Transcript Haier

High Context &
Low Context Culture
Edward T. Hall
Edward Twitchell
Hall (1914--)
American
anthropologist
The forefather of
Intercultural
Communication
We can compare culture by
how much people’s
communication relies on
context.
The Definition of Context
Context is the
information that
surrounds an event; it is
inextricably bound up
with the meaning of that
event.
Context
Background
Information
We can compare culture by
how much people’s
communication relies on
background information.
Low context
A low context culture is one
in which things are fully
(though concisely) spelled
out. Things are made explicit,
and there is considerable
dependence on what is
actually said or written.
What is encoded matters.
High context
 A high context culture is one in
which the communicators
assume a great deal of
commonality of knowledge and
views, so that less is spelled
out explicitly and much more is
implicit or communicated in
indirect ways.
What is encoded matters less
than the context
Low context
Pay little attention to messages
sent non-verbally
Communication is the exchange of
verbal messages that are
meaningful apart from the
context in which they are said.
Respond to what people say rather
than to how they are behaving.
High context
Expect listeners to take more
responsibility for interpreting the
meaning of messages.
Assume that speakers do not
always express their meaning fully
or precisely in words.
 Body language, facial gestures
and voice inflection are important
methods of communication.
Low context
More impersonal and precise
relationships between individuals are
relatively shorter in duration.
Deep personal involvement with others
is valued less.
High context
 Communication is imprecise,
yet personal
 Relationships are relatively
long lasting, and individuals
feel deep personal involvement
with each other.
Low context
Business can be conducted
successfully by letters, telephones,
fax or e-mail.
Tend to have strong legal
frameworks for commercial
transactions and rarely rely on
personal interaction.
High context
The physical surroundings for a
meeting or a business meal are
just as important as the substance
of the discussion.
Agreements tend to be spoken
rather than written.
High and low context
countries
Japanese
Greek
China
Korean
High context
Italian
Arab
Spanish
English
Swiss
German
North
American
Low context
Chicken Pot Pie (Ingredients)
 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast
meat
 1 cup chicken broth
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
 1 1/2 cups milk
 3 tablespoons butter
 1 onion, chopped
 1 cup chopped celery
 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
 1 (9 inch) pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie
 1 egg, lightly beaten
Measures？
 Spoon ¾ ½ spoon ¼ spoon
 Cup ½ cup
 一勺？
 酱油少许
 放点醋，放点姜
¼ cup
Case study
 When a Chinese student going
to the United States for study,
he is likely to be met with lots
of information, mostly in
written form. There will be a
handbook for international
students, notices on the wall of
the registration office with
information about what forms
are required or what to do
before and after registration,
a handbook of dormitory
regulations and printed
information about different
types of visas, how to renew
them or how to change them--and much more.
A cross-cultural dialogue
 学校外办人员：Foreign teachers ask me for lots of
information before they come to China.
 外教：What do you tell them?
 学校外办人员: I tell them they will find out
everything that they need to know when they
get here.
 外教: Oh,
 学校外办人员: Yes, my office and the teaching
departments arrange everything for them. Every
foreign teacher has a contact person to help with
problems of teaching and daily life.
Questions:
 If you are going to study in the
USA, how do you think of the
handbooks and directories?
 If you were the 外办人员，what
do you think we should provide
for the coming American
teachers?
Many people would like to feed a pet when they
were a child, it is because they are lovely, cute and
they would not cause any unfortune to people.
People can speak out their unhappiness and secret
to these little creature and make sure those secret
would not be heard by themselves from others mouth.
For this reason, animal become a good friend of human
being. If you like to start feeding a pet, there are a
number of questions you should first consider, for
example: Choose a suitable animal as a pet for yourself,
make sure you can prepare a reasonable place for
them and can spend time on them etc.