FUNDAMENTALS OF BUSINESS ENGLISH – NQF LEVEL 4
PRACTICE ASSIGNMENT
Dear Student,
Your studies are important to us at Fernwood Business College (FBC) and to assist you, we include an
assignment for each subject of the IBS Professional Qualification: Management and Administration.
Many of the questions in each assignment appeared in previous examination papers and were
sourced from the official ICSA website. After completing the various assignments, you should be
quite familiar with the nature, level and format of the examination question papers. NOTE: The
assignment is to be used as an examination preparation tool and does not guarantee your success
in the formal examination. DO NOT SPOT!
Though not a formal requirement, you may complete each assignment and return it to the Academic
Support Team at FBC for review and comment. After reviewing the marked assignments, we will
return your script, together with a possible solution. Note: you will not receive a formal mark for
your assignment but an Academic Consultant will comment where appropriate. Once you have
received your reviewed scripts back from FBC, refer to the identified problem areas and comments.
Alternatively, you are can visit the ICSA website (www.icsa.co.za) to access past exam papers.
Before sending us your assignment, you must complete the Assignment Cover Page (at the back of
this assignment) and attach it to the front of each submitted assignment. Assignments must be
posted to: Academic Support, Fernwood Business College, Private Bag X6, Tecoma, 5214 or e-mailed
to ibssupport@fbc.edu.za.
Academic Support is also available Monday to Thursday from 8:00am to 5:00pm and on Fridays from
8:00 to 4:00pm. You may phone us on 0861887771 and/or e-mail us with your academic questions
on ibssupport@fbc.edu.za
All the best for your studies.
Academic Support Team
FERNWOOD BUSINESS COLLEGE – FUNDAMENTALS OF BUSINESS ENGLISH
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Institute of Business Studies (IBS) examination instructions:
Below are standard instructions that appear on all the Institute’s examination papers. We suggest
that you refer to them when completing the assignment.
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When receiving your examination paper, make sure it is for the correct subject.
Only BLACK BALL-POINT INK must be used to write the examination.
Do not use your own name or that of your company in any of your answers.
Start each answer on a fresh page, clearly numbering it at the top.
Check that all answers are correctly numbered.
The examination will be closed-book. Students are not allowed to consult any notes.
Answer all questions.
SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1
MODULE 1
ACCOMMODATE AUDIENCE AND CONTEXT NEEDS IN ORAL COMMUNICATION.
QUESTION 1
1.1
Distinguish between the following categories of communication:
 Interpersonal and,
 Mass communication
(5)
1.2
The responsibility of the receiver in the communication process is to listen effectively.
Describe the different types of effective listening.
(7)
1.3
Situation: The manager, Jill, speaks to her team in the boardroom and asks for their input,
but their attention is distracted by a cell phone that has an alarming screaming as a ringtone.
As the owner tries to ignore it the volume increases, making the intrusion increasingly
horrible. The closest staff are startled and look at each other, whispering about what could
be causing such a dreadful sound, and nobody is listening to the manager anymore.
Task: Identify two potential barriers to effective listening and make suggestions as to how to
overcome these barriers.
(4)
1.4
Telephone technique: Discuss two differences between receiving work landline calls and
cellular telephone calls.
(10)
FERNWOOD BUSINESS COLLEGE – FUNDAMENTALS OF BUSINESS ENGLISH
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1.5
List any two steps that may be used to resolve interpersonal conflict.
(6)
1.6
Identify two (2) forms of oral communication that are common in a business context. A full
sentence is NOT necessary, just the terms.
(4)
1.7
Write a brief analyses of yourself as a communicator, showing some self-awareness
(intrapersonal communication), insight and understanding of some communication terms,
such as how you overcome barriers to communication.
(10)
1.8
Discuss ways of resolving interpersonal conflict.
(10)
SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2
MODULE 2, 3, 4 & 5
WRITE AND PRESENT FOR A WIDE RANGE OF PURPOSES AND AUDIENCES USING CONVENTIONS
AND FORMATS APPROPRIATE TO A BUSINESS CONTEXT.
QUESTION 2
2.1
Rewrite the following typical SMS messages in correct English.
2.1.1
2.1.2
2.1.3
2.1.4
2.1.5
this is 4 u
ndic8
cu@2
G2Go
B4
(5)
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2.2
Identify the types of graphic communication shown below and describe how, why or when
they are best used:
a)
Owner
Personal
Assistant
Sales &
Marketing
Manager
Human
Resource
Manager
Financial
Manager
b)
-
-
-
c)
6
Series 1
4
Series 2
2
Series 3
0
Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4
(6)
FERNWOOD BUSINESS COLLEGE – FUNDAMENTALS OF BUSINESS ENGLISH
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2.3
Your Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a written document which attempts to get you a job interview.
It is an important opportunity to impress someone with your skills, interests and attitude.
Indicate what should be taken into account when compiling a CV. Please do not use your
own name in answering this question.
(18)
2.4
You are the Manager of Marketing at Ubuntu Motors. Ask the secretary to prepare a notice
and an agenda to inform all the staff members about a meeting scheduled for 30 April 2012.
Indicate also three means of communicating this meeting to advice that staff.
(13)
2.5
Give three strategies for effective email practice.
(6)
2.6
You have compiled a report about accidents at work. For your report to be read it needs to
follow the general characteristics of effective writing. How would you ensure that your
report gets read? Mention any five aspects to consider in this regard.
(5)
SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3
MODULE 2 & 7
READ AND VIEW FOR UNDERSTANDING AND TO EVALUATE CRITICALLY AND RESPOND TO A WIDE
RANGE OF TEXTS.
QUESTION 3
3.1
The following saying includes a metaphor: “We could learn a lot from pencil crayons: some
are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different
colours…
Identify the metaphor, indicating what is being likened to what. Then discuss this in the
Southern African context of diversity.
(10)
FERNWOOD BUSINESS COLLEGE – FUNDAMENTALS OF BUSINESS ENGLISH
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3.2
Rewrite the following typical short message services (sms) in correct English: (Give only the
number (3.1.1) and translation, using correct grammar and spelling):
3.2.1
3.2.2
3.2.3
3.2.4
3.2.5
c u der
de venue iz nw campus
cu@7
don B L8
LOL
(10)
SPECIFIC OUTCOME 4
ALL MODULES & MODULE 8
USE LANGUAGE STRUCTURES AND CONVENTIONS APPROPRIATELY AND EFFECTIVELY.
QUESTION 4
4.1
Write an introductory speech to a guest speaker at your local Eco-group’s charity fundraiser
dinner. Your speech must ensure that you accommodate your audience and should be
appropriate as in an effective introductory speech. You must also demonstrate sensitivity to
a specific environmental issue, in which the guest speaker is to be an expert. In other words
this should not just be a vague ramble with superficial reference to a range of environmental
concerns, but should have a specific focus in a very real, local context.
(10)
4.2
Indicate whether the following statements are factual (objective writing) or based on
opinion (subjective writing):
4.2.1
4.2.2
4.2.3
4.2.4
4.2.5
4.2.6
4.2.7
4.2.8
4.2.9
All politicians are corrupt
Spinach is rich in vitamin B
The rate of inflation is 6.2%
Security guards are all rude
Korean cars are totally unreliable
Young girls should wear pink
Our investment account offers 8% compound interest
The secretary is always late
Disabled employees make disloyal staff
(9)
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4.3
Match the pairs in the two columns, and write the column number next to the matching
letter. Write only the answer.
1
2
A closed QUESTION
A closed observation
A
B
3
A leading QUESTION
C
4
5
6
A hypothetical QUESTION
An open-ended QUESTION
An objective statement
D
E
F
7
A subjective statement
G
8 An explicit QUESTION
9 An implicit statement
10 A mass media statement
H
I
J
I feel that audits need to be stricter
Given the Prime Minister’s earlier
connection to the Banking sector, do
you think that a lifestyle audit is called
for?
What is your opinion of open-plan
offices?
What is your date of birth?
Half the workforce is male
If you could improve something about
the company parking lot, what would it
be?
The speed limit on most freeways is 120
km/h
Wash hands well and often
Traffic is no excuse for arriving late
How many of the items of stationery
were bought online?
(20)
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ASSIGNMENT COVER PAGE
SUBJECT NAME
STUDENT INFORMATION:
FIRST NAME
SURNAME
STUDENT NUMBER
CELL PHONE NUMBER
E-MAIL ADDRESS
POSTAL ADDRESS:
HOUSE NUMBER AND
STREET NAME
SUBURB
CITY/TOWN
POSTAL CODE
ACADEMIC CONSULTANT’S COMMENTS:
FERNWOOD BUSINESS COLLEGE – FUNDAMENTALS OF BUSINESS ENGLISH
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