跨文化溝通與創意行銷

We often have to make requests. We may have to ask for directions to the nearest post office or bank, for example, for other information such as train or bus schedules, for permission to do something, or we may have to ask someone to help us in some way.

It is important that we make our requests in acceptable ways. A request is very often more than just one sentence. It may include any or all of these parts: an opening, a form of address such as the name or title of the other person, a prerequest, and some reasons.

1. Openings

An opening is an expression that is used to begin any conversation. Hello, Hi, Good morning, and in some situations, Excuse me, are common openings in English.

2. Forms of Address

We use a form of address when we call the other person by his or her name or title, for instance, James, Amber, Mr. Wilson, Mrs. Wang, Dr Gregson, Professor Schmidt.

3. Prerequests

A prerequest is an expression which indicates to the other person that we are going to make a request, before we make the actual request. Some examples of prerequests in English include:

Are you free?

Have you got a minute?

I need some help.

I have a problem.

Could I ask you a favour?

and I have a question. 4. Reasons

Giving reasons or explanations for our requests makes them more acceptable, especially when the request may give the other person a lot of trouble.

Form

You will notice that in the examples of good requests, instead of please, phrases like these are used in the request sentence:

I wonder whether.. I was wondering if.. Could you ...

So instead of saying Please help me, Please do the rest of the work for me and Please tell me the way to the post office, which are commands rather than requests, we can say: I was wondering whether you could help me? Could you do the rest of the work for me? and Could you tell me the way to the post office?

There are several phrases like this in English. The following forms are commonly used to make request sentences. However, do not forget the other parts of a request: an opening, form of address, and a prerequest and reason if the request may give the other person a lot of trouble or if the other person is your superior.

1. Could I/you (do something)?

Could you tell me the way to the post office?

I Could you help me move this trunk?

Could I go home early today?

Could I borrow your book?

2. I was wondering whether/if I/you could (do something)?

I was wondering if you could tell me the way to the post office?

I was wondering whether you could help me move this trunk?

I was wondering if I could borrow your book?

I was wondering whether I could go home early today?

3. Can I/you (do something)?

Can you tell the way to the post office?

I Can you help me move this trunk?

Can I go home early today?

Can I borrow your book?

4. i) Would you mind (DOING SOMETHING)

Would you mind telling me the way to the post office?

Would you mind helping me move this trunk?

ii) Would you mind if I (DID SOTIETHING)

Would you mind if I went home early today?

Would you mind if I borrowed your book?

Remember, however, that the way we make requests will be influenced by other things. For example,

1. Who are we talking to? A friend, our boss, teacher, subordinate or a stranger? The relationship between the people involved is important. 2. What kind of request are we making? Will it be easy for the person we ask to agree to or will it give him a lot of trouble? For example, if we are asking a friend for a $1000 loan, probably more than one reason would be given. If we want to borrow a pencil, however, a reason is hardly necessary. When asking for the loan we would also be more likely to use a prerequest. Openings and forms of address, however, would be okay for all types of requests.

It is important to know that adding the word please to a request does not guarantee that it will be polite and acceptable. Please is often used in English to make commands sound more polite. Remember that in a request we are asking, not telling or ordering. Please is best used in requests that are easy for the other person to agree to, such as

Would you please pass the salt?

Could you lend me your pencil please?

May I speak to George please? (on the telephone)

In requests that may give the person we ask more trouble, we usually express our desire to be polite in some other way, such as using an opening, a form of address, a prerequest and giving reasons. This .kind of request is usually not made using the form Please (DO SOMETHING) or Will you please (DO SOMETHING ).

Now let's look at a few examples of good requests in English and a few which are not so good. All these examples of requests were taken from taperecordings of Australians, Japanese, Filipinos, and Americans.

1. Situation: Requesting that a friend help you figure out how to apply to study at a foreign university.

(a) not so good: "[ I want to go to America to study.] [ Please tell me the method to do so.]"

(b) good: "[Pam,] now [ you've lived in the United States for some time and you went to university there. ] [ I wonder whether you could help me with the details that I'll need so that I can make an application to enter an university in the United States.]"

2 . Situation: You're attending a conference. You want to ask the director if you can taperecord some of the sessions.

(a) not so good: "[Can I tape this conference?]"

(b) good: "[ Um, hello.] [ Do you have a minute?] I'm a graduate student here in this department and [ I heard about the conference that's coming up] and [ I was wondering if for my own interests it would be possible for me to tape record some of the sessions.] [ I'm particularly interested in the one on language and cross-cultural communication that's on Thursday.]"

3. Situation : You have to leave the office but still have some work to do. Request a co-worker to finish some of the work for you.

(a) not so good: "[ I have to leave the office now], [ but still have some work to do.] [ Please do it for me.]"

(b) good: "[ It's 4 o'clock.] [ I'm sorry I have to leave.] [ I have a very important appointment.] [ Could you possibly do the rest of the work for me?] [ This is needed tomorrow very early in the morning.]"

4. Situation: You are in an unfamiliar city and want to go to the post office. You stop a stranger in the street to ask for directions.

(a) not so good: "[ Excuse me.] [ Will you show me the way to the post office?]"

(b) good: "[Excuse me,] but [ could you tell me the way to the post office?]"

5. Situation: You are in an unfamiliar city and want to go to the post office. You stop a stranger in the street to ask for directions.

(a) not so good: "[ Thomas] come on [ help me move this heavy trunk.]"

(b) good: "[ Tom ] [are you free right now?].... [ I got this trunk over here]; [ it's kind of heavy.] [ Could you give me a hand with it?]"