inglese appunti

CEFR- B1,B2, etc…

Positive politeness; showing interest in a person’s well being; sharing experiences and concerns;

expressing admiration, affection and gratitude; offering gifts, hospitality, promising future favors.

Negative politeness

Not to be confused with “impoliteness”. Being aware you may be causing offence/discomfort to

other person and apologizing:

I hope you don’t mind me asking but…

 I know it’s late but do you have a few moments…



Using “hedging” expressions such as or tag or negative questions

I think You’re…aren’t you? Don’t

in case there is disagreement.

you think?...

Speaker A: You like in a city in Argentina. A new neighbor has moved into the area from another

country, and you want to be friendly. Invite you new neighbor to a traditional south America

barbecue, with lots of great local beef!

Speaker B: You have just arrived in Argentina from another country. You are settling in, but the

diet is difficult. For health reasons, you don’t eat meat.

Speaker A: You and your family live in a large block of flats. You have two children in their late

teens. Last week, you and your husband/wife went away on holiday for few days, leaving your kids

at home.

Speaker B: You have just moved into a large block of flats. You have a new job, and you’re working

hard. Unfortunately, you neighbor is having lots of parties at night. The music is so laud that you

cannot sleep. Go to your neighbor and complain about the noise.

Situation

An American and a Chinese professor of English are attending a conference. At the opening

reception, the American professor notices the Chinese professor is standing alone and looks lonely.

The American decides to say “hello”.

American professor: Good evening. May I introduce myself? I’m Professor Joe William from UCLA.

Chinese professor: Good evening. My name’s Xao Zheng.

American professor: I’m delighted to meet you, Professor Zheng. Have you travelled far to the

conference?

Chinese professor: Yes, I’ve travelled from Shanghai.

American professor: Hi there, how’re you doing? I’m Joe Williams from UCLA.

Chinese professor: Hello. My name’s Xao Zheng.

American professor: Pleased to meet you, Xao. Where are you from? Beijing?

Chinese professor: No, I’m from Shanghai.

Conversational contract

Depends on complex mix of:

Identity, role and relationship

 Situation

 Culture



Unlikely (?) costumer service conversation

Yes, what do you want? Give me the old one. Damaged,

I want a new SIM card. Here. Check it.

maybe, who knows. Just wait – computer’s busy at the moment.

Give me a new one then. No, I’m

Well come back later then.

in a hurry. No way.

Directness and indirectness

-Go home!

How could you say that in different ways?

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The key role of modality in intercultural communication.

1. It’s necessary to take action.

2. It’s not necessary to take action.

3. It would be a good idea to take action.

4. It isn’t possible for us to take action.

5. It’s possible we will take action.

6. It would have been a good idea to take action.

7. It wasn’t a good idea to take action, but we did.

8. It was possible for us to take action, but we didn’t.

9. It wasn’t necessary to take action, so we didn’t.

10. It wasn’t necessary to take action, but we did.

The tact maxim

“Minimize cost to hearer, and […] maximize the benefit to hearer. It means, for example, that in

proposing some action, the speaker should bias the illocution towards a positive outcome by

no”.

restricting the hearer’s opportunity of saying

Keeping options open:

Being polite, co-operative.

 (where conflict possible)

Tentative.



Limiting options:

Being authoritative and directive.



Would/could:

Conditional

 -Would you like to…?

-Would you like me to…?

-I would be happy to…

-Wouldn’t it be better to…

Must/should/ought to:

Duty/advice:

 -I should be going

-You should see…

-You should try…

-You ought to take an umbrella.

Cushioning

Send the article. Send the article, please.Can you send the article, please?Could you send the

article, do you think? Do you think you send the article? I wonder if you send the

could could

article. you mind sending the article, because I’m afraid.. I was wondering if you

Would could

send the article, if that’s not inconvenient? I was wondering if you possibly send the article

could

if it’s not too much trouble? (Hermione in

“Professor, I was wondering if you could tell us about the Chamber of Secrets.”

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 2002)

Beppe Servegnini

Notes British orientation for indirect communication:

In a restaurant in Bristol, for example, it’s totally unacceptable to literally translate the type of

conversation that you might have in a restaurant in Bologna. If you say I want to change my table,

staring right into the waiter’s eyes, you will convince everyone present that you are a public danger

to society.

The best approach is to say I’m afraid this table isn’t too convenient.

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MODULE 2 LESSON 3

MISUNDERSTANDINGS

A lot of intercultural communication is

Pleasant and trouble-free (luckily).

But sometimes… an example.

Hillary Clinton on a trip to Africa 2009: Congolese student asks Hilary Clinton about Chinese and

World Bank involvement in Republic of Congo.

(he asked through an interpreter)

“What does Mr. Clinton think about it?”

Hillary: “You want me to tell you about what my husband thinks? My husband isn’t Secretary of

State, I’m. You asked my opinion, I will tell you my opinion. I’m not going to be channeling my

husband.”

Student later…

“I meant, Barak Obama!”

Define “misunderstanding”

Mauranen (2006): misunderstanding is a potential breakdown point in conversation or at least some

kind of communicative turbulence.

Why do we misunderstand each other?

Lack of language knowledge, often lexically based.

Pragmatic “mismatch”. There’s a studio behind here…

(meaning of words used) and (what is intended by speaker).

Locutionary act illocutionary act

“Oh, is it nice?” – “Ok, I’ll keep the noise down.”

Example 1 of pragmatic mismatch: inappropriate transfer.

A: Is it a good restaurant?

B: Of course.

For B: O courseYes, indeed it is.

For A: What a stupid question…

Impact of first language on use of second language.

Example 2: mismatch in how something is said.

-Gravy? Gravy!

Gumperz pointed out that the rising intonation versus falling intonation made it a very difficult

statement, even though the word was the same. So rising intonation sounded like “Would you like

and falling intonation sounded like

gravy?” “This in gravy. Take it or leave it.”

Example 3: mismatch in “schemas”

What are “schemas”? accumulated knowledge and experience of familiar situations. Often

culturally-specific. Used to make sense of situation and guide behavior.

Factual and/or conceptual schemas

You’re paying for your goods at the checkout in a UK supermarket. You hand over your debit card-

what would you expect the cashier to say? What does it mean? How do you

“Any cash back?”

respond?

Misunderstanding, like accidents, will always happen…

So what can I do to reduce them in intercultural context?

Something practical

Metacommunication. Communicating and communication. Anything that supports the acual

What?

verb communication.

Never heard it

But you’re using it all the time: please ask me any questions at the end; I’m talking to you as a

friend; don’t use that kind of language in front of your grandparents; I was only joking; I’m asking

that because…; let’s be open with each other; when said you weren’t happy what were you

referring to?; I notice you mentioned that…

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Why is it useful?

It helps you understand what’s going on. Transparency and openness in communication. May be

useful for dealing with misunderstandings. May mean you avoid saying/doing the wrong thing or

expressing it in inappropriate way.

Need to use metacommunication carefully and effectively…

in Arab/Asian countries, will cause

Why is it you always use your right hand for eating?...

embarrassment. When I asked the others about their family I notice they were uncomfortable, was

will probably not cause embarrassment.

there any reason for that?...

Also useful

Confirmation checks: was my question clear? Did I understand that correctly?

Self-repair; rephrasing or elaborating own speech: “No, what I really meant to say was…” “Maybe

that’s a bit strong, perhaps XXX is a better word.”

Repair- example

Student: I’d love to like in Helsinki, because it has everything and it’s so much nicer to like there.

Teacher: Well, the grass is always greener on the other side.

Student: What grass? Where?

Teacher: Well, it’s an expression meaning that things always seem better somewhere else, like a

place you cannot go.

Accommodation

Adjusting your speech to the listener’s need. This is not the best way to do it. by

Foreigner talk

native speakers - patronizing over accommodation. Can be used by non-native speakers in ELF



contexts.

An example of accommodation

I was a little bit concerned about the way you dealt with the problem, because I think your approach

was a little bit over the top in terms of making people feel somewhat awkward.

Do you think you approached the problem in the best way?

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MODULE 2 LESSON 4

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

What is the difference between hearing and listening?

Hearing is a reflex, one of the senses. It’s possible to hear without listening.

Listening is a conscious act, can be improved, as with any skill.

Why listen?

To get useful information.

 To understand someone’s values and attitudes.

 To provide emotional support to someone.

 To build rapport and create a positive impression.

 To check their competence/expertise in a particular area.



“Those who know do not talk. Those who talk do not know.” Lao Tsu, Tao Te Ching.

Listening stiles, which is yours?

I listen in silence. I just concentrate on understanding the other person.

I like to make comments as I listen, like or to show interest in what the speaker is

interesting really?

saying.

I ask a lot of questions when I listen to check I have really understood.

Sometimes I’m not very patient and I interrupt, especially if the speaker is talking and talking and

not really saying anything.

I never interrupt people- it’s rude…

Listening skills

School teaches us to read, write and speak, but rarely focuses on the skill of listening. Listening

skills are key in any relationship. Listening often misunderstood as a passive activity. Better to view

listening an active experience that requires with the speaker.

attentive engagement

Different listening styles

People-focused, listeners-relationship prioritized.

 Information-oriented listeners.

 Results-oriented listeners.



A question of attitude

The speaker is saying something important

 Respecting the speaker’s style of speaking

 Not assuming understanding



Verbal responses

“I etc…

see”, “Yes”, “Interesting”, “Ok”,

 Friendly, informal tone of voice

 Using short statements and questions when appropriate



Non-verbal responses

Suitable facial expressions and natural smile

 Open posture (rather than crossed arms)

 Regular eye contact (but don’t overdo it)

 Appropriate distance (usually arm’s length)



Open-ended responses

Open-ended questions are ones that require more than a or answer,

yes no getting the bigger picture.

Usually start with or

what how:

How do you see things changing?

 What do you think is the problem?

 What do you see as the most important issue?

 What have you thought of?

 I’m wondering…?

 What would you like to do about…?

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Care with questions

Avoid that suggest you know the answer to the question (You don’t really want to

leading questions

do that do you? Are you seriously thinking of doing it that way?).

Avoid that require the speaker justify his or her actions or motives (Why didn’t you

whyquestions

try to solve the problem that way?).

Avoid as that may suggest to the speakers that they are being “interrogated”.

too many questions

Tracking responses and also (a brief pause) encourage people to talk. Increase the length

Clarifying expressions silence

of your pauses to encourage the other person to talk more. Culturally variable: avoid excessively

long periods of silence as that may be interpreted as a lack of interest or attention.

Metalanguage- key to a good listener

Using approach:

keyword

To clarify information you you need that stuff urgently. How urgent is urgent

said before

 exactly?

To clarify feelingsyou you’re upset about it. What’s caused that?

say



Other features of effective listening

Minimize distractions devices…

 Avoid assumptions

 Avoid strong reactions

 Stay focused on other person



Gender and listening

Deborah Tanner: you just don’t understand.

That’s not what I meant.

You just don’t understand…

Deborah Tanner – “genderlects.”

Females engage in “rapport-talk” a communication style meant to promote social affiliation and

emotional connection.

Males engage in “report-talk” communication to give and get information, to affirm their status.

Men and women – intercultural communication

Harry: You realize of course that we could never be friends.

Sally: Why not?

Harry: What I’m saying is- and this is not a come-on in any way, shape or form –is that men and

women can’t be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.

Sally: That’s not true. I have a number of men friends and there is not sex involved.

Harry: No you don’t.

Sally: Yes I do.

Harry: No you don’t.

Sally: Yes I do.

Harry: You only think you do.

Sally: Well, I guess we’re not going to be friends then.

Harry: I guess not Sally.

Sally: That’s too bad. You were the only person I knew in New York .

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MODULE 2 LESSON 5

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Effective speaking in intercultural contexts

“Interactive” approach to communication.

Give your own opinion (briefly), speaking clearly and slowly enough according to the other

person’s language proficiency/knowledge of the topic.

Use language the other person is likely to know and understand easily.

Give the other person a chance to speak; handover by saying: do you see what I mean? Can you see

my point?

Acknowledge what they say and avoid giving negative feedback on their opinions. Yes,but…

Focus on areas of agreement, common ground, polite disagreement where appropriate.

A key element of speaking clearly

Your personal communication style

Fast speaker Slow speaker

Physical Loud Quiet

Energetic Calm

Smiling Serious

Informational Long and complex Short and simple

Direct Indirect

Time-focused Time-relaxed

Psychological Introverted Extroverted

Impersonal Personal

Open Close

Emotional Neutral

Kaplan patterns

discourse

Criticism of Kaplan

Claire Kramsch (2001: 203) observes: “Such characterizations sound dangerously ethnocentric.

They show the difficulty of expressing one culture in terms of another without sounding critical or

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Trompenaars tone of voice

Turn-taking/interrupting

When is it appropriate to enter a conversation while another person is speaking?

a) only when they’ve finished

b) when you’ve got something important to say

c) whenever you like

Cultural differences in discussions

What language do you have available if you want to interrupt a person?

Can I just come in here?

 May I just say something else?

 Could I just make a point?

 Do you mind if I interrupt?



And if you don’t want to be interrupted…

Could I just finish?

 I’ve nearly finished..



Or you want to continue…

As I was saying…

 Coming back to what I was saying about…

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D-I-E

D Describe: collecting information on what we see or hear.

I Interpret: we make a judgment on the meaning of what we see or hear.

E Evaluate: we feel something or have and emotional reaction.

Need to slow down this process when working with other cultures: stop at D phase.

Craig StortiArt of Crossing Cultures on “Flexible thinking”

The ability to interpret situation, problems, practices from from the way other

multiple perspectives,

people see them, is a tremendous benefit.

Flexible thinking model

1. Observe situation carefully.

2. Find out more information.

3. Interpret situation from different perspectives.

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MODULE 3 LESSON 1

DEALING WITH SPECIFIC CULTURES

Bur first.. sum up of module 2

saying right thing

Politeness 

Face schemas, repair, accommodation

Misunderstanding 

Modality (also gender)

Active listening skills

observing, non-judgmental

D-I-E

Council of Europe

Knowledge of the shared values and beliefs held by social groups in other countries and religions,

such as religious beliefs, taboos, assumed common history… are essential for intercultural

communication.

Cultural assumption

You’re meeting a businessman to discuss some work. He’s wearing a dark suit. What could

Scottish

you ask?

Why aren’t you wearing a __________ ?

Kilt?

Remember

Stereotyping and essentializing.

Distinguishing cultures

Is it possible to talk of a European culture? What about a Far Eastern one? What are some important

differences between Japanese, Korean and Chinese cultures? What are the differences between

Welsh and English culture? US and Canadian? Belgian and Dutch? What about sub-cultures?

North/south divisions.

North/south India

Christianity more widespread in southern India.

 Many S. Indians with surnames such as John, Henry, Titus, Aaron, missionary names.

 More followers of Islam in north India.

 6 cultural differences between south and north India that stand out bluntly.

 north Indians are descendants of the Aryan race while the south Indians are

Racial origins:

descendants of Dravidian race. The racial difference is visible in their general appearance:

the north Indians are taller, stronger, fairer and heavily built when compared to the south

Indians. whereas the women in north prefer salwar kameez or chudidaar, in south

Dressing styles:

Sari is the preferred attire, especially after marriage. The half-sari, which is popular in rural

south India, is seldom seen in the north. Every religion has a different style in which women

wear their saris.

Dravidian language is unrelated to languages of other known families like Indo-

Language:

European. The languages spoken by the North Indian people belong to the Indo-Aryan

family which is closely related to modern European languages. Another division seen is that

the North Indian languages are inflectional in nature while the South Indian languages are

agglutinative.

classical music of India can be divided into Hindustani and Carnatic music which

Music:the

originates from north and south respectively.

the dance of north like Kathak has been influenced by the Muslim’s invasion, while

Dance:

the dances of south have maintained their originality.

south Indian food is spicer and hotter than the northern. South consume more rice,

Food:

while north have wheat. North food derive from wheat flour, while in south is common to

mix rice and different lentils. In south they consume more fish and coconut that the north.

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Language group?

Can we group people together by the common language they speak? English-speaking/Spanish-

speaking cultures?

National cultures

Theoretical construct only a potential map.

Preparation

What can you do to prepare for living and studying/working in another country? What things do

you need to find out?

Salutations, form of address; gift-giving; religious beliefs; food, eating habits; attitudes to time;

what to wear, dress; gestures.

Making the best of what’s available

Be wary of validity and accuracy of what you’re reading. Talking to people, checking out what

you’ve read or heard. Can’t prepare for every possible situation.

China

What to expect:

Indirect communication

 Face saving

 High context approach

 Fluid time approach

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MODULE 3 LESSON 2

COUNTRY SPECIFICS FOCUS ON JAPAN



Some basicsHow to distinguish between Japanese and Chinese culture?

1. Know the different languages that belong to either country

2. Be aware of how geography has shaped the two cultures

3. Know the different types of dishes that are native to either China or Japan

4. Know what type of governing body rules the respective nations

5. Know the difference between Chinese holidays and Japanese holidays and how they’re

celebrated

6. Learn the difference between Chinese name and Japanese names

7. Know the different religions that are practiced in China and Japan

Working in Japan

-Japan’s culture According to

values achievement, money making, assertiveness and competition.

this information, Japan’s culture is:

a.masculineb.collectivisticc.individualisticd.femininee.short-term oriented

-In countries such as Mexico and Japan, people address one another with titles such as Señor Smith

or Smith-san. Which of the following cultural dimensions best explains this behavior?

a.individualismb.short-therm orientation c.high uncertainty avoidance d.femininitye.high power

distance

Good to know

in Japan customary and expected that that two people bow a greeting and a goodbye to one

Bowing:

other. before beginning a meal, it is polite to say itadokimaso, which is translated to

Dinner etiquette:

mean I humbly receive.

whether it’s a waiter, a taxi driver or a bartender, tipping not expected.

Tipping:

Taking off shoes. eating in public or talking on the phone is considered extremely rude in Japanese

Public behavior:

culture. Blowing your nose in public is also extremely offensive.

Below surface

Shared values

Some commonly stated or observed core values are:

Thinking of others

 Doing your best

 Not giving up

 Respecting your elders

 Knowing your role and working in a group.



Japanese values reflected in phrases used in daily interactions, aimed at smoothing relationships and

acknowledging presence of others.

When entering in a store, restaurant, back or post office, the entire staff welcomes you with

and say when you leave.

irasshai-mase arigatoogozaimasu

High context – hall

Primarily use non-verbal methods to relay meaningful information in conversations, such as facial

expressions, eye movement and tone of voice. Situation, people and non-verbal elements are more

important than the actual words communicated. Preferred way of solving problems and learning is

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Face Turning down request may cause embarrassment and loss of face to the

Crucial in Japanese society.

other person. If request cannot be agreed to, people may say, or

it’s inconvenient it’s under

Face associated with personal dignity and status with respect to one’s peers.

consideration.

Essential to not cause loss of face so be wary of: openly criticizing, insulting or putting someone in

a difficult situation.

Another key rule

Harmony in Japanese society.

Guiding philosophy for many Japanese in family and business settings and in society as a

 whole.

Emphasis on the interdependence of all people in Japanese educational system.

 Japanese children are not raised to be but rather to work together.

independent,

 Emphasis on politeness, personal responsibility and working together for the universal,

 rather than the individual good.

facts are presented in a gentle and indirect fashion.

Disagreeable

 Working in harmony crucial ingredient for working productively.

 

Reported differences between Japanese and American students

Differences in learning styles between the two cultures:

- In American culture: active initiation of discussion and spontaneous and detailed comments

are encouraged. (samovar and Porter, 2001)

- In Japanese culture: attentive listening and brief comments after contemplation are expected.

(Kindaichi, 1988)

A practical example of high context communication – Wakimae (honorifics)

Three levels of communication: whether or not to say something, who speaks, when and where they

1. Meta communication

speak, how to take turns.

the territory of information, who knows what, who knows the most, use

2. Meta pragmatics

of modals and similar, to specify source of information: also

it’s alleged… it may be that…;

the formality of the situation, relationship between the speakers.

speakers say the actual propositional content.7

3. Propositional communication

Wakimae

Key feature of Japanese culture, not an optional; an alternative to face.

Ide (1992): “speaking within the confines of Wakimae isn’t an act of expressing the speaker’s

intention, but rather of complying with socially expected norms the speaker’s attention is paid not

to what he/she intends to express, but rather to what is expected of him/her by social norms.”

Translation? the ability to see and understand people, things or situations clearly

Discernment 

and intelligently.

A Japanese seminar

Ide: “students keep listening to the professor speaking, sometimes nodding but not uttering any

sound until the professor yields the floor to the students. Given the floor, the students speak,

observing what to say and how to say it, they speak within the constraints of the allowed topic.

(1992, pg. 300)

There is less spontaneity allowed to the students that the professor.”

The Japanese students’ perspectives in the US

Several of my classmates and I spent much time organizing our opinion. Then the teacher said: “if

you don’t discuss your ideas, there is no point in attending this class. Please go home.”

Gender role in Japan

Common Japanese proverbgood wife, wise mother.

Still common social belief that it’s in the woman’s, her children’s and society’s best interest for her

to stay home and devote herself to her children.

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But cultural change well underway…

Japanese women are joining the labor force in large numbers. Around 50% of the workforce is

comprised of women. One important change: married women have begun to participate in the

workforce.

On Gung Ho

This is such a splendid piece of work and maybe the best movie of Michael Keaton. At the time in

Europe and America, the prejudice to Japan had been still filled. So, in this movie, portrait of the

But, recently, many people in

Japanese are very strange and very different from the real Japanese.

the world respect and adore Japan and Japanese culture. This is really ironical.

Lost in translation

“Bob and Charlotte suffer a bit of white privilege, or at least as the film shows it. They struggle a

bit withJapanese culture and feel like massive outsiders. This really changes how they feel about

the place and how they feel about themselves. It’s not often to we see a film about white Westerners

feeling displaced, so this is something quite unique and valuable about what the film achieves.”

is a term for societal privileges that benefit white people in western countries

White privilege

beyond what is commonly experienced by non-white people under the same social, political or

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