Cultural Variations in Language

Which is more important, being a good speaker or a good listener? Is it preferable to be effective at communicating verbally or nonverbally? Is it better to be direct and to the point in communicating? There are cultural variations in how language is used: differences in attitudes toward speech and silence, differences in whether meaning is more in the verbal or nonverbal communication, and differences in communication style.

In some cultural groups speaking is highly-valued. For example, being a good political, business, or religious leader often depends on the ability to express oneself well, to be “quick on one’s feet”. In these cultural groups, a secondary, or less important, mode of communication is listening. And silence is sometimes viewed negatively. For example, people may be embarrassed if there are too many pauses in conversations, or they may feel that they aren’t really connecting with people. Silence also may be associated with being isolated. By contrast, many cultural groups place a primary emphasis on silence and harmony, and a secondary emphasis on speech. Many Japanese have a distrust of verbal skills; the Japanese proverb “You have two ears and one mouth” implies that one should listen twice as much as one speaks. And other Asian cultures share this distrust.

Another way of looking at power and language is to think about the labels (ярлык) we use to refer to other people and ourselves. For example, we might label ourselves or others as “male” or “female” to indicate gender identity. The context in which a label is used may determine how strongly we feel about the label.

Sometimes, people might complain: “Why do we have labels? Why can’t I just be me?” But the reality is, it would be nearly impossible to communicate without labels. Trouble arises, however, from the use of labels that we don’t like or that we feel inaccurately describe us. Think about how you feel when someone describes you by the terms you do not like. Labels communicate many levels of meaning and establish specific relationship between speaker and listener. Sometimes, people use labels to communicate a sense of equality with and affection for another – for example, “friend”, “lover”, or “partner”. Sometimes people use labels that are offensive to others, which reflect the speaker’s ignorance and lack of cultural sensitivity and connection to the other group.

People who speak two languages are considered bilingual; people who speak more than two languages are considered multilingual. Rarely, however, do bilinguals speak both languages with the same level of fluency. More commonly, they prefer to use one language over another, depending on the context and the topic. Sometimes, entire nations are bilingual or multilingual. Belgium, for example, has three national languages: Dutch, German, and French.

Assignments: Building Intercultural Skills

1. Do you know how many language groups are represented in your institute?

2. Is it true to your opinion that when we lose languages we lose cultures?

3. As the use of e-mail and Internet chat rooms increases, certain communication styles will probably become more important because of the unique kind of communication involved in such text-based media. What is the preferred style for e-mail and computer-mediated communication?

4. Meet in small groups with other class members and come up with a list of general labels used to refer to people from other countries who come to Kazakhstan as immigrants. For each label, identify a general connotation (ассоциация) (positive, negative and mixed). Discuss how the connotations of these words may influence our perceptions of people from other countries.

 

 

Lecture 7

Nonverbal Communication

Plan

1. Importance of Nonverbal Communication

2. Cultural Factors in Nonverbal Communication.

3. Types of Nonverbal Communication

a) Body movements

b) Space

Nonverbal Communication is defined as all types of communication that take place without words. As is generally characteristic of anything that is defined as the absence of something else, nonverbal communication includes a very wide range of communication behaviors – everything from a nod, to the wave of a hand, to a wearing a new suit. All of these activities and artifacts transmit meaning, so they are considered to be communication. None involve words, so they are examples of nonverbal communication.

Why is nonverbal communication so important?

1. Nonverbal communication is present everywhere. There is no way to avoid communicating nonverbally. Even the decision not to speak is a message, such as when you do not talk with the person sitting next to you in a bus. In other words, you cannot stop someone from making inferences (вывод, предположение) about your nonverbal behavior, even if you are not intentionally sending a message. This statement is certainly true of nonverbal communication. Much nonverbal communication is unconscious and unintentional.

2. Nonverbal communication usually comes first. Even before individuals open their mouths, they have communicated nonverbally by their posture, their clothing, and so forth. During the initial impressions between two or more people, when there is a high degree of uncertainty in the communication situation, nonverbal communication is particularly important. When strangers meet, nonverbal communication often determines whether or not verbal interaction will occur.

3. Nonverbal communication is especially likely to be trusted. When nonverbal communication contradicts verbal communication, nonverbal communication wins out. Because it is difficult for individuals to control their nonverbal messages, such messages are perceived as more valid. It is difficult to lie nonverbally. However, under certain circumstances, even nonverbal communication can be deceptive. Facial expressions, for example, are carefully watched in card games in order to determine if a card player is bluffing.

4. Nonverbal communication can lead to misunderstanding, especially when verbal messages are missing or limited. If two participants in a communication situation do not share the same meaning for a nonverbal symbol, the results will be miscommunication. The “language” of nonverbal symbols differs from culture to culture, just as verbal language does.

5. Nonverbal communication is especially important to intercultural communication situations. When verbal and nonverbal communication is redundant (многословный, излишний) misunderstandings are less likely to occur. Each type of communication can reinforce the other. When the verbal fluency of the communication participants is limited, nonverbal reinforcement may clarify the intended meaning.