Breakdowns Starting point Working with words | Breakdowns and faults re noe 1. What kinds of breakciowns can you think of? Have you had any breakdowns een tes or faults at work recently? goods and services that Prone Cn aera ices 2 Read pars of our news stores about different kinds of breakdowns and faults. Make notes in the table. What types of products peony What ype of Who diditaffec? | Have they solved the ESSE ales eae eee problem? hada defect? Why COE 1 3 No, not yet 4 B Because of a defect in the gearbox in the car, the Peet ees een te eee nn a Senet ee ea A software problom at the local hospital caused all the computers to go down for 24 hours yesterday. As a result of Father ommestiee the system failure, doctors and nurses Hep reren emery sae ater couldn't access patients’ medical records A spokesperson said lato last night that the problem had now been resolved and there was no danger to patients” health, Complaints from eight shoppers has resulted Ina recall of about 6 5 million packs of ‘macaroni and cheese, Customers found metal bits in some boxes. The manufacturer has been unable to find the cause, but there ‘have been no reported injuries and shops will refund the cost of the packs. One Austialian company has stopped staff writing emails in the workplace due to misunderstandings in internal communications. The CEO only allows emails with client instead, staf only use instant messaging with each other because its faster, more personal and avoids mistakes,Tee] akdown 3 Find these pairs of words in the news stories and match them to the correct definition, aorb, 1. godown / failure 2 when something stops working, b_ when computer system stops working 2 fault / defect aa problem which stops something working b a problem which stops something working as well a it should 3 damage / injury harm to something or somebody b physical harm to somebody 4 complaint / resolve a when a problem is dealt with and fixed 1b when someone says there isa problem with something 5 refund / recall a when a company gives customers their money back, 'b when a company asks customers to bring a product back, 6 misunderstanding / mistake 2 when you understand something in a different way from what is meant 'b when you do something the wrong way 4 Work in small groups. Use different forms of the words from 3 to discuss the various problems you might have with these things: * buying electrical or electronic products abroad * two teams from different couniries working together * working with new machinery in a factory * buying a second-hand tablet + buying things online Example: If you buy a product abroad and its defective, iti very difficult to get it fixed or refined. 5 Read two sentences from the first news story and answer questions 1-4. A software problem at the local hospital caused all the computers to go down for 24hours yesterday. Asa result of the system failure, doctors and nurses couldn't access patients’ medical records. 1. Look at the underlined words. Which isa verb and which isa connector? 2. In the first sentence, what is the cause and what is the result? 3 In the second sentence, what is the cause and what is the result? 4. Now read the three other articles again. Underline any verbs or connectors for talking about causes and results. 6 Work with a partner. Match causes 1-4 to results a-d. Then make different sentences using verbs or connectors. Example: A broken etal part caused damage to the engine. / As a result ofa broken ‘metal part there wns danuage ta the engine. 1 Abroken metal part 2. No training with the new cutting equipment __ 3. New software __ 4 Poor language skills __ a Aninjury to an employee's hand Misunderstandings between office branches © Damage to the engine d Systems failure with the database >) For more exercises, go to Practice file 13 on page 130. 7 List three recent breakdowns, faults or problems at your place of work. What was the cause? What was the result? Tell your partner about them.Unit 13 | Breakdowns Language at work | Relative pronouns. 1. What can you see in the four pictures? What do you think might be the connection between them? 2 >} 13.1 Listen to part of a radio programme about the topic of making mistakes in business. Which two things in the pictures does the presenter talk about? 3 > 13.1 Listen again and complete sentences 1-6 with the relative pronouns from the list. which cohen that ohose where who 1. These are the colourful notes _ are stuck to office desks and walls all over the world. 2 He was a researcher worked for 3M... 3. One day, he made an adhesive ‘wouldn't stick properly. 4. Ho's the scientist discovery has saved millions of lives. 5 Itwasa September morning in 1928 Fleming accidentally discovered penicillin. 6 He had just returned from holiday to the hospital he worked, 4. Complete the Language point explanations with the relative pronouns from 3. LANGUAGE POINT We use a relative pronoun at the beginning ofa defining relative clause. We use otha for thing: We use ‘or tna for people.” Weuse for people's possessions. We use for time, Weuse for place. “We can use that instead of which or wito before a defining relative clause with no change in meaning: He wns a researcher who worked for 3M. = He wns @ researcher that worked for 3M. >) For more information, go to Grammar reference on page 131. 5 Work with a partner. Complete the history of two more products created by accident. Join each of the sentences using one of the relative pronouns from the list. tehick where who when whose that 1. * Itwas an accident. Ithelped to create the first inkjet printer. ‘coos an accident which helped to create the first inkjet printer. twas accidentally discovered by an engineer. He worked for Canon. Tip | Defining relative clause + One day, his pen fired ink out. He rested a hot iron on itby accident. A defining relative clause gives Seed 2 + TheCarey Moon Lake House was a restaurant. George Crum worked as ‘Person, object, place, time or achef. ‘possession in the main clause: ‘+ One day, Crum had a complaining customer. His potatoes were ‘too soft He's the man who Invented and thick: Postit notes. ‘+ Inthe ond, Crum made extremely thin, hare potatoes. They eventually became famous as ‘crisps’ —#)6 Complete these sentences so they are true for you and your work. 1 Asuccessful product is something ... whieh easy tose, 2A good manager is someone .. 3 One of the busiest times of my day is... 4 We'rea company whose customers are 5 Our main officeis a place... 9 For more exercises, go to Practice file 13 on page 131. 7 Work with a partner and play this guessing game. Take turns to think of an object, person, place or time. Without saying the word, define it for your partner using these phrases: Ws something which... I's sontcone cl .. Ws place where ... IY time zen Your partner must guess the word. Extumple: A It's something which you can stick on the wall and write on B Can you buy it in different colours? A Yes. B Isita Post-it note? A Yes. Correct! Practically speaking | How to check someone understands 1 > 13.2 Listen to four conversations. Which conversation (1-4) is about a problem or difficulty with ...? A software __ B team members _ C acolleague __ D holiday request __ 2 > 13.2 Listen again and match 1-4 toa-d. 1 Doyou know a make sense? 2 Does that b clear? 3 Isthat © see? 4 Doyou what [mean? 3» 13.2 Listen again. Does the listener understand what the first person is saying? 4 Which responses show the person understands (U1), doesn’t understand (DU) or partly understands (PU)? 1 Absolutely. 2 Kind of, but. 3 Idon’t get... 4 see what you mean... 5 Work with a partner. Take turns to explain the following to your partner and check that they understand. 1. Why it is important to get on with your colleagues. 2 What you want to change about your working conditions and why. 3. How to make an important piece of office equipment work. 4 How to book time off from work.Business communication | Discussing and solving problems 1 What kinds of problems do you have with office equipment or computers? How good are you at fixing them yourself? 2 } 13.3 Listen to two conversations and complete the table. Problem Diagnosis: "Solution 3} 13.3 Listen again and number the sentences in each conversation in the ‘order you hear them 1-8. Conversation 1 -L. What's the matter? __ Have you tried talking to her? _— What do you mean by ‘extra work’? — That should sort it out temporarily. __ My boss keeps on giving me extra work. I'd ask to speak to her if were you. I think you shoud ask for an extension. It looks like you've got a communication problem to me. Conversation 2 1. How can Thelp? That shoul fixit. =a —Itkeeps on going wrong all the time. ie eee an ___ fevalyrey cradhingund iewon'esemeniber he timeror date: ie eae ___ What’s wrong with it exactly? eee — sounds as though itcould be a battery problem. Coan apes ete —— The best thing would be to buy a new battery. trouble? —— When you say “it’s alsrays crashing’, do you mean it stops working or it Explaining tho problem switches off Itheeps on (+ verb + ing) ao iesinete (vers rx > For more exercises, go to Practice file 13 on page 130. Itwenrt + ver) Itmeans that. 4. Work witha partner. Discuss the two problems below using the flow chart Asking for details 1 Your team members often have meetings without you, so you don’t know what Wihats wrone with it exact? ishappening with the project. Wihat co you mean by 2 2. You have received 15 complaint inthe last week about one of your products Wihat sort of nose/smal not working It is a piece of software that doesn’t work on some systems. Wien you ay . do you mean ‘A Ask about the problem Diagn the problem Coco B Expat the peblr Itleoke/sounds as though A Ask for more details, J Iteould be... Itmight be Aine A Make a diagnosis. The best thing would be to . : Vo adviee yout .. | think you should/could A Suggest action. a nar It vere you, : & Respond and thank A. Have you tried (+ noun / + vero + ing)? ane 5 Work in groups and try to speak for atleast a minute on these subjects. Then The weac = fet snoue Fe Tisten tothe others in your group. Ask for more details and offer a solution. That should sor it out + Aprobiem with a piece of ofice equipment That should salve the problem. + Acommunication breakdown at work + Anunreliable or untrustworthy colleague(0n 20 April, 2010, 2 fault on the Deepwater Horizon ol rig resulted in the largest ofl spill in history. For £87 days, oil poured out into the Gulf of Mexico. t caused terrible damage to the coastlines of five US states and to the lives of the people who lived there. As well as being one of the world’s worst environmental disasters which led to the deaths of thousands of sea birds, BP was also criticized for its poor public relations. Famously, Tony Hayward, [BP's CEO at the time, went on US TV and said, ‘It wasn't our accident’. In the end, BP paid $18.7 billion in ‘compensation and Tony Hayward ‘was forced to resign. Task A breakdown in public relations So what can other companies learn from BP's mistakes? + Admit the fault as quickly as possible: You don’t want jourmalists to speculate about what heppened, so explain the situation as quickly as possible. ‘© Be open and honest: Don’t try to hide anything or lie. Tell the ‘whole story before someone else tells it for you. * Action speaks louder than words: Pay people back if they have lost money because of your mistakes and sack anyone responsible if necessary. Discussion Do you remember the Deepwater Horizon disaster or any similar disasters? How was it reported in your country? People in business sometimes say thatThere’s no such thing as bad publicity’. How true do you think this is? Has your company ever had negative publicity? Did you need to follow the three pieces of PR advice in the article? |L Work in groups and read three different public relations situations. For each one, discuss how you would deal with the situation + Exemployees of a about the company ell-k wn large multinational have started complaining, working conditions via social media. They have said there is a company culture of long hours with no breaks and low pay. Now, a national newspaper is reporting the ex-employees’ views and wants the company to respond, What should the company do? ‘+ A.well-known politician is on the board of a large company. Today, a newspaper has reported that the company owes over a million dollars in tax. The politician’s picture is printed with the article, even though he is not directly responsible. The politician's party is worried about the connection. What should the party do? * Accidentally, an online business has just emailed a list of over 500 customer names and credit card details to all its clients Within minutes, customers have been ing to complain. The news has not reached journalists yet. What should the company do? 2 Present your group’s PR advice for each situation to the rest of the class. Compare your ideas with the other groups.