How Different are We? : : Spoken Discourse in Intercultural Communication / / Helen Fitzgerald.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter MultiLingual Matters Backlist eBook-Package 2000-2013
• VerfasserIn: Fitzgerald, Helen,
• Place / Publishing House: Bristol ;, Blue Ridge Summit : : Multilingual Matters, , [2002]; ©2002
• Year of Publication: 2002
• Language: English
• Series: Languages for Intercultural Communication and Education
• Physical Description: 1 online resource

This book examines the influence of cultural values and communication styles on intercultural communication and demonstrates how training can develop intercultural communication competencies. A large number of interactions between well-educated immigrants from all continents and from more than a hundred countries, together with some including native speakers, are examined and participants’ answers to questionnaires compared with their actual communicative behaviour. The author raises questions of interest to many groups: linguists, educators, business people and sociologists. Which values are most salient and enduring, and which cause clashes between cultural groups? To what extent do people retain the communication style identified with their first language and how do these different styles impact on others?

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Foreword -- Acknowledgements -- Transcribing Symbols -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Data -- 3. Cultural Value Systems: An Overview of the Literature -- 4. Data Analysis: Cultural Values Reflected in the Discourse -- 5. Communication Styles: An Overview of the Literature -- 6. Data Analysis: Discourse Organisation and Rhetorical Strategies -- 7. Data Analysis: Turn-Taking Patterns & the Distribution of Talk -- 8. Data Analysis: Assertiveness, Disagreement and Conflict -- 9. Developing Communicative Competencies -- 10. Conclusion -- Appendix 1: The Participants -- Appendix 2: Problems -- Appendix 3: Training: Methods and Materials -- Appendix 4: Explanations for Exercise 2 -- Appendix 5: Explanations of Case Studies: Exercise 5 -- Appendix 6: Explanations of Non-Verbal Behaviour: Exercise 6 -- References -- Index