U.S.-CHINA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Cross Cultural And Language Workshop

May 10, 2007, Thursday
 8:30 am – 5:15 pm

Registration and Contact Information

Instructors (Subject to Change)

Fees ($ in US)

Registration Deadline

Enrollment is limited to 25 participants in order to maximize the learning experience. Please register on or before May 8.2007. If you are unable to attend but are interested in future cross-cultural training workshops, please fill out the registration form appropriately and return to our office.
 

Air Travel

USCCC Cross-cultural Training Program will be held in Downtown Chicago, IL. Chicago has two major regional airports, O’Hare and Midway, both of which are easily accessible from downtown Chicago.
 

Location

Union League Club of Chicago ■ 65 West Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604 ■
Phone 800-443-0578 or 312-427-7800
 

Accommodations

The Union League Club of Chicago has agreed to make a very limited number of rooms available for workshop participants at a rate of about $100 per night. Please contact The Union League Club of Chicago at 312-427-7800 or 1-800-443-0578 for further information. Please be sure to mention that you are attending the U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce cross-cultural training workshop.
 

Food

 
A dim sum lunch in Chinatown is included in the registration fees.
 

Substitutions

If you register for the program and are unable to attend, you are welcome to send a substitute at any time, and if so, please inform our office.

“My Chinese hosts said that we were the most knowledgeable Americans they had ever encountered!” Jason Marler, Past Participant

Significance of the Program

 

▪	Successful business transactions require mutual trust and the willingness of both parties to accommodate each other’s commercial needs in light of the specific social, legal, and cultural constraints under the specific circumstances of the transactions. USCCC cross-cultural training programs in the US introduces to the American businessmen the social and cultural elements in doing business in China. While we understand that learning a culture will take time and an concerted effort, the program is designed to focus on the macro aspects as well as minute details in certain critical aspects of the dos and don’ts of dealing with the Chinese. The macro aspect of the program will give participants an overview of the building blocks of the Chinese culture, on which, they can deepen their understanding of the culture quickly. The micro aspect will give participants a hands-on tool, with which, they will avoid unnecessary mistakes and create goodwill with their Chinese counterparts. In addition, the program will introduce basic Putonghua and frequently used words and phrases in doing business in China.
▪	Through a series of highly interactive class sessions, participants will learn how to identify the cross-cultural factors that can lead to faux pas and misunderstandings. They will have a chance to practice certain business protocol such as presenting business cards, dining, drinking, conversing, and others.
▪	After attending a USCCC cross cultural seminar, participants will:
	◦ Have a better understanding of the values, behaviors and attitudes encountered in China, and the impact of such values have on their business.     ◦ Be equipped to choose the right techniques for dealing with cultural and business issues effectively.     ◦ Enhance their ability to interact with people from China socially and professionally to build a trusting relationship which is essential to the success of conducting business.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

     

8:30a.m. –9:00a.m.	Executive Briefing: The Current Economic State of China Culture and business are interwoven. A review of the current state of the Chinese economy and its evolution will give participants an opportunity to understand the economic impacts on Chinese culture.
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.	China: A Historical Perspective from the Xia Dynasty and The Structure of the People’s Republic of China Since China opened its door in late 70s/early 80s it has undergone dramatic changes, not just economically, but culturally, and socially. The country in the cross road. While some of its traditional values and culture have evaporated, the country culture and folk religions continue to play a critical part in the daily life of the people. An understanding of China’s history will help to place cultural issues in perspective. As China is pursuing a market economy with the Chinese characteristics, an understanding of the structure of the government is essential in doing business successfully in China.
9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.	The Lay of the Land: Demographics and Geography China is a vast land with a diversity of peoples, resources, and languages. We will look at China’s demographic makeup, including population, income levels, and consumption statistics. This session will also introduce China’s various regions, including provincial organization, language differences, infrastructure, and terrain.
10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.	Coffee Break
10:15 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.	Cultural Dos and Don’ts: Understanding the Chinese Cultural Spectrum from Confucianism to Superstition From ancient times to the present, a number of philosophical traditions have influenced the cultural scene - Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, and more recently Marxism. Along with these more philosophical traditions, the Chinese culture has been and continues to be heavily influenced by the folk religions.
11:00 a.m. –11:30 a.m.	An Introduction to the Chinese language and Putonghua Participants will be introduced to pinyin Romanization, learn standard pronunciation and the basic language structure of modern Mandarin. Alternative Romanization systems will also be introduced.
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.	Learning to Read Chinese A discussion of the history of written Chinese, and the basic elements of reading and writing. Basic characters will be introduced to assist in reading commonly seen signage in China. Skills necessary to use dictionaries will also be taught. A discussion of the history of written Chinese, and the basic elements of reading and writing. Basic characters will be introduced to assist in reading commonly seen signage in China. Skills necessary to use dictionaries will also be taught.
12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.	Dim Sum Lunch in Chinatown
2:00p.m. – 3:00 p.m.	Gan Bei! Building General Conversation Skills Situational dialogues, conversation starters, greetings, farewells, forms of address, names.
3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.	Coffee Break
3:15 p.m. – 4:00p.m.	Evolution of the Business Practice in China Since its economic reform, China has gone through a drastic change in Its economic structure and business practice. This session will look at the changes in business practice and negotiation process in China.
4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.	Relationships and Face: Understanding Guanxi and Mianzi and Communication Dos and Don’ts Two of the most frequently discussed concepts in dealing with China are ‘relationships’ and ‘face’. This section will look at the complexity of relationships in China and how to ‘save face’ for all parties involved in an encounter.
4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.	The Ins and Outs of Managing Relationships in China: Gift-Giving, Protocol, and Speaking English that the Chinese Will Understand Managing business relationships such as those with clients and employees is no easy affair. The section will look at Chinese customs, arranging meetings, different perceptions of time, and negotiations. As many business travelers rely on English to communicate during their business dealings in China, this section will explain how to speak English that the Chinese will understand. In addition, we will look at social situations commonly encountered in China, how best to handle difficult questions.
5:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.	Living in China and Managing Culture Shock: A Case Study An American executive who lives in China will share his first hand experience in adapting to the life style in China. He will explain how he manages culture shock and various situations with the family.
5:15 p.m.	Adjourns

 

Registration Form

(Please photocopy form for additional registrants)

Registration Fee Worksheet

U.S.-China Chamber of Commerce  55 West Monroe Street, Suite 630  Chicago, IL 60603
Ph: 312-368-9911  Fax: 312-368-9922  E-mail: info@usccc.org  Web-site: www.usccc.org