Why Are Business Emails In English So Confusing (part II)?
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Why Are Business Emails In English So Confusing (Part II)?
Why are professional emails in English sometimes so confusing? Communication works best when both sender and receiver use CSC communication (CSC – clear, simple and concise).
When indirect communication is used by the sender (person writing the email) sometimes it can be difficult to really understand the real meaning.
Indirect communication is used when the writer wants to be both polite and professional. It’s often used by cultures that prefer indirect communication as opposed to direct communication (for example British professionals like myself) as it’s part of their cultural norms. And we need to be aware of this when working and communicating between different cultures (intercultural communication and intercultural competency).
Why Are Business Emails In English So Confusing (Part II)?
Here are 5 ‘indirect email expressions in English’ and what they mean to help you (part II):
✅ ‘Any updates on this?’ (what is taking so long?)
✅ ‘Checking in’ (either an informal way of keeping in contact with you or a reminder to do something)
✅ ‘I wanted to update you’ (a personal way to keep someone informed about something)
✅ ‘Thanks in advance’ (they expect you to do something)
✅ ‘Keep me in the loop’ (definitely keep the other person informed about what is happening)
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Why Are Business Emails In English So Confusing (Part I)?
Here are 5 ‘indirect email expressions in English’ and what they mean to help you (part I):
✅ ‘I look forward to receiving the information’ (make sure you send the person what they need)
✅ ‘As per my last email’ (pay close attention to their last email)
✅ ‘Sorry to bother you’ (I know you’re busy but I want to interrupt you politely)
✅ ‘As I mentioned before in my last email’ (you haven’t done what they asked you to do)
✅ ‘Let’s touch base’ (friendly but vague commitment to keep in contact with you)
I hope this helps you with your professional English!
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Emails in English – 10 Tips To Change The Chip Into English
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The English Training Company. We help professionals and companies become Advanced Business English Speakers.
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