Social and Business Etiquette Paper 1

Abstract: Politeness is a symbol of human civilization and a pragmatic principle that cannot be ignored in international business correspondence. Etiquette in business letters not only helps improve the quality of life in the workplace, develops the best employee ethics, and establishes the company's image, but also plays an important role in generating profits. Especially in the current situation where international trade is becoming more and more intense, it is increasingly important to understand international business etiquette. In order to achieve the purpose of business cooperation, it is necessary to follow the principle of politeness and make the tone tactful. Proper wording will help both parties establish trade relations on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. However, different politeness principles in different cultures are indispensable considerations for doing good business in business letters.

Keywords: business correspondence; politeness principle; cultural differences

Abstract: Courtesy is the symbol of human civilization, and this is pragmatic principle which has to be followed in international commercial correspondence. Business etiquette is based on the theory that good manners are cost-effective because they not only increase the quality of life in the workplace, contribute to optimum employee moral, and embellish the company image, but they also play a major role in generating profit. An atmosphere in which people treat each other with consideration is obviously one in which a customer enjoys doing business. Also, most importantly, a company with a well-mannered high-class reputation attracts—and keeps—good people. In order to be contribute To establish relations with two sides on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, It must follow the politeness principle, tone and phrase your comments tactfully. Yet, different politeness principles in different cultures are indespensible for conducting successful in commercial correspondence.

Key words: Business letter; politeness principle; culture difference

1. Introduction

The 21st century is a century of increasing economic globalization, and trade exchanges between China and other countries in the world are increasing Frequently, international trade develops rapidly. But with the development of science and technology, business letters play an important role in the communication between Chinese and foreign enterprises. It is more accurate, more convincing, more economical and more efficient than oral communication (sending information to more people). Also more formal. "A good business letter can bring a completely different effect, refresh the meaning you want to express, leave a deep impression on the other party, and smooth your career path. A courteous business letter can directly affect both parties in the trade. Relationships can help companies establish a professional ethical image and promote the cooperation process between trading parties. Generally, the process of communicating with people from different cultural backgrounds is suitable for using simple and easy-to-understand vocabulary.

Different nations have different historical backgrounds, customs, customs and cultural traditions. Therefore, when writing international business letters, you must understand the national and cultural differences between your own country and foreign countries, and try to make these differences disappear during the writing process, while at the same time writing the target letter. Find the exact word with.

2. Writing principles in business letters

As an important way of international communication, business English letters must be carefully prepared when writing. Bobby D. Sorrels summarized the six C principles in the book "Business Communication Fundamentals", namely: "succinct, accurate, clear, literary, considerate and coherent." On this basis, domestic scholars have also conducted research on it. complement and improve. In 20xx, representatives such as Lu Mozhu, Yu Xueyi and Zhou Yaozong proposed the 7C principle that is generally recognized today. That is, Courtesy, Clarity, Conciseness, Correctness, Concreteness, Consideration, and Completeness. Among them, the politeness principle in business English writing constitutes the principle tone of business communication skills and is one of the most important and sharpest weapons for businesses. British linguist Geoffrey Leech and others proposed the Politeness principle, which believes that in all language communication, the speaker and the listener should maximize the expression of polite beliefs and minimize impolite expressions. way (minimize the expression of impolite beliefs). This principle is of particular importance to business English writing. On the basis of absorbing Grice's research results, Leech systematically proposed the theory of "politeness principle" in his book "Principles of Pragmatics". It is believed that the principle of politeness should include (1) Tact Maxim: minimize the damage to the other party and receive the greatest favor; (2) Generosity Maxim: benefit yourself the least and suffer the maximum; (3) Principle of Praise ( Approbation Maxim): try to belittle the other party as little as possible, and try to be as much as possible about yourself; (4) Modesty Maxim (5) Agreement Maxim: try to reduce the other party's differences and maximize the agreement with the other party; (6) Sympathy Principle : Minimize your dislike for the other person and maximize your sympathy for the other person. However, Brown and Levinson also said that the politeness principle has some universality. Among the many politeness principles, Lakoff proposed three different politeness principles that speakers can abide by: first, do not force others; second, leave room for the other party; third, enhance mutual friendship.

3. Politeness Principles of Different Cultures

The politeness principles of different languages ??are different. Professor Gu Yueguo proposed that the politeness principles of Chinese language and culture include respect (Respenctfulness), humility ( Modesty, attitudinal warmth and refinement. In 1992, it was proposed that the politeness principles of Chinese culture are: (1) The principle of belittling oneself and respecting others: Professor Gu Yueguo believes that the biggest feature of Chinese politeness is It is "a husband who is polite, humbles himself but respects others". This rule should be "derogatory" and "modest" when referring to oneself and things related to oneself, and should be "picked up" and "honored" when referring to things that are listened to or related to the listener. (2) Code of address: This code means that out of politeness, people should address each other in accordance with the tradition of "high and low, seniority and order" to reflect the social relationships in interpersonal communication.

(3) Elegance criterion: In Chinese culture, "polite" is considered to be polite and well-educated. Its basic content is to "select elegant language, prohibit obscene language, use more euphemisms and less direct words." Avoid mentioning things that are unpleasant or embarrassing. (4) The principle of seeking common ground: refers to paying attention to the identity and social status of the other party, respecting the "face" of the other party, and making both parties strive for harmony in many aspects. When you have to criticize others or express different opinions, you can adopt the strategy of "courtesy first and then attack" and "praise first and then criticize". (5) Principles of moral speech and conduct: It means to minimize the costs paid by others in terms of behavioral motivation and maximize the benefits to others; in terms of words, try to exaggerate the benefits brought to oneself by others and minimize the costs paid by oneself. These politeness principles in business correspondence also have guiding significance for Chinese people engaged in international trade. Chinese people think that self-respect is a kind of politeness, while Westerners think that it is a kind of dishonesty. Therefore, it is difficult to communicate during the communication process and may even cause misunderstandings. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the language expressions between different languages ??and cultures. When writing business letters, pay attention to the principle of etiquette, do not offend others at will, and respect the language habits of people in different cultures. For example, how to deliver bad news to business partners is usually expressed in an indirect way, a tactful tone, and words with a positive meaning in the United States. The French, British, and Germans generally use direct methods; while high-context cultures like Japan and China emphasize harmony and face-saving, and use indirect and euphemistic methods. Latin America avoids delivering bad news. In different cultures, there are differences in the ways and means of expressing politeness, as well as people's standards of judgment. Westerners generally accept compliments with "thank you". They believe that readily accepting the other person's praise can avoid damaging the other person's positive face, so it is polite. For us in China, we often use: "Where, where", "That's too much", "It's far behind", etc. to express the humility of the person being praised. It can be seen that Western countries attach great importance to the concept of individuality and independent spirit. This concept includes personal freedom, rights, and personal independence.

IV. Conclusion

In the increasingly fierce competition in international trade, business letters are not only a medium for communication, but also a means of establishing friendship and attracting customers. The ancient saying that "a gentleman should not be rude to others, and never be rude to others" means that a moral person should be polite to others, and should not be rude or rude. Being polite to others and using polite language are the fine traditions of our Chinese people. Politeness is the expression of courteous and appropriate speech in human communication. With the development and changes of society, politeness will inevitably change due to the mutual influence of different social and cultural traditions. Politeness in language includes being measured, polite, educated, and knowledgeable, and avoiding privacy, superficiality, vulgarity, and taboos, which can be summarized as "four things and four avoidances." Therefore, when writing business letters, follow the principle of politeness, reply in a timely manner, use appropriate language to respect the other party, be neither humble nor overbearing, maintain good politeness and a noble attitude, and write carefully to ensure that business activities proceed smoothly and effectively, and to promote the socialist spirit Civilization construction has important theoretical and practical significance. It can be seen from the examples of the beginning and end of business letters from different countries: the United States focuses on the cultural characteristics of high efficiency and quick action; the Arab letters reflect the cultural characteristics of focusing on identity, status, relationships and hospitality; the Japanese letters reflect humility , cultural characteristics such as politeness, indirectness, and relationships. We should pay full attention to the influence of culture on business English writing and the principle of politeness.

References:

[1] Ke Jing, Wang Introduction: "The Application of Politeness Principles in Business English Letters" [J] "Shopping Mall Modernization", 20xx-12, (527 ): 182-183

[2] Huang Yalan: "Analysis on the Important Role and Skills of Etiquette in Business Visits" [A]

[3] Wang Niniobium: "A Brief Talk on International Business Politeness Principles in English Correspondence" [J]. Journal of Tongren University of Science and Technology 20xx(2): 98-99

[4] Gao Dongjun: "Cultural Differences in Politeness Principles and Polite Phrases between Chinese and English" [A] .Journal of Luoyang Institute of Technology 20xx-10(5):8-9 Social and Business Etiquette Paper 2

[Abstract]: Our country has always been a "land of etiquette", and etiquette is not only an important part of ideology and morality , is also an important form that reflects the construction of spiritual civilization; etiquette not only reflects a person's spiritual outlook, but also reflects the moral style of a unit, a region and even the entire society. With the increasingly frequent exchanges between people and countries, as well as the exchange and collision of Eastern and Western cultures, etiquette and customs around the world continue to integrate and develop.

Keywords: college students, etiquette, importance, training

In today’s era, college students are a special group in society. They have outstanding personalities, abundant energy, and good With rich cultural knowledge, a fearless spirit of daring to do something, and a strong desire for knowledge, they are the elites in society and the successors of the motherland. However, many college students lack etiquette awareness and the ability to communicate etiquette, which will make it difficult for college students to gain a foothold in society. Therefore, the issue of cultivating college students' communicative etiquette is worth pondering, and universities should incorporate etiquette education for college students into the training process.

1. The definition of etiquette

Etiquette generally refers to the behavioral norms and standards that people form in the process of social interaction and should be observed together. The specific manifestations include etiquette, politeness, ceremony, appearance, etc. Etiquette, as a kind of culture, is a symbol used by people to deal with interpersonal relationships in social life and express friendship and goodwill to others. Paying attention to etiquette can make a person moral. Paying attention to etiquette can create an ideal personal image. Paying attention to etiquette can make your career successful. Paying attention to etiquette can make society more stable. Etiquette is an important component of the quality of an individual or even a nation.

2. The importance of etiquette for college students

2.1 is the need for college students to adapt to the modern information society

The rapid development of communication technologies and means in the modern information society are increasingly changing It reflects people's traditional communication concepts and behaviors, especially the scope of people's communication has gradually expanded from interpersonal communication to public communication, from face-to-face close communication to long-distance communication, and from slow-paced, low-frequency communication to fast-paced, High frequency communication. This change in interpersonal communication in the modern information society has put forward higher requirements for the content and methods of human social interaction.

2.2 is the need for college students to improve their ideological and political quality.

A student who is knowledgeable but not polite, and whose intellectual and moral standards are seriously inconsistent, is unlikely to become an outstanding talent. An outstanding talent should not only have a high level of professional knowledge, but also have good moral character and etiquette. Etiquette is a manifestation of good moral character and one of the important ways to develop good moral qualities. Good moral qualities need to be reflected in a polite way.

2.3 is the need for college students to establish good interpersonal relationships.

Whether they can establish good interpersonal relationships with others during college has a very important impact on the growth and learning of college students. Psychologist John Gottman's research results show that children who know how to solve problems around them and deal with troubles in life in appropriate ways are healthier physically and mentally, are more caring about others, are more compassionate, and have more friends. Better academic performance.

Dale Carnegie's "The Road to Success" and "The Strategy for Success" co-authored by Jimmy Dornan and John Maxwell both derived the same formula: Personal success = 15 professional skills and 85 interpersonal and social skills. Therefore, gaining friendship through interpersonal activities is an urgent need for college students to adapt to the new living environment, to develop from a "dependent" person to an "independent" person, and to establish good interpersonal relationships. , the urgent need to successfully move towards society. If college students can master basic etiquette norms and knowledge, master basic communication skills, and follow the principles of mutual respect, integrity and sincerity, moderate words and deeds, equality and friendliness, they can quickly establish harmonious and good interpersonal relationships with their partners.

2.4 is the need to strengthen the civilized behavior of college students

Cultivating college students’ communication etiquette is a need to promote the construction of socialist spiritual civilization. Etiquette education is the most basic content in the socialist spiritual civilization education system. . Being civilized and polite is the most concrete manifestation of people's spiritual civilization. A person's speech, behavior, appearance and clothing can all reflect his ideological cultivation and civilization

3. Existing problems in college students' etiquette

According to reports, at the talent recruitment fair , College students who are elegant in speech, decent in dress, dignified in appearance, generous in demeanor, and in good etiquette are more favored by employers. In other words, under the tide of market economy, society has put forward higher standards and more specific requirements for the personal quality of college students. However, the communication etiquette ability of many college students is not as good as we imagined. They don’t even understand what social etiquette is, let alone etiquette. A student who is ill-informed and ill-mannered, and whose intellectual and moral standards are seriously inconsistent, is unlikely to become an outstanding talent. At present, there is still a great contradiction between the low level of actual etiquette behavior of college students and the high level of social requirements for college students' etiquette literacy. The main manifestations are that some students cannot live in harmony with their classmates in the dormitory; do not respect teachers in class, and pick up fights at will. Using mobile phones and arriving late and leaving early; behaving uninhibitedly in public places; pursuing fashion and dressing inappropriately in personal appearance, etc. As the captain of the etiquette team of the school's accounting department, I feel the same way. During the interview for new recruits to the etiquette team at the beginning of the semester, many freshmen lacked etiquette and politeness. Some of them did not even have the most basic greetings. In terms of appearance, their clothes were quite casual. Failure to show respect for the interview and the interviewer.

4. Reasons for the lack of etiquette in college students

4.1 The unreasonable education system has resulted in the absence of etiquette education in primary and secondary schools

Moral and etiquette education is manifested as an internal The transfer process from low to high to the outside. Therefore, appropriate etiquette education in preschool, primary school and middle school is crucial. Schools educate students on relevant etiquette theories and behavioral habits at these stages. However, at present, my country's exam-oriented education model and examination system have not been completely changed. The only criterion to measure a student's quality is academic performance. Schools pay too much attention to "growth education" and ignore "adult education." This results in that from preschool to middle school, only attention is paid to Students' academic performance, while despising students' "moral examination", especially neglecting the teaching of etiquette knowledge and the cultivation of etiquette and normative behavior in students, so that students' etiquette training cannot be well cultivated from an early age, so that after entering university There are still many uncivilized and lack of etiquette behaviors.

4.2 Absence of etiquette education in the family

Parents in the family neglect to educate their children as a person, and tend to pay more attention to their children's material life and learning status. In addition, due to the implementation of the family planning policy, the current relationship between family members in our country is relatively simple, and there is no opportunity to participate in and experience etiquette practices in the family. When children make discourtesy or make mistakes in family activities and interactions, some parents also adopt an ambiguous or even tolerant attitude, which to a certain extent causes children to lose the opportunity to learn etiquette knowledge and develop etiquette literacy.

4.3 Colleges and universities have relaxed the management of students’ etiquette behaviors and neglected the setting of etiquette education courses

The moral education work under the current education system, especially the education of etiquette culture, is very empty. Colleges and universities have The management of students' behavior has been relaxed, and the "educating" function of the school's "teaching and educating" has been downplayed, causing many college students to only read books by sages and ignore what is going on outside the window. Colleges and universities have almost canceled the flag-raising ceremony and the teacher-respecting ceremony before class. The weakening of etiquette education atmosphere has gradually weakened college students' awareness of etiquette and etiquette. From the perspective of curriculum, many colleges and universities have not paid enough attention to etiquette education for college students and lack awareness of etiquette education. Most colleges and universities in my country have set professional theory and technical courses as compulsory courses as a matter of course. Although some schools have set up etiquette education courses as public elective courses, most of them are affected by factors such as insufficient etiquette teachers and a low number of courses, which cannot meet the needs of students.

5. How to cultivate the etiquette of contemporary college students

5.1 Take improving etiquette literacy as an important part of building a harmonious socialist society and re-examine the importance of etiquette education

Society A harmonious socialist society is a society characterized by democracy and the rule of law, fairness and justice, integrity and friendliness, full of vitality, stability and order, and harmony between man and nature. The first five contents refer to the indirect form of harmony between people. From this, we can draw the conclusion: the core content of a harmonious society is the harmony between people, that is, the harmony between people. Getting along has become an important part and central task of building a harmonious socialist society. The prerequisite for harmonious relationships between people is that everyone has good etiquette cultivation. Therefore, taking etiquette education as an entry point to strengthen the construction of a harmonious society is of great significance to building a socialist harmonious society.

5.2 Standardization of college students’ etiquette

College students’ etiquette itself requires standardization. As the saying goes, "No rules, no rules." One of the characteristics of etiquette itself is standardization. If the etiquette of college students is not standardized, but is allowed to be their own way in the specific use of etiquette, and each has its own way, then college students will not be like college students, but will be confused with ordinary young people in society. The "Implementation Outline for the Construction of Civic Morality" points out: "Carrying out necessary etiquette, etiquette, and courteous activities plays an important role in regulating people's words and deeds." There is no doubt that regulating the etiquette of college students will directly contribute to our country The construction of college students’ spiritual outlook.

5.3 Return the etiquette education function of schools to ensure the continuity of etiquette education.

Human behavior is a process of continuous practice. In order for contemporary college students to develop etiquette-compliant behavioral habits, it does not happen overnight. It requires continuous etiquette education and repeated and lasting etiquette training. Only when a person develops certain etiquette habits can he possess corresponding etiquette qualities and qualities. It is recommended that relevant departments strengthen the supervision of etiquette courses from primary school to university, and design the content to suit the etiquette requirements of each age group, so that students will not lack etiquette education at all stages of their growth.

5.4 Colleges and universities should improve the importance and effectiveness of etiquette education courses in teaching

It is recommended that colleges and universities make etiquette courses compulsory for college students and introduce etiquette education into various majors in various universities. , carry out systematic basic theories and specific standardization of etiquette for college students. In addition, teaching traditional Chinese medicine in etiquette courses strengthens practical training education. Teachers should adhere to the principle of integrating theory with practice, create various scenarios in the classroom to turn etiquette knowledge into practical activities, so that students can think more and practice more, and become a college student with etiquette accomplishment.

The etiquette of college students starts from you and me, starts from the side, through the efforts of everyone, the efforts of the school, the efforts of the country and the nation, the "state of etiquette" will surely last forever, and our own Etiquette literacy will also be greatly improved. A brief discussion on the importance of etiquette for college students and the cultivation of social and business etiquette paper 3

People in European and American countries pay great attention to etiquette and etiquette in public occasions such as socializing, traveling, entertainment and leisure, so , Chinese people who travel to Europe and the United States to visit relatives or friends must pay attention to these details to avoid embarrassing or unpleasant things.

First of all, pay attention to dressing neatly. Buttons must be buttoned, hands clean, nails cut short, and beards trimmed.

When talking to others, be dignified, kind and polite. The two parties should not be too close, and the conversation should not be too loud; avoid crossing one's legs when sitting, let alone shaking the legs; the conversation should be focused, and avoid whispering in front of a large audience. Don’t ask about the other person’s income, property, age and marriage when talking for the first time; don’t always stare at each other when talking between opposite sexes; when talking to women on the road, you should walk and talk, and don’t stop and talk; don’t talk when sitting with women Smoking; when greeting a woman you know, the man should stand up and the woman can answer while sitting down.

When visiting someone’s home, you must first take off your hat and then enter the room. When visiting on rainy days, rain gear should be placed outdoors and raincoats should not be worn indoors. When a husband and wife visit someone else's house together, the wife should get up first to say goodbye.

When traveling in a car, ask the guest to sit next to the driver's seat as the upper seat. When walking on the street, don't look around or look around, and don't throw things or spit anywhere.

When dining at a restaurant, if you share the same table with others, you must obtain the consent of the guest who arrived first before you can sit down. Otherwise, it will be considered rude. In American restaurants, if you use napkins to wipe cutlery and plates, the waiter will immediately change the set of tableware. In the eyes of the waiter, if a customer wipes the tableware, it is considered that the tableware is not clean.

When men and women walk together, men should walk on the outside, that is, on the side of the road, to make women feel more secure; when starting to walk, women should go first.

When entering and leaving public places such as shops, men should open the door for women; young men should open the door for the elderly. When taking a car or boat, men should give up their seats to women; men and women sitting together should not make loud noises as if no one is watching.

In addition, you need to pay attention to some small actions. For example, raising the thumb means praise, greatness, and first place in my country and some other countries, while in the United States and France it means blocking the road; extending the index and middle fingers means second place or the number "2" in my country, and two in the United Kingdom. This means that when making this gesture, the palm of the hand is facing the other party, which means victory; if the back of the hand is facing the other party, it means insult; extending the index finger alone means the number "1" in our country, and is also used to draw attention, while in the United States, it means to invite the other party. Wait, in Australia it means "Another beer please".

In my country, a hooked index finger means "9", in Japan it means a thief; in Thailand and the Philippines, it means a door key or a lock; in Indonesia, it means bad-hearted and stingy; in Singapore, it means death. Also means a knockout in a boxing match.

The thumb and index finger represent "O" in our country, and the middle finger, ring finger, and little finger are straightened to represent "3". When these two gestures are combined, they are used in Japan, South Korea, and Myanmar to express money; in the United States, they are used to express agreement, greatness, and success; in Indonesia, they are used to express that nothing can be accomplished and cannot be done; in Tunisia, they are used to express fools and uselessness.

In our country, people are accustomed to nodding to express agreement and approval, and shaking their heads to express denial and opposition. But in Sri Lanka, India, Nepal and other countries, people shake their heads to express agreement and nod to express disagreement.

The winds are different in a hundred miles, and the customs are different in a thousand miles. Some folk customs are very different between countries in the world and between different regions of a country, and some are even completely opposite. Therefore, it is very necessary to master these little knowledge when traveling abroad.