The Effects of Code Usage in Intercultural Communication

Preferences in the Organization of Messages Cultures have distinct preferences for organizing ideas and presenting them in writing and public speeches. Organizational preferences in the use of U.S. English The thesis statement and the paragraph are the central organizing components of U.S. English speeches. U.S. English progresses linearly (in a straight line) toward a stated goal or idea. Organizational preferences in other languages and cultures An important difference in organizational structure concerns languages that are speaker-responsible versus listener-responsible.

Preferences in the Organization of Messages SPEAKER-RESPONSIBLE cultures: the speaker is expected to provide structure, and much of the specific meaning of the statements. The speaker tells the listener exactly what is going to be talked about, and what the listener needs to know. Prior knowledge of the speaker’s intent is not necessary. LISTENER-RESPONSIBLE cultures: speakers need to indicate only indirectly what they are discussing and what they want the listener to know. The listener is forced to construct meaning, and does so based on shared knowledge between the speaker and listener.

Cultural Variations in Persuasion Persuasion involves the use of symbols to influence others. Culturally preferred ways of convincing others is called persuasive style. What cultures consider to be acceptable evidence, who can be regarded as an authority, how evidence is used to create persuasive arguments, and when ideas are accepted as reasonable can vary greatly. The word logical is often used to describe the preferred persuasive style of a culture. Because logic has cultural aspects, and understanding of social life requires an understanding of how people think in their own cultural context.

Cultural Variations in Persuasion Evidence is what a persuader offers to those she or he is trying to persuade. There are no universally accepted standards about what constitutes evidence, or about how evidence should be used in support of claims or conclusions. Different cultures prefer or accept emotion, parable stories, personal stories, facts, physical evidence, principles, a deductive conclusion, etc. as evidence.

Cultural differences in styles of persuasion Cultural patterns supply the underlying assumptions that people within a culture use to determine what is “correct” and reasonable, and they provide the persuader’s justification for linking the evidence to the conclusions desired from the audience. 3 general strategies of persuasion: The quasilogical style—the use of objective statistics and testimony from expert witnesses and is used by many Western cultures. It is “logical.” Words like thus, therefore are used. The presentational style—emphasizes and appeals to the emotional aspects of persuasion. People, rather than the idea itself, are what make an idea persuasive. The analogical style—establishes an idea (a conclusion) and to persuade the listener by providing an analogy, a story, or a parable in which there is either an implicit or explicit lesson to be learned. The culture (groups of people), rather than the ideas themselves or a single individual, is persuasive.

Effects of Code Usage on Intercultural Competence Just knowing the syntactic rules of other languages is not sufficient for intercultural competence. A person should understand that other cultures may organize their ideas, persuade others, and structure conversations differently. Differences in the way people prefer to communicate can affect their ability to interact competently in an intercultural encounter.

Effects of Code Usage on Intercultural Competence One should look for differences in how people from other cultures accomplish their interpersonal objectives and use alternative logics. One should approach the unfamiliar as a puzzle to be solved rather than as something to be feared or dismissed as illogical, irrational, or wrong.

Read the following scenario and choose the answer that best explains the situation A murder has been committed and one man has been accused of the crime. You want to know whether he is guilty or innocent. You should: A. Observe the accused man. Guilty people usually give themselves away in how they talk or act. B. Look for physical evidence. You must find some footprint, fingerprint, or property that connects the accused man with the crime. C. Find witnesses. You should talk with all who know the accused man, were at the scene of the crime, etc. D. Put the accused person to a test and see how he behaves. This might be a psychological test or some physical test that will give you proof.

Discussion Questions What does it mean to learn the “logic” of a language? Does your culture value a particular style of persuasion? Do your own preferred ways of persuading others reflect your culture’s style of persuasion? Members of some cultures will invariably say “yes” even though, given the situation and their true feelings, the answer is most likely “no.” How do you explain this phenomenon?