ORAL

COMMUNICATION IN
CONTEXT
LESSON 10
LET’S REVIEW!
1. What is intercultural
communication?
2. What are the stages of The
Developmental Model of
Intercultural Sensitivity?
 Sensitivity to
the sociocultural
dimension of
communication
A. Culture
It refers to ethics, language, morality
belief systems, customs/ traditions and
other socially raised ideas. As culture
impacts behavior and one’s reaction to a
given condition, it becomes a primary
component of communication and even in a
business setting. Therefore, a behavior and
feelings are dictated by the culture we live
in.
 According to Murphy, Hildebrant, and
Thomas (1997), culture refers to the behavioral
characteristics typical of group. This definition
implies that communications, oral and non-verbal,
within a group are typical of that group are unique.
Communication and culture commonly
affect each other. The culture in which
individuals meet people and influences the
way they connect, and the moment that
individuals communicate can change the culture.
The culture exhibits significant role in
determining the style of communication.
Examples:
1. Americans value time and aim to be
punctual. They have a greater
respect for time.

2. In high context Chinese culture

formality is very important and
hierarchy is a big part of the culture.
B. Gender
These are the expectations and
orientations learned through cultural and
ethnic practices that can be affected since
men and women express themselves and
interpret others in different ways or manner.
One of the major variances among male
and female communication style is in
the quantity of feelings and emotions
that are used in their day-to-day
 According to Disch 2009, the idea that
men and women are different in their ability
to communicate has been one of the most
popular beliefs about gender differences that
exists to this day. Whether it is with words,
tone of voice, emotional expression, or body
language, the way in which males and
females communicate have been explored in
a variety of ways to distinguish the
characteristics that makes us so different.
 According to Von Hippel,
Wiryakusuma, Bowden & Shochet 2011, it
may seem obvious that males and females
tend to use different communication styles. It
is commonly generalized that females
communicate in a more indirect, elaborate,
and emotional, sense that can reflect
uncertainty, tentativeness, and a lack of
authority. While males are perceived to have a
communication style that is direct, succinct,
and instrumental.
 Although it may seem that the female
communication style might be the weaker
form, it can also be said that females are
more able to establish a rapport that
encourages response because of their ability
to empathize and connect. While males’
conversational style usually centers around
their own independence, female
communication style reflects their need for
connectedness
Examples:

1. Females are more talkative than

males.

2. Men are goal-oriented while

women are relationship-
oriented.
C. Age
The span or length of time a person has
existed. Due to differences in generations (and thus
culture, media, political standpoints, and traditional
shifts) it affects the communication process.

The communication glitches when it comes

to age correlates with the little and poor
communication processes, they are sharing with.
This not only relies with the face-to-face
communication but also in mass communication
with the elderly groups.
 With that, there are several
explanations why communication become
less successful and effective with older
groups, but most of them are due to their
reduced hearing capacity or inability to
express their thoughts clearly. Since
communication involves a clear exchange of
information involving two parties or groups,
a gap exists when one of either party fail to
function.
Examples:

1. The Millennials are different

from Generation Z.
 D. Social Status
Refers to the qualified rank or standing
that an individual has in the eyes of
others. It is formed by one’s background,
education, reputation, perceived power and
position in an organization’s pyramid or
hierarchy.

Examples:
1. Rich vs Poor
2. Boss vs Common Worker
 Social status is an indicator of
standing and credibility and this effects how
seriously others communicates. The key
elements that are involved in an audience’s
evaluation include title, reputation, and the
extent to which people can identify with the
communicator’s motives and objectives.
Status variances can make a bias against
those with perceived lower status.
 2 Kinds of Social Status

•Ascribed Status is determined at birth and

includes characteristics such as sex, race,
ethnic group and family background.
Hence, status that you don’t choose
rather assigned at birth.

Example:
1. Born American, Asian, etc.
 2 Kinds of Social Status

•Achieved status is what individual acquires

as a result of the exercise of knowledge,
ability, talent, skill and/ or perseverance

Examples:
1. Became a manager in a prestigious hotel.
2. Graduate with a high honor.
D. Religion
The belief and worship of a
superhuman controlling power especially
a personal God or gods. It is a particular
system of faith and worship. One of the
communication barriers in religion aspects
is the individuals’ lack of knowledge or
information about other religion and belief
standards/views.
Examples:

1. Hindu, believes in many gods.

2. Christianity is the faith tradition

that focuses on the figure of
Jesus Christ.
D. Religion
The belief and worship of a
superhuman controlling power especially
a personal God or gods. It is a particular
system of faith and worship. One of the
communication barriers in religion aspects
is the individuals’ lack of knowledge or
information about other religion and belief
standards/views.