跨文化商务沟通英文版教学课件第7章.ppt

1、Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Written Communication Written Communication PatternsPatternsWritten Communication Patterns International English Writing Tone and Style Letter Formats Facsimiles(Fax)Electronic Mail(E-mail)Rsum and Job Search InformationWhat percent of outgoing international correspondence is sen

2、t in English?97%in English 1%in French,German,and Spanish Percentages for incoming correspondence 96%in English 4%in French,German,and SpanishWhat are lexical errors?Content errors;errors in meaning.Examples of lexical errors:We baste(based)this conclusion on our research.Thank you for your patients

3、(patience).Our office will be closed on this wholey(holy)day.With your aide(aid),we will soon have our office fully staffed.The results will be worth the weight(wait).Since you plan to visit an ant(aunt)in New York,perhaps we could meet at your convenience.According to the senses(census),the number

4、of exported trucks has declined in the last decade.What are syntactic errors?Errors in the order of the words in a sentence.Native speakers of a language will discover syntactic errors in a sentence more readily than lexical errors.In Spanish,for example,the noun is given first,then adjectives follo

5、w.Example:Paseo del Rio(River Walk)Know Your ReaderInternational English Use the 3,000 to 4,000 most common English words.Uncommon words,such as onus for burden and flux for continual change,should be avoided.Use only the most common meaning of words.The word high has 20 meanings;expensive has one.C

6、hoose words with singular rather than multiple meanings.Select action-specific verbs and words with few or similar alternate meanings.Use cook breakfast rather than make breakfast;use take a taxi rather than get a taxi.Avoid redundancies(interoffice memorandum),sports terms(ballpark figure),and word

7、s that draw mental pictures(red tape).Avoid using words in other than their most common way,such as making verbs out of nouns(impacting the economy and faxing a message).Be aware of words that have a unique meaning in some cultures;the word check outside the U.S.generally means a financial instrumen

8、t and is often spelled cheque.Be aware of alternate spellings in countries that use the same language;e.g.,theatre/theater,colour/color,and judgement/judgment.Avoid creating or using new words;avoid slang.Avoid two-word verbs,such as to pick up;use lift.Use the formal tone and maximum punctuation to

9、 assure clarity;use no first names in letter salutations.Conform carefully to rules of grammar;be careful of dangling participles and incomplete sentences.Use more short,simple sentences than you would ordinarily use;avoid compound sentences.Clarify the meaning of words with more than one meaning.Ad

10、apt the tone of the letter to the reader if the cultural background is known;e.g.,use unconditional apologies if that is expected in the readers culture.Try to capture the flavor of the language when writing to someone whose cultural background you know.Remember also:To avoid acronyms(ASAP),emoticon

11、s(),and“shorthand”(4 representing for).That numbers are written differently in some countries;for example,3,000 may be written as 3.000 or 3000.Tone and Writing Style Tone and writing style are more formal and traditional in other countries than in U.S.companies.Good news messages in the U.S.use the

12、 direct approach.In the U.S.bad news messages use the indirect approach.Latin Americans avoid bad news completely.In the U.S.:End negative letters on a positive note.Avoid apologies.In France:Use formal beginnings and endings;endings tend to be flowery.Apologize for mistakes and express regret for a

13、ny inconvenience caused.In Japan:Begin letters with a comment on the season.Present negative news is a positive manner.Letter Formats Preferred styles in the U.S.are Blocked and Modified Blocked with standard or open punctuation.The French use the indented style;they place the name of the originatin

14、g city before the date.The format of the inside address varies.In the U.S.the title and full name are placed on the first line,while in Germany the title(Herr)is on the first line and the full name on the second line.The street name comes after the number in the U.S.but before the street number in G

15、ermany,Mexico,and South America.Dates are written differently also.In the U.S.dates are written month/day/year(May 5,2-);in other cultures,they may use the 5th of May,2-or 5 May 2-.Salutations and closings are more formal in many other countries.Salutations for German letters would be the English eq

16、uivalent of Very Honored Mrs.Jones;complimentary closings would often be the English equivalent of Very respectfully yours.The Japanese have a traditional format beginning with the salutation followed by a comment about the season/weather;then comes a remark about a gift,kindness,or patronage;they c

17、lose with best wishes for the receivers health or prosperity.Examples of Japanese Seasonal Greetings March:-Spring has just begun,but the cold winds of winter are still with us.June:-Rice paddy fields are ready to be planted.August:-Indian summer is still around this week.November:-The tree on the b

18、oulevard is bare of leaves.How an address is written shows the relationship:In Asian cultures,the family is the basic unit and society as a whole is the larger family:JAPAN,TokyoHachioji-shi168-46 Shimoyuki47-25 NanyodaiNakamura,Yoko In the West,the individual is most important and the self is the k

19、ey:Mr.John R.Smith2350 Walnut RoadMemphis,TN 38152U.S.A.Facsimiles(FAX)Fax may be more dependable than the mail in many cultures.Fax would be written as you would write a letter.Use a transmittal sheet so the operator knows to whom the FAX is directed,the sender,and the total number of pages.Interna

20、tional Electronic Mail(E-Mail)Use a memorandum format;no inside address.Observe proper e-mail courtesy,including addressing the receiver by name in the opening sentence.In your introductory e-mail,include some phrases such as“hello”in the customers language.International E-mail Be positive,cheerful,

21、and honest;avoid humor.Avoid dwelling on cultural differences.Use short,simple sentences;avoid abbreviations,contractions,possessives,slang,jargon,or idioms;show humility;be deferential.International E-mail Do not ask questions starting with the word“why”;such questions require that readers defend t

22、heir positions.Be generous with compliments.Do not express anger.If you make a mistake,apologize(even when you may feel you are not at fault).Do not assign blame.Rsum and Job Search Information U.S.and Germany In the U.S.,a one-to two-page rsum is preferred;include personal information,job objective

23、,educational background,work experience,references,and a cover letter.Exclude age,religion,gender,marital status,or a photo.In Germany,rsums are 20-30 pages including:copies of diplomas,photo,employment verification,names of parents,family,religious affiliation,financial obligations,and professional

24、 activities.France and the UK In France,the rsum includes:a cover letter,photograph,family information,age,hobbies and foreign language expertise.Age discrimination is common and legal.In the United Kingdom,the rsum is one or two pages;it does not include a photo,family information,military service,

25、or any other personal information.Spain and Brazil In Spain,the rsum is two pages in letter form including:chronology of experience,military service,education,family information,professions of parents,clubs,and professional objective;picture is acceptable.In Brazil,the rsum should be one or two page

26、s and is similar to the U.S.rsum,except that personal information is often included.Suggested special skills are language and computer skills.The Netherlands and South Korea Rsums in the Netherlands include work experience and education.Letters of recommendation and school grades may be requested later.Personal questions may be asked during the interview.South Korean rsums include work experience and education.List job duties and achievements.