English guide for IT specialists (110

9. When you send a fax it is a good idea to use a fax t_______ cover form. 11. Avoid using c________ language or slang in formal letters.

14. You must decide how much i________ you put in the letter.

16. Emoticons, also known as smileys, are often used in i_________ email correspondence.

18. Do not confuse personal messages with b________ messages.

Unit II. Telephoning

1. What can you say about these statements:

a) The reason computers can do more work than people is that computers never have to answer the phone.

b) Our telephone answering system has broken down. This is a human being. How can I help you?

2. Discuss these questions with your partners.

What percentage of your time at work do you spend on the phone?How many of the calls you make and receive are essential?

3. Use the pairs of words in the box to complete the sentences. How many of the statements are true for you? Compare with the partners.

aIf I’m _________, I just let the phone ___________.

bIf I don’t want to be ____________, I tell my secretary to ___________all my calls.

4. How comfortable are you speaking English on the phone? Complete the questionnaire below using the correct form of the following verbs.

shout have wish lose try keep sound want misunderstand Be honest! Can you remember a time when you ……

1)totally _____________ what someone said on the phone?

2)really _____________ rude and unhelpful because you were busy?

3)constantly ____________ to ask the other person to repeat what they said?

4)just ___________ putting off a call because you didn’t want to speak English?

5)actually _________ at someone on the phone?

6)just __________ you could talk to other person face to face?

7)even __________ pretending you were out to avoid taking a call?

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8)completely ____________ track of the conversation?

9)really ____________ to kill the person on the other end of the phone?

5. Read the text about successful telephoning and decide whether these statements are true or false.

1)Making phone calls in a foreign language requires planning and preparing?

2)It is important to have sufficient time for the call.

3)Do not ask the caller to say the information again if you did not understand something?

4)A little small talk is not of some importance before starting to talk business.

5)While making telephoning you should speak in the same way you do during a face-to-face conversation.

6)Smiling can help you with telephoning.

Phone calls can often be challenging in your own language, but when you’re speaking a foreign language they are even more difficult. There’s no body language to help you, the audio quality is not always perfect, and there is more time pressure than in a face-to-face conversation. Below are some tips to make telephoning in English less stressful. 1) If you have to make a difficult phone call, spend a few minutes preparing first. Think about what you want from the phone call. What might the other person say? Make notes of English phrases you can use during the call. 2) Try to relax. Make sure you have enough time for the call, and don’t hurry. It’s better to have a successful ten-minute call than an unsuccessful five-minute call. 3) Sometimes receiving an unexpected call can be very stressful. To give yourself some time to prepare for the call, you might want to tell a ‘white lie’ (I’m sorry, I’m actually in a meeting right now. Can I call you back in ten minutes?) and call back when you feel more confident. 4) It’s important to make a little small talk with the other person before you talk business, but don’t spend too long chatting. Get to the point of the call quickly. If you’re talking to a native English speaker, listen for words like well, so, and anyway – these are signals that it’s time to talk business. 5) Speak more slowly and at a lower pitch than you would during a face-to-face conversation. It makes you sound confident, helps the other person to understand you, and calms you down if you are nervous. 6) Don’t be afraid to ask a caller to repeat something (I’m sorry, I still didn’t catch that. Could you say it again more slowly?). It’s better for the caller to repeat a piece of information five times than for you to write down the wrong information.

7) Smile! Although it sounds strange, the other person can hear if you are smiling

– it makes your voice sound friendlier.

6. In business, phone calls are often interrupted. Look at the difficulties and distractions (1–9). Match each one to an appropriate response (a–i).

1.Your colleague comes in and wants you to sign something.

2.Your colleague leaves a few seconds later.

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3.There’s a terrible noise right outside your office. You can’t hear yourself think!

4.Your boss wants a word with you – now!

5.Someone else is trying to call you.

6.The other person gives you their name – it’s unpronounceable!

7.You think you misunderstood the information the other person just gave you.

8.You gave the other person a lot of information very quickly.

9.The other person just won’t stop talking.

a.Sorry, could you speak up a little?

b.Look, I’ve got someone on the other line. Can I call you back?

c.OK? Did you get all that?

d.I’ll have to go, I’m afraid. Something’s come up.

e.Sorry about that. Where were we?

f.Anyway, I won’t keep you any longer. Speak to you soon.

g.Excuse me a moment.

h.Sorry, could you spell that for me, please?

i.Can I just check that with you?

7.A lot of the English you need on the phone is just a small number of key words used in different combinations. Work with a partner. How many telephone expressions can you make using one word or phrase from two or more sections below (For example, Can I have your name, please?). Write them down.

8. You overhear a colleague say the following things on the phone. What questions do you think she was asked? Use some of the telephone expressions you made in 6.

a___________________________________________________________? Yes, I’d like to speak to Alvey Kalina, please.

b___________________________________________________________? Yes. It’s Irina Popova.

c___________________________________________________________? P-O-P-O-V-A, Popova.

d___________________________________________________________? Yes, Can you just tell him Irina called?

e___________________________________________________________? Yes, I’ll tell him as soon as he gets in.

f___________________________________________________________? Of course. Your reference number is 51-78067-IP. OK?

g___________________________________________________________? Sorry, is that better?

h___________________________________________________________? Around four, I should think.

i___________________________________________________________? Certainly. Can you give me your number?

j___________________________________________________________? Sure. When can I expect to hear from you?

Unit III. Job-hunting

Most of us spend between 60–80 % of our waking hours working, so it is important to find a job that brings true satisfaction. If you haven’t found it yet, then don’t give up. Keep looking until you find a job that you love doing.

1. Study the job advertisement below and choose which of the three candidates you think is the best applicant.

Applicant 1

BSc Computing Science. Graduated this year.

Knowledge of a variety of operating systems including Unix, Novell, and Windows XP.

Experience in programming in C, C++, Pascal, Java, Delphi and Visual Basic.

Familiar with a wide variety of hardware and software packages.

Highly motivated.

No work experience.

Applicant 2

Higher National Diploma in Information Technology

Trained in using network systems including Novell and Windows XP.

Experienced user of Microsoft Office programs and Internet systems.

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Knowledge of setting up and troubleshooting most types of computers and peripherals.

Gets on well with others and can work as a part of team.

Keen to gain experience and develop a career in computing.

Worked for a computer service firm for 2 years.

Applicant 3

Higher National Certificate in Computing

Employed for 3 years in a computing sales team advising customers on purchase requirements and helping them troubleshoot problems with installed systems.

Trained in using Unix and Novell network systems and a wide variety of hardware.

Experienced in many PC packages including most Microsoft products.

Good communicator, experienced in dealing with the public and working as a part of a team.

Highly motivated.

IT Support Officer

Educated to degree level, candidates should have at least two years’ relevant experience.

We need a highly-motivated individual, able to support approximately 30 networked PCs. The role is very much ‘hands-on’, and so it is essential that you have a good understanding and experience of Microsoft Office, Novell networks, Email systems, TCP/IP, hardware and virus-protection tools.

You should be able to communicate well with users and external contractors and to make a contribution to the training of all PC users.

The successful candidate must work well under pressure and as a team member.

2. Read five extracts about work of people employed in computing. Match each extract to the correct job from the list below.

a)Hardware Engineer.

b)Network Support Person.

c)Operator.

d)Software Designer.

e)Systems Analyst Programmer.

f)Systems Support Person.

g)Technical Sales Manager.

1) Before I write a program, I have to carry out a feasibility study in the company. The aim is to see whether a new program would be better than the methods they use at present. I have to observe what the users do, speak to them, and make an analysis of their systems. It’s very important to speak to the actual users, not just the managers.

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2)My job is to persuade customers that it’s worth investing in new computer systems or extending the systems they already have. But it’s not enough simply to sell the systems. We have to keep in touch after the sale and make sure things are working well, and to provide any backup the client needs. That’s the only way to build up trust with a customer and to get new orders. It’s very competitive market.

3)I’m called out if there’s a fault on the network. We try to solve the problem by the phone at first, but if that doesn’t work, we have to go and look for ourselves. It could be anything: the software, the server, even the cabling. Sometimes the problem is the user! You have to be good at working out where the problem is.

4)It’s my job to try out new components before they’re used in our computers. It’s not only how well the components work that matters, they also have to meet health and safety requirements. I need to write reports and make recommendations on my findings. If problems arise after the components have been installed, I’m the person who has to find the solution.

5)I have to change the specifications for a system into a logical sequence that can be programmed. The language I choose for coding will depend on various factors such as what type of program it is, and where it’s going to be used. A lot of testing has to be done and I use the feedback to decide where improvements can be made.

3. Study the job advertisement below and decide whether the statements (1 –

7)are true or false.

The successful applicant:

1)will develop new systems him/herself;

2)must have at least five years’ work experience;

3)must have worked in a company;

4)must be a good communicator;

5)must know VB;

6)must know SQL;

7)will work alone.

Systems Manager

Working closely with in-house users, you will be responsible for commissioning new systems and for maintaining and enhancing existing systems for a major retail company. You will be part of the management team.

You will have a minimum of five years’ experience in software development in a business environment.

You should have a good knowledge of VB and Access and have the experience of Novell networks. Experience with Oracle and SQL would also be an advantage.

Good communication skills are essential and the ability to work as a part of a team.

To find out more, email your CV to: steve.bell@pathfinder.com.uk

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4. Read Gloria’s curriculum vitae (CV) and complete it with the words and phrases from the box.

Curriculum vitae

Personal information Name: Gloria Quintana

Address: Avda Seneca, 7, Madrid 28030 Telephone: 00 48 91 5435308

Email: gquintana0889@com.net

Date of birth: 29/08/89

Education and Training

2013 Online diploma in 1)____________ for business, www.elearnbusiness.com

2012 Course in web design at the Cybernetics College, London: HTML, Java and Macromedia Dreamweaver

2011 Course in 2)______________ and networking at the Cybernetics College, London

2006–2011 Degree in Computer Science and Engineering, University of Madrid

Work experience

January 2013 – present Part-time Webmaster at www.keo.es; responsible for updating the site and using Adobe Flash to 3)________ animations

May 2012 – December 2013 IT consultant at Media Market, 4)___________ in e-commerce and IT strategies

IT skills

Knowledge of multiple computer platforms (Windows, Mac and Linux); strong database skills (including the popular open source MySQL database); complete understanding of 5)_____________ and Cascading Style Sheets

Personal skills

Social and 6)_________________ Good communication skills

Languages

Spanish mother tongue; English (Cambridge CAE); Arabic (fluent)

Hobbies and Interests

Web surfing, 7)_____________ to music and travelling

References

Leo Santana, Manager, keo.es

Tom Jakes, Lecturer, Cybernetics College

5. Write your own CV in English, using Gloria’s as a guide.

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6. Read the letter of application and put the verbs in brackets into the past simple or present perfect.

A letter of application

7 Castle Street

London SW7 9AT 17th March

Personnel Manager 17 Oak Street London SW12 4XY Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to apply for the post of Webmaster which was advertised in The Times on March 16th.

After leaving university in 2009 in Germany, I 1) __________ (complete) a course on computer hardware and networking. Four years ago I 2) ________ (do) a course on Web design at the Cybernetics College. Here I 3) _______ (learn) how to use HTML and the Java language.

I 4)_______ (study) languages at school and, when I was a university student, I 5) ________ (spend) eight months in France. I am fluent in French, English and German.

For the last two years I 6) ________(work) part-time in Ceo.com, where I 7)

_______ (be) responsible for updating their website regularly.

Since January I 8) _______ (use) Macromedia Flash to create media animation. I really enjoy working on the Web.

I enclose my curriculum vitae and samples of work. I will be available for an interview at any time.

I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully,

Morris Brown

Morris Brown

7. Write a letter of application for a job you are going to apply for.

Unit IV. Having an interview 1a. Discuss these questions with your group.

1)Have you ever been interviewed for a job in English? How did it go?

2)How do you feel about going for an interview?

3)How can you prepare for an interview?

1b. In pairs, discuss the following tips for preparing for an interview. Which ones do you think are more important? Which ones would you do first?

Try to predict the questions you are likely to be asked during the interview.

Do some research into the company you are applying for a job with.

Find out exactly what the job involves.

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Analyse your skills and experience and identify areas there they match the job requirements and the company needs.

Rehearse the interview.

Decide what you’re going to wear.

Prepare a list of questions to ask at the end of the interview.

2.If you are invited for an interview remember that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. People start forming their impression of you immediately, looking at the outside and making assumptions about the inside. It is your responsibility to ensure that you send out the right message about who you are, through your physical appearance, your clothes and your body language. So what can you do to create a positive first impression with an interviewer? Think about the following points: your appearance, body language, how to ‘break the ice’ with the interviewer.

2a. In pairs, discuss the following interview tips. Write do or don’t next to each tip.

Arrive ten minutes early.

Speak English with a friend before the interview.

Bring a close friend or relative with you for support.

Take a copy of your CV and examples of your work with you.

Learn some impressive words and phrases to use in the interview.

Memorise long answers to questions that you anticipate being asked.

2b. Match each problem (a–e) you may have during the interview to the advice on how to avoid it (1–5).

Problem

a)Trembling voice.

b)Sweating.

c)Shaking hands.

d)Bad posture.

e)No eye contact.

Advice

1)Make eye contact, but remember not to stare.

2)Politely decline tea or coffee.

3)Breathe slowly and deeply.

4)Sit up straight and lean forward when speaking.

5)Make sure you know in advance how to find the interview venue.

3. Match the advice on how to answer questions (1–5) to the practical tips (a–e).

Advice

1)Be clear and explicit

2)Be audible

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3)Be concise

4)Be truthful

5)Focus on action you have taken

Practical tips

a) If you personally did something, say “I did” rather than “we did” or “it was”.

b)Most lies or exaggerations get discovered and suggest bad judgment on your part.

c)Do not assume interviewers know what your previous job involved, even if they work in the same organization. It is also important not to use jargon or acronyms that the interviewer might not be familiar with.

d)Don’t talk too long, or drift away from the point. Be alert to any signs from the interviewer of boredom, loss of concentration, or signals that you are talking too much. However, also ensure that you say enough.

e)Answers that can’t be heard demonstrate poor interpersonal and communicative skills.

4. The outcome of an interview can be decided in the first five minutes. From the moment you arrive for an interview you are being assessed. Even before the interview itself begins you will be communicating a message about who you are. In order to create a positive impression, it’s important that from the moment you arrive what you say is clear, confident and enthusiastic.

Look at the following examples of interview small talk. Match the beginnings (1–10) to the endings (a–j). Would you say these to the receptionist (R), the interviewer (I) or both (B)?

j)scheduled for interviews today?____

5.Having some small talk helps to build a positive rapport with the interviewer. In the UK the weather and transport problems are very common and appropriate small talk topics. In pairs, discuss the following questions.

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