Post on 24-Jan-2015
description
transcript
Politeness in Other Cultures
Cultural Misunderstanding
Which way of greeting are you more comfortable with?
Cultural misunderstanding
Cultures differ in what they think politeness is
People think that politeness equals good manners and good character
People assume that other cultures are polite in the same way
Which is the more serious mistake?
A: Would you like to come over for dinner on Friday?
B: Sorry I working that night.
A: Would you like to come over for dinner on Friday?
B: I can’t.
Appropriate speech behaviorNative speakers are more
forgiving of grammatical mistakes than inappropriate speech
For native speakers, appropriate speech behavior – being polite – is unconscious
Language learners do not have unconscious knowledge of what is appropriate speech behavior
Types of misunderstandingDirect translationDifferences in appropriateness
Different cultures have different ways of expressing politeness and interacting
Direct TranslationLanguage learner translates
what they want to say from their first language
Creates a misunderstanding because the rules for politeness are different
Are these the same?Can you play the piano?Can you run fast?Can you speak French?Can you pass the salt?
“Can you pass the salt?”This is a request in English. It is not asking
about the other person’s ability to pass the salt
However, if directly translated into Russian, it is a question for information
Thus, the English-speaking learner of Russian would fail to communicate his or her meaning
Telephone conversationP: Hello, is Mr. Simatapung there
please?S: Yes.P: Oh…may I speak to him please?S: Yes.P: Oh…are you Mr. Simatapung?S: Yes, this is Mr. Simatapung.
Telephone conversationThe foreign student fails to
understand that the professor’s first questionIs not asking if he is there or notIs a request to talk to him
Differences in AppropriatenessThis type of misunderstanding is
directly related to cultural differences
What is appropriate in one culture is not always appropriate in another culture
American invitationsAmericans often end invitations with a
phrase like “Come if you want to.”Americans do not want to force people to
accept unwanted invitations
Japanese reactionsJapanese expect that the person who
invites another will urge the potential guest to accept the invitation
When Japanese hear expressions like “Come if you want to,” they feel hurt and are uncertain about the sincerity of the invitation
Other cultures, e.g., Arabs, also have the same difficulty with American invitations
What’s the difference?It was nice talking to you. I’ve got to go,
but let’s get together Friday night.It was nice talking to you. I’ve got to go,
but let’s get together sometime.
American offersIf you go to an American’s home,
you will probably be offered something to eat or drinkIf you refuse the first time, you will probably be offered again.
You will probably not be offered more than three times.
American offersGuests who refuse may or may not
be seen as rudeGuests will be taken at their word.
If they refuse a third time, the host will assume that they have refused because they do not want something to eat or drink
Reactions by people from other culturesArabs are taught to refuse again and
again. When they visit American homes, they often leave confused and hungryAn Arab visited an American home and was served some delicious sandwiches. The hostess offered him seconds, but he refused. The hostess didn’t repeat the offer and so he had to sit there looking at the delicious sandwiches.
Reactions by people from other culturesMalaysians feel that offers of food
or drink are inappropriate. A host should serve something
whether the guest wants it or not.
Offers in other culturesIn the Ukraine the host will offer
food or drink to the guest seven or eight times.
For Americans who really don’t want anything, they are in a difficult situation because they will run out of ways to refuse before the Ukraine host runs out of ways to offer.
Both guest and host will feel upset.
TopicsIn the Ukraine, income, politics,
religion, marital status are all acceptable topics in talking to strangers
In the US and Britain, they are not acceptable at all and would be regarded as taboo
Cultural valuesIndividualismPriority to individuals
High power distance
Hierarchical
Quantity of lifeValue competition
High uncertaintyAvoid uncertainty
Long termFocus on future
CollectivismPriority to group
Low power distanceEqual treatment
Quality of lifeValue on relationships
Low uncertaintyComfortable with
uncertainty
Short termFocus on present
Japan and the USIndividualism
US JapanCollectivis
m
High Power
Japan USLow
Power
Quantity of Life
Japan & USQuality of
life
High uncertainty
Japan USLow
uncertainty
Long term Japan USShort term
Cross-cultural differencesEach culture will have values that are more important than othersIn one culture hierarchy may be more
importantIn another individualism may be more
importantIn yet another avoiding uncertainty
may be more important
StatusStatus in Japan depends to a large
degree on the prestige of the organization one belongs to
Independent businessmen may have less prestige than a manager in a large well-known company
Wrong impressionsAn American businessman created a bad
impression because at a business meeting he paid more attention to a man who started and developed his own company than to the middle level executives of a big Japanese corporation
American & Japanese businessmenJapan value hierarchy
Hierarchy is very strong in businessAmerican have a sense of hierarchy, but it is not as strong
Americans value individualism Americans respect people who have made it on their own, e.g., Bill Gates & Steve Jobs
Japanese respect individuality, e.g., Morita Akio & Matsushita Konosuke
Eliminating misunderstandingsValues that are important will often be
reflected in speech in speech behaviorMisunderstandings can work both waysHave to have open mind
When learners of a language make inappropriate questions, do not apologize when they should, give compliments to the wrong person, offer something too frequently, etc. they are not necessarily being impolite.
Have an open mindWhen learners of a language
Make inappropriate questions Do not apologize when they should Give compliments to the wrong person Offer something too frequently
They are not necessarily being impolite. They using their own culture’s values for being polite.