Unit 10 Negotiations
Teaching Objectives: In this unit, students will listen to a discuion that has two buyers bargaining with a stall vendor in a market (Listening Task).They will also listen to a telephone conversation that has one person offering another some advice about negotiating a salary in an interview (Real World Listening 1) and a dialog that has two people talking about the differences and similarities between negotiating a salary and bargaining in a market.Students will also role-play a salary negotiation (Real World Speaking).
Teaching Difficulties: 1.Students may encounter some difficult words while listening, and they are required to figure out the contextual meanings of these words.It takes time and the instructor has to take pains to gradually acquaint students the skill of how to understand unfamiliar words while listening.
2.Students may come acro difficulties of taking down notes while listening.The instructor has to pause while listening to tell the students how to jot down brief notes in proce of listening comprehension.
Teaching Procedures: 1.Warming-up exercise Introduce “negotiation” as an important strategy for reaching agreement.Ask students to interpret the quote, “If you can’t go round it, over it, or through it, you had better negotiate with it.” T: How would you interpret the quote in your book: “If you can’t go around it, over it, or through it, you had better negotiate with it?” Do you agree with that? Why or why not?
2.Vocabulary—Read and Choose similar a.like or alike; of the same kind bargain v.to talk about the conditions of a sale, agreement, or contract negotiate v.to talk with another person or group in order to try to come to an agreement salary n.a fixed regular pay each month for a job worth n.value bankrupt a.unable to pay one’s debts market rate n.the usual amount paid at a particular time budget n.the quantity of money that is available to a person or an organization, or a plan of how to arrange private or public income or spending undervalue v.to put too low a value on someone or something reasonable a.(esp.of prices) fair; not too much previous a.having happened before the time, event, or thing being talked about offer v.to hold something out (to a person) for acceptance or refusal Supplementary Expreions Bargaining on the Buying Side Can you come down a bit? Can you sell it for 3 pounds? I can give you no more than $20.Can you sell it for that? I don’t think I could afford to spend so much money for this jewel.I’m sure you can do better than that.What’s your best price? It’s daylight robbery! Sheer robbery! That is shocking! That’s too dear / expensive.Well then, how about splitting the difference?
Bargaining on the selling Side How much would you like it to be? I’ll bring the price down to $10 a piece3 if you’re going to make a big purchase.It’s a real bargain.It’s our standard price.One hundred dollars——you can’t go wrong with that.That’s almost cost price.That’s our rock-bottom price.That’s the best we can do.The price is reasonable because the quality is superior.We are practically giving this away.We don’t give discounts.
3.Listening Task Pre-listening Activity Learning Strategies——Putting Forth Strong Arguments Bargaining, like many other types of negotiation, is an art.The key to bargaining is making a persuasive argument that others can’t resort.In Book 5, you learnt how to find faults in others’ arguments, but that is not enough in negotiations.You have to be persuasive, to know the market value of the item you’re bargaining for, and to have an attitude that shows you intend to get what you want.You also have to be reasonable.Don’t suggest an insulting-low price or make any ridiculous accusations.With these few simple rules, you will usually get what you want.
Listening Activities
1) First Listening.Chris wants to buy a plate and the vendor asks for 250 yuan.After bargaining, how much do you think she pays for it? Listen and check your answer.2) Second Listening.Now listen to Part 1 of the conversation and answer the following questions.In Part 2, Minxi explains the basic rules of bargaining to Chris.Listening carefully and choose the best answers for the following questions. 4.Real World Listening 1 1) Describe.Josh calls Mary to ask for advice.Listen to Part 1 and answer the following questions.
2) Get the Main Idea.Now listen to Part 2.Help Josh complete his notes on how to prepare for and conduct the interview.
5.Real World Listening 2 1) Predict.After Josh hangs up, he realizes that he is actually quite experienced in negotiating.What negotiating experience do you think he has had before? 2) Discover.In Part 2, Josh and Mary are discuing the similarities and differences between salary negotiation and bargaining in the market.Listen carefully and fill in the following table with the correct letters.
Tapescript for Listening Task
[Part 1]
Minxi: Chirs, look at that gla plate.Isn’t it beautiful? Chirs: Yeah, let’s take a closer look at it.I’ve been looking for something like that for my glaware(玻璃器皿, 玻璃制品) collection. Minxi: Okay.
[to stall vendor(货摊小贩)] Excuse me, how much is this vase? Vendor: Three hundred yuan.Chris: Wow! Minxi: Oh, no, that’s too expensive…how about this jar? Vendor: That’s two hundred and fifty.Minxi: Thanks.[to Chris] Let’s look at the other stalls.Vendor: Look, you won’t get a plate like this anywhere else.This is unique.You can have it for two hundred and twenty if you really want it.Minixi: Thanks.I’ll think about it.But I think I’ve seen similar ones elsewhere.Vendor: Two hundred, then…hey! Don’t go! We can talk about this… [M & C walk away]
[Part 2]
Chris: Why did you walk away? I think two hundred yuan is a good price for a plate like that.It would cost much more in the States.Minxi: Trust me, you can do better than that.Chris: But I really wanted to buy it.I think he was willing to bargain too.I’m sure I could have got him down to a hundred and eighty.We might not find another one like it.Minxi: Don’t worry we’ll go back.There’s no need to rush.Chris: He might be too angry to bargain when we go back.Minxi: Oh no he won’t.It’s expected that you’ll go round checking prices before bargaining.There’s an art to bargaining, even a profeion.Some people earn a living by bargaining for other people in the market.Chris: So, teach me the art.How much would you be willing to pay for a plate like that? Minxi: I would normally pay thirty to forty yuan for a plate of similar size.But given the quality and design of that particular plate, I would allow another ten yuan in budget.Chris: What? That’s a fifth of what he asked for! Minxi: It doesn’t matter how much the vendor asks, what matters is how much the thing is worth.Now, let’s go back to the stall.I’m ready to bargain properly with him.
[back to the vendor] [Part 3]
Minxi: How much is that plate again? Vendor: You can have it for one hundred and fifty.Now that’s a bargain! Minxi: I’d be a fool to think that was a bargain…
Vendor: How much do you want it for then? Just give me a price.Minxi: Thirty yuan.
Vendor: Impoible! Eighty yuan.That’s the lowest I can go.Minxi: Let me see…no, this plate isn’t worth eighty yuan! There’re too many bubbles in the gla.And, oh dear! Is that a scratch? Yep, thought so, and a very deep one too.
Vendor: You can hardly see that, no one else would have noticed it; and the bubbles are meant to be there.Minxi: I know when bubbles are meant to be there and when they’re not.Now, thirty yuan really is the highest price I can pay you. Vendor: No way! I’ll lose money.Minxi: Too bad then, I really don’t want you to lose money, but I can’t afford a scratched and bubbly eighty-yuan plate.I’m afraid I’ll have to leave it.Goodbye.Vendor: Wait a minute…okay,okay, sixty yuan. Minxi: Forty? Vendor: Fifty! Minxi: Forty-two.Vendor: Now forty-five, take it or leave it.Minxi: All right, deal.
