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Listen, watch and learn: [|Money issues] [|Short stories]: listen and do the additional exercises

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Bridging the gap between cultures: TIPS Donnell King suggests some general guidelines for bridging the gap between different cultures:
 * //Seek information about the culture.// Knowledge is power. Prejudice stems from ignorance…do your homework, don't make assumptions.
 * //Be other-oriented.// As Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, we're not in Kansas anymore. You can no longer rely on the assumptions of your own cultural heritage. This is not to tear down the value of your own culture; it is to make you aware of the richness that is available to you in other viewpoints. This also does not mean to try to be something you are not. It does mean allowing the other to be whomever s/he is rather than who you think that person should be.
 * //Ask questions.// Be prepared to share information about yourself, and be sensitive in the way you ask (you don't want to be perceived as prying). But open communication helps in reducing the uncertainty that is present in any relationship.
 * //Develop mindfulness.// This is another way of saying "be aware." Acknowledge that there is a connection between thoughts and deeds, and become aware of your own thinking and assumptions. Be conscious. Be active, not reactive. Be aware of your own self-talk.
 * //Develop flexibility.//
 * //Tolerate ambiguity.// Communicating with someone from another culture produces uncertainty, which can be uncomfortable. Learn to tolerate the discomfort until you come out on the other side.
 * //Avoid negative judgments.// Resist thinking that your culture has all the answers. It has its strengths; so do other cultures.

The Moose
I shot a moose, once. I was hunting up-state New York, and I shot a moose, and I strap him on to the fender of my car, and I'm driving home along the west side highway, but what I didn't realize was, that the bullet did not penetrate the moose. It just creased the scalp, knocking him unconscious. And I'm driving through the Holland tunnel - the moose woke up. So I'm driving with a live moose on my fender. The moose is signaling for a turn, y'know. There's a law in New York state against driving with a conscious moose on your fender, tuesday, thursday and saturday. And I'm very panicky, and then it hits me: some friends of mine is having a costume party. I'll go, I'll take the moose, I'll ditch him at the party. It wouldn't be my responsibillity. So I drive up to the party and I knock on the door. The moose is next to me. My host comes to the door. I say "Hello. You know the Solomons". We enter. The moose mingles. Did very well. Scored. Two guys were trying to sell him insurance for an hour and a half. Twelve o'clock comes - they give out prices for the best costume of the night. First price goes to the Burcowiches, a maried couple dressed as a moose. The moose comes in second. The moose is furious. He and the Burcowiches lock antlers in the living room. They knock each other unconscious. Now, I figured, is my chance. I grab the moose, strap him onto my fender, and shoot back to the roads, but - I got the Burcowiches. So I'm driving along with two jewish people on my fender, and there's a law in New York State ... tuesdays, thursdays and especially saturday. The following morning the Burcowiches wake up in the woods, in a moose suit. Mr. Burcowich is shot, stuffed and mounted - at the New York Athletic Club, and the joke is on them, because it's restricted.

MEETINGS Interruptions - script

Agenda setting - script
 * Sean: || **First of all,** the book re-launch. I just wanted to remind everybody that we will be re-launching the fairy-tales range with new modern covers, and that this is going to happen at the beginning of next month. It's important that we get this right and there have been quite a few… ||
 * John: || Actually Sean, **can I just ask you** – **so****rry to hold the meeting up** – can I ask you about those dates, because I thought that this was going to be published the month after next, and I understand that everybody has got their dates, but **I do feel quite strongly** that we’re bringing this out too soon. ||
 * Sean: || Well, **any other thoughts** before I comment on that? ||
 * Carrie: || **I don’t think we’ve got any choice at all** about it. If the radio programmes are going out at the beginning of next month, we’ve got to launch the book at the same time if we’re going to have any sales impact. ||

NEGOTIATIONS - TRICKY CONVERSATIONS - tapescript Negotiations2 - tapescript
 * Sarah: || **Right then,** Alex, **let’s get down to business**. **On the agenda today** for our public relations meeting are the research project, the launch of the website, the timeline for press releases, and the secretary of the year award. Are you quite happy with those points? ||
 * Alex: || Yeah, that’s fine. If you could **go through them in order,** that’d be great. ||
 * Clip 2 ||  ||
 * Alex: || Okay everybody, thanks for coming. Let's keep this meeting fairly brief, really just a couple of things on the agenda. First of all, as you can see, the news on the book re-launch; and secondly, the office move; and finally, we'll have a little bit of time for any other business. ||
 * Alex: || Okay everybody, thanks for coming. Let's keep this meeting fairly brief, really just a couple of things on the agenda. First of all, as you can see, the news on the book re-launch; and secondly, the office move; and finally, we'll have a little bit of time for any other business. ||
 * Sean: || Okay, well, **I’m not going to get into a discussion** **about** who deserved to get the job. **Clearly**, the person who was appointed was the right person for the job. **What you need to do** is look at your work and what you’re doing and where that’s taking you in your career. **But bearing in mind** that you are still employed to do a job and **I expect you to** do that job with a certain attitude. You’re meeting members of the public quite regularly - **it’s important that you** aren’t unhappy, or at least that you don’t show it. This meeting is really just to let you know **I’m not happy with the effort that you’ve made...** ||
 * Michelle: || Okay … ||
 * Sean: || … and **I really want to see some improvement**. **I know it’s difficult.** I know that it’s depressing not to get a job, but **you’ve got to snap out of it**, you’ve got to get on with the job that you’re doing now. ||

Asking for a Pay Rise
 * Sean: || Michelle, can I have a word please, in my office? Now then. I won’t take long about this, **I’ll come straight to the point**. We had a chat... ||
 * Michelle: || Yeah. ||
 * Sean: || At that point, **I wasn’t particularly happy with** the way that you were behaving in the office, the way that you were being uncooperative, a little bit surly with people. And since then, **frankly**, **I’ve seen very little change.** ||
 * Michelle: || Well, I mean, I think I’ve made an effort, trying to be helpful like I normally am with people, and I feel that I’m still doing my job - not that the job’s very interesting. I think it’s become less interesting since Sarah got the promotion. I think she’s getting some more of the interesting work. ||
 * Sean: || Okay, **well I’m afraid that,** **despite what you say**, it hasn’t come across. **I don’t want to jump to any conclusions,** but you have taken quite a bit of time off … and … ||
 * Michelle: || Yeah, but you’re allowed to take leave, aren’t you? ||
 * Sean: || You are allowed to take leave. Hopefully you come back from leave refreshed and you leave your problems at home. ||


 * Abigail: || Hi, are you free for a quick chat? ||
 * Mark: || Sure, come in, come in. Sit down. What can I do for you? ||
 * Abigail: || Okay. Well, **it’s a bit difficult, but …** **I really feel** **that it’s about time** that I had a pay rise. ||
 * Mark: || Okay and why do you feel like that? ||
 * Abigail: || Well, I have been here now for three years and in that time **I have made good progress**. **I really feel that I’ve grown in the job** and **I’ve** **taken on a lot more responsibility.** I just think **it’s time that it was recognised** and that **my efforts were rewarded**. ||
 * Mark: || Right. So you feel that you’re on a low salary for your current position and current responsibilities, do you? ||
 * Abigail: || Yeah, **I do believe that** what I’ve contributed to the department over recent months means that I should be paid more. ||
 * Mark: || Okay, well, what kind of rise would you be looking for? ||
 * Abigail: || Well, you know, I think that 3% on top of the usual annual rise with inflation **isn’t too much to ask.** ||
 * Mark: || Three per cent... Hmm. Right, well, as you know, I can’t just give you a pay rise immediately, just like that. I’ll have to discuss it with the other managers here. And, as you can imagine, there aren’t unlimited funds available for things like this. But you might be pleased to hear that we are having a pay review meeting very soon and I’ll make sure we discuss your request then. ||
 * Abigail: || Okay, fine. **Should I put this request in writing** as well? So we all have a record of this discussion? ||
 * Mark: || Yes, that’d be a good idea. Email me and also copy it to human resources. ||

AOB tapescript
 * Angela: || Hello, I’m Angela, I’m the customer services manager. Would you like to come with me and come and take a seat and **you can explain to me what actually is the problem**? ||
 * Alison: || Okay, okay, fine. ||
 * Angela: || **Can I take your name?** ||
 * Alison: || Yes, my name’s Alison. ||
 * Angela: || Okay. Alison, if you’d like to make yourself comfortable. As I said, I am the customer services manager and I’d like to help you. **I understand you** **are having a few** **problems. Would you like to just explain from the beginning what’s** **happened?** ||
 * Alison: || Well, yes. I’ve just come back from one of your holidays. I went to Crete, in Greece, got back last week and the whole thing was a disaster. ||
 * Angela: || Would you like to just explain from the beginning what’s happened? ||
 * Alison: || Well, yes. To start with, when we got to the airport in, in Crete, we had a two-hour wait on the coach, I think there was a delayed flight or something, and… and… ||
 * Angela: || …Right, that’s quite possible… ||
 * Alison: || …Yes… And I just can’t work out why you didn’t take us to our hotel and then come back to the airport to pick up the people from the delayed flight. ||
 * Angela: || Right, **I’m sorry for that wait**. **I don’t know what the problem was**. You mentioned a delayed flight there. **As you can imagine**, you probably weren’t the only family on the coach waiting, and to ferry people to and from resort to the airport would have been a lot of extra work and they like to try and keep everybody together who are going on the same flight. **I can actually look into that for you …** ||
 * Clip 2 ||
 * Karen: || Hello! ||
 * Mark: || Hello, can I speak to despatch, please? ||
 * Karen: || You’re through to despatch. ||
 * Mark: || Right. Well, I phoned two days ago to say that I hadn’t received delivery of my order and I’m ringing again to say it still hasn’t arrived. ||
 * Karen: || Can I just take your name please? ||
 * Mark: || Yes, it’s Mark Anderson. ||
 * Karen: || Ah! I think there’s been a problem with that order, Mr Anderson. ||
 * Mark: || What kind of problem? ||
 * Karen: || Oh, I don’t know offhand. **Let me check for you.** Yes, part of the order didn’t arrive here at the depot, so I couldn’t send it out until we’d received everything. ||
 * Mark: || Well, surely that was your problem to sort out without my having to call you back - again. I did phone and draw your attention to this a couple of days ago. Look, I placed this order weeks ago. I'm sorry, it’s just not good enough. ||
 * Karen: || Yeah, **I’m sorry about this, Mr Anderson. I’m sorry for the inconvenience,** but **I can assure you** we’ll do everything we can to send it out to you today. ||


 * Sean: || Okay - **any other business**? ||
 * Will: || Yes, **I would like to say something**. An illustrator came in last week, and I think she's very good and it would be wise to put her on our books. ||
 * Sean: || … okay … ||
 * Will: || I would like to be able to show her drawings and her portfolio in the next couple of days. **If that’s all right...** ||
 * All: || **That sounds good**… ||
 * Sean: || Yes, I'll look forward to seeing those. Right, I think **that’s probably about it,** but **anybody got anything else that they** **desperately want to raise** **before we wrap up**? ||
 * All: || Nope. ||
 * Sean: || No? Okay. We'll be having another meeting, but **there are a couple of conflicts in the diary** so I think the best thing is if I email the date of the next meeting. ||