IMBA Business English Lesson 1 Teacher: Murray Sherk

Are you lucky? What is “luck”? What does it mean to be “lucky”? What does it mean to have “bad luck”?

Are the people left at the front lucky? How much is “luck” involved in them still being at the front?

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. One definition: Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

Why did we do this? What do we really mean by _______? A course goal: Develop your critical thinking, logic, analysis, and precision. Precise definitions, Careful thought, Clear communication, Convincing presentation These are particularly important in cross-cultural communication!

staff.ustc.edu.cn/~msherk Course Introduction Syllabus sheet Course website: Get to via staff.ustc.edu.cn/~msherk

Back Front Intelligence test: Name in native language Name I should call you in class Student# Email address that you check each day Front Intelligence test: Do not write on the left half of the front. Gender: “M” or “F” (male or female) Country and city where you grew up: English ability: 1=terrible, 10=native speaker quality Knowledge of China: 1=terrible, 10=native Business/management experience: 1=terrible, 10=Fortune 500 CEO Back

Pairing Up Your partner for the rest of the day is the person whose card is on the same desk as yours. Find your card and sit there.

Pronunciation Why? Needs to be “good enough” Be aware of common problems for those with your native language

Pronunciation Work: [s] and [z] sink, sank, sister, pass z zoo, zen, cousin, buzz

Pronunciation Work: [s] and [z] Unvoiced Voiced s sink, sank, sister, pass z zoo, zen, cousin, buzz

Pronunciation Work: [s] and [z] Where is your tongue? Unvoiced Voiced s sink, sank, sister, pass z zoo, zen, cousin, buzz

Pronunciation Work: [s] and [z] Where is your tongue? Unvoiced Voiced All of tongue is inside mouth s sink, sank, sister, pass z zoo, zen, cousin, buzz

Pronunciation Work Where is your tongue? Unvoiced Voiced All of tongue is inside mouth s sink, sank, sister, pass z zoo, zen, cousin, buzz Tip of tongue is stuck out between teeth (~1 cm)

Pronunciation Work Where is your tongue? Unvoiced Voiced All of tongue is inside mouth s sink, sank, sister, pass z zoo, zen, cousin, buzz Tip of tongue is stuck out between teeth (~1 cm) th (symbol:ð) then, mother, breathe

Pronunciation Work Where is your tongue? Unvoiced Voiced All of tongue is inside mouth s sink, sank, sister, pass z zoo, zen, cousin, buzz Tip of tongue is stuck out between teeth (~1 cm) th (symbol:θ) think, thank, method, path th (symbol:ð) then, mother, breathe

Pronunciation Overview Look at the handout “Consonant Pronunciation” You need to be aware of what your face/tongue/lips/jaw are doing. But doing it “right” needs to be automatic (without concentration).

“This, That, There” This: finger on forehead That: finger on chin There: point to another person You MUST pronounce [th] correctly! not “dis” or “zis” remember your tongue

Culture: Baseball Big influence on American life How is it played? Many idioms and expressions based on baseball

“We struck out in our negotiation Homework Consider the sentence: “We struck out in our negotiation with that company.” What does this mean? Your homework: Write out 10 sentences that use baseball idioms and also what each one means (in plain English). Bring to class on paper next week.

Class Discussion: Why is it good to study business & management is a country other than the one you grew up in? Why might it not be so good? Why is it bad?

“We struck out in our negotiation Homework Consider the sentence: “We struck out in our negotiation with that company.” What does this mean? Your homework: Write out 10 sentences that use baseball idioms and also what each one means (in plain English). Bring to class on paper next week.