TALKING ABOUT WORK.

READING

Barcelona supermarket fires employee for working too much

A branch of Lidl in Barcelona fired one of its employees of 12 years for working too much. He turned up early for shifts to get the store in good shape.  

According to El Pais, the worker named as "Jean P" arrived at work an hour early and started to "prepare the shop before it opened". His termination notice for "very serious labour rule violation" said that without signing in to work, Jean had "made orders, changed prices or replenished entire pallets of items".

The company also said it received complaints from other employees that he suggested they should also turn up early.

 The Catalan branch of the German supermarket noticed from security camera footage  in April of this year, the worker turned up at the store at 5am and spent "between 49 and 87 minutes" working without being signed in. As a consequence he was breaking the grocer's strict rules of paying employees for every minute worked and making sure hours are properly logged.


 The  supermarket worker has taken his former employer to court arguing that his dismissal is unfair and he should be given the job back. Jean P argued that he did not ask other workers to turn up early. He said that he was never told that turning up early wasn’t permitted, and he only did so because the store had recently been reorganized and extra time was required to get the shop floor ready.

 https://www.thelocal.es/20171026/barcelona-supermarket-fires-employee-for-working-too-much

Comprehension. 

1. What kind of company is Lidl.? Do you know it? Have you ever shopped there?

2. Do you believe work should be regulated? Why?

3. Do you think Jean P was doing the correct thing by turning up every day early to work? How could this attitude affect the other workers? How may it make them feel?

4. Do you think the punishment was fair?



Do the following exercises.


Ex. 1. 


Ex. 2. 


Ex. 3. 



Do you know what is small talk?  Do you know what are question tags?

Practice:

1.

2.

Ex. 1


Ex. 2 


SMALL TALK. Dialogues.

What do they do?

 First day at work conversation

 

LISTENING COMPREHENSION. TALKING ABOUT JOBS. 

Job Likes and Dislikes Quiz

1. The first thing he does is go to the common room.
2. He cleans the rooms when they are empty.
3. He always helps out in the canteen.
4. He usually washes the stairs.
5. He finishes in the afternoon.
6. He likes the routine nature of his job.
7. He feels that it is degrading picking up cigarette butts.
8. He is a millionaire.
9. He likes the flexibility of his job.
10. He enjoys the company of the students.
11. He learns a lot on his job about other cultures.
12. What is the name of his job?

VOCABULARY.



1. English words for office stationary. 


 Picture quiz.

3. English words for office furniture.  

  Picture quiz. Furniture. 

4. English words for office equipment. 

   Office equipment quiz. 

5. At the office. Puzzle. 

6. English words for meetings and presentations. 

7. Meetings. Quiz. 

8. Attending meeting. Puzzle. 


READING COMPREHENSION. MY OFFICE.

E-MAIL writing. Reservations.

MAKING RESERVATIONS.

Confirmation e-mail. There is a problem.

LIKES AND DISLIKES. JOB INTERVIEWS

 ENGLISH FOR JOB SEEKING



LISTENING

In this listening comprehension you will hear a woman speaking about what she likes and dislikes about her advertising industry job. Listen to what she says and decide whether the following statements are true or false. You will hear the listening twice. Try to listen without reading the listening transcript. After you have finished, check your answers below to see if you have answered the questions correctly.

LISTENING

ADVERTISING JOB QUIZ

1. 1. Her job is extremely diverse.
2. 2. She spends a lot of time on the phone.
3. 3. She telephones people to ask them survey questions.
4. 4. The most important thing is what people think.
5. 5. They can lose jobs if sales decrease.
6. 6. She enjoys the artistic nature of her job.
7. 7. Her best idea came when she was brainstorming.
8. 8. Brainstorming is done alone.
9. 9. One great idea alone can bring success.
10. 10. You can lose your job easily.
11. 11. What profession does she work in?

How do you describe yourseves.

English for Job Interviews.

LINK: Job interview lesson.

COVER LETTERS.

Would you apply for an IKEA job? 


NOW, have a look at the following jobs. Any problems understanding them? Which is your favourite? Can you add more?

OR 

or 

OR

OR

Answer.


1. What's the worst job you can think of? and the best, your ideal job?


2. Have you ever applied for a job? Which? Why? 



Is it easy to find a job in your country?

Six ways to find a job in Spain

1. Walk around with your CV in hand. ...
2. Do seasonal and odd jobs. ...
3. Start a freelance teaching/tutoring business. ...
4. Go to a staffing agency. ...
5. Do a short-term volunteer gig. ...
6. Search on Facebook.

Examples.

Exemple 2.

Positive adjectives that describe your personality.

ADJECTIVES


 “How would you describe yourself?” When answering this question, be sure your answer fits your own work experience and the job for which you are applying for.

• I'm a people person. I really enjoy meeting and working with a lot of different people, and am known for being a great listener and clear communicator, whether I’m engaging with colleagues or employers.
•  
• I'm the kind of person who knows how to execute difficult tasks with precision. I pay attention to all the details of a project. I make sure that every task is just right, but is also completed in a timely manner.
   
• I'm a creative thinker. I like to explore alternative solutions to problems and have an open mind about what will work best. My creativity has made me an effective team leader because I can anticipate problems and innovate solutions.
   
• I'm an extremely organized person who is focused on producing results. While I am always realistic when setting goals, I consistently develop ways to efficiently achieve, and often exceed, those goals.
   
• I enjoy solving problems, troubleshooting issues, and coming up with solutions in a timely manner. I thrive in team settings, and I think my ability to effectively communicate with others is what drives my ability to solve a variety of problems.
   

1. Copy all the group words used to describe the applicants' skills and abilities. 




2. Go to a webpage online and find a job to apply. I give you some links which might interest you. Then write a covering letter. 



 http://www.jobsgalore.com/



Use this link to learn about jos in English and their equivalent in Spanish.


https://www.lingolex.com/joben.htm

FAST FOOD

FAST FOOD

Reading Comprehension.

Part 1. 

Restaurants have been around in some form for most of human civilization. But they usually catered to travelers. As far back as ancient Greece and Rome, inns and taverns generally served food to people who had a reason to be away from home. This trend continued until relatively recently. Although taverns and coffeehouses were popular places to gather and share beverages in the 17th century, the idea of eating out for fun didn't take off in Western society until the late 18th century.

Although McDonald's was the first restaurant to use the assembly-line system, some people think of White Castle as the first fast-food chain. White Castle was founded in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas. At the time, most people considered the burgers sold at fairs, circuses, lunch counters and carts to be low-quality. Many people thought hamburger came from slaughterhouse scraps and spoiled meat.

White Castle's founders decided to change the public's perception of hamburgers. They built their restaurants so that customers could see the food being prepared. They painted the buildings white and even chose a name that suggested cleanliness. White Castle was most popular in the American East and Midwest, but its success helped give hamburger meat a better reputation nationwide. So, like cars, White Castle played an important part in the development of fast food.

1. What was the objective of restaurants in ancient Rome?

2. What was the name of the first fast food restaurant?

3.  Did hamburguers have a good reputation at the time? How did it change the perception of hamburguers?

Part 2. 

The McDonald brothers opened their redesigned restaurant in 1948, and several fast-food chains that exist today opened soon after. Now the world's largest fast-food chain.

According to the National Restaurant Association, American sales of fast food totaled $163.5 billion in 2005 . The industry is growing globally as well. Total sales for McDonald's grew 5.6 percent in 2005, and the company now has 30,000 franchised stores in more than 120 countries .

However, McDonald's - and fast food in general - does not always get a welcoming reception around the world. McDonald's restaurants have been attacked in several countries, including the United States, China, Belgium, Holland, India, Russia, Sweden and the U.K. Protestors have accused McDonald's and other chains of selling unhealthy food, marketing aggressively to children and undermining local values and culture.

See the links on the next page for more on nutrition, fast food and related topics.

4. Is the image of fast food positive around the world? Why?



Are Americans eating more fast food?

FOOD MOST FOWL.


Poject:  Can FAST FOOD be healthy?  Design a healthy  fast food menu.

Informal e-mail writing.

E-MAIL WRITING. 

1. E-MAIL ADDRESSES. 

REVISION.


1. informal email writing.

 

Exemple 2.

Exemple 3. Informal business e-mail.

EXERCISES. 

1.  Sending and recieving e-mails. 

 

2. Organising your e-mails.  

 

3. Starting and finishing e-mails. 

 

4. Making arrangements. 

 

5. Enquiries. 

 

6. Organizing your writing. 

 

7. Proofreading. 

 

8. E-mail etiquette. 

 

 

Hi Dave,

I hope that everything is OK over there. I just have a few questions about the Skipton Airport Project.

First, can you give me an update on where you are on the project? I'd also appreciate if you could explain what the current issues with the delivery system are? And confirm when you expect them to be resolved.

Also, at the end of our last meeting I asked for a copy of the latest Project Report. I still haven't received one. Can you forward it to me?

Can you also confirm if the post-installation support covers the equipment 24 hours a day? And what is actually included in the support? We'd especially like to know if the cost of parts and labour are included in the package? We need this information as soon as possible.

And lastly, we're thinking about extending the period of the post-installation support from your company from 6 months to 12 months. Can you give us a quote for this extension?

Please get back to me with the information as soon as possible.

Thanks,



Ian McAdam
Development Manager




WRITING EXERCISE.

1. Write an informal email to a friend.  Some ideas are given below, but adapt and change them as you wish.

• Ask your friend how they are.

• Ask about their recent holiday. Idea: say you’d like to see the photos.

 • Ask what they have been doing since they got back.

 • Give your friend your own news.

• Invite your friend to come and stay with you. Idea: suggest a time and some things you could do.

• Say you are looking forward to hearing from them.


EMAIL 1

1. Write to a customer to tell them that the product/service they want is not available at the moment. Prepare the situation using the questions below. The information can be real or imaginary.

• What is your company’s business? What products/services do you offer?

• What is the particular product/service that you normally offer, but is not available at the moment?

• Why?

 • When is it going to be available again?

• Who is the customer that you are writing to? Why do they need your product/service?

• Are you going to promise any action, give additional information, offer help, or simply say that you will tell them when the product/service is available again?


 Now write the email in a formal/neutral style. When you finish, work with a partner. Check each other’s grammar, spelling, punctuation and style. Is everything clear, well-structured and easy to understand? 


EXTRA

GRAMMAR REVISION. 

ANDALUSIAN MENU.

ANDALUSIAN CUISINE.

GASTRONOMY

by Brenda Padilla and Morwenna Francis

Andalucia is best known for its beaches, sunny weather and flamenco. But food is a hugely important part of southern Spain - indeed, the Mediterranean diet was recently recognised as being part of UNESCO's world cultural heritage. A key part of Andalucian life is eating out. It is so reasonably priced in most parts of Andalucia, especially if you know where to go, thatgoing out for tapas - tapear - is many people's preferred way to spend an evening (especially in Granada, where you can still get a free tapa with each drink). Spain's chefs are widely acknowledged as being among the best in the world and Andalucia's chefs are held in high regard too. If you're at the beach, head to your nearest chiringuito - beach-side restaurant.

If you choose to cook at home then you have a great choice of ingredients, all produced on your doorstep, in Andalucia: fresh seafood - some of which you won't even recognise, as it doesn't exist back home - from the many hundreds of km of coastline; locally grown fruit and vegetables are of top quality; jamon serrano, ideal for an Andalucian breakfast, on toast with olive oil and crushed tomato, or a sandwich. Olives are a delicious and healthy snack, and grown all over the region.

GAZPACHO.

Traditional gazpacho is made with tomatoe but there are other gazpachos made with other indredients.


Find out more.....

Salmorejo

Salmorejo

Another gazpacho-esque soup in Andalusia is salmorejo – a thicker, more filling dish. Like gazpacho it is served cold, combining tomatoes, garlic and olive oil, but salmorejo is heavier on the bread side and garnished liberally with chopped hard-boiled eggs and strips of Andalusian ham. Its origins lie in the city of Cordoba and the bread creates a far creamier texture and a pinker coloration than gazpacho. You’ll see variations served throughout Andalusia, including tuna as a topping in coastal areas, known as porra antequerana – the perfect Summer evening appetiser!

What's the difference between gazpacho and salmorejo?

Top ten Andalusian dishes. 

Write the recipe. REMOJON.

TAKING RESERVATIONS.

LISTENING. Taking reservations. 




LISTENING. Making a dinner reservation. 

RESERVATIONS.

GIVING DIRECTIONS.

PLATING.

HIGH END PLATING TECHNIQUES.

DESSERTS.

GAD. 3rd Term. Telephone language.

Telephone English

ANSWERING THE TELEPHONE

Video 1

USEFUL TELEPHONE PHRASES

Video 2



TELEPHONE ENGLISH

FILL IN THE BLANKS.

BBC Telephone English

Exercise 1 

Exercise 2. Listening

Exercise 3. Speaking on the phone

Exercise 4 . Listening 

Exercise 5. Listening.


GRAMMAR REVISION. 

1. Adjectives. 

2. Comparatives and Superlatives. Too and enough. 

3. Adjectives. 

 

LISTENING. MINDFULNESS.
 

 

 

Write 3 things you learned from listening to the video. 

Now. watch this othe video. 

- Copy the adjectives that appear in the video and divide them into two groups. Which do you consider positive? Which do you consider negative? 

- Did you like the story? 

- Which wolf will win the fight? 

Say if the following are true or false and discuss them. 

- We should kill the bad wolf.

- We can make the bad wolf stronger through hostility. 

- Hating is the best we can do. 

- We should instead pay attention to him calmly. 

- Mindfulness helps us see things as they are. Teaches us about accepting them. 

- Mindfulness is about past experiences and also about the future.

- If we want to have control over our feelings we should paractice. 

WRITING. Survey results.

Presenting survey results. 




Numbers. Percentages.

DECIMALS AND FRACTIONS.

WHAT'S CULTURE?

Read the text about culture and answer.

What's culture?





QUIZ

MAJOR ELEMENTS THAT DEFINE CULTURE.

CULTURES, SUBCULTURES AND COUNTERCULTURES.

WHAT'S BEING INTERCULTURAL?

Definition.

adjective

1.

pertaining to or taking place between two or more cultures:

intercultural exchanges in music and art.

According to wikipedia.... " Intercultural communication is a discipline that studies communication across different cultures and social groups, or how culture affects communication. It is used to describe the wide range of communication processes and problems that naturally appear within an organization or social context made up of individuals from different religious, social, ethnic, and educational backgrounds. Intercultural communication is sometimes used synonymously with cross-cultural communication. "

Important points to consider:

• Develop cultural sensitivity
• Anticipate the meaning the receiver will get.
• Careful encoding
• Use words, pictures, and gestures.
• Avoid slang, idioms, regional sayings.
• Selective transmission
• Build relationships, face-to-face if possible.
• Careful decoding of feedback
• Get feedback from multiple parties.
• Improve listening and observation skills.
• Follow-up actions

What's your intercultural competence? Find out.

Intercultural competence.  Take the following QUIZ. 





Another video on culture.  MATERIAL and NONMATERIAL CULTURE.

ON CAPITALISM