Free ESL Business Letter Writing Lesson Plan

Teaching a business English course requires an extremely pragmatic approach to writing tasks. It is necessary to focus on the production of specific documents for specific situations. In order to ensure that the students are attentive while learning language production skills which will be used in the writing of these documents, they should brainstorm on certain company-specific problems that might arise. In this manner, the students are attentive throughout the language productivity process because they will be creating a document that has immediate practical applications. 5-Part Lesson I Listening Comprehension: Shipment Problems from International Business English Listening comprehension (2 times)Comprehension check II Break into 2 groups to brainstorm and write a list of possible problems with your supplier Have each group choose what they feel is an important and or regularly occurring problemAsk groups to write a quick outline of the problem III Have one group generate vocabulary and structures used when complaining, ask the other group to generate vocabulary used when responding to complaints Have two groups write their generated vocabulary on the boardAsk for further vocabulary and/or structures that the opposing group may have missed IV Ask groups to compose a letter of complaint about the problem they have previously outline Have the groups exchange finished letters. Each group should proceed by first reading, then correct and finally, respond to the letter. V Collect student letters and correct reply by pointing out which types of mistakes have been made (i.e. S for syntax, PR for preposition etc.) While correcting the letter have groups mix and discuss their responses to the problemRedistribute corrected letters to original groups and have students try to correct their letters using the cues given by the correction The follow-up would include a written assignment of writing a letter of complaint. Students would then once again exchange letters read, correct and reply to the complaint. In this manner, students would continue working on this specific task over a period of time thus enabling perfection of the task through repetition. Lesson Breakdown The above plan takes the rather common task of the complaint and replies in the business setting as the central focus for ​comprehension and language production skills. By introducing the subject through a listening  exercise, the students are passively encouraged to begin thinking about their own problems at work. Progressing through the spoken production phase, students begin to consider appropriate language for the task at hand. By focusing on specific problems at their own company, the students interest is engaged thereby ensuring a more effective learning environment. Students begin to consider appropriate written production by writing an outline. In the second part of the lesson, students focus more specifically on the appropriate language for the task of complaining and replying to complaints. They reinforce their reading and spoken knowledge of the vocabulary and structures by commenting on the other groups production on the board. The third part of the lesson begins to develop the actually written production of the target area by group work. It continues with reading comprehension by the exchange of letters and further review of the structures by group correction. Finally, written production continues to improve by writing a response to the letter that they have read and corrected. Having first corrected the other groups letter, the group should be more aware of proper production. In the final part of the lesson, written production is further refined by direct teacher involvement, helping the students to understand their mistakes and correct the problem areas themselves. In this way, the students will have completed three different letters focusing on specific work-related target areas that then can then immediately use at the workplace.

Obesity in Childhood - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1704 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/03/15 Category Health Essay Level High school Tags: Childhood Obesity Essay Obesity Essay Did you like this example? Obesity in Childhood There are numerous issues that society faces on a daily basis. One of the issues that society faces is obesity. It is one of the leading risks of death and has been ongoing since the 1960s and 1970s. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Obesity in Childhood" essay for you Create order Obesity is an issue that continues to grow not only in the United States but also in developing countries as well. Not only does obesity affect adults but it has become a serious issue for children. According to an article, approximately 12.7 million, or 16.9 percent, of children and adolescents aged two through nineteen years are considered obese (Karson). In addition to how many children are obese, a study has shown that The five states with the highest rates of overweight and obese kids are all in the Southeasttop-ranked Mississippi (44.4%), Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Minnesota and Utah were tied with the lowest rates (23.1%) (Adams). Over the past couple of years, childhood obesity has become more of an epidemic as more children become overweight or obese every year. Parents play a huge part in preventing their children from becoming obese. The question is, what are the causes of childhood obesity and how can this issue be addressed? Childhood obesity can lead to many health and social issues which are the reasons why parents should take the initiative to prevent their children from becoming obese. Parents can change the lives of their children by becoming good role models and encouraging them to eat healthy foods and going outside to do physical activity. There are several causes when it comes to childhood obesity. Genetics is one cause that can determine between someone that is more likely to gain more pounds easily than a normal person that has a high metabolism because of their DNA. Another cause for childhood obesity is a poor unhealthy diet. Eating a poor diet can result in gaining extra pounds and excess body fat. A good example of a poor diet is eating food which contains preservatives and low nutrition or drinks that have too much sugar such as junk food, snack foods, sugary beverages. In the article Childhood Obesity: Trends and Potential Causes, the author explains that individuals consuming fast food meals have higher energy intake with lower nutritional values (Anderson 12). Additionally, a lack of physical activity can also result in becoming less active and adding more weight. In the article The Search For Obesitys Causes, the author explains that The likelihood of being overweight or obese was greater if a child has a TV in his bedroom or watches more than two hours a day (41% greater odds) (Adams). This is a good example of how bad parenting can result in less physical activity and spending more time on entertainment such as watching TV and playing video games. Childhood obesity also has an effect on poor academic performance in school. According to a research study, overweight and obese children were four times more likely to report having problems at school than their normal weight peers. They are also more likely to miss school more frequently, especially those with chronic health conditions such as diabetes and asthma, which can also affect academic performance (Sahoo). Other factors that contribute to childhood obesity are parents, depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. Parents can be a factor for obesity because of bad role modeling and not encouraging their children to eat healthy foods and never doing physical activity outdoors. Depression can cause poor eating habits which can increase the chances of becoming obese in the future. Anxiety can cause a lack of energy which can make a person less active and add additional weight. Eating disorders such as unhealthy diet practices can lead to anxiety and depression but can also damage your vital organs such as your brain or your heart. While all these factors contribute to childhood obesity, there are also health issues and diseases that develop. Children who are obese are more likely to develop serious health issues and diseases in the future. Some health issues that develop when a person is obese are type 2 diabetes, heart disease, bone and joint disease, breathing problems, and high blood pressure. These are the most common health issues that can occur for a person that is obese. Although most of the physical conditions that contribute to childhood obesity are preventable if a child reaches a healthy weight when they get older, some are not lucky as it can lead to more issues in the future and possibly death. In addition to these health issues, there are several types of cancer that can develop if a person is obese. These types include breast cancer, colon cancer, endometrial cancer, esophageal cancer, gallbladder cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, meningioma, multiple myeloma, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, and thyroid cancer. Additionally, studies have shown that obesity has become the second cause of cancer. Besides the health issues of childhood obesity, there are also social issues that develop. While the health consequences are severe for obesity, childhood obesity can affect a childs social and emotional health. Some of the social issues that contribute to childhood obesity include bullying and discrimination. In the article, Childhood Obesity: Causes and Consequences, the author explains that Obese children are often excluded from activities, particularly competitive activities that require physical activity. It is often difficult for overweight children to participate in physical activities as they tend to be slower than their peers and contend with shortness of breath (Sahoo et al.). This is an example of how discrimination contributes to childhood obesity. Not only do these social issues affect a childs emotions, but these issues can also lead to more psychological issues in the future. Childhood obesity can cause some psychological issues which include low self-esteem, low self-confidence, depression, behavioral issues, ADHD, quality of life, and eating disorders. While these are some of the issues that contribute to childhood obesity, the most common is low self-esteem and depression. Low self-esteem can affect a childs academic performance and affect the quality of life but can also cause loneliness, sadness, and nervousness. This can often lead to depression which can cause a child to lose interest in their activities and become less social with their friends and family. Depression can also cause poor eating habits and overeating which leads to gaining more weight and building fat. These are some the issues that contribute to childhood obesity. As researchers have shown the impact of childhood obesity, it is essential to come up with solutions to resolve the issue. As stated earlier, childhood obesity is an ongoing problem that persists in our society. To resolve the issue of childhood obesity, there needs to be some involvement within the community and government to figure out solutions to rectify the problem. So, what are some solutions that could be used to resolve childhood obesity? Based on the social issue, a research question was formed. What are the causes of childhood obesity and how can this issue be addressed? Some of the options that could be utilized to reduce the issue of childhood obesity are adding warning labels to sugared beverages and foods, improving early education facilities, and providing education programs to children to help control obesity. Adding warning labels to sugary beverages and foods would be a good option to reduce the issue of childhood obesity because it warns children and adolescents ab out the consequences of consuming unhealthy food and drinks. In a research article, Warning Labels Can Help Reduce Soda Consumption and Obesity, New Study Suggests, the author explains that warning labels in locations that sell sugary drinks, including grocery and corner stores, reduced both obesity and overweight prevalence (Warning Labels). This can help change a customers decision when buying sugared drinks or junk food at a grocery store or supermarket. Improving early education facilities such as child care are another great solution for reducing the number of obese children. Some ways that early education facilities can improve are providing organic healthy food and providing education on what foods are good or bad. This can impact what children consume and how physically active they are. It also helps children develop good eating habits that will help them in the future when they become older. The last solution that would be beneficial to the issue of childhood obesity is providing education on obesity to children because it will help them learn the health consequences of obesity as well as other information about fast food and organic food. Not only will this solution help children think about what to eat, but it also creates awareness. Some ways that schools can help provide education on obesity are creating posters about obesity in classrooms and in cafeterias. PowerPoint presentations are also a great way of raising awareness to children about obesity. All of these solutions have benefits as well as hindrances. In conclusion, childhood obesity can be contributed to several causes such as genetics, a poor unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and poor academic performance. It is an ongoing issue that has been around since the 1960s and 1970s and has increased in the past years. To reduce the number of obese children, the three solutions that will help benefit in resolving childhood obesity are adding warning labels to sugary drinks and foods, improving the early education facilities, and providing education about obesity to children. Some ways a parent can help prevent their child from becoming obese is becoming a good role model, encouraging their children to eat healthy foods, and encouraging them to stay active by doing physical education outdoors. Works cited Adams, Jill U. The Search for Obesitys Causes. Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA), 2010, pp. E.1. SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks-sirs-com.fcep.ohlone.edu. Anderson, Patricia M. Childhood Obesity: Trends and Potential Causes. Dartmouth, www.dartmouth.edu/~pmaweb/FOCrevisionFinal.pdf. Karson, Jill. Issues in Society: How can the Obesity Epidemic be Controlled? Issues in Society: How Can the Obesity Epidemic Be Controlled?, 2017. SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks-sirs-com.fcep.ohlone.edu. Sahoo, Krushnapriya, et al. Childhood Obesity: Causes and Consequences. PubMed Central, 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4408699/. Warning Labels can Help Reduce Soda Consumption and Obesity.. Targeted News Service, 2017, pp. n/a. SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks-sirs-com.fcep.ohlone.edu.

BestBuy case study Free Essays

In pursuit of the new model, the company was making efforts but struggling to shift their focus on marketing operation from selling products to customers (product-out approach) to addressing customer needs (market-in approach) while still leveraging its scale merit in merchandising. Before customer- eccentricity model, Busty was a merchant driven company. Merchant organization primarily had responsibilities for buying, pricing, assorting, and managing Inventory planning (Ala, 2006, p. We will write a custom essay sample on BestBuy case study or any similar topic only for you Order Now 0). With introduction of customer-eccentricity model, Segment organizations were newly formed around key target customer segments to better Inform the merchant teams and store organizations of the customer needs. Although the new model required the three functions to work in harmony, the company was ending it difficult to align different perspectives and goals of the three organizations due to a lack of clarity on which functions was the true owner of customer insight (Ala, 2006, p. 2-13). Eventually, the company found itself getting stuck into â€Å"focus on everything strategy’ being unable to effectively leverage Its scale power to optimize the merchandising strategy (Ala, 2006, p. 14). In order to remain competitive in the market, future challenge for the company after the introduction of customer- eccentricity model was to find a new governance structure (I. E. Introduction of Integrated business teams) that enables alignment of the three organizations to focus resource and scale merit of the company on profitable key customer segments. In sustaining competitive advantage in increasingly competitive consumer electronics market, Best Buy should continue to pursue customer-focused solutions with multi- channel sales strategy by leveraging existing store and distribution network, and online sales platform. Nation-wide store network is one of the biggest competitive advantages of Best Buy. These stores should be fully leveraged to provide customers tit tangible in-store experience (touch products and compare them to other models) as well as differentiated end-to-end solutions by knowledgeable sales force and technical staff (e. G. Geek Squad). In the course, Best Buy should further evolve its marketing strategy to more rigorously narrow down in-store target customer segments to those who look for higher-end products with more quality end-to-end services. This would help put the company In differentiated market positioning among the competitors (e. . Wall-Mart) and help avoid inefficient scale/power game to make profits with efficient use of resources (Figure 1). While continuing to crystallize the in-store operations, Best Buy should also be committed to continue investments in online sales platform, not only to expand access to customer segments which are not covered In the stores efficiently, but also to defend erosion of In-store sales form other online retailers in such cases where customers come in to stores, experience 1 OFF eventually order on-line from one of those competitors. Briggs, 2013) Owning strong network of physical stores, strategically located distribution centers and online sales platform, Best Buy is well positioned to pursue unique new market offerings that average synergies between the two sales channels and distribution networks. For example, Best Buy has launched â€Å"ship from stores† service in 2013 that utilizes existing stores as â€Å"mint-warehouse† to improve the speed of delivery. While Amazon continues to build warehouses nationwide to improve the time for deliveries, Best Buy has Just leveraged existing infrastructures of stores and distribution centers. As a result, Best Buys average total days to delivery became shorter than Amazon (Stella Service, 2014). In another example, Best Buy can consider incorporating a system in TTS online sales platform, with which customers are able to book Geek Squad services for products they purchased on the website. As in these examples, Best Buy has many opportunities to differentiate itself from the competitors by offering customer- focused solutions leveraging its multi-channel sales strategy (Figure 1). In conclusion, if Best Buy can make all these can happen with engaged and customer-focused employees, the level of customer-eccentricity is hard to be imitated by the competitors like Amazon and Wall-Mart. Levels toward strategic use of IT In 2005 Best Buys use of IT was Level 2 â€Å"offensive. In customer-eccentricity model, one of the key competitive advantages was its brick-and mortar stores where majority of sales were generated. To gear up for on-line sales, Best Buy remodeled its website in 2004 (Dickinson, 2004). In distribution system, Best Buy bar-coded and scanned all inventory for tracking purpose, and used a computerized inventory replenishment program for managing inventory level at each store (Best Buy Annual Report, 2005, p. 7). Furthermore, in order to obtain better and reliable information, Best Buy initiated a three-year project to revamp its IT system (Cottrell, 2006). Geek Square, computer purport service in the stores and at home, expanded its service to network installation and server maintenance (Ala, 2006, p. ). Best Buy applied IT system in order to convert some selected stores to customer-eccentricity operating model. However, its adoption was easy to be imitated by competitors and its competitive advantage was short-term. It was neither strategic enough and nor embedded into the core business. The Competitive Forces Framework Out of five forces, Best Buy faced four threats; industry competitors, substitutes, suppliers and buyers. Threat of potential entrants was not partic ularly observed. Industry competitors-High: Best Buys direct rivalry was Circuit City, followed by Wall-Mart and Target, big-box retailers, and DELL, direct on-line computer manufacturer as shown in Exhibit AAA (Ala, 2006, p. 18). Substitutes-High: E- commerce electronic retailers such as Amazon and e-Bay were growing threats to Best Buy. Their use of IT was essential to operate their core business. They provided customers with more detailed product information on a timely manner and offered the discount price. Suppliers-Medium: Both bargaining power of suppliers and its five major suppliers accounted for nearly 33% of the total merchandise offered. Best Buy did not usually have long-term written contracts with these major suppliers (Best Buy Annual Report, 2005, p. 8). On the other hand, products were not differentiated in general, and switching cost was not very high. Since Best Buy owned large number of stores, its bargaining power towards suppliers was influential. As a result, threat of suppliers was medium. Buyers-High: Bargaining power of buyers increased in a great deal. Cost-sensitive buyers could research and buy products at cheaper price on-line. Because consumer electronics became commoditized, prices were more or less the same regardless of whether these were old on line or stores. In other words, switching cost for buyers was very low. Potential entrants-Low: Consumer electronics market was saturated where there were major competitors such as Circuit City, Wall-Mart, and Amazon. While buyers gained increasing bargaining power, potential entrants were hesitate to enter the market. Three strategy models in the context of IT Best Buys three strategies were consistent and strongly supported Best Buys transformation to customer-eccentricity model. Best Buys business strategy was â€Å"to bring technology and consumers together in a retail environment that focuses on educating consumers on the features and benefits of technology and entertainment products, while maximizing overall profitability’ (Best Buy Annual Report, 2005, p. 2). This clear direction was set for the following reasons. First, there was a growing fear of losing competitive advantage over rivalries. Secondly, customer put more emphasis on customer service and support instead of technical aspect of the product (Ala, 2006, p. 3). Lastly, the statistics showed that one third of customers left the stores with dissatisfaction (Citric, 2006). Clearly â€Å"one style fits all† approach no longer irked. IS business strategy was to build loyalty with profitable segments customers and leverage the company’s existing assets (Ala, 2006, p. 4). To provide shopping assistance to customers, Best Buy required better information system on pricing, technical aspect of products, and availability. In customer-eccentricity model, it was crucial to understand unique needs of customers and behavior accurately and quickly. Best Buy also required information system to share their experience with customers among all stores. IT strategy was to give employees flexibility when interacting with customers. First, through reporting system, daily â€Å"chalk talk† helped communicate the sales goal every morning between department supervisors and sales staff (Ala, 2006, p. 9). Secondly, in order to maintain quality service at store, on- line training was introduced to share the best practice. Third, the use of price optimization software helped the stores to make rational pricing decision (Wolf, Bibb, p. 20). Finally, Best Buy re-engineered the global supply chain and technological infrastructure such as RIFF tag. According to Wolf (AAA, p. 20), â€Å"Best Buy invested $200 million in infrastructure, including a new point-of-sale (POS) yester that provides more precise customer data and analytics. † traditional IT in order to connect with customers. Best Buy has been actively using social media such as Twitter, Backbone, Blob, and other platforms. However, it is not recommended that Best Buy develops further its social media strategy because no additional values have been created to generate profits. Best Buys extensive engagement in social media has been well acknowledged. Unlike other companies, Best Buy has multiple Twitter pages, including Best Buy Deals and Best Buy Mexico, to cover different segment of customers. Internally Best Buy has several forums to hare information among employees, which energies the organization as a whole (Bulls, 2010). However, the long tail, as one of the advantages of social media, may adversely affect its customer-eccentricity model. Because the long tail phenomenon contributes to accessing greater audience, Best Buy must understand and analyze broader customers’ needs. A few challenges have been observed in interacting with customers on Backbone. Technology-related issues are difficult to explain. Also Best Buy cannot control the feeds on Backbone. Customers post complains about their bad experiences at stores. Monitoring and responding to such posts are costly. How to cite BestBuy case study, Free Case study samples