Intercultural and Linguistic Aspects of Business Correspondence in Russian and French Business Cultures

The economic relations between Russia and France have been rapidly developing in recent years, and business letters have become an essential part of the interaction between the two countries. The standards and norms for composing and structuring business correspondence are established by each country and could significantly differ from one to another. The paper is focused on identifying and explaining linguistic, cultural, and structural differences between Russian and French business letters. The research is based on the comparative analysis of a corpus of Russian and French business letters. The collected data has been interpreted with the help of cultural theories. The results of the analyses have been organized into a set of guidelines that are aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of business communication between Russian and French business partners. Keywords: Business, letters, business correspondence, intercultural communication, France, Russia, business relations.