Republic of the Philippines

SURIGAO DEL SUR STATE UNIVERSITY

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Tandag City

LEARNING PLAN
( MAELT 211: Language Varieties )
Presented by: REY S. VISTAL

I. Objectives:

At the end of the discussions, we will be able to:

1. Define Inter-Cultural Communication;

2. Identify the building-blocks of Inter-Cultural Communication
3. Appreciate awareness on Challenges to the Inter-Cultural Relationship

II. General Question:

 Being considered as multi-lingual people, how do Filipinos deal with Intercultural

Communication in regards to interacting with foreign nationalities?

III. Discussions:
CHALLENGES OF INTER-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION

 Who Am I? (A Cross-Cultural Guessing Game)

1. Japan
2. Nepal
3. Nigeria

 Defining Intercultural Communication

To describe Intercultural Communication we just need to analyze three words i.e;

INTER+CULTURAL+COMMUNICATION.

 INTER+CULTURAL = Consisting of various cultures

 COMMUNICATION= An act of imparting information

"Intercultural communication is the interpersonal interaction between members of

different groups, which differ from each other in respect of the knowledge shared
by their members and in respect of their linguistic forms of symbolic behavior."

 Building blocks of Intercultural Communication

1) Culture
2) Communication
3) Context
4) Power

 CULTURE
 is defined as “A system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors and
artifacts that the members of the society use to cope with one another and with
their world”.
 include a wide variety of races, ethnic groups and nationalities.
 is often considered the core concept in intercultural communication.
 can also be stated as a learned pattern of perception, values and behaviors
shared by group of people that is also dynamic and heterogeneous.
 Republic of the Philippines
SURIGAO DEL SUR STATE UNIVERSITY
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Tandag City

Important Aspects of Culture

 Culture is Learned
 Culture Involves Perception and Values
 Culture is Shared
 Culture is Expressed as Behavior

 Communication
 is also complex and may be defined in many ways we can define
communication as “our symbolic process whereby meaning is shared and
negotiated”.
 In other words communication occurs whenever someone attributes
meaning to other words or actions. In addition, communication is dynamic,
may be unintentional and is receiver oriented.

 Context
 act as the third building block of intercultural communication it means the
physical and social situation in which communication occurs e.g.
communication may occur in a class room, market, MASJID, office, etc.
 the physical characteristics of the setting influence the communication.
People communicate differently depending upon the context e.g. we talk
we never talk to the teachers and parents the way we talk to our friends or
strangers.
 may consist of the physical, social, political and historical structures in
which the communication occurs.

 Power
 The influence or authority
 is always present when we communicate with each other although it is
not always evident or obvious.
 In every society, a social hierarchy exists that gives some groups more
power and privilege than others. The groups with the most power
determined, to a great extent the communication system of the entire
society.

Types of Group-Related Power

a) Membership in involuntary groups based on age, ethnicity, gender,
physical ability, race and sexual orientation and is more permanent in
nature.
b) membership in more voluntary group based on educational background,
geographic location, marital status and socio-economic status and is more
changeable

 Challenges to the Intercultural Relationships

1. Values, Beliefs, and Practices
often unconscious, affect our response to people and situations. Most North Americans
accept competition and believe that it produces better performances. The Japanese,
however, believe that competition leads to disharmony.
2. Nonverbal Communication
Communication that doesn't use words- takes place all the time. Body language the size
of an office or how long someone keeps a visitor waiting-all these communicates
pleasure or anger, friendliness or distance, power and status.
 Republic of the Philippines
SURIGAO DEL SUR STATE UNIVERSITY
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Tandag City

3. Body Language
Posture and body movements connote energy and openness. If we notice ourselves
while sitting with friends, we can't sit in a closed body position.
4. Eye Contact
North American whites see eye contact as a sign of honestly. But many cultures,
dropped eyes are a sign of appropriate defense to a superior. Japanese are taught to
look at neck. In Korea, prolonged eye contact is considered rude. In Muslim countries,
women and men are not supposed to have an eye contact.
5. Gestures
The "thumbs up" sign means good work or go ahead in U.S. but considered as insult in
Greece. The circle formed with the thumb and the first finger is considered as OK in
U.S. but it means "you are nothing" in France and Belgium.
6. Space
Personal space is the distance that someone wants between himself or herself and
other people in ordinary, no intimate interchanges.
7. Touch
Bodies needed to be touched to grow and thrive and that older people are healthier both
mentally and physically if they are touched. But some people are more comfortable with
touch then others. Some people like to shake hands but don’t like to be touched at all,
except by family members or lovers
8. Spatial Arrangement
In the U.S, the size, the placement and privacy of one's office connote status. Large
corner offices have the highest status. An individual office with a door that closes
connotes more status then a desk in a common area. Japanese firms however see
private offices as "inappropriate and inefficient" they also have desk in common areas.
9. Time
Being "on time" is seen as a sign of dependability. Other cultures may keep time by the
seasons and the moon, the sun, internal "body clocks", or a personal feeling that "the
time is right".
10. Compliments
The kind of statements that people interpret as compliments and the socially correct
way to respond to compliments also vary among cultures. The statement "you must be
really tired" is a compliment in Japan since it recognizes the other person has worked
hard. The correct response is "thank you, but I am ok." An American who is
complimented on giving a good oral presentation will probably say "thank you."
Statements that seem different in complimentary in one context may be inappropriate in
another.
11. Writing to International Audience
Most cultures are most formal than the United States. When you write to international
audiences, use titles, not first names. Avoid contractions, slang, and sports metaphors.
The patterns of the organization that work for North American audiences may need to
be modified for international correspondence. For most cultures, buffer negative
messages and may requests more indirect.

IV. References:

Safibba, R. (2010). Intercultural Communication. Retrieved on May 8, 2019 from

https://www.scribd.com/doc/38758438/Intercultural-Communication

Dupaw, Marcelle E. (2015). A brief history of the development of the english language:
old, middle & modern periods. Retrieved on May 7, 2019 from
 Republic of the Philippines
SURIGAO DEL SUR STATE UNIVERSITY
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Tandag City

http://www.salemstate.edu/~jaske/courses/readings/Working_on_Common_Cros
s-cultural_Communication_Challenges_by_Marcelle_E_DuPraw.pdf