DWH Consulting UK Group

Business English Vs General English: Teaching & Training

2013-05-19T22:39:00.000+01:00

When considering the options of English study, individuals and employers often have to make a big decision when either being introduced to English or are looking to enhance previous or existing skills. So at what stage do we consider going down the route of Business English?

The term Business English can cover a multitude of things. When someone says they teach business English or they are studying business English it is quite possible that the speaker and the listener may have a different understanding of the term. In fact, I recently did a training session with a group of teachers and when I asked them to complete the sentence ‘Business English is.............' They came up with a diverse range of sentences, encompassing language, business communication skills needed for the world of work like telephoning, and aspects of culture. In this article, I will attempt to clarify the term business English and discuss some of the pros and cons of teaching it.

Very simply, content and context for business English is focused with topics related to the work place or world of business - so instead of family and friends, a business English course book may contain topics like global business cultures, or a day in the life at the office.
The skill sets for example; business communication skills will include delivering presentations rather than speaking in general. This, however, is changing and very soon the difference between general English and business English may not be so easily demarcated. With general English course books; titles like ‘Natural English' and ‘Skills for life', the focus is changing as English's role as the 'lingua franca' is reaching new heights. Publishers for the last ten years have recognized the demand for English is now more than ever an instrumental demand as a means for shaping business and market places.
There is a demand for business English which appears to be growing because learners are becoming clearer about what they want to use English for. In today's global economy, learners want not only the skills to read, write, listen to and speak English fluently, they also want to be able to communicate in a way which will be recognized and appreciated by their counterparts in the international arena.
They want their English language learning to be targeted to this aim and they often also want their success in this to be measured using an internationally recognized benchmark - hence the rise in demand for business English examinations.
The students may be different from those found in the general English classroom. More often than not, they work, and/or are studying a business related subject; an MBA for instance or are trying to set-up a business themselves and hope that a business English course will help them.
For whose who work, may also be managing directors of companies or office executives, and with the ever increasing demand and competition in the global market place, the last area of development can be the utilization of global communication.

So when is best to study business English? Usually, business English is taught at a time convenient to working people. This also depends on where the course is being taught and the attitude of both the participants and the companies sponsoring them. Additionally considerations have to be made as to the length of the classes and how much time can be allocated to the the course or curriculum structure set out during the introductory stages of business English, and the goals that are to be achieved.

Inevitably in-company courses are run at times dictated by the client. This usually is also preferred either at the beginning or at the end of the working day. Where you teach can also have implications for both you and the lessons you plan. Why? Because the place you teach has both limitations and potential. For instance, what resources are available? Is it far from where you live? How much extra travel time will you need? What expenses might you incur?
With a general English course these are not normally things you need to consider, especially when taking advantage or utilizing digital interactive tools and materials.
Your style of teaching will probably differ and the methodology you use and that which you find in course books can be a little different from general English. For example, instead of pair work and group work, you might find that students learn more through case studies, role play and simulation exercises. You may assume different roles from the general English teacher. For example, you are more likely to be more of a facilitator when teaching meeting skills or a mediator when teaching monitoring a negotiation.

Like any area of language teaching, teaching business English has its own set of pros and cons. In as simple a way as possible, I have outlined them in the table below:

Advantages	Disadvantages
Get to learn new things about the business world and develop new skills as a teacher. Students (usually) have a specific purpose for learning English and this is easier to cater to. A huge bank of business-related authentic materials to choose from. Get to meet a wide range of professionals and learn about the work culture of different countries and cultures.	May not be familiar with some of the more specialist vocabulary you may have to teach. Hard to meet all students ‘specific’ needs. Some business course books can be a bit dry and ironically, can take time to learn how to bring business English to life. You may be younger than many of the students and can take time to establish credibility.

As we have seen, business English cannot easily be defined and if someone asks you to teach a group of business English learners; you could be teaching from a course book which looks similar to a general English course book, with a grammatical syllabus or you could be faced with a skills-based course which has functional language as an add-on. Either way, the material and students can be challenging for the inexperienced teacher and you should give yourself extra time to prepare for a business English course until you are familiar with the content. And remember - there is a wealth of resources both on- and offline to help you.

One of the key advantages I have often found when teaching business English is the use of examples of previous experience, or in layman's terms placing what you teach into a business perspective. With eighteen years of business experience from various industry sectors has given me a unique overview and insight. Especially as to the expectations of global communication.

This can often raise the teaching of business English to a whole new level, and provide the students with an invaluable resource which can only stimulate and encourage the students. Now this is not to say that pure academic teachers / lecturers are at a disadvantage here, as previously mentioned it is important to prepare and familiarize the content. However when demonstrating the need to PEE theory; Point, Emphasis, Example, the example of which will of course will not be first hand, but second and third hand, and on that basis, how the teacher / lecturer executes the communication and demonstration of that example can greatly enhance or effect the learning curve of selected business topics.

As of June 2013, DWH Training will be introducing a range of short immersion courses, providing tools, advice and guidance to teachers and lecturers who are wishing to teach Business English perhaps for the first time, or are wishing to improve on their student engagement for more complex business topics.

For more details please contact us at: training@dwhconsultingukgroup.com or you can call on: + 44 (020) 7193 9975.

A list of venues for this training will become available in the next few days, as we are still finalizing locations.

Our Use of Heuristic Methodology

2013-05-12T20:37:00.000+01:00

When being first introduced to DWH Consulting UK Group, I am often asked about our business ethics; and the three key factors that make our business standout from the rest.

Granted the first two factors are generally easy to explain Dynamic approach and Working practices, but the final factor and often the most important Heuristic methods is often met with doubt, lack of awareness or the knowledge that it is the most common form of thought process when making decisions, communicating and establishing A to B connections.

Dynamic approach indicates the necessity of discovering multiple forces at work in any situation. This means that no matter where we enter an organisational development or change process we need to be prepared to use many levels of analysis to understand what is going on within the social system. What is affecting the people who are leading, managing and existing in the midst of the change and development?

To better understand our use of Dynamic Approach, we can look at Lewin’s ‘dynamic approach rule’ which states that the ‘elements of any situation should be regarded as parts of a system’. In other words, we find it useful to assume that all component parts relate with each other forming a complex whole. We find it useful to assume that all parts connect somehow in ways to be discovered through action and study.

The dynamic approach rule challenges us to be concerned with multiple energizing or motive forces. At a minimum, this requires data to be collected and analysed at multiple levels of social analysis. As we consider the issues implicated in a particular change, we discipline ourselves to describe separate components and to assert how they might be influencing each other. No matter which level we enter – individual, group, inter-group, organisational or inter-organisational – we work to notice and hypothesize about connections across the boundaries of these levels.

Working practices is a little simpler, working within certain parameters that are generally or widely accepted and you have to work within those rules. Of course when advising, supporting, teaching or training an individual or an organisation, we of course have to respect the existing methods or practices that they utilise. At the same time this acts as our ‘Ground Zero’ to thus better understand the needs and requirements of the individual or organisation to improve.

And Finally Heuristic methods, so for those of you not in the know, and are curious to know more, here is a crash course in the branches of Heuristics that we utilise here at DWH Consulting UK Group.

Heuristics can often prove to be the best decision model, in fiction Denzel Washington’s Captain Whip Whitaker in the film ‘Flight’ demonstrates this perfectly in the event of averting a crisis situation. In fact, when Captain Chesley Sullenberger made the decision to land his doomed plane in the Hudson River, he didn’t have time to calculate his odds of success.

He made his decision based on “heuristics,” a rule that directs focus to areas that matter while blocking out nonessential information. The result: faster decisions with less information. And in both cases FACT and FICTION, their use of heuristics saved lives.

As an adjective, heuristic (pronounced hyu-RIS-tik and from the Greek "heuriskein" meaning "to discover") pertains to the process of gaining knowledge or some desired result by intelligent guesswork rather than by following some pre-established formula. (Heuristic can be contrasted with algorithm) The term can have two usages:

1) Describing an approach to learning by trying without necessarily having an organized hypothesis or way of proving that the results proved or disproved the hypothesis. That is, "seat-of-the-pants" or "trial-by-error" learning.

2) Pertaining to the use of the general knowledge gained by experience, sometimes expressed as "using a rule-of-thumb." (However, heuristic knowledge can be applied to complex as well as simple everyday problems. Human chess players use a heuristic approach.)

As a noun, a heuristic is a specific rule-of-thumb or argument derived from experience. The application of heuristic knowledge to a problem is therefore known as heuristics.

One description of Heuristics and this is often considered as a non-positive approach, is the ‘Trial-and-error’ procedure for solving problems (or reaching an unclear goal). This is done through incremental exploration, and by employing known criteria to unknown factors.

For example, trying to climb a fog shrouded hill by making every step an upward-step. In journalism and more generally communication a well-known heuristic is asking Who? What? When? Where? Why?

A heuristic also employs independent discovery, and relies heavily on common sense, creativity, and learning from experience. Unlike an algorithm, however it offers no guarantee of solving any problem

So could it work in organizations? We firmly believe so, and at the same time we believe that it is not being utilized more effectively in many organizational structures.

This is additionally supported by Gerd Gigerenzer of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin. Gigerenzer states, “Though we often don’t put heuristics to use, for some reason, we don’t think about simplicity; we always want something complex, maybe to impress someone else”.

Gigerenzer cites a study he did for a Michigan hospital struggling with overcrowding in its coronary care unit. Close to 90% of patients passing through the emergency room were sent there.

The reason behind it was simple, defensive decision-making. If a patient has chest pains, doctors have the choice of putting him or her on a regular bed or in the coronary care unit. If the patient is in a regular bed and dies of a heart attack, though, the doctor could be sued. So, ultimately, doctors make decisions to lower their potential risk.

When the hospital called in researchers to solve the overcrowding problem, researchers took two different approaches. One was a complex solution, using a prediction model that used multiple variables and logistic regression.

The other approach, called the “fast and frugal tree,” was a simple heuristic model. It required decision-makers to answer three questions, and then choose where to place the patient.

Which one worked? When researchers compared data, they saw that traditional, defensive decision-making yielded the greatest number of errors. The statistical model showed mixed results. Meanwhile, the simple or heuristic model yielded a positive outcome and offered decision-makers more leeway to adapt to new information.

Sometimes, less is more.

The Key Points often referred to for Heuristics are:

1. Heuristics can be more accurate than more complex strategies even though they process less information (less-is-more effects).

2. A heuristic is not good or bad, rational or irrational; its accuracy depends on the structure of the environment (ecological rationality).

3. Heuristics are embodied and situated in the sense that they exploit core capacities of the brain and their success depends on the structure of the environment. They provide an alternative to stable traits, attitudes, preferences, and other internal explanations of behavior.

4. With sufﬁcient experience, people learn to select proper heuristics from their adaptive toolbox.

5. Usually, the same heuristic can be used both consciously and unconsciously, for inferences and preferences, and underlies social as well as non-social intelligence.

6. Decision making in organizations typically involves heuristics because the conditions for rational models rarely hold in an uncertain world.

Dan Pink’s book, “Drive” mentions the difference between algorithmic VS heuristic ways of getting things done. Dan breaks down the difference between algorithmic and heuristic ways of working as being the same as process centric VS more creative ways of working – with algorithmic being process centric.

If you want the full definition here’s Wikipedia:

‘An algorithm is an effective method for solving a problem expressed as a finite sequence of instructions.’ And to re-literate, ‘A heuristic is a “rule of thumb”, an educated guess, an intuitive judgment or simply common sense. A heuristic is a general way of solving a problem.’

For customer engagement and social media we usually start off with a general, creative, “heuristic” approach to solving business problems but, as we start to integrate deeper within an organization we notice that the “algorithmic” or process-centric approach is becoming more and more important to understand. It also makes sense to look at the front end of social media engagement as being heuristic while the back end is much more algorithmic. This might sound familiar to those of you who swim in the social media pools because an often times debated topic is “how do you take unstructured data from the web and present it in a structured way. While this concept is focused around data, the question lies within the strategy or perhaps the business side of bringing together structured and unstructured practices.

Let’s take a look at CRM for an example. In the business world we would categorize CRM as an algorithmic practice, one that is dependent on business rules, processes, and a specific sequence of instructions that need to be carried out. Social media on the other hand is what we believe to be a much more heuristic type of practice (even though many people are trying to turn it into something more algorithmic), one that doesn’t have strict business rules and defined processes but instead depends much more on creativity and perhaps ad-hoc solutions.

So how do social and CRM need to work together? How do you merge and bring together a heuristic business discipline and make it work with an algorithmic discipline? More importantly, how do you do it well or can you? Again, this is one of the challenges we are starting to see creep up amongst companies and organisations that are getting involved with social media and social communication, especially if they are integrating Global and Business English within their communication infrastructure.

Now clearly there are plenty of companies out there that have been involved with social initiatives for quite some time now and it seems as though these organizations are quite pleased with the current results they are seeing, but what’s going to happen in the future?

The Design of Business: Why Design Thinking is the Next Competitive Advantage by Roger Martin, describes the concept of design thinking, and how companies can incorporate it into their organizational structure for long term innovation and results, and again Heuristics plays an important part in Martin’s theory.

Martin introduces the knowledge funnel as the process followed by leading businesses to innovate more consistently and successfully. The knowledge funnel has three different phases:

Mystery → Heuristic → Algorithm

The mystery stage comprises the exploration of the problem, this transitions to the rule of thumb (heuristic) stage, where a rule of thumb is generated to narrow work to a manageable size. In the algorithm stage the general heuristic is converted to a fixed formula, taking the problem from complexity to simplicity.

Martin poses that there are currently two forms of business thinking. Analytical thinking is driven by a quantitative process, standardizing to eliminate judgment, bias, and variation. Intuitive thinking focuses more on an instinct to drive creativity and innovation. Analytical thinking has become much more prevalent in organizations, because it is more consistent, easier to measure, and can scale in size.

Martin labels the difference between a bias for the two schools of thought as the distinction between 'reliability' versus 'validity'. Organizations are much more likely to favour what is reliable, because their structures motivate analytical thinking. This means that organizations are often poor at achieving valid solutions because they do not fully take advantage of all three areas of the knowledge tunnel, just the two latter stages (heuristics and algorithms).

Design thinking balances analytical and intuitive thinking. It combines openness to explorative thoughts with an exploitative mentality, striking the balance between innovation and a systematic scalable process. It pulls resources back into the knowledge funnel and allows to progress through all three stages.

But what of Heuristics in Teaching?

We utilise heuristics in teaching students to play a subjectivity, to promote student-centred awareness and enable students to actively participate in educational activities, via active & critical thinking and learning purposes. We effectively implement heuristic teaching, by demonstrating visual inspirational practices, teaching with images, audio & visual applications, to make the teaching environment lively and interesting. Additionally setting positive thinking activities; i.e. demonstrating how inspiring a good discussion-style format can be to encourage the students to discover, enhance the students’ knowledge, understanding and consolidation of exploration of the subject matter.

As long-term by the 'exam-oriented education' of teachers and students, the blind pursuit of high scores, and sometimes even contrary to the laws of language learning, teachers in the majority of cases tend to utilise in class the 'into' teaching methods, which seriously hampers the formation of the self-learning ability of students.

If a student doesn’t take on a self-learning ability, he or she would not learn of the initiative and creativity of self-development. This then requires English teachers, in the teaching process to focus on the implementation of heuristic teaching to stimulate the students’ interest in learning and motivation, and enhance their commitment and enthusiasm to learn.

However it must be pointed out that Heuristic teaching is not a specific teaching method, but more of a demonstration of important teaching principles and guidelines.

Firstly, to make good use of visual inspirational teaching, teaching image, to make for an intuitive, lively and interesting class, extensive use of objects, pictures, motion and other visual means to attract the attention of students to stimulate their interest in learning English, generate enthusiasm, and encourage them to use the direct links in English through objective means and enhance their language skills.

Especially with the wide range of multi-media teaching use, students leave with an unforgettable impression. When discussing the verb "help" and of the different uses, an example would be to use a media player demonstrating when a customer interacts with a sales clerk, when potentially buying a product: "Can I help you?" scenario. We then compare with a scenario where a man falls into the water and shouts "Help!", we then let the students’ share their knowledge and experience of these situations between so that they can fully understand the different scenarios, but be able to explain the different meanings, so that the students not only understand the use of the word but are then able to apply it through other or similar scenarios.

Second, to make good use of questions, i.e. the building blocks of communication, Who? Where? Why? When? What? How? This teaching style is designed to generate positive thinking activities to inspire students to ask questions as a catalyst for knowledge, but also to encourage students to be more inquisitive but also to develop problem solving techniques by way of gathering facts and evidence from the questions they raise.

Guiding students to ask questions, analyse problems, then solve the problem, effectively teaches the students to doubt, to question, and eliminate and deliberate before reaching a conclusion or answer. It should be noted that the investigative question is different from the general classroom setting questions, as it is not for students to immediately answer, but to try to create and stimulate critical thinking.

Third, to make good use of Discussion, when students are learning a subject matter, encouraging the students to talk to each other and not just with the teacher, talking outwardly to everyone can act as a catalyst or stimulate for other students to participate and in turn generate positive thinking. These activities are designed to improve language skills when immersed with other speakers and listeners.

Fourth, we must make good use of contrasting style, which can enhance the students’ knowledge, understanding and consolidation. Contrasting type, when teaching a foreign language is one of basic reference.

With the basic reference we are teaching the student to utilise the already acquired knowledge to analyse and solve, and improve the students’ application of critical thinking. Students can then better distinguish the meaning, the difference of use and application of the any aspect of the English language. When encountering these situations of contrast, guiding the students through the similarities and differences can assist in developing their writing as well as their verbal skills.

In summary, the use of heuristic teaching can assist in maximizing the students’ learning initiative, with the knowledge-based core competency, and then the break down through critical thinking, so that they may confidently apply what they have learnt in new settings and scenarios, outside of the scope of the classroom.

Finally looking back at the three factors as the core of our business, it’s easy to see now why they are essential, but at the same time when providing worldwide, business and resource solutions, utilizing and applying these can offer opportunities to enhance an individuals’ or an organisations’ perspective, build upon or establish marketable products, services or skills for the future.

30,000 Worldwide Connections a Month!!!

2013-05-11T12:57:00.001+01:00

A huge, HUGE Thank You to all my readers and connections across the globe. Roll on 50,000...

Exam Standards, Reading Ability, School Performances...

2013-05-11T11:38:00.000+01:00

No evidence of fall in exam standards

The government's exam reforms, which were confirmed in the Queen's Speech this week, are unlikely to drive up standards say Oxford academics.

According to a new report from the Oxford University Centre for Educational Assessment there is also no clear evidence to support government claims that standards of examinations have fallen in England.

The report reveals that in international tests in 2011 England was in the top 10 countries for maths, for years 5 and 9, and science for year 9, out of the 63 countries measured by Trends in international mathematics and science study (TIMSS). It says there has been no decline in test scores since 1995. For year 5 science pupils, England is among the top 15 countries.

Looking at all the evidence, it says there is currently no clear, single explanation for the rising trend in GCSE grades, however there is little evidence to say that exam questions are getting easier. However, the report does say more evidence is needed to establish whether more pupils are being taught to pass the test than before. Equally, the report highlights the fact that pupils could be benefiting from improved teaching or working harder than pupils did in the past.

The ability to read well and do maths at an early age has been found by researchers to be a key factor in deciding whether people go on to get a high income job later in their lives.

Psychological scientist Timothy Bates and PhD psychology student Stuart Ritchie from Edinburgh University analysed the relationship between early maths and reading skills and their socio-economic impact beyond the classroom.

Reading well at seven is the key to job success

The pair looked at data from the National Child Development Study, a large, nationally representative study that followed more than 17,000 people in England Scotland and Wales over 50 years from 1958. They found that reading and maths ability at the age of seven were linked to their social class 35 years on. Children with higher reading and maths skills ended up having higher incomes, better housing and more professional roles in adulthood. The research, which is published in the journal Psychological Science suggests that going up just one reading level at the age of seven could represent a £5,000 increase in income at the age of 42.

School climate study

What makes successful schools different from other schools? Researchers in California have been looking at data from more than 1,700 public and middle schools in the state for their report and identified 40 schools that consistently performed better than predicted on maths and English tests.

These 40 schools were called Beating The Odds (BTO) schools and were found to have substantially more positive school climate where safety, academic support and social relationships were paramount. A positive school climate has been associated with higher academic achievement and healthy behavioral outcomes for students.

Researchers found that differences in school climate were twice as large between BTO schools and 20 schools that were consistently performing worse than expected.

DWH Consulting UK Group Rise

2013-05-10T22:23:00.000+01:00

DWH Consulting UK Group Rise from DWH Consulting UK Group on Vimeo.

For details visit our website at: www.dwhconsultingukgroup.com.

Call us on: +44 (0)20 7193 9975 or email us at: enquiries@dwhconsultingukgroup.com

25,000 Worldwide Regular Connections A Month

2013-02-08T21:54:00.000Z

Wow, thanks for all your support.

Looking forward to producing more juicy articles and info feeds in 2013.

NEW YEAR...NEW IDEAS

2013-01-30T17:02:00.001Z

Happy New Year to all our readers, I hope that 2013 is shaping up nicely...

Owing to significant changes in the business, 2013 will be the year of focus for our DWH Consulting division.

We will be strengthening our position in the market with regards to professional recommendations of Adult Higher Education Services & Private Institutes across the UK, Europe & Turkey.

We will be arriving at the International Edu Fair in Istanbul on the 16th & 17th March 2013, so watch this space for details. we will be recommending and advising students about the best facilities in London, for those seeking to study BSc Business & Management, commencing in September and November 2013.

For details please contact us at: enquiries@dwhconsultingukgroup.com

10,000 VIEWERS!!!

2012-10-14T15:27:00.000+01:00

WE ARE CELEBRATING, 10,000 READERS... Thank you to all who have supported us in the last two months... Look out for more intriguing articles in the coming weeks...

Negotiating And Presenting Abroad

2012-09-28T21:35:00.000+01:00

Business is not, of course, done the same way all over the world.

But you would never know it from the way most people negotiate. Many people in international business try to conduct themselves in Tokyo or Paris just as they would in New York or London.

Perhaps it is because they hear so much about the onward march of globalisation, sophisticated communications and information technology, and the unprecedented accessibility of international travel. Perhaps it is just human nature. Whatever the explanation, it inevitably leads to difficulties and confusion in business negotiations abroad.

Although everyone understands in principle that negotiating internationally may demand that you cope with styles of decision-making, ways of thinking and priorities that are different from those at home, these "cultural factors" are a vague and fuzzy concept that is not easily translated into practical application.

There are hurdles and obstacles, and here at DWH Consulting we can guide you through the cross-cultural obstacles of doing business abroad.

The term "doing business abroad" refers to the cultural background of your business partner, not to where the business is taking place. You could be at home, in your business partner's country, or somewhere else entirely.

It is dangerous to enter international negotiations believing that "business is business all over the world". The best practice in domestic situations may not be applicable to foreign partners.

When you are doing business abroad, the potential for misunderstanding is greater than it is at home: you and your business partner may waste time talking past each other; you may need to give complete explanations of your position; you may need to master a particular kind of persuasive skill.

International negotiations have many obstacles. National characteristics, for all the stereotypes, really do differ from one country to the next. Indeed, they exert influence over the individual style of the domestic negotiator to an extent that most people do not realise. If you neglect the existence of these characteristics you may jeopardise the success of a negotiation.

Cultural specificities can determine anything from the contrasting sets of values that help define the negotiating objectives themselves, to the seemingly trivial forms of behaviour and mannerisms that are cues for building confidence and trust.

Some factors make themselves felt even before the substance of a negotiation has been broached.

Inappropriate gestures and other non-verbal behaviour may contribute to a psychological atmosphere that makes communication difficult. Different social etiquette or different notions of status and dignity can throw egos off balance.

Although the intensity of modern international interactions, especially in business, communications and education, has produced a sort of "internationalised culture", that reduces the clash of cultural backgrounds and stereotypes, even relatively "cosmopolitan" negotiators can fall into the trap. In any case, many negotiations take place in a less cosmopolitan context. Also, people in highly specialised fields often conduct international negotiations without having sufficient background knowledge. Even in the European Union, where people are used to travelling on holiday to one another's countries and doing business with each other, mistakes are made.

The solution to the misunderstandings and difficulties arising from cultural differences is not to wish for the day when everyone around the world learns to behave according to the same rules. This is as unnecessary as it is unachievable. The answer is to understand and respect cultural differences. This does not mean becoming subservient to the foreign culture: adopting and imitating your foreign partner's gestures and behaviour risks not only appearing ridiculous, but also arousing suspicion about your sincerity. Rather, the secret of dealing with cultural differences lies in attempting to understand and respect different cultures, while remaining faithful to your own.

At DWH Consulting we can offer ideas and recommendations on how to conduct business around the world. The aim is to help you to communicate and negotiate successfully at an international level.

Even surrounded by the communications technology of the third millennium, the skills of knowing how to talk to people and get what you want from negotiations remain much as they always have.

Indeed, with globalisation, they are needed more than ever. They are put to use whenever a professional is arranging to buy industrial equipment or commercial enterprise, licensing technical know-how, or negotiating mergers and acquisitions, and more… Moreover, they are needed in medium size and start-up companies, as well as the multinationals where they have long been nurtured.

Yet many people in business are ill-prepared for the international negotiations that they will face. Because they negotiate every day at home, they assume that they will be able to deal just as successfully on the international stage. Because they believe that in important respects business is identical all over the world, they believe that knowing their own business is sufficient preparation for overseas ventures.

But, this assumption is mistaken. Business varies hugely from one place to another, exactly as people do - and that matters because direct interpersonal contact is vital in many transactions. Despite email, the internet, mobile phones and all other forms of modern communication, you need to develop a specific sensitivity for communication and negotiation patterns in other countries.

So here is a mental exercise that is designed to reduce the frequency of nasty surprises when you do business abroad. And the chances that it will succeed are good - after all, business is, by its very nature, used to solving problems, and rapidly too.

1. List the basic assumptions or "golden rules" of business in your own culture. Some examples in the US might be: "Money talks"; "All people are created equal"; "Hard work is rewarded". Examine how they might differ in the country that is your destination.

2. Does your host country seek to establish equality between the sexes? Sweden or Saudi Arabia, for instance, treat this matter in totally different ways.

3. Make a list of the typical working situations in which you will find yourself overseas and examine how you might have to adjust your behaviour.

For instance, how should you greet colleagues, superiors or subordinates?

How should you discuss the pros and cons of an action plan?

What will it be like to take part in a meeting?

How should you behave at lunch with a colleague, client or customer?

4. For one day, take note of:

Getting information from people:

How direct are you?

How else could you go about obtaining information?

What is the style of communication in the host country?

Systems of motivation and reward:

What are your assumptions about what makes people work well and what constitutes an incentive or reward?

How do you go about punishing or criticising people's conduct?

What incentives will be appropriate where you are going?

Giving and receiving instructions:

What do you assume about your role and the role of others in your organisation?

What is the expected behaviour and responsibilities that accompany these roles?

What relationship should exist between the people in these different roles?

How do these roles and relationships differ in your host country?

Making new business contacts:

How much time do you spend on social pleasantries?

Would more or less socialising be appropriate in the host country?

Imagine that your present boss comes from the country where you are going. How does that affect your relations with him or her?

Try behaving in this way and observe how your assumptions and responses are affected.

Ask yourself whether you are psychologically prepared to cope with all the different conditions and customs when travelling abroad. This kind of mental exercise should increase your sensitivity towards the way business is done in a foreign country.

It also reinforces the idea that business cultures vary. And this conclusion is vital, because nowhere in business can so much be gained and lost so quickly as in international business negotiations.

8000 Visitors!

2012-09-27T21:57:00.001+01:00

A bit late in the day, but a huge thank you to all our new readers and visitors.

Great Britain's Salary Secrets Uncovered

2012-09-23T20:14:00.000+01:00

Graduates In The Job Market - The Real Value of Education

2012-09-23T20:09:00.001+01:00

Stepping Up - Free Guidance And Advice

2012-09-21T00:04:00.000+01:00

Welcome to Stepping Up!

If you are one of the many youngsters who are currently unemployed and are struggling to get your foot in the door of the job market, then we can help.

It it may shock and surprise you that there are 120,000 unemployed in London aged between 16-24 alone. One in four of you are out of work, and with the prospect for every one graduate vacancy 73 graduates will apply, the job market is a very lean place for those of you with academic prowess.

Even for those school leavers at 16, who have decided to jump in at the deep end and look for work experience, many of you have been confronted with the closed doors of employers, stuck in the Catch-22 scenario - cannot get a job without work experience, and cannot get work experience without a job.

Here at the DWH Consulting UK Group, we have decided to act now, and answer the call of the youth employment force of London & Britain as a whole.

As of 21st September 2012 we have launched our 'Stepping Up' service, providing FREE consultation, advice and guidance to help you get back on track or to successfully launch you into the job market with confidence.

Our service includes the following:

Free one-2-one consultations - also available online
Guidance in preparing your CV and Covering Letters
Free support & careers advice
Interview workshops - to improve your technique and build confidence
Offer the five simple steps to move away from the Job Centre and towards your new Job
Provide professional recommendations for your potential new employers

For more details of our service you can reach us at:

enquiries@dwhconsultingukgroup.com

Youth Unemployment Crisis - We Can Help

2012-09-20T23:32:00.000+01:00

I have been baffled and left frustrated by the plight of youth unemployment that has been brought to light by the Evening Standard over the last couple of days.

And in the light of the GCSE fiasco, and the ballsy but stupid steps towards education reform by this government, it is clear they have left the brightness of this country's youth behind.

Some of you may argue that this is not the case given that they launched a billion pound initiative back in April. The new programme aimed to get young people into a range of employment sectors - from retail and construction to the green economy.

Up to 410,000 work and training placements were to have been created in England, Wales and Scotland by giving employers wage incentives equivalent to half of the youth national minimum wage. The reality of the scheme unfortunately for all its hype and potential didn't rub off the 3000 companies asked by the government to be involved and support the scheme.

It still seems that despite their efforts the government is simply throwing money at the problem again, when in most cases the unemployed youngsters don't just want another churned out method of benefits and handouts, but quite simply, good, solid, sound, free advice and support; or at the very least a head start in opportunities for practical, valid work experience or the confidence skills to successfully sell themselves on paper and at interview.

With all this in mind, the DWH Consulting UK Group has decided to launch a free, impartial advice service to youngsters who would like support to successfully themselves into the job market.

We will provide you with free consultations, advice and guidance about writing your CV and covering letter, developing your interview style & techniques, career advice, provide professional recommendations, and present the five golden steps to get you away from the job centre and into viable employment or the first step towards your career progression.

For details of this service please get in touch at:

enquiries@dwhconsultingukgroup.com

I have decided to include the article that convinced me to do something about the youth unemployment crisis.

The capital is in the grip of a youth unemployment crisis with one in four out of work. In a three-day investigation starting today, the Standard reveals the scale of young joblessness and its cost to individuals and society. Here we focus on three people who are desperate for work.

“I was really excited,” recalled Sana. “There were 20 of us and we had to introduce ourselves, say what skills we brought to the job and what we’d do if Harrods gave us a £1,000 voucher. I was the youngest — the others were in their twenties and thirties — and the second last to speak.

“When my turn came, I stood up and said: ‘My name is Sana, I’m confident, I’m motivated.’ Then I paused and got stuck for about four or five seconds. Everybody was staring at me and I suddenly felt overwhelmed and started to panic. The woman from Harrods was at the front manically writing down what people said and she sat, pen poised, not looking up, and I thought, oh my God, I better talk some more.

“I said, ‘Um, I’m bubbly, approachable, good at talking to people at all levels, good at talking to customers’. Again, I froze. I looked out at the blank faces — they had all been so confident in their delivery with real experience to draw on, but this was my first interview and all I had was five days’ work experience at Clarks Shoes.

“I tried to hold my hands by my side, not to fidget to show I wasn’t nervous, but it was obvious I was bombing. Then I said that with the gift voucher, I would buy my mum a Louis Vuitton bag and one woman piped up that she preferred the Gucci, and a few people laughed, and it put me at my ease.”

But Sana never got through to the final round of interviews. In the 15 months since, the 19-year-old from Tower Hamlets has diligently applied for a staggering 3,000 jobs, an average of 10 a day, and in that time has secured just four interviews and no employment. Not one of these firms has ever taken the time to give her any feedback as to why her application failed. “It is a process,” she said, “that is utterly soul destroying.”

Her plight, an Evening Standard investigation reveals, is all too common. Youth unemployment in our capital city has soared to crisis proportions not seen for a generation. One in four young people aged 16 to 24 is unemployed rising to 27 per cent among young men — a total of 120,000 in all — and nearly triple the average London unemployment rate of 8.9 per cent.

Together with Yorkshire, London suffers, at 25 per cent, the worst youth unemployment rate in the UK, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics. There is no doubt that our young people have borne the brunt of the economic crisis. Among London’s black and Asian youth, the problem is far worse. Nowhere is the issue more acute than in the Olympic boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Newham, which have among the highest number of young people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in the capital.

As the euphoria of the Olympics and Paralympics fades, the promises made to win these Games on behalf of London’s youth needs to be examined afresh. It was 30 school children from east London who accompanied Lord Coe to Singapore in 2005, so that he could ask for the Games “on behalf of the youth of today, the athletes of tomorrow and the Olympians of the future”.

But those school children of 2005 —now young adults — have every right to feel betrayed. The hype that the Games would “inspire a generation” and transform lives is at odds with the devastating impact that long-term joblessness brings including depression, social exclusion, and crushed self-esteem, especially to young people who have no previous track record of success to fall back on.

The Standard has spoken to dozens of unemployed young people, as well as experts and politicians, to reveal what it is really like to be young, unemployed and in limbo. In an exposé of the crisis starting today, we tell the shocking stories of life at the coal-face, and we address a key question: Why is the unemployment rate of young people (16 to 24) more than three times that of older people (25 to 49)?

The latest research from The Work Foundation, an independent think tank, indicates it is not age, per se, that is the problem — young people tend to be better at IT and at picking up foreign languages.

Rather it comes down to one critical factor — lack of experience. “Young people,” they report, “find themselves caught in a classic Catch 22 situation: they cannot get a job without work experience, and they cannot get work experience without a job.” Measures that help young people bridge the experience gap, such as apprenticeship schemes, could be a key part of the solution.

Country-wide, just over one million young people remain jobless. The Government’s £1 billion Youth Contract to address “the missing million” was introduced this year to offer employers small cash incentives to get young people into work.

A report released today by the Work and Pensions committee concludes that while it is a step in the right direction, it is “insufficient on its own, given the scale of the problem”. What is clear is that we need some can-do urgency from the Government and the private sector if we are to avert economic and social catastrophe.

The projected cost to our economy of youth unemployment over the next decade is estimated at £28 billion. Meanwhile, the personal “scarring effect” to each youth who remains jobless ratchets up.

According to the Audit Commission, unemployed young adults are three times more likely to suffer depression than youngsters with jobs.

Sana is a case in point. “I hear about people my age with similar GCSE qualifications — I got four Cs — getting jobs as supervisors and I think, what’s wrong with me? Is it my CV? The way I dress? The way I talk? I start to doubt myself and get stressed and depressed.”

Recently Sana hit a bad patch. She stopped going out with her friends and wanted to take anti-depressants, but her mother got her through it.

“Dad hasn’t been around for 10 years and I have watched my mother dig deep. She used to work in a Hackney factory making ballet shoes, and now she works as a night-duty security guard to support me and my two sisters. Mum is my inspiration.

“If she can do it, I can too. I tell that to myself every single day, just to keep going.”

7000 Readers!

2012-09-19T21:21:00.000+01:00

Wow! Thank you very much to everyone for your readership and support.

There is a surprise in-store for all our readers when we reach 10,000.

When will politicians approach teachers and students about Educational Reform?

2012-09-17T22:42:00.000+01:00

English baccalaureate: another dog's dinner of a plan for exam reform.

This is the result of the coalition agreement rather than any meaningful input from teachers, parents or young people.

Once again a government is making a dog's dinner of examination reform. In 2005, Mike Tomlinson wrote a wide-ranging exam review and achieved an almost impossible consensus – only to see it blown out of the water by a general election in which neither the Conservatives or Labour wanted to be the party about to scrap A-levels.

This time we have a proposed English baccalaureate certificate, about which there are still many questions. We don't know for how long students will continue to do GCSEs, and we don't know what will happen to the accountability and league tables. The death of the GCSE could be much slower than Gove had wanted. One thing is clear, the proposed Ebacc has absolutely nothing to do with evidence, successful reform or standards.

The regulator Ofqual has produced no evidence that the GCSE is beyond repair. Neither has it produced any evidence of difficulties with the concepts of modularity and controlled assessment. We don't know who might take the Ebacc, or whether disadvantaged groups might be adversely affected.

Most pressing for a generation of children and their parents is that there seems to be no thought for the potentially lost cohort of young people who will continue to take the existing GCSE up until 2017, an exam now so traduced by Gove that employers and universities will have difficulty in taking it seriously.

Despite Gove's declaration on entering government that he would liberate teachers, there has been no prior consultation with the teaching profession. The consultation is the result of the iron agreement between the two coalition parties rather than any meaningful input from teachers, academics, parents and indeed the young people who will take them. In no other profession would such a significant reform be imposed in such a way.

The introduction of the Ebacc brings with it the possibility of moving from a criterion-based exam system to one based on norms, with each grade having a quota of passes allocated to it. The current grade inflation objection is that too many students are getting high grades. Would the same criticism be applied to a rising percentage of people passing the driving test?

Here we have perhaps the only government in the developed world determined to drive down the percentage of high achievers. Norm-based exams have another pernicious effect: the possibility of maintaining standards over time is undermined by arbitrary quotas that obscure a consistent picture of what young people can do.

Internationally, there is no correlation between this type of reform and countries with outstanding education systems. Singapore's examination system, so praised by Gove, was achieved by a consensus involving teachers, parents and industry. Finland's system of evaluation is the product of a society valuing its education system and cross-party consensus.

We need to fine-tune the exam system. But this isn't the way to do it.

At the end of the day the 'Gove-Levels' as they are being referred to in the media are an exercise in egotism, cruelty and elitism. There is nothing about 'Gove-Levels' that will give children a more holistic educational experience, or make Britain more competitive economically. Gove's planned reforms discriminate against the poor, the ill, those with emotional difficulties and those from an ethnic minority background.

Gove's plans to abolish the modular element to GCSEs and replace it with a one off examination rewards cramming, and actually punishes well behaved students who show consistency over the two years. Current methods of continuous assessment help mitigate against the very many personal problems young adults begin to experience more frequently after they turn 16. Too often, teachers reading this will agree I'm sure, have good pupils faltered at the last educational hurdle because of relationship, family, emotional or economic difficulties. Creating a one-off exam at the very end of studies cannot be said to accurately measure a student's ability in a particular subject. This change is devoid of compassion and shows how little Michael Gove understands the real world.

So too, stretching the length of an exam to 3 hours also makes the examinations more unequal. Evidence shows that poorer children with less nutrition will struggle to maintain mental stamina. A crucial report into poverty in Chicago, US found that poorer children with less access to climbing frames, swings and other play equipment had under developed fine motor skills. Other reports which reached the same conclusion on the link between poverty and the under-development of fine motor skills. If one wishes to understand more about the impact of poverty on education, there is probably no better place to start than the website 'It's the poverty stupid'.

Poverty is really the only national education reform issue that matters. Poverty is by far the number one reason children "fail" in school. Poverty, poverty, poverty. To phrase it as a independent politician might: It's the poverty, stupid. It's not a lack of a progressive play-based curriculum, it's not a lack of accountability, it's not about lazy teachers . . . Say it with me: it's the poverty.

Expecting inner-city children to hold a pen for 3 hours, and write furiously to reach that mythical 'gold standard' will punish those who over the years do not have the necessary endurance in their hands due to health and income inequalities.

Abolishing exam boards, so that only the chosen board with the perceived "golden standard" remains the last one standing, is wrong for many reasons. I have reviewed all the exam boards for a while now, and all boards have their various strengths. The old Qualifications Curriculum Authority, before Gove stupidly scrapped it, successfully made sure common guidelines were adhered to by all 4 major boards, and that particular skills were assessed by all boards. This was carried out effectively.

Occasionally, I hear a Tory argue "ahh but you can get an A by scoring 66 with exam board B but you need to get 70 with exam board C to achieve an A". This is daft reasoning since the mark schemes and grade awarding meetings will ensure that there is broad convergence between the exam boards, so in effect the proportion of pupils achieving A with both boards will be more or less the same. Besides, the boards associated with rigour are not always accessible to ethic minorities in the language they use in the exams. The gold standard boards tend to use texts, contexts and sources that have a distinct bias towards children of a white conservative background. Gove's known to favour particular boards over others, but the ones the Tories are particularly scornful of are streets ahead in making the examinations fair and accessible to all.

Changing the % who achieve A grades if it was done in isolation would merely be an exercise in cosmetics. There will always be a first and a last. The grades are simply a measure to rank pupils performance. Tories over obsession and criticism of the percentage achieving A grades was always a bit daft. If Gove wants to make exams tougher so that a grade B is the new A, employers will quickly adjust their expectations accordingly. To the outside world, however, he will simply send a message that our children's standards are falling. This will make it harder for us to compete internationally. His other idea in swapping grades for numbers is simply more cosmetic.

Climbing to 6000

2012-09-17T13:26:00.000+01:00

We have finally reached 6000 readers.

A huge thank you to everyone, and a big welcome to our readers in Mexico, Spain, Hungry and China, thanks for joining us.

Apologies to all for the slight relapse in articles, have been a little busy, but watch this space for insight into the new O Level Exams coming next year and opportunities to get to grips with Microsoft Office software, tutorials will become available next month in October.

Global Enterprises Need Business English

2012-09-10T22:20:00.000+01:00

Speaking Of Languages

2012-09-09T19:12:00.000+01:00

A Lesson In Succeeding At Interview

2012-09-08T20:23:00.000+01:00

For a perfect demonstration in perseverance and the desire for a job, watch Ted Kramer in action wonderfully played by the legendary Dustin Hoffman in the film Kramer VS Kramer.

2012-09-08T20:07:00.000+01:00

Another milestone...A BIG thank you to all our readers from all over the world.

Passing The Test At The Interview

2012-09-08T19:58:00.000+01:00

Nowadays it can be even more difficult to get a job, especially when being faced with interviewers who are constantly testing you.

Check this video, where it seems Greg is having a difficult time ascertaining if he has got the job or not.

Writing A Good CV

2012-09-07T21:20:00.000+01:00

What Is A CV?

• A gateway to employment if he or she doesn’t like the look of it for whatever reason, you’ll never have a second chance to demonstrate just how good you are.

• A life and skills audit – a summary of what you have achieved in a punchy and marketable format.

• A sales document – it is designed to entice the reader to want to meet you in person; nothing more, nothing less.

What Are Your Selling Points?

Highlight your skills, achievements and qualities that are specific to you and the job you are applying for.

Remember to use positive language to sell your strengths to their full advantage.

Steps To Creating A Good CV

Undertake a Self-Assessment:

Here you need to think about what roles you are looking to apply for.

You therefore need to think about what skills the organisations will be looking for. For example, good communication skills will be essential. Do you have any examples through your own experiences that can reflect this on your CV?

If you think along these lines you will be heading in the right direction.

Analysis of the Job Specification:

The primary aim of a CV is to get you an interview. Tailor your CV to the job for which you’re applying. This means before writing anything you MUST research the job role in question.

Remember, every sentence on your CV should fulfil a purpose.

Identification of your Main Selling Points:

Make a list of 10 strengths. These are your selling points that you need to highlight on your CV.

Alongside these provide specific examples of why you think they are your strengths – these should be related to your work history, the training course you are completing, your academic background and your hobbies and interests.

Devising the Most Appropriate Format:

It is important to think about the style that your CV will take. A simple format is on most occasions the best to stick to. Your CV will look professional and easier to read therefore making the employers life a lot easier.

Make a Careful Choice of Language and Layout:

Remember to refer to yourself in the first person – “I” and not “your name”. Think about putting your strengths on the first page. For most of you this will be your education and qualifications, but those of you with extensive IT employment then this would be your selling point.

Also remember to include a personal profile at the beginning of you CV – a summary of what you can offer an organisation will make them read on further.

Producing a Good Quality Product – The CV:

Before you start sending out your CV make sure you get someone else to proof read it. They may notice grammatical and spelling mistakes that you haven’t picked up on. If you are sending out hard copies then go for a heavy, high-quality paper in white possibly with a grain. If you’re sending out your CV as an e-mail attachment, ensure that the recipient accepts attachments and has the correct software to open it. Send it to a friend to check the CV can be received without corruptions.

It is important to amend your CV depending on the type of role you are applying for. If you are not receiving any positive feedback after two to three weeks of applying then you should take another look at your CV to see if you can make any amendments that may sell you better.

Sections Of A Good CV

Your CV is broken into the following sections:

(Please note that if you have several years of work experience this should listed ahead of your education and qualifications. However if you have little or no work experience it is important to highlight your academic experience first.)

1. Your Name

This should be:

Bold
Slightly larger font we suggest size 20
It should not say CV, or Curriculum Vitae, just have your name

2. Personal Details

This should include:

Your address
Your contact telephone numbers – a land line and a mobile number
Your email address

Personal details should NOT include:

Nationality – unless you are a foreign national
Your date of birth

3. Personal Profile

This should be 2 or 3 short paragraphs that provide a glimpse of your key skills and qualifications for a position and is designed to attract immediate attention. The main things that you should be promoting are:

Degree (if you have one)
Your training and qualifications that is relevant to the position
A demonstration of your key skills
Your desire to work within the selected or chosen industry or sector or work

4. Education and Training

Education should be in reverse chronological order, so put your most recent dates first.

Start in the reverse chronological order with the most recent dates first:

Professional Qualifications
Further Education - Post Graduate (MA, MSc)
Higher Education (BA Hons, BSc, BEng)

6. Interests and Achievements

This is a vital part of your CV.

(It is vital from the point of view that your personality sells too and is just as, if not more important than your work experience and qualifications. Remember 9/10 you are most likely to be working with a team of professionals, so demonstrating how well you will mesh with the team is of paramount importance)

Demonstrate your natural interest in the industry in question.
Talk about other interests outside the industry as well.
Take your description further than a basic description - you may be interested in reading but do you read regularly – can you talk about what you have read recently as an example?
Hobbies and interests will improve your confidence when talking in an interview – they are something you should be able to field questions on and talk fluently about.

For further details and assistance in writing a good CV, we provide a free CV assessment service.

Just contact us at - enquiries@dwhconsultingukgroup.com

Why English Is So Hard?

2012-09-07T18:31:00.001+01:00

English is notoriously a difficult language to learn because it is so horribly irregular in its spelling and pronunciation. Subjection to more than a thousand years of external influences — the forced imposition of French, shifts in pronunciation after spelling became fixed, the linguistic influence of the classical languages, and a huge importation of foreign words as a result of exploration and colonialism — has turned English into a mishmash.

This widely known poem appears in many English textbooks, under titles such as Why English is So Hard, but is always marked as by Anonymous when any attribution is given.

We’ll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox should be oxen, not oxes.
Then one fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese,
You may find a lone mouse or a whole nest of mice,
But the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn’t the plural of pan be called pen?
The cow in the plural may be cows or kine,
But a bow if repeated is never called bine,
And the plural of vow is vows, never vine.

If I speak of a foot and you show me your feet,
And I give you a boot would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth, and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn’t the plural of booth be called beeth?

If the singular’s this and the plural is these,
Should the plural of kiss ever be nicknamed keese?
Then one may be that and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.

We speak of a brother, and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren,
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine she, shis and shim,

So the English, I think, you all will agree,
Is the queerest language you ever did see.

Oxford English Result Series - For Free

2012-09-07T11:14:00.000+01:00

That's right folks for one week only we are giving you the Electronic Version of the

Oxford English Result Series for free!

The electronic format is a combination of PDF, MP3 and SWF files that can fit neatly on a USB pen drive or SD memory card.

The package includes:

Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate and Upper-Intermediate

Student's Book

Teacher's Book

Audio CDs

Interactive Work Book CD-ROM
DVD-ROM

Grammar Bank

Writing Files

Answer Keys

For details of this offer please contact us at - enquiries@dwhconsultingukgroup.com

Offer Ends - Midnight 1st March 2013