Do you have ESOL staff who find it difficulty with the subtleties of NZ workplace communication? Now there’s an excellent practical book available called ‘Workplace Talk in Action: An ESOL resource’ Written by Nicky Riddiford and Dr Jonathan Newton, it provides practical tips, exercises, and dialogues on topics such as making requests, small talk, and apologising.
On purchase you get the opportunity to download the relevant audio dialogues. It is available from the university or from Vic Books
The book is based research into NZ workplace communication by the Applied Linguistics Department. This research has provided the basis for Nicky Riddiford’s teaching in the University’s very successful Skilled Migrant programme. When I was presenting the workshop last week, I asked Nicky how she would describe the main change people have to make to manage communication in the NZ workplace. Interestingly her answer was that they have to soften their approach. Seems we’re not as straigth forward as we like to think we are!
Through my involvement in the Rotary Club of Wellington, I present a regular workshop titled ‘Thinking on Your Feet’. It is always very interesting working with a group of professional people from a wide range of cultural 
backgrounds. Here’s me presenting the programme.