TOPIC 2: CULTURAL DIFFERENCES:

INCLUDING REGISTERS AND

LANGUAGE VARIETIES
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES:
INCLUDING REGISTERS
AND LANGUAGE
VARIETIES
 SOME CULTURAL DIFFERENCES (SUMMARY
OF TERMS)
-CONTEXTUAL DIFFERENCES
-NONVERBAL DIFFERENCES
(Communication Style)
-AGE DIFFERENCES
-SOCIAL DIFFERENCES
-LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES
1. Concept of time
1. Level of Formality or Register
2. Time Orientation
2. Features of Language, e.g.
3. Manners
spelling & vocabulary
4. Roles and Status
5. Attitudes towards work and
success
6. Openness and Inclusiveness
 STOP AND THINK
1. The fast food giant McDonald’s spent thousands on a new TV
ad to target the Chinese consumers. The ad showed a Chinese
man kneeling before a McDonald’s vendor begging him to
accept his expired discount coupon. The ads was eventually
pulled out. Why do you think it was pulled out?
2. A golf-ball manufacturing company packaged golf balls in
packs of four for convenient purchase in Japan. Unfortunately,
they did not sell. The company had to repackage the product.
Why do you think the balls in the original packaging did not
sell?
 CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Cultural Diversity is the existence of a variety of
cultural groups within a society. The diversity
ranges from ethnicity, race, religion, language,
values, traditions, beliefs, behaviors , rules of
conduct, etc.
People can have better interpersonal dialogue and
communicate more on a personal level when they
know about the different cultural backgrounds of
others (Shah, 2017).  
CONTEXTUAL DIFFERENCES
This relates to communication styles usually evident in
the way business people approach decision-making,
problem-solving, negotiations, interactions within an
organization, and socializing outside the workplace.
E.g. People in low-context cultures tend to be more direct
in communicating, focused on results, and dependent on
facts in making decisions. Meanwhile, those from high-
context are more indirect, may give more emphasis on
building and protecting relationships, and will likely use
feelings in making decisions.
SOCIAL DIFFERENCES
1. Concept of Time
-E.g. Americans are time conscious; Indians and Filipinos
have this norm of arriving late.

2. Time Orientation (preference towards past, present, or

future)
-E.g. Future-oriented cultures, such as the US  are more
invested in long-term goals, compared to present-oriented
cultures like India and China.
SOCIAL DIFFERENCES
3. Manners
-E.g. Winking and whistling in public are normal in
the Philippines but inappropriate in India. 
4. Roles and Status
-E.g. People in China are addressed according to their
official titles, e.g. Manager, but in the US respect towards
top managers is shown by addressing them as Mr./Ms.
Roberts.
SOCIAL DIFFERENCES
5. Attitudes towards Work
-E.g. East Asian workers are happier and more successful when
they have a good relationship with colleagues and supervisors,
while North Americans thrive when they enjoy gratifying job
assignments and organizational policies.
6. Openness and Inclusiveness
-E.g. Filipinos, known for their hospitality,  welcome
foreigners while some Hong Kongers tend to show biases and
racial discrimination against other cultures. 
NONVERBAL DIFFERENCES
•Placing hands in pocket is disrespectful
in Turkey while bowing shows rank in Japan.
•Distant cultures such as Northern Europe, the US, and
other western cultures tend to keep more personal
space.
•Warm cultures such as the Middle East and South
American welcome and accept close proximity.
AGE DIFFERENCES
Some countries like the United States support their
youth which signifies vibrancy, strength, energy,
potential, and innovative ideas.
On the other hand, other cultures such
as Singapore value age and seniority which earns more
respect and freedom.
LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES
Different varieties of English are used in various parts of the world.
American English (AmE) is spoken by about two-thirds of Americans who
live in the United States. British English (BrE) is spoken mainly in the
United Kingdom.
Australian English (AuE) is used in Australia.
Also, Philippine English (PE) is a variety of English “nativized
legitimately” in the Philippines. It is used by Filipinos in different fields,
such as science and technology, judiciary and legislature, bureaucracy, and
scholarly discourse (Dayag, 2012).
Each variety has a distinct vocabulary, grammar, and registers.
 LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES: VARIETIES (FOR
FYI PURPOSES)

Kachru’s 3 Concentric Circles:

The Expansion of English

Braj Kachru (1932-2016) coined

the term ‘World Englishes’ to refer
to varieties of 'global' English.
 VARIETIES OF ENGLISH – WORLD
ENGLISHES (FYI PURPOSES)
•The global spread of English has led to the development of many different
varieties of English, such as ‘Canadian English’, ‘Indian English (Hindi
English/Hinglish)’, and Singapore English (Singlish), which have developed to
meet the linguistic needs of those populations.

These varieties of English (called World Englishes) are slightly different from
each other in word choice, grammar, semantics etc. yet they can all be understood
by English speakers.

There may be hundreds of World Englishes; however, as there is no set definition

for what constitutes an official variety of a language it is not possible to state how
many.
1. LEVEL OF FORMALITY OR REGISTERS
- Registers refer to the level and style of speaking and writing appropriate for
different situations. Registers are determined by social occasion,
relationships, context, context, purpose, and audience.
-There are 5 established registers based on the English language.
a. Frozen/Static – Language does not change, e.g. National Anthem
b. Formal – Language follows accepted & prescribed format, e.g. business
meetings, academic papers, lectures
c. Consultative – Language is less formal and the context involves one with
specialized knowledge or an expert who is consulted or can give advice.
d. Casual – Language is conversational – may be informal with
slang and contractions, e.g. chit-chat & text messages between
friends
e. Intimate -  Language is for private communication used
between lovers or very close family and friends, e.g. inside pet
names, inside jokes, terms of endearment.
-* Not all languages in different cultures may have these 5
registers. For instance, the Korean language seems to have 4
speech levels: Formal and Polite, Formal and Casual, Informal
and Polite, Informal and Casual [*Honorific speech and speech levels in Korean. (2018) Retrieved
from https://www.sayjack.com/korean/learn-korean/honorific-speech-and-speech-levels-in-korean/]
2. LANGUAGE VARIETY: FEATURES OF LANGUAGE
Language varieties include vocabulary, pronunciation, spelling, and even
grammatical structures. 
The following are some differences in terms of vocabulary and spelling.
Spelling
-E.g. centre, mould (British English) – center, mold (American English)
Vocabulary
-E.g. estafa (Phil. English meaning criminal deception intended to result in
financial or personal gain) – swindle or fraud (American English)
-E.g. booze (Australian English) – alcohol (British English)
-E.g. line (American English) – queue (British English)
 SOME ENGLISH WORDS used DIFFERENTLY IN THE PHILIPPINES (FYI only)
Word Intended Meaning Meaning in the Philippine Context
SALVAGE rescue murder
OVERPASS a bridge by which a road or railroad passes A structure referring to a bridge made from
over another. cement or steel that people can use to get to
the other side of the street
VULCANIZING tire repair shop -
SHOP
DOUBLE DECK bunk bed -
BEDSPACE; bed space (a space in the bed) Not limited to the space in the bed; one who
BEDSPACER rents
EAT-ALL-YOU- all-you-can-eat buffet or restaurant
CAN
COMFORT ROOM restroom; toilet
CHANCING sexual advances
LIVE-IN living in one’s place of employment
BOODLE FIGHT communal eating (?) military style of eating where long tables
are prepared and food are on top of the
banana leaves
References
1. Purposive Communication book
2. Rosado, C. (2010). What makes a school multicultural? from Retrieved from
https://www.purdueglobal.edu/blog/human-services/what-is-cultural-diversity/
3. Kachru's three concentric circles: the expansion of English. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.studysmarter.us/explanations/english/international-english/kachrus-3-concentric-circles/