Financial vocabulary

Bookkeeping, transaction, credit, debit. What do all these words have in common? Yes, that's it. They are related to the field of accounting, financial vocabulary. Watch this useful video and try to collect as many new words as you can.

Writing a cover letter

When applying for a job, you will need to send your CV or résumé together with a cover letter. What is a cover letter? Watch this video and find out.



For useful expressions to write a cover letter, click onto:
http://www.businessenglishsite.com/exercise_coverletter1.html
http://www.businessenglishsite.com/exercise_coverletter2.html
http://www.businessenglishsite.com/exercise_coverletter3.html
http://www.businessenglishsite.com/exercise_coverletter4.html

Person of the year

Mark Zuckerberg has been named "Person of the Year". This man is the co-founder and CEO of Facebook,the social network that has changed many things on the Internet.
You can read his bio at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Zuckerberg
You can also listen to him talking about his company:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ092B7YMsM&feature=related
(if you want to read the subtitles, press on CC)

What do you think about this choice? Who would you choose instead?

Talking about salary

Talking about your salary seems to be one of the most difficult issues when interviewing for a job. This video will give you some ideas on how to make it easier.


You can also read these negotiation tips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOF1tJPqFRY&feature=related

Learn some collocations with the word "salary" by clicking onto these links and doing the exercises after reading the info.:
http://www.hrenglish.com/salary/menu.php
http://www.hrenglish.com/pay2/menu.php
http://www.hrenglish.com/pay3/menu.php

On being a leader

People have always wondered what a true leader should do and what he/she should learn? In business environments this has become even more important and loads of books can be found on the topic. Today, I'd like to introduce Fredy Kofman to those of you who still haven't heard of him. Fredy is an Argentine leader who lives in the States. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of California and has delivered presentations in many countries. His message is simple yet, inspiring. I hope you also find it so.

Listen to this interesting piece about the giant search engine Google. When you listen (then, you can read the script), pay attention to all the vocabulary connected with employment.

Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

BY PAUL ROLFE


It’s a big payday for Googlers. Each of the search giant’s 23,000 employees is getting a 10% pay raise come January -- plus -- a $1000 Christmas bonus. Fox Business has some reasons that this makes sense for the company.

“Its trying to create a moat around itself from its employees leaving to Facebook. Ten percent of Facebook employees have Google on their resume in some way shape or form... People are often a competitive advantage in these technology companies. The brain trust -- it wants to protect that. Frankly its also cheaper to retain employees than hire new employees... Last but not least, frankly the company can afford to do so. Profits were up more than 32% in the third quarter. It has $33 billion of cash sitting on its balance sheet.”

Google doesn’t usually comment on internal matters, but in a statement to the press it said competitive compensation plans are important for the future of the company. CNN Money points out how important it is for Google to retain good employees, after losing some noteworthy ones.

“Google has lost top minds such as YouTube co-founder and CEO Chad Hurley, AdMob co-founder Omar Hamoui, and Google Maps and Wave creator Lars Rasmussen.”

Many ex-Googlers have defected to Facebook. Computer World spoke to an analyst from Gartner who highlights the growing tension between the two companies.

“There is a battle for the future of the Web, and it is not about search engines, but about the social Web. The competition is between the new and the old -- between Facebook as the early leader in the social Web, and Google as the dominant player in the content Web.”

But wait a second -- aren’t we in a recession? Well -- The Wall Street Journal says its actually not bad news for investors.

“If Google is making this ten percent raise now, it means that they’re doing probably pretty well in the fourth quarter. So, I don’t know how concerned investors are going to be. Google has been acquiring a lot of companies for talent. They’ve also been acquiring a lot of companies for technology. I don’t think this is going to be too big of a concern.”

Oddly, Google is already number four on Fortune’s top 100 companies to work for. Facebook -- not even on the list. So, what do you think? Will this move spark other tech companies to start hiring -- and paying -- more?


Get more multi-source tech news analysis from Newsy.com

For more practice on the language of work, you can click on these links:
http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/vocabulary/lefg1_vocabulary34.html
http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/vocabulary/lefg1_vocabulary38.html

Smaller iPad?

Apple has always been at the cutting edge of mobile phone innovation but, is this too much? Listen to this piece of news. Then, you may read the script below.

Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

Rumors are starting about Apple again. Now they say the next generation of iPad may have a 7-inch screen, and could be available in the first quarter of 2011. PC Magazine’s Lance Ulanoff doesn’t understand the point of a smaller screen for Apple.“Every time I hear this rumor, I have to suppress the urge to shout back in the face of the rumor monger, ‘If you want a smaller iPad, get a freaking iPod touch!’ Okay, I admit it; I have actually said that to a few people.”The news of the possible 7-inch screen originally came from a Taiwanese paper back in August.“Is a seven inch ipad in your future? Apple may not be standing still with the success of its original iPad. The story is from a Taiwan newspaper that had the details right on the first iPad release. It said Taiwanese companies have received contracts for a new baby iPad, about a 7 inch screen.” (Bloomberg)

More information is now coming from an analyst at Rodman and Renshaw, a full service investment bank. The analyst Ashok Kumar based his report on conversations with Apple’s supply chain. MSNBC’s Athima Chansanchai spoke with Kumar to confirm the rumors.

“I talked to Kumar this morning, and he verified the information that has appeared in other outlets. But he gave us a little more, too. He said the built-in cameras will be capable of capturing HD quality video.”Yes, beyond the smaller screen, the next iPad may have front and back HD cameras and also a faster Cortex A9 processor. The smaller screen could be an attempt to lower prices and get into the Samsung Galaxy’s market.But GigaOm’s Darrel Etherington thinks that Apple will stay competitive without mimicking the competition.“That’s not something Apple’s done in the past, and as long as Jobs is in charge, I believe it’ll go the route of innovation before it chooses to passively fall in step with the rest of the industry.”

The original 9.7-inch version will still be around and will also be receiving the processor upgrade. So what do you think? Are you interested in a smaller, lighter, and cheaper iPad?Get more multi-source tech news at newsy.com

For other videos on mobile phone companies:
http://www.newsy.com/videos/is-facebook-developing-a-phone
http://www.newsy.com/videos/nokia-tabs-microsoft-s-stephen-elop-as-ceo/

If you want to work on you vocabulary on mobile phones:
http://www.businessenglishsite.com/cell-phones-vocabulary1.html
http://www.businessenglishsite.com/cell-phones-vocabulary2.html