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2.7 DIFFERENCES IN LINGUISTIC STYLES IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

In addition to language variation, people also have various communication styles that they use when they communicate with others. There is evidence to suggest that some of these communication styles are influenced by culture. Martin & Nakayama (2000:155) suggest that a person’s communication style is mainly as a result of both language usage and non-verbal behaviour which are associated with communication. As already mentioned, language and non-verbal behaviour are both cultural concepts. The following discussion will illustrate the influence of the communication styles in the way the language is used.

2.7.1 DEFINING A COMMUNICATION STYLE

A communication style is defined by Samovar et al (1998:254) as “the manner in which a person presents him/herself to others.” The style which one uses to communicate with others depends on the channels one uses to convey information, which can be verbal, vocal and/or physical; in other words, the way a person uses language and non- verbal cues to get his/her message across to others. Martin & Nakayama (2000:155) further define a communication style as the tonal colouring and the metamessage that contextualize how listeners accept and interpret verbal messages. Culture plays a major role in influencing the person’s communication style. Edward Hall (quoted in Talbet- Johnson & Beron 1999:3) came up with a classification of cultures using a continuum. This continuum ranges from high-context to low- context. Each end pole represents a different way of communicating and a specific type of language that is used when communicating.

2.7.2 HIGH-CONTEXT AND LOW-CONTEXT CULTURE AND LANGUAGE USAGE

Cultures differ in communication styles in terms of their preference for high-context or low-context communication (Martin & Nakayama 2000:155). A high-context communication style is one which depends on a physical context where the messages are understood without direct verbal communication. The meaning is presumed to be part of the individual’s internalised beliefs, values and norms (Talbet-Johnson & Beron 1999:4). People who use this style of communication may share similar cultural backgrounds and therefore understand messages without explanations. People who are from different cultures but who share common characteristics, like people who work within the same field or environment, may also use a high-context communication style.

These people use register and terminology without explaining them, because their colleagues will understand the meaning.

This situation is defined by Dodd (1995:121) as an in-group situation. The type of language that they use is called a ‘restricted code’ because it doesn’t need lengthy explanations. People from different cultures but who share similar working conditions find it easy to communicate with each other about issues pertaining to work. However, problems may arise when these people have to communicate about social, personal and political issues. In this case, individual culture influences the way they view the world and react to situations. If one uses information from one’s own culture to deal with people who are from different cultural backgrounds, one finds that there might be major clashes. Sensitivity and caution have to be applied in these situations because hostilities and conflicts can result.

According to Martin & Nakayama 2000:156 low-context communication styles, on the other hand, are those where the majority of meaning and information is in the verbal code People who use this style of communication prefer to use explicit verbal messages, with a lot of elaborations and explanations in order to get their message across. For instance, Western culture prefers direct and explicit messages when people communicate, whereas Black and Eastern cultures use a more indirect and implicit style of communication. In Western culture, words play a major role in the communication process, unlike Black and Eastern cultures, where non-verbal behaviour takes precedence over the verbal code. Chick (1985:308) says that in Black and Eastern cultures, for instance, indirectness is used because it indicates respect and politeness. This is in direct contrast to the Western culture, where directness of the verbal message is the appropriate behaviour if one wants to be credible. Thus, if a person from a Black culture

communicates with someone from the Western culture, there is likely to be miscommunication because of the different communication styles that are used.

The other dimensions of communication styles which Martin & Nakayama (2000:157) discuss are elaborate/exact/succinct, personal/contextual and instrumental/affective. All of these styles have to do with the behaviour of the speaker when s/he communicates with other people. Some of these behaviours are regulated and influenced by culture. Because of differences in the way people are socialised in their cultures, one finds problems in intercultural communication. That is why it is necessary for the participants to engage in accommodative behaviour so that communication can be successful. There are various ways of accommodation, but this topic is beyond the scope of this discussion.

In the following discussion, the hypothesis that language varieties used by both Indians and Blacks lead to miscommunication will be tested. The participants were asked the following questions to determine the varieties that they use when communicating with each other or with people of other cultures.

2.8 RESEARCH DESIGN ON LINGUISTIC FACTORS WHICH