DR MAIZURA MOHD NOOR

WEEK 9
What Is Language?
• A set of shared symbols or signs
that a cooperative group of
people has mutually agreed to
use to help them create meaning
• Relationship between the
selected sign and the agreed
meaning is often arbitrary
 LANGUAGE
VARIATIONS
•ACCENT

• Variations in pronunciation
that occur when people are
speaking the same language

• Often a result of geographical

or historical differences
DIALECT

• Regional distinctions in
intercultural communication
• Differences in vocabulary,
grammar, and even
punctuation
ARGOT
• Private vocabulary
• Unique to a co-culture, group,
organisation or profession
• Communicate with members
effectively while excluding
outsiders who may be within
hearing range
• Jargon – professional
terminology
SLANG
• Non-standard terms
• Instances of informality
• Can be regionally based,
associated with a co-culture or
used by a group engaged in a
specific endeavor
Conversational Taboos
• Death
• Personal Questions
• Marriage
• Children
• Occupation
• Age
• Political Belief
• Humour (does not travel well
across cultures)
USING LANGUAGE - SPANISH
• Readily engage in casual talk
• Use of separate verb
conjugations for formal and
informal speech
• Indirectness
• Face-saving tactics
• Strong interpersonal
relationships
• High-context communication
• Harmonious interactions
USING LANGUAGE – CHINESE

• Collectivism or a group
interaction
• Societal hierarchy
• Intragroup harmony
USING LANGUAGE - ARABIC
• Emotional content
• Collectivism
• Hierarchy
• Social harmony
• Indirectness
• Repetition
• Exaggeration
USING LANGUAGE - ENGLISH
• Protecting own face than that
of others
• Direct
• Individuality
• Equality
• Note – English language in
other national cultures can vary
in usage, vocabulary and
spelling
INTERPRETATION
• Consecutive translation - speaker will
talk briefly and allow the interpreter to
convey the message to the other party
• High-level private activities
• Business meetings
• Small, informal gatherings
• Simultaneous translation – speaker
does not pause, which requires the
translator to listen and speak
simultaneously
• Audio equipment
• Translator in soundproof booth away
from the speaker
TRANSLATION
• Have the advantage of being able
to consult references if needed
• Not subjected to same time
constraints as interpreters
• Requires knowledge and
vocabulary of the subject area
• Machines have lessened the burden
of elementary, routine translations
• Machines are unable to detect the
subtle aspects of language such as
emotions, sarcasm etc.
CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS IN
INTERPRETATION & TRANSLATION
• Language Knowledge
• Completely bilingual
• Knowledge should encompass
contemporary usage which includes
metaphors, slang, and idioms
• Dialect Knowledge
• Facility in any dialect that may
come into play
• Specialised Terminology
• Well-versed in the terms, jargons,
and acronyms of the topic
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY &
LANGUAGE
• Digital age
• New innovations are continually being
introduced
• Why English?
• System was conceived and implemented in
the USA – designed for English speakers
• English is the lingua franca of scientific and
academic publishing
• Other languages are gaining a greater
presence
• Mandarin - China
• Hindi - India
• Spanish - Brazil
LANGUAGE & INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE –
IMPROVING INTERPERSONAL INTERACTIONS

• Being Mindful
• Speech Rate
• Vocabulary
• Attend to Nonverbal Behaviors
• Checking
SECOND LANGUAGE BENEFITS