Unit 1 Face to face 1.1 Around the world Vocabulary Each of these sentences has a nationality word missing. Choose a word from the box. (The first one is done for you as an example.) 1. If he comes from Cairo, he must be Egyptian... 2. If she lives in Paris, she must be 3. If they live in Brussels, my guess is that they're 4. If he lives in Warsaw, I expect he's 5. If she comes from Rome, she's , I suppose. 6. He works in Tokyo, so I think he's . 7. As she's from Budapest, I presume she's 8. If he comes from Toronto, he probably speaks 9. If they live in Sao Paulo, they're probably 10. As they live in Athens, I think they're 11. He lives in Beijing, so presumably he's 12. Her home town is Amsterdam, so I guess she's 13. Their head office is in Madrid: they are a firm. 14. If they work in Kuala Lumpur, I expect they're 15. He has a house in Istanbul, so he must be 16. If they are from Edinburgh and Cardiff, they're both 1.2 Go along and get along Reading Read this article and then answer the questions that follow: Go along and get along The Japan Society’s crash course on how to bridge the chasm between Japanese and American managers forces participants to examine their own cultural assumptions, as well to learn about the other side. Behavior which Americans consider trustworthy is often precisely that which Japanese associate with shifty characters -- and vice versa. To Americans, people who pause before replying to a question are probably dissembling. They expect a trustworthy person to respond directly. The Japanese distrust such fluency. They are impressed by somebody who gives careful thought to a question before making a reply. Most Japanese are comfortable with periods of silence. Americans find silence awkward and like to plug any conversational gaps. The cherished American characteristics of frankness and openness are also misunderstood. The Japanese think it is sensible, as well as polite, for a person to be discreet until he is sure that a business acquaintance will keep sensitive information confidential. An American who boasts “I’m my own man” can expect to find his Japanese hosts anxiously counting the chopsticks after a business lunch. As the Japanese see it, individualists are anti-social. Team players are sound.   Decide whether these statements are true(×) or false(√), according to the article. 1. American managers learn about the cultural assumptions of the Japanese. 2. In the eyes of Americans people who hesitate have something to hide. 3. The Japanese are impressed by careful replies. 4. Periods of silence bother the Japanese. 5. Americans are embarrassed by conversations that stop. 6. The Japanese are in favor of working in teams. 1.3 Have you met …? Function & speaking A. Welcome to Meridian International! Use the Workbook recording for this exercise. You're going to play the role of CHRIS STEINER. Imagine that you've just joined Meridian International and you'll be introduced to various people in the firm. Reply to each person when you hear the beep sound. Look at this example and listen to the recording. Your role is printed in bold type. Ted: Well, Jean, I'd like you to meet Chris Steiner. Chris, this is Jean Leroi, he's our export manager. Mr Leroi: How do you do. beep YOU: How do you do, Mr Leroi. Mr Leroi: Nice to meet you, Chris. How are you? beep YOU: I'm fine, thanks. It's nice to meet you too. You may need to PAUSE THE RECORDING to give yourself enough time to think before you speak. B. What would you say? What would you say in these situations? Write down the exact words you’d use. The first is done for you as an example. 1 The customer services manager, Mrs. Hanson, doesn't know Linda Morris, the new export clerk. Mrs Hanson, I’d like you to meet Linda Morris. She’s our new export clerk. 2 Your boss says to you, ‘This is Tony Watson. He's visiting us from Canada.’ __________ 3 Tony Watson says, ‘Hi. I think you know one of my colleagues: Ann Scott.’ 4 You've been introduced to someone by name, but later in the conversation you can't remember the person’s name. 5 You enter an office full of strangers one morning. Someone asks if they can help you. 6 A visitor arrives after traveling a long distance to see you. 7 Your visitor looks thirsty. 8 It's time for you to leave. You look at your watch and realize that it's later than you thought. 1.4 Do it my way Read this article and then answer the question below. Management in America Do it my way NEW YORK Cultural differences between Japanese and American managers have presented the biggest obstacles to Japanese companies investing in America. A seminar for Japanese executives working in America was attended by 25 men; nearly all of them in identical dark suits. Despite the room's stifling heating system, they resolutely refused to remove their jackets. Their coffee break lasted exactly the scheduled ten minutes. They did not ask any questions until after they had got to know one another a bit better at lunch. They were usually deferential and always polite. A similar seminar for 25 Americans working for Japanese subsidiaries in America included eight women. Several of the men removed their jackets on entering the room. A ten-minute coffee break stretched beyond 20 minutes. Participants asked questions and several aggressively contradicted what the speakers had to say. According to Mr. Thomas Lifson of Harvard and Mr. Yoshihiro Tsurumi of New York's Baruch College - the two main speakers at both seminars--misunderstandings between Japanese and American managers are possible at nearly every encounter. They can begin at the first recruiting interview. A big American company typically hires people to-fill particular slots: Its bosses know that Americans are mobile people, who have a limited commitment to any, particular employer or part of the country. As a result, jobs are clearly defined and so are the skills needed to fill them. American firms hire and fire almost at will. The assumptions (and the expectations) of the Japanese managers of Japanese subsidiaries in America could hardly be more different. They hire people more for the skills they will acquire after joining the company than for their existing skills. American managers rely heavily on number-packed memoranda and the like. The Japanese colleagues prefer informal consultations which lead eventually to a consensus. According to Mr Tsurumi, they find comical the sight of American managers in adjacent offices exchanging memos. Confronted with a dispute between middle managers, most Japanese superiors refuse to become involved, expecting the managers themselves to resolve the issue. The Americans conclude, wrongly, that their Japanese bosses are indecisive or incompetent. Japanese managers do not share the American belief that conflict is inevitable, and sometimes healthy. They want to believe that employees form one big happy family.   Decide whether these statements are true or false according to the article. 1 This article is about American companies in Japan. ( ) 2 At one seminar the Japanese removed their jackets when they got hot. ( ) 3 The Japanese did not ask questions until after lunch. ( ) 4 At another seminar, some of the Americans were not polite to the speakers. ( ) S Americans and Japanese are likely to misunderstand each other in any situation. ( ) 6 American employees are very loyal to their companies. ( ) 7 Japanese companies are likely to recruit less experienced employees. ( ) 8 The Japanese rely less on meetings than the Americans. ( ) 9 Japanese managers send more memos than their American counterparts. ( ) 10 Japanese managers solve problems without involving their boss. ( ) References 1.1 Around the world 2 French 3 Belgian 4 polish 5 Italian 6 Japanese 7 Hungarian 8 English British 9 Brazilian 10 Greek 11 Chinese 12 Dutch 13 Spanish 14 Malaysian 15 Turkish 1.2 Go along and get along True: 2 3 5 6 False: 1 4 1.3 Have you met …? B. Suggested answers – many variations are possible. 2. Hello, Tony. Nice to meet you. 3. That's right, yes, we once worked together in… 4. I'm terribly sorry, I've forgotten your name. 5. Yes, good morning, my name's…I've got an appointment with… 6. Did you have a good journey? It's very nice of you to come all this way. 7. Would you like a coffee? or Would you like something to drink? 8. Good heavens, is that the time? I didn't realize it was so late. I really must be going now. 1.4 Do it my way True: 3 4 5 7 10 False: 1 2 6 8 9