ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT

(WEEK 3- Day 5)

Name of Learner: __________________________________

Grade Level: ______________________________________
Section: __________________________________________
Date: ____________________________________________

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

(Intercultural Communication)

Brief Discussion of the Lesson

On the previous lesson, we already tackled about the definition and nature of intercultural
communication. But to be an intercultural communicator, you need the following characteristics:
Characteristics of Competent Intercultural Communicators
World Bank (2010) identifies the following traits that define a competent intercultural communicator.
1. flexibility and the ability to tolerate high levels of uncertainty
2. reflectiveness or mindfulness
3. open-mindedness
4. sensitivity
5. adaptability
6. ability to engage in divergent thinking (or thinking creatively) and systems-level thinking (or thinking how
each one in a system or organization influences each other)
7. politeness

Note that in addition to culture, other elements such as gender, age, social status, and religion must also be
taken into consideration when communicating with others. Refrain from showing bias when talking to
someone by following the tips below.
1. Avoid stereotypes, i.e., generalizations about a certain group.
2. Challenge gender norms; avoid using “he” and “man” to refer to a general group of people. To remedy
this, you may use plural pronouns or rewrite a sentence to avoid using pronouns. The use of his/her is also
acceptable.
3. Do not talk down on younger people and the elderly.
4. Be sensitive to the religious practices of others.
5. Be polite at all times; do not belittle people you perceive to be on a lower social class than you.
Learning Competency
 Demonstrates sensitivity to the socio-cultural dimension of communication situation with focus on
a. Culture
b. Gender
c. Age
d. Social status
e. Religion
 Develop appreciation for different cultural perspectives
 Apply learning and thinking skills in understanding intercultural communication.

ACTIVITY

Direction: Read each statement. If it displays bias or insensitivity, write the group/element being
misrepresented (gender, social status, age, religion, culture). If not, write “OK.” Once done, compare and
discuss your answers with a partner.
_________1. “Each employee must wear his ID at all times.”
_________2. “You won’t understand if I explain; you’re too young.”
_________3. “Japanese people are so rigid and stoic!”
_________4. “Don’t buy those shades; only low-class people wear those.”
_________5. “Lolo, this is an iPhone. ‘I-Phone.’ It is a very complicated device, but I’ll explain it to you
simply. It is used to talk to people from other places.”
_________6. “All staff members have to submit their leave requests before the day ends.”
_________7. “My belief is the absolute truth. Other religions simply got it wrong.”
_________8. “Manang, let’s go, I’ll treat you. I bet you haven’t eaten sushi in your entire life.”
_________9. “Catholics and Protestants do have big differences, but we must respect each other’s
beliefs.”
_________10. “You’re the youngest person in the family, but I trust that you can handle the situation
well.”
 ACTIVITY

A: Look at the following photo which compares an advertisement in Sweden and in Saudi
Arabia.

Note your comparison of the advertisements on the space provided below.

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

B. Now, discuss your answers to the following questions.

o Why do you think was the advertisement edited?
o Is the edit justified? Why or why not?
o If you were members of the advertising team of the company, would you edit the
advertisement as well?
Why or why not?
Reflection:

What you have learned after taking up this lesson?

Key to Corrections:
1. Gender 6. OK
2. Age 7. Religion
3. Culture 8. Social Status
4. Social Status 9. OK
5. Age 10. OK

References:
Oral Communication in Context LM pp. 15-27
Oral Communication in Context TG
Oral Communication in Context Curriculum Guide
 Prepared by:
REA B. REYES