首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Culture As a Barrier to Communication Our culture will prevent us getting our message across and receiving the full message inte
Culture As a Barrier to Communication Our culture will prevent us getting our message across and receiving the full message inte
admin
2017-04-25
39
问题
Culture As a Barrier to Communication
Our culture will prevent us getting our message across and receiving the full message intended by others. That’s why we need to overcome the cultural barriers in the communication.
I. Three levels of culture
A. Outward manifestations
— Examples: food, art,【T1】_____, etc.【T1】______
B.【T2】_____【T2】______
— Invisible rules
C.【T3】_____ cultural assumptions【T3】______
— Characteristics of American culture: individualism, equality, competition, etc.
II. Main causes for cross-cultural misunderstanding
A. The in-group/out-group distinction
— It allows individuals to find an【T4】_____【T4】______
— Tendency to blame out-groups for troubles
— Tendency to【T5】_____ other groups【T5】______
B. Stereotyping
— It is a(n)【T6】_____to reduce anxiety【T6】______
C. Other causes
— Lack of trust
— Lack of empathy
— The【T7】_____【T7】______
III. Skills for cross-cultural communication
A.【T8】_____【T8】______
— Identify your attitudes, opinions, biases, etc.
B.【T9】_____【T9】______
— Listen to others
— Don’t jump to conclusions
— Periods of silence and【T10】_____ are allowed in some cultures【T10】______
C. Encourage feedback
— Feedback allows to correct and adjust messages
— Feedback can help us reach【T11】_____【T11】______
—【T12】_____ could be appropriate feedback【T12】______
D.【T13】_____ empathy【T13】______
— Put ourselves in the other person’s shoes
— Become more sensitive to others’ needs,【T14】_____【T14】______
E. Seek the【T15】_____ among cultures【T15】______
— Establish a bond despite cultural differences
【T4】
Culture As a Barrier to Communication
Good morning, everyone. In this lecture, I am going to lead you to the discussion of cultural barriers and their solutions. I am sure that each of us is exposed to people from other cultures on a regular basis, in the workplace, in our social activities, at school, or even within our families. Our culture hinders us from getting our message across as well as receiving the full message that others want to convey to us. This talk expounds on three aspects: what culture is, the main causes for cross-cultural misunderstandings, and the attitudes and skills that we need to communicate cross-culturally.
First of all, let’s talk about what culture is. When we think about culture we first think about a country,[1]and particularly about its food, art, customs, and patterns of behavior. These are the outward manifestations of a system of values, assumptions, and deeply rooted beliefs. Culture emerges as a group of people meet and then react to the challenges of life. The responses to those challenges that are successful are taught and shared among members of the group and are passed on from the older to the younger members. Culture is then learned through experience.
You can think of culture as having three levels: first, the top level is the outward manifestations, the artifacts:[1]visible behavior, art, clothing and so on;[2]second, in the middle level are the values. These are invisible rules that cause the artifacts; thirdly, the most powerful dimension of culture is the implicit cultural assumptions. These assumptions lie so deep that they are never questioned, stated or defended.
[3]Culture also exists among Americans, but what are the implicit cultural assumptions of Americans? Some of the most distinctive characteristics of the American culture are: individualism, equality, competition, personal control of the environment, self-help concept, action orientation, informality, directness, practicality, materialism, and problem-solving orientation. These American values and deeply rooted beliefs are very different from other country’s values and beliefs. The implicit cultural assumptions of Americans are often opposed to those of other cultures. When individuals from different cultures run into each other’s values and beliefs, cross-cultural misunderstandings take place.
Now, let’s talk about the main causes for cross-cultural misunderstandings. People constantly interact with people who have similar views and who reinforce their beliefs.[4]To be able to distinguish between the in-group and the out-group is of central importance for individuals because it allows them to find who they are and who they are not. In the book entitled Cross Cultural Encounters, Brislim states: "If individuals have out-groups whom they can blame for troubles, the in-group is then solidified since there is a common goal around which to rally." Later on he says: "Individuals become accustomed to reacting in terms of in-group and out-group. They continue to use such distinctions when interacting with people from other cultures whom they do not know."
This in-group/out-group distinction provides us with the basis for ethnocentrism,[5]which is the tendency to interpret and to judge all other groups, their environment, and their communication according to the categories and values of our own culture. We are guilty of ethnocentrism when we hold that our view of the world is the right one, the correct one, and the only one.
We are all familiar with stereotyping, which is one of the most serious problems in intercultural communication.[6]Our tendency to hold beliefs about groups of individuals based on previously formed opinions, perceptions, and attitudes is often a defense mechanism, a way of reducing anxiety.
[7]There are many other causes of cross-cultural misunderstanding: lack of trust, lack of empathy, and the misuse of power. All of us know what they are about and the turmoil that they cause. But, how can we do a better job at communicating among cultures?
This is actually the last part of my talk. The same skills that we need to communicate in general apply to cross-cultural communication. Let’s look at some of those skills:
1.[8]Know yourself: Identify your attitudes, your opinions, and the biases that we all carry around. Identify your likes, your dislikes, your prejudices, and your degree of personal ethnocentrism.
2.[9]Take time: Listen to the other person and allow him or her to accomplish their purpose. Don’t jump to conclusions. Sometimes we finish the thoughts and ideas of the other person before he or she has finished talking.[10]In some cultures, non-verbal styles call for periods of silence and long pauses.
3. Encourage feedback: Feedback allows communicators to correct and adjust messages.[11]Without feedback we cannot have agreement. First we must create an atmosphere where others are encouraged to give us feedback.[12]Again, don’t be afraid of silence. It could be the appropriate feedback at times.
4.[13]Develop empathy: The greater the difference between us and others, the harder it is to empathize. To develop empathy we must put ourselves in the other person’s place.[14]By becoming more sensitive to the needs, values, and goals of the other person, we overcome our ethnocentric tendencies.
5.[15]Seek the commonalities among diverse cultures: Despite our cultural differences we are all alike in many ways.[15]We need to seek that common ground to establish a bond between ourselves and the rest of humanity.
All right. I think I have covered the three main parts of my talk. Finally, I would like to reiterate that although our own ethnocentrism might have hindered us from getting to know people from other cultures, let us be more than ever committed to helping ourselves and others overcome the barrier that culture creates. Let us endeavor to minimize the occurrences of cross-cultural misunderstandings as we develop the attitudes and the skills that are needed to communicate cross-culturally.
选项
答案
identity
解析
本题考查概括信息的能力。讲座提到,对个人来讲,能否区分局内人与局外人至关重要,因为这能帮助他们辨清who they are and who they are not。题目中的an提示了此处应填以元音字母开头的单词,故identity最佳。
转载请注明原文地址:https://www.kaotiyun.com/show/aBsK777K
0
专业英语八级
相关试题推荐
Thesemanticrelationshipbetweenflowerandroseis
姚明今天已是一名优秀的球星,可当初他的追求目标却不是拿冠军、去NBA、当球星。他那玩命的训练,奋勇的拼搏,只是为了有一双合脚的鞋子,让全家人不再为他穿鞋而发愁。也许姚明如此简单的目标让人感到不可思议,但正是这看似简单的目标成就了他今天的辉煌。他认真实际地确
经过了几千年缓慢的各代人都几乎觉察不到的发展之后,城市正在突然迅速地向四面八方扩展开来。中国现在的城市人口每年以7%的速度在增长,而在大城市里则达到每年增长10%。仅举一个可以看得见的城市加速扩展的例子,上海目前每小时要增加十栋楼房和一百平方米的马路,且这
Ifyouhangback,andreserveandcriticiseatfirst,youarepreventingyourselffromgettingthefullestpossiblevaluefromw
跨世纪青年一代应该用什么样的姿态迎接充满希望的新世纪,这是我们必须回答的问题。
美国内部对中国政策究竟怎么样,我们还要观察。
最为常见的是,一个人走着走着突然停下来,眼睛盯着手机屏幕发短信,他不在乎停在马路中央还是厕所旁边。
中国的风景很美。
爸爸的治家方法比外祖母民主一些,他虽秉承祖训,不听“妇人之言”,可是他对妈妈的言论自由却没有什么钳制的举动,换句话说,妈妈能以在野之身批评爸爸。通常是在晚饭后,妈妈展开她一连串、一系列的攻击,历数爸爸的“十大罪”:说他如何刚愎自用,如何治家无方……听久了,
老师很喜欢这个嘴甜的小姑娘。
随机试题
某水厂的水源水总大肠菌群为870cfu/L,其他项目符合《生活饮用水卫生标准》的要求
A.丹栀逍遥散B.柴胡疏肝散C.龙胆泻肝汤D.至宝丹E.苏合香丸治疗腹胀大,按之不坚,胁下胀满,嗳气不适,纳呆,舌苔白腻,脉弦,应首选
患儿高热呈弛张型,有时达40℃,指关节梭形肿胀,并有虹膜睫状体炎,最可能的诊断是
男,46岁,急性胰腺炎,今日上午8时开始补夜1000ml。按60滴/分的速度输入(每毫升按15滴计算),该液体输完的时间是
A.肺活量B.用力肺活量C.每分通气量D.肺总量E.肺泡通气量能实现有效气体交换的通气量为()
某高速公路K10+000~K11+000为土方路基,各项指标检测结果如下表,在外观鉴定中扣分3分,试确定该段路基分项工程评定值。若压实度数值是不合格后的复检数值,那么进行分部工程评分时,对该分项工程的计算分值该采用多少?
产品生命周期中的成熟期具有的特点是()。
教师的教学策略包括教学事项的顺序安排、教学方法的选用、教学媒体的选择、______以及师生相互作用的设计等。
1849年,()设立了世界上第一所幼儿园,被人们誉为“幼儿教育之父”“幼儿园之父”。
Whenahurricaneisabouttooccur,warningisusuallygivenbytheweatherbureau.Theunderlinedpartmeans______.
最新回复
(
0
)