BEP 149 Working in Multicultural Teams (Part 1)

This is the first in a two-part Business English Pod series on working in multicultural¹ teams.

In today’s world, it’s common to work with people from different cultures. And since effective business depends on clear communication, it’s important to consider different aspects of culture. Your colleagues may do business differently than you do. So, knowing more about intercultural communication can help your work go more smoothly² and avoid any misunderstandings.

In this episode³, we’ll go over some points to consider for working in a multicultural team. We’ll look at general business culture, specific business customs, levels of formality, and local cultural awareness⁴. And since food is often served in business settings, we’ll talk about that, too.

We’ll be listening to, a manager at a biotechnology company based in the United States. Although Ming is originally from China, he has worked for many years at the head office in New York and is now heading to Brazil to manage a team of international researchers. In this episode, Ming is preparing for his trip by talking to a colleague, Tanya, who lived and worked in Brazil for 3 years.

Listening Questions:

1. What has Ming heard about Curitiba?
2. What does Tanya say about relationships in Brazil?
3. What honorary title does Ming ask about?

1 multicultural   

adj.融合多种文化的，多种文化的

参考例句：

• Children growing up in a multicultural society.在多元文化社会中长大的孩子们。
• The school has been attempting to bring a multicultural perspective to its curriculum.这所学校已经在尝试将一种多元文化视角引入其课程。

2 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

3 episode   

n.（作品的一段）情节，插曲，系列事件中之一

参考例句：

• The episode was a huge embarrassment for all concerned.这段小插曲令所有有关人员都感到非常尴尬。
• This episode remains sharply engraved on my mind.这段经历至今仍深深地铭刻在我的心中。

4 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。