Anna Calvi
OU associate lecturer and materials writer. I have written materials on business communication, Academic English and Italian.
Activity
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Anna Calvi made a comment
I wonder if an organisation such as the Open University that relies partially on state financial support is a social enterprise. It does have a social aim.
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They may provide insufficient information but you can look up a word in more than one dictionary and learn which of the available dictionaries best fit each of your purposes. University students can access the full online version of many excellent dictionaries through their libraries - these are definitely not watered down.
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Hello Hilary, I definitely prefer online dictionaries. There is no space on my desk for a dictionary because it is already occupied by two large screens, various textbooks and there is usually my large cat sleeping there too.. I find it difficult to read small printed words, while I can enlarge the online entries. If I need a great deal of information about a...
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Anna Calvi made a comment
This is the kind of information I or my students often need:
Etymology
Frequency
Word family of which the word is part
Morphology
Pronunciation
Synonyms/antonyms
Collocations - though for this I prefer http://www.just-the-word.com/
examples, particularly subject-specific examples -
Anna Calvi made a comment
Whatever I do, I find that one source is never enough! I use https://www.onelook.com/ , a search engine that directs you to several dictionary definitions so, if one dictionary is not completely helpful, I can easily access another one. This tool also helps to compare and contrast different online dictionaries and identify the ones that are particularly...
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Anna Calvi made a comment
Hello, I live in the UK and I am an EAP lecturer but also teach sociolinguistics and intercultural communication. I am very much interested in dictionaries and I promote their use to both native and non-native students as they help them make sense of academic texts and help them develop their academic writing skills. One of the assignments my linguistics...
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Anna Calvi replied to Gerard Flanagan
Suggesting a leasing company in order to gain a commission is seen as an unethical practice and dealers may select a company because they offer a higher commission rather than a company that better response to customers' needs and requirements. The presentation will show how using only one company will improve quality and customer satisfaction, ultimately...
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Anna Calvi made a comment
Thank you for your contributions. You have advised Ian to include:
• A clear statement of goals
• A more detailed description of the solution, including ways to promote the scheme
• Data supporting the description of the problem, proposed solution and possible benefits
• A clear indication of how many employees are expected to take part
• An analysis of... -
Anna Calvi replied to Andy Monaghan
I agree that data about costs need to be included. The problem could be more professionally written, but it needs to contain all the facts and the data necessary to convince the readers.
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Anna Calvi replied to joyce Barker
Yes, this proposal comes across as a statement of intent rather than a proposal to introduce car sharing. One of the problems is the use of the verbs 'should' and 'will' rather than language that presents car sharing as a possibility and the various measures as suggestions. A more thorough exploration of other options would help to convince the reader that...
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Anna Calvi replied to Sara Kalina
Did this strategy help you to persuade your audience?
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Anna Calvi replied to Alex Palomares
Nice example, Alex. Did it work? Did you persuade your audience?
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Anna Calvi replied to Jenny Tetlow
Thank you for choosing a workplace example, Jenny.
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Anna Calvi replied to Nia Lassiter
Thank you for drawing attention to this ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT7amLlsRQc I noticed that the user featured in the add is a young blonde woman.I wonder if men, mature women and people who have different skin and hair colour would be persuaded to buy this phone. From my perspective, this advert scores low in empathy. Perhaps I am not their target...
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Anna Calvi replied to Alistair Wong
Very interesting comment: a receipt can be seen as a persuasive text to buy more. My favourite supermarket includes the points I have accumulated in my shop and this encourages repeat custom.
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Anna Calvi replied to Alvaro Ulate
This is a fair point. There is reseach showing that the social element developed by a community of buyers (social e-shopping) enhances the buying experience of some buyers and may lead to increased sales. In these cases, the seller provides an attractive website and lets shoppers persuade each other to buy.
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Anna Calvi replied to Carlitha Leach
Good point about reviews being prevented by sellers. As a customer, I find this reduces my motivation to buy a product. I'd rather see both positive and negative feedback to gain a complete idea about products. Some less positive comments (e.g. size 10 is very large) help me choose (e.g. I'll buy size 8) or may not be relevant to me. Overall, seeing a range...
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Anna Calvi replied to Jose C
Excellent example!
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Anna Calvi made a comment
Welcome to Week 4!
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Anna Calvi replied to Manix Shi
Thank you, shi. Good to know that you enjoyed this week.
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Anna Calvi made a comment
Thank you everybody for contributing to this discussion. Below is a summary of the points you have made. Do let me know if I missed anything and I'll add it to the list.
Advantages:
• Easily accessible
• Useful source of information
• Effective way of sharing information/updates
• Good way to stay in touch
• Immediate feedback
• Opportunities for... -
Thank you, Gerard, for this useful advice. Yes, data protection and management issues need to be considered.
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This is a good point. Your decision to use social networks depends on the business. It is also worth saying that time and human resources are necessary to make it work.
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Anna Calvi replied to Manix Shi
That's interesting,Shi, do you have to be able to write in Chinese to use it or are there threads in English?
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Anna Calvi made a comment
Thank you for your comments. You have quite rightly thought about the kind of relationships that would justify the two levels of formality illustrated in this step.
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Anna Calvi replied to Suzanne Deere
Good point, Suzanne. Adam, may not be a work colleague.
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Anna Calvi replied to Gerard Flanagan
@GerardFlanagan Thank you for writing an alternative version of the email which is more formal Email 1 but less formal than Email 2. I would say that each of the three versions assumes a different relationship between Peter and Adam so none of them is better than the others. There are many reasons that could justify the formality of Email 2. Peter may work...
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I agree on style, Gerard, but regarding graphs, bear in mind that you have only seen the beginning of each section, which informs the audience about its content. After introducing each section, Claire shows diagrams and uses them to support her argument, but this is not shown in the video.
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Great advice, Gerard. Thank you for sharing
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Anna Calvi replied to Jenny Tetlow
Yes, this often happens!
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Anna Calvi replied to Gerard Flanagan
This is a really helpful piece of advice, Gerard. Background information can be shared before the presentation. If this is part of a meeting, any background information can be sent out with the agenda.
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Anna Calvi replied to Gerard Flanagan
Very good points. This is just an interview, but let's see what you think about the presentation itself.
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Thank you for making these important points about slides.
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Good points - I particularly agree with the idea that the audience need to be involved and engaged.
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I like the idea that your audience should feel at ease in the context in which your presentation is delivered. They will be more receptive to your ideas and may even accept to interact. How do you create this comfortable environment?
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Yes, passion and confidence are important and should be demonstrated right at the start
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This is a great way to start , but you need to check that this method is appropriate to the context and audience of your presentation.
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Good point: use clear language and avoid ambiguity. This involves understanding your audience and their expectations.
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Anna Calvi made a comment
Thank you for your contributions. You said that presentations should:
- be well researched
-be engaging but also informational
- involve the audience in some way
- include humour
- have a good content
- be clear, succinct and to the point
- be supported by appropriate visuals and supporting evidence
- be delivered using language that the audience will... -
Anna Calvi made a comment
Welcome to week 2!
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Anna Calvi replied to Diane Yelland
Hi Diane, not being able to contribute happens to everybody, even those of us who are not reserved at all and sometimes when your turn finally comes, what you wanted to say doesn't seem relevant anymore. It all depends on how well the meeting is managed by the chair.
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Video conferencing is another way to refer to virtual meetings. This kind of meeting can be attended using a computer or a smartphone.
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Anna Calvi replied to Ram Jenieve
I like your point about the need to keep staff engaged and awake after lunch and yes, knowing Julian's availability would help you plan.
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Anna Calvi replied to Sarah Cunnane
I agree with you, Sarah. What you say shows that a good understanding of the company, its staff and its culture is very useful when planning a meeting.
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Anna Calvi replied to Sara Kalina
Breaks are very important, I agree. I just wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to give the IT news before Julian's presentation as staff need to be introduced to the topic of Julian's presentation.
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Anna Calvi replied to Gerard Flanagan
This approach seems to work well because it gives your guest flexibility. What do you think about the idea, suggested by one of your colleagues, of inviting him to stay for lunch to enable staff to talk to him informally?
