Some ideas about diplomacy and what makes a good diplomat

"Above all, not too much zeal!"
Talleyrand
http://www.ediplomat.com/nd/essays/delaboulaye.htm
http://www.ediplomat.com/nd/functions.htm
http://www.ediplomat.com/nd/essays/maclehose.htm
https://www.clingendael.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/20120504_cling_research_artikel_discussionpaperindiplomacy_123_ruel_and_zuidema.pdf https://www.clingendael.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/20070400_cdsp_diplomacy_kostecki_naray.pdf
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/14/ambassadors-job-diplomat-training
http://www.diplomacy.edu/resources/general/knowledge-management-and-diplomatic-training-new-approaches-training-institutions
http://books.google.it/books?id=SXFePmd2uEIC&pg=PA120&lpg=PA120&dq=qualities+diplomat&source=bl&ots=SLd2eiwMdJ&sig=2Y6qHdQ5Z8tLTjVZmTq3L_2M6Lw&hl=it&sa=X&ei=_idoT_D7M_Da4QSX8ZmGCQ&ved=0CEMQ6AEwBDgK#v=onepage&q=qualities%20diplomat&f=false
http://www.oocities.org/metisfederation/dqs.html
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200601/12/eng20060112_234952.html
http://www.ediplomat.com/nd/essays/kitahara.htm
http://www.ediplomat.com/nd/essays/gruber.htm
http://www.jhubc.it/ecpr-porto/virtualpaperroom/047.pdf http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/10/23/10-parting-thoughts-for-americas-diplomats/ https://www.diplomacy.edu/resources/general/who-needs-diplomats-problem-diplomatic-representation https://www.diplomacy.edu/sites/default/files/IC%20and%20Diplomacy%20%28FINAL%29_Part22.pdf

https://eda.ac.ae/docs/default-source/Publications/edareflectiongooddiplomatenglish.pdf?sfvrsn=2 https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/ideal-qualities-successful-diplomat https://www.coursera.org/lecture/global-diplomacy/what-are-the-qualities-of-a-good-diplomat-isveJ
http://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/what-makes-successful-diplomacy/
https://www.diplomacy.edu/sites/default/files/IC%20and%20Diplomacy%20%28FINAL%29_Part22.pdf

https://thediplomatinspain.com/en/2017/02/traits-successful-diplomat/ https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-characteristics-of-a-good-diplomat

https://diplomacyoldandnew2013e.wordpress.com/2013/10/17/which-qualities-should-successful-diplomat-have/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229727064_To_be_a_Diplomat https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/rgs_dissertations/2005/RGSD169.pdf

Some diplomatic language for maintaining a neutral style

The notes on various topics that you will find on this website are based on my reading and summarizing of points made by a series of authors and sources. They are not my personal opinion unless a personal opinion is an attempt to summarize the points made by various sources. They are simply intended as background to help you form your own ideas as you do your own reading and research. However, they are only in note form and you need to qualify these kinds of comments and statements with the following kind of introductory phraseology in order to maintain a neutral tone and diplomatic style:

Some experts argue that….. / many experts suggest that …. /it is often argued that…. /it has been suggested that…../some political commentators argue that…. / many political commentators claim that…. / According to ..... / it is sometimes claimed that.… /some academics make the case that …… /it is often pointed out that..../ most experts agree that….. / most commentators seem to agree that… /there seems to be general agreement that…. / there seems little doubt that… / it is unclear whether… /generally speaking it seems that…. / one could argue that…./ on the whole…../ apparently…. /other experts have raised questions regarding…/ in social terms…/ in economic terms…/ in political terms… / theoretically… /in theory… / in practice…. / it has been alleged that…../
You might want to use this kind of language when introducing a new opinion or interpretation of events, but you should not exaggerate. Don't put these expressions in front of every sentence, and don't use them inappropriately, that is to say, in front of factual information. As you read you should collect other common expressions like those above.
You can also use structures based on inversion like this:
What is needed is a new strategy…
What is needed is for the government to work out a new strategy…
What the government needs to do is…

e sopratutto, in quello che scrivi al concorso, cerca di essere:

informed, up-to-date, balanced and familiar with Italy's (and the EU's) position on any particular question and the normal work and responsibilities of the Ministry, its embassies, consulates and staff.

Some notes about learning to write in English for the Concorso

For the Concorso you need to learn to write in English. How do you learn to write? Well, as regards handwriting, speed and perhaps essay organization, you can do this partly by the act of repeated writing. As regards the main task, absorbing words, expressions and structures and then producing them, you do this by reading and taking notes on the elements you want to remember. It’s what you did in your L1, but unconsciously. You should focus on CUDU (could use, don’t use), language that you have often seen in English, that you know is common but that you wouldn’t normally manage to produce. This kind of imitation is how you gradually improved in your L1 (and also how you would improve your English while working at the Ministry). This is your basic task for the next 8-12 months. If you write, use a bilingual dictionary to find words you don’t know and a monolingual dictionary to check how to use the expression. However, if you simply write a lot and frequently without reading and taking notes and without using a dictionary your English will not improve significantly. You also run the risk of simply reinforcing your grammatical and lexical errors.

I will mark whatever you give me as long as it is your own work(!), researched, checked with a dictionary for basic errors, typed or written clearly and on alternate lines so that I have space to correct it. No margin is necessary. Please give it to me with your name, surname and class. Don’t send it on my email. Please don’t use translation programs. They don’t yet produce standard English, and you can’t use one in the Concorso!

At the Concorso I think they are looking for good standard, clear English, good content and quality, not quantity. 10 pages of incomprehensible English will not gain you anything. Your first page and a half should really be error free (!), in terms of both language and content.

Use a dictionary that has example sentences to show you both the right word to choose and how to use the word.

The address of my blog is:

www.youngdip.blogspot.it

Read the following entries for September this weekend:

Some sources and resources / Some language for essay writing /Some diplomatic language for maintaining a neutral style/How to write an essay on international relations / Some questions to think about

The best model for the kind of English you need to produce you can find on the UN site, particularly at https://news.un.org/en/ and https://news.un.org/en/advanced-search, on the EU site https://europa.eu/european-union/index_en and texts in English on the site of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, http://www.esteri.it/mae/en , the FAO http://www.fao.org/home/en/ and Italy’s Permanent Mission to the United Nation in New York, http://www.italyun.esteri.it/rappresentanza_onu .You will find that the English used on these sites is slightly Latinized and without many of the journalistic expressions that make US and UK newspapers and magazines quite difficult to read. It is also based on a more limited vocabulary of common expressions. This is a good thing, not a bad thing and should make your task easier!! Remember, the object of language generally, but particularly with a mixed audience of L1 and L2 listeners and readers, is clarity and successful communication. Well, that is what the UN believes and so should you!

When you choose a topic to write about, you need to do extensive research and arrive at a balanced view of the subject, taking into account any position taken by the Italian government and/or the EU.

Some language for essay writing

Useful expressions for writing an essay:

http://www.dcielts.com/ielts-vocabulary/making-your-writing-more-academic-by-being-impersonal/

http://fullspate.digitalcounterrevolution.co.uk/advanced-efl-essay-writing/advanced-essay-phrases.html

http://www.smart-words.org/linking-words/transition-words.html

http://www.luizotaviobarros.com/2013/04/academic-writing-useful-expressions.html

http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/writing-useful-espressions-essay.php#.U_sBbqNvBOY

terminology:

http://www.cram.com/flashcards/international-relations-glossary-terms-550037

http://www.peace.ca/glossaryoftermsforir.htm

http://www.irtheory.com/know.htm

http://www.unc.edu/depts/europe/teachingresources/intl-glossary.htm

and maybe:

http://www.businessballs.com/latin-terms-phrases.htm

structuring your essay:

http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/studyadvice/studyresources/essays/sta-planningessay.aspx

(then go to Essay Writing)

http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/writing/medicine/psychology/essay-structure/3.xml

http://unilearning.uow.edu.au/essay/4bi.html

http://www.wikihow.com/Write-an-English-Essay

Essays on Diplomacy:

http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/Diplomacy-Intro

http://www.ukessays.co.uk/essays/economics/economic-diplomacy.php

http://www.preservearticles.com/201105307227/diplomats-and-diplomacy.html

Some sites with texts for rapid reading comprehension

Don't give yourselves too much time when you do these reading comprehension texts. For example, when there are 6 questions, you have 6 minutes. 4 questions means 4 minutes. Do each reading comprehension, first without a dictionary. Then check the words you don't know and see if you want to change your answers. Then check the answers.

You can also get old Cambridge FCE, CAE (now called C1 Advanced), C2 Proficiency, (previously known as Cambridge English) and IELTS Practice Test Books (the version with answers) from your relatives, colleagues or friends or on Amazon, plus anything else you find by doing a search on Google for:

'free B2 and C1 texts for multiple choice reading comprehension' or something similar.

B2 level

https://www.examenglish.com/FCE/fce_reading.htm

https://www.examenglish.com/FCE/fce_reading2.htm

https://www.examenglish.com/FCE/fce_reading3.htm

https://www.examenglish.com/FCE/fce_reading_part1_test2.htm

https://www.examenglish.com/FCE/fce_reading_part2_test2.htm

https://www.examenglish.com/FCE/fce_reading_part3_test2.htm

all the texts here

https://www.esl-lounge.com/student/first-certificate-reading-multiple-choice.php

and

https://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/tests/FCE-Part-5-Multiple-Choice-Practice-Test.htm

https://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/tests/1part3.htm

https://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/tests/2part2.htm

https://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/tests/2part3.htm

https://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/tests/3part2.htm

https://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/tests/part2.htm

https://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/tests/part4.htm

https://www.learninginstitute.ch/pdfs/fce-reading-uebungen-tests-98.pdf

more difficult, C1

https://www.esl-lounge.com/student/toefl-reading.php

https://www.ets.org/toefl/ibt/prepare/practice_sets/reading/

http://www.examenglish.com/IELTS/IELTS_academic_reading1.htm

and then all the other texts on the right of the page, Academic Reading 2-9

http://www.examenglish.com/CAE/cae_reading1.htm

and then the other texts on the right of the page

http://www.examenglish.com/BEC/BEC_Higher_reading_part1.htm

and then the other one on the right (BEC Higher)

http://www.examenglish.com/PTE/pte_general_level4_reading1.htm

and then the other ones on the right, B2 and C2

https://www.examenglish.com/TOEFL/TOEFL_reading3.htm

not texts 1 and 2 please, but the other ones on the right, 4-8

http://www.examenglish.com/cpe/cpe_reading_part1.htm

and then the other ones on the right, 2-4

http://www.lofoya.com/Verbal-Test-Questions-and-Answers/Reading-Comprehension/l3p1

and then pages 2-12, text and questions

http://www.esl-lounge.com/student/proficiency/cpe-074-last-photo-reading-multiple-choice.php

http://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/ielts-practice-global-temperatures

http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/reading-public-debt.php

and the other sections under 'related materials'

http://www.esl-lounge.com/student/reading/4r3-mother-fined.php

https://www.esl-lounge.com/student/reading/4r1-air-base.php

https://www.esl-lounge.com/student/reading/4r5-siberian-winter.php

https://www.esl-lounge.com/student/reading/4r6-snake-bites-boy.php

https://www.esl-lounge.com/student/reading/4r65-advanced-reading-new-website.php

and all the texts here

https://www.esl-lounge.com/toefl-reading.php

https://www.esl-lounge.com/ielts-academic-reading.php

https://www.esl-lounge.com/proficiency-reading-multiple-choice.php

and all the texts at

https://www.esl-lounge.com/student/ielts-academic-reading.php

e.g.

https://www.esl-lounge.com/student/ielts/ielts001-academic-reading-1.php

and

https://www.esl-lounge.com/student/ielts/ielts008-academic-reading-8.php

https://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/reading_obesity.php

http://www.english-online.org.uk/toeflfolder/toeflread1.php?name=TOEFL%20Reading%20test%201

http://www.tolearnenglish.com/free/full/reality/comprehension.php

http://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/reading-do-children-see-enough-culture

http://www.grammarbank.com/reading-comprehension-activity-5.html

https://www.usingenglish.com/comprehension/32.html

http://www.infosquares.com/readingcomprehension/

and then choose a text

https://www.usingenglish.com/comprehension/

https://www.usingenglish.com/comprehension/advanced.html

and choose a text like this:

https://www.usingenglish.com/comprehension/24.html

The sample text below on pages 9 and 10 may also be useful but not the tips

http://www.upscmantra.com/userfiles/documents/CSAT/Comprehension/CSAT%20-%20Reading%20Comprehension.pdf

https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/skills/reading/advanced-c1-reading

http://www.testpreppractice.net/practice-tests/reading-comprehension/rc1.html?testname=IELTS

http://www.esl-lounge.com/student/reading-advanced.php

https://www.testprepreview.com/modules/readingtest2.htm

http://www.infosquares.com/readingcomprehension/esl-reading-comprehension1.html

https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading-worksheets/reading-comprehension-worksheets/

https://en.islcollective.com/resources/printables/worksheets_doc_docx/reading_with_10_multiple_choice_questions/intermediate-b1-reading/5615

https://www.usingenglish.com/comprehension/advanced.html

https://www.flo-joe.co.uk/cae/students/tests/1part3.htm

https://www.graduateshotline.com/toefl/reading-comprehension-test-1.html

https://www.examenglish.com/cpe/cpe_reading_part2.htm

https://www.flo-joe.co.uk/cpe/students/tests/read1p4.htm

https://www.usingenglish.com/comprehension/32.html

https://www.usingenglish.com/comprehension/29.html

Lots of texts and 3 levels, Easy, Moderate and Difficult

http://www.lofoya.com/Verbal-Test-Questions-and-Answers/Reading-Comprehension/l1p1

http://www.lofoya.com/Verbal-Test-Questions-and-Answers/Reading-Comprehension/l2p1

http://www.lofoya.com/Verbal-Test-Questions-and-Answers/Reading-Comprehension/l3p1

then click on pages, 2,3,4 etc for more questions and next text

https://www.etsglobal.org/Tests-Preparation/The-TOEFL-Family-of-Assessments/TOEFL-Sample-Tests/TOEFL-ITP-Sample-Test-Questions/Section-3-Reading-Comprehension

Here there are 24 questions. Choose an answer to number 1, check it with View the Correct Answer and go to Next at the top for the next question.

https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sample-questions/reading/1

Useful tips

https://classroom.synonym.com/tricks-taking-multiplechoice-exam-8737068.html

Go to this page and click on one of the tests (e.g. Test 1). When you finish all the questions, click on Validate for score. Then go back to the first page and choose another Test.

http://www.greguide.com/gre-sample-tests.html

https://agendaweb.org/reading/reading-pdf-6

https://www.ngllife.com/upper-intadvanced

http://www.euroexam.com/sites/network/files/private/practice-tests/euro_c1/31_WEB_C1_QUP_Reading.pdf

http://www.euroexam.com/sites/network/files/private/practice-tests/euro_c1/33_web_c1_key_reading.pdf

https://www.graduateshotline.com/toefl/reading-comprehension-test-1.html

https://www.graduateshotline.com/toefl/reading-comprehension-test-2.html

https://www.graduateshotline.com/toefl/reading-comprehension-test-3.html

https://www.graduateshotline.com/sampletoefl3.html

https://www.graduateshotline.com/toefl_practice_test4.html

https://www.graduateshotline.com/toefl-practice-test-5.html

https://gre.graduateshotline.com/reading_comprehension_practice.html

https://gre.graduateshotline.com/reading-comprehension-practice-test-2.html

https://gre.graduateshotline.com/reading-comprehension-practice-test-3.html

https://gre.graduateshotline.com/reading-comprehension-practice-test-4.html

https://gre.graduateshotline.com/reading-comprehension-practice-test-5.html

also

http://prodigy-works.blogspot.com/2018/03/english-task2-reading-comprehension.html

http://www.testpreppractice.net/practice-tests/reading-comprehension/rc1.html?testname=IELTS

http://www.esl-lounge.com/student/reading-advanced.php

https://www.testprepreview.com/modules/readingtest2.htm

http://www.infosquares.com/readingcomprehension/esl-reading-comprehension1.html

https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading-worksheets/reading-comprehension-worksheets/

https://en.islcollective.com/resources/printables/worksheets_doc_docx/reading_with_10_multiple_choice_questions/intermediate-b1-reading/5615

https://www.usingenglish.com/comprehension/advanced.html

https://www.flo-joe.co.uk/cae/students/tests/1part3.htm

https://www.graduateshotline.com/toefl/reading-comprehension-test-1.html

https://www.examenglish.com/cpe/cpe_reading_part2.htm

https://www.flo-joe.co.uk/cpe/students/tests/read1p4.htm

https://www.usingenglish.com/comprehension/32.html

https://www.usingenglish.com/comprehension/29.html

Is the site below safe for downloading texts?

http://englishteststore.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=236&Itemid=318

You could also get old Cambridge IELTS, CAE and FCE Practice Test Books (the version with answers) from your relatives, colleagues or friends or on Amazon. (Don't get Cambridge IELTS Academic 11 or General 11, Cambridge CAE 5 or Cambridge FCE 5 or 6 as I have those). Then do all the reading sections, giving yourself the same number of minutes to do each one as there are questions.

Plus anything else you can find by doing a search on Google for:

'free B2 and C1 texts for multiple choice reading comprehension'

or something similar.

I found this site: https://www.usingenglish.com/comprehension/advanced.html

and chose this:

https://www.usingenglish.com/comprehension/23.html

Then there are the GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) Tests:

https://www.test-guide.com/gre/free-gre-practice-tests/gre-reading-comprehension-practice-test-1.html

https://www.test-guide.com/gre/free-gre-practice-tests/gre-reading-comprehension-practice-test-2.html

https://www.test-guide.com/gre/free-gre-practice-tests/gre-reading-comprehension-practice-test-3.html

https://www.test-guide.com/free-toefl-practice-tests.html

These were all from this page: https://www.test-guide.com/free-gre-practice-tests.html