Bar chart & table

Fishermen & fish exports.

The bar chart shows the number of fishermen in five continents in 1970, 1980 1nd 2000. The table shows the top ten fish-exporting countries in 2000.

Asia saw the biggest increase in numbers of fishermen. From 11M in 1970, the figure rose slightly to 14M in 1980, then shot up to 26M in 2000. In North America the number rose from 5M in 1970 to 15M in 1980, remaining exactly the same in 2000. There was absolutely no fluctuation in South America, where the number was 8M in all three years. In Europe the figure fell from 12M to 8M in 1980 then rose back to 12M in 2000. The figure for Africa fell from 12M to 9M to only 3M. Five of the top ten fish exporters in 2000 were Asian, as you might guess from the bar chart: Thailand was first, China fourth, Taiwan seventh, Indonesia and South Korea ninth and tenth respectively. Europe was represented by Norway, second, and Denmark, fifth. North America had the USA third and Canada sixth.

Two continents in the bar chart, South America and Africa had no countries representing them in the table.

195 words

Table & bar charts

The table and bar charts show statistics on the use of information technology, worldwide, in 1999/2000.

The table shows figures for the world and for three regions, the EU-15, the USA and Japan. For the number of PCs, internet hosts and internet users the USA led the way, followed by EU-15 and then Japan. This was true for both numbers and percentages. Only with mobile phones did EU-15 lead the USA, both in numbers and percentages. The first bar chart shows the proportion of people using a PC and the second shows the percentage using the internet, both in 1999. Both charts give figures only for the EU-15. In each graph, the three Scandinavian countries and the Netherlands have the highest percentages. Countries further south have lower proportions, France, Greece and Portugal being in the bottom four in both charts.

The table shows the USA leading the way in terms of PCs, internet hosts and internet users, with Europe ahead regarding mobile phones. The two charts show Scandinavia and the Netherlands having the highest percentages for PC and internet use, Sweden being top in both categories.

Portfolio task 2

International travel is easier and more affordable than it used to be and nowadays many people move to new cities and countries to work or study.

Expatriates, however, face many challenges. Firstly, there is the problem of adjusting to a new culture, possibly with customs which may be very different, even alien. Furthermore, expats usually face the difficulty of living in a society with a different first language. Another problem for expats is being cut off from family and friends. This is especially challenging if you are alone, without immediate family members. In addition expats from poorer countries usually find themselves living in more affluent societies, with a higher standard and cost of living; this can lead to financial pressures, particularly for lower-paid workers, who may be exploited both by employers and by recruiting agencies.

What strategies can be used to deal with these challenges? Firstly, with regard to culture clashes, research the new country and its customs. When you arrive, look and learn and ask other experienced expats for advice; remember that this learning process never stops and adaptability is an important key to survival. With regard to language, learn the new first language if you can, but, if not, try to improve your English which is a worldwide language and often used as a lingua franca. If you are lucky enough to be accompanied by spouse and children, being separated from other family and friends is not so difficult to cope with. Even if not, keeping in touch is much easier nowadays with mobiles, Skype, etc. Lastly, social or financial mistreatment by employers or agents is the most difficult problem to deal with. There is no foolproof strategy to cope with this and return to your native country might, in the end, be the only viable solution.

These then are some of the major challenges facing expats and some of the best strategies to deal with them.

318 words.