LANGUAGE & INTERCULTURAL AWARENESS

“All speech, written or spoken, is a dead language, until it finds a willing and prepared hearer”

R.L. Stevenson, Lay Morals

Big Ideas about Communication Communication is a Process Meanings are in People Communications involves Perceptions

– Perceptions are not always accurate Communication is Symbolic Communication requires Context We communicate to satisfy needs. Communication involves ethical choices

Communication competence

No one, ideal way. Situational Relational Can be learned

This Chapter’s Focus on Becoming a Competent Communicator

To understand the influence of culture and context on communication

Competent communicators A wide range of behaviors rather than a few The ability to choose the most appropriate

behaviors Mindfulness Empathy/perspective taking Cognitive complexity Self-monitoring Commitment to others

Competent Communicators

Skills at performing behaviors– Listening– Reframing– Argumentation– Persuading

The Nature of Language

Language is Symbolic Meanings are in People, not Words Language is Rule-Governed

Rule governed

Phonological rules Semantic rules Syntactic rules Pragmatic rules

– Relationship– Setting– Nonverbal behavior

The Power of Language

Language shapes perception Meanings are negotiated between

communicators

Roles of Communication– as interpersonal influence– as information processing– as artful public address– a process of sharing meanings through signs– as the creation and enactment of social reality– as reflective challenge of unjust discourse– as an experience of self and others through

dialogue

Triangle of MeaningC.K. Ogden & I.A. Richards

USER

WORD (SYMBOL)

THING (REFERENT)

BALANCE THEORYFritz Heider (1958)

PERSON

OTHER PERSON

ATTITUDE OBJECT

(THING, EVENT, ACTION)

Language shapes attitudes

Naming Credibility Status Sexism and racism

Language reflects attitudes

Power Affiliation

– Convergence Responsibility

– it versus I– You versus I– but versus and– questions versus statements

Implications ….

Meanings are in People Perceptions are in People Attitudes are shaped and reflected in

language Conversational style choices are made

by People Motives for communications are in

People

Activity

Write the name of a vegetable that you don’t like on a piece of paper

Write the name of an animal (bug, pest, or otherwise) that scares you or you dislike

Write the name of a loved one, family member, close friend on a piece of paper

Communication problems

Equivocal Relative Emotive Disruptive Overly Abstract

Troublesome Language

Language of Misunderstanding Stereotypes Confusion Disruptive Language Evasive Language

Overly abstract language

Abstraction ladder– low level abstractions are specific– high level abstractions

• useful as short-cut• useful to avoid confrontations• problematic as stereotyping• problematic when confusing others

Avoid overly abstract language

Use behavioral descriptions– Person(s) who?– Circumstances - when and where?– Observable behavior - what?

Reasoning– Argument by example, argument by analogy– Fallacies in reasoning

• Sign reasoning

Powerless Language Hedges:

– I think we should …– I guess I’d like to …

Hesitations:– Uh, can I have a minute …– I wish you would - er -- try to be on time.

Intensifiers:– So that’s how I feel …– I’m not very hungry

Disruptive language

Fact-opinion confusion– Facts can be verified– Opinions are beliefs

Fact-inference confusion– Facts– Inference conclusions from interpretations

of evidence

Evasive language

Euphemism Equivocation

Language & Culture

Verbal Communication Styles Face and Facework Proxemics Individual Differences

What seems logical, sensible, and important in one culture, may seem illogical, irrational, unimportant in another culture.

INSIGHTS

Perception checking

Perceptual tendencies

Describe, interpret, clarify …..

Verbal communication styles

Directness– low-context cultures– high-context cultures

Elaborate or succinct– Arab elaborated style– succinctness and silence valued

Formal and informality

Language & Sex

Content Reasons for Communicating Conversational Style Nongender Variables Sex Roles

“If women speak and hear a language of connection, while men speak and hear a language of status and independence, then communication between men and women can be like cross-cultural communication, prey to a clash of conversational styles. Instead of different dialects, it has been said they speak different genderlects”.

Deborah Tannen, You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, or are they? 30,445 students last spring, 61% or

18,500 female and 39% male Students from 86 countries (one planet) Deborah Tannen

Powerless Language Polite forms:

– Excuse me, sir … Tag questions:

– It’s about time we got started, isn’t it?– Don’t you think we should give it another try?

Disclaimers:– I probably shouldn’t say this, but …– I’m not really sure, but …

INSIGHTS

Say what is missing in their story that would help it make sense to you.

Be persistent about listening.

Ask for advice.

Ask what, if anything, would persuade them.

Invent new options.

Professor Stone, Patton, Heen -

Harvard Project book entitled Difficult Conversations

Language Effectiveness

Mindfulness Dignity of others Cognitive complexity Self-monitoring Develop skills to create a wide range of

behaviors