INTERCULTURAL BUSINESS Case 5 : Language

LANGUAGE

Important to understand a common language

If not: third party

Rapport talk <> report talk

Nonverbal communication

LANGUAGE:

High- and low-context language

High-context language (Japan) Indirect & nonverbal

Low-context language (U.S) Direct & verbal

Diversity and numbers

Diversity of dialects and accents

Number usage (35.5 / 35,5)

LANGUAGE: LINEAR AND NONLINEAR

Linear language: how people think and communicatie

Nonlinear language: circular

LANGUAGE: VOCABULARY EQUIVALENCE

Language is influenced - various aspects of culture

Mistranslation

Is forbitten to steal hotel towels please (polite)

Please leave your values at the front desk Specialist in women and other diseases

Different connotations (LOVE)

LANGUAGE: CONVERSATION TABOOS

Topics who are considered to be inappropriate

SMALL TALK !

LANGUAGE

• Religion & politics• Health• Salary• Weight

• World War II• Personal life

LANGUAGEWeather, job, surroundings, countries

International politics, hobbies, soccer

LANGUAGE : GUIDELINES

Avoid

Politics & Regligion

Personal questions

Questions that would imply criticism

Ethnic jokes

Stay positive!

LANGUAGES AND CULTURAL INTERACTION

Unifying & divisive

Understanding the culture is difficult without understanding the language

HYPOTHESIS

Sapir-whorf hypothesis

Edward Sapir & Benjamin Lee Whorf

= Perception is influenced by language

Examples

Blauw – Lichtblauw (Dutch – Russia) Eskimo’s (snow) Hopi-indians (time)

HYPOTHESIS

Bernstein Hypothesis

Basis Bernstein

= Social environment determines your language

Problem

lower class less success

HSBC

HSBC

LANGUAGE

Thank you

Merci beaucoup

Dank u

Vielen dank

Gracias

Grazie