Business English should help cultural interaction<\/p>\n
Simon Marcus Gower, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Everyday it seems that we are reminded that we live in the age
\nof globalization and there is undeniably much truth to this. If
\nthe economy of the United States of America so much as sneezes,
\neconomies around the world may well go down with the flu and
\nweaken. It is, then, in this climate of integration and shrinking
\nof the world that business must be done and it is generally
\naccepted that the language of business is English.<\/p>\n
Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that professionals
\nin Indonesia, out of necessity, must be equipped with the
\nbusiness tool of the English language in order to survive and
\nhopefully succeed in the business world of the twenty-first
\ncentury. It is clear that businesses generally are investing in
\ntheir human resources by incorporating Business English programs
\ninto their training roster. Only the most shortsighted would not
\nbe so engaged and considerate of their staffing needs.<\/p>\n
But for Business English programs to be really successful
\nthere ought to be a cultural component within them. There ought
\nto be the opportunity for learners of Business English to gain
\nunderstanding and appreciation of cultural subtleties that will
\nmake their ability to succeed communicatively much greater.<\/p>\n
Typically Business English programs examine typical business
\nscenarios and consider appropriate expressions and vocabulary for
\neach. Consequently learners will look at the likes of -- formal
\nmeetings, answering telephone calls, taking messages, making
\nappointments, memos and letters. In addition they may consider
\ndealing with interviews, informal discussions, social
\nconversations, and teamwork in problem solving.<\/p>\n
In scenarios such as these common phrases and expressions are
\npresented, practiced and hopefully learnt. But there is always a
\ndanger that learning of this kind lacks vitality, lacks reality
\nand a natural responsiveness in the act of communication that
\nleaves the learners unnecessarily thoughtless or even misled.<\/p>\n
Business English learners are more mature and sophisticated
\nand they need to be, and should be, led to be more adept at
\nhandling more challenging concepts in the language.<\/p>\n
Indeed, the need to rise to the advanced levels of these
\nchallenges is critical if learners are to be effective
\ncommunicators in the business world. One of these challenges is
\nthe appreciation of the idiomatic nature of the language that can
\ncreate idiosyncrasies that no depth of grammatical knowledge or
\npractice of typical expressions within typical business scenarios
\nwill ever account for.<\/p>\n
Take this example of a successful Indonesian businessman's
\nexperiences. In his late thirties, this entrepreneur had gained
\ncompetence in the language and had attended no less than three
\nEnglish for Business courses but still admitted to being
\nmystified having attended a meeting with American counterparts.
\nHe noted that \"there were times when I could not really
\nunderstand them and their expressions were sometimes funny to
\nme\".<\/p>\n
What were these \"funny expressions\"? Well they seemed to
\nconcern the nose and throat and yet were used in the context of
\nbusiness prospects. First, he reported -- seemingly enjoying
\nhimself, that the speaker told of clients not being able to \"turn
\ntheir noses up at these proposals\", and went on to claim that
\nmore investment would have to be \"coughed up to support the plan\"
\nand concluded that the kinds of profits that could be secured
\nwere \"not to be sneezed at by anybody\".<\/p>\n
The Indonesian businessman that found these expressions funny
\ncould clearly figure out their meaning and it is quite likely
\nthat he himself was just having some fun in looking at these
\nexpressions. But it is a common experience for native speakers to
\noften use the language in an idiomatic way and appreciation of
\nthis can be very helpful.<\/p>\n
Similarly, cultural differences and not being aware of them
\ncan undermine the degree to which successful communication and
\ninteraction takes place. Such considerations are, then, useful in
\nadvancing Business English learners. For example -- one
\nIndonesian businessman found himself almost overwhelmed by the
\nmanner in which subordinates would consistently challenge,
\nquestion and even strongly disagree with their bosses. The
\nstrength of their expressions was not something that he had
\nlearnt or expected. His learning, rightly so, had always
\nemphasized politeness, so for him to sometimes see quite heated
\nexchanges was something new and even odd.<\/p>\n
Alternatively looking at cultural differences that English
\nspeakers notice of Indonesians can be useful for Business English
\nlearners. For example -- personal space -- English-speaking
\nbusinesspeople consistently note that they feel that their
\npersonal space is being impinged upon when they talk with
\nIndonesian people. This may be a peculiarly \"English-speaker\"
\ntrait but it is still worthy of note for Indonesian
\nbusinesspeople.<\/p>\n
Similarly worthy of note is the usefulness of developing
\nskills in interpreting true meaning -- or the ability to \"read
\nbetween the lines\" to determine true intent. The English essayist
\nOliver Goldsmith once noted that \"it is usually said by
\ngrammarians, that the use of language is to express our wants and
\ndesires; but men who know the world hold, with some show of
\nreason, that he who knows best how to keep his necessities
\nprivate, is the most likely person to have them redressed; and
\nthat the true use of speech is not so much to express our wants
\nas to conceal them.\"<\/p>\n
These ideas may be particularly true in the hardnosed trading
\nof the business world and thus learners of English for business
\npurposes would benefit from learning about interpretation and
\nfilling in the gaps \"between the lines\" to elicit true meanings.
\nIn this regard there may be little or no substitute for
\nexperience but often English speakers' deference towards
\npoliteness conceals true meaning or intent and learners can learn
\nof this and recognize it.<\/p>\n
Business English courses in Indonesia should not be allowed to
\ndescend into little more than artificial role-playing or games.
\nBy maintaining realism and sophistication in appreciating the
\nreal use of English now and the cultural contexts that shape
\nEnglish, learners may gain useful experience and important
\ninsights that will allow them to more quickly develop into
\nproficient and efficient communicators. In our age of swift
\nchanges and developments, proficiency and efficiency in the
\ncommunication and use of information will be ever increasingly
\ncritical to business success.<\/p>\n
The writer is Executive Principal of the High\/Scope Indonesia
\nSchool. The opinions expressed above are personal.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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