Cross-cultural studies.

Similarities & differences in speech

behavior of the English vs. Ukrainians

Syllabus:
5 lectures
5 seminars
1 module paper
Credit
               Lectures in Cross-Cultural Studies
Lecture One. Part One.
-     What is culture?
Individual differences in C. – the degree to which
people adopt and engage in the attitudes, values,
beliefs, and behaviors. If you act in accordance with
these values and behaviors, then that C. resides in
you; if not – you do not share that culture.
Are we similar or different
1What are we similar in? Give your reasons.
2What are we different in? Give examples.
3Culture as the basis of cross-cultural studies.
 What is culture?

• Culture is a coherent and logical system, the

parts of which are interrelated.
• Culture is:
1) a state of high development in art and
thought
existing in a society & represented at
various levels
in its members;
2) development & improvement of the mind
& body
by training & education;
3) is both an individual and social construct.
Culture exists in each & every one of us
individually
as much as it exists as a global, social
construct.
 Culture – a ‘fuzzy’
concept
• Culture is a ‘fuzzy’ concept, in
that group members are unlikely
to share identical sets of attitude,
beliefs etc., but rather show
‘family resemblances’.
• Norms of any culture – relevant to
all people within the culture but
in different degrees personally.
• Are some cultures more advanced
or backward?
The answer is ‘Definitely not’.
Different people are culture-bound
& polite in their own way guided
by their national norms of
behavior imposed on them by the
society.
Anthropological studies by W. Labov
and
D. Hymes (cf. a guest visit to the
Wishram Amerindians who treat
silence as a sign of
acknowledgement)
• It is not that some cultures are
more advanced or backward,
more civilized or polite, coarse or
rude. Rather, they are similar to
or different from each other.
• Amerindians’ understanding of
time:
<
Future________Present________
Past__>
 Etic and emic factors of
culture
• Etic factor – all humans experience social
distance from out-groups, i.e. they feel
closer to their family & kin to those whom
they see as similar than to those whom they
see as different.
• Emic factor – is based on tribe or race,
religion, social class, nationality & caste (in
India) etc. Gaze is an emic element. Cultural
emic rules regard the appropriateness of
gazing at others when interacting In some
Oriental cultures they don’t look straight in
the eye, avoid eye contact. If the eyes meet,
the gaze is quickly averted somewhere else
not because of negative feelings but of
deference to the partner. The case is
different in Western cultures. Say in which.
 Culture change

• Cultural innovations (i.e. introduction

of new thoughts, norms, material
items etc.). It occurs as a result of
both internal & external forces
(discoveries & inventions).
• Culture change – the result of
cultural diffusion.
Cultural diffusion – most innovations
introduced into a C. are the result of
borrowing from other C., spreading
of C. items from one C. to another.
So, culture change is the result of
diffusion.
 Culture is learned

• C. is acquired through the process of

learning: greater tolerance for cultural
differences.
• Since we mastered our own C., it is
possible to master a foreign one through
the process of learning & training (effective
training programs).
• Two babies born at exactly the same time
in two parts of the globe are taught to
respond differently (some – to smile at
others, some – only in very specific
circumstances. In the USA - a child makes
decisions as to wishes, wants and
preferences; elsewhere – what parents say
to do.)
How is it in Ukraine?
 Cultural diffusion (C.D.)

Cultural diffusion is:

1) a selective process (cultures accept
everything
discriminately from one another):
a) a foreign C. is seen to be superior to the
recipient C.;
b) it is consistent with existing C. patterns;
c) it is easily understood;
d) its benefits are clearly visible to a large
number of people;
2) a two-way process – cultures influence one
another
by adopting better patterns of civilization.
 Basic components of
culture
• Three basic components of culture
are:
things, ideas & behaviors.
They can undergo changes –
additions, deletions, modifications.
There is nothing as constant as a
change!
The pace of culture change varies
from
society to society.
Give examples of a rapid culture change
in the USA, Great Britain & Ukraine (if
any), say by what it was caused
Literature to Lecture One.
Part One
1. Larry A. Samovar, Richard E. Porter.
Intercultural Communication: A Reader.
– Belmont,CA: Wadsworth Publishing
Company, 1999. – 343 p. (p. 33 – 69).
2. P.K. Conrad. Cultural Anthropology. –
New York: Random House, 1982. – 398
p. (p.5 – 16, 27, 35).
3. E.C. Stewart, M.J. Bennett. American
Cultural Patterns: A Cultural
Perspective. - Yarmouth: Intercultural
Press, 1991. – 192 p. (p. 1 – 15)
4. Ron Scollon, Suzanne Wong Scollon.
Intercultural Communication: A
Discourse Approach. – Oxford UK:
Blackwell, 1995. – 271 p. (p. 16 – 31).
Lecture One. Part Two. Principles
of interaction in Western Culture

Conditions governing conversation

• The Principle of Cooperation by H. P. Grice:
“There is a common purpose, shared by
the participants of a conversation, which
regulates the contributions of each
participant to the conversation. This
purpose may be fixed from the very outset
or it may evolve during the conversation”.
“Make your conversational contribution
such as required, at the stage at which it
occurs, by the accepted purpose or
direction of the talk exchange in which you
are engaged” (Grice 1975:67).
• The Principle of Politeness (J.Leech,
P.Brown & S.Levinson)
 Literature to Lecture One. Part
Two

• Goody E.N.
Introduction.Questions and
politeness: Strategies in social
interaction. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1987.
1 – 5.
• Leech J. Politeness Phenomena.
Principles of Pragmatics. London:
Longmans, 1983. 30 – 45.
• Messenger B. The Complete Guide
to Etiquette. London: Evans
Brothers, 1966. P. 7 -17, 39 – 81,
132.
• Following Kant, Grice related four categories of Quantity, Quality,
Relation and Manner to respective four maxims and submaxims
(rules) of conversation.
• 1. The category of Quantity concerns the quantity of information to
be provided, and it
• subsumes the following maxims:
• 1.1.” Make your contribution as informative as is required for the
current purposes of the exchange”;
• 1.2. “Do not make your contribution more informative than is
required”.
• 2.The category of Quality relates to the truth (and its justification) of
the information:
• 2.1. “Do not say what you believe to be false”;
• 2.2. “Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence”.
• 3. The category of Relation concerns the relation of each participant to
the purpose of the conversation. Under this category Grice places one
maxim:
• “Be relevant”.
• 4. The category of Manner concerns the modality of conversational
participation.
• 4.1. “Avoid obscurity of expression”
• 4.2. “Avoid ambiguity”
• 4.3. “Be brief (avoid unnecessary prolixity)”
• 4.4. “Be orderly”
 Are the maxims always
observed?
• Provide situations when interactional
maxims cannot be violated.
• Provide situations when interactional
maxims are violated/flouted when
infringement of one of the maxims takes
place. Which can be the situations?
Guess what kind of violation takes
place in the following example:
Prof. to a student: “ Please make clear all
the elements of your answer to my
question, because I don’t know the
answer”.
A case of “white lie” (e.g. a doctor’s talk
to a patient or a compliment to a plain
girl)
• (At the bus station) The driver to
the passengers: “The bus goes to
the depot”. – “Which depot?” –
The fourth. ( The driver keeps
aloof. Here we have the violation
of … )
• (In the public transport a girl cries
out to a woman in the far end of
it): “Mom, here is a vacant place”.
 The Principle of Politeness
(by J. Leech)

The Principle of Politeness provides

social balances of forces. It
consists of:
• Maxim of Tact (to prevent
conflicts)
• Maxim of Generosity (be
generous in any situation)
• Maxim of Approbation
(approvement ‘odobreniya’)
• Maxim of Modesty (never
overestimate yourself)
 The Principle of Politeness
(by Brown and Levinson)

• In interpersonal interaction –
connection with “face”. Face
Saving theory.
• Brown and Levinson make the
following assumptions: All
competent adult members of a
society have a “face”, the public
self-image that every member
wants to claim for himself,
consisting of two related aspects:
positive and negative face.
• Positive face: the positive self-image
or personality claimed by
communicators (the desire that self-
image be appreciated or approved,
the want of a person to be desirable,
to be ratified, understood, approved
of , liked or admired ).
• Negative face: the basic claim to
territories, personal preserves, rights
to nondistraction, i.e. to freedom of
action and freedom from imposition.
In other words – negative face: the
want of every adult member to be
unimpeded by others.
 Positive Politeness

Brown & S. Levinson worked out the theory of

positive and negative face: Accordingly
politeness is based on the assumption of
positive and negative face.
• Positive politeness (convey that Hearer is
admirable, interesting): (lists 15 strategies)
1. Notice, attend to H (his interests, wants,
needs, goods)
2. Exaggerate (interest, approval, sympathy
with H)
3. Intensify interest to H
4. Use in-group identity markers
5. Seek agreement
6. Avoid disagreement
7. Presuppose/raise/assert common ground
Continuation (Positive
Politeness)

8. Joke
9. Assert or presuppose knowledge
of and concern for H’s wants
10. Offer, promise
11. Be optimistic
12. Include both Speaker and Hearer in
the activity
13. Give (or ask for) reasons
14. Assume or assert reciprocity
15. Give gifts to Hearer (goods
sympathy, understanding,
cooperation)
 Negative politeness

• Negative politeness (freedom, be unimpeded,

minimizing imposition, in linguistic realizations –
conventional indirectness, hedges on illocutionary
force, pessimism about the success of requests):
(lists 10 strategies)
1. Be conventionally indirect
2. Question, hedge
3. Be pessimistic
4. Minimize the imposition
5. Give deference
6. Apologize
7. Impersonalize Speaker and Hearer: avoid the
pronouns “I” and “you”
8. State the face threatening act ( FTA ) as a general
rule
9. Nominalize
10. Don’t indebt Hearer, don’t impinge on Hearer.
 Lecture Two. Part One. The
British/Americans vs. Ukrainians:
Differences in Speech Behaviour

Cross-cultural check-list for the

class:
• Attitudes to time: monochronic
vs. polychronic culture
• Politeness vs. directness
• Sayings and proverbs as a
reflection of culture
• Terms of address
• Proxemics : space and distance
• Touch and body language
• Tolerance of silence
Literature to Lecture Two.
Part One
1. Тер-Минасова С.Г. Война и
мир языков и культур. – М.:
Астрель, 2007. – 286 с.(4 –46)
2. Herald Husemann. As others see
Us. – Berlin: Peter Lang, 1994. -
151 p. (p. 149).
3. Sandra Campagna. Going ‘global,
multimodally speaking //ESP
Across Cultures. Vol. 4, 2007. P. 5
– 7.
 Attitude to time:
monochronic vs. polychronic
cultures
In monochronic culture people

• Do one thing at a time.

• Are committed to the job and concentrate
on it.
• Take time commitments (deadlines,
schedules) seriously.
• Are low-context and need information.
• Adhere religiously to plans.
• Are concerned with not disturbing others;
follow rules of privacy and consideration.
• Show great respect for law and private
property; seldom borrow or lend.
• Are accustomed to short-term
relationships
 In polychronic culture people
• Do many things at a time
• Are committed to people and human
relationships, are highly distractible and
subject to interruptions
• Consider time commitments an objective to
be achieved if possible
• Are high-context and already have
information
• Change plans often and easily
• Are more concerned with those who are
closely related (family, friends etc.) than
with privacy
• Borrow and lend things often and easily
• Have strong tendency to build lifetime
relationships
 Attitudes to time:
monochronic vs. polychronic
cultures
 Politeness vs. Directness

• Politeness – a universal category,

nationally and culturally specific.
• Formulas of politeness and
strategies which regulate speech
behavior
Differences in Understanding
Politeness by:
• Americans & the British: to show
attention and considerateness which are
obviously of demonstrative character.
• Ukrainians: to stick to etiquette rules, has
ethical character.
• For the Am/Br: impossible to be “over-
polite”.
• Over-politeness is assessed positively.
• The form dominates the meaning.
• “S’s acknowledgement of the H and H’s
autonomy can’t be exaggerated” (B & L)
• For the Ukrainians: over-politeness is
assessed negatively. Sincerity, directness,
naturalness are preferred, i.e. the
meaning dominates the form.
 Differences in speech
behaviour
Americans/the British Ukrainians
Unimposing Imposing
Indirectness Directness
Ambiguity, obscurity Openness,
sincerity
Turn-taking Overlapping
Face-oriented Status-
oriented
Emotive, stereotypical Emotional
Demonstrative Natural
Phatic Informative
Regulated Less regulated
Committed to time Frivolous, not
timebound
 Reasons for differences

1. In incompatibility of historically determined social

relationships
( horizontal & vertical ) in the two cultures;
2. In cultural values
On horizontal distance: for the British/Americans –
privacy (verbal intrusion is forbidden); for
Ukrainians - prefer a close social distance (admit
H’s positive response to S’s interests, wishes,
problems, advice etc.). Direct and imperative speech
acts (particularly in H’s interests) aren’t perceived
as violating the Principles of Politeness.
On vertical distance: status, social roles are of greater
importance for Ukrainians. Imperatives are possible
either under “friendly” or “chief – subordinate”
circumstances (S has power over H).
The British/Americans do not demonstrate power.
Examples: Would you like to read? Would you mind
moving up your car? (In a joking manner) Don’t even think
about it (after blizzard)
 Lecture Two. Part Two.
Proxemics
Issues for discussion
1. The definition of proxemiics
2. Space
3. Distance
4. Cultural differences in the
approach to space and distance
Literature to Lecture Two.
Part Two.
1. Тер-Минасова С.Г. Война и
мир языков и культур. – М.:
Астрель, 2007. – 286 с.(4 –46)
2. Herald Husemann. As others see
Us. – Berlin: Peter Lang, 1994. -
151 p. (p. 149).
3. Shanta Nair-Venugopal.
Appropriating English as the
World’s local Language of Global
Communication // ESP Across
Cultures. Vol. 4, 2007. P. 38 – 54.
• Differences in speech behavior of the
British/Americans and Ukrainians are the result of
the above mentioned factors which make up a
national style of speaking.
• For the British/Americans it is distant (tend to keep
language and space distance), indirect (the use of
indirect speech acts), non-categorical (actively
employ the so called hedged performatives), over-
polite, regulated by a set of social norms, and
phatic.
• For the Ukrainians it is characterized by
establishing close contacts (in emotional and space
aspects), predominantly impositive (direct),
categorical (when expressing advice, ideas,
thoughts), status-oriented (over-politeness in the
situations with unequal communicative roles of the
‘boss – subordinate’ type), non-phatic (preferably
informative with dominance of the meaning over
the form).
 Proxemics: Space and
Distance
• Two diametrically opposite
actions:
a)advancing (getting closer),
b)distancing

Positive politeness
Negative politeness
• In Anglo-Saxon and other Northern
cultures the normal speaking distance
between interlocutors is an arm’s length
(even longer). In Southern countries (Italy
etc.) and Slavic culture the distance is
closer.
• E.g. (A scholarly conference in Urbana-
Champaigne.Two professors (Ukr. & Am.) are speaking
during the tea-break). Ukr.:
unconsciously
trying to move closer, American:
unconsciously trying to step back. The
Ukrainian may think of the American as
haughty, while American may feel the
Ukrainian interlocutor to be rather
intrusive. (looks like a dance – moving
forward and backward)
• When communicating we usually keep a
comfortable distance called differently –
“personal space”, “interpersonal distance”,
“comfort zone”, etc. Distance depends on the
nature of relationship and social interaction.
Americans have established the following
distances:
• Intimate distance (An emotionally charged zone)
• Personal distance (from one to four feet. Used
for informal contact // friends)
• Social distance (from four to twelve feet for
interaction with acquaintances and strangers.
Used in business meetings, classrooms, and
impersonal social affairs)
• Public distance (from twelve to twenty-five feet.
A cool interaction distance used for one-way
communication from speaker to audience.
Necessitates a louder voice and stylized gestures)
• Differences in behavior of Slavic
and Western representatives
standing in line.
We tend to stay very close to each
other, to the counter, ticket desk,
ATM (Automatic Teller Machine)
to withdraw money etc. The
Americans/British – at two arms’
length and never approach the
counter until the person at the
counter, ATM etc. has left it.
 Linguistic distancing

For Ukrainians to say: “in this country”

means distancing. We say “in our
country”.
Another example:
A woman (at the bus stop addressing
the driver of Bus 12): How can I get to
the railway station?
A driver: By Bus 12 (instead of saying “by
this bus” as far as he drives it).
Here the driver’s preference of such an
answer is determined by the type of
his individuality who prefers not to
give full information (a case of flouting
Gracian Maxim of Quantity).
 Tolerance of silence

• Small talk - a talk just for the pleasure of it when

we get together with friends, colleagues or even
total strangers over coffee or dinner or in other
place (standing in line). Pragmatically viewed, it is
a speech event of being together in a sociable
way bound in time and space and governed by its
own rules of interaction for the sake of solidarity
and cooperation between interlocutors.
• Filling in gaps. The situation of being together
for a longer time can’t tolerate silence. Compare
whether Ukrainians and the English being in a
compartment during a trip behave similarly.
(A joke about a talkative woman and Oscar Wild,
who prefers to keep silence during the journey):
She: If you were my husband, I would give you
poison.
He: If you were my wife, I would take it.
“Small Talk” in Contrasted
Cultures
• Aims of “small talk”: socializing, cooperation,
solidarity, co-performance for pleasure.
• Definitions of “small talk”: ‘referentially deficient
and communicatively insignificant’ (Coupland &
Robison 1993), ‘insincerity is its outstanding
feature’ (Wolfson 1981), ‘dull and pedestrian’
(Leech 1974), ‘a friendly talk just for the pleasure of
it’ (Malinowsky 1972)
• Communicative situations for “small talk”: a get-
together meeting, party, travelling, standing in line,
tea/coffee break talks at conference/committee
sittings, getting acquainted, casual
walks/promenades etc.
• The nature of small talk: non-assertive, non-
argumentative, non-confrontational, and releasing
very little information.
• “Small talk” topics: safe topics (weather, gardening,
sport, travelling, cars, hobbies, celebrities, politics,
etc.)
• Small talk registers/forms:
a) optimistic (animated, challenging,
dynamic)
(both in Western and Ukrainian
cultures);
b) pessimistic (complaining, trouble-
talking,
critical) (in Ukrainian culture);
c) argumentative (competitive,
imposing,
advice giving, confrontational) (in
Ukrainian
culture).
Prohibition vs. Permission
in Contrasted cultures
• In American culture – the policy ‘to permit’,
therefore speech acts are primarily of
advice, e.g. On the door one can see the
notice “For the staff” – ‘allowed for the
staff’ (cf. Ukr. “Стороннім заборонено”, or
Rus. “Посторонним не входить”);
• In Ukrainian culture – the policy ‘to prohibit’
whatever possible: “По траві не ходити”,(cf.
Rus. “По газонам ходить воспрещается”
• “From Nyet to Da” – a book of
reminiscences of the author who stayed in a
Ukrainian hotel during his business trip to
Kyiv. “Nyet” – usual answer to any request
to do smth. not in duly time or place. After a
friendly talk about family, children the
answer was positive - “Da”
Lecture 3. Linguistic, Communicative,
and Metacommunicative Competence
of Verbal & Nonverbal Behavior

Issues
1. The notion of competence.
2. Linguistic/grammar competence.
3. Communicative competence
4. Metacommunicative competence
5. Two types of behavior: verbal &
nonverbal
 Literature to Lecture
Three

• Bassnett S. Studying British Cultures: An Introduction.

London, New York: Routledge, 1997. – 202 p. (p. 3 – 53).
• Майол Э., Милстед Д. Эти странные англичане. – М.:
Эгмонт Россия, 1999. – 72 с. (5 – 54)
• Селіванова О.І., Байкова О.М. Опановуючи англійську
мову і культуру. – Київ: Ленвіт, 2008. – 126 с. ( с.120
– 122).
• Стефани Фол. Эти странные американцы. – М.:
Эгмонт Россия, 1999. – 72 с. (с. 35, 48)
• Тер-Минасова С.Г. Война и мир языков и культур. –
М.: Астрель, 2007. – 286 с. (с. 46 –66).
• Майол Э., Милстед Д. Эти странные англичане. – М.:
Эгмонт Россия, 1999. – 72 с. (5 – 54)
• 4. Чхетиани Т.Д. Лингвистические аспекты
метакоммуникации. Автореф. дис. …
канд.филол.наук, 1987. – 24 с. 2.Селіванова О.І.,
Байкова О.М. Опановуючи англійську мову і культуру.
– Київ: Ленвіт, 2008. – 126 с. ( с.36 – 75).
• Linguistic competence – a good command of the
target language, a proper acquisition of its grammar,
lexicon, and idiomatic units to be able to make up
correct sentences, meaningful and understandable.
e.g. (In the park) Am.: Where can I wash my hands? A
guide: Just over there in the fountain. (idiom for
‘toilet’)
An exchanged student from Japan was shot in Louisiana
when he was mistaken for a prowler while looking for
the site of a Halloween party to which he was invited.
He did not know the meaning of the shouted
command Freeze! – ‘stop, don’t move’ by the gun-
bearing occupant of the wrong home.
A Vietnamese girl seeing the table Rest Room: Can I
have a rest there? The answer to which was: A sort
of.
Exchange students in the USA face numerous
acculturation difficulties!
• Communicative competence
means pragmatic competence: to
obey norms and rules of
communication (see Grician
maxims), strategies of speech
behavior, meet the requirements
of the situation (taking all the
parameters into consideration),
make the interaction
comprehensive and friendly.
• Metacommunicative competence:
know how to establish, maintain
and terminate interaction.
 Differences in verbal and
non-verbal behavior
• Verbal: Americans and the British
tend to overestimate politeness in
communication. They demonstrate
exaggeration of politeness markers
(overuse formulas of greeting,
gratitude, forgiveness, make
compliments and vague invitations
like “We must meet and talk one of
these days. I’ll give you a call”, show
empathy, friendliness and deference),
whereas Ukrainians underestimate
politeness phenomena, in particular
within sets of close relationship (treat
them as insincere).
 DIFFERENCES IN
NONVERBAL BEHAVIOUR
• Non-verbal: gestures, facial
expressions, body movements,
conversational distance affect
communication. To study the “silent”
language of alien culture is a must.
(Bush’s V in Lat.Am. was abusement)
• Three types: 1) autistic (nervous):
biting the lips or fingernails, twitching
a facial muscle etc., 2) technical: the
sign language of the deaf, gestures of
referees, military salutes, signals of
music conductors, traffic directors, and
radio performers, 3) folk gestures.
• Which of them are culture-bound?
• In America people point with the forefinger,
but American Indians point with their lips.
Gestures are used to express emotions (love,
respect, honour, reverence, satisfaction etc.)
and acts (greeting, leave-taking, thanking,
agreement, disagreement, etc.).
• Facial expressions of Americans aren’t always
sincere. Many pretend not to show their
emotions freely. Relatives may smile having
condolences for the bereaved which does not
mean that they do not experience sorrow.
• Eye contact – to show attention, intimacy,
influence.
• To stare at strangers is rude, but to glance at
them and smile when passing by is common.
 Americans’ 12 Keys to a
Happy Life
• Compliment three people every day.
• Be the first to say “Hello”.
• Treat everyone as you want to be treated.
• Forget the Jones’s.
• Remember someone’s name.
• Be tough-minded but tender-hearted.
• Be kinder than you have to be.
• Don’t forget that a person’s greatest
emotional need is to feel appreciated.
• Keep your promises.
• Learn to show cheerfulness even when you
don’t feel it
• Leave everything better than you found it.
• Don’t waste an opportunity to tell someone
that you love them.
 Lecture Four. British
Etiquette & Manners
Issues:
1. British verbal and nonverbal
etiquette
2. American verbal and nonverbal
etiquette
3. Ukrainian verbal and nonverbal
etiquette
4. Similarities and differences of
Br./Am. & Ukr. verbal and
nonverbal etiquette
Literature to Lecture Four

• Bassnett S. Studying British

Cultures. London, New York :
Routledge, 1997. 202 p.
• Tarnopolsky O., Sklyarenko N.
Lifestyle Communicative Behavioral
Patterns in the USA
Київ: Видав.центр КДЛУ, 2000
• Майол Э., Мистед Д. Эти
странные англичане. М.: Эгмонт,
1999. – 72 с.
• Фол С. Эти странные
американцы. М.: Эгмонт, 1999. –
72 с.
 British Etiquette &
Manners
• British people are a bit more formal:
• Firm shake-hand, irrespective of gender, is good. Do it
when being introduced and when leaving. Don’t do it on
a casual meeting.
• Address with Mr., Mrs. or Miss followed by the surname.
• Don’t use the first name until invited to do so.
• Exchange the business cards at the beginning of meeting
without much ceremony.
• Do not stare into the eyes of English people.
Introduction protocol should be followed. Introduce a
younger to an old person, a gentleman to a lady, a
lower-rank person to a higher rank person.
• If you plan on an agenda, forward it to your British
colleague in advance for reviewing it & recommending
any changes.
• The business proceedings normally start after a brief
small talk.
• In your presentation do not claim more than what are
facts. Support your presentation with facts and figures.
 British Etiquette &
Manners (continued)
• Do not probe people with personal
questions.
• When invited for dinner at a restaurant,
be punctual. If invited at home, you
may be late by 10 min, it’s OK. Present a
gift to your host (it can be a box of
chocolates, a bottle of wine or bouquet
of flowers).
• Follow the dining table manners. Do not
sit down unless requested. The host
may indicate the place where to sit.
• Communicate at a bit formal level
unless you are close to the person or
have developed personal friendship.
 British Etiquette &
Manners (continued)
• Do not lean on table or do not rest
your elbows on the table while dining.
• If invited to a meal at a restaurant,
the person extending the invitation
usually pays. Do not argue about
paying it yourself; you may
reciprocate at a later day.
• Discipline is important If you happen
to see a queue, always go to the end
of it and wait for your turn.
• Do not use or chew a toothpick in
public.
• Do not spit anywhere.
 American Etiquette &
Manners
• In USA, East Coast is more conservative &
formal in dress & manners than the West
Coast.
• For official meeting wear dark coloured
suit with white shirt. For men & women
formal attire is recommended.
• Wear casual clothes (neat & clean) when
not attending a meeting or dinner.
Wearing jeans or khaki pants or shorts is
quite in place visiting malls etc.
• Punctuality is very important due to the
work ethic of the USA.
• In the USA, honest hard work is valued.
• Business meeting may be over breakfast,
lunch or dinner based on appropriateness.
 American Etiquette &
Manners (continued)
• Business & social conversation usually take
place during the meals.
• Gifts are discouraged by many US companies,
if permitted, it should be very modest. You
can send a gracious written note.
• Discipline is important. If you happen to see
a line, always go to the end of line and wait
for your turn.
• Do not use or chew on a toothpick in public.
• Do not spit anywhere.
• Public places & private homes do not allow
smoking because of laws preventing smoking.
In case you desire to smoke, ask permission.
If permission is not given, do not feel
offended.
 American Etiquette &
Manners (continued
• On meeting people or departing, offer a firm
handshake, lasting few seconds maintaining
eye contact with the person. It shows interest,
sincerity & confidence.
• Good friends may briefly embrace.
• Business cards are generally exchanged during
introductions or while leaving.
• A smile is a sign of friendliness.
• In the USA, asking about the nature of your
profession is a typical starter for conversation.
• For Americans, a way to establish a connection
with people, is to cut jokes, especially about
work-related issues. However, do not joke
about gender, religion or politics.
• In the USA, it is better not to speak about or
show any ethnic & racial inclinations
 British Superstitions

• Superstitions can be defined as “irrational

beliefs, especially with regard to the
unknown” (Collins English Dictionary)
• Good luck can be attracted by such signs:
Lucky to meet a black cat. (Black cats are
featured on many good luck greeting cards
and birthday cards in England).
Lucky to touch wood.
Lucky to find a clover plant with four leaves.
A horseshoe over the door brings good luck.
It must be the right way up, never upside
down.
On the 1st day of the month it is lucky to say
“white rabbits, white rabbits, white rabbits”
before uttering your 1st word of the day.
 British Superstitions
(continued)

Falling leaves in autumn. Every leaf means a lucky month

next year.
Cut your hair when the moon is waxing.
Putting money in the pocket of new clothes.
A bride should wear ”smth borrowed, smth blue, smth old
& smth new
The husband should carry his new wife over the threshold
of the home
Visiting the new baby for the first time, place a silver coin in
its hand.
Unlucky: to walk underneath a ladder, break a mirror, to
spill salt (otherwise must throw it over the shoulder),
number thirteen (especially Friday the thirteenth when
Jesus was crucified ).
Most popular food superstition is that:
When finished eating a boiled egg, push the spoon through
the bottom of the empty shell to let the devil out.
If you drop a table knife expect a male visitor, if a fork – a
female visitor.
 Sayings and Proverbs

• East or West home is best

• When in Rome do as the Romans do
• Bridge a gap to find a friend
• Evil communications corrupt good
manners
• Agree to differ
• Custom is a second nature
• Make the whole world kin
• Take the world as one finds it
• The world is a small place/a great village
• To speak a different language
• Throw lifestyle out of the door, it will
come back again through the window
 Lecture Five. American vs.
British Communicative Styles

• Issues:
1. The notion of communicative
style.
2. British communicative styles.
3. American communicative styles.
4. Differences between British &
American communicative styles.
 Literature to Lecture 5

• Bassnett S. Studying British Cultures.

London, New York : Routledge, 1997. 202
p.
• Tarnopolsky O., Sklyarenko N. Lifestyle
Communicative Behavioral Patterns in
the USA
Київ: Видав.центр КДЛУ, 2000
• Майол Э., Мистед Д. Эти странные
англичане. М.: Эгмонт, 1999. – 72 с.
• Cеліванова О.О., Іванова О.І., Байкова
О.М. Опановуючи англійську мову і
культуру. – Київ: Ленвіт, 2008. – 126 с.
( с.36 – 75).
• Фол С. Эти странные американцы. М.:
Эгмонт, 1999. – 72 с.
 American vs. British
Communicative Styles
• The American communicative style is
characterized by informality which attracts
attention immediately upon arrival in the
States. A stranger can say “Hi!” to you in the
street and can start a short spontaneous
conversation. First names are used almost
immediately. People seem warm & friendly
from the very start. This cannot happen in
GB. They look more formal and reserved.
• In America, a woman in the lift, whom you
see for the first time, can make a remark on
your dress or hear style. Such remark would
greatly surprise the English woman (what do
you think of a Ukr. woman’s reaction to “Яка
гарна у вас зачіска”?). Most English people
would consider this rude and inappropriate.
 American vs. British
Communicative Styles (continued)

• Distance, another distinctive feature, is culturally

significant. Americans stand closer to each other
than the British. If they push you , they always
apologize, saying Sorry or Excuse me. Excuse me is
the only phrase if asking or requesting for smth,
whereas for the British other apologizing cliche are
possible.
• Touching when talking is considered rude &
standing too close to an American may be
interpreted as being pushy & aggressive.
Americans value the concept of space. A typical
American house is spacious. They often say that
the ideal house means the one where you do not
hear or see your neighbors. British rooms are not
so spacious but more cozy.
• American small talk is usually about weather &
travelling. Politics, religion and money are avoided.
For the British it is weather and gardening.
 American vs. British
Communicative Styles (continued)

• Americans are used to taking turns in a

conversation. Each would normally speak
for no more than 10-15 seconds. If you
speak for a long time, they will get bored or
think of you as a rude person. Their
conversation is like playing ping-pong which
is not the case for the British.
• American ritual talk (“How are you?”) is
very short, unlike in Britain. Am. prefer to
get straight to the point
• Americans rely more on words than on
connotations. Unlike the British, they tend
to be direct and speak their mind. Probably
of this the British accuse Americans of
being rude.
• Americans speak louder than the British.
• Not knowing the target cultural
non-verbal communicative
behavioral pattern may lead to
inconveniences &
misunderstandings. In the process
of business negotiations, taking
off one’s jacket & rolling up one’s
shirt sleeves is a sign of seriously
getting down to business for an
American, but it is quite the
opposite sign (desire to relax) for
a British.
 American vs. British
Communicative Styles (continued)

• As is known, Americans are talkative,

loud & outspoken. The British are
reserved, reticent & quiet. A story
about an American lady and a British
writer & dramatist Oscar Wilde, who
happened to be passengers in a
railway compartment, says that he is
tired of the lady talking nonstop &
keeps silent:
She: If you were my husband I would
give you
poison.
He: If you were my wife I would take
it.
 American vs. British
Communicative Styles (continued)

• Americans are a smiling nation. Even being offered

condolences their gratitude is expressed with a
smile meaning bitterness.
• Americans adhere religiously to time commitments,
whereas the English are not like them. Instead, they
religiously adhere to gardening.
• The first greeting phrases by Americans include
questions about health, family & work. The
Englishmen will ask how one likes the weather and
how good it is
for gardening.
• Americans are church-goers, 90 % prefer to go to
the church on Sunday. The British are nature-
bound, prefer to spend time in the open air, pitch
tents in the fields, just get pleasure of viewing
nature
• The common feature they share is considerateness
and disclamation of imposition.
 А. Глебовская“Эти
странные американцы”
• The author of the book “The Xenophobe’s Guide to
the Americans” is Stephanie Faul.
• Specific Americans’ features:
1. Are proud of America and of being Americans.
2. Love to boast that they are different from the
others; (actually only in that they are taller and
have nice teeth);
3. They are of different origin (immigrants from all
over the world);
4. Are individualistic;
5. Only 10% of Americans have passports (but ID);
6. Think that everybody speaks their language.
7. Don’t care what to wear. (Waiters are in suits,
whereas millionaires are casually dressed – wear
shorts & T-shirts);
8. Feel close to the Englishmen, have tender feelings
towards them, the Royal family in particular;
worship Beatles and Rolling Stones.
9. Don’t trust the Japanese – think they are
collectivists, don’t share the idea of
feminism, are conformists and ethically
homogeneous;
10. Victory – the basis of their psychology.
Think they are winners in the world and
render help to miserable & poor
countries;
11. Attitude to calamity, catastrophe,
turmoil – not to worry, be optimistic,
think positively no matter what happens;
12. Adhere religiously to plans & schedules;
13. Highly appreciate humor, love jokes
about lawyers;
 Acculturation

• Willingness to immerse oneself into alien

culture – the most important factor of
acculturation.
• Enlightening – due to establishing
grounds for successful interpersonal
communication. Perceptions can change.
People of alien culture can be very close,
in an informal personal way, but it takes
time to know about a person, to start
having special feelings to him/her.
• Equal effort is required from both the
speaker and the hearer to adjust to
communication styles of each other and
to establish common grounds for
achieving rapport
 Ways to Avoid
Misunderstanding
• Developing linguistic (idiomatic
English in particular), communicative
and metacommunicative competence
• Overt discussion of cross-cultural
differences.
• Developing pragmatic
comprehension of non-verbal
messages.
• Deliberate speculation on cross-
cultural differences.
• Provide the students with some
strategies that they can use to
achieve mutual understanding.
 LIST OF AMERICAN TRAITS
DESCRIBED BY RUSSIAN SUBJECTS

Positive Traits Negative Traits

1. Ability to relax & get fun inability to
concentrate
2. Informality, self-confidence lack of self-criticism
3. Punctuality, friendliness too much
pragmatism, pragmatic
diligence, responsibility attitude to sex
4. Independence, self-respect egoism, always think
they are
the best and unique
5. Readiness to help, politeness too practical,
rational, can
suppress their
feeling if they can’t
afford it
6. Financial independence, kindness lack of depth&
inability to go
beyond one’s frame
of experience,
adherence to rules &
procedures
7. Sociability, amiability indirectness
about
willingness to help what they
expect
you to do for
them
8. Ability to work hard not caring about
desire to be independent anything but
themselves, lack
of
sincerity, don’t
like
to have a serious
relationship
9. Self-confidence, over-
consuming,
self-reliance, over-
exaggerated
independence,
individualism
ability to adapt
10. Friendliness selfishness,

indifference to any-
body but
themselves
 A List of Russian Traits as
Described by Americans
Positive traits
Negative traits
1.culture, erudition snobbery,
supermicism
2.Ability to survive no respect
for personal
space &
privacy
3.Hospitality, honesty self-
depriciation
4.Friendly & open if mean,
pushy when they
they know you don’t know
you
5.Faith & loyalty to difficult to
say ‘no’ to
friends them
6.Generocity sexism
7.Friends are not afraid men
carrying things for
to say what they think (sexism)
8.Helpfulness, insistence
that their
hospitality way is the
right way
9. Warmth, down-to earth, prejudiced
strait-forwardness
10. Modesty ‘I’m better than you’
attitude
11.Love of culture, music, do not like to take
art, land, adaptation risks with money,
feelings, thoughts,
not hospitable if
they
don’t know you
12. Interested in you can take it far &
invade your
emotionally & space
physically
13.Loyalty to each other lack of outlook (no
plans or goals)
 Stereotypes about
Americans
Differences in approaches, values &
expectations between people with different
cultural backgrounds have lead to many
failures. Miscommunication across cultures
is usually the most important cause of cross-
cultural problems in multinational relations.
Don’t believe all of the stereotypes you may
have heard about Americans. Even the ones
that are true in general may not be true
about individuals. Although Americans tend
to be louder and more boisterous than other
people, many are quiet & polite. Some
people may be intolerant and xenophobic,
but most will be pleasant & welcoming
Seminars
Seminar 1. Cross-Cultural
Studies
Questions & tasks
1. The subject of cross-cultural studies.
2. Aims pursued by cross-cultural studies.
3. The British / Americans / Ukrainians
viewed cross-culturally.
4. Behavioral models of the contrasted
cultures
5. Attitude to time & space
6. Attitude to silence. Small talk
7. Write down a project for 3-4 pages
about your experience of talking to
foreigners.
8. Write down the project “Why should I
study cultures to know languages?”
minar 2. Moral Concepts Viewed Cross-Cult
Issues for discussions
1. Friendliness vs. friendship
2. Compare Americans and the British. Who of them is
universally perceived as friendly, informal, easy-going.
3. Which of the learned cultures are reserved, formal,
tacit & friendly. Comment on your answer. Give
reasons.
4. Give arguments of different approaches to
understanding
the concept FRIENDSHIP: for Americans: an
acquaintance = a friend; for them three days of
communication are enough to call a person a friend;
for Ukrainians – these are different concepts:
acquaintance – ‘a short-time, not close relationship’;
friend - ‘a life-long close relationship’. Give examples
to prove this.
5. Make notes of Ter-Minasova’s book The War and
Peace of Languages & Cultures. (in Rus. Война и мир
языков и культур. М.: Астрель, 2017. 286 с.)
• Discussing issues and writing projects on the
following:
a) Americans give “a friend” a “loose” meaning
as compared to Ukrainians. It is quantitative
rather than qualitative type of involvement.
b) “To have a steady boy/girl friend” is very
important to Am. college students.
Relationships define sexuality, and so people
who don’t have mates are assumed to be
homosexual or weird”. Prove that Ukrainian
students think otherwise.
c) To have friends and mates means to be social
& friendly. In contrast, it is not viewed as
weird not to have a lot of friends and dates in
Ukraine. But if Americans have a “true”
friend, they call him/her a “best friend” or
“close friend”. Write whether it is true to fact.
d) Courtesy and respect. How can you
account for the fact that in Ukraine a
woman expects a man to open the door
for her, help her to put on a coat. Which
are other actions that a man should
display towards a woman to mean
‘respect’. Americans not doing so are
considered as not courteous. American
females consider these acts disrespectful.
They don’t want men to take care of them,
they wish to be independent and want
respect not just because of their gender,
but because they are valuable members of
society.
Give your arguments to support or reject
such attitude
• Independence. Say if you agree to the
following:
• For Americans: self-governing, self-
reliance, choice, respect of personal
boundaries, informality, security, self-
determination, self-control, individual
responsibility, individual success,
punctuality, friendliness.
• For Ukrainians: involvement (close
connection), hospitality, generosity,
trust, concern, sincerity, directness,
intimacy, loyalty, emotional
commitment, spontaneity, flexibility,
inner freedom for feeling and thoughts
pertaining to morality
 Seminar 3.Morality vs
Plagiarism
Discuss the following statements:
1. An important aspect of academic
morality in the USA is the attitude
towards what is called cheating in the
classroom during quizzes, tests and
exams. Using ’cribs’ & other
unauthorized materials and trying to
pass them off as your own, all other
cases of plagiarism when a student
copies whole passages or pages from a
coursebook or a scholarly book
without citing the source – all these &
other similar kinds of behaviour are
considered as academic cheating.
What is your attitude to this ?
 Morality vs Plagiarism
(continuation)
2. If in Ukrainian culture plagiarism was
looked upon as a minor offense, in
American culture it is treated as a major
offense – in fact a crime. It is absolutely
inadmissible. A student found guilty in
plagiarism, of trying to find out
beforehand the exact tasks or questions to
be answered during tests or exams, of
using cribs, or of giving promts to other
students will face very serious penalties.
At best s(he) will be suspended, but quite
often dismissed from the university for
good. A special record will be made of
her/his misdemeanor that may prove a
serious obstacle in all the future career. Is
this a hard punishment to your mind?
 Classroom behaviour

3. Students in the USA are expected to

attend their classes regularly, to
prepare for them thoroughly, and to
take an active part in classroom
discussions and in every kind of
classroom work. There is always a
deadline for submitting all kinds of
written papers. The paper of a student
who is late will not be accepted with all
the unpleasant consequences for a
defaulter. The instructor is entitled to
assign students lower term grades.
What measures can be taken to solve
the problem in Ukrainian universities?
 Classroom behaviour
(continuation)
4.Taking into account the importance
of grades, it is a great incentive to
maintain students’ active
involvement in classroom work and
their classroom discipline. This
discipline is quite strict – both, the
instructor and the students, are
expected to appear exactly on time
for class sessions, and the students
are always in their seats when the
professor enters the classroom. But
lecturing itself tends to be informal.
To what extent do you think we differ
from Americans in this matter?
 (continuation)

5. Americans dress informally for class

and on campus. You will hardly ever
see ties, formal suits and dresses.
Slacks, jeans, T-shirts, shorts, sweaters
are the kind of regular clothes
throughout the year. The same style for
dressing is for members of the faculty.
If you are a student or a visiting
professor dressed formally, you risk to
be asked whether today is your
birthday.
Compare this information about dress
wearing with the one in Ukrainian
universities and other settings (e.g.
governmental establishments)
6. It is not considered wrong to interrupt the
instructor with questions, remarks, and
comments of what he said, even to challenge his
opinion. Frantic waving of hands by students
during a lecture or occasional comments without
a permission to speak are not a sign of
disrespect or rudeness. It should be interpreted
as a sign of interest and a desire to understand.
That is why if a lecturer sees students’ raising
hands during the explanation, he stops and
answers their questions. Such classroom
behaviour and informal dressing for classes
derives from the American belief that for
education and learning experience to be
successful, they should be approached in an
interested, comfortable, and easy-going manner.
Can you see any difference pertaining to Ukrainian
university?
Moral Traits of Ukrainians
as Viewed by Foreigners
Positive traits Negative traits
Ability to relax and Inability to concentrate
get fun
Informality, self- Lack of self-criticism
Confidence
Punctuality, friendliness Too much pragmatism
Diligence, responsibility Too practical
Independence Egotism, think they are
the best &
unique
Sociability, amiability Adherence to rules,
indirectness
Ability to work hard Lack of sincerity
Self-reliance Individualism, indifference
to anybody
Ability to adapt Selfishness
What are other traits you would like to add?
 Moral traits
(continuation)
• For Americans: self-governing, self-
reliance, choice, respect of personal
boundaries, informality, security, self-
determination, self-control, individual
responsibility, individual success,
punctuality, friendliness.
• For Ukrainians: involvement (close
connection), hospitality, generosity,
trust, concern, sincerity, directness,
intimacy, loyalty, emotional
commitment, spontaneity, flexibility,
inner freedom for feeling and
thoughts pertaining to morality
• Independence.
• Food and the Act of Eating:
Offering food to others is viewed by
Ukrainians as an act of displaying
courtesy & hospitality to a guest.
Americans’ value of independence
& choice is being violated by the
Ukrainians’ desire to express
hospitality and concern towards the
guest and Ukr. feel their hospitality
being rejected. Thus Ukr. are viewed
by Am. as “pushy” and accordingly
Am. as “rude” when refusing to eat.
(A case of I.V. Korunets in the USA university)
• External and internal personal
boundaries viewed as preserving
independence . “Privacy is
characteristic of Anglo-Saxon
cultures. Every individual would
want to have a little wall around
him/her” (Wierzbicka 1991).
• Possessions as a personal space
(“It’s mine”)
Ukrainians associate ‘privacy’ with
‘private life’, ‘inner world’.
 Americans’ way of life

• Politicians love to emphasize family merits

& virtues though a marital status of
Americans speaks for itself: only one third
of married couples is preserved, others
remarry a number of times. Almost half of
them are divorced or live separately. 10%
of young men and 5% of women stay
single; prefer to adopt children. Many
children live in one-member family.
• Since the very childhood children are
taught to be self-determined, independent
& cautious; parents develop self-dignity
and assurance in their children. After 16-
18 children prefer to live separately from
their parents.
 American “Traits” as
Described by Foreigners
Positive traits Negative traits
Ability to relax and Inability to concentrate
get fun
Informality, self- Lack of self-criticism
Confidence
Punctuality, friendliness Too much pragmatism
Diligence, responsibility Too practical
Independence Egotism, think they are
the best &
unique
Sociability, amiability Adherence to rules,
indirectness
Ability to work hard Lack of sincerity
Self-reliance Individualism,
indifference to anybody
Ability to adapt Selfishness
Seminar Four. These strange
Englishmen (translated by
I.Togoyeva)
Antony Miall, David Milsted. The
Xenophobe’s Guide to the English.
M., 1999. – 72 p.
Plan:
1. Character
2. System of values
3.Behaviour, manners, etiquette
4. Sense of humour
5. Culture, customs and traditions
6. Language. Conversation and body
movements
Knowledge of a Culture by
the British
• One point of view: find phrase books
and tourist guides that tell us
emphatically that all British people
enjoy the traditional breakfast of
eggs @ bacon every morning and
instruct us to learn phrases such as
‘What a lovely day today!’ as a
conversation opener.
• Another opinion: culture – is a
course that teaches students facts
about the political @ economic
institutions of Britain, Law @ Order,
the Monarchy, the Parliamentary
System @ the Family life.
• One approach more: culture
involves not only the acquisition of
basic information but a complex
hermeneutic process for the
individual (a complex network of
signs, a web of signifying practicies).
• Summary: The study of British
culture cannot be simply an
examination of facts @ institutions,
it must also involve a study of the
discourse that shape them as well
as identification of Britishness and
questions of cultural identity.
• Englishman @ Englishwoman
refer not only to English people in
the strict sense, but also to the
Scottish, Welsh @ Irish who enjoy
the privileges of ‘being British’.
• British self-confidence @ self-
belief is based on their pride of
history, language, culture, military
skills, democratic institutions,
commerce @ business, exporters
@ investors.
• One must differentiate between British
nationalism, which implies inherent
racism and xenophobia, @ national
consciousness, which embraces racial,
religious and ethnic difference. This
distinction is a vital one in any society
striving towards multiculturalism. In
Britain Salmon Rushdie has spoken of
the ‘new empire within Britain’. Today,
it is impossible not to recognize
national identity of the Scottish, Welsh
or Irish who are British in citizenship
but each enjoying distinguishable
cultural and behavioural patterns.
• As in ethnographic work generally, there
is much to be gained by observation of –
or participation in – social rituals and
forms of conventional behaviour. These
might include sport (darts, bowling, dog
racing etc.), shopping in shopping
centres (examining products on sale, as
well as social behaviour), the theatre
(the performance of the audience),
weddings, parties and other festivities,
more particular conventions of
behaviour (modes of address, who
shakes hands with whom and on what
occasions, who sits where at social
gatherings) are also revealing.
• Social behaviour depends much
on various factors.
British society is peculiarly
perceiving itself in terms of
binary oppositions: left/right,
rich/poor, north/south,
black/white,
high cultural/popular cultural,
standard / nonstandard, bosses /
unions, defence / prosecution,
Labour/Conservative etc.
 English character

• Xenophobia is the national feature of the

Englishmen which is revealed in the culture of
the country. The reason for this, they think, is
“all unpleasant & complicated problems are
aliens-related”. This contempt stems from the
Norman invasion. They think that:
• Everything English must be the best, even the
weather, which is changeable and therefore is
interesting.
• They are specific – live on the island, the rest
of the world is the Continent.
• Despite the fact that England has the largest
number of the imprisoned – “our nation is the
most civilized in the world” by which they
mean the level of culture, education and skills
of decent behaviour in the society.
 English character
(continuation)
• Englishmen think of themselves
as firm, law-obedient, polite,
generous, gallant, courteous and
righteous. Subtle (not abusive)
humour is considered the best
Englishman’s asset.
• The English think the world takes
them for a pattern to follow. They
do not reject being stereotypical
and conservative.
 Foreigners about
Englishmen
What do foreigners think about
Englishmen?
1. They are difficult for understanding
for they are inexpressive,
unemotional; It is impossible to
guess their culinary tastes.
2. They are considerate,
compassionate, and never fail to
keep their promise.
3. Indifferent to what is going on in the
world. Prefer to live isolated and be
reinforced by good beer and
traditions.
4. They are prejudiced.
 British Superstitions

• Superstitions can be defined as “irrational

beliefs, especially with regard to the
unknown” (Collins English Dictionary)
• Good luck can be attracted by such signs:
Lucky to meet a black cat. (Black cats are
featured on many good luck greeting cards
and birthday cards in England).
Lucky to touch wood.
Lucky to find a clover plant with four leaves.
A horseshoe over the door brings good luck.
It must be the right way up, never upside
down.
On the 1st day of the month it is lucky to say
“white rabbits, white rabbits, white rabbits”
before uttering your 1st word of the day.
 British Superstitions
(continued)
Falling leaves in autumn. Every leaf means a lucky month
next year.
Cut your hair when the moon is waxing (grows larger).
Putting money in the pocket of new clothes.
A bride should wear ”smth borrowed, smth blue, smth old
& smth new”.
The husband should carry his new wife over the threshold
of the home
Visiting the new baby for the first time, place a silver coin
in its hand.
Unlucky: to walk underneath a ladder, break a mirror, to
spill salt (otherwise must throw it over the shoulder),
number thirteen (especially Friday the thirteenth when
Jesus was crucified ).
Most popular food superstition is that:
When finished eating a boiled egg, push the spoon
through the bottom of the empty shell to let the devil
out.
If you drop a table knife expect a male visitor, if a fork – a
female visitor.
• A favourite proverb of the
Englishman “Every thing has its
reverse side” speaks of his Janus
two-faced character. On the one
hand, children are brought up to
be honest and reserved, on the
other hand, seeing how their
parents perform, they grow up
hypocritical: “Do as I told you to
do, not as I do it” are usual
mum’s words addressed to the
child. Very soon a little Janus
learns the basics of this art.
 Traditions

• For Englishmen there is nothing dearer than

traditions. They say “Traditions are traditions”. In this
ever-changing world they give them the feeling of
constancy. They cherish their past by keeping mail
boxes red, green hedge, a man’s coat with the hood,
high wellington boots etc.
• Traditional holidays: The biggest are Christmas and
Easter Holidays with Christmas gifts to everybody and
Easter cake or hot cross buns with Easter eggs,
nowadays usually made of chocolate (cf. Ukr. custom
of a real egg, hard-boiled, dyed in bright colours and
sometimes with elaborately painted egg-shells).
• Others are: St. Valentine’s Day, Pancake Day, Mother’s
Day, London May Queen Festival, Remembrance
(Poppy) Day), Boxing Day, April Fools’ Day, The
Shakespeare Birthday Celebrations, The Bath, The
Edinburgh, and The Welsh Eisteddfod Festivals,
Traditional Ceremonies in London of Changing the
Guard, The Ceremony of Keys, Electing London’s Lord
Mayor etc.
Seminar 5. Lifestyle Communicative
Behavioral
Contents Patterns in the USA
1. Financial matters
2. Using public transport
3. Housing
4. Eating out
5. Shopping
6. Travelling about the country
7. Miscellany
8. Studying at an American/British
university (see Tarnopolsky,
Sklyarenko (2000) for further
details)
 Literature to Seminar 5

1.Тер-Минасова С.Г. Война и мир языков и

культур. – М.: Астрель, 2007. – 286 с. (с. 46
–66).
2.Селіванова О.І., Байкова О.М.
Опановуючи англійську мову і культуру. –
Київ: Ленвіт, 2008.
– 126 с. ( с.120 – 122).
2. Стефани Фол. Эти странные американцы.
– М.: Эгмонт Россия, 1999. – 72 с. (с. 35,
48)
3. Э. Майол, Д. Милстед. Эти странные
англичане. – М.: Эгмонт Россия, 1999. – 72
с. (5 – 54)
4. Чхетиани Т.Д. Лингвистические аспекты
метакоммуникации. Автореф. дис. …
канд.филол.наук, 1987. – 24 с.
 Lifestyle Communicative
Behavioral Patterns (LCBP)
• LCBP are defined as standardized
patterns used by individuals to
obtain specific services from social
institutions either human or
mechanical (e.g. ATM – automatic
teller machine – to withdraw money,
i.e. entering specific information into
it, giving a message to obtain the
required service using a totally
standardized CBP, though there is no
human but a machine to receive the
message).
• Underline similarities in this activity
in Ukraine
• Students’ life. Methods of teaching
differ.
• Aim: to develop innovative, creative
thinking and activity, initiative, have
autonomy, and independence in
learning. This concerns, for instance,
students’ presentations of research
assignments, book reviews and
critiques, term papers, case-studies,
role-plays and simulations, panel
discussions and students’ debates.
• Speak about exercises aimed to
develop students’ creative thinking
and incentives.
• Lectures-interactions. Division of students
into small discussion groups. Their purpose
is to discuss the lecture. Would you like to
exert such activity?
• Good facilities for independent work: self-
study centers, media centers, computer
labs, printed, audiovisual, software
resources, the Internet, university libraries
which work very long hours. Speak about
other advantages you are anxious to have
(e.g. to have Univ. bus to take you ‘from
porch to porch!’ at late hours).
• A free access to books (with a request or
even demand not to reshelf the books to
avoid disorder). Say what conveniences
will you enjoy in such a case.
• Class-room behavior. Students attend classes
regularly, prepare for them thoroughly and take
an active part in classroom discussions. Have
deadline for submitting written papers (written
legibly, always in printed letters).Those which
are late will not be accepted with all the
unpleasant consequences for the student. The
discipline is strict. Everyone comes on time. Are
dressed informally (slacks, jeans, T-shirts,
sweaters). Professors may conduct classes
sitting even on the table or in armchair or
roaming about the room. It is not considered
wrong to interrupt him by asking questions in
the course of lecturing. Such approach is not
taken in Ukraine? Why? Account for it.
• Students often address professors by their first
names. Can this be possible in Ukr. University?
 Instead of conclusion
of American traits as described by Ukrainians:
ve traits Negative traits
o relax and have fun inability to concentrate
lity; self-confidence lack of self-criticism
ality, friendliness, diligence pragmatism, pragmatic attitude
sibility to sex
ss to help; politeness too practical, rational, can (sometime
cial) suppress their feelings if they
“can’t afford it”
ndence, self-respect egotism; think they are the best
l independence; kindness; lack of depth, adherence to rules wil
lp if their interests and procedures
sh
its can you add? Explain why.
 Instead of conclusion
(continuation)
A list of American traits as described by
Russians / Ukrainians:
Positive traits Negative
traits
7.sociability, amiability indirectness about
what they expect
you
to do for them
8.ability to work hard; lack of sincerity;
don’t
desire to be like to have a
serious
independent relationship
9. self-confidence; self- overexaggerated
individualism;
reliance; ability to adapt. selfishness
 Our Traits Described by
Americans
Positive traits Negative traits
1.culture; erudition snobbery; supermicism
2.ability to survive no respect for personal place
•or privacy
3.hospitality; honesty self-depriciation
4.friendly & open when mean, pushy when they don’t know
you
they know you
5.faith and loyalty to friends difficult to say “no” to them
6.generosity sexism
7.honesty (friend are not afraid men carrying things for women
to say what they think), help- (sexism)
fulness
8.warmth insistence that their way is the right
way
9.straight-forwardness, prejudiced
down-to- earth
 Our Traits Described by
Americans (continuation)
Positive traits Negative traits

10. hospitality(not among) “I’m better than

young though) you” attitude;
11. love of culture, music, don’t like to take
risks(with
art, land, adaptation money,
feelings,thoughts);
not hospitable if
they
don’t know you;
12.interested in you can take it far &
invade
emotionally & physically your place
13.loyalty to each other lack of
outlook(no plans/goals)
Get ready for module
paper