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Activity 8-6: Bits n’ wits
This activity is designed to help students understand what it means to say language is symbolic
and why language is culture specific. Separate students into small groups. Give each one a copy
of “Bits N’ Wits” with instructions to try and figure out each symbol by using a word or phrase.
Once students have work alone, have them work in a group, agreeing on meanings. When all
groups have completed the task, go over the exercise with the key.
Bits n’ wits
1
TIMING
TIM ING
2
NO WAYS IT
WAYS
3
JUS 144 TICE
4
ONE ANOTHER
ONE ANOTHER
ONE ANOTHER
ONE ANOTHER
ONE ANOTHER
ONE ANOTHER
5
1 3 5 7 9
WHELMING
6
WWOLFOOL
7
N
E
V
E
S
8
9
PLOT
10
1 AT 3:48
11
CLOSE CLOSE
COMFORT COMFORT
COMFORT COMCORT
12
DEATH LIFE
13
B
A E
D U M R
14
THE RIGHT
DAY
15
i i i i i i i i
o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o
16
0
M.D.
M.A.
Ph.D.
17
he’s himself
18
ECNALG
19
KEET
KEET
20
am
U
ous
21
R
G U
N N
I N
22
DKI
23
KNEE
LIGHT
24
NaCI • H20
NaCI • H20
CCCCCCC
25
Y
Y
Y
M
E
26
27
28
LU CKY
29
T T
A A
L L
30
Search
N
K K
and
31
WEATHER
WHETHER
32
GEGS
33
5
34
PPPOD
35
POTS
36
HE
HE
HE
Temperatu
re
Bits n’ wits (KEY)
1
TIMING
TIM ING
SPLIT
SECOND
2
NO WAYS IT
WAYS
NO TWO WAYS
AROUND IT
3
JUS 144 TICE
GROSS
INJUSTICE
4
ONE ANOTHER
ONE ANOTHER
ONE ANOTHER
ONE ANOTHER
ONE ANOTHER
ONE ANOTHER
6 OR ONE AND
HALF DOZEN OF
ANOTHER
5
1 3 5 7 9
WHELMING
OVER WHELMING
ODDS
6
WWOLFOOL
WOLF IN
SHEEPS
CLOTHING
7
N
E
V
E
S
SEVEN UP
8 PING PONG
9
PLOT
THE PLOT
THICKENS
10
1 AT 3:48
ONE AT A TIME
11
CLOSE CLOSE
COMFORT COMFORT
COMFORT COMCORT
TOO CLOSE FOR
COMFORT
12
DEATH LIFE
LIFE AFTER
DEATH
13
B
A E
D U M R
BERMUNDA
TRIANGLE
14
THE RIGHT DAY
RIGHT IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE
DAY
15
i i i i i i i i
o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o
CIRCLES UNDER
THE EYES
16
0
M.D.
M.A.
Ph.D.
3 DEGREES
BELOW ZERO
17
He’s Himself
HE’S BESIDE
HIMSELF
18
ECNALG
BACKWARDS
GLANCE
19
KEET
KEET
20
am
U
ous
21
R
G U
N N
22
DKI
23
KNEE
LIGHT
24
NaCI • H20
NaCI • H20
CCCCCCC
25
THREE WISE MEN
Y
Y
Y
M
E
N
26
KEVIN KLINE
27
28
LU CKY
LUCKY
BREAK
29
T T
A A
L L
K K
DOUBLE TALK
30
Search
and
SEARCH HIGH
AND LOW
31
WEATHER
WHETHER
CHANGING
WEATHER
32
GEGS
SCRAMBLED
EGGS
33
5
HIGH 5
34
PPPOD
TWO PEAS IN A
POD
35
POTS
BACK STOP
36 HE
HE
HE
Temperature
RAISING
TEMPERATURE
Possible discussion questions following the exercise:
• What did you learn about language from this exercise?
• What did you think you would learn from this exercise?
• Did you share your interpretation of meanings with your group members? Why or
why not?
SUPPLEMENTAL FILMS AND VIDEOS
A World of Diversity vol. 1-2 (1996, 45 minutes, 22 minutes per volume)
This instructional video explores how culture affects the way people interpret actions and
behaviors. Volume 1 presents three critical incidents in which people from diverse cultures have
difficulty communicating with one another. Volume 2 discusses basic intercultural
communication skills.
Ability Issues in the U.S. (1992, 60 minutes)
This instructional video discusses the culture of the disabled, issues of accessibility, and
problems of social interaction. The video also suggests what society must do in order to provide
people with disabilities with the same opportunities available to other citizens.
American Tongues (1987, 56 minutes)
This instructional video examines American English in all its forms. From Boston Brahmins to
Texas cowboys, the video explores attitudes Americans have about the way they talk. Includes
strong language.
Black on White (1986, 58 minutes)
This BBC production traces Black English from its origins in the slave trade to its migration
north in the U.S. The video also profiles the influence of Creole, “jive talk” in Harlem, and rap
music.
Café au Lait (1994, 94 minutes)
This film is a high-spirited, frank comedy about race, romance, and family in Paris. Lola, an 18-
year-old West Indian woman; announces her pregnancy to her two lovers: Felix, who is a white,
Jewish bike messenger enamored by African American hip-hop; and Jamal, who is a black law
student from a wealthy diplomatic family. Beyond an unsanitized view of race relations, the film
presents a unique family situation and nicely points out that in confrontation begins the discovery
of a common humanity.
Cold Water (1987, 48 minutes)
This instructional video explores the notions of cultural adaptation and culture shock. The video
features interviews with twelve Boston University students who are living and studying in the
U.S. for the first time. Topics of discussion include: openness/directness, privacy, attitudes
toward time, friendship patterns, informality, competitiveness, and the general lack of awareness
among Americans about the rest of the world.
Communicating Across Cultures (1989, 30 minutes)
This instructional video depicts several misunderstandings that result from different styles of
communication and the discomfort that people often feel when dealing with issues of race and
gender. The video also suggests ways to communicate more effectively with people from
dissimilar cultures and co-cultures.
Gender and Communication: She Talks, He Talks (1994, 22 minutes)
This instructional video examines communication differences between women and men and the
reasons behind those differences. Among the topics explored are the following: inflection,
questions, and disclaimers.
Hablas Ingles? (26 minutes)
This program looks at the movement to make English the official language of the United States
and presents the arguments –pro and con on the issue.
I’m Normal, You’re Weird: Understanding Other Cultures (1997, 23 minutes)
In this instructional video a group of aliens prepare to take human form by rehearsing their new
roles and learning the complexities of diverse human cultures.
Positive Images: Portraits of Women with Disabilities (1989, 58 minutes)
This film provides positive and realistic images from the lives of women with disabilities.
Despite the fact that 20% of Americans have disabilities, the social, economic, and political
issues confronting people with disabilities are striking and worthy of discussion.
To Conceal and Reveal: The Uses of Communication (1997, 22 minutes)
This instructional video takes a cross-cultural look at icons, symbols, and codes - key elements
of human communication.
Unfinished Diary (1986, 55 minutes)
This docudrama explores language and gender, exile and immigration. In the film, a Chilean
émigré shows her struggle to make a film about the isolation of Chilean exiles. While her
English-speaking, filmmaker husband criticizes her subjectivity, she must also contend with her
French-only-speaking son.
Valuing Diversity: Multicultural Communication (1994, 19 minutes)
This instructional video dramatizes situations in which communication is impaired by cultural
differences. The video demonstrates how to communicate with others without resorting to
“child-speak” and illustrates how cultural differences in body language affect communication.
Voices (1991, 35 minutes)
This instructional video uses interviews with African American, Native American, Asian
American, Latino, and Caucasian men and women to explore the development of self-image and
the role that prejudice plays. The video also considers how other cultures have been stereotyped
and how culture affects professional, academic, and interpersonal relationships.
What Do You Mean? (1983, 30 minutes)
This instructional video explores how words develop their meanings and the relationship
between culture and meaning. Using several unstaged interviews, the video demonstrates how
words referring to quantity and quality take on different meanings for different people. The video
also examines the communication gap created by jargon.
Wilderness (1991, 50 minutes)
This film documents archaeological and historical evidence that Native Americans lived in a
highly developed societies–and that vastly more tribe members died as a result of European
settlement than had previously been suspected. It also documents that Puritan prejudices helped
generate the pernicious image of the “savage Indian” ending with the 1890 massacre at Wounded
Knee.
Tongues Untied (1989, 55 minutes)
This film uses poetry, rap, performance art, and personal testimony to illustrate the homophobia
and racism experienced by gay black men. Themes include: violence against gays, isolation,
loneliness, wholeness of the individual, and the power of language.
Valuing Diversity: Multicultural Communication (1994, 19 minutes)
This instructional video dramatizes situations in which communication is impaired by cultural
differences. The video demonstrates how to communicate with others without resorting to
“child-speak” and illustrates how cultural differences in body language affect communication.
What Do You Mean? Gender and Language (1993, 29 minutes)
This instructional video explores problems surrounding male/female communication. Through
discussions, role playing, and peer interviews, the video discusses flirting, body language, sex,
love, and anger.
TEST ITEMS: CHAPTER 08
Multiple-Choice
1. The functions of language include: (A) social interaction; (B) social cohesion;
(C) expressions of identity; (D) A and B; (E) A, B, and C
2. Identify the correct term that refers to ‘a shared set of symbols or signs that a cooperative
group of people has mutually agreed to use to help create meaning.’ (A) language;
(B) script; (C) schemata; (D) communication; (E) common mindset
3. Which of the following demonstrates the arbitrary nature of the symbols used in
language? (A) the word for ‘cat’ in Spanish is Gato; (B) the word truth means the same
thing in all languages; (C) the word for ‘cat’ in German is ‘katze’; (D) A and C; (E) A,
B, and C
4. Pronunciation differences in the U.S. are due to: (A) concerted revision efforts; (B) early
immigrants; (C) the natural evolution of language; (D) B and C; (E) A, B, and C
5. Differences in spelling between American English and that used in England were the
result of ____. (A) the natural evolution of language; (B) a calculated effort; (C) limited
access to dictionaries and other resources in Colonial America’ (D) simple but repeated
errors; (E) A, C, and D
6. Examples of regional accents in the United States include: (A) Northern and Southern;
(B) Australian and Canadian; (C) English and German; (D) Coptic and Nordic; (E) A, B,
and C
7. Dialect refers to: (A) pronunciation of shared vocabulary; (B) someone who speaks two
languages; (C) differences in vocabulary and grammar; (D) pronunciation of non-shared
vocabulary; (E) B and D
8. Argot refers to ____. (A) information in short-form; (B) certain common terms;
(C) a private vocabulary; (D) factoids and other simplified content; (E) A and D
9. Of the following statements, which is/are correct? (A) slang reflects the use of
nonstandard terms; (B) use of slang marks social or linguistic identity; (C) slang can be
used exclusively by a co-culture; (D) A and B; (E) A, B, and C
10. The idea that language is a dominant influence in shaping one’s worldview and
perception of reality is commonly known as ____. (A) the synergy of language and
culture; (B) the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis; (C) the many-worlds interpretation; (D) the
perceptual interface; (E) the linguistic theory of mind
11. Which of the following is true about the use of the Spanish language in Mexico?
(A) gendered nouns and pronouns emphasize males; (B verb conjunctions in formal and
informal speech are indistinguishable; (C) use of language reflects preference for
indirectness; (D) A and C; (E) A, B, and C
12. These fundamental values of Chinese culture are expressed in language: (A) collectivism,
intra-group harmony, and societal hierarchy; (B) collectivism, intra-group harmony,
societal anarchy; (C) collectivism, intra-group harmony, reduced emphasis on status;
(D) individualism, state-centeredness, social control; (E) science, technology, and history
13. The importance of status is demonstrated through the language use in ____. (A) Japan;
(B) Korea; (C) China; (D) B and C; (E) A, B, and C
14. Which of the following is not correct about the Arabic language? (A) among Arabs, it is
considered one of their greatest cultural treasures; (B) linguistic identity tends to
transcend ethnic origins and national borders, with a few exceptions; (C) Arabs see the
language as excluding emotional content; (D) A and C; (E) A, B, and C
15. The frequent use of the word ‘I’ in American conversations reflects: (A) ethnocentrism;
(B) the cultural value of the individual; (C) elitism; (D) the cultural value of
collectivism; (E) A and C
16. The principal difference between translation and interpretation is ____. (A) contextual
nuances in interpretation don’t apply to translation; (B) written content is generally the
focus of translation whereas interpretation involves spoken words; (C) translation occurs
as it is happening while interpretation occurs after the fact; (D) the two terms are used
synonymously to mean the same thing; (E) A and C
17. What is the most important consideration when choosing an interpreter: (A) language
knowledge; (B) dialect knowledge; (C) specialized terminology; (D) cultural knowledge;
(E ) A, B, C, and D
18. Why is English the most common language used on the Internet? (A) the system was
conceived and implemented in the U.S.; (B) the U.S. is the country with the largest
number of Internet users; (C) English is the ‘lingua franca’ of scientific and academic
publishing; (D) A and C; (E) A, B, and C
19. The authors refer to being receptive to new information, open to creating new categories,
and recognizing that others may not share your perspective as ____. (A) being mindful;
(B) flexhumility; (C) intercultural awareness; (D) being-in-becoming; (E) universal
20. What aspects of your speech should you attend to when engaged in a conversation with
someone from another culture? (A) speech rate; (B) vocabulary; (C) nonverbal behaviors;
(D) A and B; (E) A, B, and C
True/False
1. In a 2009 U.S. census report, 19% of people five years of age or older spoke a language
other than English at home.
2. Language serves other functions than directly expressing or exchanging ideas.
3. Language has little influence on the formation and expression of identity.
4. Historically, the way that people speak carries an unimaginable weight in how they are
perceived in society.
5. Language is a shared set of arbitrary symbols or signs that a cooperative group of people
have mutually agreed to use to help them create meaning.
6. Accents refer to differences in vocabulary, grammar, and even punctuation.
7. Dialects reflect the variations in pronunciation that occur when people are speaking the
same language.
9. Argot is the specific term for specialized vocabulary shared by a group and jargon is the
more general term.
10. A culture’s language vocabulary emphasizes what is considered important in that culture.
11. Communicative interaction, especially conversation, is not important to most Mexicans.
12. Chinese will often use precise language to avoid conflict.
13. Japanese language reflects the culture’s emphasis on one’s social position .
14. The ‘noisy, animated speech’ form often associated with Arabs is normally limited to
interactions with elders and superiors.
15. In professional settings, translation deals with written messages only.
16. There are two types of translation: consecutive and simultaneous.
17. Language knowledge is the single most important consideration when working with
translators and interpreters.
18. The most common language among Internet users is English.
19. Being mindful, monitoring your speech rate, and selecting appropriate vocabulary are all
ways to improve intercultural communication competence.
20. Learning a second language not only allows you to communicate with more people, it can
also help you to better express yourself or explain certain concepts.
Short Answer/Essay
2. Explain the relationship between language and meaning.
Content: pp. 247-248
3. Differentiate between accents and dialects by defining each and providing examples.
4. What is an argot? How is it related to the concepts of slang and dialect?
5. How does use of slang mark social or linguistic identity? When is it commonly used?
6. What are conversational taboos?
7. Explain the relationship between language and culture.
8. Provide at least two examples of how culture is expressed through the Spanish language.
9. How is Chinese culture reflected in the use of the Chinese language?
10. Identify at least two ways that culture is reflected in the Korean language.
Content: pp. 253-254
11. Discuss how Japanese culture is expressed through the Japanese language. Be sure to
include examples.
12. Compare the cultural values expressed in Arabic language to those expressed in the
English language. Use examples to demonstrate similarities and differences.
13. What is the difference between translation and interpretation? What type of translation is
most difficult?
14. Discuss the cultural considerations in interpretation and translation.
15. List and describe the most important factors to consider when selecting an interpreter or
translator.
16. How has technology, and the Internet in particular, influenced languages in general
Content: pg. 259
17. Describe each of the five suggestions offered in the text for improving intercultural
interactions.
18. Explain the benefits of learning a second language. Why should U.S. citizens learn a
second language?
