3 - Christiani

Unit 3
Retail Banking
Starting up Giving and understanding instructions
AIMS-BOX
You learn ➜ How to give and to unterstand instructions in English.
1) Choose a partner and practise giving simple instructions. One of you gives simple
instructions or requests and the other carries them out, e.g.:
Tell your partner …
• to put a piece of paper in the paper bin.
• to open the window.
• to open the book at page 10.
EXPRESSION BANK
(Please) go and …
Would you please …
(Please) don’t …
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Unit 3
2) Work with a partner. Two sets of instructions for use are muddled up in the table below.
Sort the two sets into the correct order. To which two machines do they apply? (Both
machines are found in German offices.)
Push the plug into the socket and turn
the machine on. (The red light comes
on.)
Do not turn the machine off before
18.30, because it takes a long time to
warm up.
Put a filter paper into the plastic
filter-holder.
3
Put the document on the glass plate.
Add a teaspoonful of coffee per cup.
You can leave the machine on to keep
the coffee in the jug hot.
Pour out your coffee.
If you are copying more than one sheet
of paper, close the plastic lid and place
the pile of sheets in the feeder.
Pour cold water into the water-container. Cup quantities are marked.
Do not forget to turn the machine off
when you have finished with it.
Check that there is enough paper in the
paper com-partment, and that the
machine has been switched on for the
day.
Lift the plastic lid.
Wait until the coffee jug is full.
Do not forget to take your original out
of the machine, when you take your
copies.
Press the button or turn the dial to say
how many copies you require.
Press the green button.
Over to you
Work with a partner. Give him/her instructions for how to use an office or kitchen machine.
Do not give the name of the machine. Can your partner guess which machine it is?
➜ ➜ ➜ Just for Fun:
The secretary said to her boss “I think this call is for you.” “What do
you mean”, he said, crossly, “you should know that!” “Well”, she
answered, “the caller asked for that fat old fool who sits at the big
desk under the window.”
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Unit 3
Getting down to business Customer service
How to write a cheque
Have a look at this facsimile of an English cheque and answer the questions below.
3
1) Write instructions how to fill in a cheque: make correct sentences using expressions from
the columns below.
Enter
forget to fill in the counterfoil.
Fill in
the amount to be paid.
Sign
the name of the payee.
Write in full
the counterfoil.
Complete
tear or damage the cheque.
Fill in
today’s date.
Do not
the amount.
Do not
your name in the space provided.
2) Look at your own cheques. Are there any differences from the English one above?
3) Work out a set of instructions in English for using a cash dispenser.
! BUSINESS TIP
rse a cheque:
necessary to endo
It is sometimes
. Do not
ck
gn it on the ba
this means to si
rschrift auf
te
Un
ne
ei
r
Sie mi
translate „geben
on the
gn
th “give me a si
der Rückseite“ wi
en Sie mir
eb
„G
an
rm
Ge
means in
backside.” This
den Hintern!“
ein Zeichen auf
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Unit 3
How to open a bank account with the ABC Bank
Read the text and do the exercises at the end.
All you have to do to open an account is call into your nearest branch at a time which suits
you. Please bring some form of identification with you, for example your passport or driving
licence, showing your signature and a photograph.
You can fill in the application form yourself, or ask one of our Personal Service Staff to help
you.
3
If you fill it in yourself, first read through these instructions.
• Please write in black ink and in capital letters.
• Don’t forget to fill in the date of your application.
• Enter your personal details.
• Answer the personal identification questions: these will help bank staff to check your identity later.
• Don’t forget to sign your application.
• Provide a specimen signature in the space given.
• Either send your application to the bank or bring it in yourself and one of our personal
service staff will process the application immediately.
1) Find words or expressions in the text which mean:
ein Bankkonto öffnen • Führerschein • Bewerbungsformular •
unterschreiben • Musterunterschrift • Großbuchstaben
2) Write instructions in English for opening an account at your German bank.
3) Imagine you are a bank employee, having to process a customer’s application for a current account. Put the following actions in the correct order.
• Issue a bank card to the customer.
• Ask the customer to pay some money into the account.
• Accept or reject the application.
• Give an account number to the customer.
• Check the personal details.
• Issue a cheque book to the customer.
• Open the account.
! BUSINESS TIP
s
cards. This make
not have identity
because
y,
an
rm
Ge
in
British people do
re difficult than
mo
f
el
es
on
g
in
identify
iving licence.
a passport or dr
not everyone has
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Unit 3
Listening Comprehension – Listening Text No. 7
Talking to personal-banking customers over the counter
Listen to the two dialogues. Then listen to each dialogue and answer the questions below.
3
Dialogue 1
a) Does the cashier know the customer?
b) Does the customer need any bank notes?
c) What does he need?
d) What is his job? Can you guess it from the dialogue?
Dialogue 2
a) Can the customer get foreign currency at the normal counter?
b) How much does he want in euros?
c) How much must he pay in pounds?
d) How high is the bank commission?
e) What denominations of notes does the cashier give to the customer?
! BUSINESS TIP
.
Euro, zehn Dollar
n Dollar or zehn
ei
,
ten
ro
t
Eu
bu
n
ar
ei
ll
y
do
Germans sa
o euros, one
y one euro but tw
sa
we
h,
is
gl
En
In
irty cents
dollars.
enty euros and th
ros thirty or tw
eu
ee pounds
ty
hr
en
-t
tw
ty
=
ir
€
th
0
20.3
ree hundred and
th
nd
sa
ou
th
o
tw
£2,333.56 =
nce
and fifty-six pe
Over to you
• When did you last get foreign currency from your bank?
• Which currency did you get?
• What denominations of notes did you get?
• Can you remember the exchange rate?
How good are you at English figures?
Work with a partner. Check how good you are with figures in English.
Read the figures below. Write a set of seven similar figures down and dictate them to your
partner. Check that he/she writes the correct figures down. If you make mistakes, check what
went wrong.
$345.90
€0.50
£12,356.00
$589,940.34
£43.50
€19.50
£60.00
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Unit 3
Listening Text No. 8
Further over-the-counter dialogues
Read and translate the German parts into English, then listen to the texts on CD and compare
them with your translations.
3
EXPRESSION BANK
paying-in slip/Einzahlungsbeleg
to advise/beraten
to order/bestellen
(carbon) copy/Durchschlag
forged note (forgery)/Falschgeld
to transfer/überweisen
1) Paying in a cheque
Clerk
Guten Tag. Wie kann ich Ihnen behilflich sein?
Customer
Well, I want to pay this cheque into my current account, but I haven’t
got my paying-in book with me.
Clerk
Kein Problem. Würden Sie bitte diesen Einzahlungsbeleg ausfüllen.
Customer
Can
you lend me a pen, please?
5
Clerk
Hier, bitte.
Customer
OK. Here is the paying-in slip. And here is the cheque.
Clerk
Bitte unterschreiben Sie auf der Rückseite des Schecks.
Customer
All right.
Clerk
Danke. Und hier ist der Durchschlag für Sie.
10
Customer
Thanks.
Clerk
Auf Wiedersehen.
2) Checking for counterfeit money
Customer
Hello, I hope you can help me. Can you tell me whether this hundred
pound note is real or counterfeit? You see, a customer wants to pay for
everything in cash, and my wife says we ought to check before we
accept any more. He gave the waiter this to pay for dinner last night. We
thought it might be a forgery.
5
Cashier
Der Schein sieht mir in Ordnung aus. Aber ich bin kein Fachmann für
Falschgeld. Können Sie bitte einen Moment warten? Ich rufe einen
unserer Experten an.
Customer
OK, thanks.
Cashier
Gern
geschehen. Er kommt gleich. Würden Sie bitte dort drüben
10
warten?
Work with a partner. Take turns to play the role of customer and bank clerk. Write the dialogues down.
The customer wants:
a) a new cheque book
b) £700 in US dollars
c) change for a £50 note d) to open a current account e) to transfer money to France
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Unit 3
Paying for things on holiday
Read the following extract from the sales literature of a British bank and answer the questions
below.
Foreign and travel services for our personal banking customers
How can you access your money when you are on holiday abroad?
ABC Bank has a range of travel services available for our customers.
5
Foreign currency
You can get any major currency at any time from most of our main high street
branches, but it is a good idea to order any large amounts or unusual currencies three
working days in advance. It is always useful to have some of the local currency when
abroad, for paying smaller amounts, or in the places where other methods of payment
are not yet accepted.
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Travellers’ cheques
Our travellers’ cheques are a safer way to carry money and they are welcomed in almost
every country in the world and in many places which do not accept credit cards. Order
them either in pounds sterling or in foreign currencies. You can change them easily and
quickly into local currency, but your risk is smaller. If you lose your travellers’ cheques
you can get a refund with no problem and in your holiday country.
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ABC credit cards
Our credit cards help you to manage your money better, at home and abroad. Millions
of outlets around the world accept ABC credit cards. We send you a monthly statement
to help you keep track of spending. This is naturally very useful for business customers,
who need to reclaim expenses.
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3
Comprehension
a) Why is it useful to have some of the local currency?
b) Give some examples of situations where one has to pay in local currency.
c) What is the main advantage of travellers’ cheques?
d) What additional advantage does a credit card offer for business customers?
Over to you
What other ways are there to pay private bills in a foreign country?
How do you make payments when you go on holiday in a foreign country?
Strange but true
The word “dollar” originally came from German during the middle ages. The word was
“Thaler” and was the name for the silver coins used in Joachimsthal in Bohemia. The
word, pronounced by non-German speakers as “dollar”, became used in many countries for the official currency.
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Unit 3
Language Practice
Grammar Update
Commands, instructions and requests
Commands and Instructions (Befehle und Anweisungen) = Imperativ
Press the button
Drücken Sie auf den Knopf/Drück auf den Knopf/Drückt auf
den Knopf.
Don’t press the button
Nicht auf den Knopf drücken.
3
Requests: (Bitten); say “Please” – it sounds more polite!)
Imperative + “please”: Please press/don’t press the button.
Could you/would you + base form: Could you press the button (please)?
Would you mind + -ing-form: Would you mind pressing the button?
Suggestions: (Vorschläge)
You/We could press the button.
Shall we press the button?
Let’s press the button.
1) Translate the following into English.
a) Unterschreiben Sie bitte hier.
b) Vergessen Sie nicht, das heutige Datum einzutragen.
c) Schreiben Sie in Großbuchstaben.
d) Schreiben Sie nicht mit Bleistift.
e) Gehen Sie bitte zu meinem Kollegen.
f) Schreiben Sie den Betrag in Buchstaben.
g) Vergessen Sie Ihre PIN nicht.
h) Geben Sie mir bitte zwei Zwanzig-Pfund Noten.
i) A) Vielen Dank für ihre Hilfe. B) Bitte.
j) Bitte warten Sie hier einen Moment.
2) Make the following dialogue sound more polite (höflicher).
A I want to see one of the Personal Service Staff. Get one.
B They are all busy. Sit down and wait.
A Where?
B There.
C Morning. What do you want?
A I want to open an account.
C Read this booklet and fill in the form.
A OK. Help me do it.
C No, I don’t have time. Fill in the parts you can, then come back.
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Unit 3
Vocabulary Practice
Look at the extract from a dictionary below and the explanations which follow.
train1 [tre I n] s Zug: go by ~ mit dem Zug fahren: ~ of thought Gedankengang
train2 [tre I n] v/t trainieren; Mitarbeiter ausbilden, Hund abrichten
v/i von Mannschaft, Sportler trainieren von Lehrer usw ausgebildet werden
train
1
[tre I n]
s
Zug:
~
2
v/t
v/i
3
is the headword.
shows that train has at least two unrelated meanings
phonetic script
tells you the word is a substantive (= noun)
the German word
stands for the word that you are looking up (train)
shows that this is a totally different meaning of the word to 1.
shows that there are two meanings of “train” which are connected to each other.
stands for verb/transitive.
The words in Italics tell you about meanings in context.
shows you that there is a second, related meaning.
tells you that it is a verb/intransitive.
1) Check how your dictionary gives information about the words.
Look up the following words. They all have more than one meaning
bank • order • slip • sign • back
2) Put one of the words from above into each of the following sentences.
a) The company pays my salary into my .........
b) He had an accident because he did not understand the road .......
c) It is very icy. Be careful you don’t ......
d) Please fill in this paying-in .......
e) You must sign the ............... of the document
f) The general gave the .............. to retreat
3) Find the correct German translation for each word and write it in the table.
English
German
Word in sentence
number
His account number is P345.
amount
Please fill in the exact amount.
currency
State the currency (EUR or GBP).
money
He earns a lot of money.
coins
For the phone you need a 50 cent coin.
figure
Is that figure a 5 or a 6, I can’t read it.
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Unit 3
Text File The Foreign exchange market
Read the text and answer the questions below.
3
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
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When you travel to a country which
uses a different currency from your own
country, then you take part in the
foreign exchange market, because you
need to pay for things in the country
you are visiting. As a tourist, you buy
your American dollars, yen or Swiss
francs from a bank. How expensive your
holiday will be depends on the exchange
rate. Tourist purchases are, in fact,
among the few foreign-exchange transactions in which notes and coins are
used. The majority of foreign-exchange
deals take place over the telephone in
bank dealing rooms, and funds are
transferred electronically.
Who deals in foreign exchange and
why? The banks themselves do most of
the buying and selling. A part of these
operations is to serve business and corporate clients. All companies who trade
with other countries need foreign
exchange.
How does it work? Here is an example: a Japanese company wants to buy
goods in Europe. So that the buyer can
pay the seller, a sum of yen (the Japanese
currency) must be changed into euros.
Even if this only takes place on the
banks’ computers, there is an exchange
of two types of money, and the price
which must be paid in yen for one euro
is the exchange rate. This rate changes
from day to day, and so there is a risk, if
the yen, for example, goes up in value,
that the seller will lose money. To avoid
this element of risk, companies can ask
the bank to arrange a “forward deal”.
This means that the contract is made and
the amount and the exchange rate agreed
before the actual sale, then, when settlement is made (that is, when the money is
actually exchanged and paid) the agreed
forward rate is used to calculate the payment in euros.
However, the biggest share of the
foreign exchange market takes place
between banks. One bank estimated that
over 90% of its foreign-exchange business was done with other banks, whereas only 10% of the business was done
with other customers. Why do banks
deal in foreign exchange? The answer is
easy. By buying and selling at the right
time, they can make money.
There are three major time zones in
which Forex-dealing takes place. The
market begins in the early hours of the
morning, when the Tokyo market
opens, then London, Frankfurt, Paris
and Zurich open and the European time
zone starts trading, and New York,
probably the most important trading
centre, does not close until late in the
evening for European dealers. In fact the
market never closes. When New York
Unit 3
40
45
50
55
60
goes to bed, San Francisco and Los
Angeles stay open until Tokyo starts up
again.
How can Forex-dealers keep up with
so many markets? It is a stressful job,
and most dealers are burnt out before
they are forty. How do they operate?
If a dealer gets a request to buy or sell
a large volume of currency, he will first
check whether he or one of his colleagues can cover this amount. If not, he
will probable contact a foreign exchange
broker. The broker’s job is to find a buyer for each seller and vice versa. For this
service, he (or his company) gets a small
percentage of the sum.
The important thing for anyone dealing in foreign exchange is to remain
“covered”. This means that a broker, for
example, must make sure that he sells
and buys the same amounts of currency
– if he doesn’t, he could end up losing a
lot of money because of the fluctuations
in the exchange rate.
An exchange of currencies for immediate transfer is conducted at spot rate.
Dealers quote two rates. One for buying
and one for selling the currency. The difference between the two is the spread,
and this is the way in which the bank
makes money out of the deal. These
rates are continually updated in Forex
dealing rooms, and appear every day in
special newspapers, such as the Financial
Times.
As a tourist, you pay more for your
foreign currency than a bank or a big
corporation. The spread is higher, for a
start, and many banks charge a commission or a fee for changing your money.
This is fair enough, because the cost
of supplying small amounts of actual
notes is much higher than the cost of an
electronic transfer.
3
1) Comprehension
Which statements are true? Correct the incorrect statements.
a) Tourists buying foreign coins or notes for their holidays are participating in the
foreign exchange market.
b) Banks sell and buy large amounts of coins and notes in foreign currencies.
c) Banks sell and buy large amounts of foreign currency on their own account.
d) The most important centre for trading in foreign currencies is Frankfurt.
e) Dealers can sell or buy currencies at any time of day or night.
f) Being a Forex dealer is an easy job.
g) Many foreign exchange deals involve a broker.
h) Dealers only quote one rate for buying and for selling.
i) Tourists getting foreign currency for holidays get the spot rate.
j) Banks charge money for getting foreign notes for you.
2) Find in the text English words or expressions for:
Wechselkurs • Devisen • Waren kaufen • tatsächlicher Kauf • schätzen •
kalkulieren • Zeitzone • Geldscheine
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