One of the most difficult tasks for ESL teachers is to teach students to converse meaningfully in English. ESL students have been speaking foreign languages for many years, and it may be 36 for them to make the necessary adjustments to speak English comprehensibly and fluently. ESL teachers can help their students communicate effectively in English by encouraging them to take part in English conversations as 37 as possible.

    Since ESL students are not able to speak English proficiently, many of them tend to 38 from taking part in English conversations. 39 , once they are able to overcome their apprehension, they may find that they can actually communicate considerably well in English. By encouraging them to converse more often in English, teachers are actually helping them gain the 40 they need to improve their spoken English. During the course of a conversation, students will learn to pronounce words correctly, gain a better understanding of basic sentence structure, and improve their ability to express their thoughts. With enough conversation practice, they will soon be able to engage in conversations with native speakers.

　　BMW was changing the way Germans work long before it was cool. BMW reforms go back to the 1950s, when workers helped persuade a big shareholder to save the company from being sold to outsiders. In return, the employees made wage and work-rule concessions to save jobs. The enduring legacy is feted inside the company as the “BMW Formula for Work,” based on flexible schedules that apply to blue and white collar alike, while offering the security that Germans crave. 

　　The difference between BMW and the latecomers to reform is striking. At BMW, there is no overtime pay, but job security is guaranteed. Labor relations are so good that BMW is opening a €1 billion plant in Leipzig next year, while rivals look for cheaper labor to the east. 

　　There’s sweet revenge in this tale. The outsider from whom BMW saved itself was Daimler. A series of blunders had nearly bankrupted BMW. Horrified, workers persuaded shareholders that BMW could survive on its own. Together they scrapped a cheap “bubble car,” refocusing on sporty cars and revamping labor rules. 

　　The way of work is evolving. In 1986 BMW introduced flexible shifts to its Regensburg plant. Now workers put in overtime as needed and place extra hours in a time bank, to be withdrawn as time off during slow periods. The result is more paid time off: one worker recently tapped his account for an eight-month holiday in South Africa. The 1950s crisis reshaped BMW’s DNA and its culture makes it possible to keep work in Germany.