TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGÂN HÀNG TP.HCM KHOA NGOẠI NGỮ TIẾNG ANH CHUYÊN NGÀNH QUẢN LÝ NHÂN SỰ (EXERCISES ON ENGLISH FOR HUMAN RESOURCES) Tổng hợp và biên soạn: TS. NGUYỄN QUANG NHẬT ThS. NGUYỄN THỊ THANH TRÚC Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, 2023 This book is designed and compiled as a supplementary workbook for the course “English for Human Resources” at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, HCM University of Banking (HUB). It can also be used as a revision for specific terminology and new words of some specialised topics in Business English, including HR strategy, Employee resourcing and talent management, Recruitment and selection, and Training and development strategy.
Upon the course completion, students are expected to be able to (1) classify key HR-related terms, (2) use these terms appropriately in the relevant contexts, (3) demonstrate their abilities to read and understand business texts, and (4) apply the language skills developed throughout the course to do the assessment activities effectively. Thus, the book could be exploited as a complement to the textbook “Cambridge English for Human Resources” by Sandford (2013). How to use the book The book consists of four chapters devoted to special topics of English for Human Resources. Each unit introduces theme-based language knowledge practice for specific HR- related terms (key term definitions and vocabulary practice), followed by practice for language use in the wider contexts (passage completion and reading comprehension).
These collected tasks are chosen from a wide range of materials to provide a structured set of practice which helps course-takers to consolidate the language work covered in the textbook and successfully apply their knowledge to the assessment activities. Hence, lecturers could exploit each unit as follows: + use the key term definition sections to introduce new words prior to new lessons or use them as pre-reading activities. + improve and broaden students’ vocabulary and grammatical range in the vocabulary practice section. These exercises cover the main grammatical structures plus key vocabulary and phrases taught in the coursebook; therefore, they could be used as mini-tests, further practice, or consolidated activities.
+ boost students’ deeper understanding of the topics via passage completion and reading comprehension sections. These tasks could be used for post-reading activities, discussions, homework, or lesson revision. Hopefully, through their steady practice, students will be able to do their assignments effectively, thereby enhancing their lexical knowledge significantly. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: HR STRATEGY 3 1.
KEY TERM DEFINITIONS. 10 CHAPTER 2: EMPLOYEE RESOURCING AND TALENT MANAGEMENT 17 2. KEY TERM DEFINITIONS. 24 CHAPTER 3: RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION 32 3.
KEY TERM DEFINITIONS. 41 CHAPTER 4: TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 48 4. KEY TERM DEFINITIONS. 55 GLOSSARY 62 REFERENCES 70 SUGGESTED ANSWERS Error! Boo 2 CHAPTER 1: HR STRATEGY SECTION 1.
THEME-BASED LANGUAGE KNOWLEDGE 1. KEY TERM DEFINITIONS Task 1: Match the following terms with their corresponding definitions. devolved HR ranking plan buy-in framework F. remuneration turnover deliverables management package 1.
a person with direct managerial responsibility for a particular employee 2. the knowledge, skills, and attributes that employees need to have if they are to perform successfully 3. a measure of how well a company is performing in terms of environmental and social responsibility 4. a combination of total rewards for employment such as salary, incentives, and other benefits 5.
a strategic approach for the attraction and recruitment of individuals into the right role at the right time and right cost 6. the process of continuous communication and feedback between a manager and employee towards the achievement of organizational objectives 7. the redistribution or transfer of personnel tasks or activities traditionally carried out by human resources specialists to middle managers 8. personal and professional commitment of employees to actively engage in the company mission and company goals 9.
the quantifiable goods or services that must be provided upon the completion of a project 10. the rate at which employees leave a company and are replaced by new employees 3 1. VOCABULARY PRACTICE Task 2: Fill in the blanks with correct form of the verbs given in the boxes. Kharin's three-and-a-half-year contract with Chelsea is expected to be ________ within the next week, when he receives a work permit.
Our staff are ________ to make decisions without always having to consult their supervisor or line manager. Your estate agent will ________ with potential buyers, keeping you informed of offers and how the sale is progressing. He spends about 10 days each month back in Hong Kong, ________ projects in the works at his production company. Setting targets and measuring sticks to ________ projects would definitely increase efficiency if done properly.
The decision may need to be ________ in the light of new evidence. The manager says that we should allow two weeks for our visa applications to be ________. Communication ________ down the organization until the information has been communicated through each level, to the front lines. Task 3: Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the words in brackets.
Job ________ escalates when employees are not treated with respect. The information we received is of a highly ________ nature and relates to national security. Financial ________ on the company are preventing them from employing new staff. The government enacted laws to protect women from ________ employment practices.
Listening to ________ criticism of certain aspects of your work should help you to make the most of your potential. The ________ committee will include representatives from all areas of the company. Fisher will serve as ________ director while a search is under way to name a permanent director. An audit reveals areas of gross ________ and the mismanagement of the business.
The cost of unemployment to the government is quite easily ________. (quantity) 4 Task 4: Choose the best answer for each sentence. She is very experienced and can be left to work without any ________. At the ________ of the sugar-boom of the early 1870s a mere 40,000 workers were employed in the Czech sugar-factories.
This morning's staff development ________ will be held in the conference room. There are very good sports ________ on the company premises. He wants the ________ age raised to 70 and cost-of-living increases for Social Security recipients reduced. The company failed because of the chairman's mismanagement of capital ________.
The dispute was ended through the ________ of union officials. We need to draw up a ________ for salaries for the coming year. We believe that the sales manager's ________ of higher turnover next year is a bit optimistic. Participative management is a very powerful ________ because it enables employees to have some measure of influence and control over work-related activities.
It can be difficult to judge the ________ of some merchandise from a photo on a Web page. The poor ________ has been blamed on the recession and cheaper sports car imports. The current ________ range for assistant secretaries is from £16,500 per annum to £19,500 per annum. Generous ________ packages are often attached to overseas postings.
Most employees do not seem to approve of the changes - the ________ so far has been rather negative. Our produce prices cannot compete with those of Spain, with its cheap ________ and sunshine. The biggest change was not having an audience react in real time, which left me to ________ what was and wasn't working. Too many accidents are occurring at work because employers do not ________ safety regulations.
This is a sound plan that enjoys the ________ support of the Board of Directors. The United States has traditionally offered the poor relatively easy access to the middle class if they can find ________ work. If you look at the company's poor performance last year, this year has been a ________ success. In this job, experience accounts for more than paper ________.
We were told that our ________ - our memos, reports, and newsletters - needed to adopt the look and feel of the network. Cowden was ________ and incapable of administering the duties of secretary of the association. Each year they ________ our accounts and certify them as being true and fair. LANGUAGE USE IN A WIDER CONTEXT 1.
PASSAGE COMPLETION PASSAGE 1 Read the passage and choose the correct words to fill in the blanks. WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL LEADER Does every successful business leader have (1) ________ and are they born with an innate business acumen? Possibly not, but all the other attributes that they tend to have will make it seem as if they have. Good leaders will display (2) ________ to their work and self-discipline in the way they approach it, as well as a total belief in what they are doing. They also have an in- built (3) ________ to succeed and never give up hope, no matter how many failures they encounter.
They are also capable of making tough decisions, which, to those on the outside, might seem to demonstrate a certain (4) ________. However, the reality is that making tough decisions means considering all the options and consequences, especially with regard to their workforce so they are not necessarily insensitive or hard-hearted. And when a (5) ________ crisis or an economic recession hit, they are not inflexible and have the ability to (6) ________ to changing circumstances. A successful leader never overspends unnecessarily and is never ultra- cautious.
Furthermore, they are knowledgeable about their (7) ________ and industry and are prepared to take calculated risks, to move the business forward. They have imagination and an ability to see the benefits of innovation. They work closely with their staff listening to their opinions and ideas, and actively encourage employees to put (8) ________ ideas. Unfortunately, there seem to be many more underperforming companies and leaders than successful ones.
in 7 PASSAGE 2 Read the passage and choose the correct words to fill in the blanks. SECTEC AMONG TOP 100 EMPLOYERS Sectec, a major player in the Canadian security industry, has (1) ________ that it will appear on the list of Top 100 Employers for the fourth consecutive year. This is in recognition of the fact that it offers employees an exceptional work environment. The annual award selects employers on the (2) ________ of criteria such as physical workplace, professional development health and family benefits, performance management, and (3) ________ in the community.
In order to be placed on the Top 100 list, a company is (4) ________ on how its business strategies and corporate culture offer staff incentives which make working for it a rewarding experience. Companies within the same industry and region with innovative programs that attract and hold on to valued employees are compared, in order to select those that make a positive (5)________ to offer a stimulating work environment. ‘Our employees are very important to us,’ states Sectec’s HR manager, Susan Innings. ‘We are constantly trying to come up with new ways to show our appreciation for their hard work and commitment.
We are (6) ________ pleased to have received this award for the fourth year in a row.’ Sectec is a global provider of world-class video surveillance to markets such as education, retail and government. With sales offices and partnerships around the world, Sectec has established itself as a top company by employing a considerable level of flexibility and forward thinking in the development of its (7) ________ technology. Sectec’s workplace culture is an extension of these business principles, (8) ________ the growth of a workforce that is committed to the creation of cutting-edge solutions and to exceptional customer care. encouraging 8 PASSAGE 3 Read the passage and choose the correct words to fill in the blanks.
NO PLACE TO CALL YOUR OWN Human resource (HR) strategy maximizes the potential of an organization’s human capital so it can achieve its broader business objectives. For some employers, however, transitioning HR from a purely transactional function to a strategic one can be challenging. With rental costs for offices increasing, the (1) ________ use of space is an issue for every firm.