Suport Curs - Limba Engleza PT Turism - Irimiea Silvia

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SUPORT DE CURS

ANUL I - Semestrul 1

Cluj Napoca
2012

UNIVERSITATEA BABE-BOLYAI, CLUJ-NAPOCA
Centrul de Formare Continu i nvmnt la Distan
Facultatea de GEOGRAFIE

Specializarea: GEOGRAFIA TURISMULUI
Disciplina: Limba englez pentru turism

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UNIVERSITATEA BABE-BOLYAI CLUJ-NAPOCA
FACULTATEA DE GEOGRAFIE
ANUL UNIVERSITAR: 2012-2013
ANUL I/SEMESTRUL I si II
SPECIALIZARE: GEOGRAFIA TURISMULUI (NVMNT LA DISTAN)

SYLLABUS
DISCIPLINA: LIMBA ENGLEZ PENTRU TURISM

I. Date de identificare ale titularului de curs i a cursului
1) Date de contact ale titularului de curs 2) Date de identificare a cursului
Nume: Conf. univ. dr. Silvia IRIMIEA Numele cursului: Limba englez pentru turism
Birou: str. Clinicilor 5-7 Codul cursului: GLX 2100
Str. Clinicilor, nr. 5-7 (etajul II) Anul, Semestrul: anul I, semestrul I
Telefon: 0264-4322020 Tipul cursului: obligatoriu
Fax: 0264-4322020 Pagina web a cursului: postat pe pagina web a
Facultii de Geografie: http://geografie.ubbcluj.ro/,
https://portal.portalid.ubbcluj.ro/
E-mail: s_irimiea@yahoo.com
Consultaii: se vor comunica la nceputul anului universitar

II. Condiionri i cunotine prerechizite
Cursul limba englez pentru turism i propune s dezvolte abiliti i cunotine lingvistice i
profesionale n limba englez necesare persoanelor care vizeaz ocuparea unor posturi de conducere din
domeniul activitilor de turism. Cursul se adreseaz tuturor studenilor nscrii la specializarea Geografia
turismului- nvmnt la distan. Cunotinele cuprinse n modul se bazeaz pe cunotinele acumulate
anterior (n cadrul moduleleor de pregtire preuniversitar), dar materialul propus spre predare va fi
adaptat corespunztor nivelului cursanilor n cadrul ntlnirilor fa-n-fa precum i urmare a dialogului
profesor-student iniiat pe internet/forum-ul de dialog.

III. Descrierea cursului
Disciplina are un coninut relativ bogat i complex din punct de vedere lingvistic i urmrete s
asigure formarea/consolidarea competenelor i deprinderilor de utilizare a limbii engleze n situaii
specifice domeniului vizat. Modulul propus depete sfera lingvistic oferind, totodat, i cunotine i
deprienderi profesionale asociate cu diverse job-uri specifice sectorului turistic.
Materialul propus este conceput ntr-o form interactiv, iar metoda utilizat este cea
comunicativ. Aceasta nseamn c seciunile unitilor, pe lng partea expozitorie, cuprind i ntrebri,
exerciii i sarcini de lucru practice care implic lucrul individual sau n echip.
Materialele lingvistice incluse ca, spre exemplu, lectura unor texte sunt, de asemenea,
direcionate spre formarea sau consolidarea unor deprinderi lingvistico-profesionale. Att textele ct i
materialele lingvistice asociate cu probleme de gramatic, scriere, vorbire au n vedere i obiective
educaionale, de formare/consolidare a deprinderilor socio-lingvistice i culturale.

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IV. Organizarea temelor n cadrul cursului
Cursul limba englez pentru turism reunete cteva teme generoase, necesare i utile specialitilor
i managerilor din turism, precum: Cadrul de distribuie n sectorul turistic, aagenti, tipuri de agenii,
stiluri de management.
Fiecare tem/modul incorporeaz patru segmente, n condiiile n care fiecare segment este
dedicat formrii unei deprinderi: (1) lectur i comprehensiune, (2) utilizarea eficient i corect a
limbii(gramatic), (3) vorbire i (4) scriere. Att problemele legate de utilizarea limbii ct i cele care
vizeaz scrierea i vorbirea sunt adaptate temei generale, care la rndul ei, urmrete nu numai formarea
de deprinderi lingvistice ci i profesionale. Spre exemplu, n cadrul modulului Travel Agents. problema de
gramatic expus se refer la utilizarea timpurile verbale, iar seciunile de scriere i vorbire intesc situaii
specifice unui agent, precum: susinerea unei prezentri, descrierea (unui produs, destinaii, itineraretc.)
Temele/modulele (coninuturile cursului i aplicaiile practice aferente) vor putea fi consultate pe
site-ul Facultii de Geografie, la adresa http://geografie.ubbcluj.ro/, https://portal.portalid.ubbcluj.ro/,
precum i pe CD-urile ce vor fi oferite studenilor de la specializarea Geografia Turismului, varianta ID.
c) Obiectivele generale ale cursului i Organizarea
Obiectivele generale ale cursului limba englez pentru turism sunt :
S ofere cunotine de limb specifice domeniului i activitilor;
S formeze i consolideze deprinderile de utilizare a limbii engleze n mod corect
i eficient n comunicarea verbal i cea scris de specialitate;
S ofere cunotine generale i particulare legate de activitatea turistic
S ofere cunotine despre activiti specifice managerului n asociere cu limbajul
formal pe care acesta trebuie sa-l adopte i s-l utilizeze n comunicarea cu clienii,
colaboratorii, media.
Cursul va fi structurat n cinci pri dup cum urmeaz:
1. The Travel Distribution Framework. The Noun. Providing Information. Business
Letters.
2. Travel Agents. The Present, Past Simple, and Present Perfect Simple. Giving a Talk.
Descriptions.
3. Types of Agency. The Simple Future. The Presentation. Business Proposals.
4. The Business Community. The Passive Voice. Writing Leaflets and Brochures.

V. Formatul i tipul activitilor implicate de curs (sarcinile practice ale studentului)
a) Sarcini
Cursul Limba englez pentru turism se pliaz pe dou coordonate n ceea ce privete
activitile/sarcinile practice de lucru ale studentului. Prima vizeaz ntlnirile fa-n-fa, prilej cu care
studenii vor efectua sarcini de lucru din zonele lingvistice care presupun formarea i comsolidarea unor
deprinderi de comunicare verbal. Tutorele de curs va insista asupra problemelor de pronunie i
comunicare verbal corect i eficient n cadrul acestor sesiuni directe, oferind o pondere mai mare
sarcinilor de lucru legate de comunicarea scris n atribuirea unor sarcini drept teme de cas. n cadrul
sesiunilor directe, titularul de curs are ocazia s clarifice conceptele i noiunile teoretice prezentate a
priori, insitnd asupra elementelor de limb care fie nu au fost receptate corect, fie pun probleme.
Sarcinile practice de lucru presupun implicarea studenilor n realizarea unor proiecte care s solicite nu
numai cunotine de limb ci i cunotiune legate de activitile specifice din turism.
Ponderea sarcinilor practice (rezolvarea unor aplicaii practice) n nota final va fi de 50%; restul
de 50% reprezint evaluarea cunotinelor finale dobndite n cadrul cursului. Sarcinile sunt centrate pe
rezolvarea unor probleme concrete induse de activitatea agentului i managerului ageniei de turism i de
adaptarea i soluionarea diverselor situaii pe care acetia le pot ntmpina.
Stabilirea i afiarea sarcinilor de lucru se va face on-line. Este recomandabil ca acestea s fie
realizate n timp util, pentru a evita suprapunerea i nerealizarea lor.
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b) Teme de cas
Pentru fiecare modul se vor indica exerciiile i sarcinile de lucru; ponderea lor n nota final de
promovare a examenului va fi de 50%.
c) Examenul
Examenul survine dup parcurgerea materialului i realizarea sarcinilor de lucru (a cror pondere n nota
final va fi de 50%). Pentru examenul final sudenii vor nva din suportul de curs i din notiele luate cu
ocazia fiecrei ntlniri modulare. Tematica examenului va fi transmis n cadrul ntlnirilor modulare i
on-line.
d) Comunicarea on-line: Anunuri, E-mailuri i Forum de discuii
Majoritatea informaiilor v vor fi transmise prin intermediul seciunii Anunuri de pe site-ul
Facultii de Geografie, la adresa http://geografie.ubbcluj.ro/, https://portal.portalid.ubbcluj.ro/, precum i
prin intermediul e-mail-ului. n consecin, consultarea zilnic a e-mail-ului i a site-ului Facultii de
Geografie devine o necesitate. In consecin, studenii sunt obligai s urmreasc zilnic informaiile
transmise. Este, de asemenea, deosebit de improtant ca adresa de e-mail s fie adus la zi.

VI. Bibliografie obligatorie
Irimiea Silvia Blanca, English for Travel Agents, Presa Universitara Clujeana, Cluj-Napoca,
2006, P. 196.
Irimiea Silvia Blanca, A Guidebook to Professional Writing, RISOPRINT, Cluj-Napoca, 2006, P.
163
Irimiea Silvia Blanca, English for International Tourism. English for Tourism Managers, Presa
Universitara Clujeana , Cluj-Napoca, 2006, P. 194
Irimiea Silvia, English for International Tourism,Presa Universitar Clujean, Cluj-Napoca,
2000.
5.J acob, M. and Strutt P., (1997), English for International Tourism, Longman.
Surse internet:
1. www.nationalgeographic.com/destinations
2. www.nationalgeographic/expeditions
3. www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/photos/newzealand0603/newzealand_gallery.html
4. www.thecarrington.com.au/
5. www.fortunecity.com/bally/durrus/153/gramch03.html
6. www.virtualtourist.com/
7. www.enjoyengland.com/inspiration/ten_great_ideas/spring-06/nottingham.aspx
8. http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/adverbs.htm
9. http://jdwritingctr.iweb.bsu.edu/workshop/Towns/AdjectivesVadverbs.htm
10. www.onestopenglish.com/Grammar/Vocabulary/theme_lessons/english.htm

Referinele bibliografice sunt precizate att n suportul de curs ct i on-line. Sursele bibliografice
mpreun cu suportul de curs ofer condiiile de pregtire pentru o nsuire eficient a cunotinelor i
deprinderilor.

VII. Materiale i instrumente necesare
Optimizarea secvenelor de nvare/formare reclam accesul studenilor de la specializarea
Geografia Turimului, forma de nvmnt nvmnt la Distan la urmtoarele resurse:
computer conectat la internet (pentru a putea accesa bazele de date i resursele
electronice suplimentare dar i pentru a putea participa la secvenele de formare
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interactiv on-line care necesit respectarea termenelor i consultarea suporturilor de
lucru, etc.);
imprimant (pentru tiprirea materialelor-suport, a temelor redactate, a studiilor de caz);
acces la resursele bibliografice;
acces la echipamente de fotocopiere.

VIII. Calendar al cursului
Pe parcursul semestrului I sunt programate 4 ntlniri fa n fa (consultaii) cu toi studenii cu
scopul monitorizrii modului n care sunt rezolvate sarcinile practice i clarificrii oricror nelmuriri
legate de coninutul lingvistico-profesional al modulelor.
Pentru prima ntlnire este obligatorie lecturarea atent a primului modul (Unit 1) i rezolvarea
aplicaiilor; se vor preda i discuta aplicaiile aferente modulului 1;
Pentru a doua ntlnire este obligatorie lecturarea atent a modulului 2 (Unit 2) i rezolvarea
Pentru a treia ntlnire este obligatorie lecturarea atent a modulului 3 (Unit 3) i rezolvarea
Pentru a patra ntlnire este obligatorie pregtirea modulului 4 (Unit 4) i se va verifica
nelegerea coninutului acestuia.
Aplicaiile practice vor fi discutate i rezolvate n cadrul fiecrei ntlniri (acestea vor constitui
50% din nota final). n cazuri deosebite, titularul de curs va monitoriza i pe alte ci realizarea sarcinilor
de lucru, pstrnd permanent contactul cu studenii via internet(forum-ul studenilor)
Examenul final, cu pondere de 50% din nota final se va desfura n perioada sesiunii de
examene. Cursanii vor primi rezultatele sarcinilor de lucru i activitii nainte de prezentarea la examen.
Numrul maxim de puncte obinute pe baza rezolvrii aplicaiilor practice de la modulele parcurse este
50.
ntlnirile de lucru se vor desfura conform calendarului sintetic al disciplinei exprimat n
tabelul de mai jos.
Calendarul sintetic al disciplinei
Nr.
crt
ntlniri
directe
Activiti Data
Pondere
aplicaii
practice/e
xamen
final
1 ntlnirea 1
- discutarea temelor de curs de la modulele 1 i 2
- discutarea aplicaiilor practice de la modulele 1 i 2
- predarea materialelor rezultate din rezolvarea
aplicaiilor de la modulul 1
17 noiembrie
2012
orele 10,00
12,00
(sala C1)
15 puncte
2 ntlnirea 2
- discutarea temelor de curs de la modulul 3
- discutarea aplicaiilor practice de la modulul 3
aplicaiilor de la modulul 2
17 decembrie
2012
orele 10,00
12,00
(sala C1)
10 puncte
3 ntlnirea 3
- discutarea temelor de curs de la modulul 4
- discutarea aplicaiilor practice de la modulul 4
aplicaiilor de la modulele 3 i 4
21 ianuarie
2013
orele 10,00
12,00
(sala C1)
15 puncte
4
Examen
final
- derularea examenului final
ianuarie 2013
(sala C3)
50 puncte
examenul
final)
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IX. Politica de evaluare i notare
Procesul de evaluare i stabilirea notei finale la acest curs va avea dou componente:
1. nsumarea punctajelor obinute pentru rezolvarea sarcinilor de lucru (aplicaiilor practice
existente n fiecare din cele patru module): 50 puncte maxim;
2. nota obinut la examenul final (derulat n cadrul celei de a patra ntlniri directe): 50
puncte maxim.
Astfel, rezult un punctaj total maxim de 100 puncte, aferent notei finale 10.
Fiecare modul cuprinde un numr de 3-10 aplicaii practice, care vor fi puse la dispoziia tutorilor
i a cursantului, prin intermediului suportului de curs i a materialelor bibliografice obligatorii. De
asemenea, fiecare aplicaie practic va fi discutat n cadrul ntlnirilor cu studenii, urmnd ca ulterior,
ele s fie rezolvate i transmise titularului de curs. Pentru predarea temelor, se vor respecta cu strictee
cerinele titularului de curs, orice abatere de la acestea aducnd dup sine penalizri sau pierderea
punctajului corespunztor acelui set de sarcini practice. Evaluarea aplicaiilor practice se va face imediat
dup primirea lor, iar afiarea pe site-ul facultii a punctajelor obinute de ctre fiecare student se va
realiza n cel mult dou sptmni de la data depunerii/primirii aplicaiilor. Dac studentul consider c
activitatea sa practic a fost subapreciat de ctre evaluator, atunci poate solicita feed-back suplimentar
prin contactarea direct a evaluatorului, prin e-mail sau direct.
Nota final la acest curs va fi bazat pe procentele cumulate din ntreg, iar notele vor avea la baz
criterii de performan.
Pentru obinerea unui punctaj complet este nevoie de rezolvarea tuturor aplicaiilor practice
existente i de prezena la examenul final, punctele fiind cumulate din aceste dou forme de evaluare;
lipsa uneia dintre aceste dou componente se soldeaz cu lipsa notei finale din ecuaia de notare i,
implicit nepromovarea examenului la disciplinaLimba englez pentru turism.
Studenii trebuie s tie c silabusul de fa reprezint un suport minimal, a crui simpl
parcurgere nu este suficient pentru promovarea examenului. n vederea promovrii examenului cu o not
satisfctoare, studenii vor parcurge bibliografia indicat n cadrul acestui syllabus.

X. Elemente de deontologie academic
Frauda se penalizeaz prin notarea cu 0 a lucrrii respective. Se consider fraud, plagierea
total sau parial a coninutului lucrrii predate (fie c e plagiat din lucrri publice, fie din lucrrile altor
colegi). Cadrul didactic i asum responsabilitatea de a dovedi material frauda. n cazul n care doi sau
mai muli studeni predau lucrri identice sau similare n totalitate sau parial, nota pe lucrarea respectiv
se va mpri la numrul de studeni care au predat aceeai lucrare sau lucrri, vdit similare n form i
coninut.
Pentru predarea temelor se vor respecta cu strictee cerinele formatorilor. Orice abatere de la acestea aduce
dup sine penalizri sau pierderea punctajului corespunzator acelei lucrri.
Evaluarea acestor lucrri se va face imediat dup preluare, iar afiarea pe site a notelor acordate se
va realiza la cel mult 2 sptmni de la data depunerii/primirii lucrrii. Dac studentul consider ca
activitatea sa a fost subapreciat de ctre evaluatori, atunci poate solicita feed-back suplimentar prin
contactarea tutorilor sau a titularului disciplinei prin e-mail. Contestaiile pot fi adresate n maxim 24 de ore
de la afiarea rezultatelor, iar soluionarea lor nu va depi 48 de ore de la momentul depunerii.

XI. Studeni cu nevoi speciale
n vederea oferirii de anse egale studenilor afectai de dizabiliti motorii sau intelectuale,
titularul de curs i manifest disponibilitatea de a comunica cu studenii prin intermediul potei
electronice. Astfel, studenii cu dizabiliti vor putea adresa ntrebrile lor legate de tematica cursului
Limba englez pentru turism pe adresa de email a titularului de curs, menionat la nceputul acestui
silabus, putnd primi lmuririle necesare n maxim 48 de ore de la primirea mesajului.

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XII. Strategii de lucru recomandate
Pentru a obine performana maxim, studenii trebuie s in cont de urmtoarele recomandri n
ceea ce privete studiul individual, precum i activitile colective realizate n cadrul cursului:
1. Este recomandat ca studiul acestor probleme s se fac n ordinea numerotrii unitilor de curs.
2. Este recomandat ca studiul s se bazeze pe o bibliografie minimal, indicat n silabus i pe alte
surse bibliografice indicate de tutori.
3. Se recomand participarea la discuii i analize mpreun cu tutorii, pe marginea temelor indicate
spre studiu.

CLUJ-NAPOCA, Conf. univ. dr.

01.10.2012 IRIMIEA SILVIA

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MODUL I

UNIT 1
The Travel Distribution Network

CONCEPTE DE BAZ:
Cap. 1 (Unit I): The Travel Distribution Network

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OBIECTIVE URMRITE:
1) S familiarizeze cursanii cu reeaua de distribuie din turism;
2) S formeze deprinderi de utilizare corect a substantivului n lb englez n comunicarea
verbal i scris;
3) S formeze i dezvolte deprinderi de furnizare a informaiilor specifice;
4) S dezvolte cunotinele i deprinderile necesare formulrii i redactrii scrisorilor de
afaceri.

RECOMANDRI PRIVIND STUDIUL:
Suportul de curs Irimiea Silvia, Limba englez pentru turism;
Cartea: Irimiea Silvia Blanca, English for Travel Agents, PRESA UNIVERSITARA
CLUJ EANA, CLUJ -NAPOCA, 2006, P. 196.
Cartea: Irimiea Silvia Blanca, A Guidebook to Professional Writing, RISOPRINT, CLUJ -
NAPOCA, 2006, P. 163
Cartea: Irimiea Silvia Blanca, English for International Tourism. English for Tourism Managers,
PRESA UNIVERSITARA CLUJ EANA , CLUJ -NAPOCA, 2006, P. 194
Cartea: Irimiea Silvia, English for International Tourism,Presa Universitar Clujean, Cluj-
Napoca, 2000.

REZULTATE ATEPTATE
Conform obiectivelor propuse, modulul I familiarizeaz cursanii cu noiuni legate de
reeaua de distribuie din turism. n ceea ce privete utilizarea limbii, modulul I introduce noiunea
de substantiv, deci se ateapt ca studenii s cunoasc conveniile gramaticale de clasificare a
substantivului, de formare a pluralului i s le utilizeze n comunicare. Pe partea de deprinderi
verbale, unitatea de curs prezint informaii legate de furnizarea de informaii. n mod
corespunztor, se ateapt ca studenii s comunice informaii n limba strin n mod corect, clar i
eficient. Deprinderile de scriere se refer la scrierea corespondenei de afaceri, deci se ateapt ca
studenii s redacteze scrisori formale urmnd conveniile socio-lingvistice.

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Unitatea de curs 1

This unit is focused on:
1. Reading: The Travel Distribution Framework
2. Grammar: the noun
3. Speaking: providing information
4. Writing: business letters

Reading
THE TRAVEL DISTRIBUTION FRAMEWORK

Nowadays, travel agencies are just as notorious as any other retailer shop, such as banks, clothes shops,
building societies, etc. Their major role is to establish the link between providers of travel
services/products and the potential customers worldwide.

Prior to the 1950s, travel agencies were less known, rare and accessible only to people with high income.
The mid 1990s is the starting point for the development of the travel agency business, as their number
increases greatly. However, in the United Kingdom there were just fewer than 7000 travel agencies in the
1990s and the businesses that developed were more or less family businesses.

The questions that we are about to answer are: what is a travel agent, what does he do and what is his
position in the travel and tourism business framework. We will do so by placing the agent in the context
of travel and tourism industry.

The travel distribution framework, otherwise known as the "channel of distribution", is a marketing term
used for the means through which the product reaches its intended customer.

The place of a travel agent within this distribution framework is best pointed out by comparing it with
other similar business industries. In the travel industry, as well as in the other industries, down the route
by which the product reaches the customer, there are both direct and indirect distribution channels along
which the producers sell their products. A direct channel is the one when the customer gets the
product/service directly from the supplier. For instance, a passenger buys an airline ticket directly from an
airline at the airport, or a passenger buys his train ticket at the railway station. Indirect channels, on the
other hand, involve the intervention of various intermediaries and represent an alternative to direct
channels. Such an example is when the traveller buys his flight ticket through a travel agency.

Distribution channels

Other industries Travel industry

Manufacturers
Principals(Transport/Accommodation)

Wholesalers Tour Operator

Retailers Travel Agents

Consumers Consumers
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However, despite these similarities, some essential differences seperate the travel industry chain from the
other industries particularly regarding the way they conduct their business. These differences are best
pointed out by looking at the types of organization existing in this business:

the Principals,
the Tour Operators
the Travel Agents.

Principals: manufacturers or suppliers of services?

Principals have a top position in the travel and tourism distribution framework. They are the unique
providers of the basic travel product, also known as "core product". The providers of such basic products
are called principlas. Such basic products comprise: transport, accommodation and amenities. The term
principal suggests the head position they hold and a position that is essential for the entire industry.
Given that they are first in rank, principals are an essential condition for the existence of the further chain
of distribution. Their head position is in relation with the other distribution levels, i.e. they are principals
to tour operators and travel agents.

Travel and tourism principals are different from manufacturers and the first and most important difference
is their product. In the case of principals, the product is immediately perishable; the customer can try it
only after buying it and theres no possibility of returning it if it proves to be unsatisfactory. The
principles product is more similar to a service type of product, thus principals are more like suppliers of
services.

Principals make use of various means to sell their product. These means are:
direct sell;
indirect selling by the intermediary of a travel agent;
selling through an inclusive package offered by tour operators.

In the case of direct sale, the product is sold directly to the client without any intermediaries, by
establishing a direct contact with the customer, just like the train operating companies sell tickets at the
railway station. This type of sale is similar to that of the retailers.

The travel agent is an important channel of distribution for the travel and tourism industry, given that
many principals choose to sell their product through such an intermediary. The travel agent receives a
commission for each sold product, and it is the principals and not the customers who bear the
commission. In fact, many principals fix the products price by bearing into account the commission
expenses as well.
Another way of selling the product is to sell it to tour operators who, in turn, will include it in a package.
Therefore, tour operators represent another major indirect channel of distribution. The principals product
is combined and merged with other elements to form an inclusive package. It is worth mentioning that
several principals act as tour operators as well. One such example is British Airways who operate British
Airways Holidays, a tour operator.

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Discussion
1. What is a travel distribution framework?
2. What place does the travek agent hold?
3. What is the role of tour operators?

Grammar: The Noun

English nouns have the following grammatical categories: gender, number and case.

Gender
Masculine Gender: boy, man, father, husband, king, cook;
Feminine Gender: girl, hen, cow, landlady, woman, aunt;
Common Gender: teacher, parent, doctor, mathematician, neighbor;
Neuter Gender: dog, baby, summer, pride, child.

In English there are several ways of forming the masculine and the feminine gender:
Many nouns have different denotations for the masculine and the feminine form: boy-girl, cock-hen,
king-queen, son-daughter, nephew-niece, uncle-aunt, gentleman-lady, man-woman, bachelor-spinster,
husband-wife;
Most commonly the feminine is obtained from the masculine form trough suffixation: prince-
princess, host-hostess, actor-actress, waiter-waitress, master-mistress, hero-heroine, czar-czarina;
Gender can also be indicated by combining nouns without a gender with boy, girl, male, female,
man, woman: boyfriend-girlfriend, man dentist-woman dentist, male pilot-female pilot, policeman-
policewoman. Recently there appeared a tendency to eliminate these terminations in order to avoid
gender discrimination: salesman/saleswoman-salesperson, chairman/chairwoman-chairperson/chair,
steward/stewardess-flight attendant.

Number
Countable nouns have both, singular and plural forms. In the singular they are preceded by a(n) or
one.
Uncountable nouns usually have only a singular form. They can`t be preceded by a(n) or one.
Countable nouns:
Regular forms
- an -s is added: book-books, day-days, house-houses, handkerchief-handkerchiefs, safe-safes;
- nouns ending in o, ch, sh or x take es: potato-potatoes, bus-buses, box-boxes, kiss-kisses, brush-
brushes;
- nouns ending in a consonant plus y take ies: baby-babies, fly-flies, factory-factories.
Irregular forms
Definition: A noun is the name of anything that may be the subject of discourse.
There are four types of nouns:
Proper nouns: Ann, Richard, China, Paris, Mr. Moody
Common nouns: doll, plate, student, desk, flower
Abstract nouns: happiness, love, fear, beauty, friendship
Collective nouns: team, crowd, group, herd, staff

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- some noun forms eliminate -f/-fe and take ves: wife-wives, thief-thieves, shelf-shelves, leaf-
leaves, life-lives, wolf-wolves;
- some nouns modify their vowels: foot-feet, tooth-teeth, woman-women, mouse-mice, man-men,
child-children;
- some nouns have the same form in both singular and plural: sheep-sheep, deer-deer, series-series,
species-species, means-means;
- some nouns have only a plural form: pants, stairs, pyjamas, scissors, savings, customs, valuables,
earnings, trousers, premises;
- some borrowed nouns keep their Latin, Italian or Greek plural forms: crisis-crises, datum-data,
axis-axes, thesis-theses, libretto-libretti, fungus-fungi, bacterium-bacteria, medium-media,
phenomenon-phenomena;
- family names can be used in the plural by adding an s: the Kennedys, the Simpsons;
- collective nouns are usually used in the singular: family, government, gang, crew, jury, navy,
staff, company, public, nobility, council.

Uncountable nouns
They belong to the following classes:
Concrete nouns: water, grass, gold, wood, glass, sand, milk, fire, coffee, food, paper, silver, butter,
salt;
Abstract nouns: love, experience, beauty, advice, hope, joy, relief, freedom, duty, time, education,
reality, intelligence, patience, design;
Verbal nouns, ending in ing: smoking, parking, shopping;
Nouns denoting languages: German, English, Italian, Spanish, J apanese;
Some illnesses, sciences and games which have a plural form, but are used in singular: measles,
mumps, news, politics, ethics, billiards, electronics, acoustics, statistics, mathematics.

Uncountable nouns have restrictive usage in the plural; here are some examples how to transform
uncountable nouns into countables:
Food and drink: a slice of bread, a piece of toast, a bowl of rice, a packet of butter, a lump of sugar,
a pinch of salt, a whiff of garlic;
Natural phenomena: a beam of light, a drop of rain, a breath of fresh air, a gust of wind, a spell of
warm weather;
Materials: a strip of land, a block of concrete, a pile of rubbish, a bar of soap, a stretch of road, an
ounce of silver, a stack of hay, a piece of luggage;
Abstract notions: a piece of news, a hint of trouble, a word of abuse, a state of emergency, an item of
business, a term of imprisonment, a wink of sleep.

Case
The prepositional genitive:
- it is often used to express possession; in this case the noun is preceded by of: door of the
car, frame of the picture, headquarters of the company, color of the wall, engine of the car.
The `s genitive:
- to form it we add an `s: Nancy`s, the teacher`s, my children`s;
- it expresses possession referring to persons and animals: Helen`s mother, the horse`s mane;
it is used:
- in time expressions: an hour`s delay, two week`s time, last Monday`s paper;
- with everybody, nobody, someone, anyone, no one: nobody`s fault, somebody else`s bag;
- with institutions, groups, geographical names: the government`s decision, the world`s lakes,
Boston`s schools;
13
- when it means store, shop, studio, office, restaurant, church, cathedral: the baker`s, St.
Patrick`s, McDonald`s;
- with of (called double genitive): a friend of Ann`s, a fan of Madonna`s.

Exercises

1. Fill in the spaces with the correct plural form:
1. I prefer a man dentist to a
2. Myths always have a hero or a ..
3. The policeman was usually accompanied by a ..
4. My son wants to be an actor, while my ..wants to be an ......................
5. The heir received the mansions whereas the. was left with a collection of
antique jewelry.
6. Prof. Richard Emerson was the chairman of The History Department, Prof. Emily Richards was
the of the Modern Language Department. Today their title would
be..

2. Underline the nouns in the following text and decide which is countable and which is
uncountable:
Although it is a good idea to take a raincoat or an umbrella while holidaying in Britain, the weather
there is nowhere near as bad as people often make out. It's a question of luck, that's all! The weather
is of course very changeable, but no more so than in many regions of France.
The famous London smog, a mixture of smoke and fog, has disappeared, due to considerable efforts
in pollution control. In fact, certain areas of Britain even enjoy a micro-climate, palm trees can be
found in the Scilly Islands and on the Cornish Riviera. If it does start raining, don't despair- nine
times out of ten it's just a local shower. On the coast it means that the tide is turning.

3. Supply the blanks with suitable nouns from those in brackets. Use the plural forms:
1. He threw a stone at the rock and .. came back. (piano, volcano, echo)
2. The opera company was advertising for (octavo, soprano, cuckoo)
3. The delegates carried their (portfolio, photo, piano)
4. He was bitten by a and got malaria. (hero, soprano, mosquito)
5. There are hundreds of ..along the Mediterranean coast. (hero, casino)
6. The ships had as monkeys called baboons. (cargo, piano)

4. Fill in the correct plural form of the words in brackets:
1. Do other planets revolve their .. like the Earth? (axis)
2. . are rare in the desserts. (oasis)
3. A great deal of .. was collected by the scientist. (data)
4. There have been many international since the war. (crisis)
5. What are the of success? (criterion)
6. The. of theorists must conform the real world. (hypothesis)

5. Put into the possessive, carry out any necessary changes in the wording of the sentences:
1. I did this for the sake of my brother J ames.
2. He took the hat of somebody else.
3. J ohn, the son of the plumber is my best friend.
4. The baby of Charles and Mary is lovely.
5. There was a great variety of books for children on display.
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6. Alfred the Great has an assured place in history.

6. Fill in the blanks with feminine nouns:
1. Katherine Hepburn was a famous
2. Diana is the of haunting.
3. A woman famous for bravery is a ..
4. A woman engaged to be married is a .
5. Sapho was a lyric
6. A woman with the legal right to receive a property, when the owner dies, is an.

Speaking

Providing information

Communication skills. Product knowledge

a) The message should be as informative as possible,
b) It must be honest (reflect the communicator's beliefs),
c) It must be relevant and
d) expressed in an orderly manner.
These qualities represent Grice's principles of communication and are used to increase both the
communicative and the informative value of an utterance. If observed, all these preconditions will ensure a
successful oral or written communication.
Clarity is the major aim of informative communication, particularly of technical writing or
scientific writing, whose primary function is to inform. Consequently, all information conveyed must be
clear and unambiguous.
However, a few characteristics have a great impact on the verbal interaction.
First, oral communication takes place against the background of a situation that sets out
the scene for the communication between the interactants. Consequently, much of what is being
said is visually related to the circumstances in which the dialogue or intercourse occurs, namely
the situation, the setting and other communication inherent characteristics. This enables the
participants to draw heavily on clues lying in the situational context for grasping the message.
This means that the speaker may not be so explicit as he should be in writing, as many references
are clear or made clear through inference from or through reference to the context. If, for
example, we refer to the thing over there we assume that this is sufficient for the listener, as he
will understand from the context what that thing is.
Second, the person we address is normally present, so there is direct contact between the speaker
and the hearer materialised in a permanent interaction and feedback. Even in the case of a telephone
conversation, where the two communicators are standing at the ends of the wire, there is direct contact
Communication skills
Providing information on particular tourism products or issues rests mainly on a few skills,
which ensure a successful communication with the client and conduct to selling.
A good communicator is a person who knows well what to say in a particular context to
the person he/she is talking to. This means observing the maxims of communication which
are:
15
and the possibility of permanently feedbacking on request. In a normal conversation, the speaker and the
hearer are exchanging roles, so that at one time one is the speaker and at another time the other is the
speaker. This exchange of roles makes each participant very active and interested in monitoring each
others performance. If there is no feedback and control, there is no verbal interaction, and the normal
communication flow may easily break up.
The feedback one receives from a spoken intercourse is of two kinds: verbal and non-verbal. The
verbal response or feedback ranges from a simple murmur or grunt, to asking questions or making
comments on the spoken issue. Non-verbal feedback takes the form of facial movements or expression,
of eye contact, or a simple nod that confirms the receipt of the message and the comprehension thereof.
In addition to the already mentioned elements, during a verbal intercourse the communicators can
depend on and use other resources as well that facilitate their understanding of the message. Such
resources are the prosodic features, which include:
pitch of voice,
loudness,
speed,
rhythm
pauses.
Facial movements may accompany other verbal feedback elements, as they all support and give
consistency to the uttered words in an attempt to make the message clearer to the listener. Don Byrne
(1988) notes that most often we convey our meaning not so much through what we say- the linguistic
structures of our discourse- but through how we say it and what we do when we say it. This helps the
listener grasp at once what we say, and the attitude we show towards the discussed topic, which may
indicate irony, confidence, doubt etc and will further help the listener make his decision with regard to
adapting the role and attitude he adopts towards the on-going conversation.
Awareness of these aspects is extremely important, as they can help the communicator, in our
case the travel agent, build up a healthy communication and persuade the client to buy a product.

Product knowledge

Knowing the product helps the travel agent give useful and meaningful information to the client.
The travel agent must read all relevant information comprised in leaflets, brochures, or other
materials and take notes of the main issues. He must equally draw on other sources as media information
and information coming directly from tour operators. The travel agent must then sort out the information
and organize it according to various criteria, which may refer to:
types of holiday
destinations
attractions
travel arrangements
accommodation options etc.
The information will normally be conveyed during a verbal intercourse in which the
three parts of a conversation must be followed, i.e.:
a brief introduction, which should point out the subject matter or the issue,
the main part, which will describe or indicate in a logical and attractive manner the
highlights or advantages of the offer
the wrap up part, or end, which should summarize the points discussed and draw a
conclusion.
For example, the travel agent should know everything about the main types of tourism
destinations based on distance, accessibility via air transport etc, such as:
1) short-haul destinations the most popular destinations given their accessibility
16
2) long-haul destinations morepopular in recent years, given thevariety of different resorts
He should also know that another distinction is based on their products character and appearance; such a
criterion would help the agent differenciate between:
1) towns and cities
2) seaside resorts
3) purpose-built resorts
4) countryside areas
5) historical and cultural destinations.

Exercises

1. How many types of holiday are there? What holidays does you agency sell?
Make a list of holidays and outline of a brief talk on types of holiday.

2. Explain to a close friend the holiday packages that the agency you work for sells.

3. Describe the holiday packages to an imaginary client.

Writing
Business Letters

Functions. Types of letters. Characteristics of good business letters.
Parts of a letter. Style. Useful language. Sample letter. Exercises.

maintaining public relations, promoting sales, complaining about a service etc. Apart from
the informative function they usually perform, business letters are sometimes regarded as a
companys permanent record, as future inventories and checkings can be made on the basis of
the letters filed in company records. Letters can also serve as written contracts between two
parties and as such they are fully recognized by courts as evidence. Then they can act as formal
or informal public relations material, building up good will, consolidating relationships, or
encouraging business. From the moment the letter written by you leaves your premises, it
represents you and the company you work for. Therefore, the writer must be aware of the role
the letter plays in projecting the right image of the company, since a good letter may encourage
business, whilst the reverse may turn your business into a failure.

Functions

Business letters represent an important part of business communication.
They are used for many purposes, including: providing information,
requesting information or material, answering customer queries,
17
Types of letters

Different business circumstances call for different types of business letters.

Letters of request are written to ask for permission, help, information, advice, appointments, payments,
merchandise, favours etc. They may also provide information, explain a situation, make suggestions,
present arguments in support of an opinion etc.
A request letter must be:
complete, that is give all the facts needed;
accurate, as it is supposed to provide correct data, amounts, dates, quantities etc,
reasonable in order to make sure that the reader can fulfill the request,
specific, i.e. to answer specifically the request,
concise, i.e. it should comprise only essential data conveyed in a clear, straightforward
manner, and, last but not least, it should be courteous.
These letters must contain:

- an introductory paragraph, which identifies the sender and states the reason for writing the
letter. This is the first paragraph so its tone will have a decisive impact on the reader.
Consequently it may either build good will and establish a healthy business relationship, or it may
completely damage the companys image.
- message paragraphs, which enumerate the request(s), explain details of the request, and give
reasons for it.
- an ending paragraph, which kindly asks for appropriate action to be taken, and is followed by
the senders signature.

Letters of request are usually answered promptly. The reply is written to acknowledge an order,
appointment, to answer various queries about the company, products, services etc. Both the request letter
and the reply must exude a courteous and helpful attitude. They must reinforce and consolidate a good
business relationship, therefore, their tone should be friendly and, in many ways, similar to the tone of
public relations letters.

Letters of inquiry may seek information regarding products, references, credit etc; they may ask for
favours for documentation or services. On the other hand, such letters may seek sales opportunities, and
may develop public relations by showing interest in a companys products.
Like any other kind of letter, this letter should be brief, straightforward and polite.
The letter outline should draw on :

- an introduction consisting of a short paragraph indicating the purpose of the letter;
- message paragraph(s) posing the question(s) in a clear, concise manner;
- a closing paragraph ending the letter in a pleasant and helpful tone.

No matter whether the answer is positive or negative, all letters must be answered promptly. If the reply is
negative, the writer must tactfully express that along with his willingness to be of further assistance to the
customer.

Order letters are usually sent in order to purchase various products or services. They must necessarily
display the characteristics of all business writing, including: clarity, accuracy, completeness, conciseness,
and should give specific details regarding quantity, quality, price, destination, method of shipment,
delivery date, method of payment etc.
18
As compared to sales letters, which have an overt sales-oriented character, these letters are simple and
straightforward in tone, as their aim is mainly to focus attention on specific details.
These letters call for three types of answers:
- letters which acknowledge the order;
- letters requesting additional details;
- letters refusing an order.

Sales letters seek to sell a product, a service, an idea, etc. They are written to attract the readers
attention, to persuade him to buy the product or service. Therefore, these letters are advertising or sales -
oriented letters. As such they must stimulate the readers interest by emphasizing the qualities and the
advantages offered by the product, convince him of the overall value of the product, and, finally, move
him to action. Consequently, planning the letter is not easy. The sender has to deal with a number of
issues before writing the letter. So for example:
first he has to establish the target audience,
then find out the customers requirements,
identify the customers special interests,
formulate the specific aim of the letter,
highlight strong points and qualities of the product, special selling points if any (price,
quality),
list elements which may support the selling point etc.
In order to be more persuasive, senders add incentives to sales letters, such as: a return card, a sample
product, or a discount coupon.

The general tone and the style in which these letters are written is promotional, as they are advertising
texts. The letters may:
begin with a rhetorical question of the type: Why kill yourself working, when ..., How much of
your business depends on....?; these questions are intended to gear the readers attention to the
desired element or product;
attract the reader with a wishful thinking (To have a chalet in the Alps...);
promise a bargain (Add 20% to your business profits!), or simply
make use of an unusual phrase (THE MONTCAR 22 DOES NOT RUN! It races!...)
In addition, this sales-oriented character can be achieved only by using an adequate language. Therefore,
sales letters abound in words with sales appeal, which are: nouns, adjectives, verbs etc and use an imaginative
colourful language.
The extract below will illustrate both the structure and the appealing language used in sales letters:

Dear Mr. Taylor:

Do you choose your financial plans as carefully as you choose your car? For just a few dollars a week,
experts in the investment business will advise you on specific money placements.

Every issue of our magazine, THE FINANCIAL DIGEST, is full of reports, and features that will keep you
intelligently informed about the rapidly changing world of business.

An investment in THE FINANCIAL DIGEST offers no risks. If you are not completely satisfied the
ublication, you can cancel and will receive a fuill refund on all undelivered issues.

You have nothing to lose and much to gain. Sign and mail the enclosed coupon today. Your signature
will bring you 52 issues full of up-to-the-minute information.

19
(From Lafrance-Bourdon M, Business English, 1989, Annexes)

Public relations letters are written to develop favourable public opinion, to influence public attitudes,
reinforce the companys image, keep present customers, make new business partners, secure future
cooperation, promote good will etc.
To begin with, they must value the customer, then they must display a strong sales-oriented character
conveyed in a warm, friendly tone. They should generally build confidence, encourage a healthy business
relationship, or consolidate the existing business relationship.
The category of public relations letters includes several types of letters: letters of acknowledgment,
letters of appreciation, letters of promotion, letters of general thank you, letters of apology, letters
of greetings, letters of welcome etc.
They all should express a clear, sincere message in a warm, personal tone, and convey an honest and
friendly attitude. The writers should personalize the letter and its message showing their full consideration
towards the reader, whilst appealing to his honesty and loyalty.

Claim letters voice dissatisfaction and seek for redress, while adjustment letters try to settle the matters
that caused the complaint. The reasons for writing letters of complaint include: faulty merchandise, delay
in delivery, failure to deliver the merchandise, inadequate attitude on behalf of the employees, customers
etc.
These letters should express a firm attitude in a courteous, reasonable manner, describing the claim,
giving details of the reason for discontent, presenting the inconvenience suffered, and assuming that a fair
treatment will be further expected.

Adjustment letters are replies to claim letters in which the sender grants the claim, promises
action, refuses or rejects the claim.The basic reason for writing such letters are: to grant
reasonable adjustment and preserve good customer relations. These letters require a thorough
examination of the complaint and of the circumstances which caused the complaint.
Consequently, no step should be undertaken without acquiring a comprehensive picture of the
situation and deciding on the action that should be taken in order to rectify the damage or the
inconvenience. However, in order to do so the writer must promise to the angered and, perhaps,
enraged customer that the complaint will receive full consideration and should state what action
will be taken.

Characteristics of good business letters

Accuracy. All information provided in a business letter must be accurate. Therefore the writer has to
make sure that the names, addresses, dates, figures and facts are correct.
Clarity. The ideas expressed in the letter must be clear, logically sequenced and should reflect a clear
thinking.
Conciseness saves the reader time and also indicates a good command of writing skills.
Courtesy regards the overall tone of the letter and shows a polite and respectful attitude towards the
person addressed. As you may choose from a relatively wide range of tones (formal, informal, positive,
negative, persuasive, humorous, argumentative, ironical etc), your choice is of utmost importance. The
tone used will be adapted to the needs and level of expertise of the reader.
Completeness. The writer needs to cover all the points he wishes to present, without leaving out relevant
information.
Coherence. The ideas and the parts of the letter must be logically and clearly linked to form a coherent
whole.
20

Parts of a letter

Letterhead or heading. The heading is the written part which identifies the sender.
Dateline or date. All business letters should have the correct date representing the writing day.
Inside address. It is typed under the dateline and gives the name and address of the recipient.
Salutation. The salutation is typed two lines down from the inside address or reference line.
Body. The body is written two lines down from the salutation. It can be typed in full block style with no
indentation, or semiblock style in which the paragraphs are indented. Paragraphs are typed single-space or
with double spaces between them. Paragraph one (introductory paragraph) is meant to attract the
readers attention and state clearly the reason for writing, thus providing the background information for
the letter. The main body develops the subject and deals with possible additional issues. It should present
a logical, organized discussion of facts. The conclusion summarizes the content of the letter and explains
why the follow-up action is necessary.
Complimentary close. This part is typed one double space after the body of the letter and is a
conventional, polite formula.
Stenographic reference or reference initials stand for the person who is sending the letter and/or the
typist.

Optional parts

Mailing notations show whether the letter was intended to be personal, or confidential, sent by regular
mail or airmail etc.
Attention line. This line routes the letter to a particular person or department within a company.
Subject line. This line serves as a topic for the letter or as a title to the content.

Style

Although, on the whole, business letters are part of business communication issues, and share many
similarities, some distinctive features must be, however, pointed out. First, in writing a business letter, the
sender makes use of a more personal tone, and generally speaking, a you attitude, thus personalizing
the message. Then he prefers the active voice rather than the passive or passive constructions, which as a
rule are a distinctive feature of the business style. This choice or preference is due to the fact that the
recipient of the letter is usually known, so the entire situation is based on a previously established, well-
consolidated relationship.
The style of a letter is dictated by who it is addressed to. A letter written to an unknown person requires a
formal style, one addressed to a known person but not an intimate one requires a semi-formal style, while a
letter sent to a friend requires an informal style.

Formal letters contain formal greetings and endings, formal language i.e. complex sentences, non-
colloquial English, frequent use of the passive, and advanced vocabulary. Writers of such letters should
avoid the use of contracted and abbreviated forms.
Informal letters comprise informal greetings and endings, informal vocabulary and style i.e. idioms and
phrasal verbs, colloquial English, omission of pronouns and abbreviated forms.
Semi-formal letters make use of formal greetings but of informal endings (Best wishes/Yours +full
name). A respectful tone must be preserved all through the letter, depending on the relationship with the
recipient, whilst pronouns are normally not omitted and idioms are carefully used.

Layout

21
There are 3 commonly used types of layout:

Full block(ed) which means that all parts of the letter begin at the left margin.
Block(ed). This style places date, complimentary close, and signature in the centre and all the other parts
at the left margin.
Semiblock(ed). The semiblock(ed) format follows the blocked style; in addition, the paragraphs are
indented five or ten spaces.

Punctuation styles.

We distinguish three types of punctuation, that is:
- open (no punctuation after any part of the letter except in the body of the letter),
- mixed (the salutation is followed by a colon, the complimentary close by a comma),
- closed (each line outside the body of the letter ends with a comma).
Useful language

Language represents the basic ingredient in achieving the right style and the right tone for the intended
message. Although there is no prescribed language and vocabulary for business letters, in order to be
effective they must be clear and concise. This can be achieved by using a simple, formal and effective
language or vocabulary. Simplicity also reduces the chances for the text to be misunderstood or
misinterpreted. Elaborate sentences or technical terms should be generally be avoided, unless the
circumstances call for the use of such terms. Nevertheless, this does not mean oversimplifying the language
used and bringing it closer to the everyday, conversational language, which is rather vague and imprecise.

On the other hand, although formal, this language should, however, be flexible enough to adjust to
various letter types. So for example, order letters or request letters will necessarily employ a simple,
concise, clear, maybe technical or commercial vocabulary, while a sales letter or a public relations letter
should be more vivid and descriptive, making use of more active verbs, nouns, adjectives and adverbs in
order to appeal to the reader and eventually move him to action.
Although, generally speaking, the active voice or active verb forms are preferred in letters to add
vividness and dynamism, there are cases when the writer needs to soften the statements made or to be
more impersonal.

Up to a certain extent each letter is unique. Nonetheless, there are many formulas which are frequently used
in letter writing, as suggested by Evans V.(1998):

- To begin letters

- Letters of request
I am writing to request your assistance concerning...
I would be grateful if you could possibly inform me...
I would greatly appreciate it if you could...
I am writing to enquire if/whether / to ask permission...

- Letters giving information

I am writing to inform you that/ to advise you of/ let you know that...
I regret/am delighted/would like/feel obliged to inform you..
22
I am writing in response to/in reply to/with regard to/in connection with...
I am writing on behalf of/in my capacity as

- Letters giving an opinion

I am writing in response/reply to your letter requesting advice on/about...
I hope the following advice/suggestions will be of help to you...

- Letters of complaint

I am writing to complain about/ express my disappointment/ dissatisfaction
with/anger at/protest about...
I regret to express my annoyance/extreme dissatisfaction...

- To end letters

- Letters of request
I hope that my request will not inconvenience you too much.
I must apologize for/ I hope that you will forgive me for /troubling you/taking
up your valuable time.

- Letters giving information

I hope that this information will be of some assistance to you
I trust that I have been able to answer all your questions...
I look forward to being able to help you again
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you need further information

- Letters giving an opinion

I hope/trust that these suggestions will be of some assistance

- Letters of complaint

I hope this matter will receive your full/immediate attention.
I must insist on .../insist that/demand/ warn you that....
Unless this matter is resolved.../Unless satisfactory compensation is
offered...
I have no other choice but to/will be forced to take further/legal action.

Sample letter
Regardless of the type of letter used, each letter should consist of the parts mentioned previously. Here is
an example of a letter.
Western Travel Agency
12, The Crescent, Brinton, BR3 5YT
Tel 0219-84436 Tix 40036 WTV
Your Ref. RW/ts
Our Ref. CM/ya/M3

23
Renate Weiss
Sun Express
20 Gloucester Place
Croydon CRO 2DH

Dear Ms Weiss

Tour 5210

We are writing with reference to your letter of 11 May,
concerning discounts for groups on the above-mentioned
tour.

We are happy to accept your terms and request that you
reserve 25 places in the name of Mr D Thomas on the
tour departing J uly 14. Names of the group members
will be sent at a later date.

We look forward to receiving your confirmation.

Yours sincerely,

Charlotte McEvoy
(A. Littlejohn, Company to Company, 1988)

Exercises

1. Write a request letter using the following information:

- You are the executive vice-president of InterTourist Company located in Cluj, Str. Clinicilor
1.
- Reserve a suite at the Hotel Park, Dorobantilor Str. 30, Bucharest for March 20-24.
- Reserve a small conference room, if possible adjoining the suite, from 9 a.m. the 21
st
to
- noon the 25th which can accommodate eight branch managers.
- A luncheon will be served the 21
st
, 22
nd
, and 23
rd
; ask for sample menus.
- Inform on the arrival at the hotel (March 20, 6 p.m.)
- Ask to confirm the reservations.
- Request information concerning prices.

2. Write an eye-catching opening for a sales letter in which you try to advertise a package holiday.

3. Write a public relations letter using the following clues:

You are setting up your own office of bookkeeping, typewriting, and word processing services.
To promote your new business, you announce your venture by writing a letter that will be sent
to 100 businesses all over the country. Emphasize your experience (seven years) and your
excellent college training. Include all details that will improve your chances of selling your
services.

(The section on writing Business Letters was taken from S. Irimiea, 2000, Written and Oral Communication,
pages 148-157)

24

TESTE PENTRU AUTOEVALUARE

Fiecare seciune este nsoit de exerciii i sugestii de activiti practice individuale sau de grup.
Tutorele de curs va indica exerciiile i sarcinile de lucru i va stabili termenele de predare sau
efectuare a acestora.

RECOMANDRI BIBLIOGRAFICE

Bell, J . Gower, R., 2005, Advanced expert, CAE, Longman.
5.J acob, M. and Strutt P., (1997), English for International Tourism, Longman.
Surse internet:
11. www.nationalgeographic.com

25
MODULUL II
Travel Agents

CONCEPTE DE BAZ:
Unitatea de curs 2: Travel Agents
Probleme de limb: The Present, Past Simple, and Present Perfect
Vorbire: alocuiunea, comunicarea profesional
Scriere: descrierea.

OBIECTIVE URMRITE:
1. S neleag i s cunoasc rolul i activitile agentului de turism.
2. S cunoasc i s ntrebuineze timpurile Present Simple, Past Simple i Present
Perfect n comunicarea verbal i scris
3. S fac o prezentare profesional
4. S redacteze un text descriptiv prin utilizarea unor tehnici de scriere care sporesc
impactul i a registrului formal.

Cartea: Irimiea Silvia, English for International Tourism, Presa Universitar Clujean, Cluj-
Napoca, 2000.

REZULTATE ATEPTATE:
Dup acestui modul studenii vor cunoate rolul agenilor de turism. Parcursul lingvistic
le va permite s utilizeze formele verbale ale celor trei timpuri discutate (The Present, Past
Simple, and Present Perfect) n comunicare verbal i scris. Seciunea de vorbire le va oferi
cunotine i noiuni legate de organizarea unei prezentri profesionale, iar partea de comunicare
scris le va furniza elementele necesare redactrii unor descrieri.
Unit 2
Reading
TRAVEL AGENTS

Their role is placed at the bottom of the distribution framework chain. They establish a direct contact with
the potential customer. Sometimes travel agents are referred to as retail travel agents (Burkart &
Medlik, 1981). Those in favour of the term retail travel agent point to some similarities with the shop
owners, justifying the term of retailer, through the following reasons:

26
They display goods, even if intangible ones, sometimes in the form of brochures;
They occupy the same kind of location sites;
They advertise products;
The offer incentives to customers, such as discounts;
They employ sales staff;
They have buyers who negotiate deals with suppliers.

Those supporting this term consider that all these similarities are more important than the actual concept
and theory of retailing.

However, there is also a different view regarding this matter, namely that the travel agent is different from
a retailer. First, the travel agent does not purchase the product; he is only acting on behalf of the client as
an intermediary. Since this process involves no purchase, he does not charge the consumer for his
services. Second, his financial risk is considerably reduced, because he does not need to have a stock of
goods that must be sold. Third, by acting on behalf of the client, the agents income is represented by the
commission he receives on sale. Finally, another difference is that travel agents provide services rather
than finite goods.

The role of the travel agent can be looked at from a legal perspective. First, the travel agent is bound to
observe his duty towards his principals (Corke, 1987), to abide by certain rules and a code of conduct. At
the same time, the travel agent has a professional duty towards his clients, that of best meeting their
needs.

In the contract of sale concluded for any travel or tourism product, as for any other commercial situation,
the agent is not technically part of the agreement. The contract is concluded exclusively between the
supplier and the customer. However, in the case of a dispute between these two parties, the agent shall
seek a satisfactory solution for both of them.

The agents responsibilities are often comprised in agency or other similar agreements, by which he has to
abide. The terms of the agreements are drawn up by the principals or by custom and trade practice, which
represent various codes of conduct. In Britain, such Codes of Conduct are established by the Association
of British Travel Agents (ABTA).

One of the most important responsibilities when a dispute arises is to make all the necessary effort to
prevent direct recourse to principals. When such disputes need reference to the principals, the agent shall
act as an intermediary. In such cases of complaints, the agent is faced, to some extent, with a conflict of
interests, as he tries to provide a satisfactory resolution for both parties.

Grammar

The Present Simple
Forms of the Present Simple

Affirmative forms:
All persons use the same form, except for the 3
rd
person singular
which adds -s :
He works I work
J ane (=she) works You work
The supervisor (=he or she) works We work
The telephone (=it) works They work

27

Irregular forms:

be have do say
I am have do say
we / you / they are have do say
He / she / it is has does says*

* The irregularity here lies in the pronunciation / sez /

Negative forms are formed with do or does followed by not or nt:

Cats dont like salad.
This game doesnt work.

Interrogative forms
In questions, do or does comes before the subject.

DO/DOES +SUBJ ECT +Verb
When do you go to school?
Does Mr. Smith drink?

The Present Simple has three important meanings:

1. It stands for a present state:
The Present Simple often indicates a state which exists now. For example, it refers to a fact
which is always or generally true.

The sun sets in the west.
Some parents have a difficult job.
Are you from Germany? No, I am British.

2. It stands for a present habit:
The Present simple can also refer to an action we repeat regularly, i.e. a habit or custom.

What do you do on weekends? Well, I get up at eight, have breakfast, help around the
house, have lunch and then enjoy the afternoon.

The Present Simple can be used with FREQUENCY adverbs like: always, never, sometimes,
ever, usually, and often.

In the weekends I always go to the cinema.
I never go fishing in spring.
I sometimes go hunting in winter.
Do you ever go to church?
I usually go shopping on Fridays.
I often play football at school.

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3. It stands for a present event:
This meaning of the Present Simple is less common; it refers to an event which happens at the
very moment of speaking, for example when we describe what we are saying as offering,
accepting, begging.

Form: I / we +verb +

I regret that I stole that car.
We accept your conditions.
I beg you to be more attentive.

The Present Simple has two special meaning:
These meanings are called special because through them the Present Simple describes not
present time, but future or past time.

Referring to future time:
The Present Simple can refer to the future as in the following cases:

(i) in describing fixed or planned events

My train leaves at 8 oclock this afternoon.
Tomorrow is Toms birthday.

(ii) in IF-clauses, WHEN-clauses, etc.

If it snows, well get wet.
They will give us a call when they arrive.

Referring to past time:
The Present Simple sometimes refers to events that happened in the past. This is called the
Historic Present and is used in telling stories, but it is not very used. The Present Simple makes
a story more exciting and vivid.

So he comes through the door, and he says Where were you at 10 oclock? She replies
With J ohn. His face goes white with anger

Exercises

1. Put the verbs in brackets into the simple present:

a. I (get up) at 8:00 when the alarm (ring).
b. I (eat) breakfast in a hurry, not to be late for work.
c. Dad (be) off early to the factory where he (run) a label printing business.
d. Mum (drive) to work at 8:30.
e. She (teach) at my school.
f. I (spend) 30 minutes every day reading the newspaper.
g. Homework (take) up most of my evenings
29

2. Fill in the verb:
a. body search and your luggage ________ (search) by a security officer. You ______ (wait)
in the departure lounge until your flight ______ (call) and you _____ (tell) which gate number to go
to. Finally, you ______ (board) your plane and you _____ (show) to your seat by a flight attendant.
When you ___________ (arrive) at an airport, you should go straight to the check-in desk where your
ticket and luggage _____________ (check). You ___________ (keep) your hand luggage with you
but your suitcases ___________ (take) to the plane on a conveyor belt. You can now go to the
departure lounge. If you are on an international flight, your passport _________ (check), and then
your bags ________ (x-ray) by security cameras; sometimes you ________ (give)

3. Write a 200 word passage describing your daily routine, using as many present simple verbs as
possible.

4. Extract the present simple verbs from the following excerpt:

Hilton Summer Opening

Dublin airport is to gain a four star Hilton due to open in summer 2005, with a completion date
earlier rather than later.
Operated under the Hilton International banner the new property joins the Hilton Dublin at
Charlemont Place, the Hilton Belfast and Hilton Templepatrick.
The hotel occupies a focal point in the planned new town center located at Northern Cross on the
Malahide Road, just under two miles from the airport and five miles from Dublin city center.
All 106 rooms will be air-conditioned and the project includes a function suite with a capacity for 300
people for banquets and weddings.
Conference and Meeting facilities include a function suite with a capacity for 300 people for banquets
and weddings.
There are nine fully serviced Hilton Meeting rooms with a business center and breakout area.
All rooms are equipped with high speed internet access, wireless LAN, in-room safes, iron and
ironing board and electronic mini bars.
The Hilton Bar- will feature the largest piece of Irish Bog Oak, which is over 4,000 years old,
modeled into the bartop.
Patrick Veale, Managing Director of the PJ Walls Group, said: This is a much-neededhotel in North
County Dublin, and we are very proud that it will be Irish owned and run by a professional and
experienced management team. We believe that the close proximity to Dublin Airport, the M50 and
M1 will make it a very accessible and desirable new hotel location.
David Webster, the newly appointed General Manager of the hotel, has been working with Hilton for
the last four years in both Ireland and the UK, This is part of a continued development strategy for
the Hilton International brand in Ireland. We are currently looking at three additional options in key
locations around the country.
The 350m EURO landmark hotel, apartment, retail and business park development, with extensive
landscaped areas, is currently being developed by PJ Walls Group.
(Travel Extra magazine, march 2005 issue)

30
The Past Simple

Forms of the Past Simple

Affirmative:

I, we,
you, he, she, etc.
played soccer (recently)
(last week)
(ages ago,)
heard about the incident
gave Barbara a present

Negative:

I, We, You,
She, They,
etc.
didnt
did not
play
hear
give

Question:

Did (nt)
We, I,
You, She,
They, etc.
play
hear
give
?
?
?

Meanings of the Past Simple

Past time:

The Past Simple places an action at a definite time in the past (marked with bold).

I met Tom in 2001, but we didnt become close friends until quite recently.
For many centuries the Greeks were the rulers of the Mediterranean.

Unreal present or future time:

Past Simple is used in the IF-clause of a WOULD condition to show tht this is not true.

If I owned a truck, I would make o lot of money. (I do not own a truck.)

The Past Simple is used in some polite requests.

Would you mind if I borrowed your pen?

Other uses of the Past Simple

The Past Simple is used with state verbs to describe a state of affairs in the past.
Once there was a hunter, who lived in a little house at the edge of the forest.
31

The Present Perfect

Formation

Affirmative
has , have +past participle: I have participated in the contest.
Negative
has , have +NOT +past participle: I havent read the book.
In questions
has , have +subject +past participle: Have you seen the accident?

Uses of the Present Perfect

When talking about something which began in the past and hasnt changed:

I have studied English since I started going to school.

When talking about general experience:

I have visited London, but I have never visited the Royal Navy Museum.

When talking about recent events:

Did you see Armageddon? Yes, I have already seen it.

Talking about very recent events:

I have just seen the movie.

Exercises

1. Say what these people have just done using the Present Perfect

Alice/ride/her bicycle.
The boys/play/football.
Mr. Smith/write/ a book.
I/ visit/ my grandparents.
Hans and J ulia/ get/ married.
Mother/ have/ a driving lesson.
My friend/ drive/ a racing car.
I/ buy/ a new dress.

2. Write a 150-word essay about your summer holiday using present perfect verbs.

32
3. Find the present perfect verbs:

Tear of the low cost ferry

Low cost ferry looks set to come to the country where low cost air travel was pioneered.
The Irish Sea routes have seen cheaper early bookings offers than is the norm for this time of
year. Although these offers expire on March 8
th
the indications are that there is a fundamental
change in fare structures with an emphasis on one-way fares, online booking and optional extras
while on board, such as the newly refurbished Club class on the Irish ferries Dublin-Holyhead
fast ferry, the Swift.
Irish Ferries has indicated it was going to follow the low-cost model successfully developed by
Ryanair and other low cost airlines.
Following their decision to cut crewing costs on their Ireland-France service, Irish Ferries are
now pursuing a low fares policy that is offering double digit discounts on fares when compared to
last year, even in high season.
Typical of these is 29pc cut in the cost of travel in J uly for a car plus two adults return.
On direct sailings into and out of Ireland up to early J une, the return fare for two adults and car
has been cut to 298 EURO, which Irish Ferries say is a saving of up to 166 EURO depending on
sailing compared to the cost of travel overland through the UK.
Holidaymakers traveling from the Continent to Ireland are enjoying discounts well above 30pc.
Irish Ferries are offering unrestricted stay one-way fares for a car plus one adult sailing mid-week
on their Rosslare-Pembroke route. Comparable reductions apply on Dublin-Hoyhead cruise and
fast ferry services.
Bookings can be made on-line at www.irishferries.com up to March 8
th
.
(Travel Extra magazine, March 2005 issue)

The Past Perfect

Formation

Affirmative
had +past participle: I left after the band had finished
Negative
had +NOT +past participle: Last night I decided not to drive after I had had two drinks.
In questions
had +subject +past participle:

Usage of the Past Perfect

The Past Perfect is used to show that one action happened before another in the past.

I had gone to school when my friends came to visit.

The Past Perfect is used to show the duration before a happening in the past.

We had had the van for five years before it broke down.

33

Exercises

1. Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Perfect:

At last she showed me the letter he (write) _______ .
I knew that as a girl she (live) _______ in the country.
I was going round to see Helen after dinner. I (arrange) _______ this visit the day before.
The last member of the party was Peter, whom George (know) _______ for some time.
Frank was half an hour late and he asked what we (eat) _______ because he wanted to order the
same.
She knew that he would speak till they (reach) _______ their house.
He read what I (write) _______ on the back of the photo twenty years before.

Speaking
GIVING A TALK
Guidelines for giving a talk. Sample talk. Exercises.

Guidelines for giving a talk

Every now and then you have to give short talks, either to customers or to your colleagues. In order to be
effective and convincing you must first concentrate on their planning. Several points deserve attention:
-awareness of the audience
-Who are they? What do you know about them? What do they expect you to do or say? What do they
already know about the subject? How much can you tell them in the amount of time at your disposal? These
and other similar questions will help you decide upon the content of the subject matter to expose on, the
amount of information you give out, the general tone in which the talk will be carried out, the language
employed etc.
-the subject matter
The next step is to determine the content to be dealt with, the main parts, and then to sequence the points in a
logical order. A basic rule of organising the parts of the talk is:
-Tell them what you are going to tell. Tell it. Tell them what youve told them.

In other words, the talk should consist of:
--an introduction to prepare the audience for the subject you are going to present
--a middle or main section which presents the information in clear, logical stages
--an end which summarises the main points and acts as a reminder.
The draft or the final outline of the talk should be:
---clear
---well-ordered
---easy to listen to
---accurate
34
---complete

Sample talk

The following extract will illustrate the basic requirements for preparing and performing such talks.

-Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Teresa. Let me first welcome you to our tour The Kralovska
Cesta or Royal Mile.
This was the route which was taken by the Kings and Queens of Bohemia on their way to coronations or to
festivities in Prague. We start here at the Powder Tower. It is so called because it served as a gunpowder store in the
seventeenth centuries. It had originally been a tower of the town palace during the Middle Ages. Let us now walk
through the archway and into Celetna street which is so named after the bread the calt- that was baked here in the
Middle Ages. On our left is the old mint where Bohemian groschen and ducats were coined. A little further down we
will pass two houses that are part of Charles University, which was founded in 13348. Its the oldest university in
Central Europe. Now we enter the Old Town Square. In the centre you can see a memorial to J an Huss, the
reformer...

(From M. J acob, P. Strut, English for International Tourism, 1997)

Exercises

1. Imagine you must welcome a group of visitors. You have made the following notes but you must
reorganise them in the correct order. Group your ideas under four or five headings.

Keys are available at reception.
Dinner starts at 8.00 and is usually served up till 10.30 p.m.
Rooms are on the second and third floor.
Baggage will be brought to your room.
First trip at 10.00 a.m. tomorrow.
Welcome drink in the lounge at 7.20 a.m.
Registration forms have been completed. J ust sign them when you get your key.
Lunch is not served at the restaurant.
Full programme on the notice-board everyday.
The bar is on the first floor.
The hotel offers tennis, table tennis, snooker and a swimming pool.
Questions will be answered at the reception.
Book for sauna etc at the hall porter.

2. You must welcome a group of delegates from the company subsidiary who have just arrived and
take them to the hotel. Prepare a short talk to welcome them and make the necessary introduction.
Begin with

--Ladies and gentlemen, Id like to welcome you to...
--Let me introduce myself, I am....

35
3. As a guide you must say a few words to a group of visitors who visit your town. Tell them a few
words about the town, its history, the places they can visit etc. Pay attention to the ideas you
expose, the order in which you present your ideas, and the language you use.

4.You must meet a group of British businessmen. They want to know more about the company you
work for. Prepare a short presentation of your firm. First write a plan, and then make a draft of
your presentation. Give it to your colleague for a proof reading. Do not forget to include
information on:
---when it (agency, firm, and company) was established
---location
---organisation, offices
---staff, employees
---turnover
---main products
---accomplishments
---objectives
---profit
---firm philosophy (basic principle), logo etc.

5.You work for a new company and the manager has asked you to introduce yourself to the
company members. Therefore you must say a few words about yourself so as to refer to
your background, education, qualifications, experience, and, above all, interests. Do not
forget to link the parts adequately by using effective sentence connectors.

6. Pick up an advertising leaflet and after having read it present it to your colleague.

Writing

Descriptions

Points to consider. Structure. Expressing impressions and reactions. Writing
techniques. Characteristics of formal and informal style.

The purpose of a description is to convey an accurate, clear and coherent picture of a person,
object, process, event or procedure. A description often serves a particular aim, such as: to make popular
a person, to highlight or advertise a place, to inform people on processes or procedures.
The aim also establishes the function of the description and dictates what will receive emphasis
and what will not be emphasised. For example, a description commissioned for official purposes, e.g. a
police report, will focus on the persons physical appearance, conveying an accurate, and clear
description, while other types of description may focus on his habits, lifestyle, strengths etc.

A piece of writing describing a place or a building is a composition that consists of:
1. an introduction, which briefly gives the name of the place or location, and states the
reason for choosing to write about it
2. a main body providing both general and specific information or details about the object
3. a conclusion which gives voice to the opinions and feelings of the writer .
36
Descriptions may include: factual information, details relating to the senses to suggest mood and
atmosphere, opinions and impressions regarding a building or a place.
In a description each aspect should be presented in a separate paragraph starting with a topic
sentence.
The description will be more interesting if a descriptive vocabulary will be used, and a variety of
linking words and structures.
The tense forms used for place descriptions are the present tenses. They occur more frequently in
descriptions of places for tourist brochures or magazine articles, while past tenses are normally used to
describe visits to places. Compare for example I visited Madrid last month with Madrid is situated in the
centre of the Iberian peninsula.

Expressing impressions and reactions

A writer may express his positive impressions:
using a variety of adjectives, such as: delightful, breathtaking, exquisite, outstanding,
overwhelming etc
using a variety of present and past participles of such verbs like: amaze, astonish, impress,
overwhelm, inspire etc
using a variety of nouns in expressions like: to my delight/amazement/astonishment etc
Negative impressions can be expressed by:
using a variety of adjectives, such as: bleak, barren, neglected, inhospitable etc
using a variety of verbs, such as: disappoint, depress, dismay, terrifz, shock etc
using a variety of nouns, such as: all my distress,/shock

Writing techniques

Writers use various techniques to make their descriptions more vivid and fresh. Such
techniques include:
using the senses to describe weather, surroundings etc
using direct speech
using rhetorical questions
creating suspense or anticipation
addressing the reader directly
using quotations

Characteristics of formal and informal style

Descriptions can be made in a formal or informal style. The style used depends on the persons
addressed and the writers intentions.
The formal style is broadly characterised by an emotional way of expressing ideas, frequent use of
passive forms, non-colloquial English and complex sentences.
The informal style is usually marked by a personal, emotional and chatty way of expressing feelings
and ideas, and the use of colloquial English, short forms, idioms.

Exercises

1. Read the description below and state what style was in written in.
37

Stonehenge

I have to admit I was a bit shocked when I realised Stonehenge isnt like it looks in the pictures. I mean,
you imagine it being sort of lonely and isolated, but actually there are tourists everywhere. We
couldnt go right up to either because its surrounded by a fence. Even so, it was pretty impressive.
How those ancient people moved such huge stones is anybodys guess, but they certainly made an
amazing structure! I felt tiny standing there.

(V. Evans, Successful Writing, Express Publishing, 1998, page 23)

2. Re-write the text using a formal style



J acob, M. and Strutt P., (1997), English for International Tourism, Longman.

Surse internet:
www.nationalgeographic.com
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/adverbs.htm
www.onestopenglish.com/Grammar/Vocabulary/theme_lessons/english.htm

38
Unitatea de curs 3
MODULUL 3
Types of Agency

CONCEPTE DE BAZ:
Tipurile de agenii/ageni i criteriile de clasificare.
Dezvoltarea deprinderilor de utilizare a limbii: viitorul simplu i inflexiunile modale ale
acestuia
Vorbire: dezvoltarea deprinderilor de descriere i prezentare a unui produs
Scriere: propunerea de afaceri

OBIECTIVE URMRITE:
1) S cunoasc i s exprime categoriile de agenii i ageni i rolul acestora.
2) S utilizeze formele de viitor n vorbire i comunicare scris
3) S susin o prezentare de produs
4) S formuleze i redacteze o propunere de afaceri

Napoca, 2000.

REZULTATE ATEPTATE
5) Modulul 3 S cunoasc i s exprime categoriile de agenii i ageni i rolul acestora.
6) S utilizeze formele de viitor n vorbire i comunicare scris
7) S susin o prezentare de produs
8) S formuleze i redacteze o propunere de afaceri

39

UNIT 3
Reading
TYPES OF AGENCY

Travel agencies are classified according to three criteria:
the size of the organization
the type of business conducted
the appointment

The size of organization criterion

Travel agencies are split between multiple travel agents, designating very large organizations, and
independents, represented by small companies. Multiples are further sub-divided into three categories:
multinational, national multiples and regional multiples.

Multinational agents are characterised by the fact that they run travel offices all across the world. These
are often worldwide household names able to provide on the spot services for their customers. This is
what sets them apart from other non-multinational agencies. Thomas Cook is one of the best known
multinationals in Europe.

National Multiples are those agencies which have a national network of offices across the country. In UK
such national household names are Going Places, Lunn Poly and A&T Mays. Their offices are found in
most high streets in the country and are very well known. Lately, in UK, the national multiples spread
their business to the suburbs, competing with the local independent agents. Some multiples deal
exclusively with business travellers, while most of them act on the leisure or holiday market. Often
owned by large parent companies, those dealing with leisure/holiday products have the biggest volume of
sales and a high number of travel agency offices.

Regional Multiples represent a distinct group of companies with multiple offices concentrated in only one
area of the country. They are referred to also as Regional Multiples or Miniples. These miniples often
enjoy a high profile with local communities, business and media in their area. Most of them have
developed from family businesses with a single shop and then spread across the locality or region. Very
much like national multiples, they occupy high cost, prime high street sites. They are also present in the
suburbs. Compared to national multiples, regional multiples are more successful due to their strong local
identity. However, they are vulnerable to takeover and merger.

Independents are often represented by a single shop agency or, at most, up to six shops, run by a sole
proprietor or by local well-known business partners. They are not so much concerned with the site or
location of their shops. Generally, they can be found on secondary streets and in the suburbs. This makes
their overheads lower. Their business is based on recommendations from family, friends and previously
satisfied customers. They are very susceptible to changes and vulnerable to takeover and merger.

40

The type of business criterion

According to the type of business conducted, we distinguish
General/Leisure agents
Holiday agents
Business agents

General/Leisure agents

The general/leisure agent deals with all types of travel products, from inclusive tours to rail and coach
tickets. Working as a travel or leisure agent requires having all the necessary licences and appointments to
trade. One such licence is the one granted by IATA (International Air Transport Association) which
enables agents to sell international airline tickets. To agents this license is rather difficult because it
imposes strict rules on the number of qualified staff required by the agency and also rules concerning
payment and security. One particular requirement is that the general agent should be able to provide
solutions for any request of the customer.

There are advantages as well as disadvantages regarding being a general agent. One advantage is that a
general agent is able to meet all possible customer needs. This enhances the agencys public image. In
addition, the general agent needs to know everything about the products he sells, the agent must be
knowledgeable and qualified for all travel services, so he emanates an atmosphere of professionalism.
Another advantage is the power and the influence such an agency exerts over the principals, and over the
relationship with the principals, particularly in negotiating deals.

There are, however, some disadvantages as well. One would be the issue of handling low cost, low
revenue products, because providing solutions for all types of travel needs is time and money consuming.
Another disadvantage is that the agency might lose a potential customer willing to buy a high value
product just because it is already engaged in serving another client or lacking the neccessary information.
The customer might decide to turn to a travel agency dealing exclusively with the high value, desired
product. Another shortcoming is that general agents cannot specialize in specific products as they have to
be J ack all of trades but master of none. This might result in some knowledge and expertise gaps. One
criticism addressed to general agents regards the lack of personal service. Recently, a greater emphasis
is being put on customer service skills by these agents.

Holiday agents

Holiday agents specialize in inclusive tour market as their main source of business and to a great degree
exclude other types of businesses. Back at the beginning, the holiday agent was a very small independent
agency owned by one person or by partners. Some holiday agents expanded, but most of them remained
holiday specialists, probably because it would be quite difficult to secure other licences such as IATA and
Rail.

Holiday agents usually concentrate on inclusive tours. This has some benefits, such as: high level of
revenue per sale, the ability to focus on selling one major product type, i.e. the inclusive package holiday,
and a relatively high commission earning potential. Holiday agents dont need to know other products and
this allows them to have a high degree of knowledge and expertise on a sole product type. Consequently,
41
selling a product will take only a few minutes, especially with the help of computerized booking systems.
Given that most holiday agents are independents, the proprietors are well-known local people and have
the advantage of being notorious among the members of their community. Another advantage is that they
occupy secondary, off-high street sites with low rents and employ the minimum number of staff.

There are however some drawbacks. Holiday agents cannot meet a wide range of customer needs and
often they have to send their customers to general agents. This does little for their public image. Another
setback is the lack of power and influence they have when they negotiate with principals. Furthermore,
they are very vulnerable to economic recessions, political conflicts, natural disasters and man-made
events, which can have a serious impact on bookings.

Business agents

Business agents are multiples in their own right, while others are part of leisure multiples, but there are
also some established independents. The business travel market is a highly competitive one and very
difficult to break into. The main customers are commercial clients and not the general public. Some of
them are large organizations requesting highly specialized and expert service. In the case of high value
accounts, business agents take office space within their clients premises bringing along their own staff
and computerized reservations equipment. This is called an implant operation.

There are few organizations which are purely business travel. However, some are among the worlds largest
organizations such as American Express. In UK one such organization is Portman Travel. Such agents have
the advantage of being highly specialized in only one or two products. Concerning the location, the agencies
occupy spaces in various types of accommodation and do not require prime high street sites.

The benefits of a business agent are numerous. His business flow is steady, without ups and downs. This
business is not vulnerable to times of recession. The consumer demand is less likely to change during
recession; on the contrary, such periods mark an increased business activity requiring overseas travels.
Another benefit is the high cost of the product, given that the purchaser is the employer himself. Business
agents can also establish closer relationships that might generate further leisure travel business. The
image of business agents is considerably strengthened along with the negotiating position they may hold
vs the principals.

On the other hand, there are some major drawbacks as well. The market is extremely competitive and
difficult to break into. Business agents have to provide costly incentive credits and substantial discounts,
which often determine a reduction of their commissions. Another disadvantage is the high expenses
concerning the salaries for the highly trained, well qualified and experienced staff. High costs are also
involved in expensive and sophisticated technology investments, as well as in the use of advertising and
other promotional means.

The appointment criterion

There are two major appointments sought by travel agents in the UK: the ABTA and the IATA licences.

The ABTA agent is an agent who has applied for and has been granted membership of the Association of
British Travel Agents(ABTA). This association was founded in 1950 as a voluntary association of travel
agents and tour operators. The ABTA membership is often an essential requirement for entering an
agency agreement. This membership means abiding by the associations articles, which impose a
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consumer protection scheme. Other requirements concern the suitability of the owners of the agency, the
financial stability, the employment of qualified staff and a Code of Conduct.

The non-ABTA agents either have been rejected the ABTA membership, or have chosen to do business
without it. However, they have to adhere by certain rules as well, i.e. the regulations drawn up in the
agency agreement. The lack of ABTA membership might be a drawback in obtaining agreements.
Another setback is that most of the non-ABTA agents are not licensed to sell air tickets.

IATA agents are members of the International Air Transport Association. The IATA agency investigation
panel examines all agents applying for membership and assesses the agencys financial record and
standing, the qualifications and the experience of its staff, the quality, security and accessibility of its
premises and its ability to promote and sell international passenger air transportation. The IATA licence is
essential to most multiples and leading independents, as well as business agents. This licence ensures the
ability to book international airline tickets throughout the year

Non-IATA agents are small independents who dont hold the IATA licence and, therefore, are unable to
offer international airline tickets. They can only provide domestic air services. If the customer needs an
international ticket, they have to redirect him to licensed agents.

Grammar

THE SIMPLE FUTURE (THE "SHALL/WILL" FUTURE)

FORMATION:
Affirmative (SHALL/WILL + short infinitive):
- I shall/will go (I'll go)
- you will go (you'll go)
- he/she/it will go (he/she/it'll go)
- we shall/will go (we'll go)
- you will go (you'll go)
- they will go (they'll go)
Negative (SHALL/WILL + NOT + short infinitive):
- I shall not/will not go (I shan't/won't go)
- you will not go (you won't go)
- he/she/it will not go (he/she/it won't go)
- we shall not/will not go (we shan't/won't go)
- you will not go (you won't go)
- they will not go (they won't go)
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Interrogative (SHALL/WILL + subject + short infinitive):
- shall/will I go?
- will you go?
- will he/she/it go?
- shall/will we go?
- will you go?
- will they go?
Negative-Interrogative (SHALL/WILL + subject + NOT + short infinitive):
- shall/will I not go? (shan't/won't I go?)
- will you not go? (won't you go?)
- will he/she/it not go? (won't he/she/it go?)
- shall/will we not go? (shan't/won't we go?)
- will you not go? (won't you go?)
- will they not go? (won't they go?)
Observation: "shall/shall not" and "will/will not" may be abbreviated as presented before.
Use:
As a rule,
SHALL is used with the first person (singular and plural) and
WILL with the second and the third person, this form being also called "Pure Future" or "Uncoloured
Future". It usually occurs in formal style, while in normal speech the forms "I'll" and "we'll" are more
frequently used. Due to the natural desire for uniformity, in speech, WILL is used for all the three
persons.
In the Simple Future, a specific time is used to show the time an action will begin at and this future form
usually has to be used with future time adverbials, otherwise it may sound strange to say, for example
"It will snow.", because it's obvious it will snow one day. So, it would be better to say: "It will snow
tomorrow." or "It will snow in December." etc.
The "SHALL/WILL" Future expresses:
1. a "neutral" future event, a prediction about the future, without any particular colouring; or it
may simply refer to future.

I will visit an interesting country next week.
My employees will attend an interesting meeting this evening.
Be careful, or you will lose all your shares!

2. a future action in the main clause of conditional sentences (real conditions)

I will prepare the material, if they give me a few hints.
If we get the invitation, we will definitely be there.
If we get that credit, we will further invest in our production activity .
If our boss arrives, we will tell him that we are going on strike .

3. a future action in main clauses of temporal sentences

I will help you, as soon as I get the necessary funds.
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As soon as you give me a call, we will set a date for that decision-making meeting.
When we have finished that activity report, we will evaluate the proposals.
When the secretary comes, I'll tell her that our new manager wants to see her.

4. willingness, determination, resolution

We shall sell the company when we like.
We shall not be overtaken by others!
The thieves shall not escape!
The enemy shall not pass!
I will pay you as much as you ask for.
I know her, she will solve that problem, even if she has to stay up the whole night.
I will get that job, no matter how many obstacles I must overcome.

5. promise

If you finish that report this afternoon, you shall have a three days' holiday.
If you help me with that business, you shall have your share.
I won't disappoint my boss again!
We will not make such foolish mistakes again.

6. refusal (usually with SHALL)

As you have not taken care properly of the agency, you shall not take over what I have set up.
He did not behave well at the conference, as I told him to. Therefore, heshall not havehis pay rise.

7. threat (usually with SHALL)

If your co-worker has done such a thing, she shall pay dearly for it.
I don't have any proof yet, but I know you ruined that company. You shall bepunished oneday.
If staff continue being late for work, I'll have to take action and cut their wages.

8. command (usually with WILL)

You will do what I tell you to do.
You will leave this conference room immediately.

9. prophetic utterances or statements, predictions

"...But thy eternal summer shall not die."
(Shakespeare, Sonnet XVIII)
I believe the stock market will go up again soon.
The plane will crash and I will die.
Tomorrow's weather will be rainy and cold.
In a few years' time I will be a successful businessman.
In ten years, this resort will no longer exist.

10. constructions with SHALL may also occur in THAT-clauses, as well as in legal documents

The main shareholders have decided that our company shall merge with Mc Donalds.
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Payment shall be made in due time.
Congress shall make no law that is due to abridge the freedom of speech.

11. possibility, assumption (usually with "WILL")

That man who delivered the speech will be our new sales manager.
And you will be Mr. J ones, I suppose.

12. estimation of capacity (usually with WILL)

That hall will shelter more than one hundred people.
I am sure this plane will hold less than 20 passengers.

13. something unavoidable or that recurs very often (usually with WILL)

Boys will be boys.
She had been raised in a hut in the middle of the forest. Sometimes she will wander through the
forest, in search of her long-forgotten childhood.

Further uses of "SHALL/WILL"
The "SHALL/WILL" Future is used:
1. with reference to events in the near future

The waiter will take your order soon.
I will see my employer in a few minutes.

2. when we refer to events in a more distant future

I will never forget that wonderful holiday.
I will always remember what you have done for me.

3. to express unpremeditated intention, instant decision of the speaker or volunteering; in other
words, the Future Simple Tense is used when the speaker has just made a decision about what to
do.

Somebody's knocking at the door. I will go and open it.
Our co-workers are having a party? I'll bring the wine.
Oh, just that? It's easy. I'll do it.
I think I'll quit my job now.

4. on an imaginary time-scale in referring to a later part of a book or article

We shall examine the disadvantages of this matter in chapter 10.
I will speak about the other envisaged skills in the next chapter.

46
In different contexts, the interrogative form "Shall I/Shall we...?" and "Will you...?" may
express an invitation, polite request or offer.
- polite offer: Shall I/Shall we close the door? (=Would you like me/us to close the door?)
- polite request: Will you help me with this letter of dismissal? (=Are you willing to help me?,
Would you like to help me?)
- invitation: Will you come to my party tonight? (=Would you like to come to my party?)
Will you take some more sugar in your coffee. (Would you like some more sugar?)

EXERCISES:
1. Fill in the blanks with the Future Simple form of the verbs in brackets:
1. He (deliver) a presentation tomorrow.
2. We (conduct) a meeting next week.
3. You (realize) this soon.
4. I (talk) to my boss on Monday.
5. You (go) on a trip next month.
6. We (ask) them a lot of questions.
7. She (be) eighteen in a few days.
8. It (rain) in the afternoon.
9. They (arrive) at Lyon at 7 o'clock.
10. I (give) him a difficult questionnaire to fill in.
11. The girls (dance) at the party.
12. You (cancel) another order.
13. I (come) at the office in the morning.
14. We (invite) the J onsons.
15. He (spend) the weekend abroad.

2. Fill in the blanks with the right tense according to the meaning and motivate your choice by
noting the meaning.
1. We................ do our best to finish the work at the travel agency in time.
2. If you open that door, you .....................see some steps leading to the first floor of the hotel.
3. He says he.....................not go, but he................
4. Don't worry. When you come back, the hotel......................be as tidy as when you left it.
5. I..........................not go over that issue again, whatever you say.
6. I really admire him. Every day, winter or summer, he..........................have early exercises.

Speaking
THE PRESENTATION

The purpose of the speech

Although speeches are drawn up for several reasons, amongst which we note those of informing and
persuading, there are five basic reasons for making a presentation: to inform, to instruct, to persuade,
47
to motivate, to solve a problem. The setting up of the basic function of the presentation, however,
requires a thorough awareness of the audience and its needs. The purpose of the presentation should
closely match the concerns of the audience, as those who listen to the presentation should get what they
need. Identifying the purpose will help the speaker:
select the adequate items of information,
focus on the specific information requested,
choose the right examples in order to support the points, and, finally,
adopt the style and the register in which the presentation should be conducted.

Therefore, before engaging upon the task of creating an outline for the presentation, the speaker must
consider his audience. In doing so he can be successfully guided by some questions, such as: Who are my
audience? What do they know about the topic? What do they expect from the presentation?

Characteristics of presentations

The term presentation is an umbrella term which covers formal oral forms including: conferences,
symposiums, lectures etc. The presentation is different from other written forms, such as: the report,
essay, article or proposal in several important ways, which will also shed light on the main characteristics
of this category:
-1. It reflects the cadence and the word choice of spoken language. It therefore, avoids the use of highly
complex sentence structures and phrases.
-2. It has a more repetitive structure because, for points to be remembered, they must be presented
emphatically and then reiterated.
-3. It contains fewer technical details than the report as the speech format does not allow the listener to
retain complicated data and figures.
-4. It allows for audience input.
-5.The examples used make the presentation more vivid, maintaining the listeners interest and adding
impact.
However, in order to be effective and have a lasting impact on the audience a presentation requires
simplicity, and clarity of structure and of language.
Main parts

As in the case of any piece of good writing, preparing for making a presentation begins with drafting a
solid outline. The speaker needs an outline to put his thoughts down on paper, to highlight the main
points and to determine the relationships between bits of information. The speech outline should be
worked out according to a three-part structure: introduction, body and conclusion.

The introduction should capture the attention of the audience and focus it on the presentation. Second, it
should further prepare him for what is to come by explaining the purpose of the presentation, if it is not
obvious, and third, it should outline the contents and the structure of the presentation.

In the body the speaker should provide all the information he or she promised to the audience in the
introduction. The way in which the body of the speech is organised will affect such factors as:
the audience interest, understanding, retention, reaction and motivation. The body should comprise only
three or four main points that explain or expand the topic introduced at the outset of the talk.

48
The conclusion reinforces the purpose of the speech by: presenting the summary, reiterating key points,
making recommendations, calling to action or posing a question which invites the listeners to further
consideration. The conclusion must be relevant and brief.

How to generate and maintain interest

A presenter can generate interest by:
--promising benefit
--revealing exciting news
--presenting a startling fact
--offering valuable advice
--referring to a forthcoming event
--contradicting a commonly held belief

The skillful presenter may also take advantage of the following strategies regarding effective beginnings:
identifying the problem,
referring to the occasion of the speech,
referring to a common experience,
introducing the subject with a relevant anecdote or a joke,
quoting a recognisable source or personality,
identifying with the audience.

As the audiences interest will generally drop after the first five minutes, no matter how good the
speaker is, he must try to retain and perhaps increase the interest of his audience. In this respect
he may use the following techniques:
--use examples
--evoke personal experience
--display graphic aids
--pose rhetorical questions
--use demonstrations
--adopt a colourful language
--pay attention to sentence connectors, as they will enable the listener to keep up with the speaker while
he moves from one point to another.

Body language (non-verbal communication) is equally important in conveying a message and
underscoring issues.

Useful language

Good communicators know that their message can reach the audience only if they use the language that the
audience will understand, which means commonly used words, simple verb tenses, good grammar,
sentences of about 15-20 words etc. This necessarily leaves out long and uncommon words, jargon and
technical terms, cliches, double meanings etc.

Furthermore, a good presenter should know how to sequence the points logically, and above all, how to
connect them in away that tells the listener how they are internally related. Sentence connectors like; firstly,
as a result, this has lead to, finally, summaries between main points if the subject is complex etc should gear
the listener through the entire presentation.
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Presenters may even draw up plans, which show them the sequence of the talk by outlining the phrases they
intend to use. Here is a list of useful phrases:

--for introducing yourself:
---Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We havent met so I shall first introduce myself. I am...
--for preparing the audience
---I am going to talk about, I shall start with.... then I shall move to...and finally I shall...I hope you will not mind if I
leave questions to the end.
--for delivering the message
---Firstly...Secondly...
---This brings me to the next point...
---T this point we must consider...Finally...
--for winding up
---Before going on, Id like to summarise the main points
---That is all I wanted to say for the moment
---Thank you for listening

Sample: Product description

Look at the presentation underneath and identify the main areas of interest pointed out, the succession of the
main points and the linguistic aspects involved.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. We havent all met before so Id better introduce myself. Im Luis
Lopez from the development department of Citrus Incorporated... I should say before we start that I hope
youll excuse my English, Im a little out of practice...Anyway, Im going to be talking this morning about a
new product which we are planning to launch in two months time; its called KOOL-OUT, thats K-O-O-L
dash O-U-T, and its a lemon-flavoured drink...
Well, Ill start with the background to the product launch; and then move on to a description of the product
itself; finally, Im going to list some of the main selling points that we should emphasise in the advertising and
sales campaign. I think if you dont mind, well leave the questions to the end...
Now firstly, as you all know, we have had a gap in our soft-drink product range for the last two years; we
have been manufacturing mixed-fruit drinks and orange drinks for the last ten years, but we stopped
producing lemonade two years ago; I think we all agreed that there was room on the market for a
completely new lemon-flavoured drink...Secondly, the market research indicated that more and more
consumers are using soft drinks as mixers with alcohol, so in other words, the market itself has expanded.
This brings me to my next point which is that we have a rather new customer-profile in mind; I must
emphasize that this product is aimed at the young-professional, high-income, market, and not the traditional
consumer of old-fashioned lemonade. At this point we must consider the importance of packaging and
design,....
Now to digress for just a moment....but well have the chance to discuss that aspect later...so...to go back to
my earlier point, this is a totally new concept as far as Citrus Incorporated are concerned.
Finally, lets look at the major attractions of the product. In spite of the higher price it will compete well
with the existing brands; the design is more modern than any of the current rival products, and incidentally
the flavour is more realistic and natural... its low calorie, too.
O.K., so just before closing, Id like to summarize my main points again...We have KOOL
OUT, a new design concept, aimed at a relatively new age and income group; its designed to be
consumed units own, as a soft drink, or to be used as a mixer in alcohol-based drinks and
cocktails. It comes in both bottle and can and this will mean a slightly higher selling price than
we are used to; but the improved flavour and the package design should give us a real advantage
in todays market... Well, thats all I have today for the moment, thank you for listening, now if
there are any questions, Ill be happy to answer them.

(English on Business, Collins ELT,1984)
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Exercises

1. Read the following description made by a customer and find out his main requirements.

We need a machine that is completely portable, small, lightweight; small enough to fit into
the palm of a hand or a coat pocket, but powerful enough to compete with a full-size
model. We are looking for something that is visually attractive... Its got to be tough, tough
enough to stand up to constant use, and the controls must be covered up or protected. It
will have to be adaptable for the use in different temperatures and with both batteries and
an electrical current supply. As you know, the current varies from country to country so an
adapter plug will have to be supplied...

(English on Business, Collins ELT, 1984)

2. You work for a large electronic equipment company and you need to make a
presentation about your company. First think about the points you want to include,
then outline your presentation. Consider the following:
What does the company produce?
What is the companys turnover?
Where is the company located?
How many subsidiaries does the company have?
How many employees are there?
What current projects is the company involved in?

3. Suppose you want to describe the cosmetics product range that your company
produces. Prepare a presentation of the product range so as to include:
quality of products
strong points of the products
technology used
market segment envisaged
sales outlets
prices

Writing

PROPOSALS

A proposal usually presents a solution, or a specific solution to an existing problem. Proposals
are solicited or unsolicited. Normally, this means that an individual asks other institutions to present their
solution for the existing problem. As there will be several proposals, only the best solution will be chosen
for the contract.
A proposal comprises the following components:
1. the front matter, which includes:
a. the title page, which should be as clear and as explicit as possible; it should
include the authors name, the date and
b. the table of contents, in which major divisions are listed along with the page
numbers on which they begin.
51
A short proposal will not necessarily include a table of contents, but a longer one will.
2. the statement of the matter. In a solicited proposal the reader usually knows what it is
about, but in an unsolicited proposal the subject must be clearly specified and explained. The statement
should not merely reiterate the words which appear in the RFP (request for proposal). Instead, the
statement should be an analysis of what the writer understands is the problem. In the unsolicited proposal,
the writer is not only describing the problem, but also brings it to the attention of the reader. One sentence
should usually do.
3. the background statement. A proposal will be read by a variety of people, experts
(technical experts, financial experts), so the writer should rpovide adequate information to all the targeted
readers or evaluators. As a writer, one must know which the requirements of each reader type are. This
section is used to introduce key terms for non-technical readers and to demonstrate to the technical
experts that the problem in question has been seriously researched.
4. statement of objectives. This section points out to the reader what the writer hopes to
accomplish if the proposal is accepted. It also serves as a measurement device for the later presentation in
what the schedules, the cause and conclusions are concerned. The objectives can be stated in a list of
items arranged in an order that supports the proposed actions. The objectives should be described in a
longer way, as clear and concrete as possible.
5. possible solutions. This section has a two-fold role:
a. it demonstrates to the reader that the writer has considered a broad spectrum of solutions for
solving the problem.
b. it focuses on the specific solutions that are recommended in the proposal.
The writer should not directly focus on his own solutions, he should first survey all realistic
solutions which may be useful in solving the matter. All the alternatives suggested must be based on
research and experience and should be the logical conclusion of the use of various sources of information
and factual evidence. The writer should also indicate the sources he made use of (footnotes, preferences).
After going through all these stages, the writer should present the solution that he wants to recommend.
There are, however, some factors that are relevant to the proposed solution: time,
personnel/staff, effectiveness, cost, design and efficiency.
The suggestions made in this section would definitely rely on the bulk of information that has
been provided. The presentation should end with the writers proposal and should constitute a beginning
for the discussion which follows.
6. a detailed plan of action presents the detailed steps for the implementation of the proposed
solutions. The points refer to:
a. the stages of development, of discovery, of implementation
b. the materials, methods, techniques used
c. the difficulties that may occur
d. the RFP requirements.
The level of detail will tell the reader about the writers capacity to respond to the situations.
7. qualifications. This action should train the knowledge to make the proposal and guarantees
that the writer would be qualified for the items. This section also comprises specifications such as:
number of years of experience, years in business, similar projects carried out, special recognition,
education, training, professional membership and other related activities.
8. discussion of facilities and resources needed or available for completing the activities.
Time is essential, that is why the time table, the schedule of activities should be specified. The cost is also
important and it should be planned effectively.
9. conclusions and recommendations should be the follow-up of the whole document, the
outcome of the document.
10. bibliography, reference list.
11. appendix, which should include statistics, tables, whatever is consisting for the solution.

52

Exercises

1. You work for the Sky Travel Agency and are annoyed by some personnel problems that cause
further customer disatisfaction and complaints. Think out some soluitons to the problems and
write them down.

2. Your manager asked for your help in reorganising the agency work. Write out a proposal that
provides realistic and accomplishable solutions to the problems following the sections:

Introduction
Background
Statement of objectives
Plan of action
Resources
Conclusions.

3. You are the manager of the Sky Travel Agency and wish to work out a control plan for the
entire activity that is going on in the agency. How would you work out the plan?



Surse internet:

53
Modul IV
The Business Community

SCOPUL I OBIECTIVELE URMRITE :
S neleag comunitatea de afaceri ca grup int pentru agenii de turism
Dezvoltarea limbii: s cunoasc regulile de formare i utilizare a diatezei pasive
S utilizeze formele diatezei pasive n comunicarea de specialitate
Scriere: s conceap i s realizeze pliante i brouri turistice

RECOMANDRI PRIVIND STUDIUL :
Napoca, 2000.

REZULTATE ATEPTATE :
Modulul i va familiariza pe studeni cu noiuni i caracteristici ale comunitii de afaceri,
comunitate pe care agenii trebuie s o serveasc. Conveniile de gramatic le prezint studenilor
diateza pasiv i regulile de formare a acesteia, deci, la finele modulului, studenii vor utiliza
corect i eficient formele garmaticale.
n planul scrierii, modulul ofer noiuni despre cum se concepe i realizeaz pliante i brouri
turistice. Prin urmare, studenii vor realiza practic pliante atractive i convingtoare.

Reading
The business community

The business community represents one of the target groups of the travel agents services. This situation
results from the need to export goods and services abroad, which, in fact, is essential to any country's
economy. In order to answer this need, business companies have to get in touch with customers and
suppliers abroad, therefore, they need to send their representatives to worldwide destinations. This is where
the travel agent's services come in, as the representatives need travel advice, tickets, reservations and other
informative services. Hence, the business community benefits from the services of the travel agent in a
number of ways, including:
54
personal service
accuracy and expertise
savings in time and money
extended credit facilities.

Personal service represents an equally important and attractive factor to the business traveller as for the
individual traveller. Often business organisations employ travel agents, with whom they establish a good
rapport, and who are expected to provide specialist sales advice, appropriate for specific business needs.

The services of an agent are also assessed according to their accuracy and degree of expertise. Business
representatives have high standards and they expect accurate and expert advice and information from the
agents. Mistakes are not accepted, as they consume the customers time and money unnecessarily. A
travel agent should prove more time and cost effective than the alternative of booking directly. Dealing
directly with the principals involves contacting, for instance, various airlines, hotels, thus spending a lot
of money and time. The agent will handle all these on behalf of his customer.

If business travel agents did not exist then companies would have to deal with suppliers dircetly, which
would be time and money consuming, as well. Therefore, from this point of view travel agents contribute
to savings in time and money.
Some business organizations employ their own travel manager to deal directly with the supplier, leaving
out the agent. Yet, these travel managers, if not provided with adequate updated technology, are no longer
capable to keep up with the efficiency and speed of the services provided by the agents, since agents have
invested a lot lately in improved technology.

Another benefit for the organizations is that travel agents offer as incentives, extended credit facilities.
This is a marketing strategy used by agencies with established customers, which allows the customer to
postpone the payment for 7 days, a month or even longer. Thus it is not compulsory for the well-
established customer to pay on invoice, except for the case when he deals with the agency for the first
time.
In these situations, agents must pay great attention to how they make sure that the client will pay in due
time, without placing too much pressure on the customer, and risking to lose the business rapport.

All in all, society itself benefits from the existence of travel agents on the local, regional and national
economy level as well. Travel agents represent a major category of employers generating jobs and thus
intensifying the commercial activity. Their input is essential also from the local and national taxes point
of view. Agents contribute to the gross domestic product by paying various overheads such as local rents,
rates and taxes.

Grammar

The Passive Voice

Active voice and passive voice

The active and passive voice refer to the form of a verb. In the active, the subject of the verb is
the person or thing doing the action: J ohn cooked the food last night.

Other typical active verb forms are: eats, made, will take.

55

In the passive, the action is done to the subject: The food was cooked last night.
Other typical passive verb forms are: is eaten, was made, will be taken.
The passive occurs very commonly in English. It is not merely an alternative to the active, but has
its own distinctive uses.

Forms

Passives can be formed in the following ways:
1. A tense of be + past participle
Active: He cooks/has cooked/ will cook the food
He is/ was cooking the food
Passive: The food is/ has been/ will be +cooked
The food is/ was being +cooked

2. Modal + be/ have been/ +past participle
Active: He may cook/may have cooked the food
Passive: The food may be/ have been+cooked

3. Infinitive: to be/ to have been + past participle
Active: He is/ was to cook the food
Passive: The food is to be/ was to have been +cooked

4. ing form: being/having been + past participle
Active: Cooking / having cooked
Passive: Being/ having been +cooked

Notes on the form and uses of the passive

1. Regular and irregular past participle
The passive is formed with a form of be and the past participle.
The past participle does not necessarily refer to the past time. The past participle is used to form
perfect active tenses (eg: He has left), as well as all passives.
Rules applying to the use of tenses in the active apply in the passive too. For example, an action in
progress now requires the present progressive in: e.g.
Your steak is being grilled and will be ready in a minute.

2. Transitive and intransitive verbs:
The passive occurs only with verbs used transitively, that is, verbs that can be followed by an object:
Active: Someone found this wallet in the restaurant.
Passive: This wallet was found in the restaurant.
Many verbs can be used transitively or intransitively:
The door opened(perhaps by itself)/ The door was opened (perhaps by someone).
3. Personal and impersonal subjects:
The passive can refer to things (a letter was written) or people.
Active: The company has sent Mr. Smith to California for a year.
Passive: Mr. Smith has been sent to California for a year.

56
4. Direct and indirect object:
Verbs like bring and give which can have two objects, e. g. J ames gave me(indirect) a ticket(direct), can
have two passive forms:
I was given a ticket by J ames(indirect object becomes subject)/A ticket was given to me by
J ames(direct object becomes subject).

5. Stative verbs:
Many stative verbs can not be used in the passive, even when they are transitive:
I love beans on toast(active voice only).
Verbs like measure which can be stative or dynamic, can only be passive in their dynamic sense:
Stative: This desk measures 125 /60 cms.
Dynamic: This desk has been measured.

6. Progressive forms:
Only present and past progressive forms are common:
Hes been interviewed now. He was being interviewed at ten.
However, modals with progressive passives sometimes occur:
I know Mark was going to have an interview sometime this afternoon. He may be being
interviewed at this very moment.

7. Phrasal verbs:
Transitive constructions with the pattern verb + adverb particle: (A gust of wind blew our tent down)
can be used in the passive:
Our tent was blown down by a gust of wind.
For possible passives with verb+preposition: E. g.
The newsagents has been broken into.
Only a few verbs of the type verb + particle + preposition can be used in the passive:
We have done away with the old rules
The old rules have been done away with.

8. The- ing form and the to- infinitive:
Passive constructions are common after verbs followed by the - ing form such as enjoy, like and
remember:
Most people dont like being criticized/ he hates to be criticized.
We can use the passive ( ing form only) after conjunctions such as on and after:
On/After being informed that her mother was seriously ill, she hurried back to
England.
9. Active verbs with the passive meaning:
A few active verbs sometimes have a passive meaning:
The surface cleans easily really means: It can be/ It is cleaned easily.
These clothes wash well. This wine is selling quickly.

10. Verbs generally used in the passive:
A small number of verbs are used more frequently in the passive than in the active: be born/ be
married/ be obliged.
Im not obliged to work overtime if I dont want to.
11. Adverbs of manner in passive sentences
They can occur before or after the participle:
This room has been badly painted/painted badly.
57
12. English often uses the passive when other European Languages use reflexive verbs: burn myself/hurt
myself.

13. We often use abbreviated passive constructions when expressing:
- wishes: Id like it (to be) cleaned/fried.
- preferences: I like it (when it is) fried/boiled.

The use of by, etc. + agent after a passive

An agent is a doer, i. e. the person or thing that performs the action indicated by the verb. The by +
agent in passive constructions tells us who or what did something:
The window was broken by the boy who lives opposite/ The window was broken by a stone.
With is often used with an agent, especially after a past participle such as: crammed, crowded, filled,
packed:
During the World Cup our streets were filled with football fans.
Get + past participle

Get is often used instead of be, before certain past participles in colloquial English. Be can sometimes be
replaced by become.
I tried to find my way round London without a map and got lost.
Get combines with past participles like: arrested, caught, confused, delayed, divorced, dressed, drowned,
drunk, elected, engaged, hit, killed, lost, married, stuck.
Get is used when: we do something to ourselves:
I got dressed as quickly as a I could.
Something happens beyond our control:
We got delayed because of the holiday traffic.
A few combinations with get +past participle are used as commands: Get dressed! / Get washed!

The passive with verbs of saying and believing

Whenever we make statements we need to be sure of the facts, like:
J ane pays less income tax than she should.
It is often better to say:
J ane is said to pay less income taxes then she should.

If it seems necessary to be cautious, we can use passive constructions like the following:
1. It + passive + that clause with verbs like: agree, allege, arrange, assume, believe, consider, decide,
declare, discover, expect, fear, feel, find, hope, imagine, know, observe, presume, prove, report, say,
show, suggest, suppose, think, understand:
It is said that there is plenty of oil off that coast.
It is feared that many lives have been lost in the train crash.
2. There + passive + to be + complement with a limited selection of verbs: acknowledge, allege,
believe, consider, fear, feel, know, presume, report, say, suppose, think, understand:
There is said to be plenty of oil off that coast.
There are known to be thousands of different species of beetles.
3. Subject other than it + passive + to infinitive with a few verbs: acknowledge, allege, believe,
consider, declare, know, report, say, recognize, suppose, think, understand:
Mandy is said to be some kind of psychic.
Homeopathic remedies are believed to be very effective.
58

Typical contexts for the passive

Formal notices and announcements:
English Spoken, Loans Arranged, Shoes Repaired

Headlines, advertisements, notices, etc:
Trade Agreements broken! Prices slashed! All goods greatly reduced! Petrol coupons accepted! President
assassinated!

Scientific writings (to describe process):
The mixture is placed in a crucible and is heated to a temperature of 300 degrees Celsius. It is then
allowed to cool before it can be analyzed.

Exercises:

1. Use the passive forms requested. Transform the sentences into the active:
1. Much of London(destroy)by fire in the 17
th
century. (past)
2. The man who(bite)by a snake during the safari was given a serum. (past perfect)
3. Many slums(demolish) in the big cities to make way for new buildings. (present continuous)
4. The police(instruct)the tourists to take firm action against hooligans. (present perfect)
5. The drivers licence(not suspended)if he hadnt been drunk. (perfect conditional)
6. (Threaten)by a thief, the lady immediately gave away her wallet. (perfect participle)
7. Would you go to this exotic place if you were to (invite)? (infinitive)

2. Transform the following sentences into the passive!
1. Someone had lent him the camera just for a day.
2. They showed their foreign friends all the sights of the city.
3. He promised his wife a nice holiday to Greece for Easter.
4. We shall offer a high salary to a really suitable applicant.
5. The shop assistant gave me some good advice concerning this voucher.
6. They will bring him a very nice present on their arrival.
7. Someone must look after our luggage!

3. Transform the sentences into the passive where possible!
1. All the ministers will see him off at the airport.
2. Everyone looked up to him on his arrival.
3. Nobody slept in her bed while she was away.
4. Burglars broke into their house during their holiday.
5. The babysitter didnt look after the children properly while they were gone.
6. The tourists bus arrived too late at the stadium.
7. Can anyone unlock my seatbelt, please?
8. J ohn has been waiting for her for hours!
9. We ought to have kept little Sam home!
10. No one could possibly have known the secret of this castle!

4. Use the appropriate passive forms:
1. Rome(to build)not in a day!
59
2. This issue regarding your flight(to deal with)as soon as possible.
3. Thousands of books(to publish)every year and very few of them(to notice).
4. After my interview, I(to ask)to explain a point I had made.
5. The agreement has(to sign)in the presence of a witness.
6. Candidates(to require)to present themselves fifteen minutes before the examination.
7. Passengers(to request)to remain seated until the aircraft comes to a complete stop.
8. My car(to scratch)on the motorway during our trip to Italy.
9. Thousands of beaches(to pollute)and this may concern tourists on board.
10. Our luxurious yacht(to damage)during the last nights storm on the sea!

Speaking

Selling Techniques. The sales conversation

If you work as an employee or agent for a well-established local trade company and if your major
responsibility is to sell the products that your agency offers, in order to carry out your activities successfully
you must be familiar with the strategies imposed by a sales conversation.

A sales conversation is different from what we usually call an ordinary conversation in two ways: level of
formality and purpose. Thus, a sales conversation is generally carried out in a formal manner, its objective
being that of selling the product. On the other hand, a usual conversation is performed in an informal style
and its objective is rarely set up. Whereas, during an ordinary conversation, we hardly recognize three stages
(a beginning, main body and conclusion), a sales conversation falls into four distinct stages: rapport,
questioning, presentation and commitment.

Rapport is the relationship, which is usually established between the agent and the customer, and precedes the
questioning stage.

The second stage (questioning) refers to the questions the agent is asking the customer in order to find out his
needs. Sales assistants use two types of questions: open questions, which seek answers that give some
information and are wh questions, such as:

Where would you like to spend your holiday?
When will you like to travel?
Why do you travel?
What are your interests?
Who are you travelling with?

These questions will be reliable beginnings on which you can build other selling arrangements.

A closed question will receive a yes or no response making the next step in the conversation more
difficult to take. For example, Are you travelling alone? will receive a yes or no answer. Whether
direct or not, the questions seek to find out information about the clients material and human needs. After
having established the clients most general needs, the agent has to prioritise the needs, which are usually
classified into four categories: first, people and their special needs, second, the place or the destination they
want to travel to, third, the price involved, and forth, the period or date when people want to travel.

60
Knowing how to use the types of questions and following the conversation strategies represents only half of
an agents responsibilities. Other responsibilities are related to product knowledge, which in the case of a
travel agent includes: up-to-date information on fashionable destinations, on special attractions, special
offers, reductions, forthcoming events (tourist or otherwise). People working in a travel agency must be up-
to-the-minute informed about destinations, country, climate, relief etc. They must have all information at
hand in order to sell their products.

Selling techniques

A successful employee or agent must sell as many agency products as he can. He must meet different types of
clients and, therefore, he must also know how to deal with each of them separately. An experienced worker
should know at a first glance a few things about the client who enters the agency: to what category of clients
he may belong, what he might be looking for, etc. This will help him a lot in his negotiation, enabling him to
prepare a suitable and attractive offer.

However, before beginning the presentation of the product, the agent must check the information and
summarize the facts. The information should be carefully considered, in terms of what could be most
appealing to the client and could best suit his own needs. Therefore, the agent should be selective. He should
concentrate on those features and benefits that he thinks would be most attractive.

If he includes unnecessary information, the client could feel that the product does not suit him. Thus, for
example if you are selling a room in a good hotel, a feature of the hotel is that it is only 200 m from the
beach. The resulting benefit for the client is that he can get to the beach easily, as it is only 200 meters far
from it. By using the information to meet the clients needs you personalize the product making it more
appealing to the buyer. A skillful agent should rely on photos and point out some facilities and features from
different brochures, but avoid reading out to the client. Some additional material is always useful, so you can
also rely on charts, figures, maps, graphs, temperature grids etc.

Sample conversation

A: Good morning. Would you like some help or are you just looking?
B: Good morning. Well, I was considering taking a short skiing trip. You dont happen to have any
bargain packages, do you?
A: Ah, well. As it so happens, yes. But could you first give me some idea of where and when youd like
to go?
B: Anytime between now and mid-March really but the sooner the better.
A: Would you like to ski in Europe or America?
B: I was thinking of Switzerland or Austria but its more a question of cost and good skiing. Could you
suggest where we can find good intermediate to advanced ski runs?
A: Mm, well...we have a seven-night self-catering deal to Verbier in Switzerland and thats 259 pounds
and one to Alpach in Austria for 169. Both leave this Saturday...

(M. J acob, P. Strutt, English for International Tourism, 1997, page 118)

61
Useful language

Selling circumstances call for formal conversations. As a general rule, it is more polite to ask indirect
questions, of the type:

- Could you tell me...
- Would you mind to spell that for me?
- Shall I look after the paper arrangements?
- Would you care about...

Exercises

1. You are preparing for a holiday. Think of the type of holiday you want to have and jot down a few ideas
connected with the destination you prefer.
Sit opposite your partner and carry out a sales conversation. Before actually engaging in the conversation
prepare your questions and your roles. Adopt the adequate attitude and behave in a formal manner.

2. You are a reporter and want to promote the most fashionable seasonal products in the newspaper. Visit
several local tourism agencies and decide which is the most attractive offer of the season. Prepare a one-
page presentation with your findings.
While you conduct your survey interview a few travel agents. Prepare possible questions and record the
interviews. Listen to them and discuss the good points and weak points of the interview.

3. Visit two or three travel agencies and make notes with regard to:

services provided;
shop appearance;
use of promotional material;
client relations.

4. Go to three different stores and write a report on your impressions. The report should include:

Appearance of the store: Was it easily recognizable as a store?
Did it make you want to go inside?
What about location?
Interior: How many staff were working there?
Did they use brochures?
Were the brochures well placed?
Did the staff wear uniforms?
Did you like the furniture?
Efficiency of service: Were the staff helpful?
Were they knowledgeable?
Did they make you feel welcome?

(The section on Selling techniques was taken from S. Irimiea, 2000, Written and oral communication,
pages 175-177)

62
Writing
WRITING LEAFLETS and BROCHURES

General points. Characteristics.
Components/Main parts. Style. Language.
Promoting a Destination: Brochure Language

Leaflets and brochures represent formal promotional writing, and means of selling out
various products. In order to persuade the potential customer to buy the product or service, the
leaflet or the brochure has to attract the reader, to inform him, and, finally, entice him. In order to
achieve all these aims the writer or producer has to pay particular attention to the following
aspects:
overall design of the leaflet or brochure
the text used for the promotion of the product or service
structure and layout
visual elements that underline and detail the message, including pictures, graphs,
figures and any other material that can be usefully exploited for the future benefit of
the customer and seller.
In general, a leaflet is made up of three-four relevant sections, which are the highlights of the
product. The section of the leaflet must clearly and logically display all the information that the
reader might expect.
The first page or section, ie the front page, usually gives out extremely general information.
The inside part, the part that bears the message, can be further broken down into sections,
depending on the number and relevance of the highlights that need to be promoted. So for
example, the first section will give essential and condensed data about the product, while in the
next sections the product or products will be detailed, illustrated and explained. Finally, the back
cover will further detail or describe, give further information about the product, including items like:
how to et to the site or attraction, contact address, further helpful pictures and maps.
The text used for a leaflet must be neither too long nor too short. It must clearly express the
message and point out the highlights or advantages which will determine the potential customer to
wish to buy the product. The language used must be clear and suggestive. A too simplistic
language will downrate the product, while a too elaborate one might confuse or bore the reader.
The visual elements used in leaflets must be attractive, suggestive and expressive. They
must give out more information about the site or product and impress the reader so much as to
move him to action. Visual effects must not be overused. A visually overcrowded leaflet will
confuse the customer and will leave too little space for text messages.

Brochures are the most important documents used in the promotion of a destination. Their
function is twofold:
to inform and
attract buyer.
In order to sound attractive, brochures require a descriptive and suggestive language with
emphasis placed on adjectives. The choice of words, especially of adjectives, is therefore, of primary
importance.

63

Exercises

1. Read the text below and highlight the words which accompany nouns.

WELCOME TO WEST SUSSEX

Welcome to West Sussex, an unspoiled corner of the British Isles where you have the freedom to please yourself. Visit magnificent
gardens and fine country houses or towns and villages rich in character and history. Marvel at the beautiful scenery along tranquil
coastal stretches or spectacular downland. See top stars in theatre, cabaret, open air or cathedral settings. Explore the world of art or
thrill at the sight of classic cars and fine racehorses. Indulge a treasured hobby collecting antiques or rare books, or use the time to
learn something new.
The list of possibilities is endless.
Its all here. And so is classic British hospitality at its best, from the charm of B & Bs And the sleepy calm of country pubs, to gracious
living in country house hotels.
All serving the very best food and wine.
The guide is just a beginning. For more information, do contact one of our Tourist
Information Centres (listed on the opposite page) where staff with a wealth of local
Knowledge is waiting to help you.

2. Now read the information about Bath, Stonehenge and Salisbury. Try to replace the adjectives
used in the text with other suitable adjectives. Preserve the meaning conveyed by the text.

BATH, STONEHENGE & SALISBURY

This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England
This tour is steeped in history and contrasts. Our visits include the Roman City of Bath, the mysteries of
Stonehenge and the awe-inspiring spire of Salisbury.
Stonehenge- The oldest monument in Europe- parts of it dating back more than 5000 years. Its still not known
whether it was used as a temple or an astronomical calendar- will anyone ever know?
Salisbury- A lovely market town in our countryside. We shall enjoy a panoramic drive, seeing this rural old town
and visiting the famous Gothic Cathedral, with the tallest spire in England.
The City of Bath- Built in a natural amphitheatre of steep hills, with its magnificent Georgian architecture,
crescents, terraces and squares, Bath is certainly one of the most distinguished of British cities. Well visit the
ancient Roman hot and cold baths constructed over 1900 years ago and the Pump Room- which gave access to
the citys hot springs. There is time to explore the Abbey and Pulteney Bridge before driving on to the beautiful
Avon Valley.

3. Use the following text as a prompt to describe the pedestrianised shopping area in your town.

64
Shopping

To browse around the shops is an mportant
part of any holiday and Cardiffs shopping centre is
among the finest in the country. Our new shopping
precinct, St. Davids Centre, combines with our
department stores, covered market and network of
Edwardian arcades to offer a remarkable range of
shopping in a compact area. Compact is the word.
One of the great assets of Cardiffs shopping is that
despite the fact that we have so much on offer so
many big stores, small shops, market stalls it is
never more than an easy stroll from one part to
another. With the new St. Davids Centre and the
delightful longer-established arcades much is under
cover. In the pedestrianised areas, a youth
orchestra, a Morris dance group or a brass band
frequently adds gaiety to the scene.

Fiecare seciune este nsoit de exerciii i sugestii de activiti practice individuale
sau de grup. Tutorele de curs va indica exerciiile i sarcinile de lucru i va stabili
termenele de predare sau efectuare a acestora.


Surse internet:


Bibliografia complet

1. Bottomley Renshaw, M., (1992), The Travel Agent, Business Education
Publishers.
2. Bell, J . Gower, R., 2005, Advanced expert, CAE, Longman.
3. Doherty, M.,Knapp,L. and Swift S. (1987), Write for Business, Harlow:
Longman.
4. English on Business, (1984), Collins ELT.
5. Evans V, (1998), Successful Writing, Express Publishing.
6. Ferrier Mavor, W. (1971), English for Business, Pitman Publishing.
7. Irimiea, S., (2000), Written and Oral Communication, (M. Toader Ed),
University Press.
8. J acob, M. and Strutt P., (1997), English for International Tourism, Longman.
9. J ordan, R.R., (1980), Academic Writing Course, Collins.
10. Lafrance-Bourdon, M.(1989), Business English, Les Editions DOrganisation,
Paris.
11. Littlejohn, A. (1988), Company to Company, Cambridge, CUP.
12. Nolasco, Rob, (1987), Writing, OUP.
13. Paul Hague, Roberts Kate, (1980), Presentations and Report Writing, Kogan
Page Limited, London
14. Paul Hague, Roberts Kate, (1980),Presentations and Report Writing, Kogan Page
Limited, London.
15. Stanton, A.J ., Wood, L.L., (1988), Commercial Communication, Longman.
16. Stephens, M.(1992), Practice Advanced Writing, Longman.
17. Stevens, Michael, (1990), Improving your presentation skills, Kogan Page Ltd.

1
Surse internet

1. www.nationalgeographic.com/destinations/San_Francisco/
2. www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com/506.html
4. www.thecarrington.com.au/index.php?topic_id=94
5. www.emol.org/florida/orlando/orlandovacations.html
6. www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/photos/newzealand0603/newzealand_gallery.html
7. www.fortunecity.com/bally/durrus/153/gramch03.html
8. www.virtualtourist.com/
9. www.enjoyengland.com/inspiration/ten_great_ideas/spring-06/nottingham.aspx
10. http://www.fortunecity.com/bally/durrus/153/gramtoc.html
12. http://jdwritingctr.iweb.bsu.edu/workshop/Towns/AdjectivesVadverbs.htm
13. http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/adjectives-adverbs
14. http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/index.htm

2
CUPRINS

Informaii generale pag. 1
Modulul I. THE TRAVEL DISTRIBUTION FRAMEWORK
pag.7
1. Reading The Travel Distribution Framework pag. 8
2. Grammar: The Noun pag. 10
3. Providing information. Communication skills. Product knowledge pag. 13
4. Business Letters
pag. 15
Modulul II. Travel Agents pag. 24
1. Reading. Travel Agents pag. 25
2. Grammar: The Present Simple Forms of the Present Simple
pag. 26
3. Speaking Giving A Talk
pag. 32
4. Writing. Descriptions
pag. 34
Modulul III. Reading TYPES OF AGENCY pag. 37
1. Reading Types Of Agency Pag. 24
2. Grammar The Simple Future (The "Shall/Will" Future) pag. 41
3. Speaking. The Presentation
pag. 45
4. Writing. Proposals pag. 49
Modulul IV. The Business Community pag. 52
1. Reading. The Business Community pag. 52
2.Grammar. The Passsive Voice
pag. 53
3. Speaking. Selling Techniques. The sales conversation pag. 58
4.Writing. Writing Leaflets and Brochures pag. 61
9.Recomandri bibliografice
pag. 78

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