lunes, 23 de diciembre de 2019
sábado, 14 de diciembre de 2019
Guess who game
Guess who. A speaking or writing activity.
Speaking. Before the class, prepare a set of pictures of famous people with very clear personality traits. For this activity the students are sitting in pairs, one student (A) facing the board and the other (B) with his back to the board. Display the photo of a celebrity and ask student A to describe this person in general terms focusing on his personality.
![](webkit-fake-url://bdf4ca42-2f8c-4c7f-831d-a6445b7d9ff2/imagejpeg)
Writing. Before the class, prepare a collage with pictures of famous people with very clear personality traits. Ask students to write a description of one of them focusing on their personality without saying their names. Descriptions are read aloud and students will need to determine the identity of the person being described.
miércoles, 12 de junio de 2019
Market research techniques
Do you know the techniques you can use
for doing market research? What differences are involved in doing qualitative
research as opposed to collecting quantitative data?
Read the text and then do the
exercises.
1
Companies carry out
Market Research to gather and analyse data to understand and explain what
people think about products or adverts, to find out about customer satisfaction
and to predict how customers might respond to a new product on the market.
2
Market Research can
be categorised under two subheadings – Quantitative Research and Qualitative
Research. The questions asked with Quantitative Research are structured whereas
Qualitative Research questions are much more open and can often reveal
consumption habits which the researchers hadn’t previously considered. You
carry out Quantitative Research when you need to know how many people have
certain habits and the Qualitative Research when you need to know why and how
people do what they do.
3
Companies involved in
Market Research include the Research Buyer and the Research Agency. The
research agency carries out the market research in ways previously discussed
with their clients – the research buyer. Sometimes companies only need their
own data analysed, or are simply looking for advice on how to carry out their
own research. Points that are discussed between the two parties can include:
- The time duration of the research
- The budget available
- Who the target groups are
- Predictions of results
- How the results will be helpful
- Street Surveys - stopping people in the street
- Phone or postal - people fill in questionnaires and send them back
- Internet surveys - a relatively new technique which functions in a similar way to other surveys except that a large number of people are interviewed at the same time
- Am I asking the right groups of people?
- How many people should I speak to in order to get representative answers to my questions?
- Are my questions easy to understand?
- How am I going to analyse the data?
- Focus groups - discussion between a small number of people about a product, or advert etc. to find out their views or habits
- Personal interviews - in-depth discussions on a one-to-one basis
- CAPI - computer assisted personal interviewing where questions are ‘asked’ by the computer and the answers are typed by the interviewee directly into the database for analysis
- Observation - this can be used as a complement to asking questions to see how people do what they do
- Are my questions open enough to get personalised answers?
- Have I restricted my target group?
- Do I only need to find out ‘why’ people do what they do or should I also do some quantitative research?
Comprehension
Match the article's
paragraph headings with the paragraph numbers.Types of data Why carry out Market Research? Who does Market Research?
Ways of collecting Qualitative data Qualitative research - questions to ask yourself
Quantitative research - questions to ask yourself
Ways of collecting Quantitative data
Task 2
Question formation
Put the words in these
questions into the correct order.people? asking of I the right groups Am
understand? my questions Are to easy
the I goin am How data? analyse to
enough open personalised answers? to get Are my questions
target I group? Have my restricted
Keys
Task 1
1. Why carry out Market Research?
2. Types of data
3. Who does Market Research?
4. Ways of collecting Quantitative data.
5. Quantitative research - questions to ask yourself.
6. Ways of collecting Qualitative data.
7. Qualitative research - questions to ask yourself
Task 2
Am I asking the right groups of people?
Are my questions easy to understand?
How am I going to analyse the data?
Are my questions open enough to get personalised answers?
Have I restricted my target group?
jueves, 6 de junio de 2019
jueves, 23 de mayo de 2019
jueves, 16 de mayo de 2019
viernes, 10 de mayo de 2019
jueves, 2 de mayo de 2019
jueves, 25 de abril de 2019
jueves, 11 de abril de 2019
viernes, 5 de abril de 2019
jueves, 28 de marzo de 2019
martes, 26 de marzo de 2019
viernes, 15 de marzo de 2019
jueves, 7 de marzo de 2019
IELTS Writing: Do and Don´t Task 2
DO
|
DON´T
|
|
|
compiled by Marek Kiczkowiak
jueves, 28 de febrero de 2019
Are celebrities bad for you?
What´s wrong with enjoying a bit of celebrity gossip? It doesn´t do us any harm ... or does it? Read the article to find out if celebrities really are bad for you.
Celebrities are everywhere nowadays: on TV, in magazines, online. Is this preoccupation with famous people harmless fun or is it bad for us? How many people are truly obsessed with modern media idols? And on the other side of the coin, can fame be harmful to the celebrities?
Studies suggest that the vast majority of teenagers do not really worship celebrities. Researchers have identifies three kinds of fans. About 15% of young people have an ´entertainment-social´ interest. They love chatting about their favourite celebrities with friends and this does not appear to do any harm.
Another 5% feel that they have an ´intense-personal´ relationship with a celebrity. Sometimes they see them as their soulmate and find that they are often thinking about them, even when they don´t want to. These people are more at risk from depression and anxiety. If girls in this group idolise a female star with a body they consider to be perfect, they are more likely to be unhappy with their own bodies.
That leaves 2% of young people with a ´borderline-pahological´ interest. They might say, for example, they would spend several thousand pounds on a paper plate the celebrity had used. or that they would do something illegal if the celebrity asked them to.. These people are in most danger of being seriously disturbed.
jueves, 21 de febrero de 2019
Rules adverbs of frequency
What are adverbs of frequency?
Adverbs that change or qualify the meaning of a sentence by telling us how often or how frequently something happens are defined as adverbs of frequency.
An adverb of frequency is exactly what it sounds like – an adverb of time. Adverbs of frequency always describe how often something occurs, either in definite or indefinite terms. An adverb that describes definite frequency is one such as weekly, daily, or yearly. An adverb describing indefinite frequency doesn’t specify an exact time frame; examples are sometimes, often, and rarely.
Adverbs of Frequency Rules
These simple rules for adverbs of frequency will help you to use them correctly:
- Always use adverbs of frequency to discuss how often something happens.
- Adverbs of frequency are often used to indicate routine or repeated activities, so they are often used with the present simple tense.
- If a sentence has only one verb, place the adverb of frequency in the middle of the sentence so that it is positioned after the subject but before the verb. For example: Tom never flies. He always takes the bus.
- When a sentence contains more than one verb, place the adverb of frequency before the main verb. For example: They have often visited Europe.
- When using an adverb of frequency in the negative or in forming a question, place it before the main verb. For example: Do you usually get up so late?
Examples of Adverbs of Frequency
Each sentence contains an example of an adverb of frequency; the examples are italicized for easy identification.
- The incubator turns each egg hourly.
- We take a vacation at least once annually.
- I usually shop for groceries on Saturday mornings.
- He is often late for work.
- We seldom see John.
- My dentist told me I should floss twice daily.
Adverbs of Frequency Exercises
The following exercises will help you to gain better understanding about how adverbs of frequency work. Choose the best answer to complete each sentence.
1. I ________________ late on Saturdays.
a. Get up usually
b. Get usually up
c. Usually get up
Answer: C. I usually get up late on Saturdays.
2. Jared ______________ late for work.
a. Never is
b. Is never
Answer: A. Jared is never late for work.
3. _______________ on weekends?
a. Often do you travel
b. Do you often travel
c. Often you do travel
Answer: B. Do you often travel on weekends?
4. Susan ________________ early for class.
a. Often is
b. Are often
c. Often are
d. Is often
Answer: D. Susan is often early for class.
5. When do you ____________ go on vacation each year?
a. Always
b. Never
c. Usually
d. Ever
Answer: When do you usually go on vacation each year?
Adverbs of Frequency List
This list of adverbs of frequency contains many of the most common; keep in mind though that there are many other words which can serve in this capacity.
Always
Annually
Constantly
Daily
Eventually
Ever
Frequently
Generally
Hourly
Infrequently
Later
Monthly
Never
Next
Nightly
Normally
Now
Occasionally
Often
Quarterly
Rarely
Regularly
Sometimes
Soon
Then
Today
Tonight
Weekly
Yearly
Yesterday
Yet
jueves, 14 de febrero de 2019
Business and ethics
The
primary goal of a company may be to make money but some companies nowadays also recognise that they have a responsibility towards the society in which they
operate.
Read the
text and then do the exercises.
Case
study – James Carston, Fine Shirtmakers
Set up in
the 1920s by James Carston, a Manchester tailor, the company has remained in
the family and is now run by James’s grandson, Paul Carston. Employing
fewer than 50 people, the company has a reputation for producing high-quality
men’s shirts, which it sells by mail order, and has a loyal customer base.
As Paul Carston says, ‘Once someone has tried our shirts, they tend to
come back for more. Our customers appreciate the attention to detail and
the high-quality fabric we use.’ And it’s the fabric they now use that
makes the company almost unique in the world of men’s shirt manufacturers.
When Paul
Carston took over running the company in 1999, he inherited a business that
prided itself on using local well-paid machinists rather than sweatshop labour,
and looked upon its employees as members of an extended family. Paul, a
committed environmentalist, felt that the company fitted in well with his
values. The shirts were made from 100 per cent cotton, and as Paul says,
‘It’s a completely natural fibre, so you would think it was environmentally
sound’. Then Paul read a magazine article about Fair Trade and cotton
producers. He was devastated to read that the cotton industry is a major
source of pollution, and that the synthetic fertilisers used to produce cotton
are finding their way into the food chain.
Paul takes
up the story. ‘I investigated our suppliers, and sure enough found that
they were producing cotton on an industrial scale using massive amounts of
chemicals. Then I looked into organic cotton suppliers, and found an
organisation of Indian farmers who worked together to produce organic cotton on
a Fair Trade basis. Organic cotton is considerably more expensive than
conventionally produced cotton, so I did the sums. I discovered that if we were
prepared to take a cut in profits, we would only need to add a couple of pounds
to the price of each shirt to cover the extra costs. The big risk, of
course, was whether our customers would pay extra for organic cotton.’
Paul did
some research into the ethical clothing market and discovered that although
there were several companies producing casual clothing such as T-shirts in
organic cotton, there was a gap in the market for smart men’s shirts. He
decided to take the plunge and switch entirely to organic cotton. He
wrote to all his customers explaining the reasons for the change, and at the
same time the company set up a website so they could sell the shirts on the
internet. The response was encouraging. Although they lost some of
their regular customers, they gained a whole customer base looking for formal
shirts made from organic cotton, and the company is going from strength to
strength.
Task 1
Read the case study
again and decide if the statements are true or false
James Carston was Paul’s
grandfather.
⧠
True ⧠ False
The company has over 50
employees.
⧠
True ⧠ False
The shirts are sold in
shops.
⧠
True ⧠ False
When Paul started
running the company, he immediately decided to change to organic cotton.
⧠
True ⧠ False
Conventionally produced
cotton is cheaper than organic cotton.
⧠
True ⧠ False
The company didn’t lose
any customers when they changed to organic cotton.
⧠ True ⧠ False
Task 2
Read this case study
about an ethical business and choose the correct profile for the company: A, B or C.
- began trading in 1923
- has always been a family business
- has always paid its employees well
- now produces men's shirts using organic cotton
B
- began trading in 1919
- was sold to Paul Carston in 1999
- stopped using sweatshop labour in 1999
- now produces t-shirts in organic cotton
C
- began trading in 1999
- set up by Paul Carston
- all employees are members of his family
- produces formal and casual men's clothes in organic cotton
The correct profile is letter ______.
Keys
Task 1
True, False, False, False,
True, False
Task 2
A
jueves, 7 de febrero de 2019
An introduction to coaching
What
is coaching? Here are the basic principles of coaching and what happens when
somebody engages in a coaching partnership. Find out what a good coach does.
Read the
text and then do the exercises.
An introduction to coaching
1
Coaching is a useful tool in today’s challenging world of business and commerce. Companies are downsizing, merging and restructuring and there is far more job transition than before. Sometimes managers are no longer equipped to do their work because their jobs have changed so much. They were originally trained to do one job but that training cannot be applied to the job they are doing today. Coaching is also one of the most powerful tools that a leader has in order to improve the performance of his team.
Coaching is a useful tool in today’s challenging world of business and commerce. Companies are downsizing, merging and restructuring and there is far more job transition than before. Sometimes managers are no longer equipped to do their work because their jobs have changed so much. They were originally trained to do one job but that training cannot be applied to the job they are doing today. Coaching is also one of the most powerful tools that a leader has in order to improve the performance of his team.
2
Coaching is a partnership between an individual or a team and a coach. For the purpose of this article we will refer to an individual but the concepts are exactly the same for a team. First of all the individual identifies his objectives. Then, through the process of being coached, he focuses on the skills he needs to develop to achieve those objectives. In professional coaching the individual begins by leading the conversation and the coach listens and observes. Gradually, as the coach begins to understand the individual’s goals, he will make observations and ask appropriate questions. His task is to guide the individual towards making more effective decisions and eventually achieving his objectives. Coaching looks at where the individual is now and where he wants to get to.
Coaching is a partnership between an individual or a team and a coach. For the purpose of this article we will refer to an individual but the concepts are exactly the same for a team. First of all the individual identifies his objectives. Then, through the process of being coached, he focuses on the skills he needs to develop to achieve those objectives. In professional coaching the individual begins by leading the conversation and the coach listens and observes. Gradually, as the coach begins to understand the individual’s goals, he will make observations and ask appropriate questions. His task is to guide the individual towards making more effective decisions and eventually achieving his objectives. Coaching looks at where the individual is now and where he wants to get to.
3
Between the initial interview and an individual achieving the goals he identified, there is a process in which the two parties meet for regular coaching sessions. The length of time each session lasts will be established at the start of the partnership. Between sessions an individual might be expected to complete specific tasks. A coach might also provide literature for the individual to study in preparation for the following session. Most coaches employ an “appreciative approach” whereby the individual identifies what is right, what is working, what is wanted and what is needed to get there. An appreciative approach focuses more on the positive rather than problems.
Between the initial interview and an individual achieving the goals he identified, there is a process in which the two parties meet for regular coaching sessions. The length of time each session lasts will be established at the start of the partnership. Between sessions an individual might be expected to complete specific tasks. A coach might also provide literature for the individual to study in preparation for the following session. Most coaches employ an “appreciative approach” whereby the individual identifies what is right, what is working, what is wanted and what is needed to get there. An appreciative approach focuses more on the positive rather than problems.
4
An individual who enters into a coaching partnership will usually adopt new perspectives and be able to better appreciate opportunities for self-development. Confidence will usually grow and the individual will think more clearly and be more confident in his roles. In terms of business, coaching often leads to an increase in productivity and more personal satisfaction. All of this leads to a growth in self-esteem.
An individual who enters into a coaching partnership will usually adopt new perspectives and be able to better appreciate opportunities for self-development. Confidence will usually grow and the individual will think more clearly and be more confident in his roles. In terms of business, coaching often leads to an increase in productivity and more personal satisfaction. All of this leads to a growth in self-esteem.
5
In a coaching partnership the coach first needs to listen carefully in order to fully understand the individual’s situation. He needs to support and encourage forward-planning and decision-making. A coach also needs to help an individual recognise his own potential and the opportunities that are on offer. A good coach will guide an individual to fresh perspectives. Finally, the coach must respect the confidentiality of his partner.
In a coaching partnership the coach first needs to listen carefully in order to fully understand the individual’s situation. He needs to support and encourage forward-planning and decision-making. A coach also needs to help an individual recognise his own potential and the opportunities that are on offer. A good coach will guide an individual to fresh perspectives. Finally, the coach must respect the confidentiality of his partner.
6
Coaching can bring out the best in workers, highlighting what they can achieve if they are given the right support. Both individuals and teams can enjoy an increased level of motivation after receiving the right coaching. When individuals are keen to make progress in their jobs, they usually enjoy being coached and find the experience extremely useful.
Coaching can bring out the best in workers, highlighting what they can achieve if they are given the right support. Both individuals and teams can enjoy an increased level of motivation after receiving the right coaching. When individuals are keen to make progress in their jobs, they usually enjoy being coached and find the experience extremely useful.
Task 1
Read the
text and match the titles to the paragraphs.
Paragraph 1
- The recent growth in coaching
- The growing need for coaching
Paragraph 2
- Coaching: What does is mean?
- Why do we need coaching?
- The process of coaching
- What happens in a coaching session?
- Becoming a better person
- The benefits of coaching
- How to be a coach
- The role of the coach
Task 2
Match the verb with
their definitions.
to downsize to guide to observe to
merge to restructure to support
- to join together or combine
- to make a company smaller by reducing the number of workers
- to organise something in a new way so that it operates more effectively
- to carefully watch the way that something happens
- to give somebody help and advice on how to do something
- to give encouragement to someone because you want them to do be successful
Task 3
Complete the sentences.
individual listening an individual or team well
outdated change
1. Some managers are
unable to do their jobs well because their training is .
2. Coaching is a
partnership between a coach and
.
3. A coach needs to
have excellent skills.
4. The identifies the
objectives.
5. In an ‘appreciative
approach’ the individual focuses on what is going .
6. It is important for
the individual to
their perspectives.
Task 4
Enter the correct forms
(infinitive or –ing) of the verbs in the brackets.
1. Managers often
want coaches themselves. (use)
2. Coaches need what a worker’s goals
are. (know)
3. Employees enjoy an opportunity to identify their
strengths. (have)
4. Companies need productivity. (increase)
5. Businesses have
stopped the old
techniques of training. (use)
6. Coaches
recommend
regularly to discuss progress. (meet)
7. Some employees
refuse coached. (be)
8. The business
risks clients.
(lose)
Keys
Task 1
2, 1, 1, 2, 2
Task 2
to merge
to downsize
to restructure
to observe
to guide
to support
Task 3
outdated
an individual or team
listening
individual
well
change
Task 4
to know
having
to increase
using
meeting
to be
losing
domingo, 13 de enero de 2019
Health and illness
health
|
salud
|
illness
|
enfermedad (en general)
|
disease
|
enfermedad (específica)
|
asthma
|
asma
|
chickenpox
|
varicela
|
smallpox
|
viruela
|
heart attack
|
infarto
|
heart disease
|
cardiopatía
|
hepatitis
|
hepatitis
|
ulcer
|
úlcera
|
flu
|
gripe
|
mumps
|
paperas
|
wound
|
herida (por un arma)
|
injury
|
herida
|
blood
|
sangre
|
hospital
|
hospital
|
doctor
|
médico
|
family doctor
|
médico de cabecera
|
nurse
|
enfermera
|
injection
|
inyección
|
medicine
|
medicina
|
pill
|
pastilla, píldora
|
prescription
|
receta médica
|
vaccine
|
vacuna
|
painful
|
doloroso
|
painless
|
indoloro
|
bandage
|
venda
|
band aid
|
tirita, curita
|
crutch
|
muleta
|
plaster
|
yeso
|
wheelchair
|
silla de ruedas
|
to feel good
|
sentirse bien
|
to catch a cold
|
atrapar un resfrío
|
to have a cold
|
tener un resfrío
|
to sneeze
|
estornudar
|
to cough
|
toser
|
to blow one's nose
|
sonarse la nariz
|
to feel sick
|
tener náuseas
|
to feel dizzy
|
estar mareado
|
to faint
|
desmayarse
|
to pass out
|
desmayarse
|
to be tired
|
estar cansado
|
to be exhausted
|
estar agotado
|
to have backache
|
tener dolor de espalda
|
to have earache
|
tener dolor de oídos
|
to have a headache
|
tener dolor de cabeza
|
to have a sore throat
|
tener dolor de garganta
|
to have a stomach ache
|
tener dolor de estómago
|
to have toothache
|
tener dolor de dientes
|
to have a temperature
|
tener fiebre
|
to have a cough
|
tener tos
|
to have diarrhoea
|
tener diarrea
|
to have a rash
|
tener erupciones, sarpullido
|
to have spots
|
tener granitos
|
to have a black eye
|
tener un ojo morado
|
to get a bruise
|
magullarse
|
to get burnt
|
quemarse
|
to lose one's appetite
|
perder el apetito
|
to lose one's voice
|
quedarse afónico
|
to break one's arm
|
quebrarse el brazo
|
to sprain one's ankle
|
tener un esguince en el
tobillo
|
to twist one's ankle
|
torcerse el tobillo
|
to be constipated
|
estar estreñido
|
to have constipation
|
tener estreñimiento
|
to be allergic to
|
ser alérgico a
|
to suffer from
|
sufrir de
|
to vomit
|
vomitar
|
to throw up
|
vomitar
|
to hurt
|
doler
|
to swell
|
hincharse
|
to take an aspirin
|
tomar una aspirina
|
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