INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale
Objectives of the study
The objectives of the study are:
This article examines bald-on-record politeness strategies, as well as on-record and off-record strategies, within the typical contextual environments presented in the "Market Leader, Intermediate" course book The study aims to analyze how these politeness strategies are utilized in conversational activities, providing insights into effective communication techniques in a business context.
- To put forward some suggestions for efficient ways of teaching the course book.
Research question
1) What politeness strategies are used in the conversational activities of the course book “Market Leader, Intermediate”?
2) Which politeness strategy is the most commonly used?
Scope of the study
Although there are a lot of important issues in pragmatics, this thesis only focuses on politeness strategies particularly expressed in conversational activities of the course book
“Market Leader, Intermediate” The investigation is based mainly on the theoretical framework suggested by Brown and Levinson [(1978)1987].
Methodology
The author utilizes both quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze data from the book through the theoretical politeness framework established by Brown and Levinson Additionally, various other sources are incorporated to support the conclusions drawn from this analysis.
Design of the study
The study is divided into three parts:
This part includes the rationale, objectives, research questions, scope, methodology and design of the study.
DEVELOPMENT
This part covers three chapters:
Chapter I: Literature review which focuses on the theoretical background of speech acts, classification of speech acts, politeness theory
Chapter II: Politeness strategies in conversational activities of the coursebook
This chapter examines four politeness strategies identified within the conversational activities of the "Market Leader, Intermediate" course book, focusing on their application in fourteen units The analysis highlights the use of these strategies across three prevalent speech acts: disagreement, agreement, and requests.
Chapter III explores the implications of politeness strategies for teaching English as a foreign language at Hanoi University of Business and Technology It offers valuable insights and practical advice for educators to enhance the effectiveness of their coursebook instruction.
Part III: Conclusion which summarizes the main findings, mentions the limitations of the study and give some suggestions for further study
LITERATURE REVIEW
Speech Acts
Speech acts, a concept first introduced by Oxford philosopher J.L Austin in 1962 and later expanded by American philosopher John Searle in 1976, explore the various functions that utterances can perform According to the Oxford Dictionary, a speech act is defined as "an utterance considered as an action, particularly with regard to its intention, purpose, or effect." This means that individuals utilize grammatical and lexical units not just to share information, but also to imply deeper meanings and intentions behind their words.
A speech act refers to actions like requesting, commanding, questioning, or informing, and can be defined as the action executed by a speaker through their utterance.
If you say, I'll be there at six, you are not just speaking, you seem to be performing the speech act of 'promising.'
A speech act can range from a single word, like "Sorry!" for an apology, to longer phrases such as "I’m sorry I forgot your birthday; it just slipped my mind." These acts encompass real-life interactions and necessitate not only linguistic knowledge but also an understanding of cultural context for appropriate language use For instance, examining specific examples can illustrate the actions conveyed through various utterances.
This sentence serves as a statement about the current atmosphere, but it also functions as a request directed at the listener, such as asking them to open a window or turn on the air conditioner Thus, this utterance exemplifies how statements can simultaneously convey requests Other common examples of speech acts we encounter daily include various forms of communication that blend information with implied actions.
Greeting: "Hi, Eric How are things going?"
Request: "Could you pass me the mashed potatoes, please?"
Complaint: "I‟ve already been waiting three weeks for the computer, and I was told it would be delivered within a week."
Invitation : "We‟re having some people over Saturday evening and wanted to know if you‟d like to join us."
Compliment : "Hey, I really like your tie!"
Refusal: "Oh, I‟d love to see that movie with you but this Friday just isn‟t going to work."
Effective communication relies on the hearer's ability to interpret the speaker's intentions through inference, taking into account the surrounding circumstances of the conversation These circumstances, known as speech events, play a crucial role in uncovering hidden meanings As defined by Yule (1996:57), a speech event is an activity where conversational participants engage through language in a conventional manner to achieve a specific outcome.
In the very influential book written in 1962, Austin claimed that speech acts can be analysed on three levels:
* A locutionary act: is the performance of an actual utterance and its ostensible meaning, comprising phonetic and phatic acts
An illocutionary act is fundamentally linked to the speaker's intention, encompassing actions such as stating, questioning, promising, commanding, and threatening These acts are central to the theory of speech acts, as they define how utterances are interpreted within a conversation Identifying the specific illocutionary act can be challenging, making it essential for the listener to understand the context in which the speech act takes place for accurate interpretation.
The sentence "The door is here" illustrates the concept of illocutionary force, as it can be interpreted in multiple ways It may serve as a literal response to questions like "Where is the way out?" or "Where is the door?" Alternatively, it can function as an indirect request for someone to leave This example highlights the dual nature of illocutionary forces, encompassing both direct and indirect speech acts.
Perlocutionary acts refer to the psychological effects that result from spoken communication, where the speaker's words lead to actions or realizations in the listener These acts encompass a range of outcomes, including persuading, convincing, scaring, enlightening, and inspiring individuals to respond or think differently.
E.g: Would you open the door?
The act is successful if the hearer recognizes that he should open the door As a perlocutionary act it succeeds only if the hearer actually opens the door
As another example, consider the following utterance: "By the way, I have a CD of
Westlife's music often serves as an invitation, exemplified by the phrase "would you like to borrow it?" This statement functions as an offer, aiming to impress the listener and foster a friendly atmosphere while also sparking interest in their unique musical style.
In conclusion, there are three acts or dimensions expressed via an utterance: locution, illocution and perlocution, in which illocutionary act is the main focus of speech act theory
1.1.2 Classification of Speech Acts 1.1.2.1 Function-based Approach
According to Searl (1976:10-16) and Yule (1996:53), there are five categories or five types of general functions performed by speech acts: declarations, representatives, expressives, directives and commissives
Declarations are speech acts that effect change in the world simply through their utterance, as noted by Yule (1996:53) The act of speaking itself creates a new state of affairs, making declarations unique in their power to alter reality Examples of such acts include baptisms, the pronouncement of guilt, and the declaration of marriage, all of which signify significant transformations in social or legal status.
Eg: Priest: I now pronounce you husband and wife
Representatives: these speech acts presents a state of affairs The speaker’s intention is to make his words fit the world
Eg: It was a warm sunny day
Expressives: are the speech acts which express certain psychological states or what the speaker feels such as: pleasure, pain, likes, dislikes, etc
Eg: I like fish and chips
Directives: are the speech acts which the speaker uses to get the hearer to carry out a future course of action This class consists of requests, commands and advice, etc
Eg: Could you lend me some money, please?
Commissives: are the speech acts in which the speaker becomes committed to doing some future action, e.g promises, guarantees, oaths, etc
Eg: I‟ll give it back to you tomorrow
Following Searl’s classification of speech acts, Yule (1996:56) summarizes the five general functions of speech acts with their key features in a table:
Speech act type Direction of fit S = speaker
Declarations words change the world S causes X
Representatives make words fit the world S believes X
Expressives make words fit the world S feels X
Directives make the world fit words S wants X
Commissives make the world fit words S intends X
Table 1: The five general functions of speech acts (following Searl 1979)
Another approach to distinguish types of speech acts bases on the structure of an utterance
In English, sentence structures are categorized into three main types: declarative, interrogative, and imperative Yule (1996:55) states that a direct relationship between structure and function results in a direct speech act, while an indirect relationship indicates an indirect speech act Consequently, speech acts can be classified into two types: direct and indirect Understanding these distinctions is essential for grasping the nuances of communication.
(a) Can you open the window?
The sentence in question is structured as an interrogative, yet its true intention is to request the hearer to open the window rather than inquire about their ability to do so Typically, commands or requests are expressed using imperatives rather than interrogatives This demonstrates an indirect relationship between the sentence's structure and its function, illustrating the concept of an indirect speech act.
The concepts in (a) and (b) convey identical meanings and functions, yet (a) is articulated as a statement while (b) is presented as an imperative This illustrates a direct relationship between the function and structure, categorizing (b) as a direct speech act.
In summary, indirect speech acts convey meanings beyond the literal words spoken, often demonstrating greater politeness compared to direct speech acts This politeness is particularly evident in various speech acts such as making requests, issuing commands, expressing refusals, and articulating disagreements.
In social interactions, individuals often choose their words carefully to foster positive relationships, a behavior known as politeness This concept is recognized as a pragmatic phenomenon that enhances human communication and emphasizes the importance of language within its social context While politeness is a universal aspect of culture, its expression varies significantly across different societies; what is deemed polite in one culture may be perceived as rude or unusual in another According to Wikipedia, politeness involves the practical application of good manners and etiquette, balancing the need for clear communication with the desire to avoid being coercive (Blum-Kulka, 1987:131).
POLITENESS STRATEGIES IN CONVERSATIONAL ACTIVITIES
Methodology
This study has one primary data source which is the course book “Market Leader,
"Market Leader" (New Edition) is a comprehensive business English course designed for both professionals and students, authored by experienced educators David Falvey, Simon Kent, and David Cotton This multi-level program focuses on English for business and has been developed in collaboration with the Financial Times, ensuring relevance and practicality in today's business environment.
Times is a premier source of global business information, designed for students at pre-intermediate to intermediate levels The book features 14 engaging units covering essential topics in international business The authors emphasize that it enhances communication skills crucial for success in the business realm and broadens students' understanding of the business world.
This study examines the third book in the "Market Leader" series, specifically the "Intermediate" level, focusing on 76 conversational activities selected from 14 units The analysis and discussions are grounded in the politeness theories of Brown & Levinson and Nguyen Quang.
2.1.2 Research techniques 2.1.2.1 Techniques for data collection
To collect the data, the author observed all conversational activities in the course book
“Market Leader, Intermediate” to find out utterances which contain politeness strategies
In her minor thesis, she concentrates on three prominent speech acts from the course book that utilize politeness strategies: agreement, disagreement, and requests These strategies are categorized into four types: bald-on-record, positive politeness, negative politeness, and off-record The analysis reveals 76 utterances distributed across 14 units, with a predominant occurrence in the "Skills" sections.
In this study, 76 utterances were analyzed and categorized according to various politeness strategies Each utterance was examined to classify it into specific categories, leading to a thorough evaluation by the author The findings and discussions are grounded in statistical data regarding the identified politeness strategies, providing valuable insights into the nuances of communication.
Data categorizing: All utterances that are collected from the course book mentioned above are categorized into different groups according to the requirements of the study using graphs and tables
Data describing: With different politeness strategies, describe their typical features as well as identified markers of specific types of politeness strategies
There are five steps for data analysis:
1 Examining the course book carefully The researcher examined the course book many times to pick up utterances in 14 units, especially in the Skills parts
2 Setting up the contexts, take roles of participants into consideration and discussing with colleagues and the supervisor to find out whether these statements are “natural” and
3 Classifying the politeness strategies based on the framework proposed by Brown and Levinson (1987:94-227) and Nguyen Quang (2002)
4 Consulting with supervisor, discussing with colleagues
Data Analysis
The author investigates utterances from 14 units of the course book to address the first research question, selecting 76 utterances for analysis after consultations with colleagues and a supervisor The results are summarized in a table, detailing the total number and percentage of four types of politeness strategies based on the frameworks established by Brown and Levinson (1978, 1987) and Nguyen Quang (2002).
Bald-on-record Positive politeness Negative politeness Off-record strategy
Table 2: The frequency of occurrence of politeness strategies in conversational activities of the course book “Market Leader, Intermediate”
This statistics is converted into the Pie-chart 1 below
Figure 3: The frequency of occurrence of politeness strategies in conversational activities of the course book “Market Leader, Intermediate”
The pie chart from the course book “Market Leader – Intermediate” illustrates the distribution of politeness strategies in conversations, revealing that negative politeness strategies (NPS) dominate with 57.7% According to Brown and Levinson, NPS emphasizes respect for individuals' freedom of action, allowing speakers to maintain distance and avoid personal interference, which is particularly relevant in business contexts where discussions typically focus on work rather than personal matters In contrast, off-record strategies account for only 4%, as indirectness is generally avoided in clear business communications Similarly, bald-on-record strategies represent just 9%, highlighting their infrequent use among professionals who prioritize politeness and formality in interactions.
The analysis indicates that the course book emphasizes negative and positive politeness strategies over other approaches This suggests that in trading interactions, individuals prioritize showing attention, concern, and deference to others to preserve social harmony.
This study concentrates on three prevalent speech acts—disagreement, agreement, and request—highlighting their associated politeness strategies as outlined in the course book The findings and discussions presented here are specifically linked to these speech acts, with a focus on the politeness strategies employed Below, a table illustrates the statistical distribution of each strategy across the different speech act functions.
Table 3: The frequency of politeness strategies in terms of functions of utterance
We are going to discuss each category carefully in the next parts
2.2.2 Bald-on-record Strategy in Conversational Activities of “Market Leader, Intermediate”
Among the four politeness strategies, the bald-on-record approach is the least commonly used due to its potential to threaten the listener's face However, it can be observed in specific situations such as emergencies, military contexts, or intimate conversations This is reflected in Pie Chart 1, where the bald-on-record strategy represents only 9% of overall usage compared to the other strategies To better understand the contexts in which this strategy is most frequently employed, we can refer to Pie Chart 2 for further analysis.
Figure 4: The frequency of bald-on-request strategy in terms of functions of utterances
Surprisingly, disagreement accounts for 57.1% of the bald-on-record strategy in communication While expressing disagreement can create offense and increase relational risks in social interactions, it is often necessary in professional settings, particularly during discussions among colleagues, where directness is essential for effective communication.
Paula: We should never have entered the market – it was a mistake We should sell out as soon as possible
Tom: I don‟t agree with that all
(Market leader, intermediate – Unit 11, track 11.7, p.99)
In a recent discussion among a retail group, members addressed the challenges faced by their Paris store The focus was on work-related issues, necessitating a direct and candid exchange of ideas To effectively tackle the problem, it was essential for all participants to openly share their perspectives and collaborate on potential solutions.
The second highest percentage of speech act using bald-on-record strategy is request with 28.6% In general, requesting means imposition on somebody to make them do something
If one does “request”, it is unavoidable to threaten other face Let’s consider the following examples:
Max: Could I just say something? I don‟t think it works
Carl: Let Stefan finish, please Max
(Market Leader, intermediate – Unit 4, track 4.3, p.35)
Carl produces a request towards Max to interrupt him and of course this utterance threats Max’s self-image However, the requesting seems to be mitigated thanks to the word
“please” In addition, Carl in this situation is the person who is at a higher job position than Max, therefore the imposition of the request seems to be lessened
In another case, we can hear a request on the phone
- Hold on a minute, please I‟ll transfer you to a supervisor
(Market Leader, intermediate – Unit 3, track 3.1, p.23)
In daily communication, we often hear or make that kind of request on the phone
Therefore even though it employs bald-on-record strategy, its imposition is not very strong towards the hearer
The speech act of agreement, which accounts for only 14.3% of speech acts utilizing the bald-on-record strategy, highlights a notable preference for more nuanced communication even in non-threatening contexts This indicates that, despite the safety of the situation, the bald-on-record strategy is rarely chosen, with only one instance of agreement recorded in this manner.
Tom: We need more information about where we are going wrong
Susan: I totally agree with you
(Market Leader, intermediate – Unit 12, track 12.4, p.105)
Susan wholeheartedly agrees with Tom on the need to find solutions to their discussed problem Her use of a bald-on-record strategy effectively demonstrates her commitment to contributing ideas without posing any threats to Tom.
In summary, while the bald-on-record strategy represents a small percentage among the four strategies, it is predominantly used in disagreement speech acts within the "Market Leader, Intermediate" course book This usage does not imply that speakers intend to threaten the listener's face; rather, in a business context, the application of the bald-on-record strategy appears to be mitigated.
2.2.3 Positive Politeness Strategies in Conversational Activities of “Market Leader, Intermediate”
The course book contains 23 utterances that utilize positive politeness strategies, representing 29.5% of the total (see Pie Chart 1 and Table 3) Analyzing these strategies by their functions allows us to understand the extent to which each speech act employs positive politeness The accompanying pie chart clearly illustrates these findings.
Figure 5: The frequency of positive politeness strategies in terms of functions of utterances
The chart reveals that a significant 91.3% of positive politeness strategies are employed in agreement, primarily due to strategies 5 and 6, which specifically express agreement with the hearer Consequently, disagreement constitutes only 8.7% of the use of positive politeness strategies, with no instances of request utterances found in this context.
Nguyen Quang (2002) identifies 17 positive politeness strategies, with 15 initially proposed by Brown and Levinson (1978, 1987) This article analyzes the positive politeness strategies utilized in three specific speech acts, detailing the frequency of their occurrence in the accompanying table.
PPS 1 PPS 2 PPS 3 PPS 4 PPS 5 PPS 6 PPS 7 PPS 8
Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum %
PPS 9 PPS 10 PPS 11 PPS 12 PPS 13 PPS 14 PPS 15 PPS 16 PPS17
Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum % Sum %
Table 4: Frequency of occurrence of positive politeness strategies in conversations of
These statistics are converted in the following chart
Figure 6: Frequency of occurrence of positive politeness strategies in conversations of
The data illustrates the use of positive politeness strategies in the conversational activities of "Market Leader, Intermediate," highlighting that strategy 5 (Seek Agreement) is the most commonly utilized, accounting for 65.3% of interactions This strategy enables speakers to establish common ground with their conversation partner by referencing "safe topics," employing repetition, and using minimal encouragers such as "Yeah," "quite," "definitely," "absolutely," "wow," "can't be better," and "oh, no."
“that‟s surprise”, “I can‟t believe it”, “thanks God”, etc
Let’s take the following as examples:
(Market leader, Intermediate – Unit 4, track 4.3 – page 35)
Philippa Knight: We‟ll have plenty to talk about
Maria Bonetti: That‟s for sure
(Market leader, Intermediate – Unit 2, track 2.6 – page 19)
Marcia: Is she the right person for us?
Alain: Definitely In my opinion, she‟s ideal
(Market leader, Intermediate – Unit 1, track 1.5 – page 11)
In the examples provided, it is evident that when the speaker (S) aims to demonstrate agreement and reduce the distance with the hearer (H), minimal encouragers are frequently utilized This approach serves as the most prevalent method for expressing the speaker's perspective.
The second highest percentage is strategy 2 (Exaggerate: interest, approval, sympathy with
Concluding remarks
Through the data analysis of politeness strategies in the coursebook “Market
Leader, Intermediate”, it is found that the frequency of occurrence of politeness strategies in conversational activities of the material are not always the same
Recent analysis indicates a preference for negative politeness strategies over positive ones, with usage rates of 57.7%, 29.5%, 9%, and 4% respectively for negative, bald-on-record, and off-record strategies The bald-on-record strategy is predominantly utilized in disagreements, accounting for 57.1%, while positive politeness strategies are rarely employed, with only 2 out of 23 utterances reflecting this approach Notably, positive politeness is most prevalent in agreements, reaching 91.3%, with strategy 5 comprising 65.3% of this total Other positive strategies, such as 2, 6, 10, 12, and 13, have minimal representation, and some have zero usage In contrast, negative politeness strategies 1 (48.9%) and 2 (42.3%) are frequently employed in requests and disagreements.
In the analyzed coursebook, negative politeness strategies are utilized more frequently than positive politeness, bald-on-record, and off-record strategies, with off-record being the least common at only 4% Notably, conversational activities rarely feature the strategies of 7 and 10, and other negative politeness strategies are virtually absent This indicates a tendency in English-speaking cultures to maintain distance and demonstrate formality and politeness in workplace interactions.
IMPLICATIONS FOR POLITENESS STRATEGIES IN TEACHING
Understanding politeness strategies is crucial for effective language teaching, as they facilitate smooth and natural conversations Therefore, it is important to emphasize effective methods for teaching culture and politeness, particularly in business English courses.
“Market Leader, Intermediate (New Edition)” at Hanoi University of Business and Technology (HUBT) Here is some advice for teachers of business English
The book "Market Leader, Intermediate (New Edition)" serves as a valuable resource for teachers to enhance students' understanding of cultural values and differences It enables students to identify acceptable politeness strategies—such as positive, negative, bald-on-record, and off-record politeness—in both English and Vietnamese conversational contexts Furthermore, students will learn that certain linguistic expressions may be appropriate in one language but not in the other, highlighting the importance of cultural awareness in communication.
Teachers should prioritize teaching language functions and speech acts over mere grammatical structures While students may grasp grammatical correctness, they often struggle with cultural appropriateness and politeness in communication In real-life interactions, demonstrating respect and politeness is crucial, often outweighing the literal meaning of words Therefore, educators are encouraged to guide students on how to communicate politely and appropriately in various English-speaking contexts.
When teaching "Market Leader, Intermediate (New Edition)," it is essential for teachers to create opportunities for social interaction, as engaging in real-life conversations is an effective way to learn social English By providing students with various social scenarios, teachers can guide them in understanding acceptable and polite expressions in English It is important to recognize that English communication, rooted in Western cultures, differs significantly from Vietnamese or Eastern communication styles Teachers must be well-versed in these cultural nuances, particularly the emphasis on negative politeness in English-speaking contexts, in contrast to the positive politeness prevalent in Eastern interactions This understanding is crucial for teaching politeness strategies effectively and preventing miscommunication Additionally, incorporating lessons on cross-cultural communication and politeness will equip students to navigate cultural differences and reduce potential culture shock in their real-life interactions.
In conclusion, teaching English effectively requires integrating its culture and politeness strategies To enhance the learning experience for students at HUBT using the "Market Leader, Intermediate (New Edition)" course book, educators should emphasize the importance of politeness strategies in their instruction.
CONCLUSION 3.1 Summary of the study
Limitations of the study
While the study presents valuable insights, it also has notable limitations It focuses solely on politeness strategies within three common speech acts—disagreement, agreement, and request—from a single coursebook in a series of three This narrow scope excludes other speech acts like suggestions and social interactions, which may impact the comprehensiveness of the findings Consequently, the limited selection of utterances raises concerns about the validity of the research results.
It is hereby suggested that a further study be carried out in other types of speech acts appeared in this book as well as the other books in this series
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POLITENESS STRATEGIES IN CONVERSATIONS OF THE COURSE BOOK
“MARKET LEADER, INTERMEDIATE” (NEW EDITION)
Unit Conversational activity Kind of speech act
Politeness strategies On-record strategies
- No I don’t want to give free advertising to companies I hate all the advertising hype around brands
- Ok, we all agree we want to increase our revenue by licensing our
- Is she the right person for us?
- Definitely In my opinion, she’s ideal
- Valerie, what do you think?
- I agree because she’s very good at marketing
- Pietro, can I have a word with you?
- What I really don’t like is the way airlines treat people on the plane
- I like flying but I really don’t enjoy being at the airports I don’t like the attitude of the airlines
- Could you put me through to extension 281, please?
- With new communications technology , do business people need to travel so much?
- Yes, I think they probably do
- Could you make it then?
- Oh yes, that’d be no problem at all What about 2 o’clock?
- Perfect.It’ll be great to see you again
- We’ll have plenty to talk about
- Could she call me back here at the hotel, please?
- Can you e-mail these sales figures through to head offices as soon as possible?
- Can you give me example of how a business changed its organisation and why?
- Can we move on the next point, the open-plan office?
- I like the idea It’s good for communication, people see each other at the office
- I’m not sure I agree with you there With open-plan offices, there’s a problem of privacy
- Stefan, what do you think?
- I agree with Max about privacy
- I suggest we use meeting rooms for private conversations or calls
- Could I just say something? I don’t think it works
- Let Stefan finish, please Max
- Well, I’m not happy about it I don’t think we should have a vote about it now I mean, I think we need a report or an extra survey done about this
- Right, can we move to the next item on the agenda, “hot-desking”, Max?
- Frankly, I was shocked to see the proposal about hot-desking I don’t think hot-desking works in close offices
- OK, how do you feel about it, Nancy?
- I’m pretty sure hot- desking won’t work unless we have an open- plan office I don’t think hot-desking works in closed offices
Unit - Can you give us an Request 1
5 example of a really good business proposal?
- Can you talk us through the typical planning and launch stages of a campaign?
- If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to interrupt me
- If there’s anything you you’re not clear about, go ahead and ask any questions you want
- And can you give us examples of typical cultural mistakes made by people doing business internationally?
- Not for me, thanks I’m not keen on fish
- Can we start, please? Request 1
- How do you feel about offering him a full-time contract?
- I’m not sure we should do it really
- I don’t think that’s too important
- What about his actual Agreement 5 work? In my opinion, it’s fine
- Could you tell me why you want to leave your present job, Mr Passerelli?
- Certainly I’m glad you asked me that
- Could you sumarize why we should offer you this job?
- I think I can offer you a lot
- Could you please tell me why you want to leave your present job?
- Could you please tell me why you want to leave your present job?
- Right I suppose, basically, I need a new motivation
- Could you sumarize why we should offer you this job?
- How about having some lunch now and continuing later this afternoon?
- Yes, let’s continnue after lunch
- Could you give me Request 1 some tips for negotiating?
- Right, let’s try to get ten percent off their list prices
- Can you tell us a little about your customer’s needs and their buying habits?
- How about if we send the first consignment by air to make sure the goods arrive on time?
- Mmm, sounds like a good idea to me
Good, we agree on price, quantity, discounts and method of transport
- OK, I think we've covered everything
- Great That was a good meeting
- Could you give me some details, please?
- Well, the eject mechanism’s not reliable
- Can you bring it in?
Then we can look into the matter and we’ll probably send the machine back to the
- I’m sorry but I’d prefer to exchange it
- I’m afraid it’s not our policy to replace items
- Well, that’s not really good enough
- Can successful businesses always behave ethically?
- On average staff took fourteen days off sick – that’s far too many
- Absolutely, it’s really damaging for us
- Of course, we’d explain why the present policy isn’t working
- Could you have a draft questionnaire ready by next Monday?
- Yes, I think we can manage that
- I thought you might like to know that Someone saw them together at a cinema last Saturday It looked as if they
- Thanks, Bob I’ve heard enough
- I can’t believe what you are saying, Carl I’m really shocked
- Why on earth do you want us to break up?
- It’s well, we’ve had some good times together, I know, but
- I think we talk too much about work sometimes And that’s not good
- I don’t know I think we talk about all kinds of things
- Yes, but I still feel I talked too much about work in the past
- Are you accusing me of using that information to help us designing our can opener?
- I’m not accusing you of anything, but some of my colleagues are sure I leaked information to you
- I think we need to separate for a while; at least until people have forgotten about the DC01 can opener.