PURP_COM: DISCUSSION BOARD 2

1. How does globalization affect language and culture?

As stated by Kolb (2018), globalization is the word used to describe the growing
interdependence of the world's economies, cultures, and populations. Along with the sharing of
culture comes the widespread exchange of either technological advancements, resources, and
even language. Globalization aims to find common ground from culture to culture; combining
the way of life into one melting pot. Given this intention, today's people tend to adapt, accept
values, ideals, and norms in connection to what is globally recognized and accepted. With this,
the way we act, speak, and even think is tailored to a global scale, thus promoting societies'
inclusivity and integration. Nowadays, interaction and communication are concepts that are not
considered as much of a big problem. However, while this may be seen as a good thing,
globalization's negative side is as evident. The English language is considered to be the universal
language and the most spoken language in the world. While this allows us to communicate with
a broader audience effectively, the excessive use of foreign language denied us a national
identity. It also affected our culture by how many of our people have disregarded our own, and
instead are more immersed in foreign practices. With this said, our traditions, language, and
culture's unique identity slowly deteriorate as we embody others. I think that globalization, just
like any other concept, has inevitable pros and cons. Now with the help of technology,
globalization took a step further in both uniting the world through common attributes or
dividing a country through dissonances in perspective.

2. Why do we need to be aware of cultural differences and be culturally appropriate?

The Philippines is a country universally known as a “melting pot” of cultures. With the intrusion
of various historical facets comes the inevitable differences in beliefs, outlook, ideals, and
values, mainly because of racial distribution. As we enter a globalized world, we now have a
responsibility as a citizen to be receptive and sensitive to other cultures and beliefs. Not only
will this improve the way we perceive other people, but it will also promote inclusivity, thus
resulting in lesser misunderstanding and a key to more effective communication. Albeit there
are 195 countries, all with different accustomed cultures, having cultural sensitivity does not
necessarily mean that one must know each existing culture ever to exist. Instead, one must
have the willingness to be aware, have empathy, understand, and be open on acceptance. In
line with this, it is essential to be mindful of cultural differences and be culturally appropriate
because understanding the nuances in cultures —the importance of words, actions, gestures,
and body language— altogether aid in cultivating relationships.
3. What new insights did you learn from last Friday's Oral Presentation on Culture?
The presentations regarding the speech-language pathology profession across different
countries made me realize how, despite the fact that medicine is already an established field,
medicine perceptions still vary and differ from one country to another. Culture, beliefs, and
ideals shape one’s attitudes and outlook towards a particular profession, hence the existence of
nuances on salary, pre-requisites, work environment, and the like. Rather than seeing these
differences in a negative light, I think that differences are actually indicators of uniqueness and
distinctiveness—which is not exactly a bad thing. After all, we live in an ever-changing world,
and the difference in perspectives keeps us thriving. In line with this, I am at ease knowing that
despite differences in belief, actions, and ideals, all SLPs worldwide share a common goal: to
help people. Aside from that, I felt both sad but happy at the same time knowing that despite
the questionable ratio of SLP-to-residents to some countries, the SLP community is
continuously growing and being more known to the public. To sum it up, I can say that last
week's oral presentation on culture enlightened me more on the diversity and globalization,
both of which are vital concepts one must know.