1. Fill in the gaps with the prepositions where necessary.

1. Sometimes it’s difficult to conduct foreign correspondence __English.

2. Alice has a good command ___ Spanish.

3. I can easily handle ___ business letters in Italian.

4. While speaking to a foreigner it’s recommended to stop ___ distinct

punctuation points.

5. Be alert___ glazed eyes in your listener.

6. Don’t talk ___ to the other person.

7. Don’t blame the listener __ lack of comprehension.

2. Find synonyms to the following words in the chart below and learn them.

– handle (v)

– intermediary (n)

– comprehensive (adj)

– distinct (adj)

– maintain (v)

to support	universal	to contend with	spokesman	well-defined(adj)
extensive(adj)	clear	go-between (n)	to conduct	apparent(adj)
to tackle	all-embracing	precise(adj)	thorough(adj)	to deal with
mediator (n)	to manage	wide-ranging	to hold on	obvious
to keep up	noticeable(adj)	to cope with	provide for

V. Speaking

Have you happened to come across with any barriers to communication that foreigners experience while dealing with the people from your country? Prove your answer by examples.

Text 9 suggestions for the cross-cultural sojourner*

(Upper-intermediate)

I. Pre-reading task

Before you read look up the meaning of the following words.

cross-cultural sojourner sustain(v)

imply(v) resist(v)

be alert for(v) be frustrated(adj)

serve as a liaison between… alien(adj)

attribution(n)

What is your idea of basic communication skills?

II. Read the text and write down basic intercultural communication skills.

The following five recommendations are designed to help you communicate more effectively and more successfully in those events that involve people from a different culture. As you read, keep in mind that it's important both to remain free of cultural ethnocentrism and to remember where you come from and who you are. It is not possible to give specific recommendations about every culture; therefore, each of these pieces of advice is broad enough to apply to a variety of situations and each one covers a set of related suggestions.

1. Learn the Rules of the New Culture.

As a cross-cultural traveler, you probably don't know the other person's worldview. Do not assume that you know it. Instead, study. Read about the culture. Learn to ask questions.

For example, Americans are generally taught to value progressiveness. Americans are generally outgoing. There is a fundamental assumption in our society that people should compete. These assumptions of our own culture maybe inappropriate in some other culture. For example, Japanese and Native American cultures both place a strong emphasis on teamwork and may be offended by the selfishness of individual competition as it is often found in majority American culture.

Learning about another culture implies that you must discover the rules of behavior. For instance, there are some fundamental differences between the American culture and the French culture in attitude about one's home. Americans are open. Their homes reflect this openness in many ways. Americans are comfortable leaving their windows uncovered so that people walking by can look inside their homes. Americans are casual about separating their lawns from the street. More often than not, no fence demarks that separation. Americans, especially in suburban communities, frequently mark their territorial boundaries with shrubs and trees, not walls. In contrast, the French home is generally considered a very private place. It is separated from its neighbors by walls and fences for privacy. French families rarely feel comfortable in their homes, especially at meal times, unless the blinds are drawn.

Therefore, try to develop a respect for another's traditions and to resist the tendency to impose your own cultural traditions on others. For example, there are broad cultural differences in the roles women play in societies around the world. American women enjoy a level of freedom that is virtually unheard of in some cultures. It's apparent that a cross-cultural traveler must be alert for any such differences and must plan in advance how to handle them.

Thus, first learn the rules about cross-cultural communication.