Business English

Deze samenvatting houdt Business English in dit is een apart deel naast Legal English

Preview samenvatting (3 van de 19 pagina's)

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
1. CULTURAL AWARENESS
1.1 INTRODUCTION
o You need to have an understanding (= awareness) of your own culture and the target culture you
These three
are dealing with. This means researching and analysing the national, regional and corporate cultures
things lead to
of the people you are dealing with.
Cultural
o You need to be flexible in the way you communicate with people from other cultures. This means
Intelligence
adapting your style of communication to fit the situation.
o You need to develop an international style of communication that will enable you to get your
message across effectively in all business and social situations
1.2 CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
HUMOUR IN BUSINESS RELATIONS
Britain: jokes relieves tensions
Germany: jokes are flippant and unprofessional
Irish playwright: turn a crisis in a joke and a joke in a crisis
WOMAN IN BUSINESS
Increasingly prominent role in business
o Less than 10 percent of company executive are woman
Few of the woman reach the top
The glass
Is used to describe the difficulties faced by woman when
Het glazen plafond: vrouwen
ceiling
trying to move to higher roles in a male dominated hierarchy.
kunnen moeilijker doorbreken
Only a few can make it to the top
dan mannen.
ALCOHOL AND BUSINESS
In some cultures, it is a taboo (drinking during business meetings, but not an issue)
In Europe it is not unusual to drink wine or beer with lunch
In Italy it is very unusual to drink outside meals
In Sweden it is not unusual to have a beer with colleagues after work
COFFEE AND TEA
Inextricably linked in the business
- China and japan tea is more popular than coffee
Coffee forms cement relationships
WHEN YOU GO ABROAD: FIND OUT ABOUT SOMETHINGS
- The weather at the relevant time of the year;
- Tourism
- Public holidays
- Dress
- Conventions regarding working hours (cf.
- Body language
- Language
siesta in Mediterranean cultures)
- Different time zones
YOU DONT HAVE TO BE AN EXPERT AS LONG AS YOU KNOW
Mutual understanding
Tact
Goodwill
Consideration
Good manners
Courtesy
Trust
GIFTS
Don’t give to personal or human gifts
Best gifts are gifts that comes of your country
o If your gift is cheap, they will have a cheap look of you.
o If your gift is too expensive, they will think its bribery (omkoop)
Give the gift in a private meeting: attitude toward gift
1.3 DO SOME RESEARCH
What is important in preparing for business contacts with people from other cultures?
•
The actual political and economic situation
•
Religion / language
Stability
•
Geography / history
Trends
•
Culture / customs
Outlook
People
•
Infrastructure
Food / drink / socializing
Telecommunications
•
Attitudes / families
Transport
•
Business customs / conventions
VOCABULARY
Courtesy
Hoffelijkheid
Courteous
Hoffelijk
Consideration
Attentheid
Trust
Vertrouwen
Shared
Wederzijds
Mutual
By mutual agreement
In onderlinge overeenkomst
FINDING INFORMATION
Published sources
Official bodies
Commercial offices
People
(internet)
Books, guidebooks
Embassies
Travel agents
Colleagues who may know
Travel information
Consulates
the place
Cultural centres
Marketing consultants
Nationals form the country
Government offices and
Import and export
concerned
agents
offices and agents
Your own knowledge
1.4 EYE CONTACT
1. Observations about many people from the United States
Americans unconsciously associate people who avoid eye contact as unfriendly, insecure, untrustworthy,
inattentive and impersonal. Americans signal interest and comprehension by bobbing their head or grunting.
2. Observations about the English.
Englishman taught to pay strict attention to a speaker, to listen carefully, and to blink his eyes to let the
speaker know he or she has been understood as well as heard
3. An observation about Japanese children
Japanese children are taught in school to direct their gaze at the region of their teacher’s Adam’s apple or tie
knot, and, as adults,
4. The meaning of lowering one’s eyes in Japan
Japanese lower their eyes when speaking to a superior, a gesture of respect.
5. Why looking at someone for a long time may be considered disrespectful
Because when you speak to someone of a higher status prolonged eye contact is very disrespectful
6. The meaning of widened eyes in Chines Culture
Chinese person’s widened eyes as an expression of astonishment instead of as a danger signal (its true
meaning) of politely expressed anger.
VOCABULARY
Eye contact
He was very shy and found it difficult to
Oogcontact
make/maintain/avoid/establish eye contact
Suspicious – to suspect – a
Colleagues became suspicious when he started acting strangely
Argwanend
suspect
Wantrouwig
Shifty
He seemed dishonest, shifty-eyed and untrustworthy.
Onbetrouwbaar
Insecure (about)
Most mothers are insecure about their performance as mothers
Onzeker
Untrustworthy
He seemed dishonest, shifty-eyed and untrustworthy.
Onbetrouwbaar
Inattentive
He was unusually inattentive in class and yawned so much one
Onoplettend
Not giving much attention teacher sent him to the sick room.
In/by contrast
His public statements have always been in marked contrast to
Daaretegen
those of his son.
A gaze
She stood gazing at herself in the mirror.
Starende blik
Adam’s apple
His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, which sent butterflies
Adamsappel
fluttering in her stomach.
Gesture
I invited them to dinner, a gesture of goodwill
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