Speak Up no.336 Professional English

16 PAGES OF LANGUAGE PRACTICE Professional English

A SERIES OF PODCASTS TO IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH FOR YOUR CAREER IN THE WORKPLACE!Exercises by Pamela Linwood

1. Listen and decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F).1. Mike asks Gavin for his version of how the dispute started.2. Gavin has been working on a special project for the past six months. 3. Gavin and Craig accuse each other of being unfriendly.4. Gavin doesnt think his colleagues are dynamic enough.5. Mike wants to hear Gavins and Craigs opinions of each other.6. Craig wanted to make some changes, but Gavin was opposed to them.7. Mike says its more a problem of job descriptions than of personalities.8. He says they need to review everyones roles and responsibilities.

2. Complete the second sentence with 2 to 4 words so that it means the same as the first sentence.Example: I realise that you have had some problems recently.I realise that there have been some problems between you recently.1. Id like to try and solve them right now.Id like to try and sort ____________________ right now.2. Why has this problem arisen now?Can you tell me why ________________________________________ now?3. I always feel as if Im unwelcome here.Ive ________________________________ as if Im welcome here.4. All the other people here seem half asleep.________________ ________________ seems half asleep.5. I could see that we needed to make some changes here.I could see that ________________________________________________ making here.6. Can we just avoid personal comments?Can we just keep ________________________________ personal comments?

3. Complete this summary of the conversation using the correct form of the following reporting verbs. (Sometimes there is more than one answer.)accuse agree ask claim complain deny explain suggestMike wanted to try and sort out the problems between Gavin and Craig. He started by 1__________________ how the dispute had arisen. Gavin 2__________________ that Craig had tried to block his progress on the special project but Craig strongly 3__________________ it. Gavin went on to 4__________________ Craig and the others of being unfriendly and not wanting to make any changes.Craig, in turn, 5__________________ that Gavin didnt respect the limits of his job description and that he had tried to change the way everyone else worked. Gavin tried to 6__________________ that this was unavoidable as his project involved everyone else and the way they worked. At this point, Gavin and Craig both 7___________________________ with Mark that personality issues were crucial to the problem, so Mark 8___________________________ reviewing everyones roles and responsibilities and trying to come to some agreement.

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TRACK 9THE SPEAKERS B1/B2 INTERMEDIATE

PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH

MANAGING CONFLICTListen to some people trying to resolve a dispute at work with the help of Mike, a mediator.

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ANSWERS1. T 2. F He has been working on it for a year. 3. T 4. T 5. F He wants them to stick to facts rather than opinions. 6. F Gavin wanted to make some changes. 7. F He says personality issues are more important. 8. T2. 1. them out 2. this problem has arisen 3. never felt 4. Everyone/Everybody else here 5. some changes needed 6. away from3. 1. asking 2. claimed/complained/explained 3. denied 4. accuse 5. complained/claimed 6. ex-plain 7. agreed 8. suggested

He came in here for a one-year project, but has then tried to change the way everyone else works as wellMike: Gavin? Can you respond to that?Gavin: Well, my project involved everyone else! It was impossible to do what I had to do without getting other people to rethink the way they work.Mike: OK, I think that personality issues are crucial here.Gavin/Craig: Right! Absolutely!Mike: Personality issues are the most diffi cult things to change. Perhaps well never be able resolve them. You are different people with different personalities and dif-ferent ways of working.Gavin: And so?Mike: Well, that doesnt mean the problem cant be solved. We have to be fl exible, accept change and be tolerant of difference.Craig: Easy to say!!Mike: Well, yes, it is easy to say but diffi cult to do! I dont deny that. However, what we need to do is review your project, and look at everyones roles and responsi-bilities in the project and in this organisation as a whole. If everyone sticks to and respects other peoples roles and responsibilities, then we can at least settle on a good, constructive working atmosphere.

AUDIOSCRIPTMike (Mild Northern English accent): OK, Craig and Gavin, I realise that there have been some problems between you recently, and Id like to try and sort them out right now. Gavin, can you tell me why you think this problem has arisen now?Gavin: Youre asking me!? I really have no idea. I mean I came into this job a year ago with a special project to do I had a very positive attitude, I was excited about it, and Craigs just blocked me all alongCraig (Welsh accent): Well, thats not fair at all, thats just not true!Mike: OK, OK, one second. Can everyone speak one at a time, please! Gavin, go onGavin: Well, thats about it, really. Ive never felt as if Ive been welcomed here. I mean, when I walk in to the of-fi ce, the others dont even say hello to meCraig: Thats just not true!!! Its you who doesnt say hello!!Mike: Craig, please! Gavin, can you tell me why you think this situation may have arisen?Gavin: Well, as I said, Ive really no idea. Perhaps its just my style Im very positive, energetic and outgoing, while everyone else here seems to be half-asleepMike: Erm, listen, I dont think that personal, judgmen-tal comments like that help. Can we just stick to facts, rather than opinions?Gavin: Ok, well, I could see right away that some chang-es needed making here, so I set about making those changesMike: And was that part of your job description?Gavin: Job description! Job description! Thats all I ever hear round here, thats the problem with this place, theres no initiative, no energyMike: Hmm, OK, Craig, would you like to tell us what you feel the problem is?Craig: Well, I think its quite clear, isnt it? Him! Thats it!Mike: OK, as I said, can we keep away from personal comments here, and stick to talking about the work-place?Craig: Well, I am talking about the workplace! He doesnt respect the limits of what hes supposed to do.

FOR MORE EXERCISES ON THIS PODCAST, PLEASE VISIThttp://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/professionals-podcasts

1. As you listen, number the topics in the order in which you hear them.a. The importance of the support of family and friends.

b. Steves attitude to medication.

c. How Steve realised his problem was serious.

d. The benefits of meditation.

e. Pams new book.

f. The difference between stress and burnout.

2. Listen again and choose the correct answer: A, B or C.1. Pams book is about

A. stress. B. burnout. C. these and other work-related health problems.

2. Steve got better by

A. going to Pams clinic. B. reading Pams book. C. attending lessons.

3. Pam says that

A. burnout and stress are a bit different. B. stress can lead to burnout. C. burnout is like drowning.

4. Steve describes his usual character as

A. optimistic. B. a bit cynical. C. subject to depression.

5. Pam says anti-depressants

A. arent effective. B. arent as good as they used to be C. werent necessary in Steves case.

6. Meditation can help patients to recover because

A. it has a calming effect. B. it takes you away from the outside world. C. it does both of these things.

3. Complete the second sentence with 2 to 4 words so that it means the same as the first sentence.Example: I was a case study for Pam.

Pam used me as a case study.

1. Steve was suffering from burnout in a serious way.

Steve had a ________________________________ of burnout.

2. Could you define burnout for us?

Could you tell us what ________________________________ ?

3. Anti-depressants used to be different.

Anti-depressants arent the same ________________________________ be.

4. Steve felt quite strongly about it.

It was something Steve ________________________________ .

5. I dont even take aspirin if I dont have to.

I dont even take aspirin unless ________________________________ .

6. Its years since I felt so good.

I ________________________________ so good for years.

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WORK BURNOUTListen to the guests on a radio chat show talking about work-related stress and burnout.

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ANSWERS1. 1. e 2. f 3. c 4. a 5. b 6. d2. 1. C 2. A 3. B 4. A 5. C 6. C3. 1. serious case 2. burnout (actually) is 3. as they used to 4. felt quite strongly about 5. I have to6. I havent felt

with the doctor. He was helpful and referred me to Pam.Pam: But Steve was lucky to have the support of his family and friends. Its diffi cult to get better on your own. Its important to do normal things, exercise, so-cialise, go for a walk, meet a friend for a coffeeHost: And did Steve need medication?Steve: No.Pam: We decided to try with everything else fi rst medi-cation can be effective, anti-depressants arent the same these days as they used to be, but Steve got better without any. In fact it was something he felt quite strongly about.Steve: I dont even like taking an aspirin, unless I really have to so I think I made a real effort to listen to Pam and do the things she suggested. I even started meditating!Host: Meditating?Pam: Yes, it can really help. It calms the mind and helps to shut out the worlds distractions.Host: And how are you now, Steve?Steve: I feel great. Better than I have for years!Host: Well, Im glad to hear it .. now lets talk a bit about the more general picture (fade out)

AUDOSCRIPTHost: Id like to thank you both for coming along to-day. Pam, this is your new book, Taking the Blues out of Work - How to Deal with Work-related Health Problems. Pam: Yes.Host: And Steve, youve just recovered from work burnout one of the most serious and common - work related problems yes?Steve: Yes, thats right. Im in the book! Pam used me as a case study.Pam: Yes, Steve came along to my clinic for help. He had a serious case of burnout. He followed a course of therapy and Steve: and she helped me to get my health back again.Host: Well, thats great. Its good to hear theres a happy ending. Pam, could you tell us what work burn-out actually is? Arent we just talking about stress here? Is there a difference?Pam: Yes! There is a difference. A very big differ-ence. But thats a good question because most peo-ple make the mistake of thinking that burnout is just another word for stress so Ill start with that. Eve-ryone understands stress. We live in a world where stress is part of our everyday lives. Burnout can be the result of too much stress, but it isnt the same thing. I once heard somebody say that if stress is like drowning in an overload of work, burnout is more like being all dried up. With stress we lose our energy, with burnout we lose much more our motivation, our hope and one very important difference be-tween stress and burnout is that we know when we are stressed, but we dont usually realise we are suf-fering from burnout Host until its too late.Pam: Exactly.Host: Steve, how did you know that your problem was more serious than just being stressed?Steve: Well, I didnt realise myself. Other people real-ised fi rst. I changed my behaviour and started feeling really negative and cynical about everything. That wasnt me at all. Ive always been a happy-go-lucky sort of bloke. It got to the point where I felt so hope-less and depressed that I couldnt even face getting up in the morning. My wife made me an appointment


1. As you listen, number the parts of the conversation in the correct order.a. Jenny describes some of the negative aspects of line management.b. The presenter asks Jenny how she gets on with her staff.c. Jenny describes what she likes about her job.d. The presenter introduces the second part of the programme. e. The presenter asks Jenny how she came to be in her present position.

2. Listen again and choose the correct answer: A, B or C.1. How many people does Jenny have working under her?A. 5 B. 15 C. 502. How long has Jenny worked for the firm?A. Since she left university. B. for a year or so. C. She doesnt say.3. What does Jenny say you have to do when managing people?A. Make people respect you. B. Be prepared to be unpopular at times. C. Avoid being the one to bring bad news.4. What, according to Jenny, is the hardest aspect of the job?A. Making sure people understand their responsibilities. B. Getting people to agree to the rules. C. Dealing with matters of discipline.5. What does Jenny like about her work?A. Encouraging people to develop new skills and further their careers. B. Involving staff in the development of new products. C. Helping to find alternative jobs for dissatisfied employees.6. What does she say about the role of planning in her job?A. She avoids making plans because every day brings a different challenge. B. Every possible situation has to be foreseen and planned for. C. Plans have to be made but she has to be ready to face different problems every day.

3. Fill the gaps in the sentences by choosing one of the words in brackets.1. I dont like my job very much but Ive decided to stick ________________ (to/on/at) it because the salarys very good.2. Starting a different job usually presents you with a whole new ________________ (pack/set/group) of challenges.3. Sandra prides herself ________________ (at/of/on ) her organising skills.4. In his new management position, Richard is responsible ________________ (for/of/with) a staff of 35 people.5. The standard of Toms work isnt high enough. If he doesnt shape ________________ (off/over/up), well have to replace him.6. In this talk, Id like to focus ________________ (to/on/at) the positive aspects of the present situation.7. Before allowing us to start work in the factory, the safety officer ________________ (took/brought/sent) us through all the safety procedures.8. If we say someone has a ________________ (deep/thick/strong) skin, we mean they dont care if other people criticise them.

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LINE MANAGEMENTListen to part of a radio programme in which a manager, Jenny Buxton, is being interviewed about her job.

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ANSWERS1. 1. d 2. e 3. b 4. a 5. c2. 1. B 2. C 3. B 4. C 5. A 6. C3. 1. at 2. set 3. on 4. for 5. up 6. on 7. took 8. thick

they dont like what you had to say on a particular subject, or the way you acted.Presenter: Are there other aspects of line managing that you fi nd diffi cult?JB: One of the hardest, most awkward things is the issue of disciplinary action. The company should have a system in place for dealing with this kind of area and you have to make sure the system is understood and agreed by everyone. But, ultimately, if youve taken the employee through all the procedures and he or she still doesnt shape up, some hard decisions have got to be made.Presenter: We seem to be focusing a lot on the nega-tive side here! What about some of the positive things?JB: Oh, the chance to help people refl ect on things, how theyre developing with the company. I like see-ing people develop, change and perhaps go off on a completely new path, something that may never have occurred to them, if you hadnt pointed them in that direction.Presenter: I imagine it can be quite satisfying.JB: Yes, and then theres the sheer variety. You plan your work, you have to get yourself well-organised, but ultimately no two days are ever the same. Theres always a new challenge, and I like that more than any-thing.

AUDIOSCRIPTPresenter: Welcome back to the second part of our programme How Do You Manage? I have with me Jenny Buxton, who works in Ipswich. Welcome Jenny.JB: Hi.Presenter: You work for a well-known fi rm of retailers, but its not the products I wanted to talk to you about today, its the people involved. Youve been responsi-ble for a staff of 15 for a year or so now. Tell me how you got there.JB: Well, I did the standard round of applications from university and this is my second employer. I enjoy the area of retailing, but, as far as managing staff, thats more recent and so its quite a new area for me, with a whole new set of challenges.Presenter: You pride yourself on being good with peo-ple. Youve got quite a sociable, outgoing personality. I imagine youd be a good person to work under.JB: Well, thats what I like to think! But managing peo-ple isnt all about sitting down with a cup of tea and talking over issues. Being in a position of responsi-bility means you can be the bringer of bad news, as well as good. You have to develop a thick skin, to be unpopular, not to be liked for a decision you make.Presenter: And I guess that can be hard at fi rst.JB: Yes, but the thing you learn, if you stick at it long enough, is that people will still respect you, even if


1. Listen and tick the topics the journalist talks about.

1. The importance of preparing for the interview.

2. How to dress for the interview.

3. The best time of day for conducting an interview.

4. The order of the questions.

5. Where to have the interview.

6. How to start the interview.

7. The interviewers manner.

8. How to interrupt an interviewee politely.

9. Summing up what has been said.

10. What to do after the interview.

2. Listen again and write in the missing words.

1. ______________ ______________ as much as you can about the person youre going to interview,

and the ______________ ______________ of the interview.

2. Most people find questions about ______________ much easier to answer, so they start to feel more

______________ ______________.

3. Be ______________ and courteous. Start by ______________ ______________ and stating the

reason for the interview.

4. During the interview, you should be ______________ but ______________.

5. Ask ____________ questions. Ask for evidence to _________ any claims made by the interviewee.

6. But never ask _______________ questions. _____________ the person say what they want to say.

7. When ending the interview, you should ______________ ______________ ______________ the

main things that have been said. This gives you a _____________ to ______________ your notes.

8. You should then ask the ______________ if they want to ______________ anything else. And finally,

ask if you can ______________ them again, should you need to.

3. Complete these definitions with words or phrases from the audioscript.

1. The ________________ rules for something are the fundamental principles on which it will be based.

2. A rule of ________________ is a practical rule based on experience.

3. Another word for polite is ________________.

4. If you say something off the ____________, you dont want it to be reported or attributed to you.

5. If you are ________________, you are sure of your abilities and qualities.

6. A ______________ ________________ is a question that suggests what the answer should be.

7. If you make a ________________, you say something is true without giving any proof.

8. If you do something in ________________, you do it before a particular event or date.

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TRACK 12THE SPEAKER B1/B2 INTERMEDIATE


INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUESListen to a journalist giving advice on interviewing techniques.

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ANSWERS1. The topics mentioned by the journalist are: 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10.2. 1. Find out subject matter 2. facts at ease 3. confi dent introducing yourself 4. polite - fi rm 5. follow-up support 6. leading Let 7. go back over chance review 8. interviewee add con-tact3. 1. ground 2. thumb 3. courteous 4. record 5. confi dent 6. leading question 7. claim 8. advance

During the interview, you should be polite but fi rm. Ask your questions in a confi dent manner, and listen carefully to the answers. Very often an inexperienced interviewer will simply go through their list of ques-tions, not realising that some of them have already been answered. Use your list of questions as a base for the interview, not a rigid script. Ask follow-up questions. Ask for evidence to support any claims made by the interviewee. Dont be afraid to ask How do you know that? But never ask leading questions. Let the person say what they want to say, not what you want them to say.When ending the interview, you should go back over the main things that have been said. This gives you a chance to review your notes. You should then ask the interviewee if they want to add anything else. And fi nally, ask if you can contact them again, should you need to.OK, so the interview is over, but you have one last task. As soon as possible, sit down and look at your notes. Are they clear? Is there anything else you can add to them? Do this while you can still remember what was said. And write down all the colour you can remember about the person and the place.

AUDIOSCRIPTI know it sounds obvious, but you really must pre-pare before the interview. Find out as much as you can about the person youre going to interview, and the subject matter of the interview. Prepare your questions in advance. Think about the order you will ask them. A rule of thumb is to ask questions about facts fi rst, leaving opinion questions until later. Most people fi nd questions about facts much easier to an-swer, so they start to feel more at ease. Spend a little time imagining how you hope the interview will go. Visualise yourself in the situation, introducing your-self, asking the fi rst question.Think about where the interview will take place. Try to interview the person in a place which is appropri-ate to the interview their place of work, for exam-ple. Interviewing a person on their territory can put them at ease, and also provide you with colour for your story.How you start the interview can infl uence how suc-cessful it will be. Be confi dent and courteous. Start by introducing yourself and stating the reason for the interview. Set your ground rules. For example, you may want to insist that the interviewee says in ad-vance if they want what they say to be off the record.


1. As you listen, number the topics in the order in which you hear them.a. Some less-known forms of discrimination.

b. How companies can protect themselves against the risks of complaints.

c. The widening concept of diversity and discrimination.

d. The example of security firms.

e. The cost of insurance.

f. The number of complaints received by the Equal Opportunities Commission.

g. The law regarding a job applicant with a criminal record.

h. The increase in complaints of ageism.

2. Match a verb in column A with a word or phrase in column B to form some common collocations used in the recording.

A B

1. to deal2. to discriminate3. to fi le4. to take out5. to turn away6. to bear7. to serve8. to address9. to build up10. to invest

a. insuranceb. a direct relation to somethingc. a complaintd. an applicante. with a problemf. a sentence g. a reputationh. time and effort in doing somethingi. an issuej. against a person

3. Complete the second sentence with 2 to 4 words so that it means the same as the first sentence.Example: They are a matter of great importance.They are very much an issue.1. Companies dont only have a persons skin colour or gender to consider.Companies have a lot more __________________________ a persons skin colour or gender2. They should think carefully about how they recruit people.They should think carefully about their ____________________________________.3. Insurance is cheaper than you might think.Insurance isnt _______________________________ you might think.4. The cost of insurance is lower than it was some years ago.The cost of insurance ______________________________ over the years.5. How many people actually carry out their threats to sue a company?How many people actually ________________________ with their threats to sue a company?6. Theres a much higher probability that youll be sued by an employee.Youre much more _____________________________________ by an employee.

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MANAGING DIVERSITYListen to part of an interview in which business management expert Alan Griffi n talks about the diversity-related risks some companies face.

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ANSWERS1. 1. c 2. h 3. b 4. e 5. a 6. d 7. g 8. f2. 1. e 2. j 3. c 4. a 5. d 6. b 7. f 8. i 9. g 10. h3. 1. to consider than 2. recruitment policies 3. as expensive as 4. has fallen 5. go through/ahead6. likely to be sued

Interviewer: And won?AG: Sometimes, yes. Then there are people with a criminal background. Employers used to feel justifi ed in turning away job applicants just because theyd been in trouble with the law.Interviewer: Isnt that still the case?AG: No, not exactly. The law states that employers can only reject a job applicant with a criminal record if the crime bears a direct relation to the job in question. So somebody who has served a sentence for lets say stealing cars, would be all right in a job as a kitchen porter.Interviewer: And Mr. Griffi n, tell me, how many people actually go through with their threats to sue a com-pany for discrimination?AG: Well, I... havent got the latest fi gures for the UK but in the United States the Equal Opportunities Com-mission receive around 85,000 complaints every year and that fi gure is rising. Race and sex account for most of the complaints that are fi led, but age discrimi-nation is on the increase, too.Interviewer: So, any words of advice for risk manag-ers?AG: Well, fi rst of all, make sure that you have adequate insurance. Then address the issues of diversity from within the organisation. Get the employees involved. Celebrate the differences and try to build up a repu-tation as a fair employer. And remember, it is worth investing time and effort in addressing these issues because statistics have shown that youre much more likely to be sued by an employee than a third party.

AUDIOSCRIPTInterviewer: Tell me, Mr. Griffi n, are diversity risks re-ally still an issue? Arent companies these days deal-ing with diversity?AG (Welsh accent): Oh yes, they are very much an is-sue. We have come a long way since those days when employers were allowed to discriminate against job candidates just because of their race or their sex. The trouble is, the boundaries of diversity and discrimina-tion are widening. Companies have a lot more to con-sider than a persons skin colour or a persons gender.Interviewer: So can you give listeners an example of what kind of things you are referring to here?AG: OK, lets see. Well, one growing area of discrimi-nation is ageism. In 1998, companies in the United States had to pay out more than 55 million dollars to employers who had fi led age-related discrimination complaints against their companies. Thats a lot of money.Interviewer: Phew! So how should companies protect themselves from this kind of thing?AG: Well, fi rst of all, they should think carefully about their recruitment policies and then they should take out insurance to cover themselves.Interviewer: Well, isnt that expensive? For the compa-nies, I mean.AG: No, not as expensive as you might think. These days most small- and medium-sized organisations take out EPLI, thats Employment Practices Liability Insurance. The cost of the insurance has fallen over the years and, if a company isnt covered and loses a discrimination case, well, lets just say this is the cheaper option!Interviewer: Youve mentioned ageism as a grow-ing concern, but what other kinds of diversity should managers be aware of?AG: Well, youd probably be surprised to hear about some: discrimination against single people, against married parents, against people who are too tall, too short, too heavy!Interviewer: Really?AG: Oh, yes! Security fi rms are a good example here. They typically state that their employees need to be over or under a certain height or weight. They claim its necessary for the job, but there have been cases where people have claimed discrimination.


1. As you listen, number the topics in the order in which Nicola Bailey talks about them.

a. The number of women in full-time work.

b. The need to put some trends into perspective.

c. The proportion of permanent job contracts today compared to the past.

d. The number of people with flexible working hours.

e. The percentage of temporary jobs.

f. The working week in the UK compared to that in the rest of Europe.

2. Listen again and decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F).

1. The interviewer thinks working patterns are considerably different from those of previous

generations.

2. Nicola Bailey doesnt entirely agree with the interviewer.

3. Bailey says the media are creating an accurate picture of the present situation.

4. The number of British people with permanent jobs has fallen dramatically.

5. The number of working women with dependent children is the same as before.

6. In the rest of Europe there is less part-time work than in the UK.

7. Two thirds of British workers do over 46 hours a week.

8. Only one worker in five has a contract that foresees flexible working or job sharing.

3. Complete the sentences using some of the following words from the interview.

account for agreement borne out clerical compared employment engaged job

patterns permanent perspective redundancy research work

1. In order to find a solution to this problem, we need to look at it from a different

______________________.

2. The prime ministers claim that unemployment in this country is falling is not _________ _________

by the latest statistics.

3. At present, women ____________________________ 60 per cent of our companys workforce.

4. The changes in working _________ _________ arent as great as the media often make out.

5. Hundreds of employees will face __________________ if the merger of the two large banks goes

ahead.

6. It was predicted that most of us would soon be __________________ in flexible working instead of

9 to 5 jobs.

7. When I was a student, I used to do a temporary __________________ during the summer.

8. The proportion of women in __________________, secretarial and sales jobs has changed little.

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TREND ANALYSISListen to an interview with Nicola Bailey, a social affairs commentator, on changes in patterns of working.

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ANSWERS1. 1. b 2. c 3. e 4. a 5. f 6. d2. 1. T 2. T 3. F She says they give the impression that a social revolution is taking place. 4. F Its not much different from 20 years ago. 5. F There are more today. 6. T 7. F A third work more than 46 hours. 8. T3. 1. perspective 2. borne out 3. account for 4. patterns 5. redundancy 6. engaged 7. job 8. cleri-cal

pendent children in the workforce than before, but the overall proportion of women in full-time work hasnt really changed in 25 years, especially in the more tra-ditional sectors: clerical, secretarial and sales jobs.Interviewer: And what about specifi c patterns of working? Is it true theres more part-time work in the UK, compared to the rest of Europe? And arent we working longer hours than before?NB: Well, yes, both of these are unfortunately true. A third of us work more than 46 hours a week, while for other European countries its not much more than 10 per cent.Interviewer: So much for new technology liberating us to do other things! And how about the golden future, where were all engaged in fl exible working? Is this a reality today?NB: Again, if you look at how many people have some formal agreement, for example, to annualise their hours or job share, its only about 20 per cent of us. The old working patterns persist

AUDIOSCRIPTInterviewer: We have with us in the studio Nicola Bai-ley, our social affairs commentator, to give us some perspective on the changes that have taken place in our working lives over the last 20 years or so. Good morning, Nicola.NB: Good morning.Interviewer: Now, we hear an awful lot these days about the end to a job for life, the rise of fl exible work-ing, the numbers of women now engaged in employ-ment and so on. Its very different from our parents day, isnt it?NB: Well, its true theres a lot more terminology around these days. Anyone would think from listening to the media that some kind of social revolution was going on.Interviewer: And are you saying that these are not real trends for the future?NB: Im not saying these phenomena are not present today, but I just think we need to put them into some kind of perspective. Traditional 9 to 5 working is not going to disappear quite as fast as some analysts would like to believe.Interviewer: I think you have some interesting fi gures from recent research on the subject.NB: Thats right, if you look at the proportion of work-ing people in Britain today who have a permanent contract of employment, for example, youll fi nd its not very much different from 20 years ago. Its still around 80 per cent. And around 30 per cent of us have had the same job for more than 10 years, which is also little changed from the past.Interviewer: That doesnt mean that people necessar-ily feel more secure, thoughNB: Oh no, employers still retain the right to use re-dundancy as a way of reducing their labour force, for example, but the idea that most of us are moving from one temporary job to another is not borne out by the fi gures. Temporary employment only accounts for about 6 per cent of all jobs.Interviewer: Well, lets talk about womens employ-ment. Isnt it true that there are far more women in the workplace today?NB: Oh yes, there are certainly more women with de-


1. As you listen, number the topics in the order in which you hear them.

a. A definition of viral marketing

b. The difference between viral marketing and spam

c. A presentation of todays guest

d. Examples of companies using viral marketing

e. Some recent negative developments in viral marketing.

f. The initial advantage of viral marketing for companies

2. Listen again and mark these statements true (T) or false (F).

1. The buzz.com website keeps an eye on whats happening on the internet.

2. Some internet email providers are well-known for their use of viral marketing.

3. Michael MacAulay thinks less money is being spent on this form of marketing nowadays.

4. This kind of marketing is called viral because the games and animations that are received often

contain hidden viruses.

5. Tony says many of his listeners are worried about computer viruses.

6. He wonders whether there is much difference between viral marketing and spam.

7. Michael admits that in some cases the dividing line between the two is unclear.

8. He cites the case of a UK firm that effectively encouraged people to send unwanted emails.

3. Complete these definitions with words or phrases from the radio programme.

1. If something is worrying you, you are __________________ about it

2. A __________________ is a change or development in a situation or in peoples behaviour.

3. If something is very inexpensive, you can say it costs __________________________ to

__________________.

4. A __________________ is a fashionable word or expression that is used a lot, especially by the

media.

5. If an image is __________________, you cant see it clearly because its outline isnt distinct.

6. A __________________ is a new project or enterprise that involves an element of risk.

7. Your __________________ is the amount of money that you have available for a particular project

or for your day-to-day expenses.

8. If something happens at __________________, it takes place without a definite plan or method and

can happen to anybody.

XIV



VIRAL MARKETINGListen to part of a radio programme in which people are talking about viral marketing.

XV

ANSWERS1. 1. c 2. a 3. d 4. f 5. b 6. e2. 1. T 2. T 3. F It used to cost very little but now he suspects theres quite a lot of money spent on it. 4. F Its called viral because it spreads by passing from one person to another, like a virus. 5. F He says theyre worried about the amount of spam they get. 6. T 7. T 8. F He cites the case of a US company.3. 1. concerned 2. trend 3. next to nothing 4. buzzword 5. blurred 6. venture 7. budget 8. ran-

lot of money spent on this sort of thing now.Presenter: And presumably the idea is that people like the game, or animation, or whatever and send it on to their friends...Michael: Exactly. It spreads like a virus.Presenter: So far so good, but the word virus is quite a negative one. I know from the emails we receive on the programme that a lot of our listeners are very con-cerned about the amount of unwanted emails spam, as its known they already receive. Isnt viral marketing just another form of spam?Michael: Its a good point, Tony. The vital difference be-tween viral marketing and spam is that one is provid-ing a service and the other isnt. Viral marketing relies on people sending things on to their friends and family. Spam is sent to thousands of people at random. (Inter-viewer: Right) So theyre very different. Having said that, the line does begin to get a bit blurred in places. Theres the example of the company in the US that paid people (50 cents an hour, I think) to let the companys viewbar display advertisements on their screens. However, the company also paid people 10 cents an hour if they sent the viewbar to another person who allowed the ads onto their screen. Now that can be seen as encouraging people to send unwanted emails.

AUDIOSCRIPTPresenter: Now, one of the latest buzzwords in e-com-merce is viral marketing using the power of the in-ternet to advertise a product or service. Im joined in the studio today by Michael MacAulay of the buzz.com website, which monitors internet trends. Michael, what exactly is viral marketing?Michael (Northern English accent): Hi, Tony. The idea of viral marketing is basically that the internet does your advertising for you. A good example is internet email providers like Hotmail or Yahoo. Every time someone sends you an email using a Yahoo address you get that little Do you Yahoo? message at the end, basically ad-vertising what Yahoo does, while still providing you with the service the message youve received.Presenter: But its not limited to internet email provid-ers, is it?Michael: Not at all. Hotmail is perhaps the most fa-mous example, but theres lots and lots of stuff on the web that can be seen as viral marketing. You might get sent, for example, a little game to play on your PC or a funny animation, something like that. More often than not, theyre advertising a product or an event. The initial idea of viral marketing was that it cost next to nothing great for ventures without a huge start-up budget but I suspect theres quite a


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Speak Up no.336 Professional English