- •Методический комментарий
- •Introduction
- •1. Write or say the word you think of first to go with each of the words below. Possible answers are given on the right.
- •2. Now, play the game the other way round. Write or say the nationality you associate with the things listed below.
- •Exercise 3. Where are they?
- •In which cities are the following landmarks?
- •He/she comes from… He/she is… He/she speaks…
- •1.1 National characters
- •Text 1*
- •III. Comprehension check
- •V. Writing
- •Text 2 notes on the british*
- •In the following extract Bill Bryson, an American writer, makes observations of the British people.
- •IV. Language focus
- •1. Match the word with its definition.
- •2. Pick out the words from the text describing the American and the British ways of life.
- •Italian neighbours*
- •II. Skim Extract 1 with Tim’s interview about his living in Italy and find answers to the questions:
- •Extract 2
- •Baby? I'd rather have a mobile phone
- •VIII. Writing
- •Text 4 westerners and the japanese
- •II. Read the first part of the text about Leadership and decide which of the following statements accurately reflect John Mole’s comments.
- •Leadership
- •Attitudes and Behaviour
- •IV. Language focus
- •1. Find English equivalents to:
- •2. Translate the following sentences into English.
- •V. Speaking
- •Text 5 the amish
- •II. Read the article carefully and do the tasks that follow.
- •III. Comprehension check
- •V. Writing
- •Vocabulary box
- •Achievement test 1 national characters
- •Information check (orally)
- •Vocabulary check (in writing)
- •1. Match the two columns.
- •2. Match the definitions below with the words from the box.
- •3. Translate the sentences into English.
- •1.2 Communicating interculturally
- •Importance of intercultural communication*
- •II. Read the text and find information on the following points.
- •IV. Speaking
- •V. Writing
- •Text 2 main concepts of intercultural communication*
- •Culture
- •Subculture
- •Culture Shock
- •Ethnocentric reactions
- •IV. Writing
- •Text 3 understanding culture*
- •II. Read the following text and check if your predictions were right.
- •Text 4 activity orientation
- •Text 5 time orientation
- •Text 6 predictions of communication problems*
- •In what way can we predict communication problems with people from foreign countries?
- •II. Read the text and check whether your predictions were right.
- •1. Control Issues
- •2. Intrapersonal Factors
- •3. Biological Factors
- •4. Interpersonal Factors
- •5. Space and Time Factors
- •6. Geopolitical Factors
- •IV. Language focus
- •V. Speaking
- •VI. Writing
- •Text 7 recognizing cultural differences
- •II. Read the following text and write down the main cultural factors to fill in the table below the text.
- •IV. Writing
- •Text 8 dealing with language barriers
- •Barriers to written communication
- •Barriers to oral communication
- •IV. Language focus
- •1. Fill in the gaps with the prepositions where necessary.
- •2. Find synonyms to the following words in the chart below and learn them.
- •V. Speaking
- •Text 9 suggestions for the cross-cultural sojourner*
- •1. Learn the Rules of the New Culture.
- •2. Assume Responsibility
- •3. Observe Carefully
- •4. Tolerate Differences
- •5. Develop Flexibility
- •IV. Speaking
- •V. Writing
- •Acting out
- •1. Role-play the conversation.
- •2. Role-play the conversation in a travel-bureau.
- •Project writing
- •Social Customs
- •Vocabulary box
- •Achievement test 2 communicating interculturally
- •Information check (orally)
- •Vocabulary check (in writing)
- •1. Define the meaning of the following words in English.
- •2. Match the two columns.
- •3. Translate the sentences into English.
- •1.3 English as a global language
- •Text 1 ways of learning*
- •Starter activities
- •How do you like to learn languages? Look at these extracts from advertisements for methods of learning languages. Choose the methods you would like. Explain and discuss your answers.
- •People learn languages in different ways. Here are some descriptions and explanations of different kinds of language learners. Match the descriptions (1-6) to the explanations (a-f).
- •The table below lists the ways of learning. Complete the column about “you” and discuss your answers.
- •Discussion
- •Text 2 why don’t we all speak the same language?
- •How Did the English Language Begin?
- •III. Comprehension check
- •Text 3 the english language*
- •The english language
- •The english language in north america
- •1. Say whether each of the following sentences is true or false. Correct the false sentences to make them true.
- •2. Give examples of different borrowings in the English language.
- •V. Speaking
- •Text 4 british and american english*
- •The main differences of American English in pronunciation are:
- •1) The pronunciation of r in all positions, e.G. Part, first, corner;
- •VI. Writing
- •Text 5 english as a world language*
- •In the countries listed in the table, English is used either as a first language or as a second. Identify the 7 countries in which it is used as a first language.
- •II. Read the text carefully the spread of english
- •Basic characteristics
- •III. Comprehension check
- •IV. Speaking
- •Text 6 a global language*
- •II. Read the text and check your guesses.
- •V. Writing
- •Imperial english*
- •In this article below Professor Anne Eisenberg writes about the importance of English in the scientific world. For which jobs or subjects is it important to know English in your country?
- •II. Reading
- •1. The statements below express the main idea of each of paragraph. Read the article and match the statements to the paragraphs.
- •2. Decide which sentences in each paragraph express the main ideas.
- •97 % Населения мира предпочитают английский язык для международного общения
- •Text 8 the language of business
- •II. Read the text and write questions for these answers.
- •Look at the expressions in the box using rule. Use your dictionary to check the meanings of any of the expressions that you don’t know.
- •Complete these sentences using the expressions from the box in Exercise 1. Change the verb tense if necessary.
- •Do You Speak Japanese?
- •Project writing
- •Essay writing
- •Vocabulary box
- •Acievement test 3 english as a global language
- •Information check (orally)
- •Vocabulary check (in writing)
- •1. Define the meaning of the following words in English.
- •2. Give synonyms to:
- •3. Match the professional areas with language needs.
- •3. Complete each sentence with the words from the box.
- •For reading, discussing and reporting
- •Text 2 the japanese sense of beauty
- •Text 3 you have to catch them young…
- •Text 4 when the locals are friendly Free accommodation with plenty of surprises ... Servas is a cheap - and enlightening - way to see the world, says Patricia Cleveland-Peck
- •Text 5 must one be so polite that it hurt?
- •Text 6 should americans be required to learn another language?
- •Discussion
- •Text 7 tips for communicating with people from other cultures
- •Text 8 developing intercultural competence
- •1. Privacy and its implications
- •2. "So much for complaining"
- •3. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do"
- •4. Meals
- •5. Attitude to time
- •6. Academic life
- •7. Facial expressions
- •8. Gestures
- •9. Clothes
- •10. Topics for small talk
- •11. Politeness Strategies
- •Text 9 the image of russia in western travel guides
Text 7 recognizing cultural differences
(Upper-intermediate)
I. Pre-reading task
Before you read the text look up the meaning of the following words.
efficient (adj)/ efficiency (n) untrustworthy (adj)
condemn (v) to arrive at a consensus
backfire (v) dismiss (v)
Do you know anything about the way a society’s culture affects its members?
II. Read the following text and write down the main cultural factors to fill in the table below the text.
As you know, misunderstandings are especially likely to occur when the people who are communicating have different backgrounds. Party A encodes a message in one context, using assumptions common to people in his or her culture; Party B decodes the message using a different set of assumptions. The result is confusion and, often, hard feelings. Take the case of the U.S. computer sales representative who called on a client in China. Hoping to make a good impression, the salesperson brought along a gift to break the ice, an expensive grandfather clock. Unfortunately, the Chinese client was deeply offended because in China giving clocks as gifts is considered bad luck for the recipient. Such problems arise because of our unconscious assumptions and nonverbal communication patterns. We ignore the fact that people from other cultures differ from us in many ways: in their religion and values, their ideas of status, their decision-making habits, their attitude toward time, their use of space, their body language, and their manners. We assume, wrongly, that other people are like us.
Religion and values. Although the United States and Canada can be viewed as a melting pot of people with different religions and values, the major influence in the United States is the Puritan ethic: if you work hard and achieve success, you will find favor in the eyes of God. The U.S. view is that material comfort is a sign of superiority, that the rich are a little bit better than the poor, and that people who work hard are better than those who don't. The predominant belief is that money solves many problems. The predominant assumption is that people from other cultures share the U.S. view, that they dislike poverty and value hard work. But in fact, many societies condemn materialism and prize a carefree life-style.
As a culture, people in the United States and Canada are goal-oriented. They want to get the work done in the most efficient manner, and they assume that everyone else does too. They think they are improving things if they can figure out a way for two people using modern methods to do the same work as four people using the "old way." But in countries like India and Pakistan, where unemployment is extremely high, creating jobs is more important than getting the work done efficiently. Executives in these countries would rather employ four workers than two.
Roles and status. Culture dictates the roles people play, including who communicates with whom, what they communicate, and in what way. In many countries, for example, women still do not play a very prominent role in business. As a result, female executives from U.S. or Canadian firms may find they are expected to eat in a separate room with the wives of Arab businessmen while the men all eat dinner together.
Concepts of status also differ. Most U.S. and Canadian businesses send "status signals" that reflect materialistic values. The big boss has the corner office on the top floor, deep carpets, an expensive desk, and handsome accessories. The most successful companies are located in the most prestigious buildings. In other countries status is communicated in other ways. For example, the highest-ranking executives in France sit in the middle of an open area, surrounded by lower-level employees. In the Middle East fine possessions are reserved for the home, and business is conducted in cramped and modest quarters. A U.S. or Canadian executive who assumes that these office arrangements indicate a lack of status is making a big mistake.
Decision-making customs. In the United States and Canada, businesspeople try to reach decisions as quickly and efficiently as possible. The top people focus on reaching agreement on the main points and leave the details to be worked out later by others. In Greece this approach would backfire. A Greek executive assumes that anyone who ignores the details is being evasive and untrustworthy. Spending time on each little point is considered a mark of good faith. Similarly, Latin Americans prefer to make their deals slowly, after a lengthy period of discussion. They resist an authoritarian "Here's the deal, take it or leave it" approach, preferring the more sociable method of an extended discussion.
Cultures also differ in terms of who makes the decisions. In the United States many organizations are dominated by a single figure who says yes or no to every deal. It is the same in Pakistan, where you can get a decision quickly if you reach the highest-ranking executive. In other cultures, notably China and Japan, decision making is a shared responsibility. No individual has the authority to commit the organization without first consulting others. In Japan, for example, the negotiating team arrives at a consensus through an elaborate, time-consuming process (agreement must be complete - there is no majority rule). If the process is not laborious enough, the Japanese feel uncomfortable.
Concepts of time. Differing perceptions of time are another factor that can lead to misunderstandings. A U.S. or German executive attaches one meaning to time; an executive from Latin America, Ethiopia, or Japan attaches another. Let's say that a salesperson from Chicago calls on a client in Mexico City. After spending 30 minutes in the outer office, the person from Chicago feels angry and insulted, assuming the client attaches a low priority to the visit. In fact, the Mexican client does not mean to imply anything at all by this delay. To the Mexican, a wait of 30 minutes is a matter of course.
The Japanese know that U.S. businesspeople are impatient, and they use time to their advantage. One of them expressed it this way: "You Americans have one terrible weakness. If we make you wait long enough, you will agree to anything."
Concepts of personal space. The classic story of a conversation between a U.S. executive and a Latin American executive is that the interaction may begin at one end of a hallway and end up at the other, with neither party aware of having moved. During the interaction the Latin American executive instinctively moves closer to the U.S. executive, who in turn instinctively steps back, resulting in an intercultural dance across the floor. Like time, space means different things in different cultures. People in the United States and Canada stand about five feet apart when conducting a business conversation. To Arabs or Latin Americans, this distance is uncomfortable, and they move a little closer. U.S. and Canadian businesspeople may assume they are pushy and react negatively without knowing exactly why.
Body language. Gestures help us clarify confusing messages, so differences in body language are a major source of misunderstanding. We may also make the mistake of assuming that a foreigner who speaks our language has also mastered the body language of our culture. It therefore pays to learn some basic differences in the ways people supplement their words with body movement. Take the signal for no. People in the United States and Canada shake their heads back and forth; the Japanese move their right hands; Sicilians raise their chins. Or take eye contact. U.S. and Canadian businesspeople read each other through eye contact and assume that a person who won’t meet their gaze is evasive and dishonest. But in many parts of Latin America, keeping your eyes lowered is a sign of respect. It's also a sign of respect among many African-Americans, a fact that some schoolteachers have failed to learn. When they scold their students saying, "Look at me when I'm talking to you," they only create confusion for African-American children.
Sometimes people from different cultures misread an intentional signal, and sometimes they overlook the signal entirely or assume that a meaningless gesture is significant. For example, an Arab man indicates a romantic interest in a woman by running a hand backward across his hair; most Westerners would dismiss this gesture as meaningless. On the other hand, an Egyptian might mistakenly assume that a Westerner exposing the sole of his or her shoe is offering a grave insult.
Social behavior and manners. What is polite in one country may be considered rude in another. In Arab countries, for example, it is impolite to take gifts to a man's wife but acceptable to take gifts to his children. In Germany giving a woman a red rose is considered a romantic invitation, inappropriate if you are trying to establish a business relationship with her. In India you might be invited to visit someone's home "any time." Being reluctant to make an unexpected visit, you might wait to get a more definite invitation. But your failure to take the Indian literally is an insult, a sign that you do not care to develop the friendship.
Rules of etiquette may be formal or informal. Formal rules are the specifically taught "rights" and "wrongs" of how to behave in common situations, such as table manners at meals. Members of a culture can put into words the formal rule being violated. Informal social rules are much more difficult to identify and are usually learned by watching how people behave and then imitating that behavior. Informal rules govern how males and females are supposed to behave, how and when people may touch each other, when it is appropriate to use a person's first name, and so on. Violations of these rules cause a great deal of discomfort to the members of the culture, but they cannot usually verbalize what it is that bothers them. [3,pp. 563-566]
III. Post-reading task
Fill in the following table using information from the text above.
Culture factors |
The USA and Canada |
Religion and faith |
|
Roles and status |
|
Decision-making |
|
Concepts of time |
|
Concepts of personal space |
|
Body language |
|
Social behaviour and manners |
|