CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION : KEY CATERGORICAL DIMENSIONS

DIRECTNESS – INDIRECTNESS

Group 6 – PG08• Phung Thi Thanh Dung• Nguyen Dieu Hong• Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen• Nguyen Thi Minh• Nguyen Lan Phuong

OUTLINE

• Directness VS. indirectness • Kaplan’s diagrams – Examples• “By the way” phenomenon• Locations of “Wh-questions”• Addressing subtle and

sensitive topics• Factors affecting D and ID in human

interaction in general

DIRECTNESS - INDRECTNESS

Direct • People say what they mean

and mean what they say;• there is no need to read

between the lines;• it's best to tell it like it is; • People are less likely to

imply and more likely to say exactly what they are thinking;

• yes means yes.

Indirect• People don't always say what

they mean or mean exactly what they say;

• you have to read between the lines;

• you can't always tell it like it is (in order not to upset the other person);

• people are more likely to suggest or imply than to come out and say what they think;

• yes may mean maybe or even no.

Kaplan‘s diagrams

a b c d e

English Semitic Oriential Romance Russian

I cannot be sacked….Vietnamese

1. Admitting faults2. Agreeing that he should be

sacked3. Declare that he cannot be

sacked4. Mention the bad situation of

the company5. Expressing that he must be

responsible for what he has done

Anglicist

Claire: I’m sorry, Prue, but I’ve made up my mind.

Prue: Claire, you cannot fire me. I love this job, I need this job.

Claire: I told you I wouldn’t tolerate anymore unexplained absences

(The Charms series)

do not accept to lose job

give reasons

“ BY THE WAY” Phenomenon

• Tom enters Greg’s, his superior’s office to request a day’s leave.

T: Can I just have a quick word?G: Yes, sure. Have a seat. T: (sitting down) I was just wondering if I could take Friday

off and make it a long weekend?G: Mm...., yeah...T: Thank you very much, sir. Oh, great weather ! It must be a

good weekend. Will you get any skiing at the weekend?G: Yeah, sure. We’re going to spend the weekend at

Cambrian mountains.T: Oh, it’s must be fantastic. ( Jonny Jeff and Mark K. Smith, 1999 )

Đây là một đoạn hội thoại giữa một nhân viên tên Hoa và trưởng phòng tên Mai

• M: Alô, chị Hoa ạ? Em Mai đây.• H: Ừ Mai à, có chuyện gì thế?• M : Em làm xong bản quyết toán quý III rồi chị ạ.• H : Thế à ,thảo nào chiều nay về sớm thế... nghỉ xả hơi hả ?• M : Em đâu được sướng thế. Chị không nghe dự báo thời

tiết nói gì à ?• H : Mấy hôm nay cơ quan mình bận hoàn thành kế hoạch

quý III. Chị đâu có nghe ngóng được gì đâu. Thế có chuyện gì ?

• M : Vô tuyến nói mấy hôm nay có bão từ ... khó chịu lắm

H: Th«i ®óng råi, d¹o nµy chÞ cø thÊy ®au ®Çu... ho¸ ra do B·o Tõ h¶ em?

M: V©ng. ChÞ chØ bÞ ®au ®Çu lµ nhÑ ®Êy. Em bÞ huyÕt ¸p cao míi khæ ®©y nµy. MÊy h«m ®i thu thËp tµi liÖu...ch¹y lăng xăng ngoµi ® êng, chiÒu vÒ ng êi cø nãng rùc lªn. Th»ng cu nhµ em míi gäi lµ khæ vi ch¸u nã vèn èm yÕu. ThÕ em míi tranh thñ lµm xong vÒ sím ®i kh¸m cho ch¸u... B¸c sÜ dÆn không nªn cho ra ngoµi trong mÊy h«m cã B·o Tõ m¹nh nªn em cho ch¸u nghØ häc ngµy thø 6, kiªng lu«n thø 7, chñ nhËt, chÞ ¹.

H: NÆng thÕ c¬ µ!

M: V©ng, khæ thÕ ®Êy chÞ ¹. Nhµ em thi ®i lµm c¶ ngµy ®Õn tèi míi vÒ nªn em ph¶i chăm nã mét minh. TiÖn gäi ®iÖn b¸o cho chÞ ... b¶n quyÕt to¸n ®· xong, xin phÐp chÞ cho em nghØ h«m thø 6 nµy ®Ó tr«ng th»ng con em, sî kh«ng cã ai ë nhµ nã ch¹y ra ® êng thi chÕt.H: õ, dï sao b¶n quyÕt to¸n còng xong råi... c« cø nghØ mµ tr«ng nã cho khoÎ... nh ng nhí thø 2 ph¶i ®i lµm ®óng giê ®Êy.M: V©ng ¹, em c¶m ¬n chÞ.

“ BY THE WAY” Phenomenon

Small talk By the way

Purpose

(chuyện (Tiện thể) (Chủ đích)

phiếm)

(in Vietnamese)

Purpose By the way

Small talk

(Chủ đích) (tiện thể) ( chuyện

phiếm )

(in American English)

Locations of “Wh-questions”

Anglicist• “Wh-question” words

( What, who, when. Where, why, how) are put at the beginning of the questions.

• Do not depend on the position of requiring information

Vietnamese• “Wh-question” words are

often put at the middle or at the end of the questions.

• Depend on the position of requiring information

Locations of “Wh-questions

• Who the hell are you?

Anh là tên quái quỷ nào vây?

• What are you doing in my house?

Anh đang làm gì trong nhà tôi thế hả?

• Why did you bring her here?

Tại sao anh lại dẫn con bé đến đây?

• Where is she?

Con bé đâu rồi?

• How did it happen with you?

Chuyện đó đã đến với anh như thế nào?

Locations of “Wh-questions”

• Which of you made me what I am?

Trong số các người, ai đã khiến con trở thành thế này?

• Who can forgive me, Lestat?

Liệu ai có thể tha thứ cho tôi hả Lestat?

• When will you admit your own hatred for him?

Khi nào bố mới định thú nhận nỗi căm ghét của mình dành cho ông ấy ?

• How long have you been here?

Anh đã ở đây được bao lâu rồi?

• For whom did you pray?

Anh cầu khấn cho ai vây?

(Interview Vampire)

Addressing subtle and sensitive topics

• When addressing such topics as informing bad news, proposing marriage, refusing love, etc; both the Anglicist and Vietnamese prefer indirect ways.

• However, Vietnamese tend to be more indirect than Anglicist

Addressing subtle and sensitive topics

Informing bad news

• See a clip from “ 50 First Dates”

Informing bad news

• I regret to inform that your son did not survive the accident.

• D¹, xin mêi b¸c ngåi xuèng ®©y ¹. Mong b¸c th©t binh tÜnh ®Ó chóng ch¸u ® îc th a chuyÖn cïng b¸c. Th a b¸c, ch¸u rÊt lÊy lµm ¸i ng¹i khi ph¶i th«ng b¸o víi b¸c c¸i tin v« cïng ®au ®ín nµy. Trong chuyÕn m¸y bay võa råi, anh Êy ®· kh«ng gÆp may, mÆc dï phi hµnh ®oµn vµ b¶n th©n chóng ch¸u ®· hÕt søc cè g¾ng. D¹, th a b¸c, ch¸u xin ® îc thµnh thËt chia buån cïng b¸c vµ gia ®inh ta ¹.

Factors affecting D and ID in human interaction in general

1. Age : the old tend to be more indirect than the young2. Sex: the female prefer indirect expression3. Residence : the rural population tend to use more

indirectness than the urban one4. Psychological mood: While angry, people tend to be

more indirect5. Occupation: those who do social sciences tend to use

more indirectness than those who do natural sciences6. Personality : the extroverted tend to use more directness

than the introverted7. Topic: while referring to a subtle topic, a taboo, etc

people usually opt for indirectness

Factors affecting D and ID in human interaction in general8. Place: When at home, people tend to use more directness

than when they are at another one place.9. Communicative environment: When in an informal climate, people tend to express in a direct way10. Relative distance: Those who have closer relation end to talk in a more direct way11. Time pressure : When in a hurry, people are likely to use a

direct expression.12. Position: When in a superior position, people tend to use

more directness to their inferior13. Distance: In a further distance ( with a lot of noise and

interference), people tend to use more directness14. Foreign language acquisition: People who know

European languages tend to use more direct expression than those who do not or those who know only Oriental languages

Summaries

Direct communication.............

Relying more on words and literal interpretation;

getting or giving information is the goal of direct

communication exchanges.

Indirect communication..........

Relying less on words or literal interpretation and

more on what is not said or done and on nonverbal

communication; maintaining harmony and saving face

are the goals of indirect communication exchanges.

Thanks for your attention!