20th Nordic Network for Intercultural Communication Symposium
The 20th NIC Symposium is organized by Tartu University, Institute of Germanic, Romance and Slavonic Languages and Literatures under the sponsorhip of The European Social Fund and the Graduate School of Linguistics, Philosophy and Semiotics of the University of Tartu
Separation vs. Integration: Challenges of Bridging Cultural Contrasts
20th Nordic Network for Intercultural Communication Symposium
 University of Tartu. Main building | |
 Tartu Town Hall |  University of Tartu. Bicycle Parking |
 Plenary Session. University of Tartu History Museum, White Hall | |
The 20th NIC Symposium is organized by Tartu University, Institute of Germanic, Romance and Slavonic Languages and Literatures under the sponsorhip of The European Social Fund and the Graduate School of Linguistics, Philosophy and Semiotics of the University of Tartu
The Head of the Forensicn Linguistics Research and Study Group, Svetlana Vlasenko, made a presentation which is synopsized below.
Legal Discourse as Business Communication Essential Component:
British English vs. American English vs. Russian
Svetlana Vlasenko
Intercultural communication is more often than not a cross-linguistic communication, even if the language formally remains the same; as was the case with the Russian language in the former Soviet Union, or is currently the case with English and/or French in the European Union. Real problems in intercultural communication start making themselves conspicuous when two or more languages are used for conveying thoughts and ideas generated by expert communities on subject-specific matters using technical terms of art to deliver technical substance for reviewing state-of-the-art or resolving problematic issues. It seems apparent that business communication presupposes an essential share of legal knowledge and, therefore, legal terminology. In fact, doing business usually implies knowing rules of and conditions for entrepreneurial activities envisaged within the relevant jurisdiction. Thus, legal discourse may be said to be imbedded in the business communication. Given the status of English as the international business language, which the English has been enjoying over the past decades, communicating business substance cross-linguistically necessitates a fully-fledged awareness of the legal discourse culture.