PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION
Communication in Multicultural Settings / FIRST SEMESTER
MODULE 1
NATURE OF LANGUAGE
DEFINITION OF LANGUAGE
● The world is shrinking rapidly today.
● Advances in information technology, scientific knowledge
and applications have transformed a sprawling earth into
a global village.
● People of various cultures and nationalities now meet,
interact, trade, and socialize with ease on a daily basis.
● Making this possible is the use of a common language.
WHAT IS LANGUAGE?
● Language is purely human and non-instinctive method of
communicating ideas, emotions and desires by means of
voluntarily produced symbols
● It is a system of communication by sound, operating
through the organs of speech, among members of a given
community, and using vocal symbols possessing arbitrary
conventional meaning
● Language is the ability to produce and comprehend both
spoken and written (and in the case of sign language,
signed) words.
● Understanding how language works means reaching
across many branches of psychology—everything from
basic neurological functioning to high-level cognitive
processing.
● Language shapes our social interactions and brings order
to our lives.
COMPLEX LANGUAGE
● is one of the defining factors that make us human.
Linguists agree that a language can only be called a
language, if it has a
○ System of rules (also known as grammar),
○ Sound system (phonology)
○ Vocabulary (lexicon).
● These are the requirements for identifying a means of
communication as a language, therefore it is an
exclusively human condition.
● Other species definitely do communicate through
movements and sounds, but they are definitely not in the
same class as humans.
● When people use language, they can understand each
other because they belong to the same speech
community.
● They can interact with each other because in their speech
community, people share the same set of rules in the
language system.
● While growing up, people acquire the languages used by
those in the community.
Module 1 Communication in Multicultural Settings
● This is the process of language acquisition, which is the
process of building the ability to understand a language,
using it to communicate with others.
● The language acquired growing up is known as a first
language (also called as mother tongue or native
language).
○ A first language is the language a person has learned
from birth or within the critical period, or that a person
speaks the best and so is often the basis for
sociolinguistic identity.
○ In some countries, the terms native language or
mother tongue refer to the language of one's ethnic
group rather than one's first language.
○ Sometimes, there can be more than one mother
tongue, those children are usually called bilingual.
● By contrast, a second language is a language that a
person learns in addition to his or her first language.
○ It may be learned in a formal or informal way, such as
at school or in a family, and this active process is
called language learning.
○ People learn languages as they use them to
communicate their thoughts, feelings, and
experiences and establish relationships with family
members and friends.
○ For example, a student may come to school speaking
more than one language, or learn another language
in school.
○ In their early years, children develop language
informally.
● Language development is continuous and recursive.
● Students enhance their language learning by using what
they know in new and more complex contexts.
● Finally, language is a tool that enables people to
communicate, express needs and wants, issue directives,
create and produce through our own tongue.
ALL ABOUT COMMUNICATION
WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?
● The term communication comes from the Latin word
“communicare” – which means to share something in
common, to unite, to join, or to have things in common.
○ It is a process by which people send messages or
exchange ideas or thoughts with one another in a
verbal or non-verbal manner.
● Speech Communication
○ is a process of transmitting information, thought or
feeling from one person to another through spoken
words.
● Non-verbal Communication
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 ○ is receiving and transmitting information, thought or
feeling without the use of words.
● Communication skills are important to everyone-they are
how we give and receive information and convey our
ideas and opinions with those around us.
● Communication comes in many forms:
a. Verbal
■ Sounds, language, written (journals, emails,
blogs, and text messages)
b. Non-verbal
■ Facial expressions, tone of voice, body
language, and posture
■ Visual (signs, objects, symbols, and pictures)
ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION
● The term communication process refers to the exchange
of information (a ​message) between two or more people.
● For communication to succeed, both parties must be able
to exchange information and understand each other.
● If the flow of information is blocked for some reason or the
parties cannot make themselves understood, then
communication fails.
○ Sender
■ The communication process begins with the
sender, who is also called the communicator or
source.
■ The sender has some kind of information—a
command, request, or idea —that he or she
wants to share with others.
■ In order for that message to be received, the
sender must first encode the message in a form
that can be understood and then transmit it.
○ Receiver
■ The person to whom a message is directed is
called the receiver or the interpreter.
■ In order to comprehend the information from the
sender, the receiver must first be able to receive
the sender's information and then decode or
interpret it.
○ Message
■ The message or content is the information that
the sender wants to relay to the receiver.
■ It is relayed between the parties.
■ Put all three together and you have the
communication process as its most basic.
○ Medium
■ Also called the channel, the medium is the
means by which a message is transmitted.
■ Text messages, for example, are transmitted
through the medium of cell phones.
○ Feedback
■ The communication process reaches its final
point when the message has been successfully
transmitted, received, and understood.
Module 1 Communication in Multicultural Settings
■ The receiver, in turn, responds to the sender,
indicating comprehension.
■ Feedback may be direct, such as a written or
verbal response, or it may take the form of an act
or deed in response.
○ Encoding
■ It is the process of turning thoughts into
communication.
■ The encoder uses a ‘medium’ to send the
message — a phone call, email, text message,
face-to-face meeting, or other communication
tool.
■ The level of conscious thought that goes into
encoding messages may vary.
■ The encoder should also take into account any
‘noise’ that might interfere with his or her
message, such as other messages, distractions,
or influences.
○ Decoding
■ It is the process of turning communication into
thoughts.
■ For example, you may realize you’re hungry and
encode the following message to send to your
roommate: “I’m hungry. Do you want to get pizza
tonight?” As your roommate receives the
message, he or she decodes your
communication and turns it back into thoughts to
make meaning.
PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION
● Effective communication is a connection between people
that allows for the exchange of thoughts, feelings, and
ideas, and leads to mutual understanding.
● This exchange is evidenced when a speaker sends a
message to which a listener responds. It seems simple,
but it isn’t.
● People tend to take the communication process for
granted.
● We generally figure that the communication between two
or more people is no big deal. It just works.
● However, the reality is very different—the process of
communication is actually impressively complex.
● It is important that you learn the different principles which
serve as guides in the practice and continuous
improvement of your communication skills.
○ Communication is transactional
■ It is a two-way process which involves an
exchange of thoughts and ideas.
■ Every message consists of content and feeling.
■ The content is what the message is about based
on the words used.
■ The feeling connected to the content is
expressed through nonverbal cues—body
language/gestures, facial expression, tone of
voice/inflection, and voice volume.
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 ○ Communication is inevitable
■ It is impossible to not communicate.
■ All actions—both intentional and
unintentional—communicate certain messages.
■ For example, deliberately ignoring someone is
not “not communicating.”
■ Quite the contrary (as you know if you’ve been
on the receiving end), this action sends a strong
message.
■ Another is, when the moment you wake up, you
already start communicating by merely thinking
of how your day will look like.
○ Communication is goal-oriented
■ When you communicate, you have goals in mind.
■ You do not just say something or write a
message on a piece of paper for no reason at all.
■ To persuade; to entertain; to inform; to express
one’s feeling, ideas, or emotions; to build and
maintain relationships; and to influence others
are some of the purposes of communication.
○ Communication has various levels
■ The various levels of communication are:
(1) Intrapersonal Communication - It is the
knowledge of and communication with
oneself (introspection-mental/symbolic
processing of information without the benefit
of getting the opinion of others)
(2) Interpersonal Communication - It is the
interaction (speaking and listening/switching
of roles) between two people or a relatively
small group. It determines our relationships
with others and who we are
(3) Extended Communication - It involves the
use of electronic media. The description of
extended communication may be expanded
to include television, audio, or phone
conferencing; video-conferencing; Skype
calls; other technological means. Language
used may be formal or informal
(4) Organizational Communication - A system
of communication should be put in place. A
set of rules or standards for communication
protocol should be made clear so that
interaction patterns are established.
There are two types of organizational structure:
Formal ● It allows the communication to take place via
Structure designated channels of message flow between
positions in the organization.
● The Four (4) approaches are:
(1) Downward communication - is the type
that flows from upper to lower position
(e.g. president to manager or supervisor
and a manager to an ordinary staff)
(2) Upward communication - is the type that
flows from lower to upper position (e.g.
subordinates to superior and students to
Module 1 Communication in Multicultural Settings
teacher
(3) Horizontal communication - is lateral in
approach as it takes place among people
belonging to the same level but coming
from different departments
(4) Crosswise communication - is diagonal
in nature as employees from different units
or departments working at various levels
communicate to each other.
Informal ● It comes from unofficial channels of message
Structure flow.
● Also known as 'grapevine,' messages coming
from different levels of organization are
transmitted.
● This occurs due to dissatisfaction of some
employees accompanied by uncertainty, such
as superiors playing favorites and unfavorable
or unacceptable company rules and
regulations.
(5) Communication is complex - You may
perceive communication as simply sending
a text message, talking over the phone, or
using hand gestures. However,
communication is so complex that it entails a
lot of processes which can occur
simultaneously or successively.
(6) Communication can be learned - Despite
the complexity of communication, it is a skill
which can be learned. You can incorporate
the seven Cs of communication to ensure
you’re communicating in the most clear and
effective way possible.
(7) Communication is relational - In any
communication setting, aside from sharing
meaning, the process of how meaning is
created also echoes two vital aspects of
relationships of the communicators:
immediacy and control. Immediacy is the
degree of liking or attractiveness in a
relationship and control, on the other hand,
is the degree which one participant shows
dominance or power.
(8) Communication is guided by culture -
Culture may be defined as a system of
knowledge shared by a relatively large
group of people. The system includes
shared beliefs, values, symbols and
behaviors. How messages are created and
processed is greatly influenced by the
cultural background of communicators.
ETHICS IN COMMUNICATION
● Communication is ethical when it is upfront, honest and
cooperative.
● Communication that is intended to conceal the truth or
harm another person cannot be described as ethical.
● While ethics are not the same as morals, there is a strong
relationship between the two:
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 ○ Morals are ideas of what is right and wrong
○ Ethics are behavioral principles influenced by moral
beliefs.
● The ethics of communication are therefore strongly
influenced by moral principles.
● Below are principles associated with the 7Cs and ethical
communication. Some of which are the following:
(1) Be Honest and Truthful.
■ Being honest means communicating what is
known to be true – no more, no less.
■ Ethical communication is based on accurate,
factual information – in other words, do not lie
whether the message is directed downward to
employees, upward to management, laterally to
other peers and departments, or externally.
■ Honesty should also prevail when
communicating goals, expectations, decisions,
feedback, or judgments to employees.
(2) Refrain from Doing Harm.
■ Whether communicating on a corporate or an
individual level, the communication should make
every effort to cause no harm.
■ For instance, tobacco companies are required to
communicate that the practice of consuming their
products may lead to physical conditions like
emphysema, lung cancer and other illnesses.
■ A company who is aware of a danger and does
not communicate it would be breaking this rule of
ethical communication.
(3) Fairness to all Stakeholders.
■ When communicating internally or externally, the
organization should attempt to be fair to its
employees, customers, and community.
■ If a manager were to exert inappropriate control
over employees, stockholders or customers, this
would be a violation of this standard.
■ Price fixing, bribery, and insider training are
examples of behaviors and communications that
are exerting unfairness to stakeholders.
(4) Be an Active Listener and Strive to Understand.
■ Hearing and listening are two different things.
■ In order for ethical communication to be effective,
the recipient of the message should know that he
(as the listener) and the speaker both have equal
responsibilities in the communication process.
■ The listener should not select the message that
he wants to listen to or to hear only parts of the
message.
■ The recipient may ask questions for clarification
to fully understand the message.
■ While it is important to be a proactive listener, it
is important for listeners to also strive to fully
understand what is being said before
responding.
Module 1 Communication in Multicultural Settings
■ While asking for clarification or confirmation of a
point is fine, many times questions that listeners
pose have already been answered.
■ Listeners should think about what has been said
before constructing a reply.
■ Reading “in between the lines” is also an
important skill that allows for understanding what
isn’t said or implied.
(5) Avoid a Negative Tone.
■ Tone is critical to communication.
■ There are people who are particular to
paralanguage or tone of the voice.
■ Ethical communication assumes that the speaker
will avoid rudeness, be polite, professional, and
tactful.
■ The ethical communicator knows that it is not
only important what you say, but how you say it.
■ One’s voice is always picked up by the receiver,
and can alter how the message is received
and/or understood, which can lead to
unnecessary confrontations that decrease
business productivity.
■ Essentially, keeping the tone positive or neutral is
best.
■ It is possible to be completely honest and open
with one’s thoughts and feelings while still
remaining polite and respectful.
(6) Do Not Interrupt Others.
■ Allowing others to speak is important for a civil,
effective working environment.
■ Interrupting others results in misunderstandings,
conflicts and problems that hinder workforce and
corporate progress.
■ Interrupting others is not only disrespectful and
unethical but does not allow listeners to fully
understand the message that results in wrong
assumptions and actions.
(7) Refrain from Speaking Judgmentally and Strive to
Understand.
■ While it is important to be a proactive listener, it
is important for listeners to also strive to fully
understand what is being said before
responding.
■ While asking for clarification or confirmation of a
point is fine, many times questions that listeners
pose have already been answered.
■ Listeners should think about what has been said
before constructing a reply.
■ Reading “in between the lines” is also an
important skill that allows for understanding what
isn’t said, but was implicitly said or implied.
■ Conflicts usually result from unethical,
judgmental, accusatory and overly critical
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 comments that become catalysts for
communication breakdowns.
(8) Speak from Your Own Experience.
■ Bringing your personal work experience or best
work practices into a dialogue with business
listeners is important, providing backup for your
arguments with something more tangible that
paints a complete picture for your audience and
helps to prove your points for a better
understanding of what is being discussed;
■ however, manage your own personal
boundaries: share only what you are comfortable
sharing.
(9) Avoid Speaking for Others.
■ Characterizing what others have said without
checking your understanding, or by
universalizing your opinions, beliefs, values, and
conclusions, assuming everyone shares them is
unethical.
(10) Consider Appropriate Communication Channel.
■ You risk losing an audience if you use a
communication channel that is not preferred by
your intended receiver.
■ To effectively communicate with your listeners,
use the most preferred communication channel,
whether that be face-to-face, email, conference
call, phone call, messenger app, etc.
■ Also, when presenting data to a business
audience, be aware of the preferred method of
presentation for that business, whether it be
graphs, slides, PowerPoint presentations, etc.
(11) Consideration for Any Potential Roadblocks
■ When communicating with another party, truly
ethical communication entails considering any
potential factor that may influence how the
recipient understands the information that is
being communicated.
■ These factors or roadblocks maybe:
1. Language Fluency, Language Use and
Jargons. It takes into account the level of
fluency as well as language spoken for
messages or information to be fully
understood. Use a common language that
all involved communicators understand.
Every field or industry has its own jargon.
When speaking to a non-specialist, it is
ethical to speak with simple,
easy-to-understand words, while avoiding
the use of heavy jargon, resulting in portions
of the presentation or communication being
incomprehensible to an audience;
2. Accessibility to Technology. In this
information and digital age, some take
accessibility to advanced technology for
Module 1 Communication in Multicultural Settings
granted. For instance, while smartphones
are readily available, and translation apps
are abundant, not everyone is able to
access such applications or platforms. If a
business wanted to present certain
information to an audience while expecting
the audience to translate it into their native
language via an application, there may be
confusion. Thus, the ability to access certain
technology - and the know-how on how to
use certain applications - may be a
roadblock when it comes to ethically
communicating to a particular audience;
3. Knowing One’s Audience: Being an
effective communicator means knowing your
audience in order to communicate in the
way that he/she will understand the best.
Know the language, profession, and others
so that you can adjust your presentation or
communication to audience
4. Choosing the Right Place/Time: Speaking
about a particular topic in a business often
requires choosing the most pertinent and
appropriate time and place in order for the
message to be most effective. This requires
knowing the recipients along with utilizing
strategy and planning.
(12) Respect Privacy and Confidentiality.
■ Most businesses have a code of ethics defining
what is appropriate when it comes to honoring
client and employee confidentiality and privacy.
■ This can have a wide range of implications,
including minimizing workplace gossip and
conversations about the private lives of clients
and/or personnel.
■ Moreover, REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10173 also
known as the Data Privacy Act of 2012 has been
passed to protect the fundamental human right of
privacy, of communication while ensuring free
flow of information to promote innovation and
growth.
■ The State recognizes the vital role of information
and communications technology in
nation-building and its inherent obligation to
ensure that personal information in information
and communications systems in the government
and in the private sector are secured and
protected (Republic of the Philippines, 2012).
(13) Accept Responsibility and Accountability.
■ Words do not only build but also destroy a
person or an organization.
■ A core element within the framework of ethical
communication is being responsible and
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 accountable to one’s words and actions whether
it be good or bad.
■ Owning one’s words reinforces the importance of
being conscientious about ethical
communication.
■ Sadly, there’s no shortage of examples where
organizations making unethical decisions and
creating unethical communications as a result.
SYNTHESIS AND CONCLUSION
● Language is a system of communication by sound,
operating through the organs of speech, among members
of a given community, and using vocal symbols
possessing arbitrary conventional meaning.
● It is the ability to produce and comprehend both spoken
and written (and in the case of sign language, signed)
words.
● Language is a tool that enables people to communicate,
express needs and wants, issue directives, create and
produce through our own tongue.
● An indispensable tool for human survival is
communication.
● The term communication process refers to the exchange
of information between two or more people.
● For communication to succeed, both parties must be able
to exchange information and understand each other.
● There are different principles which serve as a guide in
improving your communication skills.
● These are as follows:
(1) transactional
(2) inevitable
(3) goal oriented
(4) has various levels
(5) complex
(6) can be learned
(7) relational
(8) guided by culture.

Module 1 Communication in Multicultural Settings Page 6/6

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION
Communication in Multicultural Settings / FIRST SEMESTER
MODULE 2
COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE
COMMUNICATION CONTEXT
● How people from different cultures communicate among
themselves, how communication differs among cultures
and how communication is similar among cultures, are all
questions we ask in the study of communication and
culture.
● At its most basic, communication is the exchange of
information and meaning.
● We are constantly communicating, in a wide range of
different contexts, such as physical, social, psychological
and cultural context.
● However, to understand the relationship between culture
and communication, we need to understand the place of
communication in culture.
● Culture as a term is widely used in academic as well as in
daily speech and discourse, referring to different concepts
and understandings.
● While the term originally stems from ancient Greek and
Roman cultures (Latin: cultura) it has various dimensions
today built from the different needs and uses of each field,
be it anthropology, sociology or communication studies.
● For communication studies, we might start by defining
culture as a set of learned behaviors shared by a group of
people through interaction.
● It is vital to understand that the relationship between
culture and communication, in all its forms, is tightly
interwoven and interlinked.
● We can see that communication enables the spread and
reiteration of culture.
● Both communication and the media propagate the values
and schemata of a culture through the repeated
interaction and exchange enabled by the communication
process.
(1) Communication context
■ It pertains to the personal, physical, social,
psychological, and cultural circumstances,
among others in which communication occurs.
■ It influences the expectations from the
participants, the meaning derived from the
exchange of utterances, and the subsequent
actions in the communication.
(2) Personal Context
■ It involves the background of both the sender
and the receiver of the message.
■ It includes their education, religion,
socioeconomic status, marital status, and beliefs
Module 2 Communication in Multicultural Settings
that greatly influence what and how they
communicate.
(3) Social context
■ It refers to the kind of relationship that exists
between the sender and the receiver.
■ For example, the way you talk to your parents
differs from the way you talk to your friends,
younger siblings, and more so with your
classmates.
(4) Psychological context
■ It includes the emotional feelings of the
participants in the communication process.
■ It involves their opinions, judgements, prejudices,
attitudes, and perceptions towards each other
which can play part in the transmission of
messages.
(5) Cultural context
■ It includes sets of beliefs, value systems, guiding
principles, and assumptions based on one’s
race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation,
gender identity, and religion within which
communication happens.
COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE
● A more holistic understanding of communication
necessitates knowledge of culture and appreciating
cultural diversities.
● As defined, culture is a set of unique and shared beliefs,
values, and norms that guide a certain group of people on
how to think, behave and act.
● Communication and culture are intertwined. In fact, they
are inseparable.
● Culture influences what and how you communicate.
Culture plays an important role in shaping the style of
communication.
● Generally, people react to how we speak rather than what
we say.
● The culture in which individuals are socialized influences
the way they communicate, and the way individuals
communicate can change the culture.
CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS
● People of different cultures have different ways of
communicating and evaluating communication messages.
● There are two most relevant in giving and receiving
constructive feedback and criticism.
● These are low context and high context.
● The concepts of high context and low context refer to how
people communicate in different cultures.
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● Differences can be derived from the extent to which
meaning is transmitted through actual words used or
implied by the context.
○ High context implies that a lot of unspoken
information is implicitly transferred during
communication. People in a high context culture
such as Saudi Arabia tend to place a larger
importance on long-term relationships and loyalty and
have fewer rules and structure implemented.
○ Low context implies that a lot of information is
exchanged explicitly through the message itself and
rarely is anything implicit or hidden. People in low
context cultures such as the UK tend to have
short-term relationships, follow rules and standards
closely and are generally very task-oriented.
● Understanding whether your international colleagues are
high context or low context will help you to adapt your
communication style and build stronger relationships with
them.
● When doing business in a high context culture such as
Mexico, Japan or the Middle East, you might encounter
the following:
○ Misunderstanding when exchanging information
○ Impression of a lack of information
○ Large amount of information is provided in a
non-verbal manner, e.g., gestures, pauses, facial
expressions
○ Emphasis on long term relationships and loyalty
○ ‘Unwritten’ rules that are taken for granted but can
easily be missed by strangers
○ Shorter contracts since less information is required
● When doing business in a low context culture such as
Germany, Switzerland or the US, on the other hand, you
might find the following:
○ All meaning is explicitly provided in the message itself
○ Extensive background information and explanations
are provided verbally to avoid misunderstandings
○ People tend to have short-term relationships
○ People follow rules and standards closely
○ Contracts tend to be longer and very detailed
CHALLENGES OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
(1) Using a different language
(2) Results of intercultural miscommunication and
misunderstanding
(3) Lack of shared knowledge, beliefs and cultural diversity
(4) Having difficulty to arrive at the correct inference or
interpretation of meanings
● NOTE: Misunderstanding in intercultural communication
may occur due to wrong interpretation of the verbal and
non-verbal code. Sources of Misunderstanding
○ Ambiguity
■ Lack of explicitness on the part of the speaker in
the form of problematic reference and
Module 2 Communication in Multicultural Settings
ambiguous semantics in which an utterance is
open to different interpretations
○ Performance-related misunderstanding
■ Slips of the tongue and mishearing which may be
due to utterances spoken quickly and unclearly
○ Language-related misunderstanding
■ Ungrammaticality of language
○ Gaps in world knowledge
■ Gaps in context rather than language
○ Local context
■ Turns and the turns within the sequences
produced by the participants themselves, and the
orientation of the participants as well as the
repair moves that follow the displayed
understanding
APPROACHES TO STUDYING INTERCULTURAL
COMMUNICATION (SOCIAL SCIENCE OR
FUNCTIONALIST, INTERPRETATIVE, CRITICAL)
● You need to be aware or conscious of other cultures
especially those that you will visit so you can avoid
offending people.
● Due to misinterpretations, miscommunication occurs.
● All cultures are equal although sometimes difficult to
understand.
● No culture is superior or inferior to another.
● 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.
VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
● Communication is not just confined to speaking. It is
actually possible to be communicating on without talking
or uttering even a single word.
● For instance, when you raise your eyebrow, you are not
saying anything but you are conveying message (either
anger, irritation, or disappointment) Thus, communication
can either be verbal or non-verbal.
○ Verbal communication uses spoken or written words
to communicate a message. Alongside speaking,
listening is equally an important skill for this type of
communication to be successful.
○ Non-verbal communication is the use of body
language, gestures, facial expressions, and even
posture to communicate. Non-verbal communication
sets the tone of a conversation, and can seriously
undermine the message contained in your words if
you are not careful to control it. For example,
slouching and shrinking back in your chair during a
business meeting may imply lack of confidence or
lack of interest in the meeting.
VERBAL COMMUNICATION
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● Varieties of English or World Englishes (WE) stands for
the localized varieties of English as they are used or
spoken in certain areas.
● In the Asian context, the concept was introduced by Braj
Kachru.
● The famous “Three Concentric Circles of Asian Englishes”
attributed to Kachru presents the three circles:
○ Inner Circle with ENL (English as a native language)
member countries;
○ Outer Circle with ESL (English as a second
language) member countries;
○ Expanding Circle with EFL (English as a foreign
language) member countries.
● Examples of countries belonging to the Inner Circle are
the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland and New
Zealand, Kachru’s Outer Circle is comprised of
Bangladesh, Kenya, Ghana, Singapore, Malaysia,
Philippines, Pakistan, India, among others while the
Expanding Circle is composed of countries such as China,
Taiwan, Egypt, Israel, South America, Thailand, among
others.
● Aside from the fact that the Outer and Expanding Circles
are ESL and EFL- speaking respectively, they have been
colonized by some member countries in the Inner Circle.
LANGUAGE REGISTERS
● There are five language registers or styles.
● Each level has an appropriate use that is determined by
differing situations.
● It would certainly be inappropriate to use language and
vocabulary reserved for a boyfriend or girlfriend when
speaking in the classroom.
● Thus, the appropriate language register depends upon the
audience (who), the topic (what), purpose (why) and
location (where).
● You must control the use of language registers in order to
enjoy success in every aspect and situation you
encounter.
(1) Static Register
■ This style of communication RARELY or NEVER
changes.
■ It is “frozen” in time and content. e.g. the Pledge
of Allegiance, the Lord’s Prayer, the Preamble to
the US Constitution, the Alma Mater, a
bibliographic reference, laws.
(2) Formal Register
■ This language is used in formal settings and is
one-way in nature.
■ This use of language usually follows a commonly
accepted format.
■ It is usually impersonal and formal. Examples of
this register are speeches. e.g. sermons,
rhetorical statements and questions, speeches,
pronouncements made by judges,
announcements.
Module 2 Communication in Multicultural Settings
(3) Consultative Register
■ This is a standard form of communications.
Users engage in a mutually accepted structure of
communication.
■ It is formal and societal expectations accompany
the users of this speech.
■ It is a professional discourse. e.g. when
strangers meet, communications between a
superior and a subordinate, doctor and patient,
lawyer and client, lawyer and judge, teacher and
student, counselor and client.
(4) Casual Register
■ This is an informal language used by peers and
friends.
■ Slang, vulgarities and colloquialisms are normal.
This is a “group” language.
■ One must be a member to engage in this
register. e.g. buddies, teammates, chats and
emails, and blogs, and letters to friends.
(5) Intimate Register
■ This communication is private.
■ It is reserved for close family members or
intimate people. e.g. husband and wife, boyfriend
and girlfriend, siblings, parent and children.
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
● Non-verbal Communication is the process of sending and
receiving wordless messages.
● Nonverbal cues communicate feelings and attitudes most
effectively. Just like verbal communication, nonverbal
cues are open to misinterpretation that is why it is
important to interpret it in the context of one’s lifestyle,
family and cultural background.
● Why is non-verbal communication important?
○ To repeat/enhance the verbal message (point in a
direction while stating directions)
○ To substitute for the verbal message (gestures –
finger to lips to indicate need to be quiet; a nod
instead of saying yes)
○ To regulate interactions (non-verbal cues convey
when the other person should speak or not)
○ To accent/convey underlying feelings (verbal tone
indicates the actual meaning of specific words)
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN NON-VERBAL
COMMUNICATION
(1) Actions, Body Movement, Posture
○ Bowing
■ not done, criticized in the US; shows rank in
Japan
○ Slouching
■ rude in most European areas
○ Hands in pocket
■ disrespectful in Turkey
○ Sitting with legs crossed
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 ■ offensive in Turkey
○ Showing soles of feet
■ offensive/insulting in Thailand, Saudi Arabia,
Muslims
■ is a sign of disrespect exposing the lowest and
dirtiest part of the body.
○ Forming a circle with fingers to indicate “OK”
■ OK in the US, obscene for Brazil and Germany,
money for Japan and Philippines., zero or
worthless for France
○ Thumbs up
■ commonly means OK;
■ Australia and Iran consider it rude;
■ Nigeria - very offensive;
■ Japan - means five; Turkey – a political rightist
party
○ Passing an item to someone with one hand
■ very rude in Japan; even a very small item such
as a pencil must be passed with two hands
○ Passing an item to someone with one hand
■ In many Middle and Far Eastern countries, it is
rude to pass something using the left hand-which
is considered “unclean.”
○ Nodding head up and down to say “Yes”
■ In Bulgaria and Greece, it means NO.
○ Fig sign
■ putting the thumb in between the index and the
middle finger= obscene in Turkey, Greece,
Holland; You get nothing from me for Russia; You
can’t have it in Yugoslavia; Good luck in Brazil
○ Pointing:
■ US with index finger
■ Germany with little finger
■ Japanese with entire hand
■ Most Asians consider pointing with index finger
to be rude.
(2) Smiling, Crying or Showing Anger, Sorrow, Disgust
○ Many Asian cultures suppress facial expression as
much as possible.
○ Many Mediterranean (Latino/Arabic) cultures
exaggerate grief or sadness while most American
men hide grief or sorrow.
○ Too much smiling is viewed as a sign of shallowness.
– Women smile more than men.
(3) Eye Contact and Gaze
○ Western cultures – see direct eye to eye contact as
positive (Children are advised to look a person in the
eyes.)
○ But within USA, African-Americans use more eye
contact when talking and less when listening with
reverse true for Anglo-Americans. This is a possible
cause for some sense of unease between races in
the US. A prolonged gaze is often seen as a sign of
sexual interest.
Module 2 Communication in Multicultural Settings
○Arabic cultures make prolonged eye contact. It shows
interest and helps them understand truthfulness of
the other person. A person who doesn’t reciprocate is
seen as untrustworthy.
○ Japan, Africa, Latin American, Caribbean = avoid eye
contact to show respect.
(4) Touch
○ USA – handshake is very common even for
strangers; hugs, kisses for those of opposite gender
or of family (usually) on an increasingly more intimate
basis.
○ Most African-Americans touch on greeting but are
annoyed if touched on the head.
○ Islamic cultures generally don’t approve of any
touching between genders (even handshakes). But
they consider such touching (including hand holding,
hugs) between same sex to be appropriate. Many
Asians don’t touch the head. (Head houses the soul
and a touch puts it in jeopardy.)
(5) Smell
○ USA – fear of offensive natural smells- connected
with “attractiveness” concept
○ Arabic and other cultures consider natural body odors
normal.
○ Asian cultures (Filipino, Malay, Indonesian, Thai)
stress frequent bathing – and often criticize USA of
not bathing often enough.
COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE
● Communication and culture are intertwined and
inseparable.
● As defined, culture is a set of unique and shared beliefs,
values, and norms that guide a certain group of people on
how to think, behave and act.
● Communication in multicultural settings aimed at
illustrating the diversity of cultural contexts in which
communication happens.
● To evaluate messages and images of different types of
text reflecting different cultures, the following should be
done:
(a) understand how the specified cultures live
(b) know how people in the specified group communicate
each other
(c) learn the symbolism of their culture
(d) be aware in every detail such as artifact, language,
and symbolism.
● The following are the challenges of intercultural
communication:
(a) using of different language
(b) results of intercultural miscommunication and
misunderstanding
(c) lack of shared knowledge, beliefs and cultural
diversity
(d) having difficulty to arrive at the correct inference or
interpretation of meanings.
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● Communication is not just confined to speaking. It is
● Inner Circle with ENL (English as a Native Language)
actually possible to be communicating on without talking
● Outer Circle with ESL (English as a Second
or uttering even a single word.
Language)
● Language is a set of arbitrary symbols which create
● Expanding Circle with EFL (English as Foreign
possible combination of utterances primarily used for
Language)
communication.
● Language Register refers to the level and style of spoken ● Note that even inner circle countries (with English as their
and written discourse depending on the context you are native language) have variations in terms of words used
in. to refer to things/concepts
● There are five language registers or styles, namely: ○ e.g. UK uses “bonnet” to refer to the US’ “hood” - the
(a) static front portion of a car/vehicle.
(b) (b) formal ○ lift for elevator, apartment for flat, holidays for
(c) (c) consultative vacation, fortnight for two weeks, mackintosh for
(d) (d) casual raincoat, etc.
(e) (e) intimate. ● Spelling
● On the other hand, non-verbal communication is the ○ Honour for honor, defence for defense, labour for
process of sending and receiving wordless messages. labor
● Some cultural differences in non-verbal communication ● Pronunciation
include: ○ Direction, water, either (ay-thuh/ee-thuhr), etc.
(a) actions, body movement, posture ● Philippines VS. American
(b) smiling, crying or showing anger, sorrow, disgust ○ elemenTAry for eleMENTary, tin for thin, tot for
(c) eye contact and gaze thought, dat for that, measure for meazure, etc.
(d) touch WORLD ENGLISHES VS. WORLD ENGLISH
(e) smell.
● World Englishes - refers to varieties of English
CULTURAL AWARENESS ● World English - refers to the global English used as lingua
● is sensitivity to the similarities and differences that exist franca
between two different cultures and the use of this LINGUA FRANCA
sensitivity in effective communication. ● a language that is adopted as a common language
● Effective communication calls for the use of both the between speakers whose native languages are different
verbal and nonverbal codes. ● A lingua franca, also known as a bridge language,
1. PARALINGUISTIC CUES common language, trade language, auxiliary language,
● facial expression vehicular language, or link language, is a language
● eye contact system used to make communication possible between
● posture
people who do not share a native language, particularly
● emphatic gestures
● body movements when it is a third language that is distinct from both native
● dress or attire languages.
● Note also that multicultural communication calls for the
2. PROSODIC FEATURES use of an appropriate language register/style (static,
● clear and intelligible pronunciation or articulation consultative, intimate, etc.) which is audience, topic and
● blending context (situation) dependent.
● intonation ● Conclusion:
● tone
The human race, composed of all the countries and all
● stress
● rhythm peoples in the world, is not only culturally different but also
● pausing linguistically diverse.
● rate or speed (how fast or slow you speak) ● Ergo, these diversities impact on communication,
Varieties of English or World Englishes (WE) effective, otherwise.
● refers to the localized varieties of English, as they are
used or spoken in certain areas. Such varieties were born
out of
1. Migration
2. Colonialism
● The “Three COncentric Circles of Asian Englishes”
attributed to Braj Kachru presents the three circles:

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PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION
Technology and Communication / FIRST SEMESTER
MODULE 3
GLOBALIZATION AND SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONSIBILITY
● Globalization
○ means the speedup of movements and exchanges
(of human beings, goods, and services, capital,
technologies or cultural practices) all over the planet.
One of the effects of globalization is that it promotes
and increases interactions between different regions
and populations around the globe.
● Related to globalization is diversity
○ the concept that endures respect, acceptance, and
understanding. It recognizes that people are unique
from each other with respect to their age, gender,
race, ethnicity, culture, socio-economic status,
educational background and ideologies.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF
GLOBALIZATION
● Your dress was made in Bangladesh and your shoes in
Philippines.
● Your Phone comes from U.S. and power bank from China.
● You can travel to Japan, eat your favorite Samgyupsal
and drink your Thai Milk tea while watching the latest
Korean Drama.
● Today goods are made and sold all over the world.
Thanks to globalization.
● Globalization lets countries move closer to each other,
people, companies and organizations in different countries
can live and work together.
● We can exchange goods, money, and ideas faster and
cheaper than ever before.
● Modern communication and technology like the internet,
cell phones or satellite TV help us in our daily lives.
● Globalization is growing quickly.
● A German company can produce cars in Argentina and
then sell them in the United States.
● Businesses in the Philippines manufacture their products
in China for cheaper labor.
● Fast Food companies open shops around the world
almost every day.
● However, there is a growing debate over globalization.
● Governments are in favor of globalization because the
economy can grow, while other people hold the contrary.
● Here are some arguments from both sides:
ADVANTAGES
● Globalization lets countries do what they can do best. You
can buy cheap steel from another country, so you don’t
have to make your own steel. Instead, you can focus on
other things related to your product.
Module 3 Technology and Communication
● Globalization gives you a larger market. You can sell more
goods and make money and create more jobs.
Consumers also profit from globalization. Products
become cheaper and you can get new goods more
quickly.
DISADVANTAGES
● Globalization causes unemployment in industrialized
countries because companies move their factories to
places where they can get cheaper workers.
● Globalization may lead to more environmental problems.
A company may opt to build factories in other countries
because environmental laws are more lenient.
● Poor countries in the Third World may have to cut down
more trees so that they can sell wood to richer countries.
Some poor countries in the world, especially in Africa,
may get even poorer. Their population is not as educated
and technological as compared to other developed
countries.
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
● With the Internet, telecommunications, broadband, cell
phone technology, handheld wireless mobile devices and
other communication technology, geographically
dispersed workers can now interact and collaborate as
though they all were located together in a downtown
high-rise.
● In fact, communication technology has advanced to the
point where instant communications across the globe can
be so ubiquitous that no one really thinks about it
anymore.
COMMUNICATION IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA
● There are various modes through which we communicate
with each other. In the past, these modes took the form of
handwritten messages, typewritten messages, shirt
telegrams, computer-encoded texts, as well as landline
telephone conversations, and audio/video recorded
messages.
● Because each mode of communication is distinct from the
other. The ways in which we craft our messages differ.
● For example, there is a great tendency for us to write a
longer, more visually detailed message if we encode it
using a computer. If we hand write the same message, or
deliver it through an audio-recording, the message will not
be the same.
● Today in the rapid rise and spread of Internet connection
the old forms of communication have given way to new
forms that make communication easier and faster
SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONSIBILITY
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● Social media sites are developed as a tool to ● Social media sites are developed as a tool to
communicate with others by sharing personal information, communicate with others by sharing personal information,
photos, videos, comments and more. photos, videos, comments and more. Community sites
● Community sites with user-generated content should be with user-generated content should be used responsibly.
used responsibly. GLOBALIZATION
● Generally, when using social media, it is a common
● Globalization is the word used to describe the growing
assumption that all users are solely responsible for their
interdependence of the world's economies, cultures and
content – including posts, comments, likes, shares,
populations, brought about by cross-border trade in goods
tweets, re-tweets, follows and favorites.
and services, technology, and flows of investment, people,
● As a general rule, nothing on social media is private.
and information.
● Practicing favorable online behavior is best achieved
● Globalization lets countries move closer to each other
when adhering to these social media etiquette standards:
● People, companies, and organizations in different
(1) Refrain from giving legal advice or legal commentary.
countries can live and work together
(2) Do not post comments, photos, videos, etc. that
● We can exchange goods, money, and ideas faster and
suggest or encourage illegal activity.
cheaper than ever before
(3) Avoid violating laws and regulations, including
● Modern Communication and technology like the internet,
intellectual property (IP) rights and others regarding
cell phones, or satellite TV helps us in our daily lives.
content that you send or receive. IP is divided into
● In other words, globalization paves the way for countries
two categories:
in the world to be economically, culturally and
■ Industrial Property – patents, trademarks and
environmentally and even politically interconnected and
industrial designs
interdependent.
■ Copyright – includes works of art, literature,
● Advantages:
music and computer programs
○ faster economic growth, access to technology,
(4) Never transmit any material in any manner that is
cheaper imports and greater competition, efficient
disruptive, threatening, profane, abusive, harassing,
world economy via jobs for people in developing
embarrassing, tortuous, defamatory, obscene,
countries
libelous or is an invasion of another’s privacy.
● Disadvantages:
(5) Never transmit any material that is hateful or racially,
○ Transnational corporations (TNC’s) are the leading
ethnically or otherwise offensive.
cause of environmental problems, e.g. climate
(6) Avoid sending unsolicited or unauthorized
change (global warming), production of harmful
advertising, promotional materials or any other form
chemicals, depletion of natural resources, pollution
of solicitation.
(air, water).
(7) Never upload any software that could breach cyber
○ Rich countries are taking advantage of poor
security, such as malware, viruses, key loggers,
countries, e.g. logging forests, exploiting workers
trojans, etc.
via cheap labor, loss of local culture/language,
(8) If you affiliate your job with your personal social
interfere in political and economic activities
media profile, keep in mind that you are representing
● It is a common assumption that all users of social media
both yourself and your employer.
platforms are solely responsible for their content -
(9) Get acquainted with the unique privacy and security
including posts, comments, likes, shares, tweets,
policies of each social media networking site and
re-tweets, followings, and favorites.
third-party site you use.
● As a general rule, nothing on social media is private.
SYNTHESIS AND CONCLUSION ● Therefore, community sites with user-generated content
● With the rapid rise and spread of internet connectivity, the should be used responsibly
old forms of communication have given way to new forms ○
that make communication easier and faster.
● One of the effects of globalization is that it promotes and
increases interactions between different regions and
populations around the globe.
● With the Internet, telecommunications, broadband, cell
phone technology, handheld wireless mobile devices and
other communication technology, geographically
dispersed workers can now interact and collaborate as
though they all were located together in a downtown
high-rise.

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