TOEIC Tea Time English

Why whiners don't win at work

2011-09-19T16:36:00.001-07:00

By Kaitlin Madden

(CareerBuilder.com)

-- If you want to get ahead in your career, never let 'em see you sweat. Or yell. Or argue. And whatever you do, don't cry.

As it turns out, a level head and a pleasant disposition will get you further in your career than even book smarts will.

According to a new CareerBuilder survey, 71 percent of humanresources managers say they place more emphasis on emotional intelligence -- a person's ability to control his or her emotions, sense the emotions of others and build relationships -- than they do on IQ. Fifty-nine percent of employers even said they wouldn't hire someone who had a high IQ but low EI.

Among other reasons, hiring managers said they value EI over IQ because employees with high emotional intelligence are more likely to stay calm under pressure, solve conflict effectively and show empathy to their team members."Technical competency and intelligence are important assets for every worker, but when it's down to you and another candidate for a promotion or new job, dynamic interpersonal skills will set you apart," says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. "In a recovering economy, employers want people who can effectively make decisions in stressful situations and can empathize with the needs of their colleagues and clients to deliver the best results."

Want to score high on your next emotional IQ test? The following are some of the most common behaviors and qualities that indicate emotional intelligence, plus expert tips for putting these behaviors into practice in your career or job search.

Demonstrate control over emotions

CareerBuilder survey respondents cited the ability to "keep emotions in check and have thoughtful discussions on tough issues," as one of the top indicators that a person has high emotional intelligence.

To help you minimize negative reactions to stress, whether in a boardroom or a job interview, "it is essential to identify your stress triggers and have specific action steps in place to maintain control when the pressure is on," says Patricia Thompson, Ph.D., a corporate psychologist and management consultant at Sperduto & Associates, Inc., a corporate psychology firm in Atlanta. "Being aware of your triggers and the changes that occur in your body when you are under stress can really help you avoid putting your foot in your mouth or engaging in other behaviors that may sound like a good idea when you are mad, but which you later regret."

Should you find yourself starting to react to stressful surroundings, Thompson suggests deep breathing, taking a short break or counting to ten in order to keep calm.

Practice self-reflection

"To be emotionally intelligent you must be self-aware, with a good understanding of your strengths and weaknesses," Thompson says. "To increase your level of self-understanding ... I recommend making a list of your top five strengths and weaknesses, then reaching out to others for feedback to get their opinions. Asking others for feedback is a great way to learn more about how you are perceived, and can help to ensure you don't have any 'blind spots.' Once you have a comprehensive list together, pick out two or three weaknesses and create development plans to address them."

Becoming more self-aware will also help you more readily admit to and learn from your mistakes, another important quality that people with emotional intelligence demonstrate in the workplace.

Listen

According to the CareerBuilder survey, hiring managers consider good listening skills to be an indicator of high emotional intelligence.

Thompson suggests improving your listening skills by doing the following. "When you listen to others, try to listen on two levels: First, listen to understand the content of what they are saying. Try to refrain from interrupting or judging while the other person is talking, and instead, give him or her the opportunity to fully make their point. Second, listen to understand the emotions behind what they are saying. What are they feeling? What is important to them in this instance? Can you empathize with any aspect of what they are saying? When you listen to others and can reflect back to them that you really heard them, it can really help in building relationships and managing conflict, even when you don't agree with all that they are saying," she says.

Empathize with colleagues

For some people, empathy comes naturally. For others, it may not, but that doesn't mean empathy can't be developed.

"Some individuals are primarily logical and have a hard time getting in touch with feelings and empathizing with people," Thompson says. "If you are one of these people, you might have trouble anticipating others' reactions or recognizing what motivates them. Or, you may inadvertently offend others by not being sensitive enough when communicating with them. If this is you, I recommend trying to find a colleague who seems to have a higher degree of emotional intelligence, and run things by him or her. By getting someone else's perspective, you can learn a new way of considering issues."

For those who may need extra help developing their EI, Thompson also suggest executive coaching. "A good coach will help you to get more in touch with yourself and provide you with practical tools you can draw on to increase your emotional intelligence," she says.

TOEIC accepted in Britain

2011-09-12T14:45:00.000-07:00

http://www.ets.org/toeic/news/toefl_toeic_uk_visa_proficiency

TOEFL® Test and TOEIC® Test Approved By U.K. Border Agency to Demonstrate English Proficiency for Visas in the United Kingdom

Audio Book: Getting started in stocks by Alvin D. Hall Chapter 4 How much to invest?

2009-02-23T13:51:00.000-08:00

Vocabulary

Cash needs
assess
Investment
Financial adviser
Broker
Liquid
Request

What are the speaker recommendations? What do you have to say to the broker at the moment to invest?

Grammar: Future Forms

2009-02-23T08:49:00.000-08:00

The use of be going + infinitive and the present continuous tense to speak about the future is similar. We use them to talk about things that are already planned or decided.

			What *are you doing* this weekend? (= What are your plans?)
			*I'm spending* the weekend at home. (= I've planned it already/I've already decided)
			*I'm going to spend* the weekend at home. (= I've already decided/I've planned it already)

The present continuous is usually used to speak about personal arrangements, when the time and/or place have already been decided.

			We'*re meeting* Jim at the pub at 6 o'clock.
			The taxi'*s picking* us up at 3 o'clock.

Be going to + infinitive is used to talk about our intentions, even if they are some way in the future.

			I'm going to study law when I finish school.
			We're going to Hawaii for our holidays next summer.

Notice that last sentence - it is not common to say "going to go to. We normally drop the go to and just say going to.

Be going to + infinitive is also used to speak about the future when we have already got some evidence that something is certain or likely to happen.

			She'*s going to have* a baby (I can see that she is pregnant)
			It'*s going to rain* (I can see the dark storm clouds)

Will is more complicated, and here we are only going to discuss its use in relation to be going to + infinitive and the present continuous.

In certain situations all of these future forms can have similar meanings. The difference is what we want to stress when we speak. As we wrote above, be going to + infinitive and the present continuous are used to talk about things that are already planned or decided. If this is what we want to stress then we would use one of those structures, if not, we would choose will:

			What *are you going to do* now?
			What *are you doing* now?
			What *will you do* now?

In the first two examples, the person asking the question assumes that the person they are speaking to has some plan or intention. In the last example, s/he feels that there is some uncertainty.

Also above, we mentioned the use of be going to + infinitive to talk about (predict) the future when we have already got some evidence that something is certain or likely to happen. When this evidence is not present, or at least is not as concrete, we prefer to use will.

			It'*s going to rain* later (I can see the clouds building up)
			I think it *will rain* later (It often does at this time of year)

Important information about the TOEIC

2009-02-18T07:48:00.000-08:00

TOEIC^® - Test of English for International Communication^TM

The global standard for measuring English language skills for business

More than 4.5 million people each year take the TOEIC tests to advance their careers. And, for more than 25 years, TOEIC test scores have helped thousands of corporations, educational institutions and governments throughout the world recruit, hire and promote the most qualified candidates.

The new TOEIC Speaking and Writing Tests have been added to the TOEIC English-language learning product line. They complement the TOEIC Listening and Reading Test for a full assessment of a person's ability to communicate in English across all four language skills.

In Colombia people can present the TOEIC Listening and Reading Test.

What Is TOEIC?

The Test of English for International Communication™ (TOEIC®) is an English language test designed specifically to measure the everyday English skills of people working in an international environment.

Who Takes It And Why?

Nonnative English speakers take the test to demonstrate English proficiency when applying for new positions and obtaining credentials.

Where Do People Take It?

The test is given at open public sessions, and at companies and language schools around the world.

Who Accepts It?

The test is widely accepted by corporations, English-language programs, and government agencies around the world.

Corporations use TOEIC test to document progress in English training programs, recruit and promote employees, and put standard measurements in place across locations.
English Programs use it to place students at the right learning levels, and show student progress and program effectiveness.
Government agencies use it to document progress in English language courses, and to recruit, promote and hire employees.

Testing Format

The TOEIC test is a paper-and-pencil, multiple-choice assessment that uses audiocassettes, pictures, and written materials to evaluate English-language skills.

Test Content

The TOEIC test is a paper-and-pencil, multiple-choice assessment. There are two separately timed sections of 100 questions each.

Section I: Listening

Examinees listen to a variety of questions and short conversations recorded in English, then answer questions based on what they heard.

Part 1: Photographs (20 items)
Part 2: Question - Response (30 items)
Part 3: Short Conversations (30 items)
Part 4: Short Talks (20 items)

Section II: Reading

Examinees read a variety of materials and respond at their own pace to questions based on the content.

Part 5: Incomplete Sentences (40 items)
Part 6: Error Recognition (20 items)
Part 7: Reading Comprehension (40 items)

Test Length

The test lasts approximately 2 ½ hours. Examinees have:

45 minutes for Section I
75 minutes for Section II, and
the remaining time to respond to biographical questions and a brief questionnaire about education and work history.

Taken from the ETS webpage www.ets.org.

Vocabulary about Career

2009-02-18T07:41:00.000-08:00

What do you think is the meaning of these words?

Board Meeting
General Assembly
Contract negociation
Company picnic
Workers demonstration
Fire drill
Conference call
Job interview
Sales presentation

If you know the answer send an email to englishhh@gmail.com