Avoiding and Responding to Communication Breakdown
When communicating across cultures, it is easy to fall into the pitfalls of intercultural differences in how people should communicate, levels of politeness and rhetorical orientations.
In “An Analysis of an Intercultural Communication Breakdown,” Zhu Yunxia and Peter Thompson use the above model for analysis of intercultural issues between high-context and low-context cultures.
Cultural Differences in High- and Low-Context Cultures
- Internalized, implicit messages; indirect (high)
- Explicit messages; direct (low)
Rhetorical Orientations
Remember Aristotle’s orientations for persuasion? High-context cultures focus more on relationships, feelings, and social status when attempting to be persuasive. Low-context cultures focus more on logic of an argument.
High Context
- Ethos: character, status, social conventions
- Pathos: emotions, feelings
Low Context
- Logos: reason and logic
Politeness Principles
What is considered polite varies from culture to culture. Cultures differ in:
- Who is in the legitimate position to make a request, offer an invitation, etc.
- What phrases are used, if any, to mitigate the face threat
- Rules for making the other speaker comfortable
- Need for harmony (high context) vs individuality (low context)
Prevention and Repair
How can we try to prevent communication breakdown, and how do we repair the situation once a breakdown has occurred?
A sampling of repair strategies:
- Repetition
- Paraphrase
- Clarification requests and Confirmation checks
- Comprehension checks
(Schegloff et al., 1977; Schegloff, 2000; Nagano, 1997; Drew, 1997).
1. Repetition. Repeat what the other person says as closely as you can recall. Be sure you have heard correctly.
2. Paraphrase. Rephrase what others say in your own words to confirm your understanding.
3. Clarify and Confirm that you have heard or understood correctly. You might define key terms. E.g., “what do we mean by takeaway?”—can save time and energy later on.
- Going back to what you just said about … could you clarify what you mean?
- So, correct me if I’m wrong, but did you say …
- I’m sorry, could you go over that again?
- Excuse me, but I must have misunderstood what you said, do you mean that…
- What exactly do you mean by …
4. Comprehension checks. Check with your counterparts to be sure that you understood what they said and that they understood you.
- Does that make sense?
- Could you explain how you understand this point?
- Let me be sure I understand what you are saying …
- Correct me if I’m wrong, but do you mean…
Other Hints:
Never assume. Don’t take it for granted that everyone is using terms or understanding concepts in the same way. Always double-check.
Try not to rush. If you seem rushed and distracted while communicating with others, they may feel offended. If you can’t avoid being rushed, provide a brief explanation about why you are busy but emphasize that they are important to you and arrange for a follow up meeting or phone call.
Encourage questions. Make your counterpart feel comfortable and safe to ask questions. Conversely, if you are unsure or unclear about something, always ask.
Practice active listening. Back channeling is a technique in English to let your counterpart know that you are listening and understanding. However, back channeling can be interpreted as interrupting by people from high-context cultures. Eye contact is also culturally sensitive. Ask questions, invite questions, ask someone to provide a brief recap of what was said. Actively engage your mind so you really listen. Afterwards, be ready to ask for clarification or examples if there is anything you don’t understand.
Reference: Zhu Yunxia, Peter Thompson. (2000) Invitation or sexual harassment? An analysis of an intercultural communication breakdown. M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture 3(4). <http://www.api-network.com/mc/0008/invitation.php>
