COMA Chapter 3

Communication

guided by culture and context. The context of communication brings a better understanding about culture in general and in particular.

Edward T. Hall

a cultural anthropologist

he conceptualized, context as anything that refers to the stimuli, environment or ambiance surrounding an event.

Local Communication

is highly grounded on the cultural context. This context of communication reflects the culture of the people who are creating their self-identity and community.

Local Communication

is highly grounded on the cultural context. This context of communication reflects the culture of the people who are creating their self-identity and community.

Global communication

modifying factor of local communication.

Language

a cultural component that linked to intercultural understanding. In using language and its non-verbal clues it enhance oral and written communication in intercultural environment to achieve intercultural competence.

Paul Grice

Coined Four maxims/ Principle of Cooperative Conversation

Maxim of relation

The communicators should be relevant to or in conversation

Maxim of quantity

Every interlocutor should observe a "fair-share-talk-time"

•Make your contribution as informative as is required for the current purposes of the exchange.

•Do not make your contribution more informative than is required.

Maxim of quality

The truth value of a message is held primary in a conversation. The accuracy of the message should be upheld.

•Do not say what you believe to be false.

•Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence.

Maxim of manner

In the local culture, the manner of saying a word is more regarded than its content.

•Avoid obscurity of expression.

•Avoid ambiguity.

•Be brief (avoid prolixity).

•Be orderly.

Relation, Quantity, Quality, Manner

Four Maxims

MODES OF COMMUNICATION

Words and gestures are used in particular region or country to give meaning to certain ideas. Words are primary in communication, but gestures would even make a meaningful communication.

Body Language

a form of non-verbal communication in which movements communicates particular messages,  either in place of, or in conjunction with speech.

Communication is complex

–the cultural and contextual factors embedded in it.

–It is also challenging due the many ways in which communication can vary between cultures as well as individuals

–plus the requirements needed by an individual to satisfy the conversational convention.  

Lewis

provided the following ABC's of intercultural communication

Acknowledge

•Every person in a group has a particular communication style which give her/his own identity

•Awareness on differences will increase awareness of uniqueness

Bi-level

•Communication does not only uphold speaking and listening but also require a holistic process that includes verbal and non-verbal channels.

Clarity

•If in doubtful of your understanding about what is being communicated.

•Ask for clarification

•Devote a little extra time to verify understanding  so that you can save time and avoid frustration.

Language Barrier

evidently the primary barrier of communication in second and foreign language context.

Hostile stereotypes

generalization or assumptions people make about the characteristic of members of a group based.

Behavior Differences

•Every culture has its norms about what regarded as appropriate behavior.

Emotional Display

•Like at some workplace, showing off extreme anger may imply unprofessionalism

Guffey

•elaborates that written messages can be improved by:

•Considering local formats

•Observe title and status

•Using short sentences and paragraphs

•Avoiding ambiguous expression

Consider local styles

•Documents have their standard formats

•Decide whether to use your organization's preferred format or adjust to local styles

Observe titles and status

•Use last names, titles, and other signals of rank and status

•For instance, in writing the inside address of a letter, the title and position of the receiver should be explicitly written

•This signals politeness in business letters

Use short sentences and short paragraphs

•The use of a few words in sentences and a few lines in paragraphs is greatly considered for the readability of the message

•Check the lexical feature of your sentences and paragraphs

Barrot

•reported in his study that lexical and syntactic features contribute to complexity in reading comprehension

•However, he found out that not all short sentences and short paragraphs are readable and comprehensible

Avoid ambiguous expressions

•Use action-specific words

•Also include relative pronouns (that, which, who) for clarity in introducing clauses

•Do not use contractions (don't, can't, weren't)

Idioms and Figurative Cliches

•This form of language uses words and expressions with meaning that is different from the literal interpretation

Slang

•It is a shortcut or highly colloquial word that suggest excessive informality and lack of appreciation in the workplace setting

Acronym

•It is formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word

Abbreviation

•It is a short form of a lengthy expression

Jargon

•It is a type of language that is used in a particular occupation, often words are meaningless outside a certain context

Strive for clarity

•To present the message clearly

•Avoid words that have multiple meanings

•Clarify words that may be confusing

•Rephrase phrasal verbs with clear single words 

Use correct grammar

•Any written documents should be grammatically correct

Cite numbers carefully

•Numbers should be written following the metric system

•Spell out numbers one to nine and write the figure for number 10 and above, but spell out the number if it begins in sentences

Style

•is the way in which your document is written which influences the readers impression of the information itself

Accommodate the reader in organization, tone, and style

•Organize your message, observing appropriate tone and style, to appeal to your audience

•The overall tone or the attitude of a piece of writing should be appropriate to the audience and the purpose

Guffey

suggest the following helpful situations in which one or both communications may use English as a second language

Learn Foreign Phrases

•learn how to speak their language —greetings and survival expressions in this language

Use Simple English

•Use simple vocabulary with short sentences

•The simplicity of the language contributes to comprehensibility and appreciation of the communication process

•Avoid using culture specific terms

Speak slowly and enunciate clearly

Do not talk fast when communicating

Observe eye message

•The eyes are the windows of the soul

The sincerity of speakers is gauged at their eyes

Encourage accurate feedback

•Let your listeners respond verbally

•Non-verbal responses, such as, a head nod or a smile do not indicate comprehension

Check frequently for comprehension

•Do not proceed to B unless A has been grasped

Accept Blame

•If your listener were not able to understand what you said, and they became inquisitive, graciously accept the blame.

•It is your obligation as the speaker to talk with clarity

Listen without interrupting

•Do not attempt to fill out ideas for the speaker, else you will be described impolite

•Turn taking is a rule of thumb and must not be taken for granted

Smile when appropriate

•Smile is a useful form of communication

•Do not smile excessively because in other cultures, it would mean insincerity

Follow up in writing

•Results of conversations or oral negotiation should be confirmed with follow up letters

•For documents that require a full understanding of the recipient (e.g., proposal and contracts)

•Translation of this kind in the local language is highly recommended

Acknowledge, Bi-level, clarity

ABCs of intercultural communication