1. PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY Intercultural Communication
PCU
Bachelor Programs
Intercultural Communication
Chapter 2 : The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA,
MA, MBA & PhD Can.
Tel: (+855) /

2. PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC. Intercultural Communication
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
Introduction
“Language communication and culture are inextricably intertwined with one another. Language is a symbolic system in which meaning is shared among people who identify with one another. Both verbal and non-verbal aspects of language exist” Samovar & Porter
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

3. PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC. Intercultural Communication
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
Language and culture
- Language tells us a great deal about a culture - it is one of the most important differences between cultures * BARRIER
Language is the foundation of every culture.
Language includes speech, written characters, numerals, symbols, and gestures of non-verbal communication.
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

4. Functions of Language An Information Function A Relationship function
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
Functions of Language
An Information Function
A Relationship function
And different cultures will give different weightings to the importance of one function over the other.
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

5. 1- The relationship Between Language and Culture
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
1- The relationship Between Language and Culture
Culture and Language are intertwined (twisted or be twisted together) and shape each other.
Cultural literacy is necessary to understand the language being used. If we select language without being aware of the cultural implications, we may, at best, not communication well and, at worst, send the wrong message or communication.
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

6. All languages have social questions and information questions.
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
All languages have social questions and information questions.
For example- in American English “How are you?” is a social question, but many other counties, such as Germany, Russia and Poland, “How are you?” is a information question because the speaker actually want to get an answer to the question.
Words in themselves do not carry the meaning, but the meaning come out of the context, the cultural usage.
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

7. Language as Reflection of the Environment
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
Language as Reflection of the Environment
- Language reflects the environment in which we live. We label the things around us.
- For example, in the Amazon area, snow is not the part of the environment, therefore, people in that region do not have the word snow.
- People in full cold climates have no need for air-conditioning and its vocabulary for using.
Language as reflection of Values
Language reflect cultural values.
To communicate effectively, cultural knowledge is as important as linguistic knowledge.
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

8. PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC. Intercultural Communication
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
The Meaning of Words
Sometime different cultures use identical word that have rather different meaning.
Word – administration – for the American, administration meant department chair, dean or provost, for French, administration meant upper-level clerical staff (staff working in office).
Word – director – for many Japanese, have the title director on business cards, but American context, a director is person of some importance and power.
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

9. PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC. Intercultural Communication
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
Change in Language
Someone who has been abroad for any length of time can attest(get experiences), language lives. For example, word – gay (adj.) means happy or lighthearted (old-fashioned), but in recent decades, the word – gay (adj.) takes on the meaning homosexual.
Twenty years a go, words such as businessman, chairman, salesman, airline stewardess, and fireman were use regularly, but today more women in the workforce and awareness of the way gender and power can be lined to communicate value such as businesspeople, chairperson or chair, salesclerk, flight attendant, and firefighter are common.
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

10. Acronyms (abbreviation)
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
Acronyms (abbreviation)
An abbreviation consisting of the first letters of each word in the name of something, pronounced as a word, for example: AIDS is an acronym for 'Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome‘
Implication of the Language Barrier
- Communication across cultures and languages is difficult and full of hurdles and pitfalls.
- In the most cases of problem is not the language, but different intonation patterns and different cultural signals.
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

11. I don’t understand the word you use.
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
In this context, the phrase “I don’t understand you” can mean any of the following:
I don’t understand the word you use.
My interpretation of what you say raises a flag and makes me wonder if this is actually what you want to say.
In my perception, your words and nonverbal behavior do not complex each other, and I am puzzle.
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

12. 2- Selection of the Right Language
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
2- Selection of the Right Language
Linguistic Considerations
Experts don’t agree on exactly how many languages are spoken; the figure is somewhere between 3,000 to 6,000 around the world.
Estimates are that within the next 100 years half of those languages will disappear and with them the diversity of cultures.
- Linguistic diversity in India is about 600 languages, of 14 are majors languages spoken by about 90% of population.
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

13. PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC. Intercultural Communication
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
China like India, also has a number of different languages, the dominant languages being Mandarin and Cantonese. Mandarin, official language everywhere is spoken by about two-thirds of the population. The south of China and Hong Kong speak Cantonese. A businessperson should be aware of Mandarin or Cantonese. In China, people who speak Mandarin look down on people who speak Cantonese and vice versa.
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

14. Business Considerations
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
Business Considerations
You must consider business aspects in deciding which language to learn.
The language you choose depend on the goals and purposes of your business.
Fore example, if it is your life’s dream to do business with Swiss, you should study one of its three official languages using in Switzerland – German, French or Italian, and then look for a business or a job in Switzerland.
Or If your native language is not English, you may want to study it since English is the lingua franca of international business.
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

15. Political Considerations
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
Political Considerations
The political environment of international locations also will pay a role ( study) with cultures and language speaking.
The Appropriate Level of Fluency
Ideally, you should be able to speak several languages fluently, you can speak, write, understand, and think in the foreign language.
Perception of fluency also influenced by nonverbal communication. Nonverbal communication a play major role in all country.
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

16. 3- The Company Language Choosing a Company Language
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
3- The Company Language
Choosing a Company Language
In which language the employees should communicate with each other and they have to deal with increase
For example, the company established subsidiaries in Cambodia and Taiwan, the company must deal with in four languages: Korean, mandarin, English and Cambodian.
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

17. Using Additional Foreign Language Expertise
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
Using Additional Foreign Language Expertise
The purpose of the company language is to ensure that everyone in the firm can understand everyone else; therefore, use of foreign languages may be discouraged or at least limited.
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

18. 4- The Role of the Interpreter
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
4- The Role of the Interpreter
Translators work with the written words, transferring text from a source language to a target one.
Interpreter work with spoken words, , transferring speed from a source language to a target one.
Sender
Receiver
Communication through an interpreter
Encode
Decode M M
Decode
Encode
Feedback
Interpreter
Feedback
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

19. “Verbatim” translation is not always possible.
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
“Verbatim” translation is not always possible.
Translators have freedom than interpreters do.
A translator usually have the free time to think.
An interpreter should facilitate mutual understanding and comprehension.
An interpreter must decode what the speaker says and then decode the message for the listener.
A good interpreter has linguistic, culture, & technical fluency, and should be chosen with a great care, and must be fluent in the language of the field in which he/she translates.
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

20. The Effective Use of Interpreter
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
The Effective Use of Interpreter
Hire your own interpreter
Whenever possible, meet with interpreter beforehand
Hire qualified professionals – do not ask a colleague from another department to translate for you unless it is that person’s job to translate for others.
Check the technical expertise of the interpreter
Inform the interpreter of your business plan & objectives
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

21. Speak clearly – interpreter is fluent in your language.
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
Provide the interpreter breaks – interpreter is hard work, needing the right environment.
Speak clearly – interpreter is fluent in your language.
Concentrate on the business partner, not on the interpreter.
Find out about the role the interpreter on the other sides
Check the work of the interpreter, especially numbers – as numbers can be difficult to translate & misunderstand can occur easily, you should write out the numbers on the safe side.
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

22. 5- Communication with Nonnative Speaker
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
5- Communication with Nonnative Speaker
Effective face-to-face communication
Enunciate – You must speak clearly.
Speak Slowly – Slowing done help a nonnative speaker understand what you say.
Avoid Slang and Colloquialisms – avoid any language that could be offensive
Be Careful about Jokes – Humor does not translate well. What one culture consider funny another may consider not, rude or crude.
Be Sincere – Goodwill & sincerity help create a positive atmosphere.
Be Cultural Sensitive – You know about culture of the other side, it is easier for you to speak with.
Keep a sense of humor – Not be offended from other side
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

23. Effective Written Communication
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
Effective Written Communication
To avoid any confusion on the other side, you must proofread carefully for spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
Use plenty of white space – Space for commend and translation
Correct Spelling of Name and title – Accuracy in the spelling of name show that you care
Understand of Patterns of Organization – Different culture, different organization
Headings – Important for all business letters
Be careful with numbers and Dates – Need to check the accuracy of numbers and dates
Avoid Abbreviations – Hindering the process of comprehension
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

24. Business Letter follow different formats in different countries.
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 2: The Role of Language in Intercultural Business Communication April, 20014
Business Letter follow different formats in different countries.
Please open your course book (Intercultural Communication in the Global Work Place) on page 75 to 84, and read more by your self.
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &

25. PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC. Intercultural Communication
PANHA CHIET UNIVERSITY, PUC Intercultural Communication Chapter 1: Culture and Communication April, 20014
The Course Book : Intercultural Communication in The Global Workplace Fifth Edition Iris Varner & Linda Beamer
Facilitator: Mr. UON SOKCHEA, MBA, MA, and PhD Can. Tel: , &