Business Spotlight Meetings - Ten top tips (Vorschau)
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<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong><br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong><br />

Englisch für den Beruf<br />

Language Test<br />

Synonyms<br />

and antonyms<br />

November–Dezember | Ausgabe 6/2014<br />

<strong>Meetings</strong><br />

<strong>Ten</strong> <strong>top</strong> <strong>tips</strong><br />

Careers<br />

Success at<br />

job interviews<br />

Intercultural<br />

How to work<br />

with Americans<br />

EXTRA IM HEFT<br />

Fit in Englisch<br />

20 Tabellen Basisgrammatik<br />

Deutschland: € 13,90 l CH sfr 25,00<br />

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www.business-spotlight.de/plus-gratis

EDITORIAL<br />

Language <strong>tips</strong><br />

Für Ihren<br />

erfolgreichen<br />

Englisch-Unterricht<br />

Kursbücher von Klett und<br />

Cambridge University Press<br />

When we ask our readers what<br />

Ian McMaster, editor-in-chief<br />

aspect of their English they<br />

would most like to improve,<br />

their answer is usually “vocabulary”. This includes both general<br />

words and phrases as well as ones relating to specific areas of<br />

business. An important dimension of vocabulary is being able to<br />

say the same thing in different ways. You can find out how your<br />

word power is with our excellent/wonderful/magnificent test on<br />

synonyms and antonyms<br />

(opposites). It starts on<br />

page 12.<br />

Another key aspect of<br />

language is grammar. We<br />

have a special bonus for<br />

you with this issue of<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong>: an eightpage<br />

grammar pull-out, with<br />

20 tables covering the most<br />

important grammar points (see<br />

p. 55). We hope you find them useful.<br />

Grammar tables: to pull<br />

out and keep<br />

General English<br />

Anzeige:<br />

Great!<br />

KERN<br />

1/3<br />

Von Starter bis B1:<br />

4c<br />

Frische Ideen, neue<br />

didaktische Methoden<br />

und viele abwechslungsreiche<br />

Übungen überzeugen<br />

www.klett.de/great<br />

English<br />

Unlimited<br />

Weltsprache Englisch:<br />

Für alle, die Ihren<br />

Schwerpunkt auf<br />

authentisches, globales<br />

Englisch legen.<br />

www.klett.de/<br />

englishunlimited<br />

<strong>Business</strong>/<br />

Professional English<br />

<strong>Spotlight</strong> Verlag and <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> will be media partners at<br />

two upcoming language events in Berlin: Expolingua Berlin, on<br />

21 and 22 November (www.expolingua.com/expolingua_berlin/<br />

de); and this year’s Languages & <strong>Business</strong> Forum on 3 December<br />

(www.languages-business.com). We look forward to seeing as<br />

many of our readers as possible at these events.<br />

Ian McMaster, editor-in-chief<br />

Contact: i.mcmaster@spotlight-verlag.de<br />

<strong>Business</strong><br />

Advantage<br />

Theorie und Praxis<br />

in Bestform:<br />

Mit zahlreichen Fallbeispielen<br />

aus realen<br />

Unternehmen inklusive<br />

Beiträgen der<br />

Cambridge Judge <strong>Business</strong><br />

School<br />

www.klett.de/<br />

businessadvantage<br />

English for<br />

Specific Purposes<br />

Für Spezialisten:<br />

Authentische Kursbücher<br />

von erfahrenen<br />

Autoren und Fachexperten<br />

aus der jeweiligen<br />

Branche<br />

www.klett.de<br />

Z37377<br />

6/2014

CONTENTS 6/2014<br />

18 Marissa Mayer<br />

Corbis<br />

38 American Dream?<br />

Mauritius<br />

The Big Picture<br />

6 United States plus<br />

Amazon getting ready for Christmas<br />

Working World<br />

8 Names and News plus<br />

The latest from the world of business<br />

Language Test<br />

12 Synonyms and Antonyms<br />

How extensive is your vocabulary?<br />

Global <strong>Business</strong><br />

18 Profile<br />

Marissa Mayer, Yahoo’s charismatic boss<br />

24 Head-to-Head advanced<br />

Is TTIP good for Europe?<br />

26 It’s Personal advanced<br />

Elisabeth Ribbans on winning and sleeping<br />

29 <strong>Business</strong> Press Behind the headlines advanced<br />

<strong>Business</strong> Skills<br />

30 Series (5): <strong>Meetings</strong> plus<br />

<strong>Ten</strong> <strong>tips</strong> for better meetings<br />

35 Training Plan plus<br />

Improve your meetings skills<br />

36 Toolbox<br />

Ken Taylor on better writing<br />

Intercultural Communication<br />

38 The US<br />

Doing business with Americans<br />

Multimedia learning with <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong><br />

plus<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> plus<br />

plus Practise the language used in the<br />

magazine with our exercise booklet. In<br />

this issue, we focus on the vocabulary<br />

you need to talk about energy, a listening<br />

exercise on medical tourism and the<br />

language of meetings.<br />

Careers<br />

76 Series (3): Job Interviews<br />

What to say — and what not to say<br />

82 Tips and Trends<br />

Advising your boss; dealing with office politics<br />

Management<br />

84 Mobile Banking<br />

Living without cash in Zimbabwe<br />

86 What Happened Next<br />

The Mobro garbage barge<br />

87 Executive Eye plus<br />

Adrian Furnham on managing orchestras<br />

Technology<br />

88 Acoustics advanced<br />

Objects that can hear<br />

90 Trends<br />

Cigarette secrets; efficiency at work; Shrinky Dinks<br />

91 Language Focus advanced<br />

Technical drawing<br />

People<br />

94 My Working Life easy<br />

Beccy Jesson, nature ambassador<br />

Regular sections<br />

3 Editorial<br />

22 SprachenShop<br />

37 Index 2014<br />

81 Classified Ads<br />

92 Feedback / Impressum<br />

93 Preview<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong><br />

Englisch für den Beruf<br />

AUDIO<br />

<strong>Business</strong> Skills<br />

How to improve<br />

your meetings<br />

Intercultural<br />

Communication<br />

Working with<br />

Americans<br />

6/14<br />

CD<br />

Careers<br />

Job interviews<br />

Unbenannt-1 1 19.09.14 07:25<br />

Fuse<br />

READERS’ SERVICE<br />

Email: abo@spotlight-verlag.de<br />

Internet: www.spotlight-verlag.de<br />

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

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

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> Audio<br />

Our audio product offers more than 70 minutes of<br />

texts, dialogues, exercises and interviews. On this CD, you<br />

can get <strong>tips</strong> on how to have a successful job interview.

Angebot gültig bis 31.10.2014<br />

e<br />

ben)<br />

12 Monate<br />

(6 Ausgaben)<br />

Preis pro Ausgabe<br />

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ssen nicht gekündigt werden.<br />

www.spotlight-verlag.de/agb.<br />

Land<br />

809.G32A<br />

et. Dieses Einverständnis kann ich jederzeit widerrufen.<br />

Dear colleagues<br />

<strong>Meetings</strong> can be productive. Don’t laugh, I’m actually being serious. You do,<br />

however, need to master certain techniques, strategies and turns of phrases<br />

to turn international meetings into a success. As meetings generally take<br />

up a lot of time at work, we’ve devoted a lot of space to this <strong>top</strong>ic in our<br />

products. “<strong>Meetings</strong> matter” (p. 2) will help you to make the most of them.<br />

Have you ever dropped off in a meeting? You must know someone who has. Don’t be too critical<br />

of them — their need for sleep may be genetic. See our activity “Sleepyhead” (p. 5) to learn<br />

more. On the same page, you’ll also find a filler to energize your students (“Time out”). We hope<br />

you have the energy to make use of all our activities.<br />

Deborah Capras<br />

Deputy editor<br />

bs.deputyeditor@spotlight-verlag.de<br />

Title Main focus Minutes Level Based on item in magazine Page<br />

LESSON ACTIVITIES<br />

1. The American dream Intercultural awareness 90 medium “An impossible dream” (pp. 38–45) 2<br />

2. <strong>Meetings</strong> matter* Communication strategies 60/60 med.–adv. <strong>Business</strong> Skills (pp. 30–35) 2<br />

3. Little comfort Vocabulary-building 45/45 med.–adv. Skill Up!, Wise Words (pp. 50–51) 3<br />

4. Trends today Describing developments 90 easy Easy English (pp. 46–47) 3<br />

WORKSHEET *Photocopiable material for the activity “<strong>Meetings</strong> matter” 4<br />

WARMERS AND FILLERS<br />

1. Sleepyhead? Personal needs 30 advanced “Winning, losing, snoozing” (p. 26) 5<br />

2. Can’t be bothered Attitudes to work 30 medium Names and News (p. 10) 5<br />

3. Drinks on me Relationship-building 15–30 all levels “All in a day’s work” (pp. 82–83) 5<br />

4. Time out Work schedules 15–30 all levels “Ideas and inventions” (p. 90) 5<br />

HIGHLIGHT <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> Audio: an extended section on job interviews 5<br />

SERVICE Online survey l Important dates l ones<strong>top</strong>english Staff Room offer 5<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> in the classroom ist ein kos ten los er Service für <strong>Business</strong>-<strong>Spotlight</strong>-Abo nnenten in Lehr berufen. Er<br />

bezieht sich auf die jeweils aktuelle Heftausgabe.<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> erhal ten Sie im Sammel bezug für Ihre Unter richts teilnehmer mit einem besond ers attrak ti ven<br />

Mengen rabatt.<br />

Nähere Informationen erhältlich bei:<br />

<strong>Spotlight</strong> Verlag GmbH, Abteilung Key Account, Postfach 1565<br />

82144 Planegg, Deutschland<br />

Tel. +49(0)89/85681-150, Fax +49(0)89/85681-119<br />

e-mail: lehrer@spot light-ver lag.de<br />

IMPRESSUM<br />

HERAUS GE BER UND VER LAGS LEI TER: Dr. Wolfgang Stock<br />

CHEFREDAKTEUR: Dr. Ian McMaster<br />

STELLVERTRETENDE CHEFREDAKTEURIN: Deborah Capras<br />

GESCHÄFTSFÜHRENDE REDAKTEURIN (CVD): Maja Sirola<br />

AUTOREN: Deborah Capras, Mike Hogan<br />

REDAKTION: Margaret Davis, Michele Tilgner<br />

GESTALTUNG: loop grafikdesign<br />

KEY ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT: Susanne Mürbeth<br />

© 2014 <strong>Spotlight</strong> Verlag, auch für alle genann ten<br />

Autoren, Fotografen und Mitarbeiter.<br />

BS_14_06_BS classroom.indd 1 19.09.14 14:04<br />

30 Good meetings<br />

55 Grammar basics<br />

63 Useful<br />

vocabulary<br />

Language Section<br />

Language section<br />

46 Vocabulary Concert halls easy<br />

47 Grammar at Work Showing interest plus<br />

48 Easy English Developments easy plus<br />

50 Wise Words Weather and renewable energy plus<br />

52 Translation False friends and more<br />

53 Language Cards To pull out and practise<br />

55 GRAMMAR BASICS 20 reference tables<br />

63 SKILL UP! Energy<br />

64 Email Linking phrases<br />

65 English on the Move Flight conversations<br />

66 Short Story The CBO<br />

68 English for… Philanthropy<br />

70 Legal English Understanding legislation advanced<br />

71 Talking Finance Pimp your GDP! advanced<br />

72 Teacher Talk Interview with Timothy Phillips<br />

74 Products What’s new?<br />

75 Key Words Vocabulary from this issue<br />

GUIDE<br />

Language in <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong><br />

Articles in the magazine use the style, spelling, punctuation and<br />

pronunciation of British English unless otherwise marked.<br />

US American style, spelling, punctuation and pronunciation<br />

are used in these articles.<br />

All articles are marked with their level of language difficulty.<br />

Articles not marked on the contents pages are at a medium level.<br />

(CEF stands for the Council of Europe’s “Common European<br />

Framework of Reference for Languages”.)<br />

easy Approximately at CEF level A2<br />

medium Approximately at CEF levels B1–B2<br />

advanced Approximately at CEF levels C1–C2<br />

ifml.: informal word or phrase; vulg.: vulgar word or phrase;<br />

sl.: slang word or phrase; non-stand.: non-standard word or phrase;<br />

UK: chiefly British usage; US: chiefly North American usage<br />

Cover <strong>top</strong>ics<br />

Cover photograph: Masterfile<br />

chlos<br />

sensatz<br />

Ideal<br />

für Kurse<br />

und<br />

Klassen!<br />

Preisstand: 07/2014<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong><br />

Englisch für den Beruf<br />

Contents<br />

That’s news to me<br />

in the classroom<br />

6/14<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> in the classroom<br />

This six-page supplement for teachers and<br />

trainers provides lesson activities based<br />

on articles in <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong>. It is free<br />

to those who subscribe to the magazine. To<br />

order, please send an email to:<br />

schulmedien@spotlight-verlag.de<br />

plus<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> Online<br />

www Go to our website for<br />

language-learning activities,<br />

as well as news and blogs.<br />

Subscribers have full access<br />

to our online premium content.<br />

www.business-spotlight.de<br />

www.business-spotlight.de 5

THE BIG PICTURE UNITED STATES<br />

R. D. Fresco/Reuters<br />

6 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

Ready for Christmas?<br />

medium US<br />

In this photo, a worker collects products for delivery at<br />

Amazon’s distribution center in Phoenix, Arizona, the<br />

largest of the company’s 80 worldwide. Amazon is getting<br />

ready for Cyber Monday — December 1 this year — the<br />

busiest day of the year for online businesses. The distribution<br />

center is 1.2 million square feet (about 111,500<br />

square metres) in area. According to Bloomberg News,<br />

approximately 50,000 seasonal workers are hired in<br />

Phoenix in preparation for Cyber Monday.<br />

Amazon’s German locations have seen several strikes<br />

over the past year. Verdi, the German services union,<br />

wants Amazon to recognize its employees as retail rather<br />

than logistics workers. This would mean wage increases<br />

of about €1 per hour.<br />

BS<br />

Cyber Monday [)saIb&r (mVndeI*] US<br />

distribution center [dIstrI(bju:S&n )sent&r*]<br />

Phoenix [(fi:nIks]<br />

retail [(ri:teI&l]<br />

seasonal worker [)si:z&nEl (w§:k&r*]<br />

services union [(s§:vEsIz )ju:njEn*]<br />

strike [straIk]<br />

* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.<br />

etwa: Aktionstag von Online-<br />

Shops am Montag nach<br />

Thanksgiving<br />

Vertriebszentrum<br />

[wg. Aussprache]<br />

Einzelhandel<br />

Saisonarbeiter(in)<br />

Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft<br />

Streik<br />

plus Find related exercises on this <strong>top</strong>ic in <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> plus<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 7

WORKING WORLD NAMES AND NEWS<br />

We’ll drink to that:<br />

marketer David Beckham<br />

DAVID BECKHAM<br />

Drink it like Beckham?<br />

easy<br />

Football star. Style icon. Celebrity dad. David Beckham is all those things<br />

and more. Now retired, the 39-year-old remains active with modelling<br />

contracts and his own line of men’s perfumes. Beckham’s latest project is<br />

a partnership with Diageo plc to develop a new whisky, called Haig Club.<br />

Some marketing experts are sceptical of the deal, however. During his<br />

playing career, Beckham avoided drinking alcohol and admits that he still<br />

rarely drinks more than a glass of red wine. “Beckham’s scored an own<br />

goal in [the] Haig Club signing,” wrote Mark Ritson in MarketingWeek.<br />

Listen to this text on <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> Audio<br />

$32,400,000,000<br />

Amount Americans spent<br />

in 2012 on a wide range of<br />

sleep-related aids<br />

L. Jakson/Reuters<br />

Sources: The Wall Street Journal; IMS Health (www.imshealth.com)<br />

celebrity [sE(lebrEti]<br />

line [laIn]<br />

millionaire [)mIljE(neE]<br />

perfume [(p§:fju:m]<br />

plc (public limited company) [)pi: el (si:] UK<br />

score an own goal [)skO:r En )EUn (gEUl]<br />

sleep-related aid [)sli:p ri)leItId (eId]<br />

style icon [(staI&l )aIkQn]<br />

Berühmtheit, Promi<br />

Produktlinie<br />

[wg. Aussprache]<br />

[wg. Aussprache]<br />

AG<br />

ein Eigentor schießen<br />

Schlafmittel<br />

Stil-Ikone<br />

“If you’re not making mistakes,<br />

you’re not making decisions”<br />

Catherine Cook, 24, US internet millionaire<br />

8 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

NEW ZEALAND<br />

A change of fortune<br />

medium<br />

Like native groups in other countries, Maori tribes often<br />

earn money with legalized gambling on their land. But<br />

the Ngāi Tahu have become wealthy without needing casinos<br />

— instead, they have invested in property, the stock<br />

market and tourism.<br />

The tribe’s road to financial independence started in<br />

1998, when they received a NZ$ 170 million (about €110<br />

million) settlement from the New Zealand government.<br />

They could have divided it equally among the 50,000<br />

members of the tribe, but chose to invest it instead. “It’s a<br />

hand up, not a handout,” Mark Solomon, head of the tribal<br />

council, told The Wall Street Journal.<br />

<strong>Ten</strong> years ago, the tribe was offered a stake in a local<br />

casino. The Ngāi Tahu said no. “Gambling isn’t good. Even<br />

some of the gamblers said that,” Solomon comments.<br />

The amount of illegal gold imports<br />

seized in India rose by 534 per cent<br />

in 2013 to nearly 1,300 kilograms, up<br />

from 201 kilograms in 2012.<br />

➡<br />

NZTB<br />

Guided tour: successful Ngāi Tahu tourism investment<br />

4<br />

Sources: The Globe and Mail; Government of India,<br />

Prime Minister’s Office (http://pmindia.gov.in)<br />

The productivity per hour of British<br />

workers in 2012 was 21 per cent below<br />

the average productivity of workers<br />

in other G7 countries — the largest<br />

gap in 20 years. The gap is biggest<br />

in comparison with the US, Germany<br />

and France. However, British workers<br />

produce 11 per cent more per hour<br />

than Japanese workers.<br />

Sources: The Guardian; Office for National Statistics<br />

(www.statistics.gov.uk)<br />

A change of fortune<br />

[)E )tSeIndZ Ev (fO:tSEn]<br />

gambling [(gÄmblIN]<br />

gap [gÄp]<br />

handout [(hÄndaUt]<br />

hand up [)hÄnd (Vp]<br />

native [(neItIv]<br />

property [(prQpEti]<br />

seize sth. [si:z]<br />

settlement [(set&lmEnt]<br />

stake [steIk]<br />

stock market [(stQk )mA:kIt]<br />

tribal council [)traIb&l (kaUns&l]<br />

tribe [traIb]<br />

eine Schicksalswende<br />

➡<br />

Glücksspiel<br />

Diskrepanz<br />

Almosen<br />

hier etwa: hilfreiche Zuwendung<br />

hier: Ureinwohner(in)<br />

Immobilie(n)<br />

etw. beschlagnahmen<br />

Ausgleich(szahlung)<br />

Beteiligung<br />

Aktienmarkt<br />

Stammesrat<br />

Stamm<br />

Karrierefaktor<br />

Fremdsprachen<br />

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6/2014<br />

Internationale Sprachschulen

WORKING WORLD NAMES AND NEWS<br />

Modern choice:<br />

innovation or<br />

college education?<br />

CANADA<br />

Success stories<br />

More and more young Canadians are choosing<br />

to start a business instead of finishing<br />

university. Ironically, many of them are profiting<br />

from business incubators on university<br />

campuses.<br />

Hongwei Liu, 22, dropped out of engineering<br />

at the University of Waterloo, in Ontario,<br />

three years ago to start a company called<br />

MappedIn. The firm, which builds interactive<br />

maps, now has 13 employees.<br />

MappedIn is based in a business incubator<br />

on the Waterloo campus. “There are students<br />

who are looking for more than an education,”<br />

explains Mike Kirkup, the incubator’s director.<br />

“You really just need a lap<strong>top</strong> and time,”<br />

Kirkup told Maclean’s magazine.<br />

“A professional is<br />

someone who can do<br />

his best work when he<br />

doesn’t feel like it”<br />

Alistair Cooke (1908–2004), British radio and<br />

television journalist<br />

based: be ~ [beIst] seinen Sitz haben<br />

business incubator Gründerzentrum<br />

[(bIznEs )INkjEbeIt&r*] US<br />

drop out of sth.<br />

etw. ohne Abschluss<br />

[)drQp (aUt Qv]<br />

beenden<br />

engineering<br />

(Studium der)<br />

[)endZI(nIErIN]<br />

Ingenieurwissenschaften<br />

* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.<br />

Corbis<br />

Wavebreak Media<br />

medium<br />

10 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

POLAND<br />

Treating travellers<br />

advanced<br />

Do your teeth need work? How about that<br />

gimpy hip, or the plastic surgery you’ve<br />

been promising yourself? You might want to<br />

consider having the procedures carried out<br />

in Poland, where a government initiative is<br />

promoting the country as a low-cost, highperformance<br />

medical tourism destination for<br />

Scandinavians, Germans, Eastern Europeans,<br />

Britons — and even Americans.<br />

Dr Krzysztof Gonczowski’s multilingual<br />

dental clinic in Krakow is among the hightech<br />

facilities providing treatment. “We offer<br />

clients the complete package — we pick them<br />

up at the airport and they can stay in our<br />

apartments next to the clinic,” Gonczowski<br />

told The Guardian. “The treatment plan is<br />

designed to fit entirely around the customer.”<br />

Poland’s medical tourism development programme<br />

is 75 per cent funded by the EU, says<br />

CEO Magdalena Rutkowska. “It amazes me<br />

that people can be asked to pay $100,000 for<br />

heart bypass surgery in the US, but they can<br />

fly nine hours to us, they can have as good<br />

or better treatment, and pay just $15,000,”<br />

Rutkowska comments.<br />

Listen to this text on <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> Audio<br />

plus Do exercises on this <strong>top</strong>ic in <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> plus<br />

iStock<br />

Credit<br />

Serious surgery: it will probably be cheaper in Poland<br />

70<br />

Percentage of working women<br />

in Japan who s<strong>top</strong> working for<br />

ten years or more after the birth<br />

of their first child.<br />

30<br />

Percentage of working women<br />

in the US who s<strong>top</strong> working<br />

for ten years or more after the<br />

birth of their first child.<br />

Source: The Economist<br />

What they said...<br />

“I love being a writer. What I can’t stand is the<br />

paperwork”<br />

Peter De Vries (1910–93), US novelist and satirist<br />

“Wanting to know an author because you like his work<br />

is like wanting to know a duck because you like pâté”<br />

Margaret Atwood, 74, Canadian novelist, poet and environmental activist<br />

“The writer is to the real world what Esperanto is<br />

to the language world — funny, maybe, but not that<br />

funny”<br />

Fran Lebowitz, 63, US essayist and humorist<br />

amaze sb. [E(meIz]<br />

CEO (chief executive<br />

officer) [)si: i: (EU]<br />

design sth. [di(zaIn]<br />

environmental activist<br />

[InvaI&rEn)ment&l<br />

(ÄktIvIst]<br />

facility [fE(sIlEti]<br />

fund sth. [fVnd]<br />

gimpy [(gImpi] US ifml.<br />

hip [hIp]<br />

novelist [(nQvElIst]<br />

package [(pÄkIdZ]<br />

paperwork [(peIpEw§:k]<br />

pâté [(pÄteI]<br />

plastic surgery<br />

[)plÄstIk (s§:dZEri]<br />

jmdn. erstaunen<br />

Geschäftsführer(in)<br />

etw. konzipieren<br />

Umweltaktivist(in)<br />

Einrichtung<br />

etw. finanzieren<br />

lahm; hier: schwer<br />

beweglich<br />

Hüfte<br />

Romanschriftsteller(in)<br />

(Leistungs-)Paket<br />

Schreibkram<br />

Pastete<br />

Schönheitsoperation<br />

www Find more stories online at<br />

www.business-spotlight.de/news<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 11

LANGUAGE TEST SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS<br />

Meet the relatives<br />

Ihnen fällt das passende Wort nicht ein? Versuchen Sie es doch einfach<br />

mal mit ähnlichen oder gegensätzlichen Begriffen. Carol Scheunemann und<br />

Hildegard Rudolph geben Ihnen hier Gelegenheit, das zu üben. all levels<br />

THE SITUATION:<br />

Kevin Young and Amy Tyson are partners<br />

in Kyat Consultancy. They advise<br />

firms that produce various types of<br />

consumer goods. Communication is<br />

key to their business. Let’s join them<br />

as they advise their clients and prepare<br />

material.<br />

1.<br />

Which opposite? (10 points)<br />

In their conversations, Amy and Kevin use words that have different meanings in different<br />

contexts. Choose the correct antonyms, or opposites, of the words in bold.<br />

easy<br />

cold l dark l easy l heavy l left l mild l soft l stupid<br />

l unfashionable l wrong<br />

a) Kevin: The supplier said the shipment would be light, but I think it’s __________.<br />

Amy: I was hoping the colour would be light. Doesn’t it seem a bit ___________?<br />

b) Kevin: The men’s room is the door on the right, the ladies’ room is on the _________.<br />

Amy: You know that I’m right, and you’re __________, don’t you?<br />

c) Kevin: Their thermos is perfect for both hot and ________ drinks.<br />

Amy: Most Mexican food is quite hot, but this dish is rather _________.<br />

d) Kevin: I didn’t think this would be such a hard job! Of course, nobody said it would<br />

be __________.<br />

Amy: This customer’s advertising is a hard sell. Perhaps a(n) __________ sell would<br />

be more successful?<br />

e) Kevin: He’s usually so smart. How could he be so _________ about this?<br />

Amy: Your new blazer is very smart! I’m glad you got rid of the _________ one.<br />

iStock<br />

12 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

2.<br />

Ins and outs (5 points)<br />

medium<br />

When talking to her client, Amy uses antonyms that are common in business contexts. From the group of three<br />

blue words, choose the antonym of the brown word in bold.<br />

a) You might need to borrow money. The bank will lend / leave / lose it to you at five per cent interest.<br />

b) Last year, the market for these products contracted, but luckily, it has recently extended / expanded /<br />

exploded again.<br />

c) Paying taxes is mandatory. The environmental charge, however, is optional / original / ordinary.<br />

d) You don’t produce mass-market goods. They are compatible / customized / complicated for each buyer.<br />

e) A healthy business should have more assets than liabilities / legalities / liaisons.<br />

4<br />

The same or opposite?<br />

Synonym: A word that means exactly<br />

or nearly the same as another<br />

word.<br />

Antonym: A word that is opposite in<br />

meaning to another word.<br />

Word choice:<br />

finding the<br />

6/2014 5/2014<br />

www.business-spotlight.de 13right term<br />

takes time

LANGUAGE TEST SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS<br />

Can I say it another way?<br />

Synonyms can help<br />

3.<br />

A quick check (5 points)<br />

medium<br />

In these short exchanges, a client uses synonyms when replying to Kevin. Complete<br />

each sentence with the correct word from the box.<br />

bargain l create l establish l reach l watch<br />

a) Kevin: You need to keep an eye on your rivals.<br />

Client: Sure, I know that we need to _________ the competition closely.<br />

b) Kevin: I think you should set up a European base.<br />

Client: OK, I think we can _________ an office in London.<br />

c) Kevin: We can help you to come up with a public-relations strategy.<br />

Client: Great, I was hoping you could help us to _________ the campaign.<br />

d) Kevin: You may have to negotiate new terms with your supplier.<br />

Client: Our purchaser will have to _________ with the European suppliers.<br />

e) Kevin: So, you believe that you’ll achieve double-digit growth next year?<br />

Client: Yes, we’re hoping to _________ 15 per cent or more.<br />

4.<br />

Desired qualities (15 points)<br />

medium<br />

The team is looking for a new employee. For each sentence, choose three antonyms from the box that have the<br />

opposite meaning of the brown word(s) in bold.<br />

a) We are looking for someone to (follow) a team of six people.<br />

1. ____________ 2. ____________ 3. ____________<br />

b) You will be responsible for clients who (take apart) furniture.<br />

1. ____________ 2. ____________ 3. ____________<br />

c) The ideal candidate should be extremely (lazy).<br />

1. ____________ 2. ____________ 3. ____________<br />

d) He or she should also be (disinterested).<br />

1. ____________ 2. ____________ 3. ____________<br />

e) This person will work in one of our (domestic) offices.<br />

1. ____________ 2. ____________ 3. ____________<br />

committed<br />

dedicated<br />

energetic<br />

enthusiastic<br />

global<br />

hard-working<br />

head<br />

international<br />

lead<br />

make<br />

manage<br />

manufacture<br />

produce<br />

productive<br />

worldwide<br />

14 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

5.<br />

Odd one out (5 points)<br />

medium<br />

Amy and Kevin are working on a report for a food company.<br />

Circle the antonym in each group of synonyms.<br />

a) The year was fantastic / amazing / wonderful / terrible / excellent<br />

for the firm.<br />

b) Company revenue / income / payment / earnings / proceeds was/<br />

were better than expected.<br />

c) Consumers are buying artificial / natural / organic / pure /<br />

unprocessed foods as fast as we can supply them!<br />

d) They believe these bring tangible / real / true / imaginary /<br />

actual health benefits.<br />

e) A complementary copy of this report is available gratis / free /<br />

for a fee / at no charge.<br />

6.<br />

Good alternatives (5 points)<br />

Instead of saying the word “return” in various contexts<br />

during the day, Amy and Kevin use phrasal verbs<br />

containing “back”. Complete the sentences using<br />

words from the box.<br />

a) I went to Spain last year. I<br />

hope to __________ again<br />

one day.<br />

b) I’ll let you use my tablet if<br />

you promise to __________<br />

to me tomorrow.<br />

come back<br />

give it back<br />

go back<br />

put it back<br />

take it back<br />

c) Unfortunately, our problem has __________.<br />

medium<br />

Langenscheidt<br />

„Fit für<br />

den Job!“<br />

Ob Telefonieren, E-Mails, Bewerbung oder<br />

Verhandlungen – dieser Kurs trainiert alle<br />

relevanten <strong>Business</strong>-Themen<br />

Lehrbuch mit 16 in sich abgeschlossenen<br />

Lektionen<br />

Dazu 2 Begleitbücher mit Lektionswortschatz,<br />

Lösungen und Hörtexten<br />

6 Audio-CDs mit Lektionstexten, Übungen<br />

und Wortschatz<br />

Für Fortgeschrittene ab dem Niveau B1<br />

d) The alarm clock I bought yesterday doesn’t work.<br />

Should I __________?<br />

www.langenscheidt.de<br />

e) Where is the file, Kevin? Didn’t you __________ in<br />

the cabinet yesterday?<br />

4<br />

4<br />

6/2014<br />

iStock

LANGUAGE TEST SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS<br />

What it’s not: antonyms<br />

describe opposites<br />

7.<br />

Not positive (10 points)<br />

medium<br />

In an email, Amy writes a negative evaluation of a visit to a client. Form the antonym of each word in brackets<br />

by using the correct prefix from the box. Each prefix is used only once.<br />

counter l de- l dis l il l im l in l ir l mis l non- l un<br />

I’m afraid that I found the company structure very a) _____ (organized). My first impression was negative, as<br />

the junior manager I spoke to was rather b) _____ (polite) and clearly c) _____ (experienced). His presentation<br />

of the company history was d) _____ (logical) and he was e) _____ (able) to provide the actual headcount of<br />

the organization. He also talked about policies that were f) _____ (existent). Then he g) _____ (emphasized)<br />

the importance of the firm’s mission statement. Indeed, at one point, he even greatly h) _____ (represented)<br />

his position in the organization, saying he was in charge of global hiring. I found his behaviour to be quite<br />

i) _____ (responsible). Nearly all the information he provided was wrong. I’m sorry to say that the appointment<br />

was j) _____ (productive) because I spent time gathering useless data.<br />

8.<br />

Your choices (15 points)<br />

advanced<br />

Kevin has listed some key concepts from his conversation with a telecoms client. Choose three<br />

synonyms from the box that he could use for each word in bold.<br />

a) Making calls has become very inexpensive.<br />

1. ___________ 2. ___________ 3. ___________<br />

b) The company’s smartphones have many popular features.<br />

1. ___________ 2. ___________ 3. ___________<br />

c) They contain the newest 5G technology.<br />

1. ___________ 2. ___________ 3. ___________<br />

d) A lot of money was invested in their elegant new design.<br />

1. ___________ 2. ___________ 3. ___________<br />

e) Prices of earlier models are expected to fall.<br />

1. ___________ 2. ___________ 3. ___________<br />

affordable<br />

characteristics<br />

cheap<br />

chic<br />

classic<br />

cutting-edge<br />

drop<br />

elements<br />

functions<br />

innovative<br />

low-cost<br />

plummet<br />

plunge<br />

state-of-the-art<br />

stylish<br />

16 www.business-spotlight.de<br />

6/2014

9.<br />

Mixed up (5 points)<br />

advanced<br />

Kevin’s foreign client mixes up some words in his presentation. Choose the<br />

antonyms of the words in brackets.<br />

iStock<br />

a) The project represents a(n) (insignificant) investment of resources.<br />

1. mammoth, huge 2. small, minor<br />

b) Our (scheduled) “end-of-summer” sale took consumers by surprise.<br />

1. planned, purposeful 2. spontaneous, impromptu<br />

c) The only (impracticable) way to finance the project would involve selling<br />

off some assets.<br />

1. feasible, practicable 2. foolish, unworkable<br />

d) An international company such as ours benefits from its (uniformity).<br />

1. variety, diversity 2. similarity, homogeny<br />

e) Unfortunately, our director’s statements were rather (clear-cut).<br />

1. definite, distinct 2. unclear, ambiguous<br />

How did you do?<br />

65–75 points Excellent! Magnificent!<br />

Superb! You have a great<br />

command of synonyms and antonyms.<br />

55–64 points Good. Check the<br />

dictionary for multiple meanings<br />

of words. This will help you to<br />

choose the correct synonyms or<br />

antonyms.<br />

ANSWERS<br />

1. Which opposite?<br />

a) heavy; dark<br />

b) left; wrong<br />

c) cold; mild<br />

d) easy; soft<br />

e) stupid; unfashionable<br />

2. Ins and outs<br />

a) lend = leihen<br />

b) expanded (expand = expandieren, sich ausweiten)<br />

c) optional = freiwillig<br />

d) customized = maßgeschneidert<br />

e) liabilities = Verbindlichkeiten<br />

3. A quick check<br />

a) watch<br />

b) establish<br />

c) create<br />

d) bargain = verhandeln, feilschen<br />

e) reach<br />

4. Desired qualities<br />

a) head = führen, leiten; lead; manage<br />

b) make; manufacture = herstellen; produce<br />

c) energetic = voller Energie; hard-working; productive<br />

d) committed = engagiert; dedicated = engagiert,<br />

bemüht; enthusiastic<br />

e) global; international; worldwide<br />

5. Odd one out<br />

a) terrible<br />

b) payment<br />

c) artificial<br />

d) imaginary = eingebildet, erfunden<br />

e) for a fee = gegen (eine) Gebühr<br />

6. Good alternatives<br />

a) go back = wieder hinfahren<br />

b) give it back (give sth. back = etw. zurückgeben)<br />

c) come back = zurückkehren<br />

d) take it back (take sth. back = etw. zurückbringen)<br />

e) put it back (put sth. back = etw. zurückstellen)<br />

7. Not positive<br />

a) disorganized = unorganisiert<br />

b) impolite = unhöflich<br />

c) inexperienced = unerfahren<br />

d) illogical = unlogisch<br />

e) unable = unfähig<br />

f) non-existent = nicht vorhanden<br />

g) de-emphasized (de-emphasize sth. = etw. abschwächen,<br />

herunterspielen)<br />

h) misrepresented (misrepresent sth. = etw. falsch<br />

darstellen)<br />

i) irresponsible = unverantwortlich<br />

j) counterproductive = kontraproduktiv<br />

8. Your choices<br />

a) affordable = erschwinglich; cheap = billig; lowcost<br />

= kostengünstig<br />

b) characteristics = Eigenschaften; elements;<br />

functions<br />

c) cutting-edge = <strong>top</strong>aktuell; innovative; state-ofthe-art<br />

= nach dem neuesten Stand der Technik<br />

d) chic; classic; stylish<br />

e) drop = abnehmen, fallen; plummet = absacken,<br />

stark fallen; plunge = (ab)stürzen<br />

9. Mixed up<br />

a–1 (mammoth = gewaltig, kolossal)<br />

b–2 (impromptu = improvisiert)<br />

c–1 (feasible = machbar)<br />

d–1 (variety = Vielfalt, Auswahl; diversity = Vielfalt,<br />

Vielseitigkeit)<br />

e–2 (ambiguous = mehrdeutig)<br />

45–54 points Fair. Try sites such<br />

as www.thesaurus.com or www.<br />

synonym.com to find similar and<br />

opposite words.<br />

40–44 points Could be better. Try<br />

looking up the words you did not<br />

know here. Use the internet to<br />

check which words to use in various<br />

contexts.<br />

www More exercises can be found at<br />

www.business-spotlight.de/vocabulary<br />

Carol Scheunemann is an editor at<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> and coordinates<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> Audio. Contact:<br />

c.scheunemann@spotlight-verlag.de<br />

Hildegard Rudolph is a certified<br />

translator and a freelance editor,<br />

teacher and book author. Contact:<br />

bs.lektorat@spotlight-verlag.de<br />

6/2014<br />

www.business-spotlight.de 17

Geek-in-chief<br />

Wo immer sie auftritt, erregt sie Aufsehen. Doch hinter ihrer Warmherzigkeit verbirgt<br />

sich oft ein schroffes Verhalten. Margaret Davis stellt die ehrgeizige Yahoo-Chefin vor,<br />

deren Führungseigenschaften selbst Mitarbeiter teils infrage stellen. medium US<br />

With Marissa Mayer, what<br />

you see is not always what<br />

you get. The charismatic,<br />

young CEO of Yahoo is<br />

known for her warm and<br />

friendly public presentations. Yet the<br />

people who work with her are often<br />

surprised by her cool, abrupt manner<br />

in company meetings.<br />

Mayer is one of a rare breed — a female<br />

executive in the male-dominated<br />

tech industry. Hired in 1999 as employee<br />

number 20 at Google — the<br />

company’s first woman engineer —<br />

Mayer held a variety of <strong>top</strong> positions<br />

at the Internet giant before leaving to<br />

become CEO of the struggling Yahoo<br />

in 2012. At 37, she was the youngest<br />

CEO in Yahoo’s history.<br />

As an intelligent, attractive, and<br />

ambitious woman, Mayer was always<br />

certain to attract attention, not<br />

all of it positive. Google was happy to<br />

use her to promote the company, but<br />

when the attention turned too personal<br />

— with Vogue magazine covering<br />

her 2009 wedding to Internet<br />

investor Zachary Bogue — Mayer’s<br />

support dwindled. Some colleagues<br />

questioned her ability as a leader:<br />

“While she did a lot of good and<br />

useful things, she alienated people,<br />

because she jumped to conclusions<br />

about products and she was not always<br />

right, but she always thought<br />

she was right,” one Google executive<br />

told Vanity Fair magazine. Another<br />

described Mayer as “a dictator, with<br />

a <strong>top</strong>-down style.”<br />

Born on May 30, 1975, she is the<br />

daughter of an art teacher and an<br />

Geek-in-chief<br />

etwa: oberste(r)<br />

[)gi:k In (tSi:f] non-stand. Computerfreak(in)<br />

alienate sb. [(eIliEneIt] jmdn. verprellen<br />

CEO (chief executive Vorstandsvorsitzende(r)<br />

officer) [)si: i: (oU*]<br />

computer science Informatik<br />

[kEm)pju:t&r (saIEns*]<br />

debating [di(beItIN] Debattieren<br />

degree [di(gri:]<br />

Abschluss<br />

dwindle [(dwInd&l] schwinden<br />

engineer [)endZI(nI&r*] Ingenieur(in); Techniker(in)<br />

environmental engineer Umweltingenieur(in);<br />

[InvaI&rEn)ment&l -techniker(in)<br />

endZI(nI&r*]<br />

executive [Ig(zekjEtIv*] Führungskraft<br />

graduate [(grÄdZueIt] seinen Abschluss machen<br />

jump to conclusions voreilige Schlüsse ziehen<br />

[)dZVmp tE kEn(klu:Z&nz]<br />

pick [pIk]<br />

hier: auswählen<br />

rare breed: one of a ~ ein Exemplar einer<br />

[)re&r (bri:d*]<br />

seltenen Spezies<br />

set out to do sth. es darauf anlegen,<br />

[)set (aUt tE du:] etw. zu tun<br />

<strong>top</strong>-down [)tA:p (daUn*] hierarchisch<br />

way [weI] ifml.<br />

viel<br />

well-rounded<br />

vielseitig<br />

[)wel (raUndId]<br />

* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.<br />

environmental engineer. A <strong>top</strong> student<br />

in high school, she took part in<br />

a variety of after-school activities, including<br />

ballet, swimming, piano lessons,<br />

skating, and debating. “It was a<br />

very well-rounded childhood, with lots<br />

of different opportunities,” Mayer<br />

told Vogue. “My mom will say she<br />

set out to overstimulate me — surround<br />

me with way too many things<br />

and let me pick. As a result, I’ve always<br />

been a multitasker. I’ve always liked<br />

a lot of variety.” She was accepted by<br />

ten different universities, including<br />

Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, graduating<br />

from Stanford with degrees in symbolic<br />

systems and computer science,<br />

specializing in artificial intelligence.<br />

At Google, Mayer was known for<br />

100-hour workweeks and for sleeping<br />

only four hours a night. “I don’t<br />

Language point<br />

4<br />

What you see is not always<br />

what you get. This is a play<br />

on the computing expression<br />

“what you see is what you get,”<br />

or “WYSIWYG.” The acronym<br />

is used to describe a system<br />

in which what you type when<br />

editing looks almost the same<br />

in the final product.<br />

Getty Images

PROFILE GLOBAL BUSINESS<br />

Marissa Mayer: the public<br />

face of Yahoo

t<br />

GLOBAL BUSINESS PROFILE<br />

Youth market:<br />

Yahoo Screen (far<br />

left) and Flickr<br />

for the iPhone<br />

“People are more productive when<br />

they’re alone, but they’re more innovative<br />

when they’re together”<br />

be.” The response from Lisa Belkin<br />

of The Huffington Post was typical:<br />

“Putting ‘baby’ and ‘easy’ in the same<br />

sentence turns you into one of those<br />

mothers we don’t like very much.”<br />

really believe in burnout,” she told a<br />

New York audience in 2013. Mayer<br />

claims she didn’t plan to become<br />

one of the leading figures in Silicon<br />

Valley. “I didn’t set out to be at the<br />

<strong>top</strong> of technology companies. I’m just<br />

geeky and shy and I like to code,” she<br />

explained to Vogue.<br />

Described by her biographer, <strong>Business</strong><br />

Insider reporter Nicholas Carlson<br />

(see “For more information”<br />

box on p. 21), as “a natural teacher,”<br />

Mayer continued to teach at Stanford<br />

during her first years at Google, as<br />

well as starting a mentoring program<br />

at the company. When Google went<br />

public in 2004, Mayer and other<br />

Google employees became millionaires.<br />

Mayer began spending “conspicuously,”<br />

Carlson says, buying a<br />

$5 million penthouse at the Four Seasons<br />

Hotel in San Francisco, as well<br />

as a house near the Google campus<br />

in Mountain View, California. She<br />

also began giving elaborate parties at<br />

both homes.<br />

In 2012, in a PBS documentary called<br />

Makers, about women leaders, Mayer<br />

was dismissive of the influence of<br />

feminism on her career. “I don’t think I<br />

have sort of the militant drive and sort<br />

of the chip on the shoulder that sometimes<br />

comes with that,” she said.<br />

Mayer’s appointment as CEO of<br />

Yahoo in 2012 made her the youngest<br />

woman at the head of a Fortune 500<br />

company. Yahoo, founded in 1994,<br />

was worth $128 billion at its peak<br />

in 2000. Then the Internet bubble<br />

burst, and within a year, the company<br />

was worth just under $5 billion. By<br />

2012, Yahoo had had three CEOs in<br />

as many years — one of them, Carol<br />

Bartz, was fired over the phone. Not<br />

surprisingly, Yahoo’s employees were<br />

demoralized, and the company was<br />

not introducing new products.<br />

Enter Marissa Mayer. Already well<br />

known, she added to her own legend<br />

by announcing that she was five<br />

months pregnant when she joined<br />

the company. Mayer went back to<br />

work two weeks after giving birth,<br />

along with her baby and his nanny.<br />

(A nursery had been built next to her<br />

office in the meantime.) Two months<br />

later, she told a conference of women<br />

in business: “The baby’s been way<br />

easier than everyone made it out to<br />

In February of 2013, Mayer ended<br />

flexible employment agreements that<br />

had permitted some Yahoo employees<br />

to do their jobs from home, alienating<br />

working mothers both inside and<br />

outside the company. Mayer defended<br />

the policy a few months later at<br />

the Great Place to Work conference.<br />

“People are more productive when<br />

appointment [E(pOIntmEnt] Ernennung<br />

audience [(O:diEns] Publikum,<br />

Zuhörer(innen)<br />

billion [(bIljEn]<br />

Milliarde(n)<br />

bubble [(bVb&l]<br />

Blase<br />

chip on one’s shoulder: einen Komplex haben<br />

have a ~ [(tSIp A:n wVnz<br />

)SoUld&r*] ifml.<br />

code [koUd*]<br />

Computercodes<br />

schreiben<br />

conspicuously<br />

auffallend, deutlich<br />

[kEn(spIkjuEsli]<br />

sichtbar<br />

dismissive: be ~ of sth. etw. (geringschätzig)<br />

[dIs(mIsIv]<br />

abtun<br />

enter... [(ent&r*] hier: Vorhang auf für ...<br />

found sth. [faUnd] etw. gründen<br />

geeky [(gi:ki] ifml. technisch orientiert mit<br />

wenig Sozialkompetenz<br />

make sth. out to be sth. etw. als etw. darstellen<br />

[)meIk (aUt tE bi:]<br />

militant drive: have a ~ hier etwa: kämpferisch<br />

[)mIlItEnt (draIv]<br />

sein<br />

nanny [(nÄni]<br />

Kindermädchen<br />

natural [(nÄtS&rEl] hier: geborene(r,s)<br />

nursery [(n§:s&ri]<br />

Kinderzimmer<br />

public: go ~ [(pVblIk] an die Börse gehen<br />

sort of [(sO:rt Vv*] ifml. irgendwie<br />

turn sb. into sb./sth. jmdn. zu jmdm./etw.<br />

[)t§:n (Intu]<br />

machen<br />

* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.<br />

20 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

Power couple: Marissa Mayer and<br />

husband Zachary Bogue<br />

they’re alone,” she admitted, “but<br />

they’re more collaborative and innovative<br />

when they’re together. Some of<br />

the best ideas come from pulling two<br />

different ideas together.” The policy<br />

affects about 200 of the company’s<br />

12,000 employees, according to Fortune<br />

magazine.<br />

In her early days at Yahoo, Mayer<br />

worked hard to learn as much about<br />

the company as possible, holding<br />

meetings with employees, where<br />

she asked detailed questions. Not<br />

everyone was enthusiastic about her<br />

methods. One former Yahoo executive<br />

says he warned team members<br />

that Mayer in meetings was not the<br />

friendly, funny woman they were<br />

used to seeing in her public appearances.<br />

“Despite the warning, people<br />

— very experienced people with decades<br />

of experience — walked out and<br />

said, ‘That was the worst meeting<br />

of my entire career,’” he told Vanity<br />

Fair. “She will bring a tub of blueberries<br />

to a meeting and just stare<br />

acquisition [)ÄkwI(zIS&n] Erwerb, Übernahme<br />

ad [Äd]<br />

Anzeige; hier: Werbeaffect<br />

sb. [E(fekt] jmdn. betreffen<br />

blueberry [(blu:beri*] Heidelbeere<br />

cell phone [(sel foUn*] US Handy<br />

cloud [klaUd]<br />

Cloud, Datenwolke<br />

collaborative: be ~ zusammenarbeiten<br />

[kE(lÄbEreItIv*]<br />

core business<br />

Kerngeschäft<br />

[)kO:r (bIznEs*]<br />

dismal [(dIzmEl]<br />

miserabel<br />

dismissed [dIs(mIst] abgelehnt; hier: nicht<br />

ernst genommen<br />

display advertising Werbung im Online- und<br />

[dI(spleI )Ädv&rtaIzIN*] mobilen Bereich<br />

engineering<br />

hier: technisch<br />

[)endZI(nI&rIN*]<br />

oversleep [)oUv&r(sli:p*] verschlafen<br />

play [pleI]<br />

hier: sich verhalten<br />

pop sth. into one’s mouth sich etw. in den Mund<br />

[)pA:p IntE wVnz maUT*] schieben<br />

relaunch [(ri:lO:ntS] Neugestaltung,<br />

Überarbeitung<br />

revenue [(revEnju:] Einnahmen<br />

second-quarter result Ergebnis im 2. Quartal<br />

[)sekEnd )kwO:rt&r ri(zVlt*]<br />

short supply: be in ~ Mangelware sein<br />

[)SO:rt sE(plaI*]<br />

tub [tVb]<br />

Becher<br />

tweet [twi:t]<br />

twittern<br />

update [(VpdeIt]<br />

Aktualisierung<br />

* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.<br />

at you, popping blueberries into her<br />

mouth. People feel so dismissed.”<br />

Yet Mayer inspires loyalty among<br />

younger colleagues, especially those<br />

whom she has mentored. “If you’re<br />

on her team, she protects you and<br />

helps you. If not, she may not play as<br />

nicely,” one of her young employees<br />

told Vanity Fair.<br />

Corbis<br />

During her first year at Yahoo, Mayer<br />

made a number of business deals,<br />

buying tech start-ups in order to get<br />

their engineers, then shutting the<br />

companies down, a practice known<br />

as “acqui-hiring.” Yahoo’s new<br />

weather app for cell phones won an<br />

Apple design award in 2013. Mayer<br />

also oversaw the relaunch of the<br />

photo-sharing site Flickr, the update<br />

of Yahoo Mail, and the acquisition<br />

of social-media site Tumblr. With Yahoo<br />

News and Yahoo Screen, Mayer<br />

wants to attract young users via movies<br />

and concerts. She says Yahoo aims<br />

to “make the world’s daily habits inspiring<br />

and entertaining.”<br />

But after disappointing secondquarter<br />

results in 2014, some observers<br />

say the strategy isn’t working.<br />

“Things aren’t getting better,” financial<br />

analyst Colin Gillis told The New<br />

York Times. “The core business is<br />

still dismal.”<br />

Display advertising is one area<br />

where Yahoo has been losing revenue<br />

to Google and Facebook. Although<br />

Mayer has a strong product and<br />

engineering background, her critics<br />

say she has not yet developed her<br />

business side. Indeed, some of them<br />

claim she does not take the financial<br />

side of her job seriously enough. The<br />

fact that she was two hours late to<br />

a dinner with advertising executives<br />

in Cannes in June — Mayer says she<br />

overslept — is proof of this, the critics<br />

say. “It is another instance where<br />

she demonstrated that she doesn’t understand<br />

the value of clients, ad revenue,<br />

or agencies,” an advertising executive<br />

told The Wall Street Journal.<br />

Mayer herself told Bloomberg News<br />

that her friend Aaron Levie, CEO of<br />

the cloud company Box, tweeted that<br />

“the only actual news in this story is<br />

that Marissa does sleep.”<br />

What Mayer needs most at the moment<br />

is the time to grow into her<br />

demanding new role. Time, however,<br />

is in short supply in Silicon Valley —<br />

even for those who hardly sleep. BS<br />

For more information<br />

Marissa Mayer on why she’s not<br />

a feminist: http://on.aol.com/video/<br />

marissa-mayer--distance-from--<br />

feminism--517275744<br />

Mayer’s complete Makers video:<br />

www.makers.com/marissa-mayer<br />

The Truth about Marissa Mayer: An<br />

Unauthorized Biography, Nicholas Carlson:<br />

www.businessinsider.com/marissa-mayerbiography<br />

Margaret Davis is editor of the Careers<br />

and Global <strong>Business</strong> sections<br />

of <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong>. Contact:<br />

m.davis@spotlight-verlag.de<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 21

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GLOBAL BUSINESS HEAD-TO-HEAD<br />

Will the TTIP trade deal help Europe?<br />

Glaubt man den Befürwortern des TTIP können für die US- und EU-Wirtschaft bald rosige<br />

Zeiten anbrechen. Gegner aber warnen. Vicki Sussens hat beide Seiten gehört. advanced US<br />

No!<br />

“Economic gains<br />

will be small or<br />

even negative”<br />

Dean Baker<br />

Those in favor of the Transatlantic<br />

Trade and Investment<br />

Partnership (TTIP) make great<br />

claims about its benefits, going<br />

so far as to say it is a cure for the<br />

economic crisis on both sides of the<br />

Atlantic. The reality is that it will<br />

have hardly any effect on growth at<br />

all. TTIP will come at a considerable<br />

cost to national sovereignty, and<br />

some of the provisions could actually<br />

cause any growth to slow down.<br />

At the most basic level, the deal<br />

is not really about trade. Traditional<br />

trade barriers between the EU and<br />

the U.S., in the form of tariffs and<br />

quotas, have already largely been<br />

eliminated. That is why conventional<br />

estimates of TTIP’s effect on growth<br />

are small.<br />

The Centre for Economic Policy<br />

Research (CEPR) in the UK estimated<br />

a gain for the EU of 0.3–0.5 percent<br />

of GDP when the full effects are felt,<br />

more than 12 years from now. This<br />

will result in an annual growth of less<br />

than 0.05 percentage points — in the<br />

optimistic scenario. This is far too<br />

small to be noticed, meaning TTIP<br />

is hardly the sort of policy to boost<br />

eurozone economies.<br />

The projections are also open to<br />

serious question. While they include<br />

the benefits of reducing the minor<br />

trade barriers that remain, they don’t<br />

consider the cost of increased barriers<br />

that TTIP is likely to create. At the <strong>top</strong><br />

of this list are efforts by the United<br />

States to push through stronger patent<br />

and copyright protection.<br />

This issue is especially important<br />

in the case of prescription drugs. As<br />

a result of stronger patent protection,<br />

drug prices are roughly twice as high<br />

in the U.S. as they are in the EU. The<br />

pharmaceutical companies would<br />

like to use TTIP to bring EU prices<br />

closer to U.S. levels. Their success in<br />

this effort will not only mean more<br />

expensive drugs, but it will also be a<br />

drag on European growth.<br />

In a range of other areas, including<br />

consumer safety and the environment,<br />

TTIP is being used to get around<br />

regulations put in place at the national,<br />

subnational, or EU level. The deal<br />

even calls for a new legal structure<br />

to be created, to enable conflict resolution<br />

between investors and states.<br />

The assumption is that foreign businesses<br />

cannot count on fair treatment<br />

in the EU legal system.<br />

In short, Europe will be asked to<br />

sacrifice a great deal of control over<br />

many areas of public policy for economic<br />

gains that may be small or<br />

even negative. That is not the sort of<br />

deal that politicians usually like to<br />

sell at election time.<br />

annual [(ÄnjuEl]<br />

jährlich<br />

assumption [E(sVmpS&n] Annahme<br />

boost sth. [bu:st] etw. ankurbeln<br />

cofounder [(koUfaUnd&r*] Mitbegründer(in)<br />

consumer [kEn(su:m&r*] Verbraucher(in)<br />

cost [kO:st*]<br />

hier: Preis<br />

drag [drÄg]<br />

Hemmschuh<br />

GDP (gross domestic BIP (Bruttoinlandsproduct)<br />

[)dZi: di: (pi:] produkt)<br />

issue [(ISu:]<br />

Thema, Frage<br />

pharmaceutical<br />

[wg. Aussprache]<br />

[)fA:rmE(su:tIk&l*]<br />

prescription drug verschreibungs-<br />

[pri)skrIpS&n (drVg] pflichtiges Arzneimittel<br />

projection [prE(dZekS&n] Prognose<br />

provision [prE(vIZ&n] Bestimmung<br />

resolution [)rezE(lu:S&n] Lösung<br />

sovereignty [(sA:vrEnti*] Souveränität<br />

tariff [(tÄrIf]<br />

Zoll<br />

think tank [(TINk tÄNk] Denkfabrik<br />

trade barrier<br />

Handelsschranke<br />

[(treId )bÄri&r*]<br />

Transatlantic Trade and Transatlantisches<br />

Investment Partnership Freihandelsabkommen<br />

(TTIP)<br />

[)trÄnsEt)lÄntIk )treId En<br />

In(vestmEnt pA:rtn&rSIp*]<br />

*This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.<br />

Dean Baker is a U.S. macroeconomist and cofounder<br />

of the progressive think tank the Center for<br />

Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C.<br />

24 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

The free-trade<br />

promise: will TTIP<br />

really bring jobs<br />

and growth to<br />

the EU?<br />

Yes!<br />

“TTIP will provide<br />

larger export<br />

markets”<br />

Yvonne Bendinger-Rothschild<br />

TTIP will consolidate and remove<br />

trade barriers and tariffs<br />

as well as result in a fair and<br />

structured exchange of goods,<br />

services, and investments. The EU<br />

and the U.S. are already each other’s<br />

biggest trading partners and represent<br />

about 45 percent of the world<br />

economy. A trade agreement between<br />

partners with similar values and legal<br />

norms helps support a stable axis of<br />

trade and investment in an increasingly<br />

unstable world.<br />

According to a study by the Centre<br />

for Economic Policy Research<br />

(CEPR) in the UK, by 2027, TTIP<br />

will permanently increase the European<br />

economy by €120 billion and<br />

add approximately €95 billion to the<br />

U.S. economy.<br />

Increased trade, together with more<br />

aligned standards and regulatory systems,<br />

will optimize processes, improve<br />

efficiency, and make many consumer<br />

and industrial products cheaper. All<br />

of this increases competitiveness in<br />

the global market.<br />

The huge volume of EU–U.S. trade<br />

should also influence and improve<br />

norms and standards in other nations.<br />

Better agreement on standards<br />

will provide larger export markets<br />

for the products of the future.<br />

The European Commission estimates<br />

that TTIP will increase production<br />

and create millions of new jobs<br />

across Europe. The CEPR UK study<br />

shows this will lead to wage increases<br />

both for skilled and unskilled workers.<br />

Other studies suggest that higher<br />

employment and less expensive products<br />

will increase annual disposable<br />

incomes on average by €545.<br />

According to the European Commission,<br />

trade activity between the<br />

EU and the U.S. will increase by<br />

€445 billion. Many manufacturing<br />

processes are already found across<br />

different EU countries, which means<br />

that these effects will be evenly distributed<br />

across member states. TTIP<br />

will have the secondary advantage of<br />

requiring member states to balance<br />

their internal interests so they can<br />

improve their bargaining power with<br />

U.S. negotiators.<br />

The EU and U.S. will also benefit<br />

from a flow of foreign direct investment<br />

(FDI). A consensus on regulations<br />

and their enforcement will help<br />

protect financial markets and provide<br />

a stable business environment. BS<br />

aligned [E(laInd] (aufeinander)<br />

abgestimmt<br />

axis [(ÄksIs]<br />

Achse<br />

bargaining power Verhandlungsstärke<br />

[(bA:rgInIN )paU&r*]<br />

billion [(bIljEn]<br />

Milliarde(n)<br />

business environment wirtschaftliche<br />

[(bIznEs In)vaI&rEnmEnt] Rahmenbedingungen<br />

chamber of commerce Handelskammer<br />

[)tSeImb&r Ev (kA:m&rs*]<br />

competitiveness<br />

Wettbewerbsfähigkeit<br />

[kEm(petEtIvnEs]<br />

disposable income verfügbares Einkommen<br />

[dI)spoUzEb&l (InkVm*]<br />

enforcement [In(fO:rsmEnt*] Durchsetzung<br />

executive director leitende(r) Direktor(in)<br />

[Ig)zekjEtIv dE(rekt&r*]<br />

foreign direct investment ausländische<br />

(FDI) [)fO:rEn dE)rekt Direktinvestition(en)<br />

In(vestmEnt*]<br />

negotiator [nI(goUSieIt&r*] Verhandlungsführer(in)<br />

* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.<br />

Yvonne Bendinger-Rothschild is the executive<br />

director of the European American Chamber of<br />

Commerce in New York.<br />

iStock<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 25

GLOBAL BUSINESS IT’S PERSONAL<br />

Winning, losing, snoozing<br />

Warum sind manche Menschen frühmorgens nach wenigen Stunden Schlaf putzmunter?<br />

Und warum brauchen andere mehr davon, um leistungsfähig zu sein? Elisabeth Ribbans<br />

kennt den möglichen Grund für diese unterschiedlichen Bedürfnisse.<br />

advanced<br />

How many hours did you sleep last<br />

night? I’ve never heard a business<br />

leader answer that question with the<br />

word “seven”, “eight” or “nine”.<br />

No, it seems the powerful always<br />

claim to survive on a maximum of<br />

six hours, and often much less. Barack<br />

Obama sleeps for six hours; lifestyle<br />

guru Martha Stewart and Sergio<br />

Marchionne, CEO of Fiat, say<br />

they need just four, while Tom Ford<br />

manages to clothe beautiful people<br />

on only three.<br />

“Early birds” never seem to<br />

complain about rising in the<br />

dark. They don’t admit to wishing<br />

they could hit the snooze<br />

button. They are much more<br />

likely to tell you that sleep is an<br />

inconvenience and that 6 a.m. is a<br />

lie-in: “Of course I’m up at 5 a.m. if<br />

I’m going to the gym.” Yawn.<br />

allow sb. to do sth. jmdm. etw. ermöglichen<br />

[E)laU tE (du:]<br />

applied genomics angewandte Genomik<br />

[E)plaId dZi(nEUmIks]<br />

CEO (chief executive Hauptgeschäftsofficer)<br />

[)si: i: (EU] führer(in)<br />

conspiracy [kEn(spIrEsi] Verschwörung, Komplott<br />

desperate: be ~ for sth. etw. dringend<br />

[(despErEt]<br />

brauchen<br />

early bird [(§:li b§:d] ifml. Frühaufsteher(in)<br />

emphasize sth. [(emfEsaIz] etw. hervorheben<br />

equate sth. with sth. etw. mit etw.<br />

[i(kweIt wID]<br />

gleichsetzen<br />

gym [dZIm]<br />

Fitnessstudio<br />

lie-in [(laI In] UK<br />

(langes) Ausschlafen<br />

nap [nÄp]<br />

Nickerchen<br />

overshoot sth.<br />

hier: zu sehr in die Länge<br />

[)EUvE(Su:t]<br />

ziehen<br />

researcher [ri(s§:tSE] Forscher(in)<br />

snooze [snu:z]<br />

schlummern<br />

snooze button<br />

Schlummertaste<br />

[(snu:z )bVt&n]<br />

yawn [jO:n] ifml.<br />

Gähn(en)<br />

Time to get up: you’ll never be a<br />

success if you stay in bed!<br />

Donald Trump (three to four hours)<br />

equates snoozing with losing. According<br />

to the New York newspaper the<br />

Daily News, Trump asked, “How<br />

does somebody that’s sleeping 12 and<br />

14 hours a day compete with someone<br />

that’s sleeping three or four?”<br />

I’ve never read such statements<br />

without wondering (a) whether short<br />

sleepers are constantly and secretly<br />

“Are short sleepers secretly desperate for<br />

a nap? Or am I lazy if I sleep till 7 a.m.?”<br />

desperate for a nap; (b) what longterm<br />

damage they are doing to themselves;<br />

and (c) whether I’m being lazy<br />

when I set my alarm for 7 a.m.<br />

Now, a new study, published recently<br />

in the US journal Sleep, may<br />

provide some answers. It reports<br />

that researchers studying twins at the<br />

Center for Applied Genomics at the<br />

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia<br />

have identified a gene mutation that<br />

allows some people to function normally<br />

on under six hours’ sleep.<br />

Commenting on the research, Dr<br />

Timothy Morgenthaler, of the American<br />

Academy of Sleep Medicine, said:<br />

“This study emphasizes that our need<br />

for sleep is a biological requirement,<br />

not a personal preference.” Naturally,<br />

this discovery raises more questions.<br />

Has the world always been led by<br />

a self-selecting mutant conspiracy<br />

(US statesman Benjamin Franklin<br />

slept only two to four hours, and<br />

Bill Clinton needs just five hours)?<br />

Should those of us who sleep eight<br />

hours forget about joining the elite?<br />

Are the real achievers those without<br />

the sleep gene, who can function despite<br />

spending so little time in bed?<br />

Such is the weakness associated<br />

with sleep that Marissa Mayer, CEO<br />

of Yahoo (see pp. 18–21), made<br />

headlines in June when she overshot<br />

a siesta and was nearly two hours<br />

late for a business dinner. Personally,<br />

I only liked her more. BS<br />

Elisabeth Ribbans is a British journalist and<br />

editorial consultant. She is also a former managing<br />

editor of The Guardian newspaper in<br />

London. Contact: eribbans@yahoo.com<br />

iStock<br />

Credit<br />

26 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

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BUSINESS PRESS GLOBAL BUSINESS<br />

Behind the headlines<br />

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

wordplay, and leave out words. Here, we look at the meaning of recent business headlines. advanced<br />

The Guardian Financial Times<br />

Brics: This is a play on words. “Brics” is short for<br />

“Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa”,<br />

the world’s most advanced developing nations. It’s<br />

pronounced just like “bricks”. The story is about<br />

the Brics’ plans to create a development bank to<br />

help each other in times of economic crisis.<br />

short of: If you are “short of something”, you don’t<br />

have enough of it.<br />

firewall: A computer-network security system that<br />

creates a barrier between a trusted network and<br />

one that is not trusted. Here, untrusted networks<br />

are an analogy for traditional Western lending<br />

institutions, such as the World Bank.<br />

In simple English: The idea of a development bank<br />

for the Brics countries is not yet fully worked out.<br />

holes: Here, this word means “problems”.<br />

holacracy: “Holarchy” is a term coined by Arthur<br />

Koestler in his 1967 book The Ghost in the Machine.<br />

It refers to parts of the brain (“holons”)<br />

that are autonomous and yet dependent on the<br />

whole brain. In 2007, software engineer Brian<br />

Robertson developed the idea of “holacracy” —<br />

an organizational form with employees in overlapping<br />

“circles” that work together on specific<br />

tasks. The article reports that Zappos, an online<br />

vendor, is planning to introduce such a system.<br />

In simple English: There are problems in applying the<br />

management theory of holacracy.<br />

www Are you confused by the language in the press? Keep your<br />

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

The Economist<br />

The Wall Street Journal<br />

Slow, slow burn: Idiomatically, a “slow burn” means<br />

that something happens too slowly for people to<br />

see its full effects or dangers.<br />

on the economy: Here, the Australian economy. In<br />

standard English, the phrase would read “The<br />

slow, slow burn’s effect on the economy”.<br />

jobless: This refers to the unemployed in Australia.<br />

feeling the heat: This means “affected negatively”.<br />

In simple English: Unemployment in Australia has<br />

been rising so slowly that politicians have not noticed<br />

its serious negative impact on the country’s<br />

economy and workforce.<br />

Pinnacle: Pinnacle Foods is a US company that produces<br />

packaged foods. It is based in New Jersey.<br />

mulls: When you “mull something over”, such as<br />

your options, you think about them carefully. To<br />

save space, the word “over” has been left out.<br />

Hillshire options: Hillshire Brands is a US packaged-foods<br />

company based in Chicago.<br />

In simple English: The Pinnacle Foods company is<br />

deciding what action it should take regarding the<br />

Hillshire Brands firm.<br />

affected: be ~ [E(fektId]<br />

barrier [(bÄriE]<br />

coin sth. [kOIn]<br />

impact [(ImpÄkt]<br />

overlap [)EUvE(lÄp]<br />

phrase [freIz]<br />

trusted [(trVstId]<br />

vendor [(vendE]<br />

workforce [(w§:kfO:s]<br />

betroffen sein<br />

Barriere<br />

etw. prägen<br />

Auswirkung(en)<br />

sich überschneiden<br />

Ausdruck<br />

vertrauenswürdig;<br />

hier auch: sicher<br />

Verkäufer(in), Händler(in)<br />

Erwerbsbevölkerung<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 29

Meeting<br />

your needs<br />

Für viele sind Sitzungen unproduktiv,<br />

im Geschäftsalltag sind sie aber oft<br />

unverzichtbar. Im fünften Teil unserer<br />

Serie nennt Bob Dignen zehn Punkte,<br />

die eine Sitzung effizient und für die<br />

Teilnehmer zudem zu einer positiven<br />

Erfahrung machen.<br />

medium<br />

Series Part Five<br />

Plan ahead and make your<br />

meetings 30 more www.business-spotlight.de effective<br />

6/2014

MEETINGS BUSINESS SKILLS<br />

In spite of the complexity of the<br />

modern world, doing business effectively<br />

still depends on a number<br />

of key skills. One of these is the<br />

ability to hold meetings efficiently<br />

and take good decisions.<br />

Yet few of us like business meetings<br />

or find them productive. In this article,<br />

we provide ten <strong>tips</strong> to help you<br />

to make your meetings more efficient<br />

— and more enjoyable.<br />

This article is the fifth in our special<br />

skills series. Each article contains<br />

ten <strong>top</strong> <strong>tips</strong> for a key area of<br />

business communication — and a<br />

training plan to help you to structure<br />

your learning (see p. 35).<br />

In previous issues:<br />

Part One: Listening (2/2014)<br />

Part Two: Speaking (3/2014)<br />

Part Three: Writing (4/2014)<br />

Part Four: Telephoning (5/2014)<br />

TIP 1 Think about your goals<br />

You are more likely to reach your<br />

goals in a meeting if you have clear<br />

aims beforehand. Consider the following<br />

points:<br />

Your needs. What decisions are essential<br />

to you because they match your<br />

(or your department’s) goals, capabilities<br />

and resources?<br />

Your influence. What powers and arguments<br />

do you have at your disposal<br />

to get others to accept your decisions?<br />

These might include facts and<br />

figures or support from key people in<br />

your organization.<br />

Your flexibility. What is your fallback<br />

position if your ideal decision cannot<br />

be reached? What or who limits your<br />

flexibility to accept decisions?<br />

Understanding the needs of others<br />

may help you to reach your own<br />

goals. But in complex organizations,<br />

it is also important that people avoid<br />

narrow and defensive thinking — the<br />

so-called silo mentality. You should<br />

do some pre-meeting work by phone<br />

and email to gain a wider organizational<br />

perspective and to discover<br />

the needs of others. Here are some<br />

questions that you could ask your<br />

colleagues:<br />

l What exactly do you want from<br />

the meeting?<br />

l To what extent do you know what<br />

I want from the meeting?<br />

l What does your boss want from<br />

this meeting?<br />

4<br />

TIP 2 Consider your organization<br />

In addition to thinking about your<br />

own needs, it is essential to consider<br />

carefully the needs of your organization<br />

as a whole. The best decisions<br />

for the organization may not necessarily<br />

be in your personal interest or<br />

in the interest of the members of your<br />

department.<br />

Meeting your needs<br />

[)mi:tIN jO: (ni:dz]<br />

department<br />

[di(pA:tmEnt]<br />

disposal: have sth. at<br />

one’s ~ [dI(spEUz&l]<br />

fallback position<br />

[(fO:lbÄk pE)zIS&n]<br />

goal [gEUl]<br />

resource [ri(zO:s]<br />

silo mentality<br />

[(saIlEU men)tÄlEti]<br />

seinen Bedürfnissen/<br />

Erfordernissen gerecht<br />

werden<br />

Abteilung<br />

etw. zur Verfügung<br />

haben<br />

Alternative, Plan B<br />

Ziel<br />

Mittel<br />

„Silo-Mentalität“,<br />

isolierte Betrachtungsweise<br />

Understanding the needs of others may<br />

help you to reach your own goals<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 31<br />

Mauritius

BUSINESS SKILLS MEETINGS<br />

l What are the most important<br />

things to consider in the meeting?<br />

l What would you like to discuss<br />

first?<br />

l What’s the best way to decide this?<br />

l What would be the best or worst<br />

decision?<br />

l How can I support you in the<br />

meeting?<br />

l How can you support me?<br />

Many people make the mistake of<br />

trying to discover this sort of information<br />

in the meeting itself (if at all).<br />

This is not an effective use of the time<br />

available for the meeting. People then<br />

simply introduce their own points of<br />

view and defend them against criticism<br />

from others. As a result, meetings<br />

turn into a waste of time.<br />

TIP 3<br />

Use virtual meetings<br />

Many business people are not hugely<br />

enthusiastic about virtual meetings,<br />

whether they are telephone conferences<br />

or video conferences. But the<br />

main problems have less to do with<br />

the technology and more to do with<br />

the way it is used. Virtual meetings<br />

often have too many people discussing<br />

too many complex <strong>top</strong>ics, with a<br />

allocation [)ÄlE(keIS&n] Zuweisung<br />

briefing [(bri:fIN]<br />

Lagebesprechung<br />

chair [tSeE]<br />

Vorsitzende(r),<br />

Sitzungsleiter(in)<br />

clarity [(klÄrEti]<br />

Klarheit<br />

core [kO:]<br />

Kern<br />

face-to-face [)feIs tE (feIs] persönlich<br />

facilitation [fE)sIlE(teIS&n] Moderation; hier:<br />

Sitzungsleitung<br />

facilitator [fE(sIlEteItE] Moderator(in); hier:<br />

Sitzungsleiter(in)<br />

in advance [)In Ed(vA:ns] im Voraus<br />

keep an eye on sth. auf etw. achten<br />

[)ki:p En (aI Qn]<br />

maintain sth. [meIn(teIn] etw. aufrechterhalten<br />

phrase [freIz]<br />

Formulierung<br />

point [pOInt]<br />

hier: Argument<br />

schedule sth. [(Sedju:l] etw. anberaumen<br />

take (the temperature) (Fieber) messen<br />

[teIk]<br />

<strong>top</strong>ic [(tQpIk]<br />

Thema<br />

travel expenses<br />

Reisekosten<br />

[(trÄv&l Ik)spensIz]<br />

Interactive: face-to-face meetings have advantages, but so, too, do virtual meetings<br />

small number of people dominating<br />

the discussion while the others are<br />

largely silent.<br />

Yet virtual meetings offer numerous<br />

advantages in addition to savings<br />

on travel expenses. They can be<br />

scheduled quickly, whenever there is<br />

an urgent “need to talk”. And they<br />

can be more effective than face-toface<br />

meetings if people acquire the<br />

skills needed for focused discussions.<br />

This, however, requires companies to<br />

invest more in the training of virtual<br />

skills.<br />

Here are some <strong>tips</strong> for improving<br />

your virtual meetings:<br />

l Keep the number of participants<br />

small (eight to ten people).<br />

l Integrate video if possible to make<br />

meetings more personal.<br />

l Use the opening moments to “take<br />

the emotional temperature” and<br />

discover how people are feeling.<br />

l Remain action-focused. Virtual<br />

meetings are great for quick briefings<br />

and simple decisions.<br />

TIP 4<br />

Share the work<br />

The success of a meeting depends on<br />

the skills of the facilitator or chair.<br />

Effective facilitation guarantees the<br />

right time allocation for the various<br />

<strong>top</strong>ics, depth of analysis, levels<br />

of participation and clarity of decisions.<br />

Poor facilitation, on the other<br />

hand, will simply leave participants<br />

frustrated. Often, the best way to<br />

guarantee effective facilitation is to<br />

share it among a number of people.<br />

Each person then keeps an eye on<br />

certain elements of the process. This<br />

“sharing of chairing” can be done<br />

relatively simply: a number of core<br />

communication strategies are defined<br />

in advance, with simple phrases associated<br />

with each that the facilitators<br />

should use. Some examples are given<br />

below:<br />

Maintaining a positive group dynamic<br />

l That’s an important point.<br />

l I think we’re making good progress.<br />

Stimulating new ideas<br />

l Are there any other ideas?<br />

l What else could we do? Can we be<br />

more creative?<br />

Building group consensus<br />

l Anna, what do you think about Steven’s<br />

ideas?<br />

l Adding to what Petra just said, I<br />

think…<br />

Managing conflict<br />

l OK, it’s good to have some different<br />

views on this.<br />

l Let’s hear your ideas first, and then<br />

we can come to Mike’s.<br />

Getty Images<br />

32 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

It is important for both<br />

efficiency and staff<br />

morale that decisions<br />

be realistic<br />

Getting to a decision<br />

l So, can we take a decision on this?<br />

l How shall we go forward?<br />

Summarizing<br />

l So, what we are planning to do is…<br />

l This means that we will…<br />

TIP 5<br />

Be curious and open<br />

Participants have to understand that<br />

they are also responsible for making<br />

things run smoothly. Communication<br />

protocols can help, but they often<br />

fail because underlying destructive<br />

attitudes create the following vicious<br />

circle:<br />

l People see their own needs as more<br />

important than the needs of others.<br />

l People want to convince others<br />

rather than be convinced.<br />

l People don’t listen when others are<br />

speaking.<br />

l People reject each other’s ideas too<br />

quickly without considering the<br />

value of these ideas.<br />

affect sb. [E(fekt]<br />

evidence [(evIdEns]<br />

go forward<br />

[)gEU (fO:wEd]<br />

human resources<br />

[)hju:mEn ri(zO:sIz]<br />

implement sth.<br />

[(ImplIment]<br />

implementation<br />

[)ImplImen(teIS&n]<br />

morale [mE(rA:l]<br />

network [(netw§:k]<br />

protocol [(prEUtEUkQl]<br />

reject sth. [ri(dZekt]<br />

smoothly [(smu:Dli]<br />

summarize [(sVmEraIz]<br />

underlying<br />

[)VndE(laIIN]<br />

vicious circle<br />

[)vISEs (s§:k&l]<br />

jmdn. betreffen<br />

Beleg(e)<br />

weitermachen<br />

Personal(wesen)<br />

etw. umsetzen,<br />

realisieren<br />

Umsetzung,<br />

Realisierung<br />

[wg. Aussprache]<br />

sich vernetzen<br />

hier: Regel<br />

etw. ablehnen<br />

reibungslos<br />

ein Resümee ziehen<br />

zugrunde liegend<br />

Teufelskreis<br />

Getty Images<br />

l People become angry when their<br />

ideas are ignored or rejected.<br />

l When people become angry, they<br />

are less open to the needs and<br />

views of others.<br />

Instead, we need to enter meetings<br />

with less of a desire to persuade others,<br />

and with more openness to being<br />

persuaded. This means asking more<br />

questions, in order to understand the<br />

views and motivations of other people<br />

and to try to build a consensus:<br />

l What do you think?<br />

l Why do you say that?<br />

l Can you tell me more about… ?<br />

l What is the evidence for… ?<br />

l Who else supports this point of view?<br />

TIP 6<br />

Network for success<br />

Successful meetings generally take<br />

place among people who network<br />

beyond their own narrow function<br />

and who spend a lot of time building<br />

relationships. Again, this comes from<br />

asking questions:<br />

l What’s happening in your part of<br />

the organization?<br />

l How is strategy changing here?<br />

l How are the market dynamics<br />

affecting you right now?<br />

l Is there anything our department<br />

can help you with?<br />

Good networkers invest a considerable<br />

amount of time on building<br />

alliances and trust before meetings.<br />

TIP 7<br />

Take realistic decisions<br />

Decision time: try<br />

to be realistic<br />

One of the most frustrating things<br />

about meetings is the fact that decisions<br />

are often taken but not implemented<br />

(or implemented too slowly).<br />

Sometimes, there may be good reasons<br />

for this: the amount of work<br />

involved might be greater than expected,<br />

or the market situation may<br />

change after the meeting. But it is important<br />

for both efficiency and staff<br />

morale that the decisions that are<br />

taken in meetings be realistic. This<br />

means thinking carefully about the<br />

following points before deciding:<br />

l How realistic is this decision for<br />

the people affected?<br />

l What are the potential barriers to<br />

implementation (human resources,<br />

finances, etc.)?<br />

4<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 33

BUSINESS SKILLS MEETINGS<br />

Check: how good<br />

are your notes?<br />

l Who might oppose the decision<br />

and how might these people be<br />

managed?<br />

l How serious would a delay be?<br />

What is the contingency plan?<br />

l What happens if the decision is not<br />

implemented at all?<br />

l Is there a lower-risk alternative decision?<br />

Because of the increased complexity<br />

of organizations and greater market<br />

uncertainty, this kind of risk-based<br />

thinking is increasingly important.<br />

TIP 8<br />

Document well<br />

Few of us enjoy writing the minutes<br />

of meetings, but they are very important.<br />

They can provide a clear record<br />

of decisions and the reasons for them,<br />

and document deadlines and responsibilities.<br />

It is worth discussing who should<br />

write the minutes and when. If the<br />

minutes are written “live”, that is,<br />

during the meeting, decisions are visible<br />

to all, which may increase commitment.<br />

The downside is that such<br />

“documented discussions” can become<br />

heavy and dominated by talking<br />

about of the minutes themselves.<br />

Another question is who writes the<br />

minutes. A native speaker may find<br />

the task easier but is likely to write<br />

in a more idiomatic, less transparent<br />

way than a non-native speaker.<br />

commitment<br />

[kE(mItmEnt]<br />

contingency plan<br />

[kEn(tIndZEnsi plÄn]<br />

downside [(daUnsaId]<br />

draft [drA:ft]<br />

milestone [(maI&lstEUn]<br />

minutes [(mInIts]<br />

oppose sth. [E(pEUz]<br />

visible [(vIzEb&l]<br />

Engagement,<br />

Leistungsbereitschaft<br />

Notfallplan<br />

Kehrseite<br />

Entwurf, Konzept<br />

Meilenstein, Projekt-<br />

(zwischen)ziel<br />

Protokoll<br />

gegen etw. sein<br />

sichtbar; hier: klar<br />

TIP 9<br />

Stay in contact<br />

People may sit around tables together<br />

to take decisions, but then they<br />

return to their own departments<br />

(and/or countries). The work they do<br />

may not be transparent until another<br />

milestone arrives, at which point,<br />

it quickly becomes clear that not<br />

enough work (or the wrong work)<br />

has been done. It is therefore important<br />

for participants to communicate<br />

after the meetings, to let each other<br />

know how things are going and to<br />

check whether there are any problems<br />

that need solving. Sometimes, a<br />

short, informal email is enough:<br />

Hi Elisabeth<br />

Hope all is well. Just wanted to<br />

keep in touch after the meeting<br />

and see how things are going with<br />

your part of the project. I am<br />

doing quite well. I’m sending you<br />

my latest draft, if you have time<br />

for some quick feedback. Do let<br />

me know if you want me to look<br />

at anything and give you some<br />

comments.<br />

Best wishes<br />

Brian<br />

TIP 10 Reflect and improve<br />

After each meeting, spend a few minutes<br />

reflecting on what happened.<br />

Ask yourself:<br />

l How well prepared was I? What<br />

could I have done better?<br />

l Which data/arguments helped to<br />

influence others? Which data/arguments<br />

influenced me?<br />

l Was I open or defensive?<br />

Also look back at your notes from<br />

meetings over the past months and<br />

ask yourself:<br />

l Who has supported my ideas, and<br />

why?<br />

l Which decisions did I support that<br />

turned out to be right, and which<br />

were wrong?<br />

l What forms of behaviour helped<br />

me to reach the decisions I needed?<br />

Knowing that you will be looking<br />

back at your notes should encourage<br />

you to take more detailed and better<br />

notes in future meetings — and to<br />

become a better listener.<br />

BS<br />

In the next issue<br />

In Part Six of our special series, Bob<br />

Dignen will provide ten <strong>top</strong> <strong>tips</strong> for<br />

making business contacts.<br />

Do an exercise on this <strong>top</strong>ic on<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> Audio<br />

plus For exercises on meetings, see<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> plus<br />

www You’ll find exercises on this <strong>top</strong>ic at<br />

www.business-spotlight.de/meetings<br />

For more <strong>tips</strong> on communication skills,<br />

watch our “<strong>Business</strong> with Bob” videos<br />

at www.business-spotlight.de/videos/bob<br />

Corbis<br />

Bob Dignen is a director of York Associates<br />

(www.york-associates.co.uk)<br />

and author of many books. Contact:<br />

bob.dignen@york-associates.co.uk<br />

34 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

TRAINING PLAN BUSINESS SKILLS<br />

In this training plan, you will find suggestions on how to structure your learning to improve your meetings skills. We<br />

have divided the activities into five weekly blocks, each of which includes an exercise and two tasks based on Bob<br />

Dignen’s ten <strong>top</strong> <strong>tips</strong>. You can adapt the timing of the plan to suit your own schedule.<br />

Week Exercise Tasks Done<br />

WEEK 1<br />

Exercise: Read the article on<br />

pages 30–34, paying particular<br />

attention to the first<br />

two <strong>tips</strong>. Make a note of any<br />

unfamiliar words and create<br />

a database of useful phrases.<br />

<br />

n<br />

Task 1: Before your next meeting, think about what would be the<br />

ideal decisions for you and your department. Also, think about<br />

how you can influence the decisions, and about your fallback<br />

position. Compare this to what happens in the meeting.<br />

Task 2: Consider how you can help others to reach their goals<br />

in a meeting. Note whether others respond positively to your<br />

support and observe the impact on your relations with others.<br />

n<br />

n<br />

WEEK 2<br />

Exercise: Reread the third<br />

and fourth <strong>tips</strong> on page 32.<br />

www Every day this week,<br />

do one of our special online<br />

exercises at www.businessspotlight.de/meetings<br />

n<br />

Task 3: Schedule some virtual meetings as a way of keeping<br />

in touch with colleagues in other countries. Note whether this<br />

helps you to build better understanding with your colleagues.<br />

Task 4: “Share the chairing” at your next meeting. A number of<br />

people should take responsibility for particular communication<br />

strategies and use the key phrases listed on pages 32–33.<br />

n<br />

n<br />

WEEK 3<br />

Exercise: Reread the fifth and<br />

sixth <strong>tips</strong> in the article on<br />

page 33. plus Then complete<br />

the language exercises<br />

in <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> plus<br />

(pp. 8–11). n<br />

Task 5: At your next meeting, listen attentively when others disagree<br />

with your views. Be curious and positive when challenged.<br />

Try to find out the reasons for other people’s opinions, and use<br />

their rejection of your ideas as an opportunity to improve them.<br />

Task 6: Identify someone in your next meeting whom you think it<br />

would be good to have in your professional network. Invite this<br />

person to have lunch in the coming weeks. Afterwards, decide<br />

whether it would be useful to keep in touch or not.<br />

n<br />

n<br />

WEEK 4<br />

Exercise: Reread the seventh<br />

and eighth <strong>tips</strong> in the<br />

article on pages 33–34.<br />

Do the exercises on<br />

meetings on tracks 8–10 of<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> Audio.n<br />

Task 7: Ask questions in your next meeting about how realistic<br />

the decisions are. Focus on the impact on different departments,<br />

barriers to implementation and the risks of non-implementation.<br />

Task 8: Look carefully at the next set of minutes that you receive.<br />

How happy are you with them? Share your thoughts with the<br />

chair/facilitator and discuss any changes that could be made.<br />

n<br />

n<br />

iStock (2)<br />

WEEK 5<br />

Exercise: Reread the ninth<br />

and tenth <strong>tips</strong> on page 34.<br />

Make a note of the strategies<br />

and phrases you have used<br />

successfully in meetings in<br />

the past few weeks. Write<br />

down some new things you<br />

could do to improve your<br />

meetings skills. n<br />

Task 9: A week or so after an important meeting, write a follow-up<br />

email to a colleague. Update them on the progress you<br />

have made, ask them how they are doing and request/offer feedback.<br />

Think about how useful this form of communication is.<br />

Task 10: Review your meeting notes and consider how you could<br />

improve them. Reflect on the decisions made in meetings, which<br />

ones you supported and which ones turned out to be right/wrong.<br />

Think about what you can learn from this for future meetings.<br />

n<br />

n<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 35

BUSINESS SKILLS TOOLBOX<br />

Writing in English<br />

In dieser Rubrik nutzt Ken Taylor seine internationalen<br />

Erfahrungen und beantwortet Fragen, die im heutigen<br />

Geschäftsalltag häufig gestellt werden. medium<br />

Writing: not as difficult as you might think<br />

1. Is there an ideal length for a sentence?<br />

In German, long sentences with several subordinate clauses<br />

and a lot of commas are acceptable. In English, however,<br />

one generally writes shorter sentences, which are varied in<br />

length. Remember that a sentence with more than 20 words<br />

is difficult for the reader. Here’s a scale as a guide:<br />

Very easy<br />

Easy<br />

Fairly easy<br />

Standard<br />

Fairly difficult<br />

Difficult<br />

Very difficult<br />

Foto: Michael Brown<br />

8 words or fewer<br />

11 words or fewer<br />

14 words or fewer<br />

17 words<br />

21 words or more<br />

25 words or more<br />

29 words or more<br />

Aim for an average of fewer than 17 words per sentence<br />

when writing for an international readership.<br />

iStock<br />

3. Can I begin with “unfortunately”?<br />

Yes, if you are writing a letter of complaint,<br />

a threat or a warning. But if not, use<br />

positive words and expressions. Help your<br />

reader see things in a positive light. Here<br />

are some examples:<br />

Negative version<br />

Our office is closed<br />

after five o’clock.<br />

Unfortunately,<br />

I can’t help you<br />

with this.<br />

I’m afraid we can<br />

only offer you a five<br />

per cent discount.<br />

Positive version<br />

Our office is open<br />

until five o’clock.<br />

My colleague will<br />

be able to help you<br />

with this.<br />

We can certainly<br />

offer you a five<br />

per cent discount.<br />

Ask yourself whether you regularly use<br />

negative words like “problem”, “impossible”,<br />

“can’t” or “late”. If so, replace them<br />

with more positive expressions.<br />

2. Does it matter whether I mix British with US English?<br />

Most of us mix British English with US English — and this includes<br />

native speakers. We use expressions we have picked up<br />

from television, from advertising, or from colleagues and friends.<br />

We get emails or text messages with expressions that we copy<br />

in our replies. We even confuse the different spellings of a word<br />

without realizing it. (Is it “colour” or “color”?) Although we can<br />

choose to use a spellchecker for British or US English, mix-ups<br />

still occur.<br />

Don’t get too worried about this. Many German speakers of<br />

English are more familiar with British English from school. But<br />

many have worked or studied in the US. So use the language you<br />

feel most comfortable with. Simply be as consistent as possible.<br />

comfortable<br />

[(kVmftEb&l]<br />

consistent [kEn(sIstEnt]<br />

consultant [kEn(sVltEnt]<br />

discount [(dIskaUnt]<br />

pick sth. up [)pIk (Vp]<br />

scale [skeI&l]<br />

spellchecker<br />

[(speltSekE]<br />

spelling [(spelIN]<br />

subordinate clause<br />

[sE)bO:dInEt (klO:z]<br />

text message<br />

[(tekst )mesIdZ]<br />

hier: vertraut<br />

konsequent<br />

Berater(in)<br />

Preisnachlass<br />

etw. aufschnappen<br />

Maßstab, Skala<br />

Rechtschreibprüfungsprogramm<br />

Schreibweise<br />

Nebensatz<br />

SMS-Nachricht<br />

Ken Taylor is a communication consultant<br />

and author of 50 Ways to Improve<br />

Your <strong>Business</strong> English (Summertown).<br />

Contact: KTaylor868@aol.com<br />

36 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

INDEX<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> 2014<br />

An overview of our main stories from the past year<br />

THE BIG PICTURE<br />

n Flight attendants in China 2/14 n<br />

Funerals in Ghana 3/14 n Bees in<br />

Britain 4/14 n Bulls in Austria 5/14 n<br />

Amazon preparing for Christmas 6/14<br />

LANGUAGE TESTS<br />

n 101 key business terms 1/14 n<br />

Job titles 2/14 n Translation 3/14 n<br />

Politeness 4/14 n Presentations 5/14<br />

n Synonyms and antonyms 6/14<br />

GLOBAL BUSINESS<br />

FEATURE n TED talks 5/14<br />

IT’S PERSONAL n The human side of<br />

business 2/14 n Attention-seeking<br />

architects 3/14 n Fashion’s colour<br />

problem 4/14 n The inventor Elon Musk<br />

5/14 n Sleep, and who needs it 6/14<br />

PROFILE n Arianna Huffington, founder<br />

of The Huffington Post 1/14 n Jonathan<br />

Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury<br />

2/14 n Mary Barra, GM’s new CEO<br />

3/14 n Sir Jonathan Ive, Apple’s star<br />

designer 4/14 n Marissa Mayer, head<br />

of Yahoo 6/14<br />

HEAD-TO-HEAD n Should we ban<br />

fracking? 1/14 n Should teleworking<br />

be restricted? 2/14 n Are marketers<br />

spies? 3/14 n Should smoking breaks<br />

be banned? 4/14 n Independence for<br />

Scotland? 5/14 n The US-EU trade<br />

pact, TTIP: good for Europe? 6/14<br />

BUSINESS SKILLS<br />

FEATURES n Uncertainty 1/14 n<br />

Series: (1) Listening 2/14 n (2) Speaking<br />

3/14 n (3) Writing 4/14 n (4)<br />

Telephoning 5/14 n (5) <strong>Meetings</strong> 6/14<br />

TOOLBOX n Answering a colleague’s<br />

phone 1/14 n Running meetings<br />

2/14 n Answering questions 3/14<br />

n Feedback 4/14 n Increasing your<br />

vocabulary 5/14 n Writing <strong>tips</strong> 6/14<br />

SAY IT IN STYLE n Introductions 1/14<br />

INTERCULTURAL<br />

COMMUNICATION<br />

FEATURES n Socializing 1/14 n The<br />

value of culture 2/14 n Brazil 3/14<br />

n The UK 4/14 n China 5/14 n The<br />

US 6/14<br />

LOOKING BACK n Michelle Carstens<br />

on Australia’s challenges 1/14<br />

TRAVEL TIPS n New Year in Scotland<br />

1/14<br />

CAREERS<br />

FEATURES n Career coaches 1/14<br />

n Introverts 2/14 n MOOCS 3/14<br />

n Series: (1) Finding a job 4/14 n<br />

(2) Job applications 5/14 n (3) Job<br />

interviews 6/14<br />

MANAGEMENT<br />

FEATURES n Middle managers 1/14<br />

n Trends in executive training 2/14 n<br />

Charisma 3/14 n Rick’s Café 4/14 n<br />

Mobile banking in Zimbabwe 6/14<br />

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT n Low-cost<br />

air travel 1/14 n When eBay bought<br />

Skype 2/14 n McDonald’s hot-coffee<br />

case 3/14 n Japan’s quality miracle<br />

4/14 n The death of Superman<br />

5/14 n The Mobro 4000 garbage<br />

barge 6/14<br />

EXECUTIVE EYE n Overcoming adversity<br />

1/14 n The importance of<br />

trust 2/14 n Whistleblowers 3/14 n<br />

Cognitive psychology 4/14 n People<br />

who can make your life hell 5/14 n<br />

Managing an orchestra 6/14<br />

TECHNOLOGY<br />

FEATURES n Solar aeroplanes 1/14<br />

n Transient electronics 2/14 n<br />

Agricultural robots 3/14 n Formula<br />

One 4/14 n Electric paint 5/14 n<br />

Acoustics 6/14<br />

LANGUAGE FOCUS n Mechanical<br />

valves 1/14 n Engineering metals<br />

LANGUAGE<br />

VOCABULARY n The fire brigade 1/14<br />

n Industrial bakeries 2/14 n Playing<br />

golf 3/14 n Sightseeing 4/14 n<br />

Commercial cleaning 5/14 n Concert<br />

halls 6/14<br />

GRAMMAR AT WORK n Reported<br />

speech 1/14 n Necessity 2/14 n Talking<br />

about yourself 3/14 n Terms and<br />

conditions 4/14 n Polite requests 5/14<br />

n Keeping conversations going 6/14<br />

EASY ENGLISH n Reaching agreement<br />

1/14 n Visitors 2/14 n Making<br />

appointments 3/14 n Customer care<br />

4/14 n Getting approval 5/14 n<br />

Recent developments 6/14<br />

WISE WORDS n Reduplicatives 1/14<br />

n Hard work 2/14 n Football 3/14 n<br />

Word pairs 4/14 n Comic headlines<br />

5/14 n Weather idioms 6/14<br />

EMAIL n Key vocabulary 2/14 n<br />

Starting an email 3/14 n Ending<br />

an email 4/14 n Paragraphs 5/14 n<br />

Linking ideas 6/14<br />

ENGLISH ON THE MOVE n Car ferries<br />

1/14 n Conferences 2/14 n Staying<br />

2/14 n Quality management 3/14 n<br />

Medical lasers 4/14 n Helicopters<br />

5/14 n Technical drawing 6/14<br />

PEOPLE<br />

MY WORKING LIFE n Yacht service<br />

providers, Tunisia 1/14 n Pet detective,<br />

UK 2/14 n Taxi driver, Malawi<br />

3/14 n Tour guide, Gibraltar 4/14 n<br />

Post-office manager, Croatia 5/14 n<br />

Nature ambassador, UK 6/14<br />

with a host family 3/14 n Hiring a car<br />

abroad 4/14 n Taking the Eurostar<br />

5/14 n Flight conversations 6/14<br />

SHORT STORY n Top dog 1/14 n New<br />

perspectives 2/14 n Castles in the air<br />

3/14 n Weight management 4/14 n<br />

The birthday party 5/14 n The CBO<br />

6/14<br />

ENGLISH FOR... n Weather conditions<br />

1/14 n Call centres 2/14 n Opinion<br />

research 3/14 n Income tax returns<br />

4/14 n Stress management 5/14 n<br />

Philanthropy 6/14<br />

LEGAL ENGLISH n Legal training<br />

1/14 n General legal terms 2/14 n<br />

Product liability 3/14 n Memorandum<br />

of law 4/14 n Patent law 5/14 n<br />

Understanding legislation 6/14<br />

ECONOMICS AND FINANCE / TALKING<br />

FINANCE n Debts, exports and<br />

imports 1/14 n Getting real 2/14 n<br />

Money 3/14 n Taxes 4/14 n Stability<br />

and volatility 5/14 n GDP 6/14<br />

TEACHER TALK n Vicki Hollett 1/14 n<br />

Keith Harding 2/14 n Nicky Hockly<br />

3/14 n Ian Badger 4/14 n Julie<br />

Pratten 5/14 n Timothy Phillips 6/14<br />

SKILL UP!<br />

n Retailing 1/14<br />

n Innovation 2/14<br />

n Arts and culture 3/14<br />

n Insurance 4/14<br />

n The news media 5/14<br />

n Energy 6/14<br />

These issues of <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> (including Skill Up!) can be ordered by calling +49<br />

(0)89 856 81-16 or sending an email to abo@spotlight-verlag.de. Please understand that<br />

we are not able to send individual articles, either as paper versions or electronically.<br />

www To download this index in PDF format, go to www.business-spotlight.de/indexes<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 37

An impossible dream?<br />

Hat sich mit den wirtschaftlichen Problemen des Landes<br />

auch der Amerikanische Traum ausgeträumt? Nein, denn<br />

Präsident Obamas Slogan „Yes, we can!“ zeigt, dass es ihn<br />

noch gibt, wie Vicki Sussens erfahren hat.<br />

medium<br />

In April 2014, Kwasi Enin became<br />

a media star. The 17-year-old,<br />

whose parents had emigrated from<br />

Ghana to the US in the 1980s, applied<br />

to all eight of the country’s<br />

exclusive Ivy League universities and<br />

was accepted by each one — an extraordinary<br />

achievement.<br />

The media presented the goodlooking<br />

young man as an example of<br />

the American Dream, the idea that<br />

anyone can be successful, no matter<br />

what their education or birth<br />

(see box on p. 44). Enin’s parents,<br />

both nurses, taught him to aim high.<br />

Now, nothing can s<strong>top</strong> the Long Island<br />

wunderkind from following his<br />

dream of becoming a doctor.<br />

America is a “can-do” culture, in<br />

which achievement against all odds<br />

is the highest cultural value, and rallying<br />

cries such as President Obama’s<br />

“Yes, we can!” are typical.<br />

In the past decade, however, Americans<br />

have begun to wonder whether<br />

they “still can”. Both the American<br />

Dream and the idea of “American<br />

exceptionalism” — the term used to<br />

describe the US’ special place among<br />

nations because of its commitment to<br />

liberty, egalitarianism and individualism<br />

— have taken knocks. And there 4<br />

achievement [E(tSi:vmEnt] Leistung; hier auch:<br />

Erfolg<br />

against all odds<br />

allen Widrigkeiten<br />

[E)genst O:l (Qdz]<br />

zum Trotz<br />

aim high [)eIm (haI] hoch hinauswollen<br />

commitment [kE(mItmEnt] Verpflichtung<br />

decade [(dekeId]<br />

Jahrzehnt<br />

egalitarianism<br />

Egalitarismus,<br />

[i)gÄlI(teEriEnIzEm] Gleichheitsgedanke<br />

Ivy League universities acht private Elite-<br />

[)aIvi li:g )ju:nI(v§:sEti] universitäten im<br />

Nordosten der USA<br />

nurse [n§:s]<br />

Krankenpfleger(in)<br />

rallying cry [(rÄliIN kraI] Schlachtruf<br />

take knocks [)teIk (nQks] einen Knacks bekommen<br />

38 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

THE US INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION<br />

Mauritius<br />

Global symbol of freedom:<br />

the Statue of Liberty

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION THE US<br />

Credit<br />

is talk of the end of its role as the<br />

world’s leader, as China’s star rises.<br />

Not far from Long Island, 24-yearold<br />

Gracelyn Bateman walks across<br />

town to her job in a digital-media<br />

agency in Manhattan. She loves this<br />

lively, diverse city and says she feels<br />

“privileged” to live there.<br />

Bateman’s parents had no problem<br />

paying for her to study sociology at<br />

an Ivy League university. However,<br />

she does not believe she will reach<br />

her baby-boomer parents’ socioeconomic<br />

status. “It is going to be<br />

difficult for my generation to live<br />

out the American Dream the way<br />

our parents did,” she says. “I do not<br />

have a single friend in New York<br />

who is financially stable or able to<br />

save.” Unemployment for those aged<br />

between 16 and 24 is around 14 per<br />

Job fair: land of opportunity for youth?<br />

cent, compared to the national figure<br />

of just over six per cent.<br />

Even though GDP is expected to<br />

grow by nearly three per cent in<br />

2014 and unemployment has fallen<br />

significantly in recent years, real<br />

wages have been stagnating since<br />

the 1970s. A recent OECD report<br />

ranked US socio-economic inequality<br />

as the fourth worst of OECD countries,<br />

after Chile, Mexico and Turkey.<br />

“It is going to be difficult for<br />

my generation to live out<br />

the American Dream the way<br />

our parents did”<br />

Gracelyn Bateman, 24-year-old member of the millennial<br />

generation, who works in digital analytics in New York City<br />

baby boomer<br />

Angehörige(r) der<br />

[(beIbi )bu:mE]<br />

geburtenstarken<br />

Jahrgänge<br />

Chile [(tSIli]<br />

[wg. Aussprache]<br />

diverse [daI(v§:s] vielfältig; hier: bunt<br />

gemischt<br />

GDP (gross domestic BIP (Bruttoinlandsproduct)<br />

[)dZi: di: (pi:] produkt)<br />

millennial generation Generation der Personen,<br />

[mI(leniEl dZenE)reIS&n] die um das Jahr 2000<br />

herum Teenager waren<br />

stable [(steIb&l]<br />

stabil; hier: solide<br />

aufgestellt<br />

40 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

Proud Americans:<br />

celebrating<br />

Independence Day<br />

United States: Fast facts<br />

ddp<br />

Media star: Kwasi Enin, 17, is off to Yale<br />

The report’s authors say increasing<br />

inequality is stifling social mobility<br />

in the US. In the past 30 years, the<br />

pre-tax income of the wealthiest one<br />

per cent of Americans has doubled,<br />

while average incomes have risen by<br />

only 0.6 per cent annually and the<br />

incomes of the poorest ten per cent<br />

dropped by 15 per cent from 2000 to<br />

2010, according to the 2013 OECD<br />

Income Distribution Database.<br />

annually [(ÄnjuEli]<br />

benefit [(benIfIt]<br />

database [(deItEbeIs]<br />

economic recovery<br />

[i:kE)nQmIk ri(kVvEri]<br />

poll [pEUl]<br />

pre-tax income<br />

[)pri: tÄks (InkVm]<br />

stifle sth. [(staIf&l]<br />

jährlich<br />

Sozialleistung<br />

Datenbank<br />

Konjunkturaufschwung<br />

Umfrage<br />

Einkommen<br />

vor Steuern<br />

etw. unterdrücken,<br />

ersticken<br />

“To many people, what matters is<br />

not so much inequality of incomes,<br />

but rather inequality of opportunities,”<br />

say the authors of the OECD<br />

report. They believe the problems are<br />

structural and will not be solved by<br />

an economic recovery. Instead, policy<br />

changes are needed to improve education,<br />

to build the skills needed for<br />

a more technological and changing<br />

workplace and, especially, to reform<br />

tax and benefit policies, which are<br />

the most “direct and powerful instruments<br />

to redistribute income,” says<br />

the report.<br />

A Wall Street Journal/NBC News<br />

poll found that 71 per cent of those<br />

asked blame the country’s problems<br />

on federal politics, which has seen<br />

Reuters/Corbis<br />

4<br />

Official name:<br />

United States of America<br />

Government:<br />

Constitution-based federal republic<br />

Capital:<br />

Washington, DC, 4.7 million (2011)<br />

President:<br />

Barack Obama (since 20 January<br />

2005)<br />

Population:<br />

318.9 million (July 2014 est.)<br />

GDP (at purchasing power parity):<br />

$16.72 trillion (2013 est.)<br />

GDP (real growth rate):<br />

2.8% (2014 est.)<br />

Unemployment:<br />

6.2% (July 2014)<br />

Inflation:<br />

2.1% (June 2014)<br />

Main trading partners:<br />

Canada, China, Mexico, Japan and<br />

Germany<br />

Main ethnic groups:<br />

White 80%, Hispanic 15%, black<br />

13%, Asian 4%, Native American<br />

1% (July 2007 est.)<br />

Main religions:<br />

Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic<br />

23.9%, Mormon 1.7%, other Christian<br />

1.6%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist<br />

0.7%, Muslim 0.6% (2007 est.)<br />

constitution [)kQnstI(tju:S&n] Verfassung<br />

est. (estimate) [(estImEt] Schätzung<br />

GDP (gross domestic BIP (Bruttoinlandsproduct)<br />

[)dZi: di: (pi:] produkt)<br />

Jewish [(dZu:IS]<br />

jüdisch<br />

purchasing power parity: at ~ kaufkraftbereinigt<br />

[)p§:tSEsIN )paUE (pÄrEti]<br />

trillion [(trIljEn]<br />

Billion(en)<br />

Sources: CIA World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/<br />

library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html);<br />

“IMF World Economic Outlook Update” (www.imf.org/<br />

external/pubs/ft/weo/2014/update/01); Bureau of<br />

Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm)<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 41

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION THE US<br />

Interview<br />

“Promoting yourself and the work you do is<br />

a matter of survival in America”<br />

MELISSA LAMSON is an American intercultural<br />

and diversity author and expert who<br />

has worked both in Germany and the US.<br />

The owner of Lamson Consulting, she has<br />

provided intercultural advice to the German<br />

foreign ministry. In 2006, she won<br />

an award for her work in diversity from<br />

the German government. Lamson, who<br />

coaches executives in Germany, talks to<br />

us about why understanding the US culture<br />

is essential to doing business there.<br />

What has your intercultural work with Germany<br />

and the US taught you?<br />

I’m constantly surprised at how differently<br />

we look at things. You think business<br />

is business, but then you find we have<br />

completely different ways of making decisions,<br />

prioritizing work, building relationships<br />

and getting support for a project.<br />

Germans and Americans have the opposite<br />

approach to risk-taking, action versus<br />

planning and thinking versus doing.<br />

What should Germans know about American<br />

culture?<br />

It is very complex. I recently did a study<br />

where I asked German international project<br />

managers which country was the<br />

hardest to work for and most said the<br />

US. Understanding the importance of<br />

succeeding at work is essential if one<br />

wants to do business in the US. It is the<br />

reason Americans self-promote and use<br />

extravagant language, and also why, to<br />

Europeans, they can seem naive, showy<br />

and false.<br />

Why do Americans behave like that?<br />

Unlike in social democracies, where a<br />

social net protects the weak, in America,<br />

business is a dog-eat-dog world. The<br />

social pact is “work hard and you can<br />

succeed”. You can go from rags to riches,<br />

but you can also quickly go from riches to<br />

rags. So all Americans know they can lose<br />

their jobs at any time. Promoting yourself<br />

and the work you do is therefore a matter<br />

of survival. Americans are conditioned at<br />

an early age to stand up in front of others<br />

and say how great they are.<br />

Why do Americans often appear permanently<br />

happy?<br />

Americans place a high value on being<br />

positive and solution-oriented. We<br />

Americans really believe that if you are<br />

positive, you will attract positive energy.<br />

People who talk about problems are seen<br />

as negative. There is also pressure on<br />

Americans to appear happy. Europeans<br />

are often unsure of how authentic this<br />

happiness is.<br />

Should Germans in America market themselves<br />

in the American way?<br />

If they don’t, there is a risk they will not<br />

succeed. I coach German executives to<br />

create a persona. I often use Steve Jobs<br />

as an example. He started off shy and<br />

was coached to become a big personality.<br />

My clients find being this new persona in<br />

a foreign language makes it easier. However,<br />

the more you adapt to US culture,<br />

the more you can start sharing your own<br />

way of doing things.<br />

approach [E(prEUtS] Herangehensweise<br />

challenge [(tSÄlIndZ] Herausforderung; hier:<br />

Problem<br />

consulting [kEn(sVltIN] Beratung; hier:<br />

Beratungsfirma<br />

diversity [daI(v§:sEti] Vielfalt<br />

dog-eat-dog [)dQg i:t (dQg] jeder gegen jeden<br />

executive [Ig(zekjUtIv] Führungskraft<br />

naive [naI(i:v]<br />

[wg. Aussprache]<br />

persona [pE(sEUnE] Persönlichkeit, Image<br />

prioritize sth.<br />

etw. nach Priorität<br />

[praI(QrItaIz]<br />

ordnen<br />

rags to riches: go from ~ vom Tellerwäscher zum<br />

[)rÄgz tE (rItSIz]<br />

Millionär werden<br />

(rags<br />

Lumpen)<br />

rift [rIft]<br />

Kluft<br />

showy [(SEUi]<br />

protzig, prunkliebend<br />

shy [SaI]<br />

schüchtern,<br />

zurückhaltend<br />

Give an example of the language Germans<br />

should use.<br />

Germans introduce a product saying:<br />

“We are very satisfied with this interesting<br />

product developed by our experts.”<br />

For Americans, “interesting” means<br />

“boring”. I teach them to say something<br />

like: “This is an exciting, life-changing<br />

product with huge competence behind it,<br />

which you cannot live without.”<br />

What about possible misunderstandings?<br />

A German executive recently told me<br />

she never realized how much Americans<br />

feared losing their jobs. If management<br />

spoke about “problems”, the staff<br />

thought they were about to be fired. In<br />

America, “problem” means “disaster”. In<br />

Germany, it merely means something that<br />

needs a solution.<br />

How do you handle mixed meetings with<br />

different cultural expectations?<br />

I recently attended a meeting between a<br />

German and US firm that had joined together<br />

and they asked for feedback. I told<br />

them I would do it separately. Germans<br />

want to hear the negative things first so<br />

they can avoid problems, so I told them:<br />

“There were really quite a few problems<br />

and certain areas could turn into disasters.”<br />

I had to focus on solutions and be<br />

positive for the Americans, so I said: “It<br />

was a very productive meeting, but we<br />

still have a few challenges and we need<br />

to create work teams to find solutions.”<br />

What is the worst mistake one can make<br />

in America?<br />

Criticize America! Avoid political discussions,<br />

even if you know Americans who<br />

live in Germany, and they criticize the<br />

US themselves. What unites Americans is<br />

an enormous sense of pride and protectiveness<br />

about their country. It’s a case<br />

of: I can criticize my own brother and<br />

sister, but if you do, it will create a rift<br />

between us.<br />

42 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

Labour unrest:<br />

workers speak<br />

out against<br />

unemployment<br />

a stalemate in recent years between<br />

the ruling Democrats and the Republicans<br />

on important issues such<br />

as debt, health care, financial-sector<br />

regulation and climate change. “The<br />

public seems to have moved beyond<br />

the plaintive cry of ‘Feel our pain’<br />

to the more angry pronouncement of<br />

‘You are causing our pain’,” Democratic<br />

pollster Fred Yang told The<br />

Wall Street Journal.<br />

Alamy (2)<br />

Younger voters, in particular, are<br />

disillusioned with traditional politics<br />

The good life: afternoon drinks at a roof<strong>top</strong> bar<br />

and increasing numbers describe<br />

themselves as independents. More<br />

multicultural, egalitarian and informed<br />

than any generation before<br />

them, they are practical rather than<br />

ideological, and they support individual<br />

policies rather than political<br />

parties, says Michelle Diggles, a political<br />

social mobility than blacks. Only 17<br />

per cent of black children born to<br />

middle-income families exceed their<br />

parents’ incomes, compared to 37 per<br />

analyst from the US think tank cent of white children in the same<br />

after all [)A:ftEr (O:l] schließlich<br />

beat the odds<br />

es entgegen aller<br />

[)bi:t Di (Qdz]<br />

Wahrscheinlichkeit Third Way, who believes they will income group, according to a report<br />

schaffen<br />

change politics.<br />

by the Brookings Institution, a policy<br />

debt [det]<br />

Schulden, Verschuldung<br />

decline [di(klaIn] Rückgang,<br />

A 2013 Pew study on American organization in Washington, DC.<br />

Verschlechterung attitudes also found that, while 48<br />

diversity [daI(v§:sEti] Vielfalt<br />

per cent of Americans believed the However, the American Dream<br />

egalitarian [i)gÄlI(teEriEn] egalitär, dem Egalitarismus<br />

verbunden US was the greatest country in the remains fundamental to America’s<br />

glass ceiling<br />

„gläserne Decke“,<br />

world, only 32 per cent of millennials sense of self. It is an ideal that says<br />

[)glA:s (si:lIN]<br />

unsichtbare Barriere<br />

health care [(helT keE] Gesundheitswesen had this view.<br />

the highest human achievement is to<br />

issue [(ISu:]<br />

Frage<br />

But is America really in decline? do one’s best. “This is why ambition,<br />

plaintive [(pleIntIv] wehleidig<br />

policy organization hier etwa: Organisation After all, the American Dream has self-promotion, success and beating<br />

[)pQlEsi O:gEnaI)zeIS&n] für öffentliche Politik never worked for everyone. In the the odds are so highly valued in America,”<br />

says intercultural and diversity<br />

pollster [(pEUlstE] Demoskop(in),<br />

Meinungsforscher(in) past few decades, anti-discrimination<br />

pronouncement<br />

Erklärung, Verkündigung policies have been created to remove expert Melissa Lamson (see interview<br />

[prE(naUnsmEnt]<br />

the glass ceiling for disadvantaged on p. 42). Lamson adds that pride in<br />

stalemate [(steI&lmeIt] Patt(situation)<br />

think tank [(TINk tÄNk] Denkfabrik groups. Yet whites still enjoy greater these values is what unites Americans 4<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 43

Corbis<br />

Digging deep in<br />

Texas: extracting<br />

oil from shale<br />

The American Dream<br />

James Truslow Adams (1878–<br />

1949), an American historian,<br />

coined this term in his popular book<br />

The Epic of America, published in<br />

1931. He wrote that the American<br />

Dream has attracted tens of millions<br />

of people from all nations to the US,<br />

but that it was much more than just<br />

a dream of making money: “It has<br />

been a dream of being able to grow<br />

to fullest development as man and<br />

woman, unhampered by the barriers<br />

which had slowly been erected in the<br />

older civilizations, unrepressed by social<br />

orders which had developed for<br />

the benefit of classes rather than for<br />

the simple human being of any and<br />

every class. And that dream has been<br />

realized more fully in actual life here<br />

than anywhere else…”<br />

coin sth. [kOIn]<br />

etw. prägen<br />

epic [(epIk]<br />

Epos<br />

erect sth. [I(rekt] etw. errichten<br />

historian [hI(stO:riEn] Historiker(in)<br />

unhampered [)Vn(hÄmpEd] ungehindert<br />

unrepressed [)Vnri(prest] nicht unterdrückt<br />

across all levels of society. In his recent<br />

book, The Unwinding: An Inner<br />

History of the New America (see box<br />

on p. 45), George Packer, a journalist<br />

at The New Yorker, describes the<br />

gradual breakdown of the US social<br />

contract, whereby institutions that<br />

are meant to promote social justice<br />

have broken down. However, he says<br />

that while the US goes through an<br />

“unwinding” every generation or so,<br />

each decline brings renewal, energy<br />

and a new unity.<br />

In one sign of renewal, US mayors<br />

have stepped in where federal<br />

politics have failed. The US Conference<br />

of Mayors, an organization<br />

that represents city leaders, recently<br />

formed a task force to fight inequality<br />

in their cities. “We recognize<br />

that rising inequality and declining<br />

opportunity are threats to our fundamental<br />

values and to the nation’s<br />

economic growth,” the mayors said<br />

in a press statement. More than 30<br />

mayors have promised to secure better<br />

wages, improve early childhood<br />

education and expand internet access<br />

for low-income residents, as well as<br />

make their cities better places to live<br />

in. In south Texas, another local initiaccess<br />

[(Äkses]<br />

Zugang<br />

declining [di(klaInIN] geringer werdend<br />

early childhood education frühkindliche<br />

[)§:li )tSaI&ldhUd<br />

Bildung<br />

)edju(keIS&n]<br />

mayor [meE]<br />

Bürgermeister(in)<br />

press statement<br />

Presseerklärung<br />

[(pres )steItmEnt]<br />

research director Forschungsdirektor(in)<br />

[ri(s§:tS dE)rektE]<br />

social contract<br />

Gesellschaftsvertrag<br />

[)sEUS&l (kQntrÄkt]<br />

step in [)step (In] einschreiten<br />

unity [(ju:nEti]<br />

Einheit<br />

unwinding [)Vn(waIndIN] Abwicklung<br />

“We want to make sure we get the<br />

most out of [the shale] boom”<br />

Thomas Tunstall, research director, Institute for Economic Development,<br />

University of Texas, San Antonio<br />

44 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

THE US INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION<br />

For more information<br />

BOOKS<br />

Chasing the American Dream: Understanding What<br />

Shapes Our Fortunes, Mark Robert Rank, Thomas A.<br />

Hirschl, Kirk A. Foster (Oxford University Press)<br />

Gray Mountain: A Novel, John Grisham (Doubleday)<br />

Unternehmenserfolg in den USA: Strategie, Markteintritt,<br />

Kultur — die größten Fehler, die besten<br />

Praxistipps, Melissa Lamson, Ralf Drews (Springer<br />

Gabler)<br />

The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New<br />

America, George Packer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)<br />

WEBSITES<br />

Lamson Consulting: www.lamsonconsulting.com<br />

World Values Survey: www.worldvaluessurvey.org<br />

ative is bringing jobs and growth, this<br />

time to the Eagle Ford shale region,<br />

the heart of America’s shale gas and<br />

oil boom.<br />

“We want to make sure we get the<br />

most out of this boom,” says Thomas<br />

Tunstall, research director at the Institute<br />

for Economic Development of<br />

the University of Texas in San Antonio.<br />

Tunstall is working with the Eagle<br />

Ford Shale Consortium, a group<br />

of city and county officials, businesses<br />

and research organizations set up<br />

to boost development in the region.<br />

University of Texas studies show<br />

that the shale industry in south Texas<br />

supports more than 116,000 fulltime<br />

jobs. Plans are to take advantage<br />

of the boom to develop infrastructure,<br />

by building roads, revitalizing<br />

downtown areas and diversifying the<br />

local economy to attract other forms<br />

of business and agriculture.<br />

The shale revolution is a sign<br />

of hope in America — although a<br />

controversial one — which in some<br />

ways, sums up the US struggle with<br />

itself. Growing energy independence<br />

is helping to reduce the US petroleum<br />

trade deficit and means reduced dependence<br />

on politically unstable suppliers<br />

in the Middle East. The boom<br />

is also attracting US petrochemical<br />

firms back home and benefiting the<br />

local manufacturing sector. But opponents<br />

of fracking — which uses<br />

highly pressurized liquids to fracture<br />

rocks hundreds of metres below the<br />

earth’s surface to release oil and gas<br />

— believe that the energy industry<br />

is insufficiently regulated and that<br />

serious environmental damage is being<br />

done in the process (see <strong>Business</strong><br />

<strong>Spotlight</strong> 1/2014). Sharon Wilson, an<br />

anti-fracking activist who had moved<br />

to Eagle Ford in the 1990s to live<br />

out what she calls her “American<br />

Dream” in the countryside, moved<br />

away after friends and neighbours<br />

became sick. “It’s not right for firms<br />

to put families’ health at risk,” she<br />

wrote in her blog. “Americans are<br />

better people than that.”<br />

George Packer says the only thing<br />

that never changes in the US are the<br />

voices: “American voices, open, sentimental,<br />

angry…” As long as Americans<br />

are raising their voices, change<br />

and renewal will come. And as Kwasi<br />

Enin’s case shows, the American<br />

Dream is still alive, even if it is not<br />

particularly well.<br />

BS<br />

boost sth. [bu:st] etw. ankurbeln<br />

chase sth. [tSeIs] etw. (nach)jagen<br />

consulting [kEn(sVltIN] Beratung; hier:<br />

Beratungsfirma<br />

county [(kaUnti] US etwa: (Land-)Kreis<br />

environmental damage Umweltbelastung,<br />

[InvaI&rEn)ment&l (dÄmIdZ] -schäden<br />

fortunes [(fO:tSEnz] Schicksal<br />

fracture sth. [(frÄktSE] etw. aufbrechen<br />

highly pressurized unter hohem Druck<br />

[)haIli (preSEraIzd] (stehend)<br />

novel [(nQv&l]<br />

Roman<br />

petroleum [pE(trEUliEm] Erdöl<br />

raise one’s voice seine Stimme erheben<br />

[)reIz wVnz (vOIs]<br />

release sth. [ri(li:s] etw. freisetzen<br />

research director Forschungsdirektor(in)<br />

[ri(s§:tS dE)rektE]<br />

revitalize sth.<br />

etw. neu beleben<br />

[ri:(vaItElaIz]<br />

shale [SeI&l]<br />

Schiefergestein<br />

shale gas [)SeI&l (gÄs] Schiefergas<br />

sum sth. up [)sVm (Vp] etw. zusammenfassen;<br />

hier: für etw. sinnbildlich<br />

sein<br />

supplier [sE(plaIE] Zulieferer/Zulieferin<br />

survey [(s§:veI]<br />

Studie, Umfrage<br />

trade deficit<br />

Außenhandelsdefizit<br />

[(treId )defEsIt]<br />

unstable [Vn(steIb&l] instabil<br />

unwinding [)Vn(waIndIN] Abwicklung<br />

Good to know<br />

l To promote your product or business,<br />

use exaggerated sales language.<br />

“Interesting” means “boring”<br />

in the US. Try “life-changing”,<br />

“exciting”, “huge impact”.<br />

l Self-promotion is seen as essential<br />

for getting ahead in the US. Managers<br />

often get coached on how to<br />

build an exciting persona.<br />

l Avoid using the word “problem”. In<br />

the US, it can mean “disaster”.<br />

l Talk about solutions, not problems.<br />

Focusing on problems can seem<br />

negative to Americans, who place<br />

a high value on being positive.<br />

l Never criticize America. Americans<br />

are very protective of their country.<br />

Be especially careful about discussing<br />

politics in work situations.<br />

l In the US, success is measured by<br />

profit, so Americans tend to regard<br />

tasks as being more important than<br />

relationships.<br />

l Keep a professional distance with<br />

business partners or colleagues.<br />

l Once you have gained the trust of<br />

US partners, you can introduce<br />

your own way of doing things. It is<br />

possible to balance both cultures<br />

in a relationship.<br />

exaggerated<br />

[Ig(zÄdZEreItId]<br />

get ahead [)get E(hed]<br />

impact [(ImpÄkt]<br />

persona [pE(sEUnE]<br />

sales [seI&lz]<br />

übertrieben,<br />

überzogen<br />

vorwärtskommen<br />

Wirkung<br />

Persönlichkeit, Image<br />

Vertrieb<br />

Listen to more about the US on<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> Audio<br />

plus Test your knowledge of US English<br />

in <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> plus<br />

www For more on the US, go to<br />

www.business-spotlight.de/us<br />

Vicki Sussens is a feature writer who<br />

edits the Intercultural and Management<br />

sections of <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong>.<br />

Contact: bs.editorial@spotlight-verlag.de<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 45

LANGUAGE VOCABULARY<br />

Concert halls<br />

In<br />

dieser Rubrik präsentieren wir nützliche Begriffe aus<br />

der Arbeitswelt. Von Carol Scheunemann<br />

easy<br />

1<br />

2<br />

6<br />

8<br />

19<br />

3<br />

7<br />

4<br />

5<br />

9<br />

10<br />

11<br />

12<br />

13<br />

17<br />

18<br />

20<br />

14<br />

16<br />

21<br />

15<br />

1. concert hall [(kQnsEt hO:l] Konzertsaal<br />

2. curtain [(k§:t&n] Vorhang<br />

3. concertgoer [(kQnsEt)gEUE] Konzertbesucher(in)<br />

4. stage [steIdZ] Bühne<br />

5. (the) brass [(DE) brA:s] Blechblasinstrumente;<br />

die Blechbläser(innen)<br />

6. symphony orchestra [(sImfEni )O:kIstrE] Sinfonieorchester<br />

7. harp [hA:p] Harfe<br />

8. harpist [(hA:pIst] Harfist(in)<br />

9. (the) strings [(DE) strINz] Streichinstrumente;<br />

die Streicher(innen)<br />

10. leader [li:dE] (US concertmaster Konzertmeister, erste(r)<br />

[(kA:ns&rt)mÄst&r*])<br />

Geiger(in)<br />

first violin [)f§:st vaIE(lIn]<br />

erste(r) Geiger(in)<br />

11. conductor [kEn(dVktE] Dirigent(in)<br />

12. conductor’s stand [kEn(dVktEz stÄnd] Dirigentenpult<br />

13. musician [mju(zIS&n] Musiker(in)<br />

14. music critic [(mju:zIk )krItIk] Musikkritiker(in)<br />

15. dress circle [(dres )s§:k&l] erster Rang<br />

(US first balcony [)f§:st (bÄlkEni],<br />

mezzanine [(mezEni:n*])<br />

16. stalls [stO:lz] (US parquet [pA:r(keI*]) Parkett<br />

17. audience [(O:diEns] Publikum, Zuhörer(innen)<br />

18. usher [(VSE] Platzanweiser(in)<br />

19. box [bQks], loge [lEUZ] Loge<br />

20. row [rEU] Reihe<br />

21. aisle [(aI&l] Gang<br />

22. accessible seating [Ek)sesEb&l (si:tIN] Behindertenplätze<br />

* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.<br />

Exercise: The sound of music<br />

Fill in the vowels to complete the words from the list.<br />

The a) symph_ny _rch_str_’s first concert this season was a<br />

phenomenal success. This was also the premiere under the<br />

world-famous b) c_nd_ct_r. The c) m_s_c_ _ns’ performance<br />

was sensational! The evening ended with a lovely solo by the<br />

d) h_rp_st. Without exception, the e) c_nc_rtg_ _rs were very<br />

enthusiastic, and everyone in the f) _ _d_ _nc_ applauded<br />

until the g) c_rt_ _n fell. The evening was also a first for the<br />

recently renovated h) c_nc_rt h_ll, which now offers a wider<br />

i) st_g_ and comfortable new seats in all areas, from the<br />

central j) st_lls up to the k) dr_ss c_rcl_. Bravo!<br />

Answers on page 74<br />

22<br />

Bernhard Förth<br />

46 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

GRAMMAR AT WORK LANGUAGE<br />

Keeping a conversation going<br />

Zuhören und auf das Gehörte reagieren: Nur so kann ein Gespräch in Gang<br />

gehalten werden, wie Anna Hochsieder anhand von Beispielen erläutert.<br />

medium<br />

Alan and his colleague Brian have just heard a lecture on astrophysics.<br />

Alan: Well, that was interesting, wasn’t it?<br />

Brian: Fascinating. That man’s a wonderful speaker.<br />

Alan: Brilliant. And he certainly knows his subject.<br />

Brian: Absolutely. He makes me feel quite ignorant.<br />

Alan: But he’s not patronizing.<br />

Brian: Definitely not. He puts himself on an equal footing with his audience.<br />

It’s great how he explains complicated matters in simple terms.<br />

Alan: Exactly. Even my 15-year-old son reads his books.<br />

Brian: Does he?<br />

Alan: You know the one he wrote about black holes — he read that in<br />

one sitting.<br />

Brian: In one sitting?<br />

Alan: Yes. He asked me to get him a signed copy of the new book.<br />

Brian: And did you?<br />

Alan: Not yet. But I'll try and catch the author before he leaves.<br />

Brian: Good idea!<br />

audience [(O:diEns]<br />

Publikum<br />

footing: on an equal ~ [(fUtIN] auf Augenhöhe<br />

patronizing [(pÄtrE)naIzIN]<br />

gönnerhaft<br />

5. You can also respond with a question.<br />

This can be a short form of a regular<br />

question (Does he?), an echo question,<br />

which repeats the other speaker’s<br />

remark (In one sitting?), or a follow-up<br />

question that develops the conversation<br />

further (And did you?).<br />

6. An exclamation such as Good idea!<br />

serves to react in a positive way to<br />

something that has been said. Exclamations<br />

such as How awful! are<br />

used to respond to bad news. In both<br />

cases, their function is to show friendly<br />

interest and thereby to create an<br />

atmosphere that keeps the conversation<br />

going.<br />

BS<br />

Exercise<br />

Order the sentences to create a short<br />

conversation. Start with sentence e).<br />

k<br />

Explanations<br />

1. Tag questions such as wasn’t it? invite<br />

the listener to respond. They are<br />

attached to statements and usually<br />

consist of an auxiliary verb and a subject<br />

pronoun. Mixed tag questions are<br />

useful for developing a conversation:<br />

a positive statement is followed by a<br />

negative tag question and a negative<br />

statement by a positive tag question.<br />

2. You can often respond by using<br />

slightly different words. For example,<br />

you can follow interesting with another<br />

adjective, like fascinating. Both have a<br />

similar meaning (as do wonderful and<br />

brilliant), but the second one is stronger<br />

than the first.<br />

3. Adverbs such as absolutely and exactly<br />

are used to show strong agreement.<br />

To agree to a negative statement,<br />

you can sometimes add “not” after the<br />

adverb (Definitely not.).<br />

4. You can respond with a sentence<br />

that has a similar meaning. When Alan<br />

says that the speaker is not patronizing,<br />

Brian repeats the same thought in a<br />

different way, saying that the speaker<br />

puts himself on an equal footing with<br />

his audience. He then adds that the<br />

speaker explains complicated matters in<br />

simple terms.<br />

a) It’s not as if we didn’t have anything<br />

better to do.<br />

❏<br />

b) It just went on and on. ❏<br />

c) Exactly. I was hoping to leave<br />

early today.<br />

❏<br />

d) Yeah. It’s my wife’s birthday, and<br />

and I’m taking her out for a meal. ❏<br />

e) That was a long meeting! ❏<br />

f) Were you? ❏<br />

Answers on page 74<br />

plus Do more exercises on this <strong>top</strong>ic in<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> plus<br />

www More exercises can be found at<br />

www.business-spotlight.de/grammar<br />

Anna Hochsieder is a Munich-based<br />

teacher of English who writes regularly<br />

in <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong>. Contact:<br />

a.hochsieder@googlemail.com<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 47

LANGUAGE EASY ENGLISH<br />

iStock<br />

Explaining what has happened: make<br />

your message relevant and clear<br />

Recent developments<br />

Trends und Entwicklungen lassen sich sowohl mit Bildmaterial als<br />

auch mit sprachlichen Mitteln veranschaulichen. Mike Hogan gibt<br />

Ihnen Wendungen in diesem Zusammenhang zur Hand. easy<br />

When looking at the performance<br />

of your team, department or<br />

company, it is important to consider<br />

not only internal but also external<br />

factors, such as general business<br />

trends. Here, we look at the strategies<br />

and the language you will need for talking<br />

about recent developments.<br />

Read the following dialogue between<br />

a team member, Sue, and her boss,<br />

Ralph. As you read it, think about the<br />

answers to these questions:<br />

l How does Sue make it easier for<br />

Ralph to understand the information<br />

she presents?<br />

l How does Sue show the relevance of<br />

the information?<br />

l How does Sue create a sense of<br />

urgency?<br />

Dialogue<br />

Ralph: Hi, Sue. Tell me what you have<br />

found out about the latest trends.<br />

And what is their impact on our department<br />

and organization?<br />

Sue: Well, Ralph, as you can see from<br />

these charts, the percentage of millennials<br />

in the workforce has been<br />

rising rapidly over the past few years.<br />

We have also seen this in our company.<br />

As a result, the number of<br />

employees wanting either flexible<br />

working hours or wishing to work<br />

from home has been going up.<br />

Ralph: Well, that’s certainly interesting.<br />

Sue: Yes, it is. Also, and if you look<br />

at this image here, you can see the<br />

relationship between these developments<br />

and falling levels of employee<br />

satisfaction.<br />

Ralph: Right! That looks like a serious<br />

problem.<br />

Sue: It is indeed. What all this means<br />

is that it will be necessary for us to<br />

make some changes if we want to<br />

appeal to this younger generation<br />

of employees. If we don’t, we risk<br />

losing them.<br />

appeal to sb. [E(pi:&l tu]<br />

chart [tSA:t]<br />

department [di(pA:tmEnt]<br />

employee satisfaction<br />

[Im)plOIi: )sÄtIs(fÄkS&n]<br />

impact [(ImpÄkt]<br />

millennial [mI(leniEl]<br />

urgency [(§:dZEnsi]<br />

workforce [(w§:kfO:s]<br />

working hours<br />

[(w§:kIN )aUEz]<br />

bei jmdm. Anklang<br />

finden<br />

Grafik, Tabelle<br />

Abteilung<br />

Mitarbeiterzufriedenheit<br />

Auswirkung(en)<br />

Person, die um das Jahr<br />

2000 herum Teenager<br />

war<br />

Dringlichkeit<br />

arbeitende<br />

Bevölkerung<br />

Arbeitszeit(en)<br />

48 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

call to action [)kO:l tE (ÄkS&n]<br />

get back to sb. [)get (bÄk tu:]<br />

how about… ? [(haU E)baUt] ifml.<br />

key talent [)ki: (tÄlEnt]<br />

outdated [)aUt(deItId]<br />

up to date: bring sth. ~<br />

[)Vp tE (deIt]<br />

visuals [(vIZuElz]<br />

work-life balance<br />

[)w§:k )laIf (bÄlEns]<br />

Grammar: the present perfect continuous<br />

When talking about recent trends and developments at work, we often use<br />

the present perfect continuous (have/has been + -ing). This form is used when<br />

we are speaking about developments that are still happening and are relevant<br />

to the present.<br />

Look at these two examples from the dialogue:<br />

l …the percentage of millennials in the workforce has been rising rapidly over<br />

the past few years.<br />

Aufruf zum Handeln<br />

sich wieder mit jmdm. in Verbindung setzen<br />

hier: wie wäre es, wenn…?<br />

Spitzenleute<br />

veraltet, überholt<br />

etw. auf den neuesten Stand bringen<br />

Bildmaterial<br />

(ausgewogenes) Verhältnis zwischen<br />

Berufs- und Privatleben<br />

Ralph: OK, so what exactly do we need<br />

to do? What’s your opinion?<br />

Sue: Well, our processes and structures<br />

are outdated — and therefore hard<br />

for this younger generation to accept.<br />

People want more control over their<br />

work-life balance. That is one reason<br />

why we have seen a large increase in<br />

the number of employees asking to<br />

work from home.<br />

Ralph: Yes, but that’s not always possible<br />

because of the way our computer<br />

system is set up.<br />

Sue: Maybe, but if we don’t bring our<br />

processes up to date, we’ll find it<br />

difficult to improve employee satisfaction.<br />

Then we are likely to lose<br />

our key talent and our reputation will<br />

suffer badly.<br />

Ralph: You’re right. It is definitely time<br />

to make some changes to the way we<br />

work. The current system was created<br />

a long time ago, and we really<br />

do want to be a great place to work.<br />

Could you lead a project to identify<br />

the changes we could make to improve<br />

things for this new generation<br />

of employees?<br />

Sue: Sure. How about I get back to you<br />

in a month with some suggestions?<br />

Here are the answers to our questions:<br />

l Sue uses visuals (charts and an image)<br />

to help Ralph understand the<br />

developments.<br />

l Sue describes general developments<br />

and their impact on the department<br />

and company.<br />

l Sue focuses on what is likely to happen<br />

to the department and company<br />

if management does not react to the<br />

developments.<br />

Preparation points<br />

l Prepare visuals to help you make<br />

your points.<br />

l Make a connection between general<br />

trends and their impact on<br />

your organization.<br />

l Prepare a “call to action”.<br />

l …the number of employees wanting either flexible working hours or wishing<br />

to work from home has been going up.<br />

Useful phrases for talking about<br />

recent developments<br />

a) Referring to visuals<br />

l As you can see from this chart/image/<br />

diagram,…<br />

l If you look at this image, you can see<br />

that…<br />

l Look at the difference between the first<br />

and second figures.<br />

l Notice the relationship between this<br />

year and last year.<br />

b) The language of change<br />

l The percentage of millennials in the<br />

workforce has been rising rapidly over<br />

the past few years.<br />

l The number of employees wanting flexible<br />

working hours has been going up.<br />

l Employee satisfaction levels have been<br />

falling.<br />

l We have seen a large increase in the<br />

number of employees asking to work<br />

from home.<br />

c) A call to action<br />

l OK, so what exactly do we need to do?<br />

What’s your opinion?<br />

l What all this means is that it will be<br />

necessary for us to make some changes.<br />

l We urgently need to make some changes<br />

to our…<br />

l If we don’t bring our processes up to<br />

date, we’ll find it difficult to improve<br />

our...<br />

l Motivation is likely to decrease if we<br />

don’t do something about it soon.<br />

l If we don’t act now, we may lose our<br />

key talent and our reputation will suffer<br />

badly.<br />

BS<br />

Do exercises on this <strong>top</strong>ic on<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> Audio<br />

plus You can find related exercises in<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> plus<br />

Mike Hogan is a director of York Associates<br />

(www.york-associates.co.uk)<br />

and a coursebook author. Contact:<br />

mike.hogan@york-associates.co.uk<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 49

LANGUAGE WISE WORDS<br />

Feel the sun and wind<br />

Sonne, Wind und Wolken gehören zum Klima, haben ihren Platz aber<br />

auch in Redewendungen. Deborah Capras nennt Beispiele.<br />

medium<br />

iStock<br />

“It’s clear which way<br />

the wind is blowing —<br />

and it’s against fossil<br />

fuels”<br />

is coming,” warns Eddard<br />

Stark in the cult TV<br />

“Winter<br />

show Game of Thrones. His<br />

words send a shiver down everyone’s<br />

spine. Winter means doom and gloom.<br />

There are always clouds on the horizon.<br />

Who wouldn’t prefer the clear blue<br />

skies of summer?<br />

Mid-August. Athens. I’m standing on<br />

the largest solar-powered boat in the<br />

world. It’s hot and I’m sweaty. There’s<br />

no shade and not a cloud in the sky.<br />

That’s how the captain likes it. Captain<br />

Gerard D’Aboville knows that his catamaran,<br />

the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar, is<br />

unique. It is powered by nearly 30,000<br />

photovoltaic cells, which charge the<br />

charge sth. [tSA:dZ]<br />

chase sth. [tSeIs]<br />

doom and gloom [)du:m En (glu:m]<br />

Elvish [(elvIS]<br />

shiver: send a ~ down sb.’s spine [(SIvE]<br />

single-handedly [)sINg&l (hÄndIdli]<br />

sweaty [(sweti]<br />

The Lord of the Rings [DE )lO:d Ev DE (rINz]<br />

unique [ju(ni:k]<br />

yachtswoman [(jQts)wUmEn]<br />

etw. aufladen<br />

etw. hinterherjagen<br />

tiefster Pessimismus; hier:<br />

Niedergeschlagenheit<br />

elbisch<br />

jmdn. erschauern lassen<br />

im Alleingang<br />

verschwitzt<br />

Der Herr der Ringe<br />

einzigartig<br />

Seglerin<br />

I can feel it already: it’s in the wind!<br />

ship’s 8.5 tons of lithium-ion batteries.<br />

Its name, Tûranor, is taken from the<br />

Elvish language invented by J. R. R.<br />

Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings,<br />

and means “the power of the sun”.<br />

This invention, however, is very real.<br />

For the sun<br />

The boat is also very slow, expensive<br />

(it cost over €12 million to build) and<br />

impractical. For it to work, the captain<br />

has to chase the sun and avoid<br />

the clouds. D’Aboville admits that it<br />

will never see the light of day as a<br />

commercial ship. It’s simply meant to<br />

demonstrate the possibilities of clean,<br />

renewable energy. I learn that it is the<br />

first solar-powered boat to go round the<br />

globe and that it took 584 days. The<br />

British yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur<br />

puts that record in the shade. She<br />

needed just over 70 days to sail singlehandedly<br />

around the world in 2005,<br />

powered by a different kind of renewable<br />

energy: wind.<br />

Against the wind<br />

Sceptics might view this catamaran as<br />

a symbol of all that is wrong with solar<br />

power. A tanker could never be powered<br />

by solar alone, they could say. And<br />

50 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

A CLOSER LOOK<br />

Until the late 19th century, Newcastle<br />

upon Tyne was a major coal-exporting<br />

city, so it was pointless to take coal there.<br />

Although the city no longer exports coal,<br />

we still use the expression take/carry coals<br />

to Newcastle (Eulen nach Athen tragen)<br />

to show that we think someone is bringing<br />

something to a place or a person that<br />

doesn’t need it. More generally, it describes<br />

a pointless action.<br />

they’d be right. It’s so expensive that<br />

it’s used only if it’s heavily subsidized,<br />

they could also say. This is often the<br />

case, too. However, it’s still clear which<br />

way the wind is blowing — and it’s<br />

against fossil fuels.<br />

Recently, Stanford University voted<br />

to sell its investments in coal-mining<br />

companies. The university, which has<br />

an $18.7 billion (€14 billion) endowment<br />

fund, is the largest US institution<br />

to turn away from fossil fuels because<br />

of concerns about climate change<br />

and investment responsibility. Despite<br />

what sceptics say, the biggest cause<br />

of climate change is carbon dioxide<br />

and burning coal produces plenty of<br />

it. Their decision is a clear sign that<br />

we are slowly looking for alternatives,<br />

which is a good thing.<br />

Forget the coal?<br />

How much we’ve moved away from<br />

coal is perhaps made clear when<br />

Jean-Dominique Vassalli, the rector of<br />

the University of Geneva and a member of<br />

the team on the MS Tûranor, tries to explain<br />

why they are in Greece. The team<br />

will investigate the Neolithic culture<br />

along the coast of the Peloponnese,<br />

he tells us, and the boat allows them<br />

to do their work using high-tech equipment<br />

without polluting the area. Vassalli<br />

jokes about Swiss archaeologists<br />

coming to Greece on a solar-powered<br />

boat built by Germans. He says it<br />

sounds like they are taking coals to<br />

Newcastle. His comment is met by<br />

blank faces. Few people in the room<br />

understand his analogy.<br />

If this fossil-fuel expression is no<br />

longer understood, does this mean that<br />

fossil fuels are going the way of the<br />

dinosaurs? Not quite yet. Winter is<br />

coming. And I’m turning on the central<br />

heating. It still uses oil.<br />

y<br />

Useful phrases<br />

Expressions with “wind” and “cloud”<br />

have one’s head in the clouds<br />

To have no idea of reality, to be daydreaming<br />

and not concentrating on the<br />

important things:<br />

lDo you really think that we can use solar<br />

power for this? You have your head in<br />

the clouds!<br />

it’s clear which way the wind is blowing<br />

This expression is used to show that we<br />

understand what is happening now, and<br />

what will likely happen in the future:<br />

l It’s clear which way the wind is blowing,<br />

so we have to change our strategy.<br />

put the wind up sb. UK ifml.<br />

When you “put the wind up someone”, you<br />

alarm or frighten them:<br />

l You really put the wind up John when<br />

you said that the company is thinking<br />

of firing him.<br />

sail close to the wind ifml.<br />

In business, we use this expression to<br />

show that something is very risky:<br />

l If you ask me, he is sailing close to the<br />

wind with that strategy of his.<br />

In the news<br />

Britain Is Solar-Energy Hot Spot<br />

The Wall Street Journal<br />

A “hotspot” (US “hot spot”) is a fashionable place for something.<br />

Britain is described as a hotspot because it’s becoming a popular<br />

place for investors in solar-energy projects. Britain is not normally<br />

seen as being a sunny place, but the government is subsidizing<br />

renewable energy, making it attractive for investors.<br />

archaeologist [)A:ki(QlEdZIst]<br />

billion [(bIljEn]<br />

blank [blÄNk]<br />

carbon dioxide [)kA:bEn daI(QksaId]<br />

coal mining [(kEUl )maInIN]<br />

endowment fund [In(daUmEnt fVnd]<br />

fossil fuel [)fQs&l (fju:El]<br />

go the way of the dinosaurs<br />

[)gEU DE )weI Ev DE (daInEsO:z]<br />

Peloponnese: the ~ [(pelEpEni:s]<br />

pointless [(pOIntlEs]<br />

pollute sth. [pE(lu:t]<br />

subsidize sth. [(sVbsIdaIz]<br />

Archäologe/-login<br />

Milliarde(n)<br />

ausdruckslos; hier: verständnislos<br />

Kohlendioxid<br />

Kohlebergbau<br />

Stiftungsfonds<br />

fossiler Brennstoff<br />

aussterben<br />

der Peloponnes<br />

sinnlos<br />

etw. verschmutzen<br />

etw. subventionieren<br />

under a cloud<br />

If someone is “under a cloud”, they have<br />

done something wrong (or are suspected<br />

of wrongdoing):<br />

l He left under a cloud when we found<br />

out he’d stolen money from a colleague.<br />

in the wind<br />

If something is “in the wind”, it is certain<br />

to happen:<br />

l We really want to use solar energy. It’s<br />

definitely in the wind.<br />

BS<br />

plus You can find exercises on this <strong>top</strong>ic in<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> plus<br />

Deborah Capras is deputy editor of <strong>Business</strong><br />

<strong>Spotlight</strong> and responsible for the website.<br />

You can read her blog, Wise Words, and do<br />

her online language exercises at www.businessspotlight.de/blogs<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 51

LANGUAGE TRANSLATION<br />

False friends<br />

medium<br />

You mean... You should say... Don‘t say... As this means...<br />

sich arrangieren reach an agreement arrange (an)ordnen; regeln<br />

Am Ende haben wir uns doch In the end, we were able to reach<br />

arrangieren können.<br />

an agreement after all.<br />

Messe trade fair mess Unordnung,<br />

Das Hotel ist total ausgebucht The hotel is fully booked — Durcheinander<br />

— wegen der Messe. because of the trade fair.<br />

tippen bet, guess tip Trinkgeld geben; kippen,<br />

Ich tippe zwei zu eins für uns. I bet two to one for us. sich neigen<br />

Don’t confuse...<br />

take part in, take place, take a seat<br />

l When you take part in something<br />

(an etw. teilnehmen), you are actively<br />

involved in it with other people.<br />

If you take part in a race, then<br />

you compete in it: “More than 50<br />

of our employees took part in the<br />

marathon.”<br />

l You can also take part in a seminar,<br />

meeting or workshop. However,<br />

in this context, we often use the<br />

verbs “attend” or “participate in”<br />

instead. The people who take part<br />

are usually referred to as attendees<br />

or participants (Teilnehmer(innen)):<br />

“How many participants attended<br />

the last seminar?”<br />

l When an event, such as a meeting<br />

or concert, takes place (stattfinden),<br />

it happens: “The 2016<br />

Olympic Games will take place in<br />

Brazil.”<br />

l If you ask someone to take a seat<br />

(Platz nehmen), you invite that<br />

person to sit down: “Please take a<br />

seat. Mr Roberts will be with you<br />

in a moment.”<br />

Tricky translations<br />

How do you say “property” in German?<br />

“Property” means “a building or buildings” or “land, with or without buildings”.<br />

It is translated as Immobilie for buildings and Grund or Grundstück for land: “Who<br />

owns the property?” — Wem gehört das Grundstück/die Immobilie? We distinguish<br />

between residential property (Wohnimmobilie, -eigentum) and commercial property<br />

(gewerblich genutzte Immobilie). In the US, people use “real estate” for both.<br />

“Property” also means “things you own”. We usually translate this as Eigentum<br />

or Besitz: “The hotel is not liable for damage to personal property.” — Das Hotel<br />

haftet nicht für Schäden an Ihrem Eigentum. “Intellectual property” (geistiges<br />

Eigentum) includes inventions, patents and the products of an author’s work.<br />

When we refer to the qualities or characteristics of something, we also use<br />

“property”, but usually in the plural: “Many plants have healing properties.” It is<br />

best translated as Eigenschaft(en): Viele Pflanzen haben heilende Eigenschaften.<br />

How do you say eng in English?<br />

Eng can be used to describe a lack of space between two sides of a street, alley or<br />

entrance: Die Straße ist einfach zu eng für einen Lkw. In this case, it is translated<br />

as narrow: “The street is simply too narrow for a lorry.” If we are describing a room<br />

as eng, we use cramped or poky.<br />

In fashion, eng is used to describe clothes that fit the body very closely. If<br />

something is too small, we translate eng as tight: Ich kann dieses Kleid nicht mehr<br />

anziehen, es ist viel zu eng. — “I can’t wear that dress any more. It’s much too<br />

tight.” But there are other ways in which clothing can be eng. If the effect is sexy,<br />

then we say clinging or close-fitting/skinny, especially for jeans.<br />

We also use eng to show that there might not be enough time to do something:<br />

Es wird morgen eng sein. Here, too, it is translated as tight: “It will be tight tomorrow.”<br />

In this context, we also refer to a tight schedule (enger Terminplan).<br />

Exercise<br />

Translate the following sentences.<br />

a) This is private property. You can’t park here.<br />

Do an exercise on false friends on<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> Audio<br />

Mike Seymour is an author, trainer<br />

and translator. He also writes<br />

regularly for <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong>.<br />

Contact: www.mikeseymour.com<br />

b) Das könnte aber zeitlich eng werden. Fahren wir lieber früher los.<br />

Answers on page 74<br />

52 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

y Deborah Capras<br />

CARDS LANGUAGE<br />

Phrasal verb<br />

Phrasal verb<br />

What does the speaker mean?<br />

“Can I run your idea by Mark first?”<br />

What does the speaker mean?<br />

“I ran into Joan at the conference.”<br />

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Expression<br />

Expression<br />

What does the speaker mean?<br />

“Going forward, we’ll need a new system.”<br />

What does the speaker mean?<br />

“The offer is not to be sneezed at.”<br />

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www.business-spotlight.de<br />

Abbreviation<br />

Abbreviation<br />

What does “PPP” stand for?<br />

“PPP is really difficult to measure.”<br />

What does “temp” stand for?<br />

“We could get a temp.”<br />

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Pronunciation<br />

Pronunciation<br />

How do you pronounce this word?<br />

pension scheme<br />

(Altersversorgung)<br />

How do you pronounce this word?<br />

public debt<br />

(Staatsverschuldung)<br />

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LANGUAGE CARDS<br />

If you run into somebody, you meet that person<br />

unexpectedly. Here, the speaker is saying that,<br />

by chance, he saw Joan at the conference.<br />

jmdn. zufällig treffen<br />

BS 6/2014<br />

If you run something by someone, you ask that<br />

person for their opinion on something that<br />

you are considering or that needs action.<br />

The speaker wants to ask Mark first before a<br />

decision is made.<br />

jmds. Meinung zu etw. einholen<br />

BS 6/2014<br />

The expression not to be sneezed at indicates<br />

that something is good, or at least good enough<br />

to consider taking or accepting. The speaker is<br />

saying that the offer should be taken seriously.<br />

nicht zu verachten sein<br />

BS 6/2014<br />

The phrase going forward is used here to mean “in<br />

the future”. The speaker is saying the system will<br />

need to be changed in the future. This expression<br />

is popular with politicians and managers, but it’s<br />

often criticized for being business jargon. “In the<br />

future” is much easier to understand.<br />

in Zukunft<br />

BS 6/2014<br />

Temp is short for “temporary worker”. We often<br />

use “temp” to refer to someone who does<br />

secretarial work on a contract.<br />

PPP stands for “purchasing power parity”. It<br />

refers to an imagined rate of exchange between<br />

currencies and is used to compare the buying<br />

power in different countries.<br />

Zeitarbeiter(in)<br />

BS 6/2014<br />

Kaufkraftparität<br />

BS 6/2014<br />

Public debt is pronounced [)pVblIk (det]. The<br />

main stress is on “debt”. The “b” in “debt”<br />

is silent.<br />

Pension scheme is pronounced [(penS&n ski:m].<br />

The main stress is on the first syllable of<br />

“pension”, which rhymes with “mention”.<br />

“Scheme” rhymes with “team”.<br />

BS 6/2014<br />

BS 6/2014

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> 6/2014<br />

Grammar basics – to take away<br />

Hildegard Rudolph hat für Sie auf acht Seiten die wichtigsten Grammatik-Regeln der englischen<br />

Sprache zusammengestellt. Zum Heraustrennen und Aufbewahren.<br />

TABLE 1:<br />

Nouns<br />

There are two types of noun: countable and uncountable.<br />

Countable nouns Singular Plural<br />

For regular plurals, add -s employer employers<br />

For nouns ending in -ch, -s, -sh, -x, add -es switch switches<br />

boss<br />

bosses<br />

crash<br />

crashes<br />

box<br />

boxes<br />

For nouns ending in -y, change y to i and add -es currency currencies<br />

For nouns ending in -f or -fe, change these to -ves shelf shelves<br />

life<br />

lives<br />

Some irregular plurals businessman/-woman businessmen/-women<br />

analysis<br />

analyses<br />

Uncountable nouns Singular Plural<br />

Some nouns have only a singular form. advice three pieces of advice<br />

Use “pieces of” or “bits of” for the plural information two bits of information<br />

Some nouns have only a plural form. (a pair of) trousers two pairs of trousers<br />

Use “pairs of” for the plural<br />

You and<br />

me!<br />

TABLE 2:<br />

Personal pronouns<br />

These can be used alone or with prepositions.<br />

Subject Direct object Indirect object<br />

I me (to) me<br />

you you (to) you<br />

he him (to) him<br />

she her (to) her<br />

it it (to) it<br />

we us (to) us<br />

they them (to) them<br />

TABLE 3:<br />

Verbs — present simple<br />

The present simple expresses actions and states in the present. Negations are formed using “do” / “does” + “not” + infinitive.<br />

iStock<br />

Regular verbs<br />

I / you / we / they work do not work (don’t work)<br />

he / she / it works does not work (doesn’t work)<br />

Third-person singular (he / she / it)<br />

For most verbs, add -s<br />

work → works [w§:ks]<br />

live → lives [lIvz]<br />

produce → produces [prE(dju:sIz]<br />

For verbs ending in -ch, -sh,<br />

-ss and -x, add -es<br />

Irregular verbs<br />

catch → catches [(kÄtSIz]<br />

wash → washes [(wQSIz]<br />

pass → passes [(pA:sIz]<br />

fix → fixes [(fIksIz]<br />

do → does [dVz]<br />

go → goes [gEUz]<br />

have → has<br />

Use the present simple:<br />

l to talk about states and facts<br />

She is a wonderful student, and she speaks<br />

French fluently.<br />

l to talk about habits and actions that are repeated<br />

(often with adverbs such as “always”, “never”)<br />

He never arrives on time.<br />

l to talk about schedules and timetables (also<br />

scheduled future actions)<br />

The meeting starts at 10 a.m.<br />

Irregular verb “be”<br />

I am am not<br />

he / she / it is is not<br />

we / you / they are are not<br />

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Grammar basics – to take away<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> 6/2014<br />

TABLE 4:<br />

Contractions<br />

Contractions are shortened forms. The apostrophe shows that one or more letters have been dropped.<br />

The auxiliary verbs “be” and “have” are often shortened<br />

I am I’m I am not I’m not<br />

he / she / it is he / she / it’s he / she / it is not he / she / it isn’t<br />

you / we / they are you / we / they’re you / we / they are not you / we / they aren’t<br />

I / you / we / they have I / you / we / they’ve I / you / we / they have not I / you / we / they haven’t<br />

he / she / it has he / she / it’s he / she / it has not he / she / it hasn’t<br />

The auxiliary forms “do” and “did” are often shortened when used with “not”<br />

I / you / we / they do not I / you / we / they don’t<br />

he / she / it does not<br />

he / she / it doesn’t<br />

I / you / we / they / he / she / it I / you / we / they / he / she / it didn’t<br />

did not<br />

TABLE 5: Verbs — modal verbs<br />

These often accompany a main verb. They do not take -s or -es in the 3rd person. Negations are formed<br />

using the modal + “not” + infinitive.<br />

I / you / we / they / can work cannot (can’t) work<br />

he / she / it could could not (couldn’t)<br />

may<br />

may not<br />

Note:<br />

might<br />

might not (mightn’t)<br />

l<br />

must<br />

must not (mustn’t)<br />

Could is the past simple of “can”. It is<br />

should<br />

should not (shouldn’t) also used in polite requests.<br />

would<br />

would not (wouldn’t)<br />

Could you help me, please?<br />

l Would is also used for polite statements<br />

and questions.<br />

Would you mind closing the window,<br />

please?<br />

I would like to leave earlier today.<br />

TABLE 6:<br />

Verbs — past simple<br />

The past simple expresses actions and states in the past. Negations are formed using “did” + “not” + infinitive.<br />

The importance<br />

of time<br />

Regular verbs<br />

I / you / we / they / he / she / it worked did not work (didn’t work)<br />

Forming the past simple<br />

For most verbs, add -ed<br />

work → worked [w§:kt]<br />

For verbs ending in -e, just add -d<br />

For some verbs, double<br />

the final consonant and add -ed<br />

Irregular verbs<br />

invite → invited [In(vaItId]<br />

raise → raised [reIzd]<br />

s<strong>top</strong> → s<strong>top</strong>ped [stQpt]<br />

travel → travelled (traveled US) [(trÄv&ld]<br />

do → did<br />

have → had<br />

(see the list of irregular verbs in Table 20)<br />

Use the past simple:<br />

l to talk about completed actions and states in the past (often with expressions of time, such as “last year”)<br />

Last year, profits increased by 35 per cent.<br />

iStock<br />

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Grammar basics – to take away<br />

TABLE 7:<br />

Verbs — present perfect<br />

The present perfect connects the past with the present. It is formed using “have” / “has” (+ “not”) + past participle.<br />

I / you / we / they have worked (’ve worked) have not worked (haven’t worked)<br />

he / she / it has worked (’s worked) has not worked (hasn’t worked)<br />

Forming the past participle<br />

For most verbs, add -ed<br />

For verbs ending in -e, just add -d<br />

For some verbs, double<br />

the final consonant and add -ed<br />

Irregular verbs<br />

Use the present perfect:<br />

l to talk about things that happened in the past,<br />

but that are still relevant in the present<br />

They have consistently sold more than<br />

expected.<br />

l to talk about life experiences<br />

He’s been the CEO of several international<br />

corporations.<br />

work → worked [w§:kt]<br />

invite → invited [In(vaItId]<br />

raise → raised [reIzd]<br />

s<strong>top</strong> → s<strong>top</strong>ped [stQpt]<br />

travel → travelled (traveled US ) [(trÄv&ld]<br />

be → been<br />

go → gone<br />

(see the list of irregular verbs in Table 20)<br />

l with “ever” and “never”<br />

Have you ever been to London? — No, I’ve<br />

never been there.<br />

l with “for” and “since”<br />

She’s worked at this company since 2011.<br />

She’s worked at this company for three<br />

years. (= She still works here.)<br />

“For” and “since”<br />

l Use “for” with periods of time:<br />

for two weeks<br />

l Use “since” with specific<br />

points of time:<br />

since yesterday; since two<br />

o’clock; since 1 May<br />

l Used with the past simple,<br />

“for” can refer to a past action<br />

or state:<br />

She worked in this department<br />

for three years.<br />

(= She no longer works<br />

here.)<br />

TABLE 8: Verbs — past perfect<br />

The past perfect expresses past actions that were<br />

completed before another past action. It is formed with<br />

“had” (+ “not”) + past participle.<br />

(see Table 7 for forms of the past participle)<br />

I / you / we / they / had worked had not worked (hadn’t worked)<br />

he / she / it<br />

Use the past perfect:<br />

l to talk about things that had begun, or were already over, when<br />

another activity or state started or took place<br />

The meeting had already started when he arrived.<br />

TABLE 9:<br />

Verbs — future<br />

There are several ways to express the future. The most common are the “will”-future and the “going to”-future.<br />

The “will”-future<br />

The “will”-future is used to talk about future actions and<br />

states. It is formed using “will” (+ “not”) + infinitive.<br />

I / you / we / they / will work will not work<br />

he / she / it (’ll work) (won’t work)<br />

The “going to”-future<br />

This expresses intended future actions and states. It is formed<br />

using “am” / “is” / “are” (+ “not”) + “going to” + infinitive.<br />

I am going to work am not going to work<br />

(’m going to work) (’m not going to work)<br />

Use the “will”-future:<br />

l to talk about events in the future<br />

Coffee will be served in the break.<br />

l to talk about forecasts<br />

Profits will fall.<br />

l to talk about spontaneous reactions<br />

I don’t know where the canteen is. — I’ll show you.<br />

Note:<br />

he / she / it is going to work is not going to work<br />

(’s going to work) (isn’t going to work)<br />

you / we / they are going to work are not going to work<br />

(’re going to work) (aren’t going to work)<br />

Use the “going to”-future:<br />

l to talk about something you want or intend to do<br />

I’m going to call him from the office tomorrow.<br />

l to talk about things you expect because of specific signs<br />

Based on these figures, they’re going to make a profit.<br />

l To talk about schedules and timetables, use the present<br />

simple (see Table 3)<br />

My plane leaves at 5 p.m.<br />

l To talk about fixed arrangements in the future, use the<br />

present continuous (see Table 10)<br />

6/2014<br />

He’s meeting the Japanese delegation tomorrow.<br />

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TABLE 10: Verbs — present continuous<br />

The present continuous expresses ongoing actions. It is formed using “am” / “is” / “are” (+ “not”) + present participle.<br />

I am working (’m working) am not working (’m not working)<br />

he / she / it is working (’s working) is not working (isn’t working)<br />

you / we / they are working (’re working) are not working (aren’t working)<br />

Forming the present participle<br />

For most verbs, add -ing<br />

For verbs ending in -e, drop the -e and add -ing<br />

For some verbs, double the final consonant and<br />

add -ing<br />

work → working<br />

write → writing<br />

s<strong>top</strong> → s<strong>top</strong>ping<br />

travel → travelling<br />

(traveling US)<br />

Use the present continuous:<br />

l to talk about events that are happening<br />

now<br />

Don’t disturb her. She’s writing the<br />

minutes of today’s meeting.<br />

l to talk about events that are happening<br />

in the current period<br />

He’s learning a new programming language.<br />

l to talk about fixed arrangements in the<br />

future<br />

I’m meeting a new customer in Dublin<br />

tomorrow.<br />

TABLE 11: Verbs — past continuous<br />

The past continuous expresses ongoing events in the past. It is formed using “was” / “were” (+ “not”) + present participle.<br />

I / he / she / it was working was not working (wasn’t working)<br />

you / we / they were working were not working (weren’t working)<br />

Use the past continuous:<br />

l to talk about an event that was going on when another began<br />

We were having a video conference when the lights went out.<br />

TABLE 12: Questions<br />

Questions that can be answered with “yes” or “no” are formed as follows:<br />

For the present simple, use “do” or “does” Do I / you / we / they work?<br />

Don’t<br />

Does he / she / it work?<br />

Doesn’t<br />

iStock<br />

For the past simple, use “did” Did I / you / we / they / work?<br />

Didn’t he / she / it<br />

For the “will”-future, use “will” or “won’t” Will I / you / we / they / work?<br />

Won’t<br />

he / she / it<br />

For the Have I / you / we / they worked?<br />

present perfect, Haven’t<br />

use “have” or “has” Has he / she / it worked?<br />

Hasn’t<br />

For the past perfect, Had I / you / we / they / worked?<br />

use “had” Hadn’t he / she / it<br />

For the “going to”- Am I going to work?<br />

future, use “am” / Are you / we / they<br />

“are” / “is” Is he / she / it<br />

Aren’t* I / you / we / they going to work?<br />

Isn’t he / she / it<br />

Note:<br />

*In negative questions, you ask: “Aren’t I... ?” not “Am I not... ?”<br />

For the present Am I working?<br />

continuous, Are you / we / they<br />

use “am” / “are” / Is he / she / it<br />

“is” Aren’t* I / you / we / they working?<br />

Isn’t he / she / it<br />

For the past Was I / he / she / it working?<br />

continuous, use Wasn’t<br />

“was” / “were” Were you / we / they working?<br />

Weren’t<br />

With modal verbs, Can I / you / we / they / come?<br />

use the modals Can’t he / she / it<br />

Would<br />

Wouldn’t<br />

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Grammar basics – to take away<br />

TABLE 13: Questions with question words<br />

Many questions are formed with a question word. Here are some examples of such “wh-”questions.<br />

What do you know?<br />

When did he leave?<br />

Where have they gone?<br />

Who did you meet?<br />

Why won’t we finish it?<br />

How can she do that?<br />

Note:<br />

l When the question word is the subject, questions<br />

in the present simple and past simple<br />

are formed without “do”, “does” or “did”.<br />

Who speaks French here?<br />

What happened that day?<br />

Who, what,<br />

why, when?<br />

iStock<br />

TABLE 14: Tag questions<br />

To get agreement or confirmation on something, you can use a question tag.<br />

Positive statements get a negative tag<br />

Present simple: the tag is “don’t” / “doesn’t” + subject<br />

Past simple: the tag is “didn’t” + subject<br />

Present perfect: the tag is “haven’t” / “hasn’t” + subject<br />

Past perfect: the tag is “hadn’t” + subject<br />

“Will”-future: the tag is “won’t” + subject<br />

“Going to”-future: the tag is “aren’t” / “isn’t” + subject<br />

Present continuous: the tag is “aren’t” / “isn’t” + subject<br />

Past continuous: the tag is “wasn’t” / “weren’t” + subject<br />

Modal verb: the tag is the modal + “n’t” + subject<br />

Negative statements get a positive tag<br />

Present simple: the tag is “do” / “does” + subject<br />

Past simple: the tag is “did” + subject<br />

Present perfect: the tag is “have” / “has” + subject<br />

Past perfect: the tag is “had” + subject<br />

“Will”-future: the tag is “will” + subject<br />

“Going to”-future: the tag is “am” / “are” / “is” + subject<br />

Present continuous: the tag is “am” / “are” / “is” + subject<br />

Past continuous: the tag is “was” / “were” + subject<br />

Modal verb: the tag is the modal + subject<br />

You work as a consultant, don’t you?<br />

She speaks English fluently, doesn’t she?<br />

They s<strong>top</strong>ped the project, didn’t they?<br />

They have done it very well, haven’t they?<br />

He’s just arrived, hasn’t he?<br />

She had met Jack before, hadn’t she?<br />

We’ll offer that price, won’t we?<br />

He’s going to leave the company, isn’t he?<br />

You’re drinking from my cup again, aren’t you?<br />

She was sleeping when you arrived, wasn’t she?<br />

They could answer the question, couldn’t they?<br />

You don’t work as a consultant, do you?<br />

She doesn’t speak English fluently, does she?<br />

They didn’t s<strong>top</strong> the project, did they?<br />

He hasn’t arrived yet, has he?<br />

She hadn’t met Jack before, had she?<br />

We won’t offer that price, will we?<br />

He’s not going to leave the company, is he?<br />

You’re not drinking from my cup again, are you?<br />

She wasn’t sleeping when you arrived, was she?<br />

They couldn’t answer the question, could they?<br />

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iStock<br />

An office<br />

with a<br />

beautiful<br />

view<br />

TABLE 15: Replies to yes-no questions<br />

Replies to questions that can be answered with “yes” or “no” often include a tag.<br />

Typical answers, using tags<br />

Use the same auxiliary or modal verb in the reply as in the question. Use a positive tag for a positive answer<br />

and a negative tag for a negative answer.<br />

Positive answer Negative answer<br />

Present simple Do you work? Yes, I do. No, I don’t.<br />

Past simple Did they work? Yes, they did. No, they didn’t.<br />

Present perfect Has she worked? Yes, she has. No, she hasn’t.<br />

Past perfect Had you worked? Yes, I had. No, I hadn’t.<br />

“Will”-future Will you work? Yes, I will. No, I won’t.<br />

“Going to”-future Is she going to work? Yes, she is. No, she isn’t.<br />

Present continuous Are you working? Yes, I am. No, I’m not.<br />

Past continuous Were they working? Yes, they were. No, they weren’t.<br />

Modal verbs Could he work? Yes, he could. No, he couldn’t.<br />

TABLE 16: Adjectives<br />

Adjectives tell us more about people, objects and events.<br />

Adjectives can be used in two ways<br />

l before a noun (attributively)<br />

We’ve got a beautiful view from our new offices.<br />

l after the verb “be” (predicatively)<br />

The view from our new offices is beautiful.<br />

Note:<br />

! Some adjectives ending in -ed or -ing are easily confused.<br />

Adjectives ending in -ed describe how somebody feels.<br />

Adjectives ending in -ing describe how somebody or something is.<br />

Here are some examples:<br />

interested She was interested in this survey. (Sie war an dieser Umfrage interessiert.)<br />

interesting This is an interesting survey. (Dies ist eine interessante Umfrage.)<br />

bored<br />

boring<br />

excited<br />

exciting<br />

We were bored by his speech. (Wir fühlten uns von seiner Rede gelangweilt.)<br />

His speech was boring. (Seine Rede war langweilig.)<br />

They got excited when they heard the news. (Sie freuten sich, als sie diese Nachricht hörten.)<br />

This news is exciting. (Diese Nachricht ist spannend.)<br />

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Grammar basics – to take away<br />

TABLE 17: Adverbs<br />

Adverbs are generally formed from adjectives and are often used to describe actions.<br />

In most cases, just add -ly to the adjective<br />

For adjectives ending in -y, change y to i and add -ly<br />

For adjectives ending in -le, replace -le with -ly<br />

For adjectives ending in -ic, add -ally<br />

Irregular adverbs<br />

Use adverbs:<br />

l to describe how something is done<br />

They’re listening carefully.<br />

He did the job well.<br />

Do not use adverbs:<br />

l with verbs that describe somebody or something, such as “be”, “become”,<br />

“feel”, “get”, “look” or “sound”. These are followed by an adjective, which<br />

modifies the noun.<br />

After he was promoted, he became arrogant.<br />

The new product looks terrible.<br />

Our recent figures sound good.<br />

bad → badly<br />

careful → carefully<br />

easy → easily<br />

possible → possibly<br />

automatic → automatically<br />

fast → fast<br />

good → well<br />

hard → hard<br />

late → late<br />

Be careful<br />

hard + -ly → hardly (kaum)<br />

He works hard. (Er arbeitet hart.)<br />

He hardly worked. (Er arbeitete kaum.)<br />

late + -ly → lately (kürzlich, in letzter Zeit)<br />

They arrived late. (Sie kamen (zu) spät.)<br />

I haven’t seen her lately. (Ich habe sie in<br />

letzter Zeit nicht gesehen.)<br />

TABLE 18: Prepositions of time and place<br />

It is important to learn the most common uses of prepositions in English.<br />

Prepositions of time<br />

at in on<br />

(times, meals, weekend) (times of day, months, years) (days of the week, dates)<br />

at six o’clock in the morning/afternoon/evening on Monday<br />

at breakfast in January on the first of May<br />

at the weekend UK in 2008 on my birthday<br />

! at night in the summer ! on the weekend US<br />

German bis has two different English<br />

translations: by and until.<br />

Ich brauche den Bericht bis spätestens<br />

Donnerstag = by Thursday. (“By” refers to<br />

a point in time at which something must<br />

occur at the latest.)<br />

Ich brauche den Bericht selbst bis Donnerstag<br />

= until Thursday. (“Until” refers to<br />

a stretch of time up to some given point.)<br />

German vor has two different English<br />

translations: before and ago.<br />

Wir müssen das Projekt vor der Sommerpause<br />

abschließen = before the summer<br />

break. (This refers to a stretch of time up<br />

to some future point.)<br />

Wir haben das Projekt vor zwei Wochen<br />

abgeschlossen = two weeks ago. (This<br />

looks back to a point of time in the past.)<br />

Prepositions of place<br />

at on to<br />

at the airport on the phone go to the canteen<br />

at the office on the internet go to university<br />

at the dentist’s<br />

on the radio / on TV<br />

at school / at work<br />

on the second floor<br />

at one’s computer / at one’s desk<br />

at a meeting<br />

at 23 Park Lane<br />

“on time” vs. “in time”<br />

Both mean “punctual” or “not<br />

late” but are used differently.<br />

l “On time” refers to a specific<br />

time.<br />

His plane arrived on time.<br />

l “In time” is in relation to another<br />

event.<br />

He arrived in time for the<br />

speech.<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 61

Grammar basics – to take away<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> 6/2014<br />

TABLE 19: Word order in sentences<br />

English word order is far less flexible than German word order.<br />

iStock<br />

Word order in positive statements<br />

subject verb object<br />

She speaks English.<br />

subject verb object adverb<br />

She speaks English fluently.<br />

subject verb object place<br />

She studied English in London.<br />

subject adverb of verb object place<br />

frequency<br />

She usually speaks English at work.<br />

Order, order: in this<br />

company, we usually<br />

start work at 9 a.m.<br />

subject verb object time<br />

We start work at 9 a.m.<br />

subject verb object place time<br />

They start work in this branch at 8.30 a.m.<br />

place subject verb object time<br />

In this branch, they start work at 8.30 a.m.<br />

(for the word order in questions, see Table 13)<br />

TABLE 20: Irregular verbs<br />

Many verbs that are used in business situations have irregular forms.<br />

Infinitive Simple past Past participle<br />

become became become<br />

begin began begun<br />

break broke broken<br />

bring brought brought<br />

build built built<br />

buy bought bought<br />

choose chose chosen<br />

come came come<br />

cost cost cost<br />

cut cut cut<br />

deal dealt dealt<br />

do did done<br />

draw drew drawn<br />

fall fell fallen<br />

find found found<br />

get got got<br />

give gave given<br />

go went gone<br />

grow grew grown<br />

have had had<br />

hold held held<br />

know knew known<br />

lead led led<br />

Infinitive Simple past Past participle<br />

leave left left<br />

lend lent lent<br />

lose lost lost<br />

make made made<br />

meet met met<br />

pay paid paid<br />

put put put<br />

read [ri:d] read [red] read [red]<br />

rise rose risen<br />

run ran run<br />

say said said<br />

see saw seen<br />

sell sold sold<br />

send sent sent<br />

set set set<br />

show showed shown<br />

speak spoke spoken<br />

spend spent spent<br />

take took taken<br />

tell told told<br />

think thought thought<br />

win won won<br />

write wrote written<br />

62 www.business-spotlight.de<br />

6/2014

SKILL UP!<br />

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BUSINESS VOCABULARY<br />

with our essential guide<br />

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6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 63

LANGUAGE EMAIL<br />

iStock<br />

Linking ideas<br />

Was tun, damit Emails sich flüssiger<br />

lesen? Anna Hochsieder zeigt, wie man<br />

Sätze und Absätze elegant miteinander<br />

verknüpft.<br />

medium<br />

Read the following email written by a hotel booking<br />

manager, Monica Hendricks, to a prospective customer,<br />

Ms Nelson.<br />

Let it flow: help your readers by linking your sentences and paragraphs<br />

Dear Ms Nelson<br />

Thank you for enquiring about the possibility of receiving a<br />

discount on your booking of our conference room.<br />

Although we understand that, as an NGO, your budget is limited,<br />

we do not normally offer discounts to first-time customers. However,<br />

our management is very much interested in promoting the<br />

aims of your organization. We are therefore prepared to make<br />

an exception, on the understanding that you name us as one<br />

of your sponsors.<br />

In addition, our offer will require you to book a minimum of ten<br />

bedrooms, for which we can also give you a special rate. Your<br />

guests will, of course, enjoy the same excellent service that we<br />

provide to all our customers.<br />

Lastly, please note that we request an advance payment of 50<br />

per cent of the total amount no later than a week before your<br />

arrival.<br />

I hope that this offer is acceptable to you and look forward to<br />

hearing from you.<br />

Yours sincerely<br />

Monica Hendricks<br />

advance payment [Ed)vA:ns (peImEnt] Vorauszahlung<br />

concession [kEn(seS&n]<br />

Zugeständnis<br />

consequence [(kQnsIkwEns]<br />

Folge, Konsequenz<br />

discount [(dIskaUnt]<br />

(Preis-)Nachlass<br />

enquire about sth. [In(kwaIEr E)baUt] etw. anfragen<br />

in conclusion [)In kEn(klu:Z&n] abschließend<br />

NGO (non-governmental<br />

NRO/NGO (Nichtregierungsorganization)<br />

[)en dZi: (EU]<br />

organisation)<br />

rate [reIt]<br />

Tarif<br />

relative pronoun [)relEtIv (prEUnaUn] Relativpronomen<br />

summarize sth. [(sVmEraIz]<br />

etw. zusammenfassen<br />

to sum up [tE )sVm (Vp]<br />

abschließend<br />

Yours sincerely [)jO:z sIn(sIEli] Mit freundlichen Grüßen<br />

l You can improve the flow of your writing by using<br />

words that show how your ideas are connected.<br />

These linking words guide the reader through your<br />

text. They connect sentences and paragraphs as<br />

well as parts of sentences.<br />

l In speaking and writing, we constantly use the<br />

common linking words and, but and so. Our email<br />

contains further linking words with the same functions:<br />

to add points (in addition, also, lastly), to<br />

contrast ideas (although, however) and to introduce<br />

a consequence (therefore).<br />

l The phrase on the understanding that links an offer<br />

to a condition and is a formal alternative to “if”.<br />

l Other uses of linking words include making a<br />

concession (of course, undoubtedly), providing an<br />

example (namely, specifically), comparing ideas<br />

(similarly, likewise), referring to time (eventually,<br />

meanwhile) or summarizing your ideas (in conclusion,<br />

to sum up).<br />

l Formal linking words such as however, nevertheless<br />

and moreover often occur at the beginning of a<br />

sentence, followed by a comma. A small number<br />

of linking words typically come at the end: for<br />

example, as well and too.<br />

l Relative pronouns (which, who, that) also have a<br />

linking function because they refer back to things<br />

that have just been mentioned.<br />

BS<br />

www Improve your writing skills at<br />

www.business-spotlight.de/writing<br />

Anna Hochsieder is a Munich-based teacher of English<br />

who writes regularly in <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong>. Contact:<br />

a.hochsieder@googlemail.com<br />

64 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

ENGLISH ON THE MOVE LANGUAGE<br />

Stockbyte<br />

Flight conversations<br />

Smalltalk an Bord mit dem Sitznachbarn? Ken Taylor zeigt,<br />

wie eine Unterhaltung verlaufen könnte.<br />

medium<br />

Taking your seat<br />

Lisa: Sorry to disturb you, but I’m in<br />

10A — the window seat.<br />

Frank: No problem. Can I help you with<br />

your carry-on case? It looks pretty<br />

heavy!<br />

Lisa: Thanks. That’s kind of you. It is at<br />

the hand-luggage limit — I haven’t<br />

got any hold luggage.<br />

Frank: So you won’t be in Dublin very<br />

long if you only have a carry-on.<br />

Lisa: No. Just a couple of days. I’m<br />

going on a seminar.<br />

Frank: A seminar. What’s it about?<br />

Lisa: Rather boring, I’m afraid. It’s to<br />

do with European tax laws.<br />

Frank: What? How to avoid them?<br />

Lisa: No, no. Nothing like that! It’s<br />

more about what effect they have on<br />

companies like mine.<br />

General conversation<br />

Frank: Have you been to Dublin before?<br />

Lisa: No, this is my first time. But I’ll<br />

be back for the second part of the<br />

course next month.<br />

Frank: You ought to take a couple of<br />

days next time and explore the city.<br />

Lisa: Do you live there?<br />

Frank: For the past five years. But I’m<br />

from London.<br />

Lisa: I like London. I’ve been there on<br />

holidays and business trips. Is Dublin<br />

as interesting?<br />

Frank: It’s different. More laid-back.<br />

I’m into music — every pub or club<br />

seems to have live music.<br />

Lisa: What sort of music do you like?<br />

Frank: Oh, I’m really into blues, but I<br />

like singer-songwriters, too — you<br />

know, like Ed Sheeran.<br />

Doing some work<br />

Flight attendant: Would you like to have<br />

something to drink with your sandwich,<br />

sir?<br />

Frank: Yes, please. I’ll have some red<br />

wine and a glass of water.<br />

Flight attendant: Certainly, sir. And for<br />

you, madam?<br />

Lisa: Just some water, please. I’ve got<br />

to keep my head clear.<br />

Frank: Surely, the course doesn’t start<br />

this evening!<br />

Lisa: No, it starts tomorrow morning.<br />

But I have to do some background<br />

reading first. Look, I’m sorry. I hope<br />

you don’t mind, but I really have to<br />

do a bit of reading before we land.<br />

Frank: Of course I don’t mind. You<br />

shouldn’t start your course off on the<br />

wrong foot.<br />

avoid sth. [E(vOId] etw. umgehen<br />

business card<br />

Visitenkarte<br />

[(bIznEs kA:d]<br />

carry-on case<br />

Kabinenkoffer<br />

[(kÄri Qn keIs]<br />

consultant [kEn(sVltEnt] Berater(in)<br />

explore sth. [Ik(splO:] etw. erkunden<br />

flight attendant<br />

Flugbegleiter(in)<br />

[(flaIt E)tendEnt]<br />

hand luggage<br />

Handgepäck<br />

[(hÄnd )lVgIdZ]<br />

hold luggage<br />

aufgegebenes Gepäck<br />

[(hEUld )lVgIdZ]<br />

into: be ~ sth. [(Intu] ifml. auf etw. stehen<br />

keep one’s head clear einen klaren Kopf<br />

[)ki:p wVnz (hed klIE] behalten<br />

Ltd (Limited) [(lImItId] UK etwa: GmbH<br />

more laid-back<br />

entspannter; hier: nicht<br />

[mO: )leId (bÄk] ifml. so stressig<br />

on the wrong foot: eine schlechte Ausstart<br />

sth. off ~<br />

gangsbasis bei etw.<br />

[Qn DE )rQN (fUt]<br />

haben<br />

pharmaceutical<br />

[wg. Aussprache]<br />

[)fA:mE(su:tIk&l]<br />

section [(sekS&n]<br />

Abschnitt<br />

stay on [)steI (Qn] länger bleiben<br />

supplier [sE(plaIE] Zulieferer/Zulieferin<br />

On the plane: time to do some work<br />

Coming in to land<br />

Lisa: Sorry, but what was that announcement?<br />

Frank: <strong>Ten</strong> minutes to landing.<br />

Lisa: Perfect. I’ve just got one more<br />

section to read. I can do that at the<br />

hotel.<br />

Frank: So, you mentioned you work in<br />

finance. Which company is that?<br />

Lisa: I’m the assistant finance manager<br />

in a firm in Berlin. We are a supplier<br />

to the pharmaceutical industry.<br />

Frank: Interesting. I’m in software development.<br />

Let me give you my business<br />

card.<br />

Lisa: Thanks. “Frank Williams, Development<br />

Manager, Projex Ltd.” Here’s<br />

my card.<br />

Frank: “Lisa Hartz, Assistant Finance<br />

Manager, ETC GmbH.” It’s been nice<br />

talking to you, Lisa. I hope you have<br />

a good time at your seminar. And<br />

remember: next time, stay on and<br />

explore the city. Don’t forget to try a<br />

Guinness while you’re here!<br />

BS<br />

You can hear more on this <strong>top</strong>ic on<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> Audio<br />

Ken Taylor is a communication consultant<br />

and author of 50 Ways to Improve<br />

Your <strong>Business</strong> English (Summertown).<br />

Contact: KTaylor868@aol.com<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 65

LANGUAGE SHORT STORY<br />

Wings of beauty:<br />

butterflies bring<br />

inspiration and joy<br />

The CBO<br />

Zoonar<br />

Als Redakteur des Studentenblättchens einer eher kleinen Hochschule sollte man sich eine<br />

Begegnung mit einem Wirtschaftsguru nicht entgehen lassen. Von James Schofield medium<br />

When I heard that Professor<br />

Thomas Kozlowsky was coming<br />

to campus, I was desperate to<br />

interview him. Kozlowsky was “business<br />

guru to the business gurus” — as<br />

the US media often described him. The<br />

man was a living legend.<br />

Adviser to corporations and governments,<br />

inventor of the concept of<br />

turbo management and world-famous<br />

for his economics text “Non-linear Descriptions<br />

of Linear Relationships”, the<br />

professor had done everything, gone<br />

everywhere and met everybody. Luckily,<br />

for me, Kozlowsky was coming to town<br />

to visit the dean, who had been a student<br />

of his.<br />

As editor of a small college newspaper<br />

in Alabama, where the most<br />

exciting thing I’d written about was<br />

when classes were cancelled because<br />

of snow, this was a dream come true.<br />

Though, at first, it was something of a<br />

nightmare.<br />

“Professor?” I began after the dean<br />

had introduced us. “What’s your proposal<br />

for reducing the US trade deficit<br />

with China?”<br />

“Miles,” he said, “if I’m going to<br />

talk about the business world, I need<br />

a drink!”<br />

I took him to my favourite bar in<br />

town, which was a mistake, because<br />

it was also the favourite bar of our college<br />

baseball team, who’d just won a<br />

game — and the professor was a huge<br />

baseball fan. He spent three hours<br />

discussing home runs, strikeouts and a<br />

million other things with them.<br />

I was just about to ask him what he<br />

thought the best way to regulate Wall<br />

Street would be, when the team invited<br />

him to a party held by one of the<br />

fraternities on the campus. I lost him<br />

halfway through a drinking contest,<br />

and it must have been about four in the<br />

morning before I found him again, fast<br />

asleep on a couch. A cheerleader had<br />

her head on his shoulder and her arms<br />

around his neck. I was able to free the<br />

professor, and we tried to find our way<br />

to the dean’s house.<br />

“Miles,” he said, after falling over<br />

the same tree root twice, “I need to<br />

sit down.”<br />

come true: a dream ~ ein Traum, der in<br />

[)kVm (tru:]<br />

Erfüllung geht<br />

contest [(kQntest] Wettbewerb<br />

corporation [)kO:pE(reIS&n] Konzern<br />

desperate: be ~ to do sth. unbedingt etw. tun<br />

[(despErEt]<br />

wollen<br />

economics [)i:kE(nQmIks] Volkswirtschaft(slehre)<br />

editor [(edItE]<br />

(Chef-)Redakteur(in)<br />

fraternity [frE(t§:nEti] US studentische Verbindung<br />

nightmare [(naItmeE] Albtraum<br />

regulate sth. [(regjuleIt] etw. regulieren<br />

trade deficit<br />

Außenhandelsdefizit<br />

[(treId )defEsIt]<br />

66 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

“There are only three groups of<br />

people in an organization”<br />

We sat on a bench watching the<br />

moon. I tried to think of something<br />

intellectual to ask, but my head was<br />

a sea of beer and vodka. There was<br />

only one question that kept floating to<br />

the <strong>top</strong>.<br />

“Professor,” I asked finally, “I hope<br />

this doesn’t sound too stupid, but…<br />

what’s business really like? I mean, I’ve<br />

only ever been a student. Someday, I’ll<br />

have to work somewhere. What’s it like<br />

working for a large international firm?”<br />

He laughed loudly, and was then<br />

silent for a while.<br />

“Miles,” he said after a pause,<br />

“there are only three groups of people<br />

in an organization.” He reached into<br />

his jacket pocket and pulled out a can<br />

of Budweiser, opened it, drank deeply,<br />

then passed it to me.<br />

“Firstly,” he explained, “you have<br />

the cows. You give them grass and they<br />

make milk, cream and butter. They’re<br />

the producers. They create value for<br />

the company. Secondly, you’ve got the<br />

wolves. They look after the cows. They<br />

make sure that the cows are in the<br />

right place, have enough grass and are<br />

milked regularly. The cows do what the<br />

wolves say and the little wolves do what<br />

the big wolves say. Finally, you’ve got<br />

butterfly [(bVtEflaI]<br />

Schmetterling<br />

can [kÄn]<br />

(Alu-)Dose<br />

CEO (chief executive Hauptgeschäftsofficer)<br />

[)si: i: (EU]<br />

führer(in)<br />

choke on sth.<br />

sich an etw.<br />

[(tSEUk Qn]<br />

verschlucken<br />

dean [di:n]<br />

Dekan(in)<br />

downsize (a company) Stellen abbauen<br />

[(daUnsaIz]<br />

flutter off [)flVtEr (Qf] wegflattern<br />

management consultant Unternehmens-<br />

[(mÄnIdZmEnt kEn)sVltEnt] berater(in)<br />

moderator [(mQdEreItE] Diskussionsleiter(in)<br />

Office of the Dean<br />

Dekanat<br />

[)a:fEs Ev DE (di:n*] US<br />

stain [steIn]<br />

Fleck<br />

stick with sth. [(stIk wID] bei etw. bleiben<br />

university department Fachbereich,<br />

[ju:nI)v§:sEti di(pA:tmEnt] Fakultät<br />

*This symbol marks US pronunciation.<br />

the most important group of all: the<br />

butterflies.”<br />

I laughed so hard that I choked on<br />

my beer. He hit me on my back until I<br />

could breathe again.<br />

“You have to realize, Miles, life isn’t<br />

much fun for cows or wolves. The cows<br />

are afraid of the wolves because of<br />

their sharp teeth, and the wolves have<br />

problems not only with the cows —<br />

who don’t always do as they’re told<br />

— but also with each other. Big wolves<br />

bite little wolves, and sometimes, there<br />

are fights until one of them runs away.<br />

But when cows and wolves see the<br />

butterflies, they all say, ‘Oh, how beautiful!’<br />

They forget their problems and<br />

can concentrate on their work.”<br />

I said, “Yes, but who are they? I<br />

can see the cows are workers and the<br />

wolves are managers, but who are the<br />

butterflies?”<br />

“The trainers, newsletter writers,<br />

moderators, event organizers and the<br />

other communication experts. In other<br />

words, the ones who help the cows and<br />

wolves feel that what they’re doing has<br />

a purpose. Butterflies have only one<br />

natural enemy…”<br />

“Who’s that?”<br />

“Management consultants who are<br />

there to downsize the company,” said<br />

the professor. “They hate butterflies.<br />

The management consultants might<br />

shoot a cow if it’s not producing enough<br />

milk, or drive out a few lazy wolves, but<br />

they chase all the butterflies away.”<br />

He stood up and tried unsuccessfully<br />

to walk in a straight line.<br />

“Well, that’s not so good, is it?” I<br />

said, following. “It’s best to be a cow<br />

or a wolf, then.”<br />

“Do you think so?” he answered.<br />

“After six months with no butterflies,<br />

the cows and wolves become so depressed<br />

that they’re ready to kill themselves.<br />

So then, because the big wolves<br />

don’t know how to solve the problem<br />

themselves, they decide to have a<br />

team-building workshop. They invite a<br />

butterfly in to do the event — and within<br />

another six months, the company’s<br />

full of butterflies again.”<br />

“Do you need to belong to only one<br />

group?” I asked.<br />

“At the start of your career, you can<br />

try to find out what role suits you best,<br />

but then you have to make a decision<br />

and stick with it. Because if nobody is<br />

sure whether you’re a cow, a wolf or a<br />

butterfly, nobody will trust you.”<br />

We arrived at the door of the dean’s<br />

house. With difficulty, he put a key in<br />

the lock.<br />

“But what about you, professor?<br />

What are you?”<br />

He stood there for a moment, trying<br />

to focus his eyes, his hair all wild, beer<br />

stains down his shirt and the cheerleader’s<br />

lipstick on his cheek.<br />

“Butterfly, of course — a big one,<br />

though. I’m a CBO.”<br />

“CBO?”<br />

“Well, you’ve probably heard of<br />

CEOs, but I’m a CBO: Chief Butterfly<br />

Officer.”<br />

And then he fluttered off to bed. BS<br />

Language point<br />

dean This title is used in academic<br />

institutions. In the US, a dean heads<br />

a group of university departments, or<br />

a discipline such as me di cine. The<br />

Office of the Dean, also called the<br />

“Dean’s Office”, usual ly handles administrative<br />

matters, includ ing the<br />

budget, internal and external communication,<br />

and student support.<br />

You can hear more on this <strong>top</strong>ic on<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> Audio<br />

James Schofield is co-author of the<br />

Double Dealing series. You can find<br />

more of his stories and his blog at<br />

http://jrtschofield.blogspot.de<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 67

LANGUAGE ENGLISH FOR . . .<br />

Bill Clinton in Africa:<br />

“philanthropy” means<br />

“love of mankind”<br />

Philanthropy<br />

Hilfsorganisationen finanzieren sich zum großen Teil aus<br />

Spenden. Carol Scheunemann gibt hier einen Überblick über<br />

Spenden, Spender und Wohltätigkeitszwecke. medium<br />

During the Christmas season, peo ple<br />

are more likely to donate money to<br />

a charitable organization than at<br />

any other time. In the US, for example,<br />

about a third of all donations are made<br />

in the last six weeks of the year.<br />

“Charity” and “philanthropy” are often<br />

used interchangeably, but there is<br />

a difference. Charity is help or money<br />

that is intended to reduce suffering.<br />

Philanthropy also involves help or money,<br />

but usually aims to create solutions<br />

that will prevent future suffering.<br />

Exercise: A good cause<br />

Choose the correct word in each sentence.<br />

a) One in three donations / foundations is<br />

made during the holiday season.<br />

b) Companies and charities are partners<br />

in co-creation / enterprises.<br />

c) People donate small amounts through<br />

crowdfunding / microfinancing.<br />

d) Many social enterprises make loans /<br />

profits.<br />

Answers on page 74<br />

We tend to associate philanthropy<br />

with wealthy individuals — Bill Gates<br />

is a prominent example. These people<br />

establish foundations or charities<br />

to carry out the philanthropic aims<br />

of solving social, medical or environmental<br />

problems. Philanthropists also<br />

make donations to the arts or the education<br />

system in their own countries.<br />

They “give back” to the community<br />

that made their wealth possible.<br />

Philanthropy relies on smaller donations,<br />

too. Crowdfunding (see <strong>Business</strong><br />

<strong>Spotlight</strong> 6/2013, pp. 72–75) uses<br />

internet platforms to connect people<br />

who want to support specific causes,<br />

Getty Images News / Thinkstock<br />

billion [(bIljEn]<br />

charitable organization<br />

[)tSÄrItEb&l )O:gEnaI(zeIS&n]<br />

charity [(tSÄrEti]<br />

Wohltätigkeit, Wohlfahrt; auch:<br />

Wohltätigkeitsorganisation<br />

Unternehmens-<br />

etw. spenden<br />

Spende<br />

Stiftung<br />

Einfluss<br />

Neuland<br />

Philanthropie, Wohltätigkeit<br />

soziales Unternehmen<br />

corporate [(kO:pErEt]<br />

donate sth. [dEU(neIt]<br />

donation [dEU(neIS&n]<br />

foundation [faUn(deIS&n]<br />

leverage [(li:vErIdZ]<br />

new frontier [)nju: (frVntIE]<br />

philanthropy [fI(lÄnTrEpi]<br />

social enterprise [)sEUS&l (entEpraIz]<br />

and is rapidly changing the way people<br />

donate. But corporate philanthropy is<br />

changing even faster.<br />

Traditionally, firms have sold certain<br />

products or sponsored events to be<br />

positively associated with charitable<br />

organizations. Alternatives now include<br />

“co-creation”, partnerships between<br />

firms and charities. Co-creation uses<br />

employee know-how and company resources<br />

to solve social problems while<br />

creating new business opportunities.<br />

Social enterprises are businesses<br />

that work to help people, to improve<br />

society and, in many cases, to make<br />

a profit while doing so. They aim to<br />

finance their projects through their own<br />

earnings rather than depend on donations<br />

or government aid.<br />

Philanthropy today is more than a<br />

do-good, feel-good activity. Lester M.<br />

Salamon, author of Leverage for Good:<br />

An Introduction to the New Frontiers<br />

of Philanthropy and Social Investment,<br />

says that charities and social enterprises<br />

are often the first organizations<br />

to reach the “bottom of the pyramid”,<br />

people who earn less than €4 a day,<br />

but who represent an enormous potential<br />

market of new customers.<br />

Salamon also says that philanthropy<br />

increasingly involves private investment<br />

capital. He points to microfinancing,<br />

which allows poor people<br />

to borrow money to start businesses.<br />

Microfinancing itself now represents<br />

a €48.5 billion industry. As firms get<br />

involved in social projects, charities are<br />

becoming more like companies.<br />

Milliarde(n)<br />

Wohltätigkeitsorganisation<br />

68 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

Giving help and money<br />

“We make a living by what we get.<br />

We make a life by what we give”<br />

Sir Winston Churchill (1874–1965), British prime<br />

minister<br />

“The man who dies rich, dies<br />

disgraced”<br />

Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919), Scottish-American<br />

industrialist and philanthropist<br />

“Anticipate charity by preventing<br />

poverty”<br />

Maimonides (1138–1204), Jewish philosopher,<br />

scholar and medical doctor<br />

anticipate sth. [Än(tIsIpeIt]<br />

disgraced [dIs(greIst]<br />

Jewish [(dZu:IS]<br />

make a living [)meIk E (lIvIN]<br />

scholar [(skQlE]<br />

Doing good<br />

aid [eId]<br />

altruism [(Ältru)IzEm]<br />

for a good cause<br />

[fEr E )gUd (kO:z]<br />

moral obligation<br />

[)mQrEl QblI(geIS&n]<br />

philanthropy [fI(lÄnTrEpi]<br />

religious motivation<br />

[ri)lIdZEs mEUtI(veIS&n]<br />

social good [)sEUS&l (gUd]<br />

For more information<br />

etw. vorgreifen; hier:<br />

zuvorkommen<br />

in Ungnade gefallen<br />

jüdisch<br />

seinen Lebensunterhalt<br />

verdienen<br />

Gelehrte(r)<br />

Hilfe<br />

Nächstenliebe<br />

für einen guten Zweck<br />

moralische Verpflichtung<br />

Philanthropie,<br />

Wohltätigkeit<br />

religiöse<br />

Beweggründe<br />

Allgemeinwohl<br />

WEBSITES<br />

“2013 Index of Global Philanthropy and<br />

Remittances”, Hudson Institute report:<br />

www.hudson.org/<strong>top</strong>ics/47-philanthropy<br />

“Global Institutional Philanthropy: A Preliminary<br />

Status Report”, Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker<br />

Support (WINGS) report: www.wingsweb.org<br />

Glossary of philanthropy terms:<br />

www.philanthropynetwork.org/?page=glossary<br />

Philanthropy Impact Magazine:<br />

www.philanthropy-impact.org<br />

www More job vocabulary can be found at<br />

www.business-spotlight.de/vocabulary<br />

Carol Scheunemann is an editor and staff writer at<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong>, with a focus on language tests.<br />

She also coordinates <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> Audio.<br />

Contact: c.scheunemann@spotlight-verlag.de<br />

Raising money<br />

bequest [bi(kwest]<br />

charitable giving [)tSÄrItEb&l (gIvIN]<br />

crowdfunding [(kraUd)fVndIN]<br />

donate sth. [dEU(neIt]<br />

donation [dEU(neIS&n]<br />

endowment [In(daUmEnt]<br />

financial contribution<br />

[faI)nÄnS&l kQntrI(bju:S&n]<br />

fund sth. [fVnd]<br />

fundraising [(fVnd)reIzIN]<br />

grant funding [)grA:nt (fVndIN]<br />

grant making [(grA:nt )meIkIN]<br />

impact investing [(ImpÄkt In)vestIN]<br />

leverage [(li:vErIdZ]<br />

raise money [)reIz (mVni]<br />

remittance [ri(mIt&ns]<br />

social investment [)sEUS&l In(vestmEnt]<br />

tithe [taID]<br />

Organizations and strategies<br />

charity / charitable organization<br />

[(tSÄrEti / )tSÄrItEb&l )O:gEnaI(zeIS&n]<br />

co-creation [)kEU kri(eIS&n]<br />

foundation / trust [faUn(deIS&n / trVst]<br />

giving circle [(gIvIN )s§:k&l]<br />

non-governmental organization (NGO)<br />

[)nQn gVv&n)ment&l O:gEnaI(zeIS&n]<br />

non-profit [)nQn (prQfIt]<br />

social enterprise [)sEUS&l (entEpraIz]<br />

social purpose organization (SPO)<br />

[)sEUS&l (p§:pEs O:gEnaI)zeIS&n]<br />

People who give or receive<br />

benefactor [(benIfÄktE]<br />

beneficiary [)benI(fISEri]<br />

collaborator [kE(lÄbEreItE]<br />

donor [(dEUnE]<br />

grantee [grA:n(ti:]<br />

grant maker [(grA:nt )meIkE]<br />

(US grantmaker [(grÄnt)meIk&r*])<br />

patron [(peItrEn]<br />

philanthropist [fI(lÄnTrEpIst]<br />

social entrepreneur [)sEUS&l QntrEprE(n§:]<br />

sponsor [(spQnsE]<br />

trustee [)trV(sti:]<br />

volunteer [)vQlEn(tIE]<br />

Needs and causes<br />

disaster relief [dI(zA:stE ri)li:f]<br />

foster child [(fQstE tSAI&ld]<br />

homelessness [(hEUmlEsnEs]<br />

humanitarian aid [hjumÄnI)teEriEn (eId]<br />

orphan [(O:f&n]<br />

orphanage [(O:fEnIdZ]<br />

poverty [(pQvEti]<br />

shelter [(SeltE]<br />

welfare [(welfeE]<br />

* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.<br />

Hinterlassenschaft, Vermächtnis<br />

Spende(n) für einen wohltätigen Zweck<br />

Crowdfunding, Schwarmfinanzierung<br />

etw. spenden<br />

Spende<br />

Stiftung<br />

finanzieller Beitrag<br />

etw. finanzieren<br />

Spendensammeln, Mittelbeschaffung<br />

Zuschussfinanzierung, -förderung<br />

Fördertätigkeit, Unterstützung<br />

Investitionen mit positiven<br />

gesellschaftlichen Auswirkungen<br />

Einfluss<br />

Geld beschaffen<br />

Unterstützungszahlung<br />

Sozialinvestition(en)<br />

Zehnt, Zehnte<br />

Wohltätigkeitsorganisation, karitative<br />

Organisation<br />

Partnerschaft zwischen Unternehmen und<br />

karitativen Organisationen<br />

Stiftung, Fonds<br />

Geberkreis<br />

Nichtregierungsorganisation (NRO)<br />

gemeinnützig<br />

soziales Unternehmen<br />

Organisation mit sozialer Zielsetzung<br />

Wohltäter(in)<br />

(Leistungs-)Empfänger(in)<br />

Mitwirkende(r), Mitverantwortliche(r)<br />

Spender(in)<br />

Empfänger(in) einer Unterstützungsleistung<br />

Förderer/Förderin, Unterstützer(in)<br />

Wohltäter(in), Mäzen(in)<br />

Philanthrop(in), Menschenfreund(in)<br />

Sozialunternehmer(in)<br />

Sponsor(in)<br />

Treuhänder(in)<br />

ehrenamtliche(r) Mitarbeiter(in)<br />

Katastrophenhilfe<br />

Pflegekind<br />

Obdachlosigkeit<br />

humanitäre Hilfe<br />

Waise<br />

Waisenhaus<br />

Armut<br />

Schutz, Obdach<br />

Sozialhilfe<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 69

LANGUAGE LEGAL ENGLISH<br />

iStock<br />

Understanding<br />

legislation<br />

Selbst in der Muttersprache ist es oft nicht<br />

einfach, Gesetzestexte richtig zu verstehen.<br />

Matt Firth erklärt Ihnen, wie Sie auch in der<br />

Fremdsprache ans Ziel kommen. advanced<br />

Look for meaning: laws are carefully written, but not always easy to read<br />

Judges and lawyers are skilled at<br />

interpreting legislation, but many<br />

cases heard by the courts of appeal<br />

are decided only following extensive<br />

discussion of the meanings of<br />

certain words contained in a statute.<br />

Some laws are clearly written, and<br />

can be understood easily. However,<br />

because legal English contains many<br />

words that have more than one meaning,<br />

even the most carefully written<br />

laws can be interpreted in various ways.<br />

If the people involved in a dispute are<br />

able to understand the statutes relevant<br />

to the case, it can sometimes help<br />

to avoid litigation.<br />

Here are some <strong>tips</strong> for reading and<br />

interpreting laws:<br />

1. Start by reading the entire text<br />

quickly to get a general idea of what<br />

the legislation is about. Then read it<br />

again for detail.<br />

2. The legislation might have several<br />

related laws. Try to interpret each<br />

piece of legislation so that it is compatible<br />

with the others.<br />

3. Pay attention to all of the words and<br />

the punctuation. These were carefully<br />

thought out, so don’t ignore words<br />

you don’t understand or punctuation<br />

that seems confusing.<br />

4. Use the standard meaning of words<br />

as far as possible. However, if this<br />

leads to an absurd result, try to interpret<br />

the words so that they make<br />

sense.<br />

5. Where a law includes lists, pay close<br />

attention to every “and” and “or”.<br />

“And” means that all of the elements<br />

are included, “or” means that<br />

only one of the elements need be<br />

included.<br />

6. Check the text for any cross references<br />

to other legislation. Then read<br />

these as well to see how the laws<br />

relate to each other.<br />

Good use of intrinsic and extrinsic aids<br />

can help, too. Intrinsic aids are found<br />

within the law, for example, its long<br />

and short titles, the preamble and any<br />

definitions. Extrinsic aids include dictionaries,<br />

legislative debates and the<br />

historical background of the law. BS<br />

Exercise: Various meanings<br />

Choose the words that best complete the text.<br />

Legislation must be correctly a) ignored / interpreted before it can<br />

be properly understood. b) Disputing / Drafting parties might be<br />

able to avoid litigation if they read and understand the statutes<br />

involved. However, legislation is often unclear, and can contain<br />

words with more than one c) reference / meaning. Each law<br />

involved must be d) extrinsic / compatible with the others, and<br />

e) intrinsic / included aids can help you to understand the text<br />

of a statute.<br />

Answers on page 74<br />

aid [eId]<br />

court of appeal<br />

[)kO:t Ev E(pi:&l] UK<br />

cross reference<br />

[)krQs (ref&rEns]<br />

extrinsic [eks(trInsIk]<br />

hear (a case) [hIE]<br />

intrinsic [In(trInsIk]<br />

legislation [)ledZIs(leIS&n]<br />

litigation [)lItI(geIS&n]<br />

preamble [pri(Ämb&l]<br />

punctuation<br />

[)pVNktSu(eIS&n]<br />

statute [(stÄtSu:t]<br />

Hilfe, Hilfsmittel<br />

Berufungsgericht<br />

Querverweis<br />

nicht zur Sache selbst<br />

gehörend<br />

(einen Fall) verhandeln<br />

einen Bestandteil einer<br />

Sache bildend<br />

Gesetze; Gesetzgebung<br />

Rechtsstreit(igkeit)<br />

Präambel, Einleitung<br />

Interpunktion,<br />

Zeichensetzung<br />

Gesetz(esvorschrift)<br />

Matt Firth teaches legal English at<br />

the University of St Gallen and at<br />

the Management Center Innsbruck.<br />

Contact: matthew.firth@unisg.ch<br />

70 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

TALKING FINANCE LANGUAGE<br />

Pimp your GDP!<br />

Um das Bruttoinlandsprodukt zu steigern, greifen Regierungen zu<br />

erstaunlichen Mitteln. Ian McMaster gibt Auskunft.<br />

One of the main aims of governments<br />

is to increase the growth<br />

rate of their economies, which is<br />

usually measured by changes in gross<br />

domestic product (GDP). Now, a new<br />

source of growth has been found: sex<br />

and drugs. Rock ’n’ roll, in case you’re<br />

wondering, was already included.<br />

Let me explain. GDP is a measure<br />

of the total value of all the goods and<br />

services produced in an economy within<br />

a certain time period (see <strong>Business</strong><br />

<strong>Spotlight</strong> 6/2010, p. 84). That includes,<br />

for example, rock ’n’ roll CDs, downloads,<br />

concerts and merchandising.<br />

Although GDP is the most common<br />

measure of an economy, there are<br />

problems with using it as an indicator<br />

of living standards. For example:<br />

l GDP doesn’t count unpaid services,<br />

such as housework or unpaid childcare.<br />

If different families paid each other to<br />

clean their homes or look after their<br />

children, GDP would rise dramatically.<br />

l GDP doesn’t capture the costs of<br />

pollution and other negative factors<br />

that have no market price.<br />

l GDP counts many things — such as<br />

the production of weapons, cigarettes<br />

and alcohol — that many people would<br />

regard as having, at best, a dubious<br />

connection to living standards.<br />

A further problem with GDP is that<br />

it is very difficult to measure, as it inadvanced<br />

“Sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll are all<br />

part of an economy’s performance”<br />

volves collecting thousands of pieces<br />

of information and making hundreds of<br />

estimates. That is why GDP figures get<br />

revised so often. What we thought was<br />

a recession could later turn out to have<br />

been a period of growth (or vice versa).<br />

This creates chaos for policymakers.<br />

GDP figures also get revised when<br />

fundamental changes are made in the<br />

way they are calculated. Last year,<br />

GDP in the US grew overnight by 3.6<br />

per cent, or $560 billion, purely as<br />

a result of such revisions. The main<br />

reason was the decision to include<br />

research and development (R&D) as a<br />

form of investment — just like building<br />

Pimp your GDP!<br />

Motzen Sie Ihr BIP auf!<br />

[)pImp jE )dZi: di: (pi:] ifml.<br />

(pimp<br />

Zuhälter(in))<br />

billion [(bIljEn]<br />

Milliarde(n)<br />

boost [bu:st]<br />

Auftrieb<br />

capture (costs) [(kÄptSE] (Kosten) erfassen<br />

childcare [(tSaI&ldkeE] Kinderbetreuung<br />

consumption [kEn(sVmpS&n] Konsum<br />

drug [drVg]<br />

Arzneimittel; Droge<br />

dubious [(dju:biEs] zweifelhaft, dubiös<br />

estimate [(estImEt] Schätzung<br />

gross domestic product Bruttoinlandsprodukt<br />

(GDP) [)grEUs dE)mestIk (BIP)<br />

(prQdVkt]<br />

merchandising<br />

Vermarktung (von<br />

[(m§:tSEndaIzIN]<br />

Imageträgern)<br />

pollution [pE(lu:S&n] Umweltverschmutzung<br />

research and development Forschung und<br />

[ri)s§:tS En di(velEpmEnt] Entwicklung<br />

revise sth. [ri(vaIz] etw. bearbeiten;<br />

korrigieren<br />

revision [ri(vIZ&n]<br />

Bearbeitung; Korrektur<br />

statistician [)stÄtI(stIS&n] Statistiker(in)<br />

vice versa [)vaIsi (v§:sE] umgekehrt<br />

iStock<br />

Illegal drugs: now counted as part of GDP<br />

a new factory — rather than as a cost<br />

of production. European countries are<br />

now following the US example on R&D.<br />

But let’s get back to sex and drugs.<br />

One of the main changes being made<br />

by many countries this year is to include<br />

in GDP the value of prostitution<br />

and illegal drugs. This might seem<br />

strange, but GDP simply measures the<br />

value of goods and services in an economy.<br />

It doesn’t involve moral or legal<br />

judgements about particular activities.<br />

Britain’s economy alone is estimated<br />

to have received a £10 billion boost (at<br />

least statistically) as a result of including<br />

sex and drugs in its GDP figures.<br />

According to statisticians, this takes<br />

into account the work of an estimated<br />

61,000 prostitutes and consumption<br />

of heroin by some 38,000 heroin users.<br />

And you still think that economics<br />

is boring?<br />

BS<br />

Ian McMaster is editor-in-chief of <strong>Business</strong><br />

<strong>Spotlight</strong>. Read his weekly blog on global<br />

business at www.business-spotlight.de/blogs<br />

Contact: i.mcmaster@spotlight-verlag.de<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 71

LANGUAGE TEACHER TALK<br />

A call for professionalism<br />

Lernende sind unsere wichtigste Ressource. Jedes Detail ihres Berufsalltags<br />

ist für uns als Lehrende bedeutsam, wie Sprach- und Kommunikationstrainer<br />

Timothy Phillips seiner Gesprächspartnerin Deborah Capras erläutert. medium<br />

Who is Timothy Phillips?<br />

Tim Phillips is a senior consultant in the area of in-company language and communication<br />

training. As CEO of Skylight GmbH, he has set up highly specific<br />

training programmes for companies in different sectors. Tim spent many years<br />

working as an in-company trainer in Europe and South East Asia. He also worked<br />

as a senior consultant in the IT sector. Tim has co-developed a teacher-trainer<br />

programme, the Communication and Language Trainer Certificate, to raise the<br />

general standard of business English teaching in companies. He is British,<br />

understands French and is completely fluent in German.<br />

Email: contact@timothy.phillips.eu<br />

When did you start teaching?<br />

In 1982. I was a tutor librarian in the<br />

UK, teaching French and German on a<br />

distance-learning programme. I started<br />

teaching business English when I first<br />

came to Germany, in the late 1980s.<br />

What is the role of the teacher?<br />

There are many roles, each with its<br />

own qualities: guide, coach, motivator,<br />

active listener. The teacher is an oasis<br />

of trust and confidentiality.<br />

What are some of the key principles of<br />

effective language training?<br />

It needs to be SMART: specific, measurable,<br />

achievable, relevant, timebound.<br />

This is a well-established method<br />

in the business world that should be<br />

used in language training, too. Everyone<br />

— the trainers, the clients, their<br />

managers, HR — should agree on the<br />

learning goals and how they will be<br />

measured. This does not mean that the<br />

training should be mono-dimensional,<br />

or only goals- and business-focused.<br />

Energy, innovation and variety are still<br />

important elements of any language<br />

training.<br />

What are your current interests?<br />

I am a great believer in practising<br />

those communication tasks that our<br />

clients need to do at work in the safe<br />

environment of a training session. It’s<br />

important that we give feedback on all<br />

aspects of communication: linguistic,<br />

communicative and behavioural —<br />

which includes intercultural and multicultural<br />

competence and human empathy.<br />

My experience in hiring teachers<br />

tells me that very few business English<br />

trainers have the training to do this.<br />

But this is what will be required of<br />

them in the future, particularly if they<br />

wish to survive as a trainer in a business<br />

world that increasingly sees language<br />

training as a standard training<br />

product — rather like learning new<br />

software.<br />

What do you expect from business English<br />

trainers?<br />

A recognized qualification in teaching<br />

English, and, regardless of how much<br />

experience they have, I expect them<br />

CEO (chief executive Geschäftsführer(in)<br />

officer) [)si: i: (EU]<br />

coach [kEUtS]<br />

Trainer(in) und<br />

Berater(in)<br />

confidentiality<br />

Vertraulichkeit<br />

[)kQnfI)denSi(ÄlEti]<br />

distance-learning Fernkurs, -lehrgang<br />

programme [(dIstEns<br />

)l§:nIN )prEUgrÄm]<br />

empathy [(empETi] Empathie, Einfühlungsvermögen<br />

environment<br />

Umgebung, Umfeld<br />

[In(vaI&rEnmEnt]<br />

fluent: be ~ in<br />

(eine Sprache) fließend<br />

(a language) [(flu:Ent] sprechen<br />

HR (human resources) Personalabteilung<br />

[)eItS (A:]<br />

learning goal [(l§:nIN gEUl] Lernziel<br />

senior consultant leitende(r) Berater(in)<br />

[)si:niE kEn(sVltEnt]<br />

time-bound<br />

zeitgebunden, mit fester<br />

[(taIm baUnd]<br />

Zeitvorgabe<br />

tutor librarian<br />

etwa: Lernbetreuer(in)<br />

[)tju:tE laI(breEriEn] und Lernmittelberater(in)<br />

in Zusammenarbeit mit<br />

einer Bibliothek<br />

72 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

Wavebreak Media<br />

“The best resource is the<br />

one sitting directly in front of<br />

you — your client”<br />

Today’s trainers: professional, interested, curious and engaged<br />

to be engaged in their own personal<br />

and professional development. I find it<br />

hypocritical to train adult learners and<br />

then not be open to one’s own personal<br />

development. It’s not important that<br />

they have a business background, but<br />

it is important that they should be extremely<br />

interested in and curious about<br />

their clients’ area of work — and in all<br />

the details. At the same time, trainers<br />

need to understand the corporate<br />

culture as well as the international<br />

cultural environment within which their<br />

clients operate. They will begin to realize<br />

that the best resource — despite<br />

all the excellent publications on the<br />

market — is the one sitting directly in<br />

front of them: their client.<br />

approach [E(prEUtS] Methode,<br />

Vorgehensweise<br />

bite-sized [(baIt saIzd] ifml. mundgerecht; hier: klein<br />

B minor [)bi: (maInE] h-Moll<br />

cope with sth.<br />

mit etw. klarkommen,<br />

[(kEUp wID]<br />

etw. bewältigen<br />

corporate culture Unternehmenskultur<br />

[)kO:pErEt (kVltSE]<br />

device [di(vaIs]<br />

Gerät<br />

fiddle [(fId&l] ifml. Fiedel, Geige<br />

hypocritical [)hIpE(krItIk&l] scheinheilig<br />

lexical [(leksIk&l] lexikalisch, Wortpublisher<br />

[(pVblISE] Verlag; Verleger(in)<br />

quote [kwEUt]<br />

Zitat<br />

reception [ri(sepS&n] Empfang, Feier<br />

resource [ri(zO:s] (Informations-)Quelle<br />

sharp: 7 p.m. ~ [SA:p] Punkt 19 Uhr<br />

What kind of support do you expect from<br />

publishers?<br />

I strongly believe publishers need to<br />

completely redefine their business<br />

models and question whether there is<br />

even any need for a book in its traditional<br />

form. I would love to see content<br />

in bite-sized modules that can be used<br />

alone or combined by the trainer, each<br />

module coming in all media formats<br />

and downloadable on to any device.<br />

Must read: teaching<br />

An old one, but still relevant today: The<br />

Lexical Approach, Michael Lewis.<br />

Must read: for fun<br />

The poem “Start Close In”, by David<br />

Whyte, an Anglo-Irish poet who really<br />

inspires me.<br />

Any successful moment that few people<br />

know about?<br />

Playing the fiddle with the Irish band<br />

The Beastly Boys in a pub in England<br />

on Sunday nights in the early 1980s.<br />

It got us a drink.<br />

Favourite quote<br />

“The only real failure is the failure to<br />

try. The measure of our success is how<br />

we cope with our disappointment…<br />

Every morning we get up and do our<br />

best. That’s all that matters.” (From<br />

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel)<br />

Ambitions and dreams<br />

I have a number of business ambitions,<br />

which, for them to be successful, will<br />

need to stay secret! A dream is to be<br />

able to play Liszt’s Piano Sonata in<br />

B minor. It will probably always remain<br />

a dream, which for those who enjoy<br />

Liszt is probably a very good thing!<br />

What intercultural mistakes have made<br />

you laugh out loud?<br />

I was invited to a wedding reception<br />

at a luxury hotel in Singapore. The<br />

invitation clearly said “7 p.m. sharp”,<br />

so, being British, I arrived exactly at<br />

7 p.m. — only to find none of the other<br />

guests were there. Having eaten very<br />

little for lunch, I sat at the bar and ate<br />

the free nuts. At least two large gin<br />

and tonics later, people started arriving<br />

and I was ready to fall off my chair. I<br />

learned afterwards that arriving on time<br />

was considered impolite, as it gives the<br />

impression you want to be first to get<br />

to the food!<br />

BS<br />

Study tip<br />

Debate or dialogue?<br />

Try this with a study partner:<br />

l Choose a controversial statement, such<br />

as “The UK should leave the EU”.<br />

l Take a strong position: one partner for,<br />

the other against. Have a debate with<br />

your partner for five minutes.<br />

l Now, take the same position, but this<br />

time, each of you speaks in turn. Partner<br />

A talks for a minute — B may not<br />

interrupt! A s<strong>top</strong>s. B summarizes what<br />

A said and then B gives his own arguments.<br />

A may not interrupt.<br />

l Reflect on which conversation was<br />

more effective. Why?<br />

controversial<br />

kontrovers, umstritten<br />

[)kQntrE(v§:S&l]<br />

in turn [)In (t§:n]<br />

abwechselnd<br />

reflect on sth. [ri(flekt Qn] über etwas nachdenken<br />

summarize sth. [(sVmEraIz] etw. zusammenfassen<br />

www For more on business English training,<br />

see www.business-spotlight.de/teachers<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 73

LANGUAGE PRODUCTS<br />

What‘s new?<br />

Sie<br />

wollen noch tiefer ins Englische eintauchen? Wir haben uns<br />

für Sie nach neuen Produkten umgesehen.<br />

medium<br />

Books<br />

Book with audio CD<br />

The Art of Conversation<br />

You talk with your friends, your colleagues<br />

and your boss, on the phone and in meetings,<br />

as well as with the person sitting next<br />

to you on the plane. By talking, you build<br />

relationships and stay in contact with others.<br />

This book will help you to improve<br />

your conversation skills and express yourself<br />

confidently, even in difficult situations. Judy<br />

Apps (Capstone/Wiley), €14.90*<br />

Powerful Phrases for Successful Interviews<br />

The author has compiled more than 400<br />

words and phrases that jobseekers will find<br />

useful when answering difficult questions in<br />

job interviews. Jobseekers can use this book<br />

as a quick reference to the language they will<br />

need at every stage of their job search. Tony<br />

Beshara (McGraw-Hill / Amacom), €9.60*<br />

Managing Change / Working Virtually<br />

Part of the publisher’s International<br />

Management English series, Managing<br />

Change focuses on the skills leaders need<br />

to implement changes affecting teams.<br />

Working Virtually is for those who work<br />

remotely. Fiona Mee et al. (Delta Publishing<br />

/ York Associates), €29.95 each<br />

Calendar<br />

Langenscheidt Sprachkalender 2015<br />

<strong>Business</strong> English<br />

If you want to practise and improve<br />

your business English, this tear-off<br />

calendar is a good choice. It focuses<br />

on language activities, phrases,<br />

grammar and office communication.<br />

Karen Richardson, Werner<br />

Scheibling (Langenscheidt), €12.99*<br />

Intercultural Readiness<br />

Companies, trainers and employees can use<br />

this book to develop their skills for working<br />

across cultures. It is based on research on<br />

the four intercultural competences: intercultural<br />

sensitivity, intercultural communication,<br />

building commitment and managing<br />

uncertainty. Ursula Brinkmann, Oscar van<br />

Weerdenburg (Palgrave Macmillan), £24.99<br />

*These products are available at<br />

affect sb. [E(fekt]<br />

commitment [kE(mItmEnt]<br />

compile sth. [kEm(paI&l]<br />

implement sth. [(ImplIment]<br />

interview [(IntEvju:]<br />

phrase [freIz]<br />

publisher [(pVblISE]<br />

reference: use sth. as a ~ to sth.<br />

[(ref&rEns]<br />

remotely [ri(mEUtli]<br />

research [ri(s§:tS]<br />

sensitivity [)sensE(tIvEti]<br />

tear-off calendar [(teEr Qf )kÄlEndE]<br />

sich auf jmdn. auswirken<br />

Engagement, Einsatzbereitschaft<br />

etw. zusammentragen<br />

etw. umsetzen<br />

Bewerbungsgespräch<br />

Ausdruck, Formulierung<br />

Verlag; Verleger(in)<br />

etw. zum Nachschlagen für etw.<br />

benutzen<br />

entfernt; hier: räumlich getrennt<br />

Forschung<br />

Sensibilität, Feingefühl<br />

Abreißkalender<br />

Solutions<br />

Vocabulary (p. 46):<br />

a) symphony orchestra’s<br />

b) conductor<br />

c) musicians’<br />

d) harpist<br />

e) concertgoers<br />

f) audience<br />

g) curtain<br />

h) concert hall<br />

i) stage<br />

j) stalls<br />

k) dress circle<br />

Grammar at Work (p. 47):<br />

a–3; b–2; c–4; d–6; e–1; f–5<br />

Translation (p. 52):<br />

a) Das ist ein Privatgrundstück.<br />

Sie dürfen/können hier nicht<br />

parken.<br />

b) That could be a bit tight.<br />

Let’s set off/leave earlier.<br />

English for… philanthropy<br />

(pp. 68–69):<br />

a) donations<br />

b) co-creation<br />

c) crowdfunding<br />

d) profits<br />

Legal English (p. 70):<br />

a) interpreted; b) Disputing;<br />

c) meaning; d) compatible;<br />

e) intrinsic<br />

Language Focus (p. 91):<br />

a) documents<br />

b) exact<br />

c) blueprint<br />

74 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

KEY WORDS LANGUAGE<br />

Vocabulary trainer<br />

Use our Key Words list to learn vocabulary from the current <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong>. The<br />

definitions will help you understand the words — and build your vocabulary.<br />

Nouns and noun phrases<br />

business incubator a place where a new company can be started and supported with Gründerzentrum<br />

business advice and shared services<br />

core business the main area or activity that a company focuses on in its business Kerngeschäft<br />

operations<br />

denomination the face value of a banknote or coin Stückelung, Nennwert<br />

fallback position an alternative plan Alternative, Plan B<br />

silo thinking a general mentality that finds expression in a lack of communication etwa: Scheuklappendenken<br />

between departments in an organization<br />

supplier a company that supplies goods and/or services to another business Zulieferer/Zulieferin<br />

Verbs<br />

Listen and learn!<br />

You can download an MP3 file<br />

of this Key Words list from our<br />

website.<br />

appeal to sb. to be attractive or interesting to someone bei jmdm. Anklang finden<br />

circulate to pass from place to place or person to person im Umlauf sein<br />

cope with sth. to deal effectively with a problem, responsibility or difficulty mit etw. klarkommen,<br />

etw. bewältigen<br />

hear (a case) to listen to and judge (a legal case) (einen Fall) verhandeln<br />

prioritize sth. to do things in order of importance etw. nach Priorität ordnen<br />

rank sth. to give something a place within a grading system etw. bewerten<br />

Adjectives and adverbs<br />

awkward causing embarrassment peinlich<br />

consistent acting in the same way over time konsequent<br />

geeky ifml. very knowledgeable about technical matters but socially inept technisch orientiert mit wenig<br />

Sozialkompetenz<br />

patronizing treating someone in a condescending manner gönnerhaft<br />

remotely (operated or controlled) from a distance aus der Ferne<br />

single-handedly done by one person without receiving help from others im Alleingang<br />

Idioms and expressions<br />

get on with one’s own life to take a step back and put things into perspective etwa: sich wieder auf das<br />

Wesentliche konzentrieren<br />

go from rags to riches to start out very poor in life and later become very rich vom Tellerwäscher zum Millionär<br />

werden<br />

have a chip on one’s to seem angry all the time because you feel you’ve been unfairly treated einen Komplex haben<br />

shoulder<br />

take one’s lead from sb. to follow somebody else’s example sich an jmdm. orientieren<br />

www Subscribers to <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> can download the following lists at www.business-spotlight.de/words<br />

l a PDF of this Key Words list with an MP3 audio file of the words, definitions and example sentences<br />

l a PDF of the complete vocabulary list (English–German) for each magazine<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 75

Say it<br />

your way<br />

Mit der richtigen Vorbereitung wird Ihr<br />

nächstes Vorstellungsgespräch sicherlich<br />

gut gelingen. Margaret Davis hat Experten<br />

zum Thema befragt und die wichtigsten<br />

Tipps zusammengefasst.<br />

medium<br />

3<br />

SERIES: Part Three<br />

Your turn to talk: prepared<br />

for the job 76 interview<br />

www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014<br />

Masterfile

JOB INTERVIEWS CAREERS<br />

Your competent, convincing<br />

CV and covering letter (see<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> 5/2014)<br />

have resulted in an invitation<br />

for a job interview.<br />

Congratulations! You have worked<br />

hard to get this far and are excited —<br />

and probably a bit nervous — about<br />

the next step. Here’s how to turn that<br />

excitement into a confident performance,<br />

whether for a phone screening,<br />

an in-person interview or a video<br />

interview.<br />

First, ask for the name of your<br />

interviewer — or interviewers — and<br />

check LinkedIn or Twitter to find<br />

out about their career history and<br />

interests. “You are likely to feel more<br />

confident in the interview if you are<br />

conversing with someone you know<br />

something about,” wrote Ruth Spellman,<br />

chief executive of the Chartered<br />

Management Institute, in The<br />

Guardian. Ask about the format of<br />

the interview and the number of people<br />

involved. “It’s not that you have<br />

to prepare particularly differently,<br />

but if you’re expecting a relaxed chat<br />

with an HR person and you get five<br />

senior people grilling you, it’s likely<br />

to throw you,” says career coach Michael<br />

Higgins.<br />

Think about the questions interviewers<br />

often ask. “Why do you want<br />

to work here?” is a classic one. You<br />

can find information on the company<br />

website and in news stories about the<br />

business. If the company has a You-<br />

Tube channel, look at that as well.<br />

“Tell me about yourself” is another<br />

classic. While the answer ought to be<br />

simple, it’s easy to forget something<br />

essential — or to say something you<br />

didn’t intend to say, especially if you<br />

are nervous. The likelihood of saying<br />

the wrong thing increases when you<br />

are speaking a foreign language, so<br />

have a two- to three-minute response<br />

prepared and practise it.<br />

“Why do you want to work here?” is a classic<br />

interview question<br />

Often, interviewers will ask why<br />

you left a past job or why you want<br />

to leave your current one. Be careful<br />

how you respond to this. “Never<br />

speak badly of your previous employer,”<br />

says Chris Meredith, CEO<br />

of officebroker.com. “If asked why<br />

you’re leaving your current position,<br />

focus on your ambitions, how this<br />

job will help you get to where you<br />

need to be, and what elements of the<br />

job excite you,” Meredith told The<br />

Daily Telegraph.<br />

Another popular interview tactic is<br />

to ask about your weak points. Questions<br />

about weaknesses are designed<br />

to evaluate a candidate’s honesty and<br />

self-awareness, and to reduce the<br />

company’s risk of hiring the wrong<br />

person. “Always be prepared to share<br />

some weaknesses, but make sure the<br />

quality you choose is not central to<br />

the job,” Meredith says. “Finding a<br />

weakness from your past that you<br />

have worked towards improving can<br />

be an effective strategy. Come up<br />

with this trait as part of your interview<br />

preparation so that you won’t<br />

be left speechless.”<br />

“Tell me about a time you failed” is<br />

another question that strikes fear into<br />

the hearts of jobseekers. “Highlight a<br />

failure and then follow up with what<br />

you learned and how you changed,”<br />

advises career coach Christie Mims.<br />

“Interviewers are less concerned with<br />

the failure than how you handled<br />

it (you are human after all). They<br />

want to know that you are capable<br />

of thoughtful growth and can handle<br />

stress under pressure,” Mims told<br />

U.S. News & World Report.<br />

More and more interviewers are<br />

asking offbeat questions that, on the<br />

surface at least, seem to have little<br />

to do with the jobs they are trying<br />

to fill. The trend, which started at<br />

technology companies, has spread to<br />

other industries. For example, interviewees<br />

at the mining company BHP<br />

Billiton were asked recently, “Would<br />

you rather fight a horse-sized duck<br />

or a hundred duck-sized horses?”<br />

There are no right or wrong answers<br />

central: be ~ to sth.<br />

[(sentrEl]<br />

CEO (chief executive<br />

officer) [)si: i: (EU]<br />

chat [tSÄt]<br />

chief executive<br />

[)tSi:f Ig(zekjUtIv]<br />

come up with sth.<br />

[)kVm (Vp wID]<br />

converse with sb.<br />

[kEn(v§:s wID]<br />

covering letter<br />

[(kVv&rIN )letE] UK<br />

CV (curriculum vitae)<br />

[)si: (vi:]<br />

designed: be ~ to do sth.<br />

[di(zaInd]<br />

evaluate sth. [i(vÄljueIt]<br />

fill (a job) [fIl]<br />

follow up with sth.<br />

[)fQlEU (Vp wID]<br />

grill sb. [grIl] ifml.<br />

growth [grEUT]<br />

highlight sth. [(haIlaIt]<br />

hire sb. [(haIE]<br />

HR person<br />

[)eItS (A: )p§:s&n]<br />

in-person [)In (p§:s&n]<br />

interviewee [)IntEvju(i:]<br />

interviewer [(IntEvju:E]<br />

job interview<br />

[(dZQb )IntEvju:]<br />

mining [(maInIN]<br />

offbeat [)Qf(bi:t] ifml.<br />

phone screening<br />

[(fEUn )skri:nIN]<br />

previous [(pri:viEs]<br />

quality [(kwQlEti]<br />

senior [(si:niE]<br />

throw sb. [TrEU]<br />

trait [treIt]<br />

für etw. wesentlich sein<br />

Geschäftsführer(in)<br />

Unterhaltung, Plauderei<br />

Direktor(in), Leiter(in)<br />

sich etw. einfallen<br />

lassen<br />

mit jmdm. sprechen,<br />

sich mit jmdm. unterhalten<br />

Bewerbungsschreiben<br />

Lebenslauf<br />

etw. tun sollen<br />

etw. bewerten<br />

(eine Stelle) besetzen<br />

etw. als nächstes<br />

vorbringen<br />

jmdn. in die Mangel<br />

nehmen, jmdm. auf<br />

den Zahn fühlen<br />

hier: Entwicklung<br />

etw. hervorheben<br />

jmdn. einstellen<br />

Mitarbeiter(in) der<br />

Personalabteilung<br />

persönlich<br />

Interviewpartner(in);<br />

hier: Bewerber(in)<br />

Person, die das Bewerbungsgespräch<br />

führt<br />

Bewerbungsgespräch<br />

Bergbau<br />

ausgefallen,<br />

unkonventionell<br />

telefonische Vorauswahl<br />

frühere(r,s)<br />

hier: Eigenschaft<br />

hochrangig, leitend<br />

jmdn. aus dem Konzept<br />

bringen<br />

Eigenschaft, Merkmal<br />

4<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 77

CAREERS JOB INTERVIEWS<br />

Interview<br />

“At the end of the day, remember that a job<br />

interview is a two-way street”<br />

DAISY WRIGHT is a Canadian career<br />

coach and professional résumé writer.<br />

Born in Jamaica, Wright has worked in<br />

Jamaica, at the United Nations in New<br />

York and in Canada. She is the author<br />

of a careers advice book aimed at new<br />

immigrants, called No Canadian Experience,<br />

Eh? Wright talked to <strong>Business</strong><br />

<strong>Spotlight</strong> about what to say — and<br />

what not to say — in international job<br />

interviews.<br />

How much personal information should<br />

you give in a job interview?<br />

Not much! Don’t speak about your<br />

marital or family status, since doing<br />

so could threaten the opportunity. For<br />

example, if someone reveals that she<br />

or he is married with kids, the interviewer<br />

may start thinking that, because<br />

the position requires lots of travel,<br />

the candidate would not be a good<br />

fit. The opposite is true, too. Candidates<br />

should not ask interviewers any<br />

personal questions. Some interviewers<br />

keep family photos on their desks to<br />

generate conversations around children<br />

and family. They know they can’t ask<br />

the question, so they set the situation<br />

up so that candidates ask about their<br />

family, then reveal their own status. Do<br />

not be tricked into such conversations.<br />

Are there any personal questions you<br />

should never answer?<br />

In Canada, it is unlawful for a candidate<br />

to be asked about race, age,<br />

ethnic background, religion, gender or<br />

marital status in an interview. Interviewers<br />

do not deliberately ask inappropriate<br />

questions, but because many<br />

are not trained on what questions to<br />

ask and how to word sensitive questions,<br />

they sometimes offend candidates.<br />

If candidates are asked questions<br />

that they consider inappropriate,<br />

they have three options: answer the<br />

question; refuse to answer; or use tact<br />

and diplomacy when answering.<br />

None of these options guarantee that<br />

candidates will get the job. If they answer<br />

the question, they may not get<br />

the job. If they refuse to answer, the<br />

interviewer may believe they are uncooperative<br />

and they won’t get the job. If<br />

they use diplomacy, they still may not<br />

get the job — but diplomacy is always<br />

a good option. For example, if you were<br />

asked the question “How old are you?”,<br />

you could answer it, if you don’t mind<br />

being asked such a personal question.<br />

You could refuse to answer, or you<br />

could use diplomacy and tell the interviewer<br />

that you are between the ages<br />

of 16 and 64.<br />

Why do interviewers sometimes ask<br />

strange questions like “How do you get<br />

a giraffe into a refrigerator?”<br />

The aim of such questions is to test the<br />

candidate’s creative or logical thinking<br />

processes. Can they think quickly?<br />

How do they solve problems? The interviewer<br />

also wants to know whether<br />

the candidate will fit into the culture<br />

of the organization. There are no right<br />

or wrong answers, so there’s no need<br />

to panic. You could turn the question<br />

back to the interviewer and say something<br />

like, “That’s an interesting question.<br />

How would you put a giraffe into a<br />

refrigerator?” This could backfire, but it<br />

could also give you time to think about<br />

the question.<br />

At the end of the day, candidates<br />

should remember that the interview<br />

is a two-way street. If they are being<br />

asked questions that make them feel<br />

uncomfortable or questions that they<br />

believe are irrelevant to the job, then<br />

they might want to look at the company<br />

again to see whether it’s going to be a<br />

good fit for them.<br />

backfire [)bÄk(faIE]<br />

ins Auge gehen<br />

deliberately [di(lIbErEtli]<br />

absichtlich<br />

eh? [eI]<br />

nicht wahr?<br />

end of the day: at the ~<br />

letztendlich<br />

[)end Ev DE (deI] ifml.<br />

fit: be a good ~ [fIt]<br />

sich gut eignen<br />

gender [(dZendE]<br />

Geschlecht<br />

inappropriate [)InE(prEUpriEt] unangemessen, unpassend<br />

interviewer [(IntEvju:E]<br />

Person, die das Bewerbungsgespräch führt<br />

job interview [(dZQb )IntEvju:] Bewerbungsgespräch<br />

marital status [(mÄrItEl )steItEs] Familienstand<br />

offend sb. [E(fend]<br />

jmdn. vor den Kopf stoßen<br />

résumé [(rezEmeI*] US<br />

Lebenslauf<br />

sensitive [(sensEtIv]<br />

heikel<br />

set sth. up [)set (Vp]<br />

etw. einrichten, arrangieren<br />

two-way street [)tu: weI (stri:t] ifml. wechselseitige Angelegenheit<br />

unlawful [Vn(lO:f&l]<br />

gesetzwidrig<br />

* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.<br />

78 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

Group dynamics: be<br />

friendly, but don’t flirt<br />

Video interviews are becoming popular because<br />

they save companies time and money<br />

to such questions, according to Canadian<br />

career coach Daisy Wright (see<br />

interview on p. 78). They are used to<br />

test candidates’ ability to think creatively,<br />

logically and quickly. While<br />

it is impossible to prepare for every<br />

offbeat question, an internet search<br />

under “strange interview questions”<br />

will at least give you an idea what to<br />

expect.<br />

Most job interviews take place<br />

in offices, but don’t be surprised if<br />

you are invited to go out to lunch<br />

or dinner with potential employers.<br />

The lunch interview is often used for<br />

groups of candidates, when interviewers<br />

want to see how you interact<br />

with others. Although a lunch interview<br />

may seem like a friendly, social<br />

apply to sb./sth.<br />

[E(plaI tu]<br />

conduct sth.<br />

[kEn(dVkt]<br />

disclose sth.<br />

[dIs(klEUz]<br />

lead: take one’s ~<br />

from sb. [li:d]<br />

mainstream<br />

[(meInstri:m]<br />

menu [(menju:]<br />

neat [ni:t]<br />

recruiting [ri(kru:tIN]<br />

remotely [ri(mEUtli]<br />

sich bei jmdm./etw.<br />

bewerben<br />

etw. durchführen<br />

etw. offenbaren,<br />

mitteilen<br />

sich an jmdm. orientieren<br />

etabliert<br />

Speisekarte<br />

ordentlich<br />

Personalbeschaffung<br />

aus der Ferne<br />

event, you shouldn’t be too relaxed,<br />

warns Julie Clare of Britain’s National<br />

Careers Service. “Don’t tell the employer<br />

things you wouldn’t disclose<br />

in a more formal interview,” Clare<br />

told The Guardian.<br />

You can prepare for a lunch interview<br />

by going to the restaurant beforehand<br />

to check the menu and atmosphere,<br />

or by looking it up online.<br />

Choose food that is simple to eat so<br />

you can concentrate on what is being<br />

said, and don’t order the most expensive<br />

dish on the menu. “Take your<br />

lead from the interviewer on what<br />

they order,” Clare says. “Don’t order<br />

the finest steak and a glass of expensive<br />

wine if the interviewer orders a<br />

sandwich and a glass of water.”<br />

You might also be asked to take<br />

part in a video interview, especially if<br />

you live far away from the interviewers.<br />

“If a company [had] said 15 years<br />

ago that they conducted interviews<br />

remotely through a camera in your<br />

computer, you would have thought<br />

you were applying to Hogwarts,”<br />

writes careers blogger Heather R.<br />

Huhman. “Now, webcam interviewing<br />

is becoming a mainstream meth-<br />

Wavebreak Media<br />

Interview <strong>tips</strong><br />

l Turn off your phone. “It’s surprising how<br />

many people think that taking a call or<br />

replying to texts during an interview situation<br />

are appropriate,” says Chris Meredith,<br />

head of officebroker.com.<br />

l Stand up while waiting to be called in<br />

for an interview. “You will often be shown<br />

into a boardroom before an interview and<br />

offered a seat while you wait. Don’t take<br />

it,” advises public-speaking expert Robin<br />

Kermode. “You don’t want their first impression<br />

of you to be struggling up out of<br />

a chair, so stay standing. You’ll look more<br />

confident if you are on their level as you<br />

first meet them.”<br />

l Don’t forget your CV. Show that you are<br />

well organized by taking all relevant information<br />

with you. Don’t assume that<br />

the interviewer will have a copy of all<br />

important information.<br />

l Don’t flirt. “Never say anything that<br />

could be taken as flirtatious, even if<br />

you’re just being nice,” Meredith warns.<br />

“It’s important you build up a positive relationship<br />

with your interviewer, but avoid<br />

complimenting them, as it could make<br />

the situation awkward.”<br />

appropriate [E(prEUpriEt]<br />

awkward [(O:kwEd]<br />

boardroom [(bO:dru:m]<br />

confident [(kQnfIdEnt]<br />

CV (curriculum vitae)<br />

[)si: (vi:]<br />

flirtatious [fl§:(teISEs]<br />

interview [(IntEvju:]<br />

interviewer [(IntEvju:E]<br />

take (a call) [teIk]<br />

text [tekst]<br />

Sources: The Daily Telegraph; The Guardian<br />

angebracht<br />

peinlich<br />

hier: Konferenzraum<br />

selbstsicher<br />

Lebenslauf<br />

kokett; hier: flirtend<br />

Bewerbungsgespräch<br />

Person, die das Bewerbungsgespräch<br />

führt<br />

(einen Anruf) entgegennehmen<br />

SMS<br />

od of recruiting — saving employers<br />

both time and money while still giving<br />

them (almost) all the information<br />

they need to make a hiring decision.”<br />

It’s important to make a professional<br />

impression, Huhman says.<br />

If you are interviewing from your<br />

house, do so in a neat, clean room.<br />

“Also, make sure you’re interviewing<br />

away from any loud noises or<br />

potential interruptions, such as a TV/<br />

4<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 79

CAREERS JOB INTERVIEWS<br />

iStock<br />

radio, pet, or smoke detector that<br />

needs new batteries.” Be sure that<br />

your face is well lit and that you are<br />

wearing professional clothing, preferably<br />

light-coloured so that you are<br />

easily seen.<br />

Most interviews end with interviewers<br />

asking candidates whether they<br />

have any questions. “I don’t have any<br />

questions” or “How much holiday<br />

do I get?” are the wrong response,<br />

says Chris Meredith. “While a job interview<br />

is a chance for you to decide<br />

whether you would potentially like<br />

to work at the company you’re interviewing<br />

at, asking how much holiday<br />

you get is a question you should save<br />

for after you’ve been offered the job,<br />

along with ‘How much do I get paid?’<br />

and ‘What is your sickness policy?’”<br />

As the interview comes to an end,<br />

you will want to find out where you<br />

stand. Writing in Forbes, Lisa Quast<br />

suggests asking something like:<br />

“Based on my background and the<br />

skills and experience we discussed,<br />

how well do I fit the profile of the<br />

candidate you are looking for?” To<br />

After-interview<br />

checklist<br />

After every interview, take the time<br />

to analyse your performance. Answering<br />

the following questions<br />

will help you improve, according<br />

to Australian career coach Liz<br />

Cassidy.<br />

l What went well? Why?<br />

l What did not go well? Why?<br />

l What would I do differently if I<br />

were to repeat the interview?<br />

l What interview skills must I develop<br />

further?<br />

Source: Job Interview Questions & Answers,<br />

Liz Cassidy (Third Sigma International)<br />

interview [(IntEvju:]<br />

Bewerbungsgespräch<br />

How did you do? Interviews<br />

are a learning experience<br />

find out how close the employer is<br />

to actually hiring, Quast suggests<br />

asking, “What are the next steps in<br />

the hiring process?” This should also<br />

help you discover whether more candidates<br />

will be interviewed.<br />

Don’t underestimate the importance<br />

of small details that are easily overlooked,<br />

Quast says. Ask for the interviewer’s<br />

business card before leaving.<br />

“That way you’ll have their correctly<br />

spelled name, title, mailing address,<br />

telephone number and email address<br />

to use when you write your thankyou<br />

note.”<br />

If you’ve just been interviewed for<br />

your dream job, of course you hope<br />

that the interview will be followed<br />

by a job offer. But it’s important to<br />

be realistic. You may need to present<br />

yourself to a number of employers<br />

before one of them offers you a job,<br />

so regard every interview as a learning<br />

experience. “As soon after the<br />

interview as you can, find a quiet<br />

business card<br />

[(bIznEs kA:d]<br />

incorporated<br />

[In(kO:pEreItId]<br />

rank sth. [rÄNk]<br />

scale [skeI&l]<br />

sickness policy<br />

[(sIknEs )pQlEsi]<br />

smoke detector<br />

[(smEUk di)tektE]<br />

spell sth. [spel]<br />

Visitenkarte<br />

Aktiengesellschaft<br />

etw. bewerten<br />

Skala<br />

Regelung(en) für den<br />

Krankheitsfall<br />

Rauchmelder<br />

etw. buchstabieren;<br />

hier: schreiben<br />

For more information<br />

BOOKS<br />

Job Interviews: Top Answers to Tough<br />

Questions, John Lees (McGraw-Hill)<br />

What to Say in Every Job Interview, Carole<br />

Martin (McGraw-Hill Education)<br />

Your Career, Your Way! Lisa Quast (Career<br />

Woman, Incorporated)<br />

WEBSITES<br />

British career coach Michael Higgins has<br />

career advice for professionals:<br />

www.thisismypath.co.uk<br />

Career advice, especially for young people,<br />

from US blogger and author Heather R.<br />

Huhman: http://heatherhuhman.com<br />

place and write down as many of the<br />

questions that you were asked as you<br />

can remember,” suggests Michael<br />

Higgins. “Rank how you answered<br />

them on a scale of one to ten. Work<br />

on the answers in order from lowest<br />

to highest so that you can improve<br />

for future interviews.”<br />

BS<br />

This is the final part of our three-part<br />

series on finding a job. Part one, “Selling<br />

yourself” (<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> 4/2014),<br />

looked at job-search methods. Part two,<br />

“Making the cut” (<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong><br />

5/2014), provided <strong>tips</strong> on writing covering<br />

letters and CVs.<br />

Practise your interviewing skills on<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> Audio<br />

www Keep up to date with career trends at<br />

www.business-spotlight.de/careers<br />

Margaret Davis is the editor of the<br />

Careers and Global <strong>Business</strong> sections<br />

of <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong>. Contact:<br />

m.davis@spotlight-verlag.de<br />

80 www.business-spotlight.de<br />

6/2014

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CAREERS TIPS AND TRENDS<br />

All in a day’s work<br />

Kann man sein Feierabendbier nicht auch in der Firma<br />

trinken? Und wie verhält man sich bei Rangeleien am<br />

Arbeitsplatz? Margaret Davis antwortet.<br />

medium<br />

Photodisc<br />

Feedback<br />

Advising your boss<br />

Do you ever wish you could give your boss advice? Offering<br />

feedback to your boss (also known as “upward feedback”)<br />

can be risky, says Assistant Professor James Detert, of Cornell<br />

University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management.<br />

“General advice on how to be a better boss is tough to give<br />

unless you’re asked for it,” Detert told the Harvard <strong>Business</strong><br />

Review. You may not realize the pressure your boss is under,<br />

he warns. “Subordinates by and large don’t have a full<br />

appreciation of the reality of their bosses.”<br />

Risky advice: “Here’s what<br />

I think you should do!”<br />

Trend<br />

Beer in the office<br />

London office workers often meet at the pub after<br />

work on Fridays. Now, some tech companies are<br />

having beer delivered to the office instead.<br />

This is good news for companies like Desk-Beers,<br />

a London start-up that delivers craft beers to offices.<br />

Andrew McDonough of Tribesports, one of the company’s<br />

customers, likes the idea, too. “Most of the<br />

pubs in London are packed on a Friday evening, so if<br />

we did go straight to the pub, it would be difficult for<br />

us to talk to each<br />

other,” McDonough<br />

explained<br />

to the Financial<br />

Times.<br />

Cheers! Just another Friday<br />

night at the office?<br />

Stockbyte<br />

Away from your desk<br />

DVD<br />

While many women return to work after<br />

years as stay-at-home mums, most<br />

don’t do so because their husbands have<br />

been sent to prison. In The Good Wife,<br />

Julianna Margulies plays Alicia, who is<br />

finding her way back into the workforce.<br />

Set in a large law firm, this is beautifully<br />

acted and stylishly presented television.<br />

appreciation<br />

Wertschätzung; hier:<br />

[E)pri:Si(eIS&n]<br />

Verständnis<br />

by and large<br />

im Großen und Ganzen,<br />

[)baI En (lA:dZ]<br />

insgesamt<br />

craft beer [(krA:ft bIE] traditionell gebrautes Bier<br />

graduate school of wirtschaftswissenmanagement<br />

[)grÄdZuEt schaftliche Fakultät<br />

)sku:l Ev (mÄnIdZmEnt] US<br />

law firm [(lO: f§:m] Anwaltskanzlei<br />

packed [pÄkt]<br />

brechend voll<br />

stay-at-home mum nicht berufstätige Mutter<br />

[)steI Et )hEUm (mVm]<br />

UK ifml.<br />

subordinate [sE(bO:dInEt] Untergebene(r)<br />

tough [tVf]<br />

schwierig<br />

workforce [(w§:kfO:s] erwerbstätige Bevölkerung<br />

6/2014

Forgive and forget:<br />

one way of dealing with it<br />

How to...<br />

Deal with office politics<br />

like the job, but I hate the office politics.” How<br />

“I many times have you heard someone make<br />

a comment like this? Perhaps you’ve even said it<br />

yourself. In an ideal world, everyone would treat<br />

each other fairly at work — until we reach that state,<br />

though, it’s wise to learn how to handle workplace<br />

differences. Here’s some advice from Washington<br />

Post careers columnist Joyce E. A. Russell:<br />

l Keep conflicts away from your boss. “Bosses generally<br />

don’t like to hear about conflicts between employees,”<br />

says Russell, who is a licensed industrial<br />

and organizational psychologist. “Bosses expect us<br />

to resolve conflict on our own.”<br />

l Find an outside mentor. “It helps to vent your<br />

frustrations with an outsider and then listen to their<br />

advice,” Russell explains.<br />

l Don’t reveal too much personal information. “Manipulators<br />

can gain personal information from you<br />

and then use this against you later.”<br />

l Learn to forgive and forget. “This is really hard<br />

to do,” Russell admits, “but holding onto hatred or<br />

anger is really counterproductive. Anger and ideas<br />

of revenge can consume you to the point where you<br />

just can’t operate,” she says. “By letting it go, you<br />

can get on with your own life.”<br />

Fuse<br />

iStock<br />

Why me? Women<br />

managers are at risk<br />

Statistically speaking<br />

Risky business<br />

Female CEOs are more likely to be fired<br />

than male ones, according to a study<br />

of 2,500 major companies. The study, by<br />

international consultancy Strategy&, found<br />

that fewer than three in ten male chief<br />

executives were fired in the past ten years,<br />

whereas nearly two in five female bosses<br />

were forced to leave their companies.<br />

CEO (chief executive Geschäftsführer(in)<br />

officer) [)si: i: (EU]<br />

consultancy [kEn(sVltEnsi] Beratungsfirma<br />

consume sb. [kEn(sju:m] jmdn. verzehren<br />

get on with one’s own life etwa: sich wieder auf<br />

[get )Qn wID wVnz<br />

das Wesentliche<br />

)EUn (laIf]<br />

konzentrieren<br />

licensed [(laIs&nst] zugelassen<br />

make sth. up [)meIk (Vp] sich etw. ausdenken<br />

office politics<br />

Rangeleien am<br />

[)QfIs (pQlEtIks]<br />

Arbeitsplatz<br />

resolve sth. [ri(zQlv] etw. lösen<br />

revenge [ri(vendZ]<br />

Rache<br />

track record [(trÄk re)kO:d] Erfolgsbilanz<br />

vent sth. [vent]<br />

etw. ab-, rauslassen<br />

Dilbert<br />

Sources: Financial Times; Strategy& (www.strategyand.pwc.com)<br />

www.dilbert.com; dilbertcartoonist@gmail.com<br />

28/04/2014 ©Scott Adams, Dist.<br />

6/2014<br />

www.business-spotlight.de 83

MANAGEMENT MOBILE BANKING<br />

Money man:<br />

Strive Masiyiwa,<br />

founder of<br />

Econet Wireless<br />

Living<br />

without cash<br />

Reuters<br />

Wer schleppt heute noch große Mengen Bargeld mit sich herum, wenn er seinen Zahlungsverkehr auch<br />

bargeldlos abwickeln kann? Und das per Handy. Anna Leach berichtet von einer rasanten Entwicklung in<br />

Simbabwe, an deren Anfang humanitäre Beweggründe standen.<br />

medium<br />

Will Zimbabwe become<br />

Africa’s first cashless<br />

society? Telecommunications<br />

company, and<br />

now mobile banking<br />

service, Econet Wireless believes that<br />

in less than 12 months, there will be<br />

no more need for notes and coins in<br />

this southern African country. “We<br />

do not expect anyone to still be using<br />

paper money in a year’s time,”<br />

Douglas Mboweni, the company’s<br />

CEO, recently said. “It will be just<br />

like Europe or America, where you<br />

no longer see people carrying bundles<br />

of cash.”<br />

The collapse of Zimbabwe’s economy<br />

in 2002 prepared the way for<br />

Econet Wireless’s mobile payment<br />

system. “Hyperinflation had destroyed<br />

people’s confidence in financial<br />

institutions,” said the Zimbabwe<br />

company’s founder, Strive Masiyiwa,<br />

at a recent symposium.<br />

“The lowest denomination circulating<br />

was one [Zimbabwean] dollar<br />

[€0.002].” The company set up a<br />

mobile payment system that handles<br />

small amounts. “Today, 43 per cent<br />

of GDP moves through Econet Wireless,”<br />

he says. Masiyiwa was born<br />

in Zimbabwe (then still called Rhodesia)<br />

in 1961. His family fled the<br />

country in the turmoil after Prime<br />

Minister Ian Smith declared independence<br />

in 1965, settling in Zambia.<br />

His parents, who ran their own<br />

business, managed to send Masiyiwa<br />

to school in Scotland when he was<br />

12. After school, he studied electronic<br />

engineering at the University of Wales<br />

and worked for a computer company<br />

in Cambridge before returning to<br />

Zimbabwe in the early 1980s.<br />

bundles of cash<br />

[)bVnd&lz Ev (kÄS]<br />

(bundle<br />

CEO (chief executive<br />

officer) [)si: i: (EU]<br />

circulate [(s§:kjuleIt]<br />

denomination<br />

[di)nQmI(neIS&n]<br />

electronic engineering<br />

[elek)trQnIk endZI(nIErIN]<br />

founder [(faUndE]<br />

GDP (gross domestic<br />

product) [)dZi: di: (pi:]<br />

mobile [(mEUbaI&l]<br />

turmoil [(t§:mOI&l]<br />

große Mengen Bargeld<br />

Bündel)<br />

Geschäftsführer(in)<br />

im Umlauf sein<br />

Stückelung, Nennwert<br />

Elektronik<br />

Gründer(in)<br />

BIP (Bruttoinlandsprodukt)<br />

hier: über Mobiltelefon<br />

Aufruhr<br />

84 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

Econet Wireless was established in<br />

1998, but only after a five-year legal<br />

battle with the government for<br />

a licence to deliver telephone services.<br />

The company now operates<br />

in 17 countries, including Botswana,<br />

Lesotho, Kenya, Nigeria, South<br />

Africa and New Zealand. In 2000,<br />

when turmoil broke out over President<br />

Robert Mugabe’s efforts to take<br />

over white farmers’ lands, Masiyiwa<br />

moved his family and company headquarters<br />

to South Africa.<br />

Econet Wireless developed mobile<br />

payments to help NGOs transfer<br />

money to refugees after the war<br />

in Burundi ended in 2005. “Donor<br />

agencies were trying to find ways to<br />

make cash payments to refugees,”<br />

says Masiyiwa. “So we built the payment<br />

system initially not as a business<br />

but as a way to help humanitarians<br />

get money to people in rural<br />

areas who were trying to re-establish<br />

their lives.”<br />

That model was extended and now<br />

mobile money transfers are central to<br />

affordable [E(fO:dEb&l] erschwinglich<br />

allow [E(laU]<br />

hier: ermöglichen<br />

aspiration [)ÄspE(reIS&n] Ambition, (hohes) Ziel<br />

casual worker<br />

Gelegenheitsarbeiter(in)<br />

[)kÄZuEl (w§:kE]<br />

cell phone [(sel foUn*] US Handy<br />

charging station<br />

Ladestation<br />

[(tSA:dZIN )steIS&n]<br />

debt [det]<br />

Schulden, Verschuldung<br />

disposable income verfügbares Einkommen<br />

[dI)spEUzEb&l (InkVm]<br />

donor agency<br />

Geberorganisation<br />

[(dEUnEr )eIdZEnsi]<br />

frontier [(frVntIE] Grenze; hier: neues<br />

Terrain<br />

headquarters<br />

Zentrale<br />

[)hed(kwO:tEz]<br />

humanitarian<br />

Philanthrop; hier:<br />

[hju)mÄnI(teEriEn] Vertreter(in) einer<br />

humanitären<br />

Hilfsorganisation<br />

kiosk [(ki:Qsk]<br />

Verkaufsstand, Bude<br />

NGO (non-governmental NRO (Nichtregierungsorganization)<br />

[)en dZi: (EU] organisation)<br />

plug sth. in [)plVg (In] etw. einstöpseln,<br />

anschließen<br />

refugee [)refju(dZi:] Flüchtling<br />

rural [(rUErEl]<br />

ländlich<br />

sensitivity [)sensE(tIvEti] Sensibilität, Feingefühl<br />

* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.<br />

“Hyperinflation had destroyed people’s<br />

confidence in financial institutions”<br />

Econet Wireless’s business. Masiyiwa<br />

is passionate about this part of his<br />

business. He believes that extending<br />

saving and credit services to the poorest<br />

people helps by giving them “a<br />

sense that they are in control of their<br />

own lives”.<br />

His next project is to create a product<br />

that allows people who are informally<br />

employed, such as owners<br />

of small farms and casual workers,<br />

to get credit. “In Africa, 70 per cent<br />

of people are informally employed,”<br />

he says. “The big frontier for us is to<br />

create platforms where those people<br />

can get credit.” He says the system is<br />

self-regulating because banks won’t<br />

extend excessive credit, so there’s no<br />

risk that they will get into unmanageable<br />

debt. He believes it is even more<br />

important to offer people the ability<br />

to save than to give them credit.<br />

“We’re trying to build up a savings<br />

culture where people are encouraged<br />

to save, even if they only have<br />

a dollar — to pay for their children’s<br />

school, for transport, for the doctor.”<br />

In 1998, when Econet Wireless was<br />

given a licence to operate, 70 per cent<br />

of people in the country had never<br />

heard a telephone ring. “Today, 75<br />

Strive Masiyiwa, founder, Econet Wireless<br />

per cent of Zimbabweans have a cell<br />

phone,” he said. “And I want 75 per<br />

cent of the people in Africa to have a<br />

bank account — on a mobile phone.”<br />

Masiyiwa has found a solution to<br />

the energy problem that may otherwise<br />

have prevented him from realizing<br />

his dream. “We have developed<br />

solar charging stations, where people<br />

can go into a kiosk and plug in their<br />

phones for free.”<br />

The secret of his success has been<br />

developing services that are practical,<br />

simple and affordable.<br />

“We have to develop services with<br />

sensitivity to the fact that in Africa<br />

our customers don’t have the same<br />

disposable income as in New Zealand,<br />

for example,” says Masiyiwa.<br />

He believes that it is a mistake,<br />

however, to assume that the poorest<br />

behave differently from other customers.<br />

“Their aspirations are no<br />

different from those who have higher<br />

incomes,” he says. “They want<br />

to use Facebook. They want to use<br />

WhatsApp. We have to find ways for<br />

them to have those things with their<br />

very low incomes.”<br />

BS<br />

© Guardian News & Media 2014<br />

From me to<br />

you: Econet<br />

helps people in<br />

Zimbabwe<br />

to avoid<br />

using cash<br />

6/2014

MANAGEMENT WHAT HAPPENED NEXT<br />

The Mobro garbage barge<br />

Ein mit Müll beladenes Lastschiff, der nirgends anlegen durfte, wurde zum<br />

Symbol des Abfallproblems in den USA. Vicki Sussens berichtet.<br />

medium<br />

Getty Images<br />

The Mobro 4000: on a journey to nowhere<br />

The background<br />

In the 1970s, US environmental<br />

awareness grew as a reaction to the<br />

polluting effects of the 1960s economic<br />

boom, which saw the mass production<br />

of disposable goods. The US<br />

Environmental Protection Agency<br />

(EPA) was formed in December<br />

1970 to create and enforce laws that<br />

would protect the environment. In<br />

the 1980s, it focused its attention on<br />

poor waste management.<br />

The problem<br />

Many polluting landfills were forced<br />

to close. Municipalities planned bigger<br />

and better landfills and, in some<br />

cases, recycling plants. However, they<br />

struggled to build them because of<br />

the strict regulations and also resistance<br />

from “Nimbys” — the name<br />

given to those who want change but<br />

say “not in my backyard”. In 1986,<br />

overflowing landfills — including one<br />

in the town of Islip, on Long Island,<br />

New York — received a lot of media<br />

attention.<br />

The solution<br />

Lowell Harrelson, a businessman in<br />

Alabama, saw a business opportunity<br />

in the problems. He decided to transport<br />

garbage by barge from landfills<br />

in Long Island to the emptier landfills<br />

in the US South. There, he planned<br />

to generate electricity from the methane<br />

gas released by the garbage.<br />

He bought a barge called the Mobro<br />

4000 from Tommy Gesuale, the only<br />

person licensed at the time to transport<br />

garbage by barge. Gesuale found<br />

further investors for Harrelson, including<br />

the leader of a Mafia-run garbage<br />

business, Salvatore Avellino. On<br />

22 March 1987, the barge left Islip<br />

for Morehead City, North Carolina,<br />

which had agreed to take the cargo.<br />

What happened next<br />

After the barge’s arrival in Morehead<br />

City made the news on 1 April, state<br />

environmental officials inspected the<br />

Mobro 4000. They found a bedpan<br />

and claimed the garbage contained<br />

potentially dangerous hospital waste.<br />

The barge was turned away and began<br />

a 9,700-kilometre-long journey<br />

along the US coastline trying to<br />

offload its cargo. The media gave it<br />

names such as “the gar-barge” and<br />

“the barge to nowhere”. “Nobody<br />

in an elected position could afford<br />

to take this mythologically frightening<br />

load into their community,” says<br />

Brendan Sexton, then New York<br />

City sanitation commissioner, in a<br />

documentary on the Mobro by Retro<br />

Report. The barge became a symbol<br />

of America’s growing waste crisis.<br />

Greenpeace hung a banner on it that<br />

read “Next time … try recycling”.<br />

In October 1987, Harrelson was ordered<br />

by a Brooklyn court to have the<br />

garbage burned, which he did. The<br />

Mobro is now seen as having played<br />

a major role in promoting recycling,<br />

which spread rapidly after 1987. BS<br />

environmental awareness Umweltbewusstsein<br />

[InvaI&rEn)ment&l E(weEnEs]<br />

pollute sth. [pE(lu:t]<br />

etw. verschmutzen<br />

disposable goods<br />

Wegwerfprodukte<br />

[dI)spEUzEb&l (gUdz]<br />

agency [(eIdZEnsi]<br />

Behörde<br />

enforce sth. [In(fO:s] etw. durchsetzen<br />

waste management<br />

Abfallentsorgung<br />

[(weIst )mÄnIdZmEnt]<br />

landfill [(lÄndfIl]<br />

(Müll-)Deponie<br />

municipality<br />

Stadtverwaltung,<br />

[mju)nIsI(pÄlEti]<br />

Kommune<br />

recycling plant<br />

Recyclinganlage<br />

[)ri:(saIk&lIN plA:nt]<br />

not in my backyard<br />

nicht vor meiner<br />

[)nA:t In (maI bÄk<br />

Haustür<br />

)jA:rd*] US<br />

garbage [(gA:rbIdZ*] US Abfall/Abfälle, Müll<br />

barge [bA:dZ]<br />

Lastschiff<br />

methane [(mi:TeIn]<br />

[wg. Aussprache]<br />

release sth. [ri(li:s]<br />

etw. freisetzen<br />

cargo [(kA:gEU]<br />

Fracht<br />

bedpan [(bedpÄn]<br />

Bettpfanne<br />

offload (cargo) [)Qf(lEUd] (Fracht) löschen<br />

sanitation commissioner Leiter(in) des Amtes<br />

[)sÄnI(teIS&n kE)mIS&nE] für Abfallwirtschaft<br />

* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.<br />

86 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

EXECUTIVE EYE MANAGEMENT<br />

The management of music<br />

Sollten Aufbau und Funktionsweise eines Synfonieorchesters nicht endlich denen eines<br />

modernen Unternehmens angepasst werden? Unser Management-Experte Adrian Furnham<br />

stellt einen Vergleich an und kommt zu einem überraschenden Ergebnis.<br />

medium<br />

The symphony orchestra has totally<br />

escaped the influences of modern<br />

management. No wonder they are<br />

fewer in number. Clearly, a shake-up<br />

is needed. Here are some (not too<br />

serious) recommendations, based on<br />

cutting-edge management science:<br />

l Restructuring. No manager can<br />

effectively control a staff of 100 or<br />

more. The orchestra should have a flat<br />

organizational structure, with players<br />

divided into three groups: “bangers”,<br />

“blowers” and “scrapers”.<br />

l Job titles. The title “conductor”<br />

reflects an authoritarian<br />

work culture. It’ll be changed to<br />

“chief synchronization officer”.<br />

l Teamwork. In order to avoid silo<br />

thinking and build morale, divisions<br />

will not sit together during perform-<br />

banger [(bÄNgE]<br />

Knallende(r); hier:<br />

Schlagwerker(in)<br />

blower [(blEUE]<br />

Pustende(r); hier:<br />

Bläser(in)<br />

chief [tSi:f]<br />

leitend<br />

conductor [kEn(dVktE] Dirigent(in)<br />

cutting-edge [)kVtIN (edZ] (<strong>top</strong>)aktuell<br />

diversity [daI(v§:sEti] Vielfalt<br />

double bassist<br />

Kontrabassist(in)<br />

[)dVb&l (beIsIst]<br />

downsizing [(daUnsaIzIN] Personalabbau<br />

earplug [(IEplVg]<br />

Ohrstöpsel<br />

French horn [)frentS (hO:n] (Wald-)Horn<br />

impairment [Im(peEmEnt] Beeinträchtigung<br />

kettledrum [(ket&ldrVm] Kesselpauke<br />

officer [(QfIsE]<br />

hier: Beauftragte(r)<br />

restructuring [)ri:(strVktSErIN] Umstrukturierung<br />

scraper [(skreIpE]<br />

Kratzende(r); hier:<br />

Streicher(in)<br />

shake-up [(SeIk Vp] ifml. Umorganisation<br />

silo thinking<br />

isolierte<br />

[(saIlEU )TINkIN]<br />

Betrachtungsweise<br />

In harmony: why it is better not to<br />

reorganize symphony orchestras<br />

ances. Players will be arranged in<br />

groups of three, each with a different<br />

skill set. The double bassist, for example,<br />

will sit with the kettledrums<br />

and the French horn.<br />

l Salaries and bonuses. Equal pay<br />

for equal work will be replaced by<br />

fixed and variable pay. Fixed pay will<br />

be low and based on the instrument.<br />

“If orchestras listened to management<br />

gurus, we would all need earplugs”<br />

Variable pay will be based on the<br />

number of notes played: those playing<br />

6,000 notes, for example, will<br />

earn three times as much as those<br />

playing 2,000. Bonuses will be paid<br />

for notes played at greater speed.<br />

l Downsizing. It is inefficient to<br />

have so many players doing the same<br />

job when technology can take over<br />

some of the work. There will therefore<br />

be a maximum of three players<br />

of the same instrument, with sounds<br />

being digitally strengthened.<br />

l Health and safety. Sitting for so<br />

long in the middle of so much noise<br />

can damage eyes, ears and muscles.<br />

The maximum time of unbroken play<br />

will therefore be 20 minutes. Players<br />

will be given headphones to cut out<br />

Flashover/Alamy<br />

damaging sounds. Players inactive<br />

for more than 15 minutes at a time<br />

will leave the stage to save energy.<br />

l Diversity. Middle-class white players<br />

from advantaged backgrounds<br />

still dominate orchestras, and those<br />

with visual and hearing impairments<br />

are not given a chance. A quota of 25<br />

per cent of the players will be selected<br />

according to demographic representation<br />

rather than ability alone.<br />

Clearly, if orchestras were run like<br />

firms, we would all need earplugs. BS<br />

plus For related reading-comprehension<br />

exercises, see <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> plus<br />

Adrian Furnham is a psychology professor at<br />

University College, London. His latest book<br />

is The Resilient Manager: Navigating the<br />

Challenges of Working Life (Palgrave Macmillan).<br />

6/2014<br />

www.business-spotlight.de 87

TECHNOLOGY ACOUSTICS<br />

iStock<br />

Ready to hear:<br />

leaves are as<br />

good as ears<br />

Are the plants listening?<br />

Man sieht sich auf einem Video ohne Ton einen Gegenstand an und weiß trotzdem,<br />

welche Geräusche ihn umgeben. Alex Hern erklärt, wie das funktioniert. advanced<br />

Researchers at the Massachusetts<br />

Institute of Technology<br />

(MIT), working with<br />

Microsoft and Adobe, have<br />

developed a method of reconstructing<br />

sound from a video of<br />

an object — using a crisp packet, a<br />

glass of water or a potted plant as a<br />

microphone.<br />

The technology is similar to that<br />

found in laser microphones used by<br />

spies around the world to eavesdrop<br />

on conversations by measuring the<br />

miniature vibrations on reflective<br />

surfaces. But rather than using expensive,<br />

specialist equipment, the researchers<br />

were able to extract audio<br />

from a high-speed video of everyday<br />

objects.<br />

In one case, they even extracted<br />

recognizable sound from a video<br />

made by a normal digital camera.<br />

“When sound hits an object, it causes<br />

the object to vibrate,” explains MIT<br />

postgraduate student Abe Davis.<br />

“The motion of this vibration creates<br />

a very subtle visual signal that’s usually<br />

invisible to the naked eye. People<br />

didn’t realize that this information<br />

was there.”<br />

By analysing high-speed video of<br />

a potted plant, for example, Davis<br />

and the rest of the team were able<br />

crisp packet<br />

Chipstüte<br />

[(krIsp )pÄkIt] UK<br />

extract sth. [Ik(strÄkt] etw. extrahieren<br />

postgraduate student Doktorand(in)<br />

[pEUst(grÄdjuEt )stu:dEnt]<br />

potted plant<br />

Topfpflanze<br />

[)pQtId (plA:nt]<br />

spy [spaI]<br />

Spion<br />

subtle [(sVt&l]<br />

fein, kaum wahrnehmbar<br />

88 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

Microphones are everywhere:<br />

your words are not secret<br />

Corbis<br />

to extract the recording of a classic<br />

children’s song, “Mary Had a Little<br />

Lamb”, which was played next<br />

to the plant. In another experiment,<br />

they were able to recreate the voice<br />

of a human reading the lyrics to the<br />

song — from a video taken of a crisp<br />

packet that was filmed through a<br />

glass door.<br />

For Davis and his team, this technology<br />

offers more potential than<br />

its obvious uses for surveillance and<br />

police work. They plan on testing<br />

whether the acoustic properties of<br />

objects will give researchers more<br />

information about the internal properties<br />

of the objects. He calls this “a<br />

new kind of imaging”.<br />

“We’re recovering sounds from<br />

objects,” he says. “That gives us a<br />

lot of information about the sound<br />

that’s going on around the object,<br />

but it also gives us a lot of information<br />

about the object itself, because<br />

different objects are going to respond<br />

to sound in different ways.”<br />

For more information<br />

VIDEO<br />

Abe Davis explains the audio experiments and<br />

presents his recordings in The Visual Microphone:<br />

Passive Recovery of Sound from Video<br />

at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKXOucXB4a8<br />

audible [(O:dEb&l]<br />

hörbar<br />

electrical engineering Elektrotechnik<br />

[i)lektrIk&l )endZI(nIErIN]<br />

footage [(fUtIdZ]<br />

Filmmaterial<br />

frame rate [(freIm reIt] Bildfrequenz<br />

imaging [(ImIdZIN]<br />

Bildgebung<br />

line by line [)laIn baI (laIn] zeilenweise<br />

lyrics [(lIrIks]<br />

(Lied-)Text(e)<br />

potato-chip bag<br />

Chipstüte<br />

[pE(teItoU tSIp )bÄg*] US<br />

property [(prQpEti]<br />

Eigenschaft<br />

ridiculous [rI(dIkjUlEs] lächerlich<br />

rolling shutter [)rEUlIN (SVtE] Rolling-Shutter<br />

(shutter<br />

Verschluss)<br />

single-lens reflex camera Spiegelreflex-<br />

[)sINg&l lenz (ri:fleks kÄmErE] kamera<br />

surveillance [sE(veIlEns] Überwachung<br />

theatrics [Ti(ÄtrIks]<br />

Theatralik<br />

* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.<br />

6/2014<br />

“When sound hits an<br />

object, it causes the object<br />

to vibrate”<br />

Typically, the algorithm that allows<br />

people to extract acoustic information<br />

requires a camera that records<br />

high-speed video. The frequency —<br />

in other words, the number of vibrations<br />

per second — for audible sound<br />

ranges from 20 to 20,000 hertz (Hz).<br />

A sound can be extracted only by a<br />

camera that has a frame rate higher<br />

than the frequency itself. Standard<br />

cameras, with a frame rate of just 60<br />

frames per second, cannot be used to<br />

extract anything more than extremely<br />

low-frequency sounds.<br />

But the researchers developed a<br />

second method, using the “rolling<br />

shutter” typical of digital video cameras,<br />

to extract enough information<br />

from the video to be able to recreate<br />

high-frequency audio. Instead of<br />

saving the entire image at once, such<br />

cameras record the video line by line,<br />

which means far more data can be<br />

extracted. A simple digital single-lens<br />

reflex camera making a video of a<br />

crisp packet at 60 frames per second<br />

can then be used to recreate the audio<br />

being played at the same time.<br />

Alexei Efros, a professor of electrical<br />

engineering at the University<br />

of California at Berkeley, praised the<br />

work as “new and refreshing”.<br />

“We’re scientists, and sometimes<br />

we watch these movies, like James<br />

Bond, and we think, ‘This is Hollywood<br />

theatrics. It’s not possible to<br />

do that. This is ridiculous’,” says Efros.<br />

“And suddenly, there you have<br />

it. This is totally out of some Hollywood<br />

thriller. You know that the<br />

killer has admitted his guilt because<br />

there’s some surveillance footage of<br />

his potato-chip bag vibrating.” BS<br />

Language point<br />

© Guardian News & Media 2014<br />

eavesdrop (belauschen) “Eaves” are<br />

extensions at the edges of a roof that<br />

prevent rainwater from flowing down<br />

the side of a building. People formerly<br />

used the term “eavesdrip”, or “eavesdrop”,<br />

to refer to the area where the<br />

water hit the ground, generally about<br />

a metre away from the wall. When<br />

you stand this distance from an open<br />

window, you can hear a conversation<br />

being held inside the building — and<br />

that is how “eavesdrop” came into use<br />

as a verb.

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS<br />

iStock<br />

Ideas and inventions<br />

Gibt es Neuigkeiten? Carol Scheunemann präsentiert technische<br />

Innovationen und neue wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse. medium<br />

Cigarette secrets<br />

Smokers are often told how harmful cigarettes are. But used<br />

cigarette butts may soon be in high demand. Scientists in<br />

South Korea have developed a carbon-based material from<br />

cigarette butts that can store electrical energy. They hope the<br />

material can be used to cover the surface of the electrodes<br />

on supercapacitors, which are electrochemical components that are found in lap<strong>top</strong>s, GPS<br />

systems and wind turbines, for example.<br />

According to the scientists, the cellulose acetate fibres in cigarette filters are the key. A<br />

simple one-step burning process called pyrolysis causes small holes of different sizes to be<br />

formed. This increases the surface area of the material, giving it the ability to store more<br />

electrical energy than commercially available carbon or graphene. Millions and millions<br />

of used cigarette butts are thrown away every year, so there should be no lack of supply.<br />

Used filters:<br />

will they help to<br />

power lap<strong>top</strong>s?<br />

In the news<br />

15,000<br />

The number of young people to be hired by 2018<br />

for Australia’s “Green Army”, an environmentalprotection<br />

programme.<br />

Shrinky Dinks<br />

Source: Australian Government (www.environment.gov.au)<br />

A shrink-plastic product for children that has now<br />

been used to build a self-folding, walking robot.<br />

Did you know?<br />

If you’d like to increase your efficiency at work,<br />

take a break about once an hour, and leave your<br />

desk during this time if possible. Software that records<br />

workers’ activity at the computer shows that<br />

the most productive employees work intensely for<br />

52 minutes, then pause for 17 minutes before<br />

returning to their tasks.<br />

Source: DeskTime (www.desktime.com)<br />

Stockbyte<br />

Sources: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); Harvard University<br />

Fuse<br />

11.4<br />

Percentage of US students who<br />

dropped out of high schools that<br />

raised their maths and science<br />

requirements in the 1990s. The<br />

national average at that time was<br />

8.6 per cent.<br />

Sources: Washington University in St. Louis<br />

(Andrew D. Plunk, William F. Tate, Laura J. Bierut,<br />

Richard A. Grucza); Educational Researcher<br />

(http://edr.sagepub.com)<br />

carbon [(kA:bEn]<br />

cellulose acetate fibre<br />

[)seljulEUs )ÄsEteIt (faIbE]<br />

cigarette butt [)sIgE(ret bVt]<br />

component [kEm(pEUnEnt]<br />

drop out of (school)<br />

[)drQp (aUt Qv]<br />

graphene [(grÄfi:n]<br />

pyrolysis [paI(rQlEsIs]<br />

shrink plastic [(SrINk )plÄstIk]<br />

supercapacitor [)su:pEkE(pÄsItE]<br />

take a break [)teIk E (breIk]<br />

Kohlenstoff, Karbon<br />

Zelluloseazetatfaser<br />

Zigarettenstummel, Kippe<br />

Bauteil<br />

ohne Abschluss (von<br />

einer Schule) abgehen<br />

Graphen<br />

Pyrolyse<br />

Schrumpfplastik<br />

Superkondensator<br />

eine Pause einlegen<br />

Too complex: some students<br />

avoid maths and science<br />

6/2014

LANGUAGE FOCUS TECHNOLOGY<br />

Technical drawing<br />

Früher Reißbrett, heute Computer. In den letzten<br />

Jahren hat sich die Arbeit technischer Zeichner<br />

stark verändert, wie Evan Frendo zeigt. advanced<br />

The English expression “back to the<br />

drawing board” means to “start<br />

over” or “a new plan is needed”. It<br />

comes from the traditional work of a<br />

draughtsperson, or drafter, who sat<br />

at a drawing board and used tools<br />

such as a compass, T-square or stencil<br />

to produce technical drawings.<br />

Today, drafters use computer-aided<br />

design (CAD) and drafting software<br />

to create 2D or 3D drawings. These<br />

communicate technical information,<br />

typically from mechanical engineers<br />

to machine operators, from designers<br />

to a product’s makers, or from architects<br />

to builders.<br />

Expert drafting skills are needed<br />

not only to produce technical drawings,<br />

but to read them, too. The<br />

drawings present a visual language<br />

that uses special symbols and conventions<br />

to express meaning.<br />

Technical drawings must be exact.<br />

They are also legal documents, and<br />

may be included in a contract, because<br />

they present specific information<br />

about materials, tolerances, perspectives,<br />

dimensions, shapes, etc.,<br />

that are necessary for a particular<br />

machine, building or process.<br />

Copies of technical drawings were<br />

once made using a process that produced<br />

white lines on a blue background.<br />

This is why we use the term<br />

“blueprint” to talk about a design or<br />

plan in its early stages.<br />

BS<br />

Evan Frendo is a mechanical engineer.<br />

He is now an author and trainer<br />

in English for Specific Purposes.<br />

Contact: evan.frendo@e4b.de<br />

Vocabulary<br />

annotation [)ÄnEU(teIS&n]<br />

Anmerkung, Beschriftung<br />

auxiliary [O:g(zIliEri]<br />

Hilfs-, Zusatzaxis<br />

(pl. axes) [(ÄksIs ((Äksi:z)]<br />

Achse(n)<br />

blueprint [(blu:prInt]<br />

Blaupause, Entwurf<br />

border [(bO:dE]<br />

Rand<br />

call-out [(kO:l aUt]<br />

Angabe<br />

compass [(kVmpEs]<br />

Zirkel<br />

computer-aided design (CAD)<br />

computergestützte Gestaltung/<br />

[kEm)pju:tEr )eIdId di(zaIn]<br />

Konstruktion<br />

contract [(kQntrÄkt]<br />

Vertrag<br />

cross section [(krQs )sekS&n]<br />

Querschnitt<br />

design (sth.) [di(zaIn]<br />

Entwurf; etw. entwerfen, konstruieren<br />

designer [di(zaInE]<br />

Entwickler(in), Konstrukteur(in)<br />

diagram [(daIEgrÄm]<br />

grafische Darstellung, Schaubild<br />

dimension [daI(menS&n]<br />

Maß, Abmessung<br />

draft (sth.) [drA:ft]<br />

Entwurf; etw. zeichnen, entwerfen,<br />

skizzieren<br />

drafter [drA:ftE]<br />

technische(r) Zeichner(in)<br />

draughtsperson [(drA:fts)p§:s&n]<br />

technische(r) Zeichner(in)<br />

drawing board [(drO:IN bO:d]<br />

Reiß-, Zeichenbrett<br />

hatching [(hÄtSIN]<br />

Schraffierung, Schraffur<br />

layout [(leIaUt]<br />

Aufbau, Anordnung, Gestaltung<br />

legal document [)li:g&l (dQkjumEnt]<br />

rechtsgültiges Schriftstück<br />

lettering [(let&rIN]<br />

Beschriftung<br />

mechanical engineer [mI)kÄnIk&l )endZI(nIE] Maschinenbauingenieur(in)<br />

orthographic [)O:TE(grÄfIk]<br />

rechtwinklig, Normalparts<br />

list [(pA:ts lIst]<br />

Bauteilliste<br />

plane [pleIn]<br />

Ebene<br />

revision [ri(vIZ&n]<br />

Korrektur, Überarbeitung<br />

section [(sekS&n]<br />

Schnitt<br />

sheet [Si:t]<br />

Blatt, Bogen<br />

sketch [sketS]<br />

Entwurf, Skizze, Zeichnung<br />

standard [(stÄndEd]<br />

Norm<br />

stencil [(stens&l]<br />

Schablone<br />

technical drawing<br />

technische Zeichnung;<br />

[)teknIk&l (drO:IN]<br />

technisches Zeichnen<br />

tolerance [(tQlErEns]<br />

Toleranz, zulässige Maßabweichung<br />

T-square [(ti: skweE]<br />

Reißschiene<br />

view [vju:]<br />

Ansicht, Riss<br />

Exercise: Making plans<br />

Choose the correct terms to complete the sentences.<br />

a) Technical drawings are legal elements / documents.<br />

b) Technical drawings must be exact / exciting.<br />

c) A copy of a drawing is also known as a drawing board / blueprint.<br />

Answers on page 74<br />

iStock<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 91

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92 www.business-spotlight.de 5/2014

1/2015 PREVIEW<br />

Foto: Michael Brown<br />

Alamy<br />

Working with Italy<br />

The third-largest economy in the eurozone, Italy is a key trading<br />

partner of Germany. And it is now facing a difficult process<br />

of political and economic reform. In our Intercultural feature,<br />

we look at how to do business with Italians.<br />

iStock Editorial<br />

Test your jargon!<br />

“Deliverables”, “buy-in”, “tiger teams”,<br />

“peeling the onion” and much more. Find<br />

out how good your knowledge of business<br />

jargon is with our special language test.<br />

LANGUAGE<br />

HOBBIES<br />

Improve your business<br />

vocabulary with<br />

our 20-page guide:<br />

SKILL UP!<br />

Great inventions<br />

What was the most important invention of all time? The wheel?<br />

The internal combustion engine? The personal computer? The<br />

start of a new series on inventions that changed our lives.<br />

also:<br />

Email: punctuation<br />

Grammar: times and schedules<br />

English for... relocation<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> 1/2015 is on sale from 17 December 2014<br />

6/2014 www.business-spotlight.de 93

PEOPLE MY WORKING LIFE<br />

Beccy Jesson: Nature ambassador<br />

Dort, wo die ältesten Bäume Europas stehen, arbeitet sie und will die Besucher für einen<br />

nachhaltigen Umgang mit der Natur begeistern, wie Vicki Sussens von ihr erfuhr. easy<br />

Least favourite part of the job: Putting<br />

the cover on the cargo bike at the end<br />

of the day.<br />

Ambitions: To always have work that<br />

gives me a life and not just money.<br />

Helping nature: Beccy Jesson persuades park visitors to leave their cars behind<br />

Current job: Sustainable-travel ambassador<br />

for the New Forest National<br />

Park in Hampshire, in the south of<br />

England.<br />

Job description: I encourage visitors to<br />

leave their cars behind and have an<br />

active nature experience by walking,<br />

taking our tour bus, kayaking or hiring<br />

a bicycle. I work from an e-bike<br />

called a “cargo bike”.<br />

Age and family: Thirty-one. No kids,<br />

but I have a boyfriend who almost<br />

qualifies as one!<br />

Why I chose this job: I don’t like being<br />

in an office. I’d rather be out and<br />

about, meeting people and actively<br />

taking part in life. Plus, I think cycling<br />

is the absolutely best form of<br />

transport.<br />

Training for the job: In the first week,<br />

I had to try out all the activities I<br />

would be promoting. I learned how<br />

to use the cargo bike and did an<br />

emergency first-aid course.<br />

Languages: English, Spanish and some<br />

French.<br />

Most rewarding experience: Recently, I<br />

persuaded two young women to hire<br />

a bike. Later, when I met them in<br />

the forest, they were riding a tandem<br />

because one couldn’t ride a bike, and<br />

they were loving it. I was so happy<br />

that I had helped somebody have<br />

their first positive cycling experience.<br />

Main changes in the job: We now have<br />

a “Tech Crèche”, a safe where people<br />

can leave their car keys and technology<br />

when they visit the park. It means<br />

parents don’t have children fighting<br />

over the iPad, children can have their<br />

parents’ full attention and couples<br />

can enjoy each other without one or<br />

the other being on Facebook. And<br />

maybe, just maybe, they’ll discover<br />

that they like connecting with something<br />

other than technology. BS<br />

Home: Totton, near Southampton,<br />

although I have moved around so<br />

much that I don’t really have a home<br />

town.<br />

Working hours: Thirty hours a week.<br />

Pay: I get paid well to do a fun and<br />

rewarding job, but for me, it’s not<br />

about the money.<br />

Skills needed: I’m fit from cycling and<br />

I really believe in what we’re promoting.<br />

I’m not sure these are skills, but<br />

they’re important.<br />

Favourite parts of the job: Helping people,<br />

which makes me feel good, as<br />

well as reducing the number of cars<br />

in the park and, so, protecting the<br />

health of the forest.<br />

ambassador [Äm(bÄsEdE] Botschafter(in)<br />

cargo bike [(kA:gEU baIk] Lastenfahrrad<br />

cover [(kVvE]<br />

Schutzhülle<br />

crèche [kreS] UK<br />

Kinderkrippe<br />

emergency first aid Erste Hilfe, Notfallhilfe<br />

[i)m§:dZEnsi )f§:st (eId]<br />

Hampshire [(hÄmpSE] [wg. Aussprache]<br />

kayaking [(kaIÄkIN] Kajakfahren<br />

out and about: be ~ unterwegs sein<br />

[)aUt &n E(baUt]<br />

qualify as sb.<br />

als jmd. angesehen<br />

[(kwQlIfaI Äz]<br />

werden<br />

sustainable travel nachhaltiges Reisen<br />

[sE)steInEb&l (trÄv&l]<br />

94 www.business-spotlight.de 6/2014

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<strong>Business</strong><strong>Spotlight</strong><br />

SKILL UP!<br />

VOKABELTRAINING LEICHT GEMACHT<br />

AUSGABE 29<br />

Energy<br />

also:<br />

Hardwired and a live wire | Living off the grid

CONTENTS<br />

FEEL THE ENERGY!<br />

Are you feeling the cold already? Is it time to turn on the heating? In this<br />

Skill Up!, we present the language you will need to talk about the energy<br />

business and your energy needs.<br />

Could you live without any creature comforts? Most people I know would<br />

find it very hard. In Picture This! (pp. 4–5), our illustration shows how<br />

living off the grid might work. If you don’t get your energy from your own<br />

wind generator, you’ll need the vocabulary in Word Bank (pp. 6–7) to talk<br />

about your energy needs. Have you changed to renewable energy yet to<br />

power your home or office equipment? Turn to In Focus (pp. 10–11) to<br />

learn more about “power” and “power” collocations.<br />

Would you describe yourself as a conservationist or a consumer? It<br />

could make a big difference. You can learn more about the “conserve”<br />

and “consume” families in Close Relations (pp. 14–15).<br />

Don’t switch off yet! There’s more. In Essential Idioms (pp. 12–13),<br />

you can learn “energy” expressions for talking about personal energy<br />

and business situations. If you’re not all fired up yet, you might be<br />

after reading Small Talk (pp. 16–17), where we talk about phantoms<br />

and vampires. You really should learn to avoid them.<br />

Deborah Capras, deputy editor<br />

bs.deputyeditor@spotlight-verlag.de<br />

SKILL UP!<br />

Get energized! Choose five words from<br />

this guide and write them on separate<br />

pieces of paper. When you have to go<br />

somewhere, take one with you. Make<br />

sentences with the word as you walk<br />

around. Get the blood flowing — walk<br />

faster! Enjoy throwing the paper away<br />

when you know the word.<br />

www.<br />

Skill up! online<br />

On our website, you’ll find selected<br />

vocabulary from this guide in our<br />

Word of the Day section. To listen<br />

to the words, definitions and example<br />

sentences — and to download<br />

the MP3 file of each word — go to<br />

www.business-spotlight.de/skill-up<br />

2 SKILL UP! ISSUE 29

Energy at hand:<br />

wind and sun<br />

iStock<br />

CHECKLIST: WHAT CAN YOU DO?<br />

Below, you will find the contents of this issue of Skill Up! and a checklist of what you should<br />

be able to do with confidence after studying this guide. Ask yourself what you can really do.<br />

If you can’t say yes to every statement, go back and spend more time on learning the relevant<br />

vocabulary. Don’t forget to read our Skill Up! <strong>tips</strong> and do the online exercises!<br />

wContents Page(s) Checklist Not yet A little Yes!<br />

Picture This!<br />

Off the grid? 4–5 I know the vocabulary for talking about basic energy ❏ ❏ ❏<br />

needs in the home.<br />

Word Bank<br />

Renewable 6–7 I can talk about renewable and non-renewable sources<br />

or not?<br />

of energy.<br />

❏ ❏ ❏<br />

False Friends<br />

Damp stickers 8–9 I can identify the false friends presented here — and use ❏ ❏ ❏<br />

the correct translations.<br />

In Focus<br />

We’ve got the 10–11 I have learned common collocations with “power” and can ❏ ❏ ❏<br />

power!<br />

talk about energy companies and their work.<br />

Essential Idioms<br />

Hardwired and a 12–13 I can correctly use idiomatic expressions to talk about the ❏ ❏ ❏<br />

live wire<br />

physical and mental energy you need to do your work.<br />

Close Relations<br />

Consume or 14–15 I know how to use the different members of the “consume” ❏ ❏ ❏<br />

conserve?<br />

and “conserve” families.<br />

Small Talk<br />

The light-bulb 16–17 I can make small talk about energy-saving measures<br />

moment!<br />

at work and at home.<br />

❏ ❏ ❏<br />

Your Profile<br />

Use your energy 18 I feel more confident using the vocabulary in this guide. ❏ ❏ ❏<br />

Preview 19<br />

ISSUE 29<br />

SKILL UP! 3

PICTURE THIS!<br />

2<br />

Bernhard Förth<br />

4<br />

7<br />

1<br />

3 5 6<br />

12<br />

11<br />

10<br />

9<br />

8<br />

It’s not easy without<br />

creature comforts<br />

OFF THE GRID?<br />

Have you ever tried to live without electricity? It may not be a problem for a few days of<br />

camping, but could you do it forever? Here are the words you will need to discuss this <strong>top</strong>ic.<br />

1. coal-fired power station Kohlekraftwerk<br />

opencast mine Tagebaugrube<br />

2. carbon emissions Kohlendioxid-,<br />

[(kA:bEn i)mIS&nz] CO 2 -Ausstoß<br />

3. pylon [(paIlEn] Hochspannungsmast<br />

4. national grid Stromversorgungsnetz<br />

high voltage [(vEUltIdZ] Hochspannung<br />

overhead line Überlandleitung<br />

5. solar-powered home Solarhaus<br />

energy-neutral build- Passivhaus<br />

ing [)enEdZi (nju:trEl]<br />

6. solar panel Sonnenkollektor<br />

7. wind generator Windgenerator<br />

harness wind energy Windkraft nutzen<br />

8. backup generator Notstromaggregat<br />

diesel-powered mit Dieselantrieb<br />

9. water butt Regentonne<br />

(US rain barrel)<br />

10. green consumer umweltbewusste(r)<br />

Verbraucher(in)<br />

carbon footprint CO 2 -Bilanz<br />

creature comforts häusliche<br />

Annehmlichkeiten<br />

live off the grid vom Versorgungsnetz<br />

abgekoppelt leben<br />

11. utility bill Gas-, Wasser-<br />

[ju(tIlEti )bIl] und/oder Stromrechnung<br />

12. outhouse US Plumpsklo<br />

4 SKILL UP! ISSUE 29

What are they saying?<br />

Matt: Living off the grid means my utility bills are zero.<br />

Julia: But you live so close to the power station anyway. What’s the point?<br />

Matt: Well, you have to start somewhere. At least I’ve reduced my own carbon footprint.<br />

Julia: And you’ve reduced your creature comforts, too. I couldn’t do that!<br />

Your home — your energy<br />

air conditioner / conditioning Klimaanlage<br />

boiler<br />

Heißwasserspeicher<br />

central heating<br />

Zentralheizung<br />

energy-efficient<br />

energiesparende<br />

alternative<br />

Alternative<br />

fan heater<br />

Heizlüfter<br />

feed-in tariffs<br />

Einspeisevergütung<br />

[)fi:d In (tÄrIfs]<br />

gas/oil furnace [(f§:nIs] Gas-/Ölheizung<br />

geothermal HVAC (heating, Erdwärmeanlage<br />

ventilation, air-<br />

(Heizungs-, Lüftungsconditioning)<br />

system und Klimaanlage)<br />

heat pump<br />

Wärmepumpe<br />

air heat pump<br />

Luft-Wärmepumpe<br />

geothermal heat pump Erdwärmepumpe<br />

immersion heater UK Tauchsieder<br />

paraffin heater [(pÄrEfIn] UK Petroleumofen<br />

radiator [(reIdieItE] Heizkörper<br />

solar water heater Solaranlage für<br />

Warmwasser<br />

storage heater<br />

Nachtspeicherofen<br />

Saving energy<br />

insulated pipes [(Insju)leItId] isolierte Rohre<br />

insulation [)Insju(leIS&n] Wärmedämmung<br />

off-peak rate<br />

Nachtstromtarif<br />

SKILL UP!<br />

In the UK, “gas” describes the<br />

substance that is burned to<br />

cook food or to heat a house.<br />

In the US, “gas” is also used in<br />

this context, but it more commonly<br />

describes the fuel that<br />

powers a car or other vehicle.<br />

In the UK, on the other hand, we<br />

call this fuel “petrol”.<br />

ISSUE 29<br />

Did you know?<br />

For many homes in mild climates, heat pumps<br />

can be an energy-efficient alternative to boilers,<br />

furnaces and air conditioners. A heat pump<br />

can both heat and cool. On a simple level, it is a<br />

lot like your refrigerator. Heat pumps use electricity<br />

to move air from a cool space to a warm<br />

space, and the other way round, heating or cooling<br />

the air as required.<br />

Your energy — your appliances<br />

appliance [E(plaIEns] Haushaltsgerät<br />

dishwasher<br />

Geschirrspüler<br />

electric cooker UK Elektroherd<br />

energy efficiency class Energieeffizienzklasse<br />

extractor fan<br />

Dunstabzug<br />

flat-screen television Flachbildfernseher<br />

freezer<br />

Gefrierschrank,-truhe<br />

fridge-freezer<br />

Kühl-Gefrierkombination<br />

microwave<br />

Mikrowelle<br />

oven [(Vv&n]<br />

(Back-)Ofen<br />

refrigerator (fridge) Kühlschrank<br />

[ri(frIdZEreItE]<br />

stove<br />

Herd<br />

(tumble) dryer<br />

Trockner<br />

washing machine Waschmaschine<br />

Is your house<br />

energy-efficient?<br />

SKILL UP! 5<br />

iStock

WORD BANK<br />

RENEWABLE OR NOT?<br />

Most people get their energy from a variety of sources. Here, we present<br />

vocabulary for talking about renewable — and non-renewable — energy<br />

sources, as well as about energy policies.<br />

Renewable energy<br />

renewable [ri(nju:Eb&l] erneuerbar<br />

baseload power plant Grundlastkraftwerk<br />

biofuel [(baIEU)fju:El] Biokraftstoff<br />

biomass [(baIEU)mÄs] Biomasse<br />

dam<br />

Talsperre; Staudamm<br />

geothermal energy geothermische Energie,<br />

[)dZi:EU(T§:m&l]<br />

Geothermie, Erdwärme<br />

geothermal power plant Geothermie kraftwerk<br />

hot water reservoir Warmwasserspeicher<br />

[(rezEvwA:]<br />

hydroelectric plant Wasserkraftwerk<br />

[)haIdrEUI(lektrIk]<br />

hydrogen fuel cell Wasserstoffbrennzelle<br />

hydropower [)haIdrEU(paUE] Wasserkraft<br />

photovoltaic energy photovoltaische Energie,<br />

[)fEUtEUvQl(teIIk] Photovoltaik<br />

solar cell [(sEUlE] Solarzelle<br />

solar panel [)sEUlE (pÄn&l] Sonnenkollektor<br />

solar power<br />

Sonnenenergie, -kraft<br />

tidal barrage<br />

Gezeitenskraftwerk<br />

[)taId&l (bÄrA:Z]<br />

tidal power<br />

Gezeitenenergie, -kraft<br />

windmill<br />

Windrad<br />

wind power installation Windkraftanlage<br />

wind turbine [(t§:baIn] Windrad, -turbine<br />

offshore wind farm Offshore-Windpark<br />

wind-turbine industry Windkraftindustrie<br />

wood pellets [(pelIts] Holzpellets<br />

Non-renewable energy<br />

non-renewable<br />

nicht erneuerbar<br />

[)nQn ri(nju:Eb&l]<br />

fossil fuels [)fQs&l (fju:Elz] fossile Brennstoffe<br />

coal<br />

Kohle<br />

drilling for oil and gas Erdöl- und Erdgasbohrung(en)<br />

gas/oil deposits Gas-/Ölvorkommen<br />

liquid gas<br />

Flüssiggas<br />

natural gas<br />

Erdgas<br />

natural gas reserves Erdgasvorräte<br />

oil and gas exploration Erdöl- und Erdgassuche/-erschließung<br />

petroleum<br />

Erdöl<br />

shale gas<br />

Schiefergas<br />

horizontal hydraulic Fracking<br />

fracturing (fracking)<br />

[hQrI)zQnt&l haI)drO:lIk<br />

(frÄktSErIN]<br />

nuclear power station Kernkraftwerk<br />

peaking plant<br />

Spitzenlastkraftwerk<br />

Getty Images News/Thinkstock<br />

6 SKILL UP!<br />

The Danish wind-turbine<br />

industry is the<br />

largest in the world<br />

ISSUE 29

Is wind energy fully<br />

sustainable?<br />

China burns almost as much coal<br />

as all other countries combined<br />

Is it sustainable?<br />

ecologically sustainable ökologisch verträglich/<br />

[i:kE)lQdZIk&li sE(steInEb&l] tragfähig<br />

ecologically unsustainable ökologisch nicht<br />

[)VnsE(steInEb&l] verträglich/tragfähig<br />

environmentally<br />

umweltverträglich<br />

sustainable<br />

[InvaI&rEn(ment&li<br />

)sE(steInEb&l]<br />

fully sustainable voll tragfähig/<br />

[sE(steInEb&l]<br />

nachhaltig<br />

sustainable use of energy nachhaltige Energie-<br />

[sE(steInEb&l]<br />

nutzung<br />

What do you think?<br />

l Burning fossil fuels contributes to climate<br />

change.<br />

l Fracking is a major source of greenhouse<br />

gases.<br />

l If solar energy were efficient, we wouldn’t<br />

need to subsidize it.<br />

l Bloated subsidies for renewable energy<br />

are a problem for the energy industry.<br />

l Oil, coal and gas subsidies far outweigh<br />

those for renewables.<br />

l CCS is a great way to reduce global CO 2<br />

emissions by storing it underground, for<br />

example, in old gas reservoirs.<br />

l You should switch your supplier if it<br />

doesn’t use renewable sources.<br />

(bloated) subsidy<br />

CCS (carbon capture and storage)<br />

climate change<br />

contribute to sth.<br />

emissions<br />

gas reservoir [(rezEvwA:]<br />

greenhouse gas<br />

outweigh sth.<br />

store sth. underground<br />

subsidize sth. [(sVbsIdaIz]<br />

supplier<br />

switch sb./sth.<br />

(zu hohe) Subvention<br />

CO 2 -Abscheidung und -Speicherung<br />

Klimawandel<br />

zu etw. beitragen<br />

Emissionen, Ausstoß<br />

Gasspeicher<br />

Treibhausgas<br />

höher/mehr als etw. sein<br />

etw. unterirdisch speichern<br />

etw. subventionieren<br />

Anbieter(in)<br />

jmdn./etw. wechseln<br />

China is the world leader in wind<br />

power installations<br />

ISSUE 29<br />

SKILL UP! 7

FALSE FRIENDS<br />

DAMP STICKERS<br />

There are many words in German and English that sound similar but have very different<br />

meanings. They are “false friends”. Learn the correct translations of these terms.<br />

paraffin<br />

petroleum<br />

iStock<br />

iStock<br />

What’s Petroleum in English?<br />

Petroleum = paraffin (oil) (US kerosene)<br />

“On the farm in Devon, my great-grandparents<br />

used paraffin lamps.”<br />

It’s not petroleum!<br />

petroleum = Erd-, Mineralöl; Rohbenzin<br />

“The petroleum we use is recovered mostly<br />

through drilling in Texas.”<br />

steam<br />

iStock<br />

What’s Dampf in English?<br />

Dampf = steam<br />

“There’s a lot of steam coming out of<br />

those chimneys. Is it safe?”<br />

It’s not damp!<br />

damp = feucht, Feuchtigkeit<br />

“The walls are so damp we could grow<br />

mushrooms inside the house.”<br />

damp<br />

iStock<br />

<br />

Skill up! Audio<br />

You can do an exercise on<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> Audio<br />

8 SKILL UP! ISSUE 29

Moodboard<br />

Fuse<br />

plug<br />

sticker<br />

What’s Stecker in English?<br />

Stecker = plug<br />

“I can’t believe this is an electric car, but here’s<br />

the plug!”<br />

It’s not sticker!<br />

sticker = Aufkleber, Etikett<br />

“Put a sticker on the wall to remind people to<br />

turn off the lights.”<br />

charge<br />

What’s laden in English?<br />

laden = charge<br />

“Could I charge my phone somewhere?”<br />

It’s not load!<br />

load = (be)laden<br />

“If you load the car with anything else, you<br />

won’t be able to drive it.”<br />

Fuse<br />

Other translations<br />

load = Ladung; Last<br />

“The lorry has a full load.”<br />

“We tested it to check maximum power load.”<br />

fully charged = voll aufgeladen<br />

“My phone’s now fully charged.”<br />

load<br />

iStock<br />

YOUR PROFILE<br />

Write down your own example sentences for the false friends on this page.<br />

ISSUE 29

IN FOCUS<br />

WE’VE GOT THE POWER!<br />

We need energy to power our machines, gadgets and even our<br />

own work. We present useful expressions and word partnerships<br />

that are connected to power and energy.<br />

SKILL UP!<br />

“Power” has several meanings. It can refer<br />

to electricity and energy, but also to<br />

authority, depending on the context. When<br />

you see new expressions with “power”, you<br />

might want to check the meaning in a good<br />

dictionary. Don’t automatically think that<br />

people are talking about energy.<br />

be in power an der Macht sein The party has been in power for three years.<br />

do everything in one’s power alles in seiner Macht Stehende tun I’ll do everything in my power to help.<br />

have the power to do sth. die Befugnis haben, etw. zu tun I don’t have the power to do that.<br />

power Kraft This machine has a lot of power.<br />

power Leistung I need a new computer with more power.<br />

power Strom This system wastes a lot of power.<br />

Powerful times<br />

With power<br />

power cable<br />

power line<br />

power point<br />

power rating<br />

power source<br />

power supply<br />

power surge<br />

power switch<br />

Stromkabel<br />

Starkstromleitung<br />

Steckdose<br />

Leistungsstärke<br />

Stromquelle<br />

Stromversorgung<br />

Überspannung<br />

(Strom-)Schalter<br />

Without power<br />

be left without power<br />

power cut<br />

power failure<br />

power outage [(aUtIdZ]<br />

Other expressions<br />

blackout<br />

brownout<br />

ohne Strom sein<br />

Stromsperre<br />

Netzausfall<br />

Stromausfall<br />

Stromausfall<br />

Spannungsabfall,<br />

partieller<br />

Stromausfall<br />

iStock<br />

10 SKILL UP!<br />

ISSUE 29

Energy basics<br />

The power companies<br />

electricity retailing<br />

[ilek)trIsEti (ri:teIlIN]<br />

electricity supply<br />

emissions trading<br />

energy company<br />

privately owned<br />

publicly owned<br />

public utility company<br />

[ju(tIlEti]<br />

state-owned energy<br />

company<br />

supplier<br />

utilities<br />

The energy company<br />

What they do<br />

cut off / disconnect sb.’s<br />

electricity/power<br />

cut off / disconnect<br />

the electricity/power<br />

distribute electricity/<br />

energy/power<br />

generate electricity/<br />

energy/power<br />

supply electricity/<br />

energy/power<br />

Verkauf von Strom an den<br />

Endkunden<br />

Stromversorgung<br />

Emissionshandel<br />

Energieversorgungsunternehmen<br />

in Privatbesitz<br />

in Staatsbesitz<br />

öffentliches Versorgungsunternehmen<br />

staatseigenes Energieunternehmen<br />

Anbieter(in)<br />

Leistungen der<br />

Versorgungswirtschaft<br />

jmdm. den Strom abschalten<br />

jmdm. den Strom abschalten<br />

Strom vertreiben<br />

Strom erzeugen<br />

Strom liefern<br />

The government<br />

renewable energy act Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz<br />

[ri)nju:Eb&l (enEdZi Äkt] (EEG)<br />

surcharge [(s§:tSA:dZ] Aufschlag<br />

What they do<br />

cap sth.<br />

eine Obergrenze festlegen<br />

liberalize sth. [(lIb&rElaIz] etw. liberalisieren<br />

nationalize sth. [(nÄS&nElaIz] etw. verstaatlichen<br />

privatize sth. [(praIvEtaIz] etw. privatisieren<br />

procure sth. [prE(kjUE] etw. beschaffen, erwerben<br />

regulate sth. [(regjuleIt] etw. regulieren<br />

subsidize sth. [(sVbsIdaIz] etw. subventionieren<br />

The powers<br />

that be<br />

Powerful people enjoy<br />

power dressing and<br />

often wear a power suit<br />

to work. They probably<br />

think it gives them bargaining<br />

power, especially<br />

in pow er struggles. They<br />

may start the day with a<br />

power breakfast, and,<br />

if they get tired after a<br />

power lunch, they take<br />

a power nap in their corner<br />

office. Then, they’re<br />

usually ready to go on<br />

another power trip.<br />

bargaining power Verhandlungs-<br />

[(bA:gInIN )paUE] stärke<br />

power breakfast reichhaltiges<br />

Frühstück<br />

power dressing Autorität einflößende<br />

Kleidung<br />

power lunch kalorienreiches<br />

Mittagsessen<br />

power nap erholsames<br />

Nickerchen<br />

power struggle Machtkampf<br />

power suit [su:t] <strong>Business</strong>anzug;<br />

-kostüm<br />

power trip Egotrip<br />

the powers that be die da oben<br />

ISSUE 29<br />

Bargaining power: we’ll cut<br />

off the power!

ESSENTIAL IDIOMS<br />

HARDWIRED AND A LIVE WIRE<br />

You need a lot of energy to do your work, so it can become problematic when you lose<br />

energy — and interest. Here, we focus on useful idioms for talking about this <strong>top</strong>ic.<br />

SKILL UP!<br />

First, read the two versions of the short conversations. Then<br />

cover up the idiomatic version and read the simpler version<br />

again. Can you remember how to say the same things idiomatically?<br />

Check that you’ve understood them with our translations.<br />

Look at him: he’s<br />

totally burned out<br />

First, the idiomatic way<br />

Paula: John must be hardwired to be pessimistic. He says<br />

our sales won’t improve whatever we do.<br />

Julian: Do you think he’s burned out? He seems to be running<br />

on empty. He switches off when I talk to him.<br />

Now, more simply<br />

Paula: John must have it in his genes to be pessimistic. He<br />

says our sales won’t improve whatever we do.<br />

Julian: Do you think he’s exhausted from working too hard?<br />

He seems to have no energy. He s<strong>top</strong>s listening when<br />

I talk to him.<br />

Check the translations<br />

hardwired: be ~ veranlagt sein<br />

to be sth. ifml. etw. zu sein<br />

burned out ausgebrannt,<br />

ausgelaugt<br />

running on empty: am Ende sein<br />

be ~<br />

switch off ifml. abschalten<br />

Creatas<br />

First, the idiomatic way<br />

Paula: John’s been getting a lot of heat from<br />

management.<br />

Julian: I heard. And to add fuel to the fire, John<br />

just lost his best client.<br />

Paula: I don’t think he can take the heat.<br />

Now, more simply<br />

Paula: John’s been getting a lot of criticism from<br />

management.<br />

Julian: I heard. And to make a difficult situation<br />

worse, John just lost his best client.<br />

Paula: I don’t think he can take the pressure.<br />

iStock<br />

Check the translations<br />

get a lot of heat (from sb. about sth.)<br />

add fuel to the fire<br />

take the heat<br />

(von jmdm. wegen etw.) ordentlich<br />

Druck bekommen<br />

Öl ins Feuer gießen<br />

dem Druck standhalten<br />

You’re just adding fuel<br />

to the fire!<br />

ISSUE 29

Sending shock waves:<br />

she’s a real live wire<br />

Check the translations<br />

total gas: be a ~ ifml.<br />

live wire: be a real ~<br />

ifml.<br />

send shock waves<br />

through sth.<br />

light a fire under sb.<br />

iStock<br />

total abgefahren sein<br />

hyperaktiv sein, ständig<br />

unter Strom stehen<br />

Schockwellen durch<br />

etw. schicken<br />

jmdm. Feuer unterm<br />

Hintern machen<br />

First, the idiomatic way<br />

Julian: That meeting was a total gas!<br />

Paula: The new manager is a real live wire,<br />

isn’t she? Her methods will send<br />

shock waves through the department.<br />

Julian: John didn’t look too happy.<br />

Paula: Oh, he never does. Maybe Marie can<br />

light a fire under him, though!<br />

Now, more simply<br />

Julian:<br />

Paula:<br />

Julian:<br />

Paula:<br />

That meeting was such a lot of fun!<br />

The new manager is very energetic,<br />

isn’t she? Her methods will cause a<br />

huge shock in the department.<br />

John didn’t look too happy.<br />

Oh, he never does. Maybe Marie can<br />

make him work harder and with more<br />

enthusiasm, though!<br />

First, the idiomatic way<br />

Paula: Marie has some exciting projects in<br />

the pipeline. Everything else has<br />

been put on the back burner.<br />

John: I’ve had a look at them. They’re going<br />

to crash and burn.<br />

Paula: Oh, John, you really need to get more<br />

fired up.<br />

Do you know what’s<br />

in the pipeline?<br />

Now, more simply<br />

Paula: Marie has some exciting projects<br />

planned. Everything else has been<br />

postponed.<br />

John: I’ve had a look at them. They’re going<br />

to fail spectacularly.<br />

Paula: Oh, John, you really need to become<br />

more enthusiastic.<br />

iStock<br />

Check the translations<br />

in the pipeline in Planung, in Vorbereitung<br />

put sth. on the back etw. auf Eis legen,<br />

burner<br />

zurückstellen<br />

crash and burn ifml. einen Fehlschlag erleiden<br />

fired up: get ~ mehr Enthusiasmus zeigen<br />

<br />

Skill up! Audio<br />

You can do an exercise on<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> Audio<br />

ISSUE 29<br />

SKILL UP! 13

CLOSE RELATIONS<br />

CONSUME OR CONSERVE?<br />

How much energy do you consume? Could you find ways to conserve energy, both at work<br />

and at home? Here, we look at key members of the “consume” and “conserve” families.<br />

conserve + ation conservation + ist<br />

conservationist<br />

+ able<br />

consumable<br />

+ s<br />

consumables<br />

consume<br />

+ er<br />

consumer<br />

+ ism<br />

consumerism<br />

+ ption<br />

consumption<br />

The “conserve” family<br />

conservation<br />

conservationist<br />

conserve sth. [kEn(s§:v]<br />

Naturschutz; Umweltschutz<br />

Naturschützer(in); Umweltschützer(in)<br />

etw. schonen; sparen; erhalten; konservieren<br />

The “consume” family<br />

consumable [kEn(sju:mEb&l] verbrauchbar, verzehrbar<br />

consumables<br />

Verbrauchsgüter, -material<br />

consume sth. [kEn(sju:m] etw. verbrauchen, konsumieren<br />

consumer<br />

Verbraucher(in), Konsument(in); Endkunde/-kundin<br />

consumerism<br />

Konsumdenken, -verhalten; Verbraucherschutz<br />

consumption [kEn(sVmpS&n] Konsum, Verbrauch; Verzehr<br />

Conserving energy:<br />

consuming less<br />

SKILL UP!<br />

Don’t confuse a “conservationist” [)kQnsE(veIS&nIst]<br />

with a “conservative” [kEn(s§:vEtIv]. A conservationist<br />

is someone who protects the environment from<br />

damage. A conservative is someone who doesn’t want<br />

change, particularly in society. A conservative can<br />

also be someone with right-of-centre political beliefs<br />

or a supporter of the Conservative Party.<br />

iStock<br />

14 SKILL UP! ISSUE 29

Consumption is still<br />

a problem<br />

Use the families:<br />

conserve and consume<br />

Stockbyte<br />

l The new fridge consumes a lot<br />

less electricity than the old one.<br />

l This is a conservation area. Isn’t<br />

it beautiful?<br />

l I work for an oil company, but I’m<br />

still a conservationist.<br />

l In 2020, we estimate that global<br />

coal consumption will be about<br />

twice what it was in 2000.<br />

l Today’s consumers are often unaware<br />

how much energy their<br />

smartphones and computers are<br />

consuming.<br />

IN ACTION: CONSERVE AND CONSUME<br />

➜ If you conserve land, water or other natural resources, you prevent them from being damaged or<br />

destroyed:<br />

“We were able to s<strong>top</strong> the building of the factory and have conserved the land for the future.”<br />

➜ If you conserve electricity, water or other sources of energy, you use very little of these so that they<br />

are not wasted:<br />

“Conserve energy — turn off your computer at night.”<br />

➜ In physics, we use conserve to mean “maintain a quantity (such as energy) at a constant level”:<br />

“Energy can’t be created or destroyed, so the sum of mass and energy is always conserved.”<br />

➜ In cooking, we conserve fruit to make jam or other syrups:<br />

“I’ve picked so many strawberries, I’ll have to conserve some of them or they will go bad.”<br />

➜ We use consume to mean “use” or “use up” when we are talking about resources or energy, such<br />

as coal, petrol or electricity:<br />

“How much electricity do we consume in a year?”<br />

➜ Use consume as a more formal synonym for “eat” or “drink”:<br />

“I consume far too much coffee at work.”<br />

ISSUE 29<br />

SKILL UP! 15

SMALL TALK<br />

THE LIGHT-BULB MOMENT!<br />

In the office, natural light is best. But if you work long hours, at some point, you will have<br />

to use artificial light. We present the language you will need to talk about different lights.<br />

Situation:<br />

Sara and Ed share an office. He supports the<br />

idea of making the office more energy-efficient,<br />

but Sara is not so sure.<br />

Sara:<br />

Ed:<br />

Sara:<br />

Ed:<br />

Sara:<br />

Ed:<br />

Sara:<br />

Ed:<br />

Sara:<br />

Ed:<br />

Sara:<br />

Ed:<br />

Sara:<br />

Ed:<br />

Sara:<br />

Ed:<br />

What are you doing?<br />

Changing the light bulb in your uplighter.<br />

Don’t worry, I can do it on my own. Do you<br />

know how many psychiatrists it takes to<br />

change a light bulb?<br />

No. How many?<br />

Also just the one... but only if the light bulb<br />

really wants to change.<br />

Nice one. But I don’t want to change the<br />

light bulb in my office. You’re putting in one<br />

of those energy-efficient bulbs, aren’t you?<br />

We’re phasing out the incandescent bulbs.<br />

You know they’re banned in the office.<br />

But I hate the cold blue light. I brought that<br />

one from home.<br />

I know you did. Here, you can have it back.<br />

Thanks. I’m stockpiling them.<br />

Why on earth would you do that?<br />

The fluorescent lamps contain hazardous<br />

waste — mercury. I want to keep using the<br />

old ones as long as possible.<br />

You’re thinking of CFLs. This is an LED. It<br />

doesn’t contain mercury and it lasts longer<br />

— and will save the company money. It<br />

also emits a clear, white light. Wait, I’ll<br />

show you. OK, switch on the light now.<br />

Oh, it’s flickering. Nice strobe effect!<br />

It shouldn’t do that. There must be a problem<br />

with the dimmer switch.<br />

Do you have any other bright ideas? Shall I<br />

call the electrical engineer?<br />

No! I really can do it on my own.<br />

artificial light [A:tI(fIS&l]<br />

ban sth.<br />

bright idea<br />

CFL (compact<br />

fluorescent light)<br />

change (sth.)<br />

dimmer switch<br />

electrical engineer<br />

[i)lektrIk&l )endZI(nIE]<br />

emit (light) [i(mIt]<br />

energy-efficient bulb<br />

flicker<br />

fluorescent lamp<br />

[flO:(res&nt]<br />

hazardous waste<br />

[(hÄzEdEs]<br />

incandescent bulb<br />

[)InkÄn(des&nt]<br />

LED (light emitting diode)<br />

light bulb<br />

mercury [(m§:kju&ri]<br />

phase sth. out<br />

psychiatrist [saI(kaIEtrIst]<br />

stockpile sth.<br />

strobe effect<br />

switch sth. on<br />

uplighter<br />

why on earth... ?<br />

künstliches Licht<br />

etw. verbieten<br />

glänzende Idee<br />

Kompaktleuchtstofflampe<br />

(etw.) auswechseln;<br />

sich ändern<br />

Dimmerschalter<br />

Elektroingenieur(in)<br />

ausstrahlen<br />

Energiesparlampe<br />

flackern<br />

Leuchtstofflampe<br />

Sondermüll<br />

(weißglühende)<br />

Glühbirne<br />

LED, Leuchtdiode<br />

Glühbirne<br />

Quecksilber<br />

etw. nach und<br />

nach aus dem<br />

Verkehr ziehen<br />

Psychiater(in)<br />

etw. horten<br />

Stroboskopeffekt<br />

etw. einschalten<br />

Deckenfluter<br />

warum, um Himmels<br />

willen...?<br />

At least it’s<br />

16 SKILL UP! not flickering<br />

ISSUE 29<br />

Purestock

Did this shed<br />

some light?<br />

Say goodbye to phantoms and vampires<br />

Every bit of energy that you can save will reduce your contribution to climate change.<br />

l Eliminate phantom load and vampire power. This is when a device is turned off but is<br />

still plugged in — and therefore still consuming electricity. Unplug devices when possible.<br />

l Avoid leaving electrical devices on standby mode.<br />

l Unplug your charger when you’ve finished charging your phone. Chargers continue to draw<br />

electricity from the mains otherwise.<br />

l Use “master/slave” power bars for your computer and peripherals, such as your monitor<br />

and printer. Your computer is the “master”. When you power it up or down, every other device<br />

(the slaves) will also be switched on or off. If the peripherals stay on, they will continue<br />

to draw an idle current.<br />

l Protect your computer against power surges by using a power bar with a circuit breaker to<br />

interrupt the flow of electric current in case of an overload or a short circuit.<br />

l Avoid electric shocks — don’t overload wall sockets.<br />

iStock<br />

charge a phone<br />

ein Handy aufladen<br />

charger<br />

Ladegerät<br />

circuit breaker [(s§:kIt] Schutzschalter<br />

contribution<br />

Beitrag<br />

device [di(vaIs]<br />

Gerät<br />

draw (electricity) (Strom) ziehen<br />

electric shock<br />

Stromschlag<br />

idle current [)aId&l (kVrEnt] Ruhestrom<br />

mains UK<br />

Stromnetz<br />

on standby mode im Standby-Modus<br />

peripheral [pE(rIf&rEl] Peripheriegerät<br />

phantom load<br />

Standby-Leistung,<br />

Stromverbrauch im<br />

Standby-Modus<br />

plug sth. in<br />

etw. anschließen,<br />

einstecken<br />

power (a computer) einen Computer hoch-/<br />

up/down<br />

herunterfahren<br />

power bar<br />

Mehrfachsteckerleiste<br />

power surge<br />

Überspannung,<br />

Stromstoß<br />

short circuit<br />

Kurzschluss<br />

switch sth. on/off etw. ein-/ausschalten<br />

unplug sth.<br />

etw. ausstecken,<br />

den Stecker von etw.<br />

herausziehen<br />

vampire power<br />

Standby-Leistung,<br />

Stromverbrauch im<br />

Standby-Modus<br />

wall socket<br />

Wandsteckdose<br />

“Light” idioms<br />

Could you shed some light on this problem?<br />

Könntest du/Könnten Sie Licht in die Angelegenheit<br />

bringen?<br />

The lights are on but nobody’s home!<br />

Er/Sie ist nicht der/die Hellste.<br />

This project will never see the light of day.<br />

Dieses Projekt wird nie das Licht der Welt erblicken.<br />

When did you have your light-bulb moment?<br />

Wann ist dir/Ihnen ein Licht aufgegangen? Wann<br />

hattest du/hatten Sie deinen/Ihren Augenblick der<br />

Erleuchtung?<br />

ISSUE 29<br />

SKILL UP! 17

YOUR PROFILE<br />

USE YOUR ENERGY<br />

Personalize this guide by adding your own example sentences — which should reflect<br />

words and expressions you need in order to talk about your circumstances.<br />

POWER TO YOU<br />

Could you live off the grid? List the pros and cons below, from your point of view.<br />

Do you know someone who takes a power nap? Or someone who goes on a power trip? Describe their<br />

routine using the vocabulary from In Focus. Our exercises in <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Spotlight</strong> plus will help you to<br />

understand the language.<br />

Today, you need a lot of energy to deal with the stress at work. Create a short dialogue below in which you<br />

discuss how work can affect people. Use expressions from Essential Idioms (pp. 12–13).<br />

SMALL TALK: SAVE IT!<br />

Could you think up imaginative ways to save energy at work? Write down your ideas below, using expressions<br />

from Small Talk (pp. 16–17).<br />

18 SKILL UP!<br />

ISSUE 29

PREVIEW<br />

iStock<br />

HOBBIES<br />

IMPRESSUM<br />

HERAUSGEBER UND VERLAGSLEITER:<br />

Dr. Wolfgang Stock<br />

CHEFREDAKTEUR: Dr. Ian McMaster<br />

STELLVERTRETENDE CHEFREDAKTEURIN:<br />

Deborah Capras<br />

GESCHÄFTSFÜHRENDE REDAKTEURIN (CvD):<br />

Maja Sirola<br />

AUTORIN: Deborah Capras<br />

REDAKTION: Margaret Davis, Hildegard Rudolph,<br />

Michele Tilgner<br />

BILDREDAKTION: Sarah Gough (Leitung),<br />

Thorsten Mansch<br />

GESTALTUNG: loop grafikdesign München<br />

PRODUKTIONSLEITUNG: Ingrid Sturm<br />

VERTRIEBSLEITUNG: Monika Wohlgemuth<br />

MARKETINGLEITUNG: Holger Hofmann<br />

ANZEIGENLEITUNG: Axel Zettler<br />

VERLAG und REDAKTION:<br />

<strong>Spotlight</strong> Verlag GmbH<br />

Postanschrift: Postfach 1565, 82144 Planegg<br />

Hausanschrift:<br />

Fraunhoferstraße 22, 82152 Planegg<br />

Telefon: +49 (0)89 8 56 81-0;<br />

Fax +49 (0)89 8 56 81-105<br />

Internet: www.business-spotlight.de<br />

LITHO: Mohn Media Mohndruck GmbH, 33311<br />

Gütersloh<br />

DRUCK: Rotaplan Offset Kammann Druck GmbH,<br />

93057 Regensburg<br />

© 6/2014 <strong>Spotlight</strong> Verlag, auch für alle<br />

genannten Autoren, Fotografen und Mitarbeiter.<br />

Cover photograph: iStock<br />

ISSUE 29<br />

Deep-sea<br />

diving:<br />

it’s not for<br />

everyone!<br />

Spend less time at work and more time<br />

on the things you really love: your hobbies!<br />

The next issue of Skill Up! focuses<br />

on the language you will need.<br />

FALSE FRIENDS: objective, cram<br />

ESSENTIAL IDIOMS: Game on!<br />

PICTURE THIS: Let’s cook!<br />

also:<br />

SMALL TALK<br />

Living dangerously<br />

iStock

Fit für die Energiebranche ?<br />

Lernen Sie Energy English online !<br />

Energy English // Start: 3. November 2014<br />

• Online-basierter Fachsprachkurs, der Technical und <strong>Business</strong> English mit dem Themengebiet<br />

Energie verbindet<br />

• Inhalte: energiespezifisches Vokabular und internationale Kommunikation<br />

• Dauer: 8 Monate mit 2 Präsenzveranstaltungen am Wochenende in Karlsruhe<br />

• Vereinbar mit Berufs-und Familienalltag<br />

• Hochschulzertifikat nach Abschluss<br />

Das Fernstudienzentrum des Karlsruher Instituts für Technologie (KIT) bietet einen Reihe wissenschaftlicher Weiterbildungen für die<br />

Energiebranche an – und für alle, die ihre Zukunft in diesem Bereich sehen.<br />

Im Rahmen von KIC InnoEnergy entwickelt, gefördert vom European Institute of Innovation & Technology (eit).<br />

www.weiterbildung-energie.de

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