izimin y24izimin 20250212 icons8-reading-100.png quarterly test Prepare for quarterly test vocab pre teach functional language grammar focus smartphone or tablet device listening Download onto your phone or tablet and listen carefully. ]]> sbook_plugins/wordlist_generated_from_xml_clog_sbook_for_sbook_session.inc sbook_plugins/payment_history_generated_from_xml_clog_sbook.inc Avito Ivan Zimin B2 20250226 08:30-09:30 1.5 tbc Lewis horizons | Russian vs German horizons By the end of this session you will have studied Zoom meeting details I.Zimin - D.Potter's Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 761 4548 2631 Passcode: 9CRp6b https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76145482631?pwd=3XKDvcA06MQ2389xwAcbRCBBdeqpML.1 ]]> 3 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Russian vs German horizons active 20231108 hw20231113_n2 deck_shuffled_lines_halign visual aid ]]> shared knowledge & values engineering WW2 football bureaucratic old-fashioned Soviet Union values Russian water ice hockey romantic, nostalgic literature & music autocracy hospitality German water lack of sense of humour Ordnung must sein beer ]]> 4 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Russian vs Chinese horizons active 20231108 hw20231113_n3 deck_shuffled_lines_halign visual aid ]]> shared knowledge & values non verbal clues centralised administration Russian water ice hockey romantic, nostalgic literature & music WW2 Chinese water non verbal clues importance of traditions decision making via consensus ]]> 2 Blessed with Masculinity, Dasa Hink active move_html5_video dasa_hink_blessed_with_masculinity_pWWuwllhBL4.mp4 2 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Women in culture across centuries active wip deck_shuffled_lines_halign deck_shuffled_lines_valign How has the role of women changed over the centuries? How representative is it of a country's culture? → watch the video → use the following cultural characteristics to describe the pictures → answer the following questions 1) How do you think these women feel? To what extent are they emancipated in their cultural environment? 2) What is the relationship between the woman posing and the painter / viewer? 3) How has this relationship changed over the centuries (in terms of cultural dimensions)? 4) Whose role would you like to play if you were an actress? Why? ]]>
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Mona Lisa, 1503 half-length portrait painting by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. Considered an archetypal masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, it has been described as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, [and] the most parodied work of art in the world."
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Grande Odalisque, aka Une Odalisque or La Grande Odalisque, 1814 oil painting by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres depicting an odalisque, or concubine. Ingres' contemporaries considered the work to signify Ingres' break from Neoclassicism, indicating a shift toward exotic Romanticism
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Blessed with Masculinity, Dasa Hink It tells stories from the last couple of years, of failing in life and love and of falling in love. This song was written just before I actually got pregnant. It was the first step towards admitting to myself that this is what I want, which was a hard thing to do. A kind of love song to my partner, and a kind of spiritual hymn. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWWuwllhBL4&t=11s https://www.thetemporaldimension.com/dasahink
]]> 1/3 Regional sales manager in Baku active wip role_play visual aid You are a consultant of Russian ethnicity born in Baku in the Soviet Union with local experience in sales & marketing. → brain-storm possible hurdles you may face with the local sales force e.g. power-distance, masculinity-femininity... ]]> Consultant of Russian ethnicity born in Baku You believe one female director of sales has more potential than others for succeeding in this position although you are aware they have never had a female manager before. Haven't you heard of the country's recent efforts to rejuvenate its traditional image? e.g. Baku hosted the 57th Eurovision Song Contest in 2012, the 2015 European Games, 4th Islamic Solidarity Games, the European Grand Prix in 2016, the final of the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League I really don't think choosing a female director of sales would be a bad choice if she's competent! Business consultant → disagree with the other consultant → brain-storm possible hurdles a female director of sales may face with the local force I'm afraid power-distance is just too omnipresent in this country! Think about Hofstede's masculinity-femininity... 2/3 Regional sales manager in Baku active wip pix/icons8-lecturer-100_white.png prep_2columns_2qa prep_ol_qa visual aid → prepare a 5min presentation to the shareholders to explain your choice → make sure you answer at least the questions below ]]> Introduction
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Why may a person-oriented approach be a better choice?
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How can high-context awareness help a female regional sales manager in this position between Moscow and Baku?
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What steps should the regional sales manager take to counterbalance uncertainty avoidance?
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Conclusion
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]]> supremacist = person who believes that their own race is better than others and should be in power • • •
• being person-oriented rather than task-oriented (femininity rather than masculinity) may be risky given high uncertainty avoidance... • but could prove more diplomatic when only starting out in new markets with new partners • you don't want to impose your views (and be perceived as a supremacist!...)
• be attentive to what is expected before launching any new strategy • learn 'to read the air' • = high-context skill
• ask a senior person from Baku to introduce him/her to the local team • use senior endorsement to satisfy local power distance & uncertainty avoidance • (...)
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]]> 3/3 Regional sales manager in Baku 20231206 hw20231213_n1 active wip pix/icons8-hand-with-pen-100_white.png prep_2columns_2qa prep_ol_qa visual aid → write skills & qualities expected from the ideal candidate to the shareholders → justify your choice (recycle cultural dimensions terminology) ]]> Striking a balance between local UAI (uncertainty avoidance index) and Russian LTO (long term orientation vs short term normative orientation) is essential, indeed (...) → example situation frugality = prudence in avoiding waste perseverance = quality of continuing to try to achieve a particular aim in spite of difficulties indulgence = (usually disapproving) the state or act of having or doing whatever you want; the state of allowing sb to have or do whatever they want; something that you allow yourself to have even though it is not essential to shortlist (sb/sth for sth) = to put sb/sth on a shortlist for a job, prize, etc to rejuvenate = to make sb/sth look or feel younger or more lively hurdle = obstacle omnipresent = present everywhere power distance = strength of social hierarchy; has been defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. This represents inequality (more versus less), but defined from below, not from above. It suggests that a society's level of inequality is endorsed by the followers as much as by the leaders. Power and inequality, of course, are extremely fundamental facts of any society. All societies are unequal, but some are more unequal than others (https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=orpc pg 8) masculinity-femininity = task-orientation versus person-orientation IDV (individualism-collectivism) = measures the extent to which people look out for each other as a team or look out for themselves as an individual UAI (uncertainty avoidance index) = indicates to what extent nations avoid the unknown; is not the same as risk avoidance: it deals with a society's tolerance for ambiguity. It indicates to what extent a culture programs its members to feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations. Unstructured situations are novel, unknown, surprising, and different from usual. Uncertainty avoiding cultures try to minimize the possibility of such situations by strict behavioural codes, laws and rules, disapproval of deviant opinions, and a belief in absolute Truth; 'there can only be one Truth and we have it' (https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=orpc pg 10) LTO (long-term orientation) = expresses how societies either prioritize traditions or seek for the modern in their dealings with the present and the future IVR (indulgence vs restraint) = comparison between a country's willingness to wait for long-term benefits by holding off on instant gratification, or preferences to no restraints on enjoying life at the present gender gap = difference in opinions or attitudes between men and women concerning a variety of public and private issues, including political candidates, parties, or programmes supremacist = person who believes that their own race is better than others and should be in power 20250212 08:30-09:30 1.5 lc By the end of this session you will have studied Zoom meeting details I.Zimin - D.Potter's Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 761 4548 2631 Passcode: 9CRp6b https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76145482631?pwd=3XKDvcA06MQ2389xwAcbRCBBdeqpML.1 ]]> 20250129 08:00-09:00 1.5 active Lewis horizons | German vs Japanese By the end of this session you will have studied Zoom meeting details I.Zimin - D.Potter's Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 761 4548 2631 Passcode: 9CRp6b https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76145482631?pwd=3XKDvcA06MQ2389xwAcbRCBBdeqpML.1 ]]> 2 German vs Japanese horizons 20231101 hw20231108 active pix/icons8-microscope-100_white.png edit_ol_qa prep_ol_qa prep_2columns_2qa edit_2columns_2qa edit_1qa visual aid
]]> Explain what could go wrong on both sides. ✓ use of many adjectives will help low-culture, implicit Germans to describe the big picture that high context, reactive Japanese are more responsive to ✓ use past tense rather than reported speech to communicate on results Suggest how they could avoid misunderstandings. ✓ assess at the beginning of a meeting who is senior to avoid lacking respect ✓ respect hierarchical processes ✓ Germans partners should use a STAR approach with their Japanese interlocutors to provide the big picture ✓ the Japanese may want to use the Minto/McKinsey pyramid approach focusing on a Bottom Line Up First approach 3 Avoiding communication breakdown active edit_ol_qa prep_ol_qa pix/icons8-cafe-100_white.png visual aid ]]> I hear what you say. ✓ I'm afraid I can't agree & would rather not continue this discussion. With the greatest respect | With all due respect. ✓ It doesn't seem to be a very reasonable | sensible idea. That's not bad. ✓ Thumbs up! That is a very brave proposal. ✓ It doesn't sound like a good idea at all. Quite good. ✓ (Perhaps) you should try harder. I would suggest ✓ Please do so, unless you can provide a better solution. Oh, incidentally / By the way ✓ What is important is that... (cleft sentence) I was a bit disappointed that ✓ I'm sorry to say I'm annoyed with... Very interesting. ✓ I don't think it makes sense. ✓ I think you've lost me. I'll bear it in mind. ✓ We probably needn't spend too much time on that. I'm sure it's my fault. ✓ A mistake has been made. ✓ There's a mistake in your solution. ✓ It seems you have omitted some important facts. ! might be a polite way to avoid your interlocutor losing face You must come for dinner. ✓ It's been a pleasure to meet you. I almost agree. ✓ Let's agree to disagree (on that one). I only have a few minor comments. ✓ You'll probably need to rewrite after reading my comments. Could we consider some other options? ✓ I don't think we should stop at that - we must do better. ✓ We should find some alternatives. loquacious = talkative officialdom = people who are in positions of authority in large organizations when they seem to be more interested in following rules than in being helpful 20250122 08:30-09:30 1.5 active Lewis horizons | French vs American By the end of this session you will have studied Zoom meeting details I.Zimin - D.Potter's Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 761 4548 2631 Passcode: 9CRp6b https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76145482631?pwd=3XKDvcA06MQ2389xwAcbRCBBdeqpML.1 ]]> 2 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Traits of the 3 Lewis typologies (linear-active, multi-active, reactive) active xml_multi_dd_row 25 20 left visual aid visual aid ]]> 1 2 3 3 pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png Adapting your communication style according to the Lewis model active xml_multi_dd_row Molecules in grease and water naturally don't bind, that's why you need soap. To connect 2 cultures successfully, you should find the soap which combines molecules of both. Ivan Zimin, 20250122 ]]> visual aid
]]> 30 20 left 1;2;3 4;5;6 7;8;9 be concise, precise, and factual avoid interruptions and distractions follow a clear agenda and timeline be friendly, enthusiastic, and empathetic allow for some flexibility and improvisation use stories and examples to illustrate your points be polite, respectful, and humble listen attentively and patiently use indirect and subtle cues to convey your messages 4 Pros and cons of the Lewis model (Richard D.Lewis) 20231021-8ach hw20231028-14ach-n1 wip prep_ol_qa edit_ol_qa pix/icons8-hand-with-pen-100_white.png pix/icons8-collaboration-100_white.png What are the pros of this model? The Lewis Model, born in an era of rampant globalisation of business, is particularly appropriate for assessing an individual’s likely performance in a commercial role. The design of the questionnaire is based on business situations. The nomenclature of the typologies is succinct: Linear-active, Multi-active, Reactive. While the three types are distinctive, each possesses behavioural elements from the other two categories. It is a question of which one is dominant. Many individuals deviate from the national type in a work situation e.g. engineers and accountants tend to be Linear, sales people Multi-active, lawyers and doctors Reactive. A Training Officer, on being told that “Candidate A is basically monochronic and low-context but high on uncertainty avoidance, has a tendency towards collectivism and femininity and is past-oriented,” may well ask, “What shall I do with him?” If the description is Linear-active, Multi-active or Reactive, the answer is clear and succinct: The location of each individual shows how close he or she is in behaviour or affinity to different cultures. How does this information help training officers, headhunters or others engaged in the placement of new recruits in the company structure? After assessment, the individual’s cultural profile is pinpointed inside the triangle, showing how close or how far it is to the world’s major cultural groups. It indicates not only how much affinity their behaviour has to that of other countries but also shows their similarity to or deviation from their own national norm, as well as their compatibility with other people tested. This is particularly useful if members of a proposed team are tested simultaneously. What are the cons of this model? The Lewis model has its limitations and criticisms, such as oversimplifying or stereotyping cultures, disregarding individual differences and personal preferences, not reflecting the dynamic and evolving nature of cultures and communication, and not accounting for other factors such as power, gender, age, education, religion, etc. It is important to use the Lewis model as a starting point for cross-cultural communication but not as an end point. You should always be open-minded, curious, and respectful of other perspectives and experiences; furthermore, you should seek feedback and clarification when in doubt. 1 USA vs French horizons active pix/icons8-microscope-100_white.png edit_ol_qa prep_ol_qa prep_2columns_2qa edit_2columns_2qa edit_1qa visual aid
]]> Explain what could go wrong on both sides. 〆egghead attitude of Americans could put off French academia who traditionally focus more on theoretical knowledge 〆streetwise approach of Americans with real world case studies may contradict rational studying progress & patterns Suggest how they could avoid misunderstandings. ✓ come up with common goals to resolve conflicts ✓ agree on strategies (i.e. norming before performing) to create mutual profit savoir faire /ˌsæv.wɑːˈfeər/ = ability to do and say the right thing in any social situation roundabout (~ discourse) = not in a simple, direct, or quick way (~ speech) egghead = (informal, disapproving or humorous) a person who is very intelligent and is only interested in studying streetwise = (informal) having the knowledge and experience that is needed to deal with the difficulties and dangers of life in a big city hunch = feeling that sth is true even though you do not have any evidence to prove it haute cuisine /ˌəʊt kwɪˈziːn/ = high-quality cooking following the style of traditional French cuisine mañana (~ mentality, attitude) /mæˈnjɑːnə/ = meaning 'tomorrow' in Spanish, used to talk about someone who seems too relaxed and always delays doing things loquacious = talkative officialdom = people who are in positions of authority in large organizations when they seem to be more interested in following rules than in being helpful 20250115 08:30-09:30 1.5 lc By the end of this session you will have studied Zoom meeting details I.Zimin - D.Potter's Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 761 4548 2631 Passcode: 9CRp6b https://us04web.zoom.us/j/76145482631?pwd=3XKDvcA06MQ2389xwAcbRCBBdeqpML.1 ]]>