Introduction
This paper discusses Singaporeans’ communication styles towards foreigners in Singapore and in other countries using Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT). In recent years, there has been much furore among Singaporeans about foreigners in Singapore not adapting to our national languages and speaking styles. Mainland Chinese, especially, have come under fire for not picking up English and sticking to their thickly accented Mandarin. Based on their reactions, we think Singaporeans will diverge from foreigners’ communication styles in Singapore. On the other hand, Singaporeans tend to learn foreign languages before flying overseas, especially for extended stays. Some Singaporeans also pick up foreign accents during their stay. From our observations, we think Singaporeans will converge towards foreigners’ communication styles when they are overseas.
In our report, we want to find out if other Singaporeans share our observations and whether these observations can really be explained using CAT.
Hypotheses
a. Singaporeans diverge from foreigners’ communication styles in Singapore
b. Singaporeans converge to foreigners’ communication styles overseas
Singaporeans diverge from foreigners’ communication style in Singapore
According to CAT, divergence is a communication strategy adopted by someone to accentuate the differences between him and another person. Divergence can be verbal or non-verbal in nature. Verbal forms include vocabulary (choice of words), use of slangs, and language. Non-verbal forms include accent, intonation (tone, pitch range, loudness, rhythm, tempo), and speed. Based on CAT, we predict that Singaporeans will adopt divergence when communicating with foreigners in Singapore because of the following r...
... middle of paper ...
...ndard British English when speaking to one’s London friends. Code switching allows convergence to both in and out groups, which makes it a valuable skill to have.
References
1. E. Griffin, (2012). 'Hierarchy of Needs of Abraham Maslow'. In: A First Look At Communication Theory. 8th ed. : McGraw Hill. pp.124-133.
2. Indiana University and Michael Gasser (2006). How Language Works. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.indiana.edu/~hlw/PhonProcess/accents.html. [Last Accessed 14 November 13]
3. OSGOOD- SCHRAMM MODEL OF COMMUNICATION. [ONLINE] Available at: http://communicationtheory.org/osgood-schramm-model-of-communication/. [Last Accessed 14 November 13].
4. Y.L. Seah, S.Y. How, W.S. Ng (2013). . [ONLINE] Available at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AipZMb4nf037dEVzM2JBbDJROVA0aTVzUmkyamluTkE&single=true&gid=0&output=html. [Last Accessed 14 November 13].
This chapter focused mainly on misconceptions and attempting to clarify those misconceptions about accents. In the opinion of linguists, accent is a difficult word to define. This is due to the fact that language has variation therefore when it comes to a person having an accent or not, there is no true technical distinction because every person has different phonological aspects to their way of speaking. However, when forced to define this word, it is described as “a way of speaking” (Lippi-Green, 2012, p.44). Although Lippi- Green identified the difficulty linguists have in distinguishing between accent, dialect, and another language entirely, they were able to construct a loose way of distinguishing. Lippi- Green states that an accent can be determined by difference in phonological features alone, dialect can be determined by difference in syntax, lexicon, and semantics alone, and when all of these aspects are different from the original language it is considered another language entirely (Lippi-Green, 2012).
Ting-Toomey, Stella., & Chung, Leeva C. (2012). Understanding Intercultural Communication. Oxford University Press. 43, 159-160.
Martin. J. and Nakayama, T. (2000). Intercultural communication in contexts, (2nd ed.). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield.
The renowned American anthropologist and cross-cultural researcher Edward Hall has stated “culture is communication and communication is culture” (Pennycook, 1985, pp. 269). Accordingly, a thorough study of the communicative patterns of any group provides a window into that group and vice versa. This section will compare the culture and communication patterns of China with those present in the United States of America. This comparison will be accomplished by examining four cultural dimensions or aspects of communication. For convenience and clarity, the presentation of these dimensions will be broken down into four subsections: power distance, individualism/collectivism, high-context/low-context communication, and proxemics.
Another difficulty cultures deal with is language and the way people speak. In some cases, people struggle to belong by making changes in the way they speak the English language just to be assimilated. They attempt to use words and letters, as well as body language that fit in the norm; all in an attempt to denounce their original intonation and style of pronunciation. One ...
Huitt, W. (2007),Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University, (http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/regsys/maslow.html), [Accessed 29 December 2013].
Language also changes easy whenever speakers come into contact with each other. No two individuals speak identically: people from different geographical places clearly speak differently, but even within the same small community there are variations according to a speaker’s age, gender, social and educational background. Through our interactions with these different
... middle of paper ... ... 14 Nov 2011.. http://web.ebscohost.com/lrc/detail?vid=4&hid=110&sid=fef50b1c-4aba-40fd-83b1- 583a32991f55@sessionmgr110&bdata=JnNpdGU9bHJjLWxpdmU=> Edrich, Matthias. The.
Many people who go to visit or work in another country suffer some misunderstanding from the local people, because they have a different culture. Different culture will cause disparity points of view about almost everything. In the article, Intercultural Communication Stumbling Blocks by Laray M. Barna, there are five stumbling blocks mentioned that are seen in a cross-culture communication. These blocks are: language, nonverbal signs and symbols, preconceptions and stereotypes, the tendency to evaluate and high anxiety. Barna wants to use these stumbling blocks to show the common blockades between different cultures. I agree with what she thinks about the language, nonverbal signs and symbols, preconceptions and stereotypes, and the tendency
In contrast, the United States is a very heterogeneous society known for valuing freedom and individuality. It is the most ethnically diverse country in the world and is often referred to as the “melting pot” (Zimmerman, 2013). Americans try to avoid a miscommunication by being very clear and direct about what they are trying to say (Western Washington University, 2011). In typical day to day social interactions, people in the U.S. tend to...
Abraham Maslow did studies of the basic needs of human beings. He put these needs into a hierarchical order. This means that until the need before it has been satisfied, the following need can not be met (Encyclopedia, 2000). For example, if someone is hungry they are not thinking too much about socializing. In the order from lowest to highest the needs are psychological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization. The first three are classified as lower order needs and the last two are higher order (Hierarchy, 2000). Without meeting these needs workers are not going to be as productive as they could otherwise. The first three are considered to be essential to all humans at all times. The last two have been argued but are mostly considered to be very important as well.
Human beings can unconsciously mimicry the behaviors, facial expressions and bodily movement in a bid to ensure effective communication, which is referred to as the chameleon effect (Dirksmeier, Helbrecht & Mackrodt, 2014). The articles do not mention the importance of technology in intercultural competency. According to Çiftçi (2016), various digital tools are utilized by people willing to learn different cultures and languages they include text-based chats, online message boards, video conferencing, email exchanges, video recording, podcasting, blogs and microblogging. International exposure causes cultural understanding and
Therefore, it is essential to study nonverbal and verbal communication Nonverbal communication is all forms of communication other than words themselves, which includes “body motions; vocal qualities; and the use of time, space, and even smell” (Neuliep, 2011, p. 269). On the other hand verbal communication or language “consists of symbols in the form of spoken or written words (Wood, 2014, p. 67). Thus cultures have different representations of symbols and what one culture interprets another may define or view differently. Communication is closely related to culture because communication expresses and alters culture. In a culture you learn behaviors and acceptable ideologies. This can be seen in verbal and nonverbal communication. For example, the tone of your voice is based on culture. Without communication you are unable to establish cultural differences. Your own culture directly shapes how one communicates, such as when it is appropriate to make eye contact. We are not born knowing when and how we should speak; this is a learned behavior that is taught by interaction with others. This is not an easy task because nonverbal signals differ from culture to culture. Charles Braithwaite stated, “One of the fundamental components of cultural and linguistic competence is knowing how and when to use silence as a communication tactic” (Neuliep, 2011, p. 64). Before one can communicate effectively one must understand the context in which the culture exchanges information. One must have a working awareness of how each society conveys meaning, hence high vs. low context cultures. According to the Central Michigan University text, organizational dynamics and human behavior (2009), to become a successful international manager one must develop “cross-cultural skills”. One part of the skill set involves the comprehension of the difference between high-context and low-context
The way people communicate varies widely between, and even within, cultures. One aspect of communication style is language usage. Language has always been perceived as a link between people but it can also constitute a barrier. Across cultures, some words and phrases are used in different ways. For example, even in countries that share the English language, the meaning of "yes" varies from "maybe, I'll consider it" to "definitely so," with many shades in between . Furthermore, communication between cultures which do not share the same language is considerably more difficult . Each culture, has its distinct syntax, expressions and structure which causes confusion in intercultural communication. For example , in Asian countries the word “no” is rarely used, so that “yea” can mean “no” or “perhaps”. Therefore, an American traveling to Japan might be considered impolite if he ignores this rule. Furthermore, individuals who are not comfortable with a certain language may not be taken seriously. Such is the case in the classroom, where a student who has a perfect knowledge of the subject in question may have difficulty expressing his idea due to his inability to write properly and therefore he would not receive the grade he truly deserves. Similarly intercultural communication is dominant in the workplace. In the past, many companies and organizations could operate entirely within their country of origin and conduct their activities exclusively in their own native language. But now, due...
The use of language in a society is crucial to form a strong bond between people. Being a bilingual Bruneian family that uses “bahasa rojak” is seen as the most conventional way to sustain our communication in Brunei’s society. Also, we show respect and achieve solidarity as my family and I adjust our languages as we travel. These are the ways that my family communicates amongst others, to obey to general consensus in language and us.