LOCAL AND GLOBAL COMMUNICATION MULTICULTURAL SETTINGS

Culture is our way of living, it refers to the shared language, beliefs, values, norms, behaviors, and
material objects that are passed down from one generation to the next. Learning about other cultures
helps us to understand different perspectives also dispels the negative stereotypes and personal biases
about different groups.
Cultural diversity is often used interchangeably with the concept of multiculturalism. It helps us to
recognize and respect “ways of being” that are not necessarily our own. And people from diverse
cultures contribute language skills, new ways of thinking, new knowledge and different experiences.
7 Important actions involved in Multiculturalism:
 Recognition of the abundant diversity of cultures;
 Respect for the differences;
 Acknowledging the validity of different cultural expressions and contributions;
 Valuing what other cultures offer;
 Encouraging the contribution of diverse groups;
 Empowering people to strengthen themselves and others to achieve their maximum potential by
being critical of their own biases;
 Celebrating rather than just tolerating the differences in order to bring about unity through
diversity;
Intercultural communication is a type of miscommunication that happens through the diversity of
people and cultures. Some might conclude that miscommunication results from the speakers lack of
proficiency in language. But what is not realized even with excellent language skills, people may still
experience miscommunication.

COMMUNICATING ACROSS CULTURES

By: Carol Kinsey Goman (2011)
(1) Across cultures is challenging. Each culture has set rules that its communicating members take for
granted. Some of us are aware of our own cultural biases because of cultural imprinting. While some
of a culture’s knowledge, rules, beliefs, values, phobias, and anxieties are taught explicitly most of
the information is absorbed subconsciously.
(2) Worldwide business organizations have discovered that intercultural communication is a subject of
importance-not just because of increased globalization, but also because of their domestic workforce
is growing more and more diverse, ethnically and culturally.
(3) No two people belonging to the same culture are guaranteed to respond in exactly the same way.
However, generalizations are valid to the extent that they provide clues on what you will most likely
encounter when dealing with members of a particular culture.
HIGH CONTEXT VS. LOW CONTEXT CULTURES
(4) All international communication is influenced by cultural differences. Even the choice of
communication medium can have cultural overtones.
(5) High context cultures such as (Mediterranean, Slav, Central European, Latin American, African,
Arab, Asian, American- Indian) leave much of the message unspecified, to be understood through
context, nonverbal cues, and between-the-lines interpretation of what is exactly said.
(6) By contrast, low context cultures such as (most Germanic and English-Speaking countries) expect
message to be explicit and specific.
SEQUENTIAL VS. SYNCHRONIC CULTURES
(7) Some cultures think of time sequentially as a linear commodity to “spend or “save,” or “waste.”
Other cultures view time synchronically, as a constant flow to be experienced in the moment, and as
a force that cannot be contained or controlled.
(8) In the sequential cultures (like North American, English, German, Swedish and Dutch), business
people give full attention to one agenda item after another.
(9) In synchronic cultures (including South America, Southern Europe, and Asia) the flow of time is
viewed as a sort of circle, with the past, present, and future all interrelated.
(10) Orientation to the past, present, and future is another aspect of time in which cultures differ. Any
important relationship is a durable bond that goes back and forward in time, and it is often viewed as
grossly disloyal not to favor friends and relatives in business dealings.
AFFECTIVE VS. NEGATIVE
(11) In international business practices, reason and emotions both play a role. Affective (readily
showing emotions) or emotionally neutral in our approach members of neutral cultures do not
telegraph their feelings. This doesn’t mean that people in neutral cultures are cold or unfeeling,
neutral cultures are more careful to monitor the amount of emotion they display. Emotional
reactions were found to be at least acceptable in Japan, Indonesia, the U.K., Norway, and the
Netherlands and most accepted in Italy, France, The U.S., and Singapore.
(12) Reason and emotion are part of all human communication. When expressing ourselves, we look to
others for confirmation of our ideas and feelings. When it comes to communication, what’s proper
and correct in one culture may be ineffective or even offensive in another. In reality, no culture is
right or wrong, better or worse-just different. In today’s global business communicating with one
another. The key to cross-cultural success is to develop an understanding of, and a deep respect for,
the differences.

EXPLORING TEXT REFLECTING DIFFERENT CULTURES

Note: One causes miscommunication is “pronunciation.” Speakers of different varieties of English

have different ways of pronouncing words because of “phonology.” Phonology the system of
contrastive relationships among the “speech sounds” that constitute the fundamental components of
a language (system of sounds within a different language).

According to Kachru & Nelson (2006, P.37)

In terms of “pronunciation”, most Outer and Expanding-Cite varieties display difference from the
Inner-Circle varieties, similar to those found between regional dialects within the Inner Circle
varieties.

Interpretation vary because of differences in pronunciation.

Example:
 Hit it Heat it
 She ask She ass

In Philippine languages, every vowel is pronounced with a full distinct sound as they are written or
spelled out making it syllable-timed and not stress-timed. On the other hand, Americans blend
syllables or sometimes even drop some sound, making the syllables short.
Example:
1. American English: Ja hitit?
Philippine English: Did you hit it?
2. American English: Can I getche adrink?
Philippine English: Can I get you a drink?
The cultural barriers in communication are differing in languages and also in bodily gestures.
However, the thumbs-up gesture signal in other countries such as Greece, Italy, and in some part of
Middle East is considered offensive. Thus, one should be careful in using bodily gestures.
FORMAL & INFORMAL LANGUAGE
Formal language is a type of language that you use in more formal or serious situations.
Informal language spontaneous speech in situation that may be described as neutral or ‘real life’. Use
of a low dialect or language in preference to a “high” one.
One’s purpose for communication as well as his/her relationship to the listeners/readers will determine
the kind of language he/she will use.

COPING WITH THE CHALLENGES OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

It has become a widespread notion that speaker’s use of different language results in intercultural
miscommunication and misunderstanding.
The lack of shared knowledge and beliefs and cultural diversity make it more complicated to arrive at
the correct interpretation of meanings. In fact, with ASEAN Integration, English has been declared the
official or working language of ASEAN. The varieties of English spoken by different speech
communities have evolved for a reason they use it for communal purposes. These varieties have been
heavily influenced by the local culture and its speaker.
Recent studies have shown that the problem of misunderstanding is not over and can be traced to speech
perturbations, poorly managed turn-taking, and non-aligned, “parallel talk” (House, 1999, p. 80).
Meierkord (2000, p. 11 as cited by Kaur, 2016)
Communication in English as lingua franca (ELF) – is a form of intercultural communication
characterized by cooperation rather than misunderstanding. (p. 135); Noted in her study, from 17
different first language backgrounds which yielded the result that the participant displayed
communicative behavior not generally associated with their linguacultural backgrounds making the talk
cooperative and supportive in nature with few misunderstandings.
Note: Misunderstanding in intercultural communication may not always caused by verbal utterances. It
may also occur due to wrong interpretation of non-verbal code.
Country or Region Types of Handshake
United States Firm hand shake
France Soft hand shake
Germany Firm hand shake, for men, traditionally
accompanied by a slight bow.
Japan Hand shake with arm firmly extended,
accompanied by a bow.
Middle East Hand shake and free hand placed on the
forearm of the other person.

SOURCES OF MISUNDERSTANDING
Kaur (2016) cited the following.
(1) Ambiguity – lack of explicitness on the part of the speaker in the form of problematic reference and
ambiguous semantics in which an utterance is open to different interpretations.
(2) Performance-related misunderstanding – slips of the tongue and mishearing which may be due to
utterances spoken quickly and unclearly.
(3) Language –related misunderstanding – ungrammatically of sentences.
(4) Gaps in the world knowledge – gaps in the content rather than language.
(5) Local context – turns and the turns within sequences produced by the participants themselves, and
the orientation of the participants as well as the repair moves that follow the displayed
understanding.
There’s a need to be aware or conscious of other cultures especially those that you will visit so you can
avoid offending people. Likewise, it’s suggested that you become aware of cultural identities and
backgrounds as it will broaden your horizon.
All cultures are equal and though sometimes difficult to understand. No culture is superior or inferior to
another. Through cultural awareness that you get to compare other cultures with your own and
appreciate cultural diversities and learn to live with them.
People have different languages, lifestyles, and ways of thinking, speaking, and behaving. This is the
essence of cultural diversity.

INTERCULTURAL ISSUES IN WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
Having a multinational or cross cultural team or partnership has benefits and challenges. Diverse
cultures can mean a diverse knowledge base and new approaches to solving workplace problem.
Cultural differences are tied to language differences, that is language and culture go hand.
Emy Pascasio (1999),
“When we fail to recognize that persons of other cultural backgrounds have different goals, customs,
traditions, thoughts, patterns, and values from our own.” While one way of behaving and
communicating may be the norm for one group, it can seem unusual or even cause offense to another.
“Language reflects the realities of a given culture and affects the way it is members define their
experiences.”
Language can reflect how concepts like time, distance, color, pain and so on are perceived differently by
people from different cultures. Pronoun system of the Tagalog language;
Example: English has two equivalents "we": The term “kami” excludes the outsider and the term
“tayo” is inclusive. (Pascasio,1999).
Such a pronoun system suggests Filipino value for in-group loyalty. Philippine English, may also be
drawn for examples of cultural linguistic differences. English expressions with meaning that are
different locally, will not be understood by non-Filipinos. One must be varying then of using
expressions like blowout (a treat), dirty ice cream (local ice cream bought from street vendors), jingle
(to Urinate), or go down (get off a vehicle) when conversing with non-local speakers of English.

EFFECTIVE INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

The key is to be aware of existence of cultural differences and managing such differences.

TWO CULTURAL DIFFERENCES THAT AFFECT COMMUNICATION

DIRECTNESS VS. CIRCUMLOCUTION
Brevity, clarity and directness of communication are favored in American and British cultures. As Chan
(1999) explains it, "this means that a message, an idea a request, etc. should be conveyed to the
audience or recipient clearly and in as few words as mandatory."
Example: When communicating a refusal or rejection to Westerners, Asians should avoid
circumlocution or indirectness and instead, state a polite yet clear "no". On the other hand, a westerner
communicating with someone from Asia should be aware of the latter culture's valuing of interpersonal
harmony or smooth interpersonal relationships(SIR).

PERSONAL/FRIENDLY LANGUAGE VS. RESPECTFUL LANGUAGE

Chan (1999) calls the attention to the emphasis in Western contexts on using friendly and personal-
rather than impersonal-language in the workplace.
“Employers and employees are encouraged to use personal pronouns such as I, you, me and we in
writing; she says the objective of this is the establishment of rapport between communicator and
audience.” (Chan, 1999).
Example: “In American workplaces, colleagues are encouraged to used first name when conversing
with each other and even with their employers. However, in Asia the use of formal titles is a way of
showing respect for someone considered superior- in age economic status, education, profession.”
(Chan, 1999).

Example: In the Philippines, for the dropping of a title in favor of using the first name of someone older
and higher in rank is considered rude or disrespectful. Pascasio notes that, “Informal addresses are used
only with peers or those of lower status such as rank and file.” (Pascasio 1999)
Speaker from this context are therefore conscious of addressing people with titles or labels such as boss,
doctor, president attorney, manager, judge, engineer, commissioner, and professor (Pascasio, 1999;
Chan, 1999).
For intercultural communication to be effective, writers and speakers from both Eastern and Western
contexts should be familiar with these conventions. They may either adjust to the culture and mode of
address of the other or choose to not take offense because they understand the culture that drives the
linguistic convention.
Example: Is the effusive and sometimes exaggerated humility displayed in the professional
correspondence of Filipinos, as seen in the phrases," your good office," "I will be eternally grateful for
your assistance,” and the ubiquitous “more power to you.” A Filipino writing to an American may
choose to omit these, knowing it is unnecessary and even confusing for the American reader.
An American writing to a Filipino should also know that, according to Alzona Encarnacion (quoted in
Pascasio, 1999), "Bluntness or brusqueness of speech is frowned upon, being regarded as a sign of ill
breeding and as such, can make an effort to extend more courtesy in his/her writing.”

SYNTHESIS
Gloria S. Chan says that intercultural communication is more challenging than intracultural
communication because there is greater mastery of one's own language and culture. Yet for intercultural
communication to be effective adaptations to a culture different from one's own are necessary. One also
needs to “abide by the cultural norms and standards English imposes on the users of language.”
(Chan, 1999)

REFERENCES:
https:/www.partnershipinternational.ie
www.interkultura-consult.com
https://www.linkedin.com
https://www.hult.edu
Madrunio M. R. & Martin I. P. “Local and Global Communication Multicultural Settings” (p. 102-107)
Madrunio M. R. & Martin I. P. “Exploring text reflecting different cultures” (p. 137-139)
Madrunio M. R. & Martin I. P. “Coping with the challenges of Intercultural Communication” (p.151-
155)
Uychoco M. T. & Santos M. L. “Intercultural Issues in Workplace Communication” (p. 154-159)
 Republic of the Philippines
Bicol University
Bicol University Polangui Campus
Polangui, Albay
Purposive Communication

Local and Global

Communication
Multicultural Settings
Submitted by:
Gallinero, Angelo
Kusaka, Hiroshi
Magnampo, Trisha Mae
Nabor, Joshua
Nacional, Rea Rizza
Navarra, Cindy
Nemo, Ma. Trea
Nicerio, Mary Kris
Omnes, Rosemarie
Orlain, Mark Joseph
Osacia, Sofia Aiumi
Padua, Robie Ann
Pajarillo, John Martin

BSIT – ANIMATION 1B

Submitted to:
Prof. Beverly Miraflor
 October, 2019
Republic of the Philippines
Bicol University
Bicol University Polangui Campus
Polangui, Albay
BSIT – ANIMATION 1B
Names Scores

Gallinero, Angelo S. 40

Kusaka, Hiroshi T. 40

Magnampo, Trisha Mae G. 40

Nabor, Joshua 40

Nacional, Rea Rizza B. 40

Navarra, Cindy V. 40

Nemo, Ma. Trea E. 40

Nicerio, Mary Kris P. 40

Omnes, Rosemarie O. 40

Orlain, Mark Joseph C. 40

Osacia, Sofia Aiumi 40

Padua, Robie Ann B. 40

Pajarillo, John Martin P. 40

Abila, Marjorie Joy G. 15

Almelia, Mary Joy M. 27

Antivola, Marivel V. 25

Aydalla, Eleanor D. 25

Balitaon, Joel C. 29

Bataller, Justen Carl V. 25

Bringino, Ruzel Joyce C. 23

Cabalquinto, Alyssa Rose B. 20

Calpe, Marl Andrei P. 24

Celis, Sonia Millenya T. 26

Cornelio, Joelyn O. 13

Espenilla, Eugene D. 31

Ezra, Danmar S. 31

Paño, Karen D. 16
Patanao, Edisa Jane N. 12

Ranara, Mark Louie 28

Rañosa, Mirabelle V. 24

Reonal, Mark Jo M. 7

Repolles, Neil Angelo S. 27

Robas, Ma. Jhocel R. 19

Sanchez, Cristine O. 23

Sandrino, Paul Matthew P. 10

Saralde, Kiana Marie 28

Sasoluya, Archie L. 14

Surbano, Abraham O. 23

Yanzon, Benny T. 23