Choose antonyms for the following words from the text. Then use these words in the sentences of your own:

 

Minor, difficult, slow, separation, hostility, disconnect, offline, limited, free, antisocial, past, decelerate, narrowed, loss, increase.

Increase your Knowledge

Read the article “ What is Cultural Awareness, anyway? ” by Stephanie Quappe and Giovanna Cantatore and find out the levels of cultural awareness. At what level of cultural awareness are you now? What can you do to move up to a higher level? Exchange your ideas with the partner.

Cultural awareness is the foundation of communication and it involves the ability of standing back from ourselves and becoming aware of our cultural values, beliefs and perceptions. Why do we do things in that way? How do we see the world? Why do we react in that particular way?

Cultural awareness becomes central when we have to interact with people from other cultures. People see, interpret and evaluate things in a different ways. What is considered an appropriate behavior in one culture is frequently inappropriate in another one. Misunderstandings arise when I use my meanings to make sense of your reality.

As an Italian it is almost automatic to perceive US Americans as people who always work, talk about business over lunch and drink their coffee running in the street instead of enjoying it in a bar. What does it mean? Italians are lazy and American hyperactive? No, it means that the meaning that people give to certain activities, like having lunch or dinner could be different according to certain cultures. In Italy, where relationships are highly valued, lunch, dinner or the simple pauses for coffee have a social connotation: people get together to talk and relax, and to get to know each other better. In the USA, where time is money, lunches can be part of closing a deal where people discuss the outcomes and sign a contract over coffee.

Misinterpretations occur primarily when we lack awareness of our own behavioral rules and project them on others. In absence of better knowledge we tend to assume, instead of finding out what a behavior means to the person involved, e.g. a straight look into your face is regarded as disrespectful in Japan.

Becoming aware of our cultural dynamics is a difficult task because culture is not conscious to us. Since we are born we have learned to see and do things at an unconscious level. Our experiences, our values and our cultural background lead us to see and do things in a certain way. Sometimes we have to step outside of our cultural boundaries in order to realize the impact that our culture has on our behavior. It is very helpful to gather feedback from foreign colleagues on our behavior to get more clarity on our cultural traits.

Projected similarities could lead to misinterpretation as well. When we assume that people are similar to us, we might incur the risk that they are not. If we project similarities where there are not, we might act inappropriately. It is safer to assume differences until similarity is proven.

There are several levels of cultural awareness that reflect how people grow to perceive cultural differences.

My way is the only way – At the first level, people are aware of their way of doing things, and their way is the only way. At this stage, they ignore the impact of cultural differences.

I know their way, but my way is better – At the second level, people are aware of other ways of doing things, but still consider their way as the best one. In this stage, cultural differences are perceived as source of problems and people tend to ignore them or reduce their significance.

My Way and Their Way – At this level people are aware of their own way of doing things and others’ ways of doing things, and they chose the best way according to the situation. At this stage people realize that cultural differences can lead both to problems and benefits and are willing to use cultural diversity to create new solutions and alternatives.

Our Way – This fourth and final stage brings people from different cultural background together for the creation of a culture of shared meanings. People dialogue repeatedly with others, create new meanings, new rules to meet the needs of a particular situation.

Increasing cultural awareness means to see both the positive and negative aspects of cultural differences. Cultural diversity could be a source of problems, in particular when the organization needs people to think or act in a similar way. Diversity increases the level of complexity and confusion and makes agreement difficult to reach. On the other hand, cultural diversity becomes an advantage when the organization expands its solutions and its sense of identity, and begins to take different approaches to problem solving. Diversity in this case creates valuable new skills and behaviors.

In becoming culturally aware, people realize that: we are not all the same; similarities and differences are both important; there are multiple ways to reach the same goal and to live life; the best way depends on the cultural contingency. Each situation is different and may require a different solution.

 (Abridged from http://www.culturosity.com/articles/whatisculturalawareness.htm)

 

Writing an Abstract

Study Appendix Vand write a descriptive abstract of the article “ The Impact of Globalization on Communication Skills Development ” by David Ingram. Give 5-7 key words.

Communication skills development has always been an important factor of success in business, but the influence of globalization and cross-cultural interaction in recent decades has impacted the types of communication skills needed in dramatic ways. No longer can entrepreneurs afford to simply communicate well within their own homogenous cultures. Today, people need to understand the dynamics of long-distance collaboration, the impact of culture on manners of speaking and body language, and how to use technology to communicate with people on the other side of the globe. Understanding the impact of globalization on each of these factors can help you to select the most useful communication skills development programs for yourself or your employees.

Globalization has introduced virtual communication and collaboration as a major part of workplace dynamics. Modern entrepreneurs need to understand the strengths and limitations of different communications media, and how to use each medium to maximum effect. For example, communicating via email to distant team members requires a certain etiquette and nuance not necessarily required in face-to-face interactions. Holding virtual meetings requires a similar change in approach, and people who are unaccustomed to communicating in groups in virtual settings can find themselves lost, confused or unable to share their input. When choosing a communication skills training program, look for courses that address the challenges of virtual interactions.

The need for cultural awareness is a major impact of globalization on the required skillset of effective communicators, resulting in the evolution of communication skills development programs. Modern entrepreneurs and employees need the ability to catch subtle nuances of people’s manner of speech when communicating across cultures. Even when two people are speaking the same language, cultural differences can affect vocabulary, colloquial expressions, voice tone and taboo topics. In Japanese business culture, for example, it can be considered rude to ask personal questions in an initial business meeting. In the U.S., on the other hand, asking personal questions and sharing personal information can display warmth and openness. American and Japanese businesspeople who understand this about each other can communicate in ways that resonate more effectively with each other.

Awareness of cultural differences in body language can be just as important as the nuances of speech. Modern training programs teach students to understand acceptable speaking distances, conflict styles, eye contact and posture in different cultures, accepting that the physical expressions of their own culture are not universally accepted. Look for training programs that address these differences to prepare you for face-to-face meetings with foreign suppliers, customers or team members.

The advent of global collaboration introduces another new dynamic to communication skills – the need to communicate and share information with people across several time zones. When people collaborate with others on the other side of the globe, their counterparts are usually at home asleep while they themselves are at work. Today’s communication skills development programs should address the nuances of overcoming this challenge by teaching people to understand the information needs of their colleagues, according to the communication styles of different countries or cultures. Being able to effectively share information between shifts can make or break the productivity of a geographically dispersed team, making this an important issue for many companies.

(From http://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/impact-globalization-communication-skills-development-28172.html)

 

Study Skills