下载文档原格式
Unit 1Communication Across CulturesWarm UpQuestions1. Why is it difficult to explain to a blind person what colors are?2. Do you sometimes find it hard to make yourself properly understood by others? If you do, why do you think it is hard?It is very difficult for people to understand one another if they do not s hare the same experiences. Of course, we all share the experience of being human, but there are many experiences which we do not share and which are different for all of us. It is these different experiences thatmake up what is called ―culture‖ in the social sciences －the habits of everyday life, the cues towhich people respond, the automatic reactions they have to whatever they see and hear. These often differ, and the differences may introduce misunderstandings where we seek understanding.Reading IIntercultural Communication：An IntroductionComprehension questions1. Is it still often the case that“everyone‟s quick to blame the alien”in the contemporary world?This is still powerful in today‘s social and political rhetoric. For instance, it is notuncommon intoday‘s society to hear people say that most, if not all, of the social and economic problems arecaused by minorities and immigrants.2. What‟s the difference between today‟s intercultural contact and that of any time in the past?Today‘s intercultural encounters are far more numerous and of greater importancethan in anytime in history.3. What have made intercultural contact a very common phenomenon in our life today?New technology, in the form of transportation and communication systems, has accelerated intercultural contact; innovative communication systems have encouraged and facilitated cultural interaction; globalization of the economy has brought peopletogether; changes in immigration patterns have also contributed to intercultural encounter.4. How do you understand the sentence“culture is everything and everywhere”? Culture supplies us with the answers to questions about what the world looks like and how we live and communicate within that world. Culture teaches us how to behave in our life from the instant of birth. It is omnipresent.5. What are the major elements that directly influence our perception and communication?The three major socio-cultural elements that directly influence perception and communication are cultural values, worldview (religion), and social organizations (family and state).6. What does one‟s family teach him or her while he or she grows up in it?The family teaches the child what the world looks like and his or her place in that world.7. Why is it impossible to separate our use of language from our culture?Because language is not only a form of preserving culture but also a means of sharing culture. Language is an organized, generally agreed-upon, learned symbol system that is used to represent the experiences within a cultural community.8. What are the nonverbal behaviors that people can attach meaning to?People can attach meaning to nonverbal behaviors such as gestures, postures, facial expressions, eye contact and gaze, touch, etc.9. How can a free, culturally diverse society exist?A free, culturally diverse society can exist only if diversity is permitted to flourish without prejudice and discrimination, both of which harm all members of the society.Discovering Problems: Slim Is Beautiful?Questions for discussionWhich do you think is the mark of beauty, thin or fat? Why is it often said that beauty is in the eye of beholder?One sociologist once said that with the greater influence of American culture across the world, the standard of a beauty is becoming more and more Hollywood-like, characterized by a chiseled chin and a tall, slim figure. One can see such beautiful images in almost any American movie. We Chinese also share the notion that the standard idea of beauty includes being tall, thin, and light skinned. It seems that with the process of globalization, eastern and western beauties look more and more alike.But we have to remember that the definition of beauty differs from culture to culture. For example, Hispanic standards of female beauty are to have big hips, a moderate tan, and a short height. As is described in the article, in southeastern Nigeria,Coca-Cola-bottle voluptuousness is celebrated and ample backsides and bosoms are considered ideals of female beauty.What‘s more, the ideal standard of beauty varies from time to time. For instance, during timesof famine, the ideal standard of beauty for women is a much larger body size. Larger size and more body fat may reflect one‘s status; for it suggests that the person is well fed and healthy. Thinness then would reflect malnutrition. However, during times of plenty, plumpness is not a reflection ofstatus. People may easily associate fatness with hypertension, heart disease o r other potential diseases. Likewise, during eras in which lower-class labors had to toil predominantly outside for hours a day, tanned skin was an indication of lower status, and therefore the ideal standard of female beauty was very pale skin; women during those times actually used a lot of white powdered cosmetics to exaggerate the paleness of their skin. Now, however, tan is a reflection of having more leisure time spent on seashores instead of working in an office all the time, and therefore it may suggest higher status, so women strive for darker skin tones.It is true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder because people of different cultures and in different situations may have different ideas about what is beautiful and what is not.Group WorkFirst share with your group member whatever experiences you have had in communication events that can be considered as intercultural. Then work together to decide whether each of the following cases of communication is possibly intercultural or not and, if it is, to what extent it is intercultural. Try to place all the cases along a continuum of interculturalness, from the most intercultural to the least intercultural.All the cases may seem to be intercultural but they differ in the extent to which they are intercultural. However it may be very difficult for us to place all these cases along a continuum of interculturalness from the most intercultural to the least intercultural, for many other factors have to be taken into consideration if we have to decide whichis more intercultural than another. For instance, whether communication between a male manager and a female secretary is intercultural or not and, if it is, how intercultural it may be, may depend on the cultural and social backgrounds of the two persons. If they are from drastically different cultures, communication between them is surelyintercultural and may be very intercultural. If they are from the same culture, communication between them may be little intercultural.The following is tentatively suggested for measuring the interculturalness of the cases of communication, and the cases are presented from the most intercultural to the least intercultural:Communication between a Chinese university student and an American professor; Communication between a Canadian girl and a South African boy; Communication between a first-generation Chinese American and third generation one; Communication between a businessperson from Hong Kong and an artist from Xian; Communication between a teenager from Beijing and a teenager from Tibet;Communication between a father who is a farmer all his life and his son who works as an engineer;Communication between a software technician and a fisherman;Communication between a male manager and a female secretary (supposing they are of the similar cultural and social backgrounds) .DebateThe class is to be divided into two groups and debate on the two different views mentioned in thefollowing on intercultural communication. State your point of view clearly a nd support your argument with convincing and substantive evidence.Pro: People are people; more interactions would lead to greater understandi ng of each other.（Commonality precedes）Con: People are shaped by different environments they find themselves in, therefore, the difference overrides. (Differences precedes)Possible Arguments for Pro:1. Human beings tend to draw close to one another by their common nature. We all share the common basic needs.2. Rapid expansion of worldwide transportation and communication networks have made it far easier than ever before for people throughout the world to contact with one another.3. The process of globalization may reduce the regional differences between people all over the world. We are all members of the ―global village‖.4. Economic interdependence in today‘s world requires people of different countries to interact onan unprecedented scale, and more interaction will result in more similarity among people.5. More and more people from various cultures have to work and live together and they will adapt to each other to such an extent that cultural differences between them may no longer matter.Possible Arguments for Con:1. People throughout the world may be similar in many aspects, but differences in habits and customs keep them apart.2. Though the basic human needs are universally the same, people all over the world satisfy their basic common human needs in different ways.3. As our society is becoming more and more diversified, differences between people tend to grow larger in some aspects.4. It is differences between people that underlie the necessity of communication, and it does not follow that communication which may increase the possibility of understanding between people will always reduce differences.5. People nowadays are more likely to try to maintain their unique cultural identities when they find themselves living closely with people of other cultures.From the two seemingly opposite viewpoints, we can learn something that we should keep in mind when we are involved in intercultural communication. First, all human beings share some common heritages that link us to one another. To some extent, people throughout the world are pretty much alike in many aspects, and that has formed the very basis on which it is possible for people of various cultures to communicate. However, what we have to realize is that there are also vast differences between people from various cultural groups. To really understand a person whose cultural background is different from yours can be very difficult, for both you and that person maybe subconsc iously influenced by each one‘s own cultural upbringing. In a sense, what we should doin intercultural communication is to treat people of other cultures both as the same with and as different from us.Reading IIThe Challenge of GlobalizationComprehension questions1. Why does the author say that our understanding of the world has changed?Many things, such as political changes and technological advances, have changed the world very rapidly. In the past most human beings were born, lived, and died within a limited geographical area, never encountering people of other cultural backgrounds. Suchan existence, however, no longer prevails in the world. Thus, all people are faced with the challenge of understanding this changed and still fast changing world in which we live.2. What a“global village”is like?As our world shrinks and its inhabitants become interdependent, people from remote cultures increasingly come into contact on a daily basis. Ina ―global village‖, members of once isolated groups of people have to communicate with members of other cultural groups. Those people maylive thousands of miles away or right next door to each other.3. What is considered as the major driving force of the post-1945 globalization? Technology, particularly telecommunications and computers are considered to be the major driving force.4. What does the author mean by saying that“the…global‟may be more local than the …local‟”?The increasing global mobility of people and the impact of new electronic media on human communications make the world seem smaller. We may communicate more with people of other countries than with our neighbors, and we may be more informed of the international events than of the local events. In this sense, ―the ‗global‘ may be more local than the ‗local‘‖.5. Why is it important for businesspeople to know diverse cultures in the world? Effective communication may be the most important competitive advantage that firms have tomeet diverse customer needs on a global basis. Succeeding in the global market today requires the ability to communicate sensitively with people from other cultures, a sensitivity that is based on an understanding of cross-cultural differences.6. What are the serious problems that countries throughout the world are confronted with?Countries throughout the world are confronted with serious problems such as volatile international economy, shrinking resources, mounting environmental contamination, and epidemics that know no boundaries.7. What implications can we draw from the case of Michael Fay?This case shows that in a world of international interdependence, the ability to understand and communicate effectively with people from other cultures takes on extreme urgency. If we are unaware of the significant role culture plays in communication, we may place the blame for communication failure on people of other cultures.8. What attitudes are favored by the author towards globalization?Globalization, for better or for worse, has changed the world greatly. Whether we like it or not, globalization is all but unstoppable. It is already here to stay. It is both a fact and an opportunity. The challenges are not insurmountable. Solutions exist, and are waitingto be identified and implemented. From a globalistic point of view, there is hope and faith in humanity.WritingRead the following and then try to write a short essay on what one has to learn to get prepared for working and living in a new cultural environment.There seems to be so much that one can do to get oneself well prepared for working and living in a new cultural environment. Apart from what is mentioned in the passage, the following may be what a person in Anna‘s situation should also try to do:1. Learning the language that is used in the new cultural environment.2. Learning about the history and present social situation of the area or the country.3. Learning about the dominant religious belief and some important social customs.4. Learning about the cultural uses of nonverbal means including time and space for communication.5. Learning to look at things and people in new perspectives that are different from what one is accustomed to.6. Developing a more tolerant attitude toward any unfamiliar phenomena.7. Becoming aware that problems and misunderstandings are inevitable i n intercultural communication.8. Learning about how foreigners are usually perceived and treated by the local people.Identifying Difference: How We Address Each OtherQuestions for discussionHow do you address a friend from an English-speaking country? And how should we do it if he or she knows our culture very well or if we speak Chinese to each other?Usually we can address a friend from an English-speaking country by his/her first name withoutmentioning his/her surname or title out of respect for his/her culture. Bec ause people from English-speaking countries attach great importance to casualness in addressing each other in order to form a relatively intimate and equal relationship. But if he or she knows our culture very well or if we speak Chinese to each other, we can address him/her in the Chinese way. Just as the old sayinggoes, ―When in Rome, do as the Romans do‖, it‘s better for our friend to learn more about andbecome better acquainted with the Chinese culture. In this way, when addressinghim/her, we can add ―xiao‖ (young) or ―lao‖ (aged) before his/her family name according to his/her age so as to create an amicable atmosphere. We can also address him/her by using his/her title in a humorous way,or by inventing some nickname for him or her in either English or Chinese, depending on the degree of intimacy.SurveyConduct a survey among some Chinese students to find how much they know about the possible cultural differences between Chinese and English-speaking people in the speech behaviors listed below.Speech behaviorChinaEnglish-speaking countries Greeting When greeting each other, theChinese often beginwith ―Haveyou eaten?‖, ―Whereare yougoing?‖, ―What are youdoing?‖, ―Long time no see.‖ and so on.People from English-speaking countries usually say ―Hello.‖ ―Good morning/afternoon/evening‖ ―Nice to meet you./Glad to see you.‖ or ―How doyou do?‖Apologiz ing Chinese people seem to apologize less often than English-speaking people. The Chinese apologize only when they think it is about something that really matters.People from English-speaking countries often apologize intheir daily life even for the most trivial things.Making request s Chinese people tend to make requests in indi rect ways, especially when the peopleinvolved are not onintimate terms with oneanother.People from English-speaking countries tend to make requestsdirectly and openly.Express Chinese people often People from English-speakinging gratitu de express their gratitude not justby what they say, but also by whatthey do and what they give toothers who have done them a favor.countries tend to show theirgratitude more verbally to others who havehelped them.Express ing disappr oval Chinese people are reluctant toexpress their disproval openly forfear of making others lose face. Ifthey have to express disapproval,they often prefer to do it in a veryindirect way.People from English-speakingcountries are more likely toexpress theirdisapproval freely anddirectly.Leave-t aking Chinese people tend to excusethemselves by claiming that theothers must be tired or busy, etc,using the expressions that imputethe motive oftiredness or business tothe other party when parting.People from English-speakingcountries would usually findreasons to part related tothemselves ratherthan to others.Intercultural InsightExplorationTry to describe and explain the possible similar experiences in your use of English as a foreign language in communicating with native speakers.What a student tells us below can further illustrate the point that how w e communicate appropriately in intercultural encounters may not be as simple as we tend to assume:I remember in the first class of oral English when I was a freshman at university, we students habitually add ressed our amiable foreign teacher as ―teacher‖ as we did to the other Chinese teachers. But he asked us to call him by his first name instead. Since he seemed morethan fifty years old we were embarrassed but gradually we learned that was the suitable way to address a teacher in the United States, for teachers in the United States generally prefer to be seen as equal and like a friend to their students. However, when I was already a junior, to our great surprise, one of our foreign teachers who taught us intensive reading told us that hepreferred to be called by us as ―Professor White‖or ―Doctor White‖. The reason was simplythat he wanted to be properly respected in China.Translation纵观历史，我们可以清楚地看到，人们由于彼此所处地域、意识形态、容貌服饰和行为举止上存在的差异，而长久无法互相理解、无法和睦相处。
Unit 1Communication Across CulturesReading IIntercultural Communication：An Introduction Comprehension questions1. Is it still often the case that “everyone‟s quick to blame the alien” in the contemporary world?This is still powerful in today‘s soci al and political rhetoric. For instance, it is not uncommon intoday‘s society to hear people say that most, if not all, of the social and economic problems are caused by minorities and immigrants.2. What‟s the difference between today‟s intercultural contact and that of any time in the past?Today‘s intercultural encounters are far more numerous and of greater importance than in any time in history.3. What have made intercultural contact a very common phenomenon in our life today?New technology, in the form of transportation and communication systems, has accelerated intercultural contact; innovative communication systems have encouraged and facilitated cultural interaction; globalization of the economy has brought people together; changes in immigration patterns have also contributed to intercultural encounter.4. How do you understand the sentence “culture is everything and everywhere”?Culture supplies us with the answers to questions about what the world looks like and how we live and communicate within that world. Culture teaches us how to behave in our life from the instant of birth. It is omnipresent.5. What are the major elements that directly influence our perception and communication?The three major socio-cultural elements that directly influence perception and communication are cultural values, worldview (religion), and social organizations (family and state).6. What does one‟s family teach him or her while he or she grows up in it?The family teaches the child what the world looks like and his or her place in that world.7. Why is it impossible to separate our use of language from our culture?Because language is not only a form of preserving culture but also a means of sharing culture. Language is an organized, generally agreed-upon, learned symbol system that is used to representthe experiences within a cultural community.8. What are the nonverbal behaviors that people can attach meaning to?People can attach meaning to nonverbal behaviors such as gestures, postures, facial expressions,eye contact and gaze, touch, etc.9. How can a free, culturally diverse society exist?A free, culturally diverse society can exist only if diversity is permitted to flourish without prejudice and discrimination, both of which harm all members of the society.Reading IIThe Challenge of GlobalizationComprehension questions1. Why does the author say that our understanding of the world has changed?Many things, such as political changes and technological advances, have changed the worldvery rapidly. In the past most human beings were born, lived, and died within a limited geographical area, never encountering people of other cultural backgrounds. Such an existence, however, nolonger prevails in the world. Thus, all people are faced with the challenge of understanding thischanged and still fast changing world in which we live.2. What a “global village” is like?As our world shrinks and its inhabitants become interdependent, people from remote cultures increasingly co me into contact on a daily basis. In a ―global village‖, members of once isolated groups of people have to communicate with members of other cultural groups. Those people maylive thousands of miles away or right next door to each other.3. What is considered as the major driving force of the post-1945 globalization?Technology, particularly telecommunications and computers are considered to be the major driving force.4. What does the author mean by saying that “the …global‟may be more local than t he …local‟”?The increasing global mobility of people and the impact of new electronic media on human communications make the world seem smaller. We may communicate more with people of other countries than with our neighbors, and we may be more informed of the international events than ofthe local events. In this sense,“the‘global’may be more local than the ‘local’”5. Why is it important for businesspeople to know diverse cultures in the world?Effective communication may be the most important competitive advantage that firms have tomeet diverse customer needs on a global basis. Succeeding in the global market today requires theability to communicate sensitively with people from other cultures, a sensitivity that is based on an understanding of cross-cultural differences.6. What are the serious problems that countries throughout the world are confronted with?Countries throughout the world are confronted with serious problems such as volatile international economy, shrinking resources, mounting environmental contamination, and epidemicsthat know no boundaries.7. What implications can we draw from the case of Michael Fay?This case shows that in a world of international interdependence, the ability to understand and communicate effectively with people from other cultures takes on extreme urgency. If we areunaware of the significant role culture plays in communication, we may place the blame for communication failure on people of other cultures.8. What attitudes are favored by the author towards globalization?Globalization, for better or for worse, has changed the world greatly. Whether we like it or not, globalization is all but unstoppable. It is already here to stay. It is both a fact and an opportunity. The challenges are not insurmountable. Solutions exist, and are waiting to be identified and implemented. From a globalistic point of view, there is hope and faith in humanity.Case StudyCase 1In this case, there seemed to be problems in communicating with people of different cultures inspite of the efforts made to achieve understanding.We should know that in Egypt as in many cultures, the human relationship is valued so highly that it is not expressed in an objective and impersonal way. While Americans certainly value human relationships, they are more likely to speak of them in less personal, more objective terms. In this case, Richard‘s mistake might be that he chose to praise the food itself rather than the total evening,for which the food was simply the setting or excuse. For his host and hostess it was as if he had attended an art exhibit and complimented the artist by saying, What beautiful frames your picturesare in.In Japan the situation may be more complicated. Japanese people value order and harmony among persons in a group, and that the organization itself－be it a family or a vast corporation－ismore valued than the characteristics of any particular member. In contrast, Americans stress individuality as a value and are apt to assert individual differences when they seem justifiably inconflict with the goals or values of the group. In this case: Richard‘s mistake was in making greatefforts to defend himself. Let the others assume that the errors were not intentional, but it is not rightto defend yourself, even when your unstated intent is to assist the group by warning others of similar mistakes. A simple apology and acceptance of the blame would have been appropriate. But for poor Richard to have merely apologized would have seemed to him to be subservient, unmanly.When it comes to England, we expect fewer problems between Americans and Englishmenthan between Americans and almost any other group. In this case we might look beyond the gesture of taking sugar or cream to the values expressed in this gesture: for Americans, ―Help yourself; for the English counterpart, ―Be my guest. American and English people equally enjoy entertaining and being entertained but they differ somewhat in the value of the distinction. Typically, the ideal guest at an American party is one who ―ma kes himself at home, even to the point of answering the door or fixing his own drink. For persons in many other societies, including at least this hypothetical English host, such guest behavior is presumptuous or rude.Case 2A common cultural misunderstanding in classes involves conflicts between what is said to bedirect communication style and indirect communication style. In American culture, people tend to say what is on their minds and to mean what they say. Therefore, students in class are expected to ask questions when they need clarification. Mexican culture shares this preference of style with American culture in some situations, and that‘s why the students from Mexico readily adopted the techniques of asking questions in class. However, Korean people generally prefer indirect communication style, and therefore they tend to not say what is on their minds and to rely more on implications and inference, so as to be polite and respectful and avoid losing face through any improper verbal behavior. As is mentioned in the case, to many Koreans, numerous questions would show a disrespect for the teacher, and would also reflect that the student has not studied hard enough. Case 3The conflict here is a difference in cultural values and beliefs. In the begi nning, Mary didn‘trealize that her Dominican sister saw her as a member of the family, literally. In the Dominican view, family possessions are shared by everyone of the family. Luz was acting as most Dominican sisters would do in borrowing without asking every time. Once Mary understood that there was a different way of looking at this, she would become more accepting. However, she might still experience the same frustration when this happened again. She had to find ways to cope with her own emotional cultural reaction as well as her practical problem (the batteries running out).Case 4It might be simply a question of different rhythms. Americans have one rhythm in their personaland family relations, in their friendliness and their charities. People from other cultures have different rhythms. The American rhythm is fast. It is characterized by a rapid acceptance of others. However, it is seldom that Americans engage themselves entirely in a friendship. Their friendships are warm, but casual, and specialized. For example, you have a neighbor who drops by in the morning for coffee. You see her frequently, but you never invite her for dinner --- not because you don‘t think she could handle a fork and a knife, but because you have seen her that morning. Therefore, you reserve your more formal invitation to dinner for someone who lives in a more distant part of the city and whom you would not see unless you extended an invitation for a special occasion. Now, if the first friend moves away and the second one moves nearby, you are likely to reverse this --- see the second friend in the mornings for informal coffee meetings, and the first one you will invite more formally to dinner.Americans are, in other words, guided very often by their own convenience. They tend to make friends easily, and they don‘t feel it necessary to go to a great amount of trouble to see friends often when it becomes inconvenient to do so, and usually no one is hurt. But in similar circumstances people from many other cultures would be hurt very deeply.Unit 2Culture and Communication Reading IWhat Is CultureComprehension questions1. Which of the definitions given above do you prefer? Why?Some may prefer a short definition, such as the one given by E. Sapir or R. Benedict, for it is highly generalized and easy to remember. Some may prefer a longer one, such as Edward T. Hall‘s definition of culture, because it provides us with a more comprehensive understanding of culture and points out the all-pervasive impact of culture on human life in different dimensions.2．What have you learned from those definitions about culture?Many things can be learned from those definitions, for each definition, though not without its limitations, tells us something very important about culture or certain aspect(s) of culture.3. Do you agree that our lower needs always have to be satisfied before we can try to satisfy the higher needs?Even though this is generally the case, there will still be some exceptions. Sometimes people might prefer to satisfy higher needs, for instance, esteem needs, before their lower needs, such as certain physiological needs or safety needs are satisfied.4. What examples can you give about how people of different cultures achieve the same ends by taking different roads?For example, everyone has to eat in order to live and this is universally true. However, to satisfy this basic need, people of various cultures may do it in very different ways: what to eat and how toeat it vary from culture to culture.5. What behaviors of ours are born with and what are learned in the cultural environment?Instinctive behaviors are behaviors that we are born with and ways of doing things in daily life, such as ways of eating, drinking, dressing, finding shelter, making friends, marrying, and dealingwith death are learned in the cultural environment.6. What other cultural differences do you know in the way people do things in their everyday life?We can also find cultural differences in ways of bringing up children, treating the elderly, greeting each other, saving and spending money, and many other things people do in everyday life. 7. In what ways are the Chinese eating habits different from those of the English-speaking countries?We Chinese may enjoy something that is not usually considered as edible by theEnglish-speaking people. Generally we prefer to have things hot and lay much emphasis on tastes.We tend to share things with each other when we are eating with others.Reading IIElements of CommunicationComprehension questions1. What are the aspects of context mentioned above?One aspect of context is the physical setting, including location, time, light, temperature, distance between communicators, and any seating arrangements. A second aspect of context is historical. A third aspect of context is psychological. A fourth aspect of context is culture.2. In what ways would your posture, manner of speaking or attire change if you move from onephysical setting to another, for example, from your home to a park, to a classroom, to a restaurant, to a funeral house, etc?One‘s posture, manner of speaking or attire change from being casual to formal gradually from home to a park, to a classroom, to a restaurant, to a funeral house, etc, according to different formalness and seriousness of these situations.3. How do people acquire communication norms in their life?People acquire communication norms from their experiences in life.4. What examples can you give to describe some Chinese norms in our everyday communication?For example, it seems to be a norm in China to address one‘s boss by his or her title and neverto express one‘s disapproval directly to him or her.5. How can we play both the roles of sender and receiver in communication?As senders, we form messages and attempt to communicate them to others through verbal and nonverbal symbols. As receivers, we process the messages sent to us and react to them both verbally and nonverbally.6. Does the sender plays a more important role than the receiver in communication?No, they are equally important for both of them are essential in the process of communication.7. In what ways do the differences between participants make communication more or less difficult?Three especially important variables affecting participants which are relationship, gender, and culture make communication more or less difficult.8. What is a symbol and what is a meaning?The pure ideas and feelings that exist in a person‘s mind represent meanings. The wor ds, sounds, and actions that communicate meaning are known as symbols because they stand for the meanings intended by the person using them.9. How can meanings be transferred from one person to another? What problems may arise in thisprocess?A message from one person is encoded into symbols and then decoded into ideas and feelings to another person. In this process of transforming include nonverbal cues, which significantly affect the meaning created between the participants in a communication transaction.10. When are unintended or conflicted meanings likely to be created?Unintended meanings are created when the decoding person receives a meaning unrelated to what the encoder thought he or she was communicating. Conflicting meanings are created when the verbal symbols are contradicted by the nonverbal cues.11. Which channels do you usually prefer in communication? Why?Of the five channels, some may prefer sight. As the old saying goes, words are but wind, but seeing is believing.12. What examples can you find to show that one channel is more effective than others for transmitting certain messages?For example, when asking a lady for a date, a young man may wear an immaculate suit and spray some perfume to show that he highly values this date with her. In this case, sight and smell are definitely more effective than words for conveying that particular message.13. What are the things that can create noises in the process of communication?Sights, sounds, and other stimu li in the environment that draw people‘s attention away from intended meaning are known as external noise. Thoughts and feelings that interfere with the communication process are known as internal noise. Unintended meanings aroused by certain verbal symbols can inhibit the accuracy of decoding. This is known as semantic noise.14. What should we do to reduce the interference of noise in communication?When communicating with others, we should pay undivided attention to communication itself, avoiding being distracted by any external or internal noise. Besides, we should make sure that what we say is correctly understood by others and vice versa to prevent semantic noise from generating. 15. Why is feedback a very important element of communication?Feedback is very important because it serves useful functions for both senders and receivers: it provides senders with the opportunity to measure how they are coming across, and it provides receivers with the opportunity to exert some influence over the communication process.16. What will you usually do when you receive negative feedback in communication?Open.Case StudyCase 5In China, it is often not polite to accept a first offer and Heping was being modest, polite andwell-behaved and had every intention of accepting the beer at the second or third offer. But he had not figured on North American rules which firmly say that you do not push alcoholic beverages on anyone. A person may not drink for religious reasons, he may be a reformed alcoholic, or he may be allergic. Whatever the reason behind the rule, you do not insist in offering alcohol. So unconscious and so strong are their cultural rules that the Americans equally politely never made a second offer of beer to Heping who probably thought North Americans most uncouth.However, what we have to remember is that cultures are seldom a strict either-or in every instance for all people and there are always individual differences. Probably this young Chinese nurse was very different from Heping or, unlike Heping, she may have known something about the American cultural rules and was just trying to behave like an American when she was in an American family.Case 6When a speaker says something to a hearer, there are at least three kinds of meanings involved: utterance meaning, speaker‘s meaning and hearer‘s meaning. In the dialogue, when Litz said ‗How long is she going to stay?‘ she meant to say that if she knew how long her mother-in-law was goingto stay in Finland, she would be able to make proper arrangements for her, such as taking her out to do some sightseeing. However, her mother-in-law overheard the conversation, and took Litz‘s question to mean ―Litz does not want me to stay for long‖. From the Chinese point of view, it seems to be inappropriate for Litz to ask such a question just two days after her mother-in-law‘s arrival. If she feels she has to ask the question, it would be better to ask some time later and she should not let her mother-in-law hear it.Case 7Keiko insists on giving valuable gifts to her college friends, because in countries like Japan, exchanging gifts is a strongly rooted social tradition. Should you receive a gift, and don‘t have oneto offer in return, you will probably create a crisis. If not as serious as a crisis, one who doesn‘t offer a gift in return may be considered rude or impolite. Therefore, in Japan, gifts are a symbolic way to show appreciation, respect, gratitude and further relationship.Keiko obviously has taken those used items from Mary, Ed and Marion as gifts, for she probably doesn‘t know that Americans frequently donate their used household items to church or to the community. Mary, Ed and Marion would never consider those used household items given to Keiko as gifts. No wonder they felt very uncomfortable when they received valuable gifts in return. Case 8As the Chinese girl Amy fell in love with an American boy at that time, it seems that shepreferred to celebrate Christmas in the American way, for she wanted very much to appear the same as other American girl. She did not like to see her boyfriend feel disappointed at the ―shabby‖Chinese Christmas. That‘s why she cried when she found out her parents had invited the minister‘s family over for the Christmas Eve dinner. She thought the menu for the Christmas meal created by her mother a strange one because there were no roast turkey and sweet potatoes but only Chinese food. How could she notice then the foods chosen by her mother were all her favorites?From this case, we can find a lot of differences between the Chinese and Western cultures in what is appropriate food for a banquet, what are good table manners, and how one should behave to be hospitable. However, one should never feel shameful just because one‘s culture is different from others‘. As Amy‘s mother told her, you must be proud to be different, and your only s hame is to have shame.Unit 3Cultural DiversityReading IDifferent Lands, Different Friendships Comprehension questions1. Why is it comparatively easy to make friends in the United States?Because few Americans stay put for a lifetime. With each move, forming new friendship becomes a necessity and part of their new life.2. Do people from different countries usually have different expectations about what constitutesfriendship and how it comes into being?Yes. The difficulty when strangers from two countries meet is their different expectations about what constitutes friendship and how it comes into being.3. How is friendship in America different from friendship in West Europe?In West Europe, friendship is quite sharply distinguished from other, more casual relationships,is usually more particularized and carries a heavier burden of commitment, while in America theword ―friend‖can be applied to a wide range of relationship and a friendship may be superficial, casual, situational or deep and enduring.4. In what country does friendship have much to do with one‟s family? And in what country does itnot?In Germ any, friendship has much to do with one‘s family as friends are usually brought into the family, while in France it doesn‘t as, for instance, two men may have been friends for a long timewithout knowing each other‘s personal life.5. What is friendship like when it is compartmentalized?For instance, a man may play chess with a friend for thirty years without knowing his political opinions, or he may talk politics with him for as long a time without knowing about his personal life. Different friends fill different niches in each person‘s life.6. What are friendships usually based on in England?English friendships are based on shared activity. Activities at different stages of life may be ofvery different kinds. In the midst of the activity, whatever it may be, people fall into steps and findthat they participate in the activity with the same easy anticipation of what each will do day by dayor in some critical situation.7. Do you think friendship shares some common elements in different cultures? If you do, what arethey?Yes. There is the recognition that friendship, in contrast with kinship, invokes freedom ofchoice. A friend is someone who chooses and is chosen. Related to this is the sense each friend givesthe other of being a special individual, on whatever grounds this recognition is based. And between friends there is inevitably a kind of equality of give-and-take.8. What do you think is the typical Chinese concept of friendship? Is it similar to or different fromany of the Western friendships?It seems that the typical Chinese concept of friendship lays great emphasis on personal loyaltyand also has much to do with family. It may be similar to Germany friendship to some extent andquite different from other Western friendships.Reading IIComparing and Contrasting CulturesComprehension questions1. How is the mainstream American culture different from the Japanese culture?Americans believe that human nature is basically good and man is the master of nature. Theyare future-oriented and ―being‖-oriented. Their social orientation is toward the importance of the individual and the equality of all people. However, the Japanese believe that human nature is amixture of good and evil. Man is in harmony with nature. They are both past-oriented andfuture-oriented. And they are both “growing-”and “doing-”oriented. They give emphasis to authorities and the group.2. Can you find examples to support the author‟s view of traditional cultures in different valueorientations?For example, the traditional Indian culture believes that man is subjugated by nature and it isbeing-oriented (which can be exemplified by its caste system). Also, traditional Chinese culture ispast-oriented, for emphasis has long been given to learning from the old and past.3. Why do Americans tend to equate “change” with “improvement” and regard rapid change asnormal?Concerning orientation toward time, Americans are dominated by a belief in progress. They are future-or iented. They believe that ―time is money‖and have an optimistic faith in the future andwhat the future will bring. So they tend to equate ―change‖with ―improvement‖and consider a rapid rate of change as normal.4. What does “Electric Englishman” mean w hen it is used to describe the American?As for activity, Americans are so action-oriented that they tend to be hyperactive. That‘s whythat they have been described as ―Electric Englishmen‖, who always keep themselves busy.5. How would you explain the fact that contradictory values may exist in the same culture?As time changes faster and faster and there is more contact between cultures, it is more likely to find contradictory values existing in the same culture. This is especially the case in a society that is being transformed from a traditional one into a modern one. For example, in the Japanese culture, some people may still be very past-oriented and some are rather future-oriented, and even the same people may be sometimes past-oriented in certain situations and sometime future-oriented in other situations.6. What can we get from models of this kind about cultural differences?Models of this kind are quite useful in giving rough pictures of striking contrasts and differences of different cultures. However, such a model only compares cultures on some basic orientations. It does not tell us everything about every conceivable culture. We have to recognize that models of this kind are over-simplifications and can only give approximations of reality.7. Do cultural values change as time changes?Yes, the values may be in the process of marked change due to rapid modernization and globalization. However, they have a way of persisting in spite of change. The evolution of values is a slow process, since they are rooted in survival needs and passed on from generation to generation.8. How is communication influenced by differing cultural values?Putting people from one culture into another culture with radically different value orientations could cause stress, disorientation, and breakdowns in communication.Case StudyCase 9Hierarchy is significant in the Japanese culture. This structure is reflected everywhere inJapanese life, at home, school, community, organizations, and traditional institutions such as martial arts or flower arrangements.In this case, the young chairman must have had his own ideas about how to manage the company; however, when encountered with his grandfather‘s dissenting opinions, he dared not to take a stand against him. This may manifest the rigid hierarchical structure in the Japanese society. In the Japanese society, how hierarchy is formed depends mainly on seniority, social roles, and gender. Asa respectable senior member of the family and the former leader of the company, the grandfather obviously overpowered the inexperienced young chairman. In other words, the grandfather seemedto be an absolute authority for the young chairman. In Japanese culture, challenging or disagreeing with elders‘ opini ons would be deemed as being disrespectful and is often condemned. People in lower positions are expected to be loyal and obedient to authority. That‘s why the young chairman didn‘t say anything but just nodded and agreed with his grandfather.But Phil seemed to know little about the Japanese culture in this aspect. In many Western cultures, particularly American culture, seniority seldom matters very much in such situations, and young people are usually encouraged to challenge authority and voice their own opinions. Unfortunately, his outspoken protest could easily offend the grandfather and he might be regarded as a rude and ill-bred person by other Japanese.Case 10In Japan, a company is often very much like a big family, in which the manger(s) will take goodcare of the employees and the employees are expected to devote themselves to the development ofthe company and, if it is necessary, to sacrifice their own individual interests for the interests of the company, from which, in the long run, the employees will benefit greatly. But for the French, a company is just a loosely- knit social organization wherein individuals are supposed to take care of themselves and their families. Moreover, the way the French make decisions in the family might also be different from the typical Japanese one, which may not often involve females and the power to decide usually lies with the dominating male. As there are such cultural differences between the Japanese and the French, Mr. Legrand‘s decision made Mr. Tanaka feel dumbfounded.Case 11。
Unit 1Communication Across CulturesWarm UpQuestions1. Why is it difficult to explain to a blind person what colors are?2. Do you sometimes find it hard to make yourself properly understood by others? If you do, why do you think it is hard?It is very difficult for people to understand one a nother if they do not share the same experiences. Of course, we all share the experience of being human, but there are many experiences which we do not share and which are different for all of us. It is these different experiences thatmake up what is called ―culture‖in the social sciences － the habits of everyday life, the cues towhich people respond, the automatic reactions they have to whatever they see and hear. These often differ, and the differences may introduce misunderstandings where we seek understanding.Reading IIntercultural Communication：An IntroductionComprehension questions1. Is it still often the case that“everyone‟s quick to blame the alien”in the contemporary world?This is still powerful in today‘s social and political rhetoric. Forinstance, it is not uncommon intoday‘s society to hear people say that most, if not all, of the social and economic problems arecaused by minorities and immigrants.2. What‟s the difference between today‟s intercultural contact and that of any time in the past?Today‘s intercultural encounters are far more numerous and of greaterimportance than in anytime in history.3. What have made intercultural contact a very common phenomenon in our life today?New technology, in the form of transportation and communication systems, has accelerated intercultural contact; innovative communication systems have encouraged and facilitated cultural interaction; globalization of the economy has brought people together; changes in immigration patterns have also contributed to intercultural encounter.4. How do you understand the sentence“culture is everything and everywhere”?Culture supplies us with the answers to questions about what the world looks like and how we live and communicate within that world. Culture teaches us how to behave in our life from the instant of birth. It is omnipresent.5. What are the major elements that directly influence our perception and communication?The three major socio-cultural elements that directly influence perception and communication are cultural values, worldview (religion), and social organizations (family and state).6. What does one‟s family teach him or her while he or she grows up in it?The family teaches the child what the world looks like and his or her place in that world.7. Why is it impossible to separate our use of language from our culture?Because language is not only a form of preserving culture but also a means of sharing culture. Language is an organized, generally agreed-upon, learned symbol system that is used to represent the experiences within a cultural community.8. What are the nonverbal behaviors that people can attach meaning to?People can attach meaning to nonverbal behaviors such as gestures, postures, facial expressions, eye contact and gaze, touch, etc.9. How can a free, culturally diverse society exist?A free, culturally diverse society can exist only if diversity is permitted to flourish without prejudice and discrimination, both of which harm all members of the society.Discovering Problems: Slim Is Beautiful?Questions for discussionWhich do you think is the mark of beauty, thin or fat? Why is it often said that beauty is in the eye of beholder?One sociologist once said that with the greater influence of American culture across the world, the standard of a beauty is becoming more and more Hollywood-like, characterized by a chiseled chin and a tall, slim figure. One can see such beautiful images in almost any American movie. We Chinese also share the notion that the standard idea of beauty includes being tall, thin, and light skinned. It seems that with the process of globalization, eastern and western beauties look more and more alike.But we have to remember that the definition of beauty differs from culture to culture. For example, Hispanic standards of female beauty are to have big hips, a moderate tan, and a short height. As is described in the article, in southeastern Nigeria, Coca-Cola-bottle voluptuousness is celebrated and ample backsides and bosoms are considered ideals of female beauty.What‘s more, the ideal standard of beauty varies from time to time. For instance, during timesof famine, the ideal standard of beauty for women is a much larger body size. Larger size and more body fat may reflect one‘s status; for itsuggests that the person is well fed and healthy. Thinness then would reflect malnutrition. However, during times of plenty, plumpness is not a reflection ofstatus. People may easily associate fatness with hypert ension, heart disease or other potential diseases. Likewise, during eras in which lower-class labors had to toil predominantly outside for hours a day, tanned skin was an indication of lower status, and therefore the ideal standard of female beauty was very paleskin; women during those times actuallyused a lot of white powdered cosmetics to exaggerate the paleness of their skin. Now, however, tan is a reflection of having more leisure time spent on seashores instead of working in an office all the time, and therefore it may suggest higher status, so women strive for darker skin tones.It is true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder because people of different cultures and in different situations may have different ideas about what is beautiful and what is not.Group WorkFirst share with your group member whatever experiences you have had in communication events that can be considered as intercultural. Then work together to decide whether each of the following cases of communication is possibly intercultural or not and, if it is, to what extent it is intercultural. Try to place all the cases along a continuum of interculturalness, from the most intercultural to the least intercultural.All the cases may seem to be intercultural but they differ in the extent to which they are intercultural. However it may be very difficult for us to place all these cases along a continuum of interculturalness from the most intercultural to the least intercultural, for many other factors have to be taken into consideration if we have to decide which is moreintercultural than another. For instance, whether communication between a male manager and a female secretary is intercultural or not and, if it is, how intercultural it may be, may depend on the cultural and social backgrounds of the two persons. If they are from drastically different cultures, communication between them is surely intercultural and may be very intercultural. If they are from the same culture, communication between them may be little intercultural.The following is tentatively suggested for measuringthe interculturalness of the cases of communication, and the cases are presented from the most intercultural to the least intercultural:Communication between a Chinese university student and an American professor; Communication between a Canadian girl and a South African boy;Communication between a first-generation Chinese American and third generation one; Communication between a businessperson from Hong Kong and an artist from Xian; Communication between a teenager from Beijing and a teenager from Tibet;Communication between a father who is a farmer all his life and his son who works as an engineer;Communication between a software technician and a fisherman;Communication between a male manager and a female secretary (supposing they are of the similar cultural and social backgrounds) .DebateThe class is to be divided into two groups and debate on the two different views mentioned in thefollowing on intercultural communication. State your poin t of view clearly and support your argument with convincing and substantive evidence.Pro: People are people; more interactions would leadto greater understanding of each other.（Commonality precedes）Con: People are shaped by different environments they find themselves in, therefore, the difference overrides. (Differences precedes)Possible Arguments for Pro:1. Human beings tend to draw close to one another by their common nature. We all share the common basic needs.2. Rapid expansion of worldwide transportation and communication networks have made it far easier than ever before for people throughout the world to contact with one another.3. The process of globalization may reduce the regional differences between people all over the world. We are all members of the ―global village‖.4. Economic interdependence in today‘s world requires people of different countries to interact onan unprecedented scale, and more interaction will result in more similarity among people.5. More and more people from various cultures have to work and live together and they will adapt to each other to such an extent that cultural differences between them may no longer matter.Possible Arguments for Con:1. People throughout the world may be similar in many aspects, but differences in habits and customs keep them apart.2. Though the basic human needs are universally the same, people all over the world satisfy their basic common human needs in different ways.3. As our society is becoming more and more diversified, differences between people tend to grow larger in some aspects.4. It is differences between people that underlie the necessity of communication, and it does not follow that communication which may increase the possibility of understanding between people will always reduce differences.5. People nowadays are more likely to try to maintain their unique cultural identities when they find themselves living closely with people of other cultures.From the two seemingly opposite viewpoints, we can learn something that we should keep in mind when we are involved in intercultural communication. First, all human beings share some common heritages that link us to one another. To some extent, people throughout the world are pretty much alike in many aspects, and that has formed the very basis on which it is possible for people of various cultures to communicate. However, what we have to realize is that there are also vast differences between people from various cultural groups. To really understand a person whose cultural background is different from yours can be very difficult, for both you and that person maybe subconsciously influenced by each one‘s own cultural upbringing. In a sense, what we should doin intercultural communication is to treat people of other cultures both as the same with and as different from us.Reading IIThe Challenge of GlobalizationComprehension questions1. Why does the author say that our understanding of the world has changed?Many things, such as political changes and technological advances, have changed the world very rapidly. In the past most human beings were born, lived, and died within a limited geographical area, never encountering people of other cultural backgrounds. Such an existence, however, no longer prevails in the world. Thus, all people are faced with the challenge of understanding this changed and still fast changing world in which we live.2. What a“global village”is like?As our world shrinks and its inhabitants become interdependent, people from remote cultures increasingly come into contact on a daily basis. In a ―global village‖, members of once isolated groups of people have to communicate with members of other cultural groups. Those people maylive thousands of miles away or right next door to each other.3. What is considered as the major driving force of the post-1945 globalization?Technology, particularly telecommunications and computers are considered to be the major driving force.4. What does the author mean by saying that“the…global‟may be more local than the…local‟”?The increasing global mobility of people and the impact of new electronic media on human communications make the world seem smaller. We may communicate more with people of other countries than with our neighbors, and we may be more informed of the international events than of the local events. In this sense, ―the ‗global‘ may be more loca l than the‗local‘‖.5. Why is it important for businesspeople to know diverse cultures in the world?Effective communication may be the most important competitive advantage that firms have tomeet diverse customer needs on a global basis. Succeeding in the global market today requires the ability to communicate sensitively with people from other cultures, a sensitivity that is based on an understanding of cross-cultural differences.6. What are the serious problems that countries throughout the world are confronted with?Countries throughout the world are confronted with serious problems such as volatile international economy, shrinking resources, mounting environmental contamination, and epidemics that know no boundaries.7. What implications can we draw from the case of Michael Fay?This case shows that in a world of international interdependence, the ability to understand and communicate effectively with people from other cultures takes on extreme urgency. If we are unaware of the significant role culture plays in communication, we may place the blame for communication failure on people of other cultures.8. What attitudes are favored by the author towards globalization?Globalization, for better or for worse, has changed the world greatly. Whether we like it or not, globalization is all but unstoppable. It isalready here to stay. It is both a fact and an opportunity. The challenges are not insurmountable. Solutions exist, and are waiting to be identified and implemented. From a globalistic point of view, there is hope and faith in humanity.WritingRead the following and then try to write a short essay on what one has to learn to get prepared for working and living in a new cultural environment.There seems to be so much that one can do to get oneself well prepared for working and living in a new cultural environment. Apart from what is mentioned in the passage, the following may be what a person in Anna‘s situation should also try to do:1. Learning the language that is used in the new cultural environment.2. Learning about the history and present social situation of the area or the country.3. Learning about the dominant religious belief and some important social customs.4. Learning about the cultural uses of no nverbal means including time and space for communication.5. Learning to look at things and people in new perspectives that are different from what one is accustomed to.6. Developing a more tolerant attitude toward any unfamiliar phenomena.7. Becoming aware that problems and misunde rstandings are inevitable in intercultural communication.8. Learning about how foreigners are usually perceived and treated by the local people.Identifying Difference: How We Address Each OtherQuestions for discussionHow do you address a friend from an English-speaking country? And how should we do it if he or she knows our culture very well or if we speak Chinese to each other?Usually we can address a friend from an English-speaking country by his/her first name withoutmentioning his/her surname or title out of respect fo r his/her culture. Because people from English-speaking countries attach great importance to casualness in addressing each other in order to form a relatively intimate and equal relationship. But if he or she knows our culture very well or if we speak Chinese to each other, we can address him/her in the Chinese way. Just as the old sayinggoes, ―When in Rome, do as the Romans do‖, it‘s better for our friend to learn more about andbecome better acquainted with the Chinese culture. In this way, when addressing him/her, we can add ―xiao‖ (young) or ―lao‖ (aged) before his/her family name according to his/her age so as to create an amicable atmosphere. We can also address him/her by using his/her title in a humorous way,or by inventing some nickname for him or her in either English or Chinese, depending on the degree of intimacy.SurveyConduct a survey among some Chinese students to find how much they know about the possible cultural differences between Chinese and English-speaking people in the speech behaviors listed below.Speech behaviorChinaEnglish-speaking countries Greeting When greeting each other, theChinese often beginwith ―Haveyou eaten?‖, ―Whereare yougoing?‖, ―What are youdoing?‖, ―Long time no see.‖ and so on.People from English-speaking countries usually say ―Hello.‖ ―Good morning/afternoon/evening‖ ―Nice to meet you./Glad to see you.‖ or ―How doyou do?‖Apologiz ing Chinese people seem to apologize less often than English-speaking people. The Chinese apologize only when they think it is about something that really matters.People from English-speaking countries often apologize intheir daily life evenfor the most trivial things.Making request s Chinese people tend to make requests in indi rect ways, especially when the peopleinvolved are not onintimate terms with oneanother.People from English-speaking countries tend to make requestsdirectly and openly.Express ing gratitu de Chinese people often express their gratitude not just by what they say, but also by what they do and what they give to others who have done them a favor. People from English-speaking countries tend to show their gratitude more verbal ly to others who havehelped them.Express ing disappr Chinese people are reluctant to express their disproval openly for fear of making others lose face. If People from English-speaking countries are more likely to express theiroval they have to express disapproval, they often prefer to do it in a veryindirect way. disapproval freely anddirectly.Leave-t aking Chinese people tend to excusethemselves by claiming that theothers must be tired or busy, etc,using the expressions that imputethe motive oftiredness or business tothe other party when parting.People from English-speakingcountries would usually findreasons to part related tothemselves ratherthan to others.Intercultural InsightExplorationTry to describe and explain the possible similar experiences in your use of English as a foreign language in communicating with native speakers.What a student tells us below can further illustrate the point that how we communicate appropriately in intercultural encounters may not be as simple as we tend to assume:I remember in the first class of oral English when I was a freshman at university, we students habitually addressed our amiable foreign teacher as ―teacher‖ as we did to the other Chinese teachers. But he asked us to call him by his first name instead. Since he seemed morethan fifty years old we were embarrassed but gradually we learned that was the suitable way to address a teacher in the United States, for teachers in the United States generally prefer to be seen as equal and like a friend to their students. However, when I was already a junior, to our great surprise, one of our foreign teachers who taught us intensive reading told us that hepreferred to be called by us as ―Professor White‖or ―Doctor White‖. The reason was simplythat he wanted to be properly respected in China.Translation纵观历史，我们可以清楚地看到，人们由于彼此所处地域、意识形态、容貌服饰和行为举止上存在的差异，而长久无法互相理解、无法和睦相处。
Unit 1Communication Across CulturesWarm UpQuestions1. Why is it difficult to explain to a blind person what colors are2. Do you sometimes find it hard to make yourself properly understood by others If you do, why do you think it is hardIt is very difficult for people to understand one another if they do not share the same experiences. Of course, we all share the experience of being human, but there are many experiences which we do not share and which are different for all of us. It is these different experiences thatmake up what is called —culture II in the social-scittreceabits of everyday life, the cues towhich people respond, the automatic reactions they have to whatever they see and hear. These often differ, and the differences may introduce misunderstandings where we seek understanding.Reading IIntercultural Communication ：An IntroductionComprehension questions1. Is it still often the case that “ everyones quick to blame the alienin the ” contemporary worldThis is still powerful in today ‘ s social and political rhetoric. For instance, it is not uncommonintoday ‘ s society to hear people say that most, if not all, of the social and economic problems arecaused by minorities and immigrants.2. Whats the difference between todays intercultural contact and that of any time in the pastToday‘ s intercultural encounters are far more numerous and of greater importancethan in anytime in history.3. What have made intercultural contact a very common phenomenon in our life todayNew technology, in the form of transportation and communication systems, has accelerated intercultural contact; innovative communication systems have encouraged and facilitated cultural interaction; globalization of the economy has brought people together; changes in immigration patterns have also contributed to intercultural encounter.4. How do you understand the sentence“ culture is everything and everywhereCulture supplies us with the answers to questions about what the world looks like and how we live and communicate within that world. Culture teaches us how to behave in our life from the instant of birth. It is omnipresent.5. What are the major elements that directly influence our perception and communicationThe three major socio-cultural elements that directly influence perception and communication are cultural values, worldview (religion), and social organizations (family and state).6. What does ones family teach him or her while he or she grows up in itThe family teaches the child what the world looks like and his or her place in that world.7. Why is it impossible to separate our use of language from our cultureBecause language is not only a form of preserving culture but also a means of sharing culture. Language is an organized, generally agreed-upon, learned symbol system that is used to represent the experiences within a cultural community.8. What are the nonverbal behaviors that people can attach meaning toPeople can attach meaning to nonverbal behaviors such as gestures, postures, facial expressions, eye contact and gaze, touch, etc.9. How can a free, culturally diverse society exist A free, culturally diverse society can exist only if diversity is permitted to flourish without prejudice and discrimination, both of which harm all members of the society.Discovering Problems: Slim Is BeautifulQuestions for discussionWhich do you think is the mark of beauty, thin or fat Why is it often said that beauty is in the eye of beholderOne sociologist once said that with the greater influence of American culture across the world, the standard of a beauty is becoming more and more Hollywood-like, characterized by a chiseledchin and a tall, slim figure. One can see such beautiful images in almost any American movie. We Chinese also share the notion that the standard idea of beauty includes being tall, thin, and light skinned. It seems that with the process of globalization, eastern and western beauties look more and more alike.But we have to remember that the definition of beauty differs from culture to culture. For example, Hispanic standards of female beauty are to have big hips, a moderate tan, and a short height. As is described in the article, in southeastern Nigeria, Coca-Cola-bottle voluptuousness is celebrated and ample backsides and bosoms are considered ideals of female beauty.What‘ smore, the ideal standard of beauty varies from time to time. For instance, during timesof famine, the ideal standard of beauty for women is a much larger body size. Larger size and more body fat mayreflect one ‘ s status; for it suggests that the person is well fed and healthy. Thinness then would reflect malnutrition. However, during times of plenty, plumpness is not a reflection ofstatus. People may easily associate fatness with hypertension, heart disease or other potential diseases. Likewise, during eras in which lower-class labors had to toil predominantly outside for hours a day, tanned skin was an indication of lower status, and therefore the ideal standard of female beauty was very pale skin; women during those times actually used a lot of white powdered cosmetics to exaggerate the paleness of their skin. Now, however, tan is a reflection of having more leisure time spent on seashores instead of working in an office all the time, and therefore it may suggest higher status, so women strive for darker skin tones.It is true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder because people of different cultures and in different situations may have different ideas about what is beautiful and what is not.Group WorkFirst share with your group member whatever experiences you have had in communication events that can be considered as intercultural. Then work together to decide whether each of the following cases of communication is possibly intercultural or not and, if it is, to what extent it is intercultural. Try to place all the cases along a continuum of interculturalness, from the most intercultural to the least intercultural.All the cases may seem to be intercultural but they differ in the extent to which they are intercultural. However it may be very difficult for us to place all these cases along a continuum of interculturalness from the most intercultural to the least intercultural, for many other factors have to be taken into consideration if we have to decide which is more intercultural than another. For instance, whether communication between a male manager and a female secretary is intercultural or not and, if it is, how intercultural it may be, may depend on the cultural and social backgrounds of the two persons. If they are from drastically different cultures, communication between them is surely intercultural and may be very intercultural. If they are from the same culture, communication between them may be little intercultural.The following is tentatively suggested for measuring the interculturalness of the cases of communication, and the cases are presented from the most intercultural to the least intercultural: Communication between a Chinese university student and an American professor; Communication between a Canadian girl and a South African boy;Communication between a first-generation Chinese American and third generation one; Communication between a businessperson from Hong Kong and an artist from Xian; Communication between a teenager from Beijing and a teenager from Tibet;Communication between a father who is a farmer all his life and his son who works as an engineer;Communication between a software technician and a fisherman;Communication between a male manager and a female secretary (supposing they are of the similar cultural and social backgrounds) .DebateThe class is to be divided into two groups and debate on the two different views mentioned in the following on intercultural communication. State your point of view clearly and support your argument with convincing and substantive evidence.Pro: People are people; more interactions would lead to greater understanding of each other.( Commonality precedes)Con: People are shaped by different environments they find themselves in, therefore, the difference overrides. (Differences precedes)Possible Arguments for Pro:1. Human beings tend to draw close to one another by their common nature. We all share the common basic needs.2. Rapid expansion of worldwide transportation and communication networks have made it far easier than ever before for people throughout the world to contact with one another.3. The process of globalization may reduce the regional differences between peopleall over the world. We are all members of the —global village ||.4. Economic interdependence in today ‘s world requires people of different countries to interact onan unprecedented scale, and more interaction will result in more similarity among people.5. More and more people from various cultures have to work and live together and they will adapt to each other to such an extent that cultural differences between them may no longer matter.Possible Arguments for Con:1. People throughout the world may be similar in many aspects, but differences in habits and customs keep them apart.2. Though the basic human needs are universally the same, people all over the world satisfy their basic common human needs in different ways.3. As our society is becoming more and more diversified, differences between people tend to grow larger in some aspects.4. It is differences between people that underlie the necessity of communication, and it does not follow that communication which may increase the possibility of understanding between people will always reduce differences.5. People nowadays are more likely to try to maintain their unique cultural identities when they find themselves living closely with people of other cultures.From the two seemingly opposite viewpoints, we can learn something that we should keep in mind when we are involved in intercultural communication. First, all human beings share some common heritages that link us to one another. To some extent, people throughout the world are pretty much alike in many aspects, and that has formed the very basis on which it is possible for people of various cultures to communicate. However, what we have to realize is that there are also vast differences between people from various cultural groups. To really understand a person whose cultural background is different from yours can be very difficult, for both you and that person maybe subconsciously influenced by each one ‘ s own cultural upbringing. In a sense, what we should doin intercultural communication is to treat people of other cultures both as the same with and as different from us.Reading IIThe Challenge of GlobalizationComprehension questions1. Why does the author say that our understanding of the world has changedMany things, such as political changes and technological advances, have changed the world very rapidly. In the past most human beings were born, lived, and died within a limited geographical area, never encountering people of other cultural backgrounds. Such an existence, however, no longer prevails in the world. Thus, all people are faced with the challenge of understanding this changed and still fast changing world in which we live.2. What a “ global villageis like”As our world shrinks and its inhabitants become interdependent, people fromremote cultures increasingly come into contact on a daily basis. In a ——global village II , members of once isolated groups of people have to communicate with members of other cultural groups. Those people may live thousands of miles away or right next door to each other.3. What is considered as the major driving force of the post-1945 globalizationTechnology, particularly telecommunications and computers are considered to be the major driving force.4. What does the author mean by saying that“theglobal may be more local than the local ”The increasing global mobility of people and the impact of new electronic media on human communications make the world seem smaller. We may communicate more with people of other countries than with our neighbors, and we may be more in formed of the intern ati onal e vents tha n of the local eve nts. In this sen se, —the global ‘ may be more local than the local ‘I.5. Why is it important for businesspeople to know diverse cultures in the worldEffective communication may be the most important competitive advantage that firms have to meet diverse customer needs on a global basis. Succeeding in the global market today requires the ability to communicate sensitively with people from other cultures, a sensitivity that is based on an understanding of cross-cultural differences.6. What are the serious problems that countries throughout the world are confronted withCountries throughout the world are confronted with serious problems such as volatile international economy, shrinking resources, mounting environmental contamination, and epidemics that know no boundaries.7. What implications can we draw from the case of Michael FayThis case shows that in a world of international interdependence, the ability to understand and communicate effectively with people from other cultures takes on extreme urgency. If we are unaware of the significant role culture plays in communication, we may place the blame for communication failure on people of other cultures.8. What attitudes are favored by the author towards globalizationGlobalization, for better or for worse, has changed the world greatly. Whether we like it or not, globalization is all but unstoppable. It is already here to stay. It is both a fact and an opportunity. The challenges are not insurmountable. Solutions exist, and are waiting to be identified and implemented. From a globalistic point of view, there is hope and faith in humanity.WritingRead the following and then try to write a short essay on what one has to learn to get prepared for working and living in a new cultural environment.There seems to be so much that one can do to get oneself well prepared for working and living in a new cultural environment. Apart from what is mentioned in thepassage, the following may be what a person in Anna do:s situlsaotiotrny stohould a1. Learning the language that is used in the new cultural environment.2. Learning about the history and present social situation of the area or the country.3. Learning about the dominant religious belief and some important social customs.4. Learning about the cultural uses of nonverbal means including time and space for communication.5. Learning to look at things and people in new perspectives that are different from what one is accustomed to.6. Developing a more tolerant attitude toward any unfamiliar phenomena.7. Becoming aware that problems and misunderstandings are inevitable in intercultural communication.8. Learning about how foreigners are usually perceived and treated by the local people.Identifying Difference: How We Address Each OtherQuestions for discussionHow do you address a friend from an English-speaking country And how should we do it if he or she knows our culture very well or if we speak Chinese to each otherUsually we can address a friend from an English-speaking country by his/her first name without mentioning his/her surname or title out of respect for his/her culture. Because people from English-speaking countries attach great importance tocasualness in addressing each other in order to form a relatively intimate and equal relationship. But if he or she knows our culture very well or if we speak Chinese to each other, we can address him/her in the Chinese way. Just as the old sayinggoes, — When in Rome, do as the Roma ns do II , it ‘ s better for eurrfmoreto l about andbecome better acquainted with the Chinese culture. In this way, when addressing him/her, we can add xia —o I (young) or lao I — (aged) before his/her family name according to his/her age so as to create an amicable atmosphere. We can also address him/her by using his/her title in a humorous way, or by inventing some nickname for him or her in either English or Chinese, depending on the degree of intimacy.SurveyConduct a survey among some Chinese students to find how much they know about the possible cultural differences between Chinese and English-speaking people in the speech behaviors listed below.China When greeting each other, the Chinese often begin with —Have you eaten I , —Whae re you going I , —What are you doing I,English-speaking countriesPeople fromEnglish-speaking countriesusually say —Hello. I—Good morning/afternoon—Long time no see. I and/esvoening I —Nice to meet on.you. /Glad to see you. I or —Howdo you do IChinese people seem to People from apologize less oftenthan English-speaking countries English-speaking people.Theoften apologize in their Chinese apologize onlywhendaily life even for the most they think it is about trivialthings. Speech behaviorGreeting Apologizingsomething that really matters.Chinese people tend to makePeople from requests in indirect ways,English-speaking countries especially when the people tend tomake requests involved are not on intimate directly and openly.terms with one another.Chinese people often expressPeople fromtheir gratitude not just by what they say, but also by what they do and what they give to others who have done them a favor.English-speaking countriestend to show their gratitude more verbally to others whohave helped them.Chinese people are reluctant People from to expresstheir disproval English-speaking countries openly for fearof making are more likely to express others lose face. Ifthey have their disapproval freely and to expressdisapproval, they directly.often prefer to do it in a very indirect way.Chinese people tend to People from excuse themselves by English-speaking countriesclaiming that the others must would usually find reasonsbe tired or busy, etc, using to part related to theexpressions that impute themselves rather than to themotive of tiredness or others.business to the other party when parting.Intercultural InsightExplorationTry to describe and explain the possible similar experiences in your use of English as a foreign language in communicating with native speakers.Making requests Expressing gratitudeExpressing disapproval Leave-takingWhat a student tells us below can further illustrate the point that how we communicate appropriately in intercultural encounters may not be as simple as we tend to assume:I remember in the first class of oral English when I was a freshman at university, westudents habitually addressed our amiable foreign teacher as ― teacher the other Chinese teachers. But he asked us to call him by his first name instead. Since he seemed morethan fifty years old we were embarrassed but gradually we learned that was the suitable way to address a teacher in the United States, for teachers in the United States generally prefer to be seen as equal and like a friend to their students. However, when I was already a junior, to our great surprise, one of our foreign teachers who taught us intensive reading told us that hepreferred to be called by us as —Professor White II or —Doctor White II was simply that he wanted to be properly respected in China.Translation纵观历史，我们可以清楚地看到，人们由于彼此所处地域、意识形态、容貌服饰和行为举止上存在的差异，而长久无法互相理解、无法和睦相处。
Unit 1 Communication Across CultureTranslation纵观历史，我们可以清楚地看到，人们由于彼此所处地域、意识形态、容貌服饰和行为举止上存在的差异，而长久无法互相理解、无法和睦相处。
在这种情况下，跨文化交际作为一个特定的研究领域得以形成和发展。
值得注意的是，人类文明在发展过程中所遭受的许多挫折，既是个人的，又是全球性的；人类历史进程总是充满了个人间的直接冲突和民族间的误解——从骂骂咧咧到孤立主义直至到武装冲突，大大小小争端不绝。
很显然，文化间以及亚文化间的交往比以前多了，这迫切要求我们共同努力，去理解有着不同信仰和文化背景的人们，并与之和睦相处。
通过加深认识和理解，我们能够与生活方式、价值观念不同的人们和平共处；这不但有益于我们周遭环境的安定，也是维护世界和平的决定性因素。
Case StudyCase 1In this case, there seemed to be problems in communicating with people of different cultures in spite of the efforts made to achieve understanding.We should know that in Egypt as in many cultures, the human relationship is valued so highlythat it is not expressed in an objective and impersonal way. While Americans certainly value human relationships, they are more likely to speak of them in less personal, more objective terms. In this case, Richard…s mistake might be that he chose to praise the food itself rather than the total evening, for which the food was simply the setting or excuse. For his host and hostess it was as if he had attended an art exhibit and complimented the artist by saying, ―What beautiful frames your pictures are in.‖In Japan the situation may be more complicated. Japanese people value order and harmonyamong persons in a group, and that the organization itself－be it a family or a vast corporation－is more valued than the characteristics of any particular member. In contrast, Americans stress individuality as a value and are apt to assert individual differences when they seem justifiably in conflict with the goals or values of the group. In this case: Richard…s mistake was in making great efforts to defend himself. Let the others assume that the errors were not intentional, but it is not right to defend yourself, even when your unstated intent is to assist the group by warning others of similar mistakes. A simple apology and acceptance of the blame would have been appropriate. But for poor Richard to have merely apologized would have seemed to him to be subservient, unmanly.When it comes to England, we expect fewer problems between Americans and Englishmenthan between Americans and almost any other group. In this case we might look beyond the gesture of taking sugar or cream to the values expressed in this gesture: for Americans, ―Help yourself‖; for the English counterpart, ―Be my guest.‖ American and English people equally enjoy entertaining and being entertained but they differ somewhat in the value of the distinction. Typically, the ideal guest at an American party is one who ―makes himself at home,‖ even to the point of answering the door or fixing his own drink. For persons in many other societies, including at least this hypothetical English host, such guest behavior is presumptuous or rude.Case 2A common cultural misunderstanding in classes involves conflicts between what is said to bedirect communication style and indirect communication style. In American culture, people tend to say what is on their minds and to mean what they say. Therefore, students in class are expected to ask questions when they need clarification. Mexican culture shares this preference of style with American culture in some situations, and that…s why the students from Mexico readily adopted the techniques of asking questions in class. However, Korean people generally prefer indirect communication style, and therefore they tend to not say what is on their minds and to rely more on implications and inference, so as to be polite and respectful and avoid losing face through any improper verbal behavior. As is mentioned in the case, to many Koreans, numerous questions would show a disrespect for the teacher, and would also reflect that the student has not studied hard enough. Case 3The conflict here is a difference in cultural values and beliefs. In the beginn ing, Mary didn…trealize that her Dominican sister saw her as a member of the family, literally. In the Dominican view, family possessions are shared by everyone of the family. Luz was acting as most Dominican sisters would do in borrowing without asking every time. Once Mary understood that there was a differentway of looking at this, she would become more accepting. However, she might still experience the same frustration when this happened again. She had to find ways to cope with her own emotional cultural reaction as well as her practical problem (the batteries running out).Case 4It might be simply a question of different rhythms. Americans have one rhythm in their personaland family relations, in their friendliness and their charities. People from other cultures have different rhythms. The American rhythm is fast. It is characterized by a rapid acceptance of others. However, it is seldom that Americans engage themselves entirely in a friendship. Their friendships are warm, but casual, and specialized. For example, you have a neighbor who drops by in the morning for coffee. You see her frequently, but you never invite her for dinner --- not because you don…t think she could handle a fork and a knife, but because you have seen her that morning. Therefore, you reserve your more formal invitation to dinner for someone who lives in a more distant part of the city and whom you would not see unless you extended an invitation for a special occasion. Now, if the first friend moves away and the second one moves nearby, you are likely to reverse this --- see the second friend in the mornings for informal coffee meetings, and the first one you will invite more formally to dinner.Americans are, in other words, guided very often by their own convenience. They tend to make friends easily, and they don…t feel it necessary to go to a great amount of trouble to see friends often when it becomes inconvenient to do so, and usually no one is hurt. But in similar circumstances people from many other cultures would be hurt very deeply.Unit 2 Culture and CommunicationTranslation文化有时候被称为我们的心智程序，我们“头脑的软件”。
Unit 1Communication Across CulturesReading IIntercultural Communication：An IntroductionComprehension questions1. Is it still often the case that “everyone’s quick to blame the alien” in the contemporary world?This is still powerful in today’s social and political rhetoric. For instance, it is not uncommon in today‘s society to hear people say that most, if not all, of the social and economic problems are caused by minorities and immigrants.2. What’s the difference between today’s intercultural co ntact and that of any time in the past?Today‘s intercultural encounters are far more numerous and of greater importance than in any time in history.3. What have made intercultural contact a very common phenomenon in our life today?New technology, in the form of transportation and communication systems, has accelerated intercultural contact; innovative communication systems have encouraged and facilitated cultural interaction; globalization of the economy has brought people together; changes in immigration patterns have also contributed to intercultural encounter.4. How do you understand the sentence “culture is everything and everywhere”? Culture supplies us with the answers to questions about what the world looks like and how we live and communicate within that world. Culture teaches us how to behave in our life from the instant of birth. It is omnipresent.5. What are the major elements that directly influence our perception and communication?The three major socio-cultural elements that directly influence perception and communication are cultural values, worldview (religion), and social organizations (family and state).6. What does one’s family teach him or her while he or she grows up in it?The family teaches the child what the world looks like and his or her place in that world.7. Why is it impossible to separate our use of language from our culture?Because language is not only a form of preserving culture but also a means of sharing culture. Language is an organized, generally agreed-upon, learned symbol system that is used to represent the experiences within a cultural community.8. What are the nonverbal behaviors that people can attach meaning to?People can attach meaning to nonverbal behaviors such as gestures, postures, facial expressions, eye contact and gaze, touch, etc.9. How can a free, culturally diverse society exist?A free, culturally diverse society can exist only if diversity is permitted to flourish without prejudice and discrimination, both of which harm all members of the society. Reading IIThe Challenge of GlobalizationComprehension questions1. Why does the author say that our understanding of the world has changed?Many things, such as political changes and technological advances, have changed the world very rapidly. In the past most human beings were born, lived, and died within a limited geographical area, never encountering people of other cultural backgrounds. Such an existence, however, no longer prevails in the world. Thus, all people are faced with the challenge of understanding this changed and still fast changing world in which we live.2. What a “global village” is like?As our world shrinks and its inhabitants become interdependent, people from remote cultures increasingly come into contact on a daily basis. In a “global village”, members of once isolated groups of people have to communicate with members of other cultural groups. Those people may live thousands of miles away or right next door to each other.3. What is considered as the major driving force of the post-1945 globalization? Technology, particularly telecommunications and computers are considered to be the major driving force.4. What does the author mean by saying that “the ‘global’ may be more local than the ‘local’”?The increasing global mobility of people and the impact of new electronic media on human communications make the world seem smaller. We may communicate more with people of other countries than with our neighbors, and we may be more informed of the international events than of the local events. In this sense, “the ‘global’ may be more local than the ‘local’”.5. Why is it important for businesspeople to know diverse cultures in the world? Effective communication may be the most important competitive advantage that firms have to meet diverse customer needs on a global basis. Succeeding in the global market today requires the ability to communicate sensitively with people from other cultures, a sensitivity that is based on an understanding of cross-cultural differences.6. What are the serious problems that countries throughout the world are confronted with?Countries throughout the world are confronted with serious problems such as volatile international economy, shrinking resources, mounting environmental contamination, and epidemics that know no boundaries.7. What implications can we draw from the case of Michael Fay?This case shows that in a world of international interdependence, the ability tounderstand and communicate effectively with people from other cultures takes on extreme urgency. If we are unaware of the significant role culture plays in communication, we may place the blame for communication failure on people of other cultures.8. What attitudes are favored by the author towards globalization? Globalization, for better or for worse, has changed the world greatly. Whether we like it or not, globalization is all but unstoppable. It is already here to stay. It is both a fact and an opportunity. The challenges are not insurmountable. Solutions exist, and are waiting to be identified and implemented. From a globalistic point of view, there is hope and faith in humanity.Case StudyCase 1In this case, there seemed to be problems in communicating with people of different cultures in spite of the efforts made to achieve understanding.We should know that in Egypt as in many cultures, the human relationship is valued so highly that it is not expressed in an objective and impersonal way. While Americans certainly value human relationships, they are more likely to speak of them in less personal, more objective terms. In this case, Richard‘s mistake might be that he chose to praise the food itself rather than the total evening, for which the food was simply the setting or excuse. For his host and hostess it was as if he had attended an art exhibit and complimented the artist by saying, “What beautiful frames your pictures are in.”In Japan the situation may be more complicated. Japanese people value order and harmony among persons in a group, and that the organization itself－be it a family or a vast corporation－is more valued than the characteristics of any particular member. In contrast, Americans stress individuality as a value and are apt to assert individual differences when they seem justifiably in conflict with the goals or values of the group. In this case: Richard‘s mistake was in making great efforts to defend himself. Let the others assume that the errors were not intentional, but it is not right to defend yourself, even when your unstated intent is to assist the group by warning others of similar mistakes. A simple apology and acceptance of the blame would have been appropriate. But for poor Richard to have merely apologized would have seemed to him to be subservient, unmanly.When it comes to England, we expect fewer problems between Americans and Englishmen than between Americans and almost any other group. In this case we might look beyond the gesture of taking sugar or cream to the values expressed in this gesture: for Americans, ―”Help yourself”; for the Engl ish counterpart, ―”Be my guest”. American and English people equally enjoy entertaining and being entertained but they differ somewhat in the value of the distinction. Typically, the ideal guest at an American party is one who ―makes himself at home, even to the point of answering the door or fixing his own drink. For persons in many other societies, including at least this hypothetical English host, such guest behavior is presumptuous or rude.Case 2A common cultural misunderstanding in classes involves conflicts between what is said to be direct communication style and indirect communication style. InAmerican culture, people tend to say what is on their minds and to mean what they say. Therefore, students in class are expected to ask questions when they need clarification. Mexican culture shares this preference of style with American culture in some situations, and that‘s why the students from Mexico readily adopted the techniques of asking questions in class. However, Korean people generally prefer indirect communication style, and therefore they tend to not say what is on their minds and to rely more on implications and inference, so as to be polite and respectful and avoid losing face through any improper verbal behavior. As is mentioned in the case, to many Koreans, numerous questions would show a disrespect for the teacher, and would also reflect that the student has not studied hard enough.Case 3The conflict here is a difference in cultural values and beliefs. In the beginning, Mary didn’t realize that her Dominican sister saw her as a member of the family, literally. In the Dominican view, family possessions are shared by everyone of the family. Luz was acting as most Dominican sisters would do in borrowing without asking every time. Once Mary understood that there was a different way of looking at this, she would become more accepting. However, she might still experience the same frustration when this happened again. She had to find ways to cope with her own emotional cultural reaction as well as her practical problem (the batteries running out).Case 4It might be simply a question of different rhythms. Americans have one rhythm in their personal and family relations, in their friendliness and their charities. People from other cultures have different rhythms. The American rhythm is fast. It is characterized by a rapid acceptance of others.However, it is seldom that Americans engage themselves entirely in a friendship. Their friendships are warm, but casual, and specialized. For example, you have a neighbor who drops by in the morning for coffee. You see her frequently, but you never invite her for dinner --- not because you don‘t think she could handle a fork and a knife, but because you have seen her that morning.Therefore, you reserve your more formal invitation to dinner for someone who lives in a more distant part of the city and whom you would not see unless you extended an invitation for a special occasion. Now, if the first friend moves away and the second one moves nearby, you are likely to reverse this --- see the second friend in the mornings for informal coffee meetings, and the first one you will invite more formally to dinner.Americans are, in other words, guided very often by their own convenience. They tend to make friends eas ily, and they don‘t feel it necessary to go to a great amount of trouble to see friends often when it becomes inconvenient to do so, and usually no one is hurt. But in similar circumstances people from many other cultures would be hurt very deeply.。
参考资料Unit1municationAcrossCulturesReadingIInterculturalmunication：AnIntroductionprehensionquestions1. Is itstilloften thecasethat “everyone‟squickto blamethealien”in thecontemporaryworld?This isstillpowerfulintoday‘ssocialand politicalrhetoric. Forinstance,it isnotunmon intoday‘ssocietytohearpeoplesaythatmost,ifnotall,ofthesocialandeconomicproblemsare causedbyminorities andimmigrants.2.What‟sthedifferencebetween today‟sinterculturalcontactand thatof anytimein thepast?Today‘sinterculturalencountersarefarmorenumerousandofgreaterimportancethaninany timeinhistory.3.Whathavemadeinterculturalcontacta verymonphenomenoninour lifetoday?Newtechnology,in theformoftransportation and munication systems,hasaccelerated interculturalcontact;innovative munication systemshave encouraged andfacilitated cultural interaction; globalizationoftheeconomy has broughtpeopletogether; changes inimmigration patternshavealso contributedtointercultural encounter.4. Howdo you understand thesentence“cultureis everything and everywhere”?Culturesuppliesuswiththeanswers toquestions aboutwhat theworldlooks likeand howwe liveandmunicatewithinthatworld.Cultureteachesushowtobehavein ourlifefromthe instantofbirth. It isomnipresent.5.Whatarethemajorelements thatdirectlyinfluenceourperception andmunication?Thethreemajorsocio-culturalelementsthatdirectly influenceperception and munication areculturalvalues, worldview(religion), andsocialorganizations (familyandstate).6.Whatdoes one‟sfamilyteach himor her whileheor shegrows upin it?Thefamilyteaches thechildwhat theworldlooks likeandhisorherplaceinthatworld.7.Whyis it impossibleto separateour useof languagefromour culture?Becauselanguageisnotonly aformofpreservingculturebutalsoameansofsharingculture. Languageisanorganized,generallyagreed-upon,learnedsymbolsystemthatisusedtorepresent theexperiences withinaculturalmunity.8.Whatarethenonverbalbehaviorsthatpeoplecanattach meaning to?Peoplecan attachmeaning tononverbalbehaviorssuch asgestures,postures,facialexpressions, eyecontactandgaze, touch,etc.9. Howcan a free,culturallydiversesocietyexist?A free,culturallydiversesocietycanexistonlyifdiversityispermittedtoflourishwithout prejudiceand discrimination, both ofwhich harmallmembers ofthesociety.ReadingIITheChallenge ofGlobalizationprehension questions1.Whydoes theauthorsaythatour understanding of theworld has changed?Many things,such aspoliticalchangesand technologicaladvances,havechanged theworld very rapidly.In thepastmosthuman beingswereborn,lived,anddiedwithin alimited geographical area,neverencounteringpeopleofotherculturalbackgrounds.Suchanexistence,however,no longerprevailsin theworld.Thus,allpeoplearefacedwith thechallengeofunderstanding this changedandstillfastchangingworldinwhichwelive.2.Whata “global village”is like?Asourworldshrinksanditsinhabitantsbeeinterdependent,peoplefrom remotecultures increasinglyeintocontactonadailybasis.Ina―global village‖, membersofonceisolated groupsofpeoplehavetomunicatewithmembersofotherculturalgroups.Thosepeoplemaylivethousands ofmiles away orrightnextdoortoeach other.3.What is consideredasthemajor driving forceof thepost-1945 globalization?Technology,particularly telemunicationsand putersareconsidered to bethemajor driving force.4.Whatdoes theauthor mean bysaying that“the…global‟maybemorelocal than the…local‟”?The increasingglobalmobilityofpeopleand the impactofnewelectronicmediaonhuman municationsmaketheworldseem smaller.Wemaymunicatemorewithpeopleofother countriesthan with ourneighbors,and wemay bemoreinformedoftheinternationaleventsthan of thelocalevents.Inthis sense,―the‗global‘maybemorelocalthanthe ‗local‘‖.5.Whyis it important for businesspeopleto knowdiversecultures in theworld?Effectivemunicationmaybethemostimportantpetitiveadvantagethatfirmshavetomeetdiversecustomerne edson aglobalbasis.Succeedingin theglobalmarkettoday requiresthe ability tomunicatesensitively withpeoplefromothercultures,asensitivity thatisbased on an understandingofcross-culturaldifferences.6.Whataretheseriousproblems thatcountries throughout theworld are confronted with?Countriesthroughouttheworldareconfrontedwithseriousproblemssuch asvolatile internationaleconomy,shrinking resources,mounting environmentalcontamination,andepidemics thatknownoboundaries.7.What implications can wedrawfromthe caseofMichaelFay?Thiscaseshowsthatin aworldofinternationalinterdependence,the ability tounderstand andmunicateeffectivelywithpeople fromother culturestakes onextreme urgency. Ifweare unawareof thesignificantrolecultureplaysinmunication,wemayplacetheblame for munication failureonpeopleofother cultures.8.Whatattitudes arefavored bytheauthor towards globalization?Globalization,forbetterorforworse,haschanged theworldgreatly.Whetherwelikeitornot, globalization is allbutunstoppable.Itis already heretostay. Itis both afactand an opportunity.The challenges arenotinsurmountable.Solutions exist, andarewaitingtobe identifiedand implemented. Fromaglobalisticpointofview, thereishopeand faithin humanity.Translation纵观历史，我们可以清楚地看到，人们由于彼此所处地域、意识形态、容貌服饰和行为举止上存在的差异，而长久无法互相理解、无法和睦相处。
跨⽂化交际全部答案参考资料Unit 1 Communication Across CulturesReading IIntercultural Communication：An IntroductionComprehension questions1. Is it still often the case that “everyone?s quick to blame the alien”in the contemporary world?This is still powerful in today…s social and political rhetoric. For instance, it is not uncommon in today…s society to hear people say that most, if not all, of the social and economic problems are caused by minorities and immigrants.2. What?s the difference between today?s intercultural contact and that of any time in the past?Today…s intercultural encounters are far more numerous and of greater importance than in any time in history.3. What have made intercultural contact a very common phenomenon in our life today?New technology, in the form of transportation and communication systems, has accelerated intercultural contact; innovative communication systems have encouraged and facilitated cultural interaction; globalization of the economy has brought people together; changes in immigration patterns have also contributed to intercultural encounter.4. How do you understand the sentence “culture is everything and everywhere”?Culture supplies us with the answers to questions about what the world looks like and how we live and communicate within that world. Culture teaches us how to behave in our life from the instant of birth. It is omnipresent.5. What are the major elements that directly influence our perception and communication?The three major socio-cultural elements that directly influence perception and communication are cultural values, worldview (religion), and social organizations (family and state).6. What does one?s family teach him or her while he or she grows up in it?The family teaches the child what the world looks like and his or her place in that world.7. Why is it impossible to separate our use of language from our culture?Because language is not only a form of preserving culture but also a means of sharing culture. Language is an organized, generally agreed-upon, learned symbol system that is used to represent the experiences within a cultural community.8. What are the nonverbal behaviors that people can attach meaning to?People can attach meaning to nonverbal behaviors such as gestures, postures, facial expressions, eye contact and gaze, touch, etc.9. How can a free, culturally diverse society exist?A free, culturally diverse society can exist only if diversity is permitted to flourish without1prejudice and discrimination, both of which harm all members of the society.Reading IIThe Challenge of GlobalizationComprehension questions1. Why does the author say that our understanding of the world has changed?Many things, such as political changes and technological advances, have changed the world very rapidly. In the past mosthuman beings were born, lived, and died within a limited geographical area, never encountering people of other cultural backgrounds. Such an existence, however, no longer prevails in the world. Thus, all people are faced with the challenge of understanding this changed and still fast changing world in which we live.2. What a “global village”is like?As our world shrinks and its inhabitants become interdependent, people from remote cultures increasingly come into contact on a daily basis. In a ―global village‖, members of once isolated groups of people have to communicate with members of other cultural groups. Those people may live thousands of miles away or right next door to each other.3. What is considered as the major driving force of the post-1945 globalization?Technology, particularly telecommunications and computers are considered to be the major driving force.4. What does the author mean by saying that “the …global?may be more local than the …local?”?The increasing global mobility of people and the impact of new electronic media on human communications make the world seem smaller. We may communicate more with people of other countries than with our neighbors, and we may be more informed of the international events than of thelocal events. In this sense, ―the ?global…may be more local than the ?local…‖.5. Why is it important for businesspeople to know diverse cultures in the world?Effective communication may be the most important competitive advantage that firms have to meet diverse customer needs on a global basis. Succeeding in the global market today requires the ability to communicate sensitively with people from other cultures, a sensitivity that is based on an understanding of cross-cultural differences.6. What are the serious problems that countries throughout the world are confronted with?Countries throughout the world are confronted with serious problems such as volatile international economy, shrinking resources, mounting environmental contamination, and epidemics that know no boundaries.7. What implications can we draw from the case of Michael Fay?This case shows that in a world of international interdependence, the ability to understand and communicate effectively with people from other cultures takes on extreme urgency. If we are unaware of the significant role culture plays in communication, we may place the blame for communication failure on people of other cultures.8. What attitudes are favored by the author towards globalization?Globalization, for better or for worse, has changed the world greatly. Whether we like it or not,2globalization is all but unstoppable. It is already here to stay. It is both a fact and an opportunity. The challenges are not insurmountable. Solutions exist, and are waiting to be identified and implemented. From a globalistic point of view, there is hope and faith in humanity.Translation纵观历史，我们可以清楚地看到，⼈们由于彼此所处地域、意识形态、容貌服饰和⾏为举⽌上存在的差异，⽽长久⽆法互相理解、⽆法和睦相处。
跨文化交际全部答案(总30页) -CAL-FENGHAI.-(YICAI)-Company One1-CAL-本页仅作为文档封面，使用请直接删除参考资料Unit 1 Communication Across CulturesReading IIntercultural Communication：An Introduction Comprehension questions1. Is it still often the case that “everyone‟s quick to blame the alien” in the contemporary worldThis is still powerful in today‘s social and political rhetoric. For instance, it is notuncommon intoday‘s society to hear people say that most, if not all, of the social and economic problems arecaused by minorities and immigrants.2. What‟s the difference between today‟s intercultural contact and that of any time in the pastToday‘s intercultural encounters are far more numerous and of greater importancethan in anytime in history.3. What have made intercultural contact a very common phenomenon in our life todayNew technology, in the form of transportation and communication systems, has accelerated intercultural contact; innovative communication systems have encouraged and facilitated cultural interaction; globalization of the economy has brought people together; changes in immigration patterns have also contributed to intercultural encounter.4. How do you understand the sentence “culture is everything and everywhere”Culture supplies us with the answers to questions about what the world looks like and how we live and communicate within that world. Culture teaches us how to behave in our life from the instant of birth. It is omnipresent.5. What are the major elements that directly influence our perception and communicationThe three major socio-cultural elements that directly influence perception and communication are cultural values, worldview (religion), and social organizations (family and state).6. What does one‟s family teach him or her while he or she grows up in itThe family teaches the child what the world looks like and his or her place in thatworld.7. Why is it impossible to separate our use of language from our cultureBecause language is not only a form of preserving culture but also a means of sharing culture. Language is an organized, generally agreed-upon, learned symbol system that is used to represent the experiences within a cultural community.8. What are the nonverbal behaviors that people can attach meaning toPeople can attach meaning to nonverbal behaviors such as gestures, postures, facial expressions, eye contact and gaze, touch, etc.9. How can a free, culturally diverse society existA free, culturally diverse society can exist only if diversity is permitted to flourish without prejudice and discrimination, both of which harm all members of the society.Reading IIThe Challenge of GlobalizationComprehension questions1. Why does the author say that our understanding of the world has changedMany things, such as political changes and technological advances, have changed the world very rapidly. In the past most human beings were born, lived, and died within a limited geographical area, never encountering people of other cultural backgrounds. Such an existence, however, no longer prevails in the world. Thus, all people are faced with the challenge of understanding this changed and still fast changing world in which we live.2. What a “global village” is likeAs our world shrinks and its inhabitants become interdependent, people from remote cultures increasingly come into contact on a daily basis. In a ―global village‖, members of once isolated groups of people have to communicate with members of other cultural groups. Those people maylive thousands of miles away or right next door to each other.3. What is considered as the major driving force of the post-1945 globalizationTechnology, particularly telecommunications and computers are considered to be the major driving force.4. What does the author mean by saying that “the …global‟m ay be more local than the …local‟”The increasing global mobility of people and the impact of new electronic media on human communications make the world seem smaller. We may communicate more with people of other countries than with our neighbors, and we may be more informed of the international events than of the local events. In this sense, ―the ‗global‘ may be more local than the ‗local‘‖.5. Why is it important for businesspeople to know diverse cultures in the worldEffective communication may be the most important competitive advantage that firms have to meet diverse customer needs on a global basis. Succeeding in theglobal market today requires the ability to communicate sensitively with people from other cultures, a sensitivity that is based on an understanding of cross-culturaldifferences.6. What are the serious problems that countries throughout the world areconfronted withCountries throughout the world are confronted with serious problems such as volatile international economy, shrinking resources, mounting environmental contamination, and epidemics that know no boundaries.7. What implications can we draw from the case ofMichael FayThis case shows that in a world of international interdependence, the ability to understand and communicate effectively with people from other cultures takes on extreme urgency. If we are unaware of the significant role culture plays in communication, we may place the blame for communication failure on people of other cultures.8. What attitudes are favored by the author towardsglobalizationGlobalization, for better or for worse, has changed the world greatly. Whether we like it or not, globalization is all but unstoppable. It is already here to stay. It is both a fact and an opportunity. The challenges are not insurmountable. Solutions exist, and are waiting to be identified and implemented. From a globalistic point of view, there is hope and faith in humanity.Translation纵观历史，我们可以清楚地看到，人们由于彼此所处地域、意识形态、容貌服饰和行为举止上存在的差异，而长久无法互相理解、无法和睦相处。
Unit 1Communication Across CulturesWarm UpQuestions1. Why is it difficult to explain to a blind person what colors are?2. Do you sometimes find it hard to make yourself properly understood by others? If you do, why do you think it is hard?It is very difficult for people to understand one a nother if they do not share the same experiences. Of course, we all share the experience of being human, but there are many experiences which we do not share and which are different for all of us. It is these different experiences thatmake up what is called ―culture‖in the social sciences － the habits of everyday life, the cues towhich people respond, the automatic reactions they have to whatever they see and hear. These often differ, and the differences may introduce misunderstandings where we seek understanding.Reading IIntercultural Communication：An IntroductionComprehension questions1. Is it still often the case that“everyone‟s quick to blame the alien”in the contemporary world?This is still powerful in today‘s social and political rhetoric. Forinstance, it is not uncommon intoday‘s society to hear people say that most, if not all, of the social and economic problems arecaused by minorities and immigrants.2. What‟s the difference between today‟s intercultural contact and that of any time in the past?Today‘s intercultural encounters are far more numerous and of greaterimportance than in anytime in history.3. What have made intercultural contact a very common phenomenon in our life today?New technology, in the form of transportation and communication systems, has accelerated intercultural contact; innovative communication systems have encouraged and facilitated cultural interaction; globalization of the economy has brought people together; changes in immigration patterns have also contributed to intercultural encounter.4. How do you understand the sentence“culture is everything and everywhere”?Culture supplies us with the answers to questions about what the world looks like and how we live and communicate within that world. Culture teaches us how to behave in our life from the instant of birth. It is omnipresent.5. What are the major elements that directly influence our perception and communication?The three major socio-cultural elements that directly influence perception and communication are cultural values, worldview (religion), and social organizations (family and state).6. What does one‟s family teach him or her while he or she grows up in it?The family teaches the child what the world looks like and his or her place in that world.7. Why is it impossible to separate our use of language from our culture?Because language is not only a form of preserving culture but also a means of sharing culture. Language is an organized, generally agreed-upon, learned symbol system that is used to represent the experiences within a cultural community.8. What are the nonverbal behaviors that people can attach meaning to?People can attach meaning to nonverbal behaviors such as gestures, postures, facial expressions, eye contact and gaze, touch, etc.9. How can a free, culturally diverse society exist?A free, culturally diverse society can exist only if diversity is permitted to flourish without prejudice and discrimination, both of which harm all members of the society.Discovering Problems: Slim Is Beautiful?Questions for discussionWhich do you think is the mark of beauty, thin or fat? Why is it often said that beauty is in the eye of beholder?One sociologist once said that with the greater influence of American culture across the world, the standard of a beauty is becoming more and more Hollywood-like, characterized by a chiseled chin and a tall, slim figure. One can see such beautiful images in almost any American movie. We Chinese also share the notion that the standard idea of beauty includes being tall, thin, and light skinned. It seems that with the process of globalization, eastern and western beauties look more and more alike.But we have to remember that the definition of beauty differs from culture to culture. For example, Hispanic standards of female beauty are to have big hips, a moderate tan, and a short height. As is described in the article, in southeastern Nigeria, Coca-Cola-bottle voluptuousness is celebrated and ample backsides and bosoms are considered ideals of female beauty.What‘s more, the ideal standard of beauty varies from time to time. For instance, during timesof famine, the ideal standard of beauty for women is a much larger body size. Larger size and more body fat may reflect one‘s status; for it suggests that the person is well fed and healthy. Thinness then would reflect malnutrition. However, during times of plenty, plumpness is not a reflection ofstatus. People may easily associate fatness with hypert ension, heart disease or other potential diseases. Likewise, during eras in which lower-class labors had to toil predominantly outside for hours a day, tanned skin was an indication of lower status, and therefore the ideal standard of female beauty was very paleskin; women during those times actuallyused a lot of white powdered cosmetics to exaggerate the paleness of their skin. Now, however, tan is a reflection of having more leisure time spent on seashores instead of working in an office all the time, and therefore it may suggest higher status, so women strive for darker skin tones.It is true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder because people of different cultures and in different situations may have different ideas about what is beautiful and what is not.Group WorkFirst share with your group member whatever experiences you have had in communication events that can be considered as intercultural. Then work together to decide whether each of the following cases of communication is possibly intercultural or not and, if it is, to what extent it is intercultural. Try to place all the cases along a continuum of interculturalness, from the most intercultural to the least intercultural.All the cases may seem to be intercultural but they differ in the extent to which they are intercultural. However it may be very difficult for us to place all these cases along a continuum of interculturalness from themost intercultural to the least intercultural, for many other factors have to be taken into consideration if we have to decide which is more intercultural than another. For instance, whether communication between a male manager and a female secretary is intercultural or not and, if it is, how intercultural it may be, may depend on the cultural and social backgrounds of the two persons. If they are from drastically different cultures, communication between them is surely intercultural and may be very intercultural. If they are from the same culture, communication between them may be little intercultural.The following is tentatively suggested for measuringthe interculturalness of the cases of communication, and the cases are presented from the most intercultural to the least intercultural:Communication between a Chinese university student and an American professor; Communication between a Canadian girl and a South African boy;Communication between a first-generation Chinese American and third generation one; Communication between a businessperson from Hong Kong and an artist from Xian; Communication between a teenager from Beijing and a teenager from Tibet;Communication between a father who is a farmer all his life and his son who works as an engineer;Communication between a software technician and a fisherman;Communication between a male manager and a female secretary (supposing they are of the similar cultural and social backgrounds) .DebateThe class is to be divided into two groups and debate on the two different views mentioned in thefollowing on intercultural communication. State your point of view clearly and support your argument with convincing and substantive evidence.Pro: People are people; more interactions would leadto greater understanding of each other.（Commonality precedes）Con: People are shaped by different environments they find themselves in, therefore, the difference overrides. (Differences precedes)Possible Arguments for Pro:1. Human beings tend to draw close to one another by their common nature. We all share the common basic needs.2. Rapid expansion of worldwide transportation and communication networks have made it far easier than ever before for people throughout the world to contact with one another.3. The process of globalization may reduce the regional differences between people all over the world. We are all members of the ―global village‖.4. Economic interdependence in today‘s world requires people of different countries to interact onan unprecedented scale, and more interaction will result in more similarity among people.5. More and more people from various cultures have to work and live together and they will adapt to each other to such an extent that cultural differences between them may no longer matter.Possible Arguments for Con:1. People throughout the world may be similar in many aspects, but differences in habits and customs keep them apart.2. Though the basic human needs are universally the same, people all over the world satisfy their basic common human needs in different ways.3. As our society is becoming more and more diversified, differences between people tend to grow larger in some aspects.4. It is differences between people that underlie the necessity of communication, and it does not follow that communication which may increase the possibility of understanding between people will always reduce differences.5. People nowadays are more likely to try to maintain their unique cultural identities when they find themselves living closely with people of other cultures.From the two seemingly opposite viewpoints, we can learn something that we should keep in mind when we are involved in intercultural communication. First, all human beings share some common heritages that link us to one another. To some extent, people throughout the world are pretty much alike in many aspects, and that has formed the very basis on which it is possible for people of various cultures to communicate. However, what we have to realize is that there are also vast differences between people from various cultural groups. To really understand a person whose cultural background is different from yours can be very difficult, for both you and that person maybe subconsciously influenced by each one‘s own cultural upbringin g. In a sense, what we should doin intercultural communication is to treat people of other cultures both as the same with and as different from us.Reading IIThe Challenge of GlobalizationComprehension questions1. Why does the author say that our understanding of the world has changed?Many things, such as political changes and technological advances, have changed the world very rapidly. In the past most human beings were born, lived, and died within a limited geographical area, never encountering people of other cultural backgrounds. Such an existence, however, no longer prevails in the world. Thus, all people are faced with the challenge of understanding this changed and still fast changing world in which we live.2. What a“global village”is like?As our world shrinks and its inhabitants become interdependent, people from remote cultures increasingly come into contact on a daily basis. In a ―global village‖, members of once isolated groups of people have to communicate with members of other cultural groups. Those people maylive thousands of miles away or right next door to each other.3. What is considered as the major driving force of the post-1945 globalization?Technology, particularly telecommunications and computers are considered to be the major driving force.4. What does the author mean by saying that“the…global‟may be more local than the…local‟”?The increasing global mobility of people and the impact of new electronic media on human communications make the world seem smaller. We may communicate more with people of other countries than with our neighbors, and we may be more informed of the international events than of the local events. In this sense, ―the ‗global‘ may be more local than the‗local‘‖.5. Why is it important for businesspeople to know diverse cultures in the world?Effective communication may be the most important competitive advantage that firms have tomeet diverse customer needs on a global basis. Succeeding in the global market today requires the ability to communicate sensitively with people from other cultures, a sensitivity that is based on an understanding of cross-cultural differences.6. What are the serious problems that countries throughout the world are confronted with?Countries throughout the world are confronted with serious problems such as volatile international economy, shrinking resources, mounting environmental contamination, and epidemics that know no boundaries.7. What implications can we draw from the case of Michael Fay?This case shows that in a world of international interdependence, the ability to understand and communicate effectively with people from other cultures takes on extreme urgency. If we are unaware of the significant role culture plays in communication, we may place the blame for communication failure on people of other cultures.8. What attitudes are favored by the author towards globalization?Globalization, for better or for worse, has changed the world greatly. Whether we like it or not, globalization is all but unstoppable. It is already here to stay. It is both a fact and an opportunity. The challenges are not insurmountable. Solutions exist, and are waiting to be identified and implemented. From a globalistic point of view, there is hope and faith in humanity.WritingRead the following and then try to write a short essay on what one has to learn to get prepared for working and living in a new cultural environment.There seems to be so much that one can do to get oneself well prepared for working and living in a new cultural environment. Apart from what is mentioned in the pass age, the following may be what a person in Anna‘s situation should also try to do:1. Learning the language that is used in the new cultural environment.2. Learning about the history and present social situation of the area or the country.3. Learning about the dominant religious belief and some important social customs.4. Learning about the cultural uses of no nverbal means including time and space for communication.5. Learning to look at things and people in new perspectives that are different from what one is accustomed to.6. Developing a more tolerant attitude toward any unfamiliar phenomena.7. Becoming aware that problems and misunde rstandings are inevitable in intercultural communication.8. Learning about how foreigners are usually perceived and treated by the local people.Identifying Difference: How We Address Each OtherQuestions for discussionHow do you address a friend from an English-speaking country? And how should we do it if he or she knows our culture very well or if we speak Chinese to each other?Usually we can address a friend from an English-speaking country by his/her first name withoutmentioning his/her surname or title out of respect fo r his/her culture. Because people from English-speaking countries attach great importance to casualness in addressing each other in order to form a relatively intimate and equal relationship. But if he or she knows our culture very well or if we speak Chinese to each other, we can address him/her in the Chinese way. Just as the old sayinggoes, ―When in Rome, do as the Romans do‖, it‘s better for our friend to learn more about andbecome better acquainted with the Chinese culture. In this way, when addressing him/her, we can add ―xiao‖ (young) or ―lao‖ (aged) before his/her family name according to his/her age so as to create an amicableatmosphere. We can also address him/her by using his/her title in a humorous way,or by inventing some nickname for him or her in either English or Chinese, depending on the degree of intimacy.SurveyConduct a survey among some Chinese students to find how much they know about the possible cultural differences between Chinese andEnglish-speaking people in the speech behaviors listed below.Speech behaviorChinaEnglish-speaking countries Greeting When greeting each other, theChinese often beginwith ―Haveyou eaten?‖, ―Whereare yougoing?‖, ―What are youdoing?‖, ―Long time no see.‖ and so on.People from English-speaking countries usually say ―Hello.‖ ―Good morning/afternoon/evening‖ ―Nice to meet you./Glad to see you.‖ or ―How doyou do?‖Apologiz ing Chinese people seem to apologize less often than English-speaking people. The Chinese apologize only when they think it is about something that really matters.People from English-speaking countries often apologize intheir daily life evenfor the most trivial things.Making request s Chinese people tend to make requests in indi rect ways, especially when the People from English-speaking countries tend to make requestsdirectly and openly.peopleinvolved are not on intimate terms with one another.Express ing gratitu de Chinese people oftenexpress their gratitude not justby what they say, but also by whatthey do and what they give toothers who have done them a favor.People from English-speakingcountries tend to show theirgratitude more verbally to others who havehelped them.Express ing disappr oval Chinese people are reluctant toexpress their disproval openly forfear of making others lose face. Ifthey have to express disapproval,they often prefer to do it in a veryindirect way.People from English-speakingcountries are more likely toexpress theirdisapproval freely anddirectly.Leave-t aking Chinese people tend to excusethemselves by claiming that theothers must be tired or busy, etc,using the expressions that imputethe motive oftiredness or business tothe other party when parting.People from English-speakingcountries would usually findreasons to part related tothemselves ratherthan to others.Intercultural InsightExplorationTry to describe and explain the possible similar experiences in your use of English as a foreign language in communicating with native speakers.What a student tells us below can further illustrate the point that how we communicate appropriately in intercultural encounters may not be as simple as we tend to assume:I remember in the first class of oral English when I was a freshman at university, we students habitually addressed our amiable foreign teacheras ―teacher‖ as we did to the other Chinese teachers. But he asked us to call him by his first name instead. Since he seemed morethan fifty years old we were embarrassed but gradually we learned that was the suitable way to address a teacher in the United States, for teachers in the United States generally prefer to be seen as equal and like a friend to their students. However, when I was already a junior, to our great surprise, one of our foreign teachers who taught us intensive reading told us that hepreferred to be called by us as ―Professor White‖or ―Doctor White‖. The reason was simplythat he wanted to be properly respected in China.Translation纵观历史，我们可以清楚地看到，人们由于彼此所处地域、意识形态、容貌服饰和行为举止上存在的差异，而长久无法互相理解、无法和睦相处。
1. Is it still often the case that “everyone’s quick to blame the alien” in the contemporary world?This is still powerful in today‘s social and political rhetoric. For instance, it is not uncommon in today‘s society to hear people say that most, if not all, of the social and economic problems are caused by minorities and immigrants.2. What’s the difference between today’s intercultural contact and that of any time in the past?Today‘s intercultural encounters are far more numerous and of greater importance than in any time in history.3. What have made intercultural contact a very common phenomenon in our life today?New technology, in the form of transportation and communication systems, has accelerated intercultural contact; innovative communication systems have encouraged and facilitated cultural interaction; globalization of the economy has brought people together; changes in immigration patterns have also contributed to intercultural encounter.4. How do you understand the sentence “culture is everything and everywhere”?Culture supplies us with the answers to questions about what the world looks like and how we live and communicate within that world. Cultureteaches us how to behave in our life from the instant of birth. It is omnipresent.5. What are the major elements that directly influence our perception and communication?The three major socio-cultural elements that directly influence perception and communication are cultural values, worldview (religion), and social organizations (family and state).6. What does one’s family teach him or her while he or she grows up in it?The family teaches the child what the world looks like and his or her place in that world.7. Why is it impossible to separate our use of language from our culture?Because language is not only a form of preserving culture but also a means of sharing culture. Language is an organized, generally agreed-upon, learned symbol system that is used to represent the experiences within a cultural community.8. What are the nonverbal behaviors that people can attach meaning to?People can attach meaning to nonverbal behaviors such as gestures, postures, facial expressions, eye contact and gaze, touch, etc.9. How can a free, culturally diverse society exist?A free, culturally diverse society can exist only if diversity is permitted to flourish without prejudice and discrimination, both of which harm all members of the society.1. Which of the definitions given above do you prefer? Why?Some may prefer a short definition, such as the one given by E. Sapir or R. Benedict, for it is highly generalized and easy to remember. Some may prefer a longer one, such as Edward T. Hall‘s definition of culture, because it provides us with a more comprehensive understanding of culture and points out the all-pervasive impact of culture on human life in different dimensions.2.What have you learned from those definitions about culture?Many things can be learned from those definitions, for each definition, though not without its limitations, tells us something very important about culture or certain aspect(s) of culture.3. Do you agree that our lower needs always have to be satisfied before we can try to satisfy the higher needs?Even though this is generally the case, there will still be some exceptions. Sometimes people might prefer to satisfy higher needs, for instance, esteem needs, before their lower needs, such as certain physiological needs or safety needs, are satisfied.4. What examples can you give about how people of different cultures achieve the same ends by taking different roads?For example, everyone has to eat in order to live and this is universally true. However, to satisfy this basic need, people of various cultures may do it in very different ways: what to eat and how to eat it vary from culture to culture.5. What behaviors of ours are born with and what are learned in the cultural environment?Instinctive behaviors are behaviors that we are born with and ways of doing things in daily life, such as ways of eating, drinking, dressing, finding shelter, making friends, marrying, and dealing with death are learned in the cultural environment.6. What other cultural differences do you know in the way people do things in their everyday life?We can also find cultural differences in ways of bringing up children, treating the elderly, greeting each other, saving and spending money, and many other things people do in everyday life.7. In what ways are the Chinese eating habits different from those of the English-speaking countries?We Chinese may enjoy something that is not usually considered as edible by the English-speaking people. Generally we prefer to have things hot and lay much emphasis on tastes. We tend to share things with each other when we are eating with others.1. Why is it comparatively easy to make friends in the United States?Because few Americans stay put for a lifetime. With each move, forming new friendship becomes a necessity and part of their new life.2.Do people from different countries usually have different expectations about what constitutes friendship and how it comes into being?Yes. The difficulty when strangers from two countries meet is their different expectations about what constitutes friendship and how it comes into being.3. How is friendship in America different from friendship in West Europe?In West Europe, friendship is quite sharply distinguished from other, more casual relationships, is usually more particularized and carries a heavier burden of commitment, while in America the word ―friend can be applied to a wide range of relationship and a friendship may be superficial, casual, situational or deep and enduring.4. In what country does friendship have much to do with one’s family? And in what country does it not?In Germany, friendship has much to do with one‘s family as friends are usually brought into the family, while in France it doesn‘t as, for instance, two men may have been friends for a long time without knowing each other‘s personal life.5. What is friendship like when it is compartmentalized?For instance, a man may play chess with a friend for thirty years without knowing his political opinions, or he may talk politics with him for as long a time without knowing about his personal life. Different friends fill different niches in each person‘s life.6. What are friendships usually based on in England?English friendships are based on shared activity. Activities at different stages of life may be of very different kinds. In the midst of the activity, whatever it may be, people fall into steps and find that they participate in the activity with the same easy anticipation of what each will do day by day or in some critical situation.7. Do you think friendship shares some common elements in different cultures? If you do, what are they?Yes. There is the recognition that friendship, in contrast with kinship, invokes freedom of choice. A friend is someone who chooses and is chosen. Related to this is the sense each friend gives the other of being a special individual, on whatever grounds this recognition is based. And between friends there is inevitably a kind of equality of give-and-take. 8. What do you think is the typical Chinese concept of friendship? Is it similar to or different from any of the Western friendships?It seems that the typical Chinese concept of friendship lays great emphasis on personal loyalty and also has much to do with family. It may be similar to Germany friendship to some extent and quite different fromother Western friendships.9. What is your family like? In what aspects is it the same as or different from the traditional? What problems may arise when people from different family backgrounds communicate with one another?As we all know, many cultural differences exist in family structures and values. In some cultures, the family is the center of life and the main frame of reference for decisions; while in others, the individual, not the family, is primary. Many Chinese families are still quite traditional. They are often extended families, with three or even four generations living under the same roof. In such families, people may care a lot about families’ welfare, reputation and honor. No matter what they do, they tend to put the interest of the whole family as the top priority. For them, the family as a whole always comes first, and its individual members are second. However, there are also many Chinese families now in which individual needs are given more stress than ever before and the relationship between parents and children are more egalitarian than hierarchical. Therefore, communication between people from different family backgrounds may be intercultural to some extent. What one considers as appropriate may be regarded as improper by the other, and sometimes it would be very difficult for them to understand each other in the way each of them prefers to be understood.1. What can we do to avoid attributing a very different meaning to thephrase or interpret it much more literally?We have to be aware of the cultural implications of the phrase.2.What are the other functions of using question forms apart from asking for information?It serves as a lubricant to move the conversation forward. A question that has this function can be called a ―social question.3. Why are those Germans getting stiffer and more reserved all the time when visiting Ingrid Zerbe?They are confused about how to address her, for she introduces herself by first and last name rather than by last name and professional title.4. How does the environment influence the use of language? Language reflects the environment in which we live. We use language to label the things that are around us.5. Does the author think there are exact equivalents in dictionaries that have the same meanings in different cultures?No. According to the author, there are no such equivalents between languages; therefore, to communicate concepts effectively, cultural knowledge is as important as linguistic knowledge.6. How does the language change over time?Words and phrases that are used commonly at one time may be discontinued or their meaning may change over time.7. Does the author think it is possible for countries such as France andIceland to keep their language pure by implementing language policy to ensure the use of standardized language?The author does not think so, because, for instance, the Academie Francaise may insist on certain rules, but other French-speaking groups may make their own rules and consider their French just as correct.8. What are the possible language barriers in classroom teaching?In some cases the professors actually may have a poor command of the language; however, in most cases the problem is not the language but different intonation patterns and different cultural signals.9. What are the major differences between Chinese and English in categorizing kinfolk? What other examples of connotative differences can you give between the two languages?In categorizing kinfolk, what the Chinese language finds significant are the person‘s sex, age, and whether he or she is closely related to one‘s father or mother. All these things, however, are not significant in the English language.1. What made the author feel learning to converse in Mexico City was easier for him/her in one way, more difficult in another?It's easier because Mexicans service the relationship and they care about everyone in the conversation. But their conversation doesn‘t move in a straight line, drifting around both in the topic and in the way they use words.2. Why did the Mexican customer slide into the topic of the full eclipse of the sun?For the Mexican, the conversation starts with one topic, but if another interesting topic seeps in he or she will ride it around for a while. Sticking to the first topic is less important than having an interesting conversation.3. What did the American businessman feel about the Mexican‟s way of conversation?For the American, a conversation should have a topic, and he wants to take a straight line through it from beginning to end. So he felt very impatient about the Mexican‘s way of conversation.4. What “conversational ideal” was represented by the example of a championship skier who was interviewed on TV?The Swedish conversational ideal is to response in a concise manner without elaborating specific details, especially those for self-promotion. .5. What problems are likely to occur if an American talks with a Swede? The American may feel totally lost in the conversation since he or she would not get as much information from the Swede as he or she has expected.6. What are the differences between Anglos and Athabaskans in conversation?There are a lot differences between them. For instance, at the beginningof a conversation, Anglos almost always speak first. Athabaskans think it is important to know what the social relationship is before they talk with someone. There is another difference in how long one should talk. Athabaskans tend to have longer turns when they talk with each other, but Anglos expect shorter turns.7. Is it enough just to learn to speak in grammatically correct manners when one learns a foreign language? What else does he or she also need to know?It is far from enough just to learn to speak in grammatically correct manners when one learns a foreign language. One also has to know about the culture of using the language in social life, things like who talks first, who talks next, who opens and closes conversations and how they do it, in order to be able to use the language in culturally appropriate manners.8. In what ways are Chinese similar to or different from the Americans, Mexicans and Swedes ?It seems that we Chinese are somewhat similar to Mexicans in the way we are having a conversation. Unlike Americans, we do not usually move in a straight line in a conversation and may also care much about the other‘s feeling.9. Do you think there has been some change in the way we Chinese respond to compliments in the last decade or two? What basicdifferences can we still find between the English-speaking people and the Chinese people in the use of compliment and response?There seems to have been some change in the way we Chinese respond to compliments in the last decade or two. For example, like the English-speaking people, more and more Chinese, particularly young people, nowadays tend to use 谢谢(Thank you) to respond to a compliment. However, we Chinese are still different from the English-speaking people in the use of compliment and response to it. For instance, implicit compliments（隐性恭维语）are more likely to be found in the Chinese society.●纵观历史，我们可以清楚地看到，人们由于彼此所处地域、意识形态、容貌服饰和行为举止上存在的差异，而长久无法互相理解、无法和睦相处。
