nguages,

Different la

Different Worlds

Appearance and Reality

These various manners and mannerisms cause us great amusement. And yet we
are aware that these idiosyncrasies are largely superficial. (Lewis, 2006)

EP TS
PT AN
S A NO
D N
ND TI
OT ON
IO NS
S
CO
C NC
ON CE

The wildly differing notions of time, space, life after death, nature and reality held by
isolated societies will have little impact on international business (although they may
contribute usefully to our morals or philosophy).

Closer to Home: In our world, there are

Common Sense: Common sense, although
others who are more like us. Yet for some
basic and unsophisticated, cannot be
reason, in Belgium half of society dislikes the
neutral. It is derived from experience, but
other.
experience is culture-bound.
Truth: The German notion is that there is an
Gossip: Gossip has negative connotations in
absolute truth, absolute honest truth. Not so,
the Nordic countries and hardly a good
the Chinese would argue—there is no
name in the Anglo-Saxon world. Yet it is a
absolute truth. These two conflicting views
vital source of information in business circles
may both be correct.
in many countries.
Contracts and Ethics: The word contract
Silence: It can be interpreted in different
has many interpretations. To a Swiss, a
ways. A silent reaction to a business
contract is a formal document that has been
proposal would seem negative to American
signed and should be adhered to. But a
or German people. However, East Asians
Japanese businessperson regards a contract
and Finns find nothing wrong with silence as
as a starting document to be rewritten and
a response. (Lewis, 2006)
modified as circumstances require.

MENTAL
POWERFUL

BLOCKS THOUGHT =

pologist
Many linguists adhere to anthro
INTERNALI
ZED LANG
UAGE
states
Benjamin Whorf’s hypothesis, which There is a good deal of sci
entific support for
largely
that the language we speak the hypothesis that highe
r levels of thinking
distinct
determines our way of thinking, as depend on language.
Thought can be
words,
from merely expressing it. In other regarded as internalized
language.
a certain
Germans and Japanese behave in
think is
manner because the way they Most of us conduct an int
erior monologue,
y think.
governed by the language in which the often accompanied by vis
ual imager and the
more educated and literat
e the individual, the
more complex and
sophisticated this
LANGUAGE
monologue becomes.
KET
STRAITJAC
When businesspeople
ltural from different
No matter how international or multicu countries and cultures
speak, we merely
y to feel
someone wishes to be, there is no wa glimpse the tip of a huge
iceberg of verbal
does.
about something the way other person activity that never break
s the surface of
g with
It is not just a matter of familiarizin audibility.
e the
cultural habits or preferences becaus
y as the
only way to experience reality as full What is said may be gramm
atically accurate
ge and
other does is by learning their langua or erroneous in the extre
me, but it will be
ity) from
escaping (in terms of descriptive abil colored by the person’s vie
w of reality, which
the straitjacket. is itself influenced by the rig
idity of their own
language structure.

HUMOR

ACROSS F
RONTIER S
HUMOR

Even when the victim of

a IN BUSINE
SS
humorous attack hardly sees the
funny side or cannot appreciate it, Humor can be different for:
Italia and
there are "international" jokes Spanish-speaking countries,
that are known by everyone like Portugal = ice to break.
Canada and New Zealand = relax
who jumps off the plane 1st or
Australia = provocative
restaurant jokes. and faked
United States = sarcasm, jokes,
indignation
iness
Britain = the most intertwined to bus
or during
Germany = they don't like hum
y do enjoy it.
negotiations but after meetings, the
aware of a
MAKING Japan = they will laugh if they are
joke but is only for politeness

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ALLOWA
NCES

Different languages provide

different experiences, and there'
s
not much we can do about
it,
except learn more languages an
d
be aware of cultural differences
,
being sensitive to those
differences.

REFERENCES:
Lewis, R. D. (2006). When Cultures Collide: LEADING ACROSS CULTURES. Finland, Finland,
Finland: WS Bookwell. Retrieved on September, 2021