Task 1. How can a business help a charity? What are the benefits for the company and its employees?

 

Task 2. Read the article and decide if sentences 1-4 are true (T) or false (F).

 

A Commitment to Volunteerism

For many employees, work rarely involves helping local communities in the rainforests of the Amazon or teaching children in schools with no access to modern technology. However, these examples of volunteer projects are becoming more common in the business world, and many companies now offer their employees the opportunity to take part in volunteer programmes.

Timberland is one such company with a commitment to volunteerism. The global clothing manufacturer encourages staff to spend up to 40 paid hours a year on community and social projects. The community benefits from the company’s resources, and staff gain new skills and teamwork improves.

Another example is the financial services firm Credit Suisse. It sends employees overseas to help educational and microfinance projects in developing countries. The two objectives are to offer expertise to regions that lack access to highly-qualified professionals and for the employees to develop new transferable skills.

Samira Khan is one employee who took advantage of her company’s volunteer scheme. Samira normally spends her days behind a desk as a software engineer but currently she’s also managing a volunteer project to redecorate a community centre for the elderly in Chicago. Managing a project like this means that Samira is learning new skills such as organizing the schedule so that they complete each milestone by its deadline. She also has to control a limited budget, and every few days she gets updates from her project team to check on their progress. She finds working on this project very rewarding and is pleased to be learning new skills.

1.      The idea of volunteerism is increasingly popular in business.

2.      Employees at Timberland have to do some voluntary work.

3.      Companies like Timberland and Credit Suisse also benefit from the projects.

4.      Samira uses the same skills in the volunteer project as in her usual job.

 

Task 3. Does your company or its staff ever take part in volunteer projects?

➢  If you answer 'yes', describe one of the projects.

➢  If you answer 'no', what kind of volunteer project do you think it could offer?

 

Task 4. Replace the words in italics with a word in bold from the text in Task 2.

1.      Can you email the plan of all the work you have to do and the key dates? _______________

2.      We only have a limited amount of money available for the project.  _______________

3.      The main problem is that no one knows what anyone else is doing. We need a situation where everyone works together for this project to succeed.  _______________

4.      Could you send me regular reports with the most recent information about our progress? ________

5.      We have to finish the project by a certain point in time.   _______________

6.      This project has three main things we are trying to achieve.   _______________

7.      I really feel we are making progress now because today we completed a very important stage in the project.             _______________

8.      The reason we're behind schedule is because I don't have all the supplies and human expertise that I requested at the beginning. _______________

 Task 5. Samira is telling someone about the volunteer project that she is working on. Listen to these extracts from the conversation and answer the questions.

1.      Which items in Task 4  does she talk about?

2.      What does she say about each one?

 Task 6. Listen again and complete the phrases that Samira uses in column A

                                                           A                                       B

1.      ________the deadline      = finish on time

2.      Fall__________________ schedule          = make slow progress

3.      Catch  __________________        = make up lost time

4.      Be back __________________ track        = return to the original schedule

5.      Finish __________________ schedule     = finish before the planned date

6.      __________________ resources = make use of people, money and time

7.      Stay __________________ budget           = spend the right amount of money

8.      __________________ tasks          = give people different responsibilities

9.      Get __________________ with a task      =  do a job

10.  __________________ updates     = receive reports on progress

Task 7. Work with a partner. Take turns to cover the phrases in column A while your partner tests you using the definitions in column B.

Example:   A How can you say finish on time'?

                   B 'Meet the deadline'?     A Yes.

Task 8. Put the letters in brackets in the correct order to make words that match the definitions.

1.      something available to exploit and use: ________________________  (ESCRORUSE)

2.      timetable of activities: ________________________  (CSEHDLUE)

3.      news on how something is progressing: ________________________ (UTEPAD)

4.      money spending plan: ________________________ (BDTUGE)

5.      the last day for finishing a piece of work or project: ________________________ (ADENDELI)

6.      working together: ________________________ (EAWKTMRO)

7.      practical abilities: ________________________ (LSIKLS)

 

Task 9. Match 1-8 to a-h to make sentences.

1.      It's always difficult to allocate _a_

2.      You need to learn how to delegate   _____

3.      What I like about my boss is she always lets me get  _____  4. We're falling _____

5.      It's difficult to stay within _____

6.      If we continue like this, we should meet _____

7.      Hi, Melinda, it's Hanna, I need to get an _____

8.      I'm sure we'll be able to catch _____

a.        A resources – skilled staff  are it short supply

b.        behind schedule, so we all need to work this weekend.

c.        update on how the project is progressing. 

d.        tasks - you can't possibly do everything yourself.

e.        up - there are three more weeks left.

f.         on with my work on my own. 

g.        budget - we always overspend.

h.        the deadline without too much trouble

 

Practically speaking  I  How to give short answers

 

Task 10. Match the questions to the short answers.

1.                   Are you back on track again?        a)  Yes, I did

2.                   Did you email me the schedule? b)Yes, OK

3.                   Have you returned your feedback?          c) No, not yet

4.                   Can we meet for an update?        d) Yes, I am

 Task 11. Add these sentences after the short answers in Task 5. Then listen to the four conversations and check your answers.

1.      In fact, the whole project is ahead of schedule now. __

2.      Sorry, but I've been really busy this week.___

3.      I'll come to your office right now. ___

4.      Can we meet for an update?___

 

Home task:   _Home task:   Scan QR-code and do the Task. 

 

Glossary 

 

▪  assignment /ә’sainmәnt/ (n) a piece of work that sb is given to do, usually as part of their job

▪  bored  (adj) if you are bored of sth, you have lost interest in it so that you do not want to do it, have it, etc. any more

▪  boring(adj) not interesting; making you feel tired and impatient

▪  department(n) a section of a large organization such as a business, government, university, etc.

▪  do exercise (phrase) to take part in physical activity in order to stay healthy or become stronger

▪  do overtime (phrase) to work extra time in addition to your normal hours at work

▪  employee /im’plᴐii:/ (n) a person who is paid to work for sb

▪  excited /Ik’saitid/ (adj) feeling or showing happiness and enthusiasm

▪  exciting  (adj) causing great interest, happiness, or enthusiasm

▪  fascinating /’fæsineitiƞ/ (adj) extremely interesting and attractive

▪  flexitime (n) a system in which employees work a particular number of hours each week or month, but can choose when they start and finish work each day

▪  human resources  (n) the department in a company that deals with employing and training people

▪  make progress  (phrase) to improve or develop

▪  make time (phrase) to make time available to do sth

▪  make useful contacts (phrase) to meet people who could be helpful to you in your business

▪  overtime (n) extra time that you work in addition to your normal hours at work

▪  paid leave (n) a period of time when you are allowed to be away from work and you are paid as usual

▪  politely  (adv) in a way that shows good manners and respect for the feelings of others

▪  progress  (n) the process of improving or developing

▪  relaxing  (adj) helping you to rest and become less anxious

▪  take holiday (phrase) [BrE] to be away from work for a period of time with permission, in order to have a holiday / vacation

▪  take paid leave  (phrase) to be away from work for a period of time, for example for a holiday / vacation, when you have permission and are being paid as usual

▪  take time off  (phrase) to be away from work for a period of time with permission

▪  tiring (adj) making you feel tired; making you feel that you need to sleep or rest

▪  work flexitime  (phrase) to work using a system in which you do a particular number of hours each week or month, but can choose when you start and finish each day

▪  work from home (phrase) to do your job in your own house rather than travel to an office to work

 

 

Для викладача:

 

Starting point Do the first question with the whole class. Give them cues if they are  hesitant: What do you need to do before starting a project? Should you do anything  while the project is in progress? What would be useful to do after a project?  

 

Task.1. What do you know about any charities and how they work with companies. Make sure they understand to volunteer / a volunteer / volunteerism. Some information they may come up with: 

•  different types of charities – medical, social, educational, international, national, local  

•  how charities raise money – donations, events  

•  who might need help from charities – those in poverty, those displaced due to a natural disaster  

•  how many people work for them / volunteer for them.

 

Task.2. T, F, T, F.

 

Task 4. Replace the words in italics with a word in bold from the text in Activity 2.

1.      Can you email the plan of all the work you have to do and the key dates? __schedule_______

2.      We only have a limited amount of money available for the project.  ___ ___budget____

3.      The main problem is that no one knows what anyone else is doing. We need a situation where everyone works togetherfor this project to succeed.  ____ teamwork ____

4.      Could you send me regular reports with the most recent information about our progress? __ updates  

5.      We have to finish the project by a certain point in time.   ___deadline_____

6.      This project has three main things we are trying to achieve.   _ __ objectives ____

7.      I really feel we are making progress now because today we completed a very important stage in the project.  _____ milestone _______

8.      The reason we're behind schedule is because I don't have all the supplies and human expertise that I requested at the beginning. ____resourses_______.

 

 Task 6. Complete the phrases that Samira uses in column A

                                                             A                                                                           B

1.      _meet___the deadline            = finish on time

2.      Fall____behind__________ schedule             = make slow progress

3.      Catch  ____up____________             = make up lost time

4.      Be back _____on__________ track   = return to the original schedule

5.      Finish ______ahead of____ schedule = finish before the planned date

6.      _____allocate__________ resources = make use of people, money and time

7.      Stay ____within___________ budget             = spend the right amount of money

8.      __________delegate________ tasks = give people different responsibilities

9.      Get ________on________ with a task           =  do a job

10.  _________get_________ updates     = receive reports on progress

 

Task 9. 1a, 2d, 3f, 4b, 5g, 6h, 7c, 8e

 

Task 10. 1d, 2a, 3c, 4b

 

Task 11. 1d, 2c, 3b, 4a