eng104.business communication.lecture2

Business Communication

THE IMPORTANCE OF BUSINESS

ENGLISH

“The beginning of wisdom is the definition of

terms.”

- Socrates


Business English

• pertains to the grammar and vocabulary that anyone needs to know to communicate effectively in the business world

• covers complex economics terms

THE IMPORTANCE OF BUSINESS ENGLISH


• Today, Business English focuses on teaching people how to communicate properly in the international business world

- how to conduct (and sit for) an interview,

- how to make a sales call,

- and how to recognize and use complex business related terms.


Business English vs. General English

Business English is professional, proper, and polite. It is used with our boss.

General English is conversational, more relaxed, and less articulate. It is used with your friends.


Using Business English

When you are communicating with a clientele, it is very important to:

be polite (address someone as Mr. or Mrs., Sir or Ma’am; say please, thank you, sincerely even in emails)

observe proper grammar use good vocabulary (do not

use slang or informal words)Business Communication



Advantages using professional and articulate Business English:

job opportunity advantage job permanency &

recommendation for promotion more connections or linkages



Tips to Improve Your Business English:

increase your vocabulary search for formal letter writing

techniques practice regularly (with friends)


Difference between Business English and Literary English

Business English:

used for business to run companies

practical purpose (to make money)

dealing with commercial concerns

Literary English: literary nature

used in writing books and related art

no interest for profit

more on aesthetic or idealistic concerns


Business English vs. Literary English

Business English: pertaining to

financial, accounting and economics terminologies for business

contained concise and simple sentences

Literary English: uses much

broader diction for wider range of matters

key style form is more elevated with long flowing sentences


Business English vs. Literary English

Business English: speakers’

rudiments are enough to discuss basic business ideas

rigid analysis service often utilizes numbers and statistics for a conclusion

Literary English: speakers’

advanced knowledge (at the very least) must be acquired through diligent study

rarely uses numbers, more subjective and emotional


Similarity of both languages: popular – both flourished over the

past century �global – both prominently grew

worldwide carrying on cultural and economic exchange

relationship - connect people �literacy – both must be learned,

the ability to read, write and converse using any language


The Anglo-Saxon base

• Germanic settler tribes (Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Frisians) entered Britain in AD 449 onwards and displaced the original Celtic-speaking inhabitants using the original Anglo-Saxon lexicon concerned about basic, down-to-earth matters (short & concrete) due to their nomad nature thus they were not very literate or sophisticated.

The sources of English words


The sources of English words

Grammatical words such as be, in, that while others are lexical words like sing, live, go including common names of:

parts of the body natural environment the domestic life the calendar animals common adjectives and common verbs some poetry, music, culture & heroic

components


Celtic borrowings

• (Welsh & Scottish) kept separate from the Anglo-Saxon speakers but result to weak dialectal influence such as cumb (deep valley) or loch (lake), clan, slogan, whiskey.


Scandinavian borrowings

• (Vikings) Influence on Britain can be thought of in terms of three episodes (periods 750–1016, 1016–1050 & 1050–1480) thus have a massive influence of the English languages, in both grammar and vocabulary, the same Germanic racial, cultural and linguistic stock originated from the Anglo-Saxon lexicon.


French borrowings

• (Normans) Latin was the language for record keeping, learning and the church. French was the language of the Norman aristocracy and therefore also the language of prestige, government and polite social intercourse. English was the language of the common folk and menials.


Latin borrowings

• (Romans) Latin, being the language of the Roman Empire, had already influenced the language of the Germanic tribes even before they set foot in Britain.


Greek borrowings

• (Greeks) Greek was also a language of learning, and Latin itself borrowed words from Greek. Indeed the Latin alphabet is an adaptation of the Greek alphabet.


Other borrowings

• As a result of empire and trade contacts, the lexicon of English continued to acquire terms from other languages including the following:

• American

• Australian

• Arabic

• Persian

• Japanese

• Other Asian regions


Summary

• The vocabulary of English has vastly increased in size during the last 1,500 years as language reflected historical events, social and cultural factors.


Summary

• Language contact and cultural domination has greatly influenced the word stock of English. Social and cultural changes are accordingly clearly reflected in changes in vocabulary.


Summary

• From the social point of view, more interesting than the mere addition of new words is the change in the character of English word stock, from one which can be called Germanic to one that is also partly Romance – French and Latin, which have been associated with domains of power and prestige.


Summary

• There have also been fundamental developments in the principles of word-formation (borrowing of prefixes and suffixes as well as words from French, Latin and Greek) and its social consequences

1. CONCISENESS

- Convey your message in the fewest number of words and sentences as possible is called the “brevity rule” or 20-second rule.

Making a good Business Letter


2. CLARITY

- The reader must understand your thought in no time. Precise and familiar words are always best.



3. CONSIDERATION of the reader

- Understand the needs of your reader. Write from their point of view and how they will benefit from the content of the message as some prefer personalized policy.



4. COMPLETENESS

- is presenting in the letter all the facts that the reader needs, to make a sound decision on your message.



5. CONCRETENESS

- being specific rather than vague and general information; use specific facts and figures.



6. COURTESY

- always remain respectful as you are representing the company or organization whose name is at the top of the letter.



7. COHERENCE

- means correctly arranging the content for ideas to flow logically and smoothly. Every statement must move the ideas forward.- Start with the reason of writing

- Contain information needed

- Always invite the recipient to respond

- Include important info such as contact name, number & address

- Always close with thanks



8. CORRECTNESS

- Check the accuracy of facts and figures, names and dates, and of course, spelling and grammar.



9. CREDIBILITY

- refers to the status of the communicator, whether as a person or as representative of the company.

- As a message sender, you must write information that is true and believable. The letter must sound sincere and honest, enhancing the company or organization's and your own reputation.



10. CONSISTENCY

- Uniform of tone and style within a letter reflects the writer's responsibility and reliability.

- Use only one tone (light or serious) and one style (formal or informal). A shift in tone or style can indicate a lack of consistency and reliability of the writer.



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