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

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 Introduction This material contains 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 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION UNIT LAYOUT OF LETTERS UNIT PRESENTATION AND CONTENT UNIT ENQUIRY LETTERS 15 UNIT RESPONSE LETTERS 26 UNIT CONFIRMATION LETTERS 36 UNIT COMPLAINT LETTERS 49 UNIT MISCELLANEOUS CORRESPONDENCE 58 TÀI LIỆU THAM KHẢO 69 UNIT LAYOUT OF LETTERS I Introduction Correspondence, whether by letter, fax or email, is an essential element of international business, in which English is generally recognized as the language of communication However, correspondence is not simply a matter of communication; it 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 II Letterheads Letters between organizations are usually sent on letterheads A typical letter sent from one company to another is shown below CORRESPONDENCE EXAMPLE 1/A Hartford and Bradley Office Suite 307 Tel +1 212 882 552 International, Inc Marine Building Fax +1 212 882 599 4200 Central Avenue Email fjohnson@hartbrad.com New York NY 11300 www.hartbrad.com USA Your ref: H1796 Our ref: S4/92/fj Date: 19 January 2006 Mr Stuart Patterson Operations Director Southern Transport Services 82 George Street Sydney NSW 2000 Australia Dear Mr Patterson Thank you for your letter of 12 January regarding your company’s distribution facilities in Australia I will be visiting Sydney in early March and will contact you shortly to arrange an appointment in order to discuss our requirements in greater detail I look forward to meeting you and, in the meantime, I am enclosing a copy of our standard agency contract for your reference and consideration Please let me know if you require any further information 10 Yours sincerely 11 Frank Johnson Export Manager III Layout of letters Logo: Many companies have a logo on their letterhead 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 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 Our ref: S4/92/fj is Hartley & Brad ford’s file reference 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.) 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 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.) Body of the letter: various kinds of letters will be looked at throughout the course 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 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: Dear Mr Patterson Thank you for your letter of 12 January regarding your company’s distribution facilities in Australia I will be visiting Sydney in March and will contact you in the near future to arrange an appointment in order to discuss our requirements in greater detail In the meantime, I am enclosing a copy of our standard agency contract for your reference I look forward to meeting you Yours sincerely Frank Johnson Export Manager Whichever style you choose, clarity and consistency are essential Don’t forget to leave a space between paragraphs 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 * 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 IV Exercises Match these words with the correct definitions complimentary close punctuation correspondence abbreviation letterhead salutation proofread surname reference 10 courtesy title a The title that appears before a person’s name b The short form of word c To read and correct a piece of written work d A phrase that usually appears at the end of a piece of a correspondence e Letters and/ or figures used for identification f Marks used in writing that divide sentences and phrases g Family name h The words used to address the person you are writing to i Printed stationery which shows the name and address of an organization j communication in a written form Which of the statements is True, and which is False? A company’s logo contains details of their address The abbreviation Inc after a company’s name means Included It’s important to use the postcode in the address It’s not necessary to use a salutation The abbreviation Enc at the end of a letter means Enclosures Spell-check can’t correct grammatical errors There should be a comma after each line of the inside address Letters should always be addressed to an individual Signatures should be handwritten 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: 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 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 dịng Clarity (n): rõ ràng Consistency (n): quán, trước sau Complimentary close: lời kết thư Stand for: chữ viết tắt của… On behalf of: thay mặt cho Confidential (adj): kín, bí mật Proofread (v): đọc sửa nháp UNIT 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 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 April 2006 01 April 2006 8th June 2006 June 2006 08 June 2006 Whichever form you use, be consistent, and 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 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 + Mr John Brown or Mr J M Brown given name + surname A common mistake is to write the courtesy title with the given name only Do NOT write: NOT NOT courtesy title Mr Ms + given name John Mary Hot tip: People’s names are important, so always check the spelling Other forms of address: b) Unfortunately, we cannot help you with your damages claim because the goods were sold on an EXW basis, and collected from our premises by your forwarding agents We have a ‘clean’ signature on our release note for receipt of the consignment in perfect condition We assume that you arranged insurance and would suggest that contact your insurers regarding this matter c) You have suggested that your order has not been completed within the agreed time, but we would refer you to our quotation ref DTR-1044-06 dated 14 July, in which we said that completion would take between four and six weeks Your official order number 2165/06 was received 10 August, and will be available for shipment on or around 14 September, which is well within the specified period V Models and examples of correspondence Words & Expressions: Compensation (n): tiền bồi thường Exclusively (adv): dành riêng, độc quyền Inspect (v): kiểm tra, tra There is no point in…: khơng ích 1.Dealing with a complaint CORRESPONDENCE EXAMPLE 6/B 6Bi) In this example, Mr Lee responds to Professor Hoang’s complaint (see Correspondence Example 6/A) Read the email and answer these questions: a)Who will pay the costs of replacing the books? b) Why does Mr Lee ask Professor Hoang to keep the damaged books? c) Who does Mr Lee think is responsible for the damage? d) How will Mr Lee try to get compensation? e) Which words or phrases in the email have these meanings? to give a document to somebody for consideration ……… without exception ………… money paid to somebody because of damage ………… to check something carefully ………… 54 From: cavendish@hkg.com Subject: Order DOA/149/HVM Date: 01 March, 2006 08:24:36 GMT+06:00 To:namhoang@ud.edu.vn Dear Professor Hoang Thank you for your email dated 28 February I was to sorry to hear about the water damage to the books, and will arrange for replacement copies to be sent free of charge by Federal Express, and advise you of the details tomorrow With regard to the damaged books, there is no point in returning them, but would you please keep them for a few days in case Federal Express wish to inspect the damage I will submit a compensation claim to them shortly Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience caused We use Federal Express almost exclusively for distribution and rarely have any problems Yours sincerely Samuel Lee Sales Manager Cavendish Publications Requesting more time 6Bii) In this example, Mr Hien has received a complaint from his customer, but he needs more information before he can respond Read Mr Hien’s email and answer these questions: a) What has Mr Adams complained about? …………… b) Which country were the goods shipped to? ………… c) What information must Mr Hien obtain from the forwarding agents? ………… d) Did the SS Pacific Trader leave Vietnam on time? ………… e) Where will the consignment be unloaded? From: hiennt@dbd.vnn.vn Subject: Order no 1055/RJA Date: 04 October, 2006 09:34:15 GMT+07:00 To: rjadams@ausconstruct.com.au Dear Mr Adams Thank you for your email regarding your order number 1055/RJA I am sorry to hear that you have not yet received the consignment, and I have spoken to our forwarding agents about this matter The vessel, the SS Pacific Trader, left Saigon Port as scheduled, and should have arrived in Brisbane 30 September I expect to receive an explanation very shortly, and will contact you immediately In the meantime, please accept my apologies for any inconvenience that the delay has caused Yours sincerely N.T Hien 55 VI Summary of some important points • Acknowledge complaints immediately • Thank your customer for writing • If you need more time, tell your customer why, and what you are doing • Never name or blame individual employees for a problem • If you make a complaint, make sure that the facts you present are correct • Complaints are made to put matters right, not too find blame VII Exercises Write a letter to deal with the following complaint Dear Sirs, We are sorry to inform you that your last shipment is not up to your usual standard The goods seem to be too roughly made and are inclined be inferior and are of shape By separate mail we have sent you a sample of this article so that you can compare it with your original sample and see the inferiority of the goods dispatched We have always been able to rely on the excellent quality of your goods, and we are all the more disappointed in this case because we have to supply these articles to new customers We ask you to let us know immediately what you can to help us in overcoming this difficulty We look forward to your early reply Yours faithfully, Write complaint letter You have just bought a new television for your new flat However, after using it for one week, you found that the quality of the television is very bad Write a letter to complain the supplier and give a suggestion to the problem 56 UNIT MISCELLANEOUS CORRESPONDENCE I Introduction In previous units we have looked in detail at different types of business correspondence We are now going to look at correspondence that is important, but does not merit a complete unit Some of the examples are of a social nature, such as letters of congratulations and seasonal greetings, but the same conventions apply as for other business correspondence What you say should be concise and grammatically correct, and written in a tone that is appropriate for the relationship between you and the recipient II Requesting permission to reproduce material If you are writing something such as an academic thesis, especially overseas, you may need to ask for permission to reproduce material in written or illustrated form Copyright laws differ from country to country and you need to check the rules In the USA, for example, the Fair Dealing rule allows the use of extracts of a specified number of words without permission, whereas Australia has some of the world’s copyright strictest rules For the purposes of this section, we will look at permission rules in the U.K., where a large amount of academic literature is published In the U.K., if you reproduce previously published texts or illustrations, it is your responsibility to obtain permission from the original publisher (and sometimes from the original author as well) Read this example of a letter of permission and answer the following questions: a) Who must a permissions letter be sent to? b) The letter asks for permission to use publications in which languages? c) What versions does the letter ask for permission to use? d) Why is a duplicate letter enclosed? (Your address, etc.) Dear Sir/Madam, I should like to request permission to use the following material from your book/journal: Author/Editor: Book/Journal Title: Chapter/Article Title: ISBN: Year of publication: Material: The material is to be included in (describe what you are producing or writing) Title: 57 Probable publication date: Estimated number of pages: Rights required: Non-exclusive world rights in all languages; non-exclusive rights to reproduce this material in electronic and paper versions (or any subsidiary rights in such an electronic version) Full acknowledgement to the source will be made If it is necessary to apply to the author also, I should be grateful if you could give me the address I should write to A duplicate of this letter is enclosed for your convenience Please indicate your approval of this permission by signing the duplicate letter and returning it to me as soon as possible Yours faithfully, The duplicate letter should contain these words after your signature block: PERMISSION GRANTED FOR THE USE REQUESTED ABOVE: (Type name of addressee) Name & Title: Signature: Date: Company stamp or seal: III Reservations When traveling on business, it is important to confirm the details of your travel arrangements with an agency or directly with the operator This could include flight or train reservations, car hire and hotel accommodation Ensure that you provide all the necessary information and add any specific requirements Read this example of an email confirming a hotel reservation, and answer these questions: a) What grade of room has been reserved? b) How many rooms have been reserved? c) Will Mr Huynh and Mr Ly stay at the hotel on the night of 22 September? d) How will they get from the airport to the hotel? e) What is Mr Huynh’s specific requirement? From: Vietbuild@hcm.vnn.vn Subject: Reservation Date: 11 September, 2006 10:48:20 GMT+07:00 To: reservations.palace@thfhotels.com Dear Ms Nhan Thank you for sending the room tariffs and information about the hotel I would now like to book two standard rooms in the names of Mr Huynh K.V and Mr Ly T.L for nights from 19 September 58 Please note that Mr Huynh would like a non-smoking room Both gentlemen will arrive in Bangkok on flight VN162 at 12.50, 19 September As discussed earlier, would you please arrange for a hotel courtesy car to pick them up at the airport Would you kindly confirm these arrangements as soon as possible Kind regards Do Thieu Chau Vietnam Building Corporation IV Thanks There are numerous occasions when a letter of thanks to a business associate is appropriate This could include such matters as hospitality, assistance, quick response, and business referral A brief letter or email will be greatly appreciated by the recipient and will offer encouragement for the favour to be repeated Here are some examples: a) Thanks for a business referral Dear Karl Mr Akanksha, the managing director of Amrit Industries in New Delhi, recently contacted me regarding agency representation of his company in Vietnam Mr Akanksha advised me that the recommendation had been made by you, and I am writing to thank you for your kindness and consideration I hope that I will be able to reciprocate when the opportunity arises Kindest regards Thanh b) Thanks for hospitality Dear Ms Nurburg I am writing to thank you for the kindness and assistance you gave Mr Nguyen during his recent visit to Frankfurt He has written a full report about your requirements in 2007, and spoken warmly about your courtesy and hospitality I will be in contact with you again shortly with some preliminary proposals for your consideration Yours sincerely Le Dai Nam Managing Director V Seasonal or holiday greetings Seasonal greetings are a pleasant feature of business relationships but your greeting depends largely on how well you know the addressee A very important point to remember is that not every country and culture shares the same festivals, especially those that have religious significance Care should be taken 59 before sending a greeting, or you run the risk offending somebody For example, a Christmas card sent to a Muslim customer could have disastrous consequences Cards You can either post a card or send an e-card for particular festivals, but the basic business correspondence guidelines still apply, and your greetings message should be grammatically correct and brief If you are sending a card to a business associate, keep the image professional Whether sent through the mail or electronically, greetings cards to business associates should always be sent to the addressee’s place of work, rather than to a home address Your company’s name should appear somewhere inside the card, because there’s a possibility that the recipient will not recognise your signature Letters E-cards or email greetings can give an impression of being rather impersonal, so a brief letter is a nice, personalized touch You could also use the letter as a friendly way of informing a business associate that your company will be closed for a holiday period Here are some examples: a) Western New Year Dear Boris May I extend my very best wishes to you and your staff for the New Year I look forward to working with you again in 200_, and to our continued friendship and co-operation Kind regards b) Vietnamese New Year Dear Mr Longman The Tet holiday celebrating the Vietnamese New Year begins on (appropriate date), which means that our office will be closed from (appropriate date) to (appropriate date) During the holiday emails will be checked regularly, and I can always be contacted on my mobile, if the need arises May I offer you and your staff my very best wishes at this special time or, as we say in Vietnam, chuc mung nam moi! Yours sincerely VI Congratulations If a business associate gains a promotion or, perhaps, an award or an honour, a brief letter of congratulation will be greatly appreciated and long remembered Here are some examples: 60 a) Dear Mrs Shah I have just read about the special award you received for technological innovation at the Asian Software Conference in Kuala Lumpur May I add my congratulations for this well deserved honour, which recognises your contribution to the dynamic progress of our industry Yours sincerely b) Dear Bruno I received the email from the CEO, Mr Jurgen, about your appointment as Regional Director The promotion comes as no surprise to me because I know how hard you have worked for the company’s best interests Congratulations from all of us in the Hanoi office With best wishes VII Sympathy Letters of condolence following the death of a business associate are not easy to write, so the best guideline is keep it brief and sincere A letter is more appropriate than an email, and should be addressed to a senior member of the company Here is an example: Dear Mr Samsara I was very saddened and shocked to learn of Mr Delmar’s sudden death, and would like to express my personal sympathy and on behalf of my colleagues Mr Delmar visited our office on a number of occasions and we always appreciated his advice and support He was a credit to the company and will be greatly missed Please offer my condolences to his family Yours sincerely Note that there are no religious references Unless you knew the person well enough, any mention of religion should be avoided VIII Employment Words & Expressions: Accomplishment (n): thành quả, thành tựu Adequately (adv): tương xứng, thỏa đáng Asset (n): tài sản, vốn quý Backhand (n): cú đánh trái (thể thao) Bonus scheme: kế hoạch, chương trình thưởng Dedication (n): cống hiến Deserve (v): xứng đáng Discourteous (adj): bất lịch sự, khiếm nhã Fade (v): phai mờ Insult (v): lời lăng mạ, xúc phạm 61 Integrate (v): hòa nhập, hội nhập Irritation (n): cáu gắt, bực tức Loyalty (n): trung thànhs Resign (v): từ chức, việc Resignation (n): việc/ đơn từ chức, xin việc Revenue (n): doanh thu Unrivalled (adj): khơng sánh Condolence (n): lời chia buồn Disastrous (adj): tai hại Extract (n): đoạn trích Hospitality (n): lịng mến khách, hiếu khách innovation (n): đổi Preliminary (adj): mở đầu, sơ Subsidiary (adj): phụ, phụ trợ Tariff (n): bảng giá Thesis (n): luận văn, luận án There are several other areas in which correspondence relating to employment may be necessary, and we will now look at two of those situations Asking for an increase in pay Asking for a bigger salary is not easy Much depends on the size of the company you are working for, and whether or not you have direct contact with the person who makes the decision If you feel that you deserve more money, check your employment contract before you anything else If there’s a clause covering the process for requesting a pay rise, then follow the instructions exactly Alternatively, the contract may specify a schedule of periodic salary review If so, you should wait until the next review date before you enter into negotiations When the time is right to ask for an increase, simply saying I need more money is unlikely to be successful You should prove that you deserve a pay rise by pointing out your value to the company because of what you have done Mention specific achievements and, if appropriate, quote supporting figures Some of the things you could mention are: • Increased sales revenue • Beating revenue targets • Improved customer service • Customer satisfaction • Meeting deadlines • Examples of initiative • Extra responsibilities 62 • Reducing or saving overhead costs • Unpaid overtime CORRESPONDENCE EXAMPLE 8/A In this example, Mr Hoang is writing to his employer to request a pay rise, which he supports by detailing some of his accomplishments Dear Mr Mendoza I enjoy my work with Consolidated Shipping Services, and trust that you will agree that I have accomplished a great deal in the two years that I have been with the company The Hanoi office has integrated successfully with our worldwide network, and during my time as General Manager I have also been responsible for the following major projects and achievements: • Relocation to new premises • Re-organization of staff duties resulting in a significant reduction in annual salary costs • Introduction of a new customer service policy • Sales revenue 18% above target in the last financial year The demanding workload has required many hours of additional work outside my contracted hours, and I feel that my loyalty and dedication should be adequately rewarded I am therefore requesting a salary increase of 10% with effect from next month, to be followed by a performance related bonus scheme commencing in March next year I have some proposals for setting targets for this scheme and would like to discuss the matter with you in greater detail during the sales conference in Hong Kong in November In the meantime, I look forward to receiving your confirmation that the requested salary increase has been approved Yours sincerely Pham Quoc Hoang Note that Mr Hoang has proposed the specific increase of 10%, rather than just asking for a pay rise and leaving it to the employer to propose a figure You should have a reasonable figure in mind and be prepared to negotiate with your employer If the increase you requested is not granted, you may be able to negotiate other benefits, such as medical insurance, pension contributions or longer paid holiday time If your responsibilities are almost the same as the original job description, you could ask your employer what you can to earn a pay rise For example, you could ask for additional responsibilities, or suggest a new project for you to supervise You may prefer to meet your employer to discuss your request rather than putting it in writing first If so, send a brief letter to your employer to say why you would like a meeting, and propose a convenient time Here is an example: 63 Dear Mr Tashaka As you know I have recently been given additional responsibilities, and I greatly appreciate the confidence you have shown in me I would now like to propose a salary increase that relates to the satisfactory performance of my new responsibilities I would like to arrange a meeting with you next week in order to discuss the matter Please let me know a convenient day and time Yours sincerely Pham Quoc Hoang Hot tip: Threatening to resign if you don’t get a pay rise rarely works Resignation Letters of resignation are often quickly written in moments of anger or irritation, and things may be said that are later regretted As in all business correspondence, however, it is very important to remain polite, because it’s the last formal correspondence you are likely to have with an employer If you leave a company under unpleasant circumstances, not write a letter of resignation that contains insults or criticism of the company, or individual employees The letter will be filed as a permanent part of your employment records and can be referred to at any time A new employer may conduct a background check and will not be impressed to learn that you acted unprofessionally by using discourteous language People who handle their own difficult situations well are seen by employers as people who can handle difficult situations in business well, and as such your value and potential increases It’s much better to simply state that you are leaving, the date of your departure, and even a brief word of thanks The letter should show your home address and be sent to your immediate superior, or another responsible person, in the organisation that you are leaving Here is an example: 64 CORRESPONDENCE EXAMPLE 8/B Le Thi Minh Loan 123 Nguyen Thien Thuat District - HCMC Tel: 84 9233600 E-mail: minhloan@gmail.com 2nd August 2006 Mrs Joan Gilchrist Corporate Relations Manager Benson Hotel 43 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai District - HCMC Dear Mrs Gilchrist I wish to give notice of my intention to resign my position as Events Co-ordinator In accordance with my contract of employment I am happy to continue to work for the notice period of weeks, and will therefore leave 30th August next My three years with the hotel has been a rewarding experience and I would like to thank you for the support and guidance you have provided Yours sincerely Le Thi Minh Loan You may, of course, part from your employer on very good terms You could be leaving to follow another career path, or simply because a better opportunity has arisen, or to return to college or university for further studies In this case, you may choose to write a longer, more personal letter, and you could mention some of the following: • Your reasons for leaving • Your regrets at leaving • Your friendship with colleagues • Positive experiences with the company • Gratitude for opportunities provided and what you have learned • A wish to remain in contact • Personal thanks to your boss • Your best wishes for the company’s future When composing the letter, try to the focus on the company rather than on your own hopes and wishes In this example, Nhan says some very positive things about his employer CORRESPONDENCE EXAMPLE 8/C 65 Nguyen Thanh Nhan 246/10 Nguyen Chi Thanh Ha Noi Tel: 84 8745623 12 October 2006 Mr Philip Overton Development Manager Maxim Banking Corporation 34 Ly Thai To Ba Dinh District Ha Noi Dear Philip I am writing to give notice of my resignation from the position of New Accounts Officer, effective 09 November 2006 As you know, I have a degree in Computer Science and an excellent opportunity has arisen in this particular field, and I feel that this is the direction my career should take Leaving the bank was not an easy decision, and I will be sorry to say goodbye to my colleagues, whose company and friendship I have enjoyed during the past four years The bank has been an excellent employer and provided staff facilities that are unrivalled in Vietnam I can truly say that as well as benefiting from the training and educational programmes, I also developed a great backhand on the tennis court! I would like to thank you for the encouragement and support you always gave, and I hope that we can stay in touch I wish you and Maxim Bank every success in the future Warm regards, Nguyen Thanh Nhan Note that Nhan has not mentioned his new employer It’s better to avoid talking about another company, especially if a competitor is involved However, if you are returning to university, you should tell your employer, because you may wish to return to the same company after completing your studies Hot tip: If possible, deliver your letter personally Requesting letters of recommendation If you are leaving on good terms, ask your manager for a letter of reference, even if you already have a new job You may want to change jobs again in the future and a recommendation from a former employer is a valuable asset Managers also move on, and people’s memories fade, so the reference needs to be written while you are still remembered Ask your employer to include positive comments about your personality and achievements 66 IX Exercise: Read Victoria’s invitation It is my birthday next Saturday and I am going to the cinema with a few friends Do you fancy joining us? We are going to see “The Sentinel” I am really looking forward to it Hope you can come with us Victoria RSVP 29Mill Rd Tel 6451453 Write a note accepting Victoria’s invitation including this information + Thank her for the invitation + Accept the invitation + Add a P.S to ask a question about the occasion Write a note declining Victoria’s invitation including this information + Thank her for the invitation + Decline the invitation + Give your reason for declining it 67 TÀI LIỆU THAM KHẢO Keith Harding and Liz Taylor, (2005), International Express1, 2, 3, Oxford University Press KusumalRajatanun,(2001) Communicative Business English Thamasat University Press John Hughes, (2004) Business Focus Oxford University Press John Hughes & Jon Naunton, (2007) Business Result - Intermediate Oxford University Press Martyn Hobbs and Julia Star Keddle, (2007), Commerce1, 2, Oxford University Press Nguyễn Thành Yến, (2004) Tiếng Anh thư tín thương mại NXB tổng hợp TP Hồ Chí Minh Sarah Bales, Đỗ Thị Nữ, (2002) English in Economics and Business Nhà xuất thống kê Simon Sweeney, (2000) Communicating in Business Cambridge University Press Vicki Hollett, (2006) Business Objectives Oxford University Press 10 Websites: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/business/tendays/day3.shtml http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-podcast-professionals-hotel-english.htm http: // www.cup.cam.ac.uk 68 ... recipient (n): người nhận thư 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... dao động, thay đổi thất thư? ??ng Hesitate (v): dự, lưỡng lự Irrevocable (adj): huỷ bỏ Launch (v): đưa ra, giới thiệu Misleading (adj): sai lạc Negotiation (n): đàm phán, thư? ?ng lượng No longer:... ràng Consistency (n): quán, trước sau Complimentary close: lời kết thư Stand for: chữ viết tắt của… On behalf of: thay mặt cho Confidential (adj): kín, bí mật Proofread (v): đọc sửa nháp UNIT