PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION STUDENTS’ LEARNING GUIDE

MODULE 3
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
INTRODUCTION

‘Globalization’ and ‘global’ are terms we often encounter today. These terms are associated with
realities outside the territories of nation-states. All countries are engaged in globalization. Very few (if any)
societies are unaffected by this phenomenon. Because of this, we need to understand exactly what it is,
and more importantly, how it impacts communication.

WHAT IS GLOBALIZATION ANYWAY?

By Alex Gray (World Economic Forum, 2017)

How Globalization works?

1. In simple terms, globalization is the process by which people and goods move easily across
borders. Principally, it’s an economic concept- the integration of markets, trade and investments
with few barriers to slow the flow of products and services between nations. There is also a cultural
element, as ideas and traditions are traded and assimilated.
2. Globalization has brought many benefits to many people. But not to everyone.

STORM IN A COFFEE CUP

3. To help explain the economic side of globalization, let’s take a look at the well-known coffee chain
Starbucks.

4. The first Starbucks outlet opened its doors in 1971 in the city of the Seattle. Today it has 15,000
stores in 50 countries. These days you can find a Starbucks anywhere, whether Australia,
Cambodia, Chile or Dubai. It’s what you might call a truly globalized company.

5. And for many suppliers and jobseekers, not to mention coffee-drinkers, this was a good thing. The
company was purchasing 247 million kilograms of unroasted coffee from 29 countries. Through its
stores and purchases, it provided jobs and income for hundreds of thousands of people all over the
world.

6. But then disaster struck. In 2012, Starbucks made headlines after a Reuters investigation showed
that the chain hadn’t paid much tax to the UK government, despite having almost a thousand
coffee shops in the country and earning millions of pounds in profit there.

7. As a multilingual company, Starbucks was able to use complex accounting rules that enabled it to
have profit earned in one country taxed in another. Because the latter country had a lower tax rate,
Starbucks benefited. Ultimately, the British public missed out, as the government was raising less
tax to spend on improving their well-being.

HOW DID GLOBALIZATION HAPPEN?

 8. We might think of globalization as a relatively new phenomenon, but it’s been around for centuries.
9. One example is the Silk Road, when trade spread rapidly between China and Europe via an
overland route. Merchants carried goods for trade back and forth, trading silk as well as gems and
spices and, of course, coffee. ( In fact, the habit of drinking coffee in a social setting originates from
a Turkish custom, an example how globalization can spread culture across borders.)

WHAT DRIVES IT?

10. Globalization has speeded up enormously over the last half-century, thanks to great leaps in
technology.
11. The internet has revolutionized connectivity and communication, and helped people share their
ideas much more widely, just as the invention of the printing press did in the 15 th century. The
advent of email made communication faster than ever.
12. The invention of enormous container ships helped too. In fact, improvements in transport generally-
faster ships, trains and airplanes- have allowed us to move around the globe much more eaily.

WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT IT?

13. Globalization has led to many millions of people being lifted out of poverty.
14. For example, when a company like Starbucks buys coffee from farmers in Rwanda, it is providing a
livelihood and a benefit to the community as a whole. A multinational company’s presence
overseas contributes to those local economies because the company will invest in local resources,
products and services. Socially responsible corporations may even invest in medical and
educational facilities.
15. Globalization has not only allowed nations to trade with each other, but also to cooperate with each
other as never before. Take the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, for instance, where 195
centuries all agreed to work towards reducing their carbon emissions for the greater global good.

WHAT’S BAD ABOUT IT?

16. While some areas have flourished, others have floundered as jobs and commerce move
elsewhere. Steel companies in the UK, for example, once thrived, providing work of hundreds of
thousands of people. But when China began producing cheaper steel, steel plants the UK to closed
down and thousands of jobs were lost.
17. Every step forward in technology brings with it new dangers. Computers have vastly improved our
lives but cyber criminals steal millions of pounds a year. Global wealth has skyrocketed, but so has
global warming.
18. While many have been lifted out of poverty, not everybody has benefited. Many argue that
globalization operates mostly in the interest of the richest countries, with most the world’s collective
profits flowing back to them and into the pockets of those who already own the most.
19. Although globalization is helping to create more wealth in developing countries, it is not helping to
close the gap between the world’s poorest and richest nations. Leading charity Oxfam says that
when corporations such as Starbucks can legally avoid praying tax, the global inequality crisis
worsens.
20. Basically, done wisely (in the words of the International Monetary Fund) globalization could lead to
“ unparalleled peace and prosperity.” Done poorly, “to disaster.”
PAULINIAN ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

ENGAGING, TRUSTWORTHY TEAM BUILDERS & MENTORS, WHO:

1. Invite open, non-judgmental communication with others, listening closely to the intent and spirit of their
words and offering clear, constructive responses in return;
2. Clarify at the outset the substance and internet of all agreements and commitments made, making every
effort to fulfill them and supporting others to do the same;
3. Publicly explain the purpose and potential benefits of all group endeavors, enlisting explicit agreement and
support for them from participants before proceeding;
4. Initiate and develop jointly beneficial and sustainable projects with colleagues in which plans and
responsibilities are equitably shared, reliably carried out, and honestly evaluated by all

PAULINIAN AFFIRMATION

As a Christ-centered Paulinian, I am an Engaging, Trustworthy Team Builder and Mentor, fostering community
through active collaboration.

LESSON 1: Communication and Globalization

LEARNING OUTCOMES: During the learning session, you should be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge about globalization as an economic phenomenon; and

2. Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of globalization of communication.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Task 1: Comprehension Questions: Instruction: The input above provides information about globalization-
how it works, how it happens and what drives it, and what is good and bad about it. Check your
understanding of the input by answering the following questions:

1. What do the following words mean? Use context clues from the text to determine the meaning of
the words.
a. Enabled
b. Enormously
c. Flourished
d. Floundered
2. What does the experience of Starbucks tell the readers about globalization?
3. What are the driving forces behind globalization?
4. What are the benefits of globalization?
5. What are the negative effects of globalization?

THE IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION ON COMMUNICATION

 As more people cross borders because of globalization, more language contact happens, making
communication more challenging. Your teacher will ask you to view a video or listen to an audio-
recording titled The Effects of Globalization on Global Communication by Nikolay Danev.

Task 2: Comprehension Question. Instruction. Organize yourselves into group of five or six members and
check your understanding of the input by answering the following questions:

1. In what specific ways does globalization affect communication?

2. What are the things that people do now which could not be done before globalization?
3. Are the effects of globalization on communication positive or negative? Support your answers with
concrete examples.

Task 3: What is Globalization? Instruction. Read the following statements carefully. Decide if each
statement is true or false. Write T on the blank if the statement is true, and F it is false. If the statement is
false, re-writ or revise it to make it true. Use the space provided after each statement. (Point system: 5
items x 3 points each = 15 points)

_________ 1. Globalization began after the Internet was invented.

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____________________________________________________________________________________

__________ 2. All globalization processes are economic in nature.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

__________ 3. Because of globalization, modes and forms of communication have changed.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

__________ 4. One effect of globalization is deepening poverty.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

__________ 5. One effect of globalization is the rising cost of information technologies.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

Task 4. IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION ON COMMUNICATION. Instruction. In pairs, make a collage, a

poster, or a slogan about the impact of globalization on communication. Then, on the space provided
below, explain your work in one or two paragraphs.
PROCESSING:

1. In activity 1, you learn the concepts of globalization including its benefits and effects.
2. In activity 2, you examine your understanding on the concept Globalization, its benefits and effects.
3. In activity 3, you exhibit your skills in making poster or slogan about the impact of globalization to
communication.
FORMATION:

Globalization brings global changes in the world of trade, commerce, business and industry, and
education. Communication becomes easier because of technology and transaction even in distance can be
done instantly. But even global changes rapidly improve our communication, let us not forget to take good
care of ourselves and environment which greatly influenced by globalization. Let us be passionate to take
good care of ourselves by managing our time and taking self-control of using technology to the point that
we are not abusing it and not destroying anyone’s life and dignity. Another, we shall protect the
environment where natural resources are cultivated particularly in agricultural land where now transformed
into commercialized building and also let us preserve our own culture which gives us our true identity even
if we are adapting and fascinating other cultures.

SYNTHESIS:

1. Globalization is essentially an economic phenomenon because it is concerned with the movement

of people and products across national with.

2. Because globalization moves people across borders, its effects are felt not only in economic terms,
but in social and cultural aspects as well. Thus, globalization also impacts communication.

ASSESSMENT: DEEPENING ACTIVITY. Instruction. Because of globalization, news travels faster than
ever before. However, some news reports are false and misleading. Organize yourselves into groups and
look for an example of a false and misleading news report that that has been circulated on social media.
Then, find out how the public reacted or acted on it. Share your finding to the class.

SELF- ASSESSMENT. Instruction. Assess your understanding of the concepts presented in this lesson
by answering the following questions.

About globalization and its impact on communication Yes No Not sure

1. Is globalization mainly an economic phenomenon?
2. Do globalization processes take place in rich countries
alone?
3. Does globalization contribute to the deepening of
poverty?
4. Does globalization adversely affect communication?
5. Is there a country in the world today that is not affected
by globalization?

ASSIGNMENT:
 1. Your teacher will show you a video of two speakers in a conversation. The two speakers are
experiencing miscommunication. While viewing the video, note the following:
 The source of the miscommunication (the word or phrase that was not correctly
understood).
 The resolution of the miscommunication (the strategy or strategies the speakers used to
try to resolve the misunderstanding)

Questions:

1. What did one speaker say that was not understood by the person he/she was speaking with?
2. What was the other speaker understands of what was said?
3. What do you think were the causes of the miscommunication?
4. How was the miscommunication resolved?
5. What should have been done by each speaker to prevent the miscommunication?

REFLECTION GUIDE

 What I have LEARNED this week that has helped me do all aspect of this better?
 What I have DONE this week that has made me better at doing all aspects of this?
 How can I IMPROVE at doing all aspects of this is:

EXPANDED OPPORTUNITIES

Instructions: Read articles, watch documentary videos and investigate the world impact of globalization. List
down the country, positive and negative effects of globalization in the world of business, commerce and
industry, education, environment, and technology in the table below

WORLD IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION

Country Positive Effects Negative Effects Resources

REFERENCES

Floyd, K. (2012). “Interpersonal Communication.” New York, The McGraw-Hill Companies

Madrunio, M. & Martin,I. (2018). Purposive Communication Using English in Multilingual Contexts.”
Quezon City: C & E Publishing, Inc.

Padilla, M., Dagdag, L., & Roxas, F. (2018). “ Communicate and Connect! Purposive Communication.”
Malabon City, Philippines: Mutya Publishing House Inc.

3G Elearning FZ LLC (2014). “Basic Communication Skills.” UAE, 3G Elearning FZ LLC

Prepared by:

MR. ALVIN J. SUMAMPONG, MAENG