Local and Global

communication in
Multicultural Settings
 Variables used in Distinguishing
Cultures
(1) individualism versus collectivism,
(2) high-context versus low-context
communication,
(3) high power distance versus low power
distance,
(4) masculine or feminine culture
1. Individualism vs. Collectivism
1. Individualistic cultures- cultures in
which individual goals are stressed.
Ex.: United States, Canada, France,
and Germany
2. Collectivistic cultures- cultures in
which group goals are stressed.
Ex.: Arab, African, Asian, and Latin
American countries
 2. High- context vs.
Low- context
1. High-context communication- a tradition-bound
communication system which depends on indirectness
(implicit).
- Ex.: Asia, Africa, Arab, Central Europe & Latin America
2. Low-context communication- a system that encourages
directness (explicit) in communication.
- Ex.: Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, USA
3. High Power Distance vs.
Low Power Distance
1. High power distance cultures- cultures based on
power differences in which subordinates defer to
superiors.
Ex.: Saudi Arabia, India, and Malaysia
2. Low power distance cultures - cultures that
believe that power should be used only when
legitimate.
Ex.: Israel, Sweden, and the United States
4. Masculine or
Feminine Culture
1. Masculine Culture- men are supposed to be assertive, tough, and
focused on material success; whereas women are supposed to be
modest, tender and concerned with the quality of life.
Ex.: as Japan, Italy, Germany, Mexico, Austria and Great Britain
2. Feminine cultures- Gender roles overlap: both men and women
are supposed to be modest, tender, and concerned with the quality
of life.
Ex.: Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Thailand, and Chile
WHICH VARIABLE IN CULTURES IS
DEPICTED?
- JOSE’S BOSS TOLD HIM THAT HIS
PROJECT IS NOT IMPRESSIVE.
A.Masculine culture HE
SHOULD REPEAT IT.
B.Low- context culture
C.High- power culture
D.Individualistic culture
WHICH VARIABLE IN CULTURES IS
DEPICTED?
- THE BOARD DECIDED TO ELECT A NEW
PRESIDENT- SHOULD BE ONE FROM
THOSE IN THE HIGHER POSITIONS AND
SHOULD BE A MALE TO BE FIRM
A.Masculine
ENOUGH culture
IN DECIDING.
B.Low- context culture
C.High- power culture
D.Individualistic culture
WHICH VARIABLE IN CULTURES IS
DEPICTED?
- THE MANAGER GATHERED ALL THE
EMPLOYEES TO SOLICIT IDEAS
REGARDING THE IMPROVEMENT OF
THEIR LAUNCHING PROGRAM.
A.Masculine culture
B.Low- context culture
C.High- power culture
D.Collectivist culture
The Concentric Circles of English
(Braj Kachru’s Model)
English is not usually
spoken

speak official non-

native varieties of
English

traditional bases of
English
 Spelling Difference
American English British English
-e- (anemia, diarrhea) -oe-/ -ae- (anaemia, diarrhoea)
-ed (burned, dreamed) -t (burnt, dreamt)
-ense (defense, offense) -ence (defence, offence)
-e- (canceled, jeweler) -ell- (cancelled, jeweler)
-ize- (familiarize, organize) -ise (familiarize, organize)
-ll- (enroll, fulfill) -l- (enrol, fulfil)
-og- (analog, monolog) -ogue (analogue, monologue)
-er- (meter, fiber) -re- (metre, fibre)
-o- (color, behavior) -ou (colour, behavior)
-i- (tire) -y- (tyre)
 Vocabulary Difference
American English British English
pants trousers
apartment flat
soccer football
college university
vacation holiday
sweater jumper
chips crisps
mailbox postbox
cookie biscuit
store shop
 Grammar Difference
American English
use of “will” or “should”
get= gotten (past participle)
“don’t need to”
dive – dove – dived
I’ll park on the verge, right?
(or “ok)
Fall was real cold this year.
British English
Use of “shall”
get= got (past participle)
“needn’t”
dive – dived – dived
I’ll park on the verge, shall I?
Autumn was really cold this
year.
 Pronunciation Difference
American English British English
is generally rhotic, that is, the “r” is not pronounced
letter “r” is pronounced in all Ex.: “butter” (/ˈbʌtə/)
positions of a word:
Ex.: “butter” (/ˈbʌdr̩ /)
“today” /ˈtuːdə /ˈtjuːtə/
 Other Varieties of English
• Australian English (AuE)
• Follows British spelling very closely
• Skips letters at the ends of words when pronouncing:
what? (wha?); meeting (meetin); going (goin)
• Changes letters at the ends of words: super (supah);
after (aftah); dinner (dinnah); order (ordah)
• Turns “oo” sounds into “ew” sounds: pool (pewl);
school (skewl); cool (kewl)
 Other Varieties of English
• Australian English (AuE)
• Follows British spelling very closely
• Skips letters at the ends of words when pronouncing: what?
(what?); meeting (meetin); going (goin)
• Changes letters at the ends of words: super (supah); after
(aftah); dinner (dinnah); order (ordah)
• makes a great deal of use of diminutives (e.g. arvo for
afternoon, footy for football)
 Other Varieties of English
• Philippine English
• Traditionally follows American English spelling and
grammar
• Tautologies (redundancy and pleonasm) are common
• Due to the influence of the Spanish languages, our English
also contains Spanish derived terms: false friends, salvage
• Some words are also borrowed from Philippine languages
like plant (ampalaya, balimbing) or cultural concepts
without English equivalents (kilig)
 Philippine English
• “commute” means “to travel by public transportation” instead of “to travel
between home and work”
• “course” means “degree program” instead of “individual subject of a learning
program”
• “duster” means “simple dress” instead of “cleaning tool”
• “gimmick” means “unplanned night out with friends” instead of “trick or ploy”
• “go up” used to mean “get on a vehicle” instead of “get on (the bus/jeep)”
• “motel” means “love hotel” instead of “motorist’s hotel”
• “sala” means “living room” instead of “large hall” or “reception hall”
• “scandal” means “amateur pornography” instead of “controversy”
 Philippine English (words, expressions)
• Carnapping (carjacking)
• Civilian clothes (casual clothes)
• Cutex (nail polish)
• Dine- in (eat- in)
• Disco (nightclub)
• Dirty ice cream (generic ice cream sold by street vendors)
• Eat-all-you-can (all- you-can-eat)
• Filipino time (habitual lateness of Filipinos)
• Green- minded (dirty- minded)
• Hand- carry (carry- on; hand luggage)
• High-blood (heavily angered)
 Philippine English
• Legitimate (having its own
grammatical, lexical, and syntactic
features)
• “English is ours. We have colonized
it too.” (Gemino Abad, 1997)
In general:
• English may not necessarily ensure smooth
and easy exchanges
• Word choice, pronunciation, and even
grammar rules vary in the Englishes that
multilinguals use around the world.
• The world does not speak in English alone;
neither does it speak in one variety of English.
Keep safe!
Assign.: Duty Group
- 5 Sexist & Non- sexist
Terms
- 5 Politically correct terms