Topics of business to business interaction

There are a lot of topics in Business to Business Interaction(B2B) such as Promoting a new model , Telephone skills training, Business and the ENVIRONMENT, Relocation,... It is very useful to improve and boost your English speaking skills in Business English.

TOPIC 3: Telephone skills training

Your company has decided to run a one-day course on effective telephone skills

at work

You have been asked to prepare the course

Discuss the situation together and decide:

• which staff in a company would most benefit from this type of trainingcourse

• what advice and training should be given during the course

-

-Ngân : Hi, Linh How’s it going?

Linh: Hi, Ngân I’m fine, thanks

N: Great! Today we are going to talk about the one-day course on effectivetelephone skills at work which you have been asked to prepare

L: Yeah, let’s start

N: uh Let’s tell me which staff in a company would most benefit from this type

of training course?

L: I think telesales are the ones who will benefit the most from this type oftraining course because most of their work is on the phone and they can getmore skills to improve their communication skills, know how to attractcustomers as well as understand the needs and psychology of customers andsolve their problem in a friendly and professional manner

N: What about the others? Will they get any benefit from this course?

L: I think anyone will also improve their skills to have a good understanding ofcustomer care issues and develop an agile approach when answering the phonebut telesales are still the ones that gain a lot

N: Well done I completely agree with you And what advice and training should

be given during the course?

L: For the most part, I wanna give some advice to them in this training course

is that telesales must thoroughly understand the wants and needs of potentialcustomers and effectively communicate the benefits of the products and servicestheir company offers

N: I couldn’t agree with you more As service people, it's important tounderstand how important our customers are to our company What else?

L: In the course, we will teach staff ways to make a good first impression andshow their personality to customers, essential telephone time management andorganization, and Communication skills for difficult clients, so on,…

N: That sounds great I hope that through this course our staff, especiallytelesales, will improve and develop their skills to work over the phoneeffectively to attract customers OK, that’s all See you later

L: Yepp, boss See you

TOPIC 2 Promoting a new model

The car manufacturer you work for plans to produce a new model and to targetconsumers between 18 and 25 years old

You have been asked to make suggestions for promoting the car

Discuss the situation together and decide:

● which features of a car might be important to the target group

● how an advertising campaign could present the car

L: Today we have a small meeting about our plan for promoting our new car SoMiss N, which features of a car might be important to the target group?

-N: Automatic emergency braking: The system applies the brakes on its own toprevent a collision when it senses a vehicle in its way, or to reduce the force of

an impact that can’t be avoided Systems that include pedestrian detection aresome of the most beneficial

Forward collision warning: This gives drivers a visual and/or audible warningthat a collision may be imminent

N: In terms of advertising campaign, how could it present the car Miss Ngân?L: We can add video advertisements to our website, sharing it on social media,

or uploading it on YouTube Online video can offer our potential customers anexperience that persuades them to buy the products

N: Okay Noted So i’ll report these information to our boss

L: Sure Thanks for joining today meeting, N

N: Yeah, have a nice day

TOPIC 7:

Business and the ENVIRONMENT

Imagine that you are administrative assistants in a large internationalcompany Your manager has complained about the amount of waste in theoffice

You have been asked to make a change with your colleagues in the

office

Discuss the situation together and decide:

● why it is necessary to reduce waste

● how to reduce waste and how the best should be prized

N: Hi, Linh How are you doing?

-L: Hi, Ngân I’m quite worried How about you?

N: I’m so so Why are you worried?

L: Our manager has complained about the amount of waste in the office Andnow I am going to make a change with you in this meeting

N: Oh, OK Discuss it! Why is it necessary to reduce waste?

L: There are many reasons why reducing waste is important

+ For one, Reducing waste in the workplace allows us to keep our smallbusiness operating costs low while helping preserve the environment Wastereduction strategies don’t need to be costly or time-consuming to implement N: uhm, hmm

L: Next, Minimizing waste in the workplace can help us establish ourcompany's image, in the minds of clients and customers, as a good corporatecitizen

N: Oh, that's right We can make an impression on our customers by emailingand sending electronically transmitting invoices that demonstrate ourcommitment to reducing waste

L: That’s a great idea Reducing waste can also have a positive social impact bycreating more jobs for people in industries developed to recycle goods

N: Wow, what a wonderful opinion Because of the huge importance of reducingwaste, we need to take action as soon as possible.

L: Yeah, that’s right Do you think of any possible solution to reduce waste?N: Yep, Of course We can reduce waste in several ways For example, instead

of using plastic bottles in our office, we can use reusable bottles This action cansave our money and reduce waste as well

L: Well, that’s a nice idea

N: Moreover, we also need to control our use of paper It has come to myattention that there are lots of people in our office that usually go to work withmagazines or newspapers in their hands so far So I think we should get used tousing tablets or any other technology devices to approach information sincenowadays there are many newspapers that have online versions

L: Oh, I totally agree with you Our company's internet connection is verystrong, and I think they can read online newspapers easily

N: And I'm sure that changing to a “paperless” environment is an effectivepractice to reduce the amount of waste in our company For instance, we canminimize our use of paper by using paper from recycling bins for notes, etc.since most people only print on one side, leaving a full side of high qualitywhite paper

L: Wow, I believe that our office will perfectly change to a greener environmentsoon if we consciously take these practices to action So in order to create amotivation for our colleagues to reduce, reuse and recycle, do you think of anyideas?

N: Hmmm I suggest that within a month, a person that consumes the leastamount of paper in printing or any things, he or she will have an incentive toperform harder Maybe a cinema ticket or some kind of vouchers, …

L: Fantastic It would be great if all of us do this

2) Why is it important for companies to be socially responsible?

→ Because this creates goodwill for businesses and can helpincrease the company's market share Businesses that caneasily cash this approach of being a business that takes care ofits customers' liking In addition, the waste and carbon emissions ofcompanies also cause negative impacts on the environment That's why theyhave to be responsible for society.

3 Do you think reducing electricity consumption is a good way to reduce costs?

→ Yes, of course In fact, it is estimated that 75% of the energyused to power household electronics is consumed when theyare switched off, which can cost you up to $200 per year

4) Do you agree that in the future, more people will work remotely from home?

→ Yes, I think so Nowadays many people work from homebecause of the covid-19 pandemic, which is convenient andsaves more time for everyone If the internet becomes fasterand there are more programs, such as Skype, that allow people

to access and work from home more easily, I predict that morepeople will stay at home Especially, if companies found itworked for them without a drop in productivity or an increase incosts then we may see the home as the workplace of thefuture

5 What do you think is the role of an environmental consultant in a largecompany?

→ Environmental consultants provide analysis and insight onenvironmental concerns for public and private industries;property acquisition, development and construction; publicworks and infrastructure; health compliance and safetyregulations; sustainability and energy efficiency

6 Do you think companies are more or less environmentally responsible nowthan they were in the past?

→ For the most part, threats to the environment are becomingmore and more serious, which leads companies, organizationsand individuals to take measures to limit emissions and protectthe environment than in the past In the past, we did not haveadvanced measures to limit environmental pollution Incontrast, Today with modern machines and equipment, theyhave to take more and more responsibility for it

TOPIC 8

Business and Environment

Next week is Earth Day, and you have been asked by the Head of the office toplan the activities and preparation for the event

Discuss the situation together with your colleague and decide:

● what activities should be done before and during the event

● how to persuade the whole staff to follow the plan

-L: Good morning, Ngân

N: Hi, Linh I heard we have a meeting today Is it right?

L: Yepp, the Head of the office has asked me to plan the activities andpreparation for Earth Day next week Today we need to discuss it

N: OK which activities should be done before and during the event?

L: First of all, I believe that I need to establish a green team taskforce to make aplan for the organization of this event Moreover, I would suggest maintainingthis group for the company as this will help our company to be greener andmore sustainable in the future

N: That’s a good idea How do we plan?

L: Before this event, we will invite an expert to talk to our employees about theenvironmental problems, how to limit it in our company,…so on, and nextlaunch an incentive-based recycling program

N: Well, I am quite interested in your plan The average employee creates anenormous amount of waste every month, waste that harms the earth and ourpocket That sounds great!

L: Yep, haha We are going to create recycling stations in visible work areasand assign two staff to make sure other employees follow the rules Besidesthat, We also use an app that passes on knowledge to our employees and linkseveryone together

N: Good job How can we encourage our staff?

L: Oh, we are going to prepare exciting rewards for our employees that recyclethe most waste Hihi OK, The floor is yours, ngân Tell me your ideas to makethis event, please?

N: I think it's fantastic that we have a community Earth Day party at the end ofthis day as last year Right?

L: Yes, it's necessary for it What new ideas have you got?

N: We will require all of the staff in our company to have some dress-up themewhere everyone creates an item of clothing from recyclable materials Then, Wewill play sustainability-related games (trivia, searches, scavenger hunts, team-building)

L: Well done Then we need to calculate the amount of gifts that we will prepare

in advance

N: That’s right we'll be posting the winners on our company's website tocompliment them

L: I couldn’t agree with you more

N: I think in order to encourage employees to join this activity, we can explainwhat benefit they can get from this event

L: Hmm what exact benefit do you think of?

N: I can see that every staff in our office is tired of workloads lately, so Isuggest that anyone engaging in this event will be able to get 1 or 2 day off withpay

L: Wow, interesting I bet that everyone would be excited about this

N: Yeah I also think of creating many lucky presents in the event to attract ourstaff to join this activity

L: Yeah Great

N: are you gonna join this event?

L: Of course, I'm really excited for this

N: Yeah Hope to see you there

1. Do people in your organization or your university save electricity? How

do they do that?

Yes, our people in my university do save electricity For example, afterending the class, they all turn off the electrical appliances such as fans, airconditioners, etc

2 Do you think recycling is an important community service?

→ I think that not only me but also most people agreerecycling is important because it helps in keeping theenvironment clean and fresh, reducing the amount ofwaste produced, conserving many non-renewableresources, and even improving the air quality for humans

3 Do you think there are lessons to learn from nature?

Yes, there are lots of things we can learn from nature In particular,Nature evolves for the better continuously, so we can also develop andevolve gradually and continuously like it does.

4 Do farmers face environmental challenges in your country? What arethe challenges?

→ Yes, of course Farmers must meet the changing needs

of our planet and the expectations of regulators,consumers, and food processors and retailers There areincreasing pressures from climate change, soil erosion andbiodiversity loss and from consumers' changing tastes infood and concerns about how it is produced

5 If you could choose one alternative energy source to develop, whichone would you choose? Why?

If I could choose one alternative energy source, I would choose solarenergy This is because solar energy is a renewable form of energy anddoes not cause any environmental pollution like fossil fuels

6 Are companies more or less environmentally responsible now than theywere in the past? Why do you think that is?

→ For the most part, threats to the environment arebecoming more and more serious, which leads companies,organizations and individuals to take measures to limitemissions and protect the environment than in the past Inthe past, we did not have advanced measures to limitenvironmental pollution In contrast, Today with modern

machines and equipment, they have to take more andmore responsibility for it.

7 What can large cities do to improve their air quality?

→ Large cities can improve their air quality by supportingcleaner modes of transportation, (for example, transit,biking, and walking), or using their building codes tochange building heating systems to phase out or simplyeliminate significant sources of air pollution (for example,dirty heating oil)

TOPIC 9

N: Good morning, Linh How’s it going?

L: Everything’s OK How are you doing?

N: I’m nice Oh, Linh Our company is considering relocating to largerpremises outside the city center In your opinion, what advantages wouldthere be in re-locating?

L: For one I think that we can lower operational costs Our office rent isone of the highest overhead expenses for our business now And now ourcompany could no longer afford rental costs, the wisest thing to do ismove to a more affordable location

The rise of outsourcing allowed our company to reduce the number ofindividuals on the payroll With lesser employees comes lesser facilitiesand office space used Thus, to improve productivity and boost morale,office consolidation seems to be the best solution

N: Yeah I see With our current situation, We have no choice but to move

to a less costly area What else?

L: I think it will be better to access to Customers, Employees, andVendors

We can attract more customers/clients, vendors, and valuable talents.Most often, businesses like us transfer to a new place when sales aredown in the existing location Target demographic could be much moreprominent in another area, so moving is a good way to process ourtargets, stock and have better access to a wider pool of talents

N: Yeah, I agree with you I can see that many tech companies move toTexas since there are plenty of universities in the area Yeah, but there arestill difficulties caused when we relocate our firm anyways Do you think

of what difficulties we possibly face?

L: Maybe we will be losing our talented staff cuz they have to change toanother living place if the company relocates And it seems to me that noteveryone will be willing to adapt to a new environment

N: Absolutely And our company might have to recruit the staff again,which is hard to find quality workers and we have to spend more money

L: Okay Have a nice day

N: You too Enjoy your day

1. Have you worked or studied in different locations?

→ I haven’t studied in different locations I've been living in TDM citysince I was born and I've been studying here But if I had a chance tostudy in different places, I would willingly seize that opportunity

2 Where would you most like to work or study?

→ Because English Language is my main major and myjob in the future is related to English, I think that I wouldchoose an English-speaking country such as the US or the

UK Uhm, comparing the US and UK – I love theweather,landscape and culture in the UK the most, soWhenever I have an opportunity to go abroad, I will go toEngland

3 What disadvantages are there in your place compared to city centre locations?

→ I live in TDM city which is recognized as an important industrial hub of theregion, so there are not many disadvantages compared to city center locationsexcept for maybe the salary here is lower, and fewer opportunities for you todevelop your career

4 What effects does technology have on the design of premises nowadays?

→ One of the major impacts of technology on the design ofpremises nowadays is the distance created between thedesigner and the architect

Obviously, the design becomes more and more intuitive, beautiful andluxurious Not only that, it also makes the work of designers easier and moreconvenient.

5 Do you think globalisation is changing the way companies do business?

Yes, it does affect the way companies do business a lot It also increases globalcompetition, which drives prices down and creates a larger variety of choicesfor consumers

6 Do you think moving abroad for a job is always helpful for one’s career?

→ No, I think there are always two sides For the first side, There are a lot ofbenefits when we move abroad for a job such as we have more colleges,promote our career, get a lot of skills and experience from a partner of a newcollege, or new boss, and especially develop English skills when we travel to anEnglish – speaking country On the other side, We must leave behind our family,friends, old colleagues,… And even we can gain some sock culture and havesome trouble when we try to adapt a lot of new things in the workplace

7 Do you agree that the opportunities gained by working or studying abroad are much better than staying in your own country?

→ Yes, I agree with this opinion Studying or working abroad helps you to learnnew languages, appreciate other cultures, overcome challenges of living inanother country and gain a greater understanding of the world These are allthings that modern businesses look for when hiring, and such traits will onlybecome more important in the future

TOPIC 10

Relocation

You want to spend the last two years of your university learning in a foreigncountry as a student of “transnational education program” and you havedecided the country to go to, yet your parents don’t approve Persuade yourparents that you have reasons to decide that

Discuss the situation with your friend and decide:

1. what should be prepared

2. what difficulties you are aware of ahead

3. parents’ reaction towards this decision

N: Hi, Linh How’s it going?

-L: Good morning Ngan I’m so so How about you?

N: I’m great I heard that You are going to spend the last two years of youruniversity studying in a foreign country as a student of a “transnationaleducation program” Is that right?

L: Yes, I have considered it for a long time

N: oh, well done Congratulations to you And what should be prepared beforeyou travel there?

L: There are many things to prepare for this trip For one, I need to check visarequirements

N: Oh, Visas often take several weeks to be finished and may take a while to fillout, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get one.

L: That’s right It’s also important to make sure that my passport is up to dateand will not expire while I’ve come here

N: I couldn’t agree with you more So I think you should check this againbefore your departure date as it usually takes a few weeks for a new passport toarrive

L: Yepp, I will always remember this Hihi

N: What’s about your accommodation?

L: Oh, my accommodation will be arranged by my university’s manager inLondon

N: Well, that sounds interesting and safe

L: Haha All right Maybe I should research my destination because it is a wholenew country to me and maybe I can have some cultural shock I am looking upthe main things to see there, research the best local restaurants and see if thereare any day trips or weekend trips I can take to maximize my time

N: Well, That’s a good thing to do You know, I saw lots of people have troublewhen they travel to a brand new country which they’ve never been to before.Another little thing that could come in handy is learning some common phrases

in the local language Having some commonly used phrases in your arsenal canhelp to make communication with the locals much easier

L: Oh, Sounds great I will do it

N: So, what difficulties are you aware of ahead?

L: Overcoming the language barrier is probably the most obvious challenge ofstudying abroad Although my major is the English Language, I'm unable tounderstand the strong local accent

N: Yepp, This is the reason why I have just told you to learn some commonphrases

L: That’s right I remembered clearly what you said Hihi And I think I will behomesick a lot

N: oh, my friend I see You need to try your best You can do it Hmm speaking

of your parents, What are their reactions to this decision?

L: Oh, I decided to go to England to learn, but my parents didn't approve at first.N: Really? OMG How come? I think this is a good opportunity for you

L: Yes, The story is when they hear my decision, they are very happy and proud

of me But then, My parents are extremely worried about me because I am a girland don’t have any familiar people to take care of me That is the reason whythey didn't agree when I mentioned this problem

N: Yeah, I see I think they just wanna be next to you and take care of youcarefully However you are grown up, it’s better for you to gain moreexperience So I think you should go and convince your parents again

L: Yepp I know I’m thinking of it

N: So is there anything popping up in your mind? I mean what should you do toconvince your parents?

L: For the most part, I will talk about my academic advantages in London.Studying here will widen my perspective regarding new teaching styles, and ofcourse develop my English skills The faculties at my international universityare experts in their fields and they possibly offer me the best guidance that Iwouldn't get in our home country Moreover, I can be a part of various studentassociations and programs at my university abroad

N: Good job Not only your parents but also I'd feel really happy for your studyabroad decision kkkk

L: And, The most important thing, I should make sure that I will be safe when Istay there I am serious about my academic work and will take control of mylife In addition, I also provide my parents with the contact details of theinternational office at my prospective university

N: Well done I think that you should be in touch with them regularly because ithelps them follow your life and your study Nothing matters more to yourparents than your well-being If you're serious enough and take the right steps tofulfill your dream of studying abroad, your parents would definitely agree andsupport you to do it

L: Oh, my honey Thank you for your advice

N: OK Good luck! Hope for your good news! See you later

L: For sure See you

2 Apart from family and friends, what do you think people would most missfrom their country?

→ When leaving our country for a job or study, I think peoplewill miss the taste of their hometown food For example,Vietnam is famous for its noodle soup and some kinds oftraditional cakes which barely cannot be replaced anywhere, soit’s really hard for one to find their right taste when living inforeign countries

3 Do you think discrimination exist? Give an example

→ I say “yes” because the gender discrimination still exists in many areas inwhich girls can not receive impartial education resources like boys Forexample, Most of the approximately 6 million children not in school in India aregirls In 2011, the disparity in access to education between genders was mostvisible in India's childhood literacy rates – 82% of boys were literate while only65% of girls could read and write

4 Do you agree that the opportunities gained by working or studying abroad aremuch better than staying in your own country?

→ Yes, I agree with this opinion Studying or working abroadhelps you to learn new languages, appreciate other cultures,overcome challenges of living in another country and gain agreater understanding of the world These are all things thatmodern businesses look for when hiring, and such traits willonly become more important in the future

5 Do you think moving abroad for a job is always helpful for one’s career?

→ No, I think there are always two sides For the first side, There are a lot ofbenefits when we move abroad for a job such as we have more colleges,promote our career, get a lot of skills and experience from a partner of a newcollege, or new boss, and especially develop English skills when we travel to anEnglish – speaking country On the other side, We must leave behind our family,friends, old colleagues,… And even we can have some sock culture and sometrouble when we try to adapt a lot of new things in the workplace

6 Do you know anyone who has the opportunity to work abroad for theircompany’s office worldwide?

→ I gotta say no because I'm a student who is currentlystudying at university and do not have a close relationship withmany people working outside, so I don't know anyone But Ithink working abroad for the company’s office worldwide is not

a bad idea, so anyone who has that opportunity must be solucky

7 Do you think people from international networks coming to work in Vietnamwill find it easy to adapt?

→ From my view, I believe “yes” Each country will havedifferent cultures, so I think foreigners will have a lot of culturalshock coming to Vietnam Those shocks can be traffic culture(traffic jams, ), food culture, language, prices, ways of talking, can make them feel strange and difficult to adapt., evencompared to other countries they've been to

TOPIC 11

N: Hello, Linh How’s it going?

L: Hi, Ngan I’m quite nervous How about you?

N: I;m OK What's wrong with you?

L: I have been asked to give advice on what type of organization would make anideal partner for our university and Now i have to plan for this with you

N: Yeah, I see how would we find these organizations?

L: We can find these ideal businesses in several ways:

For one, we will organize or participate in business cooperation sessions andevaluate and select companies that we see as potential to work with

N: How do we know the company has potential for us to work with?

L: Of course, we will research about the origin, culture, quality through theassessment of how that company can be suitable for the professions that we aretraining or not

N: Uhm, I agree with you Each company will have a lot of their ownadvantages What factors do we need to bear in mind?

L: When choosing an ideal business partnership, I think we should considertheir reputation first We absolutely don’t want to be connected with a companythat has had some shady dealings in the past as your reputation will be tarredwith the same brush

N: In this case, we can search google or check out their profile on LinkedIn and

browse their Facebook pages for more of an idea about how they are regardedonline

L: Yeah, what else would you think of?

N: Hmm Next we need some form of common ground and we can start bylooking at their values Whether they align with us or not If we can’t find anyoverlap then the partnership will not be balanced.

L: Ohh yeah, that’s right I couldn’t agree with you more

N: Ok so these are things we have just discussed together I'm gonna brief thesenotes and send them to our boss

L: Alright We’ve been working so hard hâha

N Yeah, enjoy your day

L: Bye, see you tomorrow

1 Why do you think companies decide to work together?

In my opinion, When companies work together, they can gain a competitiveadvantage over other businesses in the same field There’re many companieshave found that benefits substantially outweigh the costs when they worktogether

2 Do you think it is more beneficial or helpful to work as a team?

→ Yes, of course Because we can cooperate, listen, and discussthe points of contract or work easily We can also realize thepros and cons of partners, and give advice or study to developskills for each other

3 What advantages and disadvantages could working together have?

Working together can create synergy which helps companies to increase profitsand run their business more efficiently But there are still some disadvantages,they can be encountered some problems regarding poor communication due tonot having a common language in some cases, or regulatory approval issues, etc

4 If a business is looking into a partnership, what do you think they will need toconsider? What might they feel is important and why?

→ I believe that they will find someone reliable, seek outcomplementary personality traits, prioritize compatibility interms of business trajectory and partner with someone whomatches their level of obsession

- So, I think that they consider Prioritize compatibility in terms ofbusiness trajectory is the most important since Not only will an incompatiblevision create trouble when it comes to decide on our business’s direction, but itwill also make it difficult to weather hard times If we can find a businesspartner with whom we are compatible will make it possible for us to worktogether to overcome the challenges that crop up during the process of startingand running our business

5 What can employees learn from working in a team?

In a team, employees can gain more knowledge or perspectives from others.Moreover, other opinions can boost their creativity and greatly affect one’sthinking or mindset

6 Do you think women tend to help women more or men tend to help menmore? Why?

→ I think when we are in the working environment, we shouldalso support and help our colleagues But in this situation, Ithink women tend to help women more than men help menbecause women are friendlier than men and more empathetictowards others They are ready to help as soon as they can Formen, they often have dignity, so they are sometimesembarrassed to help or ask for help from others I think so

7 Why do you think companies feel that strategic alliances are goodinvestments?

Strategic alliances are good investments because it allows partners to scalequickly, build innovative solutions for their customers, enter new markets, andpool valuable expertise and resources And, in a business environment thatvalues speed and innovation, this is a game-changer

TOPIC 12 Staff problem

As a result of expansion, your company has recently hired a lot of new peoplefor all levels of the company However, the original staff do not mix orcommunicate well with the new staff

You have been asked to organise some events to help the new staff and theoriginal staff work better together

Discuss the situation together and decide:

- what kinds of events to organise for the managers

- what kinds of events to organise for the office staff

-N: Morning, Linh

L: Hi, Ngan Have you heard anything?

N: What are you talking about? Is there anything new in our office?

L: Yeah, we r gonna have some newcomers today

N: Wow, that’s great

L: Yeah, That’s the reason why our team was asked to organize some events tohelp the new staff and the original staff work better together

N: ohhh So what’s your plan?

L: The point here is we have new managers and new staff as well, so we need toset up 2 events

N: This would be difficult for us Have you thought of any ideas?

L: Hmmm, first of all, I think we can celebrate a conference that includes abuffet meal for the managers And a team building event with casual dining forthe staff

N: These are great ideas At the conference, the managers would be able toshare their expertise, or their experience working at a former company In terms

of the staff, a team-building event is a good opportunity for them to spend timetogether in a non-work environment But I don’t think casual dining is suitablefor the staff in this case

L: Oh, so what’s your opinion?

N: Actually, outside dining is more suitable You know, they are gonna spendtime outside, so it’s better to serve the meal in the open air.

L: Oh yeah, that’s right So I’m gonna report these suggestions to our boss nowN: Okay, I’m really excited to meet everyone It’s a chance for any of us to get

on well with each other

L: Yeah, that would definitely be a great time I bet that

N: Absolutely So, See you, L I still have work to do

L: Yeah, ok see yaa

FOLLOW-ON QUESTIONS

1 Why do you think companies decide to work together?

→ In my opinion, When companies work together, they can gain

a competitive advantage over other businesses in the samefield Many companies have found that benefits substantiallyoutweigh the costs when they work together

2 Do you think it is more beneficial or helpful to work as a team?

I would definitely say yes Because when working as a team, we can promote amore efficient work output and are able to complete tasks faster due to manyminds intertwined on the same goals and objectives of the business

3 Do you tend to shy away from conflict or do you enjoy a good argument?

→ In my study or work, I always like that we can have a smalldiscussion about the problem because I think this is the bestway for us to know if we do well or not Moreover, we can listen,give some pros and cons for partners to develop

4 Should conflict be avoided at all costs in the workplace?

Conflicts must be avoided at any cost and especially at workplaces Our officesare the place we spend most of the time, in other words, it’s like our secondhome So if the conflict happens, of course, we won’t feel comfortable tocomplete the given tasks effectively, which is not expected to happen in theworkplace

5 What are some benefits of workplace conflict?

→ From my point of view, there are a lot of advantages when

we have arguments at the workplace we can make sure aboutour knowledge, identify the problem clearly and find out theways to handle those better together Not only that, we canhave more experience, skills to boost and develop our jobs

6 What would you say when you can see a better way to do a task at work, butyour manager may not agree?

→ So in this case, maybe I am gonna articulate my ideasanyways No matter what my manager is gonna react to, atleast I did try my best to solve the existing problem

7 Do you think we should dominate all the group’s decisions?

→ No, of course, we can learn from Americans that we are equal

in life and even work because when we decide all of theteamwork without asking the member's ideas, which can makethem feel they are not respected and tend to be a bore and notcooperate with any work you give to them On the other hand,

if you ask their ideas, they will be happy and work hard to makeour work better and productive

TOPIC 13

N: Good morning, Linh How do you do?

L; Hi , Ngân I’m great How about you?

N: I’m OK UHM, you have something funny Is that right?

L: Yeah That's right I am planning a business trip to the United States to meet people who work in our offices there.

N: Oh, Really? That sounds interesting Oh, Why would it be useful to make

L: Uhmm, the manager told me that we should observe closely how they run acompany, how they do business so that when we expand our business fieldeasily in the future

N: Well, Dear me What can we do ?

L: We will ask them to take us on a tour of the company to see how they areorganized It also shows our care for them and their goodwill towards us

N: Oh, that's a good idea I bet that all the staff would gain these benefit fromthis trip

L: Yeah, that’s right But I think the managers would be the ones who get thebenefit most You know, they can observe how the workers work Hence, theywill be able to choose the best and most effective way to lead the staff at ourcompany

N: Yes, I hope that they can learn lots of good things from there Speaking ofthe length of this business, how long should they go for?

L: I think 3 or 4 days is enough

N: Oh linh, they’re gonna travel to usa, let’s extend more Maybe 1 or 2 weeks

so that they can explore more not only in the company but also in this brandnew country

L: Oh yeah So let’s go for 2 weeks They are gonna have a great time there.N: Definitely So I'm gonna note this information down and brief it to our boss.L: oh yeah, so have a nice day, Ngan

N: ok see you

1 What is important when choosing a hotel to stay at? Think about location,facilities, etc.

→ when choosing a hotel to stay at, location is the mostimportant factor focus our search on hotels that are centrallylocated, so we can move around freely and easily Moreover,price is another factor we need to consider It is normally linked

to the number of stars a hotel has and is a very good indication

of the kind of quality and service we can expect – generally, themore stars the higher the price So keep an eye out for specialoffers and discounted packages and cost savings

2 What is important when preparing for a trip abroad? Think about localcustoms, local working hours, etc

- It's important to be aware of cultural differences before-hand about localcustoms, local working hours, so you don't experience extreme culture shockwhen we arrive at our destination We can get through this by Studying theculture of our destination beforehand and a great way to get an authentic feel forthe culture is to get in contact with someone who has visited there before

3 What is important when choosing an airline to fly with? Think about prices,schedules, etc

→ Cost and schedule are the two factors that are most important when choosing

an airline to fly with We need to pick what we can afford and available with ourschedule

4 How do you think business travel is changing?

> Well, I think there are a lot of changes in business travel nowadays Forexample in one, All signs point to a future in which our business trips aresupported by an AI that automatically pulls up contextual information (like yourreservation number) right when you need it and performs actions (like ordering

an Uber) before you even thought about them

5 What things do you use mobile communication technology to do? Does itaffect the way you travel?