Verbal Intercultural Communication

1. Verbal Intercultural Communication

2. The Power of Language in Intercultural Communication • Language is learned unconsciously, without awareness, and is too often taken for granted. • It is usually when people speak their language to those who do not understand it or when they struggle to become competent in another language that they recognize language’s central role in the ability to function, to accomplish tasks, and most important, to interact with others.

3. Definition of Verbal Codes and Features of Language • Verbal means “consisting of words” either spoken (oral) or written (non-oral). • A verbal codeis defined as a set of rules about the use of words in the creation of messages. • Symbolsare words, actions, or objects that stand for or represent a unit of meaning. • Phonologyrefers to the rules of language for combining phonemes (Ex. The word cat has three phonemes: [k], [a], [t]. These can be rearranged to form other combinations, such as act, tack, or tka. • basic units of sound). • Morphologyrefers to the rules of language for combining phonemes to form morphemes, which are the smallest units of meaning. (root words, affixes, parts of speech, intonations and stresses) (comfort = one morpheme. Comfort-ed = two. Un-comfort-able = three.)

4. Definition of Verbal Codes and Features of Language • Semantics refers to the study of the meanings of words. • Denotative meanings are the more public, objective, dictionary-based meanings. • Connotative meanings are the more personal, emotionally charged, private, individually-based meanings. • Syntactics refers to the study of the relationship of the words to one another. (ex. “On by the book desk door is the the” wrong order). • Pragmatics refers to the study of how language is actually used and the effect that language has on human perceptions and behaviors. (ex. Pragmatically, we understand that when someone at dinner asks, “Is there any salt?” We should give the person the salt shaker, rather than to simply answer “yes.”

5. Definition of Verbal Codes and Features of Language • PRAGMATICS: • In Chinese culture, if I am a dinner guest at someone’s home, and they keep putting more food on my plate, but I’m full, how should I respond? • Say, “Oh, I can’t eat any more. I’m full.” • Leave the food on the plate and simply stop eating. • Just keep eating.

6. Interpretation and intercultural communication • Distinguishing between translation and interpretation • Translation is the use of verbal signs of one language to understand the verbal signs of another language. • Interpretation is the oral process of moving from one code to another. • Translation equivalence is used to describe the process of trying to translate and represent a source language as closely as possible.

7. Interpretation and intercultural communication • Types of equivalence • Vocabulary equivalence—finding a word in the target language that has the same meaning in the source language. • Idiomatic equivalence—expressions that have a meaning contrary to the usual meanings of the words. (ex. “Eat your heart out,” or “What’s up?”) • Experiential equivalence—words that have meaning within the experiential framework of the receiver. (ex. To ppl who have never seen a television, the phrase “I’m going to stay home and watch television” would have no meaning. / Some cultures have no clocks, so “clock” would have no meaning.” • Conceptual equivalence—how different cultures define reality. (ex. The word “good” can refer to differing concepts depending on cultural values.)

8. Language, Thought, Culture, and Intercultural Communication • Every language has unique features and ways of allowing those who speak it to identify specific objects and experiences. • The linguistic features of a language help distinguish it from others. • Linguistic features affect how speakers of a language perceive and experience the world. • The theory of linguistic relativity examines relationships among language, thought, culture, and intercultural communication.

9. Language, Thought, Culture, and Intercultural Communication • The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis of linguistic relativity • Two versions of the hypothesis have been propounded: a “firmer” or deterministic version and a “softer” version of the relationship between language and thought. • The “firmer” view holds that language functions like a prison, meaning that once people learn a language they are irrevocably affected by its particulars. • The “softer” view holds that language shapes how people think and experience their world, but that this influence is not unceasing.

10. Language, Thought, Culture, and Intercultural Communication • The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis of linguistic relativity • Variations in vocabulary influence perception. • Some languages have fewer or more words for particular features of the environment (ex. 50 words for snow), influencing how people perceive objects and actions around them. • There are variations in how languages distinguish colors, influencing how people perceive colors in their environment. (ex. If the same word for Blue and Green– do they perceive differences between blue and green?) • Variations in languages reflect what individual cultures believe is important to their members or for their members to know.

11. Language, Thought, Culture, and Intercultural Communication • The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis of linguistic relativity • Variations in linguistic grammars highlight the relationship among language, thought, and culture. • Languages allow, and to a certain extent force, speakers to display respect for others. • Languages with features that make the speakers decide whether to show respect and social status to others are constant reminders of those characteristics of social interactions

12. Language, Thought, Culture, and Intercultural Communication • The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis of linguistic relativity • Linguistic relativity and intercultural communication • Because language provides categories for making sense of the world, we perceive the world in particular ways. • When categories are vastly different, people will have difficulty communicating.

13. Language and intercultural communication • Language, ethnic group identity, and dominance • Language is used to identify people in a group by members of a group and by outsiders of the group. • Some languages survive over time while others do not. • Language plays an active role in the relationship of one culture to another- if we desire to interact, we will adapt. If we don’t want to interact, we will heighten differences in language. • People also make a positive or negative evaluation about the language others use; some languages (or accents) are more respected than others.

14. Language and intercultural communication • Alternative versions of a language imply that no language is spoken precisely the same way by all who use it. • Dialects are versions of a language with distinctive vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation that are spoken by particular groups of people, or within particular regions. • Accents are distinguishable marks of pronunciation. • Jargon refers to a set of words or terms that are shared by those with a common profession or experience. • Argot (“are-go”) refers to a specialized language that is used by a large group within a culture to define the boundaries of the group (ex. gang members).

15. Language and intercultural communication • Code switching refers to the selection of the language to be used in a particular interaction by individuals who can speak multiple languages. • The interaction setting influences the decision to use a particular code. • One’s conversational partners influence the decision to use a particular code.

16. Verbal Codes and Intercultural Competence • The study of a foreign language is extraordinarily useful in understanding the role of differences in verbal codes in intercultural communication. • Learning a foreign language teaches much about the culture of those who use it. • Learning another language can lead to an appreciation of those who are struggling to communicate in second or third languages.

17. Discussion Questions • Is accurate translation and interpretation from one language to another possible? • What are some of the reasons why it would be beneficial to become proficient in a second or third language? For those who speak multiple languages, when are each of them used? That is, in what places, relationships, or settings do you use each of them? • If you could construct an ideal society, would it be one in which everyone spoke the same language? Or does a society in which people speak different languages offer greater advantages?