TOPIC 2: CULTURAL DIFFERENCES:
INCLUDING REGISTERS AND
LANGUAGE VARIETIES
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES: INCLUDING
REGISTERS AND LANGUAGE VARIETIES
SOME CULTURAL DIFFERENCES (SUMMARY OF TERMS)
-CONTEXTUAL DIFFERENCES
(Communication Style)
-SOCIAL DIFFERENCES
1. Concept of time
2. Time Orientation
3. Manners
4. Roles and Status
5. Attitudes towards work and
success
6. Openness and Inclusiveness
-NONVERBAL DIFFERENCES
-AGE DIFFERENCES
-LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES
1. Level of Formality or Register
2. Features of Language, e.g.
spelling & vocabulary
STOP AND THINK
1. The fast food giant McDonald’s spent thousands on a new TV
ad to target the Chinese consumers. The ad showed a Chinese
man kneeling before a McDonald’s vendor begging him to
accept his expired discount coupon. The ads was eventually
pulled out. Why do you think it was pulled out?
2. A golf-ball manufacturing company packaged golf balls in
packs of four for convenient purchase in Japan. Unfortunately,
they did not sell. The company had to repackage the product.
Why do you think the balls in the original packaging did not
sell?
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Cultural Diversity is the existence of a variety of
cultural groups within a society. The diversity
ranges from ethnicity, race, religion, language,
values, traditions, beliefs, behaviors , rules of
conduct, etc.
People can have better interpersonal dialogue
and communicate more on a personal level when
they know about the different cultural backgrounds
of others (Shah, 2017).
CONTEXTUAL DIFFERENCES
This relates to communication styles usually evident in the
way business people approach decision-making, problemsolving, negotiations, interactions within an organization,
and socializing outside the workplace.
E.g. People in low-context cultures tend to be more direct in
communicating, focused on results, and dependent on facts
in making decisions. Meanwhile, those from high-context
are more indirect, may give more emphasis on building and
protecting relationships, and will likely use feelings in
making decisions.
SOCIAL DIFFERENCES
1. Concept of Time
-E.g. Americans are time conscious; Indians and Filipinos
have this norm of arriving late.
2. Time Orientation (preference towards past, present, or
future)
-E.g. Future-oriented cultures, such as the US are more
invested in long-term goals, compared to present-oriented
cultures like India and China.
SOCIAL DIFFERENCES
3. Manners
-E.g. Winking and whistling in public are normal in
the Philippines but inappropriate in India.
4. Roles and Status
-E.g. People in China are addressed according to their
official titles, e.g. Manager, but in the US respect towards
top managers is shown by addressing them as Mr./Ms.
Roberts.
SOCIAL DIFFERENCES
5. Attitudes towards Work
-E.g. East Asian workers are happier and more successful when
they have a good relationship with colleagues and supervisors,
while North Americans thrive when they enjoy gratifying job
assignments and organizational policies.
6. Openness and Inclusiveness
-E.g. Filipinos, known for their hospitality, welcome foreigners
while some Hong Kongers tend to show biases and racial
discrimination against other cultures.
NONVERBAL DIFFERENCES
•Placing hands in pocket is disrespectful in Turkey while
bowing shows rank in Japan.
•Distant cultures such as Northern Europe, the US, and
other western cultures tend to keep more personal
space.
•Warm cultures such as the Middle East and South
American welcome and accept close proximity.
AGE DIFFERENCES
Some countries like the United States support their youth
which signifies vibrancy, strength, energy, potential, and
innovative ideas.
On the other hand, other cultures such
as Singapore value age and seniority which earns more
respect and freedom.
LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES
Different varieties of English are used in various parts of the world.
American English (AmE) is spoken by about two-thirds of Americans who live
in the United States. British English (BrE) is spoken mainly in the United
Kingdom.
Australian English (AuE) is used in Australia.
Also, Philippine English (PE) is a variety of English “nativized legitimately” in
the Philippines. It is used by Filipinos in different fields, such as science and
technology, judiciary and legislature, bureaucracy, and scholarly discourse
(Dayag, 2012).
Each variety has a distinct vocabulary, grammar, and registers.
LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES: VARIETIES (FOR FYI PURPOSES)
Kachru’s 3 Concentric Circles: The
Expansion of English
Braj Kachru (1932-2016) coined
the term ‘World Englishes’ to
refer to varieties of 'global'
English.
VARIETIES OF ENGLISH – WORLD ENGLISHES (FYI PURPOSES)
•The global spread of English has led to the development of many
different varieties of English, such as ‘Canadian English’, ‘Indian English
(Hindi English/Hinglish)’, and Singapore English (Singlish), which have
developed to meet the linguistic needs of those populations.
These varieties of English (called World Englishes) are slightly different
from each other in word choice, grammar, semantics etc. yet they can all
be understood by English speakers.
There may be hundreds of World Englishes; however, as there is no set
definition for what constitutes an official variety of a language it is not
possible to state how many.
1. LEVEL OF FORMALITY OR REGISTERS
- Registers refer to the level and style of speaking and writing appropriate
for different situations. Registers are determined by social occasion,
relationships, context, context, purpose, and audience.
-There are 5 established registers based on the English language.
a. Frozen/Static – Language does not change, e.g. National Anthem
b. Formal – Language follows accepted & prescribed format, e.g. business
meetings, academic papers, lectures
c. Consultative – Language is less formal and the context involves one with
specialized knowledge or an expert who is consulted or can give advice.
d. Casual – Language is conversational – may be informal with
slang and contractions, e.g. chit-chat & text messages between
friends
e. Intimate - Language is for private communication used between
lovers or very close family and friends, e.g. inside pet names,
inside jokes, terms of endearment.
-* Not all languages in different cultures may have these 5
registers. For instance, the Korean language seems to have 4
speech levels: Formal and Polite, Formal and Casual, Informal and
Polite, Informal and Casual [*Honorific speech and speech levels in Korean. (2018) Retrieved from
https://www.sayjack.com/korean/learn-korean/honorific-speech-and-speech-levels-in-korean/]
2. LANGUAGE VARIETY: FEATURES OF LANGUAGE
Language varieties include vocabulary, pronunciation, spelling, and even
grammatical structures.
The following are some differences in terms of vocabulary and spelling.
Spelling
-E.g. centre, mould (British English) – center, mold (American English)
Vocabulary
-E.g. estafa (Phil. English meaning criminal deception intended to result in financial
or personal gain) – swindle or fraud (American English)
-E.g. booze (Australian English) – alcohol (British English)
-E.g. line (American English) – queue (British English)
SOME ENGLISH WORDS used DIFFERENTLY IN THE PHILIPPINES (FYI only)
Word
SALVAGE
Intended Meaning
rescue
Meaning in the Philippine Context
murder
OVERPASS
a bridge by which a road or railroad passes A structure referring to a bridge made from
over another.
cement or steel that people can use to get to
the other side of the street
VULCANIZING SHOP
tire repair shop
-
DOUBLE DECK
bunk bed
-
BEDSPACE;
BEDSPACER
bed space (a space in the bed)
Not limited to the space in the bed; one who
rents
EAT-ALL-YOU-CAN
all-you-can-eat buffet or restaurant
COMFORT ROOM
restroom; toilet
CHANCING
sexual advances
LIVE-IN
living in one’s place of employment
BOODLE FIGHT
communal eating (?)
military style of eating where long tables
are prepared and food are on top of the
banana leaves
References
1.
Purposive Communication book
2.
Rosado, C. (2010). What makes a school multicultural? from Retrieved from https://www.purdueglobal.edu/blog/humanservices/what-is-cultural-diversity/
3.
Kachru's three concentric circles: the expansion of English. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.studysmarter.us/explanations/english/international-english/kachrus-3-concentric-circles/