This document summarizes a presentation on language and culture in intercultural communication. It discusses how language is tied to culture and gives examples of differences in individualism vs collectivism. It also outlines resources from the American Language Institute, including conversation groups, workshops, and one-on-one tutoring to help international students improve their English skills. Tips are provided on participating effectively in classroom discussions while being mindful of cultural differences.

1. LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL
COMMUNICATION
AUGUST 14, 2018
Jim Valentine, Ph.D
Director
Nina Kang, M.A.
Senior Lecturer
Eric H. Roth, M.A.
Master Lecturer
Shelly Snellman, M.S.
Student Programs &
Support
Lily Salem, M.A.
Career Strategist

2. AMERICAN LANGUAGE INSTITUTE: A BRIEF OVERVIEW
 USC is ranked #1/ #2 in the number of international students
among US colleges & universities
 ALI provides supplemental English language instruction for
academic and professional purposes for international students
 ALI is responsible for assessment and training of international
teaching assistants (ITAs)
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 2

3. PERSONAL ANECDOTES/OBSERVATIONS RE: CROSS-
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL
SETTINGS
 Individual vs. Group
(Individual Achievement vs. Group Collaboration)
 Colombian Architectural students
 Indian students in ALI courses
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 3

4. LANGUAGE & CULTURE
 Is “A Little Knowledge a Dangerous Thing?”
 Language as entry point to Culture
 Basic language knowledge/ exposure – introductory language
study
 Instrumental vs. Integrative Motivation
 International Management Fellows @ UCLA Japanese for business
purposes program & “going native”
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 4

5. AGENDA FOR TODAY’S SESSION
 Overview of Cross-Cultural Aspects of Communications for
Professional Purposes
 Nina Kang, ALI Faculty
 Cross-Cultural Interactions and Communication (Discussion)
 Eric Roth, ALI Faculty & Lily Salem, Marshall School
 ALI Resources & Programs
 Shelly Snellman, ALI Staff
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 5

6. CULTURAL RHETORIC IN COMMUNICATION
 What is it?
 Why is it important?
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 6

7. CONTRASTIVE RHETORICAL MODEL
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 7

8. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY - CULTURAL CONTEXT
Consider:
 American Values
 Collective vs. Individualistic Society
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 8

9. 9
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
SOURCE: TROJAN INTEGRITY
Forms of Academic Dishonesty
1. Plagiarism
2. Unauthorized collaboration
3. Cheating
4. Falsifying records
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 9

10. 10
SCENARIOS
Case Study 1
An upperclassman gave me his notes from a course
he took last year. They include notes on lectures and
exams and some photos of assignments. This is the
same course that I’m taking now. Is this allowed?
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 10

11. 11
SCENARIOS
Case Study 2
I wrote a short paper for a course last semester. It
was part of a project that I presented on in class. I’m
interested in this topic and want to write a longer
paper on it this semester. Can I use my paper from
last semester and build on it?
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 11

12. 12
SCENARIOS
Case Study 3
You realize that another student is looking at your
test paper. You don’t know the second student, but
you don’t make any effort to cover your paper. We
know the other student is cheating but are you guilty
of academic dishonesty?
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 12

13. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN MISUNDERSTOOD?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
13LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

14. WHAT ARE SOME CAUSES OF THIS MISUNDERSTANDING?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
14LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

15. HOW CAN ENGLISH BE A CONFUSING LANGUAGE?
1. Misspelling
2. Multiple definitions
3.
4.
5.
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 15

16. COGNITIVE BIASES
1. Ostrich bias
2. Lens bias
3. Curse of knowledge
4.
5.
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 16

17. WHAT ARE THE POSITIVE SIDES OF ENGLISH?
1. Non-gendered
 E.g.: German - Professor (male) Professor (female)
2.
3.
4.
5.
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 17

18. HOW TO REPAIR A MISUNDERSTANDING?
1. Ask questions to clarify main assumptions
2. Expose information that might not be known by the other
party
3.
4.
5.
18LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

19. CREATING A GLOBAL CLASSROOM
1. Initiate conversations with fellow Trojans
2. Seek multiple & global perspectives in group projects
3. Share your experiences and opinions
4. Ask questions in group and class discussions
5. Deploy the language of possibility and probability, not
certainty
19LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

20. REFERENCES
 Carnegie Mellon University. (2014). Tips for responding in oral qualifiers & defenses [PDF file].
Retrieved from https://www.cmu.edu/icc/language-training/handouts/assets/oral-qualifier-
tips.pdf
 Epley, N. (2014). Mindwise: Why we misunderstand what others think, believe, feel, and want. New
York: Alfred A. Knopf.
 Glynn, R., Roth, E. H. & Treston, M. (2015). Compelling American conversations. California: Chimayo
Press.
 Jefferson, G. (2018). Repairing the broken surface of talk: Managing problems in speaking,
hearing, and understanding in conversation. Abingdon: Oxford University Press.
 McCrum, R. (2010). Globish: How English became the world's language. Toronto: Doubleday Canada.
 Revisionist History (2017, July 10). Saigon, 1965 [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from
http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/02-saigon-1965
 Yagoda, B. (2018). The cognitive biases tricking your brain. The Atlantic.
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 20

21. BUSINESS ANALYTICS PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS
(AS COMMUNICATED BY THE DEPARTMENT)
 Write for academic projects that may get presented to
employer guests
 Write correspondences to potential employers
 Interview for jobs and internships
 Present to employers in interviews and class projects
 Interact with employers and other professionals
during networking events and conferences
 Converse and work with class peers and participate
in class discussions.
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 31

22. CONVERSATION GROUPS
 FREE!
 50 minute sessions led by native English-
speaking USC students
 Promotes English conversation practice and
cultural immersion
 Offered Monday-Friday from 10am – 5pm.
 Visit our website for more info!
http://ali.usc.edu/conversation-groups/
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 32

23. CONVERSATION GROUPS
Past students have reported that participation improved their…
 Self confidence
 English fluency
 Pronunciation
 Comfort in asking questions
 Vocabulary
 Awareness of American culture and USC life
 Enjoyment in speaking English
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 33

24. ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATION PARTNERS
 Students receive individualized
attention and feedback on oral skills
related problem areas.
 All partners are native English
speaking USC students
 Flexible schedule
 Affordable rate - $13.25 per hour
 Visit our website to see our list of partners and to sign-
up: http://ali.usc.edu/one-on-one-conversation-
partners/LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 34

25. WORKSHOPS
 FREE!
 Led by ALI faculty and in collaboration
with OIS
 Examples include “Pronunciation,”
“Email Etiquette,” “Elevator Pitches”
 Offered multiple times a semester
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 35

26. NEXT WORKSHOP
Why Don’t They Understand Me?:
Tips For Perfect English Pronunciation
 Presented by ALI Master Lecturer Barry
Griner
 Learn areas of pronunciation that you can
adjust so that your accent is more easily
understood by future colleagues and
employers.
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 26
Aug. 21st
4pm-6pm
Location is TBD

27. QUESTIONS?
http://ali.usc.edu
askali@usc.edu
Located in PSD 106
213-740-0079
AmericanLanguageInstitute.USC
USC AmericanLanguageInstitute
@USC_ali
USC American Language Institute
Follow us for news and updates!
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 38

28. TIPS TO BECOMING MORE ACTIVE IN CLASSROOM
DISCUSSIONS
Do the homework: come prepared
 Prepare questions
 Find a relevant, recent media story
Answer questions
 Answering your professor’s and classmate’s questions
 Comment on your classmates’ comments
28LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

29. TIPS TO BECOMING MORE ACTIVE IN CLASSROOM
DISCUSSIONS
Ask questions
1. Admit you don’t know
 And be curious!
2. Seeking clarification
 What do you mean?
 Can you clarify a bit more?
 In other words, you are saying…
 Can you spin that out for me?
29LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

30. TIPS TO BECOMING MORE ACTIVE IN CLASSROOM
DISCUSSIONS
3. Be skeptical
 Ask for additional details, examples
 Says who? Seek sources
 Are you sure? How are you sure?
30LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

31. TIPS TO BECOMING MORE ACTIVE IN CLASSROOM
DISCUSSIONS
4. Express your opinion (and ambivalence is okay)
 Use Hedging Language
 On one hand…
 It seems/appears/looks like/feels like
31LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

32. TIPS TO BECOMING MORE ACTIVE IN CLASSROOM
DISCUSSIONS
5. Demonstrate how many problems remain complicated
 Consider diverse perspectives
 Look at stakeholders
 Consider technology
 Help move beyond the “obvious” into the subtle
32LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

33. TIPS TO BECOMING MORE ACTIVE IN CLASSROOM
DISCUSSIONS
6. Share evidence (It’s okay to disagree – even with the professor!)
 Bring new information (experience: personal, national) to the
table
 Share what you understanding from the reading materials
 Do we know…
 Is it possible…
 What if we are wrong?
33LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

34. TIPS TO BECOMING MORE ACTIVE IN CLASSROOM
DISCUSSIONS
7. Become who you are
 Don’t forget what you bring to table
 Culture counts
8. Speculate
 I wonder … I wonder if … I wonder how … I wonder who
 Help your class become a truly global classroom
34LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

35. “For the things we have to learn before we can do
them, we learn by doing them.”
― Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics
35LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION