Oral Communication in Context Unit 2:

Intercultural Communication
Table of Contents

Introduction 3

Unit Objectives 3

Lesson 1: Culture and Communication 3

Warm-up! 4
Learn About It! 4
Check Your Understanding 6
Let’s Step Up! 6

Lesson 2: Gender and Age 7

Warm-up! 7
Learn About It! 8
Check Your Understanding 11
Let’s Step Up! 12

Lesson 3: Social Status and Religion 13

Warm-up! 13
Learn About It! 13
Check Your Understanding 16
Let’s Step Up! 16

Lesson 4: Effective Communication Skills 17

Warm-up! 17
Learn About It! 18
Check Your Understanding 21
Let’s Step Up! 22

Performance Task 23
Self-Check: How Well Did I Learn? 25

Wrap Up 26

Bibliography 27

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GRADE 11/12 | Oral Communication

UNIT 2
Intercultural Communication
Tony Robbins—an author, philanthropist, and life success
coach—said, “To effectively communicate, we must realize that
we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use
this understanding as a guide to our communication with
others.” In life, you are bound to meet individuals from various
walks of life. It is thus important for you to learn how to
communicate with people who come from a different
background and who may not hold the same beliefs and perceptions as you do.

Unit Objectives
In this unit, you should be able to:
● define intercultural communication;
● show sensitivity to one’s culture, gender, age, social status, and religion;
● use various strategies to prevent communication breakdown; and
● demonstrate skills to achieve effective communication.

Lesson 1: Culture and Communication

All nations have different ways and means to express their

customs and traditions based on their particular culture and
beliefs. In this lesson, we will discuss culture and its
relationship with communication.

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Warm-up!
Quick Writes

For two minutes, write what you know about culture and the various cultural beliefs of
different countries you know or have encountered. Share your write-up in class.

Learn about It!

Culture can be understood

as the system of knowledge
that is shared by a particular
group composed of a
relatively large number of
individuals. When you
identify yourself as being
part of a particular culture, you should not only share certain
characteristics with members of that group, but you should
also be able to observe yourself and others like you who
possess these features and distinguish others who do not
have them as members of a different culture.

Through communication with others, culture is created,

learned, and shared. Without communication, there is no way
of preserving and transmitting cultural characteristics from
one person, place, and time to another. In turn, our culture
influences the way we communicate with others. Hence, there exists a dynamic relationship
between culture and communication. This is known as intercultural communication.

To engage in intercultural communication, participants should essentially understand the

concept of self-awareness.

Self-awareness is essential for better communication with others, especially with those who

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are different from you. Knowing who you are and in which cultural and social group you
belong will enable you to relate better to others and to show sensitivity to them. Also, the way
you communicate with others is largely influenced by your view of them.

Take a look at this example:

Will, an American, took a trip to Seoul, South Korea. Upon arriving at the home where
he will stay, he entered the house with his shoes on, and he noticed that members of
his host family looked displeased.

In this situation, Will’s unawareness regarding certain customs in South Korea caused him to
do something that displeased his host family. In South Korea, it is customary to remove one’s
footwear before entering a house, as not doing so is a sign of disrespect.

Take a look at another example:

Juan and Marna attended an intimate dinner with Marna’s Chinese family.

Marna: You’re very rude.

Juan: Why? What did I do?
Marna: You did not compliment Auntie Min Yi’s cooking.
Juan: But it was really good. I ate a lot.
Marna: You have to tell her that, of course!

In this situation, Marna reminded Juan about a traditional Chinese custom of complimenting
the person who cooked their meal. Not being able to do so may send a negative signal to the
one who cooked the food and may be interpreted as being rude.

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Check Your Understanding

Read the following situations and answer the questions that follow:

Situation 1: A group of indigenous people visited your school to conduct a seminar on

their culture and heritage. They showed the audience their celebration dance rituals
while dressed in bahag and malong.
1. How will you show appreciation for their performance?
2. Some of your classmates are laughing at the dancers wearing a bahag. How
will you react on their behavior?

Situation 2: Your Korean friend is interested in trying Filipino cuisine.

1. What Filipino food would you suggest and how will you describe its taste?
2. How will you describe Filipino dining etiquette to your friend?
3. He wanted to know about good restaurants to try. How will you give him
suggestions?

Let’s Step Up!

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Lesson 2: Gender and Age
How do you differentiate
the way you communicate
with your grandparents and
your friends? How about
the way you interact with
your male friends and your
female friends? In this lesson, we will discuss
communication in relation to a person’s gender and age.

Warm-up!

Informal Debate

Divide the class between males and females. From these groups, choose three students who
will represent their team for opening and closing statements and main arguments. Questions
following the main arguments can be addressed to any member of the team.

The teams will debate based on the motion “Only men of any age should give away their seats
when women are inside a moving vehicle.”

After the debate, share with the class your observations about the points presented by each
team.

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Learn about It!

One’s culture is not just influenced by one’s upbringing. This

can also be determined by a person’s gender and age.

1. Gender

In general, men and women differ in terms of their

communication style.

In men-only conversations, some tend to dominate the

conversation, and they seldom talk about their private lives.
On the other hand, in women-only conversations, they
usually allow everyone to participate, and they often talk
about their personal relationships.

The following table contains characteristics and differences of communication styles between
genders. However, note that these differences do not apply to everyone because of different
cultures and views on gender roles.

Men Women
In men-only conversations: In women-only conversations:
● Assertive and competitive ● Polite and affectionate
● Reserved ● Expressive
● Talk about different topics ● Talk about one topic at length
● Need personal space ● Intimate
● Purpose: To provide information ● Purpose: To build or maintain
relationship
Mixed Genders
In mixed-gender conversations:
● Men initiate the interaction.
● Men often interrupt the other person who is speaking. Women usually allow an
interruption.

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● Men use fewer adjectives and intensifiers compared to women.

In intercultural communication, nonverbal communication also differs significantly between

genders and across cultures. Here are some examples:

Nonverbal
Example
communication
Hugging ● In most Western cultures, it is normal for women
and men to hug even if they are not close friends.
● In the United States, for example, it is acceptable
to give a light hug to an acquaintance when
meeting him or her.
Public Displays of Affection In Middle Eastern cultures, public displays of affection
(e.g., touching, holding hands) are unacceptable.
Eye contact ● In most Western cultures, maintaining eye
contact throughout a conversation is a sign of
respect and attentiveness.
● In many Latin American and Asian cultures,
prolonged eye contact can indicate rudeness,
especially between people of different social
hierarchies.
● In Middle Eastern cultures, men and women are
not supposed to make eye contact. However,
making eye contact with a person of the same
sex, especially a man with another man, is a sign
of sincerity.

2. Age

People of different ages or generations may have difficulty communicating with one another.
A person’s age or the generation to which he or she belongs influences the way he or she
communicates with others.

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Younger generation: digital format like text messaging or social networking
Older generation: face-to-face discussion

Age-related communication also reflects culture. In Filipino culture, for example, pagmamano
and Filipino expressions such as po and opo are taught to children at an early age as a sign of
politeness and respect to the elders. In Turkish culture, kissing the right hand is a common
way of greeting the elders.

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Check Your Understanding

Read the situations and answer the questions that follow:

Situation 1: A group of girls were talking inside the classroom during dismissal time.
They noticed that another group of boys were also talking and passing a basketball to
one another.

1. Describe the characteristics of the communication style of each group.

2. If these groups merge into one group, describe the kind of communication
they may have.

Situation 2: A group of teenagers was boisterous inside a coffee shop. On the opposite
table, a group of elders who are quietly talking was interrupted by the loud noise from
the opposite table.

1. How do you think the elders would react to the kind of behavior they see in the
teenagers’ table?
2. An elder approaches the table and reprimands the group about the noise. How
do you think the teenagers would react or respond to this reprimand?
3. If you were one of the teenagers in the table, how will you address the
problem?

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Let’s Step Up!

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Lesson 3: Social Status and Religion
We live in a community composed
of people with diverse social status
and religious beliefs. It is important
that we become sensitive in terms
of communicating with those who
have different beliefs and principles
as we do.

Warm-up!
Quick Writes

For three minutes, write as many religious beliefs you are familiar with as possible. This may
include customs and traditions, principles, and practices. Afterward, share your write-up in
class.

Learn about It!

Intercultural communication occurs not just between people who are of different nationalities
or age. It can also occur when people differ in social status and religious beliefs.

1. Social Status

Differences in social status may affect the way we communicate with others. These
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differences can influence the way a person chooses his or her
peers. Individuals are more likely to interact with others of the
same social standing as them. Also, there is likely to be a
communication gap between a person of higher status and
that of lower status since they differ in background, education,
income, and social habits, among others.

There are two elements of social class:

a. Ascribed social class is determined at birth through
characteristics such as age, sex, race, and family
background.
b. Achieved social class is acquired through a person’s
ability, talent, skill, and perseverance. This can be seen in
their educational attainment or occupation.

Here are some examples of evidence of social status in some

cultures:

A person of lower status is introduced to a person of higher status in a formal

business setting.

In many Western and Eastern cultures, it is usually a custom that a person with a higher rank
is introduced formally in a formal business setting. They are expected to show proper
courtesy such as giving a firm handshake or allowing the person of higher rank to sit first
before sitting down. In Japanese business culture where titles are very important, people
exchange business cards that clearly state their ranks even before they shake hands or bow.

Bowing as an indicator of status

Bowing in Japan also indicates status. A person with lower status must bow lower than the
person with higher status.

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2. Religion

Communication between persons belonging to different religions may be a common source of

intercultural conflict. This usually arises when the participants engaged in a conversation
impose one’s religious views on others who may not share those views. Being aware of
religious differences and being open to the religious views of others foster understanding and
mutual respect.

Here are some examples of religion as an influence in culture:

Religion Beliefs
Buddhism ● Anger is considered to be one of the three
poisons (the other two are greed and
ignorance).
Islam ● Forbids eating of food that are considered
haram, such as pork
● Women wear a scarf or hijab over their
head.
Hinduism ● Cows are considered sacred animals.
● Believe in karma; good deeds are rewarded

With these in mind, the foundation of intercultural communication in terms of social status
and religion lies in respect for each others’ differences. Always be mindful of what another
person will feel when speaking about their position in society or religious beliefs.

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Check Your Understanding

Read the situations below and answer the questions that follow:

Situation 1: Inside a restaurant during lunchtime, you noticed that a woman from
another table was scolding a waiter for not bringing their food immediately. The waiter
was very apologetic; however, the woman continued scolding the waiter.

1. What was wrong with the kind of communication the woman and the waiter
are having?
2. If you were the woman, would you do the same to the waiter? Why?

Situation 2: A Catholic and a born-again Christian are discussing the way the Catholics
give importance to saints and how they venerate the Virgin Mary.

1. How should the born-again Christian explain his or her beliefs to the person he
or she is talking to?
2. How should the Catholic explain his or her side?
3. Should they fight over which beliefs are right or wrong? Why or why not?

Let’s Step Up!

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Lesson 4: Effective Communication Skills

The previous lessons

presented ways on how to
deal with individuals who
are of a different culture,
age, gender, religion, and
social status. In this lesson,
we will discuss ways on how to communicate effectively
with other people.

Warm-up!

Pass the Message Game

Form a group of four to five members. Each group will form a line in front of the teacher. The
first persons in line will be given a sentence, which will be provided by the teacher. As soon as
the teacher says “go,” the first persons in line will give the message to the person behind
them. Each student will do the same thing until the message reaches the back of the line.
Once the last person gets the message, he or she will run to the board and write the message
as he or she heard it. The first group to get the message correctly or as close to the original
message gets a point.

After the activity, the students will share their insights and difficulties they encountered while
doing the activity.

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Learn about It!

Recognizing the different barriers to effective communication

is important to be able to avoid communication breakdown.
Here are some barriers that may cause breakdown in
communication.

1. Barriers in Communication

Here are some reasons why breakdown in communication

occurs.

a. Language barriers - These manifest when two

individuals do not have a common language, have an
unfamiliar accent, or use unfamiliar words or
expressions, jargon, and idioms.

An Australian speaking to a Filipino for directions to

the LRT station

b. Cultural barriers - These are evident when there is difficulty in communication due
to differing principles, views, and beliefs. This is also applicable to those who are
insensitive to other people’s heritage.

A Catholic person who does not accept a person’s belief in the existence of
zombies and ghosts

c. Physical barriers - These are hindrances to better communication caused by

environmental factors such as noise, lighting, and distance between the receiver and
speaker.

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Two friends who are talking when they are two rows away from each other

d. Prejudging - This happens when a person believes he or she understood what the
speaker means even before the message is completely expressed. It can also happen
when the receiver immediately judges the message as unimportant.

Members of a paintball team ignoring their leader because he was very bossy
and arrogant, but the leader’s advice is actually sound and helpful

e. Information overload – This happens when one gives too much information at a
time.

A professor giving a three-hour nonstop physics lecture on magnets and

solenoids

f. Lack of interest and attention - This happens when a person gives information that
does not interest others or a person does not give attention to either the speaker or his
or her message.

A child watching television while his mother talks to him about spending less
time on television

It is important to deal with communication barriers so you can have smooth and effective
communication.

2. Strategies to Avoid Communication Breakdown

Below are some communication strategies that you can use to avoid communication
breakdown.

a. Use time-gaining expressions to have more time to think. Fillers such as “Go on,”
“Let me see,” and “Tell me more . . .” express that the speaker would like to think of a
response or continue a conversation.

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b. Give positive remarks or comments. Comments such as “I understand,” “Sounds
good,” and “I see what you mean” express interest in the flow of the conversation. This
means that the person would like to continue the conversation.

c. Be specific. For others to understand your message easily, try expressing yourself
directly to the other person by using simple and direct words, and by using appropriate
facial expressions and gestures.

d. Ask for repetition or clarification. Clarifying or repeating the meaning of what the
other person says should be done politely. Use the expressions such as “Can you please
repeat what you said?”, “What did you say, again?”, and “What do you mean?”

e. Check your understanding. Make sure that you understand the meaning of what
the other person says or that he or she comprehends what you mean. You may ask “So,
are you saying that . . . ?” to verify what you know based on what they said; and “So, do
you have questions regarding this?” or “Was my explanation clear?” to verify if they
understand what you said.

f. Do not jump to conclusions. Always try to listen to what the other person says
before giving a verdict about the message. At the same time, allow the speaker to
express his or her ideas freely before accepting or rejecting his or ideas.

3. Ways to Achieve Effective Communication

Effective communication is more than just the transmission of information from one person
to another. It takes place only when the information is shared and mutually understood.
Having effective communication skills enables you to connect better with others, build and
maintain relationships, and express yourself and be fully understood.

The following are some ways on how you can achieve effective communication.

a. Be focused. One way to stay focused is to have a specific purpose for speaking or
listening. If you are the speaker, determine your purpose for speaking and clearly
express yourself to achieve it. If you are the listener, ascertain the speaker’s purpose
through his or her verbal and nonverbal cues.
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b. Speak intelligibly. This refers to using appropriate speaking volume (or loudness)
and rate (or the pace at which you speak), good enunciation (or the distinctness of the
sound of spoken words), proper word stress, and correct or acceptable pronunciation.

c. Listen with your ears and eyes. Remember that nonverbal communication is as
important as verbal communication. Pay attention to the speaker’s verbal as well as
nonverbal cues.

d. Minimize distractions. Block out any form of interference, or adjust to different

forms of distraction.

Check Your Understanding

Read the situation below and answer the questions that follow.

Trevor is a very intelligent person. He excels in everything he does. However, he has a

habit of being bossy and arrogant. His classmates usually do not like pairing with him
because he tends to boss around and give them all the work.

Once, Trevor’s class was assigned to do a play on Romeo and Juliet. Trevor was assigned
as the director of the play. However, his classmates did not really pay attention to what
he was saying and ended up with a bad presentation.

1. Discuss the barriers in communication between Trevor and his classmates.

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2. In the future, how can Trevor avoid the tension between him and his
classmates?
3. If you were Trevor’s classmate, would you do the same thing? Why?
4. How will you convince Trevor’s classmates to listen to him?
5. What advice will you give Trevor for him to have a better conversation with his
classmates?

Let’s Step Up!

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Performance Task

MEET THE COUNTRY

Goal: Your task is to introduce and promote your country to potential tourists and investors
for business.

Role: You are a team of ambassadors of a small country.

Audience: You need to convince other ambassadors and dignitaries to visit your country as
tourists and invest in businesses there.

Situation: The challenge involves dealing with people from other countries communicating
with your team. You need to convince them that your team can be trusted and your country is
a nice place.

Product/Performance and Purpose:

1. The class will be divided into groups with five members.

2. Create a make-believe country that has the following information:
a. Name of country
b. Location/geography
c. Tourist spots
d. Native language
e. Clothing, gestures, and mannerisms
f. Unique customs and traditions
g. Religion
h. Kinds of social classes and how they are treated
3. The group should embody these characteristics and plan how they will present
themselves in a gathering with other foreign dignitaries.
4. On the day of the presentation, the class will interact with other groups by doing their
planned characteristics.
5. The teacher will observe the following during the activity:
a. The characteristics of the “citizens” representing the country
b. The interaction of the groups with one another
c. Communication barriers present and how they were solved

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Standards and Criteria for Success: The performance will be judged based on the rubric.

Criteria Beginning Developing Accomplished Score

(0-12 points) (13-16 points) (17-20 points)

Content All or almost all Some of the Focus on

of the details details were details/events
are unclear. unclear or not are clearly
related to the evident; they
topic. are clearly
related to the
topic.

Organization The progression There is good There is a

of ideas is sequencing logical
illogical and not between ideas progression of
well organized. and some details/events
unclear and clear
transitions. transitions
between ideas.

Language More than three One to three No language

(spelling, mechanics, language errors language error was
grammar, and word were error(s) were committed.
usage) committed. committed.

The characteristics of The citizens The citizens

the “citizens” were not able to were able to
representing the represent their represent their
country country country
effectively. effectively.

The interaction of the No interaction Some The

groups with one was seen in the interactions interactions
another activity. were unclear were clear and
and represented.
misrepresented.

Communication The Some of the The

barriers present and communication communication communication
how they were solved barriers were barriers were barriers were

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not solved. solved. addressed and
solved.

TOTAL SCORE:

Self-Check: How Well Did I Learn?

Do a self-check on how well you learned the lessons in this unit. Place a checkmark in the
appropriate box.
I am familiar and
I think I need more I am confident that I
can perform well
Skills practice and can perform this on
with minimal
assistance my own
assistance
I can define
intercultural
communication.
I can show
sensitivity to one’s
culture, gender,
age, social status,
and religion.
I can use various
strategies to
prevent
communication
breakdown.
I can demonstrate
skills to achieve
effective
communication.

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Wrap Up

Culture refers to the customary beliefs, values, and attitudes of a racial, religious, or
social group.
Intercultural communication refers to communication between individuals who
have different cultures.
Sociocultural factors that affect communication include gender, age, social status,
and religion.
Communication breakdown happens when the message is not clearly understood
by the receiver.

Barriers that may cause breakdown in communication include language barriers,

cultural barriers, physical barriers, prejudging, information overload, and lack of
interest and attention.
 Tips to Avoid Communication Breakdown
1. Use time-gaining expressions.
2. Give positive remarks or comments.
3. Be specific.
4. Ask for repetition or clarification.
5. Check for understanding.
6. Do not jump to conclusions.

 Tips for Effective Communication

1. Be focused.
2. Speak intelligibly.
3. Listen with your ears and eyes.
4. Minimize distractions.

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Bibliography

Dunn, Daniel M., and Lisa J. Goodnight. 2003. Communication: Embracing Difference. Boston:
Allyn & Bacon.

Hybels, Saundra, and Richard Weaver II. 2011. Communicating Effectively. 10th ed. New York:
McGraw-Hill.

Neuliep, James W. 2011. Intercultural Communication: A Contextual Approach. 5th ed. Thousand
Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Texas A&M University. “Culture.” Accessed April 22, 2018.

https://www.tamu.edu/faculty/choudhury/culture.html.

Recommended Link for This Unit:

Arent, Russell. “An Introduction to Intercultural Communication.” The University of Michigan

Press. 2009. Accessed April 21, 2018.
https://www.press.umich.edu/pdf/9780472033577-ch1.pdf.

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