International protocol: United Kingdom.

Problem setting:

1. Here is the opinion about British business etiquette of a director who used to live and work in England: “First and foremost is the British attention to detail. Formal is the rule in England.” Read it and say how it can be demonstrated in business life. Does it mean to take formal approach in correspondence? In addressing anyone? Is the idea of titles important? Does it mean to be formal in introductions?

2. Is it important in introduction whose name is said first? Will the client or the representative of a company have priority in introduction?

3. Whose name will be said first if it goes about a colleague and a superior?

4. Are hats removed after entering the building in your country? What about England?

5. Why would it be poor manners to talk business with a British person after the business day? Is it so in Ukraine?

6. Do you know that “silent service” is the way to indicate the waiter whether you are through with your meals or have already finished it? How should you place your utensils to show you are still eating but only resting? How to say in a “silent service” “Do not remove my plate”?

What will it mean if you put the fork and the knife in a parallel position? What does it mean if your fork crosses your knife over?

7. Study the following sentence: “The inclination (склонность) when anything goes wrong is to find the culprit (виновного) rather than looking at what can be built into the system to prevent it happening again.” Is there the same tendency in your mother land? Could you set up some examples? Is this phenomenon “to look for a culprit” proper to large industries under the control of a state or to small private companies as well? Can you believe that the same trend still remains in the British business life?

8. What should you know about British tea ritual to conduct correctly over tea and handle yourself in the proper way? Set up five points.

Here are the intricacies (сложности) of the British tea ritual that Linda Phillips (executive from Etiquette Company of Massachusetts) shares with us (read and interpret this material, please):

It is always afternoon tea, never high tea. High tea is considered slang. It comes from the contraction of “isn’t it high time we had something to eat.” But in the USA you often see in hotels a listing of high tea and of course, the British would laugh at that. It’s really afternoon tea. High tea is a common American faux pas.

You are first presented with a choice of tea. The waiter would identify what types they are serving. You would choose the type you like and then it is brought to the table. It is loose tea and it would be accompanied by another pot containing hot water.

When it’s brought to your table, you allow it to steep or mash or brew for a few minutes. Then you would pour. Of course if you are a host executive you would ask: “May I pour?” and you would offer them the tea first. You would put the strainer on their cup so it would collect any loose leaves, technically called bastard leaves. You’d pour that into the cup. Then you would take the strainer and put it on the bowl of its own, which is called the slop bowl. If the tea is too strong, add a little hot water.

You either drink the tea black or with milk and one lump or two of sugar, never with cream. Sandwiches such a watercress or cucumber, would accompany the tea. You eat with your fingers because they finger sandwiches. After the tea and sandwiches you have the scone. A scone is small sweet tasting bread with raisins. You bring a little bit of butter and jam to your side plate. You cut the scone half and you only butter or jam the portion you are going to bite. You don’t butter the entire scone. The real taste is how you eat a scone, bite by bite. You may end the ritual of tea with a little bit of Sherry and… with a little bit of luck you’ll be celebrating a new account.

Pre-reading vocabulary exercise: 1. Study the following words from the text given below:

a.)Albeit - He was considered as a tough albeit fair boss.Его считали жёстким, хотя и справедливым, боссом.

Their voices, albeit the accent was provincial, were soft and musical. Их голоса, несмотря на провинциальный акцент, были приятны и мелодичны.

Syn: even though, even if, although

b) to acknowledge gratefully — признать с благодарностью

to acknowledge one's mistakes — признавать свои ошибки

He acknowledged being ignorant of the facts. — Он признал, что не знает некоторых фактов.

He acknowledged my being the first to think of it. — Он признал, что я был первым, кто высказал эту мысль.

He was acknowledged as the champion / to be the champion. — Его признали чемпионом.

You have to acknowledge your defeat as complete. — Вы должны признать ваше полное поражение.

Outsiders who work in these regions are advised to acknowledge the pride taken in what may appear to be superficial differences between them

Syn: accept, admit, concede, recognize

c.) homogeneous[ ] - однородный; гомогенный Syn: even, uniform, similar

British society and its cultures are essentially homogeneous

d.) perceive [ ] воспринимать, понимать, осознавать; постигать

The truth as I perceive it... — Правда, как я её понимаю.. Syn: realize, become aware, Ant: misapprehend, misconceive, miss, overlook. Oщущать, различать, чувствовать to perceive colours — различать цвета

The South is perceived by those who live there as superior in wealth and social status

e.) owe [ ] - быть должным (кому-л.); быть в долгу (перед кем-л.) He owes me $5.Он должен мне 5 $.

приписывать (успех, открытие) The company owes its success to its excellent training programme. — Компания приписывает свой успех отличной программе тренингов, которую проводит.

иметь, питать (какие-л. чувства по отношению к кому-л. / чему-л.), быть обязанным

He owed his wealth to his father. — Он был обязан своим состоянием отцу.

We owe this idea to Greek philosophy. — Эту идею мы унаследовали от греческой философии.

f) plc [ ]сокр. от public limited company; = PLC открытое акционерное общество

g) chairperson[ ]председатель (мужчина или женщина)

h) chief executive1) амер. президент; глава исполнительной власти (титул президента США) Syn: president 2) губернатор штата Syn: governor 3) глава правительства 4) исполнительный директор, глава корпорации, фирмы