Cross-culturalCommunicationontheTelephoneCheckthatyouunderstandwhathasbeensaid.Repeatthemostimportantinformation,andlookforconfirmation.Askforrepetitionifyouthinkitisnecessary.Remembertoothatdifferentcultureshavedifferentwaysofusinglanguage.Somespeakinaveryliteralwaysoitisalwaysquiteclearwhattheymean.Othersaremoreindirect,usinghints,suggestionsandunderstatement(forexample‘notverygoodresults’=‘absolutelydisastrous’)toputovertheirmessage.NorthAmerica,Scandinavia,GermanyandFranceare‘explicit’countries,whiletheBritishmakingclearexactlywhattheymean.OnereasonforthisseemstobethattheBritishuselanguageinamoreabstractwaythanmostAmericansandcontinentalEuropeans.InBritaintherearealsoconventionsofpolitenessandatendencytoavoidshowingone’struefeelings.ForexampleifaDutchmansaysanideais‘interesting’hemeansthatitisinteresting.IfanEnglishmansaysthatanideais‘interesting’youhavetoworkoutfromthewayhesaysitwhetherhemeansitisagoodideaorabadidea.Meanwhile,forsimilarreasonsJapanese,RussiansandArabs—‘subtle’countries—sometimesseemvagueandrudetotheBritish.Iftheysayanideaisinterestingitmaybeoutofpoliteness.Theoppositeofthisisthatplainspeakerscanseemrudeanddominatingtosubtlespeakers,asAmericanscansoundtotheBritish—ortheBritishtotheJapanese.TheBritishhaveatendencytoengageinsmalltalkatthebeginningandendoftheconversation.Questionsabouttheweather,health,businessingeneralandwhatonehasbeendoingrecentlyareallpartoftelephoning,layafoundationforthetruepurposeofthecall.Attheendofacall,theremaywellbevariousrequests,Nicetalkingtoyou,Sayhellotothefamily(ifyouhavemetthem)andlookingforwardtoseeingyouagainsoon.Asharp,briefstyleoftalkingonthephonemayappearunfriendlytoaBritishpartner.NotallnationalitiesareaskeenonsmalltalkasBritish!Beingawareofthesedifferencescanhelpinunderstandinghelpwithdifferentculturaltraditions.Thedifficultyonthephoneisthatyoucannotseethebodylanguagewhichcanhelpinunderstandingpeople.Choosethebestanswerforthefollowingquestions.4)WhatdotheBritishusuallydoatthebeginningofatelephoneconversation?