[Annotation blog post #4] Communicating and adapting across cultures - Riall W. Nolan

1) The fourth source I chose is “Communicating and adaption across culture” written by Riall W. Nolan. I read three chapters, which are: 1) communication and culture, 2) verbal communication, and 3) nonverbal communication. Studying cross-culture is not simply know about the language of the country/culture you want to know about, but need to know how to perform the language appropriately. Different language is a reflection from how people from that culture view their life.

2) Quotes:

a. “Language is a double-edged sword. While language communicates it also ex-communicates; that is, it includes only those who share the system, all others are excluded.” (42)

b. “Since other languages describe the world differently, do the speakers of those languages see a different world?” (43)

3) Although we are using a same language, English, there are different styles and different accents that describe the unique of one culture. And we are studying in a same environment. There are people who were born and raised in a different culture from what they experience now. Or even some grew up at Washington State; they also have a lot of differences in life style, culture, etc.

4) I really like the part that author mentioned about the double-edged sword of language. I am wondering how I will negotiate with the differences/conflics in language when I come back to my home country, where the national language is not English. The theories, the terms I learnt here, will be called differently. And even if open a business, the knowledge and experiences, are applied for American, a western culture, will be dissimilar to Vietnam, an Asian country.

5) The author is an international development specialis and has lived oversees for nearly twenty years, so I believe he experience by himself with the cultural conflicts and difficulties to communicate with other people, who has different language/ culture. The author brought up amazing ideas and cited from reliable sources.

6) One language can be shared by different cultures even though language is a vision of life of a specific culture. Because of this, one normal word in one culture can be an inappropriate in another culture. Therefore, applying the right style, language that suite for each individual that you target to is one way to develop the intercultural competence.

Work cited:

Nolan, Riall W. Communicating and Adapting across Cultures: Living and Working in the Global Village. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey, 1999. Print.