RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

SESSION NO. / WEEK 4

MODULE 3: INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

---------------------------------------------
VARIETIES AND REGISTERS OF SPOKEN and
WRITTEN LANGUAGE

1. What is Intercultural Communication?

2. Forms of Intercultural Communication
3. Improving Intercultural Competence
4. Varieties of Language
5. Characteristics of Spoken Language
6. Spoken and Written Language
7. Culturally Responsive, Engaging, and Appropriate Language
8. Culturally (In)Appropriate Images
9. Cultural Sensitivity

Overview

This module talks about intercultural communication as well as the varieties. It

talks about the forms of intercultural communication, improving intercultural
competence, varieties of language, characteristics of spoken and written language,
forms or types of spoken language, types of words, and ways on how to choose
appropriate language political correctness, and culturally (in) appropriate images.
Living in a globalized world, you encounter people with diverse cultural
backgrounds. Such interaction occurs in social, educational, political, and commercial
settings. Hence, in today’s era of increased global communication, it is imperative to
understand intercultural communication for us to enhance our intercultural awareness
and competence. Intercultural competence is essential for us to live harmoniously
despite our difference in culture.

Study Guide

To carefully understand this module, you are instructed to read this

module thoroughly to be enlightened more of the discussion.
Furthermore, an activity and an assessment are provided at the end of this
module to assess your learning.

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 1
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the module, you will be able to:

1. Determine culturally appropriate terms, expressions, and images (sensitivity to
gender, race, class, etc.)
2. Adopt cultural and intercultural awareness and sensitivity in the communication of
ideas.

Topic Presentation

COMMUNICATION STYLES IN VARIOUS MULTICULTURAL CONTEXTS

Communication style refers to the choices people make and the strategies or
tools they use in the process of communication. A style may sometimes depend on
the demands of the communicative situation, as well as on the needs and
requirements of the target recipients of the information.

Each style has two dimensions: the (1) assertiveness level and the (2) emotiveness
level, which is shown in the Communication Styles Matrix below.

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 2
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

The model, developed by Dr. Eileen M. Russo, shows four different

communication styles (direct, spirited, systematic, and considerate), categorized
further into two different dimensions (level of assertiveness and level of
expressiveness). All of these must be considered because people with different
cultural contexts tend to have varying levels and styles of communication.

People who are categorized within the assertive communication level tend to
tell or instruct others what to do and sometimes even how to do it, while the less
assertive styles usually tend to be on the receiving end, often asking for guidance,
instructions, or directions. On the other hand, people who fall under the expressive
level usually show their real feelings and emotions through facial expressions, tone of
voice, or language use. The less expressive ones tend to either hide their feelings or
exert some effort for these feelings not to show.

The combination of these levels results in the basic communication styles:

• SPIRITED = High Expressiveness + High Assertiveness

• CONSIDERATE = High Expressiveness + Low Assertiveness
• DIRECT = Low Expressiveness + High Assertiveness
• SYSTEMATIC = Low Expressiveness + Low Assertiveness

Tips for People with a Spirited Communication Style

1. Respect decisions and agenda that have been agreed upon, as well as time
limits during meetings or any communicative situation.
2. Try to limit your sharing of personal anecdotes that may take the discussion
off-topic.
3. Make sure you are allowing others to contribute their ideas and suggestions –
and that you are genuinely listening to them.
4. Be certain that any request you make is clear and that you convey the reason
for such a request.
5. Communicate your appreciation for others’ work and input.

Tips for People with a Considerate Communication Style

1. Recognize that other people’s opinions about a topic are separate from their
opinions about you.

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 3
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

2. Realize that not everyone is comfortable discussing personal topics with

colleagues.
3. Allow others to open personal matters before asking questions of that nature.
4. Respect your own opinion as you respect that of others.
5. Recognize that you don’t have to be friends with everyone, but you should treat
others – and be treated – professionally.

Tips for People with a Direct Communication Style

1. Make an effort to listen carefully to others. Avoid interrupting.

2. Allow time for “chatting” at the beginning of a meeting.
3. Recognize that others may also feel the need to express themselves.
4. Recognize that brainstorming can be effective and is not a waste of time.
5. Take some time to show your appreciation for others’ contributions.

Tips for People with a Systematic Communication Style

1. Recognize that for good working relationships, consideration for others’

feelings is important.
2. Learn to ask qualifying questions that will help you get the information you
need.
3. Make sure you understand the background of the discussion or the scope of
the conversation so no time is wasted.
4. Politely ask other questions about themselves if you want to build rapport.
5. If you need to ask for more time to know, analyze, or discuss something,
explain the benefit of the information you need to know.

What is Intercultural Communication?

Jandt (1998) introduced intercultural and intracultural communication.

Intercultural Communication refers to interaction with people from diverse cultures. On
the other hand, Intracultural Communication is the interaction between or among
members of the same racial or ethnic group or co-culture.

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 4
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

FORMS OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

• Interracial Communication
o It refers to the interaction of people belonging to different races.
• Interethnic Communication
o It is the interaction among people of different ethnic origins.
• International Communication
o It is the interaction between representatives from different nations.

IMPROVING INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE

The following guidelines may help you enhance your ability to communicate
effectively across cultures (Gamble & Gamble, 2008).

1. Recognize the validity and differences of communication styles among

people.

2. Learn to eliminate personal biases and prejudices.

3. Strive to acquire communication skills necessary in a multicultural world.


VARIETIES OF LANGUAGE
Lin (2016) presents the following nature of language variation as prescribed by
most linguists based on the ideas of Mahboob (2014).

1. Language varies when communicating with people within (local) and out (global) our
community.

2. Language varies in speaking and in writing.

3. Language varies in everyday and specialized discourses.

Also called “lects”, these refer to the different variants of a language that can
be sufficiently delimited from one another in terms of social, historical, or geo-spatial
factors, thus forming language clusters.

In addition, language varieties may also be grouped in the following

classifications:

a) Pidgin – It refers to a new language that develops into situations where

speakers of different languages need to communicate but do not share a
common language. Examples are Chavacano in the Philippines and Bislama,
a language spoken in Banuatu.

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 5
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

b) Creole – It is a pidgin that becomes the first language of the children or the
mother tongue of a certain community. Examples are the Gullah and the Patwa,
is a creole in Jamaica.

c) Regional Dialect – It is not a language that is not distinct from a national

language, but rather a variety of a language spoken in a particular area of a
country. Examples are Cebuano, Waray, Ilocano, and Hiligayon in the
Philippines.

d) Minority Dialect – This is a variety used as a marker of identity, usually

alongside a standard variety, by the members of a particular minority ethnic
group. Examples are the Sinama of the Badjaos in the Philippines and the
London-Jamaican variety in Britain.

e) Indigenized Varieties – These are spoken mainly as second languages in

former colonies with multilingual populations. A classic example is Singlish (or
Singaporean English)

POINT FOR DISCUSSION

How do you classify the “conyo” language in the Philippines? What do you think are
the unique characteristics of this language variety? How do you feel about the people
using this variety?

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 6
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

LANGUAGE REGISTERS

A language register is characterized by the way a speaker uses language

differently in different social circumstances. These are determined by such factors as
social atmosphere, the purpose of communication, audience, and the general context
of the discourse.

Generally, language registers can be classified as (1) formal, (2) casual, (3)
intimate, (4) frozen, and (5) consultative.

a) Formal – These registers are used in professional, academic, or legal settings

where communication is expected to be respectful, uninterrupted, and
restrained to specific rules. Slang is never used and contractions are rare.
Examples are registers used in research papers, government documents,
business letters, and business presentations.
b) Casual – These registers are used when communicating with friends, close
acquaintances, colleagues, and family members. These are used in birthday
parties or family gatherings.
c) Intimate – Intimate language registers are reserved for special occasions,
usually between only two people and often in private. Examples are an inside
joke between two high school friends or sweet nothings whispered to your
“special someone”.
d) Frozen – It refers to historic language that is intended to remain unchanged.
Examples are the registers used in the Philippine Constitution and the Holy
Bible.
e) Consultative – It is used in conversations when people are speaking with
someone who has specialized knowledge or is offering advice. Tone is often
respectful, such as the use of honorifics or courtesy titles, but may be more
casual if the relationship between or among the communicators is friendly.
Examples are registers used in a local television broadcast or in a conversation
with a doctor during a medical examination.

CHARACTERISTICS OF SPOKEN LANGUAGE

The situation in which the spoken variety of language is used and in which it
develops presupposes the presence of an interlocutor.

• The spoken language is mostly maintained in the form of a dialogue

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 7
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

• The spoken language utilizes the human voice and all kinds of gestures which
give additional information.

• The spoken language is spontaneous but momentary. It vanishes after having

fulfilled its purpose, which is to communicate the thought, no matter how
trivial or important.

• The spoken language cannot be detached from the user of it.

• The spoken language widely uses intensifying words. These are interjections
and words with strong emotive meanings, as oaths, swear-words, and
adjectives which have lost their primary meaning.

• The spoken language is characterized by the insertion into the utterance of

words without any meaning, which are called “fill-ups” or empty words such
as “well”, “and all”, “so to say”, “whatever”, etc.

VARIETIES OF SPOKEN LANGUAGE

There are five types of spoken language. These are followed by situations
that illustrate each category.

• INTERACTIONAL
o It is used for having social function. This makes use of informal type of
speech which aims to develop relationships between interlocutors.

• REFERENTIAL
o It is providing the listener some information referring to objects or
abstract concepts. The speaker assumes that the listener has
knowledge on the matter at hand. In return, the listener has to know the
context before they can understand the references.

• EXPRESSIVE
o It is showing the speaker’s judgments or feelings about a person,
event, or situation.

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 8
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

• TRANSACTIONAL
o It is used for getting information or making a deal. It has a specific
purpose and is driven by needs and wants rather than sociability. Unlike
interactional language, transactional spoken language has its intention
to achieve a give-and-take relationship between the speaker and the
listener. Here, a specific query is a given specific answer.

• PHATIC

o It means engaging in small, plain talk. The speaker and listener use
minimal amount of language to engage in the conversation. This
spoken language variety poses familiarity of topic and context between
the speaker and the listener.

CHARACTERISITICS OF WRITTEN LANGUAGE


• The written variety presupposes the absence of an interlocutor.
• The written language is mostly maintained in the form of a monologue.
• The written language is more carefully organized and more explanatory. Most
often, the word choice is more deliberate.
• The written language is able to live forever with the idea it expresses.
• The written language can be detached and objectively looked at. The writer has
an opportunity to correct and improve what has been put on the paper.
• The written language bears a greater volume of responsibility than its spoke
counterpart.

SPOKEN and WRITTEN LANGUAGE

Both varieties, however, may be different in terms of their phonetics,

morphology, lexicon, and syntax. Yet, most striking difference between the spoken and
written language is in the vocabulary used. There are words and phrases typically
colloquial, on one hand, and typically bookish, on the other hand. If colloquial words

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 9
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

and phrases find their way in the written language, they immediately produce a marked
stylistic effect and can be used for the speech characterization.

TYPES OF WORDS

FORMS/TYPES OF SPOKEN AND WRITTEN LANGUAGE

CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE, ENGAGING and APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE

“Calling an illegal alien an undocumented immigrant is like calling drug dealer an
undocumented pharmacist.” – Anon

The choice of words is a powerful strategy in communication. When Confucius

said, when words lose their meanings, people lose their freedom”, the control of
language is an essential tool for an engaging and responsive communication. Hence,
cultural appropriateness of language is conforming to a culture’s acceptable
expressions and standards of behavior and thoughts. This is referred to as
“POLITICAL CORRECTNESS”.

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 10
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

WAYS ON HOW TO CHOOSE APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE

• Notice and reflect on disrespectful language, thoughts, and actions.

• Respect people of different races.
• Use language that includes the LGBTQIA+ people.
• Avoid exclusionary, gender-specific language.
• Avoid using explicitly religious terms in a mixed-religious company.
• Avoid expressions that devalue people with physical or mental disabilities.
• Refrain from language that groups people into one large category.

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

Political correctness has an important purpose: it promotes equality by

demonstrating an understanding that all people and groups are valuable to society
regardless of race, culture, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

CULTURALLY (IN)APPROPRIATE IMAGES

Cultural Appropriation of images is the adoption of the iconography of another

culture, and using it for purposes that are unintended by the original culture or even
offensive to that culture’s mores. This poses deeper concerns and issues of
communication in which the origin of that particular culture gets offended.
How well can you detect culturally inappropriate images and illustrations? Take a close
look at the images below.

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 11
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

What are your observations on the images presented above?

CULTURAL SENSITIVITY

Cultural Sensitivity is an attitude and way of behaving in which you are aware
of and acknowledge cultural differences. This is crucial for effective interpersonal
communication (Franklin & Mizell, 1995). If you can tell how the above pictures pose
insensitivity to those who made them, then you are sensitive enough.

DID YOU KNOW?

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 12
 RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

References

Agustin, Racquel, et.al. Communication in Multicultural Contexts: Meanings and

Purposes. Panday-Lahi Publishing, Inc. 2018

Wakat, Geraldine S. et.al., Purposive Communication. Lorimar Publishing, Inc.,2018

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION 13