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Sentence Diagrams - A Tool for Intercultural Communication

January 1st, 2013, 6:23 pm

Since there can be so many interpretations, even of the simplest statements, here sometimes, this thread will provide a chance to clarify what you really meant. commas, semicolonials and the dreaded apostrophe are welcome and may be explained as well!
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Cuchulainn
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January 1st, 2013, 6:43 pm

May I be the referee?BTW Hofstede is your friend.
 
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January 1st, 2013, 6:55 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: CuchulainnMay I be the referee?BTW Hofstede is your friend.Definitely - you are a fair and even-handed person.I liked that site very much and ran a few comparisons between countries - intriguing results...This is useful too:Steven Pinker - The Stuff of Thought: Language as a window into human nature
 
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January 1st, 2013, 7:05 pm

And also relevant is Whorfianism The idea was first clearly expressed by 19th-century thinkers, such as Wilhelm von Humboldt, who saw language as the expression of the spirit of a nation.I think Hofstede worked for Royal Shell, so lots of diffrent cultures.
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January 1st, 2013, 7:08 pm

QuoteOriginally posted by: CuchulainnAnd also relevant is Whorfianism The idea was first clearly expressed by 19th-century thinkers, such as Wilhelm von Humboldt, who saw language as the expression of the spirit of a nationYes, that is good stuff!Kinship groups too.I will give a polarizing example.
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January 1st, 2013, 7:11 pm

Hofstede Japan Canada
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January 1st, 2013, 7:13 pm

It was cold outside and I went home.- Most people can empathize here. The people from really cold climates might ask "How cold?", or think you were a sissy. **It was cold outside and I went home to my cold, damp castle.- People with big cold houses can empathize. Others may sympathize, wonder why do you live in a damp castle, or ask if you have big, warm fireplaces to offset the damp, cold stone.Others will say you are an arrogant and elitist jerk. You deserve that damp castle pneumonia that you are suffering from right now. But in fact, you are neither arrogant, nor elitist; you were just trying to provide some specific detail on the day's events.Rich context is often more interesting than flat, dry facts, but it can get you into trouble too!
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January 1st, 2013, 7:25 pm

Well, it is time for a cup of tea and then curling up under a pile of goosedown comforters and fleece! Goodnight!
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February 28th, 2013, 10:31 pm

In France, people tend to be 'consensual' in everyday life*. Eg, you are invited to lunch, but the meal is not tasty. Anyway, French will pretend he/she liked a lot and that the only reason why he/she doesn't have some more is because he/she is not hungry any more or follows a food diet. By experience, I know this is not the case in every country. Would you say that American people are 'frank', 'sincere', saying straight what they think/feel, asking what they want to kwow in any circumstances?* nope! there is no way out.
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February 28th, 2013, 10:52 pm

That example is more a matter of etiquette than evidence that the French are more agreeable than other cultures.It is rude to complain about the quality of a meal, especially if you have been invited. You would just eat as much as you could, thank your host and take care not to visit that restaurant again.As far as being direct goes, so much depends on context and how well you know the person to whom you are speaking.Then you also have to consider the genders, age, class, upbringing and motivations.Finally - is the conversation in person, in private or public space, by telephone, or as in this case, over the Internet?Lots of room for nuances, even while you are trying to convey something clearly, and sometimes when you would think you could be direct, you can't for diplomatic reasons, or the person will not understand anyway, even when you are hitting them right over the head with something.
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March 1st, 2013, 3:42 pm

I think most Americans would also be pretty consensual with the exception of whining about how they can only eat gluten-free, low-carbohydrate food and are lactose intolerant.
 
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March 8th, 2013, 1:08 am

 
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March 8th, 2013, 6:59 am

QuoteOriginally posted by: Traden4AlphaLOL ... poor professors I will talk to from today on ....
 
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March 17th, 2013, 8:12 pm

I was searching the picture of a "boudoir". In French this is the name of a biscuit like these:People use "boudoirs" when they cook "charlotte" cakes. see the pic below:Then I googled "boudoir", and clicked on "images", and what???? Google returned only pics of women half-naked.I was shocked as you can imagine (self-mockery!).I then thought "damn! engineers at google are geniuses! they made a tool that oversees hat people enter with the keyboard, but put on the screen what they have on their minds" (self-mockery!).I understood after I read what a "boudoir" is in English, according to Wikipedia: "A boudoir (French: [bu.dwaʁ], English: /ˈbuːd.wɑːr/) is a lady's private bedroom, sitting room or dressing room. The term derives from the French verb bouder, meaning "to be sulky" or boudeur, meaning "sulky" ".Ah .... those foreign languages ....
 
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April 9th, 2013, 10:31 am

I was talking to a former colleague from Ukraine, this morning.The guy (he's a nice guy) then told me he just got married.I replied with much enthousiasm "Hey, man that's great, congratulations"He then sent me out a pic of their wedding via skype.On a similar enthousiastic tone, I said: "Hey, man, well your spouse is just gorgeous [and she actually looks great]."And I added: "Take good care of her, there is very few women as beautiful as your wife".The guy then replied: "Well, there actually are MANY beautiful women here in Ukraine"LOL