Transcript Bud’mo or Let Us Be: Cultural Matters in the Business

Bud’mo or Let Us Be:
Cultural Matters in the
Business English
Classroom
Igor Gizhko
Donetsk National University of
Economics and Trade
What is Culture ?
 Culture is complex and comprises different
aspects such as national, professional,
organizational and personal cultures.
 The notion of culture is not in the fact what
one can easily see, but what lies underneath
(Budley-Evans T. and M.Jo St John, 1998)
Culture and Language
 An awareness of cultural differences and an
understanding of our own and other’s values
and behaviour is important in teaching
Business English.
 Language and culture cannot be
separated.
Current Сhallenges of Teaching BE
 Under new political and economic conditions,
today’s Ukrainian university graduates may
have a chance for international job
opportunities.
 University education should emphasize
international aspects, language and culture
competence, the development of social and
communicative skills.
Current Challenges of Teaching BE
 The goal of language education is not to learn
the target language code only, but to develop
cross-cultural perception of similarities and
differences.
 Cultural strategies are an integral part of
business communication and business
transactions.
The National ESP Curriculum
(Ukraine)
The National ESP Curriculum is realised
through the set of aims:
 practical
 educational
 cognitive
 developmental
 social
 socio-cultural
The National ESP Curriculum
(Ukraine)
Socio-cultural competence –
as an integral part of the ESP Curriculum –
aims at developing understanding and
interpreting different aspects of culture and
language behaviour in the world of work.
It encourages the development of the skills
involved in appropriate behaviour and
responses to different cultural and
professional situations.
By the end of the ESP course
students will be able to:
 Understand how core values, beliefs and
behaviour in Ukrainian academic or
professional environment (international,
national, institutional).
 Understand different corporate cultures
within specific professional contexts and how
they relate to each other.
 Behave and react appropriately in common
social, academic and professional situations in
everyday life.
Project Idea
In cross-cultural training and living,
the goal is
learning about yourself and others.
Just as you want to learn another language
so that you can communicate with local
people and understand the new world
around you,
you also will want to learn the silent language
of cultures —
your own and your host country’s.
Project Introduction
 Donetsk National University of Economics
and Trade, Ukraine
 12 students, Year 2
 Field of study: International Economics
 The Internet, business newspapers and
journals, local and foreign business people
in Donetsk (interviews)
 EURO 2012 (in Ukraine and Poland)
Project Stages
 Step 1: Selecting the topic (subtopics) and
timeline
 Step 2: Information gathering (the Internet,
business media, interviews)
 Step 3: Sharing and compiling information
 Step 4: Summary writing (first draft)
 Step 5: Re-writing
 Step 6: Putting it all together
 Step 7: Making it public / Presentation
Features of Culture
 Facial expressions
 Notions of modesty
 Religious beliefs
 Food / eating habits
 Importance of time
 Concept of self
 Values
 Work ethics
 Literature
 Music
 Concept of leadership
 Dress styles
 Gestures
 Concept of personal
 Holiday customs
space
 Social etiquette
 Sports (EURO 2012)
 Nature of friendship
 Concept of beauty
Ukraine
 Ukraine is a quite large country in Eastern
Europe (about the size of Texas or France)
with a fairly large population.
 It is a Slavic country with two dominant
languages — Ukrainian and Russian — that
are spoken about equally (though only
Ukrainian is the official state language).
 Most Ukrainians today consider themselves
Christians, with major religions being
Orthodoxy and Catholicism.
Ukraine and Ukrainians
 Ukrainians love their country.
 They can criticize their government severely,
but be careful. Don't try to do the same. They
will defend their country.
 They are proud to be the citizens of the
country, which has rich history and deep
cultural roots.
Ukraine and Ukrainians
 Ukrainians seem a bit cold and reticent at first
glance. Especially in the big cities.Ukrainian
daily life is unpredictable and unstable.
 Don't be confused. Very soon you will realize
that they are very warm and friendly people.
 It is common for people to invite you to their
homes, where they will put on the table their
best food and drinks.
Meetings and Greetings in Ukraine
Ukrainian names are comprised of:
 First name, which is the person’s given name
(Igor)
 Middle name, which is a patronymic or a
version of the father’s first name formed by
adding "-vich" or "-ovich" for a male and
"-avna", "-ovna", or "ivna" for a female
(Mikhailovich)
 Last name, which is the family or surname
(Gizhko)
Ukrainian Language vs Russian
 Ukrainian is the only official language in
Ukraine.
 The majority of the population in Ukraine is
bilingual.
 Two persons in the street have a
conversation. One of them speaks Ukrainian,
while another one uses Russian. They
understand each other and get along well.
Mixing Ukrainian and Russian
 Russian is the most common first language
in the eastern and southern regions of
Ukraine (Donbass, Odessa, Crimea, etc.), as
well as in its capital Kiev.
 While educated people usually speak clean
literary Russian and/or Ukrainian, large
segments of the population speak a mixture
of the two languages.
 This mix is commonly called "Surzhyk" or
"Surzhik."
Friendship and Making
Acquaintances
 The word "friend" in Ukrainian or Russian
implies a closer relationship than in most
other European languages.
 The tendency to form informal relationships
easily is part of the national character.
 Westerners often find their emotional needs
are met better in Ukraine.
Personal Connections in Ukraine
 Ukrainians prefer arranging meetings in
person to discuss business and make joint
decisions.
 Ukrainians pay more attention to emotional
aspects of communication rather than
excluding them from business.
Business Meetings
 DO have one side of your business card
translated into Ukrainian / Russian.
 DO expect business meetings to occur during
meals, including meals at a Ukrainian's home.
 DO be patient and realize that doing business
in Ukraine can take longer than what you
might be used to.
 DO engage in small talk in the beginning of a
meeting.
Leadership Styles in Ukraine
 Foreigners from the West find somewhat
different leadership styles in Ukrainian
organizations.
 Ukrainians do not take on personal
responsibility as easily as westerners, whose
society prepares them for leadership roles
from the kindergarten up.
 After gaining a leadership position, many
Ukrainians become rather authoritarian.
Guests in Ukraine
 In Ukraine guests are given lots of attention.
 If you are someone's house guest, your hosts
will likely take you around town and show you
the sights for several days.
 Traditional Ukrainian attitudes dictate that
guests be well-fed and entertained for as long
as they stay at your home.
Bud’mo or Let Us Be
 Toasting at the dinner table is just as
important as the work achieved in the
morning negotiations.
 In Ukraine we say 'Bud’mo!‘.
 This means approximately “Let us be” or
“Shall we live forever!” .
 Na zdorov'ya (in Russian)
Gift Giving in Ukraine
 If invited to Ukrainian home, it is good to bring
flowers, a bottle of wine, chocolates.
 When giving a gift of flowers, only give in odd
numbers.
 A quality bottle of liquor or wine always
makes a good gift for someone who drinks
alcohol, unless the person lives in a region
noted for producing the product.
Project: Keeping a Journal
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To make random notes
To record the events of the day
To record a conversation
To record observations
To record impressions and reactions
To relate events and experiences
To record thoughts and emotions
To write poetry or fiction
To record realizations and conclusions
Project: Journal Entry 1
 Observation
 Description
On this side of the
journal, describe what
you saw. Anything that
strikes you as different,
funny, sad, etc. is
appropriate. Feelings,
emotions, judgments
should not be
expressed on this side.
Just stick to the facts.
 Opinion / Analysis
 Judgment
On this side of the
journal, describe your
thoughts, feelings, etc.
about the event. What
in your cultural makeup
may be affecting how
you feel? How is it
different from whatever
values may be at work
in the new culture?
Project: Journal Entry 2
What did you learn about culture that you
didn’t know before ?
What was the most important fact you
learned ?
Do you now understand something about the
local people that you didn’t before ?
Project: Journal Entry 3
You’ve had a chance to reflect on and
analyze some of the differences between
Ukrainians and host country nationals.
How has this process helped you to
understand or explain anything you’ve seen
or that has happened to you thus far in
country?
Bibliography
 Budley-Evans T. and M.Jo St John (1998)
Developments in English for Specific Purposes.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
 Bakayeva G., O.Borysenko, V.Ivanischeva,
A.Khodtseva, L.Klymenko, S.Kostrytska,
T.Kozymyrska, T.Skrypnyk, N.Todorova and
I.Zuyenok (2005) ESP National Curriculum for
Universities. Kyiv: Lenvit
 Culture Matters: The Peace Corps Cross-Cultural
Workbook. Washington DC: Peace Corps Information
Collection and Exchange
Thank you !
Danke !
Спасибо ! Дякую !
[email protected]