Culture is innate as soon as a person is born. F
People may sometimes get confused about his or her cultural identity. T
Scholars prefer the term subculture to co-culture in describing a culture which exists within a dominant culture. F
A person could be a member of several different subgroups at the same time. T
Communication and culture are inseparable and strongly connected. T
Intracultural communication occurs when the sender and the receiver exchanging messages are from different races. F
The sender must choose certain words or nonverbal methods to send an intentional message. This activity is called decoding. F
The process of communication has nine components: sender, encoding, message, channel, noise, receiver, decoding, feedback, and context. T
An exacting style of communication can be found in Japan, China, and some Native American cultures. F
The self-effacement verbal style emphasizes the importance of boasting about one’s accomplishments and abilities. F
Dialect refers to geographic variation, while sociolect refers to variation in terms of social group. T
An elaborate style of communication can be seen in Arab cultures. T
Speaking is the only mode of effective communication. F
The elaborate, exacting, or succinct communication style deals with the quantity and/or volume of talk that is preferred across cultural groups. T
The Thais like to touch babies or small children, especially they like others to pat their children’s head. F
Saudi Arabs belong to touch cultures. F
The appropriateness of eye contact varies with different cultures. T
Paralanguage may imply the connotation of the actual words.
In Finland, firm handshakes are the normal greeting for men and women. T
Americans might regard gift giving as a form of bribery. T
Similarity of culture does not affect acculturation. F
Successful management of culture shock depends on an awareness of its symptoms and the degree of its severity. T
The second stage of intercultural adaptation is called honeymoon stage or initial euphoria stage. F
All the activities of learning one’s culture are called acculturation. F
Insomnia can be one example of the physical symptoms of culture shock. F
Financial matters can result in culture shock. T
What is the nature of culture?
1. Culture is like an iceberg.
2. Culture is our software.
3. Culture is like the water a fish swims in.
4. Culture is the grammar of our behavior.
What are the characteristics of culture?
1. Culture Is Learned
2. Culture Is Dynamic
Activity: Exploring Ideas
Do you know any other events that have great influence on culture? Tell your partner how the following events changed culture.
1. China’s policy of reform and opening-up
2. The United States’ entering WWII
3. The atomic bombing in Japan in WWII
3. Culture Is Pervasive
Like the air we breathe, culture penetrates into every aspect of our life and influences the way we think, the way we talk, and the way we behave.
4. Culture Is Integrated
We sometimes break down and isolate various parts of culture and talk about them as if they are separate parts. However, in reality, culture functions as an integrated whole and it is systemic.
5. Culture Is Adaptive
History abounds with examples of how cultures have changed because of laws, natural disasters, wars, or other calamities.
3，What are the components of communication?
4，What are the characteristics of communication?
Communication is dynamic
b. Communication is systematic
c. Communication is symbolic 符号性的
d. Communication is irreversible 不可逆转的
e. Communication is transactional 交互式的
f. Communication is self-reflective
g. Communication is contextual
5，What are the categories of nonverbal communication?
1. ocuelsics (目光语)
2. olfactics (嗅觉)
3. haptics (触觉行为)
4. kinesics (身势语行为)
5. chromatics (色彩学)
6. attire (服饰）
6，What are the verbal communication styles?
7，What are the differences between direct and indirect verbal communication styles?
In the direct verbal style, statements clearly reveal
the speaker’s intentions.
Eg. U.S. Americans tend to use a straightforward form of request.
In the indirect verbal style, on the other hand, verbal
statements tend to hide the speaker’s actual intentions.
Eg. Chinese tend to ask for a favor in a more roundabout and implicit way.
8， How to distinguish elaborate, exacting, and succinct styles?
An elaborate style emphasizes flashy and embellished
language. This style of communication can be seen in
many Arab, Middle Eastern, and Afro-American cultures.
An exacting style, where persons say no more or less than is needed, is used by Americans.
A succinct style is characterized by the use of concise
statements, understatements, and even silence. A succinct style can be found in Japan, China, and some Native American cultures
9，What are the components of cultural patterns?
10，How to distinguish High context VS Low context and High context culture VS Low context culture
12，What are the business etiquette norms?
13，What are the four modes of acculturation?
Separation Integration Assimilation Marginalization
14，What are the forms of culture shock?
Language shock
Role shock
Transition shock
Cultural Fatigue
Education Shock
Adjustment Stress
Culture Distance
15，What are the reasons for culture shock?
Physical Symptoms Psychological Symptoms
16，What are the four stages of the U-curve pattern intercultural adaptation?
Honeymoon Period
Crisis Period
Adjustment Period
Biculturalism Period
