PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION (REVIEWER 4)

• When we are communicating with people who are very different from us, it is very difficult to know how to draw inferences about what they mean, and so it is impossible to depend on shared knowledge and background for confidence in our interpretations." — Scollon & Scollon

SCOLLON & SCOLLON (1995)

• English is the official working language of ASEAN's 10 member countries. Yet sharing a language does not guarantee shared understanding.

THE ASEAN CONTEXT

ELF communication is "characterized by cooperation rather than misunderstanding."

MEIERKORD (2000)

FIRM HANDSHAKE

UNITED STATES

SOFT HANDSHAKE

FRANCE

FIRM HANDSHAKE; FOR MEN, TRADITIONALLY ACCOMPANIED BY A SLIGHT BOW

GERMANY

HANDSHAKE WITH ARM FIRMLY EXTENDED, ACCOMPANIED BY A BOW

JAPAN

HANDSHAKE WITH FREE HAND PLACEDON THE FOREARM OF THE OTHER PERSON

MIDDLE EAST

A bow of recognition toward authority — the bowing person signals "at your service."

THE GERMAN BOW (DIENER)

• Vague references or semantics open to multiple interpretations.

AMBIGUITY

• Slips of the tongue or mishearing due to unclear or rapid speech.

PERFORMANCE-RELATED

• Ungrammatical sentences that disrupt comprehension.

LANGUAGE-RELATED

• Missing content knowledge, not language gaps.

GAPS IN WORLD KNOWLEDGE

• Turn sequences, participant orientation, and repair moves.

LOCAL CONTEXT

• Cultural awareness prevents unintentional disrespect when traveling or working abroad.

AVOID OFFENSE

• Understanding cultural identities and backgrounds expands your worldview and empathy.

BROADEN HORIZONS

• No culture is superior or inferior. Awareness lets us compare, appreciate, and coexist with differences in language, lifestyle, and behavior.

APPRECIATE DIVERSITY