Business communication
In the office
Ex.1. Look at the pictures below and say which of them is
a meeting room;
a director’s office;
a receptionist’s (secretary’s) office.
fig.1
fig.2
fig.3
Ex. 2. Read the words in the box and group them into categories. You can add other suitable words.
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answering machine, calculator, calendar, computer, correction pen/fluid, desk tidy, desk lamp, fax (machine), file, filing tray, filing cabinet, hole punch, indoor plants, keyboard, laser printer, memo sheets, mouse mat, notepad, noticeboard, paper clips, (photo)copier, pigeonholes, post-it, printout, rubber (Am. eraser), scanner, sharpener, stapler, staples, staple remover, stick of glue, (tele)phone, telephone directory, text marker, in /out tray, wastepaper basket (Am. bin), workstation |
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office furniture |
office supplies
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office equipment |
others things |
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filing cabinet swivel chair
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paper clips correction pen |
computer calculator
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printout wastepaper basket |
Ex.3. It so happens that many people spend more time in their office than at home. What things do you think can be used to decorate or personalise an office without spoiling its professional image? Discuss it with your partner.
Ex.4. Describe a room where a secretary/a receptionist works, their workstation and office equipment they usually use.
Ex.5. Rosa works as a chief executive secretary in a large industrial company.
a) Which of the following statements do you think are true of her in her job?
She works at a computer most of the time, where she writes letters and
reports.
She does quite a lot of general paperwork, e.g. filing reports, answering
letters and others.
She makes a lot of phone calls.
She sends faxes occasionally.
She often shows people around the office.
Every time she takes part in the negotiations as an interpreter.
She arranges meetings for her boss and other managers in the company.
She attends all the conferences or meetings in the company.
b) Describe Rosa’s job and her everyday duties.
Ex.6. Read the following two texts about office equipment.
Photocopying machine or (photo) copier.
Walk
into almost any business office, and you'll probably find a
photocopier ("copier") with a line of people waiting to use
it. For most businesses, small or large, the copier has become
standard equipment, much like having a desk to work at
and a chair to sit on. It’s pretty amazing to think that, in mere
seconds, you can produce an exact replica of what’s on a sheet of
paper! 
The procedure of producing a copy is very simple.
Make sure the photocopier is plugged into a power source.
Turn the photocopier on.
Open the copier lid.
Place the document to be photocopied face-down on the glass.
Select the options you want (number of pages, enlargements, lighter/darker).
Press the button “Start”.
Fax machine or fax
Even
though traditional fax machine is fast being replaced by e-mail and
Internet fax services, this workplace workhorse is still used for
transmitting information. They are easy to use and resemble dialing a
telephone. Here
are some basic instructions for sending a fax. 
Make sure the fax machine is plugged in, powered and connected to a working phone jack. Turn on the fax machine.
Fill out a piece of paper called a coversheet with
the information about the recipient’s name, his fax
number, your phone number, a short message intended for the recipient, number of pages (including coversheet).
Lay the documents face-up in the fax machine feeder tray with the coversheet on top.
Dial the recipient’s fax number.
Press the ‘fax’ or ‘send’ button, depending on the particular fax machine model.
As soon as all of the pages have been scanned into the memory of the fax machine, you’ll hear a series of signals which mean establishing a communication link. Wait for a few minutes as the fax is sent and then see a short confirmation report.
Ex.7. Explain to your new colleague how to use
a photocopier;
a fax machine;
a scanner;
a printer.
You may need the following phrases and linking words:
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First, you must …. Then, you have to … (it’s necessary). You needn’t /You don’t have to … (it’s not necessary). If you press this key, the computer prints out the reading. If you press this key by mistake, you’ll lose all the data. |
Work in pairs
Ex.8. Read these mini-dialogues and role-play them.
1.
O. Bruno, can you send us your pricelist by fax?
B. Sure. I’ll fax you right now. What’s your fax number?
O. 38 for Ukraine, 044 for Kyiv, then 455 77 07.
B. OK. I’ve got that.
2.
B. Have you got my fax, Oleg? Is everything legible?
O. You’re not going to believe this, but the paper got stuck and the machine jammed.
B. No problem. I’ll send it through again.
3.
S. Will you be using the photocopier for long, Sue?
D. No. Why?
S. OK. I’ll wait then. I need to make a copy of the report for our meeting.
4.
S. Will you be using the photocopier for long, Danielle?
D. Oh, yes. I’ve got a pile of papers to copy.
S. Sorry, could you stop for a minute and let me make one copy, please? Our boss needs it urgently.
Ex.9. Complete the dialogues.
1.
A. __________________________________________?
B. Sure. I’ll fax you right now. What’s your fax number?
A. __________________________________________
B. OK. I’ve got that.
2.
A. Have you got my fax, Berta? Is everything legible?
B. __________________________________________
A. No problem. I’ll send it through again.
3.
A. __________________________________________?
B. No. Why?
A. __________________________________________
Ex.10. Now make dialogues of your own and role-play them with your partner.