跨文化商务交际Chapter_2_verbal_communication

跨文化商务交际

Chapter 2Communication between cultures: verbal communication

跨文化商务交际

Contents 2.1 Verbal communication Language and culture Semantics in intercultural communication (语义学与跨文化交际) Pragmatics in intercultural communication (语用学与跨文化交际)

2.2 Oral communication Oral presentation (演讲) Telephone calls

2.3 Written communication Business letters (商务信函) Business memos(商务便函) Business report (商务报告)

跨文化商务交际

IntroductionDifference between“语言”和“言语”:Saussure refers “langue” to the abstract linguistic system shared by all the members of a speech community and “parole” to the actual or actualized language, or the realization of langue. Language can be regarded as a system including vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation of a particular community.

语言 是由声音和意义结合而成的符号体系，比如：汉语、英语、法语等。任何一种语言都是由语音、词汇和语法等组成的一个完整 的符号体系。-- langue 言语 是指人们对语言的运用，指人们在运用语言的过程中说的话和 书写的文字。(语言的实际运用)-parole

跨文化商务交际

Difference between langue & paroleLangue is abstract, parole specific to the speaking situation; langue not actually spoken by an inpidual, parole always a naturally occurring event; langue relatively stable and systematic, parole is a mass of confused facts, thus not suitable for systematic investigation. e.g. I love you. (in different situations)

跨文化商务交际

2.1 Verbal communicationTraditionally, verbal means spoken, as opposite towritten, but ★here verbal communication includes spoken as well as written form. Verbal communication refers to the communication that is carried out either in oral or in written form with the use of words. Verbal communication is the transferring of thoughts between inpiduals via spoken or written messages.

跨文化商务交际

Three attributes of verbal communication Verbal communication can express all kinds of

ideas we want to express. Verbal communication can keep and

disseminate information.E-mailing is one of the most efficient and economic ways for business communication.

Verbal communication can be clearer and

more efficient than other ways.

跨文化商务交际

2.1.1 Language and cultureIntroduction

In verbal communication, cultural factors need to be considered. A word may have rich culturallycreated connotative meanings in one language, while it is seldom used with the same meaning in another, e.g. dog , green … they have different meanings in Chinese and English. So, if we want to communicate successfully, cultural literacy is necessary. In the following, four cases will be provided:

跨文化商务交际

CASE STUDYCASE ONE

An American magazine editor was hosting a group of Chinese when one of them said, “Please explain what is a turkey.” The editor launched into a lengthy explanation of the ungainly (笨拙的，不雅的) American bir

d that has become the centerpiece at American Thanksgiving tables. Then, of course, he had to explain about the American holiday, Thanksgiving. The Chinese waited patiently and then replied, “well, I still do not understand what is meant when you Americans say “come on, you turkey, let’s get moving.”

跨文化商务交际

Analysis

Here turkey, as the American explained, is a

large North American bird. But it can also refer to a person considered inept (不适当的, 无能的, 不称 职的) or undesirable. As 火鸡 in Chinese has no such association, it makes difficult for the Chinese to understand the real meaning of the word used in the last sentence.

跨文化商务交际

CASE STUDYCASE TWO In the United States, Bomb means that something is a massive failure, e.g. “The project was a bomb.” But in Britain if you said, “The project went a bomb.” you would be saying it was a huge success.

跨文化商务交际

CASE STUDYCASE THREE An American agriculturist, while visiting northern China, carried with green caps bearing his company’s logo and passed them out to helpful Chinese. Not knowing the connotation of “green hat” in Chinese culture, which implies one’s wife has an affair with another man, he was puzzled to see no one put on the cap he gave.

跨文化商务交际

CASE STUDYCASE FOURA number of years ago a leading U.S. golf ball manufacturer targeted Japan as an important new market for its product. However, sales of the company’s golf balls were below average. As it turned out, the firm had offered its product in white packaging –a color often associated with mourning. To make matters worse, it had packaged the balls in groups of four –the number signifying death in Japan. --Source: Katherine, Glover “Do’s and Taboos: Cultural Aspects of International Business”

跨文化商务交际

The relationship between language and culture

1.The influence of culture on language Language as a reflection of theenvironment

语言反映人们生活的自然环境

Language as a reflection of values 语言反映一个民族的文化价值观

跨文化商务交际

Language as a reflection of the environment 语言反映人们生活的自然环境 Words sometimes have different connotational meanings because of the different geographical environment. For instance, the English word “zephyr” (the west wind) reflects the specific culture of UK. To British people the west wind is warm and gentle, because UK is on the brink of the Atlantic and the wind blows from the ocean. In the famous poem “Ode to the West Wind”, Shelly, a brilliant poet of Britain eulogizes the warm and gentle wind. However, in the eyes of Chinese people, what the west wind brings them is not warmth but frigidity. There is a saying in China, “it’s the east wind that brings warmth.” Therefore, the trucks produced in China No.2 Automob …… 此处隐藏：4876字，全部文档内容请下载后查看。喜欢就下载吧 ……