Verbal Communication

Variations in Communication Styles

How language is used in a particular culture is strongly related to the values a culture emphasizes, and how it believes that the relations between humans ought to be. For some time, social scientists and linguists have been studying how individuals and groups interact through language, both within the same language and between languages. They have sought to discover how and why language use varies.

If your intercultural communication is to be effective, you cannot ignore the broader cultural context that gives words meaning. Cultural rules about when and how certain speech acts can be performed may differ greatly. Routine formulas such as greetings, leave-taking, thanking, apologizing and so on do not follow the same, or even similar rules, across cultures. When communicating across cultures, an understanding of communication style differences helps to interpret verbal messages more effectively.

High and Low Context

High Context cultures, such as China, Japan, and South Korea, are those in which people assume that others within their culture will share their viewpoints and thus understand situations in much the same way. There is a great deal of emphasis on the environment or context where the speech and interaction take place. Consequently, people in such cultures often talk indirectly, using hints or suggestions to convey meaning with the thought that others will know what is being expressed. In high context cultures, what is not said is just as important, if not more important, than what is said. High context cultures are very often collectivistic.

Low context cultures on the other hand are those in which people do NOT presume that others share their beliefs, values, and behaviors so they tend to be more verbally informative and direct in their communication. The message itself is everything. A well-structured argument with a flawless delivery is convincing. Relationships are separated from messages, so the focus is on the details and logic. The clock matters in timing. Many low context cultures are individualistic, so people openly express their views, and tend to make important information obvious to others. Examples are no fear in discussing conflict or talking to strangers.

Direct and Indirect

Direct and indirect styles are closely related to high and low context communication, but not exactly the same. Context refers to the assumption that speakers are homogeneous enough to share or implicitly understand the meanings associated with contexts. Whereas, direct and indirect refers directly to verbal strategies.

Direct styles are those in which verbal messages reveal the speaker's true intentions, needs, wants, and desires. The focus is on accomplishing a task. The message is clear, and to the point without hidden intentions or implied meanings. The communication tends to be impersonal. Conflict is discussed openly, and people say what they think. In the United States, business correspondence is expected to be short and to the point. "What can I do for you?" is a common question when a businessperson receives a call from a stranger; it is an accepted way of asking the caller to state his or her business.

Indirect styles are those in which communication is often designed to hide or minimize the speaker's true intentions, needs, wants, and desires. Communication tends to be personal and focuses on the relationship between the speakers. The language may be subtle, and the speaker may be looking for a "softer" way to communicate that there is a problem by providing many contextual cues. A hidden meaning may be embedded into the message because harmony and "saving face" are more important than truth and confrontation. In indirect cultures, such as those in Latin America, business conversations may start with discussions of the weather, or family, or topics other than business as the partners gain a sense of each other, long before the topic of business is raised.

Elaborate and Understated

Elaborate and Understated communication styles refer to the quantity of talk that a culture values and is related to attitudes towards speech and silence. Elaborate styles of communication refers to the use of rich and expressive language in everyday conversation. The French, Latin Americans, Africans, and Arabs tend to use exaggerated communication because in their cultures, simple statements may be interpreted to mean the exact opposite.

Understated communication styles value simple understatement, simple assertions, and silence. People who speak sparingly tend to be trusted more than people who speak a lot. Prudent word choice allows an individual to be socially discreet, gain social acceptance, and avoid social penalty. In Japan, the pleasure of a conversation lies "not in discussion (a logical game), but in emotional exchange" with the purpose of social harmony.

Lesser Known Styles

The three styles listed above are researched and discussed most often in intercultural literature, but there are other styles that are equally valid in explaining cultural differences in verbal communication and language usage. Many of these styles are strongly tied to perceptions of logic, power distance, and self.

Although in the United States we often refer to individual words as concrete and abstract, cultural communication styles can be as well. Concrete communication stresses that issues are best understood through stories, metaphors, allegories, and examples with an emphasis on the specific rather than the general. Abstract communication stresses that issues are best understood through theories, principles, and data, with emphasis on the general rather than the specific.

Like concrete and abstract, linear, and circular styles refer to the logical development of a conversation. Linear communication is conducted in a straight line, developing causal connections among subpoints to an explicitly stated end point. There is little reliance on context. Circular communication is conducted in a circular movement, developing context around the main point, which is often left unstated. There is a high reliance on context.

Directly tied to the idea of power distance is the idea of whether verbal communication should be formal or informal. Formal styles are role-centered and emphasize formality with a large power distance. Informal styles emphasize the importance of a lower power distance with informality, casualness, and suspension of roles.

The last style is focused upon the function and value of an individual within a group. A communication style that focuses on the promotion of one's own accomplishments and abilities is called self-enhancement, where as a style that focuses on the importance of humbling oneself through verbal restraint, hesitation, modesty, and self-depreciation is called self-effacement.