Assignments for self-control

1. How would you define the “speech etiquette”?

2. What are the functions of speech etiquette?

3. Name the most important elements of the speech etiquette.

4. What are the main rules of compliment?

5. Could you point out the criteria of cultural speech?

6. What are the main peculiarities of communication with the help of the interpreter?

Vocabulary in need

Expressions	Выражения
admit fault	признавать вину
body gestures	манеры
check details	уточнять детали
keep speaking distance	выдерживать расстояние между собеседниками
keep your cool	сохранять хладнокровие
rules of conduct	правила поведения

BUSINESS CONVERSATION

It is an important part of business communication, which presupposes not the dialogues only but the monologues as well. T may be meeting where you discuss the urgent questions; it may be your report (monthly, weekly or annual), it may be the communication with people during the business trip. And you should express your thoughts correctly during all kinds of conversation, in every speech situation. Before speaking about rules of behavior in the process of conversation we should note that in any employment a situation involving some amount of tension, frustration or even conflict can be considered as normal. There are many types of conflicts. Some are related to the nature of the work itself. And often they are related to various social or even cultural factors. In a multicultural work environment some degree of conflict and misunderstanding is unavoidable. When two people from the same culture meet, they sometimes fail to hit it off together because of differences in style or personality. But when two people from different cultures get together, they sometimes feel uncomfortable because of cultural differences. Many conflicts can be related to unclear chains of command. Some conflicts are related to tone and register. They tend to occur more often in telephone communication than in face-to-face communication. When using the telephone, many people are not cautious in monitoring their tone and often express irritation in their voice while they would normally try to conceal when speaking face to face.

Thus, we try to determine conflict areas:

1. misunderstood speech;

2. wrong register or tone;

3. inappropriate style or attitude;

4. ambiguous or conflicting domain.

According to anthropologist Edward Hall, within every culture there are at least three levels of interaction and communication. These are the technical, the formal and the informal levels. On the technical level, conflicts can be resolved pretty much by the book or by checking with the proper authority.

Rules of behavior on the formal and informal levels are arbitrary and differ from culture to culture, but there is one basic difference between informal and formal rules: the first ones are often unconscious.

So, to handle conflicts we should keep some tips:

1. identify and clarify the specific problem;

2. consider relationships of involved persons;

3. think before speaking or having reaction;

4. allow all the involved persons to explain how they see the problem;

5. discuss the issue, but do not attack the person;

6. if you can not resolve the problem, try to manage it.

And, surely, consider the national peculiarities of your interlocutor.

We can have business conversation during the meeting or making different kinds of reports, going to the business trips or communicating with your partner or colleague.

Meeting

To speak at the meeting or to hold a meeting requires some skills. Meetings are effective when:

1. All participants were informed in advance of the time, place and probable length of the meeting.

2. A written agenda is useful if there are several points to be discussed. The agenda should clearly state the purpose of the meeting.

3. Time, limits for the meeting should be set up in advance. The meeting should start and end at the scheduled time.

4. It should be an honest, open exchange of ideas. Participants should speak out their opinions avoiding conflict situations.

Meetings come in all shapes and sizes, of course. Here are some types:

• chat (informal discussion) with colleagues at the coffee machine;

• brainstorming among colleagues: where as many ideas as possible are produced quickly, to be evaluated later;

• project meeting/ team meeting of employees involved in a particular activity;

• department meeting;

• meeting with suppliers, for example to negotiate prices for an order;

• meeting with a customer, for example to discuss a contract;

• board meeting: an official, formal meeting of a company’s directors;

• annual general meeting: where shareholders discuss the company’s annual report;

• extraordinary general meeting: a shareholders’ meeting to discuss an important issue such as a proposed merger.

Reporting

This kind of business speech is usually represented in two forms: oral and written. So we can speak that reporting is equally a kind of communication (monologue) and a kind of correspondence.

Very often you have to describe the trends either in your reports or articles. To illustrate their conclusions people use tables and graphs. They organize information in easily understandable form.

In your report you must point out the time period, the purpose, the key issue, the actions taken, the actions scheduled, request or recommendations.

Modifying words are often used in trends descriptions. They can be classified in the following ways:

Size	Speed	Impact
substantially	rapidly	remarkably
considerably	fast	dramatically
moderately	gradually	significantly
slightly	steadily	noticeably
modestly	slowly	markedly

Modifying words always precede adjectives, for example:

pretty stable, fairly constant, quite stagnant.

Business trip

Usually business trip involves and inquires different documentation for the ticket on the plane or train, for the hotel room, communication with co-workers or local inhabitants. And here we should speak about different ways of communication at whole. During oral communication the rules of speech etiquette are the same certainly.

If you ask some information you surely use such phrases as ‘Could you tell me (explain me)?’, ‘Do you happen to know?’. And if you seek information about travel, hotels etc. of the city you are going to visit, book a flight or reserve a room at a hotel ask politely.

In addition people usually communicate with the help of the notices and warnings. If you are in a foreign country you should know them.

Business conversation itself is an oral speech contact between people connected with business relations. It serves for solving business problems and establishing business cooperation. Competence, benevolence, tactfulness, striving for solving the problem quickly and effectively are the necessary provisions. As a rule, business conversations are planned beforehand.

• The key moments (issues) of conversation are marked.

• The questions to interlocutor are thought over.

• The possible results are defined.

• Order of business is established.

• Time and place of conversation are agreed.

First of all, try to dispose your interlocutor, create the positive mood. Have a habit to look into the eyes, but not too insistently, otherwise the person will feel uncomfortably. Your face expression, gestures, voice tone should express politeness at the meeting, interest at the listening to, courtesy at the opinion exchange and discussion, sympathy and tact during the criticism and comments.

The general tone of conversation should be neutral, but some emotions are quite suitable.

Don’t distract your attention on phone calls or other affairs. Try not to interrupt your interlocutor. When it is necessary you should apologize and explain the reason.

Keep self-possession and benevolence during the conversation. Don’t criticize your interlocutor’s opinion sharply. But if you argue, then argue the subject, not the personality.

In your conversation don’t touch questions you have vague idea about. Don’t boast your knowledge, talent, abilities or your acquaintances with famous people. You should be able both to speak and to listen to well. Finally, you sum up and thank your interlocutor.