首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Culture As a Barrier to Communication Our culture will prevent us getting our message across and receiving the full message inte
Culture As a Barrier to Communication Our culture will prevent us getting our message across and receiving the full message inte
admin
2017-12-07
53
问题
Culture As a Barrier to Communication
Our culture will prevent us getting our message across and receiving the full message intended by others. That’s why we need to overcome the cultural barriers in the communication.
I. Three levels of culture
A. Outward manifestations
— Examples: food, art,【T1】_____, etc.【T1】______
B.【T2】_____【T2】______
— Invisible rules
C.【T3】_____ cultural assumptions【T3】______
— Characteristics of American culture: individualism, equality, competition, etc.
II. Main causes for cross-cultural misunderstanding
A. The in-group/out-group distinction
— It allows individuals to find an【T4】_____【T4】______
— Tendency to blame out-groups for troubles
— Tendency to【T5】_____ other groups【T5】______
B. Stereotyping
— It is a(n)【T6】_____to reduce anxiety【T6】______
C. Other causes
— Lack of trust
— Lack of empathy
— The【T7】_____【T7】______
III. Skills for cross-cultural communication
A.【T8】_____【T8】______
— Identify your attitudes, opinions, biases, etc.
B.【T9】_____【T9】______
— Listen to others
— Don’t jump to conclusions
— Periods of silence and【T10】_____ are allowed in some cultures【T10】______
C. Encourage feedback
— Feedback allows to correct and adjust messages
— Feedback can help us reach【T11】_____【T11】______
—【T12】_____ could be appropriate feedback【T12】______
D.【T13】_____ empathy【T13】______
— Put ourselves in the other person’s shoes
— Become more sensitive to others’ needs,【T14】_____【T14】______
E. Seek the【T15】_____ among cultures【T15】______
— Establish a bond despite cultural differences
【T10】
Culture As a Barrier to Communication
Good morning, everyone. In this lecture, I am going to lead you to the discussion of cultural barriers and their solutions. I am sure that each of us is exposed to people from other cultures on a regular basis, in the workplace, in our social activities, at school, or even within our families. Our culture hinders us from getting our message across as well as receiving the full message that others want to convey to us. This talk expounds on three aspects: what culture is, the main causes for cross-cultural misunderstandings, and the attitudes and skills that we need to communicate cross-culturally.
First of all, let’s talk about what culture is. When we think about culture we first think about a country,[1]and particularly about its food, art, customs, and patterns of behavior. These are the outward manifestations of a system of values, assumptions, and deeply rooted beliefs. Culture emerges as a group of people meet and then react to the challenges of life. The responses to those challenges that are successful are taught and shared among members of the group and are passed on from the older to the younger members. Culture is then learned through experience.
You can think of culture as having three levels: first, the top level is the outward manifestations, the artifacts:[1]visible behavior, art, clothing and so on;[2]second, in the middle level are the values. These are invisible rules that cause the artifacts; thirdly, the most powerful dimension of culture is the implicit cultural assumptions. These assumptions lie so deep that they are never questioned, stated or defended.
[3]Culture also exists among Americans, but what are the implicit cultural assumptions of Americans? Some of the most distinctive characteristics of the American culture are: individualism, equality, competition, personal control of the environment, self-help concept, action orientation, informality, directness, practicality, materialism, and problem-solving orientation. These American values and deeply rooted beliefs are very different from other country’s values and beliefs. The implicit cultural assumptions of Americans are often opposed to those of other cultures. When individuals from different cultures run into each other’s values and beliefs, cross-cultural misunderstandings take place.
Now, let’s talk about the main causes for cross-cultural misunderstandings. People constantly interact with people who have similar views and who reinforce their beliefs.[4]To be able to distinguish between the in-group and the out-group is of central importance for individuals because it allows them to find who they are and who they are not. In the book entitled Cross Cultural Encounters, Brislim states: "If individuals have out-groups whom they can blame for troubles, the in-group is then solidified since there is a common goal around which to rally." Later on he says: "Individuals become accustomed to reacting in terms of in-group and out-group. They continue to use such distinctions when interacting with people from other cultures whom they do not know."
This in-group/out-group distinction provides us with the basis for ethnocentrism,[5]which is the tendency to interpret and to judge all other groups, their environment, and their communication according to the categories and values of our own culture. We are guilty of ethnocentrism when we hold that our view of the world is the right one, the correct one, and the only one.
We are all familiar with stereotyping, which is one of the most serious problems in intercultural communication.[6]Our tendency to hold beliefs about groups of individuals based on previously formed opinions, perceptions, and attitudes is often a defense mechanism, a way of reducing anxiety.
[7]There are many other causes of cross-cultural misunderstanding: lack of trust, lack of empathy, and the misuse of power. All of us know what they are about and the turmoil that they cause. But, how can we do a better job at communicating among cultures?
This is actually the last part of my talk. The same skills that we need to communicate in general apply to cross-cultural communication. Let’s look at some of those skills:
1.[8]Know yourself: Identify your attitudes, your opinions, and the biases that we all carry around. Identify your likes, your dislikes, your prejudices, and your degree of personal ethnocentrism.
2.[9]Take time: Listen to the other person and allow him or her to accomplish their purpose. Don’t jump to conclusions. Sometimes we finish the thoughts and ideas of the other person before he or she has finished talking.[10]In some cultures, non-verbal styles call for periods of silence and long pauses.
3. Encourage feedback: Feedback allows communicators to correct and adjust messages.[11]Without feedback we cannot have agreement. First we must create an atmosphere where others are encouraged to give us feedback.[12]Again, don’t be afraid of silence. It could be the appropriate feedback at times.
4.[13]Develop empathy: The greater the difference between us and others, the harder it is to empathize. To develop empathy we must put ourselves in the other person’s place.[14]By becoming more sensitive to the needs, values, and goals of the other person, we overcome our ethnocentric tendencies.
5.[15]Seek the commonalities among diverse cultures: Despite our cultural differences we are all alike in many ways.[15]We need to seek that common ground to establish a bond between ourselves and the rest of humanity.
All right. I think I have covered the three main parts of my talk. Finally, I would like to reiterate that although our own ethnocentrism might have hindered us from getting to know people from other cultures, let us be more than ever committed to helping ourselves and others overcome the barrier that culture creates. Let us endeavor to minimize the occurrences of cross-cultural misunderstandings as we develop the attitudes and the skills that are needed to communicate cross-culturally.
选项
答案
long pauses
解析
讲座中提到,不要操之过急,在一些文化中,沉默和长时间的停顿(long pauses)是允许的。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/WcsK777K
0
专业英语八级
相关试题推荐
Communicationinaforeignlanguagemustinvolvebothteachersandpupilsusingthetargetlanguageasthenormalmeansofcomm
Communicationinaforeignlanguagemustinvolvebothteachersandpupilsusingthetargetlanguageasthenormalmeansofcomm
Communicationinaforeignlanguagemustinvolvebothteachersandpupilsusingthetargetlanguageasthenormalmeansofcomm
Communicationinaforeignlanguagemustinvolvebothteachersandpupilsusingthetargetlanguageasthenormalmeansofcomm
PASSAGETHREEHowdothedivebarsattracttheauthorandhisbuddies?
Allsocialunitsdevelopaculture.Evenintwo-personrelationshipsaculturedevelopsintime.Infriendshipandromanticrela
Allsocialunitsdevelopaculture.Evenintwo-personrelationshipsaculturedevelopsintime.Infriendshipandromanticrela
A、Hereceivedbachelor’sdegreeinEnglishliterature.B、Heparticipatedintrainingprogramsaftergraduatingfromcollege.C、H
Thereareseveralpossiblerelationshipsbetweenlanguageandsociety.Oneiswhatsocialstructuremayeitherinfluenceordete
PASSAGETWOWhattypeofliteraturedoesthispassagebelongto?
随机试题
公共关系研究人和人的关系的角度是()。
下列选项中不属于学生主观能动性的表现是()
生产力和生产资料共同构成了社会的生产方式。()
动脉粥样斑块中,不具有的细胞是
A.传染性单核细胞增多症B.神经母细胞瘤C.急性白血病D.慢性白血病E.非霍奇金淋巴瘤女,10岁,喘憋2周,不能平卧。体检:左锁骨上及左颈部多个肿大淋巴结,胸部X线示上纵隔明显增宽,气管影偏向右侧,变窄。最可能的诊断为
患者,女,58岁。纳差、上腹部不适3年。胃镜检查示:胃黏膜变薄,皱襞稀疏。Hb86g/L,MCV102fl。该患者应主要补充的维生素是
女,50岁。上腹痛3个月余,2个月前钡剂造影检查提示胃窦后壁溃疡,经抗酸药物治疗近8周,疼痛曾一过性缓解。进一步处理应首选
下列有关收入确认的表述中,正确的有( )。
人生は何か、これはだれ()はっきり言えないだろう。
《超人总动员》是知名动画导演布拉德.伯德加入皮克斯执导的首部作品,故事讲述显赫一时的超人家族,过去参与过不少打击犯罪的英雄事迹,因过度虚耗政府库房支出,超人先生被迫隐姓埋名兼改头换面,化身肥佬保险经纪人,和爱妻、三名子女住在大城市的郊区,过着跟一般正常人同
最新回复
(
0
)