In the beginning of the lesson, we first touched on the issue of spoken discourse.
I was wondering to myself,
"why is it so important to note their AHHs, mmmhhmm, yeh oh yeh yeh, shi shi, dui dui dui dui dui dui dui?"
Being good at communication does not only mean speaking well to people face to face. The world has globalized so much and now it is as cheap as ever to call a friend or client from one end of the earth to another.
In this lesson, I have learnt that American and Dutch people have different phone openings and that if I were to contact my clients in America or Holland. I can be sure to adopt their way of speaking over the telephone in order to communicate better with them. Understanding their listener responses of "ahhhsss", "mmmhhmms" and "shi shi shis" gives us a deeper insight as to how the opposite person interprets the information I am communicating over to them through the phone. Without body language to judge, other than tone of voice, this is perhaps one of the most mitigating factors to consider if the other party would like a repeat of what you have said or not.
Being able to understand how to open, interpret listener responses and close cross cultural phone conversations can be one of the greatest skills to learn perhaps in vocations like telemarketeers or phone operators. To be able to open correctly with the right set of lines could mean bridging a gap between the caller and the receiver. To be able to interpret listener responses would mean better transmission of information in terms of conciseness and lesser repeat sales pitches. To be able to close correctly would be leaving a lasting positive impact on the caller or receiver or to be able to escape the long lengthy sales call the quickest and most polite way possible.
In the second part of the lesson, we touched on english and chinese narratives.
The point that touched me most was that there were stark differences between how English speakers write and Chinese speakers write. And I agree with Lee (2003) who said that these differences were due to different cultural backgrounds and perceptions of narratives. Though I've honestly never read a chinese book in my life, it was a little unsurprising for me to find out that the chinese normally had a moral to their stories while the english speakers normally wrote for entertainment. Just thinking back on the history of china up to the revolutionary period gives one a sense of societal education that is imbued into every chinese citizen. Whereas for the english speakers, there is not so much emphasis of using text narratives to conduct societal education. So yes, not only do cultural backgrounds affect how stories are written but also history and governance.
Looking at how culturally different people write narratives can also translate into how these people view and lead their lives. Life, to me, is one big narrative story about yourself and I feel it is then easier to interpret the actions of culturally different people by understanding how they write. Though stereotypical the view, but at least it is an insight into reason.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Reflection on Speech Events
Just some reflections i've had over the past week after our last lesson on Speech Events.
The NUS career fair was over last friday and being in my final semester, the need for a job after graduation never seemed more important than it does now. With tons of Human Resource staff all exalting the positives of their individual companies, a sense of eagerness filled the air as final year students all moved from booth to booth collecting as many brochures as their arms could manage (although some were spotted just flirting with the pretty HR ladies instead).
When I first entered the class last week, I was honestly lost as to the difference between speech acts and speech events. All these functional terms that sound alike do no help to assist me in my understanding. But I got them eventually. A speech act is basically a subset of a speech event, with many speech acts making up the entire speech event. Speech events are also not only governed by how we use speech but also by externalities like setting, message form and participants.
So. I've gone home and then begin to plough through the mess of brochures on my desk, seiving out the ones i like and the ones that perhaps did not suit me as well into two neat piles; after which placing the ones that were not lucky enough to get picked on the coffee table in the living room for my parents perusal. I began to read through the ones I did like and I thought to myself,
"jobs= interviews, interviews = ................................SPEECH EVENTS!"
Ah. the interview is a speech event! Thus, I began to reflect on how I could use Dr Deng's lecture to my benefit to get the dream job I desired.
Breaking down the interview into a speech event made planning more transparent and systematic.
1. Genre: Interview
2. Topic: Why I should be given the job
3. Purpose: To hire me if the interviewer found me suitable
4. Setting: Probably an office or a lunch meeting of sorts
5. Key: Formal in an office and semi-formal over lunch
6. Participants: Interviewers and me. (maybe simon cowell)
7. Message Form: Face to face interaction and writing in the form of portfolio or resumes
8. Act sequence:
a. I greet interviewer
b. Interviwer greets me and offers me a seat
c. Some informal conversation begins
d. I begin to tell him why I want the job so badly
d. Interviewer reads and inteprets verbal and non-verbal communication
e. Question and Answer
f. End of interview
9. Rules for Interaction:
a. Politeness
b. Self-confident
c. Approachable
d. Do not use negative language
e. Listen actively
10. Norms of Interpretation
a. The Interviewer's facial expressions, tone and wording determines the Interviewee's persuasion methods; if negative, changes to the method is needed.
b. Especially over a lunch interview, acceptance of any invitation during lunch with thoughtfulness is considered to be positive and well-mannered
The above is just a simple breakdown of an interview speech event but can be tailored specifically to each job interview I attend in the future. Different job scopes have different interview requirements, for example, in the sales line, a positive demeanour and confidence in speaking tone is important as opposed to an engineering job where tenacity, accuracy and reliability are true factors.
Thus, not only has this course taught me how to interact between cultures but the course content can be translated into other factors of my life as well and this is one of the best takeways a student could have; transferrable life skills.
The NUS career fair was over last friday and being in my final semester, the need for a job after graduation never seemed more important than it does now. With tons of Human Resource staff all exalting the positives of their individual companies, a sense of eagerness filled the air as final year students all moved from booth to booth collecting as many brochures as their arms could manage (although some were spotted just flirting with the pretty HR ladies instead).
When I first entered the class last week, I was honestly lost as to the difference between speech acts and speech events. All these functional terms that sound alike do no help to assist me in my understanding. But I got them eventually. A speech act is basically a subset of a speech event, with many speech acts making up the entire speech event. Speech events are also not only governed by how we use speech but also by externalities like setting, message form and participants.
So. I've gone home and then begin to plough through the mess of brochures on my desk, seiving out the ones i like and the ones that perhaps did not suit me as well into two neat piles; after which placing the ones that were not lucky enough to get picked on the coffee table in the living room for my parents perusal. I began to read through the ones I did like and I thought to myself,
"jobs= interviews, interviews = ................................SPEECH EVENTS!"
Ah. the interview is a speech event! Thus, I began to reflect on how I could use Dr Deng's lecture to my benefit to get the dream job I desired.
Breaking down the interview into a speech event made planning more transparent and systematic.
1. Genre: Interview
2. Topic: Why I should be given the job
3. Purpose: To hire me if the interviewer found me suitable
4. Setting: Probably an office or a lunch meeting of sorts
5. Key: Formal in an office and semi-formal over lunch
6. Participants: Interviewers and me. (maybe simon cowell)
7. Message Form: Face to face interaction and writing in the form of portfolio or resumes
8. Act sequence:
a. I greet interviewer
b. Interviwer greets me and offers me a seat
c. Some informal conversation begins
d. I begin to tell him why I want the job so badly
d. Interviewer reads and inteprets verbal and non-verbal communication
e. Question and Answer
f. End of interview
9. Rules for Interaction:
a. Politeness
b. Self-confident
c. Approachable
d. Do not use negative language
e. Listen actively
10. Norms of Interpretation
a. The Interviewer's facial expressions, tone and wording determines the Interviewee's persuasion methods; if negative, changes to the method is needed.
b. Especially over a lunch interview, acceptance of any invitation during lunch with thoughtfulness is considered to be positive and well-mannered
The above is just a simple breakdown of an interview speech event but can be tailored specifically to each job interview I attend in the future. Different job scopes have different interview requirements, for example, in the sales line, a positive demeanour and confidence in speaking tone is important as opposed to an engineering job where tenacity, accuracy and reliability are true factors.
Thus, not only has this course taught me how to interact between cultures but the course content can be translated into other factors of my life as well and this is one of the best takeways a student could have; transferrable life skills.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
#1 Post: Speech Acts
I do food and beverage events in my freetime, making and giving out fresh popcorn and candyfloss treats at coporate events, family parties and company dinner and dances.
But how many of them say "thank you" to acknowledge me?
How many times how you committed a Speech Act in your life?
Before attending last friday's class, I never knew such a thing existed. Speech Acts. I never realised that spoken words could effect action. I knew I could say something and produce a reaction to it but I've never scrutinized my words to the level of a Speech Act before.
This is terribly intriguing to me.
We all commit speech acts everyday and with almost everything we say to one another whether with compliments or even making or breaking a boy/girl relationship. Therefore, special attention needs to be paid to what we say to people because what it does is that it can effect action.
Taking this module seemed like the most natural thing to do after returning from a student exchange in Sweden 2 semesters back. Being back in Singapore for more than 6 months has helped me not only readjust myself back to Singaporean societal norms but also to reflect on the entire student exchange experience I had.
How does this relate to Speech Acts?
Well, the second part of the lesson was basically about comparing how American English Speakers differ from Chinese speakers when responding to compliments. I began to think back on my times in Sweden and how they reacted to compliments. In Sweden, 96% of the population speaks American English but the common mode of spoken communication among the Swedes is, of course, Swedish. Hence, do Swedes react to compliments the same way American English speakers do in america since most of them are influenced by American culture and language (their tv stations play generally American TV programs and I hear that's the main reason for their proficiency in the language)?
Based on what I felt during my 6 months there (and I do not speak for the majority view on this issue but just my own), I felt that the Swedes reacted differently to compliments when compared to American English speakers. Swedes are generally a rather closed up bunch of people who mind their own business most of the time and stick to their own cliques; not bothering other people even when they share a living space with 8 other occupants (again, this is my own personal view). The way they react to compliments takes on a very Rejecting nature very much akin to the Chinese way. Most of the time, when you compliment them on, say, their dressing or grades, they tend to put themselves down and seem to be shielding themselves somewhat from more compliments.
This is what I felt was interesting, because although they speak American English and are influenced greatly by American culture by exposure through the media, they react differently to compliments when compared to the American people. Based on the scanty research I've done up till now, I feel that there is some sort of a cross-cultural variation issue here; which is how different culture groups make speech acts in their own language. Although most of the Swedish population speaks American English, their reaction to compliments seem to stem from a differing culture; a Swedish culture which I feel almost shuts them off when communicating with foreigners like my friends and I and our friends. Again, I stress that this is my personal view and I do not speak for the majority of people. But yes, though American English has caught their tongue, their Speech Acts are governed by their own cultural identity; which leads me to conclude that American English to them is a working language, a language not linked to their own innate culture which holds no bearing on how they conduct themselves.
Therefore, Speech Acts are happening everywhere all the time and we should take time to pause and consider how our own culture determines how we conduct and respond to Speech Acts. Perhaps in our own Singaporean context, to consider how your own ethnicity affects that and why.
Maybe then I'll get more "thank you!"s the next time I give out free popcorn at an event.
But how many of them say "thank you" to acknowledge me?
How many times how you committed a Speech Act in your life?
Before attending last friday's class, I never knew such a thing existed. Speech Acts. I never realised that spoken words could effect action. I knew I could say something and produce a reaction to it but I've never scrutinized my words to the level of a Speech Act before.
This is terribly intriguing to me.
We all commit speech acts everyday and with almost everything we say to one another whether with compliments or even making or breaking a boy/girl relationship. Therefore, special attention needs to be paid to what we say to people because what it does is that it can effect action.
Taking this module seemed like the most natural thing to do after returning from a student exchange in Sweden 2 semesters back. Being back in Singapore for more than 6 months has helped me not only readjust myself back to Singaporean societal norms but also to reflect on the entire student exchange experience I had.
How does this relate to Speech Acts?
Well, the second part of the lesson was basically about comparing how American English Speakers differ from Chinese speakers when responding to compliments. I began to think back on my times in Sweden and how they reacted to compliments. In Sweden, 96% of the population speaks American English but the common mode of spoken communication among the Swedes is, of course, Swedish. Hence, do Swedes react to compliments the same way American English speakers do in america since most of them are influenced by American culture and language (their tv stations play generally American TV programs and I hear that's the main reason for their proficiency in the language)?
Based on what I felt during my 6 months there (and I do not speak for the majority view on this issue but just my own), I felt that the Swedes reacted differently to compliments when compared to American English speakers. Swedes are generally a rather closed up bunch of people who mind their own business most of the time and stick to their own cliques; not bothering other people even when they share a living space with 8 other occupants (again, this is my own personal view). The way they react to compliments takes on a very Rejecting nature very much akin to the Chinese way. Most of the time, when you compliment them on, say, their dressing or grades, they tend to put themselves down and seem to be shielding themselves somewhat from more compliments.
This is what I felt was interesting, because although they speak American English and are influenced greatly by American culture by exposure through the media, they react differently to compliments when compared to the American people. Based on the scanty research I've done up till now, I feel that there is some sort of a cross-cultural variation issue here; which is how different culture groups make speech acts in their own language. Although most of the Swedish population speaks American English, their reaction to compliments seem to stem from a differing culture; a Swedish culture which I feel almost shuts them off when communicating with foreigners like my friends and I and our friends. Again, I stress that this is my personal view and I do not speak for the majority of people. But yes, though American English has caught their tongue, their Speech Acts are governed by their own cultural identity; which leads me to conclude that American English to them is a working language, a language not linked to their own innate culture which holds no bearing on how they conduct themselves.
Therefore, Speech Acts are happening everywhere all the time and we should take time to pause and consider how our own culture determines how we conduct and respond to Speech Acts. Perhaps in our own Singaporean context, to consider how your own ethnicity affects that and why.
Maybe then I'll get more "thank you!"s the next time I give out free popcorn at an event.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
