BELESKE SA PREDAVANJA I VEZBI ENGLESKI JEZIK
II
Nadežda Mihajlović
BUSINESS ACROSS THE LANGUAGE GAPS
Communications today between companies are becoming faster
and faster. But there is still one problem that has not bean
completely resolved- the problem of language. In the United
States or Britain, for example, most companies are used to
dealing in English. This is fine if you are buying from a German,
Indian or Nigerian Company. However, when it comes to selling
abroad, American and British companies are finding that things
are not so simple
Take the case of a London-based supplier of plastics.
Managers were delighted when they landed a multi-million pound
contract to supply casings for computers and other electronic
equipment to a factory in Iran... Everything went well at
first... However, problems began to develop after a few months.
The British Company had received a large quantity of
correspondence in Farsi. But there was no one in the London
office that could read the faxes and letters. So they were sent
out to a firm of translators and there was a long delay in
replying to them The Iranian Company grew increasingly frustrated
at the delays and finally cancelled the contract. It placed its
orders instead with a French firm employing a number of Farsi
speakers.
Most companies faced with problems like this have little idea
of how to set up language training programmed. Some companies
then rely on managers' individual efforts. Others hope that
secretaries picked up enough French at night School to be able to
deal with correspondence.
These responses are not good enough according to a report
from the University of London Language in Business Programmed
(ULLBP) The report suggests that personnel and training managers
need to think more carefully about the way they plan language
training in a Company.
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Effective language training programmed must begin with an
assessment of language needs in a Company. One approach is to
make a list of the company's main overseas customers and
suppliers. This gives a clear idea of which languages are
necessary. If your main markets are in South America, then
Spanish, and possibly Portuguese, should be high on the agenda.
The next step is to look at the linguistic abilities of
employees in a Company. A "language awareness test" can help
trainers to select those workers who will benefit most from
spending time on a new language. A ULLBP study suggests that
English speakers who have never studied a language before loam
more slowly. They can take three or even four times longer to
reach intermediate level in French or German than experienced
language learners.
This type of language audit can help a Company to plan its
training coherently and, in the long run, to make large cost
savings.
CONFIRMATION AND EXECUTION OF ORDERS
When an order is received the usual practice is to confirm
(acknowledge) it at once. Some firms use a standard printed form
for this purpose. It is better; however, to send a letter in
which the confirmation takes the form of s repetition of the
order. This turns the order into a firm contract,
After the order has been confirmed, the required goods should
be sent without delay, if they are in stock. When the goods are
sent, the customer must be informed a) what has beer sent; b) the
time it was sent; c) the means of transport by which it has been
sent. If the order is for a future delivery, it is entered into
the order book, while orders, which can be executed from stock,
are passed to the warehouse.
There are always some orders, which cannot be executed
according to the offer given. The reasons for this may include
the following: some articles may be out of stock, the seller
cannot promise the delivery date, which the customer requires. In
all these cases further correspondence is necessary until
everything has been cleared,
EXERCISES:
Put into direct speech:
1. Mr. Smith said that they had 300 cars in stock
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Cotton and wool are packed in bates. Bales are used for soft
goods and can be made in different sizes.
Cans or tins are used for packing paint and foodstuffs.
Chemicals are packed in carboys and drums.
Nowadays many goods are carried in large containers. This is
practical, because goods need little packing before they are put
into a container. It is also safe because goods do not break.
Another advantage is that it is very simple to transport goods in
containers, as containers can be put on any form of transport. In
short, containers save time are easy to handle and protect the
goods. Many companies buy containers designed specially for their
goods.
Different goods require different methods of packing. Wheat
or cement is packed in bags or sacks.
Kegs, casks or barrels are used for liquids.
Cases are used for various kinds of goods (machinery, etc.)
and are made of wood.
Crates are also used for various types of goods. They are
sometimes open on top and can be made in different sizes to suit
the particular goods they have to carry.
A bundle is a number of things fixed or tied together.
Marking is very important, as every package must be marked in
the export trade. Marks serve as identification. They may show
the port of destination, weights and dimensions or instructions
for handling. These warnings are usual: This side up! Use no
hooks' Handle with care! Fragile!
Examples of instructions on packing;
- We supply these machines in specially designed crates. If
you do not return the empty crates to us within 4 weeks, you will
be charged £ 5 each.
- These products are available in strong metal drums.
- We will pack the material in bales.
- If cartons are used, please supply each chemical in strong
polythene bags to ensure protection from damp.
- Please wrap each item separately.
- Crates must not exceed an overall length of 8 feet.
- On the attached sheet you wilt find full details regarding
packing and marking. They oust be strictly observed.
- Please uses normal export containers unless you receive
special instructions from our agents.
- When packing is complete, please inform our agents.
- Please marks all cases K R Durban.
SHIPPING AND FORWARDING
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The arrangements for transport of goods can be made by the
seller or the buyer according to who is making the arrangements;
we must know how much it will cost to ship the goods. Many use
the services of a forwarding agent that then arranges the
transportation of goods. As forwarding agents usually book a
great deal of shipping space they obtain more favorable prices
Freight is one of the expenses, which must be calculated into
the price of the goods, increasing freight charges may lead to
increasing prices, which may decrease sales.
The price of sending goods by sea, the freight charge, is
calculated according to the measurement of weight. If the goods
are made of heavy materials (iron, steel) the freight is usually
calculated according to weight. If they are made of light
materials (fruit) the freight is calculated according to volume.
When the goods leave the possession of the seller, documents
must be obtained from ail those people who handle the consignment
on its way to the buyer. When the goods are sent by road, rail
and air. The Consignment note or Waybill must be obtained. It is
evidence of contract used by road, rail and air carriers. It is
usually made in three copies: one is for the sender, one for the
carriers and one for the receivers This document is not
negotiable, which means that it cannot be used to pass on the
right to the goods.
Examples:
- Please advises of frequency of sailing and if cargo space
must be
- Please let us know on which day the ship closes for cargo
- Please advise us of the loading dates.
- Our rates are subject to change without previous notice.
- We can offer you a substantial discount for regular
shipments.
- The tractors can be delivered to FAS s/s ORIENT, Port of
London.
- The goods are to be shipped by the first available vessel
to Antwerp.
- All charges are payable by us and the Bills of Lading must
be marked freight prepaid.
- The closing date for cargo is 11 April.
- According to the terms of contract the shipment is to be
made by 15 March and we must have the Bills of Lading by 10
March.
BILL OF LADING B/L
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Translate the following text into Serbian.
When
a
consignment is loaded, an officer or agent of the
shipping Company signs the B/L that the goods have been "received
in apparent good order and condition" In other words, the
consignment must be exactly as written on the Bill and not
different. If there is any difference between what it says on the
Bill and the actual condition of the consignment, the Shipping
Company has to write a clause on the Bill giving the damage or
loss. In this case it is no longer a "clean" Bill of Lading and
the bank representing the importer may not accept it. So the
exporter's bank may not be able to get payment for the goods. For
this reason "foul" or "closed" Bill of Lading must be avoided at
all costs and exporters must make sure their goods arrive at the
docks in good order and condition.
SHIPPING DOCUMENTS
The Bill of Lading, invoice and the insurance policy
(certificate) are called shipping documents. The buyer sometimes
requires other documents to be included, documents that are
usually connected with the question of duty to be paid on the
imported goods. Such documents are the Consular Invoice, the
Certificate of Origin, Certificate of Value, etc.
Commercial Invoice is the name of an invoice for imported
goods. It contains full details of the order, as well as charges
for transport and insurance. Its main function is that it is a
record of the transaction for exporters, importers and Customs
authorities, it may be required by the bank, the Shipping Company
and the Customs authorities. The bank needs it to effect payment
and the Customs authorities need it to calculate duties.
The invoice can be sent to the buyer by post, through an
agent or through a bank.
Consular Invoice is a certificate given by the Consul of the
buyer's country in the seller's country, because some countries
insist that their consulate in the seller’s country certify
invoices. The Consular Invoice gives details, which are necessary
for assessing import duty it is necessary for importing goods
into some countries. Like most documents in foreign trade it is
made in triplicate. Two are sent to the port of importation
authorities and the third copy is added to the shipping
documents.
Certificate of Origin is a document, which is usually
required when countries have arranged lower import duties between
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