Intercultural Communication & Its Competence

Intercultural Communication & Its Competence How to Communicate in Finland? Niina Kovalainen Senior Lecturer, LAUREA UAS

Session with Niina • Part 1:

The Basics of Culture & Intercultural Communication Nonverbal Behaviour Personal Communication Styles Intercultural Communication Competence

• Part 2: Communicating with a Finn in Different Situations - National CASES - Working together - Examples

Culture & Intercultural DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

National, regional, religious, ethnic… Organisational, age, sex, gender… High culture, popular culture Linguistic Professional, occupational Hobby based Continental Era based Social status based Diet based, e.g. vegetarian Ethnic Moral, ethic Family based Political Other, what?

What does ”multicultural”, ”cross-cultural” and ”intercultural” actually mean?  How about ”international” and ”transnational”?

Culture

• Edward T. Hall: Culture is communication • Geert Hofstede: Culture is programming of the mind • John Mole: Culture is how we do things here • Culture is a way of life • Culture is everything • Culture is you • Culture is our collective thruth

How can you see culture? • • • • • • •

Attire, clothing, accessories Posture, movement Food & drink Language & paralanguage Customs, traditions, habits Nonverbal behaviour () Physical environment

Ten-Sec-Test

TASK: Introduce yourself to the person sitting next to you. I will time you: You have 10 seconds.

What did you tell? • • • • • • •

Name Country of origin Something about your family How long you’ve been here Hobbies Field of study Something else, what?

Ten-Sec-Test, V2

TASK: Introduce yourself to the person sitting next to you. I will time you, and again you have 10 seconds. Now share something that distinguishes you from the rest of us!

Sociogram is an easy way to see ”who you are”

Nonverbal behaviour

• Concept of time • Haptics (touching) • Proxemics (personal space) • Eye contact • Attire • Physical environment • Posture & movement & gestures • Paralanguage (intonation, tone, pitch)

Intercultural Competence

• Learning language • Knowing the history, politics & economy • Showing interest to understand & respect people • Engage in social interaction • Do not complain • Do not give up • Express professional satisfaction • Are committed to developing themselves (Kealey 1990)

ICC

Language + + situation

communication + you

 Special challenge: Virtual contact

+

culture

Johari’s Window Examples WE know THEY don’t know E.g.how to act in queues, busses… WE don’t know THEY know E.g. how to greet them/ us

WE know THEY know E.g. how to act in class, is shops… WE don’t know THEY don’t know E.g. how to do small talk

Issues in ICC: Working together • • • • • • • •

Ethnocentrism: It’s not about you Nonverbal behaviour: Touch… Linguistic communication: Oral, written Different communication styles (high / low context) Cultural values: power distance, individualism vs. collectivism Cultural assumptions, taboos: How can you know? Nonverbal communication vs nonverbal behaviour Nonverbality overriding words

Hofstede’s ICC • Societies as cultures

• Masculinity vs. femininity (MAS) • Power distance (PDI) • Collectivity vs. individuality (IDV) • Uncertainty avoidance (UAI) • (Short-term/ long-term orientation) (LTO) • See: http://www.geerthofstede.com/index.shtml

Hofstede Examples 1 & 2




Communication style • Your language + your culture  • Their language + their culture 

= Situational (contextual) communication

Intercultural Communication Competence

• The ability to communicate succesfully with people from other cultures • Emotional competence • Intercultural sensitivity • Knowing where you come from • What is it to YOU?

Examples 1

• 1. Greeting: Not much • 2. Asking & Giving Help: Always ask • 3. Clothing & Colours: Is not expressing feelings that much (Happy conformity) • 4. Language: Ask directly • 5. Nonverbal Behaviour: Quality vs. Quantity • 6. Working Culture: Direct and to the point, independent and individual, no supervision • 7. Talking: Quality vs. Quantity • 8. Meetings, lectures: Be active • 9. Issue vs. Individual: Maintain face (both parties'), negative / positive things • 10. Friendship: Real, no small talk, give & get

Examples 2

• 11. Small Talk: Not much • 12. Silence: Are used to it, does not bother, but try to help by speaking vs. taking turn in talking • 13. Silence is relative: Different people, situations, formality, groups, time • 14. Alcohol: Center of the city, weekends, students, events. Work hard, play hard. • 15. Working hard: Living is expensive, so students work at the same time. • 16. Health: Different diets, doing sports, looks, Body & Mind • 17. Equality: Can also be seen in class with professors • 18. Silent knowledge: ...but there are still some lines you should not cross, esp. with your superiors. Relaxed honouring • 19. Honesty: Positive yes, negative not always • 20. Not much showing of emotions in public • 21. Queuing is fun :D

 Thank you! 

Any questions, comments on or requests for material used/ cited, please write to me at: [email protected]