CONTENTS | February 2015 14 Meet chimpanzees and gorillas on a tour of the tropical national parks in this East African country. 40History 8 A Day in My Life 42 Press Gallery 10 World View 44Arts 13 Britain Today 66 The Lighter Side 24Society 67 American Life 26 I Ask Myself 68Feedback 36 Around Oz 69 Next Month 38Debate 70 My Life in English A musician in Canada’s capital city What’s news and what’s hot Colin Beaven on the fruits of technology Are artificial sweeteners linked to diabetes? Amy Argetsinger on the fall of Bill Cosby Peter Flynn on Jamie Oliver’s empire Does Ireland manage its asylum seekers well? Spotlight plus Every month, you can explore and practise the language and grammar of Spotlight with the exercise booklet plus. Find out more at: www.spotlight-online.de/plus Spotlight 2|15 22 Meet the entertaining people and enjoy the delicious creations of TV’s The Great British Bake Off. 6 People Names and faces from around the world 4 Baking, British style The birth of New Zealand 175 years ago A look at the English-language media Films, apps, books, culture and a short story Jokes and cartoons Ginger Kuenzel on the need for more doctors Your letters to Spotlight — and our responses What’s coming next month in Spotlight TV producer Karin Holly on English Spotlight Audio This monthly 60-minute CD/download brings the world of Spotlight to your ears. Enjoy interviews and travel stories and try the exercises. Find out more on page 64 and at: www.spotlight-online.de/audio Fotos: David John Weber; iStock; Wavebreak Media Fascinating Uganda 30 IELTS speaking test If you enjoy news stories from around the world and easy vocabulary and grammar, then try Green Light. 50Vocabulary 59 English at Work 52 Travel Talk 60 Spoken English 53 Language Cards 61 Word Builder 55 Everyday English 62 Perfectionists Only! 57 The Grammar Page 63Crossword Talking about disability Ken Taylor answers your questions Going to a trade fair How to use the word “get” Pull out and practise A focus on the words in Spotlight At the hairdresser’s Nuances of English Using forms of “should” Find the words and win a prize 58 Peggy’s Place: The Soap IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH WITH SPOTLIGHT PRODUCTS Spotlight Audio: hear texts and interviews on our CD or download. See www.spotlight-online.de/hoeren Visit Spotlight’s very own London pub Spotlight plus: 24 pages of language exercises related to the OUR LANGUAGE LEVELS magazine. See www.spotlight-online.de/ueben The levels of difficulty in Spotlight magazine correspond roughly to The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: B1 – B2 Spotlight in the classroom: free of charge to teachers who subscribe to Spotlight. See www.spotlight-online.de/teachers Readers’ service: [email protected] · www.spotlight-online.de C1 – C2 Tel.: +49 (0)89 / 85681-16 · Fax: +49 (0)89 / 85681-159 To find your level, visit Sprachtest.de www.SprachenShop.de: order products from our online shop (see page 48). Teachers: if you use Spotlight in your lessons, this six-page supplement will provide great ideas for classroom activities based on the magazine. Free for all teachers who subscribe to Spotlight. Spotlight www.spotlight-online.de IN THE CLASSROOM 2 | 2015 Ideen und Konzepte für den Englischunterricht A Happy New Year… …and welcome back to Spotlight in the classroom! We hope you enjoyed the winter break and that your classes have had a great start. In this issue, we usher in 2015 with some fun-filled activities; for example, a jazz chant to liven up grammar (page 2), a listening gap-fill (see online copy file) and a London quiz game (page 3). Our reviews section introduces a brand-new Klett title that helps students survive the language barrier during holidays; another is designed for those who are about to or who already work for foreign or multinational companies, who deal with overseas customers or travel on business. Lastly, we are delighted to introduce our first interviewee of the year — Mo Riddiford. Turn to page 5 to find out why he believes that “the joy between people inspires motivation, which inspires communication, which [in turn] inspires automatic natural language acquisition”. We’d be happy to hear your feedback! Spotlight in the classroom ist ein kostenloser Service für SpotlightAbonnenten in Lehrberufen. Er erscheint monatlich und bezieht sich auf die jeweils aktuelle Heft-Ausgabe. Das nächste Spotlight in the classroom erscheint am 28. 29. Januar Oktober (zur Februar-Ausgabe November-Ausgabe vonvon Spotlight Spotlight ). ). Spotlight erhalten Sie im Sammelbezug für Ihre Unterrichtsteilnehmer mit einem besonders attraktiven Mengenrabatt. Nähere Informationen erhältlich bei: Spotlight Verlag GmbH Abteilung Key Account Postfach 1565 · D–82144 Planegg Tel. +49 (0)89/85681-150 Fax +49 (0)89/85681-119 E-Mail: [email protected] Short warm-up activity Spotlight Audio www.spotlight-online.de Spotlight plus Cheryl Khan-Stock [email protected] Green Light Title Language work Spy qualities Asking questions, recreating a text Level Time 15 Based on World View (p. 12) Black and white Speaking about photography 15, hw Various photos (pp. 8–11) Text trackers Scanning, formulating questions, research 45, hw Various articles Good doing grammar Infinitive forms, jazz chant Hw, 45 The Grammar Page (p. 57) Facts and figures Gap-fill, listening, speaking 15 World View (p. 6) Discount London* Quiz game, reading, writing bullet points 60 Travel (pp. 16–23) To win or two loos Listening, vocabulary 60 Britain Today (p. 15) Copy file Spotlight Online will help you to improve your English every day. Try our language exercises or read about current events and fascinating places to visit. Subscribers will also find a list of all the glossed vocabulary from each issue of the magazine. *Photocopiable material for the exercise “Discount London” Interview Mo Riddiford Reviews Great! Survival English, Small Talk Service Vocabulary website IMPRESSUM Spotlight in the classroom CONTENTS | February 2015 IN THIS MAGAZINE: 14 LANGUAGE PAGES Find out how well you speak English with help from the International English Language Testing System. A2 29 Making English fun Herausgeber und Verlagsleiter: Dr. Wolfgang Stock Chefredakteurin: Inez Sharp Stellvertretende Chefredakteurin: Claudine Weber-Hof Chefin vom Dienst: Susanne Pfeifer Fachredaktion: Cheryl Khan-Stock, Rita Forbes, Forbes Peter Green Onlineredakteur: Michael Pilewski Gestaltung: Susanne Sabine Hübner-Pesce Pfeifer © 2015 2014 Spotlight Verlag, auch für alle genannten Autoren, Fotografen und Mitarbeiter. 2|15 Spotlight 1 2|15 Spotlight 5 LANGUAGE | IELTS Test Speaking up for Hier konzentriert sich VANESSA CLARK auf den mündlichen Teil des IELTS-Tests. Mit vielen Beispielen beschreibt sie, wie man sich am besten darauf vorbereitet. W hen did you last have to show how well you can speak English? Was it in a school test, in a meeting or presentation at work or at a job interview? The skills that you need in such situations and in everyday life in an English-speaking country are those that you can test very effectively. Over the past couple of years, we’ve looked at three parts of the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test, in Spotlight 2/13, 9/13 and 2/14. This month, we turn to the fourth element — the speaking test. This is the same for both the Academic and the General Training modules and takes the form of a one-to-one 30 Spotlight 2|15 conversation with an experienced examiner. The test is divided into three parts to allow you to demonstrate different speaking skills in the best possible way. Of all the sections of the IELTS test, the speaking test is the one that candidates often feel most nervous about, even though it lasts less than 15 minutes. On the following pages, we help you to prepare for this test — and any other situation in which your oral English skills are being evaluated — so that you can keep calm and give your best possible performance on the day. evaluate [i(vÄljueIt] bewerten, einschätzen IELTS is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment. IELTS results are recognized by more than 9,000 educational institutions, government agencies and professional organizations in more than 135 countries, including 3,300 institutions in the USA, and all British universities and colleges. In Germany, as more courses are offered in English, the number of institutions recognizing IELTS results continues to grow. http://takeielts.britishcouncil.org The British Council is the UK’s cultural-relations organization. It works in the fields of the arts, education and society in more than 100 countries worldwide. In addition to the IELTS test, the British Council provides resources for teachers and learners of English. It has been in Germany since 1959, initiating projects and holding events across the country. The British Council offers the IELTS test up to 36 times a year in 14 test locations around Germany, as well as in Austria and Switzerland. For more information, visit www.britishcouncil.de or .at or .ch What’s in the test? Fotos: iStock; Wavebreak Media First, we’ll talk you through what will happen on the day. Let’s follow Karl, a student who’s been doing an IELTS course, as he takes the speaking test. Karl arrives at the test venue in good time. He has his identity documents and his IELTS registration papers with him. He is greeted by an IELTS official, who checks his papers and asks him to turn off his phone and take a seat in the waiting area. Karl uses the time to read Spotlight magazine so that he will start thinking in English. This also helps to calm his nerves. When it’s time, Karl is called into the exam room. The examiner introduces herself and asks Karl to do the same and to confirm his identity. The examiner then asks Karl a few general questions about his studies and interests (see page 32). Karl is already feeling less nervous. The examiner then moves on to part 2 of the test (see pages 32–34). She gives Karl a card on which a topic is written. This is: something you own that is important to you. The examiner offers the candidate some paper and a pencil. Karl uses the one-minute preparation time to make a few notes. He decides to talk about his bicycle and writes down a few key words on the subject. The examiner then asks him to talk for one to two minutes. Karl starts well and, because he is speaking about something he likes, he finds he can do so with confidence. After about a minute and a half, he can’t think of anything more to say about his bike. But the examiner asks a follow-up question, which helps Karl to speak for a bit longer. The examiner then continues to part 3 of the test (see pages 34–35). This is a two-way discussion, in which she asks some further open questions on the same topic. The conversation moves on to more abstract ideas, such as the importance of possessions and status symbols. Karl has to think hard and explain his opinions as well as he can. At the end of the test, the examiner thanks Karl for coming. He is exhausted and can’t believe that it is all over so quickly. Over the next four pages, we look at the three separate parts of the test in more detail, and give you a chance to try out the tasks yourself. exhausted [Ig(zO:stId] in good time [In (gUd taIm] venue [(venju:] erschöpft beizeiten, frühzeitig Veranstaltungsort 2|15 Spotlight 31 TRAVEL | Uganda Top: Queen Elizabeth National Park; below: Silverback Lodge at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Visiting family in Uganda Bekannt als Heimat der Berggorillas und Schimpansen, erfährt Uganda eine Renaissance als Reiseland und lockt Besucher mit spektakulären Nationalparks. Von CLAUDINE WEBER-HOF 14 Spotlight 2|15 Topi antelope; a fish eagle; a baby gorilla in Bwindi 2|15 Spotlight 15 The chimp named Totti: the next alpha male? canopy [(kÄnEpi] chatter [(tSÄtE] chimp [tSImp] ifml. conceive [kEn(si:v] fern [f§:n] great ape [)greIt (eIp] habituated [hE(bItSueItId] mature [mE(tSUE] offspring [(QfsprIN] self-proclaimed [)self prEU(kleImd] sotto voce [)sQtEU (vEUtSi] sway [sweI] Ready for adventure: a ranger with visitors to Kibale National Park The chimps of Kibale It’s 8 a.m. in the self-proclaimed primate capital of the world. Ranger Jeffrey Tazenya counts the great apes before him: five Canadians, two Germans, three Italians, one South African, a Brit and an American. We completely fill the small visitor centre in Kibale National Park in western Uganda. Our goal is to track other great apes — some of our closest cousins, the chimpanzees. People visit Kibale to see its large population of chimps: more than 1,400 of them live here. Rangers of the Uganda Wildlife Authority practically guarantee that we will see the animals, but as we start to walk through the tropical forest, I’m sceptical. Uganda is where the savannah of East Africa meets the jungle at Africa’s heart. Stepping over ferns and fallen trees, it’s clear we’ve left the open grassland; above us, tall palms block 16 Spotlight 2|15 Baumkronendach Geplapper, Geschnatter Schimpanse empfangen Farn Menschenaffe gewöhnt erwachsen, ausgewachsen Junge, Nachwuchs selbst ernannt mit gedämpftem Ton schwanken, hin- und herbewegen the sky. With all this vegetation, how can anyone see the chimps? Ranger Tazenya leads us further into the jungle, stopping to listen for chimp chatter. Of the 11 chimpanzee communities in Kibale, he says, five are habituated — that is, five of the groups are somewhat used to seeing people. Roughly 120 chimps get regular visits from tourists, while another 200 of them are being studied by Kampala’s Makerere University. It takes a full five years to habituate a community, which can split into smaller groups of five, ten or twenty chimps at any time. “Females can cross into any group, and they will be welcomed,” Tazenya explains, sotto voce. “But a male cannot cross. If he makes that mistake, he will be killed.” Even females with male young must be careful; adult males see the babies as a threat. “But within the same community,” Tazenya says, “the chimpanzees are peaceful.” The ranger’s radio comes to life, and we hurry deeper into the jungle. I trip over plants and struggle through mud. Tazenya gives me a hand, pulling me across a stream. Just then, chimp chatter echoes through the air. We rush towards the sound. Minutes later, we meet the Canadian group. Above them, high up in a tree, is a large chimp eating leaves. Nearby, small monkeys jump about, making the forest canopy sway. The big chimp’s name is Totti — after Francesco Totti, the Italian footballer. Tazenya explains that males typically live to become up to 55 years of age, females to 45. Males are fully mature at six, while females mature at 13, which is when they can conceive. Over her lifetime, a female chimp will have between four and six offspring. Follow me: park ranger Jeffrey Tazenya Alle Fotos: David John Weber TRAVEL | Uganda English at Work | LANGUAGE Dear Ken: How can I reply politely to complaints? Dear Ken I work at a tourist office in a mountain resort. We sometimes receive written complaints from our guests. Can you please tell me how to reply politely to these? Regards Thea G. Dear Thea Research tells us that if we address the problem in the correct way, 90 per cent of people who complain will stay on as our customers. Here are seven rules for replying to written complaints: 1. Reply immediately Customers are more likely to stay loyal to you if you reply straight away. Do this, and it makes clear that resolving the problem is as important to you as it is to the customer. 2. Thank your customer for the feedback We should be grateful for complaints. They help us find out how to improve what we are doing. Here are a formal and an informal way of replying: • Thank you very much for bringing this to our attention. • Thanks for letting us know about this. It helps us a lot. 3. Show that you understand Empathy is a powerful way of showing that you genuinely care about the inconvenience your customer has suffered: • I understand how frustrating that must have been. 4. Say you are sorry An apology increases customer satisfaction immediately. Apologize even when you are not to blame. It does not have to be an admission of fault: • Please accept our apologies for the mistake. • I’m sorry for the misunderstanding. 5. Explain what you are going to do Say clearly what you intend to do to resolve the problem: • I will contact the ski-lift people and ask them what went wrong on the day in question. I will get back to you as soon as I hear from the company. 6. Offer compensation Sometimes it may be appropriate to offer some form of compensation, such as a gift: • I enclose a small gift as a gesture of goodwill. 7. Invite the customer to contact you again Encourage the customer to contact you again if necessary. Give your e-mail address and direct telephone number: • Please contact me if you need further assistance. By following these seven steps, you will help restore your customer’s confidence and maintain his or her loyalty. All the best Ken Send your questions about business Engar lish by e-mail with “De to line t jec sub the in Ken” lag.de ver httlig po @s age gu lan questions two r we Each month, I ans sent in. If one of Spotlight readers have , you’ll receive a them is your question Ways to Improve copy of my book: Fifty don’t forget to So Your Business English. s! res add g add your mailin Dear Ken My first name is Michael. When I meet English speakers, should I give my name with the German pronunciation, or should I anglicize it to [(maIk&l] for people who do not speak German to make it easier for them to pronounce? Kind regards Michael P. Dear Michael Your name is an important part of you. I suggest that you introduce yourself with the pronunciation you normally use. I’m lucky that my name is easy to pronounce wherever I go, but if your name is any problem for your business partners, you can even have a bit of fun teaching them how to say it correctly. Occasionally, unusual or foreign names prove impossible for another person to pronounce correctly. Only then would I suggest that you anglicize your name. Best wishes Ken admission of fault [Ed)mIS&n Ev (fO:lt] anglicize [(ÄNglIsaIz] Schuldeingeständnis verenglischen appropriate [E(prEUpriEt] genuinely [(dZenjuInli] goodwill: as a gesture of ~ [)gUd(wIl] inconvenience [)InkEn(vi:niEns] likely: be ~ to do sth. [(laIkli] maintain [meIn(teIn] mountain resort [)maUntIn ri(zO:t] angebracht ernsthaft, wirklich aus Kulanz Unannehmlichkeit wahrscheinlich etw. tun aufrechterhalten Höhenkurort, Bergferienort lösen wiederherstellen ( p. 61) sofort resolve [ri(zQlv] restore [ri(stO:] straight away [)streIt E(weI] Ken Taylor is a communication skills consultant. Follow his “Hot Tips” on Twitter @DearKen101. You can buy his book Dear Ken... 101 answers to your questions about business English from 2|15 Spotlight 59
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