名词解释：
1. Intercultural Communication
It can be simply defined as communication between people of different cultures. 2.Culture
Culture is the total accumulation of beliefs, customs, values, behaviors, institutions and communication patterns that are shared, learned and passed down through the generations in an identifiable group of people. 3.Communication
Act and process of sending and receiving messages among people. 4.Verbal Communication
Verbal communication refers to the use of sounds and language to relay a message.
5.Nonverbal communication
The messages sent without using words are called nonverbal communication.
Unit 1
Case 1
A man was trying to explain to a blind friend what colors are. He began with the color white.
“Well,” he said, “it is like snow on the hills.”
“Oh,” the blind man said, “then it must be a wet and dampish sort of
color, isn’t it?”
“No, no,” the man said, “it is also the same color as cotton or wool.” “Oh, yes, I understand. It must be fluffy color.” “No, it is also like paper.”
“Then it must be a crackling or fragile color,” said the blind man.” “No, not at all. It is also like china.”
Q:Why is it difficult to explain to a blind person what colors are? A normal man with visual sense.
A blind man without vision, mainly by tactile sensation. They do not share the same experiences. 80s-90s
It is those different experiences that make up what is called “culture”. The differences may cause misunderstandings. Case 2 Offering help
A Chinese young teacher was assigned to go to airport to meet a visiting American professor. When she arrived at the airport, she found that the professor had heavy suitcases and some smaller bags. He was an old man, about 70 years old. And they could not find a luggage trolley, so she wanted to help him with his luggage.
Several times, she offered to take a heavy suitcase, but he refused by saying he can handle them by himself. However, he had difficulties to
move both two heavy suitcases. At one point, when they stopped suddenly, one suitcase is down. When she picked it up, he says “I can handle this myself!” But being polite, she moved this suitcase to the van. When they come to the van, he seems to be annoyed with her. He hardly spoke with her the whole way to the school. 1. Why
do
you
think
the
professor
became
annoyed?
2. Was it wrong for the Chinese young teacher to try to help the old professor with his luggage?
3. What differences does the story reflect between American cultures and Chinese culture?
The young Chinese teacher of English encounters no fewer than three problems:(1)Cultural Problem (2)Personality Problem (3)A Simple Misunderstanding Case 3
Touching a stranger
A Kazakhstan girl, in China studying Chinese, was shocked when a Chinese grandma touched her knee kindly on a bus.
Once in a very cold winter day, she took a bus to school, wearing a mini-skirt. When she got on the bus, she sat in front of a Chinese grandma. The grandma took a look at her for about 5 minutes, and then the grandma put her hands on her knees and asked “Aren’t you cold? It is winter. You have to wear jeans.”
She was a little scared because she barely know a person will touch her and give her an advice about what should her wear. It is quite uncommon in her country.
Purpose of Intercultural Communication
(1).Have a better understanding of foreign cultures and domestic cultures (2).Increase the culture awareness and sensitivity
(3).Develop effective strategies in dealing with potential cultural conflicts (4).Improve your intercultural communicative competence Case 4 P23
1. Why were Richard’s sincere compliments misunderstood by the Egyptian family?
In Egyptian culture, the human relationship is valued so highly that it is not expressed in an objective and impersonal way.
While Americans are more likely to speak of them in less personal, more objective terms.
Richard’s mistake: praise the food itself rather than the total evening. For the host and hostess, it is like he attended an art exhibit and complimented the artist by saying: “What beautiful frames your pictures are in.”
2. What was wrong in the way Richard dealt with the problem in Japan?
Japanese people value order and harmony among a group, and the
organization itself is valued more than any particular members. Americans stress individuality.
Richard’s mistake: make great efforts to defend himself.
Even if the others knew that the errors were not intentional, it is not right to defend yourself. The blame’s intention is to warn others of similar mistakes.
A simple apology and acceptance of the blame would be appropriate. 3. Which behavior was considered improper in England when Richard was taking tea?
Richard’s mistake: help himself to some sugar and cream. The values expressed in the gesture of taking sugar and cream: For Americans: Help yourself. For Englishmen: Be my guest.
The ideal guest at an American party is one who “makes himself at home,” even answering the door or fixing his own drink.
While in many other countries, including the Britain, such guest behavior is rude.
Purpose of Intercultural Communication
(1)Have a better understanding of foreign cultures and domestic cultures (2)Increase the culture awareness and sensitivity
(3)Develop effective strategies in dealing with potential cultural conflicts (4)Improve your intercultural communicative competence
Classification of Intercultural Communication (1)International communication:
always take place between nations and government rather than individuals. quite formal.
E.g. if the Chinese Chairman communicate officially with the American president.
(2)Interracial communication:
occurs when the source and receivers exchange messages are from different races.
E.g. if an African American interacts with a white American. (3)Inter-ethnic communication:
refers to communication between people of the same race, but different ethnic background.
E.g. if a Tibetan communicates with a Han. (4)Inter-regional communication:
refer to the exchanges of message between members of the dominant culture within a country, but different regions. E.g. In China, if northerner interacts with a southerner.
What are the three factors that affect the study of intercultural communication? Social-cultural elements
Verbal elements Nonverbal elements
Unit 2
Case 1 P23
(1)What do you think of the Korean student’s behavior in class? A common cultural misunderstanding in classes involves conflicts between what is said to be direct communication style and indirect communication style. In American culture, people tend to say what is on their minds and mean what they say. Therefore, students in class are expected to ask questions when they need clarification.
(2)Why did the students from Mexico readily adopt the techniques of asking questions in class?
Mexican culture shares this preference of style with American culture in some situations, and that’s why the students from Mexico readily adopted the techniques of asking questions in class. However, Korean people generally prefer indirect communication style, and therefore they tend not to say what is on their minds and to rely more on implications and inference, so as to be polite and respectful and avoid losing face through any improper verbal behavior. As is mentioned in the case, to many Koreans, numerous questions would show a disrespect for the teacher, and would also reflect that the student has not studied hard enough.
1.Characteristics of Culture (1)Culture is learned. (2)Culture is dynamic.
(3)Culture guides people’s behavior. (4)A large part of culture is unconscious. 2.The Nature of Culture (1)Culture is Like an Iceberg (2)Culture is Our Software
(3)Culture is Like the Water a Fish Swim in (4)Culture is the Grammar of Our Behavior 3.The Functions of Communication
(1) Allow you to gather information about other people. (2)Help fulfill interpersonal needs. (3)Establish personal identities. (4)Influence others.
4.Classification of communication
(1)In terms of who communicates with whom, whether it is human beings, animals or machines Human Communication Animal Communication Human-animal Communication Human-machine Communication
Machine-to-machine Communication
(2)Depending on the number of person involved in communication Intrapersonal communication (内向传播) Interpersonal communication (人际传播) Organizational communication (组织传播) Mass communication (大众传播) (3)Two-way communication
Communicators can see each other and can monitor each other’s behavior.
Direct / Face-to-Face Communication (4)One-way communication
Communicators cannot see each other and cannot monitor each other’s behavior.
Indirect / Distance Communication 5.Elements of Communication
Context, Participants, Messages, Channels, Noise, Feedback
Unit 3
1. Why is one culture different from another? ? Perception (how we sense the world) ? Belief (what we believe as true)
? Value (a system of criteria known as rules and guideposts) 2. How to classify different cultures?
1). Hofstede’s Cultural Value System Cultural Dimensions ? Individualism-collectivism个人主义与集体主义 ? Uncertainty avoidance不确定性规避 ? Power distance权力距离
? Masculinity-femininity刚柔性/ 男性度和女性度 ? Time-orientation时间导向
Individualism-collectivism个人主义与集体主义 Case 1:
Richard is an engineer from the United States. In Japan he had an even less pleasant experience though he thought he had handled it well. A number of serious mistakes had occurred in a project he was supervising. While the fault did not lie with any one person, he was a supervisor and at least partly to blame. At a special meeting called to discuss the problem, poor Richard made an effort to explain in detail why he had done what he had done.
? He wanted to show that anybody in the same situation could have made the same mistake and to tacitly suggest that he should not be blamed unduly. He even went to the trouble of distributing materials which explained the situation rather clearly. And yet, even during his explanation, he sensed that something he was saying or doing was wrong.
? America—individualism
? Japan—collectivism
At the negotiating table, differences in this dimension can clearly cause serious conflict. Americans too often expect their Japanese counterparts to make decisions right at the negotiating table, and the Japanese are constantly surprised to find individual members of the American team promoting their own positions, decisions, and ideas, sometimes openly contradicting one another. Case 10 P97
? From which perspective of cultural dimension theory can you analyze the intercultural communication here? ? Individualism – Collectivism
? In Japan, the managers will take good care of the employees and the employees are expected to devote themselves to the development of the company and, if it is necessary, to sacrifice their own interests for the interests of the company. Also the right to decide usually lies with the dominating male.
? But for the French, individuals are supposed to take care of themselves and their families.
Uncertainty avoidance不确定性规避: High uncertainty avoidance &Low uncertainty avoidance Case 2:
? E.g. the superior & subordinate
? A Chinese or an American superior can accept more suggestions than a Japanese.
? The Chinese or American workers tend to do the work by themselves.
? The Japanese workers will finish the task exactly according to the order from the superior.
Power distance权力距离: High PD Culture &Low PD Culture Case 9 P96
? From which perspective of cultural dimension theory can you analyze the intercultural communication here? ? Power distance – hierarchy
? The man’s grandfather happened to drop in and began to comment on how the company had been formed and had been built up by the traditional practices that the young executives had recently discarded.
? The young man said nothing and just nodded and agreed with his grandfather.
? While Phil was confused and just started to protest.
? In Japanese society, how hierarchy is formed depends mainly on seniority, social roles and gender.
? As a respectable senior member of the family and the former leader of the company, the grandfather obviously overpowered
the inexperienced young chairman.
? In Japan, the grandfather seemed to be an absolute authority for the young chairman.
? Challenging or disagreeing with elders’ opinions would be deemed as being disrespectful and is often condemned. People in lower positions are expected to be loyal and obedient t to authority.
? In Western countries, particularly American culture, seniority seldom matters much in such situations.
? Young children are encouraged to challenge authority and voice their opinions.
Masculinity-femininity刚柔性/ 男性度和女性度 Time-orientation时间导向 2). Model by Kluckhohn
1) = Human nature orientation 人性取向 2) = Man-nature orientation 人天取向 3) = Time orientation 时间取向 4) = Activity orientation 行为取向 5) = Social orientation 人际取向 Case study
During the American Civil War, a very hungry young man fell down in front of a farm gate. The farmer gave him food but in return he asked
the young man to move a pile of wood in his yard – in fact it was not at all necessary to move the wood. When the young man left, the farmer moved the wood back to its original place. Seeing all this, the farmer’s son was confused.
1. Why did the farmer do that?
Save face and dignity of the young man Accept --- Earn
2. What values are reflected in this story? Individualistic value system 3). Edward T. Hall’s Model
? Human communication is dependent on the context in which it occurs.
? Communicative contexts include the physical, sociological, and psychological environments. ? High- and Low-context cultures High-context Culture: 高语境文化
? In high-context messages, meaning is not necessarily contained in words. Information is provided through gestures, the use of space, and even silence. Meaning is also conveyed through status (age, sex, education, family background, title, and affiliation). ? Indirect verbal communication pattern ? Read between the lines
? Change little over time
? Examples of high-context cultures include Chinese, Japanese, Middle Easterners, etc. Low-context Culture: 低语境文化
? In low-context messages, the majority of the information is vested in the explicit code.
? Direct verbal communication pattern ? Send clear and persuasive message
? Examples of low-context cultures include English, North American, German, etc. P115
Case 1 Friendship
? Steve and Yaser first met in their chemistry class at an American university. Yaser was an international student from Jordan. He was excited to get to know an American. He wanted to learn more about American culture. Yaser hoped that he and Steve would become good friends.
? At first, Steve seemed very friendly. He always greeted Yaser warmly before class. Sometimes he offered to study with Yaser. He even invited Yaser to eat lunch with him. But after the semester was over, Steve seemed more distant. The two former classmates didn’t see each other bery much at school. One day Yaser decided
to call Steve. Steve didn’t seem very interested in talking to him. ? What was wrong in the relationship between Yaser and Steve? ? Americans have school friends, work friends, sports friends and neighborhood friends. These friends are based on common interests. When the shared activity ends, the friendship may fade.
In some cultures friendship means a strong life-long bond between two people. In these cultures friendships develop slowly, since they are built to last.
? Chinese expect friendships to be more lasting. ? Chinese can usually expect much from their friends.
? American friends like Chinese friends give each other emotional support in times of trouble, but they do it differently. A westerner will respond to a friend’s trouble by asking, ―What do you want to do?‖ The idea is to help the friend think out the problem and discover the solution he or she really prefers and then to support that solution. A Chinese friend is more likely to give specific advice to a friend
Unit 4
1. Relationship between Language and Culture:
1). As a mirror of culture, language is strongly influenced and shaped by culture.
It reflects the environment in which we live and cultural values.
Case 1
Patriarchal society
? 湖南岳阳临湘一带，只有男性称谓，没有女性称谓，爸爸是爸，妈妈也是爸，分别男女的办法是在前面加“大”或“细”（即小）。爸爸是大爸，妈妈是细爸。哥哥是哥哥，姐姐也叫哥哥。 Matriarchal society
? 云南丽江永宁纳西族，实行称为阿注婚姻的对偶婚姻制，男女相识结成阿注关系，但男女阿注不组成家庭，女阿注所生孩子留在女方家庭抚养。
? 母亲的阿注、自己的生父、舅舅都用一个词表示。母亲和母亲的直系、旁系的姐妹也只用一个词表示。 Case 2 Kinship terms in Chinese
? They help to reinforce the concept of kinship which is important to the Chinese people.
? 《尔雅》中对儿、孙以下的称谓作了详细的描述 儿之子： 孙 孙之子： 曾孙 曾孙之子：玄孙 玄孙之子：来孙
来孙之子：晜孙 （kun, 同昆） 晜孙之子：云孙
2). Language also exerts its influence on culture.
Each language can be used to express whatever its speaker wants to express. 2. Denotation & Connotation
Denotation （指示意义）: the primary, surface meaning, or explicit meaning, conceptual meaning
Connotation （隐含意义）: the implicit meaning, the implication of a word, the socio-cultural and personal association Case: Politician
? Denotation: a person whose business is politics (从事政治，关心政治，特别是以政治为生涯的人。)
? Connotation: a person who doesn’t usually keep his promises, often cheats for his own selfish purpose.
(不讲原则，当面一套，背后一套，能言善辩，言而无信。) 1). Overlapping words A、B概念意义相同，内涵意义相同或大致相同
? Head: most important ? Fox: clever and deceitful
? Parrot: parrot what other people say vs. 鹦鹉学舌 2). Conflicting words A、B概念意义相同，内涵意义不同
鹤 vs. Crane
Chinese: the symbol of longevity Japanese: the symbol of happiness
British: ugly bird
French: stand for stupid men and wanton woman Dragon Chinese: Totem
Descendants of the dragon which metaphors the Chinese nation Symbol of Emperor
In West: an animal like a big lizard, having wings and claws, and breathing out fire
3). Vacant words A、B概念意义相同，A有内涵意义，B无内涵意义 Totally vacant words
? 仁、义、礼、智、信; 功夫、阴、阳、节气、肾虚、经络 ? Karaoke ? Allusions
An Achilles heel --- the weak or vulnerable point of a person A Pandora’s box --- a present or something which may seem valuable, but which brings trouble and misfortune. Half vacant words
? 13: derogatory in English; Judas betray Jesus ? 4: derogatory in Chinese ? 9: commendatory in Chinese
? 梅兰竹菊 (plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum)
4). Parallel words
? to describe a thin man: Chinese: 骨瘦如柴;
English: as thin as a shadow
? to describe a tiring and miserable life: Chinese: 当牛做马
English: to lead a dog’s life
? 牛 vs. horse: 气壮如牛，像黄牛一样干
As strong as a horse, work like a horse
3. Color Terms Red:
Chinese Culture
① festive, jubilant e.g. 红娘，红火 ② revolutionary e.g. 红军，红色政权 ③ successful, smooth e.g. 红人，走红 ④ beautiful, nice e.g. 红颜，红装 ⑤ envious, jealous e.g. 眼红 English-speaking Culture
① violent, cruel e.g. red revenge; a red battle ② armed revolution e.g. a red revolution③ danger, tension e.g. red alert; a red flag ④ profligate, immoral e.g. a red waste of his youth
红旗red flag 红糖brown sugar 红茶black tea红榜honor roll 红豆love pea红运good luck红利dividend 红事wedding
red wine红葡萄酒red ruin火灾red battle血战red sky彩霞red-carpet隆重的/上宾待遇的red-pencil修改, 检查, 删除red ball (俚) 货运快车/铁路特快货车red cent（口）一分钱/毫厘red gold（古）
真金/金钱 Green: Chinese Culture
① young e.g. 绿窗(指少女闺阁)；红男绿女
② knightly, chivalrous, feral e.g. 绿林好汉；绿林大盗 ③ low-classified, shameful e.g. 戴绿帽子 English-speaking Culture
① young e.g. in the green; a green age ② fresh, new e.g. a green wound ③ lack of experience e.g. a green hand ④ wealth, money e.g. green power ⑤ envious, jealous e.g. green-eyed；green with envy in a green rage
In American political elections the candidates that win are usually the ones who have green power backing them.
在美国政治竞选中获胜的候选人通常都是些有财团支持的人物。 The new typist is green at her job. 刚来的打字员是个生手。
You cannot expect Mary to do business with such people. She is only eighteen and as green as grass.
你不能指望玛丽同这样的人做生意，她只有十八岁，还毫无经验。 Yellow: Chinese Culture
① royalty, power e.g. 黄袍，黄马褂，黄榜
② erotic, base, sensual e.g. 黄色书刊 English-speaking Culture
① erotic, sensual, base e.g. yellow journalism ② funk, sneak, spiritless e.g. yellow dog; yellow streak ―胆小、卑怯、卑鄙‖ ：a yellow dog可鄙的人，卑鄙的人
a yellow livered胆小鬼
He is too yellow to stand up and fight. 他太软弱，不敢起来斗争。 特定颜色
Yellow Pages黄页 （电话号码簿，用黄纸印刷）Yellow Book黄皮书 （法国等国家的政府报告，用黄封面装帧）yellow boy（俗）金币 象征低级趣味、色情庸俗、下流猥亵
yellow journalism(以低级趣味的文字或耸人听闻的报道吸引读者的）黄色办报作风；耸人听闻的关于丑闻的新闻报道/哗众取宠的新闻） Blue:
Chinese Culture: Few connotations English-speaking Culture
① erotic, sensual, base e.g. blue video ② depressed e.g. holiday blue ③ nobility e.g. blue blood ④ unexpected, very rare e.g. out of blue ——She looks blue today. What’s the matter with her? ——She is in holiday blue.
——她今天显得闷闷不乐，出了什么事情？ ——她得了假期忧郁症。
blue jokes下流的玩笑blue films/movies黄色电影once in a blue千载难逢drink till all’s blue一醉方休blue book/Blue Book蓝皮书（英国政府或议会发表的封皮为蓝色的官方报告；封皮为蓝色的官方出版物）blue button ―蓝徽‖（指伦敦证券交易所职员） White:
Chinese Culture
① funeral, sadness e.g. 红白喜事 ② failure, unvalued, foolish e.g. 白费力气，白旗，白痴 ③ tricky, crafty e.g. 白脸 ④ politically reactionary e.g. 白匪 English-speaking Culture
① pure, bright, cleanness e.g. white soul ② faithful, honest e.g. a white spirit ③ good luck, fortune e.g. a white day ④ legal, no harmful e.g. white lies
白开水plain boiled water白菜 Chinese cabbage 白字wrongly written or mispronounced character白搭no use白费事all in vain
white coffee 牛奶咖啡white man善良的人，有教养的人white-livered怯懦的white elephant昂贵又无用之物 Black
Chinese Culture
① wicked, sinister e.g. 黑心肠 ② secret, tricky e.g. 黑幕，黑名单 ③ illegal, evil e.g. 黑手，黑货，黑店 English-speaking Culture
① tragic, disastrous e.g. the fortune looks black ② evil, sinister e.g. black art ③ angry, depressed e.g. a black look
black in the face脸色铁青to look black at someone怒目而视black sheep害群之马black day凶日black future暗淡的前途evil mind黑心backstage manipulator黑幕 Purple
Chinese Culture
① nobility, dignity e.g. 紫气东来，紫禁城 English-speaking Culture ① nobility, dignity
to raise to the purple升为红衣主教 to be born in the purple生于帝王之家 to marry into the purple与皇室或贵族联姻blue-collar workers蓝领阶层，指普通体力劳动者grey-collar workers灰领阶层，指服务行业的职员white-collar workers白领阶层，指接受过专门技术教育的脑力劳动者pink-collar workers粉领阶层，指职业妇女群体 golden-collar personnel金领阶层，指既有专业技能又懂管理和营销的人才 Peacock
In Chinese Culture: 吉祥的象征; 孔雀开屏: 大吉大利的事 In West: Derogatory; Proud, show off; As proud as a peacock (像孔雀那样骄傲) Owl
In Chinese Culture: 在夜间活动，鸣声凄厉，人们把它的叫声与私人相联系。猫头鹰叫孝，预示着家里可能有人会死。不祥之鸟 In West: a bird with wisdom; Use a metaphor, as an owl means it is smart 狗急跳墙 狗仗人势 狼心狗肺 狗腿子 狐朋狗友
You are lucky dog. Every dog has its day. Love me, love my dog. He worked like a dog. You can’t teach an old dog new trick.
松(pine)、柏(cypress) 、鹤(crane) 、桃(peach)、松鹤延年，寿桃：(longevity)
梅(plum blossom) 、兰(orchid) 、竹(bamboo) 、菊(chrysanthemum)：integrity, nobility, honesty uprightness
松(pine) 竹(bamboo) 梅(plum blossom)（岁寒三友）: resisting coldness.
Read Case 13 in P142
What can we learn from this case?
Do you know any other examples of misunderstanding caused by translation?
This case vividly illustrates that failure in intercultural translation my lead to serious consequence, or even disasters to human beings. Definitely, translation is not such a simple process as rending a word, a sentence or text literally, but rather a far more complex one than most people assume. ? For example, once a Chinese cosmetic manufacturer wanted to promote their products into the international market.
? The slogan of the advertisement was: ―sweet as Jade‖, as in Chinese ―jade‖ was always used to compliment a woman’s beauty; ? but unfortunately, it was not an appropriate word to describe the beauty of a lady in Western cultures. In English, ―jade‖ when referring to a woman has the connotations of being vulgar, rude, or immoral. Undoubtedly, the sales were not satisfying.
? The seeming equivalences between languages may have very different connotations in different cultures, thus the translator should be cautious in the process of translation so as to avoid misunderstanding. 4. Words for Animals and Plants Phoenix
In Chinese Culture百鸟之王：百鸟朝凤；神异动物：前如鸿鸟，后像麒麟，有蛇的颈，鱼的尾巴。凤凰出现预示天下太平。凤凰比喻皇后，或有圣德的人。
In West ：a long-lived bird that is cyclically reborn. Associated with the sun, a phoenix obtains new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor.
Unit 5
1. Definition of Verbal Communication:refers to the use of sounds and language to relay a message. 2. Verbal communication styles:
Indirect and Direct
Self-Enhancement and Self Effacement Elaborate, Exacting and Succinct Contextual and Personal Affective and Instrumental
3. Analysis of Speech Acts (Pragmatic Rules语用规则and Culture) 1). Addressing
Case 1 Addressing people
? Lin Mei is a Chinese student who is now studying at a university in America. Her seven-year-old daughter Jia Jia is with her and studies in a primary school. They have been in America for three years. Wang Xiaohong is a Chinese visiting scholar at the same university as Lin Mei.
? One day Wang Xiaohong came to visit them. Below is their conversation.
—— Wang Xiaohong: 佳佳， 你妈妈在家吗？ —— Jiajia : 在。妈妈， 小红阿姨找你。
—— Lin Mei: 王老师您来了， 请坐。 我女儿真不懂礼貌。 佳佳， 以后要叫王阿姨。
? However, Lin Mei, as an adult, still sticks to the Chinese Culture when dealing with a Chinese who came to America only recently; ? According to Chinese culture, it is impolite for a child to address
an adult by using his or her given name. 2). Greetings and farewells
? To greet native English speakers, as we have already seen, we should say: ―How are you?‖ ―How are you getting on?‖ ―How is everything?‖
Instead of: Where are you going? Have you eaten?
? ―Good-bye‖ or ―Bye-Bye‖ is acceptable both in English and Chinese, and it is a very formal way.
English people also say ―See you‖, ―See you later‖, ―Good night‖, and ―Have a nice day‖.
Those expressions convey less personal concerns than Chinese routines such as ―Walk slowly‖, ―Stay longer‖. 3). Compliments and responses to compliments 英美人谢不离口
? ——在餐馆里，服务员给你端上一杯咖啡，你要说: Thank you. ? ——你付了账，收款员对你说: Thank you.
? ——别人给你挂电话，谈话结束时，你要说: Thank you for calling. ? Case 1
? A young Chinese woman in the US was complimented by an American woman for the lovely dress she was wearing: ―It’s exquisite. The colors are so beautiful!‖ She was pleased but
somewhat embarrassed. In typical Chinese fashion, she replied, ―Oh, it’s just an ordinary dress I bought in China.‖
? In this case, the words of the Chinese conveyed a message quite different from what was intended.
? In the first case, the reply could have meant that the American did not know what a really good dress is. Otherwise, how could she get so excited about an ordinary dress?
? The implication was that the American woman’s taste in clothing was questionable. ? Case 2
? At a reception at an American college, Mr. Chen, a newly-arrived Chinese scholar, was chatting with the hostess. As an acquaintance of the hostess approached, she said, ―Ron, let me introduce Mr. Chen, an outstanding physicist and one of the nicest people I know.‖ Mr. Chen offered his hand to the newcomer but looked at the hostess and said with a smile, ―Should I blush, or should I tell him you don’t really mean it?‖
? In the second case, if Chen had not been smiling, his words could have been interpreted as: ―You’re just saying that to be polite; you don’t really mean that.‖
? So in the first case, the implication was that American woman had poor judgment, while in the second one, the hostess was not
sincere. What a gap between that intention and the message! 4). Apology
? 谢谢你帮我修改论文，浪费你这么多时间，真抱歉。
Thank you for correcting my paper. I’m sorry to have wasted so much of your time.
? I really appreciate your time. 你为我花了时间，我很感激。 5). Privacy and euphemism
? Some of these questions are listed below:
? How old are you? What are your wages? How much do you earn? You make a lot of money, don't you？ What’s your name? (Better say \May I know your name?\? Death is almost universally avoided. ? In English the substitutes are:
? go (e.g. He's gone), depart, depart from the world forever, decease, pass away, breathe one's last, go the way of all flesh, pay one's debt to nature, go to a better world, be in (go to) heaven, be with god, etc.
? In Chinese, substitutes for death are:
? 去世、逝世、故去、病故、寿终、亡故、牺牲、作古、谢世、与世长辞、心脏停止跳动、去见马克思，etc.
? Physical shortcomings, old age, certain functions of the body.
? plain (for ugly), heavy set, on the heavy side (for fat -- usually
refers to men), slender (for skinny), physically handicapped (for crippled), senior citizens (for elderly people), advanced in age, .elderly (for old).
Unit 6
1.Nonverbal Communication
The messages sent without using words are called nonverbal communication.
2.Verbal and Nonverbal Communication (1)Similarities: Use symbols
Are products of individual
Require that someone else attach meaning to these symbols
Encoding system that we learn and pass on as a part of culture experience. (2)Differences Verbal Structured, linguistic and clear Nonverbal Unstructured, nonlinguistic and ambiguous Conscious Discontinuous Acquired and controllable Unconscious Continuous Natural and non-controllable More universal More emotional in appeal and impact
3.Functions of non-verbal communication
There are six functions of non-verbal communication (P219-221) : ◇Repeating (重复 ) ◇Complementing (补充 ) ◇Contradicting (否定 )
◇Substituting or replacing ( 代替) ◇Accenting (强调) ◇Regulating (调节) 4.Facial Expressions The six basic expressions:
Happiness, sadness, disgust, fear, anger & surprise Facial expressions are innate and universal. 5.Gestures
Gesture is a way we communicate and express by the movement and manners of our hands and fingers. (1)手指的说法
thumb 大拇指 forefinger / index finger 食指 middle finger 中指
ring finger 无名指 little finger 小拇指 gesture country most countries Japan France make a circle with one’s thumb and index finger
Germany Brazil Rude meaning OK Money Zero gesture country United States Great Britain Most of World United States meaning Victory The V sign (from the 1960s era) Peace In England, however, it is a crude connotation when used with the
palm in.
gesture country United States Nigeria, Iran meaning great or good job rude the number one Thumbs-up
Germany gesture country Canada meaning Disapproval United States Greece rude Thumbs-down
gesture moving the index finger in a circle in front of the ear country some countries Brazil meaning crazy You have a phone call
Haptics (Touch)
Haptics refers to communicating through the use of bodily contact. (1)“Don’t Touch” Cultures
Japan, U.S. and Canada, England, Scandinavia(Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland), Other Northern European countries (2)Middle Ground Countries
Australia, France, China, Ireland, India, Middle East countries (3)“Touch” Cultures
Latin American countries, Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal, Russia Case 1
The former U.S. president Richard Nixon once visited one of the South American countries, when he came out of the aircraft, he greeted people by holding both his hands high in the ring gesture, smiling.
However, he received a frustrating reception later in this country. Because the hosts were annoyed at this idea that the president told them to go to hell.
Do you know what went wrong here? The ring gesture, or we say OK gesture, means In America that you think something good, In Latin America, this gesture was taken as an insult.
Case 2 Tuxedo
In the promotion of the film Tuxedo, there is a poster, in which Jackie Chan, the main character in the film, kicked to the audience with a sole of his big shoe. It was this poster that made the film banned in Thailand. Why did the Thai feel so annoyed at the sight of the sole?
Thai people believe that because the bottom of the feet are the lowest part of body, they should never be pointed in the direction of another person. So if there is a huge insult to a person, someone may show the sole of his shoes to him or put against him.
We see even there is no single word on the poster, the picture could be a silent language to arouse culture confliction.
Unit 7
Cultural Conceptions of Time 1.Three different perspectives: (1) informal time
(2) perceptions of past, present and future.
(3) monochronic and polychronic classifications(单时制 & 多时制) 2.Plan in advance
If you want to invite someone to eat out, you’d better send the information of invitation about a week earlier.
Otherwise, he or she will feel that you are not sincere and may refuse your invitation.
3.The lasting time for an activity In China,
the official evening reception will last for two to three hours. no rules for the time for the dinner at home with relatives, friends. In the U.S. and UK,
the official visit will last less than one hour evening reception about three or four hours party by young people over three or four hours In Arabian countries and Latin America,
The time for social activities is longer than that in USA In Spain and Portugal,
It is common that the evening reception last for the next morning 4.A survey on punctuality
In China, it is polite to arrive some minutes earlier when attending some activities.
In West, you will be considered rude if you arrive earlier for a dinner or party. The host will be unpleasant. 5.How late is “late”? Read the passage in P254
In Britain and America, ___15min____ In Arab countries, __30min________ In Italy, ___2h______
In Ethiopia, __more than 2h____ In Java (爪哇), ____no concept for late___ In the United States,
The boss can arrive late for a meeting
The secretary will receive a stern glance if she’s late a rock star or a doctor, people will waiting for them willingly the warm-up band or a nurse will not In Latin America,
Arrive late to the appointment to show respect In German,
Arrive late to the appointment to show rudeness 6.Read passages in P255
Find out the features of each kind of the perceptions of past, present, and future
(1)Past-oriented cultures
People regard previous experiences and events as most important. They place a primary emphasis on tradition. They show great respect for parents and the elderly. Country: __Britain, China, Native America__(P255) (2)Present-oriented cultures
People regard current experiences as most important. They place a major emphasis on spontaneity and immediacy.
They experience each moment as fully as possible. Country: ___Philippines, Latin America___ (P255) (3)Future-oriented cultures
People believe tomorrow is most important.
Current activities are accomplished not for their own sake but for the potential future benefits.
Their fate is at least partially in their own hands and therefore they can control the consequences of their action. Country: _____ America ____ (P255) Time systems (Hall, 1976)
(1) Monochronic Time (M-Time) “单向计时制”
Monochronic time means paying attention to and doing only one thing at a time.
It schedules one event at a time.
In these cultures, time is perceived as a linear structure just like a ribbon stretching from the past into the future.
Country: ___Germany, Austria, Switzerland, America__(P256) (2) Polychronic Time (P-Time) “多向计时制” Polychronic time means being involved with many things at once. P-time schedules several activities at the same time. It is more flexible and more humanistic.
People from P-time system emphasize the involvement of people
more than schedules. They do not see appointments as ironclad commitments and often break them.
Country: Mexican Americans, Polynesian, Samoans, African Americans Private space:
Intimate distance, Personal distance, Social distance, Public distance The bubble expands and contracts according to (1)The relationship to the people nearby(2)The person’s emotional state(3)Cultural background (4)The activity being performed Short Distance Latins Mediterranean Arabs
Medium Distance Americans Northern Europeans Long Distance Japanese Mediterranean Europeans Unit 8
Stereotype
A stereotype is an overly simplified way of thinking a person, group, etc. Three ways of forming stereotype
(1)categorize people or things by the most obvious characteristics they possess.
E.g. Japanese impression on the Americans:
Americans always try to talk everything out. Americans are straightforward in talking. American students ask too many questions in
the classroom and don’t respect professors.
(2)apply a set of characteristics to a whole group of people.
E.g. You may hear someone say that American eat hotdogs and wear cowboy boots.
(3)give the same treatment to each member of the group. E.g. You are a Chinese, you must be smart.
He is a Jew, he must have high intelligence and make money. Americans are outgoing and friendly.Americans have superficial relationship.Americans are disrespectful of age and status. Stereotypes vary along four dimensions (1)Direction
The direction of stereotypes:
positive/favorable — negative/unfavorable
E.g. Americans are honest, friendly, hardworking and ambitious. Americans are aggressive, lacking discipline, or don’t care about old people. (2)Intensity
Indicates the strength of a belief about a group of people. E.g. African Americans are very musical.
(3)Accuracy
Stereotypes are not always false, although they are exaggerated and
overgeneralized.
E.g. some of stereotypes may be half-truths, and others may be partially inaccurate.
Americans are rich. (4)Content
Stereotypes vary in specific content
In the specific traits attributed to a group of people.
E.g. Some African Americans may view white Americans according to a range of traits: aggressive, biased, cold, or evasion. Prejudice
Negative attitudes directed toward groups (racial, religious, different beliefs) which is a result of highly personal and unreasoned generalizations.
Five common forms of prejudice:(1)Verbal abuse, (2)Physical avoidance, (3)Discrimination, (4)Physical attack (5)Massacre Discrimination
It refers to the denial of equal opportunities to outgroup members. E.g.1.“Dogs and the Chinese cannot enter”posted by British at the front gate of the Chinese peak in the colonial area. Ethnocentrism 民族中心主义
Negatively judging aspects of another culture by the standards of one’s own culture.
Culture Shock
Troublesome feelings such as depression, loneliness, confusion, inadequacy, hostility, frustration, and tension, caused by the loss of familiar cues from the home culture.