Being a good communicator has different meanings in different cultures. In order to communicate effectively across cultures, you need to understand the cultural thought patterns behind the language of communication. These thought patterns influence the way native speakers of a language will express themselves. It will also influence how they expect to hear information presented.
When the speaker and the listener have different cultural thought patterns, there is an increased likelihood for miscommunication and cross cultural conflict. However, by mimicking the communication style of your listener, you are affirming their values in this area.
Below is a diagram of different cultural thought patterns for different language groups. It should not be taken as an absolute but as a guide for developing cultural competence in cross cultural communication, as both a speaker and a listener.
English – (includes Germanic languages such as German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish) Communication is direct, linear and doesn’t digress or go off topic.
Semitic – (for example, Arabic or Hebrew) Thoughts are express in a series of parallel ideas, both positive and negative. Coordination is valued over subordination.
Oriental – (Languages of Asia) Communication is indirect. A topic is not addressed head on, but is viewed from various perspectives, working around and around the point.
Romance – (Latin-based languages such as French, Italian, Romanian and Spanish) Communication often digresses. It is fine to introduce extraneous material, which adds to the richness of the communication.
Russian – Like Romance languages, Russian communication is often digressive. The digression may include a series of parallel ideas.
Superb!Came to you from LinkedIn group. This needs to be required reading well, for most people..certainly all businesses and artistic ventures, as well as quickie guide politically. Could you imagine if GWBush actually studied such with respect?? a different world we’d have after those years of arrogance and meanness. Power used correctly to solve problems, instead of make them, and create good human dances between, not one against other..
sigh.
Interesting, I wrote this same article with this content two months earlier than your publishing date to my Linkedn Page.
Hi Kristal-
Are you referring to your LinkedIn article you published on March 4, 2016? That’s actually almost 6 years after this June 2, 2010 posting. Also, you didn’t write “the same article.” You wrote on the same topic, as have most intercultural trainers. It’s a foundational concept.
Enjoyed reading you post. As I speak Hebrew, French and English and was interesting for me to think if I can really express myself so differently while I speak each language. Especailly as I tend sometime to mix words from several languages in one sentence.
Thank you
Thank you for sharing how others talk. I have tried to explain much of this to my husband who seems not to understand that my background is really influenced my speech. I am Jewish and I know we have a different way of communicating.
He tends to go on and on about a subject. I need to interrupt because I only can remember just so much, but also have my side of things. I get it. I am not a narcissist. I truly care and believe I selflessly interact trying to be a part of a conversation, but also understanding what others need.
Children…children don’t care how someone else does things. They are pure…innocent…
and non judge mental as long as they come from a loving home. I work with those who are either affected negatively by their parents or society, but also the young because they are not burdened by the armor that adults have amassed.
There are those who ‘get it’.
I am very interested in reading more about Kaplan’s theroies. Can you provide me with the name of his book.
Thank you
Nina Dolman
NIMAR MANGEMENT INC
If you google “Kaplan, R. B. (1966). Cultural thought patterns in intercultural education” you should be able to find it.
so truee!!
I’m a deep thinker and very talented when it comes to communication because I can quickly adapt to how the other person is used to being told something. Meaning I know how to word my what I’m saying so that its taken the right way. Excluding all miscommunication. Earlier today I wanted to draw how my thought works so other people can visually understand. After it was complete I googled thought patterns and found the above image showing the cultures and how the different types of thinking made different patterns. The drawing of my thought pattern I made before stumbling on this website literally is the shape of all the thought patterns put together. I’m 17, and I just discovered on my own things that Kaplan, R. B. wrote about 58 years ago. But I have no idea what to do with this knowledge.
Im glad that this author (NO RELATION!!! LOZL) delineated these clear differences. As an english speaker, I find it especially difficult to communicate with Orientals, hispanics, etc. ad. nauseum and this helps me understand why.
As a digression, I wish that these foreigners would learn to speak in the direct tongue and is english and maybe I could understood them.
Good one there! Where do we place African languages?
Hi Joyce,
Although Kaplan does not specifically address African languages in his analysis, I would guess from experience that they would follow discourse patterns of somewhere between Semitic (parallel construction filled with metaphor, symbols and parables) and Romance (digressive).