Application of Business English in Cross-border E-commerce Negotiations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18063/lne.v3i6.1125Keywords:
Business English, Cross-border e-commerce, Negotiation strategies, Contract clausesAbstract
With the rapid development of global e-commerce, cross-border e-commerce has become a crucial component in international trade. As the universal language during international business communication, the application strategies of business English directly affect negotiation efficiency and transaction success rates. Taking major cross-border e-commerce platforms such as Alibaba International and Amazon as examples, this paper conducts an in-depth analysis of the business English strategies employed by buyers and sellers during negotiations. The study finds that key linguistic elements for successful negotiations include the accurate use of professional terminology (e.g., trade terms like FOB and CIF), cultural adaptability in polite language (such as avoiding direct negation and adopting euphemistic expressions), and clear statement of contract clauses. However, current practices still face issues such as misuse of terminology, pragmatic failures caused by cultural differences, and ambiguities in clauses. This research provides systematic language strategy recommendations for cross-border e-commerce practitioners. Enhancing the application of business English can significantly improve negotiation efficiency, reduce transaction risks, and ultimately promote high-quality international business cooperation.
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