Although language and verbal and nonverbal communication were the main themes covered in Module 5, it is important to expand on them on this section. Communication issues are some of the biggest barriers for people trying to engage within a new cultural setting.
Language Differences
There is a steep learning curve to understanding and being understood in a new language, especially if you are starting from zero. Once you begin to interact with others in the local language, there are misunderstandings due to structure, informal usage (e.g., idioms, slang), formal registers, word choice, reliance on using the same words, etc. The one positive to this is that at least you are aware of the barrier, as are your language hosts.
In the case of having working knowledge, proficiency or even native fluency, there is still the need to navigate local dialects, tones, direct and indirect communication styles, inferences, and nuanced or multiple meanings of words and phrases.
Cultural Snapshot
Picking up vocabulary is difficult when learning a new language, but this is magnified by words that carry multiple meanings. For example:
- German has three genders, male (der), female (die), and neuter (das). All nouns are assigned genders, but this can cause confusion when you forget or choose the incorrect gender. While der Stift means ‘pen’, das Stift, as one translation, refers to a ‘monastery’. Die Lieter refers to a ‘ladder’, while der Lieter can mean ‘leader’ or ‘manager’.
- In Mandarin, it is important to know the communication context. The word 提醒 (tíxǐng) can mean both ‘warn’ and ‘remind’, and the word 加油 (jiāyóu) is something you’ll see at a service station which literally means ‘add oil’. It is also a phrase of encouragement meaning, “come on (you can do it)”, or ‘endure’.
- Depending on what Spanish speaking country you are in, the word coche refers to a ‘car’ in Spain, a slang term for ‘pig’ in Guatemala, and a ‘baby stroller’ in Chile.
- ちょっと (Chotto) is a very versatile word in Japanese. It means ‘a little’, but has several uses which, in different contexts, shifts its meaning to ‘a while’, ‘a moment’, ‘rather’, and ‘pretty’. It can also be used to say ‘no’ in a subtle or ambiguous way.
Discussion:
Read the following statements and make a note of your initial sensory reaction. Is it something that you would enjoy, not enjoy, etc.? Be prepared to discuss your reasons.
Nonverbal Misunderstandings
Sensory experiences:
We experience sensory information differently across cultures. We see, hear, feel, smell, and taste things with cultural subjectivity. We receive messages and interpret and evaluate them through our cultural filters. We also learn to pay attention to, or desensitize ourselves to different external stimuli to adapt to our environment, and function ‘normally’ within our cultural groups.
Exercise
Nonverbal cues:
While observation may be a simple process, it can be quite difficult to understand the meaning behind nonverbal signs and symbols without support from local cultural members.
Communication barriers exist because gestures, facial expressions, and other body movements can be completely different from the ones we are used to. Even if similar, they may differ in meaning from our own cultural interpretations. It is more difficult to correctly interpret the nonverbal codes of other cultures that are less obvious such as the handling of time, space, and the subtle signs of respect or formality.