Business Spotlight The Brits - What you really need to know (Vorschau)

BusinessSpotlight
BusinessSpotlight
Englisch für den Beruf
Juli–August l Ausgabe 4/2014
Language Test
Are you polite
enough at work?
Business Skills
Ten tips for
better writing
The Brits
What you really
need to know
Easy English
The language of
customer care
Head-to-Head
Should firms ban
smoking breaks?
Inside:
20-page
vocabulary
guide
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EDITORIAL
Time for tea?
4/2014
What exactly is politeness?
Ian McMaster, editor-in-chief
Although we may think that
the answer is clear, concepts
of politeness vary among cultures — whether national,
regional or organizational. Put simply: what one person
considers to be polite, another may find rude. In our language
test (p. 12), Carol Scheunemann and Hildgard Rudolph help
you to navigate your way through the minefield of manners.
The test provides exercises on areas such as showing interest
in your business partners, listening carefully, sounding professional
on the telephone and disagreeing respectfully.
The British are often thought of as being polite by those from
other cultures (although they themselves will complain about
the rudeness in their country). In our Intercultural Communication
article (p. 36), Vicki Sussens looks at current developments
in Britain and at recent discussions about the country’s identity.
She also provides insights into the British business mentality
and tips for doing business with the Brits. You can hear more
views on these topics on Business
Spotlight Audio. The tea break is
seen as a typical part of British
life — including working life.
And in her latest Wise Words column
(p. 48), Deborah Capras
looks at a number of word pairs,
including — not surprisingly —
“tea and biscuits”.
Ian McMaster, editor-in-chief
Contact: i.mcmaster@spotlight-verlag.de
Getty Images
Tea: a typical aspect
of British culture
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CONTENTS 4/2014
12 Politeness test
iStock
28 A key skill: writing
Photodisc
The Big Picture
6 Britain
Helping bees stay alive in cities
Working World
8 Names and News
The latest from the world of business
Language Test
12 Politeness
How good are your business manners?
Global Business
18 It’s Personal advanced
Elisabeth Ribbans on fashion’s colour problem
21 Business Press Behind the headlines advanced
22 Profile plus
Sir Jonathan Ive, Apple’s chief designer
26 Head-to-Head plus
Should firms ban smoking breaks?
Business Skills
28 Series (3): Writing
plus
Ten tips on how to write clearly and effectively
33 Training Plan plus
Improve your writing skills
34 Toolbox
Ken Taylor on giving and receiving feedback
Intercultural Communication
36 The UK plus
Doing business with the British
Careers
66 New Series (1): Finding a Job
Selling yourself and your skills
72 Tips and Trends
The best mentors; surviving an office romance
Management
74 Rick’s Café
Recreating a legend in Casablanca
76 What Happened Next
Japan’s quality miracle
77 Executive Eye
Adrian Furnham on treating psychological problems
Technology
80 Formula One
Behind the scenes in Britain’s Motorsport Valley
82 Trends
Technofossils; fish and memory
83 Language Focus
Medical lasers
People
86 My Working Life
advanced
advanced
easy
Carl Mesilio, tour guide in Gibraltar
Regular sections
3 Editorial
35 Classified Ads
78 SprachenShop
84 Feedback / Impressum
85 Preview
plus
READERS’ SERVICE
iStock
Email: abo@spotlight-verlag.de
Internet: www.spotlight-verlag.de
Telephone: +49 (0)89/8 56 81-16
Fax: +49 (0)89/8 56 81-159
Multimedia learning with Business Spotlight
Business Spotlight plus
plus Practise the language used in
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booklet. In this issue, we focus on the
vocabulary you need for talking about
insurance, and look at how to build an
online profile and improve your writing.
See page 87 for subscription details.
Business Spotlight Audio
Our audio product offers more than 70 minutes of
texts, dialogues, exercises and interviews. On this CD, you
can listen to our short story, practise grammar, get tips on
writing and find out what it means to be British.

80 Formula One
Mercedes
55 Useful
vocabulary
Language section
36 Working with the UK
GUIDE
44 Vocabulary Sightseeing easy
45 Grammar at Work Terms and conditions
46 Easy English Customer care easy
48 Wise Words Deborah Capras on word pairs
50 Email How to end an email correctly
51 English on the Move Hiring a car abroad
52 Translation False friends and more
53 Language Cards To pull out and practise
55 SKILL UP! Insurance
56 Short Story Weight management easy
58 English for… Income tax returns advanced
60 Legal English Memorandum of law
61 Talking Finance Ian McMaster on taxes
62 Teacher Talk Interview with Ian Badger
64 Products What’s new?
65 Key Words Vocabulary from this issue
advanced
plus
plus
advanced
plus
Language in Business Spotlight
Articles in the magazine use the style, spelling, punctuation and
pronunciation of British English unless otherwise marked.
US
American style, spelling, punctuation and pronunciation
are used in these articles.
All articles are marked with their level of language difficulty.
Articles not marked on the contents pages are at a medium level.
(CEF stands for the Council of Europe’s “Common European
Framework of Reference for Languages”.)
easy Approximately at CEF level A2
medium Approximately at CEF levels B1–B2
advanced Approximately at CEF levels C1–C2
ifml.: informal word or phrase; vulg.: vulgar word or phrase;
sl.: slang word or phrase; non-stand.: non-standard word or phrase;
UK: chiefly UK usage; US: chiefly North American usage
Cover topics
Cover photograph: Getty Images
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To order, please send an email to:
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language-learning activities,
as well as news and blogs.
Subscribers have full access
to our online premium content.
www.business-spotlight.de
www.business-spotlight.de 5

THE BIG PICTURE BRITAIN
E. Tourneret/Gruppe 28
6 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

The bee’s knees
medium
As honeybee populations decrease
worldwide, environmentalists are
looking for ways to increase their
numbers. One option is to encourage
people in cities to keep bees and to
grow plants that attract bees.
This is the idea behind London’s
Urban Bees (www.urbanbees.co.uk),
which works with schools, businesses
and private individuals to develop
bee-friendly surroundings.
In this photo, Urban Bees representatives
are looking after a beehive on
the rooftop garden of Sir John Cass
Primary School. Behind the beekeepers
is 30 St Mary Axe — popularly
known as “the Gherkin”. ■BS
The bee’s knees
[ðE )bi:z (ni:z] ifml.
beehive [(bi:haIv]
beekeeper [(bi:ki:pE]
environmentalist
[In)vaI&rEn(ment&lIst]
gherkin [(g§:kIn] UK
honeybee [(hVnibi:]
population [)pQpju(leIS&n]
primary school
[(praImEri sku:l] UK
das Beste/Tollste,
der Hit
Bienenstock
Imker(in)
Umweltschützer(in)
Essiggurke
Honigbiene
hier: Bestand
Grundschule
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 7

WORKING WORLD
NAMES AND NEWS
Corbis
PENÉLOPE CRUZ
New direction
Spanish actress Penélope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) has appeared
in more than 50 movies. Now, the 40-year-old has directed
her first film — a six-minute commercial.
Cruz was totally involved in the project. “I wrote the story. I did
the casting for almost 70 characters. I knew where the camera needed
to be for every shot,” she told WSJ Magazine.
The commercial is for L’Agent women’s underwear, which Cruz
and her sister Mónica designed for Agent Provocateur. Cruz’s husband,
Javier Bardem, and her sister both have acting roles in the
production.
easy
Now behind the camera: Penélope Cruz
The Philippines has overtaken India as
the top provider of call-centre workers.
In 2013, the industry had revenues of $16
billion and employed 926,000 Filipinos.
Sources: The Manila Times; Transcom Philippines
(www.transcom.com)
Union membership in the US has fallen
from 35 per cent of the workforce
in the 1950s to 11.3 per cent today.
Sources: Financial Times; US
Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov)
➡
➡
Nasa
“Early success
is a terrible
teacher”
Canadian Chris Hadfield, 54,
former commander of
the International Space Station
acting role: have an ~ als Schauspieler(in)
[(ÄktIN rEUl]
auftreten
billion [(bIljEn] Milliarde(n)
Bureau of Labor für Arbeitsmarktstatistik
Statistics [)bjUroU Ev zuständige US-Regie-
(leIb&r stE)tIstIks*] US rungsbehörde
character [(kÄrEktE] Darsteller(in)
commander [kE(mA:ndE] Kommandant(in)
commercial [kE(m§:S&l] Werbespot
direct a film
bei einem Film Regie
[dE)rekt E (fIlm] führen
revenues [(revEnju:z] Einnahmen
shot [SQt]
Aufnahme
union [(ju:niEn] Gewerkschaft
women’s underwear Damenunterwäsche;
[)wImInz (VndEweE] hier auch: Dessous
workforce
erwerbstätige
[(w§:kfO:s]
Bevölkerung
* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.
8 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

CANADA
Dressed for success
medium
Every new business looks for a way to stand out.
A professional window-washing company in
Canada has found one: its staff wear kilts.
Men in Kilts was started in British Columbia in
2002. Now, it has branches in most major Canadian
cities, plus a franchise operation.
“Everyone thinks the kilt is just a gimmick,”
says Sentwali Lewis of Toronto. “Yes, but once you
experience our service, you’ll see what we have to
offer,” Lewis told The Toronto Star. “There’s a lot
more going on than the kilt.”
In addition to the kilt, workers wear black
boots, black socks and a grey T-shirt with the slogan
“No Peeking!” And, yes, they do wear underwear.
Kilts are worn in all weather, except when it’s
so windy that they blow up above the workers’
waists, says company CEO Tessa Wood. “But it’s
only in that windy extreme weather. Otherwise, it’s
just a matter of layering.”
Happy cleaning windows: Men in Kilts at work in Calgary
iStock
Listen to this text on Business Spotlight Audio
38
Percentage of US children
under the age of two
who have used smartphones
or tablet computers
Sources: Reuters; Common Sense Media (www.commonsensemedia.org)
Sprachkurse
im Ausland
London Calling!
Neueröffnung im Juli 2014!
branch [brA:ntS] Niederlassung
CEO (chief executive Hauptgeschäftsführer(in)
officer) [)si: i: (EU]
franchise operation Franchising-Vertriebs-
[(frÄntSaIz QpE)reIS&n] system
gimmick [(gImIk] ausgefallene Idee;
hier: Werbetrick
layering [(leIErIN] Schichtung; hier: richtiges
(schichtweises) Anziehen
No peeking! [nEU (pi:kIN] Nicht gucken!
stand out
sich (von den anderen)
[)stÄnd (aUt]
abheben
underwear [(VndEweE] Unterwäsche
waist [weIst]
Taille; hier: Hüfte
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WORKING WORLD NAMES AND NEWS
iStock
TAIWAN
Flower power
advanced
In Victorian times, orchid hunters committed
murder to acquire rare orchid breeds — and
even as late as the 1970s, a single Taiwanese
orchid fetched $100,000. Those days are past,
however, thanks to mass production of the exotic-looking
flowers, which have become the
top-selling pot plants in the US.
“An orchid is no longer worth what it used to
be,” breeder Wu Po-Hung told The Wall Street
Journal. “We learned to grow them too well.”
Taiwan is now the world’s largest producer of orchids
by volume, although the Netherlands tops
the orchid revenue list. The Taiwanese government
has encouraged the high-volume, low-cost
approach by allowing breeders to replace sugarcane
plantations with vast greenhouses.
Yet some observers fear that this strategy is
likely to damage growers in the long term. “Taiwan’s
orchid growers can’t do much except keep
trying to cut costs lower to stay ahead,” says
Ting-Fang Hsieh, director of the Floriculture
Research Center, a government organization.
Favourite plant:
the orchid
Corbis
“Never be afraid
to sit awhile
and think”
Lorraine Hansberry (1930–65),
African-American writer and activist
breed [bri:d]
Sorte, Züchtung
breeder [(bri:dE] Züchter(in)
commit (a crime) (ein Verbrechen)
[kE(mIt]
begehen
fetch [fetS]
hier: erzielen
floriculture [(flO:rI)kVltSE] Blumenzucht
greenhouse [(gri:nhaUs] Gewächshaus
in the long term auf lange Sicht
[)In DE (lɒN t§:m]
research center
Forschungszentrum
[(ri:s§:tS )sent&r*]
revenue [(revEnju:] Einnahmen
sit awhile [(sIt E)waI&l] eine Weile so dasitzen
stay ahead
seinen Vorsprung
[)steI E(hed]
halten
sugar-cane plantation Zuckerrohrplantage
[(SUgE keIn plA:n)teIS&n]
vast [vA:st]
riesig
* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.
10 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

INTERNET
Fat cats
medium
Is your cat unemployed? Perhaps
you should put it to work in the
film industry. The popularity of internet
cat videos is helping cats to
well-paid careers online.
One of them is Henri, whose
YouTube channel, HenriLeChat
Noir, has been viewed more than
seven million times. Henri’s first
video was posted six years ago by
his owner, Will Braden. “In no
way did I ever think this was going
to be a career, or any money was
going to come out of it,” Braden
told The Guardian.
Now Braden has earnings from
internet advertising and from spinoffs
like a book and merchandise.
“You can come to a publisher and say I have this
many followers, here’s where they live, here’s how old
they are, all of that,” he explains. “It changes the way
a publisher has to take a risk on a book. If one per
cent of all the people who are your friend on Facebook
buy this book, we make our money back.”
You can listen to this text on Business Spotlight Audio
9 30
Percentage of
British engineers who
are female
Don’t call him “kitty”: Henri the cat
Percentage of
Latvian engineers who
are female
Sources: The Guardian; “European Engineering Report” (www.vdi.de)
What they said…
“People say I wasted my money. I say 90 per cent went
on women, fast cars and booze. The rest I wasted”
George Best (1946–2005), legendary Northern Irish football player
“I’ve been poor and I’ve been rich. Rich is better”
Sophie Tucker (1887–1966), Russian-born American singer and entertainer
“When I was young, I thought that money was the most
important thing in life. Now that I am old, I know that it is”
Oscar Wilde (1854–1900), Irish writer
booze [bu:z] ifml.
engineer [)endZI(nIE]
engineering
[)endZI(nIErIN]
follower [(fQlEUE]
Latvian [(lÄtviEn]
make one’s money
back [)meIk wVnz
(mVni bÄk] ifml.
merchandise
[(m§:tSEndaIz]
publisher
[(pVblISE]
spin-off [(spIn Qf]
Schnaps,
Alkohol
Ingenieur(in)
Ingenieurswesen
Anhänger(in),
Follower(in)
lettisch
sein Geld
wieder reinholen
Handelsartikel
Verleger(in);
Verlag
Nebenprodukt
www You’ll find more stories online: www.business-spotlight.de/news
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 11

LANGUAGE TEST POLITENESS
Digital Vision
Good manners,
good business
Höflichkeit ist nicht nur „bitte“ und „danke“. Sie hat auch
mit Respekt gegenüber Mitmenschen zu tun. Testen Sie
mit CAROL SCHEUNEMANN und HILDEGARD RUDOLPH, inwieweit
Sie sich höflich ausdrücken können.
all levels

THE SITUATION:
Max Williams and Ruth Stevens work for a
company called Scrapbook, which sells
home decorations. Let’s join the team for
a typical office day.
1.
Show interest (5 points)
easy
Small talk is one kind of polite conversation. You can show interest in
other people and learn a little bit about them. Max is talking to people
at a conference. Create sentences or questions from the words given.
a) trade / show / we / in Vienna / the / Didn’t / meet at
_________________________________________________________?
b) your / remember / don’t / I’m afraid / name / I
Sorry, ___________________________________________________.
c) say / again / for me, / Could / you / your / name
__________________________________________________ please?
d) enjoying / Are / the / you / conference / so far
_________________________________________________________?
e) did you / the most / find / Which talk / interesting
_________________________________________________________?
2.
medium
Listen carefully (10 points)
Be polite by encouraging other people to talk and by listening carefully to what they say.
Choose one word from each box to complete the expressions that Ruth uses.
back
interested
manage
mean
quite
catch
do
earlier
exactly
more
l How did you a) __________ to b) __________ that?
l I’d be c) __________ in hearing d) __________ about that.
l Can I just come e) __________ to something you said f) __________?
l What do you g) __________ by “target group” h) __________?
l I’m sorry, I didn’t i) __________ j) __________ what you said.
4
2/2014
Lean on me: some
people’s behaviour may
surprise you
www.business-spotlight.de 13

3. Be friendly (5 points)
medium
Standard expressions can help you to sound polite
and professional on the phone. Aim for a pleasant
tone of voice, too. Choose the best questions or
responses in Ruth’s phone call.
Big problem: but don’t shout about it
a) The caller wants to talk to Ruth’s colleague, Max, but
he’s not at his desk.
1. Oh, dear, he’s not here. I don’t know where he is.
2. I’m afraid he’s not available at the moment.
3. Sorry. I can’t tell you where Max is now.
b) Ruth wants to ask for the caller’s name.
1. Who is this? Give me your name, please.
2. May I ask who’s calling, please?
3. Does Max know you? Please tell me your name.
c) Ruth wants to know why the person is calling.
1. Is there a reason for this call?
2. So, what do you want?
3. Could you perhaps tell me what it’s about?
d) Ruth wants to know if the caller has a message
for Max.
1. Do I have to take a message?
2. Would you like to leave a message?
3. Take the time to give me a message, won’t you?
e) Ruth doesn’t know the answer to a question.
1. I’m not sure, but I’ll find that out for you.
2. I have no idea what you’re talking about.
3. Who knows? But that’s a good question.
medium
4. Try diplomacy (5 points)
Ruth is dealing with customers from Asia. Saying no is considered rude in some cultures
or business situations. It may be better to be less direct. Match each negative phrase with
a more positive expression.
Corbis
a) _____ We won’t finish on time.
b) _____ We can’t use this.
c) _____ We won’t do that now.
d) _____ That’s impossible.
e) _____ Something has gone wrong.
1. We’re doing our best to correct this.
2. It will be a challenge to finish on time.
3. We’ll try to find a use for this.
4. We’ll see if that’s possible.
5. Perhaps we can do that at some point in
the future.
14 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

POLITENESS
LANGUAGE TEST
Thinkstock
5.
Offer to help (5 points)
medium
We commonly use modal verbs and polite phrases when asking for or offering help. Complete this
conversation between Max and Ruth with expressions from the box.
would you mind
was wondering
be happy to
is there anything
help yourself
Max:
Ruth:
Max:
Ruth:
Max:
Ruth, a) ______________ watering my plants while I’m on holiday?
Sure, b) I’d ______________.
Brilliant, thanks! c) So, _____________ I can get for you in Thailand?
No, but I d) ___________ if I could use your tablet while you’re away?
Certainly. e) Just _____________!
A nice talk
Rules for polite business
conversations:
l Do not complain.
l Do not criticize unfairly.
l Do not talk negatively
about others.
l Do not be pessimistic.
l Do not interrupt.*
*Note: In some cultures, however,
interrupting is a sign of someone
taking an active interest in a
conversation.
6. Soften your language (8 points)
medium
When dealing with customers, it’s essential to stay polite. And when you are the
customer, you might want to practise politeness, too. Tick the box “polite” or
“impolite” for each sentence exchanged between Ruth and a customer.
a) Customer: The lamp you sold me is a piece of junk!
b) Customer: I don’t think my lamp is working quite right.
c) Ruth: What do you expect me to do about it?
d) Ruth: What seems to be the matter exactly?
e) Customer: Actually, I was hoping I could return it.
f) Customer: It just doesn’t work. I want my money back.
g) Ruth: Forget it. That’s just not our policy.
h) Ruth: I’m afraid we have policy restrictions on returns.
POLITE
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
IMPOLITE
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
7.
advanced
Use praise (5 points)
Acknowledging good work is one way to say “thank you”. In business, certain words help to create
a positive feeling, too. Fill in the missing vowels in this email that Max receives.
To the customer-service manager
I’m writing to tell you how much we a) _ppr_c_ _t_d the competent handling of our productexchange
request. The sales clerk was b) kn_wl_dg_ _bl_, and she was c) s_mp_th_t_c when we
made our complaint. We also found the €50 coupon very d) g_n_r_ _s.
We’d like to e) _ppl_ _d your commitment to customer satisfaction.
4
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 15

LANGUAGE TEST POLITENESS
Masterfile
advanced
8. Check expectations (10 points)
People have different opinions about mobile phone etiquette. Check
whether your actions bother others. Choose the words that best complete
the conversation during a meeting between Ruth and Max.
l Ruth is talking to Max, but wants to use her mobile phone to call her boss.
Ruth: a) Would you / Should you mind if I made a quick call?
Max: b) Won’t you / Could you perhaps wait until later?
Ruth: Yes, of course.
l Ruth receives a text message and reaches for her phone.
Ruth: c) Excuse me / Forgive me, I’d just like to see...
Max: d) I’d appreciate / I appreciate it if you didn’t read texts during our
meeting.
Ruth: Oh! e) My apologies / My excuses.
l There is a call on Ruth’s phone from her manager.
Ruth: f) May I / Must I take this call? g) I’m sure / I’m afraid it’s urgent.
Max: Well, h) I’d rather / I’d fancy you didn’t. But if you i) may / must, please
keep it short.
Ruth: Thanks, j) I’ll / I’d just step outside.
Three’s a crowd: one way to share the news
“You can’t be truly
rude until you
understand good
manners”
Rita Mae Brown, 69, US author
How to be polite
Politeness is essential for
effective business communication.
We must remember,
however, that
manners depend to a
large extent on culture,
situation and personal
taste. What one person
finds polite may not be
true for someone else. Instead
of imposing our
concepts of politeness on
others, we should try to
respect differences and
react flexibly. Diplomacy
and awareness are the
keys to good international
etiquette.
advanced
9. Disagree respectfully (5 points)
Disagreement sounds more tactful when it is delivered as a question. In a meeting,
Ruth and Max disagree. Make the statements more polite by turning them
into questions.
Are there any
Can anyone think
Are you certain
When can we
Would it be
other alternatives
possible to talk about
that those figures
of another way
find time to
are absolutely correct
work on this
this a bit later
to that proposal
to do it
a) Those figures are simply wrong. ___________________________________________?
b) We don’t have time for this. ______________________________________________?
c) We’ve tried everything. __________________________________________________?
d) I see no reason to talk about this any more. _________________________________?
e) I can’t support that proposal. _____________________________________________?
16 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

Answers
How did you do?
41–58 points Congratulations! You know how to use
polite expressions in all situations.
31–40 points Well done. You are quite polite, and only
occasionally have difficulty finding the right tone.
21–30 points Good try. Sometimes, you are not sure
which expression is best. Listen closely for polite
phrases that are used in English conversations.
0–20 points Could be better. You may need to work a
bit harder to express yourself in a more polite way.
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1. Show interest
a) Didn’t we meet at the trade show in
Vienna?
b) Sorry, I’m afraid I don’t remember your
name.
c) Could you say your name again for me,
please?
d) Are you enjoying the conference so far?
e) Which talk did you find the most interesting?
2. Listen carefully
a) manage; b) do; c) interested; d) more;
e) back; f) earlier; g) mean; h) exactly; i)
quite; j) catch (catch sth. = etw. verstehen)
3. Be friendly
a–2; b–2; c–3; d–2; e–1
4. Try diplomacy
a–2; b–3; c–5; d–4; e–1
5. Offer to help
a) would you mind
b) be happy to
c) is there anything
d) was wondering
e) help yourself
For more information
BUSINESS SKILLS
“Listen and learn!”, Business Spotlight 2/2014, pp. 28–32
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
“Fit for business”, Business Spotlight 6/2009, pp. 24–30
TEST: Customer service
“A question of respect”, Business Spotlight 2/2010, pp. 12–17
6. Soften your language
Polite: b, d, e, h
Impolite: a (a piece of junk = ein (Stück)
Schrott), c, f, g
7. Use praise
a) appreciated; b) knowledgeable (be
knowledgeable = gute Fachkenntnisse
haben); c) sympathetic = verständnisvoll;
d) generous = großzügig; e) applaud = applaudieren;
hier: Lob/Anerkennung aussprechen
8. Check expectations
a) Would you; b) Could you; c) Excuse me;
d) I’d appreciate; e) My apologies; f) May
I; g) I’m afraid; h) I’d rather; i) must; j) I’ll
9. Disagree respectfully
a) Are you certain that those figures are
absolutely correct?
b) When can we find time to work on this?
c) Can anyone think of another way to do
it?
d) Would it be possible to talk about this
a bit later?
e) Are there any other alternatives to that
proposal?
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Carol Scheunemann is an editor at
Business Spotlight, and coordinates
Business Spotlight Audio. Contact:
c.scheunemann@spotlight-verlag.de
Hildegard Rudolph is a certified
translator and a freelance editor,
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4/2014
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[)ÄnjuEl sEb(skrIpS&n]
enter in sth. [(entEr In] hier: in etw. aufnehmen
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subscribe (to sth.) etw. abonnieren
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GLOBAL BUSINESS IT’S PERSONAL
Time for a reality check
Auf den Laufstegen der Welt wird die Mode künftiger Saisons vorgestellt, die glamouröse
Welt selbst hinkt ihrer Zeit jedoch hinterher. Denn nur wenige Models haben eine andere
Hautfarbe als weiß. Zeit für einen Wandel, wie ELISABETH RIBBANS meint.
advanced
The fashion and beauty industries
live largely in the future. Before most
of us have packed away this summer’s
clothes, the 2015 spring/summer collections
will go down the catwalks.
And forget spring’s minimal eye
make-up: fashion magazines long ago
said metallic is the look for autumn.
But in some important regards, the
world of glamour is dragging its high
heels, struggling to reflect the reality
of the world around it.
This thought struck me when the
Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o
was named as the new face of
Lancôme. The Kenyan star of 12
Years a Slave will be the cosmetic
firm’s first black ambassador.
Lancôme was launched in 1935. Did
it really take this major brand 80
years to find a beauty with black
skin? Bethann Hardison, a former
ambassador [Äm(bÄsEdE] Botschafter(in)
appropriately
entsprechend
[E(prEUpriEtli]
assert sth. [E(s§:t] auf etw. bestehen
brand [brÄnd]
Marke
catwalk [(kÄtwO:k] Laufsteg
cautiously [(kO:SEsli] hier: verhalten
consistently
durchweg
[kEn(sIstEntli]
drag one’s heels zögerlich agieren
[)drÄg wVnz (hi:&lz]
fashion council
Verband der Mode-
[(fÄS&n )kaUns&l] und Textilindustrie
frump [frVmp]
etwa: wandelnde
Vogelscheuche
godmother [(gQd)mVDE] Patin
icon [(aIkQn]
Ikone
launch sth. [lO:ntS] hier: gründen
marked [mA:kt]
deutlich
of colour [Ev (kVlE] hier: mit dunkler
Hautfarbe
pray [preI]
stark hoffen
runway [(rVnweI] hier: Laufsteg
use sb. [ju:z]
jmdn. einsetzen
Unusually colourful:
catwalk models
model who leads the Diversity
Coalition, told Al
Jazeera she was cautiously
optimistic about Nyong’o’s
role. “I pray that Lancôme
uses her appropriately,” she
said, adding that other
brands had employed darkskinned
women, “and they
didn’t use them very much”.
“The world of glamour is dragging its high
heels, struggling to reflect reality”
Hardison wrote to the fashion
councils of the US, France, the UK
and Italy, saying: “Eyes are on an industry
that season after season watches
fashion design houses consistently
use one or no models of colour.”
The coalition found “a marked improvement
on the runways” at this
spring’s New York Fashion Week.
But according to Jezebel.com, almost
80 per cent of models were white. It’s
better than 87 per cent six years ago
— but this is a city where a quarter of
people are black.
At London Fashion Week, 84 per
cent of the models were white, according
to Arts London News,
though no designer this year had
white models only. The British Fashion
Council, which praised the diversity
of labels Topshop, Burberry and
Tom Ford, said: “We strongly assert
that all participating designers …
should recognize that London is one
of the most multicultural cities in the
world and should consider reflecting
this demographic…”
This month, Hardison received an
award from the Council of Fashion
Designers of America for her efforts.
Diane von Fürstenberg called her “the
godmother of all the wonderful,
beautiful models”.
Hardison is certainly the icon. But,
as long as her campaign remains necessary,
fashion is the frump. ■BS
Elisabeth Ribbans is a British journalist and editorial
consultant. She is also a former managing
editor of The Guardian newspaper in London.
Contact: eribbans@yahoo.com
Alamy
18 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

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Sieg! Freiabo!
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2. Sprachen-Weltmeister werden
3. Geld zurück
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BUSINESS PRESS GLOBAL BUSINESS
Behind the headlines
Headlines in the English-language media are often difficult to understand because they use jargon and
wordplay, and leave out words. Here, we look at the meaning of recent business headlines. advanced
The Economist
The Guardian
Ayes to the left: “Ayes to the right, noes to the left”
is an expression used in a division (vote) in the
United Kingdom’s House of Commons. “Ayes”
are those who vote “aye” (another way of saying
yes that is common in Scotland) and “noes” are
those who vote no. In the UK, “ayes” go through
a door to the right of the speaker of the House of
Commons and “noes” through a door to the left.
In this headline, “ayes” refers to those who will
vote yes to Scottish independence in the September
2014 referendum. The headline says “Ayes to
the left” and not “Ayes to the right” because
“left” refers to left-wing Scots.
In simple English: Yes votes for Scottish independence
are likely to come from people on the political left.
Fon: The global Wi-Fi company Fon Wireless.
teams with: This means “joins”.
Spotify and Facebook: The music-streaming service
Spotify and social-media site Facebook.
for: Here, this means to “create”.
Gramofon cloud music jukebox: Gramofon is Fon’s new
wireless music routing device, which connects a
user’s sound system to an online (“cloud”) music
list. Like a jukebox, music is chosen from this list.
In simple English: The Wi-Fi network Fon has joined
the music-streaming service Spotify and the socialmedia
site Facebook to create a new music router
called Gramofon.
Financial Times
The Wall Street Journal
www Are you confused by the language in the press? Keep your
English up to date at www.business-spotlight.de/news
Eurozone rating upgrades: This compound noun (or
“noun string”) refers to improvements in the
credit ratings given to several eurozone countries.
boost: “Boost” (which can be a noun in other contexts)
is the verb in the headline and means “help”
or “cause” here.
bond rally: A period in which the value of bonds
rises after a weak period.
In simple English: The improvements in the credit ratings
given to several eurozone countries have
caused the value of bonds to rise again.
Defining delinquency down: This headline refers to
the US government’s student loan programme.
“Delinquency” is the term used for falling behind
on loan repayments, defined as being 90 days past
due payment. The article claims that this definition,
used by the government, underestimates the
true level of delinquency on student loans.
In simple English: Defaults (on student loans) have
been defined in a way that makes them seem less
serious than they are.
bond [bQnd]
compound noun
[)kQmpaUnd (naUn]
default [di(fO:lt]
division (vote) [dI(vIZ&n (vEUt)]
due payment [)dju: (peImEnt]
fall behind on sth.
[)fO:l bi(haInd Qn]
House of Commons [)haUs Ev (kQmEnz]
left-wing [)left (wIN]
loan [lEUn]
routing device [(ru:tIN di)vaIs]
Anleihe
zusammengesetztes
Substantiv
Zahlungsverzug
Abstimmung durch
Hammelsprung
Fälligkeitsdatum
mit etw. in Rückstand
geraten
(britisches) Unterhaus
linksgerichtet
Darlehen
Router
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 21

GLOBAL BUSINESS PROFILE
man
Jeder weiß, wie ein iMac und ein iPhone aussehen. Wer aber kennt den
Mann, der dahinter steckt? Von MARGARET DAVIS erfahren wir Einzelheiten
über Apples Chefdesigner, der aus dem Hintergrund wirkt.ngt. medium
Steve Jobs described him
as his “spiritual partner
at Apple”. The BBC
compares him to Armani.
His biographer
says: “He looks like a big skinhead
thug but he’s the nicest, politest guy
you ever met and very softly spoken.”
“He” is Sir Jonathan Ive [aIv], head
of design at Apple and the man behind
such classic Apple products as
the iMac, iPod, iPhone, iPad and
MacBook. The 47-year-old, who was
born in London, has worked for Apple
in California since 1992.
Known as Jony (pronounced
“Johnny”) to his friends and colleagues,
Ive remains a British citizen.
He was knighted in 2012 “for
services to design and enterprise”.
Yet despite the knighthood and a
personal fortune estimated at over
£80 million, Ive is rarely recognized
in public. That is partly because,
apart from a love of expensive cars,
Ive does not display his wealth. He
makes few public appearances and is
seldom seen wearing anything other
than a T-shirt and jeans. Even during
Apple’s famous product launches, Ive
is normally present only via video.
“People’s interest is in the product,
not in its authorship,” he told The
Daily Telegraph.
The chief designer’s low profile
probably also reflects Apple’s policy
of keeping anything to do with design
highly secret. Access to Ive’s design
labs at the company headquarters in
Cupertino, near San Francisco, is restricted.
The laboratory has tinted
windows so that people cannot see inside;
most Apple employees have never
entered it.
Ive’s first important design influence
was his father, a silversmith and
instructor at a local college. “His
Christmas gift to me would be one
day of his time in his college workshop,
during the Christmas break,
when no one else was there, helping
me make whatever I dreamed up,”
Ive told Steve Jobs’s biographer, Walter
Isaacson.
Ive attended Walton High School in
Stafford, where he played rugby and
was the drummer in a rock band. After
finishing school, he studied industrial
design at Newcastle Polytechnic
(now Northumbria University) and
joined a London design company. He
became a consultant for Apple in
1992 and soon joined the company as
a full-time designer.
“I often joke that my tombstone
will say: ‘The Guy Who Hired
Jonathan Ive’,” Apple’s former head
of industrial design, Robert Brunner,
told The Daily Mail. “He was a
consummate designer on all levels,
especially around form, detail, materials
and refinement, and how that
extends into manufacturing.”
Ive, whose first major project was
the iMac, says that his work was influenced
by that of Dieter Rams, chief
designer at Braun from 1961 to 1995.
In the foreword to As Little Design as
Possible, a tribute to Rams, Ive wrote,
“what Dieter Rams and his team at
access [(Äkses] Zugang
authorship [(O:TESIp] Urheberschaft
break [breIk]
Pause; hier: Ferien
consultant [kEn(sVltEnt] Berater(in)
consummate
vollendet, perfekt
[kEn(sVmEt]
display sth. [dI(spleI] etw. zur Schau
stellen
dream sth. up
sich etw. aus-
[)dri:m (Vp]
denken
enterprise [(entEpraIz] Unternehmertum
fortune [(fO:tSEn] Vermögen
guy [gaI] ifml.
Kerl, Typ
headquarters
Zentrale
[)hed(kwO:tEz]
instructor [In(strVktE] hier: Lehrer(in)
knighted: be ~ [(naItId] geadelt werden
knighthood [(naIthUd] Adelsstand
lab [lÄb] ifml.
Labor
low profile
etwa: Zurückhal-
[)lEU (prEUfaI&l] tung in der Öffentlichkeit
reflect sth. [ri(flekt] etw. widerspiegeln
polytechnic [)pQli(teknIk] Polytechnikum
product launch
Produkteinführung
[(prQdVkt lO:ntS]
refinement [ri(faInmEnt] Verfeinerung
restricted: be ~ beschränkt
[ri(strIktId]
service [(s§:vIs] hier: Verdienst
silversmith [(sIlvEsmIT] Silberschmied(in)
softly spoken: be ~ mit sanfter Stimme
[)sQftli (spEUkEn] sprechen
thug [TVg]
Schlägertyp
tinted [(tIntId]
getönt
tombstone [(tu:mstEUn] Grabstein
workshop [(w§:kSQp] Werkstatt
4

AFP/Getty Images
Top designer: Apple’s
Sir Jonathan Ive

GLOBAL BUSINESS PROFILE
Corbis
picture-alliance/dpa
Partners:
Ive with
Apple founder
Steve Jobs
Rise, Sir Jonathan: Ive is
knighted by Princess Anne
Braun did was to produce hundreds
of wonderfully conceived and designed
objects: products that were
beautifully made in high volumes and
that were broadly accessible”.
Rams returned the compliment in
The Daily Telegraph: “I have always
regarded Apple products — and the
kind words Jony Ive has said about
me and my work — as a compliment,”
he wrote. “Without doubt
there are few companies in the world
that genuinely understand and practise
the power of good design in their
products and their businesses.”
One of Rams’s principles is that
products must not only look good,
but they must also be useful. Ive
agrees. He likes to tell the story of his
first encounter with Mac computers
as a student. Until then, he had found
computers difficult to work with. The
Mac changed that. “I remember it
really clearly, the moment when I realized
that technology could be accessible
and intuitive,” he told The Independent.
“And I had a real clear
sense of the people who made it: it
speaks to their values and preoccupations.
And that’s what makes Apple a
remarkable and unique company.”
“Ive is the Establishment. Can he reinvent
himself, or is he stuck in time?”
Ive describes himself as “fanatical
in terms of care and attention to
things people don’t see immediately.
It’s like finishing the back of a drawer.
Nobody’s going to see it, but you
do it anyway,” he told Vanity Fair.
“We are in an unusual time, in
which objects are designed graphically,
on a computer. Now we have people
graduating from college who
don’t know how to make something
themselves,” he comments. “It’s only
then that you understand the characteristics
of a material and how you
honour that in the shaping.”
Although he loves London, Ive was
excited about moving to California
and working full-time for Apple, a
company he admired. But his early
years there were disappointing, according
to his biographer, Leander
Kahney. “[H]e ended up working on
his own in a basement office. He was
cranking out weird stuff and filled the
space with hundreds of prototypes.
None of them were getting made and
no one was paying attention to him
or to his work. He was very frustrated.”
All of this changed in 1997,
when Steve Jobs returned to Apple after
a 12-year absence. Jobs was impressed
with Ive’s prototypes and
invested in the design team. This
doesn’t mean Ive escaped the leg-
basement [(beIsmEnt] Keller, Souterrain
broadly accessible einem breiten Pu-
[)brO:dli Ek(sesEb&l] blikum zugänglich
conceive sth. [kEn(si:v] etw. konzipieren
crank sth. out
etw. massenweise
[)krÄNk (aUt] ifml. produzieren
drawer [(drO:E]
Schublade
encounter [In(kaUntE] Begegnung
finish (a surface) hier: (eine Ober-
[(fInIS]
fläche) bearbeiten
genuinely [(dZenjuInli] wirklich
graduate from (a school) (eine Schule) mit
[(grÄdZueIt frQm] einem Abschluss
verlassen
honour sth. [(QnE] hier: einer Sache
gerecht werden
in high volumes in hohen Stück-
[In )haI (vQlju:mz] zahlen
in terms of [In (t§:mz Qv] im Hinblick auf
preoccupation
Anliegen
[pri)Qkju(peIS&n]
shaping [(SeIpIN] Formgebung,
Gestaltung
speak to sth.
etw. aufzeigen,
[(spi:k tu]
von etw. zeugen
stuff [stVf]
Zeug, Sachen
unique [ju(ni:k] einzigartig
weird [wIEd]
sonderbar
24 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

Status symbol:
the iPhone
M. Motoe
endary Steve Jobs temper, however.
“Jonathan took his share of beatings
early on,” says software engineer
Valarie Sobolewski. “To be in Steve’s
world, you’ve got to be willing to
take a buffeting,” Sobolewski told
The Daily Mail.
Still, it was the beginning of one of
the most successful partnerships in
the history of technology, according
to Kahney. “Together they reset Apple’s
engineering-driven culture and
created a much more tightly integrated
design-driven approach, where
‘design’ (meaning creative engineering,
whether it’s hardware, software
or advertising) permeated everything
the company does.”
Ive has managed to keep his family
life almost completely private. He
and his wife, Heather, whom he met
in high school, were married in 1987.
They have twin sons. Although other
Apple designers bring their families to
the studio, Ive does not, according to
his biographer. “Some of the designers
who live in San Francisco know
his family, but to the others they are
a mystery,” Kahney writes. “It’s an
odd paradox for a man whose father
had such a strong influence on his
son’s interest in design.”
Ive may be gentlemanly, but he has
a healthy ego. And one thing he disliked
was Steve Jobs stealing his ideas.
Ive once complained to Walter Isaac-
Apple (2)
son: “[Jobs] will go through a process
of looking at my ideas and say,
‘That’s no good. That’s not very
good. I like that one.’ And later I will
be sitting in the audience and he will
be talking about it as if it was his
idea,” Ive said. “I pay maniacal attention
to where an idea comes from,
and I even keep notebooks filled with
my ideas. So it hurts when he takes
credit for one of my designs.”
When Steve Jobs died on 5 October
2011, Ive was mentioned as a potential
successor, but he has often said he
is not interested in the business side of
the company. At the staff memorial
service, Ive’s eulogy to his “best and
most loyal friend” was humorous and
aluminium
[wg. Aussprache]
[)ÄlE(mIniEm] UK /
aluminum
[E(lu:mInEm*] US
approach [E(prEUtS] Ansatz
audience [(O:diEns] Publikum
beating: take a ~ Prügel bekommen;
[(bi:tIN] ifml.
hier: etw. einstecken
müssen
challenge [(tSÄlIndZ] Herausforderung
early on [)§:li (Qn] schon früh
engineer [)endZI(nIE] Ingenieur(in)
engineering-driven technikorientiert
[endZI(nIErIN )drIv&n]
eulogy [(ju:lEdZi] Lobrede
faculty [(fÄk&lti] Fakultät
genius [(dZi:niEs] Genie
mainstream: the ~ hier: etablierte
[(meInstri:m]
Marke
maniacal [mE(naIEk&l] fanatisch
memorial service Gedenkgottes-
[mE(mO:riEl )s§:vIs] dienst
permeate sth. [(p§:mieIt] etw. durchdringen
reinvent oneself hier etwa: sich ein
[)ri:In(vent wVn)self] neues Image geben
reset sth. [)ri:(set] hier: verändern
succeed sb. [sEk(si:d] jmdm. nachfolgen
successor [sEk(sesE] Nachfolger(in)
take a buffeting etw. abkriegen
[)teIk E (bVfItIN]
(buffeting
Rütteln)
take credit for sth. die Lorbeeren für
[)teIk (kredIt fO:] etw. einheimsen
temper [(tem)pE] Gereiztheit
* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.
Music revolution:
the iPod
touching: “We worked together for
nearly 15 years — and he still laughed
at the way I said ‘aluminium’.”
So if Ive does not succeed Steve
Jobs, what will he do next? “Apple
has gone from being the alternative to
the mainstream,” says Alex Milton,
head of the faculty of design at Ireland’s
National College of Art and Design.
“Ive is the Establishment. The
challenge for Ive is, can he reinvent
himself, or is he stuck in time?”
Although Ive recently told The Sunday
Times that he would leave Apple
if it stopped innovating, he added, “I
don’t think that will happen. We are at
the beginning of a remarkable time…
When you think about technology and
what it has enabled us to do so far, and
what it will enable us to do in the future,
we’re not even close to any kind
of limit. It’s still so, so new.” ■BS
plus You’ll find exercises on this topic
in Business Spotlight plus
For more information
BOOKS
Dieter Rams: As Little Design as Possible,
Sophie Lovell (Phaidon Press)
Jony Ive: The Genius behind Apple’s
Greatest Products, Leander Kahney (Portfolio/Penguin)
Steve Jobs: A Biography, Walter Isaacson
(Simon & Schuster)
WEBSITE
Steve Jobs introduces the first iMac, in
1998: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BHP
toTctDY
Margaret Davis is the editor of the
Careers and Global Business sections
of Business Spotlight. Contact:
m.davis@ spotlight-verlag.de
4/2014
Modern legend:
the iMac
www.business-spotlight.de 25

GLOBAL BUSINESS HEAD-TO-HEAD
Should firms ban smoking breaks?
Unternehmen sehen sich durch rauchende Mitarbeiter finanziell geschädigt. Sollte man
also Raucherpausen verbieten? VICKI SUSSENS gibt zwei Meinungen wieder. medium
Yes!
“Smoking breaks
are a health
problem and cost
firms money”
Simon Chapman
Our jobs require us to give up
many civil liberties. We sit at
a desk for eight hours or
wear a uniform or are limited
in how often we can phone loved
ones. But ever since smoking started
to be banned inside buildings (1987
in Australia), smokers have assumed
they are an exceptional case.
Because smoking is seen as something
that cannot easily be given up,
smokers expect to be allowed to take
a break whenever they want to. But
this is a right non-smokers don’t have
— and 82 per cent of adults in Australia
don’t smoke.
The Australian federal Department
of Health was one of the first Australian
organizations to ban smoking
breaks, in 2010, and the reaction of
libertarians and trade unions then
shows the typical arguments.
The Australian Council for Civil
Liberties said that the ban would
force smokers into an “uncomfortable
working day simply because
they’re employees of the health department”.
Yet countless smokers stop smoking
for long periods when they take a
transcontinental flight, work down a
mine or attend movie marathons such
as the three-hour Wolf of Wall Street.
Some use nicotine replacements to get
through these hours, but most people
easily manage to get through the long
periods.
A trade-union official reacted to the
ban by saying that smoking was an
addiction and if firms wanted to get
rid of it, they should pay for courses
to help remove the addiction. Yet providing
support groups for smokers is
nonsense. Decades of well-meaning
attempts to run these have largely
seen empty rooms.
An employment lawyer also argued
against the ban, saying that smoking
was a private, individual choice and
was irrelevant to employment as long
as it did not affect the health and
safety of the workplace. But smoking
breaks are not only a health problem.
They also cost firms money.
A recent study carried out for the
British Heart Foundation found that
one in five smokers who work in the
UK took an average of four smoking
breaks a day, lasting ten minutes
each.
These breaks, combined with the
fact that smokers tend to take more
sick leave than other staff, cost firms
in the UK £8.7 billion per year, the report
found.
I love good coffee. Should I be able
to leave the firm and go to my nearest
cafe any time I want at my employer’s
expense? And what about
exercise addicts or those with mild
forms of claustrophobia? Why limit
compassion only to smokers?
Simon Chapman is professor of public health at
the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Public
Health in Sydney, Australia.
addiction [E(dIkS&n] Sucht
affect sth. [E(fekt] etw. beeinträchtigen
argue against sth. sich gegen etw.
[)A:gju: E(genst] aussprechen
assume sth. [E(sju:m] von etw. ausgehen
billion [(bIljEn] Milliarde(n)
civil liberty [)sIv&l (lIbEti] bürgerliche Freiheit
compassion [kEm(pÄS&n] Mitgefühl
council [(kaUns&l] Rat
Department of Health Gesundheits-
[di)pA:tmEnt Ev (helT] ministerium
employment lawyer Fachanwalt/-anwäl-
[Im(plOImEnt )lO:jE] tin für Arbeitsrecht
exercise addict Sportsüchtige(r)
[(eksEsaIz )ÄdIkt]
expense: at sb.’s ~ auf jmds. Kosten
[Ik(spens]
faculty [(fÄk&lti] Fachbereich
foundation [faUn(deIS&n] Stiftung
libertarian [)lIbE(teEriEn] Liberalist(in)
sick leave: take ~ sich krankschreiben
[(sIk li:v]
lassen
take a break
eine Pause machen
[)teIk E (breIk]
trade union
Gewerkschaft
[)treId (ju:niEn]
26 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

The smoking brigade: should
they have special rights?
Corbis
No!
“What matters is
that employees get
their jobs done”
Lewis Maltby
Human beings are not robots.
No one works for hours and
hours without taking a break.
Employees take breaks in
endless ways. They may get a cup of
coffee, chat with colleagues, check
their private email or just daydream.
Anyone who thinks employees
work every minute of the day except
for lunchtime has never been a manager.
Studies of work behaviour
consistently show that employees
work between six and seven hours of
an eight-hour shift.
Whether an employee takes a 15-
minute break drinking coffee or
smoking a cigarette makes no difference
to how much work they do.
What matters is that employees get
their jobs done.
Smokers are not entitled to special
treatment. If employees are expected
to write 100 lines of code daily, then
that includes smokers, too. Employ-
ees who smoke must therefore find a
way to take their smoking breaks and
still get their jobs done. If an employee
works on the 22nd floor and
needs 20 minutes to get outside the
building, they may have to take their
break at lunch or work longer to get
their work done. If they don’t do
their job properly because of smoking,
they should lose it — just like
anyone else who doesn’t perform.
For most jobs, the idea of official
breaks is an anachronism. Unless they
work on an assembly line, employees
take breaks at different times and in
different ways. Trying to measure the
number and length of breaks each
employee takes to make sure everyone
works exactly the same number
of minutes every day is pointless and
impossible. Good managers know
how to manage by results. Every employee
should know what they are expected
to accomplish.
Some people claim that smokers
are less productive than other employees.
That is highly debatable.
Many of the studies that make this
claim are based on the assumption
that smoking employees are the only
ones who take unscheduled breaks,
which is clearly incorrect.
The bottom line is that smokers
should be treated like all other employees.
There should be no special
“smoking breaks”. Smokers should
get to take an occasional break like
everyone else, but they have to get
their work done.
■BS
Lewis Maltby is president of the National
Workrights Institute, a US organization that
advocates human rights in the workplace.
accomplish sth.
[E(kVmplIS]
advocate sth.
[(ÄdvEkeIt]
assembly line
[E(sembli laIn]
assumption [E(sVmpS&n]
bottom line
[)bQtEm (laIn] ifml.
chat [tSÄt]
consistently
[kEn(sIstEntli]
entitled: be ~ to sth.
[In(taIt&ld]
perform [pE(fO:m]
pointless [(pOIntlEs]
shift [SIft]
unscheduled
[)Vn(Sedju:ld]
Listen to more views on this topic on
Business Spotlight Audio
plus For reading-comprehension exercises,
see Business Spotlight plus
etw. leisten; auch:
erfüllen
etw. befürworten
Fließband
Annahme
Quintessenz
plaudern
übereinstimmend
ein Anrecht auf
etw. haben
Leistung(en)
erbringen
sinnlos
Schicht; hier auch:
Arbeitszeit
ungeplant; hier
auch: spontan
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 27

The forgotten art
Wir schreiben E-Mails und Protokolle,
beschriften Power-Point-Folien und
verfassen Geschäftsberichte. Wie Sie
solche Dokumente korrekt und auch
effizient erstellen, zeigt BOB DIGNEN im
dritten Teil unserer Serie. medium
SERIES Part Three

iStock
WRITING BUSINESS SKILLS
Writing is the forgotten
skill of business communication.
Many people
work much harder
to improve their speaking
and listening skills. Yet effective
writing is central to doing business
well. In this article, we provide ten
key ideas to help you to improve
your writing at work.
This article is the third in our special
skills series. Each article contains
ten top tips for a key area of
business communication — and a
training plan to help you to structure
your learning (see p. 33).
In previous issues:
Part One: Listening (2/2014)
Part Two: Speaking (3/2014)
TIP 1 Manage information
Business writing is essential to organ -
izations. It creates the mechanisms by
which we can know our customers
and markets, exchange ideas, create
new products, analyse risks and take
decisions. Documents therefore need
to be accurate, complete, accessible
and usable by others. This means, for
example, using clear subject headers
in emails, and having rules for naming
documents and for file locations.
Think about the information management
in your organization and
write down three practical things that
could be improved.
How I could improve my information management:
a) ____________________________
b) ____________________________
c) ____________________________
TIP 2 Create personal guidelines
There are many types of business documents,
including emails and letters,
instant messages, presentation slides,
minutes of meetings and business reports.
And the readers of these documents
have different needs, expectations
and reading styles.
This makes generic advice difficult
and potentially dangerous. Context,
as always, is the key. Think about
your specific writing situations and
create your own guidelines. The following
table (see p. 30) shows how
you can list the main types of documents
you write and your first
thoughts on “personal best practice”.
You can download a blank table at
www.business-spotlight.de/write
As you read this article, add tips to
your guidelines. Then review them
regularly with the help of colleagues
and feedback from your readers. 4
accessible [Ek(sesEb&l]
accurate [(ÄkjErEt]
best practice
[)best (prÄktIs]
blank [blæŋk]
file location
[(faI&l lEU)keIS&n]
generic advice
[dZE)nerIk Ed(vaIs]
guideline [(gaIdlaIn]
instant message
[)InstEnt (mesIdZ]
minutes [(mInIts]
review sth. [ri(vju:]
slide [slaId]
subject header
[(sVbdZekt )hedE]
zugänglich
exakt, richtig
beste Vorgehensweise
leer
Speicherort einer
Datei
allgemeine Ratschläge
Leitlinie, Vorgabe
Sofortnachricht
Protokoll
etw. überprüfen
Folie
Betreffzeile
Think about your specific
writing situations, and create your
own guidelines
Business writing:
think and plan
www.business-spotlight.de 29

BUSINESS SKILLS WRITING
My personal writing guidelines (example)
Types of documents I write
Emails
Monthly business reports
Minutes of meetings
Blog posts
Offers to customers
TIP 3 Manage the risks
Best-practice guidelines
Writing is essential for the documentation
and dissemination of information.
But there are also some significant
risks:
l Meaning. Documents are often read
in situations over which the writer
has no control. The reader may be in
a bad mood when looking at your
well-intentioned email, or simply not
be concentrating properly. Written information
is therefore equally, if not
more, open to misunderstanding than
the spoken word. Look, for example,
at this simple email and think about
the impact it could have:
Reply to customer emails within 24 hours.
Communicate honestly but respectfully at all times.
Send on last day of each month (request confirmation of receipt).
Don’t be explicity critical of company strategy.
Keep to a maximum of two pages.
Note actions needed (with person/deadline).
Check with the head of communications before posting.
Avoid naming specific customers.
Check from time to time whether offers are clear.
Always send a copy to the head of sales.
l Technology. As we know from experience,
technology does fail at times.
Don’t assume that a message has been
received.
With these risks in mind, here are
some best-practice guidelines:
l Delay sending/posting an important
message for 24 hours, so that you
have the time to review it, either alone,
with colleagues or with your boss.
l Express positive intentions explicitly
to avoid negative interpretations.
l Avoid unfair criticism and simplistic
blaming of individuals.
l Remove informal language that
might be seen as unprofessional if
your messages are forwarded.
l Always request confirmation of
receipt for key documents.
assume sth. [E(sju:m] von etw. ausgehen
confirmation of receipt Empfangs-, Eingangs-
[kɒnfE)meIS&n Ev bestätigung
ri(si:t]
dissemination Verbreitung
[dI)semI(neIS&n]
explicitly
ausdrücklich; hier:
[Ik(splIsItli]
unverhohlen
guideline [(gaIdlaIn] Leitlinie, Vorgabe
head of sales Vertriebsleiter(in)
[)hed Ev (seI&lz]
impact [(ImpÄkt] (Aus-)Wirkung
mood: be in a bad ~ schlecht gelaunt
[mu:d]
sein
permanence
Dauerhaftigkeit
[(p§:mEnEns]
subject [(sVbdZekt] Betreff
Take time: check documents
before sending them
Subject: Report
Jane
Can you let me know if you have
finished the report yet?
Peter
This message could be a neutral request
for information, criticism about
a delay or even an offer of support. But
few people would read it positively.
l Permanence. The written word has
potentially greater permanence than
the spoken word. It can be copied or
sent to others without the permission
or knowledge of the writer.
30 www.business-spotlight.de
iStock

Clearly structured?
Think about your reader
TIP 4 Develop trust
Trust is often seen as something that
develops through personal meetings.
But it can also be created — or broken
— by written communication.
Here are three simple strategies for
building trust in your documents:
l Show that you are reliable. Make clear
to readers that you have delivered on
what you promised and that you have
met your timelines and goals: “As I
promised at the last meeting, I have
now finished…”; “We successfully
reached our goals on time”.
l Show that you care. You can do this
at the start of emails: “How are you?
I heard that you have been very busy
recently.” Explicit offers of support
are another good method: “I am happy
to help you with this task if you
don’t have time.”
l Highlight expertise. Make clear your
capabilities: “My experience from the
last SAP project I worked on suggests
to me that we need to…”
l Keep people informed. Sharing information
about important developments
will help to generate trust: “I
am sending this report, as I thought it
may interest you to see that…”
TIP 5 Make it readable
I know someone who complained
that his boss never responded to his
emails. A colleague advised him not
to send emails of more than two sentences,
as the boss transferred longer
ones to a “Read later” mailbox.
We need to think carefully about
how we present written information.
There are three key aspects:
l Length. There are many guidelines
for length. For presentation slides,
the “6:6” rule tells us we should have
no more than six bullet points and six
words per line. For report writing,
some people recommend no more
than 18 words per sentence. Many
iStock
Accuracy is much more important in
documents than it is in speech
people believe that a CV should be no
longer than two pages. These are not
absolute rules but guidelines. Usually,
less is more!
l Detail. Experts need to learn to write
simply but informatively for nonexperts.
Writers often fail to provide
enough background information to
enable the reader to understand the
situation or problem properly. Second-language
users, in particular,
make this mistake — understandably,
because they probably want to write
as little as possible.
abbreviation Abkürzung
[E)bri:vi(eIS&n]
bullet point
Aufzählungspunkt
[(bUlIt pOInt]
CV (curriculum vitae) Lebenslauf
[)si: (vi:]
deliver on sth. etw. erfüllen
[di(lIvEr Qn]
expertise [)eksp§:(ti:z] Fachwissen
goal [gEUl]
Ziel(setzung)
header [(hedE] Kopfzeile
highlight sth. [(haIlaIt] etw. hervorheben
jargon [(dZA:gEn] Fachsprache
on time [)Qn (taIm] pünktlich, fristgerecht
reliable [ri(laIEb&l] verlässlich
sequencing
hier etwa: Abschnitte
[(si:kwEnsIN] bildend
suggest [sE(dZest] hier: den Schluss
nahelegen
timeline
Zeitplan, zeitliche
[(taImlaIn]
Vorgabe
l Language. Jargon and abbreviations
exist in every professional culture and
organization. But they can make life
very difficult for “outsiders”. Also,
when writing for second-language
users, try not to use words that they
are unlikely to understand or that you
yourself need to look up in a dictionary.
If you aren’t familiar with a particular
word in English, others may
not be either.
Structure, structure,
TIP 6 structure
Writing in an organized way — by
using clear headers, introducing paragraphs
with bullet points and structuring
your message logically — can
help the reader enormously. Yet,
many forms of communication, such
as email and instant messaging, encourage
people to write in a less
thoughtful way. Help readers by using
sequencing language (“first”, “second”,
“third”). Giving information in
the following order can also help:
l State your purpose. “I am writing to
let you know about…”
l Explain the problem. “We really need
a quick solution for…”
4
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 31

BUSINESS SKILLS WRITING
iStock
l State the necessary actions to take.
“As the next step in this project, I
suggest that we…”
TIP 7 Be accurate
While inaccuracy in speech is often
overlooked, it is much more important
in documents, particularly formal
ones. Careful proofreading is essential.
Do not make the common
mistake of just using the spellchecker
on your computer. Asking an expert
language user to check your writing is
one possibility. Another is to create
your own checklist of typical mistakes.
Here are some examples:
l Verb forms. “The products have arrived
last week.”
l Nouns. “Please email these informations
this information to our client.”
l If. “If I would have had the time, I
would offer more support.”
l Adverbs / Adjectives. “It is very good
well organized.”
l Prepositions. “He is very good in at
finding solutions.”
l False friends. “The actual current inflation
rate is 3 per cent.”
l Expressions. “I look forward to see
seeing you.”
TIP 8 Choose the right register
Another way to make your writing
sound more professional is to use a
slightly more formal register. Look at
the differences below between everyday
and more formal language.
Use your writing for
TIP 9 self-marketing
Many people dislike self-marketing,
but it is often essential to communicate
positive messages about yourself
and your team (“self” is bigger than
just you). Emails, reports, intranet
articles and websites can all be used
to do this. Look at the way positive
news is communicated in the email
below.
Hi Peter
Function Less formal More formal
Save time: build up your
personal database
I hope you are well. I just wanted
to let you know that we have
reached our latest goals on time
as a result of the team’s hard
work.
Look forward to seeing you soon.
Best wishes
Jackie
Good news You’ll be happy to hear that… We are delighted to inform you that…
Bad news Sorry, but… We regret to inform you that…
Requests Could you… ? We would appreciate it if you could…
Offers Do you want me to… ? If you wish, we would be happy to…
Closing Let me know if you need Do not hesitate to contact us if you
more help.
require further assistance.
TIP 10 Build up a database
Create a database of document templates
that you can adapt and use
again. This will improve the efficiency
and effectiveness of your writing.
Develop your own lists of regularly
used language so that you have a personalized
writing database. If you
make this a priority over an extended
period, the language and structures
will become automatic to you. ■BS
appreciate sth.
[E(pri:SieIt]
database [(deItEbeIs]
hesitate [(hezIteIt]
noun [(naUn]
proofreading
[(pru:fri:dIN]
register [(redZIstE]
regret sth. [ri(gret]
spellchecker
[(speltSekE]
template [(templeIt]
In the next issue
etw. zu schätzen
wissen
Datenbank
zögern
Substantiv
Korrekturlesen
hier: Sprachebene
etw. bedauern
Rechtschreibprüfung
Mustervorlage
In Part Four of our special series, Bob
Dignen will provide ten top tips for
improving your telephoning skills.
plus You can find related exercises in
Business Spotlight plus
www Improve your writing skills online at
www.business-spotlight.de/write
For more tips on communication skills,
watch our “Business with Bob” videos at
www.business-spotlight.de/videos/bob
Bob Dignen is a director of York Associates
(www.york-associates.co.uk),
and author of many books. Contact:
bob.dignen@york-associates.co.uk
32 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

TRAINING PLAN
BUSINESS SKILLS
In this training plan, you will find suggestions on how to structure your learning to improve your writing skills.
We have divided the activities into five weekly blocks, each of which includes an exercise and two tasks based
on Bob Dignen’s ten top tips. You can adapt the timing of the plan to suit your own schedule.
Week Exercise Tasks Done
WEEK 1
Exercise: Read the article on
pages 28–32, paying particular
attention to the first two tips. Make
a note of any unfamiliar words and
create a database of phrases.
n
Task 1: Implement the three measures that you wrote down on page 29 to
improve your information management. Observe their impact. If you see any
negative impact, rethink the measures to create a more positive result.
Task 2: Download the table at www.business-spotlight.de/write and start
to create your personalized writing guidelines by noting down some best
practices. These could include expressing care and support for the reader.
n
n
WEEK 2
Exercise: Reread the third and
fourth tips on pages 30–31.
www Every day this week, complete
one of our special online writing
exercises at www.businessspotlight.de/write
n
Task 3: Before you send a sensitive email, get feedback from a colleague
on how clear and positive the message seems. If necessary, make changes
to improve the message.
n
Task 4: Choose four important documents and integrate one of the four
trust-building strategies into each one: show you are reliable; show that
you care; demonstrate expertise; keep people informed.
n
WEEK 3
Exercise: Reread the fifth and
sixth tips in the article on page 31.
plus Then do the language exercises
in Business Spotlight plus
(pp. 8–9). n
Task 5: Review your slides for a presentation (if you have to give one). Do
they have the right amount of information? Is there enough detail? Is the
language clear or are there too many abbreviations and too much jargon?
After the presentation, ask for feedback.
Task 6: Choose one of your documents and analyse its structure. Does it
state the purpose and issue plainly? Is the information clearly sequenced?
Does the document include a statement of the necessary actions?
n
n
WEEK 4
Exercise: Reread the seventh and
eighth tips in the article on page 32.
Do the exercises on false
friends and grammar on Business
Spotlight Audio (tracks 13 and
21–23). n
Task 7: Check your emails (alone or, ideally, with a colleague or teacher who
is a native speaker) over the next week for grammatical and other errors.
Create your own checklist of typical mistakes, like the ones on page 32. Use
this as a reference to avoid mistakes in future emails.
Task 8: Think about situations in which you might need to use more formal
structures. Practise writing these and ask a colleague or teacher for
feedback. Record useful phrases in a personalized database.
n
n
iStock (2)
WEEK 5
Exercise: Reread the ninth and
tenth tips on page 32. Make a note
of the writing strategies and
phrases you have used successfully
in the past few weeks. Write
down some new things you could
do to improve your writing skills.
n
Task 9: Communicate some positive news via an email/report/presentation
about the work of your colleagues or department. Check with the readers/audience
how well this news was received. Integrate the feedback into
the next positive news message that you write.
Task 10: Continue to build your own database of phrases and expressions
for different types of documents. Ask a colleague or teacher to give you
feedback on your database. And make sure that you add to the database
at least one phrase per week over the coming year.
n
n
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 33

BUSINESS SKILLS TOOLBOX
Effective feedback
In dieser Rubrik nutzt KEN TAYLOR seine internationalen
Erfahrungen und gibt Antwort auf Fragen, die im heutigen
Geschäftsalltag häufig gestellt werden.
medium
“Let’s see if we can
find a solution”
1. Why and when should I give feedback?
Giving feedback to others at work is an effective way to help
them develop their skills. It allows recipients to understand
their strengths as well as to identify areas that need improvement.
It tells them the progress they are making towards
personal goals. It shows that their organization is taking
an interest in them, and makes clear the importance of
their work to the organization. They may also gain a new
perspective on problems and concerns.
Feedback is not criticism. In fact, most feedback should be
positive. Good results are more likely to be repeated if they
are followed by positive feedback.
Feedback should deal with a particular situation and not
with generalizations. So the sooner you can give the feedback,
the better. But never take people by surprise. Arrange
a time for a feedback session and explain why it’s needed.
3. What is the best way to give negative feedback?
Occasionally, we need to give feedback when something has gone
wrong. Here are some useful rules to follow:
l Focus on the problem, not the person: “Let’s look at the issue
we’ve been having with shipping delays. Some deliveries have taken
more than two weeks.”
l Talk about the future rather than the past: “Our aim should be
for our customers to receive the goods within five working days.
So we need to think about how we can improve our performance.”
l Look for solutions rather than allocating blame: “What do you
suggest we do to speed this process up?”
l Make concrete, specific comments, avoiding the words “always”
or “never”: “I suggest we monitor the number of orders
over a two-week period and that you log your response time. Then
we can analyse and discuss the results.”
l Feedback should be positive, not hostile: “I know it’s not easy
to set priorities, but I’m sure we can solve this problem together.”
Banana Stock
Credit
2. How do I make the most of feedback?
Treat any feedback you receive seriously. Do
not dismiss it, even if, after reflection, you disagree
with it. Try to see it as support rather
than personal criticism. So instead of getting
angry or defending yourself, do the following:
l Listen attentively without interrupting.
Make notes, if possible.
l Clarify anything you do not understand.
l Thank the person giving the feedback —
for their help, their time, their insights and
their support.
l Reflect on what has been said. Decide how
you will use the information to improve
your performance in the future.
allocate blame (to sb.) (jmdm.) die Schuld
[)ÄlEkeIt (bleIm] geben
clarify sth. [(klÄrEfaI] etw. klären
consultant [kEn(sVltEnt] Berater(in)
dismiss sth. [dIs(mIs] etw. abtun
goal [gEUl]
Ziel
goods [gUdz]
Ware(n)
hostile [(hQstaI&l] feindselig
insight [(InsaIt] (vermittelte)
Erkenntnis
issue [(ISu:]
Problem
log sth. [lQg]
etw. aufzeichnen,
protokollieren
monitor sth. [(mQnItE] etw. beobachten,
kontrollieren
performance
Leistung
[pE(fO:mEns]
recipient [ri(sIpiEnt] Empfänger(in)
response time
Reaktionszeit
[ri(spQns taIm]
shipping [(SIpIN] Versand
Practise these skills on
Business Spotlight Audio
Ken Taylor is a communication consultant
and author of 50 Ways to Improve
Your Business English (Summertown).
Contact: KTaylor868@aol.com
34 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

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A question of identity
Sind sie Briten oder doch eher Engländer, Schotten, Waliser oder Nordiren? Oder gar Europäer? Und
was bedeutet es, britisch zu sein? Anhand der politischen und wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung der
Nation und den Auskünften Betroffener versucht VICKI SUSSENS, Antworten zu finden. medium
Symbol of a nation:
exciting, busy London
iStock

THE UK INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
4
In 2006, David Cameron — then
leader of the opposition Conservative
Party, now Britain’s prime minister
— described the UK Independence
Party (UKIP) as a movement
full of “fruitcakes, loonies and closet
racists”. The eurosceptic party, which
wants Britain to leave the EU and limit
immigration, was seen as populist
but toothless.
UKIP now, led by the charismatic
Nigel Farage (see Business Spotlight
2/2013, pp. 22–23), is the fastestgrowing
political movement in the
UK since the appearance of the Social
Democratic Party (SDP) in the 1980s.
At a time when social, political and
economic change is forcing Britain to
redefine itself, UKIP has hit a nerve
with voters. The UK faces the potential
breakaway of Scotland, which
will hold a referendum on independence
in September 2014 (see Business
Spotlight 3/2012, pp. 22–23). There is
growing British antagonism towards
EU membership, and immigration is
seen as threatening local jobs. Also,
the financial crisis has cast a shadow
over the country’s once proud economic
engine, its financial sector.
“British identity is a big topic of
discussion here,” says Adrian Pilantagonism
Feindseligkeit,
[Än(tÄgE)nIzEm] Widerstreit
breakaway
Absplittern,
[(breIkE)weI]
Loslösen
cast a shadow over sth. einen Schatten
[)kA:st E (SÄdEU )EUvE] auf etw. werfen
closet racist
verkappte(r)
[)klQzIt (reIsIst]
Rassist(in)
economic engine Konjunkturmotor
[i:kE)nQmIk (endZIn]
face sth. [feIs]
sich einer Sache
gegenübersehen
fruitcake [(fru:tkeIk] ifml. Verrückte(r)
hit a nerve with sb. jmds. Nerv treffen
[)hIt E (n§:v wID] ifml.
loony [(lu:ni] ifml. Bekloppte(r),
Spinner(in)
toothless [(tu:TlEs] zahnlos; hier:
harmlos, ohne
große Wirkung
topic [(tQpIk]
Thema
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 37

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION THE UK
Towers of power: but
Britain is not just London
Corbis
“British identity is a big topic of discussion here
— and what being British means”
Intercultural expert Adrian Pilbeam, owner of LTS Training and
Consulting in Bath, England
beam, an intercultural communication
expert and owner of LTS Training
and Consulting in Bath, southwest
England (see interview on p. 40).
“In particular, there is a lot of soulsearching
about whether Scotland is
British or something separate — and
what being British means.”
So who is this nation that has had
so much influence in the world yet
seems to be at odds with itself? Now
a union of England, Wales, Scotland
and Northern Ireland, the country
began to spread its tentacles across
the globe in the 16th century, becoming
the world’s most powerful empire
in history. By the first half of the 20th
century, it ruled over a fifth of the
world’s population and stretched
across a quarter of the world’s surface.
It was called “the empire on
which the sun never sets”.
And in some ways, the sun never
did set. English is an official language
of 60 states, as well as of the EU and
the UN. It has become a global lingua
franca and the language of international
business. Britain remains an
important player in world affairs. It is
also the world’s sixth-largest economy
and, according to the IMF’s economic
forecasts, will grow 2.9 per
cent in 2014, making it this year’s
fastest-growing economy in the G7.
However, Britain has seen both its
world power — and its desire to rule
the world — shrink dramatically
since the Second World War. In the
post-war period, it lost both power
at odds: be ~ with (innerlich) zerrissen
oneself [)Ät (Qdz] sein
consulting [kEn(sVltIN] Beratung
forecast [(fO:kA:st] Prognose
IMF (International Mon- IWF (Internationaler
etary Fund) [)aI em (ef] Währungsfonds)
set [set]
hier: untergehen
shrink [SrINk]
schrumpfen
soul-searching
Gewissensprüfung;
[(sEUl )s§:tSIN]
hier: Insichgehen
spread one’s tentacles etwa: auf Erobe-
[)spred wVnz (tentEk&lz] rungszug gehen
(tentacle
Fangarm, Fühler)
38 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

Corbis
Modern
economy:
high-tech
industry
Alamy
The UK: Fast facts
Government
Constitutional monarchy
Capital
London 9.8 million (2011 census)
Head of state
Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February
1952)
Prime minister
David Cameron (since 11 May
2010)
Population
64 million (July 2014 est.)
GDP (at purchasing power parity)
$2.4 trillion (2013 est.)
GDP growth rate
2.9% (2014 IMF forecast)
Unemployment
7.7% (2013 est.)
Inflation (consumer prices)
2.7% (2013 est.)
Main trading partners
Germany, USA, China, the Netherlands,
France, Ireland, Belgium,
Norway (2012)
Ethnic groups
White 87.2%, black/African/Caribbean
3%, Indian 2.3%, Pakistani
1.9%, mixed 2%, other 3.7%
(2011 est.)
Schätzung
Prognose
BIP (Bruttoin-
landsprodukt)
kaufkraft-
bereinigt
est. (estimate) [(estImEt]
forecast [(fO:kA:st]
GDP (gross domestic
product) [)dZi: di: (pi:]
purchasing power parity:
at ~ [)p§:tSEsIN )paUE
(pÄrEti]
trillion [(trIljEn]
Billion(en)
Getty Images
Scotland the brave: fighting for independence
Eurosceptic party: UKIP leader Nigel Farage
Sources: CIA World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uk.html); IMF
(http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2014/update/01)
and prestige to the United States,
which, together with the Soviet
Union, played a bigger role in winning
the war.
Without the strength to run its empire,
Britain began to decolonize after
the war. The first major colony to become
independent was India, in 1947,
and in 1997, the country handed over
its last major colony, Hong Kong, in
an event attended by Prince Charles.
Charles wrote down his thoughts
about the “end of empire”, as he
called it. Britain would have to overcome
“the apathy and loss of selfbelief
by finding a fresh national
direction”, he said in notes published
by the Mail on Sunday.
Britain still controls a few small territories,
the largest of which is the
Falkland Islands (see box on p. 41).
But since the Second World War, it
has acted as junior partner to the US
on the world stage. Many Britons
would now like to see an end to this
“vassal” status and, in particular, to
helping the US play the role of the
world’s policeman.
Yet, although Britain lies geographically
closer to continental Europe
than it does to North America,
its relationship to Europe is no easier.
Britain is torn between wanting to
protect its trading interests in the EU
and not losing its political independence.
But also, many Britons do not
feel European, as US author Bill
Bryson writes in Notes from a Small
Island: “Of course, the British are all
aware, in an abstract sort of way, that
there is a substantial landmass called
Europe nearby and that from time to
time it is necessary to go over there to
give old Jerry a drubbing or have a
holiday in the sun, but it’s not nearby
in any meaningful sense.”
So Britain is currently rethinking its
relationships within its borders and
outside of them. But history shows
that this robust nation is particularly
talented at reinventing itself in times
of change.
decolonize [di:(kQlEnaIz] entkolonialisieren
drubbing: give sb. a ~ jmdm. eine Abrei-
[(drVbIN]
bung verpassen
old Jerry [)EUld (dZeri] die Deutschen
UK ifml.
reinvent oneself sich neu erfinden
[)ri:In(vent wVn)self]
vassal [(vÄs&l]
Vasall
4
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 39

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION THE UK
Reading between the lines
“Sometimes, British informality
can be seen as casual
rather than professional”
Adrian Pilbeam is an intercultural training
consultant and owner of LTS Training and
Consulting in Bath, England
Can you give an example of a typical
German–British intercultural misunderstanding?
A German client who came to work in
his firm’s British office complained
that Brits were very impolite on the
phone. They didn’t introduce themselves,
simply saying, for example,
“Hi, can I speak to Peter?” He was so
annoyed that he had almost stopped
answering the telephone. I told him
that this was normal in Britain. We either
know we have the right person on
the phone or expect them to recognize
our voice.
So intercultural differences can be
mistaken for rudeness?
Yes. We teach our clients to ask others
whether a behaviour they find
strange is part of the culture before
making a judgement. For example,
you can say: “This is what happens in
the team. I don’t understand it. Is
there something behind it I should
know?” And if the Brits learn that introducing
yourself is important in Germany,
then they, too, can change their
behaviour.
In what other ways does British work
culture get misunderstood?
Sometimes, British informality can be
seen as casual and thus unprofessional.
Brits communicate informally,
can sometimes give the impression of
being very laid-back and, of course,
often like to go to the pub after work
with colleagues, especially in central
London. So foreigners can think they
are not hard workers. But they are very
punctual in business and very efficient.
Using your time well is important
here.
Credit
What about meetings?
Meetings start punctually. Generally,
Brits are not aggressive with each other.
They won’t confront a person or directly
criticize their ideas, because the
British take this personally. Germans
typically find it easier to separate the
person from the problem.
Can false friends cause misunderstandings?
Yes. The British say “I’ll do it eventually”,
meaning that they will definitely
do whatever it is, but not quickly.
The German word eventuell, however,
means “possibly” or even “not likely”.
Then there is the English “oversee”,
which means to “supervise”, but which
the Germans translate as “overlook”,
which means to “fail to notice.”
annoyed [E(nOId]
casual [(kÄZuEl]
consultant [kEn(sVltEnt]
consulting [kEn(sVltIN]
laid-back [)leId (bÄk] ifml.
overlook (sth.) [)EUvE(lUk]
rudeness [(ru:dnEs]
supervise (sb./sth.)
[(su:pEvaIz]
verärgert
zwanglos
Berater(in)
Beratung
gelassen
etw. übersehen
Unhöflichkeit
(jmdn./etw.)
beaufsichtigen
In the 17th and 18th centuries, its
majestic ships sailed down the River
Thames filled with exotic goods from
its colonies and trading posts. It became
a powerful trading nation, but
competition from the empires of
France, the Netherlands, Spain and
Portugal was strong. That changed in
the 19th century, when Britain became
the first country to industrialize.
Its waterways then filled with boats
carrying materials and products to
and from factories. By 1815, the UK
was the world’s leading trading nation.
But in the 1970s and 1980s,
manufacturing was hit hard by high
boost [bu:st]
Auftrieb, Schub
competition
Konkurrenz
[)kQmpE(tIS&n]
manufacturing
verarbeitende
[)mÄnju(fÄktSErIN] Industrie
overvalued currency überbewertete
[EUvE)vÄlju:d (kVrEnsi] Währung
policymaker
politische(r)
[(pQlEsi)meIkE]
Entscheidungsträger(in)
skyscraper [(skaI)skreIpE] Wolkenkratzer
strike [straIk]
Streik
Thames [temz]
Themse
trading post
Handelsnieder-
[(treIdIN pEUst]
lassung
unemployment and inflation, strikes,
recession and an overvalued currency.
The governments under Margaret
Thatcher also began a process of
deregulation to develop the services
sector, which gave a massive boost to
the economy’s most recent star: the
“City”, the country’s financial sector,
whose impressive skyscrapers line the
Thames. Then came the financial
crash in 2007–08. And now?
“Policymakers have recognized that
manufacturing needs more of a role in
the economy,” says Neil Prothero,
40 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

Rule Britannia: pomp and
splendour in India
What’s in a name?
“The British are all aware ... that there is
a substantial landmass called Europe nearby”
US author Bill Bryson, Notes from a Small Island
deputy chief economist of EEF, the
British manufacturers’ organization.
“However, this does not mean a return
to the factory age. Today’s UK
factories are in niche high-tech areas.”
EEF manufacturers with factories
abroad are also beginning to reestablish
production in Britain. “With
installation factory in Hull, in East
Yorkshire, which is expected to create
about 1,000 new jobs. In 2013, car
manufacturing in the UK hit a sixyear
high, producing more vehicles
(1.5 million) than in 2007 before the
financial crisis.
The nation’s economic pulse is
therefore strong. But what about its
identity crisis? Britain can certainly be
excused for having identity problems,
consisting, as it does, of many small
groups, each with their own strong
traditions and cultures. England swallowed
up Wales in 1536. It united
with Scotland in 1707 and, finally,
Ireland in 1801. In 1923, after a guerchief
economist Chefökonom(in)
[)tSi:f i(kQnEmIst]
deputy [(depjUti] stellvertretende(r,s)
GDP (gross domestic BIP (Bruttoinlandsproduct)
[)dZi: di: (pi:] produkt)
hire (sb.) [(haIE] (jmdn.) einstellen
IT cluster
Cluster von
[)aI (ti: )klVstE] IT-Unternehmen
manufacturer Hersteller(in)
[)mÄnju(fÄktSErE]
manufacturing output Produktion(smenge)
[mÄnju)fÄktSErIŋ
(aUtpUt]
niche [ni:S]
Nische
pulse [pVls]
Puls; hier: Dynamik
start-up [(stA:t Vp] junges Unternehmen
supply chain
Liefer-, Beschaf-
[sE(plaI tSeIn] fungskette
survey [(s§:veI] Umfrage, Studie
swallow sth. up etw. schlucken, sich
[)swQlEU (Vp] etw. einverleiben
take off [)teIk (Qf] stark wachsen
vehicle [(vi:Ik&l] Fahrzeug
wind turbine
Windrad; hier
[(wInd )t§:baIn] auch: Rotorblatt
the focus on quality, they are no
longer looking for the cost advantages
that developing countries provided,”
Prothero says. “At home,
they can keep better control over production
and the supply chain than in
places like China.”
EEF’s member surveys show record
numbers of manufacturers intending
to hire and invest: “We are expecting
manufacturing output to take off this
year because of the strong GDP
growth.”
The government has also given a
boost to the IT sector. In 2010, it set
up the Tech City Investment Organisation
to turn the area between
Shoreditch and the Olympic Park in
east London into an IT cluster. It is
now the fastest-growing technology
start-up cluster in the world after Silicon
Valley and New York City.
In other signs of industrial growth,
Siemens plans to invest £160 million
(about €195 million) in a major offshore
wind turbine production and
MEPL
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland: The official name. It
refers to the union of England, Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland.
Great Britain: England, Scotland, Wales.
British: Refers to all with UK citizenship.
The British Isles: The islands of Great
Britain and Ireland, as well as 6,000
small islands with varying degrees of independence
from the UK.
The British Overseas Territories: These are
14 UK territories outside of the British
Isles, including the Cayman Islands, the
Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Saint Helena,
the British Virgin Islands and the British
Antarctic Territory.
The Commonwealth of Nations: This includes
53 countries that were once part of
the British Empire, such as Australia, India
and Canada. Queen Elizabeth II is the
head of the Commonwealth. Its nations
have no legal obligations to the UK or
each other. The Commonwealth’s aim is to
promote the countries’ common values.
What’s in a name? Was bedeutet
[)wQts In E (neIm] (schon) ein Name?
British Virgin Islands Britische Jungfern-
[)brItIS )v§:dZIn (aIlEndz] inseln
legal obligation rechtliche Pflicht
[)li:g&l QblI(geIS&n]
4
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 41

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION THE UK
Still polite: the British have not
forgotten how to queue
Good to know
“As long as you are really good at what
you do, the British will give you a lot of room
to develop in your career”
Sabina Rademacher, intercultural expert from Germany, living in England
rilla war, most of Ireland became independent,
but Northern Ireland remained,
leaving a country with the official
name of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Indeed, confusion about British
identity starts with its name (see box
on p. 41). Many people in the United
Kingdom don’t like to be called
British, even though that is their nationality.
They prefer to identify
themselves as “Welsh”, “Scottish”,
“English” or, particularly among
For more information
BOOKS
The English: A Portrait of a People, Jeremy
Paxman (Penguin Books)
Watching the English: The Hidden Rules
of English Behaviour, Kate Fox (Hodder &
Stoughton)
The Making of Modern Britain, Andrew
Marr (Pan)
WEBSITES
Visit London, London’s official visitor’s
guide: www.visitlondon.com/story#list
LTS Training and Consulting:
www.lts-training.com
Catholics in Northern Ireland,
“Irish”. Then there are those from
former colonies. According to the
2011 census, 12 per cent of the
British are of foreign origin; almost
half of Londoners are non-white.
So what unites all these people?
Alexander Linklater, a Scottish writer
for The Observer, says that “the
British dream is a creative and commercial
opportunity”. Indeed, this opportunity
is at the heart of Britain’s
success and continues to attract foreign
workers.
One of them is intercultural expert
Sabina Rademacher from Munich,
who lives in Dartmoor, in south-west
England. “I love the freedom in the
work culture here,” she says. “As
long as you are really good at what
you do, the British will give you a lot
moderation
Mäßigung, Maß-
[)mQdE(reIS&n] halten
queue [kju:] UK Schlange stehen
stiff upper lip: sb. with jmd. der/die immer
a ~ [)stIf )VpE (lIp] Haltung bewahrt
Welsh [welS] Waliser(in); walisisch
Alamy
n The Welsh, Scots and Northern Irish
may be offended at the use of “England”
to refer to the entire UK. England
is just a part of the UK.
n To be on the safe side, refer to British
people by their place of origin: “Welsh”,
“Scottish”, “English”, etc. Or ask how
they prefer to be called.
n The British typically use indirect language
to be polite. For example, to disagree
without offending, use expressions
such as, “I am not keen on that
idea”. If you want to be more direct, say,
“I’m afraid I don’t agree.”
n Do not criticize people’s opinions in
meetings. The British are more likely to
take this personally than Germans.
n Learn the subtle ways in which the
British agree. “I’ll go along with that”,
usually means the speaker agrees completely.
To show reluctance, someone
might say, “I am prepared to go along
with that”. It is important to be able to
hear these differences to understand the
message.
go along with sth. bei etw. mitmachen,
[)gEU E(lQN wID]
dabei sein
keen: be ~ on sth. [ki:n] UK von etw. angetan sein
offend (sb.) [E(fend] (jmdn.) kränken
prepared [pri(peEd] hier: bereit
reluctance
Zurückhaltung;
[ri(lVktEns]
Widerwillen
subtle [(sVt&l]
subtil
Welsh [welS]
Waliser(in); walisisch
of room to develop in your career.”
But can a foreigner working in Britain
understand British culture? Yes, says
Rademacher. The British, whatever
their background, share the same cultural
values, including politeness, fair
play and moderation.
The cliché of the Brit with a stiff
upper lip, who queues politely, still
has some truth. The British love of
moderation can, however, cause misunderstands
with foreigners. “Brits
42 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

understate things so as not to exaggerate
or make themselves seem important
or to prevent offending others,”
says Adrian Pilbeam. Recently,
British employees at a subsidiary of a
UK firm in Munich complained that
their German technical support team
counterpart [(kaUntEpA:t]
exaggerate [Ig(zÄdZEreIt]
offend sb. [E(fend]
sensitivity [)sensE(tIvEti]
subsidiary [sEb(sIdiEri]
understate sth.
[)VndE(steIt]
Kollege/Kollegin
übertreiben
jmdn. kränken
Feingefühl
Tochterunternehmen
etw. herunterspielen
Listen to more on this topic on
Business Spotlight Audio
plus You’ll find a quiz on intercultural
awareness in Business Spotlight plus
www For more on Britain, go to
www.business-spotlight.de/britain
were inefficient. Pilbeam was at first
surprised. He then discovered that
the British emails were full of understated
language. If a British person
wrote, “One of our clients has a bit
of a problem with the equipment”,
this meant they had a real problem,
not just a small one. The Germans,
on the other hand, understood the
words “bit of a problem” as meaning
something not urgent, and moved
the job down the list of priorities.
Such differences in communication
styles can make it difficult for outsiders
to know what their British
counterparts mean. Listening carefully
and showing sensitivity to the
different identities that make up the
UK (see box on p. 42) are the keys to
success with this island nation. ■BS
Vicki Sussens is a feature writer and
the editor of the Management section
of Business Spotlight. Contact:
v.sussens@spotlight-verlag.de
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und Sie haben die Chance auf:
l 2 Wochen Intensivkurs (32 x à 40 Min./Woche)
l Unterkunft im Einzelzimmer in der EF-Residenz
l Hin-und Rückflug ab einem ausgewählten Flughafen
(FRA/MUC/STR/HAM/BER/DUS/HAJ)
l Transfer vom/zum Flughafen London
l Reisewert: ca. € 2.350,-
Answer the following three questions:
1. Which British colony became independent in 1947?
_________________________________________
2. What does the term “the City” refer to?
_________________________________________
3. Who is the United Kingdom’s head of state?
_________________________________________
Teilnahmeschluss: 22.08.2014
DIE NEUE EF-SPRACHSCHULE AM RUSSELL SQUARE IN LONDON
l öffnet Ende Juni 2014
l führt Kurse ausschließlich für Erwachsene ab 25 Jahren durch
l bietet Kurse mit berufs- und karrierebezogenen Inhalten an
l befindet sich in einem historischen Gebäude im Bloomsbury District
l liegt in der Nähe von Regent’s Park, Soho, Covent Garden, Leicester Square und Oxford Street
EF EDUCATION FIRST
l ist seit 1965 Veranstalter für Sprachreisen und internationale
Bildungsprogramme
l betreibt eigene Sprachschulen weltweit
Weitere Informationen zu den Erwachsenenprogrammen von
EF erhalten Sie unter www.ef.de/25plus
Teilnahme auf www.business-spotlight.de/EF Der Rechtsweg ist ausgeschlossen.

LANGUAGE VOCABULARY
Sightseeing
In
dieser Rubrik präsentieren wir nützliche Begriffe aus der
Arbeitswelt. Von CAROL SCHEUNEMANN
easy
14
5
6
10
12
13
15
17
4
9
16
3
7
8
11
21
1
2
1. guided tour [)gaIdId (tUE] Stadtführung
2. map [mÄp] (Stadt-)Plan
3. souvenir shop [)su:vE(nIE SQp] Andenkenladen
4. sunglasses [(sVnglA:sIz] Sonnenbrille
5. historic old town historische Altstadt
[hI)stQrIk (EUld taUn]
6. town/city hall [)taUn/)sIti (hO:l] Rathaus
7. travel guide [(trÄv&l gaId], Reiseführer
visitor’s guide [(vɪzɪtəz gaId]
8. lanyard [(lÄnjEd], Umhängeband
badge holder [(bÄdZ )hEUldE]
9. tourist guide [(tUErIst gaId], Reiseleiter(in),
tour guide [(tUE gaId]
Fremdenführer(in)
10. umbrella [Vm(brelE] Regenschirm
11. rucksack [(rVksÄk], Rucksack
backpack [(bÄkpÄk]
12. plaque [plÄk], plate [pleIt] Tafel
13. monument [(mQnjumEnt] Denkmal
14. statue [(stÄtSu:] Statue
15. sight [saIt], tourist attraction Sehenswürdigkeit
[(tUErIst E)trÄkS&n]
16. town gate [)taUn (geIt] Stadttor
17. landmark [(lÄndmA:k] Wahrzeichen
18. cobblestone [(kQb&lstEUn] Kopfsteinpflaster
19. square [skweE] Platz
20. pedestrian zone/area Fußgängerzone
[pE(destriEn )zEUn/)eEriE]
21. fountain [(faUntIn] Springbrunnen
18
19
Exercise: Tourists welcome
Fill in the gaps to complete this text from a visitor’s guide.
Visit our a) h_st_r_c _ld t_wn, where the past comes alive!
Admire the beautiful 18th-century buildings, including the
b) t_wn h_ll, where the city government still meets. In the
middle of the c) sq_ _r_, you’ll see a d) m_n_m_nt, a bronze
e) st_t_ _ of General Brix, who defended the town in 1775.
Follow the f) c_bbl_st_n_ street through the g) t_wn g_t_,
an often-photographed h) l_ndm_rk of our city. Our team of
local i) t_ _r g_ _d_s will be happy to show you other famous
j) t_ _r_st _ttr_ct_ _ns and k) s_ghts. For self-directed tours,
you can use our new l) tr_v_l g_ _d_ app. And perhaps you’ll
be among the visitors who throw coins into the m) f_ _nt_ _n
while making a wish to come back some day!
Answers on page 64
Do an exercise on this topic on Business Spotlight Audio
20
Ken Raut
44 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

GRAMMAR AT WORK
LANGUAGE
Discussing terms and conditions
Welche grammatischen Strukturen sind beim Aushandeln der Bedingungen eines Vertrages
oder eines Geschäftsabschlusses relevant? ANNA HOCHSIEDER stellt Beispiele vor. medium
Robert, the chief buyer for a chain of museum shops, is talking to Melissa,
who represents a publisher of art prints.
Melissa: Now, about the quantity. If you order at least 1,000 prints, we’ll
offer you a ten per cent discount.
Robert: Hmm… I was hoping for a little more.
Melissa: What did you have in mind?
Robert: Would you consider 12 per cent if we placed an initial order for
1,200 prints?
Melissa: I can give you 12 per cent provided you order 1,500.
Robert: We can’t take that kind of risk as long as we don’t know whether
there’s a market for the product. But we will adjust our order volume
as soon as we have reliable sales figures.
Melissa: Well, I won’t be able to reduce the price by more than 10 per cent
unless you pay a deposit. In that case, I could agree to 12 per cent.
Robert: OK, we’ll pay a deposit on condition that you pay for the shipping.
Melissa: It’s a deal!
Explanations
discount [(dIskaUnt]
It’s a deal! [)Its E (di:&l]
pay a deposit [)peI E di(pQzIt]
place an initial order [)pleIs En I)nIS&l (O:dE]
publisher [(pVblISE]
reliable [ri(laIEb&l]
shipping [(SIpIN]
1. To talk about likely consequences,
use the first conditional. This is formed
with the present simple in the condition
clause and will + infinitive in the consequence
clause:
l If you order at least 1,000 prints, we’ll
offer you a ten per cent discount.
2. There are many variations of this pattern.
You can use can instead of will in
the consequence clause, and you can
change the order of the two clauses:
l I can give you 12 per cent provided
you order 1,500.
Preisnachlass
Abgemacht!
eine Anzahlung leisten
eine Erstbestellung aufgeben
Verleger(in); Verlag
zuverlässig
Versand
Here, Melissa uses provided (that) instead
of if. Other conjunctions used in
conditional sentences include:
l as long as, as soon as, unless (= except
if), on condition that
3. To talk about possible consequences,
use the second conditional.
This is formed with the past simple in
the condition clause and would + infinitive
in the consequence clause:
l Would you consider 12 per cent if we
placed an order for 1,200 prints?
Instead of would, the modals might and
could are also often used:
l In that case (= If you paid a deposit),
I could agree to 12 per cent.
4. Notice that Robert and Melissa use
past tenses to soften their language:
l I was hoping for a little more.
l What did you have in mind?
This is a common politeness strategy
when talking about sensitive topics, because
it makes your message or question
less direct.
■BS
Exercise
Choose the correct options to complete
the sentences.
a) If you ordered more prints, we will /
would reduce the price.
b) We can’t reduce the price provided /
unless you order more units.
c) We / We’ll give you a discount on
condition that you pay cash.
d) If we give / gave you a discount
would you place a larger order?
Answers on page 64
You’ll find a related exercise on
Business Spotlight Audio
plus Do more exercises on this topic in
Business Spotlight plus
www More exercises can be found at
www.business-spotlight.de/grammar
Anna Hochsieder is a Munich-based
teacher of English who writes regularly
in Business Spotlight. Contact:
a.hochsieder@googlemail.com
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 45

LANGUAGE
EASY ENGLISH
Creatas
Customer service:
“How can I help you?”
Looking after customers
Selbst der kleinste Kunde mit dem geringsten Auftragsvolumen ist für den Erfolg
eines Unternehmens wichtig und muss entsprechend betreut werden. MIKE HOGAN gibt
Mitarbeitern in der Kundenbetreuung Tipps und passende Wendungen. easy
Whatever type of organization you
work for, you need to remember
that your customers have a direct
effect on your success — and indirectly
pay your salary. Keep these important
facts in mind when interacting
with customers. Here, we look at the
subject of customer care from the point
of view of helping customers to solve
their problems.
Helping customers with problems
When interacting with customers, there
are certain things that you should
always be aware of: are you offering
your customers something they need?
Are you helping them to solve a problem?
Are you getting feedback from
them?
Read the following dialogue and think
about the answers to these questions:
l What mistakes does Conor make at
the beginning of the call?
l How does he fix the situation?
l How is he sure his customer is happy
at the end of the call?
Conor: Hello. Supply-chain department.
Hold on a second.
Julie: Oh, eh… hello?
[pause]
Conor: OK. Hello. Who’s this?
Julie: Oh, well, hi. It’s Julie Tana from
company 453. Is that Conor? Conor
Black?
brochure [(brEUSE]
customer care [)kVstEmE (keE]
fix sth. [fIks]
hold on a second [)hEUld (Qn E )sekEnd]
line [laIn]
supply-chain department
[sE(plaI tSeIn di)pA:tmEnt]
(supply chain
Conor: Ms Tana. Hello. This is Conor
Black here. I’m really sorry. I thought
this was an internal call. How can I
help you?
Julie: Well, I was hoping to ask you
about your new brochures. Are they
ready? I’m interested in the new line
of products and services.
Conor: Yes, we just got them yesterday.
I’ll put some in the post for you.
Julie: That would be great, thanks.
Conor: In addition to the new
brochures, we’re also working on a
new training webinar. It will be
Broschüre, Prospekt
Kundenbetreuung
etw. in Ordnung bringen
warte(n Sie) einen Moment
hier: Palette
hier: Abteilung Logistik
Lieferkette)
46 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

designed to help our customers and
partners understand our products
even better. Would you like me to put
you on our mailing list for the webinars?
Julie: Oh, yes. Please do. Actually, now
that you mention it, your current
manual for the KLT22 has mistakes
in it. On page 22, it says you should
connect the X valve to the D outlet.
That’s not right. It should be connected
to the B outlet. The mistake
cost us an hour’s production time
and meant that we were late delivering
to our customer.
Conor: Oh, I’m really sorry that happened.
I can imagine the problems
that must have caused you. I can
send a technician over to you to
make sure everything is working as it
should be. How does that sound?
Julie: Thanks, Conor. That would be
great. But you really should change
the manual as well.
Conor: Oh, yes, of course. I’ll make sure
that happens, too.
Here are the answers to the three questions
that we asked:
l Conor answers the call as if it were an
internal one. First, he keeps the
caller waiting, and then he is very direct
in asking who is on the line.
l Conor apologizes and offers his help.
l Conor suggests a solution to the customer’s
problems, and then asks her
how she feel’s about his suggestion.
Tips for customer care
l Listen to everything your customer
has to say before reacting
with comments or suggestions.
l Show that you are listening by
making comments.
l Make notes of the conversation.
l Show that you understand your
customer’s point of view.
l Offer suggestions, telling your
customer what you could do for
them. Check their satisfaction.
Useful phrases for customer care
a) Showing interest
l How can I help you?
l Is there anything I can help you with?
l How are things?
b) Making offers
l We have a new … that you might be interested
in.
l Would you like me to send you the new
product/project information?
c) Showing understanding
l I’m sorry you’ve had that experience
with our products.
l I can imagine how you must feel.
l I understand how inconvenient that must
be for you.
d) Making suggestions
l What if I… ?
l I could send you a new…
l We could cancel that last order and set
up a new one.
design sth. [di(zaIn]
How are things?
[)haU A: (TINz] ifml.
inconvenient [)InkEn(vi:niEnt]
manual [(mÄnjuEl]
on the line [)Qn DE (laIn]
outlet [(aUtlet]
pass sth. on to sb. [)pA:s (Qn tu]
technician [tek(nIS&n]
valve [vÄlv]
Grammar: modal verbs, the will-future
etw. konzipieren
Wie geht’s?, Wie läuft’s?
lästig, unangenehm
Bedienungsanleitung, Handbuch
in der Leitung, am Apparat
Auslass
jmdm. etw. weiterleiten
Techniker(in)
Ventil
When offering help, it is often important to give customers options and not
just to tell them what you are going to do. Using modal verbs will signal that
you are flexible. You can then check which action your customer prefers. Look
at these sentences from the dialogue:
l Would you like me to put you on our mailing list for the webinars?
l I can send a technician over to you to…
Other modal verbs you can use are could, should, may and might.
Sometimes, it is necessary to tell customers what you will do for them:
l I’ll put some in the post for you.
l I’ll make sure that happens, too.
e) Getting feedback
l How does that sound?
l Would that fix your problem?
l Would you be interested in one of these
options?
f) Saying what will happen next
l I’ll send you an email with the details.
l I’ll contact my colleague to find out and
let you know what he says.
l We’ll know next week, and I’ll pass on
the information to you. ■BS
Practise these expressions on
Business Spotlight Audio
plus Find related exercises on this topic
in Business Spotlight plus
Mike Hogan is a director of York Associates
(www.york-associates.co.uk)
and a coursebook author. Contact:
mike.hogan@york-associates.co.uk
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 47

LANGUAGE
WISE WORDS
Tea and biscuits?
Doppelt hält besser, und so benutzen wir häufig feststehende Ausdrücke wie
„in Saus und Braus“ oder „verraten und verkauft“. Auch die englische Sprache
ist reich an solchen Begriffspaaren. DEBORAH CAPRAS nennt Beispiele. medium
“We British love pairs:
pomp and ceremony at
royal weddings, tea and
biscuits at home, gin
and tonic in the pub”
As a Brit, I grew up on fish and
chips, snakes and ladders and
Morecambe and Wise. I’m sure
you’ve eaten the first, played the second
and would laugh at the third.
In the 1960s and 1970s, (Eric)
Morecambe and (Ernie) Wise were a
successful comedy duo. In the 1980s
and 1990s, we had (Stephen) Fry and
(Hugh) Laurie. Since 2010, (David)
Cameron and (Nick) Clegg have also
been a duo, but they haven’t been particularly
funny. Saying that the Conservative
prime minister and his Liberal
A&E (accident and emergency) [)eI En (i:] UK Notaufnahme
apples and oranges: compare ~
Äpfel mit Birnen vergleichen
[)Äp&lz En (QrIndZIz]
biscuit [(bIskIt] UK
Keks
drunk and disorderly
ungebührliches Verhalten unter
[)drVNk En dIs(O:dEli]
Alkoholeinfluss (als Vergehen)
fish and chips [)fIS En (tSIps] UK
Bratfisch mit Pommes frites
part and parcel [)pA:t En (pA:s&l]
ein wesentlicher Bestandteil
pomp and ceremony [)pQmp En (serEmEni] Glanz und Gloria
right pair: be a ~ [(raIt peE] UK ifml. etwa: ein komisches Pärchen sein
snakes and ladders [)sneIks En (lÄdEz] UK Leiterspiel (Brettspiel)
under lock and key [)VndE )lQk En (ki:] hinter Schloss und Riegel
wine and dine sb. [)waIn En (daIn]
jmdn. zu einem guten Essen einladen
Alamy
Democrat coalition partner are comedians
may seem like I’m comparing
apples and oranges, but in fact, they
are a right pair (not pears).
We British normally love things that
come in pairs. We have pomp and ceremony
in parliament and at royal weddings,
tea and biscuits at home, gin
and tonic in the pub, and strawberries
and cream during Wimbledon. On holiday,
we often stay in a bed and breakfast
and start the day with bacon and
eggs. In the evening, we wine and dine
our family and friends. A few Brits may
get drunk and disorderly and spend the
night under lock and key or in the A&E.
These are all British traditions (some
more fun than others) and they are part
and parcel of living in the UK.
Double the meaning?
Husband and wife: a right royal pair?
We use the term “binomial” to refer to
such pairs — two words that are joined
by a conjunction. On these pages, all
the examples are connected by “and”.
48 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

In the news
First and foremost, binomials are two
things that belong together, such as
“fish and chips”, “strawberries and
cream” and “gin and tonic”. Sometimes,
they can have a metaphorical
meaning, too. You can eat a basic meal
of “bread and butter”, for example, but
your “bread and butter” is also what
you mainly do to earn money: “Teaching
is my bread and butter.”
Fixed, but fun
Binomials can also be two words that
have similar meanings, but which,
when used together, have a stronger
meaning (as in “first and foremost”).
Alternatively, we can join two words
with completely different meanings to
create new expressions (“pomp and
ceremony”). We cannot separate these
words without changing or losing some
of the meaning. And the order cannot
be reversed in a binomial, either. For
example, we would never say “ceremony
and pomp”, “parcel and part” or
“cream and strawberries”.
Binomials are common in everyday
language, but we also use them to talk
“Brits Squeezed out of House
and Home”
Yahoo! Finance
boom and bust [)bu:m En (bVst]
copy and paste [)kQpi En (peIst]
emphasis [(emfEsIs]
first and foremost [)f§:st En (fO:mEUst]
fun and games: the ~ [)fVn En (geImz]
hire and fire [)haIEr En (faIE]
housing market [(haUzIN )mA:kIt]
invalid [In(vÄlId]
rules and regulations
[)ru:lz En regju(leIS&nz]
short and sweet [)SO:t En (swi:t]
squeeze sb. out of sth. [)skwi:z (aUt Ev]
trial and error [)traI&l En (erE]
about serious business. They describe
business basics (boom and bust, supply
and demand), the most important
financial details about a company (profit
and loss), as well as success and failure
(ups and downs). We also use them
to discuss strategies for employers (hire
and fire) or to describe simple tasks on
your computer (copy and paste).
Popular binomials can also help you
to understand British culture. (For more
on the British, see “A question of identity”,
pp. 36–43). We like it when presentations
are short and sweet. We’re
not big fans of rules and regulations.
We often prefer to find solutions
through trial and error. And when we
have to deal with a difficult situation,
you might hear us say, “The fun and
games have started”, even though the
situation is serious.
Binomials are fun, but they don’t provide
as much entertainment as snakes
and ladders or Morecambe and Wise
(look them up on YouTube). On the other
hand, they definitely get a better reaction
than Cameron and Clegg. Tea
and biscuits, anyone?
In this headline, Yahoo! Finance uses a binomial to talk about the housing
market in the UK. Generally, we use the expression “house and
home” for emphasis. It simply means “a person’s home”.
Auf- und Abschwung
kopieren und einfügen
Betonung, Hervorhebung
vor allem
der Spaß, das Vergnügen
einstellen und entlassen nach Bedarf
Wohnungsmarkt
nicht rechtsgültig, nichtig
Regeln und Bestimmungen
kurz und bündig
jmdn. aus etw. herausdrängen
Ausprobieren
Useful expressions
Binomials with words that are connected
null and void
Having no legal power, invalid:
l If, as you say, the basis of the contract
is not correct, it’s null and void.
peace and quiet
A very calm situation:
l I need peace and quiet to finish this.
pros and cons
Advantages and disadvantages:
l Before you decide, you should list the
pros and cons.
Binomials with prepositions:
ins and outs
The exact details:
l I don’t know all the ins and outs, but I
know he left the company last month.
on and off
Sometimes, but not regularly:
l I travel on and off to the UK.
Popular binomials in Britain
bits and bobs UK
Lots of small individual things:
l I’ve done bits and bobs in the past.
home and dry UK
Having achieved final success or victory:
l Don’t celebrate yet. We’re still not home
and dry.
swings and roundabouts UK
A situation that has both pros and cons:
l I don’t know what’s the best thing to do.
It’s swings and roundabouts, really.
tea and sympathy ifml.
Help and kindness for someone who is unhappy
or in trouble:
l This hasn’t been an easy week. I need
some tea and sympathy right now. ■BS
plus You’ll find exercises on binomials in
Business Spotlight plus
Deborah Capras is deputy editor of Business
Spotlight. You can read her blog, Wise Words,
and do her online language exercises at
www.business-spotlight.de/blogs
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 49

LANGUAGE EMAIL
End on the right note:
Yours truly...
Ending an email
Um den Anfang einer geschäftlichen E-Mail
ging es in der letzten Ausgabe. Hier befasst
sich ANNA HOCHSIEDER mit dem Ende. medium
Closing sentences
All but the most informal emails should
include a closing sentence. Use a standard
polite phrase, for example, to let
the addressee know what response you
expect:
l I look forward to hearing from you.
l Thank you in advance for any help
you can give me.
l Please let me know how you would
like to proceed.
Less formally, you could write:
l Hoping to hear from you soon.
l Thanks in advance for your help.
l Let me know what you think.
You can also close by offering to do
something yourself:
l Please let me know if I can be of further
assistance.
l Should you have any questions,
please do not hesitate to contact me.
Less formally, you could write:
l Let me know if you need any more
information.
l I’ll be happy to answer any questions
you might have.
Adressat(in)
Leerzeile
hier: Schluss-
gerne etw. tun
zögern
etwa: ich sehe Ihrer Antwort mit Interesse
entgegen
im Voraus
Formulierung, Floskel
vorgehen
Signaturblock
Schluss machen, (Brief/E-Mail) beenden
addressee [)Ädres(i:]
blank line [)blÄNk (laIn]
closing [(klEUzIN]
happy: be ~ to do sth. [(hÄpi]
hesitate [(hezIteIt]
I look forward to hearing from you
[)aI lUk )fO:wEd tE (hIErIN frQm ju:]
in advance [In Ed(vA:ns]
phrase [freIz]
proceed [prE(si:d]
signature block [(sIgnEtSE blQk]
sign off [)saIn (Qf]
Signing off
How you sign off usually depends on
how you began the email (see Business
Spotlight 3/2014).
1. If you are writing to someone whose
name you don’t know, you will have begun
with “Dear Sir or Madam”. In
British English, you would then end
with:
l “Yours faithfully”, typically without a
comma.
In US English, writers use:
l “Sincerely (yours)”, “Yours sincerely”
or “Yours truly”, followed by a
comma.
2. If you have addressed the person you
are writing to by surname — for example,
“Dear Ms Smith” or “Dear Dr
Frost” — you can sign off using one of
the following phrases:
l Yours sincerely
l Best regards
l Sincerely (yours)
l Kind regards
l Best wishes
l Regards
3. Among colleagues and close business
partners in the English-speaking
world, it is common practice to use first
names only. You may also prefer a less
formal ending, such as:
l All the best
l Thanks
l Best
l Cheers
l Take care
In all three cases, follow the closing
phrase with a blank line and then your
full name. In business emails, a signature
block with the sender’s contact details
is often added automatically at the
end. For example:
Yours faithfully
Samantha Foster
Translation Services
73 Church Road
Bromley BR2 4QG
+44 (0)1689-123 2323
s.foster@translation.co.uk
Anna Hochsieder is a Munich-based
teacher of English who writes regularly
in Business Spotlight. Contact:
a.hochsieder@googlemail.com
iStock
www Improve your writing skills at
www.business-spotlight.de/writing
50 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

ENGLISH ON THE MOVE
LANGUAGE
iStock
Hiring a car abroad
Sie brauchen einen Mietwagen? KEN TAYLOR hilft Ihnen bei der
Auswahl und der Erledigung der Formalitäten. medium
Hiring online
Jean: Steve, can you come here for a
minute? I’m on the car-hire comparison
website.
Steve: Have you filled in all the details
like dates and locations?
Jean: Yes. We just need to decide on
what size car to hire.
Steve: What’s the choice?
Jean: Well, it ranges from “mini” to
“premium”. And the price varies considerably,
depending on the size.
Steve: We don’t need anything very luxurious,
do we? It’s only for around
town.
Jean: I think the “mini” size is a bit
small. We’ve got our bags and presentation
materials to take with us.
Steve: The size up from that is called
“economy”, and then the next size is
“compact”.
Jean: I think we should take that. It’s
big enough for our things but easy to
park, and it’s a very good daily price.
attendant [E(tendEnt] hier: Firmenmitarbeiter(in)
boot [bu:t] ] UK Kofferraum
car hire [(kA: haIE] UK Autovermietung
consultant [kEn(sVltEnt] Berater(in)
controls: the ~
Steuerungssystem,
[kEn(trEUlz]
Bedienelemente
desk [desk]
hier: Schalter
driving licence
Führerschein
[(draIvIN )laIs&ns] UK
excess [Ik(ses] UK Selbstbeteiligung
fill (a vehicle) up with (ein Fahrzeug)
petrol
volltanken
[fIl )Vp wID (petrEl] UK
imprint (of a credit card) (Kreditkarten-)
[(ImprInt]
Abdruck
insurance [In(SUErEns] Versicherung
mileage [(maIlIdZ] hier: Kilometer
premium [(pri:miEm] Luxus(klasse)
scratch [skrÄtS] Kratzer
upgrade sth.
etw. aufwerten;
[)Vp(greId]
hier: hochstufen
Steve: What about mileage?
Jean: It’s included in the price.
Car-hire desk 1
Assistant: Good morning. How can I
help you?
Jean: We’ve booked a car for three
days. The name is Davidson.
Assistant: Let me check. Ah, yes. Jean
Davidson. You’ve booked a “compact”
for three days, returning it to
this location. And you have asked for
two drivers.
Jean: Yes. The other driver is my husband,
Steven Davidson.
Assistant: Fine. I just need to see your
driving licences, please. And can I
take an imprint of a credit card?
Jean: We’ve already paid online, so
why do you need that?
Assistant: Well, you might return the
car late or you might return it without
having time to fill it up with petrol.
We can then charge the extra costs to
your credit card account.
Car-hire desk 2
Assistant: We have a special offer at the
moment. We can upgrade your car at
no extra cost.
Steve: Actually, we’ll just be driving in
town, so I think it best if we stick to
a smaller model.
Assistant: Certainly, sir. Do you require
additional insurance to lower your
excess?
Steve: I don’t think so — do you, Jean?
Jean: No. That’s fine.
Assistant: Then let me just print some
documents, and I’ll be with you in a
moment.
At the car-hire company: here are the keys
[a few minutes later]
If you could just sign the form in
these two places.
Jean: Here?
Assistant: That’s right. This is your
copy, and the key to the car. It takes
diesel. Please remember that when
you are filling the tank. You can find
it in row Q, space 18. An attendant
should be there to help you.
Row Q, space 18
Attendant: Here’s the car you’ve reserved.
I’ll open the boot for you to
put in your luggage.
Jean: Thanks.
Attendant: I suggest we just check the
car against the documents to see if
there is any damage that has not
been recorded. Then I’ll show you the
controls, if you’d like.
Steve: I think the controls look similar
to our car at home.
Jean: The outside looks fine. The one
scratch is marked in the papers.
Attendant: Good. That’s it then. Have a
safe journey.
Jean: We will. Thank you. ■BS
Ken Taylor is a communication consultant
and author of 50 Ways to Improve
Your Business English (Summertown).
Contact: KTaylor868@aol.com
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 51

LANGUAGE TRANSLATION
False friends
You mean… You should say… Don’t say… As this means…
ausfallen be cancelled fall out herausfallen;
Die heutige Vorstellung fällt Today’s show has unfortunately sich verkrachen
leider aus.
been cancelled.
aus der Dose tinned (UK )/canned dose Dosis
Die Tomaten sind nicht frisch, The tomatoes aren’t fresh —
sondern aus der Dose.
they’re tinned.
Smoking dinner jacket (US tux(edo)) smoking (das) Rauchen;
Er sieht im Smoking toll aus. He looks great in a dinner jacket. rauchend
medium
Don’t confuse...
overlook, oversee and oversight
l If you overlook something (übersehen),
you don’t notice it or realize
how important it is: “He overlooked
the different time zones.”
l If you overlook someone’s mistakes
or faults (hinwegsehen über,
durchgehen lassen), then you
choose to ignore them: “I’m not
prepared to overlook his actions.”
l When a building or room overlooks
something, it has a view of it from
above (einen Blick auf etw. haben):
“My suite overlooks the beach.”
l If you oversee something (beaufsichtigen),
such as a department
or a process, you supervise it and
are responsible for it: “We need an
experienced manager to oversee
the trainees.” An overseer is a
manager or supervisor.
l Oversight means the “failure to
notice or do something” (Versehen):
“The late payment was due
to an oversight.” Oversight (Aufsicht,
Überwachung) can also refer
to the action of supervising:
“Banks need more oversight.”
Tricky translations
How do you say “gear/gearing” in German?
In a vehicle or bike, “gears” are what allow it to go at different speeds: “My bike has
21 gears.” It is translated as Gang or Gangschaltung: Mein Rad hat 21 Gänge. Vehicles
have a “gear lever/stick” (US “stick shift”) (Schalthebel).
“Gear” is also used in compounds: aeroplanes have “landing gear” (Fahrwerk) and
engineers use “lifting gear” (Hebevorrichtung). “Gear” can also refer to special equipment
(Ausrüstung), clothes (Klamotten) or things (Zeug(s)).
In finance, we use “gearing” to describe the relationship between the amount of
money that a company is worth and the amount it owes. This is Verschuldungsgrad.
Finally, we use “gear sth. to/towards sth.” (etw. auf etw. ausrichten) to mean “adapt
or equip for a special purpose”: “It is geared to beginners.” — Es ist auf Anfänger
ausgerichtet. And if you “gear (yourself) up (for sth.)”, you get ready for it. This is
translated as sich für etw. bereit machen: “Are you geared up?” — Bist du bereit?
How do you say Aufwand/aufwendig in English?
Aufwand describes the work or input needed to complete a task: Ein neues System
würde einen sehr hohen Aufwand bedeuten. Here, it is translated as effort or
time and effort: “A new system would require a lot of time and effort.” Arbeitsaufwand
is workload or work input. Something that is aufwendig, is elaborate, complex
or intricate. If something is zeitaufwendig, it’s time-consuming.
When Aufwand means “money that is spent”, it is usually translated as expense,
expenditure, outlay or cost: Wir rechnen mit einem Aufwand von €10 Millionen. —
“We expect an outlay of €10 million.”
In accounting, Aufwand is often translated as expenses or charges: F+E-Kosten
werden als Aufwand erfasst. — “R&D costs are recorded as expenses.” For a business
trip, you may receive an Aufwandsentschädigung (expense allowance or
reimbursement of expenses).
Exercise
Translate the following sentences.
a) Many cars now have six gears.
Do an exercise on false friends on
Business Spotlight Audio
Mike Seymour is an author, trainer
and translator. He also writes regularly
for Business Spotlight.
Contact: www.mikeseymour.com
b) Wir haben den Aufwand um mehrere Million Dollar unterschätzt.
Answers on page 64
52 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

y Deborah Capras
CARDS
LANGUAGE
Phrasal verb
Phrasal verb
What does the speaker mean?
“Don stepped down in May.”
What does the speaker mean?
“So, Mary, did you drum up much support?”
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Expression
Expression
What does the speaker mean?
“We definitely have the edge.”
What does the speaker mean?
“Let’s not talk shop now.”
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www.business-spotlight.de
Abbreviation
Abbreviation
What does “EOB” stand for?
“Can you send it by EOB Wednesday?”
What does “EOM” stand for?
“Meeting confirmed EOM.”
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Pronunciation
Pronunciation
How do you pronounce this word?
pneumonia
(Lungenentzündung)
How do you pronounce this word?
hyperbole
(Übertreibung, Hyperbel)
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LANGUAGE CARDS
If you play the drum (Trommel), you make a lot
of noise. When you drum something up, you
achieve it on the basis of much effort. The
speaker is asking whether Mary’s hard work has
won any support.
etw. auftreiben, an Land ziehen
You can step down from a higher place. In
business and politics, someone who steps down
leaves a position of responsibility. The speaker is
saying that Don resigned (quit his job) in May.
zurücktreten, sein Amt niederlegen
BS 4/2014 BS 4/2014
When you talk shop, you discuss business or
your area of expertise. Here, the speaker would
like to talk about something other than
business.
über die Arbeit reden; fachsimpeln
BS 4/2014
When you have the edge (over sth./sb.), you
have an advantage that makes you more
successful than the others. The speaker is
saying that their company is better than
the competition.
jmdm./etw. überlegen sein
BS 4/2014
In emails, EOM can be added to the end of a
subject line to signal that there is no need to open
the message. It stands for “end of message”.
The abbreviation EOB stands for “end of
business”. This means the end of the normal
working day, which is generally understood to be
at 5 or 6 p.m.
Ende der Nachricht
Dienst-, Betriebsschluss
BS 4/2014 BS 4/2014
Hyperbole is pronounced [haI(p§:bEli].
Every syllable is pronounced and the stress is on
the second syllable.
Pneumonia is pronounced [nju(mEUniE] in
Britain and [nu(moUniE] in American English.
The “p” is silent in both cases.
BS 4/2014
BS 4/2014

SKILL UP!
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BUSINESS VOCABULARY
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RECENT TOPICS:
n Talking about time, no. 17 (6/2012)
n The environment, no. 18 (1/2013)
n The world of fashion, no. 19 (2/2013)
n Talking about production, no. 20 (3/2013)
n Your holidays, no. 21 (4/2013)
n Emotional times, no. 22 (5/2013)
n Property, no. 23 (6/2013)
n Retailing, no. 24 (1/2014)
n The language of innovation, no. 25 (2/2014)
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4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 55

LANGUAGE
SHORT STORY
Huntstock
Use the stairs:
what’s good for you
is good for the firm
Weight management
Für die Gesundheit ihrer Mitarbeiter scheuen Unternehmen keine Mühen: Sport,
gesundes Kantinenessen — und all das von modernster Technik unterstützt. Eine
solche Strategie muss doch Erfolg haben, oder? Von JAMES SCHOFIELD easy
Nick Samuel, director of human
resources at Topfoods plc, was the
most popular member of the company’s
management team. He made
sure that employees were fairly treated
and, most importantly, he kept the
company chairman, Jerome Jones (who
liked to be called “JJ”), from getting
too involved in what employees did on
a daily basis.
This wasn’t easy. If JJ discovered a
new trend, he’d introduce it to Topfoods
without considering the consequences.
The time he tried group fire-walking as
a team-building exercise had become a
company legend. It had also put JJ and
two other people in hospital with
burned feet.
So Nick was a bit worried when he
was called to JJ’s office for a “strategy
meeting”.
“Well, that’s wonderful!” said Nick
after JJ explained that he wanted to improve
employee health and fitness levels.
“I’ll set up a fitness studio and…”
“No, Nick,” interrupted JJ. “I’m not
putting an unfit, overweight manager
like you in charge of this. As Albert
Frankenstein said, ‘you can’t solve
problems using the same thinking you
used when you created them’.”
“I think you mean Albert Einstein, JJ,
not Frankenstein,” said Nick.
“That’s it. The one with the theory
about relatives. I’ve got a different
plan…”
“Did he explain the plan?” Nick’s
wife, Claire, asked when he told her
about it that night.
Nick shook his head. “But it’s OK.
Getting everyone healthier is what
counts.” He looked down at his stomach.
“Do you think I’m overweight?”
“In a good way,” said Claire loyally.
“Who wants to sleep with a beanpole?”
beanpole [(bi:npEUl] ifml. Bohnenstange
chairman [(tSeEmEn] Vorsitzender
director of human Personalchef(in)
resources [dE)rektEr Ev
)hju:mEn ri(zO:sIz]
fire-walk [(faIE wO:k] barfuß auf glühenden
Kohlen gehen
overweight [)EUvE(weIt] übergewichtig
plc (public limited etwa: AG
company) [)pi: el (si:] UK
56 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

Nick noticed that he always met the same
people going up and down the stairs
bloody [(blVdi] UK ifml. verdammt
canteen [kÄn(ti:n] Kantine
cash register
Kasse
[(kÄS )redZIstE]
chips [tSIps] UK Pommes frites
colonic irrigation Darmspülung
[kEU)lQnIk IrI(geIS&n]
company ID card Mitarbeiterausweis
[)kVmpEni aI (di: kA:d]
end: that is the ~ damit ist die Sache
of that [end]
erledigt
genetically modified gentechnisch
[dZE)netIk&li (mQdIfaId] verändert
lecture sb. [(lektSE] jmdm. einen
Vortrag halten
medical record Gesundheitsakte
[(medIk&l )rekO:d]
Paleo plan
Paleo-Speiseplan,
[(pÄliEU )plA:n] Steinzeitdiät
roll sth. out [)rEUl (aUt] etw. einführen
sip at sth. [(sIp Ät] an etw. nippen
teething problems Kinderkrankheiten;
[(ti:DIN )prQblEmz] Anfangs -
schwierigkeiten
(teethe [ti:D]
zahnen)
treadmill [(tredmIl] Laufband
vending machine Verkaufsautomat
[(vendIN mE)Si:n]
wheatgrass juice Weizengrassaft
[(wi:tgrA:s )dZu:s]
About a week later, Nick noticed
something strange. Every time he tried
to use his company ID card to let him
in the lift, the doors refused to open.
“Please use the stairs,” an electronic
voice informed him. He also noticed
that he always met the same people going
up and down the stairs: the heavier
employees.
“Bloody lift!” they’d say in passing.
“Broken again!”
The next surprise was at the vending
machine. He wanted to buy a soft
drink, but an electronic voice told him
that only mineral water was available.
“Bloody vending machine is broken!”
he complained to his assistant, Tony.
“Really?” Tony answered, sipping at
a bottle of lemonade. “It worked fine
for me.”
It was when Nick tried to pay for his
lunch in the canteen using his ID card
that he realized what was happening.
There was a pause while the automatic
cash register analysed Nick’s
choices. The machine then printed out
a small piece of paper.
“Nicholas H. Samuel, ID: NHS
28876332. This meal (1 x lasagne, 1
x portion chips, 0.5 litre soft drink, 1 x
crème caramel) = 2,500 calories.
Please make a healthier selection.”
When Nick tried his card again, the
cash register repeated the message in
a loud electronic voice. This caused
everybody to turn and look at Nick, who
was already bright red.
It took Nick just five minutes to get
to JJ’s office on the 12th floor, which
was impressive, as the lift had again
forced him to use the stairs. His boss
was on a treadmill.
“JJ, have you connected the company
medical records with our ID cards?”
JJ got off the machine and wiped his
face with a towel. “Brilliant, isn’t it?
You use your ID card every time you call
a lift or pay for something at Topfoods.
What better way to help people to improve
their health? You were in the test
group.”
Nick remembered the people he’d
seen on the stairs: the “test group”.
“But, JJ, is it safe?” asked Nick.
“Perfectly. Look at you! You’ve lost
weight, haven’t you?”
It was true. Claire had said his
clothes seemed to fit him better.
“Next week, we’re rolling it out
through the whole company. And we’re
adding a program that sends popular
diet recommendations to the canteen.
This is a health revolution!”
Then the trouble began. The lifts
didn’t let anybody into them, the vending
machines only offered water and
the cash registers lectured people
about their food choices. The canteen
chef came to see Nick in tears because
the program kept changing its recommendations.
“This week, we’re vegan,
last week, it wanted gluten-free, the
week before, it insisted on the Paleo
plan. I can’t work like this!”
“Teething problems,” said JJ. “Tomorrow,
I’ll eat in the canteen to set an
example.”
The next day, everybody watched as
JJ went to pay for his tofu burger,
green salad and wheatgrass juice. Just
as with Nick, the register produced a
piece of paper. JJ looked at it. “That’s
ridiculous!” he said.
Nick held his breath. The cash register
didn’t like disagreement. Nor did JJ.
“Soya is genetically modified,” the
electronic voice lectured. “We recommend
colonic irrigation…”
The dispute was short but loud, and
ended with JJ pouring his wheatgrass
juice on the register, causing the system
to crash.
“And that,” said Nick cheerfully to
Claire that evening, “is the end of that.
I’m so glad. So, what’s for supper
tonight? Or shall I order us a pizza?”
“Actually,” said Claire, “I’ve made
broccoli and brown rice as part of our
new macrobiotic diet. We really should
do something for our health, don’t you
think?”
■BS
Language point
diet The word “diet” refers to the
food and drink that people consume
(Ernährung): “He’ll have to change
his diet.” It can also mean eating
only specific types of food, for example,
a vegetarian diet, or a macrobiotic
diet. A person who reduces calories
with the aim of losing weight
“goes on a diet” or “is on a diet”
(eine Diät machen).
You can listen to this short story on
Business Spotlight Audio
James Schofield is co-author of the
Double Dealing series. Find more of
his stories in English and his blog at
http://jrtschofield.blogspot.de
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 57

LANGUAGE
ENGLISH FOR...
iStock
The calculator: good
for figuring your income
Income tax returns
Die alljährliche Abgabe der Steuererklärung ist eine ach so
unliebsame Pflicht. PATRICK MUSTU hat sich damit sowohl
sachlich als auch sprachlich eingehender befasst. advanced
Most people have to do it every
year, but very few enjoy it: preparing
and filing a tax return. The
purpose of a tax return is to calculate
the income an individual or business
has earned in the previous year. This
amount determines how much they
must contribute to the state’s finances.
In many tax systems, employers subtract
income tax from employees’
Exercise: Time to file
Choose the best answer for each question.
a) You must pay taxes on ______.
1. fines 2. allowances 3. income
b) A place where people try to hide money is a tax ______.
1. heaven 2. haven 3. paradise
c) Tax ______ is illegal.
1. avoidance 2. evasion 3. deduction
d) There are legal ways to reduce your tax ______.
1. burden 2. expense 3. assessment
salaries and pay it to the government directly.
The process is called “PAYE”
(pay-as-you-earn) in the UK and “income-tax
withholding” in the US.
When preparing a tax return, taxpayers
need to document all their sources
of income as well as their expenses.
They may be able to deduct costs associated
with their job, such as travelling
to work or working from an office in
Answers on page 64
allowance [E(laUEns]
deduct sth. [di(dVkt]
file a tax return
[)faI&l E (tÄks ri)t§:n]
fine [faIn]
imprisonment [Im(prIz&nmEnt]
PAYE (pay-as-you-earn)
[)pi: eI waI (i:] UK
taxable [(tÄksEb&l]
tax adviser [(tÄks Ed)vaIzE]
tax authorities [(tÄks O:)TQrEtiz]
tax avoidance [(tÄks E)vOIdEns]
tax burden [(tÄks )b§:d&n]
tax evasion [(tÄks i)veIZ&n]
tax haven [(tÄks )heIv&n]
their home. In most tax systems, there
are also special allowances. These are
amounts that you may deduct from
your income if certain things apply,
such as if you have children whom you
support financially. Once you have calculated
your taxable income, you can
file your return. Your tax burden is
based on the information provided.
Doing a tax return can be complex,
often requiring a lot of time and effort,
and you may want to hire a tax adviser
to help you. Good advice can reduce
the amount of income tax you have to
pay. But there is a big difference between
tax avoidance and tax evasion.
When you use legal ways of paying lower
taxes, for example, by moving a
business to a country with low business
taxes, this is tax avoidance.
Tax evasion, on the other hand, is a
crime. It is when you try to reduce the
amount you owe by not reporting all
sources of income. The punishment for
tax evasion includes high fines and even
imprisonment. In recent years, Germany
has bought stolen data discs to find out
the identity of citizens who might be hiding
money in foreign bank accounts.
International pressure on tax havens
is increasing. Some foreign banks have
given information about their customers
to the US government and have accepted
punishment for helping tax evaders.
In 2009, Switzerland’s largest bank,
UBS, paid a fine of $780 million
(€565 million) for helping US citizens
to hide money from the tax authorities.
Frei-, Pauschbetrag
etw. abziehen, absetzen
eine Steuererklärung
abgeben
Geldstrafe
Gefängnis, Freiheitsstrafe
Lohnsteuerabzugsverfahren
steuerpflichtig
Steuerberater(in)
Fiskus, Steuerbehörden
Steuerumgehung, -vermeidung
Steuerbelastung, -last
Steuerhinterziehung
Steueroase
58 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

Useful phrases
Questions for a tax professional:
l Can I claim entertainment expenses?
l Do I have to declare my pension?
l What happens if I’ve lost a receipt?
l Is it possible to change my filing status?
l Do you think I should make an appeal?
Advice from a tax professional:
l You must file your tax return soon.
l You should consider deferring taxes.
l I suggest contacting the tax authorities.
l Have you thought about treating these as
income-related expenses?
Types of taxes
corporate tax [ (kO:pErEt )tÄks]
corporation tax [)kO:pE(reIS&n tÄks]
flat-rate withholding tax
[)flÄt reIt wID(hEUldIN tÄks]
gift tax [(gIft tÄks]
income tax [(InkVm tÄks]
inheritance tax [In(herItEns tÄks]
property transfer tax
[)prQpEti (trÄnsf§: tÄks]
trade tax [(treId tÄks]
vehicle tax [(vi:Ik&l tÄks]
wage tax [(weIdZ tÄks]
wealth tax [(welT tÄks]
withholding tax [wID(hEUldIN tÄks]
Unternehmensteuer
Körperschaftsteuer
Abgeltungsteuer
Schenkungsteuer
Einkommensteuer
Erbschaftsteuer
Grunderwerbsteuer
Gewerbesteuer
Kfz-Steuer
Lohnsteuer
Vermögensteuer
Quellensteuer
Filing a return
appeal [E(pi:&l]
business accounting
[(bIznEs E)kaUntIN]
child benefit
[(tSaI&ld )benIfIt] UK
claim sth. [kleIm]
declare sth. [di(kleE]
file a tax return
[)faI&l E (tÄks ri)t§:n]
filing status [(faIlIN )steItEs]
income ceiling
[(InkVm )si:lIN]
individual assessment
[IndI)vIdZuEl E(sesmEnt]
joint assessment
[)dZOInt E(sesmEnt]
joint tax return
[)dZOInt (tÄks ri)t§:n]
late filing penalty
[)leIt (faI&lIN )penElti]
late payment penalty
[)leIt (peImEnt )penElti]
receipt [ri(si:t]
tax assessment notice
[)tÄks E(sesmEnt )nEUtIs] UK
tax bracket [(tÄks )brÄkIt]
tax number [(tÄks )nVmbE]
tax rate [(tÄks reIt]
For more information
Einspruch
betriebliches
Rechnungswesen
Kindergeld
etw. (steuerlich)
geltend machen
etw. angeben
eine Steuererklärung
abgeben
Steuerklasse
Beitragsbemessungsgrenze
Einzelveranlagung
Zusammenveranlagung
gemeinsame
Steuererklärung
Verspätungszuschlag
Säumniszuschlag
Beleg, Quittung
Steuer(mess)-
bescheid
Steuerstufe
Steuernummer
Steuersatz
BOOKS
English for Tax Professionals, Patrick Mustu (Cornelsen)
Praxiswörterbuch Business Accounting Englisch,
Jochen Langenbeck (Langenscheidt)
WEBSITES
Bundeszentralamt für Steuern:
www.germantaxes.info (in English)
HM Revenue & Customs: www.hmrc.gov.uk
Internal Revenue Service (IRS): www.irs.gov
Patrick Mustu provides in-company training to
lawyers and tax advisers. He is the author of English
for Tax Professionals (see “For more information”
box). Contact: info@kanzleienglisch.de
Types of income
employment [Im(plOImEnt]
fee [fi:]
non-cash benefit [)nQn )kÄS (benIfIt]
pension [(penS&n]
self-employment [)self Im(plOImEnt]
taxable fringe benefit
[)tÄksEb&l )frIndZ (benIfIt]
trading business [(treIdIN )bIznEs]
Deductible costs
allowance [E(laUEns]
entertainment expenses
[entE(teInmEnt Ik)spensIz]
expenses [Ik(spensIz]
health insurance [(helT In)SUErEns]
home office [)hEUm (QfIs] US
income-related expenses
[)InkVm ri)leItId Ik(spensIz]
meal allowance [(mi:&l E)laUEns]
travel expenses [(trÄv&l Ik)spensIz]
People and authorities
tax accountant, tax adviser (also: advisor),
tax consultant [(tÄks E)kaUntEnt, (tÄks
Ed)vaIzE, (tÄks kEn)sVltEnt]
tax auditor [(tÄks )O:dItE]
tax authorities [(tÄks O:)TQrEtiz]
tax investigator [(tÄks in)vestIgeItE]
tax professional [(tÄks prE)feS&nEl]
Verbs used with “taxes”
assess [E(ses]
avoid [E(vOId]
deduct [di(dVkt]
defer [di(f§:]
evade [i(veId]
levy [(levi]
withhold [wID(hEUld]
Beschäftigung, nichtselbstständige
Arbeit
Honorar, Gebühr
Sachzuwendung, -bezug
Rente
selbstständige Arbeit
geldwerter Vorteil
Gewerbebetrieb
Frei-, Pauschbetrag
Bewirtungsaufwendungen
Ausgaben, Aufwendungen
Krankenversicherung
häusliches Arbeitszimmer
Werbungskosten
Verpflegungsmehraufwendungen
Fahrtkosten, Reisekosten
Steuerberater(in)
Steuer-, Betriebsprüfer(in)
Fiskus, Steuerbehörden
Steuerfahnder(in)
Steuerfachkraft, -berater(in)
festsetzen
vermeiden
abziehen, absetzen
aufschieben
hinterziehen
erheben
einbehalten
www You can find more job vocabulary at www.business-spotlight.de/vocabulary
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 59

LANGUAGE LEGAL ENGLISH
Memorandum of law
Ein Rechtsmemorandum hilft bei der Entwicklung
der für einen Rechtsstreit geeigneten Strategie.
MATT FIRTH erklärt Inhalt und Form. advanced
The term “memorandum of law”,
also known as a “legal memo(randum)”,
is an internal document in
a law firm that describes the facts of a
case, accompanied by a lawyer’s opinion
of the client’s legal position. It
functions to structure the information
gathered in a case and help the lawyers
to develop a strategy.
A typical memorandum of law includes
the following elements: a heading,
a short description of the relevant
facts, an explanation of the legal issues
involved, a discussion of the laws relating
to these legal issues along with an
analysis of how the laws apply to the
facts, the probable result — should the
case go to trial — and a recommendation
of what should be done next.
Writing a legal memo: structure is key
Producing memoranda that present
the necessary elements clearly and in
as few words as possible is an important
skill and is usually part of a
lawyer’s training. In Canada and the
US, it is common for law students to
use the “IRAC” formula when working
on a memorandum of law: describe the
legal issues, determine the relevant legal
rule, apply the rule to the facts of
the case and state your conclusion.
There are many templates online that
can be a useful reference for writing
memoranda in English.
The writing skills needed to produce
a memorandum of law include presenting
facts, describing situations, expressing
and supporting opinions, examining
ideas, explaining a position
and recommending a plan of action.
As with all legal writing, precise language
is important, so that the reader
understands exactly what is being discussed.
Even if the law is unclear on
some of the points covered in a memorandum,
the writer should still state
clearly what the likely result of the case
will be if it continues to trial. ■BS
Tetra Images
Exercise: Examining the situation
Match these extracts from a memorandum of law to the “IRAC” formula.
a) ____ Describe the legal issues (I)
b) ____ Determine the relevant legal rule (R)
c) ____ Apply the rule to the facts of the case (A)
d) ____ State your conclusion (C)
1. As Partenza did not accept the proposed amendment, the contract was
formed according to Section 2–207 (3) of the Uniform Commercial Code.
2. The current dispute arose following a change in Partenza’s standard terms
and conditions of service. Our client says he did not accept this change,
and that this was clear through an amendment our client proposed in an
email. Partenza neither accepted nor refused the proposed amendment.
3. We believe our client has little chance of success should the case go to
trial. We should try to reach a settlement with Partenza as originally advised
in our initial meeting with the client.
4. Section 2–207 of the Uniform Commercial Code deals with opposing versions
of a contract. Where acceptance of the contract depends on acceptance
of additional terms, Section 2–207 (3) states that the contract
formation is based on the behaviour of the parties involved.
amendment
(Ab-)Änderung
[E(mendmEnt]
apply to sth.
auf etw. anwendbar
[E(plaI tu]
sein
client [(klaIEnt] Mandant(in)
conclusion [kEn(klu:Z&n] Schlussfolgerung
go to trial
vor Gericht ver-
[)gEU tE (traIEl] handelt werden
heading [(hedIN] Titel, Überschrift
law firm [(lO: f§:m] Anwaltskanzlei
legal issue [(li:g&l )ISu:] juristische Frage
memorandum of law Rechtsmemo-
(pl. memoranda of law) randum
[memE)rÄndEm Ev (lO:]
settlement [(set&lmEnt] Vergleich
template [(templeIt] Mustervorlage
terms and conditions Geschäftsof
service [)t§:mz En bedingungen
kEn)dIS&nz Ev (s§:vIs]
Uniform Commercial einheitliches
Code (UCC) [)ju:nIfO:rm Handelsgesetz
kE)m§:S&l (koUd*] US
* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.
Matt Firth teaches legal English and
helped establish the European Legal
English Teachers’ Association.
Contact: matthew.firth@unisg.ch
Answers on page 64
60 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

TALKING FINANCE
LANGUAGE
Pay if you feel like it
Steuerminderung als deutscher Volkssport? IAN MCMASTER macht hier
deutlich, wie manch einer seine Steuerlast reduziert.
advanced
Mauritius
“In Germany, tax avoidance seems
to be a national sport”
I never cheat on my income
tax,” a manager says
“No,
to one of his staff in a cartoon
I saw recently in the business
magazine WirtschaftsWoche. “I always
hire someone to do it for me.”
The cartoon was highly amusing but
also highly relevant. This year, a number
of well-known Germans have been
guilty of massive tax evasion, including
leading feminist Alice Schwarzer (who
avoided prosecution because she made
a valid self-indictment) and Bayern
Munich boss Uli Hoeness (who has
gone to prison because his selfindictment
wasn’t valid).
What surprised me most about these
cases (and others) was that anybody in
Germany was surprised at all. Let me
explain. When I arrived in Germany
from England in 1989, my first impression
was that the cultures were very
similar. Over time, however, I noticed
key differences — including attitudes
towards taxes (see also pp. 58–59).
Nobody in Britain likes to pay more
tax than is necessary, of course. Companies
and rich individuals have always
employed experts to minimize their tax
bills. But in Germany, alongside football
and handball, tax avoidance seems
to be a national sport.
Bookshops are full of titles such as
1,000,001 Tax Tricks, Most of Which
Are Probably More or Less Legal. (OK,
I made that one up, but you know what
I mean.) Almost every decision in Germany
— from how you travel to work to
whether you should have a child — is
taken only after thinking about all the
tax implications. Life itself is regarded
as tax-deductible.
Germany’s complicated tax system
is like a fairy tale, with entertaining
characters such as Mr Business Lunch,
Ms Business Trip and a whole family of
other tax breaks. (My suggestion to
stop fraud in the case of business
allegedly [E(ledZIdli] angeblich
apologist [E(pQlEdZIst] Verfechter(in)
cheat on sth.
bei etw. betrügen,
[(tSi:t Qn]
schummeln
civil disobedience ziviler Ungehorsam
[)sIv&l )dIsE(bi:diEns]
fairy tale [(feEri teI&l] Märchen
fraud [frO:d]
Betrug
make sth. up [)meIk (Vp] etw. erfinden
pay as you earn (PAYE) Lohnsteuerabzugs-
[)peI Ez ju (§:n] UK verfahren
prosecution
Strafverfolgung
[)prQsI(kju:S&n]
self-indictment Selbstanzeige
[)self In(daItmEnt]
tax avoidance
Steuerumgehung
[(tÄks E)vOIdEns]
tax break [(tÄks breIk] Steuervergünstigung
tax-deductible
steuerlich abzugs-
[)tÄks di(dVktEb&l] fähig
tax evasion
Steuerhinterziehung
[(tÄks i)veIZ&n]
tax implication steuerliche
[(tÄks ImplI)keIS&n] Auswirkung
valid [(vÄlId]
rechtsgültig
warped [wO:pt] verzerrt, abartig
Uli Hoeness: enjoys football more than taxes
meals is to get everyone allegedly
present to sign the bill, declaring that
they were there and that it really was a
business meeting.)
It is a miracle that the German government
gets enough money from its
tax system. It is more a case of “pay if
you feel like it” than “pay as you earn”,
except, of course, for employees, who
have taxes deducted automatically.
Apologists of tax evasion try to shift
the debate to discuss whether taxes are
too high or whether the state wastes
taxpayers’ money. These are interesting
but irrelevant debates. And the apologists
are the very people who otherwise
insist that, if you want to live in Germany,
you have to obey the laws.
But maybe in the warped world of
these apologists, not paying your taxes
is a brave act of civil disobedience.
That wouldn’t surprise me either. ■BS
Ian McMaster is editor-in-chief of Business
Spotlight. Read his weekly blog on global
business at www.business-spotlight.de/blogs
Contact: i.mcmaster@spotlight-verlag.de
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 61

LANGUAGE
TEACHER TALK
Keeping it real
Lerner sollten authentisch gesprochenes Englisch hören, das auch kulturelle und
linguistische Unterschiede berücksichtigt. DEBORAH CAPRAS sprach darüber mit dem
Kommunikationsberater und Lehrbuchautor Ian Badger.
medium
Who is Ian Badger?
Ian Badger is a communication consultant and trainer, and he is the author
of Listening B2, a new book in the Collins English for Life series. He is a regular
speaker at international conferences and has written and co-written many
books and articles relating to business English and English for Specific Purposes
(ESP). These include the prize-winning English for Business: Listening
(Collins), Everyday Business English (Pearson) and the English for Business
Life series (National Geographic Learning).
Website: www.bmes.co.uk
Contact: ian@bmes.co.uk
Current position
I am a partner in the consulting firm
Business and Medical English Services.
Home
I’m from Fulham, London, but I now
live in Bristol.
Why and when did you choose to go
into business English teaching?
I enjoy teaching, but I also like running
a business. Working in business English
has allowed me to indulge in both. My
first job was in adult education in
southern Finland in the late 1970s,
and it was then that I started working
with students from the paper and glass
industries who needed English in their
working lives. I have continued to work
with companies to improve communication
internally and with external partners
ever since.
Languages spoken
I studied Russian and French at university,
have a working knowledge of
Finnish and can get by in some other
languages. I am currently working with
a trainer to revitalize my Russian. I
strongly believe that if you teach a language,
you should know what it is like
to learn languages. This helps you to
understand the challenges faced by
beginners, and also by intermediate
and advanced learners.
How will business English teaching
change in the next five years?
Learners of business English will need
to be better prepared for a business
world in which they will experience
great cultural and linguistic diversity. In
recent months in my own training, I
have had to help company employees
in Germany, Sweden, Poland and Finland
who work on a daily basis with IT
centres in India, production facilities in
China and sources of supply in
Uruguay. I believe that training will
continue to be delivered face-to-face
(despite reduced travel budgets), but
that ever greater use will be made of
online training and learning outside
the traditional classroom.
Why do you think it’s important for
learners to improve their listening
skills?
To be effective in business, we need
to understand English, however it is
spoken, and to have strategies to help
us when we do not understand. We are
challenge [(tSÄlIndZ] Herausforderung
consultant [kEn(sVltEnt] Berater(in)
diversity [daI(v§:sEti] Vielfalt
English for Specific Englisch als
Purposes (ESP) [)INglIS Fachsprache
fE spE)sIfIk (p§:pEsIz]
ever since [(evE sIns] seither
face-to-face
persönlich, in direk-
[)feIs tE (feIs]
tem Austausch
get by [)get (baI] klarkommen
indulge in sth. sich einer Sache
[In(dVldZ In]
hingeben
production facility Produktionsanlage
[prE(dVkS&n fE)sIlEti]
revitalize sth.
etw. neu beleben;
[ri:(vaItElaIz]
hier: auffrischen
source of supply Liefer-, Bezugs-
[)sO:s Ev sE(plaI] quelle
Uruguay [(jUErEgwaI] [wg. Aussprache]
working knowledge ausreichende
[)w§:kIN (nQlIdZ] Grundkenntnisse
62 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

Monkey Business
“To be effective in business,
we need to understand
English, however it is spoken”
Must-read: ELT
Teaching the Pronunciation of English
as a Lingua Franca (Oxford University
Press) by Robin Walker.
Real speakers, real English: use authentic recordings
short-changing our students if we only
present them with “standard” British or
American English. My passion for improving
listening skills comes directly
from my in-company work, where I am
constantly asked to help learners to understand
a range of accents from all
over the world. My books focus on authentic
recordings of real speakers, and
I believe that learners should be working
with such materials at school and
university, not only when they are faced
with listening challenges at work.
How important is it to speak English
correctly?
It is important to speak (and write) English
as clearly as possible, and there
credible [(kredEb&l] glaubwürdig
ELT (English Language
Training)
evolve [i(vQlv]
sich entwickeln
examination board Prüfungsausschuss
[Ig)zÄmI(neIS&n bO:d]
faced: be ~ with sth. mit etw. konfron-
[feIst]
tiert werden
grade sth. [greId] etw. abstufen
mystified: be ~ vor einem Rätsel
[(mIstIfaId]
stehen
pared down [)peEd (daUn] vereinfacht
pike [paIk]
Hecht
quote [kwEUt]
Zitat
short-change sb. jmdn. beschum-
[)SO:t (tSeIndZ] meln
that said [)TÄt (sed] nichtsdestoweniger
tuned in: be ~ to sth. sich auf etw.
[)tju:nd (In] ifml. eingestellt haben
are standard forms of grammar and usage
that you should follow — at least
that is what I would recommend (as
would examination boards). That said,
there are times when the use of “correct”
English (such as complex conditional
sentences) can cause misunderstandings.
So the ability to grade and
adapt language is also important, even
if this means using pared down, even
“incorrect”, grammar forms sometimes.
Has any new kind of technology or tool
made a difference to how you teach or
how learners learn?
The evolving use of video- and audiorecording
technology (on phones,
tablets and small webcams) has made
it much simpler to record real English
transactions that provide credible models
and listening challenges for our
learners. Web-conferencing technology
has allowed us to continue to run specialist
training for participants who do
not have the time or finances to attend
face-to-face training. I am currently
using the Microsoft Lync platform for
online training.
Favourite quote
“The single biggest problem in communication
is the illusion that it has taken
place.” George Bernard Shaw
What language or intercultural mistakes
have made you — or your learners
— laugh out loud?
I was once mystified — before I was
better tuned in to Finnish pronunciation
— by a student who told me all
about his fantastic weekend that he
had spent fishing for bikes in the local
lake. (He meant “pike”!) ■BS
Study tip: Be an active listener
l You don’t need to understand every word
to understand the main message, but
don’t be shy. If you don’t understand
something, ask the speaker to clarify.
l Speed of speech is often the reason we
do not understand something. If so, ask
the speaker to slow down.
l When you need to confirm that you have
understood something, rephrase what
the speaker has said.
l In online calls or conferences, write
things down in the chat box or on the
whiteboard so everyone can check that
they have understood the important
points correctly.
chat box [(tSÄt bQks]
clarify sth. [(klÄrEfaI]
confirm sth. [kEn(f§:m]
rephrase sth. [)ri:(freIz]
Chat-Feld, Chat-Fenster
etw. klarstellen
etw. bekräftigen
etw. umformulieren
You can listen to Ian Badger on
Business Spotlight Audio
www You can find more for teachers at
www.business-spotlight.de/teachers
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 63

LANGUAGE PRODUCTS
What’s new?
Sie
wollen noch tiefer ins Englische eintauchen? Wir haben uns
für Sie nach neuen Produkten umgesehen.
medium
Books
Book with downloads
The Changing Face of the Asian Consumer
This book takes a closer look at the Asian
marketplace and at the complex behaviour of
Asian consumers. It suggests strategies for
marketing your current products and analyses
the opportunities for developing new
ones. This is useful reading for anyone who
does business in Asia. Bernd Schmitt (Mc-
Graw-Hill), £21.99
Improve Your IELTS Writing Skills / Reading Skills /
Listening and Speaking Skills
The International English Language Testing
System (IELTS) is taken by students as well
as by professionals who want to work abroad.
These coursebooks help develop the required
skills and test-taking techniques. They are
available at CEF levels B2 and C1. For selfstudy
or the classroom. Macmillan / Hueber,
€25.99 each
In Bed with Wall Street
The author of this book, who worked on Wall
Street for 25 years, aims to help readers understand
what caused the worldwide financial
crisis in 2008. He exposes the dealings
of financial executives, politicians and regulators
and looks at how recent events could
lead to the next big crash. Larry Doyle (Palgrave
Macmillan), €23.80*
*These products are available at www.sprachenshop.de
Bürokommunikation Englisch
This book is useful for anyone who has
to write in English at work. It covers a
wide range of office communication,
such as making appointments, asking
for quotations and placing orders, as
well as drawing up contracts. Each subject
is presented with example documents
and exercises to practise your writing skills. Rachel
Armitage-Amato (Pons), €19.99*
Online dictionary
COBUILD Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary of English
COBUILD is short for Collins
Birmingham University International
Language Database,
a collection of English
words as they are spoken
and written worldwide, with pronunciation in
British and US English. It is available free online
at www.collinsdictionary.com/cobuild
appointment [E(pOIntmEnt]
CEF (Common European
Framework of Reference
for Languages) [)si: i: (ef]
draw up a contract
[drO: )Vp E (kQntrÄkt]
executive [Ig(zekjUtIv]
expose sth. [Ik(spEUz]
professional [prE(feS&nEl]
quotation [kwEU(teIS&n]
regulators [(regjuleItEz]
Termin
GER (Gemeinsamer Europäischer
Referenzrahmen
für Sprachen)
einen Vertrag aufsetzen
Führungskraft
etw. enthüllen
Fachkraft
Angebot
Regulierungsbehörde(n)
Solutions
Vocabulary (p. 44):
a) historic old town
b) town hall
c) square
d) monument
e) statue
f) cobblestone
g) town gate
h) landmark
i) tour guides
j) tourist attractions
k) sights
l) travel guide
m) fountain
Grammar at Work (p. 45):
a) would
b) unless
c) We’ll
d) gave
Translation (p. 52):
a) Viele Autos haben jetzt
sechs Gänge.
b) We underestimated the expense/cost/outlay
by several
million dollars.
English for... income tax
returns (pp. 58–59):
a–3; b–2; c–2; d–1
Legal English (p. 60):
a–2
b–4
c–1
d–3
Language Focus (p. 83):
a) surgery
b) therapy
c) stimulate
64 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

KEY WORDS
LANGUAGE
Vocabulary trainer
Listen and learn!
You can download an MP3
file of this Key Words list on
our website.
Nouns and noun phrases
canteen a (self-service) company restaurant that provides food and drink Kantine
for its employees
charity an organization that provides help and raises money for people karitative Organisation
in need
revenues income (money that is earned), especially of an organization Einnahmen
search engine a computer program that is used to search for information on Suchmaschine
the internet
spin-off a by-product of a larger project or of something that already exists Nebenprodukt
Verbs
adjust to sth. to get used to a new situation by changing the way you do things sich auf etw. einstellen
brand yourself to promote yourself (skills, qualifications and experience) in order sich als Marke präsentieren
to make yourself better known or to be seen as an expert
cheat on sth. to act dishonestly with regard to something, to not obey the rules bei etw. betrügen,
of something
schummeln
dream sth. up to think of a new idea, especially one that is unusual or innovative sich etw. ausdenken
hesitate to pause because of indecision before you do or say something zögern
roll sth. out to start using or selling something (a product, service or system) etw. einführen
Adjectives and adverbs
approachable friendly, easy to talk to umgänglich
genuinely truly, sincerely wirklich
hostile unfriendly, typically in a way that is aggressive and antagonistic feindselig
maniacal showing extreme behaviour, crazy fanatisch
renowned famous and admired, usually for having a particular skill or quality angesehen
resilient able to deal with difficult situations and conditions and to recover belastbar
from them quickly
Idioms and expressions
Use our Key Words list to learn vocabulary from the current Business Spotlight. The
definitions will help you understand the expressions — and build your vocabulary.
be tailored to sth. to be created or adapted for a specific target group or purpose auf etw. zugeschnitten sein
break new ground to do something innovative that is viewed positively neue Wege einschlagen
in the long term over a period lasting until the distant future auf lange Sicht
put yourself on sb.’s to make sure that people know you and therefore may consider jmdn. auf sich aufmerksam
radar you for something, especially a job machen
teething problems minor problems that you experience at the beginning of something, Kinderkrankheiten;
especially a new company or project
Anfangsschwierigkeiten
the bee’s knees ifml. the best das Beste/Tollste, der Hit
Subscribers to Business Spotlight can download the following lists at www.business-spotlight.de/words
n a PDF of this Key Words list with an MP3 audio file of the words, definitions and example sentences
n a PDF of the complete vocabulary list (English–German) for each magazine
www
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 65

Selling yourself
iStock (2)
Wer seine Fähigkeiten richtig
herausstellt, hat bei der Suche
nach einem Job oft mehr Erfolg,
wie MARGARET DAVIS von einem
Experten erfuhr. Im ersten von
drei Teilen erklärt sie, wie Sie
am besten vorgehen. medium
NEW SERIES Part One
Don’t be shy: this is your
chance to shine

FINDING A JOB CAREERS
Many careers experts
advise you to treat a job
search like a job
A job for you: look on paper and online
Finding a job means you have
to be a salesperson. But instead
of selling cars, shoes or
milk, you are selling yourself
— your skills, your experience
and your character. And just as
successful salespeople are able to convince
customers to buy their products
rather than the many other similar
ones on the market, as a jobseeker,
you are in the business of persuasion.
“In many English-speaking countries,
people are encouraged to talk
positively about themselves and
their talents from an early age,” says
personal-branding expert Michael
Browne (see interview p. 68). “In stark
contrast, in the German-speaking
lands, societal norms and pressures
tell people to be modest or humble so
that they don’t appear to be boastful
or arrogant. But I tell my Germanspeaking
clients that it is OK to talk
positively about yourself and what
you can do and offer, because if you
don’t, how will potential employers
or customers find this out?” Browne
believes that, in today’s highly competitive
global market, “people can
no longer afford to be ‘modest’ because
they will lose the deal to those
who know how to brand themselves
effectively”.
Whether you are just out of school
or university and looking for your
first real job, or in mid-career, job
hunting can often be frustrating and
time-consuming. In fact, many careers
experts advise that you treat a
job search like a job: by spending
eight hours a day researching potential
employers and then producing a
CV and covering letter that is specifically
tailored to every job you apply
for. In the first part of our new series,
we help you to prepare for your job
search with information on where to
look for employment, as well as on
personal branding and the importance
of social media.
The internet has radically changed
job searches. In the past, jobseekers
checked newspapers and magazines
for job advertisements. Although
these are still a potential source, many
positions are now announced via
online employment sites such as
Monster.com, JobWorld.de or Euro
jobs.com. Jobseekers can also visit
company websites to learn more
about potential employers, while employers
(or their HR departments) increasingly
search the internet to find
potential employees, a practice called
“passive candidate sourcing”. “Employers,
who can be inundated with
résumés when they post jobs, often
seek passive candidates (qualified
candidates who aren’t necessarily
looking for work, but who may be interested
if the right job comes
along),” writes US careers expert Alison
Doyle on About.com.
The fact that employers search the
web for potential candidates — for
example, by checking LinkedIn, Xing,
Facebook and blogs — is a strong argument
for having your own socialapply
for sth.
sich um etw.
[E(plaI fO:]
bewerben
boastful [(bEUstf&l] prahlerisch
brand oneself
sich als Marke
[(brÄnd wVn)self] präsentieren
competitive
konkurrierend;
[kEm(petEtIv]
hier: umkämpft
covering letter
Bewerbungs-
[(kVvErIN )letE] UK schreiben
CV (curriculum vitae) Lebenslauf
[)si: (vi:] UK
employment site Stellenbörse (im
[Im(plOImEnt saIt] Internet)
HR department Personalabteilung
[)eItS (A: di)pA:tmEnt]
humble [(hVmb&l] demütig
inundate sb. with sth. jmdn. mit etw.
[(InVndeIt wID] überschwemmen
mid-career: be in ~ mitten in seiner
[)mId kE(rIE]
Berufslaufbahn
sein
modest [(mQdIst] bescheiden
personal branding Herausbildung
[)p§:s&nEl (brÄndIN] eines persönlichen
Markenzeichens
persuasion
Überzeugung; hier:
[pE(sweIZ&n]
(das) Überzeugen
research sth.
Nachforschungen
[ri(s§:tS]
über etw. anstellen
résumé [(rezEmeI*] US Lebenslauf
salesperson
Verkäufer(in)
[(seI&lzp§:s&n]
societal [sE(saIEt&l] gesellschaftlich
source [sO:s]
Quelle
sourcing [(sO:sIN] Beschaffung
stark [stA:k]
krass
tailored: be ~ to sth. auf etw. zuge-
[(teIlEd]
schnitten sein
* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.
4
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 67

CAREERS FINDING A JOB
Interview
Personal-branding expert Michael
Browne works as a career coach
and intercultural communication
trainer in Europe, North America and
North Africa. He blogs for The Huffington
Post (as “O’Brien Browne”) and
writes for international publications.
What is personal branding?
Your personal brand is your unique and
special set of skills, talents, experience
and know-how that inform others about
your qualities and expertise. Perhaps
your talents are languages or mathematics,
social-media research or listening
skills. Your brand is something
real, something contained not only in
your CV but also in your heart and soul.
It is a tool that helps people remember
who you are and what you can offer.
Why is personal branding important?
A personal-branding statement shows
that you understand your own skills and
talents, which means that you’ll be
able to offer and use them for the benefit
of those for whom you work. People
like and are influenced by those who
can talk with passion and confidence
about their positive qualities. In a tough
global marketplace, people have to
International brand:
Michael Browne
“If you don’t brand yourself, others will brand
you — and it could hurt your career”
stand out from the crowd to get noticed.
If they can’t brand themselves effectively,
they will be passed over for
those who can.
Who needs to make a personal-branding
statement?
Everybody — from students to assistants,
from jobseekers to executives.
Every time we make a phone call, send
an email, attend a meeting or give a
presentation, we are branding ourselves.
And remember: if you just sit
quietly in a meeting or conference call
and say nothing because you’re embarrassed
about your English, you will still
be branding yourself as “the quiet guy”
or “the one who never contributes” or
“that guy who never has anything to
say”. In other words, if you don’t brand
yourself, others will brand you — and it
could be in a very negative way that can
hurt your career.
What should be included in a branding
statement?
First, you need an interesting “hook” or
opening that captures people’s attention.
For example: “As a global expert
in app design, I…” Second, something
that shows your experience: “For almost
five years, I have been designing
apps for mid-sized and large international
firms…” Thirdly, mention your
special skills and talents. Don’t just
say, “I know Arabic and Farsi.” Instead,
say, “I’m fluent in both Arabic and Farsi.”
People from German-speaking
countries cringe when I say this, but it
is OK to use adjectives like “very good”,
“superior” or even “excellent”. Ironically,
almost everyone from these countries
is an expert in something because
their educational and apprenticeship
systems are designed to create experts.
So don’t be shy about this — be proud!
apprenticeship
Lehre
[E(prentIsSIp]
brand [brÄnd]
Marke; hier:
Markenzeichen
brand oneself
sich als Marke
[(brÄnd wVn)self] präsentieren
brand sb.
hier: in eine be-
[brÄnd]
stimmte Schublade
stecken
capture (sb.’s) attention Aufmerksamkeit
[)kÄptSEr E(tenS&n] erwecken
contribute
einen Beitrag
[kEn(trIbju:t]
leisten
cringe [krIndZ]
zusammenzucken
CV (curriculum vitae) Lebenslauf
[)si: (vi:] UK
design (sth.) [di(zaIn] Entwicklung; etw.
konzipieren
embarrassed: sb. is etw. ist jmdm.
~ about sth. [Im(bÄrEst] peinlich
executive [Ig(zekjUtIv] Führungskraft
expertise [)eksp§:(ti:z] Fachwissen
fluent: be ~ in a eine Sprache
language [(flu:Ent] fließend sprechen
guy [gaI] ifml.
Typ
hook [hUk]
Haken; hier:
Aufhänger
mid-sized [(mId saIzd] mittelgroß
opening [(EUpEnIN] hier: Einleitung
pass sb. over [)pA:s (EUvE] jmdn. übergehen
personal branding Herausbildung
[)p§:s&nEl (brÄndIN] eines persönlichen
Markenzeichens
research [ri(s§:tS] Forschung
stand out from the sich von der
crowd [stÄnd )aUt Masse abheben
frEm DE (kraUd]
superior [su(pIEriE] überlegen; auch:
überragend
unique [ju(ni:k] einzigartig
68 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

Cold-calling: not for everyone,
but it can bring results
Masterfile
Employers search the web for candidates, so
you need a social-media presence
alienate sb. [(eIliEneIt]
charity [(tSÄrEti]
jmdn. befremden
karitative
Organisation
Anhänger(schaft)
Netzwerk
zuvor
jmdn. auf sich auf-
merksam machen
eine Twitter-
Nachricht weiterposten
etw. preisgeben,
erkennen lassen
hier: aussagekräftig
Gezwitscher; hier:
Twitter-Kurznachricht;
zwitschern;
hier: twittern
following [(fQlEUIN]
network [(netw§:k]
previously [(pri:viEsli]
radar: put oneself on
sb.’s ~ [(reIdA:]
retweet sth.
[)ri:(twi:t]
reveal sth. [ri(vi:&l]
solid [(sQlId]
tweet [twi:t]
media presence. “LinkedIn is extremely
professional and easy to use,
so it is worth building a solid profile
for yourself there,” says Vicky
Creevey, marketing manager at
IdeasTap, a British charity that supports
creative people. “Connect with
people that you have worked with
previously or met in a professional
context to build a network. Twitter is
a really useful tool, too,” Creevey
writes in The Guardian. “Try tweeting
about current affairs relating to
the sector you want to work in to
help you to build a relevant following.
Follow the companies you would
like to work for and put yourself on
their radar by interacting with them
(responding to and retweeting their
tweets).”
Opinions are divided as to whether
it’s a good idea to use Facebook as a
way to promote yourself as a job
candidate. If you decide to do so, then
you need to be very careful not to
post anything that might alienate a
potential employer. That could mean
posts that reveal your religious or
political beliefs, as well as photos
that show you partying, on the beach
in a tiny bikini or otherwise having
too much fun. It is also a bad idea to
say anything negative about a current
or former employer or about colleagues
past and present.
While you need to be cautious
about the information you reveal online,
this does not mean you should
4
Tips for online
profiles
l Post a professional-quality photograph.
l Have your profiles checked by a
reliable friend or colleague to make
sure they are grammatically correct
and do not contain any typos. If
you are posting in English, ask for
help from a native speaker.
l Use keywords in your online profiles,
since this is what search
engines are looking for. Check jobsearch
sites such as Indeed.com,
Eurojobs.com, Monster.com, etc.,
for jobs that match your qualifications
and use these key terms in
your online profile.
l In addition to your education and
training qualifications, include professional
organizations you belong
to. If you do not belong to any, now
is the time to join.
l Keep track of all the places you
have posted your CV and created
profiles. This allows you to update
your profiles regularly.
Sources: About.com; The Guardian
CV (curriculum vitae)
[)si: (vi:] UK
reliable [ri(laIEb&l]
search engine
[(s§:tS )endZIn]
typo [(taIpEU]
update sth. [)Vp(deIt]
Lebenslauf
verlässlich
Suchmaschine
Tippfehler
etw. aktualisieren
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 69

CAREERS FINDING A JOB
Selling yourself online
Here are some real LinkedIn summaries:
l “A high-energy, high-stamina communicator with extensive experience.
… Strong leader with ability to direct ... staff in the delivery of complex operations
and programs.”
l “Self-motivated, ambitious and digitally savvy individual with highly successful
background in adult education. … Accustomed to tight deadlines
and comfortable with public speaking.”
l “Digital-content strategist skilled at leading teams of other writers and
editors working with emerging media.”
l “Combine an expertise in career coaching with a deep knowledge of the
recruitment process. Successfully coached hundreds of professionals
applying to top global organizations across sectors in the UK, Europe and
UAE.”
l “Accomplished entrepreneurial professional in B2B and B2C media sales
and marketing. Event sponsorships, brand and media partnerships, publishing,
advertising, marketing, new business and new product development
are key strengths.”
accomplished [E(kVmplISt]
versiert
apply to sb. [E(plaI tu]
sich bei jmdm. bewerben
delivery [di(lIvEri]
hier: Ausführung, Erfüllung
emerging media [i)m§:dZIN (mi:diE] neue Medien
entrepreneurial [)QntrEprE(n§:riEl] unternehmerisch (eingestellt)
expertise [)eksp§:(ti:z]
Fachwissen, Sachkompetenz
high-stamina [)haI (stÄmInE]
mit hoher Ausdauer
recruitment [ri(kru:tmEnt]
Einstellung
sales [seI&lz]
Vertrieb
savvy [(sÄvi] ifml.
kundig, mit guten Kenntnissen
summary [(sVmEri]
Kurzdarstellung
tight [taIt]
knapp bemessen
UAE (United Arab Emirates) [)ju: eI (i:] Vereinigte Arabische Emirate
“It’s a mistake to make
your job search your sole
focus in life”
avoid social networks altogether.
Management consultant Rob Asghar
says that not having a LinkedIn profile
“sends a mixed signal” — either
that you are completely satisfied with
your current job or that you are
“technologically illiterate”. Your profile
should include a photo, preferably
a professional portrait, but in any
case one in which you look pleasant
and approachable. No drunken party
shots, please. Not posting a photo
“sends a negative message”, Asghar
writes in Forbes. “It may signal that
you’re unprofessional or insecure
about yourself — or that you’re
mainly lurking on the network rather
than connecting.” LinkedIn or Xing
can also be helpful for doing company
searches. Check to see whether
the company you want to work for is
listed, and if it is, look for people
there who could hire or recommend
you. Because personal connections
can lead to jobs, you should keep
your network informed about your
job search, advises blogger Rachel
Levy on About.com: “When I was
first laid off, I sent a large email to
everyone in my LinkedIn network,
letting them know of my situation
and asking for any help or people
they could put me in touch with.” If
you have your own blog, you can use
LinkedIn to draw attention to it.
Twitter is another potential source for
jobs and recommendations, Levy
says. If you want to make it easier for
search engines to find you, use your
own name as your Twitter name
rather than something funny.
Put your best face forward:
LinkedIn profile
Instead of simply sending out multiple
applications, take the time to
find out as much as possible about
potential companies. Lists of top
companies can be found at the Great
application [)ÄplI(keIS&n] Bewerbung
approachable
umgänglich
[E(prEUtSEb&l]
lay sb. off [)leI (Qf] jmdn. entlassen
listed [(lIstId]
aufgeführt
lurk [l§:k]
lauern; hier: im
Verborgenen
agieren
management consultant Unternehmens-
[)mÄnIdZmEnt
berater(in)
kEn(sVltEnt]
search engine
Suchmaschine
[(s§:tS )endZIn]
shot [SQt]
hier: Schnappschuss
technologically illiterate technisch nicht
[teknE)lQdZIk&li I(lItErEt] bewandert
touch: put sb. in ~ jmdn. mit jmdm.
with sb. [tVtS]
in Kontakt bringen
70 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

Masterfile
Look before you write: research companies online
Place to Work websites, which include
listings for Austria, Germany
and Switzerland. Chambers of commerce
have lists of local companies,
as do professional organizations. You
can also check Facebook groups to
see whether the companies that interest
you have job listings. To search on
Twitter, use Twellow, which describes
itself as the Twitter “yellow pages”,
to find companies and individual contacts
in your area.
Cold-calling — phoning potential
employers to see whether they have
jobs available — is not for everyone.
board [bO:d]
chamber of commerce
[)tSeImbEr Ev (kQm§:s]
chase sth. [tSeIs]
cold-call (sb.)
[(kEUld )kO:l]
confident [(kQnfIdEnt]
elude sb. [i(lu:d]
exercise [(eksEsaIz]
job listing
[(dZQb )lIstIN]
maintain sth.
[meIn(teIn]
non-profit organization
[)nQn )prQfIt
)O:gEnaI(zeIS&n]
office hours [(QfIs )aUEz]
recruiter [ri(kru:tE]
reverse [ri(v§:s]
sole [sEUl]
voicemail message
[(vOIsmeI&l )mesIdZ]
volunteer [)vQlEn(tIE]
Vorstand
Handelskammer
gemeinnützige
Organisation
einer Sache
hinterherjagen
(jmdn.) unaufgefordert
anrufen
(selbst)sicher
hier: jmdm.
versagt bleiben
Sport treiben
Stellenausschreibung
etw. wahren
Geschäftszeit
Personalvermittler(in)
umgekehrt
einzig
Sprachnachricht
freiwillig tätig sein
Yet it can lead to employment if you
do it right, according to career coach
and blogger Marty Nemko. Start by
listing 20 to 50 companies you would
like to work for, he suggests. Then
call after hours to leave a voicemail
message with someone who has the
power to hire you, introducing yourself
and saying that you will email
your covering letter and CV. If you
haven’t heard back in a week, call
again during office hours.
Don’t worry about sounding stupid
or making mistakes, Nemko says.
“Write a little script at home. Don’t
read it on the phone with the employer,
but you can practise with the
script and without the script until it
sounds natural.” Make the calls in
reverse order, from the least desirable
employers to the most desirable. That
way, by the time you reach your top
choice, you will feel and sound more
confident.
Meanwhile, the more people you
know, the more likely it is that someone
will think of you when there’s a
job available. Nemko suggests volunteering
as a good way to expand your
personal and professional network.
For example, you could volunteer to
serve on the board of a small company
or non-profit organization. Other
volunteering options include political
For more information
BOOKS
Job Searching with Social Media for Dummies,
Joshua Waldman (Wiley)
Job Search Letters for Dummies, Joyce Lain
Kennedy (Wiley)
Super Secrets of the Successful Jobseeker,
Simon Gray (Harriman House Ltd)
WEBSITES
More career tips from Marty Nemko:
http://martynemko.blogspot.com
Self-branding expert Michael Browne:
http://www.michaelobrowne.com
Open Minds, Open Markets is Michael
Browne’s coaching partnership with Nick Parry:
www.omomnetwork.com
campaigns, religious organizations
and community groups.
Finding a job should be a priority,
and you should spend a serious
amount of time on it. But British
recruiter and author Simon Gray says
it is a mistake to “make your job
search your sole focus in life”. Instead,
Gray writes in The Guardian:
“Enjoy family time, eat well and
exercise. Leave the house each day,
volunteer, learn new skills, meet people
and maintain a balance in your
life. We all need interaction and variety:
often, the harder you chase something,
the more it eludes you.” ■BS
Margaret Davis provides tips for writing
CVs and covering letters.
plus You can find related exercises in
Business Spotlight plus
www Keep up to date with career trends at
www.business-spotlight.de/careers
Margaret Davis is the editor of the
Careers and Global Business sections
of Business Spotlight. Contact:
m.davis@spotlight-verlag.de
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 71

CAREERS TIPS AND TRENDS
All in a day’s work
Was macht einen guten Mentor aus? Wie verhält man sich bei
einer Romanze am Arbeitsplatz? Und sind Bartträger weniger
erfolgreich? MARGARET DAVIS gibt die Antworten.
medium
Mentors
Good advice
When you’re new to a job, it’s good to know that an experienced
colleague can help. And if it’s your first job, a mentor
can make a big difference.
What you don’t need, says executive coach Stephen Xavier,
is a mentor who talks too much or doesn’t have time for you.
“Good mentors set goals with their protégés, ask questions,
do a lot of listening and create informal situations that allow
them to introduce their protégé to other, high-visibility people
in the company,” Xavier told The New York Times.
Experienced help: mentors
make your life easier
Stockbyte
Fuse
Bad manners?
Take a course
Trend
Social skills
Debrett’s, the aristocratic British publishing house, is offering
courses in etiquette and social skills to jobseekers. Established
in 1769, the company is famous for its guides to the
ruling class. Now, reacting to employers’ complaints about
young people’s lack of social skills, Debrett’s has developed
programmes for those under 30. Starting at £1,000 for two
days, the courses concentrate on skills like telephoning and
writing as well as business etiquette.
Source: The Observer; Debrett’s (www.debretts.com)
Away from your desk
DVD
Adam Smallbone (played by Tom Hollander)
has just left a country parish to
become the vicar of an inner-city church
in London. His struggle to
adjust to the new job provides
much of the comedy in the
BBC series Rev. With a mix of
humour and realism, Rev. is a
portrait of a modern priest
whose wife (Olivia Colman)
has a career of her own.
adjust to sth. [E(dZVst tu] sich auf etw.
einstellen
executive coach
Trainer(in) für
[Ig)zekjUtIv (kEUtS]
Führungskräfte
goal [gEUl]
Ziel
high-visibility [)haI vIzE(bIlEti] hier: hochrangig
parish [(pÄrIS]
Kirchengemeinde
protégé [(prQtEZeI]
Schützling
publishing house [(pVblISIN haUs] Verlag
Rev. (Reverend)
Pfarrer, Pastor; hier als
[rev ((rev&rEnd)] ifml.
Anrede: Hochwürden
vicar [(vIkE]
Pfarrer(in)
72 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

Romance in the office: keep it quiet
How to...
Survive an office romance
Although some companies try to discourage workplace
romance, many of us do in fact meet our
partners at work. You can be romantically involved
with a colleague, but you need to be aware of
the effect you’re having on the rest of the team,
says Chris Smith, head of the job-search website
MyJobMatcher.com. Here are some tips:
l Avoid showing signs of emotion in public. “No
one wants to walk into the kitchen to find you two
squeezed up against the microwave while your
lunch goes nuclear,” writes Smith in The Guardian.
“Also, never use emotional language — a relationship
is private.”
l Don’t take sides. “Just because the new love of
your life is sitting five yards away doesn’t mean
they’re always right about work-related decisions,”
Smith says. “Leave your private life at home and
maintain a sense of professionalism at work.”
Stockbyte
l Be careful on social media. If colleagues read
your Facebook page, posting pictures of you and
your lover may lead to unwelcome talk.
l Look for alternatives. Are you sure it’s a good
idea to flirt with Bob from IT or Carol in Finance?
“Perhaps you should try to socialize more with your
friends outside of work in order to gain some perspective
on the situation,” Smith suggests.
iStock
Dilbert
Statistically speaking
Moustache discrimination
According to a US study, 91.7 per cent of Americans
believe that moustaches are acceptable at
work. Yet only 29.6 per cent have an immediate
supervisor who wears a moustache. These results,
jokes the American Mustache Institute, prove the
existence of a “facial-hair ceiling”.
Sources: Los Angeles Times; American Mustache Institute
(www.americanmustacheinstitute.org)
facial-hair ceiling etwa: (Aufstiegs-)
[(feIS&l heE )si:lIN] Barriere für Bartträger
fixed: sb. is all ~ für jmdn. ist alles
[fIkst]
in Ordnung
(fix sth.
etw. regeln)
go nuclear
hier: verschmoren
[)gEU (nju:kliE] ifml.
maintain sth. [meIn(teIn] etw. wahren
moustache [mE(stA:S] Schnurrbart
mustache [(mVstÄS*] US Schnurrbart
socialize with sb. hier: sich mit
[(sEUSElaIz wID]
jmdm. treffen
squeezed up
eng aneinander-
[)skwi:zd (Vp]
gepresst
supervisor [(su:pEvaIzE] Vorgesetzte(r)
take sides [)teIk (saIdz] Partei ergreifen
yard [jA:d] Yard (0,9144 m)
* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.
www.dilbert.com dilbertcartoonist@gmail.com
© 01/30/2014 Scott Adams, Inc. Dist. by Universal Uclick
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 73

The stage is set: Rick’s
Café in Casablanca
As time goes by
Wer denkt bei Casablanca nicht an den Kinofilm und fragt sich, was aus Rick’s Café Américain
geworden ist? VICKI SUSSENS hat sich auf die Suche gemacht und ist fündig geworden. medium
Hadj is a large and impressive
Moroccan who comes regularly
to Rick’s Café. He
likes to stand at the bar surrounded
by friends and,
smoking a large cigar, entertain the
guests. One night, the US ambassador
to Morocco was having dinner with
visitors to Casablanca. A woman in
the group was fascinated by Hadj, so
owner Kathy Kriger introduced them.
Hadj was so flattered that he sent a
bottle of champagne to her table.
“This interaction between local and
foreign guests is what I had hoped for
when I opened the cafe in 2004,” says
Kriger, an American who has recreated
Rick’s Café from the 1942 film
classic Casablanca.
In the film, the cafe is a meeting
place for those arriving in Morocco
either to escape the war or to make
money from it. It is also a backdrop
for the film’s love story between the
owner, Rick Blaine, played by
Humphrey Bogart, and the young
Norwegian Ilsa Lund, played by Ingrid
Bergman. “I wanted to recreate
the cafe in the film, but to have my
own cast of characters,” says Kriger.
A wartime love story involving resistance
fighters, Germans chasing
them and a dramatic escape, Casablanca
won three Oscars.
When Kriger arrived in Morocco in
1998 as the commercial counsellor
for the US embassy, she was surprised
that nobody had recreated the
cafe. Many tourists thought it was
real but it had in fact been built in a
Hollywood studio.
She tried to interest American investors
in the idea. “Everybody found
it great. But nobody did anything
about it,” she says. After the terrorist
ambassador [Äm(bÄsEdE]Botschafter(in)
backdrop [(bÄkdrQp] Kulisse
cast of characters Rollenbesetzung
[)kA:st Ev (kÄrEktEz]
champagne [)SÄm(peIn] [wg. Aussprache]
chase sb. [tSeIs] jmdn. jagen,
verfolgen
commercial counsellor Handelsattaché(e)
[kE)m§:S&l (kaUns&lE]
embassy [(embEsi] Botschaft
flatter sb. [(flÄtE] jmdm. schmeicheln
Moroccan
Marokkaner(in);
[mE(rQkEn]
marokkanisch
74 www.business-spotlight.de
4/2014

RICK’S CAFÉ MANAGEMENT
Cafe owner:
Kathy Kriger
Bill Willis, a friend of Kriger’s, designed
the cafe. The eccentric American,
who arrived in Morocco in the
1960s and died in 2009, is famous for
the old riads he converted into pleasure
palaces for people like Yves Saint
Laurent and J. Paul Getty, Jr.
“I wanted people to think that maybe
this cafe was here in 1942”
attacks of 11 September 2001, Kriger
felt the timing was right to try it herself:
“Casablanca needed foreign investors
and a good news story — and
Rick’s was it.”
Kriger loved food and entertaining.
She also had business experience,
having started a travel agency in her
home town of Portland, Oregon, in
the US, at the age of 28, and having
run a business in Tokyo that provided
office services to foreign firms.
And she loved Moroccan houses.
“The most exciting part was finding
the house,” says Kriger. It was an old
riad — a traditional town house with
an inner courtyard — built into the
wall of the medina, the ancient walled
city centre. Its front entrance looks
over palm trees to the majestic Hassan
II Mosque, whereas the back
overlooks the port.
To raise money, Kriger says she decided
to “round up the usual suspects”
— a famous line from the film,
by which she meant her friends and
work contacts. In her flyer, she played
on Bogart’s words: “Of all the gin
joints in all the towns in all the world,
I’d like you to buy into mine.” (Rick
had said: “..., she walks into mine.”)
Kriger raised over $250,000 (about
€200,000 then) from 42 investors, including
ten high-level Moroccans and
the LA lawyer Alan Rothenberg, who
was then involved in Morocco’s bid
to host the 2010 World Cup. She
opened a firm for the investors called
The Usual Suspects and threw herself
into the world of Casablanca, watching
the film hundreds of times. She
also spoke to Moroccans who remembered
the 1940s. One still had a
pamphlet with a message from President
Roosevelt, dropped from the air
before the US landing at Casablanca
in November 1942. “I wanted people
to think that maybe this cafe was here
in 1942,” Kriger says.
arch [A:tS]
Bogen
audition [O:(dIS&n] vorspielen
bid [bId]
Gebot; hier: Bewerbung
convert sth. [kEn(v§:t] etw. umwandeln
dinner jacket
Smokingjacke
[(dInE )dZÄkIt]
domed skylight
Glas-, Lichtkuppel
[)dEUmd (skaIlaIt]
dress sb. down
jmdn. herunter-
[)dres (daUn] ifml. putzen
dress up [)dres (Vp] sich (ver)kleiden
gin joint
Kaschemme
[(dZIn dZOInt] ifml.
host sth. [hEUst] etw. austragen
inner courtyard
Innenhof
[)InE (kO:tjA:d]
lawyer [(lO:jE]
Anwalt/Anwältin
pamphlet [(pÄmflEt] Flugblatt
patio [(pÄtiEU]
Innenhof
raise money [)reIz (mVni] Geld beschaffen
round up (people) (Leute) zusammen-
[)raUnd (Vp] trommeln; hoch -
nehmen, verhaften
tiled [taI&ld]
gefliest
travel agency
Reisebüro
[(trÄv&l )eIdZEnsi]
usual suspects: the ~ die üblichen
[)ju:ZuEl (sVspekts] Verdächtigen
“We had many laughs and tears in
the two years it took to build the
cafe,” Kriger remembers. The result is
a convincing version of the film cafe,
with its arabesque arches, balustrades,
domed skylight and tiled patio. It
opened in March 2004.
In the first years, Kriger jokingly
called herself “Madam Rick”, dressing
like Rick in a white dinner jacket
and black trousers. And she found a
pianist who regularly played “As
Time Goes By”, Ilsa and Rick’s special
song. She even persuaded Lenny
Bluett, the son of Humphrey Bogart’s
cook, to play for the first few months.
Now 95, Bluett had auditioned to
play Sam, the piano player in
Casablanca, but was then too young.
The cafe’s regular pianist is now Issam
Chabaa, a Moroccan, whose first
name is pronounced as “Eye-Sam”.
Guests still ask him to “Play it, Sam”,
Ilsa’s famous line. But film clichés are
heard less often in the cafe these days.
After ten years, it now has its own
character, says Kriger, who has also
stopped dressing up as Rick. “I still
have my Madam Rick moments
though, when I dress someone down,
just as Rick did.” And, like Rick, she
lives above the restaurant.
Does Kathy Kriger still feel she is
living the film? “Yes, but it’s my own
film and only at night. During the day,
I live backstage,” she laughs. ■BS
For more information, see www.rickscafe.ma
Vicki Sussens is a feature writer and
the editor of the Management section
of Business Spotlight. Contact:
v.sussens@spotlight-verlag.de
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 75

MANAGEMENT WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
Japan’s quality miracle
Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg musste auch die japanische Wirtschaft wiederaufgebaut
werden. VICKI SUSSENS zeigt, wer zum japanischen Wirtschaftswunder beitrug. medium
Better than the US: a Japanese TV factory in 1966
The background
The Allies, led by the US, occupied
Japan from 1945 to 1950 to rebuild
the economy and establish democracy.
William Edwards Deming (1900-93),
a renowned statistician and professor
at the New York University School of
Business, was sent to Japan several
times by the US Department of the
Army to help assess agricultural,
nutritional and housing problems and
to prepare the 1951 census. In 1947,
he was made an honorary member of
the Japan Statistical Society, where he
met members of the Union of Japanese
Scientists and Engineers (JUSE).
In 1950, JUSE asked him to teach its
members his theories on quality control.
He worked as a consultant to
JUSE between 1952 and 1956.
The problem
Japan’s main industrial areas had
been destroyed during the war. Raw
materials were hard to get, and they
were expensive. Production dropped
to just one-tenth of the pre-war level,
and products were of poor quality.
The solution
In 1951, Japan’s Ministry of International
Trade and Industry (MITI) introduced
an economic programme to
help the country become as powerful
as North American and European industrial
economies. Deming had developed
a quality-control strategy in
the US that he felt could revolutionize
Japanese manufacturing. The focus
was on continuous product improvement
and total quality control to
avoid expensive mistakes, and to create
excellent products. The strategy
combined statistics with people management,
focusing on management by
objectives instead of by numbers.
Getty Images
What happened next
Deming taught Japan’s top managers
how to improve design, service, product
quality and testing, as well as how
to sell globally. He told them Japanese
quality could be the best in the
world instead of the worst. “I was the
only man in Japan who believed that
Japanese industry could do that,” he
wrote in his book What Happened in
Japan? (1967). The country began to
produce innovative consumer goods,
such as cars, in the 1950s. In 1958, its
electronic goods exports to the US
doubled compared to 1957. In 1960,
Emperor Hirohito awarded Deming
the Order of the Sacred Treasure for
helping to rebuild Japan’s industry.
By the 1970s, Japanese companies
were taking market share from US
firms in America. In 1980, the US TV
network NBC showed the documentary
If Japan Can…, Why Can’t We?
— the first time America recognized
Deming’s role in Japan’s economic
miracle. US firms then began to use
his model. Deming became the most
influential thinker in total quality
management (TQM). ■BS
Allies: the ~ [(ÄlaIz] die Alliierten
assess sth. [E(ses]
etw. beurteilen
census [(sensEs]
Volkszählung
consultant [kEn(sVltEnt] Berater(in)
consumer goods
Konsumgüter
[kEn(sju:mE gUdz]
department [di(pA:rtmEnt*] US Ministerium
economic miracle
Wirtschafts-
[i:kE)nQmIk (mIrEk&l] wunder
engineer [)endZI(nIE] Ingenieur(in)
honorary [(Qn&rEri]
Ehrenhousing
[(haUzIN]
Wohnungsbau
management by objectives Führung durch
[)mÄnIdZmEnt
ZielvereinbaI
Eb(dZektIvz]
barung
manufacturing
verarbeitende
[)mÄnju(fÄktSErIN]
Industrie
market share [)mA:kIt (SeE] Marktanteil(e)
nutritional [nju(trIS&nEl] Ernährungs-
Order of the Sacred
Orden des
Treasure [)O:dEr Ev DE Heiligen
)seIkrId (treZE]
Schatzes
raw material [)rO: mE(tIEriEl] Rohstoff
renowned [ri(naUnd] angesehen
school [sku:l]
hier: Fakultät
statistician [)stÄtI(stIS&n] Statistiker(in)
union [(ju:niEn]
Vereinigung
* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.
76 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

EXECUTIVE EYE MANAGEMENT
Time to think differently
Suchen Sie die Ursache für einen Misserfolg stets bei sich selbst, für einen Erfolg jedoch
bei anderen? Und sehen Sie auch bei Ihren Mitarbeitern alles nur schwarz oder weiß? In
solchen Fällen rät unser Management-Experte ADRIAN FURNHAM zu einer Therapie. medium
Do you or your boss need cognitive
behaviour therapy (CBT)? This is the
most popular treatment for a range of
psychological problems, particularly
depression.
It was developed more than 50
years ago by the American psychiatrist
Aaron Beck. He found that patients
often caused themselves anxiety
or depression through certain automatic
or distorted thinking patterns.
For example, they would blame themselves
for a failure while giving others
credit for their success. In
this kind of therapy, people
learn to think differently about
themselves, their lives and, in
particular, their successes and
failures.
But what if people have distorted
beliefs about others? Do you or your
boss show signs of any of the following
thinking patterns?
anxiety [ÄN(zaIEti]
Angstgefühl(e),
Beklemmung(en)
Mutmaßung
Herausforderung
kognitive Verhal-
tenstherapie
(KVT)
Verleugnung
etw. gering
schätzen
verzerrt
emotiv, auf Emotionen
basierend
Schuld, Schuldgefühle
Bezeichnung
hier: Typisierung
Gedankenlesen
assumption [E(sVmpS&n]
challenge [(tSÄlIndZ]
cognitive behaviour
therapy (CBT) [)kQgnEtIv
bi(heIvjE )TerEpi]
denial [di(naIEl]
discount sth.
[(dIskaUnt]
distorted [dI(stO:tId]
emotive [i(mEUtIv]
guilt [gIlt]
label [(leIb&l]
labelling [(leIb&lIN]
mindreading
[(maInd)ri:dIN]
resilient [ri(zIliEnt]
thinking pattern
[(TINkIN )pÄt&n]
belastbar
Denkmuster
Reprogramme your mind: not
everything is the way it may seem
l All or nothing Everything is black
or white, good or bad. If others make
a mistake in any small or temporary
way, this is viewed as a sign of failure.
If they do well, they are a hero.
l Overgeneralizations Major assumptions
are made based on small, even
insignificant, facts.
l Focusing on the negative A negative
event leads to an obsession that
“People may fall into a number of typical
automatic or distorted thinking patterns”
darkens everything else. Successes are
forgotten. Failures are continually referred
to and used to punish others.
l Discounting the positive People’s
success is seen as luck, fate or the
work of someone else — and not related
to their ability.
l Mindreading Assumptions are
made about what others are thinking
and feeling, without checking them.
This kind of person thinks they know
best what others really think.
l Denial Information or events that
prove the person’s incompetence are
ignored and downplayed.
l Confusing emotions for reality Because
negative emotions are so intense
and feel so real, they seem to be
an accurate reflection of reality.
l Motivating by using guilt The person
tells people they “must”, “ought
iStock
to” or “should” act in a certain way,
rather than explaining why they need
to do this.
l Labelling Highly emotive labels are
used, such as calling people “incompetent”,
“untrustworthy” or “inefficient”,
instead of trying to understand
their behaviour in context.
l Personalizing A success or failure is
regarded as being solely the work of
one person, without recognizing all
the other factors that contributed to
that result.
Do you recognize yourself (or your
boss) in these patterns? If so, it might
be time for treatment. ■BS
Adrian Furnham is a psychology professor at University
College, London. His latest book is The
Resilient Manager: Navigating the Challenges of
Working Life (Palgrave Macmillan).
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 77

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e

McLaren
In pole
position
Die Formel 1 ist mehr als Autorennen auf
den Pisten der Welt. Unzählige Fachkräfte
arbeiten hinter den Kulissen und übertragen
ihr Know-how auch auf andere Branchen.
ANGELA MONAGHAN informiert. advanced
Technical revolution: F1 engines are now more efficient
While the winning and losing
in this year’s Formula
One circus will be decided
on 19 racetracks
around the world, much
of the background work will be carried
out in the UK, in “Motorsport
Valley”, a business cluster near Oxford.
“The garage at the grand prix
is our shop window, but it’s what
goes on behind the scenes that makes
the difference,” says Red Bull team
principal, Christian Horner.
As in past seasons, 8 of the 11 Formula
One teams racing in 2014 are
based in the UK, including big names
such as Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes
and Lotus. Success is also built
around the Silverstone circuit, where
the British Grand Prix is held.
Britain has a dominant position in
racing, and this dominance stretches
beyond the Formula One teams to an
entire industry that lives from the
sport. Motorsport Valley is home
to some 4,300 companies, employing
41,000 people and with a combined
turnover of £9 billion per year
(€10.8 billion), according to the UK’s
Motorsport Industry Association
(MIA). Almost 90 per cent of those
companies export their products
and services.
Chris Aylett, the MIA’s chief executive,
says Britain’s Formula One dominance
began in the 1950s. “After the
war we had very little money, but a
lot of airfields that had not been
bombed,” he says. The airfields were
turned into racetracks and engineers
designed cars that were increasingly
lighter and faster. “We had engineers
who were experienced in rapid research
and development, aerodynamics
and competitive engineering, and
airfield [(eEfi:&ld]
billion [(bIljEn]
business cluster
[(bIznEs )klVstE]
chief executive
[)tSi:f Ig(zekjUtIv]
circuit [(s§:kIt]
engineer
[)endZI(nIE]
engineering
[)endZI(nIErIN]
garage [(gÄrA:Z]
racetrack [(reIstrÄk]
team principal
[)ti:m (prInsEp&l]
turnover [(t§:n)EUvE]
Flugplatz
Milliarde(n)
wirtschaftlicher
Cluster
Geschäftsführer(in)
Parcours; hier:
Rennstrecke
Ingenieur(in);
Techniker(in)
Konstruktion, technische
Planung
Werkstatt
Rennstrecke, Piste
Teamchef(in)
Umsatz
80 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

FORMULA ONE TECHNOLOGY
As in past seasons, 8 of the 11 Formula One
racing teams are based in Britain
a lot of them turned their hands to
automobile engineering.”
The technology that is needed to
build a winning car is being used in
other industries, too. For example,
McLaren Applied Technologies
(MAT) has worked to speed up toothpaste
production (see “Pit-stop principles”
on right). “Formula One
breaks new ground and other industries
follow,” says McLaren boss, Ron
Dennis. “And because of the concentration
of Formula One in the UK, we
have a significant advantage.”
McLaren Applied Technologies is
taking its expertise to other sports,
too. “The UK has punched above its
weight in recent Olympic Games, and
a small amount of that success is attributable
to Formula One,” says
Dennis. He names McLaren’s work in
sports such as cycling, sailing, rowing
and skeleton, where its engineers
worked to improve equipment as well
as the way athletes train and race.
“Across those sports, we have helped
win 32 medals, 17 of which have
been gold.”
Other Formula One teams are
diversifying, too. The company
Williams has taken its motorsport
expertise into sectors including mass
transport, and particularly in the
use of energy-efficient technologies.
break new ground neue Wege ein-
[breIk )nu: (graUnd*] US schlagen
deputy [(depjUti] stellvertretende(r,s)
expertise [)eksp§:(ti:z] Fachwissen
finishing line
Ziellinie
[(fInISIN laIn]
incredibly [In(kredEbli] unglaublich
pit stop [(pIt stɒp] Boxenstopp
punch above one’s etwa: unerwartet
weight [)pVntS E)bVv erfolgreich sein
wVnz (weIt] ifml.
rowing [(rEUIN]
Rudern
toothpaste [(tu:TpeIst] Zahnpaste
* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.
Claire Williams, deputy team principal
and commercial director at
Williams, says the cluster of high-tech
engineering companies in Motorsport
Valley proves it isn’t true that “Britain
doesn’t make things any more”.
For now, though, all teams have
their minds on the current season. It’s
all about the engine, say analysts.
The race results are likely to depend
Technical changes
Pit-stop principles
energy-recovery system
[)enEdZi ri(kVvEri )sIstEm]
exhaust gas [Ig(zO:st gÄs]
fuel [fju:El]
lap [lÄp]
pit stop [(pIt stQp]
toothpaste [(tu:TpeIst]
turbocharged [(t§:bEUtSA:dZd]
on the performance of the all-new V6
engines (see “Technical changes” below),
particularly those built by Mercedes,
Renault and Ferrari. “All of
our talented engineers have worked
incredibly hard and will continue to
do so as we fight for every single
point,” says McLaren’s Dennis.
But for each race on the Formula
One circus, the chances are good that
the first driver to cross the finishing
line will be from a British-based team,
in a British-designed car. ■BS
In 2014, the technical rules of Formula One changed greatly. Cars now have
1.6-litre turbocharged hybrid V6 engines instead of 2.4-litre V8 engines.
Fuel use is limited to 100 kilograms per race. Energy-recovery systems convert
kinetic energy from the brakes and heat from exhaust gases into electrical
energy. The V8 engines produced 750 brake horsepower (bhp). The
V6 engines generate 600 bhp, and the energy-recovery systems provide 160
bhp every lap. So the V6 engines are as powerful as the V8. They’re quieter,
too. But many fans say they miss the characteristic sound of Formula One.
At McLaren Applied Technologies (MAT), not everyone is focused on Formula
One. Some are thinking about toothpaste. McLaren has put 50 years of racing
experience to use on GlaxoSmithKline’s toothpaste production. Thanks
to McLaren’s “pit-stop” changeovers, the time it takes to change over from
one toothpaste type to another has been cut from 39 minutes to 15 minutes.
The factory now produces 6.7 million more tubes of toothpaste a year.
Upcoming Formula One races
Austria Großer Preis von Österreich (Spielberg)
UK British Grand Prix (Silverstone)
Germany Großer Preis von Deutschland (Hockenheim)
System zur Energierückgewinnung
Abgas
Kraftstoff
Runde
Boxenstopp
Zahnpaste
turboaufgeladen, Turbo-
20–22 June
4–6 July
18–20 July
© Guardian News & Media 2014
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 81

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS
iStock
Ideas and inventions
Gibt es Neuigkeiten? CAROL
SCHEUNEMANN
präsentiert technische Innovationen und neue
wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse. medium
Bones and phones
When gathering information on the very distant past,
scientists turn, for example, to fossilized bones and
footprints. These help to provide a timescale for evolution. Modern societies are leaving behind
“technofossils”, which are formed from the millions of objects that people produce, including
mobile phones, cars and factories. A new branch of geology, “technostratigraphy”,
can help to characterize deposits containing man-made materials such as metal or concrete.
The remains of our technical age in the earth’s surface illustrate what some geologists call the
“Anthropocene”, or “human”, epoch — when human activity began changing the environment.
Since the start of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, technical “evolution”
has accelerated dramatically. Geologist Jan Zalasiewicz at the University of Leicester writes
in The Anthropocene Review that technofossils are also found where there are no people —
in the oceans and in space — and that such remains will exist long after humans are gone.
Society’s waste: proof of
our technical evolution
In the news
Loon
Google’s new project
to provide internet
everywhere by using
high-altitude hot-air
balloons.
Source: www.google.com/loon
46
Percentage of people who obeyed a robot “boss” in
an experiment when it asked them to do tasks they
said they didn’t like and didn’t want to do.
Source: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Lab,
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
Stockbyte
Did you know?
Using a model of fish migration, researchers discovered
that when older members were removed from a school
of fish, the school lost its collective memory. The fish
“forgot” certain life-saving formations, as well as when
to migrate, where to go or even to migrate at all. In the
real world, this could explain why saving or protecting
young fish does not preserve a fish population and why
attempts to repopulate overfished areas often fail.
Sources: Centre for Ocean Life, Technical University of Denmark;
Journal of the Royal Society: Interface
$1.4 million
Cost of five milligrams of californium, a synthetic
chemical element that may one day
make the recycling of radioactive
waste possible.
Sources: Florida State University;
Nature Chemistry
accelerate [Ek(selEreIt]
concrete [(kQNkri:t]
deposit [di(pQzIt]
footprint [(fUtprInt]
high altitude [)haI (ÄltItju:d]
Leicester [(lestE]
repopulate sth. [)ri:(pQpjuleIt]
researcher [ri(s§:tSE]
school of fish [)sku:l Ev (fIS]
timescale [(taImskeI&l]
waste [weIst]
sich beschleunigen
Beton
Vorkommen, Stätte
Fußabdruck
große Höhe; hier: hochfliegend
[wg. Aussprache]
etw. neu besiedeln
Forscher(in)
Fischschwarm
Zeitrahmen, -skala
Abfall
Californium: expensive
chemical element
4/2014

LANGUAGE FOCUS
TECHNOLOGY
Medical lasers
Viele Operationen werden durch die Lasertechnik
erleichtert, wie PAUL EAST hier erklärt. advanced
Over the past 50 years, medical treatments
have benefited greatly from developments
in laser technology. Surgical
incisions that might be dangerous using a
metal scalpel can be made with greater
precision with a laser scalpel, because a
laser beam can cut continuously at a specified
depth. Common types of laser
scalpel use gases such as carbon dioxide
and produce either a pulsing or a continuous
beam of infrared light.
Excimer lasers produce ultraviolet light
and are widely used for eye surgery. Excimer-laser
or “cool”-laser ablation is less
invasive than traditional surgery for cleaning
clogged or blocked arteries. This
method avoids damage to the surrounding
tissue, as the laser doesn’t burn the unwanted
material. Instead, it adds enough
energy to it to cause the molecules in the
blood clot to break apart.
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT), which
makes use of red light and near-infrared
light, was first used for the healing of
wounds and for pain relief. The light produces
a photochemical reaction within the
cells being treated. Such lasers can stimulate
acupuncture points and encourage
nerve regeneration.
Lasers are widely found in cosmetic
treatments of the skin, such as wrinkle
reduction around the lips or eyes and the
treatment of acne scars. They are also
used for removing tattoos or hair, as well
as for encouraging hair growth. Other
uses of medical lasers include dental
surgery, treatment of dental diseases and
teeth whitening.
■BS
Paul East heads The Pyramid Group, and is
president of the International Association of
Technical English Trainers (IATET). Contact:
paul@pyramidmultimediaconsulting.com
Vocabulary
ablation [Äb(leIS&n]
Ablation, (operatives) Entfernen
acne scar [(Äkni skA:]
Aknenarbe
artery [(A:tEri]
Arterie
blemish [(blemIS]
Unreinheit, Fleck
blood clot [(blVd klQt]
Blutgerinnsel
carbon dioxide [)kA:bEn daI(QksaId] Kohlendioxid
cataract [(kÄtErÄkt]
Katarakt, grauer Star
clogged [klQgd]
verstopft
dental surgery [(dent&l )s§:dZEri] Zahnchirurgie
dosage [(dEUsIdZ]
Dosierung
excimer (“excited dimer”) laser
Excimerlaser (Kaltlichtlaser im
[(eksImE )leIzE]
unsichtbaren Ultraviolettspektrum)
gas laser [(gÄs )leIzE]
Gaslaser
healing [(hi:&lIN]
Heilung, Abheilung
infection [In(fekS&n]
Infektion
infrared light [InfrE)red (laIt]
Infrarotlicht
injury [(IndZEri]
Verletzung, Schädigung
inoperable [In(QpErEb&l]
inoperabel, nicht operierbar
irradiance [I(reIdiEns]
Strahlungsdichte, -intensität
laser beam [(leIzE bi:m]
Laserstrahl
laser probe [(leIzE prEUb]
Lasersonde
low-level laser therapy (LLLT)
Behandlung mit nieder-
[)lEU )lev&l )leIzE (TerEpi]
energetischem Laser
penetration [)penE(treIS&n]
Eindringen
periodontitis [)periEUdQn(taItIs]
Parodontose
pigmentation [)pIgmen(teIS&n]
Pigmentierung
procedure [prEU(si:dZE]
Verfahren
pulsing [(pVlsIN]
pulsierend
side effect [(saId E)fekt]
Nebenwirkung
soft tissue [)sQft (tISu:]
Weichgewebe
solid-state laser [)sQlId )steIt (leIzE] Festkörperlaser
surgeon [(s§:dZEn]
Chirurg(in)
surgery [(s§:dZEri]
Chirurgie; Operation(en)
surgical incision [)s§:dZIk&l In(sIZ&n] chirurgischer (Ein-)Schnitt
surgical laser [)s§:dZIk&l (leIzE]
chirurgischer Laser
tissue [(tISu:]
Gewebe
ultraviolet light [VltrE)vaIElEt (laIt] ultraviolettes Licht
vaporization [)veIpEraI(zeIS&n]
Verdampfung
varicose vein [)vÄrIkEUs (veIn]
Krampfader
visible light [)vIzEb&l (laIt]
sichtbares Licht
wavelength [(weIvleNT]
Wellenlänge
wrinkle reduction [(rINk&l ri)dVkS&n] Faltenreduzierung
Exercise: Healing beam
Rearrange the letters in bold to form the words described.
a) Treatment that involves cutting the patient’s body: gyrreus _______________
b) Treatment of an illness: reyhatp _____________________________________
c) Make more active: tlisumate ______________________________________
Answers on page 64
Stockbyte
4/2014
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The use of prepositions can be tricky. You can
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84 www.business-spotlight.de

5/2014 PREVIEW
iStock
iStock
Writing a job application
Once you have found a job that interests you, the next step is
to apply for it in writing. In the second part of our special
Careers series, we show you how to create a winning covering
letter and curriculum vitae (résumé).
Key tips for telephoning
Speaking English on the telephone is an
essential aspect of doing business
internationally. Bob Dignen provides ten tips to
help you to improve your phone skills.
LANGUAGE
THE MEDIA
Improve your business
vocabulary with
our 20-page guide:
SKILL UP!
Getty Images/Thinkstock
Working with China
China is likely to overtake the United States soon as the
world’s largest economy. In our article on intercultural communication,
we look at how to do business with the Chinese.
also:
Easy English: getting approval
Grammar: making requests
English for... stress management
BusinessSpotlight 5/2014 is on sale from 13 August 2014
4/2014
www.business-spotlight.de 85

PEOPLE MY WORKING LIFE
Carl Mesilio: Tour guide
Er ist britischer Staatsbürger, sieht sich aber als Gibraltarer. VICKI SUSSENS sprach mit
dem Fremdenführer über sein Leben und seine Arbeit auf dem Affenfelsen. easy
Least favourite part of the job: When
we get three to four cruisers a day
and Gibraltar is full and traffic heavy.
Living in paradise: tour guide Carl Mesilio in Gibraltar
Job: I run the tour-guide company
Inside Out Rock Tours.
Job description: I take people on tours
of the main sights in Gibraltar.
Home and family: I live in Gibraltar
with my wife and three children.
Culture: We’re British, but culturally,
100 per cent Gibraltarian. The roots
of a true Gibraltarian come from the
English, Spanish, Portuguese, Maltese
and Italians who came here in the
past 300 years. I’m a mixture of English,
Portuguese and Maltese.
Working hours: Up to 12 hours a day.
Every other weekend, I don’t work so
I can spend time with the children.
Why I chose to do this job: I used to
run a boarding kennel for dogs,
which I also bred, in Spain. Then the
financial crisis hit Spain. I had bought
a tour-guide licence in Gibraltar as an
investment. I rented it out and it paid
for my mortgage. When we returned
in 2008, I took it over again.
Training for the job: You have to learn
the history of Gibraltar and about the
monkeys that live here, which aren’t
found anywhere else in Europe. The
Gibraltar Tourist Board assesses tour
guides and provides licences.
Languages: Gibraltarians are bilingual
in Spanish and English, the official
language. We use English for
more formal situations. Informally,
we speak Spanglish, a mixture of
Spanish and English.
Skills needed to do the job: You need to
be friendly, polite and knowledgeable
about Gibraltar. Most importantly,
you shouldn’t bore people.
Favourite part of the job: Do you know
that feeling when you show a new
house to friends and you feel so
proud? That is how I feel when I
show tourists Gibraltar.
Biggest changes: The Spanish can no
longer afford tours. Another big
change is the business I get through
the internet. I now receive more than
3,000 enquiries a year through my
website. That means I don’t have to
tout for business among tourists on
the streets as much any more.
What I’ve learned: Hearing what
tourists say about their countries has
made me aware of what a paradise
Gibraltar is. We have no crime, threequarters
of our children go to university,
we have a good climate and
no government corruption. ■BS
assess sb. [E(ses] jmdn. beurteilen
boarding kennel Tierpension
[(bO:dIN )ken&l]
(kennel
Hundehütte)
bore sb. [bO:]
jmdn. langweilen
breed sth. [bri:d] etw. züchten
cruiser [(kru:zE] Kreuzfahrtschiff
enquiry [In(kwaIEri] Anfrage
Gibraltar [dZI(brO:ltE] [wg. Aussprache]
knowledgeable sachkundig
[(nQlIdZEb&l]
Maltese [)mO:l(ti:z] Malteser(in);
maltesisch
mortgage [(mO:gIdZ] Hypothek
Portuguese [)pO:tSu(gi:z] [wg. Aussprache]
rent sth. out
etw. vermieten;
[)rent (aUt]
hier: verleihen
roots [ru:ts]
Wurzeln
sight [saIt]
Sehenswürdigkeit
tour guide [(tUE gaId] Fremdenführer(in)
tourist board
Fremden-
[(tUErIst bO:d]
verkehrsamt
tout for business (aufdringlich)
[)taUt fE (bIznEs] Werbung für sein
Geschäft machen
86 www.business-spotlight.de 4/2014

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BusinessSpotlight
SKILL UP!
VOKABELTRAINING LEICHT GEMACHT
AUSGABE 27
Insurance
also:
What a disaster! | Money, health and more

CONTENTS
A LIFE INSURED
Every day, we risk our lives. We drive cars, travel on boats and planes, and
climb ladders in our homes. These are all pretty risky things, but the insurance
industry can help protect you from these risks — if you can pay. This
Skill Up! presents the language you will need to talk about insurance.
If you think you don’t need insurance, Picture This! (pp. 4–5) might convince
you otherwise. Disasters can happen. Our Word Bank (pp. 6–7) goes into
more detail, and looks at how you can protect yourself — and your loved
ones — from unexpected costs. From sick dogs to lost smartphones and
faulty products, there’s an insurance policy for them all. For more language
on insurance policies, turn to In Focus (pp. 10–11).
For most people, the topic gets really interesting when it’s time to make a
claim on your insurance. Close Relations (pp. 14–15) provides the language
you will need for such an occasion. If you work in the insurance business,
you might enjoy our dialogue in Small Talk (pp. 16–17) — or not. We look at
attitudes to insurance fraud and you may be surprised by the numbers and
the language.
Do you risk life and limb for your work? Fortunately, I have never needed to.
In Essential Idioms (pp. 12–13), you, too, can play it safe.
Deborah Capras, deputy editor
bs.deputyeditor@spotlight-verlag.de
MIKE SEYMOUR is the contributing
author of this Skill Up! He writes regularly
for Business Spotlight and is
the author of English for Insurance
Professionals (Cornelsen).
Contact: www.mikeseymour.com
SKILL UP! online
On our website, you’ll find selected
vocabulary from this guide in our
Word of the Day section. To listen to
the words, definitions and example
sentences — and to download the
MP3 file of each word — go to
www.business-spotlight.de/skill-up
2 SKILL UP!
ISSUE 27

With insurance, it may
not be a disaster
iStock
CHECKLIST: WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Below, you will find the contents of this issue of Skill Up! and a checklist of what you should
be able to do with confidence after studying this guide. Ask yourself what you can really do.
If you can’t say yes to every statement, go back and spend more time on learning the relevant
vocabulary. Don’t forget to read our Skill Up! tips and do the online exercises!
Contents Page(s) Checklist
Picture This!
What a disaster! 4–5 I can use the correct terms to talk about the reasons why
people need insurance.
Word Bank
Money, health 6–7 I know the most common types of insurance policies and
and more
can discuss important details in the small print.
False Friends
Policy or police? 8–9 I can identify the false friends presented here — and
use the correct translations.
In Focus
The insurance 10–11 I am confident about using common collocations to talk
policy
about insurance policies and the insurance business.
Essential Idioms
Risk life and limb 12–13 I can correctly use idiomatic expressions to talk about
risky situations at work.
Close Relations
Make a claim 14–15 I can correctly use the “claim” word family.
Small Talk
That’s fraud! 16–17 I can make small talk about insurance fraud.
Your Profile
Personal insurance 18 I feel more confident using the vocabulary in this guide.
Preview 19
Not yet A little Yes!
n n n
n n n
n n n
n n n
n n n
n n n
n n n
n n n
ISSUE 27 SKILL UP! 3

PICTURE THIS!
Ouch! I hope
they’re insured!
1
3
4
5 6
2
10
7
WHAT A DISASTER!
Why do you need insurance? Our illustration shows a day when insurance might help
relieve the pain and cost of a series of unfortunate events.
9
8
Bernhard Förth
1. storm damage Sturmschaden
act of God
höhere Gewalt
dislodged roof tiles Ziegelschaden
[dIs)lQdZd (ru:f taI&lz]
2. flood damage [flVd] Hochwasserschaden
flooded area
überflutete Fläche
3. homeowner Hausbesitzer(in)
file a claim
einen Schaden
[)faI&l E (kleIm] melden
policyholder
Versicherungs-
[(pQlEsi)hEUldE] nehmer(in)
4. loss (US claims) adjuster Schaden-
[lQs E(dZVstE]
regulierer(in)
assess the damage den Schaden
begutachten
5. sandbag Sandsack
6. uprooted tree entwurzelter Baum
7. car driver Autofahrer(in)
whiplash (injury) Schleudertrauma
[(wIplÄS ()IndZEri)]
8. pothole Schlagloch
9. fender bender (Unfall mit) Blech-
[(fend&r bend&r] US ifml. schaden
10. careless driver unachtsame(r)
Fahrer(in)
be at fault [Ät (fO:lt] Schuld sein
rear-end sb.
jmdm. (hinten) auf-
[(rIEr end]
fahren
text (sb.)
(jmdm.) eine SMS
schreiben
4 SKILL UP!
ISSUE 27

What’s he texting?
Might be a bit late! Had a minor accident. Just a
fender bender but looks like the other driver has
a whiplash injury. Call you later.
Your car
Important details
courtesy car
motor premium
Dealing with the insurer
bodywork
Karosserie
bump [bVmp]
Aufprall
bumper [(bVmpE] Stoßstange
crash
Zusammenstoß
dent
Beule, Delle
hit and run
Fahrerflucht
joyriding ifml.
Spritztour (in einem
gestohlenen Auto)
scrap value
Schrottwert
write-off [(raIt Qf] UK Totalschaden
Your home
Important details
new-for-old policy
wear and tear
Neuwertversicherung
Abnutzung,
Verschleiß
Dealing with the insurer
blocked drain
verstopfter Abfluss
burst pipe [b§:st] geplatzte Rohrleitung
legal protection [(li:g&l] Rechtsschutz
pest infestation Schädlingsbefall
[)pest Infe(steIS&n]
water damage
Wasserschaden
What the insurer wants
burglar alarm system
[(b§:glE]
guard dog [(gA:d dQg]
motion sensor
[(mEUS&n )sensE]
security lighting
Einbruchmelde-,
Alarmanlage
Wachhund
Bewegungsmelder
car insurance
Kfz-Versicherung
fully comprehensive Vollkaskoversicherung
insurance
third-party (liability) cover Kfz-Haftpflichtversicherung
third party, fire and theft Teilkaskoversicherung
Ersatzwagen
Autoversicherungsprämie
fire insurance
Feuerversicherung
home (US homeowner’s) Hausrat- und
insurance
Wohngebäudeversicherung
household (US home) Hausratversicherung
contents insurance
Sicherheitsbeleuchtung
iStock
What the insurer wants
car alarm
Autoalarmanlage
immobilizer
Wegfahrsperre
secure garage
geschlossene Garage
steering lock
Lenkradschloss
tracking device
Ortungssystem
SKILL UP!
In the UK, we talk about insurance “cover” (Versicherungsschutz).
In the US, it’s “coverage”.
ISSUE 27 SKILL UP! 5

WORD BANK
Oops: personal
injury insurance?
MONEY, HEALTH
AND MORE
A good insurance policy can
protect you against unexpected
costs. Just make sure you read
the small print.
Money, life and loved ones
decreasing term Risikoversicherung
insurance
mit fallender Versicherungssumme
endowment insurance Kapitallebens-
[In(daUmEnt]
versicherung
funeral expenses Sterbegeldinsurance
[(fju:n&rEl] versicherung
gadget insurance [(gÄdZIt] Geräteversicherung
income protection Verdienstausfallinsurance
versicherung
legal expenses insurance Rechtsschutz-
(US prepaid legal services) versicherung
level-term life insurance Risikolebensversicherung
life insurance
Lebensversicherung
non-life insurance UK Schadenversicherung
occupational disability Berufsunfähigkeitsinsurance
versicherung
payment protection Restschuldinsurance
versicherung
personal liability Privathaftpflichtinsurance
versicherung
pet insurance
Haustierversicherung
residual debt insurance Restschuld-
[ri(zIdjuEl]
versicherung
travel (cancellation) Reise(ausfall)-
insurance
versicherung
unit-linked insurance fondsgebundene
plan
Versicherung
wedding insurance Hochzeitsversicherung
6 SKILL UP!
Your health
dental insurance zahnärztlicher Versicherungsschutz
general insurance Nichtlebensver-
(US property/casualty sicherung (Sach-
(p/c) insurance) und Unfallversicherung)
long-term care insurance Pflegefallversicherung
medical travel insurance Reisekrankenversicherung
personal injury insurance Personenschadenversicherung
private health insurance private Krankenversicherung
supplementary health Krankenzusatzinsurance
[)sVplI(mentEri] versicherung
Dealing with the insurer
beneficiary
[)benI(fISEri]
(insurance) premium
non-disclosure
pre-existing medical
condition
term
terms and conditions
Anspruchsberechtigte(r)
(Versicherungs-)
Prämie, Beitrag
Anzeigepflichtverletzung
Vorerkrankung
Laufzeit
allgemeine
Geschäftsbedingungen
SKILL UP!
Could you explain your financial priorities so you
can find the best insurance for your personal
needs? What about your company? Which kind
of insurance does your company need?
Stockbyte

For your business
business interruption insurance Betriebsunterbrechungsversicherung
cargo insurance [(kA:gEU] Güterversicherung
credit & surety insurance Kredit- und Kautionsversicherung
employer’s liability insurance Arbeitgeberhaftpflichtversicherung
event cancellation insurance Veranstaltungsausfallversicherung
fidelity insurance [fI(delEti] Kautionsversicherung
legal malpractice insurance Berufshaftpflichtversicherung
für Anwälte
marine insurance
See(transport)-
versicherung
medical malpractice (med mal) Arzthaftpflichtinsurance
versicherung
product liability insurance Produkthaftpflichtversicherung
professional indemnity insurance Berufshaftpflicht-
(US errors & omissions insurance) versicherung
Important details
cap
Deckelung, Obergrenze
cash-in value
Rückkaufswert
deferment period Aufschubzeit
[di(f§:mEnt]
dependant
Familienangehörige(r)
exclusion
Ausschluss, Ausnahme
expiry (US expiration) date Ablaufdatum
[Ik(spaIEri]
limitation
Beschränkung, Begrenzung
loading
Zuschlag
maturity value
Fälligkeitswert
[mE(tSUErEti]
maximum cover maximale Deckung
renewal date
Erneuerungsdatum
rider
Zusatzklausel
small (US fine) print: the ~ das Kleingedruckte
surrender value [sE(rendE] Rückkaufswert
(voluntary) excess (freiwillige)
(US deductible)
Selbstbeteiligung
Avoid nasty shocks
l Make sure that the voluntary excess is
not too high — or too low. Some companies
offer a lower premium in exchange
for a higher excess.
l Check the renewal date. If you miss it,
you won’t be insured.
l Find out if there is a deferment period.
Do you know when the insurance starts?
l Check the expiry date. Once it passes,
you’re not insured.
l Check if there are any exclusions that
actually need to be included.
l Don’t ignore the small print! If there is
the slightest reason not to pay, your insurance
company will find it.
For the insurer
boilerplate clause Standardklausel
commission
Provision
life expectancy Lebenserwartung
longevity risk Langlebigkeits-
[lQn(dZevEti]
risiko
mortality and morbidity Sterbe- und
table [mO:)tÄlEti En Morbiditätstafel
mO:(bIdEti )teIb&l]
reserves
Rücklagen,
Rückstellungen
Important people
actuary [(ÄktSuEri] Versicherungs -
mathematiker(in)
IFA (independent unabhängige(r)
financial adviser) Finanzbe rater(in)
(insurance) broker (Versicherungs-)
Makler(in)
underwriter
Versicherer, Ver-
[(VndEraItE]
sicherungsträger
iStock
ISSUE 27
SKILL UP! 7

FALSE FRIENDS
POLICY OR POLICE?
There are many words in German and English that sound similar but have very different
meanings. They are “false friends”. Learn the correct translations of these terms.
policy
police
iStock (2)
What’s Police in English?
Police = policy, contract
“Could you tell me your insurance policy number,
please?”
It’s not police!
police = Polizei
“The police arrived in no time and arrested the
guy. They were great.”
More translations
Rentenversicherungspolice = annuity policy
Jahresrente = annuity
eine Rentenversicherung abschließen =
buy / take out an annuity
pension
8 SKILL UP!
What’s Rente in English?
Rente = annuity, pension
“Obviously, the earlier you start
saving for a pension, the more
money you’ll have when you retire.”
It’s not rent!
rent = Miete
“I do like this house. How much is
the rent?”
rent
iStock Creatas

sign
underwrite
iStock (2)
What’s unterschreiben in English?
(etw.) unterschreiben = sign (sth.)
“Could you please sign the contract on the last
page?”
It’s not underwrite!
underwrite = ein Risiko zeichnen, versichern
“Lloyd’s of London will underwrite most risks —
if you pay them enough.”
form
What’s Formular in English?
Formular = form
“You’ve lied on the insurance form. You
say you’re a non-smoker, but you smoke
20 cigarettes a day.”
It’s not formula!
formula = Formel
“I can show you the formula we use to
calculate the monthly fee.”
formula
Fuse
M
SKILL UP! Audio
Do a related exercise on
Business Spotlight Audio.
Stockbyte
YOUR PROFILE
Write down your own example sentences for the false friends on this page.
ISSUE 27

IN FOCUS
THE INSURANCE POLICY
In this section, we look at insurance policies in more detail, and focus on useful collocations,
verbs and nouns related to the insurance business.
Time to update
your policy?
add
cancel
take out
surrender
start
shop
update
run
Insurance policy
renew
remove
modify
claim
convert
cover
end
exclude
expire
mature
You can _______ an insurance policy.
add sb./sth. to jmdn./etw. aufnehmen in
cancel
kündigen
claim on
in Anspruch nehmen
convert [kEn(v§:t] umwandeln
covered by: be ~ (ab)gedeckt sein durch
exclude sb./sth. from jmdn./etw. ausschließen von
modify [(mQdIfaI] ändern
remove sb./sth. from jmdn./etw. entfernen aus
renew
erneuern, verlängern
shop around for ifml. (Prämien) vergleichen
surrender [sE(rendE] rückkaufen
take out
abschließen
update [)Vp(deIt] aktualisieren
An insurance policy can ______.
cover sth.
etw. (ab)decken,
versichern
end
enden
expire [Ik(spaIE] ab-, auslaufen
mature [mE(tSUE] fällig werden
run out
ab-, auslaufen
start
beginnen
Digital Vision
10 SKILL UP! ISSUE 27

Underinsured or
uninsurable?
iStock
Are you insured?
co-insured
mitversichert;
Mitversicherte(r)
insurable
versicherbar,
versicherungsfähig
insurance
Versicherung
insurance company Versicherer, Versicherungsgesellschaft
insure against sth. sich gegen etw. versichern
insured
versichert; Versicherte(r)
insure sth. for
etw. in Höhe von (einem
(a sum of money) Geldbetrag) versichern
insurer
Versicherer, Versicherungsgesellschaft
reinsurance
Rückversicherung
reinsure sth.
etw. rückversichern;
erneut versichern
reinsured
rückversichert;
erneut versichert
reinsurer
Rückversicherer, Rückversicherungsgesellschaft
underinsure sth. etw. unterversichern
underinsured
unterversichert
uninsurable
unversicherbar,
nicht versicherungsfähig
uninsured
nicht versichert
What does it cover?
In the UK, we often use the noun
“cover” to mean “insurance”:
l You’ll need extra cover if you rent out
your house.
l Does your insurance provide cover
against floods?
SKILL UP!
Pay attention to the articles when you talk
about insurance. You don’t take out an
insurance. Instead, you take out insurance
(no article) or an insurance policy. Also,
you can’t say “I work for an insurance”; instead,
you say “I work for an insurance
company” or “I work for an insurer”.
For the professionals
all-risks cover Allgefahrendeck
ung
blanket cover Pauschaldeckung
cover (US coverage) Versicherung-
(sschutz)
cover a loss
einen Verlust (ab)-
decken/versichern
cover a risk
ein Risiko (ab)-
decken/versichern
covered: be ~ (ab)gedeckt sein,
versichert sein
cover note
Deckungszusage
cover sum
Deckungssumme
extent of cover Umfang des
Versicherungsschutzes
multiple-risk cover kombinierte
[)mVltIp&l (rIsk] Versicherung
open cover
offene Deckung,
Generalpolice
period of cover Versicherungsdauer
ISSUE 27 SKILL UP! 11

ESSENTIAL IDIOMS
RISK LIFE AND LIMB
Insurance is there to help us deal with risky or unpleasant situations — and to feel
safer. Here, we present some common expressions for talking about risks and safety.
SKILL UP!
First, read the two versions of the short conversations. Then
cover up the idiomatic version and read the simpler version
again. Can you remember how to say the same things idiomat -
ically? Finally, check the meaning with our translations.
Don’t risk life and
limb: play it safe
First, the idiomatic way
Mark: I like the idea, but it’s too risky.
Sue: It’s a calculated risk.
Mark: I don’t know. I’ve risked life and limb in the past for
deals like these, but I prefer to play it safe now.
Now, more simply
Mark: I like the idea, but it’s too risky.
Sue: It’s a chance that we have planned and carefully considered
the possible results of.
Mark: I don’t know. I’ve put myself in danger in the past for
deals like these, but I prefer to be careful now.
iStock
Check the translations
calculated risk kalkuliertes Risiko
risk life and limb Leib und Leben
riskieren
play it safe auf Nummer sicher
gehen
First, the idiomatic way
Sue: Now that you’ve heard all the details, what
do you think?
Mark: You’re really asking me to throw caution
to the wind for this project.
Julie: Not exactly. It’s a safe bet.
Sue: Absolutely.
Now, more simply
Sue: Now that you’ve heard all the details, what
do you think?
Mark: You’re really asking me to stop being careful
and do something that is clearly very
risky for this project.
Julie: Not exactly. It’s going to be successful.
Sue: Absolutely.
iStock
Check the translations
throw caution to the wind
safe bet: be a ~
alle Bedenken in den Wind schlagen
eine sichere Sache sein
Throw caution to the
wind: do it!
ISSUE 27

iStock
Phew — that was
a close shave!
First, the idiomatic way
Sue: That was a close shave. I thought he
was going to say no.
Julie: Me, too. To be on the safe side, I’ll send
him an email this afternoon to confirm
the deal.
Sue: Good idea. And you should present the
deal with Mark at the next meeting.
You’ve worked hard for it.
Check the translations
close shave: be a ~ ifml. beinahe ins Auge gehen
on the safe side: be ~ auf der sicheren Seite
sein
Now, more simply
Sue: That was almost a disaster. I thought
he was going to say no.
Julie: Me, too. To make sure that we are not
risking anything, I’ll send him an email
this afternoon to confirm the deal.
Sue: Good idea. And you should present the
deal with Mark at the next meeting.
You’ve worked hard for it.
First, the idiomatic way
Julie: Sue wants me to present the deal.
Bob: She does? She’s probably only trying to
cover her arse.
Julie: You think?
Bob: Sure. If the deal fails, you’ll look bad. I
bet she doesn’t want to put her own neck
on the line so she’s asking you to do it.
Julie: Damn!
Bob: Watch your step.
Is she only trying to
cover her arse?
Mauritius Images
Now, more simply
Julie: Sue wants me to present the deal.
Bob: She does? She’s probably only trying to
protect herself from being blamed or criticized
if something goes wrong.
Julie: You think?
Bob: Sure. If the deal fails, you’ll look bad. I
bet she doesn’t want to risk her own job
so she’s asking you to do it.
Julie: Damn!
Bob: Be careful.
Check the translations
cover one’s (own) arse sich absichern
(US ass) vulg.
put one’s (own) neck seinen Kopf hinhalten
on the line
watch one’s step vorsichtig sein
M
SKILL UP! Audio
Do a related exercise on
Business Spotlight Audio.
ISSUE 27 SKILL UP! 13

CLOSE RELATIONS
MAKE A CLAIM
In this section, we focus on word families that you will need for dealing with insurance
companies. The families are small — but useful.
+ ant claimant
claim
+ s claims
no- +
no-claims bonus
dis +
disclaim
+ er disclaimer
iStock
Use the family: claim
l I lost my no-claims bonus
after the accident.
l Read the disclaimer before
you decide on the insurance.
l The claimant has to fill in
these two forms.
IN ACTION: CLAIM
‡ You make a claim (on your insurance):
“You have to make a claim on your insurance within 90 days
of the accident.”
‡ The verb claim can mean “say that something is true, even
when there is no reason to believe it is so”. It’s indirectly related
to the insurance business:
“You claim that the door was locked, but there is no sign of a
forced entry. It must have been unlocked.”
‡ When talking about insurance matters, we can use claim together
with cost, as in claim the cost on one’s insurance:
“Could you claim the cost of the repairs on your insurance?”
‡ Also, we can say that you claim on a policy.
The family
claim
claim sth.
claimant [(kleImEnt]
claim the cost of sth. on the
insurance
disclaim sth.
disclaimer
no-claims bonus/discount
Versicherungs-, Schadensfall; Behauptung
etw. geltend machen; behaupten
Anspruchsberechtigte(r)
die Kosten von etw. gegenüber der Versicherung
geltend machen
(die Haftung für) etw. ausschließen
Haftungsausschlussklausel
Schadenfreiheitsrabatt
14 SKILL UP!
ISSUE 27

iStock
All about claims
With nouns
claims department
claims handler
claims history
claims inspector
claims investigator
claims management company
claims procedure [prEU(si:dZE]
claims ratio [(reISiEU]
Schaden-, Leistungsabteilung
Schadensachbearbeiter(in)
Schadenverlauf
Schadeninspektor(in)
Schaden-, Leistungsprüfer(in)
Schadenregulierungsfirma
Schadenabwicklung
Schadenquote
With verbs
abandon a claim
approve a claim
einen Anspruch aufgeben
einen Anspruch anerkennen
deny a claim
einen Anspruch ablehnen
make a claim (on the insurance) einen Anspruch (bei einer
Versicherung) geltend machen
pay a claim
einer Schadensforderung
nachkommen
refuse a claim [ri(fju:z]
report a claim
settle a claim
einen Anspruch ablehnen
einen Schadensfall melden
einen Schadensfall regulieren
SKILL UP!
Don’t confuse “loss” or
“damage” with “claim”.
They are all translated as
Schaden, but they are not the
same. “Loss” and “damage”
refer to a negative event that
the policyholder suffers, but
“claim” is the request for
compensation from the insurer
after such an event.
Small families
assess sth. etw. (ein)schätzen, assessment Schätzung, Begutachtung We’ll send one of our
begutachten assessor Schätzer(in), Gutachter(in) experts to the house to
assess the damage.
deduct sth. etw. abziehen deductible abzugsfähig The insurer deducted
deductible US Selbstbehalt, -beteiligung €100 from my payout.
disclose angeben disclosure Angabe If you smoke, you have to
non-disclosure Anzeigepflichtverletzung disclose it on the form.
exclude sth. etw. ausschließen exclusion Ausschluss, Ausnahme Does the policy exclude
water sports or skiing?
settle sth. etw. regulieren settlement Regulierung The insurer refused to
settle my claim.
ISSUE 27 SKILL UP! 15

SMALL TALK
THAT’S FRAUD!
Have you ever discussed insurance fraud with your friends or colleagues? Here, we pre -
sent the language you will need to talk about this topic — with friends and professionals.
Situation:
Hugh is describing how he made a claim on his
insurance, but Janice is surprised to hear what he
has done.
Janice: You look pleased with yourself! Have you
won the lottery?
Hugh: Almost, yeah. I got a cheque from my insurance
company this morning for £1,600.
Janice: £1,600? What for?
Hugh: I claimed on my travel insurance for a digital
SLR camera.
Janice: I didn’t even know you had a digital camera.
Hugh: I didn’t, but they don’t know that. They didn’t
even ask me to send a receipt.
Janice: That’s insurance fraud.
Hugh: Everyone does it! Insurance is a real rip-off.
They collect my premiums every year and
what do I get in return? Nothing! They hiked
my premiums again last year and this is the
first time I’ve ever made a claim. So I
thought I’d get my own back.
Janice: That’s terrible!
Hugh: Oh, come on. Are you telling me you’ve never
padded an insurance claim? Or claimed for
a non-existent item that you “accidentally”
dropped and broke?
Janice: No, I most certainly have not! What do you
take me for? A fraudster? In my opinion,
committing insurance fraud is no different
from stealing.
Hugh:
It’s not the same. Insurers can afford it.
Janice: It’s not a victimless crime. I read recently
that fraudulent claims add about £50 a year
to insurance premiums. So your £1600 payout
is bumping up the cost of my insurance.
That’s it — the next drink is on you!
accidentally
bump sth. up ifml.
claim on an insurance
collect sth.
fraudster [(frO:dstE] UK
fraudulent [(frO:djUlEnt]
get sth. in return
hike sth. [haIk]
insurance fraud [frO:d]
make a claim
on sb.: be ~
pad an insurance claim
US
payout
pleased with oneself:
look ~
receipt [ri(si:t]
rip-off
stealing
take sb. for sb./sth.
victimless crime
versehentlich
etw. erhöhen
eine Versicherung in
Anspruch nehmen
etw. einziehen
Betrüger(in)
betrügerisch
etw. als Gegenleistung
bekommen
etw. erhöhen
Versicherungsbetrug
einen Anspruch
geltend machen
auf jmdn. gehen
einen Versicherungsfall
vortäuschen
(Aus-)Zahlung
zufrieden mit sich
selbst aussehen
Quittung
Abzocke
Diebstahl
jmdn. für jmdn./etw.
halten
opferloses Verbrechen
photos.com
16 SKILL UP!
You’re a fraudster
and I’m a victim

Don’t exaggerate:
it’s a crime!
It’s all fraud
l It is a serious crime to invent or exaggerate a claim — and also
to lie to get cheaper cover.
l If you don’t answer all the questions on an insurance form with
utmost good faith, you could lose your insurance.
l According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), undetected
fraudulent insurance claims cost the industry more than £2 billion
a year.
l One in seven personal injury claims, the ABI says, is connected to
a cash-for-crash scam. This is where criminals stage accidents.
l In the US, car insurance fraud is the most common type of fraud.
People inflate the cost of repairs, forge receipts and falsify losses.
l In 2008, a survey by the Coalition against Insurance Fraud estimated
that one in five adults in the US felt that it was OK to defraud insurance
companies under certain circumstances.
l According to a survey by Accenture in 2010, more than two-thirds of
consumers say they believe insurance fraud happens because
people think they can get away with it.
Lite Productions
For the professionals
cash-for-crash scam ifml.
defraud sb. [di(frO:d]
exaggerate a claim
falsify a loss [(fO:lsIfaI]
forge a receipt [fO:dZ]
fraudulent insurance claim
[(frO:djUlEnt]
get away with sth.
inflate costs
invent a claim
personal injury claim
serious crime
stage an accident
survey
undetected
with utmost good faith
Versicherungsbetrug durch provozierte
Verkehrsunfälle/Autobumser
jmdn. betrügen
eine Forderung übertreiben
einen Schadensfall fälschen
einen Beleg fälschen
betrügerische Schadenmeldung
mit etw. ungestraft davonkommen
Kosten aufblähen
einen Schadensfall erfinden
Forderung wegen Körperverletzung
schwere Straftat
einen Unfall inszenieren
Umfrage, Studie
unentdeckt
nach Treu und Glauben
ISSUE 27
SKILL UP! 17

YOUR PROFILE
PERSONAL INSURANCE
Personalize this guide by adding your own example sentences — which should reflect
words and expressions you need in order to talk about your circumstances.
INSURANCE AND YOU
If you hire a car, you must have insurance. Using the vocabulary from Picture This! (pp. 4–5), write down
the words that you would need to remember when hiring a car in the UK.
If you work in the insurance business, describe the different kinds of insurance policies that your company
offers. Which ones are more popular? Which are more profitable for the company?
Do you take risks at work? Choose three of the idioms presented in Essential Idioms (pp. 12–13) to describe
what happened on a recent project. You’ll find exercises on this topic in Business Spotlight plus.
SMALL TALK: ON FRAUD
What do you think about insurance fraud? Do you know any famous cases? Write down your views using
expressions from our Small Talk section (pp. 16–17), then try our exercises in Business Spotlight plus.
18 SKILL UP! ISSUE 27

In the next issue:
PREVIEW
Digital Vision
IMPRESSUM
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Michele Tilgner
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Cover photograph: Vario Press
ISSUE 27
THE MEDIA
Television, radio, print or digital? What’s your
preferred medium for news and entertainment?
Our next Skill Up! provides you with the vocabulary
you will need to discuss this topic.
Scandals or
news? Print
or digital?
PICTURE THIS: We’re on air!
FALSE FRIENDS: announce, Roman
WORD BANK: Old or new media?
also:
SMALL TALK A good read?
Wavebreak Media

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