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Cultural differences. Body language
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Cultural differences. Body language
1. Standing with your hands on your hips is a gesture of defiance in Indonesia.
2. Carrying on a conversation with your hands in your pockets makes a poor impression in France, Belgium, Finland and Sweden.
3. When you shake your head from side to side, that means «yes» in Bulgaria and Sri Lanka.
4. Crossing your legs to expose the sole of your shoe is really taboo in Muslim countries. In fact, to call a person a «shoe» is a deep insult.
Physical Contact
5. Putting a child on the head is a grave offence in Thailand or Singapore, since the head is revered as the location of the soul.
6. In the Oriental culture, touching another person is considered an invasion of privacy, while in Southern European and Arabic countries it is a sign of warmth and friendship.
Promptness
7. Be on time when invited for dinner in Denmark or in China.
8. In Latin countries your host a business associate would be surprised if you arrived at the appointed hour.
Eating and Cooking
9. It is rude to leave anything on your plate when eating in Norway, Malaysia, or Singapore.
10. In Egypt, it is rude not to leave something.
11. In Germany and Great Britain, margarine and butter are used.
12. In Italy and Spain, cooking is done with oil.
Other Social Customs
13. InSpain, there is a very negative attitude toward life insurance. By receiving insurance benefits, a wife feels that she is profiting from her husband's death.
14. In Western European countries, many consumers are still reluctant to buy anything (other than a house) on credit. Even for an automobile, they will pay cash having saved for some time.
An Illustrative Example
Tone of Voice is no less important. A person lowers voice asking for a favor or showing a positive attitude to business, to partners.
Eye Contact. In China keeping an extended eye contact while doing business can give a wrong expression. Try to avoid it. In China there is a belief that avoiding eye contact is a sign of respect.
Status. A person's position or statuses are more important in Asia, especially in China than in America. In China or Japan when business persons meet the first thing they do is a business cards exchange. It allows knowing the rank, post or status of each other and establishing the proper relationship in China and the USA.
6. Discuss these points:
1. What nationality do you think is easier to communicate with? Say, if it is easier for you to communicate with British people than with French people. Explain why.
2. How can we avoid making culturally related business blunders?
3. Give some examples of cultural differences between the two cultures you are familiar with. How could these differences lead to problems in business relationship?
7. Read and translate the text.
Fax
The word " fax" comes from the word " facsimile". A fax machine will send a duplicate of the message, document, design or photo that is fed into it.
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Faxing is a means of telecommunication that has developed very quickly over the past few years. There are various models of fax machines which connect to a telephone socket and which work on a system similar to the telephone system.
Charges are measured in telephone units and therefore vary according to the time of day and where the fax is being sent. The advantages of fax include instant reception of documents and documentary evidence of what has been transferred. A document can be relayed from one source to hundreds of other receivers, for example, if the head office of a chain store wants to circulate a memo or report to its branches.
8. Complete the dialogue.
A: Where does the word " fax" come from?
B: .................................................................................
A: What can a fax machine do?
B: .................................................................................
A: When did this means of communication develop?
B: .................................
A: How does it function?
B: .................................
A: And how are charges measured?
B: .................................
A: What are the advantages of fax?
B: .................................
9. Read and translate the text. Write out the unknown words.
The Telex
The mobile telephone, fast train and air travel have cut the problem of distance for today's business executives. However, where the addressee cannot be reached by telephone, the fax and the telex messages may still prove valuable. Generally speaking, telex machines are now used only where there is a need for a legal proof and when a fax message is unacceptable.
The telex is a machine like a typewriter, but with a dial on its casing. A message can be sent by dialing the receiver's number, by dialing and using the keyboard for some countries, or by asking the operator to connect you.
The telex has all the advantages of sending a cable and in addition it operates in the office and offers a direct line. It is available twenty-four hours a day, and can send cables as well as telex messages.
Operating the telex: once the telex operator has dialed the code, an answerback code will appear on the teleprinter indicating that the sender is through. If the wrong code appears, the sender dials again. The message is typed, as with a normal typewriter, and appears on the receiver's machine.
Corrections are made by typing five X's: WE ARE SEDXXXXXSENDING ORDER.
Each telex message is finished with + sign, if the end is not clear; + + sign is used after the last message; +? sign at the end of a message means either “reply, confirm” or “A further message will be sent”.
10. Study the layout and the language of telexes.
The Layout of the Telex:
| Answerback Message Sender’s name Collation | 194381 FL NT Q CONSIGNMENT PL 1350 ONLY ACCEPTABLE AT 33 O/O TRADE DISK NOT THE 25 O/O OFFERED PLS CFM TRACER LONDON PL1350 33 O/O+? |
Telexes have their own language. Some words are left out altogether, e. g. articles, prepositions, pronouns “I”, “you”, auxiliary verbs “to be”, “to have”, “will”. Instead of “I'll write soon” it is written “WRITING SOON” or “LETTER FOLLOWS”; instead of “Please will you write soon” –“PLEASE WRITE SOON”.
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Telex charges depend on the time it takes to send the message, so telex operators have developed their own abbreviations:
ASAP, SOONEST – as soon as possible
ATTN – attention
CFM – confirm, I confirm
EEE – error
ETA – estimate time of arrival
EXT – extension
FIN - I have finished my message now
FR – from
L/C – letter of credit
MGR – manager
MOM – waits, waiting
PLS, SVP – please
RAP – I shall call you back
RECALL – call me back
RODS – regards
THRU – through
THKS – thanks
TLX – telex
U – you
W – words
X – error
Figures and symbols should be written in words, e. g.: FIFTY DOLLARS for $50. 00; AT for @; PER CENT for %.
The word “telex” can be used as a noun, a verb and a participle, e. g.: “Please telex as soon as possible” or “We received a telexed reply”.
11. Decode the following two telexes
| ATTN: JOHN REED, STOCK MGR FR: STEVE FOX PLS CFM ETA FOR MILD STEEL ORDER NO 6345C THKS IN ADVANCE |
| APR 7 2000 TO: MARTIN BUSH FR: JIM FORSTER RE YR TLX 86/742 PLS OPEN L/C THRU OUR BANK THE VIKING BANK LTD LONDON GB AWAIT DETAILS OF L/C ASAP RGDS |
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