Английский язык межкультурная коммуникация. Учебное пособие

great intercultural communication skills to engage with international clients and employees.

3._____Intercultural competence covers a large field ranging from linguistic aspects to social and cultural conventions. Linguistic differences can make it challenging for global companies to identify suitable product names for their target markets that don’t cause offense. Coca-Cola, for example, once tried to find a phonetic equivalent of their brand for the Chinese market and came up with KeKou-KeLa. But they failed to consider that this pleasantly sounding name translates to “bite the wax tadpole1” in Chinese. Needless to say, the brand name had to be changed.

4._____It’s important to be aware that each culture may have different social conventions. American business partners, for example, prefer small talk to build a relationship first, whereas Brits may try humor, and Germans tend to get straight to the point without beating around the bush. Thais, on the other hand, ask what are considered rather personal questions in the western world, for example about your marital status or job. Similarly, Americans like to use first names when addressing others, while in Austria, titles should be used to avoid sounding disrespectful. Germans will want to shake hands, while people in Thailand bow instead.

5._____In a business context, it’s also interesting that different cultures prefer a different presentation style. Western cultures like Australia and the U.S. are more forward-looking and like to focus on potential future benefits of products and campaigns. In contrast, representatives from countries such as China or India will prefer to go over past achievements to establish credibility. This knowledge can make or break relationships and business deals.

tadpole – головастик, малыш

Exercise 6. Read the text again and say if the following statements are true or false.

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1.Intercultural competence deals with social and cultural conventions. (True/False)

2.It is important for people working in international companies to avoid conflicts and misunderstanding. (True/False)

3.If you deal with Asian people, it is important to be direct and speak your mind. (True/False)

4.Working in multinational companies you have to be aware of culture differences. (True/False)

Exercise 7.

a) Read the text.

TEXT B

Considering Cultural Differences

It's not just professionals working overseas who need to learn cross-cultural business etiquette. Even if you work in your home country, your colleagues and suppliers could be from other cultures. Understanding our world's diversity will help you to improve your working relationships and develop your own reputation. Consider the following questions when thinking about how a culture might differ from your own:

What values does this culture have? How do those values compare with those of your culture?

How do people make decisions, conduct relationships, and display emotion?

How does this culture treat time and scheduling?

What are the social rules and boundaries surrounding gender? How does this culture display and respect power?

How do individuals relate to their employers?

How do people in this culture communicate? How direct are they in what they say and mean?

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SPEAKING

Exercise 9. Use the table below, the words whereas - между тем, в

то время как, while - хотя, тогда как, on the contrary - наоборот and the given expressions to compare how people behave in these countries.

Expressions: get straight to the point, beat around the bush, bow instead of …, ask personal questions, use humor.

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Let’s remember how to compare things!

City life may be more exciting, whereas town life may be less stressful.

Жизнь в большом городе более увлекательная, тогда как жизнь в маленьком городке менее напряженная.

In a village, most inhabitants know everyone else. On the contrary, in a big city you may not even know your next-door neighbour.

В деревне все жители знают друг друга. В большом городе, наоборот, вы даже можете не знать вашего соседа по лестничной клетке.

1.While greeting is informal in the USA and in the UK, it is formal in…

2.……………………… etc.

Unit 3.

Avoiding cross-cultural mistakes

When in Rome, do as Romans do

Active Vocabulary

table manners – правила поведения за столом spoon – ложка

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fork – вилка knife – нож

amount – количество (amount of food, amount of time)

leave some food on the plate – не доесть, оставить еду на тарелке clear / clean the plate – съесть все, что на тарелке

jumbo size – огромный

share – делить, совместно пользоваться oriental spices – восточные пряности serving utensils – сервировочные приборы casual clothing – повседневная одежда

holy – священный, unholy – нечистый, нечестивый forbade (forbid, forbidden) – запрещать

cope with – справляться с

Exercise 1. Match the expressions with their translation.

Exercise 2. What are the English equivalents for:

сервировочные приборы, повседневная одежда, огромная порция, восточные пряности, сервировочные приборы, священный, справляться со стрессом.

Exercise 3. Fill in the gap with a suitable word or expression.

1.We eat soup with a …… .

2.Steak is eaten with a ……. and a ….... .

3.………. are the rules of etiquette used while eating, which may also include the use of utensils.

4.T-shirts and jeans are ……… clothing.

5.………. are typically used in Asian cuisine and include basil, cinnamon, coriander, chiles, cloves, cumin, garlic, ginger, etc.

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Exercise 4. Read text A and match the beginnings of sentences A-H with the correct paragraphs 1-7. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

TEXT A

Food and table manners

A.Another question is whether to leave some food on the plate or clear the plate when you finish your meal.

B.The East and West have different ways of eating, cooking, and even serving food.

C.In addition, Western cultures tend to eat protein-rich meals mainly using meat, while Eastern food focuses on rice.

D.Food and culture are very closely related.

E.Table manners are a huge point everywhere.

F.Oriental spices are very popular among tourists.

G.Another characteristic is the amount of food.

H.France has a unique dining culture because French dinner lasts for hours.

1._____ Food contains everything, including a country’s history and traditions, so it can be said that it is a gateway to a country’s culture. In particular, people often visit foreign countries for business purposes, so knowledge of table manners and how to treat basic traditional dishes form part of basic etiquette.

2._____ First, Eastern and Western utensils are different. Unlike the East, where chopsticks and spoons are used, forks and spoons are the norms in the West. However, everyone uses a knife when they eat steak. Second, in Asia, circular tables tend to be preferred. It is for everyone to sit around and share food. Also, sharing food is a culture in the East. On the other hand, in the West, people do not share food but eat individual food. Also, rectangular tables are preferred.

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3._____ The amount of Western food is essentially higher than that of Asian food. The standard amount of food served in Western restaurants is considered “jumbo size” in the East. How much you eat can cause offense in some cultures. For example, your hosts in Russia, Greece, and Italy could be offended if you don't eat enough.

4._____ In the US and many other Western countries, it’s rude to leave food on your plate because it indicates you didn’t enjoy your meal. But when dining at someone’s home in China, it is always polite to leave a small amount of food on the plate to show that the host is generous and there is plenty of food, more than enough. Every time your glass or your plate is empty, it will be refilled or more food added.

5._____ Typical examples are Korean bibimbap and Vietnamese rice noodles. Moreover, there used to be differences in desserts. In the West, people enjoyed confectionery treats, such as brownies and cakes, and in the East, people enjoyed fruit. However, as many cultures are now shared, cakes and brownies have become popular desserts in the East as well. Muslims, Mormons, and Seventh Day Adventists avoid alcohol. Hindus, India's largest religious population, consider it unholy to eat beef. Most are also vegetarian. Muslims and Jews are forbidden to eat pork (and, in addition, Jews do not eat shellfish), and Roman Catholics may choose fish rather than red meat on Fridays.

6._____ Table etiquette varies from country to country. In Chile, people should not touch food with their hands. Usually, forks and knives are used for all food, except bread. On the contrary, in India people use hands to eat food. Touching food with the left hand is an act of injustice, so Indians use only their right hand. Pay careful attention to how you use your chopsticks in Asian countries. Never use them in a gesture or for pointing, and never stick them upright in your rice bowl: this is an omen of death. Don't use them to spear a piece of food or to tap a glass or bowl, either. And never cross your chopsticks; they should always lie side by side.

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7._______ Enjoying a meal for a long time is more polite and elegant because it belongs to social activities. For this reason, in their culture, splitting the bill or dividing the expenses among the participants is not observed. The French think it is natural for a host to serve guests and do them a favor. Italy also has a similar culture to that of France. Italians tend to savor food slowly, and it takes a long time to prepare meals.

Exercise 5. March the words on the left with their definitions on the right.

Exercise 6. Read text B and do a multiple-choice task.

TEXT B

Cultural differences

In the South Pacific, Asia, Thailand, and Russia, it's polite to remove your shoes before entering a home. This helps maintain cleanliness; but it's also a sign that you're leaving the outside world where it belongs.

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Some cultures pay careful attention to clothing. For example, it's important to be well dressed in Italy and the United Arab Emirates,

and sloppy or casual clothing is considered impolite.

The color of your clothing could also cause offense. For example, never wear yellow in Malaysia; this color is reserved for royalty. Anyone wearing yellow can be arrested under the assumption that they are protesting the government. In China, you'll make a better impression by wearing red, which is considered lucky, than by wearing white, which is associated with death.

The difference in humor perception has an impact on humor usage across cultures. To be specific, people residing in Western countries use humor for coping with stress and difficulties in their life. They associate it with positivity, and emphasize its importance. However, on the other hand, it is less likely that Easterners will use humor as a coping strategy. They don’t think of it as positive. Various studies found that Japanese, Chinese, and Singaporean students were less likely to use humor as a coping device as compared to their Western counterparts. As stated by Judge John C. H. Wu, “whereas Westerners are seriously humorous, Chinese people are humorously serious.”

Multiple choice

1.Wearing your shoes indoors in the South Pacific, Asia, Thailand, and Russia is……… .

a)polite

b)offensive

2.If you are in Italy and the United Arab Emirates and you want to make a good impression you should……….. .

a)wear something nice

b)wear any clothes that are convenient for you.

3.wearing yellow ……… in Malaysia.

a)is allowed

b)is banned

4.Red is a popular color in Chinese culture, symbolizing …… .

a)luck

b)death

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5.People use humor to cope with stress in …….. .

a)Eastern countries

b)Western countries

Exercise 7. Fill in the table using derivatives and translate them into Russian.

Exercise 8. Complete the text with the given words. There is one extra word that you don’t have to use.

Understanding the Impact of Cross-Cultural Differences

What could be wrong with sipping vodka in Russia? Or with eating with your left hand in India, or with patting the back of a colleague in Korea to thank them for a "job well done"?

In many countries, these actions are harmless. But in others, they can give a wrong _____1) or cause _____2). They could even damage a _____ 3) or ruin a major deal.

In fact, whatever culture you're from, it's likely that you routinely do something that could _____4) offense somewhere else in the world.

So, it is very important to be _____ 5) of different cultural traditions and social _____ 6). We'll also have to ______ 7) some gestures and actions if you want to build good working relationships with people from these cultures.

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