LCCI International Qualifications
English for Business Level 3
Model Answers Series 3 2011 (3041)
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English for Business Level 3 Series 3 2011
How to use this booklet Model Answers have been developed by EDI to offer additional information and guidance to Centres, teachers and candidates as they prepare for LCCI International Qualifications. The contents of this booklet are divided into 3 elements: (1)
Questions
– reproduced from the printed examination paper
(2)
Model Answers
– summary of the main points that the Chief Examiner expected to see in the answers to each question in the examination paper, plus a fully worked example or sample answer (where applicable)
(3)
Helpful Hints
– where appropriate, additional guidance relating to individual questions or to examination technique
Teachers and candidates should find this booklet an invaluable teaching tool and an aid to success. EDI provides Model Answers to help candidates gain a general understanding of the standard required. The general standard of model answers is one that would achieve a Distinction grade. EDI accepts that candidates may offer other answers that could be equally valid.
© Education Development International plc 2011 All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission of the Publisher. The book may not be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in any form of binding or cover, other than that in which it is published, without the prior consent of the Publisher
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QUESTION 1 Situation You are employed as an administrator in the Human Resources section of DSJ Services, a large company based in the city of Norville. Your department organises many training sessions for your staff. These are often held in various hotels in the area as the company has no suitable facilities on its own premises. Three weeks ago, a training session, “Total Quality Management for Middle Managers” was held at the Station Hotel in Norville and the Manager of the hotel has sent the following letter to your manager, Ms Ivana Krivankova.
STATION HOTEL Central Boulevard, Norville NV7 6PT 2 June 2011 Ms Ivana Krivankova Human Resources Manager DSJ Services Park Street Norville NV2 9FJ Dear Ms Krivankova DSJ Training Session on 16 May 2011 As you will know, your company has used our hotel as a venue for your training sessions. These have always been successful but I must make a number of observations about the event held on 16 May 2011. First, I am sorry to report that the bill for the event has not yet been paid by your company. We allow a discount for your company on the understanding that the bill is paid within seven days but we have yet to receive the remittance. I was disappointed that there did appear to be various problems with your staff on the day of the event. In addition to reporting the non-payment of the bill, I will also mention these other problems. The most serious issue is that one of your staff, a tall young man, was reported as acting in an inappropriate manner. During the lunch break, he was reported as being aggressive to one of our serving staff and he used abusive language. There was also an issue at lunchtime when a member of your staff complained about the lack of a special diabetic menu. Our records indicated that your company had ordered some vegetarian food, which we provided, but there was no record of any food suitable for diabetics being requested. I believe our Catering Manager spoke to you at the time about this. Today, a company for whom we also hosted an event on 16 May 2011 made a return visit and mentioned that it appeared that some of your staff parked their cars in the hotel’s bus parking area when they visited us on 16 May 2011. Consequently, this company’s bus was unable to pick up its passengers at the designated space. We hope that these issues can be resolved before we accept a further booking from you. Yours sincerely
Paulo Moura (Mr) (Hotel Manager)
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QUESTION 1 CONTINUED Ms Krivankova says this to you. “Oh dear! I don’t like receiving letters like this. We have used this hotel a lot in the past and as Paulo suggests, they always give us a good deal. I’d like you to look into the points he makes, but be very tactful in what you say. I’d like to use the Station Hotel again in the future. “Please check with the Finance Department if the bill has been paid. This is nothing to do with our department, but maybe you can find out if there’s been a problem. Now, funnily enough, we must plead “not guilty” to this accusation about a young man and his bad behaviour. I remember that this course was very unusual in that all our staff were women! So it must have been someone from a different company. Oh yes, I do remember speaking to their Catering Manager and he was quite right. One of our staff forgot to mention to us that she needed a special diabetic diet so we didn’t order one. I apologised to her at the time. As to this car park allegation, well, please have a word with a couple of people who were there and see if you can clarify the problem.” You speak to some of the staff who attended this training event but none can remember any issue over parking in a bus space. They did point out that the hotel is not well-endowed with parking spaces. The Finance Manager did apologise. He accepted that because of staff absence, there were delays in the payment of some bills and invoices. Payment has now been made and he has made the assurance that this will not happen again. Task Write the letter as instructed by Ms Krivankova. You can assume that the company’s headed paper will be used. (Total 25 marks)
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MODEL ANSWER TO QUESTION 1 Layout: Business letter conventions used appropriately and consistently. It should be dated and headed appropriately. It is from either the candidate or Ms Krivankova and a job title must be given. The salutation and close must be in agreement, whichever style is used. (5 marks) Mechanical accuracy: Punctuation, grammar, spelling, syntax. Deduct half mark for each separate error. (4 marks) Range and fluency: A wide range of vocabulary is used and structures and forms are appropriate to this level. The letter is non-committal but encouraging. No irrelevant information is given. The ideas are expressed tactfully. Marks awarded 0-4 depending on how far this is achieved. (4 marks) Content: The following points should be raised accurately and appropriately using own words as far as possible for the marks to be gained. thanks for letter regret that there were issues – successful relationship so far regret delay in bill payment problem in Finance Department – now resolved problem with “young man” not our responsibility all delegates women none of our staff recall parking issues but hotel not well served for parking sorry for confusion of diabetic lunch staff member did not order this so “your” catering manager correct in saying it was not ordered suitable close (e.g. hope a good relationship can be restored)
(1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (12 marks) (Total 25 marks)
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A suitable answer would be as follows. Headed Paper Mr Paulo Moura Manager Station Hotel Central Boulevard Norville NV7 6PT 3 June 2011 Dear Mr Moura DSJ Training Session on 10 May 2011 Thank you for your letter. I was sorry to hear that there were various issues concerning the day of the training session as we are regular users of your hotel. Up to now, this has been a very successful relationship. I must apologise about our delay in making the bill payment. There was a problem in the Finance Department which has now been resolved and I can assure you that this will never happen again. I should say that the “young man”, who you say acted inappropriately, was definitely not a member of our staff. All of our delegates on the day in question were women. We are sorry to hear that some of your visitors did not park appropriately. None of our staff recall any issues on the day of the training, although, as you know, your hotel is not well served for parking spaces. However, if our staff visit your hotel in the future, I will emphasise to them the importance of parking correctly in the designated spaces. I must apologise over the confusion over the special diabetic lunch., Our member of staff did not confirm before the event that she required any special food, so your Catering Manager was correct in asserting that this was not ordered. I trust that I have been able to resolve the issues raised and I hope that we can continue our fruitful relationship in the future. Yours sincerely A Candidate A Candidate Human Resources Section
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QUESTION 2 Situation You are employed as an administrator in the offices of HIRA Financial Services, a company that provides investment services for clients in many areas. The company employs 20 Financial Advisors; each holds all the details of their clients’ financial circumstances on their computers. Recently the Company Manager, Mr Carlos Botello, has become concerned about the security of the information held on each client as there have been some well publicised instances of confidential client data being accessed illegitimately by computer “hackers” in other companies. He said this to you. “I’m getting a bit worried. We believe that our computer systems are pretty secure, but could there be a weakness in the passwords that our staff use to access the information? The other day, I asked one of our advisors to get some information for me, and I noticed that his password was “123456”. We’ve gone to the trouble to allow everyone to have a password of six characters but this number must be easy to guess. But the worst thing was that he changed it when I mentioned this – to “HELLO!” Dear me! “I’d like you to have a chat with Ahmed Ali from Ali Security – they’ve helped us a lot in the past. He can tell us what the implications are in choosing the right password. You can also do a survey of staff to check how many are using appropriate passwords. Ahmed can probably make suggestions on how to create a good password. “When you have done your research, please produce a report that can go to the Staff Liaison Committee where we discuss these matters. Produce the report any way you wish, but it would be good to start off with a summary of the passwords staff currently use and then end with recommendations for better practice. Give any other relevant information.” Your notes of the conversation you have with Ahmed Ali are as follows:
Passwords must be taken seriously – criminals can “hack” into your system – maybe from a distance – if your password can be guessed – must use one that can’t be guessed – must not tell anyone else – shouldn’t write it down (unless you hide it well) – most important, don’t forget it! Obvious ones – like 123456, ABCDEF, QWERTY, 111111, etc – easy to type in – but easily guessed – any dictionary words – criminals have sophisticated tools to guess these – many staff use personal details – eg wife or husband’s name – date of birth (eg 070872) – again easily worked out if someone investigates staff. Good passwords: Choose totally random selection of digits – use upper and lower case letters – numbers – even characters like $, %, & - very secure – difficult to remember. Needn’t go so far as this – can choose password that is easy to remember – choose a personal sentence eg “My favourite colour is dark blue” – then use initial letters – but do them backwards, ie bdicfM – maybe use a number eg “Father born 1946” (Fb1946) Most important – change password regularly – easy to do.
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QUESTION 2 CONTINUED As you suspected, most staff went for a password that was easy to remember. Half chose passwords derived from patterns on keyboards, eg “QWERTY” a single letter/number repeated (eg one member of staff chose 777777, as 7 was his “lucky number”). Others chose personal information, such as a name – sometimes their own or that of a relative. One password was “SECURE”! Only four staff chose a random selection of characters, and all four said they wrote them down in order to remember them. Only three advisors changed the passwords regularly. Task Produce the report as requested using any appropriate format. (Total 25 marks)
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MODEL ANSWER TO QUESTION 2 Layout and presentation: ideas grouped into sections with suitable headings ease of reference no irrelevant material
(1) (1) (1) (3 marks)
Mechanical accuracy: Punctuation, grammar, spelling, syntax. Deduct half mark for each separate error. (4 marks) Range and fluency: A wide range of vocabulary is used, text reads fluently and original language is used. Marks awarded 0-4 depending on how far this is achieved. (4 marks) Content: There are four main sections and a maximum of three marks can be awarded for a sensible selection of pertinent material, as follows Current password choice Inappropriate passwords Appropriate passwords Recommendations for password choice A further mark is awarded for an appropriate introduction A further mark is awarded if the order of material, as Instructed, is used (ie starting with current choice of password, ending with recommendations)
(3) (3) (3) (3) (1)
(1)
NB Candidate may combine “appropriate passwords” and “recommendations” and still gain the maximum marks. (14 marks) (Total 25 marks)
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A suitable answer would be as follows. To: Staff Liaison Committee From: A Candidate Date: 3 June 2011 PASSWORD SECURITY Introduction I have been requested by Mr Botello to investigate the passwords used by the company’s financial advisors. I have investigated the issues involved with inappropriate password usage and made suggestions as to how passwords could be improved. Current Password Choice Most staff select a password that is easy to use or remember, rather than one that is secure. Half of staff used passwords devised from keyboard patterns, e.g. QWERTY, 777777. Many staff chose personal details, e.g. family names, dates of birth. Four advisors selected a random selection of digits or characters, and they wrote these down to remember them. Three advisors claimed to change the passwords regularly. Inappropriate Password Choice It is important that an appropriate password is selected as this deters those with criminal intent from “hacking” into the system. Passwords which cause such hackers least difficulties are as follows: Repeated patterns or groups of digits, such as many currently used (e.g. 123456, 111111, QWERTY” etc). Those connected with personal details such as names or dates of birth. Dictionary words as these can be worked out using sophisticated software. Appropriate Passwords The more random the selection of characters, the more difficult it becomes to guess the password. This selection is more random if it uses a range of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols (e.g. $, %, &). All passwords need to be changed regularly. Recommendations for password choice Ideally, a random selection of characters should be used (please see above) but if this is then written down (such passwords are more difficult to remember) it must be kept fully secure. An irregular but not totally random password could be used, which can easily be remembered, e.g. the initial letters of a personal phrase but placed backwards, such as “I love to visit New York” becomes YNvtlI. Numbers can also be included such as “My son is 2 years old”, Msi2yo.
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QUESTION 3 Situation You are employed in the Administration Section of a large company, Foxcroft Systems. The Company Manager, knows that you take an interest in language and communications and says this to you: “I’ve heard a lot about some new ideas concerning “body language”. I know you are knowledgeable about this sort of thing so I’d like you to look into this. Interpreting body language and using it appropriately are both important for our staff so it would be helpful to know of the latest ideas.” You find a useful website, which is given below. You should read this before you answer the questions that follow. Everybody’s Language It is widely known that in any face to face interactions, “body language” is a significant factor in the communication that takes place. This concerns the non-spoken parts of the communication and includes facial expression, gestures and posture. Some of this language can be controlled but much of it is involuntary. Therefore, there are valuable skills to be gained for those in business; it is important that you are able to send a correct message with your own body language but it is also vital that you should be able to interpret other people’s language. If you have not gained either of these skills then the communication taking place might not be fully effective. These two skills are closely linked. If you are able to recognise and control your own body language, you will develop a good understanding of how to interpret the language of others. It is important that one large issue is mentioned at the outset. The vocabulary of gestures differs from country to country, or more particularly from culture to culture. For example, in many cultures the nodding of the head indicates affirmation or agreement, and the shaking of the head from side to side means “no” or disagreement. However, these actions do have the opposite meanings in some places. Therefore in the business world, it is just as important that organisations should ensure that their staff have an understanding of the local language and the culture. As far as your own body language is concerned, the most important fact to remember is that it can draw attention to contradictions. For example, if your spoken language is meant to be assertive, even aggressive, then aspects of your body language, such as involuntary movements of your feet can demonstrate that you are highly anxious or nervous. As long as your communication is open and honest such contradictions will not appear, but you must practice the art of deception! If you realise that your body language and spoken language can be contradictory, then this will assist you in recognising this contradiction in others. Some aspects of this topic are huge areas of psychological study. For example, there is a close link between the way a person looks at someone else “straight in the eye” and how comfortable the speaker is with what he is saying. There is also a widespread belief that “feet are more honest than hands.” Those who have learned a great deal about body language are able to keep the upper half of their bodies under control, particularly the hands. But, particularly when they are seated, their feet are more difficult to control, as indicated earlier. Successful communication plays a major role in the business world. It is easy to overlook the part that body language plays in this.
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Task Answer the following questions, in your own words as far as possible, to demonstrate your understanding of the points raised. (a)
What is meant by the term “body language”?
(3 marks)
(b)
What are the two main reasons why it is important for someone who is involved in business communication to have a knowledge of body language? (2 marks)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
What is meant by “involuntary” body language and how does this differ from “voluntary” body language?
(2 marks)
Why is it important to understand that there is a cultural dimension to the use of body language? What example of such an issue is given in the text?
(5 marks)
What is meant by the phrase “(body language) can draw attention to contradictions”? Give an example of how this can happen.
(4 marks)
What is the link between the feelings of the speaker and the way in which he/she uses eye contact?
(3 marks)
Why is it suggested that “feet are more honest than hands” when body language is observed?
(3 marks)
From your own experience of using or seeing others’ body language, give examples of the use of body language and what it means or indicates.
(3 marks)
(Total 25 marks)
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MODEL ANSWER TO QUESTION 3 Candidates were not asked to write full sentences so any answers that are clear, concise and which give an appropriate response should be rewarded. It is possible that some candidates could be familiar with the subject but these should not have any advantage. The questions allow the candidates to demonstrate their understanding of the content which should, as far as possible, be expressed in their own words. Marks for content should be awarded as follows. Errors in mechanics should be penalised by ½ mark up to the maximum of 50% of the marks for each question, but this should not include penalties for sentence structure when sentences have not been used. (a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
all parts of communication that are seen (1) but not spoken (1) such as the way parts of the face or body move (1)
(3 marks)
first to control their own body language (1) and second to be able to make sense of other peoples’ (1)
(2 marks)
involuntary language – unintentional or accidental (1) voluntary language – done deliberately (1)
(2 marks)
deliberate language or gestures vary in different countries or cultures (1) so it is important that you know about this (1) so that certain actions are not misinterpreted (1) – in the passage, the example given of nodding or shaking the head (1) each can mean “yes” or “no” - in different cultures (1)
(5 marks)
your body language could contradict your spoken language (1) which could cause confusion (1) example given – if spoken language meant to be assertive (1) could be betrayed by body language which shows you are worried or nervous (1)
(4 marks)
(f)
it is suggested that there is a strong association (1) between the confidence a person has in what he/she is saying (1) and how he/she maintains eye (3 marks) contact with the person to whom he/she speaks (1)
(g)
suggested that it is easier to control the language of the upper half of the body (1) than that of the lower half, especially the feet (1) as this can betray the feelings of the speaker (1)
(h)
(3 marks)
there is no “correct” answer. Three marks are available and they should be awarded as follows. 3 marks:
At least two examples are given with a sensible explanation of their meaning.
2 marks:
Two examples are given, but no explanation of meaning is given OR one example is given with a good explanation.
1 mark:
Some understanding is shown – possibly one example given.
0 marks:
No understanding shown – the response does not make sense.
(3 marks)
(Total 25 marks) 3041/3/11/MA
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Suitable responses would be as follows. (a)
Body language involves the non-verbal communication displayed by someone, such as the expression and movement of the face or body.
(b)
First, it is important to control your own body language when giving a message and second, you can then make sense of other peoples’ body language.
(c)
Body language which is produced deliberately is “voluntary”. Sometimes it is produced unintentionally or accidentally, which is said to be “involuntary”.
(d)
Just as spoken language differs in different countries, deliberate body language can vary in different cultures, so it is important to recognise this to avoid misinterpretation or confusion. The example given is that nodding or shaking the head can each mean “yes” or “no” in differing cultures.
(e)
Your body language may not be in agreement with your spoken language, which might cause confusion. In the example given, it is said that if you are trying to be assertive or highly positive, your anxiety or uncertainty could be betrayed by your body language.
(f)
It is suggested that there is a strong association between the confidence a speaker has in what he/she is saying and the level of eye contact he/she retains with the person to whom he/she is speaking.
(g)
It is said that it is easier to control the language of the upper part of the body than the lower part, especially the feet. Therefore the feet can betray the real feelings of a speaker.
(h)
I am aware that when I speak in public or I am excited I use my arms to make gestures. A colleague has a habit of bringing his hand to his face when he is nervous or is saying something about which he is not confident. It is as if he wishes to cover his mouth.
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QUESTION 4 Situation You are employed as an administrator for a large company involved in Marketing and Public Relations, PR Strategies. The company specialises in carrying out market research for a range of companies to assist them to devise new products or sales strategies. The Company Manager, Mr Maher Mujahed, says this to you: “I don’t know if you’ve heard about this new market research called “ethnography”. I must say, I thought it sounded a little odd when I first heard about it as it involves sending our researchers out to live with families. I think the word “ethnography” comes from a type of anthropology, but I might be wrong there. It certainly means actually living with a family, sometimes for a few days but sometimes for several weeks, so the researcher can make an in-depth study of lifestyles and purchasing habits of the members of the family. Now I’m very tempted to introduce this system here, so I’d like you to draft a memo to explain to our staff what “ethnography” means, and please try to sell the idea to them. We will be looking for volunteers from our staff soon, so please do a good job and make it sound attractive. “I’m sure some of our staff will think this is not a good idea. Between ourselves, I think I know already what John Steiner is going to say. John does his job very well, but he doesn’t like new ideas, does he? “Well, you can say that really this idea expands on a couple of programmes we have already run. We did ask families to keep detailed diaries of everything they did over a period of time, and you will recall we piloted fitting video cameras into homes so we can actually observe what people do. The problem is that these two methods are simply not interactive. If the researcher is there on hand, he or she can ask questions and clarify any issues. “As far as the practicalities go, we’d have to be very selective in choosing appropriate families and researchers. Please make it very clear that any researchers involved would be volunteers, and we’ll make sure they are all fully trained. I can hear some of our staff asking some questions, already, such as “Do we have to stay overnight?” That’s the question that always seems to be asked first! The simple answer is “maybe”. There could be occasions when the researcher might have to do a 24 hour shift, although to be honest, I think this will be rare. This will depend on what we are researching, as will so many things. For example, I’ve heard that sometimes we tell the families what we are researching, but on other occasions we won’t. If they know what we are researching, they might behave differently. “In fact, I’ve got in mind the documentary programmes in which television researchers went into people’s homes – what were they called? Wasn’t it something like a “fly on the wall” documentary? They worked well when the researchers just blended into the background and the families acted normally as if they weren’t there. “Sorry, I’ve rambled on a little. Are you clear what I’m asking you to do? Please send a circular memo to all staff explaining what “ethnography” means and why we are thinking of introducing it. Actually, I should have said at the beginning that some of the world’s biggest companies have used this technique – I have heard that Microsoft found it very valuable. You’d better also stress that not only will our researchers be volunteers, but we’ll make sure they are well paid for their work. This is not a cheap method of research, but the results have proved to be really valuable. “Thanks a lot for your help. Good luck! Of course, if staff have any concerns about this, I’d be happy to speak to anyone – even Mr Steiner!” Task Write a memo as requested. (Total 25 marks)
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MODEL ANSWER TO QUESTION 4 Layout: It is to all staff, from A Candidate, a suitable heading and date should be given. ½ mark for each, correctly placed. (2 marks) Style and tone: The style should be concise and clear, but businesslike. No irrelevant materials should be given and the tone should be encouraging and persuasive but not patronising. (5 marks) Mechanics: Punctuation, grammar, spelling, syntax. Deduct half mark for each separate error. (5 marks) Content: The following points should be raised accurately and appropriately. considering introducing “ethnography” development of research methods looking at families’ behaviour places researcher in home interactive method very successful elsewhere – used e.g. by Microsoft details to be worked out e.g. need to spend 24 hours in home do we tell family objectives of research? always voluntary for researchers who are well paid families and researchers carefully selected works well when researcher “blends in” with family still at planning stage any queries, contact Mr Mujahed
(1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (13 marks) (Total 25 marks)
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A suitable answer would be as follows. To: From: Subject: Date:
All staff A Candidate A new form of research – ethnography (date)
You will all know that our company has always used new and innovative strategies when carrying out our market research. I am pleased to report that we are now considering the use of an exciting new method of research, called “ethnography”. Ethnography is a development of the helpful research which we used when we made an intensive study of families, first by using a system of diaries and then by installing video cameras in their homes. Both of these were successful, but the main issue was that these methods were not interactive. In the new system, researchers spend time in the homes of families where they can observe them and ask questions, if necessary. Whilst ethnography is a new method of research, it has proved to be very successful by the world’s biggest and most important companies, such as Microsoft. There are many details to be finalised about this work; for example, at this stage we cannot be certain if the researcher will need to spend 24 hour shifts with the family. There could be occasions when this is necessary, but they might be infrequent. Similarly, we might have specific research objectives in mind or it might be general research. There are differing views on whether any objectives are shared with the family and if this could affect its behaviour. I should stress that any staff involved in this research would be volunteers, would be given full training and would be well paid. Similarly, the families used would be carefully vetted to avoid any unfortunate experiences. It is reported that when this works well, the researcher blends into the background of the family and the family behaves normally. At the moment all of this is at the planning stage, but I thought I should share with you this potentially exciting development. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Mujahed.
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