BEYOND LANGUAGE

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION FOR ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

Deena R. Levine Mara B. Adelman

AMERICAN LANGUAGE INSTITUTE SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY

Introductions

PROFESSOR. Mr. Lustig, I would like to introduce you to Dr. Johns, director of the language institute. Dr. Johns, this is Mr. Lustig, the academic adviser from Barnum College.

MR. LUSTIG. How do you do, Dr. Johns?

DR. JOHNS. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lustig. I'm glad that we finally have the occasion to meet.

* * *

FRIEND. I'd like you to meet my friend, Nancy Pipkin. Nancy, this is my brother, Jack.

NANCY. Hi, Jack. Nice to meet you.

JACK. Hi, Nancy.

* * *

FRIEND. Hi, George, have you met Bill? GEORGE. No, I haven't. Hi, Bill.

BILL. Hi! How ya doing?

Varieties of Introductions

[A]

What do you notice about the above three introductions? Why is the style of language in all three different? These introductions exempify ltypical American introductions which range from formal to informal.Although Americans tend to use informal language as illustrated in thesecond and third introductions, there are situations where formal introductions are appropriate.

When meeting a president of a university, it is advisable to say, "How do you do?" rather than "How ya doing?" Like-wise, someone, who is your age or younger would probably say, "It's nice to meet you" rather than "How do you do?"

[B]

In the first introduction the speakers use longer sentences, titles (Dr., Mr.), and formal words and phrases ("I would like to introduce you to ... ," "How do you do?" and "It's a pleasure to meet you").

The relationship between the speakers in the first introduction is a formal one. The next two introductions, which are more informal, use reduced. words and sentences and simpler language. "It's nice to meet you" becomes "Nice to meet you." "How are you doing?" becomes "How ya doing?" A very informal introduction does not use titles or last names.

Use of Titles in Introductions

[C]

Often when there is a difference in status or age between two indi-viduals, formal titles and last names are used unless the person of lower status is told to use the first name. For example:

ACCOUNTANT (age 50). Hello, my name is Bob Thomas.

STUDENT (age 20). It's nice to meet you, Mr. Thomas.

ACCOUNTANT. Please, just call me Bob.

In informal introductions there is a tendency to reduce status differences by using first names. In more formal situations, the title along with the last name is appropriate.

For example, when a student introduces herself to a university professor, she might say:

SUSAN (student). Hello, Dr. McCarrick. My name is Susan Hall and I would like to ask you about your course.

Susan used her professor's title (Dr.) and his last name, whereas when she introduced herself, she used her first name and last name and no title. (Some professors prefer an informal apport with students and allow them to use first names both in and out of the classroom.)

Eye Contact and Handshaking in Introductions

[D]

Direct eye contact and firm handshakes during introductions are customary in the United States. In introductions as well as in general conversations, speakers maintain frequent eye contact. Most people become nervous if frequent eye contact turns into staing. When shaking hands, people shake firmly and briefly. The expression, "He shakes hands like a dead fish" refers to a limp handshake, a sign in the American culture of a weak character. Prolonged handshaking is not usual.

[E]

Problems can arise when these customs are unfamiliar to foreign visitors. One foreign student remarked, "I'm beginning to think that there's something wrong with me. I have the impression that people in the United States don't like me. When I shake hands with them, they always pull their hands away quickly." Is his impression correct or is he misinterpreting a cultural ritual? American visitors sometimes pull their hands away too quickly in countries where prolonged handshaking is common.

'Small Talk" After Introductions

[F]

Immediately after introductions are made, there is usually a periodof time in which impersonal or trivial subjects are discussed. This type of conversation, called "small talk," is important because it often helps to maintain conversations and it can lead into interesting discussions.

Usually speakers initiate small talk with such questions as:

"Do you live in this area?",

"How do you like living here?"

or "What are you studying?"

It is also common for people to ask, "What do you do?" which means "What is your job?" but it is uncommon and considered impolite to ask, "How much money do you make?" or "How much does your house cost?" Other questions such as: "Are you married?" or "How old are you?" (to an adult) are generally considered too personal for initial meetings.

[G]

In an introductory meeting, maintaining a conversation is easier when two people find that they have something in common. In the following dialogue, small talk takes place until the speakers discover that they share the same experience.

SUE. It's nice to meet you. My friend told me about you. Have you lived in Seattle

long?

MARK. No, only three months. How about you?

SUE. I moved here three years ago from California.

MARK. Oh really! I'm from California too. Where did you live in California?

SUE. In Gilroy, not far from San Jose.

MARK. This is really coincidence. I'm from Gilroy, too! I like telling people I'm from the garlic capital of the world. Did you usually go to the summer garlic festival?

SUE. I used to go every summer. How about you?

MARK. I went to most of them. I thought the one in 1980 was great. Did you go to that one?

In this conversation, Sue and Mark asked each other small talk questions before they found that they had a common background. Once they discovered this, the conversation flowed easily.

Cultural Variations in Introductions

[H]

Styles of introductions, including initial conversations and nonverbal rituals, vary among individuals and situations. The introduction of a university president to a new professor is considerably more formal than that of two people of the same status in a social situation. At a business meeting, an introduction is likely to be more formal than one made at a party.

In addition, styles of introductions vary from country to country. Bowing to show respect is customary in parts of the Far East. In the Western Hemisphere and in other parts of the world shaking hands is the common practice. Putting the palm of the hand to the heart is traditional in North Africa. Despite the cultural variations, the purpose of all introductions is always the same to provide an opportunity for people to get to know each other.

Verbal Patterns

[A]

Have you noticed how often Americans use the expression "thank you"? A customer, after paying $100 for a meal in a restaurant, says "thank you" to the person who hands him the bill. In response to "I like the color of your car," an American might answer "thank you." In both of these cases no great favo or compliment was extended, yet "thank you" was the automatic response.

[B]

When you listen to people speak a foreign language that you under stand, have you noticed that the native speakers of that language use words and phrases in a manner different from what you are used to?

In American English, for example, people say "thank you" frequently. A word for "thank you" exists in almost every language, but how and when it is used is not always the same. In your language, do you thank people for trivial as well as important or unusual favors? For Americans, this expression is used as a polite response to different kinds of favors and compliments, and is often automatic (e.g., "Thanks for calling" to someone on the phone or "Thank you" to a teller in a bank).

Rules and Styes of Speaking

[C]

In language there are tacit rules of speaking that, unlike rules of

grammar or spelling, are not usually studied in a formal manner. These unspoken "rules" exist in every language but differ significantly from culture to culture. Acquiring a second language demands more than learning new words and another system of grammar. It involves developing sensivity it to aspects of language that are usually not taught in language textbooks. Some important rules include permissible degrees of directness in speech and forms of politeness used in daily conversation.

Direcness in American English

[D]

Compared with other languages, American English strongly emphasizes directness in verbal interaction. Many expressions exemplify this tendency: "Don't beat around the bush," "Let's get down to business," and "Get to the point" all indicate impatience with avoiding issues. If a son hesitates telling his father that he received a bad grade in school, his father might respond angrily with, "Out with it!" or "Speak up!"

[E]

Directness is also seen when information is requested from strangers or from people who are not well known to you. For example, when passing a professor's office a student may say, "Excuse me, I'd like to ask you a couple of questions." Her professor may respond, "Sure, go right ahead. What's the problem?" In this interaction, the student stated herpurpose and the professor responded immediately.

[F]

Offers and responses to offers provide another example of directness

in verbal interaction. At a dinner party it would not be unusual to hear the following conversation:

HOST. Would you like some more dessert?

GUEST. No, thank you. It's delicious, but I've really had enough.

HOST. OK, why don't we leave the table and sit in the living room?

In this conversation between two Americans, the host does not repeat the offer more than once. (Hosts may offer food twice but usually not more than that.) If guests are hungry, they need to say directly, "Yes, I'd like some more, thank you." If they are hungry but say, "No, thank you," out of politeness, they may remain hungry for the rest of the evening. A host will assume that a guest's refusal is honest and direct.

[G]

Of course, there are limits to the degree of directness a person is allowed to express, especially with people of higher status such as teachers and employers.

A male student was surprised at the reaction of his female teacher when he said, "What has happened to you? You look like you gained a lot of weight!"

When the teacher replied, "That's none of your business," he answered in an embarrassed tone, "I was just being honest."

In this case, his honesty and directness were inappropriate and unappreciated because of the teacher-student relationship. (In addition, most Americans do not like being told that they are fat!)

Invitations

[H] A frequently misunderstood area in American verbal interaction is that of extending, accepting, and refusing invitations. The unwritten "rules" are confusing and create misunderstandings even for native speakers. In English someone might say something that sounds like an invitation but that never results in an actual meeting with another per-son. Of course, there are invitations that require definite commitments. Compare these two invitations:

Invitation I:

KATIE. It was nice talking to you. I have to run to class.

DARLENE. OK, maybe we can meet sometime soon.

KATIE. Yeah, love to. Why don't you drop by my house sometime?

DARLENE. Great. Gotta go. See ya soon.

Invitation II:

KATIE. Before you leave for your vacation can we get together and have lunch?

DARLENE. Sure. I'd love to.

KATIE. How about Friday? Say about 12:30 at my place?

DARLENE. That sounds good. See you then.

The first invitation did not result in an appointment and was nothing more than a "polite" expression.

In the second dialogue a genuine invitation was extended because Katie had a definite plan (a lunch date) and a specific date, time, and place in mind (Friday, 12:30).

If Katie had said only, "Drop by," Darlene probably would not have visited Katie.

Speaking and Refraining from Speaking

[I]

Many rules governing speech patterns are learned in childhood and people grow up thinking that everyone has the same rules for speaking. People unconsciously expect others to use the same modes of expression as they do.

For instance, not all languages use silence and interruptions in the same way.

Have you observed the ways people from different cultures use silence?

Have you noticed that some people interrupt conversations more than other people? All cultures do not have the same rules governing these areas of communication.

[J]

Many Americans interpret silence in a conversation to mean disapproval, disagreement, or unsuccessful communication.

They often try to fill silence by saying something even if they have nothing to say! On the other hand, Americans don't appreciate a person who dominates a conversation.Knowing when to take turns in conversation in another language can sometimes cause difficulty.

Should you wait until someone has finished a sentence before contributing to a discussion, or can you break into the middle of someone's sentence? Interrupting someone who is speaking is considered rude in the United States. Even children are are taught explicitly not to interrupt.

Differen Ways of Expressing Common Needs

[K]

Individuals in every culture have similar basic needs but express them differently. In daily life we all initiate conversation, use formal and informal speech, give praise, express disagreement, seek information, and extend invitations. Some of the verbal patterns we use are influenced by our culture. Whereas directness in speech is common in the United States, indirectness is the rule in parts of the Far East.

Thus people from both of these parts of the world would probably express criticism of others differently. In parts of the Middle East a host is expected to offer food several times but in the United States he may make an offer only once or twice. The different modes of expression represent variations on the same theme. Each language reflects and creates cultural attitudes; each has a unique way of expressing human need.