Dawn Delusions

English learning though case studies in workshops using language analysis, brainstorming and mind-mapping
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The Case
Nouns and Mind Map 1
Text with analysis, vocabulary and grammar points
Nouns and Adjectives and Mind Map 2
Relationships
Verbs and Adverbs

The Case

1	Dawn Delusions
2	The quest for high-tech perfection is clouding Aurore's commercial outlook
3	Dilemma
4	Aurore courts disaster unless it can get its sophisticated products to the market much faster.
5	The pre-production test results make depressing reading: a crucial component has failed yet again, in spite of the supplier's earnest attempts to get the manufacturing process right.
6	Jean-Bearnard Masselin, the harassed research and development director of Aurore, a high-tech engineering specialist based near Grenoble, knows too well how much hangs on those obstinate molecular chains in the wall of the pressure chamber. The project schedule will have to be put back further, and his original decision to go for an advanced material instead of the usual aluminium alloy is being criticized by boardroom colleagues.
7	But the company's reputation depends on its technological capability, Masselin insists, and the saving in weight once the production problems are solved will give Aurore a significant strategic advantage. His critics point out that the product has already been four years in the pipeline, is way over budget, and there is a serious risk in the present economic climate of the government cancelling the project.
8	'Global competition is getting tougher by the minute,' says Serge Bertin, head of marketing. 'Unless we can make dramatic cuts in development times, we haven't a hope of replacing defense contracts by moving into export markets. It doesn't matter how sophisticated our products, if we can't deliver, we're sunk.'
9	'The reason we lost the Saudi contract was our production schedule,' Masselin retorts. 'There was nothing wrong with the research and development. Anyway, you should be concentrating on our technological strengths, not our weaknesses.'
10	Chief executive Philippe Durand reflects that tempers in the boardroom are getting noticeably shorter. bertin cannot expect miracles - improvements have been made in development and delivery times, but it is important to get the products right, and Aurore prides itself on coping with customers' specification changes. It would not be logical to jeopardize its reputation at home for questionable gains overseas. Until the cuts in the defense budgets started, the company's growth record was good, and will improve once orders pick up again.
11	Meanwhile, perhaps a quiet word with the banks would be the right course, Durand thinks. Easing the credit limits through the worst of the recession will give the company more flexibility in tendering. But the banks will want to know what Aurore is doing to increase performance, he tells himself. 'We're improving all the time, but let's ask some consultants to back us up.'

Nouns and Mind Map 1

Make a quick list of all the objects discussed in the case. This can be done during the reading, beginning with
the main persons, the organizational units and physical objects. Later the minor participants and abstract
objects can be added, perhaps during discussion.

These items can be placed and linked together on the mind map.

room for your Mind Map 1
and the list of nouns 
(persons, objects and abstracts)

Text with analysis, vocabulary and grammar points

1	Dawn Delusions	a delusion - a false impression - a mistaken belief
2	The quest for high-tech perfection is clouding Aurore 's commercial outlook	quest - search the outlook - the view of the way ahead	A is clouding B
3	Dilemma	dilemma - a difficult decision
4	Aurore courts disaster unless it can get its sophisticated products to the market much faster.	to court - to ask for something, bad or good	Aurora faces trouble unless X X=
5	The pre-production test results make depressing reading: a crucial component has failed yet again, in spite of the supplier's earnest attempts to get the manufacturing process right.	to make bad reading - to be a depressing report crucial - critical in spite of - despite - although component - a part of a system earnest - well-meaning - trying hard to get something right - to do it correctly	What are clauses? 1. The results are bad. 2. A part was broken, in spite of Y. Is Y a sentence? No, Y is a noun phrase
6	Jean-Bernard Masselin , the harassed research and development director of Aurore , a high-tech engineering specialist based near Grenoble , knows too well how much hangs on those obstinate molecular chains in the wall of the pressure chamber. The project schedule will have to be put back further, and his original decision to go for an advanced material instead of the usual aluminium alloy is being criticized by boardroom colleagues .	harassed - hassled - under pressure and stress director - Verwaltungsrat high-tech - the latest technology obstinate - stubborn - not ready to cooperate molecular chain - a substance like oil whose molecules contain a series of linked atoms pressure chamber - a room where the air pressure can be raised to put it back - to delay to go for something - to aim at - to try for it an alloy - a metal which is a combination of several elements boardroom colleagues - fellow members of the board of directors	Masselin <== director of Aurore Aurore <== a company Masselin knows what? What are the verbs? knows and hangs What time is this: will have to be put back future is being criticized passive present continuous
7	But the company's reputation depends on its technological capability , Masselin insists, and the saving in weight [once the production problems are solved] will give Aurore a significant strategic advantage. His critics point out that the product has already been four years in the pipeline, [it] is way over budget, and there is a serious risk in the present economic climate of the government cancelling the project .	capability - ability to do something once it is done - when it is done a strategic advantage - a competitive superiority in the pipeline - in production - being processed to be way over - much more than expected serious - realistic the economic climate	But [clause A], Masselin insists, and [clause B] His critics point out that A, B and C. Analyze C! There is a risk [when] of [that the government may cancel the project].
8	'Global competition is getting tougher by the minute,' says Serge Bertin, head of marketing . 'Unless we can make dramatic cuts in development times , we haven't a hope of replacing defense contracts by moving into export markets. It doesn't matter how sophisticated our products, if we can't deliver, we're sunk.'	to get tough - to become more difficult dramatic cuts- large and important reductions to have a hope - to expect to succeed to sink - to fail
9	'The reason [why] we lost the Saudi contract was our production schedule,' Masselin retorts. 'There was nothing wrong with the research and development . Anyway, you should be concentrating on our technological strengths , not our weaknesses .'	to retort - to answer - to reply anyway - in any case - ubrigens	Anyway is an appositive, "by the way" word. It does not add the the main meaning of the sentence.
10	Chief executive Philippe Durand reflects that tempers in the boardroom are getting noticeably shorter. Bertin cannot expect miracles. Improvements have been made in development and delivery times , but it is important to get the products right, and Aurore prides itself on coping with customers' specification changes . It would not be logical to jeopardize its reputation at home for questionable gains overseas. Until the cuts in the defense budgets started, the company's growth record was good, and will improve once orders pick up again.	to reflect - to think about tempers get short -people become angry miracles - wonders - amazing results to get something right - to be correct to pride oneself - Stolz darauf sein to jeopardize - to place into danger - to risk questionable - unsure - not definite to pick up - to improve - to increase	in the first sentence, which is the main verb and main clause? Durand reflects that tempers are getting shorter . reflects But the most important information is that people are becoming angry
11	Meanwhile, perhaps a quiet word with the banks would be the right course, Durand thinks. Easing the credit limits through the worst [part] of the recession will give the company more flexibility in tendering. But the banks will want to know what Aurore is doing to increase performance , he tells himself. 'We're improving all the time, but let's ask some consultants to back us up.'	a quiet word - a tactful discussion the right course - the correct procedure to ease - to make it easier - to relax something to tender - to make a bid - to bid for a contract to back us up - to support us	Easing is what sort of word? How is it used? a present participle of a verb, used as a noun

Nouns and Adjectives and Mind Map 2

The next step is to expand this list and the initial mind map to include all characteristics which are mentioned for each object. The major advantage of the Mind Map is that it does not matter where in the text it occurs - each characteristic (attribute, description) can be placed in an appropriate place.

These items can be placed and linked together on the mind map.

room for your Mind Map 2
and the list of nouns and adjectives
(persons, objects and abstracts
and their characteristics)
Also any missing actors and characteristics

Relationships

The "relationships" phase uses a simple and logical way to analyze the situation and the possibilities for change. We look first at all combinations of the actors and objects in the case. We identify change points.

changes to actors and their characteristics

changes to relationships and their characteristics

Verbs and Adverbs

We discuss and choose between alternative strategies. We define actions and present them in an appropriate format.

Proposal of actions as verbs with adverbs