Slide No.

Script

Good afternoon BSN 1B!

Good afternoon to our professor, Dr. Bona Sobrepeña Palma.
We are the Group 2, comprising of:

Al Daniel C. Jumilla
0 Hylex Marie C. Quiros
Joanna Wayne S. Horneja
Rouzhen Ydelle G. Alpanta

And the one reporting will be yours’ truly,

Gee Orland Floyd M. Bais

Culture and communication. Two words that are interconnected and affecting one
another.

Culture affects how people communicate. The ways through which messages are
conveyed and received,
and the types and forms in which the messages are sent,
1 are largely influenced by the people's language, social habits, cuisine, religion, music, and
arts.
At the same time, communication, which is the process of imparting ideas, concepts,
behaviors, emotions, among others, helps to form the fiber of culture.

Once again, good afternoon to each and every one, I am tasked today to report about
Local and Global Communication in Multicultural Settings.

But before we proceed to our discussion for this afternoon, we’ve prepared an ice
breaker to stimulate all our neurons. In this way, we would be attentive and interactive
for the whole course of our reporting.

This game heavily focuses on the culture and communication of a certain country.
You will be guessing a country based on the three pictures we will be flashing on screen.
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The mechanics are:
Each slide, we will be gradually showing three pictures
If you are able to guess the country from the first picture, you get 3 points
If you are able to guess it with 2 pictures exposed, you get 2 points
And if you guessed after we showed the 3rd picture, you will only have one point.

You can answer by raising your virtual hand and kindly unmute yourself.

3-6
Here’s our first picture for the first country you’ll be guessing
 KOREA
1. Hangul - is the writing system of the Korean language. Hangul is made up of 14
consonants and 10 vowels, making it an alphabet with a total of 24 letters.
2. Person who has his hands open to point on a certain direction – Because
pointing using your index finger is seen as a rude gesture.
3. Bowing – Showing respect to someone

MEXICO
1. Cinco de Mayo - annual celebration held on May 5, which commemorates the
anniversary of Mexico's victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in
1862.
7-10
2. People In Mexico are very touchy and friendly – The proxemics (interpersonal
distance) of these people are more inclined of being have little gaps between the
people they are talking to.
3. Honorifics of senor and senora – to show respect to those who are older.

RUSSIA
1. Cyrillic - a writing system used for various languages across Eurasia, especially in
Russia
2. Handshake – It is a very common greeting in this country. However, when you
11-14 shake your hands with someone at his or her door, it is seen as impolite and
believed to attract bad omen.
3. St. Basil’s Cathedral – A famous landmark of the country. Fun fact, orthodox
Christians in this country, uses their index finger, middle finger and thumb to
make a sign of the cross.

SAUDI ARABIA
1. Arabic Alphabet - is the Arabic script as it is codified for writing Arabic. It is
written from right to left in a cursive style and includes 28 letters. Most letters
have contextual letterforms.
15-18 2. Hijab - headcoverings worn by Muslim women. It is an Islamic concept of
modesty and privacy, most notably expressed in women's clothing that covers
most of the body. It is also rude and disrespectful when the soles of their feet can
be seen.
3. Great Mosque of Mecca –

19-22
PHILIPPINES
1. Baybayin - It was widely used in Luzon and other parts of the Philippines prior to
and during the 16th and 17th centuries before being replaced by the Latin
alphabet during the period of Spanish colonization. It is only one of many forms of
script used by our Philippine ancestors in their own respective regions.
2. Lip pointing
 3. Pagmamano – placing the back of an elderly’s hand onto one’s forhead. A sign of
respect

I hope everyone was energized and informed about the culture and communication from
the 5 countries we were able to present.
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Now, let us proceed to our first topic and that is:
Communication Across Cultures.

The first part of this report, we will be defining terms so that everyone will have a uniform
understanding as we dive deeper to the next topic.
Next, we will be exploring how culture affects communication

Third is Communication in forming the fiber of culture

24 And last is Communication practices and culture.

Ever since I started talking here, the word communication always pops up in every slide.
But what is communication. Can someone share how they define communication?

(ask ka, tukso kung wala)

Communication is a process of exchanging ideas, concepts and views among people

which elicits various contexts and meanings.

Communication is essential.

It is because it can reduce misunderstandings, build and fortify relationships, and

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establish yourself as an active team member.

Furthermore, communication plays an important role to us student nurses as we are

dealing with a diverse plethora of people every single day when we go on duties. Being
able to understand their concerns and assess their verbal and nonverbal cues that could
improve the care we are rendering to them.

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Let’s proceed to the definition of culture

It is a set of patterns of human activity within a community or social group and the
symbolic structures that give significance to such activity.

These include:
 place of birth
  religion
 language
 cuisine
 social behaviors
 art
 literature
 music

How does culture affect how we communicate?

Different cultures mean different languages, style, values, beliefs, approach and attitude.
One or more aspects often get in conflict with each other in the communication between
various cultures which is considered as one of its biggest challenges.

The way people interpret messages is heavily influenced by their cultural settings. In high-
context cultures, such as Taiwan or South Korea, nonverbal communication is more
important than verbal communication. They communicate in ways that are implicit and
rely heavily on context, meaning, and tone of the message, and not just the words
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themselves.

Low-context cultures on the other hand, like the US or Germany, rely more on verbal
communication than non-verbal communication. They communicate information in
direct, explicit, and precise ways. Like in American business speaking, a good rule of
thumb is to get straight to the facts

Some other examples are the ice breaker we did earlier that shows how different each
country is when they communicate. This could lead to misunderstandings that one should
avoid by understanding and learning more about a certain place.

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Cultures are created through communication. Communication is the means of human
interaction through which cultural characteristics— whether customs, roles, rules, rituals,
laws, or other patterns—are created and shared.

Here in the Philippines, our ancestors are fond of telling stories to children about how
certain phenomena are taking place in such creative ways. Take the example of the myth
of a long sea serpent called the Bakunawa.

Many of our ancestors believed that there were once 7 moons in the night sky. However,
because of the captivating beauty of these moons, the Bakunwa wants to bring these
moons to the depths of the dark river for him to enjoy alone. With that, every night, he
would devour one moon until only one was left. As people begin to notice the night sky
becoming darker and darker as the Bakunawa tries to devour the last moon, they tried
making noise by striking pans, pots, and gongs to reach the sensitive ears of the
Bakunawa and stop him from swallowing the last moon.
 In the present, this kind of phenomenon is called a lunar eclipse, and some indigenous
tribes in our country is still practicing rituals of making noises whenever there is a lunar
eclipse, believing that the Bakunawa is at it again to steal the last moon.

And through this exchange of beliefs, traditions, and history, people were able to weave
their own culture generations ago, that lead to us here in the present, still continuing the
evolution of both culture and communication.

Cultural contexts have a major influence on the way people perceive and interpret
messages.

Cultural context is related to the society where individuals are raised in and at how the
culture affects behavior.
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The more diverse people have been individually raised, the environments that
surrounded them, the stories they were told and consequently tell, and the behaviors
they develop affect how they enact verbal, nonverbal, vocal, and non-vocal
communications. In this perspective, communication practices are largely created,
shaped, and transmitted by culture.

Here is more info about Cultural Contexts that I got to introduce earlier

A recap:

High Context Cultures - are those that communicate in ways that are implicit and rely
heavily on context.

Low Context Cultures - rely on explicit verbal communication.

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When both are compared;
Communication in high-context cultures such as Asia often leave the messages unclear
and it is up for the receiver to read between-the-lines.

On the other hand, low-context cultures understandably and directly express the
message.

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Verbal and Nonverbal Communication also influence context cultures as the former
heavily relies on words and sounds. It can therefore include both spoken and written
communication.

The latter on the other hand, is the process of sending and receiving messages without
using words, either spoken or written. It involves body languages, facial expressions, and
signs.

For example, in the Philippines, when someone is talking to you and you are not making
 eye contact to the person talking, he or she may think that you are not interested on the
topic he or she is saying.

Another is the hand gesture of showing a “thumbs up”

What might seem to Americans like a universally positive gesture is not, in fact, universal.
Unfortunately, in Iran and neighboring countries like Afghanistan, the thumbs-up is
equivalent to the middle finger.

In the United States, patting someone’s head (especially that of a baby or little kid) can be
a sweet, loving gesture, and ruffling someone’s hair is a playful one. But in Thailand, it can
be a serious offense. Because they believe that the head “is considered the most sacred
part of the body,”

Religion - Religion heavily influences people's communication and other activities.

Learning about different ways that people with different cultures and religious beliefs
communicate with can enhance people's intercultural communication.

Variety of Dialects - Communication can be challenged with a wide variety of dialects.

Dialectical differences can create misunderstanding and gaps in communication because
the meanings, implications, and interpretations of words are different.

Here in the Philippines alone, we have a vast collection of dialects differing from island, to
island, and even province to province.

An example of this is the word feet.

In Hiligaynon (which is spoken by majority of Ilonggos in Iloilo) it is called “ti-il”
But another dialect in Iloilo, called “Kinaray-a” translates feet into “kahig”
But in the municipality of Calinog, in the 3 rd district of Iloilo (mind you, still in the province
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of Iloilo), they call it “si-ki”

(I also want to correct on how we interchange the words Ilonggo and Hiligaynon. Many
would refer the dialect of people in Iloilo as Ilonggo. But actually the dialect is Hiligaynon.
The person living in Iloilo or has blood rooted in Iloilo, is called an Ilonggo. Ilonggo is the
person. Hiligaynon is the dialect.)

Small discrepancies in language can have a large impact of the message we are trying to
convey. Many would say that Filipinos can survive in any part of the world, because even
though they do not understand their language, they are able to communicate with
foreigners by just using clue words and gestures. To the extent of making our own sign
languages of certain items. Surprisingly, they are able to understand what we are saying.
And that for me personally, is one characteristic of a Filipino we should be proud of.

We are able to survive wherever we will be drifted by life

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With all the things I’ve discussed in the first half of our reporting, we can conclude that
Culture is created through communication.
 Where communication is the means of human interaction through which cultural
characteristics—whether customs, roles, rules, rituals, laws, or other patterns— are
created and shared. It would be impossible to retain and pass on cultural features from
one place and time to another without communication and communication mediums. As
a result, culture can be said to be generated, molded, transferred, and learned through
communication.

Let’s now proceed to the last part of our reporting, which is the Variation in Language
Use.

This time, you should think about how to appropriate your communication by
understanding the social factors and dimensions involved.
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To understand the contexts, sociolinguists (scholars who study language and/in society)
have provided useful descriptions (special intonation, word and phrasing choices). They
claim that there are indications that speakers adjust to the age, status, and level of
intimacy among participants in interaction. They have also revealed how people sharing
the same occupation, vocation, or discipline share a special language variety (called a
register), just as people in the same geographical area or economic niche tend to share a
spoken variety, a dialect or sociolect (Fahnestock, 2012).

The first part of this report, we will be defining terms so that everyone will have a uniform
understanding as we dive deeper to the next topic.

Next, we will be discussing Language Variation

Third is the Social Factors in Language Variation

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Fourth is Status Relationship

Fifth is Formality

And lastly, is the Function or Goal of the Interaction

Let’s first define Language:

It is the principal method of human communication, consisting of words used in a

36 structured and conventional way and conveyed by speech, writing, or gesture.

People acquire a number of languages because they need them for different purposes in
their everyday interaction

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The next definition is Variation:
 It is how much something differs from another. In linguistics, there is more than one way
of saying the same thing.

By combining these definitions, we are able to expound on the idea of Language

Variation.

38 Where, it refers to regional, social, or contextual differences in the ways that a particular
language is used. It presupposes that we have a number of ways at our disposal that allow
us to talk about the same topics in different ways. Variation can occur at several levels of
the language system, and it can be influenced by a variety of variables.

According to Holmes (2008), linguistic choices are influenced by these components::

1. The participants (Who is speaking? Who are they speaking to?)

2. The topic (What is being talked about?)
3. The setting (where are they speaking? And the social context of the interaction)
39 4. The function (why are they speaking?)

In the subsequent slides, social aspects will be discussed on how these are useful in
characterizing and assessing all types of interactions. They're important parts of
sociolinguistic theories for why we don't all talk the same way, and why we don't all speak
the same way all of the time.

These are:
Status Relationship, Formality, and Function/Goal
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Let’s first discuss about status relationship

The status relationship of the people involved may play a role in determining the proper
code. In many situations, a high-ranking (government) official will be addressed in
Standard English (Holmes, 2008). English is the most commonly used code for formal
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transactions in Singapore, regardless of the speaker's ethnicity (Chinese, Malay or Indian).
English has a high status in the Philippines because it is the language used by the
government.

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Here is a status scale concerning participant relationships.

However, the social role may also be important and is often a factor contributing to status
differences between people. Typical role relationships are teacher-pupil, doctor-patient,
soldier-civilian, priest-parishioner, official-citizen.
 In which, the teacher, doctor, soldier, priest, and government official is often the more
statusful than those who are pupils, patients, civilians, parishioners, and citizens.
Furthermore, people's roles in formal contexts (church, classroom, etc.) determine the
appropriate speech forms.

Status and role relationships are governed by social distance.

According to Sherif and Sherif (1969), Social distance is a measure of how closely
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members of various groups interact, ranging from closeness to full isolation or no contact.
It is characterized by standards that govern situations in which only members of the in-
groups or only members of the out-groups are allowed to interact.

As seen in the social distance scale, groups who are intimate has a high chance of
agreement of feeling or action, especially among individuals with a common interest or
44 mutual support within a group. Compared to those who distanced themselves from
others.

The next social factor is: Formality

45 The proper variety for a formal ceremony in church will differ from that used after a
service. The type of music used in a formal radio lecture will be different from that used in
commercials.

Here is the Formality scale relating to the setting or type of interaction

The scale can be used to determine how the social setting or type of interaction affects
language choice. The language used in a formal transaction, such as one with a bank
manager in his office or at a church liturgical service, will be influenced by the formality of
the context.

Solidarity and status links often dictate the degree of formality. However, regardless of
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the personal relationship between the speakers, a more formal situation, such as a law
court, will influence language choice.

In a 2017 study, 25 native Dutch speakers retold eight short films to colleagues, who
acted either formally or informally. It was revealed that the speakers were comfortable
with the informal colleagues, whereas the formal colleagues remained distant. This goes
to say that those with intimate or low formality show high solidarity, and those with
distant or high formality show low solidarity.

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The function or goal of the interaction answers the questions:
 What is the language used for? And
Is the speaker asking a favor or giving orders to someone?

Here are two functional scales relating to the purpose or topic of interaction:

Language has the ability to convey objective information of a referential nature, as well as
express how someone feels.

Gossip can supply a lot of fresh referential information while also expressing how the
48 speaker feels about the people being mentioned. The more referentially focused an
engagement is, the less likely it is to express the speaker's feelings.

Talking about the weather over the fence with neighbors on the weekend, for example, is
more likely to be affective in nature and designed to communicate goodwill toward the
neighbor than conveying crucial new information. In fact, the conversation's exact subject
is rarely relevant.

To summarize everything,

Culture influences how people communicate, including their language, social customs,
cuisine, religion, music, and the arts, and vice versa, as communication aids in the
formation of cultural characteristics. The circumstances that culture provides have a
significant impact on how people interpret messages that may be different or similar
around the globe via verbal and nonverbal clues. Local and global cultures are exchanged
49 and learned through communication.

People are mostly bilingual, if not multilingual, around the world. They learn a variety of
languages because they require them for various purposes in their daily interactions, and
they adapt to the age, status, occupation, and level of intimacy of others by adopting
certain language variations. In various contexts, social elements such as status
relationships, formality and social distance, as well as the function or goal of the contact,
become essential to the choice of language.

Before ending this report, we will be asking 5 questions to the class. If you want to
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answer, just raise your virtual hand.

Identify:
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The property of languages having different ways to express the same meanings in
different contexts according to factors such as geography, social class, gender, etc.

Answer:
52
Variation
 Determine what social factor (status relationship/formality/function of the interaction)
influences the given situation:

53 In the United States and Canada, first names are seen as friendly and indicative of
fondness and attachment. In other countries such as Mexico, Germany, and Egypt, titles
are an important way of showing respect and it is best to use them until you are invited
on a first-name basis.

Answer:
54
Formality

High-context culture vs Low-context culture:

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A culture in which people are expected to be direct and to say what they mean. This
culture expects messages to be explicit and specific.

Answer:
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Low-context culture

True or False:
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Culture influences how people communicate but communication does not influence
culture at all.

Answer:
False
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While culture affects how people communicate, communication also helps to form the
fiber of culture as it would be impossible to preserve and pass cultural characteristics
without communication.

Fill in the blank:

59 A _______ (small/large) social distance exhibits mode laughter, interjections, first-person

pronouns, and direct speech, which are all indicators of involvement, empathy, and
subjectivity.

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Answer:
Small
Those with intimate or low formality show high solidarity while those with distant or high
formality show low solidarity.