跨文化交际Chapter 3.ppt

Chinese verbal style Five key aspects: 含蓄 or implicit communication 听话 or listening centeredness 客气 or politeness 自己人 or a focus on insider 面子 or face-directed communication strategies 8 areas in which Chinese and North Americans clash in their everyday interactions: What is not said vs. what is said. The use of we vs. I. Polite vs. impolite talk Indirect vs. direct talk Hesitant vs. assertive speech Self-effacing vs. self-enhancing talk Private vs. public personal questions Reticent vs. expressive speech Invitation: Chinese rules of speaking require that a potential guest be urged to accept an invitation. Chinese people prefer indirect strategies. American rules impose a constraint on pinning people down to accepting possibly unwanted invitation. English speakers would not necessarily see the need for indirectness. Therefore, it is difficult to avoid misunderstanding. Compliment and response English --- agreement maxim. say “thanks”. Chinese --- modesty maxim. say “不好” “差得远”。 American English: I love it. Chinese: you/your occur more frequently. American: accept compliment as a kind of recognition of their individual efforts. Chinese: efface themselves. America: woman praise her husband and kids. Man give a woman compliment. Chinese: rarely praise members of their own family in front of others. And man must be very careful when complimenting a woman on her appearance. Apologies and response Apologizing is a speech act addressed to the offended person’s face-needs and intended to remedy an offense for which the offender take responsibility, and to restore equilibrium between the two. Apology strategies: 1. Explicit expression of apology 2. explanation, excuse, justification 3. acknowledgement of responsibility 4. an offer of repair 5. a promise of forbearance In China, less frequent and more flexible in making apology. Social distance and power affect the frequency and choice of strategies in apology-making. For example: the person with less power apologizes t