D1.LAN.CL10.08 D1.LAN.CL10.09 Trainee Manual - …...standard expected by employers. CBT seeks to develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes (or recognise the ones the trainee already

Read general information texts or media

D1.LAN.CL10.08

D1.LAN.CL10.09

Trainee Manual

Read general information

texts or media

D1.LAN.CL10.08

D1.LAN.CL10.09

Trainee Manual

Project Base

William Angliss Institute of TAFE 555 La Trobe Street Melbourne 3000 Victoria Telephone: (03) 9606 2111 Facsimile: (03) 9670 1330

Acknowledgements

Project Director: Wayne Crosbie Chief Writer: Alan Hickman Subject Writer: Quentin Derrick Project Manager/Editor: Alan Maguire DTP/Production: Daniel Chee, Mai Vu, Jirayu Thangcharoensamut

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on 8 August 1967. The Member States of the Association are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

The ASEAN Secretariat is based in Jakarta, Indonesia.

General Information on ASEAN appears online at the ASEAN Website: www.asean.org.

All text is produced by William Angliss Institute of TAFE for the ASEAN Project on “Toolbox Development for Priority Tourism Labour Division”.

This publication is supported by Australian Aid through the ASEAN-Australia Development Cooperation Program Phase II (AADCP II).

Copyright: Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2012.

All rights reserved.

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that this publication is free from errors or omissions. However, you should conduct your own enquiries and seek professional advice before relying on any fact, statement or matter contained in this book. ASEAN Secretariat and William Angliss Institute of TAFE are not responsible for any injury, loss or damage as a result of material included or omitted from this course. Information in this module is current at the time of publication. Time of publication is indicated in the date stamp at the bottom of each page.

Some images appearing in this resource have been purchased from various stock photography suppliers and other third party copyright owners and as such are non-transferable and non-exclusive.

Additional images have been sourced from Flickr and are used under:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

http://www.sxc.hu/

File name: TM_Read_general_info_texts_or_media_310812.docx

http://www.asean.org/

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

© ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual


Table of contents

Introduction to trainee manual ........................................................................................... 1

Unit description ................................................................................................................. 3

Assessment matrix ........................................................................................................... 5

Glossary ........................................................................................................................... 7

Element 1: Identify the purpose of general information texts or media .............................. 9

Element 2: Apply reading strategies ................................................................................ 59

Element 3: Apply critical reading skills ............................................................................ 73

Presentation of written work ............................................................................................ 93

Recommended reading ................................................................................................... 95

Trainee evaluation sheet ................................................................................................. 97

© ASEAN 2012 Trainee Manual Read general information texts or media

Introduction to trainee manual


Read general information texts or media 1


To the Trainee

Congratulations on joining this course. This Trainee Manual is one part of a „toolbox‟ which is a resource provided to trainees, trainers and assessors to help you become competent in various areas of your work.

The „toolbox‟ consists of three elements:

A Trainee Manual for you to read and study at home or in class

A Trainer Guide with Power Point slides to help your Trainer explain the content of the training material and provide class activities to help with practice

An Assessment Manual which provides your Assessor with oral and written questions and other assessment tasks to establish whether or not you have achieved competency.

The first thing you may notice is that this training program and the information you find in the Trainee Manual seems different to the textbooks you have used previously. This is because the method of instruction and examination is different. The method used is called Competency based training (CBT) and Competency based assessment (CBA). CBT and CBA is the training and assessment system chosen by ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) to train people to work in the tourism and hospitality industry throughout all the ASEAN member states.

What is the CBT and CBA system and why has it been adopted by ASEAN?

CBT is a way of training that concentrates on what a worker can do or is required to do at work. The aim is of the training is to enable trainees to perform tasks and duties at a standard expected by employers. CBT seeks to develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes (or recognise the ones the trainee already possesses) to achieve the required competency standard. ASEAN has adopted the CBT/CBA training system as it is able to produce the type of worker that industry is looking for and this therefore increases trainees chances of obtaining employment.

CBA involves collecting evidence and making a judgement of the extent to which a worker can perform his/her duties at the required competency standard. Where a trainee can already demonstrate a degree of competency, either due to prior training or work experience, a process of „Recognition of Prior Learning‟ (RPL) is available to trainees to recognise this. Please speak to your trainer about RPL if you think this applies to you.

What is a competency standard?

Competency standards are descriptions of the skills and knowledge required to perform a task or activity at the level of a required standard.

242 competency standards for the tourism and hospitality industries throughout the ASEAN region have been developed to cover all the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to work in the following occupational areas:

Housekeeping

Food Production

Food and Beverage Service


2


Front Office

Travel Agencies

Tour Operations.

All of these competency standards are available for you to look at. In fact you will find a summary of each one at the beginning of each Trainee Manual under the heading „Unit Descriptor‟. The unit descriptor describes the content of the unit you will be studying in the Trainee Manual and provides a table of contents which are divided up into „Elements‟ and „Performance Criteria”. An element is a description of one aspect of what has to be achieved in the workplace. The „Performance Criteria‟ below each element details the level of performance that needs to be demonstrated to be declared competent.

There are other components of the competency standard:

Unit Title: statement about what is to be done in the workplace

Unit Number: unique number identifying the particular competency

Nominal hours: number of classroom or practical hours usually needed to complete the competency. We call them „nominal‟ hours because they can vary e.g. sometimes it will take an individual less time to complete a unit of competency because he/she has prior knowledge or work experience in that area.

The final heading you will see before you start reading the Trainee Manual is the „Assessment Matrix‟. Competency based assessment requires trainees to be assessed in at least 2 – 3 different ways, one of which must be practical. This section outlines three ways assessment can be carried out and includes work projects, written questions and oral questions. The matrix is designed to show you which performance criteria will be assessed and how they will be assessed. Your trainer and/or assessor may also use other assessment methods including „Observation Checklist‟ and „Third Party Statement‟. An observation checklist is a way of recording how you perform at work and a third party statement is a statement by a supervisor or employer about the degree of competence they believe you have achieved. This can be based on observing your workplace performance, inspecting your work or gaining feedback from fellow workers.

Your trainer and/or assessor may use other methods to assess you such as:

Journals

Oral presentations

Role plays

Log books

Group projects

Practical demonstrations.

Remember your trainer is there to help you succeed and become competent. Please feel free to ask him or her for more explanation of what you have just read and of what is expected from you and best wishes for your future studies and future career in tourism and hospitality.

Unit description



Unit description

Error! Reference source not found.

This unit deals with the skills and knowledge required to Error! Reference source not

found. in a range of settings within the hotel and travel industries workplace context.

Unit Code:

D1.LAN.CL10.08 D1.LAN.CL10.09

Nominal Hours:

60 hours

Element 1: Identify the purpose of general information texts or

media

Performance Criteria

1.1 Identify informative texts or media

1.2 Identify persuasive texts or media

1.3 Identify instructional texts or media

1.4 Identify descriptive texts or media

Element 2: Apply reading strategies


2.1 Use skimming skills to gain the gist or main ideas of a text

2.2 Use scanning skills to locate specific information in a text

Element 3: Apply critical reading skills


3.1 Analyze and identify bias and exaggeration in a written text

3.2 Read the small print in written text to determine conditions which may apply to special offers

3.3 Evaluate the accuracy of written texts

3.4 Synthesize what is read by demonstrating comprehension of the whole text

Unit description

4


Assessment matrix



Assessment matrix

Showing mapping of Performance Criteria against Work Projects, Written

Questions and Oral Questions

Work

Projects

Written

Questions

Oral

Questions

Element 1: Identify the purpose of general information texts or media

1.1 Identify informative texts or media 1.1 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 1

1.2 Identify persuasive texts or media 1.2 6, 7, 8, 9,10 2

1.3 Identify instructional texts or media 1.3

11, 12, 13, 14

3

1.4 Identify descriptive texts or media 1.4 15, 16, 4


2.1 Use skimming skills to gain the gist or main ideas of a text

2.1 17 5

2.2 Use scanning skills to locate specific information in a text

2.1 18 6


3.1 Analyze and identify bias and exaggeration in a written text

3.1 19, 20 7

3.2 Read the small print in written text to determine conditions which may apply to special offers

3.2 21, 22 8

3.3 Evaluate the accuracy of written texts 3.3 23 9

3.4 Synthesize what is read by demonstrating comprehension of the whole text

3.4 24, 25 10

Assessment matrix

6


Glossary



Glossary

Term Explanation

Adjective A word that describes a noun

Analyse Examine

Attitude A way of thinking or feeling about something

Brochure A small book or magazine showing information about a product or service

Comparative adjective The form of an adjective used to compare things

Culture The ideas, thoughts, traditions, beliefs of a society

Descriptive text A text which describes things, people, places, events

Evaluate To form an idea about something

Idea Thought

Identify To distinguish or point out

Informative text Texts that share information about something.

Instructional text Texts which explain how to do something.

Pamphlet Leaflet

Persuasive text Texts which try to position the reader or influence their opinions

Scanning Look for specific information

Skimming Look for general information or gist

Small print Fine print about terms and conditions, warnings

Synthesise Put together or summarise

Text A book or written piece of print

Glossary

8





Welcome to the Majestic

Element 1:

Identify the purpose of general

information texts or media

1.1 Identify informative texts or media

Introduction

Informative texts or media provide information about a topic or situation and can include newspaper articles, manuals and handbooks, textbooks, brochures and menus or recipes. The internet with websites presents a wide range of examples of informative texts which give the reader information about particular subjects. Informative writing which provides facts is often quite formal and will often use the passive voice.

Brochure

Activity

Read the following brochure and fill in the gaps with appropriate adjectives that

describe the activities.

Mada’in Saleh is one of the most interesting and historical

places in the world. It is the first place in Saudi Arabia to be listed as a world heritage site. There are one hundred and thirty-one ancient Nabatean tombs carved into the rocks. These tombs cover a huge area.

Visitors can also visit the small town of Al Ula. Al Ula is

surrounded by spectacular scenery. It is famous for its red sandstone cliffs. You can visit one of the town’s fascinating museums or buy some traditional handicrafts from the local souq.

There are also activities for the adventurous traveller. Four by four driving in the desert is very exciting. You can see magnificent views while mountain climbing. Camel riding can be uncomfortable, but you will remember it for

the rest of your life!

Mada’in Saleh

http://www.clipart.com/en/close-up?o=5083213&a=p&q=Middle east&k_mode=all&s=217&e=234&show=&c=&cid=&findincat=&g=&cc=2020:13:620:1:21:2896:31&page=13&k_exc=&pubid=&color=&b=k&date=

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tony_gogogo/2175290964/


10


Fill in the gaps

Drive across the 1) __________ Sand dunes in a 4 x 4. It‟s very 2) ___________ !

Explore the 3) ____________ desert on the back of a 4) __________ camel. Visit a 5)___________ souq where you can buy 6)_____________ handicrafts. See the 7)___________ Nabatean tombs which were carved into 8)___________ rocks.

Newspaper Article

Activity

Read the following newspaper article from the business section of a newspaper.

Then answer the questions below.

Making a good impression

The culture of business cards

Exchanging business cards is an important part of doing business in many parts of the world today. To be successful in international business, you need to understand the local culture and the correct way of giving out business cards.

In Australia, for example, the business card is mostly seen as a convenient way of letting someone have your details. A customer might say, „What is the best way of contacting you?‟ and the business person often replies, „Oh, let me give you my business card.‟ It is not considered bad manners if the customer immediately puts the card in his pocket.

However, in some parts of the world, the practice of giving business cards is a much more serious matter. In Japan, for example, the way you present your business card is seen as a reflection of your own character. It would be very bad manners, indeed, if you showed very little interest in another person‟s business card and you folded or wrote on it. You must give the card with both hands, and receive it with both hands too. Also, the receiver must read the information on the card carefully before putting it into their shirt pocket.




In countries such as the United States and Australia it doesn‟t matter if the business card is handed over using the left or the right hand. However, in Saudi Arabia and India, for example, it is important that only the right hand is used.

If you respect a person‟s culture, then you are less likely to offend your host and you will make a good impression.

Now write a summary of the newspaper article under the following headings:

1. What is the article about?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

2. How do business people give out business cards?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

3. Why it is important to understand the local culture about the correct way of giving out business cards?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________


12


Job Advertisement

Activity

Match the job vocabulary (Column A) with the correct meaning (Column B) and write

your answers in the spaces provided. The first one has been done for you.

Column A Column B

1. position A the money someone is paid for doing a job

2. part-time B a job

3. Full-time C a job that requires a person to go to work every working day of the week.

4. salary D a job that requires a person to work less than every working day of the week.

5. experience E to speak a language easily and correctly

6. letter of application F to call someone or email someone about a particular matter

7. efficiently G the letter that a person sends when applying for a job

8. fluently H knowledge of the job, because the person has been doing that kind of work before

9. duties I to do tasks well, without wasting time or effort

10. contact J the work that has to be done as part of a person‟s job

1. B 2. ______________

3. ______________ 4. ______________

5. ______________ 6. ______________

7. ______________ 8. ______________

9. ______________ 10. ______________




Activity

Fill in the gaps in the following job advertisement, using the words from the

vocabulary list above. The first letter of each word has been given to help you.

ASSISTANT CHEF

A p ______t_________ position exists for an assistant chef in our modern

restaurant. You will need to be very hard working, with a passion for high

quality food preparation.

You must be able to work very e_____________________ in a high-

pressured environment.

You must be able to speak English f___________________ and be able

to follow recipes written in English.

Your main d______________ will be helping the head chef in the

preparation of the soups and meat dishes.

You will receive an excellent monthly s______________

For further information, please c______________ the restaurant on 456 987 625

Send your letter of a____________________ to

Mr Pat Smith

Mubbo Restaurant,

220 Main Street Oslo

Activity

Now read the following job advertisement and answer the questions below.

Front-desk attendant required

187 room, 5 star hotel in the heart of Melbourne

The suitable candidate should have experience in front office computer systems,

be able to work in a team and have high standards of customer service.

Please send your CV and letter of application to:

Mr Marsha Thana

Personnel Manager

Blue Hotel

67 Mars Road, Melbourne

Phone 456 222 980

Applications close on 30th July.


14


Key words:

candidate – someone who is being considered for a job.

CV - also called a résumé – a list of personal details, education and interests. Usually

sent with a letter of application when applying for a job.

letter of application – a letter that people send when they are applying for a job. The

letter contains the reasons why they think they are suitable for this job.

1. What job is being advertised?

___________________________________________________________________

2. Where is the job?

___________________________________________________________________

3. What experience does the successful candidate need for the job?

___________________________________________________________________

4. Applicants have to send a CV. What is a CV?

___________________________________________________________________

5. Applicants also have to send a letter of application. What is a letter of application?

___________________________________________________________________

6. What does the phrase „applications close on 30th July‟ mean?

___________________________________________________________________




Work guidelines

Activity

Read the text then answer the questions below.

How to be a good employee

In hospitality and tourism, employers are looking for people with the right attitude – if you have this, an employer will be confident that he can teach you how to do the job.

And it is not only the hospitality industry. A friend of mine, who works as a flight attendant, says that attitude is everything in the travel industry.

How should we define „good attitude‟? In hospitality and tourism, we should start by looking at the meaning of „hospitable.‟ Hospitable means to receive guests and visitors with real warmth.

„Good attitude‟ also needs to include attributes such as being on time and being a reliable worker. When an employer is interviewing job applicants, he needs to ask questions to check whether the applicants have these attributes.

Your dress and your manner should show your good attitude towards your guests. Your cheerful attitude can create a good first impression for the guest, and can help to set the right feeling for the rest of the guest‟s experience.

According to the text above, write down in the spaces provided

whether the following statements are true or false: T/F

1. Being on time shows a good attitude. _______

2. Being well dressed is not important in the hospitality industry. _______

3. ‟Hospitable‟ means receiving a guest with real warmth. _______

4. Being an expert at your job is more important than having a good attitude. _______

5. First impressions are not important in the hospitality industry. _______


16


Menu

Activity

Read the menu and answer the questions below.

1. How many desserts are on the menu?

___________________________________________________________________

2. How much is the sweet potato and coriander soup?

___________________________________________________________________

3. Do you get French fries with the roast lamb?

___________________________________________________________________

The Harbor Café

SOUPS

Pumpkin and cashew 5.00

Chicken noodle 4.50

Sweet potato and coriander 5.00

Tomato and risoni 4.50

MAIN DISHES

Seafood platter 20.00 Roast chicken and vegetables 13.00 Roast lamb and vegetables 13.00

Pepper steak and fried rice 15.00

Beef and mushroom pasta 14 .00

Battered fish and French fries 12.00

DESSERTS

Strawberry cheesecake 6.00

Fresh fruits 5.00

Apple pie and ice cream 6.00

Chocolate mousse 4.00




4. What is the most expensive item on the menu?

___________________________________________________________________

5. Do you get ice cream with the fresh fruits?

___________________________________________________________________

Activity

Write down three more questions about this menu. Then ask another trainee to scan

for the answers.

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Reading Graphs, Charts, Tables and Diagrams

Reports can contain graphs, tables, charts and diagrams. They can contain useful information for the reader. It is, therefore, important to be able to read and understand the language of describing graphs.

Column graph

The following column graph shows how many guests stayed at four hotels over six nights.

The four hotels are:

Mama‟s Mansion

Hamish‟s Hotel

Master‟s Motel

TaTa‟s Tent

Number of guests at four hotels

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Mama's Mansion Hamish's Hotel Master‟s Motel TaTa's Tent


18


Activity

Complete the following statements about the column graph, by filling in the gaps

with the words below:

lowest similar highest most total least

1. The __________ number of guests that stayed at Mama‟s Mansion over six days

was four hundred and sixty.

2. The graph shows that Hamish‟s Hotel had the ________ number of guests over six

days.

3. The graph also shows that TaTa‟s Tent had the __________ number of guests over

six days.

4. The total number of guests that stayed at Hamish‟s Hotel and Mama‟s Mansion is

_______________.

5. The hotel with the _____________ occupancy rate is Hamish‟s Hotel.

6. The hotel with the _____________ occupancy rate is Master‟s Motel.

Table

A hotel‟s profit is dependent on the number of people who stay at the hotel. This is expressed as a percentage. A profitable hotel has to have an occupancy rate of over 66 per cent. You should become familiar with the language related to hotel occupancy.

The following table shows the occupancy rate of four hotels over six months.

Occupancy rate from January to June

Hotel JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN

Mama‟s Mansions 85% 81% 70% 74% 75% 70%

Hamish‟s Hotels 92% 90% 78% 75% 75% 70%

Master‟s Motel 63% 58% 55% 55% 55% 55%

TaTa‟s Tents 95% 80% 65% 60% 50% 35%




What was the average occupancy rate for each hotel?

1. The average occupancy rate for Mama‟s Mansions was ________%

2. The average occupancy rate for Hamish‟s Hotel was ________ %

3. The average occupancy rate for Masters‟s Motel was ________ %

4. The average occupancy rate for Ta Ta‟s Tents was ________ %

Now answer the following questions:

1. The hotel with the highest occupancy rate is

2. The hotel with the second highest occupancy rate is

3. The hotel with the third highest occupancy rate is

4. The hotel with the lowest occupancy rate is

Bar graph

The following bar graph shows the number of people who visited France from five countries.

Visitors from five Countries

0 200000 400000 600000 800000 1000000 1200000 1400000

India

Egypt

Jordan

Indonesia

Pakistan


20


Answer the following questions about the bar graph:

Using the bar graph, fill in the names of the countries next to the number of visitors

in the table below.

1. From which country did the fewest visitors come?

____________________________________________________________________

2. Which countries provided fewer visitors than Jordan?

____________________________________________________________________

3. From which country did the largest number of visitors come?

____________________________________________________________________

4. Which country had the second largest number of visitors?

____________________________________________________________________

5. What was the total number of visitors?

____________________________________________________________________

Country Visitors

1,315,389

285,719

255,456

240,000

183,000

Total




1.2 Identify persuasive texts or media

Introduction

Persuasive texts or media are written to try to convince you to do something. Advertising is a form of persuasive text and there are many parts of language that advertisers use to try to sell their products. Speeches for government campaigns, or debates often use language that attempts to influence the reader‟s opinion. Often persuasive texts use exclamation marks, emotive language, capitals and rhetorical questions to position the reader a certain way.

Persuasive Language

Look at the text below. It is from a real estate agent. What is the text trying to sell?

For Sale

The perfect view!

Imagine waking up to the sound of the surf every morning and

feeling the sea breeze on your face! LOOK NO FURTHER! A once in a lifetime opportunity has become available to buy your dream house. Located 50 metres from the beach, bigger than a castle and built to modern standards,this magnificent 4 bedroom house can be yours but you will have to be quick before someone else purchases this beautiful property. Stunning views, polished wood floors and the most incredible lap pool could all be yours!

Interested, aren‟t you? Well, ring 555 7676 for further details on how to buy your own piece of heaven!

The text above uses various language devices to try to persuade the reader to buy

the house:

Exclamation marks emphasise important parts

Capital letters make information seem more important

Comparatives and superlatives are often seen in persuasive texts (most, best, bigger, biggest)

Adjectives that are extreme are often used

Emotive topics like heaven, and persuasive language like„once in a lifetime opportunity‟ and „you will have to be quick‟ try to influence the reader to act.


22


Read the text below and in pairs discuss the language devices that the text uses to

try to persuade the reader to dive here.

Quiz

Activity

How well do you know the geography of the world?

Tick the right answer:

1. What is the tallest building in the world?

□ The Empire State Building, New York

□ The Bhurj Khalifa, Dubai

□ The Petronas Towers, Kual Lumpur

2. What is the smallest country is the world?

□ The Vatican, Italy

□ Andorra, Spain

□ Monaco, France

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One of the most exciting things to do while on holiday on the island, is to go diving in the area known as The Reef. The coral reefs and fish are some of the most spectacular in the world and are not to be missed. This area is home to over 1,000 species of fish. There are numerous diving companies that you can choose from and if you need to get your PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) qualification, this is the place for you! During your adventure, you can also explore fascinating deep sea wrecks and mysterious caves. Dive in today!




3. Which river is longer?

□ The Nile river

□ The Amazon river

4. Which waterfall is higher?

□ Angel Falls

□ Niagara Falls

5. Which ocean is the biggest?

□ The Atlantic Ocean

□ The Arctic Ocean

□ The Pacific Ocean

6. Which country is larger in area?

□ China

□ Canada

7. Which city has the largest population?

□ Tokyo

□ London

□ Mexico City

Some of the questions in the quiz use comparative adjectives (e.g. higher) and some of them use superlative adjectives (e.g the most dangerous).

Which questions use comparative adjectives?

_______________________________________________________________________

Write down the comparative words used

_______________________________________________________________________


24


Which questions use superlative adjectives?

_______________________________________________________________________

Write down the superlative words used.

_______________________________________________________________________

Complete the table below

Adjective comparative + er Superlative + est

big bigger

clean cleanest

wide

happy happier

white

better best

Using adjectives

Complete these sentences using the comparative or superlative form of the

adjective.

Remember, when we use the superlative form we must also use the article „the‟.

1. When you are working as a room attendant, you want your rooms to be

____________________ (clean) in the hotel.

2. This hotel is _____________ (big) than that hotel.

3. He is _______________ (happy) passenger service officer in the whole airport

and all of the passengers love him.

4. This is _____________________ (busy) hotel in the world.

5. Most people think it is also ________________ (good) hotel in the world.




Complete this chart using ‘more’ or ‘most’.

Adjective Comparative Superlative

beautiful more beautiful most beautiful

difficult

interesting

economical

Listening – Comparatives and Superlatives

Activity – The best hotel is …

You are going to listen to three descriptions of three different hotels. As you are

listening, tick the adjectives you hear in the table below.

Adjective The Green

Palms Hotel

The Golden

Sands Hotel

The Grand Hotel

sophisticated

cheapest

biggest

very friendly

convenient

smallest


26


Listen again and write true or false for the following statements True or False

1. The Golden Sands Hotel is not easy to find. __________

2. The Green Palms Hotel is close to the city center. __________

3. Many people stay at the Golden Sands Hotel. __________

4. The Grand Hotel restaurant is very expensive. __________

5. There isn‟t a restaurant at The Green Palms Hotel. __________

6. The Golden Sands Hotel beds are uncomfortable. __________

You are working in the tourist information office. Some visitors walk in to ask you some questions. What advice do you give?

Use these sentences to help you answer the question:

The ___________ hotel has the best ________________

The ___________ hotel has the most __________________

Which hotel has the best restaurant?

Which hotel has the most comfortable beds?

Which hotel has the most modern bathrooms?

Which hotel has the cheapest accommodation?

Which hotel is the most convenient to the city center?




Transcripts

The best hotel is…

1. The Green Palms Hotel

The Green Palms Hotel isn‟t a popular hotel. It‟s the cheapest and smallest hotel in the city.

The manager isn‟t very polite or friendly.

The restaurant in the hotel isn‟t very big and the waiters aren‟t very helpful. The food isn‟t tasty, but it is the cheapest in town. The bedrooms are big, but the beds are uncomfortable. The bathrooms aren‟t modern.

It‟s the furthest from the city centre and difficult to find. The hotel looks like it‟s the oldest in town.

Few people stay there. It isn‟t a very good place to stay and that is why nobody recommends the Green Palms Hotel to other people.

2. The Golden Sands Hotel

The Golden Sands Hotel is a popular hotel. It isn‟t the most expensive hotel in the city, but it is one of the biggest.

The restaurant in the hotel is big and the waiters are very polite and helpful. Most people think it‟s the best restaurant in town. The food is delicious and it isn‟t very expensive. The service is very good. The bedrooms in this hotel aren‟t as big as in some other hotels, but the beds are very comfortable and the bathrooms are modern.

The hotel is in the center of town and so it‟s the most convenient hotel in the city. It looks modern and is very comfortable.

Therefore, the Golden Sands Hotel is very popular. It‟s a modern and very friendly hotel which isn‟t too expensive. It has one of the best restaurants as well.

3. The Grand Hotel

The Grand Hotel is the biggest and most beautiful hotel. It is also the most expensive. Many people can‟t afford to stay there.

The restaurant in this hotel is the most sophisticated in town. The waiters are very polite and helpful. The food is very good but it‟s too expensive so most people don‟t choose to eat there.

The hotel has the largest and most luxurious bedrooms with the most comfortable beds and the most modern bathrooms.

The hotel is in a convenient location and is fairly easy to find. This hotel is the best hotel to stay in but, unfortunately, it is also the most expensive. That is why most people do not stay there.


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Activity

Read the review of Asum’s Restaurant which is trying to encourage people to eat at

the restaurant. Circle the correct word from the choice .

Asum’s Restaurant

A dining experience not to be missed!

This hotel restaurant is very popular with guests /

restaurant. The menu has a warm / wide range of

Middle Eastern dish / dishes.

The most top / popular item on the menu is

Kabsah, a very delicious chicken and rice dish /

variety. The chicken is well-cooked, tender, and

wide / mouth-watering and the servings are wide /

large. Most of the dishes are served with boiled /

grilled rice, and guests can choose from a wide

variety / excellent of soft drinks.

The delicious smell of nuts, yoghurt, honey and

spices fill the guests / restaurant. You can enjoy

warm / a flat breads, delicate / grilled lamb and

stuffed vine leaves. And you will be delighted by

the delicate flavors of the falafels, tabouleh, and

cabbage rolls.

Asum’s is one of the large / top Middle Eastern

restaurants in the city. Prices are reasonable and the

service is excellent / delicious. Next time you want

to take your family out to a delicious meal, don’t

forget about the Asum’s Restaurant. You will not be

disappointed!




Activity

Read through the Menu of the Vegetarian Delight Café and answer the questions

below.

MENU

Middle Eastern Salad Crisp lettuce leaves, sliced cucumbers and ripe tomatoes, served with a light tahini sauce. Falafels Ground chick peas, chopped parsley and spices, served with a savory sauce. Spinach pie Flaky pastry, steamed spinach, tasty fetta cheese, served with a side green. salad. Lentil Stew

Red lentils, brown rice and

chopped onions, cooked with fragrant garlic and turmeric.

Courgette fritters Grated courgette, fresh eggs, spices and goat’s cheese, served with a special tomato sauce.

Hot Drinks Short Black Cappuccino Espress Caffé Latte Caffé Mocha Green Tea Cold Drinks Iced Coffee Iced Tea Apple Juice Orange Juice

What adjective is used to describe:

1. The lettuce leaves _____________________

2. The tomatoes _____________________

3. The fetta cheese _____________________

4. The garlic _____________________

5. The tomato sauce? _____________________


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Activity

Now it’s time for you to set up your own restaurant!

In pairs:

1. Think of a name for your new restaurant.

2. Create a menu, using interesting adjectives to describe the dishes. (There are some adjectives to help you below)

Food Delicious

Delectable

Amazing

Mouth watering

Rich

Creamy

Tasty

Tresh




Activity

Read the following newspaper article

The biggest and the best!

Today, Oz Building Company unveiled their latest project – a huge theme park on the coast of Berry. There will be rides for the whole family. The park will also have the fastest roller coaster ever built.

The most exciting attraction will be the enormous ferris wheel, with its magnificent views of the coast. At an impressive 200 meters in the air, it will be the tallest in the world, much higher than the 164m Singapore Flyer, the 135m London Wheel and the 120m Melbourne, Australia Southern Star Observation Wheel.

Passengers will ride in thirty comfortable, air-conditioned glass cabins, looking out over the Gast Sea. At night, the huge wheel will be lit up with over five kilometers of lights. It will be an absolutely spectacular sight!

This new theme park will bring millions of tourists from around the world to the area. There will be large numbers of top class restaurants within the theme park, as well as five star hotels close by. The theme park will even have its own shopping mall, with over sixty retail outlets selling top brand products.

Building will start in two months and it will be open to the public by the end of the year. The theme park will be very big, covering over forty hectares and it will cost approximately $US400 million. It will be Gast Sea Coast‟s biggest attraction, providing jobs for over three thousand people.

Enjoy the ride!

Circle the correct answers to the following questions

1. The most exciting attraction in the new theme park will be

a) The roller coaster b) The Ferris wheel

c) The shopping mall d) The five star hotel

2. In the article, „huge‟ means

a) tall b) Wide

c) very big d) quite small


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3. The word „magnificent‟ means

a) good b) very good

c) bad d) wonderful

4. A „strong‟ adjective in the article is

a) five-star b) Comfortable

c) air-conditioned d) absolutely spectacular

5. The roller coaster will be

a) the most beautiful b) the fastest

c) the oldest d) the tallest

Hotel facilities

What do the following words mean? Match the words on the left with their

definitions on the right

1. luxurious a. the newest item available

2. fully equipped room b. conveniently located near places of interest

3. top international restaurants c. rooms with everything a guest might need in them

4. top quality gymnasium d. bright and shining (sometimes used to describe water)

5. horse riding facilities e. tea bags, coffee, milk, sugar, cups, kettle,

6. superbly located f. a restaurant where the customer chooses the food they want from large tables

7. bistro g. very comfortable and expensive

8. sparkling h. restaurants which are famous around the world

9. tea and coffee making facilities i. a place that keeps horses which guests can ride

10. brand new j. modern and high quality indoor facilities for doing exercises

11. buffet style restaurant k. small, café-style restaurant

12. adventure playground l. an outdoor area where children can play and exercise




Activity

Read the following advertisements about three hotels:

The Grand Hotel The most luxurious hotel in the world!

Five hundred large rooms, all with ensuite bathrooms

Fully equipped rooms, with internet access, air-conditioning, satellite television, hairdryer, and refrigerator

Four top international restaurants, open 24 hours a day

A challenging nine hole golf course

Top quality gymnasium

Excellent horse riding facilities

Five huge conference rooms

Superbly located, only a five minute walk to a magnificent beach.

The Star Hotel You will be treated like a star at this hotel!

Four hundred rooms

Air conditioned suites

Wonderful balcony views of the beach from many of the rooms

Three first class restaurants, including our famous

seafood bistro

Full laundry service

Sparkling swimming pool and spa

Only a ten minute walk to a sandy beach.


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The Garden Hotel

Situated in peaceful garden surroundings, away from the noise of the city!

three hundred rooms

television and radio in every room, as well as tea and

coffee making facilities

brand new table tennis and basketball facilities

free breakfast in the private gardens

coffee shop

buffet style restaurant

a family friendly hotel, with an indoor swimming pool for

children, adventure playground, and a huge playroom

a fifteen minute walk to a wonderful beach.

Which hotel:

1. is the most luxurious?

_______________________________________________________________________

2. has a sparkling swimming pool?

_______________________________________________________________________

3. has beautiful, private gardens?

_______________________________________________________________________

4. has a full laundry service?

_______________________________________________________________________

5. has family friendly facilities?

_______________________________________________________________________

3. is superbly located?

_______________________________________________________________________




1.3 Identify instructional texts or media

Introduction

Instructional texts and media provide information on how to do something. Often commands or the imperative will be used as well as modal verbs, such as, must, should and need to. The hospitality and travel industry is based around service and as a result there are lots of instructions that must be followed in the workplace.

Instructional texts often have:

A title to explain what the instructions are for. For example „How to make a cake.‟

Materials or equipment that may be required

A sequence or series of actions or steps that should be followed. Signal words like time connectives (first, then, next, after that)

Numbered bullet points (1,2,3,4) or sub-headings (step 1, step 2, Step 3)

Imperative verbs (Be quiet, Heat the oil, Turn the key)

Short sentences

Labelled diagrams, charts, tables, photos and graphs.

Imperatives

Often instructional texts and media will use imperatives or commands. Imperatives are very direct and are usually used because they are short and direct. Often, imperatives areused to warn about danger or to tell people not to do something.

For example:

Do not smoke here!

Wait here!

Be quiet!

Take off your shoes before entering!

Turn the handle!

Put the cake in the oven

Add two teaspoons of vanilla extract.


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Activity

Read the recipe below then answer the questions.

Horrible Halloween Hamburgers

Ingredients

1 litre of bat blood

100g of crocodile meat

100g of snake meat

500g of rabbit feet

4 blood oranges

2 eel eyes

A wooden spoon

A large pot

A small knife

A set of scales

A plate

Step 1

• Get your ingredients and equipment together

• Wash your hands.

Step 2

• Firstly, weigh all your ingredients carefully

• Then put the meats into the bowl.

Step 3

• Next, add the eel eyes one at a time

• Slowly pour in the bat's blood.

Step 4

• After that, pour in the blood orange and gently stir the mixture

• Add the rabbit's feet and shape into 100g balls.

Step 5

• Heat a pan and cook the hamburgers until black

• Finally, serve with stale bread on a plate.




Questions

1. How many grams of crocodile meat do you need?

____________________________________________________________________

2. Write down three examples of imperatives.

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

3. Write down three sequencing or signal words used.

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

4. Adverbs describe or „add‟ to verbs. They often end in „ly‟. Find three examples of adverbs in the text.

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

5. What is the last instruction?

____________________________________________________________________

Make your own horrible recipe!

Use the recipe above to help you create your own horrible recipe. Decide:

What you will make (be creative!)

What horrible ingredients you can use

What special equipment you might need

How will you explain the process (bullet points, diagram, numbering).


38


Activity – Wash your hands

Look at the instructions for washing your hands which are in the wrong sequence.

Put the steps into the correct order.

Step 1: ________________________________________________________________

Step 2: ________________________________________________________________

Step 3: ________________________________________________________________

Step 4 ________________________________________________________________

Step 5: ________________________________________________________________

Step 6: ________________________________________________________________

Wet your

hands

Dry your hands

Fill the sink with

warm water

Rinse your

hands in the water

Put some soap on

your hands

Empty the sink




Activity – Following directions

Read the text and follow the directions. Fill in the names of the following places on

the map below:

market café bank Café Jules

bus station travel agency

1. Turn left outside the hotel and take the first street on the right – that‟s Amir St. You‟ll see the cafe on your right, next to the bus station.

2. Walk down Amir St towards the river and you‟ll see the travel agency, on the corner of Bashir St.

3. Turn left into Bashir St, then right into Rabah St. Take the first left, that‟s Mansur St, and go straight ahead. The bank is on the right, on the corner of Kedar St.


40


4. Turn left into Kedar St and go straight ahead. A café is on the corner of Hani St and Kedar St.

5. Turn right into Hani St, walk down to Jaml Al Din St and turn left. You‟ll see the market on the right, just past the corner.

Activity – Word match

Match these words and phrases with the road signs below:

no right turn roundabout no U turn

crossroads right of way intersection road narrows

Activity – Map your route

Write down the directions from your college to your home. Use these phrases to

help you:

turn right / left first / second intersection go through the intersection

go along continue / keep going go straight ahead

go past the take the first / second turn

go up / down

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________




Activity – Give directions

Read your directions to a partner. As you read your directions, your partner must

listen carefully and draw a map in the space provided.

1. ____________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________________________________


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1.4 Identify descriptive texts or media

Introduction

Descriptive texts or media describe many things such as people, places, food, events, situations, customs and traditions. Descriptive texts often use a lot of adjectives and adverbs to develop a more detailed idea of what is being described. Descriptive texts are common in the workplace as you may have to describe a place, a person or a thing to someone or somebody else may have to describe something for you.

Describing things

Being able to use vocabulary to describe things is important in the workplace. The more specific language you can utilise, the clearer your descriptions will be.

Activity

Below are examples of words that a telephonist or reservations desk officer would

use when describing accommodation to a customer. Match the nouns in column 1

with the definitions in column 2.

Column A Column B

1. kitchenette a. a very large bed

2. ensuite b. sheets, pillow cases and bed covers

3. bedside lamp c. a cover for a pillow

4. microwave d. a piece of furniture that two or three people can sit on

5. coffee table e. a piece of reflecting glass

6. refrigerator f. an electrical appliance for cooking / heating food

7. pillow cases/slips g. an electrical appliance that keeps food cold

8. hair dryer h. a small, low table

9. sofa i. an electric light on a small table next to the bed

10. linen j. a bathroom that is connected to the bedroom

11. queen size bed k. a small room used for cooking

12. mirror l. an electrical appliance for drying hair




Answers:

1________; 2______; 3_______; 4_______; 5_________;6________;

7______;8_______; 9_______; 10________;11_______; 12_______.

Look at the picture of a hotel room. Unjumble the words and write your answers in

the spaces provided.

These jumbled words are the names of some of the objects in the picture. Unjumble

the letters to make the words. The first letter of each word has been given to you.

vroebdec b______________________ gerarofitrer r_______________________

pecrat c_______________________ beltas t_______________________

vimowerac m______________________ richa c_______________________

sked d______________________ wollips p_______________________

roflo f_______________________ asof s_______________________


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Now use these words to complete the description of the room in the picture.

This large room contains a queen size bed with a blue __________ and four white

__________. Next to the bed is a small bedside table and lamp.

There are two wooden coffee ___________ in front of a large,

comfortable ________.

The kitchenette has a ______________, a ______________ and

some cupboards.

Near the kitchenette there is a writing __________ and __________.

Most of the __________ is covered in __________.

Michael Watson’s email to home

Michael Watson has written an email home to his parents to describe his first week in Saudi Arabia.

Read his email that he sent home.

From: Michael Watson

Sent: Friday 6/02/2009 2:13pm

To: Mr and Mrs S Watson

Subject: Saudi Arabia - first few days

Dear Mom and Dad

I have been in this wonderful country for nearly one week now. You should see the airport here. It is huge. It is

the biggest and most modern airport I have ever been to.

I was met at the airport by a chauffeur. I was worried that I would get lost, so I rang Mr Abdurrahman al Harbi

when I arrived. He was really helpful. My chauffeur is not very tall, has really dark hair and a thick moustache.

He does not speak much English, but we laugh a lot.

The drive to my hotel was spectacular. The color of the desert sands included many shades of red, from

brilliant red to a dull red. My hotel is magnificent. My room is superb. The service is excellent and everyone is

really friendly.

I will tell you about a mistake that I made the other day in my next email.

Your loving son

Michael




Michael used many adjectives (describing words) in his email to tell about the things he saw. Adjectives describe nouns.

Do you know the meaning of the following words? Circle the correct meaning for the

following adjectives.

Adjective Meaning

huge small medium very big

spectacular boring fantastic good

superb excellent interesting funny

Read the sentences below. Write T if they are true or F if they are

false. True or False

1. Michael caught a taxi to his hotel ____________

2. He does not like his hotel room ____________

3. His chauffeur does not speak a lot of English ____________

4. Michael is enjoying his stay in Saudi Arabia ____________

5. Michael has been in the country for two weeks ____________

6. The airport is very big ____________

7. Michael says he is too busy to write again ____________

8. The chauffeur is very friendly ____________


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Matching exercise

Match the nouns with a suitable adjective from the list below.

dark wonderful excellent modern

friendly short thick superb

_______________ country _______________ airport

_______________ moustache _______________ hair

_______________ room _______________ service

_______________ staff _______________ chauffeur

When we use adjectives in English, we can choose from a range of words which have either an identical or a similar meaning. Look at the words below:

(big / large) (huge / enormous) gigantic

These words are also in order of strength (from weakest to strongest).

Which word would you use to describe the following things?

a __________ table a/an __________ airplane a __________ skyscraper

Activity – From weakest to strongest

Reorder these adjectives from weakest to strongest. Use a dictionary to help you.

small / tiny / little

_______________________________________________________________________

sad /depressed / unhappy annoyed /angry / furious

_______________________________________________________________________

famished / hungry / starving beautiful / gorgeous / pretty

_______________________________________________________________________




Michael’s email

In Michael’s email below, there are ten adjectives in bold type. Replace each

adjective with another of similar meaning. Use a dictionary to help you.

Dear Mum and Dad

I have been in this _______________(wonderful) country for nearly one week now. You should

see the airport here. It is _______________(huge). It is the biggest and most modern airport I

have ever been to.

I was met at the airport by a chauffeur. I was worried that I would get lost, so I rang Mr. Harbi when

I arrived. He was really _______________ (helpful).

My chauffeur is not very tall, has really ______________(dark) hair and a _______________

(thick) moustache. He does not speak much English, but we laugh a lot.

The drive to my hotel was _______________(spectacular). The color of the desert sands included

many shades of red, from _______________(brilliant) red to a _______________(dull) red.

My hotel is _______________ (magnificent). My room is superb. The service is

_______________ (excellent) and everyone is really friendly.

I will tell you about a mistake that I made the other day in my next email.

Your loving son

Michael


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Describing people – appearance and personality

Appearances

When we describe a person‟s appearance, we can discuss the

person‟s age, height, build, complexion, eyes and hair.

Age

A general description might be

He is young. She is middle-aged. He is old.

If we need to be more specific we could add an approximate age.

For example:

in his early twenties twenty to twenty-five years old

in his mid forties forty-three to forty-six years old

in his late fifties fifty-six to fifty-nine years old

Height

To describe a person’s height (how tall a person is) we could say he is:

short of average height tall

If we need to be more specific we could place an adverb in front of the adjective.

very tall fairly short pretty tall

Build

To describe someone’s build (body size) we could say he is:

skinny thin / slim well built / muscular

fat obese

Complexion

To describe a person’s complexion (skin color) you could say:

He has a dark complexion (dark skin)

He has a fair complexion (pale skin)

He has an olive complexion (light brown skin).




Eyes

Eyes are usually described by their color. We could say he has:

brown eyes blue eyes green eyes gray eyes

Hair

To describe someone’s hair we talk about the length, hair type and color:

He has long, wavy black hair

He has short, straight red hair

He has mid-length, curly brown hair.

Role play

Imagine you are a guest at a hotel. You are looking for a friend but cannot find him.

Guest: Excuse me. I‟m looking for my friend. Can you help me?

Front desk attendant: Certainly sir. What does he look like?

Guest: He is in his early thirties.

He is of average height.

He is thin.

He has a fair complexion.

He has blue eyes.

He has short, blonde hair.


50


Dialog practice

Now practice the dialogue using the following pictures. You will need to choose

appropriate expressions to describe each person.

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Describing someone

With a partner, describe someone you know well. It could be a relative, friend or a

well-known person.

Personality/character

When you are describing people, the following words can be used to describe a person‟s character.

Read these words aloud:

Friendly helpful sociable moody modest unreliable

smart quiet easygoing noisy impolite thoughtful

angry considerate stingy rude impatient kind




Adjective: Positive or negative?

Are the above adjectives positive, negative or can they be both? Write them down in the table below:

Positive Negative Both

Discuss with a partner where you placed the adjectives and why.

Matching words

Now match each of the words below with the correct definition.

stingy easygoing modest patient sociable

considerate polite reliable moody

a. someone who thinks about other people‟s feelings is…

b. someone who does not want to spend money is…

c. someone who stays calm when waiting is…

d. someone who always changes their feelings is…

e. someone who has good manners is…

f. someone you can trust is…

g. someone who enjoys the company of others is…

h. someone who does not boast is…

i. someone who is relaxed and calm is…


52


Look at these following adjectives

Friendly helpful sociable reliable skillful

smart quiet easygoing thoughtful clean

energetic talkative patient kind strong

Work in groups of four and discuss which characteristics are essential in the

following jobs:

For example:

A concierge needs to be friendly, helpful, reliable and patient:

1. A porter

2. A tour guide officer

3. A front desk assistant

4. An airport passenger service officer

5. A ticketing reservation officer

6. A food and beverage attendant

7. A travel and tourism accountant

8. An airport cargo officer

9. A room attendant

10. A cook assistant




Describing things

In English, we use the indefinite articles ‘a’ and ‘an’ and the definite article ‘the’ in

front of countable nouns.

For example:

a chair the table a restaurant the bus

We use an article when we talk about jobs.

For example:

a front desk attendant the cargo officer

a cleaner an airport passenger services officer

When an adjective is used before a noun, the article comes before the adjective.

For example:

It is a lovely day He is a polite man.

He is an experienced pilot.

We use ‘a’ for nouns that begin with a consonant and ‘an’ for nouns / adjectives

that begin with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u).

a car an orange a white egg an egg

We use ‘a’ when we are referring to an indefinite noun. We use ‘the’ when we know

which noun we are referring to.


54


For example:

A The

A cat sat on a mat.

(There are lots of cats and one of them was sitting on a mat).

The cat was happy.

(We know which cat was happy – the one on the mat).

A man was seen running from the bank.

(We are not sure which man is running from the bank)

Police later caught the man.

(We know the man who was caught by the police – the man who was running from the bank).

I read a book yesterday.

(We do not know which book).

The book was about football in England.

(We know which book – the one I read yesterday).

Activity – Gap filling

Fill in the gaps with the correct article.

1. You need ____ visa to visit Saudi Arabia.

2. ____ guest in room 714 complained that ____ bed in his room is uncomfortable.

3. Please get ____ glass from the shelf and take it to ______ man on table four.

4. If you are waiting for ____ tour to the ruins please wait in ____ foyer of ____ hotel.

5. ____ guest in room 1012 wants ____ clean towel.

6. Open ____ window, make ____ bed and vacuum ____ floor please.

7. Put ____ newspaper outside each door on ____ first floor.

8. Would you like ____ glass of water sir?

9. I‟ll book ____ taxi to take you to ____ airport.

10. ____ ticket you have is for first class.




Describing countries – adjectives

Which country is it?

Insert the correct words into the following three descriptions

You should use your dictionary to check the meanings of any words you do not know. In the final sentence of each section, write the name of the country.

largest international unusual

beautiful multicultural relaxed

1. This country is the ______________ island in the world.

Seventy-five percent of its land is desert. _________________

tourists come to see its ______________ wildlife and to enjoy

its _______________ beaches.It is _________________

country, with people from all over the world. It is famous for its

love of sport and its ______________ lifestyle. The country is

__________________.

happy delicious sandy

Thai devout hot and humid

2. The population of this ________________south-east Asian country is

about sixty-four million. Six percent of the population is Muslim.

Each year, many of its ____________ Muslims visit Saudi Arabia to

go to Mecca. The country is famous for its ___________ people and white

__________ beaches. Many people around the world enjoy

__________________, spicy ________ food. The country is

________________ .


56


Work Projects

It is a requirement of this Unit that you complete Work Projects as advised by your Trainer. You must submit documentation, suitable evidence or other relevant proof of completion of the project to your Trainer by the date agreed to.

1.1 Provide your trainer with two examples of informative texts from your workplace.

1.2. Provide your trainer with two examples of persuasive texts that you have seen from the hospitality and travel industry. This could include:

Advertising material, brochures, pamphlets

Internet

Promotions from your work

Newspaper.

1.3. Provide your trainer with three examples of instructional texts from your workplace.

1.4. Provide your trainer with three examples of descriptive texts from your workplace.




Summary

Identify the purpose of general information texts or media

There are many different types of texts and it is important to understand the purpose of a text in order to gain a good understanding of the whole text. In order to understand texts effectively you should be able to identify:

Informative, persuasive, descriptive and informational texts

Use skimming and scanning skills

Use critical reading skills to determine the credibility of a text

Remember to read the small print connected with special offers and promotions!

Being able to summarise a whole text is a necessary skill in the workplace.


58





Element 2:

Apply reading strategies

2.1 Use skimming skills to gain the gist or main

ideas of a text

Introduction

When reading a text there are many things that people do before they read the text closely. It is important to look at the text as a whole and make predictions about the content of the text before you read it. Predicting or guessing what might be in the text helps activates schemata or prepares your brain for language that it expects to see in certain kinds of text. This process is vital for understanding texts. Often, people will skim a text after they have predicted what they think will be contained in the text. Skimming helps to check your guesses and is an important step in understanding written texts.

Why we read

We read for a variety of purposes, and according to these purposes, in a variety of ways

Our purpose in reading determines the kind of meaning and the amount of meaning we look for, and hence the „reading skills‟ we use

The terms skimming, scanning, intensive reading and extensive reading (sometimes referred to as receptive reading), are used to describe different kinds of reading skills.

Fill in the column with the correct term: skimming, scanning, intensive reading,

extensive reading.

Which skill do you think the reader is using?

a. You read a poem by a poet you particularly like. You enjoy paying close attention to the poet‟s use of language.

b. You go to a library to research a particular topic. You quickly look through the books to see if they are worth borrowing.

c. You are on holiday reading the latest novel of your favourite writer. There is no pressure on you to finish it quickly.

d. Waiting for an appointment you pick up a magazine and find an article that particularly interests you. You don‟t have time to read it all but you want to extract as much information as possible in a few minutes.


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Reading strategies

There are certain strategies that we employ in reading, in order to derive meaning. Before we even begin reading we attempt to make some meaning of the text by analyzing certain features of the text: the title, the book cover, the genre (letter, newspaper article etc.). Effectively we are predicting what we think the text will be about by drawing upon previously acquired knowledge and experiences relating to these text types. Prediction is an important strategy.

Look at the texts and books below. What type of language would you expect in

each type: formal or informal? Discuss with your partner.

Difficult texts

Read the texts and decide what makes the text difficult. Match the text with the examples below.

1. The amount of previous knowledge that we have.

2. Vocabulary.

3. Don‟t share the same language.

4. Complexity of the concept or idea.




Text A

A: Pojalla on kirja.

B: Kenellä on kirja?

A: Pojalla.

B: Onko tytöllä kirja?

A: Ei. Tytöllä ei ole kirjaa.

B: Mitä tytöllä on?

A: Hänellä on kassi.

B: Mitä poika tekee?

A: än antaa kirjan tytölle. Nyt tytöllä on kirja ja kassi.

B: Antaako tyttö kassin pojalle?

Text B

In quantum mechanics with minimal length uncertainty relations the Heisenberg-Weyl algebra of

the one-dimensional harmonic oscillator is a deformed SU(1,1) algebra. The eigenvalues and

eigenstates are constructed algebraically and they form the infinite-dimensional representation

of the deformed SU(1,1) algebra. Our construction is independent of prior knowledge of the exact

solution of the Schr\"odinger equation of the model. The approach can be generalized to the

$D$-dimensional oscillator with non-commuting coordinates.

Text C

This led to his most influential contribution to metaphysics: the abandonment of the quest

to try to know the world as it is "in itself" independent of our sense experience. He

demonstrated this with a thought experiment, showing that we cannot meaningfully

conceive of an object that exists outside of time and has no spatial components and isn't

structured in accordance with the categories of the understanding, such as substance and

causality. Although we cannot conceive of such an object, Kant argues, there is no way of

showing that such an object does not exist. Therefore, Kant says, the science of

metaphysics must not attempt to broach the limits of possible experience but must discuss

only those limits, thus furthering the understanding of ourselves qua thinking beings.

Text D

A throng of bearded men, in sad-coloured garments and grey steeple-crowned hats, inter-

mixed with women, some wearing hoods, and others bareheaded, was assembled in front of a

wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought_experiment


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Skimming

Skimming is used to quickly identify the main ideas of a text. When you read the newspaper, you're probably not reading and understanding every word, instead you're skimming the text to get a general idea of what the text is about. You are also checking the predictions or guesses you have made about the text based upon where the text comes from (newspaper, academic text, magazine).

Skimming is done at a speed three to four times faster than normal reading. People often skim when they have lots of material to read in a limited amount of time.

There are many strategies that can be used when skimming. Some people read the first and last paragraphs using headings, summaries and other organizers as they move down the page or screen. You might read the title, subtitles, subheading, and illustrations. Consider reading the first sentence of each paragraph as the first sentence is often the topic sentence.

Activity

Look at the text below for 10 seconds. Then answer the questions 1 to 3.

1. Where is the text from?

2. What is the title?

3. Without reading the text, what do you think the article is about?

Read the text below quickly (1minute only) and discuss with your partner what the text is about.

What information or cues helped you to guess what the text is about? Now read the text more carefully and check if your prediction was correct.




Hawaiian Daredevil Surfer

Survives 90-Foot Wave By JOEL SIEGEL and MICHAEL MURRAY

Nov. 10, 2011—

The daredevil surfer who shattered a world record by riding a 90-foot-high wall of water says the

monster wave "just popped out of nowhere" but that he was never afraid.

"This wave was very different," Garrett McNamara said. "This one just jacked up, broke, actually

kind of barreled, and went to run me over, and somehow by the grace of God, I made it.‖

"When I rode the wave I didn't know how big it was and then it landed on me at the very end. … It

was like a ton of bricks on my shoulders and that's when I realized if I had fallen it could have

been really bad."

McNamara, 44, of Hawaii, is part of an elite fraternity of extreme surfers who travel the world

seeking gigantic waves.

He claimed the record this week while surfing off the coast of Portugal, where an underwater

canyon magnifies wave energy, producing eye-popping crests. The record wave's 90-foot height

still must be verified through videos and photos to officially eclipse the old "big wave" surfing

record of 77 feet.

Two other big wave enthusiasts with McNamara had just ridden 60-foot waves when the 90-foot

crest began forming as McNamara was being towed into position. He released the tow-line and

then began the ride of his life.

"Everything felt good about it. This wave, this abnormal-sized wave, just popped out of nowhere.

It was like it was meant to be," he said in a telephone interview from Portugal, where he is still

surfing. "I always say it's not how big the wave is, it's how you ride it. Once it gets to a certain

size, there's so much water moving you could easily end up having that be your last ride."

McNamara described the sensation as like skiing on the steepest, iciest trail on a big mountain "and

then all of a sudden this avalanche starts coming after you and you're turning to get away from the

avalanche but you're actually staying as close as you can to it."

He added, "The scariest part is when you are coming down the wave and there is all this water

coming on the wave and your feet are coming out of the straps."

McNamara's website says that in the past 10 years he has been "on a mission to catch the biggest,

best waves on the planet."


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The site describes big-wave riding as reaching "new heights of popularity" but that no other rider

"can surpass McNamara's combination of talent, courage and thirst for the unknown."

In the telephone interview, McNamara said a lot of careful planning goes into riding big waves. "I

set up ahead of time … I run through it in my mind over and over. I check through all the safety

precautions," he said.

Still, McNamara said that once he's riding that moving mountain of water "100 percent instinct"

takes over, "surfing with heart."

"It's a very thought out, well-planned mission but once you get in the water and you're at the spot

there's always the unknown and you just have to deal with it as it comes," he said.

"Half the people think I'm out of my mind … and half are just – I think they all think I'm crazy,

actually."

Activity

Summarise the article in as few words as possible. Use dot/bullet points, if you like.

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________




2.2 Use scanning skills to locate specific

information in a text

Introduction

Skimming is used to quickly develop a general overview of a text or to get the gist of a text. Scanning is used to identify specific information such as dates, numbers, times, names and various other information. Scanning is often used to answer questions such as check-in time for a particular booking or checking an order for how a steak was to be cooked. If you are scanning, you may use a contents page or index to locate a page number or range where you can find specific information.

Scanning

When you are reading for information, you don‟t need to read all of the words. You scan the text to find the information that you are looking for.

Read the following two advertisements and answer the questions

Look through the advertisements as quickly as you can.

Super sand adventures! Experience the thrills and spills of dune bashing in the sandy wilderness of the desert.

Feel your adrenalin rising, as you drive your 4 x 4 across 20 meter high sand hills.

Call Quicksand Travel Group on 457

890 567 to book your expedition to the Empty Quarter today!


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Dromedary Safari

Company

Do you enjoy a challenge?

Then look no further! This camel safari is for you!

Experience a four day trek across the desert

landscape on camel back.

Watch the sun set and camp under the stars.

Enjoy a traditional Bedouin dinner each night.

August 9th –August 13th.

Don’t miss out! Call 468 989 000 for your experience of a life time.

Questions

1. What is the name of the sport in the first advertisement?

_______________________________________________________________________

2. What kind of vehicle is used in this sport?

_______________________________________________________________________

3. How high are some of the sand dunes in the Empty Quarter?

_______________________________________________________________________

4. When is the camel safari?

_______________________________________________________________________

5. What is the name of the camel safari company?

_______________________________________________________________________




Now read the information below about the facilities in two hotels

The Majestic Seaside Hotel

The most luxurious hotel in the country!

540 large rooms, all with ensuite bathrooms

fully equipped rooms, all with high speed internet access, air-conditioning, satellite television, hairdryer, and refrigerator

4 top international restaurants, open 24 hours a day

6 grass tennis courts

a challenging nine-hole golf course

top quality gymnasium

Olympic size swimming pool

excellent horse riding facilities

5 huge conference rooms, fitted with interactive computer technology

free parking

superbly located, only 5 minutes walk to a magnificent beach.

The Star Hotel

You will be treated like a star at this hotel!

400 rooms

air conditioned suites

wonderful balcony views of the beach from every room

3 first class restaurants, including our famous seafood bistro

full laundry service, including washing and pressing

sparkling swimming pool and spa

only 10 minutes walk to a sandy beach.


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Match the following questions with the answers from the box below:

Answers:

five minutes seafood four beach view

Olympic size ten minutes

Questions:

1. How many restaurants are there at the Majestic Seaside Hotel?

_______________________________________________________________________

2. How far is the Majestic Seaside hotel from the beach?

_______________________________________________________________________

3. What size is the swimming pool at the Majestic Seaside Hotel?

_______________________________________________________________________

4. What kind of bistro is there at the Star Hotel?

_______________________________________________________________________

5. What view can you see from the balconies of the Star Hotel?

_______________________________________________________________________

6. How far is the Star Hotel from the beach?

_______________________________________________________________________

Write down three more questions about the two hotels. Then ask another trainee to

scan the two advertisements for the answers.

1. __________________________________________________________

2. __________________________________________________________

3. __________________________________________________________




Restaurant review

Read through the following restaurant review, then answer the questions that

follow.

Famous Nobu restaurant coming to Jeddah! A top international sushi restaurant is set to open its doors in town. You will be treated to delicately flavored food, including shrimp tempura in a creamy sauce and squid pasta. Other mouth watering dishes will include black cod fish with miso and fresh salmon sashimi, specially prepared by a world famous Japanese chef.

Nobu is famous for its excellent service. The well dressed staff will serve your every need. Even though the dishes can be expensive and may cost you over 200 a person, it is well worth it.

I thoroughly recommend this wonderful dining experience.

Are the following statements true or false? True or False

1. Nobu is a top sushi restaurant. ___________

2. One of the dishes that Nobu restaurant is famous for is the squid pasta?

___________

3. The restaurant reviewer doesn‟t like the food at Nobu restaurant. ___________

4. The staff were not helpful. ___________

J. SHIRAD Restaurant reviewer


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Work Projects


2.1 Bring any text to class and explain the gist of the text to your trainer and circle or highlight the important information in the text. This could include:

Names, dates, times, places




Summary

Apply reading strategies

Reading a whole text in a foreign language is a challenging skill and often takes time. Being able to search a text quickly to get a general understanding of the text is important and being able to identify key information is a necessary skill. You should be able to:

Use skimming skills to gain the gist or main ideas of a text

Use scanning skills to locate specific information in a text.


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Element 3:

Apply critical reading skills

3.1 Analyze and identify bias and exaggeration in

a written text

Introduction

Not everything you read is true! It is in human nature to make things better or worse than they really are and this is especially true with advertising and selling. It is an important skill to be able to identify bias and exaggeration in a written text so you can make a realistic decision or avoid being negatively influenced by a text. There are words and phrases that can often signal that information might be misleading and it is always good to check any „facts‟ that a piece of writing claims as true.

Bias and exaggeration

Bias = A judgement based on a personal point of view.

Exaggeration = To make an overstatement or to stretch the truth.

Activity

Look at the texts below. Which one is an example of bias and

which one is an example of exaggeration? Discuss your answer with your partner.

William Wallace – The Brave

William Wallace was a famous Scottish knight from the 13th Century. He was over 10ft tall and stronger than a lion. His hands were as big as boulders and he could kill 100 men with one hand tied behind his back. He could drink 10 litres of beer for breakfast and eat a whole deer by himself.

Climate Change is a Joke!

Rising temperatures, floods, tsunamis and hurricanes are not increasing according to Bill Smith, the CEO of Petro Industries. He believes that all of the scientific data and research being conducted about climate change are lies and that oil-based industries are safe and good for the environment.

Petro Industries made a 400% profit last year and Bill Smith received millions in bonuses from oil sales.


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Useful language

Some persuasion is intended to be biased. A writer‟s point of view shows his or her bias, or preference on the basis of feelings and attitudes. Some examples of where you may find bias and exaggeration are:

Newspapers

Editorials

Advertisements in print, TV and the internet

Magazines

Political writings

Brochures selling something.

When reading texts it is important to identify any possible bias or exaggeration. It is important to think about why the author has written the text and what are they trying to achieve. Certain expressions and language can signal bias and exaggeration, such as:

Modals – you must, you have to

Absolutes – the only, no other, never before, always, once in a lifetime, last

Superlatives – the best, the greatest, the biggest, the cheapest, the oldest, the fastest

Strong adjectives – amazing, incredible, fantastic, awesome, special.

Activity

Look at the advertisement below. Do you believe the information?

Need a glue that will never let you

down? Then try Gluey Glue, the

strongest glue in the universe. Able to

hold an elephant on the ceiling for 1

year, Gluey Glue cannot be beaten for

strength. Buy it now!




Text

Read the article below and discuss the questions in small groups.

1. Do you agree with the information?

2. Is the information exaggerated?

3. How do you know?

Chocolate Is Good for You!

It is official: Chocolate is good for you! People all over the world have been waiting to hear these five simple words. Chocolate lovers can now enjoy a piece of chocolate without guilt.

Dark chocolate has large amounts of antioxidants. These are chemicals that help your body stay healthy. This delicious treat also has substances that help keep your cholesterol levels down. Lowering cholesterol levels helps to keep your blood flowing well.

There is evidence that eating 100 grams of dark chocolate per day can lower your blood pressure. This will help to reduce your risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Not only is chocolate good for your body, it makes you feel good. Chemicals in your brain that are produced when you eat chocolate make you feel happier.

Chocolate lovers can rejoice, knowing that eating chocolate is doing good things for them!

What This Article Doesn’t Tell You

While chocolate does have some benefits, it also has some risks:

Chocolate is high in calories

Eating too much chocolate can cause weight gain

Usually, chocolate contains lots of sugar. Too much sugar is not good for you

The sugar in chocolate can cause mood swings and tooth decay.

Chocolate does have some good qualities, but it should be eaten only once in a while and in small amounts.


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3.2 Read the small print in written text to

determine conditions which may apply to

special offers

Introduction

There is a saying in English „If it is too good to be true, it probably is!‟ Advertising is an integral part of everyday life and special offers are commonplace but they are not always that special. It is important to read the small print to identify if a special offer is really that special. Sometimes, a special offer can end up being the opposite and costing you time and/or money. Be careful and read before you buy or sign!

Mouse print

“Mouse print” is the fine print in advertising, in a contract, or on a product label, often buried out of easy sight. In the worst cases, the mouse print changes the meaning of, or contradicts the primary claims or promises being made. Sometimes, the catch is not even disclosed. In other cases, the fine print is merely an unexpected surprise for the reader. Fine print is not inherently illegal but it can cause a lot of pain and cost to the person who does not read it.

Where you see an * after some words, this means you need to read the small print and that what the special offer suggests, may actually have a lot of catches or clauses.

Below is an example of fine print or „mose print‟. Discuss the following questions with your partner.

What is the product being sold?

What does the fine print describe?

Have you seen small print like this before?




Fine print trouble – Example

Read the story below about fine print problems.

What happened to Tony? Discuss with your partner.

Read the fine print!

Riding the wave of two popular TV programs about auctioning off the contents of

unclaimed storage lockers (―Storage Wars‖ and ―Auction Hunters‖), Tony P. recently

found himself in a storage war of his own.

Back in 2004, Tony stored nearly 40 years of household goods in a five-foot by 10-foot

storage room in New York. He paid about $125 a month to the storage company, now

known as Storage Deluxe, LLC. To make sure he didn’t forget a payment, and risk having

his goods auctioned off as they do on these TV shows, he had his credit card automatically

charged every month.

In August 2009, Tony went to the storage facility and tried to get into his locker. To his

horror, he discovered that all his stuff had been removed, and either sold or discarded.

When he confronted the company, they said ―someone‖ had come in during December

2008, and had signed a form closing down the unit. The signature was not Tony’s and it

appears that this mystery person never unloaded the locker, but rather the company did,

without any notification to Tony. All his stuff was gone.

Tony went to court, suing the storage company for some $80,000 in losses, $21,000 of

which he could document with receipts, claiming breach of contract, gross negligence, and

violation of New York’s storage law. The judge issued his decision just a couple of weeks

ago, ruling mostly against Tony, and relying on fine print in the original contract:

*MOUSE PRINT:

The judge took this clause to mean that the storage facility was only liable for up to $5000

since the renter was not allowed to store anything of greater value in the locker without

permission. And since the minimum amount his court had jurisdiction over was $15,000,

the judge kicked the case back to a lower district court.


78


Activity

Read the fine print examples below. What are the issues in each one?

1.

2.




3.

4.

5.


80


6.

7.

8.

Unlimited Local & LD Plans are capped at 10,000 minutes per month.

Unlimited Text Messaging is capped at 30,000 per month.

Unlimited MMS, Internet & Data is capped at 5 Gig




3.3 Evaluate the accuracy of written texts

Introduction

You shouldn‟t believe everything you read! Often, when something is written down, it is thought of as a fact. It is important that you check the accuracy of a written text especially nowadays when the internet has become such a big part of everyday life. There are some simple steps that you can do to check the accuracy of what you are reading. This is extremely important when reading from the internet as anyone can publish information on the web!

Checking the accuracy of a text

There are many different types of text that we encounter each day. It is important that you are able to determine if a written text is credible or not. There are different types of print and you should evaluate the accuracy of each text by using some simple strategies. These include:

Books

Look for distinguished and recognised publishers such as Macmillan, Oxford University Press or Cambridge University Press

Check the author‟s background or qualifications (PhD, MD, industry relevant experience, piublished before, peer comments).

Magazines

Look for reputable magazines that are well known (National Geographic, Time, Esquire)

Be wary of magazines that you have never heard of or are not presented well

If there are a lot of grammar mistakes and spelling mistakes, it may not be a reputable magazine

The type of magazine is important. A gossip or popular culture magazine may not be as credible as a magazine published by a newspaper, for example.

Newspapers

Check where the source came from. For example, Reuters, Associated Press, ABC, BBC, Al Jazeera are more reputable than other outlets because they check the source of information (often after the event so long running stories are usually more factual)

Does the article provide more than one point of view? If the article only provides one argument then there may be bias from the reporter or media outlet.

Advertising material

Brochures, pamphlets, flyers, billboards are marketing materials that are usually trying to sell you something or persuade you to do something. Be aware of this!

Read the fine print!


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Websites and the Internet

Check more than one site do evaluate information

Is the website copyrighted?

Is the website up to date?

Is the website presented well?

Are there a lot of grammar and spelling mistakes?

Is the information presented a one-sided argument or is there bias and exaggeration in the text?

Is the author qualified and recognized in their field?

Check what other people or sites say about the site you are checking.

Activity

Look at the examples below. In pairs, discuss which ones you trust more and why?




3.4 Synthesize what is read by demonstrating

comprehension of the whole text

Introduction

Being able to summarise a set of instructions or a whole text is a challenging skill in a foreign language but it is important. Explaining in your own words an entire text shows that you understand the text and paraphrasing and summarising are important skills in the workplace. Synthesising a text means being able to combine certain elements of a text into a whole.

Summarising texts

Michael Watson has returned to Australia after a successful conference and an enjoyable short holiday abroad. He is now back at work and has written a report about the conference which he needs to present to his manager.

In your future studies, or in your work, you may be required to write a report.

Word match

Here are some words selected from Michael‟s report. In small groups, match the words on the left with the correct definitions on the right. Use your dictionary to help you. Write your answers in the spaces provided. The first one has been done for you.

1. drought a) an answer to a problem

2, reserves b) a long period of time without rain

3. all-time low c) to supply water to an area of land to help grass /

plants grow.

4. restrictions d) an instrument that tells you information

5. excessive e) knowledge or equipment needed to do

something

6. solution f) water in tiny drops

7. recommendation g) guess based on knowledge

8. technology h) laws that limit what people can use or do

9. moisture i) a suggestion to do something which will be good

for the future

10. sensor j) something kept for use later


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11. estimate k) the least amount of something in recorded

history

12. irrigation l) too much

13. evaporation m) a change from liquid to vapor

14. install n) to put a new piece of equipment into place and

make it ready to use

15. benefit o) something that has a good effect

1. B 2. _____ 3. _____ 4. ______ 5. ______

6. _______

7. ______ 8. _____ 9. _____ 10. ______ 11. ______

12. _______

13. ______ 14. _____ 15. _____




Read Michael’s report to his manager

A Report on the Conference

Golf Courses for the Twenty-First Century

International Exhibition and Convention Center Antofogasta, France

Michael Watson

____________________________________________________

Introduction

Many countries are experiencing severe drought conditions and water

reserves are at an all-time low. Water restrictions in Australia have been

in force for many years. It is very important that we do not waste water.

Golf courses use a lot of water. A recent survey has shown that sixty-two

percent of golf courses in Australia use excessive amounts of water. The

managers of golf courses are looking for new ways to save water. Their

challenge is to keep golf courses green by using as little water as possible.

The Aim of the report

The conference looked at the problems of maintaining golf courses in countries

where water is limited.

This report will discuss the solutions offered during the conference and make

recommendations for reducing the amount of water used on golf courses in

Australia.

Main body

Five experts spoke at the conference about the establishment and

maintenance of golf courses in areas where there is little water. The speaker

from Spain, where new technology has been used for many years, said that

Spanish golf courses now use fifty percent less water compared with ten years

ago. Speakers from Australia and the Middle East spoke about using

computers to control the amount of water being used. Experts from Saudi

Arabia and America spoke about the problems faced in establishing golf

courses in very dry areas.


86


The following ideas were suggested and could be used.

The first suggestion is to use soil moisture sensors around golf courses to

measure how much moisture is in the soil. If golf course attendants know how

much water is in the soil, they will only need to water the dry parts of the golf

course. Experts estimate that using soil moisture sensors could save each

golf course two thousand liters of water per day.

The second suggestion is to stop using above ground irrigation sprays. This

is because too much water is lost through evaporation. Some experts believe

that in very hot climates, as much as sixty-five percent of the water used by

irrigation sprays is lost through evaporation. The suggestion is to use

underground pipes to deliver water to the needed areas through a drip

system. This system would use less water, but would still keep golf courses in

good condition.

Conclusion

It is possible, by changing the way we water golf courses, to keep them in

good condition and save water.

Recommendations

I recommend that we begin a program of installing soil moisture sensors so

that we do not waste water on areas of golf courses that do not need it. I also

recommend that we begin replacing above ground irrigation systems with

underground pipes which drip feed water to the most needed areas. These

changes will be expensive at first, but will be of great benefit in the future.

Answer the following questions about Michael’s report

1. Where was the conference held? (place and city)

____________________________________________________________________

2. What was the name of the conference?

____________________________________________________________________

3. What problem does Australia have?

____________________________________________________________________

4. What do golf course managers want to do?

____________________________________________________________________




5. How many suggestions did Michael offer in his report?

____________________________________________________________________

6. What percentage of golf courses in Australia use excessive amounts of water?

____________________________________________________________________

7. How many experts spoke at the conference?

____________________________________________________________________

8. Compared to ten years ago, Spanish golf courses are using how much less water?

____________________________________________________________________

9. How many litres of water will be saved each day by installing soil moisture sensors?

____________________________________________________________________

10. What percentage of water do experts believe is being lost through evaporation?

____________________________________________________________________

Note taking

Sometimes we are given information or instructions which we need to write down as notes. These notes are called essential details. Note taking is an important skill to learn when gathering information for a report.

What are essential details?

Essential details are:

Dates

Times

People

Places

Important events

Contact details (address, email address, telephone number, fax number).

Read the following paragraph

Your airplane will land at the airport at eight-thirty in the morning. You will disembark and pass through customs and immigration by nine forty-five. Once you have entered the arrivals lounge, you will be met by the hotel‟s driver. He will be holding a placard with your name written on it. You will travel to the hotel by car. It should only take forty minutes to get to your hotel from the airport. When you arrive, you will check-in at the front desk. The porter will take your luggage up to your room. You have one hour to freshen up before the business meeting begins.


88


The essential details of this paragraph are:

Airplane lands – 8.30

Leave customs and immigration – 9.45

Meet hotel‟s driver – arrivals lounge

Airport to hotel – 40 minutes

Check in – front desk

Meeting – one hour later.

Note the details

In pairs, read the following passage and make notes about essential details in the spaces provided.

On Friday 17th May, your tour bus will arrive in front of your hotel at eight-thirty in the morning. The bus will depart promptly from your hotel at eight forty-five. Do not be late or the bus will leave without you. It will take approximately forty-five minutes for your bus to arrive at the Lost Paradise theme park. Upon arrival, your tour guide officer will give you your tickets, which you must hand to the awaiting ticketing attendant at the gates to the park. If you lose these tickets, you will not be issued with another, so be careful with them. Once you have entered the park, proceed to the main square, where your tour group will be given details of meeting points and times by your tour guide officer.

Essential details

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Activity – Report project

In groups of 3, write a summary report on the information technology competence

(ability) of your classmates.

You have to investigate any three of the following:

What electronic equipment do your classmates have in their homes?

How often do they use them?

How confident do they feel using them?

How skilled are they at using them?

Do they think they are skilled enough to use them in their future job?




These are the types of questions you could in ask in your survey:

How confident are you at using the programs on your computer?

Do you read a manual before you start using a new piece of technology?

Does new technology make you nervous?

How many times a week would you use a computer?

Where would you usually use a computer?

At home

At a friend‟s place

At school

Other

Could you confidently use a computer in a job today?

Each group designs a survey to ask the rest of the class. Below is a model of a

survey:

Topic: Do you feel confident in using pieces of technology?

Questions very

confident

fairly

confident

confident not very

confident

nervous

1. Ipad

2. Blackberry

3. CD player

4. Cell phone

5. Laptop computer

6. Desktop computer

7. DVD player

8. Video camera


90


It is now time for you to decide what you are going to do your survey on.

1. Design your questionnaires (survey).

2. Carry out the survey – ask every member of your class.

3. Work out the results of the survey (conclusion).

4. Write a complete description of your survey using full sentences and paragraphs.

5. Then write a summary of your findings which only uses main points and examples.




Work Projects


3.1 Bring two examples of texts that show bias and exaggeration. Describe the main points to your trainer.

3.2. Provide your trainer with three examples of terms and conditions from your workplace relating to special offers.

3.3. Provide your trainer with two examples of texts with incorrect information or facts from your workplace. These could be from promotional material, the internet or internal documents relating to policies or procedures.

3.4. Provide your trainer with three summaries of written texts from your workplace that show you understand the whole text.


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Summary

Apply critical reading skills

You should never believe everything you read. Being able to apply critical reading skills is important and can save you time and money. With the prevalence of the internet in the workplace, you need to be able to determine if a text is credible or not. You need to be able to:

analyse and identify bias

read and understand small print which may relate to terms and conditions

evaluate the accuracy of written texts

synthesise a whole text by summarising and paraphrasing the main points.

Presentation of written work




1. Introduction

It is important for students to present carefully prepared written work. Written presentation in industry must be professional in appearance and accurate in content. If students develop good writing skills whilst studying, they are able to easily transfer those skills to the workplace.

2. Style

Students should write in a style that is simple and concise. Short sentences and paragraphs are easier to read and understand. It helps to write a plan and at least one draft of the written work so that the final product will be well organized. The points presented will then follow a logical sequence and be relevant. Students should frequently refer to the question asked, to keep „on track‟. Teachers recognize and are critical of work that does not answer the question, or is „padded‟ with irrelevant material. In summary, remember to:

Plan ahead

Be clear and concise

Answer the question

Proofread the final draft.

3. Presenting Written Work

Types of written work

Students may be asked to write:

Short and long reports

Essays

Records of interviews

Questionnaires

Business letters

Resumes.

Format

All written work should be presented on A4 paper, single-sided with a left-hand margin. If work is word-processed, one-and-a-half or double spacing should be used. Handwritten work must be legible and should also be well spaced to allow for ease of reading. New paragraphs should not be indented but should be separated by a space. Pages must be numbered. If headings are also to be numbered, students should use a logical and sequential system of numbering.


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Cover Sheet

All written work should be submitted with a cover sheet stapled to the front that contains:

The student‟s name and student number

The name of the class/unit

The due date of the work

The title of the work

The teacher‟s name

A signed declaration that the work does not involve plagiarism.

Keeping a Copy

Students must keep a copy of the written work in case it is lost. This rarely happens but it can be disastrous if a copy has not been kept.

Inclusive language

This means language that includes every section of the population. For instance, if a student were to write „A nurse is responsible for the patient‟s in her care at all times‟ it would be implying that all nurses are female and would be excluding male nurses.

Examples of appropriate language are shown on the right:

Mankind Humankind

Barman/maid Bar attendant

Host/hostess Host

Waiter/waitress Waiter or waiting staff

Recommended reading



Recommended reading

Parkinson, D., 2002, Really Learn 100 Phrasal Verbs, OUP, UK

Swan. M. & Walter. C, 2009, Oxford English Grammar Course – Basic, OUP, UK

Underhill, A., 2005, Sound Foundations: Learning and Teaching pronunciation, Macmillan, UK

Websites and online learning

Clearinghouse of ESL Lesson Plans and Resource www.csun.edu/~hcedu013/eslplans.html

Dave‟s ESL café www.eslcafe.com/

Delta‟s ESL Links www.delta-systems.com/links.cfm

English as a Second Language www.rong-chang.com/

English Club.com www.englishclub.com/index.htm

Grammar Safari www.iei.uiuc.edu/web.pages/grammarsafari.html

Mark‟s ESL World www.marksesl.com/main_page.html

Online Writing Lab www.owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/

One stop english www.onestopenglish.com

http://www.csun.edu/~hcedu013/eslplans.html

http://www.eslcafe.com/

http://www.delta-systems.com/links.cfm

http://www.rong-chang.com/

http://www.englishclub.com/index.htm

http://www.iei.uiuc.edu/web.pages/grammarsafari.html

http://www.marksesl.com/main_page.html

http://www.owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/esl/

http://www.onestopenglish.com/

Recommended reading

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Trainee evaluation sheet





The following statements are about the competency you have just completed.

Please tick the appropriate box Agree Don’t

Know

Do Not

Agree

Does Not

Apply

There was too much in this competency to cover without rushing.

Most of the competency seemed relevant to me.

The competency was at the right level for me.

I got enough help from my trainer.

The amount of activities was sufficient.

The competency allowed me to use my own initiative.

My training was well-organized.

My trainer had time to answer my questions.

I understood how I was going to be assessed.

I was given enough time to practice.

My trainer feedback was useful.

Enough equipment was available and it worked well.

The activities were too hard for me.


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5. The best things about this unit were:

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

6. The worst things about this unit were:

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

7. The things you should change in this unit are:

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

Documents

D1.LAN.CL10.08 D1.LAN.CL10.09 Trainee Manual - …...standard expected by employers. CBT seeks to develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes (or recognise the ones the trainee already