4 discussions week 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

4 discussions week 4 - Essay Example mindset, but I also severely disagree and find it to manifest from faulty reasoning, stereotyping, racial/ethnic bias, and even simply , in my opinion, â€Å"lazy† teaching. My perspective is unique to the special education student perspective. As I have addressed previously, though multi-cultural differences exist in these classrooms and certainly do enrich the diverse environment and opportunity for sharing of experiences, the curriculum is often so individualized that immersion activities for the entire class can be sparse. This is certainly not to say that these types of experiences should not be utilized as I believe it would be a disservice to the overall educational experience if diversity were dismissed due to lack of creativity, ingenuity and ability to make such information relatable on the part of the teacher. I do note that, even in the exceptional student classroom, standards and performance are expected of individual learners. No matter what the classroom, their tends to a disturbing trend that caters to the â€Å"need to know† perspective. In the Facilitator’s Guide, common belief 12 states: With all the pressures to raise student achievement, finding and using examples for the cultural, historic and everyday lived experiences of my students takes valuable time away from teaching and learning. So in reverse, I identify with this assertion, but do fervently disagree with its overall affect in practice. While compartmentalized learning experiences that facilitate higher test score in standardized, â€Å"high stakes†, testing do impart useful, identified information related to the prediction of future success in specified areas, I believe we miss the â€Å"human† experience by narrowing our perspectives to what have been select as superior information. Knowledge and learning are comprised of many elements and many highly intelligent individuals find functioning effective in diverse environments and with people from said backgrounds difficult to

CORPORATE RISK MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CORPORATE RISK MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Companies incur a substantial amount of cost in the management of the risks (Ridley & Channing, 1999). Companies hire experts in order to mitigate the risks associated with its operations. The amount of risk to be mitigated varies from company to company and operation to operation. The dependency is related with the intensity of the risk as the risk shall be high when it affects the company’s operation at maximum (Agrawal, 2009). Although the risk is attached with every operation of the company but there are some certain areas in which the concern of the risk is substantial and companies’ need to focus more upon those. The costs associated with risk management is dependent upon both, the intensity of the risk and the value of that risk. The intensity and value tend to differ in every operation and every company. Some companies are more concerned about stock out than other whereas some companies are more concern about the halt in the company’s operations. The mana gement of risk is carried out with utmost focus and importance when an investment is to be made. A decision to choose from many investments is to be made and usually the investment associated with least risk is preferred over others. The basic goal of a company is the maximizing the wealth of its shareholders. A companies manages all risk in such a manner that the company is not derailed from its progress towards its goals. For the pharmaceutical companies the intensity attached with the risk of the new drug is much intense as it has many implications of the respective legislations (Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 2013). The high intensity of risk demands high risk management as in the failure of managing the risk shall be leading to the closure of the company. Pharmaceutical companies have more risk intensity than that of other companies as the products of the company is medications and thus greater restrictions and regulations are applied to them (Brown & Mannan, 2004).  . Costs in risk manag ement are both qualitative and quantitative as per the objectives of the company. Companies hire expert in management and they evaluate the procedures and the risks involved in it and thus have to incur costs as in terms of salaries of the hired experts. The companies incur cost as direct salaries but the time that is consumed in the process is the cost that the company bear in terms of lateness in the selection criteria as the time value of money is considered to be deteriorating. In short term this cost is of intense importance as the time is short as when the selection is done and the company has to over go with the selected option and carry out the procedures. Whereas in the long run the cost of delaying as because of the time taken in the appraisals and selection is considered important as well where the deteriorating value of money is considered over the time (Jorda?o & Sousa, 2010). Risk management is concerned with the measurement of the risk and the intensity of the risk wh ich is a time consuming method (Krause, 2006). The returns upon the project risk is associated with the market rate of return. The comparison between the two is done in order to appraise the project. There are high probabilities in certain cases where the company sees the project feasible as less risky and afterwards due to the

Policy And Practice In the Education of Bilingual Children Essay

Policy And Practice In the Education of Bilingual Children - Essay Example The physical environment of the school and classroom Upon entering the school, a large map welcomes people with the sign that read: â€Å"Welcome to our school. We come from all over the world and we speak 27 languages†. For each language, it was connected to the country of origin as indicated in the map. This sign gave a very warm welcome to anyone who visited the school no matter what culture he or she comes from. An IT room is available for any EAL learner to use whenever one needs to consult a computer for spelling or grammar or anything that pertains to the English language. This additional resource to support their learning is another indication that the school anticipates learners’ needs and provides them when called for. The classroom observed had a big inflatable globe which represents a wide range of diversity is accepted there. The children can freely explore the globe and search for their own countries and link it to their native language. A trained EAL teac her was employed by the school to help facilitate the cognitive, language and literacy development of foreign children. Adults play a huge role in the language development of children, as they need someone who uses simple language in correct form and is flexible enough adjust his language to suit the child’s (Clay, 1988). Having a good second language teacher is essential to learning the language more fluently. The researcher does not discount the fact that imitation of proper pronunciation and intonation is necessary. Hence, learners should have attentive ears and retentive minds, and of course, cooperative tongues to be able to speak fluently in such language. Children also need opportunities to practice speaking and listening to the second language outside the language lessons, so that... This paper approves that in EAL, scaffolding comes in three forms, One is scaffolding by adults by making their expectations clear by sharing learning objectives and criteria for success with the students by way of modeling and demonstrating the English language, ‘recasting’ of the children’s language from their L1 and providing them with opportunities to use their whole language repertoire to aid them in understanding their L2. The teacher may also use scaffolding through visual support, via pictures, props, models, frames and language prompts, graphic organizers, diagrams, maps, plans and essentially all the print and picture cues they put up in the environmental setting. This report makes a conclusion that the numerous issues on second language learning, especially English, only prove that it is creating much impact on the development of children from diverse cultures. More and more people consider its advantages and possible disadvantages. Such amount of attention is worth it because people think up of ways on how to maximize its benefits. Learning another language apart from one’s native language helps children be ready to be highly competent in an increasingly globalized world. However, although they become bilingual, it should not be forgotten that they also become bicultural, and learning of one language and the culture that goes with it does not mean forgetting their original one. Teachers should take into consideration that their non-English speaking students should learn English in both its context and language elements so the students gain a better understanding and appreciation of the English language.

How Managers Support the Company's Goals Assignment

How Managers Support the Company's Goals - Assignment Example Caleta CO’s biggest strength lies in the innovation of products which has expanded its market share and made them global leaders in the business. The company has managed to hire the best talent pool in the country by providing them with the best compensation in the industry and above industry standard benefits. John believes in recruiting the best, paying them the best, and keeping them satisfied with other benefits in the best way possible. He was not wrong, as this talent pool has led to the success of the company through their innovation. However, John is now faced with the challenge of a reduction in employee costs and ensure better working conditions in Mexico and Vietnam.   John sits down to list the following:- To make a list of all managers who have spearheaded teams to break into new markets and expand the range of RFID products which has increased the turnover of the company. John will present this to the board to convince that he has hired the right talent and the right talent requires monetary motivation to innovate.- Aware that the innovation of products has led to the growth of the company John has decided to pool the innovative team together and the compensation and benefits program for this team will remain unchanged.- On the other hand, reductions will be made in the current size of the HR department. Tracking their performances through feedback forms from the employees. The 17 specialists who test and recruit managers will be tracked against the performance of the recruits to ensure the right candidate is receiving the right compensation.- Most importantly to rework the current organizational structure to see excesses to the right size.- HR associates to be given additional responsibility to expose managers to the new HRIS system with timelines to complete and convince the managers to use them. This will lead to a reduction in HR resources and lower cost.- The best compensation in the industry comes with the best performance standards . Weed out the non-performing 10% in the company.- To recruit HR associates in Mexico and Vietnam to ensure a personal touch which also saves cost, as traveling from the US and the cost of hiring an HR associate in the US is 10 times higher. Ensure that the HR associate in that country is in charge of maintaining safety and health standards prevalent in that country. OR to explore HR outsourcing companies to take care of the HR management in Vietnam and Mexico if feasible and turn out to be a huge cost saving for the Corporation.

Plea Bargaining Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Plea Bargaining - Essay Example According to a task force instituted to address issues in the judicial system, there was major underfunding within the judicial system, unlike other state government elements that fared much better in the recent economic crisis of 2009/2010 (Bibas, n.d.). Considering that most expenses within the judiciary are staff wages, it has been argued in the past that plea bargaining is the best thing that happened to the judicial system. Political analysts and lawmakers have dubbed plea-bargaining as "the new criminal justice system." Because plea-bargaining offers both efficiency and reduced logistical and financial resources, it is overly perceived that without plea-bargaining, an explosion of the court cases would erupt, increasing costs rapidly while at the same time disrupting the present legal system. The primary advantage for the continuance of plea bargaining is that it is vital in ensuring sustained efficiency and function of the criminal justice framework. Many people are of the opinion that if plea bargaining would be discontinued; the judicial legal framework would just cave in from the load of managing ever-increasing criminal cases with limited resources. Individuals supporting plea bargaining argue that while felony caseloads are seen to increase two-fold with every passing decade, the assets set aside to facilitate the activities associated with tackling crime and providing justice only increase by a small margin (Golde & Bonjour, 1975). They contend that plea bargaining is therefore required for the efficient allocation and distribution of judicial resources. Individuals in support additionally argue that extra increases in expenses because of executing trials for each defendant would only be another cost generating gateway, overburdening an already starving economy. Plea bargaining is additionally preferred because it offers extra flexibility in the US judicial framework. Prosecutors are offered the

The Rise and Fall of the Iron Curtain Essay Example for Free

The Rise and Fall of the Iron Curtain Essay â€Å"Two thousand years ago the proudest boast was civis Romanus sum [I am a Roman citizen]. Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is Ich bin ein Berliner! All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words Ich bin ein Berliner!† ~ John F. Kennedy (Introduction) The Berlin Wall was built in the dead of the night on August 13, 1961 and stood for about 28 years until the Wall finally came down on November 9, 1989. The history behind the creation and destruction of the Berlin Wall is truly tragic. It was built due to the fact that the relationship between the Soviet Union and the other three Allies was crumbling over different views and once World War II was finally over, it was clearly evident that they weren’t going to be able to resolve their issues. The Allies (Western Germany) wanted to help fix Germany after being conquered and turn it into a democracy, but The Soviet Union (East Germany) disagreed and wanted to make Germany Communist. Neither side wanted to budge with their views so each side continued life under their completely different controls with the split being within Berlin. While West Germany was prospering, East Germany was falling apart. They could of been compared as night and day from each other. At a certain point, East Germany was losing so many people to West Germany, that in the middle of the night, The Soviet Union built a â€Å"rough draft† of the Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall was a split between East (Communist) and West (Democratic) Germany, but its destruction was almost as sudden as its creation. (Body) (Why the Berlin Wall was built) Before the Wall was built, people from either side could â€Å"freely† cross the boundaries every day for work or to just visit, but on August 13, 1961, that all changed. A quote that I found by Peter Galante summarized the day the Wall went up perfectly! â€Å"It was like splitting Manhattan down the middle of Fifth Avenue from the Battery to the Bronx; like splitting London with a zigzag line from Barnet to Croydon. . . . If you lived on one side and your office was on the other, you couldnt go to work. . . . If your mother lived on one side and you lived on the other, you couldnt go visit her. . . . The aim was simple and brutal: to shut a people in and annex to Communist East Germany what she had not been given by agreement, East Berlin. Its effect was cruel and horrible. At seven in the morning on the first day, a man went to see his child. Barbed wire, concrete blocks and armed police stood between them. For the people, it produced misery. From the people, it produced fortitude and heroism (Galante, 1965).† There are many reason of why the Berlin Wall built. One reason was due to the fact of economic reasons – too many people were moving from East to West Germany and this was crumbling East Germany faster. The second reason was political – West Germany was prospering and East Germany simply was not. (finish) (Why the Wall caused so much controversy) It is almost bluntly obvious to why the Berlin Wall caused so much controversy among the citizens of both East and West Germany. When the Wall first went up, it abruptly separated entire families, kept people from their jobs, and just basically tore people’s lives apart. No matter what they tried to do, they weren’t able to get through the boarders without some kind of conscience happening – being shot or attacked. People from East Germany tried to apply for visa’s to travel to West Germany and were regularly denied. Little by little, with the communist rule of East Germany locking its people within the city, people slowly but surely became frustrated and upset, which they had every right to be. (talk about different things people did to try and escape from East Germany) (Why is came down) (What was the aftershock of the wall coming down) (What is the significance of this event to today’s society) For almost 30 years, the sections of that Berlin Wall that still remain were the iron and concrete embodiment of the symbolic Iron Curtain between western democracies and the Communist world of the Soviet Union. I dont know if the wall itself has any impact today other than as a reminder of how bad things were in Eastern Europe in the early 1960s until the end of Communism there in the late 80s and early 90s. However, today we think of international terrorism, usually from the Middle East as the major threat, but when it was built by the Soviets and East Germans in August, 1961, the fear of Communism and nuclear war was as strong as the fear of Islamic terrorists, today, maybe stronger. (help?) (Conclusion) Today, although there is barely anything left of the Berlin Wall besides what is left as memorials of that horrible event, the scares of those 28 years are still â€Å"fresh† to those who had to go through or even witness that kind of torture. It is hard for us to truly imagine what life was like during that time. Having your town, city, state split straight down the middle, separated from friends, families, and loved ones for years by concrete and iron, and not being able to see them – that is truly unimaginable. I know I can’t imagine being separated from my family and knowing that if I â€Å"tried† to get passed that wall to see them, that I would either be shot, attacked by dogs, or something else, is scary. (need help finishing this) Bibliography Galante, P. (1965). The Berlin Wall. London: Arthur Baker Ltd.; 1St Edition edition (1965).

Things To Know About Lao Culture English Language Essay

Things To Know About Lao Culture English Language Essay Laos has its own traditional greeting called Nob. Where palms are placed together as if in prayer and held in front of the chest or face. The person who is socially inferior or younger should be the first to bow, but it is considered polite for the older/socially superior person to respond quickly. There are many levels for showing respect to the person in greeting with Nob. The higher the hands are held and the lower the bow, the greater the degree of respect. During Nob, one should smile and say hello together. Sa Bai Dee is a word used as Hello. Its general meaning is How are you and I am doing good or Im fine. It is common in Laos to ask, Have you eaten yet? after greeting. When person ask this question, he/she does not normally purpose for the answer but to show care. This tells the importance, not unlike many cultures, of offering and accepting hospitality whenever possible. Nation Pride The Lao are truly  happy  being Lao. However, they might not notice themselves. According to the Buddhist Precept, Things are as they are and should be. The Lao  accept  who and what they are. And the Lao are  proud  in their long and well-established traditions. They like when foreigner shows interest in their culture. Never mind Laos is a deeply sensitive culture. They care for other people feeling. Word expressions capture the essence of a culture. One should always bear this in mind before making a strong comment or  taking direct action. Lao has a lot of expressions include the word Chai or heart Two frequently used Lao expressions are Bo Penh Nyang and Tham Ma Dha. These two words have various meaning according to the context. However, all meanings derive from a Buddhist perspective of acceptance of the prevailing situation. Bo Penh Nyang directly means No problem. It also has other meanings as never mind or are you all right?. In some case, Bo Penh Nyang can use for express as I forgive and forget your action.; this is normally used when someone did something wrong. Tham Ma Dha is the word from Buddhist thinking, means everything goes on it way. In everyday life situation, it means average, the norm or proceeding as usual. Religious Culture Similar to other countries in South-East Asia, Lao culture is influenced by Buddhist thinking. This translates to a very patient and accepting attitude. People want to move on to peace and prosperity rather than dwell on the past. Things are as they are and should be and change comes slowly. Body conduct In Laos, as in most Buddhist cultures, head is considered the most precious part of the body as it is the center of the spirit. In the same way, the feet are the least sacred part of the body. There are many manners and aspects that are related to body conduct. It is necessary to remember this conduct whenever in Laos. Dress In big city and urban area, Lao dress the modern cloths in the same way as the western do. However, short and revealing clothes are generally not acceptable in Lao culture. Losing face To lose face, or to cause another to lose face, is serious.   Losing face can make Lao people very sensitive. They are afraid of being insulted. Any form of confrontation for winner and loser must be avoided. Do and Dont Do not offer a kiss in greeting! The Laos word for hello is Sa Bai Dee,usually said with a smile. Hand shaking in public is not common. If you dont know how to greet in Laos tradition way, it is better to bow a little bit and say hello. Touching or showing affection in public will embarrass Lao. Greeting with affection of people with same gender is not widely accepted. Do avoid showing affection Kissing and hugging and hand holding in public is impolite. Handholding in public should be avoided, even for foreigner couple. Men and woman should not touch or have public affection. Please be discrete and show respect to Lao culture. Be clean and neat in appearance whenever possible. Lao people appreciate clean and neatly dressed visitors. Do dress modestly when entering temples, museums, official buildings and government offices; no shorts or sleeveless shirts, tank tops or beach wear. Appropriate dress and behavior when entering places are essential. Lao people are also sensitive with odor. People who have strong body odor should wear perfume however, strong perfume is not appreciated. Do take your hat and shoes off before you enter temple or Laoss home Lao people try to keep their places clean. Taking hat and shoes off also are showing respect to the places. Lao appreciate and expect foreigner to do the same. Do not touch anyone on the head. As head is the most sacred part of the Laos body, touching head is considered as very impolite behavior. Do remember that feet is low Do not point your feet towards people or Buddha images. Using your feet for anything other than walking or playing sport is generally considered rude. Sitting with legs crossed should be also avoided, otherwise, pointing feet at something or someone. When sitting in a temple, keep legs together and to the side in a mermaid position. Do gently crouch down when passing someone who is seated It is polite to gently crouches ones back down when passing someone who is seated. Never, ever step over someone in your path. Do not shout or raise your voice Lao people speak softly and avoid confrontation. Speaking or shouting in loud voice may frighten them. Dont lose your temper in public. Speaking loudly and angrily is often counterproductive. It also consider as uneducated or uncivilized person. People who lose their temper in public might be looked down on from other people. Do ask for the permission first before you take a photo of someone It is better to ask for permission, particularly in villages outside the cities where the people may have superstitions against being photographed. Do not Bathing nude or Semi-nude in public. A lot of travelers bath in the river and waterfall nude or wear bikini. Lao people do not appreciate that behavior as it is contrast to their culture and religious. Do show respect to the temple, monk and religious related things. Foreigner should show respect and dress neatly while in temples and when taking photos around the temple areas. There are many other sacred items and sites in Laos. do not touch these items or enter places without permission. Do avoid involving with illegal stuff The use of drugs is illegal in Laos. The government is serious about this. The illegal sale of wildlife and wildlife products should be avoided. Buying antique Buddha, sacred items and other old artifacts are prohibited. They are not allowed to be taken out of Laos. You might have problem when leaving Laos Sex tourism is illegal in Lao Sex tourism is illegal in Lao and child-sex tourism is a serious crime. Moreover The Lao government prohibits any sexual contact or relationships between Lao nationals and foreigners, unless married under Lao law; penalties may involve heavy fines or imprisonment It is importance to remember how to show respect. When in Laos, try and do as the Laos. Do and remember about body conduct, dress, and public affection and religious manner. Business Value Laos entrepreneurial behavior is culturally influenced by values, beliefs, and disbeliefs. Religion, the caste system, and the family system affected the emergence of entrepreneurship. As Lao is a devoutly Buddhist country, it is important to respect the national religion when conducting business in Lao. Business Value Business culture in Laos is dramatically different from westerners business culture. The expressions of each of the value emphases listed in the following Table.1 for one culture can be found. Table.1 Business value emphasis comparison between Lao and Westerners. Source: Laoletter (2008). Lao Business Culture blog. Relationship Businesses are often based on personal relations developed within social circles. In Lao culture, work and social affairs are woven together in a seamless pattern. Since the emphasis placed on personal relationships is high, having a reliable and well-connected local agent or representative is crucial to the success of a foreign venture. Lao are seeking for accepted, trusted and credible relationships. Relationships progress slowly in Laos with the step-by-step approach. Asking your partner about family, traditions, culture help you understand your partner better and also build the relationship. View of Time Punctuality Do like the locals and keep your sense of time flexible. Expecting punctuality will often lead to frustration. However, punctuality from foreign partner is appreciated Business Hours Official working hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. In factories and private companies work hours are extended until 5:00 p.m., and work days can be extended to six days. Etiquette Greeting In business, Lao are normally greet with a traditional greeting nob. However, nowadays, handshake is becoming increasingly common during the conduct of business but only for people with same gender. Men and women should avoid public displays of affection. Naming Lao people should be addressed by their first names, preceded by their title Mr//Ms//Madame or Than (in Lao). Dress For men, clothing such as shirt and trousers are appropriate for business meetings. Lightweight suits, tie should be worn, especially in special occasion. Women usually wear long skirts and blouse or sleeveless tops. Its unusual to see bare Lao skin above the elbow. Short skirts and bare bosoms and navels is not appropriate for business dress The Lao pay great attention to personal cleanliness and lack of odour.   Westerners who have strong body odour should wear soft perfumes. Language Official language is Lao. However, English and Fresh are commonly used in Business. Knowledge of French is useful because French is more widely spoken and understood than English, though translators are available Business cards When doing business in Lao, carry lots of business cards.   Business cards should be translated into Lao and printed up locally.   A common practice is to have English version on one side and Lao version on the reverse. Business cards should be given and received using both hands as a sign of respect to the person you are dealing with. The example of the correct way to hold business card during exchange is shown in Figure XX. Exchanging business card with one hand also acceptable, but only exchanging with right hand where left hand lightly wrap around lower arm. When receiving another persons card, always study the card for a few seconds in their details for name and position. Never place it immediately into your pocket or wallet as it is impolite. At meetings, other peoples business cards should be arranged on the table. It is a sign of respect and helps them keep track of names.   Do not play with your Lao colleagues business card since this is disrespectful. Business card should be treated with respect in same degree of respect as you would show the person him or herself. Gift It is not required to give the gift when meeting business partner but giving gift shows consideration to other people and good relationship. Gift can be anything especially, things with your countrys content such as stamp or coin sets, calendars, pens or pins is a big hit. You can offer one for everyone in the party greeting you.   At least be sure there is one for the host or person in the highest rank. Gifts are given in the order of peoples importance.   Wrapped gifts will not be opened until everyone has departed.  So if you have a gift that requires explanation,  present it undraped so you can explain Shoes and socks make inappropriate gifts in Laos as the foot is the least sacred part of the body. Green and red are the most suitable colors for wrapping paper in Laos. Avoid the color white, which is considered unlucky. Business Protocol Negotiation Negotiations in the Lao context can be a grinding, slow process. It is highly unstructured and unpredictable. Lao contracts are short, written in simple language, and focus on principles while western contract is obtuse and legalistic. Relationship is important than the terms and conditions of a specific contract. They view the contract as the starting point of relationship and be able to changes later. The agreement may become meaningless if the circumstances change. Good  relationship with your partners helps you in negotiation. If you must break off negotiations, do so carefully.  Do not close the door on future cooperation.   Seeking legal  counsel is public admission that the relationship has failed.   Meeting Meeting in Lao is not well-conducted. Those who attend are not expected to contribute or listen carefully.  People use meetings as opportunities to take a break from their normal work with the speaker at the front of the room drones on, without pausing for discussion.  Some meetings also considered as opportunities to demonstrate group harmony, take a group photo or have a social occasion afterwards. The highest ranking person in the group should lead the way in, and be the spokesperson.   Do not make the  mistake of shaking hands with the interpreter first. There is normally business card exchange before the meeting start. Meetings always begin with informal chit-chat over coffee and/or tea.   Drink the tea that is served before launching in to main topic. A great deal of  discussion takes place before the main topic of the meeting has been raised.   The host will initiate serious talk, and then leave time for you to say a few words in response. Be alert for signals that the meeting should end.   The signals include asking you if you would like more tea, beginning to sum things up, thanking you for coming, and leading you to the door. Table If Lao has invited you to a dinner it is important to return the favor.   Informal occasions such as this are invaluable in terms of building the relationship. Whenever one accept dining invitation, it is important to host next meal. If the meal take place at Laos house, remember to take shoes off before enter the house. Guest should not take seat until host invites to sit. For dining at restaurant, do not ask to share the bill if have dining at restaurant if they propose to pay for you. Instead, accept the invitation and then host the next meal. Communication Writing It is better to have everything translated to Lao. Written documents should be in both Lao and the foreign language. The best way is to have a two column in one page so the  Lao reader can easily cross horizontally from the Lao text to the foreign language to clarify or confirm a  meaning in Lao. And never write in red ink.   It is negative and will displease the recipient. Context and Style Lao culture pays more attention to the interaction process itself. Things are not always what they seem. Body languages are quite reserved. There are little eye contact and few expressive gestures. Lao has indirect communication style. Rather than confront a person with an issue or disagreement, Lao people will often approach a difficulty indirectly through praise, compliments or by moving to another subject. Never ever take yes for an answer. Lao normally say yes to indicate that the message has been heard and understood. Yes means maybe or perhaps or no. Maybe means yes, no, or just maybe. There is really no no. Bad news is often  introduced bit by bit to soften the blow.   Wait for the and., which generally is when the full picture is revealed. Harmony and Conflict Harmony and avoiding the appearance of conflict in relationships are highly valued in Lao society.   Lao have developed very effective non-confrontational ways of communicating disagreement. People are more likely to succeed if avoid anger, confrontation or verbal criticisms which tend to polarize situations and can lead to loss of face. They try to seek an elegant resolution, a subtle way to avoid conflict, and a win-win solution.   It is Lao style to reveal little about ones intentions, goals and needs revelation is perceived as weakness or losing advantage. In order to improve communication with Lao business partner, first thing to keep in mind is Keep it simple, boil the message down to its simplest form. English or French or other not mother language, they might be able to speak but it does not mean that the whole message is correctly understand. Remember to Re-confirm  everything when having conversation with Lao. Ask what you understand in the conversation is correct. Silence is polite. Silence and pause during the conversation in common in Lao. Another important thing in communication is saying Apologize, when necessary, even if you have not done anything wrong.   Lao will apologize because an  unfortunate incident has occurred. And the last advise for communication but most effective Learn to speak Lao.