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3/2014
Arts and culture, key aspects
of any society, offer many
lively talking points, includ-
ing for small talk with your business partners. Thats why we
have made this the subject of our 20-page vocabulary guide,
Skill Up! (p. 55). In the guide, we present hundreds of useful
words, expressions and idioms for talking about the worlds of
art and culture. And for 100 more key idioms, see the special
booklet that comes free with this issue of Business Spotlight.
The booklet follows a computer programmer, Joy, from the mo-
ment she gets up to the end of her working day.
Staying on the subject of
culture, our intercultural fea-
ture focuses on business
culture in Brazil, the host of
this years FIFA World Cup.
In her article, Vicki Sussens
takes a close look at Brazils
economic and social devel-
opment and talks to experts
about doing business with
Brazilians (p. 36). By the
way, football in Brazil is as
much an art form as it is a
sport. And to help you understand the passion that football
generates, Deborah Capras writes about the history and spirit
of the beautiful game in her Wise Words column (p. 48).
EDITORIAL
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Sehr viele kleine, sehr hilfreiche Tipps, um
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Sehr guter Referent.
Jens Bngel, Naundorf Umweltconsulting
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z. B. vom 16. 17.06.14 in Berlin
Mehr Infos und Buchung unter:
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www.haufe-akademie.de
Kompetenz fr Fach- und Fhrungskrfte
Zukunftsgestaltung fr Unternehmen
www.haufe-akademie.de
Ian McMaster, editor-in-chief
Contact: i.mcmaster@spotlight-verlag.de
Culture time
Brazilian football: sport or art?
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12Test your skills
The Big Picture
6 Ghana
The growing market in funeral insurance
Working World
8 Names and News
The latest from the world of business
Language Test
12 Translation
Find out how good your skills are
Global Business
18 Its Personal
Elisabeth Ribbans on attention-seeking architects
21 Business Press Behind the headlines
22 Profile
Mary Barra, the new head of General Motors
26 Head-to-Head
Have marketers become spies?
Business Skills
28 Series (2): Speaking
Ten tips on how to speak clearly and effectively
33 Training Plan
34 Toolbox
Ken Taylors advice on answering questions
Intercultural Communication
36 Brazil
Doing business with the South American giant
plus
plus
advanced
advanced
advanced
plus
Careers
66 MOOCS
The growing popularity of online courses
70 Tips and Trends
Looking for a job; meeting others in your firm
Management
72 Charisma
Who needs it and can you learn it?
76 What Happened Next
McDonalds and its hot coffee
77 Executive Eye
Adrian Furnham on whistleblowers
Technology
80 Agricultural Robots
Do farms still need human hands?
82 Trends
Cameras on the goal; timing Monets sunset
83 Language Focus
Quality management
People
86 My Working Life
Moses Banda, taxi driver in Malawi
Regular sections
3 Editorial
3 Classified Ads
78 SprachenShop
84 Feedback / Impressum
85 Preview
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advanced
easy
advanced
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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
presentations and learn about Brazilian work culture.
Business Spotlight plus
Practise the language used in
the magazine with our exercise
booklet. In this issue, we focus on
useful football expressions, Brazilian
culture, saying what you mean and
talking about yourself and your career.
See page 20 for subscription details.
plus
Multimedia learning with Business Spotlight
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CONTENTS 3/2014
READERS SERVICE
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
28Speaking clearly
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www.business-spotlight.de 5
Business Spotlight Online
Go to our website for
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 in the classroom
This six-page supplement for teachers and
trainers provides lesson activities based
on articles in Business Spotlight. It is free
to those who subscribe to the magazine.
To order, please send an email to:
schulmedien@spotlight-verlag.de
Language in Business Spotlight
Articles in the magazine use the style, spelling, punctuation and
pronunciation of British English unless otherwise marked.
American style, spelling, punctuation and pronunciation
are used in these articles.
Approximately at CEF level A2
Approximately at CEF levels B1B2
Approximately at CEF levels C1C2
All articles are marked with their level of language difficulty.
CEF stands for the Council of Europes Common European
Framework of Reference for Languages.
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
US
easy
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55Useful
vocabulary
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Cover topics
44 Vocabulary Playing golf
45 Grammar at Work Talking about yourself
46 Easy English Making appointments
48 Wise Words Deborah Capras on football
50 Email How to start an email correctly
51 English on the Move Staying with a host family
52 Translation False friends and more
53 Language Cards To pull out and practise
55 SKILL UP! Arts and culture
56 Short Story Castles in the air
58 English for Opinion research
60 Legal English Product liability
61 Talking Finance Ian McMaster on money
62 Teacher Talk Interview with Nicky Hockly
64 Products Whats new?
65 Key Words Vocabulary from this issue
easy
easy
easy
advanced
advanced
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Language section
36Brazils culture
72Leaders and
charisma
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6 www.business-spotlight.de 3/2014
THE BIG PICTURE GHANA
N
o, you are not looking at a colour-
ful float in a local parade. That
fish-shaped object is actually a coffin.
Funerals in many parts of Africa are
elaborate and often include unusu-
al coffins. They can also be very ex-
pensive, which has led to a growing
market for the insurance industry.
Since most Africans cannot afford
cars or other valuable things, the tra-
ditional market for car or household
insurance is practically non-existent.
High death rates and low savings lev-
els, however, are making funeral-
insurance policies more popular.
Reuters reports that, with a typical fu-
neral costing as much as several
months wages, providing such insur-
ance is a lucrative new market.
coffin [(kQfIn] Sarg
elaborate [i(lbErEt] aufwendig
float [flEUt] Festzugswagen
funeral [(fju:n&rEl] Beerdigung
household insurance Wohngebude-
[)haUshEUld In(SUErEns] UK versicherung
insurance industry Versicherungs-
[In(SUErEns )IndEstri] branche
insurance policy Versicherungs-
[In(SUErEns )pQlEsi] Police
Time to say goodbye
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www.business-spotlight.de 7 3/2014
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gross domestic product Bruttoinlands-
(GDP) produkt (BIP)
[)grEUs dE)mestIk (prQdVkt]
instant messaging Sofortnachrichten
[)InstEnt (mesIdZIN]
research [ri(s:tS] hier: Marktforschung
run a chance of doing sth. hier etwa: riskieren,
[)rVn E )tSA:ns Ev (du:IN] etw. zu tun
sales [seI&lz] Umsatz
vacuum cleaner Staubsauger
[(vkjuEm )kli:nE]
Innovative products:
James Dyson
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A person who has not
done one half his days
work by ten oclock runs
a chance of leaving the
other half undone
Emily Bront (181848), British author
(Wuthering Heights/Sturmhhe)
Spending on care for the old in OECD

countries is expected to rise from its
current rate of 1.5 per cent of gross
domestic product (GDP) to 4 per cent
of GDP by 2050.
Sources: Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development (www.oecd.org);
Financial Times
Email use in the US fell by 20 per
cent between 2008 and 2012. While
91 per cent of Americans still use
email daily, social networks and
services such as instant messaging
have become more popular.
S
ir James Dysons vacuum cleaners are so cool that even men want
to use them. We did some research and discovered that if a cou-
ple buys a Dyson, the husband is 50 per cent more likely to do the
vacuuming, the 66-year-old told WSJ Magazine.
The Dyson, the worlds first bagless vacuum cleaner, went on sale
in 1993. In 2012, the company sold more than 50 million products
and had global sales of almost $200 million.
Not everyone believed the bagless vacuum cleaner would be suc-
cessful. Market research told us nobody wanted to see dirt, but I
thought they were wrong and ignored them, says Dyson.
JAMES DYSON
Cool cleaning
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Source: McKinsey & Company
(www.mckinsey.com)
NAMES AND NEWS WORKING WORLD NAMES AND NEWS
3/2014
box [bA:ks*] hier: Kstchen
conviction history: person vorbestrafte Person
with a ~ [kEn(vIkS&n )hIstri]
criminal record Vorstrafenregister
[)krImIn&l (rek&rd*]
ensure sth. [In(SU&r*] etw. sicherstellen
ex-convict [)eks (kA:nvIkt*] ehemalige(r) Gefng-
nisinsasse/-insassin
incarcerated eingekerkert
[In(kA:rsEreItEd*]
Office for National Statistics britisches Statistik-
[)QfIs fE )nS&nEl stE(tIstIks] amt
past conviction Vorstrafe
[)pst kEn(vIkS&n*]
reject sb. [ri(dZekt] jmdn. ablehnen
retailer [(ri:teI&l&r*] Einzelhandelskette
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or ex-convicts, leaving jail is often only the first hur-
dle in the struggle to lead a normal life. Many are im-
mediately rejected by potential employers because job
applications include a box that requires them to say
whether they have a criminal record. The Ban the Box
campaign wants to ensure that people with past
convictions do not face discrimination before having a
chance to prove themselves.
We know that employment discrimination against
people with conviction histories doesnt just hurt indi-
viduals, says Judy Patrick of the Womens Foundation
of California, at BanTheBoxCampaign.org, it hurts
their families and their communities.
According to the StarTribune, retailer Target Corp.
plans to eliminate the box on its job applications. Tar-
get has 362,000 employees across the U.S. The re-
moval does not eliminate the background check or drug
test, but it offers those whove been previously incar-
cerated a chance to get their foot in the door, says
company spokesperson Dianna Gee.
U. S.
Fair chance?
advanced US
49
Percentage of Britons aged 20 to
24 who still live at home with
their parents as a result of high
youth unemployment
Sprachkurse
im Ausland
Karrierefaktor
Fremdsprachen
EF bietet Ihnen die Mglichkeit Ihre
Sprachkenntnisse im Ausland zu verbessern und
dabei in eine fremde Kultur einzutauchen.
Whlen Sie aus 41 Kursorten in 15 Lndern und
profitieren Sie von:
international anerkannten Sprachzertifikaten
speziellen Fokusschulen fr Erwachsene
Kurz- und Langzeitsprachkursen
karriere- und berufsbezogenen Wahlfchern
Kursbeginn jeden Montag mglich
Kostenloser
Sprachtest:
www.ef.com/test
EF Education First
0211 688 57 230
www.ef.com/25plus
Sources: Office for National Statistics (www.statistics.gov.uk); The Guardian
A second chance: Target department stores are
willing to hire former prisoners
* This symbol marks standard US pronunciation.
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WORKING WORLD NAMES AND NEWS
CANADA
Tech success
backpacker [(bkpkE] Rucksackreisende(r)
density [(densEti] Dichte; hier: Konzen-
tration
flavour of the month: momentan in sein
be the ~
[)fleIvEr Ev DE (mVnT] ifml.
hostel [(hQst&l] (Jugend-)Herberge
lay sb. off [)leI (Qf] jmdn. entlassen
mobile [(mEUbaI&l] mobile Gerte
processing service Zahlungsdienstleister
[(prEUsesIN )s:vIs]
recruit sb. [ri(kru:t] jmdn. einstellen
tech talent Technologie-
[(tek )tlEnt] ifml. nachwuchskrfte
thrive [TraIv] florieren
timeline: have a long ~ fr eine lngere Zeit-
[(taImlaIn] N. Am. dauer planen
Zurich [(zUErIk] [wg. Aussprache]
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Football is the most
important of the
less important things
in the world
Carlo Ancelotti, 54, Italian-born
manager of Real Madrid football club
$14 $123.60
Daily cost for a backpacker to
stay in Pokhara, Nepal, in-
cluding hostel, meals, drinks,
transportation and a visit to
a tourist attraction
Daily cost for a backpacker to
stay in Zurich, Switzerland,
including hostel, meals,
drinks, transportation and a
visit to a tourist attraction
Going strong:
Waterloo, Ontario
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Sources: International New York Times; PriceofTravel.com
B
lackBerry smartphones are no longer the
flavour of the month. But Waterloo, Ontario,
the town where the phones were first made (see
Business Spotlight 4/2013), is thriving.
Although BlackBerry is laying off about 40 per
cent of its employees, most of those workers will
not need to leave town to find new jobs. Thats
because so many other technology companies
are either recruiting or moving there. Among
them are Apple, Facebook, Google, Motorola and
Cisco Systems.
The area has a really strong density of tech
talent, says Bryan Power, talent director for
Square, a mobile credit-card processing service
that recently set up business in the area. We
have a long timeline for here. We really want to
be part of this community, Power told The New
York Times.
Listen to this text on Business Spotlight Audio
I always invest in companies an idiot
could run, because one day, one will
Warren Buffett, 83, US investor and billionaire
Running a company on market
research is like driving while looking in
the rear-view mirror
Anita Roddick (19422007), British business-
woman and founder of The Body Shop
Company cultures are like country
cultures. Never try to change one. Try,
instead, to work with what youve got
Peter Drucker (19092005), Austrian-born
management consultant and author
What they said
H
ave you ever been to Mexico? If so,
you know its not a good idea to
drink tap water there. In fact, not
even the locals drink it, which is why
Mexico is the worlds highest con-
sumer of bottled water.
A new law may make tap water
safer, at least in Mexico City restau-
rants. These are now required to in-
stall filters so that customers can
drink tap water free of charge
without risking illness.
The government hopes this will
also encourage people to drink fewer
sugary soft drinks. We need to cre-
ate a culture of water consumption,
says Mexico Citys health secretary,
Dr Jose Armando Ahued. We need
to accept our water, Ahued told the
Associated Press.
MEXI CO
Safe water
beverage [(bevErIdZ] Getrnk
billionaire [)bIljE(neE] Milliardr(in)
bottled water [)bQt&ld (wO:tE] Tafelwasser
consultant [kEn(sVltEnt] Berater(in)
federation [)fedE(reIS&n] Verband
founder [(faUndE] Grnder(in)
free of charge [)fri: Ev (tSA:dZ] gratis
health secretary Gesundheitsbeauf-
[(helT )sekrEtEri] tragte(r)
market research [)mA:kIt ri(s:tS] Marktforschung
rear-view mirror [)rIE vju: (mIrE] Rckspiegel
tap water [(tp )wO:tE] Leitungswasser
United Arab Emirates Vereinigte Arabische
[ju:)naItId )rEb (emErEts] Emirate
water consumption Wasserverbrauch; hier:
[(wO:tE kEn)sVmpS&n] Trinken von Wasser
easy
Preferred drink:
bottled water
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Youll find more stories online: www.business-spotlight.de/news www
Country Yearly consumption
(litres per person)
1. Mexico 243
2. Italy 187
3. United Arab Emirates 153
4. Belgium-Luxembourg 148
5. Germany 134
11. Switzerland 108
20. Austria 91
Sources: European Federation of Bottled Waters (www.efbw.eu);
Beverage Marketing Corporation (www.beveragemarketing.com)
Who drinks bottled water?
Listen to this text on
Schriftstcke wie E-Mails und Briefe und andere Texte mssen im internationalen Geschftsverkehr bersetzt
werden, vom Deutschen ins Englische und umgekehrt. Finden Sie mit den bungen von CAROL SCHEUNEMANN und
HILDEGARD RUDOLPH heraus, wie gut Sie das bersetzerhandwerk beherrschen.
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The text experts
THE SITUATION:
Located in Berlin, KinoToU is a
film-marketing agency that
specializes in independent
short films and documentaries
in English. The office manager,
Simon Schwarz, has to trans-
late various types of text, such
as correspondence, marketing
material and film details. Lets
join him for a typical day.
all levels
Ein smarter Typ: but
is he smart, too?
2.
Movimento is the oldest a) ____________ (movie theater) in the heart of Berlin. Were locat-
ed near b) ____________ (downtown), a few steps from the Schnleinstrae c) ____________
(subway stop) in Kreuzberg. From there, you take the d) ____________ (elevator) to the
e) ____________ (first floor). If youre coming by car, use the f) ____________ (parking garage)
on Hermannplatz. Todays matinee is a classic James Bond g) ____________ (movie), Gold-
finger. For our complete listing, call 263 098 76. If theres no answer, you can try our
h) ____________ (cell phone) at 0176/323 232. And you can order tickets online to avoid the
i) ____________ (lines) at the box office.
US English and UK English (9 points)
A German partner has provided a text in US English, but Simon would like to change it into
British English. Write the UK equivalents of the words in bold.
easy
TRANSLATION LANGUAGE TEST

1.
a) Our ____________ (actual) collection includes nearly 500 films.
b) Documentary films often cost less to make than action films, but are
generally not as ____________ (rentable).
c) Our company has been in the film ____________ (branch) for 15 years.
d) Our ____________ (personal) have extensive film-making experience.
e) We get a ____________ (provision) for supplying the films to indepen-
dent distributors.
f) Instead of printing ____________ (prospects), we now post film details online and have a
searchable database.
g) We ____________ (spare) a lot of money with this method.
False friends (7 points)
Simon is trying to translate a German text for a US partner, but he tends to use false friends.
Replace the false friends in bold with the correct words from the box.
easy
brochures
commission
current
industry
profitable
save
staff
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4.
1. Analyze This
2. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
3. Cast Away
4. Money Talks
5. K-9
6. As Good as It Gets
7. Groundhog Day
8. A Bugs Life
Film titles (8 points)
Sometimes, customers call and ask Simon what a films original title is. Cultural references
or wordplay make translating some titles nearly impossible. Match these German titles with
their English originals.
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a I; b I; c I; d I; e I; f I; g I; h I
a) Mein Partner mit der kalten Schnauze
b) Das grosse Krabbeln
c) Und tglich grt das Murmeltier
d) Zwei glorreiche Halunken
e) Verschollen
f) Reine Nervensache
g) Besser gehts nicht
h) Geld stinkt nicht
3.
Standard phrases (5 points)
There are many set expressions in business cor-
respondence that cannot be translated word for
word. Choose the words that best complete these
sentences.
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Unter Bezugnahme auf unser gestriges Telefonat...
a) With regard / reference to our phone conversation
yesterday...
Hiermit besttigen wir den Eingang Ihres Schreibens.
b) We confirm receipt / reception of your letter.
Leider mssen wir Ihnen mitteilen, dass der Film ver-
griffen ist.
c) We regret / require to inform you that the film is no
longer in stock.
Bei Rckfragen stehe ich Ihnen jederzeit gerne zur Ver-
fgung.
d) Please dont contemplate / hesitate to contact me
if you have any questions.
Wir sehen Ihrer Antwort mit Interesse entgegen und
verbleiben
e) We look forward to hearing / hear from you.
TRANSLATION LANGUAGE TEST

6.
Prepositions (12 points)
Simon wants to translate a description of a scene from an action film. Finish his text with prepositions
from the box. Use each word only once.
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5.
a) Vielleicht sollten wir uns zuerst vorstellen.
1. Maybe well introduce ourselves first.
2. Maybe we should have introduced ourselves
first.
3. Maybe we should introduce ourselves first.
b) Wer mchte als Erster?
1. Who shall go first?
2. Who likes to go first?
3. Who would like to go first?
c) Ein Protokoll mssen wir heute nicht
schreiben.
1. We mustnt take minutes today.
2. We dont have to take minutes today.
3. We may not take minutes today.
d) Machen wir eine kurze Pause.
1. We have a short break.
2. We are having a short break.
3. Lets have a short break.
Verb forms (4 points)
Simon will be holding a teleconference with several UK film critics. In preparation, he writes down
what he wants to say. For each sentence, choose the best version in English.
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across
after
against
before
from
in
in front of
into
out
over
through
towards
Eine schne Frau spaziert durch den Park und schiebt einen Kinderwagen.
Pltzlich droht ein vom Himmel herabstrzender Meteorit sie zu erschlagen.
Justin sprintet ber die Strae, direkt vor einem rasenden Auto. Das Auto
weicht aus, fhrt aber nun direkt auf die Frau zu. Gerade rechtzeitig reit
Justin das Baby aus dem Kinderwagen. Die Frau versucht, hinter Justin auf
einer Brcke ber den Flu zu laufen, fllt aber von der Brcke ins eisige
Wasser. Sie mu gegen den starken Strom schwimmen. Justins mutiger
Schferhund rettet sie, kurz bevor sie ertrinkt.
A beautiful woman is walking a) ________ a park and pushing a baby carriage. Suddenly, a falling me-
teor threatens to crush her. Justin runs b) ________ the street, directly c) ________ a speeding car. The
car swerves, but is now heading d) _________ the woman. Justin pulls the baby e) _______ of the car-
riage just f) _______ time. The woman tries to run g) _______ Justin on a bridge h) ________ a river,
but falls i) ________ the bridge j) ________ the icy water. She has to swim k) __________ a strong
current. Justins fearless German Shepherd dog saves her just l) ________ she drowns.
LANGUAGE TEST TRANSLATION
I Its important to translate
the meaning of a phrase,
rather than translating word
for word. Try to express the
idea behind the words.
I Bilingual dictionaries and
translation software or web-
sites may give you several
choices. Look for the word or
term that is correct in the
context of the sentence.
I If you have time, do a
rough translation first, then
look at the translated text
again later.
I There is generally more
than one way of translating a
text. The words may vary
greatly and still be correct.
Translation tips
7.
Word choice in context (5 points)
Simon uses a computer program to translate a marketing text. For cer-
tain words, he has to choose between several meanings. Select the
correct translation in context for the words in bold.
advanced
8.
Informal and idiomatic language (10 points)
English-language films may have German subtitles. Translate this dialogue
from a US documentary about a truck driver. Pay attention to the expres-
sions in bold. Most of these cannot be translated directly.
advanced
Mike: You build trucks here, dont you?
a) ______________________________________________________________
Mechanic: You bet. They last forever. They never break down, either.
b) ______________________________________________________________
Mike: Seems a bit quiet right now... Say, I could use a job Im a driver.
c) ______________________________________________________________
Mechanic: Come back again first thing on Wednesday. Looks like well be
hiring pretty soon. Try showing up at eight. Ask for Jake.
d) ______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Der Regisseur ist Meister seines Fachs.
a) The director is a master of his ______.
1. drawer 2. tray 3. trade
Der Film entstand aus einer Folge der TV-Serie Moon Rising.
b) The idea for the film came from a(n) _____ of the TV series Moon Rising.
1. consequence 2. episode 3. sequence
Wir werden die Handlung hier nicht verraten.
c) We wont _____ the plot here.
1. reveal 2. betray 3. identify
Die Szene besteht aus einer langen, wilden Autojagd.
d) The scene _____ of one long, wild car chase.
1. passes 2. consists 3. insists
Leider wurden die Dreharbeiten zur Fortsetzung eingestellt.
e) Unfortunately, the shooting of the sequel has been ______.
1. stopped 2. adjusted 3. hired
3/2014
1. False friends
a) current = aktuell (actual = tatschlich)
b) profitable = rentabel (rentable = ver-
mietbar )
c) industry = Sektor, Branche (branch = Ast;
Zweigstelle, Niederlassung)
d) staff = Personal, Mitarbeiter(innen) (per-
sonal = persnlich)
e) commission = Provision (provision = Be-
stimmung)
f) brochures = Prospekte (prospect = Aus-
sicht )
g) save = sparen (spare = erbrigen; scho-
nen)
2. US English and UK English
a) cinema
b) the city centre
c) underground station
d) lift
e) ground floor = Erdgeschoss
f) car park
g) film
h) mobile
i) queues = (Warte-)Schlangen
3. Standard phrases
a) reference
b) receipt
c) regret
d) hesitate = zgern
e) hearing
4. Film titles
a5 (K-9 refers to police dogs. When spo-
ken, it sounds like canine [(keInaIn],
another word for dog.)
b8 (Insects are called bugs in American
English. The title A Bugs Life is simi-
lar to the expression a dogs life,
which refers to an unhappy existence,
and was the name of a Charlie Chaplin
film from 1918.)
c7 (Groundhog Day is on 2 February in
North America. According to folk le-
gend, the groundhog (Murmeltier)
comes out of its hole on this day. If it
sees its shadow, there will be six more
weeks of winter.)
d2 (The original title in Italian is Il buono,
il brutto, il cattivo, or The Good, the
Ugly, the Bad, but the order of the
words was changed in English. The
phrase is now used to talk about posi-
tive, negative and unpleasant aspects of
a situation.)
e3 (A castaway is a person who is strand-
ed after a shipwreck.)
f1 (During a conversation, a person may
verbally attack another by repeating a
word, and add a this!, often accom-
panied by a threat of violence. For ex-
ample, Person A: We have to discuss
your attitude. Person B shows his fist
(geballte Faust ) and says: Oh, yeah?
Well, discuss this!)
g6 (As good as it gets means the situa-
tion cant become any better. The
more positive version is: It doesnt get
much better than this.)
h4 (Money talks means that wealthy peo-
ple have a lot of influence.)
5. Verb forms
a3; b3; c2; d3
6. Prepositions
a) through e) out i) from
b) across f) in j) into
c) in front of g) after k) against
d) towards h) over l) before
7. Word choice in context
a3; b2; c1; d2; e1
8. Informal and idiomatic language
(These are suggestions. Other alternatives
are possible.)
a) Mike: Ihr baut hier Lastwagen, nicht
wahr?
b) Mechaniker: Klar doch. Die gehen nie ka-
putt. Die haben auch nie eine Panne.
c) Mike: Scheint momentan etwas ruhig zu
sein. Aber ich brauche einen Job. Bin
Fahrer.
d) Mechaniker: Dann schau am Mittwoch
nochmal vorbei, gleich in der Frh. Sieht
so aus, dass wir bald jemanden ein-
stellen werden. Versuchs so gegen acht
frag nach Jake.
Answers
Hildegard Rudolph is a certified
translator and a freelance editor,
teacher and book author. Contact:
bs.lektorat@spotlight-verlag.de
Carol Scheunemann is an editor at
Business Spotlight, and coordinates
Business Spotlight Audio. Contact:
c.scheunemann@spotlight-verlag.de
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5060 points: Congratulations! You understand nu-
ances of German and English and you can success-
fully complete general translation tasks.
4049 points: Good. You are able to translate many
general texts.
3039 points: Fair. Your translation skills are rather
basic, but you can provide the general idea.
029 points: Nice try. Before you start translating,
however, you may need to improve your English skills.
How did you do?
boast [bEUst] Prahlerei
bold [bEUld] khn
City [(sIti] UK Londoner Finanz -
distrikt
density [(densEti] Dichte
deny sth. [di(naI] etw. (ver)leugnen
developer [di(velEpE] Bautrger(in)
disempowered: feel ~ sich klein und
[)dIsIm(paUEd] unbedeutend fhlen
girth [g:T] Umfang
groundbreaking bahnbrechend
[(graUnd)breIkIN]
interior design Innenarchitektur
[In)tIEriE di(zaIn]
nickname [(nIkneIm] Spitzname
novelty [(nQvElti] Neuheit
oppressive [E(presIv] erdrckend
realm [relm] Bereich; hier: Raum
selfishness Egoismus; hier:
[(selfISnEs] bergroe Dominanz
sqm (square metre) qm (Quadratmeter)
[)skweE (mi:tE]
top-heavy hier: nach oben hin
[)tQp (hevi] breiter werdend
contours of the river and
streets below; its supporters
called it groundbreaking.
There is nothing more per-
sonal than taste. But unlike
most expressions of style,
from cars to clothes to inte-
rior design all relatively
short-lived or even private
architecture is essentially
permanent and public. We must all,
for generations, live with the prefe-
rences of architects and their clients.
Steven Bee, chairman of The Acad-
emy of Urbanism, said recently of 20
Fenchurch Street: It is another build-
ing that doesnt just ignore, but denies
its context. Such selfishness has no
place in the public realm of a great
city, or anywhere else.
I agree. When I look at the Walkie-
Talkie, I feel disempowered. And
what about those who will work in-
side the Walkie-Talkie? The website
says that its designed for maximum
efficiency, with a density for all ser-
vices of 1 person per 8 sqm. That
sounds more like a warning than a
boast, but lets hope the views from
its 37 floors are worth it.
Bill Bryson perhaps said it best in
his 1991 travel book, Neither Here
nor There: I have nothing against
novelty in buildings ... but I just hate
the way architects and city planners
and everyone else responsible for ur-
ban life seem to have lost sight of
what cities are for. They are for peo-
ple ... [but] for half a century we have
been building cities that are for al-
most anything else: for cars, for busi-
nesses, for developers, for people with
money and bold visions who refuse to
see cities from ground level, as places
in which people must live and func-
tion and get around.
Theres a new giant on Londons
skyline. Its official name is also its ad-
dress: 20 Fenchurch Street. But this
City monolith is commonly known as
the Walkie-Talkie because of its con-
cave, top-heavy shape. The nickname
also indicates that the building seems
to shout at everything around it.
Some 160 metres tall and increas-
ingly wide towards the top, the com-
mercial tower, designed by Uruguayan
architect Rafael Violy, dominates
most of its neighbours by height and
the rest by girth. As if to demonstrate
its power, sun reflecting from its glass
walls during construction melted parts
of a car in the street below.
English Heritage, which advises the
government on historic buildings,
was against the design, calling it
oppressive and attention-seeking.
Violy said his building respects the
Elisabeth Ribbans is a British journalist and ed-
itorial consultant. She is also a former managing
editor of The Guardian newspaper in London.
Contact: eribbans@yahoo.com
Der architektonische Stil des neuen Hochhauses, das den Londoner Finanzdistrikt berragt,
ist nicht nach jedermanns Geschmack. Auch ELISABETH RIBBANS bleibt nichts anderes brig,
als sich damit abzufinden, wie sicher noch viele Generationen nach ihr.
I
BS
advanced
Overpowering? Londons new
Walkie-Talkie tower
We must all, for generations, live with the
preferences of architects and their clients
GLOBAL BUSINESS ITS PERSONAL
The power of architecture
p
r
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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.
allude to sth. [(Elu:d tu] auf etw. anspielen
assets [(sets] Anlagewerte
bill [bIl] Gesetzesvorlage
capital expenditure [)kpIt&l Ik(spendItSE] Investitionsausgaben
compound noun zusammengesetztes
[)kQmpaUnd (naUn] Substantiv
share [SeE] Aktie
ski resort [(ski: ri)zO:t] Skiurlaubsort
soar [sO:] stark ansteigen
stock exchange [(stQk Iks)tSeIndZ] Aktienbrse
advanced
Old: This refers to people over 50, often called
baby boomers.
cold: This is used symbolically to refer to the sub-
ject of the story: US ski resorts. It also alludes to
the fact that the money the baby boomers spend
on skiing is going to go cold, that is, come to
an end, when they stop skiing because of their age.
splurging gold: To splurge means to spend money
extravagantly. Gold stands for money and
rhymes with cold and old. Baby boomers,
who have the money and time to go skiing, are
important contributors to the skiing industry.
In simple English: Baby boomers are spending ex-
travagantly on skiing, but this will end one day.
Majors: This is short for supermajors, a term
used for the worlds largest publicly owned oil and
gas companies, also known as big oil.
tightening their capex belts: If you tighten your belt,
you start spending less than before. Here, it refers
to a trend among the big oil companies to reduce
their capital expenditure (capex) the money
spent on projects or assets that are expected to
bring value in the future.
In simple English: The worlds main oil and gas firms
are cutting their capital spending.
Are you confused by the language in the press? Keep your
English up to date at www.business-spotlight.de/news
www
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Merkel: The German chancellor, Angela Merkel.
pushes: Here, push means to take action, and
refers to a bill to reform German pension laws.
retirement age drop: This is a compound noun mean-
ing a fall (drop) in the official retirement age.
Compound nouns become clearer if read back-
wards: a drop in the age of retirement.
pension rise: Whats meant here is a rise in pension
payments for some German workers.
In simple English: Angela Merkel has taken action to
reduce the retirement age and to raise pensions.
HSBC: The British multinational banking and fi-
nancial services company.
shares soar on: HSBC shares. Note that soar is the
verb in the headline. On here means after.
fat finger mistake: A mistake caused by afat finger
trade, that is, when a trader accidentally types in
the wrong figure when placing an order to buy or
sell shares. In this case, HSBCs share prices rose
by ten per cent within minutes. Trading in the
shares was temporarily stopped so that the stock
exchange could investigate the dramatic rise.
In simple English: HSBC shares rose by ten per cent
after a trader mistakenly typed the wrong order.
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From intern to CEO: new
GM boss Mary Barra
PROFILE GLOBAL BUSINESS
Ihre erste Autoliebe war ein Chevrolet Cabrio, heute fhrt sie einen Cadillac. Einst war sie Praktikantin,
seit Mitte Januar ist sie Konzernchefin von General Motors. MARGARET DAVIS berichtet vom Werdegang
der Elektroingenieurin Mary Barra, von der man sagt, dass in ihren Adern Sprit fliet.
In the drivers seat
I
n the 1980s, legendary Chrysler
boss Lee Iacocca appeared in tele-
vision commercials praising his
companys products with the slo-
gan If you can find a better car,
buy it. Twenty-five years later,
Daimler-Chryslers Dieter Zetsche
confounded American viewers with
his German accent in the Ask Dr. Z
advertising campaign.
Dont expect anything like that
from engineer Mary Barra [(bA:rA:].
The new CEO of General Motors
the first woman to head a global car
company wants the world to con-
centrate on GMs cars, not on her.
If you are thinking the old-
fashioned way of sticking her in a 30-
second TV commercial, I dont think
that is the best use of her, says Tim
Mahoney, head of global marketing
for Chevrolet. I dont think thats
her style, Mahoney told The Wall
Street Journal. We need to have her
speaking at conferences and being an
inspiration for students and engi-
neers.
Barra, 52, took the top job on Jan-
uary 15, 2014. She has been working
for Detroit-based GM for over 30
years, starting as an intern on the
factory floor as part of her electrical
engineering studies at the GM Insti-
tute (now Kettering University) in
Flint, Michigan. The car company,
seeing her management talent, spon-
sored Barras MBA at Stanford Uni-
versity in California. Working her
way up through the ranks, she was
executive assistant to former CEO
Jack Smith before becoming head
of internal communications, running
a Pontiac assembly plant and
unusually for a future CEO serving
as head of HR. Her last position be-
fore becoming CEO was as the head
of global product development.
Born near Detroit, Barra is often de-
scribed as the woman with gasoline
in her veins, not only because of her
many years at GM, but also because
of her family connection with the
company. Her father, Ray Makela,
worked as a die maker at the compa-
nys Pontiac factory for 39 years. She
met her husband, management
consultant Tony Barra, when they
were students at the GM Institute.
They have two teenaged children.
Barra says she was ten when she
first fell in love with a car a late
1960s-model Chevrolet Camaro
convertible owned by an older cousin.
It was just a beautiful, beautiful
vehicle, she told Stanford Magazine.
The first vehicle where I went,
Wow, that is cool. When it came
time to buy her first car, at 18, she put
a down payment on a sporty Pontiac
Firebird but then decided her college
medium US
assembly plant Fertigungswerk
[E(sembli plnt*]
based: ...-based [beIst] mit Sitz in ...
CEO (chief executive Konzernchef(in)
officer) [)si: i: (oU*]
commercial [kE(m:S&l] Werbespot
confound sb. [kEn(faUnd] jmdn. verwirren
convertible [kEn(v:tEb&l] Cabriolet
die maker [(daI )meIk&r*] Formenbauer(in)
electrical engineering Elektrotechnik
[i)lektrIk&l )endZI(nIrIN*]
engineer [)endZI(nI&r*] Ingenieur(in)
executive assistant Assistent(in) der
[Ig)zekjEtIv E(sIstEnt*] Geschftsfhrung
factory floor Fabrikhalle
[)fktri (flO:r*]
gasoline [(gsEli:n] US Benzin
head of HR (human Personalchef(in)
resources) [)hed Ev
)eItS (A:r*]
intern [(Int:n] Praktikant(in)
management consultant Unternehmens-
[)mnIdZmEnt berater(in)
kEn(sVltEnt]
MBA (Master of Busi- Management-
ness Administration) Aufbaustudiengang
[)em bi: (eI]
put a down payment eine Anzahlung fr
on sth. [)pUt E )daUn etw. leisten
(peImEnt A:n*]
rank [rNk] Rang; hier: Hierar-
chiestufe
stick sb. in sth. hier: jmdn. bei
[)stIk (In] etw. einsetzen
vehicle [(vi:Ek&l*] Fahrzeug
vein [veIn] Ader

budget was better suited to a less
glamorous Chevrolet Chevette.
Although she now drives a luxury
Cadillac, Barra still has a pragmatic
approach to budgeting. As head of
human resources after GMs 2009
government bailout, she reduced bu-
reaucracy and ended the companys
ten-page dress code. The bailout,
which cost nearly $50 billion, gave
the U.S. government a 61 percent
interest in GM and led to the
nickname Government Motors. The
government sold the last of its shares
in the company in December 2013.
Hard work beats talent if talent
doesnt work hard, Barra told stu-
dents at Kettering University in a
2013 commencement speech. In fact,
this could be her own motto: Barra is
frequently at her desk at 6 a.m.
Problems dont go away when you
ignore them they get bigger, she
added. In my experience, it is much
better to get the right people togeth-
er, to make a plan, and to address
every challenge head-on. One of
address sth. [E(dres] etw. angehen
affect sth. [E(fekt] sich auf etw. aus-
wirken
approach [E(proUtS*] Haltung,
Einstellung
auto show [(O:toU SoU*] Autosalon
bailout [(beI&laUt] Rettungsaktion
billion [(bIljEn] Milliarde(n)
budgeting [(bVdZEtIN*] Budgetplanung
car dealership Autohaus
[(kA:r )di:&l&rSIp*]
challenge [(tSlIndZ] Herausforderung,
schwierige Aufgabe
commencement speech Rede bei der
[kE(mensmEnt spi:tS] Diplomverleihung
US vor Universitts-
absolvent(inn)en
corporation Unternehmen
[)kO:rpEreIS&n*]
head-on [)hed (A:n*] direkt
interest [(IntrEst] Beteiligung
nickname [(nIkneIm] Spitzname
share [Se&r*] Anteil, Aktie
Americas love affair with the automobile has
cooled in the past 30 years
Barras initiatives as head of product
development was getting GM engi-
neers to work at car dealerships so
that they could see for themselves
what customers wanted.
In a rare interview, Barra was asked
by ABC News whether she ever
thought she would one day be CEO.
No, I stayed focused on the job I
was doing, she said. I think that
sometimes in industry, people are too
focused on the next job, rather than
on the job theyre really doing. When
I started working here 33 years ago,
I had no idea that this would be the
role Id be playing. I approached
every position like I was going to do
it for the rest of my life.
Barra avoids questions about how
being a woman has affected her ca-
reer. At the North American Interna-
tional Auto Show in Detroit in Janu-
ary 2014, she was asked whether be-
ing a woman gave her an advantage
in selling cars, since studies show that
women are involved in 70 to 80 per-
cent of car-buying decisions. Its a
team sport and weve got a great
team, she commented. Still, the car
industry is clearly male-dominated.
Rosabeth Moss Kanter, writing on the
Harvard Business Review Blog Net-
work, says that as a young professor
and consultant, she visited a number
of corporations while writing her
book Men and Women of the Corpo-
ration. The old GM was the most
Sporty: Barra shows U.S. Vice President Joe Biden a 2014 Corvette
G
M

(
3
)
GLOBAL BUSINESS PROFILE
Chic Chevrolet: 1950s glamour
macho and woman-unfriendly of
them all. Kanter sees Barra as a
force for change, not just because she
is a woman. Mary Barra is good for
GM first and foremost because shes
an engineer who cares about cars,
Kanter writes. She is good for GM
because she reflects the new culture of
teamwork and collaboration. She
knows the people side as the former
head of HR.
As head of global product develop-
ment, Barra was responsible for pro-
moting award-winning new cars and
trucks. Before the bailout, according
to analyst Amy Edmondson, a man-
agement professor at Harvard, GM
was an old-fashioned, out-of-touch,
hierarchical, siloed organization,
known for bureaucratic, top-down
management. The companys cars
were described as cookie-cutter or
worse, Edmondson writes in the
Harvard Business Review. Barra put
it more bluntly. No more crappy
cars! she said when she took over
the job in 2010. Edmondson says it
was Barras ability to encourage team-
appoint sb. [E(pOInt] jmdn. ernennen
brand [brnd] Marke
collaboration Zusammenarbeit
[kE)lbE(reIS&n]
crappy [(krpi] vulg. sl. Schei-, beschissen
decline [di(klaIn] Rckgang
dough [doU*] Teig
drivers license Fhrerschein
[(draIv&rz )laIs&ns*] US
emphasize sth. etw. hervorheben
[(emfEsaIz]
first and foremost in erster Linie,
[)f:st En (fO:rmoUst*] vor allem
out-of-touch realittsfremd
[)aUt Ev (tVtS]
people side: the ~ hier: die Anliegen
[(pi:p&l saId] der Mitarbeiter(in-
nen)
people skills soziale Kompeten-
[(pi:p&l skIlz] zen
plant [plnt*] Werk
purchase [(p:tSEs] Kauf
put sth. bluntly etw. unverblmt
[)pUt (blVntli] sagen
siloed [(saIloUd*] auf einzelne (Unter-
nehmens-)Bereiche
fokussiert
take charge die Fhrung ber-
[)teIk tSA:rdZ*] nehmen
top-down hierarchisch von
[)tA:p (daUn*] oben nach unten
unfailingly stets
[Vn(feIlINli]
union [(ju:njEn*] Gewerkschaft
great to work with. Kettering Uni-
versity president Robert McMahan
says, In meetings, she listens when
you talk. But, he adds, When she
speaks, you better listen.
As Barra rebuilds GMs reputation,
she faces a number of challenges at
home and abroad. Further cost-
cutting lies ahead, as well as develop-
ing new markets in India and South
America.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., Americas
love affair with the automobile has
cooled in the past 30 years, especial-
ly among young people. Between
2007 and 2012, new car purchases by
18- to 34-year-olds fell by 30 percent,
according to the car-buying website
Edmunds.com. There has also been a
decline in the number of young
Ameri cans getting drivers licenses.
It was different back in the 1980s,
when Mary Barra was a young car
enthusiast. But by emphasizing the
electronics that attract young con-
sumers, Barra hopes to get more of
them to buy GMs new machines. It
wont be easy, but then Barra knows
all about hard work.
For more information
WEBSITES
Lee Iacoccas commercial for Chrysler
LeBaron: www.youtube.com/watch?v=
v6nmCFTmPnE
Ask Dr. Z campaign for Chrysler:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp95QkfelWA
Mary Barras commencement speech
at Kettering University in 2013:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOokPTtXZYQ
Barras interview with ABC News:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/gm-
ceo-mary-barra-stayed-focused-21511259
ing that catapulted her to the top of
an organization with 212,000 em-
ployees.
Her former professor Mo Torfeh
agrees. She was great in getting jobs
done, putting a team together, and
making sure that its being done right.
She was always the person who took
charge.
Those who know her unfailingly
mention Barras people skills. In
1999, as head of internal communi-
cations, she was appointed to deal
with the United Auto Workers (UAW)
union after a strike. The then-presi-
dent of UAW Local 22 at the plant,
George McGregor, said she was
Margaret Davis is the editor of the
Careers and Global Business sec-
tions of Business Spotlight. Contact:
m.davis@ spotlight-verlag.de
I
BS
Red-hot machine:
1963 Corvette Sting Ray
A cookie cutter is a metal
or plastic object used to
cut dough into shapes be-
fore baking. Used figura-
tively, it means a copy, or
something that looks exact-
ly like all the other prod-
ucts on the market. In the
past, GM was criticized for
producing cars that were
unoriginal.
L
a
n
g
u
a
g
e

p
o
i
n
t
GM facts
I 212,000 employees
I 396 plants
I Brands: Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Baojun,
Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall, and Wuling
Source: General Motors (www.gm.com)
brand [brnd] Marke
deny sb. sth. [di(naI] jmdm. etw. ver-
weigern
exploit sth. [Ik)splOIt] sich etw. zunutze
machen
harvest sth. [(hA:vIst] etw. ernten; hier:
ausschpfen
location tracking Standortverfolgung
[lEU(keIS&n )trkIN]
marketer [(mA:kItE] Marketingfachkraft
monitoring berwachung,
[(mQnItErIN] Abhren
mouseprint Kleingedrucktes
[(maUsprInt] ifml.
predictive search vorausschauendes
[pri)dIktIv (s:tS] Suchen
privacy [(prIvEsi] Datenschutz
regulatory framework Regelwerk; hier:
[regju)leItEri (freImw:k] rechtlicher Rahmen
reject sth. [ri(dZekt] etw. ablehnen
scrutiny [(skru:tIni] berprfung; hier:
Kontrolle
shame: put sb. to ~ jmdn. beschmen
[SeIm]
spy (on sb.) [spaI] Spion(in); jmdn.
bespitzeln
track sth. [trk] etw. (nach)verfolgen
wrath [rQT] Zorn
quirements create trustworthy mar-
kets for health, law and other profes-
sional services.
Consumers personal data should
not be a resource for marketers to
harvest and exploit. In the data mar-
ketplace, consumers are a major par-
ticipant group one that has been
denied information, protection and,
thereby, full freedom of choice.
We need the government to provide
the regulatory framework so that it
can function fairly. This will not only
save marketers from themselves, but
perhaps also save us from our cus-
tomers wrath. W
e marketers have always
been spies, only bad ones.
Now, we have the technol-
ogy to know everything we
ever wanted to know about our cus-
tomers. We can track their every
move, online or off, and use that
knowledge to control the information
they receive. We put the US govern-
ments spies to shame, and were very
proud of our newly found powers.
We fool ourselves into thinking
consumers have asked us to spy on
them. They may want meaningful
content on demand (they always
have), but weve never told them
what they must give up for that.
Do we marketers really think our
neighbours or family know how
closely theyre being watched, or just
how that monitoring changes what
they actually see online?
Of course not, and we are fooling
ourselves when we claim that cus-
tomers support this scrutiny because
they click I approve buttons. They
do so because it is easier than reading
the privacy mouseprint.
Spione bespitzeln Regierungen, Marketingexperten trachten nach Verbraucherdaten.
Aber macht sie das zu Spionen? VICKI SUSSENS prsentiert zwei Meinungen. advanced
GLOBAL BUSINESS HEAD-TO-HEAD
Have marketers become spies?
We are experts at making sure that
consumers understand the details of
how a deodorant works, but we see
to it that they stay uninformed about
how their personal data is gathered
and used.
Worse, most company policies on
how consumer data will be used are
vague, meaning that theres no limit
to what we might do once a new
technology becomes available.
We marketers are continually ex-
tending our reach into consumers
lives through new tools like location
tracking, machine learning and pre-
dictive search. We want the world to
trust us that well track them fairly,
but we control the right to decide
what fair means.
Just wait until consumers decide
they dont like what we say it means.
Consumers reactions could make re-
sponses to the US spying scandal
seem mild. They could reject not only
our technology but also the brands
we are pushing using that technology.
Other markets have done just fine
with regulations. Certification re-
Jonathan Salem Baskin is a brand and reputation
expert based in the US. His eighth book, The End
of Anonymity, will be published this year.
Yes!
Marketers put the
US governments
spies to shame
Jonathan Salem Baskin
A
s 21st-century consumers, we
are all aware that every step
we take leaves some form of
digital signature, providing
opportunities for data owners to use
this insight in many different ways.
The simple fact is that the digital
world is part of our lives, and its
benefits are unquestionable. Some of
these are more obvious our gro-
cery shopping history allows super-
markets to send us relevant offers
and promotions. But there are less
visible, even more important uses,
such as being able to identify traffic
jams, based on the density of GPS-
activated mobile phones.
So, can we really call the collection
and use of data to provide relevant
content for consumers spying? No,
spying does not provide a mutual
benefit for both parties, as it does for
advertisers and consumers. For digital
advertising to be effective, it must de-
when. We cannot and would not
identify or track individuals.
Mobile and online advertisers work
similarly. They also group individuals
based on habits, demographics and so
on, which ensures anonymity.
While technology evolves, the spy-
ing debate will continue, but in the
end, the power rests in the hands of
the consumer. If data owners keep us-
ing the insights they gain to improve
and enrich our lives, as they current-
ly do, the majority of people will
continue to welcome digital advertis-
ing in all its forms.
advertising screen Werbebildschirm,
[(dvEtaIzIN skri:n] -display
allow sth. [E(laU] hier: etw. ermg-
lichen
density [(densEti] Dichte; hier:
Konzentration
enrich sth. [In(rItS] etw. bereichern
ensure sth. [In(SO:] etw. gewhrleisten
evolve [i(vQlv] sich entwickeln
face detection Gesichtserkennung
[(feIs di)tekS&n]
grocery shopping history Lebensmittel-
[(grEUsEri )SQpIN )hIstri] bestellhistorie
incentive [In(sentIv] Anreiz
insight [(InsaIt] Einblick(e); auch:
Wissen
mutual [(mju:tSuEl] wechsel-, beider-
seitig
traffic jam Verkehrsstau
[(trfIk dZm]
visible [(vIzEb&l] erkennbar
Mike Hemmings is the international marketing di-
rector for Amscreen, a UK outdoor advertising
screen business, which does business in the UK
and across Europe.
This is my life: is it OK that marketers sell this information?
No!
Power rests in
the hands of
the consumer
Mike Hemmings
liver something useful for the end
user so they want to react to it.
There are now more incentives to
use this data in a positive way than
ever before. The latest EU privacy
laws and directives help guide the
ethical use of data. But consumers
have powers themselves. They can
stop buying from a firm they feel is
misusing their data.
Our firm, Amscreen, uses face
detection software in advertising
screens. While on the surface, this
might seem like Big Brother, in reali-
ty, this type of software does not rec-
ognize individuals or record data. It
simply identifies age and sex, and
then groups this insight to provide
trends about what kinds of con-
sumers are likely to go into the store.
This allows for more relevant con-
tent on the screen. It also provides a
far clearer idea of the type of person
seeing the ad, as well as where and
I
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Listen to more views on this topic on Business Spotlight Audio
Was hilft alles Reden, wenn Ihnen niemand richtig zuhrt? Im zweiten Teil unserer Serie gibt
Ihnen BOB DIGNEN ntzliche Tipps, wie Sie sich die Aufmerksamkeit Ihrer Gesprchspartner
sichern und das, was Sie zu sagen haben, verstndlich vermitteln.
Choosing your words
medium
S
E
R
I
E
S
P
a
r
t

T
w
o
www.business-spotlight.de 29 Clear speaking:
an essential skill
SPEAKING BUSINESS SKILLS
C
o
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I
n our last article, we examined the
principles of effective listening.
This time, we will be looking at the
other side of the communication
coin: effective speaking. If you are
unable to express yourself in the right
way, it will be a struggle for others to
listen to you and you will not com-
municate your message optimally.
In this article, we provide ten key
ideas for effective speaking to help
you to get your messages across clear-
ly and with impact.
TIP 1 Create safety and credibility
The first point to consider is a psy-
chological one. If you want your lis-
teners to be open to your message,
you need to create a sense of safety
and credibility. Dont pose a threat to
your listeners, or they are likely to
become defensive. And if you do not
appear to have credibility, your mes-
sage may be regarded as worthless.
Here are some methods you can use:
Show respect for the listener:
I I heard youve been very successful
with the project.
Mention your contacts:
I I think you know John, who works in
Rome.
Refer to your status in the organiza-
tion to add authority:
I I report directly to
Talk about your track record:
I I worked with Pia on another project.
Emphasize your analytical skills:
I Ive studied this matter in great
detail and
Speakers who are articulate, confi-
dent and polite generally have more
credibility. Different people will define
and respond to each of these qualities
in slightly different ways, of course.
But if you are seen as being hesitant,
impolite or lacking in confidence (or
indeed overconfident!), you will find
it hard to keep the attention of your
Every time you speak, ask
yourself why anyone should listen
to what you are saying
This article is the second part of our special skills series. In
each article, Bob Dignen provides ten top tips for a key area of
business communication and each time, a training plan (see
p. 33) is included, so that you can structure your learning. In
Part One (Business Spotlight 2/2014): tips for improving your
listening skills.
articulate [A:(tIkjUlEt] fhig, sich klar
auszudrcken
become defensive eine Abwehrhal-
[bi)kVm di(fensIv] tung einnehmen
coin [kOIn] hier: Medaille
confident [(kQnfIdEnt] selbstbewusst
credibility [)kredE(bIlEti] Glaubwrdigkeit
emphasize sth. [(emfEsaIz] etw. betonen
get ones message across (s)eine Botschaft
[)get wVnz (mesIdZ E)krQs] rberbringen
hesitant [(hezItEnt] unschlssig,
unsicher
impact [(Impkt] Wirkung
lacking in... etwa: mit man-
[(lkIN In] gelndem ...
pose a threat bedrohlich wirken
[)pEUz E (Tret]
report to sb. jmdm. unterstellt
[ri(pO:t tu] sein
track record Erfolgsbilanz
[(trk )rekO:d]
listeners. So remember: every time
you speak, ask yourself why anyone
should listen to what you are saying.
TIP 2 Think about your purpose
There are two main types of purpose:
those that the speaker makes clear to
the listener and those that remain
hidden. One can debate, both from
an ethical and a cultural standpoint,
whether a direct, open style is better
than indirect communication. Both
styles can be effective in different con-
texts. But whichever style you use, it
is important to have a clear purpose
and to show that you have thought
about the needs of your listeners. This
will make it easier for others to re-
highlight sth. [(haIlaIt] etw. hervorheben
in charge of: be ~ sth. fr etw. verantwort-
[)In (tSA:dZ Qv] lich sein
in tune: be ~ with sth. mit etw. in Ein-
[In (tju:n] klang stehen
linking [(lINkIN] anknpfend
personnel [)p:sE(nel] Personal
phrase [freIz] Ausdruck,
Formulierung
sequencer [(si:kwEnsE] Gliederungssignal
topic [(tQpIk] Thema; auch: the-
matisch
spond to you. Here are some ways of
doing this:
Highlight your positive intention:
I In case you need help, I can
Highlight the relevance of your mes-
sage to the listener:
I The reasons Im saying this is be-
cause youre in charge of
Highlight the benefits of your mes-
sage to the listener:
I If we agree, then you will be able to
TIP 3 Structure your message
Think about what type of informa-
tion you need to communicate and
how much of it. Certain phrases can
help you to express your message in
a short and simple way:
I The main point is
I What Im saying is
Sequencers can also help listeners
to follow your message and analysis:
I First(ly), Second(ly), Third(ly),
... And finally,
It is also important to use linking
words and phrases to combine your
thoughts in clear, structured ways:
I However, we also need to
I That brings me to
I Despite this, I believe
Finally, saying things twice maybe
in different ways can be helpful for
listeners, particularly those whose
English is not at a high level.
Remember the four Ss: short,
simple, structured, said twice.
TIP 4 Adapt to your listeners
In order to be heard and understood,
you need to be in tune with the moti-
vations, concerns and preferences of
your listeners. First, you need to con-
nect at the topic level for example,
being able to talk about finance, pro-
duction or personnel matters when
necessary. But effective speakers also
adapt their style to that of their lis-
teners: giving more details to those
who like them; communicating cre-
atively with listeners who are more
innovative; or debating ideas force-
fully with those who like such dis-
cussions. Speaking a common lan-
guage in this way helps to build
communication bridges.
BUSINESS SKILLS SPEAKING
Adapt to your listeners: which style do they prefer?
P
h
o
t
o
d
i
s
c
It can also help to use the same
words and phrases as the people you
are speaking to. Look at how John in-
tegrates Jackies own language into
what he says:
John: So, Jackie what do you think we
should do?
Jackie: I really think we need to reduce
our production costs. If revenue
keeps falling, we can protect profits
this way.
John: I agree that costs are the key.
And, yes, that would certainly help us
to protect our profits.
Using someone elses language like
this can be very motivating for the lis-
tener. But if you do this clumsily or
too often, it could be seen as unnat-
ural and manipulative.
TIP 5 Spice up your speech
One risk for second-language speak-
ers, even those at a high level of En-
glish, is that their speech can focus
too much on facts, narrated in a
somewhat dry manner. To increase
the engagement of your listeners, try
to spice up your speech by using diffe -
rent methods. Here are a few:
Overstatement
I I think this would be a complete di-
saster. (I think its a mistake.)
Humour
I Not bad for a couple of days work.
(We worked very hard on this.)
Rhetorical questions
I Can we avoid doing this? Clearly not!
(We need to do this.)
clumsily [(klVmsIli] ungeschickt
engagement Einbindung,
[In(geIdZmEnt] Einbeziehung
engaging [In(geIdZIN] (fr sich) gewin-
nend
harsh [hA:S] rau, streng
immature [)ImE(tjUE] unreif
insensitive unsensibel, wenig
[In(sensEtIv] einfhlsam
narrate sth. [nE(reIt] etw. erzhlen
overstatement bertriebene
[)EUvE(steItmEnt] Darstellung
pitch [pItS] Tonhhe, Stimm-
lage
rapid [(rpId] schnell
revenue [(revEnju:] Einnahmen
sales [seI&lz] Absatz, Umsatz
spice sth. up [)spaIs (Vp] etw. aufpeppen
steady [(stedi] gleichbleibend
timid [(tImId] schchtern
your appearance and body language.
To develop greater self-awareness,
ask a colleague to make a video of
you during a discussion or presenta-
tion. Then watch the video and note
what you think you do well and what
needs to be improved. Focus on these
three main areas:
Idiomatic language
I Theres light at the end of
the sales tunnel. (Sales
are rising again.)
Think beyond TIP
TIP 6 words
The most important tool
for any speaker is their
voice. Here are some im-
portant aspects to think
about in relation to your
own voice:
How fast are you?
Some listeners see fast
speakers as engaging and
convincing. On the other hand, some
listeners are confused by rapid speech
and quickly become nervous.
How loud are you?
Some listeners think loud speakers are
insensitive and arrogant. Others find
quieter speakers timid and insecure.
What is your tone?
Some listeners think a harsh tone
demonstrates good leadership quali-
ties. On the other hand, some listen-
ers regard soft tones as showing
strength and an ability to listen.
What is your pitch?
Some listeners find steady, low tones
boring. Others think that high tones
sound immature.
There are also many non-verbal
aspects of communication (see also
Business Spotlight 1/2012), including
Body language: how do people see you?

To develop self-awareness,
video yourself during a discussion
or presentation
i
S
t
o
c
k
I Posture: how you stand, sit, face
others, hold your hands, etc.
I Facial expressions: smiling, frown-
ing, mouth open, eye contact, etc.
I Gestures: pointing, hand open or
closed, scratching ones head, etc.
TIP 7 Watch your impact
One of the key things you need to do
as a speaker is not speak! You need to
watch your listeners closely to check
their levels of engagement and under-
standing. If you are saying the wrong
thing in the wrong way, you should
be able to see levels of disinterest or
confusion in their body language
for example, through loss of eye con-
tact or folding of arms. Be careful,
however: listening styles vary so
much across cultures for example,
in the use of silence that it is im-
possible to give universal rules. But if
people stop commenting or asking
questions, this may be a sign that they
are no longer listening to you. At that
point, think about whether you
should change the topic, ask more
questions yourself or even end the
conversation.
TIP 8 Check for understanding
The Irish playwright George Bernard
Shaw once said that the single
biggest problem in communication
is the illusion that it has taken
place.
In other words, many people will
not understand what you say, but
you wont realize it. Or they will
think, wrongly, that they did under-
stand you.
To avoid these problems, you need
to check regularly with your listeners,
using phrases such as these, which
can help to create common under-
standing:
I What do you think about this?
I Do you see what I mean?
I Maybe Im wrong here. How do you
see it?
Although these are simple phrases,
too few speakers use them to check
understanding. But they are essential
if you wish to confirm that listeners
understand your messages.
TIP 9 Dont say it all at once
Patience is an important attribute for
a speaker. We often want to tell oth-
ers everything at once: what we are
thinking, have thought in the past
and have concluded about a topic.
This is a particular danger in deci-
sion-making situations, where we
want to explain fully why we have the
best idea.
In reality, we often overestimate
the capability of others to listen
and waste both their time and ours in
fruitless speaking. Smart speakers
speak little but often, coming back to
the same topic later on (in the same
meeting or in the next one). They add
more detail until the listener gets the
message as the speaker intended it.
Simple phrases such as these can
help you to do this:
I Lets leave that there for the moment.
I Maybe we should move on.
I Oh, another thing I wanted to say be-
fore I forget,
TIP 10 Start listening
The most effective speakers know
when to speak and when to listen.
The art of speaking well depends on
being able to listen, stop talking and
give others space and priority. Unless
you show good listening skills your-
self, others are unlikely to listen to
you. And as speakers, we often get
the listeners that we create ourselves.
So if someone isnt listening to you,
that probably tells you more about
your capability as a speaker than
about theirs as a listener.
conclude sth. [kEn(klu:d] etw. folgern
confirm sth. [kEn(f:m] etw. besttigen
facial [(feIS&l] Gesichts-
frown [fraUn] die Stirn runzeln
fruitless [(fru:tlEs] vergeblich, erfolglos
gesture [(dZestSE] Geste
playwright [(pleIraIt] Dramatiker(in)
posture [(pQstSE] Krperhaltung
scratch sth. (sich) an etw.
[skrtS] kratzen
smart [smA:t] schlau, klug
BUSINESS SKILLS SPEAKING
W
a
v
e
b
r
e
a
k

M
e
d
i
a
Do an exercise on this topic on
You can find related exercises in
Watch our Business with Bob series
of videos for more tips on how to
improve your communication skills:
www.business-spotlight.de/videos/bob
plus
www
Bob Dignen is a director of York Asso-
ciates (www.york-associates.co.uk),
and author of many books. Contact:
bob.dignen@york-associates.co.uk
Loss of interest? Watch your impact
In the next issue
In Part Three of our special series,
Bob Dignen will provide ten top tips
for improving your writing skills.
I
BS
In this training plan, you will find suggestions on how to structure your learning to improve your speaking skills.
We have divided the activities into five weekly blocks, each of which includes an exercise and two tasks based on
Bob Dignens ten top tips. You can adapt the timing of the plan to suit your own schedule.
WEEK 1
Exercise: Read the article on
pages 2832, paying particular
attention to the first two tips. Make
a note of any unfamiliar words and
create a list of useful phrases.
I
Task 1: In your conversations at work, try to communicate respect for your
listeners; for example, by talking about their recent successes or showing
appreciation for their support. Watch how they react. Do they become more
open towards you?
Task 2: When making your next proposal in a meeting, explain how your
suggestion can help the other participants.
Exercise: Reread the third and
fourth tips on pages 3031.
Then do the language exer-
cises in Business Spotlight plus
(pp. 89).
I
plus
Task 3: Structure your comments in meetings using the four Ss. Time how
long you speak with a stopwatch. Limit your contributions to 60 seconds.
See whether this helps you improve the clarity of your communication.
Task 4: Meet your colleagues for a coffee break and discuss the outlook for
your organization in the second half of 2014. As you exchange opinions, in-
clude words and phrases used by your colleagues in your comments.
WEEK 3
WEEK 4
WEEK 5
Exercise: Reread the fifth and
sixth tips on pages 3132.
Do the exercises on listening
on Business Spotlight Audio
(tracks 610).
I
Task 5: In your next presentation, try to integrate each of the techniques
mentioned in this article: overstatement, understatement, rhetorical ques-
tions and idiomatic language. Note how the audience responds.
Task 6: Get some feedback from a trusted colleague on the following as-
pects of the way you use your voice: speed, volume, tone and pitch. Then
record yourself during a presentation and view the video. Decide which as-
pects of your voice you would like to improve.
Week Exercise Tasks Done
I
I
I
I
I
I
Exercise: Reread the seventh and
eighth tips on page 32.
Watch the three-minute
video Getting started from the
Business with Bob series at
www.business-spotlight.de/speak
I
www
Task 7: Over the next week, choose a variety of situations, both at work and
in your private life, to observe closely the people you are speaking to. How
carefully are they listening to you? Try to identify what it is that you say or
do that increases other peoples level of attention.
Task 8: Ask these two questions regularly in your conversations:
G
What do you think?
G
Do you see what I mean?
Observe your listeners. Are you getting your messages across clearly?
I
I
Exercise: Reread the ninth and
tenth tips on page 32. Make a note
of the speaking strategies and
phrases you have used success-
fully in the past few weeks. Write
down some new things you could
do to improve your speaking skills.
I
Task 9: In your next meeting or other situation in which you want to per-
suade others of something practise not saying everything at once. In-
stead, divide your contributions up into a number of shorter comments. Ob-
serve whether this method is more effective.
Task 10: Observe how well others listen to you, and score them on a scale
from one (low) to ten (high). Then observe and score how well you listen to
others. Think about how you could encourage others to listen to you by be-
coming a better listener yourself.
I
I
TRAINING PLAN BUSINESS SKILLS
i
S
t
o
c
k

(
2
)
WEEK 2
audience [(O:diEns] Zuhrer(innen)
bluff ones way through sich durch etw.
sth. [)blVf wVnz hindurchmogeln
)weI (Tru:]
catch sth. [ktS] etw. verstehen
confrontational provokativ
[)kQnfrVn(teIS&nEl]
eye contact Blickkontakt
[(aI )kQntkt]
firm [f:m] bestimmt
hesitant [(hezItEnt] unschlssig
hostile [(hQstaI&l] feindselig; hier: an-
griffslustig
paraphrase sth. etw. umschreiben
[(prEfreIz]
persist [pE(sIst] beharrlich bleiben
phrase [freIz] Ausdruck, Formu-
lierung
rephrase sth. [)ri:(freIz] etw. umformulieren
show sth. off [)SEU (Qf] mit etw. angeben
In dieser Rubrik nutzt KEN TAYLOR seine internationalen
Erfahrungen. Hier geht es um den Umgang mit Fragen, die
whrend einer Prsentation gestellt werden.
medi um
Yes, a question
from the back?
BUSINESS SKILLS TOOLBOX
C
r
e
d
i
t
1. What do I say if I dont understand a listeners question?
Dont try to bluff your way through an answer if you are not
sure you have understood the question. There are several
techniques you could use in this situation:
I Try to paraphrase what you think was asked: So what you
are asking is... Is that right?
I Ask the person to rephrase the question: Sorry. I didnt
quite understand your question. Could you rephrase it for me,
please?
I Ask for more information: Im not quite sure I understand.
Could you tell me more?
I If a word or phrase is missing, ask a specific question:Sor-
ry. I didnt catch the name. Whose report are you referring to?
I If none of these methods work, ask the audience for help:
Im still not sure Ive understood completely. Can anyone
help me out here?
3. How do I keep control if there is conflict?
If you think your presentation will be controversial, make it clear
in your introduction that you will take questions and comments
only at the end. Get the audiences agreement on this and stick to
it! This will give you time to develop your ideas without inter-
ruptions. Here are some tips for dealing with hostile questions:
I Do not become emotional, angry or confrontational yourself.
Stay calm.
I Be firm in your replies try not to sound hesitant.
I Keep eye contact with the whole group during your answer.
Looking only at the questioner encourages them to continue
and can begin an uncontrollable dialogue.
I If you are in real trouble, you can isolate a hostile questioner
by turning away to the rest of the group, getting their approval
for your answer and moving quickly on to the next point.
I If the questioner persists, arrange for a private discussion lat-
er and get agreement on this. I
BS
2. What if I dont know the answer?
You do not have to answer a difficult question
immediately. Heres how to deal with it:
I You can gain thinking time by asking the
person to repeat or rephrase the question.
I If you dont know the answer, be honest
and offer to find the answer.
I Arrange to answer the question in a private
discussion. Get agreement on this.
I Questioners often want to show off their
own knowledge. Say something like, Im
not sure about this. Whats your experience?
I Ask the rest of the group. Usually, someone
has some knowledge of the subject.
I Answer the question later. Say, Could I just
leave that question for now? Its rather com-
plicated, so Id like to come back to it at the
end. Is that OK?
Ken Taylor is a communication con-
sultant and author of 50 Ways to Im-
prove Your Business English (Summer-
town). Contact: KTaylor868@aol.com
M
o
n
k
e
y

B
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s
i
n
e
s
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Practise these skills on
Answering questions
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7 May 2014 !or Ihe 04/14 issue
SPRACHKURS UND SPRACHfRtN
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36 www.business-spotlight.de
Kaum ein Land ist so multikulturell und sozial so unterschiedlich wie Brasilien. VICKI SUSSENS blickt
auf die Menschen und die Wirtschaft des Gastlandes der Fuball-WM 2014, das trotz rcklufiger
Wachstumsziffern fr auslndische Firmen und Investoren nach wie vor attraktiv ist.
Finding their own voice
medium
Heres to victory:
Brazilian football fans
BRAZIL INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
A
l
a
m
y
M
ariana Ribeiro has a mis-
sion. The 36-year-old
Brazilian from So Paulo
plans to collect folk his-
tories from the poorest
areas of Brazil, where she will read
them to audiences in libraries and
schools, and later write about her ex-
periences in a blog. She believes cul-
tural education can play a key role in
bridging the social gap in Brazil.
The dark-eyed beauty recently re-
turned home after a four-year stay in
Europe, where she studied and
worked in cultural management in
Spain and Scotland. She took home a
wealth of knowledge about how to
run cultural projects as well as
contacts to European theatre, music
and dance groups, which she now
hopes to bring to Brazil.
I love projects that involve mixing
cultures, says the second-generation
Brazilian, whose grandparents were
Italian and Portuguese, and who lives
in one of the most multicultural coun-
tries in the world. Indeed, So Paulo,
which turned 460 this year, was built
on the small cottage industries start-
audience [(O:diEns] Zuhrer(innen)
cottage industry Heimindustrie
[)kQtIdZ (IndEstri]
folk history volkstmliche
[(fEUk )hIstri] berlieferung
gap: bridge a ~ eine Kluft ber-
[gp] brcken
wealth [welT] hier: Flle
3/2014
heritage [(herItIdZ] Erbe
legacy [(legEsi] Vermchtnis; hier:
Geschichte
melting pot [(meltIN pQt] Schmelztiegel
tie [taI] Verbindung
unique [ju(ni:k] einzigartig
ed by immigrants from Portugal,
Italy, Spain and Germany in the 19th
and 20th centuries. Later, immigrants
from Syria, Lebanon and Japan
added to the melting pot. Now they
are being joined by Spaniards and
Portuguese fleeing the eurocrisis.
Our rich European, American In-
dian and African heritage has allowed
us to produce many things unique to
Brazil, says Ribeiro (see interview
p. 40). These include the samba,
bossa nova and other exciting sounds,
which she says gives us our soul.
In many aspects of life, Brazil has
developed its own voice. This may be
because it is the only Portuguese-
speaking country in South America,
says Cristiano Zen, a Brazilian busi-
ness consultant in Munich, who helps
German and Swiss firms do business
in Brazil. Although Brazil has ten
neighbours, it didnt have language or
cultural ties to the rest of Latin Amer-
ica, he explains. Nor were its ties to
Portugal as strong as those of British
colonies to the British Empire.
Brazil is certainly an island of cre-
ative energy, one that has grown
strongly after freeing itself from a
21-year military dictatorship in 1988.
With its legacy of political corruption
and social inequality, it now sees itself
as an ecosystem that must be careful-
ly protected and managed for the
good of all. The ruling Workers Par-
ty, in power since 2003, has put so-
cial inclusion at the centre of its poli-
A
l
a
m
y
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION BRAZIL
Traditional cowboys in the Pantanal wetlands
Government:
Federal republic
Capital:
Braslia 3.8 million (2011)
Main urban areas:
So Paulo 20 million; Rio de
Janeiro 11.8 million (2011)
President:
Dilma Rousseff (since January
2011)
Population:
201 million (July 2013)
Main religion:
Roman Catholic 73.6% (2000)
Median age:
30.3 years (2013 est.)
GDP (at purchasing power parity):
$2.4 trillion (2014 est.)
GDP (real growth rate):
2.0% (2014 est.)
Unemployment:
4.3% (December 2013)
Inflation:
5.7% (2014 est.)
Main trading partners:
China, US, Argentina, Netherlands,
Germany, South Korea (2012)
Sources: CIA World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/br.html ); Brazilian Institute of Geography and Satistics;
forecasts by Allianz Economic Research (7.2.2014)
economic research Wirtschafts-
[i:kE)nQmIk ri(s:tS] forschung
est. (estimate) [(estImEt] Schtzung
forecast [(fO:kA:st] Prognose
GDP (gross domestic BIP (Brutto-
product) [)dZi: di: (pi:] inlandsprodukt)
median age Durchschnitts-
[)mi:diEn (eIdZ] alter
purchasing power parity: at ~ kaufkraft-
[)p:tSEsIN )paUE (prEti] bereinigt
trillion [(trIljEn] Billion(en)
Brazil: fast facts
At the same time, President Rous-
seff faces accusations of protection-
ism, because of high barriers to trade
aimed at protecting local jobs and
businesses.
These accusations have become
louder as Brazils economy appears to
have had a voo de galinha, or chick-
en-flight growth a reference to
Brazils tendency to enjoy high
growth spurts followed by a rough
landing.
Brazils economy contracted in the
third quarter of 2013, and just avoid-
ed entering a recession in the fourth
quarter. With financial investors with-
drawing from emerging markets, the
Brazilian real losing value, inflation
rising and commodity prices falling,
GDP growth is not expected to rise
much above two per cent in 2014.
But the jury is out as to whether the
chicken has landed. Forty economists
surveyed by Reuters in December
2013 said they believed the economy
accusation Vorwurf,
[)kju(zeIS&n] Anschuldigung
barrier to trade Handelsschranke
[)briE tE (treId]
commodity price Rohstoffpreis
[kE(mQdEti praIs]
contract [kEn(trkt] schrumpfen
emerging market Schwellenland
[i)m:dZIN (mA:kIt]
face sth. [feIs] mit etw. konfron-
tiert werden
GDP (gross domestic BIP (Brutto-
product) [)dZi: di: (pi:] inlandsprodukt)
growth spurt [(grEUT sp:t] Wachstumsschub
health care [(helT keE] Gesundheitswesen
jury: the ~ is out es ist noch nicht
[(dZUEri] entschieden
kick off [)kIk (Qf] beginnen
quarter [(kwO:tE] Quartal
real [reI(Al] Real (Whrung)
rough landing harte Landung
[)rVf (lndIN]
sharp eye: keep a ~ jmdn. genau
on sb. [SA:p (aI] beobachten
survey sb. [(s:veI] jmdn. befragen
l
a
i
f
Doing the samba: Brazilians dancing to a live band
Serious by day: Brazils business centre, So Paulo
Brazil sees itself as an ecosystem that must

be carefully protected and managed
cies, committing itself to reducing in-
equality and giving citizens a voice in
that process. Brazilians now keep a
sharp eye on the government to make
sure it sticks to its promises. This ex-
plains the protests against the World
Cup, which kicks off on 12 June.
While Brazilians have won the cup
five times and are football-mad, thou-
sands of citizens felt that the huge
sums spent on the event should have
gone into education and health care.
Learning for life: Xingu Indian children at school
A
l
a
m
y
/
M
a
u
r
i
t
i
u
s

I
m
a
g
e
s
A
l
a
m
y
C
r
e
d
i
t
Stereotype 1: Brazilians cant say no.
Weishut: Brazilians will often say yes
or sure, but if you look in their eyes,
they mean: Well, well see. This of-
ten turns out to be a no. Foreigners
think theyve got an agreement but
then nothing happens. So you have to
be very sure youve understood your
business partner properly.
Ribeiro: I confirm
every agreement in
an email and ask
for a confirmation.
Sometimes at work,
if you give someone a job, they may say
theyll do it even if they dont know
how. So you have to keep checking
that they know what to do.
Stereotype 2: You have to chase Brazil-
ians up to get things done.
Weishut: Brazilians are very enthusi-
astic, so people come here on a trade
mission and leave feeling very enthu-
siastic. They return and meet potential
clients and partners, who all seem pos-
itive, but then nothing seems to move.
In Brazil, it is polite to be positive, but
if Brazilians dont hear from or see
their foreign business partners, noth-
ing will happen. You cannot do busi-
ness here without active input.
Ribeiro: I dont think our productivity
is optimal. Its not as if Brazil doesnt
function well, otherwise we wouldnt
be one of the richest countries in the
world. We just work in a different way.
But I do find it annoying that a job can
go months over an agreed date. I usu-
ally give a shorter deadline.
Stereotype 3: Brazilians are sensitive.
Weishut: It is not acceptable to con-
front a Brazilian. You will lose their co-
operation if you do. So you have to be
friendly and firm at the same time.
Ribeiro: Brazilians really like to please
people, but they also want affection.
That is why people think we are sexy.
We are not aware of this. We are just
always trying to find recognition. So
never yell at a Brazilian, or be too di-
rect. Criticize gently but firmly.
Stereotype 4: Brazilians have no sense
of time.
Weishut: Its better to accept that
things may not be done quickly. Some-
times, there is even sense in what
seems inefficient. A business lunch can
take two hours, with only 15 minutes
spent on work. But because personal
relationships are so important, those
15 minutes will be far more valuable
than a 15-minute telephone call.
Ribeiro: We have a different sense of
time. Its not wrong and it certainly
doesnt prevent people from working.
Brazilians respect people who work
hard. Were not afraid to work long
hours. If you go into a shop just before
it closes, theyll keep it open for as
long as you need and keep on smil-
ing. We really offer the best customer
service.
Stereotype 5: Brazilians put people
relations above all else.
Weishut: An opportunity to earn mon-
ey isnt enough of an incentive for a
Brazilian to work with you. For an
economist like me, this seems to be
a strange attitude to competition.
Brazilians first need to like you and
want to spend time with you. But if
they like you, they are very loyal. They
wont drop you for a company that
charges less.
Ribeiro: If you have empathy like us,
then you will be successful in Brazil.
affection [E(fekS&n] Zuneigung
annoying [E(nOIIN] rgerlich, nervig
chase sb. up jmdm. Dampf
[)tSeIs (Vp] machen
competition Wettbewerb
[)kQmpE(tIS&n]
confirmation Besttigung
[)kQnfE(meIS&n]
confront sb. jmdn. (mit einem
[kEn(frVnt] Problem) direkt
konfrontieren
drop sb. [drQp] jmdn. fallen
lassen
empathy [(empETi] Einfhlungs-
vermgen
incentive [In(sentIv] Anreiz
input [(InpUt] Beitrag; hier:
Einsatz
sensitive [(sensEtIv] hier: empfindlich
trade mission Handelsmission,
[(treId )mIS&n] -delegation
work long hours lange arbeiten,
[w:k )lQN (aUEz] berstunden
machen
yell at sb. [(jel t] jmdn. anschreien
Two views on five Brazilian stereotypes
If you have empathy like
us, then you will be
successful in Brazil
Mariana Ribeiro, Brazilian cultural
manager and journalist in So Paulo
An opportunity to earn
money isnt enough of an
incentive for a Brazilian to
work with you
Ruben Weishut, Dutch owner of
Weishut Management, in Rio de
Janeiro, which helps foreigners
develop businesses in Brazil
i
S
t
o
c
k
would pick up speed again. The
World Bank also writes in its online
review of countries that Brazils over-
all, macroeconomic framework is sol-
id and sustainable in the medium
term, that its banking system is
resilient and that its strong domestic
market has become less vulnerable to
external crisis.
Brazil, which has a population of
more than 200 million, is the seventh-
largest economy in the world, the
strongest in Latin America and, after
China, the second-most-important in
the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and
China) group. In December 2013, un-
employment was a record 4.3 per
cent, down from 8.7 per cent in 2001.
Brazil also emerged from the fi-
nancial crisis of 2008 stronger than
before because of healthy domestic
consumption, its large international
reserves and effective action taken
during the crisis to maintain liquidity
in the banking system. In 2010, while
most of the world sank into depres-
sion, Brazils GDP growth rate was
7.5 per cent its highest in 25 years.
Income is growing fastest among
the poor. Between 2002 and 2012,
GDP per capita grew 6.4 per cent for
the 20 per cent poorest Brazilians
compared to only 2.5 per cent for the
20 per cent richest. About 25 million
Brazilians have joined the middle
classes. This success is mostly credited
to former president Luiz Incio Lula
da Silvas Bolsa Famlia (family
allowance) programme. Introduced
when he came to power in 2003, it
provides cash benefits to Brazils
poorest families in return for ensuring
that their children are vaccinated,
well fed and attend school.
credited: sb. is ~ with jmdm. wird etw.
sth. [(kredItId] zugeschrieben
domestic consumption Inlandsverbrauch
[dE)mestIk kEn(sVmpS&n]
domestic market Binnenmarkt
[dE)mestIk (mA:kIt]
emerge from sth. aus etw. hervor-
[i(m:dZ frQm] gehen
ensure sth. [In(SO:] etw. sicherstellen
family allowance Familienbeihilfe
[)fmli E(laUEns]
framework grundlegende
[(freImw:k] Struktur
maintain sth. [meIn(teIn] etw. aufrechterhalten
medium term: in the ~ mittelfristig
[)mi:diEm (t:m]
overall [)EUvEr(O:l Gesamt-
per capita [pE (kpItE] pro Kopf
pick up speed Fahrt aufnehmen
[)pIk Vp (spi:d]
resilient [ri(zIliEnt] widerstandsfhig
review [ri(vju:] Beurteilung
sustainable [sE(steInEb&l] trag-, zukunftsfhig
vaccinate sb. [(vksIneIt] jmdn. impfen
vulnerable [(vVlnErEb&l] anfllig
well fed [wel (fed] ausreichend ernhrt
i
S
t
o
c
k
Lessons from Brazilian
executives
B
razilian executives are in demand
at home and in more developed
markets, according to a report by Boy-
den World Corporation, a global exec-
utive-search firm. It says Brazilian
managers are valued for their ability to
deal with complex environments and
work under extraordinary economic
circumstances. This gives them the ex-
perience, adaptability and flexibility
their more protected European and US
colleagues do not have.
The report, which included inter-
views with heads of multinationals in
Brazil, advises foreign firms working in
Brazil to employ local executives be-
cause they have their own networks
and understand the Brazilian culture.
In particular, they understand the need
to create a home away from home
for employees.
Source: www.boyden.com/media/3989/44/
the_boyden_report_brazil/index.html
adaptability Anpassungs-
[E)dptE(bIlEti] fhigkeit
circumstances Umstnde
[(s:kEmstnsIz]
demand: be in ~ [di(mA:nd] gefragt sein
environment Umfeld
[In(vaI&rEnmEnt]
executive [Ig(zekjUtIv] Fhrungskraft
executive search Vermittlung von
[Ig)zekjUtIv (s:tS] Fhrungskrften
network [(netw:k] Netzwerk
Rich and poor:
favelas in So Paulo
Doing business in Brazil is not easy,

it is not cheap and it is not quick money
Ruben Weishut, Dutch business consultant in Rio de Janeiro
Luck has also been kind to the Latin
American giant. In 2006, Brazils oil
and gas firm Petrobras made one of
the worlds largest oil discoveries in 30
years just off the coast of Rio de
Janeiro, followed by an even bigger oil
discovery close by in 2010.
Brazils increasing energy indepen-
dence, strong consumer demand,
healthy job creation, decreasing in-
come inequality and strong financial
reserves are all signs of health missing
in much of the developed world.
Another sign of strength are the
Brazilian firms starting to challenge
global businesses at home and inter-
nationally. The cosmetics firm Niely,
for example, has overtaken LOral
and Wella, market leaders in Brazil
for the past 50 years. And fashion
weeks in So Paulo and Rio de
Janeiro are starting to join the ranks
of those in Milan, London and Paris.
There is still work to do, however.
About 20 per cent of the population
still live below the poverty line. And
although Bolsa Famlia has encour-
aged parents to send their children to
school, feed them well and get them
vaccinated, little has been done to
improve education and health care.
At the same time, political corrup-
tion is endemic, with Brazil currently
experiencing its biggest corruption
case ever. It concerns a vote-buying
scandal that made the headlines in
2005 and involved many of Lulas
cabinet (but not Lula himself).
Yet, despite these problems, the
current president, Dilma Rousseff, re-
mains the favourite to win Brazils
elections in October 2014.
Foreign firms wanting a piece of
Brazils growing consumer market,
its healthy agriculture and energy in-
dustries, and large infrastructure proj-
ects discover there are conditions.
challenge sb. jmdn. heraus-
[(tSlIndZ] fordern
decreasing [di(kri:sIN] geringer werdend
endemic [en(demIk] allgemein verbreitet
healthy [(helTi] hier: solide
join the ranks of sb. zu jmdm. auf-
[)dZOIn DE (rNks Qv] schlieen
off the coast vor der Kste
[)Qf DE (kEUst]
poverty line [(pQvEti laIn] Armutsgrenze
Ive seen many business deals fail
because of intercultural problems
Cristiano Zen, owner of the business consultancy Brazil, Land of the
Future, located in Munich
Good to know
I Spend time working on developing rela-
tionships. This will be key to success.
I Respect Brazilians political sensitivi-
ties. Avoid topics such as social in-
equality and the destruction of rain-
forests. Dont refer to the US as Ameri-
ca, because Brazilians see themselves
as part of the Americas. Dont ever refer
to Brazil as a third-world country.
I Brazilians will often say yes or well
see when they mean no.
I Brazilians are often informal. They might
touch you on the back or arm, or kiss or
hug you as a form of greeting. This isnt
a sign of special attention. However, be
careful: theres a fine line between friend-
liness and flirting.
I Looking good at work is essential, with
clothing reflecting ones importance.
I In Brazil, showing emotion is a sign of
enthusiasm and not necessarily of anger
or loss of control.
I Brazilian businesses are strictly hierar-
chical but usually have complex webs of
political alliances. So make sure you are
dealing with a decision-maker.
I Give people in teams time to build rela-
tionships. Managers are expected to man-
age, but importance is placed on fairness.
Americas: the ~ der amerikanische
[E(merIkEz] Kontinent
anger [(NgE] rger
fine line [)faIn (laIn] schmaler Grat
hierarchical [wg. Aussprache]
[haI&(rA:kIk&l]
hug sb. [hVg] jmdn. umarmen
sensitivity [)sensE(tIvEti] Empfindlichkeit
topic [(tQpIk] Thema
web [web] Netz, Gefge
A good future: Brazil has low
youth unemployment
A
l
a
m
y
This is typical of emerging economies,
which often expect investors to help
develop the markets they want to
benefit from. Brazil has combined
high import duties with tax incentives
to encourage investors to manufac-
ture their products locally, form part-
nerships with Brazilian firms and
source supplies locally. The idea is to
create jobs and transfer global tech-
nology and skills to Brazilians.
BMW is currently taking advantage
of incentives offered by the state of
Santa Catarina to manufacturing and
agricultural industries. The car firm
will spend more than 200 million
building its first Brazilian factory, in
Araquari. In return, it will enjoy tax
incentives to set up the plant, as well
as lower import duties on vehicles.
BMW expects to create 1,300 jobs
when the plant opens in autumn
2014. It will source components lo-
cally and run a training centre for em-
ployees. We consider training to be
an important way of bringing value
to the region, says BMWs chief of
sales and marketing, Ian Robertson.
BMW has experience in other devel-
oping markets, such as South Africa,
where it plays its part by, for exam-
ple, supporting schools and kinder-
gartens. Its all about being a good
corporate citizen, says Robertson.
Many global giants have established
themselves in the Brazilian market
and are now being joined by small
and medium-sized businesses. One
of them is Ruben Weishut, a Dutch
business consultant who moved to
Rio de Janeiro four years ago with his
half-Brazilian wife and their children.
We loved the country and wanted to
be part of its economic success, he
says (see p. 40).
Weishut helps North American and
EU firms do business in Brazil and
acts as a representative. Doing busi-
ness here is very difficult. Its not
cheap and its not quick money, he
says. The biggest difficulties are bu-
reaucratic and intercultural. If you ac-
cept these problems, there are lots of
opportunities.
He recently helped a US water-
treatment firm find a distributor in
Brazil for Latin America. To reduce
the costs of importing the full water
treatment system, he found a local
firm to assemble part of it in Brazil.
It was a win-win situation, he says.
Ruben Weishut and Cristiano Zen
agree that its almost impossible for
foreign firms to do business in Brazil
without local help. Brazilians regard
personal relationships as more im-
portant than a good business deal.
They want a good, long and har-
monious relationship, says Zen.
Ive seen many business deals fail be-
cause of intercultural problems.
For Mariana Ribeiro, this is posi-
tive. The best thing about Brazil is
its people, she says. We have good
social skills and care for others. I
think many people around the world
want to see more of these values in
business today.
Listen to an interview with Cristiano
Zen on Business Spotlight Audio
Youll find a quiz on intercultural
awareness in Business Spotlight plus
To read more on Brazil, go to
www.business-spotlight.de/brazil
plus
www
I
BS
assemble sth. [E(semb&l] etw. montieren
business consultant Unternehmens-
[(bIznEs kEn)sVltEnt] berater(in)
chief of sales Vertriebsleiter(in)
[)tSi:f Ev (seI&lz]
component [kEm(pEUnEnt] Bauteil
corporate citizen Unternehmens-
[)kO:pErEt (sItIzEn] brger(in)
distributor Vertriebs-
[dI(strIbjUtE] hndler(in)
import duty [(ImpO:t )dju:ti] Einfuhrzoll
manufacture sth. etw. herstellen
[)mnju(fktSE]
plant [plA:nt] Werk
small and medium-sized kleine und mittel-
businesses [)smO:l En stndische
)mi:diEm saIzd (bIznEsIz] Firmen
source sth. [sO:s] etw. beschaffen
tax incentive steuerlicher
[(tks In)sentIv] Anreiz
vehicle [(vi:Ik&l] Fahrzeug
water treatment Wasserauf-
[(wO:tE )tri:tmEnt] bereitung
win-win fr alle Parteien
[)wIn (wIn] vorteilhaft
BOOKS
Brazil: Culture Shock!, Volker Poelzl
(Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company)
Brazil: Culture Smart, Sandra Branco,
Rob Williams (Kuperard)
Brazil on the Rise, Larry Rohter (Palgrave
Macmillan)
WEBSITES
Brazil, Land of the Future:
www.brazil-future.de
LIDE Business Leadership Group:
www.lidedeutschland.com/deutsch
Vicki Sussens is a feature writer and
the editor of the Management sec-
tion of Business Spotlight. Contact:
v.sussens@spotlight-verlag.de
M
a
u
r
i
t
i
u
s

I
m
a
g
e
s
Beach, football, sun: Brazilians enjoy their lives
Answers on page 64
1. golf course [(gQlf kO:s] Golfplatz
2. golfer [(gQlfE] Golfspieler(in)
3. tee off [)ti: (Qf] abschlagen
tee shot [(ti: SQt] Abschlag
4. golf swing [(gQlf swIN] Golfschwung, -schlag
(golf) stroke [strEUk], shot (Golf-)Schlag
5. golf club [(gQlf klVb] Golfschlger
6. driver [(draIvE] Driver, Holz 1
7. teeing ground [(ti:IN graUnd], Abschlagplatz
tee box [(ti: bQks]
8. golf ball [(gQlf bO:l] Golfball
9. tee [ti:] Aufsatz, Tee
10. divot [(dIvEt] Rasenloch
11. golf trolley [(gQlf )trQli] Trolley
12. putter [(pVtE] Putter
13. wood [wUd] Holz
14. iron [(aIEn] Eisen
15. water hazard [(wO:tE )hzEd] Wasserhindernis
16. golf cart [(gQlf kA:t] Golfmobil, -wagen
17. (putting) green [((pVtIN) gri:n] Green
18. hole [hEUl] Loch
19. pin [pIn], flagstick [(flgstIk] Flaggenstock
20. fairway [(feEweI] Fairway
21. out of bounds [)aUt Ev (baUndz] Aus
22. bunker [(bVNkE] (US also: Bunker, Sandgrube
sand trap [(snd trp])
23. rough [rVf] Rau
LANGUAGE VOCABULARY
Playing golf
In dieser Rubrik prsentieren wir ntzliche Begriffe aus der
Arbeitswelt. Von CAROL SCHEUNEMANN
easy
K
e
n

R
a
u
t
E x e r c i s e : To u r n a me n t n ews
Fill in the missing vowels to create words from the list.
Some of the citys best a) g_lf_rs met this week for a chari-
ty tournament at the Pebble Beach b) g_lf c_ _rse. To be-
gin, Rex Smith chose a titanium c) dr_v_r, and he started
with a clean, straight d) t_ _ sh_t of 290 yards. Once on
the e) f__rw_y, still about 150 yards out, Smith chose a
f) 7-_r_n. The g) g_lf b_ll flew over the h) w_t_r h_z_rd
and landed at the edge of the i) gr_ _n. Smith sank it in two
putts, completing the j) par-4 h_l_. John Rogers started
with a nice drive, but the ball landed k) _ _t _f b_ _nds
on his second shot. Just a bad day, I guess, Rogers said.
He had to take a one-stroke penalty (Strafschlag).
21
13
11
6
17
16
20
18
9
19
7
10
8
15
1
2
22
23
3
14
5
4
12
Explanations
1. Use was born (not am born) to talk
about your birth, and put place before
time:
I I was born in Delhi in 1986.
2. Use the past simple to talk about
completed events, events that hap-
pened at definite times:
I I went to primary school in Nairobi.
I I finished school in 2005.
The past simple is also used for events
that happened one after the other:
I I went to primary school, and then
my parents sent me to boarding
school.
3. Use the past continuous to talk
about activities that were in progress
around a certain time in the past:
I While I was studying for my school-
leaving exams
These activities are often interrupted by
a more important event, which is re-
ferred to in the past simple:
I While I was studying for my school-
leaving exams, my mother died.
4. Use the present perfect simple to
talk about experiences up to now:
I Ive travelled all over Asia and Europe.
Use the present perfect continuous to
emphasize that an activity that began
in the past is still continuing:
I Ive been working in adult education
ever since graduating.
5. Use the present continuous to talk
about activities that are in progress at
the time of speaking:
I Im writing my PhD thesis at the mo-
ment.
Use the present simple to talk about
general facts:
I I also speak French.
GRAMMAR AT WORK LANGUAGE
Anna Hochsieder is a Munich-based
teacher of English who writes regu-
larly in Business Spotlight. Contact:
a.hochsieder@googlemail.com
Youll find a related exercise on
Do more exercises on this topic in
More exercises can be found at
www.business-spotlight.de/grammar
plus
www
6. Use going to + infinitive to talk about
future plans:
I Im going to hand it in next month.
7. Used to + infinitive refers to things
that you did in the past, but dont do
any smore:
I I used to speak Swahili.
Justin has been invited to a job interview. Here are some of the things he
tells his interviewers.
Well, I was born in Delhi in 1986. My fathers a diplomat. I went to pri-
mary school in Nairobi and Rome, and then my parents sent me to board-
ing school in England. While I was studying for my school-leaving exams,
my mother died. I dropped out of school for a while, but I returned the fol-
lowing year and finished school in 2005.
I studied philosophy and politics, and Ive been working in adult educa-
tion ever since I finished university. Im writing my PhD thesis at the mo-
ment. Im going to hand it in next month.
I love travelling I guess its in my genes. Ive travelled all over Asia,
Africa and Europe. Im fluent in Italian, and I also speak French. I used
to speak Swahili, too, but its a bit rusty now.
In Vorstellungsgesprchen, im Berufsalltag, beim Small Talk: Das eigene Leben ist immer
wieder Thema. ANNA HOCHSIEDER lenkt den Blick auf die relevante Grammatik.
Talking about yourself
medi um
E x e r c i s e
Fill in each gap below with the correct
form of the verb work.
I a) _______________ in sales ever since
I left school. I b) _______________ in
several different positions. At the
moment, I c) _______________ as the
assistant manager of our flagship store.
Im 55 now, so I d) _______________ for
another ten years before I retire.
Answers on page 64
I
BS
appointment [E(pOIntmEnt] Termin
do: could you ~ ... ? [du:] hier etwa: knntest du um ...?
look forward to doing sth. sich darauf freuen, etw. zu tun
[lUk )fO:wEd tE (du:IN]
milestone [(maI&lstEUn] Meilenstein, abgeschlossener
Projektabschnitt
schedule (sth.) [(Sedju:l] Termin-, Zeitplan; etw. zeitlich festlegen
spontaneous [spQn(teIniEs] spontan
Strategies for appointments
Most people have busier schedules at
work today than they did in the past
and can no longer be as spontaneous as
they used to be. It is therefore often es-
sential to schedule appointments for
phone calls or meetings with colleagues
or business partners. Here, we look at
how to make and change appointments.
Read the following telephone dia-
logue and email and think about the
answers to these questions:
I How does Carl explain why he wants
to have the meeting?
I How does Carl make sure that there
is no misunderstanding about the
time and place of the appointment?
I Instead of cancelling the appoint-
ment, what options does Carl suggest
in his email?
Wie schafft man es, in einem mehr als vollen Terminkalender spontan noch Zeit fr
eine wichtige Besprechung unterzubringen? MIKE HOGAN liefert Ihnen Tipps und
sprachliche Wendungen, wie sich Termine vereinbaren und ndern lassen.
Carl: Hi, Sandra. Its Carl here.
Sandra: Oh, hi, Carl. How are things go-
ing with you?
Carl: Well, Im having trouble with the
next phase of the project. As you
know, Ive taken over from Suzanne,
whos left the company, and Im a bit
confused by some of the milestones
in this phase. Do you think we could
schedule a meeting to go through
this?
Sandra: Sure, no problem, Carl. Would
you like to come over to my office on
Friday to discuss things?
Carl: Thanks, Sandra. How about in the
morning at 11?
Sandra: Oh, that will be difficult. I have
something else until 12 noon in the
factory. Could you do 3 p.m. instead?
Carl: I have a meeting with some col-
leagues then, but it shouldnt be a
problem to change that.
Sandra: OK, great.
Carl: So thats 3 p.m. on Friday in your
office, right?
Sandra: Yes. Im looking forward to
seeing you then. Bye, Carl.
Carl: Bye, Sandra.
M
o
o
d
b
o
a
r
d
Making appointments
LANGUAGE EASY ENGLISH
easy
Wednesday at 11?
Yes, thats fine
come up [)kVm (Vp] hier: dazwischenkommen
cover for sb. [(kVvE fO:] fr jmdn. einspringen
face-to-face [)feIs tE (feIs] direkt, persnlich
make it [(meIk It] es schaffen
move sth. [mu:v] hier: etw. verschieben
off sick: be ~ [)Qf (sIk] krankgeschrieben sein
push sth. back [)pUS (bk] etw. auf spter verschieben
subject [(sVbdZekt] Betreff
work for sb. [(w:k fE] hier: fr jmdn. gehen
t
From: carl.james@inh.co.uk
To: sandra.dear@inh.co.uk
Subject: Change of plan
Dear Sandra
Im very sorry, but somethings
come up and I need to be in our
Manchester office on Friday.
Instead of cancelling our appoint-
ment, would it be possible to meet
virtually (or schedule a phone call)?
I think meeting virtually would be
better, as we could both look at the
same documents then.
Alternatively, Ill be back in London
on Monday and could come over to
your office any time in the after-
noon.
Please let me know which of these
options you prefer.
Best wishes
Carl
Here are the answers to the questions:
I Carl explains why he wants to have a
meeting by stating the problem to be
solved. He also gives some back-
ground information on the situation.
I Carl makes sure that there is no mis-
understanding about the appoint-
ment by confirming the day, time and
place at the end of the call.
I Instead of cancelling the appoint-
ment, Carl suggests keeping the day
and time, but switching to a phone
call or virtual meeting. As an alterna-
tive, he also suggests another date.
Preparation points
I Decide if a face-to-face meeting
is really necessary.
I Dont be too last minute with
your request for a meeting.
I Offer a range of dates and times.
I Show respect by preparing for
the appointment.
Useful phrases for appointments
a) Suggesting an appointment
I Do you think we could schedule a meet-
ing to go through this?
I It would be helpful to talk about this.
I We should meet to discuss the details.
I It would be useful for me to meet you
and your team.
b) Suggesting a day/time
I Would Wednesday the 13th suit you?
I How about in the morning at 11?
I Im on a trip until the 22nd. What about
the week after?
c) Accepting / saying no to a suggestion
I Sure. Would you like to come over to my
office on Friday?
I Yes, thats fine.
I Im sorry, I cant make it then.
I Oh, that will be difficult.
I I have a meeting with some colleagues
then, but it shouldnt be a problem to
change that.
d) Making changes
I Im (very) sorry, but somethings come
up. Can we move our appointment?
I Can we push it back by one hour?
I Sorry, but I need to cancel. My colleagues
off sick and I need to cover for her.
e) Suggesting alternatives
I Could you do 3 p.m. instead?
I Would the 27th also work for you?
I How about scheduling a phone call?
f) Confirming an appointment
I So thats 3 p.m. on Friday in your office.
I Im looking forward to meeting you.
I OK, see you on Wednesday morning.
I Yes, see you then.
Find related exercises on this topic
in Business Spotlight plus
plus
Grammar: looking forward to / look forward to
Look at this sentence from the dialogue:
I Im looking forward to seeing you then.
Another way of saying the same thing is:
I I look forward to seeing you then.
The second sentence is a little more formal and might be used with people
you dont know well. Sometimes, Im/I are left out, too.
Note the structure of these sentences. You have two options:
I (Im) looking + forward to + -ing
I (I) look + forward to + -ing
In both cases, forward to is followed by the -ing form of the verb.
Mike Hogan is a director of York Asso-
ciates (www.york-associates.co.uk)
and a coursebook author. Contact:
mike.hogan@york-associates.co.uk
I
BS
ancient [(eInSEnt] antik
cheat [tSi:t] betrgen, mogeln
Corinthian [kE(rInTiEn] korinthisch
Corinthians [kE(rInTiEnz] Korintherbrief
dive [daIv] eine Schwalbe machen
eternal crown [I)t:n&l (kraUn] Krone des ewigen Lebens
gamesmanship [(geImzmEnSIp] Gerissenheit beim Spiel
out of play: knock the ball ~ [)aUt Ev (pleI] den Ball ins Aus schieen
penalty box [(pen&lti bQks] Strafraum
public school [)pVblIk (sku:l] UK Privatschule
ref (referee) [ref ()refE(ri:)] ifml. Schiedsrichter(in)
sportsmanship [(spO:tsmEnSIp] Sportsgeist, Fairness
I
was a football hooligan once. I sang
in the stadium and I shouted at the
ref. I really entered into the spirit of
things. But it was the wrong spirit.
In football, the choice is always be-
tween sportsmanship and gamesman-
ship. Players can choose to knock the
ball out of play when an opponent is in-
jured (sportsmanship) or dive when
theyre in the penalty box (gamesman-
ship). When footballers show great
sportsmanship, we say they have
Corinthian spirit. Its the right spirit. As
is true of so many expressions, theres
an obvious Greek connection. Theres
Bei Ballsportarten steht Kickoff fr den Ansto, im Geschftsalltag fr den Start
eines neuen Projekts. DEBORAH CAPRAS wirft einen Blick auf Wendungen aus der
Welt des Fuballs, die auch im Geschftsleben benutzt werden.
also a surprising London one and a
Brazilian one.
From Corinth to London
In ancient Greece, the Isthmian Games
were held every two years in Corinth.
Before the games, the athletes swore
that they would not cheat. Anyone who
did was disqualified. These games were
so popular that even the Apostle Paul
went to Corinth (not to participate). In
1 Corinthians 9:25, he wrote about the
athletes self-discipline and compared
the crown the athletes wanted to win
to the eternal crown that Christians
would have in heaven. He didnt really
win them over.
The London connection doesnt go
back as far it just goes back to Vic-
torian times. In the 19th century, we
had amateur and professional foot-
ballers. The amateurs had a public
school background and were inde-
pendently wealthy. They werent paid.
The professional players were. They
had a working-class background and
Its a beautiful game
LANGUAGE WISE WORDS
medi um
Sportsmanship or gamesmanship?
When footballers show
great sportsmanship,
we say they have
Corinthian spirit. Its
the right spirit.
C
o
r
b
i
s
anger [(NgE] rger
association [E)sEUsi(eIS&n] Verband
blow the whistle [)blEU DE (wIs&l] pfeifen
commit sth. [kE(mIt] etw. verben
deliberate [di(lIbErEt] absichtlich
goalpost [(gEUlpEUst] Torpfosten
headbutt sb. [(hedbVt] UK jmdm. einen Kopfsto versetzen
kick off [)kIk (Qf] losgehen; anstoen
kick-off [(kIk Qf] Ansto
penalty [(pen&lti] Strafe; hier: Strafsto, Elfmeter
put the emphasis on sth. das Hauptaugenmerk auf etw. legen
[)pUt Di (emfEsIs Qn]
referee [)refE(ri:] Schiedsrichter(in)
score a goal [)skO:r E (gEUl] ein Tor schieen
star [stA:] eine (Film-)Rolle spielen
trickery [(trIkEri] Trickserei(en)
needed the money. But it was a group
of ex-public schoolboys who started
the English Football Association in
1863 and were some of the first to
write down the rules of football. They
put the emphasis on fair play.
Amateur fair play
One London team personified this idea
of amateur fair play: The Corinthians.
As ex-public schoolboys, they knew all
about ancient Greece and named their
team after the ancient Corinthians. The
key to their Corinthian spirit was that a
player should not use any tricks to win.
The team refused to take penalties
when they were introduced in 1891, as
they believed that the opposing team
could not possibly commit a deliberate
foul. (Maybe todays England team
would have more luck if they tried this
tactic, too.) They also believed that
players should control their anger. The
team toured the world. In 1910,
Brazils Sport Club Corinthians Paulista
was created after the London team
played in So Paulo. Its still a world-
class team (unlike the original English
Corinthians).
Its coming home
Brazil is often called the spiritual home
of football, or, in the words of one of the
worlds greatest footballers, Pel, the
home of the beautiful game. When the
opening match for the 2014 FIFA World
Cup between Brazil and Croatia kicks
off in So Paulo on 12 June, what do
you expect to see? Anger and trickery
or the beauty of the Corinthian spirit?
Something like Zidanes headbutting
of Marco Materazzi in 2006? Or
Maradonas hand of God in 1986? Or
the beauty of England bringing home
the Cup?
I wont turn into a hooligan if we
dont win. Its been a while since I
played that role. I only did it for three
nights, when I starred in Zigger Zagger,
a play about English football hooligan-
ism in the 1970s. Thankfully, those
days are over.
Do an exercise on this topic on
For exercises on the language of
football, see Business Spotlight plus
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
Fitness and finance change face
of the beautiful game
In this headline, the Financial Times uses the beautiful game to re-
fer to football. Many British newspapers use this expression and there
is no chance of readers misinterpreting it. It can refer only to football.
I
n

t
h
e

n
e
w
s
Useful expressions
During the World Cup, you cant avoid us-
ing football expressions in business situa-
tions. Here are some of the most popular.
blow the whistle (on someone)
In football, the referee blows the whistle to
stop the game after a foul or to signal the
end of the game. In business, if you blow
the whistle (on someone), you inform
people that someone is doing something il-
legal or unethical. Since Edward Snowden
blew the whistle on the US governments
spying, whistleblower has become a Ger-
man word, too:
I When I saw the damage they were doing,
I had to blow the whistle.
game plan
Football managers should have a game
plan. In business, its a strategy that you
decide on before doing something:
I Whats our game plan for the meeting?
kick something off
A football game begins with the kick-off. In
business, if you kick something off, you
start something:
I Lets kick off this meeting with a quick
look at the new designs.
move the goalposts (US move the goalpost)
Its impossible to move the goalposts dur-
ing a game of football, but if someone did,
it would be very hard to score a goal. In the
world of business (and elsewhere), howev-
er, people can move the goalposts, which
makes things more difficult. This means
that they change the rules or conditions
that had already been agreed on:
I We did everything they asked, but then
they moved the goalposts again. I
BS
LANGUAGE EMAIL
Starting an email
Auch eine E-Mail beginnt mit der Anrede und
einem Einleitungssatz. ANNA HOCHSIEDER gibt
formelle und informelle Beispiele.
medi um
i
S
t
o
c
k
Dear Sir or Madam (1)
I am writing to enquire about your
English courses. (2) Could you
please ?
(1) This salutation can be used if you are writing to someone whose name you dont
know. Less formally, the company name or department is sometimes used: Dear Ama-
zon, Dear customer service. Some users of British English put a comma at the end
of the first line, while others dont. In US English, the comma is standard.
(2) Always include an opening sentence in formal emails. Here, the sender explains why
she is writing before making her request.
Dear Ms Smith (3)
Thank (4) you for your email of
2 June enquiring about our (5)
Hello Rob (6)
As you probably know, I am prepar-
ing a report on (7)
(Hi) Jane (8)
Just wanted to check if I left my blue
pen on your desk. Can you let me
know? (9)
(3) In formal correspondence, it is common to use the recipients surname. For women,
the title Ms is normally used, not Mrs or Miss. Like Mr and Dr, Ms is writ-
ten without a full stop in British English, and with a full stop (or period) in US En-
glish. The title Professor is not normally shorted to Prof.. Also, professor and doc-
tor titles are not combined: we simply write Dear Professor Brown.
(4) Remember always to start with a capital letter after the salutation.
(5) Again, the writer includes an opening sentence stating what her email refers to.
(6) First names are commonly used among colleagues and business partners. Hi Rob
and Dear Rob could be used, too.
(7) Informal business emails also often include an opening sentence. Leaving it out
could make you seem unfriendly.
(8) In emails between close colleagues, some people start with Hi or just the name
of the recipient. If several emails are exchanged, the salutation is often left out.
(9) Very informal emails often do not include an opening sentence, especially if you write
to each other frequently or the subject of the email has already been discussed.
Dear... : get off to
a good start
Anna Hochsieder is a Munich-based teacher of English
who writes regularly in Business Spotlight. Contact:
a.hochsieder@googlemail.com
How to say your email address
You write: amy.smith@mail.co.uk
You say: Amy dot Smith at mail dot co dot U K
You write: b_jones@english-courses.com
You say: B underscore Jones at English dash /
hyphen courses dot com
Improve your writing skills at
www
IN THE NEXT ISSUE: tips on how to end an email
capital letter [)kpIt&l (letE] Grobuchstabe
dash [dS] Gedankenstrich; hier auch: minus
department [di(pA:tmEnt] Abteilung
dot [dQt] Punkt
full stop [)fUl (stQp] UK Punkt
hyphen [(haIf&n] Bindestrich; hier auch: minus
opening [(EUpEnIN] hier: Einleitungs-
recipient [ri(sIpiEnt] Empfnger(in)
salutation [)slju(teIS&n] Anrede (in Brief oder E-Mail)
underscore [(VndEskO:] Unterstrich
I
BS
Before leaving
June: When do you leave for England?
Sylvia: Sunday afternoon. Im really
looking forward to the course. But
Im a bit nervous, too.
June: Nervous? Why? Its just a busi-
ness English course. Your English is
fine. You just need a bit more time to
practise because of your new job in
after-sales.
Sylvia: Its not the course that worries
me. Its the thought of staying with a
host family. I know it will be good for
my English, but what if we dont like
each other?
June: Its only five nights, and youll be
out during the daytime.
Sylvia: Still, its a strange feeling to be
staying with people youve never met
before in your life!
Arriving
George: You must be Sylvia. Im
George, and this is my wife, Beth.
Beth: Nice to meet you, Sylvia.
Sylvia: Its nice to meet you, too.
George: Come into the living room and
relax for a bit.
Beth: Would you like a cup of tea or
coffee?
Sylvia: Id love some coffee, if its not
too much trouble.
Beth: Black or white? Sugar?
Sylvia: Black, please. No sugar.
George: After coffee, Ill show you your
room and the facilities. Well be hav-
ing dinner around seven. Then youll
meet our youngest, John. Hes 17
and still at school. Grace, our daugh-
ter, is at Exeter University. Its her
room youll be sleeping in.
Beth: Do help yourself to the chocolate
cake. I baked it this morning.
Being shown around
George: Let me show you around the
house. Theres a downstairs loo. And
this is the dining room.
Sylvia: Thats a lovely table.
George: Its from Beths family. Its oak.
The kitchen is just through there.
Weve also got a small utility room, so
if you need to do any washing while
youre here
Sylvia: Oh, thank you. Your garden
looks beautiful.
George: It takes a lot of looking after.
Beths in charge. Shes the one with
the green fingers. Lets go upstairs.
This is your room. Ive put your things
over there.
Sylvia: Its a really nice, light room.
George: And a lot tidier than when
Grace was living here! The bath-
room is opposite. Beth and I have an
ENGLISH ON THE MOVE LANGUAGE
en-suite, so youll be sharing with
John. Kick him out if he takes too long
getting ready to meet his girlfriend!
At dinner
George: Have you been to England be-
fore, Sylvia?
Sylvia: Yes, a few times, but only to
London with my work.
Beth: So this is the first time youve
been to York?
Sylvia: Yes. From the taxi, it looked like
a charming place.
George: It is. I found this guidebook
for you. It tells you all about the his-
tory of the city and the places you
should see.
Sylvia: Thank you. Thats kind of you.
The school is taking us on a walking
tour tomorrow. They said something
about the walls.
John: Yes, you can walk around on the
old city walls. You get some good
views from there. And if youre in -
terested, I can show you some great
pubs.
Beth: John, really! Youre much too
young for that!
Sind auch Sie vor der ersten Begegnung mit Ihrer Gastfamilie
aufgeregt? KEN TAYLOR steht Ihnen sprachlich bei.
Staying with a host family
medi um
after-sales [)A:ftE (seI&lz] Kundendienst
charge: be in ~ [tSA:dZ] zustndig sein
en-suite [)Qn (swi:t] UK eigenes Bad
facilities: the ~ hier: das
[fE(sIlEtiz] Badezimmer
green fingers grner Daumen
[)gri:n (fINgEz] UK ifml.
guidebook [(gaIdbUk] Reisefhrer
help oneself to sth. sich etw. von
[)help wVn(self tu] etw. nehmen
host family [(hEUst )fmli] Gastfamilie
loo [lu:] UK ifml. Klo
look forward to sth. sich auf etw.
[)lUk (fO:wEd tu] freuen
oak [EUk] Eiche
show sb. around jmdn. herum-
[)SEU E(raUnd] fhren
utility room Hauswirtschafts-
[ju(tIlEti ru:m] raum
walls: the ~ [wO:lz] hier: Stadtmauer
white [waIt] hier: mit Milch
Ready to go: learn English with a family
F
u
s
e
I
BS
Ken Taylor is a communication con-
sultant and author of 50 Ways to Im-
prove Your Business English (Summer-
town). Contact: KTaylor868@aol.com
Dont confuse...
mistake and fault
I If you make a mistake (Fehler),
you do the wrong thing: I made a
terrible mistake in the report. We
often talk about grammar or
spelling mistakes, or about mis-
takes in calculations.
I A mistake can also be something
you do that you later wish you had
not done, often because it causes
problems: It would be a mistake
to change the system.
I If you do something by mistake
(aus Versehen), you did not plan or
want to do it: I sent him the old
version of the report by mistake.
I Fault (Schuld) refers to a persons
responsibility for a mistake or for
something that goes wrong: Its my
fault that were late. Im sorry.
I A fault ((Charakter-)Schwche) is a
bad feature of a persons character:
Hes clever, but you shouldnt ig-
nore his faults.
I A fault (Defekt, Strung) is a prob-
lem with a machine or piece of
equipment that stops it from work-
ing properly: An electrical fault
caused the fire.
False friends
You mean You should say Dont say As this means
blamieren embarrass/make a fool of blame jmdm. die Schuld
Ich kann nicht singen. Ich I cant sing. I would make a geben
wrde mich total blamieren. complete fool of myself.
Hochschule university/college high school Schule auf Sekundar-
Er hat an der Hochschule He studied at Aalen University. ebene
Aalen studiert.
Kostm suit costume Verkleidung
Sie trgt immer ein Kostm. She always wears a suit.
Tricky translations by Mike Seymour
How do you say proof in German?
Proof is something that demonstrates or proves (beweisen) that something
is true: We have proof! It can be translated as Beweis or Beweise. Wir haben Be-
weise! Legal experts refer to the burden of proof (Beweislast).
In publishing, a proof is a trial print copy of a document that is checked before
the final printing. It is often translated as Druckprobe or Korrekturfahne. This is why
we say that we proofread something (etw. Korrektur lesen).
Proof is the standard for measuring the strength of an alcoholic drink, as in
high-proof rum (hochprozentiger Rum).
The verb proof means to protect something from being damaged by water, oil,
etc.. It is translated as imprgnieren or bestndig/dicht machen. The suffix -proof
means resistant to or protected against, as in waterproof (wasserfest,
wasserdicht), soundproof (schalldicht) and foolproof (idiotensicher).
How do you say Fhrung in English?
In business situations, Fhrung often refers to the responsibility for and control over
a group of people, an organization or a process. Sein Fhrungsstil ist vorbildlich.
It is best translated as management or leadership: His management style is ex-
emplary. A Fhrungskraft is an executive or manager.
In travel and tourism, a Fhrung involves being shown around a city, site or mon-
ument, often by an expert: Die Fhrung dauert zwei Stunden. It is translated as
(guided) tour: The guided tour lasts two hours.
In IT language, Fhrung describes the way users are guided through software
applications: Die Menfhrung knnte verbessert werden. It is best translated as
navigation: The menu navigation could be improved.
Finally, in sport, in Fhrung means in the lead: Er ging schnell in Fhrung.
This is translated as: He quickly took the lead.
LANGUAGE TRANSLATION
E x e r c i s e
Translate the following sentences.
a) We need concrete proof before we can do anything.
b) Bieten Sie auch Fhrungen in Spanisch an?
Answers on page 64
medi um
Do an exercise on false friends on
Grammar
Translation Translation
Word choice Word choice
Business talk Business talk
www.business-spotlight.de www.business-spotlight.de
Grammar
Complete this sentence with the correct
pronoun.
They happen to know each other/themselves
quite well. They first met at university.
Complete this sentence with the correct form
of the verb in brackets.
How about ________ (ask) Paul?
Translate this sentence into German.
I see it as a stepping stone.
Translate this sentence into English.
Was auch immer das heien soll.
Which word is correct?
So, in a(n) eggshell/nutshell, things are
not going well.
Which word is correct?
John says he would like to call a meeting.
Apparently/Obviously, theres something
wrong with the update. I cant think what.
What does the speaker mean?
The New York group has a $200 million
war chest.
What does the speaker mean?
The MINT economies could grow faster
than Chinas economy.
by Deborah Capras
CARDS LANGUAGE
They happen to know each other quite well.
We use each other to show that each person
knows the other or others (einander kennen).
The reflexive pronoun themselves would mean
that each person knows himself or herself only,
not the others. It doesnt make sense here.
How about asking Paul?
To make a suggestion, we can use How about
followed by the -ing form of the verb or by a
noun phrase (How about Chinese for dinner?).
Ich sehe es als Sprungbrett.
A stepping stone is a rock that you can step on
to get to the other side of a river. In business,
its a point in a process that can help you to get
somewhere else: This job is just a stepping
stone to a career in sports journalism.
Whatever thats supposed to mean.
The expression was auch immer can be translated as
whatever. We often translate soll as suppose to
and heien as mean.
You use apparently (anscheinend) to show that you
are repeating information you have learned, but
when youre not sure whether it is true. You use
obviously (offensichtlich) when something can
easily be seen to be true.
If we say something in a nutshell, we say it
with very few words: we summarize it and
say it very simply.
kurz gesagt
In 2001, the economist Jim ONeill created the
term BRIC as a label for the four emerging
economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China. He
has now created MINT, a label for a new group:
Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey. These are
the countries that he regards as the next
economic powerhouses.
A war chest is the money that an organization
can spend for a certain purpose. Originally, the
term described the money that a government
could spend fighting a war.
Sonderfonds
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RECENT TOPICS:
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I The environment, no. 18 (1/2013)
I The world of fashion, no. 19 (2/2013)
I Talking about production, no. 20 (3/2013)
I Your holidays, no. 21 (4/2013)
I Emotional times, no. 22 (5/2013)
I Property, no. 23 (6/2013)
I Retailing, no. 24 (1/2014)
I The language of innovation, no. 25 (2/2014)
army base [(A:mi beIs] Militrsttzpunkt
boarded up mit Brettern
[)bO:dId (Vp] vernagelt
divert sth. [daI(v:t] etw. umleiten
fake [feIk] geflscht
financial consultancy Finanzberatung
[faI)nnS&l kEn(sVltEnsi]
go crazy durchdrehen,
[)gEU (kreIzi] ifml. ausflippen
income tax Einkommensteuer
[(InkVm tks]
rent reduction Mietminderung
[(rent ri)dVkS&n]
return on investment Rentabilitt,
[ri)t:n Qn In(vestmEnt] Kapitalrendite
storeroom [(stO:ru:m] Lagerraum
Royal residence: inspiration
for a fantasy business
H
orst, said Jim as they looked
at the photographs. This is a
gold mine! Horst agreed.
Well write Your chance to own a cas-
tle and theyll go crazy!
An outsider would have been sur-
prised at their enthusiasm. Schloss
Hoffenburg was a small 18th-century
castle just outside Leipzig. The win-
dows and doors had been boarded up
for ten years and there were holes in the
roof. Dr Frankenstein might have been
persuaded to move in, but even he
would have demanded rent reduction.
However, Horst and Jim had always
been optimists. Theyd met in the
1950s, when Jim was a young soldier
and hed caught Horst stealing ciga-
Wren auch Sie gerne Schlossherr? Die geniale Geschftsidee zweier Freunde
knnte ihnen dazu verhelfen. Oder bleibt alles am Ende doch nur ein Luftschloss?
Von JAMES SCHOFIELD
rettes and whisky from a storeroom at
the British Army base in Paderborn to
sell on the black market. After Horst
had explained the enormous return on
investment and offered to make Jim his
partner, Jim decided to go into business
with him. They made an excellent team
and, by the time Jim left the army, the
base had ordered enough tobacco and
alcohol to poison the entire regiment.
Luckily, Horst and Jim had diverted the
goods into the local economy.
Jim decided to stay in Germany, and
the two of them lived quite well during
the boom years of the 1960s, selling
fake Beatles records that theyd record-
ed with a local cover band. In the
1970s, they moved into what they
called financial consultancy. This
mainly involved taking suitcases full of
banknotes to Zurich for rich doctors
who wanted to avoid paying income tax.
But the 1980s were bad. Horst lost
S
t
o
c
k
b
y
t
e
Castles in the air
LANGUAGE SHORT STORY
easy
appropriate sth. sich etw. aneignen
[E(prEUprieIt]
classy [klA:si] ifml. nobel
come down [)kVm (daUn] fallen
confiscate sth. etw. beschlag-
[(kQnfIskeIt] nahmen
division [dI(vIZ&n] hier: Liga
divorce [dI(vO:s] Scheidung
investigation Nachforschung
[In)vestI(geIS&n]
lawyer [(lO:jE] Anwalt/Anwltin
processing fee Bearbeitungs-
[(prEUsesIN fi:] gebhr
reckon [(rekEn] ifml. meinen
reunited [)ri:ju(naItId] wiedervereinigt
scam [skm] ifml. Schwindel,
Gaunerei
Transylvania Transsilvanien,
[)trnsIl(veIniE] Siebenbrgen
voluntarily [)vQlEn(terEli] freiwillig
money financing a football club that
went from the first division to the fourth
in the time it takes most people to
brush their teeth. Jim managed to do
the same with expensive divorces from
Gloria and Heidi.
So when the Berlin Wall came down
in November 1989, the two men
rubbed their hands and thought about
how they could introduce the new citi-
zens in the eastern part of reunited Ger-
many to the joys of capitalism. Unfor-
tunately, this didnt prove as easy as
theyd hoped. The new citizens didnt
have much money and, by the early
1990s, they had even less, as the gov-
ernment shut down all their factories
and made them unemployed.
We need to look at what theyve got,
and then find people elsewhere who
want it, said Horst. But what is it?
And who will buy it?
It was on a holiday visit to Schloss
Neuschwanstein that Jim found the
answer.
Castles, he said the next time he
saw Horst, and Americans. Americans
love castles and Germany is full of
them.
Jim had discovered that nobody was
quite sure who some of the castles in
eastern Germany belonged to. Theyd
been voluntarily or involuntarily hand-
ed over to the National Socialists in the
1930s, were confiscated by the Rus-
sians in the 1940s and appropriated by
the East German government in the
1950s.
You mean we sell castles to Ameri-
cans? asked Horst doubtfully. When
we dont even own them?
No, answered Jim. We sell the
dream of a castle to Americans! Heres
how
The plan was simple. First, they got
addresses of people in the US with
German-sounding names. Then, they
printed brochures showing attractive
pictures of Schloss Hoffenburg. They
wrote a letter, pretending to be lawyers
representing the administrators of the
castle, saying that ownership was un-
clear and that there was the possibility
the person receiving the letter was the
rightful owner. If the person sent fam-
ily details and a processing fee of
$199, Horst and Jim would carry out
the necessary investigations and see
whether this was indeed the case.
To their delight, the scam was an in-
stant success.
They sent out thousands of letters,
and only a small percentage of people
replied with any money, but this was
more than enough. Horst and Jim wait-
ed a few weeks and then sent each
client a polite letter saying the castle
unfortunately belonged to someone else
after all. The processing fee, however,
was not returned. So, life was looking
very good until the morning Howard
Schmidtlein III from Texas came to vis-
it them in their modern new office in
Berlin.
Yall the gentlemen that sent me the
brochure bout a castle? he asked
with an accent that left both Jim and
Horst scratching their heads. Well,
yall aint no lawyers. Maybe the police
would like to know about this...
After some discussion, it became
clear that Howard actually was more in-
terested in a deal than in making troub -
le. What he wanted was a castle on his
ranch in Texas. My neighbours all
reckon theyre pretty classy, but they
aint none of them got a castle, said
Howard. You get me a castle a real
castle and I wont say nothing about
your little scam
Horst and Jim got started. But the
towns of eastern Germany were unwill-
ing to export their castles, even though
they couldnt afford to repair them. Af-
ter six months, Horst and Jim hadnt
managed to find anything, and Howard
was getting impatient.
There must be a castle somewhere,
said Horst, almost without hope, that
the local people want to get rid of. But
where is it?
It was on a holiday visit to Transylva-
nia that Jim found the answer I
BS
It was on a holiday visit to Schloss
Neuschwanstein that Jim found the answer
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
You can listen to this short story on
Howards speech contains elements
of slang and dialect. Yall (you all) is
often used in the US south to talk to
a group, or even to one person. The
contraction aint means isnt/
arent and hasnt/havent. Saying
they aint none of them uses a
double subject, however this is non-
standard. A double negative, such as
wont say nothing, does not result
in a positive statement.
L
a
n
g
u
a
g
e

p
o
i
n
t
cold-call sb. [(kEUld kO:l] jmdn. kalt/unverlangt anrufen
conduct sth. [kEn(dVkt] etw. durchfhren
credit sb. with sth. [(kredIt wID] jmdn. etw. zuschreiben
engagement survey [In(geIdZmEnt )s:veI] Umfrage zum Mitarbeiterengagement
merchant [(m:tSEnt] Hndler(in)
opinion research [E(pInjEn ri)s:tS] Meinungsforschung
opt out of sth. [)Qpt (aUt Ev] sein Nichteinverstndnis fr etw.
erklren
poll [pEUl] (Meinungs-)Umfrage
pollster [(pEUlstE] Meinungsforscher(in)
purchasing behaviour [(p:tSEsIN bi)heIvjE] Kaufverhalten
survey sampling [(s:veI )sA:mp&lIN] Erhebung von Stichproben
telemarketer [(teli)mA:kItE] Telefonverkufer(in)
F
inding out what consumers, voters
and citizens think is essential in
business and politics. And although
advertising may influence peoples
opinions, its real effect is difficult
to measure. As US merchant John
Wanamaker (1838 1922) is credited
with saying: Half the money I spend
on advertising is wasted the trouble
is I dont know which half!
Meinungsumfragen liefern der Wirtschaft und Politik wichtige
und zuverlssige Daten ber die Wnsche von Verbrauchern
und Whlern. MIKE SEYMOUR informiert.
One of the pioneers of opinion
research was George Horace Gallup,
who developed survey-sampling meth-
ods for measuring public opinion in the
1930s. In the US, the Gallup poll still
conducts 1,000 interviews per day, 350
days a year, for its surveys on citizens
health and well-being, and their atti-
tudes towards politics or the economy.
Traditional opinion research has de-
pended on pollsters who carry clip-
boards and stop people on the street to
ask them about their preferences. In-
creasingly, research over the telephone
and through digital means are taking
over. Telemarketers conduct surveys or
opinion polls by cold-calling consumers
at home. Call-centre automation allows
telemarketers to make hundreds of
calls at the same time, but also pro-
duces silent calls. This is when more
numbers are called than call-centre
staff can handle. Many people try to opt
out of receiving such calls. In extreme
cases, they change their telephone
number.
Opinion research is also a major as-
pect of market research by companies.
If Wanamaker were in business today,
he would know more about the effec-
tiveness of his advertising. Social me-
dia has removed much of the uncertain-
ty and expense of collecting opinions.
Every time we like something on
Facebook, or share messages on Twit-
ter, we are giving firms valuable infor-
mation about our preferences and
purchasing behaviour.
Big data is the term used to de-
scribe transactional and behavioural
information we leave behind us as we
surf the internet, travel with smart-
phones, shop online and communicate
through social media. (See also Head-
to-Head, pp. 2627.)
But opinion research isnt aimed only
at getting consumers views. Firms use
engagement surveys to measure staff
job satisfaction and motivation. By giv-
ing their opinions, employees may help
the company to develop strategies that
keep them happy and prevent them
from leaving.
P
h
o
t
o
d
i
s
c
Opinion research
LANGUAGE ENGLISH FOR...
advanced
E x e r c i s e : Ma k i n g c h o i c e s
Choose the correct term in each sentence.
a) Traditionally, market researchers car-
ried clipboards / whiteboards.
b) An unexpected telephone call from a
telemarketer is a cold / silent call.
c) Buying online gives the seller data on
your expense / purchasing behaviour.
d) Firms collect staff opinions through
satisfaction / engagement surveys.
Answers on page 64
A pollster at work:
gathering views
Mike Seymour is the author of English for
Insurance Professionals (Cornelsen) and writes
regularly for Business Spotlight. Contact:
www.mikeseymour.com
Giving your opinion
I In my view/opinion,...
I If you ask me,...
I I think... / I feel...
I What Im trying to say is...
I I would say (that)...
I Some people would say/argue...
I It could be...
I My preference would be...
Using negatives
It sounds more diplomatic to say
I dont think thats correct rather than
I think thats not correct.
Privacy matters
cold call [(kEUld kO:l] Kaltakquise
dropped call [)drQpt (kO:l] abgebrochener Anruf
ex-directory number [)eks dE)rektEri (nVmbE] Geheimnummer (die nicht im
(US unlisted number [Vn)lIstId (nVmb&r*]) Telefonverzeichnis steht)
expose sth. [Ik(spEUz] etw. enthllen
invasion of privacy [In)veIZ&n Ev (prIvEsi] Verletzung der Privatsphre
silent call [)saIlEnt (kO:l] abgebrochener Anruf
track sb. [trk] jmds. Spur verfolgen
Research, surveys, polls
clipboard [(klIpbO:d] Klemmbrett
desk-based [(desk beIst] Sekundr-, am
Schreibtisch
field-based [(fi:&ld beIst] durch Feldunter -
suchungen
focus group [(fEUkEs gru:p] Fokusgruppe
market research Marktforschung
[)mA:kIt ri(s:tS]
online poll [)QnlaIn (pEUl] Online-Befragung
opinion poll [E(pInjEn pEUl] Meinungsumfrage
opinion research Meinungsforschung
[E(pInjEn ri)s:tS]
opt in [)Qpt (In] sein Einverstndnis
erklren
opt out [)Qpt (aUt] sein Nichteinver-
stndnis erklren
polling company Meinungsforschungs-
[(pEUlIN )kVmpEni] institut
questionnaire [)kwestSE(neE] Fragebogen
random [(rndEm] zufllig, wahllos
representative sample reprsentative
[repri)zentEtIv (sA:mp&l] Auswahl
survey [(s:veI] Umfrage, Erhebung
survey sampling Erhebung von
[(s:veI )sA:mp&lIN] Stichproben
telemarketing Telefonverkauf,
[(teli)mA:kItIN] -marketing
Consumer behaviour
BOGOF (buy one, get one free) [(bQgQf] zwei Artikel zum Preis von einem
endorse sth. [In(dO:s] etw. bewerben
loss-leader [(lQs )li:dE] Lockartikel, -vogelangebot
peer pressure [(pIE )preSE] Gruppendruck, sozialer Druck
prefer sth. [pri(f:] etw. bevorzugen
preference [(pref&rEns] Prferenz, Vorliebe
product endorsement [)prQdVkt In(dO:smEnt] Produktempfehlung
product placement [)prQdVkt (pleIsmEnt] Produktplatzierung
promotion [prE(mEUS&n] Werbung, Werbeaktion
purchase history [(p:tSEs )hIstri] Kauf-, Bestellhistorie
special offer [)speS&l (QfE] Sonderangebot
tempt sb. [tempt] jmdn. locken
Employee engagement
employee retention [Im)plOIi: ri(tenS&n] Mitarbeiterbindung
engagement score [In(geIdZmEnt skO:] Umfang des
Mitarbeiterengagements
engagement survey [In)geIdZmEnt (s:veI] Umfrage zum
Mitarbeiterengagement
staff turnover [)stA:f (t:nEUvE] Mitarbeiterfluktuation
Survey ter ms
carry out / conduct a poll eine Umfrage durchfhren
[)kri )aUt / kEn)dVkt E (pEUl]
election research [i(lekS&n ri)s:tS] Wahlforschung
exit poll [(eksIt pEUl] Befragung von Whler(innen)
nach Verlassen der Wahllokale
extrapolate data [Ik)strpEleIt (deItE] Daten extrapolieren
floating voter [)flEUtIN (vEUtE] Wechselwhler(in)
forecast (a result) [(fO:kA:st] (ein Ergebnis) prognostizieren
psephologist [si(fQlEdZIst] Psephologe/Psephologin,
Wahlforscher(in)
psephology [si(fQlEdZi] Psephology, Wahlforschung
swing voter [(swIN )vEUtE] Wechselwhler(in)
voting behaviour [(vEUtIN bi)heIvjE] Abstimmungs-, Wahlverhalten
voting pattern [(vEUtIN )pt&n] Abstimmungsmuster, -verhalten
People
interviewer [(IntEvju:E] Interviewer(in), Befrager(in)
market researcher [)mA:kIt ri(s:tSE] Marktforscher(in)
opinion researcher [E(pInjEn ri)s:tSE] Meinungsforscher(in)
pollster [(pEUlstE] Meinungsforscher(in)
respondent [ri(spQndEnt] Befragte(r)
sample (of a survey) [(sA:mp&l] Befragte(r) (einer Umfrage)
BOOKS
Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics: The Manipulation of
Public Opinion in America, Michael Wheeler (W. W.
Norton & Co)
The Opinion Makers: An Insider Exposes the Truth
behind the Polls, David W. Moore (Beacon Press)
WEBSITES
European Society for Opinion and Market Research:
www.esomar.org
Gallup: www.gallup.com
YouGov (UK polling company): www.yougov.co.uk
Find related exercises on this topic in Business Spotlight plus
You can find more job vocabulary at www.business-spotlight.de/vocabulary www
plus
Answers on page 64
LANGUAGE LEGAL ENGLISH
Product liability
Die Schadensersatzklage eines Kunden wegen
eines Gertemangels unterliegt den Regeln der
Produkthaftung, wie MATT FIRTH erklrt.
advanced
i
S
t
o
c
k
E x e r c i s e : S t r i c t l y l i a b l e ?
Choose the words that best complete the text.
Product liability is the area of the law governing payment of dam-
ages for injuries caused by a) damaged / defective goods. Many
countries have introduced b) absolute / strict liability laws. These
make sure that producers are held responsible for their goods,
even if they did not act c) negligently / negatively. Some laws
intend to prevent d) actions / accidents from happening at all.
For example, laws have been introduced across the EU that re-
quire member states to make sure that producers obey product
liability e) philosophy / directives.
I
f a person is injured by a defective
product one that is in some way
dangerous the person may have
the right to sue for damages. Product
liability refers to laws that govern the
right to sue, as well as to measures tak-
en to prevent the production of danger-
ous goods.
A product is not considered defective
simply because it is of poor quality or
because a safer version is later made
available on the market. A defective
product is generally defined as one
that does not meet reasonable expecta-
tions of safety. It is poorly designed,
incorrectly produced or not safe for its
intended use.
Strict liability, sometimes called no-
fault liability, imposes legal responsibil-
ity on product makers or on sellers
whether or not they acted negligently
for any injuries or losses suffered by an-
other party that resulted from their use
of the defective goods.
Laws have been introduced that aim
to standardize product liability through-
out Europe, particularly regarding se -
rious injury and death. Within the EU,
the Product Liability Directive (PLD) of
1985 imposes strict liability on produc-
ers and importers, but not on distribu-
tors or sellers.
The General Product Safety Directive
(GPSD) took effect in 2004, with the
aim of making certain that only safe
consumer products are sold in the EU.
The philosophy behind this directive is
that it is better to avoid accidents
caused by defective goods than to wait
until someone is injured. Producers
must also warn consumers of any risks
associated with using their goods.
A key difference to other laws on
product liability is that the GPSD is a
public law rather than a civil law. This
means that EU member states are re-
sponsible for making producers obey
the directive. It is intended to prevent
injuries resulting from the use of defec-
tive goods. But it does not give consum-
ers the right to sue individuals.
Product liability Produkthaftung
[)prQdVkt laIE(bIlEti]
civil law [)sIv&l (lO:] Zivilrecht; hier:
Privatrecht
defect [(di:fekt] Fehler, Mangel
defective [di(fektIv] fehler-, mangelhaft
distributor Hndler(in),
[dI(strIbjUtE] Vertriebsfirma
impose sth. on sb. jmdm. etw. aufer-
[Im(pEUz Qn] legen
injured: be ~ [(IndZEd] verletzt werden
injury [(IndZEri] Verletzung
negligently fahrlssig
[(neglIdZEntli]
no-fault liability verschuldensunab-
[)nEU )fO:lt laIE(bIlEti] hngige Haftung
obey sth. [E(beI] etw. befolgen
strict liability Gefhrdungs-
[)strIkt laIE(bIlEti] haftung
sue for damages auf Schadensersatz
[)sju: fE (dmIdZIz] klagen
Matt Firth teaches legal English and
helped establish the European Legal
English Teachers Association.
Contact: matthew.firth@unisg.ch
Clearly dangerous: too hot to handle
I
BS
Not my fault!
When goods are defective, the
products makers have ways to
defend themselves. They may
claim the defect was caused by
obeying certain regulations; that
a supplier is not a commercial
producer; that the defect didnt
exist when the goods were made;
that the product was later
changed; or that scientific and
technical knowledge at the time
of production meant that the
producer couldnt have been ex-
pected to notice the defect.
M
y first job after leaving universi-
ty in 1980 was as an econom-
ics teacher in London. At the
time, a standard homework task was for
pupils to write an essay about money
and its functions.
As any teacher knows, reading a large
number of more or less identical essays
can be enough to send you to sleep.
One boys essay, however, I will always
remember. He was not the best of
pupils, but at least he didnt copy his
answers from the textbook. After writing
(correctly) that for something to func-
tion as money, it needs to be limited in
supply, he added: Leaves, for exam-
ple, could never be used as money. Be-
cause if they were, it would be true that
money grew on trees. Lovely.
Parents often tell their children that
money doesnt grow on trees to make
clear to them that they cant have
everything they want. Yet it seems that
this advice is incorrect. Last year,
small quantities of gold were discov-
ered in eucalyptus leaves in Australia.
The metal had got into the tree in wa-
ter via the roots and was a sign that
gold deposits lay under it.
But back to the functions of money.
There are three important ones: to be a
unit of account for measuring prices,
wages, etc.; to be a store of value over
time; and, most importantly, to be a
medium of exchange used to pay for
goods and services and to settle debts.
These functions are connected. If mon-
ey loses value quickly, it will stop being
used to measure prices, and people will
be much less willing to accept it in ex-
change for goods and services, even if
it is legal tender.
Most modern money has little or no
intrinsic value: notes and most coins
are worthless, and our bank balances
are simply numbers in a computer.
(Dont think too much about this, or you
might start to panic.)
A new form of virtual, non-governmen-
tal money was created in 2009: bitcoins.
TALKING FINANCE LANGUAGE
These are produced (or mined) by us-
ing computers to solve complicated
maths problems. Their total supply will
be limited to 21 million and their main
potential benefit is in providing a faster,
cheaper form of online payment.
At present, the use of bitcoins as a
unit of account and medium of ex-
change is limited, although you can buy
burgers with them in at least one shop
in London. And the anonymity of the
virtual currency has led to allegations
that it is being used for drug dealing
and money laundering. Finally, the
volatile changes in its dollar price make
it a less-than-ideal store of value.
Despite the optimism of some ex-
perts and the potential future benefits
for online payments, my advice to in-
vestors at the moment is simple: dont
touch bitcoins with a bargepole.
Was haben Geld, Bltter an Bumen und Bitcoins miteinander zu tun?
IAN MCMASTER geht dieser rtselhaften Frage auf den Grund.
Money, leaves, bitcoins
advanced
allegation [)lE(geIS&n] Behauptung,
Unterstellung
bank balance Kontostand
[(bNk )blEns]
bargepole: not touch sth. die Finger von
with a ~ [(bA:dZpEUl] ifml. etw. lassen
(bargepole Bootsstange)
deposit [di(pQzIt] Vorkommen
eucalyptus [)ju:kE(lIptEs] [wg. Aussprache]
intrinsic value Substanzwert
[In)trInsIk (vlju:]
legal tender gesetzliches
[)li:g&l (tendE] Zahlungsmittel
medium of exchange Tauschmittel
[)mi:diEm Ev Iks(tSeIndZ]
mine sth. [maIn] etw. frdern,
gewinnen
money laundering Geldwsche
[(mVni )lO:ndErIN]
settle debts Schulden
[)set&l (dets] begleichen
store of value Wertanlage
[)stO:r Ev (vlju:]
textbook [(tekstbUk] Lehrbuch
unit of account Verrechnungs-
[)ju:nIt Ev E(kaUnt] einheit
Does money grow on trees?
The answer is not simple
D
i
g
i
t
a
l

V
i
s
i
o
n
I
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
Our bank balances are simply
numbers in a computer
Cape Town [(keIp taUn] Kapstadt
Catalan [(ktEln] Katalanisch
consultancy [kEn(sVltEnsi] Beratungsfirma
digital literacies digitale Kompe-
[)dIdZIt&l (lIt&rEsiz] tenzen
(literacy Fhigkeit zu lesen
und zu schreiben)
exposure [Ik(spEUZE] Ausgesetztsein;
hier: Kontakt
fall into sth. hier: zufllig zu
[)fO:l (Intu] etw. kommen
Mediterranean Mittelmeer
[)medItE(reIniEn]
paradigm shift Paradigmen-
[(pradaIm SIft] wechsel
pedagogy [(pedEgQdZi] [wg. Aussprache]
resource [ri(zO:s] Quelle
technophile Technikbegeis-
[(teknEUfaI&l] terte(r)
technophobe Technikfeind(in)
[(teknEUfEUb]
Home
Barcelona, Spain, although Im from
Cape Town, South Africa.
Other languages spoken
Spanish, Catalan and (bad) French.
How did you become involved in busi-
ness English teaching?
Like many people, I fell into teaching.
I had just finished university and was
living in the UK, but I hated the weath-
er. I desperately wanted to live some-
where warm, near the Mediterranean,
and Spain seemed like a good choice.
Teaching English was the way to be
able to live in Barcelona and pay the
rent.
How will English teaching change in
the next five years?
Teaching hasnt really changed much in
the last hundred years, so I dont think
it will change much in the next five!
Mobile Gerte knnen die Methoden des Sprachunterrichts tiefgreifend ndern.
Das erfuhr DEBORAH CAPRAS von Nicky Hockly, die Business-Englisch lehrt und
pdagogische Leiterin einer Onlineberatungsfirma ist.
Even with new technologies, there are
still plenty of traditional classrooms
with teachers standing at the front
even if they have the latest interactive
whiteboard technology behind them.
We need teachers to understand that
their role is not to deliver information,
but to support learning. And for that to
happen, many teacher-training pro-
grammes need a paradigm shift.
What are the key principles that pro-
mote effective language learning?
Input, output and a strong desire to
learn.
What can learners do on their own to
improve their language skills?
Get as much English exposure and
practice outside the classroom as pos-
sible. Technology can definitely help
with this internet resources, video
podcasts on their mobile phones, social
networks in English. There are so many
more options now than there were ten
years ago.
Is there a secret to learning vocabulary?
Definitely not you still need a good
memory to remember words. But good
vocabulary apps on your phone can
Digital skills are the future
LANGUAGE TEACHER TALK
Who is Nicky Hockly?
Nicky Hockly has been involved in English Language Teaching (ELT) and teacher
training since 1987. She is director of pedagogy at The Consultants-E, an on-
line teacher-training and development consultancy. She is co-author of a num-
ber of books, including How to Teach English with Technology (2007), Teach-
ing Online (2010) and Digital Literacies (2013). She has published an e-book,
Webinars: A Cookbook for Educators (2012), and is currently working on a
book on mobile learning with Gavin Dudeney. She refers to herself as a techno-
phobe turned technophile.
Website: www.theconsultants-e.com
Blog: www.emoderationskills.com
Contact: nicky.hockly@theconsultants-e.com
medi um
allow sb. to do sth. hier: jmdm. ermg-
[E)laU tE (du:] lichen, etw. zu tun
appropriate [E(prEUpriEt] richtig, sachgem
at a pinch zur Not
[)"t E (pIntS] UK
attribute sth. hier: auf die
[E(trIbju:t] Urheber schaft von
etw. hinweisen
barely [(beEli] kaum
camper van Wohnmobil
[(kmpE vn] UK
carry meaning fr das Verstndnis
[)kri (mi:nIN] wichtig sein
fluent speaker: be a ~ eine Fremdsprache
[)flu:Ent (spi:kE] flieend sprechen
get by [)get (baI] klarkommen
intelligible [In(telIdZEb&l] verstndlich
issue [(ISu:] Thema, Frage
language acquisition Spracherwerb
[(lNgwIdZ kwI)zIS&n]
mobile device Mobilgert
[)mEUbaI&l di(vaIs]
on the spot [)Qn DE (spQt] an Ort und Stelle
research [ri(s:tS] Studien
stage [steIdZ] Phase, Stadium
vital [(vaIt&l] unerlsslich
help. Research (by people like Paul Na-
tion and Averil Coxhead) has shown
that regular use of such apps can sup-
port more effective vocabulary learning.
What non-language skills do you focus
on and why?
One of my big areas of interest is digi-
tal literacies. These are not just basic
technical skills, but also an awareness
of the social practices that surround the
appropriate use of technologies. So for
example, not just knowing how to put
an image in a document, but also
knowing that you cant just take any old
picture from Google Images you need
to check copyright, you need to know
where to find copyright-free images
and you need to know how to attribute
these images in your work. Digital lit-
eracies are absolutely vital for the 21st
century for students and teachers.
How important is grammar?
At higher levels, it is clearly important,
but you can get by at lower levels with
the key words that carry meaning. Ac-
curate grammar is all very well, but in
the early stages of language acquisi-
tion, vocabulary is what will help you
communicate at a pinch.
How important is it to speak English
correctly?
Well, that depends on what is meant by
correctly, and on what your goals are.
If you want to persuade someone to
make a business deal with you, you
may not be taken seriously if your En -
glish is very poor and you are barely
intelligible. However, communication
is more than just words, so good com-
munication skills are also essential,
even if youre a fluent speaker. I definite -
ly dont think that students need to try
to sound like native speakers though.
Has any new kind of technology made
a difference to how you teach or how
learners learn?
For me, mobile devices are making a
difference. I can now have students
bring in photos or recordings made out
of class on their devices, which we can
then work on in class. Or we can start
doing something in class, and then stu-
dents can continue their work out of
class. For example, they may need to
find a piece of advertising in English in
the street, take a photo with their mo-
bile device and share it on the spot via
our Facebook group. Mobile devices
allow us to take learning beyond the
classroom walls, and to bring the out -
side world into the classroom. These
sorts of bridging activities are actual-
ly relatively easy to carry out with mo-
bile devices.
Must-read: ELT
Mark Pegrums 2009 book From Blogs
to Bombs: The Future of Digital Tech-
nologies in Education. Its a fascinating
book, which covers social issues, poli-
tics and the environment. An absolute
must-read for any educator interested
in technology in education.
Ambitions and dreams
I have a very old camper van, and my
partner and I would like to drive from
Spain all the way across Asia, over a
couple of years! Ill probably need to
sell quite a few more books to get the
money together for it to happen. I
BS
Mobile devices allow us
to take learning beyond
the classroom walls
Its an opportunity to learn:
wherever you are
W
a
v
e
b
r
e
a
k
m
e
d
i
a
You can find more for teachers at
www.business-spotlight.de/teachers
www
LANGUAGE PRODUCTS
Whats new?
Sie wollen noch tiefer ins Englische eintauchen? Wir haben uns
fr Sie nach neuen Produkten umgesehen.
medi um
Pictorials for Engineers /
Bildwrterbcher fr
Ingenieure & Techniker
This free online newsletter
is useful for engineers and
learners of technical En-
glish. It offers subscribers
a labelled picture twice a
week, making it easier to learn and remember technical vo-
cabulary. http://inchbyinch.de
Writing for Impact
To communicate in a foreign lan-
guage, speaking, listening and
reading is not enough. You also
need to write clearly. This book
includes the most frequent types
of written business communica-
tion, such as emails, letters and
reports. Tim Banks (Cambridge
University Press/Klett), 24.99*
Business English ganz leicht Lernwortschatz
Business English ganz leicht Wortschatztraining
If you are learning English for your job or
need English at work, these two books will
help you to learn and practise your business
English vocabulary. Among the subjects in-
cluded are job applications, business corre-
spondence, marketing, trade, travelling,
meetings and conferences. Barry Baddock,
Susie Vrobel (Hueber), 6.99 each*
Global Leaders in Islamic Finance
This book focuses on the key figures in Is-
lamic finance, from the 1970s, when the
first Islamic commercial bank was opened, to
today. The author looks at banking and the
capital market, international standard-setting
and sharia law. Emmy Abdul Alim (Wiley),
30.90
commercial bank Geschftsbank
[kE)m:S&l (bNk]
engineer [)endZI(nIE] Ingenieur(in); Techniker(in)
impact [(Impkt] Wirkung, Effekt
job application (Stellen-)Bewerbung
[(dZb plI)keIS&n]
labelled [(leIb&ld] beschriftet
phrase [freIz] Formulierung
sharia law [SE(ri:E lO:] Scharia (islamisches Recht)
subscriber [sEb(skraIbE] Abonnent(in)
tense [tens] Tempus, Zeit(form)
Books Vocabulary newsletter
Solutions
Book with audio CD
Dear Ken... 101 Answers to Your Questions about
Business English
Which tense do I need? Which preposition is
right? Which phrases do I use to start and fin-
ish a letter or an email? How can I sound
more polite? These are only four of the 101
questions that non-native speakers of English
asked Business Spotlight author Ken Taylor.
Lulu Publishing, 12.99*
Vocabulary (p. 44):
a) golfers
b) golf course
c) driver
d) tee shot
e) fairway
f) iron
g) golf ball
h) water hazard
i) green
j) hole
k) out of bounds
Grammar at Work
(p. 45):
a) have been working /
have worked
b) have worked
c) am working
d) am going to work
Translation (p. 52):
a) Wir brauchen konkrete
Beweise / einen
konkreten Beweis,
bevor wir etwas tun
knnen.
b) Do you offer (guided)
tours in Spanish?
English for... opinion
research (pp. 5859):
a) clipboards
b) cold
c) purchasing
d) engagement
Legal English (p. 60):
a) defective
b) strict
c) negligently
d) accidents
e) directives
Language Focus
(p. 83):
a) verify
b) validate
c) efficient
*These products are available at www.sprachenshop.de
KEY WORDS LANGUAGE
Verbs
cold-call sb. to make an unexpected (and often unwanted) phone call to jmdn. kalt/unverlangt
someone with the intention of selling something anrufen
hire sth. out UK to provide something for someones use for a period of time for an etw. vermieten, verleihen
agreed payment
push sth. back to delay something, to move something to a later date etw. auf spter verschieben
reject sb. to refuse to accept someone for a job or a course jmdn. ablehnen
reward sb. to give someone something good because of something they did jmdn. belohnen
show sb. around to act as a guide to someone when they visit a place the first time jmdn. herumfhren
Adjectives and adverbs
classy ifml. stylish, elegant and sophisticated nobel
confrontational behaving in a way that shows you want to argue or fight provokativ
with someone
elaborate having a lot of complicated features that make something special aufwendig
negligently failing to give proper care and attention to something, especially fahrlssig
when this causes harm or damage
unanimously agreed upon by everyone in the group einstimmig
Nouns and noun phrases
capital letter the large form of a letter (A, not a) Grobuchstabe
drivers license US a document that permits someone to drive a car or other vehicle Fhrerschein
industry expertise expert knowledge of a particular sector or type of business Branchenkenntnisse
mouseprint ifml. the details on a document or contract that are hard to read Kleingedrucktes
but that contain important, often unfavourable, conditions
pitch UK the area on which football is played Spielfeld
processing fee the money you pay for someone to officially deal with something Bearbeitungsgebhr
so that something else can happen
Idioms and expressions
at a pinch UK if really necessary and if you have no other possibility zur Not
first and foremost most importantly in erster Linie, vor allem
flavour of the month: to experience a short period of popularity momentan in sein
be the ~
get ones message to communicate something in a way that makes it easily (s)eine Botschaft
across understood rberbringen
next big thing: the ~ something that is or will be extremely popular, the next trend der neueste Trend
off sick: be ~ to be absent from work because you are not well krankgeschrieben sein
Vocabulary trainer
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.
Listen and learn!
You can download an MP3
file of this Key Words list on
our website.
Subscribers to Business Spotlight can download the following lists at www.business-spotlight.de/words
I a PDF of this Key Words list with an MP3 audio file of the words, definitions and example sentences
I a PDF of the complete vocabulary list (EnglishGerman) for each magazine
www
Lots to learn: so many
courses and so little time
M
a
u
r
i
t
i
u
s
Die Zahl der Onlinekurse, die auch renommierte Universitten und Institute im Angebot
haben, ist heute so gro wie nie. CAROL SCHEUNEMANN gibt Auskunft ber die Entstehung,
Dauer, Zulassungsbedingungen und Anbieter solcher Kurse.
A rising tide
medi um US
MOOCS CAREERS
W
hat really surprised in-
novator and educator
Salman Khan about on-
line learning is that stu-
dents said they would
rather watch videos of lessons than
listen to someone explaining the sub-
ject in person. He was telling a story
about helping his cousins with their
math. At the time, he was working as
a hedge fund analyst in Boston, and
his cousins were in New Orleans. So
he put a few simple video tutorials on
YouTube. I saw no reason to make
it private, so I let other people watch
it, Khan told listeners at the 2011
TED conference, a regular event that
brings together experts on technolo-
gy, entertainment and design.
Before long, Khan says, tens of
thousands of learners around the
globe had watched his math lessons,
and he began to dream of a global
one-world classroom. This led him
to start the Khan Academy in 2008, a
provider of free online lessons in
math and other subjects. His videos
also inspired other organizations to
offer massive open online courses
(MOOCs) via the Internet.
One of Khans listeners at the 2011
TED conference was Sebastian
Thrun, a research professor at Stan-
ford University, in California. As he
listened, Thrun silently calculated
that he would never reach as many
students in his entire career as Khan
had with a few videos. Within six
months, Thrun put together an online
course on artificial intelligence, and
posted it on Stanfords site. Some
160,000 students signed up. Con-
vinced that he was seeing the future
of education, Thrun started Udacity,
a platform offering courses from
Stanford and other top universities
for anyone, anywhere, and for free.
Distance learning and online edu-
cation have been around for decades.
And individual MOOCs had been
available since about 2008, when the
name itself was created. But sudden-
ly, they were the next big thing. Pri-
vate and public universities and insti-
tutes rushed to offer courses.
Udacity was quickly followed by
Coursera, a platform with an even
larger offering of high-status univer-
sities, and by edX, a joint effort by
the Massachusetts Institute of Tech-
nology (MIT) and Harvard. The New
York Times called 2012 The Year of
the MOOC. By late 2013, Europes
providers included FutureLearn in the
UK and iversity, which offers courses
primarily from German universities.
(See the box on page 69 for details
about the platforms.)
The character and structure of
MOOCs vary widely. Some are lec-
tures filmed in a classroom, whereas
others look like a friendly chat in the
professors office. Many lessons in-
clude lively animation or game-like
elements. There may be multiple-
choice questions to answer during
some lectures. What they all have in
common is that you can watch the
videos as many times as you want to
or need to. And, although the major-
ity of MOOC courses are in English,
some of the videos have English sub-
titles, provide the full text, or are
user-translated.
Balakrishnan Srinivasan, 45, a
computer engineer in Bangalore, In-
dia, told The New York Times that he
frequently replayed the videos, which
made him feel as if I had a personal
tutor.
Assignments are graded by com-
puter, by teaching assistants, or
through peer assessment, which
means that students grade each oth-
ers work. Social-media chat rooms
and forums bring tens of thousands
of students together digitally to ex-
change ideas, and to help and teach
each other.
Because its so easy to sign up for
MOOCs, participants feel little obli-
gation to finish the courses. High
drop-out rates are the result. Some stu-
dents just watch the lectures, but dont
do any assignments. Others jump from
one course to another, looking for the
subject or presentation they like best.
Some 95 percent of participants dont
finish the courses. And according to a
recent MIT-Harvard study, close to 40
assignment (Haus-)Aufgabe
[E(saInmEnt]
computer engineer Computer-
[kEm)pju:t&r endZI(nI&r*] techniker(in)
distance learning Fernstudium,
[(dIstEns )l:nIN] -unterricht
dropout rate Abbrecherquote
[(drA:paUt reIt*]
educator Pdagoge/
[(edZEkeIt&r*] Pdagogin
final exam Abschlussprfung
[)faIn&l Ig(zm]
grade sth. [greId] US etw. benoten
lecture [(lektS&r*] Vorlesung, Vortrag
next big thing: the ~ der neueste Trend
[)nekst bIg (TIN]
peer assessment Beurteilung durch
[)pI&r E(sesmEnt*] Mitlernende
personal tutor Privatlehrer(in)
[)p:s&nEl (tu:t&r*]
research professor Forschungs-
[(ri:s:tS prE)fes&r*] professor(in)
sign up [)saIn (Vp] sich anmelden
tutorial [tu(tO:riEl*] Unterrichtseinheit
Many lessons include lively animation

or game-like elements
A CL OSE R L OOK
What is a MOOC [mu:k]? A massive open on-
line course offers training from universities, in-
stitutes, experts, or firms, and is available to
anyone, usually for free. Most courses consist of
videos of lectures, homework, and a final exam.
They generally lead to a certificate, but you can
take part without having to finish the course.
percent of the people who sign up for
the courses never even start them.
The study also showed that the peo-
ple who sign up for online courses are
not your typical college kids. MOOC
students are older and tend to have
had a university education. Almost
three out of four participants come
from outside the United States, and
about six percent of students are aged
50 or older.
In his blog, Udacitys Sebastian
Thrun says students average age is
between 25 and 44. ... Eighty percent
have an undergraduate or masters
degree and are looking to explore a
career transition beruflicher Wechsel
[kE(rI&r trn)zIS&n*]
credentials etwa: Qualifika-
[krE(denS&lz] tionen
finders fee Finderlohn; hier:
[(faInd&rz fi:*] Erfolgsprmie
overlap [(oUv&rlp*] berschneidung
publisher [(pVblIS&r*] Verlag; Verleger(in)
reach [ri:tS] Reichweite
revenue [(revEnju:] Einnahmen
undergraduate or Bachelor-
masters degree oder Master-
[Vnd&r)grdZuEt O:r Abschluss
(mst&rz di)gri:*]
career transition or gain additional
credentials. Thrun adds that the
overlap with traditional university
students is as close to zero as you
can imagine.
But can giving away education for
free be a good business model? Uni-
versities are investing in MOOCs be-
cause its good for their reputation,
lets them promote their organizations
and expand their educational reach.
They can experiment with new teach-
ing methods, too. Although mostly
free, MOOCS even offer revenue po-
tential. For example, universities can
license videos to other educational in-
stitutes, to companies, or partner
with publishers. They can also earn a
finders fee from headhunters or firms
looking for candidates with specific
skills. By early 2014, the MOOC
landscape had begun to change.
CAREERS MOOCS
How much do they cost?
MOOCs are usually free, or a minimal
fee is charged usually around 50
for a final exam, badge, or certifi-
cate. Some models offer free videos
and membership in discussion groups,
but cost about 90 per month for ser-
vices such as individual feedback.
How much time do they take?
Total time per week varies from an
hour (just watching the videos) to more
than eight hours, including assign-
ments. The videos are commonly divid-
ed into 10- to 15-minute segments.
Most courses run six to ten weeks, but
some take just two weeks, others near-
ly six months.
What qualifications do you need?
No admission requirements exist and
there is no application process. You just
sign up using your e-mail address.
Some subjects require you to have spe-
cific knowledge, for example, algebra or
programming experience.
Do you get university credits?
Universities and other MOOC providers
normally do not give credits for courses,
but there are a few that do. In Europe,
certain courses provide credits that are
recognized by the European Credit
Transfer and Accumulation System
(ECTS). A few degree programs are be-
ing developed that will include blend-
ed learning methods, with tutors,
mentors, and real-life study centers.
These are not free, however.
Can I learn English with a MOOC?
A group of Australian universities has
started a MOOEC (massive open online
English course) platform. The British
Council is working with FutureLearn to
offer courses and preparation for the In-
ternational English Language Testing
System (IELTS) tests.
Can the courses help me in my career?
Few employers would accept these
courses in place of a traditional uni-
versity degree. But you can learn new
job-related skills, such as analytical
thinking or app design. Many courses
focus on projects, during which you cre-
ate work samples that you can show to
employers. You can list any certificates
on your rsum or social-media profile.
Taking MOOCs signals to employers
that you want to continue learning and
to improve your chances of getting,
and/or keeping, a job.
MOOC basics
admission requirement Zulassungs-
[Ed(mIS&n bedingung
ri)kwaI&rmEnt*]
application process Bewerbungs-
[plI(keIS&n )prA:ses*] verfahren
assignment [E(saInmEnt] (Haus-)Aufgabe
badge [bdZ] Abzeichen
blended learning integriertes Lernen
[)blendId (l:nIN]
credit [(kredIt] Leistungspunkt
degree program Studienprogramm,
[di(gri: )proUgrm*] das zu einem
akademischen
Abschluss fhrt
final exam Abschlussprfung
[)faIn&l Ig(zm]
rsum [(rezEmeI*] US Lebenslauf
sign up [)saIn (Vp] sich anmelden
work sample Arbeitsprobe
[(w:k smp&l*]
Udacity has reinvented itself, now of-
fering mainly career-oriented skills
building. It has partnered with firms,
including Adobe and Salesforce.com,
to create an Open Education Alliance,
in which companies provide the
course content and a promise to rec-
ognize the certificates.
At the start of this year, Coursera
had 6.5 million students, edX had 1.8
million, while Udacity had 1.6 mil-
lion. The Khan Academy now has ten
million visitors per month. Together,
these and other providers offer hun-
dreds of courses in computer science,
economics, medicine, music, teacher
training and more.
Although MOOCs may not replace
a traditional university education,
they offer a way to explore new sub-
jects or keep your job skills current.
Anant Agarwal, president of edX, has
described online learning as a rising
tide that will lift all boats. In other
words, theres more education for
everyone. And if the tide is rising, its
probably wiser, and better for your
career, to be sitting in a boat than
treading water.
computer science Informatik
[kEm)pju:t&r (saIEns*]
reinvent oneself sich neu erfinden;
[ri:In(vent wVn)self] hier: sich neu
orientieren
rising tide [)raIzIN (taId] ansteigende Flut
tread water Wasser treten; hier
[)tred (wO:t&r*] auch: auf der Stelle
treten
MOOC students are older and tend to
already have a university education
i
S
t
o
c
k
Away from paper:
you can learn
new skills online
Keep up to date with career trends at
www.business-spotlight.de/careers
www
I
BS
Main providers
These platforms offer courses from various institutions.
Many other providers of MOOC-style training exist.
Coursera www.coursera.org The largest provider, with
more than 100 partner organizations and universities, of-
fering more than 600 courses in fields such as business,
education, the humanities, and social sciences.
edX www.edx.org Offers courses from some 30 leading in-
stitutions, including the Massachusetts Institute of Tech-
nology and Harvard. In 2014, edX will start mooc.org, an
open platform for building new courses.
FutureLearn www.futurelearn.com The first UK-led MOOC
provider. It is owned by the Open University, a distance-
learning organization.
iversity https://iversity.org A European MOOC platform
that offers courses in English and German, primarily from
German universities.
Khan Academy www.khanacademy.org Perhaps not a true
MOOC provider, this platform offers short lessons, rather
than a multi-week course, mainly in math and science.
MOOEC www.mooec.com Australian universities have cre-
ated this MOOC platform specifically for learning English.
Udacity www.udacity.com As of January 2014, this is pri-
marily a company-oriented, skills-specific provider, but it
still offers some university courses.
I See also www.mooc-list.com or www.class-central.com
You can browse here for MOOCs by subject, institution,
country, or language.
I Find a playlist of TED videos about MOOCs at
www.ted.com/playlists/141/moocs_101.html
distance learning [(dIstEns )l:nIN] Fernstudium, -unterricht
humanities: (the) ~ [hju(mnEtiz] Geisteswissenschaften
Carol Scheunemann is an editor at
Business Spotlight and coordinates
Business Spotlight Audio. Contact:
c.scheunemann@spotlight-verlag.de
brew [bru:] Gebru
brewery [(bru:Eri] Brauerei
gunplay [(gVnpleI] US Schieereien
job site [(dZQb saIt] Jobbrse im Internet
model [(mQd&l] Muster-
networking opportunity Gelegenheit zu Kontakt-
[(netw:kIN QpE)tju:nEti] aufbau und -pflege
randomly [(rndEmli] zufllig
reference [(ref&rEns] Arbeitszeugnis
up and down hier: von Ranghheren
[)Vp En (daUn] und -niedrigeren
womanizing [(wUmEnaIzIN] Frauengeschichten
CAREERS TIPS AND TRENDS
All in a days work
Job search
Keep it quiet
L
ooking for a new job without your boss finding out can be
difficult. But there are ways to keep the search secret, says
British business communication trainer Clare Whitmell.
Dont make the mistake of becoming the model employee
overnight, then asking for a reference a few days later, Whit-
mell writes in The Guardian. You should also be very careful
about posting on job sites, especially if your company uses
these sites to advertise jobs, Whitmell says.
Wie hlt man die Suche nach einem neuen Job geheim? Mit
wem geht man zum Mittagessen? Wie gestaltet man sein Profil in
sozialen Netzwerken? MARGARET DAVIS gibt Antworten.
medi um
Away from your desk
Book
A
nheuser-Busch is perhaps
the most famous brewery in
the US. In Bitter Brew: The
Rise and Fall of Anheuser-
Busch and Americas Kings of
Beer (HarperCollins), William
Knoedelseder tells the colour-
ful story of the beer-making family. Com-
plete with hard drinking, fast driving,
womanizing and gunplay, this book is as
entertaining as it is informative.
Trend
Lunch roulette
I
f you always have lunch with the same colleagues, you could
be missing a networking opportunity. Thats at least what the
people at LunchRoulette.us think. The company has devel-
oped an app that randomly matches colleagues who want to
get together with others for lunch. Co-designer David Thomp-
son told the Harvard Business Review that the app allows col-
leagues at all levels of a company to meet and learn from each
other. After all, if we dont have people who can learn both
up and down, then we have the wrong people in both levels,
Thompson says.
Someones watching: keep
your job search secret
So glad we met:
working lunch
S
t
o
c
k
b
y
t
e
P
h
o
t
o
d
i
s
c
How to...
Manage your social-media profile
T
hese days, many of us use social media both for
work and for fun. Australian career experts Ed-
win Trevor-Roberts and Jocelyn Hunter have some
useful suggestions for making sure your posts
arent career killers:
I Draw a line between professional sites like
LinkedIn and social networks like Facebook.
Trevor-Roberts advises using LinkedIn for business
or work contacts and reserving Facebook for
friends. Do you want your colleagues to see
everything you do on Facebook? Only accept them
on to Facebook if they are a true, genuine friend,
he told The Sydney Morning Herald.
I Dont post pictures of children, pets or alcoholic
drinks on LinkedIn. Such unprofessional behaviour
immediately disqualifies anyone who applies for a
job with her company, says Jocelyn Hunter, head
of a Melbourne PR agency. If I saw them there
with their cat, I just cant think they would make
the grade, Hunter comments.
I Dont opt out of social media completely. Not
posting at all can be bad for your career, accord-
ing to Trevor-Roberts. The process of recruitment
has reversed and people are now googling you be-
fore interviews, he says. People may lift their
eyebrows and ask, Why are you not on LinkedIn?
advanced mathematics hier: Mathematik
[Ed)vA:nst mTE(mtIks] als Leistungsfach
genuine [(dZenjuIn] echt
interview [(IntEvju:] Bewerbungs-
gesprch
make the grade den Anforderungen
[)meIk DE (greId] ifml. gerecht werden
opt out of sth. sich gegen etw.
[)Qpt (aUt Qv] entscheiden
recruitment [ri(kru:tmEnt] Personaleinstellung
researcher [ri(s:tSE] Forscher(in)
reverse [ri(v:s] sich umkehren
ROI (return on investment) Rentabilitt,
[)A:r EU (aI] Kapitalrendite
show up for sth. bei etw. erscheinen
[)SEU (Vp fO:]
D i l b e r t
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World Wide Web activity: dont let it hurt your career
i
S
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k
Statistically speaking
More maths, please
A
mericans who study advanced mathematics
in high school make more money, according
to a US study. Jonathan James, a former bank
researcher, found that pupils who took advanced
maths were three times more likely to finish col-
lege. The more math one takes, the more one
earns on average, and the more likely one is to have
a job, James writes. Source: The Wall Street Journal
Bill Clinton: regarded as
having extraordinary
powers to move people
G
e
t
t
y

I
m
a
g
e
s
Die griechischen Gtter und Persnlichkeiten aus Wirtschaft,
Politik und Religion besaen es. Fhrungskrfte von heute htten
es gerne. Wir reden von Charisma. Ist es eine natrliche Gabe oder
lsst es sich erlernen? VICKI SUSSENS geht dem nach.
Following
the leader
advanced
CHARISMA MANAGEMENT
CHARISMA MANAGEMENT
B
ill Clinton is so sexy,
he eats you up with his
eyes, writer Jackie
Collins once told a re-
porter. I dont know
whether it is magic, or a trick, but it
is the best act I have ever seen. Clin-
tons ability to mesmerize people is
well-known. Before I met the man, I
hated him, one Republican politi-
cian once told charisma coach Olivia
Fox Cabane. After I met him, I hat-
ed him. But while I was meeting him,
did I ever love the man!
This mysterious quality, which has
fascinated mankind since the term
khrisma was first used by the ancient
Greeks to describe the grace of the
gods, is seen as essential in leadership.
But what is it exactly? Can we learn
it? And is it always valuable in cor-
porate life?
Business history is filled with
charismatic leaders whose firms still
carry their names, including Heinz,
Hipp and Ford. Yet charisma was not
regarded as an essential management
quality until the 1980s, with the birth
of transformational leadership theory.
In this, visionary leaders were seen as
role models, whose idealized influ-
ence could transform organizations
and inspire staff to reach the highest
levels of motivation and morality.
Lee Iacocca, who became head
of a struggling Chrysler in 1979, was
regarded as the personification of
the transformational leader (see also
p. 23). He turned the company into a
profitable business, cutting costs, pro-
ducing good products and paying
back a massive government loan
within a few years.
By the mid-1980s, he had become a
folk hero and was described by The
Saturday Evening Post as the sex
symbol of America. There was even
talk of him becoming president. But
by the end of the 1980s, America was
in a recession and the company began
to struggle again. Iacocca, who had
once accepted a one-dollar-a-year
salary from Chrysler to help the firm
through its financial difficulties, was
paid $18 million in 1987, at a time
when public anger at high executive
salaries was just beginning. The hero
had fallen.
Steve Jobs was considered one of
the most charismatic modern leaders,
despite being awkward in his early
years. With time, Jobs improved his
public performance. Biographer Wal-
ter Isaacson says the Apple boss
learned his unblinking stare from a
college friend and rehearsed every
speech he made. This has led some to
say that Jobs learned charisma and
that others can, too.
Jobs had the charismatic qualities
described by German sociologist Max
Weber (18641920), the first person
to define charismatic leadership (see
box p. 74). These include extraordi-
nary insight and performance, but
most of all, power of authority
the ability to persuade others and in-
spire loyalty.
Jobs believed in what he was doing,
never lost sight of his goals and
pushed his staff as hard as he did him-
self. The resulting turnaround of Ap-
ple is legendary. Jobss ability to gen-
erate excitement about each new
product resulted in a cult around his
personality. In fact, after his death in
2011, many feared the real Apple
would die. Yet, Jobs had a competent
successor in place, Tim Cook. Staff
did, however, pay for Jobss extreme
talent. He was said to be mercurial,
favouring some staff over others, and
of having temper tantrums.
You either have that X factor that
is genuine charisma or you dont,
says Ronald E. Riggio, psychologist
and co-author of The Charisma Quo-
tient: What It Is, How to Get It, How
to Use It. However, he says you can
learn the skills that make people ap-
pear to be charismatic. These Riggio
defines as a complex mixture of social
and emotional skills, including ex-
act [kt] Darbietung, Nummer
awkward [(O:kwEd] unbeholfen,
linkisch
charisma [kE(rIzmE] [wg. Aussprache]
corporate life Unternehmens-
[)kO:pErEt (laIf] alltag
folk hero [(fEUk )hIErEU] Volksheld(in)
goal [gEUl] Ziel
grace [greIs] Gnade
insight [(InsaIt] Einblick,
Verstndnis
mankind [)mn(kaInd] die Menschheit
mercurial [m:(kjUEriEl] launisch
mesmerize sb. jmdn. faszinieren;
[(mezmEraIz] hypnotisieren
rehearse sth. [ri(h:s] etw. proben
role model [(rEUl )mQd&l] Vorbild
struggling [(strVg&lIN] hier: ums ber-
leben kmpfend
successor [sEk(sesE] Nachfolger(in)
temper tantrum Wutanfall
[(tempE )tntrEm]
turnaround Kehrtwende,
[(t:nE)raUnd] Umschwung
unblinking stare unverwandter
[Vn)blINkIN (steE] Blick
X factor [(eks )fktE] (das) gewisse Etwas
pressiveness, control and sensitivity,
that allow individuals to connect to
others at a deep emotional level.
Fox Cabane, an executive charisma
coach for Fortune 500 companies,
goes further, saying charisma is based
on primitive signals that we can ac-
quire. The author of The Charisma
Myth: How Anyone Can Master the
Art and Science of Personal Magnet-
ism bases her ideas on studies by the
MIT Human Dynamics Lab. By ex-
amining the way people communicate
using body language, facial expres-
sions and tone of voice, they identi-
fied the signals that enable people to
make deep emotional connections.
These include standing tall to give
an impression of power, copying the
gestures of the person in front of
them to show identification and lis-
tening with full concentration.
Fox Cabane sees charisma as a
combination of warmth, power and
presence. Her three tips to improve
awe [O:] Ehrfurcht
devotion [di(vEUS&n] Ergebenheit,
Auf opferung
divine [dI(vaIn] gttlich
facial [(feIS&l] Gesichts-
gestures [(dZestSEz] Gestik
gift of grace Gnadengabe
[)gIft Ev (greIs]
master sth. [(mA:stE] etw. beherrschen
MIT (Massachusetts
Institute of Technology)
[)em aI (ti:]
myth [mIT] Mythos
preacher [(pri:tSE] Prediger(in)
reject sth. [ri(dZekt] etw. ablehnen,
zurckweisen
saint [seInt] Heilige(r)
saviour [(seIvjE] Retter(in),
Erlser(in)
sensitivity [)sensE(tIvEti] Feinfhligkeit
stare [steE] starren;
hier: blicken
suspicious: be ~ of sb. jmdm. mit Argwohn
[sE(spISEs] begegnen
What is charisma?
Charisma comes from the Greek word khrisma meaning a favour freely giv-
en or a gift of grace. The ancient Greeks used the word to describe the
divine qualities of their gods. Along its etymological journey, however, charis-
ma developed both a religious and a secular meaning. In the religious sense,
it means a God-given quality, inspiring awe and devotion, usually found in holy
figures such as prophets, saints or gurus.
The German sociologist Max Weber (18641920) was the first to use it to
describe leadership more generally. Weber defined charisma as a quality that
is not found in ordinary people, and that is seen as giving them supernatural,
superhuman, or at least specifically exceptional powers or qualities. On the ba-
sis of these powers, the individual concerned is treated as a leader. If a leader
fails his followers, however, the charisma, or power of authority, is quickly lost.
John Potts, an Australian media professor, writes in A History of Charisma
that by the 1950s, the term was being used loosely to mean personal charm.
However, it kept its connection to that mysterious quality described by Weber.
charisma are: Stare like a
lover, stand like a gorilla and
speak like a preacher.
Supporters of charismatic
leadership tend to focus only
on the positive aspects of
charisma. But there is a dark
side, too. Hitler, for example,
had extraordinary charisma.
This is one reason Germans
are suspicious of charismat-
ic leaders and strongly ad-
mire their quiet but effective
Mutti, Angela Merkel.
It is also why Peter Dru-
cker, the father of modern
management, who fled Nazi
Germany in 1933, did not
accept the idea of charisma
in business. He even rejected
the word leadership to de-
scribe management.
So when is charisma in leadership a
good thing? History shows that
charismatic leaders are at their best in
extreme situations, where people look
to saviours to lead them out of un-
certainty. Nelson Mandela, for exam-
ple, was perfect to lead South Africa
into democracy. However, he was less
inspiring as an everyday president.
Indeed, charismatic leaders often
come in pairs: Jesus and Peter, Gan-
dhi and Nehru, and Googles Larry
Page and Sergey Brin. The first were
visionaries. The second, who were
MANAGEMENT CHARISMA
When you have a celebrity, the company turns
into the one genius with 1,000 helpers
Jim Collins, management guru and author of Good to Great
Steve Jobs: did he
learn charisma?
G
e
t
t
y

I
m
a
g
e
s
less charismatic leaders, put that vi-
sion into action. CNN Money re-
cently called the partnership of Page,
Googles CEO, and Brin, the man be-
hind the scenes, as the most success-
ful in business history.
Richard Branson, who heads the
Virgin Group, seems to have under-
stood the power and limits of charis-
ma. He uses his vision to start innov-
ative businesses, but lets others run
them. And if he leads a life of excess,
nobody cares, as he uses his talent to
support socially important projects.
With the growing number of scan-
dals involving overpaid, unethical
CEOs, there are now demands to
review the idealization of leadership,
which has led to the idea that without
exceptional CEOs, a firm cannot be
competitive. Critics say this and
exorbitant salaries has attracted
the wrong sort of leader to the top.
Destructive narcissism is now a
significant problem in organizations,
writes Roy Lubit, an expert on emo-
tional intelligence, of the Academy of
Management. Although charismatic
leaders can charm the masses with
their rhetoric, they are emotionally
distant, dont tolerate criticism, are
poor listeners and can be brutally
exploitative, he says.
Joseph Raelin, who is the Knowles
chair of practice-oriented education
at Northeastern University in Boston,
says hero worship is out of date, and
that it takes away a communitys
power. We have to deconstruct the
romantic view of charismatic leader-
ship, he wrote recently in Training
and Development.
Management guru Jim Collins
writes in Good to Great that the
worlds best leaders are mostly shy
and anonymous. When you have a
celebrity, the company turns into the
one genius with 1,000 helpers. It cre-
ates a sense that the whole thing is
really about the CEO, he says.
associate professor auerordentliche(r)
[E)sEUsiEt prE(fesE] Professor(in), Dozent(in)
business school wirtschaftswissen-
[(bIznEs sku:l] schaftliche Fakultt
celebrity [sE(lebrEti] Prominente(r)
CEO (chief executive Firmenchef(in)
officer) [)si: i: (EU]
chair [tSeE] Vorsitzende(r)
charm sb. [tSA:m] jmdn. verzaubern
competitive wettbewerbsfhig
[kEm(petEtIv]
deconstruct sth. etw. dekonstruieren;
[)di:kEn(strVkt] hier: mit etw. aufrumen
exploitative ausbeuterisch
[Ik(splOItEtIv]
industry expertise Branchenkenntnisse
[)IndEstri )eksp:(ti:z]
out of date berholt
[)aUt Ev (deIt]
rely on sth. [ri(laI Qn] sich auf etw. sttzen
review sth. [ri(vju:] etw. berdenken
A recent study of Europes 100 old-
est firms found the most successful
leaders had conservative intelli-
gence rather than charisma. They
succeeded by listening to their people
and relying on industry expertise,
according to the head of the study,
Christian Stadler, associate professor
at the Warwick Business School in
Coventry, England. Stadler gives the
example of John Loudon, Royal
Dutch Shells leader in the 1950s and
1960s, whose business model gener-
ated growth for more than 30 years.
If your company is heading in the
right direction, a charismatic leader
will get you there faster, says Stadler.
However, if youre heading in the
wrong direction, charisma will get
you there faster, too. I
BS
Vicki Sussens is a feature writer and
the editor of the Management sec-
tion of Business Spotlight. Contact:
v.sussens@spotlight-verlag.de
Dream team: Googles Sergey
Brin (left) and Larry Page
Bad taste, big heart:
Richard Branson
h
t
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2
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V
i
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g
i
n
Stare like a lover;
stand like a gorilla; speak
like a preacher
Olivia Fox Cabane, executive charisma
coach and author of The Charisma Myth
billion [(bIljEn] Milliarde(n)
civil lawsuit zivilrechtliche Klage
[)sIv&l (lO:su:t]
claim damages Schadensersatz
[)kleIm (dmIdZIz] fordern
compensation Entschdigung
[)kQmpEn(seIS&n]
evidence [(evIdEns] Beweis(e)
file (an action) [faI&l] (eine Klage) ein-
reichen, erheben
frivolous [(frIvElEs] schikans
groin [grOIn] Leistengegend
industry [(IndEstri] hier: branchenblich
lap [lp] Scho
lawyer [(lO:jE] Anwalt/Anwltin
liability [)laIE(bIlEti] Haftung
lid [lId] Deckel
punitive damages Strafschadens-
[)pju:nEtIv (dmIdZIz] ersatz
reimburse sb. [)ri:Im(b:s] jmdn. entschdigen
spill sth. [spIl] etw. verschtten
sue [sju:] klagen
tort action Klage aus unerlaub-
[(tO:t )kS&n] ter Handlung
unanimously einstimmig
[ju(nnImEsli]
cover medical expenses and $2.7 mil-
lion in punitive damages. The puni-
tive damages were later reduced to
$480,000, a fact that got lost in the
publicity that followed.
Wh a t h a p p e n e d n e x t
The case made international head-
lines, with most of the media focusing
on how absurd it was. ABC News
called it a classic example of frivolous
lawsuits. Liebeck was portrayed as an
opportunist. However, McDonalds
did reduce the temperature of its cof-
fee. Recently, a film by the lawyer
Susan Saladoff, Hot Coffee (2011),
argued that Liebeck was unfairly
judged, and that her case has been
used by Americas right wing to pro-
mote the interests of big business.
T h e b a c k g r o u n d
People in the US file the most tort
actions in the world. These are civil
lawsuits whereby one party claims
damages from another. Damages in-
clude compensation for expenses,
such as medical costs, as well as
punitive damages compensation
for pain and suffering. US tort actions
are controversial, and there is an on-
going reform debate. Reformists say
they are excessive, are often frivolous
and can destroy businesses. They
want to limit the ability to file claims
and the size of damages. Those
against reform say it is an attempt by
businesses to avoid liability. The Mc-
Donalds hot coffee case remains
one of the most frequently mentioned
lawsuits in the debate.
T h e p r o b l e m
In 1992, a 79-year-old woman named
Stella Liebeck spilled a McDonalds
coffee on her lap, while parked in a
car at a McDonalds drive-through in
Albuquerque, New Mexico (not, as
was often claimed, while driving).
Sind die USA ein Paradies fr horrende und oft absurde Schadensersatzforderungen?
VICKI SUSSENS berichtet von einer Frau, die eine Fastfoodkette verklagte.
I
BS
medi um
Im hot: coffee at 82 C can cause third-degree burns
MANAGEMENT WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
McDonalds hot coffee
G
e
t
t
y

I
m
a
g
e
s
Because the car had no cupholder, she
had put her coffee between her legs
and spilled it while removing the lid.
It caused burns on 16 per cent of her
body, including third-degree burns
on her groin. The medical bills were
$10,000 and she asked McDonalds
to reimburse her. McDonalds refused
to pay more than $800.
T h e s o l u t i o n
Liebeck sued. At the time, McDon-
alds served coffee at between 82 C
and 88 C. A burn expert testified
that liquid at 82 C could cause third-
degree burns within 15 seconds.
Liebecks lawyer produced evidence
that between 1982 and 1992, some
700 people had claimed to have been
burned by McDonalds coffee. Mc-
Donalds argued that it sold about ten
billion cups of coffee in that period,
so the figure was statistically irrele-
vant, and that the temperatures were
an industry standard. The jury were
shown photos of Liebecks terrible
burns and decided unanimously in
her favour, awarding her $160,000 to
Do a listening exercise on Business Spotlight Audio
For reading-comprehension exercises, see Business Spotlight plus plus
betray sb. [bi(treI] jmdn. verraten
bully [(bUli] Tyrann(in)
clarify sth. [(klrEfaI] etw. klren
classified document Geheimdokument
[)klsIfaId (dQkjumEnt]
dishonesty [dIs(QnEsti] Verlogenheit
distrust [dIs(trVst] Misstrauen
hold sb. back jmdn. am Aufstieg
[)hEUld (bk] hindern
leak sth. [li:k] etw. zuspielen
morale [mE(rA:l] (Arbeits-)Moral
outburst [(aUtb:st] Ausbruch
pack of lies: a ~ Lug und Trug,
[)pk Ev (laIz] ifml. ein Haufen Lgen
peculiarity Eigenheit
[pI)kju:li(rEti]
resentment [ri(zentmEnt] Groll
resilient [ri(zIliEnt] belastbar
revenge [ri(vendZ] Rache
reward sb. [ri(wO:d] jmdn. belohnen
spy on sb. [(spaI Qn] jmdn. ausspionieren
threat [Tret] Bedrohung
employees might become subversive
and leak information:
I Dishonesty. In this case, a firm pre-
sents an image of being a caring, hon-
est organization to the public, but it
is all a pack of lies. Employees may
not want to live this lie.
I Injustice. When people are not fair-
ly promoted and rewarded at work
but are held back while a few succeed
unfairly, this can cause a great deal of
resentment.
I A bully at the top. The workplace
attracts all types, and we all have to
adapt to the peculiarities of manage-
ment. We can forgive the occasional
emotional outburst or unkind re-
mark, but not chronic aggression.
I Distrust. If an organization installs
systems (often electronic) to spy on
staff, it gives the impression that it
cannot trust its workers with infor-
mation, money or materials. Why,
then, should staff give it the trust and
loyalty it demands?
I Broken promises. In such cases, em-
ployees expectations are not met and
they feel powerless to get ahead. For
example, there may have been no at-
tempt to clarify the criteria for pro-
motion, training or salary increases,
or false promises were made to them
about the future.
In all five situations, hopeful, po-
tentially productive and loyal em-
ployees can quickly become disap-
pointed and cynical, causing a drop in
morale and productivity. This can last
months or even years. Some people
will simply leave. Others may not
have that option. For yet others, there
is another possibility: revenge.
To avoid being betrayed, firms
must make sure that none of these sit-
uations arises and, if they do, to stop
them immediately.
Governments and other organiza-
tions are deeply concerned about
what is called the insider threat.
This was dramatically illustrated by
Edward Snowden, who leaked classi-
fied documents from Americas Na-
tional Security Agency (NSA) to the
media in June 2013. But whistle-
blowers can also damage businesses.
How can this insider threat be
stopped? The simple answer is: dont
employ the wrong people. For this
reason, government agencies and the
security services choose staff
very carefully; they know the
cost of getting it wrong.
But whistleblowers often
dont start with the motive of
betraying their organization.
This means that companies have to be
careful not to turn employees into the
enemy from within by treating
them badly. Here are five reasons
Adrian Furnham is a psychology professor at Uni-
versity College, London. His latest book is The
Resilient Manager: Navigating the Challenges of
Working Life (Palgrave Macmillan).
Wie die NSA-Affre zeigt, kann auch ein Insider und dessen Wissen eine Organisation
bedrohen. Doch wie wird ein einst loyaler Mitarbeiter zu einer Gefahr fr das Unternehmen?
Unser Management-Experte ADRIAN FURNHAM gibt Antwort auf diese Frage.
I
BS
medi um
Feeling helpless: one reason
employees may get angry
Whistleblowers often dont start with the
motive of betraying their organization
EXECUTIVE EYE MANAGEMENT
Dont turn staff into enemies
F
u
s
e
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h e i z e b s t f h c s e G
t x e t T i t m e l k o o B

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Z T AAT H C S T R O W N ER L ER S S O GR
L EL U T K A H S I GL EN S S E N I S U B
e dn or e g en t e i b e g en em h T h c Na
m h i c i s z B t a ch s t r o w n r e n L e ro o G
ish l g n E b a k o n V e t s g i t h c i e w i d
w s el i p s ei b m u , n e g n u d n e w de e R
t en i z f e e t f h c s e G - t or p x E / t or p
m e t gu in z n la i sb e r h Ja e i d , ln e k c
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p s i e B d un n er t r W 0 0 0 . 0 1 er b

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Gehrt das Bild von Menschen, die in der Landwirtschaft krperlich schwer arbeiten, bald voll der
Vergangenheit an? Die Umweltjournalistin FIONA HARVEY stellt Roboter vor, die selbst Aufgaben, die
bisher von Menschenhand ausgefhrt werden mussten, bernehmen knnten.
A growing
business
A
new vision of robots pa-
trolling the pastures and
fields of the UK may seem
dark and evil to some, but
according to farmers and
the government, it is the future. It will
bring efficiencies and benefits and an
end to many of the back-breaking
jobs around the farm.
An increasing number of farm
bots robots that do farmwork
are being developed to handle a range
of tasks traditionally done by hu-
mans, and that have not been possi-
ble with large agricultural machines.
For example, a lettuce bot can hoe
away ground weeds from around the
base of plants. A wine bot rolls
through vineyards pruning vines.
Other bots may soon check the
growth of crops, their need for water
and whether signs of disease are pres -
ent or not.
Owen Paterson, UK secretary of
state for environment, food and rural
affairs, enthusiastically supported the
idea at the Oxford Farming Con -
ference this past January, saying:
I want our farmers and food pro-
ducers to have access to the widest
possible range of technologies, from
new applications of robotics and sen-
sor technology to new LED lighting
in greenhouses and cancer-fighting
broccoli.
advanced
back-breaking job schwere krperliche
[)bk )breIkIN (dZQb] Arbeit, Knochenjob
cancer [(knsE] Krebs
crop [krQp] Nutzpflanze
greenhouse [(gri:nhaUs] Gewchshaus
ground weeds Ackerunkraut
[(graUnd wi:dz]
hoe sth. away [)hEU E(weI] etw. weghacken
lettuce [(letIs] (Kopf-)Salat
pasture [(pA:stSE] Weide
prune sth. [pru:n] etw. beschneiden,
stutzen
robotics [rEU(bQtIks] Robotertechnik
rural affairs Angelegenheiten
[)rUErEl E(feEz] der Landregionen
secretary of state Minister(in)
[)sekrEtEri Ev (steIt] UK
vine [vaIn] Rebstock
vineyard [(vInjEd] Weinberg
Worker with a camera: pick
only the red strawberries!
AGRICULTURAL ROBOTS TECHNOLOGY
For the first time, the UK govern-
ment has announced an agri-tech
strategy that it will support with 160
million (195 million). Of this
amount, about 70 million (85 mil-
lion) will go to commercializing new
agricultural technologies, including
robots, and 90 million (110 mil-
lion) will be spent on creating centres
for agricultural innovation that will
seek to develop farm technology for
export, with the help of UK Trade &
Investment. There will even be a new
agri-tech business ambassador,
said Paterson, whose duties will in-
clude developing strategies for in-
creasing exports of new agri-tech
products and services.
It is not just on the ground that
technology promises to transform
farming. Unmanned air vehicles, or
drones, are already being used on
farms. In South America, with its
large ranches, drones are in the sky
for noting the positions of widely
spread herds and for observing crop
growth, and in Japan, smaller models
spray pesticides on crops. In the US,
drones are being tested for checking
plant damage, and even for herding.
In the UK, there is likely to be less
need for drones farms are smaller
and easier to manage on the ground,
and the idea of filling the sky with a
large number of small drones is like-
ly to raise safety concerns.
Peter Kendall, president of the Na-
tional Farmers Union, said technolo-
gy had been key to raising farm pro-
ductivity. He pointed out that many
large dairy farms use automated
milking machines. These can milk
many cows at a time, sometimes on a
platform that turns to lift the cows to
the milking station. Some research
suggests this could be better for the
cows and improve milk production.
Arable farmers and vegetable growers
have also used GPS for making maps
of crops, he added, for observing
plant growth and weed frequency, as
well as for the collection of further
data, all leading to real rewards.
Kendall said, The use of un-
manned robots is rather more futur-
istic, but people are working on it. In
addition to field operations, there is
potential in fruit harvesting and even
livestock management. It is certainly
an exciting time to be involved in
farming.
But there is also scepticism. Emma
Hockridge, head of policy at the Soil
Association, said, The potential use
of robots on farms has been discussed
for years, but we havent yet seen any-
thing practical close to reaching the
market.
Although the possibility of replac-
ing seasonal workers with robots may
be attractive for farm bosses looking
to increase the size of their business,
farmworkers may be less pleased.
Hockridge said that the government
and farmers should concentrate on
making better use of existing tech-
nologies. In food and farming,
which is now our biggest manufac-
turing industry, we think the priority
should be creating more and good-
quality meaningful jobs. Organic
farms provide almost 50 per cent
more jobs per hectare and over 30 per
cent more jobs than non-organic
farms, she said.
But even supporters of agri-tech
admit that complex robots will take
years and probably decades before
It is certainly an exciting time
to be involved in farming
they reach the commercial stage. Pro-
fessor Simon Blackmore, head of
engineering at Harper Adams Uni-
versity, said at the Oxford Farming
Conference that his vision was for
farming with robots in 2050.
Some visions may never actually
become reality. Perhaps the strangest
robot under development and
most unusual for anyone familiar
with traditional farming practices
is the one for herding livestock. The
bot wheels around pastures, bringing
slower animals back to the herd,
though without having to nip at their
heels. Most likely, the dog-bot dreams
of electric sheep.
Guardian News & Media 2014
ambassador Botschafter(in)
[m(bsEdE]
arable farmer Ackerbauer(in)
[)rEb&l (fA:mE]
dairy farm [(deEri fA:m] Milchfarm
engineering Konstruktionstech-
[)endZI(nIErIN] nik, Maschinenbau
harvesting [(hA:vIstIN] Ernte(arbeit)
herding [(h:dIN] Hten (von Tieren)
livestock [(laIvstQk] Vieh(bestand)
manufacturing industry Fertigungsindustrie,
[mnju)fktSErIN verarbeitendes
(IndEstri] Gewerbe
nip at sb.s heels [)nIp jmdm. in die
t )sVmbEdiz (hi:&lz] Fersen zwicken
organic [O:(gnIk] biologisch (wirt-
schaftend), Bio-
soil [sOI&l] (Erd-)Boden
spray sth. [spreI] etw. (ver)sprhen
unmanned air vehicle unbemanntes
[Vn)mnd (eE )vi:Ik&l] Luftfahrzeug
I
BS
A CL OSE R L OOK
dream of electric sheep Written
by Philip K. Dick in 1968, the sci-
ence-fiction novel Do Androids
Dream of Electric Sheep? inspired
the film Blade Runner (1982). The
title refers to the practice of count-
ing sheep to fall asleep. In the fu-
turistic story, it is nearly impossible
to tell the difference between peo-
ple and androids, which are very
human-like robots.
3/2014
assign sth. [E(saIn] etw. zuweisen; hier: vergeben
citation [saI(teIS&n] zitierte Stelle, Zitat
goal-line technology (GLT) Torlinientechnologie
[)gEUl laIn tek(nQlEdZi]
goalpost [(gEUlpEUst] Torpfosten
image processing Bildverarbeitung
[(ImIdZ )prEUsesIN]
Normandy [(nO:mEndi] Normandie
paper [(peIpE] Abhandlung
pitch [pItS] UK Spielfeld
tide level [(taId )lev&l] Gezeitenstand
Di d yo u k n o w?
Claude Monets painting The Cliff, tretat, Sunset
shows what the artist saw at 4.53 p.m. on 5 February
1883. To determine the exact day and time of the
scene, physicists and astronomers used planetarium
software to study the position of the sun, and visited
the Normandy coast to observe the weather and mea-
sure the tide level. They also calculated that Monet
stood 388.6 metres from the Porte dAmont.
Source: Professor Donald Olson, Texas State University
TECHNOLOGY TRENDS
.guru
A new top-level do-
main that became
available in January.
Others include .bike,
.singles and .clothing.
Hundreds more are planned for 2014.
Source: Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
(ICANN; www.icann.org)
12 per cent
The increase in citations of a scientists papers
once he or she has received a high-profile award.
Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Management Science
7
The age at which we start forgetting
our early-life events (those before
the age of three).
Source: Patricia J. Bauer, Marina Larkina,
Emory University, Memory
Wa t c h i n g t h e g a me
D
id the ball cross the line? At the 2014 FIFA World
Cup Brazil this summer, goal-line technology (GLT)
may help to answer that key question. The GoalControl-4D system positions 14 high-speed
cameras around the stadium, so that seven focus on each goal. No changes must be made
to the ball or goalposts. The cameras follow the movement of the ball, but filter out the play-
ers and officials on the pitch. Every two milliseconds, image-processing software measures
x-, y - and z- positions of the ball with a precision of a few millimetres on the three-
dimensional coordinates of the pitch. The fourth dimension consists of vibrations and opti-
cal signals, which are sent to the officials watches when the ball crosses the goal line. But
officials will still take the final goal-or-no-goal decisions. The scenes of goals and near-goals
can be replayed as often as necessary, and shown on large screens in the stadium and on TV.
For the replays, GoalControl also creates a simulation of the ball moving across the pitch
as seen from the goal line.
medi um
Gibt es Neuigkeiten? CAROL SCHEUNEMANN
prsentiert technische Innovationen und neue
wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse.
C
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a
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e

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t
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e

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,

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,

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,

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t
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C
a
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u
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A good shot: time
for goal-line technology?
Baby memories: hes
forgetting them already
Ideas and inventions
I
n

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s
i
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t
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(
3
)
T
o consumers, quality suggests that
products are made to high standards.
For firms, it means making products that
meet the customers requirements and
demonstrate fitness for purpose, which
means the products do what they are in-
tended to do.
The focus of a quality management
system (QMS) is to satisfy the customer.
To do this, firms develop strategies for
continuous improvement, using measure-
ments and statistical control, but also
through corrective and preventive actions.
Quality assurance (QA) aims to prevent
mistakes or defects in products. Validation
tests make sure that the right product was
built. Verification tests check that the
product was built right.
A key element of a quality management
system is having formally documented
processes. A quality manual must contain
the contents and scope of the QMS, the
details of any exclusions, the documented
processes and the interactions between
them. Supporting documents, such as
guidelines, work instructions and check-
lists, are also needed.
Many firms implement quality man-
agement systems using international stan-
dards such as ISO 9001. Certification of
the QMS by a third-party auditor, long
required by the car industry, is now stan-
dard in many other industries, too.
Having a good quality management
system improves the efficiency of process-
es, raises productivity, reduces waste and
rework, and thus increases the value of
the business.
LANGUAGE FOCUS TECHNOLOGY
Quality management
Mngelfreie Produkte bedrfen der Qualittssicherung.
ROLAND SHOLL erklrt, was alles dazugehrt.
E x e r c i s e : Ge t t i n g b e t t e r
Choose the correct term to complete each sentence.
a) We verify / validate a products design before production begins.
b) We use tests to verify / validate that a product meets the requirements.
c) An efficient / effective process functions in the best possible manner.
Answers on page 64
G
e
t
t
y

I
m
a
g
e
s

certification [)s:tIfI(keIS&n] Zertifizierung
compliance [kEm(plaIEns] bereinstimmung, Ordnungs-
migkeit
comply with sth. [kEm(plaI wID] etw. erfllen
conform to sth. [kEn(fO:m] einer Sache entsprechen
continuous/continual improvement kontinuierliche Verbesserung
[kEn)tInjuEs/kEn)tInjuEl Im(pru:vmEnt]
corrective action [kE)rektIv (kS&n] Korrekturmanahme
customer satisfaction Kundenzufriedenheit
[)kVstEmE )stIs(fkS&n]
defect [(di:fekt] Mangel
document control [(dQkjumEnt kEn)trEUl] Dokumentenlenkung
effective [E(fektIv] effektiv, wirksam
efficient [E(fIS&nt] effizient, wirtschaftlich
exclusion [Ik(sklu:Z&n] Ausschluss
fit for purpose [)fIt fE (p:pEs] gebrauchstauglich
fitness for purpose [)fItnEs fE (p:pEs] Gebrauchstauglichkeit
guideline [(gaIdlaIn] Richtlinie
nonconformity [)nQnkEn(fO:mEti] Abweichung
perceived quality [pE)si:vd (kwQlEti] gefhlte Qualitt
preventive action [pri)ventIv (kS&n] Vorbeugemanahme
procedure [prEU(si:dZE] Ablauf, Verfahren
process [(prEUses] Prozess, Verfahren
process approach [(prEUses E)prEUtS] prozessorientierter Ansatz
process description [)prEUses di(skrIpS&n] Prozessbeschreibung
process instruction (PI) [)prEUses In(strVkS&n] Verfahrensanweisung (VA)
qualification [)kwQlIfI(keIS&n] Qualifizierung
quality assurance (QA) [(kwQlEti E)SO:rEns] Qualittssicherung (QS)
quality management system (QMS) Qualittsmanagementsystem
[(kwQlEti )mnIdZmEnt )sIstEm] (QMS)
quality manual [(kwQlEti )mnjuEl] Qualitts(management)handbuch
quality objective [)kwQlEti Eb(dZektIv] Qualittsziel
release [ri(li:s] Freigabe
review [ri(vju:] Nachprfung
rework [(ri:w:k] Nacharbeit
scope [skEUp] Anwendungsbereich
sustainability [sE)steInE(bIlEti] Nachhaltigkeit
systems approach [(sIstEmz E)prEUtS] systemintegrierender Ansatz
third-party auditor [)T:d )pA:ti (O:dItE] externe(r) Auditor(in)/Prfer(in)
traceability [)treIsE(bIlEti] Rckverfolgbarkeit
validation test [)vlI(deIS&n test] Validierungstest
verification test [)verIfI(keIS&n test] Kontrollprfung
Vocabulary
Roland Sholl is a quality management expert
based near Stuttgart. He is also a coach for
international communication, business and
technical English. Website: www.sholl.eu
I
BS
advanced
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Y
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Recently, I attended a school in Manchester, where they use an
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his progress, tasks he has completed and the work lying ahead
of him. Thats what would help me in using your online re-
sources. It would also help to keep me motivated. Id like to
hear your ideas on this topic.
Josef Nagel, Donauwrth
Thank you for your message. At present, our website does not offer the func-
tions you mention, although we do give feedback to users in our language ex-
ercises. We very much appreciate your comments and suggestions, however,
and will bear them in mind for the next redesign/relaunch of our website.
The Editor
Ungrateful?
A
s a long-time subscriber, I notice that you put the readers
letters on one of the last pages of your magazine. In my
opinion, this shows a lack of gratitude to your readers. Dont
you owe the magazines success to them? Another magazine I
read regularly, Motorrad, is a role model in this regard. Its
table of contents is followed directly by the readers letters,
which are placed on page 6.
Ralf Trinkel, Frankenthal
Global market
I
have recently discovered your amazing magazine. In fact, I
have already taken two subscriptions to Business Spotlight
Audio. However, I strongly support the comment from a non-
German reader (Feedback, Business Spotlight 2/2014) asking
for an English edition i.e., with all the definitions and ex-
planations in English rather than German. In this era of glo-
bal communication, where anyone worldwide could buy your
magazine or download the magazine and audio files from the
internet, it doesnt make sense to restrict (or at least put up bar-
riers to) your potential market.
lvaro de la Cueva, Madrid
Kundenservi ce
LANGUAGE
4/2014 PREVIEW
Key tips for writing
The ability to write clearly whether it be emails, letters or
business reports is an important success factor in business.
In the third part of our special Business Skills series, Bob
Dignen provides ten key tips to help you improve your writing.
New series: finding a job
Modern technology has radically changed how we search
for a job. In our new Careers series, we show you how its
done, whether youre just out of school or in mid-career.
also:
Working with the British
The United Kingdom is an important member
of the European Union, both politically and
economically. In our Intercultural feature, we
look at how to do business with the British.
INSURANCE
Easy English: customer care
Grammar: terms and conditions
English for... tax returns
Improve your business
vocabulary with
our 20-page guide:
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BusinessSpotlight 4/2014 is on sale from11 June 2014
at home: make sb. dafr sorgen, dass
feel ~ [)t (hEUm] sich jmdn. wohl-
fhlt
based: be ~ (at a place) (an einem Ort)
[beIst] stationiert sein
car-hire company Leihwagenfirma
[(kA: )haIE )kVmpEni] UK
Chichewa [tSI(tSeIwE] Chichewa (Amts-
sprache von
Malawi)
competition Konkurrenz
[)kQmpE(tIS&n]
fee [fi:] Gebhr
fleet [fli:t] Flotte
hire sth. out etw. vermieten,
[)haIEr (aUt] UK verleihen
Malawian [mE(lA:wiEn] Malawier(in)
registered [(redZIstEd] mit Lizenz
rest [rest] eine Pause machen
sacrifice [(skrIfaIs] Opfer
take care of sb. fr jmdn. sorgen
[)teIk (keEr Ev]
have to help. I cant afford to lose
customers with all the competition!
What the job has taught me: To be
hard-working and to accept that the
business requires sacrifices. I have
also learned to have respect for peo-
ple, because they are the ones who
provide me with my daily bread.
Most difficult customer: This was a
customer who did not have money to
pay for hiring me. Because I trusted
him, I lent him money and I never
saw it again. The man had talked
about his problems the whole trip
and I realized later this was his way
of getting money from me.
Ambitions: I would like to have a fleet
of cars and start my own car-hire
company.
For more, go to http://mosestaxi.webs.com
Job: Taxi driver.
Age and family: Im 33-years-old,
married, with two children, Collings
(8) and Edda (3).
Home: Lilongwe, capital of Malawi.
Income: I am happy; I can take care of
my family with the money I earn.
How I get customers: Im based at a
hotel, where people often need taxis.
Im also hired by various organiza-
tions where members share my details
online. I have an email address and
my own website. But most impor-
tantly, I make sure that my fees are
fair and that I provide a good service.
Working hours: I have to be available
24 hours a day!
Languages needed: English for my for-
eign customers, the local language,
Chichewa, for Malawians. My spoken
English is good, but not my written
Er ist mit Leib und Seele Taxifahrer in Lilongwe, der Hauptstadt von Malawi. Sein Traum
ist ein eigener Autoverleih. VICKI SUSSENS sprach mit ihm.
I
BS
easy
Be my guest: Moses Banda with
his taxi in Lilongwe, Malawi
PEOPLE MY WORKING LIFE
Moses Banda: Taxi owner
C
r
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i
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English, so a friend, a former cus-
tomer, helps me write emails.
Why I chose this job: I was a taxi driv -
er in my last job and saw that it was
a good business.
Skills needed: Being skilled at offen-
sive driving. Knowing how to make
customers feel at home in your car.
Main changes in the taxi business:
Growing competition. Many people
drive taxis and hire out cars without
licences. This takes business away
from registered drivers.
Favourite part of the job: I love meeting
so many different people, being tak-
en to the places they want to go to
and learning about how they live and
think.
Least favourite part of the job: Some-
times, I really need to rest, but then a
call will come in, and because I am
the only one the customer trusts, I
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* Kennenlern-Angebot fr Neu-Abonnenten: 4 Ausgaben Deutsch perfekt zum Preis von 3 (EUR 18,60 / Sfr 27,90).
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VOKABELTRAINING LEICHT GEMACHT
AUSGABE 26
also:
Artwork and artists
|
Tasteless or tasteful?
Arts
and culture
ISSUE 26 2 SKILL UP!
SKILL UP! online
On our website, youll 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
CONTENTS
Deborah Capras, deputy editor
bs.deputyeditor@spotlight-verlag.de
ART MATTERS
Art has a unique role to play in society, but it also has an important role to
play in the business world. In this Skill Up!, we present the language you
need to talk about art and culture.
Our guide starts with an art exhibition. In Picture This! (pp. 45), the illus-
tration shows the important moments before an exhibition opens and
what can go wrong. We also focus on the terms you will need to talk about
the financing of art events. In Word Bank (pp. 67), we present an overview
of many different kinds of artwork and artists. Not all works of art are
original or legal, which is why our In Focus section (pp. 1011) looks at the
problem of art forgeries and art theft.
Turn to Close Relations (pp. 1415) to discover that theres a lot more to
cult and art than you might think. In False Friends (pp. 89), youll
find out that antique is not as old as the antiquities. We show you how
to use art idioms in business situations in Essential Idioms (pp. 1213).
We hope you get the picture.
Not everyone reacts the same way to a work of art. In Small Talk (pp. 1617),
our dialogue shows how to be honest about your personal tastes espe-
cially when you think something is totally tasteless.
SKILL UP!
Can you draw the meaning of words? A
simple drawing may be all you need to help
you to remember a new expression. If you
are a talented artist, why not draw a situa-
tion and create a dialogue to go with it? Use
your imagination and you may discover
some hidden talents and a talent for
learning languages. The more time you
spend on new expressions, the more likely
you are to remember them.
ISSUE 26 SKILL UP! 3
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 cant say yes to every statement, go back and spend more time on learning the relevant
vocabulary. Dont forget to read our Skill Up! tips and do the online exercises!
Contents Page(s) Checklist
Picture This!
A corporate event 45 I can use the correct terms to talk about the
financing of public and corporate art events.
Word Bank
All about art 67 I can talk about different types of art, artwork and
artists, as well as the places where you will find art.
False Friends
Its antique, not 89 I can identify the false friends presented here and
plastic use the correct translations.
In Focus
Buy, sell or steal? 1011 I can describe the auction process using the correct
terms and talk about art scandals and theft.
Essential Idioms
Pictures and plots 1213 I can correctly use idiomatic expressions from the art
world in business situations.
Close Relations
Cultured and artistic 1415 I can correctly use the cult and art word families.
Small Talk
A question of taste 1617 I can make small talk about personal tastes.
Your Profile
Be an artist 18 I feel more confident using the vocabulary in this guide.
Preview 19
Not yet A little Yes!
I I I
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Art exhibition: a place
for highbrow culture
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4 SKILL UP! 4 SKILL UP!
A CORPORATE EVENT
Companies sponsor art exhibitions to promote their products and services. Our illustra-
tion shows a local art event that has gone wrong just before the art lovers arrive.
PI CTURE THI S!
1. museum of Museum fr zeit-
contemporary art genssische Kunst
[kEn(temp&rEri]
private view Vorabbesichtigung,
Vernissage
temporary exhibition temporre Ausstellung
2. art lover Kunstfreund(in),
-liebhaber(in)
3. corporate signage Firmenschild
[)kO:pErEt (saInIdZ]
event sponsor Veranstaltungs-
sponsor(in)
4. sculpture [(skVlptSE] Plastik, Skulptur
topple [(tQp&l] wackeln
5. ticket office (Museums-)Kasse
6. art critic Kunstkritiker(in)
laugh ones head off sich halb totlachen
7. curator [kju&(reItE] Konservator(in)
be appalled entsetzt sein
8. public relations Beauftragte(r) fr
officer ffentlichkeitsarbeit
9. art installation Kunstinstallation
10. cleaner Reinigungskraft
rubbish (US trash) Mll
ruin sth. etw. zerstren
11. controversial work umstrittenes
of art [)kQntrE(v:S&l] Kunstwerk
12. award-winning artist preisgekrnte(r)
Knstler(in)
be lost for words sprachlos sein
A work of art?
Not to everyone
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Art and business
award a grant to sb. jmdm. eine Finanzhilfe gewhren
commission sth. etw. in Auftrag geben
donate sth. etw. spenden, als Schenkung
berlassen
exhibit sth. [Ig(zIbIt] etw. ausstellen
found sth. etw. (be)grnden, stiften
grant money to sb./sth. fr jmdn./etw. Geld bewilligen
raise funds Gelder beschaffen
receive public funding ffentliche Gelder bekommen
sponsor sth. etw. finanziell untersttzen
support sth. etw. untersttzen
unveil sth. [)Vn(veI&l] etw. enthllen
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Art lovers
donor [(dEUnE] Geldgeber(in)
make a generous eine grozgige Spende/
donation Schenkung machen
founder Stifter(in)
art foundation Kunststiftung
patron [(peItrEn] Schirmherr(in), Mzen(in)
patronage Schirmherrschaft,
[(ptrEnIdZ] Mzenatentum
philanthropist Philanthrop,
[fI(lnTrEpIst] Menschenfreund
philanthropy Philanthropie,
[fI(lnTrEpi] Menschenliebe
sponsor Sponsor(in), Gnner(in)
sponsorship finanzielle Frderung
supporter Frderer/Frderin
support Frderung, Untersttzung
trustee [)trV(sti:] Kurator(in)
art trust Kunstkartell
What are they saying?
Curator: What do you think youre doing? Dont
touch the art installation!
Cleaner: This is a work of art? Im sorry, but I
thought it was rubbish!
A work of art
that did not
begin in emotion
is not art
Paul Czanne, 18391906,
French artist
Great artists?
acclaimed umjubelt
distinguished bemerkenswert
eminent hoch angesehen
famous berhmt
forgotten in Vergessenheit
geraten
pretentious [pri(tenSEs] anmaend
unknown unbekannt
unsung wenig bekannt
Great exhibition?
arrangement Anordnung
artwork knstwerk; grafi-
sche Darstellung
composition knstlerisches
Werk
display Ausstellung (eines
Kunstwerks)
be on display ausgestellt sein
put sth. on display etw. ausstellen
piece Exponat
WORD BANK
Every single one is
a work of art!
6 SKILL UP! ISSUE 26
Fine art and modern art
(schne Kunst und moderne Kunst)
animation Animationskunst
ceramics [sE(rmIks] Keramik
computer-generated Computeranimation
imagery [(ImIdZEri]
craft work Kunsthandwerk
drawing Zeichnen
illustration Illustrationskunst
literature [(lItrEtSE] Literatur
painting Malerei
photography [fE(tQgrEfi] Fotografie
poetry [(pEUEtri] Lyrik
sculpture [(skVlptSE] Bildhauerei
street art Straenkunst
textile art [(tekstaI&l] Textilkunst
video mash-up Video-Mashup
visual art [(vIZuEl] darstellende/
bildende Kunst
Applied arts
(angewandte Knste)
architecture Architektur
fashion design Modedesign
industrial design Industriedesign
interior design Innenarchitektur
jewellery [(dZu:Elri] Schmuck
Performing arts
(darstellende Knste)
ballet [(bleI] Ballet
cinema Filmkunst, Kino
show a film einen Film zeigen
dance Tanz
perform sth. etw. auffhren
performance Auffhrung
opera Oper
theatre Theater
amateur dramatics Laienspiel,
[(mEtE drE)mtIks] -theater
play (Theater-)Stck
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ALL ABOUT ART
The arts cover a lot of different areas. Here, we present the language you will need to
talk about different kinds of artists, the work that they do and where you can find it.
SKILL UP!
Is there any kind of art that is important to you,
your company or your area of work? Imagine
that you have visitors to your company. What
could you recommend that they go to see in their
free time? Many events have websites in several
languages. Check them out and then discuss
your ideas with a colleague in English.
ISSUE 26
Where to find it?
art fair Kunstfestival;
Kunstmesse
art festival Kunstfestival
author reading Autorenlesung
closing event (also: Schlussveranstal-
finissage [)fInI(sA:Z]) tung (auch: Finis-
sage)
exhibition Ausstellung
literary festival Literaturfestival,
Literaturtage
opening event (also: Erffnungsver-
vernissage [)v:nI(sA:Z]) anstaltung (auch:
Vernissage)
private viewing (also: Vorabbesichtigung
vernissage [)v:nI(sA:Z]) (auch: Vernissage)
Its a work of art!
autobiography Autobiografie
[)O:tEUbaI(QgrEfi]
cartoon Karikatur; Zeichentrickfilm
collage [kQ(lA:Z] Collage
comic Comic, -heft
crime novel Krimi
Dutch master [dVtS] hollndischer Meister
engraving (Kupfer-, Stahl-)Stich
fiction Belletristik, Prosa
historical artefact historisches Artefakt
landscape painting Landschaftsbild, -malerei
masterpiece Meisterwerk
memoir [(memwA:] Memoiren
monument Denkmal
non-fiction Sachbuch
novel Roman
nude [nju:d] Akt
oil painting lgemlde
poem Gedicht
pottery Keramik, Tpferware(n)
romantic novel Liebesroman
(self-)portrait [pO:(trEt] (Selbst-)Portrt
short story Kurzgeschichte
sound installation Klanginstallation
statue Statue
still life Stillleben
watercolour(s) Aquarell
Places and events
charity event Wohlttigkeits-
veranstaltung
concert hall Konzertsaal
dress/final rehearsal Generalprobe
[ri(h:s&l]
premiere [(premieE] Premiere
stage Bhne
Everyones an artist!
architect Architekt(in)
author Schriftsteller(in)
commercial artist Werbegrafiker(in)
digital artist Digitalknstler(in)
goldsmith [(gEUldsmIT] Goldschmied
graffiti artist Graffitiknstler(in)
graphic artist Grafiker(in)
novelist Romanschriftsteller(in)
poet [(pEUEt] Dichter(in)
sculptor [(skVlptE] Bildhauer(in)
Or a performer!
actor Schauspieler(in)
actress Schauspielerin
ballet dancer Balletttnzer(in)
cabaret artist Kabarettist(in)
[(kbEreI]
cast Besetzung
musician Musiker(in)
pianist [(pi:EnIst] Pianist(in)
violinist [)vaIE(lInIst] Geiger(in),
Violinist(in)
opera singer Opernsnger(in)
performer darstellende(r)
Knstler(in)
SKILL UP! 7
Ingram Publishing
Art or arts?
The term the arts includes everything from
painting to performing. Art often means
fine art, but it can also describe anything
that requires creativity or artistic talent.
The term applied arts refers to the appli-
cation of art and design to everyday objects.
8 SKILL UP!
Whats Antiquitt in English?
Antiquitt = antique
I love looking around the antique
shops, dont you?
Its not antiquity!
antiquity = das Altertum,
die Antike
The exhibition on Greek antiquity
opens on Saturday.
ITS ANTIQUE, NOT PLASTIC
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.
FALSE FRI ENDS
antique
antiquity
Whats die Plastik in English?
die Plastik = sculpture
His sculpture has angered a lot of people.
Its not plastic!
plastic = Kunststoff
Its made of plastic, so its not very strong.
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sculpture plastic
Other translations
antiquities = die Altertmer
Greece wants its stolen antiquities back.
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SKILL UP! 9 ISSUE 26
Whats Fotograf in English?
Fotograf(in) = photographer
There were so many photographers
waiting outside!
Its not photograph!
photograph = Foto
This photograph of the sky is my
favourite. The colours are beautiful.
Whats taxieren in English?
taxieren = appraise, value
You should have the painting appraised.
Maybe its an original!
Its not tax!
tax = besteuern
The painting has increased in value, but you
will only be taxed when you sell it.
appraise tax
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photographer
photograph
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More translations
Art = way, manner, kind
I dont like this kind of painting.
Kunst = art
I studied art at university.
Artist = circus performer
I always wanted to be a circus performer!
Knstler(in) = artist
Hes a famous artist in the US.
M
SKILL UP! Audio
Do a related exercise on
Business Spotlight Audio.
I N FOCUS
10 SKILL UP!
How much?
appraise sth. etw. schtzen
evaluate sth. etw. bewerten
fetch a price einen Preis bringen
retail value Verkaufswert, -preis
sell for an zu einem unerhrt
outrageous hohen Preis
price [aUt(reIdZEs] verkaufen
worth a small ein kleines
fortune: Vermgen wert
be ~ [(fO:tSEn] sein
BUY, SELL OR STEAL?
The auction
art collector Kunstsammler(in)
art dealer Kunsthndler(in)
attribute sth. to sb. jmdm. etw. zuschreiben
auction [(O:kS&n] Auktion, Versteigerung
auctioneer [)O:kSE(nIE] Auktionator(in)
auction house Auktionshaus
auction sth. off etw. versteigern
authenticate a work of art ein Kunstwerk fr echt
befinden
certificate of Ursprungszeugnis
authenticity
bid for sth. fr etw. bieten
bidder Bieter(in), Bietende(r)
bid up the price den Preis nach oben treiben
outbid sb. jmdn. berbieten
flip artwork mit Kunstwerken
spekulieren
owner Besitzer(in), Eigentmer(in)
own sth. etw. besitzen
rightful owner rechtmige(r) Besitzer(in)
provenance [(prQvEnEns] Herkunft, Ursprung
put in a bid for sth. ein Gebot fr etw. abgeben
put sth. on the (auction) etw. zur Versteigerung
block anbieten
sell sth. at auction etw. (fr $...) versteigern
(for $...)
The art world is not just about pretty pictures. Theres
a lot of money involved, both legally and illegally. We
focus on buying, selling, stealing and faking art.
I think this is
worth a fortune!
Whats your bid?
Its priceless!
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Is it criminal?
disputed artwork umstrittenes Kunstwerk
looted artwork erbeutetes Kunstwerk
missing artwork verschollenes Kunstwerk
stolen artwork gestohlenes Kunstwerk
art heist [haIst] ifml. Kunstraub
art thief Kunstdieb(in)
burglar [(b:glE] Einbrecher(in), Dieb(in)
con artist [(kQn )A:tIst] ifml. Schwindler(in)
scam artist ifml. Betrger(in)
tomb raider Grabruber(in)
dupe sb. (into doing sth.) jmdn. verleiten, (etw. zu tun)
flood the market [flVd] den Markt berfluten
fool the experts die Experten tuschen
plunder a gallery [(plVndE] eine Galerie ausrauben
steal sth. from sb. jmdm. etw. stehlen
swindle sb. jmdn. beschwindeln
The value and the price
affordable erschwinglich unaffordable unerschwinglich
inflated berteuert cut-price Billig-
invaluable unschtzbar worthless wertlos
priceless unbezahlbar cheap billig, preiswert
valuable wertvoll, kostbar valueless wertlos
It sold at
auction but its
a worthless
fake
Is it the real thing?
counterfeit [(kaUntEfIt] Flschung
counterfeit sth. etw. flschen
make a counterfeit eine Flschung
anfertigen
fake Flschung
fake sth. etw. flschen
fake work of art geflschtes
Kunstwerk
forgery [(fO:dZEri] Flschung
art forger [(fO:dZE] Kunstflscher(in)
forge sth. [fO:dZ] etw. flschen
fraud [frO:d] Betrug; Schwindel
defraud sb. [di(frO:d] jmdn. betrgen
fraudster Betrger(in);
[(frO:dstE] Schwindler(in)
phoney [(fEUni] ifml. Flschung; Blte;
Schwindler(in)
phoney work of art geflschtes
Kunstwerk
plagiarism [(pleIdZE)rIzEm] Plagiat
plagiarize sth. etw. plagiieren
[(pleIdZEraIz]
replica [(replIkE] Replik, Nachbildung
replicate sth. etw. replizieren,
[(replIkeIt] nachbilden
reproduction Nachbildung, Kopie
reproduce sth. etw. nachbilden,
kopieren
unauthorized unerlaubte Nachbil-
reproduction dung/Kopie
SKILL UP!
Forgery, fake, pho -
ney and counterfeit
all mean not genuine.
We often use counter-
feit to describe money
that is not real, forgery
to describe an artwork
that is an illegal copy of
an original and fake to
describe anything that is
not genuine. A phoney
can be a person who is
not who they say they are:
Hes a phoney.
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ISSUE 26
PICTURES AND PLOTS
We can use idioms from the art world to talk about business situations. Here, we present
some of the most common expressions.
ESSENTI AL I DI OMS
Now, more simply
Mark: Well, this report describes things in a way that shows
how bad they are.
Selina: I know. But you mustnt forget the whole situation here.
Its just a general look at our automobile business.
Mark: Thats why Im worried.
Now, more simply
Mark: I want to call a meeting with the whole
team. We need to let everyone know whats
happening.
Selina: Do you want me to give the presentation?
Mark: No, I will. Ive had to give bad news before,
so Ive become very good at it through ex-
perience. I can say it exactly the right way.
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 idiomatic -
ally? Check that youve understood them with our translations.
The elephant in the
room: a problem?
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Very nice: she has it
down to a fine art
We start with
a broad-brush look
Check the translations
put sb. in the picture jmdn. ins Bild setzen
have/get it down to a fine art den Bogen heraushaben
strike the right note den richtigen Ton treffen
First, the idiomatic way
Mark: I want to call a meeting with the whole
team. We need to put everyone in the
picture.
Selina: Do you want me to give the presentation?
Mark: No, I will. Ive had to give bad news before,
so I have it down to a fine art. I can strike
the right note.
Mark: Well, this report paints a grim picture.
Selina: I know. But you mustnt lose sight of the bigger picture
here. Its just a broad-brush look at our automobile
business.
Mark: Thats why Im worried.
paint a grim picture ein dsteres Bild
zeichnen
broad-brush grob, allgemein
lose sight of the das Gesamtbild
bigger picture aus den Augen
ifml. verlieren
Now, more simply
Mark: Look at the figures! If something doesnt
change soon, itll be the end for us.
Tom: Mark, I think youve completely lost the
ability to cope with the situation!
Selina: Tom, let Mark finish.
Mark: This is serious. Do you know how many
companies are ready to take over from us
when we fail? Do you?
Tom: OK, I understand the situation.
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She has a good
reason to make a
song and dance
Mark: Look at the figures! If something doesnt
change soon, itll be curtains for us.
Tom: Mark, I think youve completely lost the
plot!
Selina: Tom, let Mark finish.
Mark: This is serious. Do you know how many
companies are waiting in the wings for
us to fail? Do you?
Tom: OK, I get the picture.
like watching paint todlangweilig sein
dry: be ~
make a song and dance eine Staatsaffre aus
about sth. UK ifml. etw. machen
draw a line eine Grenze setzen
Now, more simply
Selina: Marks presenting the report at two.
Tom: Oh, no. Watching him present is boring.
Selina: Dont let him hear you say that.
Tom: Hes going to complain in an annoy -
ing way about the sales figures again,
isnt he?
Selina: This time, he could be right. He has to
set a limit somewhere.
Selina: Marks presenting the report at two.
Tom: Oh, no. Watching him present is like
watching paint dry.
Selina: Dont let him hear you say that.
Tom: Hes going to make a song and dance
about the sales figures again, isnt he?
Selina: This time, he could be right. He has to
draw the line somewhere.
curtains: it is ~ for jmd. ist weg vom
sb. ifml. Fenster
(curtain Vorhang)
lose the plot UK ifml. den berblick verlieren
(plot Handlung)
wait in the wings hinter den Kulissen
warten
get the picture ifml. begreifen, kapieren
Z
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This could mean its
curtains for us all!
14 SKILL UP!
The family
counterculture Gegenkultur
cross-cultural kulturbergreifend
cult Kult; Kultgemeinschaft, Sekte
cultivate sth. etw. kultivieren; an-, bebauen;
pflegen; zchten
cultivated (Person) kultiviert, zivilisiert, gebildet;
(Land) bebaut, bestellt
cultivation Kultivierung, Urbarmachung
cultural kulturell
culture (sth.) Kultur; etw. zchten
cultured (Person) kultiviert, zivilisiert, gebildet;
(Zellen) gezchtet
intercultural interkulturell
subculture Subkultur
uncultivated (Person) unkultiviert, unzivilisiert,
un ge bildet; (Land) brachliegend
uncultured (Person) unkultiviert, unzivilisiert,
ungebildet
Use the family: cult
G Shes a very cultivated lady.
G You should probably go on an in-
tercultural training course before
you go to China.
G Is there still a punk subculture in
London?
G Open computer systems probably
grew out of the hippie countercul-
ture of the 1960s.
G Pulp Fiction is a cult movie.
G You know, Im sure he must be a
member of some cult!
G In some cultures, its considered
uncultured to eat like that.
G Events like these can improve
cross-cultural understanding.
SO CULTURED AND ARTISTIC
A cultivated person understands and appreciates the arts. Here, we present useful
expressions from the cult word family and the world of art.
CLOSE REL ATI ONS
+ ivate cultivate
+ ed cultivated un + uncultivated
+ ion cultivation
+ ed cultured
counter + counterculture
sub + subculture
un + uncultured
inter + intercultural
cross- + cross-cultural
+ ure culture
+ al cultural
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cult
Culture in many areas
agriculture Landwirtschaft
company culture Unternehmenskultur
cult movement Kultbewegung
cultural monument Kulturdenkmal
cultured pearl Zuchtperle
culture shock Kulturschock
culture vulture ifml. Kulturhyne
drug culture Drogenkultur
pop(ular) culture Pop(ulr)kultur
youth culture Jugendkultur
Its not art
Das ist eine brotlose Kunst. Theres no money in it.
Das ist keine Kunst. Its a piece of cake.
mit seiner Kunst am Ende sein be at a total loss
seine Kunst an etw. versuchen try ones hand at sth.
Was macht die Kunst? How are things?
The art family
artefact Artefakt,
prhistorisches
Werkzeug
art for arts sake Kunst als
Selbstzweck
artful kunstvoll
artfully kunstvoll
art historian Kunst -
historiker(in)
art house Kunsthaus
artistic knstlerisch
artistic director Intendant(in)
arts and crafts Kunstgewerbe,
-handwerk
arty (US artsy) ifml. pseudoknstle -
(also: arty-farty; risch; auf Knst -
US artsy-fartsy) ler machend
inartistic unknstlerisch;
ohne Kunstver-
stndnis
state-of-the-art letzter Stand der
Technik
Get me one: its
a cult camera
SKILL UP!
Check out the expressions in German that use
Kunst and find the translations in English. You
may be surprised to learn that many of the
English idioms dont refer to art at all.
IN ACTION: CULTURE AND CULTIVATE
Both cultured and cultivated are used to describe some-

one who has good manners, a good education and refined
tastes:
Hes a cultured/cultivated man.
The verbs culture and cultivate are used to talk about

the growing of cells in biology:
The cells were cultured/cultivated overnight.
We use cultivate to refer to the growing of plants or to

gardening, particularly on a commercial scale:
It would take us at least a week to cultivate a piece of
land this size.
If you cultivate a friendship, you try hard to develop a re-

lationship with someone, often to be able to use that
friendship for your own goals:
He decided to cultivate a friendship with the politician
he met at an arts fair.
If you cultivate a business you try hard to make a suc-

cessful business:
She cultivated a business around her hobby.
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ISSUE 26
A QUESTION OF TASTE
Not everyone feels the same way about art. You can discuss how you feel in small-talk
conversations. Here, we provide you with useful expressions and adjectives.
SMALL TALK
Look at me not
at the paintings
Harry: Fantastic restaurant!
Kylie: Its different, Ill give you that. Im not sure I like
looking at naked bums while Im eating, though.
Harry: Why not? Its art. Dont be such a prude. I love
these paintings. Theyre all by a local artist.
Kylie: A prolific artist who likes womens bums.
Harry: So do I. Im a keen admirer of her work.
Kylie: Exactly. Thats my point. Theyre sexist. They ap-
peal to men. To women, theyre degrading. Ive
taken an instant dislike to them!
Harry: But the artist is a woman.
Kylie: So what? Thats no excuse. And I cant believe
theyre playing that misogynistic song again.
Harry: What song?
Kylie: Blurred Lines.
Harry: Oh yeah, that one. I cant stand it either.
Kylie: Its so catchy that you actually forget how derog-
atory it is towards women. Its a real earworm. I
cant bear it! And the lyrics! Just awful.
Harry: I cant get it out of my head now. The beat is so
repetitive. OK, next time, you choose the place.
Kylie: Theres a restaurant down the road. It has lovely
impressionist murals. And every Friday, they have
a string quartet. We should add a bit of culture
to our lives. Classical music is the way to go.
Harry: Hmm, chamber music while you eat... Not exactly
my cup of tea. I think Im busy Friday.
appeal to sb. jmdm. zusagen,
jmdn. ansprechen
beat Takt, Rhythmus
cant bear sth.: jmd. kann etw.
sb. ~ nicht ertragen
cant stand sth.: jmd. kann etw.
sb. ~ ifml. nicht ausstehen
catchy einprgsam
chamber music Kammermusik
cup of tea: not my ~ nicht mein
ifml. Geschmack
degrading: be ~ erniedrigend sein
derogatory [di(rQgEtEri] abwertend, abfllig
earworm Ohrwurm
get sth. out of etw. aus dem Kopf
ones head bekommen
Ill give you that das muss man dir
lassen
keen admirer UK groe(r) Verehrer(in)
lyrics [(lIrIks] (Lied-)Text
misogynistic frauenfeindlich
[mI)sQdZE(nIstIk]
mural [mjUErEl] Wandgemlde
naked bum UK ifml. nackter Po
prolific artist sehr produktiv(e)r
[prEU(lIfIk] Knstler(in)
prude: be a ~ [pru:d] prde sein
repetitive [ri(petEtIv] sich wiederholend
So what? Na und?
string quartet Streichquartett
[(strIN kwO:)tet]
take an instant auf Anhieb eine
dislike to sth. Abneigung gegen
etw. empfinden
Situation:
Harry and Kylie are good friends, but they have very
different tastes in music and art. They are having
dinner in a trendy restaurant.
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SKILL UP! Audio
Do a related exercise on
Business Spotlight Audio.
ISSUE 26
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SKILL UP!
Which adjectives do you un-
derstand and which can
you use to talk about art,
music and literature? If there
are any adjectives that you are
not sure about, run a search
for the words on the internet,
but include the search terms
artwork or music, too.
Choose a news story that in-
terests you. Dont try to under-
stand everything, just focus on
the adjectives and how they
are used. This is a quick activ-
ity you can do during a five-
minute break from work.
SKILL UP! 17
Highbrow art: so
moving, so tasteful
Classic or not?
classic
a classic ein Klassiker
classic Dal painting klassisches
Dal-Gemlde
the classics Altphilologie
classical
classical music klassische
Musik
neoclassical frieze klassizisti-
sches Fries
Good or bad?
controversial umstritten
degenerate entartet
disturbing aufwhlend
edgy ifml. trendig
hackneyed abgedroschen
moving ergreifend
pleasant gefllig
respectable anstndig
simple schlicht
subversive subversiv
What do you prefer?
alternative alternativ traditional traditionell
contemporary zeitgenssisch vintage klassisch,
nostalgisch
conventional herkmmlich unconventional unkonventionell
highbrow anspruchsvoll; lowbrow anspruchslos,
hochgestochen geistlos
mainstream im Trend liegend fringe avantgardistisch
period antik modern modern
surreal surreal naturalistic naturalistisch
How would you describe it?
eclectic eklektisch dull langweilig
inflammatory aufwieglerisch conservative konservativ
offensive anstig inoffensive harmlos
provocative provozierend boring langweilig
revolutionary revolutionr run-of-the-mill gewhnlich
seminal herausragend overrated berbewertet
tasteful geschmackvoll tasteless geschmacklos
understated subtil elaborate aufwendig
SKILL UP! online
Listen to a selection of these
adjectives at www.business-
spotlight.de/skill-up26
18 SKILL UP! ISSUE 26
BE AN ARTIST
Personalize this guide by adding your own example sentences which should reflect
words and expressions you need in order to talk about your circumstances.
MAKE ROOM FOR CULTURE
If your company were to sponsor an art exhibition or trendy event, what kind of event would it be? Write
down some ideas using the vocabulary from Picture This! (pp. 45) and Word Bank (pp. 67).
Be more artistic in the language that you use. Which of the idioms in Pictures and plots (pp. 1213)
could you imagine using at work? Write them down and personalize them for your situation.
Are you interested in art scandals? Use vocabulary from In Focus (pp. 1011) to describe a recent art
scandal you have heard about.
SMALL TALK: YOUR PERSONAL TASTES
What kind of artwork do you prefer? Write down your views using expressions from our Small Talk section
(pp. 1617). Youll find exercises on this vocabulary in Business Spotlight plus.
YOUR PROFI LE
ISSUE 26
P
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IMPRESSUM
HERAUSGEBER UND VERLAGSLEITER:
Dr. Wolfgang Stock
CHEFREDAKTEUR: Dr. Ian McMaster
STELLVERTRETENDE CHEFREDAKTEURIN:
Deborah Capras
GESCHFTSFHRENDE REDAKTEURIN (CvD):
Maja Sirola
AUTORIN: Deborah Capras
REDAKTION: Margaret Davis, Hildegard Rudolph,
Michele Tilgner
BILDREDAKTION: Sarah Gough (Leitung),
Thorsten Mansch
GESTALTUNG: loop grafikdesign Mnchen
VERTRIEBSLEITUNG: Monika Wohlgemuth
ANZEIGENLEITUNG: Axel Zettler
VERLAG und REDAKTION:
Spotlight Verlag GmbH
Postanschrift: Postfach 1565, 82144 Planegg
Hausanschrift:
Fraunhoferstrae 22, 82152 Planegg
Telefon: +49 (0)89 8 56 81-0;
Fax +49 (0)89 8 56 81-105
Internet: www.business-spotlight.de
LITHO: Mohn Media Mohndruck GmbH, 33311
Gtersloh
DRUCK: Rotaplan Offset Kammann Druck GmbH,
93057 Regensburg
3/2014 Spotlight Verlag, auch fr alle
genannten Autoren, Fotografen und Mitarbeiter.
PREVI EW
SMALL TALK
Insurance crime
Cover photograph: iStockphoto
PICTURE THIS: what a disaster
WORD BANK: Which insurance for me?
ESSENTIAL IDIOMS: cover your ass
If youre young, fit and healthy, you probably
think you dont need any insurance. That will
change! Our next Skill Up! looks at the per-
sonal and business side of the insurance world.
INSURANCE
D
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g
i
t
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V
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s
i
o
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In the next issue:
Insurance
fraud: whos
a criminal?
also:
5
0
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a
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t
Ihre Sprachreise von zu Hause aus: Online-Training mit
Videos und bungen. Jederzeit verfgbar.
Sprachen lernen
und erleben.
+49 (0)89/8 56 81-16
A language survival guide
100
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FOR YOUR JOB
KEY
IDIOMS
Mit Sprachtest
4
A
u
s
g
a
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e
n

z
u
m
P
r
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v
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!

www.spotlight-verlag.de/4fuer3
Gut fr
den Kopf!
Besser mit Sprachen. Land und Leute
verstehen und nebenbei die Sprache
lernen. Jeden Monat neu.
BusinessSpotlight 3
I
dioms play a key role in any language,
and many learners have a lot of fun
discovering the idiomatic forms of a
new language. Although you should be
careful when using idioms because small mistakes can easily
lead to misunderstandings it is important to have a good pas-
sive knowledge when communicating internationally. In this book-
let, Deborah Capras, Hildegard Rudolph and Carol Scheunemann
present 100 key English idioms that you may encounter in your
daily working life. We hope you find our special booklet useful and
look forward to your feedback.
i.mcmaster@spotlight-verlag.de
Impressum
HERAUSGEBER UND VERLAGSLEITER: Dr. Wolfgang Stock
CHEFREDAKTEUR: Dr. Ian McMaster
STELLVERTR. CHEFREDAKTEURIN: Deborah Capras
GESCHFTSFHRENDE REDAKTEURIN: Maja Sirola (CvD)
REDAKTION: Margaret Davis, Hildegard Rudolph,
Carol Scheunemann, Michele Tilgner
AUTOREN: Deborah Capras, Hildegard Rudolph,
Carol Scheunemann
BILDREDAKTION: Sarah Gough, Thorsten Mansch
GESTALTUNG: loopgrafikdesign Mnchen
VERTRIEBSLEITUNG: Monika Wohlgemuth
ANZEIGENLEITUNG: Axel Zettler
VERLAG UND REDAKTION: Spotlight Verlag GmbH
Postanschrift: Postfach 1565, 82144 Planegg
Hausanschrift: Fraunhoferstrae 22,
82152 Planegg, Telefon: (0049) 89 856 81-0
Internet: www.business-spotlight.de
LITHO: Mohn Media Mohndruck GmbH, 33311 Gtersloh
DRUCK: teNeues, 47906 Kempen
3/2014 Spotlight Verlag, auch fr alle genann ten Autoren,
Fotografen und Mitarbeiter.
Get cracking!*
*The idiom to get cracking means
to start working on something
immediately: Theres a lot to do
today. Wed better get cracking!
Its a wake-up call 4
All in a days work 6
On track 8
Food for thought 10
A win-win situation? 12
Make a killing 14
At the end of the day 16
Put it to the test 18
C
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BusinessSpotlight 4
programmer Informatiker(in)
stuck in traffic: be ~ im Stau stecken
In a hotel, a wake-up call
is a phone call from recep-
tion that wakes up a guest.
In business, a wake-up call
is an event that alerts people
to a bad situation and warns
them to change things.
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In the taxi
Joy calls her colleague from
the taxi.
Joy: Mark, its Joy. Look, Im
stuck in traffic. Im going to
be a little late.
Mark: OK, but this wont go
down well.
Joy: Im not exactly thrilled to
bits.
Mark: Well, tell the driver to
step on it.
Shes cutting it a bit fine
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Its a wake-up call
At home
Joy needs to start work early,
but her day doesnt start well.
Joy: Oh, no. I wanted to be in
the office by 9.
Zack: Its nearly 8.30 already.
Shouldnt you be making a
move? Youre cutting it a bit
fine.
Joy: Could you drive me?
Zack: Sorry, no dice. Youll
have to take a taxi.
Situation:
Joy is a programmer at
Zeppee, a company that
makes apps. Two potential
clients will be visiting her
company today.
BusinessSpotlight 5
From the dialogue
Shouldnt you be making a move? Solltest du dich nicht allmh-
lich auf den Weg machen?
Youre cutting it a bit fine. Das hast du wirklich knapp
kalkuliert.
Sorry, no dice. US Das ist leider nicht drin.
This wont go down well. Das wird nicht gut ankommen.
Im not exactly thrilled to bits. Meine Begeisterung hlt sich
auch in Grenzen.
Tell the driver to step on it. Sag dem Fahrer, er soll Gas
geben.
Early-morning idioms
Its a wake-up call for our company. Es ist ein Warnsignal fr
unsere Firma.
I got up at the crack of dawn. Ich bin in aller (Hergotts-)
Frhe aufgestanden.
Wake up and smell the coffee! US Wach(t) endlich auf!
Travel idioms for business
Could you bring me up to speed? Kannst du mich auf den
neuesten Stand bringen?
He was asleep at the wheel. Er hat nicht aufgepasst.
Lets cross that bridge when we Alles zu seiner Zeit.
come to it.
They took us for a ride. Sie haben uns reingelegt.
We need to go the extra mile. Wir mssen noch eins
draufsetzen.
KEY IDIOMS
KEY IDIOMS
BusinessSpotlight 6
oversleep verschlafen
slide Folie
snag gezogener Faden
We use all in a days work
to show that we do some-
thing because it is part of
our normal work, even when
the task seems difficult to
other people. You can use
this expression to show that
doing the task is not a prob-
lem or any trouble.
D
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Talking about tasks
The team needs to talk about work
duties.
Mark: So, who can do the heavy
lifting on the slides? Well need
about an hour to update them.
Nyla: Dont look at me. Honestly,
Ive got enough on my plate.
Mark: Joy, would you mind?
Joy: Well, Im really snowed under,
but OK.
Is he pulling his weight?
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All in a days work
Arriving at the office
Joys colleagues are wait-
ing for her in the confe-
rence room.
Mark: Hi, Joy. Come in
and catch your breath.
Joy: Sorry I overslept.
Could you fill me in?
Mark: The clients arrive at
11.30 for the presenta-
tion. Then well take
them to lunch.
Nyla: The thing is, weve
hit a snag with the
presentation.
Joy: What exactly do you
mean?
BusinessSpotlight 7
From the dialogue
Catch your breath. Atme erst einmal tief durch.
Could you fill me in? Knntest du mich kurz
informieren?
Weve hit a snag. Wir sind auf Schwierigkeiten
gestoen.
Who can do the heavy lifting? Wer kann die Hauptarbeit
erledigen?
Dont look at me. Vergiss es!
Ive got enough on my plate. UK Ich habe genug um die Ohren.
Im really snowed under. Ich ersticke in Arbeit.
Idioms for effort
Im swamped. Ich bin (mit Arbeit) ber-
schwemmt.
Shes making an all-out effort. Sie gibt sich die allergrte
Mhe.
He goes above and beyond whats Er tut weit mehr als ntig.
necessary.
Hes not pulling his weight. Er tut sein Teil nicht dazu.
Work idioms
Its all in a days work. Das ist doch selbstver-
stndlich.
We have our work cut out for us. Wir haben alle Hnde voll zu
tun.
Weve been working flat out. Wir haben auf Hochtouren
gearbeitet.
He worked his arse off. vulg. Er hat hart gearbeitet.
KEY IDIOMS
KEY IDIOMS
BusinessSpotlight 8
busybody Wichtigtuer(in)
wrap Umhangtuch
A track is a line of rails
that a train travels along.
If a project is on track,
everything is going as
planned. You are making
progress and will finish on
schedule and on budget.
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Well deliver
the goods
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On track
The presentation
Joy is presenting the new
app to the clients, Alex
and Lee.
Joy: Weve been keeping
this under wraps for
weeks, but today, Im
going to show you our
new app: Busybody.
Lee: Busybody? Hmm,
nice. What does it do?
Joy: In a nutshell? Our
app helps you to man-
age your time more ef-
ficiently.
Alex: Interesting. Theyre
all the rage right now.
The reaction
The clients are not convinced.
Alex: Its cool, but unless you
can make it more interactive,
its not going to fly.
Lee: It doesnt blow me away.
Joy: Tell us what you want and
well deliver the goods. Well
start from scratch if neces-
sary. We can have it up and
running in a month.
BusinessSpotlight 9
From the dialogue
Weve been keeping this Wir haben dies geheim
under wraps. gehalten.
In a nutshell? In aller Krze?
Mit ein paar wenigen Worten?
Theyre all the rage right now. Sie sind jetzt der letzte Schrei.
Its not going to fly. US Es wird kein Renner sein.
It doesnt blow me away. Es reit mich nicht vom
Hocker.
Well deliver the goods. Wir werden liefern.
Well start from scratch. Wir werden ganz von vorne
anfangen.
We can have it up and running Wir knnen es in einem Monat
in a month. komplett fertig haben.
Idioms for projects
Everythings on track. Es verluft alles nach Plan.
Itll never get off the ground. Es wird sich nie realisieren
lassen.
Is there anything else in Ist noch irgendetwas in
the pipeline? Vorbereitung?
Understanding
Are we all on the same page? Meinen wir wirklich alle das
US Gleiche?
Sorry, I cant make head or Es tut mir leid, daraus werde
tail of it. ich nicht schlau.
I think its time for a reality check. Ich denke, es ist an der Zeit,
den Tatsachen ins Auge zu
blicken.
KEY IDIOMS
KEY IDIOMS
BusinessSpotlight 10
day off freier Tag
fancy sth. UK Lust auf etw.
haben
spare time Freizeit
I could eat a horse!
Food for thought
The lunch break
Mark and Joy offer to take
the customers to lunch.
Lee: I hate to say this, but
the proposal still sounds
half-baked to me.
Alex: Lets not jump the gun,
Lee. Give them time to ex-
plain.
Mark: Thanks. Should we
grab a bite to eat first?
Lee: Thats a great idea. I
could eat a horse.
Joy: Do you fancy Italian?
Theres a nice place
across the street.
Alex: Perfect!
Time for small talk
Joy and Mark get to know
the customers a little better.
Joy: So, Alex, what do you
do in your spare time?
Alex: Oh, I have to get away
from it all. I go camping.
Mark: What about you, Lee?
Lee: Well, Im a real couch
potato. On my days off, I
like to just soak up the
sun at the beach.
H
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a
Food for thought refers
to a subject that is worth
considering. We intu-
itively believe that the
mind works on complex
ideas much like the
stomach digests a meal.
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From the dialogue
The proposal still sounds Der Vorschlag hrt sich noch
half-baked. immer unausgegoren an.
Lets not jump the gun. Lass uns nicht voreilig
handeln.
Should we grab a bite to eat? Sollen wir schnell eine
Kleinigkeit essen?
I could eat a horse. Ich knnte einen halben
Ochsen essen.
I have to get away from it all. Ich muss mal abschalten.
Im a real couch potato. Ich bin ein echter Stuben-
hocker.
I like to just soak up the sun. Ich mchte einfach die Sonne
genieen.
Food idioms
Youve given me some Sie haben mir Stoff zum
food for thought. Nachdenken / einen Denk-
ansto gegeben.
Theres no such thing as Man bekommt im Leben nichts
a free lunch. geschenkt.
Id take his advice with a pinch Ich wrde seinen Rat mit
(grain) of salt. Vorsicht genieen.
Are you nuts? Bist du verrckt?
Sports and free time
Shes skating on thin ice. Sie bewegt sich auf dnnem
Eis.
My hotel was off the beaten track. Mein Hotel lag abseits.
I need to recharge my batteries. Ich muss neue Krfte tanken.
KEY IDIOMS
KEY IDIOMS
discount Preisnachlass
dotted line gestrichelte
Linie
hourly rate Stundensatz
If something is a
win-win situa-
tion, then every-
one will benefit
from it in some
way. There are
no losers.
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Theyre dragging
their feet
A win-win situation?
The discussion
Mark and Joy still havent got
the agreement they want.
Mark: Lee, I understand youre
having second thoughts.
Lee: Well, we need to discuss a
few things in more detail. We
dont exactly see eye to eye
on everything.
Joy: Tell us what you need.
Were all ears.
Alex: Off the top of my head, Id
say a bigger discount on the
hourly rate.
The agreement
An hour later, Alex and Lee
are convinced.
Alex: OK, I like your sug-
gestions. Were on board.
Joy: Fantastic! So, can we
set the wheels in motion?
Lee: Well have to run it
past our boss before we
can sign on the dotted
line. But that shouldnt
be a problem.
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From the dialogue
Youre having second thoughts. Sie haben Zweifel.
We dont exactly see eye to eye. Wir sind nicht ganz einer
Meinung.
Were all ears. Wir sind ganz Ohr.
Off the top of my head... Ohne lange nachzudenken ...
Were on board. Wir sind dabei.
Can we set the wheels in motion? Knnen wir die Dinge ins Rollen
bringen?
Well have to run it past our boss. Wir brauchen noch die
Zustimmung unseres Chefs /
unserer Chefin.
We can sign on the dotted line. Wir knnen formell zustimmen.
Agreeing and disagreeing
We can meet you halfway. Wir knnen Ihnen auf halbem
Weg entgegenkommen.
Its a bit of a sticking point. Das ist ein leicht kontroverser
Punkt.
Its a win-win situation. Jeder hat etwas davon.
More body idioms
On the one hand..., on the Einerseits ..., andererseits ...
other hand...
Theyre dragging their feet. Sie lassen die Sache schleifen.
Weve had a change of heart. Wir haben es uns anders berlegt.
Lets play it by ear. Lass uns spontan entscheiden.
KEY IDIOMS
KEY IDIOMS
care for sth. Lust auf etw.
haben
estimate schtzen
too good to be true zu schn, um
wahr zu sein
Were not made
of money
Make a killing
Getting financing
Mark is talking to Ruth
Wilkins, head of finance.
Mark: I tell you, Ruth, Busy-
body is fabulous. Its a li-
cence to print money.
Joy: How much will this set
us back?
Mark: Well, we estimate that
itll be to the tune of
100,000.
Ruth: Mark, were not made
of money.
Mark: I know, but our clients
will cough up half.
A successful deal
Finally, Mark and Joy celebrate
their success.
Joy: Done! Can you believe it?
Mark: Its too good to be true.
Were running with the big
dogs now.
Joy: We have to celebrate. Care
for a drink at the pub?
Mark: But of course! Its a red-
letter day, for sure.
S
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Although kill sounds
negative, to make a
killing refers to making
a large amount of money
and a healthy profit.
Also, a killer app is a
software application that
is so valuable that users
feel they must have it.
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From the dialogue
Its a licence to print money. Es ist ein Bombengeschft.
How much will this set us back? Um wie viel wird uns das
rmer machen?
We estimate (that) itll be to the Wir schtzen, es wird in Hhe
tune of 100,000. von 100.000 sein.
Were not made of money. Wir sind doch nicht Krsus.
Our clients will cough up half. Unsere Kunden werden die
Hlfte rausrcken.
Were running with the big Wir mischen jetzt ganz oben
dogs now. mit.
Its a red-letter day, for sure. Das ist sicherlich ein ganz
besonderer Tag.
Money idioms __________
He made a killing with his Seine Investition hat ihn sehr
investment. reich gemacht.
Show me the money. Genug geredet. Wie viel kriege
ich dafr?
Theyre rolling in dough. Sie schwimmen in Geld.
Weve hit the jackpot. Wir haben das groe Los
gezogen.
Idioms for success
The skys the limit. Nach oben sind keine Grenzen
gesetzt.
Well take the market by storm. Wir werden den Markt im
Sturm erobern.
This company is going places. Diese Firma wird es zu etwas
bringen.
KEY IDIOMS
KEY IDIOMS
exhausting anstrengend
get comfy ifml. es sich gemt-
lich machen
summarize sth. etw. zusammen-
fassen
Shes pleased
as Punch!
At the end of the day
Leaving the office
Joy and Mark get ready to
leave the office.
Joy: Lets call it a day, Mark.
The pubs waiting.
Mark: Id like to wrap this up
first. Im almost done.
Joy: An email to Alex and
Lee? Are you afraid that
well lose our window of
opportunity?
Mark: Yes. I cant get it out
of my mind. Im summar-
izing what was agreed.
Home at last
Joy arrives at home to talk to
Zack.
Zack: Hi, Joy. How was your
day?
Joy: Well, long story short
it was exhausting, but we
closed the Busybody deal!
I cant believe were home
and dry.
Zack: Well done. You must
be pleased as Punch!
Shall we go out?
Joy: Can we just get comfy
and open a bottle of red?
Im brain-dead.
Stockbyte
signals that we have
reached a conclusion after
considering all the alter-
natives. But be careful!
This idiom is an example
of business jargon, which
many people dislike.
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From the dialogue
Lets call it a day. Machen wir Schluss fr heute.
Id like to wrap this up. Ich mchte dies festmachen.
Well lose our window of Wir verpassen unsere
opportunity. einmalige Gelegenheit.
I cant get it out of my mind. Das geht mir nicht aus dem
Kopf.
Well, (to make a) long story short... Nun, um es kurz zu machen...
I cant believe were home Ich kann es nicht glauben,
and dry. UK dass wir es geschafft haben.
You must be (as) pleased as Punch! Du musst dich freuen wie ein
Schneeknig! (Mr Punch =
eine englische Kasperlpuppe)
Im brain-dead. Ich bin vllig fertig.
Idioms for emotions
At the end of the day, it Schlielich ist alles doch
all worked out. gut gegangen.
Shes walking on air. Sie fhlt sich wie im siebten
Himmel.
My gut feeling tells me Mein Bauchgefhl sagt mir,
that hes wrong. dass er falsch liegt.
Home and property
The talks took place behind Die Gesprche fanden hinter
closed doors. verschlossenen Tren statt.
Roger hit the roof when Roger ist an die Decke ge-
he found out. gangen, als er dahinterkam.
Sues remark hit close to home. Sues Bemerkung hat den
Nagel auf den Kopf getroffen.
KEY IDIOMS
KEY IDIOMS
Put it to the test
Put it to the test
How well do you know the idioms
presented in this booklet? Find out by
doing our test.
i
S
t
o
c
k
A wake-up call
1. Youre ___________ it a bit fine. Its already 8.30.
a) catching b) calculating c) cutting
2. Can you bring me up to ___________?
a) speed b) ride c) step
All in a days work
3. Who can do the ___________ on the presentation?
a) heavy lifting b) weightlifting c) deadlifting
4. Weve been working ___________ out this week.
a) full b) flat c) high
On track
5. Can you have it up and ___________ in a month?
a) running b) jogging c) coming
6. What else is in the ___________?
a) wire b) tube c) pipeline
Food for thought
7. Shall we grab a ___________ to eat first?
a) bite b) horse c) potato
8. I need to ___________ my batteries.
a) recharge b) load c) fill
A win-win situation?
9. Off the top of my ___________, Id say it cost about 5,000.
a) mind b) head c) brain
10. Have you had a change of ___________?
a) heart b) body c) head
Make a killing
11. Theyll be able to ___________ up about half the money.
a) spit b) cough c) sneeze
12. Theyre rolling in ___________.
a) pastry b) bread c) dough
13. Act now or we could lose our ___________ of opportunity.
a) house b) window c) door
14. Shell hit the ___________ when she finds out.
a) ceiling
b) top
c) roof
If you put something to the test,
you do something to find out how
strong or effective it is. As you do
this test, try to remember the
meaning of the chapter titles. Put
your knowledge to the test!
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Answers
1c; 2a; 3a; 4b; 5a; 6c; 7a; 8a;
9b; 10a; 11b; 12c; 13b; 14c
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Brazil

Spending on care for the old in OECD

TRANSLATION LANGUAGE TEST

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The verbs culture and cultivate are used to talk about

We use cultivate to refer to the growing of plants or to

If you cultivate a friendship, you try hard to develop a re-

If you cultivate a business you try hard to make a suc-

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