Business Language and Business Practice

We often say that English is an international language of business socializing. You do business and you have to speak English. But is it really necessary to know cultures and traditions of English-speaking countries? Will the knowledge of their people’s mentality and behaviors help do business?

Both, business language and business practice are quite different things. Business practice depends on the country you cooperate with. For example, business lunch in Russia will differ from the one in China. At the same time, business language varies: the computer vocabulary is not like the lawyer’s one, and the banking terminology is distinguished¹from the commercial terms. Therefore, you should understand both the language and the culture of people you are working with.

The language can be common, but partners can be from countries other than the language. For instance, a businessman from Japan can socialize in English with his partner from Russia. And it is ideally, when the two speak Japanese or Russian.

In the business world we follow certain rules.

1. When meet or greet people we engage in a small talk. This light conversation is designed to “break the ice”, but the real goal is to get to know someone and decide if you wish to continue talking and in what direction you can do this. Be careful about jokes, anything too serious, sad or personal.

2. Use basic business phone formula: your name and company + the person

you are calling + the reason for your call.

3. Follow the traditional scheme in your business letters: an introduction, a \

body of the letter, a conclusion². Letters of sales, recommendation, follow-up³, complaint⁴, rejection⁵and prospecting⁶can make an impression if they are written in polite, tactful and correct language.

4. Email your partner after you have established a stable relationship, as this

form of correspondence is less formal.

5. In order to combine business and time to relax, you can have the business

lunch. Prepare some questions you might ask, your name cards to exchange and phrases to start discussing more serious matters.

6. More formal and prolonged meetings demand your understanding foreign

customs, attitudes and behaviors. You need to learn the so called functional language as well. It deals with what you want to say: agreement / disagreement, doubt, suggestions, negation⁷, acknowledgement⁸, asking for help, approval⁹/ disapproval, certainty¹⁰etc.

7. Organize your presentation so as to make it clear, easy to remember and not so long. As an introduction¹¹, say what you are going to talk about. Devote the main part of your report to ideas and examples. Summarize with a new idea or a proposal (or opinion) as a conclusion.

8. You do business, so you make profits, usually in the form of money. Learn

how to work with the financial reports, discuss and analyze them. Banking and financial terms are also useful in the world of money.

9. Use charts¹²and graphs¹³to illustrate your information or to prove your statements. A picture is worse a thousand words¹⁴.

10. English can be a survival language for the business trip. You could solve any problem you come across.

11. Respect the person’s privacy¹⁵. And it’s better to get to know some peculiarities¹⁶in people’s life style. That will help you understand your associates and avoid any mistakes.

12. Be open to diversity¹⁷. It means to understand racial, ethnic, social, economic, sexual preferences¹⁸, religious differences of the country you collaborate with.

So, to do business and achieve success you need business language and knowledge of the cultural aspects of business practices. The first is rather easy. You need simply to reproduce sounds correctly, mind the intonation and grammatical structures, learn the vocabulary and idiomatic expressions. The second is harder, because you should understand other people, be open to them and respect their way of life.

Take everything as a matter of course¹⁹, learn foreign languages, be a success!

______________ ________________________________________________________

be distinguished¹ –различаться

a conclusion² –заключение

follow-up³ –напоминание

complaint⁴ – рекламационное (письмо)

rejection⁵ – отказ, отклонение

prospecting⁶ – направленное на поиск партнеров

negation⁷ –отрицание

acknowledgement⁸ –признание

approval⁹ –одобрение

certainty¹⁰ –уверенность

introduction¹¹ –введение

charts¹² –диаграммы

graphs¹³ –графики

A picture is worse a thousand words¹⁴ – Лучше один раз увидеть, чем сто раз услышать

privacy¹⁵ – уединение, личное пространство

peculiarities¹⁶ – особенности

diversity¹⁷ –разнообразие

sexual preferences¹⁸ – сексуальные предпочтения

Take everything as a matter of course¹⁹ –Принимайтевсе,каксамособойразумеющееся

Ex. 16. Answer the questions.

1. What language is often used for business socializing?

2. Is English the only means to communicate with international partners?

3. Why is it necessary to get familiar with mentality and behaviors of people you cooperate with?

4. What is the difference between business language and business practice?

5. How does business language vary?

6. There are common rules in business practice of the world, aren’t there?

7. What are the appropriate topics for a small talk to your mind?

8. Can your business phone talk be long or short? Do you need to mention the reason of your call?

9. Should the language of your business letter differ from your personal one?

10. What kind of the letter ought you to send: a prospecting letter, an email or a fax?

11. Where do you have to make a report: during the business lunch, presentation or negotiations?

12. Which of the above demands your deeper knowledge of foreign traditions and attitudes?

13. Do charts and graphs illustrate or add your presentation?

14. Do you need financial and banking or lawyers’ terms when working with financial statements?

15. You need only business terminology during business trips, accommodation, eating out and sightseeing, don’t you?

16. What will you need, if you want to be a success in cooperation with your foreign partners?

Ex. 17. Find the sentences with modal verbs and their equivalents in the text above and explain their usage.

Ex. 18. Translate the sentences. Use modal verbs and their equivalents.

1. Вы должны тщательно изучить грамматический материал. 2. Мы можем говорить на английском языке при обсуждении деловых вопросов. 3. Ты не должен идти на этот деловой обед, ты можешь опоздать на самолет. 4. Вы можете запланировать командировку на май? 5. Наши партнеры вынуждены изучить финансовый отчет – у них появились дополнительные вопросы. 6. Я не могу интересоваться ее личной жизнью – этика ведения деловой беседы не позволяет делать это. 7. Любой предприниматель должен знать правила ведения финансовых документов. 8. Делегации должны встретиться после обеда в конференц-зале. 9. Переводчик должен работать на конгрессе весь день. 10. Мне нужно оплатить налог до двадцатого числа. 11. Как ты смеешь говорить с ним по-немецки? Ты знаешь, что он знает только французский язык. 12. Мои друзья не могли понять ни одного слова. Они были вынуждены попросить помощи переводчика. 13. Можно мне забронировать столик для делового обеда? 14. Мне кажется, ему следует выучить деловую лексику. 15. Конгресс должен стать событием в жизни региона. 16. Вы можете пригласить господина Никулина, он знает компьютерную терминологию.

Ex. 19. Read the dialogue and share your opinion of the main idea.

• Why do you insist on choosing Spanish? It isn’t required to learn a second language at our college.

• I know, you may choose between Spanish and Mathematics. And I even realize you need Maths very much. But Spanish can be more useful in the future, I suppose.

• I agree that it is helpful but not necessary for survival. I could call out for help in English during my trip of Barcelona and everyone understood me.

• You should be aware that in the U.S. over 30 % of the population is Spanish-speaking or of Hispanic origin. And your future job demands associating with different groups of people.

• Why can’t I communicate with them in English? It’s better to understand people’s cultures and mentalities. Then I have to choose culture studies and get to know cultures of the world.

• It’s a good way out, but you seem to collaborate with all countries of the planet.

• What do you mean?

• You are to work in the U.S., you aren’t going to do business in a global economy. The better you communicate with associates around, the greater success you will achieve.

Ex. 20. Read some ideas people shared about the importance of being understood.

Peter:Who is an American? An American is English, or French, or German, Spanish, Russian or Afghan. An American can also be Canadian, Chinese, Korean, Pakistani or Arab. An American may also be a Cherokee, Navaho, Seminole or one of other Native Americans. An American is Christian, or he could be Buddhist, or Muslim, or Jewish. They are free both to worship as each of them chooses and to believe in no religion. An American is independent and generous, but he doesn’t represent a particular people from a particular place. Take this idea to associate with an American.

Quin Chung:I am of Chinese origin, but I have been living in the U.S. for all my lifetime. All my relatives are Chinese, and their native language is Chinese. We don’t cut off our links with Harbin, my grandparents’ hometown. My family keeps the national traditions, Chinese cuisine and holidays. Our national feature is to have a commercial flair, so it isn’t a surprise I am a success in business. I don’t live in China, but I can be a Chinese living in another country.

Mary:Is it difficult to communicate with the British? I am not sure. They say about British restraint, cold character and indifference. Probably, it isn’t the description of all the nation, but, to tell the truth, it’s mine. I interact with the British only because I can’t stand people murdering English. That makes problems for my business, as my enterprise is cooperating with foreign companies. I also try not to go abroad, some customs and orders are strange to me, and I hate when people make me do things I don’t want to. I dislike visiting museums, restaurants and parties. That also disturbs my work, and I’ve found a good way out – I have employed an assistant manager to deal with international sector.

Oleg:I am the head of a large international holding. I can speak three foreign languages and I am able to associate with partners from abroad. I also consider their customs and life style when work together. It is my manner to do business. But it’s nice to see that my partners study Russian people’s behaviors and attitudes, as well as the Russian language. I am sure that will make our cooperation easier and more fruitful.