4.

Changes

Training users

Speaking

1- Discuss these questions.

a. ‘When a company buys new technology, how important is it to train
users?
b. What do you think are the advantages of e-learning over face-to-face
learning?

Vocabulary

1. Match words 1-8 to definitions a-h.

1- Smartphone 5- Policies and procedures
2- Threaded view 6- Announcement
3- Tagging 7- Instant messaging
4- Syncing 8- Archiving

a) documents showing standard ways of doing things in an organisation

b) adding keywords to a file (e.g. a document or photograph) to make it easier to find

c) a type of mobile phone that can also use data

d) a way of viewing emails and comments so that all messages in the same
conversation are grouped together

e) saving an old file in a special place because you don’t use it very often but might
want to use it later

f) making the data from two places match, e.g. making two calendars match

g) an important message for many people, giving new information

h) a system for having conversations using short written messages on the internet

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2. Listen to six employees asking for training on an enterprise social networking
system (ESN) Tick the areas/features the employers need training in.

Business matters

Reading

1. Look at the headings in this report. What are the main points of the report?

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 2. Read the report in 1 and answer these questions
a. Does the company have locations in one country or more than one?
b. What problem do they have with communication?
c. What problem do they have with e-commerce?
d. What two steps does the company want to take next?

3. Think about the technology that you talked about in this unit. Which items could
help the company in 1? If the company had the item(s) now, how would things
be different?
4. Look at the report in 1 and answer these questions.
a. Which features of the report clearly show the main points?
b. Which section of the report:
1- gives the background information?
2- gives details?
3- talks about future actions?
c. In each section, where is the main idea: at the beginning, in the middle
or at the end of the section?
5. Write a short report explaining your decisions in 3. Use these headings:
Introduction - Suggestions and benefits - Recommendations for next steps

Language spot

Contrasting information.

Look at these sentences.

 The farming sector produces about 60% of UK food needs, although it employs
only 1% of the workforce.
 Despite government support, the manufacturing sector continues to decline from
about 20% of GDP in 1990 to only 15% today.
 Manufacturers enjoy the benefit of a low-cost workforce and relatively cheap land.
However, a lot of the country's capital is invested in old state sector industries.

When we make a contrast between two statements or ideas in the same sentence that
seem to contradict each other, we can use linking words to contrast the ideas. We can
do this in different ways, using words like although, despite, and however.

1. Complete the rules with although, despite, or however.

1 _____________ is followed by a noun (not a complete clause with a verb).

2 _____________ is followed by a clause I sentence with a subject and a verb.

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 3 _____________ can be used when the contrast is expressed in a new sentence.

2. Complete these sentences with although, despite, or however.

a. _________agriculture employs only 1% of the workforce, it produces 60% of
UK food.
b. _____________high productivity, manufacturing in the region continues to
decline.
c. _____________ the service sector contributes 40% of GDP, it suffers from
poor infrastructure.
d. The service sector is very developed. ____________it is very dependent on
financial markets.

Speaking

Changes

1. Which of these situations would you find the most difficult to deal with?

a. Moving house e. Moving to another country

b. Driving abroad f. Changing your job

c. Losing a pet g. Getting married

d. A new boss h. New neighbours

2. What has been the most significant change in your life so far?

3. Which of these business situations would worry you most? Why?

a- You find out that your company will be merging with another company.

b- You keep your job after a merger, but you are in a less powerful position.

c- You keep your job after a merger, but you have to take a salary cut.

d- Your company has to relocate to the other side of the city.

e- You are asked to relocate to a foreign country.

f- You are promoted, but are now in charge of a hostile workforce.

g-You have to work with a completely new computer system.

h- You have to decide who to make redundant in your new department after a
merger.

i- Your company language becomes English.

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Vocabulary

Describing change

1. Write the verbs from the box under the correct prefix to make words connected with
change.
assess centralise date develop grade launch locate -organise regulate size
structure train

down- de- up- re-

2. Complete these sentences with the correct form of the verbs from the box in Exercise
1.
a. Following the merger, the office layout was ________to accommodate the
new staff.
b. The most successful change in our company was the decision to __________
the company. Now there is more opportunity for promotion.
c. It is now so expensive to rent offices in the city centre that many companies
are __________ their operations to purpose-built business parks at the city
limits.
d. The company has recently __________ its workforce. Reducing the number
of employees is the best way to stay profitable in the current economic
climate.
e. To improve efficiency, the company has introduced new working practices.
The HR department will __________ all sales staff.
f. One of our products hasn't been selling well recently. The marketing team
has decided to take it off the market and __________ it next year with new
packaging.
g. The IT department report recommended that the company __________ the
computer system as soon as possible.
h. The CEO thinks that too many decisions are made at Head Office. She wants
to _________ the decision-making process so that branch managers are
more involved at an earlier stage.

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3. Describe the changes that have happened in a workplace you know well.

Listening

Helping companies to change

1. Anne Deering is Head of Transformation Practice at international management

consultants AT Kearney. listen to the first part of the interview and complete the
gaps.
“What are they ............ ......... ............, how are they going to ...............
..........., and how will they know they've .............? Make sure people are .........
........... in the change, that they feel this is something they are doing for ....
....... ' and not something which is being done. “
2. Listen to the second part. What are the two main problems that businesses face
when going through change?
3. Listen to the final part, where Anne talks about Nokia·Siemens Networks, and
answer the questions.

1- What was the main purpose of the merger?

2- What do these numbers refer to? a) 8,000 b) 72

Language Focus

Describing changes

• We use the past simple for actions at a particular point in the past. In 2002, Mercedes
suffered a dramatic fall. Dieter Zetsche became Head of Mercedes in September 2005.

• We use the present perfect for actions linking the present to a point in the past. Since
2005, Mercedes hos gone from the worst·performing of the large luxury car makers to
the trailblazer

1- Which of the following expressions are used with the past simple and
which are used with the present perfect? Which are used with both?
in 2010 - this week - recently - since 2009 - yesterday - last year
yet - ever - six months ago

2- Talk about recent changes that have happened in your town, company or
country

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Writing

Reports: comparing options

The plant location decision has now been passed to the investment board for a decision.
As the assistant to the chairperson you have been asked to prepare a report comparing
the two opt ions: the UK or China.

When we make a direct comparison between two ideas or statement s, we can use
several linking words, including while and whereas.

 In China, we will have problems with finding experienced business managers

while I whereas in the UK we can use our existing management.

We can also use by contrast when the comparison is expressed in a new sentence.

 In China, jew workers have high levels of education. By contrast, in the UK, we
can recruit graduates easily.

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Language Focus

Study this example situation:

- These people are standing in a queue to get into the

cinema.

- Half an hour from now, the cinema will be full. Everyone

will be watching the film.

- Three hours from now, the cinema will be empty. The film
will have finished. Everyone will have gone home.

A) We use will have (done) (future perfect) to say that something will already be
complete before a time in the future. For example:
a. Sally always leaves for work at 8.30 in the morning. She won't be at home
at 9 o'clock - she'll have gone to work.
b. We're late. The film will already have started by the time we get to the
cinema.

Compare will have (done) with other perfect forms:

a. Ted and Amy have been married for 24 years, (present perfect)
b. Next year they will have been married for 25 years. When their son was
born, they had been married for three years, (past perfect)

Exercises:

1- Read about Andy. Then tick the sentences which are true. In each group of
sentences at Least one is true.

“Andy goes to work every day. He Leaves home at 8 o'clock and arrives at work at
about 8.45. He starts work immediately and continues until 12.30 when he has lunch
(which takes about half an hour). He starts work again at 1.15 and goes home at
exactly 4.30. Every day he follows the same routine and tomorrow will be no
exception.

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1. At 7.45
a. he'll be Leaving the house
b. he'll have Left the house
c. he'll be at home
d. he'll be having breakfast

2. At 8.15
a. he'll be leaving the house
b. he'll have left the house
c. he'll have arrived at work
d. he'll be arriving at work

3. At 9.15
a. he'll be working
b. he'll start work
c. he'll have started work
d. he'll be arriving at work

4. At 12.45
a. he'll have lunch
b. he'll be having Lunch
c. he'll have finished his lunch
d. he'll have started his lunch

5. At 4 o'clock
a. he'll have finished work
b. he'll finish work
c. he'll be working
d. he won't have finished work

6. At 4.45
a. he'll Leave work
b. he'll be leaving work
c. he'll have Left work
d. he'll have arrived home

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2- Put the verb into the correct form, will be (do)ing or will have (done).
a. Don't phone between 7 and 8 . We __________dinner then, (we / have)
b. Phone me after 8 o'clock._____________ dinner by then, (we / finish)
c. Tomorrow afternoon we're going to play tennis from 3 o'clock _______until
4.30. So at 4 o'clock, _________tennis, (we/play)
d. a: Can we meet tomorrow?
b: Yes, but not in the afternoon ________________(I/work)
e. Ben has to go to a meeting which begins at 10 o’clock. It will last about an
hour.

a: Will you be free at 11.30?

b: Yes,_______________by then, (the meeting / end)

f. Ben is on holiday and he is spending his money very quickly. If he continues

like this,_____________all his money before the end of his holiday, (he /
spend)
g. Do you think ______________the same job in ten years' time? (you / still /
do)
h. Lisa is from New Zealand. She is travelling around Europe at the moment.
So far she has travelled about 1,000 miles. By the end of the trip
_____________more than 3,000 miles, (she / travel)
i. If you need to contact me, ________________ at the Lion Hotel until
Friday. (I / stay)
j. a: _______________________________ Laura tomorrow? (you / see)
b: Yes, probably. Why?
a: I borrowed this DVD from her. Can you give it back to her?

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