AII SEMINAR 2 – ANSWER KEY Professions and Careers Task 1 – Based on class work. Tasks 2 & 3 – Listening – Title: The Working Week in Twentieth-Century America 1: D 2: K 3: G 4: B 5: H 6: A 7: C 8: F 9: J 10: E 11: I Transcript: Introduction Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, if I may have your attention, please? Thank you very much for coming along today. My name’s Nathan Morse and I’m going to be outlining some research we’ve been doing at the University of Arkansas on the working week in twentieth-century America. First, I’ll be looking at the situation at the beginning of the last century. Then I’m going to show you how the general trend has not always been to work less and less, and finally we’ll be looking at some startling predictions, some made in the 1930s and others more recently. Body So, first of all, let’s look at how many hours people were working last century. Data on the annual average workweek tends to vary enormously, one reason being that it depends on whether we are talking about agriculture or industry. For instance, in agriculture they worked just under seventy hours at the beginning of the twentieth century, compared to sixty hours in industry. What is interesting is that at the end of the nineteenth century the highest paid workers worked substantially fewer hours than the lowest paid, a situation that was gradually redressed over most of the twentieth century and has now almost completely been reversed. Now, let’s look at more detail at the situation for industry. In 1900, people were working an average sixty-hour week, which fell quite rapidly down to fifty by about 1920. It then went down steadily, but not quite so rapidly, to forty-five hours over the next twenty years. The Second World War meant that industry was working overtime, so there was a sharp rise in the number of working hours during the war years, reaching a peak of about fifty-five hours in 1943, before dropping rapidly back to forty-five in 1947. Between 1947 to 1970 there was a gradual decline toward a forty-hour week. If we turn to studies made in the 1930s it’s interesting to note, as you can see in this slide, that they forecast that the trend in the shorter working week would continue far beyond forty hours. This has not happened in the US, though in some European countries they were pushing for thirty-five hours at the end of the last century. Instead in the US the total number of working hours has been going up since 1970 by an average of 163 hours per year. If the present trend continues, the average white collar American will be working over sixty hours per week by the year 2020. Conclusion So, to summarize, the idea that we will have more and more leisure time seems to be in total contradiction to today’s working hours. In fact, more and more skilled workers and professionals are finding ways to keep themselves at work rather than at home. Closing OK, well, thank you very much for your attention, and if you have any questions perhaps you’d like to ask them over coffee. Thank you. Transition and helping words are in bold italic. Task 4 – Based on individual student´s work. Task 5 & 6 – Based on class work. Task 7 In reply to your advertisement, which was in today´s edition of The Times, I am writing to apply for the position of Customer Services in your company. I graduated from Milan University in 1998, and I have four years´ experience of working in customer services in a company in Italy and Great Britain. I am currently working in the Customer Services department of a large IT company in Turin. I am responsible for the day-to-day running of the department and I manage a team of three staff. Last year I implemented a new system dealing with customer complaints, (missing comma) which has been extremely successful. I would like to develop my professional skills and take on more managerial responsibilities. I am also interested in working in London because it will give me the opportunity to improve my English. I enclose a copy of my cv for your reference. I would be happy to come for an interview at any time but I would need a week´s notice to make any necessary travel arrangements. Yours sincerely Marco Brucato Task 8 – Suggested answers I am writing in response to your advertisement for an online English teacher, which appeared on the Monster.com website on 20/11/07. I am a 23-year-old graduate of the English Department of the University of Ottawa. At present, I am employed as a teacher of English by english4you.com, the largest internet language school in Europe. In my current position, I am responsible for writing and recording new lessons and exercises, which are posted online to subscribers every week. I am a creative and intelligent worker who enjoys the challenge of team work. I have particular experience in working with children and non-English speakers. I am able to attend an interview at your convenience, and can start work immediately. Please find attached a copy of my Curriculum Vitae. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Helen Smith Task 9 – Based on work in pairs Task 10 – Grammar - Tenses 1. I have just finished a degree course. 2. I am writing in response to your advertisement. 3. When did you graduate from university? 4. I have been with the company since 2000. 5. I was offered the job when I was studying marketing in Prague. 6. How many jobs have you had so far? 7. I look/am looking forward to hearing from you. 8. I learnt/learned of the company through online research. 9. At the moment I am working as an assistant manager in a small company. 10. I have always been interested in finance. Task 11 – Grammar – Finding mistakes 1. I enjoy working in team. 2. I am responsible for a small team of three people. 3. She works as a school teacher. 4. Thank you for considering my application. 5. I have been on this position for five years. 6. I am replying to your advertisement. 7. He has very little work experience. 8. I am able to come for an interview any time next week. 9. I have a good knowledge of French. 10. I am interested in the position of Financial Consultant. 11. I did the course a year ago. 12. Why did you stop working for him? 13. Have you been interviewed yet?