国际商务函电——完整unit-1-business-letter-writing

InternationalBusinessCorrespondenceInstructor:GuanBing课程简介本课程是国际贸易专业高年级的核心业务课程之一，是一门将英语与外贸业务相结合的课程。通过介绍外贸实务中各种英文业务函件，传真和E-mail以及其它方式的写作格式，商业术语和各种不同的表达方法，并通过介绍对外贸易各环节的具体做法，使学生在提高英语水平的同时，熟练掌握对外贸易业务中常用的基本术语及表达技能，培养和提高他们的外贸业务工作能力。学习目的本课程的目的是学习外贸业务书信的标准格式，了解通过哪些途径来发展新客户，开拓新市场，如何进行询购某商品，怎样报盘和还盘，怎样灵活运用付款方式，如何做到重合同守信用，怎样去审查信用证，做到不出差错，在理赔和索赔中做到有理有利有节。学会拟写信函、e-mail和传真的写作技巧。学习内容本课程主要学习信例，大量学习外贸实务基本环节中有代表性的信例。外贸实务基本环节有：建立业务关系和资信调查、询盘、报盘、还盘、订单，履行订单、支付、包装和运输、信用证的修改和展期、索赔和解决索赔等。此外，本课程还学习简历、求职信的写作以及各种社交书信的写作。学习方法《外贸函电》是一门实践操作性很强的课程。也就是说，要达到正确拟写外贸业务信函的目的，仅有理论是远远不够的，学生必须学习大量外贸实务中有一定代表性的信函，深入体会何为七个“C’S”写作的基础理论知识，更重要的是通过学习信例，熟悉大量外贸业务中各个环节中常用语，包括词汇、短语、句型以及习惯表达方式等等，再通过一定量的练习，对常用语进行操练运用，从而达到掌握并熟练使用的目的。Unit1AnOverviewofBusinessLetterWritingMaincontentsIntroductionWritingprinciplesofbusinesslettersStructureofbusinesslettersLayoutofbusinesslettersEnvelopeaddressingPracticeI.Introduction1.DefinitionBusinessEnglishcorrespondencereferstotheletters,cables,telexes,faxesande-mailsdealingininternationalbusiness.2.AimThepurposeofthiscourseistohelpyoulearnhowtoreadandwritegoodbusinessletters,cables,telexes,faxesande-mailsbyusingup-to-dateexpressionsinthesimplestpossiblelanguage.WaysofcommunicationTelephoneFaxE-mailLetterTelegramTelexReturn3.Features1.Ithasitsuniquelanguagestyleandjargons2.Itisfullofbusinessterminologyandabbreviationsandabbreviatedphrases3.ThereisacloserelationbetweenBECandinternationaltradeExamples:inthemarketfor,offer,quotation,order,counteroffer,letterofcredit,CIF,FOB,ASAP,P.P.,YL11/11RVDII.Theprinciplesinbusinessletter-writingCourtesyConsiderationClarityConcisenessConcretenessCompletenessCorrectnessTherearecertainessentialqualitiesofbusinessletters,whichcanbesummedupin7C’s.CourtesyItisnotmerepoliteness.Thecourteouswritershouldbesincereandtactful,thoughtfulandappreciative.Inordertomakeabusinesslettercourteous,trytoavoidirritating,offensive,orbelittlingstatements.Toanswerletterspromptlyisalsoamatterofcourtesy.Punctualitywillpleaseyourcustomerwhodislikeswaitingfordaysbeforehegetsareplytohisletter.ConsiderationPrepareeverymessagewiththereaderinmindandtrytoputyourselfintohis/herplace.Itemphasizes“You-attitude”ratherthanWe-attitude.Whenwritingaletter,keepthereader’srequest,needs,desires,aswellashisfeelingsinmind.Planthebestwaytopresentthemessageforthereadertoreceive.Twopointsneedtobeconsidered:A.You-attitude:Inourlettersweshouldalwayskeepinmindthepersonwearewritingto,seethingsfromhispointofview,visualizehiminhissurroundings,seehisproblemsanddifficultiesandexpressourideasintermsofhisexperience.Comparetwoexamples:1)Weallow2percentdiscountforcashpayment.Youearn2percentdiscountwhenyoupaycash.2)Wewon’tbeabletosendyouthebrochurethismonth.Wewillsendyouthebrochurenextmonth.B.Focusonthepositiveapproach.Compare:(positive)Wefeelsurethatyouwillbeentirelysatisfied.(negative)Wedonotbelieveyouwillhavecausefordissatisfaction.(positive)Perhapsnexttimewecansendyouwhatyourequire.(negative)Weregretourinabilitytoserveyouatthistime.CompletenessAbusinessletter/communicationshouldincludeallthenecessaryinformation.Itisessentialtocheckthemessagecarefullybeforeitissentout.Clarity(clearness)Firstofall,makesurethatyourletterissoclearthatitcan’tbemisunderstood.Apointthatisambiguousinaletterwillcausetroubletobothsides,andfurtherexchangeoflettersforexplanationwillbecomeinevitable,thustimewillbelost.Next,whenyouaresureaboutwhatyouwanttosay,sayitinplain,simplewords.Good,straightforward,simpleEnglishiswhatisneededforbusinessletters.Thewritermusttrytoexpresshimselfclearlysothatthereaderwillunderstanditwell.Toachievethis,he/sheshouldkeepinmindthepurposeofhis/herletteranduseappropriatewordsincorrectsentencestructureandconveyhis/hermeaning.Clarity(clearness)AstothesteamersailingfromShanghaitoSanFrancisco,wehavebimonthlydirectservices.(1)WehaveadirectsailingfromShanghaitoSanFranciscoeverytwomonths.(2)WehavetwodirectsailingseverymonthfromShanghaitoSanFrancisco.ConcisenessConcisenessmeanssayingthingsinthefewestpossiblewords.Toachievethis,trytoavoidwordinessorredundancy.Generallyspeaking,youwillgaininconcisenessbywritingshortsentencesratherthanlongones.Whileusingconcisesentencesandfewestwords,youcannotlosecompletenessandcourtesy,andmustexplainthemeaningofaletterclearly.Conciseness(1)Avoidusingwordyexpressions.Forexample:Wordy:Wewishtoacknowledgereceiptofyourletter…Concise:Weappreciateyourletter…Wordy:Wehavebeguntoexportourelectronictoystocountriesabroad.Concise:Wehavebeguntoexportourelectronictoys.Conciseness(2)Avoidtheout-of-datewordsorjargons.Youshouldn’tuse:You’dbetteruse:subsequentafterperdiemdailyinteraliaamongotherthingspriortobeforeintheeventofifEnclosedpleasefindWeencloseofevendayoftodayonthequestionofconcerningConciseness(3)UseeffectivesentencesandparagraphsAsentenceisthebasicunitoflanguage.Inbusinessletterwriting,useonlycompletesentencesandavoidtheuseofsentencefragments.Generallyspeaking,theaveragelengthforsentencesshouldbe10to20words.Usuallyaparagraphconsistsofnomorethat10linesbecauseshortparagraphsencouragethereaderstofinishreadingover