Pay – Human Resources vocabulary mind map 4

Posted on by Stratford Teachers

This is the fourth Louise‘s series of Human Resources vocabulary mind maps.

The first one focused on people and places; the second on strategy and policy. The third had vocabulary for talking about employee relations. This one is about that most important subject: pay.

You can see the mind map on Popplet or download a pdf.

Once you have studied the mind map, you can test yourself with the activity in the second part of this blog post.

Test yourself

How well do you know the words in the mind map? Test yourself with this activity. The answers are at the end of this blog post.

Don’t forget you can use a dictionary to help you. The Cambridge English Dictionary has a special business English section.

Activity

Choose the correct word/s to for each definition.

1.  a fixed amount of money that you earn each month or year from your job

wage / salary / pay

2. pay that does not change even if conditions change

basic wage/ flat rate / hourly rate

3. an extra amount of money that you earn in your job every time you sell a product or get a new customer

bonus / incentive / commission

4. pay that increases when you are successful at your job and that goes down when you are not successful

performance-related pay/ incentive / expenses

5. the total amount before taxes or costs have been taken out

basic salary / gross salary / annual salary

6. something that an employee receives from the company they work for, other than their usual pay, for example a car or health insurance

fringe benefit / piece work / benefit in kind

7. an extra amount of pay given to someone because they work in an expensive area such as a big city

weighting / expenses / minimum wage

 

 

 

Answers

1. a fixed amount of money that you earn each month or year from your job = salary / pay

2. pay that does not change even if conditions change = flat rate / basic wage

3. an extra amount of money that you earn in your job every time you sell a product or get a new customer = commission

4. pay that increases when you are successful at your job and that goes down when you are not successful = performance-related pay

5. the total amount before taxes or costs have been taken out = gross salary / annual salary

6. something that an employee receives from the company they work for, other than their usual pay, for example a car or health insurance = benefit in kind / fringe benefit

7. an extra amount of pay given to someone because they work in an expensive area such as a big city = weighting

 

 

 

Did you find this useful? Download a pdf of the mind map.

There are lots more HR vocabulary mind maps to come. We will add a new one soon

If you can’t wait until then, check the website again soon for extra activities using the words from this mind map.

 

There are lots more mind maps on the Stratford Teachers blog.

Employee Relations – Human resources vocabulary 3

People and places – Human resources vocabulary 1

Strategy and policy – Human resources vocabulary 2

Telephone vocabulary

Lose your job

Internet vocabulary

Trade vocabulary

If you have any questions about the mind map, leave a comment below.

Do you need to develop your business English vocabulary? Send us a message.

 

 

Fireside Tales – Chapter Six

Posted on by Stratford Teachers

It’s here! We’ve arrived at the sixth and final part of Simon and Penguin’s Fireside Tales.

You can find chapter one here, chapter two here, chapter three here,chapter four here and chapter five here. If you haven’t watched them yet, it won’t take you long to catch up.

You can download the transcript with a glossary so you can follow as you listen. After you have watched the video, use the quiz to test your understanding.

In chapter five, Simon explained how biologist Edward Wilson and his companions Bowers and Garrard carried three precious penguin eggs 108 kilometres back through the Antarctic winter and arrived safety at their base camp. Although it was the end of the ‘worst Journey in the world’, it wasn’t quite the end of the story. In chapter six, Simon tells what happened next.

Chapter Six – Bringing the Story Up-To-Date

Quiz

How well did you understand the story so far?

Try and answer these questions. You can watch the video again.

1. Only one person survived the “worst journey” and returned safely to Britain. Who was it?

  1. Cherry Garrard
  2. Roald Amundsen
  3. Edward Wilson
  4. Henry Bowers

2. Cherry Garrard reached the South Pole.

  1. True
  2. False

3. Penguins are the evolutionary link between dinosaurs and birds.

  1. True
  2. False

4. Emperor Penguins are safe because they live a long way from humans.

  1. True
  2. False

 

DOWNLOAD  Transcript and glossary (pdf)

DOWNLOAD  Quiz (pdf)

 

 

Answers

1a, 2b, 3b, 4b

 

 

We hope you enjoyed this Fireside Tale. We are hard at work on the next series and expect to start publishing it near the end of the year.

If you have any thoughts or questions, please use the comment box below and send us a message. We are always interested to hear from you.

 

Fireside Tales – Chapter Five

Posted on by Stratford Teachers

Here is part five part of Simon and Penguin’s Fireside Tales.

You can find chapter one here, chapter two here, chapter three here and chapter four here.

You can download the transcript with a glossary so you can follow as you listen. After you have watched the video, use the quiz to test your understanding.

At the end of chapter four, biologist Edward Wilson and his companions Bowers and Garrard had completed their 108 kilometre trek through the Antarctic winter to visit an Emperor Penguin colony. They had collected five penguin eggs for scientific study but, as they climbed back to their camp, Garrard slipped and fell. Watch chapter five to find out what happened next.

Chapter Five- Fight for Survival

Watch Chapter Six or try the quiz.

Quiz

How well did you understand the story so far?

Try and answer these questions. You can watch the video again.

1. The explorers collected five eggs. Why did they return with only three?

  1. Garrard broke two when the storm destroyed the hut
  2. Garrard ate two eggs during the storm
  3. Garrard broke two when he fell over
  4. The storm blew two eggs away

2. What did the explorers lose because of the storm?

  1. The tent
  2. Part of the cooker
  3. Many of their teeth
  4. Two of the penguin eggs

3. Why was it difficult to use the damaged cooker?

  1. Because Bowers fell into a crevasse
  2. Because they had left one sledge at the hut
  3. Because they were moving faster
  4. Because of the frostbite risk

4. Why was the sky brighter in the middle of the day?

  1. Because snow conditions were better
  2. Because temperatures were higher on the sea ice
  3. Because the sun was nearer to appearing above the horizon

5. If the explorers had not found their tent, they would have died.

  1. True
  2. False

 

DOWNLOAD  Transcript and glossary (pdf)

DOWNLOAD  Quiz (pdf)

 

 

Answers

1c, 2b, 3d, 4c, 5a

 

 

Watch Chapter Six.

 

Fireside Tales – Chapter Four

Posted on by Stratford Teachers

It’s time for the fourth part of Simon and Penguin’s Fireside Tales.

If you haven’t seen the first three chapters, you can catch up in less than ten minutes. You can find chapter one here, chapter two here and chapter three here.

As always, you can download the transcript with a glossary so you can follow as you listen. After you have watched the video, use the quiz to test your understanding.

Chapter three concluded with biologist Edward Wilson and his two companions standing on the edge a huge crevasse. How can they get past in order to continue their journey to the Emperor Penguin colony? Watch chapter four to find out.

Chapter Four- At the Colony

Watch Chapter Five or try the quiz.

Quiz

How well did you understand the story so far?

Try and answer these questions. You can watch the video again.

1. The last 35 kilometres were especially difficult because…

  1. the volcanoes were in the way
  2. there were only about 100 penguins
  3. it was dark all the time
  4. they had to find a way past very big cracks in the ice

2. Why were the penguins standing close together?

  1. To protect against the cold
  2. Because they were afraid of the explorers
  3. To protect against predators
  4. To pose for selfies

3. Why did the explorers give up on their first attempt to reach the colony?

  1. There were too many crevasses
  2. They were attacked by an Orca
  3. The penguin eggs were too big to carry
  4. They could not climb down a cliff

4. Why do the penguins keep their eggs on their feet?

  1. The eggs are too big to sit on
  2. To keep the eggs warm
  3. To protect the eggs from predators
  4. Because the female birds are far away at sea

5. The male penguins do not eat for two months as they incubate the eggs.

  1. True
  2. False

 

DOWNLOAD  Transcript and glossary (pdf)

DOWNLOAD  Quiz (pdf)

 

 

Answers

1d, 2a, 3d, 4b, 5a

 

 

Watch Chapter Five.

 

Employee relations – Human Resources vocabulary mind map 3

Posted on by Stratford Teachers

This is the third of Louise‘s Human Resources vocabulary mind maps.

The first one focused on people and places and the second on strategy and policy. This one is all about employee relations.

You can see the mind map on Popplet or download a pdf.

Once you have studied the mind map, you can test yourself with the activity in the second part of this blog post.

Test yourself

How well do you know the words in the mind map? Test yourself with this activity. The answers are at the end of this blog post.

Don’t forget you can use a dictionary to help you. The Cambridge English Dictionary has a special business English section.

Activity

Choose the correct word/phrase to complete each sentence.

1.  The ___________ are everyone who has an interest in the company. That includes ___________ , shareholders and customers.

stakeholders / employer’s association / employee forum / staff

2. “I heard James is claiming unfair dismissal at the ___________ .”
“Really? I know he was having problems with his manager.”

arbitration / employment tribunal / management board

3. Talks ended in ___________ again today, so the union has asked for arbitration.

strike / picket / deadlock

4. Some companies have ___________ to help improve communication between management and the workforce.

conciliation / works councils / grievance procedures

5. We have a ___________ in our company. That means everyone has to join the union.

closed shop / employee forum / no-union agreement

6. “Have you ever been on strike?”
“No, but we had a month of ___________ last year which meant we only did exactly what was in our contracts.”

blockade / work to rule / cooling-off period

7. ___________  is what some people call workers who cross a picket line to go to work.

negotiator / blackleg / shop steward

8. If you arrive late again, you’ll get a ___________ because you’ve already had a verbal reprimand.

strike / claim / written warning

9. “Are you a ___________  of a trade union?”
“No, we don’t have an official union at work and I’ve never bothered to join.”

member / staff / strikebreaker

10. There’s been a change in the ___________ , so we need to make sure we comply with it.

employment law / work to rule / picket

 

 

 

Answers

1. The stakeholders are everyone who has an interest in the company. That includes staff, shareholders and customers.

2. “I heard James is claiming unfair dismissal at the employment tribunal.”
“Really? I know he was having problems with his manager.”

3. Talks ended in deadlock again today, so the union has asked for arbitration.

4. Some companies have works councils to help improve communication between management and the workforce.

5. We have a closed shop in our company. That means everyone has to join the union.

6. “Have you ever been on strike?”
“No, but we had a month of work to rule last year which meant we only did exactly what was in our contracts.”

7. Blackleg is what some people call workers who cross a picket line to go to work.

8. If you arrive late again, you’ll get a written warning because you’ve already had a verbal reprimand.

9. “Are you a member of a trade union?”
“No, we don’t have an official union at work and I’ve never bothered to join.”

10. There’s been a change in the employment law, so we need to make sure we comply with it.

 

 

Did you find this useful? Download a pdf of the mind map.

There are lots more HR vocabulary mind maps to come. We will add a new one soon

If you can’t wait until then, check the website again soon for extra activities using the words from this mind map.

 

There are lots more mind maps on the Stratford Teachers blog.

People and places – Human resources vocabulary 1

Strategy and policy – Human resources vocabulary 2

Telephone vocabulary

Lose your job

Internet vocabulary

Trade vocabulary

If you have any questions about the mind map, leave a comment below.

Do you need to develop your business English vocabulary? Send us a message.

 

 

Fireside Tales – Chapter Three

Posted on by Stratford Teachers

We are halfway through Simon and Penguin’s Fireside Tales. That means we have arrived at chapter three.

Have you seen the first two chapters? If you haven’t, why not watch them now; they are only three minutes long. You can find chapter one here and chapter two here.

As always, you can download the transcript with a glossary so you can follow as you listen. After you have watched the video, use the quiz to test your understanding.

At the end of chapter two, we left biologist Edward Wilson and his two companions shivering in their tent trying to decide whether or not to continue their journey. Watch chapter three to find out what happened next.

Chapter Three – Trial by Ice

Watch Chapter Four or try the quiz.

Quiz

How well did you understand the story so far?

Try and answer these questions. You can watch the video again.

1. Why did the explorers have to stop so often?

  1. To eat and drink
  2. Because they were lost
  3. To take action to stop frostbite
  4. To rest

2. Why did Garrard have problems with his vision?

  1. Because he was snow-blind
  2. Because he couldn’t wear his spectacles due to condensation from his breathing
  3. He was short-sighted
  4. The ice on his face got in the way

3. How many hours did they travel each day?

  1. Nine
  2. Seven
  3. Eight
  4. Two or three

4. In a blizzard, what happened to the temperature?

  1. It decreased slightly
  2. It fluctuated between -40°C and -61°C
  3. It increased a little
  4. It went up a lot

5. The explorers slept well during the journey.

  1. True
  2. False

 

DOWNLOAD  Transcript and glossary (pdf)

DOWNLOAD  Quiz (pdf)

 

 

Answers

1c, 2b, 3c, 4d, 5b

 

 

Watch Chapter Four.

 

Fireside Tales – Chapter Two

Posted on by Stratford Teachers

It’s time for chapter two of Fireside Tales.

If you missed chapter one, you can catch up here.

Don’t forget, you can also download the transcript with a glossary so you can follow as you listen. After you have watched the video, use the quiz to test your understanding.

In chapter one, we learned the background to the ‘worst journey in the world’. In chapter two, Simon and Penguin begin the story of how the three explorers walked across Antarctica in the winter of 1911.

 

Chapter Two – The Journey Begins

Watch Chapter Three or try the quiz.

Quiz

How well did you understand the story so far?

Try and answer these questions. You can watch the video again.

1. When do emperor penguins lay their eggs?

  1. Early spring
  2. The middle of winter
  3. Autumn / fall

2. Why did Dr Wilson decide to walk to the penguin colony?

  1. Because sea ice made travel by ship impossible at this time of year
  2. Because there were no aircraft
  3. Because he needed the exercise
  4. Because he didn’t want to frighten the penguins

3. Why did Dr Wilson take two companions on the trip?

  1. To help him pull the sledges
  2. Because he was lonely

4. Which one of these sources of light did they not have during the trip?

  1. Direct sunlight
  2. Starlight and moonlight
  3. Torches
  4. Candles and matches
  5. The Aurora

5. The explorers were optimistic about reaching the penguin colony.

  1. True
  2. False

 

DOWNLOAD  Transcript and glossary (pdf)

DOWNLOAD  Quiz (pdf)

 

 

Answers

1b, 2a, 3a, 4ac, 5b

 

 

Watch Chapter Three.

 

Strategy and policy – Human Resources vocabulary mind map 2

Posted on by Stratford Teachers

Here is the second of Louise‘s Human Resources vocabulary mind maps.

The first one focused on people and places. This one is all about the vocabulary of strategy and policy.

You can see the mind map on Popplet or download a pdf.

Once you have studied the mind map, you can test yourself with the activity in the second part of this blog post.

Test yourself

How well do you know the words in the mind map? Test yourself with this activity. The answers are at the end of this blog post.

Don’t forget you can use a dictionary to help you. The Cambridge English Dictionary has a special business English section.

Activity

Choose the correct word/phrase to complete each sentence.

1.  The ___________ in our company needs improving. It’s really difficult to share information.

knowledge management   /   job evaluation  /  rationalization

2. HR wants to improve ___________ with more team building!

absenteeism  /  staff turnover  /  staff retention

3. The ___________ have gone up because of the success in Europe.

headcount  /  natural wastage  /  workforce levels

4. Our latest ___________ campaign involves creating support networks for women because they are under-represented in managerial roles.

restructuring   /  succession planning  /  equal opportunities

5. Due to the merger, some roles are duplicated so there will have to be ___________ .

outsourcing  /  redeployments   /   subcontracting

6. When people are made redundant, good employers provide ___________ services which help people find new jobs.

redundancy   /   severance  /  outplacement

7. The company wants to offer a more flexible career path so it is advertising  ___________ to encourage movement between countries.

transfers  /  an expatriate programme /  promotions

8. Some companies use ___________ to find new solutions to problems.

suggestion schemes   /   outsourcing  /  affirmative action

9. “Have you heard? The managing director has decided to take ___________.” “Really? He’s only in his fifties!”

voluntary redundancy  /  early retirement  /  compulsory redundancy

10. “What’s the ___________?” “It’s the invisible barrier to women getting senior management positions.”

quota   /  golden hello  /   glass ceiling

 

 

 

Answers

1. The knowledge management in our company needs improving. It’s really difficult to share information.

2. HR wants to improve staff retention with more team building!

3. The workforce levels have gone up because of the success in Europe.

4. Our latest equal opportunities campaign involves creating support networks for women because they are under-represented in managerial roles.

5. Due to the merger, some roles are duplicated so there will have to be redeployments.

6. When people are made redundant, good employers provide outplacement services which help people find new jobs.

7. The company wants to offer a more flexible career path so it is advertising transfers to encourage movement between countries.

8. Some companies use suggestion schemes to find new solutions to problems.

9. “Have you heard? The managing director has decided to take early retirement.” “Really? He’s only in his fifties!”

10. “What’s the glass ceiling?” “It’s the invisible barrier to women getting senior management positions.”

 

 

Did you find this useful? Download a pdf of the mind map.

There are lots more HR vocabulary mind maps to come. We will add a new one soon

If you can’t wait until then, check the website again soon for extra activities using the words from this mind map.

 

There are lots more mind maps on the Stratford Teachers blog.

People and places – Human resouces vocabulary 1

Telephone vocabulary

Lose your job

Internet vocabulary

Trade vocabulary

If you have any questions about the mind map, leave a comment below.

Do you need to develop your business English vocabulary? Send us a message.

 

 

Fireside Tales – Chapter One

Posted on by Stratford Teachers

Welcome to our new series of videos: Fireside Tales.

It’s the middle of winter here in Europe. The days are dark and cold so it’s a perfect time to sit around the fire and tell stories.

Here, on the Stratford Teachers blog, you can watch the videos and test your listening comprehension.  You can also download the transcript with a glossary so you can follow as you listen.

There are six videos in this series. We will release a new one every few weeks. If you want to know when each new video is ready to watch, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Here is Chapter One of Fireside Tales. Simon tells the story of the events of another winter far away and a long time ago.

Chapter One – The Mission

Watch Chapter Two or try the quiz.

Quiz

How well did you understand the story so far?

Try and answer these questions. You can watch the video again.

1. Where do Emperor Penguins live?

  1. Britain
  2. Russia
  3. Antarctica
  4. The South Atlantic

2. Who was the leader of the 1902 expedition?

  1. Edward Wilson
  2. Emperor Penguin
  3. Robert Scott
  4. A Russian explorer

3. How heavy is an Emperor Penguin?

  1. Up to 130 pounds
  2. Up to 60 kilos
  3. At least 45 kilos
  4. No more than 45 kilos

4. In which year did “the worst journey in the world” happen?

  1. The year 2000
  2. 1911
  3. 1902
  4. 1840

5. Why did Dr Wilson want Emperor Penguin eggs?

  1. To find out how birds evolved from dinosaurs
  2. To complete his egg collection
  3. So that the expedition could have eggs for breakfast
  4. Because he liked penguins

 

DOWNLOAD  Transcript and glossary (pdf)

DOWNLOAD  Quiz (pdf)

 

 

Answers

1c, 2c, 3d, 4b, 5a

Watch Chapter Two.

People and places – Human Resources vocabulary mind map – extra activity

Posted on by Stratford Teachers

When we published our first Human Resources mind map, we also promised an extra activity to help you test yourself and learn the words.

Click on the image below to open the interactive exercise. See if you can classify the words correctly.

You can read the first blog about the People and Places mind map here.

Don’t forget, we have lots more HR mind maps to share with you. So, keep visiting the blog

 

If you have any questions about the mind map or this learning activity, leave a comment below.

Do you need to develop your business English vocabulary? Send us a message.