Download Verbal Communication Styles - Intercultural Communication

Week 14
Intercultural Communication
Multimedia
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Ch. 6 wrap up Introduction to the diversity of African languages: http://videosubtitle.tedcdn.com/talk/podcast/2013/None/SakiMafundikwa_2013-480p-zhcn.mp4 (begin at 1:00 and stop around 4:52)
Differences in Intercultural Verbal Styles
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Mindless versus mindful interpretations of verbal style
differences can ultimately influence the quality of our intercultural
or intergroup relationship developments
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Today, we’ll look at:
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low-context and high-context communication framework
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four cross-cultural verbal style differences
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direct and indirect
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complementary, animated, and understated
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formal and informal
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cultural attitudes toward talk and silence
different modes of cross-cultural persuasion
Questions
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What is low-context communication? high-context
communication?
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Describe some LCC and HCC patterns (hint: p.170 and 172).
Intercultural Low-Context and High-Context Communication Framework
Defining Low-Context and High-Context Communication
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LC: the emphasis is on explicit verbal messages; English and German
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HC: the emphasis is on conveying meaning or intention through the
context (e.g. social roles or positions) and the nonverbal channels (e.g.
pauses, silence, tone of voice) of the verbal message; Arabic and
Spanish
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language system itself may be more LC in expression or HC in verbal
implication
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Table 7.1 and 7.2
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low-context communication(LCC)refers to communication patterns of a
direct verbal mode: straight talk, nonverbal immediacy, and senderoriented values (i.e. the sender assumes responsibility to communicate
clearly)
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HCC refers to communication patterns of an indirect verbal mode: selfhumbling talk, nonverbal subtleties, and interpreter-sensitive values (i.e.
the receiver or interpreter of the message assumes the responsibility to
infer the hidden or contextual meanings of the message=“reading
between the lines”)
Question
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What do low-context communicators emphasize? How about
high-context communicators? (hint: p.175)
Low-Context and High-Context Verbal Style Comparisons
LCCs tend to emphasize:
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a direct verbal style
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an animated conversational tone
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an informal verbal treatment
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talkativeness
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HCCs instead tend to value:
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an indirect verbal style
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an understated or exaggerated conversational tone
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a formal verbal treatment
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an emphasis on the importance of silence
Question
What’s the differences between a direct and indirect verbal style?
Provide examples (from the textbook will suffice). (hint: p.176)
Direct and Indirect Verbal Styles
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it straddles a continuum much like value patterns and
orientations
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direct: verbal statements tend to reveal the speaker’s
intentions with clarity and are enunciated with a forthright
tone of voice
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U.S. American such as “be very clear,” “don’t beat around
the bush,” and “what is the point”
indirect: verbal statements tend to camouflage the speaker’s
actual intentions and are carried out in a softer tone
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Koreans ask for a favor in a more roundabout and implicit
way to avoid sounding imposing or demanding
Question
Define complementary, animated, and understated verbal styles.
Complementary, Animated, and Understated Verbal Styles
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refers to the rhythms, emotional expressiveness, and intensity of
tone of voice that accompany verbal content message(s).
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complementary: a matter-of-fact tone
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animated: more emotional expressiveness and emotional vitality
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understated: more emotional restraint or stoicism
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mainstream American conversation follows a complementary
style approach, French conversation follows an interruptionpunctuation verbal pattern in the context of well-established
relationships (animated), British prefer an understated style,
African Americans tend to be more animated while European
Americans more verbally straightforward (complementary).
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Although British are indirect in comparison to U.S. Americans,
the Japanese would not find them to be the least bit indirect
Question
What does an informal verbal style emphasize? What about a formal
one? (hint: p.179)
Informal and Formal Verbal Styles
informal verbal style: informality, casualness, and role
suspension in VC; respects unique, personal identities in
interaction
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formal verbal style: upholding status-based and role-based
interaction that reflects formality and large power distance;
honors prescribed power-based membership identities
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low-context cultures
high-context cultures
the speaking mode reflects the overall values and norms of
a culture; therefore, reflect the hierarchal social order, family
socialization, asymmetrical role positions, and power
distance values of the different cultures
Beliefs Expressed in Talk and Silence
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silence is important in many Asian collectivist cultures
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reflects the inner pausing of the speaker’s thoughts
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the Western rhetorical model views it as ‘empty pauses’ or
‘ignorant lapses’
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In many Native American collectivist cultures, those who
themselves are quiet expect quiet from others
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The French use silence as a neutral communication process
with strangers
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European Americans, however, tend to use talk to ‘break the
ice’ and reserve silence for their most intimate relationships
Intercultural Persuasion Process
Persuasion is the art of influencing someone to do
something you want or to accept an idea you believe is
important
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an African American student asking her Latino professor
to extend a deadline on an assignment
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an Asian immigrant asking his European American
supervisor to grant him sick leave to tend to his ailing
grandfather
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or Walt Disney Company representatives needing to
persuade the Chinese to open more China Disneyland
parks
Question
Explain a linear persuasion style and a spiral persuasion style.
Linear Logic Versus Spiral Logic Persuasion
LCCs tend to practice linear-mode persuasion style (two forms)
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factual-inductive form: presents facts, evidence, eyewitness accounts,
testimonials, and proofs, and from these facts proceeds to draw conclusions or
generalizations (U.S. American)
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axiomatic-deductive form: starts from general principles, or axiom, and then
moves forward to fill in specific details. Models, diagrams, and big-picture
conceptual frameworks can help to move the negotiation process along from
broad to specific points of conclusion. (Russian)
HCCS tend to practice spiral persuasion styles (many forms)
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Arab cultures tend to use effusive metaphors, similes, stories, parables, and a
wide range of flowery adjectives to reinforce a point; thus, emphasizes image
over digital content and form over function
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Italian, Slavic, Jewish, and many African cultures also tend to use effusive
metaphors, parables, and stories to dramatize the emotional impact of their
message
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Asian and Native American cultures resort to hints, implicit analogies, Zen
sayings, and subtle nonverbal gestures to convey an intended meaning
Question
What does a self-credentialing verbal mode emphasize? What
about a self-humbling one? (hint: p.191)
Self-Credentialing and Self-Humbling Verbal Modes
self-credentialing verbal mode emphasizes the importance
of drawing attention to or boasting about one’s credentials,
outstanding accomplishments, and special abilities
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Swiss, U.S. culture
self-humbling verbal mode instead lowers oneself via
modest talk, verbal restraints, hesitations, and the use of
self-deprecation concerning one’s effort or performance
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Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Cuban Americans; Latin,
Native American, and Asian cultures
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cannot be generalized to many Arab or African cultures
Question
Define face, self-face concern, other-face concern, and facework.
Face Negotiation and Requesting Strategies
Face is a claimed sense of social self-worth that a person wants others to
have of him or her; tied to the emotional significance we attach to our own
social self-worth and that of the others’ social self-worth; maintaining our
social poise in conversations and extending our consideration in supporting
or threatening the social poise of the other communicator
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Self-face concern: more interested in upholding our identities and
favorable self-images
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Other-face concern: more interested in providing identity respect and
support for the other person’s interest or need in the face-negotiation
process
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Facework refers to the specific verbal and nonverbal behaviors pr actions
that we engage in to maintain or restore face loss and to uphold and honor
face again
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U.S. managers use direct persuasive strategies such as an open invitation,
to make promises, or to pay direct compliments whereas Japanese
managers tend to use altruistic strategies or appeals to duty in dealing with
employees
What are the Different Ways to Communicate Nonverbally Across
Cultures?
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conscious and unconscious aspect of everyday life
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carry strong identity and relational meaning, nonverbal cues are used to relate messages
that may be too embarrassing or direct to disclose out loud, intentional or unintentional
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create intercultural friction and miscommunication because the same nonverbal signal can
mean different things, multiple nomnverbal cues are sent and there are many display rule
variations to consider (e.g. personality, gender, relational distance socioeconomic status,
and situation)
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NVC is important because it signals our emotions, attitudes, and the nature of our
relationships with others; based on what we wear, how we speak, and how we present
ourselves
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NVC is communicating without words through multiple communication channels (how the
meaning of nonverbal messages can be simultaneously signaled and interpreted through
facial expressions, body gestures, spatial relationships, and the environment); they are
learned and the heartbeat of a culture, as NVC embodies the rich meaning of a culture;
one code can have many interpretations (i.e. “OK” gesture)
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NVC and VC can be used independently or together. When used together, NV cues can
repeat, contradict, substitute, complement, and accent verbal messages
Artifacts and Clothing
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Physical appearance includes body type, height, weight,
hair, and skin color.
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Along with our appearance, we wear clothing and we also
generally display artifacts.
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Artifacts are ornaments or adornments we use to
communicate just by wearing the actual item. Jewelry,
shoes, glasses, gloves, nail polish, tattoos, body piercings,
and face painting communicate our age, group membership,
socioeconomic status and class, personality, and gender.
Paralanguage
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is the sound and tones we use in conversation and the
speech behavior that accompanies the message; how
something is said, not what is said
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includes accent, pitch range, pitch intensity, volume,
articulation, and pace
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we tend to use our own standards to judge others nonverbal
markers
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examples on p.206, first full paragraph
Facial Expressions
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also called kinesics: the study of posture, body movement,
gestures, and facial expressions
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The face can produce about 250, 000 expressions
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basic facial expressions have universality, relatively
speaking (SADFISH); however, the ability to recognize
specific emotions may vary
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Cultural display rules are the procedures we learn for
managing the way we express our emotions and when it is
or is not acceptable to express them
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emoticons
Gestures
are culturally specific and significant forms of NVC (four
categories)
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Emblems are substituted for words and phrases (culturally
specific)
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Illustrators are used along with the spoken message and
they “illustrate” the verbal message
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Regulators are used in conversation to control, maintain, or
‘regulate’ the pace and flow of the conversation (culturally
specific)
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Adaptors are habits or gestures that fulfill some kind of
psychological or physical need ; some are learned and
others are more automatic; not intended to communicate a
message but are considered rude in the context of another
culture
Haptics
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examines the perceptions and meanings of touch behavior
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there are five functions of touch behavior: part of a greeting ritual, express
affection, to be playful, to have controlling behavior, and having a task-related
function
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examples on p. 212, final paragraph
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French, Russians Latin Americans and Italians are members of high-contact
cultures: often look each other in the eye directly, face each other, touch and/or
kiss each other, and speak in rather loud voices
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East Asians and Asian Americans are from low-contact cultures: little if any
touching, preferring indirect eye gazes and speaking in a lower tone
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Moderate-contact cultures, such as the U.S., Canada, and Australia, are a blend
of both
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Southern Europeans touch more than Northern Europeans
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haptics depends heavily on gender, age, context (very important, ‘buttock pat’ on
p.213), duration of relationship, and personality factors
Multimedia
Verbal Communication Styles
Low-context vs. High-context
Direct vs. Indirect
Informal vs. Formal
Talk vs. Silence
Nonverbal Communication Styles
Artifacts & Clothing
Paralanguage, or how something is said (accent, pitch range, pitch intensity,
volume, articulation, pace)
Facial expressions
Gestures
Haptics, or perceptions and meanings of touch behavior
Week 13 Assignments
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Prepare multimedia group work based on Ch. 6, 7, and/or 8 concepts.
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Find an example of the relationship between language and culture, verbal or nonverbal
communication styles.
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Make sure you identify, discuss, analyze, or comment not only on your multimedia but on
related IC concepts from Ch. 6, 7, and/or 8.
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Multimedia format such as video, photo, article, OR blog entry
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Keep it short. You do not need to email it to me prior to class. Therefore, you need to consider
giving a VERY BRIEF summary or introduction. Only one item per group. If it's a series of
related photos, that's acceptable. Please keep in mind that it is not a presentation! As such,
five minutes worth of discussion (per group) is more than enough.
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Prepare to discuss your findings, observations, analysis, commentary etc., NOT present it. If
you use visuals, it will only be to visually discuss your findings, observations, analysis,
commentary etc.
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Lastly, I have absolutely no problem with you switching the groups around. I do not need to be
informed ahead of time.