COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:

Communication and Globalization

1. What do the following words mean? Use context clues from the text to determine the meaning
of the words.
1. Enabled- to allow someone or something to do a particular thing.
2. Enormously- a great degree or extent.
3. Flourished- grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way.
4. Floundered- a struggle.

2. What does the experience of Starbucks tells about globalization?

The Starbucks Company has reached 15,000 stores in about 47 years. The company’s
goods and services moved easily across borders which it has stores in 50 countries around the
world. Starbucks Company globalizes countries and scatters their branches worldwide for the
benefit of the company, but despite of the good things there will always be consequences to
encounter.

3. What are the driving forces behind globalization?

Globalization has speeded up enormously over the half century. Internet, ships, trains and
airplanes are the driving forces of globalization it brings people across borders. The internet has
revolutionized connectivity and a communication which makes people reach others who’s
outside or in other countries. Internet uses email for the better communication process. The ships
which make the transportations better. Trains and airplanes have allowed us to move around the
globe easily.

4. What are the benefits of globalization?

Globalization lifted us from poverty. It benefits each country’s economic state. It also
shows how country’s economy arises and develops because of the fast transportation, goods and
services.
5. What are the negative effects of globalization?
Globalization has bought many benefits to many people, but not to everyone. It lifted
many countries in poverty but not all can adjust and others will be left behind. Globalization has
led to increase the competitions of countries which may lead to terrorism, colonization, and
increased pollution, fluctuation in goods prices and also in currency. Internet brings harm to
other people these days. Ships, trains, and airplanes also bring harm to passengers, many ships,
trains and airplanes have its defects which may lead people to death.
 COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
The impact of Globalization in Communication

1. In what specific ways does the globalization affect communication?

Connecting people on the other side of the world is now much easier than it was a few
years ago. Communication is directly affected by the process of globalization and helps to
increase business opportunities, remove barriers and develop global village.

2. What are the things that people do now which could not be done before globalization?
Before globalization, there’s no internet that connect peoples, there’s no airplanes, ships,
trucks and cars to accelerate or expand the trading of goods. As today, the demand for more
controls dressed up as a concern for security was characteristic of past eras in which
globalization breaks down.

3. Are the effects of globalization on communication positive or negative?

Globalization has its own positive and negative effects. Globalization in positive effect
helps us human to have a better education than the past eras before globalization. We also have
now better trading of goods and services, the products reached the other countries because of
technologies. Globalization also connects people around the world because of internets, the past
years, people creates letters for their loved ones who’s in other country but now, they can talk
face to face using their mobile phones or computers.
Globalization in negative effects are people getting lazy, people were spending much
time in technologies. We should manage the usage of technologies, but now, technology
manages us and that becomes negative.
 COMPREHENSION SENTENCES
Communicating Across Cultures

1. How does each of the items in the following contrasting pairs differ from the other?
A. High context vs. Low context
All international communication is influenced by cultural differences. Even the choice of
communication medium can have cultural overtones. High context clues leave the message
unspecified, communicate in ways that are implicit and indirect while Low context communicate
in ways that are explicit and specific.

B. Sequential vs. Synchronic

In sequential cultures (like North America, English, German, Swedish and Dutch)
business people give people give full attention to one agenda item for one month. In synchronic
cultures (including South America, Southern Europe and Asia) the flow of time is viewed as a
sort of circle with the past, present and future all interrelated. This viewpoint influences how
organizations in those culture approach deadlines, strategic, thinking, investments, developing
talent from within and the concept of “long term” planning.

C. Affective vs. Neutral

In international business, practices, reasons, and emotions both play a role. Which of
these dominates depends upon whether we are affective (readily showing emotions) or
emotionally neutral in our approach. Members of neutral cultures do not telegraph their feelings,
but keep them carefully and controlled and subdued. In culture high affect, people show their
feelings plainly by laughing, smiling, grimacing, scowling, and sometimes crying, shouting or
walking out of the room.

2. What does the author recommend that we do to be successful in cross-cultural communication?

We are all individuals and no two people belonging to the same culture are guaranteed to
respond in exactly the same way. The key to cross-cultural success is to develop an
understanding of, and a deep respect for the differences.
 COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
Varieties and Registers of Spoken and Written Language

1. What is the importance of intercultural communication?

You have to be aware of and recognize intercultural communication as you need to be
sensitive to the people around you who belong to different cultural heritages and have their own
linguistics identity. When you encounter them, you will able to avoid misunderstanding and
avoid communication breakdown and overcome language barriers with less difficulty since you
are exposed to their language features. This way you will be able to enhance your personal and
social interaction.

2. Are you familiar with some English varieties? If so, what are some vocabulary words present in this
varieties but are not present in the variety that you speak? Aside from lexicon, are there other
features that you familiar with?

Example 1: If you are upset or disappointed, in Filipino we used “high blood”

Example 2: Refrigerator “fridge” in clipped form, in Filipino, we used ref.

3. How do you become more aware of the language features of the post-colonial varieties?
Some of the varieties of English which would give full attention by users coming from
different cultures. We become more aware because of the modern world it’s easy to connect and
communicate with other people. Each boundary is limited because of the present generation.

4. How do you think you can begin to communicate with people from other cultures and avoid
conflicts and misunderstandings?
You have to be aware of and recognize intercultural communication as you need to be
sensitive to the people around you who belong to different heritages and have their own
linguistic identity.

5. Have you talked to people of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds? Have you experienced
any difficulty? If so, how did you manage the conversation? What strategies did you employ?
All of us experienced this kind of difficulty. Others do appreciating and understanding
and also practice the respect to manage a good conversation to the people of diverse linguistic.

6. How do formal or informal registers affect the way one speaks? How do they affects ones way of
writing?
The formal register then is used in formal speaking and writing situations. In a state of
the nation address (SONA) classified as formal. Even in writing, you may use a formal or
informal registers. Informal registers which is more casual in tone.

7. What other communicative situations in which one uses formal and informal registers? And why do
you think so?
The formal register is likewise appropriate for use in professional writing like project,
proposal, position papers, and business letters, as in the case of writing to a superior or to a head
of certain organizations. Informal register which is more casual in tone is appropriate for people
 with whom you have established more personal relationships as in the case of friends and
relatives.

8. Do you know of other types of registers similar to legalese and textese? How do they differ from
each other?
Conversely, the features of SMS language or textese language are exactly opposite use of
abbreviation, acronym, slang words and expressions.

COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS
Exploring Texts Reflecting different Cultures

1. It is inevitable for us to meet people coming from other cultures. Cite at least three ways by
which you can avoid miscommunication or misinterpretation of ideas when talking to them.

 You should use ordinary, conversational language.

 Intercultural communication has an important role to play effective communication.
 Understanding the registers of English should be goal of everyone so that there is less
misunderstanding and miscommunication.

2. How non-verbal communication does in general or bodily gestures in particular or bodily

gestures in particular pose miscommunication between two persons coming from different
cultures? Cite some examples that you know.
 A cultural barrier does not only pertain to differing languages. It may also be in the form
of cultural practice or even a bodily gesture. For instance, in English-speaking countries
and even in the Philippines, the thumbs-up gesture sign of approval. However, it is
considered offensive in other countries like in Greece and other parts of Middle East.
 Likewise, making a circle with one’s thumb and forefinger generally means ‘okay” in
many Western cultures but this is not so in countries like in Japan where it is interpreted
as sign of money, and in some Arab culture as threat.

3. Give one situation when you should use formal language and another situation when you should
use informal language. What expression you will use? How do they differ from each other?
 If your speech is meant to entertain your listeners on a light topic, your language should
be informal.
 COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
Coping with the Challenges of Intercultural Communication

1. Cite a certain situations when you encountered a miscommunication while talking to other people
of different nationalities.

 A situation when, a American missionary visit the school, we talked to them and it is hard
because they speak English with accent and too fast.
 A situation when, I am working in a store, Indian talks to me using their language, I don’t
even understand so, I just say “what I don’t understand” I think 3 times. I’m just waiting
for him to leave the store.
2. As a conscientious student, what have you done so far to avoid miscommunication and
misunderstandings when communicating with people of different cultures?

We respect their language and try our best to understand and make a good conversation.

3. Looking at the three different approaches to intercultural communication, which one would you
prefer and why?

Some of our group answered functionalist, because they prefer observation, and they believed
that the language were influenced by cultures. Some answered interpretative because they prefer
to participate and understand that culture created and maintained through communication.