U.S.-CHINA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Cross Cultural And Language Workshop

September 10, 2007, Monday
 8:30 am – 5:15 pm

Registration and Contact Information

Instructors (Subject to Change)

Fees ($ in US)

Registration Deadline

Enrollment is limited to between 20 and 30 participants in order to maximize the learning experience. Please register on or before September 7, 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 $125 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

 
Breakfast; Coffee Break; and 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

Monday, September 10, 2007

     

8:30a.m. –9:00a.m.	China: A Historical Perspective from the Xia Dynasty Since China opened its door in late 70s/early 80s, it has undergone dramatic changes, not just economically, but culturally and socially. The country is in the cross road - the East meets the West; the old clashes with the new. While some of its traditional values and culture have evaporated, the country’s tradition and religions continue to play a critical part in shaping the daily life and business practice of the people. An understanding of China’s history with an emphasis on its business development will help to place cultural issues in perspective.
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.	The Structure of the People’s Republic of China As China is pursuing a market economy with the Chinese characteristics, government continues to play a critical part in the economy. An understanding of the structure of the government will give participants an edge in dealing with complex situations 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. – 10:45 a.m.	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.
10:45 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. – 12:15 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.
12:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.	Dim Sum Lunch in Chinatown
2:00p.m. – 2:45 p.m.	Gan Bei! Building General Conversation Skills Situational dialogues, conversation starters, greetings, farewells, forms of address, names.
2:45 p.m. – 3:15 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.
3:15 p.m. – 3:45 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.
3:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.	Coffee Break
4:00 p.m. – 5:00p.m.	The Uses and Abuses of Guanxi in Doing Business in China – Tips and Examples in Managing Business in China with an Emphasis on Sourcing There is so much misunderstanding in doing business in China, and this session will discuss how to build relationships and manage employees, customers and suppliers. Various examples will be used for discussion.
5:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.	Rewards and Risks in Pursuing an International Career An open discussion
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