Intercultural

communication
Chapter 7
Verbal communication
Instructor: Bui Thu
 00 Last lesson’s revision

01 VERBAL COMMUNICATION

1.1 Semantics
Verbal
Communication 1.2 Pragmatics

Outline 1.3 Ways to explain differences

1.4 Communication
accommodation theory
Last lesson’s revision
Last lesson’s revision
Intolerance (Cultural bias)
https://play.kahoot.it/v2/lobby?quizId=e813571c-
4635-48a6-8ef3-77b5e5cc7ffb
 Possible solutions to intolerance

Embrace differences: individual, group, ethnic, cultural, political, geographical

Be aware of the words we use, the jokes we tell, the things we say.

Join social movement to create change

 Watch the video: Homework
How are the four concepts (stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, racism) illustrated in the
video?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzkFoetp-_M&ab_channel=TED
VERBAL
COMMUNICATION
 What is verbal communication?

• Verbal communication is any exchange of words,

either written or spoken, used to transmit
information.
 What is verbal communication?

Two main areas of

verbal
communication

Semantics
Pragmatics
(meanings of words)
(what we do with words)
 Semantics Semantics
(what words mean)
E.g. Fungus:
Denotation: a
certain kind of Denotation: Connotation:
natural growth dictionary type of feelings that
definition of a word individuals associate
Connotation: with a word (positive
or negative)
disease and
ugliness.
 Semantics
Sapir-Whorf hypothesis: What you say is what you get
• The language of a culture dictates how people within that culture can think.
• Language creates social reality through language structure
 Different languages make different verb tenses, word order or lexical
resources.
 E.g. Languages can have wider or narrower sets of names for colour spectrum.
 Thomas Steinfatt: While language may not create a “reality” for people, it
does lead people in a culture to tend to think about certain things rather
than others.
 Pragmatics
Pragmatics
Speech acts theory in
(what we do with words)
intercultural communication:
• Differences in language for
Speech acts theory:
conducting speech acts: There are different
E.g. In some cultures, people types of actions we E.g. “You look great.”
can do with words
make requests using indirect To compliment
- make statements
language >< in others, people use To mock
- express feelings
direct language. To flatter
- commanding others
E.g. Interpretations of “How’s it
- promising
going?” or “We’’ll think about it.”
 Pragmatics
SPEECH ACTS ACROSS CULTURES (EXAMPLES)
• Directives: range from subtle hints to overt commands
 E.g. People in Columbia might use a go-between or intermediary to persuade
someone
 U.S Americans felt direct requests were the clearest to get someone to do
something.

• Criticism: varies
 Some cultures prefer to soften criticism (e.g. Japanese) or engage in self-
silencing to avoid confrontation (e.g. Malaysian)
 Polish speakers are more direct: “You are wrong!”.
 Pragmatics
SPEECH ACTS ACROSS CULTURES (EXAMPLES)
• Apologies: In an embarrassing situation
 Americans may use humour to lighten the embarrassing situation
 Japanese use remediation: do st to ‘compensate’ for the injured party
• Compliments:
 Genuine compliments build solidarity between speakers
 One should give many compliments
 Sometimes, when responding to compliments, people play down their
own accomplishments: “I owe this achievement to your efforts.”
 Pragmatics
SPEECH ACTS ACROSS CULTURES: SEEKING TO EXPLAIN DIFFERENCES

• Relational orientations: Power and solidarity

 Power: level of control over another’s thoughts, feelings or behavior (differences in communicating
with friends, bosses or King/Queen).
 Solidarity: the degree of familiarity or intimacy we have with another person. (being more formal with
strangers).

• Face theory
 Face: the image we seek to have of ourselves in interaction.
 Positive face is the need to be accepted, even liked by others, to be treated as a member of the group
 Negative face is the need to be independent to have a freedom of action and not to be imposed by
others.
 Communication strategies: maintain face-saving or avoid face-loss
 Pragmatics

COMMUNICATING ACROSS CULTURES

Communication accommodation theory
• How people adjust their communication in certain situations
• E.g. Sometimes, people might change their behaviours to be more like that of the
person with whom they are speaking -> convergence
• Sometimes, they make no changes to their behaviours -> maintenance
• Highlight their own style to mark it as different from that of the other group ->
divergence
• Factors influencing shifts in speech:
 Status and power of the other communicator
 The situation (who is present)
 Communication goals
 Pragmatics

COMMUNICATING ACROSS CULTURES

Communication accommodation theory
• Possible issue: Overaccommodation
 Converge too much or in ineffective ways
 E.g. speak louder and more slowly to a foreigner
 E.g. Younger people adjust their communication when talking to the elderly with -
higher pitch & simpler vocabulary
=> some people find this comforting >< others feel it speaks down to them and treats
them as no longer competent
 Strategies: Accommodating is good but don’t overaccommodate.
 THANK YOU See you next week
Don’t forget your homework (Read chapter 8)