Purposive Communication: Module 1

MODULE 1: COMMUNICATION IN MULTICULTURAL CONTEXT

Communication is a two-way process that aims for mutual understanding wherein the parties
involved do not only send and receive information, news, ideas, and feeling but also create and
share meaning. It is a way to connect to one’s surroundings and environment and to send
feedback as well. Communication is also a process of imparting and exchanging ideas with and
without the use of media.
NATURE OF COMMUNICATION
1. Communication is a process.
Whatever communication model you are using, communication is made of different
elements and that it passes through a process from conceptualizing the message to
getting feedback after giving a message.
The communication process has five steps: idea formation, encoding, channel
selection, decoding and feedback.
2. Communication is Symbolic
Symbols are used to present things, processes, ideas, or events in ways that make
communication possible.
Example: Japanese language has its own set of characters which are symbols that
represent sounds and meanings that when you combine them, a message is formed.

3. Communication is both a Discipline and Liberation

Communication makes use of language that is used top convey ideas in various
disciplines and fields of studies. It is flexible that it gives communicators the freedom to
use words that are necessary for communicating with others. It also allows exchange of
ideas, cultures of language that unify people.
Communication is a discipline. As a field of study, it teaches the learner how to
convey messages as well as how to effectively interact using, the theories and principles
of communication.
Communication is liberation in a sense that it may serve as a way for the
communicator to express his ideas. It also frees the mind to react, suggest, oppose, agree,
or even reject ideas. Without communication, you will be limited to what you are capable
of as well as the way you think and feel. It also liberates someone from ignorance of the
rights, duties, responsibilities, and cultural diversity. Communication allows a person to
use language to express his ideas.
There are different ways in which we can communicate our thoughts and feelings.
Words maybe used to express our joy, fear, anger, and excitement. This means that we
communicate verbally. There are many times that words need to be substituted or emphasized
by our hand movements or facial expressions that are called nonverbal communication.
VERBAL MESSAGES IN COMMUNICATION
Verbal messages pertain to the sounds and words that you use when you communicate.
It covers the choice and the order of words in a sentence. However, words may not have the
same meaning to everyone at all times. Words also change their meaning over time and so,
communicators should know how to select the most exact words to express their messages
accurately.
People who may be speaking the same language could still experience communication
problems when trying to understand verbal messages. This is because not all words mean the
same thing to all people. The word left may pertain to one's location or it may also refer to the
past form of the action word leave. Words in verbal messages can be denotative or connotative.
Denotative meaning is what you will find in the dictionary, while connotative meaning is an
emotional or personal response to a word. When you hear the word free, it denotative meaning
may explain that it is something that you get without the need to pay. But your connotative
meaning based on your emotional response could be that it is liberation or being away from
boundaries and limitations.
Language is dynamic. There are many words that evolve in our daily communication. The
words that you might have used before may have already evolved to something new. Say for
example, the word “sinta” may sound too formal to address someone that you love. Today, there
are many words that are used to express the meaning of the said word. The words like mahal,
sweetheart , bebe, and beh are just among the few which mean beloved. People and media are
responsible for the changes in the language that we use. There have also been words that were
created to express one's thoughts when communicating with others. They are called Slangs.
Slang is informal language that is unique to a particular group They are words that change
most often and they are used in informal conversations. Usually, they are used by persons who
share common things in their culture. Cultural diversity is one of the causes for the presence of
slang in communication. The words like watcha (what are you,), gonna (going to), labya (love
you), and gimme (give me) are just few of the words that are commonly used in today's
conversation.
As a communicator, it is your responsibility to be aware of the meaning of words and how
they change over time. You have to be careful in choosing the words to say when
communicating, and using the right tone of voice as well.
NONVERBAL MESSAGES IN COMMUNICATION
Nonverbal Messages are the messages that you use to express your ideas and emotions
without using words. It is also made up of tone of voice, body language, gestures, eye contact,
facial expressions, and proximity (distance).
- Tone - this includes the pitch, volume, and inflection of your voice.
- Posture - this is an important part of body language; sitting up straight conveys
confidence while slouching conveys apathy.
- Eye Contact (Oculesics) - this is one way to show interest or sincerity. Glaring is
different from staring and so we have to be careful when using these two in different
situations. Misuse of eye contact could lead to miscommunication and eventually, to a
fight.
- Gestures - these are hand movements used to emphasize a point. Putting your palm on
your chest means that what you are saying verbally is coming from the bottom of your
heart. Tapping the table means you want to give emphasis on what you are trying to
say.
- Proximity - this is the distance of the message sender to the receiver. It can
demonstrate aggression when the speaker is too close, or fear when the speaker draws
back. Intimacy is shown by the closeness of your distance to another person and
formality may be shown if you are speaking to someone without being too close to
him/her.
There will come a time when you will have to leave your place to perform some duties and
tasks. Some of these tasks may require you to communicate with people of other nationalities.
That is why before leaving your country whether for travel, academic, or work purpose, you have
to be ready to be culturally aware and sensitive.
COMMUNICATION IN LNTERCULTURAL DOMAINS
Culture is defined as the total of the inherited ideas, beliefs, values, and knowledge that
contribute to the shared bases of social interaction (culturedictionary.com). Moreover, it also
refers to the complex collection of knowledge - folklore, language, rules, rituals, habits, lifestyles,
attitudes, beliefs, and customs that link and give a common identity to a particular group of
people at a specific point in time. Accordingly, communication may differ from one culture to
another. Every country has its own unique communication style. The communicative style of
individuals from the Philippines differs from that of the people from Korea. Also. what we consider
"good" in our country may be looked up as "bad" or "prohibited" in other country.
Intercultural Communication
 - According to Tin-Toone (1999), intercultural communication happens when individuals
interact, negotiate, and create meanings while bringing in their varied cultural
backgrounds.
- For some scholars, intercultural communication pertains to communication among
people from different nationalities (Gydykunst, 2003)
- Still, others look at intercultural communication as communication that is influenced by
different ethnicities, religions, and sexual orientations (Sipacio-Balgos, 2016).
CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPETENT INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATORS
World Bank (2010) identifies the following traits that define a competent intercultural
communicator:
- flexibility and the ability to tolerate high levels of uncertainty
- reflectiveness or mindfulness
- open-mindedness
- sensitivity
- adaptability
- ability to engage in divergent thinking (or thinking creatively) and systems-level
thinking (or thinking how each one in a system or organization influences each other)
Note that in addition to culture, other elements such as gender, age, social status, and
religion must also be taken into consideration when communicating with others. Refrain
from showing bias when talking to someone by following the tips below:
- Avoid stereotypes or generalizations about a certain group. For example, women who
speak so loud in public are usually generalized as "squatters" or "informal settlers"
because they are viewed as rude and unschooled individuals.
- Challenge gender norms; avoid using 'he' and 'man' to refer to a general group of
people. To remedy this, you may use plural nouns or rewrite a sentence to avoid using
pronouns. The use of his or her is also acceptable.
- Do not talk down on younger people and the elderly.
- Be sensitive to the religious practices of others.
- Be polite at all times; do not belittle people you perceive to be on a lower social class
than you.
Nobody wants to be misinterpreted because of language differences. This is the reason
why Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW's) have unconsciously adjusted to different
communication settings and situations.
Following are some important information that you need to know when you visit the
cultures of the following countries:
Communicating in China
Greg Rodgers (2017) wrote an article on how to around the language barrier in China.
According to him, communicating in China is often a challenge for time visitors who are traveling
independently without interpreter. If you do not know how to speak Mandarin, the language
barrier can be maddening. Charades sometimes fail and when you move your hands for
chopsticks, your waiter might bring you a pencil. Mclaughlin (2013) gave tips on communicating
with the Chinese. According to him, at formal business meetings, one must be aware of the
Chinese's desire to preserve harmony. Hierarchy is also a very important factor how the Chinese
communicate. When speaking to a superior, workers must generally phrase their words carefully.
Speaking without asking for permission might lead to poor treatment as well as reprisals. Most
importantly, the concept of face must always be considered when communicating with the
Chinese. They prefer to avoid negative and emphasize the positive. When dining together,
Chinese businessmen routinely praise one another with compliments and toasts. Gifts are also
given on many social and business occasions in China. These are accompanied by words of good
will. In conversing with the Chinese, it is important to have a clear understanding of context.
Communicating in Korea
When going to South Korea, there are things that one must be aware of in terms of
communicating verbally and nonverbally. Their communication pattern is generally indirect and
at times - verbose. They have the tendency to rely less on words and are very keen at a
speaker's posture, expression, and tone of voice to catch the message. Just like the Chinese, they
are particular with maintaining harmony throughout the conversation. Their speech style may be
described as indirect. They also use l ss gestures and silence is an important and useful tool to
them. Pausing before giving a response is an indication that someone has applied appropriate
thought and consideration to the question. This is one way of showing politeness and respect.
Smiling could mean that one is feeling ashamed or embarrassed. They are generally not very
tactile with one another. However, girls may walk hand-in-hand and male friends tend to touch
each other. South Koreans do not point with their index fingers; they rather use their entire hand
to point to someone or something.
During a discussion or friendly conversation, eye contact is necessary for the person you
are communicating with. When receiving something, use two hands or your right hand. In terms
of gestures, it is considered rude to make a fist with your hand while placing the thumb between
the middle and index finger. Sneezing is considered rude in Korea.
Communicating in America
Americans address each other informally and address each other by first name basis. No
academic or job title are used unless one is formally introduced. Americans are energetic and
positive in terms of communication. Americans usually speak in the present Imperative tense
with lots of action-oriented words. They often use expressions such as: "Make it work" or instant
solution". Meetings are usually informal. People also shake hands or just say "hello" when
entering a meeting room. One usually sticks to the agenda and one must be time conscious.
Meetings are only held to discuss topics that are usually outlined to obtain information and
different opinions as well as communicating decisions taken at the top. Americans hate it when
their time is wasted and so, you have to be at least thirty minutes ahead of the call time when
meeting an American. Americans expect for a speaker with a loud voice.
Communicating in Japan
When communicating in Japan, avoid pointing. Use a wedged hand aimed in a direction.
You also have to keep your voice down. When requesting, you have to use a gentle voice and
tone. Whenever you see an error, you have to present it carefully so as not to appear that you
are pointing out an omission that someone committed. When communicating with the Japanese,
you also need to avoid pressing for an answer. This means that if a question remains unanswered
twice, one has to respect the silence. Finally, be reminded that bowing is an important
communication ritual. Traditionally, the person coming from a lesser social status bow lower but
even a small bow is enough to show respect for the person and the Japanese culture.