Wednesday's Assignment

IT’S A WONDER WE UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER AT ALL!

By Mark Benner

Do you hear me? Think how many times you’ve heard someone use that phrase out of anger or frustration. Maybe it was a parent upset at their child. Perhaps it was a boss at work, trying to emphasize or re-emphasize a certain point. Now try to think of just one time when that phrase actually improved understanding of the issue at hand. Chances are you can’t do it. Chances are it only made things worse. That’s because in everyday conversation, the actual words that come out of someone’s mouth often have very little to do with the message that is received. Communication breakdowns happen constantly, and for a wide variety of reasons. We misinterpret intentions because words can only do so much to promote understanding. If words aren't accompanied by a shared understanding of other areas such as culture, life experience, and personal style – or, at an absolute minimum, awareness on both sides that these differences can exist and will themselves have an impact – then the result can be a communication catastrophe. In some cultures, silence means disapproval; depending on the social position of the speakers, it would be far too rude to disagree or turn down a request in public. Yet in other cultures silence can be taken as assent. It’s assumed that if someone didn't like what was happening, they’d let you know. When these two cultures clash, it’s no wonder there are misunderstandings! Each culture has its own communication conventions or rules: about how often we make eye contact, how we express politeness, how loudly we speak, how we interpret silence, how directly or indirectly we make a request or let someone know what we want, how close we stand when speaking to one another, how much information we share, how we motivate others, how we argue or how we complain. Some cultures may perceive indirectness as dishonest; others may perceive it as polite. As a result, someone who makes requests directly (Please write this report today) may be annoyed by someone who uses indirect requests (This report needs to be written today). Paying attention to body language and seeking clarification can help overcome some of these misunderstandings. Gender can also influence how we communicate. Author John Gray suggests men and women think differently, have different emotional needs and express these needs differently … so much that they can seem like they are from different planets (hence one of his book titles, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.) Gray claims that when talking about problems or frustrations, women will listen and empathize while men will offer solutions. Similarly, author Deborah Tannen claims that the language between women is mostly “rapport talk,” used to build bonds of friendship, trust and understanding. Language between men is “report talk” – used to provide information to get something accomplished. While these generalizations about gender and cultural influences are helpful, they are only generalizations. In other words, when it comes down to a particular phone conversation, a chance encounter on the street or an office meeting, making assumptions can be risky. Putting too much stock in generalizations can lead to stereotyping … and at that point the roadblocks to understanding start piling on top of each other. But awareness of differences is only a precondition for understanding, not a guarantee it will happen. When that awareness of differences is accompanied by a commitment to explain and clarify your intentions, and to request the same of others, you’re getting somewhere. Arriving at a shared understanding is not an easy process, but well worth the effort!!

Task 1:

Below are words from the article. Write the correct letter on each line to match the words with their meanings.

1. intention	a. to explain, make clear
2. assume	b. to give a wrong meaning to; misunderstand
3. empathize	c. to call attention to; make important
4. disapproval	d. lack of approval
5. misinterpret	e. to understand another’s feelings or motives
6. emphasize	f. a general rule or idea that is inferred from particular facts or examples
7. clarify	g. accepted to be true without proof
8. rapport	h. an oversimplified mental picture of a group of people
9. stereotype	i. to help something happen
10. claim	j. a harmonious relationship with someone
11. promote	k. to maintain; say as a fact
12. generalization	l. the purpose behind an action or statement

Task 2:

Write a noun for each of the verbs below. Use either the noun or the verb form in sentences.

VERB	NOUN
perceive	perception
assume
empathize
disapprove
misinterpret
emphasize
clarify
generalize