GIÁO TRÌNH TIẾNG ANH THƯ tín THƯƠNG mại (DÀNH CHO SINH VIÊN NGÀNH CAO ĐẲNG TIẾNG ANH)

When you know the name of the person you are writing to, it should appear as the first line of the inside address.. Salutation: a When writing to somebody whose surname you know, the sa

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC QUẢNG BÌNH

KHOA NGOẠI NGỮ -

GIÁO TRÌNH (LƯU HÀNH NỘI BỘ)

TIẾNG ANH THƯ TÍN THƯƠNG MẠI

(DÀNH CHO SINH VIÊN NGÀNH CAO ĐẲNG TIẾNG ANH)

TÁC GIẢ: PHẠM THỊ HÀ

NĂM - 2017

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Introduction

This material contains 7 units, each unit deals with one type of letter which relates to issues of business correspondence such as layout of a business letter, inquiry letter, response letter, comfirmation letter, and complaint letter It is hoped to provide the learners with a general knowledge of business All units have been carefully graded, following both a structural and notional syllabus Moreover, since the units highlight important and useful topic areas The material can be used to focus students’ attention on specific topic They are also used to supplement the writing skill of letters In this way, the units will serve both to reinforce learning and to motivate students

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

INTRODUCTION

is, in effect, a substitute for a face-to-face meeting Good correspondence helps to build and sustain business relationships, and its presentation creates an impression of you, as the writer, and of the company you represent

Bradley Office Suite 307 Tel +1 212 882 552

International, Inc Marine Building Fax +1 212 882 599

fjohnson@hartbrad.com New York NY 11300 www.hartbrad.com

me know if you require any further information

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10 Yours sincerely

11 Frank Johnson

Export Manager

III Layout of letters

1 Logo: Many companies have a logo on their letterhead

2 Address and company status: Details of the company’s address and legal status In

the example, the abbreviation Inc means Incorporated Different countries have other abbreviations that show the company’s status, e.g Ltd, Pty, PLC, SA Punctuation is

unusual these days

3 Your ref: In Example A, H1796 is the file reference of Southern Transport Services

When replying you should always quote any references that have been provided

4 Our ref: S4/92/fj is Hartley & Brad ford’s file reference

5 Date: The date should appear immediately below the sender’s address It is often

placed on the right hand side, although this is a matter of personal preference (More

details about dates in Unit 2.)

6 Addressee: The addressee’s name and full address, known as the inside address,

appears after the sender’s address on the left of the page It is often written like this: a) Name of your correspondent (if known)

b) Job title, or department, of your correspondent (if known)

c) Name of the building (not always applicable)

d) Number and name of street (or road, way, avenue, lane, etc.)

e) City or Town

f) State (or other administrative district) and postcode (also ZIP code etc.)

g) Country

No punctuation is necessary for the postal address

There are variations so use the form shown on the company’s letterhead For example, many European countries put the street number after the street name

Hot tip:

If your correspondent is located in a country which uses postcodes (or ZIP codes),

your letter and envelope should always show the code or it may be delayed

7 Salutation: This is the courtesy title and surname of the individual person you are

writing to, e.g Dear Mr Brown, or it can be an impersonal form of salutation, e.g

Dear Sir or Madam (More details about salutations in Unit 2.)

8 Body of the letter: various kinds of letters will be looked at throughout the course

9 Letter style: These days, nearly all organizations uses a block style of presentation,

as shown above in Example 1/A In the block style, all new lines from the inside

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address onwards are aligned to the left-hand side of the page The position of the letterhead details is a matter of company preference

You may find other styles, such as indented, which means that the first lines of new

paragraphs are further in from the left than the other lines, as follows:

am enclosing a copy of our standard agency contract for your reference

I look forward to meeting you

10 Complimentary close: The appropriate phrase should appear at the end of a piece

of correspondence, after the body of the letter, but before the signature block, e.g

Yours sincerely, Yours truly (More details about complimentary closings in Unit 2.)

11 Signature block: Your signature should always be handwritten immediately below

the complimentary close, followed by your printed name and, if applicable, your job

title or department Punctuation is not necessary (More details about signature blocks

in Unit 2.)

* Other features of letters

i) Enc: - if a letter is accompanied by documents, Enc, meaning Enclosures, is often

written below the signature block, and the types of document listed, as follows:

Enc: Standard trading conditions (2 copies)

Contract (1 copy)

Certificate of insurance (1 copy)

ii) p.p - this stands for per pro, a Latin phrase which translates as for and on behalf of

If p.p appears immediately before the name of the sender in the signature block, it

means that somebody, probably a secretary or an assistant, signed the letter on the sender’s behalf

iii) c.c - this stands for carbon copy It may appear at the end of a letter followed by

the name of the people who will receive the copy, e.g c.c Mrs L Green, Accounts

Dept It is used so the reader is aware that copies of the letter have been distributed for

information purposes The same abbreviation is used for faxes and emails

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* Addressing the envelope

i) The address that appears on the envelope should be the same as the inside address

ii) If you only want the addressee to read your letter, mark the envelope Private &

Confidential or Strictly Confidential

Hot tip:

Ensure that a return address is shown on the envelope If it comes back to you, the

addressee may have moved or gone out of business

* Spelling and grammar

If you have spell-check, use it! If you don’t, install it! Do remember, however, that

spell-check doesn’t correct grammatical or vocabulary errors, and it can’t check the

spelling of many names, cities, products, etc You still have to proofread your

correspondence carefully for mistakes

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IV Exercises

1 Match these words with the correct definitions

1 complimentary close a The title that appears before a person’s name

2 punctuation b The short form of word

3 correspondence c To read and correct a piece of written work

4 abbreviation d A phrase that usually appears at the end of a piece of a

correspondence

5 letterhead e Letters and/ or figures used for identification

6 salutation f Marks used in writing that divide sentences and phrases

7 proofread g Family name

8 surname h The words used to address the person you are writing to

9 reference i Printed stationery which shows the name and address of an

organization

10 courtesy title j communication in a written form

2 Which of the statements is True, and which is False?

1 A company’s logo contains details of their address

2 The abbreviation Inc after a company’s name means Included

3 It’s important to use the postcode in the address

4 It’s not necessary to use a salutation

5 The abbreviation Enc at the end of a letter means Enclosures

6 Spell-check can’t correct grammatical errors

7 There should be a comma after each line of the inside address

8 Letters should always be addressed to an individual

9 Signatures should be handwritten

3 Writing: Arrange these addresses into the correct order – use block style

a) 40 Oxford street/ Claims Manager/ London W1A 4AK/ Commerce Tower/ Mr J Brown/ Acme Insurance Ltd/ United Kingdom

b) NY 1100/ Executive Vice-President/ 2700 Grand Avenue/ USA/ Schmidt Finance Inc/ New York/ Ms Jayne Pavlvo

Words and Expressions

Layout (n): bố cục, cách trình bày

Letterhead (n): phần in đầu giấy viết thư (tên, địa chỉ…)

Look forward to (+ Noun phrase/ Gerund): mong chờ

In the mean time: trong khi chờ đợi

Enclose (v): đính kèm, gửi kèm theo

Reference (n): số tham chiếu, việc tham khảo

Abbreviation (n): chữ viết tắt

Addressee/ recipient (n): người nhận thư

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Punctuation (n): cách chấm câu, dấu chấm câu

Correspondent (n): người trao đổi thư

Salutation (n): lời chào đầu thư

Courtesy title: chức danh giao tế, xã giao

Block style: kiểu hình khối

Indented style: kiểu viết thụt vào đầu dòng

Clarity (n): sự rõ ràng

Consistency (n): sự nhất quán, trước sau như một

Complimentary close: lời kết thư

Stand for: là chữ viết tắt của…

On behalf of: thay mặt cho

Confidential (adj): kín, bí mật

Proofread (v): đọc và sửa bản nháp

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UNIT 2 PRESENTATION AND CONTENT

I Details of the presentation

In Unit 1, we looked at terms used to describe the arrangement of different parts of business correspondence We will now look at ways of presenting information to the reader

1 Date: The month should be written in full, not in figures The date can be written

with or without the abbreviations 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc For example:

1st April 2006 1 April 2006 01 April 2006

8th June 2006 8 June 2006 08 June 2006

Whichever form you use, be consistent, and do not change from one form to another Remember that the date should be the day on which the correspondence is sent, not the day you started writing it

Hot tip: If you receive correspondence about an important date which is shown in

figures, check the date with the sender

2 People’s names and courtesy titles: In Vietnam, the name sequence is family name

followed by given names, e.g Nguyen Dinh Thanh In other countries, the sequence may be given names followed by surname, e.g John Michael Brown or J.M Brown

When you know the name of the person you are writing to, it should appear as the first line of the inside address You can use the person’s given name and surname, or initial(s) and surname, preceded by the appropriate courtesy title For example:

courtesy title + given name + surname

People’s names are important, so always check the spelling

3 Other forms of address:

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a) You may know the job title of the person you are writing to, but not the person’s surname In Example A, the inside address would therefore appear as:

The Operations Director

Southern Transport Services

Note the use of the definite article The, which is not used if the person’s surname is

known, e.g

Mr Stuart Patterson But The Operations Director

<>Operations Director <> <>Southern Transport Services

<>Southern Transport

Services <> <>

b) You could also write to a department, e.g The Export Department (Dept), The Sales

Dept, The Accounts Dept, The Operations Dept, The Human Resources Dept

c) Another acceptable form is to write For the attention of after the address, as

For the attention of the Operations Director (or Department)

d) If you don’t know a name, or to which department your correspondence should be

sent, simply send it to the company itself, e.g The Midland Bank, Trans-Asia

Shipping

Hot tip: Correspondence addressed to an organization only could be seriously

delayed, especially if it’s a large organization You should always try to obtain a department or, better still, the name and job title of the appropriate person

4 Salutation:

a) When writing to somebody whose surname you know, the salutation begins Dear, followed by the courtesy title and the person’s surname, e.g Dear Mr Brown, Dear

Mrs Black, Dear Miss Smith, Dear Ms Jones

In Example A, the inside address reads Mr Stuart Patterson, but note that initials

and first names do not follow the courtesy title in the salutation:

Dear Mr Patterson

<>NOT <>*Dear Mr Stuart Patterson

<>NOT <>*Dear Mr S Patterson

b) If you get to know a person well, you can use their given name, e.g Dear Stuart If

in doubt, it is advisable to use the more formal salutation with the courtesy title and surname

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c) If you don’t know the name of a person, or whether they are male or female, use

Dear Sir or Madam or Dear Sir / Madam (NAmE: Ladies and Gentlemen)

d) Dear Sirs (NAmE: Gentlemen) can be used if you write to a company This

salutation, however, is now often regarded as old-fashioned, and could cause offence if the recipient is a woman

e) If you write to a man, but don’t know his name, use Dear Sir

f) If you write to a woman, but don’t know her name, use Dear Madam This

salutation can be used for both married and unmarried women

g) Punctuation: a comma can come after the salutation, but it’s not necessary In

Name, a colon may be used instead of a comma, e.g Dear Mr Brown:

Hot tip: When writing to a company you wish to do business with, avoid using

Dear Sir or Madam Such correspondence often goes straight in the bin, or it may

be deleted Make an effort to find out the name of the person you should contact If you can’t obtain a name, think about which department is most likely to deal with your correspondence, and address it accordingly

5 Complimentary closing:

a) Yours sincerely - if the salutation uses a person's name (e.g Dear Mr Brown, Dear

Ms Jones, Dear Professor Schultz), the complimentary close should be Yours sincerely

b) Yours faithfully - if the salutation is Dear Sir or Madam, Dear Sir, Dear Madam or

Dear Sirs, the complimentary close should be Yours faithfully

c) Yours truly - in NAmE, this complimentary close is often used in place of both

Yours sincerely and Yours faithfully

d) Best wishes - if the salutation uses a person's first name (e.g Dear Stuart, Dear Liz), the complimentary close should be Best wishes You might also find Best regards,

Warm regards or simply Regards, especially on faxes and emails

SUMMARY

How to write the salutation and complimentary close

1 to a person you know well Dear John Best wishes

2 to a man if you don't know his name Dear Sir Yours faithfully

3 to a woman if you don't know her name Dear Madam Yours faithfully

4 to a person you don't know whether the

person is male or female

Dear Sir or Madam Yours faithfully

5 to a man in the more formal way Dear Mr Smith Yours sincerely

6 to a woman in the more formal way Dear Ms Smith Yours sincerely

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6 Signature block: Your printed name should always appear below your handwritten

signature If applicable, your job title or department should follow In Example A, the

name Frank Johnson is written, but this could also appear as F Johnson, possibly followed by the appropriate courtesy title in brackets, i.e F Johnson (Mr.) Unlike

Vietnam, given names are gender specific in many countries That is to say, a name

such as Frank can only be male, whereas Susan can only be female Nearly all given

names are gender specific, although there are some exceptions

Hot tip: If in doubt about whether a given name is male or female, check on the

internet Some good dictionaries also have this information

7 Faxes and emails:

a) Faxes: Although faxes tend to slightly less formal than letters, it is advisable to follow the same conventions as letters for the salutation and complimentary close b) Emails: Emails tend to be the most informal method of communication, but the same conventions for letters should be used until a business relationship has been

established Some abbreviation (TLAs) are generally accepted, such as FYI (for your

information), NRN (no reply necessary), but if you’re not sure then use the full written

form Emoticons (or smileys) such as :-) and :-( should not be used in business emails c) Capital letters: Do not write emails or faxes in capital letters, or use other devices for emphasis Let the reader decide what is important

Hot tip: Don’t be too informal if you don’t know the recipient well

II SUMMARY OF SOME IMPORTANT POINTS

• The layout of letters has received the most attention, but do remember that many of the points about letters apply equally to faxes and emails If you don’t know the other person well it’s advisable to use the conventions of letter writing until such time as a business relationship has been established

• Try to put yourself in the position of the addressee, and ask yourself whether the layout of your correspondence contains the information he or she is likely to need This could be your courtesy title, your job title, your contact details, or whatever else you consider appropriate

• When writing the date, do not show the month as a number Write the month in full

• If you don’t have the name of a person, make an effort to find out, especially if your correspondence is connected with a sales proposal, or if you are writing to a company with whom you wish to establish a business relationship

• If you are writing to a woman, but don’t know whether she’s married or unmarried, use Ms

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• Use the correct salutation and matching complimentary close

• Do not confuse the style of personal and business emails Use the correct conventions for business purposes

III Exerciese

1 Which of the statements is True, and which is False?

1 It’s more polite to write the courtesy title Mr in full, e.g Mister John Brown

2 In the USA, 10/08/2005 means 8 October 2005

3 If the salutation is Dear Mr Brown, the complimentary close will be Yours

sincerely

4 If writing to Mrs Angela Brown, the salutation should be Dear Mrs Angela Brown

5 It’s safe to assume that somebody with the job title Manager (e.g Export Manager)

is a man

6 Emoticons should be used to make emails seem friendlier

2 Circle the best answer

1 Letters should always be addressed to a/an…

A individual B organization

C department D all answers are correct

2 If the salutation is Dear Sir or Madam, the complimentary close can be…

A Yours faithfully B Yours sincerely C Best regards D.Best wishes

3 The ……paragraph of my correspondence should give the reason for writing

4 … means the words used to address the person you are writing to

A surname B salutation C courtesy title D.first name

5 A list of items for sale is a/an……

A catalogue B quotation C price list D reference

6 CIF means cost, insurance and…

7 The date should appear immediately… the sender’s address

8 How many main parts does a business letter include”

9 The abbreviation Inc after a company’s name means

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A Included B Incorporated C Including D Incorporation

10 When replying you should quote any … that have been provided

Words and Expressions

Substitute (n): vật thay thế

Sustain (v): giữ vững, duy trì

Create an impression of…: tạo ấn tượng về…

Create an impression on…: tạo ấn tượng đối với ai

Figure (n): con số

Initial (n): chữ đầu

If in doubt: nếu không chắc, nếu nghi ngờ

Old-fashioned (adj): lỗi thời

Offence (n): sự xúc phạm, làm mất lòng

Comma (n): dấu phẩy

Colon (n): dấu hai chấm

Avoid + Noun phrase/ Gerund: tránh

Make an effort: cố gắng, nỗ lực

Obtain (v): đạt được, có được

Be likely to: có thể xảy ra, có khả năng

Establish (v): thiết lập

TLA (three-letter acronym): từ viết tắt gồm 3 chữ cái

Emotion/ smiley (n): biểu tượng trạng thái cảm xúc khuôn mặt

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UNIT 3 ENQUIRY LETTERS

I Factors for consideration

When making a written enquiry, remind yourself of the advice in Unit 1 and ask:

• What is the purpose of my correspondence?

• What response would I like to receive?

In order to answer these questions when making enquiries, there are a number of factors to consider, all of which relate to presentation and content These include:

• Your relationship with your correspondent, i.e whether you have had previous contact with the organization or individual

• The location of your correspondent, i.e whether in Vietnam or overseas

• Whether you are enquiring about goods or services

• Whether your enquiry is simple or complicated

II Content

1 Opening paragraph: Asking for general information, catalogues, etc

When requesting general information, there is no need to provide background information about your organization, unless you think it might help You may be interested in a specific product or service; if so, your enquiry should mention this fact Here are some examples:

a) Would you please send me your latest catalogue of laptop accessories?

b) Would you kindly supply your current catalogue and price list of educational books? We are particularly interested in material suitable for teenage learners

c) I would like to know if you have brochure that gives technical information about the KWM food processor I am particularly interested in the weight and dimensions of the

‘Supreme’ model

d) I am enquiring about ‘English for Tourism’ courses in Singapore next year Would you please send me details of the syllabus, and the course fees for overseas students? Other useful phrases for an opening paragraph are:

a) I am writing to enquire about

b) We would like some information

c) I would appreciate some information

Do remember that contractions should be avoided in business correspondence

Hot tip: If you send your enquiry by email, don’t forget to include your postal address in case the material requested has to be sent by post

2 Opening paragraph: Asking for more specific information or details

If you receive a catalogue or brochure, or see an advertisement, you may require more details about a particular item When requesting specific information, you should

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always quote the supplier’s reference, which could be a catalogue number, a course reference, or some other form of reference When responding to an advertisement, you should mention the medium and date

Here are some examples:

a) I recently visited your website to check your luggage range Could you please let me know whether the overnight bags, ref L802, are available in any other colours than black?

b) Thank you for your letter dated 27 March, with which you enclosed your current price list We are particularly interested in the ‘Young Learners Pictorial Dictionary’, and would like to know about the quantity discount offered for orders of more than

100 copies

c) I refer to your advertisement in the August edition of ‘The Business Journal’ for your new low-energy photocopiers Could you tell me whether you have an office or a representative in Vietnam who could demonstrate this machine?

d) With reference to your 2007 prospectus, I note that you will be offering intermediate and upper intermediate ‘English for Tourism’ courses, ET114A and ET214B I am not sure which course would be suitable for me, so would you please let

me know if I can take a placement test before enrolment?

e) Thank you for sending us the samples of leather and the trade prices If we place an order at the end of this month, could you guarantee delivery within 30 days?

3 Opening paragraph: Enquiring about a potential business relationship

i) If you have not previously been in contact with your correspondent, you should give

a brief introduction to your organization

a) Bettafruit is a major producer of top quality canned fruit in Vietnam

b) We are a leading textile manufacturer located in Binh Duong, Vietnam

c) Vietpharm represents a number of reputable pharmaceutical manufacturers, and we are now seeking to expand our product line

Hot tip: Draw attention to your company’s status, or that of your

correspondent In the example openings (a) and (b), the writers use top quality and leading, and in (c) the writer acknowledges the addressee’s reputation

(reputable)

ii) If somebody recommended you to write to a particular company, you should mention the fact Alternatively, you should mention where you heard about the company

a) I attended the recent European Trade Conference in Hanoi, where I spoke to Mr Rudi Voller of the Swiss delegation He suggested that I write to you about our extensive range of fruit and vegetable products

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b) We were advised by Mrs Kathy Kendall, of the New Zealand consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, that you were looking for suppliers of high quality children’s wear c) We recently learned from an article in the Saigon Times that your company wishes

to develop its market in South East Asia

d) We understand that you are the representatives for Excel Hotels International in South East Asia We would like to introduce our company to your principals with a view to establishing a service partnership

4 Middle paragraph

Examples of the structure and vocabulary of middle paragraphs follow in the correspondence models in this unit However, some straightforward enquiries only need opening and closing paragraphs

5 Closing paragraph

It is usual to close an enquiry by making a reference to the addressee’s response Here are some examples:

a) I look forward to hearing from you in the near future

b) We would appreciate an early (or urgent) reply

c) We hope to hear from you soon

d) A prompt reply would be appreciated

If you are sending an e-mail, you can close the enquiry more informally with a

phrase such as Thank you, Many thanks or Thanking you in advance

III Models and examples of correspondence

Words & Expressions:

ISBN: International Standard Book Number

Cost price: giá vốn, giá bán sỉ

Competitive (adj): cạnh tranh

Distributor (n): người phân phối

Incoterms

1 Simple requests for catalogues and/or general information

CORRESPONDENCE EXAMPLE 3/A

3/A i)

Dear Sir or Madam

Would you please send me your current catalogue and price list

I look forward to hearing from you

Yours faithfully

Huynh Ngoc Vinh (Mr)

Director

3/A ii)

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Dear Sir or Madam

Would you kindly send us your current catalogue and price list as soon as

possible

We are particularly interested in lightweight plastic shelving, suitable for use

in a hotel kitchen

We would appreciate your prompt reply

Yours faithfully

Tai Ling Chun (Ms)

Catering Manager

3/A iii)

Dear Sir or Madam

My daughter is hoping to study ‘English for the IT Industry’ in Melbourne for

six months next year Could you therefore send me a prospectus for your

college?

I would also like some information about your ‘Homestay’ accommodation

programme for students My daughter is 20, and would prefer to stay with a

family who have children of a similar age

I hope to hear from you soon

Yours faithfully

Le Thi Minh Chi (Mrs)

These three examples of enquiries could be sent by letter, fax or email However, a salutation is not necessary for an email, and the complimentary close could simply be Thank you, Many thanks or Thanking you in advance 2 Asking for more specific information or details CORRESPONDENCE EXAMPLE 3/B 3/B i) In this example, Professor Nam has already been in contact with Cavendish Publications, and obtained some of the information he requires He suggests that an order is likely if the price of the books is acceptable Read the correspondence and answer these questions: a) Has Professor Nam used the correct salutation and complimentary close? b) Where did he obtain the ISBNs of the books? c) What does Professor Nam need to know before he places an order? d) Which words or phrases in the letter have these meanings? 1 without delay ………

2 a lower price ………

3 sold without profit ………

4 a better price than other suppliers ………

We usually purchase books in quantities of 50 or more, so please advise us of

the discount that would apply We pass on the price of the books at cost price

to our students, so please quote your most competitive price

An early reply would be appreciated

Read the letter and answer these questions:

a) Where did Mr Loc see the advertisement?

b) What does ASEAN stand for?

c) What does Mr Loc want to know?

d) What is Mr Loc concerned about?

e) Which words or phrases in the letter have these meanings?

Dear Sir or Madam,

According to your advertisement in the latest edition of ‘Super Sounds’, the

ShowMaster home entertainment system will be available throughout the

ASEAN region in June 2006

Would you please let me know who the main distributor in Vietnam will be?

In the past I have encountered problems with technologically advanced

electronics because of poor after-sales service Could you please advise me

of your company policy in this respect, especially where warranty repairs are

Read the email and answer these questions:

a) In which country is Mr Scarlatti located?

b) What two things does Mr Thanh need to know before he confirms the order?

c) What does CIF mean?

d) What sort of terms are ex-works and CIF?

e) Which words or phrases in the letter have these meanings?

2 the price a company pays to a manufacturer …………

Thank you for sending the sample bathroom tiles and trade prices The

tiles have been tested and found to meet our cost and quality

requirements, so an official order will be placed shortly

Your trade prices are shown as ex-works, but I need to know the CIF

Saigon Port prices, and your normal terms of payment

I would appreciate an urgent reply, as delivery is required by 15 July

Read the letter and answer these questions:

a) Has Mr Phuoc been in contact with Mr Chatuchak before?

b) Is the correspondence about products or services?

c) What has Mr Phuoc sent with his letter?

d) What are the two positive words or phrases that Mr Phuoc uses in the second paragraph?

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3/C ii) In this example, Ms Hoa explains how she heard about Modern Elegance, and her reason for writing As in example 3/Ci, Ms Hoa doesn’t overload Ms Courtney with information Note that in the second paragraph Ms Hoa mentions that Vicotex do not yet sell to Australian customers, which indirectly suggests that Ms Courtney should therefore act quickly

Read the letter and answer these questions:

a) Have Ms Hoa and Ms Courtney been in contact previously?

b) Where did Ms Hoa hear about Modern Elegance?

c) What phrase does Ms Hoa use to say that Vicotex wants to sell to Australian

customers?

d) Is Stella Courtney married or single?

e) Which words or phrases in the letter have these meanings?

Dateline Courier Services

Unit 8, Cargo Terminal

Don Muang International Airport

We know that Dateline currently uses Ho Chi Minh City as its distribution gateway

for Vietnam, and would like to introduce you to the advantages that Danang can offer as

a second gateway The enclosed brochure provides some information about this

rapidly expanding economic zone, and further details can be found on our website

We understand that you are a regular visitor to Vietnam and would welcome the

opportunity of showing you our facilities in Central Vietnam Alternatively, we would be pleased to arrange an initial meeting in Ho Chi Minh City during your next visit

We look forward to hearing from you, and will gladly provide any further information

you require

Yours sincerely

Tien Phuoc (Mr)

Managing Director

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2 an event at which companies display their products …………

4 a particular region or country that buys goods …………

I recently met Mr Frank Dawson at a trade fair in Hanoi organised by

the Australian Chamber of Commerce He mentioned that Modern

Elegance would shortly be reviewing their contracts with suppliers of

finished clothing articles, and I am therefore writing to introduce my

company

Vicotex operates three production plants, and supplies high quality

articles of dress clothing to a number of fashion houses in Europe and

the USA At present, we have no business arrangements in Australia, but

we are keen to expand our market

I will be pleased to provide some samples of our finished goods for your

approval, together with any other information you may require about

Vicotex You might also wish to visit our website

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance I

look forward to hearing from you

Yours sincerely

Le Dinh Hoa (Ms)

Export Sales Manager

4 Initials and abbreviations

Some initials and abbreviations are widely used and recognized internationally For

example, in Correspondence Example 3/Bi we saw ISBN, in 3/Bii ASEAN, and in 3/Biii we saw the Incoterm CIF Other abbreviations used in correspondence are also widely recognized, such as Ltd Inc, enc and c.c., and emails have their own set of recognized abbreviations (TLAs), such as FYI

It is unlikely, however, that an overseas correspondent will understand the significance of some abbreviations or initials commonly used in Vietnam For

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instance, if you write about EVN or VNPT or FPT, you may have to explain what these organisations are and what they do

Hot tip: If you receive correspondence that uses an abbreviation you don’t

recognise, check with the sender It could be important!

• Don’t use contractions in business correspondence

• Don’t overload your correspondence with information

• Make it easy for your correspondent to reply by quoting references

• Ask for samples

• Don’t be afraid to ask for a discount, but ask politely

• Make sure you understand any prices quoted

• Use appropriate Incoterms

• If use abbreviations or initials, make sure your correspondent understands them

• Close your correspondence with a polite phrase

IV Exercises:

1 Match words and phrases with the definitions

1 Quantity discount a A price that’s as good as, or better than others

2 Warranty b A suppliers of goods

3 Leading c A lower than normal price for buying a large number

4 Competitive price d An agreement to replace or repair something that’s faulty

5 Prospectus e Information about school

6 Distributor f Important

2 You have decided to start your own business Invent your own convenience

service and write a letter to your bank manager asking for a loan

Your letter should include all of the following:

A short paragraph saying why you are writing

- A brief business plan For example, what will your company be called? What service will it provide? Have you found premises? How many people will you need

to employ? Have you carried out any market research? How will you advertise your company? etc

- An estimate of how much money you think you will need to start your business and a brief outline of how you arrived at this figure

- An ending in which you suggest possible times and dates for an interview and tell your bank manager how he/she can contact you to arrange the interview

Medium (n) (plural: media): phương tiện truyền thông

Prospectus (n): tờ quảng cáo

Enrolment (n): sự kết nạp

Reputable (adj): có danh tiếng tốt, đáng tin

Potential (adj): tiềm năng, có khả năng

Extensive (adj): có phạm vi rộng lón về số lượng

Consulate (n): lãnh sự quán

Principal (n): người đứng đầu, người ủy nhiệm

Straightforward (adj): dễ hiểu, không phức tạp

Prompt (adj): nhanh chóng, ngay lập tức

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UNIT 4 RESPONSE LETTERS

I Factors for consideration

When replying to a written enquiry, read it carefully and then ask yourself the following questions:

• What have I been asked to do?

• Can I deal with the enquiry?

In order to answer these questions, there are a number of factors to consider These include:

• Whether it is a general enquiry or a specific enquiry?

• Whether the writer has provided enough information?

• Whether you can answer the enquiry, or whether you need somebody else’s advice?

• The location of your correspondent, i.e whether in Vietnam or overseas

II Content

1 Inside address and salutation

When replying, it’s very probable that the enquirer will have given a name You

may also have a courtesy title (e.g Mr or Ms), and a job title (e.g director or manager)

or department If you have any of this information, it should be included in your reply

If you use the email Reply facility, the subject line may automatically show some of this information, following the abbreviation Re:

2 Opening

It’s usual to begin by thanking the writer for the enquiry, or by mentioning it politely You should also quote the date of the enquiry, and any other references that are appropriate Here are some examples:

a) Thank you for your letter (or fax or email) of 10 July in which you asked for b) Thank you for your enquiry dated 16 August regarding

c) We would like to thank you for your letter of 18 May regarding

d) We are pleased to enclose the samples that you recently requested

e) Further to our recent telephone conversation, please find enclosed

You may also choose to use an appropriate subject heading

3 Giving information

Examples of structure and vocabulary follow in the correspondence models in this unit Generally, however, you should quickly tell enquirers whether or not you can do what they asked about Here are some examples (refer to Unit 3, section 3.2.2):

a) The overnight bags, catalogue ref L802, will also be available in brown, blue and green from next month

b) We do offer a quantity discount to educational institutions

c) I have asked Ms Chi, from our Hanoi office, to contact you and arrange a

demonstration of the new Senator range of photocopiers

d) We encourage all students to take a placement test before enrolment

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e) We can supply these items from stock and could therefore guarantee delivery within

30 days of receiving your order

There will also be times when you cannot respond positively to an enquiry Again, tell the enquirer quickly, if this is the case, and provide a brief explanation Here are some examples:

a) We can only offer the overnight bags, catalogue ref L802, in black

b) We only sell books individually at the listed retail prices

c) I regret to advise you that the Senator range of photocopiers will not be available

in Vietnam until next year

d) We do not offer placement tests before enrolment because of the difficulty in

arranging suitable times for overseas students

e) These are not stock items and, unfortunately, we cannot guarantee delivery within

30 days of receiving your order

If you cannot meet the enquirer’s particular requirement, you may be able to suggest

an alternative Here are some examples:

a) Although at present we can only offer the overnight bags, catalogue ref L802, in black, we will introduce a new range of colors next year We will advise you as soon

as they are available

b) We only sell books individually at the listed retail prices, so please speak to our agents in Vietnam, DLT Publishing, who will be pleased to discuss quantity discounts Their contact details are

c) The Senator range of photocopiers will not be available in Vietnam until next year but, in the meantime, we are offering special discounts on our existing Consul 3000 range of photocopiers, which are well known for their reliability and trouble free performance I have asked our Ho Chi Minh office to contact you

d) We do not offer placement tests before enrolment because of the difficulty in arranging suitable times for overseas students However, you can take an on-line, self-assessment test at anytime by visiting our website at www

e) Because these are not stock items, we cannot guarantee delivery within 30 days

of receiving your order We could, however, supply half of the order within that time, and the rest within a further 30 days

4 Friendly persuasion

Responses are often addressed to potential customers, and encouragement to do business with your company should begin with the first contact In fact, correspondence of all kinds often involves persuasion in some form or another If you are replying to an enquiry about a particular product or service, don’t just say that you can provide these things It’s likely that the enquirer will have contacted other suppliers, so mention some relevant points that will encourage the enquirer to do business with you Here are some examples:

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a) Our best selling range of lightweight travel bags is guaranteed for 5 years b) The 2006 edition of the ‘Young Learners Pictorial Dictionary’ contains some exciting new changes

c) Our award winning Consul 3000 model has earned a worldwide reputation for reliability and trouble free performance We are confident that the new Senator range will repeat this success story

d) Our ‘English for Tourism’ courses have been specially designed for Asian students

e) We are pleased that the samples met with your approval, and can assure you that all our products are of the same high quality

5 Providing general information, catalogues, price lists, etc

It is important to let the enquirer know for how long the information or prices will remain valid If the product or service is about to be changed significantly, you should say so, and you should also point out any misleading information This is particularly true of prices Here are some examples:

a) Please find enclosed our Summer catalogue

b) As requested, we are enclosing our current price list, which is valid until 31 December

c) The enclosed brochure does not include details of our new courier service, which will be launched in August

d) The quoted prices will remain valid for 30 days, and will then be subject to change because of fluctuating raw material costs

e) We are enclosing our current catalogue, but would ask you to note that item numbers RS 184, RT 093 and RT 107, are no longer available

6 Transport costs

In Unit 3, Incoterms were introduced If your company is involved in international business, then it is highly likely that you will encounter Incoterms Correct usage and understanding are essential because Incoterms have legal status and are endorsed by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law Here are some examples

of quotations:

a) Price: US$ 800 per tonne FOB Saigon Port

b) Our quoted prices are CIF to all Australian ports

c) Our prices are EXW Hanoi, but we can quote CFR or CIF prices on request

Hot tip: Refer to the ICC website http://www.iccwbo.org/

7 Discounts and payment

Most international trade accounts are settled by documentary credit or bill of exchange, and you should familiarise yourself with these terms Discounts are a matter

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of company policy You should advise the enquirer of any standard payment requirements or discount policy Here are some examples:

a) The current trade price of the LT402 model is US$ 55.00 We offer a 10% discount

on orders of 25 or more, and a further 10% for orders of 100 or more These prices are FOB Saigon Port, with payment by irrevocable letter of credit

b) We can allow a 15% discount on our EXW prices, payment to be made by 30 day bill of exchange, documents against acceptance

You may wish to suggest that your quotation could be open to further negotiation This can be dealt with by adding another sentence, such as:

a) Please confirm that these terms are acceptable

b) We trust that this proposal is satisfactory

There will be further examples regarding payment and discounts in next unit

8 Closing paragraph

In closing your correspondence, encourage the enquirer to contact you again Here are some examples:

a) If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us

b) Thank you again for your enquiry We look forward to receiving your order c) Stocks of this item are limited, so please let us know as soon as possible if you wish

to place an order We hope to hear from you soon

d) Thank you for your interest in our company We are confident that we can provide the level of service you need, and would welcome the opportunity of showing you our organization Please let us know if you have any further questions e) We feel sure that you will be satisfied with the competitive price and quality of our products, and can assure you that your order will be dealt with immediately

Hot tip: Make it as easy as possible for the enquirer to take further action

Words & Expressions:

After-sales service: dịch vụ hậu mãi

Dispatch (v): gửi hàng đi

Dismantle (v): tháo dỡ

Freight charge: phí chuyên chở

Postpone (v): hoãn lại

Promotional (adj): (thuộc) quảng cáo

Rigorous (adj): khắt khe, nghiêm ngặt

Sufficient (adj): đủ

self-assembly shelving unit: bộ kê, giá tự lắp ráp

undergo (v): chịu đựng, trải qua

Alternative (n): lựa chọn, giải pháp khác

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Endorse (v): chứng thực, xác nhận

Enquirer (n): người yêu cầu thông tin

Fluctuate (v): dao động, thay đổi thất thường

Hesitate (v): do dự, lưỡng lự

Irrevocable (adj): không thể huỷ bỏ

Launch (v): đưa ra, giới thiệu

Misleading (adj): sai lạc

Negotiation (n): sự đàm phán, thương lượng

No longer: không nữa

Overseas (adj/ adv): ở nước ngoài

Probable (adj): có thể xảy ra

Proposal (n): lời đề nghị, đề xuất

Reliability (n): sự đáng tin cậy

Retail price: giỏ bán lẻ

Trouble-fee (adj): không trục trặc, không hỏng hóc

To be about to……: định/sắp

To be subject to……: phải chịu, khú tránh khỏi

III Sample letters

1 Providing general information, catalogues, price lists, etc

CORRESPONDENCE EXAMPLE 4/A

(refer to section 3.3.1, correspondence example 3/A)

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4/A ii)

Dear Ms Chun

Lightweight plastic shelving

Thank you for your enquiry dated 16 August As requested, I am enclosing our current catalogue and 2006 price list, together with some technical information about our self-assembly shelving units

The polymer units are ideally suited for use in an area where hygiene is vital as they can be easily dismantled and moved for cleaning

If you require any further details, please do not hesitate to contact me I look forward

to hearing from you

I am pleased to enclose our prospectus for next year, which contains details of

‘English for the IT Industry’ courses on pages 14 and 15 I am also enclosing some

information about the Homestay programme, which provides safe and secure

accommodation

Many Vietnamese students have successfully completed our English courses, and

young people particularly enjoy the social side of of Homestay The term begins in

January, but I would recommend that you enrol your daughter as soon as possible, so that we can ensure that accommodation is available with a suitable family

I look forward to welcoming your daughter to the college next January

(refer to section 3.3.2, correspondence example 3/B)

4/B i) In this example, Mr Lee confirms the quantity discount and uses ‘friendly persuasion’ to encourage Professor Hoang to buy from Cavendish

Read the letter and answer these questions:

a) What is Mr Lee’s reference?

b) Do the prices include freight charges?

c) How many book titles must be ordered to qualify for a 30% discount?

d) What else does Mr Lee offer?

e) Which words or phrases in the letter have these meanings?

Email cavendish@hkg.com www.cavendish.com

Your ref DOA/149/HVM

Our ref und/26109/sl 26 January 2006

Prof Nam Hoang

College of Architecture

96 Pasteur st Ho Chi Minh city

Dear Professor Hoang

Thank you for your letter of 19 January I am pleased to confirm that we offer an attractive quantity discount to educational institutions on all our titles The prices quoted in our catalogue are FOB Hong Kong, and for orders of 50 or more we give a discount of 30% In addition, I can offer free membership of our Internet forum, the Design Club, which carries the latest news of industrial architecture, and will enable your students to exchange ideas with other club members throughout the world

We usually dispatch orders by Federal Express, and I will be pleased to advise you

of freight charges when I know your exact requirements Alternatively, if you have a forwarding agent in Hong Kong, I can arrange delivery to their address

I would recommend that you place an order as soon as possible as a general price increase is expected in May Thank you for your interest, and I look forward to hearing from you soon

Read the email and answer these questions:

a) When will the ShowMaster Supreme be available?

b) What is the reason for the delay?

c) Who does Mr Binh work for?

d) How does Mr Tashaka imply that ShowMaster products are very reliable?

e) Which words or phrases in the letter have these meanings?

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1 a particular situation is regrettable ………

3 arranged to happen at a later time ………

4 checking that goods are of a high standard ………

In the meantime, however, you may like to consider our excellent ShowMaster Superb model, which has proved very popular A brochure is enclosed for your information

We have also asked Mr Binh from our distributors in Vietnam, D & B Electronics,

to contact you about the special discounts we are currently offering on this model

We have noted your comments about after-sales service, and can assure you that our products undergo a rigorous quality control process at all stages of production

We back this up with a 24 month warranty that guarantees repair or replacement within three working days

Thank you again for your enquiry I am sure that Mr Binh will be able to answer any further questions you may have

Read the email and answer these questions:

a) What does EXW mean?

b) What is the EXW price per carton of catalogue ref 1550?

c) What method of payment does Mr Scarlatti suggest?