What did we learn on thursday? (up-int 14.06.07)

Hi all,

 We read an article form The Guardian, about a girl who gets into trouble because of a word that she used on TV. Here are some vocabulary from it.

naive = unaware, innocent

cool = relaxed

to pay price = to suffer the consequences of something that has been done

“Phyrric victory means paying a high price for a victory.”

race = ethnicity

body = organisation

“Equality Bodies are organisations that promote racial equality.”

“Greenpeace is an ecological body.”

If something is “axed”, it is ended suddenly.

to reel = being dizzy from a shock

to damn = to send to hell

“Damn it!”

to mishandle = to mismanage, to deal badly with something

indie = independent 

ignorant people = people without culture

“The Commision for Racial Equality is a government organisation that investigates cases about racial inequality.”

footage = the part of a film that shows the event

highlights = the most interesting and exciting parts of an event or activity

to summon = to call for (by the authority, usually when you do something wrong)

censorship = controlling what people see ( eg. on TV)

maliciously = to do to harm

to hung out to dry = to abandon somebody when he/she is in trouble

endearment = lovely things that you say to someone you love

street culture = popular culture

legitimate = legal

to denude = to change in meaning

savage = violent

“cash cow” = cow that gives cash instead of milk

“there is no stereotype” means “there is no over-generalization”.

home counties = the area surrounding London

The homework is reading about race relations and popular culture in Britain / Turkey. How is popular culture marketed? Morals and ethics of reality shows like “Big Brother”.

Let me give you another homework, which is writing the blog this week, while I am in Egypt

What did we learn on 17th May (up-int)

Hi all,

In our last lesson, we learned the negotiating skills which are signalling, checking understanding and  summarising. We listened some expressions (ex. 4.3) and finded which ones were signalling, checking understanding and  summarising. Then we did a role play and tried to use these skills. Alptekin was a very persuasive retailer

Secondly, we started the unit 5 - Job Satisfaction and talked about on that subject. We listened an inteview with HR director at Procter and Gamble (ex. 5.1-5.2).

Now, some vocabulary about the new unit:

praise = express approval or admiration for sb/sth

appraisal = assessment

perks = fringe benefits = money or goods received as a right in addition to one’s pay

remuneration = pay

autonomy = independence

golden handshake = severence package = money paid to an employee whose contract is terminated

burn out = ruin one’s health due to hard working

devil’s advocate = who speaks against sb/sth simply to encourage discussion

 Lastly, we have an exam on wednesday and unit 5 will not be included.

Banu 

What did we learn yesterday? (up-int 03.05.07)

Hi,

Yesterday we listened to the second part of the interview with Agnes Chen and read the article “AIG knows everyone in Asia”.

First, some vocabulary about them:

a promise is a verbal contract.

capitalisation is the total value of a company’s shares on a stock exchange.

a benchmark is a level of quality which can be used as a standard when comparing other things.

“benchmarking signal level”

to tap into = to get into, to exploit

to lobby = to appeal to a company to do something   

pioneer is a person or a company who is first at doing something.

an entrepreneur is a business pioneer.

a quest is a journey that involves travelling to find something.

to court a person is to win him/her.

a deputy is an assistant.

to thrill is to make somebody very happy.

to forge = to make shapes from metal

to pursue = to chase

Lastly, this week’s homework for those who were absent:

1.  Do a psychometric test and write about 250 words about the uses of psychometric tests in large companies.  Include possible problems, possible advantages in using them and ethical issues.

2. “A foreign company is opening a branch in your country. What factors should it consider?”(Market Leader Course Book, p.24, H-2)  Write a list of bulletpoints.

Gaye.

What did we learn yesterday? (up-int / 02.05.07)

Here are some vocabulary describing relations:

networking is creating social contacts for own benefit.

to change back to : to become something that was before.

what is a sycophant?

to be let down : to be disappointed 

to cement : to stick together, to make strong

to encourage : to give support, confidence or hope 

to foster : to encourage

to disrupt : to interrupt,  to make difficult

to establish : to start building

to jeopardize : to endanger

to maintain : to keep, to continue

to promote : to encourage

to restore : to rebuild, to make new again, to refresh

to resume : to start again

to break down : to finish, to fall down

to sour : to become unpleasant and unfriendly

“sour is the opposite of sweet”

to undermine : to make less strong than before

“an intermediary is someone who carries messages between people.”

“psychometric testing is used to profile people.”

Gaye

New Vocabularies – 26.04.2007

campaign 1 : a connected series of military operations forming a distinct phase of a war
2 : a connected series of operations designed to bring about a particular result <election campaign>

volatile evaporating easily; rapidly changing; fickle

Cenk

ESL BLUE Web Site Review

ESL BLUE is a very useful website for English learners. It offers lessons for learners from pre-intermediate to high-intermediate level English. It calls these levels 1,2,3, meaning pre-intermediate, intermediate and high intermediate respectively.

There are quizzes and activities about adjectives, adverbs, articles, grammar, tenses, reading, verbs and vocabulary. It gives hints when a user makes a mistake about an answer. In my opinion, this is a very useful feature.

One thing I dislike about the site is the design. It could be done more professionally, and in this way, it would be more attractive for users.

Written by Gaye Pilevne

My New Words

to rifle : to search through quickly

to dub : to give a new name

to lavish : to spend or give very freely

lavish : abundant

to struggle : to try hard to do something

nuptial : the things related to getting married

staff : workers employed in a business

pile : a number of things lying one on top of another

treason : the crime of causing its defeat in war by giving away its secrets to an enemy

crucial : very important

to be in labour : to panic

trecherous : dangerous, not loyal

loyal : faithfull,reliable

traitor : a person who has a crime of causing its defeat in war by giving away its secrets to an enemy

shoot-out : a fight with guns

to commute : to travel regularly between two places, from home to work

shanty town : an area in which poor people live in badly built houses made of wood or other thin material

irritable : easily made angry

stationary : stable, not moving

to irritate : to bother, to make angry

tense : feeling nervous, not relaxed

to praise : to acclaim

underwriter : a person or company in the insurance business

revenue : the income from an investment

assets : the things which belong to us, a person or an organization

to enquire : to ask, to find out

to emerge : to come out, to come into view

to opt : to chose something instead of another

Aydın Şener

women missing from the top jobs – vocabulary

difference between broadsheet and tabloid

to afford the fish in half the pool

The Ten Commandments – Vocabulary

Etiquette: is a set of customs and rules for polite behaviour.

Subject (v): expose to torture.

To subject someone to something unpleasant means to make them experience it.

            Ex. He was subjected to the harshest possible punishment.

Techno-jockey: is a person who is addicted to technology.

Batman-esque: to be fan of Batman.

Bud: is a small pointed lump that appears on a tree or plant and develops into a leaf or flower.

To nip something in the bud: to put an end to it at an early stage.

            Ex. This incident very nearly nipped his political career in the bud.

To be attached to something: to be very fond of it.

            Ex. I’m very attached to my work.

Handset: mouthpiece and earpiece mounted on a single handle.

Dial: a disc on a telephone that is rotated a fixed distance for each number called.

Sundial: an instrument to show the time of day by the shadow of a gnomon on a usually horizontal plate or on a cylindrical surface.

Pose:   1. If you pose for a photograph or painting, you stay in a particular position so that someone can photograph or paint you.

            2. If you pose as someone, you pretend to be that person.

Poseur: a person who pretends to be what he or she is not.

An affected or insincere person.

Sling:  1. is an object made of ropes, straps, or cloth that is used for carrying things.

            Ex. Mothers carry their babies around with them in slings.

            2. is a piece of cloth which is tied around someone’s neck to support an injured arm.

Gunslinger: a person noted for speed and skill in handling and shooting a gun especially in the American West.

Neophyte: beginner.

Annoying: an annoying person or action makes you feel fairly angry and impatient.

Melody: is a tune, part of music.

Conspicuous: if something is conspicuous, people can see it or notice it very easily.

            Ex. Her freckles were more conspicuous than usual.

Brute: to be rough and insensitive.

Elegant: pleasing and graceful.

Babble (v): If you babble, you talk in a confused or excited way.

            Ex. He babbled on about old enemies.

Mehmet Bolu

Hi

Altough I’m spending extra one hour on the road to come to Technic Dept. from Customer Services,  I must say that I really enjoy the lessons. And I’m very glad to see my colleagues who works in Tech. Dept. twice a week. I’m afraid that I won’t be there next Wednesday because I’ll be in training in Istanbul. I hope someone would write a post about the Wednesday lesson which I’m going to miss.