跨文化交际常见问题.docx

跨文化交际常见问题.docx

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跨文化交际常见问题

跨文化交际常见问题

1.Whatarethereasonswhichmightcontributetoanincreaseofinterculturalcontactsintheworld?

Nowadays,theincreasingtrendofinterculturalcontactscanbeascribedtofourmainfactors:

theadvancementoftechnology,immigration,economicglobalizationandtheemergenceofmulticulturalism.

A.Withthedevelopmentoftechnology,thetransportationsystemsandcommunicationsystemshavewitnessedgreatadvancement.Tripsoncetakingdaysarenowmeasuredinhours,makingitpossibleforpeopletogotoanywhereoftheworldinoneday,andthusspeedingupinterculturalcontact.Moreover,theadvancedcommunicationtechnologies,suchasInternet,mobilephonesandcableTVtransmissionequipment,havegivepeopleaccesstosharingandexchanginginformationandideasinstantaneously.

B.Changesinpopulationmigrationhavealsocontributedtothedevelopmentofincreasinginterculturalcontact.Pursuingabetterjoborendeavoringforabetterlife,peoplefromallovertheworldleavetheircountrywhilebringingtheirownculture,habits,languageandsoontotheother.

C.Economicglobalizationisanotherfactorforincreasinginterculturalcontacts.Withtheacceleratedtrendofeconomicglobalization,theworldwelivedinismoreandmoreinterdependentandinterrelated.Andeachcountry’seconomyistiedtotheeconomyofothercountries.Therefore,theinterculturalcontactsbetweenregions,countriesandcontinentsareinevitablyincreased.

D.Multiculturalismistheviewthatthevariousculturesinasocietymeritequalrespectandscholarlyinterest,describingthecoexistenceofmanyculturesinalocality,withoutanyoneculturedominatingtheregion.Therefore,withtheincreasingofthetrendsofmulticulturalism,thecommunicationsbetweenregionsandcultureswillinevitablystrengthenedandincreased.

2.Whatarecharacteristicofcommunicationandculturecommontoallhumanbeings?

Althoughcommunicationsaredifferentfromoneanotherintheirformsandnorms,allcommunicationsystemsaroundtheworldsharecertaincharacteristics.

A.Indirect:

onecharacteristicofcommunicationisthatpeoplecanonlyobtainmessagesfromother’swordsandbehaviorsinsteadofobtainingfromthemindofothers.

B.Interactive:

Communicationtakesplacebetweenatleasttwoindividuals,andeachoneinacommunicationprocesswillaffectorbeaffectedbytheother’swordsorbehaviors,andasaconsequence,he/shewillimmediatelymodifyoralterhis/herresponseseitherinwords,tones,gestures,andsoon.

C.Dynamic:

asallcommunicationprocessesandtheirconsequencesareaffectedbythespecifictime,place,occasionandthenumberofpeoplewiththeirparticularrules,values,customs,andsoon,thecommunicationcanbeperceivedasanongoingandever-changingactivity.

D.Self-reflective:

ashumanbeingshaveauniqueabilitytothinkaboutthemselves,towatchhowtheydefinetheworld,andtoreflectontheirpast,present,andfuture,allformsofcommunicationwillinevitablyinvolveand

behindbytheirancestorsthroughlanguage,andleavetheirculturetodescendantsthroughlanguage.Forexample,ifwewanttoknowtheChineseculture1000yearsago,wecanresearchtherecordsofthattime.Thereforethroughlanguage,civilizationpassesoverfromgenerationtogeneration.Thesocietywillthenmakeprogressstepbystep.

Infact,wecanknowotherculturesbyreadingbooks.Wedon'tneedtogotogoabroadtoknowaboutculturesofforeigncountries.Languagebringsusconveniencetolearndifferentcultures.

C.Cultureaffectslanguage

Fromthedefinitionofculture,weknowthatcultureincludesgeography,religion,tradition,custom,valueandsoon.Infact,cultureoftenaffectslanguagethroughthem.

Everynationlivesandworksinacertainnaturalenvironment,whichisreflectedbyitslanguage.Peoplefromdifferentregionsmayhavedifferentlanguages.Theyusedifferentwords,metaphorstoexpresstheirviewstowardstheirenvironment.

Nearlyeverynationhasitsreligion.Religionisanimportantpartinculture.Manydailyusedwordsarefromreligion.Forinstance:

Adam'sapple（喉结）;myrib（我妻）;Judas'skiss（背叛）。

Everyculturehasitsspecificfeatures,whichisreflectedthroughlanguage.Chinesepeoplefromsomeregionsareaccustomedtosleepona炕（aheatablebed）.Theyeat冰糖葫芦（candiedhawsonastick）.Whereaswesternersgotomoteleathamburger.

Peoplefromdifferentcultureshavedifferentvalues.Sometimes,thedifferencescausemisunderstandings.Peopleshouldpayattentiontothedifferentvaluesofdifferentcultures.

Culturebackgrounddeterminesaman'snativelanguage.Forexample,ifaChineseinfantisadoptedbyanAmericancouplewholiveinAmerican,heorshewillgrowupspeakingperfectEnglish.

4.Howdoestheperceptionofcommunicationduetoculturaldifferencesaffectinterculturalcommunication?

Culturestronglyinfluencesoursubjectiverealityandtherearedirectlinksamongculture,perception,andbehavior.Therearesomefactorsinculturalbelief,value,andpatternsthatmightinfluencebothperceptionandcommunication.

Firstly,beliefsystemsaresignificanttothestudyofinterculturalcommunication,becausetheyareatthecoreofourthoughtsandactions.Theyareourconvictioninthetruthofsomething.Theytellushowtheworldoperates.Beliefsystemsareimportantbecausetheyarelearnedandhencesubjecttoculturalinterpretationandculturaldiversity.Wemustbeabletorecognizethefactthatcultureshavedifferentrealitiesandbeliefsystems.Beliefsaresuchaninfluentialfactorininterculturalcommunicationbecausetheyaffectourconsciousandunconsciousminds,aswellasthemannerinwhichwecommunicate.

Secondly,oneofthemostimportantfunctionsofbeliefsystemisthattheyarethebasisofourvalue.Formally,avaluemaybedefinedasanenduringbeliefthataspecificmodeofconductofend-stateofexistenceispersonallyofsociallypreferabletoanother.Anawarenessofculturalvaluealsohelpsusunderstandourownbehavior.Thus,valueisanotherveryimportantfactortoaffectinterculturalcommunication.

Thirdly,culturalpatternscanaffectinterculturalcommunication;cultureisextremelycomplexandconsistsofnumerousinterrelatedculturalorientationsbesidesbeliefsandvalue.Culturalpatternsrefertoboththeconditionsthatcontributetothewayinwhichapersonperceivesandthinksabouttheworld,andthemannerinwhichtheyliveinthatworld.

Thesethreefactorsmakepeoplehavedifferentculture,andalsoaffectboththeperceptionandcommunication.

5.Howdoyouunderstandaboutglobalization?

Whatfactorsmayleadtothegrowthofglobalization?

Globalization:

Anoverview

Nowpeoplefromallovertheworldaremoreconnectedtoeachotherthaneverbefore.Informationandmoneyflowmorequicklythanever.Goodsandservicesproducedinonepartoftheworldareincreasinglyavailableinallpartsoftheworld.Internationaltravelismorefrequent.Internationalcommunicationiscommonplace.Thisphenomenoniscalled“globalization”.

Globalizationdescribesthepolitical,economic,andculturalatmosphereoftoday.

Whilesomepeoplethinkofglobalizationasprimarilyasynonymforglobalbusiness,itismuchmorethanthat.Thesameforcesthatallowbusinessestooperateasifnationalbordersdidnotexistalsoallowsocialactivists,labororganizers,journalists,academics,andmanyotherstoworkonaglobalstage.

Whilecomingupwithadefinitionisdifficult,anevengreaterchallengeisdecidingwhetherglobalizationisagoodthingorabadthing.Globalizationismuchlikefire.Fireitselfisneithergoodnorbad.Globalizationcanbeincrediblyempoweringandincrediblycoercive.Itcandemocratizeopportunityanddemocratizepanic.Itmakesthewhalesbiggerandtheminnowsstronger.Itleavesyoubehindfasterandfaster,anditcatchesuptoyoufasterandfaster.Whileitishomogenizingcultures,itisalsoenablingpeopletosharetheiruniqueindividualityfartherandwider.

Globalizationwillalwayshavecheerleaderswhoareblindtothedestructionglobalizationcancause.Anditwillalwayshavestridentopponentsblindtothewayglobalizationgivessomepeopletheirfirstopportunitytofulfillbasicaspirations.

Somefactorscontributingtoglobalization

ThecurrenteraofglobalizationbeganshortlyaftertheendofWorldWarIIwiththevictoriouswesternpowerssupportingaworldwide“open”tradeandinvestmentpolicy（YanMing,2006）.

1.Newtechnology

Technologyisonereasonfortheglobalizationphenomenon.Computers,whichhaveeasedtelecommunicationburdens,arecheapernowthantheyhaveeverbeen—andmorepowerful,too.Newtechnologywillleadtoevenfurtherglobalbusinessintegration,astheinternetbecomesmoreacceptedasabusinessmediumworldwide.

2.Openmarket

Thosewhoarguethatglobalizationisagoodthingsaycompaniesdealingontheworldstagewilleventuallybecomemuchmoreefficientastheybenefitfromlargeeconomiesofscale.Productivitywillbeboostedandlivingstandardseverywherehavethepotentialtoriseastheworldbecomesricherandmoreprosperousbecauseofglobalization.

3.Overseasjobopportunities

Globalizationcreatesmorejobsthanitactuallydestroys,buttheyareindifferentsectorsandindifferentgeographicregions.Ittakesmoreskill,educationandmobilitytobeemployable.ThejobslostinEuropeandNorthAmericaoverthedecadeshavegenerallybeenthoserequiringrelativelyuneducatedworkers.Indeed,wagedifferencesbetweentheskilledandunskilledwilllikelyincrease.Bothsidescanpointtoampleexamplestosupporttheircases.Whatisirrefutableisthattheworldecono