The Real World

Various nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) organize protests against globalization. NGOs typically state that they represent the interests of poor, working, oppressed, and economically disadvantaged people. Critics view them as uninformed elitists, while supporters see them as fighting exploitation and economic injustice. In truth, some NGOs, such as Amnesty International, and the Red Cross, do much to alleviate misery and aid the suffering. Others indeed amount to radical fringe groups.

People from each type of NGO, as well as unaffiliated protesters, have targeted globalization as evil. They have mounted protests in Washington (against the international Monetary Fund and the World Bank), Seattle (against the World Trade Organization), Barcelona (against the European Union), Genoa (against the G-7), and Davos, Switzerland (against the World Economic Forum, which is sponsored by some 1,000 major corporations from across the industrialized world), to name a few.

B. Translate from Russian into English.

Глобализа́ция экономики – общие планетарные процессы изменения финансовых рынков и производственных ниш, в результате которых государства практически не контролируют массовое производство и потребление товаров. При непосредственном участии крупнейших банков мира выстраиваются принципиально новые политические связи, реализуемые с помощью надгосударственных институтов.

Из многочисленных организаций, занимающихся валютно-финансовыми проблемами, можно выделить Всемирный банк, Международный банк реконструкции и развития (МБРР), Международный валютный фонд (МВФ) и другие.

МБРР создан в соответствии с соглашением, подписанным в Бреттон-Вудсе (США) в 1944г. Целями МБРР являются:

• помощь в реконструкции и развитии государств путем осуществления капиталовложений для восстановления экономики;

• содействие частным иностранным инвестициям путём предоставления гарантий или участия в займах и иных капиталовложениях.

Штаб-квартира МБРР расположена в Вашингтоне.

МВФ – это специализированное учреждение ООН. МВФ имеет следующие цели:

• содействие международному сотрудничеству путём создания механизма для обеспечения согласованных действий по международным валютным вопросам;

• содействие сбалансированному росту международной торговли с целью повышения уровня занятости и реального дохода.

LISTENING

Cultural Awareness

A. Listen to the first part of an interview with Jeff Toms, Marketing Director at the International Briefing Centre at Farnham Castle, Surrey. He talks about training courses which prepare people for doing business internationally. Complete the list of issues that he mentions.

Issues covered by the training course.

1. ……¹ awareness.

2. Practical issues of ……² and ……³ overseas.

3. Dealing with ……⁴.

4. Schooling: ………⁵ care; international security.

5. How of negotiate ……⁶.

6. Communication

• telephone – e-mail – the ……⁷.

1. Presentation skills

• the words you use;

• the ……⁸ you use;

• how to deal with ……⁹ and answers;

• managing your ……¹⁰.

B. Listen to the second part of the interview. Jeff talks about the personality traits that help in doing business internationally. Which three personality traits does he consider to be important?

C. Listen to the third part of the interview. Which two cultural aspects does Jeff mention and what does he say about them?

Entertaining Time

Gift-giving Greetings

Hierarchy Dress

D. Which country would you like to visit on business? What would you like to know about the culture of this country before visiting? Think of some questions to ask. Use the topics listed above to help you. Add some others of your own.

SPEAKING

A.

Ex. 1. Match the questions with appropriate answers. Act out the conversation Meeting a visitor.

Is this your first visit to the Far East? Oh really. What do you do? How long have you been there? Have you been to Hong Kong before? Business or pleasure? How long have you been here? How long are you staying? Where are you staying? What’s the food like? So, what do you think of Hong Kong?

At the Peninsula Hotel. Nearly ten years. No, I come here quite often. No. This is my first trip. I’m the Marketing Director for a small import-export company. Business, I’m afraid. Till tomorrow night. A week. I really like it. There’s so much to do. Its’ very good, but eating in the Peninsula can be quite expensive.

B. Discuss the following issues:

1. How would you define globalization?

2. What are the causes of increasing globalization? Comment on them.

3. What are the pros and cons of globalization?

4. How does international co-operation influence the process of globalization?

5. What are six stages of economic integration?

6. What examples for cooperation in Western Europe and the former SU serve a vivid demonstration of the process of globalization?

7. What international organizations are the OECD and the APEC?

8. What is MNC?

9. Would you like to work for a multinational company?

10. Do you think the culture of your country is similar enough to those of neighbouring countries to have the same management techniques? Or are there countries nearby where people have very different attitudes to work, organization, and so on?

11. How would you explain the concept of ‘globalization’?

C. Find the information in the internet and make presentations on:

1. The World Bank and the World Bank Group

2. The IMF

3. The International Chamber of Commerce.

4. International organizations fighting against globalization.

5. The latest demonstrations against globalization.

6. Globalization.

7. Boeing and Airbus Industrie confrontation.