Key of Post-reading Activities

Chapter 1: Written and Spoken Communication in the Workplace

I. Differences between Spoken and Written Communication

Read the spoken text and develop the written version of the text.

Spoken
So you’re thinking of investing in Hong Kong? It’s a good time to invest as worldwide corporate
taxes are being lowered…Um there is a drawback though…lower corporate taxes mean that
governments may want to cover costs by increasing revenues and introducing changes in
companies’ compliance, and accounting standards seem to be on the cards. We’ve done an
interesting survey looking at the relationship between tax authorities and business. We believe
you’ll find the findings useful…

Remarks:
Characteristics of spoken language
- Use of deixis (i.e. reference by means of an expression whose interpretation is relative to
the extralinguistic context of the utterance)
For example, in the sentence I want her to come here now, the words I, here, her, and
now are deictic because the determination of their referents depends on who says that
sentence, and where, when, and of whom it is said.
e.g. Person deixis concerns the persons involved in an utterance (i.e. speaker,
addressee…..), usually realised by pronouns.
e.g. Place/spatial deixis concerns itself with the spatial locations relevant to an utterance,
relative to the location of the speaker (i.e. here, there, this, that).
e.g. Time deixis concerns itself with the various times involved in and referred to in an
utterance (i.e. time adverbials like now, then, soon).

- High incidence of first and second personal pronouns (e.g. you and we)
- More frequent use of active voice
- Frequent occurrence of interrogatives and imperatives (e.g. so you’re thinking of
investing in China?)
- Use of phonological contractions (e.g. It’s; they’re; you’ll)
- Spontaneity phenomena (e.g. repetitions, pauses, fillers, false starts, hesitations,
incomplete sentences, overlap, interruptions)
- Use of informal diction (e.g. slang, jargon, colloquial phrases) (e.g. on the cards)
- Frequent occurrence of discourse markers at the beginning or end of tone groups (e.g.
okay, now, so, right)
- Low lexical density (lexically spare)
No of separate words X100
- Total number of words in the text
- Less frequent use of nominalisations
- References to the writer’s mental process and statements that monitor the flow of
information (e.g. I guess, I think, you know)
- Use of body language for non-verbal communication

1
 Characteristics of written language
- Long length in average (e.g. second sentence)
- High lexical density (lexically dense)
- Wide range and more specific vocabulary
- More frequent use of passive voice
- More frequent use of nominalisations
- Complex relations of coordination and subordination
- High incidence of attributive adjectives vs ‘predicative adjectives: ‘happy person’;
‘hungry children’ vs ‘He is happy’; ‘She is hungry’
- Longer information units
- Use of punctuation, layout/format

Please note:
- It is important not to think of spoken and written language as completely distinct.
- The differences listed above are generalisations and should be not seen as rules.
- Some spoken texts might have characteristics associated with written texts and vice
versa.
- It is more useful to think of a language continuum with naturally occurring conversations
at one end and very formally written genres at the other.
- Conversations <-----------> legal documents
In between these two extremes fall other discourse types

II. Change the following texts into natural spoken language and then deliver a presentation.
You can make up the context of the presentation (i.e. your role, audience, setting). Present
the findings and then add some suggestions at the end.

Text 1
The impact of the time of day on staff performance
The topic concerns the impact of the time of day on the performance of office staff. A study was
conducted examining staff performance over a complete working day from 9:00am-5:30pm
using CCTV. The results of this study are presented in three time periods: morning from 8:00am-
11:00am, middle of the day from 11:00am-2:00pm, and afternoon from 2:00pm-6:00pm. This is
followed by some conclusions and recommendations.
Morning (8:00am-11:00am)
This was found to be the most productive part of the day for 60% of the staff, for 30% there was
no discernible difference between this time and the afternoons, and for the remaining 10% there
was a markedly poorer performance for the first part of the day. Attention span in particular
seemed to be longer, and the majority of the staff were less likely to seek distractions.

Text 2
Customer Type
This study examines a broad range of customer types in the retail sector. One of the objectives is
to determine the consumption behaviour of major customer groups in order to develop
corresponding marketing strategies. This report outlines the major customer types, their

2
consumption habits, and available marketing tools.
Major types
A detailed analysis of customers buying our products was conducted. The following three types
are identified. The first is aged between 45 and 60, normally women who shop during the week
and have relatively low consumption power. The second is mainly women aged between 30 and
45; this group was found to shop during lunch hours and during weekends. They were principally
interested in product availability; price was less important. The final group is made up of young
people in the age range of 15 and 20, who have low consumption power but are extremely
fashion conscious.

Some Suggestions:
1. Think about how to seek attention, shock the audience or make the audience think in the
introduction
2. Use active voice
3. Cleft sentence structures can be used (e.g. What they are concerned about are…..).
4. Avoid nominalisation (e.g. Attention span in particular seemed to be longer they tended
to pay more attention …..)
5. Simple and informal words (e.g. ‘clear/obvious’ instead of ‘discernible; ‘much’ poorer
instead of ‘markedly’ poorer)
6. Use of personal pronouns
7. Incomplete sentences
8. Shorter sentences (e.g. avoid ‘who’….)

3
 Chapter 2: Features of Business Communication

I. Read the following sentences and remove unnecessary words.

1. The two centres will merge together next month.
The two centres will merge next month. (delete together)

2. Please refer back to my investigation report on the incident…

Please refer to my investigation report on the incident. (delete back)

3. The management would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our marketing department
team on the HKMA award.
The management congratulates our marketing department team on the HKMA award. (delete
would like to take this opportunity to)

4. I am writing to tell you that your account shows a balance of $5888.50.

Your account shows a balance of $5888.50. (only starting with I am writing to tell you that at the
beginning of a letter/an email).

5. The Board came to the decision to approve the proposal by a majority of 9 to 3.

The committee approved the proposal by a majority of 9 to 3. (delete came to the decision to
approve)

II. Read the following sentences and rewrite them to make them more concise and the
meaning clearer.
1. Let me repeat again, at this moment in time, it is the customary practice of this company to
place an emphasis on team spirit.
Let me repeat that it is the practice of this company to emphasize team spirit.

Remarks: There can be other possible ways to express the same meaning but if we mainly
want to avoid tautology, the following redundant words should be deleted:
- repeat again (delete again)
- customary practice (delete customary)
- place an emphasis on (avoid nominalisation and use the verb emphasize)

2. I am afraid I am not in a position to grant your request unless you inform me of the reason
why you need the information.
I can approve your request if you explain why you need the information.

Remarks:
1. Delete the redundant words as follows:

4
 - I am afraid (delete it)
- I am not in a position to (use cannot)
- inform me of the reason (use explain)
2. Use a positive way to present the same meaning (i.e. can, not cannot).

3. If there is anything you require explanation or further particulars, we shall be glad to furnish
such additional details as may be required by telephone.
If you have any questions, please phone.

Remarks: Only 7 words in this concise version.

4. It is important that you shall read the notes, advice and information detailed opposite then
complete the form overleaf (all sections) prior to its immediate return to the University by way of
the envelope provided.
Please read the notes opposite before you fill in the form. Then send it back to us as soon as
possible in the envelope provided.

Remarks:
1. Start with Please when giving instructions.
2. Use the notes which can save other words like advice and information.
3. Use another short sentence to express the same meaning instead of using then complete the
form overleaf (all sections) prior to its immediate return to the University by way of the
envelope provided.

III. Use parallelism to rewrite the following sentences.

1. The new online system has improved response time, the number of mistakes has been reduced
and there seems to be fewer complaints as a result.
The new ordering system has improved response time, reduced the number of errors, and made
the customers happier as a result.

2. The benefits of the new procedures are:

• they will save time by removing unnecessary administration
• participants will get a faster response to their enquiries
• more effective records of communication with clients
• ensuring greater transparency in transactions.

Remarks: This version makes the meaning clearer by having the same structure (verb+object) at
the start of each line.
The new procedures will:
• save time by removing unnecessary administration

5
 • produce a faster response to their enquiries
• provide more effective records of communication with clients
• ensure greater transparency in transactions.

IV. Rewrite the two email messages below to demonstrate your understanding of the
features of business/workplace communication.
(a)
To : All Full-time Staff
From : Senior Manager (CS)
Date : 21 May 2017

2017/2018 Campus Carparking Permit for Full-time Staff

I would like to inform you that the validity of 2016/2017 campus carparking permits (Class A
Permit) is going to expire at the end of August 2017 and renewal of new carparking permit
will be open for application from 9:00 am on Tuesday, 5 June 2017.

Please note that, as in previous years, application by full-time staff members including those
of College of Lifelong Education Ltd. (CLE) is required to be made on-line via accessing the
website [Link] Application through submission of hard
copy of the application form will normally not be accepted, unless there is strong justification
for doing so.

For verification purposes, new applicant is requested to scan the following documents and
upload the soft copies by logging into his/her account via this online application system:

a. Copy of the Hong Kong Vehicle Registration Document (both sides) and marriage
certificate if the vehicle is registered with the Government Transport Department in spouse’s
name;
b. Copy of the Insurance Policy for the vehicle;
c. Copy of the applicant’s driving licence; and
d. Copy of staff ID card.

Your full cooperation is much appreciated as failure to submit all these documents on time
may cause delay in processing your application.

For renewal application, please update any previously provided information and then provide
us of the relevant supporting documents by similarly scanning and uploading it via the online
application system for verification at your earliest convenience.
Please note that application for Class A Permit, as in previous years, will be processed
primarily on a first-come, first-served basis until the quota is full and that it is your
6
 responsibility to ensure all the information provided is true and correct as you have declared
in your online application. I suggest you also take a look of the Campus Traffic and Parking
Regulations which is available on our website prior to making the application.

Please also note that an amount of $2,000 per annum or $1,000 for half a year will be
deducted from the salary payment of successful applicant in August 2017 Payroll. However,
this auto-deduction facility is not available at the moment for staff members of CLE and,
therefore, they are requested to pay by sending cheques payable to “The Happy University”
to Campus Facilities Office, or sign an Authorisation Form for Deduction of Salary for
CarParking Permit and send it to Campus Facilities Office after making their application on-
line.

The form CFO CS20 can be downloaded from our website at

[Link] or can be obtained from Campus Facilities Office
(room AB001) or Campus Security Control Centre (room B112).

Special Permit for access via the second vehicular entrance at Happy Road during specified
period is also available for application by using the same payment method at the same time.
Associated charge is $1,000 per annum or $500 for half a year. Details are given in Campus
Traffic and Parking Regulations.

Please call XXX or XXX of our Office at telephone no. XXX and XXX, respectively, if you
have any queries.

XXX
Senior Manager
Campus Facilities Office
Adapted from an email message sent to all colleagues of a local university in Hong Kong
(b)
Suggested Version:
Application for 2017/2018 Campus Carparking Permit
Your 2016/2017 campus carparking permit (Class A Permit) is due to expire on 31 August
2017. Please apply for next year’s permit from 9:00 am on Tuesday, 5 June 2017.
 
Full-time staff members, including those of College of Lifelong Education Ltd. (CLE) are
required to apply online: [Link]

For new application:

Please also provide the following documents for verification in a week’s time after online

7
application (AB001: Campus Facilities Office):
a. The Hong Kong Vehicle Registration Document (both sides) and marriage certificate if
the vehicle is registered with the Government Transport Department in your spouse’s
name;
b. Insurance policy for the vehicle;
c. Driving licence;
d. Staff ID card;
e. Disabled person’s parking permit (if applicable)

For renewal application:

Please update information given and provide us with the hard copy accordingly.

Please note:
1. Application is processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
2. An amount of $2,000 per annum or $1,000 for half a year will be deducted from the
salary payment of successful applicants in August 2017 Payroll.
3. Auto-deduction facility is not available for staff members of CLE. Please (a) pay by
sending cheques payable to “The Happy University” to Campus Facilities Office, or
(b) send us the Authorisation Form for Deduction of Salary for CarParking Permit
after online application (the form is available here:
[Link] /our office: room AB001/Campus Security
Control Centre: B112).
4. Special Permit for access via the second vehicular entrance at Happy Road during the
specified period is also available for application. It costs $1,000 per annum or $500 for
half a year.

Please read the Campus Traffic and Parking Regulations available on CFO website before
applying and make sure that information provided is accurate. Call XXX (phone number) or
XXX (phone number) of our Office if you have any queries. Thank you.

8
b.
From: Staff welfare office
To: All HappyU Staff

Dear Colleagues,

I write to inform you that on 23 May 2016 (Wednesday), staff of The Community Recycling Coop will
come to HappyU Campus to collect your used items including clothing, shoes, bags, electrical
appliances, housewares, bedding, decoration, stationery, books (except textbooks), non-pirated VCD,
DVD, CD, etc. The used items collected will then be sold to low-income families in Sham Shui Po at
very low prices.

Please support this very meaningful activity. Apart from helping the needy, your participation will also
help protecting the environment. For more information about The Community Recycling Coop, please
visit their website [Link]

The venue to collect such used items is the podium level outside the Convenience Shop & the HSBC
Bank. Please bring your used items between 12:00 - 18:00.
Thank you very much.

Happy University Staff Association

Adapted from an email message from Staff Association to all staff members of a local university in Hong Kong

Suggested Version:

Dear Colleagues,

The Community Recycling Coop (a subsidiary of Industrial Relations Institute) organised an activity to
collect used items for low-income families in Sham Shui Po. Please note the details below:
1. What?
Used items including clothes, shoes, bags, electrical appliances…..
2. Where?
Outside the Convenience Shop & HSBC Bank
3. When?
On 23 May 2016 (Wednesday) from 12:00 to 18:00
4. Why?
- Protect the environment
- Help the needy

For more information about The Community Recycling Coop, please visit the website:
[Link] Thank you very much.

9
 Chapter 3: Email and Emerging Social Media for
Different Communicative Purposes

I. Letter format
a. Put the following into a right form of business letter and divide the passage into different
paragraphs. Write down the letter in the spaces provided.

Marcus Pulu Club

Kathay Airline

7 November 2018–Ms Mable Chan, 9/F, 98B, Broadway Road, Mei Foo Sun Chuen.
Dear Sir or Madam, The little extras are best enjoyed with even more extras
As a member of The Marcus Pulu Club, you are invited to experience the new Club rooms in
Cherry Hotel, Beijing and Cherry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai with this exclusive offer. Enjoy a
one-way airport transfer with butler service, all in a Wi-Fi enabled limousine when you book a
Club room at any of the Cherry hotels from only RMB 2,300 per night. You’ll also receive
RMB500 food and beverage credit for use in any of the hotel restaurants and bars upon arrival
(excluding hard liquor and wine) and enjoy 60% off spa treatments. In addition, you’ll earn
Double Asian Miles TM. All these are on top of the other privileges Cherry Hotels Club room
guests receive. Please contact the hotel directly for more information or reservations. Your
faithfully, Mary Evans, Manager, The Marcus Pulu Club.
Adapted from a letter sent to the author of this book

Remarks:
Please refer to the correct version in b. The letter starts with a subject line indicating the
attractiveness of the offer (i.e. The little extras are best enjoyed with even more extras). There
are three paragraphs to follow:
1st paragraph: indicating the main idea of this message, which is to invite members to
experience the exclusive offer.
2nd paragraph: outlining details of the offer
3rd paragraph: closing the letter with contact information

10
b. Fill in the blanks to show your understanding of the different parts of a business letter.

Marcus Pulu
Kathay Airline
7 November 2018  Date

Ms Mable Chan  Name of the recipient

9/F 98B
Broadway Road  Recipient’s address
Mei Foo Sun Chuen

Dear Mable  Salutation

The little extras are best enjoyed with even more extras  Subject line

As a member of The Marcus Pulu Club, you are invited to experience the new Club rooms in
Cherry Hotel, Beijing and Cherry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai with this exclusive offer.

Enjoy a one-way airport transfer with butler service, all in a Wi-Fi enabled limousine when you
book a Club room at any of the Cherry hotels from only RMB 2,300 per night. You’ll also
receive RMB500 food and beverage credit for use in any of the hotel restaurants and bars upon
arrival (excluding hard liquor and wine) and enjoy 60% off spa treatments. In addition, you’ll
earn Double Asian Miles TM. All these are on top of the other privileges Cherry Hotels Club
room guests receive.

Please contact the hotel directly for more information or reservations.

Yours sincerely  Closing salutation

 Signature
Mary Evans  Name of the writer
Manager  Position or designation of the writer
The Marcus Pulu Club
ME: ho  initials reference (left: initials of the writer; right: initials of the typist)
Enclosure 1  enclosure
cc: Mr Henry Ho  carbon copy
PS (if any)  postscript

11
II. Five different letter layouts
Read the five different letter layouts and identify the features of each (i.e. the position of
different parts of the letter, format, style, etc.). Write down the name of each style.

Marcus Pulu
Kathay Airline

7 November 2018

Ms Mable Chan
9/F, 98B, Broadway Road
Mei Foo Sun Chuen

Dear Mable

Subject: The little extras are best enjoyed with even more extras

As a member of The Marcus Pulu Club, you are invited to experience the new Club rooms in
Cherry Hotel, Beijing and Cherry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai with this exclusive offer.

Enjoy a one-way airport transfer with butler service, all in a Wi-Fi enabled limousine when you
book a Club room at any of the Cherry hotels from only RMB 2,300 per night. You’ll also receive
RMB500 food and beverage credit for use in any of the hotel restaurants and bars upon arrival
(excluding hard liquor and wine) and enjoy 60% off spa treatments. In addition, you’ll earn
Double Asian Miles TM. All these are on top of the other privileges Cherry Hotels Club room
guests receive.

Please contact the hotel directly for more information or reservations.

Yours sincerely

Mary Evans
Manager
The Marcus Pulu Club
Letter layout 1: Full-blocked style: All parts of the letter starting on the left

12
 Marcus Pulu
Kathay Airline

7 November 2018

Ms Mable Chan
9/F, 98B, Broadway Road
Mei Foo Sun Chuen

Dear Mable

Subject: The little extras are best enjoyed with even more extras

As a member of The Marcus Pulu Club, you are invited to experience the new Club rooms in
Cherry Hotel, Beijing and Cherry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai with this exclusive offer.

Enjoy a one-way airport transfer with butler service, all in a Wi-Fi enabled limousine when you
book a Club room at any of the Cherry hotels from only RMB 2,300 per night. You’ll also receive
RMB500 food and beverage credit for use in any of the hotel restaurants and bars upon arrival
(excluding hard liquor and wine) and enjoy 60% off spa treatments. In addition, you’ll earn
Double Asian Miles TM. All these are on top of the other privileges Cherry Hotels Club room
guests receive.

Please contact the hotel directly for more information or reservations.

Yours sincerely

Mary Evans
Manager
The Marcus Pulu Club

Letter layout 2: Blocked style: Very similar to full-blocked style, closing phrase, signature,
writer’s name and designation start halfway across the page; date starts halfway across the page
or right justified; subject line centred or indented 5 or 10 spaces.

13
 Marcus Pulu
Kathay Airline

7 November 2018

Ms Mable Chan
9/F, 98B, Broadway Road
Mei Foo Sun Chuen

THE LITTLE EXTRAS ARE BEST ENJOYED WITH EVEN MORE EXTRAS

As a member of The Marcus Pulu Club, you are invited to experience the new Club rooms in
Cherry Hotel, Beijing and Cherry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai with this exclusive offer.

Enjoy a one-way airport transfer with butler service, all in a Wi-Fi enabled limousine when you
book a Club room at any of the Cherry hotels from only RMB 2,300 per night. You’ll also receive
RMB500 food and beverage credit for use in any of the hotel restaurants and bars upon arrival
(excluding hard liquor and wine) and enjoy 60% off spa treatments. In addition, you’ll earn
Double Asian Miles TM. All these are on top of the other privileges Cherry Hotels Club room
guests receive.

Please contact the hotel directly for more information or reservations.

MARY EVANS
Manager
The Marcus Pulu Club
Letter layout 3: Simplified style: No salutation or closing phrase; both the subject line and the
writer’s name are capitalized (the subject line does not use the word subject); lists are indented 5
spaces, not the case if they are numbered or lettered.

Marcus Pulu
Kathay Airline

14
 7 November 2018

Ms Mable Chan
9/F, 98B, Broadway Road
Mei Foo Sun Chuen

Dear Mable

Subject: The little extras are best enjoyed with even more extras

As a member of The Marcus Pulu Club, you are invited to experience the new Club rooms in
Cherry Hotel, Beijing and Cherry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai with this exclusive offer.

Enjoy a one-way airport transfer with butler service, all in a Wi-Fi enabled limousine when
you book a Club room at any of the Cherry hotels from only RMB 2,300 per night. You’ll also
receive RMB500 food and beverage credit for use in any of the hotel restaurants and bars upon
arrival (excluding hard liquor and wine) and enjoy 60% off spa treatments. In addition, you’ll earn
Double Asian Miles TM. All these are on top of the other privileges Cherry Hotels Club room
guests receive.

Please contact the hotel directly for more information or reservations.

Yours sincerely

Mary Evans
Manager
The Marcus Pulu Club
Letter layout 4: Semi-blocked style: Very similar to blocked style; every paragraph is indented 5
or 10 spaces; closing phrase, signature and writer’s name and designation begin halfway across
the page.

Marcus Pulu

15
 Kathay Airline

Ms Mable Chan 7 November 2018

9/F, 98B, Broadway Road
Mei Foo Sun Chuen

Dear Mable

Subject: The little extras are best enjoyed with even more extras

As a member of The Marcus Pulu Club, you are invited to experience the new Club rooms in
Cherry Hotel, Beijing and Cherry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai with this exclusive offer.

Enjoy a one-way airport transfer with butler service, all in a Wi-Fi enabled limousine when
you book a Club room at any of the Cherry hotels from only RMB 2,300 per night. You’ll also
receive RMB500 food and beverage credit for use in any of the hotel restaurants and bars upon
arrival (excluding hard liquor and wine) and enjoy 60% off spa treatments. In addition, you’ll earn
Double Asian Miles TM. All these are on top of the other privileges Cherry Hotels Club room
guests receive.

Please contact the hotel directly for more information or reservations.

Yours sincerely

Mary Evans
Manager
The Marcus Pulu Club cc: ME Senior Manager

Letter layout 5: Square-blocked style: Date is typed on the same line as the first line of the
recipient’s address, and is right justified; reference initials and enclosures are typed on the same
level as the writer’s name ending at the right margin.

16
III. What’s wrong?
Read the adapted business letter provided as follows. What’s wrong with the format/layout and
style? You may also need to reorder the paragraphs.

FreCham
The French Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong
1888 Bank of African Tower
18 French Road, Hong Kong

8.10. 2018

Enclosures TY: AW

cc: Ms Mable Chan

Subject: Membership Renewal

Dear Dr Bruce Hui,

Greetings from FreCham!

Members, old and new, are telling us that the Chamber has a special dynamism and they are
particularly impressed by our high-quality networking which is something we are also very
proud of. FreCham has enviable strength because our membership comes from such a broad
spectrum of national, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds.

Please note that your membership renewal is due by 1 October 2018. On behalf of the Chamber’s
leadership, I encourage you to continue supporting us and become even more involved with
FreCham activities. I am pleased to report that we have substantially strengthened our support of
individual members, their companies, and their business sectors. A few highlights:

 In the past 12 months members were able to join our wide variety of events - we have hosted over
500 committee seminars & events, about half of which were free to members.
 Our 40 committees boosted the number of members-only meetings and roundtables, including
frequent constructive discussions with HK government officials on business issues.
 Activities to maintain ties with China continue to increase substantially, including several business
delegations to China – the Beijing Doorknock visit with senior Chinese government officials in
February, Kunming Delegation in May, Shenzhen Delegation in July, and Zhongshan Delegation in
September.
 Our monthly business magazine – [Link] – continues to strengthen its coverage of Hong Kong,
China and other regional business and economic issues.

I am certain that your captioned membership will assist your personal, professional, and business
growth. If you renew your membership by the due date, you will receive a box of Belgium
chocolate for free! For more information about this special offer or questions about your
membership renewal, please do not hesitate to contact my colleagues Mable Chan at
XXXXXXXX or via email at mablechan@[Link] or Peter Li at XXXXXXXX or

17
peterli@[Link].

Yours Sincerely,

Andy Wong
Director of Membership

Attention Dr Bruce Hui

Director
ABC Company
12 Mongkok Road, Kowloon

P.S. Forgot to mention it, but there are a number of other benefits you can enjoy renewing
membership now. Please refer to the enclosure for more details.

Remarks:
1. The date should not be presented in numbers as this is ambiguous. It means October in
British English and August in American English.
2. In a letter, the date should be put before the salutation.
3. Attention line is no longer used. We use Dr Hui as the salutation.
4. The subject line, unlike in email, is put after the salutation.
5. There are 3 main paragraphs in this letter. The first paragraph/Introduction tells the
purpose of writing (i.e. highlighting the benefits of membership for the recipients to
renew membership). The second one, using social proof, further persuades the recipients
to renew membership by telling what old and new members find the most appealing
about the membership. The conclusion includes contact information and further incentive
(i.e. the free box of Belgium chocolate).
6. The closing phrase is Yours sincerely if we have a specific recipient we are writing to.
Use Yours faithfully if not. Note that we use small letter s and f.
7. After the signature, we have the full name of the writer and his designation.
8. Initials reference indicates the initials of the writer (left) and the typist (right), then
enclosures and then carbon copy if the letter is also sent to someone else.
9. Postscript is not used for something we forgot to include in the body of the letter. It is commonly
used in sales letters to remind the potential customers the benefits of the products or services for
sale or urge them to take action.

18
Revised Version:
FreCham
The French Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong
1888 Bank of African Tower
18 French Road, Hong Kong

8 October 2018

Dr Andy Wong
Director
ABC Company
12 Mongkok Road, Kowloon

Dear Dr Hui

Subject: Membership Renewal

Please note that your membership renewal is due by 1 October 2018. On behalf of the Chamber’s
leadership, I encourage you to continue supporting us and become even more involved with FreCham
activities. I am pleased to report that we have substantially strengthened our support of individual
members, their companies, and their business sectors. A few highlights:

 In the past 12 months members were able to join our wide variety of events - we have hosted over
500 committee seminars & events, about half of which were free to members.
 Our 40 committees boosted the number of members-only meetings and roundtables, including
frequent constructive discussions with HK government officials on business issues.
 Activities to maintain ties with China continue to increase substantially, including several business
delegations to China – the Beijing Doorknock visit with senior Chinese government officials in
February, Kunming Delegation in May, Shenzhen Delegation in July, and Zhongshan Delegation
in September.
 Our monthly business magazine – [Link] – continues to strengthen its coverage of Hong Kong,
China and other regional business and economic issues.

Members, old and new, are telling us that the Chamber has a special dynamism and they are
particularly impressed by our high-quality networking which is something we are also very
proud of. FreCham has enviable strength because our membership comes from such a broad
spectrum of national, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds.

I am certain that your captioned membership will assist your personal, professional, and business
growth. If you renew your membership by the due date, you will receive a box of Belgium chocolate
for free! For more information about this special offer or questions about your membership renewal,
please do not hesitate to contact my colleagues Mable Chan at XXXXXXXX or via email at
mablechan@[Link] or Peter Li at XXXXXXXX or peterli@[Link].

19
 Yours sincerely

Andy Wong
Director of Membership

AW: TY

Enclosures

Cc: Ms Mable Chan

IV. Embedded email messages

Read the chain of messages below and answer the following questions:
1. Was the first message you read written first or last? How about the last message you read?
The first message was written last, and the last one written first.

2. How do the first and last messages compare with the other messages in terms of length?
3. Which message (s) is more complex in terms of the language used?
The first message: ‘chain initiator’
The last message: ‘chain terminator’
-In terms of the length, they are longer than the internal messages as they open and close the
communication event respectively.
-Lexical items tend to be more complex in chain terminator and initiator.
-The macro topic stated in the subject line of an email message usually embeds other micro
topics as the conversation develops.

20
From: mary@.....uk
Sent: 19 May 2019 12:56
To: peter@.....uk
Cc: anna@.....us
Subject: RE: Conference call
Hi Peter,

Due to travel arrangements, I have to ask you if we could bring forward our
conference call to 25 May 2019 at the same UK time of 9:30. Of course I will let you
have the updated version of the proposal before, probably by 23 May 2019.

Please let me know if this is fine and thanks very much.

Kind regards,
Mary

-----Original Message-----
From: anna@.....us
Sent: 17 May 2019 14:59
To: peter@.....uk
Cc: mary@.....uk
Subject: RE: Conference call

9:30 UK time is fine.

-----Original Message-----
From: peter@.....uk
Sent: 17 May 2019 08:43
To: anna@.....us
Cc: mary@.....uk
Subject: RE: Conference call

Yes, 27 May may be better as it allows us a bit more time to finalize the proposal.
What time do you prefer? I can make it from 9:30 to noon time (UK time).

Peter

-----Original Message-----

From: anna@.....us
Sent: 16 May 2019 09:50
To: peter@.....uk
Cc: mary@.....uk
Subject: RE: Conference call

Could you do 27 May instead?

21
-----Original Message-----
From: peter@.....uk
Sent: 15 May 2019 08:40
To: anna@.....us
Cc: mary@.....uk
Subject: RE: Conference call

Anna,
A conference call on 20 May would be fine. How about 10am your time? Will
confirm with Ken again tmr about the proposal and the updates.

Peter

22
 Chapter 4: Goodwill and Negative Messages

Negative Messages
I. Look for an authentic negative message and comment if it is effective, and suggest ways
to improve it.

Remarks:
Below shows the contents of a layoff message issued to Microsoft staff. Please see the
following links (first link for the negative message and the second one the analysis).

Source: Microsoft News Center. (2014). Stephen Elop’s email to employees. Retrieved from
[Link]

Source: Rosenthal, B. (2014, July 25). Microsoft announced its layoffs all wrong--Here's the
right way to do it. Forbes Leadership Forum. Retrieved from
[Link]
layoffs-all-wrong-heres-the-right-way-to-do-it/

Goodwill Messages
I. Goodwill messages are a necessary part of dealing with people in business. The purpose
is to establish good feeling or relationship. Under what situations do we send goodwill
messages? What type of goodwill correspondence might be written in each of the following
situations?

 your client has received the Young Engineer of the Year Award
a thank-you message
 a client has moved to larger premises in Central
a congratulations message
 your olleague has died
a sympathy message
 your friend has just retired
congratulations
 an acquaintance has suffered a serious business setback
sympathy
 an acquaintance has opened a new branch of his business in China
congratulations
 a client has made a first order
thank-you

23
II. List three situations when you send goodwill correspondence for the following purposes
(e.g. I send thank you messages in order to……., etc.).

Purpose 1: Thank-you
To a customer…
- who has made a first order
- who has made a very large order
- who has made an order after a long period of silence
- who has paid a long-overdue bill
- who is consistent on paying on time
To an employee…
- who has made a special effort
- who has made particularly valuable suggestions
- who has produced consistently good work

Purpose 2: Congratulations
To a customer…
- who has recently started a new business
- who has moved to new premises
- who has been elected to a post (e.g. to a Board of Directors)
To an employee…
- who has recently been promoted
- who has recently received an award
 To an acquaintance…
- who has recently got married
- who has given birth in the family
- who has got a new job
- who has retired
- who has graduated

Purpose 3: Sympathy
Sympathy messages are usually sent in the following two situations:
- When a close friend or colleague is ill (or has died)
- When a business acquaintance has suffered a setback e.g. a stock crash, a fire at a factory, etc.

Purpose 4: Invitation
Invitations can be sent to anyone to invite them to parties, conferences or wedding events.

24
III. Apply what you have learned and write on two of the topics shown below:
a. Write a message to thank the Communications Services Centre for an excellent guided tour
arranged for your students taking the course Business Communication.
b. Write a message to congratulate someone on being elected to the Legislative Council.
c. As the Head of the Mainland Affairs Office of The Happy University of Hong Kong, write a
message to thank colleagues for joining the mainland promotion tours giving talks about the
undergraduate programmes offered in their departments.
d. Write an email message to thank a staff member of African Airlines to appreciate her
competence, politeness and professionalism in dealing with two patrons who made complaints
and grumbles about waiting in line for check-in.

Below is an example adapted from Guffey (2001) followed by an analysis of the effectiveness of
the letter (for topic a).
Topic a:
An example:

Dear Ms. Wong,

Your excellent guided tour of the Communications Services Centre was the highlight of our Business
Communication class in the second semester.

Your lucid description of the Centre’s operations, facilities and equipment enabled our Business
Communication class to better understand some of the technology being used in this field. We very
much appreciated, Ms. Wong, learning how to compose and edit business reports/proposals using
software to keep track of individual comments and multiple versions of drafts. Equally interesting and
useful was your explanation and demonstration of how videoconferencing can be conducted
effectively.

Your careful preparation for our students and painstaking organisation of the tour schedule allowed our
class to see numerous operations in a short time. Many students commented on your enthusiastic and
knowledgeable presentation.

We would like to thank you again for what you prepared to bridge the gap between classroom
information and real-world applications in the field of communications. Thank you very much.

Dr Mary Chan
Research Assistant Professor
The Wonder University of Hong Kong

Adapted from Guffey (2001)

25
 Analysis:

1. The first paragraph is to express initial thanks/gratitude using words/expressions like excellent and
the highlight of our Business Communication class in the second semester.
2. There are three paragraphs outlining why the writer feel grateful and the impact accordingly: (a)
lucid description of the Centre enabling the class to better understand something; (b) the knowledge
about how groups compose and edit business reports/proposals using software; (c) interesting and
useful explanation and demonstration of videoconferencing; (d) careful preparation and painstaking
organisation of the schedule enabling the class to see numerus operations in a short time; (e)
enthusiastic presentation and knowledge. The first and second paragraphs in the body are more specific
in telling what Ms Wong did and how we appreciate her effort.
3. The closing paragraph is to repeat thanks/gratitude.

Topic c:
An example:

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for participating in the undergraduate mainland tours from January to April 2018. The tours
are over and we visited 13 mainland cities during the period.

This is the first time when we invited academic staff members to join the promotion tours. With your
professionalism and enthusiasm, we successfully organized 41 school talks and public seminars and
attracted over 6500 mainland teachers, parents and students to join. Participants appreciated your
presence and have learned about the mission of the University, and the programmes we offered.
Students have also expressed a strong desire to further their study at Happy University.

Please accept my heartfelt gratitude again to all of you who have played a pivotal role to make the
promotion tours a success.

Clara Wong
Head, Mainland Affairs Office
Happy University of Hong Kong

Adapted from an authentic thank-you email to staff members of a local university

Analysis:

1. The first paragraph is to tell the main purpose of the message, that is, to show gratitude to the staff
members who joined the mainland tours.
[Link] is one paragraph in the body outlining (a) what the staff members did and (b) the impact: (a)
professionalism and enthusiasm of the staff members involved; (b) and thus 41 school talks and public
seminars orgnaised for 6500 mainland teachers, parents and students for them to understand more

26
about the mission of the University and the programmes offered.
3. The closing paragraph is to express thanks again.

27
 Chapter 5: Persuasive Messages: Sales Correspondence and Job Applications

I. Answer the following questions using what you learned about persuasive strategies in this
chapter:
1. Aristotle’s 3 modes of persuasion: ethos; pathos; logos
2. Robert Cialdini’s 6 weapons of influence: (1) reciprocation; (2) commitment and
consistency; (3) social proof; (4) liking; (5) authority; (6) scarcity.

1. Why is it important for online shops to get more Facebook likes? What does this imply?
Social proof: It must be something good for so many other people to like the shop/consume

2. Why do you think teachers introduce themselves (e.g. work experience, teaching award
received….) in the first lesson?
Authority (or ethos to establish credibility)

3. People tend to put tips into the tips jar with lots of money, what can be used to account for
this?
Social proof

4. TV ads invited pop stars/dentists/doctors to promote their products or services, why?

Authority/liking

5. You tend to be interested in products which are running out of stock. Why?
Scarcity

6. There is a pledge saying that customers can request for a refund if they do not like the
products bought. Still, not many customers ask for a refund after purchase. Why?
Commitment: once you are committed, you tend to honor your commitment.

7. When you go online or use Facebook, you may notice a big headline asking you to grab the
company’s free online marketing course. What you need to do is to sign up by entering your
email address. What do you think is the intention of doing so?
Commitment

8. An online shop put a badge indicating ‘the buyer pick’/’best-selling tops’ next to some of the
clothes and these clothes with the said badge sell at double the rate of styles without the
badge. Do you know why?
Social proof

28
9. What kind of arguments are used in the following situations to encourage a friend who lost his
fortune in investment?

- The ABC Bank promised to provide compensation to the XYZ Minibond holders. I am sure
other banks will follow suit.
Inductive: from specific to general

- Don’t get frustrated. The previous financial crisis indicates that the economy could recover
rapidly so don’t panic.
Inductive: speculating the future based on the past

- The banks target at the aged and those who know nothing about investment. It’s not your fault.
Deductive

II. You are senior members of staff in a medium-sized, family-owned Hong Kong company
(You should decide the nature of the company after reading the background information.).
A major international company has expressed a strong interest in buying your company.
You are in favour of the takeover because you feel that it is in the long-term interests of
your company. Although your company is in a relatively healthy position (profits continue
to be satisfactory), it seems to have reached a plateau, partly because it has been slow to
adapt to the rapidly changing business environment.

Your task is to announce to the assembled staff that you are minded to go ahead with the
takeover. Although you are convinced of the need for the takeover (the potential benefits are
overwhelming in your view), you realise that many members of staff – who have become
unsettled by takeover rumours in recent weeks – will be highly sceptical. You therefore need to
convince them that the takeover is the right way forward for the company.

Start your preparation by noting down the threats and opportunities presented by the takeover
and then plan a short presentation. Do not write a script – you have no time to do this. Just note
down the main ‘moves’ that you will make in the presentation. In this task you are not presenting
‘bad news’ – you are firmly convinced that the move is in the best interests of the company (i.e.
it is ‘good news’, even though some of the staff may initially view it otherwise).

29
Prepare a speech and persuade your employees of the advantages of the takeover (and at
the same time minimise the disadvantages).

Remarks: In preparing for this speech, we need to think about how to make use of the persuasive
strategies/weapons:
1. Ethos (related to the credibility of the speaker)
- How to exercise your credibility as a speaker? Or try to make use of your good relationship with
colleagues in the speech/persuasion
- Show that you are knowledgeable (e.g. how you understand the present situation well and why
the takeover is the right thing to do)
- Think also from the perspective of your colleagues (audience) but not too company-centred
2. Pathos (appealing to the emotions of the hearer)
- Appealing to their fear for example (e.g. consequences of not being taken over)
- Appealing to their love towards the company (if their sense of belonging is high) (e.g. I bet you
don’t want to see……).
- Appealing to their pride by giving information about the international company who is interested
in the takeover, and how they should be proud of working in the company.
3. Logos (appealing to the intellect of the hearer)
- -Examples of successful takeover and how that can save the company and the staff members
- Information about the present situation to show the need for the takeover.

Some examples for reference:

About the situation: As you know, we seem to have reached a plateau…. (some facts and be
ready for questions)

About the takeover:

- The combined company will have the scale, breadth and capabilities to compete more
effectively and profitably in the global marketplace.
- Unlike other transactions that are premised on excessive cost cuts, this merger is about the
opportunities to grow revenues, which will also create more opportunities for employees as the
combined airline flies more people to more places. (explain the positive reasons for the
takeover/what makes the takeover attractive)
(Mutzabaugh, 2013)
Reassure the staff:
- I know everyone is wondering what this will mean for careers, benefits and compensation.
These matters will be addressed during a comprehensive integration planning phase.
- I want to assure every employee that we will approach this in a manner that is open and guided
by our corporate values of integrity and respect for individuals. (Focus on the positive and the
opportunities)
(Shattuck, 2011)

30
III. Imagine that you are going to promote this book English for Effective Communication
in the form of a sales letter. Brainstorm some examples to demonstrate the moves listed in
the following table.

Moves Examples
1. Establishing credentials -We can show some good reviewers’
comments/feedback.
- We can also tell how this book fills the niche on
the market, and its value.
2. Introducing the offer
 Offering the product or Introducing the title of the book
service
 Essential detailing of Details about what this book is about, including its
the offer role, the chapters involved
 Indicating value of the Echo what the Introduction states about the value
offer of the book
3. Offering incentives In the form of discounts
4. Enclosing documents Can be leaflets introducing the book or order
forms
5. Soliciting response Include contact information of the publisher (e.g.
the telephone number and contact person)
6. Using pressure tactics There may be a deadline for the discount offer
7. Ending politely
 Situational closing A closing urging the potential customers to buy
the book
 Relational closing A closing establishing future relationship (e.g. for
future purchase and potential business activities)

31
IV. Write an effective cover letter applying for a particular position you are interested in.
Follow the moves and tips provided in this chapter.

JOE BLOGGS
1 Anyold Road, Guildford AN1 1CV
Telephone: 01632 960 314 ( home); 07700 900 159 ( mobile)
Email: joebloggs@[Link]
Mr David Brennan
Sales Director
Food Distributors Limited
2 Someother Road
GUILDFORD AN2 2CV

10 June 2018

Dear Mr Brennan

SALES MANAGEMENT VACANCIES

Having recently seen the article in The Grocer mentioning the impressive new warehousing facility you
are constructing in Guildford, I am writing to outline my extensive experience and successful track
record as a Sales Manager. I believe I possess the skills, qualifications and vital experience necessary to
make a very significant contribution to your sales operation.

I am an extremely commercially astute and highly motivated salesman. As you will note from my
enclosed CV, in my current role I have delivered a substantial increase in weekly sales levels, from
£45,000 to £85,000 – very nearly double. This has resulted in a major impact on the company’s bottom
line.

Also, as a consequence of my excellent interpersonal and networking skills, I have a natural talent for
PR. Recently, I organised a thoroughly successful product launch, gaining local and national press
coverage – which included my featuring in the programme ‘Business Lunch’ on XYZ TV, providing
invaluable exposure for the business.

Having just graduated with a BA (Hons) in Marketing and Advertising, I am now looking for a
challenging new position. Your company does of course work closely with suppliers in France and this
would be an ideal opportunity for me to make the very most of my language skills; my degree course
included 2 months of valuable work experience in Marseille.
Please do not hesitate to call me on 07700 900 159 so we can arrange an interview to discuss my
application in greater depth.

32
Yours sincerely

Joe Bloggs
enc.: CV

(Innes, 2012, p.47)

33
 Chapter 6: Persuasive Messages: Enquiry and Invitation Messages

I. Read the following scenario and write an enquiry letter.

Scenario: The five Starcraft players in Korea have been selected for the 2016 Starcraft World
Cup held in Cairo. The best 50 players in the world will fight it out to determine which player
(and therefore country) reigns supreme on the Starcraft battlefield. National pride is on the line
as a country’s IT ability and infrastructure (broadband, hardware and software) are seen to be
reflected in a country’s video gaming industry.

All five members belong to a non-profit organisation called the Korean Starcraft Competitive
Association which was formed by the Department of IT at Korean National IT University in
1993 with the vision of enhancing Korea’s IT industry. You work for the KSCA as an
administrative liaison officer and are mainly responsible for coordinating national tournaments.
Part of your job requirements specify that you are responsible for fundraising and/or applying for
government grants for international events. As such, you are required to contact Dr Trent Robins
the Associate Head of the Department of Information Technology who is responsible for
administrating university subsidies and represent the five potential competitors in a grant
submission.

After negotiating with the Mum’s For Hand Eye Coordination Association (MFHECA) you have
received their pledge of $10000 US depending on your successful bid to receive a further $10000
US grant from the Department of IT.

Your enquiry letter is extremely important as it will determine whether the 5 invitees will attend
the World Cup with a total of $20000 US in grants or if Korean national pride will be dealt a
severe blow due to your inability to write a decent enquiry letter.

Suggested Version:

Dear Dr Robins
 
Funding for International Starcraft Competition
 
I am a representative of the Korean Starcraft Competitive Association (KSCA) and would like to apply
for an I.T. grant under the Computer Games Are Essential university by-law of October 1998.
Accordingly, I would officially like to apply for a university IT grant equivalent to $10000 US dollar.
 
The KSCA is a non-profit organisation created in 1993 by the Department of Information Technology
which has been designed to enhance and provide exposure to Korea’s IT abilities through the medium of
computer gaming, in particular Blizzard’s Starcraft. In December 2018, the Starcraft World Cup will be

34
 held in Cairo to determine the best Starcraft players in the world. Fifty of the world’s best Starcraft
players are annually invited to this world class event and I am pleased to inform you that five members
from the KSCA have been included in this elite invitation. Unfortunately, due to financial reasons they
will be unable to attend unless successful with this bid for subsidy.
 
The proposed amount is half the total subsidy package that will be needed. The Mum’s For Hand Eye
Coordination Association (MFHECA) has already pledged $10000 support to this cause dependant upon
approval of this grant application. This proposed total sum will predominantly be used to finance
transport, accommodation and entry fees – complete expense breakdown can be forwarded upon request.
 
The KSCA feels that this event is a unique opportunity to showcase Korea’s advanced IT sills and thus fit
the requirements laid down by the Computer Games Are Essential act. The final acceptance date for the
2018 Starcraft World Cup is September 30. We would greatly appreciate your consideration in this matter.
If you require any additional information, please contact me at: number1@[Link]; or 2941 2345.
 
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
 
Yours sincerely

For KCSA
Kim Il Choi
Administrative Liaison Officer

Analysis:

Introduction: Introducing yourself and the purpose of writing (i.e. ask the questions you want to be
answered).
Body: P1: Background information
- What is KSCA?
- Details about the International Starcraft Competition
- Information about the 5 members being included.
- Financial constraint and the reason of applying for subsidy

Body: P2: Details about why US$10000 is needed

- Condition stated by MFHECA
- What the amount is used for
Conclusion:
- Reiterating the significance of the event
- Deadline
- Contact information
II. A persuasive message to your boss
35
You are studying an MA programme in the English Department. Taking the subject Practicum
which involves inviting speakers from different professions giving talks on issues relating to
communication or language, you agreed with your classmates about inviting your boss to give a
talk. How are you going to write this persuasive message? You could create information if you
see fit.

Suggested Version:

Dear Charles,

Your presentation on Effective Communication Skill for Human Resources Personnel for the business
graduates of the University of Hong Kong was remarkably successful and impressive. On behalf of my
class of ENGL561 students, I would like to invite you to speak to us on a similar topic related to
communication or language.

As you know, I am studying the MA programme in English for the Professions at The Happy University
of Hong Kong. One of the subjects I am taking is called Practicum which involves inviting speakers from
different professions to speak to us on topics related to communication or language. Students taking this
course are from different professions and they are so eager and happy to have the opportunity to learn
from experts like you to talk about the importance of communication skill/language skill to facilitate our
work in a variety of professions. I have shared with my classmates and teacher Dr. Mable Chan about the
experience of working with you, and how I find you qualified and suitable. Your successful stories have
inspired us so much that I am asked to invite you to come to share with us in class.  

Other speakers who agreed to come included the President of ABC international, Dr. Johnny Wen; and the
President of Alibaba, Mr. Jack Ma. I remember you once mentioned to me that you are interested in
meeting Mr Ma, and I guess this is a perfect opportunity.

Our class is held every Wednesday evening from 6:30pm-9:30pm. Please let me know if you are
interested and if yes, which Wednesday in September you are free to come. I look forward to hearing
from you. Thank you very much.

Emily

36
 Chapter 7: Formal Business Reports/Proposals
I. Finish the Conclusion and Recommendations sections of the following mini-report.

In the aftermath of Lee Lai Shan’s success in the 1996 Olympics, our consultancy firm, B & M
International, was asked to prepare a series of options and recommendations for the board of
Parker and Sons on the feasibility of introducing the new model of windsurfing board, the
ShanShan88. In a 4-week questionnaire survey carried out in three water sports equipment
retailers, a total of 500 registered wind-surfers were asked whether they are interested in this new
model. 20% said they would not buy it. 70% said they would buy it if it was cheaper. 10% said
they would buy it.

In the aftermath of Lee Lai Shan’s success in the 1996 Olympics, our consultancy firm, B & M
International, was asked to prepare a series of options and recommendations for the board of
Parker and Sons on the feasibility of introducing the new model of windsurfing board, the
ShanShan88. In a 4-week questionnaire survey carried out in three water sports equipment
retailers, a total of 500 registered wind-surfers were asked whether they are interested in this new
model. 20% said they would not buy it. 70% said they would buy it if it was cheaper. 10% said
they would buy it. It appears that the market, while interested in the product, is very price-
sensitive. An investigation should be carried out to see whether this product can be manufactured
more cheaply.

II. Reporting and discussing findings

In the findings section of a business report (especially formal business reports), you will
need to do the following things:

 Describe the most significant findings of your research (i.e. state what you found)
 Interpret your findings (i.e. account for what you found)
 Make claims about your findings (i.e. highlight the implications of what you found)

This gives you practice in selecting, summarising and interpreting numerical data. Please refer to
the findings in tables 1-3 (in the form of ‘means’) derived from a research project about the use
of English by Chinese professionals in Hong Kong (See Evans, S. and Green, C. (2003). The use
of English by Chinese professionals in post-1997 Hong Kong. Journal of Multilingual and
Multicultural Development, 24(5), 386-412.)

Imagine that you were going to present the findings in your table in a report.

 Select the most important / interesting / surprising findings in the tables.

 Account for these findings.

37
 Remarks: Please refer to this paper for the description of the findings shown in the tables.
Evans, S. and Green, C. (2003). The use of English by Chinese professionals in post-1997 Hong
Kong. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 24(5), 386-412.

III. Read the findings section below. This is taken from an informal report about students’
satisfaction with their school/study. The findings are based on the data in Table 7.3. These
data were derived from a questionnaire survey of senior and junior-level students.

a. Read the findings section below and then answer the questions on its content, organisation and
language.

Findings

As you can see from the attached table, senior-level students are noticeably more satisfied
with their school than the junior-level ones. The findings indicate that most students are
broadly satisfied with the following areas: teachers’ quality, relationship with peers and
recognition for school work. On the basis of my findings, I have identified four areas that we
need to address: school facilities, workload, opportunities for all-round development and
opportunities for travelling overseas.

You will note from the findings that both junior and senior level of students are generally
dissatisfied with school facilities. The main reason for their dissatisfaction seems to be
related to our new school site. Since we moved to Mongkok there have been frequent
complaints about the cramped school environment and the quality of the lighting, air-
conditioning and décor. Students are also unhappy about the pollution, congestion and
overcrowding in the district where the new school is located.

Another area that deserves careful attention concerns opportunities for all-round
development. Around two-thirds of the junior-level students are disgruntled about the
school’s performance in this area. I think their discontent can perhaps be attributed to the cuts
we have recently made in funding for extra-curricular activities related to languages and
computer software. It may also be the case that they resent the fact that senior-level students
have more choices for all-round development.

In marked contrast to the senior-level students, junior-level ones are dissatisfied with their
workload. Their unhappiness in this area I think stems from the fact that they have much
more take-home assignments compared with their senior counterparts who need to prepare
for public examinations.

The last area of concern is opportunities for traveling overseas. Just under a half of junior
staff are discontented about the limited opportunities we provide for travelling overseas. As
you know, we have been forced to make a number of cuts in the past two years because of the
new government policies. Junior-level students are understandably frustrated that as a result

38
of these cuts some avenues for international exposure have been blocked.

Questions
Content
1. Why has the writer chosen to focus on only four of the nine aspects of job satisfaction?
Because they are the most problematic areas: school facilities (both junior and senior
students are dissatisfied), opportunities for all-round development (junior students not
happy about it, 66%), workload (junior students are dissatisfied, 63%) and opportunities
for travelling overseas (junior students are not happy, 54%).

Organisation
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?
The first paragraph is an Introduction summarising the overall findings and the areas that we
need to pay attention to.

2. Look at the organisation of paragraphs 2-5. Which sentence/sentences in these paragraphs

describe the findings and which ones explain the findings? Do the four paragraphs have
the same pattern?
The first/two sentences describe the findings and the rest explain the findings

Language
1. Which expressions tell us that this is a memo report rather than a formal report?
This is an informal report because of the informal features involved: the use of personal
pronouns I, you and we, for example, and mental verbs like think.

2. Give examples of the language of approximation.

Around two-thirds; just under a half

3. Give examples of the language of comparison and contrast.

noticeable more satisfied; in marked contrast to

4. Give examples of the words/phrases the writer uses to explain his/her findings.
seems to be; perhaps; stems from the fact that, understandably frustrated.

5. What are the various words/phrases the writer uses to express the idea of
‘dissatisfaction’?
Dissatisfied; discontented; disgruntled; unhappiness; frustrated

39
IV. Give examples and tell how to apply Aristotle’s 3 modes of persuasion or Professor
Robert Cialdini’s 6 weapons of influence in preparing for a proposal to make it persuasive.

Remarks:
Aristotle’s three modes of persuasion: ethos (appealing to the speaker’s credibility), pathos (appealing to
the emotions of the hearer) and logos (appealing to logic)
Ethos:
1. The credibility of the organisation and personnel involved (e.g. resume provided, history of the
company; successful experience of carrying out similar tasks/projects)
Pathos:
1. Can appeal to the fear of the client/customer (e.g. highlighting what will happen without your
plan or suggestions to address the problems they are/have been facing)
2. Appeal to the pride of the client/customer (e.g. the positive outcomes if proposal accepted)
Logos:
1. Using facts and evidence to justify why the suggestions or proposals are effective which can help
address the problems
2. The budget and timeline should also be justified. Explain why they are feasible

40
 Chapter 8: Making Oral Presentations

I. Which of the items in the first column would you include in an introduction to the four
types of oral presentation (OP) in the table below? Tick the relevant boxes.

Items to include in an OP Internal OP Internal OP External OP

introduction to to bosses to
colleagues customers
Your name and position
The topic of your presentation
The purpose of your presentation
The duration of your presentation
The main points you will cover
The visual aids you will use
When the audience can ask
questions
A reference to the audience: human
touch

Remarks: It seems that no matter it is for internal or external audience, we tend to include most
of these components in the introduction.

II. Read the presentation script provided below. The presenter talks to colleagues about an
office move. How many of the items does he include?
Steve Parker: Hello everyone, erm, I think we should make a start and I’d like to begin by asking you a
question.
How many of you have moved house in the last fifteen years?
Can I have a show of hands?
Most of you, good.
Now, does any …..of you know the last time our organisation moved?
Any guesses?
Member of the audience: About 20 years ago?
Steve Parker: That’s right. 21 years ago.
Now, I know most of you already, but for those of you who I don’t know and haven’t had a chance to
meet yet, I’m Steve Parker and I’m in charge of the office move and before moving here I was
responsible for the setting up of our new branch in France.

I’m here to tell you …..explain about the office move and to answer any questions that you may have, so
please do feel free to interrupt me at any point.
My presentation will last about 20 minutes and I’ve some handouts here. that I’ve prepared, that I will
distribute at the end.
Right, well, I’ve divided my presentation into four parts: why, where, when, and who. And I hope to be
able to clear away some of this cloud of smoke before the end of the presentation.

41
 First of all then –why? Why did you, why does anyone move house?

(Goodale, 2006, p. 15)

Remarks:

Human touch: How many of you have moved house in the last fifteen years?
Name and position: I’m Steve Parker and I’m in charge of the office move.
Topic of your presentation: I’m here to tell you…
The purpose of your presentation: … explain about the office move and to answer any questions that you
may have.
The duration of your presentation: My presentation will last about 20 minutes.
The main points you will cover: I’ve divided my presentation into four parts: why, where, when and who
The visual aids you will use: I’ve some handouts here
When the audience can ask questions: Please do feel free to interrupt me at any point.

III. Read excerpts from a presentation by Dr. Mable Chan. This is the background to the
presentation:

The organisation The Association of Management (AM) is holding its annual

conference. The conference programme includes presentations
on a wide variety of subjects.

The presenter Dr. Mable Chan is well known for his publications in the field
of management psychology. At the AM conference, she is
presenting a paper on ‘leadership styles’.

The audience All members of the audience are involved in management (e.g.
personnel management, training) and have chosen this
presentation from the information in the programme.

The presentation Dr. Mable Chan will report the results of recent surveys into
leadership styles and career promotion prospects. These
surveys are based on corporate interviews conducted
worldwide.

Read the transcripts of the two versions of Dr. Mable Chan’s presentation. Compare the language
of the two versions. What are the main differences?

Version 1
The significance of these figures incorporating data from different corporate studies cannot
be overlooked. Next slide. In the British part of the survey it was found that success in
business can be correlated directly with leadership styles. An individualistic leadership

42
 style seems to be closely associated with rapid career advancement, whereas a group or
participative leadership style, despite its evident attractiveness to all members of staff, is
correlated with a relatively slow career progression. Next slide. This is further illustrated in
my next slide, which shows the results of another study concerning senior management
attitudes. Although lip service is paid to the idea of participative management, their real
perceptions of leadership style completely contradict this view. This can be further seen
that …

Version 2
We can’t really afford to ignore these results. The study was one of the most extensive of
its kind and covers a wide range of corporations. We can see in this next slide the results
from the British part of the survey. This study was based on interviews carried out with
senior managers in 200 corporations. You can see here, 25% of the group of managers
classified as participative reached senior management positions. On the other hand, 75% of
the more individualistic managers achieved senior management status. So, I think the
conclusion is obvious. If you want to reach the top of British companies, you have a much
better chance adopting a fairly autocratic, top-down approach….

Version 1 is more written-like:

- Long sentences (e.g. 4 lines for the third sentence as a result of the use of subordinators such as
whereas and despite)

- Complex vocabulary

- Passive voice (e.g. cannot be underestimated; can be correlated to; be closely associated with;
is further illustrated)

- Nominalisation (e.g. individualistic style; rapid career progression; relatively slow career
progression)

- Impersonal style/formal style

Version 2 is more spoken-like:

- Shorter sentences

- Simpler vocabulary (e.g. carried out; want, so)

- Active voice

- Personal style

- Use of contractions (can’t)

- Use of deixis (e.g. personal pronouns such as I and you; here)

- References to the writer’s mental process (e.g. I think)

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IV. Read the following speech made by Obama and note its structure and what makes it
persuasive.
Improving Economic Security by Strengthening and Modernising the Unemployment Insurance
System

“Say a hardworking American loses his job — we shouldn’t just make sure he can get
unemployment insurance; we should make sure that program encourages him to retrain
for a business that’s ready to hire him. If that new job doesn’t pay as much, there should
be a system of wage insurance in place so that he can still pay his bills.”

President Obama, State of the Union 2016

Building on his remarks in his State of the Union, today the President used his Weekly Address to
announce new proposals to provide workers with wage insurance, stronger Unemployment Insurance
protections, and support for retraining to get the next job. These proposals are part of the Administration’s
broader push to strengthen and modernise our Unemployment Insurance system by closing holes in
coverage and strengthening connections to work. 

After the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes, the United States is in the midst of the longest streak of
private-sector job growth in our history, with more than 14 million new jobs created during the past 70
months.  Yet even as the unemployment rate has had its fastest two-year decline in thirty years – and has
been cut in half overall - we have further work to do to strengthen our safety net and modernise it for a
changing economy. Unfortunately, even as the economy has strengthened, fewer than one in three
unemployed Americans receive unemployment insurance benefits today.

The President has always been committed to ensuring that if Americans work hard they are able to get
ahead. Through his efforts to raise the minimum wage, modernise overtime rules and secure paid leave
for American workers, the President has advanced the principle that a hard day’s work should be
rewarded by good pay, decent benefits, and the ability for workers to care for their loved ones. In this era
of rapid change, we need to modernise our policies that offer workers opportunity and security through
health care, retirement, and an opportunity to advance in their careers. The proposal the President
announced in his Weekly Address today is designed to ensure that if a worker loses her job, she has
essential protections against economic insecurity that also help her retool and find a new job. 

The President’s proposal contains three core elements:

1. Protecting Workers with Wage Insurance:  The President’s plan would ensure workers have
access to wage insurance that would replace half of lost wages, up to $10,000 over two years.
Displaced workers making less than $50,000 who were with their prior employer for at least
three years would be able to leverage these resources to help them get back on their feet and on
the way to a new career.

2. Strengthening Unemployment Insurance (UI): The President’s plan would address holes in our
UI system – including by expanding coverage to part-time, many low-income, and intermittent
workers, and workers who leave work for compelling family reasons. It would also ensure that

44
 states provide at minimum 26 weeks of coverage. 

3. Making it Easier for Workers to Retool and Retrain:  The President’s plan would make it easier
for companies to avoid lay-offs through work-sharing, while incentivising states to offer and
allow retraining for workers on UI or to provide relocation vouchers or subsidised
employment. In addition, it would expand intensive career counseling to the long-term
unemployed, discouraged, and part-time workers.

More detail on these proposals – which are paid for and will be described further in the President’s
forthcoming budget – is below. 

1. Protecting Workers with Wage Insurance

The President has put forward an agenda that grows middle-class jobs, fights to lift the minimum wage,
and invests in jobs-driven skills training to improve all Americans’ ability to secure a well-paying job. But
the challenge for experienced workers who lose their jobs is particularly stark, as they may struggle to
find work that pays as much as their prior job – both making it harder to make ends meet and leading
them to stay on the sidelines. 

Experienced workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own can face lasting consequences – as
many of the same skills and experience that may have earned them higher salaries and raises at their
previous job may no longer count when they are required to look for work again. On average, experienced
workers starting over find themselves earning wages 10 percent or more below what they took home in
the jobs they lost, and workers with more than twenty years of experience in their prior job face wages
that are nearly a quarter less than what they made before.

Under the President’s proposal, a modern system of wage insurance would help experienced
workers make ends meet as they transition into a new job and start moving back up the ladder.

Providing wage insurance to help displaced workers get back in the game. The President’s proposal would
require states to provide wage insurance for workers displaced through no fault of their own from jobs
they had held for at least three years. Wage insurance would encourage workers to put their skills back to
work quickly so that experienced workers do not join the ranks of the long-term unemployed or leave the
workforce entirely. 

Replacing half of lost wages for experienced workers. Under the President’s proposal, wage insurance
would replace up to half of lost wages for workers who had worked three years or more at their previous
employment and make less than $50,000 in their new job. Workers could receive up to $10,000 over two
years to help make ends meet through a Federally-funded program administered directly through state
unemployment insurance programs.  This proposal would be fully paid-for as part of the President’s
broader unemployment insurance package described below.

2. Strengthening Unemployment Insurance (UI)

45
Unemployment Insurance is one of our most important protections for workers for who fall on tough
times - last year alone over seven million workers relied on UI to get by in tough times – and during the
Great Recession, UI was one of the most important policies for combatting further economic downturn.
But changing times have weakened these protections. 

UI coverage is at its lowest levels in at least half a century. Today, fewer than one in three unemployed
Americans receive UI benefits even though over 90 percent of employees have some taxes paid on their
wages that support the UI system. 

Our economy has changed since 1935 when UI was first introduced – for example, women today are
twice as likely to work, new industries have emerged, and businesses have created new ways of
organising work. As a result of all of these changes, many workers fall through cracks in our UI system.
In addition, UI benefits now replace a smaller percentage of wages than before – making it harder for
unemployed workers to make ends meet while looking for a new job.

The President’s proposals would modernise the Unemployment Insurance System to protect more
working families, restore system solvency, and help the Nation weather future economic crises.

 The President’s proposals, which are paid-for, would ensure Americans can rely on UI to provide basic
support during difficult times by expanding coverage and ensuring states have the resources to provide
benefits. In addition, the President’s proposals would restore state UI program solvency, ensure each state
has sufficient reserves to withstand future economic downturns, and provide a robust program that
supports families and helps spur economic recovery in communities.

The President’s proposals build on the track-record of success from the $7 billion made available through
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to encourage states to expand coverage. With those
resources, more than thirty states have implemented and sustained important UI reforms. The proposals
put forward below, paid for in the President’s Fiscal Year 2017 Budget, would go further by making many
of those reforms the national standard.

Expand coverage to protect low-income and vulnerable workers. The President’s proposal would require
that state UI programs cover workers that currently fall through the cracks, including part-time workers,
newer labor market entrants, certain low-income and intermittent earners, and workers who leave work
for compelling family reasons such as to move with a spouse, escape domestic violence, or care for an ill
family member. States could receive incentives for improving benefit levels and extending coverage to
workers in growing non-traditional forms of employment, like temporary employment services workers. 

Restore standard UI maximum benefit duration to 26 weeks. For the first time in over 50 years, nine
states have cut their maximum UI benefit duration to less than 26 weeks – some, such as North Carolina
now provide only up to 13 weeks. Even during the current economic recovery, an historically high 38
percent of workers exhaust their state-provided UI benefits. The President’s proposals would reverse this
damaging erosion of state UI benefit duration by requiring that all state programs provide at least 26
weeks of coverage, consistent with the historic norm. 

Automatically extend benefits in the face of economic recessions. Unemployment insurance is one of the
most effective tools to increase economic resilience. During the Great Recession, UI is credited with

46
saving 1.75 million jobs and replacing one-fifth of the economy’s lost demand. From 2008 to 2013,
extended unemployment insurance benefits helped nearly 24 million workers, lifting 2.5 million people
out of poverty in 2012 alone. However, Congress has to enact extended benefits each time a recession
hits, and often fails to act quickly enough for first-hit states or to extend benefits long enough for those
hardest hit. The President’s proposal would create a permanent program of extended UI benefits that
would automatically provide up to 52 additional weeks of federally-funded benefits for states
experiencing rapid job-losses or high unemployment. 

Restore solvency and ensure unemployment insurance for the long-term. Three out of five state UI
programs are insolvent. Thirty-six states exited the Great Recession having relied on emergency federal
loans. More than $7 billion in loans are outstanding today and even more is being borrowed through the
private markets. Currently only 20 states have sufficient reserves to weather a single year of recession.
Low state reserves remain a serious threat to unemployment insurance for working Americans. The
President’s proposal would put state unemployment insurance programs on a path to permanent solvency
while insuring they have sufficient reserves to weather the next economic crisis. The proposal would
modernise federal unemployment insurance taxes and hold states accountable for maintaining sufficient
reserves to provide benefits for at least six months of an average economic recession. 

3. Making It Easier for Workers To Retool and Retrain

Unemployment Insurance should be as much about facilitating re-employment as about providing support
to make ends meet while looking for a new job. As our economy continues to change and evolve, getting
that next job may require preparing for new opportunities in new industries and new fields. The
President’s proposals encourage states to make it easier for workers to retool and retrain and provide
workers with the guidance and support they need to gain new, relevant skills. These proposals build on
the successes of the President’s job-driven training agenda, which has aligned over $1 billion in annual
job training grants with job-driven training best practices and put the most new apprentices into training
in nearly a decade, among other accomplishments.

The President’s proposals would help employers avoid lay-offs in the first place and provide
unemployed workers with more opportunities and advice to train for the skills that will land them
their next job.

Prevent lay-offs before they happen. Work-sharing, also known as short-time compensation, can help
employers hold onto their workers and avoid mass layoffs that can lead to long-term unemployment and
hardship for working families and their communities. The President’s proposal would provide
implementation grants and additional incentives to states for work-sharing programs that help employers
reduce hours instead of laying off workers while providing partial unemployment benefits to workers
whose hours are cut. 

Strategies to help unemployed workers reconnect to the workplace. The President’s proposals would
provide states with incentives to directly link jobseekers to work as a reemployment strategy by providing

47
states with incentives to adopt work and training-related reforms. For example, states would receive
incentives to create temporary work-based training programs to help workers get back on the job and to
allow workers to continue receiving UI benefits while participating in an apprenticeship or on-the-job
training. States could also receive funds for relocation assistance programs to help workers pursue new
opportunities in a different community based coupled with expert guidance on there might be new
possibilities. 

Providing 21st Century Career Navigation.  The President’s Budget will propose to provide new resources
to states for Career Navigators who instead will proactively reach out to every worker who is most at risk
of not being able to reset their careers after being unemployed: (1) the long-term unemployed who have
been unemployed for approximately six months or more; (2) discouraged workers who have dropped out
of the labor force altogether; and (3) people who are only able to find part time work. Career Navigators
will help them find a job, match with an appropriate training program, and connect to federal support
services. This proposal will expand intensive counseling services to more than 1 million people annually.
The President is also proposing the expansion of in-person reemployment services to the one-third of UI
beneficiaries most at risk of exhausting their benefits, as well as all returning veterans who are receiving
UI. 

Building on a Track Record of Success

The President’s proposals for strengthening and modernising the UI system build on the success of
important reforms incentivised through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and additional
modernisation efforts launched through the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012.

The Recovery Act provided states an opportunity to receive up to $7 billion in incentives for expanding
coverage and improving benefits. With those resources, well-over thirty states have implemented and
sustained important UI reforms – from Maryland which introduced the alternative base period to cover
workers with shorter work histories and provided benefits to part-time workers to Oklahoma which also
reformed its system to protect workers who have to leave work for compelling family reasons. In
addition, through the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, 28 states now have work-
sharing programs, also known as short-time compensation, that conform with federal standards. In
addition to the states that updated their laws to create model work-sharing programs, six of these states
used incentives provided in the Act to create new programs within the past few years. From 2008 to 2013,
extended unemployment insurance benefits helped nearly 24 million workers, lifting 2.5 million people
out of poverty in 2012 alone. The experience of so many states with these reforms has helped lay the
groundwork for making these policies the national standard.

(The White House, 2016)

48
Analysis:

1. The following is a structural description of Obama’s speech:

P1: A question to introduce the topic (i.e. ways to make the economy work better for everyone, poor
and the rich).
P2: Problems still persist despite improved unemployment rate (some background information to
highlight the need for the topic)
P3: Importance of doing something to change the situation
P4: To justify why different measures have been introduced though they are still not sufficient.
P5: The need to modernise the unemployment insurance system
- the role modernised unemployment insurance system plays in providing economic security
- examples of how the system helps people with financial difficulties
P6: Emphasizing the positive outcomes/the benefits of modernising the unemployment insurance
system
P7: Closing

2. Is it persuasive?
- Well-structured speech justifying the need for the insurance system in a step-by-step manner.
- The audience are probably convinced as they understand the existing problems, the reasons why we
need to solve the problems, and how the modernised insurance system might be an effective solution.
- In terms of language, the use of repetitions for emphasis (e.g. repeating ‘that’s why’ to explain the
reasons for past measures and coming measure; repeating ‘if…..should’ to highlight all the
scenarios/possibilities how the proposal can help solve the existing problems).
- The needs of the Americans are taken into serious consideration and Obama established liking by
emphasizing that it is not unemployment that should only be concerned about but ‘reemployment’. He
also emphasizes how the past measures worked and how the modernised insurance system is along the
same line. The most important thing is that he cares about ‘everyone’ but not just caring about those at
the top.

[Link] features of spoken English

- Personal pronouns? (e.g. our, I, my)
- Slang/informal diction? (e.g. folks have jobs, pull themselves out of poverty, reach out , start out on
their careers, get ahead, we’ve got to…)
- Direct questions? (how do we make the new economy work better for everyone, not just those at the
top?)
- Active voice? (On Tuesday, I gave my final State of the Union Address.)
- Imperatives? (e.g. Have a great weekend.)

49
 Chapter 9: Socialisation
I. Create 3 conversations where the following informal expressions are used. Use 2 to 3 of
them in each conversation.

- once in a blue moon

- wrap up
- pull yourself together
- it slipped my mind
- come on
- all over the place
- hang in there
- hit the books
- sleep on it or I owe you one

Conversation 1:
A: “Come on! Hang in there!”
B: “I can’t do it. I didn’t exercise before.”

Conversation 2:
A: “Do you ever eat pork?”
B: “Only once in a blue moon. I prefer beef.”
A: “So sorry I didn’t realise it; it totally slipped my mind.”

Conversation 3:
A: “See! Your books are all over the place! What a mess!”
B: “I am hitting the books, and wrapping up soon. I will tidy up later.”

50
III. How are you going to send positive body language while having small talk with your
boss? Note down below the non-verbal communication means that can help.

1. Eye contact to show interest

2. Leaning forward
3. Standing/sitting erect

51
 Chapter 10: Business Meetings and Negotiations

I. How to behave in a meeting?

How should a Chairperson and participants behave in a meeting? Note down in the spaces
provided what a successful Chair and an effective participant should do.

A successful chair should

1. start on time
2. draw a conclusion for the discussions
3. prepare the agenda
4. encourage those who tend to be quiet to express their views
5. finish on time
6. stop fierce argument immediately
7. summarise the points of the discussion from time to time
An effective participant should
1. give opinion
2. give relevant suggestions
3. share duties

II. Procedure of a meeting

So how should a Chairperson start a meeting? Is there any procedure he/she should follow? Note
down in the spaces provided the procedure.

Moving to a Vote Consensus

The Minutes Postponing Discussion
Finishing a Point Voting
Proposing Giving the Floor
Taking the Floor The Subject
Moving to a New Point Keeping Order
Any Other Business Directing
Closing The Agenda

52
Opening
Ladies and gentlemen, I declare the meeting open.
Right, shall we get started?

The Minutes
Can we take the minutes as read?
Would someone move that the minutes of the last meeting be accepted?

The Agenda
Has everybody received a copy of the agenda?
The first item on the agenda today is…

The Subject
The purpose of today’s meeting is…
Perhaps we should first look at…

Giving the Floor

What are your views on this, Peter?
Mr. Ng, would you like to say something about this?

Taking the Floor

Excuse me Mr. Chairman, may I say something please?
Could I make a point about…

Finishing a Point
Has anyone anything further to add?
Has anyone anything further they wish to add before we move on to the next item on the agenda?

Directing Digression
Could you stick to the subject please?
This isn’t really relevant to our discussion. What we’re trying to do is…

Keeping Order
We can’t all speak once, Mrs. Chan, would you like to speak first?
I shall have to call you to order, Mr. Baker.

Moving to a New Point

Now, I’d like to turn to…
Could we move to item 3 on the agenda?

53
Postponing Discussion
Perhaps we could leave this for the time being. We can come back to it later.
If no-one has any objections, I suggest that we leave this matter until our next meeting.

Proposing
I would like to propose the motion that…
Would anyone like to second the motion?

Moving to a Vote
Can I ask for a show of hands?
Let’s put it to the vote.

Voting
Those for the motion, please?
Those against?
Any abstentions?
The motion is carried unanimously.
The motion has been rejected by 6 voted to 5.

Consensus
It seems that we have a consensus.
Are we all agreed on that?

Any Other Business (A.O.B.)

Is there any other business?
Is there anything else to discuss?

Closing
I declare the meeting closed. Thank you ladies and gentlemen.
That’s all for today. Thank you.

54
III. Preparing to be successful
Below are the building blocks of successful negotiations. Fill in the blanks to show your
understanding of what makes negotiations successful.
The building blocks of successful negotiations:
Interests / Needs  Behind conflicting positions lie shared interests.
 Focus on interests not positions.
 What do you care about?
 What do they care about?

Options  Widen your horizons before you negotiate.

 Do not assume there is only one solution.

Walk-away alternative  Decide what to do if you can’t reach agreement.

 Prepare to walk away from the negotiation with
confidence.

People  How we handle the people in a negotiation can

determine the results we obtain.
 Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills when
negotiating.
(Adapted from Fisher, Ury & Patton, 2011)

IV. Meeting topics

Make use of the language expressions and discuss the following topics which may require your
negotiation skills as well.

1. You are working for a high-performance motorcycles company. The design engineers and
marketing strategists keep arguing about which should be a higher priority, performance or
aesthetics. As a management trainee, the senior manager would like to hear your viewpoint on
this issue.
Some tips:
• The average age of bikers has crept up slightly to 43. But also, the ratio of female bikers has
doubled to 12 percent of the riding population in the past decade.
• Consumer Reports’ survey of our subscribers shows that the Japanese brands are significantly
more reliable than most bikes from other regions—led in order by Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, and
Kawasaki. Domestic brands Victory and Harley-Davidson were midpack, and Triumph, Ducati,
BMW, and Can-Am were the more trouble-prone brands.
• Owner satisfaction—i.e., happiness—is an entirely different measure from reliability. Eighty
percent of Victory owners said they would definitely buy the same bike if they were to do it all
over again. Harley-Davidson owners were quite happy, with 72 percent responding likewise,
trailed closely by Honda at 70 percent. All other brands were below 70 percent.
(Consumer Reports, 2015)

55
2. You and your partner disagree about whether employees should be encouraged to create online
profiles on LinkedIn and other business-oriented social networking websites. You say these
connections can be valuable to employees by helping them meet their peers throughout the
industry and valuable to the company by identifying potential sales leads and business partners.
Your partner says that encouraging employees to become better known in the industry will only
make it easier for competitors to lure them away with enticing job offers.

Some tips:
• According to a recent study by Statista, 10% of U.S. employees are not allowed to use
LinkedIn in the workplace because of blocked access.
• A study by BrightEdge illustrated this in finding: “Companies that have a greater proportion of
their employees on LinkedIn have more followers on their company pages. In fact, 9 out of the
top 10 brands with the most followers on LinkedIn have at least 60% of their employees on
LinkedIn.”
• According to LinkedIn’s Best Practices Blog, “Employees are 70% more likely to engage with
your company updates.” When your employees “like” and “share” status updates, the updates
become visible to their contacts.

(Prime, 2015)

3. The new management trainee constantly tests the limit of your company’s dress and grooming
standards in the past few days. You are responsible for explaining the dress code to the new
trainee.

Some tips:
• The Department of Labor indicated that there are two applicable principles:
a. If an employer merely prescribes a general type of ordinary basic street clothing to be worn
while working and permits variations in details of dress, the garments chosen by the employees
would not be considered to be uniforms.
b. On the other hand, where the employer does prescribe a specific type and style of clothing to
be worn at work, e.g. where a restaurant or hotel requires a tuxedo or a skirt and blouse or jacket
of a specific or distinctive style, color, or quality, such clothing would be considered uniforms.
• Regardless of what your organisation’s definition is of appearance, it is important to develop a
policy so all employees know what is expected. Here are some tips when developing a dress
code policy:
a) Purpose– Define the purpose of the document.
b) Scope– Define who this document applies to and when.
c) Responsibility– Define who is responsible for implementation of this policy and
ensuring that all staff are made aware of its application.
d) Requirements– Clearly outline the policy.

56
 e) Date– Define a start date for the policy.
f) Follow up - Publish your dress code policy in your company's employee handbook,
distribute copies and obtain signed acknowledgment forms from all employees. Place a
signed copy of the signed acknowledgment form in each employee's personnel file.
• Dr. Karen Pine, professor of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire and fashion
psychologist. “When we put on an item of clothing it is common for the wearer to adopt the
characteristics associated with that garment. A lot of clothing has symbolic meaning for us,
whether it’s ‘professional work attire’ or ‘relaxing weekend wear’, so when we put it on we
prime the brain to behave in ways consistent with that meaning.” The research found: “The
influence of clothes thus depends on wearing them and their symbolic meaning…This theory
supports the notion that we would stay more focused when wearing work clothes, and may be
more cognitively alert than if we dressed down.”
(Tulshyan, 2013; Sherman, 2014; Nesci, 2015)

V. Meeting minutes
Prepare two paragraphs below making use of verbs commonly used in minutes to report
discussions and decisions made. Note the correct use of tense too.

Suggested paragraph 1:

The Task Force considered proposals by the Secretariat for 2019 activities. Subject to funding,
the members supported the proposal as the activities are innovative and meaningful. The
members also supported holding an international conference in 2021 (again subject to
available funding), which could cover the topics of language teaching and use of technology.
The members noted that December 2020 will be the tenth anniversary of the Association. It
would also be an important juncture to welcome new members into the Initiative. The Task
Force was pleased that two other organisations had provisionally offered to host the
conference together.

Suggested paragraph 2:

There will be an important upcoming meeting on 21 February 2020 at 9:00am at School Hall.
Budget cuts will be the topic and community dialogue will be encouraged for the upcoming
year. It will be done in a small group setting. The meeting will be announced in our newsletter
and parents are also encouraged to come.

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 Chapter 11: Employment and Appraisal Interviews

I. Discuss the effectiveness of the following questions. Rephrase them if necessary to make
them more effective in obtaining more reliable information.

1. Can you work under pressure?

This is a yes/no questions and it a yes/no answer cannot help the interviewer understand how he
candidate can work under stress. Rephrase it as follows:
Give an example of you working under pressure and tell how you deal with it.

2. Do you like working in a team?

The answer must be yes. Use a behavior question instead as follows:
Tell us your experience of working in a team in marketing a product…

3. I want to know how you came to lose that contract?

This is a leading question. Make it a neutral one:
What happened to the contract? What did you learn from the experience?

4. I don’t expect you’ll make the same mistake again?

This is also a leading question. Rephrase it as follows:
What have you learned from this incident? How could you avoid making the same mistake
again?

5. Did you check out the details fully?

Instead of using a yes/no question, use a wh-question to find out the details: How did you check
out the details?

6. How would you handle a really angry customer?

Don’t use a hypothetical question in this case. To determine if the candidate has the ability or
competence in handling a really angry customer, use a behavior question:
Have you got the experience of handling a really angry customer as a salesperson in the previous
company? Tell us what happened; what did you do? What was the outcome?

7. Would you stay with us if we found you a place in retail marketing?

This is a hypothetical question and the answer is also hypothetical. Just bear in mind that the
answer might be different when there is an opening later in retail marketing.

8. Most people seem to like the new procedure. What’s your feeling about it?
This is a leading question. Delete the first part: What do you find about the new procedure?

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II. Using the STAR technique, prepare questions to be asked in a structured behavioral
interview to examine if the candidates possess the following attributes required for the
Marketing Manager position in your company:
- Leadership
- Creativity
- Team spirit
- Communication skill

Leadership
ST
Tell me about a time when you convince your team members that the decision you made was the right
way to go.
A
1. What was the decision about?
2. What was the resistance about?
3. What did you do to convince your team members?
R
1. What was the outcome? Were the team members convinced?

Creativity
ST
Let’s talk more about how you came up with those ‘novel’ ideas to market the new product.
A
1. How did you come up with the idea?
2. What was the idea about?
3. Why do you think your idea might be effective?
R
1. How was the idea effective in helping you market the new product?

Team spirit
ST
Help me understand how you worked in a team in developing marketing strategies.
A
1. How many people were there in your team?
2. What was your role in the team?
3. What marketing strategies were you all trying to develop?
4. How did you team reach a consensus in developing the marketing strategies?
R
1. Was the marketing strategy effective?
2. How was this related to your team spirit?

59
 Communication skill
ST
Recall a time when you made use of your communication skill to persuade your clients to accept your
proposal.
A
1. What was the proposal about?
2. What communication skills were involved in doing the persuasion?
R
1. What was the outcome?
2. Was your proposal accepted?
3. How was this related to your communication skills?

III. Try using the critical listening model developed by Edge and work out an interaction
between an appraiser and an appraisee where the appraiser helps the appraisee
understand his/her weaknesses in a certain area and develop a career goal.

Suggested Version:
Appraisee: Talking about disappointment and frustration, I have been facing a problem
concerning how to deal with difficult customers. It seems that no matter how hard I tried, the
customers did not seem to be satisfied and some of them even got angrier…..
Appraiser: Do you refer to those angry customers on the phone or the customers you face
every day?
Apraisee: Both and in particular those we face every day. The problem is worse when dealing
with the customers face to face.
Appraiser: So you are having a problem handling angry customers and you made them
angrier…?
Appraisee: Yes, it seems that they don’t understand what I said, and they don’t seem to listen
to me at all. I can’t decide what’s wrong…..
Appraiser: Did you say you explained the company’s policy to the customers but they did not
seem to understand?
Appriasee: They just carried on with what they wanted to say and they got angrier when I tried
hard to explain to them.
Appraiser: So you think it is you who is to blame?
Appraisee: My another colleague seems to be very good at handling this. The customers seem
to be willing to listen to him and they seem to be satisfied finally.
Appraiser: So how did your colleague make it?

60
Appraisee: He seems to talk less but it seems more effective.
Appraiser: Did this give you any thoughts? I mean, did this make you think of any other ways
to do that?
Appraisee: Mmm, maybe it’s a question of being there to listen instead of focusing on what I
want to say?
Appraiser: So, you think this is caused by you being defensive?
Appraisee: Yes, perhaps I can be more patient in trying to listen to what customers expect
before providing necessary information to them…..

61
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