Week 2: Latin America Feels the Pinch

In your opinion, is Latin America reacting to the global economic crisis in a timely and effective manner? Why, or why not? Post your comment below and check back to respond so that we can create a dialogue!

Next week, we're going to look at the crisis from a regional perspective. Please take a look at this excellent article focusing on Latin America published in the Los Angeles Times. (Read article here) Select a reading circle role and be prepared to discuss the article on Tuesday.

Note: You are encouraged to find at least one additional resource to support your point of view. This will help us develop next week's language strategy: presenting facts.

Week 1: When fear takes over

What happens to market confidence when fear sets in? Read more.


Homework:

• read above article link and post a comment
• read your colleague's comments and respond
• complete Reading Circle duty
  

Strategy: Cause & Effect

Three of us checked out how to talk about causes and effects today. Here's the handout for review and for those who missed it. Don't sound like a broken record (because...because...because...); start using some of these alternatives! (Click on the image to enlarge it.)

Week 1: Global Economic Crisis Overview

This week we're going to get an overview of the global economic crisis and explore its causes and effects. Take a look at this short video clip, which is the first of an interactive video timeline called: “Five Weeks of Financial Turmoil," and get ready to share what you know about the current crisis. Watch video.

Today and over the next five weeks, we'll be referring to the regularly updated New York Times Credit Crisis Web page. This week, we'll be focusing on the "overview" section.

Your turn to comment: Briefly comment on an idea one of your colleagues shared today that you found interesting and/or surprising.

Welcome to HSBC 2.0

What is Web 2.0? The trend of using the World Wide Web as a platform to enhance information sharing and collaboration among users.

What is HSBC 2.0? We'll build that definition together! To start, we're moving our paperwork online - reducing our carbon footprint - and exploring new ways of learning. Classroom activities will still be highly communicative. Now we want to add a highly communicative online component to make it easier to complete homework exercises while exchanging ideas with colleagues - not excluding your teachers!

In this course you will:

• Enhance your command of professional and everyday vocabulary (We're still going for 10 words a week.)
  
• Expand your use of verb tenses to make you a more effective speaker (We'll be working out on the "verb-circuit" 15 minutes a class.)
  
• Develop ways of talking about causes and effects (One more step that leads to greater fluency!)
  
• Build on your meeting skills for teleconferencing (including an international conference call in the new year. Make your New Year's resolution to participate now!)
  
• Give your writing more accuracy and impact (practice makes perfect!)

Vocabulary history

Let's keep track of our 10 words a week:

Week 1:

1. securitize
2. liquidity
3. liabilities
4. lay off
5. severance
6. leverage
7. foreclosure
8. seize
9. renege on
   
10. dire
11. broad
12. convene
13. lawsuit
14. leap

Week 2:

1. ease
2. poverty
3. bankruptcy
4. rally
5. shrink
6. hoard
7. sway
8. confidence
9. trust
10. plunge

Week 3:

1. staples
2. GDP (gross domestic product)
   
3. IMF (International Monetary Fund)
   
4. losses (take losses)
5. dependent (dependent on)
6. challenge

Week 4:

1. lawsuit
2. crawling peg
3. base borrowing rate
4. overnight rate
5. track (spending)
6. frugal
7. stingy
8. to weather (a crisis)
9. stick to something (a budget)
10. moratory interest
11. late fees
    

Expressions & Phrases

Week 1:

1. go into/file/declare bankruptcy; go bankrupt
2. meet obligations
3. list on the stock exchange
4. to the hilt
5. be worth
6. at some point
7. a year/month/week/day ago
8. cut back on
9. take over (seize)
   
10. back off
11. bug off
12. breach of promise

Week 2:

1. trickle down
2. to stay one step ahead

Weeks 3/4:

1. to save for a rainy day
2. to live within one's means
3. to tighten your belt/wallet
4. to cut back (on)
5. to max out (a credit card)
6. to make ends meet