Module 6 Intercultural Communication

Activity 1

Directions: Write T if the statement is True and F if False. Write your answer on the

space provided before each number.

__T__ 1. Culture is generally viewed as geographical in nature.

__F__ 2. Relationships among individuals in a society are not important in creating a

culture.

__T__ 3. Communication creates culture.

__T__ 4. Two people engaged in a romantic affair do not construct a culture.

__T__ 5. Communication is a societal tool used to improve beliefs on people.

__F__ 6. Culture creates communication.

__T__ 7. Ethnocentric bias refers to how people see other cultures as less of a standard

or just a variant of a standard culture.

__T__ 8. A group of students in a particular class can be considered to share a culture.

__T__ 9. Culture is responsible for the unique traits that define a particular society.

__T__10. Multiple “cultures” exist in one society or national group.

Activity 2

Directions: Explain and give examples for each statement about culture/

1. Culture is learned.

We learn about culture through our school, family, peers and the media. As a child while

growing up we were taught to always say “po” and “opo” to someone who’s older than

us to show respect for them.

People with the same cultural background always know how to act socially with each

other. For example when calling each other, sometimes we don’t call each other by

names now, we always start with “hoy” and even if it isn’t our names we always respond

because we already know how to react.

3. Culture is based on symbols.

Culture is based on symbols because people often would say something that only with

same cultural background would understand like the word “sana all”.

4. Culture is integrated.

Cultural integration is when individuals from one culture adopt practices from another

culture without diminishing their own. For example 2018 film “Miss Granny” is an

adaptation of a Korean film with the same title.

5. Culture is dynamic.

For a culture to be dynamic, it has to be relevant. The whole point of culture is for the

older generation to transfer their culture and traditions to the younger generation. If the

younger generation thinks these customs are “old school” and not cool, culture stops

being relevant. To be relevant the culture has to adapt and change with times. This is

how the new generation would absorb the culture and make it suit its tastes. Otherwise

culture would become obsolete. For example, in 2019 ABS-CBN Star Magic Ball theme

is Filipiniana (is a traditional dress worn by women in the Philippines) and all these

celebrities come out with their own modern twist of Filipiniana.

Activity 1

Direction: Write T if the statement is True and F if False.

__T__ 1. Life ways may be handed down through generations and may change as

families change.

___F__ 2. Individuals should not have to be aware of their own culture in order to

understand another culture.

__T__ 3. We use our own culture as the standard by which we judge other cultures.

__T__4. When interacting with others there are culturally defined verbal and nonverbal

behaviors that are used to communicate a message.

__T__ 5. Body languages vary among cultures.

__T__ 6. It is important to consider the family’s needs, not just the child’s.

__T__ 7. An interpreter translates one language into another through speech and/or

sign language.

__F__8. A translator’s job is more stressful than that of an interpreter.

__T__ 9. Cultural behaviors can be seen in how we talk, touch, bathe, dress, and see to

the napping needs of children.

__T__10. Just about every aspect of child-rearing is influenced by cultural beliefs and

values, including feeding, diapering, and toilet training.

Activity 2

Directions: If it is true, write the word TRUE. If it is false, underline the word/s that

makes it incorrect and on the space provided write the correct answer.
1. ____TRUE _____ Cultural awareness is knowing that there are multiple different

cultures – based on religion, ethnicity, nationality and other factors – that have different

attitudes and outlooks.

2. ____TRUE______ Cultural competence is a key practice in the learning frameworks,

and the notion of cultural competence is embedded throughout.

3. ____TRUE______ Attitude towards cultural differences is one of the four components

comprises in cultural competence.

4. _Sherman (2018)_ Dabbah (2017) observed that communicating in a diverse,

multicultural environment can be awkward

5. _____TRUE_____ Dabbah (2017) explained that the idea behind cultural sensitivity

is very straightforward.

6. _____TRUE______ Sherman, 2018 stated that cultural sensitivity skills are

sometimes called Cultural Competence.

7. ____ TRUE_____ Be aware of your own discomfort when you encounter differences

in race, color, religion, sexual orientation , language and ethnicity.

8. Cultural Sensitivity Cultural awareness is being aware that cultural differences and

similarities between people exist without assigning them a value.

9. ____TRUE______ In some cultures, criticizing or correcting your boss openly is

much less acceptable than it is in the United States.

10. _____TRUE_____ Be aware that in order to learn about others, you need to

understand and be prepared to share your own culture.

Activity 3

Direction: Write a brief essay about the following questions:

Having both cultural awareness and cultural sensitivity is a vital role in communication

especially when we’re communicating with people who have different cultural

background.

2. What does it mean to be aware of your own culture?

Being aware of our own culture meant that we can avoid projecting our own values to

others. Meaning that when others do what we usually do doesn’t mean that it has the

same values as ours.

Activity 4

Direction: Synthesize the topic “Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity”. Discuss how

culturally aware and sensitive you are about the culture of other country? Cite some

examples.

I am someone who values difference between people the most before having a

conclusion about someone or something I would ask them first in the politest manner in

respect of our difference. Forming a relationship with other culture has been the most

fun, for example I have a lot of foreign friends online and whenever I wanted to ask

them, I would always consider their culture first and through that we could have deeper

understanding with each other despite our cultural difference. One time I asked a friend

about certain issues concerning black culture and I asked what she feels about the “N”

word and she responds in a nice way and she asked if us Filipino have the same

experience and I told her that it may not be that harsh we did have a historical

derogatory term that the Spaniard used on us. Having this discussion with someone

with a different background made me value knowledge about other culture. We can
have knowledge and not use it against somebody but it can start a whole new

relationship with someone.

Activity 5

Directions: On the space provided before the number, write WITH SENSITIVITY if the

statement is culturally sensitive or gender sensitive. If otherwise, write WITH NO

SENSITIVITY and UNDERLINE the word or phrase that makes the statement culturally

or gender insensitive.

WITH NO SENSITIVITY ___ 1. Black Americans are mostly criminals.

WITH NO SENSITIVITY_______ 2. Moslems are terrorists.

WITH SENSITIVITY ______ 3. The fire fighter arrived at the scene on time.

WITH SENSITIVITY__________ 4. The informal settlers have all been relocated.

WITH NO SENSITIVITY________ 5. Wena, the sexy mother of three, is elected as

Secretary of the Faculty Club.

WITH SENSITIVITY ______ 6. It is pity that June comes from a dysfunctional family.

WITH NO SENSITIVITY______ 7. Fat people should pay double the fare in jeepneys.

WITH SENSITIVITY ______ 8. Dear/Sir Madam…

WITH SENSITIVITY ______ 9. Little people should not be ridiculed for their size.

WITH NO SENSITIVITY_____ 10. All beauticians are gays.

Activity 6

Directions: Tell what's true and what's false when it comes to the differences between

men and women. Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE, if it is wrong.
_____FALSE____1. Women are better at reading maps than men.

_____FALSE____2. Men remember more things than women.

_____TRUE_ ___3. Men lie more often than women

_____FALSE____4. Men are more cautious when driving than women.

_____TRUE ____5. Women have a more sophisticated palette than men.

_____TRUE ____6. Men handle conflict at work better than women.

_____FALSE____7. Men are better tippers than women.

_____FALSE____8. Men are more jealous than women.

_____FALSE____9. Women fall in love faster and quicker than men.

_____TRUE____10. Men's brains are smaller than women's.

Activity 7

Directions: Identify the following statement written below. Write the correct answer on

the space provided before the number.

Gender-Sensitive Language 1. is the realization of gender equality in written and spoken

Gender Equality in Language 2. is attained when women and men and those who do not
conform to the binary gender system are made visible and addressed in language as
persons of equal value, dignity, integrity and respect.

Gender Equality 3. is a core development objective in its own right. It is also smart
economics. Greater gender equality can enhance productivity, improve development
outcomes for the next generation, and make institutions more representative.
Gender Sensitivity 4. refers to the aim of understanding and taking account of the
societal and cultural factors involved in gender-based exclusion and discrimination in
the most diverse spheres of public and private life.
____Attributes______ 5. means usage of certain words which underline stereotypic

gendered attributes.

__ Gender Equality___ 6. requires respectful treatment of people, and regard for their

needs and individuality.

____Sir/Madam_____ 7. is also preferred if the gender of the recipient is unknown

instead of using Dear Sir as your salutation.

humankind, humanity, humans 8. Examples of gender-neutral words that may be used

instead of mankind.

artificial, synthetic, machine-made 9. Examples of gender-neutral words that may be

used instead of man-made.

kinship, community 10. Example of gender-neutral words that may be used instead of

brotherhood.

Activity 8

Directions: Answer the following questions written below and develop them to brief

essay.

a) What is the literal definition of gender sensitivity? Explain briefly.

Gender sensitivity is the process by which people are made aware of how gender plays

a role in life through their treatment of others. Gender relations are present in all

institutions and gender sensitivity especially manifests in recognizing privilege and

Gender sensitivity trainings are used to educate people, usually employees, to become

more aware of and sensitive to gender in their lives or workplaces.

b) Why does gender sensitivity matter in communication?

Because gender holds these stereotypes it is easy for men and women to

misunderstand each other and that’s where gender sensitivity comes to help. Being

gender sensitive makes men and women talk about issues bias-free and it lets us be

more aware of the things that we can do as a society can do and not just as a certain

gender can do. It defeats the talk about what women lack and what men excels in but in

turn it talks about it in an individualistic sense.

MODULE 8 Nation and Culture

ACTVITY 1

Directions: Enumerate five (5) cultural aspects that affect your communication styles or

practices. Discuss each and cite personal experiences.

1. Gestures is one of the most used form of non-verbal communication that me and my

friends use when we are in a conversation. When we are talking about someone and

one of my friends does not know who we are talking about sometimes they would

pucker their lips to the direction of the subject and the conversation will go from there.

2. In terms of eating, whenever I visit my grandmother’s house every time when we are

eating outside or if there is someone passing by when we are eating, we would always

offer them to eat even if we know they would not. Till to this day I acquired this habit of
always offering my friends food and because they’re my friends I am always left with the

trash.

3. One of the most Filipino practices one must never forget is the use of ‘po’ and ‘opo’.

This one of the basic Filipino principle that everyone must follow although some of us

forgets this when we are close to the person older than us, we must still say ‘po’ and

‘opo’, that is why even if I am close with my cousins that are much older that me I still

use ‘po’ and ‘opo’ even if we sometimes act like we are the same age.

4. The Spanish till to this day has a lot of influence among us and sometimes we can

notice it by naming someone close to how they would be translated in Spanish. For

example, my name is James but some of my friends call me Hayme (Jaime) and not

only my friends but also, Lolo Hener he would call me Santiago.

5. In the Philippines family is an important part and when your close to the mother of

your friends and they would treat you like a family the honorifics changes too. Instead of

calling them by their surname we would call them aunt or even call them as our

mothers, as for me I call some of my friends’ parents as ‘Tita’ (Aunt) as a sign of my

closeness with their child.

Directions: Write an essay about communicative situation showing the effect of the

Filipino cultural practices.

Made in the Philippines

Communication is the vassal of human interaction. It is part of the reason of how

we can properly understand each other. The role of communication is important in

human ways of clearing out misunderstandings and dealings with problems but, does

everyone have the same way of communication? What part of the Filipino culture affect

the way on how we communicate?

There are a lot of factors affecting how Filipinos communicate with one another

but the if I am going write about it, I would start at the basic. Respect is very important in

the Philippines and the way we can show respect especially when we are talking to

someone we don’t know or someone who are much older than us we always use the

word ‘po’ and ‘opo’ at the end of our sentences. Additionally, we also use honorifics to

address people who are older than us like Ate (refers to girls older than us) and Kuya

(refers to boys older than us). But if we are going to talk about how cultural Filipino

practices affects communication there are a lot of things to be considered Filipinos

hates talking with arrogance and we also hate tension and awkward conversation so to

show that we are interested in the topic we are focused on looking like we are interested

with the conversation making us communicate indirectly. A lot of times we try to avoid

losing face so