WRITING INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENCE

Eduardo Lozano, Elizabeth Soto, Leopoldo Hernandez

GLOBAL 500 TOP TEN

Exxon Mobil ranked #2 on Top Ten list

TYPES OF CORRESPONDENCE

Letters, Memos and Email

English mainly used for international business Other than English and different cultures

A translator can be used if necessary

The translator used must understand the purpose of the letter and have a background in the culture

CULTURE AND BUSINESS WRITING STYLE

Different cultural and linguistic backgrounds

Be alert to the needs and expectations of the readers of the appropriate culture U.S. has opposed to foreign countries U.S. is direct and concise [straight to the point] Foreign countries may take or expect three or four longer letters leading to actual action

LANGUAGE AND USAGE

Avoid American idioms

Avoid humor, irony and sarcasm Use easily understandable terminology

Write clear and in complete sentences

Long sentences should be divided into two or more sentences Avoid using an overly simplifies story book

Proof read for misspelled words

DATES, TIME AND MEASUREMENT

Countries differ in their formats for dates

Some use the day first, then the month, then the year (unlike the US)

To avoid uncertainty write out the month to make the date clear

Clock time poses similar problems

You need to specify time zones

Also metric system in the US is different than other countries

Consult up to date information on accepted conversions for numbers

THANK YOU