It was during the Soviet pioneering childhood that correspondence with residents of foreign countries took months. While you will write a letter about a wonderful life in the USSR, while it will be checked in the bowels of state security, until it will be delivered to the sorting point at the international post office in Moscow, until then you will be answered and the answer will go through all the authorities in the reverse order … In the age of the Internet, emails reach mailing box in a couple of seconds, which, of course, is very convenient, but can lead to unexpected consequences if you do not adhere to some rules.
Instruction manual
1
If you speak a foreign language fluently and communicate by correspondence with old acquaintances, then besides not getting carried away, spending all free and not so free time on correspondence, there is nothing to advise you. It is much more important to be careful and cautious when correspondence with unfamiliar foreigners in social networks or dating sites. Not that there are “enemies and spies around, ” but there were enough dashing people at all times, all the more so on the Internet wherever you spit - around Rockefellers and Angelina Jolie, anonymity and arbitrary editing of user profiles favors all sorts of frauds. So, caution is in the first place. No personal data, real physical addresses and incriminating photos need to be sent to the interlocutor. The same applies to discussions of personal status, whether it’s health or financial status: let the interlocutor first of all make out a person in you, well, it will not hurt you to reveal yourself as a person, and not as a set of statuses.
2
Nevertheless, goodwill and showy openness will not be superfluous at all. Russia, despite the popular print stereotypes with bears, gypsies and samovars, is sadly famous for its inhospitable nature. Correspondence with foreign acquaintances and friends is a good way to break these cliches. First of all, be polite and correct. Do not see any malicious intent in those where everything is explained by poor acquaintance with our country and people. Do not abuse emoticons. Better try to convey your emotional reaction with the right words.
3
Conversations on general topics are better concretized, so it will be easier for both of you to make contact, but not going too deep into them. The weather, art, specific humor, politics are easy to illustrate, but it is not always worthwhile to immediately show your attitude to a particular subject of conversation. You can adore hurricanes and want to talk about it, and an interested person will suddenly turn out to be anemophobe! Or he adheres to liberal-democratic views, while you are a convinced monarchist. Show interest in the interlocutor’s worldview, learn about his preferences, provide an opportunity to tell about yourself. The fuller the picture, the easier it will be for you to navigate and build a dialogue.
4
If during correspondence you resort to the services of automatic translators, do not forget that all of them are too imperfect for full communication, especially if you do not speak a good foreign language and are unable to make adjustments to the translation yourself. In this case, write with the simplest and shortest sentences so that the software algorithms are not confused in cases and revolutions. With a weak and average knowledge of a foreign language, still try to compose letters and messages yourself, giving preference not to auto-translators, but to dictionaries.
5
Always remember the difference in cultural baggage and mentality. The friendliest foreigner may not understand and even be offended by some idioms or familiar to us indirect quotes from Soviet comedies. For it is usual for the Russian ear phrase "I worked like a nigger today and tired as hell -!" Today, I worked as a Negro, and tired as hell "in some regions of the United States is possible to obtain a fine or even go to the correctional community service the same!. absurdities will look ridiculous in the eyes of the interlocutor and sayings like “I'm not a coward, but I’m afraid” or “Ai-li-lu later.” Even the most advanced automatic translator (and the likelihood that your counterpart will also use them is great) will not be able to Take into account the context you specified.
- How to talk with a foreigner
- What is the best way to communicate with a foreigner?
- Five rules for dealing with foreigners
- Communication with foreigners: what you need to know
