. Why should I use rhetorical questions when giving 

a presentation? 

The rhetorical question is a versatile linguistic tool for 

the presenter. You can use a rhetorical question to 

make your audience think and to get them involved in 

the presentation process: 

n “What are the first things that come into your head 

when I say the word ‘Britain’? [Pause to let the audience 

think.] The queen? Football? We all have a picture 

of what Britain is like. But let’s have a look at a 

survey that shows us how the British see themselves.” 

You can also use a rhetorical question to emphasize a 

point: 

n “We all know that, recently, the dollar has got weaker, 

but what does that mean for our export strategy? 

[Pause to let the audience think.] It is likely to have 

the following implications…” 

3. When should I use a question mark in writing? 

Use it at the end of a direct question like this: 

n Did you speak to John yesterday? 

Also use it when the question is in quotation marks: 

n David said, “When will you be arriving?” 

Do not use a question mark in indirect questions: 

n David asked us when we would be arriving. 

appropriate [E(prEUpriEt] 

audience [(O:diEns] 

by [baI] 

closed question 

[)klEUzd (kwestSEn] 

consultancy [kEn(sVltEnsi] 

emphasize sth. [(emfEsaIz] 

implication [)ImplI(keIS&n] 

interrogation [In)terE(geIS&n] 

open question 

[)EUpEn (kwestSEn] 

presenter [pri(zentE] 

quotation mark [kwEU(teIS&n mA:k] 


two-way [)tu: (weI] 

versatile [(v§:sEtaI&l] 

richtig, entsprechend 

Zuhörer(innen) 

bis spätestens 

Entscheidungsfrage (eine 

mit „ja“ oder „nein“ zu 

beantwortende Frage) 

Beratungsfirma 

etw. hervorheben 

Auswirkung 

Verhör 

nicht mit „ja“ oder „nein“ 

zu beantwortende Frage 

Vortragende(r) 

Anführungszeichen 

Studie, Erhebung 

zweiseitig; hier auch: wechselseitig 

vielseitig 

Do not try to make a statement into a question by 

putting a question mark at the end: 

n You’re coming next week? 

You can do this in speech by lifting your voice at the 

end of the sentence. In writing, it is much clearer to put 

the sentence into the appropriate question form: 

n Are you coming next week? 

KEN TAYLOR is the director of Taylor Consultancy 

Ltd, an international communication consultancy in 

London, and the author of 50 Ways to Improve Your 

Telephoning and Teleconferencing Skills (Summertown). 

Contact: KTaylor868@aol.com 

nBS 


SAY IT IN STYLE BUSINESS SKILLS ■ 

Clear communication: not always 

the ideal method 

Vague 

language 

If you are absolutely precise in your spoken communication, 

this can sometimes seem pedantic or too direct to a 

native English speaker. This is important to remember 

when doing business in English-speaking countries. Vague 

expressions serve as softeners and allow us to sound 

friendly and informal. Vague language is used not only in 

small talk, but also in everyday conversation. In the following 

dialogue, Jim and Paul are making arrangements to 

meet. Compare the two versions of their exchange: 

Photodisc 

Es ist nicht immer nötig, sich präzise 

auszudrücken. Ganz im Gegenteil: Eine 

ungenaue Ausdrucksweise kann häufig 

durchaus angebracht sein, wie Ihnen 

medium 

ANNA HOCHSIEDER erläutert. 

other the chance to make alternative suggestions. Especially 

if they do not know each other well, the speakers in the 

second version might be seen as unfriendly. Of course, 

some non-native speakers of English might find the second 

version, without all the vague language, easier to understand. 

This is important to remember when communicating 

internationally with other non-native speakers. 

Vague expressions are often used when talking about 

numbers, as you can see in the next dialogue: 

Jim: I was wondering if I could drop by some time. 

Paul: Sure. How about tomorrow? 

Jim: Tomorrow’s a bit difficult. Friday might be better. 

Paul: Morning or afternoon? 

Jim: Would around three be good for you? 

Paul: Maybe a little later. Around four? 

Jim: I was wondering if I could drop by. 

Paul: Sure. How about tomorrow? 

Jim: Tomorrow’s difficult. Friday is better. 

Paul: Morning or afternoon? 

Jim: Would three be good for you? 

Paul: A little later. Four? 

The vague expressions used in the first dialogue are not 

a sign of weakness or indecision, but of politeness. By using 

vague language, the speakers signal to each other that 

they are making suggestions, not demands, and giving each 

admin (administration) [(ÄdmIn] UK ifml. hier: Bürokratie 

drop by [)drQp (baI] 

vorbeikommen 

give or take [)gIv O: (teIk] ifml. 

plus/minus 

location scout 

Locationscout (Person, die 

[lEU(keIS&n skaUt] 

Drehorte ausfindig macht) 

softener [(sQf&nE] 

abschwächende Formulierung 

somewhere in the region of 

so ungefähr 

[)sVmweE In DE (ri:dZEn Qv] 

stuff like that [)stVf laIk (DÄt] ifml. solche Sachen eben 

this, that and the other 

alles Mögliche 

[)DIs )DÄt En Di (VDE] ifml. 

unit [(ju:nIt] 

Einheit; hier: Stück 

Liz: The price per unit is around €30. We’re going to 

need something like 50 units, give or take a few. 

Sue: So the whole thing is going to cost us somewhere 

in the region of €1,500, right? 

Once they reach the point of having to make a decision, 

Liz and Sue will use more precise language. But until then, 

they soften their exchange by remaining vague. 

In the last dialogue, Rob is telling Jan about his career: 

Jan: So, how did you get into the film business, Rob? 

Rob: I had a friend who was a sort of location scout, and 

she needed someone to deal with the admin, that 

sort of thing. 

Jan: And how long have you been in the business? 

Rob: About 20 years. Basically, just doing this, that and 

the other. Hiring equipment, stuff like that. 

Now imagine this second dialogue without all the vague 

expressions. Do you notice how the tone of the conversation 

changes? Which version of the conversation do you 

prefer? 

■BS 

www Learn more phrases at www.business-spotlight.de/skills 

ANNA HOCHSIEDER is a Munich-based teacher of 

English as a Second Language and also writes on language 

issues in Spotlight and Business Spotlight. 

Contact: a.hochsieder@googlemail.com 

3/2013 


Stockbyte 

What’s our 

agenda? 

Sitzungen und Besprechungen sind ein wichtiger Bestandteil des Arbeitsalltags. Mit den Übungen, die 

HILDEGARD RUDOLPH und CAROL SCHEUNEMANN zusammengestellt haben, finden Sie heraus, wie gut Sie den 

verschiedenen Sitzungsszenarien auf Englisch gewachsen sind. 

all levels 

Time to talk: meetings allow 

an exchange of ideas and opinions

MEETINGS LANGUAGE TEST n 

Time 

Room 

Subject 

Participants 

Remarks 

9.15 a.m. – 

1 p.m. 

R 4 

purchase of test 

equipment 

purchasing, R&D, test engineer, 

test-equipment manufacturer 

coffee break 10.45 

THE SITUATION: 

9.30 a.m. – 

1 p.m. 

10 a.m. – 

1 p.m. 

1 p.m. – 

3 p.m. 

1.30 p.m. – 

4.30 p.m. 

R 5 

R 3 

R 1 

R 2 

customer-support 

contracts 

quarterly report 

theme for trade fair 

kick off of “Delicious 

Squish” project 

customer service, 

technical support 

sales managers: UK, Germany, 

Switzerland, Italy 

marketing, product managers, 

sales reps 

Crunchy and Tasty project 

teams 

teleconference 

brainstorming 

presentation 

Based in Manchester, UK, 

Squish Plastics makes soft 

plastic products for the 

home. They have offices in 

Germany, Switzerland and 

Italy. Today is Wednesday. 

Let’s have a look at the room 

planner at headquarters to 

find out what meetings are 

scheduled for the day. 

1. 

What’s the purpose? (4 points) 

The receptionist, Cheryl Scott, is assigning rooms for the day. She needs to know about the different 

types of meetings so that she can plan seating and materials needed. Match each meeting type to its 

purpose. 

easy 

MEETING TYPE 

a) board meeting n 

b) team meeting n 

c) brainstorming n 

d) kick-off meeting n 

PURPOSE 

1. To coordinate tasks within a team. 

2. To get everybody involved at the beginning of a new project. 

3. To get directors together to develop strategies and take decisions 

on company operations. 

4. To solve problems or to generate new ideas spontaneously. 

2. 

Talking about schedules (9 points) 

medium 

Michael Rollins, the test engineer, is talking to Karen Barber, head of purchasing, about a schedule conflict. 

Complete the dialogue with words from the box. 

agenda 

attend 

cancel 

confirm 

items 

pencil 

postpone 

reschedule 

suit 

Michael: Karen, I’m afraid I won’t be able to a) __________ the 9.15 meeting on Wednesday. 

I’ve got a customer appointment. They’re having serious product-test problems. 

Karen: Michael, if you can’t come, we’ll have to b) __________ the meeting altogether! 

Michael: Could we c) __________ the meeting until late afternoon? Or perhaps we could 

change the d) __________. I could e) __________ my appointment for eight o’clock. 

Karen: I suppose we could pull a few f) __________ forward. That might also g) __________ 

Anton, who has to leave a bit early. I’ll h) __________ you in for 11 o’clock, OK? 

How soon can you i) __________? 

4 

3/2013 


n LANGUAGE TEST MEETINGS 

Listen: make sure 

you understand 

what is being said 

3. Your opinion, please (10 points) 

medium 

Karen would like to hear the participants’ views on buying the test equipment versus having the tests 

performed externally. Complete the questions below with words from Box 1 (“Asking for views”) and the 

responses with words from Box 2 (“Giving opinions”). 


1. ASKING FOR VIEWS 

do you see 

do you share 

do you stand 

do you think 

your opinion 

Karen: Please choose either external testing or buying — no middle ground! 

a) So, Anton, what _____________? 

b) As far as I _____________, external testing seems to be more flexible. 

c) And, ___________ this view, Nyla? 

d) Hm, yes. I ___________ external testing is better. 

e) How ___________ it, Rafael? 

2. GIVING OPINIONS 

can see 

convinced that 

feel that 

in favour 

no question that 

f) I’m ___________ buying is the best option. 

g) Where ___________ on this, Leigh? 

h) There’s ___________ we should buy the equipment! 

i) What’s ___________, Michael? 

j) I’m ___________ of buying, too. 

4. Key roles (9 points) 

easy 

In large meetings, each person is responsible for a specific task. Unscramble the words in brackets to 

create terms for key roles that are played in meetings. 

a) A meeting is managed by the __________ (hacir). 

b) People who attend the meeting are called __________ (stricappaint). 

c) The minutes are written by the minute-__________ (ekrat). 

d) What is said during the meeting is summarized on a flip chart by the __________ (sibecr). 

e) Translations of what is said are provided by the __________ (iprenteretr). 

f) Participants are limited in their speaking time by the __________ (keemipeter). 

g) A talk may be given by the guest __________ (peakser). 

h) Food and drink may be served by a(n) __________ (tacingre) service. 

i) Technical equipment is supplied by the __________ (iantechinc). 


5. 

Better understanding (8 points) 

advanced 

In meetings, you want to make sure that participants understand everything that’s been said. Match each of the 

following explanations (a–h) to a phrase that could be used in this situation (1–8). 

a) Somebody is speaking too fast. n 

b) You didn’t quite understand something. n 

c) You want somebody to say something again. n 

d) Somebody isn’t speaking loudly enough. n 

e) Someone uses an expression you don’t know. n 

f) You want to give your opinion on something. n 

g) You want to summarize a statement. n 

h) You want to stop an interruption. n 

1. So you’re saying that... 

2. Could you repeat that, please? 

3. Could you speak up a bit? 

4. Could you slow down, please? 

5. Please let me finish what I was saying. 

6. Sorry, I didn’t catch that. 

7. Could I make a point here? 

8. Could you explain that to me, please? 

6. 

Teleconference behaviour (7 points) 

easy 

Before the meeting with the sales managers begins, the chair, 

Miranda Anthony, talks about good teleconference behaviour. 

Unscramble her sentences. 

Miranda: The main goal of this teleconference is to talk about firstquarter 

results. Let’s quickly go over some rules together first. 

a) mobile / your / switch off / phones 

Please __________________________________________________. 

b) emails / no / also means / or text / messages 

This ____________________________________________________. 

7. 

How to interrupt 

(10 points) 

medium 

Particularly in teleconferences, if you 

have to interrupt someone, it helps the 

other listeners when you make it clear 

that this is what you are doing. The 

verbs are in the wrong sentences. Put 

them in the right places. 

c) by going / to / start / introduce ourselves / the table / round 

We’ll ___________________________________________________. 

d) your full / about / title and / add a sentence / yourself / name, your 

Give ____________________________________________________. 

e) you all / loudly and / could / speak / clearly 

__________________________________________________, please? 

f) should try / slowly / the native speakers / to speak / of English 

And ___________________________________________________ . 

g) a time / possible, / at / far as / please speak / one 

As ______________________________________. 

a) Can I just (excuse) _______ in here? 

b) Sorry to (add) _______. 

c) I’d like to (respond) _______ a remark here. 

d) Could I (speak) _______ something? 

e) May I (come) _______ to that statement? 

f) I’d like to (say) _______ up another point. 

g) May I (interrupt) _______ on that? 

h) Can I (comment) _______ you there for a 

moment? 

i) (stop) _______ me. 

j) Sorry, I’ll have to (bring) _______ out of 

turn here. 

4 

3/2013 


n LANGUAGE TEST MEETINGS 

8. 

Be creative! (5 points) 

easy 

Jill Smith is head of marketing. She’s holding a brainstorming 

meeting to generate new ideas for the next trade fair. Choose 

the correct words to complete the sentences. 

a) Welcome, everyone. Here are today’s brainstorming _______. 

1. headlines 2. guidelines 

b) We’ll start with a warm-up _______. 

1. activity 2. action 

c) Our _______is to come up with five ideas. 

1. objection 2. objective 

d) We’d like to _______ as many ideas as possible. 

1. generalize 2. generate 

e) We’ll work _______ in one group for 30 minutes. 

1. everyone 2. together 

9. Negative to 

positive (5 points) 

KILLER PHRASES 

In brainstorming meetings, participants 

should encourage new ideas, and not 

judge them. Instead of using negative 

language, be positive! For each of 

these negative-sounding phrases, find 

a more positive-sounding one. 

a) It can’t possibly work. n 

b) My boss won’t accept that. n 

c) We haven’t done that before. n 

d) It’s a waste of time. n 

e) We’ll never finish. n 

“DEVELOPING” PHRASES 

advanced 

1. How can we convince our managers? 

2. There’s a chance that might work. 

3. How can we do this effectively? 

4. It may be time to try something new. 

5. It will be a long-term project. 

Photodisc 

10. Are you with me? (10 points) 

advanced 

Agreement and disagreement are a part of most meetings. 

Here, members of the Crunchy and Tasty project teams use 

some idiomatic expressions. Mark each sentence with “A” (if 

it is a way of agreeing) or “D” (if it is a way of disagreeing). 

Do you agree? There are many 

ways to give your opinion 

a) I’m with you there. n n 

b) I couldn’t have said it better myself. n n 

c) I couldn’t agree more. n n 

d) I can’t go along with that. n n 

e) We see eye to eye on that. n n 

f) I’m not comfortable with that. n n 

g) No way! n n 

h) Are you kidding? n n 

i) You’re quite right. n n 

j) I’m against that. n n 

A 

D 


How did you do? 

Excellent (70–77 points): You understand the language 

of meetings and can express yourself well. 

Well done (60–69 points): You know most of the 

terms and expressions you need in meetings. 

Good (50–59 points): You may need to practise some 

terms and vocabulary before your next meeting. 

Nice try (49 points and fewer): You could use more 

practice in the language of meetings. 


ARTICLES 

n Meetings: “All in the mind”, Business Spotlight 2/2011, 

pp. 38–44. 

n Conference calls: “Calling for success”, Business Spotlight 

2/2010, pp. 40–46. 

n Kick-off meetings: “Making a start”, Business Spotlight 

3/2009, pp. 40–46. 

n Regular sections in past issues of Business Spotlight with 

useful expressions for meetings include Meeting Point and 

On the Line. Also look for helpful language tips in our new 

Toolbox section. 

Do more exercises on this topic on Business Spotlight Audio 

www Find related exercises at www.business-spotlight.de/skills 

ANSWERS 

1. What’s the purpose? 

a–3 (Vorstandssitzung) 

b–1 (Teambesprechung) 

c–4 (Brainstorming) 

d–2 ((Projekt-)Eröffnungsbesprechung) 

2. Talking about schedules 

a) attend (attend sth. = an etw. teilnehmen) 

b) cancel 

c) postpone (postpone sth. = etw. verschieben) 

d) agenda = Tagesordnung 

e) reschedule (reschedule sth. = etw. (zeitlich) 

verlegen) 

f) items = (Tagesordnungs-)Punkte 

g) suit (suit sb. = jmdm. passen) 

h) pencil (pencil sb./sth. in = jmdn./etw. 

vormerken) 

i) confirm = hier: seine Teilnahme bestätigen 

3. Your opinion, please 

a) do you think 

b) can see 

c) do you share 

d) feel that 

e) do you see 

f) convinced that 

g) do you stand 

h) no question that 

i) your opinion 

j) in favour 

4. Key roles 

a) chair = Vorsitzende(r) 

b) participants = Teilnehmer(innen) 

c) minute-taker = Protokoll führer(in) 

d) scribe = Schreiber(in) 

e) interpreter = Dolmetscher(in) 

f) timekeeper = Zeitnehmer(in) 

g) guest speaker = Gastredner(in) 

h) catering (catering service = Party-, Gastronomieservice) 

i) technician = Techniker(in) 

5. Better understanding 

a–4; b–6; c–2; d–3; e–8; f–7; g–1; h–5 

6. Teleconference behaviour 

a) Please switch off your mobile phones. 

b) This also means no emails or text messages. 

c) We’ll start by going round the table to introduce 

ourselves. 

d) Give your full name, your title and add a 

sentence about yourself. 

e) Could you all speak loudly and clearly, 

please? 

f) And the native speakers of English should 

try to speak slowly. 

g) As far as possible, please speak one at a 

time. 

7. How to interrupt 

a) come (come in here = an dieser Stelle etw. 

sagen, eingreifen) 

b) interrupt 

c) add (add sth. = etw. hinzufügen) 

d) say 

e) respond 

f) bring (bring sth. up = etw. zur Sprache bringen) 

g) comment 

h) stop 

i) Excuse 

j) speak (speak out of turn = außer der Reihe 

das Wort ergreifen) 

8. Be creative! 

a–2; b–1; c–2; d–2; e–2 

9. Negative to positive 

a–2; b–1; c–4; d–3; e–5 

10. Are you with me? 

Agree: a (Da stimme ich Ihnen/dir zu.); b; c (Da 

kann ich Ihnen/dir nur zustimmen.); e (Darüber 

sind wir einer Meinung.); i (Sie haben / Du hast 

völlig recht.) 

Disagree: d (Ich kann dem nicht zustimmen.); 

f (Mir ist nicht ganz wohl dabei.); g (Keineswegs!, 

Nie im Leben!); h (Ist das Ihr/dein 

Ernst?); j 

CAROL SCHEUNEMANN is responsible for language 

tests and the Technology section at Business Spotlight. 

She also coordinates Business Spotlight Audio. 

Contact: c.scheunemann@spotlight-verlag.de 

HILDEGARD RUDOLPH is a certified translator and 

a freelance editor, teacher and book author. 

Contact: bs.lektorat@spotlight-verlag.de 

THE SOUND OF BUSINESS! 

Do you need to speak English at work? Practise 

the easy way — with Business Spotlight Audio. Try 

our special offer: download the current edition for 

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Get ahead! 

Know what to say and how to say it. Our dialogues 

and exercises build your confidence for dealing 

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Repeat. Answer. Translate. 

Learn words and grammar through active speaking 

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words are given in German. 

Learn anywhere! 

Business Spotlight Audio is a stand-alone package 

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to enjoy the sound of business wherever you go! 

Seriös und unverbindlich: Illegaler Audio-Download 

Testen Sie gratis den aktuellen Audio-Sprachtrainer von Business Spotlight! 

GRATIS 

confidence [(kQnfIdEns] 

obligation [)QblI(geIS&n] 

stand-alone package 

[)stÄnd E)lEUn (pÄkIdZ] 

(Selbst-)Vertrauen 

Verpflichtung 

eigenständiges Paket 

Jetzt gratis downloaden: www.spotlight-verlag.de/audio-test

■ LANGUAGE VOCABULARY 

easy 

Election day 

In dieser Rubrik präsentieren wir nützliche Begriffe aus der Arbeits - 

welt. Von CAROL SCHEUNEMANN 

1 

13 

2 

12 

14 

15 

17 

19 

4 

10 

9 

8 

11 

16 

18 

3 

7 

6 

5 

Ken Raut 

1. polling/election day Wahltag 

[(pEUlIN/i(lekS&n deI] 

(US Election Day) 

2. constituency [kEn(stItjuEnsi], Wahlbezirk 

electoral district (US voting 

precinct [(pri:sINkt] / district) 

3. poll clerk [(pEUl klA:k] Wahlhelfer(in) 

(US poll worker, election 

inspector) 

4. presiding officer Wahlvorstand, Ab- 

[pri)zaIdIN (QfIsE] 

stimmungsleiter(in) 

(US chief election officer) 

5. poll card [(pEUl kA:d] Wahlbenachrichtigung 

(US voter registration 

card) 

6. electoral roll [i)lektErEl (rEUl] Wählerliste, -kartei 

(US voter registration list, 

poll book) 

7. ballot box Wahlurne 

8. slot Schlitz (in der 

Wahlurne) 

9. ballot paper [(bÄlEt )peIpE] Stimmzettel 

(US ballot) 

10. vote, cast your ballot/vote (für eine(n) Kandi- 

[)kA:st jE (bÄlEt/(vEUt] daten/in) stimmen 

11. political party [pE)lItIk&l (pA:ti] politische Partei 

12. candidate [(kÄndIdeIt] Kandidat(in) 

13. polling station Wahllokal 

(US polling place) 

14. polling hours Öffnungszeiten des 

Wahllokals 

15. voter turnout Wahlbeteiligung 

[)vEUtE (t§:naUt] 

16. queue [kju:] (US line) Schlange 

17. polling booth [(pEUlIN bu:D] Wahlkabine, -zelle 

(US also: voting booth) 

18. voter Wähler(in) 

19. election regulations/rules/ Wahlordnung 

procedures [prEU(si:dEz] 

Exercise: Voter instructions 

Complete the sentences with words from the list. 

On a) ____________, take your b) ____________ to the 

designated c) ____________. Show your document to 

one of the d) ____________. He or she will check 

that your name is in the e) ____________ for your 

f) ____________. Then, he or she will give you a(n) 

g) ____________. Go in to one of the h) ____________. 

You may i) _____________ for one j) _____________ only. 

Make an “X” in the box next to the person’s name. 

Then fold the paper once and put it in the 

k) ____________ of the l) ____________. 

Answers on page 62 


medium 

GRAMMAR AT WORK LANGUAGE ■ 

Describing products 

Produktbeschreibungen enthalten gewöhnlich zahlreiche Adjektive, die detailliert über das Produkt 

informieren. ANNA HOCHSIEDER nimmt ihre Bildung genauer unter die Lupe. 

Wild & Free is an online store that specializes in outdoor equipment. 

Below is an excerpt from its latest catalogue. As you 

read it, pay attention to the words marked in bold. 

“Featherlite” rucksack 

This ultralight rucksack has a double-layered base and features 

adjustable shoulder straps, expandable side pockets 

and an innovative ventilation system to keep you cool and 

comfortable. 

“FOREST RANGER” JACKET 

A classic three-in-one jacket to keep you warm in all weather. 

It has a water-resistant, windproof shell and a detachable 

fleece lining, deep pockets and a zip-off hood. 

“POWERBITE” ENERGY BAR 

Healthy, nutritious and mouth-watering: take your pick from 

our large selection of fruit and nut bars. All are protein-rich 

and lactose-free, and they contain no artificial flavouring. 

Exercise 

Complete the sentences with compound adjectives, using 

the words from the box. 

English ■ five ■ free ■ oven ■ part ■ proof 

speaking ■ star ■ sugar ■ time 

a) Do you have any _____-_____ fruit juices? 

b) I’m looking for a(n) _____-_____ job. 

c) Is Nigeria a(n) _____-_____ country? 

d) This pan has a plastic handle, so it’s not ___________. 

e) My boss always insists on staying at _____-_____ hotels. 

Add the correct suffixes to create four adjectives. 

You’re very (f) care_____. It’s (g) danger_____ work, so why 

aren’t you wearing a (h) protect_____ hat? Don’t be so 

(i) irrespons_____! 


Explanations 

Many common English adjectives have just one syllable 

and there is no particular form that helps to 

identify them as adjectives (“cool”, “warm”, “deep”, 

“large”, etc.). Longer adjectives are often formed from 

other words. 

■ Adjectives can be created by adding a suffix to a 

noun or verb. A very common adjective suffix is 

-able. When added to a verb, this often means that 

something “can be done”. For example, adjustable 

means “can be adjusted”, and expandable means 

“can be expanded”. 

■ Other examples of adjective suffixes that can be 

found in the text are -al (artificial), -ic (classic), 

-ive (innovative), -ous (nutritious) and -y (healthy). 

Further common adjective suffixes include -ible 

(visible), -ish (foolish), -ful (careful), -ical (economical) 

and -less (useless). 

■ Adjectives can also be created by linking two or 

more words. Such compound adjectives are often, 

though not always, connected by a hyphen. Most 

of these compound adjectives end in an adjective 

(ultralight, protein-rich, windproof), a present 

participle (mouth-watering) or a past participle 

(double-layered). Phrases such as three-in-one or 

zip-off can also function as adjectives. 

Adjectives can help to communicate a lot of information 

in few words. This is a typical feature of product 

descriptions. Advertising, in particular, makes very 

creative use of adjectives and keeps coming up with 

new compounds that later become used in everyday 

language. 

■BS 

Do an exercise on this topic on Business Spotlight Audio 

plus Find related exercises in Business Spotlight plus 

www More exercises at www.business-spotlight.de/grammar 

ANNA HOCHSIEDER is a Munich-based 

teacher of English as a Second Language 

who writes regularly on language issues in 

Spotlight and Business Spotlight. Contact: 

a.hochsieder@googlemail.com 

3/2013 


n LANGUAGE EASY ENGLISH 

Telephoning: 

often the 

quickest way 

to get a reply 

Successful 

phone calls 

photos.com 

Im zweiten Teil unserer neuen Business-Englisch-Sparte geht es um das Führen von Telefongesprächen. 

An einem Beispiel zeigt Ihnen MIKE HOGAN, wann ein Telefonat sinnvoll ist und gibt Ihnen nützliche Tipps, 

Vokabeln, Grammatik und Redewendungen zur Hand. 

When communicating with business partners, it is important 

to choose the best channel. In Business Spotlight 

2/2013, we looked at the advantages of emails, particularly 

for complex messages or when you need a written 

record. In contrast, the fastest way to communicate is usually 

by telephone. So the next time you want to send an email, 

ask yourself whether it would be quicker just to give the other 

person a call. 

1. Making a phone call 

Look at the dialogue below of a call between Claudia Müller 

and one of her business partners, Peter Wilson. As you read 

it, think about the answers to these questions: 

n Why did Claudia call Peter? 

n What two files does Claudia need from Peter? 

n Why did she choose to make a phone call rather than write 

an email? 

Peter: Good morning. VG Electronics. Peter Wilson speaking. 

Claudia: Hi, Peter. It’s Claudia Müller here. Do you have a 

minute? 

Peter: Sure. What can I do for you? 

Claudia: Well, I’m calling to ask you if we can change the time 

of our meeting on Thursday. It’s quite urgent. A key customer 

has a problem and I need to visit him. 

Peter: Yes, that’s no problem. Why don’t we postpone it until 

Friday? 

Claudia: Actually, it would be helpful to have our meeting before 

I visit our customer. Could we bring it forward to Tuesday 

at ten o’clock? 

Peter: One moment. I need to check. Yes, that’s fine. 

Claudia: Great. Thanks. Do you have the product presentation 

slides for the JY49k project? Could you send them to me? 

Peter: Yes, I do. I’ll send them to you right away. You should 

have them in a few minutes. 

Claudia: Thanks. And could you send me the technical specification 

sheet, too? I really need it as soon as possible. 

Peter: Don’t worry, you’ll have that in a few minutes as well. 

Claudia: Thanks for your help, Peter. I’ll see you on Tuesday. 

Peter: OK, I’ll see you then. Goodbye. 

Claudia: Bye. 

Here are the answers to the three questions: 

n Claudia called Peter to change an appointment for a meeting 

and to ask for specific information to be mailed to her. 

appointment [E(pOIntmEnt] 

bring sth. forward )brIN (fO:wEd] 

channel [(tSÄn&l] 

Do you have a minute? 

[)du: ju )hÄv E (mInIt] 

file [faI&l] 

postpone sth. [pEUst(pEUn] 

slide [slaId] 

technical specification sheet 

[)teknIk&l )spesEfI(keIS&n Si:t] 

Termin 

etw. vorverlegen 

(Kommunikations-)Weg 

Haben Sie/Hast du einen 

Moment Zeit? 

Datei 

etw. verschieben 

Folie 

technisches Datenblatt 


easy 

n She needs the product presentation slides and the technical 

specification sheet for the JY49k project. 

n It was faster and easier to make a phone call. Claudia urgently 

needed to make the appointment change and get the 

files, and Peter was able to act immediately. 

2. Preparing to make a phone call 

For your calls to be successful, you should first think about 

why you are calling and what result(s) you want. This will help 

you prepare the language you will need. Look at the notes that 

Claudia Müller wrote when getting ready to call Peter: 

Call Peter Wilson 

Why? 

l Change the time of our meeting 

l Ask him to email me the product presentation slides 

and the technical specification sheet for the JY49k 

project 

Language 

l I’m calling to ask you if we can change… 

l Do you have the product presentation slides? 

l Could you send me the… ? 

l I really need it as soon as possible. 

3. Useful telephone phrases 

a) Making a call 

n Hello, this is Claudia Müller. 

n Hi, Peter. It’s Claudia here. 

n Could you put me through to… ? 

n I’d like to speak to… 

n Do you have a minute? 

b) Saying why you are calling 

n I’m calling to let you know that… 

n I am calling about… / to ask you... 

n I’d like some information about… 

c) Answering a call 

n Good morning. VG Electronics. 

Peter Wilson speaking. 

n Hi, this is Peter. How can I help? 

d) Taking and leaving a message 

n Can I take a message? 

n Can I leave a message? 

e) Making and changing an appointment 

n How about Tuesday at ten o’clock? 

n Could we change the time of our appointment? 

n Could we postpone our appointment? 

n Could we bring the meeting forward? 

f) Reacting to problems 

n Could you say that again, please? 

n Could you spell that, please? 

n Could you speak slower/louder, please? 

n I don’t know at the moment. I need to check. 

g) Getting a written record 

n Can you send me an email to confirm what we’ve agreed? 

n I’ll write up my notes and email them to you later. 

h) Ending 

n Thanks for your call/help. Goodbye. 

n I’ll talk to you on Thursday. Bye. 

Can you spell well? 

Be sure you know how to 

say and spell your email 

address in English. Try to 

refresh your knowledge of 

the alphabet so you can 

spell words more easily. 

Can you spell these? 

a) Jagdstrasse 

b) Müller 

c) Yellowcage GmbH 

d) p.wilson@kq-uv.de 


GRAMMAR: could and would 

When asking people to do things, you can make your request more polite by using modal verbs, such as “could” and 

“would”. Compare the direct sentences on the left with the ones Claudia uses when speaking to Peter, on the right. 

n I want to have the meeting before I visit our 

customer. 

n Send the slides to me. 

n Send me the technical specification sheet, too. 

n It would be helpful to have our meeting before I visit our 

customer. 

n Could you send the slides to me? 

n Could you send me the technical specification sheet, too? 

nBS 

confirm sth. [kEn(f§:m] 

leave (a message) [li:v] 

put sb. through to sb. 

[)pUt (Tru: tu] 

refresh [ri(freS] 

spell sth. [spel] 

take (a message) [teIk] 

write sth. up 

[)raIt (Vp] 

etw. bestätigen 

(eine Nachricht) hinterlassen 

jmdn. zu jmdm. durchstellen 

etw. auffrischen 

etw. buchstabieren 

(eine Nachricht) entgegennehmen 

etw. schriftlich zusammenfassen 

Do exercises on telephoning on Business Spotlight Audio 

plus Find related exercises in Business Spotlight plus 

MIKE HOGAN is a communication-skills trainer and 

head of training and development at the LTC Language 

Training Center (www.ltc-online.de). His publications 

include Business English for Beginners A1 

and A2 (Cornelsen). Contact: m.hogan@ltc-online.de 

3/2013 


■ LANGUAGE WISE WORDS 

“Three words can create a catchy rhythm and an image to 

express an idea more effectively than any single word” 

DEBORAH CAPRAS ON LANGUAGE IN THE NEWS 

This, that 

and the other 

Drei ist auch rhetorisch eine magische Zahl. 

Politiker, Werbetexter und selbst die Kirche 

verwenden einprägsame, dreiteilige Ausdrücke, 

wie DEBORAH CAPRAS zeigt. 

Presidents, prime ministers and journalists love it. It’s 

found in religion, literature and advertising. You’ll hear 

it in speeches, you’ll read it in the news and you’ll come 

across it in business. It’s the rule of three. This rule is simple, 

powerful and memorable. Any Tom, Dick or Harry can 

make use of it. 

Why three? It’s a well-known rule of rhetoric that groups of 

three are easy to remember. And they’re everywhere. In Christianity, 

it’s all about the Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son and 

the Holy Ghost) and how we might end up in Heaven, Hell 

or Purgatory. In Ireland, I learned how to curse with a cry of 

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph”. Groups of three seem to give us 

a feeling of completeness, comfort — or satisfaction. 

As children, we read about The Three Little Pigs, 

Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Three Musketeers. 

We learn from an early age that three is something special. 

A CLOSER LOOK 

We use “Tom, Dick and/or Harry” to mean “anyone” or 

“everyone”. Today, “Harry” is sometimes replaced with “Harriet” 

to include women in the idea. The origins of the expression 

are unknown. 

sions can create a catchy rhythm and an image to express 

an idea more effectively than any single word ever could. 

In advertising, you’ll find the rule of three in many shapes 

and forms. Back in the 1930s, Kellogg’s created the trio 

“Snap, Crackle and Pop” to advertise its breakfast cereal 

Rice Krispies. Today, children still listen out for the snap, 

crackle and pop when they pour in the milk. In the UK, the 

chocolate company Mars has used the same slogan, again 

and again, since the 1950s: “A Mars a day helps you work, 

rest and play”. 

Sound bites 

In politics, the rule of three can have a powerful effect. In 

the US Declaration of Independence, it appears in a statement 

about basic human rights (“life, liberty and the pursuit 

of happiness”). On inauguration day, US presidents swear to 

“preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United 

States”. They then go on to make a speech about their plans 

— and create new groups of three for sound bites to be used 

by the press the next day. 

breakfast cereal [(brekfEst )sIEriEl] 

catchy [(kÄtSi] 

constitution [)kQnstI(tju:S&n] 

crackle [(krÄk&l] 

Goldilocks [(gEUldilQks] 

Holy Trinity: the ~ [)hEUli (trInEti] 

inauguration day [I)nO:gjE(reIS&n deI] 

love, honour and cherish sb. 

[)lVv )QnEr En (tSerIS] 

memorable [(memErEb&l] 

pop [pQp] 

preserve sth. [pri(z§:v] 

Purgatory [(p§:gEtri] 

pursuit of sth. [pE(sju:t Qv] 

snap [snÄp] 

sound bite [(saUnd baIt] 

Frühstücksflocken 

eingängig 

Verfassung 

knistern 

Goldlöckchen 

die Dreieinigkeit 

Tag des Amtsantritts 

jmdn. lieben, achten und 

ehren (im Ehegelöbnis) 

einprägsam 

(auf)platzen 

etw. erhalten 

Fegefeuer 

Streben nach etw. 

schnappen, knacken 

kurzes, prägnantes Zitat 

Powerful images 

Later in life, some of us move on to “sex, drugs and rock ’n’ 

roll”, or we meet someone who is “tall, dark and handsome”, 

who promises us “the sun, moon and stars” and to “love, 

honour and cherish” us until we die (until they hear “earth 

to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust”). Whatever stage of 

life or situation we find ourselves in, three words or expresiStockphoto 


medium 

This year, Barack Obama spoke about climate change and 

“raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful 

storms”. He spoke about the need for equality for “our wives, 

our mothers, and daughters”. He could have used one word, 

“women”, but his speech wouldn’t have sounded so personal 

if he had. 

In one particularly moving part, Obama and his speechwriters 

used the rule of three to remind people of the schoolchildren 

who were shot and killed in Newtown, Connecticut, 

at the end of 2012 — and of the need to protect all 

the children across the US. Obama used a group of three 

within a group of three: “Our journey is not complete until 

all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of 

Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they 

are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm.” 

British Prime Minister David Cameron used the method 

in his controversial speech on his plan to hold an in-out referendum 

on the EU by 2017. He reminded people that the 

British are an island nation: “independent, forthright and 

passionate in defence of our sovereignty”. He didn’t have 

one, or even two, questions about membership in the EU. 

He asked three: “How? Why? To what end?” He’s still waiting 

for the answers. 

IN THE NEWS 

BlackBerry aims for work, 

rest and play 

The Telegraph 

This headline refers to Mars’s advertising slogan to show 

that BlackBerry is hoping that people will use its new 

smartphone in their private lives — and not just for work. 

a hop, skip and a jump 

[E )hQp )skIp En E (dZVmp] 

(skip 

Appalachia [)ÄpE(leItSiE] 

bait [beIt] 

crippling [(krIp&lIN] 

deputy editor [)depjUti (edItE] 

drought [draUt] 

forthright [(fO:TraIt] 

hook, line and sinker 

[)hUk )laIn En (sINkE] 

(sinker 

in-out [)In (aUt] 

lane [leIn] 

lock, stock and barrel 

[)lQk )stQk En (bÄrEl] 

(stock 

(barrel 

raging [(reIdZIN] 

sovereignty [(sQvrEnti] 

toil [tOI&l] 

To what end? [tu )wQt (end] 

ein Katzensprung 

Hüpfer) 

Appalachen-Region 

Köder 

lähmend, erdrückend 

stellvertretende(r) Chefredakteur(in) 

Trockenheit, Dürre 

direkt, geradeheraus 

voll und ganz 

Bleigewicht) 

hier: über Verbleib oder Austritt 

Gasse 

mit allem Drum und Dran 

Schaft) 

Lauf) 

wütend, lodernd 

Souveränität 

große Mühe 

Wozu das? 

USEFUL EXPRESSIONS 

You can make your own groups of three, but you can 

also use these common fixed expressions, too. 

beg, borrow or steal 

To do whatever it takes to get something: 

■ Beg, borrow or steal, I’m going to get myself a ticket! 

blood, sweat and tears 

A lot of hard work. Winston Churchill originally said “I 

have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat” 

in a speech he made after replacing Neville Chamberlain 

as prime minister in 1940. In popular speech, it 

has been shortened to three words: 

■ This project is the result of five months of blood, 

sweat and tears. 

calm, cool and collected 

In control: 

■ Despite the terrible results, she remained calm, cool 

and collected. 

hook, line and sinker 

Completely. When you believe something that is false 

without questioning it, you fall for it hook, line and 

sinker. This phrase refers to fish taking bait: 

■ She fell for his story hook, line and sinker. 

a hop, skip and a jump 

A short distance. Originally used to describe the triple 

jump: 

■ It’s only a hop, skip and a jump to the restaurant from 

here. 

lock, stock and barrel 

Including everything. This expression refers to all the 

main parts of a gun: 

■ She sold the company, lock, stock and barrel, to 

investors from China. 

ready, willing and able 

Wanting to do something and being in a position to do it: 

■ He’s ready, willing and able to lead the team. 

this, that and the other 

Various unspecified things: 

■ I’ve been busy doing this, that and the other. 

Do a related exercise on Business Spotlight Audio 

plus 

For exercises on on this this topic, topic, see see Business Spotlight Spotlight plus 

DEBORAH CAPRAS is the deputy editor of Business Spotlight. 

You can read her blog, Wise Words, and do her online language 

exercises at www.business-spotlight.de/blogs 

■BS 

3/2013 


■ LANGUAGE SHORT STORY 

Cyber romance 

I’m watching 

you: whether you 

like it or not 

Es ist einfach unglaublich, welch ungeahnte und wunderbare Möglichkeiten im Cyberspace 

auf uns warten — eine Liebesbeziehung inbegriffen. Von JAMES SCHOFIELD 

Photodisc 

The feeling I got when I finally managed to leave my physical 

body and upload myself into the internet was better 

than anything I had ever felt before. It was like that moment 

when you dive into water. Suddenly, your body is weightless 

and you can twist and move any way you want. But I 

could swim through the entire world at the speed of light. 

That’s all I did for a while, internet surfing like nobody has 

ever done before. Of course, like any place, there are areas 

of the web where you shouldn’t go if you don’t want trouble. 

But I was quick to learn and soon, I could travel nearly anywhere, 

find out about anybody and — and this is the fun part 

— do almost anything. 

You see, this networked world makes so much possible. The 

person who controls the internet controls the world. If you 

don’t believe me, here are a couple of examples. Remember 

when all those laws were passed to stop smoking in public 

places in Europe? That was me. It was so easy. I just sent 

emails from insurance companies to governments, got in to 

Big Tobacco’s secret statistics on smoking-related death and 

diseases and then sent the information to the press. Hey 

presto! It was done, and even the French had to stop trying 

to kill themselves with cigarettes. Or what about gun control 

in the US? They said it couldn’t happen, but I arranged it. 

And then I gave the FBI the names and addresses of those 

crazy doomsday preppers who hadn’t turned in their weapons 

when they were supposed to. 

So, I think you’ll agree that I’ve done some pretty cool 

things. Unfortunately, I may have crossed some kind of moral 

line now. You see — I probably sound like a teenager here, 

but — I’m in love. And you’re allowed to do anything when 

you’re in love, right? 

Her name’s Helen and when I first saw a photo of her on 

her blog, it was such a shock to my system that I sent a small 

wave through the internet, causing a crash on the Nikkei Index 

and two large banks to fail. Anyway, one look and I was 

hooked. I read her posts about art, which I didn’t understand. 

They just made me feel stupid. But then I realized I didn’t 

have to concern myself with her brain. I could just watch her 

on TV. 

Helen works in an art gallery in Manhattan, so most of her 

day is spent within range of a security camera somewhere. Of 

course, I wanted to be with her at home, too, so I sent an order 

from Homeland Security to the FBI telling them to install 

cameras around her house while she was out. People might 

dive into water [)daIv IntE (wO:tE] kopfüber ins Wasser springen 

fail [feI&l] 

scheitern; hier: pleite gehen 

gun control 

Reglementierung von 

[(gVn kEn)trEUl] 

Waffenbesitz 

Homeland Security 

Heimatschutzbehörde 

[)hoUmlÄnd sI(kjUrEti*] US 

hooked: be ~ (on sb./sth.) [hUkt] Feuer und Flamme sein 

insurance company 

Versicherungsgesellschaft 

[In(SUErEns )kVmpEni] 

line: cross a ~ [laIn] 

eine Grenze überschreiten 

networked [(netw§:kt] 

vernetzt 

pass a law [)pA:s E (lO:] 

ein Gesetz verabschieden 

turn sth. in [)t§:n (In] 

etw. abgeben 

upload sth. [)Vp(lEUd] 

etw. hochladen 

* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation that differs from standard UK pronunciation. 


medium 

call this stalking, but I think that’s too judgemental. I meant 

her no harm. I just wanted to be with her. And those evenings 

in her flat, just the two of us relaxing together on her couch 

and watching a film, those were the times I liked best. 

However, I’m a reasonable man. I was happy for her to have 

other people in her life. OK, I admit that I had to get rid of 

one idiot who wanted Helen to go on a date with him and 

wouldn’t take no for an answer. After the third time, I took 

matters into my own digital hands and organized a car crash 

“You’re allowed to do 

anything when you’re in 

love, right?” 

for him. I just changed two sets of traffic lights to green at 

the same time and … bam! Problem solved. As long as her 

other men friends were gay and the women were like her 

friend Francine, who created computer-based art, I didn’t get 

involved, even if Helen stayed overnight at Francine’s place 

a few times, after their girls’ nights out. 

Anyway, after about six months, I decided we should meet. 

I created this cool avatar for myself with all the best bits from 

my favourite film stars, plus my personal hero, Steve Jobs. 

Then one day, when Helen was writing her blog, I walked into 

her screen, said hi and told her everything about me. 

She freaked out. I shouldn’t have been surprised. I had got 

this kind of reaction with depressing regularity when I was a 

physical being, too. Anyway, she smashed her computer, 

found and tore out two of the cameras, but she missed the 

ones hidden behind the bathroom mirror and inside the lamp 

in the living room. 

Then she left the building. I followed her using security 

cameras on the streets and thought about getting the police 

to bring her back, but decided that would just make her hysterical. 

So for two weeks, I left her alone, until one evening, 

depressing regularity 

[di)presIN regju(lÄrEti] 

duty nurse [(dju:ti n§:s] 

engineer [)endZI(nIE] 

foot [fUt] 

freak out [)fri:k (aUt] ifml. 

gay [geI] 

judgemental [dZVdZ(ment&l] 

lesbian [(lezbiEn] 

life-support system(s) 

[(laIf sE)pO:t )sIstEm(z)] 

multiply [(mVltIplaI] 

novel [(nQv&l] 

smash sth. [smÄS] 

spider [(spaIdE] 

take no for an answer: not ~ 

[teIk )nEU fEr En (A:nsE] 

traffic lights: set of ~ [(trÄfIk laIts] 

tweet [twi:t] 

erdrückende Regelmäßigkeit 

diensthabende(r) Pfleger(in) 

Ingenieur(in); hier: Entwickler(in) 

Fuß (30,48 cm) 

ausflippen 

schwul 

wertend; hier: verurteilend 

Lesbe 

lebenserhaltende Geräte 

sich vermehren, vervielfachen 

Roman 

etw. zertrümmern 

Spinne; hier: Spider, Webcrawler 

ein Nein als Antwort nicht 

gelten lassen 

Ampelanlage 

Twitter-Nachricht 

when she sent out a tweet saying she was going online again 

and wanted to talk to me. 

The first thing that surprised me as I activated the cameras 

was that Francine was there and the flat had lots of new computer 

equipment and several screens. Francine was working 

at one of the computers and Helen was standing next to her, 

looking as beautiful as always. “Is it ready?” she asked. 

Francine nodded. “Then start it.” 

“Good evening, ladies!” They both jumped about a foot in 

the air as my avatar appeared on all the screens. 

“Hi,” said Helen. “Thanks for coming. You’re just in 

time.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

She smiled, and then, far away, I felt something. At first, 

little scratches at the distant edges of the internet that were 

multiplying fast and began to feel like holes being burned in 

my memory. My avatar must have shown discomfort. 

“Feel that?” said Helen. “My girlfriend is doing that to you. 

Those are millions of search-and-destroy spiders hunting you 

down everywhere on the web.” 

Girlfriend? Spiders? 

I wasn’t sure which was harder to believe, that Helen was 

a lesbian, or that Francine had pumped this poisonous code 

into me. Then Helen leaned forward and kissed Francine on 

the mouth, which made at least one thing clear, so I decided 

it was time to leave before… 

On the other side of the Atlantic, in a hospital in London, the 

duty nurse picked up her phone. 

“Dr King? It’s about the coma patient in room ten… Yes, 

that’s right, the software engineer… Yes, well, his lifesupport 

systems have just stopped showing any activity. Do 

you want to call the relatives, or shall I?” ■BS 

Language point 

bam (Bums, Krach) The sound of a hard hit. 

This type of word imitates sound. 

Big Tobacco A negative term to refer to the 

(power of the) tobacco industry. 

doomsday preppers People who prepare for a 

catastrophe on earth. They usually have extra 

supplies of water and food and an additional 

source of heat or electricity. “Doomsday” also 

commonly refers to the Last Judgement. 

hey presto, US presto (Voila) An expression 

used after a successful magic trick, or when 

something is so easy it seems like magic. 

You can listen to this story on Business Spotlight Audio 

JAMES SCHOFIELD is currently working on a novel. 

If you’d like to follow his creative progress and read 

more of his stories in English, see his blog at 

http://jrtschofield.blogspot.de 

3/2013 


n LANGUAGE TRANSLATION 

medium 

False friends 

You mean… You should say… Don’t say… As this means… 

Mappe folder map Landkarte; 

Sie finden die Bewerbungen You’ll find the applications in Stadtplan 

in der grünen Mappe. 

the green folder. 

konkurrieren compete concur übereinstimmen 

Keiner kann mit unserer 

No one can compete with our 

Technologie konkurrieren. 

technology. 

sensibel sensitive sensible vernünftig 

Das ist ein sensibles Thema. It’s a sensitive issue. 

You can find more false friends on Business Spotlight Audio 

Don’t confuse... 

Complementary and complimentary 

n Two or more things that improve each other when combined 

or used together are complementary (einander 

ergänzend): “We have very different, but complementary, 

talents.” The British expression complementary 

medicine (Komplementärmedizin) refers to health-care 

practices that are not considered part of conventional 

medicine: “Complementary medicine, such as acupuncture, 

can help people with a bad back.” 

n If something is complimentary (gratis), it is free: “You 

will receive two complimentary tickets (Freikarten).” 

And when you express praise (Lob) for something, you 

are being complimentary (sich schmeichelhaft äußern): 

“Their design was highly original, but not everyone was 

complimentary about it.” 

Tricky translations by MIKE SEYMOUR 

How do you say “treat” in German? 

The verb “treat” refers to how someone behaves towards 

someone else: “He treats her like a slave.” This is best 

translated as behandeln or umgehen mit: Er behandelt sie 

wie eine Sklavin. It can also refer to things: “Please treat 

this as confidential.” Here, the word can be translated as 

ansehen/betrachten als: Bitte betrachten Sie dies als vertraulich. 

In medical English, we treat (behandeln) an illness 

or injury to make it better: “We can treat it with antibiotics.” 

— Wir können es mit Antibiotika behandeln. 

If you do or buy something special for someone, you 

“treat that person to” it: “I treated myself to a manicure.” 

Here, it’s translated as jmdm. (sich) etw. gönnen/kaufen: 

Ich habe mir eine Maniküre gegönnt. “It’s my treat!” is 

used to say that you will pay for something, such as a 

meal: Ich lade Dich ein! or Das geht auf mich! 

In technical English, when you “treat something”, you 

apply a special substance to it to protect or preserve it 

(behandeln, bearbeiten, aufbereiten). 

How do you say verraten/Verrat in English? 

In the context of people, verraten describes disloyal behaviour 

that harms or disappoints someone who trusts you: 

Er hat seine Freunde verraten. Translate it here as betray: 

“He has betrayed his friends.” 

In a more serious context, it can mean being disloyal to 

your country, for example, by giving away military secrets 

to an enemy: Der Agent wurde des (Landes-)Verrats 

beschuldigt. This specific kind of betrayal is translated as 

(high) treason: “The agent was accused of (high) treason.” 

Treason is used to mean “disloyalty to a country”, not to 

a person or an organization. 

Generally, verraten refers to revealing information or 

facts, often things that you have been asked to keep secret: 

Sie hat uns den Plan der Konkurrenz verraten. There 

are several possible translations, including tell, reveal or 

give away: “She told us our competitor’s plan.” Informally, 

we can translate Wer hat das verraten? with: “Who let 

on?” If you want to warn people not to say anything 

(Nichts verraten!), you can say: “Mum’s the word!” 

Exercise 1 Translate the following sentences. 

a) Japanese companies treat their staff very well. 

Exercise 2 Translate the following sentences. 

a) Er hat mir schon verraten, wie der Film ausgeht. 

b) Please treat this information as confidential. 

b) Er wurde wegen Landesverrats verurteilt. 



y DEBORAH CAPRAS 

CARDS LANGUAGE ■ 

Grammar 

Grammar 

Which is missing: the adverb or the adjective? 

“Am I suitable/suitably dressed for the 

opening event?” 

Which adverb is correct? 

“Peter has been really busy late/lately.” 

www.business-spotlight.de 


Translation 

Translation 

Translate this sentence into English. 

Könnten Sie dazu eine 

Stellungnahme abgeben? 

Translate this sentence into German. 

“Marie was seriously ill, but she’s 

out of the woods now.” 



Word choice 

Word choice 

Which word is correct? 

“You may have jumped/run the gun.” 

Which word is correct? 

“Sandra will have to hit the ground 

jumping/running.” 



Business talk 

Business talk 

What does the speaker mean? 

“There’s been a crackdown on corruption.” 

What does the speaker mean? 

“Isn’t there a paper trail?” 


www.business-spotlight.de

■ LANGUAGE CARDS 

“Peter has been really busy lately.” 

The adverbs late and lately have different 

meanings. Late means “after the expected or 

agreed time”, and lately means “recently”. 

late = spät, zu spät 

lately = kürzlich 

“Am I suitably dressed for the opening event?” 

As we are describing how someone is dressed, 

we need the adverb suitably. We would need the 

adjective suitable to describe a noun: “Is this 

dress suitable for the opening event?” 

angemessen 

BS 3/2013 BS 3/2013 

Marie war schwer krank, aber jetzt ist sie 

über den Berg. 

If someone is out of the woods, that person is 

out of danger or a difficult period. Don’t use the 

expression “over the hill” here. This is an 

informal way to say that someone is old (seine 

besten Tage hinter sich haben). 

BS 3/2013 

“Could you comment on / give your opinion on 

this matter?” 

If we want to know what certain people 

think about something, we can ask them to 

comment on it or to give their opinion on it. 

BS 3/2013 

“Sandra will have to hit the ground running.” 

Hit the ground running means “start working 

extremely fast and with a lot of energy or 

enthusiasm”. 

durchstarten 

“You may have jumped the gun.” 

The expression jump the gun literally means 

“start running before a race has officially 

begun”. The speaker is saying that someone has 

done something too soon. 

etw. überstürzen 

BS 3/2013 BS 3/2013 

A paper trail refers to documents that can be 

used to show what someone did or what 

happened. The speaker is asking if there is a 

written record of something. 

A strong action that someone in a position of 

authority takes to put a stop to something is 

called a crackdown. The speaker is saying that 

someone has taken action to stop corruption. 

Papier-, Datenspur 

scharfes Vorgehen gegen etw. 

BS 3/2013 

BS 3/2013

SKILL UP! 

Improve your 

BUSINESS VOCABULARY 

with our 

essential guide 

With each 

issue 

of Business 

Spotlight 

4 

4/2012 3/2013 


■ LANGUAGE ENGLISH FOR... 

Farstad Shipping ASA 

Sea travel 

Auf den Meeren herrscht reger Schiffsverkehr, von Öltankern 

und Frachtern bis zu den Kreuzfahrtschiffen. PAUL KAVANAGH 

befasst sich mit einigen wichtigen Aspekten des Seeverkehrs. 

On the move: we could not 

do without ships 

According to the International Maritime Organization, the 

amount of cargo transported over sea routes today is four 

times greater than in 1970. More than 90 per cent of the 

world’s internationally traded products are carried by ship. 

The air-travel industry may impress us with its large carriers 

such as the 73-metre-long Airbus A380, but this is small 

compared to many ocean-going vessels, like the Eleonora 

Maersk. This container ship is nearly 400 metres long and 

has the largest internal-combustion engine ever built — as 

powerful as 1,000 family cars. Such large container ships 

benefit from economies of scale, meaning that because they 

can transport large volumes of goods, the cost per piece 

shipped is reduced. Reports suggest that cruise ships are also 

weathering the current economic storm well. 

Quiz: Maritime knowledge 

Complete each sentence with the correct answer. 

a) The Eleonora Maersk is among the largest ______ 

ever built. 

1. cruise ships 2. container ships 3. sailing 

ships 

b) The Far Solitaire uses less ______ than other ships 

its size. 

1. fuel 2. speed 3. cargo 

c) Shipping companies are working to reduce ______. 

1. economies 2. emissions 3. freight 

d) Private security teams protect ships from ______. 

1. risks 2. explosions 3. attacks 


Concerns about the environment also encourage innovation 

in the design and development of vessels. Rolls-Royce and 

Farstad Shipping, which is based in Norway, have developed 

a new ship. Called the Far Solitaire, it has a hull that cuts 

through the waves instead of riding them. This is significant, 

as it means the ship needs less fuel because it can move at 

a constant speed and the engine can work more efficiently. 

Although the shipping industry contributes just three per 

cent of global carbon emissions, many shipping companies 

are trying to lower pollution and costs. For example, “cold 

ironing”, also called shore-to-ship power, is when a ship connects 

to an energy source in a port. This allows the vessel to 

shut down all its engines, greatly reducing the amount of fuel 

needed as well as the port pollution caused. 

The high level of activity on the world’s oceans is governed 

by maritime law, which regulates international trade at sea. 

This does not include what is commonly called the “law of 

the sea”, which is an international agreement that defines 

navigational rights and the use of ocean resources. 

Piracy remains a threat to sea travel and commerce. The 

ocean regions off the eastern coast of Africa, Somalia in particular, 

and parts of South East Asia present the highest risks. 

Most cruise ships avoid these areas, but some commercial 

vessels must pass through them. A number of shipping companies 

now employ private security teams to guard their ships 

and prevent possible attacks. As most of the guards carry 

weapons, any critical situation could quickly escalate. Risk 

managers in the maritime sector would like to see the creation 

of a system of standards for security teams on ships. 

carbon emissions [(kA:bEn i)mIS&nz] 

cargo [(kA:gEU] 

carrier [(kÄriE] 

cold ironing [)kEUld (aIEnIN] 

Seeschifffahrts- 

Piraterie 

(Umwelt-)Verschmutzung 

etw. verschiffen 

Schifffahrt-; Seefracht- 

Schiff 

etw. überstehen 

cruise [kru:z] 

economies of scale [i)kQnEmiz Ev (skeI&l] 

fuel [fju:El] 

hull [hVl] 

internal-combustion engine 

[In)t§:n&l kEm)bVstSEn (endZIn] 

maritime [(mÄrItaIm] 

piracy [(paI&rEsi] 

pollution [pE(lu:S&n] 

ship sth. [SIp] 

shipping [(SIpIN] 

vessel [(ves&l] 

weather sth. [(weDE] 

CO 2 -Emissionen 

(Schiffs-)Fracht 

Transporter; hier: 

(Passagier-)Flugzeug 

Landstromversorgung aus 

dem Hafennetz 

Kreuzfahrt 

Größenvorteile 

Treibstoff 

(Schiffs-)Rumpf 

Verbrennungskraftmaschine 


advanced 

Sea terms 

■ marine [mE(ri:n] / maritime [(mÄrItaIm]: related to or 

found in the sea (marine biology), or to shipping and 

other commercial activities at sea or on the coast 

(marine/maritime insurance; maritime security) 

■ nautical [(nO:tIk&l]: related mainly to navigation at sea 

(nautical mile) 

■ naval [(neIv&l]: related to the navy, the branch of the 

military responsible for defence at sea (naval operations) 

Equipment 

compass [(kVmpEs] 

gauge [geIdZ] 

life jacket [(laIf )dZÄkIt] 

log [lQg] 

quadrant [(kwQdrEnt] 

Kompass 

Pegel 

Rettungs-, Schwimmweste 

Log-, Bordbuch 

Quadrant 

Types of vessel 

bulk vessel [(bVlk )ves&l] 

container vessel [kEn(teInE )ves&l] 

cruise ship [(kru:z SIp] 

ferry [(feri] 

lifeboat [(laIfbEUt] 

liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier 

[)lIkwIfaId )nÄtS&rEl (gÄs )kÄriE] 

ocean liner [)EUS&n (laInE] 

raft [rA:ft] 

reefer (refrigerated) vessel 

[(ri:fE )ves&l] ifml. 

roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) vessel 

[rEUl )Qn rEUl (Qf )ves&l] UK 

trawler [(trO:lE] 

tug, tugboat [tVg, (tVgbEUt] 

whaling vessel [(weIlIN )ves&l] 

Ship to shore 

disembark [)dIsIm(bA:k] 

embark [Im(bA:k] 

jetty [(dZeti] 

marina [mE(ri:nE] 

mooring [(mUErIN] 

port [pO:t] 

wharf [wO:f] 

Navigation 

fathom [(fÄDEm] 

headwind [(hedwInd] 

knot [nQt] 

league [li:g] 

lee [li:] 

nautical mile [)nO:tIk&l (maI&l] 

tailwind [(teI&lwInd] 

veer [vIE] 

yaw [jO:] 

Trouble on board 

abandon ship [E)bÄndEn (SIp] 

cabin fever [(kÄbIn )fi:vE] 

distress signal [dI(stres )sIgn&l] 

hijack (a ship) [(haIdZÄk] 

kidnap sb. [(kIdnÄp] 

man overboard [)mÄn (EUvEbO:d] 

mutiny [(mju:tEni] 

piracy [(paI&rEsi] 

shipwreck [(SIprek] 

Massengutfrachter, -schiff 

Containerschiff 

Kreuzfahrtschiff 

Fähre 

Rettungsboot 

Flüssiggasschiff 

Ozeandampfer, Hochseeschiff 

Floß 

Kühlschiff 

RoRo-Schiff 

Fischtrawler, Fangschiff 

Schlepper, Schleppschiff 

Walfangschiff 

von Bord gehen 

an Bord gehen 

Mole, Landungssteg 

Jacht-, Segelhafen 

Liege-, Anlegeplatz 

Hafen 

Kai; Werft 

(nautischer) Faden 

Gegenwind 

Knoten 

Wegstunde 

Lee(seite), Windschatten 

Seemeile 

Rückenwind 

fieren, (ab)drehen 

gieren, vom Kurs abweichen 

ein/das Schiff verlassen 

Bordkoller 

Notsignal 

(ein Schiff) kapern 

kidnappen 

Mann über Bord 

Meuterei 

Piraterie 

Schiffbruch 

Shipping 

cargo [(kA:gEU] 

customs [(kVstEmz] 

deadweight [(dedweIt] 

flag of convenience 

[)flÄg Ev kEn(vi:niEns] 

freight [freIt] 

Parts of ship 

aft [A:ft] 

bow [baU] 

bridge [brIdZ] 

bulkhead [(bVlkhed] 

cabin [(kÄbIn] 

galley [(gÄli] 

gangway [(gÄNweI] 

helm [helm] 

hull [hVl] 

keel [ki:&l] 

port [pO:t] 

rudder [(rVdE] 

starboard [(stA:bO:d] 

stern [st§:n] 

People 

captain [(kÄptIn] 

crew [kru:] 

dock worker [(dQk )w§:kE] 

purser [(p§:sE] 

quartermaster [(kwO:tE)mA:stE] 

sailor [(seIlE] 


Schiffsfracht 

Zoll 

Bruttotragfähigkeit 

Billigflagge 

Fracht(gut) 

achtern 

Bug 

Brücke 

Schott, Rumpfspant 

Kajüte 

Kombüse 

Gangway, Landungsbrücke 

(Schiffs-)Steuerrad, Ruder 

(Schiffs-)Rumpf 

(Schiffs-)Kiel 

Backbord (links) 

(Steuer-)Ruder 

Steuerbord (rechts) 

Heck 

Kapitän(in) 

Besatzung, Crew 

Hafenarbeiter(in) 

Zahl-, Proviantmeister(in) 

Steuermannsmaat 

Matrose/Matrosin 

BOOK 

■ Maritime Economics, Martin Stopford (Routledge) 

WEBSITES 

■ International Chamber of Shipping: www.ics-shipping.org 

■ International Maritime Organization: www.imo.org 

■ Marine Society: www.marine-society.org 

■ The Nautical Institute: www.nautinst.org 

plus Do more exercises on this topic in Business Spotlight plus 

www More job vocabulary at www.business-spotlight.de/vocabulary 

PAUL KAVANAGH is the head of Englisch in Arbeit, 

which provides specialized English training. He lives 

in Bremen. Contact: info@englisch-in-arbeit.de 

3/2013 


■ LANGUAGE LEGAL ENGLISH 

advanced 

Advising clients 

Wendet man sich bei Unstimmigkeiten an einen Anwalt, benötigt 

dieser zunächst Informationen. MATT FIRTH zeigt, wie ein erstes 

Gespräch zwischen Anwalt und Mandant verlaufen könnte. 

For lawyers: speaking and listening the WASP way 

The structure of lawyer-client conversations often follows 

the WASP method (Welcome; Acquire information; Supply 

information and advise the client, Part): 

■ Welcoming the client, or “meeting, greeting and seating”, 

helps the client to relax. 

■ The lawyer acquires information by asking general questions 

to find out why the client needs legal advice, and specific 

questions to get a clear understanding of the subject. 

■ The lawyer supplies information and advises the client. 

The lawyer explains any first thoughts on the case, the services 

needed, the fee structure and what the next steps are. 

■ Before the client parts (leaves), the lawyer will review and 

confirm what has been said. 

building company [(bIldIN )kVmpEni] 

damages [(dÄmIdZIz] 

demolish sth. [di(mQlIS] 

dispute [dI(spju:t] 

fee structure [(fi: )strVktSE] 

go to trial [)gEU tE (traIEl] 

part [pA:t] 

purchase price [(p§:tSEs praIs] 

pursue sth. [pE(sju:] 

semi-detached house 

[)semi di)tÄtSt (haUs] UK 

settle [(set&l] 

settle out of court [)set&l )aUt Ev (kO:t] 


unreasonable [Vn(ri:z&nEb&l] 

Comstock 

Bauunternehmen 

Schadensersatz(zahlung) 

etw. abreißen 

Rechtsstreit 

Honorarordnung 

vor Gericht gehen 

hier: sich verabschieden 

Kaufpreis 

etw. weiterverfolgen 

Doppelhaushälfte 

einen Vergleich schließen 

sich außergerichtlich einigen 

Gutachten 

unangemessen, überzogen 

Exercise: What was said when? 

Decide which step of an interview each of these statements 

is from (W, A, S or P). 

a) Until then, how had the relationship been between 

the two of you? ______ 

b) Of course, the quickest solution would be to settle 

out of court. ______ 

c) Could I just quickly confirm some of the points 

we’ve discussed? ______ 

d) Nice to meet you! Would you like coffee? ______ 


A typical lawyer-client dialogue 

(W/A) Lawyer: Thanks for coming in. Could you take 

me through the current dispute? 

Client: Yes. Last year, we bought a newly built semidetached 

house. The problem is it’s extremely loud 

when the neighbours go up and down the stairs. 

We’ve complained to the building company, but they 

said the house was built according to standards. 

Lawyer: OK. Have you had the work checked? 

Client: The company paid for a survey. They sent us 

a report that supports their position. Here’s a copy. 

(S) Lawyer: Thanks. Hm… This might actually help 

you. These building standards refer to flats — the 

requirements for houses are much stricter. 

Client: Really? 

Lawyer: Yes, I had a similar case last year. The company 

settled, and my clients got back damages of 

eight per cent of the purchase price. 

Client: Well, that’s good — but ideally, they’d just fix 

the stairs. 

Lawyer: That might be difficult. It could well mean 

demolishing and rebuilding the house, and would 

probably be considered unreasonable. 

Client: It’s not what I want, either. So now what? 

Lawyer: Well, if the company isn’t willing to change 

their position, we might do our own survey. We can 

then show that the noise levels are not within the 

standards for houses, if that’s the case. 

Client: I see. Could you let me know how much it’s 

likely to cost? 

Lawyer: Of course. You’ll find the details of my fee 

structure in this letter. 

Client: Right, OK... 

(P) Lawyer: So, you could possibly get ten per cent of 

the purchase price back if this goes to trial, less if 

we settle out of court. Would you like me to pursue 

this for you? 

Client: I think so. Yes. 

■BS 

MATT FIRTH teaches legal English at the University 

of St Gallen, Switzerland. He is also secretary of 

the European Legal English Teachers’ Association 

(EULETA). Contact: matthew.firth@unisg.ch 


advanced 

ECONOMICS AND FINANCE LANGUAGE ■ 

Supply and demand (1) 

Preise werden bekanntlich von Angebot und Nachfrage bestimmt. 

IAN MCMASTER veranschaulicht diese wechselseitige Beeinflussung. 


Supply and demand are two of the most important concepts 

in economics. But how do supply, demand and 

prices fit together? And why do we sometimes see more of 

a good being bought even though its price has risen? 

To analyse this, economists assume that the higher the 

price, the less consumers will normally want to buy, but the 

more producers will normally want to sell. This can be seen 

in Figure 1. The supply curve (S) slopes upwards from left 

to right, showing that at higher prices, producers will want 

to supply more. The demand curve (D) slopes downwards 

from left to right, showing that the lower the price of a good, 

the more consumers will want to buy of it. We assume here 

that all other things — incomes, tastes, production costs, 

the price of competitor products, etc. — are constant. 

Figure 1: Supply and demand 

Price 

P 1 

D S 

The prices we pay: supply and demand are the key 

A fall in incomes would shift the demand curve to the left 

(D3). So would a fall in the price of a competitor good, making 

the new price (P3) and amount bought (Q3) lower. ■BS 

Figure 2: Shifts in demand 

Price 

D 2 

D 1 

D 3 

P 2 

P 1 

P 3 

Q 3 

Q 1 Q 2 

S 

Quantity 

The intersection of the two curves shows the price (P1) at 

which supply and demand are equal (Q1). Economic theory 

assumes that, via “market forces”, the price will move towards 

this equilibrium. At higher prices, there is “excess 

supply”; at lower prices, there is “excess demand”. 

A key factor is the slope of the curves. The steeper they 

are, the less supply and demand respond to price. This is 

known as the “price elasticity” of supply and demand. In 

general, demand is more elastic when the product is not essential, 

and when there are many competitor products. 

But how can we observe both higher prices and higher demand? 

In theory, it is possible that the demand curve could 

slope upwards to the right, showing that a good is more attractive 

to customers if it is more expensive. In the case of 

a few “ostentatious” goods, this may be the case. 

But normally, there is a different explanation. So far, we 

have looked at movements along the demand curve: the 

price changes but everything else is constant. But an increase 

in incomes, or an increase in the price of a competitor 

product, would normally shift the demand curve to the 

right, from D1 to D2 in Figure 2. The new equilibrium price 

(P2) and the amount bought (Q2) are now both higher. 

Q 1 

Quantity 

Finance 

What are “dim-sum bonds”? 

A dim-sum bond is one that is issued outside China but 

denominated in renminbi, the Chinese currency. The 

name comes from dim sum, a form of Chinese food 

made up of bite-sized portions. 

Supply and demand [sE)plaI En di(mA:nd] Angebot und Nachfrage 

assume that [E(sju:m DÄt] 

davon ausgehen, dass 

bond [bQnd] 

Anleihe 

competitor product [kEm(petItE )prQdVkt] Konkurrenzprodukt 


Konsument(in) 

currency [kVrEnsi] 

Währung 

equilibrium [)i:kwi(lIbriEm] 

Gleichgewicht 

excess demand [)ekses di(mA:nd] Übernachfrage 

excess supply [)ekses sE(plaI] 

Überangebot 

intersection [)IntE(sekS&n] 

Schnittpunkt, -stelle 

issue sth. [(ISu:] 

etw. ausgeben 

ostentatious [)Qsten(teISEs] 

protzig; hier: als Statussymbol 

dienend 

slope [slEUp] 

Hang; hier: Neigung 

slope downwards [)slEUp (daUnwEdz] abfallen 

slope upwards [)slEUp (VpwEdz] 

ansteigen 

IAN MCMASTER is the editor-in-chief of Business 

Spotlight. You can read his blog on topics relating to 

global business at www.business-spotlight.de/blogs 

Contact: i.mcmaster@spotlight-verlag.de 

3/2013 


■ LANGUAGE TEACHER TALK 

A good blend 

Wird die Nachfrage nach Englisch für den Beruf weiter zunehmen? Welche Rolle spielen 

soziale Medien dabei? Über diese Fragen sprach DEBORAH CAPRAS mit Vicky Loras, einer 

Trainerin für Business-Englisch, die in der Schweiz ein Spracheninstitut betreibt. 

Who is Vicky Loras? 

Vicky Loras runs her own 

school, The Loras English Network, 

with her sister Eugenia in 

Zug, Switzerland. As well as 

specializing in business English 

and teacher training, her school organizes 

children’s events. Vicky writes a blog, in which she 

focuses on professional development, language 

learning and poetry. She has published an article, 

“Multiculturalism in the classroom”, in English 

Teaching Professional (no. 50, May 2007) and has 

worked on the editorial board of The ETAS Journal, 

by the English Teachers Association Switzerland. 

Websites 

Vicky Loras’s blog: http://vickyloras.wordpress.com 

The Loras English Network: www.lorasnetwork.com 

Contact: vickyloras@yahoo.ca 

Twitter: @vickyloras 

Current position 

Co-founder of the language school The Loras English Network, 

in Zug, Switzerland. Zug is a small, but lovely town in 

central Switzerland. Because it has the lowest taxes in the 

country, it’s the home to many global companies. That 

makes it a very international place. 

Why and when did you choose to go into business-English 

teaching? 

I started teaching business English in 2001, in my third year 

of teaching English as a Second Language. I was teaching one 

businessman then. In the beginning, I didn’t think that I 

would be able to do it. As I got more into it, though, I enjoyed 

it more and more. Plus, I was learning business terminology 

with him! I still am and I love it. 

Languages spoken 

Apart from English, which is my native language, as I was 

born in Canada, I am also fluent in Greek — my parents were 

born in Greece. I speak Italian and German at a basic level, 

too. At the moment, I am learning Turkish, after my latest trip 

to Istanbul. 

How will teaching business English change in the next five 

years? 

Over the past two years, there has been a boom in business- 

English teaching and I believe the industry will expand even 

more. I also think that the media of teaching will change. 

Every day, we see that more and more teachers are teaching 

students online, either because they do not have the time to 

attend their lessons face-to-face or because the world of social 

media has changed a lot of things. I teach people who 

have found me via social media — and because they live in 

other countries (for instance, in Greece and France), I teach 

them via Skype. 

What do you offer that makes your classes stand out from the 

crowd? 

One of my favourite activities is “the word of the week”. It 

all started when I saw the sentence “it was going to be a staycation” 

in a newspaper. I told my bankers about “staycation”, 

and the discussion we had and the language that was produced 

were phenomenal — with very low TTT (teacher talking 

time). I just popped in occasionally to make corrections 

or contribute. Nothing else that I had planned for the rest of 

the lesson was used, but it was one of the best lessons ever. 

“Can I bring you one of these blended words every week?” I 

asked. They loved the idea! I usually find new words in online 

dictionaries: for example, under the category buzzwords 

in the Macmillan Dictionary online. 

blend sth. [blend] 

buzzword [(bVzw§:d] 

co-founder [)kEU (faUndE] 

contribute [kEn(trIbju:t] 

editorial board [edI(tO:riEl bO:d] 

face-to-face [)feIs tE (feIs] 

industry [(IndEstri] 

poetry [(pEUEtri] 

pop in [)pQp (In] 

stand out from the crowd 

[stÄnd )aUt frQm DE (kraUd] 

staycation 

[steI(keIS&n] ifml. 

etw. (ver)mischen; hier: 

(neu) zusammensetzen 

Mode-, Schlagwort 

Mitbegründer(in) 

einen Beitrag leisten; hier: 

sich einbringen 

Redaktion(steam) 

persönlich 

Branche 

Dichtkunst, Lyrik 

kurz vorbeischauen; hier: 

sich einschalten 

sich von der breiten Masse 

abheben 

Urlaub zu Hause (aus 

„stay“ und „vacation“) 


medium 

Choose, filter, blend: 

a perfect combination 

“We have the luxury to 

choose and filter what is 

good for our students” 

Ingram Publishing 

What can learners do on their own to improve their language 

skills? 

With so many opportunities online, they can use a lot of 

resources, and luckily, for free. There are thousands of podcasts 

online, which they can download on to various devices 

and then listen to them on their way to work. People without 

access to technology can find material in a wealth of books. 

There is so much material available right now that we have 

the luxury to choose and filter what is good for our learners. 

How important is grammar? 

I do not go about correcting every single mistake my students 

make, as that can be demotivating. With my Swiss students, 

however, I make an exception. They insist on that and I respect 

it. 

How important is it to speak English correctly? 

Especially in the business world, it is very important, so that 

one can establish clarity and accuracy in transactions. A tiny 

mistake can mean that a deal can fall through, regardless of 

someone’s position in the company. 

Has any new kind of technology made a difference to how students 

learn? 

I see more and more of my students using their smartphones 

to look up words or to find articles that come up during our 

discussions. I love how easily they use them and how much 

better they feel when they can find something there. 

Ambitions and dreams 

My dream is to do a master’s in linguistics some day and then 

a PhD after that. I hope I can achieve both! 

A must-read ELT (English Language Teaching) book 

Motivational Strategies in the Language Classroom by Zoltán 

Dörnyei. If there is a person who knows about motivating students, 

it is definitely Zoltán. 

access [(Äkses] 

accuracy [(ÄkjErEsi] 

achieve sth. [E(tSi:v] 

Aeschylus [(i:skElEs] 

clarity [(klÄrEti] 

come up [)kVm (Vp] 

dessert [di(z§:t] 


educator [(edjukeItE] 

fall through [)fO:l (Tru:] 

go about doing sth. 

[)gEU E)baUt (du:IN] 

menu [(menju:] 

nephew [(nefju:] 

niece [ni:s] 

PhD (Doctor of Philosophy): do a ~ 

[)pi: eItS (di:] 

quote [kwEUt] 

resource [ri(zO:s] 

season: be in ~ [(si:z&n] 

wealth [welT] 

A must read non-ELT book 

Istanbul by Orhan Pamuk, my favourite 

writer. It is an autobiography that shows the 

strong connection between the writer and 

his city — and his great love for it. 

Favourite quote 

Aeschylus: “It is always in season for old men to learn.” Professional 

development never stops! 

Who inspires you? 

Many people. My family. My niece and my nephew. I am very 

lucky to be inspired by educators all over the world that I have 

connected with via social media. 

What language or intercultural mistakes have made you or 

your learners laugh out loud? 

I was in a restaurant in Switzerland when a waitress asked me 

something in Swiss German. I understood Guetzli (“biscuits”), 

so I thought she’d asked if I’d wanted a dessert and 

said yes. I waited, and waited, but she didn’t come back with 

the menu. In the end, I paid and left. A friend later told me 

that she had probably said Isch es guet gsi?, which means: 

“Was it [the food] good?” 

■BS 

Zugang 

Genauigkeit 

etw. erlangen, schaffen 

Aischylos 

Klarheit 

aufkommen 

Nachspeise 

Gerät 

Lehrer(in) 

nicht zustande kommen 

sich daranmachen, etw. 

zu tun 

(Speise-)Karte 

Neffe 

Nichte 

promovieren 

Zitat 

(Informations-)Quelle 

Saison haben; hier: die 

richtige Zeit sein 

hier: Fülle 

More for teachers at www.business-spotlight.de/teachers-zone 

www 

3/2013 


■ LANGUAGE PRODUCTS 

medium 

What’s new? 

Sie wollen noch tiefer ins Englische eintauchen? Wir 

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The author of this book is the 

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corporations provides lessons for other global businesses. 

Hiroshi Mikitani (Palgrave Macmillan), €19.89 

Improve Your Global Business English 

This book aims to make you aware of 

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The authors examine a variety of 

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Books with audio CDs 

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This book is for anyone who works in 

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skills for dealing with English-speaking 

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Subjects include technical areas such as car components, 

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also looks at marketing factors, for example, design and 

branding. For learners at CEF levels B1/B2 and above. Marie 

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The Book of Pronunciation 

Using the right words and phrases is often 

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in English. The pronunciation as 

well as the rhythm and intonation of a 

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on the central role these elements play 

in both teaching and learning. It also includes classroom activities. 

Jonathan Marks, Tim Bowen (Delta Publishing), 

€24.95 ■BS 

*These products are available at www.sprachenshop.de 

Audio CDs 

Business Talk Hörkurs 

This audio course from the Englisch 

ganz leicht series is for learners at all 

levels. It includes four CDs covering 

small talk, phone calls, how to deal with 

international business partners and talk 

to customers at trade fairs. The dialogues 

and exercises are based on authentic business situations. 

The booklet contains dialogue transcripts and 

translations. Barry Baddock et al. (Hueber), €14.99* 

mit Sitz in... 

Markenentwicklung 

GER (Gemeinsamer Euro- 

päischer Referenzrahmen 

für Sprachen) 

Bauteil 

Unternehmen 

Umfeld 

Gründer(in) 

Satzmelodie 

Ausdruck, Formulierung 

Aussprache 

Sicherheitsmerkmal 

technische Daten 

Fachbegriff 

Messe 

based in... [(beIst In] 

branding [(brÄndIN] 

CEF (Common European Framework 

for Languages) [)si: i: (ef] 

component [kEm(pEUnEnt] 

corporation [)kO:pE(reIS&n] 

environment [In(vaI&rEnmEnt] 

founder [(faUndE] 

intonation [)IntE(neIS&n] 

phrase [freIz] 

pronunciation [prE)nVnsi(eIS&n] 

safety feature [(seIfti )fi:tSE] 

specifications [)spesEfI(keIS&nz] 

technical term [(teknIk&l t§:m] 

trade fair [(treId feE] 

SOLUTIONS 

Vocabulary (p. 44): 

a) polling day, election day 

b) poll card 

c) polling station 

d) poll clerks 

e) electoral roll 

f) constituency, electoral district 

g) ballot paper 

h) polling booths 

i) vote, cast your ballot/vote 

j) candidate 

k) slot 

l) ballot box 

Grammar at Work (p. 45): 

a) sugar-free; b) part-time; 

c) English-speaking; 

d) ovenproof; e) five-star; 

f) careless; g) dangerous; 

h) protective i) irresponsible 

Easy English (pp. 46–47): 

a) Jagdstrasse [dZeI, eI, dZi:, di:, es, 

ti:, A:, eI, )dVb&l (es, i:] 

b) Müller [em, ju:, i:, )dVb&l (el, i:, A:] 

c) Yellowcage GmbH [waI, i:, )dVb&l 

(el, EU, (dVb&lju:, si:, eI, dZi:, i:, 

next word, dZi:, em, bi:, uppercase 

eItS] 

d) p.wilson@kq-uv.de [pi:, dQt, 

(dVb&lju:, aI, el, es, EU, en, (Ät 

()saIn), keI, kju:, haIf&n, ju:, vi:, 

dQt, di:, i:] 

Translation (p. 52): 

1. a) Japanische Unternehmen behandeln 

ihre Mitarbeiter sehr 

gut. 

b) Bitte betrachten Sie diese Information(en) 

als vertraulich. 

2. a) He already told me how the 

film ends. 

b) He was found guilty of (high) 

treason. 

English for... sea travel 

(pp. 56–57): 

a–2; b–1; 

c–2; d–3 

Legal English (p. 58): 

a) A; b) S; 

c) P; d) W 


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Franz Marc Frei 

For the 

love of it 

Die Kunst ist für Künstler und Kulturbeauftragte ein weites, 

spannendes Feld mit steinigen Wegen. MARGARET DAVIS hat 

sich von Kunstschaffenden und Experten berichten lassen, 

von welchen Faktoren der Erfolg oft abhängt. advanced 

High on dance: 

street performer 

near the Louvre

CULTURE AND THE ARTS CAREERS ■ 

Children everywhere dream of joining the circus. 

Christina Hiller actually did it. The 24-year-old 

trained physiotherapist recently spent nine 

months working and travelling all over Australia 

with the Circus Royale, even developing 

her own solo act. “For the first two months, I only helped 

out,” Hiller explains. She worked in the office, taking 

bookings and selling tickets, as well as helping with props, 

putting up the tent and driving trucks. “After the two 

months, my solo act was hula hoops. I started with one, 

then progressed to two and three and 30 at the end. I was 

part of quite a few other supporting acts as well — little 

dances or carrying things or holding the camel.” 

Extensive travel is also part of Alison Balsom’s working 

life (see interview page 68). The British trumpet virtuoso’s 

job takes her all over the world, now mainly in the company 

of her three-year-old son. Balsom 

says she enjoys being able to spend time 

with her child and to do the job she 

loves, making music. But the globetrotting 

life is not all glamour. “As any freelancer 

— anyone who works for themselves 

— will tell you, you never switch 

off from it. At the moment, that is my 

main problem. I never really switch off. I’m seeing an email 

about a concert that’s in three years and I can’t resist getting 

involved, even if I’ve said to myself, ‘No, it’s 11.30 at 

night, just leave it.’” 

not all of them 

involve performing. The internet has increased opportunities 

for graphic and web designers, as well as for video producers 

and video journalists. Other cultural careers include 

archivist [(A:kIvIst] 

arts administrator 

[(A:ts Ed)mInIstreItE] 

assume sth. [E(sju:m] 

audience [(O:diEns] 

chief executive [)tSi:f Ig(zekUtIv] 

director [dE(rektE] 

donor [(dEUnE] 

earmark (funding) [(IEmA:k] 

fee [fi:] 

freelancer [(fri:lA:nsE] 

funding [(fVndIN] 

implement sth. [(ImplIment] 

inject sth. [In(dZekt] 

kick in [)kIk (In] 

music supervisor 

[(mju:zIk )su:pEvaIzE] 


on-demand: …-~ [Qn di(mA:nd] 

prop [prQp] 

recovery [ri(kVvEri] 

script writing [(skrIpt )raItIN] 

slump [slVmp] 

supporting act [sE)pO:tIN (Äkt] 

trumpet [(trVmpIt] 

vulnerable [(vVlnErEb&l] 

Archivar(in) 

Kulturdezernent(in) 

von etw. ausgehen 

Publikum, Hörer(innen) 

Firmenchef(in) 

Regisseur(in) 

Geldgeber(in) 

(finanzielle Mittel) bereitstellen 

Gebühr, Honorar 

Freiberufler(in) 

Finanzierung 

etw. umsetzen 

etw. injizieren; hier: wecken 

anlaufen, in Gang kommen 

(Film-)Musikberater(in) 

etw. aushandeln 

…auf Bestellung 

Requisite 

Erholung; hier: wieder erstarkte 

Konjunktur 

Schreiben von Drehbüchern 

starker Konjunkturrückgang 

Nebendarbietung 

Trompete 

anfällig 

photography, being a museum curator or archivist as well 

as script writing. 

For those who enjoy both music and film, a career as a 

music supervisor could be an option. Music supervisors 

like Alexandra Patsavas, in Los Angeles, help directors 

choose music for their film or television soundtracks. Their 

influence in introducing performers to new audiences is 

growing, particularly in the case of successful films or TV 

series, many of which are later marketed as DVDs. 

the music 

supervisor has moved from the side to the centre of marketing 

meetings and publicity plans,” Patsavas told the 

Financial Times. Detailed discussions with TV and film directors 

and producers are part of the job. “We go through 

the script page by page and talk about where a director 

Careers in the arts are varied and do 

not always involve performing 

may see songs,” Patsavas says. The music supervisor is also 

responsible for getting rights to songs and negotiating fees. 

Arts organizations are particularly vulnerable to recessions 

and other financial crises. In the US, they are mainly 

dependent on wealthy donors, while in Britain, the arts 

are financed with a combination of private and public 

funding; in other parts of Europe, arts organizations are 

more dependent on public funding. 

“Private and public money are hit by recession at different 

times. Private money tends to disappear the moment 

a slump happens, but reappears fairly quickly once recovery 

kicks in,” says Colin Tweedy, chief executive of Arts 

& Business, a British consultancy involved in arts sponsorship. 

“Government cuts, meanwhile, can take years to be 

implemented but once they are there, they stay for a long 

time before fresh funding gets earmarked,” Tweedy told 

the Financial Times. 

Financial restrictions are forcing arts administrators to 

cut costs. At the same time, at least some of them have developed 

innovative ways to market their products. Peter 

Gelb, general director of the Metropolitan Opera (the Met) 

in New York, is one of these innovators. His “Live in HD” 

programme was developed to bring live opera performances 

from the Met directly to cinemas around the 

world. The Met also has a 24-hour radio channel 

and an opera-on-demand app. “In the 1980s 

and 1990s, the Met wrongly assumed there was 

always going to be an opera public,” Gelb told 

the Financial Times. “It’s an ageing art form, so 

positive actions have to be taken every day to 

inject excitement and get a new audience.” 4 

3/2013 

Circus act: Christina Hiller with 

one of her many hula hoops 


■ CAREERS CULTURE AND THE ARTS 

INTERVIEW 

“You need a lot of luck and determination 

as well as talent” 

picture-alliance/dpa 

Award-winning British trumpeter 

ALISON BALSOM, 34, performs 

worldwide and has made a number 

of recordings. Her latest CD is Kings 

& Queens (EMI). The mother of a 

small boy, Alison Balsom spoke to 

Business Spotlight about being a 

working parent and other challenges 

of life as a performer. 

What’s it like travelling with your little boy? 

It’s wonderful that I am lucky enough to do that. Many other 

people’s jobs mean that it’s impossible. We have lots of 

time together and I also get to continue doing the thing I love. 

It’s a tightrope — all working mothers know that — but when 

you manage not to fall off, it’s a great feeling. 

You’re a guest professor at the Guildhall School of Music & 

Drama in London. As a young person yourself, do you have 

any trouble getting the students to take you seriously? 

First, I’m not that young. It’s been about 12 years since I left 

the Guildhall, so I’ve got 12 years over them. And also, I’ve 

had amazing teaching myself. One of my greatest teachers, 

[Swedish trumpeter] Håkan Hardenberger, gave me so many 

fantastic ideas of how to learn and what to do to get better. 

And I set my students some really fiendishly difficult exercises 

that they have to do in front of each other, because that 

happened to me at the Paris Conservatoire. 

What’s it like to have your schedule booked years in advance? 

I love it, actually, because when I was younger, I played as a 

freelance orchestral musician and as a session player. And I’d 

think, “Oh, I’m free on Sunday. Brilliant!” and then the phone 

would ring. I hated that, because I was looking forward to that 

day off. Or you never know when you’re going to get called 

next. Because there have been so few classical trumpet 

soloists, I feel now that I’m forging my own path. Everything 

I do can go as far as I want it to go. If I need to take my foot 

off the pedal, then I will. And if I suddenly have an inspiration 

to do a huge project that’s going to take up every 

waking moment of my life, then if I put enough passion into 

it, it just might get off the ground. 

Clearly, you are extremely talented. Is talent enough to be successful 

as a musician? 

Well, I think you need a lot of luck and a lot of opportunities, 

and a lot of determination as well as talent. You need to have 

great mentors, guides and teachers — and I’ve been so lucky 

in that respect. 

Do you have any advice for a young person who hopes to have 

a career in music? 

You have to have a great and deep love for the music and that 

will get you through every other challenge. Otherwise, it’s very 

hard to keep your eye on why you’re doing it. But if you have 

that, and it’s a real, authentic love, then everything else will 

slip into place. 

Still, despite the restrictions, Michael Kaiser, president of 

the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, says 

that being an arts administrator is “the best career in the 

world. My job as an administrator is solely to make artistic 

people’s dreams come true,” he told Harvard Magazine. 

More and more universities are recognizing that students 

want to develop financial and management skills for arts 

careers. “Culture and the arts is a fully fledged economic 

sector that requires specialist know-how and expertise,” 

says Laure Kraemer, head of marketing and commercial 

development at Drouot auction house in Paris. “After my 

studies in the history of art, I felt that enhancing my management 

and marketing skills would enable me to broaden 

my horizon and go a step further in my professional 

path,” Kraemer told the Financial Times. She completed a 

master’s in Management of Cultural and Artistic Activities 

at the business school ESCP Europe. The one-year course 

in Paris and Venice combines the history of art and culture 

amazing [E(meIzIN] 

enhance sth. [In(hA:ns] 

expertise [)eksp§:(ti:z] 

fiendishly [(fi:ndISli] 

forge one’s own path 

[)fO:dZ wVnz )EUn (pA:T] 

(forge 

freelance [(fri:lA:ns] 

fully fledged [)fUli (fledZd] UK 

get off the ground [)get )Qf DE (graUnd] 

in advance [)In Ed(vA:ns] 

keep one’s eye on sth. 

[)ki:p wVnz (aI Qn] 

fantastisch 

etw. verbessern 

Fachwissen 

höllisch 

seinen eigenen Weg gehen 

schmieden) 

freiberuflich 

eigenständig 

in Gang kommen 

im Voraus 

etw. nicht aus den Augen 

verlieren 

pedal: take one’s foot off the ~ [(ped&l] 

performing arts [pE)fO:mIN (A:ts] 

professional path [prE)feS&nEl (pA:T] 

schedule [(Sedju:l] 

session [(seS&n] 

slip into place [)slIp )IntE (pleIs] 

solely [(sEUlli] 

take up (time) [)teIk (Vp] 

tightrope [(taItrEUp] 

trumpet [(trVmpIt] 

trumpeter [(trVmpItE] 

waking moment: every ~ 

[)weIkIN (mEUmEnt] 

das Tempo zurückfahren 

darstellende Künste 

berufliche Laufbahn 

Terminplan 

für Aufnahmen, im Studio 

sich fügen 

(einzig und) allein 

(Zeit) in Anspruch nehmen 

Balanceakt 

Trompete 

Trompeter(in) 

jede (freie) Minute 


Franz MArc Frei 

“Culture and the arts is 

an economic sector that 

requires specialist 

know-how and expertise” 

The play’s the thing: on stage in London 

with practical management experience, as well as internships 

at organizations such as Christie’s and UNESCO. 

“To be a management controller or auditor in the Louvre, 

or of a theatre or opera in Paris, is not the same as working 

in a bank,” explains Maria Koutsovoulou, ESCP Europe’s 

academic dean. 

is highly complex, 

says Renaud Legoux, a professor at HEC Montréal, 

which offers degree programmes in the management of cultural 

organizations. “Cultural organizations also have to 

handle deep relations with multiple stakeholders such as 

governments, patrons, private donors, foundations and 

firms,” Legoux says. 

Mary Carlson would agree that arts management has 

changed. Carlson is the director of Arts Executive Search, 

a consultancy in London. “Today, you have to have a 

background in finance and an understanding of HR at a 

sophisticated level, resource allocation, audience trends 

and distribution via broadcast — not to mention unions 

academic dean 

etwa: leitende(r) akademi- 

[ÄkE)demIk (di:n] 

sche(r) Dekan(in) 

auditor [(O:dItE] 

Rechnungs-, Wirtschaftsprüfer(in) 


Mitgründer(in) 

degree [di(gri:] 

mit Hochschulabschluss 

DIY exhibition [)di: aI (waI eksI)bIS&n] UK Do-it-Yourself-Ausstellung 

entrepreneur [)QntrEprE(n§:] 

Unternehmer(in) 

executive search Suche nach Führungs - 

[Ig(zekjUtIv s§:tS] 

kräften, Headhunting 

foundation [faUn(deIS&n] 

Stiftung 

graduate [(grÄdZuEt] 

Absolvent(in) 

HR (human resources) [)eItS (A:] Personalwesen 

internship [(Int§:nSIp] 

Praktikum 

management controller 

etwa: Leiter(in) Unter- 

[(mÄnIdZmEnt kEn)trEUlE] 

nehmenssteuerung 

networking [(netw§:kIN] 

Kontaktaufbau und -pflege 

patron [(peItrEn] 

Mäzen(in) 

peer critique group [)pIE krI(ti:k gru:p] Kollegen-Kritikgruppe 

put sth. on [)pUt (Qn] 

hier: etw. veranstalten 

raise one’s profile 

seinen Bekanntheitsgrad 

[)reIz wVnz (prEUfaI&l] 

erhöhen 

residency [(rezIdEnsi] 

hier: Lehraufenthalt 

resource allocation [ri(zO:s ÄlE)keIS&n] Verteilung der Mittel 

sophisticated [sE(fIstIkeItId] 

anspruchsvoll, gehoben 

stakeholders [(steIk)hEUldEz] 

Interessensgruppe(n) 

stay in touch with sb. [)steI In (tVtS wID] mit jmdm. Kontakt halten 

union [(ju:niEn] 

Gewerkschaft 

and management of labour issues,” she told the 

Financial Times. 

Arts graduates need to make use of their networking 

skills, whether social or otherwise, says 

Annabel Tilley, artist and co-founder of Zeitgeist 

Arts Projects (ZAP). Tilley advises young artists to 

put professional rivalries aside. “Leaving college and becoming 

a professional artist is tough,” Tilley says. “My advice 

is to stay in touch with your peer group — get together 

and create a peer critique group to look at each other’s 

work or put on a DIY exhibition so you can start to get 

your work out there,” she told The Guardian. 

“Apply for awards and residencies, build up your network 

and do paid freelance work,” says Medeia Cohan, 

creative director of the School for Creative Startups. 

“These are important parts of raising your profile and 

broadening your network.” 

Christina Hiller is 

working as a physiotherapist, not as a circus performer. Yet 

Hiller says she learned some important skills from her nine 

months in the circus, particularly public speaking and stage 

presence. “And I have an immense capability to forgive 

now,” she adds with a laugh. “Because you’re stuck with 

the people and if you don’t get along, it’s horrible, so you 

just have to get over it. But I’ll have to buy some hula 

hoops, because I miss it!” 

■BS 


WEBSITES 

■ Alison Balsom’s website includes information about her 

recordings and performing schedule: www.alisonbalsom.com 

■ ESCP Europe is one of Europe’s top business schools: 

www.escpeurope.eu 

■ HEC Montréal, a Canadian business school, offers management 

training for cultural careers: www.hec.ca/en 

■ The School for Creative Startups offers a year-long training 

programme to entrepreneurs: http://schoolforcreativestartups. 

com 

■ Zeitgeist Arts Projects (ZAP): www.zeitgeistartsprojects.com 

Listen to Christina Hiller on Business Spotlight Audio 

plus Practise the language of the arts in Business Spotlight plus 

www More career trends at www.business-spotlight.de/careers 

MARGARET DAVIS is a Canadian journalist and is the 

editor of the Careers and Global Business sections of 

Business Spotlight. Contact her at: m.davis@spotlightverlag.de 

3/2013 


■ CAREERS TIPS AND TRENDS 

All in a day’s work 

medium 

Wann sollte man die Arbeit beenden? Was sollte man trotz Nervosität bei einem Vorstellungsgespräch 

beachten? Wie holt man das Beste aus einer Fachkonferenz heraus? MARGARET DAVIS gibt Tipps. 

On the job 

Time to go home 

Is presenteeism the rule at your company? 

Do you find yourself staying late at 

the office just because everyone else 

does? Long working days do not necessarily 

increase productivity, says efficiency 

coach Heather Townsend. They might 

even have the opposite effect, making 

you overtired. “When you stop being 

productive, put your hand up. Leave the 

office and if you have to [work] an hour 

later at home, do it,” Townsend told the 

Financial Times. 

Working late: not 

always productive 

If only I’d… 

When New York-based tech entrepreneur 

Daniel Gulati asked 30 professionals 

between the ages of 28 and 58 

about their career regrets, he found that the biggest regret was taking a job for the money. This 

was followed by regretting not quitting an unsuitable job sooner. One investment banker said, 

“I dream of quitting every day, but I have too many commitments.” The third-biggest regret 

was not having the confidence to start a business of one’s own. “My biggest regret is that I am 

a ‘wantrepreneur’,” said the head of a Fortune 500 company. 

Source: Harvard Business Review 

Hemera 

Tradition counts: 

British schools 

Trend 

A British education 

The number of British-style international 

schools opening abroad 

has doubled in the past ten years. 

Such schools are seen as a passport 

to British universities and to jobs 

in English-speaking countries. 

Among the British public schools 

opening international schools 

are Dulwich College and Harrow. Top 

locations include the United Arab 

Emirates (with 370 schools), 

Pakistan, China, India and Japan. 

Sources: The Daily Telegraph; International 

and Private Schools Education Forum (www.ipsef.net) 

based: ...-~ [beIst] 

commitment [kE(mItmEnt] 

entrepreneur 

[)QntrEprE(n§:] 

presenteeism 

[)prez&n(ti:)IzEm] 

professional [prE(feS&nEl] 

public school 

[)pVblIk (sku:l] UK 

quit a job 

[)kwIt E (dZQb] 

regret [ri(gret] 

unsuitable [)Vn(su:tEb&l] 

wantrepreneur 

[)wQntrEprE(n§:] 

non-stand. 

mit Sitz in... 

Verpflichtung 


Präsentismus 

(bloße Anwesenheit 

am Arbeitsplatz 

ohne volle Leistungsfähigkeit) 

Fachkraft 

Privatschule 

eine Stelle kündigen 

eine Sache, die 

man bedauert 

ungeeignet 

jmd. der gerne 


wäre (aus „want“ 

und „entrepreneur“) 

Alamy 


Hurry, hurry: time for the 

next presentation 

HOW TO... 

Make the most of a conference 

Trade conferences can be useful. Not only do they get you 

out of the office (a benefit in itself), but you can make important 

contacts. However, conferences can be exhausting, 

too: so many talks, so little time. How can you make sure that 

your attendance is going to be worthwhile? 

■ Wear comfortable shoes. No, we’re not joking. You’ll spend 

a lot of time walking, perhaps in an overheated convention 

centre where the air feels as if it has not been recycled for 

decades. Dress in layers that can be removed as necessary. 

■ Enjoy the conference dinner or cultural events. But remember 

that you are representing your company. Do you really 

want your boss to see Facebook photos of you red-faced and 

tipsy on the dance floor? We didn’t think so. 

■ And talking of dinner and dancing reminds us of the morning 

after. If you are registered for an early-morning talk, do 

attend it, even if it means skipping breakfast. 

■ What if you are one of the conference speakers? We hate 

to be spoilsports, but you need to be extra careful. You, in 

particular, have a reputation to lose. 

■ Stay in touch. Look at the business cards you exchanged 

during the conference and send emails to or connect with 

those people on social-networking sites like LinkedIn. 

Dilbert 


Statistically speaking 

Unsafe interruptions 

■ A recent study for the US Navy showed that a threesecond 

interruption doubled the number of mistakes 

people made while performing complicated tasks. A 

4.5-second interruption tripled the number of errors. 

These findings are particularly important for highly 

technical fields, such as medicine or aerospace. “What 

this means is that our health and safety is, on some 

level, contingent on whether the people looking after 

it have been interrupted,” says Dr Erik Altmann, lead 

researcher for the study. 

Sources: CBS News (www.cbsnews.com); 

Michigan State University (http://msutoday.msu.edu) 

Who’s calling? 

■ Xerox Corp. hires all 48,700 callcentre 

employees using talentmanagement 

software, relying 

on personality tests and data 

analysis rather than personal 

interviews. Global spending on 

such software rose by 15 per 

cent between 2010 and 2011, 

to $3.8 billion. 

Source: The Wall Street Journal 

aerospace [(eErEUspeIs] 


contingent: be ~ on sth. [kEn(tIndZEnt] 

crowd sth. out [)kraUd (aUt] 

exhausting [Ig(zO:stIN] 

layer [(leIE] 

researcher [ri(s§:tSE] 

skip sth. [skIp] 

spoilsport [(spOI&lspO:t] 

stay in touch [)steI In (tVtS] 

talk [tO:k] 

tipsy [(tIpsi] 

trade conference [(treId )kQnf&rEns] 

triple sth. [(trIp&l] 

Luft- und Raumfahrt 

Milliarde(n) 

von etw. abhängig sein 

etw. verdrängen 

anstrengend 

Schicht, Lage 

Forscher(in) 

etw. ausfallen lassen 

Spielverderber(in) 

in Verbindung bleiben 

Gespräch; Vortrag 

beschwipst 

Fachkonferenz 

etw. verdreifachen 

Quiet, please: 

difficult work 

www.dilbert.com scottadams@aol.com 

© 4/5/2012 Scott Adams, Inc. Dist. by Universal Uclick 

3/2013 


X 

illegaler 

Download 

GRATIS 

Testen Sie den aktuellen Audio-Sprachtrainer von Business Spotlight! 

Jetzt GRATIS downloaden: 

www.spotlight-verlag.de/audio-test

LEISURE TIME CAREERS ■ 

S. McCurry/Magnum 

Away from your desk 

medium 

Verbannen Sie die englische Sprache und die englischsprachige Welt nicht an Ihren Arbeitsplatz! 

Mit Büchern, Kunst und anderen Genüssen räumen Sie ihnen auch in Ihrer Freizeit einen Platz ein. 

MARGARET DAVIS gibt Empfehlungen. 

Photography 

Steve McCurry’s portrait of a green-eyed girl from 

Afghanistan, which appeared on the cover of 

National Geographic magazine in 1985, went on to 

become an icon of modern documentary photography. 

That striking image and more than 100 others 

can be viewed until 16 June at the Kunstmuseum 

Wolfsburg (www.kunstmuseum-wolfsburg.de) in 

an exhibition called “Steve McCurry: Im Fluss der 

Zeit, Fotografien 

aus Asien 

1980–2011”. 

Born in Philadelphia, 

the 63- 

year-old’s career 

as a photographer 

spans more 

than 30 years. 

Striking image: Steve McCurry photo 

Book 

Welsh actor Richard Burton 

was one of the most successful 

and highly paid film and 

theatre stars of all time. Married 

five times (twice to Hollywood 

legend Elizabeth Taylor), he was 

no stranger to scandal. Yet, as 

his diaries show, Burton hated 

his profession. Worse, he was bored by it, describing 

himself (and Taylor) as “bone lazy”. Lazy they might 

have been, but their life together was far from boring. 

And although The Richard Burton Diaries (Yale 

University Press) is too long, Burton’s complex, intelligent 

and often funny personality shines through. 

Music 

Will the wistful 

“Where Are We 

Now?” be as successful 

for David Bowie as past 

hits like “China Girl” or 

“Modern Love”? It’s 

impossible to tell, of 

course, but the release 

of The Next Day, his 

first album in ten years, 

has Bowie fans excited. 

Meanwhile, the Victoria 

& Albert Museum (V&A) 

in London is showing 

the first international 

retrospective of Bowie’s career. The exhibition includes 

handwritten lyrics, original costumes, music videos and the 

singer’s own instruments and album artwork. They can be 

seen at the V&A until 28 July. www.vam.ac.uk 

DVD 

T 

he 

M. Sukita 

award-winning BBC comedy series Outnumbered 

features two working parents, their three school-aged 

children, in addition to assorted friends, grandparents 

and other relatives. Partly improvised, 

it is a look at family life that will ring 

true for many. It is not clear, however, 

whether it has had an effect on 

the British birth rate. The Brockman 

family’s efforts to keep their heads 

above water are as funny as they are 

frightening. 

In costume: 

innovative 

British singer 

David Bowie 

artwork [(A:tw§:k] 

assorted [E(sO:tId] 

bone lazy [)bEUn (leIzi] UK 

diary [(daIEri] 

exhibition [)eksI(bIS&n] 

feature sb. [(fi:tSE] 

icon [(aIkQn] 

keep one’s head above water 

[)ki:p wVnz )hed E)bVv (wO:tE] 

hier: Illustrationen 

verschieden(e) 

stinkfaul 

Tagebuch 

Ausstellung 

jmdn. als Hauptdarsteller(in) zeigen 

Symbol 

sich über Wasser halten 

lyrics [(lIrIks] 

outnumbered: be ~ 

[)aUt(nVmbEd] 

release [ri(li:s] 

ring true [)rIN (tru:] 

span (a period of time) [spÄn] 

stranger: sb. is no ~ to sth. 

[(streIndZE] 

wistful [(wIstf&l] 

Liedtext(e) 

zahlenmäßig unterlegen/ 

in der Minderheit sein 

Veröffentlichung 

authentisch erscheinen 

(einen Zeitraum) umfassen 

etw. ist jmdm. nicht fremd 

wehmütig 

3/2013 


Me, Myself 

„Zwei Seelen wohnen, ach! in meiner Brust“, wusste schon Faust zu klagen. Wie steht es mit Ihnen? 

Sind Sie in der Arbeit die gleiche Person, die man auch zu Hause kennt und umgekehrt? VICKI SUSSENS 

hat drei Personen in drei Ländern nach ihren Erfahrungen dazu gefragt. 

medium 

Mauritius

IDENTITIES MANAGEMENT ■ 

Patrick Kessler 

Current job: co-founder of and head of client services and 

strategy at Threeview GmbH, a marketing communications 

agency started in 2005 

Home: Munich, Germany 

Cultural roots: mother American, father German 

At work, I get frustrated when people are not focused. 

At home, anyone can visit any time, even early on Sunday. 

I started running for fitness and then I got ambitious. 

The first thing I do at work is open my window. This is 

my ritual to start a new day. It’s also when I shift my focus 

towards business and the day ahead. Running a business is 

central to who I am. It’s the American in me. My mother 

comes from a family of entrepreneurs in Indianapolis. 

I grew up on stories about my American grandfather. He 

started a metal manufacturing business out of a garage, 

and was an inspirational manager. Although he died before 

I met him, there are parallels in how we do things. My 

partners and I started Threeview in a small room. Now, we 

adversity [Ed(v§:sEti] 

bizarre [bI(zA:] 


come naturally [)kVm (nÄtS&rEli] 

committed: be ~ to sth. [kE(mItId] 

core [kO:] 

critical [(krItIk&l] 

entrepreneur [)QntrEprE(n§:] 

gruelling [(gru:ElIN] 

map sth. out [)mÄp (aUt] 

outside of work [)aUtsaId Ev (w§:k] 

people skills [(pi:p&l skIlz] 

Widrigkeit(en) 

seltsam 

Mitgründer(in) 

ganz von selbst passieren 

sich für etw. engagieren 

zentral 

hier: schwierig 


mörderisch 

etw. planen 

hier: außerhalb der Arbeit 

soziale Kompetenz(en) 

“You’re in the rain, jogging along the Isar, and 

all of a sudden, you find that strategic solution 

you were so desperately looking for earlier” 

have a staff of 20 and clients around the world. I believe 

people skills are the most powerful of all work skills. 

Many of my core work values come from my father. He 

taught me to be committed to whatever I’m doing, as well 

as a German skill so essential to my work with clients: creating 

consensus by listening to all sides of a story. 

At Threeview, we believe in working hard and having a 

good time. We talk about private things at work and meet 

outside of work. So I mix my work and private lives. 

When I leave work, I turn into my private self quicker 

than in my first ten years of work, especially if I run home. 

When I run, things that looked critical hours before, stop 

looking so bad, and it’s often then that I have my best 

ideas. It’s bizarre. You’re in the rain, jogging along the Isar, 

and all of a sudden, you find that strategic solution you 

were so desperately looking for earlier. 

Running seven marathons has given me work skills. The 

gruelling training has taught me to deal with adversity. 

The one skill I do not bring home is strategic thinking. 

You can’t map out your private life. For example, I met 

Barbara three years ago and we will marry this autumn. I 

couldn’t have planned that. It just came naturally. 

On the weekends, we are mostly out with friends. We 

know all our neighbours, and visitors are welcome any 

time. I think my work and private personas are well integrated. 

My running passion could change, however, if we 

have children. Family would then become my passion. 4 

3/2013 


Nthabi Khadi 

Current job: senior manager, project management (licensing 

and registration) for a global pharmaceutical company 

in Surrey, UK 

Home: Guildford, Surrey, UK 

Cultural roots: born in Maseru, Lesotho, to Basotho parents 

If you came into my office at work, I probably would not 

even notice you were there. 

The first thing I do when I get home is make a cup of tea. 

My passionate side would surprise my colleagues. 

In my private life, I’m crazy, outgoing and supercharged. 

I live life to the full. Skydiving is one of the crazy things 

I’ve done. I also enjoy dancing, travelling, shopping for 

shoes and being with friends. And I love everything Italian. 

I travel to Italy at least once a year. The passionate side 

of me would surprise most of my colleagues. 

I do not mix my work and private lives. My work persona 

is formal, very focused and conservative. Colleagues 

who don’t know me well would say I’m reserved, but this 

allows me to observe, analyse and understand work situations 

better. Privately, I express strong views, but I find 

this hard to do at work. In fact, I generally need to raise 

my profile among my colleagues and management. 

If you came into my office, you’d find me totally absorbed 

in my work. It would take me a few minutes even to notice 

you. 

My work persona expresses my Lesotho roots more than 

any other side of me. I lived in Maseru, Lesotho, until I was 

12 years old, when my father, a diplomat, was sent first 

to Rome and then to London. In Basotho culture, respect 

for authority is very important, which I find hard to break 

out of, but we also have enormous respect for others. We 

are welcoming and accepting of people. Pulling together as 

“Colleagues who don’t know me well would 

say I’m reserved, but this allows me to 

observe and understand situations better” 

a community is very important. These values make me a 

good team player. However, I find it challenging to get people 

to work together the way I learned to. People here tend 

to be very focused on their own ambition and direction. 

When I shut my front door after work, I first have a cup 

of tea. Then I listen to webinars or podcasts on personal 

development or spiritual activities. The power of the mind 

fascinates me. If I am not too tired, I’ll go out with friends. 

My greatest passion is helping others. I have volunteered 

in many initiatives in the community. 

I feel my work and private personas should be separate. 

I could bring more passion to my work, however, and I 

could also bring more of my work skills back home. For 

example, I commit easily to things at work, but I find it 

hard to commit to things I’ve wanted to do privately for a 

long time, such as starting dancing lessons again. 


commit to sth. [kE(mIt tu] 

live life to the full 

[)lIv )laIf tE DE (fUl] 

outgoing [)aUt(gEUIN] 

pharmaceutical 

[)fA:mE(su:tIk&l] 

raise one’s profile 

[)reIz wVnz (prEUfaI&l] 

reserved [ri(z§:vd] 

senior manager 

[)si:niE (mÄnIdZE] 

skydiving [(skaI)daIvIN] 

strong [strQN] 

supercharged [(su:pEtSA:dZd] 

volunteer [)vQlEn(tIE] 

webinar [(webInA:] 

schwierig 

sich zu etw. verpflichten 

das Leben in vollen Zügen 

auskosten 

kontaktfreudig 


sich profilieren 

zurückhaltend 

Manager(in) der oberen 

Führungsebene 

Fallschirmspringen 

hier: entschieden 

extrem energiegeladen 

ehrenamtlich tätig sein 

Web-Seminar 


IDENTITIES MANAGEMENT ■ 

Arman Astabatsyan 

Job: owner of machinery and chemicals export firm Silky Way 

Home: Yerevan, Armenia 

Cultural roots: comes from a noble Armenian family. Has 

lived in Russia, Ukraine, Singapore and China. 

None of my staff would dream of interrupting me at work. 

The first thing I do when I get home is to play like a wild 

child with my children. 

I relax by being active, for example, by playing football. 

I think this photo of me on a motorbike is cool but I’m 

not a motorbike rider. It was taken at Universal Studios in 

Hollywood — that’s the bike from The Terminator. 

I am probably the first Armenian businessman to live 

with his family in China. I made China the base of my 

machinery and chemicals export firm about seven years 

ago, and it was easier to be there while doing this. We lived 

in a quarter with French people and Germans. Although 

Chinese is my favourite food, I love German sausages, 

which I could get there. 

I’ve always had my own business. In 2002, I started with 

a small shop in Yerevan, selling toys and stationery, and 

base [beIs] 

easy-going [)i:zi(gEUIN] 

knighted: be ~ [(naItId] 

machinery [mE(Si:nEri] 

nobility: the ~ [nEU(bIlEti] 

sausage [(sQsIdZ] 

stationery [(steIS&nEri] 

Yerevan [)jerE(vÄn] 

Basis, Hauptquartier 

unbekümmert 

geadelt werden 

Maschinen(anlagen) 

der Adel 

Wurst 

Schreibwaren 

Erivan 

“Another big part of my identity is that I come 

from the nobility. My family were knighted and 

produced many influential Armenians” 

then went into electronics. My export firm in China has offices 

to handle business in Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine and 

Russia. I returned with my family to Yerevan last year. 

Culturally, I’m Armenian, which means that I am hotblooded. 

Armenians get angry quickly. I have learned to be 

careful about this in China, where this is not acceptable. 

Another big part of my identity is that I come from the 

nobility. My family were knighted and produced many influential 

Armenians. Courage is important to us and when 

we have a plan, we make it work. However, I have many 

friends in Europe, so I’m also culturally quite Western. 

I’ve learned how culturally different employees are in different 

countries. For example, Chinese staff don’t stay 

long. They’ll leave if they get a higher salary elsewhere. For 

Armenians, more important than salary is how happy they 

are in the place they work. 

My work self is easy-going but I can get angry if things 

are done badly. I like hard work, and I like things to be 

done on time. You’ll mostly find me in front of my computer 

with my mobile phone in one hand and another phone 

ringing. The door is shut! But I’m very different at home. 

The first thing I do when I get home is play with my sixyear-old 

daughter and three-year-old son. I become a 

child like them, rolling on the floor or chasing them. 

My passion is sport. I play football and basketball. I also 

love camping in the mountains with friends. ■BS 

3/2013 


■ MANAGEMENT WHAT HAPPENED NEXT 

Coca-Cola’s biggest mistake 

Im Wettstreit mit der Konkurrenz entschloss sich Coca-Cola vor Jahren, 

seine Rezeptur zu ändern — eine Fehlentscheidung mit weitreichenden 

Folgen. Doch es gab einen Ausweg, wie VICKI SUSSENS berichtet. medium 

The background 

A disaster: Coke 

drinkers did not 

want the taste to 

“get better” 

Robert W. Woodruff, The Coca-Cola Company’s president 

from 1923 to 1954 and its unofficial leader until he retired 

from the board in 1984, wanted Coke to become the most 

popular drink on earth. He succeeded. As it spread around 

the world, it became a symbol of American culture. Pepsi-Cola, 

which had been launched as “Brad’s Drink” in 

1893, just seven years after Coke, struggled to compete. 

Then, in 1963, Pepsi cleverly repositioned itself. The 

1960s saw baby boomers increasingly questioning their 

parents’ values, and Pepsi targeted them with the slogan 

“Come Alive! You’re in the Pepsi generation”. Where 

Coke advertisements were nostalgic, PepsiCo promoted the 

Pepsi drinker as young and changing the world. From 

1970, it began to take market share from Coke. 

The problem 

In 1975, PepsiCo began a new battle in the cola wars that 

Coca-Cola could not win. Consumers were asked in the 

“Pepsi Challenge” campaign to compare the taste of the 

two colas. They preferred the sweeter Pepsi. In the 1980s, 

the market for Coke worsened. Weight-conscious baby 

boomers turned to diet sodas, and the biggest market for 

sugary cola, young drinkers, preferred Pepsi. By 1983, 

Coke’s market share had dropped from 60 per cent just after 

the Second World War to less than 24 per cent. 

The solution 

Coca-Cola decided to make a sweeter Coke. Roberto 

Goizueta, who became chief executive in 1981, famously 

said that there would be no “sacred cows” in how the company 

did business, including Coke’s formula. In 99 years, 

the formula had been changed only slightly, to make it 

kosher. And it is so secret that the only written version 

remains locked away. Goizueta quietly formed a group 

to create a new formula, which was tested on 200,000 

consumers. While the majority preferred the new taste to 

both old Coke and Pepsi, a small group said they would 

stop drinking Coke if it changed its taste. Marked “NEW”, 

the cola was launched on 23 April 1985. 

What happened next 

The result was a massive consumer backlash. Coke’s headquarters 

in Atlanta received 400,000 angry calls and letters, 

including one given personally to Goizueta, addressed 

to “Chief Dodo, The Coca-Cola Company”. A Chicago 

Tribune writer attacked Coke for changing the formula. 

And Cuba’s Radio Havana said the death of the “Real 

Thing” was a symptom of decay in the US. In the meantime, 

protest groups called for a return to the old formula. 

PepsiCo took advantage of the situation, producing advertisements 

mocking New Coke. But Coke fans didn’t switch 

to Pepsi. They stocked up on old Coke, and shops began to 

import it from countries where it was still available. 

Three months after New Coke was launched, Coca-Cola 

announced the return of old Coke. This made front-page 

news, and 31,600 consumers phoned Coke’s hotline to say 

thank you. New Coke remained in a few markets until 

2002, but it was hardly promoted. Ironically, the marketing 

faux pas gave Coke back its original advantage over 

Pepsi — its symbolic status — and Coke sales soared. ■BS 

baby boomer 

[(beIbi )bu:mE] 

backlash [(bÄklÄS] 

board [bO:d] 

challenge [(tSÄlIndZ] 

chief executive [)tSi:f Ig(zekjUtIv] 

come alive [kVm E(laIv] 

compete [kEm(pi:t] 


decay [di(keI] 

diet soda [)daIEt (sEUdE] 

dodo [(dEUdEU] ifml. 

formula [(fO:mjUlE] 

front-page news: make ~ 

[)frVnt peIdZ (nju:z] 

headquarters [)hed(kwO:tEz] 

launch sth. [lO:ntS] 

market share [(mA:kIt SeE] 

mock sb./sth. [mQk] 

sacred cow [)seIkrId (kaU] 

sales [seI&lz] 

soar [sO:] 

stock up on sth. [)stQk (Vp Qn] 

target sb. [(tA:gIt] 

Angehörige(r) der geburtenstarken 

Jahrgänge 

Gegenreaktion 

Vorstand 

Herausforderung 

Firmenchef(in), 

aufleben, in Schwung kommen 

konkurrieren; hier: mithalten 

Konsument(in), Verbraucher(in) 

Verderbnis 

Diätlimonade 

alter Depp 

Rezeptur 

es auf die Titelseiten 

schaffen 

Zentrale 

etw. auf den Markt bringen 

Marktanteil(e) 

sich über jmdn./etw. lustig machen 

die heilige Kuh 

Umsatz 

in die Höhe schnellen 

sich Vorräte von etw. zulegen 

auf jmdn. abzielen 

plus Do a reading-comprehension exercise in Business Spotlight plus 


EXECUTIVE EYE MANAGEMENT ■ 

“Practice is essential for excellent performance. But 

practice alone cannot create talent, not even in sport” 

ADRIAN FURNHAM ON THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MANAGEMENT 

medium 

Why you can’t 

create talent 

The idea of creating talent is a 

myth, and talent management is 

bogus nonsense. The debate about 

whether talent is caused by “nature” 

or “nurture” has swung backwards 

and forwards. In the 1960s, the focus 

was on nurture. Then, the late 1970s 

saw the introduction of DNA testing 

and the growth of sociobiology, 

which focuses on evolution as a cause 

of behaviour. 

Now, the pendulum has swung back, 

and from the business world, we hear 

that talent can be created. Influencing 

this theory is sports science, or the 

“10,000-hour rule”, which says that 

anybody can show talent after 10,000 

hours of coaching and practice. 

The magic ingredient is practice. 

Practice, it seems, not only makes 

perfect, it makes talent. So if you 

don’t succeed in winning an Olympic 

gold medal or starting a hugely successful 

company, it isn’t that you 

don’t have the talent, but that you 

haven’t practised enough. It seems 

bogus [(bEUgEs] 

common sense [)kQmEn (sens] 

egg sb. on [)eg (Qn] 

ends: use sth. for one’s own ~ [endz] 

fertilizer [(f§:tElaIzE] 

here’s the rub [)hIEz DE (rVb] 

knowledgeable [(nQlIdZEb&l] 

magic ingredient [)mÄdZIk In(gri:diEnt] 

nurture [(n§:tSE] 

nutrient [(nju:triEnt] 

pendulum [(pendjUlEm] 

performance [pE(fO:mEns] 

plateau [(plÄtEU] 

seed [si:d] 

setback [(setbÄk] 

soil [sOI&l] 

window: go straight out the ~ [(wIndEU] ifml. 

that common sense goes straight out 

the window when management gurus 

use science for their own ends. 

vorgetäuscht 

gesunder Menschenverstand 

jmdn. anstacheln 

etw. zum eigenen Nutzen einsetzen 

Düngemittel 

hier liegt der Hase im Pfeffer 

sachkundig, informiert 

Zaubermittel 

Bildung, Erziehung 

Nährstoff 

Pendel 

Leistung 

Ebene, Niveau 

Samen; hier: Veranlagung 

Rückschlag 

Boden, Erde 

auf der Strecke bleiben 

Practice is, of course, essential for 

excellent performance. But practice 

alone cannot create talent — neither 

in business nor in sport. Sports stars 

start at the right age and with the 

right bodies. Early experience is also 

important. The earlier you start the 

violin, skiing or speaking German, 

the easier it is, with practice, to become 

an expert. 

But here’s the rub: if you put ten 

people through the same 10,000-hour 

programme, one might become a star 

while the others don’t. Such individuals 

are what we call “naturals”, 

born with an ability others don’t 

have. But having that seed is not 

enough. For talent to grow, it needs 

the right soil, fertilizer and nutrients. 

And this is a complicated process. 

People differ greatly in their passions 

and ability to invest in their talents. 

Outside influences can only partially 

help people over their performance 

plateau. People have different 

learning experiences and deal with 

opportunities in different ways. For 

example, the intelligent, curious child 

who reads a lot will become increasingly 

knowledgeable. People who 

have an early failure may stop believing 

in their abilities and not develop 

a talent. Those who get positive encouragement, 

on the other hand, may 

be motivated to succeed and prepared 

to work hard and get over setbacks. 

However, the source of motivation 

is also important. It may be a parent, 

a teacher or a coach egging a star on, 


Start again: talent management is nonsense 

but when they stop, the star’s motivation 

can also drop. 

So talent is not only genetic. Nor is 

it something you get through hard 

work alone. You get into the talent 

group through both effort and ability. 

The less ability you have, the more 

effort is required. But there are minimum 

requirements for both. ■BS 

ADRIAN FURNHAM is a psychology professor 

at University College, London, a 

management expert and the author of 

over 60 books. His latest is The Engaging 

Manager: The Joy of Management and Being 

Managed (Palgrave Macmillan). 

3/2013 


Downtown Detroit: home 

of a high-tech revival 

C. Burkert/laif 

The road to 

recovery 

Im Zuge der Absatzkrise auf dem Automobilmarkt schien Detroit, einst blühendes 

Zentrum der Autobauer, dem Niedergang geweiht. PAUL HARRIS berichtet, wie die 

Ansiedlung junger IT-Unternehmen der Stadt eine neue Zukunft gibt. advanced 

The lively, noisy scene inside the M@dison building 

is not one you would expect to find in innercity 

Detroit. It appears as though a piece of California’s 

Silicon Valley has landed in the middle 

of a city now just as famous for catastrophic urban 

decline as for being the spiritual home of America’s car 

industry. 

Two youthful tech engineers play table tennis in the middle 

of a busy, open-plan office, while others relax on the 

multicoloured couch in the cafe lounge. Around a table, 

three people are having a discussion and a few words can 

be heard across the room. “Having an eye patch would be 

kind of cool,” insists one, seriously. 

This is no mirage. Increasingly, it is a common sight in 

the Motor City, as more and more high-tech firms are starting 

up in downtown 

Language point 

Detroit. The M@dison 

building has just been 

named one of the 

world’s coolest offices 

by the monthly busi- 

decline [di(klaIn] 

eye patch [(aI pÄtS] 

mirage [(mIrA:Z] 

open-plan office [)EUpEn )plÄn (QfIs] 

Detroit is commonly called Motor City, 

as the three largest US carmakers are 

based here: Chrysler, Ford and General 

Motors. These are often referred to as 

the big three. 

Niedergang 

Augenklappe 

Trugbild, Fata Morgana 

Großraumbüro 


DETROIT TECHNOLOGY ■ 

ness magazine Inc. The building is not alone. Around the 

M@dison, other tech firms have appeared, followed by 

bars, restaurants and, of course, that true symbol of urban 

youth coolness in America: a fancy table-tennis club. 

Most are centred on Woodward Avenue, the once-proud 

street that is called “Webward Avenue” by local media. 

But, unlike many earlier attempts to fix downtown Detroit, 

the growth of a tech industry seems to be real. Suddenly, 

buildings that were empty for decades are being 

turned into loft apartments. On “Webward”, new offices 

and apartments are even being built. “You are seeing construction. 

It is pretty exciting,” said Jim Xiao, a 24-yearold 

financial analyst for Detroit Venture Partners (DVP), 

the driving force behind the M@dison and an investor in 

new tech firms in the city. 

As a former resident of Seattle and Microsoft employee, 

Xiao is typical of the tech engineers and entrepreneurs who 

can now be found in Detroit. In less than two years, 

DVP has already invested in 18 start-ups. The aim 

is to set up many of them in the M@dison and then 

watch them grow, leave them to find their own offices 

and have their spaces filled by an already long 

waiting list of new companies. In Brightmoor, too, 

at the outer edge of the city, there are plans to set 

up a project called TechTown, which will help residents 

start or improve their businesses. 

One of the biggest success stories is Detroit Labs, 

which makes apps for mobile phones, iPads and other 

tablets. Started 18 months ago, the firm now has 30 workers 

and is about to move out of the M@dison and into its 

own offices. Detroit Labs co-founder Paul Glomski also 

believes in the city. “There is the cool grit factor with Detroit. 

This is a genuine, hardworking place. It is not superficial. 

It is full of people getting things done,” he said. 

arson [(A:s&n] 

bailout [(beI&laUt] 

bankruptcy [(bÄNkrVptsi] 

broken [(brEUkEn] 

catastrophe [kE(tÄstrEfi] 


entrepreneur 

[)QntrEprE(n§:] 

fix sth. [fIks] 

genuine [(dZenjuIn] 

grit [grIt] US ifml. 

pain [peIn] 

pivotal [(pIvEt&l] 

riot [(raIEt] 

ruin porn [(ru:In pO:n] non-stand. 

(porn 

space(s) [(speIs(Iz)] 

superficial [)su:pE(fIS&l] 

vacant [(veIkEnt] 

venture [(ventSE] 

white flight [)waIt (flaIt] 

Brandstiftung 

Rettungsaktion 

Bankrott 

hier: marode 


Mitbegründer(in) 


etw. reparieren; hier: auf 

Vordermann bringen 

authentisch 

hier: Mumm 

hier: Elend, Misere 

zentral; hier: von 

wesentlicher Bedeutung 

Unruhe, Krawall 

Bilder des Verfalls 

Pornografie) 

Räume 

oberflächlich 

leer stehend 

Unternehmung 

Wegzug der weißen 

Bevölkerung 

The giant carmakers are playing a role, too. The industry, 

which is recovering after a government bailout during 

the recession, is producing cars increasingly dependent on 

technology. As a result, the big three are hiring thousands 

of software engineers, as cars become internet-connected 

and electronics-driven. 

But in Detroit, any optimism is weakened by the 

brutal realities of half a century of frightening decline. You 

see burned-out homes, vacant factories and schools with 

falling-down walls, the sort of landscape that is usually the 

product of war or catastrophe. This horror show is so 

widespread that Detroit has become a photographers’ paradise 

for “ruin porn”. 

The visual shock is matched by the cold, hard facts. Since 

the 1950s, when 1.85 million people lived here, the city has 

been hit by race riots, white flight, industrial decline and 

The growth of Detroit’s tech 

industry seems to be real 

terrible mismanagement. Its population is now 700,000 — 

more than a million Detroiters have simply left. 

Life for the people remaining in Detroit is hard. The police 

force struggles to deal with gang violence, waves of 

arson and widespread drug use. There were almost 400 

gun deaths in 2012 — the city’s highest rate in 19 years — 

and for the past four years, Forbes magazine has named 

Detroit “America’s most dangerous city”. Above all that 

are worries about money. Detroit’s finances are almost as 

broken as its buildings. If it can’t save itself, it may become 

the biggest city bankruptcy in American history. 

But the tech boom may help to save the city in other 

ways, too. Rich Feldman, a local activist, lifelong Detroiter 

and former car worker, is collaborating with the Detroit 

Center for New Work to encourage the use of new technologies, 

such as 3D printers (see Business Spotlight 

5/2012), so that people can become economically independent. 

For example, they might make their own clothes, or 

create energy for their homes. The center aims to build a 

modernized local economy. “Technology can be used for 

community development, especially when it comes to 

things like digital fabrication,” he said. 

Both Feldman and Xiao have hope for Detroit’s future. 

“It is an exciting moment for Detroit. It is pivotal. It does 

not mean there isn’t a lot of pain going on, but this is a very 

optimistic time for the city,” Feldman said. ■BS 

© Guardian News & Media 2013 

PAUL HARRIS is a political journalist and US correspondent for 

The Guardian and The Observer. 

3/2013 


■ TECHNOLOGY TRENDS 

Research to go: the UK’s 

Antarctic station can ski 

Ideas and inventions 

Was gibt’s Neues? CAROL SCHEUNEMANN präsentiert technische 

Innovationen und wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse. medium 

Polar caravan 

Imagine a camel caravan travelling across a desert. Now 

imagine a line of very big, blue camels marching across 

a snowy landscape and you have an idea of what the new 

British Antarctic research station Halley VI looks like. 

Located on the floating Brunt Ice Shelf, the station 

consists of a main red platform and seven interconnected 

blue modules. Each module and platform stands on 

four hydraulic “legs” that are attached to what are basically 

skis. The hydraulics in the legs raise the buildings 

when snow piles up. Should the ice threaten to break off 

where it is joined to the continent, a special bulldozer 

can pull the modules to a different location. 

BAS 

The Halley project has existed since 1956 for the purpose 

of studying the earth’s magnetic field and nearspace 

atmosphere. Scientists’ work today includes measuring 

the reduction in ozone and the rise in sea levels, 

as well as studying the region’s glaciers and geology. 

The £25.8 million (€30 million) station is the latest in 

a series of bases built for the British Antarctic Survey 

(BAS). The first four were buried and crushed by the 

weight of snow. The fifth was on a steel platform that 

could be raised above the snow. But as the ice shelf 

moves approximately 700 metres per year, there was increasing 

danger of the ice breaking off. 

Halley VI can handle extreme conditions, including 

winds of up to 145 kilometres per hour and temperatures 

that go below -30º C. Up to 70 scientists, technicians and 

support staff can live in the station. A common area in 

the red platform includes an indoor climbing wall, 

where residents have lots of time to practise, as there is 

24-hour darkness from about March to September. 

iStockphoto; Hemera 

Fingerprints: more secure 

than passwords 

COMING UP 

FIDO 

Fast IDentity Online. This open industry 

alliance aims to set international 

standards for secure authentication (see 

Business Spotlight 4/2012). The goal is to replace 

passwords with technologies such as biometrics or 

tokens. 

Source: FIDO Alliance (http://fidoalliance.org) 

More than $3 million 

Prize money being offered by Google in a competition 

for hackers. 

Source: The Chromium Blog (http://blog.chromium.org) 

9 

The number of digits chimpanzees can 

hold in their short-term memory. Most 

humans can remember no more 

than seven. 

Source: Tetsuro Matsuzawa, Primate Research 

Institute, Kyoto University 

DID YOU KNOW? 

Avatars may help depressed teenagers. 

In one study, young patients suffering 

from depression showed improvement 

after talking to virtual characters. 

Teens seemed to find this easier than 

speaking face-to-face with doctors. 


authentication [O:)TentI(keIS&n] 

biometrics 

[)baIEU(metrIks] 

British Antarctic Survey (BAS) 

[)brItIS Änt)A:ktIk (s§:veI] 

competition [)kQmpE(tIS&n] 

digit [(dIdZIt] 

face-to-face [)feIs tE (feIs] 

glacier [(glÄsiE] 

ice shelf [(aIs Self] 

research station [ri(s§:tS )steIS&n] 

sea level [(si: )lev&l] 

short-term memory 

[SO:t )t§:m (memEri] 

token [(tEUkEn] 

Source: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 

Zusammenschluss 

Authentifizierung 

Biometrie, biometrische 

Personenerfassung 

britisches Polarforschungsprogramm 

Wettbewerb 

Ziffer 

direkt, im persönlichen Gespräch 

Gletscher 

Schelfeis 

Forschungsstation 

Meeresspiegel 

Kurzzeitgedächtnis 

Token (Datenpaket) 

LivingActors Presenter 

Monkey see, 

monkey do? 

3/2013

Lifesize 

LANGUAGE FOCUS TECHNOLOGY ■ 

Vocabulary 

3/2013 

One drop: 

details of 

your health 

are at your 

fingertips 

accelerometer [Ek)selE(rQmItE] 

Beschleunigungssensor 

actuator [(ÄktSueItE] 

Auslöser 

amplification [)ÄmplIfI(keIS&n] 

Verstärkung 

automotive [)O:tEU(mEUtIv] 

Kfzbiochemical 

assay 

biochemisches Nachweis- 

[)baIEU)kemIk&l E(seI] 

verfahren 

blood glucose level [)blVd (glu:kEUz )lev&l] Blutzuckerspiegel 

cardiac marker [)kA:diÄk (mA:kE] Kardial-, Herzmarker 

centrifugal force [)sentrIfju:g&l (fO:s] Zentrifugal-, Schleuderkraft 

certified [(s§:tIfaId] 

staatlich geprüft 

cleanroom [(kli:nru:m] 

Reinraum 

deposition process [depE(zIS&n )prEUses] Abscheidungsverfahren 

detection [di(tekS&n] 

Erkennung 


Gerät 

distribute sth. [dI(strIbju:t] 

etw. verteilen 

drug abuse [(drVg Eb)ju:s] 

Drogenmissbrauch 

functional chamber [)fVNkS&nEl (tSeImbE] Reaktionskammer 

infectious disease [In)fekSEs dI(zi:z] ansteckende Krankheit 

in vitro [In (vi:trEU] 

im Reagenzglas 

in vivo [In (vi:vEU] 

im lebenden Organismus 

lab-on-a-chip 

Westentaschenlabor, Labor- 

[)lÄb Qn E (tSIp] 

auf-dem-Chip 

laboratory [lE(bQrEtEri] 

Labor 

medical-care team 

medizinisches Behand- 

[)medIk&l (keE ti:m] 

lungsteam 

metering chamber [(mi:tErIN )tSeImbE] Dosierkammer 

microelectromechanical system (MEMS) mikroelektromechanisches 

[)maIkrEUi)lektrEUmI)kÄnIk&l (sIstEm] System (MEMS) 

microfluidic channel 

mikrofluidischer Kanal 

[)maIkrEUflu:I)dIk (tSÄn&l] 

micropatterning [)maIkrEU(pÄt&nIN] Mikrostrukturierung 

microsystem engineering 

Mikrosystemtechnik 

[)maIkrEU)sIstEm )endZI(nIErIN] 

nervous system [(n§:vEs )sIstEm] Nervensystem 

point-of-care testing/diagnostics (POCT) patientennahe Labor- 

[)pOInt Ev )keE (testIN/daIEg(nQstIks] diagnostik 

pulse rate [(pVls reIt] 

Pulsschlag 

purification [)pjUErIfI(keIS&n] 

Reinigung, Aufbereitung 

purify sth. [(pjUErIfaI] 

etw. reinigen, aufbereiten 

rapid prototyping 

schnelle Prototypen- 

[)rÄpId (prEUtEUtaIpIN] 

entwicklung 

respiratory rate [ri(spIrEtEri reIt] Atemfrequenz 

sample [(sA:mp&l] 

Probe 

sample preconditioning 

Probenvorbehandlung 

[)sA:mp&l )pri:kEn(dIS&nIN] 

spinning mode [(spInIN mEUd] 

Rotations-, Drehmodus 

vital sign 

Vitalparameter, Lebens- 

[)vaIt&l (saIn] 

zeichen 


BOOK 

■ Microsystem Engineering of Lab-on-a-Chip Devices, Oliver 

Geschke, Henning Klank, Pieter Telleman (Wiley) 

WEBSITE 

■ Lab on a Chip journal: www.rsc.org/publishing/journals/lc/ 

about.asp 

Answers: a–3; b–1; c–2 

Point-of-care 

testing 

Mobile Geräte ermöglichen die schnelle 

Feststellung medizinischer Werte vor Ort, 

wie CORNELIA KREIS-MEYER erklärt. advanced 

Point-of-care testing (POCT) is the use of mobile systems 

for rapid analysis of a patient’s vital signs. Simple 

POCT systems include equipment for measuring pulse rate, 

blood pressure and blood glucose levels. 

New diagnostic tools make use of microelectromechanical 

systems (MEMS) to measure a range of medical parameters. 

Doctors can quickly determine whether a patient had 

a heart attack, or has an infectious disease such as HIV or 

tuberculosis. The tools also test for drug abuse. 

All you need is a drop of blood or urine, and the results 

are available almost immediately. In critical situations, this 

can save lives by allowing doctors and medical-care teams 

to take decisions on treatment at the scene. POCT can also 

be used in patients’ homes or in a doctor’s office. This saves 

costs, as samples do not need to be sent to a laboratory. 

For example, the “lab-on-a-chip”, also called “biochip”, 

can carry out several laboratory functions. A similar system, 

the “Bio-Disk”, looks like a CD. You put a sample of 

blood or urine on the disc, and place it in an analysis system 

the size of a portable CD player. 

In the spinning mode, the system makes use of centrifugal 

forces to drive the liquid through microfluidic channels. 

The sample is then purified, separated and distributed into 

functional chambers for analysis. 

■BS 

Exercise: Mobile health 

Answer the questions based on information in the text. 

a) Which vital sign is not mentioned? 

1. blood pressure 2. pulse rate 3. respiratory 

rate 

b) What is a drop of blood or urine called? 

1. sample 2. result 3. example 

c) Which force is used to separate fluids? 

1. infectious 2. centrifugal 3. nuclear 

CORNELIA KREIS-MEYER is a certified technical 

translator specializing in the automotive and cleanroom 

industries. She also provides technical English 

training. Contact: cornelia@ck-translations.eu 


■ FEEDBACK READERS’ LETTERS 

Attached or enclosed? 

Readers’ let ters should be sent to: 

The editor-in-chief, Business Spotlight, Fraun - 

ho ferstr. 22, 82152 Pla negg, Deutsch land; 

by email to i.mcmaster@spot light-ver lag.de; 

or by fax to +49 (0)89/85681-210. Please 

include your postal address, email address 

and phone number. We reserve the right to 

edit readers’ comments for clar ity or length. 

While reading the language test in Business Spotlight 1/2013, 

I came across a phrase that caught my attention. On page 

49 in the second exercise (“The Write Way”), the last sentence 

of the email reads “Enclosed please find...”. It was my understanding 

that you use “attached” when writing an email, 

whereas “enclosed” is only used in letters. I would be very 

grateful if you could clarify this. Keep up the great work! 

Philipp Berk, Oberursel 

Many thanks for your feedback. Yes, you are right — one would normally write 

“please find attached” in an email. Thank you for spotting that! We hope you 

will continue to find Business Spotlight useful and entertaining. 

The Editor 

Confusing definition 

The explanation of “palette” as Palette on one of the language 

cards in Business Spotlight 5/2012 may be confusing to some 

readers. You might have added that the English “palette” — 

apart from referring to a range of something, as in “a palette 

of flavours” — denotes a thin board that a painter holds to mix 

colours on, rather than a pallet for handling, storing or moving 

materials, which would more likely spring to one’s mind as 

the intended meaning of the German Palette. 

Hansjörg Bittner, Winsen 

Interspecies telepathy? 

Ienjoy the high quality of your magazine and was therefore 

surprised to read the interview with animal communicator Su 

Burnett in My Working Life (Business Spotlight 1/2013, p. 9). 

Her extraordinary paranormal claims were accepted at face 

value despice a complete lack of scientific evidence for the existence 

of telepathy. I feel strongly that there was a journalistic 

failure to apply simple logic, leading to the promotion of 

confused thinking, which is below the standards I’m accustomed 

to from Business Spotlight. 

Adam Lockett, Berlin 

Helpful new section 

The new Toolbox section (Business Spotlight 2/2013, p. 38) 

is very clear and helpful for international communication. I 

am often faced with the challenges described here, such as making 

a phone call to someone for the first time. I am very much 

looking forward to reading more articles about these topics in 

future issues. 

Gerhart Thomas, Hamburg 

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84 www.business-spotlight.de

4/2013 PREVIEW ■ 

In the next issue: 


Making and changing decisions 

The ability to make decisions effectively is a key skill 

at work. How well can you do this? And how should you 

go about changing a decision that turns out to be 

wrong? Bob Dignen examines these important questions 

in our Business Skills feature. 

Language test: transport 

Moving people and goods from one place to another is 

at the very heart of international business. Do you know 

the vocabulary necessary to talk about this essential 

area? Find out how good your knowledge is by taking 

our special test. 

SKILL UP! 


BUSINESS 

VOCABULARY 

with our 

essential guide 

Africa: continent of contrasts 

What are the main factors to consider when doing business in Africa? 

Can we even make generalizations about a continent that is 

made up of more than 50 different countries? We take a closer 

look in our Intercultural Communication section. 


In the next issue... 

In the next issue... 

HOLIDAYS 

FALSE FRIENDS: pension, coffer 

ESSENTIAL IDIOMS: “travel light” 

SMALL TALK: culture shock 

BusinessSpotlight 4/2013 is on sale from 12 June 2013 

3/2013 


■ PEOPLE MY WORKING LIFE 

Edwin Broni-Mensah 

Social entrepreneur 

Wasser aus Einwegflaschen ist teuer. Seine Flaschen hingegen kann man 

mit sauberem Leitungswasser für einen guten Zweck nachfüllen lassen. 

VICKI SUSSENS sprach mit dem sozial engagierten Unternehmer. easy 

were sold out of bottles within a few hours. I’ve also given 

over 100 talks to schools, universities and firms like Deloitte 

and Google. And we use social media to get people 

involved. For example, customers can use our iPhone app 

to find places to refill their bottles. 

I run GiveMeTap, an organization I started 

in the UK in April 2010 to encourage people when they are 

away from home to drink tap water rather than water in 

plastic bottles. People who buy GiveMeTap bottles can get 

them filled in a large network of cafes and restaurants that 

have joined our project. We give 70 per cent of our profits 

to water and irrigation projects in Africa. 

28 

Away with plastic 

bottles! Edwin 

Broni-Mensah 

provides a clever 

alternative 

London, though my parents come from Ghana. 

At the moment, we do not pay salaries, but invest 

any extra money into GiveMeTap. I decided to do this so 

that we can grow quickly. In the meantime, I earn money 

as a business consultant. 

Good ideas come from personal 

experiences. As a student, I played squash and football, 

and spent £5 (about €6) a day on bottled water. Few cafes 

would give me free tap water, and I noticed most people 

were embarrassed to ask. I thought this was ridiculous. 

Running a business is no 

joke. It’s challenging and you need knowledge in many areas. 

I’ve learned mostly by running my own organization, 

but through the Marketing Academy, I’ve learned how to 

communicate the organization’s social mission. 

PR is essential to our campaign. 

We’ve appeared in almost all the national media. In 

2011, after being on the front page of The Observer, we 

We’ve helped over 1,500 people get clean 

drinking water in Malawi and Namibia. We have persuaded 

190 cafes in 12 cities in the UK to provide free tap water. 

And we have also spread to a few places in the US, 

France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Portugal. The business 

awards GiveMeTap has won have given us lots of 

publicity. 

I have a PhD in Applied 

Mathematics and most of my friends are now bankers, so 

it might seem strange that I’m running GiveMeTap. But it 

is the best thing I’ve ever been involved in in my life. Every 

single day is different, and I get to bring attention to a 

problem that is close to my heart: the world water crisis. 

How easy it was to get cafes and 

restaurants to join our cause. I’ve also been very touched 

by the support we’ve had from people who buy our bottles, 

follow us through social media or write about us. 

Stay tuned! We’ve got great plans. As my girlfriend 

will tell you, I like to surprise people. ■BS 

Applied Mathematics 

[E)plaId mÄTE(mÄtIks] 

business consultant 

[(bIznEs kEn)sVltEnt] 

cafe [(kÄfeI] 

cause [kO:z] 


embarrassed: be ~ to do sth. 

[Im(bÄrEst] 

irrigation [IrI(geIS&n] 

mission [(mIS&n] 

network [(netw§:k] 

PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) 

[)pi: eItS (di:] 

sold out of: be ~ sth. 

[)sEUld (aUt Qv] 

(sold out 

Stay tuned! [)steI (tju:nd] 

talk: give a ~ [tO:k] 

tap water [(tÄp )wO:tE] 

(tap 

For more information, go to www.givemetap.co.uk 

Angewandte Mathematik 

Unternehmensberater(in) 


Anliegen 

schwierig 

es peinlich finden, etw. zu tun 

Bewässerung 

Auftrag; hier auch: Leitsätze 

Netz(werk); hier: Verbund 

Doktortitel 

von einer Sache nichts 

mehr zu verkaufen haben 

ausverkauft) 

Bleib(en Sie) dran! 

einen Vortrag halten 

Leitungswasser 

Wasserhahn) 


Das kann sich hören lassen! 

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SKILL UP! 

VOKABELTRAINING LEICHT GEMACHT 

AUSGABE 20 

Talking about 

production 

also: 

The factory floor | Problems, tasks and processes

CONTENTS 

THE FUTURE’S IN PRODUCTION 

Large-scale production, local production and home production will all play a 

role in the future of manufacturing. In this Skill Up!, we present the vocabulary 

you will need to talk about production trends and processes. 

The factory floor is the focus of our illustration in Picture This! (pp. 4–5), where 

we look at a modern, purpose-built plant and provide a list of manufacturing 

industries. For a more detailed look at the various types of production plants 

and stages of production, turn to our Word Bank (pp. 6–7). As production does 

not always go to plan, our In Focus section (pp. 10–11) highlights common 

production problems — and looks at the typical tasks that white-collar and 

blue-collar workers have to perform. 

What about the nuts and bolts? In Essential Idioms (pp. 12–13), you can learn 

how to use this idiom and discover more idiomatic language from the world of 

manufacturing. In False Friends (pp. 8–9), we show you the words you probably 

shouldn’t be using to talk about production — as well as the ones that you 

should. Careful how you use “fabric” and “montage”. 

Some factories offer potential clients (and, sometimes, even tourists) the 

chance to tour their production facilities. On such occasions, safety is of utmost 

importance. In Small Talk (pp. 16–17), we provide the language you will 

need to keep you and any visitors free from harm. Keep safe! 

Deborah Capras, deputy editor 

bs.deputyeditor@spotlight-verlag.de 

SKILL UP! 

If you want to remember new expressions, 

you will need to practise using them. Our 

workbook, Business Spotlight plus, features 

exercises on the topic of production that are 

based on the material in this vocabulary 

guide. You’ll find more information at 

www.business-spotlight.de/plus 

SKILL UP! online 

On our website, you’ll find selected 

vocabulary from this guide in our 

Word of the Day section. To listen to 

the words, definitions and example 

sentences — and to download the 

MP3 file of each word — go to 

www.business-spotlight.de/skill-up 

2 SKILL UP! 

ISSUE 20

A work in progress: 

at the production plant 

iStockphoto 

CHECKLIST: WHAT CAN YOU DO? 

Below, you will find the contents of this issue of Skill Up! and a checklist of what you should 

be able to do with confidence after studying this guide. Ask yourself what you can really do. 

If you can’t say yes to every statement, go back and spend more time on learning the relevant 

vocabulary. Don’t forget to read our Skill Up! tips and do the online exercises! 

Contents Page(s) Checklist 

Picture This! 

On the factory floor 4–5 I can describe basic equipment and talk about industries. 

Word Bank 

Key stages 6–7 I can talk about different types of production facilities 

and places 

and the stages of production. 

False Friends 

Made of fabric 8–9 I can identify the false friends presented here — and 

use the correct translations. 

In Focus 

Production tasks 10–11 I know which specialist terms are typically used to 

and problems 

describe problems and tasks during production. 

Essential Idioms 

Lock, stock 12–13 I can correctly use idiomatic expressions that have their 

and barrel 

roots in tools and the production process. 

Close Relations 

A productive plant 14–15 I can correctly use the “produce” and “product” families. 

Small Talk 

A factory tour 16–17 I can describe important safety regulations and talk 

about my company in an informal setting. 

Your Profile 

Be productive 18 I can honestly say that I now feel more confident using 

the vocabulary in this guide. 

Preview 19 

Not yet A little Yes! 

n n n 

n n n 

n n n 

n n n 

n n n 

n n n 

n n n 

n n n 

ISSUE 20 SKILL UP! 3

PICTURE THIS! 

3 

4 

18 

21 

19 

20 

Bernhard Förth 

5 

17 

1 

6 

13 

16 

15 

2 

7 

8 

12 

14 

9 

10 

ON THE FACTORY FLOOR 

This is the heart of the production process. Our illustration features some of the basic 

vocabulary you will need to talk about manufacturing. 

11 

First day on the 

factory floor 

1. purpose-built plant eigene / zu einem 

Zweck erbaute 

Produktionsstätte 

2. production line Fließband 

3. state-of-the-art robot hochmoderner 

Roboter 

4. machine malfunction technische Störung 

5. (pneumatic) tool (druckluft- 

[nju(mÄtIk] 

betriebene(s)) 

Werkzeug(e) 

6. defective product mangelhafte Ware 

7. control panel Steuerpult 

8. lever Hebel 

9. switch Schalter 

10. knob [nQb] Knopf 

11. steel-toe rubber boots Sicherheitsschuhe 

mit Stahlkappe 

12. blue-collar worker Fabrikarbeiter(in) 

machine operator Maschinist(in) 

13. hard hat with face shield Schweißmaske 

14. white-collar worker Büroangestellte(r) 

site manager 

Betriebsleiter(in) 

15. earmuffs [(IEmVfs] Gehörschutz 

16. safety goggles [(gQg&lz] Schutzbrille 

17. finished goods fertige Waren 

18. forklift Gabelstapler 

19. forklift operator Gabelstapler - 

fahrer(in) 

20. spare parts Ersatzteile 

21. warehouse Lager(halle) 

4 SKILL UP! 

ISSUE 20

Which industry? 

Heavy industries 

aerospace 

automotive industry 

chemical industry (also: chemicals) 

construction (industry) 

defence industry 

shipbuilding (industry) 

steel (industry) 

textile industry (also: textiles) 

[(tekstaI&lz] 

iStockphoto 

Light industries 

clothing and footwear 

computer hardware 

cosmetics 

food and beverages 

household goods 

luxury goods [(lVkSEri] 

plastics and polymers [(pQlImEz] 

SKILL UP! 

Do you agree with our categories 

for the different industries? Would 

you add any others, or move any to 

a different category? Thinking 

about categories for words and expressions 

can help you to remember 

them. 

Bekleidung und Schuhe 

Computer-Hardware 

Kosmetik 

Nahrungsmittel und 

Getränke 

Haushaltswaren 

Luxusartikel, -güter 

Kunststoffartikel 

Growth industries 

consumer electronics 

pharmaceuticals 

[)fA:mE(su:tIk&lz] 

Luft- und Raumfahrt 

Automobilindustrie 

Chemieindustrie 

Baugewerbe 

Rüstungsindustrie 

Schiffsbau 

Stahlindustrie 

Textil- und Bekleidungsindustrie 

Small-scale production and 

craft industries 

bakery 

Bäckerei 

brewery [(bru:Eri] Brauerei 

carpenter’s shop Schreinerei, 

Tischlerei 

dairy [(deEri] Molkerei 

goldsmith’s Goldschmiedeworkshop 

werkstatt 

printer’s 

Druckerei 

sound studio Tonstudio 

tailor’s shop Schneiderwerkstatt 

vineyard [(vInjEd], Weingut 

winery [(waInEri] 

Wachstumsindustrien 

Unterhaltungs-; 

Verbraucherelektronik 

Arzneimittel, 

Pharmaprodukte 

Trouble at the plant? 

What did you do? 

Operator: I pulled the lever, flipped the 

switch and turned the knob. And the robot 

just jammed. 

pull the lever 

flip the switch 

turn the knob 

jam 

den Hebel ziehen 

den Schalter betätigen 

den Knopf drehen 

hängen bleiben 


WORD BANK 

KEY STAGES AND PLACES 

Planning and organizing the production process in an efficient way is essential for the 

success of a business. 

It’s huge: largescale 

production 

“All parts and components must 

arrive at the assembly line 

just-in-time or even 

just-in-sequence in the interests 

of maximum efficiency” 

Plants and places 

plant 

assembly plant 

bottling plant 

company premises/site 

[(premIsIz/saIt] 

completely knocked down 

(CKD) plant [)nQkt (daUn] 

food processing plant 

ironworks [(aIEnw§:ks] 

local automobile plant 

[(O:tEmEU)bi:&l] 

packaging and distribution 

plant 

pre-assembly plant 

press plant 

production facility/plant 

Fabrik, (Betriebs-) 

Anlage 

Montagewerk 

Abfüllanlage 

Betriebs-, Werksgelände 

Werk für die Montage 

von kompletten 

Teilesätzen 

Werk für Lebensmittelverarbeitung 

Eisenhütte(nwerk) 

ortsansässiges 

Automobilwerk 

Betrieb für Verpa- 

ckung und Vertrieb 

Vormontagewerk 

Presswerk 

Fertigungsbetrieb 

Inside the plant 

body shop 

Karosseriewerkstatt 

clean room 

keimfreier Raum 

conveyor belt 

Förderband 

foundry [(faUndri] 

Gießerei 

goods reception 

Wareneingang 

inspection area 

Inspektionsbereich, 

Prüffläche 

inventory [(InvEntEri] Lagerbestand 

packaging 

Verpackung 

paint shop 

Lackiererei 

processing floor 

Fertigung 

production hall 

Produktions-, 

Werkhalle 

production line 

Produktionsstraße 

site workshop 

Werkstatt am 

Standort 

stations 

Stützpunkte 

stock 

Warenlager 

storage area 

Lagerfläche 

universal main assembly line Hauptfertigungs - 

straße 

Comstock 

6 SKILL UP! ISSUE 20

SKILL UP! 

Generally, we talk about manufacturing only 

when we refer to the production of goods on 

a large scale, using machinery of some kind. 

Production refers to the making or manufacturing 

of goods. Often, the words are used interchangeably. 

We give the most common 

combinations in our lists. 

Processes 

agricultural/ 

landwirtschaftliche 

farm production 

Produktion 

assembly-line production Fließbandfertigung 

batch production 

Serienfertigung 

customized manufacturing kundenspezifische 

[(kVstEmaIzd] 

Fertigung 

flow production [(flEU] Fließfertigung 

individual/job production Einzelfertigung 

large-scale production großtechnische Produktion 

mass/series production Serienfertigung 

outsourced production ausgelagerte Fertigung 

pull manufacturing Fertigung nach tatsächlichem 

Bedarf 

push manufacturing Fertigung nach einem 

erwarteten Bedarf 

wage-intensive 

lohnintensive Proproduction 

duktion 

Tools and trends 

complex simulation models komplexe Simulationsmodelle 

computer-aided machining computerüber - 

wachte Produktion 

computer-based design rechnergestützte 

programs 

Konstruktionsprogramme 

energy recovery system System zur Rückgewinnung 

kineti scher 

Energie 

just-in-sequence 

produktionssyn- 

[)dZVst In (si:kwEns] chron, in festgeleg - 

ter Reihenfolge 

just-in-time 

bedarfsorientierte 

Fertigung 

made-to-order 

nach Maß gefertigt 

made-to-stock 

auf Lager gefertigt 

quality assurance [E(SO:rEns] Qualitätssicherung 

rapid prototyping 

schnelle Herstellung 

[(prEUtEUtaIpIN] 

von Musterbauteilen 

reverse auction konzipierte Vergabe - 

[ri)v§:s (O:kS&n] 

auktion 

vertical integration [(v§:tIk&l] vertikale Verflechtung 

virtual tools [(v§:tSuEl] virtuelle Werkzeuge 

Materials and ingredients 

blank 

Rohling 

carrier substance Trägersubstanz 

[)kÄriE (sVbstEns] 

component [kEm(pEUnEnt] Bauteil 

end/final/finished product Endprodukt 

engineering prototype technischer Prototyp 

half-finished product halbfertiges Produkt 

ingredients [In(gri:diEnts] Zutaten, Inhaltsstoffe 

liquid ingredients flüssige Inhaltsstoffe 

powdered ingredients pulverförmige 

Inhaltsstoffe 

raw ingredients Rohbestandteile 

interchangeable part 

[)IntE(tSeIndZEb&l] 

intermediate product 

[)IntE(mi:diEt] 

lot 

part 

raw materials 

sample [(sA:mp&l] 

test specimen 

[(test )spesEmIn] 

workpiece 

raw/unprocessed 

workpiece 

austauschbares Teil 

Zwischenprodukt 

Los, Charge 

Teil, Werkstück 

Rohstoffe, -materialien 

Muster, Probe 

Prüfling 

Werkstück 

unbearbeitetes 

Werkstück 

iStockphoto 

ISSUE 20 

SKILL UP! 7

FALSE FRIENDS 

MADE OF FABRIC 

There are many words in German and English that sound similar but have very different 

meanings. They are “false friends”. Learn the correct translations of these terms. 

factory 

fabric 

Zoonar 

iStockphoto 

What’s Fabrik in English? 

Fabrik = factory 

“This investment will create over 1,000 new 

jobs at the factory.” 

It’s not fabric! 

fabric = Stoff, Gewebe 

“They’ve created an innovative new fabric that 

doesn’t need to be washed.” 

helmet 

What’s Helm in English? 

Helm = helmet 

“For safety reasons, everyone has 

to wear a helmet in this area.” 

It’s not helm! 

helm = Ruder 

“John, can you take over the helm 

while I take a break?” 

helm 

8 SKILL UP! 

iStockphoto (2)

assembly 

montage 


What’s Montage in English? 

Montage = assembly 

“We’ve decided to move the assembly plant 

back to Manchester.” 

It’s not montage! 

montage [mQn(ta:Z] = Film-, Fotomontage 

“I’ve prepared a montage of an apple and an 

orange that you could use in advertising.” 

stack 

What’s stapeln in English? 

stapeln = stack 

“Do not stack the boxes as this could 

damage the goods.” 

It’s not staple! 

staple = heften, tackern 

“We staple the pages together before 

they are put in the file.” 

staple 


M 

SKILL UP! Audio 

You can do an exercise on 

false friends on Business 

Spotlight Audio. 

YOUR PROFILE 

Write down example sentences that are useful to you. This makes it easier to remember false 

friends and other tricky expressions. 

ISSUE 20

IN FOCUS 

High-precision work 

on the factory floor 

PRODUCTION TASKS 

AND PROBLEMS 

Today, technology performs many tasks, but the workers, engineers and 

management have also become more skilled in what they do — and 

how they deal with problems. 

iStockphoto 

A mixture of old and new 

Subtractive (machining) techniques: the removal of material by 

cutting, drilling, filing or grinding, and the joining of material via 

riveting, screwing, spot-welding and welding to create a product. 

Additive (3D printing) techniques: the adding of material (liquid, 

powder, or sheet material) by layering, printing, fusing or bonding 

to create a product. 

On the factory floor 

apply a coating 

assemble parts 

carry out spot checks 

churn sth. out 

[)tS§:n (aUt] 

finish the surface 

hand-finish sth. 

make adjustments 

monitor processes 

perform high-precision 

work 

tighten nuts and bolts 

einen Belag aufbringen 

Teile zusammenbauen, 

montieren 

Stichproben durchführen 

etw. am laufenden Band 

produzieren, ausstoßen 

die Oberfläche abschließend 

bearbeiten 

etw. von Hand fertigstellen 

Anpassungen vornehmen 

die Arbeitsabläufe überwachen 

Präzisionsarbeit verrichten 

Schrauben und Muttern 

anziehen 

bond verbinden, verschweißen 

cut 

(aus)schneiden, trennen 

drill bohren 

file [faI&l] feilen 

fuse [fju:z] schmelzen 

grind [graInd] schleifen, wetzen 

join verbinden, zusammenfügen 

layer schichten 

print drucken 

rivet [(rIvIt] nieten 

screw schrauben 

spot-weld punktschweißen 

weld schweißen 

The factory 

close down operations 

ramp up production 

work at full capacity 

work to optimum 

capacity 

den Betrieb einstellen 

die Produktion 

(schnell) 

hochfahren 

mit voller Kapazität 

arbeiten 

mit optimaler 

Kapazitätsauslastung 

arbeiten 


iStockphoto 

The engineers and management 

apply for tax breaks Steuervergünstigungen 

beantragen 

be hit by delays 

von Verzögerungen betroffen 

sein 

build to specifications nach Vorgaben bauen 

cater for (US cater to) sich nach individuellen Kunindividual 

customer wishes denwünschen richten 

comply with regulations den Vorschriften entsprechen 

contain a leak [li:k] eine undichte Stelle stopfen 

deliver a prototype einen Prototyp liefern 

digitize processes 

Verfahren digitalisieren 

[(dIdZItaIz] 

eliminate human error menschliches Versagen ausschalten 

ensure a fast turnaround eine schnelle Durchlaufzeit 

[In(SO:] 

garantieren 

increase production capacity die Produktionskapazität 

erhöhen 

incur cost overruns [In(k§:] in Kostenüberschreitung(en)/ 

Kostenunterdeckung geraten 

minimize idle time [(aId&l] Leerlaufzeiten minimieren 

minimize inventory den Lagerbestand gering 

[(InvEntEri] 

halten 

minimize waste 

das Abfallaufkommen 

minimieren 

protect know-how 

das Know-How schützen 

reduce emissions 

die Emissionen verringern 

reduce lead time [li:d] die Vorlaufzeit reduzieren 

respond to fluctuations auf Marktschwankungen 

in the market 

reagieren 

scale back production die Produktion zurückfahren 

source materials 

Material beziehen / ausfindig 

machen 

standardize procedures Verfahren vereinheitlichen, 

standardisieren 

suspend production die Produktion (zeitweise) 

stilllegen 

SKILL UP! 

If you are interested in talking about production 

problems, use the words we present 

here to search for news stories online and 

make a note of the sentences in which they 

occur. Create your own summaries of the 

stories using the vocabulary, too. 

The problems 

backlog 

bottleneck 

breakdown 

capacity 

excess capacity 

overcapacity 

spare capacity 

surplus capacity 

contamination 

defect [(di:fekt] 

downtime 

fault [fO:lt] 

electrical fault 

gas leak [li:k] 

health scare 

maintenance 

routine maintenance 

shortage 

slack time 

Working at full 

capacity 

Rückstand 

Engpass 

Panne, Maschinenschaden 

Kapazität 

Überkapazität 

Überkapazität 

ungenutzte Kapazität 

Kapazitätsüberschuss 

Verunreinigung 

Fehler, Defekt 

Ausfallzeit 

Fehler, Störung 

elektrische Störung 

Gasleck 

gesundheitliche Gefahr 

Wartung 

Routinewartung 

Knappheit, Mangel 

Pufferzeit 


ESSENTIAL IDIOMS 

LOCK, STOCK AND BARREL 

There are many idiomatic expressions containing words related to production processes 

and tools. Read the dialogues to learn how to use them in business situations. 

SKILL UP! 

Read the two versions of the short conversations. Then cover 

up the idiomatic version and read the simpler version again. Can 

you remember how to say the same things idiomatically? Check 

that you’ve understood the text by looking at the translations. 

Here we go: set the 

wheels in motion 

First, the idiomatic way 

Mark: It’s time to take stock of our goals for the company. 

Sue: We have to outsource more of our production. 

Mark: I disagree. We shouldn’t outsource any more. 

Sue: But we’ve already set the wheels in motion. 

Mark: And I’m putting a spanner in the works! 

Now, more simply 

Mark: It’s time to review our goals for the company. 

Sue: We have to outsource more of our production. 

Mark: I disagree. We shouldn’t outsource any more. 

Sue: But we’ve already started to put the plan into action. 

Mark: And I’m going to prevent the plan being put into action! 

Check the translations 

take stock of sth. sich über etw. klar 

werden 

set the wheels die Dinge ins 

in motion Rollen bringen 

put a spanner (US einen Knüppel 

monkey wrench) zwischen die 

in the works Beine werfen 



Mark: We broke the mould when we outsourced 

so much of our production, but it’s now a 

problem. Last month, our factories ground 

to a halt because we didn’t have the necessary 

parts. 

Sue: There are no cast-iron guarantees that 

production would be any better here. 


Mark: We did things in a completely different way 

when we outsourced so much of our production, 

but it’s now a problem. Last 

month, our factories stopped working because 

we didn’t have the necessary parts. 

Sue: There are no firm guarantees that production 

would be any better here. 

iStockphoto 


break the mould mit der Tradition brechen 

grind to a halt zum Erliegen kommen 

cast-iron 

hundertprozentig 

It’s happening: that’s 

a cast-iron guarantee 

ISSUE 20

iStockphoto 

Where’s all the money? 

Down the drain! 


grease the palm Schmiergeld zahlen 

wildcat strike wilder Streik 

run a sweatshop einen Ausbeutungsbetrieb 

betreiben 

down the drain zum Fenster hinausgeworfen 


Mark: A lot of things happen there that wouldn’t here. 

Last week, I was asked to grease some palms 

to get the material we need. I refused, so we’ll 

have to wait another six months. We were also 

hit by a wildcat strike. Have you forgotten that 

our main supplier was running a sweatshop? 

Sue: What about our investments? All that money 

down the drain! 


Mark: A lot of things happen there that wouldn’t here. 

Last week, I was asked to pay money secretly 

and illegally to people to get the material we 

need. I refused, so we’ll have to wait another six 

months. We were also hit by a number of unorganized 

strikes without warning. Have you forgotten 

that our main supplier had a factory 

where the workers were paid and treated badly? 

Sue: What about our investments? All that money 

wasted! 


Mark: OK, you’ve hit the nail on the head. 

How do we get out without losing 

money? 

Sue: You have a plan? 

Mark: I still have to check all the nuts and 

bolts of the deal, but I think we have a 

buyer. A local company wants to buy the 

production facilities, lock, stock and 

barrel. 

Sue: They must have a screw loose! 


Mark: OK, you’re right. How do we get out 

without losing money? 

Sue: You have a plan? 

Mark: I still have to check all the basic details 

of the deal, but I think we have a buyer. 

A local company wants to buy the production 

facilities, everything included. 

Sue: They must be mad! 

Brand X Pictures 


hit the nail on the head 

Explain the nuts 

and bolts again 

den Nagel auf den 

Kopf treffen 

the nuts and bolts of sth. die wichtigen 

Einzelheiten 

lock, stock and barrel mit allem Drum 

und Dran 

have a screw loose eine Schraube 

locker haben, ein 

Rad ab haben 


CLOSE RELATIONS 

A PRODUCTIVE PLANT 

We can use many members of the “produce” and “product” word families to talk about 

the production process — and other topics, too. 

produc- 

+e produce 

+ er producer 

mass- + 

re + 

co- + 

mass-produce 

reproduce 

co-producer 

Hemera 

+ ing producing 

oil- + 

oil-producing 

by- + 

by-product 

product 

+ ion production co- + co-production 

counter + 

counterproductive 

The families 

reproduzieren, vermehren 

Fortpflanzungs- 

unproduktiv; ertragsarm 

Unergiebigkeit; Unproduktivität 

reproduce 

reproductive 

unproductive(ly) 

unproductiveness 

+ ive productive 

by-product Nebenprodukt 

co-producer Koproduzent 

co-production Koproduktion 

counterproductive kontraproduktiv 

mass-produce serienmäßig herstellen 

non-productive unproduktiv 

oil-producing ölfördernd 

produce [prE(dju:s] produzieren, herstellen 

produce [(prQdju:s] (Agrar-)Produkt 

producer Hersteller(in), Produzent(in) 

producing produzierend, herstellend 

productive(ly) ergiebig; leistungsfähig 

productiveness Ergiebigkeit 

productivity Produktivität, Leistungsfähigkeit 

non- + 

re + 

un + 

+ ity 

+ ly 

+ ness 

un + 

un + 

non-productive 

reproductive 

unproductive 

productivity 

productively 

unproductively 

productiveness 

unproductiveness 

“Money is just a 

by-product of success” 

Tim Cook, 52, CEO of Apple 

ISSUE 20

Verb + production 

affect 

automate [(O:tEmeIt] 

boost 

cease [si:s] 

delay [di(leI] 

discontinue 

disrupt [dIs(rVpt] 

halt [hO:lt] 

limit 

resume [ri(zju:m] 

shift 

switch 

USE THE FAMILY 

IN PRODUCTION 

l We have to minimize waste and 

use the by-products of the production 

process more efficiently. 

l Productivity has increased 

since we started using the new 

machines. 

l Introducing shorter working 

hours would be counterproductive. 

l This land is unproductive and 

could be used for construction 

purposes. 

IN BUSINESS 

l A by-product of our new system 

is that you can contact me anytime 

and anywhere. 

l An hour-long lunch break can 

improve productivity. 

l I understand that you feel 

strongly about this, but your 

aggressive manner is most 

counterproductive. 

l These weekly meetings are so 

unproductive. I don’t know why 

we have them. 

Talking about production 

Die Produktion... 

beeinflussen 

automatisieren 

ankurbeln 

beenden 

verzögern 

einstellen 

unterbrechen 

anhalten 

beschränken 

wieder aufnehmen 

verlagern 

umstellen 

Production + noun 

in-house production unternehmensinterne 

Produktion 

production output Produktionsleistung 

production quota [(kwEUtE] Produktionssoll 

production run 

production sequence 

[(si:kwEns] 

production stop 

iStockphoto 

Product + noun 

product liability 

product life cycle 

product range 

Verb + products 

distribute 

introduce 

launch 

promote 

recall 

supply 

withdraw 

Produktionsablauf 

Fertigungsablauf 

Produktionsstillstand 

Talking about products 

Produkthaftung 

Produktlebenszyklus 

Produktpalette, Sortiment 

Produkte... 

vertreiben 

einführen 

auf den Markt bringen 

fördern 

zurückrufen 

liefern 

zurückziehen 

IN ACTION: PRODUCE AND PRODUCT 

‡ Generally, we use the noun produce to talk about things that have 

been grown or produced on a farm. Produce is uncountable: 

“Our dairy produce is organic. That’s why it’s more expensive.” 

‡ We use the verb produce to talk about manufacturing products and 

also about making films or multimedia items: 

“Ben Affleck produced, directed and starred in the film Argo.” 

‡ Use production to talk about manufacturing, but also about the activity 

of making a film or other media: 

“Film production began last week.” 

‡ If you reproduce something, you make a copy of it or make something 

that is very similar to the original. This verb also refers to having babies 

or producing young animals or plants: 

“We were unable to reproduce the same effect using glass.” 

“Moisture increases the bacteria’s ability to reproduce.” 

‡ The adjective reproductive refers only to creating new life: 

“Pesticides can damage the reproductive health of bees.” 

‡ The adjectives non-productive and unproductive are similar in 

meaning and can generally be used interchangeably: 

“What an unproductive day! I didn’t sell anything.” 


SMALL TALK 

A FACTORY TOUR 

If you work in production, you may have to give a guided tour of your facilities. It’s a 

time to make small talk, but also to give important information about security and safety. 

Situation: 

Andy is visiting a company in the UK and John is about 

to take him on a tour of the production facilities. 

John: 

Andy: 

John: 

Andy: 

John: 

Andy: 

John: 

Andy: 

John: 

Andy: 

John: 

Andy: 

John: 

Andy: 

For security reasons, would you mind signing in 

here, please? 

Sure, I understand. 

Great. Well, now’s your chance for a guided tour. 

I’ll take you behind the scenes and let you in on a 

few secrets, too. We’re a showcase of lean manufacturing. 

But no flash photography! 

You can check my pockets! 

No need — we have CCTV cameras everywhere. 

As we walk through the factory, please make sure 

that you keep behind the yellow line or you might 

get hit with sparks from the welding robots. 

Cool! Oh, I probably shouldn’t have said that! 

It is a cool experience. Just keep in mind that it’s 

a factory. There are a lot of dangerous machines 

and materials in there. 

You do have an on-site emergency response 

team, don’t you? 

Of course! It’s a requirement in all our factories. 

However, our company prides itself on its safety 

record. We won’t need them! 

That’s reassuring. 

OK, before we go in, you need to put on this safety 

helmet and these safety goggles. And mind your 

head as we go down the steps. You’re very tall! 

Wow, and this is very impressive. 

The company was founded in 1964, and it has 

grown from a small one-man operation to the 

world’s largest producer of cylinders. As you can 

see, much of the work is now fully automated. Andy 

Miller, this is Ronny Mann, the line supervisor. 

He’ll be showing you round with me. 

Sounds good. Nice to meet you, Ronny. 

behind the scenes: jmdn. hinter die 

take sb. ~ 

Kulissen führen 

CCTV (closed-circuit Überwachungs - 

television) camera kamera 

flash photography Fotografieren mit 

Blitzlicht 

guided tour 

Führung, geführter 

Rundgang 

keep behind sth. 

hinter etw. bleiben 

keep sth. in mind an etw. denken 

lean manufacturing schlanke Produk- 

[)li:n mÄnju(fÄktSErIN] tion(sabläufe) 

line supervisor 

mind one’s head 

one-man operation 

on-site emergency 

response team 

Fertigungsinspektor(in) 

auf seinen Kopf 

achtgeben 

Einmannbetrieb 

Notfallteam vor Ort 

pride oneself on sth. auf etw. stolz sein 

reassuring: be ~ beruhigend sein 

[)ri:E(SO:rIN] 

safety record [(rekO:d] Sicherheitsbilanz 

secret: let sb. in jmdm. ein Geheimnis 

on a ~ 

verraten 

security reason: for ~s aus Sicherheitsgründen 

show sb. round 

showcase 

sign in 

jmdn. herumführen 

Schaukasten; hier: 

Vorzeigebetrieb 

sich eintragen 

spark 

Funke 

welding robot [(rEUbQt] Schweißroboter 

16 SKILL UP! 

Safety comes first: 

mind your head!

Comstock (2) 

Dangers and warning signs 

If you are giving a tour, you might need 

to remind people about the dangers involved 

— even if there are warning 

signs everywhere. 

Authorized personnel only 

Be careful! The floor is slippery. 

Beware of moving vehicles. 

Corrosive material 

Disinfect your hands before entering 

the clean room. 

Fire assembly point 

Flammable material 

Keep the aisle clear at all times. 

Lift with care. 

No admittance 

What to wear? 

Wear... 

a face mask 

a hair covering 

a hard hat 

a hazard suit 

[(hÄzEd su:t] 

Tragen Sie… 

eine Gesichtsmaske 

eine Haube 

einen Schutzhelm 

einen Schutzanzug 

a lab coat 

einen Laborkittel 

a safety helmet einen Schutzhelm 

earmuffs [(IEmVfs] Gehörschutz 

overalls 

einen Schutzanzug 

protective shoes Sicherheitsschuhe 

rubber gloves [glQvz] Gummihandschuhe 

safety goggles [(gQg&lz] Schutzbrille 

admittance 

aisle [aI&l] 

Be careful! 

beware of sth. 

corrosive [kE(rEUSIv] 

fire assembly point 

Zutritt 

Gang 

SKILL UP! 

If you’re the person giving a tour, use 

specific phrases to tell people how 

they should behave. Read the dialogue 

to find examples of these phrases 

(keep in mind, make sure, would you 

mind?). If you’re on a tour, ask questions 

and show your interest in the facilities. 

Use adjectives, as we do in the 

dialogue (impressive, reassuring). 

Achtung!, Vorsicht! 

Vorsicht vor... 

ätzend 

Sammelplatz bei Feuer 

flammable [(flÄmEb&l] brennbar, entflammbar 

keep sth. clear 

slippery 

etw. freihalten 

glatt, rutschig 

We’re a showcase 

of technology 

People you might meet in the factory 

apprentice [E(prentIs] Lehrling 

head of department 

machine operator 

porter 

Abteilungsleiter(in) 

Maschinist(in) 

Pförtner(in) 

receptionist [ri(sepS&nIst] Rezeptionist(in) 

skilled worker 

superior [su(pIEriE] 

trainee [treI(ni:] 

unskilled worker 

Facharbeiter(in) 

Vorgesetzte(r) 

Auszubildende(r) 

People who might be given a tour 

client, customer Kunde/Kundin; 

Auftraggeber(in) 

contractor [kEn(trÄktE] 

key supplier [sE(plaIE] 

skilled fitter 

subcontractor 

supplier 

ungelernte Arbeitskraft 

Auftragnehmer(in) 

Hauptzulieferer/-zulieferin 

Monteur(in) 

Subunternehmer(in) 

Lieferant(in), 

Zulieferer/Zulieferin 

ISSUE 20 

SKILL UP! 17

YOUR PROFILE 

BE PRODUCTIVE 

Personalize this guide by adding your own example sentences — which should reflect 

words and expressions you need in order to talk about your circumstances. 

FROM THE FLOOR UP 

What happens on the factory floor? Describe the facilities and processes at your (or another) company’s 

factory. 

What do the managers of a production plant do? Describe some of the recent decisions taken at your 

company using the expressions from our In Focus section (pp. 10–11). 

Use the idiomatic expressions in Essential Idioms (pp. 12–13) to describe recent events at your company. 

How many idioms are relevant to your situation? 

SMALL TALK: SAFETY FIRST 

Write a mini-dialogue in which you inform people of the safety procedures at your company. Use expressions 

from our Small Talk section (pp. 16–17). 


In the next issue 

PREVIEW 

Hemera 

IMPRESSUM 

HERAUSGEBER UND VERLAGSLEITER: 

Dr. Wolfgang Stock 

CHEFREDAKTEUR: Dr. Ian McMaster 

STELLVERTRETENDE CHEFREDAKTEURIN: 

Deborah Capras 

GESCHÄFTSFÜHRENDE REDAKTEURIN (CvD): 

Maja Sirola 

AUTORIN: Deborah Capras 

REDAKTION: Margaret Davis, Hildegard Rudolph, 

Elisabeth Schneider-Eicke, Michele Tilgner 

BILDREDAKTION: Sarah Gough (Leitung), 

Thorsten Mansch 

GESTALTUNG: loop grafikdesign München 

REDAKTIONSASSISTENZ: Barbara Hiller 




ANZEIGENLEITUNG: Axel Zettler 

VERLAG und REDAKTION: 


Postanschrift: Postfach 1565, 82144 Planegg 

Hausanschrift: 

Fraunhoferstraße 22, 82152 Planegg 

Telefon: +49 (0)89 8 56 81-0; 

Fax +49 (0)89 8 56 81-105 

Internet: www.business-spotlight.de 

LITHO: HWM GmbH, 82152 Planegg 

DRUCK: Druckwerk SÜD GmbH, 

88339 Bad Waldsee 

© 3/2013 Spotlight Verlag, auch für alle 

genannten Autoren, Fotografen und Mitarbeiter. 

HOLIDAYS 

Whether you work in tourism or just enjoy being 

a tourist, our next Skill Up! will provide you 

with the language you need to talk about long 

holidays, short breaks and romantic getaways. 

FALSE FRIENDS: pension, coffer 

PICTURE THIS: the best accommodation 

ESSENTIAL IDIOMS: “travel light” 

also: 

SMALL TALK Culture shock 


Cover photograph: Mauritius 

ISSUE 20 

It’s not 

what you 

expected

Der Deal des Jahres. 

Jetzt 30% sparen und 2 Ausgaben 

Business Spotlight testen. 

Ihr Vorteil: 

€ 17,90 

statt € 23,00 

Ideales Training für Ihr Business-Englisch. Mit ausgewählten Wirtschafts-Themen 

und Tipps für Präsentationen, Small Talk und Verhandlungen. 

Jetzt bestellen und Vorteilspreis sichern! 

www.business-spotlight.de/minimagazin


100 

KEY 

PHRASES 

FOR BUSINESS 

Mit Sprachtest 

Your language survival guide

Perfektion lässt sich leicht üben. 

Mit dem Übungsheft Business Spotlight plus passend zum aktuellen Magazin. 

Zu jeder 

Ausgabe von 

Business Spotlight 

Business Spotlight plus ist die ideale 

Ergänzung zum Magazin: 

Bietet auf 24 Seiten vertiefende Übungen zu 

Grammatik, Wortschatz und Redewendungen 

Enthält Tests zur Überprüfung des Lernerfolgs 

Erscheint jeden zweiten Monat passend zum Magazin 

www.business-spotlight.de/plusheft

A NEW FOCUS 

Most business English materials 

focus on the specific 

language of individual “events”, 

such as presentations, telephoning 

or meetings. Although 

this is helpful, people also need 

generic communication skills 

that they can use in any situation. These include the ability to build 

relationships and trust, make decisions, deal with conflict and, 

when necessary, say no. The 100 phrases in this booklet, based on 

Bob Dignen’s articles in Business Spotlight, cover ten general areas. 

We hope you find them useful and look forward to your feedback. 

Bob Dignen, Ian McMaster 

Contact: business@spotlight-verlag.de 

Impressum 

HERAUSGEBER UND VERLAGSLEITER: Dr. Wolfgang Stock 

CHEFREDAKTEUR: Dr. Ian McMaster 

STELLVERTR. CHEFREDAKTEURIN: Deborah Capras 

GESCHÄFTSFÜHRENDE REDAKTEURIN: Maja Sirola (CvD) 

REDAKTION: Margaret Davis, Barbara Hiller, Hildegard 

Rudolph, Elisabeth Schneider-Eicke, Michele Tilgner 

AUTOREN: Bob Dignen, Ian McMaster 

BILDREDAKTION: Sarah Gough, Thorsten Mansch 

GESTALTUNG: loopgrafikdesign München 



ANZEIGENLEITUNG: Axel Zettler 


VERLAG UND REDAKTION: Spotlight Verlag GmbH 

Postanschrift: Postfach 1565, 82144 Planegg 

Hausanschrift: Fraunhoferstraße 22, 

82152 Planegg, Telefon: (0049) 89 856 81-0 

Internet: www.business-spotlight.de 

LITHO: HWM GmbH, 82152 Planegg 

DRUCK: teNeues, 47906 Kempen 

Building relationships 

Building trust 

Influencing people 

Making decisions 

Group dynamics 

Conflict 

Selling your ideas 

Saying no 

Managing change 

Giving feedback 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

© 3/2013 Spotlight Verlag, auch für alle genann ten Autoren, 

Fotografen und Mitarbeiter. 

The authors: Bob Dignen 

and Ian McMaster 

CONTENTS 

Language test 14 

BusinessSpotlight 3

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS 


TIP 

Good relationships are the key 

to working effectively with 

other people — whether in 

your own department, in your 

organization more generally or 

with business partners in other 

firms and countries. It is 

therefore essential to practise 

and develop your relationshipbuilding 

skills. 

Introducing yourself 

l Good morning/afternoon/evening. 

My name is… 

l Pleased to meet you. It’s great to 

be here. 

Starting small talk 

l How was your journey? Was everything 

on time? 

l Can I get you something to drink? 

The way people approach relationship 

building depends on the culture 

they come from. Try to be sensitive 

to your business partners’ style. Do 

they want to build relationships 

quickly or take time? Do they want 

to focus on work or private issues? 

Make your own preferences clear. 

A key factor: 

good relations 

Asking about work 

l What are you working on at the 

moment? 

l How is the … project going? 

Finding things you have in common 

l So I hear that you are also interested 

in… 

l That’s interesting. I also have a 

background in… 

Saying goodbye positively 

l It was very good to meet you. 

l Thank you so much for the lovely 

meal/evening/trip. 

get sb. sth. 

sensitive: be ~ 

to sth. 

[(sensEtIv] 

jmdm. etw. 

holen 

auf etw. 

reagieren 

4 BusinessSpotlight 

For more on this topic, see Business Spotlight 4/2007.

If you ask business people for the 

magic ingredient that allows 

teams to perform excellently, you 

will often get a one-word answer: 

“trust”. Without trust, expensive 

controls are needed to check on 

staff, information doesn’t flow 

freely and motivation is lower. 

BUILDING TRUST 

Showing trust 

l I trust you (totally) to… 

l I’m very happy for you to handle 

this. 

Developing a supportive atmosphere 

l Just ask me if you want some support 

for… 

l I understand you are under a lot of 

pressure. 

Establishing an ethical approach 

l I believe that we need to respect 

certain values, such as… 

l It’s very important for us all to be 

honest. 

Stockbyte 

TIP 

Trust: the basis of business 

We trust people for many reasons, 

including because they are competent, 

because they are similar to us, 

because they act with integrity, 

because they are reliable and 

because they involve and trust us. 

Try to show your business partners 

that you have these qualities. 

Involving others 

l I want to share this information 

with you. 

l My feeling is that… How do you 

see this? 

Showing you can be trusted 

l You can count on me to support 

you in this. 

l Don’t worry. I promise to… 

For more on this topic, see Business Spotlight 1/2011. 

check on sb. 

honest 

magic ingredient 

[)mÄdZIk 

In(gri:diEnt] 

perform excellently 

reliable [ri(laIEb&l] 

jmdn. kontrollieren 

ehrlich 

wundersame Zutat; 

hier: Patentrezept 

hervorragende 

Ergebnisse 

erzielen 

zuverlässig 


INFLUENCING PEOPLE 

The ability to influence other 

people has always been a key 

skill in business. But it has become 

more important in recent 

years as organizations have 

become more complex, with 

multiple reporting lines and 

the increasing use of crossdepartmental 

project teams. 

Pixland 

There might 

be better ways! 

Emphasizing benefits 

l The main benefit of this for us 

would be… 

l This would enable us to... 

Using logical arguments 

l The main reason behind my argument 

is… 

l All the research shows that… 

Using your experience 

l In my experience, this approach is 

always successful. 

l This worked very well on the last 

project I was involved in. 

confident 

zuversichtlich 

cross-departmental abteilungsüber- 

[)krQs )di:pA:t(ment&l] greifend 

push for sth. auf etw. drängen 

[(pUS fO:] 

reporting line Berichtslinie 

research [ri(s§:tS] Forschung 


Being optimistic 

l I’m very optimistic/confident that 

this will be a success. 

l I have absolutely no doubt that we 

can do this. 

Being strong 

l There is (absolutely) no other solution 

to this problem. 

l It would be crazy for us not to do 

this now. 

TIP 

There are two main approaches to 

influencing people. The first is a 

“pull style”, which uses a lot of 

questions to get information and 

agreement. The second is a “push 

style”, which gives others information 

and pushes for a solution. 

Which is your preferred style? Is it 

effective? 


Decision time: 

what now? 

MAKING DECISIONS 

iStockphoto 

International business is a world 

of complexity, ambiguity and 

paradoxes. To make effective 

decisions, you need to think about 

the kind of decision-maker you 

are — directive? analytical? — 

and then to make your decisionmaking 

steps clear to others. 

Deciding to decide 

l What do we need to decide first? 

l How soon do we need to take a decision 

on this? 

Defining the process 

l Who needs to be consulted on 

this? 

l Who should take the final decision? 

Implementing a decision 

l Can we agree on an action plan? 

l The first step we need to take is… 

Then, we need to... 

Reviewing a decision 

l Let’s look at the impact of our decision. 

l Was it a good decision? Well, yes 

and no. 

Deciding on an option 

l Which option do you think is best? 

l In my opinion, we should… 

ambiguity 

Vieldeutigkeit 

[)ÄmbI(gju:Eti] 

consult sb. 

jmdn. um Rat 

fragen 

directive richtungs wei - 

[dE(rektIv] 

send 

impact 

Auswirkung(en) 

implement sth. etw. umsetzen 

[)ImplIment] 


TIP 

Different people and cultures interpret 

the word “decision” in various 

ways. Is it a binding commitment to 

a course of action? Or is it simply a 

temporary position that is open to 

further discussion and change? Talk 

about this openly with your business 

partners. 


GROUP DYNAMICS 

Much of our working lives 

takes place in groups, whether 

in departmental or project 

teams, or in looser networks. 

The success of organizations 

depends on the performance 

of such groups, and leaders 

have to create an effective 

structure and atmosphere. 

All for one 

and one for all 

Stockbyte 

TIP 

Building group identity 

l Our mission in this group is to… 

l We have to work well together in 

order to… 

Establishing positive dynamics 

l I think we’ve made great progress 

over the past year. 

l One of our big successes as a 

team was… 

If you are leading a group, you need 

to think carefully about its structure. 

Are team members going to 

have clearly defined and segmented 

roles? Or will there be overlapping 

roles and everyone is expected to 

help everyone else? It is also 

essential to clarify your role as 

group leader. 


Clarifying expectations 

l Can we briefly discuss our different 

expectations here? 

l As team leader, I expect everyone 

to be punctual and respectful. 

Expressing feelings 

l I have a real fear that this will lead 

to conflict. 

l What do you feel about this? Are 

you confident that…? 

Harmonizing 

l I think both points of view are 

valid here because… 

l Can we try to reach a consensus 

on this, please? 

clarify sth. [(klÄrEfaI] etw. klären 

confident 

zuversichtlich 

departmental Abteilungs- 

[)di:pA:t(ment&l] 

overlapping sich überschnei- 

[)EUvE(lÄpIN] dend 


When you work internationally, 

the question is not whether conflict 

will arise, but when. Conflict 

can damage team spirit, and reduce 

productivity and creativity. 

But it is also a way of identifying 

problems that need resolving. 

CONFLICT 

Being optimistic 

l I know people have different 

views, but I’m sure we can find a 

solution. 

l Let’s see if we can find a consensus 

on how to proceed. 

Presenting views 

l First, I’d like to say how I see this 

question. 

l I’d like to hear more about what 

you think on this issue. 

Being fair to others 

l I think that’s a very good point that 

you make. 

l Please go on. You clearly feel 

strongly about this. 

Postponing controversial issues 

l Can we come back to that question 

later? 

l Can we leave that issue for now? 

Being creative 

l Is there another way of looking at 

this? 

l Could we try to find a different solution 

that we all agree on? 


Comstock 

TIP 

There are a number of key steps you 

can take to minimize conflict: don’t 

expect others to work at your 

speed; listen more to other people 

and ask lots of questions; stop 

pushing your own solution and 

focus on the needs of others; invest 

time in building relationships and 

trust. 

productivity 

Conflict: danger and opportunity 

push sth. [pUS] 

resolve sth. [ri(zQlv] 

strongly: feel ~ 

about sth. 

Leistungsfähigkeit 

etw. durchdrücken 

etw. lösen 

entschieden für 

etw. eintreten 


SELLING YOUR IDEAS 

How convincing are you? 


We all have to present our 

opinions and ideas at work. 

We want to be listened to 

and, ideally, to have our ideas 

accepted. For this to happen, 

we must sell our ideas well, 

presenting them in the right 

way, at the right time and to 

the right people. 

Showing how your ideas solve other 

people’s problems 

l As you said, we need to… This 

idea would solve that problem. 

l This idea would be the solution to 

the problem of … that I know 

you’ve been worried about. 

Getting other people to recommend 

your ideas 

l Uwe, if you get a chance, could 

you mention this idea to Julia? 

l Samantha is here today to tell us 

why she thinks this is the right 

approach for us to take. 

TIP 

Focusing on core arguments 

l First, this proposal will… Second, 

it allows us to… And third, if we 

do this, … 

l It’s cheap, more efficient and will 

also be more profitable for us. 

Reflect regularly on situations in 

which you (and others) were convinced 

by people’s ideas — and 

situations in which you were not 

convinced. This will enable you to 

gain a greater understanding of your 

selling style — and that of others. 


Asking others to comment 

l What do you think about my idea? 

l Do you think that this is a 

good/feasible/promising idea? 

Clarifying reasons for rejection 

l So, in your opinion, what is the 

main problem with this idea? 

l Why exactly do you think this plan 

wouldn’t work? 

approach [E(prEUtS] Herangehens - 

weise 

clarify sth. 

etw. klären 

core 

Kern-, zentral, 

wichtigste(r,s) 

feasible [(fi:zEb&l] machbar 


Photodisc 

SAYING NO 

You can’t always agree with others 

Using your experience 

l I don’t agree with this because, in 

my experience, … 

l I don’t think this will work. We had 

the situation in my last job/company 

in which… 

Much of the literature on business 

is about reaching agreement 

and building consensus. But 

this is only part of the story in the 

real world. Sometimes, it is essential 

to say no — to colleagues, 

managers and business partners. 

l That’s going to be difficult. But I 

could do … instead. 

Discussing other solutions 

l Are there other possible solutions? 

l What else might work here? 

Making use of objective data 

l It’s not possible to do this in five 

weeks. It takes three months to 

test a product like this. 

l This idea is unrealistic. Benchmarking 

studies show that… 

Showing recognition 

l I appreciate that you think this is 

the way forward. My own feeling, 

however, is that… 

l I accept what you’re saying. But I 

think it’s important for us to… 

Negotiating a solution 

l I can’t do that, I’m afraid. But 

what I can offer is… 


TIP 

Before saying no in discussions at 

work, ask yourself three questions: 

a) Why do I want to say no? 

b) Is no the right answer for the 

organization? 

c) What is the best way of saying 

no in order to help the organization 

to get the best results? 

appreciate that… 

[E(pri:SieIt DÄt] 

benchmarking 

negotiate sth. 

[nI(gEUSieIt] 

zu schätzen wissen, 

dass… 

Vergleich von 

Prozessen, 

Benchmarking 

über etw. verhandeln 


MANAGING CHANGE 

iStockphoto 

Change is an important part of 

business life and often seems to 

be more rapid than in the past. But 

people typically don’t like change 

and many change management 

processes fail. It is essential for 

managers to help their staff 

through such difficult processes. 

Emphasizing benefits 

l The key benefit for you is… 

l These changes will enable the organization 

to… 

Don’t forget 

the people! 

Walking the talk 

l To support the process, I’ll... 

l I’m doing this because I believe it 

will help us all. 

Connecting change to professional 

values 

l The change will allow you to improve 

quality by… 

l The new organization will be much 

more customer-focused. 

Linking change to people’s emotional 

needs 

l You will now have the complete 

authority to… 

l You will now have much more independence 

to… 

Understanding psychological factors 

l How do you feel about the change? 

l What is it that is stopping you from 

implementing the change? 


TIP 

If you are responsible for managing 

a process of change, be sure to 

focus on the people involved. This 

means making people aware of the 

need for change, motivating them to 

support the process and making 

plans to improve staff skills. 

change Veränderungsmanagemanagement 

ment (Planung und 

Steuerung der Veränderungsprozesse) 

emphasize sth. etw. betonen 

[(emfEsaIz] 

implement sth. etw. umsetzen 

staff 

Belegschaft 

walk the talk den Worten Taten 

US ifml. folgen lassen 


Feedback is vital in business 

and has a simple goal: 

improvement — of people, 

products and processes. Formal 

feedback mechanisms, 

in particular, can help organizations 

to learn from the 

past and gain a competitive 

advantage for the future. 

GIVING FEEDBACK 

How did you think that went? 


Setting up a meeting 

l I’d like to give you some feedback 

on the meeting yesterday. When 

would be a good time for you? 

l I have one or two points of feedback 

I’d like to give you. 

Offering alternatives 

l I would suggest that next time this 

happens you… 

l It may be useful for you to consider 

looking at this from a different 

perspective. 

Clarifying the objectives 

l Before we start, let me go over the 

main objectives of this feedback. 

l The point of this feedback is to 

support you. 

Asking questions and listening 

l Can you tell me how you saw the 

meeting yesterday? 

l Do you feel you could have done 

anything differently? 

Talking about impact 

l John seemed angry this morning 

when you said… 

l How do you think Susan felt when 

you attacked her idea? 


clarify sth. 

etw. klären 

competitive advantage Wettbewerbs- 

[kEm)petEtIv vorteil 

Ed(vA:ntIdZ] 

impact [(ImpÄkt] Auswirkung(en) 

objective [Eb(dZektIv] Ziel(setzung) 

vital [(vaIt&l] entscheidend 

TIP 

Think about areas you would like to 

have feedback on (leadership competence, 

time management, technical 

skills, etc.). Ask for feedback 

more often, for example, by saying: 

“I would really value your feedback 

on how well I did that. What do you 

think?” 


LANGUAGE TEST 

How well do you know the 

language in this booklet? 

Find out with our special test. 

Remember, however, that the 

phrases we have presented 

are just suggestions. You 

should use only the language 

that you feel comfortable 

with — and that is appropriate 

in your specific work situations. 

1. Building relationships 

“That’s interesting. I also have ___________ in information technology.” 

a) knowledge b) an experience c) a background 

2. Building trust 

“Just ask me if you want some ___________ for this project.” 

a) respect b) support c) trust 

Hemera 

3. Influencing people 

“The main ___________ of this would be that we could reduce costs.” 

a) advantages b) benefit c) gain 

4. Making decisions 

“Let’s look at the possible___________ of our decision to invest in China.” 

a) event b) compact c) impact 

14 BusinessSpotlight

5. Group dynamics 

“Can we ___________ discuss our different expectations of this working 

party?” 

a) shortly b) surely c) briefly 

6. Conflict 

“Tell me more about your views on this subject. You clearly feel 

___________ this.” 

a) strongly about b) strong about c) strongly over 

7. Selling your ideas 

“After doing extensive research, I am very optimistic that this project is 

___________.” 

a) financial b) functional c) feasible 

8. Saying no 

“I ___________ that you think this is the solution, but I just can’t agree.” 

a) accede b) assure c) appreciate 

9. Managing change 

“What help do you need to ___________ these changes?” 

a) implement b) instruct c) implode 

10. Giving feedback 

“Let’s begin by clarifying 

the ___________ of this discussion.” 

a) objectives 

b) objections 

c) obstacles 

Answers 

1–c; 2–b; 3–b; 4–c; 5–c; 6–a; 7–c; 8–c; 9–a; 10–a 

TIP 

“If you operate on the 

assumption that you’re 

being misunderstood 

a lot of the time, you’re 

probably closer to the truth” 

Bob Dignen, director, 

York Associates 

www.york-associates.co.uk

Unsere Auswahl für Sprachliebhaber. 

Entdecken Sie Ihre Leidenschaft für Sprachen. 

Deutsch perfekt – Einfach Deutsch lernen 

Écoute – Das Sprachmagazin für Frankreichliebhaber 

ECOS – Die Welt auf Spanisch 

ADESSO – Die schönsten Seiten auf Italienisch 

Spotlight – Einfach Englisch! 

Business Spotlight – Englisch für den Beruf 

www.spotlight-verlag.de

Business Spotlight Meetings: Test your language skills! (Vorschau)

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