Archive for the ‘communication’ Category

Americans are pragmatists, Iranians are poets

If you want an example of how challenging it can sometimes be to communicate across cultures, I came across an excellent article that details some of the differences between the U.S. and Iranian styles of speaking. For example, do ‘yes’ and ‘no’ always mean what we think? “Speech has a different function than it does [...]

August 7, 2006 communication 0 Comments

Irish English and American English

Language is of course one of the most common obstacles to communication across cultures.  It often surprises us, though, when these obstacles crop up even among individuals who speak the same language, albeit in different countries.  There is a popular quote attributed to George Bernard Shaw about England and America being “two countries separated by the same language.” [...]

July 31, 2006 communication 0 Comments

Learning directness in India

Some cross-cultural trainers in India are being asked to teach employees to be more direct in their communication style. This goes against the Indians’ traditional approach of being indirect, but it’s an effort to accommodate the Western business style and to continue growing the country’s outsourcing industry. Junk the fake accent, young workers in India’s booming outsourcing industry are being [...]

June 16, 2006 communication 0 Comments
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