E4IT STARTER - MODULE 9.pdf

1. English For IT:Starter
Module 9

2. What you will learn
Vocabulary
Product vs Service
Companies
Grammar Pronunciation
1 5
3
2 4
Soft Skills Speaking&
Writing
have to / must er/ur Asking someone’s
opinion
Brainstorming a
solution

3. WARM UP
What does SaaS stand for?
Can you name any examples
of SaaS companies and
Product companies?

4. Vocabulary. What is SaaS?
Software as a service (SaaS) is a software distribution model in which a third-party provider hosts
applications and makes them available to customers over the Internet. This method of software delivery
allows data to be accessed from any device with an internet connection and a web browser. Software vendors
maintain the servers, databases, and the code that makes up an application and provide customer support in
case anything goes wrong.
The traditional on-premise software delivery model differs from SaaS in two key ways:
● SaaS deployments don’t require extensive hardware, which allows buyers to outsource most of the
IT responsibilities typically required to troubleshoot and maintain the software in-house.
● SaaS systems are typically paid within a subscription model, whereas on-premise software is
usually purchased through a perpetual license, paid upfront.
SaaS is well-suited for the B2B sector because it saves companies a lot of time and money. However, some
SaaS companies are open and willing to operate in the B2C sector as well. Even though selling directly to
consumer may be less profitable, it can be more rewarding and less difficult than working with corporations.
These days, it seems that every software company needs to be customer-centric and service-based and SaaS
is gradually becoming the default distribution model.
https://www.softwareadvice.com/resources/saas-10-faqs-software-service/

5. Questions What is your opinion on the
B2B vs B2C sector?
Do you have experience in
both? Which do you like better?

6. Slack doesn’t need to tell the world how well
they’re doing. Just look at their stats:
● They are the fastest growing SaaS
company. Of all time.
● Their valuation went from $0 to $4
BILLION. In just 4 years.
● They have 4 million active daily users
Let’s find out how they managed to achieve this
level of growth.
Let's take a look at a company that’s kicking
ass in the SaaS world. You can probably
guess its name from the logo.
Most of Slack’s initial growth was thanks to word-of-mouth marketing (and actually, even today
this continues to be Slack’s #1 priority).They focus heavily on a few core marketing channels,
such as social media and a Medium publication, that help them continually get their name out
there. Plus, they managed to define a distinctive brand voice that is personal, memorable, and
entertaining.
Do you use Slack?

7. Slack
But simply creating a unique brand is not enough. In order to gain visibility, a company must be super
knowledgeable about SEO practices. This is why most companies feel like they have to have a blog
with educational content which people are likely to search for online.
But Slack opts for a different approach. Instead of focusing most of their advertising effort on posting
articles titled “How to use Excel”, they take advantage of their powerful integration features.
Meaning that, every time you use such huge apps as Jira, Trello, Google Calendar, Giphy etc., you will
come across Slack’s website because all of these products have integration capabilities with Slack.
Pretty clever marketing, right?
There is another thing that makes Slack a market leader and that is the ongoing customer support.
Their twitter account is always active with feature requests, bug reports and complaints. The fact
that Slack is a huge player in the space of online communication doesn’t mean that the users are
always happy with the product. It’s quite the opposite. Unlike other big companies that neglect user
feedback, Slack’s team tries to get back to everyone who writes to them, troubleshoot issues and
address concerns, politely and tactfully. See for yourself

8. Cool phrases:
Dismiss prompts (click “cancel” on automated
“helping” messages that teach you how to use an
app or a particular feature)
Notifs = notifications
It doesn’t have to be this way = There is a better
way / method to do things
Frustrating = something that makes you angry and
upset
Take note = note down something useful and make
necessary changes on the future
What do you think of Slack as a product?
Do you know any other companies with
clever marketing strategies?

9. Grammar: must & have to
You must be tired.
We have to go back
These two modal verbs are very common. Like all modal verbs, must and have to
don’t describe actions, they describe the speaker’s attitude to the action
They don’t have an independent meaning and are always used before a verb.
Let’s recap the meaning of the modal verbs we’ve learned so far

10. Grammar
Can you see me right now?
She can learn fast
1 Can = ability

11. Grammar
If you get a dog, you have to walk it every morning
I went home because I had to prepare for the job
interview.
This has to be done by tomorrow
2
Have to = necessity (past form: had to, future form:
will have to)

12. Grammar
You must follow the company policy
You must not smoke in public places
3
Must = rules and obligations (not common these days)
* must doesn’t have past and future forms

13. Grammar
This must be your sister (I’m pretty sure this is
your sister)
You must know everything about filmmaking
She must be in a different room
3
Must = to say that you are almost 100% sure about something (a
lot more common)
* must doesn’t have past and future forms

14. 14
Form
Modal verbs don’t need auxiliaries. However, “have to” is an
exception. We modify “have to” just like the verb “have”
Compare:
Can you wake up at 6 am?
Do you have to wake up at 6 am?
She can’t work hard
She doesn’t have to work hard

15. Practice
Complete the sentences with the right modal verb
1. My friend _________ (ability) speak some Thai
2. She _______ (necessity) go downstairs because she left her phone
there.
3. I _________ (necessity) go to the store tomorrow. I ran out of
coffee
4. She works at Facebook. She ________ (certainty) be smart
5. I ________ (lack of necessity) do this. This is not my job
6. - _______ she ________ (necessity) come to the office? - No, we
can just set up an online meeting with her

16. Talk about things that:
You could do when you you were younger but cannot do anymore
You have to do if you want to be popular on Instagram
You hope you will be able to do in 5 years
Have to be improved in your country
Your friends must think about you
Practice. Discussion Time

17. Pronunciation tip
How to read er / ur
Most of the time, these sounds are pronounced as e: in the middle of
words
urgent, occur, burn, hurt, Thursday, purple, return, fur, surf
certain, person, term, interpret, university, universal, internal, prefer

18. Soft skills
Asking and
expressing opinions
You have to make sure you communicate your
opinions in a tactful and effective manner.
The following phrases may come in handy:
What are your thoughts on ….?
Thoughts? (informal) - typically comes after a
statement.
Here’s a drawing I made. Thoughts?
What is your opinion on …?
How do you feel about (something)?
What do you think about …?
I believe ….
In my opinion ….
I’d say that…..
I can appreciate it (I respect it but I don’t love it)
I’m (not) a big fan of…
I really enjoy….

19. Speaking
Pick one topic and share your opinions on it
using the phrases from before
E.g. How do you feel about Elon Musk?
I think he has really good ideas. I can appreciate
what he is doing to save the environment.
Blockbuster movies
Lockdown restrictions
American people
Modern art
People who are self-employed
Big tech companies
Elon Musk

20. That’s a wrap!
🌯