●Task Convincing a friend

　　 Skills building 1: listening for the sequence of events

　　 While listening to a story, or to someone recounting their experience, it is important to note the sequence or order of events. Sometimes, people begin by discussing the current situation and then go back to discuss events in the past, or sometimes, people will start their story at the beginning and then go forward. In this part, you will learn how to notice the sequence of events while you are listening to a story or someone recounting your experiences. Pay attention to some phrases that will help you understand when things happened and in what order. Some examples:

　　 in the beginning then before originally

　　 after eventually after that when in the end

　　 Exercise: listen to the passage and write down the words or phrases that are used to show when something happened and in what order.

　　 Last year, my sister went to study in Germany as an exchange student. She stayed there for one year. When she returned, she said that that she had had a very enjoyable time there. In the beginning, she found it was a bit difficult for her to understand what the teachers said in class, especially in Maths and Science classes because she could not understand some special words or phrases used in these two subjects. Therefore, before a Maths and Science class, she tried to preview what would be taught in the class. Then she got on quite well with her studies. Now, she has come back from Germany and has learnt a lot about Maths, Science and , of course, the German language.

　　 Step 1: finding information about a returnee

　　 1. You will listen to a TV show and a conversation, and finish some exercises related to them, and then read a newspaper article. Then can get some information about why more and more overseas Chinese return to China after they have been studying and working abroad.

　　 Tapescript:

　　 Host: The topic of 'brain drain' has been in the news recently, and what we're discussing today is the recent reversal of this trend. Specially, we're talking about people who were educated abroad, and might even have worked abroad, but are now returning to China to live and work. I'd like to welcome Mr Zhu Mr Zhu, who will tell us about his experience abroad.

　　 Zhu Lin: Thank you for having me here today. When I graduated form university, I looked around at all the other recent graduates who also wanted jobs, and I thought, 'What makes me special or better than they are?' I realized that to get a really good job, I'd need more training. At that time, many of the best places to get certain advanced degrees were outside of China. I did some research and found a PhD course in the UK that was perfect for me. In the end, I lived in the UK for five years. After I completed my degree, I was offered a job by a top company in London. I had thought about coming home to China, but eventually felt that the position was too good to turn down. I also thought that if I worked for a few years in a Western country and learnt how they do things, I could bring that knowledge back to China and become a more valuable employee.

　　 Host: Why did you decide to come back?

　　 Zhu Lin: By then, many international companies had opened offices in China and I felt that there were new opportunities. I started contacting companies in Shanghai and Beijing to find work before I left London. I set up interviews and found a new job only a few weeks after returning. Do you know what the funniest thing of all is?

　　 Host: No. What?

　　 Zhu Lin: I stayed abroad because I thought I'd have better opportunities and be able to save more money, but my job here is actually much better than the one I had in London!

　　 Host: We have to take a break now, and when we come back, we'll take phone calls from viewers at home.

　　 2. Listen to the tape again, and check the answers.

　　 Answers

　　 A:

　　 Returnee-Zhu Lin

　　 (1) PhD (2) London (3) opportunities (4) Shanghai

　　 (5) Beijing (6) training (7) good (8) London

　　 (9) five years (10) better

　　 1. c 2. a 3. h 4. g 5. f 6. c 7. d. 8 b 9 i

　　 3. Read the instructions in Part B. You should guess what reasons Mr Zhu will talk about and try to fill in the blanks.

　　 Tapescript:

　　 Zhu Lin: Hello?

　　 Student: Hello! Is that Zhu Lin?

　　 Zhu Lin: Yes, speaking.

　　 Student: oh, hello! I'm a student and I have a question. Well, a friend of mine is studying in the UK now and is worried about returning to China after her studies. She's worried there are no job opportunities for her here. Do you have any advice for her?

　　 Zhu Lin: Well, as I said earlier, in the beginning, I thought there were more opportunities for me abroad. However, when I started doing some research, I realized that there were just as many opportunities in China now.

　　 Student: Do you think she will find a good job here?

　　 Zhu Lin: Yes, I think so. Employers, especially big international companies, like to hire people who have lived or studied abroad.

　　 Student: Why?

　　 Zhu Lin: Well, first of all, because your friend has lived and studied in an English-speaking country for some time, her English must be very good. With more and more international companies opening offices in China, it's more important than ever that employees are able to communicate with English-speaking customers. She also has first-hand experience of living in another culture and is more likely to understand people from that culture if she has to deal with them in China. Finally, she may also know how business is done in another country and so may be very valuable to any company in China that is trying to sell something there.

　　 Student: That's great! Thank you so much for taking the time to speak to me. I'll be sure to tell my friend everything you said.

　　 Zhu Lin: I'm glad I could help.

　　 Student: Goodbye!

　　 Zhu Lin: Bye!

　　 Answers:

　　 B 1 English 2 living in another culture 3 business

　　 4. Read a newspaper article about the brain drain phenomenon and find out the reversal of this phenomenon.

　　 Questions:

　　 1. What does the phrase 'brain drain' mean?

　　 2. Why have some Chinese students and workers not returned after they went abroad to study and work?

　　 3. What made many Chinese decide to exchange living abroad for a new life in China?

　　 4. What has changed in the way people now pay for studying abroad?

　　 Sample answers:

　　 1. It means the phenomenon of skilled workers and educated people moving to ther countries for work or study.

　　 2. They felt foreign countries offered them better opportunities and a better salary as they earned more dollars, pounds or francs.

　　 3. China's rapid development and many international companies wanting to do business in China have made many Chinese decide to exchange living abroad for a new life in China.

　　 4. Many students who go abroad for study are now being sponsored by the state or by companies.

　　 Reasons for reversal of brain drain:

　　 Answers:

　　 C 1. China's rapid development and the increasing number of international companies registering to do business in China have led many overseas Chinese to exchange living abroad for a new life in China.

　　 2. The government's new preferential police have encouraged people to start their own business and many returnees have taken advantage of these new policies.

　　 3. Rather than being asked to pay for degrees alone, many students who go abroad for study are now sponsored by the state or by companies.

　　 4. People who return to China have some very good opportunities. They tell others and news spreads. Soon others are hooked and want to come back.

　　 Skills building 2: answering questions with more than one response:

　　 Not all questions have one simple answer. In fact, most questions have several different responses, and often people want to give complex answer. Complex answers usually involve several different parts, so it is important to make sure that the person you are talking to understands the relationship between the different parts of your answer.

　　 ● When you give several answers that build on each other or are linked in a way that one supports the other, using connecting words such as and, also and furthermore.

　　 ● When the answers you give are contradictory or do not directly agree with each other, use connecting words such as however, but, even though and despite.

　　 This part tells you how to use some connecting words to link different parts of a complex answer. If you are able to use these connecting and contrasting words when speaking, you will be able to discuss topics better.

　　 1. Group work:

　　 Discussion: Read the newspaper article in Part C on page 27 again. Underline connecting words in it and tell the class where one sentence supports another as well as pointing out where two parts are contradictory or do not agree with each other.

　　 For reference:

　　 though, as well as, however,

　　 Step 2: talking to a careers officer

　　 This part gives you a chance to practice their oral English by doing questions and answers. You are asked to work with a partner to talk about how an overseas Chinese person can prepare to return to China and find a job at home.

　　 1. Read the guidelines on page 28 and go through the information listed in the table on page 28.

　　 2. Acting: Work in pairs, making a dialogue. One acts as the student and the other as the careers officer. While making the dialogue, you should try to use what they have read in Skills building 2 to give answers.

　　 Sample answers

　　 S1=Student S2=Careers officer

　　 S1: We all know that many Chinese students and workers have gone abroad to study and work. Some of them don't return, and choose to live there. Why do they decide to stay abroad?

　　 S2: There are several reasons. Firstly, students may feel that foreign countries offer them better opportunities, and that they can earn more money when they find jobs there. Secondly, people who work abroad think that they can learn new skills through job training. Furthermore, if they work hard, they can also have a chance for jobs advancement.

　　 S1: I can see there are advantages for Chinese students studying abroad. What would be the biggest advantages?

　　 S2: The biggest advantages are that you can study in the international environment, an can learn about different ways of thinking or doing business. Furthermore, as a student, when you finish studying abroad, your degree will be recognized world wide.

　　 S1: Are they any disadvantages of studying abroad?

　　 S2: Certainly. Even though there are a lot of advantages to studying abroad, you won't be able to know exactly what's happening in China and you'll also probably lose touch with local contacts such as your friends or family.

　　 S1: If I were studying abroad, I'd miss my parents and friends at home. I think many people would feel homesick in a different culture.

　　 S2: That may be one of the reasons why some Chinese return after studying and working abroad.

　　 S1: Are they any other reasons why people come back to China?

　　 S2: Sure. Besides being close to their family and the familiar culture, nowadays returnees can fina many good job opportunities.

　　 S1: This is what my friend is mostly interested in. She's studied and worked in the UK for a few years and now she wants to move back and find a job at home. What kind of jobs can returnees find?

　　 S2: The most popular jobs are in business administration, project planning and technology. Or they can work in some science and technology institutes or at universities.

　　 S1: Project planning would be suitable for my friend because she's worked as a project designer in a company in the UK. What advantages do you think a returnee might have in the workplace?

　　 S2: After working abroad, the returnee should know about both foreign and Chinese business strategies quite well and be familiar with them.

　　 S1: I think she's familiar with them, although she must get used to working in China after she's been in a foreign company for a few years.

　　 S2: That's true. Since your friend has been studying and working abroad for a few years, she'll have no problem communicating with others in English or Chinese, and she's sure to have a good understanding of British culture. There are some of the skills that employee are most interested in, you know.

　　 S1: What do you think my friend should do when she prepares to return?

　　 S2: She can first call you or her other friends here in China to get some information about which companies employ returnees and which company or which jobs suits her. After that she can send her CV to appropriate companies. She should also get references from her professors and her employers overseas.

　　 Skills building 3: using convincing language

　　 Introduction: when you need to convince someone of something, or get them to agree with your point of view, there are several things to remember. (page 29)

　　 1. Find the sentences that correspond to the four points on page 29. And write a passage in convincing language:

　　 For reference:

　　 Population mobility in the USA:

　　 I have to go where the big companies are because I want to be a top accountant, not a database clerk. That's why I'll move to Los Angeles when I graduate from university. (the active voice)

　　 For decades, Florida has been attracting older residents. In fact, according to the national population survey conducted in 2000, Florida was home to the largest population of people aged 65 and older. This group accounted for nearly 18 percent of the state's population. (Good sources of information.)

　　 Most US citizens retire around the age of 62, which is the national minimumretirement age, and the trend seems to be fro them to move to warmer places(the truth)

　　 These overseas Chinese - often called returnees-have come back to China to take advantage of eth new opportunities here.(the active)_

　　 Since Chinese people began going abroad to study and work in the 1970s, some of them have not returned. (the truth)

　　 Step 3: writing a letter to convince your friend

　　 Use the information you gathered in Steps 1 and 3 to write to your friend, and then you'll be required to read the letter to your friend or desk partner:

　　 Possible example:

　　 Dear Lin Hong,

　　 I was very happy to receive your letter and hear that you are well. In your letter, you said that you were thinking about returning home and working in China. I have tried to get as much information as possible so that you know how many opportunities you will have in China. China's rapid development mad the increasing number of international companies registering to do business in China have led a large number of Chinese who have studied and worked abroad to come back because they can get good job and earn more money here. Our government has also introduced new programmes to encourage people to start their own companies, so many returnees have started their own companies and become business owners.

　　 As you can see, more and more Chinese have returned. In 2003, there were 45, 00 returnees in Shanghai alone, and many of them are now working as high-level managers, senior engineers or business owners. I watched a TV show where a man named Zhu Lin talked about his experiences of studying and working overseas, and why he came back to China. He went to the UK for five years to get a degree and later he had graduated he got a good job in London. However, he returned to China because more and more international companies were opening offices in China and one of them offered him a job.

　　 I think it is high time that you returned home. I have found several institutes or universities that you could teach at. You can have a look at the different institute or universities and decide on two or three appropriate ones and send them your CDS and references from your professors and your employer overseas. I am sure you will find a great job here.

　　 Best wishes,

　　 Yours,

　　 (Student's own name)

　　 Step 4: Homework

　　 1 Review this part and make sure you know how to use convincing language

　　 2. Preview the project.

　　-