英语专业跨文化交际期末知识点整理summary

U1:
1.views on intercultural communication
Two different views on intercultural communication: “people are people”VS. “contact is not equal to communication”
2. 3 major socio-cultural elements influencing perception and communication
Cultural value, world view , social organizations.
3.What is globalization?
Globalization is a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and gover nments of different nations。

a process driven by international trade and investment and aided b y information technology. This process has effects on the environment, on culture, on political sys tems, on economic development and prosperity, and on human physical well-being in societies around the world.
4.What are the stumbling blocks in intercultural communication?
(1)assumption of similiarities: people expect that simply being human and having common
requirements of food,shelter,security and so on makes everyone alike.
(2)Language differences.: “yes”and “no” cause trouble.
(3)Nonverbal misinterpretatons: misinterpretation of observable sians and
symbols—gesture ,postures, body movenment.
(4)Preconceptions and stereotypes: Arabs are “inflammable”may cause U.S.students to keep
their distance .
(5)Tendence to evaluate: to approve or disapprove ,to statements and actions of other person
or group.
(6)High anxiety/ tension.
U2:
1.What is culture?
Culture is a very extensive concept, it is very difficult to define it strictly and accurately, because culture involves too much. Culture is a complex system of behavior, values, beliefs, traditions and artifacts, which is transmitted through generations.
What are the five basic needs for human beings?
(1)physiological needs (things that make us alive,food water air)
(2)safety needs (physical safe and psychologicallly secure)
(3)belongingness needs (needs tobe accepted by others and to belong to a group )
(4)esteem needs ( recognition, reputation,self respect )
(5)self-actualization needs (actualize onself and to reach one’s full potential)
2.What are values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors? How are they linked?
(1)Values are what people go to war over or conduct bussiness by. Values tell us how to weigh
the worth of something, they can indicate a relative hierarchy.
(2)Attitudes are feelings about things .it is a tendency to respond the same way to the same
object or situation or idea. Attitudes is learned and can change.
(3)Beliefs are convictions or certainties based on subjective and often personal ideas rather
than on proof or fact.
(4)Links: values underlie attitudes and also shape beliefs. Attitudes are based on beliefs as well
as values.values enable us to evaluate what matters to us or apply standars to our attitudes and beliefs.value→belief →attitude. For example , you have an attitude toward eating raw
fish,which is positive and is based on the belief that expert prepararion of sushi and sashimi by Japanese chefs results in culinary delicacies ,or you have an attitude that is negative,based on the belief that raw fish can contain parasites that cause unpleasant consequences in the human digestive system. You can even have both attitudes at the same time.if you do ,then probably you value both fine eating experiences and physical health.
3.What are the elements of communication?
①context: physical setting, psychological ,historical,culture ,the communication norms
②participants: senders who form messages and communicate with symbols, receiverswho
process and react the massages.
③Massages: meanings, symbols ,encodings and decodings
④Channels :a variety of sensory channels
⑤Noise ;internal external and semantic noise.
⑥Feedback : the verbal and nonverbal responses
4.What are norms?
Norms are the guildelines that we establish for conducting transactions. Norms tell us what kinds of messages and behavior are proper in a given context or with a particular person or group of people. People acquire communication norms from their experiences in life.
5.What is the difference between encoding and decoding?
Encoding is the process of transforming ideas and feelings into symbols and organizing them. Decoding is the process of tansforminf meeages backe into ideas and feelings.
Transforming and organizing Transforming and intepreting
ideas and feelings--------------------→symbols/massages------------→ideas and feelings
↓↓
Encoding decoding
6.What is the difference between external noise, internal noise and semantic noise? external noise : Sights and sounds and other stimuli in the environment that draw people’s attention away from intended meaning.
internal noise : Thoughts and feelings that interfere with the communication process. Feelings of anger or anxiety ,stereotypeor prejudice in your mind.
semantic noise: the meanings we assign to words depend on our own experience, other people may at times decode a word or phases differently from the way we intend.
7.What is communication?
Communication is a process involving the exchange of messages and the creation of meaning.
U3:
1.What are the five basic questions at the root of any culture’s value system?
(1)what is the character of innate human nature?-----human nature
(2)what is the relation of man to nature?------t he relationship of man to nature.
(3)What is the temporal focus of human life?----sense of time /time orientation.
(4)What is the mode of human activity?-------activity orientation.
(5)What is the mode of human relationships?----social relationships
2.What are the key principles of Confucianism?
(1)social order and stability are based on uneqal relationships between people
including leaders and followers ,father and son ,husband and wife , older brother and younger brother,and friends .
(2)family :follow rules for ordering
(3)proper social behavior consists of not treating others as you would not like to be treated
youself.,learn to be sensitive to other’s feels(子所不欲勿施于人)
(4)people should be skilled ,educated hardworking,thrifty ,modest, patient and persevering. 3.How do living situations account for value differences between different cultures?
For example,Japanese live in a little of arable land ,even mainly valcanoes.thus,they built their homes together very closely in order to make use of every available land and they can work together in planting and harvesting of rice effectively . In this situation, japanenes’central social valuebecause of living close proximity that gave very little privacy was that an idividual does not matter. However, in the U.S. it is common to see a pattern of a single farmhouse surrounded by firelds.the nearnest neighbor was perhaphs two miles distant.inevitably, the central social values were self-reliance and independence.
4.What are cultural values?
The commonly held standards of what is acceptable or unacceptable, important or unimportant, right or wrong, good or bad, true or false, workable or unworkable, etc., in a community or society.
Values represent a learned organization of rules for making choices and for resolving the conflicts.
5.What are the five dimensions to consider when doing studies of cultural differences(culture
value)?
(1)Idividualism versus collectivism (involves people’s relationship sto the larger
social groups;social relationship)
Idividualism;key words include independence,privacy,self,and all important I
Collectivism believe in obligations to the group, we consciouceness and an emphasis on belonging.
(2)uncertainty avoidance(how to adapt to changes and cope with uncertainties,) Greece(plan everything0 versus Singapore (like uncertainty)
(3)power distance(all people in a culture do not have equals levels of status or social
power.) Malaysia versus New Zealand
(4)masculinity versus femininity(work harder to get achievement ,wealth versus
caring for the others and the quatity of life) Japan versus Thailand
(5)orientation to time (a long-term orientation schedule for work and life versus a
short-term orientation toward changing events)
6.What are the differences between a high-context culture and a low-context one?
Low-context interaction emphasizes direct talk, person-oriented focus, self-enhancement mode, and the importance of “talk”: high- context interaction, in contrast stresses indirect talk, status-oriented focus , self- esffacement mode, and the importance of nonverbal signals and even silence.
U4:
1.What is the relationship between language and culture?
Culture and language are interwined and shaped each other. Each time we select words ,form sentence, and send a message ,either oral or written,we also make cultural choices. Cultural literacy(特定领域的能力或知识) is necessary to understand the language being used.
(1)all languages have social questions and information questions.
For exemple: in Ameirca English ,the question “How are you” is a social question,the Americans register the phrase as “hello”. But in Germany and Russia ,the phase is an imformation qustion .the speaker atually wants to get an answer to it.
(2) language reflects the environment in which we live .
For exemple, in the Amazon area snow is not part of the environment. Therefore , people in that region do not have a word for snow . however , most Americans ,who live an environment where Iit snows most months of the year, use terms such as snow , sleet , slush, blizzard and ice. (3)language reflects cultural values. a way of thinking .
when we translate concepts from a foreign language and cultural with words ,we have to choose the priority words in oder to communicate effectively. Cultural kowledge is impotant as linguistic knowledge.
For example ,Amerians are frustrated with the manana mentality(西班牙语的明天心态) of Spanish-speaking countries : for American tomorrow means midnight to midnight ,a very precise time period , To Mexicans ,manana means in the future,soon.
（4,）Different cutures use identical words that have rather different meanings.
For example, for Amercans ,adminisration in the university context means department chair or dean,for Frenches adminisration means upper level clerical staff . What Americans consider to be an adminstrator, Frenches consider faulty.
（5）language changes overtime.words and prases that are used commonly at one time may be discontinued or their meaning my change overtime.
For example, the word gay means happy lightened. In recent decades ,however the word has taken on the meaning” homosexual”.English speaking countries do n’ t use the original meaning anymore..
Communication across cultures and language is difficult and full of hurdles and pitfalls. Even if two people from different countries spesk a common language ,they may misinteptet the cutural signal. If that happens ,in all likelihood , there will be a cutural problem rhather than a language problem.
2.What is the relationship between environment and language?
(2) language reflects the environment in which we live .
For exemple, in the Amazon area snow is not part of the environment. Therefore , people in that region do not have a word for snow . however , most Americans ,who live an environment where Iit snows most months of the year, use terms such as snow , sleet , slush, blizzard and ice.
3.How does language change over time?
language changes overtime.words and prases that are used commonly at one time may be discontinued or their meaning my change overtime.
For example, the word gay means happy lightened. In recent decades ,however the word has taken on the meaning” homosexual”.English speaking countries do n’ t use the original meaning
anymore..
4.Denotations and connotations
Denotations: denotations of a word or phrase are the meanings that relate it to the objects or concepts referred to the actual or fictional “things”that are symbolized.
For example, the denotation of the English word “bird”is a tow –legged,winged,egg-laying creature.
Connnotations: connnotations refer to the additional meanings that a word or phrase has beyond its central meaning .These meanings show people’s attitudes or feelings toward what the word or phase refers to.
For example: consider the word “dog” in English and 狗in Chinese. They can be said to have the same denotative meaning；however,people from different cutures may have different connotative reactions to these words ,compare “a homeless dog” (流浪狗) with 丧家之犬
5.What are the ways of expressing “no”? Why do people in countries like Japan and China
often refuse to say “no” directly?
(1)be vague
(2)be silent or ask a question
(3)change the topic or leave
(4)tell a white lie or refuse to answer the question. Say one cannot answer
(5)put the reaponsibility to the trird party or offering an alternative.
The reason: In Japan and China’s culture ,to refuse an invitation or request with “no”, or a similar phrase, is felt to be impolite. It is thought to be selfish and unfriendly.
6.How does language affect people’s perception and experiences?
The language we use may to some exten determine the way we perceive and experience the world.
(!)in japan language varies substantially in different social situatons like sddressing superior peers and inferiors.
(2) the Thailand language
（3）splanish language reveals male dominance through use of gendered nouns and pronouce. A group of man referred to as ello, agroup of wemen referred to as ellas
7.What are the five intended types of equivalence when doing translation?
(1)lexical equivalence 例子;there is no equivlent to the English color word blue in Russian.
Russia only have the according words of light blue and dark blue that an be translated into English.
(2)Idiomatic equivalence : “raining cats and dogs”
(3)Grammatical equivalence ；’in Filipino language ,there is no equivalent of the english verb
“to be”.
(4)Experience equivalence
(5)Conceptual equivalence
8.Why do people say language is always ambiguous?
(1)we can never fully control the meanings of the things we say and write in the way of
paticipants interpret
(2)language can never fully express our meanings whether in writing or speaking
(3)whether the participants share the same assumptions and knowledge about the world or
not.
U5:
1.What is a rich point?
Conversation is a rich point ,a rich point is something in one culture that makes it difficult to be connected with another culture.
2.What basic differences can we still find between the English-speaking people and the
Chinese people concerning compliment and response?
In English countrries, the “best way “to respond to a compliment is to accept it. Rejection of compliments is often regarded as a symptom of problem, such as low self-esteem. In contrast to english ,the best way rasponse to compliments in Chinese is traditionally thought to be a rejection or denial. A denial is the routinized response to a compliment.
3.What are the differences between “high involvement”style and “high considerateness”
style?
High involvement styles tend to : (1) talk more ；（2）interrupt more ; (30 expect to to be interrupted (4) talk more loudly at times and (5) talk more quickly than those from cultures favoring “high considerateness styles.
High considerateness styles；(1) speak one at times (2)use polite listening sounds;(3) refrain from interrupting; and (4) give plenty of positive and respectful responses to their conversation partners ;
4.Directness & indirectness
‘get to the point! Don’t beat around the bush” & have many ways to say “no” directly
5.Different communication patterns
People’s communication patterns differ the way people converse.
Americans hold a conversation, it seems like they are having a PingPong game.one person has the ball and then hits it to the other side of the table. The other player hits the ball back the game continutes
Japanes conversationstyle is like a bowling game,answer to questions are carefully thought out rather than blurted out ,enven long silences are tolerated. Give a answer to a question must be given enough time .
6.Cross-cultural verbal communication styles
Our verbal communication styles reflects our cultural and personal values and sentiments.
(1)diect and indirect verbal interaction styles,in the direct verbal styles, statements clearly
reveal the speaker’s intention. Say what you mean “don no beat around the bush
(2)person-oriented(treat other people with casualness and informality )and status-oriented
verbal styles(uphold formality in the human relationship)
(3)self-enhancement (boast one’s accomplishments and ablilities) and self-oriented verbal styles
(signal modesty or humanity)
7.What cultural implications are there underlying the difference between
speaker-responsibility and listener-responsibility in organizational structure?187
In Speaker-responsible language, the speaker provides the structure and therefore much of the specific meaning of the statement. Because the speaker want to tell the listener exactly what is goning to be talked about,and what the speaker wants the listener to know. Prior knowledge of the speaker’s intent is necessary.
In listener-responsible language, speakers need to indicate only indirectly what they are discussing. The listener is forced to construct the meaning and usually does so ,based on shared kownledge between the speaker and the listener.
U6:
1.Values shown in nonverbal communication: intonation, body language (hand movement,
eye contact, smile, touch)
2.Baptics (touch)
There are many kinds of touch to commonly used in the western world. The study of how we use touch in communication is called baptic.
3.Gender and nonverbal communication
What we know as gender is a set of “acts”or social performences that people are repearedly compelled to enact.
Touch, in the us,wemen friends and relatives may walk arm-in-arm, dance together and hug one another .touch between heterosexual males is generally more restricted.
Height ,height equels power and wemen are not supposed to be more powerful than man, taller women may attempt to diminsh themselves,so as to retreat as little space as possible.
Gaze, looking directly into person’s eyes can connote an aggressive threat, a sexual invitation,or a desire for honest and open communication. in some culture, children are taught that to look adults in the eyes is a sign of disrespect. In mixed-sex paries,women are more likely than men to avert their eyes.
Gesture and demeanor ,or “act like a lady”.
Artifactual (objects)message , when worn ,they have beed used to signify a wear’s gender, culture, and socioeconomic class. From the moment at which families or hospital assign infants pink or blue blankets,artifacts annouce and contribute to the shaping of children’s experience of gender.. maant of us have our notions of masculine and femininity resting on the nonverbal message we display.
4.Functions of nonverbal communication
Our nonverbal communication haves many uses and functions in communication. Repeating: a nonverbal message can repeat a verbal one. Eg; place fingers to his lips to mean “stop”
Complementing : using of the voice and facial expression to express appology. Subsituting, regulating ,contradictiing
5.Paralanguage
Paralanguage (辅助性语言) lies between verbal and nonverbal communication. It involves sounds but not words. (语音和语调，感叹词的使用，美国中的插入语：you know ,okay, well ,the wors simply build a bridge to what the speaker says next.
U7:
1.Private space & public space
2.Conversational distance
3.The layout of a city reflects its social structure and cultural values.
美国NewYork is arrranged in a grid pattern of right-angled street,any corner can becomen a center ,reflect more equality and independence.
French is star pattern everthing should be surrounded the center of highly centrealized government.
4. 3 perspectives on a culture’s conception of time
(1)Informal time :,conception of late and attitutude to the conversation time.
(2)Past ,present ,and future: behavior and time are linked.
Chinese proverb ；consider the past and you will know the present.
Americans are constanly planning for the future.
(3)monochronic and polychronic
M-time people: do one thing at atime ,concentrate on the job,take the deadline,schedules seriously , adhere to plans,show great respect for privacy.
P-time people；do many things at once ,change the plans ofen easily and often,
5.German use of space
美国与德国的比较，germans sense their own space as an extension of the ego
U8:
1.perceptions/images related to the term “gaijin” in Japanese
blond hair and blue eyes outgoning.
2.ethnocentrism & ethnorelativism
ethnocentrism (民族中心主义)is nagetively judging aspects of another culture by the standars of one’s own culture. It is the technical name for the view of things in whivh one’s own group is the center of everything,and all others are scaled and rated with reference to it.
Ethnorelativism involves the view that all cultures areof equal value and the values and behaviors of a culture can only be judged using that culture as a frame of reference..no one cultural trait is right or wrong ,it is merely diferent from alternative cultural traits.
3.stereotype : a tereotype is over simplified idea about a person ,group,.cultural stereotype
about americans “we and they “.many american view jew and arab as a menace and demon and they may avoid to talk to them and escape them when they meet them on the way.
4.What is perception? The three-step process of perception
Perception is the means by which you make sense of your physical and social world.
(1)selection,(2) organazation (3)interpretation
5.What are cultural patterns?
6.Racial prejudice
7.the 3 ways in which stereotypes are formed
(1)we may categorize people or things by the most obvious characteristics they possess.
(2)We may apply a set of characteristics to a whole group of people..
(3)We may give the same treatment to each member of the group.
8.the 4 dimensions of stereotypes
A rereotype is an overgeneralized and oversimplified belief we use to categorize a group of people.
（1）direction (positive or negative statements, american honest, ambitious)
（2）intensity ：the strenth of a belief about agroup of people
（3）accuracy
(4)content
9.What is prejudice? The five common forms of prejudice
An attitude based on erroneous beliefs or preconceptions is called prejudice.
Vebal abuse,. Physical avoidance, discrimination, physical attack and massacre.
U9:
1.What is cultural shock? What are the symptoms?
cultural shock refers to the transition period and the accompanying feelings of stress and anxiety
a person experiences during the early period unpon entering a new culture.
(1)physiological such as headache and sleeplessness
(2)emotional such as anxiety,and feeling helpless and loneliness
(3)communication such as frustration and excessive complainting,withdrawal from relationship
and conversation.
2.model that explains the normal cycles or stages of early adaptation and culture shock predeparture stage :everything is beatiful ,awful, ok
adaption and reentry
3.What is reverse culture shock?
The shock suffered by expatriates returning home after lengthy overseas assignments. It is caused by the fact that the cultural norms of the ex-pat's overseas assignment become natural to them, over their home country's own traditions and customs.
suggestions for culture shock adaptation
control emotion be patient meet people try new things give youself period of rest and thought, work on your self-concept observe bady language ,learn the verbal language
4.
5. 2 major views of culture shock: the disease view (hepless victim leave the cuture quickly)&
self-awareness view (positive learning experience)
6.
7.positive cross-cultural learning experiences
8.
9.overcoming ethnocentrism in communication
10.Who are “sojourners”? What is cross-cultural adaptation? What are challenges to sojourner
adaptation?
People who cross cultural boundaries are referred to as sojourners.including immigrants ,refugees ,students
Cross-cutural adaptation refers to how a sojourner chooses to cope with cutural changes. Challenges to sojourner adaptation include ethnocentrism, language barriers, disequilibrium(fit into the host culture0，length of stay, level of knowledge
11.key qualities of a mindful state of being
(`1) creation of new categories (2)openness to new information (3)awareness of more than one perspective.
U10
1.
2.betweenness of identity
3.metaphors of US cultural diversity
4.
5.steps to improve intercultural communication
6.
7.attributes of a competent intercultural communicator 8.
9. 3 cognitive processes of perception
description, interpretation, evaluation。