{"id":66,"date":"2007-10-29T14:09:05","date_gmt":"2007-10-29T06:09:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.businessenglishpod.com\/learningcenter2\/2007\/10\/29\/bep-70-adv-transcript-activities-mergers-breaking-bad-news\/"},"modified":"2007-10-30T13:52:16","modified_gmt":"2007-10-30T05:52:16","slug":"bep-70-adv-transcript-activities-mergers-breaking-bad-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.businessenglishpod.com\/learningcenter2\/2007\/10\/29\/bep-70-adv-transcript-activities-mergers-breaking-bad-news\/","title":{"rendered":"BEP 70 ADV (Transcript & Activities) – Mergers: Breaking Bad News"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is the first in a three-part Business English Pod series that explores the use of many different language techniques in the context of a merger. Today’s episode focuses on vague, diplomatic language and probing questions. Vague and diplomatic language was introduced in podcasts BEP 24<\/a><\/B>, BEP 51 <\/a><\/B>and BEP 52<\/a><\/B>, so you might wish to review those to refresh your memory. In addition, we’ll be covering probing questions, which we first looked at in BEP 64<\/a><\/B>. To probe is to explore or investigate, so probing questions are used to gather more detailed and targeted information. And I should also point out that there are two speaking practices at the end of this podcast – an action packed episode indeed. <\/p>\n

For this series, we again visit our U.S.-based guitar manufacturer, which has a production plant in Costa Rica. In this episode, we find out that the company is merging with a larger guitar manufacturer. To merge is to join together. When two companies join together, we call this a “merger.”<\/p>\n

The new owners want to cut costs, which might mean cutting jobs. So, an important question in the mind of our old friend Jack is – who is going to be fired? We join Jack and his boss Jim, who meets Jack by chance in the hallway of the company headquarters.<\/p>\n

Key Language<\/strong>: Meetings, Being Diplomatic & Vague, Probing Questions<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Online Activities & Exercises <\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

Premium Members <\/strong> (Sign up)<\/a>:<\/td>\nOnline activities <\/strong>(Members \/ Free Trial)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\nStudy Notes<\/a> <\/strong><\/td>\n
\n Phrases & Practice <\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n		BEP 70 ADV – Breaking Bad News – Quiz<\/a>
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\nBEP 70 ADV – Breaking Bad News – Gap-fill<\/a>
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\nBEP 70 ADV – Breaking Bad News – Dialog & Vocabulary<\/a>
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\nBEP 70 ADV – Breaking Bad News – Language 1<\/a>
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\nBEP 70 ADV – Breaking Bad News – Language 2<\/a>
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\nBEP 70 ADV – Breaking Bad News – Language 3<\/a>
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\nBEP 70 ADV – Breaking Bad News – Flashcards<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n