Lesson 3  When Cultures Meet

（Maintaining a conversation）

Step 1 Graphics interpretation (When East Meets West)

I accidentally came across some very interesting graphics on the Internet showing how Eastern culture differs from Western culture. These graphics are disigned by an artist called Liu Yang. She was born in 1979 in Beijing, China. At the age of 13, Liu Yang was taken to Germany and lives there since. She established Yang Liu Design institute in Berlin in 2004.

For more information, visit her website www.yangliudesign.com.

All graphics used in class are copied from this website:

 http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/print.php?id=1748

 

Distribute the graphics to students, one for each pair. Questions:

1.      How do you understand the graphics?

2.      According to the general impression that you get from movies, TV shows, news, and your own communication with Westerners, do you agree with the artist?

3.      If you do, can you think of any examples to inllustrate this?

4.      If not, what do you think is the real situation like?

 

GLOSSARY

collectivism: a term used to describe any moral, political, or social outlook, that emphasizes the interdependence of every human in some collective group and the priority of group goals over individual goals.

individualism: a belief in the importance of the individual and the virtue of self-reliance and personal independence.

community         individual

confidence    pride     humbleness   modesty

straightforward  indirect  direct   intricate  olique

to beat around the bush: be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold imformation.

small circle     punctual   unpunctual

hilarious: marked by or causing boisterous merriment or convulsive laughter.

stereotype: a conventional or formulatic conception or image.

 

Step 2 Reading (How is America different from Britain?)

Read the conversation aloud in pairs:

A: What do you think is the problem between the English and the Americans?

 

B: That's a very interesting question, because both nationalities share a common language and are usually on the same side in war-time, yet they rarely speak well of one another on a personal level.

 

A: Are we talking about a struggle for superiority?

 

B: Yes, but we measure our superiority in different ways. Ours is cultural and historical. We believe we're more civilized. We're the country of Shakespeare and the industrial revolution. Americans visit England in search of culture and history.

 

A: So in what ways are they superior?

 

B: Well, obviously in size. Everything's bigger - their country, their salaries, their roads, their companies. Theirs is the land of MacDonald's, Coca Cola, Microsoft and IBM. They enjoy telling us that they're the best.

 

A: And are they right?

 

B: Yes, if you measure success purely in dollars, but there're two points here. Firstly, many English people actually believe that "Small is Beautiful". They prefer countries where you don't get mugged in parks and subways.

 

A: What's the other point?

 

B: I was coming to that. It's the difference in character. Maybe you think you're the best in the world, but you don't go shouting about it from the rooftops. Americans lack our modesty and reserve. They're probably warmer and more friendly, but they're often very loud and extrovert to go with it.

 

A: So you prefer the British character?

 

B: Not entirely. We tend to be rather oblique in our conversation. When Americans speak, you can take them literally, but when English people speak you have to read between the lines.

 

A: We say one thing and mean another?

 

B: Exactly.

(This conversation is copied from: http://www.btinternet.com/~ted.power/discuss.html)

Discuss with your partner the following questions:

1.      Who do you think are talking?

2.      According to the conversation, how do the Americans differ from British?

3.      According to the general impression that you get from movies, TV, newspapers or from your personal experience, do you agree with B?

4.      Anything interesting that you noticed in the converstion? (Irony)

 

Can you draw some pictures of your own to show the differences between American and British culture?

 

Step 3 Maintaining a conversation

Starting a conversation can be difficult, but keeping it going can often be even harder. What can we do to encourage people to keep talking to us?

Pay attention to the italicized part of the conversation, see what we could do to keep a conversation going.

In general, you should make comments and ask intelligent questions. This shows people that you are interested in what they are talking about, and that you wish to continue the conversation. Some practical ways:

1.      Make brief comments

To show surprise: No! / I don’t believe it!

To show admiration or surprise: Wow!/ Fantastic!

To show great interest in the subject of conversation: That’s incredible/ amazing/unbelievable!

To show sympathy with bad news: How awful/terrible! / What a shame/pity!

2.      Ask brief questions

To show surprise: Really?

When someone asks you how you are: And you?

To encourage someone to tell their story: Did you?

3.      Echo words

Try to identify key words in what the other person has just said about and bounce it back. This is one of the simplest ways of prompting further conversation. However, please do not overuse this technique, as otherwise you might sound a little strange!

 

Limit closed questions

Try to limit the number of questions that simply ask for a yes/no response.

e.g. “Do you like your job?”-answer: “Yes, it’s OK.”

 

Ask open-ended questions

Try to ask questions which require a more considered response from your partner.

Eg. “What do you like most about your job?”

This type of questions gives your contact something to think about. This means that they will probably provide details and examples. These questions can therefore help to keep the conversation going.

 

Further suggestions

Don’t make negative comments.

Be curious.

Allow pauses.

Turn the spotlight on them, not you

Standard questions

 

Step 4 Role play

Situations

1. On your way to the library, an American student asks you the way to the library. You tell him/her to come with you and begin to talk with him. Ask him about his/her life in America and in China.

 

2. In the cafeteria, a Muslim who doesn’t know how to speak Chinese asks you to help him buy some food. After you help him, you sit down together to eat. You are interested in his culture and begin to talk with him.

 

3. You are on a plane to Britain for your further studies. Coincidentally you sit beside a British student who is going home. You start talking with him. You’ve never been to Britain and you are exited and curious to know how to survive in Britain.

 

 

Alternative activity: Testing your cultural awareness.

Read the following scenarios and see if you can identify the problem in each.

1.

George Tailor works as a supervisor for an engineering company in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In the UK he had a reputation for speaking his mind and by doing so getting the best out of his staff. At the current project in Riyadh he supervises 12 British staff and nearly 50 Saudi staff. After a few months George has become increasingly frustrated by what he sees a less than effective Saudi team. Their lack of competence and slow work pace is worrying George. What should he do to try and bring the Saudi staff back into line?

 

A． Publicly reprimand a few of the Saudi staff to ensure the message gets across to them all. By doing so he will also establish who is boss.
    B. Pick one member of the Saudi staff to explain his worries to. This staff member will then be used to relay George's opinions to the rest.
    C.Speak to as many members of staff individually or in small groups, explaining his viewpoint and encouraging them to better their work practice and enthusiasm.
    D. Report them to his manager, a Saudi national, and let him deal with them.

 

2.

Jenny Rains had been assigned to the Paris office of his company. As a graduate in French and someone with a lot of admiration for all things French she was very excited. Upon arriving at the new office Jenny was looking forward to meeting all his new colleagues and getting to know them. While waiting for a meeting to begin she decided to initiate some conversation with another member of staff present, Mr Le Blanc. She introduced herself as Madame Rains and went on to enquire as to whether Mr Le Blanc was married and had children. Monsieur Le Blanc seemed distant and unapproachable. Why?

A.Introducing oneself as Monsieur/Madame if you are a foreigner is considered arrogant in France.
    B. As a new member of staff Jenny should have waited for Mr Le Blanc to approach her.
    C. Asking personal questions in France is considered intrusive.
    D. Chatting before meetings in not considered proper business conduct.

 

3.

Jonathan Manning has been chosen to set up a branch of his engineering consulting firm in Seoul, South Korea. Although the six engineering consultants that would eventually be transferred there were British, Jonathan is interested in hiring locals as support staff. He is particularly keen to hire an accountant. He is offering a great salary with excellent working conditions. He gets some names put forward through contacts he has in Seoul. After meeting with them he is surprised to find all of them turn down his offer. All preferred to stay with their current employers. Why?

 

A. Most Koreans stay with their first employer for the rest of their career out of a sense of loyalty .
    B. Koreans consider it shameful to work for foreigners
    C. Jonathan should not have approached them directly but through a third party.
    D. New firms are seen as risky in Korea, most Koreans prefer to transfer to well established companies.

 

4.

A U.S. golfing equipment manufacturer decided to explore the possibility of entering the Japanese market. They have arranged a meeting with a major Japanese firm to discuss a joint venture. Three representatives of each firm meet up in San Francisco. Following the initial introductions the men sat down at opposite sides of the table. After offering their Japanese guests a drink the U.S. representatives proceeded to take off their jackets and roll up their sleeves as a sign of 'lets get down to business'. The meeting was unsuccessful and the joint venture never took place. What cultural faux pas did the Americans make?

 

A. The seating arrangements came across as distant to the Japanese who like to conduct business in a friendly atmosphere.
    B. The U.S. business men should have also offered the Japanese the chance to take off their jackets.
    C. The removal of jackets was seen as un-businesslike, inappropriate and in breach of professional conduct.
    D. Drinks are always left to after meetings in Japan.

 

5.

Jane and Diana had been working together as teachers in Istanbul, Turkey. It was coming up to the end of their contracts and had decided they wanted to see a bit more of 'real Turkey'. As they got further into the countryside and away from Istanbul they started to feel hostility towards them. On one occasion they stopped at a small coffee house in a village for some refreshments and found themselves the centre of attention. They felt shaken by the numerous stares. Jane and Diane could not understand the difference in attitude between people in Istanbul and those in the countryside.

 

A. There was no hostility - in many parts of the world people tend to stare at something new or unusual. Istanbulis are a lot more cosmopolitan and are used to Western women.
    B.Women are not allowed to leave the house in rural Turkey.
    C. In small villages in Turkey one should always greet the village head before doing anything.
    D. Turks in general are suspicious of strangers and this is amplified in rural locations.

 

6.

Bob de Jonge and his Thai associate, Chaiwat Soonvichai, are walking into a meeting in Bangkok. Chaiwat asks Bob casually, "Do you have the latest marketing portfolio with you?" Bob stops in his tracks and slaps his forehead. "Why on earth didn't you ask me that earlier? Now there's no time to go back and get it". The two continue on and conduct a successful meeting yet a month later Chaiwat leaves the company. What went wrong?

 

A. Chaiwat saw the slapping of the forehead as an insult to his intellect.
B. Chaiwat felt a great loss of face through Bob's reaction and felt compelled to leave the company.
C. Bob should have apologised to Chaiwat after the meeting as the missing portfolio had no negative effect.
D. Bob's reaction was seen as hot-headed and Chaiwat construed that as a bad sign in terms of an employer.

 

7.

Nick Mills had worked hard to become the top sales representative of the IT company he worked for. When the company received an invitation from an Argentinean firm to make a marketing presentation for them, Nick was chosen to go to Buenos Aires. Nick had set up an appointment to make his presentation the afternoon he arrived. Upon arrival he was met by the host firm who told him the presentation was postponed for two days to give Nick a chance to rest and see the sites. Nick insisted he was fit and ready for the presentation and pressed to have it that afternoon. Eventually it was put back to the original slot but Nick noticed that none of the executives at the meeting seemed interested. At the end of the meeting the Vice President suggested they all meet again in two days. Why did Nick get this reaction?

 

A. Argentines are fiercely proud of their culture and heritage and saw Nick's lack of enthusiasm to take in the sights as an insult.
    B. Nick's insistence that it take place that day was seen as over zealous - a trait considered undesirable.
    C. Their initial offer to delay it two days was their way of allowing enough time to get to know Nick. As a virtual 'stranger' none of the executives felt the desire to engage with him

 

 

Answers to Questions

1) Option 3 is the most appropriate. Option 1 would have caused members of staff to lose face in front of their colleagues. This would have caused a lack of respect towards George. Option 2 would have caused resentment among the rest of the staff as they would have perceived George as being guilty of favouritism. Option 4 would have made George look incompetent to both his staff and manager.

2) Option 3. The French do not appreciate personal questions, especially from someone they do not know well.

3) Option 1. The majority of Koreans stay with their first employer out of a sense of loyalty and mutual dependence. Individuals in Korean society gain their identity and sense of importance through the prestige of the group they belong to. As a result, a large proportion of Korean employee's life revolves around the workplace.

4) Option 3. The rolling up of the sleeves was perceived as unprofessional and as a result the US representatives lost respect.

5) Option 1. Staring is common in many cultures where as in the West we perceive it as rude and intrusive.

6) Option 3. Bob's reaction caused Chaiwat to blame himself for the mistake and consequentially did not feel he could work for him any longer.

7) Option 3. Ideally Nick should have accepted the delay and used the time to build a personal relationship with the executives he was to present to. Business in South America, as in many cultures, is a personal thing. People like to know who they are doing business with before doing business.

Thank you for taking this test on the Kwintessential Website.

 

The scenarios are Copied from:

 http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/culture-test-1.html

 

Step 5 Homework

Work in groups to find information on Buddism, Christanity and Islam.

 

SUM-UP

1. The graphics are good materials and students are interested. Encourage them to talk about their opinions and listen carefully.

2. A warm-up activity before step 1 proves effective: asking students to speak out their own opinions before handing out the graphics (also a way of checking homework.) Students are willing because some of them made a lot of effort to do their homework.

3. Again, Emma, You talked too much! Shut up a little!