Self-Instructional Manual (SIM) for Self-Directed

Learning (SDL)

Purposive Communication
(GE 2)
Week 4-5
Chapter 2 :Local and Global Communication in Cross/Multi-cultural Settings
 Communication in cross/multi-cultural settings
 Factors that affect cross/multi-cultural communication
 The nature and functions of verbal and non-verbal communication in cross/multi-cultural settings
 Why do we need to engage in verbal communication
 Techniques in making verbal communication productive and meaningful
 The elements of verbal communication
 Non-verbal communication
 Gestures in different countries
Chapter 3 : The Elements of Verbal and Non-verbal Communication in Cross/Multi-cultural Settings
 The effects of cultural and global issues in communication
 Effects of cultural and global issues in communication
 Tips for successful cross/multi-cultural communication
Big Picture

Week 4-5: UNIT LEARNING OUTCOME (ULO)

At the end of the unit, you are expected to:
a. analyze the function of communication in local and global communication in
cross/multi-cultural settings.
b. identify the elements of verbal and non-verbal communication in cross/multi-
cultural settings

Big Picture in Focus: ULO a. Analyze the function of communication in

local and global communication in cross/multi-cultural settings.

Essential Language
To understand better about the function of communication in local and global
communication in cross/multi-cultural settings the following terms will be used.
This will give you ideas about the important things that you really need to know as
you get engage yourself in this chapter.

Chapter Two: Local and Global Communication in Cross

multi-cultural Settings

Communication is culture-bound. Communication is a

reflection of the culture of a society or community. It is safe to
say that communication is developed because of culture.
Hence, communication and culture are two independents
concepts. This theory is validated by Edward Hall, when he
observed that communication is culture and culture is
communication. In fact our verbal and non-verbal
communication reflect our culture and vice-versa. Thus, a
word that is spoken carries with it the culture of that person and his/her society.
Our manner of dressing, our bearing, and our lifestyle, which form part of our
communication systems reveal so much about our culture.

Communication in Cross/Multi-cultural Settings

Intercultural communication is interaction and communication among persons

and communities with varied cultural backgrounds. Communication is a process
of interaction among persons that is complex. This entails verbal and non-verbal
relationships among persons and even assumptions that are commonly agreed
among them. Because of the complexity of the communication process,
miscommunication and problems may arise, as a result. To facilitate
communication among persons, understanding and acceptance of the cultures of
parties involved in the communication process in necessary. Appreciation and
understanding of the cultures of the parties involved in the communication
process, which influence their behaviours and thinking process manifested
through words, symbol and pictures are required for both parties, to fully
understand and interact with each other effectively.

The following Elements determine the outcomes of Cross/Multi-cultural

Communication:

1. Inability to understand one’s culture, values and beliefs – the lack of

understanding of the culture of the persons involved in the communication
process affects the interaction among them.
2. Lack of acceptance of the culture of a person/attitude – inability to accept
the culture of the person you are interacting with, adversely results in poor
communication.
3. Prejudice/bias – some people tend to think superior of themselves over the
cultures, hence have the tendency to pre-judge others and hamper
communication.
4. Lack of education/limited exposure – people who lack education do of
have the appropriate information about other cultures, thereby affecting
interaction and communication.
5. Language barrier – inability to speak a common language, obviously
hampers understanding and communication.

The Nature and Functions of Verbal and Non-verbal Communication in

Cross/Multi- cultural Settings

Verbal communication is a way of interacting using oral language. Verbal

communication may be the quickest and most efficient way to communicate.
However, caution should be taken and sensitivity should be applied in the used
off words, which may vary meaning from culture to culture. For Cebuano, “sabot’’
means understand, but may be obscene to an Ilonggo. “Kabatete” in Ilocano is a
vegetable but the sound of the word is quite offensive for the Tagalogs.

The use of esoteric words, terms, which are used and understood only by a
chosen few or an enlightened inner circle could also affect communication, thus
should be avoided. For instance, words that are used in the engineering circle
may not be understandable to other audiences/people.

Why do we need to engage in Verbal Communication?

 Some people are just too introvert and self-centered to spend some of their time
for meaningful and precious conversations. However, much as some would be
too shy to avoid conversations, we are humans and social creatures that we need
to interact - - with our family members, with our neighbors, with our friends, with
classmates and with others! No man is an island nobody lives himself and for
himself. We live with others, for a purpose and for a reason. It is believed that any
situation is a learning opportunity. Conversation is a powerful tool to learn. You
learn from intelligent people you interact with, and believe me - - much like
learning from reading a book. How to start and maintain a conversation, however,
requires some techniques.

Starting a conversation is a new challenge for a number of reasons. First, many

of us have some kind of fear the first time we meet people. We fear that people
might judge us; we fear that we might look ridiculous to some people; we fear that
we might not be received positively by others; we fear that unknown outcomes of
our interaction, and a host of other fears. As in any public speaking situation, this
fear is natural; thus, we can overcome this fear by considering some techniques.

Technique in Making Verbal Communication Productive and Meaningful

 Think of the advantages of conversing with someone, rather than your fear.
Converse with a purpose: to establish friendship, to explore a business
opportunity, to share brilliant insights, to learn and for many other reasons.
 Maintain a positive attitude. A positive attitude attracts positive reactions.
Be enthusiastic and proactive; start the conversation by saying something
positive about the event, the situation or the person you are talking to.
 Be respectful and polite. Respect other people’s opinion, even if they are
contrary to yours. Some people could be “abrasive” and offensive in their
language; thus, it would be to your advantage not to reveal your emotions
and displeasure.
 Start the conversation by talking about a hot topic, a current and relevant
issue or a very interesting topic. You can start by making a neutral yet
simulating comment like: politics is starting to be hot, now that some
politicians have started filing their candidacy. Alternatively, you can start
your conversation with useful clichés like: a comment on the weather, the
food or the drinks, but be sure not give offensive comments.
 Allow somebody you are conversing with to talk about his interests, his
career and his accomplishments. After all, the list of things that are of
interest to him/her, might also be interesting to you. So that wold be a
common interest that you could pick up and make for a very good topic of
your conversation.
 Raise interesting questions about the person you are talking with; but avoid
asking too personal, offensive and sensitive questions that may intrude into
 his/her privacy. Asking about one’s company or career is an effective way
of starting an interesting conversation.
 Know how to direct and redirect the conversation to a topic that is
meaningful to the person you are conversing with and to you.
 Be sensitive of the feelings and situation of the person you are talking with.
A conversation is a good start for a relationship. Do a very quick study of
the profile of the person you are talking to. If it is a scheduled meeting, it
would be helpful to gain some information about the person you will meet
from a facebook, a twitter account or from a Google search. Your simple
study could guide you to the topic you are going to start with.
 Be sincere. People will feel if you are not truthful and if you have hidden
motives. Know how to appreciate truly the person you are conversing with
as well as his affiliations and the things associated with him/her.
 Know how to listen. Once I heard someone said: “I hate people who are
talking while I’m interrupting.” This statement indicates the inability of many
people to listen and the tendency to be rude, to interrupt while someone is
talking. Listening is different from merely hearing the person you are
conversing with. Listening is keeping genuine interest in and understanding
what he/he is talking about. Paying sincere interest in a person will result in
a friendly conversation and a good start of a relationship.
 Know how to end the conversation politely. Being sensitive with the person
you are talking with could give you a cue to end the conversation. Thus,
you can do a gracious closure by saying the following:

 “It has been nice talking with you, but I’m afraid I have to go.”
 “I have taken much of your time. It was such an interesting conversation
with you. Thank you for your time.
 “It was great talking with you. Here’s my business card, in case you might
need to get in touch with me in the future.”
 “It’s getting late, I really have to go. It has been a pleasure talking with
you.”
 “It was fun talking with you, but you have excuse me. Have a nice day!”

The Elements of Verbal Communication

1. Variation in Speed – the speed of the speaker affects communication.

Filipinos are exposed to American English, thus the difficulty in understanding
British and Australian speakers, especially because of their accent and speed.
2. Volume – Be sensitive of your voice in comparison with the number of
people you are talking to and your distance.
3. Intonation – variations in the rising and falling of the voice affects the
communication process. Speakers are influenced by the intonation of the
language or dialect they speak, thus the tendency to apply the same intonation
when they communicate in a cross-cultural setting and affect communication.
4. Gestures – your body language should support your verbal communication.
Try to learn commonly acceptable and positive body language to reinforce your
verbal communication.
5. Emphasis – a speaker should be able to use pauses, the proper volume and
the right intensity if you want to point out important ideas.
6. Rhythm – the variation, i.e., strong and weak, duration and accent of sounds
in your speech or the beat in your speech could facilitate effective
communication.
7. Pitch – the intensity of your voice suggests how important your ideas are.
Thus, your voice should be varied according to the importance of the ideas you
are putting across.
8. Pausing and Phrasing – imagine a speaker who speaks continuously
without any break at all. This may be boring and tiresome to the listener, hence
affect the communication process. For you to be effective, you have to pause at
certain points of your conversation. This may be done by observing proper
phrasing of the words, phrases or clauses that you are use.

Non- Verbal Communication

On the other hand, non-verbal communication is an interaction using non-spoken

language. Non-verbal communication comprises of gestures, facial expressions,
actions or even unconscious behaviour that may either reinforce or hamper
communication. For communication to be effective, there should be consistency
in the verbal and non-verbal communication systems. For instance, you may say
you are happy, but if your facial expression shows that you are not, then it is
possible that people may not believe you. We heard of politicians embracing and
carrying babies while campaigning, purportedly demonstrating their genuine
concern for the masses, yet manifest facial expression and non-verbal behaviour
that contradict their claim. This affects communication and their true intentions.

Gestures are non-verbal cues that help facilitate or emphasize communication.

However, the meaning of gestures varies from country to country. Thus, knowing
some of these gestures and cultural sensitivity in using them is important, to
ensure effective and successful cross-cultural communication. For example a
thumbs up gestures may be commonly positive in many countries, especially in
western countries, but considered rude in Nigeria and very offensive in Japan.
The illustration presented below (adopted from
https://ok-t.ru/studopediasu/baza2/451242809428.files/image078.jpg) could help
in making you sensitive in a cross/multi-cultural communication setting.
 Self-Help: You can also refer to the sources below to help you further
understand the lesson:
Castigador, A. C. (2019). Speak and write for a purpose. ACC Book
Publishing: Cavite, Philippines
 Big Picture in Focus: ULO b. Identify the elements of verbal and non-
verbal communication in cross/multi-cultural settings

Essential Language
To understand better about the elements of verbal and non-verbal communication
in cross/multi-cultural settings the following terms will be used. This will give you
ideas about the important things that you really need to know as you get engage
yourself in this chapter.

Chapter Three: The Elements of Verbal and Non-verbal Communication in

Cross Multi-cultural Settings

The Elements of Non-verbal Communication

1. Body language – your movement contributes to communication. Thus, oral
communication should be supported by body movement/gestures that would
reinforce the message. A smile captivates, hence deliver your message with a
smile.
2. Distance – the nearer you are to the person you are interacting with, the
clearer your non- verbal cues.
3. Touch – artistic and decent use of touch could reinforce your message.
However, a word of caution, some cultures, especially conservative ones may e
sensitive and may not welcome touch.
4. Eye contact – the eyes are the window to the soul. Thus, the sincerity of
your message could be gleaned from your eyes.
5. Pausing – ta certain points, a pause may enable you to emphasize important
points of your message.
6. Bearing – the way you stand and your posture may reveal your composure.
So, the more confident your posture, the more convincing your message.
7. Pacing – the pace of a speaker could drive a message toward uncovering
his intentions. A jittery speaker could create a negative impression of lack of
sincerity.

The Effects of Cultural and Global Issues in Communication

Progress in technology has made the world “shrink”. For instance, in the 16th
century, it took Ferdinand Magellan months to reach the Philippines by boat;
whereas today, you can reach any part of the world by plane in not more than 24
hours.

While 30 or so years ago, you can get in touch with a relative by phone after
minutes of waiting for your cue from a telephone operator, nowadays you can
contact a friend or business partner in practically no time at all. Information
technology has made communication and interaction among the peoples of the
world quick and easy.

Economic progress and the corresponding availability of jobs in first world

countries encouraged people to move from less developed countries to find more
rewarding jobs in more developed countries. Similarly, transnational corporation
employ people from different countries and assign them in various parts of the
globe.
Moreover, man-made and natural disasters such as war, persecutions, typhoons,
tsunami, earthquake, and even extreme temperatures, necessitated the
movement of people to safer places.

The above global developments and issues forced people to interact and thus
communicate in a cross/multi-communicate with others with similar cultural
background, hence making the communication setting homogeneous, simpler
and easier; today we have to communicate with people coming from different
cultures, beliefs and traditions. This made communication heterogeneous and
more complex, thus require more skills in cross/multi-cultural communication.

Effects of Cultural and Global Issues in Cross/Multi-Cultural Communication

1. Better relationship – interaction among different peoples with different

cultures enables them to study, understand and appreciate each other’s culture.
This leads to more world harmony and peace.
2. Facilitates business and trade – better communication and interaction
among the peoples of the world promotes business and trading.
3. Creates more job opportunities – due to better relationships among
peoples, and business that are developed, more job opportunities are available.
4. Reduces division and enhance inclusion – harmony that results from
understanding and appreciating each other’s cultures reduces conflict and
promotes inclusive development among nations.
5. Personal development – the net result if the peace, understanding and
harmony and interaction with peoples of different cultures is the personal
development of individuals and society.

Tips for Successful Cross/Multi-cultural Communication

 Be sensitive to the pace of the person you are communicating with

 Avoid questions that may offend or may be too personal for a person
 Wait for the person you are talking with to finish before you respond
 Write down important points
 Show support, especially in cases when you feel he/she has difficulty in
understanding and articulating ideas
  At certain points, check for understanding, to ensure that the other person
comprehends your message
 Avoid the use of slang or esoteric words
 Maintain respect for the culture and sensitivities of the person you are
talking with.

Self-Help: You can also refer to the sources below to help you further
understand the lesson:
Castigador, A. C. (2019). Speak and write for a purpose. ACC Book
Publishing: