跨文化交际教案

Language and Culture

by You Zeshun

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Section One: An Introduction to Language and Culture

Objectives:

? Understand why we need to learn foreign languages ? Understand why we need to learn foreign cultures

? Understand the chronological development of the field of intercultural

communication studies

1. 1 Why Foreign Language and Foreign Culture?

? Lao Tze: Let there be a small country with few people…Though neighboring communities overlook one another and the crowing of cocks and barking of dogs can be heard, yet the people there may grow old and die without ever visiting one another--- a self-sufficient and isolated village

?Marshall Mcluhan: a global village

1. 2 The Necessity of Intercultural Communication Studies:

? The increase of communication: (1) Technological development; (2) Globalization of the economy; (3) Widespread population migrations; (4) Development of Multiculturalism.

? Misunderstanding between people from different cultures speaking the same language

1. 3 Intercultural Communication (An Overview)

?The development of intercultural communications studies abroad

(1) The burgeoning period: In 1958, The Ugly American (by Lederer and Burdicks ) cultural awareness; In 1959, The Silent language (by Eward T. Hall) ―Intercultural communication‖ [Traditional anthropology study to comparative cultural study; Macro perspective to micro perspective; culture to communication; The application of results of intercultural studies to intercultural communication training and international business etc.]. The Hidden Dimension (1966), Beyond Culture (1976), The Dance of Life (1984), Understanding Cultural Differences (1989);

(2) From 1960 to 1970: Kluckhohn and Strodtbecks [discourse on cultural value orientation; Culture and Communication ( Oliver,1966), Asian philosophy and communication behavior from rhetorical perspective; Communication and Culture (Smith, 1966), essays on human communication covering thirteen types of communication studies; in 1966, the first class of intercultural communication studies in University of Pittsburgh; Conference related to intercultural communication studies

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[1968, The First International Conference of the Speech-Communication Arts and Sciences; 1969, The Second International Conference of the Speech-Communication Arts and Sciences; Journals related to Intercultural Communication Studies[Speech Education; Communication].

(3) From1971 to 1980: In 1970[The Intercultural-international Speech Communication Year ], the establishment of The International Communication Association and Communication Yearbook, The Commission for International and Intercultural Communication and International and Intercultural Communication Annual; In 1972,The First International Conference of Intercultural Communication Studies; Samovar, Intercultural Communication: A Reader (1972/1973).

(4) From 1981 to Present: Studies on intercultural communication mushroom

? Intercultural Communication Studies in China:

(1) 1983, He Daokuan, An Introduction to a New Field of Study---Cross-Cultural Communication; 1985, Hu Wenzhong, Communication Between Cultures and Foreign Language Teaching; 1988, Intercultural Communication and English Learning;1990, Intercultural Communication: A Reader; 1994, Culture and Communication; 1995, Dictionary of British and American Culture. Conferences and Other Development:

(2) 1995, The Fifth International Symposium on Intercultural Communication Studies, Ha’erbin and the establishment of China Association of Intercultural Communication Studies.

(3) Up to 1995, course of intercultural communication in five universities in China; various books and articles concerning intercultural studies published.

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Section Two:

Communication, Culture and Communication

Intercultural

Objectives:

? Understand such terms as communication, culture, and intercultural

communication

? Understand the steps and the types of communication ? Understand the functions and characteristic of culture

? Understand the forms of intercultural communication

2. 1 Communication

? Steps in the communication process: (1) behavior source--- the speaker; (2) encoding---the internal activities of the speaker when organizing the message; (3) message---the result of the encoding is a message once it is send and received; (4) channel---the physical medium with which the message is transferred; (5) responder---the person who receives and responds to the speaker’s message; (6) decoding---the internal activities of the responder when decoding the message; (7) the action taken by the responder, including making response or making no response, after decoding; (8) feedback---the response is a feedback once it is received by the speaker.

? Factors contributing to communication:

(1) personal elements---stable [sex, age, personality, profession, social status, education, and experience] and unstable elements [intention, feeling, identity,etc];

(2) non-personal elements--- time, place, occasion, etc.

? Communication defined:

(1) Professor Frank Dance Wisconsin University: 126 definitions ;

(2) Samovar: Communication may be defined as that which happens whenever someone responds to the behavior or the residue of the behavior of another person--- verbal behavior and nonverbal behavior, behavior residue, intentional and unintentional, feedback and no-feedback (One-way communication)

? Types of communication:

(1)verbal and nonverbal [symbol]; (2)direct and indirect [medium]; (3)two-way and one-way [feedback];

(4)one/group-to-one and one/group-to-group [numbers of behavior source and responders];

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(5)directed and non-directed [stable responder];

(6)intentional and unintentional [message sending of the behavior source]; (7)active and passive [message receiving of the responder]; (8)simultaneous and non-simultaneous [time of communication].

2. 2 Culture

? Qi Yucun,(1992 ): 250 definitions.

? Edward Taylor, anthropologist: Culture is a complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.

? It can be a set of fundamental ideas, practices, and experiences of a group of people that are symbolically transmitted generation to generation through a learning process.

? It may refer to beliefs, norms, and attitudes that are used to guide our behaviors and to solve human problems.

? It can be viewed as a system of expressive practices and mutual meanings associated with our behavior; it can be divided into four levels[the result of material production, productive relations, the visible product of spiritual civilization, and the invisible product of spiritual civilization], or three levels [high culture, popular culture, and deep culture], or two levels[Culture with a big C and culture with a small c], etc.

? A Working Definition:

(1) From the perspective of the evolution and development of the culture and the distribution of the human being , culture can be considered as ―the comprehensive features which differ one ethnic group from another‖；

(2) It can be further defined as ― the comprehensive features that differ one group from another‖ [ethnic group--- subgroup; culture---subculture].

2. 3 Intercultural Communication

? Based on the definition of communication, intercultural communication may be simply defined as ―that which happens whenever someone responds to the behavior or the residue of the behavior of another person from another culture‖.

? Example 1: Even though Andy Wong’s parents immigrated to the United States from Taiwan before he was born, they still speak Chinese at home and expect Andy and his brothers and sisters to behave like proper Chinese children. Because Andy loves his parents very much, but he finds their expectations difficult to fulfill. He thinks he speaks respectfully to his mother when he tells her that he is going out with his friends after dinner, but his parents tell him he is being

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?

?

?

?

?

? How are things?

Where to make an apology?

? I’m sorry/Pardon me/ Excuse me ? Excuse me --- Get out of the way ? I beg your pardon

? Sorry, my English is not so good.

How to compliment?

– Compliment at least three persons a day

– Don’t be too serious of other people’s complements – Complement members of one’s own family – I like your hairstyle very much – Losing weight and put on weight – You are beautiful – You are so sexy

How to be modest?

– Language of respect and humility: 尊夫人－舍内；贤弟－愚兄；贵府－寒舍；大作－拙作

– Polite remarks: 本人才疏学浅；班门弄斧

– ―You are so beautiful‖ ―Where! Where!‖ ―The nose, the lips, the eyes…everywhere‖

– ―You have done a good job‖ ―It is my duty‖ – To show oneself properly – Good ways of being modest

? ―What a beautiful pen‖ ―It came from India. I went there on business last month‖

? ―You’re looking very smart today‖ ―Thank you. So are you‖

? ―You Japanese is very good‖ ―Well, my listening isn’t too bad, but there is still a lot of room for me to improve‖

? ―You have done a very good job‖ ―Well, it had to happen sometime.

What are taboos in English Conversation?

? Age, marital status (serious with marriage), income ? Religion, political views

? The civil war (US); Northern Ireland (UK) ? Advisable way to avoid misunderstanding

– I have a question to ask you, but I am not sure if it’s a personal one for you – Would you mind if I asked you a personal question

– Please tell me if I’m asking my questions that are too personal – I hope you don’t mind that I asked you that question

How to Properly Understand ―Promise‖ in English? ? Blank Check

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?

?

?

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– Perhaps we may meet and discuss it next time I come to Singapore. – I’ll send you the books you need when I return to the US – I’ll be in touch

? Real Promise: place, time, (purpose, reply) ? Punctuality/promptness

How to properly express one’s concern of the other? (Don’t teach your grandmother to such eggs)

? You should drink more water----I hope you will be better soon ? You must be tired. You’re old---- Did you have a good trip

? Good morning, you must have had a tiring job----How do you like the class?

What is an English dinner like?

? Dishes (appetite, main course, and dessert)

? Tableware ( individual tableware and a set of tableware for public use) ? Accepting/Asking for /offer food

– Accept the offer if you like – Ask for food if you need

– Don’t leave food in your plate

– Don’t try to pick up food for others – Don’t insist if the others decline ? Small talks after a dinner ? Paying the bill ? Choosing the table

? Extending your thanks later

How to present/accept gifts?

– Be precious (not necessarily high priced) – Present to the hostess – Take off the price tag – Be beautifully packed – Be considerable – Be sincere

– Don’t present a gift to others in public place – Open a gift at once

– Show as much interests as possible in the gifts presented to you – Extend your thanks as soon as possible

How to use telephone? (Telephone is part of American life) – This is John speaking. Who is that?

– This is Topshen Company. May I help you/ – This is John. May I speak to/ Is that Tom? – Sorry, I have dialed the wrong number.

– ―Wrong number, I’m afraid‖ ―That’s all right/OK‖ – May I take a message?

– Could you spell [ A in Alfa, D in Delta, O in Oscar]

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– This is John’s residence. We are out at the moment. Please leave your name and telephone number. We’ll call you back as soon as possible – Well, I mustn’t hold you up any longer – So, I’ll see you Saturday morning, then. – Thank you for calling

– Let me try to say this more accurately.

? How to say farewell?

– Ask for a visit

? I’m coming to see you this evening ? Are you free this evening

? Could I come and see you this evening

– A small talk after dinner

? Well, I’m afraid I must be going now ? Well, I think I’d better be leaving now ? I’m leaving now ? I’ll go first

? I’m afraid I have to go now. But don’t let me break up the party ? Please don’t leave because of us ? Thank you for a lovely evening

? I must be leaving now because I have something more important to do

? Sorry to have wasted so much of your time

– See the guests off at the door [rude]; See the guests off at the point as farthest as possible --- The US director of Hopkins-Nanjing University Center

– Ask a guest to leave

? How to work and play?

– Workaholic (the US and the UK)

? Eager to work ? Busy at work

? High efficient with work

– Working and Cheating

– Play [All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy; Work while you work, play while you play]

? All kinds of entertainment: Disney World; Casino; Drive-in Cinema; Rented Car; Art Gallery; Circus; Sports; Pubs ? Playing late at night

? Weekend: party, picnic, sports, etc. ? Paid Holiday

? How to save money?

– Improper ways of saving money

? Sharing the flat with too many people ? Picking up cheap junk food

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? Buying no medical insurance ? Walking to school or work

– Advisable ways of saving money

? Going to sales or flea market

? Making international call at concession period

? Make good use of preferential treatments for international students ? Take away after eating ? do it yourself

– Expenses that can not be saved

? Salestax

? Tips or service charge

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Section five: Language, Thought, Culture and Intercultural

Communication

Objective:

? Understand different views on the relations between language and thought ? Review in detail Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

? Make an neutral assumption of the relations between language and culture ? Compare Chinese words with English words in psychological meaning ? Understand differences between sentences in Chinese and English ? Understand differences between texts in Chinese and English

5.1 Different Views on the Relations Between Language and Thought

–Language and thought are different terms for the same thing: thought is silent language, while language is voiced thought

–Language determines thought (Linguistic determinism) –Thought determines language

–Language and thought are independent from each other

–Language and thought come from different origins but combine with each other later

5.2 Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

? Human beings do not live in the objective world alone, nor alone in the world of social activity as ordinarily understood, but are very much at the mercy of the particular language which has become the medium of expression for their society. It is quite an illusion to imagine that one adjusts to reality essentially without the use of language and that language is merely an incidental means of solving specific problems of communication or reflection. The fact of the matter is that the ―real world‖ is to a large extent unconsciously built up on the language habits of the group. No two languages are ever sufficiently similar to be considered as representing the same social reality… We see and hear and otherwise experience very largely as we do because the language habits of our community predispose certain choices of interpretation

? Language not only transmits but also shapes our thinking, beliefs, and attitudes.In other words, language is a guide to culture. Language is the medium of expression for human society, and it conditions our thinking about social problems and processes. Language habits unconsciously form the ―real world‖ of the group. On cultural reality can ever be fully explained by members of one culture to those of another

? Firm Position and Soft Position

(1) Firm Position: Once people learn a language, they are irrevocably affected by its

particulars, it is never possible to translate effectively and successfully between

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languag;

(2) Soft position: Language shapes how people think and experience their world,

but this influence is not unceasing, it is possible for people from different initial language systems to learn each others’ languages accurately to communicate effectively.

? An Alternative View to Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis:

(1) Language merely reflects—rather than determines or shapes– our thinking, beliefs, and attitudes;

(2) The way one uses language reflects one’s liking or disliking, degree of intimacy, willing or unwilling to take responsibility.

3. 3 A Neutral View

(1) Language is an expression of culture , language reflects as well as influences our thinking, beliefs and attitude;; culture, on the other hand, influences our use of language.

(2) Language, to a great extent, is a product of culture and culture is very much a product of language; what one thinks about and how one thinks about it are direct functions of his language, and what one thinks about and how one thinks about it in part determine the nature of his culture

(3) In intercultural communication, differences between languages and thoughts will influence communication.

5. 4 Culture and Words

(1) Lexical gap --- words in one language have no equivalent in another languag:

四合院、炕、油条；

―hippies, punk, and cowboy‖

(2) ―Equivalent words‖ with similar denotation and different connotation:

狗 ---走狗、狗特务、狐朋狗友； Dog (pets) --- You are a lucky dog

(3) ―Equivalent words‖ with similar denotation, but having connotation in only

one language:

―松鹤‖ －长寿；

―She is a cat‖－A woman with ill-intention

(4) ―Equivalent words‖ with similar connotation, but different denotation

A. Connotation: Holidays--- a period of rest from work, happy and relaxing B. Denotation: 假日 －－周末，公共假日，寒暑假（教师、学生）；

Holidays－－weekends, public holidays, and paid holidays.

(5) ―Equivalent words‖ with different connotation as well as different denotation

A. Denotation: Dragon--- 龙; ancestor --- 祖先

Unicorn animal with dark appearance in English,

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A double-conrn animal with golden appearance in Chinese; ―grandfather‖ in English,

all blood relatives above one’s generation in Chinese. B. Connotation: ―evil‖ in English;

―royal‖ ―supeior‖ in Chinese;

―early settlers‖ in American culture, ―Yan and Huang‖ in Chinese.

5.5 Thought Patterns and Sentence Patterns

? Hypotactic (connected mainly by connectors) and Paratactic(connected mainly by the

underlying meaning):

English is like a tree with a trunk and some branches attached to it, the trunk being like the main clause and the branches being the subordinate clauses and dependent phrases; Chinese sentence is like a clump of bamboo, each shoot growing independently,the text is organized by the understatement.

Examples:

–We will not attack unless we are attacked 人不犯我， 我不犯人

–He jumped up and hastened to the mirror in the bathroom, taking away the towel to examine the cut upon his cheek 他跳起来，冲到卫生间的镜子前，拿掉毛巾， 仔细查看脸上的伤口

–The boy, who was crying as if his heart would break, said, when I spoke to him, that he was very hungry, because he had had no food for two days 那个男孩苦得似乎心都碎了，当我问他时， 他说他已经两天没吃东西了，实在是饿极了

? Small --- Large (Specific --- General )and Large --- Small ( General --- Specific)

(1) Small to large : Shanghai is one of the biggest cities in the world; 从大到小：上海是世界上最大的城市之一

(2) 三角形: This is the man who had a talk with her in the office at four o’clock yesterday afternoon; 倒三角：这就是昨天下午四点钟在办公室里与她谈话的那个人

(3) 孔雀尾：The time has come when ordinary people can use electronic computers both in the office and at home 狮子头：普通人在办公室和家庭里使用电子计算机的时代已经到来

? The given informaiton and the new information

(1) English: new message to given message A. What did you say B. It was my mother that threw an egg at the Minister of Education yesterday C.The United States could be effective in both the tasks--- that is, of ending

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hostilities as well as of making a contribution to a permanent peace in the Middle East– if we conducted ourselves so that we could remain in permanent contact with all of these elements in the equation. (2) 汉语：从已知到未知 A. 你说什么 B. 昨天向教育大臣扔臭鸡蛋的那个人是我母亲 C. 中国共产党中央委员会委员，中国共产党中央委员会政治局委员，中国共产党中央委员会政治局常务委员会委员，中华人民共和国国务院总理周恩来同志于1976年1月8日9时58分不幸逝世

? Static and Dynamic

(1) English: Noun-, Adjective-, and Prepositional- Phrase- Preference

A. The doctor’s extremely quick arrival and uncommonly careful examination of the patient brought about his very speedy recovery B. He is determined to start again C. The machine is in operation Chinese: Verb- Preference

A. 医生迅速到达， 并非常仔细地检查了病人， 因此病人很快就恢复了 B. 他决定从新开始 C. 机器正在运行

5. 6 English Linear Structure VS Chinese Circular Structure

Robert Kaplan conducted survery among 600 students from different cultural background who are learning English in the U.S.. He found that students from different culture backgrounds adopt different patterns in writing English composition: the text by English natives is organized in a linear structure, while text by Chinese is organized in a circular structure. He concluded that English writing is influenced by writer’s thought patterns and first language writing.

English Exposition: An English expository paragraph usually begins with a topic statement, and then, by a series of subdivisions of that topic statement, each supported by example and illustrations, proceeds to develop that central idea and relate that idea to all the other ideas in the whole essay, and to employ that idea in its proper relationship with the other ideas, to prove something ,or prepare to argue something…sometimes, the English paragraph may use just the reverse procedure…these two types of development represent the common inductive and deductive reasoning.

Chinese Exposition: Some Oriental (mean specifically Chinese and Korea), on the other hand, is marked by what may be called an approach by indirection. In this kind of writing, the development of the paragraph may be said to be ―turning and turning in a widening gyre‖. The circles or gyres turn around the subject and show it from a variety of tangential views, but the subject is never looked at directly. Things are developed in terms of what they are not, rather than in terms of what they are.

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English and Chinese: English writing follows linear line from the opening sentence to the last sentence---a general statement of its content, developing the statement by a long series of rather specific illustrations, and finally drawing to a conclusion, or the other way roung.

Chinese writing lay out relevant or even irrelevant information to provide many-sided perspectives for judging--- an opening description of a specific incident, a look-back at the usually unfortunate history of issue or practice, an explanation of the current much improved state and a concluding moral exhortation.

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Section six: High-context and Low-context Communication

Objectives:

? Defining ―High-context and Low-context‖ communication ? Feature differences between HC and LC

? Differences of oral communication between HC and LC ? Differences of written communication between HC and LC

6. 1 Defining “High-context and Low-context”

? The concept of HC and LC is a model adopted to identify different communication

patterns through the analysis of the relationship between the code, the context and the meaning

? While a linguistic code can be analyzed on some levels independent of context, in

real life the code , the context, and the meaning can only be seen as different aspects of a single event. What is unfeasible is to measure one side of the equation and not the others.

? A high-context communication is one in which most of the information is either in

the physical context or internalized in the person while very little is in the coded, explicit, transmitted part of the message. A low-context communication is just the opposite, i.e. the mass of the information is vested in the explicit code

4. 2 The Classification of HC and LC (I)

? Although no culture exists exclusively at one end of the scale, some are high

while others are low. American culture, while not on the bottom, is toward the lower end of the scale. We are still considerably above the German-Swiss, the Germans, and the Scandinavians in the amount of contexting needed in everyday life, while complex, multi-institutional cultures (those that are technologically advanced) might be thought of as inevitably LC (this is not necessarily the case). China, the possessor of a great and complex culture, is on the high-context end of the scale.

? Those technologically advanced or developed countries (LC), those

underdeveloped or developing countries (HC); northern and western European countries, north American countries (LC), Asian countries, especially those influenced by Confucianism (儒家思想).

? (Cultures) Swiss-German, German, Scandinavian, United States, French,

English, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Arabic, Chinese and Japanese.

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6. 3 Feature Divergence Between HC and LC

? HC features preprogrammed information that is in the receiver and in the setting,

with only minimal information in the transmitted message. LC is the reverse. Most of the information must be in the transmitted message in order to make up for what is missing in the context.

? Programmed information: the unwritten and unspoken norms, values, and

ritualized manners and various nonverbal and contextual cues.

? HC: Covert and internalized; implicit code information; more nonverbalized

code; less externalized response; clear-cut between in- and out-group; close interpersonal relationship; high promise; flexible timetable

? LC: Overt and externalized; explicit code information; more verbalized code;

more externalized response; less distinction between in- and out- group; loose interpersonal relationship; low promise; strict-structured timetable

5. 4 Differences Between Interpersonal Conflicts in HC and LC

? The reasons for the conflict: In HC, conflicts arise from a desire to release

tension, usually generated from hostile feeling (expressive mode); in LC, conflicts stem from a difference in goals or practices (instrumental mode).

? The conditions: In HC, when the group’s normative expectations of behavior are

violated; in LC, when an individual’s expectation of appropriate behavior is being violated.

? The attitude: In HC, a non-confrontation, indirect attitude; confrontational,

direct attitude.

? The communication style: In HC, the use of emotional ,or affective message

(affective-intuitive style); in LC, Beginning with the important facts and inductively moving toward a conclusion (factual- inductive method), or beginning with a general principles and deduces the implications for specific situations (axiomatic- deductive method)

6.5 Oral Communication

? Many-layer Design vs Cutting-to-the-Core Strategy

(1) It took me a long while to learn the [Chinese] custom of starting with a little polite palaver, then sliding up to the problem and circumlocuting all around it, before actually identifying it and diffidently suggesting a solution… I considered it pussy-footing, over-emphasizing the saving of face, a fear of coming to grips with conflict. ( to Americans, messy and lack of precision)

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(2) A discourse should begin with a thesis or preview statement which provides the overall direction (to Chinese, aggressive and rude)

? Intuitive Apparentness vs Explicitness

(1) Feeling inside can be intuitively apparent and do not need to be, or can not be, articulated…on the rare occasion when they have to air their views, they will present only subtle suggestions instead of giving an explicit declaration (to Americans, vague)

(2) Feeling inside are not to be intuitively grasped and understood, but to be clearly verbalized and discussed (to Chinese, face-threatening)

? Indeterminacy vs Definite Conclusion

(1) I have been struck in conversation with Chinese by the way in which, in evolving a particular idea, they also take into account facts that are at variance with or contradict it. They will examine a case from every angle, but avoid any hasty, definite conclusion, preferring to confine themselves to any one sided idea.(to American, inefficiency and elusiveness)

(2) Americans believes that asserting themselves to in favor of or against other’s opinion helps communicators clarify the dispute and thus reach an agreement.( to Chinese, aggressive and ill-mannered)

6. 5 Written Communication

? The relative Writer & Reader Responsibility

The problem of how much responsibility the writer in fact assumes, and what sort of shared knowledge can in fact be assumed to exist in a situation in which a writer is composing in a language not his or her own

? Japanese writing (reader-responsibility); English writing (writer-responsibility);

Chinese writing (reader- responsibility to writer- responsibility)

? Chinese writer responsibility vs English reader responsibility

(1) Chinese Writing: In Chinese, writers feel little responsibility to make themselves unambiguously understood; It is readers that should shoulder the responsibility to sort out what the writers are talking; writer’s expectations that a reader has the personal imagination and resourcefulness to work out a thought translates into respect for the reader’s receptivity and participatory ability in fleshing out meaning…the reader is expected to grasp an understanding from the writer’s skilled accretion of detailed imagery; Uses of Set Phrases and Imitation --- absorption of a vast number of set phrases, proverbs, maxims and pieces of folklore; imitation of the style of the famous people (to American, flowery, trite, cliches-ridden and stealing)

(2) English writing: English writer see themselves as heavily responsible to the reader; it is their task to make explicit from the very beginning what they are talking about and where they are going; it is their responsibility to salt their texts with ample lexical and discoursal signals to facilitate the reader’s following in their tracks; it is their responsibility to conclude formally by

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reiterating the argument and summarizing the main points; Use their own words in their own ways, avoid repetition of others (to Chinese, aggressive, repetitive, rigid)

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Section Seven: Nonverbal Communication

Objectives:

? Understand the definition of nonverbal communication ? Understand different types of nonverbal communication ? Understand the functions of nonverbal behavior

? Understand differences in nonverbal behavior between Chinese culture and

American culture

7. 1 Defining Nonverbal Communication

? 1952 Birdwhistell Introduction to Kinesics Edward T. Hall,

The Silent Language, The Hidden Dimension, Beyond Culture, and The Dance of Life

? Generally Speaking, nonverbal behavior refers to the communication behavior

other than verbal behavior. (pitch, volume,rate, quality pause, hesitation etc. ---paralanguage)

? Nonverbal communication refers to the communication process in which

message transmitted( by one or more people) in nonlinguistic form or paralanguage is received (by one or more people)

7.2 The Branches of Nonverbal Communication Studies

? Chronemics (时间学)－studying the use and meaning of time

? Proxemics(空间学)－studying distance between persons and the use and

meaning of the space

? Kinesics(身势学)－studying facial expression, body movements and gestures

? Haptics(体触学)－studying the message transmitted by body contact

? Physical Appearance(外表)—studying people’s skin color, dressing, and shape

? Oculesics(目光学)－studying the message transmitted by eye contact, blinks,

eye movement and pupil dilation

? Paralanguage/Vocalics(副语言)－studying the message transmitted by

nonlinguistic elements in the sound

? Olfactics(嗅觉学)－studying the message transmitted by people’s smell

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? Time and space combined; kinesics (posture and body movements);

paralanguage (sound elements and functional sound); still silence (no action as well as no sound)

7. 3 Nonverbal Communication System

? The use of time and space

? Body behavior---posture and body movements

? Behavior of sound--- elements of sound, functional sound, and still silence

? Physical appearance---dressing, shape and skin color, use of artifacts, and smell

7. 4 Functions of Nonverbal Behavior

? Communication behavior: body language(270,000); facial expression(250.000);

message by facial expression(55%), by pitch(38%), and by verbal codes(7%)

? Functions of NB: Complementing; contradicting; repeating; regulating;

substituting; accenting (unconscious behavior)

7. 5 The Use of Time and Space

? Time: Monochronic time system and Polichronic time system

(1) Monochronic: strictly scheduled; (thought patterns)linear and highly framented; in industrialized countries; highly efficient, and respectful for privacy; inflexible

(2) Polychronic: slightly or not scheduled; (thought patterns)comprehensive, intuitive, and sensible; in underdeveloped countries; less efficient, and less respectful for privacy; flexible

? Space: distance between persons; private territory (1) Contact culture and noncontact culture

Mediterranean area; Jewish culture; East European countries and Russia; Indonesia; Latin AmericaScandinavian countries; Germany; Britain, America; Japanese

(2) Family; Public place; Office; Bank and Office; Elbow one’s way; Queue; Walk shoulder by shoulder; Hand in hand

(3) Talking: face to face; side by side; the two directions of a table corner Walking upstairs and down stairs

Walking into a lift or other public places Walking on the pavement Getting on a bus

Sitting at a dinner table

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7. 6 Numbers

? Favorable numbers: 8, 9

? Unfavorable number English: 13, 3,2 Chinese: 4

7. 7 Body Behavior

? Eye Contact and Facial Expression

Never trust a person who can’t look you in the eyes.

Staring, gaping---curiosity, sometimes surprise(Chinese); impolite, makes others embarrassed and self-conscious

? Gestures:

(1) Stamping one’s foot--- anger, irritation, frustration, and remorse(Chinese);impatience(American)

(2) Speaker or performer clapping at the same time the audience applauds---thank you and mutual positive feelings(Chinese); applauding oneself, improper, and immodest(American)

(3) Pat on head---Seldom used; occasionally adults may pat head of children to show affection; patting the head of a teenager or adult would cause displeasure and can be insulting(Chinese); giving comport, consolation or encouragement; also shows affection

(4) Come here---hand extended toward person, open palm, palm down, with all fingers crooked in a beckoning motion(Chinese); hand extended toward person, closed hand, palm up, with forefinger only moving back and forth(American)

(5) Sham on you---forefinger of one hand extended, tip touches one’s own face several times quickly; similar to scratching, but with the forefinger straight(Chinese); forefinger of each hand extended, palms down in front of one’s body; one forefinger makes several brushing movement over the back of the other forefinger

(6) I’m very full---one for both hands open, lightly patting one’s own stomach (Chinese); hand raised to throat, fingers extended, palm down

(7) Chewing one’s fingernails --- emotional stress, worried, doesn’t know what to do (American)

(8) Thumbing one’s nose---defiance, contempt

(9) Wagging one’s finger --- warning not to do something; indicating that what the other person is doing is wrong

(10) Thumb down --- rejection of a proposal, idea, person; no

(11) Winking --- understanding, approval, encouragement, trying to get across a message, solidarity

(13) Touching or pointing to tip of one’s own nose with raised forefinger---

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―It’s me‖ ―I’m the one‖ (Chinese)

(14) Using an open hand to cover one’s mouth while speaking --- to show

confidentiality and secrecy

(15) Using both hands in offering something to a visitor or another person ---

respect

(16) Upraised forefinger of each hand coming together in front of the body

until the two touch --- boy and girl in love; a good match

7.8 Behavior of Sound

? Elements of Sound

(1) Speed: the speaking speed of radio or television in both Britain and the US is faster than those in China

(2) Volume: Chinese usually speaks louder than American (3) Functional sounds (4) Still silence

? Specific cases

Unfavorable sound---impolite (American) Sounds in eating---impolite(American) Using hands to eat---unhealthy(Chinese) Laughing in a speech

Laughing when something unfavorable happens Crying in a funeral

7. 9 Physical Appreace

? Skin color ---white, black

? Moustache---razing everyday

? Fine hair over human body---razing often

? Hair---wig

? Fingernial

? Shape/ figure

? Dressing ---formal and informal

? Color---Red is lovable; green stands for hope and tranquil; pink is romantic;

brown is serious; white is pure; orange is generous; violet is mysterious; turquoise is strong; blue is feminine

? Red book; white elephant; green eyes; yellow book

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? Hat--- put off hat at home, no hat in bed (American);show respect for the dead ? Shoes--- put off shoes ? Smoking ? Drinking ? Umbrella ? Smell 28

Section Eight: The Dynamic Features of Present Chinese Culture

Objectives:

? Understand feature changes in present Chinese culture

8.1 The increase of individualism

8.2 The shift from monochronic time system to polychonice time system

8.3 The shift from High-context Culture to Low-context Culture

8.4 The shift from moral- appealing society to law- directed society

8.5 Highlighting the Strength and Eradicating the Evils in Chinese Culture

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Section Night: Increase Intercultural Awareness Toward an

Intercultural Personhood

Objectives:

? Understand the relativity of cultural differences

? Understand the dichotomous trends of localization and globalization of cultures

? Understand the advisable ways to increase intercultural awareness and reduce

intercultural conflicts

9. 1 The Relativity of Cultural Differences

? ―Culture, though diversified, distinguish one another not in nature but in degree;

all cultures bear the characteristics of HC and LC which vary merely in proportion in any two cultures; one culture may be in favor of HC, yet it still contains a less proportion of LC…‖ (Wu Aizhen)

? ―I love you‖ in Chinese

? ―The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over A Lazy Dog‖

9. 2 Localization and Globalization of Cultures

? Globalizations:

(1) Chinese culture adopts features of American culture:the changes of Chinese culture

(2) American culture adopts features of Chinese culture: Speaking in a straightforward way does not necessarily mean honesty and those who are thoughtful of others and do not always call a spade a spade should be appreciated; ―the underprivileged‖ for the poor and ―the involuntarily leisured‖ for the unemployed

? Localization: Each culture tries evey hard to resist the influence of other

cultures in dominant position

9. 3 Toward an Intercultural Personhood

? Increase intercultural awareness

(1) Watch carefully and be ready to ask foreigners what surprises you

(2) Pay attention to the cultural information embedded when you are reading literary works

(3) Dig up as much cultural information as possible from English movie and

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television series

? Two principles to follow

(1) The principle of never ever imposing any culture upon another culture without its selection

(2) The principle of letting people live as they so choose

? Reduce cultural shock as much as you can

Cultural adjustment----Two W

The adjustment process in a new culture: 1)Honeymoon period; 2) Cultural shock; 3) Initial adjustment; 4) Mental isolation; 5) Acceptance and integration. The ―Re-entry‖ Adjustment Process: 5)Acceptance and integration; 6) Return anxiety; 7) Return honeymoon; 8)Re-entry shock; 9) Re-integration.

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television series

? Two principles to follow

(1) The principle of never ever imposing any culture upon another culture without its selection

(2) The principle of letting people live as they so choose

? Reduce cultural shock as much as you can

Cultural adjustment----Two W

The adjustment process in a new culture: 1)Honeymoon period; 2) Cultural shock; 3) Initial adjustment; 4) Mental isolation; 5) Acceptance and integration. The ―Re-entry‖ Adjustment Process: 5)Acceptance and integration; 6) Return anxiety; 7) Return honeymoon; 8)Re-entry shock; 9) Re-integration.

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