Germany межкультурная коммуникация

Germany Guide

Facts and Statistics

Location: To the north of Germany are the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the country of Denmark (Дания). To the east of Germany are the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. To the south of Germany are the countries of Austria and Switzerland. To the west of Germany are the countries of France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Capital: Berlin

Climate: Most of Germany has a temperate (умеренный) seasonal climate dominated by humid (влажный) westerly winds.; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers;

Population: 82,176,000 (16th) 2015

Ethnic groups: 81% Germans, 7% other Europeans, 4% Turks, 2% Asian,6% others

Religions: Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3%

Government:  Federal parliamentary republic

Languages in Germany

The official language of Germany is German, with over 95% of the population speaking German as their first language. Minority languages include Sorbian (серболужитский язык), spoken by 0.09% in the east of Germany; North and West Frisian (Западнофризский язык, один из нидерландских языков), spoken around the Rhine estuary (устье реки Рейн) by around 10,000 people, or 0.01%, who also speak German.

Danish (Датский) is spoken by 0.06%, mainly in the area along the Danish border. Romani (Цыга́нский язы́к), an indigenous language (язык коренного народа) is spoken by around 0.08%.

Immigrant languages include Turkish, which is spoken by around 1.8%, and Kurdish, by 0.3%.

German Society & Culture

A Planning Culture Культура планирования

• In many respects, Germans can be considered the masters of planning.

• This is a culture that prizes forward thinking and knowing what they will be doing at a specific time on a specific day.

• Careful planning, in one's business and personal life, provides a sense of security.

• Rules and regulations (Правила и нормы) allow people to know what is expected and plan their life accordingly.

• Once the proper way to perform a task is discovered, there is no need to think of doing it any other way.( После того, как правильный способ выполнения задачи обнаруживается, что нет необходимости думать о делать это любым другим способом.)

• Germans believe that maintaining clear lines of demarcation between people, places, and things is the surest way to lead a structured and ordered life. ( Немцы считают, что сохранение четких линий разграничения между людьми, местами, и все это самый надежный способ вести структурированную и упорядоченную жизнь.)

• Work and personal lives are rigidly divided.

• There is a proper time for every activity. When the business day ends, you are expected to leave the office. If you must remain after normal closing, it indicates that you did not plan your day properly.

The German Home

• Germans take great pride (гордятся) in their homes.

• They are kept neat (аккуратный) and tidy at all times, with everything in its appointed place.

• In a culture where most communication is rather formal, the home is the place where one can relax and allow your individualism to shine.

• Only close friends and relatives are invited into the sanctity (неприкосновенность) of the house, so it is the one place where more informal communication may occur.

• There are many unwritten rules surrounding the outward maintenance (внешнее обслуживание) of one's home.

• It is imperative that common areas such as sidewalks, pavements, corridors (in apartments), and steps be kept clean at all times. Крайне важно, чтобы общие области, такие как пешеходная дорожка, тротуаров, коридоров (в квартирах), а также ступеньки, которые необходимо содержать в чистоте во все времена.

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German Etiquette & Customs

Meeting Etiquette

• Greetings are formal.

• A quick, firm handshake is the traditional greeting.

• Titles(звания) are very important and denote respect. Use a person's title and their surname until invited to use their first name. You should say Herr or Frau and the person's title and their surname.

• In general, wait for your host or hostess to introduce you to a group. (В общем, ждать своего хозяина или хозяйки, чтобы ввести вас в группу.)

• When entering a room, shake hands with everyone individually, including children.

Gift Giving Etiquette

• If you are invited to a German's house, bring a gift such as chocolates or flowers.

• Yellow roses or tea roses are always well received.

• Do not give red roses as they symbolize romantic intentions.

• Do not give carnations as they symbolize mourning. (гвоздики, поскольку они символизируют траур.)

• Do not give (лилиз) lilies or (кризантэмомс) chrysanthemums as they are used at funerals. Не давайте лилии и хризантемы, как они используются на похоронах.

• If you bring wine, it should be imported, French or Italian. Giving German wines is viewed as meaning you do not think the host will serve a good quality wine.

• Gifts are usually opened when received.

Dining Etiquette

If you are invited to a German's house:

• Arrive on time as punctuality indicates proper planning. Never arrive early.

• Never arrive more than 15 minutes later than invited without telephoning to explain you have been detained.

• Send a handwritten thank you note the following day to thank your hostess for her hospitality.

Table manners

• Remain standing until invited to sit down. You may be shown to a particular seat.

• The fork is held in the left hand and the knife in the right while eating.

• Do not begin eating until the hostess starts or someone says 'guten appetit' (good appetite).

• At a large dinner party, wait for the hostess to place her napkin in her lap (колени) before doing so yourself.

• Do not rest your elbows on the table.

• Finish everything on your plate.

• Rolls should be broken apart by hand.

• Indicate you have finished eating by laying your knife and fork parallel across the right side of your plate, with the fork over the knife.

• The host gives the first toast.

• An honoured guest should return the toast later in the meal.

• The most common toast with wine is 'Zum Wohl!'(Цум Воль) ('good health').

• The most common toast with beer is 'Prost!' ('good health').

Business Etiquette and Protocol in Germany

Relationships & Communications

• Germans do not need a personal relationship in order to do business.

• They will be interested in the amount of time your company has been in business.

• Germans display great deference to people in authority, so it is imperative that they understand your level relative to their own. (Немцы проявляют большую уважение к людям во власти, поэтому крайне важно, чтобы они понимали свой уровень по отношению к своей собственной.)

• Germans do not have an open-door policy. People often work with their office door closed. Knock and wait to be invited in before entering.

• German communication is formal.

• As a group, Germans are suspicious of hyperbole (преувеличение), promises that sound too good to be true, or displays of emotion.

• Germans will be direct to the point of bluntness (прямота).

Business Meeting Etiquette

• Letters should be addressed to the top person in the functional area, including the person's name as well as their proper business title.

• If you write to schedule an appointment, the letter should be written in German.

• Punctuality is taken extremely seriously. If you expect to be delayed, telephone immediately and offer an explanation. It is extremely rude to cancel a meeting at the last minute and it could jeopardize (подвергать опасности) your business relationship.

• Meetings are generally formal.

• Initial meetings are used to get to know each other. They allow your German colleagues to determine if you are trustworthy.

• Maintain direct eye contact while speaking.

• Although English may be spoken, it is a good idea to hire an interpreter so as to avoid any misunderstandings.

• At the end of a meeting, some Germans signal their approval by rapping their knuckles on the tabletop. постукивание их костяшками пальцев по столешнице.

• There is a strict protocol to follow when entering a room:

• The eldest or highest ranking person enters the room first.

• Men enter before women, if their age and status are roughly equivalent.

Business (нэгощиэйщэн) Negotiation переговоры

• Do not sit until invited and told where to sit.

• Treat the process with the formality that it deserves.

• Germany is heavily regulated and extremely bureaucratic.

• Germans prefer to get down to business and only engage in the briefest of small talk. They will be interested in your credentials. Немцы предпочитают переходить к делу и только участвовать в кратчайшее светскую беседу. Они будут заинтересованы в ваших полномочиях.

• Make sure your printed material is available in both English and German.

• Contracts are strictly followed.

• Final decisions are translated into rigorous, comprehensive action steps that you can expect will be carried out to the letter. Окончательные решения переводятся в строгие и всеобъемлющие практические шаги, которые можно ожидать будет осуществляться к письму.

• Avoid confrontational behaviour or high- pressure tactics. It can be counterproductive.

• Once a decision is made, it will not be changed.

Dress Etiquette

• Business dress is, formal and conservative.

• Men should wear dark, conservative business suits.

• Women should wear either business suits or conservative dresses.

• Do not wear (остэнтэйшэс) ostentatious показной jewellery or accessories.