Listening: Understanding All Varieties of English C2 - Lesson 3: Appreciating Cultural Nuances conveyed through speech patterns

C2 CULTURE

Cultural Nuance

ការយល់ដឹងពីវប្បធម៌ក្នុងការនិយាយ

🎯 Scenario: International Business Dinner.
John (USA): Low-Context (Direct).
Mr. Tanaka (Japan): High-Context (Indirect).

J

John (Direct)

T

Mr. Tanaka (Indirect)

Cultural Code: In High-Context cultures, saying "No" directly is rude.
Translation: "Ambitious timeline" + "Consider carefully" = NO. It will not be ready by Friday.

Cultural Linguistics Terminology:

High-Context Culture Communication relies heavily on implicit, non-verbal cues and shared history (e.g., Japan, Arab cultures).

Low-Context Culture Communication is explicit, direct, and detailed (e.g., USA, Germany).

Face-Saving Strategies to avoid humiliation or embarrassment for oneself or others.

Understatement Presenting something as smaller or less important than it really is (common in UK/Japan).

Why did Mr. Tanaka mention "Consider carefully"?

He needs more time to read.

A literal interpretation.

He is rejecting the deadline politely.

To save face for John, he avoids a direct refusal but implies the deadline is impossible.

Task: The Cultural Translator

John wants to say: "This delay is unacceptable."
Rewrite this for a High-Context (Polite/Indirect) audience.