Aims:
• to develop the skills of effective communication following the rules of speech and writing;
• to develop cross-cultural awareness.

Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of this course of study, students should be able to:
• know the standards of speaking and writing culture in foreign languages, norms of behaviour in other countries;
• use different forms of speaking and writing in foreign languages;
• identify main phonetic, lexical, grammar and word-building components and patterns;
• apply the rules of speech etiquette in foreign languages;
• overcome stereotypes and communicate in common and professional spheres.

CONTENT

Speech etiquette.
Culture and its structure features. Perception, language, paralinguistics, national character, rules of behaviour etc. Image of Russian and German/English linguoculture. Stereotypes and prejudices.
Speech etiquette in the intercultural discourse. Culture shock, misunderstanding, caused by differences in speech etiquette.

Speech etiquette in standard communicative situations.
Rules of greetings, meeting, introduction.. Communicative imperatives and taboo.
Rules of phone conversations, invitations, symbolic of presents, colour, clothes. Rules of behaviour in cafes, restaurants, shops, theatres, cinema, museums. Ordering of tickets. Complaining. Rules of behaviour in a city, railway station, in the public transport, hotels, tourism information centres. Rules of writing personal letters and replying.

Speech etiquette in the business sphere.
Speech etiquette at job interviews. Formal phone conversations and meetings. Resume writing. Communicative imperatives and taboo in the business sphere. Business and academic writing: letters of application, curriculum vitae, characteristics, requests, expressions of approval, refusal, thanks.
Rules of saying apologies, compliments, critics.

Speech etiquette on the Internet.
Writing of e-mails, comments, blogs. Analyzing different types of texts taken from the Internet.

Practical rhetoric.
Rules of public speech. Different genres and characteristics of public speech depending on its purpose: informative, business, science, entertaining, argumentative, persuasive. Rules of disputes and discussions. Rhetoric in teaching. Terms and special words in the teacher’s speech.