Chapter Five
Intercultural Messages: Verbal and Nonverbal Interaction
Overview
Fong, M. “The Nexus of Language, Communication, and Culture” (pp. 209-216).
The interrelationship between language, communication, and culture is explored from the
Ellis, D., & Maoz, I. “Dialogue and Cultural Communication Codes between Israeli–
Jews and Palestinians” (pp. 217-223).
Roy, C. “Mexican Dichos: Lessons through Language” (pp. 224-228).
Andersen, P. “In Different Dimensions: Nonverbal Communication and Culture” (pp. 229-242).
The author offers a synopsis of nonverbal communication and its relevance to the study of culture
McDaniel, E. R. “Japanese Nonverbal Communication: A Reflection of Cultural Themes” (pp. 242-251).
Cargile, A. C. “Language Matters” (pp. 251-259).
Cargile begins this essay with an explanation of how minor language differences are often more
– Chapter Five –
Outline
I. THE NEXUS OF LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION, AND CULTURE (Fong)
a. Interrelationship of language, communication, and culture
i. The words you utilize reflect your feelings, attitudes, values, and view of the
world
2. Spoken language is a means of social interaction which expresses and
creates experience
4. Language expresses, symbolizes, and embodies cultural reality
ii. Culture liberates and constraints
2. Imposes structure
b. Perspectives on language and culture
i. Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is a deterministic view that language structure is
necessary in order to produce thought
1. Language shapes how people perceive the world
2. Language and thought co-vary
3. People who speak different languages segment their world differently
a. Russian, Chinese, or German structures a “Russian,” “Chinese,”
4. Chinese heat (yi hay) and cool (leung)
a. Extreme conditions balanced by various types of foods
i. Cool foods (fruits, vegetables, liquids)
c. American reality does not typically categorize foods as hot or
cold in the same sense
ii. Brown’s (1958) counterview to Sapir-Whorf
2. Instead, people categorize the world using different labels
3. Linguistic relativism
iii. Eastman (1990) reviewed studies color terms and perceptions
c. Current research trends and directions
i. Developmental approach
1. Focuses on language acquisition and cultural communication practices
1. Investigates what people are doing with speech as they interact face to
1. Explores the underlying factors that influence language choices in
multilingual communication contexts
iv. Ethnography of communication provides the research with a framework of
observation and interviewing techniques to facilitate capturing the interlocutors’
meaning in various communicative acts both culturally and interculturally
1. Investigating language, communication, and culture is discovering not
d. Language studies
i. A cultural study
1. Chinese people engage in positive talk and try to avoid arguments during
the Chinese New Year
2. Sequential rules of behavior
a. If – context, condition, or situation
b. Then – speaking and/or interactional pattern
1. Compliment interactions between Chinese immigrants and European
Americans
2. European Americans accept compliments whereas Chinese immigrants
deny them out of modesty
a. Four adaptations by Chinese Immigrants
i. Intercultural shock state
ii. Intercultural resistance state
iii. Intercultural accommodation state
iv. Bicultural competence state
States
i. compliments
ii. compliments containing strong positive adjectives
iii. compliments intended to encourage a person after an
unsatisfactory performance
iv. compliments on a wide variety of topics
II. DIALOGUE AND CULTURAL COMMUNICATION CODES BETWEEN ISRAELI-JEWS
AND PALISTINIANS (Ellis & Maoz)
a. Introduction
2. Political and cultural differences between the two groups lead to negative
stereotypes and severe miscommunications
b. Transformative communication between groups in contact
i. Contact hypothesis – under certain conditions contact between groups in conflict
reduces prejudice and changes intergroup attitudes
1. Conditions of effectiveness
a. Equal status between groups, at least within the contact situation
c. Transformative dialogues between Israelis and Palestinians
i. Interactive problem solving workshops
d. Speech codes
i. Use of language, including word choice, slang, accents, and syntax, as well as
your tendencies to interpret and understand this language in a certain way are
dependent on your cultural membership
ii. Arab communication codes
1. Musayra, to accommodate
a. A way of communicating that orients the speaker toward a
2. Communication features of Musayra
iii. Israeli-Jewish communication does
1. Dugri, straight talk
iv. Speech codes are culturally distinctive
v. Speech codes result from a psychology and sociology unique to the culture
vi. The meaning and significance of messages fundamentally depend on codes
vii. Speech codes are located in the language and communication of native speakers
viii. Speech codes can be used to understand, predict, and control communication
e. Argument between Israeli-Jews and Palestinians
i. Status a problem
1. Israeli military and economic advantages
3. Arab cultural background considers argument disrespectful
ii. Argument during political dialogues between Israeli-Jews and Palestinians not
necessarily consistent with expectations based on cultural speech codes
iii. Dialogue appears to alter speech codes
f. Conclusion
III. MEXICAN DICHOS: LESSONS THROUGH LANGUAGE (Roy)
a. Mexican culture and its reflected images
i. Dichos (Def.) popular sayings including, but not limited to, proverbs, adages, and
refrains (p. 224)
b. Mexican dichos
i. Reflect many of the basic values of contemporary Mexican society
ii. One form of transmitting folk wisdom
iii. Doble sentido – Mexican tradition of playfulness and double meaning
1. No hay mal que por bien no venga (there is no bad that good does not
accompany)
3. El hombre propone y Dios dispone (Man proposes and God disposes)
a. Si Dios quiere (if God wills)
5. Cuando el pobre tiene para carne sea vigilia (when the poor have
[money] to buy meat, it must be Lent)
6. Quien canta su mal espanta (he who sings frightens away his grief)
v. Sparing bestowal of trust
1. En confianza está el pligro (there is danger in trust)
3. Del dicho al hecho hay mucho trecho (from said to done, there is a great
gap)
4. Músico pagado foca mal son (the musician who has been paid plays bad
music)
vi. The importance of appearances
1. Díme con quien andas y te diré quien eres (tell me with whom you
vii. Respect for privacy
1. Agua que no has de beber, déjala correr (water that you do not have to
viii. Gender roles
2. Mas vale soloque mal acomaado (it is better to remain single than to be
disagreeably accompanied)
4. Triste está la casa donde la gallina canta y el gallo calla (sad is the
house where the chicken crows and the rooster is quiet)
ix. Communalism
1. Mucho ayuda, poco trabajo (much help, little work)
2. Vida sin amigos, muerte sin testigos (life without friends, death without
witnesses)
x. Family
1. A dónde vas que valgas más? (where are you going that you are worth
more?)
2. Amor de padre o madre, lo demás es aire (the love of mother or father,
everything else is air)
c. Summary
IV. IN DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS: NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE
(Andersen)
a. Introduction
2. Therefore it is very difficult to master the nonverbal communication
system of another culture
b. Nonverbal codes
i. Physical appearance
a. The most externally obvious code of nonverbal communication
ii. Proxemics
1. Cultures differ substantially with regard to their use of personal space,
1. The study of the meanings, usage, and communication of time
1. Communication of the body in motion and aspects of peoples facial
1. Nonverbal messages conveyed through touch
2. Vast differences in the amount of touch, type of touch, location, etc.
1. All nonverbal elements of voice
viii. Olfactics
1. Interpersonal communication mediated by smell
1. High and low context
a. The degree to which communication is explicit and verbal versus
implicit and nonverbal
i. High context cultures (e.g., Japan) – meanings are
b. Four principles of context
i. Verbal communication and other explicit codes are more
2. Individualism/collectivism
a. Individualistic cultures emphasize I-identity
i. Value personal rights and freedoms
b. Collectivist cultures emphasize We-identity
i. More group oriented
ii. The least individualistic countries are Venezuela,
c. Every aspect of nonverbal communication is affected by the
degree of individualism and collectivism in a culture
3. Power distance
a. The degree to which power, prestige, and wealth are unequally
4. Uncertainty
a. Whether or not a culture values ambiguity and change versus
5. Immediacy
a. Immediacy behaviors signal closeness, intimacy, and availability
for communication
ii. Gender
1. The gender orientation of the culture refers to the rigidity of gender roles
a. Masculine cultures have more rigid gender roles and
2. Highest masculinity ratings: Japan, Austria, Venezuela, Italy,
3. Lowest masculinity ratings: Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands,
Denmark, Finland, Chile, Portugal, Thailand, Peru
d. Conclusions
V. JAPANESE NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION: A REFLECTION OF CULTURAL
THEMES (McDaniel)
a. Japanese cultural themes
iv. Empathy
b. Propositional survey
i. P1: Japanese kinesics reflect the cultural themes of (1) group orientation, (2)
hierarchy, (3) social balance, (4) formality, and (5) humility
ii. P2: Japanese oculesics reflect the cultural themes of (1) hierarchy, (2) social
balance, and (3) humility
iii. P3: Japanese facial expressions reflect the cultural themes of (1) social balance
and (2) gaman (self-sacrifice)
1. Avoiding displaying negative facial expressions in public shows self-
sacrifice and caring for social harmony
iv. P4: Japanese proxemics behaviors reflect the cultural themes of (1) in-group
affinity, (2) hierarchy, and (3) balance
v. P5: Japanese tactile conventions reflect the cultural themes of (1) in-group
affinity and (2) social balance
2. Adults are expected to conform to nontouching norms unless in an in-
group situation or in a crowd
vi. P6: Japanese personal appearance reflects the cultural themes of (1) collectivism,
(2) group affiliation, (3) social balance, and (4) hierarchy
2. The meshi, or business card to make a first impression
vii. P7: Japanese use of space reflects the cultural themes of (1) hierarchy and (2)
group orientation
viii. P8: Japanese use of time reflects the cultural themes of (1) hierarchy, (2) group
orientation, and (3) social balance
1. Time is used polychronically among a Japanese-only group
2. Time is used monochronically when conducting business with foreigners
ix. P9: Japanese vocalics reflect the cultural themes of (1) hierarchy, (2) social
balance, and (3) empathy
2. Laughter is used to disguise embarrassment, sadness, or anger in addition
to indicating joy
x. P10: Japanese use of silence reflects the cultural themes of (1) hierarchy, (2)
social balance, and (3) empathy
xi. P11: The Japanese use of olfactics reflects the cultural theme of social balance
1. Focus on cleanliness and lack of odors to avoid offence
c. Conclusions
VI. LANGUAGE MATTERS (Cargile)
a. The difficulties of language differences
i. Language differences can occur when two different linguistic systems are used
(separate languages like English and Japanese)
ii. Language differences can also occur when interactants speak the same language
fluently
1. Some of the differences may not even be consciously recognized by
conversation participants
b. Accents
i. People who speak with vernacular accents are negatively prejudged by people
who speak with the standard accent and nonstandard dialect speakers
c. Speech styles
i. Powerful and powerless styles
2. Powerful speech lacks these features
4. People who use the powerless speech style are rated as less socially
attractive and less competent
1. Job interviews and courtrooms
f. Implications for intercultural communicators
i. Even people who grew up in the same nation, speaking the same language, can
have systematically different ways of speaking
ii. Language differences between native speakers of the same language may be
small, but language attitudes affect intercultural communication between such
individuals
g. How do we manage language attitudes?
– Chapter Five –
Discussion Ideas
Concepts & Questions from “The Nexus of Language, Communication, and Culture” (Fong, pp. 209-
216):
1. What does Fong mean when she writes: “Language and thought vary with one another”? Do you
agree?
2. Can you think of specific examples that illustrate the link between culture and language?
3. Can you explain what Fong means when she states that language influences and shapes how
people perceive their world and their culture?
4. What is meant by the following phrase: “People who speak different languages segment their
world differently”?
5. How do Chinese immigrants and Americans differ in their compliment interactions?
6. When referring to Sherzer, what does Fong mean when she writes: “Culture is the organization of
individuals who share rules for production and interpretation of behavior”?
7. How do the Chinese use language to reverse bad luck?
8. In what ways do the Chinese and the Americans express themselves differently?
Concepts & Questions from “Dialogue and Cultural Communication Codes between Israeli-Jews and
Palestinians” (Ellis & Maoz, pp. 217-223):
1. What roles do land rights, religion, and cultural conflict play in defining the communicative
dynamics of Israeli-Jews and Palestinian-Arabs?
2. What do Ellis and Maoz mean when they refer to “transformative communication”?
3. How does transformative communication help improve the communication between groups in
conflict?
4. What conditions must be met between two groups in conflict before the contact hypothesis will
help reduce prejudice and negative intergroup attitudes?
5. How does the concept of “dialogue,” as discussed by Martin Buber, Carl Rogers, and Mikhail
Bakhtin, provide guiding principles for transformative dialogue?
6. How do cultural differences in speech codes affect communication between Israeli-Jews and
Palestinian-Arabs?
7. What have been the major circumstances that have led to the development of the unique speech
codes among Israeli-Jews and Palestinian-Arabs?
8. Musayra, which means “to accommodate” or “to go along with,” plays a major role in the speech
codes of Palestinian-Arabs. What are the four communicative features of musayra?
Concepts & Questions from “Mexican Dichos: Lessons through Language” (Roy, pp. 224-228):
1. How does the study of familiar sayings help us understand some of the important values of a
particular culture?
2. Which Mexican sayings discussed by Roy are heard in other cultures?
3. Can you think of some sayings from your own culture and relate the specific values they
represent?
4. What are your favorite familiar sayings? Why have you selected these?
5. What sayings in the United States stress the value of individualism?
6. What Mexican sayings reflect the underlying religious philosophy of the culture?
1. What does Andersen mean when he writes that “the primary level of culture is communicated
implicitly, without awareness, by primarily nonverbal means”?
2. Do you agree with Andersen that two of the most fundamental nonverbal differences in
intercultural communication involve space and time? From your experiences, what two nonverbal
areas have you found most troublesome when interacting with people from different cultures?
3. From your personal experiences, can you think of different ways people in various cultures greet,
show emotion, and beckon?
4. Do you believe that intercultural communication problems are more serious when they involve
nonverbal communication or verbal communication?
5. What is kinesic behavior? How does it vary from one culture to another? What types of
communication problems can be caused by cultural differences in kinesic behavior?
6. The term haptics refers to patterns of tactile communication. How does tactile communication
differ among cultures? Can you think of examples of how tactile communication differs among
members of co-cultures? What type of communication problems might arise when people with
different touching orientations interact?
Concepts & Questions from “Japanese Nonverbal Communication: A Reflection of Cultural Themes”
(McDaniel, pp. 242-251):
1. What are “cultural themes,” and how may we benefit from their study?
2. What are the major Japanese cultural themes that influence intercultural communication?
3. Can you think of any North American cultural themes that could influence how Americans use
nonverbal communication?
4. How does Confucian-based collectivism help control Japanese nonverbal communication?
5. What cultural themes are seen as the basis for Japanese kinesic behavior? Are the same or
different themes active in U.S. American nonverbal behavior?
6. What are the most obvious activities associated with Japanese kinesic behavior? What would be a
U.S. American counterpart?
Concepts & Questions from “Language Matters” (Cargile, pp. 251-259):
1. Do you believe Cargile is correct when he notes that “research demonstrates that people tend to
like others who possess attitudes and traits similar to their own and to dislike others with
dissimilar attitudes and traits”?