Intercultural Communication

Summary of Last week There are many varieties of English. There are now many fluent non-native speakers of English. Learners are most likely to interact with non-native speakers In EFL settings the language and culture of the locals should come first (English should not damage local norms, culture, or customs) Comprehensibility is more important than fluency or accuracy

Your English Goals Based on what we have learned from the current state of English, how can you better prepare learners of English for real world situations? Write down at least 3 practical ways Try to be as specific as possible Based on what we have learned have your goals as an English learner changed? Why or why not?

Intercultural Communication Nowadays intercultural communication cannot be avoided. An essential skill of the 21st century is to be able to interact with people from various cultures other than your own. English currently provides one of the major medians of interaction. (English as a lingua franca)

Misunderstandings/ Miscommunication

Watch the videos and consider... What are the cultural differences? Why did the misunderstandings happen? How can we avoid misunderstandings like this?

Discussion Think about at time you had difficulty communicating with someone from another culture (misunderstanding, couldn’t understand what they were saying, other). What are some of the factors that cause intercultural communication problems? With your group write down as many reasons as you can think of. (i.e. pronunciation)

Discussion What is intercultural English competence? What is intercultural English incompetence?

Intercultural English Competence Having the knowledge, attitudes, awareness and skills to communicate effectively in English with cultures other than your own. Being able to make yourself comprehensible in international settings.

Intercultural Incompetence A complete lack of the knowledge, attitude, awareness and skills to communicate effectively with cultures other than your own. Not being able to make yourself comprehensible in international settings.

Key Concepts in ICC Developing intercultural competence Removing intercultural incompetence

Target Selection Probability of interaction

Verbal & Non-Verbal Factors

Non-verbal Communication In a normal conversation between two persons, less than 35% of the social meanings is actually transmitted by words. (Edward T. Hall) So, at least 65% of it is conveyed through the body (non-verbal channel).

Non-verbal Differences

Non-verbal Differences Behavior Gestures Personal space Physical contact Eye contact Customs Taboos

Non-verbal quiz

a. Men holding hands is considered a sign of friendship. In Thailand… a. Men holding hands is considered a sign of friendship. a. it is common to see men walking along holding hands. b. it is common to see a man and a woman holding hands in public. c. it is rude for men and women to walk together. d. men and women traditionally kiss each other on meeting in the street. Public displays of affection between men and women, however, are unacceptable.

What does the color yellow mean in China? Ex. yellow book C. The word yellow often refers to adult content in China . a. Good luck b. Bad Luck c. Adult Content (18+) d. Happiness

When a taxi driver shakes his head from side to side, it probably means.. c. This is the Indian way of saying “yes.” a. he thinks your price is too high. b. he isn’t going in your direction. c. he will take you where you want to go. d. he doesn’t understand what you’re asking. It can also express general agreement with what you’re saying or suggest that an individual is interested in what you have to say.

Which is NOT banned in Singapore? a. Spitting b. Littering c. Gum d. Lighters D. Lighters are not banned in Singapore unless they look like a weapon.

Verbal Differences

Considering Verbal Differences Understanding and accepting varieties of English Linguistic Speed Pronunciation Intonation Word choice Expressions Word meanings Grammatical constructions Directness

Filters of Understanding L1 Influence Experience Influence Cultural Influence What is understood

Words and Meaning What people say and what they mean may differ depending on who you are talking to.

Difference in intended meaning I can’t believe it! Shut up! Shut up! Wow! Be quiet Shut up! 닥쳐 Shut up!

What people understand may differ depending on who you are talking to. Words and Meaning What people understand may differ depending on who you are talking to.

닥쳐? Shut up! Wow! I am getting married!

Words and Meaning Cultures and languages that are more similar will tend to have similar meanings.

Wow! 닥쳐 How was your date? Crazy!

Many things happened… 닥쳐 How was your date? Crazy!

Advice for Intercultural Communication Try to understand the speaker’s background/ point of view Keep it short and simple Don’t use idioms, slang or abstract language Show and demonstrate by using examples ,illustrations, gestures etc. Monitor face and body language Pause a lot and check if they understand Repeat as necessary Ask for clarity (Don’t jump to your own conclusions) M. Kovyazina Comparative Culturology Lectures, Tyumen State University, 2004-2009

Teacher talk examples I would like you to quickly read page 22… for the gist focusing only on the salient points. We are now going to read an article, which addresses how an individual is able to utilize everyday household objects as remedial therapy.

Teacher talk continued I am now going to teach you how to make toast. The first thing you gotta do is get a piece of bread. Then next thing you gotta do is insert the bread into the toaster. Then you gotta wait for a couple of minutes until the bread has become toasted. You then gotta take the bread out of the toaster but be careful because it’s pretty darn hot so you might burn yourself. Ok , so you got your toasted bread, right? The last thing you gotta do is put some butter on it so that it tastes good.

Grand Finale I was preparing something for you, because you guys were feeling so blue lately. I went to the supermarket to buy you guys some goodies, and I got myself into a pickle. I was paying for the items and I didn’t have enough cash, and the cashier kept looking at me funny. I didn’t know candies cost an arm and a leg, so my plan fell through.

Promoting ICC in the Classroom Change your students prejudices about good English speakers. Remove the prejudice that “Native-like” is best. Foster understanding and acceptance of different world values and beliefs (Not only ‘Inner Circle’ countries!) Use international characters to promote intercultural interactions. (e.g. dialogue, pictures) Flash culture points during lessons (did you know that in.. they..?) Expose students to different linguistic varieties.

What is the problem with these pages? Considering Intercultural Communication What is the problem with these pages?

Reflection The main points from today’s lesson for me were: 1 2 3 I still have the following questions about ICC and the world of English: I can apply what I have learned to my teaching by: I can’t apply what I have learned to my teaching because: