DynEd International, Inc. |
DynEd International, Inc. |
The Functioning in Business radio course will help you learn American business English through listening to business meetings and discussions and to interviews with American business people.
With your radio host, Elizabeth Moore, you will follow the story of an important business trip. You will listen to conversations which introduce vocabulary and expressions used to conduct business in English. You will also listen to Business Dialogs which present many kinds of business situations.
Our business and culture expert, Gary Engleton, will offer Culture Tips about American business culture. Gary will also focus on important language functions used in business and social situations.
This week on Functioning in Business, Charles Blake of International Robotics continues his meeting with Mr. Stewart Chapman of Federal Motors.
They discuss the issues of spare parts and technical support, and they move towards a final agreement.
| Mr. Chapman: | According to your technical reports, your robots are very reliable. They rarely break down in their first five years. Am I right? |
| Mr. Blake: | Yes, that's right. But it's important to follow the maintenance schedule. In most cases, electronic sensors indicate problems before they become serious. |
| Mr. Chapman: | So in that case, extra parts can be flown in rather than stored. |
| Mr. Blake: | Absolutely. We can guarantee delivery by air within thirty-six hours. And our technical support will be available twenty-four hours a day! |
| Mr. Chapman: | Excellent! |
"How important is quality in the US?"
Quality has become very important in the last ten or twenty years. One reason is because of foreign competition. In the past, there were fewer imports, so most Americans bought American products. But in the nineteen sixties and the nineteen seventies, foreign companies began exporting more to the US. Many of their products were high-quality and less expensive than American products. So Americans bought them.
For example, imported toys have done very well in the US. Some imported toys offer good quality at very low prices. Others provide very high quality at reasonable prices. Americans realized that they could get more quality for less money. That put a lot of pressure on American companies. They had to improve their quality control. They needed to produce low-cost, high-quality products. These days, American companies have a lot of employees working to improve quality.
If you have questions about American business and culture, write to gary@dyned.com.
Jennifer Ashley is talking on the phone with Marvin Grant of Grant Electronics, Inc. They are discussing an upcoming purchase of memory chips.
| Ms. Ashley: | And you can have them to us by this Friday, is that right? |
| Mr. Grant: | Yes, that's right. They may actually arrive on Thursday. |
| Ms. Ashley: | Excellent! And you plan to build a warehouse in San Jose by the end of the year? |
| Mr. Grant: | Yes, that's correct. Construction began last week. |
| Ms. Ashley: | I'm glad to hear that. Now, I'd like some information about the next-generation chips. |
| Mr. Grant: | Well, as I told you before, most of that information is still confidential. But I can tell you that they'll be at least twice as fast. They'll also hold at least fifty percent more information. |
| Ms. Ashley: | And they'll cost more, won't they? |
| Mr. Grant: | Well, of course, they will be somewhat more expensive. But I think that you'll find the price very reasonable. |
| Ms. Ashley: | That's good. |
Functioning in Business will teach you about how to use English in business and social situations.
This week's lessons focus on Asking for Confirmation. Here are some examples:
Listen to Functioning in Business on the Voice of America radio network, then answer this week's question.
Who will fly to China to see the robots in operation?
Send your answer to max@dyned.com.
Last week's Question of the Week: Why was Mr. Chapman unable to meet Mr. Blake earlier in the week?
Answer: Mr. Chapman's father was in the hospital in another city, and Mr. Chapman went to see him.
Each week you will receive e-mail Study Tips, news, and activities. Join today!
The Functioning in Business radio course is based on DynEd's Functioning in Business courseware and the Functioning in Business textbook, by P. Lance Knowles and Francis Bailey, published by Longman.
For more information about DynEd courseware, contact sales@dyned.com.
If you have any questions or comments,write to elizabeth@dyned.com.
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