English native speakers...please have again a look!

[Uhrenfreund25]

Again a short text - please read through it and tell me, if it's more or less okay.

Im unsure concerning the last passage...

THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH!

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS:

Being asked to narrate about a critical incident concerning intercultural differences, there is only one happening I still remember...

A mate of me once did a placement at BMW/Munich.

As his father once worked in the management board of BMW, he was privileged in a way.....he had to accompany a manager to conduct negotiations with customers in Arab countries.

While negotiating with a Sheik in a meeting, the manager handed over a prepared contract with his left hand to the Sheik's negotiation team. And the reaction was....stunned silence. My mate tried to remedy the situation and whispered to the manager, that he must not render the papers with his left hand....

With a "trenchant joke", they managed to remedy the situation, but I think this is a typical incident which could happen to anybody of us in Central Europe.

Doing business in the Arab world means to be familiar with social conventions and rules, which makes it indispensable to inform oneself of customs and typical patterns of behavior.

Referring the "critical incident" I have mentioned above, I have to say that it is well known, that the left hand is "unclean" in the Arab world in general because the left hand is for wiping only and that's why the emphatic refusal of getting things done with the left hand is for hygienic reason. Handing over important documents might be considered as an affront - all the more if it comes to eating and you want to pass on food....take care of only using your right hand!

Especially in the Arab world, there are lots of things you have to know if you want to be a welcome guest: think of the status of family and blood relationship....the standing of women....the understanding of honor......religion......the high regard of age and wisdom......the particular importance of hygiene which is extremely important to Arabs for both spiritual and practical reasons......the body language and the greetings.....etc.

Generally speaking it is important to show respect for foreign cultures and the easiest way to pay tribute to someone in a foreign country is to be familiar with his/her conventions which means to have delved into the customs and traditions of the people living there in a different culture.

[numptyj]

Again a short text - please read through it and tell me, if it's more or less okay.

Im unsure concerning the last passage...

THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH!

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS:

Being asked to narrate about a critical incident concerning intercultural differences, there is only one happening I still remember...

A mate of me once did a placement at BMW/Munich.

As his father once worked in the management board of BMW, he was privileged in a way.....he had to accompany a manager to conduct negotiations with customers in Arab countries.

While negotiating with a Sheik in a meeting, the manager handed over a prepared contract with his left hand to the Sheik's negotiation team. And the reaction was....stunned silence. My mate tried to remedy the situation and whispered to the manager, that he must not render the papers with his left hand....

With a "trenchant joke", they managed to remedy the situation, but I think this is a typical incident which could happen to anybody of us in Central Europe.

Doing business in the Arab world means to be familiar with social conventions and rules, which makes it indispensable to inform oneself of customs and typical patterns of behavior.

Referring the "critical incident" I have mentioned above, I have to say that it is well known, that the left hand is "unclean" in the Arab world in general because the left hand is for wiping only and that's why the emphatic refusal of getting things done with the left hand is for hygienic reason. Handing over important documents might be considered as an affront - all the more if it comes to eating and you want to pass on food....take care of only using your right hand!

Especially in the Arab world, there are lots of things you have to know if you want to be a welcome guest: think of the status of family and blood relationship....the standing of women....the understanding of honor......religion......the high regard of age and wisdom......the particular importance of hygiene which is extremely important to Arabs for both spiritual and practical reasons......the body language and the greetings.....etc.

Generally speaking it is important to show respect for foreign cultures and the easiest way to pay tribute to someone in a foreign country is to be familiar with his/her conventions which means to have delved into the customs and traditions of the people living there in a different culture.

does that mean they don't wear their reps on their left wrists?

what is this actually for a statement of some sort? It seems fine to me

[kbh]

The last sentence is a run on sentence. I would end it with a period after "his/her conventions" and delete the rest of the sentence. Or end it like : ..........be familiar with their conventions, customs and traditions.

Also "his/her" should probably be changed to "their".

[Uhrenfreund25]

The last sentence is a run on sentence. I would end it with a period after "his/her conventions" and delete the rest of the sentence. Or end it like : ..........be familiar with their conventions, customs and traditions.

Also "his/her" should probably be changed to "their".

Thanks.

But would that really be correct? ->

"Generally speaking it is important to show respect for foreign cultures and the easiest way to pay tribute to someone in a foreign country is to be familiar with their conventions, customs and traditions."

First, the talk is about someone in a foreign country......and then, I would change to "their"?

Wouldn't that be incorrect?

[kbh]

Thanks.

But would that really be correct? ->

"Generally speaking it is important to show respect for foreign cultures and the easiest way to pay tribute to someone in a foreign country is to be familiar with their conventions, customs and traditions."

First, the talk is about someone in a foreign country......and then, I would change to "their"?

Wouldn't that be incorrect?

You'd need an English teacher to settle that one.

"Someone in a foreign country" could be considered singular or plural I believe, based on the usage in the sentence. You first had "his/her" which implies "his or hers" which would be plural, not singular. But I think you may be right.

Maybe you could say "pay tribute to the people of another country is to be familiar with their conventions............................

But apparently you have a good grasp of the English language. Maybe someone smarter can answer this.

[Uhrenfreund25]

You'd need an English teacher to settle that one.

"Someone in a foreign country" could be considered singular or plural I believe, based on the usage in the sentence. You first had "his/her" which implies "his or hers" which would be plural, not singular. But I think you may be right.

Maybe you could say "pay tribute to the people of another country is to be familiar with their conventions............................

But apparently you have a good grasp of the English language. Maybe someone smarter can answer this.

Thank you all very much!

Thread can be closed...

[tomhorn]

Grammatically, in this sentence, "Generally speaking it is important to show respect for foreign cultures and the easiest way to pay tribute to someone in a foreign country is to be familiar with their conventions, customs and traditions." you are speaking about the foreign culture, so the proper word is 'its' not 'their'.

Having said that, no one would really care other than English teachers ...

Edited June 25, 2009 by tomhorn

[KB]

On being asked to narrate about a critical incident concerning intercultural differences, there is only one happening that comes to mind...

A friend of mine once had a placement at BMW/Munich.

As his father previously worked in the management board of BMW, which made him privileged in a way.....he was to accompany a manager to conduct negotiations with customers in Arab countries.

Whilst negotiating with a Sheik in a meeting, the manager handed over a prepared contract with his left hand to the Sheik's negotiation team. And the reaction was....stunned silence. My friend tried to remedy the situation and whispered to the manager that he must not render the papers with his left hand....

With a "trenchant joke", they managed to save the situation, but I think this is a typical incident which could happen to anybody of us in Central Europe.

Doing business in the Arab world means to be familiar with social conventions and rules, which makes it indispensable to inform oneself of customs and typical patterns of behaviour.

Referring the "critical incident" I have mentioned above, I have to say that it is well known, that the left hand is "unclean" in the Arab world in general because the left hand is for wiping only and that's why the emphatic refusal of getting things done with the left hand is for hygienic reason. Handing over important documents might be considered as an affront - all the more if it comes to eating and you want to pass on food....take care of only using your right hand!

Especially in the Arab world, there are lots of things you have to know if you want to be a welcome guest: think of the status of family and blood relationship....the standing of women....the understanding of honour......religion......the high regard of age and wisdom......the particular importance of hygiene which is extremely important to Arabs for both spiritual and practical reasons......the body language and the greetings.....etc.

Generally speaking it is important to show respect for foreign cultures and the easiest way to pay tribute to someone in a foreign country is to be familiar with his/her conventions through a study of the customs and traditions of the people living there.

Just a little spit and polish, I have added a u to honour and you ask for English as in opposed to American English.

Ken