A. C. Hofmann
Abstract
As a generalization it can be said that numbers are used in two different modes: 1) for calculating, 2) symbolically. In studying different branches of sciences one comes to the conclusion that numbers as symbols, in most cases, are connected to the same values. Interestingly the same values show up in the myths of all cultures. A similar connection can be made with geometrical forms.
In archaeology one finds a strong correlation between a preference of square or round shapes of houses and rooms on the one hand and cultures based on violence or cooperation on the other side. This leads to the idea that in a certain way, geometrical symbols can work as an inter-cultural language. Some artists might use this "language of forms and numbers" consciously, but to the majority of the people it is used more on an inconscious level.
The composition of the symbols (in two or three dimensions) follow an inter-cultural "grammar", reproduced in a way similar to language. In myths and in religious rites, basic numeric and geometric symbols show up as configurations of action or events. Often they are used on a meta level, defining a dimension of 'deeper' meaning.
It can be shown that the same values show up in modern sciences and can be found in architecture too. An excellent example to support this statement is to be found in the art and architecture in Buddhism or Taoism.
Archaeological research in England, Ireland, Malta, Sardinia, North Africa, the Middle East, or in the area of the American pre-Columbian cultures, supports the contention that this theory holds under international comparison.
Keywords: numbers as symbols, geometrical symbols, “unconscious language”, intercultural grammar, architecture, myths, religious rites, international comparison.
Back to startAlan McGee
Abstract
The increasing internationalisation of business, industry, science and academia has led to greater importance being given to the ability to present ideas and concepts to an international audience, using English as the language medium. This applies to large conference gatherings but also to business presentations .
Through my somewhat unusual background as a manager from industry who later became a teacher of English as a foreign language, I have always been intrigued by the status awarded to people who can perform well in business presentations. I hold multi-disciplinary qualifications in Electrical Engineering (Diploma), Business (B.Ed. and MBA) and Applied Linguistics (MA and Post Grad. Diplomas in TEFL and TOESOL), and these have provided a unique window with which to view the business presentation and the skills needed to be successful.
The basis of the paper
It is suggested that the skills required for a successful business
presentation by non-native speakers, are rooted in both linguistic and
sociolinguistic aspects. These then combine with elements of cultural
awareness and non-verbal signposting. Through an analysis of the speech
act, speech community and speech norms, it is argued that business
presentations in many large international companies contain set phrases and
non-verbal signals which are similar, irrespective of the subject
presented. Many of these phrases and signals are used naturally by native
speakers. However, they need to be taught to non-native speakers through
awareness raising and process methods.
Keywords: : Business presentation, international companies, non-native speakers, cultural awareness, nonverbal supporting, speech acts, speech community, teaching methods.
Back to startKerstin Nauclér & Sally Boyd
In this paper, we will discuss crosscultural perspectives on Turkish and Swedish children’s interaction with parents at home and pre-school teachers in the Swedish mainstream pre-school. Through their participation in various activities at home and in the pre-school, the Turkish and the Swedish children in this study are socialized into somewhat different norms for interaction, which reflect the somewhat different norms for social order, values, and practices of the diverse contexts in which they live. The non-collaborative strategies many pre-school teachers use in conversations with Turkish children, we argue, may partly be taken as a reflection of the image these teachers hold on members of the Turkish minority group in Sweden.
Keywords: : childrens’ interaction, parents and pre-scolar teachers, non-collaborative strategies, construction of narratives, explanatory talk, reading competencies.
Back to startInese Ozolina
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to illustrate how intercultural communication is affected by language use in Latvia and to show that in accordance with theories of D.L.Horowitz and P.R.Brass (Horowitz, 1985; Brass, 1991) the question of language is a question of conflict in Latvia. The empirical base for this report is the survey "Towards a civic society" conducted by the Baltic Data House. In the second analysis of empirical data, author is trying to show the correlation between language proficiency, language use and intercultural communication, and the hypothesis of the report is that the question of language is a question of conflict, because the language hierarchy is changing in Latvia.
Keywords: : language use, conflict, civic society, Latvia, Soviet and post-Soviet periods.
Back to startIntercultural Communication, the Print Medium and the Ideal of Two-way Symmetry in Interaction
Hilde Roald
The Norwegian authorities emphasises two-way symmetric communication as an overall ideal to create a good relationship and communication with the public. Based on the report «Communication in Intercultural Encounters: The shaping of school-home co-operation» (Roald 1998) the paper focuses on the Norwegian authorities' common use of print information to the public as a basic tool to achieve these goals.
The paper investigates how print information may influence the capacity of certain first generation immigrant groups within the intercultural audience which the authorities specifically want to reach in order to make them become communicative and participating. In this respect the paper questions options and limitations as regards written information in intercultural communication in cases where there might be cultural distance and/or low reading capability or, in other cases, dissimilar practises related to print information.
The paper discusses that much understanding and interpretation of the text in the print media is partly based on tacit cultural knowledge inherent in the text. This is a knowledge that both interacting parties must share if the medium is to function as an effective intermediary and cultural door opener for people of a variety of cultural backgrounds. Also, to function as a real intermediary the authorities need pay attention to specific needs in the audience as well as the audience having the capacity to master print information as a genre within the large group of print medias. In relation to two-way symmetric communication the paper explores the concept "communication middle region" (Meyrowitz 1985) as a possible contribution to see alternatives to traditional ways and modes in co-operative strategies.
Keywords: two-ways symmetric communication, print information, first generation immigrants, cultural distance, low-reading capability, dissimilar practices, tacit cultural knowledge, “communication middle region”.
Shlomo G. Shoham and Amit Pinchevski
Abstract
In this paper, we present a critical viewpoint of human dialogue in the modern age. In our view, the Internet, as the paramount cultural guidepost at the end of the millennium, is a stark reflection of the barrier in human communication in our time. By means of an analysis of conversation transcripts at virtual conversation sites, we shall endeavor to show that virtual communication, to use a phrase from Zen wisdom literature, is ‘the clap of one hand.’ The medium of the Internet does not permit authentic dialogue, which in our view is the key to creativity and culture; instead, it sells the illusion of communication. We shall make our claims on three levels. First, we shall analyze the virtual entity at the ontological level. We shall then go on to analyze conversations at virtual conversation sites. Finally, we shall adduce a number of social implications of the phenomenon under consideration.
Keywords: human dialogue, conversation analysis, virtual conversation, ontological perspective, interactive perspective, qualitative content analysis, small talk, serious topics.
Professional Communication in Asia/Pacific Organisations:
A Comparative StudyBill Ticehurst and Cal W. Downs
Abstract
This paper addresses the role of professional communication in manufacturing organisations in Australia, Thailand and Korea. Professional communication is seen as intentional communication that has the objective of achieving strategic goals within organisational or professional contexts. Within this view, practitioners need to consider communication as a core organisational process, be able to link communication with organisational outcomes and strategies, and assess cultural influences on the ways organisations function effectively.
The research study examines three questions concerning the nature of the relationship between professional communication and other forms of organisational communication; the relationship between professional communication and organisational outcomes such as employees’ job satisfaction; and the consistency of these communication relationships across cultures. Responses of 2046 employees in Australia, Thailand and Korea to the Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire and a measure of job satisfaction were analysed to provide the research findings. Hofstede’s cultural characteristics in the workplace was used to provide a basis for cultural comparisons between the cultural groups.
The findings suggest there is a close relationship between dimensions of professional communication and other aspects of organisational communication. This relationship extends across the cultural groups involved in the study. The study found a number of professional communication dimensions to be significant predictors of job satisfaction in the organisations studied. Personal feedback and organisational integration were found to be the most important predictors across the three cultures.
It is concluded that it is essential that professional communicators understand the holistic nature of communication in organisations, and that they can make the link between communication and strategic goals. As such, there is a need to overcome the treatment of communication as a superficial aspect of organisational life, rather it needs to be seen as a core organisational process with multi-dimensional aspects. It is clear that although professional communication can be defined as a functional concept in organisational setting, its understanding and practice cannot be separated from, and is dependent upon, other communication activities in the organisation.
Keywords: professional communication, organizational communication, job satisfaction, Hoftede’s Theory, personal feedback, organizational integration, strategic goals.
Copyright by the authors.
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