unit8.ppt

Unit  8        Employment

Part  A        

Communicative Function       Expressing Apologies

We make apologies for various reasons, such as being late, causing inconvenience, dialing the wrong number, rendering bad service, etc. This part focuses on expressing apologies.

Listen to the conversations and write down the reasons why an apology is made in each case.

1. Because he dialed the wrong number.

2. Because she was late for work. She overslept.

3. Because he didn't notify her earlier about quitting.

4. Because he couldn't hire the woman.

Script

1.    --Mr. Power's office.

       --Could I speak to Steve?

       --Steve? Nobody by that name works here. You've dialed the wrong number.

--I’m sorry.

Q:    Why did the man say sorry?

2.    --I'm sorry I was late for work, Mr. Smith, but I overslept.

       --How come, Linda?

       --My alarm clock didn't work this morning.

       --Well, it's OK this time. But it's disturbing the rest of your colleagues, you know.

       --Yes, I know. I won't let it happen again. I'm sorry.

       --That's all right.

       Q: Why did Linda say sorry?

3.    --I heard that John quit his job this morning.

       --How do you know that?

--I overheard him talking to Ms. Jones when I passed by the office. She was very annoyed about it.

       --What did John say to her?

       --He apologized again and again for not notifying her earlier.

       Q: Why did John apologize to Ms. Jones?

4.    --Mr. Baker, I can speak two foreign languages and I'm friendly on the phone. I'm the right person for the job as a secretary, I think.

       --But you've only just finished school and don't have any office experience.  I'm sorry.

       Q: Why did Mr. Baker say sorry?

Useful Expressions for Making and Accepting an Apology

Apologizing

l  I'm (awfully) sorry (I'm late again).

l  I do apologize for (what I've done).

l  I must apologize for (having taken up so much of your time).

l  Sorry to have kept you waiting.

l  I hope you won’t mind (waiting a little longer).

l  Please forgive me for (not keeping my promise).

l  Sorry, it's my fault.

l  I really didn't mean (to hurt your feelings).

l  I’m awfully sorry to (have given you so much trouble).

Accepting Apologies

l  You don’t need to apologize.

l  You don’t have to say sorry. I quite understand.

l  Don’t worry. It can happen to anyone.

l  You couldn’t help it.

l  We all make mistakes.

l  It’s quite all right. Forget it.

l  It doesn’t matter.

l  Please don’t blame yourself.

Notes

1.        Generally speaking an apology consists of two parts. 1) a simple apologetic statement of what one has done wrong, e.g. “I’m sorry I’m late”; 2) an explanation, e.g. “I overslept.”

2.        There are various ways to respond to an apology.

Formal responses are: 1) That’s quite all right; 2) I understand; 3) It can happen to anyone; 4) It’s not your fault, etc.

Informal responses are: 1) It’s OK; 2) That’s OK; 3) Don’t worry about it; 4) Forget it; 5) Never mind; 6) It doesn’t matter, etc.

Listening Strategy

Identifying the Speaker’s Job

       The ability to identify what the speaker does is an important skill in listening comprehension. Notice that the recording does not say exactly what the speaker’s job is but we can find this out from the context.

You’re going to hear three speakers. Guess what the speakers do. Choose the right answers.

1. 

a.        A travel agent.

b.       A tour guide.

c.        An airhostess.

d.       A waitress.

2.

a.        A salesman.

b.       A grocer.

c.        A farmer.

d.       A clerk in a grocery store.

3.

a.        An operator.

b.       A clerk.

c.        A secretary.

d.       A receptionist.

Script

1.       I’m Laura smith. I find my job very interesting. It’s good for me because I’m crazy about traveling and flying. And I enjoy serving others. I’ve been to many countries and I like my uniform a lot.

What does Laura do?  

2.       My name is Tim Black. I’m busy all day. Many people come to my store to buy vegetables and fruits because everything sold in my store is fresh.

What is Tim Black’s job?

3.       My name is Sarah Johnson. I work at the Dean’s office. I do filing, check e-mails, answer phone calls and so on. When a day’s work is over I’m worn out.

What does Sarah do?

Part  B                           

Pre-listening  Task

Questions for Discussion   

You are going to talk about jobs and careers. Read the following questions and discuss them with your partner.

1.       What kind of career would you like to follow after you graduate?

2.       What attracts you to that career?

3.       What factors are most important in a job for you?

4.       Which is more important to you: a job with a high salary or a job with low stress?

5.       What do your parents do? Would you like to follow in their footsteps? Why and why not?

6.       Why do some laid-off workers find it hard to get work?

Demo

1. What kind of career would you like to follow after you graduate?

      Well, I haven't decided yet. In my mind my career and my future jobs should have a close relationship with my major. That means, after graduation, I can apply what I have learned in college to my future jobs. I may choose a career that will benefit both society and my family, for example, a research job with a handsome pay. Or teaching might be a good choice for me too. In the future, no matter what career I may follow, I will do my best and my parents will be proud of me.

3. What factors are most important in a job for you?

      Different people may have different preferences. Generally speaking, when we apply for a job, we have to first ask ourselves whether we really like the job or not. Or what jobs are suitable for us. Well, in our society today, people become more practical. Money is important in this high-cost society, so salary might be the first consideration to most people who need to support their families. Secondly, fixed working hours might be the second important factor, because most people want to relax on weekends and enjoy themselves.

Language Focus

Here are some useful sentences and structures that you might find handy in discussing the above questions: 

l  I’d like to be a/an biologist/physician/surgeon musician/ artist/ diplomat/ photographer/ interpreter/college professor/civil engineer/lawyer/programmer/ librarian / financial planner / real estate agent / social worker / accountant / architect /entrepreneur/ businessman, etc./

l  I can travel to a lot of interesting places if I work as a sales manager.

l  I like kids / teaching and that's why I want to become a school teacher.

l  Education / Science and technology / Social stability / International trade, etc., is of vital importance / essential to the development of our country, so I want to have a career in…

l  I admire scientists / doctors / teachers / businessmen, etc., so I want to be one of them.

l  I think I’m suitable for this job because I'm not afraid of / ready to face any challenges. What matter(s) most to me is / are a friendly atmosphere / an understanding boss / comfortable working environment / handsome pay / challenging tasks / good prospects of promotion. 

l  My father / mother is / used to be a …and I would like to follow in his / her footsteps.

l  I’d like to go my own way and live a life that is entirely different from that of my parents.

l  I think work is only part of my life and not everything.

l  A job with a high salary tends to be stressful/ exhausting.

l  I think being happy and healthy are more important than having lots of money.

l  It is hard for people who lack necessary skills/are too picky to find satisfactory work.

l  People who don’t have necessary qualifications/ fail to keep up with the development of their subjects/ stop updating their knowledge or skill/ neglect their duties are likely/ tend to lose their jobs.

l  Companies that are ill managed / can't compete with others / fail to adapt themselves to change lose business and their employees suffer.    

Listening   Tasks

A Passage

A Steady Job

Word Bank

conscientious     a.   dutiful   尽职的

flaw            n.         defect   缺点，瑕疵

clumsy          a.   awkward and ungraceful   笨拙的

spoil            v.   to  ruin  搞坏

warehouse       n.   a building for storing goods 仓库

furnishings       n.   articles of furniture 家具 

unpack         v.   to open and remove the contents of a package 打开并取出

merchandise     n.   goods  货物，商品

assign          v.   to designate  指定

temporary       a.  lasting only for a short time临时的，暂时的

Fragile         a.   easily broken, breakable 易碎的

trip            v.   to stumble  绊倒

 crash          n.   a sudden loud noise   突然发生的巨响

shatter         v.   to break into pieces  (使)破碎

deduct         v.  to take away from a total  扣除，减去

grin           n.  a wide smile   咧嘴的笑

steady         a.  stable   稳定的

Script

A  Steady Job

       Fred, a very conscientious worker, had one serious flaw: he was clumsy. The poor boy spoiled everything he did and for that reason could never keep a job. He'd had many jobs over the years but only for a few weeks at a time. For six months, Fred was out of employment. Finally, he got a job in a warehouse where many different types of home furnishings were stored. Fred's job was to unpack the merchandise that had newly arrived from the factory and put each item in its assigned place. The work was only temporary, but after so long with no employment at all it was better than nothing.

       One morning Fred unpacked a large and quite fragile vase. He picked it up to carry across the warehouse. But he had only walked two steps and he tripped. There was a loud crash as the vase fell from Fred's hands and shattered into a thousand pieces.

       Fred was called immediately to the manager's office, and he was sure he would be fired. The young man's spirits began to drop.

        "I'll have to deduct something from your wages every week until the vase is paid for," the manager said sternly.

“How much is the vase worth?” Fred asked.

“$350.”

   A wide grin spread across the young man’s face. “That’s wonderful!” he shouted happily. “At last I have a steady job!”

Language and Culture Notes

1. Background information   In present day Western society, the job market is very competitive. To get and, more importantly, to keep a good job, you have to have a university degree, experience in a particular field of work, necessary skills and training and readiness to upgrade your knowledge and skills. Even for low-pay jobs, in the text, the story of Fred, the clumsy young man, is just such a case. His job as a warehouse worker may well come to an abrupt end once the broken vase is paid for, leaving his dream of having a steady job to crumble.

2.  furnishings  Articles of furniture and things such as curtains and carpets, and decorations such as pictures

3.     to deduct something from your wages every week  To take away a part of your wages to pay for (the vase). Note the difference between "wages" and "salary". "Wages" are the money paid each week to an employee, usually for manual or unskilled work. The income of professional and office workers is usually paid monthly and is referred to as a "salary". 

4.     A wide grin spread across the young man's face.  The young man had a broad smile, showing his teeth.

Exercise 1:  Listening for general understanding 

Listen to the recording once and choose the right answers to the questions you hear.

1.    What does the story mainly tell us?

       a. What Fred did.

       b. Where Fred worked.

       c. How clumsy Fred was.

       d. How Fred found a steady job.

2.    What can be inferred from the story?

       a. Fred would never lose his job again.

       b. It was difficult for Fred to find a steady job.

c. Fred did not like his earlier jobs.

d. The manager was a kind-hearted man.

3. Which of the following is not appropriate to describe Fred?

   a. Poor.

   b. Clumsy.

   c. Humorous.

   d. Conscientious.

Exercise 2: Listening for details

Listen to the recording again and answer the following questions by completing the sentence under each question.

1.       Why couldn’t Fred keep any job for long?

He was clumsy and spoiled everything he did.

2.       Where did Fred finally get a job?

   In a warehouse.

3.    What did he do there?

   He unpacked the goods that had newly arrived from the factory and put them in assigned places.

4.    What happened one morning?

   Fred broke a large vase.

5.    How much did the vase cost?

   $350.    

6.    What did the manager decide to do to punish Fred?

   To deduct something from Fred's weekly wages until the vase was paid for.

7. Why did Fred feel happy when he heard that the vase he had broken was worth a lot?

    As it would take a long time to deduct $350 from his wages, he could keep his job while he was paying for what he had broken.

Speaking   Tasks

Pair Work

Listen to the conversations and repeat after the recording. Practise the conversations with your partner, playing the role of A or B. Then create your own conversations by replacing the underlined parts with your own words. 

Conversation  1

A:   Did you see the ad 1) on the bulletin board?

B:   No. What's it about?

A:  Well, the Sunflower Restaurant in the Foreign Students Building 2) wants to hire two part-time waitresses.

B:    Really?  What are the hours?

A:    Every evening from 5: 30 to 7: 30.  And 6 to 10 pm. on Saturdays.

B:    3) What about the pay?

A:    They are offering 4) 10 yuan an hour plus 5) free supper.

B:    Mm. That's not bad.  Are you going to apply for it?

A:  I’m not sure. I don’t know if I can handle both study and work.

B:         Well, seven-thirty is 6) not too late. There’s still plenty of time for study.

A:  Maybe you’re right. Seems you want to apply for it, don’t you?

B:  Well, you know, I’m 7) sharing an apartment with two other girls.  That money can help me pay the rent.

A:  That’s true.

B:    OK.  8) Why don't we go and find out straight away?

A:    All right.

Conversation  2

A:    So you want to be a volunteer for our 1) Save the Earth project.

B:    Yes, very much.

A:    Can I ask you a few questions?

B:    2) Certainly.

A:    You are a first-year student at college.  What do you study at college?

B:  I'm a major in 3) Environment Protection. We do environment science, geography, chemistry.

A:  4) Indeed.  I'm sure they'll be very useful for our project.  

B:    I hope so.

A:  Now when are you free to work with us?  You see, we need to 5) prepare a lot of material for the coming Earth Day.   That's next Sunday.

B:    Well, I'm 6) available during the weekends and Friday afternoons.

A:    It's Friday today. 7) Can you start right now?

B:    Sure.  8) I can't wait to start.

A:    Good.  Welcome to the team.

B:    Thank you.