Behavioral patterns and linguistic features of formal negotiations with partners from Latin America

Lityagina Elena Andreevna PhD in Philology Associate Professor, Faculty of World Politics, Department of International Communication, Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "Lomonosov Moscow State University" 119991, Russia, Moscow, Leninskie Gory str., 1 p. 51, 5th floor git-opa@mail.ru Other publications by this author

Klimova Kseniya Mikhailovna Senior Lecturer, Faculty of World Politics, Department of International Communication, Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "Lomonosov Moscow State University" 119991, Russia, Moscow, Leninskie Gory str., 1 p. 51, Floor 5 klimovakm@yandex.ru Other publications by this author

At the moment, there is a noticeable increase in the number of integration blocs, political and economic associations, and multinational companies, which leads to the convergence of the economies of various countries and their significant interdependence. The resulting global processes are structurally complicated by the active exchange of technological and innovative achievements, the rapid development of communication tools and an increase in tourist flow. The number of contacts between politicians, entrepreneurs, specialists, researchers and scientists is rapidly increasing, each of whom is a representative of a certain culture and has a special mentality and values.

The article is devoted to the study of socio-cultural and linguistic features of political and business negotiations in Latin America, typical cultural and behavioral patterns when negotiating with Latin American partners, as well as the analysis of words, terminological phrases, grammatical models and speech structures used in official discourse.

The need for professional and successful negotiations, both from a behavioral point of view and from the point of view of language, is obvious, as is the need for specialists in special pragmalinguistic and psychological skills. It seems logical to consider this problem from the standpoint of the theory of intercultural communication, cultural studies, sociology and political science.

Some researchers, defining intercultural negotiations as a process in which two or more parties with different needs and points of view try to come to an agreement on a topic of mutual interest to them, note that this interaction is characterized by the parties belonging to different cultures, faiths and their specific cultural characteristics in behavior, moral values. At the same time, negotiations take place in an intercultural environment and are of interest to both cultures (N.P. Gromova, E.I. Rener, L.V. Skopova (2013)). General and particular issues of the theory of intercultural communication are also considered in the works of E. T. Hall (1976), M. M. Bakhtin (1986), J. L. Graham (1989), Yu.Sano (1989), S. Ting-Tumi (1999), V. I. Andreeva (1995), I. Ajanova (1996), M. V. Koltunova (1998), T. V. Anisimova (2000), L. K. Averchenko (2001), G. Hofstede (2001)N. F. Vishnyakova (2002), R. I. Mokshantseva (2002), V. P. Ratnikova (2002), I. I. Aminova (2005), A. Morito (2006), N. I. Leonova (2003), F. A. Kuzina (2003), M. Bohm (2003), N. P. Volskoy (2004), V. N. Lavrinenko (2005) I. A. Sternin (2006), L. A. Samovar (2010), R. E.Porter (2010), E. R. McDaniel (2010).

Culturally determined business negotiation styles may vary depending on the country or region. Latin American cultural features and characteristics of the political culture of the region are described in the works of E.Ya. Solovyov (2001), E.M. Kirechko (2017), E.L. Samarina (2017), H. Lopera (2021), M. Ines (2021), Ya.G. Shemyakina (2001). At the same time, behavioral patterns from the point of view of sociology are defined as positive or negative patterns or patterns of social behavior, and culturally they represent stereotypes of behavior that are formed in a certain cultural environment (I.V. Leonov (2011), R. Benedict (1934), I.I. Valishina (2016)).

International negotiations cannot be analyzed without linguistic data, however, it should be emphasized that there is a small amount of domestic and foreign scientific research on the lexical, grammatical and stylistic features of business negotiations in Latin American Spanish. Coverage of this topic is found in the works of A.E. Zemskaya (2011), E.A.Lityagina (2019), M.M. Rayevskaya (2020), A.S. Kovalenko (2020), A.I. Kovrigina (2023).

For the subsequent identification and analysis of patterns and features of business discourse, it is advisable to present the main characteristics of this region. Latin America is a unique territory that unites diverse ethnic groups and cultures. The population of this region consists mainly of indigenous peoples and tribes speaking various languages, as well as immigrants from Europe and Africa. As a result of the mixing of these groups, a layer of mestizos was formed - descendants of Europeans and Indians. There is some discussion regarding the geopolitical term "Latin America". According to the definition of the Institute of Latin America of the Russian Academy of Sciences, this is "a set of countries and territories located in the Western Hemisphere between the southern border of the United States and Antarctica." In the UN and other international organizations, this region is called "Latin America and the Caribbean". It is customary to single out 21 Latin American countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela.

It is difficult to give a generalized description of the population of 21 Latin American countries, since each country has its own unique features and peculiarities. For example, Mexicans are known for their politeness, sensitivity to their own authority, secrecy, carelessness and negligence in everyday life, as well as kindness and willingness to help. Perhaps this is due to the geographical location of Mexico, which borders the United States in the north and other Latin American countries in the south, which allows the people to borrow features from all their neighbors.

Ethnic stereotypes are widespread in Latin America: Argentines are called "proud", "Creole Prussians", Colombians are "drugged", Brazilians are "infantile", Cubans are "hot and attractive", Bolivians are "wild", Mexicans are "bloodthirsty". The researchers note that there is practically no middle class in this region, which leads to a strong social gap. Poor people live on the streets or in uninhabitable houses, while the rich have luxurious residences and mansions. The descendants of European settlers (Creoles) still hold influential positions in politics and business. In general, the population of Latin America is diverse and has its own unique features in each country. Inequality and social differences are a significant problem in the region, but countries are actively working to strengthen democracy and reduce inequality. However, there are common problems across the continent, such as social inequality, organized crime, corruption, drug trafficking, poverty and unemployment. Nevertheless, Governments are striving to develop favorable foreign economic relations and solve these problems.

The official representative needs to know about the blocs and associations of the region, be able to discuss these processes and analyze the prospects for development in the context of the current situation, since integration is a distinctive and important feature of Latin America. Integration processes in Latin America have their own characteristics and difficulties that distinguish them from the European experience. Integration is influenced by the geographical location of countries, their economic connectivity and the availability of communications between them, the credibility and effectiveness of the legal system, the level of government spending and tax structure, as well as geopolitical conflicts and the weakness of some democracies in the region. Also an important factor is the level of income of the population, policy coherence, historical background and community of origin, especially for the countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Since the late 1940s, several integration institutions have been established in Latin America that sought to strengthen political stability and improve the economic situation of the region, for example, the Organization of American States (OAS) for cooperation between the countries of the region or the Economic Center for Latin America (ECLAC), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which provided financial support for development projects in Latin America. However, these integration institutions cannot be considered fully Latin American, since most of their funds belong to North American countries, which sometimes does not meet the interests of the region. In this regard, the Andean Development Corporation (CAF), the FONPLATA Development Bank (FONPLATA), the Central American Common Market (MCC), the Andean Community of Nations (CAN), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the South American Common Market (MERCOSUR) and others appeared.

Another important aspect of the political consciousness of Latin Americans is the attitude towards political leaders who arouse pride and a sense of patriotism, for example, Simon Bolivar. In the twentieth century, Salvador Allende, Juan Peron, Fidel Castro and Ernesto Che Guevara were respected and loved in Latin American countries, they also reflected the political values of society. However, there have also been periods of brutal military dictatorships in the history of most countries in the region, such as Augusto Pinochet in Chile and Jorge Rafael Videla in Argentina. The attitude towards these leaders is contradictory and characterizes the political culture, but discussing them with business partners is considered taboo.

Latin America differs from Western culture, despite the influence of the Catholic tradition. The people in this region are friendly, friendly and smiling. Latinos are also known for their romanticism, dreaminess and high emotionality. They appreciate a sense of humor and enjoy listening to funny stories. However, because of their emotionality, they can be touchy and vindictive.

One of the features uniting the peoples of this region is patriotism. For example, in Mexico, the phrase "Como México no hay dos" is common – "There is no other country like Mexico." Fostering patriotic feelings is an important part of national policy and manifests itself in respect for historical monuments, including museums. At the same time, Mexicans treat themselves and their politicians with some irony.

Literature, poetry, dancing, and music are a good topic for conversation with partners from Latin American countries. Among the genres of music and dance, tango is distinguished, embodying passion, valor and honor, Cuban salsa, Dominican bachata, Brazilian samba, Colombian cumbia, brazilsoke forro, merengue, reggaeton. The cultural identity of the people of Latin America is revealed in the works of famous writers, including the literary movement "magical realism" that originated in this region: Jorge Luis Borges, Jorge Amadou, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, Pablo Neruda, Julio Cortazar, Paulo Coelho, Laura Esquivel, Isabel Allende. Among the outstanding artists, Frida Kahlo, Rufino Tamayo, Alfredo Ramos Martinez, Roberto Matta, Jose Maria Velasco, Diego Rivera should be mentioned.

It is necessary to keep in mind the sights that are important to the negotiating partners, of which they are proud and ignorance of which may offend the interlocutor. The continent is home to unique natural areas and architectural monuments recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as the Cueva de las Manos Cave in Argentina, Iguazu National Park on the border of Argentina and Brazil, the ruins of the ancient city of Machu Picchu in Peru, Rapanui National Park in Chile on Easter Island, the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, Mount Roraima at the junction of the territories of Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana, the Perito Moreno glacier in Argentine Patagonia, the rainbow Vinicunca mountains in the Andes of Peru.

Holidays and impressive, large-scale shows play an important role in the life of Latin American countries and are an indispensable part of their culture, therefore it is necessary to know the main dates of the holidays in order to competently organize negotiations and business meetings. All countries in the region celebrate events such as New Year, Christmas, Labor Day, Flag Day and Independence Day. In addition, in some countries there are special holidays: the Anniversary of the day of the Battle of Pueblo in 1862 (Indian holiday), the Brazilian Carnival and the Day of the Dead - Día de los Muertos (UNESCO Heritage). A large number of holidays also testifies to the light and positive attitude of Latinos towards life, their love of colorful spectacles, recreation and entertainment.

Latin American culture is characterized by openness and willingness to accept and respect other cultures and traditions. They show tolerance towards various political, racial and religious beliefs. In their understanding, power can become a source of wealth, and wealth can attract political support. They perceive Russia as a "historical counterweight" to North America, with which many countries in the region have strained relations. The authorities of the Russian Federation also highly value ties with Latin American countries as important and promising partners. Social norms and attitudes in Latin American countries are in many ways similar to those in Russia, and differences between countries are justified by historical processes and self-identification.

The culture of Latin American negotiations is characterized by high context and an emphasis on emotions. Non-verbal cues such as gestures and expressions of emotion are used, and visual contact is maintained during negotiations. Latinos respond more to intonation and general mood than to the content of speech. They do not trust detachment and distance (relaxed behavior is welcome at business meetings), while they are able to create a comfortable atmosphere during negotiations and smile, avoiding aggression. This culture does not accept coldness, they closely monitor the mood of their interlocutor, are able to empathize. An important feature is the spontaneity during negotiations, the absence of formal frameworks. Discussions can be lively, artistic, eloquent, passionate, because Latinos like the process itself.

Establishing trust before business negotiations may take time, but it is necessary for successful business in Latin America. Personal relationships and connections are of great importance, so it will be useful to get to know and establish contacts before starting business negotiations. It is also worth paying attention to the status and professionalism, indicate your merits and achievements on the business card to demonstrate your competence and professionalism. The "palanca" (leverage) is highly appreciated, such a person is called "persona bien colocada" (a well-connected person).

In Latin America, it is customary to shake hands and use appropriate titles and ranks. Enchufados, a person with high-level connections in the field of business and politics, is invited to the first business negotiations. When meeting women, a slight bow may be appropriate, after which a handshake is expected from her side. A strict business suit is preferred both during negotiations and in everyday life, great importance is attached to elegance and conservatism in the wardrobe.

During a conversation, Latinos usually sit and talk at close range and can use gestures, put a hand on their shoulder, take an elbow or a hand. Avoiding physical contact and putting your hands in your pockets is not recommended, as this may offend your partner. It is recommended to use the index finger to indicate height, since the entire palm is used exclusively to indicate the height of the animal.

The Latin American population adheres to traditions and conservative views, so it is recommended to use clear arguments, statistics and economic calculations during negotiations. People here live in the present tense, so they are interested in the immediate results of transactions. It is necessary to ask for official confirmation of all agreements in writing, since in Latin America you cannot rely only on promises - many promises can be made, but nothing is fulfilled.

Business lunches are usually designed to discuss complex and serious issues. Often, the most senior and respected person pays the bill for the entire company in the restaurant, but it is considered good form to object or invite colleagues to the next meeting at their own expense. Business women should not invite a Mexican partner to dinner at a restaurant without his spouse or colleague. If a mate is offered to a partner, this may indicate a special arrangement. In addition, people in this region love humor, they are prone to sharp jokes and anecdotes, make fun of each other and like to listen to the ironic stories of colleagues.

Most Latinos adhere to traditional values and religious beliefs, especially Catholicism. Therefore, during business negotiations, it is important to avoid negative discussion of religion or other moral values, so as not to offend your partner. The Church plays a significant role in the lives of Latin Americans and has a great influence on their worldview and political culture. Respect for religion is an important factor in conducting business relations in Latin America.

Catholicism, which was brought to the continent by the conquistadors, became the basis of the spiritual life of Latin Americans. Having absorbed local peculiarities, he became an integral part of his political culture ^[9]. Religious syncretism is a characteristic feature of the spiritual life of Latin American peoples. Despite the efforts of some colonialists seeking to completely destroy pre-Columbian religious traditions, some elements of these cults still survived and mixed with the Christian culture prevailing in Spain. Over time, these two different cultural influences began to interact, and certain stable forms of fusion of Indian pagan and Iberian-Christian religiosity were formed. ^[15]. Among the main forms of preserved elements of pre-Columbian cults within the framework of the Catholic religion and the church, retablo should be highlighted. "Retablo" and "ex-voto" are pictures brought as gifts to the saints. They were painted in gratitude for some miraculous event, getting rid of danger or illness. By the end of the XX century. Pseudo-folk retables have become widespread among tourists and have become a popular form of modern art.

In Latin American countries, despite some regional differences, the general population tends to be unpunctual. Residents of these countries often live a measured life in a warm climate and do not adhere to the schedule as strictly as in other regions. Even at business meetings, partners may be late by half an hour or even an hour, and this is considered acceptable and normal. However, it is stereotypically believed that foreigners are more punctual, so Latin Americans can try to be more accurate when it comes to meeting with a foreign guest or appreciate his clear and attentive attitude to time. From 9.00 to 13.00 commercial structures work, and then from 15.00 to 18.00 a siesta is held. If you want to have a meeting with a Latin American partner, it may be a good idea to give them a choice of time to show their politeness and respect. It is also customary to hold business breakfasts, which can flow into lunch, as well as lunches and dinners at the hotel of a foreign guest.

The most important aspect for Latinos is family, work responsibilities always take a secondary place. Women have a high status in Latin American society and are associated with the Virgin Mary, as religion is of great importance in this culture. There are many prominent women presidents and activists in the political and business spheres in Latin America. Women in the business world are encouraged to dress classically and behave with restraint, as machismo prevails in Latin American countries.

Latinos can show distrust of their partners through negligence and non-commitment. However, they treat foreigners with respect and interest, especially American partners, to whom they can show special respect. It is important to think carefully about making decisions and not rush them, as Latinos may think that they have conceded too much.

Musical recordings, small electronic devices, pens, lighters, watches, perfumes are suitable for gifts to colleagues from Latin America. During a guest visit, it is appropriate to bring chocolates, champagne, whiskey, cognac or strawberries. Red and white flowers associated with funerals and mourning should be avoided. At the first business meeting, it is better to limit yourself to small national souvenirs or souvenirs with the company's symbols.

Studying the linguistic specifics of negotiations is no less important than observing the rules of conduct. The name "Latin America" comes from the Latin root of the Romance languages. Spanish is the official State language in almost all countries of the region. However, more than 10% of the Latin American population speaks Native American languages, in Brazil Portuguese, and in Haiti French. Many Latinos speak English, but they will be much more disposed if their partners speak Spanish. You can hire an interpreter, as presentations, business documents and business cards are better written in Spanish.

Partners will be pleased with any words in their native language, especially greetings: buenos aires, buenos tardes, buenos noches (good morning, good afternoon and good evening, respectively). In business Latin America, it is customary to apply by position or profession, which reflects the status of the interlocutor: doctor – doctor; teacher – profesor; engineer – ingeniero; lawyer – abogado, etc. Colleagues who do not have professional titles should be addressed as follows: señor, señ ora, señ orita (senor, senora, senorita) and then the last name of the person.

In the business world, it is also recommended to use the following words: muchas gracias (thank you very much), por favor (please), usted es muy amable (you are very kind). The laudatory forms will be appropriate: perfecto (perfect, excellent, excellent), bárbaro (bold), spectacular (spectacular, catchy), impresionante (impressive), lindo, bonito, hermoso, grandioso, fenomenal (wonderful). This is said both appropriately and inappropriately: with poor performance, you can hear the encouraging: "¡Exelente! ¡Muy bien!» "Great, very good!" Even in case of a mistake, the person will be told: "¡Está bien!" (everything is fine). It is worth noting that despite the striking regional distinctive features, much of verbal communication corresponds to the classical techniques and ways of expressing the Spanish business language.

The Latin American culture of communication is characterized by a high emotional background and drama. During the discussion, they may be interrupted by calls, express joy or indignation. Latinos do not have the opportunity to answer "bad" (mal) or "so-so" (así así) to the question "how are you?" (¿Como está s?). For them, "more or less" already means "bad", so a colleague will definitely ask what happened. This shows their optimistic attitude towards life and their desire to keep their spirits up. If a colleague avoids a direct answer to a question, you can repeat it in a modified form.

Sometimes verbs such as creer, opinar, suponer are used, softening the judgments that follow them or lexical units that avoid the directness of the statement simplemente, solo. Increased expressiveness is typically expressed through emotionally evaluative verbs and subhunctives (espero que usted sea más competitivo), means of verbal aggression (usted me está tomando el pelo or through conditional sentences with the conjunction "si"). Manipulations are implemented using the pronoun "nosotros" to create a false sense of joint effort and joint benefit. Pressure on an opponent can be achieved through irony or through the use of Condicional Simple in its modal meaning of a polite request (¿Esa es su nueva propuesta? Podría proponer algo mejor) ^[7].

Another feature is the use of borrowings from English without translation and phonetic design or close to the original, for example, the term email (e-mail) in Latin American countries, unlike Spain (correo electrónico), is used in its original form. Latin Americans translate the words "computer - computer" as computadora, contrasting with the Spanish ordenador.

Since in Latin America, the success of business communication depends more on personal relationships and friendly contact, the transition from the polite form "Usted" (you) to "tú" (you) is welcome in conversation.

Latin Americans often use speech formulas of politeness containing Imperfecto de Subjuntivo de cortesía (quisiera saber), means of expressing partial agreement with a counterargument (tiene razón, pero), as well as verbs in the form of the 1st person Condicional Simple (the so-called condicional de modestia) to formulate potentially conflicting judgments (yo diría que eso no es así) ^[7].

Since one of the national traits of many peoples of the region is a tendency to avoid direct responsibility, Latin Americans in the business sphere speak in hints, use evasive answers, and avoid clear formulations. For this purpose, the forms of Condicional Simple are used, introducing a modal shade of "assumption, possibility"; verbs in Futuro Simple to postpone the process for the future, evasive answers "por ahí". The pronoun se is used to remove responsibility from the speaker (se nos agotó contrato).

As described above, in Latin American society, the power, status and authority of a person are highly valued, therefore, at the grammatical and lexical level, the use of various means that enhance the expressiveness of a phrase to attract the attention of the interlocutor is noted: the pronominal subject "yo", which is omitted in the Castilian dialect, ulceration, duplication of words, lexical structures of amplification and particles (realmente, en verdad, sí, sí que, ya), also formed intonationally.

When analyzing the Dictionary of Americanisms of the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language ^[17], as well as empirically, it was revealed that despite the similarities of the Latin American version of the business language with the classical Spanish business language, a large number of regionalisms used in the business sphere exclusively in Latin American countries are found. for example, briefing (briefing), income tax (income tax), changa (temporary, low-paid job), boleto de compraventa (pre-sale contract), expendio (retail sale), rezago (unattended cargo), cuentapropista (self-employed), cheque volador (overdue check), capo (boss, boss), appointment (appointment, Spanish version: cita), cuerpo de delegados (union), chamuyar (persuade), estampar la millionaria (sign the document), tratativa (preparation for negotiations), bill (bill), cash (cash), deal (deal), field (field of activity), locker (luggage storage), c edula de identidad (identity card), monotributo (monotax, single tax), informe de dominio (title deed), locador (landlord). It should be noted that this list also includes terms in the form of assimilated and non-assimilated Anglicisms from Spanglish, which is also actively used in the discourse of negotiations in the form of proposals: "Llamenos para delivery" (billboards in Peru), "Se venden bloques" (ads in Guatemala), "Tips para marketing" (advertising in Mexico).

Thus, the influence of the cultural characteristics of the behavior of Latin Americans on the linguistic features of the business discourse of the region is traced, which are the use of a subhunctive, Condicional Simple, business terms-regionalisms, terms from Spanglish in the form of assimilated and unassimilated Anglicisms, special vocabulary to express superiority, reinforcement techniques and others.

The above questions allow us to conclude that the complexity and diversity of the intercultural aspect of communication require an interdisciplinary approach from the point of view of psychology, sociology, history, linguistics, ethics, economics and political science. Today, an international-class specialist should be a cosmopolitan and an expert in intercultural communication and public relations, and a teacher should be able to highlight the problems of intercultural relations in all spheres of human life.