Discussion on Intercultural Communication (Essay Sample)

Interview Synopsis
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Interview Synopsis
Cultural diversity may influence the interaction of individuals and their language as well. I interviewed my Korean friend Osaka, and at the end of it, I realized that we are so different in terms of our languages, social norms and values. According to Neuliep (2020), language is universal in capacity, but members of a particular culture must it. Notably, culture influences the words individuals utter and, by extension, their behavior. It was clear that our pronunciation of various words was so different and where we placed stresses in a sentence also varied. I interviewed Osaka to understand how Koreans use their language and how it varies from the Americans. According to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, human perception of the physical and social environment around them influences their language and culture (Neuliep, 2020). For instance, I realized that my language has 40 sounds and 16 letters of the alphabet, while the Korean Hangul consists of 16 consonants and 10 vowels.
Elaborate versus exacting versus succinct style
It should be noted that the more than five thousand languages in the world share a lot in common, the way people who speak them use different styles and fashions. That is why it is possible to observe a difference in using the same language spoken by different people. The elaborate language style is the language that stresses the use of several adjectives to describe a noun and other subjects and is mainly used in the Middle East. The exacting style is practised by low-context cultures such as North Europe and North America. The succinct style applies the use of understatements, pauses and silences and is common in the Japanese culture. I find the language of my friend Osaka to be succinct compared to mine, which is exacting in line with the western culture. The quote below explains the succinct language style.
“A succinct style can be found in Japan, China, and some Native American/American Indian (e.g., Apache, Navajo) cultures.” (Neuliep, 2020, p.470)
Personal vs Contextual style
Personal style amplifies a speaker’s personal identity while contextual style “highlights one’s role identity and status (Neuliep, 2020 p.472).” My Korean friend is, therefore, undoubtedly uses the contextual style of language. For example, I realized that there are different vocabularies for women and men and various social status calibres in the Korean language. Additionally, I realized that if an individual fails to use the right vocabulary in the Korean language, it may be considered offensive. It was also clear that my friend values formality and would feel uncomfortable in some informal situations. Furthermore, the interview made me realize that the age and sex of individuals matter when parties are having a conversation