Verbal Communication

English foreign language

Problem of the interpreter

Problems with pronunciation

Problem of different Englishes

Linguistic relativism

Denotation

Conotation

Different languages carve world in different ways, speakers think about it differently

Objective meaning of a word

Side meaning

Communication styles

Indirect/ avoiding Vs Direct/ confrontational

Personal Vs Contextual

Louder voice Vs Softer voice

High context

"Reading the air"

Impersonal relations

Implicit & indirect language

Criticizing

Bad manners

Negative remarks = losing face

Maintain harmony

Collectivistic and hierarchial cultures

Low context

Love to sue for liability

Often stating the obvious, seen as an exaggeration by other cultures

Differences between US & Europe