TOPIC

Intercultural Communication
3 WEEK 4 DURATION 18 0 mins

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:

1. understand some issues relating to intercultural communication – how norms and

conventions of a particular culture affect communication;
2. develop an appreciation for the various communication dynamics in ;
3. create a narrative about two cultures – one being high context and the other low context .

PRESENTATION

Epic Fails in Global

Branding
Expanding one’s business internationally can be an exciting step for any entrepreneur,
but marketing a product or service abroad requires adequate research and preparation.
Without the proper considerations, such as language barrier, marketing to a foreign audience
can have disastrous outcomes.

When you're globalizing a brand, it's always a good idea to check whether your name,
logo, or tag line means something different in the regions where you're expanding. Here are
examples of epic fails in global branding. What do you think they could have done early on to
avoid it from happening?

Read the information about the following brands and identify the problems they had
encountered due to language barrier.
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 1

Brand What was the specific language barrier encountered?

Colgate
KFC
Mercedes-Benz
Vicks
Electrolux

Colgate launched toothpaste in

France named "Cue" without
realizing that it's also the name of a
French pornographic magazine.
KFC made Chinese consumers a bit
apprehensive when "finger licking good"
was translated as "eat your fingers off."

Vicks introduced its cough drops into the

Mercedes -Benz entered the German market without realizing that the
Chinese market under the brand German pronunciation of "v" is "f" making
name "Bensi," which means "rush to "Vicks" slang for sexual intercourse.
die."

Electrolux at one time marketed its

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 vacuum cleaners in the U.S. with the tag

line: "Nothing sucks like an

Electrolux."

DISCUSSION

Learning effective c0mmunicative strategies in the context of intercultural

communication will ensure one’s success in the many aspects of his or her personal and
business life. Having knowledge about the culture of the people you are communicating with
will be very helpful so that you would know the dos and don’ts while interacting with them. For
more helpful information about other cultures and their communication styles, read the article
the follows:

vs Low Context

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 Communicating in High Context vs Low Context Cultures
How people communicate with one another varies wildly from culture to culture. In our
fully globalized times, it is more important than ever to understand these differences and
where they come from. One way to reach such an understanding is through the high and low
context culture framework, developed by anthropologist Edward T. Hall.

In 1976, Hall proposed that cultures can be divided into two categories—high context
and low context. The concept has been a popular frame of reference since its introduction 40
years ago, and is used as a training tool to this day.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES?

The differentiation between high and low context cultures is meant to highlight
differences in how cultures communicate. High-context cultures will use communication that
focuses on underlying context, meaning, and tone in the message, and not just the words
themselves.

On the flipside, low-context cultures expect communications to be explicitly stated so

that there’s no risk of confusion, and if a message isn’t clear enough, it will slow down the
process of communication. In the most extreme cases, leaving any sort of wiggle room for
interpretation can be disastrous.
3

HIGH CONTEXT VS LOW CONTEXT CULTURE CHARACTERISTICS

Cultures typically can’t be organized strictly into either high or low context. Most
cultures fall between the extremes on the spectrum and can share characteristics of both high
and low context traits to varying degrees.

Although it can be a complex characteristic whether a culture is high context or low

context, it can determine many other aspects of a particular culture. For example, in a
highcontext culture similarity is an important characteristic. This is because the majority of the
population in high context cultures typically have the same level of education, as well as a
shared ethnicity, religion, and history.

Through these shared experiences, messages can be contextualized by assuming an

audience will think in the same way and follow the underlying message implicit in someone’s
speech or writing.

In low-context cultures, the opposite is true. They are usually diverse, and focus on the
individual, instead of the group. Since there are so many differences within a low-context
culture, communication must be basic enough to allow for as many people to understand it as
possible.

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 FORMS OF COMMUNICATION

Just as communication in general is different for high and low context cultures, the
forms of communication also change, including the types of media that they enjoy. In today’s
fast-paced digital age, these forms can shift, but underlying preferences stay the same.

Generally, high-context cultures prefer oral communications, while low-context cultures

favor written communications.

When it comes to emails, texts, and online messaging, low-context cultures use it to fire
off quick, frequent messages. Low-context cultures also want these communications to revolve
around basic questions, like:

What’s happening?

Where’s it happening?

When’s it going to happen?

How’s it going to happen?

Of course, high-context cultures will tend to move in the other direction, with a focus on
longer forms of communication that don’t always focus on basic questions.

COMMUNICATING IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Clearly, it’s important for a multinational organization to know the difference between
high and low context cultures. A full understanding of these differences will effectively improve
both outward, client-focused communication as well as inter-business relationships.

Will a company in Japan appreciate your attempts to get right to the point? Will a
German company become bored if you talk around a subject, instead of directly addressing it?
Know your audience and their cultural standing, and your message will never get lost.

▪ What is Hall’s purpose of coming up with the concept of high context vs low
context cultures?

▪ How do you think having the knowledge of these concepts will help you become
a better communicator?

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 TASKS

EXERCISE 1: With the knowledge you got from the discussion on intercultural communica-
tion, explain in your own words the differences between high context and low context
cultures in their way of communication.

High Context Culture Low Context

Culture

 High use of nonverbal

elements; voice tone,  Low use of nonverbal
facial expression, elements. Message is
gestures, and eye carried more by words
movement carry than by nonverbal
significant parts of means.
conversation.  
 Verbal message is
 Verbal message is
implicit; explicit. Context is
context (situation, less important than
people, nonverbal words
 Verbal message is
elements) is more
important than direct; one spells
words.        things out exactly.
 Verbal message is
indirect; one
talks  around the point
and embellishes it.  

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 EXERCISE 2: Watch two video vlogs about different cultures of countries – one categorized as

high context, and the other low context. Make a list of things mentioned by the host about
each country and some tips, if there are any, when travelling or staying there. Also,
highlight the communication style of that culture. This can be orally presented in class.

Country 1: KOREA
Vlogger: Alex Gonzaga

Descriptions:
South Korea is home to some of the friendliest people on

Earth. Here, you will find colorful hanboks and historical places in

the middle of Seoul, South Korea’s capital. All around the country,

you will also see temples, fortresses and palaces. When it comes to

nature, South Korea boasts a lot of hot springs, sandy beaches,

mountain peaks and national parks.

Communication Style:
The South Korean communication pattern is generally

indirect and quite verbose. They tend to rely less on

words and are attentive to a speaker's posture, expression

and tone of voice to draw meaning.

Country 2: USA

Vlogger: Ivana Alawi

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 Descriptions:
Everything is expensive! New York is a city filled with
attractions. Free movies and theatrical performances fill the
city's parks, street vendors are everywhere, and street fairs
abound. The New York City subway is one of the most extensive
public transit systems in the world. NYC has something for
every style, taste and budget, and with so many hidden gems
around every corner.

Communication Style:

Americans are direct communicators. They are task-centred,

the primary purpose of communication is to exchange
information, facts and opinions.

REFERENCES

James, G. (n.d.) Epic Fails in global branding. Retrieved July 30, 2020 from https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-
james/the-20-worst-brand-translations-of-all-time.html

Koh, M. (2014). People reveal their embarrassing moments because of a cultural misunderstanding.
Retrieved July 30, 2020 from https://thoughtcatalog.com/hok-leahcim/2014/04/30-peoplereveal-
their-embarrassing-moments-because-of-a-cultural-misunderstanding/

Shofner, K. (n.d.). Communicationg in high context vs low context cultures. Retrieved July 30, 2020 from
https://www.unitedlanguagegroup.com/blog/communicating -high-context-vs-lowcontext-cultures

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Prepared by:

Albert L. Paguntalan, M.Ed

Instructor, Senior High School

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