Unit 1
Communication Across Cultures
Reading I
Intercultural Communication
锛?/p>
An Introduction
Comprehension questions
1. Is it still often the case that 鈥渆veryone
鈥?/p>
s quick to blame the alien鈥?nbsp;in the contemporary world?
This is still powerful in today鈥瀞 soc
ial and political rhetoric. For instance, it is not uncommon in
today鈥瀞 society to hear people say that most, if not all, of the social and economic problems are
caused by
minorities and immigrants.
2. What
鈥?/p>
s the difference between today
鈥?/p>
s intercultural contact and that of any time in the past?
Today鈥瀞 intercultural encounters are far more numerous and of greater importance than in any
time in
history.
3. What have made intercultural contact a very common phenomenon in our life today?
New technology, in the form of transportation and communication systems, has accelerated
intercultural
contact; innovative communication systems have encouraged and facilitated cultural
interaction;
globalization of the economy has brought people together; changes in immigration patterns have also
contributed to intercultural encounter.
4. How do you understand the sentence 鈥渃ulture is everything and everywhere鈥?
Culture supplies us with the answers to questions about what the world looks like and how we
live and
communicate within that world. Culture teaches us how to behave in our life from the
instant of birth. It is
omnipresent.
5. What are the major elements that directly influence our perception and communication?
The three major socio-cultural elements that directly influence perception and communication
are cultural
values, worldview (religion), and social organizations (family and state).
6. What does one
鈥?/p>
s family teach him or her while he or she grows up in it?
The family teaches the child what the world looks like and his or her place in that world.
7. Why is it impossible to separate our use of language from our culture?
Because language is not only a form of preserving culture but also a means of sharing culture.
Language is an organized, generally agreed-upon, learned symbol system that is used to represent
the experiences within a cultural community.
8. What are the nonverbal behaviors that people can attach meaning to?
People can attach meaning to nonverbal behaviors such as gestures, postures, facial expressions,
eye
contact and gaze, touch, etc.
9. How can a free, culturally diverse society exist?
A free, culturally diverse society can exist only if diversity is permitted to flourish without
prejudice
and discrimination, both of which harm all members of the society.
Reading II
The Challenge of Globalization
Comprehension questions
1. Why does the author say that our understanding of the world has changed?
Many things, such as political changes and technological advances, have changed the world
very rapidly. In the past most human beings were born, lived, and died within a limited geographical
area, never encountering people of other cultural backgrounds. Such an existence, however, no
longer prevails in the world. Thus, all people are faced with the challenge of understanding this