PURCOMM Material 6

Please read pages 35-39.

Challenges of Intercultural Communication

Even if people can

speak English, their
communication
behaviour are
influenced by their
local culture.
• Misunderstanding in intercultural
communication may not always be caused by
verbal utterances.

• Misunderstandings may also occur due to

wrong interpretation of the non-verbal code.
The Handshake
Country or Region Type of Handshake
United States Firm handshake
France Soft handshake
Germany Firm handshake, for men,
traditionally accompanied by a slight
bow
Japan Handshake with arm firmly extended,
accompanied by a bow
Middle East Handshake and free hand placed on
the forearm of the other person
Nonverbal Behaviours across Cultures
• South Korea
- Be sure to remove your
shoes when entering a
temple or a person’s
home
- Loud laughter is rude.
When laughing in public,
cover your mouth.
Nonverbal Behaviours across Cultures
• Japan
- The American “okay” sign
means “money” in Japan.
- When given a business card,
receive it with care – use
two hands and study the
card carefully, treating it
with the same respect you
would give its owner
Greeting Rituals Across Asian Countries
• Saudi Arabia
- When reaching for something,
or offering something, be sure
to do so with your right hand.
Using the left hand is a taboo.
- When greeting someone, say
“salaam alaykum” (God be
with you) followed by a
handshake.
Greeting Rituals Across Asian Countries
• Germany
-It is impolite to put your
hands in your pockets.
-Gum chewing in public is
rude.
- Punctuality is important
Greeting Rituals Across Asian Countries
Russia
• The common greeting
among strangers usually
involves a firmly held
handshake with direct eye
contact. 
• Take off your gloves to
shake someone else’s hand.
Sources of Misunderstanding
Kaur (2016) cities the following as the sources of misunderstanding:
1. Ambiguity- lack of explicitness on the part
of the speaker in the form of problematic
reference and ambiguous semantics in which
an utterance is open to different
interpretations.
Sources of Misunderstanding
Sources of Misunderstanding
Kaur (2016) cities the following as the sources of misunderstanding:
2. Performance-related misunderstanding-
slips of the tongue and mishearing which
may be due to utterances spoken quickly and
unclearly.
Sources of Misunderstanding
• Play Video (A)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKvG2n-gNgo
Sources of Misunderstanding
Kaur (2016) cities the following as the sources of misunderstanding:

3. Language-related misunderstandings-
ungrammaticality of sentences.
Sources of Misunderstanding
Example:
(A phone conversation)
Person A: Let’s not meet. I go to city. Bye.
Person B: Wait… When? When are you going to
the city? Tomorrow? Today?
Sources of Misunderstanding
Kaur (2016) cities the following as the sources of misunderstanding:

4. Gaps in world knowledge- gaps in

content rather than language.
 Sources of Misunderstanding
Mr. P, a Canadian tourist, meets a
young woman living in a small town in
a tropical country.
Mr. P: What are your hobbies?
Girl: I like cooking local desserts. I also
love collecting shells along the beach.
How about you?
 Sources of Misunderstanding
Mr. P: Me? Well, since we’ve got lots of
snow in my country, I enjoy skiing and
snowboarding. I love to do switch
riding and hit bigger jumps. I actually
purchased a stiffer board.
Girl: Oh, that’s nice.
(But in reality, she got bored listening
to him because of her unfamiliarity
with skiing and snowboarding.)
 Sources of Misunderstanding
5. Local Context – turns and turns within
sequences produced by the participants
themselves, and the orientation of the
participants as well as the repair moves that
follow the displayed understanding.
 Sources of Misunderstanding
A conversation on Messenger:
Kuya Gwapo: Day, nanihapon na mo dira?
Inday: Lami kaayo ang fruit salad.
Kuya Gwapo: Katung gikaon ninyo atung New Year?
Inday: Oo. Nanihapon nami.
Kuya Gwapo: Ha? I mean nanihapon namo? Or lami tung gikaon ninyo
atung Christmas?
Inday: Ha? Aw. Hahaha. Mana mig panihapon. Ang gikaon namo karon
kay ang sobra nga fruit salad nga gibuhat namo atung New Year. Lami
gihapon.
Guidelines on Developing Intercultural
Competence
1. Widen your field of
experience by making new
contacts
Getting to know people coming from
your targeted group whose culture
differs from yours makes you
understand the group and their
culture better
Guidelines on Developing Intercultural
Competence
2. Learn about history and the
experiences and aspirations of people
from different cultures
Taking a course or reading books about
people of diverse cultures makes you
experience their cultures vicariously,
allowing you to understand the group
and their culture better
Guidelines on Developing Intercultural
Competence
3. Examine yourself for possible
stereotypes.
Stereotypes results from ignorance
about the targeted group. Being
fair-minded makes you realize the
possibility that some of your
judgments are unfair and wrong.
Guidelines on Developing Intercultural
Competence
Examples of Stereotyping:
*Saying that all women are bad
drivers
*Saying that older people don't
know how to use technology
*Filipinos are always late
Guidelines on Developing Intercultural
Competence
4. Look at the world from
someone else’s way of
looking at, not just yours
Be emphatic; try to
understand others’
perspective.
Guidelines on Developing Intercultural
Competence
5. Appreciate cultural
similarities and
differences.
Use cultural resources to
do this. It allows you to
understand the members
of different cultural groups
Guidelines on Developing Intercultural
Competence
• Both Filipino and Japanese
cultures emphasize that you must
show utmost respect for all of
your family members, regardless
if they’re younger than you
• Koreans and Filipinos are known
to be very polite and courteous
especially to those older than
them.
Guidelines on Developing Intercultural
Competence
6. Acknowledge the essential equality and
value of all cultures.
Never feel superior to people belonging to
any other cultural group, even a minority
one.
Guidelines on Developing Intercultural
Competence
7. Be sensitive and interpret
cultural styles of communication.
Develop the ability to understand
the communication symbols of
the target culture- its verbal
language, signs, gestures, body
language, and customs.
 Practical Tips for Multicultural
Communication
1. Avoid shouting to be understood
2. Ask him/her to repeat once,
maybe twice, or to say his ideas in a
different manner
3. Remain cool and composed even
when you have made a mistake that
results in embarrassment for you
 Practical Tips for Multicultural
Communication
4. Keep a dictionary or google to
make sure the words you use
mean what you think they mean
5. Do not attempt to use slang and
idiomatic expressions unless
you are quite sure about what
they mean, and how they are
used.