Download Intercultural Communication

Understanding Diverse
Communication Styles:
An Introduction to
Intercultural Communication
Brought to you by the
MForum Steering Committee
Presenter:
Caroline Guay
International Student Development & Communications Manager
International Student Services at McGill
Webinar Agenda
 What is culture?
 Cultural influences on communication
 What is language?
 Non-verbal communication
 Verbal & written communication features
 Communication styles
 How can we avoid misunderstandings?
What is culture?
“Culture is the collective
programming of the human mind
that distinguishes the members of one
human group from those of another.
Culture in this sense is a system of
collectively held values.”
Geert Hofstede
“Culture is the deeper level of basic
assumptions and beliefs that are
shared by members of an
organization, that operate
unconsciously and define in a basic
‘taken for granted’ fashion in an
organization’s view of its self and its
environment.”
Edgar Schein
Cultural
variations
 In some cases,
variations within
cultures may be more
significant than
variations between
cultures…
CULTURE
AGE/
GENERATION
EDUCATION
ETHNICITY
SEXUAL
ORIENTATION
GENDER
SOCIOECONOMIC
STATUS
RELIGION
INDIVIDUAL
TEMPERAMENT
Cultural influences on Communication
Hofstede, Geert (2001). Culture's Consequences: comparing values, behaviors,
institutions, and organizations across nations (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA
What is
“Language”?
 The system of communication used by
a particular community or country
(Google)
 The method of human communication,
either spoken or written, consisting of
the use of words in a structured and
conventional way. (Oxford English
dictionary)
 “A language is an arbitrary, symbolic
system that names ideas, feelings,
experiences, events, people, and other
phenomena and that is governed by
the multilayered rules developed by
members of a particular speech
community.” (Ting-Toomey, 1999)
Cultural Influences on Language
o Non-verbal (Body Language)
o Verbal & Written
o Communication Styles
'The Tower of Babel' by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, 1563
Non-Verbal
Communication
A.K.A. “Body Language”
Gestures
Eye contact
Facial expressions
Tone of voice
Volume of voice
Posture
These hand gestures
can have several
different meanings,
depending on the
country in which they’re
used…
How many different
meanings can you
identify for each one?
Verbal & Written
Communication
Phonology (verbal only):
sounds of a language (including accents)
“My name is Caroline and I have 3 brothers.”
Morphology:
word “chunks” (e.g. prefixes, suffixes, etc.)
English: “is running” vs. Swahili: “nlaw”
Syntax:
order of words (related to grammar)
English: I lost my keys…
Spanish: Se me perdieron las llaves…
Semantics:
meaning we attach to words
(includes denotation & connotation)
e.g. crisp, double-double, pretty, WTF
Pragmatics:
situational rules that govern “how we
say what to whom and under what
situational conditions” (Ting-Toomey,
1999, p.90)
English: I admire you
French: Je vous admire/ Je t’admire
Spanish: Le admire/Te admiro
Communication Styles
Low context
Direct
High context
Indirect
Person-Oriented
Status-Oriented
Self-Enhancement
Self-Effacement
Silence avoided
Silence embraced
Ting-Toomey, S. (1999). Communicating Across Cultures. New York, NY: The Guildford Press.
Communication Styles
Low context
Direct
High context
Indirect
Person-Oriented
Status-Oriented
Self-Enhancement
Self-Effacement
Silence avoided
Silence embraced
Ting-Toomey, S. (1999). Communicating Across Cultures. New York, NY: The Guildford Press.
LOW
CONTEXT
USA
Canada
Australia
UK
Germany
Switzerland
Denmark
Sweden
Let’s ditch this
joint and head to
a terrasse for a
cold one…
Whaddaya say?
HIGH
CONTEXT
Nigeria
Mexico
Kuwait
Saudi
Arabia
Japan
China
Korea
Vietnam
Communication Styles
Low context
Direct
High context
Indirect
Person-Oriented
Status-Oriented
Self-Enhancement
Self-Effacement
Silence avoided
Silence embraced
Ting-Toomey, S. (1999). Communicating Across Cultures. New York, NY: The Guildford Press.
DIRECT
USA
Israel
Germany
French
Canada?
This system is not
going to work at
all - we need to
create a new
strategy.
You might want to
consider including
a reference to this
theorist in your
introduction. What
do you think?
INDIRECT
China
Japan
Korea
Egypt
India
Mexico
English
Canada?
Communication Styles
Low context
Direct
High context
Indirect
Person-Oriented
Status-Oriented
Self-Enhancement
Self-Effacement
Silence avoided
Silence embraced
Ting-Toomey, S. (1999). Communicating Across Cultures. New York, NY: The Guildford Press.
PERSONORIENTED
USA
Canada
Australia
You’ve got some great
ideas Jim – let’s talk
about how we can work
together on this and
even involve other
members of the team.
STATUSORIENTED
Japan
S. Korea
Poland
Communication Styles
Low context
Direct
High context
Indirect
Person-Oriented
Status-Oriented
Self-Enhancement
Self-Effacement
Silence avoided
Silence embraced
Ting-Toomey, S. (1999). Communicating Across Cultures. New York, NY: The Guildford Press.
SELF
ENHANCEMENT
SELF
EFFACEMENT
AMERICAS
ARAB
CULTURES
ASIAN
CULTURES
Communication Styles
Low context
Direct
High context
Indirect
Person-Oriented
Status-Oriented
Self-Enhancement
Self-Effacement
Silence avoided
Silence embraced
Ting-Toomey, S. (1999). Communicating Across Cultures. New York, NY: The Guildford Press.
SILENCE
AVOIDED
SILENCE
EMBRACED
WESTERN
CULTURES
ASIAN
CULTURES
NORTHAMERICAN
FIRSTNATIONS
How would you define YOUR
communication style?
Towards which end of each
spectrum do YOU find yourself?
The Assumption
of Positive Intent
“Assuming positive intent is about
interrupting our hard-wired patterns
of judgement, expectation and
comparison, by letting the other
person just be where they are, and
then discovering how they see the
world.”
“If we are willing to listen deeply –
past our own beliefs, values and
standards – we will begin to see how
their behavior makes sense to
them.” (Casey & Bown, 2003, p. 45)
Casey, M.E., & Bown, G. (2003). From Diversity to Unity:
Creating the Energy of Connection. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse,
Inc.
Avoiding Cultural
Misunderstandings
 Recognize “languaculture” (Agar, 1994):
the complex and interwoven relationship
between language and culture .
 Consider your own cultural assumptions
and how they might influence your
interpretation of someone’s message, and
their interpretation of yours.
 Practice mindful listening
 Check your understanding by
paraphrasing, echoing, and asking for
clarification.
References
Agar, Michael 1994. Language Shock: Understanding the Culture of Conversation.
New York: William Morrow.
Casey, M.E., & Bown, G. (2003). From Diversity to Unity: Creating the Energy of
Connection. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, Inc.
Edgar H. Stein (1985). Organizational Culture and Leadership: A dynamic view. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
https://geert-hofstede.com/research.html
Jackson, J. (2014). Introducing Language and Intercultural Communication. New York:
Routledge.
Ting-Toomey, S. (1999). Communicating Across Cultures. New York, NY: The Guildford
Press.
http://westsidetoastmasters.com/resources/book_of_body_language/chap5.html