Challenges of Intercultural Communication interpreted correctly as the type of handshake

varies from culture to culture.

It has become a widespread notion that speakers'
use of different languages results in intercultural The Handshake:
miscommunication and misunderstanding. As
Scollon and Scollon (1995) state:
When we are communicating with people who are
very different from us, it is very difficult to know
how to draw inferences about what they mean,
and so it is impossible to depend on shared
knowledge and background for confidence in our
interpretations.
Indeed, the lack of shared knowledge and beliefs
and cultural diversity make it more complicated to
arrive at the correct inference or interpretation of GREETINGS
meanings. But it can also be argued that English
is now a global lingua franca. In fact, with the Like handshakes, greeting rituals also
ASEAN integration, English has been declared vary from culture to culture Japanese women bow
the official or working language of ASEAN. So differently from Japanese men.
with just one language to be spoken or used by
Japanese bow
many countries including the 10 member
countries of the ASEAN, what else can go wrong?
It is thus important to emphasize that the
ownership of English cannot be attributed to just
one country or to those who use it as a native or
home language. The varieties of English spoken
by different speech communities have evolved for
a reason. They use it for communal purposes.
These varieties have been heavily influenced by
the local culture and its speakers.
Recent studies have shown that the problem of
misunderstanding is not overt and can be traced
to speech perturbations, poorly managed turn- The German bow which is termed as diener
taking, and non-aligned, "parallel talk" (House, means a bow to and in recognition of an authority.
1999, p. 80). Meierkord (2000, p. 11 as cited by Thus, when a person bows, he/she is actually
Kaur, 2016) emphasizes that communication in sending the message "at your service.“
English as a lingua franca (ELF) is "a form of German Bow
intercultural communication characterized by
cooperation rather than misunderstanding“.
This she noted in her study of participants coming
from 17 different first language backgrounds
which yielded the result that the participants
displayed communicative behavior not generally
associated with their linguacultural backgrounds
making the talk cooperative and supportive in
nature with few misunderstandings.
Note that misunderstanding in intercultural
communication may not always be caused by
verbal utterances. Misunderstandings may also SOURCES OF MISUNDERSTANDING Kaur
occur due to wrong interpretation of the non- (2016) cites the following as the sources of
verbal code. For instance, the handshake which misunderstanding:
is commonly done by people introduced to each 1. Ambiguity - lack of explicitness on the part
other by a third party should be done and of the speaker in the form of problematic
 reference and ambiguous semantics in
which an utterance is open to different
interpretations.
2. Performance-related misunderstanding -
slips of the tongue and mishearing which
may be due to utterances spoken quickly
and unclearly.
3. . Language-related misunderstanding -
ungrammaticality of sentences.
4. Gaps in world knowledge- gaps in content
rather than language.
5. . Local context- turns and the turns within
sequences produced by the participants
themselves, and the orientation of the
participants as well as the repair moves
that follow the displayed understanding
EXPLORING TEXTS REFLECTING DIFFERENT
APPROACHES TO STUDYING CULTURES
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
CULTURAL TEXTS
Why is there a need to understand intercultural
communication? It is easy to say that people  Intercultural communication.
belong to diverse cultures, hence the need to
 Pronunciation.
understand others. But it is easier said than done.
Some people take it for granted to read about and  This is so because of differences of
study first a country's culture before they go and phonology.
travel to the place.
 According to Kachru and Nelson (2006,
There is a need to be aware or conscious of other p.37) claimed that in terms of
cultures especially those that you will visit so you pronunciation, most Outer- and Expanding
can avoid offending people. Due to Circle varieties display differences from
misinterpretations, miscommunication occurs. the Inner-Circle varieties, similar to those
Likewise, it is suggested that you become aware found between regional dialects within the
of cultural identities and backgrounds as it will Inner-Circle varieties.
broaden your horizon. All cultures are equal and
though sometimes difficult to understand, you CULTURAL TEXTS
need to understand that no culture is superior or  • Interpretation then vary because of
inferior to another. It is only through awareness differences in pronunciation.
that you get to compare other cultures with your
own and appreciate cultural diversities and learn  • If only says "hit it" instead of "heat it" or
to live with them. People have different "She ass" instead of "She ask,"
languages, lifestyles, and ways of thinking, miscommunication is likely to happen.
speaking, and behaving. This is the essence of
 In Philippine languages, every vowel is
cultural diversity.
pronounced with a full, distinct sound.
Intercultural communication 3 approaches
 Filipinos pronounce words as they are
explained by Martin and Nakayama (2010)
written or spelled out making it syllable-
timed and not stress-timed.
 Americans on the other hand, blend
syllables or sometimes even drop some
sounds making the syllables short.
 AMERICAN AND PHILIPPINE ENGLISH • When you are in the gymnasium and a teenager
offers you a seat, you acknowledge the kind
American English: Gotcha!
gesture by saying: "Thanks for the seat."
Philippine English: Got you!
• However, if you are in an academic forum and
American English: Whatche say? an organizer offers you a seat, you say: "Thank
you very much, Ma'am."
Philippine English: What did she say?
When speaking impromptu on a certain topic, you
American English: Ja hitit? should use ordinary, conversational language.
Philippine English: Did you hit it? However, you are to give a lecture in a
conference, your language should be formal. In
American English: Can I getche drink? the same manner that when you write your
speech and your purpose is to inform your
Philippine English: Can I get you a drink?
audience on climate change, if your speech is
• A cultural barrier does not only pertain to meant to entertain your listeners on alight topic,
differing languages. It may also be in the your language should be informal.
form of a cultural practice or even a bodily
English that focuses on pronunciation
gestures.
-refers to varieties or accents of English
 For instance, in English-speaking
where particular attention is given to the way
countries and even in the Philippines, the
words are spoken or pronounced.
thumbs-up gesture signals approval.
However, it is considered offensive in
other countries such as Greece, Italy, and
in some parts of the middle East.
 Likewise, making a circle with one's thumb
and forefinger generally means okay in
many Western cultures but this is not so in
countries like Japan where it is interpreted
as sign for money, and in some Arab
cultures as threat. Varieties of English: Vocabulary

Body Language in Different Cultures: • influenced by factors such as geography,

history, culture, and contact with other languages.
People all around the world use their bodies to
express themselves: greeting someone with a Some major varieties of English known for
hug or a handshake, moving into or away from their distinct vocabularies include:
someone else’s personal space, smiling,
-British English
frowning, waving, pointing, dancing and so much
more. -American English
-Bowing in Korea -Australian English
-Head shaking in India -Canadian English
-Thumbs up in Iran -Indian English
-Eye Contact in Japan -South African English
-Kissing Cheeks in Switzerland
FORMAL AND INFORMAL LANGUAGE
• Your purpose for communication and the
relationship you have with the listeners/readers
will determine if you are to use formal and
informal language.
English that focused on idioms
English focused on idioms
• refers to the study or use of English language
that emphasizes learning and understanding
idiomatic expressions
•This can include idioms used in everyday
conversation, literature, or specialized fields.

English that focus on the expression

refers to varieties or styles of English that
prioritize the use of language for effective
communication, often emphasizing clarity,
creativity, and nuance.
Two varieties of English that focus on
expressions
•American English
•British English
-These varieties often differ in terms of
vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and even the
structure of sentences.
Formal Language Vs Informal Language