1. Intercultural Verbal Communication
Session 3
Intercultural
Verbal Communication

2. the ability to build
and manipulate language and other
symbolic codes
What sets humankind apart from other animals is______________ ____________________________ ______________________
Language is important to human activity because it is how we reach out to make contact with others.
人类区别于动物的最大特征是创造和使用语言的能力。

3. What is language?
Language is a set of symbols and the rules for combining those symbols that are used and understood by a large community to people.
A language is a symbolic code of communication consisting of a set of sounds (phonetics) with understood meanings and a set of rules (grammar) for constructing messages.
语言是人类特有的用来表情达意的工具，有语音、词汇和语法构成。

4. Cultural Literacy: Turkey (Case study)
An American magazine editor was hosting a group of Chinese when one of them said, “Please explain what is a turkey.”
The editor launched into a lengthy explanation of the ugly American bird that has become the centerpiece at American Thanksgiving tables. Then, of course, he had to explain about the American holiday, Thanksgiving.
The Chinese waited patiently and then replied, “Well, I still don’t understand what is meant when you Americans say ‘Come on, you turkey. Let’s get moving.’” (bird/a person considered clumsy or undesirable)

5. Turkey
1 （a） [C] large bird reared to be eaten, esp at Christmas or Thanksgiving 吐绶鸡; 火鸡.
（b） [U] its flesh as food （食用的）火鸡肉: 　　★ a slice of roast turkey
一片烤火鸡肉.
2 [C] (US sl 俚) failure; flop 失败; 失败的人或事物: 　　★ His last movie was a real turkey.
他最后的那部影片一塌糊涂.

6. Turkey talk `turkey (infml 口 esp US) talk frankly and bluntly 说话坦率.
cold `turkey (sl 俚 esp US) （a） way of treating a drug addict by suddenly stopping all his doses of the drug instead of gradually reducing them 使有毒瘾者突然停用毒品而不是逐渐减少剂量的处理方法. （b） frank statement of the truth, often about sth unpleasant 直言不讳; 照实说: ★ talk cold turkey to/with sb 对[与]某人直言不讳.

7. Items with different cultural meanings
Bomb:
Her new play bombed after only three nights. 她的新戏只演出三晚就演不下去.
[US context: (out) fail 惨败 ]
The project went like a bomb.
[British context: go like a bomb:
be very successful 非常成功 ]

8. Items with different cultural meanings
Table:
【1】 (Brit) submit (a motion or report in Parliament, etc) for discussion
（在国会等）提出（动议或报告）供讨论: ★ The Opposition have tabled several amendments to the bill. 反对党已对议案提出几项修正. 【2】 (esp US) leave (a proposal, etc) to be discussed at some future date 将（建议等）搁置, 留待日后讨论. ★ Let’s table the bill for some time. 这个议案我们留到以后讨论。

9. knock sb up 【a】 (Brit. infml ) awaken sb by knocking on his door, etc 【b】 ( sl. esp US) make (a woman) pregnant
Joke appreciation
An old American lady went to a British hotel for her holiday. She called the receptionist to arrange a morning call.
“Could you please wake me up at 6:00 tomorrow morning?”
“Sure, I’ll knock you up then.”
The woman ran into rage and shouted,
“I beg your pardon?”
Why did the woman take such a reaction?

10. Which is British? Which is American?
No dogs allowed.
Video controlled.
Please keep Hands Off Door.
We regret that in the interest of hygiene, dogs are not allowed on these premises.
American
American
British
British
British English is mixed with euphemism that enables the speaker to avoid expressing strong feelings.

11. Which is British? Which is American?
Notice: In the interest of our regular customers these premises are now equipped with central security closed circuit television.
Obstructing the door causes delay and can be dangerous.
There is just one thing in all that you have been saying that worries me a little.
British
American
British

12. You Americans do not even know who your grandfather is!
Why so?
You Americans do not even know who your grandfather is!
Short history
You Frenchmen do not even know who your father is!
Romantic country

13. Short history History  tradition  rules to obey  obstacles
Monkeys in cage

14. Short history More examples: uniformity vs. variety
Schedule [ `FedVul ] , [ ‘skedVUl ]
clerk [ klE:k], [ klB:k]
Have you a book? Do you have a book?
I Suggest you stay here.
I suggest you should stay here.

15. Language and Memory Look at the following pictures
Language and Memory Look at the following pictures. Try to find out what they are.
Curtain Hat Two

16. language is influenced by people’s perception of the world
Gestalt Theory

17. Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis 萨丕尔－沃尔夫假说
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. … 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. (Sapir,1931)

18. 萨丕尔－沃尔夫
… that the linguistic system (in other words, the grammar) of each language is not merely a reproducing instrument for voicing ideas but rather is itself the shaper of ideas, the program and guide for the individual’s mental activity, for his analysis of impression, for his synthesis of his mental stock in trade …
(Whorf, 1952)

19. 萨丕尔－沃尔夫假说
语言反过来对文化和思维也产生影响。最早提出语言对思维方式有影响的是萨丕尔和沃尔夫。他们认为语言的作用不仅是传递信息。而且在实际生活中塑造了我们对客观现实的感知，即语言结构能举鼎使用该语言者的思维方式，各种不同语言的结构导致使用这些语言的人以不同的方法去观察世界。
“语言相对论” 或 “语言决定论”
至今没有足够的依据可以证实萨丕尔－沃尔夫假说

20. Basis of Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
Sapir and Whorf based their hypothesis on the research on the Indian language – Navajo, which emphasizes the nature and direction of movement.
1）English: One dresses.
Navajo: One moves into clothing.
2) English: One is young.
Navajo: One moves about newly.

21. Language is a guide to social reality
Language is not only a means of reporting experience, but also a way of defining experience.
Our native language shapes all our perceptions of the world.
Brother-in-law: my sister’s husband, my husband’s brother, and my husband’s sisters’ husbands. (I am led by my language to perceive all of these relatives in a similar way.)
姐夫 妹夫 大伯 小叔子 姑爷 （I am led by my language not to perceive all of these relatives in a similar way.)

22. More examples Grandson 孙、 外孙
How did Lin Daiyu（林黛玉） and Jia Baoyu （贾宝玉）relate to Grandma Jia？ Did the old lady equally love both of them? Did she treat them as if they were equally important to her?
我来自新华社。
I am with Xinhua News Agency.
*I am from Xinhua News Agency.

23. Language as reflection of values
Chinese family: big and hierarchical (等级森严）
Chinese kinship terms reflect the importance of our family system, elaborate system of kinship terms. 祖母、外祖母 、哥哥、弟弟、
年长（哥哥 more authorities than 弟弟）
长子、长孙 【inherit the money, the house, etc. the heir（继承财产 ）】create different associations and images

24. Writing assignments
[Choose one of the questions to write about.]
Imagine a language that has no such word as jealousy, will we experience this kind of emotion if we are native speakers of that language?
Imagine a language that has 25 words for love in all its subtle variations, will we be able to love more deeply if we are native speakers of that language?

25. Summary: language and culture
Language is a reflection of culture, and culture is a reflection of language.
Culture influences language by way of symbols and rules for using those symbols, as well as our perceptions of the universe (the meaning associated with the symbols).
Language, on the other hand, would seem to have a major impact on the way an individual perceives and conceptualizes the world.

26. What is verbal communication
Verbal: connected with words and their use
Verbal communication: communication done both orally and in written language
People within the same culture find it easier to use words to represent their experiences because they share many similar experiences.
Verbal communication becomes more troublesome across cultures because people’s experiences, beliefs, values, customs, traditions and the like are different.

27. Verbal Communication
----Sometimes we think about this but talk about that.

29. The same language code can be interpreted in different ways.
case
Two Japanese who knew some Chinese were one day at a Beijing subway station. They saw a warning sign which read: Xiaoxin di hua! (小心地滑）They were very much surprised to see that nobody around them was skating, though the floor was really very smooth.
In a laundry, when a man saw the sign “when light flashes, remove clothes”, he took off all his clothes when the machine finished and flashed the light, which caused screams from the neighbor lady.

30. 1. Lexical Meaning and Culture
Denotation ( Dictionary meaning)
Lexical meaning
Connotation ( inferred meaing)
从事政治、关心政治，特别是以政治为生涯的
人(a person whose business is politics)
politician
不讲原则，当面一套，背后一套，能言善辩，
言而无信的人(a person who doesn’t usually keep his
promises, often cheats for his own selfish purpose)
statesman
Baby-kisser

31. Lexical meaning in different cultures
1)AD=BD, AC=BC
(same denotation and connotation in
culture A and B)
2) AD = BD, AC ‡ BC
(same denotation, different connotation)
3) AD = BD, AC ‡ 0, BC = 0
(same denotation, A with connotation, B
without connotation)

32. 1) AD = BD, AC = BC Fox and “狐狸” Monkey and “猴”
Cunning, sly
Fox and “狐狸”
Monkey and “猴”
“松” in China and Japan (“岁寒知松柏，逆境见本色”)
“蝙蝠” in China, Japan and Korea
red-light district
naughty, lively
longevity, perseverance
Luck, fortune
大家都清楚！！

33. More Examples in the red as white as snow strike while the iron is hot
“凤凰”（phoenix）
in the red
as white as snow
strike while the iron is hot
An overwhelming majority of items luckily belong to this group, which enables us to communicate cross cultures. All in all, we are all human beings.

34. 2) AD = BD, AC ‡ BC 龙 dragon 狗 dog 鸡 chicken
* 狗急跳墙、狗仗人势、狼心狗肺、鸡鸣狗盗、狗头军师
* You lucky dog.
Every dog has its day.
He worked like a dog.
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
鸡 chicken
“You chicken!” he shouted at Mary with contempt. And Mary cried bitterly.

35. Red flag
red `flag 【1】 flag used as a symbol of danger, eg on roads, railways, etc （表示危险的）红色信号旗（如用于公路、 铁路等）. 【2】 symbol of revolution or communism （象征革命或共产主义的）红旗.

36. “猫头鹰”（owl）
/ aUl; aJl/ ［n］ 【1】 bird of prey that flies at night and feeds on small animals, eg mice, and is traditionally regarded as a symbol of wisdom 猫头鹰（传统上认为是聪明的象征）. 【2】 (idm 习语) wise as an owl.

37. Are they the same? “爱人” （lover) “玩” （play) “知识分子” (intellectual)
“农民”（peasant）
“小姐” （miss）
“同志” （comrade）

38. 红糖 红茶 眼红 红白喜事 清白 白眼 黑客 黄色书刊
Try to translate the following Chinese phrase into English and English ones into Chinese.
红糖 红茶 眼红 红白喜事
清白 白眼 黑客 黄色书刊
black tea
brown sugar
Weddings & funerals
jealous
innocent
hacker
Porno
(pornography)
supercilious look

39. More Examples a blue Monday a white lie a green wound yellow pages
a black eye
red-letter days
This group of items usually cause misunderstanding in inter-cultural communication.

40. 3) AD = BD, AC ‡ 0, BC = 0 “松、柏、鹤、桃” （pine, cypress, crane, peach）
“梅、兰、竹、菊” （plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum）
“13”
“九”
文学典籍中特殊人物形象
e.g. 唐僧、猪八戒、孙悟空、潘金莲、林黛玉、张飞
Cinderella, Shylock
This group of words often bring obstacles in understanding, thus causing failures in inter-cultural communication.

41. 2. Pragmatic Rules(语用规则) and Culture
1）Addressing
*先生、小姐、同志、师傅
Mr. Mrs. Miss Ms. “Excuse me.”
*“Old Zhang” “Little Li”
Cf. 在英语国家，用姓作称谓只限于很少的几种情况，例如：在小学里教师对学生，教练对球员，监狱看守对于囚犯。
*“李局” “Senior Engineer”
*老师

42. 2) Invitation “We must get together soon.”(我们一定得聚聚。)
“Come over for dinner next Saturday night.”
A: Hi, B.
B: Hi.
A: When are we going to get together?
B: We really should.
A: You know my office number. Just give me a call.
B: Okay.
A: Good. So long.
B: Bye.

43. 3) On the phone
What’s the difference for Chinese people and American people to receive a phone?
“我们首先发现的是在[电话]谈话的开头有一连串的‘hello’，双方都不说明自己的身份。在第二个来回当中，打电话的人要求接电话的人说明身份，这一要求遭到对方拒绝。反过来，接电话的人问打电话的人的身份，而打电话的人并不回答这一问题，相反却开始猜对方的身份。接电话的人也试图猜出对方是谁。在双方的猜测被证实以后，谈话通过一系列问候和答问进行，直到六个来回之后才正式提出谈话的主题，或者至少打电话一方表示他有问题需要提出。住在埃及的外国人普遍反应是电话谈话毫无规律可循。”
（社会语言学家Schmidt对埃及人的215次电话谈话作出研究）

44. Case Study: What’s wrong here?
4) To apologize
Case Study: What’s wrong here?
In Japan, Richard, an engineer from the United States, has an unpleasant 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.

45. 3.Thinking patterns and culture
Some people tend to adopt analytical thinking patterns. They tend to analyze and dissect things into elements in order to understand them properly. Their emphasis is upon the parts rather than the whole of things.
Some people employ synthetic thinking patterns. They tend to synthesize elements into a unit, with the emphasis on the “whole”.

46. If an analyst met with a synthesizer, the communication may turn out to be a disaster.

47. How different thinking patterns affect our life?
Western medicine Vs traditional Chinese medicine
Western cooking
Different views on contracts
Westerners value objectivity, specificity and precision and make sense of the world by reasoning and analyzing.
Chinese are more subjective and value intuition a lot, through which they get an insight into things around them.

48. 4. Communication Styles and Culture
Compare the following two spoken discourse and decide which one might be given by a Chinese and which by an American.

49. Because most of our production is done in China now, and it’s not really certain how Hong Kong will be like after 1997, and since I think a certain amount of caution in committing to TV advertisement is necessary because of the expense, I suggest that we delay making our decision until after Legco makes its decision.
B. I suggest that we delay making our decision until after Legco makes its decision. That’s because I think a certain amount of caution in committing to TV advertisement is necessary because of the expense. In addition to that, most of our production is done in China now, and it’s not really certain how Hong Kong will be like after 1997.
Inductive pattern (topic delayed)
deductive pattern (topic first)

50. Different Communication Styles
2）东方：归纳法（个别→一般） VS
西方：演绎（一般→个别）
induction (specific → general)
deduction (general → specific)

51. Compare the written discourse
Why is English important to scientists
A.Today English has been the most wide-used language. When a scientist draws a conclusion after a long period of study, he wants to let other people know his discovery. How should he do? If he writes the paper in his native language, only some persons understand it. If he writes in English, then more persons will know it. So other scientists may discuss it and make different opinion. It is good for the development of the science field. To other scientists, they can get news about their study. English, as a useful tool, is helpful for the scientists to communicate the information. If every scientist knows about English, he can see other’s opinion without difficulty. So English is important to scientists.

52. Compare the written discourse
B. Synonyms, words that have the same basic meaning, do not always have the same emotional meaning. For example, the words “stingy” and “frugal” both mean “careful with money”. However, to call a person stingy is an insult, while the word frugal has a much more positive connotation. Similarly, a person wants to be slender but not skinny, and aggressive, but not pushy. Therefore, you should be careful in choosing words because many so-called synonyms are not really synonyms at all.

53. Chinese Inductive? American deductive?
In the east, people sometimes adopt the deductive pattern. (in a close relationship or relatively equal status)
In the west, people do not exclude the use of inductive pattern. (borrow money, or ask for a big, embarrassing favor)
In both the east and west, the person in a higher status tends to use the deductive pattern while the one in a lower status tends to use the inductive pattern.
Politeness makes some points here!

54. That’s all for today!