The surprising paradox of intercultural communication | Helena Merschdorf | TEDxNelson
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- Опубликовано: 16 июн 2022
- What if English as the global lingua franca is both our greatest asset and biggest downfall in intercultural communication?
While the idea of a global language is appealing - especially in the age of globalisation - it often creates “invisible misunderstandings”. This can lead to harmless awkwardness in the best case or have dire political, economic, and social impacts in the worst case.
In this talk, Helena explores where these misunderstandings come from, and how can we work to avoid them. Helena is a social scientist, GIS analyst, translator, and writer, working at the interface of linguistics and technology. Growing up bilingually and between two cultures, it didn’t take Helena long to recognise the perils of intercultural (mis)communication - and decide to do something about it. She soon made it her mission to understand the complex interplay of language and culture, leading her to obtain master’s degrees in both translation studies and geographic information science. She is currently pursuing her PhD in GIScience, where her research examines how linguistic bias impacts our understanding of global human phenomena. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx
Who else from SNHU is watching this? Where are all my fellow Penmen at??
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Penmen Power!
right here
Yessir
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As an autistic person, this actually can help explain a lot about the communication issues between autistic and allistic (non-autistic) folks as well. Fantastic talk!
"good for you" can actually mean the same thing in English. It depends on how you say it.
People might confuse it with "That must be nice".
Same goes for "good job" as another example and is a basic property of sarcasm, in every language.
A very interesting clarification of what happens every day in intercultural conversations
That is a great to increase our clients' awareness as most of the time, they do not think culture matters that much. Thanks you
this extends culturally as much as it does between conversations of neurodivergent people and 'neurotypicals'. amazing speech to bring back accountability and community !!
It's really a good idea to understand the context. It's happening in everyone's lives and everyday. Everyone should understand this.
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Agree… it’s the only way forward…
A very good topic, explained beautifully.
I am Japanese though I’ve never heard that “thumbs up gesture” represents No.5 in Japan.
Thought in Japan they started counting one from the pinky and it went up till 5 was the thumb?
im middle-eastern and I've never heard that it means anything but something positive so 🤷♀
Our exchange student is from Senegal and he was so confused with us giving the "thumbs up" because he definitely doesn't recognize it as a positive gesture! 🫣
Thank you for those pieces of information 👍🏻
Yup, I too experienced intercultural communication issues-within the same company!
👉 Some people sit very quietly in meetings, never saying anything unless specifically asked. Others don't need an invitation-they interrupt, raise their voices, speak above others-just can't seem to shut up. Or listen.
👉 Many people hesitate to speak against the popular opinion in the room. Especially if it means contradicting the boss. However, a few think they're born to be the devil's advocates. They will tear down the speaker and rip apart her ideas even before she has articulated them.
👉 Some are frank and outspoken to the point of being rude. Others are so subtle, you completely miss what they're hinting at. And then you're shocked when negotiations fail. They seemed to be going so well-everybody was smiling, nodding politely, agreeing with you ...!
I don't think it's only intercultural but also about education (home, school, social manners) and personality. Rule n° 1 in intercultural communication is 'be considerate and respectful'
@@finiantsl5573 Personality-sure. Some of the points I made apply equally well to introvert v. extrovert.
But I was talking specifically about cultural differences. Even after accounting for individual differences, you can see clear culturally-defined behaviors.
Home and society-absolutely; that's where people learn how to communicate-and to (mis)behave. And that's where the cultural aspect comes from.
School-no. All schools-everywhere in the world-teach students not to interrupt if someone is speaking; to raise their hands if they want to say something; speak only when called upon to do so; and not be rude. And yet, their behavior as adults-that is to say, in colleges, workplaces, social gatherings etc.-is determined by the culture they grew up in _outside_ of school.
Oh, and I completely agree with your last point. 💯. But it's easier said than done. 😢
I've been living in the American South all my life and have recently found out that "Bless your heart " isnt always a sweet thing that older women say. It can also be used in a very condescending way by anyone. I even heard it last week on a political ad to discredit Stacy Abrams.
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Amazing speech! And, as a Northeastern Brazilian man who's married to a Southern American woman, I see every day how important communication is... In fact, the Universe itself wouldn't exist without communication.
I found this lecture very informative and insightful. The speaker definitely highlights the importance of cultural awareness to create better understanding between people.
A view from the top can be very insightful. This is very insightful.
If you’re hanging out with somebody and they’re from another country you should be aware that if they rubbed you the way, it wouldn’t be on purpose especially if they see no wrong doing on their part. They should have a book about what’s considered “rude” for each country. Such as “👍🏼 “
I did hear about this in my travels. I should do a video near this topic on my channel.
I love how she went into detail and thinking about the differences in cultures. Awesome video 💪🏻😎
Thank you. I've really enjoyed this.
Excelente
Muito obrigado
Nice lecture. The gesture for 5 in Japan is something that I have never seen in Japan in my 25+ years. Non of my Japanese friends or in-laws have every heard of that.
Thank you! Very useful content while I am living in Dubai now.
The 👍 gesture has a few other meanings as well. I know them from personal experience-they're not urban legends. You tell them apart from noticeable differences in hand position and arm movement. And above all, context.
➜ "I'm hitchhiking; I need a lift."
➜ "Get lost / take a hike."
➜ "Ha ha, fooled ya!" (You alternately bend and straighten the thumb a few times.)
➜ "What happened?" (Accompanied by raised eyebrows and a quizzical expression on your face.)
➜ "I demand to know how this happened!" (You speak in a raised voice, and bang the 👍 fist-like a gavel-against the other palm.)
Here's the real paradox. In order to underline the importance of intercultural communication, people who are supposed to be intercultural communication experts base their talks on false assumptions about the rigidity of the borders between cultures. I mean, she assumed that "good for you" does not have a double meaning in English, or that hierarchy is not displayed in the US.
She never said good for you cannot have a double meaning in english. She said that its amost always sarcastic in german which is true. You don‘t use that phrase if you want to be sinciere.
@@ssh00t3mupp I agree with her point, I just don't like how she's making it.
I didn't say she said it, but she assumed it, like in her story, if she had assumed there was a double meaning in English, she would've clarified it right away seeing her friend's facial expression, or she would've found what went wrong in their conversation without waiting for another German friend to give her the answer.
So I don't think this particular miscommunication happened because of cultural differences, but rather because people don't clarify enough when they assume that what they say can be misunderstood.
But this topic is very complicated, and a lot of people use examples like that to introduce it. This type of discourse simplifies the topic, and as a result, only people who are already convinced of the importance of intercultural communication education will agree with her point.
And it's a problem, because the goal of this type of speech is to make everyone understand the stakes of intercultural communication, not only people who are already on this side.
Very interesting
I had no idea you could screw up a business deal so easily.
The nonverbal aspect of communication can sometimes help bridge the gap when meanings that are lost due to cultural differences, even then there are pitfalls.
Gesture for example mean different things to different people.
Ooh! So the hundreds of 👍 that this video has garnered ... may not all be 'Likes'? 🤔
Does RUclips use different icons for different geographies / cultures?
When Google Translate translates text, does it translate emojis also?
I'm so confused ... 😵
The gesture that represents “number 1” in many European countries also represents “number 1” here in Japan. It never means number 5 here. Where did she get the information?
oops~ i wonder what happen
In Ghana, when the tomb moves down on the tombs up gesture it is a big insult.
So although I agree with this video, and its context. The Middle East does not use the thumbs up sign as the middle finger although there are many other gestures that could mean that. The thumbs up in the Middle East means the same as the US or England.
That’s social anthropology! Is this what you’re discussing? This isn’t ’cultural Comms’ ?
I first became aware of different hand gestures meaning different things when Dan Quayle was boarding a plane home from South America and turned to flash an 'A-OK" sign. The curved thumb and index finger signal a$%hole. What a public relations blunder.
This became a school task:(
In both of the anecdotes the "offended" party also made no effort to understand the cross-cultural implications of communication. The earlier example, from Germany, is more understandable. However, the second example reflects especially poorly on the Chinese businessmen considering they were in the United States. It's one thing to act according to the culture when you visit another country. It's another thing for visitors to expect you to conform to their culture when they are in your country.
like her voice and she’s cute
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Totally adorable and smart , she could bring world peace!😍
Can we send her to congress to help explain to them how to communicate?
The meaning of "Let's table that topic of discussion" delayed Allied efforts during World War 2 for several weeks.
It doesn’t mean something rude in the Middle East at all. I’m from there . But anyway good talk
caterinca frate. pup jos
good expression by talking
I am from Ukraine. Lucky those, who live far from Russia and have problems like those discussed.
I have to make a reflection paper based on this video. I dont know how to start. I feel like i learned something and nothing at the same time. Help 😔
Start with your paper with your comment: "I don't know how to start". (This is exactly how it feels when you are in a different culture and there is a crosscultural misunderstanding!) Then, "I feel like I learned something and nothing at the same time. " (What "something" did you learn from this TED talk? What about the presentation made you feel you "learned nothing"?) Finish with "What might have helped you learn better?" (Hope this helps!) Best wishes to you!
I live in Japan and Ive never heard from anyone that thumb up means five..
So what's the paradox?
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holy moly shes jacked
People complaining about this need to find a therapist to complain to.
Sigmas put this channel on the map. Now it's a bunch of unremarkable birthing people.
🤨🤨?
you discuss the difference of what a thumbs up means, then later use the abbreviation "OE", no clue what that means.
POV: Your Teacher sent you here
Gesture and body language .
As if during millennia nobody used their thumb that way until a Roman Emperor decided to save a life. I can believe they never tried to flag down a taxi with it, but the gesture did not originate in Rome
There's flaws in your speech. Good for you can be sarcastic in America too. It's all about the tone and facial expressions when using the phrase. Internationally everyone knows thumbs up is positive, except some remote tribesman group in Afrika. Globalism creates globally intertwining culture and gestures. How do the African tribes feel about the middle finger, if the thumbs up offends them🤣
I'd love to see someone's reaction to me saying good for you, while giving the middle finger.
Это лекция для неоперившихся учеников в школе??? Избитые клише на общеизвестную совершенно очевидную тему без тени креатива... 🤔🤔
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I remember when TED was about ideas worth sharing. 😏
This comment wasn't worth sharing 😕
TedX has fallen further than the Catholic church.
@@HelloEarthling but it was worth responding to huh? 😏
Yerrrr I’m just a 21 year old Mexican trying to get out the hood 💯 i smoke weed on my RUclips channel & i did a Mukbang inside Lowes🍔🥶
@@Sacred_Walls yes its definetly worth your time to point out that someones being ridiculous if you believe they can do better. Idk i guess i underestimate your ability...
Your view seems limited on this. Like with your example of the American and Chinese deal. You state it as if it was a one sided thing, but if the Chinese were flying into the USA for a joint business venture, isn't it kind of more on them to learn and understand the cultural customs?
Simple answer. Who was more Eager for the transaction, Seller or Buyer? Who had more Alternatives?
From the Context painted by the speaker, it was the Seller that appeared more keen on the sale, hence her use of the phrase, almost lost the sale which was DELAYED by 8 months.
no. let me ask YOU a "quaystchun"
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Not true
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she is a lair. I do not buy the "good for u" story at all. Linguistic expression is just part of the discourse
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I don't trade I invest with a professional assigned by a crypto company that trades for us and returns profits on weekly basis for me and you can invest your capital and get weekly Returns of investment (ROI) without any extra fees attached
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This just surprised me because I also invest with Mrs Lisa
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Yay, another birthing person giving a Ted Talk!!!!!!
What do you mean?
First to comment
This woman thinks too much.