commucation across culture

Which other media of communication can you identify?

3.6 The Communication Process

Matching Task p.57

One more example:

1. A: Can you tell me the time?

B: Well, the milkman has come.

(No, I don’t know the exact time, but I can tell you that the milkman has come so that you may be able to tell what the approximate time it is now.)

Case 6 p.61 ( assignment)

Case Analysis

Case 6 p.61

Why did the Chinese mother-in-law decide to leave the very afternoon?

What was wrong with Litz asking her husband how long his mother was going to stay just two days after her mother-in-law’s arrival?

Analysis

When a speaker says something to a hearer, there are at least three kinds of meanings involved: utterance meaning, the speaker’s meaning and the hearer’s meaning.

In the dialogue, when Litz asked how long her mother-in-law was going to stay, she meant that if she knew how long she was going to stay in Finland, she would be able to make proper arrangements for her, such as taking her out to do some sightseeing. However, her

mother-in-law took Litz’s question to mean “ Litz does not want me to stay for long”. From the Chinese point of view, it seems inappropriate for Litz to ask such a question just two days after her mother-in-law’s arrival. If she has to ask the question, it would be better to ask some time later and she should not let her mother-in-law hear it.

Another Case

Situation:

A Chinese student had just arrived at the States. One day, when he was reading in his room, he heard someone shouting outside: “ Watch out!” So he went to the window and stretched out his head and tried to find out what’s going on outside. Just then, his head was right poured by the water from above…

Question:

What are the three meanings of “ Watch out” in communication?

Key to the question:

1. Utterance meaning: Be careful!

2. Speaker’s meaning: Don’t pull out !

3. Hearer’s meaning:

Something is happening! Look out!

3.9 Characteristics of Communication p.68-73

Dynamic

Symbolic

Interactive

Interpretive

Contextual