4.4 Activities and Applications
From theory to practice…
In efforts to avoid culture or gender bias, some of the strategies include the following:
- Be a mindful listener, particularly when communicating with non-native speakers. That includes listening actively and watching for nonverbal cues to assist in judging understanding and appropriateness. It’s important to keep in mind possible different conventions regarding the role of silence or rules for turn-taking. In some cultures, interrupting is normal and expected; in others it’s expected that one defer to elders or other members of the community.
- Adjust your speech (rate and register) as appropriate. This includes being able to rephrase in simpler terms and avoiding potentially culturally sensitive areas. Safe topics are typically food and music; problematic are often politics and religion. At the same time, one should be aware of the dangers of over-accommodating. Sensitivity is desirable; patronizing is not.
- Discover your own speech mode. Through encounters with others, both face-to-face and online, you can experience a wide variety of language use and verbal styles. This can provide insights into your own use of language. It’s important to reflect on the extent to which you use typical male or female subject positions when speaking, or to what extent you are intentional in modifying your language register when encountering a non-native speaker.
For discussion and reflection…
- Communication style
How would you characterize your communication style? To what extent do you think communication style is cultural as opposed to personal (i.e. related to personality type)? Does everyone in your family or circle of friends have the same communication style? Would you want to be able to use a different communication style from what you normally use? How effective is your communication style in intercultural communication? - Speech acts: Language in practice
After watching the TED talks by Pinker, Stokoe, Washington, and Cain…How do we use language to get things done, to have positive interactions, to avoid embarrassment? What mechanisms do you use to feel comfortable speaking in public? What are ways in which communicating with others can be problematic? - Gender and Language
After reading the Cameron essay on “What language barrier” and watching the videos on “Who sounds gay” and the “Vocal fry epidemic”…To what extent do you believe there are specific gender-related communication styles? Are women and/or gay/transgender individuals disadvantaged socially and professionally by certain speech patterns? - Communicating electronically
After watching the McWhorter and Broadbent TED talks…Do you agree with McWhorter’s take on texting? How does your language use differ in electronic formats, such as texting, using Facebook, etc.? What effect has Twitter had on interactions online? How important is electronic messaging for the maintenance of your relationships?
