Communication & Globalization PDF

Topic 1: Communication and Globalization In communication, globalization can be the increase in social connectedness or the expansion of one's social community, the mutual reliance or dependence of peoples and nations, the evolution of a language most countries would understand, the development of g...

Topic 1: Communication and Globalization In communication, globalization can be the increase in social connectedness or the expansion of one's social community, the mutual reliance or dependence of peoples and nations, the evolution of a language most countries would understand, the development of global communication skills or the ability to send messages across cultures through the four macro skills (e.g., speaking, listening, reading, and writing), and the use of nonverbal communication (Zoleta & Binay-an, 2023). Developing one's global communication skills can lead to cultural diversity. Cultural diversity refers to people from different cultures or nations respecting each other's differences. This respect for differences results from their understanding of cultural divergence, i.e., how people process communication, how other people speak, and how these people see and understand the world around them. Since you, as an individual, have your own unique culture and way of processing communication, understanding how all the above factors influence the way you communicate with people from different nations and with different cultures can be a challenge. To understand the messages sent in a multicultural setting, you need to expose yourself to different cultures. This will help you be cognizant of how to adapt the correct communication style in a given situation. A communication style is how you use your verbal and nonverbal skills in communicating your message to your recipient. How your receivers understand your message and how the communication process will prosper will depend on how you shift your style. Communication styles can be direct or indirect, self-enhancing or self-effacing, and elaborate or understated. 1. Direct or indirect. It is direct if messages reveal the speaker's true intention and indirect if the message camouflages the intention. 2. Self-enhancing or self-effacing. It is self-enhancing if the message promotes positive aspects of self, and self-effacing if the message deemphasizes aspects of self (Don’t want to be put into the spotlight). 3. Elaborate or Understated. It is elaborate if there is a use of rich expressions and understated if there is extensive use of silence, pauses and understatements. Knowing the communication style of your audience allows you to adjust your communication style to gain understanding and avoid misinterpretations (Goleta & Binay-an, 2023)  A. Globalization and Communication Globalization is the communication and assimilation among individuals, ethnicities, races, institutions, governments of various nations supported by technology and compelled by international trade. Due to globalization, the more you become exposed to diversity – the valuing of the uniqueness or differences in gender preference, color, age, religious affiliation, ethnicity, education, social and economic status and political beliefs (Wakat, et.al., 2018). While the dream of a global village holds great promise, the reality is that diverse people have diverse opinions, values, and beliefs that clash and too often result in violence. Only through intercultural communication can such conflict be managed and reduced (Neuliep, 2006). But culture is more a human phenomenon than a geographic one. And while geography certainly affects how people live within a particular culture, the people, more than the geography, are what constitute culture. So when you think of culture, think about the people. That being said, it is also important to understand that cultures of people are not static, but rather dynamic. This means that cultures change; they are fluid, always moving (Neulip, 2015).  Culture may be low and high which demonstrates the magnitude and degree of how a person affiliates the self. There is no such thing as a pure individualistic or collectivistic culture. Individualistic cultures focus on individual goals. It also aims to benefit the individual since every person is seen as unique with distinct talents and potential, thereby enabling them to hone their creativity, develop independence, and confidence. Collectivism is the assumption that groups blend well by serving the in-group (family, neighbors, or occupational groups). People are not viewed as isolated individuals but rather they are identified by their membership. Types of Cultural Orientation Horizontal individualism speaks of an autonomous self that values the individual more and independence is being highlighted. Vertical individualism values the autonomous self by seeing it as different and unequal to others. It also emphasizes status and competition. Horizontal collectivism notes the self as a member of an in-group sharing the same values and interests. The self is reliant and equality is expected. Vertical collectivism believes that the self is an integral part of the in-group even if the members are different from the other. It also specifies the group’s interdependence and inequality (Neuliep,2015). The cultural, micro-cultural and environmental contexts surround the communicators, whose socio-relational context is defined by the exchange of verbal and nonverbal messages are encoded and decoded within each interactant’s perceptual context (Neuliep, 2006) Globalization is not the only thing influencing events in the world today, but to the extent that there is a North Star and a worldwide shaping force, it is this system. -Thomas Friedman (1999 cited from Kluver, 2006) in The Lexus and the Olive Tree. Globalization may be seen as an interconnectedness of economic relationships, political units as well as digital networks. As such, technology and other social networks have transformed the economic and social relationships breaking cultural barriers. Henceforth, cultural and civic discourse will mold information and communication technologies (Sygaco, 2018). Fundamental Assumptions about Intercultural Communication (Neuliep, 2006) Messages relayed are not usually the messages received. A nonverbal act between individuals Involvement of style in communication among speakers Group phenomenon experienced and shared by individuals A circuitous of adaptation and stress B. Cultural Issues Affecting Communication 1. Cultural identity - Values and attitudes can have an impact on communication across cultures because each person’s norms and practices will often be different and may possibly clash with those of co-workers. 2. Racial identity - Refers to how one’s membership to a particular race affects with co-workers of different races. 3. Ethnic identity - It highlights the role ethnicity plans in how two co-workers from different cultures interact with one another. 4. Gender roles - Communication between members of different cultures is affected by how different societies view the roles of men and women. 5. Individual personalities - This means that how a person communicates with others from other cultures depends on his own unique personality traits and how he esteems himself. 6. Social class This refers to the level of society that a person was born into or references when determining who she wants to be and how she will act accordingly. 7. Age identity This refers to how members of different age groups interact with one another. 8. Role identity The roles identity factor refers to the different roles a person plays in his or her life including their roles as a husband or wife, father, mother, or child, employer or employee, and so forth.  Culture may be low and high which demonstrates the magnitude and degree of how a person affiliates the self. There is no such thing as a pure individualistic or collectivistic culture. Individualistic cultures focus on individual goals. It also aims to benefit the individual since every person is seen as unique with distinct talents and potential, thereby enabling them to hone their creativity, develop independence, and confidence. Collectivism is the assumption that groups blend well by serving the in-group (family, neighbors, or occupational groups). People are not viewed as isolated individuals but rather they are identified by their membership. Impact of Communication in Society and the World WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY… Healthcare distribution Rescue missions Protecting the environment Companies worldwide transact business Capable of being a potential news reporter Revolutionize and create social change Global Issues Affecting Communication 1. The Issue of Face to Face Communication Face to face “is the method that humans have been using for as long as time,” Sebastian Bailey, president and co-founder of corporate consulting and training company , Mind Gym, Inc., wrote via email to SHRM online. However, for large companies with offices in multiple locations, face-to-face communication is not always feasible. “The best (intranet websites) allow for basic employee information to be entered, such as name, organizational reports, location, contact information and a photo,” Manzano, a society for Human Resource Management member, explained. Evelyn Castillo-Bach, founder of Miami-based UmeNow, said she conducts 99.9 percent of her communication with clients worldwide via chat, email, and Skype and describes the results as outstanding. 2. The Issue on Social Network Towers Watson and Company (2011) found in their studies that more companies worldwide are embracing social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to facilitate employee communication better. 3. The Issue on Culturally Competent Workers Neal Goodman, Ph.D. president of Global Dynamics, Inc., a cross-cultural training firm, said that technology tends to race ahead of social norms. He added that it hides cultural differences between employees. The solution, Goodman explained, is to train all employees, not just managers and CEOS who travel overseas to be “culturally competent.” Because of the advent of the Internet, the world seems to be shrinking continually. One can communicate internationally in a matter of seconds, whether one is sending an email, chatting in social media, or sending a text message. One can read about different cultures, and have access to films, academic papers, and the like from countries around the world, and vice versa. Given this increasingly shrinking world, one should know the difference between the kind of English that we write and speak, and the kind of Englishes that exist outside of the Philippines. Topic 2: English as a Global Language One way to deal with globalized communication is the use of English as a global language. In this way, the language to be used is adjusted to the culture of the person we are communicating with. It helps us to avoid biases as well as offending another nationality. We will be able to achieve effective communication and achieve understanding in the message being conveyed by both the sender and the receiver. Looking at different flavors of English: all the different accents, dialects, pronunciations, registers and so on. Remember, there is not just one English, there are over 57 varieties. Varieties of English are the different kinds of English used around the world. Often, these are geographically based. The varieties are more or less similar and while most English speakers can understand each other, there are occasional problems (Ang, 2023). 1. American English Often abbreviated to American English (AmE) - is a variant of the English language, spoken mainly in the United States. About two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in America and speak this variant. 2. Australian English Australian English (AuE) is a variant of the English language spoken mainly in Australia. Australian English began to diverge from British English shortly after Australia was settled in the late 18th century. It is similar to New Zealand English and bears some resemblance to certain dialects of South East England. Generally speaking, Australian English spelling corresponds to British English spelling. 3. Black English Black English is a very broad term used to refer to British English and American English as spoken by the black communities in the US and the UK. To a lesser extent it's also used to refer to black communities in places like the Caribbean and Africa. Two of the major sub-varieties of Black English are: African American Vernacular and British Black English. 4. British English British English is a variant of the English language, spoken mainly in the United Kingdom. Along with American English, British English is one of the main variants taught in most ESL/EFL programs. Bear in mind, however, that here is, in fact, no single British English variation of English. Instead, there are a considerable number of variations mainly found in different locations. Received Pronunciation Received Pronunciation (RP) is a form of pronunciation used in British English. RP, then, is simply a particular accent of English. Although it has changed over the years, it can be heard listening to Queen Elizabeth, Brian Sewell and others. RP as an accent Most accents in the UK are regional, that is people from one area will speak with a particular accent whilst people from another area speak with a different accent. If you listen to British people it's often easy to tell where they come from: a person from Liverpool will often sound very different from a person from London, for example. However, RP is slightly different in that it is non-regional. This means an RP speaker from the north of England will sound the same as an RP speaker from the south of England and it is very difficult, if not impossible, to identify where an RP speaker grew up. While many British accents are regional then, RP is social. It is spoken by what used to be called the "upper classes" in Britain and it's spoken by people who have attended expensive fee-paying schools like Eton and Harrow and come from old aristocratic families. It suggests a privileged social and educational background. Some characteristic features of RP are long vowels in words such as bath, path, ask or the diphthongs in words such as so, go, no, flow. It is, perhaps, closest to the accent spoken in south-east England. History RP originated in the East Midlands among the merchants who migrated towards London to make their fortunes several hundred years ago. However, as the higher classes slowly but surely appropriated it, RP lost its geographical characterization and became simply the way upper class people spoke (the Royal Family, the wealthy aristocrats, the landed gentry, etc). For much of the twentieth century, RP represented the voice of education, authority, social status and economic power, characterizing the nobility and the higher classes. The Queen spoke RP; in this 1940 video when she was Princess Elizabeth before she became queen, she is giving a radio broadcast. With the economic and culture changes which ensued after the end of WW II the middle classes gained more opportunities of educational and social advancement within the establishment. To gain immediate recognition and acceptance, they too adopted RP. Nowadays, virtually every accent is represented in all walks of life to which people aspire - sports the arts, the media, business, even former strongholds of RP England, such as the City, Civil Service and academia. As a result, fewer speakers with regional accents consider it necessary to adapt their speech to the same extent. Indeed many commentators even suggest that younger RP speakers often go to great lengths to disguise their middle-class accent by incorporating regional features into their speech. Today RP is not so common, instead it has been replaced by "standard English" which is sometimes known as "BBC English" (Ang, 2023). A. English as a global language (Crystal, 2003) Differences in the use of the English language Aspect American English (US) British English (UK) Punctuation She said, “I’ll be at work by She said, I’ll be at work 8 am.” Date February 19, 2019 19 February 2019 Spelling Center, color, organize, Centre, colour, organise, program programme Words Elevator, pants, diaper Lift, trousers, nappy Expression/local idiom ruffled feathers (agitated) Knickers in a twist (agitated) Grammar Do you have that book? Have you got that book? Pronunciation Vase /vas/ - sounds like Vase / va:z/] – sounds like VEYZ VAHZ Culturally Sensitive and Bias-Free Language (Uychoco&Santos, 2018) Race and ethnicity 1. Racism is a form of discrimination against a person or persons of a different race. In general, it is best to avoid identifying people by race or ethnic group. Race is an emotionally charged topic, so it is best to tread carefully with the language used and to refer to race, as Patricia Arinto (2009) asserts in English for the Professions, “only if it is relevant to what you have to say.” Words that reinforce stereotypes and that imply all people of a particular race or ethnic group are the same should be avoided. For example, although the assessment is positive in the sentence… “Naturally, the Asian students won the math contest.” The word “naturally” reinforces the stereotype or generalization that Asians have superior aptitude in math. 2. Next, one must be attuned to the current terminology by which racial and ethnic groups refer to themselves. This may be done by reading national newspapers and watching television news, which typically are good indicators of current and preferred usage. According to Kitty Locker and Donna Kienzler (2013), one should “refer to a group by the term it prefers,” which means some research is required to find out about acceptable and preferred terms. For example, for a long time, “Native American” has been considered the politically correct term for the indigenous people of the Americas, over the label “Red Indian.” But today, most Native American people prefer to be referred to by their specific nation or tribe. In the Philippine context, there have been shifts in the preferences for terms that Filipinos of Chinese ancestry use to describe their identity: from Tsino, to Chinoy, to Filipino Chinese. It is also important to be sensitive to religion when referring to various ethnic groups. Assumptions should not be made that stereotype a race, nationality, or ethnic group with a specific religion. For example, not all Arabs are Muslims, not all Indians are Buddhists, and not all Filipinos are Roman Catholics. Gender and sexual orientation Sexism refers to prejudice and discrimination based on sex or gender. To be inclusive of all people in general references, one should favor gender neutral words and phrases over gender-biased words. Pronouns may also be gender-biased. It can be avoided by a) dropping pronouns that signify gender and restating the sentence, b) changing to plural construction, and c) replacing masculine or feminine pronouns with “one” or “you.” Rather than (x) One can say (/) Man-made Manufactured, synthetic, artificial Layman’s terms Ordinary terms chairman Chairperson Stewardess Flight attendant Manpower Labor Male nurse Nurse Woman lawyer Lawyer Gender-biased example: Each student should submit his term paper by Monday. Restatement Each student should submit a term paper by Monday. Plural construction Students should submit their term papers by Monday. Use of “you” You should hand in your term paper by Monday. Other gender-related terms may have to do with gender orientation or sexual orientation. It is important to be sensitive to new attitudes about homosexual, transsexual, and transgender people. For example, most gay people prefer the term “gay” to the more clinical “homosexual” as a label. “Lesbian” is currently the term preferred by gay women. Transgender people prefer to be referred to as being the gender they identify as, not their birth gender. Again, as a matter of principle, one should refer to societal groups in the way that members of these groups prefer to be referred to. Note also that terminology in this area is developing, and that not everyone agrees. Social class Class discrimination or classism is a form of prejudice against a person or people because of their social class. An example of language with a bias against class is the American term “white trash” which is not only a racial slur but a classist one that refers to white people, usually from the rural Southern United States, coming from a lower social class inside the white population. The term is negative not just because of the words that comprise it but because of its connotation of danger; white trash people are seen as criminal, unpredictable, and without respect for authority. In the United States and other cultures, there may also be a kind of classism against those who are economically privileged. The rich are sometimes referred to by the derogatory terms “preppie” and “yuppie,” both of which connote not just wealth but arrogance. There are examples from Philippine culture as well, in the informal terms “conyo” and “jologs,” both derogatory terms referring to class. The first, used to describe young people from the upper class who speak an idiosyncratic mix of English and Tagalog, connotes vanity and consciousness about social status. The second, now perhaps replaced by the term “jejemon,” as used in reference to an idiosyncratic spelling or writing style, is used to describe persons who look poor and out of style. Classism may also appear even in more formal terminology. Sociologist/Activist Betsy Leondar-Wright, argues in a video interview that classist terms “attribute favorable traits to the wealthy and powerful” and “those in poverty or near-poverty are similarly cast in a negative light” (Classism Exposed, 2014). A more sensitive vocabulary uses terms that more precisely portray the actual circumstances of people within the class structure. For example, instead of the “owning class,” one can use “the upper class” or the “privileged class,” and instead of “the underclass,” one can say the “less privileged” or describe a condition of “chronic poverty.” In the Philippines, “informal settlers” is now the more politically correct term for “squatters.” Age Ageism is a form of discrimination against other people because of their age, or assuming that older people are less physically, intellectually, or emotionally able than other age groups. The capabilities of younger people should also not be underestimated on the basis of their age. Again, it is important to refer to a person’s age only when that information is pertinent to what is being discussed. When referring to a generic group, one should also ask their subjects what wordings they prefer. Do they wish to be called “older persons” or “senior citizens”? Do they prefer the label “youths,” “teenagers,” or “young people”? Lastly, according to The American Psychological Association, writers should be specific when referring to males and females in terms of their age: females 18 years or older are women, not girls. “Girls” refers to those in high school or younger (under 18). The same is true for “boys” and “man.” Disabilities Discrimination in this area often arises because of lack of understanding and awareness. Therefore, first, it is important to distinguish some terms that are mistakenly understood to be synonymous. Various guides on bias-free communication and oftenconfused terminology are available online. One example is “A Guide ot Bias-Free Communications,” published by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It defines the terms “impairment,” “disability,” and “handicap” as, respectively, 1) “a physiological condition,” 2) “the consequence of an impairment” which “may or may not be handicapping,” and 3) “the social implication of a disability; a condition or barrier imposed by society, the environment or oneself.” Thus, according to these definitions, a “limp” is an impairment in which a leg or foot is damaged or stiff. A disability that may result from arthritis is difficulty in walking, or walking unevenly and haltingly. People who limp may be handicapped by having to climb stairs in buildings with no elevators. Other guides from other cultural contexts may provide different definitions and examples; it is essential when writing to do research on these definitions. Finally, when referring to people with disabilities, the focus should be on the person, not the condition to avoid hurtful expressions (Arinto, 2009). In Patricia Arinto’s English for Professions (2009), she advises writers to avoid hurtful expressions such as “retards” or even the seemingly neutral description “the mentally retarded” and to use instead “people with mental retardation.” Similarly, instead of “the blind” and “cancer patients,” one should instead use “people with vision impairments” and “people being treated for cancer,” respectively. These examples demonstrate the importance of identity-first language or the importance of putting the person or people first. Disability first: The blind student used a special keyboard during the exam.  Person first: The student, who is visually impaired, used a special keyboard during the exam. Next, Arinto (2009) suggests considering the negative implications of usages such as “confined to a wheelchair” and “AIDS victim.” For the former, one should instead write or say “uses a wheelchair” because wheelchairs enable people to escape confinement, while for the latter one should use “person with AIDS” as someone who can acquire a disease without being victimized by it. Arinto (2009) also notes that the word “abnormal” may be replaced with “atypical” because “people who have disabilities are atypical but not necessarily abnormal.” These latter examples demonstrate the importance of not representing people with disabilities as unfortunate, limited, and helpless victims. Strategies to become an effective global communicator (Krizan, 2014) Review communication principles Analyze the message receiver. Be open to accepting other cultures. Learn about cultures and apply what is learned. Consider language needs. Topic 3: Communication in multicultural setting Whereas communication is a process, culture is the structure through which communication is formulated and interpreted; culture deals with the way people live; which cultures interact, adoption has to take place in order for the cultures to communicate effectively; lastly in dealing with intercultural communication, awareness of the symbols of each culture, how they are the same, and how they are different (Ang, 2023). Enculturation is the socialization process you go through to adapt to your society; when you grow up in one culture, you learn one way of classifying, coding, prioritizing, and justifying reality. It has 2 types: frontage culture and backstage culture. Frontage culture is the cultural information that you are willing to share with outsiders while backstage culture is the cultural information that is concealed from outsiders. Acculturation is the process of adjusting and adapting to a new different culture. If people of two different cultures absorb a significant number of each cultural difference and have a number of similarities. Cultural synergy takes place with the two cultures merging to form a stronger  overriding culture. People who learn more than one culture are multicultural and can move between two cultures very comfortably. Ethnocentrism is the belief that your own cultural background, encoding ways of analyzing problems, values, belief, language, and verbal and nonverbal communication is correct. Registers of spoken and written language Language register is the level and style of your writing. It should be appropriate for the situation you are in. Language register determines the vocabulary, structure, and grammar in your writing. We use different language registers for different types of writing, just as we speak differently to different people. You would not speak to the President of the Philippines the same way you would talk to your brothers. The formal register is more appropriate for professional writing and letters to a boss or a stranger. The informal register (also called casual or intimate) is conversational and appropriate when writing to friends and people you know very well. The neutral register is non-emotional and sticks to facts. It is most appropriate for technical writings. In articles such as these, we tend to mix the formal and informal registers to present the information in an easy to understand personal tone  A. Communication in Multicultural Setting (local and global) Varieties and Registers of spoken and written language Challenges of communication in diverse settings How the non-verbal expressions matter to the successful communication The usage of body language, gestures, eye-contacts etc. Intonation conveying a non-verbal message Cultural differences differ values Communication Tips 1. Simplify your message by using less complex sentence structures and vocabulary 2. Never shout to understand. 3. Define the meaning of critical technical words and acronyms. 4. Avoid non standard abbreviations. 5. Be patient and try to follow team members’ ideas and logic, which may be different from yours. 6. Ask people to repeat once, may be twice, if you do not understand them. 7. Remain cool and composed, even when you have made a mistake that results in embarrassment. 8. When you feel strong emotions about something said or done, clarify the meaning and intention before you express your emotions. 9. If you cannot think of any positive interpretation of 10. someone else’s action or words, chances are you are missing something. Clarify with the person or someone. 11. Adapt your space requirements to those of your counterparts whenever possible. 12. When someone does or says something that seems weird and/or wrong, give him or her the benefit of the doubt. 13. Communicate important messages via several different media to ensure that they are received. Communication Tips for Local/Native English Speakers 1. Avoid “isn’t it?” questions. 2. Ask the person if he/she wants help with finding the words that may convey their meaning. 3. If you do not understand a word, ask the person to spell it, write it down, use a synonym or say the word in his/her native language and have someone translate it, if possible. 4. In face to face communication, face the people to whom you speak. 5. Slow down your delivery and clearly articulate each word. Tips for Non-Native English Speakers If you do not mind people suggesting words so that you can communicate more quickly, say so. Try to participate in discussions, especially brainstorming sessions, even if it feels uncomfortable. Keep a dictionary handy and make sure the words you use mean what you think they mean. Before calling someone, think of what you want to say and look up any words that you are unsure of. Make sure you know and use appropriately the technical words that people in your field use. Do not attempt to use slang and idiomatic expressions until you are quite comfortable with the language. Global Communication in Multicultural Setting 1. The homogenous team is a thing of the past in most international organization and companies. 2. When people of different backgrounds come together in any setting, there will always be issues in terms of interaction. Four issues that occur when team members are of different nationalities 1. Language issue 2. Conflict resolution issue 3. Gender issue 4. Decision making issue Varieties of Spoken Language 1. Professional spoken language 2. Literary spoken English 3. Conversational spoken English  4. Slang, Ethnic and Vulgar English Characteristics of Written Language 1. The exact nature of the utterance 2. The bookish “space wasters” 3. The use of complicated sentence-units “The written language is constantly being enlivened by expressions born in conversation but must not give up what it has acquired in the course of centuries. To use the spoken language only, means not to know the language.” A.S Pushkin Varieties of Spoken and Written language (Mahboob, 2014) Mahboob (2014) identifies eight different domains in which language varies depending on the combinations of different values on the three dimensions (field, tenor and mode) of the context of communication. The first four domains include language variations that reflect local usage done in one local language or multiple local languages depending on the context. They vary in the following ways: Local everyday written (This may include instances of local everyday written usage found in the neighborhood posters e.g. a poster looking for transients/bed spacers) Local everyday oral may occur in local communication among neighbors in everyday, informal and local varieties of languages Local specialized written (An example of local specialized written usage can be found in the publications and web sites of local societies such as the Baguio Midland Courier Local specialized oral involves specialized discourses On the other hand, the other four domains involve global usage. These four domains of language usage differ from the first four domains since they refer to contexts of language usage where participants need to communicate with people not sharing their local ways of using language. Global everyday written avoids local colloquialisms to make the text accessible to wider communities of readers. This can be found in international editions of newspapers and magazines. Global everyday oral may occur in interactions between people coming from different parts of the world when they talk about everyday casual topics.  Global specialized written expands to as many readers internationally, hence the non-usage of local colloquial expressions (e.g. international research journal articles) Global specialized oral occurs when people from different parts of the world discuss specialized topics in spoken form (e.g. paper presentation sessions in an international academic conference Communication and the Twenty-First Century Workplace (Uychoco & Santos, 2018) “In a global environment, the ability to communicate effectively can be a challenge. Even when both parties speak the same language there can still be misunderstandings due to ethnic and cultural differences” (Matthews and Thakkar, 2012). The advances of mass media, particularly telecommunication systems like email, text messaging, and social networking sites means that people across the planet can communicate and share information with each other. “The world is getting smaller” (Chan, 1999). The implication in terms of communication is that people who speak different languages or who come from different cultures will have to deal with each other. This type of communication is called cross-cultural or intercultural communication. Cultural Differences (Santos&Uychoco, 2018 Time Pascasio (1999) notes that “Americans value promptness. They generally make use of schedules and evaluate each other’s behavior in these terms.” This is also true in Japan, where the trains-and people-are expected to arrive on schedule. However, in the Philippines, “to arrive late is the norm rather than the exception and it has a different meaning depending on how late one is, the circumstances of the meeting, and how well one knows the person being met.” To elaborate, according to a recent Inquirer.net article, “arriving one minute late will likely not merit an apology, but one hour would” (Lasco, 2017). There is also, according to the same article, a “politics of time,” wherein “Some can arrive ‘fashionably late’ because of – or to assert – their importance” even in professional contexts in the Philippines today. Language Cultural differences are tied to language differences, that is, language and culture go hand in hand. As Pascasio (1999) notes, “Language reflects the realities of a given culture and affects the way its members define their experiences.” Language can reflect how concepts like time, distance, color, pain, and so on are perceived differently by people from different cultures. The pronoun system of the Tagalog language, for example, has two equivalents of the English “we”: The term kami is exclusive and refers to the in-group (and excludes the outsider), while the term tayo is inclusive (Pascasio, 1999). Such a pronoun system suggests the Filipino value for in-group loyalty. Philippine English, may also be drawn on for examples of cultural- linguistic differences. English expressions with meanings that are different locally, will not be understood by non-Filipinos. One must be wary of using expressions like blowout (a treat), dirty ice cream (local ice cream bought from street vendors), jingle (to urinate), or go down (get off a vehicle) when conversing with non-local speakers of English. Saying “no” In Western countries, like the US, clarity is very important: this means communicating a refusal has to be brief and direct. However, in many Asian countries, “more focus is placed on the context of communication than the communication itself” (Kim, 2013) and a direct “no” is considered unnecessarily harsh and off putting. Speakers and writers from these contexts thus find alternative or “indirect” ways of saying “no”. According to Sean Upton-McLaughlin (2014), a Chinese-focused writer, editor, and business consultant, in China, for instance, one method of saying no is “to begin a refusal by expressing one’s own embarrassment at the situation.” He says that the objective of this is “to placate the person being spoken to and to give them an extra measure of respect so as to not cause them to lose face or feel unappreciated.” A book entitled Doing Business with the New Japan (2008), lists 16 ways of avoiding saying “no”: tangential responses Counter questions A conditional “no” or silence This and other practices, such as nodding “yes” during a conversation to indicate attention to what the conversation partner is saying rather than agreement with what he/she is saying, may be explained by the Japanese value way or maintaining interpersonal harmony over frankness (Hodgson, Sano & Graham, 2008). Sometimes a linguistic difference may be at fault, such as when an American boss makes a request and asks “Do you mind?” and the Filipino responds with a yes, to mean a willingness to do the errand and not “Yes, I mind” (Pascasio, 1999). https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/A-global-guide-to-hand-gestures/ Effective Intercultural Communication Directness versus Circumlocution Brevity, clarity, and directness of communication are favored in American and British cultures. As Chan (1999) explains it, “this means that a message, an idea, a request, etc. should be conveyed to the audience or recipient clearly and in as few words as mandatory.” For example, when communicating a refusal or rejection to Westerners, Asians should avoid circumlocution or indirectness and instead, state a polite yet clear “no”. On the other hand, a Westerner communicating with someone from Asia should be aware of the latter culture’s valuing of interpersonal harmony or smooth interpersonal relationships (abbreviated as SIR). For instance, when an American communicates in a typically direct way to a Filipino, this can be viewed as too “brutally frank” an approach, according to Pascasio (1999). Pascasio paraphrases Frank Lynch’s definition of SIR as “a facility at getting along with others in such a way as to avoid outward signs of conflict” (Pascasio, 1999). The American who is aware of the value of SIR can then make an attempt to both clearly convey a rejection but also ”soften” this with buffers, for instance an explanation or good news preceding the outright “no.” Personal/Friendly Language versus Respectful Language Chan (1999) calls attention to the emphasis in Western contexts on using friendly and personal – rather than impersonal – language in the workplace. Employers and employees are encouraged to use personal pronouns such as I, you, me, and we in writing; she says the objective of this is the establishment of rapport between communicator and audience (Chan, 1999). For example, in American workplaces, colleagues are encouraged to use first names when conversing with each other and even with their employers. However, in Asia, the use of formal titles is a way of showing respect for someone considered superior – “in age, economic status, education, profession” (Chan, 1999). In the Philippines, for example, the dropping of a title in favor of using the first name of someone older and higher in rank is considered rude or disrespectful. Pascasio notes that “informal addresses are used only with peers or those of lower status such as the rank and file” (Pascasio, 1999). Speakers from this context are therefore conscious of addressing people with titles or labels such as Boss, Doctor, President, Attorney, Manager, Judge, Engineer, Commissioner and Professor (Pascasio, 1999; Chan, 1999). For intercultural communication to be effective, writers and speakers from both Eastern and Western contexts should be familiar with these conventions. They may either adjust to the culture and mode of address of the other or choose not to take offense because they understand the culture that drives the linguistic convention. One final example is the effusive and sometimes exaggerated humility displayed in the professional correspondence of Filipinos, as seen in the phrases “your good office,” “I will be eternally grateful for your assistance,” and the ubiquitous “more power to you.” A Filipino writing to an American may choose to omit these, knowing it is unnecessary and even confusing for the American reader. An American writing to a Filipino should also know that, according to Alzona Encarnacion (quoted in Pascasio, 1999), “Bluntness or brusqueness of speech is frowned upon, being regarded as a sign of ill-breeding” and as such, can make an effort to extend more courtesy in his/her writing. Gloria S. Chan says that intercultural communication is more challenging than intracultural communication because there is greater mastery of one’s own language and culture. Yet for intercultural communication to be effective, adaptations to a culture different from one’s own are necessary. One also needs to “abide by the cultural norms and standards English imposes on the users of language” (Chan, 1999). Cultural and Intercultural Awareness and Sensitivity in Communicating Ideas 1. According to Barany, foreign language teaching does not only involve linguistic competence/performance and verbal communication but also it is much to do with intercultural awareness and intercultural skills. 2. For Whitehead, language education should also aim at “producing men who possess both culture and expert knowledge”. These references highlight the importance of “Intercultural Dimension” on the hope that “language learners who become ‘intercultural speakers’ will be successful not only in communicating information but also in developing a human relationship with people of other languages and culture”. Cultural Appropriateness in Communication Business environment of the 21st century is expanding to include people from cultures and countries around the world Laurie Brenner Courtesy and respect help establish good foundation for effective communication. Avoid words that would require a dictionary when communicating cross-culturally Pepper your communication with words that everyone understands Guides to Use Appropriate Terms, Expressions, Images and Others Slow down when you speak. Speak clearly and concisely. Keep it simple. Maintain respect and courtesy for people who come from different cultures. Smile and be open. Avoid slang. Shun humor. Adopt a formal communication approach until you develop a rapport with your group. Stay away from using negative questions or answers. Ask for feedback Summarize what you have said