Unit 1 - Communication

List some forms of communication by adding one word to below block

Drums
Pigeon
Painting
Newspaper
Radio
Language
 Starting up

• Think of a good communicator you know.

• Explain why he/she is good at communicating.
 Starting up
• What makes a good communicator?
Choose the three most important factors from this list.
• Fluency in the language
• Grammatical accuracy
• An awareness of body language
• An extensive vocabulary
• Being a good listener
• Not being afraid of making mistakes
• A sense of humor
• Physical appearance
• No strong accent
 Starting up

• What other factors are important for communication?

• Discuss these questions.

1. What forms of written and spoken communication do you like using? Why?
2. What problems can people have with the different forms of communication?
3. How do you think those problems can be solved?
 Skills

What expressions can you use in these phone situations?

a) The person speaks too fast or too quietly

b) You want someone to stop talking while you do something
c) You don't understand a word/expression the other person uses
d) You want to make sure of the spelling of something
e) You want more information about a subject
f) The connection is not good and you can't continue the conversation
g) you want to confirm some information

CD 1.5 Listen to a telephone conversation between Bernard Klebermann and Koichi Sato.
Which of the problems mentioned in Exercise A do the speakers have when communicating?
 Skill set

CD 1.6 Listen to the same two speakers in a similar conversation.

Explain why the second conversation is better. Give as many reasons as you can.
CD 1.6 Listen to the conversation again and complete these extracts with
words or expressions from it.

1 That's good. Could you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .while I get a pen?

2 Sorry, Bernard, I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Could you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .a little,

please? I need to take some notes.

3 Let me . . . . . . . . . . . .that: 200 posters, pens and pencils and 50 bags. . . . . . . . . . . . .it.

4 Seel- ... sorry, could you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . me, please, Bernard? I don't

think I know the company.

5 'They've placed an order for 518 of the new lasers ...'

'Sorry, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 580 lasers?‘

6 Sorry, I don't follow you. What .. . . . . . . . . . .'roll-out' . . . . . . . . . . . .?

7 But I need details about the company ... Sorry, it's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

Could you . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . , please? I can't hear you very well.

8 Sorry, I still can't hear you. I'll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ., maybe the line will be better.
 CHECKING IN FORMATION
ASKING FOR REPETITION Would/Could you spell that,
Sorry, could you repeat that? please?
I didn't (quite) catch that. Can I read that back to you
Could you speak up, please?
Could you say that again, ASKING FOR FURTHER INFORMATION S
please? Could you give me some more details, please?
Could you be a bit more specific?
Could you explain that in more detail?
PROBLEMS WITH UNDERSTAN DING
Sorry, I'm not with you.
Sorry, I don't follow you. TECHNICAL PROBLEMS
Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean. Sorry, it's a bad line.
Can I call you back?
It's a terrible connection.
ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION I'm afraid I'll have to get back to you later.
What do you mean by ...? Sorry, we were cut off.
What does ... mean?
Could you clarify that?
SUMMARISING THE CALL
Let me go over what we've agreed.
Let me just summaries ..
 Group work
You and a partner need to re-enact any of the two role play scenarios that
can be found on page 11 of your workbook.

Work in pairs. Role-play any of the two situations. Decide on who will be
Student A “Page 132” and who will be Student B “Page 140”.
Student B -Role play 1
You are expecting a call from an overseas subsidiary confirming the details of a visit to your head office next
month. You have been given some information by a colleague, but are not sure if it is correct.

Names of visitors: Bargaster? and Paz?

Contact number: 06875 413870?
Flight details: BA 3765 arriving at 17:10 on the
12th May?
Hotel: Hilton Plaza (12th-14th May)

Note: You have a rather quiet telephone voice.

Student A - Role play 2
You are the overseas agent for an electronics company. The Marketing Manager of the company phones to discuss
plans for advertising the company's new range of up-market coffee machines. You and the Marketing Manager have
various ideas for promoting the sales of these items. Try to agree on a suitable advertising strategy.

Note: You are on your mobile phone and the battery is low, so check all the details carefully.
You want to:
• Spend a lot of money on radio and TV advertising
• Hire some models for in-store promotional activities at local department stores (twice a week for eight weeks)
• Exhibit the products at a local trade fair
• Do some direct mail shots to selected house and apartment owners
• Start a viral marketing campaign, but you have no experience in this area.

You want the Marketing Manager to contribute at least 80% of the cost of the advertising, which you expect to be
about €100,000 in total. You could contribute 20%, but this would greatly reduce your profits on the products.
While doing the role play, practice some of the expressions you can use for dealing with breakdowns in communication
Student B - Role play 2
You are the Marketing Manager of an electronics company. You phone an overseas agent to discuss plans for advertising the
company's new range of up-market coffee machines. You and the agent have various ideas for promoting the sales of these
items.
Try to agree on a suitable advertising strategy.
Note: You are on your mobile phone and the battery is low, so check all the details carefully.
You want to:
• Place special advertisements for the new products in lifestyle magazines
• Have some in-store promotions and demonstrations at department stores (once a week for three months)
• Advertise the products on buses, trams and in key outside locations (billboards)
• Make sure the products are exhibited at a trade fair
• Contact a local marketing consultant for advice on viral marketing:

Markus Kaufmann, tel: 01782 550378

E-mail: [email protected]
You will contribute €60,000 towards the cost of the advertising. You expect the agent to contribute €40,000 towards the
cost of advertising.
While doing the role play, practice some of the expressions you can use for dealing with breakdowns in communication.
 Homework
You and a partner need to re-enact any of the two role play scenarios. Your task is to make a
recording of the telephone conversation and send it to me via email before the next class.

Note:
• Please make sure to use the email template provide in the “Course material and information”
section.