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Language - verbal and nonverbal

11 important questions on Language - verbal and nonverbal

Why is it always a good idea to learn a few words of the language of the nationality you are working with?

It is a great icebreaker at the start of a meeting and shows an interest and respect which can be lost if we dive straight in with the business language that our company has agreed we will work in.

When speaking context refers to:

the amount of background information that is needed to interpret what people say. It also relates to the way information is dealt with and ordered. When you are working with a culture which has different values, customs and perspectives from your own, context can be profoundly different. This means you can be having a conversation in a language you both speak and yet still completely misunderstand each other.

Language is not just a means of communication but...

It unites a group of people. Its significance in cultural terms is that people's beliefs, interpretation of the world and concepts of reality are all deeply embedded in language. It narrates the stories, songs and sayings of a culture - important because they transmit a culture from one generation to another. It helps preserve a culture, although it is itself an organic and changing thing.

What are important differences in the ways different cultures use language?

In education, some cultures teach new skills through verbal instruction.
In other cultures new skills are learned through nonverbal observation.
Speed, volume, the tone of voice and speaking pattern are also used differently.
For example: in some cultures speaking fast can be a sign of intelligence, some cultures need thinking time and then formulate a one word answer.

How language is paced,
how much thinking time is allowed,
whether you wait for the other person to finish speaking before you speak or not varies depending on...

the culture of the person you are talking to.

Fill in the gaps:
We grow up learning our culture's pattern of conversational ... .... That could mean that some of us feel that somebody is being unnecessarily .... Or that somebody is .... as they always "interrupt" whereas the interruption is actually nothing more than a sign of enthusiasm and ... to the topic in the interaction between both people.

turn taking
loud
disrespectful
attention

... are short and to the point, they get to the point quickly and clearly
... often use longer sentences and are indirect in tone and message, they need more words to explain what they think or feel

Low context cultures
high context cultures
PS: getting to the point quickly is not always appreciated by low context cultures.

Try to think of some examples about the effect of language on how cultures view time:

In some East Asian languages, the past present and future all use the same tense, showing that chronology is less significant than in other cultures.
The Japanese have only two tenses - present and past - but speak with entirely different sets of vocabulary and grammar depending on social context of different encounters.
In Chinese and many other Asian languages, the importance of intonation in conveying meaning is much greater than in European languages.

Fill in the percentages:
...% of our emotions are expressed nonverbally.
More than ...% of communication is nonverbal.

90%
60%

Fill in the gaps:

Yet this statistic alone about emotional expression combined with knowing that so much nonverbal communication is open to ... means that our cross-cultural communication can be a real minefield. Never assume that the ... you see means the same as in your culture.

Misinterpretation
nonverbal sign

What to do if you are not sure about nonverbal communication in another culture?

Ask what is appropriate.
Find people who know the culture, who have visited the country and who can advise you on what to expect.
This sort of preparation will help you learn from rude in you nonverbal communication.

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

IA&C general and IA&C Chinese

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Language - verbal and nonverbal

11 important questions on Language - verbal and nonverbal

Why is it always a good idea to learn a few words of the language of the nationality you are working with?

When speaking context refers to:

Language is not just a means of communication but...

What are important differences in the ways different cultures use language?

How language is paced,how much thinking time is allowed,whether you wait for the other person to finish speaking before you speak or not varies depending on...

... are short and to the point, they get to the point quickly and clearly... often use longer sentences and are indirect in tone and message, they need more words to explain what they think or feel

Try to think of some examples about the effect of language on how cultures view time:

Fill in the percentages: ...% of our emotions are expressed nonverbally.More than ...% of communication is nonverbal.

Fill in the gaps:Yet this statistic alone about emotional expression combined with knowing that so much nonverbal communication is open to ... means that our cross-cultural communication can be a real minefield. Never assume that the ... you see means the same as in your culture.

What to do if you are not sure about nonverbal communication in another culture?

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How language is paced,
how much thinking time is allowed,
whether you wait for the other person to finish speaking before you speak or not varies depending on...

... are short and to the point, they get to the point quickly and clearly
... often use longer sentences and are indirect in tone and message, they need more words to explain what they think or feel

Fill in the percentages:
...% of our emotions are expressed nonverbally.
More than ...% of communication is nonverbal.

Fill in the gaps:

Yet this statistic alone about emotional expression combined with knowing that so much nonverbal communication is open to ... means that our cross-cultural communication can be a real minefield. Never assume that the ... you see means the same as in your culture.