Inglés para el Ámbito Comercial I (Unit 1) 1 UNIT 1 COMPANIES ‘Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still.’ Chinese proverb INTRODUCTION Translate into English the following text Las multinacionales son las empresas más visibles. Pero el tejido de la mayor parte de las economías nacionales se compone de organizaciones mucho más pequeñas. Muchos países deben gran parte de su prosperidad a las PYMEs (pequeñas y medianas empresas). Los pequeños negocios con sólo unos pocos empleados son importantes. Muchos gobiernos esperan que esos pequeños negocios de hoy se conviertan en las multinacionales de mañana, pero muchos propietarios de empresas pequeñas escogen trabajar así porque se encuentran más a gusto y no desean expandirse. Luego están los empresarios autónomos, negocios de un solo hombre o de una sola mujer. En el mundo profesional, son a menudo personas que han dejado (o se han visto forzados a dejar) grandes organizaciones y que se han establecido por su cuenta, con la experiencia que han adquirido en ellas. Pero en cada caso el principio es el mismo: sobrevivir – el dinero que entra tiene que ser más que el dinero que sale. Las empresas con accionistas buscan más que sobrevivir – quieren rendimiento para la inversión. Las acciones de una empresa suben o bajan en relación a cómo ven los inversores la futura rentabilidad de la empresa. Algunas grandes empresas (a menudo, propiedad de una familia) son privadas: prefieren que sus acciones no sean compradas y vendidas abiertamente. Por eso pueden tener problemas para obtener capital para crecer y desarrollarse.
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Inglés para el Ámbito Comercial I (Unit 1)
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UNIT 1 COMPANIES
‘Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still.’
Chinese proverb
INTRODUCTION Translate into English the following text Las multinacionales son las empresas más visibles. Pero el tejido de la mayor parte de las economías nacionales se compone de organizaciones mucho más pequeñas. Muchos países deben gran parte de su prosperidad a las PYMEs (pequeñas y medianas empresas).
Los pequeños negocios con sólo unos pocos empleados son importantes. Muchos gobiernos esperan que esos pequeños negocios de hoy se conviertan en las multinacionales de mañana, pero muchos propietarios de empresas pequeñas escogen trabajar así porque se encuentran más a gusto y no desean expandirse.
Luego están los empresarios autónomos, negocios de un solo hombre o de una sola mujer. En el mundo profesional, son a menudo personas que han dejado (o se han visto forzados a dejar) grandes organizaciones y que se han establecido por su cuenta, con la experiencia que han adquirido en ellas.
Pero en cada caso el principio es el mismo: sobrevivir – el dinero que entra tiene que ser más que el dinero que sale. Las empresas con accionistas buscan más que sobrevivir – quieren rendimiento para la inversión. Las acciones de una empresa suben o bajan en relación a cómo ven los inversores la futura rentabilidad de la empresa. Algunas grandes empresas (a menudo, propiedad de una familia) son privadas: prefieren que sus acciones no sean compradas y vendidas abiertamente. Por eso pueden tener problemas para obtener capital para crecer y desarrollarse.
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1. How many collocations with the word ‘company’ can you find?
company
Quotation
DIFFERENT COMPANY ORGANIZATIONS
2. Watch the video “Types of business organizations” and answer the following questions
a) What types or firms are mentioned?
b) Why did Tony decide to set up his own company?
c) Which modality of company did he choose?
d) What advantages does Tony have by being part of the Hopewell Business Centre??
e) Tony says that he ‘didn’t want the hassle’. What does he mean exactly?
Partnership
a) What’s Mr Skinner’s job?
b) How often does he visit the Centre?
c) Does he get a lot of money from the advice?
d) Where is Winch and Winch based?
e) Are partners allowed to work together as a company?
f) According to Mr Huggins, what’s the main advantage of partnerships?
g) … and the disadvantage?
h) What’s a Partnership Agreement?
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Limited Liability Company Fountain Workshop is another company of Hopewell Centre. It’s a Limited Liability Company.
a) What is the advantage of a Limited Liability Co, according to the MD of Fountain Workshop?
b) Over which turnover a Limited Co has to file accounts?
c) Ian Kirkpatrick speaks about the directors ‘having legal obligations towards the company’. What legal obligations could these be?
Public Limited Company Nicole Foulston, Chief Executive of Brands Hatch Leisure PLC talks about her company.
a) What’s the company main activity?
b) She says, “The company is listed in the Stock Exchange of the UK”. What does it means?
c) What’s the main advantage of a plc company?
d) Nicola Foulston mentions ‘raising money more easily and more efficiently as a PLC’. Why would a company like hers want to do this?
3. Discuss these questions. 1 Which of the words below can describe:
a) good qualities of an organisation? b) bad qualities of an organisation?
2 Which words could you use to describe your own organisation or an organisation you know well? 4. Complete the sentences below with words and phrases from the box.
share price workforce profit turnover subsidiary market share head office
1. The amount of money a company receives from sales in a particular period is called its
………………………… 2. The money a company makes after taking away its costs is its ………………………… 3. A company which is more than 50% owned by a parent company is called a
………………………… 4. The employees in a particular country or business are called the ………………………… 5. The percentage of sales a company has in a particular market is its
………………………… 6. The main building or location of a large organization is its ………………………… 7. The cost of a company’s shares is its …………………………
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COMPANY ORGANIZATION
5. Watch the video ‘A company structure’ and explain the functions of these people.
6. Look at this diagram representing the structure of a company and answer the questions below.
Which group of people
• own the company? ⇒
• sell to the company? ⇒
• formulate policy? ⇒
• buy from the company? ⇒
• work for the company? ⇒
7. Study this organization.
Which department:
a puts the products in boxes and crates? ⇒
b places ads in magazines? ⇒
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c pays the staff? ⇒
d purchases supplies? ⇒
e sells the products to customers? ⇒
f plans how to sell new products? ⇒
g services the machines and equipment? ⇒
h arranges courses for the staff? ⇒
i recruits new employees? ⇒
j manufactures the products? ⇒
k invoices customers? ⇒
l looks after customers' problems and complaints? ⇒
m dispatches the products and sends them to customers? ⇒
n organizes control systems to prevent mistakes? ⇒
o deals with taxation, investment, and cash management? ⇒
FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE 8. Complete the extract from a company report with appropriate words or phrases from the box.
share price workforce profit turnover subsidiary market share head office
I’m pleased to say the company has continued its excellent performance. We are changing,
growing and doing well at a difficult time for the industry. …....1 was €57.2 million, an increase of
15% on last year, and ……....…2 rose by 5% to €6.4 million.
We are a highly competitive Business. We have increased our ……....…3 20%. Consequently
our ... …....…4 has risen and is now at an all-time high of €9.6.
Increased production and strong demand have had a positive effect on our cash flow, so we are
able to finance a number of new projects. We have successfully moved to our new
……....…....…5 in central London. We are now planning to start full production at the recently
opened Spanish ……....…6 in October.
Finally, thanks once again to our loyal and dedicated ……....…7. Our employees will always be
our most valuable asset.
9. Complete the chart below with information from the box. Then make sentences about the companies. For example, ‘Cisco Systems is an American IT company. It supplies Internet equipment’.
Peugeot Benetton container ship operator American Express French Japanese
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Italian drug and chemical maker drinks supplier
Company Main activity Nationality Cisco Systems Internet equipment supplier American Car manufacturer Bacardi Martini Spanish Travel and financial services
provider American
Bayer German Clothing manufacturer Sony Electronic goods maker Maersk Danish
ACCOUNTING
10. Watch the video “Accounting 1” and translate into Spanish the following accounting vocabulary accountant ⇒ accounting ⇒ account ⇒ account payable ⇒ account receivable ⇒ debit ⇒ credit ⇒
to debit ⇒ to credit ⇒ transaction ⇒ book-keeping ⇒ book-keeper ⇒ ledger ⇒ balance ⇒
11. Watch the video “Accounting 2” and translate into Spanish the following accounting vocabulary GAAP ⇒ income ⇒ operating income ⇒ non-operating income ⇒ revenue ⇒ profit ⇒ expense ⇒
12. Study the balance sheet and the profit and loss account below. Find the terms that refer to. (BO)
1. what the company owns and what it owes ⇒
2. things that permanently belong to the company ⇒
3. money they have to pay the bank for their loans ⇒
4. money borrowed to meet day-to-day running expenses ⇒
5. money supplied by shareholders ⇒
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6. money owed to shareholders ⇒
7. money owed to suppliers ⇒
8. money their customers owe them ⇒
9. the company's total sales ⇒
10. costs incurred in buying raw materials and producing goods ⇒
11. expenses they've incurred but not yet received invoices for ⇒
12. regular expenses incurred in running the business such as rent, light, heating, salaries, and advertising expenses ⇒
13. the loss in value of equipment, etc., due to use or age ⇒
14. inventory. ⇒ 13. The company has had a difficult year. Find evidence for these facts in the figures.
Fact: Competition has been very tough. Evidence: Turnover has fallen.
Facts
1. They've borrowed some money to buy new equipment.
2. Their customers have been demanding that they keep larger stocks.
3. Their customers have also been demanding longer credit periods.
4. Their suppliers have been insisting on shorter credit periods.
5. They've made some poor investments.
6. And they haven't been able to afford to pay their shareholders much.
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14. Now, translate into Spanish the contents of the Balance Sheet and the Profit & Loss account.
Balance Sheet as at 31st December
Balance General al 31 de Diciembre
ASSETS / ACTIVO LIABILITIES / PASIVO
Fixed assets /
Current liabilities /
Land and Buildings /
Plant and Equipment /
Investments /
Current Assets /
Bank Overdrafts /
Loans /
Creditors /
Taxation /
Dividend payable /
Net Current Assets /
Stocks /
Finished Goods /
Work in Progress /
Debtors /
Cash and Bank /
CAPITAL AND RESERVES/CAPITAL Y RESERVAS
Share capital /
Profit and loss account /
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Profit and Loss Account for year ended 31st December Cuenta de Pérdidas y Ganancias al 31 de Diciembre
Turnover / Cost of sales / Gross Profit / Administration costs / Overheads / Depreciation / Operating profit / Investment Income / Interest payable / Profit (or Loss) on ordinary activities after tax / Dividends / Profit retained and transferred to reserves /
PRESENTING YOUR COMPANY 915. Listen to the presentation about Tara Fashions (Listening 1). Complete the chart.
Tara Fashions
Where is the head office?
What does it sell?
Who are its customers?
Annual turnover?
Annual net profits?
Number of Stores: in Spain? in other European countries?
Strengths?
Future plans?
916. Listen again, and tick the phrases that you hear in the Useful Language section below.
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17. Which of these suggestions do you agree with? To make an effective presentation, you should:
1. find out as much as possible about your audience.
2. introduce yourself (name, position, company).
3. start with a joke.
4. outline the structure of your talk.
5. vary the tone of your voice.
6. refer to your notes as often as possible.
7. use clear visual aids.
8. summarize your main points.
USEFUL LANGUAGE
Outlining the presentation
• First, I'll give you some basic information.
• Secondly, I'll talk about our stores in other countries.
• Next, I'll talk about career opportunities.
• Last of all, I want to look at our future plans.
Introducing new information
• Here's some basic information.
• Let me add a few figures.
• Let's have a look at some statistics.
• What are our strengths?
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Ending the presentation
To conclude, I want to tell you about our future plans.
• Finally, a few words about our new project.
• Thanks very much for listening to my talk.
• Thanks for coming to my presentation.
18. Invent a company. Listen to the presentation about the fashion company and then make your own presentation about the company you have invented. IDIOMS AND EXPRESSIONS
9 19. Listen to the recording “Idioms and expressions (1)”. Then answer the following questions Expression 1: Is the verb ‘to leap’ regular or irregular? What does it mean? : What example is mentioned to illustrate the meaning? Where’s the origin of the phrase? Translate into English the following sentence: ‘Deberías haber mirado antes de saltar’?
Expression 2:
What does it mean? : What example is mentioned to illustrate the meaning?
