assemble sth. [E(semb&l] etw. zusammensetzen, montieren
component [kEm(pEUnEnt] Bauteil
forklift truck [)fO:klIft (trʌk] Gabelstapler
raw material [)rO: mE(tIEriEl] Rohware, -material
robotic arm [rEU)bQtIk (A:m] Roboterarm
stage [steIdZ] Phase2/2014 http://www.business-spotlight.de 47Pia:So, this is where our products are
made. First, the raw materialsare
brought here, and then, they are
assembledby the robotic armover
there. Would you like to hold this part?
You’ll be surprised at how light it is.
Sam:Wow! That islight.
Pia:So, do you have any questions be-
fore we move on?
Sam: Yes, how do these parts get
moved on from here?
Pia: That’s a good question, Sam.
These smaller componentsare taken
by forklift truckto the next stageof
production over there. After they’ve
been put together, they are transport-
ed to the logistics centre before they
are sent out. Would you like to see
the logistics centre now?
Sam:Sure! This is all very eye-opening
and it’s certainly helping me to see
how my company can fit into your
processes.Here are the answers to the three ques-
tions that we asked at the start:nPia begins by telling Sam what to ex-
pect. She has planned the tour careful-
ly before starting.
nIt is often more important to talk
about what is done than to name all the
colleagues who do the work.
nPia involves Sam by asking him ques-
tions and getting him to try things.Preparing for a visit
nWhere will you take your visitor
and what will you explain? Have
a plan and communicate it.
nLook up any vocabulary you
might need to describe specific
processes. Or ask a colleague
who may already know.
nThink about whether it is more
important to describe the pro-
cesses or to name the people
who perform the work.
nPlan questions and activities in
order to involve your visitor.Useful phrases for showing
someone arounda) Giving an overview
nIt’s great to have you here with us today,
Sam.
nFor the next 30 minutes, I’ll be showing
you around our office / department / the
main factory area / the logistics centre.
nIs there something specific you are inter-
ested in seeing?b) Focusing on who does the work
nThat’s Peter over there. He takes care of
the incoming deliveries.
nOur department coordinates the deliver-
ies of parts.
nSusan, next to Peter, organizes the out-
going shipments.c) Focusing on the work that is done
nThis is where our products are made.
nThe raw materials are brought here.
nThen, they are assembled by a robotic
arm.d) Involving your visitor
nWould you like to hold/try/touch/smell
this?
nDo you have any questions before we
move on?
nWould you like to see the logistics cen-
tre now?e) Dealing with questions
nThat’s a good question.
nI’m sorry, I don’t know, but I’ll find out
for you.
nI’m sure Dr Schmidt will know the an-
swer to that question. Let’s go and ask
him, shall we?
nI’m afraid I can’t say. That’s a company
secret. I hope you understand.Find related exercises on this topic
in Business Spotlight plusplusGrammar: passive forms, modal verbs
When describing processes, it can be helpful to use passive forms— partic-
ularly when we want to focus on actions rather than on who performs them.
If we want to say who performs the actions, we can add “by...” at the end of
the sentence:
nThis is where our products are made.
nThe raw materials are brought here by...
nThen, they are assembledby the robotic arm over there.You can use modal verbsto warn visitors about dangerous areas and ma-
chines, or important rules:
nYou need toput on these protective shoes.
nWe all have towear lab coats.
nYou mustn’tgo outside these yellow lines.MIKE HOGANis a director of York As-
sociates (www.york-associates.co.uk),
and a coursebook author. Contact:
[email protected]46-47 Easy English 2_14 14.01.14 13:48 Seite 47