跨文化交际常见问题

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1.Whatarethereasonswhichmightcontributetoanincreaofinterculturalcontactsintheworld?
Nowadays,theincreasingtrendofinterculturalcontactscanbeascribedtofourmainfactors:theadvancementoftechnology,immigration,economicglobalizationandtheemergenceofmulticulturalism.
A.Withthedevelopmentoftechnology,thetransportationsystemsandcommunicationsystemshavewitnesdgreatadvancement.Tripsoncetakingdaysarenowmeasuredinhours,makingitpossibleforpeopletogotoanywhereoftheworldinoneday,andthusspeedingupinterculturalcontact.Moreover,theadvancedcommunicationtechnologies,suchasInternet,mobilephonesandcableTVtransmissionequipment,havegivepeopleaccesstosharingandexchanginginformationandideasinstantaneously.
B.Changesinpopulationmigrationhavealsocontributedtothedevelopmentofincreasinginterculturalcontact.Pursuingabetterjoborendeavoringforabetterlife,peoplefromallovertheworldleavetheircountrywhilebringingtheirownculture,habits,languageandsoontotheother.
C.Economicglobalizationisanotherfactorforincreasinginterculturalcontacts.Withtheacceleratedtrendofeconomicglobalization,theworldwelivedinismoreandmoreinterdependentandinterrelated.Andeachcountry’conomyistiedtotheeconomyofothercountries.Therefore,theinterculturalcontactsbetweenregions,countriesandcontinentsareinevitablyincread.
D.Multiculturalismistheviewthatthevariousculturesinasocietymeritequalrespectandscholarlyinterest,describingthecoexistenceofmanyculturesinalocality,withoutanyoneculturedominatingtheregion.Therefore,withtheincreasingofthetrendsofmulticulturalism,thecommunicationsbetweenregionsandcultureswillinevitablystrengthenedandincread.
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2.Whatarecharacteristicofcommunicationandculturecommontoallhumanbeings?
Althoughcommunicationsaredifferentfromoneanotherintheirformsandnorms,allcommunicationsystemsaroundtheworldsharecertaincharacteristics.
A.Indirect:onecharacteristicofcommunicationisthatpeoplecanonlyobtainmessagesfromother’swordsandbehaviorsinsteadofobtainingfromthemindofothers.
B.Interactive:Communicationtakesplacebetweenatleasttwoindividuals,andeachoneinacommunicationprocesswillaffectorbeaffectedbytheother’swordsorbehaviors,andasaconquence,he/shewillimmediatelymodifyoralterhis/herresponitherinwords,tones,gestures,andsoon.
C.Dynamic:asallcommunicationprocessandtheirconquencesareaffectedbythespecifictime,place,occasionandthenumberofpeoplewiththeirparticularrules,values,customs,andsoon,thecommunicationcanbeperceivedasanongoingandever-changingactivity.
D.Self-reflective:ashumanbeingshaveauniqueabilitytothinkaboutthemlves,towatchhowtheydefinetheworld,andtoreflectontheirpast,prent,andfuture,allformsofcommunicationwillinevitablyinvolveandenhancethiskindofactivity,andthundoweditlfthelf-reflectivenature.
Cultures,likecommunication,varyaccordingtodifferenthistory,geography,religionandworldviews,buttheystillsharecertainfeatures.
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A.Invisible:aswerefertoacertainculture,weoftenmeantheworldviews,perceptions,values,attitudesandpreferencebeneathallthephenomenainthatculture,whichareallintangibleobjecttohumanbeings.
B.Learned:cultureisnotaprocessionthatweinheritedfromoutparentsorforefathers,butisgraduallyacquiredafterbirthbytheinfluenceofthetraditionalpatternsandstandardsinthecommunityweliving.
C.Ethnocentric:Eachculturehasitsreligion,mythandlegendswhichconvinceeverygenerationthattheyarespecial,powerfulandintelligentandarethuscapableofgreatachievements.Suchpridehelpstobindpeopleinasocietytogethertostriveforevergreateraccomplishments.
D.Integrated:Cultureisacomplexandinclusivesysteminwhichallcomponents,suchasvalues,norms,perceptionsandrules,areinterrelated.Andanychangeinoneaspectoftheculturewillaffectmanyotheraspects.
3.Howarecultureandlanguagerelatedtoeachother?
A.Languageisaguidetosocialreality.Languagedoesnotmerelyrvetoallowustodescribewhatweeasreality,butlanguagealsoshapesthewayweethisreality.
B.Languagecanrecordculture
Languagecanrecordthedevelopmentofasociety.Peoplecanlearncultureleftbehindbytheirancestorsthroughlanguage,andleavetheirculturetodescendantsthroughlanguage.Forexample,ifwewanttoknowtheChineculture1000yearsago,wecanrearchtherecordsofthattime.Thereforethroughlanguage,civilizationpassoverfromgenerationtogeneration.Thesocietywillthenmakeprogressstepbystep.
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Infact,wecanknowotherculturesbyreadingbooks.Wedon'tneedtogotogoabroadtoknowaboutculturesofforeigncountries.Languagebringsusconveniencetolearndifferentcultures.
C.Cultureaffectslanguage
Fromthedefinitionofculture,weknowthatcultureincludesgeography,religion,tradition,custom,valueandsoon.Infact,cultureoftenaffectslanguagethroughthem.
Everynationlivesandworksinacertainnaturalenvironment,whichisreflectedbyitslanguage.Peoplefromdifferentregionsmayhavedifferentlanguages.Theyudifferentwords,metaphorstoexpresstheirviewstowardstheirenvironment.
Nearlyeverynationhasitsreligion.Religionisanimportantpartinculture.Manydailyudwordsarefromreligion.Forinstance:Adam'sapple(喉结);myrib(我妻);Judas'skiss(背叛)。
Everyculturehasitsspecificfeatures,whichisreflectedthroughlanguage.Chinepeoplefromsomeregionsareaccustomedtosleepona炕〔aheatablebed〕.Theyeat冰糖葫芦〔candiedhawsonastick〕.Whereaswesternersgotomoteleathamburger.
Peoplefromdifferentcultureshavedifferentvalues.Sometimes,thedifferencescaumisunderstandings.Peopleshouldpayattentiontothedifferentvaluesofdifferentcultures.
Culturebackgrounddeterminesaman'snativelanguage.Forexample,ifaChineinfantisadoptedbyanAmericancouplewholiveinAmerican,heorshewillgrowupspeakingperfectEnglish.
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4.Howdoestheperceptionofcommunicationduetoculturaldifferencesaffectinterculturalcommunication?
Culturestronglyinfluencesoursubjectiverealityandtherearedirectlinksamongculture,perception,andbehavior.Therearesomefactorsinculturalbelief,value,andpatternsthatmightinfluencebothperceptionandcommunication.
Firstly,beliefsystemsaresignificanttothestudyofinterculturalcommunication,becautheyareatthecoreofourthoughtsandactions.Theyareourconvictioninthetruthofsomething.Theytellushowtheworldoperates.Beliefsystemsareimportantbecautheyarelearnedandhencesubjecttoculturalinterpretationandculturaldiversity.Wemustbeabletorecognizethefactthatcultureshavedifferentrealitiesandbeliefsystems.Beliefsaresuchaninfluentialfactorininterculturalcommunicationbecautheyaffectourconsciousandunconsciousminds,aswellasthemannerinwhichwecommunicate.
Secondly,oneofthemostimportantfunctionsofbeliefsystemisthattheyarethebasisofourvalue.Formally,avaluemaybedefinedasanenduringbeliefthataspecificmodeofconductofend-stateofexistenceispersonallyofsociallypreferabletoanother.Anawarenessofculturalvaluealsohelpsusunderstandourownbehavior.Thus,valueisanotherveryimportantfactortoaffectinterculturalcommunication.
Thirdly,culturalpatternscanaffectinterculturalcommunication;cultureixtremelycomplexandconsistsofnumerousinterrelatedculturalorientationsbesidesbeliefsandvalue.
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Culturalpatternsrefertoboththeconditionsthatcontributetothewayinwhichapersonperceivesandthinksabouttheworld,andthemannerinwhichtheyliveinthatworld.
Thethreefactorsmakepeoplehavedifferentculture,andalsoaffectboththeperceptionandcommunication.
5.Howdoyouunderstandaboutglobalization?Whatfactorsmayleadtothegrowthofglobalization?
Globalization:Anoverview
Nowpeoplefromallovertheworldaremoreconnectedtoeachotherthaneverbefore.Informationandmoneyflowmorequicklythanever.Goodsandrvicesproducedinonepartoftheworldareincreasinglyavailableinallpartsoftheworld.Internationaltravelismorefrequent.Internationalcommunicationiscommonplace.Thisphenomenoniscalled“globalization〞.
Globalizationdescribesthepolitical,economic,andculturalatmosphereoftoday.
Whilesomepeoplethinkofglobalizationasprimarilyasynonymforglobalbusiness,itismuchmorethanthat.Thesameforcesthatallowbusinesstooperateasifnationalbordersdidnotexistalsoallowsocialactivists,labororganizers,journalists,academics,andmanyotherstoworkonaglobalstage.
Whilecomingupwithadefinitionisdifficult,anevengreaterchallengeisdecidingwhetherglobalizationisagoodthingorabadthing.Globalizationismuchlikefire.Fireitlfisneithergoodnorbad.Globalizationcanbeincrediblyempoweringandincrediblycoercive.Itcandemocratizeopportunityanddemocratizepanic.Itmakesthewhalesbiggerandtheminnowsstronger.Itleavesyoubehindfasterandfaster,anditcatchesuptoyoufasterandfaster.Whileitishomogenizingcultures,itisalsoenablingpeopletosharetheiruniqueindividualityfartherandwider.
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Globalizationwillalwayshavecheerleaderswhoareblindtothedestructionglobalizationcancau.Anditwillalwayshavestridentopponentsblindtothewayglobalizationgivessomepeopletheirfirstopportunitytofulfillbasicaspirations.
Somefactorscontributingtoglobalization
ThecurrenteraofglobalizationbeganshortlyaftertheendofWorldWarIIwiththevictoriouswesternpowerssupportingaworldwide“open〞tradeandinvestmentpolicy(YanMing,2006).
1.Newtechnology
Technologyisonereasonfortheglobalizationphenomenon.Computers,whichhaveeadtelecommunicationburdens,arecheapernowthantheyhaveeverbeen—andmorepowerful,too.Newtechnologywillleadtoevenfurtherglobalbusinessintegration,astheinternetbecomesmoreacceptedasabusinessmediumworldwide.
2.Openmarket
Thowhoarguethatglobalizationisagoodthingsaycompaniesdealingontheworldstagewilleventuallybecomemuchmoreefficientastheybenefitfromlargeeconomiesofscale.Productivitywillbeboostedandlivingstandardverywherehavethepotentialtoriastheworldbecomesricherandmoreprosperousbecauofglobalization.
3.Overasjobopportunities
Globalizationcreatesmorejobsthanitactuallydestroys,buttheyareindifferentctorsandindifferentgeographicregions.Ittakesmoreskill,educationandmobilitytobeemployable.ThejobslostinEuropeand
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NorthAmericaoverthedecadeshavegenerallybeenthorequiringrelativelyuneducatedworkers.Indeed,wagedifferencesbetweentheskilledandunskilledwilllikelyincrea.Bothsidescanpointtoampleexamplestosupporttheircas.Whatisirrefutableisthattheworldeconomicpieisindeedbigger—anditisbeingsliceddifferentlythanbefore.
PartIIDiscussion
1.Explainthisstatementandgiveexamplesofit“Peoplearealike,andpeoplearedifferent〞
Thesimilaritiesofhumans:Allhumansaroundtheworldarelikeeveryotherhumanbeing.Ourcommonalitiesasaspeciesgofarbeyondthewaysinwhichweshareideasandinformation.Weareidenticalinnumerousphysiologicalandchemicalways.Weallhaveaheart,lungs,brain,andthelike.Wearealsoliterallymadeofthesamecomponents:water,salt,bloodandsoon.Moreover,emotionslikelf-respect,admiration,vanity,andsoonarecommontoallcultures.Taketheconceptoflf-respectforexample.InWesternculture,wemaysayego;andinChina,wemaysayface-saving,machoinMexico,andprideinJapan.Thepointis,suchfeelingvokedverymuchthesame.
Differencesofhumanbeings:sincethecreationoftheworldthereneverweretwocaxactlyparallelandeventhepeople.Ourexperienceoftheworldisbothinternalandunique,thereforeweeachrespontotheworlddifferently.Culture,aswellasindividual,differenceskeepusapart.Althoughthephilosophicalissuesofdeath,isolation,freechoice,andmeaningconfronteveryone,ourresolutionsforeachissuehavetheirrootsdeepinculture.Forexample,Hinduismtellsitsmembersthattheywillbereincarnatedwhentheydie.InIslam,deathmovespeopleintoheavenorhell,dependingonhowtheylived.
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(Inaword,itisinappropriatetosaythatwearemorealikeorwearemoredifferent,becaupeoplearemorealikethantheyaredifferent.Oursocietyisdynamic,wewanttoliveandhavetoadapttoourdynamicsociety.Theeconomicdevelopmentlevel,politicalsystemandeducationalidealsaredifferentindifferentperiodssothatwehavecommonideasandconceptsinsometimebutinothertimesmaynot.Allofthewillhaveinfluenceonourvalues,thought,andcommunication.Therefore,itisalwaysthethemethatasuccessfulinterculturalcommunicatorappreciatessimilaritiesandacceptsdifferences.)
2.Doyoualwaysagreewithpeoplethatknowingaboutthecorrectchoiceofgrammarandvocabularyofalanguagecanensureasuccessfulcommunicationbetweenanativeandnon-nativespeakerofthatlanguage?
Weliveinanincreasin