ESL商务英语: ESL Podcast 308 – Formatting a Document

ESL Podcast 308 – Formatting 2 a Document

GLOSSARY 3

to format 1 – to change the appearance of a document; to change the way that adocument looks when it is printed on paper; to change the style of a document* Can you please format this report so that it fits on one page?

margin 4 – the empty white space at the top, bottom, and sides of a page* This document has 1-inch side margins 5 and 1.25-inch top and bottom margins.

default – a computer program’s normal settings; the way that a program willwork if one does not change it* By default, this new computer program saves your work every five minutes, butyou can make it save the file more or less frequently by changing the settings.

to adjust – to change; to make a small change to make something better* Maggie adjusted her meeting schedule so that she could leave early on Friday.

page break – an invisible line that is put in a document so that all the informationbelow that line goes onto the next page* I need to put a page break at the end of every chapter so that each chapterstarts on a new page.

header / footer – the space where the same information or images appear at thetop (header) or bottom (footer) of every page* The ESL Podcast Learning Guides have a header with the logo and name ofthe podcast, and a footer with the page number and copyright information.

pull-down menu – a list of options in a computer program that appear when oneclicks on a button* In Microsoft Word, when you click on the zoom 6 button, you can see a pull-downmenu of all the viewing options, from 10% to 500%.

to select – to choose; to pick one item from a list or group of things* I don’t know anything about wine.  Can you help me select one to serve withdinner tonight? to insert – to add something; to put something on or into something else* Please insert your credit card into this machine to make a payment.

font – the style of typed letters and words; the shape of typed letters * Two of the most popular fonts are Times New Roman and Arial.

toolbar – a group of related commands in a computer program, usually in asingle row at the top of the page; a group of small images in a row at the top ofthe screen, so that one can click the images to give commands to the program* In this program, the “standard” toolbar has buttons for opening, saving, andprinting files.

orientation 7 – the direction of a page, so that it is vertical 8 (taller than wide) orhorizontal (wider than tall)* Our graph was very long and short, so we chose a horizontal orientation to fillthe page.

portrait – a printed piece of paper that is taller than it is wide; the normal verticaldirection for paper that is printed or written on* The teacher wants all of our school essays printed in portrait.

landscape – a printed piece of paper that is wider than it is tall; the non-normalhorizontal direction for paper that is printed or written on* People would have more room to write their name, address, telephone number,and email address if this form were printed in landscape.

setup – the settings and controls for doing something; the things that must beprepared before something can be done* The group needed two hours for setup before the concert began.

to get stuck – to not be able to continue doing something; to not know how tocontinue doing something* If you get stuck on the math homework, ask another student for help.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS1.  Where will Franz insert the page number?

a)  In the margins.

b)  In the page break.

c)  In the header or footer.

2.  How does Franz want to change the orientation?

a)  He wants the page to be portrait.

b)  He wants the page to be landscape.

c)  He wants to change the page setup.

______________WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

marginThe word “margin,” in this podcast, means the empty white space at the top,bottom, or side of a page: “This report is 20 pages long, but it has large margins,so there isn’t very much text to read.”  A “margin” is also the number of votes orthe amount of time that someone wins by: “The president won the election by a35% margin.”  In business, a “profit margin” is how much money a business has made after it pays all of its expenses: “In its first year, the restaurant had a 15%profit margin, but next year, it should be higher.”  Finally, a “margin” can be theamount of space or time that one has to be able to do something: “Our flightlands in Chicago at 4:20, but then we have to catch another flight at 4:45, leavingus a very small margin for delays.”

landscapeIn this podcast, the word “landscape” means a printed piece of paper that is wider than it is tall: “The text is too wide for the page, so I’m going to change thepaper so it’s landscape.”  A “landscape” is also a wide view, or everything thatone can see outside: “The landscape from the top of Mount Jefferson is absolutely beautiful!”  When we talk about art, “landscapes” are paintings ofnature: “Do you like landscapes, or do you prefer paintings of historic events?”

The word “landscaping” refers to one’s yard, or the way that plants are used fordecoration around a building: “The Azuma family hired someone to do theirlandscaping, and now their yard is full of beautiful flowers, plants, and trees.”

CULTURE NOTEWhen Americans write formally, they need to follow “formatting and style guides,”

or rules about how things should be written.  This is especially true for “academic writing” (writing in a university) and for “publications” (newspapers, magazines,and other materials that are shared with the public).  Some of the most commonformatting and style guides are APA, MLA, Chicago, and AP, although many businesses and organizations have their own formatting and style guides, too.

Most university students are familiar with APA and MLA styles.  The AmericanPsychological Association (APA) developed the APA style, which is used formany research papers and scientific writing.  The Modern Language Association(MLA) created the “MLA Style Guide,” which is used for most other academic writing.

The Chicago Manual of Style is published by the University of Chicago Press.  It“covers” (discusses) correct English grammar and presents many “guidelines”

(suggested rules) for formatting and style.  Many businesses ask their employees to follow the Chicago style in their writing.

Finally, the Associated Press, which is the largest “news agency” (anorganization that writes news stories) in the United States, prints the APStylebook, which is followed by many American newspapers and journalists.

There are many differences between these four formatting and style guides, butthe biggest difference is probably in their “bibliography” or “list of works cited,”

which is a list that shows where the author found his or her information.  It is important that this information be listed “consistently” (in the same way eachtime) so that readers can easily understand where the information is comingfrom.  The formatting and style guides also have “strict” (always the same,without changing) rules for how quotations 9 should be “cited” (how one lets thereader know who said something that is quoted) in the text.

______________Comprehension Questions Correct Answers:  1 – c; 2 – b

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPTWelcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 308: Formatting aDocument.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 308.  I’m your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development inbeautiful Los Angeles, California.

Be sure to visit our website at eslpod.com and download a Learning Guide forthis episode.  Our Learning Guides contains all of the vocabulary, definitions,sample sentences, additional definitions not found on the podcast, cultural notes,comprehension questions, and a complete transcript 10 of this episode.

This episode is called “Formatting a Document.”  It’s about making a documenton your computer with something like Microsoft Word.  Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Franz:  I’ve just switched over to this program and I can’t figure out how to formatmy document.  Can you help me?

Helen:  I can try.  Let’s take a look.  What do you want to do?

Franz:  I want to change the margins so I can fit more on a page.  I don’t knowhow to change the default settings.  I also want to put this section on a separatepage.

Helen:  Okay, you can adjust the margins by moving this up and down, and fromside to side.  If you want this section on a separate page, just add a page break. Franz:  Oh, I see.  What if I want to add a header or a footer?

Helen:  You go to this pull-down menu and select the header and footer option. Then, you can type in the text you want.  If you want to add a page number, justinsert one by selecting it from this menu.

Franz:  That seems easy.  What if I want to change the font?

Helen:  You can change the font style or size by selecting the text and thenmaking the change on the toolbar.  See?

Franz:  Yeah, that seems simple enough.  I also want to change the orientation ofthe page.  How do I do that?

Helen:  Right now your document is portrait.  To make it landscape, you just goto the “Page Setup” and change it. Franz:  That all seems pretty easy.  I think I’ve got it.

Helen:  Good.  Give it a try.  If you get stuck, I can try to help.

Franz:  Okay, great!  Now, can you go over again how to change the margins,insert a page number, change the page orientation, and add a footer?

[end of dialogue]

The dialogue is between Franz and Helen.  Franz begins by saying, “I’ve justswitched over (or changed over) to this program (software program) and I can’tfigure out how to format my document.”  The verb to “format” here means tochange the appearance of your document, to change the way the documentlooks when you print it on a piece of paper – to change its style.  To make, forexample, certain things bigger or certain things smaller; that would be part of“formatting.”

Franz says, “Can you help me?” to Helen.  Helen says, “I can try.  Let’s take alook” – let’s look at it.  “What do you want to do?” she asks.  Franz says, “I wantto change the margins so that I can fit more on a page” – so that I can put moreon a page.  The “margins” are the white spaces on the top, the bottom, and thesides of the page.  There’s normally nothing in the margins; it’s empty, whitespace.  “Margin” has a couple of different meanings in English; take a look at ourLearning Guide for some additional explanations.

Franz says that “I don’t know how to change the default settings.”  “Default”

(default) are the normal settings of something on a computer.  The “settings” arethe way that the program is set up – what you get when you open the programand you don’t change anything, those would be the “default settings.” Franz says, “I also want to put this section on a separate page.  Helen says,“Okay, you can adjust the margins by moving this up and down.”  To “adjust”

means to change, usually to make a small change in something.  “I need toadjust my schedule this morning” – I need to make a change in it this morning. Helen says, “you can adjust the margins by moving this up or down,” pointing tosomething on the computer screen, “or from side to side.  If you want this section on a separate page,” she says, “just add a page break.”  When you’re working inMicrosoft Word or other computer programs and you want a new page to start,you “insert,” or put in, a “page break” that makes the document start a new pagesomewhere. Franz says, “Oh, I see.  What if I want to add a footer or a header?”  In a wordprocessing, or typing documents like Microsoft Word, the “header” is the space atthe very top of the page, the head is at the top of your body; the “footer” is at thebottom of this page, just like your feet are at the bottom of your body.  The callthose the “header” and the “footer.”  These are usually the places where you putthe page number, for example, and perhaps some other information.

Helen says, to answer Franz’s question, “You go to this pull-down menu andselect the header and footer option.”  A “pull-down menu” is when you click onsomething on a computer program or on a web page and you get a list, and yougo through the list and you pick, or select, one of the things on the list.  A “menu”

is a list of options.  Helen says, “Then, you can type in the text you want.  If youwant to add a page number, just insert (or put in) one by selecting it from this menu.”

Franz says, “That seems easy (that appears to be easy).  What if I want tochange the font?”  The “font” (font) is the style of letters – it’s the style that theletters are made in, the shape of the individual letters.  For example, in many computer programs you can select Times Roman, or Times New Roman.  That’s the name of the font; that’s the way that the letters look.  Another popular fontwould be Arial (Arial); another popular font would be Helvetica.  All of these arefonts that you find on a computer program and on a web page.

Helen answers Franz’s question by saying, “You can change the font style orsize (how big the letters are) by selecting the text and then making the change onthe toolbar.  See?”  She’s indicating how to do it on his computer.  A “toolbar”

(toolbar – one word) is a group related commands – related options – on acomputer program.  Usually the toolbar is at the top of the page.  You’ll often seelittle pictures – little images – that you can click on to do certain things.  Forexample on Microsoft Word, you can cut, you can delete, you can paste – to putsomething in a document is to “paste” it – and these all have little images – littleicons, we might call them – in the toolbar.  So, the toolbar is the place were youcan go to make changes in your document.

Franz says, “that seems simple enough,” meaning that seems easy.  “I also wantto change the orientation of the page.  How do I do that?” he asks.  The“orientation” is the direction of page.  It could be vertical, like most pages that you print; we would call that “portrait orientation” (portrait).  A vertical or a portraitorientation is when it is taller than it is wide; it is higher than it is wide.  Theopposite of that would be a “landscape orientation.”  “Landscape” (landscape –one word) is when the piece of paper is wider than it is tall – wider than it is high. This is a horizontal orientation.  That is less common, the landscape orientation. The most common orientation is vertical or portrait.  “Landscape” has a couple ofmeanings in English; take a look at our Learning Guide for some additionalexplanations.

Helen says to Franz, “Right now your document is portrait.  To make itlandscape, you need to go to the “Page Setup” and change it.”  The “setup”

(setup – one word) are the settings and controls for doing something, the things you have to do, the things you have to prepare before something else can bedone.  “Page Setup” is where you go and change thing for that page – themargins, the orientation, and so forth 11.

Franz, again, says, “That seems pretty easy.  I think I’ve got it.”  Helen says,“Good.  Give it a try,” meaning try it yourself without me.  “If you get stuck, I canhelp.”  To “get stuck” (stuck) is a two-word, or phrasal, verb meaning not to beable to continue to do something.  You start doing something, and then youforget how to do it, or you don’t know how to continue.  That’s to “get stuck.”  Youcan get stuck on your homework; you start your homework, if you are a student,you do the first page, and then you’re confused.  You’re lost – you “get stuck.”

Franz says, “Okay, great!  Now, can you go over again (can you review) how tochange margins, insert a page break, change the page orientation, and add afooter?”  Franz, of course, is asking Helen to explain everything to him again. Franz is what we call “not too bright” – not too smart.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue again, this time at a normal speed.

[start of dialogue]

Franz:  I’ve just switched over to this program and I can’t figure out how to formatmy document.  Can you help me?

Helen:  I can try.  Let’s take a look.  What do you want to do?

Franz:  I want to change the margins so that I can fit more on a page.  I don’tknow how to change the default settings.  I also want to put this section on aseparate page.

Helen:  Okay, you can adjust the margins by moving this up and down, or fromside to side.  If you want this section on a separate page, just add a page break. Franz:  Oh, I see.  What if I want to add a header or a footer?

Helen:  You go to this pull-down menu and select the header and footer option. Then, you can type in the text you want.  If you want to add a page number, justinsert one by selecting it from this menu.

Franz:  That seems easy.  What if I want to change the font?

Helen:  You can change the font style or size by selecting the text and thenmaking the change on the toolbar.  See?

Franz:  Yeah, that seems simple enough.  I also want to change the orientation ofthe page.  How do I do that?

Helen:  Right now your document is portrait.  To make it landscape, you just goto “Page Setup” and change it. Franz:  That all seems pretty easy.  I think I’ve got it.

Helen:  Good.  Give it a try.  If you get stuck, I can try to help.

Franz:  Okay, great!  Now, can you go over again how to change the margins,insert a page number, change the page orientation, and add a footer?

[end of dialogue]

The script for this episode was by Dr. Lucy Tse. From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan.  Thank you for listening.  We’llsee you next time on ESL Podcast.

English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan.  This podcast is copyright 2007.