Communicating Without A

Shared Language
2017 GIPS Summer Institute
Roll-a-Question
1 - Introduce yourself.
2 - Describe the meaning or story behind your name (first, middle or
last).
3 - If you were fluent in another language, what language(s) would you
speak and why?
4 - What are some of the key challenges communicating with people for
whom English is a new language?
5 - What are you hoping to learn from this session?
6 - Share a success from this school year.
 Whats in a Name?
Naming Customs from Around the World
English is a difficult language
Learning Goals

Discuss the unique relationship between communication and

culture.
Identify factors that contribute to your cultural lens.
Develop a greater awareness and understanding of ourselves
and the lives of individuals from other cultures.
Identify strategies to become an effective, culturally
aware communicators.
Reasons People Communicate Tend to be the Same

Allows you to gather information about other people

Helps fulfill interpersonal needs

Establishes personal identities

Influences others
 Communication
A dynamic process in which people attempt to share their
thoughts with other people through the use of symbols.
Source
Encoding
Message
Channel
Receiver
Decoding
Feedback
Noise
Between what I think
what I want to say
what I think I am saying
what I say
what you want to hear
what you hear
what you think you understand
what you want to understand
and what you understand
there are at least 9 chances
that we will not understand each other.
Culture
A set of human-made
objective and subjective
elements that in the past
have increased the
probability of survival and
resulted in satisfaction for
participants in an
ecological niche, and thus
became shared among
those who could
communicate with each
other because they had a
common language and
they lived in the same time
and place.
Iceberg Concept of Culture
Surface Culture: most easily seen
emotional level - low

Like an iceberg, nine-tenths of

culture is below the surface.
Shallow Culture: unspoken rules
emotional level - high

Deep Culture: unconscious rules

emotional level - intense
Cultural factors that influence the way we see our world &
contribute to the many cultures we weave in and out of
each day:
Family School
Gender Geography
Race Income of Family/Social Class
Age Political Views
Sexual orientation Ethnicity
Language Electronic media
Friends Social organizations
Religion Others
Your Cultural Identity
What makes us unique?
What do we have in common?
 What makes us unique?
What do we have in common?

Discuss any ahas

Which ones do you share?
In which ones do you differ?
What did you learn about yourself and others?
Intercultural
Communication
Interaction between people
whose cultural perceptions and
symbol systems differ enough
to influence the communication
event.
 Intercultural Interactions

Have a potential for creating anxiety, misunderstandings,

and even conflict

Will require flexibility and adaptation

Ability to adjust and accommodate

Requires motivation, knowledge and skills

Communication & Culture
Find a partner.
Read the quote or statement.
Discuss the concept.
Write down examples,
comments, or questions on
the poster.
Strategies to Support Intercultural
Communication
 Be Aware of Your Biases

Watch your nonverbal communication (i.e. tone,

facial expressions).
Do not make assumptions.
Do not equate an accent, poor grammar, or lack
of fluency with lack of intelligence.
 Speak Slowly and Clearly

....but not so slow or loud that it becomes unnatural.

 Use Appropriate Language

Keep word choice and sentence structure simple.

Avoid acronyms, idioms, and abbreviations.
Avoid the use of slang.
Be consistent.
 If You Are Not Understood,
Do Not Repeat Exactly What You Said Before.

Paraphrase with even simpler language.

Allow for silence between phrases and questions.
Use pictures and gestures to go with your words.
Put it in writing.
Use a bilingual dictionary, online translator, or interpreter.
 Listen Actively

Be patient.
Listen for key words, main ideas.
Watch for nonverbal cues that they do not understand.
Do not interrupt, speak over, or finish their sentences.
 Ask for Feedback

Do not move on until you understand and you

are understood.
Ask open-ended questions. Avoid yes/no
questions.
Be encouraging.
Tips for Working Work alongside the interpreter. Allow for
advanced planning and debriefing.
with an Speak directly to the client
Interpreter Only say what you want interpreted
Speak slowly pausing after each complete thought
Refrain from side conversations
Did we meet our learning goals?

Discuss the unique relationship between

communication and culture.
Explain factors that contribute to your cultural lens.
Develop a greater awareness and understanding of ourselves
and the lives of individuals from other cultures.
Identify strategies to become an effective, culturally
aware communicators.
Where do you start?
Start where you are.

Learn about yourself. Think about your own thinking.

Expand your knowledge about culture and the various dimensions of culture
represented in Grand Island.

Interact with diverse groups and establish meaningful relationships.

Attend diversity-focused events and professional learning opportunities. Ask

questions and take advantage of teachable moments.

Create an environment that is welcoming. Be non judgemental, practice

patience, expect the unexpected and be adaptive.

Be an advocate. Share tips for communicating without a shared language.