Task 7. Work in pairs. Role-play the conversation below. You are at a conference. You recognize someone you met at a conference two years ago. Introduce yourself and make small talk.

Participant A

• You met B two years ago at a conference on Customer Care in Frankfurt.
• You own a small firm, which sells office equipment.
• It’s your first day at the conference – you arrived late last night.
• You haven’t seen the city yet.
• You are staying at the Grand Hotel in the city centre (a good choice: room service and the facilities are excellent).
• You are leaving in three days time.
• The conference will be very interesting.

Participant B

• You met A two years ago at a conference on Customer Care in Frankfurt.
• You are the sales manager for a large telecommunications company.
• You have been at the conference for three days.
• You have visited the city (beautiful old cathedral, interesting museum, excellent restaurants, but very expensive).
• You are staying at a small hotel outside the city (a bad choice: room too small, too far from the centre of the city).
• You are leaving tomorrow.
• The conference is boring – the speakers talk too much and go overtime.

 

Task 8. Match the phrases with the definitions. Make up sentences with each of them.

to call off an event	1. to walk through it, looking at different rooms and the furniture in them
to cut down on cigarettes	2. to accept it
to look round a house	3. to get rid of them because you no longer need them
to take up an invitation	4. to cancel it because it won’t take place
to throw out old files	5. smoke less than before

 

Writing

Task 9. You organize a conference at the Plaza Hotel and Conference Centre. Write a letter (about 100 words) to the manager, Michael Rey, containing these points:

• thank Mr. Robinson for making the conference a success
• the staff were friendly and helpful
• all equipment in the conference rooms worked
• comment on the quality of the food in the two restaurants and the speed of the service (very important at lunchtime when participants only had 45 minutes for lunch)
• thank Mr. Robinson again
• end suitably

The plan of a letter:

Name of the recipient                  Name of your organization                                                         his or her address                         Its address                                                      Date   Dear Mr. Robinson   Re (regarding):   First paragraph: use the pronoun ‘we’ when writing for your company. This is more formal than ‘I’.   Second paragraph.   Endings: BrE: when you know the name of the recipient: Yours sincerely  When you don’t know the name of the recipient: Yours faithfully AmE: Yours truly Sincerely     Sign the letter with both first and second names. Then print your name and position under the signature.

Task 10. Read the following telephone conversation between two business partners (young women) and underline useful phrases for making conversation with a foreign partner.

-- What are you planning this evening, Rachel?

-- Nothing really. Maybe I’ll look over my notes for tomorrow’s presentation.

-- Look, why don’t you relax a little? I’m going to a restaurant tonight with a few colleagues – you’ve met one or two of them – would you like to come with us? It’s in the town centre. We could have a few drinks afterwards.

-- Well, it’s really kind of you, Alexandra, but I think I’d like to relax at the hotel tonight, if you don’t mind. I’m a bit tired, quite honestly.

-- Are you sure? You’d really enjoy it.

-- It’s very kind of you, but perhaps another time.

-- By the way, I think we’ll be doing a lot of business together in future.

-- Yes, there’s a lot of potential in our country for your products, and we can help you build up sales there.

-- Good, I think so too. I’ll call you as soon as I’ve talked to my colleagues about your proposal.

-- OK. Thanks very much for your hospitality and for showing me round the city. Good bye.

-- Bye. All the best.

 

Answer the following questions.

1. What topics do the partners discuss in their telephone conversation?

2. Does the guest (Rachel) accept the host’s (Alexandra’s) invitation?

Task 11. Work in pairs. Make up your own dialogs using phrases from the previous exercise.

 

Business across cultures: Eating out: how culturally aware are you?

Task 1. In Russia they sit down at cocktail parties. In China the most important guest is seated facing the door. In Japan a tip is not expected; in France it is an insult not to leave one. Try the quiz below. Underline the correct information.

1. In Greece / Finland people frequently stop for lunch at 11.30 in the morning.

2. In Switzerland / Brazil it’s common to be up to two hours late for a party.

3. In Portugal / the USA a business lunch can last up to three and half hours.

4. In Japan / Russia the soup is often eaten at the end of the meal.

5. In France / Britain cheese is normally served after the dessert.

6. In American / German restaurants you may be asked if you want a bag for the food you can’t eat. 

7. In Arab / Asian countries you must wait for your host to serve you the main meat dish.

8. In Mexico / Belgium you should keep both hands on the dinner table where they can be seen.

9. At a Turkish / Chinese dinner table it is extremely impolite to say how hungry you are.

10. The Japanese / British sometimes need to be offered more food three times before they will accept.

11. American / Latin executives like to be invited to your home for dinner.

12. In Belgium / Spain an 11 o’clock dinner is quite normal.

13. In Asian / Arab countries food is usually eaten with just three fingers of the right hand.

14. In Poland / Japan you should keep filling other quests’ glasses until they turn them over.

15. In African / Asian countries it is the host who decides when the quests should leave.

Task 2. Read the chatting over lunch of business people from different countries. Then answer the questions.

Conversation 1.

- So, Seiji. What’s this fugu? It’s a kind of fish, isn’t?

- Ah, yes. Er, it’s rather unusual, er…

- Traditional Japanese dish, eh?

- Yes, but it’s as little exotic. You may not like it.

- No, no, I like trying new things. Fugu sounds good to me.

- I think you’d prefer something else. Fugu can be… a little dangerous.

- A bit spicy, you mean? Ah, I don’t worry about that. I love spicy food.

- No, not spicy. It’s poisonous.

- It’s what?

- Poisonous. If it isn’t cooked the right way, yes. Some people love it. And this is a very good restaurant, but thirty people die every year from bad fugu. Really, I think you should try something else.

- Yeah, well, sure. I think you’re probably right. Maybe I’ll have tempura instead.

- Yes, tempura. Much better idea, David.

Questions on conversation 1:

1. What is Seiji worried about?

________________________________

 

2. Seiji uses different expressions to stop his colleague choosing the fugu. Complete them.

a. It’s rather ________________;

b. It’s a little ________________;

c. You may _________________;

d. I think you’d ______________;

e. Really, I think you should _____________.

3. What does David say when he decides to change his mind?

_________________________________________________.

Conversation 2.

- Now, Hans, we thought you might like to try the local specialty.

- Ah, yes?

- Yes, it looks a little strange at first. But you’ll love it. You like shellfish, don’t you.

- Well, I like prawns. And the mussels we had the other day were excellent.

- Then you’ll really enjoy this. It’s squid. But this is not just squid.

- No?

- No, this is something really special. It’s served in its own ink – as a sauce.

- It sounds a bit… Actually, I hope you don’t mind, but could I have something a bit simpler?

- Well, if you’re sure you don’t want to try it. It’s really very good.

- Yes, I’m sure it is, but…

Questions on conversation 2:

1.What is Han’s problem?           

________________________

2. The Spaniards use different expressions to encourage Hans to try the squid. Complete them.

a. We thought you might _______________;

b. You’ll ________________;

c. You’ll really ___________;

d. This is something _________________;

e. It’s really ____________.

3. What does Hans say when he refuses the Spaniards’ offer?

__________________________________________________.

Conversation 3.

- Now, is there anything you don’t eat, Louise?

- Well, I am on a special diet at the moment, Jean-Claude. I hope that’s not a problem.

- No, of course, not. This is a very good menu. I am sure we can find something you’ll like. What can’t you eat?

- Well, I can’t eat anything fried. In fact, no fat at all. Nothing made of pastry or cooked in oil. No red meat, of course. Not too much sugar. I can eat white fish but only boiled.

- What about the chicken here? That’s very plain and simple.

- Is there a sauce on it?

- Yes, it’s a delicious cream and wine sauce.

- No cream, I am afraid. And I’m not allowed any alcohol at all.

- I see. Well, I’m sure they’ll serve it without the sauce.

- How’s the chicken cooked?

- It’s roast chicken, I imagine.

- I can only have grilled.

- I’ll ask them to grill it.

- I’d prefer fish really.

- Well, how about the trout?

- Is it boiled?

- No, baked in the oven.

- Hm, I may not like it. What does it come with?

- It comes with potatoes and fresh vegetables.

- Oh, I can’t eat potatoes. Vegetables are OK. But no beans and….

Questions on conversation 3:

1. Why does Louise have a problem choosing what to eat?

________________________________________

2. Jean-Claude and Louise mention lots of different cooking methods. Complete them.

a. ______________

b. ______________

c. ______________

d. ______________

e. ______________

3. Complete these extracts from the conversation:

a. … nothing made ____ pastry.

b. …. Nothing cooked ___ oil.

c. It comes ______ potatoes and fresh vegetables.

4. Have you ever had lunch with anyone like Louise?

_______________________________________