COMMUNICATION

- a human act of sending (verbal or nonverbal; online COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE

or offline) and receiving of messages where - refers to linguistic, sociolinguistics, discourse and
interpretations are normally constructed in the strategic proficiency of the sender and the receiver
process of the communication (Dell Hymes, 1966)
PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION
- an intentional communication that happens within LINGUISTICS
the bounds of specific contexts - knowledge of the language code
- ability of the communicator to use the appropriate
ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION morphology, syntax, phonology, semantics and
1. SENDER pragmatics
o the one that transmits the message SOCIOLINGUISTICS
2. RECEIVER - knowledge of sociocultural rules of use
o the one that decodes or interpret the - ability of the receiver to accommodate or adjust to
message the communication style or language variety used by
o must have a good listening and the sender
comprehension skill DISCOURSE
3. DELIVERY - knowledge of how to produce and comprehend oral
o this includes good voice projection, use of or written texts in the modes of speaking/writing
appropriate eye contact, proper articulation and listening/reading respectively
of words and emphasis on words and - ability of the speaker to demonstrate organized,
intonation cohesive and coherent thoughts in spoken or written
4. MESSAGE texts
o the idea or concept that is being STRATEGIC
transmitted to the receiver - ability to recognise and repair communication
5. CHANNEL breakdowns before, during, or after they occur
o refers to the pathway by which the message - speaker’s ability to adapt to the use of verbal and
gets transmitted from sender to receiver nonverbal language to compensate for
6. FEEDBACK communication problems
o means responding to the message of the
sender GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION
7. NOISE 1. KNOW YOUR PURPOSE
o the interference which interrupts or distorts 2. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
the intended message 3. KNOW YOUR TOPIC
8. CONTEXT 4. ADJUST YOUR SPEECH OR WRITING TO THE
o communication happens in specific contexts CONTEXT OF THE SITUATION
5. WORK ON THE FEEDBACK GIVEN TO YOU
DIFFERENT CONTEXTS
1. SETTING/ENVIRONMENT PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE ORAL COMMUNICATION
o family, school, workplace, religious 1. BE CLEAR WITH YOUR PURPOSE
communities 2. BE CLEAR WITH YOUR PURPOSE
2. SOCIAL RELATIONS 3. BE COMPLETE WITH THE MESSAGE YOU DELIVER
o friends, husband & wife, parent & child, 4. BE CONCISE
colleagues/ boss-subordinate 5. BE NATURAL WITH YOUR DELIVERY
3. SCENES WHICH INCLUDE PLACE, TIME & OCCASION 6. BE SPECIFIC AND TIMELY WITH YOUR FEEDBACK
o business meeting, job interview, social
gathering- parties, weddings, etc. PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
4. CULTURE 1. Be clear with your purpose.
o history, tradition, beliefs, norms, values 2. Be complete with the message you deliver.
3. Be concise.
4. Be natural with your delivery.
FIVE Cs OF COMMUNICATION
5. Be specific and timely with your feedback.
1. COURTESY
2. CLARITY
ETHICS OF COMMUNICATION
3. CONCISENESS
1. Establish an effective value system.
4. CONCRETENESS
2. Provide complete and accurate information.
5. COMPLETENESS
3. Disclose vital information adequately and
appropriately.
What is the importance of feedback?
4. Adhering to the golden rule or the platinum rule.
 to know if the receiver received the message and to
5. Considering the feelings of the receiver.
clarify and revise the message of the sender
6. Acknowledging the source of idea and information.
7. Speaking the truth.
THREE TYPES OF BARRIERS/NOISES
1. EXTERNAL
ORAL COMMUNICATION SITUATIONS
o e.g. other people speaking, hum of a distant
1. presentations
engine
2. informal work-related discussions
2. INTERNAL
3. persuading colleagues
o e.g. phobias, recurring illnesses
4. giving feedback
3. SEMANTIC
5. informal social conversations
o e.g. different interpretation of words by
6. listening
sender and receiver
 7. following instructions
8. networking
9. instructing, explaining, and demonstrating
10. negotiating with clients and employers
11. conflict resolution
12. chairing/leading discussions
13. building relations with fellow team members
SALIENT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WRITTEN AND
ORAL REPORTS
In a written report, a writer may consider the following
factors as key points:
1. Reader controls message and can reread difficult
passages.
2. Reader’s initial reaction is not known.
3. Reader sets the pace.
4. Reader’s attention span is usually longer as content
is often longer and developed in greater depth.
5. Reader has fewer physical restrictions.
6. Reader uses aids such as paragraphs and
punctuations.
7. Reader has a written record which makes
information retrieval relatively easy.
In delivering an oral report, a speaker may take note of the
following salient points:
1. Listener provides direct feedback.
2. Listener’s attention span is limited, although it
increases with the use of audio-visual aids.
3. Listener is subject to physical limitations such as
having to remain seated.
4. Listener relies upon signals such as pauses,
inflection, pitch and space.
5. Listener has limitations in terms of informational
retrieval unless the message is recorded.
6. Listener is usually not so alert or critical of errors.
LANGUAGE REGISTERS
- it is the way language varies when used in different
situations for different purposes
- choosing the more appropriate register in the right
context to the right people is an essential
cornerstone of courtesy and effective
communication
- certainly, it would be inappropriate to use language
and vocabulary reserved for one’s intimate
relationships in a classroom setup or formal meeting
- the appropriate language register depends on the
audience (who), the topic (what), the purpose (why)
and the location (where)
- refer to both appropriateness and context rather
than grammatical correctness of words
TYPES OF REGISTERS
1. INTIMATE REGISTER
o this is reserved for close family, or intimate
people such as husband and wife, boyfriend
and girlfriend, sibling, parents, and children
2. FORMAL REGISTER
o this is the language used in formal settings
o the use of formal language usually follows a
commonly accepted format which is
impersonal
o this is used in speeches, sermons,
pronouncements made by judges and
announcements
3. INFORMAL REGISTER
o also known as a CASUAL REGISTER
o this type is characterized by the use of slang
and colloquialisms which are usually used
by peers or friends
o common in this type is the use of words and
phrases such as bro, chick, awesome, cool,
ain’t, check it out, moment of truth
4. CONSULTATIVE REGISTER
o this is used in professional discourse usually
between a superior and subordinate, doctor
and patient, lawyer and judge, teacher and
student, or counselor and client
o this is used when consulting an expert.
5. STATIC REGISTER
o this is a style of communication that rarely
or never changes
o it is fixed in time and content
o examples of this register are the pledge of
allegiance, the Lord’s Prayer, a
bibliographic reference and laws
FOUR STAGES IN WRITING
1. PRE-WRITING STAGE
- is the most important stage it is the stage where
the writer generates idea or the brainstorming
part of writing which is necessary for us to know
what our point will be
- one should always take time in this stage
because this can be detrimental in the whole
outcome of one's paper
- thinking about a topic, brainstorming and
planning
2. DRAFTING STAGE
- takes place as you bring your thoughts into
sentences and paragraphs, there, too you begin
to link your ideas
- thus, you concentrate on fully explaining and
promoting your proposal
- quickly putting thoughts on paper
3. REVISING STAGE
- is the process wherein the writer looks at his or
her composition in a way that he or she
becomes a reader
- writers also identify the places where their
writing could be clearer; as for the final step in
the revision process, the writer decides if there
are parts of his or her work that can be
reconstructed
- reworking the organization and details
4. EDITING STAGE
- is what the writer starts to do as soon as he or
she finishes his or her draft. Hence the writer
checks if his or her work is well-organized; this
includes the grammar, spelling, punctuation,
capitalization, and the like
 - reviewing and correcting spelling, grammar, - part of an argument
capitalization, and punctuation
Ex. The premise is true.
MOST FREQUENTLY MISUSED WORDS PREMISES
CONSIST - house or building
- to be one of the parts
Ex. This is a building premises.
Ex. The art gallery consists of 50 painting. AFFECT
COMPRISE - impact
- to be composed of
Ex. We are affected by the drought.
Ex. The USA comprises 50 states. EFFECT
COMPOSE - result of change
- what makes it up
Ex. Taking illegal drugs has many side effects.
Ex. Fifty states compose the USA. 3 ORAL COMMUNICATION SITUATIONS THAT YOU MAY
PICK ENGAGE IN AS YOU ENTER YOUR WORKPLACE
- select from the choices 1. PRESENTATIONS/ MEETINGS
2. SEMINARS
Ex. I will pick the apples instead of the 3. INFORMAL CONVERSATION
pineapple.
PICK UP TWO SALIENT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WRITTEN AND
- to pick something somewhere or in a location ORAL REPORTS
ORAL REPORT
Ex. Pick up your trash. - report that is given orally
RAISE - frequently used in the form of oral presentation
- something raises something such as meetings
Ex. Let’s raise the flag. WRITTEN REPORT
RISE - report that we write and transmit to others
- something rises - written report is more appropriate
Ex. Let us all rise. THREE CONCENTRIC CIRCLES OF ASIAN ENGLISH
THERE ACCORDING TO BRAJ KACHRU
- refers to a place BRAJ KACHRU
- professor of linguistics who coined the term
Ex. I went there last night.
THEIR ‘World English’
- the possessive of 'they' - constructed a model of the different uses of
English around the world
Ex. Their performance was outstanding. - this model, otherwise known as KACHRU’S
THEY'RE THREE CIRCLES OF ENGLISH, is comprised of
- refers to a group three concentric circles: the inner circle, the
outer circle and the expanding circle.
Ex. They're not listening.
PREMISE

A. INNER CIRCLE o Kachru labels these countries as 'norm-

o includes the countries who are developing'
considered the 'traditional bases' of  the norms produced by the
English, such as the U.K., U.S.A, inner circle are further
Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and developed and reproduced in
anglophone Canada the outer circle
o English is classed as a 'first' language. C. EXPANDING CIRCLE
o 'norm-providing' o includes much of the rest of the world's
 the norms of the English population
language are produced there, o countries that do not hold historical or
as labelled by Kachru governmental importance towards
B. OUTER CIRCLE English, but class it as a foreign
o countries wherein English is not language or lingua franca
spoken natively but is still maintained o main examples of such countries
as an important language for include most of Europe, China, Russia,
communication Japan, Korea, Egypt and Indonesia
o (e.g. as an official 'second' language or o these countries are 'norm-dependent'
as the nation's official language for  they fully depend on the
business and commerce) largely due to norms originally produced by
historical reasons the native speakers of the
o these countries include India, Nigeria, inner circle. They generally do
the Phillippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan, not develop or reproduce
Malaysia, Tanzania, Kenya, non- 'English’
anglophone South Africa and Canada
VARIETIES OF ENGLISH TABLE
British English
Date For British English, date is written as
such: day followed by month
followed by year
e.g. 4 July 1776
4th of July 1776
4th of July, 1776
Full Stops (abbreviation) British English does not place a full
stop after the titles ‘Mr’ and ‘Mrs’
e.g. Mr Bean
British English also omits the full
stop when the shortened version of
a title ends with the last letter of the
full version
e.g. Dr Who
British English, however, uses a full
stop when and abbreviation doesn’t
include the last letter of the full term
e.g. Prof. McGonagall
Quotation Marks “” and British English uses single quote
commas and periods inside the marks for the main quote and
quotation marks double quote marks for a quote
within a quote
e.g. ‘She’s a nightmare honestly. “It’s
LeviOsa, not Leviosar.” It’s no
wonder she hasn’t got any friends!’
In addition, British English only
places punctuation marks if it is part
of the original text
e.g. Luna excitedly muttered that her
father had seen a ‘Bibbering
Humdinger’, as well as experiencing
well as the ‘Crumple-Horned
Snorkack’.
Serial commas Despite being named after a British
University, the Oxford comma the
comma used before “and” in lists is
not considered standard in British
English because only one style guide
(Oxford) recommends it
e.g. Percy, Grover and Annabeth
hyphen Hyphens are often used in British
English to connect prefixes with the
main
word; British English tends toward
hyphenation in the case of prefixes
however, there are no hard and fast
rules
e.g. pre-emption, pre-trial, co-
operation
eable and able -eable the silent e, produced when
American English
In American English, the month comes
before the day
(one cannot use of and rarely use
ordinal numbers such as st, nd, rd, th);
commas should also be used to
separate the day and the year
e.g. July 4, 1776
Thursday, July 4, 1776
American English places a full stop
after the titles ‘Mr.’ and ‘Mrs.’
e.g. Mr. Bean
American English requires a full stop
for all abbreviations
e.g. Dr. Who
Prof. McGonagall
American English is the other way
around of the British English rules: use
double quote marks for the main quote
and a single quote mark for a quote
within a quote
e.g. “She’s a nightmare honestly. ‘It’s
LeviOsa, not Leviosar.’ It’s no wonder
she hasn’t got any friends!”
In American punctuation rules, it
requires all commas and full stops to
be given within quote marks
e.g. Luna excitedly muttere that her
father had seen a “Bibbering
Humdinger,” as well as the “Crumple-
Horned Snorkack.”
However, the serial comma is
mandatory in US English (except in the
journalistic AP style) because all other
US style guides recommend using it
e.g. Percy, Grover, and Annabeth
Hyphens are less common in
American English; generally, American
English tends toward omission of the
hyphen when it comes to prefixes
e.g. preemption, pretrial, cooperation
-able In American English, it is
 forming some adjectives with a suffix
is generally used in British English
e.g. likeable, unshakeable, ageing
e and ue In British English, the final silent -e or
-ue is retained
e.g. analogue, axe, catalogue
re and er In British usage, some words of
French, Latin, or Greek origin end
with a consonant followed by -re,
the -re is actually pronounced /ər/
e.g. centre, fibre, metre, litre
Exceptions to the -re spelling in
British usage: Many words spelled
with -re in Modern French are
spelled with -er in both British and
American usage
e.g. December, diameter, disaster,
oyster
y and i British English uses y on some words
that are spelled with i in American
English
e.g. tyre, dyke
l and ll British generally use the two-“l”
approach to their spelling
e.g. travelled, fueled, marveled
Note, however, that in British
English, some words that end in a
double ll lose one l
when a suffix is added
e.g. skilfully, wilfully
ce and s(e)* In British English the verb that
relates to a noun ending in -ce is
sometimes
given the ending –se
e.g.
advice (noun); advise (verb)
device (noun); devise (verb)
c and s** British English spells with -ence
e.g. licence
o and u In British English, the standard way
of writing words that might include
either the letter o or the letters ou is
to use the ou form
e.g. colour, humour, honour
ae British English words are spelled with
the double vowels ae
generally left out
e.g. likable, unshakable, aging
The e is however sometimes used in
American English where it affects the
sound of the preceding consonant
e.g. traceable, manageable
In American English, the –e or –ue is
omitted
e.g. analog, axe, catalog
In the USA most of these words (note
"most" not all) have the more phonetic
spelling of –er
e.g. center, fiber, meter, liter
The ending -cre is preserved in
American English, to indicate the c is
pronounced /k/ rather than /s/
e.g. lucre, massacre, acre, mediocre
American English uses i on some words
that are spelled with y in American
English
e.g. tire, dike
Americans have dropped the double
“l” when adding suffixes to verbs that
end in the letter “l”
e.g. traveled, fueled, marveled
In American English,
the double ll is retained when a suffix is
added
e.g. skillfully, willfully
American English uses -se for both the
noun and verb forms of these words; it
also uses -se for other nouns which in
British English are spelt
-ce
e.g. defense, offense, pretense
American English spells with –ense
e.g. license
The standard way of writing such
words in American English is to use
only o
e.g. color, humor, honor
Double vowels ae tend to be just
spelled with an e in American English
 e.g. leukaemia, paediatric, e.g. leukemia, pediatric, pedophile
paedophile

oe Like above, British English words are
spelled with the double vowels oe
e.g. manoeuvre, oestrogen
The vowel o is omitted and the
American English rules retain only the
letter e
e.g. maneuver, estrogen

s and z In British English, s is generally used
in such words, however, it
is not wrong to use z in such words
when using British English as
standard
The letter z is used in American English
in such words
e.g. recognize, authorize

e.g. recognise, authorise

Program or programme In British English, programme is the In American English, program is the
prefered spelling, although program correct spelling
is often used in computing contexts

Tonne or ton Tonne is an alternative spelling used
to describe a metric ton. It is almost
never used in American English, but
it is widely used outside of the
United States.
Again, a tonne, also known as a
metric ton, is a unit of measurement
equal to 1,000 kilograms. A tonne is
larger than a U.S. ton.
A ton is a unit of weight. Americans
measure nearly everything differently
from the rest of the world, and weight
is no exception.
In America, a ton, also called a short
ton, is equal to 2,000 U.S. pounds
(abbreviated lbs.).

Aluminum or aluminium British (and most of the rest of the Americans and Canadians spell and
world) use the spelling and pronounce the name aluminum
pronunciation of aluminium

Names of rivers River + Name of the River/ Proper Name of the River/ Proper Noun +
Noun River

e.g. River Thames e.g. Mississippi River

LANGUAGE REGISTER DOES LANGUAGE REGISTER FOCUS ON GRAMMATICAL

- is defined as the way a speaker uses language CORRECTNESS OF WORDS? SUPPORT YOUR ANSWER.
differently in different circumstances Some Language Register focuses on grammar and some are
- it also describes the various styles of language not. In formal and neutral language register, correct grammar
available for writing or speaking should be observed since it is technical and presented in a
formal fashion. On informal Language Register, there are no
FACTORS EFFECTING REGISTER rules on how we are going to create it.
1. SOCIAL OCCASION
2. CONTEXT
3. PURPOSE
4. AUDIENCE
 Whether written or spoken or informal or formal
 Literal variety and colloquial variety.
 Kind of subject matter, physical setting and occasions
of language activity.
5 TYPES OF REGISTERS - Counselor (asking for assistance)
 FROZEN REGISTER  CASUAL (INFORMAL) REGISTER
- Pledge of Allegiance - Talking with friends
- Lord’s Prayer - Slang (writing drafts should allow casual before
- Preamble to the Constitution (language that the formal draft because it “gets the information
remains fixed/unchanged) out” on the paper)
 FORMAL/ACADEMIC REGISTER  INTIMATE REGISTER
- Interviews - Language of lovers
- Academic language in classroom (lectures, - Sexual harassment (not for public information)
instruction—mini-lessons)
- Public speaking The Universal Rule: A person can go from one register to the
next register without any conflicts whatsoever (casual to
 CONSULTATIVE REGISTER
consultative…); however, if a person goes from one register
- Talking to a boss/supervisor/teacher, lawyer,
to another register, skipping a level or more, this is
doctor considered anti-social behavior (i.e. moving from frozen to
 intimate, etc. marks a difference between a public voice and 2. THE GEOGRAPHICAL AND ECOLOGICAL FACTOR
private voice). Students must know how and when to move o is a natural or a physical factor
from one register to the next. o the climate or rainfall, attitude of the
2 MOST COMMON FILIPINO GRAMMATICAL ERRORS place, closeness to the sea decides the
USING "HE" AND "SHE" culture and lifestyle of the people
ex: "Anne is tired, he's, ah, i mean, she's sleeping right now" o any change in the physical features will
 most Filipinos experienced this type of error due to
automatically lead to a change in their
the Filipino language. Both "he" and "she" are
culture, habits and the way they live
describe as "siya" in the said language.
life
USING "MORE + ADJECTIVE+ER" 3. COMMON HISTORY
ex: "It is more hotter right now than yesterday." o depends on what shared experiences
USING THE WORD "ANYWAYS" INSTEAD OF "ANYWAY" that they enter as a member of a group
FOUR SOURCES OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES o it has particular racial, ethnic, and
1. ENVIRONMENT national origins
O a person adapts to the environment, 4. BELIEFS AND VALUES
nature and society and things around O depends on what family they belong or
them the history of their ancestors, how they
O each society creates other methods for started or adapted
passing their cultural inheritance on to o commonly held truths and values
their children shapes one’s view of the world and
O gives a big impact on your way of living their human activities
as a person

COUNTRY’S COMMUNICATION PATTERNS/ETIQUETTES

Japan Korea America

 While foreigners are expected
to shake hands, the traditional
form of greeting is the bow.
How far you bow depends
upon your relationship to the
other person as well as the
situation. The deeper you bow,
the more respect you show.
 A foreign visitor ('gaijin') may
bow the head slightly, since no
Handshake one expects foreigners to
generally understand the
subtle nuances of bowing.
Gift Giving  In Japan, gift-giving is highly
ritualistic and meaningful.
 The ceremony of presenting
the gift and the way in which it
is wrapped is as important,
and sometimes more
important, than the gift itself.
 Gifts are given for many
occasions.
 The gift need not be expensive,
but take great care to ask
someone who understands the
culture to help you decide
what type of gift to give.
 Good quality chocolates or
small cakes are a good idea.
 Do not give lilies, camellias or
lotus blossoms as they are
associated with funerals and
avoid white flowers of any kind
as they are associated with
funerals.
 Korean's usually do bows
which is their traditional
Korean greeting,
although it is usually
accompanied by a
handshake among men.
You need to support your
right forearm with your
left hand to show respect
when shaking hands.
 Korean women usually
nod slightly and will not
shake hands with
Western men.
Western women may
offer their hand to a
Korean man.
 They bow when
departing. Younger
people wave (move their
arm from side to side).
 Gift giving is very
common in Korea. When
receiving gifts, it should
be received with both
hands. Wrapped gifts are
never opened in the
presence of the giver.
 Reciprocate with a gift of
similar value when
receiving a gift from your
Korean colleague.
Koreans like regional
United States gifts and
Indian/Western artifacts.
 Wrap your gift nicely.
Bright colors are
preferred for wrapping
gifts. Yellow and red or
green stripes are a
traditional Korean
wrapping paper design.
Avoid wrapping gifts in
 A handshake is the common
greeting. Being the first person
to offer your hand reflects
confidence
 In a business/formal setting,
Americans give a firm handshake
and hold eye contact.
 Americans may hug to greet
close friends or kiss one another
on the cheek instead of
handshakes
 Americans do not really have
any customs or taboos
concerning gifts.
 Gifts are usually given for special
occasions or between friends
and family.
 Gifts within business are
generally discouraged due to
anti-bribery policies.
 Cash should never be given as a
gift.
 If visiting a house, bring flowers,
a potted plant, a fruit basket,
chocolate, wine, a book or a
small household ornament like a
vase.
  Do not give potted plants as
they encourage sickness,
although a bonsai tree is
always acceptable.
 Give items in odd numbers,
but not 9 (the numbers 9 and 4
are considered unlucky in
Japan)
 If you buy the gift in Japan,
have it wrapped. Pastel colours
are the best choices for
wrapping paper.
 Gifts are not necessarily
opened upon receipt.
 Punctuality is important. Arrive
on time for meetings and
expect your Japanese
colleagues will do the same.
 Appointments are required
and, whenever possible,
Punctuality should be made several weeks
in advance.
 The Japanese prefer to have
some distance, at least arms-
length in their personal space
Space
Attire  It is important to dress smartly
and conservatively.
 Men should wear a dark suit in
the winter months with white
shirt and tie that is not brightly
colored.
 As the summer months can be
very hot it is acceptable to
wear half sleeve shirts and
light grey suits.
 Women should also dress
conservatively, wear hair
either short or tied back.
Conspicuous jewelry or short
skirts are not considered
appropriate.
dark colors or red.
 Always bring a small gift
for the hostess when
invited to someone's
home. Give: small gift,
candy, cakes, cookies,
flowers, fruit. Do not give
liquor to a woman.
 It is common to exchange
gifts at the first business
meeting. Allow the host
to present his gift first.
 Punctuality is important
as it is a sign of respect.
You must call ahead if
you will be late. However
despite needing to show
punctuality on your part
don’t be too surprised if
top Korean executives
arrive a few minutes late
for appointments due to
being extremely busy and
the high pressure in their
schedules.
 Personal space is not
guarded very closely in
Korea. People generally
expect to come into
contact with strangers on
busy streets and tend not
to worry or apologize
when personal space is
invaded.
 Koreans don't break each
other's personal space
unless they are very
intimate. Around 1 meter
length is considered to be
okay.
 Personal space is similar
to North America.
Touching is accepted,
especially between
friends.
 Koreans dress well, and
you should dress
accordingly to show
respect for them. A
formal suit and tie is
almost always
appropriate. Koreans
dress up for city activities,
especially in Seoul.
 Women dress modestly.
Prepare to sit on the
floor; avoid straight, tight
skirts.
 What you wear is
important however these
day’s local girls are
influenced by fashion and
anything goes. One thing
to be aware of though is
that if you dress in a
shameless way and the
circles you are moving in
are not dressing in the
 Americans place a high value on
punctuality. If you make plans
with someone, you should be
there when you say you will.
 In American culture, the
commitment to spend time with
someone is more important than
anything else that might happen.
Three to five minutes early is
even better, because it shows
that you are really looking
forward to spending time with
the other person.
 Americans do not tend to like
close contact with others.
 2-3 feet of personal space during
conversations is the norm.
 For most Americans there is little
or no touching ever with others
although within some
communities this may be much
more common within the
community itself. This will also
be different between good
friends and family.
 In public, such as in parks or on
the bus, people try to give one
another space.
 Dress code depends on where in
the USA you are doing business.
The weather and local culture
will determine what is
appropriate or not.
 In general, people in the East
dress more formally, while
people in the West are known
for being a bit more casual.
 It is best to always dress
conservatively until it is clear
what the accepted dress code is.
 Men should wear shirts with
suits and shoes. Ties are
generally worn but not in all
States. Colors should be
traditional such as black, blue,
grey, etc.
 Women should wear modestly
with not too much make-up or
jewelry. Low-cut blouses, short
skirts and tight clothing are not
appropriate.

 Business cards are exchanged
constantly and with great
ceremony.
 Invest in quality cards.
 Always keep your business
cards in pristine condition.
 Treat the business card you
receive as you would the
person.
 You may be given a business
card that is only in Japanese.
 It is wise to have one side of
your business card translated
into Japanese.
 Give your business card with
the Japanese side facing the
recipient.
 Make sure your business card
includes your title, so your
Business Cards Japanese colleagues know
your status within your
organization.
 Business cards are given and
received with two hands and a
slight bow.
 Examine any business card you
receive very carefully.
 During a meeting, place the
business cards on the table in
front of you in the order
people are seated.
 When the meeting is over, put
the business cards in a
business card case or a
portfolio.
 The Japanese avoid eye
contact with strangers as it is
considered rude to stare.
 Facial Expressions: It is
common for Japanese people
to maintain a placid expression
Eye Contact and smile during an interaction
regardless of the topic.
Taboos  Do not walk on the wrong side.
Even though greater Tokyo is
one of the most-densely
populated urban centers in the
world, here, crowds are
orderly. Pedestrians on wide
sidewalks follow the unspoken
same way it will be  Casual Friday’ is common in
frowned upon. many companies. High
technology companies often
wear casual clothes every day.
 Receiving Business Cards:  Americans have no etiquette
Asian culture interprets when it comes to giving and
the respect you show receiving business cards.
one's business card to be  They are swapped with no
indicative of the respect fanfare.
you will show the  It is quite common for the
individual in business. recipient to put your card in
 Use both hands (or the their wallet, which may then go
right hand only) to in the back pocket of their
receive a business card as trousers.
the left hand is
considered unclean and is
used for the removal of
dirt and for cleaning.
 Do not put the card away
immediately, but regard
it carefully and then place
it in on the table before
you until everyone is
seated.
 Do not put it in the back
pocket of your pants as
this could be taken as you
sitting on the individual’s
face. Similarly, do not
write on a card unless
directed to do so.
 Presenting Business
Cards: Use both hands (or
the right hand only) when
presenting a business
card, making sure that
the writing is facing the
other person.
 Do not deal out your
cards as though you were
playing a game of cards
as this risks being
interpreted as rude.
 Traditionally eye contact  In the United States, making eye
is avoided, especially contact is interpreted as
when speaking to elders. showing interest, paying
But these days, eye attention, and a sign of self-
contact during confidence
conversation is becoming  If you look down or away from a
more common. person rather than meeting his
 During a discussion or or her gaze, you are considered
friendly conversation, to be distracted or uninterested
make full eye contact in him or her
with the person you are  If you neglect to make eye
talking to. Avoid direct contact with a person, you may
eye contact if you are be thought to lack self-
scolded/rebuked by confidence.
someone older or of a
higher status than you.
Some Koreans may also
avoid eye contact with
their superiors on a
regular basis
 Do not wear your shoes  Pedophilia in America is
in places of worship or considered as taboo because it
peoples' homes. includes the molestation of
 Do not put your feet on children, taking pictures of
furniture. children and exposing one's
 Do not eat or drink in private parts to a child.
public places while  Incestualize relationships are
 rule of staying to the left walking. also considered taboo in
almost as strictly as cars do.  Do not place your thumb America since children produced
between your middle and by closely related parents are
index finger while making more prone to genetic
a fist as this an obscene abnormalities/mutation.
 Do not call a sexual organ by gesture.  Racism or negative comments
its actual name. Saying the about someone’s race is also
name of genitals out loud, considered as bullying. It may be
especially the female one, is used in a pop culture but one
one of the most serious should avoid them using them in
Japanese no-nos. casual conversations.
 Do not leave a tip. Don't even
think about tipping in Japan!
Tipping just creates confusion.
If you leave extra money
behind, no matter how much,
don't be surprised if your
waiter chases you down the
street to return it.