Quiz and Questionnaire Lesson Plan - Routes Into Languages

THE REAL WORLD OF LANGUAGESQUIZ1 How many different destinations does British Airways fly to?2 Name as many of the different language departments as you can that exist atVSI – Voice & Script International3 Which three languages helped student Mariana on her medical degree?4 In which three languages did Bridget Kendall introduce herself?5 Which languages were most important for staff at UKTI?6 Why was Spanish such an important language for British Airways?7 What type of breakfast did Hotel la Place offer their Chinese or Japaneseguests?8 How did Kath Curry at BA greet Japanese visitors?9 Which careers were these three students interested in following?QuadriMariaCharlotte

THE REAL WORLD OF LANGUAGESQUIZ - ANSWERS AND DISCUSSION POINTS1 How many different destinations does British Airways fly to?300+a. Why is this important in terms of people with language skills?- British Airways and other international airlines will always be looking for staffspeaking many different languages.b. Where are these language skills used?- During flights, in countries travelled to, in the airport for incoming visitors, etc.2 Name as many of the different language departments as you can that exist at VSI – Voice& Script InternationalEnglish, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Chinese, Japanesea. Why do you think that there are so many different language departments within thiscompany?- There will always be a need for subtitling or voiceovers for TV and filmb. Do you think you need to be a native speaker to do this type of job?- Many are native speakers but someone with good foreign language also needs tohave very good English skills too.3 Which three languages helped student Mariana on her medical degree?French, Spanish and ItalianMost medical terms derive from Latin-based languages so with these three languages shewas able to better grasp her medical learning at university.Which other subjects do you think you could study at university where language skills couldbe beneficial?- International Law, Engineering, Marketing & Advertising, Social Science, Geography,Business Studies, Radio Broadcasting, Design, Fashion, etc.Brainstorm ideas on which course modules might be studied as part of a language degree- Grammar, translation, interpreting, history, art, media, business, culture, literature,etc.4 In which three languages did Bridget Kendall introduce herself?Russian, Italian and GermanMake a list of some of the current news stories and identify which languages might be usefulfor the journalist reporting each story.

5 Which languages were most important for staff at UKTI?Any language could be important as they help businesses to set up companies or to tradeacross the world so languages are very important but equally an understanding of differentcultural backgrounds to identify the best ways of communicating with different people.Imagine you are a business person who is creating a website to sell a product of your choiceto a specific country. Make a list of all the issues that you might need to overcome to createa website that would be acceptable to customers from that country.6 Why was Spanish such an important language for British Airways?Spanish is spoken in 26 countries that they fly to, and BA were merging with a Spanishairline.Make a list of other languages that might be important and which companies might needthem, i.e. German – BMW or Deutsche Bank; Arabic – GCHQ or Médecins Sans Frontières;French – L’Oreal, Danone, etc.7 What type of breakfast did Hotel la Place offer their Chinese or Japanese guests?Noodles or riceThe Manager was careful to find out what type of food his Chinese/Japanese customerspreferred as he realised they would appreciate his understanding of their culture. He hopedthat this would make their stay at his hotel more enjoyable and encourage them to return inthe future.Apart from catering for different diets, what other cultural aspects could the Hotel Managerdraw on to offer a better service to his customers? i.e. – lucky/unlucky numbers, religiouspractices, physical/eye contact, etc.8 How did Kath Curry at BA greet Japanese visitors?BowingBeing aware of cultural differences can help you to communicate better and make peoplefeel welcome.Make a list of different cultures and what you know about them, and how this knowledgecould help you communicate with them better.9 Which careers were these three students interested in following?Quadri ArchitectMaria Child PsychologistCharlotte JournalistGet students to brainstorm any other less obvious professions where language skills mightbe required, i.e. Video Games Tester, Football Analyst, International Assignment Manager,Tour Organiser, Art Editor, Press Conference Assistant, etc.NB: This list could be useful either as a back-up or as a handout.