Job Discussion Forums

[Trinley]

Sorry this is a bit long, but I think it's an interesting topic if you're willing to read it.

I think a lot of teachers agree that confusion in communication is common between us and Asian cultures. I studied cross-cultural communication as part of my TESL training, but what I wonder is whether we should assume that most confusion is caused by cultural difference, or if we can say that sometimes communication in some Asian countries is just less efficient. That sounds very much against what I was taught, but the prevalence of instances makes me think it could be possible.

Here's a recent example -- a very minor thing, but it gets me a little annoyed and reminds me of my days in China where useful information seemed so hard to extract from people. I teach online for a Korean company. When problems occur (which they frequently do), they tell me but make no suggestion as to what I'm supposed to do about it. I just received an email stating bluntly that some emails to me are being rejected. That's it. They haven't indicated which emails, what dates, or from whom, but it feels vaguely like they're accusing me of blocking their emails. At the least, they are just putting the problem on my shoulders by telling me. They haven't suggested anything that I should do about it, and they know that I have received and replied to many of their emails in the past. After all, I received the one stating that I wasn't receiving others! So what is the use of telling me that without any reference to what should be done about it?

Another thing is I will ask a simple question like, "When is the payday?" Their response is to say "We will make a payment today." Okay, but that still doesn't tell me when payday is, and now I just have to ask for my pay again in the future. It would be more efficient to just choose a set of dates.

I often encounter this kind of communication failure where I'm left asking "more information, please?!" Can we say that's just poor communication on their part, or is that cross-cultural communication failure?

[KayuJati]

[Trinley]

Hi Kayu. Well, I do appreciate your reply, but I think you've missed the question. Yes, most of us teaching abroad were taught about high vs. low context. I hoped to indicate my awareness of the subject by saying that I had studied cross-cultural communication.

I know there is a lot of context in my original post, so to extract the actual question, I am asking if we should assume that any miscommunication is due to cultural differences, or if anyone truly believes that communication is less efficient in any Asian countries they have worked in.

I cited a couple of examples only to illustrate some of my recent experiences with inefficient communication. I wasn't actually looking for personal advice related to my example of the online job. The question is not restricted to Korea. I hope my question is clearer now.

[steki47]

[KayuJati]

[Ariadne]

I'm in China. Sometimes I'll have a Chinese friend or student with me when I need to buy something or get some information at a shop or office. I will ask a question that SHOULD involve a yes or no answer, but the conversation in Chinese seems to last forever! I've never been able to understand why it takes so long to say, "No, we do not have the shirt in blue." Can any of you communications experts explain this to me?

.

[steki47]

[KayuJati]

In Malaysia there is a funny segment in a music video that shows the culture surrounding requests for information. A guy is looking for a girl who was walking in the vicinity and he asks four people sitting around a sidewalk table which direction she went. All point in four opposite directions! In other words, they would rather give the wrong answer than to admit that they do not know or have an answer for you. This is the shame culture at work. They do not want confrontation, and not having an answer risks confrontation or loss of face.

[KayuJati]

Trinley, I am aware that you wrote that you studied cross-cultural communication but let me explain a little more fully why such studies do not always prepare a person for understanding cross-cultural communication breakdowns.

Most classes on ccc deal with surficial expressions: e.g., Malaysians point with their thumb whereas westerners point with an extended finger; Malaysians summon each other by waving their fingers with their palms downwards, whereas westerners do it with palms upward; and etc. But these are just descriptive differences and do not deal with the underlying belief systems that give rise to the differences.

For one to understand another culture well, one must learn the language to a certain extent, read children's stories (which are used to enculturate children) and know something about the myths/heroes/legends of that culture. It is this underlying base that gives form and meaning to the overlying surficial expressions.

One of the best books that I have read on this subject is The Geography of Thought by Richard E. Nisbett.

[KayuJati]

[Trinley]

Thanks for the replies. So, to extract direct answers from these replies, most of you -- apart from steki dealing with those dropped pronouns in Japan -- are saying that you think communication is NOT less efficient in other countries, and that any miscommunication must be due to cultural differences. Is that correct?

(You guys are more indirect than you think!)

[steki47]

[KayuJati]

[Glenski]

[steki47]