Business communication 2 - writing an e-mail

i E-mails can have a formal business style or a very informal style, similar to spoken English.

 

ii This formal e-mail is similar to a standard business letter, but usually it is shorter.

The e-mail should begin with Dear… and finish with Best wishes or Best regards. You use this style if you are writing to somebody outside the company or somebody you do not know well.

 

 

 

 

iii This informal e-mail is for people you know well inside or outside the company.

 

The e-mail often begins with Hi or Hello and finishes Regards or CU (See you).

 

Other short forms are:

TX = thanks

RUOK = Are you OK?

FYI = for our information

 

A You are at an international trade fair in another country. You write an e-mail about the fair to a colleague in your office. Complete the e-mail with items from the box.

 

a sales manager business is company sells do business is a great city is from Altheim

 

Hi!

The Cyberfair is very exciting, and Frankfurt …………..¹ .

There are interesting people from all over the world here at the fair.

Andreas Wallner …………….² in Austria. He’s ……………….. ^4.

His ……………..⁴ furniture for hi-tech offices, and he says ……………….. ⁵ good at the moment.

I think Mr Wallner is a very good business contact. I’m sure we can ……………… ⁶ with him.

Bye for now,

Max.

 

B Imagine that you work for the IFC from Exercise 6 Case Study “Independent Film Company”(IFC). Write an e-mail to the Human Resources team. Tell them:

· what you like about your job

· what you don’t like

· what you want

 

 

MODULE 4

BUSINESS TRIPS

TEXT A

1 Study this vocabulary and definitions and think of Russian equivalents:

a single / return ticket – one-way / round – trip ticket

to book a flight – to reserve an air ticket

jet lag – the tired and confused feeling that you can get after flying a very long distance, especially because of the difference in time between the place you left and the place you arrived at

culture gap – culture difference

luggage – he cases, bags etc that you carry when you are travelling

to pack a suitcase – to put things into a suitcase

to catch the train – to get on the train in order to travel somewhere

to miss the train – to arrive too late to catch it

to depart – to leave

to be delayed – to be late

to take off – to leave the ground

to check in – to register at an airport

security checks – the measures that are taken to protect a place (to go through security checks)

customs officer – officials responsible for collecting taxes on goods coming into a country and preventing illegal goods from being brought in

flight attendant – a steward or stewardess

announcer – a person who makes the announcements

duty – free goods – goods that are sold at airports or on planes or ships at a cheaper price than usual because you do not have to pay import tax on them

to fasten a seatbelt – to close a strap attached to a seat in a car or an aircraft

to confirm a reservation – to say that the reservation is definite

reception – the desk or office that books rooms for people and answers their questions

2 When you travel, which of the following do you like or not like? Make up sentences as in the example.

e.g. I love meeting new people.	I don’t like flying.
I like eating new food.	I hate checking in.
I don’t mind packing.

 

checking in waiting for luggage going through security checks speaking a foreign language packing suitcases

being away from home traveling to the airport / station meeting new people flying eating new food

 

3 Match the extract with the place where travelers can hear or say these things. Try to identify the speaker:

C= Customs officer, P=Pilot, A=Announcer, T=Traveller, F=Flight attendant, G=Guest)

e.g. _C _ Have you got any duty-free goods? Please open your suitcase. _ b)_	a) in taxi
_____This is your pilot speaking. We are now flying at 30,000 feet. _____	b) at an airport
_____Passengers for flight GA 642 to Rome, please go to gate 26. _____	c) at a railway station
_____The Hotel Excelsior, please. _____	d) at a hotel
_____A single ticket to the city centre, please. _____	e) on a plane
_____Please fasten your seatbelts and switch off any electronic devices. _____
_____The next train leaves from platform 8. _____
_____Can I have an alarm call at 6 a/m/ tomorrow, please? _____

Listen to the extracts and repeat.

 

4 Say these flight details. Then listen and check.

1 Flight BA 427	5 You fly from terminal 3.
2 Flight LH 265	6 The 4.40 flight to Frankfurt is now boarding.
3 Flight UA 491	7 You are in row 35, seat E.
4 The plane leaves from gate 38.	8 The plane arrives at 12.10.

5 People often do these things when they travel. Match the verbs (1-10) with the correct phrases (a-e).

1 buy	a) security	6 watch	a) hotel room
2 confirm	b) a ticket	7 take	b) some shopping
3 collect	c) at the check-in	8 book	c) at the hotel
4 go through	d) their flight	9 do	d) an in-flight movie
5 queue	e) their luggage	10 check in	e) a bus or taxi

 

6 Complete the sentences below with the words from the box.

luggage flight next gate bill seat leave single reservation duty

At the ticket office

1 Is there a direct ………….. to Prague?

2 A …………. ticket to the city centre, please.

At the airport

3 Passengers for flight BA 247 to Sao Paulo, please go to …….. 71.

4 Have you got any ……..- free goods?

At the check-in desk

5 Can I take this as hand …………………..?

6 Would you like an aisle or window………………….?

At the railway station

7 Which platform does the train to Warsaw ………….. from?

8 What time is the …………. train to Paris?

At the hotel

9 I have a …………… for two nights. My name’s Burkhard.

10 I’m checking out today. Can I have the …………, please?

7 Listen to Colin Knapp talking about traveling to the Far East and take notes to answer the questions:

1 How often does Colin travel on business?

2 Which country does he visit regularly?

3 How long is the flight?

4 What two things does he do during the flight?

5 Does he suffer from jet lag?

6 Is jet lag different traveling west-east and east-west?

7 Why does he travel to the to the Far East instead of doing business by telephone or fax?

8 What example of a culture gap does he give?

9 What three tips does he give for visiting this country for the first time?

 

8 Listen again and read the interview with Colin Knapp. Check your answers.

Int=Interviewer CK=Colin Knapp

Int:	Colin, do you travel on business very often?
CK:	I travel to Thailand about two to three times per year.
Int:	And how long is the flight from England to Thailand?
CK:	The flight is about twelve hours.
Int:	Uh, huh. Do you enjoy that long flight?
CK:	It is OK as long as I take plenty of reading, and they normally have three to four films.
Int:	And do you watch all the films?
CK:	I watch all of the films because I find it very difficult to sleep on a plane.
Int:	OK. Do you suffer from jet lag after the flight?
CK:	Well, I suffer jet lag, in Thailand it lasts for about one day.
Int:	Uh, hu, and when you return to England?
CK:	It is worse, for some reason, and is about three days.
Int:	So traveling back to England is less pleasant?
CK:	It is less pleasant, but that apparently* is quite common.
Int:	OK. And what’s the reason for your visits to Thailand?
CK:	It’s to teach and to do some business with the University.
Int:	Why do you travel to Thailand to do business? Why can’t you do that by telephone or fax?
CK:	Because our discussions are quite complex and it is too complex for telephone and fax.
Int:	OK. When you visit Thailand do you experience** a culture gap?
CK:	There is a culture gap, yes.
Int:	Can you give me any examples of that?
CK:	They are very polite people, and so there are times when you may think they agree with you, but they say “yes” because they think it is polite.
Int:	OK. So the way people communicate is different?
CK:	They communicate in a different way, yes.
Int:	OK. And so can you give people visiting Thailand any tips, for their visit?
CK:	Well, always try to be polite, and be respectful, and on first meeting try not to look the person in the eye too often.

apparently*- очевидно, несомненно

to experience**- испытать, переживать

9 Discuss the questions:

• Do you like or dislike flying? Why?
• Do you sleep on a plane or do you prefer to read? Do you always watch the in-flight film?
• What do you know about jet lag?
• What are the advantages of face-to-face meetings compared to doing business by telephone, fax or computer?

 

GRAMMAR FOCUS 1 – some/any; countable and uncountable nouns

i Countable [C] nouns include individual things, people and places and have a plural.