INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

**********
VARIETIES AND REGISTERS OF
SPOKEN AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE
CHAPTER 3
 At the end of this chapter, the
students would be able to:

 Determine culturally
appropriate terms, expressions,
OBJECTIVES and images (sensitivity to
gender, race, class, etc.)

 Adopt cultural and intercultural

awareness and sensitivity in
communication of ideas
 CHAPTER OUTLINE

Lesson 1- INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Lesson 2- VARIETIES OF LANGUAGE

Lesson 3- CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE,

ENGAGING, AND APPROPRIATE
LANGUAGE
INTERCULTURAL
COMMUNICATION
Lesson 1
 Living in a globalized world, you
encounter people with diverse cultural
backgrounds. Such interaction occur in
social, educational, political, and
commercial settings. Hence, in today’s
era of increased global communication, GLOBALIZA
it is imperative to understand TION
intercultural communication for us to
enhance our intercultural awareness and
competence. Intercultural competence
is essential for us to live harmoniously
despite our difference in culture.
 Jandt (1998) introduced the
intercultural and intracultural
communication. Intercultural
Communication refers to
CONCEPT interaction with people from
GROUNDIN diverse culture. On the other hand,
G Intracultural Communication is
the interaction between or among
members of the same racial or
ethnic group or co-culture.
 INTERRACIAL
COMMUNICATION
It refers to the interaction of people
belonging to different races.

FORMS OF INTERETHNIC
INTERACULTU COMMUNICATION
It is the interaction
RAL among people of different ethnic
COMMUNICAT origins.

ION

INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNICATION
It is the interaction
between representatives from
different nation.
 The following guidelines may help
you enhance your ability to communicate
effectively across cultures (Gamble &
Gamble, 2008).

1. Recognize the validity and differences of

IMPROVING communication styles among people.
INTERCULTUR
AL
COMMUNICAT
ION 2. Learn to eliminate personal biases and
prejudices.
COMPETENCE

3. Strive to acquire communication skills

necessary in a multicultural world.
VARIETIES OF
LANGUAGE
Lesson 2
 Lin (2016) presents the following
nature of language variation as
prescribed by most linguists based on
the ideas of Mahboob (2014). NATURE
OF
1. Language varies when
communicating with people within
LANGUA
(local) and outs (global) our GE
community.
VARIATI
2. Language varies in speaking and in
writing.
ON
3. Language varies in everyday and
specialized discourses.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SPOKEN LANGUAGE

The situation in which the spoken variety of

language is used and in which it develops
presupposes the presence of an interlocutor.
The spoken language is mostly maintained in
the form of a dialogue.
The spoken language utilizes the human
voice and all kinds of gestures which give
additional information.
The spoken language is spontaneous but
momentary. It vanishes after having fulfilled
its purpose, which is to communicate the
thought, no matter how trivial or important.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SPOKEN LANGUAGE

The spoken language cannot be detached

from the user of it.
The spoken language widely uses
intensifying words. These are
interjections and words with strong
emotive meanings, as oaths, swear-words,
and adjectives which have lost their
primary meaning.
The spoken language is characterized by
the insertion into the utterance of words
without any meaning, which are called
“fill-ups” or empty words such as “well”,
“and all”, “so to say”, “whatever”, etc.
 VARIETIES OF SPOKEN LANGUAGE
There are five types of spoken language. These are followed by
situations that illustrate each category.

 INTERACTIONAL

It is used for having social

function. This makes use of informal
type of speech which aims to develop
relationships between interlocutors.

Example:

A: Hi! How are you today?

B: I’m good. You?
A: I’m ok!
 VARIETIES OF SPOKEN LANGUAGE
INTERACTIONAL

In the conversation, the speakers

exchanged personal information
and use familiar expressions to
keep the talk going. The use of
informal language makes the
speakers feel comfortable and
close without worrying much on
the terms used.
VARIETIES OF SPOKEN LANGUAGE

 REFERENTIAL

It is providing the listener

some information referring to objects or
abstract concepts. The speaker assumes
that the listener has knowledge on the
matter at hand. In return, the listener has
to know the context before they can
understand the references.

Example:
The mobile phone unit
has been sent via door-to-door at 10
o’clock. Please notify the office once
you have received it.
 VARIETIES OF SPOKEN LANGUAGE

REFERENTIAL

In the example, the listener

is assumed to know that a
mobile phone unit is
expected to be delivered.
Also, the listener must know
what a door-to-door delivery
service is, and that the
listener must know whether
10 am or 10 pm is intended.
VARIETIES OF SPOKEN LANGUAGE

 EXPRESSIVE

It is showing the speaker’s

judgments or feelings about a person,
event, or situation.

Example:
It’s truly unbelievable!
How could she do such a terrible thing?
 VARIETIES OF SPOKEN LANGUAGE
EXPRESSIVE

In the example, the

speaker uses emotive
words which make the
sentence subjective.
Such emotive words
may either be adjectives
or adverbs.
VARIETIES OF SPOKEN LANGUAGE
 TRANSACTIONAL

It is used for getting information

or making a deal. It has a specific purpose
and is driven by needs and wants rather
than sociability. Unlike interactional
language, transactional spoken language
has its intention to achieve a give-and-take
relationship between the speaker and the
listener. Here, a specific query is a given
specific answer.

Example:

A: May I know how much this parcel

costs?
B: You can give me Php 100.00
VARIETIES OF SPOKEN LANGUAGE

 PHATIC

It means engaging in small,

plain talk. The speaker and listener use
minimal amount of language to engage
in the conversation. This spoken
language variety poses familiarity of
topic and context between the speaker
and the listener.

Example:
A: Coffee?
B: Yes, black.
CHARACTERISTICS OF WRITTEN
LANGUAGE

 The written variety

presupposes the absence of an
interlocutor.
 The written language is
mostly maintained in the form
of a monologue.
 The written language is more
carefully organized and more
explanatory. Most often, the
word choice is more deliberate.
CHARACTERISTICS OF WRITTEN
LANGUAGE
 The written language is able to
live forever with the idea it
expresses.
 The written language can be
detached and objectively looked
at. The writer has an opportunity
to correct and improve what has
been put on the paper.
 The written language bears a
greater volume of responsibility
than its spoke counterpart.
 Both varieties, however, may be different in
terms of their phonetics, morphology, lexicon, and
syntax. Yet, most striking difference between the
SPOKEN spoken and written language is in the vocabulary used.
AND There are words and phrases typically colloquial, on
WRITTEN one hand, and typically bookish, on the other hand. If
LANGUAGE colloquial words and phrases find their way in the
written language, they immediately produce a marked
stylistic effect and can be used for the speech
characterization.
COLLOQUIAL NEUTRAL LITERARY

daddy father parent

get out go away retire

go on continue proceed

chap fellow associate

guys friends comrades

TYPES OF WORDS
 SPOKEN WRITTEN

Face-to-face Reports

Telephone conversation Memos

FORMS/ TYPES
OF SPOKEN
Dictating letters Emails

Group discussions Fax messages

AND
WRITTEN
Meetings Business correspondence
LANGUAGE
Speech Illustrations

Virtual conferencing Notices, etc.

CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE,
ENGAGING, AND
APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE
Lesson 3
CULTURALL
Y
“Calling an illegal alien an
RESPONSIV
undocumented immigrant is like
E,
calling drug dealer an undocumented
ENGAGING
pharmacist.”
AND
APPROPRIA
TE - Anon
LANGUAGE
 The choice of words is a powerful
strategy in communication. When
Confucius said, when words lose their
CULTURALL
meanings, people lose their freedom”,
Y
the control of language is an essential
tool for an engaging and responsive
RESPONSIVE
communication. Hence, cultural
, ENGAGING
appropriateness of language is
AND
conforming to a culture’s acceptable
APPROPRIAT
expressions and standards of behavior
E
and thoughts. This is referred to as
LANGUAGE
“POLITICAL CORRECTNESS”.
 However, “politically
correct” is not about being
right; it is more of being
respectful and considerate. CULTURALL
Being politically correct Y
RESPONSIVE
means that you avoid , ENGAGING
expressions and actions that AND
may exclude, marginalize, or APPROPRIAT
offend a particular group of E
people. The term first became LANGUAGE
popular during the 1970s and
1980s.
 WAYS ON HOW TO CHOOSE APPROPRIATE
LANGUAGE (Hogan-Garcia, 1999)

Notice and reflect Respect people Use language Avoid

on disrespectful of different that includes the exclusionary,
language, races. LGBTQUIA+ gender-specific
thoughts, and
actions. people. language.

Avoid using Avoid Refrain from

explicitly expressions that language that
religious terms devalue people groups people
in mixed with physical or into one large
religious mental category.
company. disabilities.
 1. NOTICE AND REFLECT ON DISRESPECTFUL
LANGUAGE, THOUGHTS, AND ACTIONS.
If you educate yourself and monitor your
WAYS ON
thoughts, this will help control and change your language
HOW TO
CHOOSE and behaviors. People may interpret and draw inferences
APPROPRIAT from the language you use. When you are interacting with
E people, you want to be an open, respectful, and informed
LANGUAGE individual instead of careless, disrespectful person. As
(Hogan-Garcia,
1999) much as possible, avoid racist, sexist, homophobic jokes,
etc. because these are always harmful and offending.
 2. RESPECT PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT RACES
Recognize racist roots of your words, whether they are as
inflammatory as the n-word or as subtle as referring to
WAYS ON immigrants as illegals. Many common expressions have roots
HOW TO in discrimination caused by cultural arrogance and a lack of
CHOOSE
exposure to cultural diversity. Terms such as “Chinese
APPROPRIAT
E auction”, “Indian giver”, “Jew down” (negotiate), and “gyp”
LANGUAGE (a bad deal, from the derogatory term “Gypsy” for the Roma)
(Hogan-Garcia, are racist. Many common words also have implicit
1999)
discrimination in them and are thus considered harmful. For
example, words such as “gypsy” and “oriental” are derogatory,
instead, use “Roma” for “gypsy” or “Asian” for “oriental”
 3. USE LANGUAGE THAT INCLUDES THE
LGBTQIA+ PEOPLE
Some people are bisexual, transgender, asexual, gender
WAYS ON
HOW TO fluid, etc. and they deserve respect and inclusion. Work on
CHOOSE substituting gender-neutral language to include people of
APPROPRIAT different sexual orientations and gender identities. Ask “Do
E
LANGUAGE you have a partner?, rather than “Do you have a boyfriend/
(Hogan-Garcia, girlfriend?” Respect gender identities. There are more than
1999) two genders, and agender, gender fluid, etc. people exist. A
person’s real name is the name that they accept as the one
that matches their gender.
 4. AVOID EXCLUSIONARY. GENDER-SPECIFIC
LANGUAGE
Gender-specific language can be extremely harmful. Sexism or
WAYS ON discrimination against a person due to their marginalized gender
HOW TO identity is used often and inadvertently. Use gender-neutral job
CHOOSE
APPROPRIAT titles when you are not referring to a specific person. For
E example, say “chairperson” instead of “chairman/woman”,
LANGUAGE “firefighter” is preferable to “fireman/woman”, a “police
(Hogan-Garcia,
officer” includes all genders; and “flight attendant” replaces
1999)
“steward” and “stewardess”. Using terms and titles such as
“woman’s work” or “secretary” (instead of “administrative
assistant”) is demeaning and belittling.
 5. AVOID USING EXPLICITLY RELIGIOUS
TERMS IN MIXED RELIGIOUS COMPANY
Limit the amount of religious terms in your
WAYS ON
HOW TO language, especially when speaking in groups
CHOOSE
APPROPRIAT of people. Avoid referencing “God/god”.
E Every religious group has different names for
LANGUAGE
(Hogan-Garcia, and rules for saying the term. Jews do not say
1999)
the name god, Muslims refer to their god as
Allah, and Hindi worship many different gods.
 6. AVOID EXPRESSIONS THAT DEVALUE PEOPLE
WITH PHYSICAL OR MENTAL DISABILITIES
Some people prefer identity-first language (“disabled
WAYS ON person”) while others prefer person-first language
HOW TO
CHOOSE (person with disability”). Words such as “dumb”.
APPROPRIAT “crippled”, “derp”, and “psycho” are examples of
E
LANGUAGE disability-based insults. Use person-first language for
(Hogan-Garcia, most disabilities, such as “person with Down
1999) Syndrome” rather than “Down Syndrome person”. The
Autistic Blind, and Deaf communities are few notable
exceptions (e.g “autistic person”).
 7. REFRAIN FROM LANGUAGE THAT GROUPS
PEOPLE INTO ONE LARGE CATEGORY
As much as possible, avoid classifying people
WAYS ON together based on religion, sexual orientation, gender,
HOW TO
CHOOSE and ethnicity. This kind of language reduces a person
APPROPRIAT to that one category, when people are so much more.
E
LANGUAGE An example would be when referring to groups by
(Hogan-Garcia, saying thinks like: the deaf, the gays, the poor, or the
1999)
Blacks. Use language that makes a person or group
feel like they are equal and included in any situation.
 Political correctness has an
POLITICAL important purpose: it promotes equality
by demonstrating an understanding that
CORRECTN all people and groups are valuable to
ESS society regardless of race, culture,
religion, gender, or sexual orientation.
NON-POLITICALLY
CORRECT
POLITICALLY CORRENT
POLITICAL
Housewife Domestic Engineer CORRECTNESS
Global Warming Climate Change

Broken Home Dysfunctional Family

Slum Area Economically Deprived Area

Foreign Food Ethnic Cuisine

Wanted Criminal Person of Interest

Lazy Motivationally Deficient

Dustman Sanitation Engineer

Insane Reality Challenged

Caretaker Site Engineer

NON-POLITICALLY POLITICALLY
CORRECT CORRENT
POLITICAL
Stupid Intellectually Impaired CORRECTNESS
Chairman Chairperson/ Chair

Mother/ Father Parent

Husband/ Wife Partner

Immigrant Newcomer

Jungle Rain Forest

Sex Change Gender Reassignment

Shoplifting Irregular Shopping

Unemployed Economically Inactive

 CULTURALLY
(IN)APPROPRRIATE IMAGES

Cultural Appropriation of images is the

adoption of the iconography of another culture, and
using it for purposes that are unintended by the
original culture or even offensive to that culture’s
mores. This poses deeper concerns and issues of
communication in which the origin of that
particular culture gets offended. How well can you
detect culturally inappropriate images and
illustrations? Take a close look at the images below.
 Cultural Sensitivity is an attitude
and way of behaving in which you are
aware of and acknowledge cultural
CULTURAL differences. This is crucial for effective
SENSITIVI interpersonal communication (Franklin
& Mizell, 1995). If you can tell how
TY the above pictures pose insensitivity to
those who made them, then you are
sensitive enough.
  Agustin, Racquel, et. al. Communication in
Multicultural Contexts: Meanings and Purposes.
Panday-Lahi Publishing House, Inc. 2018
REFEREN
CES
 Wakat, Geraldine S. et.al, Purposive Communication.
Lorimar Publishing, Inc. 2018
 END OF
CHAPTER 3
Prepared by:

Ms. MARY LYKA ROTAIRO, LPT

Faculty Member