Jessica Baeza: Response Paper 2- October 12, 2014
1. In order for us to communicate, we must speak a language. In order for us to identify to a culture, we must speak the language of the culture. Language is an essential tool in culture. Humans express themselves through writing and speaking, but we must understand what each other is saying to communicate properly. In American society, we must be aware of all the different cultures and their languages. The Spahr-Whorf Synopsis demonstrates how our particular language affects our perception. “Language not only expresses ideas but also shapes ideas about and perceptions of the world (Martin & Nakayama, 141.)” The Spahr-Whorf Synopsis describes a good relationship between culture and language
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Nonverbal communication is often expressed and perceived differently depending on the culture. Nonverbal communication is expressed differently according to each person. Sometimes nonverbal communication is not expressed in the proper manner in which we mean to express ourselves by. Each culture defines nonverbal communication in a different manner. For example, Mexicans are often loud and very friendly. In American culture, Mexicans being loud when communicating is often seen as rude and obnoxious. When Mexicans see that American culture refers to Mexicans by “you” they see that as disrespect towards them. Mexican culture taught them that when addressing elders or strangers you should call them by “usted” not “tu” or “you” in American culture. It is important to be aware of the culture differences to avoid conflict within intercultural communication. In Spanish culture, it is often more polite to interact with each other with little personal space. In other cultures, like American culture, personal space is often considered an influential factor when communicating (Martin & …show more content…
Improvised performance is how we interact with other cultures that we are not used to interacting with. We must adapt to the situation and act accordingly. It is how we approach a situation where we must adapt to everything that is happening and how we choose to act in the situation. It is how we communicate past our differences (Martin & Nakayama.) When first coming into this country, I have learned that American people do not greet with kisses and hugs. I learned that when I am interacting with American people I should greet them with a handshake and not a hug and a kiss. I still know that the correct form to interact with the Mexican culture and its people is to greet them with a hug and a
Language is truly part of our identity: our languages shape who we are. That is why we always have to be tolerant and comprehensive with others’ accents, typical phrases, or grammatical errors. Writers that really make an impact when referring to language and identity are Gloria Anzaldua and Amy Tan, with their readings “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” and “Mother Tongue” respectively. These two writers, with completely different backgrounds, shared their views about how language and identity are intertwined.
Often, the language spoken by Northern Spaniards sounds identical to the language spoken by Southern Spaniards. However, the northerners speak with the “the emission of the consonants ‘d’ and ‘r’, the aspiration of the consonant ‘s’ at the end of words, and the dropping of final consonants”, whereas southerners do not. (Khodorkovsky, 2008) Again, both types a Spaniards are conveying a message when speaking. Likewise, Americans have differing dialect. The way someone from the West coast speaks contrasts the way someone from the East coast speaks. But yet again, both people are conveying a message when speaking. Although their verbal communication may sound different, Hispanic and American culture’s are still accomplishing the same goal. There are also many similarities and differences in each culture’s nonverbal communication
It’s important to study and understand a culture and its norms before assimilating yourself into it so that you do not break a serious social norm, whether it be verbal or nonverbal. According to our book, “Nonverbal communication is an ever-present form of human expression,” and you are always communicating messages even if they are not stated explicitly. Nonverbal cues are there for a reason and they help us to form relationships when we learn how to pick up on those cues commonly used by certain people in our interpersonal relationships. Nonverbal norms help to shape our society in deciding what’s acceptable, help us to establish interpersonal relationships, and help us form a part of our
Nonverbal behavior is channeled by norms and most of us abide by them without being aware of them. Physical appearance, gesture and body movement, face and eye behavior, vocal behavior, personal space, touch, scent/smell, and time are all forms of nonverbal communication behavior. Norms differ amongst various cultures, ethnic, and geographic groups. There are endless ways and forms to violate nonverbal norms, and by doing so can lead to a barrier in communication, which are problematic to distinguish.
Closing the door on an individual is very frustrating and rude toward the person it is affecting. This assignment has taught me that I need to be aware of how I portray nonverbal communication because it can leave a negative impression on someone, and it can also can harsh relations with individuals’. As a result, I feel that I have bettered my nonverbal communication skills, and I am hoping that these skills will help me properly portray myself in a positive
Language is used to preserve and transfer culture and cultural ties. Diverse ideas branch from differing language use within one’s culture and the whole intertwining of these relationships start at one’s birth. I have to agree with Confucius when he said that we are all born exactly the same; it is only once a child is exposed to their surroundings that they become individuals in and of their cultural group. Every individual’s views are dependent on the culture which has influenced them, as well as the language which has been shaped by that culture. The understanding of a culture and its people can be enhanced by the knowledge of their language. And learning a new language involves the learning of a new culture (Allwright & Bailey
Barker, C and Galasiński, D. (2001). Culture and Language. In: Cultural Studies and Discourse Analysis. A Dialogue on Language and Identity, London: SAGE Publications Inc. p3-4.
Culture has always been a driving force in understanding nonverbal communication as nonverbal communication is highly influenced by the cultural differences as the context of the culture defines how the communication/message is interpreted in certain cultures. “Communication occurs within a context but the context is particularly important in relation to non-verbal communication” (Tyler, Kossen & Ryan, 2005, p.185). Culture defines the messages perceived by the non-verbal communication. For instance, proxemics. “Proxemics refers to the spatial relationship or how we use space.” (Tyler, Kossen & Ryan, 2005, p.190) Culture plays an important role in defining the use of one’s personal space in the nonverbal communication process. For example, in North America people usually remain at a distance from one another when talking while Latin American people stay very close when talking. (Wood, 2009). This defines the use of the privacy or personal space in two different cultures. H...
“Language is the light of the mind” (Mills, n.d.) This quote is a prime illustration of the impact language places in the context of various cultures. Whether it be a specific culture, such as Bulgarian, or language on a grander scale, it is language’s role to encapsulate the essence of human interaction. In addition, each culture is uniquely identified through its own idioms, alphabet, history, and ultimately its linguistic relativity in general. Overall, language is imperative for communication cross-culturally and interpersonally. In sum, it is importunate of culture to have an effective language which carries not only an established written alphabet, history, and uniqueness, but also holds specific characteristics
Everything we do in our life involves communication because it is a way for a sender to send message to the receiver by verbal and non-verbal communication. However, in some parts of the world messages that are delivered sometimes are not received in a way it is supposed to. A way to solve this is by using competent communicator and intercultural communication because it makes it easier for people from other cultures to communicate in general. On the other hand, there are also some problems faced because different cultures have different ways to express their way of communication. By understanding these types of communication and by defining them may solve this dilemma. In addition to that, there are also types of communication to consider that are commonly used, which is Proxemics, Gestures and body language.
The first point I would like to illustrate is the way body language can have different effects on people. For example, in England the use of hands when you are speaking is quite rare, the odd movement of the hand may be seen but the most common use of hand signals or motions is when someone is making an insult. I will use the Italians as an example of at times exaggerated and frequent use of hands. The Italians often use their hands as a way of secondary communication. As they speak they dramatise their conversations which can be mistakenly perceived by some people as confrontation when in fact they are having a simple conversation. This is where the lack of knowledge of a culture can cause a misunderstanding. Another example of communication which can cause raised eyebrows is the way the French acknowledge one another is doing something called the “bises.” This is where they give a kiss on each cheek. (Depending on the region this could be two, three even four kisses.) It is considered rude to just verbally greet someone so the “bises” is the norm for them. However when they are out of their country they could receive strange looks because people don’t understand their reasons and therefore could be perceived that French m...
During conversations, I have to put extra effort to maintain eye contact. One of the most important aspect of nonverbal communication is eye contact. The use of eye contact can be one of the most crucial and influential feature of our face. In America eye contact is essential “eye contact serves as a signal of readiness to interact and the absence of such contact, whether intended or accidental, tends to reduce the likelihood of such interactions”(Ruben & Stewart, 2015, 34). Eye contact shows that the person is interested in communicating with you, and has respect and appreciation for you. It gives the conversation a sense of flow. However the lack of eye contact can often seem disrespectful across culture. It is due to cultural comparison present regarding nonverbal communication. Every culture has its own altered
Humans have been communicating since four million years. On the other hand, the birth of culture is estimated to have taken place about 35,000 years ago. Today, both culture and communication have evolved considerably and have become interdependent of one another, to the point that communication is considered to be a product of culture. Thus, our own culture has a deep impact on our thoughts and behaviors. Since each culture has its distinct aspects, intercultural communication can be the cause of conflict and disorder. There are three main issues which are at the root of the problem of intercultural miscommunication : language as a barrier, cultural diversity and ethnocentrism. I will analyze these three notions in situations in which intercultural communication is frequent such as : the workplace, the classroom and vacation trips.
To have a clear understanding of how cultures differ, consider one of the major aspects of culture, language. Language is means of conveying information or com...
...tention to how people react to one another’s comments, guessing the relationship between the people and guessing how each feels about what is being said. This can inform individuals to better understand the use of body language when conversing with other people. It is also important to take into account individual differences. Different cultures use different non-verbal gestures. Frequently, when observing these gestures alone the observer can get the wrong impression, for instance, the listener can subconsciously cross their arms. This does not mean that they are bored or annoyed with the speaker; it can be a gesture that they are comfortable with. Viewing gestures as a whole will prevent these misunderstandings. Non-verbal gestures are not only physical, for example; the tone of voice addressing a child will be different from the way it is addressed to an adult.