Professional English For Logistics and International Transportation (Fragments) PDF
Professional English For Logistics and International Transportation (Fragments) PDF
Professional English For Logistics and International Transportation (Fragments) PDF
H
LOGISTICS AND
TRANSPORTATION
INTERNATIONAL
David Villanueva González
OWN IDEAS
editorial
Professional English
for logistics and
international
transportation
Professional English for
logistics and international
transportation
Commercial relations in
management and transit of
goods
Author
David Villanueva González (Linares [Jaén], 1976) has a degree in
Translation and Interpretation from the University of Granada and a master's
degree in Management and Preparation of European Projects. In addition, he
has taken the postgraduate courses Specialist in International Cooperation of
the European Union at the UNED (National University of Distance
Education). Likewise, he has complementary training in the field of
international trade and marketing , and also in languages, especially English
and French.
ISBN: : 978-84-9839-544-0
Format: 17 x 24 cm • Pages: 316
ISBN: 978-84-9839-544-0
Legal deposit: VG 122-2015
Author: David Villanueva González
Printed in Spain - Printed in Spain
INDEX
Author....................................................................................................7
Bibliographic cataloging sheet....................................................7
Professional English for logistics and international transportation..13
1 Expressions and linguistic structures used in transport and
logistics operations in English......................................................13
Goals......................................................................................13
Contents.................................................................................13
1.1. Linguistic structures and lexis related to logistics and
international transportation operations......................................14
1.2. Linguistic structures and usual lexicon..........................16
in relationships with clients/providers of international transport
services......................................................................................16
Important...............................................................................17
Important...............................................................................19
1.3. Expressions of everyday use in transport and logistics
companies..................................................................................20
1.4. Expressions for personal contact in transportation and
logistics operations....................................................................22
Example.................................................................................23
1.5. Common phonological expressions...............................24
1.6. Non-face-to-face communication: expressions on the
telephone in international transport operations.........................27
1.1.
INTRODUCTION
This training module comes to answer some of the basic questions things that must
be taken into account when managing international logistics operations in English,
from a practical approach. In general terms, the module deals with analyzing the
lexicon and linguistic structures typical of this thematic area, which range from the
general lexicon of transport and international logistics to commercial and customs
documentation, including the specific vocabulary on incidents, complaints or
claims. .
The identification and interpretation of these concepts will serve as a basis for
developing develop English linguistic skills (speaking, writing , writing , oral
comprehension, listening , and reading comprehension) in daily work in
international transport companies.
The first didactic units present an approach to the lexicon and generic linguistic
structures. The agents involved in a logistics operation, the main activities and the
services provided by companies in the sector are indicated. It delves into the
terminology related to the services provided by logistics companies and the
completion and preparation of documents. Complaints or incidents are also dealt with
in oral and written communication contexts.
In the last teaching units, the activity of marketing and negotiation of contracting
logistics and international transportation services is addressed. In addition, aspects
related to written communication in English in commercial and logistics management
documents are studied in depth.
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1
Expressions and linguistic structures used in transport and logistics operations in English
Goals
- Differentiate the phonological characteristics of the usual technical lexicon
used in logistics and freight transport operations and international
commercial relations in general.
- Interpret oral messages from telephone answering machines based on recordings
or simulated situations.
- Pronounce the specific terminology and common expressions in the field of
logistics and international transportation.
- Explain the established formulas and guidelines of courtesy and protocol in
greetings, introductions or farewells in conversations with agents, clients
or international suppliers.
- Transmit oral messages with clarity and phonological correctness,
differentiating different tones to capture the attention of the interlocutor.
Contents
1. Expressions and linguistic structures used in transport and logistics
operations in English
1.1. Linguistic structures and lexis related to logistics and international
transportation operations
1.2. Linguistic structures and common lexicon in relationships with
clients/providers of international transport services
1.3. Expressions of everyday use in transport and logistics companies
1.4. Expressions for personal contact in transportation and logistics
operations
1.5. Common phonological expressions
1.6. Non-face-to-face communication: expressions on the telephone in
international transport operations
1
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Professional English for logistics and international
transportation
According to the work Operational and practical of foreign trade (2005), the term
logistics is defined as "the forecasting, organization and control of activities related
to the optimal flow of goods", which in the international sphere includes the
intervention of agents located in different countries or markets.
Therefore, international logistics and transport operations are all activities related to
the organization and management that guarantee the transfer of goods between two
or more different countries correctly and without prejudice to the conditions that said
goods presented at origin.
The main lexicon and the general linguistic structures are presented below. rals in the
field of logistics and international transportation operations.
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Expressions and linguistic structures used in transport and logistics operations in English
20 feet container, TEU (Twenty feet 20 foot container, twenty foot equivalent
Equivalent Units) unit
40 feet container, FEU (Forty feet
Equivalent Units) 40 foot container, forty foot equivalent unit
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Professional English for logistics and international
transportation
The characterization of this terminology and the basic linguistic structures provide
the appropriate basis for analyzing later, in more depth. ity, other specific concepts of
this area.
A specialized logistics service provider will guarantee that the logistics activity will
be carried out in accordance with the current legal or security requirements and
formalities for the correct achievement of the operation.
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Expressions and linguistic structures used in transport and logistics operations in English
Important
Main agents
Original Translation
agent Agent
Customs agent Custom agent
Air cargo agent air cargo agent
ship owner Shipowner
truck driver Truck driver
Consignee Consignee
Consolidator Consolidator
consumer Consumer
Distributor Distributor
Shipper Shipper
stevedore Stevedore
Charterer Charterer
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Professional English for logistics and international
transportation
Supplier Provisional
freight forwarder Freight forwarder
Carrier Carrier
Warehouse assistant Warehouse waiter
Secretary Secretary
Logistics workers Logistics workers
Logistics and distribution Logistics and distribution
manager director
Secondly, once the main actors have been defined, it is very important to analyze the
structures and lexicon related to these commercial relationships, such as the type of
services provided in this context and others considered of interest.
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Expressions and linguistic structures used in transport and logistics operations in English
As can be seen, there are several agents that participate in international logistics and
transportation activity and there are numerous services they can offer. Generally, the
client of logistics services will contract the provision to a single interlocutor or agent,
which may be a transport company , or a freight forwarder .
The logistics services provider will be in charge of supervising the work and
coordinating the activities and services of each of the agents. This single interlocutor
must be the reference contact to carry out the monitoring tasks of the logistics
activity and possible claims. tions that may arise as a result of incidents or breach of
contract, despite the fact that a good number of other actors may be involved in the
same activity.
Important
In the logistics field, like any other commercial field, the relationships between client
and supplier must be based on trust, reliability , experience. cia, expertise , and good
practices, best practices .
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Professional English for logistics and international
transportation
Original Translation
Accident Accident
Pricing Quote
Capacity calculation Cubication
Bottlenecks Bottleneck
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Expressions and linguistic structures used in transport and logistics operations in English
Tracking Follow up
KPI (Key Performance
Indicator) Logistics performance indicator
Security Security
Customer service Customer service
With the indicated relationship, the aim is to offer a global vision of expressions or
lexicon of daily use in a company in the transportation sector.
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Professional English for logistics and international
transportation
On the other hand, in this context, you can have personal contact with the speaker (be
they company colleagues or clients and suppliers) by two fundamental means: -
Telephone contact.
In this section, we will mainly analyze the expressions that can be used for face-to-
face contact both with co-workers and with clients and suppliers in logistics company
environments. The difference The difference will lie mainly in the degree of
formality used in one context and another.
Original
Situation Clients/Suppliers Translation
Employees (informal)
(formal)
Hi! Hello
Greetings Hello How are you? How are you?
How do you do? How are you doing? How are you?
How is it going? How is everything?
Could/Can…?
Asking for help Could you please...?
Do you/would you care?
Would you mind...? Can you...? Would you be so kind as
Would you be so kind Do you mind...?
to…?
as to...?
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Expressions and linguistic structures used in transport and logistics operations in English
What is your…favorite?
What's your
What's your favorite…? Likes…?
favorite…? Do you
Do you like…? What's What is the weather
Interaction like…? What's the
the weather like…? like…?
weather like…?
Shall we…?
Let's…
Let's go...(offer)
- The expressions indicated in this context are related to the in oral English. For this
reason, the contractions of the verbs have been indicated on some occasions, such
as in the example:
Example
It is necessary to keep in mind that oral English is a very dynamic language and tends
to use contractions of verbs or auxiliaries. However, this is not the guideline to
follow in written English: in transport documents te and international logistics, as
will be seen later, the contractions of the verbs are not used, since these writings tend
to be more formal in nature.
Personal contact with clients and suppliers is characterized by being more polite,
serious and sporadic, so the formal registry is appropriate to use with these personal
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Professional English for logistics and international
transportation
contacts. In the case of dealing with clients and suppliers, personal contact or
treatment should not be confused with familiarity or informality. This detail is
important to take into account, since the relations Formal negotiations with clients
and suppliers fall into the scope of commercial relationships that will have to be
maintained in different ways.
English phonetics
Graphics Pronunciation
F/FF (at the end of A single "efe" at the end of a word is pronounced like a
a word) v (see above). The double "efe" is pronounced like an f
in Spanish. Examples: of /ov/ and off /of/
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Expressions and linguistic structures used in transport and logistics operations in English
It will also be remembered that, as occurs in Spanish, in English there are different
accents and differences in the pronunciation of the same word depending on the
geographical origin of the interlocutor, so it is necessary to be familiar with various
accents, especially for the purpose of oral comprehension. Next, the phonology for
common expressions in the different contexts of logistics operations and goods
transit that have already been analyzed previously will be indicated.
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Professional English for logistics and international
transportation
Knowing the phonetics of everyday terms and expressions for personal contact in
companies in the logistics sector is very useful, since it allows the message to be
pronounced correctly in different communicative contexts.
The last aspect related to phonology is the intonation or tone in which the oral
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Expressions and linguistic structures used in transport and logistics operations in English
It is an element that complements the content and allows you to express sense. tions
of doubt, astonishment or questioning. Intonation, in the English language, is usually
ascending when asking a question that requires an affirmative or negative answer.
However, if the sentence is affirmative or negative, the intonation is falling.
Likewise, this ability is related to the geographical origin of the speaker and the
accent, as indicated above. Therefore, there will be intonation differences between
speakers from the UK, Australia or Canada.
Another function that the intonation of the speech and the changes in tones fulfill is
to capture the attention of the interlocutor when it is observed that he or she shows a
lack of interest or concentration. The use of long and short pauses in the oral
message, interrogative or exclamatory intonation can be very useful to maintain the
interlocutor's attention in different communicative contexts.
Telephone support in English is one of the great challenges that must be faced in any
international department of a transport and logistics company. There are guidelines
and systems for managing telephone calls phonics when it comes to customer service
that have been the subject of study and implementation at the business level.
Verbal communication is basically defined by what is said, that is, the message that
is transmitted, while non-verbal communication is characterized It depends on the
way in which the message is transmitted and is closely linked, for example, to
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Professional English for logistics and international
transportation
However, there are certain components of non-verbal communication that are found
in telephone communication: the main ones are accent , and intonation, intonation .
Intonation is an important element of non-verbal communication whose function is to
emphasize the content of the oral message and to transmit moods or sensations such
as doubt or surprise. Accent and intonation are related to the extent that accent, in
this case, can be considered as an intonation characteristic of the speaker's origin, so
it will be defined by the native geographical variant of English of the interlocutor.
The basic recommendation for good telephone service in English is, therefore, to take
maximum care of oral expression. To do this, the following recommendations must
be followed:
- Respect the syntactic rules of English by using simple sentences with a typical
structure: subject, verb and complement (direct, indirect, manner, place, time), in
this order.
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Expressions and linguistic structures used in transport and logistics operations in English
on hold On hold
direct line Direct line
How can I help you? /ha u kæn a I h £ lp ju : ?/ How can I help you?
Would you mind telling the director I called? /w u d Would you mind telling the director that
ju : ma I nd ' t £ lIð 3 d I ' r e kt 3 ra I k o: ld?/] I called?
Could I leave her a message? /k u da I li : vh 3: r a '
Could I leave you a message?
m e s Id3 ?/
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Professional English for logistics and international
transportation
Could you spell your surname please? Can you spell your last name for me?
/kUd ju : sp e lj 0: 's'mne i m plitz?/
Could I talk/speak to…? Could I speak with…?
/k U da I t o: k / spi : k tuz...?/
00 44 539 73 18 26 Double o/zero, double four, Zero, zero, forty-four, five hundred
five, three, nine, seven, three, one, eight, two, six thirty-nine, seventy-three, eighteen,
/ ' d A bl au / ' z Ia r au , ' d A bl f3: , fa I v, 0 ri : , twenty-six
na I n, ' s e vn, 0 ri : , w A n, e I t, tul , s I ks/
(Answering machine) You've reached the central
warehouse of Logex ® (Answering machine) You have
/( ' a: ns a r contacted the Logex central warehouse
I m a ' J iin) ju1'v ri
itf t ð a ' s e ntr a l
(Answering machine) Thank you for calling
Logex, our opening hours are… (Answering machine) Thank you for
/( ' a: ns a r
I m a ' J i : n) 0 æ calling Logex, office hours are…
1 k ju f o: ' k o: l
I Logex,
(Answering machine) Please leave your contact
number and we will get back to you as soon as
possible (Answering machine) Please leave your
/( ' a: ns a r contact number and we will call you as
soon as possible
I m a ' J i : n) pli : z li : vj o: ' kDntækt
' n A mb a r nd wi : w I lg e t bk tu : ju : z su : n æz
' pDs a bl/
In the previous list, expressions on the telephone have been indicated that are used in
the different phases of the telephone conversation such as greeting, introduction
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