Cheng-Ji (Paul) Lai, Ph.D.

Cross-Cultural Awareness for English Teachers and English Teaching英語教師的跨文化覺知與英語教學

Cheng-Ji (Paul) Lai, Ph.D.

Agenda Communication Cultural Values Taiwanese Communication Styles

V.S. Western Communication Styles

Other Communication Styles

Core Cultural Values 1.What are some examples of our/your

culture’s value patterns/virtues? That is, what is generally thought to be a good or important thing to do, to be, or to have? A bad thing to do, to be, or to have?

Debriefing Where did you learn your cultural

and/or personal values? Identify some influential sources.

Gender? Family? Cultural? Ethnic?

Core Cultural Values “Values are shared ideas about what

is right or wrong, fair or unfair, and important or not important.” (Ting-Toomey & Chung, 2005, p.54)

Core Cultural Values Cultural values are cultivated through

our socialization (社會化 ).

Core Cultural Values 1. Cultural values are implicitly

understood by members in the same cultural communities during communication.

So, very often, we don’t have to explain our actions to ingroups.

Core Cultural Values 2. Cultural values create a comfort

zone for ingroup members since we share similar verbal and nonverbal ways of communication, ways of doing things, and all other beliefs.

Core Cultural Values 3. Cultural value patterns also serve

as guidelines when we evaluate our own behaviors and the behaviors of others .

Communication/Negotiation

Sender Meaning

Encoding Decoding

Receiver Interpretation

Communication Styles Communication styles are deeply

influenced the communication styles which are also directly influenced by one’s cultural values.

Agenda Simulated Communication Case # 1: The

Parable Core Values Typical Eastern Communication Styles &

Core Value of Face/Guan-Xi Typical Western Communication Styles &

Confrontation

Debriefing While you’re negotiating with

Easterners (e.g., Taiwanese, Korean) in this class, what communication/negotiation patterns did you observe?

While you’re negotiating with Westerners (e.g., European, Northern and Southern American) in this class, what communication/negotiation patterns did you observe?

Oriental Communication Styles

Many Easterners don't like to say 'no' straightforward.

Sometimes the lack of an answer is equal to a ‘no,’ or, in some cases, a ‘yes’ without a follow-up could mean “no.”

Scenario 1 In Taiwan, someone invites you to

his/her home for dinner as a courtesy, you might say “okay.”

But a 'yes‘ or “okay” without a follow-up could mean “no.”

Scenario 2 When you are giving someone a ride

with the air condition on, your passenger says, “it’s cold in here," What do you think this means?

The passenger might be asking the driver to turn up the temperature but he or she feels embarrassed to order/impose the driver.

Face “Saving face,” to me, means …

Face Face is a sense of social self-worth (評定價值 ), self-image (個人形象 ),

reputation (名聲 ) that a person wants others to have of her or him.

Face If one’s face is threatened or is lost,

both internal pressure (e.g., self-worth, self-image) and external pressure (e.g., family reputation, societal expectation) increase.

Example In a collectivist culture, if one

member of a family commits a crime and is imprisoned, the whole family would lose face (e.g., ashamed) in the neighborhood because they would not dare or would feel vulnerable to face neighbors’/others’ judgment.

Question 1. I would experience “uncomfortable

face loss” or “face-threatened” when someone attacks/challenges my..

Ability (e.g., profession, economic ability, worth)

Personality Integrity Faith/belief/value Habits /living style

Question 2. When someone threatens my

“face” in a communication situation (e.g., being criticized, corrected, laughed, caught cheating/corrupting), I would tend to…

Laugh over it Keep silent Attack back Escape/hide

Question 3. “Saving face,” to me, means …

Two Types of Face Concerns in Negotiations

1. Self-face concern means that we are much more interested in maintaining our identities and favorable self-images in our interaction with others.

Two Types of Face Concerns

in Negotiations 2. Other-face concern means that

we are much more interested in upholding others’ self-image by providing respect and support while interacting with others.

Question

4. To help the other person to “save face” in a conflict situation, you usually tend to …

Face-Saving Thus, in typical Eastern-style

negotiations, people tend to use positive

statements (e.g., compliment) behaviors (e.g., silence), actions (e.g., forgive, comfort) to prevent losing face of self and

others, in order not to destroy their relationship (Guan xi).

Face In a collectivist culture, if one

member of a family commits a crime and is imprisoned, the whole family would lose face (e.g., ashamed).

Neighbors would avoid speak to the family or mention about the incident to preserve their families’ faces.

Question 4. In most conflict/embarrassing

situations, I am usually concerned with: (check one)

A. saving my own face

B. saving the other conflict party’s face

C. saving both faces

Scenario 1

Mrs. Lin (knock the door): Hello, Mrs. Lai…..huh! Oh! Your son Paul is entering high school Karaoke contest, isn’t he? I envy you because you must be so proud of his talent….I am really impressed by his enthusiasm because, every day, he practices so hard, for hours and hours, until late at night…

Scenario 1 Can you tell the real

meanings/message sent by Mrs. Lin and why?

Orientals sometimes use “roundabout” way like 先褒後貶 (praise the counterpart first before getting into the criticism/comments) to negotiate over issues that would possible damage one’s guan-xi or face!

Scenario 1

Mrs. Lai: Oh! I’m so sorry..Paul is just a beginner and he isn’t very good. Also what’s the future of being a singer? Sorry he is practicing singing so late. We didn’t realize you could hear all the noise next door. I’ll tell him to stop right away. I am so sorry about the trouble we have caused to you.

Scenario 1 Can you tell the real

meanings/message sent by Mrs. Lai? In response to one’s criticism, many

Orientals use also use “roundabout” way like 先貶後道歉 (depreciate themselves/lower themselves down before apologizing/speak in a humble way ) in order not to sound arrogant and cause another conflict.

Scenario 1

Mrs. Lin: Oh! It’s okay! Don’t blame him! (Other-face concern: to preserve the face of others and guan xi between the two families)…

Agenda Simulated Communication Case # 1: The

Parable Core Values Typical Eastern Communication Styles &

Core Value of Face/Guan-Xi Typical Western Negotiation Styles &

Confrontation

Reflection Question What are some features you observe

from negotiating with Americans/Canadian/ some Europeans?

Scenario 2 Bella (knock at her neighbor’s door):

Excuse me, it’s past 12 o’clock already, and your loud music and dancing around are really disturbing my sleep. Please stop your jumping and banging around immediately! I have an important job interview tomorrow morning, and I want to get a good night sleep. I need to pay my rent!

Scenario 2

Sean (resentfully): Well, this is the only time I can rehearse! I have an important audition coming up tomorrow. You’re not the only one that is starving, you know. I also need to pay my rent. Stop being so petty.

Questions 1. What would you do if you were

Bella? 2. What would you do if you were

Sean? 3. What would you do if Sean

continue to make loud noise after you’ve confronted him?

Scenario 2

Bella (frustrated): I really think YOU”RE being VERY ANNOYING and INTRUSIVE. There is an apartment noise ordinance, you know. And if you don’t stop banging around immediately, I’m going to file a noise complaint with the apartment manager and he could evict you.

Scenario 2

Sean (sarcastically and turning up the music even louder): Whatever! Do what you want. I’m going to practice as I please.

Questions 1. Are you comfortable confronting

people like this? Why or why not? 2. When would you tend to confront

people? -your boss/classmate went behind

your back and criticized you? -someone misunderstood you? -received lower grade than you

expected?

Eastern/Western Negotiation

Easterners 1. Relying upon

physical, interpersonal context

2. Expected to infer part of the message

3. Be sensitive to nonverbal cues

4. Less verbalized

Westerners 1. Verbalized &

explicit 2. Don’t assume

listeners understand from the context

3. Rely on detailed instructions and procedures

4. Less sensitive to nonverbal cues

Eastern/Western Negotiation

When Direct Meets Indirect and Vice Versa

Do you have any examples about negotiating with people using different negotiation styles (i.e., direct & indirect) ?

Example Taiwanese: We’re going to COSTCO this

weekend for grocery shopping. American: Great! Big and cheap

hypermarket. How are you guys going there? Taiwanese: We probably will take bus. 「 I

hope he can give us a ride」 American: 「 If they need a ride, they will ask

me 」 Nice! Well, have a nice shopping there. Taiwanese: 「 If he wants to give us a ride,

he will offer it, forget it! I will ask someone else!!! 」 Sure!

Agenda Simulated Communication Case # 1: The

Parable Core Values Typical Eastern Communication Styles &

Core Value of Face/Guan-Xi Simulated Communication/Negotiation #

2: The Marriage Typical Western Communication Styles &

Confrontation

Other Communication/Negotiation

Styles (i) High involvement vs. High

considerateness (ii) Ping-pong style vs. Bowling style

High Involvement Talk more Interrupt more Expect to be interrupted Talk more loudly at time Talk more quickly than those from

culture favoring “high considerateness” (e.g., Italian, Greek, Spanish, South

American)

High Considerateness Speak one at a time Use polite listening sounds Refrain from interrupting Give plenty of positive and

respectful responses (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, American)

Other Communication/Negotiation

Styles (i) High involvement vs. High

considerateness (ii) Ping-pong style vs. Bowling style

“ Ping-Pong” Conversation Style

One has to return the ball, or the conversation stops.

One person does not talk too much. The others say something or ask questions.

“ Bowling” Conversation Style

Wait politely for a return and know exactly when the time is right to speak.

One person bowls carefully while the others watch politely.