Особенности деловой переписки на английском языке

Данный курс предназначен для изучения особенностей деловой переписки на английском языке. Курс рассчитан на следующие уровни владения английским языком — Промежуточный (Intermediate), Высший промежуточный (Upper-Intermediate), Продвинутый (Advanced). Проводится исключительно на английском языке.

Introduction (Введение)

In this country Business English has become an object of profound and sustained study just recently. Moreover, only several works put a comparatively solid emphasis on practical applications of the above mentioned studies. However, the reality, the rapid growth of market economy and its influences on our lives provides for the great interest in business-related topics both in Russian and in English. Frequently people from various walks of life require some valid source of information to get a better idea of the English used for business purposes, and especially in written communication. The ability to use English both in everyday life and in job-related contexts has become an absolute must for contemporary specialists aiming at an adequate level of proficiency and thus becoming successful. Moreover, the contemporary economy development makes it possible to estimate the need for qualified specialists able to work anywhere in the world. It is especially indispensable for professional linguists who by way of their occupation are faced by the problem of adequate interpretation of business terms.

The aim of the “Business English” course is to develop the systematic knowledge of basic issues of Business English as a means of global communication, to form general understanding of key business terminology, to teach students to adequately interpret certain features of cultural behaviour in business-related contexts. The educative aim of the course is to develop sociocultural competence and cross-cultural tolerance in students. On completion of the course students are also supposed to be able to use computer-based technologies in business-related contexts (writing business e-mails, using online and offline electronic dictionaries and glossaries). The innovativeness of the course also reveals itself in the complex approach to Business English as an interplay of various registers.

The book is concentrated on the peculiarities of business correspondence in English. Many people find business writing to be a challenge. It can be motivated by the fact that business writing requires making decisions about a startling number of factors, consciously or unconsciously. For routine messages it is often not a problem if one makes those decisions unconsciously. For more complex messages, however, it can become an overwhelming problem.

That’s why in this course the emphasis is put on the following problems:

1) The English language as a means of business communication.

2) Business English vocabulary.

3) The peculiarities of business correspondence in English.

Most of the contents of this book is based on Professor T. Nazarova’s works. The Appendix contains additional phrases for business letter writing with English-Russian translations, and business letter samples to be analyzed during practical classes or individual studies. There is also a list of business-related culture-specific and background British English/American English vocabulary.

Unit 1. The English language as a means of business communication

§1. The English language as a means of business communication

Exercises

Exercise 1. Answer the following questions:

What is communication?
Why is good communication an important skill in business?
What directions of communication flows do they distinguish?
What kind of direction(s) do modern communication systems stress?
What is Anglosphere? What factors contributed to its emergence?
What is the probable perspective of English as a global language according to David Crystal?
Why do we speak of English as a global means of communication?
What do we understand by Business English?
What is a register? What registers of Business English are there? Enumerate them and provide their Russian equivalents.
What does the following definition of Business English emphasize: “Business English comprises a set of oral and written communication skills used for business purposes”?

Exercise 2. Find in the text of Chapter 1 the terms to match the following definitions:

a) a concept of a group of anglophone nations which share historical, political, and cultural characteristics;

b) the activity of making, buying, selling or supplying things for money;

c) a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior;

d) a set of oral and written communication skills used for business purposes;

e) different functional uses.

Unit 2. Business English vocabulary

Exercises

Exercise 1.

Single out General English words, formal vocabulary and General Business English terms. Explain your choice.

====================	================================================
absenteeism	the practice of employees staying away from work
accentuate	to emphasise, highlight
accept	to take, agree to receive
accountant	a person specialised in keeping and analysing business accounts
achieve	to reach ( a goal, target, etc.)
actual	real
adapt	to make the necessary change for a new situation
advantage	something useful, good
advisory	having the power to advise, recommend
after sales	following the sale
agenda	order of business at a meeting
aggressive	attacking, strong
alarming	very worrying
alertness	being awake and watchful
allocate	to give an employee a clear task, responsibility
allowance	an amount of money allowed for certain expenses
ambition	a strong desire to do something or to succeed
analytical	able to analyse, see clearly

Exercise 2.

Complete each sentence by using a word from the list given below. At the end of each sentence write its less formal equivalent. Make sure you use the correct form of the verb:

============	============	============
anticipate	facilitate	require
comprehend	perceive	terminate
elapse	purchase	undertake

He went into the jewellery shop to ... a brooch for his wife. (...)
After talking to staff we can ... a need for a more efficient method of communicating decisions to the workforce. (...)
A week ... before he contacted them again. (...)
Things should be easier now. The law they passed should ... the setting up of small businesses. (...)
We shall... more funding if this scheme is to succeed. (...)
If deliveries do not improve, we shall be obliged to ... the contract. (...)
We do not... any problems at this stage. (...)
They have ... to repay the money by the end of the month. (...)
We feel that the Directors have completely failed to... how unsuitable the site is. (...)

Unit 3. The peculiarities of business correspondence in English

Appendix

References

Bennett James C. Orphans of the Anglosphere? Albion's Seedlings, November 21, 2005.
Bennett James C. The Anglosphere Primer: part 1, 24 July, 2003.
Business Reports in English. — Cambridge University Press, 1984.
Cambridge International Dictionary of English. – Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Flower J. Build Your Business Vocabulary. Language Teaching Publications, 1995.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. – Third edition. – Longman Dictionaries, 1995.
Maggio R. How to Say it: choice words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs for every situation. – Prentice Hall, 1990.
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English. 5th edition. Oxford University Press, 1995
Senour, Adam. Management Information.
The Dictionary of General Business English Terminology. AST/Astrel, 2002
The illustrative phraseology in a business dictionary AST/Astrel 2002
The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Wright, Jon. Idioms Organiser. Language Teaching Publications, 1999.
Yee, Danny. A book review, 1997.

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