English for the

workplace Section 6:
U.S. holiday season
and intercultural
communication
strategies
 Thanksgiving: The
beginning of the Holiday
season in the U.S.
• Thanksgiving Day, is an annual national
holiday in the United States celebrating
the harvest and other blessings of the
past year.
• Americans generally believe that their
Thanksgiving is modeled on a 1621
harvest feast shared by the English
colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the
Wampanoag people.
• Thanksgiving is celebrated on the 4th
Thursday of every year, and is considered
the start of the Holiday Season in the
U.S.
How would Thanksgiving
affect the workplace •Most American companies
give their employees time
off starting on Tuesday of
the week of Thanksgiving.
•Additionally, it’s common
for co-workers to have
small pre-Thanksgiving
celebrations before
everyone departs for the
holiday.
•During the week of
Thanksgiving most
Americans greet one
another by saying “Happy
Thanksgiving”.
 • As the U.S. is a multicultural country with people of diverse
The American religious backgrounds, in professional settings most
Holiday Season Americans will give one another holiday greetings by using
the phrase, “Happy Holidays”.
 Are there any similarities between
How does how the holiday season affects
Macedonian workplaces?
the Holiday
Season How do Macedonians greet one
work in another during the holiday season?

North Are there any holidays that are

Macedonia? celebrated in North Macedonia
that are not in the U.S.?
 How can differences in culture impact
communication?
Communication issues For instance, consider
with individuals from direct vs indirect Usually non-Western
other cultures stem from communication styles. cultures, on the other
the ways in which a Western cultures and hand, are not as
particular culture applies parts of Latin America direct in their
hierarchies, understands tend to be much more communication and
communication norms, straightforward with their have a tendency to
makes assumptions about communication which imply responses or
interactions, finalizes and means they say what they avoid directly
acts on decisions, and mean and tend to be responding to
much more.  frank and honest with questions.
their feedback.
American business communication norms
• General Workplace Culture: U.S. business culture is typically less formal and less
hierarchical than other countries’, reflecting the American belief in equality. Employees
often address one another by first name, have greater access to superiors, and exhibit a
relaxed approach to dress and communication.
• Greetings: When meeting a colleague or client, it’s polite to stand and offer a brief, firm
handshake with eye contact and a smile. This is universally appropriate, regardless of
someone’s age, gender, or seniority. Employees often refer to superiors by first name,
rather than surname.
• Meetings: Meetings are typically 30 to 60 minutes, with a clear agenda. Punctuality is
important—the boss may arrive late, but reporting employees are expected to be on
time. Attendees are expected to actively listen and participate. Remaining quiet or using
laptops or phones may be construed as disinterest.
• Working Hours: Americans work longer hours, and take fewer holidays than most other
industrialized nations. The standard work week is Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm,
but be prepared to be flexible with your time.
What are some Macedonian workplace
norms?

Now that we have reviewed some

American business communications
and workplace norms, what are
some norms that North Macedonia
has in common with the U.S., and
what are some that are unique to
North Macedonia?
Methods of avoiding intercultural communication
misunderstandings

1. Avoid colloquialisms, jokes, and

idioms.

2. Repeat or confirm what you think

was being said.

3. Don’t ask yes or no questions.

 Avoid colloquialisms, jokes, and idioms.
• Humor is culture oriented and until you have spent significant months or years learning it, jokes should
be avoided as it can be easy to offend or belittle, and in professional situations that can spell disaster.

• Idioms should be avoided for a different reason, and that is that they vary greatly by culture and often
aren’t translatable.

• U.S. workplace idioms: Touch base offline (let's meet and talk)
Blue sky thinking (creative ideas free from practical constraints)
Punch a puppy (do something detestable but good for the business)
Brainstorm (to come up with several ideas)
Macedonian workplace idioms or jargon
• If you were meeting with clients from the U.S. what are some
Macedonian idioms that you would avoid to ensure there are no
misunderstandings?
• What are the meanings of such idioms and how could they cause
confusion for someone who is not already familiar with them?
Repeat or confirm what you think was being said
• It can be helpful to repeat or confirm what you believe was the
objective of the conversation.
• This process will help you avoid misunderstandings, especially when
speaking different languages.
• Write it out if you have to, but make sure you align
everyone’s understanding before moving forward.
Don’t ask yes or no questions.

• In situations in which you are interacting with coworkers or clients of

a different language or culture, yes or no questions can often be
susceptible to being not fully comprehended.
• Therefore, use open-ended questions to avoid confusion. With open-
ended questions, the person with whom you are interacting must
explain or clearly outline their point, making it easier to understand
their response and the context surrounding it.
 Homework! :) DUE TUESDAY, May 3rd
Obtaining confirmation
• One way to ensure that you retain the most essential information in any given
instance is to ask for confirmation.
• This is especially true when it comes to cross-cultural communication.
• If you were in a meeting with international colleagues, what are some ways you
could ask for confirmation on the following topics; 1. price negotiation norms, 2.
trying to connect with a high ranking member of a company, and 3. company
overtime work policy. Please write 3 sentences (one for each topic) obtaining
confirmation about the subject of the conversation or policy.

• Useful phrases to begin confirmation request: Just to echo what was said earlier
about…, I’d like to confirm the policy regarding..., Could you please go over___
once more please?