UNIT 4: WORKPLACE REQUESTS Agenda

 Words related to workplace request

 The 1st conditional sentences
 Present perfect tense
 Language to making requests
 Language to agree and decline requests
1. Overall objectives
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
 perform conversations to ask for days off, early work leave and advance payment.
 perform conversations to ask for pay rise and promotion.
2. Key language knowledge
Vocabulary 1: Adjectives
 Absent /ˈabs(ə)nt/  Financial (problems) /faɪˈnænʃl/
 Advance (payment) /ədˈvɑːn s/
Vocabulary 2: Verbs
 Consider /kənˈsɪdə(r)/  Promote /prəˈməʊt/
 Negotiate /nɪˈɡəʊʃieɪt/  Request /rɪˈkwest/
Vocabulary 3: Nouns
 Absence /ˈæbsəns/  Payment /ˈpeɪmənt/
 Negotiation /nɪˌɡəʊʃiˈeɪʃn/  Promotion /prəˈməʊʃn/
 Pay raise = pay rise  Request /rɪˈkwest/
/peɪ reɪz/ = /peɪ raɪz/
Vocabulary 4: Phrases
 Cover for someone  On schedule /ɒn ˈʃedjuːl/
/ˈkʌvə fə ˈsʌmwʌn/
 In advance /ɪn ədˈvɑːns/  Take on more responsibilities
 /teɪk ɒn mɔː rɪˌspɒnsəˈbɪlətiz/
 Make up (the time) /meɪk ʌp/  Take something into consideration
/teɪk ˈsʌmθɪŋ ˈɪntə kənˌsɪdəˈreɪʃn/
  Meet the deadline /miː ðə ˈdedlaɪn/  Take day(s) off = Have day(s) off
/teɪk deɪz ɒf/ = /hæv deɪz ɒf/
Vocabulary 5: Level of engineers
According to years of experience According to responsibility
 Trainee /ˌtreɪˈniː/  Junior Engineer /dʒuːniə(r)
 Graduate Engineer /ˈɡrædʒuət ˌendʒɪˈnɪə(r)/
ˌendʒɪˈnɪə(r)/  Senior Engineer /ˈsiːniə(r)
 Intermediate Engineer /ˌɪntəˈmiːdiət ˌendʒɪˈnɪə(r)/
ˌendʒɪˈnɪə(r)/  Lead Engineer /liːd ˌendʒɪˈnɪə(r)/
 Engineer /ˌendʒɪˈnɪə(r)/  Chief Engineer /tʃiːf ˌendʒɪˈnɪə(r)/
 Senior Engineer /ˈsiːniə(r)  Engineer Manager /ˌendʒɪˈnɪə(r)
ˌendʒɪˈnɪə(r)/ ˈmænɪdʒə(r)/
 Principal Engineer /ˈprɪnsəpl
ˌendʒɪˈnɪə(r)/

Language focus 1: The first conditional sentences

Uses  The first conditional sentences refer to a possible condition in the

present or future with probable result.

 If + present simple + …, modal verbs with future meaning (will/

Forms
shall/ may/ can/ should)
 If + present simple + …, bare infinitive + …

 If you need to discuss this issue further, you can contact me via
Examples email.
 If you need to discuss this issue further, contact me via email.

Language focus 2: The present perfect

Form  The present perfect is formed from “have/has” and the past
 participle of a verb.
S + have/ has + P.P

We use the present perfect tense:

 for something that started in the past and continues in the present.
I’ve worked here for nearly fifty years.
Use
 We often use a clause with since to show when something started in
the past.
I’ve been sick since last week.

Language focus 3: Language to make requests

Can I
Could he take the day off tomorrow?
Structure 1
she leave work early today?
they

Will it be OK if I
Will it be alright if he take (s) the day off tomorrow?
Structure 2
she leave(s) work early today?
they

Would it be OK if I
Would it be alright if he took the day off tomorrow?
Structure 3
she left work early today?
they

I was wondering if I take the day off tomorrow?

Structure 4
could leave work early today?

Language focus 4: Language to agree and decline requests

 Agree to smile in a positive No problem.
manner. That should be OK.

I will think about that.

I'll get back to you. Let me have a think.
Buy yourself a little time
I’ll give you an answer after discussing with other
managers.

OK. But only with the following conditions: …

Agree with certain conditions
Yes, that's fine. But only if...

I wish I could but...

Decline with a good reason.
I'd really love to help you, but...

3. Online learning checklist

Look at the list of online learning tasks below and tick the tasks you have completed.
Online learning task Task focus Completed
Presentation 1 Adjectives related to work requests

Presentation 2 Nouns related to work requests

Presentation 3 Verbs related to work requests
Presentation 4 Phrases related to work requests
Presentation 5 Nouns/noun phrases related to levels
of engineers
Vocabulary
Task 1 Work requests: Meanings
Task 2 Work requests: Spellings
Task 3 Work requests: Meanings
Task 4 Work requests: Meanings
Task 5 Work requests: Meanings
Section test Work requests: Meanings and
spellings
Grammar Presentation 1 Conditional sentences type 1
 Presentation 2 Present perfect
Presentation 3 Useful languages to make requests
Presentation 4 Useful languages to agree and decline
requests
Task 1 Conditional sentences type 1: Gap
filling
Task 2 Present perfect tense: Gap filling

Task 3 Conditional sentences type 1,

languages to make requests: Multiple
choice
Task 4 Languages to agree and decline
requests: Gap filling
Section test Conditional sentences type 1, present
perfect tense, languages to make
requests, languages to agree and
decline requests: Gap filling
Task 1 Listen for specific information: Gap
filling
Task 2 Listen for specific information:
Multiple choice
Task 3 Listen for specific information: Gap
filling
Listening
Task 4 Listen for specific information: Gap
filling
Task 5 Listen for specific information: Gap
filling
Task 6 Listen for specific information: Gap
filling
Reading Task 1 Practice scanning to identify specific
 information: Question answering
Task 2 Practice scanning to identify specific
information: Question answering
Task 3 Practice scanning to identify specific
information: Question answering
Task 4 Practice scanning to identify specific
information: Question answering
Task 5 Practice scanning to identify specific
information: Question answering
Task 6 Practice scanning to identify specific
information: Gap filling
Presentation What and how to write emails
requesting days off and an example
email.
Task 1 Tenses in job interviews: email
completion
Task 2 Email of requesting days off: sentence
arrangement
Writing Task 3 Email of requesting days off: email
writing
Task 4 Emails requesting advance payment:
email completion
Task 5 Tenses to write an email of requesting
advance payment: sentence matching
Task 6 Emails requesting advance payment:
email writing
Speaking Task 1 Asking for days off: a conversation
Task 2 Asking for a promotion: a
conversation
4. Face-to-face class materials

Lesson objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to perform
conversations to ask for days off, early work leave and advance payment.

Warm-up: What a guess!

Look at the following clues and guess the words. There are two clues for each word.
No. First clue Second clue
1. Can I receive some money in ____________? Ecanvda
2. Can I receive my salary in
advance? I’m having some
_________ problems.

3.

4.

5. Can I take a day off today? I

promise everything will be
_____________.
6.

7. I have not graduated. Who am I?

8. What phrase can be infered from the picture?

9. I’m afraid I can’t go to work today. Ms. Tara Revoc

will __________ my work at the construction
site.

10. Tseuqer

Activity 1: How to Be More Polite?

Make these sentences using the given words and pictures. Use different structures to make
polite requests.
E.g.:

 My parents are coming to visit me. Will it be ok if I leave work early?

1. I have a terrible . I want to leave at .

………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. I would like to a new product which will be introduced

in Bac Ninh. I want to have a day off.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. There will be a training course on how to maintain the new effectively

next week. I want to have days off.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. The project I’m working on needs more than I expected. I want an advance

payment of

………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. Over the past three months I have had some problems. I want a next

month’s in advance.

………………………………………………………………………………………………
Activity 2: What are they talking about?
Task 1: Listen to two conversations between Martha and Jack and then ill in the blanks with
NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS.
Conversation 1
A: Hey Martha, is there anything urgent that needs to be done today?
B: No. I don't believe so. Why?
A: I have a terrible headache and I was wondering if it would be ok if I could (1)
___________ a little early today.
B: I don't see why not. You can make up the time later in the week.
A: That's what I was thinking too. But as for today, I don't think I can be productive.
B: It's already (2) ___________ o'clock now. What time were you going to leave?
A: I'm just going to wrap up and leave pretty soon. Probably in about (3) ___________.
B: Ok. Get some rest. If you are sick tomorrow, give me a call.
A: Alright. Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow.
Conversation 2
A: Hi Martha. This is Jack. I (4) ___________ I caught a flu or something. I feel worse
than yesterday.
B: You’d better (5) ___________today then.
A: I think that will be best. I'll log my sick day tomorrow when I get in.
B: No problem. Just get some rest. We have everything (6)___________ here so don't
worry.
A: Ok. Just in case something happens, you can call me at home. I'll be here all day.
 B: Ok. Thanks for calling. I'll see you when you get (7) ___________.
A: Alright. Thanks. Bye.

Task 2: Discuss with your partner and answer these following questions.
1. What is Jack asking for in the 1st conversation?
2. What is his reason for that?
3. What is Jack asking for in the 2nd conversation?
4. What is his reason for that?
5. What does Jack offer Martha to do in case something happens?

Task 3: Further discussion

What are other reasons for leaving work early, having a day off and advance payment?
Decide which reasons are appropriate and inappropriate.
Appropriate reasons Inappropriate reasons

Activity 3: Work Request Expressions

Write down your own expressions for each part of making a request (for leaving work early,
some days off, advance payment) and then share with your partners.

REQUEST PARTS EXPRESSIONS

a. Greeting
b. Making the request for
- leaving work early
- some days off
- an advance payment
c. Asking for more details of the request
- leaving time
- number of days off
- the person that will cover the work
- amount of advance payment
d. Giving the reasons for
- leaving work early
- some days off
- advance payment
e. Agreeing or declining requests
f. Ending the conversations

Activity 4: My role is…

Make conversations based on the following situations.
Situation 1: Asking for leaving work early
Student A: You are a Trainee practicing at Vinfast. You need to leave work early at 2 p.m.
for some personal reasons. Discuss with your manager to find a solution.
Student B: You are a manager at Vinfast. A trainee will come to ask for leaving work early.
However, there will be an important meeting later at 3 p.m. about the launch of a new
product. Discuss with her/him to find a solution.

Situation 2: Asking for a day off

Student A: You are an engineer working at Foxconn Group. You need to have a day off for
some personal reasons. Discuss with your manager to find a solution.
Student B: You are a manager at Foxconn Group. An engineer will come to ask for a day
off. However, there will be an important meeting with clients on that day about the design
project. Discuss with her/him to find a solution.
Situation 3: Asking for advance payment
Student A: You are an engineer participating in a project of designing CNC components.
You need a lot of new equipment for the job but you do not have enough money. Ask your
Senior Engineer for an advance payment of $400.
Student B: You are a Senior Engineer in charge of a group of Engineer and Graduate
Engineer who are currently working on a project of designing CNC components. One of the
engineers will come and ask for an advance payment of $400. However, according to the
company policies, you can only give him/her $250 in advance. Discuss with him/her to find
the solution.
 Lesson objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to perform
conversations to ask for pay rise and promotion.

Warm-up: Go fishing
One student “fishes” one item from the fishbowl in
turn. Decide if he/ she should or shouldn’t do it when
asking for pay rise or promotion. Speak out loud his/
her decision.
Example: “threaten to leave”
You shouldn’t threaten to leave when asking for pay
rise or promotion.
Activity 1: Can you give me some information…
Work in groups. Each member of a group reads a step in the article and then shares what
they have read with other members. Summarize your part with at least 3 sentences.

1. Choose the right time to ask

When you do ask for a raise, you need to carefully choose your timing. Ask yourself these
questions as you’re identifying the right time to ask for a raise:
How is the financial health of the company?
If the company is not doing well, this is not the time to ask for a raise.
How is your manager’s workload?
If you know that your manager is under a lot of stress or focused on too many things right
now, it may not be the time to ask for a raise. Paying attention to your manager’s moods.
When is the best time of year to ask for a raise?
In many businesses, there are times when it is natural or convenient to talk about pay. The
end of the fiscal year could be another option. A fiscal year is a 12-month period that
companies use for budgeting and tax reporting purposes.
Have you successfully completed a significant task or project?
Have you just reached an impressive milestone or exceeded an important goal? This could
be a good time to ask for a raise.
Be sure to document the details of the specific accomplishment(s) you’ll reference in your
conversation about a raise. Even though your manager may be aware of your work broadly,
they may not be up to date on precisely how impressive it was.
2. Get salary trends
At this stage, you may be asking yourself how much of a raise to ask for.
Every job has a market value. This value is usually within a certain range. To learn the
salary range for your job, visit Indeed Salaries and enter your job title. Compare what
you’re currently being paid to the trends you find.
Consider your education, years of experience, years you’ve worked for your current
employer and any specialized skills or attributes you bring to the table. These all add value
by increasing your ability to perform the job. Ideally, your employer would take them into
account when determining your compensation.
Identify a salary range or percentage increase in pay that you’d be happy with. Note that
3% is considered an average or even generous pay increase.
3. Set a meeting
It’s ideal to ask for a raise in person and in private. If you’re not in the same location as
your manager, have the conversation over a video call, if possible.
Do not ask for a raise without setting an appointment on the calendar first. The best setting
is a room with a closed door. Don’t discuss it in workplace common areas, such as a
kitchen or hallway. If you can avoid it, don’t ask for a raise in an email.
If you have a performance review coming up, you may not need to expressly invite your
manager to a meeting since that review may already be on the calendar. If you’re not
asking for a raise during a performance review, you may want to put the meeting on the
calendar at least two weeks in advance.
Even if your workplace has a relaxed dress code, consider dressing slightly more formally
for this meeting. Your appearance can convey to your manager that you understand the
significance of the conversation.
4. Prepare what to say
Before your meeting, you should prepare what you’re going to say to get a raise. As you’re
preparing, it may be helpful to recognize that feelings of fear and anxiety are natural when
discussing money. Writing and practicing a script is one way to manage those feelings. If
you rehearse it enough, you’ll be able to stick to it even when you’re nervous. Throughout
your script, focus on the professional rather than personal reasons why you deserve this
raise.
Pro-tip: Throughout your pitch, avoid words which could undercut your position, such as:
believe, feel, think, just, only, might. These words can make it seem that you are not
feeling confident or sure—and if you convey uncertainty, your manager may become
uncertain, too. Go into this conversation knowing that you deserve a raise and
communicate your confidence with strong words that leave little room for negotiation.
5. Be ready for questions
If you’ve asked for a raise at a good time and given evidence that you deserve to be paid
more, you should expect your manager to give your request careful consideration.
You can expect them to ask you follow-up questions, such as inquiring about the details of
your recent accomplishments or the salary research you’ve done.
You can also expect there to be some negotiation. Listen carefully to how your manager
responds to your request. If you feel intimidated at any point, return back to your evidence
to strengthen your case. Ask your own questions to understand where they’re coming from.
It’s also normal at this stage to negotiate about the salary increase you initially suggested.
You may need to ask for a lower amount if you are met by a lot of resistance.
If a raise doesn’t seem possible at this time, you may consider asking about other elements
of your compensation, such as vacation time or flexible hours.
6. Thank your manager
Regardless of how the conversation went, end by thanking your manager for their time.
Later that day or the next, send them a follow-up email that recaps your reasons for asking
for a raise and includes a summary of the conversation you had.
If your manager needs to ask someone else about your raise, this email will make it easier
for them to have a conversation on your behalf. If they rejected your request for a raise,
this email can serve as a record of the conversation. You may decide to request a raise
again at a later date, and you can reference this email at that point.
If you feel you are not being compensated fairly and aren’t making progress with your
current employer, it may be time to look for a new job.

Activity 2: Let’s listen!

Listen and reorder what happened in the conversation.

a. Ask what you need to do after the conversation

b. Give the amount of pay rise
c. Greet
d. Make the request
e. State what you have achieved.

Turn to the activity file. Underline the structures which are useful when you ask for a pay
rise. Practice the conversation with your partner.
Activity 3: Let’s ask!
Make conversations based on the situations below.
Situation 1:
Student A: You are going to ask for a promotion. Use the note you prepared and follow the
chart to make the conversation with your employer.
Note
Working time 2 years
Current position Junior Engineer
Responsibilities  Accurately inspect vehicle engine and
mechanical/electrical components to diagnose issues
accurately.
 Successfully supervise and lead other engineers to
design machineries, plan and develop the project
“Environment-friendly equipment”.
Desired position Team Leader

Employee Employer
Greet the employer
Ask how you can help
Make the request
Ask the reason
State what you have achieved
Ask the employee to specify the request
Give more specific request
Accept/Decline the request based on the
company policy.
Ask if you need to do anything else
Tell the employee to email you his/her
request
Student B: An employee is going to ask for a promotion. Look at the company policy and
follow the chart to make the conversation with your employee.
Company policy on promotion
Time in current job Minimum 2 years in the current position in
order to be eligible / make the list for
consideration
Job fulfillment An employee has consistently good
performance evaluations
Discussion Discuss the request with Human Resources

Employee Employer
Greet the employer
Ask how you can help
Make the request
Ask the reason
State what you have achieved
Ask the employee to specify the request
Give more specific request
Accept/Decline the request based on the
company policy.
Ask if you need to do anything
else
Tell the employee to email you his/her request
Situation 2
Student A: You are going to ask for a promotion. Use the note you prepared and follow the
chart to make the conversation with your employer.
Note
Working time 3 years
Achievements  Make good progress
 Grow in the job
 Take on more responsibilities.

Employee Employer
Greet the employer
Ask how you can help
Make the request
Ask the reason
State what you have achieved
Ask the employee to specify the request
Give more specific request
Accept/Decline the request based on the
company policy.
Ask if you need to do anything else
Tell the employee to email you his/her request
Student B: An employee is going to ask for a promotion. Look at the company policy and
follow the chart to make the conversation with your employee.
Company policy on promotion
Time in current job Minimum 2 years in the current position in order
to be eligible for consideration
Job fulfillment An employee has consistently good performance
evaluations
Discussion Discuss the request with other managers
 Employee Employer
Greet the employer
Ask how you can help
Make the request
Ask the reason
State what you have achieved
Ask the employee to specify the request
Give more specific request
Accept/Decline the request based on the company
policy.
Ask if you need to do anything
else
Tell the employee to email you his/her request

Activity 4: Sharing
Make a short talk about some tips when you make a request for a pay rise or a promotion.

5. Students’ self-assessment
Look at the objectives specified at the beginning of the unit and write down what you have
(not) achieved and what you need to do to improve.