Exploring intercultural misunderstandings
Topic 1: Why do cultural misunderstandings happen?
3
Topic 2: Areas of misunderstanding
7
Polite forms of language
7
Idioms
8
Questions
9
Compliments
11
Dress
11
Social customs
13
Space
14
Time
14
Topic 3: Cultural behaviours
21
Topic 4: Stereotyping and prejudice
23
Topic 5: Communicating with government organisations
25
Summary
26
Check your answers
27
Exploring intercultural misunderstandings
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Exploring intercultural misunderstandings
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Topic 1: Why do cultural
misunderstandings happen?
There may be many cultural differences between people that
can cause misunderstandings
Cultural misunderstandings can occur when people don’t share or understand the ‘rules’
of a particular culture. The ‘rules’ of how you behave are to do with what people expect
you to do in certain situations. People can learn the rules of a new culture by watching
people and through asking questions. It is cultural values that lead to expectations and
‘rules’ about how people behave.
Activity 1: What is culture?
Let’s remind ourselves of what we mean by culture.
Read the following extract which is the first part of a lecture about intercultural
communication, by Paul Kettering. Then answer the questions that follow, to make sure
you’ve understood what was said.
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The following extract is the first part of a lecture about intercultural communication, by
Paul Kettering.
Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen. My name is Paul Kettering.
Tonight you’re going to hear about some of the ways that cultures and, therefore,
languages are different from each other. As the first speaker tonight, I’m going to give
you a brief introduction to this evening’s topic.
Before I do though, I’d like to clarify the link between language and culture. When we
talk about culture we mean a lot of different things. We mean more than just the food we
eat and the clothes we wear.
These are just the obvious things. Culture also means traditions, ways of thinking, ways
of looking at the world, values and many other things. These are the less obvious things.
Culture is like an iceberg. The obvious things are above the surface like the food we eat
and the clothes we wear. We can’t actually see the other things like traditions, ways of
thinking, ways of looking at the world, and values.
Language, of course, is a very important part of a culture and some people consider that
every different language represents a different culture. When we speak our first
language—the first language we learn as children at home from our parents—we feel
comfortable. We don’t have to think about what to say or how to say something, we just
do it. We know how to do it. Now, many of you have studied languages apart from your
first language. It’s not the same when we learn another language. It’s not that easy.
Of course, there are many stages in learning languages. At the beginning when we first
start learning a language we usually learn a few words. Gradually we learn more words,
some grammar and how to do things like listening and speaking.
Even when we are very proficient in another language, when we can speak and
understand it very well, it’s not very common to feel really comfortable with that
language.
Well, why is it that we feel comfortable with our own language but don’t feel as
comfortable with a second language and a third language and so on. The answer to this
lies in the rules of communication.
There is a lot more to learning a language than just vocabulary, grammar and
pronunciation. Of course, these things are very important, but, each language has it’s own
rules, the conventions of communication.
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We feel okay speaking our first language because we know the rules of communication.
We learnt the rules of our first language unconsciously from our parents when we learnt
the language itself. Just like the old song:
‘It’s not what you do but the way that you do it,
It’s not just what you say but the way that you say it.’
Communicating in any language is like playing a game. Every game has rules and if we
want to play we have to understand the rules. If we don’t know the rules of the game we
can’t play very well. Here’s one example.
In English it’s very important to look at the person you’re talking to—to make eye
contact with that person. Otherwise, you might be considered rude.
That’s what we do. It’s the convention if we want to show the person speaking that we
are listening and are interested in what they are saying. In some cultures, it’s just the
opposite. People would think that you’re rude if you look the person in the eye. Many
people whose first language isn’t English often have trouble communicating because they
don’t know the script. They don’t know the conventions we use in English.
You might ask, ‘why do we need these rules?’ The rules are very important. They are
about being understood not misunderstood, about communicating not miscommunicating, and about not offending the people we’re communicating with.
Questions
Answer these questions based on the extract. Choose the correct answer by ticking the
box next to the statement you agree with.
1
2
Culture is defined as:

Just the food we eat and the clothes we wear.

A combination of the obvious things like food and clothes, and the less obvious
things like how we look at the world.

Something that does not include language.
We mostly learn our first language:

From TV.

At school from our teachers.

At home with our parents.
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3
4
5
6
7
8
When we speak our first language:

We feel uncomfortable.

We do not have to think about what to say.

We do not need to learn any rules about communicating in that language.
We feel OK speaking our first language because:

We know the rules of communicating in that language.

Our parents taught us.

We studied hard.
When we learn a second language:

It is not common to feel really comfortable with speaking it.

We often feel very comfortable speaking it.

It is easier to learn the rules of communicating in a second language.
When communicating in English:

If we do not make eye contact we show we are interested in what someone is
saying.

It is rude not to make eye contact.

It is rude to make eye contact.
Many people whose first language is not English:

Often have trouble communicating because they know the conventions so well.

Often have trouble communicating because they do not know the conventions as
well as a native speaker.

Are understood well because they know the right words.
Aboriginal students speak English so do not have the same problems as children
from a non-English speaking background.
 True
 False
Please comment____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
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Topic 2: Areas of misunderstanding
Now we are going to look at nine common areas of misunderstanding across cultures:

Polite forms of language

Idioms

Questions

Compliments

Dress

Social customs

Responding to good and bad news

Space

Time.
Polite forms of language
In English when we ask people to do something, we don’t usually use the direct
imperative form (an order). For example:
Close the window!
If we ask someone to close a window, we might say:
Would you mind closing the window?
Could you please close the window?
Can we close the window?
Do you mind if I close the window?
Close the window please.
We usually soften the language or use idioms. This makes the request more indirect.
How would you ask someone to close a window in your language? Do you use a more
direct form of language?
Sometimes people with limited English language skills may translate a request or an
expression literally from their native language. This might appear as a direct or
imperative form.
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Activity 2: Giving instructions politely
Lily and Freda work together in an office. Although they are friends, Freda thinks Lily is
sometimes quite rude, especially when she gives her instructions.
Here are two examples of instructions. For each one, tick the version that you think is the
most polite way to give the instruction.
Instruction 1:

Give me Mrs Jacob’s file.

Could you please give me Mrs Jacob’s file?
Instruction 2:

Take this package up to Grace on level 4.

Can you take this package up to Grace on level 4? Thanks.
Check your answer at the end of the unit.
Idioms
Slang and colloquial language is very hard to learn and may cause misunderstandings
across cultures.
Colloquial language is everyday language that people
speak at home or with their friends. It is informal and
often includes slang.
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Activity 3: Australian slang
Check your understanding of some common Australian slang or colloquial language.
Complete the table by writing in the meaning of each of the colloquial expressions.
Choose the meanings from one of these possible answers:
I agree
Please wait
Don’t worry
Correct
Goodbye
Made a mistake
Lazy person
Well done
Slang
Meaning
Good on you mate
Hang on
Stuffed up
Hooroo
Righteo
Can you think of some expressions that are used by the Aboriginal community that may
not be widely understood by other Australians.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Questions
People ask different sorts of questions in different cultures. What may seem polite in one
culture may be impolite in another culture. Some Australians may think it’s impolite to
discuss money, age, religion, politics, their weight etc.
Sometimes new immigrants may ask questions about things that local people take for
granted. This might cause discomfort and may lead to misunderstanding.
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Activity 4: Asking questions
Part A
Think about the following two questions and write down your answers here.
1
Are there any topics in your culture that are impolite to discuss with people you
don’t know very well?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2
What are some good topics to talk about when meeting someone for the first time?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, but you could share your
responses with a friend or peer student you may be in contact with.
Part B
Erica has been working at a clothing factory for about a week. Which of the following
questions would be appropriate for her to ask if she was talking to her supervisor? Tick
the box next to the appropriate questions.

How long have you been working here?

Do you enjoy your job?

What do you earn?

Do you have any children?
Check your answer to Part B at the end of the unit.
Remember that when asking questions, if you don’t understand something then ask the
person to repeat the information or to explain it again. It’s okay to say that you don’t
understand.
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Compliments
We give and receive compliments differently in different cultures. In some cultures a
student would deny a teacher’s compliment by looking down to show modesty. The
teacher however, expects the student to be pleased and show this by smiling and saying
‘thank you’.
Activity 5: A compliment gone wrong
Maria teaches computer studies at TAFE. She compliments one of her students for doing
well in his assignment. The student looks embarrassed, however. He looks down and
says ‘Oh no. I did it very badly.’
Why do you think the student reacted like this? What do you think the teacher would
think?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Check your answer at the end of the unit.
Dress
People have different expectations of what is appropriate (right) dress in various
situations, based on their cultural experience. In some cultures, public servants (people
who work in government offices) dress formally (suit and tie), whereas in Australia they
might dress more informally (in jeans, for example) which can seem in some cultures as
a lack of pride and taste.
Activity 6: What is appropriate dress?
What is appropriate dress for men and women in each of the following situations — in
Australia, and (if you are a migrant to Australia) in your country? Fill in the following
table.
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Situation
Appropriate dress in
Australia?
Appropriate dress in your
birth country?
Working in an office
Working in a factory
At the football
At the beach
Visiting a bank or government
department
Teaching at a school, TAFE or
university
Attending a barbecue
Around the house
Visiting a friend’s house
Attending a job interview
Attending a wedding
Attending church or other place of
worship
Compare your responses with those of a fellow student you may be in contact with, or a
friend.
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Social customs
Social customs (the way people behave in social
situations) may seem unusual in a new country. In
Australia, if someone invites you to a party and asks
you to bring a plate, this means bring some food to
share.
If an invitation says BYO, this usually means Bring Your Own Alcohol — beer or wine.
If you are at a pub (hotel) with friends and someone says, ‘It’s your shout’, this means
it’s your turn to buy the drinks for everyone.
Responding to good and bad news
Misunderstandings sometimes happen when people respond to good or bad news by
using inappropriate responses or body language.
Activity 7: Responding to bad news
Anne’s father has just died. When she returns to work, one of her workmates, on hearing
the news, shakes her hand. Why might this cause misunderstanding?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Check your answer at the end of the unit.
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Space
Personal space is the distance that feels
comfortable between people when they meet and
talk. The distance varies depending on the
relationship between people, how well they
know each other. It also varies from culture to
culture.
Activity 8: Personal space
Jung is quite concerned that whenever he talks to his colleagues at work they tend to take
one or two steps back. Why might they do this?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Check your answer at the end of this unit.
Time
How people think about and use time usually depends on how their culture values time.
These differences may cause some misunderstanding. In the following table are some
sayings that show different cultural attitudes to time.
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American/Australian
Chinese/Middle
Eastern
French/European
He who hesitates is
lost
Think three times
before you act
Patience is the
virtue of asses
(donkeys)
Aboriginal/
TSI
Time is money
Saving time
Better late than
sorry
Killing time
Losing time
Wasting time
Activity 9: How do you value time?
Thinking about time
There are two main ways that people think about time:
1
Monochronic: People who think about time in a monochronic way work out an
order for doing things, deal with one thing at a time, make a sort of mental list and
think that it’s important to be punctual (on time).
2
Polychronic: People from some cultures think about time in a polychronic way.
They do many things at once, change their plans often and think that people are
more important than punctuality.
Remember though that while most people in a culture might be monochronic, individuals
can be different.
Activity 10: Attitudes to time
Do you think people of your culture have mainly a monochronic or a polychronic
attitude to time?
____________________________________________________________
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Do you think Australians have mainly a monochronic or polychromic attitude to time?
____________________________________________________________
What about you, do you have mainly a monochronic or polychronic attitude?
____________________________________________________________
Activity 11: Making time
Giorgio received an invitation from Anna for a dinner party. The
invitation said 7.30pm and Giorgio arrived at 8.30pm. He was
surprised when Anna was angry with him and accused him of
ruining her dinner. Giorgio couldn’t understand her problem.
Both of them got upset. Their breakdown in communication
started because of their different cultural attitudes to time.
What do you think Anna’s and Giorgio’s attitudes to time are? Are they monochronic or
polychronic? Circle the appropriate answer for both of these people.
1
Anna, with a Swiss background, might have an attitude to time that is more:
monochronic or polychronic?
2
Giorgio, with an Italian background, might have an attitude to time that is more:
monochronic or polychronic?
Check your answers at the end of the unit.
Activity 12: Identifying some Australian cultural
conventions
For this activity you need to read the extract on the next page. It is the second part of the
lecture about intercultural communication, by Paul Kettering. He discusses some cultural
conventions in Australian society.
The table below lists the different conventions or rules discussed in the extract, but they
are listed here in the wrong order. Your task is to number each of the conventions to
show the correct order in which they are presented in the extract. This will help you to
check you have understood what you have read.
For example, the convention discussed first (What topic it’s OK to talk about) is
numbered ‘1’.
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Ideas (out of order) that are presented in the
extract
Place a number to show
the order in which they are
presented
How much space should be between people
speaking
How we address each other
How we use non-verbal behaviour
What topic it’s OK to talk about
1
How we express politeness
Check your answer at the end of the unit.
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The following extract is the second part of a lecture about intercultural communication,
by Paul Kettering.
As I said before, every language has a set of conventions or rules. By complying with
the conventions of the language when we are speaking we are much more likely to
meet the expectations of someone whose mother tongue is that language and thus
communicate successfully. Here are some other examples.
What we can talk about. What I mean by that is, that some topics that are okay in
conversation while others are not. For example, in English, people say it’s best to avoid
talking about money. Think about this.
How do you feel if someone asks you how much money you earn, or how much rent
you pay, or what your house costs? It’s hard for some people from other cultures to
understand that it’s not okay to ask someone about these things. In some cultures it’s
quite acceptable.
The second convention I want to mention is how we express politeness. Sometimes
when we communicate in English with someone from another culture we get the
impression that they are very rude.
Often it’s because politeness in their culture is expressed in different ways from the
English way. In English we say ‘please’ when we are asking for something in a polite
way, but in some languages, it’s not necessary. If people don’t say ‘please’ enough they
are sometimes thought of as abrupt or rude. At the same time, some people would say
that many speakers of English are overly polite. That we say too many ‘please’s.
Another convention is the way we address each other. What we call each other. People
from other cultures are often surprised at what Australians call each other. For
example, it’s not uncommon for people to call their bosses or supervisors by their first
names. In other cultures, this would be unheard of. In those cultures, calling a superior
Mr, Mrs or Ms X is seen as a sign of respect and doing otherwise would be seen as
disrespectful and impolite.
Another convention is the way we use our faces and bodies to communicate. We call
communication without using words, ‘Non-Verbal Communication’. Just think, for a
moment, about different ways people have of greeting each other. Maybe you thought
of shaking hands, or bowing, or kissing once or twice or three times, putting the hands
together in a prayer position, or even rubbing noses together. These are really obvious
examples of the different ways that people from different cultures communicate
greetings to each other.
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Other forms of non-verbal communication are things like smiling and other facial
expressions, as well as gestures such as waving, hugging, pushing someone in an angry
way and so on. Some people say that in English, more than 50% of communication is
non-verbal. That leaves less than 50% of communication that is expressed in spoken
language.
There are many other forms of non-verbal communication including things like our
ideas about space and our expectations of how much space there should be between
people speaking to each other and many more.
I’d like to conclude by saying that, if we are communicating with people from different
cultures and our message is not getting through, that is, our communication is not
successful, we are mis-communicating. There are three skills, I think, that can help us.
They are all connected to our understanding that different languages have different
rules of communication.
Firstly, we need to recognise when mis-communications are due to cultural differences
and be aware that different rules of communication are operating. Secondly, we need to
make sure we reduce miscommunications by our constant awareness of the differences.
And, thirdly, we need to be able to clear up any miscommunications that occur as soon
as possible.
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Activity 13: Recognising mis-communication
The text below is the last two paragraphs of the above extract from Kettering’s lecture.
There are 12 words missing. Complete the following extract using the words given
below.
communicating
recognise
message
clear up
cultures
cultural
different
rules
mis-communicating
connected
mis-communications
reduce
I’d like to conclude by saying that, if we are _________________ with people from
different _________________ and our _________________ is not getting through,
that is, our communication is not successful, we are _________________. There are
three skills, I think, that can help us. They are all _________________ to our
understanding that _________________ languages have different
_________________ of communication.
Firstly, we need to _________________ when miscommunications are due to
_________________ differences and be aware that different rules of communication
are operating. Secondly, we need to make sure we _________________
_________________ by our constant awareness of the differences. And, thirdly, we
need to be able to _________________ any miscommunications that occur as soon as
possible.
Check your answers at the end of this unit.
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Topic 3: Cultural behaviours
All the things we have been talking about so far — attitudes to time, social customs,
forms of politeness, etc — are cultural behaviours. The table below shows some cultural
behaviours of other cultures, the reasons for the behaviours and how Australians can
misunderstand them.
Activity 14: Typical Aussie behaviour
Look at the table on the next page, and across each row:

The first column gives you an example of a generally typical Australian behaviour.

The second column gives you a reason for the behaviour. For this task you need to
fill in the blanks so that the sentence is complete (and makes sense). Use the words
from the list of ‘Possible answers’ given below.

The third column Indicates how the behaviour may be misunderstood by other
cultures.
You need to fill in the missing word for each sentence in the second column of the table
— to complete the reason for the behaviour. Choose the missing words from these
possible answers:
body
know
show
fun
normal
affection
friendly
casual
equality
Strong
right
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When Australians behave
like this …
Cultural reasons for the
behaviour
Some people from other
cultures might think this
behaviour is …
shrug their shoulders
It’s body language which
means ‘I don’t
__________’.
saying ‘I don’t care’
put their hands in their
pockets
This shows informality; it is indifferent or disrespectful
confident and relaxed
__________ language.
write in red ink
Red is the __________
colour for correcting
writing.
point their finger at
something
Use fewer words to give
rude or insulting
directions or to __________
who you are referring to.
raise their voice to make a
point
Expressions of __________
feelings are valued.
disrespectful
touch another person’s
head, especially a child’s
This shows __________.
rude
put hats on the floor
This shows they are
informal and __________.
rude
put feet on a chair
They are sitting in a relaxed
and __________ way.
rude because the lowest
part of the body should not
be put on a chair or used to
point to anyone
make physical contact
They are often just being
__________ toward each
other.
threatening
wink
They are being friendly and
__________.
a suggestive approach.
a teacher sitting on a desk
Shows feelings of
__________ with students,
and being relaxed.
laziness
take education for granted
Education is a __________;
everyone is entitled to it.
not appreciating the
privilege
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writing about dead people
22
Topic 4: Stereotyping and prejudice
Cultural behaviours may lead to stereotyping
and prejudice which can lead to further
breakdowns in communication.
Think back to Anna and Giorgio’s different
attitudes to time (Activity 11). We made
assumptions about Anna’s attitude because
she’s Swiss and about Giorgio’s attitude
because he’s Italian. What assumptions do
you have about the following people?
A stereotype Aussie male
Activity 15: Stereotyping
Try to complete the following sentences. What assumptions do you have about people, in
general, who come from these cultures?
Australians are: ______________________________________________
The French are: ______________________________________________
Italians are: _________________________________________________
Arabs are: __________________________________________________
Chinese are: _________________________________________________
Jews are: ___________________________________________________
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There are no right or wrong answers to this activity, but you could compare your
responses with those of a friend or fellow student. See if you have made up the same
stereotypes for each culture.
When people generalise or believe something about a group of people and expect that all
people of that group will behave that way, they are stereotyping. This often leads to
judging people before you know them, which is prejudice. Some people make racist
comments, tell racist jokes, write racist graffiti and call people names. These are
examples of prejudice. Often prejudice results in blaming other people for your own
difficulties, eg blaming migrants for unemployment.
If you then treat someone unfairly because of the group they belong to, you are
discriminating against them. In Australia, this kind of discrimination is inappropriate and
illegal.
Activity 16: Have you experienced prejudice?
Have you ever experienced prejudice? What form did it take (eg name calling, labelling,
body language)?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
What did you do and how did you feel?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Discuss your experiences with a fellow student you may be in contact with.
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Topic 5: Communicating with government
organisations
So far we have been talking about cultural misunderstandings that can occur between
individuals. Often misunderstandings also occur when people from other cultures have to
deal with government organisations like local councils, the Roads and Traffic Authority
(RTA), the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs. In this situation the person is
the customer and the government organisation is the service provider.
However, often there can be a communication breakdown and the person is left feeling
powerless. Some causes of miscommunication are individual problems (eg poor English
skills or impatience) and others are institutional problems (eg not enough staff, poor
training, no clear instructions or no interpreters available).
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Summary
Well done.
In this unit we have considered the following questions:

Why do cultural misunderstandings happen?

What are nine common areas of misunderstanding across cultures?

What are some common cross-cultural behaviours that may be misunderstood?

What are stereotyping and prejudice?

Why do migrants have difficulties communicating with government
organisations?
If you’re not sure that you now have an understanding of any of these points, go back
and read the relevant section or do the activities again.
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Check your answers
Activity 1: What is culture?
1
Culture is defined as: A combination of the obvious things like food and clothes, and
the less obvious things like how we look at he world.
2
We mostly learn our first language: at home with our parents.
3
When we speak our first language: we do not have to think about what to say.
4
We feel OK speaking our first language because: we know the rules of
communicating in that language.
5
When we learn a second language: it is not common to feel really comfortable with
speaking it.
6
When communicating in English: it is rude not to make eye contact.
7
Many people whose first language is not English: often have trouble communicating
because they do not know the conventions as well as a native speaker.
Activity 2: Giving instructions politely
1
The polite form of instruction 1 is: Could you please give me Mrs Jacob’s file?
2
The polite form of instruction 2 is: Can you take this package up to Grace on level
4? Thanks.
Activity 3: Australian slang
Slang
Meaning
Good on you mate
Well done
Hang on
Please wait
Stuffed up
Made a mistake
Hooroo
Good bye
Righteo
I agree
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Activity 4: Asking questions
Part B:
All the questions are appropriate except for question 3 — it is not polite to ask someone
what they earn if you don’t know them very well.
Activity 5: A compliment gone wrong
The student probably reacted to Maria’s compliment in an embarrassed way because in
his culture it is not appropriate to show pride when complimented, but to show modesty.
Maria probably couldn’t understand why the student would say they’d done badly when
they had obviously done well.
Activity 7: Responding to bad news
The workmate is probably from a different culture to Anne. In the workmate’s culture, it
could be accepted practice to shake someone’s hand to show empathy and sorrow for
someone.
Activity 8: Personal space
Jung’s colleagues would probably move back a few steps because he was getting too
close to them. They would feel that he was invading their personal space and wouldn’t
feel comfortable.
Activity 11: Making time
1
Anna, with a Swiss background, might have an attitude to time that is more
monochronic.
2
Giorgio, with an Italian background, might have an attitude to time that is more
polychronic.
Activity 12: Identifying some Australian cultural conventions
Ideas (out of order) that are presented in the
extract
Place a number to show
the order in which they are
presented
How much space should be between people
speaking
5
How we address each other
3
How we use non-verbal behaviour
4
What topic it’s OK to talk about
1
How we express politeness
2
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Activity 13: Recognising mis-communication
I’d like to conclude by saying that, if we are communicating with people from different
cultures and our message is not getting through, that is, our communication is not
successful, we are mis-communicating. There are three skills, I think, that can help us.
They are all connected to our understanding that different languages have different
rules of communication.
Firstly, we need to recognise when mis-communications are due to cultural differences
and be aware that different rules of communication are operating. Secondly, we need to
make sure we reduce
mis-communications by our constant awareness of the differences. And, thirdly, we
need to be able to clear up any mis-communications that occur as soon as possible.
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