University of the Philippines Open University

Faculty of Education
ENG 157: English for the Professions

UNIT I: ENGLISH IN BUSINESS AND THE PROFESSIONS

Module 1: English in the Global Context: Intercultural Communication

(Source: https://www.activedmc.com/wp-
content/uploads/2017/04/interculturalcommunication.jpg)

Introduction

Learning Outcomes
After working on this Module, you should be able to do the following:
1. Explain the role of both oral and written communication in the work place;
2. Discuss the issues surrounding the rise of English to the status of international lingua
franca, and the language of international business;
3. Discuss the intercultural dimension of business communication today; and
4. Analyze the discursive context of business communication.

Role of Oral and Written Communication in the Work Place

It is often said that communication is an important part of running a successful

organization, be it in government or the private sector. It is also important to ensure
that your messages are being received as intended so that you can avoid any
miscommunication and confusion (or what others call as communication infidelit ).
You must always remember that people learn in different ways. For some, written
communication is most effective, while others prefer to have a conversation through
oral communication. It is important that you be facile in both written and oral
communication so you can share information effectively throughout your business or
professional life.

Thompson (2019) shared the following tips for effective oral and written
communication.

1. Understand the Value of Effective Oral and Written Communication Skills

Communication in business is so much more than just sending and receiving

messages. There are many benefits to effective oral and written communication:

Clarify misunderstandings
Avoid miscommunication
Improve productivity
Reduce mistakes and errors
Resolve tension and conflict
Build relationships and trust

Strong communication throughout an organization can also help to improve employee

engagement and increase worker satisfaction. If employees feel that management is
honest with them and keeps them in the loop about important company updates, they
will feel more invested in their jobs.

From a consumer perspective, effective communication can help to create a sense

of transparenc , hich builds trust. Prospects don t ant to be taken advantage of.
They want to purchase products and services from credible businesses who will keep
their promises. Effective communication can help establish that relationship.

2. Establish Clear Goals for Your Communication

One of the attributes of oral and written communication that is effective is that it helps
the business to achieve an objective. When planning your communication, be sure to
clearly identify what you hope to accomplish. Communication goals may include:
 Informing employees about new company policies
Persuading prospects to make a purchase
Educating suppliers about the benefits of working with your company

Having an ideal outcome for your communication helps to ensure that the
conversation stays on track. Once the communication is complete, you can look back
and see whether it was successful by comparing the outcome to your goal. For
example, if you set out to update employees about new payroll policies, you can see
whether your communication was successful by asking employees if they fully
understand the ne policies. If the don t, then that means our communication as
not successful and you need to revisit the topic to ensure the message is properly
received.

3. Always Tailor Your Message to Your Audience

The key to any successful oral or written communication is to understand the needs of
your audience. Who are you talking to and what do they need to know? Consider how
much knowledge your audience already has about the topic at hand. What information
are they missing? What goals are they trying to achieve?

Craft our message based on the ans ers to those questions. For e ample, if ou re
updating customers on a new product feature that is being released, consider how
much they already know about the product. Customers likely have a deeper
understanding of your product than prospects do, so you can condense the amount of
background information you provide them. When discussing the same information with
prospects, ou ll likel need to pro ide more detailed information about the benefits of
your products.

4. Use the Right Communication Medium

Effective communication requires the sender of the message to select the right
method of oral or ritten communication. What s the difference bet een oral and
written communication? Simply put, written communication involves sending
messages through the written word. Oral communication, on the other hand, involves
spoken conversations to send messages.

Examples of written communication include:

Instant messages and text messages

Emails
Reports, slide decks and summaries
Meeting agendas and minutes

Examples of oral communication include:

Phone conversations
 Video conferences
One-on-one meetings
Group meetings

Consider what the best mode of communication is for your goal. If you want to
introduce a new service to customers, you may not need an in-person meeting.
Consider sending them an email or a short video detailing the new service and offer to
meet with them to answer any questions. This shows that you value the customers'
time.

If you need to update your employees on annual company revenue, an instant

message is not the best choice. Your employees may have questions about the future
of the company, so holding a group meeting is an effective way to communicate this
information.

5. Pay Attention to Non-Verbal Cues

During the communication, be sure to consider any non-verbal cues, such as facial
expressions, tone of voice and body language. These may be more evident during oral
communication, rather than ritten communication. Regardless, it s critical to pay
attention to the sentiment of our audience. Do the appear confused b hat ou re
telling them? Is something about your conversation making them uncomfortable? Are
you going too fast or too slow?

Based on reading the non-verbal cues, you may need to adjust your communication
tactic to ensure the message is recei ed correctl . For e ample, if ou re ha ing a
meeting with a department head but he appears fidgety and distracted, you may want
to ask hat else is on his mind. If ou re ha ing a con ersation over instant messaging
and the employee seems confused, you may consider telephoning her instead.

6. Ensure Your Message Has Been Received

After our communication, it s important to follo up and ensure that the message has
been received as you intended it. Offer to answer any questions your communication
partner has. Give them time to think over the information you have provided them and
don t e pect them to make an instant decisions.

7. Remove the Barriers to Communication

In the workplace, there can be many barriers to communication. In order to

communicate effectively, try to reduce or completely remove these barriers.

Barriers to communication may include:

 Physical barriers: Loud noise, closed doors, faulty equipment and geographical
distances can make it difficult to communicate.

Language barriers: Employees, prospects and customers may not all speak the
same language or use regional dialects.

Psychological barriers: Some people have a fear of speaking in public or

speaking to large groups of people.

Emotional barriers: Anger, frustration and annoyance can affect the way people
communicate.

Cultural barriers: People from different parts of the world communicate

differentl , so it s important to understand the norms and e pectations in other
cultures.

If our business has trouble ith effecti e oral and ritten communication, it s prudent
to identify what kind of barriers are causing the communication breakdown. For
example, if the employees in your office are having loud conversations, you may not
be able to properly hear a customer over the phone. A way to remove that barrier is to
speak with employees about using a respectful tone of voice at work. You can also
use a conference room with a closed door to conduct conversations.

8. Provide Employees With Communication Skills

Offer your employees the chance to improve their oral and written communication
skills in the workplace. You can hold lunch-and-learn workshops where different
employees share effective communication tips with their colleagues. You can also hire
professional communication coaches to help improve specific areas of communication.
For example, if your employees have trouble with customer communication, a coach
can teach them conflict resolution, negotiation and problem-solving skills to improve
their oral communication.

Be sure to lead by example. Follow best practices when communicating with internal
and external stakeholders by always considering the needs of your audience first.
Craft your message based on what information they need to know. Use the right
communication method so that ou respect others time. Follo up to ensure that our
message was received correctly.

B. For the following topics on English as the Language of Business, Intercultural Issues
in Business Communication, and Discourse Communities, please read pages 8 to 14
a R c ,P A ENG 157 C Ma a .