大学英语跨文化交际

Chapter 4 Intercultural

Communication Barriers

黑龙江大学外语部

Quotation

What sets us against one another is not our aims—they all come to the same thing—but our methods.

—Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

Learning Objectives In this chapter, students will learn how to: 1. understand some barriers caused by emotional problems. 2. comprehend some barriers caused by attitudinal problems. 3. analyze various reasons for the persistence of ethnocentrism, stereotyping, prejudice and racism. 4. perceive and deal with some barriers caused by translation problems.

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

Chapter Outline

Assuming Similarity Instead

of Difference

Ethnocentrism

Vocabulary Equivalence

Stereotyping

Intercultural Communication Barriers

Translation Problems

Anxiety and Uncertainty

Emotional Problems

Prejudice

Racism

Reasons for the Persistence of Ethnocentrism, Stereotyping, Prejudice and

Racism

Idiomatic Equivalence

Grammatical-Syntactical

Equivalence

Experiential Equivalence

Conceptual Equivalence

Attitudinal Problems

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

Lead-in Case:Chinese Hospitality — Overdone Read the case and consider the

questions in the right column. How do you comment on the behaviors of Hong and Joe

respectively? If you were Joe, how would you respond to such

situations? What suggestions would you like to give Hong on

hosting a friend from another culture?

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

Text A Emotional Problems as Barriers to Intercultural

Communication

▲ Pre-reading Task:

Please discuss in groups whether communicating with people from another culture is a simple process. And then try to present the actual unsuccessful intercultural communication scenes to the whole class. Let your classmates analyze the exact reasons why the communication events cannot be smooth.

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

1. Anxiety and Uncertainty Activity: Questionnaire for the Assessment of Anxiety and Uncertainty The purpose of this questionnaire is to help you assess the amount of

anxiety and uncertainty you generally experience when you communicate with strangers: (Note. You can determine the amount of anxiety and uncertainty you experience when communicating with the "strangers" in each of the statements.) Respond to each statement by indicating the degree to which the adjectives are applicable when you interact with strangers. If you never have the experience, answer 1 in the space provided; if you almost never have the experience, answer 2; if you sometimes have the experience and sometimes do not, answer 3; if you almost always have the experience, answer 4; if you always have the experience, answer 5.

(1) I am not confident when I communicate with strangers. (2) I can interpret strangers' behavior when we communicate. (3) I am indecisive when I communicate with strangers. (4) I can explain strangers' behavior when we communicate. (5) I am notable to understand strangers when we communicate. (6) I know what to do when I communicate with strangers. (7) I am uncertain how to behave when I communicate with strangers. (8) I can comprehend strangers' behavior when we communicate. (9) I am not able to predict strangers' behavior when we communicate. (10) I can describe strangers' behavior when we communicate.

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

To find your scores, first reverse the responses for the even-numbered items (if you wrote 1, make it 5; if you wrote 2, make it 4; if you wrote 3, leave it as 3; if you wrote 4, make it 2; if you wrote 5, make it 1). Next, add the numbers next to each of the items. Scores range from 10 to 50. The higher your score, the more anxiety and uncertainty you experience when interacting with others.

[Source: Adapted from W. B. Gudykunst, Bridging Differences, copyright @1994 by Sage Publications. Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications.]

2. Assuming Similarity Instead of Difference

A Danish Woman in New York

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

What can the following two pictures tell us?

We are more alike than unlike .

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

Attitudinal Problems as Barriers

to Intercultural Communication

Text B

▲ Pre-reading Task: Form groups of 4 or 5 and discuss whether you have come across any discriminating descriptions of people owing to their different national, ethnic or regional origins?

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

1. Ethnocentrism2. Stereotyping3. Prejudice4. Racism

Attitudinal Problems Include:

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

1. Ethnocentrism

Most other cultures are backward compared with my culture. My culture should be the role model for other cultures. Other cultures should try to be more like my culture. Most people from other cultures just don’t know what’s good for them. I have little respect for the values and customs of other cultures. Most people would be happier if they lived like people in my culture. People in my culture have just about the best lifestyles of anywhere. Lifestyles in other cultures are not as valid as those in my culture. I do not cooperate with people who are different. I do not trust people who are different. I dislike interacting with people from different cultures. Other cultures are smart to look up to my culture. Other people are much the same as my people. Our way of doing things is the only right way.

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

2. Stereotyping

Stereotyping

Definition Dimensions Categories

Direction Intensity Specificity Consensus Accuracy

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

What opposing stereotypes do these two images refer to?

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

3. Prejudice

Activity: Expressing OpinionsWhat do you think of women in power?

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

4. Racism

Activity: Reflection Have you ever avoided physical

contact with people from other races? If yes, why do you do so?

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

What do you think of the following pictures?

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

Text C Translation Problems

as Language Barriers

▲ Pre-reading Task:Please translate the following items into Chinese or English and

then compare your translations to the exact meanings conferred by the original expressions in either Chinese or English. Then discuss what problems you have in translating them.

motel lucky dog

landlord as wise as an owl

嫦娥奔月 狗仗人势 集体主义 四小龙

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

Translation Problems Include:

Lack

Of

Idiomatic Equivalence

Grammatical-Syntactical Equivalence

Experiential Equivalence

Conceptual Equivalence

Vocabulary Equivalence

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

Activity: Pair work

Do you often use Chinese cultural and social norms and rules to organize what you say in English? What is the effect?

List some examples:Chinese Version

English Version

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

Translate the following items:

Group 1:yellow-bellied yellow streak

Group 2:break a leg read between the lines

hold your horses raining cats and dogs

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

Group 3:

plan a table table a plan

book a place place a book

lift a thumb thumb a lift

Translate the following items:

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

Group 4:

motel parliament Thanksgiving

炕 太极 文化大革命

Translate the following items:

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

5. Lack of Conceptual Equivalence

freedom 自由

corruption pup’ae

Translate the following items:

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

Now, let’s summarize the key points

of this chapter!

Chapter 4 Intercultural Communication Barriers

Thank you!