Exploring Intercultural Communication

Zhu Hua is Professor of Applied Linguistics and Communication at Birkbeck, University of London, UK. She has published extensively on multilingual and intercultural communication and child language. She is forum and reviews editor of Applied Linguistics and joint series editor of Routledge Language and Intercultural Communication Series and Cambridge Key Topics in Applied Linguistics Series.

'This book provides a lucid introduction to the field of intercultural communication which has grown steadily over the past decade. As in the earlier edition, key domains (e.g. classroom, workplace, business, family) are covered with engaging real world case studies and practical exercises. The second edition provides additional and interesting new material and new perspectives, such as the concept of "turbulence" in intercultural communication, as well as updated references, accurately reflecting recent advances in the field.'Janet Holmes, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand'This revised, expanded and updated edition of Zhu Hua’s popular textbook has become even more attractive in its detailed coverage of key practical and theoretical issues in intercultural communication studies. Varied topics, lively style and useful activities will appeal to students around the world.'Adam Jaworski, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

• ContentsAcknowledgementsPermissionsTranscription ConventionsSeries editors’ introductionNotes on using this bookPart IIntercultural communication in everyday life1 Language Classrooms1.1 Culture and language learning and teaching (Does learning a language mean learning a culture?)1.2 Culture of learning (How many times do I need to practise?)1.3 Multicultural classrooms (Why is she so quiet in the classroom?)1.4 Chapter summary2 The workplace2.1 Meetings (Has anything been decided in the meeting?)2.2 Small talk (Haven’t seen you for ages!)2.3 Humour (I didn’t get that!)2.4 Chapter Summary3 Business3.1 Advertising (Buy it, sell it, love it)3.2 International business negotiation (Why do they talk a lot about nothing really?)3.3 More language and communication matters (Dear Respected Mr Lin, How are you?)3.4 Chapter summary4 Family and Migration4.1 Migrant families (I’m British on paper, but am I English?)4.2 Intercultural couples (Can love speak without words?)4.3 Language choice and learning at home (Good boy! Well done habeebi (my darling))4.4 Chapter summary5 Study abroad and tourism5.1 Study abroad (Does ‘real’ experience help with my language and intercultural learning?)5.2 Tourism (Can I take a picture with you?)5.3 Chapter summaryPart IIDeveloping intercultural communicative competence6 What are culture-specific ways of communication and why?6.1 High versus low context: relationship and networks6.2 High involvement: solidarity and connectedness6.3 Directness or indirectness: face, politeness and rapport6.4 Turn-taking: universals vs. cultural variations6.5 Space: the silent language6.6 Chapter summary7 What causes turbulence in intercultural communication7.1 Communicative turbulence7.2 Symbolic power7.3 Pragmatic mismatch7.4 Clash of styles7.5 Mismatch in schemas and cultural stereotypes7.6 Mismatch in contextualisation and framing7.7 Chapter summary8 What contributes to successful communication?8.1 Accommodating towards your audience8.2 Negotiation as the way of engagement8.3 Interpreting and mediating interaction8.4 Understanding professional and institutional discourse8.5 Chapter summary9 How to develop intercultural communicative competence9.1 ICC in foreign language teaching and learning9.2 A multidisciplinary overview of ICC9.3 Intercultural learning through education and training9.4 Intercultural learning from a language socialisation perspective9.5 Chapter summaryPart IIIUnderstanding intercultural communication critically10 The relation between language, culture and thought: the classical question10.1 The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis: language controls or influences thought10.2 Colour terms: language influences, but does not determine perception10.3 ‘The geography of thought’: culture influences thought independent of language10.4 Cultural key words: vocabulary as index of a culture10.5 The language of thought: language as a window into human nature; and thought exists independently of language10.6 The bilingual mind: thinking and speaking in two languages10.7 Thinking back: relevance to intercultural communication11 Theories of culture: a fundamental question11.1 Compositional approach: culture as a collection of things shared by people.11.2 Interpretive approach: culture as semiotic11.3 Action approach: culture as a process11.4 Critical approach: culture as power and ideological struggle11.5 Overview: complexity of culture11.6 Thinking back: from what culture is to what intercultural communication is12 Language, identity and interculturality: a paradigm-shifting question12.1 ‘Where are you from?’12.2 Identity: multiplicity and types12.3 Cultural identity12.4 Interculturality: from being to doing cultural identities 12.5 Thinking back and looking forwardTask commentariesGlossary of key termsReferencesIndex of subjectsIndex of languages, cultures and geographical areas