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有关“business result”的教材
"Business Result" 通常指的是企业绩效或业务成果，而与之相关的教材往往涵盖了商业战略、运营管理、财务分析等方面的内容。
有关“business result”的教材如下：
1.《战略管理》：此教材主要介绍了如何制定、实施和评估企业战略，以确保企业能够实
现长期成功。
它涵盖了各种战略分析工具和框架，如SWOT分析、五力模型等，并提供了大量实际案例，以帮助读者更好地理解战略管理的实际应用。
2.《运营管理》：这本教材重点介绍了企业如何有效地设计和控制生产过程，以提高生产
效率和质量。
它涉及了生产流程、质量控制、库存管理等方面的内容，并提供了关于精益生产、六西格玛等先进生产方法的讨论。
3.《财务管理》：财务管理是确保企业资源得到有效利用和优化的关键。
这本教材介绍了
如何评估企业的财务状况、制定财务计划和控制财务绩效。
它涵盖了财务报表分析、资本预算、风险管理等方面的知识，为读者提供了关于如何制定和实施有效的财务策略的指导。
4.《人力资源管理》：这本教材探讨了如何招聘、培训、激励和留住优秀的员工，以提高
企业的整体绩效。
它涉及了员工关系管理、绩效评估、薪酬设计等方面的内容，并强调了建立高效的人力资源管理体系对于企业成功的重要性。
Lesson10 International Payment Generally speaking, it is not very difficult for buyers and sellers in domestic trade to get to know each other’s financial status and other information, and payment is likely to be made in a straightforward manner, say （for example）by remittance or by debiting the debtor’s account. In international trade, however, things are far more complicated. Purchase and sale of goods and services are carried out beyond national boundaries, which make it ratherdifficult for the parties concerned in the transaction to get adequate information about each other’s financial standing and creditworthiness (资信；信誉). Therefore, mutual trust is hard to build. Both the exporter and importer face risks as there is always the possibility that the other party may not fulfill the contract.For the exporter there is the risk of buyer default（不按期付款）. The importer might fail to pay in full for the goods. He might go bankrupt.His government might, for various reasons, ban（禁止）trade with the exporting country or ban imports of certain commodities. The buyer might run into difficulties getting the foreign exchange to pay for the goods. It is even possible that the buyer is not reliable and simply refuses to pay the agreed amount on various excuses.On the part of the importer, there is the risk that the shipment will be delayed, and he might only receive them long after payment.The delay may be caused by problems in production or transportation, and such delays may lead to loss of business. There is also a risk that wrong goods might be sent as a result of negligence（疏忽大意）of the exporter or simply because of his lack of integrity （honesty）.Political risks such as war, quotas, foreign exchange control; commercial risks like market change and exchange rate fluctuations(波动); and even language barriers all add upto （increase）the problems in international trade. Because of these problems and risks, exporters are hesitant to release their goods before receiving payment, while importers prefer to have control over the goods before parting with their money.Various methods of payment have been developed to cope with different situations in international trade. When the political and economic situation in the importing country makes payment uncertain or when the buyer’s credit standing isdubious (doubtful), the exporter may prefer cash in advance or partial cash in advance. In this case, the importer has no guarantee that the exporter will fulfill his obligations once he has made payment by cash. If the buyer and the seller know each other well, they may decide to trade on open account. This means that no documents are involved and that legally (in terms of law) the buyer can pay anytime. The seller loses all control over the goods once they have been shipped. Sales on thisbasis are usually paid for by periodic payment, and obviously the exporter must have sufficient financial strength经济实力to carry the cost of the goods until receiving payment. If the exporter wishes to retain（保留）title or ownership（所有权）to the goods, he can enter into consignment transactions. This means the exporter has to send his goods abroad and will not get payment until the goods are sold. If not sold, the goods can be shipped back. Therefore, this arrangementshould only be made with full understanding of the risks involved and is preferably to be limited to stable countries where the exporter has a trusted agent to look after his interest.A lot of international transactions are paid for by means of the draft（汇票）, which, also referred to as the bill of exchange, is an unconditional（无条件的）order to a bank or a customer to pay a sum of money to someone on demand（立即）or at a fixed time in the future.The person who draws（开立）the draft, usually the exporter, is called the drawer（出票人）, and the person to whom the draft is drawn is called the drawee（受票人）. There is yet another party payee（收款人）, i.e. the person receiving the payment, who and the drawer are generally but not necessarily the same person, as the drawer can instruct the drawee either to pay “to the order of ourselves” or to the order of someone else, for instance, the bank.A draft is either a sight draft ora usance draft (also called tenor draft or term draft). The former calls for （needs）immediate payment on presentation (提示) to the drawee while the latter is payable at a later date, e.g. 30, 45, 60, or 90 days after sight or date. A draft is either clean (clean draft 光票) (without documents) or documentary (documentary draft跟单汇票). In the latter case, the draft is accompanied （attached）by the relevant documents such as the bill of lading, the invoice, the insurance policy etc.In documentary collection ( 跟单托收), the exporter sends the draft and the shipping documents运输单据representing title to the goods to his bank, which forwards (sends) them to anot her bank in the importer’s country, which in turn contacts the customer (importer). In the case of documents against payment (D/P)付款交单, documents will not be released to the importer until payment is effected执行. There are D/P at sight and D/P after sight. The former requires immediate paymentby the importer to get hold of the documents. The latter gives the importer a certain period after presentation of the documents, but documents are not released to him until he actually pays for the merchandise货物. In the case of documents against acceptance (D/A)承兑交单, documents are handed over to the importer upon his acceptance（承兑）of the bill of exchange drawn by the exporter. Payment will not be made until a later date. D/A is always after sight.So far as the exporte r’s interest is concerned, D/P at sight is more favorable than D/P after sight, and D/P is more favorable than D/A. In actual trade, payment by collection should be accepted with discretion （小心）. It is usually used when the financial standing of the importer is sound（良好的）, or when the exporter wishes to push the sale of his goods, or when the transaction involves only a small quantity. Otherwise, the letter of credit is generally preferred.Lesson 11In international trade it is almost impossible to mach payment with physical delivery (实际交货) of the goods, which constitutes conflicting problems for trade, since the exporter prefers to get paid before releasing the goods and the importer prefers to gain control over the goods before paying the money. The letter of credit is an effective means to solve these problems. Its objectiveis to facilitate international payment by means of the credit-worthiness of the bank. This method of payment offers security to both the seller and the buyer. The former has the security to get paid provided (假如) he presents impeccable（没有缺陷的）documents while the latter has the security to get the goods required through the documents he stipulates in the credit. This bilateral security is the unique and characteristic feature of the letter of credit.“Letter of credit” is often shortenedas L/C or L.C. and is sometimes referred to as “banker’s commercial letter of credit”, “banker’s credit”, “commercial credit” or simply “credit”. Modern credits were introduced 开始采用in the second half of the 19th century and had substantial development after the First World War. The credit is a letter issued by a bank at the request of the importer in which the bank promises to pay upon presentation of the relevant documents. It is actually a conditional bank undertaking（承诺）of payment.The operation of the letter of credit starts with the importer. He instructs his bank to issue an L/C in favor of the seller （以…为收益人）for the amount of the purchase. Here the importer is called the applicant （开证申请人）, or opener, principal etc., the bank that issues the credit is called the opening bank, the issuing bank or the establishing bank, (开证行) and the exporter in whose favor the credit is opened is called the beneficiary（受益人）. The openingbank sends the credit to its correspondent bank（往来行）in the exporter’s country, who will, after examining（检查）the credit, advise （通知）the exporter of its receipt. Here the correspondent bank is called the advising bank（通知行）. The exporter or beneficiary will make a careful examination（仔细检查）of all the contents of the credit and will request the opener to make amendments修改to any discrepancies （不一致）in the credit so as to ensure safe and timelypayment. Sometimes the exporter may require a confirmed letter of credit (保兑信用证) either because the credit amount is too large, or because he does not fully trust the opening bank. The bank that adds its confirmation（保兑）to the credit is called the confirming bank which is undertaken（承担）either by the advising bank or another prime （big）bank. When everything with the credit is in order, the exporter will prepare the relevant documents based on the credit and dispatch thegoods to the importer. Then he will present the draft and the accompanying documents to the advising bank that pays or accepts (承兑) or negotiates（议付）the bill of exchange. The advising bank then also becomes the paying bank which acts as the agent of the opening bank and gets reimbursed（pay back）by the opening bank after paying the beneficiary. If a bank, either nominated （指定）by the opening bank or at its own choice, buys the exporter’s draft submitted to it undera credit, it is called a negotiating bank (议付行). The draft and the documents will then be sent to the opening bank for reimbursement（偿付）.Letters of credit are varied in form, length, language, and stipulations. Generally speaking, however, they include the following contents:1. The number of the credit and the place and time of its establishment.2. The type of the credit.3. The contract on which it is based.4. The major parties relevant to thecredit, such as the applicant, opening bank, beneficiary, advising bank. etc.5. The amount or value of the credit.6. The place and date on which the credit expires（失效）.7. The description of the goods including name of commodity, quantity, specifications, packing, unit price, price terms, etc.8. Transportation clause（条款）including the port of shipment, the port of destination, the time of shipment, whether allowing partial shipments or transshipment（转船）.9. Stipulations relating to the draft.10. Stipulations concerning the shipping documents required.11. Certain special clauses if any.e.g. restrictions on the carrying vessel（承运船只）and the route.12. Instructions to the negotiating bank.13. The seal or signature of the opening bank.14. Whether the credit follows “the uniform customs and practice for documentary credits”.The letter of credit providessecurity to both the exporter and the importer. However, it only assures payment to the beneficiary provided the terms and conditions of the credit are fulfilled. It does not guarantee that the goods purchased will be those invoiced or shipped. It is stipulated in Article 4 of the uniform customs and practice for documentary credit that “in credit operations all parties concerned deal in documents, and not in goods, services and/or other performance to which the documents may relate”.That is to say the banks are only concerned with the documents representing the goods instead of the underlying contracts. They have no legal obligation whether the goods comply with the contract. They will be considered as having fulfilled their responsibility so long as all the documents comply with the stipulations of the credit. The quality and quantity of merchandise shipped, although specified in the documents, ultimately depend on the seller who has manufactured, packaged, andarranged shipment for the goods.If the importer finds any problems with the goods, e.g. inferior quality or insufficient quantity, he has to contact or even take legal action against the exporter instead of the bank so long as the documents are “proper” on their face.Lesson 12Letters of credit fall under several categories depending on their function, form and mechanism. Here are the major types of credit:1. Clean credit and documentary credit: Credits that only require clean draft, i.e. draft not accompanied with shipping documents, for payment are clean credit. They are generally used in non-trade settlement（非贸易结算）or in payment in advance by means of the L/C. Most of the credits used in international trade are documentary credits, i.e. credits that require shipping documents to be presented together with the draft.2.Revocable credit andirrevocable credit: This classification is based on the certainty确信of the commitment 承诺to pay on the part of the applicant and the issuing bank. The credit is a revocable one if such commitments can be altered （改变）or even canceled（取消）without consulting with the beneficiary. It is quite obvious that the exporter has little assurance 保证to get payment, and therefore this type of credits are rarely used. Irrevocable credits are those that cannot be amended （revised修改）or revoked（取消）without the consent（同意）of all the parties concerned. Safe and reliable, this type is extensively（widely）used in world trade. It must be noted that if there is no specific indication whether a credit is revocable or irrevocable, it should be regarded as irrevocable.3. Confirmed credit and unconfirmed credit: If a credit is confirmed by a bank other than （除…之外）the issuing bank, it becomes a confirmed credit. The confirmation is undertaken 承担either by theadvising bank or by another leading bank. Under a confirmed credit, the beneficiary is given double assurance of payment 双重付款担保since the confirming bank has added its own undertaking 承诺to that 承担of the opening bank. If the credit is not confirmed by another bank, it is an unconfirmed letter of credit. Though a confirmed credit is considered to be able to provide the greatest degree of security to the beneficiary, it involves additional cost as a result of the confirmation.Therefore if the establishing bank is a reliable prime bank, confirmation may not be necessary.4. Sight credit and usance credit: A sight credit is one by which payment can be made upon presentation of the draft and impeccable documents by the beneficiary to the bank. It gives the beneficiary better security and helps him speed up his capital turnover. 资金周转Most of China’s export contracts stipulate for sight credit in payment terms. Obviously, a sight credit calls for a sight draft.It is also clear that this type of credit requires a usance draft. If the beneficiary wishes to get payment before the maturity到期of the draft, he can ask the bank to discount贴现the acceptance, and immediately pay him the net proceeds净收益（net position 实际头寸）, i. e. the face value 面值of the draft minus减去the discount charges收费.5. Transferable credit andnon-transferable credit: If a credit can be transferred by the original beneficiary to one or more parties, it is a transferable credit. The original beneficiary is called the first beneficiary and the party (or parties) the credit is transferred to is called the second beneficiary. It is usually used when the first beneficiary is a middleman and does not supply the goods himself. A credit can be transferred only once. But transferring a credit to more than one party at the same time is allowedprovided partial shipments are permitted. If a credit does not specify whether it is transferable, it should be regarded as a non-transferable document according to the credit stipulation.6. Non-draft credit: There is a modern tendency for payment to be made by presentation of the documents without the formality of drawing and presenting a draft. Such credits are non-draft credit. They mainly include payment credit and deferred payment credit which arerespectively similar to sight credit and usance credit with the difference that no draft is drawn and presented in the case of non-draft credit.7. Revolving credit: If a credit stipulated that its amount can be renewed更新or reinstated恢复without specific amendment to the credit being made, it is then a revolving credit. It is particularly useful when the buyer and seller have regular trading relationship and deal in a specific quantity of goods each month or any particular periodof time.It has already been mentioned that the letter of credit has greatly facilitated便利and promoted international trade. However, like any other methods (mode) of payment, it is not perfect. It cannot provide absolute security for the contracting parties. The seller may sustain losses 蒙受because of the buyer’s delay even failure in the establishment of credit开立信用证. The buyer may suffer losses as a result of the documents presented bythe seller which do not truly represent the goods shipped. And it is not absolutely avoidable that the bank may become insolvent破产的or bankrupt. Besides, it is more expensive to use the letter of credit than remittance or collection as the bank will charge 收费its client for all the services it provides. So the letter of credit may not be the most ideal（best）method of payment for a particular transaction, and the contracting parties should make their best choice according to the specificconditions.Lesson 13One of the major differences between domestic trade and foreign trade is documentation (单据的使用). Every shipment must be accompanied by a number of correct documents. If they are not the correct ones, the importer will have difficulties in taking delivery of 提货the goods, and delays caused byincorrect documentation may affect future business relations between the trading partners. In the case of documentary letter of credit, any discrepancy不同, even in minor details, between the documents presented and those specified in the credit may lead to refusal by the bank to make payment. Different documents are required for different transactions, depending on the nature of the deal, the term of delivery, the type of commodity, stipulations of credit, regulations and practices indifferent countries, etc. However, most transactions require the following major documents.The commercial invoice：Generally called “the invoice” for short, this document is the general description of the quality and quantity of the goods and the unit and total price. It constitutes the basis on which other documents are to be prepared制作, and the banks check the conformity between credit terms and documents 单证一致and the conformity between thedocuments单单一致. A commercial invoice normally include the following contents: Invoice number and the date; name and address of the buyer and the seller; contract number and credit number; description of the goods including name of the commodity, quantity, specifications, etc.; unit price, total price, price terms, and commission and discount if any; terms of delivery and terms of payment; packing, shipping marks唛头, etc.; and seal or signature of the exporter.It should be noted that the description of the goods in the invoice must comply with the credit while in other documents the goods can be described in general terms, and that the total invoice value should not exceed the total amount of the covering（适用的）L/C.The packing list （is a document that）gives information such as the number, date, name and description of the goods, shipping marks, packing, number of packages, specific contents of each packageand its net weight and gross weight etc. Sometimes the credit stipulates for specification list规格清单which is similar to the packing list but emphasizes the description of the specifications of the goods. The weight list, weight note, or weight memo are also similar to the packing list in content and function but emphasis on the weight of the goods and are generally used for goods which are based on the weight for price calculation.The Bill of lading is one of themost important documents and has three major functions: 1. It serves as a cargo receipt signed by the carrier and issued to the shipper or consignor; 2. It constitutes a contract of carriage（transport）between the carrier and the consignor; 3. It is a document of title 所有权to the goods,and the legal holder 合法持有人of the bill of lading is the owner of the goods it covers.The major contents of the bill of lading include: 1. the carrier, i. e.the shipping company; 2. the shipper or consignor, it is normally the exporter; 3. the consignee收货人. It is generally either the importer or made out “to order”; 4. the notify party, i. e. the party to be advised通知after arrival of the goods at the port of destination. It is often the agent of the consignee or the consignee himself. 5. a general description of the goods including the name, number of packages, weight, measurement 尺寸etc. 6. shipping marks; 7. the port ofshipment and the port of destination;8. the freight运费, for CIF and CFRi t should be “freight prepaid”, or “freight paid”, for FOB it should be “freight to collect”, or “freight to be paid”, or “freight payable at destination”. 9. the place where the bill of lading is issued; 10. the date when the bill of lading is issued which is regarded as the time of shipment交货时间(time of delivery) and can by no means (never) be later than that stipulated in the credit.There are quite a few types of bills of lading classified in several ways. However, most letters of credit stipulate for “clean, on board bill oflading”. is one which states (indicate) that the goods have been shipped in apparent (表面上) good order and condition. It is meant that the document is devoid of 没有any qualifying remarks 批注性话语concerning the packing and the outer appearance of the goods. And the carrier admits full liability 承担全部责任for thegoods described in the bill of lading and is bound to 有责任carry the goods and deliver them in like (similar) condition in which he hasreceived them.indicates that the shipment has been actually loaded on the carrying vessel 承运船只bound for 开往the port of destination. Traditionally, this has been the only acceptable type to be presented by the seller under the term CFR and CIF.The document similar to theocean bill of lading 海运提单is called airway bill for air transportation and railway bill, cargo receipt etc. for railway transportation.The insurance policy and the insurance certificate are similar in function, the only difference being that the latter is a bit simpler than the former. The main contents of such insurance documents include: 1. the insured. Under CIF terms, the insured is generally the beneficiary of the credit unless otherwisespecified, while under CFR and FOB terms，the insured is usually the importer. 2. cargo description including name, quantity, weight, shipping marks etc . 3. the amount insured and the risks covered 险别. It should be noted that the currency of the amount insured should be the same as that of the credit. 4. contents concerning transportation including the carrying vessel, the port of shipment and the port of destination, the sailing date起航日期etc. 5. the place where claims are to be settled。
WORKING ABROAD CONTENTSGeneralIntroduction Cultural Differences Why work abroad First Impressions 2234LanguageIntroductionMisunderstandingsAccentsTone, volume andstressRichard’s tip55679Body LanguageIntroductionWhy it is importantFinding out the rulesProximityRichard’s tip1010111213TimeIntroductionA theory of time Getting time wrong Richard’s tip 14141616StatusIntroductionChris’s experienceMaralde’s experienceAdam’s experienceFederico’s experienceRichard’s tip181819202123RelationshipsIntroductionCan I work abroadStereotypes and other issuesSources of helpRichard’s tip2424262728FedericoThe person The jobThe experience 293032AdamThe personThe bandThe experience343435MaraldeThe personThe jobThe experience373838ChrisThe person The experience 4040AndreThe personThe jobThe experience424244Richard CookThe personRichard’s tips4646VocabularyGeneral Language Body language TimeStatus Relationships 47 48 49 50 51 52GENERAL1) Introduction'Working Abroad' is for those of you who've always wanted to get out of your chairs and go and do something else instead.Each unit on the left explores different issues connected with working abroad and by clicking on the photographs on the right, you can find out about people's personal experiences.There are also vocabulary pages, exercises and quizzes to help you develop and test your English.For a more detailed guide to the site, click on the link below. Or go to the next page to hear our interviewees introduced themselves.This site is based upon a six part radio series. You can access the programmes by using the links on the left.Eight people, all of whom were working abroad, were interviewed for the series. You can find out more about five of them by clicking on their photos on the right.But for now, listen to four of our interviewees introduce themselves. Can you identify what jobs they each do?AnswerAdam - a musicianChris - a doctor (a clinical fellow)Maralde - a financial analystFederico - he didn't mention what job he did2) Cultural DifferencesLiving and working abroad would be really easy if everyone spoke the same way and behaved in the same way. But, as soon as you leave your own culture it quickly becomes clear that things are not the same.There are small and large differences between cultures. And how well you are able to deal with these differences will affect how good your experience will be.THINKWhat sort of things do you think might be different between two cultures?TranscriptWhen people go into another cultural environment some of the things that can be different for them are such things as the verbal communication style, that can be radically different. And we're not just talking about a different language but literally the way that we use verbal communication.Secondly, the non-verbal communication, body language, the gestures and the things that we do as part of our communication.Things like time. Do we see time as a linear process with a fixed series of events following each other, or is time something much looser, much more flexible?3) Why work abroad?As we've seen, there can be many things that make working abroad difficult, things like language differences and time. So why do you think that people do it?Professor Petruska Clarkson believes that people may go abroad because they are unhappy where they currently are. But she also has two other reasons.Listen to the audio and work out what Professor Clarkson's other reasons are.TranscriptPeople are curious, or they might feel I don't know very much what to do and I want to have the equivalent of a gap year. I want to experience other cultures and then once you know, you've had some familiarity working in a foreign culture you can think about whether you want to go back to own.Another reason for going is where people really want to go and improve themselves. Where the situation that they are in in their countries may not give them the scope for their ambitions and of course many people do go and work abroad for those reasons - to find a place where they can fulfil themselvesAnswerspeople are curious and they also want to improve themselvesProfessor Clarkson gave three reasons why people go to work in different countries. First, that they are unhappy where there are. Two, that they are not sure what they want to do and are curious about other cultures and three that they want to improve themselves.Listen to four of our interviewees. For each person decide which one of Professor Clarkson's reasons is their reason for moving abroad.TranscriptChrisI always had a dream to come over to the UK, to work in this country and to benefit. That's the reason for me to live in Europe and to experience that to the full.MaraldeI always wanted to work in a multicultural environment and that really made me come to Paris and apply for a job, like really living here.FedericoI decided to come to Germany because I wanted to fully develop my international experience that I started in London. I didn't want to go back to Argentina right at this moment. I thought that the best thing was to fully develop that experience.AdamI work here in England because I need money to live here and for equipment for my band. I spent my money for my band, so I need money only for this yeah.AnswersChris said that he always had a dream to visit England (curiosity and to improve himself)Maralde said that she wanted to work in a multi-cultural environment (this was for Maralde's own benefit, although it might not improve her - so Maralde's reason doesn't fit in with Professor Clarkson's)Federico said that he wanted to fully develop his international experience (to improve himself)Adam said that he wanted money to support his band (it would be possible to argue then that this was to improve himself and his band)4) First ImpressionsWhatever the difficulties working abroad might cause, there are millions of people working abroad right now, experiencing and enjoying life in a different culture. But what's it like the first time you arrive in a new country?Listen to our interviewees to hear their first impressions of life abroad. As you listen try to answer these three questions.1. What was the difficulty in France?2. Which person learnt about what food the British ate?3. Is non verbal communication more important in northern or southern Europe?TranscriptMaraldeI arrived here and I just wanted to call my parents and say that I had arrived. So I tried to plug in my telephone and realised that they have got a completely different system and I wouldn't have thought this because we are like neighbouring countries. So I really supposed it was exactly the same.AdamIn the beginning it was really difficult to feel this place like London, understand the culture what English people eat, what they're talking about.ChrisThe non-verbal communication in Southern European countries is certainly much more important than in Northern European countries and there you wouldn't keep that much of a distance between a person, for example, as you do in GermanyAnswersMaralde (person 1) couldn't plug her German telephone into the French phone systemAdam (person 2) learnt about what food British people ateChris (person 3) said that non-verbal communication was more important in southern Europe.LANGUAGE (002)1) IntroductionThis unit explores verbal communication and language; the words we use, how we use them and how we say or write them.To be successful you need to both understand what you are being told and to know that people understand you.Over the next few pages, you'll find out about some of the more common ways in which language creates difficulties and hear some advice on how to overcome them.ACTIVITYListen to our interviewees' experiences. What did one interviewee have to do in a canteen apart from speak French?TranscriptAndreAs soon as you start working with refugees languages stops being the barrier because everyone has a difficulty in communicating themselves.MaraldeAt the canteen you have to speak French or just point, otherwise you won't get what you wanted.EmmaSome of them good because they are English, some of them from other countries they speak quite good and they speak quite quick, so I can't understand properly everything.AnswerspointMaralde said that she had to point at things in the canteen to get what she wanted2) MisunderstandingsSo verbal communication is all about the words that you say, write and read. And it's easy to get this wrong.Most misunderstandings happen because people use the wrong word or mispronounce particular sounds. We then think that they mean one thing when, in fact, they mean something else.ACTIVITYMaralde and Emma have had some language misunderstandings. As you listen to them explain, try to answer these questions:What was the name of Maralde's t-shirt and what did it mean in French? What were the two words that Emma mixed up?TranscriptMaraldeI think the funniest one that sort of happened to me was when I, one day, wore my TATEgallery t-shirt to work and it has got TATE written in huge pink letters on it. I sat at my desk and then I realised that all the French colleagues that came in grinned at me broadly. After sometime I just asked another colleague, like, 'What's going on here?'Then the colleague was a bit embarrassed and he explained to me that in French TATEZ means to touch. So TATE is the imperative and so I was wearing this t-shirt saying, like, touch, all day.EmmaOne time was that a customer and a stylist did her highlights and she put her highlights and just leave for a while and she said can you give her water. And she said so quick that I understand she want that I wash her highlights. And I put her hair in the basin and I wash her highlights and then she come to me and said, 'What are you doing?', 'I'm washing', 'No, no, no, she want just the water.'AnswersAnswer: TATE and touchWhilst at work in Paris, Maralde wore a t-shirt from the TATE Gallery, an art gallery in Britain. The t-shirt had TATE written across the front of it. Unfortunately, in French, Tate is an imperative and means touch!Answer: Water and washThe two words Emma mixed up were water and wash. Because of that, she washed the customer's hair too soon.How can you make it easier for yourself to not make these types of mistakes? Richard Cook's here to help.ACTIVITYListen to what Richard has to say. What are the three suggestions that he offers to help your communication with others ?TranscriptWell I think the first thing to do is really be aware of yourself as a communicator; how are you speaking? Are you clear? And secondly, what are the rules of the people that you are now working with?I think as well that you need to become more aware of the actual process of communication and slow it down. So you can say, 'Well is it alright if I just ask a few questions sometimes when we are having a meeting?'I think people, generally, are happy about you asking questions rather than you making mistakes.Answers1) Be aware of how you communicate.If you know the difficulties that people have understanding you, then you can change what you say and do.2) Know the language rules of the culture you're in.People use different ways of communicating or they might use jargon. If you know about these you can prepare yourself.3) Slow down the communication.Be prepared to ask questions or use other techniques that slow the conversation down. That will then give you time to think about and understand what you have heard.THINKRichard gave an example of a question to help understanding. What other questions could you ask? Have a look at the vocabulary page for some examples.3) AccentsThe problem with a different language is that once you've learnt the words and phrases, got used to the sounds of the language, there's always something else to trip you up. The particular way that a person speaks, their accent.ACTIVITYListen to Adam and Chris talking about some of the difficulties they've had with accents. Which nationality's accent does Adam have trouble with and what phrase does Chris use to describe a very controlled and old form of English?TranscriptsAdamSome people is from Scotland, some people is from Ireland, some people is from Europe and sometimes it is difficult to understand everything. And when I start talking with some from Scotland, this for me this is very difficult English. This guy starts speak with me, so I try to understand but sometimes I might ask three times, so, what he wants. So, yeah, sometimes it is difficult, yeah.ChrisI certainly had some difficulties initially when I came over to this country because not everyone does speak Queen's English, so it sometimes makes it quite difficult to communicate. For example, with parents, if they speak a very strong regional accent, sometimes, unfortunately, I had to ask and re-ask and really specify my question again. And sometimes I was sitting there and I thought, how can I just really get this question right to really get the information I need to really evaluate this situation properly.AnswersAnswer: A person from ScotlandAdam had trouble understanding a Scottish accent.Answer: Queen's EnglishChris talked about Queen's English. Traditionally, Queen's (or King's) English was the language spoken at the courts in Britain.TIPTo help you understand different accents, try to listen to a wide variety of people speaking in English.4) Tone, Volume and StressYou know the words, you understand the accents and yet… and yet there's another difficulty with verbal communication!No one speaks in exactly the same way or with the same style. And across cultures, the ways that people speak can vary considerably.To help make yourself understood you need to find out how a particular culture uses language. Getting it wrong can create very unexpected problems.ACTIVITYListen to psychologist Petruska Clarkson. What is the main thing that she says people get wrong when using language in a new culture?TranscriptOne of the differences that I have noticed a lot from people who have changed cultures has to do with loudness of your voice. And sometimes people can live in a culture for a very long time and be doing it wrong all the time and not understanding why because people from inside that culture may not know to tell them, 'The fact is, when you speak you speak too loudly for people in this culture'.So everybody just kind of shies away from you and don't talk to you and they may experience you as aggressive or loud or extrovert or something not right. But basically it's because your tone of your voice is louder than the people around you. This is one I have often come across. Of course, when people come into English culture they have to drop their voices a lot.AnswersLoudness of voiceProfessor Clarkson said that in some cultures people speak quietly but in other cultures they speak loudly. And if you speak loudly in a culture that usually talks quietly, then people may feel that you are aggressive or that their is something wrong with you.So whatever language you need to speak in, there are certain characteristics of that language. For example, loudness of voice.Other characteristics include the intonation pattern, how fast you speak and where the stress in a sentence falls. But if you get the words right, why does it matter if you get the intonation or stress wrong?ACTIVITYListen to Richard Cook explain the two different ways that stress is added to speech. What are they and why does it matter if you get it wrong?TranscriptSome languages are stressed time language some languages are syllable timed language. The English language, for example, is much more stress timed where we stress key words so that you will get the main message. It's almost like sending a telegram, 'lets go to the beach'. It's lets go something beach - the 'the' is less stressed. As an English speaker you might be expecting to hear the key words stressed out. If that doesn't happen, the first response is confusion. You may ask them to repeat or you may need a little bit more time to process AnswersMisunderstanding and confusionRichard said that if you get the stress wrong a native English speaker may not immediately understand you5) Richard’s tipFor each programme topic, Richard Cook provides one key piece of advice for you to think about and consider. Listen to and read his advice on language verbal communication. THINKDo you agree with Richard? How might you find out about how a different culture communicates.TranscriptFirst of all, understand yourself as a communicator, understand the other culture and what they are doing with language, with verbal communication. And secondly, be easy on yourself, give yourself a break and accept that is going to be more tiring, particularly at the beginningBODY LANGUAGE (003)1) IntroductionBody language or, as it is also known, non-verbal communication, is about all the things that people say and do without using words. Research suggests that more than 70% of communication occurs without people having to say a single word.Like language, the way we communicate non-verbally varies across cultures. But, unlike language, it can be very difficult to find out what the non-verbal rules are.ACTIVITYIn Europe, for example, there is great confusion over one way of greeting other people. Listen to our working abroad interviewees. What is the difficulty they all have?TranscriptMaraldeWell, I mean, with the French kisses, even within France, some people kiss on one cheek only, some on two cheeks, some on three cheeks, so if you don't know you might start on the wrong side or whatever and the you end in very strange situations or you try to do three kisses and the other person has already turned away or whatever. So that might cause some embarrassing situations sometimes.FedericoIn Latin America you give a kiss to women and, yeah, usually here you may shake hands. I gave a kiss to a friend's wife. That would be pretty normal in Argentina, but not in London. She felt a little bit shy but that was it.SophieI've just learn that you have to grab people and be really dynamic. Just grab them and say how many kisses you are going to do before you do it and go for it. And then pull away before you get into that embarrassing situation where you can't get out.Answerskissing someone to say helloAll of our interviewees were confused about how to kiss as a greeting. Should they kiss one cheek, two or more. Or is it occur to kiss a friend's wife as a greeting?Sophie suggested that to make this situation easier just tell the other person how many times to kiss before you start.2) Why it is importantWith over 70% of communication between people being non-verbal, you need to know how to act to be properly understood.Also, if you behave in ways that people don't understand or don't like they may judge you negatively, not take you seriously, or even think that you there is something wrong with you.For example, in some cultures it is wrong to make eye contact but in others it is expected. If you get it wrong people can think that you are insulting them.ACTIVITYListen to Richard describe some other 'hidden' rules of culture. How many does he mention and what are they?TranscriptWell kissing is just one of many different aspects of interaction that you need to be aware of. You can get into difficult or embarrassing or even worst situations if you are not aware. Eye contact, tone of voice, how close you can stand, any touching, how many times you kiss, a long handshake, a short handshake, it can go on and on and on. So I think, yes you do need to get these correct and you need to have good observation skills.AnswersRichard mentions five things other than kissing. They were eye contact, tone of voice, how close you can stand, whether you can touch and handshakes.He also mentioned that one way to find out about these things to is watch people, observe what they do.THINKHow many 'hidden' rules of your culture can you list? Was it easy to think of them?3) Finding out the rulesIt's all very well being aware that there are differences in the ways that cultures work, but what can you do to try to prepare yourself for living and surviving in another culture?Richard Cook believes that there are at least two important things that you should think about.ACTIVITYAs you listen to Richard, try to answer this question. What are the two things that he suggests you do to 'fit in' with the culture?(hint: one thing is something that you shouldn't do)TranscriptI think you've got two things to think about. I personally don't fully endorse the concept of 'When in Rome do as the Romans do'. I don't think people expect you to completely adopt all of the things that they do. What I think that people would like is that you acknowledge that you understand it and that you do your best.One of the things you can do is actually explain to the other culture say, 'Well, you know, actually we don't normally kiss in my culture so it's a bit awkward'. But then do your best, so it's a learning process.AnswersDon't do as the Romans do andExplain to people the things that you find difficultRichard said:1) Don't 'do as the Romans do' - by which he meant don't just copy what people in the other culture do. You should observe it and work with it but don't just copy it.2) Explain to the other culture about the differences between the two cultures so that you both understand each other.Federico grew up in Argentina but has studied and work in the United Kingdom and Germany. Two cultures very different from his own.ACTIVITYListen to Federico's advice on how to find out about non-verbal cultural differences. Who are the people that he says are the best to talk too for help and advice?TranscriptIt's really important to make research before you move to a different country. You have to talk to people who are living here. Even more helpful if you can talk to people who actually are from your own country and live abroad and if they do not speak the language, even better. Or if they started by not speaking the language it's even better because they went already through your situation.I talked to people in the company, especially the Argentineans, the expats, people who are from abroad and who went through the same problems you would in the end face. It's amazing, all the knowledge that you can just recover by talking to themAnswerThe best people are people from your own culture who do not know the language of the culture they are now living inThe reason for this is that if you have grown up in a culture, you often don't realise what the cultural rules are, you just do them without thinking.4) ProximityRichard Cook mentioned a number of areas where confusion can happen between cultures, eye contact, or touching for example. But there is one very important area and that is proximity.THINKAs Richard explains about proximity think about your own culture and proximity. How close do you stand to people and does it change depending upon who you are talking too? TranscriptWell it's an interesting and serious one because if you're having a conversation with somebody you need to feel comfortable if you're going to be talking to them and getting information or sharing.An example according to the experts, in Asia, the usual distance between two people is 3 1/2, 4 feet. Now that's quite a big gap, I suppose if you think bowing there's a space there for bowing into. But then if you take a culture like Spanish or Latin, the typical distance between two people there is between 12 and 18 inches.Does proximity really matter? What problems could happen if you stand to close to someone?Listen to this real life example discussed between Susan Fearn (the radio series presenter) and Richard Cook. Which two cultures are they talking about?TranscriptI saw a very interesting conversation once between a Columbian boy and a Japanese girl and the Japanese girl was moving away because she was presumably trying to find her own comfort space.That's right, she was trying to get comfortable so that she could have the conversation, as was the Columbian who wanted to move closer in order for him to be comfortable. The result is a strange sort of dance with one person moving backwards and the other person continuing to move forwards.And presumably one person feeling rejected and the other person feeling threatened.Yeah, exactly, the Columbian will feel rejected and the Japanese person will feel threatened and there's not much you can do about that until you have some understanding of what is going on.AnswersJapanese and ColumbianThe two cultures mentioned were Japanese (who have a personal space of about 4 foot - 48 inches) and Columbian (who have a personal space of between 12 and 18 inches).5) Richard’s tipFor each programme topic, Richard Cook provides one key piece of advice for you to think about and consider. Listen to and read what he has to say about non-verbal communication. THINKDo you agree with him? How can you get to know the other culture's rules?TranscriptI think the main thing is that you need to focus on understanding the other culture's rules, their norms, their ways of doing things, not necessarily conceding to them but certainly understanding and working with them.1) IntroductionTick, tick, tick, tock, tock tock - however you say it, time is everywhere and it affects everyone. But surprisingly, one second in Beijing is not necessarily the same as one second in Cairo.Why? Because people have different attitudes to time and experience time in different ways. Complete this unit to find out more.THINKFirst, listen to our working abroad interviewees to hear their experiences of time. How would you describe your attitude to time?TranscriptAndreBecause in the first week I actually didn't make any phone calls the person just thought that I wasn't capable of doing the job.MaraldeAn Italian person is probably most happy if they achieved a good solution and everybody was pleased but it might take a little bit longer than the German approach.ChrisA course will start on time, work will start on time and the trains will run on time most of the time and certainly this was a very different experience when I came over to this country. FedericoOne day my boss came to me and said, 'You know, in this company we don't work long hours, we don't need you to work long hours and we do not like you coming at very long hours in the night.'2) A theory of timeAs we've heard, people can experience time in different ways when they cross cultures, but what is the reason behind this?According to Richard Cook there is a theory of time that breaks down time into two distinct types.ACTIVITYListen to Richard. What are the two types of time and how are they different?TranscriptWhen you look at time according to the theory that is currently accepted there are two categories of time. One is a monochronic attitude to time and in monochronic time things are linear, there is a straight line, there's a beginning and there's an end and more importantly there is one thing happening at a time.And polychronic attitude to time where you've got a number of things that can be happening at the same time, that the actual attitude to time is much looser.So in the sense of who is the servant and who is the master, in cultures that are monochronic。
