Have fun: why punctuation is important

Have a great holiday!

And here's the punishment for breaking the grammar rules :

Source: facebook.com via NCIHC.org on Pinterest

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Building a tourist facility on top of a mountain

Have you ever climbed a mountain and felt like having a nice cup of tea or coffee?
BBC news tells about such an enterprise on top of Snowdon. Watch the clip and then express your own opinion on such a touristic facility. What facilities can you find on highest Romanian mountains?

Magic Gopher

Have fun with Magic Gopher who will guess your number. Try it

The drivers' market - "A car is a potentially lethal weapon"

According to The Telegraph, Young drivers face a ban on carrying anyone other than family members as passengers under proposals being considered by the Government to cut the number of road accidents involving teenagers.

According to the Association of British Insurers, which submitted the proposals to the Department for Transport, one in eight drivers is under 25, but they account for one third of the number of people who die on the country’s roads. It estimates that an 18-year old driver is three times more likely to be involved in a crash than a motorist 30 years older.

In 2011, drivers between 17 and 19 were involved in 12,000 crashes of which more than half resulted in serious or fatal injuries. “I read regular reports where three or four young people have been killed in a car and it’s a new driver and you wonder what happened,” Mr McLoughlin said. Naimo Jones, 19, was jailed for six months after killing her best friend in a car crash in Blackpool. The court heard she was showing off when she lost control of her Vauxhall Corsa as it hurtled into a blind left-hand bend.

"We know from research that young drivers are far more likely to crash when they have passengers of their age in the car. Placing this restriction makes sense."

WATCH THE VIDeO BELOW AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS:
1. Do you agree with the suggestions being made?
2. What are your own suggestions in order to combat failure in the driving market?


3. Would you like to drive a car whose speed can be controlled by your parents? Read the news below:

Parents will be able to control how fast their children drive thanks to technology being fitted on Britain’s top selling car, the Ford Fiesta. Read the article here

Jobless

Many people in our country and abroad face a tough battle to find a job. Watch this BBC News example about a man who's been jobless for 10 years. 1. Why did he lose his job? What are some other reasons people you know have lost their own? Give an example. Then watch the video below and answer the question: What does it take to create a job?

WAGE EQUALITY

Are women discriminated against in the workplace? Express your opinion and exemplify.

Consumer behaviour

Some of the following questions regarding consumer behaviour were drawn from several sources including Robert Frank's book "The Economic Naturalist" and Tutor2u Business blog

Consumer Behaviour
1. What determines how much people tip? Who should get tips and who should not?
2. Usually found in convenience stores, why are some ATMs paid-for cash machines and others are free to use?
3. Theatres, cinemas and sports stadiums rarely charge to use public toilets but many of the larger railway stations in cities do – why?
4. When a printer can be bought relatively cheaply, why is the ink so expensive?
5. Explain this "Was £7.99, now £3.99." Why is this a common pricing tactic?
6. Why do many computer manufacturers offer free software whose market value exceeds the price of the computer itself?
7. Why do many photo processing stores give you a second set of prints for free?

8. Why does Transport for London charge way more for a tube or bus journey if you buy a paper ticket than it does if you use an Oyster card?
9. WiFi use is often free in budget hotels but charged at a high price in luxury hotels – why?
10. Why do most UK cinemas choose open seating whereas theatres and sports stadia usually use reserved seating?
11. Why do women’s clothes usually button from the left while men’s clothes button from the right?
12. Why does a light come on when you open the refrigerator but not when you open the freezer compartment?

Looking forward to your opinions.

Doing business in...... with The Economist

Listen to the following podcast about Doing business in Moscow. Try to bear in mind specific details as we will be discussing in class about it. Now pick up at least one aspect in the presentation and compare and contrast it with our country. What similarities and differences can you find?

Vocabulary check - for second year students

I have created a bonus exercise for you to check the last lesson's vocabulary. Can you try it without peeking into your course-book? Click here

Our next grammar point is If clauses. For this you can either speak or write on one of the slides "If.... would" in the VoiceThread below (11 answers all in all)
Likewise, you may want to see the 5th April 2011 post: If I had a million dollars.... what would you do?

SUCCESS STORIES

Read the following three success stories. To continue on the next page, just click on the edge of the page:

Click here for larger version

Such success stories can be eye-openers for people intending to start their own business. What have YOU learnt from these stories? Write a few lines. What other success story do you know? Can you share it?

Advertising

It's time for you to find a YouTube advertising clip that has something sensible to say. In not more than 50 words re-express that message in writing. Finally, share with us the link. The ad below is my message to you all: For 2nd year students who have already learned something about advertising: What are the techniques/approaches that make the following commercials memorable? Explain
Find more videos like this on EFL CLASSROOM 2.0

And this is a BONUS QUIZ to help you prepare the advertising vocabulary for the exam:

Advertising quiz on PhotoPeach

Business ideas

Most people hold on their jobs for security but more adventurous souls follow a more challenging path. They become enterpreneurs working for themselves. Listen to one example below and do the quiz. 1. What is the result you obtained in the quiz? 2. Do you ever think of going to the country to live a simpler life? 3. Do you know of other examples of successful enterpreneurs in other fields, doing what they haven't been trained for? 4. If you were jobless what would you do? 5. Could you find on the Internet, for example, how to raise quails? What information did you find?

SPEAKING FOR TOURISM

This is a speaking project for more advanced students.You are invited to speak on the aspects mentioned in each slide. In order to see the 6 slides, click on the arrow at the bottom, right-hand side. First listen to my instructions carefully. Then prepare what you have to say and rehearse speaking loudly at home. In order to comment you need a headset (earphones and microphone). If you don't have it, you can either buy a simple one (under 10 lei) or do it in class, just get prepared and I will help you. But you can as well do it at home if you are a little brave and like challenges. Don't worry, after you record you can listen to your recording and either delete it if you are unsatisfied, or save if you like what you hear. In order to comment you have to register for VoiceThread at http://www.voicethread.com. Create an account and keep in mind the details.

What have you learnt?

Warren Edward Buffett (born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is widely considered the most successful investor of the 20th century. Buffet is the primary shareholder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway[5] and consistently ranked among the world's wealthiest people. He was ranked as the world's wealthiest person in 2008[6] and as the third wealthiest person in 2011.[7] In 2012, American magazine Time named Buffett one of the most influential people in the world.[Wikipedia) Below are some of his most famous quotations:

1. ON SPENDING. If you buy things you do not need, soon you will have to sell things you need.
2. ON TAKING RISK. Never test the depth of a river with both feet.
3. ON INVESTMENT. Do not put all eggs in one basket
4. ON EXPECTATIONS. Honesty is a very expensive gift. Do not expect it from cheap people.

Your turn. 1. Pick up one of these adages and explain how it has applied to you in a certain moment of your life. Tell us about your experience.
2. How does the adage apply in economics? Give an example.

How supermarkets "rip us off"

Read the text on Supermarket Scams Tell us about your experience of buying what you did not intend to. What technique was used to attract you?

Travelling by air - try the quiz

Knowing one another - What parts of the world have you visited

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

This is the part of the world I have visited. I liked Spain and Barcelona a lot, Greece for the seaside, Istanbul for its bazars and the Baltic states for their history but I felt more "at home" in the United Kingdom because I encountered no communication barrier! There is so much left to see. You can generate your own map by going to the following site http://bighugelabs.com/map.php#top and clicking on the countries you have visited. Your turn: Tell us a few things about the foreign places you visited, what you liked and why.

A tiny challenge for the beginning of the new year

Welcome to school again and welcome to university to sophomores! This is a very simple story but a challenge for me (trying to apply a new tool, i.e.the gapped text) and for you to warm up or break the ice, whichever way you prefer. Let's see who is the first to fill in the gaps with the words given. You can hide the words or not and then check your answers:

Click below to access the activity. (Opens in a new window on touch devices.)

Click here to open the above activity in a new window.

How the richest people got so rich

Read this article and then answer the following questions:

1. What is the main source of richness in America according to the article?
2. How much did the top 400 richest person make in 2007 and what is its equivalent in lei?
3. What is the trend regarding the American average income?
4. What are the best paid positions?
5. Listen to the presentation and express your opinion on secret habits of healthiest Americans?

6.What are the richest people in Romania according to statistics?
7. What business are they in?

Happy Holidays

No more threats! Enjoy the holidays!

First impressions - how important are they in business

Read the following article on Seven ways to stand out in a crowd. Then choose one aspect and express your point of view. Do you have any experience to illustrate it? How important is body language in business? Exemplify

Working and living in my town/country

Watch the presentation of several reasons why a Frenchman likes working and living in London.


Your turn: SPEAKING TASK - Speak about the reasons why you love living and working/learning in our town/country. You can record your answers here

listen to ‘Why do you like living and working in your town/country?’ on Audioboo

TRAVELLING BY PLANE

Listen to the following podcast on Air Travel Connecting Flights and answer the questions:

1. Why did Robert miss his connecting flight?
2. What solution does Robert request from the ticket agent?
3. What does the ticket agent remind Robert about?

Playing the hangman

Go to this page and play the hangman. Click on Next to start guessing a new word/expression. Then share with us the expressions you have solved successfully, or if you got hung:-)

CHOOSE TWO OF THESE EXPRESSIONS AND EXPLAIN US THEIR MEANING. You can give examples.

COMPANY PRESENTATION

Listen to the presentation of DmLights below and fill in the missing terms.

DmLights.com is a ……….of Paul de Meutter Electricity. The company was ……….. in 1979 and has been your reliable partner for electricity and lighting for over 30 years. But the company and its product ………. have been growing over the years.
DmLights is one of the biggest ………….lighting companies in Belgium. In the shop you can rely on professional advice from exerienced lighting experts. They can help you make a choice among the large range of different styles to suit each ……….
But you can save the trip and shop online. In 2004 the dmlights workshop was launched It was an instant success thanks to good service and ………….. prices. Buying lighting online at dmlights is easy, safe, and fast. Placing your order can be done in just a few steps.
Today Dmlights offers more than 50,000 articles and has an extensive ………… in its warehouse which has a total service area of ………..m2. The DmLights team is always at your service. They follow your order throughout the process. At DmLights you’ll always find the lowest price. If you do find an article at a cheaper price elsewhere, DmLights will …………that price immediately. DmLights has a whole team of experts at your disposal. After receiving your order, the goods are …………, packed and dispatched with the greatest care on their way to another satisfied customer. DmLights delivers worldwide but you can also collect your order in our store yourself. In addition, you receive a two-year guarantee on every lighting ………….. and excellent out-of-sale service.





Now answer the following questions:
1. What are the main parts of this presentation?
2. Suppose you were to make a presentation of your university to potential students. What aspects would you point out to in order to attract them?

Parts of a business letter

Telling Present Perfect stories

Ted Williams, a homeless US man with a deep, refined voice has become an overnight online sensation after being "discovered" by a local reporter on a street corner in Columbus, Ohio.
Read the rest of the story here paying attention to the use of Present Perfect.

1. What has impressed you about Williams?
2. Have you heard about other such talent discoveries? Tell us in a few sentences (of course try using Present Perfect wherever possible)

Immigration in Britain

Listen to immigration minister Damian Green speaking to the Policy Exchange in London and then choose ONE idea and express your own point of view on it.



Scroll down the Quiz that I have prepared for you to see how well you understood the main ideas from the video.

Why students don't learn English - Hitler's opinion

Find more videos like this on EFL CLASSROOM 2.0


Now go to the following page, listen to the short story English is so hard and then do the exercises at the bottom of that page.

A day in the life of a company

After learning about a day in the life of a bank during the first term, you can listen to the following presentation about a day in the life of the famous Sainsbury's store:



Now it's your turn to speak about a day in the life of a company you/your parents've worked for or you'd like to work with.
Listen to the instructions below:



ATTENTION: Written comments will not be accepted for this post!
In order to comment with voice, go to THIS PAGE and follow the instructions.

(adapted from http://www.englishblog.com/business_english/)

First day at work

1.What sort of company is Andy starting work with?
2.What are some of the departments mentioned in the ad?
3.What image does the ad give of the company culture?
4.Would you like to work for a company like this? Why (not)?
5.How do you think Andy feels at the start of the ad? And at the end?
6.Why do you think McDonald's employed this clip to advertise their products?


• Talk about your first day in a new job. If you have not worked at all, imagine what you will be doing in the first day of work. Don't forget to include: what sort of company it is, what are some departments? what is the company culture? what are your responsiblities? who do you report to and who do you cooperate with? how do you feel? what are your expectations?

You can LISTEN TO THE INSTRUCTIONS HERE



ATTENTION: WRITTEN COMMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED!
In order to record your voice, go to THIS PAGE
Adapted from: http://www.englishblog.com/business_english/

Social networking – a future businessman's perspective

Life Quotes

More Orkut Picture Scraps

Do you have a Facebook account? Twitter? Any other social networking site?

Read the following article on a case of Facebook bullying



From the business point of view, what can be some advantages and disadvantages of using social networking sites? Think from the perspective of you as a future a businessman and you as a present/future employee.


You can also search the Web to find positive cases or negative, as the one mentined above and tell us about them here in a few words.

FOOD MYTHS

Read the following text about some food myths that can cost you.

Is there something that you found out and you did not know? Or something you do not agree with?

Have you ever worked in a supermarket/restaurant/fast food? If yes, what would you like to tell the others about your experience regarding food, healthy eating?
Is there another food myth that you’d like to reveal?

Computer language

What are homonyms? How many can you find in this dialogue about computers/fruit?

Top paying companies

Read the following text about Top paying companies and then try to make a hierarchy of top paying companies in your town, area, country. Have you met someone working there? What are the conditions as far as: time, workload, etiquette, etc. are concerned?

Financial Crisis

Now go to the following online document and express your opinions on the Impact of Financial crisis on people around you: http://123.writeboard.com/qtmpf84i6jagbcmiujksdmtj Try to be specific without mentioning their names. Don't write about general things.

ETIQUETTE RULES FOR THE WORKPLACE

Do you have any workexperience? If so, what do you think are some important business etiquette factors that can contribute to your workplace success?

Then read the following article from Yahoo Finance and pick one aspect you agree with and one you think is less important for your workplace success and argue your position.