第 4 页 – Pengcheng's Blog

Speak English Professionally (Week 3)

by pengcheng | Posted on 2016年11月20日 | 已关闭评论

Powerful Phone Talk

Telephone Language

Request

Could you please confirm the delivery date?
Could you give me more information about this?
Do you have a minute to review this?
Would you mind going over this with me?

Different ways to say yes
- Yes, I’d be happy to.
- Certainly, what would you like to know?
- Of course.
- Not at all.
Here’s some polite ways to say no
- I’m sorry, I’m unable to confirm at this time. I’ll get back with you as soon as I can.
- Unfortunately, I’m not able to at this time. Could I call you back?
- Sorry, I’m busy right now, but will be happy to call you back.

Asking for repetition or clarification is a normal part of phone conversation. So don’t be shy to do so. Here’s what you can say.

I’m sorry. I missed that. What did you just say?
Excuse me. I didn’t catch what you just said. Could you say it again please?
Sorry. I’m not sure I understand. What does that mean?

Here’s the response.
- Let me explain.
- I’d be happy to. Certainly, what I mean is.

Close a conversation

Thanks so much. I look forward to speaking with you again. Goodbye.
It’s been great talking to you. Thank you. Goodbye.
I’ve enjoyed this conversation and hope we’ll talk again soon. Goodbye.

Understand and Be Understood on the Phone

Can/Can’t

When I say can inside a sentence, I shorten the a, when I say can’t, I stress that a and make it really long. If you or the other person just don’t hear the difference, saying cannot rather than can’t will help solve the problem.

Numbers

Both the stress, and the sound of the T are different. We stress teens on the second syllable, and tens on the first. The t in the teen number sounds like t, but the t in the tens sounds more like d.
We divide the numbers and prices at the decimal point and similarly split the numbers when we talk about the time, in two.
If we don’t follow these standard pronunciations, it can lead to miscommunication. One of the easiest ways to avoid this is to simply repeat the number by saying one digit at a time.

Phone Roly Play

Phone Conversation

Valuable business tool
Direct & Personal
Fastest way for Q&A, making requests, solving problems.

Tone of Voice

Let’s them hear you smile
Shows you’re agreeable, friendly, helpful
Tell them more than just words

Speak English Professionally (Week 2)

by pengcheng | Posted on 2016年11月20日 | 已关闭评论

Meet and Talk Online

Basics of Meeting Online

What is video conferencing?

It is communication through the Internet, which lets people at different places come together for a meeting. It can involve just two people getting together from their offices, or many people in many different places connecting.

When and why should you use video conferencing?

From many different places, are working together and building relationships, even when they cannot physically be together. They are meeting, talking, and sharing information by using online conferencing tools.

** We need to spend more time getting ready for English-only meetings.**

Plan what you will say and practice
Practice speaking slowly and at a steady volume
Practice word stress

Once you’ve practiced what you plan to say, think about the people you’ll be meeting with and what they might need. Be prepared for questions that may come up.

During the meeting

Respect the other participants
Be sure everyone has a turn to speak
Remember to turn off your microphone when you’re not talking
Remain attentive to the meeting
Look engaged and friendly

What video conferencing sites should you use?

Google Hangouts, Skype for Business, Fuze, WebEx, GoToMeeting, and Meeting Burner

Expressions, Vocabulary, Body Language for Online Discussions

agree

Yes, I agree.
It looks good to me.
I think so, too.
I definitely agree.

disagree

I’m afraid, I don’t agree.
I’m sorry, but I don’t agree.
That’s interesting, but I’d prefer something different.
Actually, I disagree.

clarify

Excuse me, I didn’t hear that. Could you say it again?
Sorry, I missed what you just said. Could you repeat that please?
I’m sorry. Could you explain that again?
Excuse me, could you tell me what that means?

restate

I understand. We’re going to discuss …
I see, our first step is …

interrupt

Excuse me. Can I say something here?
Could I interrupt you for a minute?
Sorry to interrupt, but I’d like to say something here.

include

So what do you think?
Can you give me your thoughts on this?
Do you agree?
What’s your opinion?

Apply Language to Situations

You notice that one of the people at the meeting is very quiet or may have been disconnected. What should you do in this situation?

If you think they are still online, you can invite them into the conversation by saying, so what do you think?
- Can you give me your thoughts on this?
- What’s your opinion?
If you think there is a connection issue, you can ask, excuse me, can you still hear us?
- Excuse me, are we still connected?
- Is there a problem with your connection?

The meeting is going very well and is very interesting. But you need to leave all of a sudden. What can you say in this situation?

I have to leave now for another appointment. I’m sorry.
I’m very sorry. I’ll have to continue this discussion at a later date.
Excuse me, something important has just come up, and I have to leave. I’ll be in touch very soon.

Speak English Professionally (Week 1)

by pengcheng | Posted on 2016年11月20日 | 已关闭评论

Face to Face Communication

Making small talk confidently is a key skill, it could be the start of a new friendship, a new job and an interesting connection.

Small Talk & Conversational Vocabulary

What is small talk?

Casual conversations before an event
Before an event is an excellent time to make small talk with someone new.
Friendly conversations between strangers
We can make small talk with strangers we meet in a line or at an event to get to know them.
Short conversations about everyday topics
Small talk conversations are usually short and can be about topics like work, family, sports, or common interests.

How do you Small Talk?

Introduce Yourself
Make a Connection & Ask some Questions
Be a Good Listener
Show Your Interest

Popular Small Talk Topics

Hobbies
Family
News
Sports

The more detail you add to a conversation, the easier it is to keep it going.

Express Yourself: Pronunciation

Why is word stress so important? Word stress is like a magic key to clear English. It will help you to understand what you hear and it will let others understand you.

Word Stress (Syllable stressed in a word)

Stress 1 Syllable in every word
- LOUDLY
- HIGHER
- LONGER
Words with 2 or more syllables

Sentence Stess (Words stressed in a sentence)

Content Words, they give us the meaning of a sentence, they are key words.
- Action Verbs
- Nouns
- Adjectives
- Adverbs
- WH Questions Words
- Negatives
Structure Words (No stress)
- propositions
- pronouns
- articles
- modals
- helping verbs

Content words are the key words, they are the words we stress, they are longer and louder. The structure words softly and shorter.

Intonation (Rising/Falling intonation)

Rising falling intonation tells your listener that you’re finished. It’s their time to say something or to answer your question.

Elevator Speech

Tell a story about you, gives your listeners facts about who you are and makes you someone they want to know, tell them how you are important to them.
You pauses or short stops to highlight important information and help your listeners to hear key points.
Tell your listener, you will contact them soon to continue the conversation.

speed and volume, body language, smile and look friendly

Write Professional Emails in English (Week 5)

by pengcheng | Posted on 2016年10月27日 | 已关闭评论

High/Low Context Communication

low context communication (directly)

Low context communicators are used to straight forward, concise, and efficient ways of communicating. Much value is placed on logic, facts, and directness.
Low context communicators interacting with high context communicators should be aware that status and identity may be communicated non-verbally and require appropriate acknowledgment. And that building a good relationship can contribute to effectiveness over time.
- North America
- Western Europe
high context communication (indirectly)

Communication in high context cultures tends to be non-explicit and include more descriptive language. Emails also tend to be longer.
High context communicators interacting with low context communicators should be aware that efficiency and effectiveness is achieved through focusing on tasks. And the direct questions and observations are not necessarily meant to offend, but to clarify and advance shared goals.
- Middle East
- Asia
- Africa
- South America

Age & Gender Considerations

Age Considerations

The best way to approach age considerations is to be respectful and polite whether the person you are writing is older or younger.
- DOs
  - Use respectful terms such as Mr., Ms., or Mrs.
  - Use official titles
- DONTs
  - Don’t use slang words
  - Limit references to popular culture
Gender Considerations

If you don’t know enough about your reader’s culture, the best thing to do is keep things gender neutral by avoiding gender bias thoughts or expressions. And again, if you don’t know the gender of your reader, always use greetings with titles rather than Mr., Ms., or Mrs.

Think about all possible factors that might effect the meaning of your email.

Write Professional Emails in English (Week 4)

by pengcheng | Posted on 2016年10月13日 | 已关闭评论

How to Write Request Emails

What kind of polite language to use when making requests?
simple
- please
- could/would
more polite
- could you please
- would you mind
- would like
Learned to use the word also when writing our second request.
- Just number your requests.
- Write the second request with the word also.
Notice the location of the word also. Again, it’s right before the verb
We need to add some words of appreciation that started with thank you, or I appreciate.
simple
- thank you
- sincere thanks
- I appreciate it
more polite
- Thank you for your NOUN
- I appreciate your NOUN

How to Write Apology Emails

I’m sorry if
You’re not sure of your level of responsibility for a mistake.
I’m sorry that
When we are 100% sure of our responsibility for a situation. It’s important to follow up with a clear description of the actions necessary to correct the situation.
I’m sorry about
This expression is used to write apologies for small slip-ups or errors. These are small mistakes which require no more than a few words to be described and corrected.
- typos
- spelling mistakes
- unimportant misunderstandings

It’s often better to apologize first, and take the blame rather that to give the impression that you are blaming the other person.

Write Professional Emails in English (Week 3)

by pengcheng | Posted on 2016年10月10日 | 已关闭评论

Overview of Introduction & Announcement Emails

The basic purposes and approaches

Introduction Email
Introduction emails can change your life if they’re written the right way. So lets find out how to do that.

The subject line clearly reflects the purpose of the email.
State clearly what skills or abilities you have.
Why meeting you would be good for them.

Announcement Emails
Announcements are a way of telling other professionals about something that’s new to them. It may a product or service you offer, maybe it’s the opening of a new office or change of location.

The subject line clearly reflects the purpose of the email.
Be very clear about information you’re providing
make sure it’s accurate the first time.
Do not send an email with unanswered questions.

Introduction emails should include why it is important to get to know you, or the other business partner. And with announcement emails, always double check to make sure the information is correct before you send it out.

Key Language for Writing These Types of Emails

organization of an email

subject line
do not include unnecessary information and we state a clear purpose in the subject line.
greeting
email text
- who the author is
- controlling idea
- development
conclusion
closing

Introduction Email

introducing yourself

name
job at company
the controlling idea should state why you’re introducing yourself to the reader
development(WH questions)

introducing two people to each other

background
current job
role
additional contact information

Announcement Email

Attract your reader’s attention, the language will be more bold and direct. In some cases, the language may even be similar to an advertisement.

general information
specific information

Pay particular attention to the order of the information in your email, should include

who
what
when
where
why
other details.

Try to think of any additional information people might need as a result of the questions or new ideas in your response.

Write Professional Emails in English (Week 2)

by pengcheng | Posted on 2016年9月27日 | 已关闭评论

Write Effective Subject Lines

It’s important that our subject line catches our reader’s eyes, in order to make our subject line stand out, we need to be brief,clear,and direct.

First,keep the subject line brief.
50 characters or less
Keep our subject lines clear.
using keywords at the beginning
Make them direct.
Use ACTIVE verbs
CAPITALIZATION
Capitalize important contant words and not the propositions

Write Well-organized Email Text

The email text is the actual message we are sending which is the most important part about writing an email. Our email text should be made up of three essential parts:

Introduction
WHO(Author)
WHAT(Controlling Idea = Purpose)
Development
WH Questions
Conclusion
APPRECIATION (thank, appreciate, be glad about)

Write Professional Emails in English (Week 1)

by pengcheng | Posted on 2016年9月24日 | 已关闭评论

DOs and DON’Ts in Professional Email

There are four parts to a professional written email.

the subject line
the greeting
the email text
the closing

DOs

have a professional email
make your subject line very clear and brief
add words of appreciation
consider cultural differences between you and your reader
Focus on PRECISION

DON’Ts

don’t forget about spelling,grammer,punctuation and captalization
don’t write a book
don’t complain and blame
don’t send until CHECKED
Don’t use PASSIVE voice

Be BRIEF & CLEAR

Now that we have the basic elements of an email, we should focus on how to make the information brief and clear.

The best way to BRIEF

Use your own WORDS
Use your own MESSAGE
Say ONLY what is NEEDED

BE CLEAR,the KEY points

Be PRECISE
Include only IMPORTANT info
Words to AVOID
- must
- should
- demand
- require
- necessity

Punctuation

Apostrophe ‘
PROSSESSION,like Pengcheng’s laptop,should not put a contraction like can’t or wouldn’t in an email.
Exclamation Point ! DON’T use more than 1 time.
Comma ,

学会感恩

by pengcheng | Posted on 2016年8月5日 | 已关闭评论

哥，像你这样的，工资都应该拿到2W+，我笑了笑问，为什么？他说你自己太稳定了，根本不了解现在的行情，北京、上海，像我这样的，刚毕业入行都拿到8K+了…

最近两年老是听到这样的声音

奶奶说，鹏程，毛毛工资又涨三千，这才干第四个月，现在都一万二了
爸说，鹏程，恁老板又给你涨工资了没有，记成在郑州都拿到九千了
万里说，哥，你这不中啊，向明哥还是你带的，这才一年工资就比你多了
文杰说鹏程哥，你带的我们几个，刚找工作，一点实际工作经验没有，公司就可以给到6～7K，你得考虑一下了

总之，最近这两年，像这样的声音不绝于耳，我也只是点头微笑。现在工作终于不再那么忙了，闲暇之余，我就来聊聊这个话题吧。

刚入行的时候，拿到5K+。家里人很是为我高兴。说我能挣钱了，不辛苦了，这样的工作风刮不着雨淋不着。的确，2012年初，这样的薪水在我们老家说起来还是相当可观的。那一年过年，用他们的话说，在他们眼里，我就是那金主，风光无限。每每回家带一大堆北京特产给家里老人，给他们买手机，豆浆机，唱戏机等，看着他们的笑脸，我心里可谓是幸福至极。

2012年底，有幸给华威天立做兼职。每月拿着双份工资，加起来的收入比我们一起到北京工作的小伙伴们的工资都高，每次聚餐都是我抢着出钱。你想想，我也是凡人，当时的心情有多么激情澎湃，认为成功离我不远了。甚至有段时间想，就这样一直下去吧，这就是我想要的生活。

对，这样的生活持续2013年4月，我和老婆爱的结晶出世了，小家伙的到来打破了原有的生活。为了能在家多陪着他们娘儿俩，我决定辞去北京的工作，主动要求加入华威天立。

工作弹性制，时间可自由支配
不用在北京了，我可以回家工作
能陪着他们娘俩，看着宝宝成长
老板是国外的，跟着他等学到很多东西
对我自己的英语学习有很大帮助

俗话说得好，有得必有失。加入华威天立，意味着我没有了双份工资，收入也自然少了。但，那时的我非常清醒，如现在一样，知道自己想要的是什么。于是我毅然决然的辞去了北京的工作，正式加入华威天立。

在华威天立，没想到我倒是比较适应这样的工作方式。在Alan和Wayne的耐心指导下，我很快接手了DHL的项目，为公司尽职尽责，做出自己的贡献。这样的工作，一直持续至今。其中涉及到的工作内容和责任心，东西比较多，我以后会再单独写一篇。我也可以站在读者的角度来衡量一下自己，到底是不是个优秀的程序猿，一个负责任的员工。

好了，背景交代完毕，我现在回答问题，为什么不离开？

dream

先回过头看看自己走过的路，在华威天立工作的这三年又俩月里，我得到了什么，创造了什么价值？

陪伴见证小儿的成长过程
领导的无私帮助下买了车房
出国涨了见识
英文实质性的提高
心智更加成熟，
技术、沟通有了质的提升
把一群人带上了开发这条路

以上这些，真的不能用金钱衡量。虽然在别的公司也有可能实现其中几项，但是前两项应该有些困难吧，是这些支撑我走到现在。终于到主题了，所以答案是我在报恩和成长，这种心情也许你们真的很难理解。

所以兄弟，我不是不知道现在的行情，也不是怕凭借自己的能力和工作经验拿不到期望的薪金。虽然听到你们这样说也会心里不舒服，也知道现在的自己再也没有任何优越感了。但我目前至少不会有任何想法，我知道自己想要的是什么。

用一位同学的话说，你老板确实很厉害？能让你这么死心塌地的跟着他干… 我说，打住，不是老板让我这么死心塌地，是我愿意这样死心塌地的跟着他干，同学当场就晕了。

所以@大家以后都不要再跟我说这些东西了，我知道你们想让我过得更好一些。但我觉得目前还不是独自飞翔的时候，还是需要一如既往的担负起比应该多的责任，积累沉淀更多。如果有一天我觉得自己可以飞翔了，我自会告知大家，谢谢大家。

路途虽远，我不害怕，定要披荆斩棘，实现梦想。–鹏程

说说我为什么要学好英语

by pengcheng | Posted on 2016年8月2日 | 已关闭评论

想起来，自己从初中开始学习英语，那时十二三，跟其他大多数孩子一样，不会认识到英语的重要性。甚至在小学时都会说一段：

我是中国人，不学外国文，不会ABC，照样是接班人。

相信你们也记得有这么一段，现在想想，多么可笑啊。的确，那时侯的我们年轻，爱玩的年纪，不可能想那么远，把自己以后该怎样发展想的那么透彻。所以，我的英语就没有跟上。但有时候我也觉得那时候国家对英语教育还没有足够重视，要不然从幼儿园就应该开授英语课了。

到了职专，本来自己的英语底子不好，学校又把教学重点放到专业课上（毕竟是职专，只为就业。），所以自己也还是没有重视英语学习。临近高考，我自己尽最大努力把所有英文资料背了一遍。结果还好，英语就失了几分。但只是死记硬背词句，有很多东西自己根本不理解。很可惜，那时候也没有能认识到英语对我以后的职业道路是那么的重要。

各种曲折进入大学，由于高中压抑的学习生活，在象牙塔中很多新奇东西吸引了我。最让我着迷的还是自由的学习生活，每天可以打篮球，玩澄海，不亦乐乎，忘乎所以。哪天心里低潮，觉得不能再这样堕落、荒废青春了，也会拿起英语书看看。偶尔也会心血来潮，打印类似背多少篇文章就会记会多少单词的英语学习技巧。但那只是三分热度，朋友一句“鹏程，3C啊”就给冷却了。就这样过了三年，自己的英语水平不进而退，好尴尬，但那时却没有觉得。

大学毕业以后，第一次面试就给了我很大的打击。面试者拿出一张A4纸，上面写了好几段英文。面试者要我把这张A4纸上说的是什么给弄清楚，并且要叙述给他听。当时我就脸红了，看了半天，支支吾吾的也没有说出个所以然。这次面试后，我开始认识到英语的重要性了，在平常的生活中不时的关注和提高英语。

但，最让我下决心开始刻意努力学习英语是在我到华威天立工作以后。由于公司特殊的工作性质，我接触英语开始多了起来，也逐渐对英语感兴趣了。去了一趟新加坡，让我觉得自己好渺小啊，自信的自己被打击的体无完肤。日常生活随没有什么压力，但那也是建立在他们都会说中文的基础上。在Agile Conference 2013上，那些大牛们演讲说的英语术语我80%都听不懂，还需要Alan帮我翻译，瞬间觉得这次来枉费了他的心意。还好，我没有退缩。带着歉意，我更加努力的学习英语。

好了，背景已经交代完，我已经认识到英语的重要性了。那么，重要性具体能在哪些方面体现呢？ enter image description here

出国旅游，不必担心到英语国家旅行时生活不能自理。航班上空姐给你说话不会担心，不会尴尬地用中文回应。如果空姐嘴角一笑，然后用中文跟你说一遍，瞬间觉得自己被鄙视。如果空姐不会中文，那就更尴尬了，请自行补脑那些画面。
餐馆点餐，如果不会英语，就只能手指点着一道菜的图片对着服务员说，this,and this one，是不是很low？如果菜单没有图片呢，请继续补脑。
与世界接轨，可以多认识不同国家的朋友，了解不同国家的历史和文化，英语是与世界沟通的桥梁。如果英语好了，见识多了，亲朋好友有可能会拉着你一起出国游玩哦，因为他们不会英语啊哈哈。
提升自己的人格魅力。本来自己也没有什么值得骄傲的，外观不能观，现在想要往矮肥圆发展，简直不能简直了。既然外表不足，那就让内心富足起来。和朋友在一起吃饭，就一顿饭的时间，不多的话语，也许别人就能通过谈吐了解到你内心修养。如果对方再是个伯乐，那自己通往成功的道路上，机会也许会更多一些。
阅读英文原版技术书籍，这个没什么可说的。很多IT技术资料都是西方国家用英语写出来的，毕竟语言都是他们写的。国内的翻译版有时候可能翻译的不太准确，还是穿一手鞋来的更直接和准确一些。
可以装A啊，地铁里拿一本纯英语书籍看、电脑手机语言都设置成英文、游玩遇到老外聊会天拍张照片、给老外指路是不是逼格很高？

要学好英语，最大的动力是我的梦想，带着老婆孩子游遍全世界，所以自己一定要加油。