Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Note de Seminar HORTI-ID I (Sem I)
Note de Seminar HORTI-ID I (Sem I)
ANUL I
Note de seminar
- Semestrul I -
Bucureşti
2018
LIMBA ENGLEZĂ
Unit 1
HOW DO YOU DO?
Introducing oneself
1. Watch a short film about how to introduce yourself in English and write down the type of
information you should give when you meet someone:
A) ______________________________
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B) ______________________________
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C) ______________________________
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2. Read the following text and identify the parts described in the presentation you have watched:
My name is Doina Popescu and I am 26 years old. I live in Bucharest, the city where I
was born. At present I am a student of the Faculty of Horticulture at the University of
Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine in my hometown. I also work in a horticultural
company. I like my job very much and I intend to stay there after graduation.
I often work for 8-10 hours a day at the office, and I also have to study hard to become a
good specialist. There are many courses and new subjects such as Agrometeorology,
Biochemistry, Botany, Ecology, Physiology, Plant Pathology, Topography, Soil Science, Quality
Management and many others. It is not always very easy for me but the teaching staff is
understanding and very helpful.
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Over the weekends my programme is less busy and I even have a few hours for myself
and my hobbies. What I love most is to spend my spare time in my kitchen garden where I grow
potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, onion, lettuce, cucumbers and some herbs (basil, dill, parsley,
thyme). I have also got two apple-trees and a nut-tree in front of the house, and a wonderful
flower garden. Nobody else grows such beautiful carnations and roses, lilies and tulips.
There is always plenty to do in my garden but I do not mind. I really enjoy taking care of
all kinds of plants and I know that my experience and the knowledge I will acquire during my
studies will help me become a respected horticulturist.
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4. When you first meet someone it can be difficult to know how to start a conversation,
especially if your first language is not English. Here are some topics that are safe for small talk:
- Introductions, e.g. ‘Hello. May I introduce myself? My name is ...’
- Travel, e.g. ‘Did you manage to find here OK?’ or ‘Did you have a good journey?’
- Hospitality, e.g. ‘Can I get you something to eat or drink?’
- Business, e.g. ‘How's your business going?’
- Studies, e.g. ‘What are you studying?’
- Work, e.g. ‘What sort of work do you do?’
- General news, e.g. ‘What do you think about the recent snowstorms on the East Coast?’
(it is safer to avoid gossip and politics)
- General matters about the person you are talking to, e.g. ‘How long have you lived in
this area/city?’
- General matters on subjects that you know that interests the person you are talking to,
e.g. films, music, television programmes, cars, etc.
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- Sport, e.g. ‘Have you been watching Wimbledon?’ (in Britain people enjoy talking
about football)
- Hobbies, e.g. ‘What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?’
- Food, e.g. ‘I had a lovely Italian meal last night - do you like Italian food?’
- Nature, e.g. ‘Your garden looks very nice. Your surely love gardening, don't you?’
- The weather, e.g. ‘It's a lovely day today, isn't it?’
You should be careful when you talk about some topics, especially with people that
you've only just met, people who are older than you, people who appear to have strong religious
or political views, or people who may have some personal problems or sensitivities. Most of the
times it is better to avoid these subjects:
- Age, e.g. ‘How old are you?’
- Appearance or weight, e.g. ‘You seem to have put on some weight lately.’
- Personal gossip about somebody you know, e.g. ‘Have you heard about Jackie? She
seems to like John.’
- Jokes that might offend (especially sexist or racist jokes)
- Money, e.g. ‘How much do you earn?’
- Previous or current relationships, e.g. ‘Do you have a girlfriend?’
- Politics, e.g. ‘Who did you vote for at the last election?’
- Religion, e.g. ‘Do you believe in God?’
- Criticisms or complaints, e.g. ‘Why is food in this restaurant so spicy?’
Spelling
5. How do you spell that? In English, learning to write words by pronouncing letters in the right
order helps us avoid embarrassing situations.
Revise the English alphabet and practise spelling your name, your colleagues’ names, and
difficult words.
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Letter Pronunciation
A Ei
B Bii
C Sii
D Dii
E Ii
F Ef
G Djii
H Eitch
I ai
J jei
K kei
L el
M em
N en
O ău
P pii
Q kiuu
R aa - Br. Engl.; ar - Am. Engl.
S es
T tii
U iuu
V vii
W dabl iuu
X ecs
Y uai
Z zed - Br. Engl.; zii - Am. Engl.
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IMPORTANT NOTE! Americans usually pronounce the letter ‘r’ by rolling their tongue back
and pressing it to the roof of their mouths whereas most British people don’t pronounce the letter
‘r’ at the end of words and in the middle of many words.
6. What’s your name? Could you spell that? Write down the names that you hear.
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7. Listen to the dialogue and fill in the gaps with the right words, paying attention to the visitor’s
name:
- Good morning. I’m here to see John Heath.
- What’s your name, please?
- It’s ………………………
- How do you spell that?
- My first name’s ………………………
- And your last name?
- ………………………, that’s ………………………
- And what company are you with?
- I work for …………………… Technologies.
- ………………………?
- That’s right.
- Thank you. Please have a seat.
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8. Also, there are situations when you need to spell out your e-mail address or websites. You
may need to use the following words:
at dot hyphen one word
underscore slash backslash colon
Listen to a phone call and correct the e-mail address, explaining the mistakes:
g_barlow@bqe.com
NOTES
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Unit 2
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING?
2. How many job names can you list in two minutes? (Work with a colleague.)
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3. Can you list some of the jobs that have disappeared or are no longer appealing on the job
market? Any jobs that have been created recently?
OBSOLETE/DISAPPEARING JOBS RECENTLY CREATED JOBS
What is Horticulture?
4. Watch the video presentation and answer the questions below:
- What is horticulture?
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What are the purposes of growing intensively produced plants?
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Name some jobs that are typical for the field of horticulture.
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Why do you think horticulture is considered art, science, technology and business altogether?
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5. The graduates of the Faculty of Horticulture will basically work in one of these areas of
specialism:
1) HORTICULTURIST
A horticulturist relies on a wealth of scientific learning in order to cultivate and propagate plants,
and studies the life cycle of plants and the potential enemies and diseases of plant life.
Duties and tasks
- to create designated outdoor displays, plant arrangement, landscaping and layouts;
- to offer pruning, fertilizing, watering and tending to annuals and perennials;
- to operate tools and machines for the proper care of plants and soil;
- to breed plants in order to create disease resistant species and hybrid plant species;
- to use computer modeling and analysis tools for the purposes of discovering yield outcomes
and longevity;
- to review the research of less experienced horticulturists and of the literature related to best
practices and the most recent discoveries relevant to the industry;
- to issue reports on the environment, measure the metrics of agricultural and forest areas on a
regular basis;
- to work in collaboration with other professionals in the industry on long-term projects and
management plans;
- to assess bush and forests for rehabilitation and information gathering or for approving
insecticides, silvicides, and herbicides for use in the forest, nursery, or greenhouse;
- to communicate with the general public, government departments, and clients.
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2) HORTICULTURAL MANAGER
This specialist directly supervises and coordinates the activities of horticultural workers. They
are generally found in smaller establishments where they perform both supervisory and
management functions, such as accounting, marketing, and personnel work, and may also engage
in the same horticultural work as the workers they supervise.
Duties and tasks
- to assign workers to duties, such as cultivation, harvesting, maintenance, grading and packing
products, or altering greenhouse environmental conditions;
- to estimate work-hour requirements to plant, cultivate, or harvest, and prepares work schedule;
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- to report conditions, plan planting and harvesting schedules, and to discuss changes in fertilizer,
herbicides, or cultivating techniques;
- to drive and operate heavy machinery, such as dump truck, tractor, or growth-media tiller, to
transport materials and supplies;
- to maintain records of employees' hours worked, and work completed;
- to prepare and submit written or oral reports of personnel actions, such as performance
evaluations, hires, promotions, and discipline;
- to trains employees in horticultural techniques, such as transplanting and weeding, shearing and
harvesting trees, and grading and packing flowers;
- to inspect facilities and to determine maintenance needs, such as malfunctioning
environmental-control system, clogged sprinklers, or missing glass panes in greenhouse;
- to observe plants, flowers, shrubs, and trees in greenhouses, cold frames, or fields to ascertain
condition.
Activities
- identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and
detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems
or defects.
- estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials
needed to perform a work activity.
- monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or
assess problems.
- getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
- providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and
monitoring performance.
- assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
- identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down
information or data into separate parts.
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3) HORTICULTURAL CONSULTANT
A horticultural consultant advises a range of commercial businesses and public sector
organisations on aspects relating to the development and maintenance of their crops, parklands
and other public spaces such as gardens. As well as technical advice, the role may involve
business consultancy on issues regarding the successful development of products and resources,
and on finding effective solutions to problems.
Clients may include:
- farmers;
- commercial growers specialising in protected growing and field crops, or flowers. plant and
tree nurseries;
- leisure and conservation organisations or public bodies involved in the restoration, operation
and maintenance of parks;
- botanical and public gardens and other public spaces.
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The following subjects are considered the most relevant for this career:
- agriculture;
- agricultural engineering;
- crop and plant science;
- environmental science;
- horticulture;
- soil science.
4) LANDSCAPE DESIGNER
A landscape designer enjoys and understands the merging of art and science into a display of
beauty that melds the buildings and technology with nature. Sometimes the job is referred to as
"garden design" positions. They are virtually identical to landscape designer jobs.
Similarly, the landscape designer and landscape architect titles used interchangeably, but
there are a few differences. Overall, however, these jobs are very similar and the title sometimes
comes down to the licensure laws of a state.
Duties and tasks
- to use creativity and the beauty of nature to create a harmonious, aesthetically pleasing and
functional area (areas may include personal lawns, parks, highways, walkways, etc.);
- to plan the finished product, tying in new features with current ones by sketching it to scale (the
drawings will be very detailed, down to the window and door placement on the buildings);
- to communicate well both with clients and other types of workers (contractors, supervisors,
etc.) on the landscaping team;
- to research topics such as plants and their ability to survive in an area, guidelines and codes;
- to make public presentations when necessary to discuss the project, complete with charts,
sketches, etc.;
- to review plans, proposed change,s and any other necessary documents;
- to oversee progression of the project to ensure that it is going as planned;
- to keep records, including everything from correspondence to reports.
Skills and education
The specialist needs an understanding of art, including color theory, texture, balance, proportion,
and more. S/he also needs a strong background in horticulture so that you understand which
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plants will work where, and why they will thrive there. S/he needs to be creative, yet unafraid of
working with your hands and collecting research. In addition, s/he needs:
- surveying experience and equipment knowledge;
- a basic knowledge of how much the materials and labour will cost;
- knowledge of how ecological conditions can affect a proposed design;
- inspection knowledge and experience;
- an understanding of the laws and codes you will have to abide by in specific areas;
- raw talent for sketching and drawing: though you will use a computer program for some plans,
you should still be able to create realistic drawings by hand.
5) HORTICULTURAL THERAPIST
A horticultural therapist focuses on improving lives by combining gardening activities with
social services to help their clients with physical and mental health issues. S/he typically
completes a bachelor's degree in horticultural therapy to prepare for this career.
A relatively new field, horticultural therapy combines gardening and social services to improve
the lives of people with physical and mental health problems. Requiring horticulture and social
science skills, horticultural therapists may work with people from all walks of life. While there
are no specific education requirements, most horticultural therapists have either a certificate or a
bachelor's degree in horticultural therapy or a related field.
Horticultural therapists can work in a wide variety of settings, such as rehabilitation centers,
hospitals, schools, community gardens, retirement centers, and correctional facilities. They often
collaborate with health care practitioners and mental health experts to help clients reach
therapeutic and vocational goals. Through the use of gardening and plant-cultivation activities,
therapists assist clients in fostering a more positive attitude and sense of accomplishment. They
can also help improve patients' strength and balance as well as relieve their stress. Therapists
may also design gardens for health care facilities or other organizations.
Duties and tasks
- to work with small groups of people or with individuals on a one-to-one basis (typically, it
takes three hours planning and evaluating work, and five hours working directly with clients to
enable them to access horticulture as a therapeutic medium);
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- to liaise with external statutory and voluntary services to provide a multidisciplinary, person-
centred approach;
- to use assessment methods and outcome measurement in order to record, monitor and evaluate
individual achievements, which may include making initial assessments, planning daily tasks and
supporting individuals, often using a diary system;
- to carry out regular one-to-one appraisals, updates and reviews;
- to maintain daily records, including job sheets, time sheets, and individual portfolios of
evidence of work;
- to advise on equipment and techniques to enable disabled people to access horticulture;
- to design and implement person-centred horticultural programmes for people of all ages with
disabilities;
- to ensure activities match the content of nationally-recognised awards;
- to plan each day's work with individuals;
- to set tasks according to the physical and mental needs and abilities of individuals;
- to teach individuals horticultural tasks such as sowing seeds, setting out plants, planting out,
lawn mowing, soil preparation and pruning;
- to educate clients to use tools and materials safely;
- to help individuals record their activities and achievements by writing simple summaries or
drawing pictures;
- to interact with individuals to develop confidence and self-esteem through their work;
- to assist individuals to improve their social and practical horticulture skills;
- to encourage individuals to gain pleasure from land use;
- to closely observe individuals and to monitor their progress;
- to assess the effectiveness of individual programmes;
- to adjust activities and make them more effective;
- to take part in discussions with other professionals, such as social workers and psychologists;
- to carry out research on the effectiveness of horticultural therapy, often in cooperation with
academics;
- to manage staff and volunteers;
- to devise and coordinate activity programmes, and monitor budgets;
- to raise funds and draw up detailed proposals for developing projects;
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Specialist English
6. International English
a) What is the Romanian equivalent of the following words:
battery computer horticulturist manual passport
radio robot rugby taxi video
Write down as many international words as you can think of:
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How many other similar words can you list in 2 minutes? (Work with a colleague.)
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- better syntax:
Place your fingers around the stem of the plant and turn the pot upside down. Pinch the bottom
of the pot if possible or tap it gently to encourage the plant to fall out into your hand. If the plant
has been left in the pot too long, it may become pot bound and won’t budge. In this case, get a
long dull bread and butter knife and run it around the inside of the pot to dislodge the roots
attached to the pot then repeat the first step. It is important to keep much of the soil around the
roots as it contains many of the good bacteria needed by the plants to make a safe transition to
the garden. Seedlings do not like being out of the ground for more than 10-15 minutes, so keep
the root ball wet at all times and get the plants in the ground as quickly as possible.
- better syntax and clear style:
Place your fingers around the stem of the plant.
Turn the pot upside down.
Pinch or gently tap the bottom of the pot to encourage the plant to fall out into your hand.
If the plant is pot bound, run a long dull bread and butter knife around the inside of the pot to
dislodge the attached roots.
Repeat the first step.
Keep much of the soil around the roots (it contains many of the good bacteria needed by the
plants to make a safe transition to the garden).
Keep the root ball wet at all times.
Get the plants in the ground as quickly as possible (seedlings do not like being out of the ground
for more than 10-15 minutes).
Which one is the easiest to read? Why?
b) There are several rules that must be observed when using Specialist English:
1. Do not use words that belong to the conversational style.
2. Avoid complicated words and unnecessary details, ambiguities and approximations.
3. Keep to one topic per one sentence.
4. Put sentences in a logical sequence of meaning, preferably underneath one another.
5. Keep sentences as short as possible (about 25 words or even less in one sentence).
All these rules result in several advantages: the text is faster to read and you get your message
across more often, more easily and in a friendlier way.
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NOTES
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