新编实用英语综合教程2-Unit1InvitationEtiquette教案

Unit 1 Invitation Etiquette

Unit Goals

What you should learn to do

Make an oral invitation to:

Invite people to join daily activities

Invite people to formal occasions

Make a written invitation

(write an invitation card or a letter) for:

Personal invitation

Official occasions

Give a reply to:

An oral invitation

A written invitation

What you should know about

Invitation culture: western and Chinese

Word order in a subordinate clause

Requirements:

After learning this unit, students should grasp:

1.

Read and understand the meaning of invitation cards and letters

2. How to write invitation cards and letters and remember the patterns of invitation cards and letters

3. How to invite people to party or dinner, and how to accept and decline invitations

4. The customs of inviting people in different countries

5.

Important words, phrases and language points in the passage

In our daily life, we need to invite others to dinner or take part in all kinds of parties, so we should

know about western custom about invitation.

Foreign custom is much stricter than Chinese custom in the matter of replying to invitations. When

you receive an invitation you should answer is immediately, saying definitely whether you are able

to accept it or not.

If the invitation is given by word of mouth, in conversation or at a chance meeting, you should

answer at once whether you can come or not. If you cannot give an answer at that time, you may

say

“

May I let you know this evening

”

or some such words. By studying this unit, we will know

about how to invite the others, how to accept or decline the invitation, and how to write invitation

cards/letters.

Section I Talking Face to Face

1.

Imitating Mini-Talks

2.

Acting out the Tasks

3.

Studying Email Information on the Internet

4.

Following Sample Dialogues

5.

Putting Language to Use

Section II Being All Ears

1.

Learning Sentences for Workplace Communication

2.

Handling a Dialogue

3.

Understanding a Short Speech / Talk

Section III Trying your Hand

1.

Practicing Applied Writing

2.

Writing Sentences and Reviewing Grammar

Section IV Maintaining a Sharp Eye

Passage 1 :

Information Related to the Reading Passage

Whether it is to a wedding, a dinner party, shower or gala event, an invitation comes with some

important obligations. Here

'

s a quick guide to keep you on the guest list.

1.

R.S.V.P

From the French

“

R |oondez, s il vous plait

”

, it means

“

Please reply

”

This

little code has been around for a long time and it

'

s definitely telling you that your hosts want to

know if you are attending. Reply promptly, within a day or two of receiving an invitation.

2.

How do I respond? Reply in the manner indicated on the invitation.

R.S.V.P and no responsecard: a handwritten responseto the host at the return address on the

envelope.

Response Card: fill in and reply by the date indicated and return in the enclosed envelope.

R.S.V.P with phone number: telephone and make sure to speak in person

—

answering

machines can be unreliable.

R.S.V.P with e-mail: you may accept or decline electronically.

Regrets only: reply only if you cannot attend. If your host doesn

'

t hear from you, he is

expecting you!

No reply requested?Unusual, but it is always polite to let someone know your intentions. A

phone call would be sufficient.

3.

Is that your final answer?

Changing a

“

yes

”

to a

“

no

”

is only acceptable on account of: illness or injury, a death in

the family or an unavoidable professional or business conflict. Call your hosts immediately.

Canceling because you have a

“

better

”

offer is a surefire way to get dropped from ALL the

guest lists.

Being a

“

no show

”

is unacceptable.

Changing a

“

no

”

to a

“

yes

”

is OK only if it will not upset the hosts

'

arrangements.

4.

“

May I bring

,

?

”

Don

'

t even ask! An invitation is extended to the people the hosts want to invite

—

and no one

else.

, a date. Some invitations indicate that you may invite a guest or date (Mr. John Evans and

Guest) and when you reply, you should indicate whether you are bringing someone, and convey

their name.

, my children. If they were invited, the invitation would have said so.

, my houseguest. I

'

t s best to decline the invitation, stating the reason. This gives your host the

option to extend the invitation to your guests, or not.

5.

Say

“

Thank You.

”

Make sure to thank your hosts before you leave, and then again by phone or note the next day.

Text Business Invitation

A case of mistaken identity!

Don

'

t worry, we

'

ve been assured that this mystery will be

solved in time for our

Holiday Office Party

We

'

re leaving the investigation to those who do it best.

Let

'

s get away from all those computers, papers and mess and come

to our office party in your best suit or dress.

Come join us and Toast the Season

Thursday, December 9th 2010 5:00 P.M.

The Columbia House

-

Pen thouse Floor 485 Jeffers on Plaza

Leonard, Barley, Travis, Bailey and Smith

Regrets only to Dianne 248-8522

It would be a crime to miss our party or not be on time

485 Jefferson Plaza

Business invitations can be informal or formal. Although invitations are usually sent through the

mail, informal invitations such as e-mail and phone invitations are becoming more acceptable.

Invitation Timing

For most formal occasions, it

'

s best to invite guests three or four weeks in advance. If you

choose to invite your guests by phone, remind them again in writing two weeks before the

gathering. Here are a few guidelines for your information:

?

Six to eight months before an

important seminar to which out-of-town executives are invited.

?

Four weeks before an evening reception.

?

Two to four weeks before a cocktail party.

Invitation Format

Formal business invitations are most commonly printed on white or off-white high-quality paper. A

company can use any color of paper it desires, as long as it upholds and promotes the compan

'

y s

image.

With preprinted invitations, you simply fill in the blanks to tell what, where, and when the party

will be and who is giving it. It

'

s also acceptable to include an RSVP notation and your phone

number or address on the invitation for more accurate planning.

Responding to an Invitation

Either use the address or phone number printed in the lower left corner of the invitation or return

the RSVP card sent with the invitation. If a

“

Please reply by

”

a given date is included in the

invitation, be polite enough to reply by that date. If the words

“

Regrets only

”

are printed in the

lower left corner of the invitation, you need only to inform the host if you will not be able to attend. If

your host does not hear from you, you are expected to attend.

Never ask to bring a guest unless the invitation states

“

Mr. Louis Winthorp and Guest.

”

Most

likely, the host will have only enough food and drinks for the number of people he invites. Showing

up with an uninvited friend could turn out to be an embarrassing situation for everyone.

Language Points

1 Explanation of Difficult Sentences

1.

(Para. 1) Although invitations are usually sent through the mail, informal invitations such as e-

mails and phone invitations are becoming more acceptable. Analysis: such as means

“

of the same

kind, like

”

and should be followed by nouns or noun phrases.

Translation:

虽然邀请函通 常通过信函方式发出，但目前像电子邮件、电话邀请

等非正式邀请越来越被普

遍使用。

Example: Our discussions were all about issues such as education and climate change.

2.

(Para. 4) It

'

s also acceptable to include an RSVP notation and your phone number or address

on the invitation for more accurate planning.

Analysis: It

'

s also acceptable to do, means

“

It

'

s also good enough to be received to do ,

”

Translation:

如果为了使计划更加周密，也可以 在邀请函中加上请回复的字样，

以及电话号码或联系地

址。