Deck 3: Language, Communication, Culture, and Power in Context

Question 1

Communication is situated and contextual.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

How individuals interact with each other is influenced by previous interactions.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Communication is static and not time bound.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Language is a system of vocabulary and grammar rules that enable us to communicate verbally.

Question 5

Similar to language, nonverbal symbols are not arbitrary.

Question 6

Communication may be both intentional and unintentional.

Question 7

When we lack awareness of cultural norms in a particular context, we are less likely to commit faux pas or social missteps.

Question 8

In most communicative events, the context has little or no effect on the communication.

Question 9

Intercultural communication may be complicated by differing ideas about what constitutes polite behavior in a particular context.

Question 10

Anytime you are interacting with someone you are communicating information about yourself whether you are aware of it or not.

Question 11

Communication is both symbolic and continuous.

Question 12

Intercultural interactions are generally not affected by one's positioning in terms of lan-guage, gender, and ethnicity.

Question 13

People who engage in 'rapport talk' focus on the clear transmission of information.

Question 14

In intercultural encounters the use of a particular language or dialect is often power laden.

Question 15

Most human communication is not tied to culture.

Question 16

One's speech style is linked to choices in the use of such linguistic elements as vocabulary, syntactic patterns, pace, and register.

Question 17

In an intercultural conversation, an individual may employ the strategy of convergence, that is, accentuate language and cultural differences.

Question 18

Style shifting refers to the process of switching form one speech style to another.

Question 19

People in collectivist cultural contexts tend to emphasize maintaining face, collaboration, and shared interests.

Question 20

In contexts where indirect communication is favored, speakers generally feel compelled to speak their mind.

Question 21

Describe the process of human communication.

Question 22

Identify and discuss four properties of human communication.

Question 23

Explain what is meant by transactive and interactive communication.

Question 24

Explain the relationship between language, communication, culture, and power.

Question 25

Explain and provide examples of direct and indirect styles of communication.

Question 26

Identify the traits associated with high-context and low-context communication and pro-vide examples of each.

Question 27

Explain the communication accommodation theory (CAT) and provide examples of the acts of 'convergence' and 'divergence'.

Question 28

Identify elements in the audience design framework and explain the framework's relation-ship to the communication accommodation theory.

Question 29

Explain the merits and limitations of communication style typologies.

Question 30

Identify and discuss the traits and behaviors of an effective intercultural communicator.

Question 31

In the act of communication, decoding refers to__________.

A) the person who is receiving the message being sent
B) the process by which the receiver tries to understand the meaning of the message being sent
C) the way in which a message is transmitted from one individual to another
D) the verbal signals which are sent to the receiver

Question 32

Human communication is _________________.

A) static
B) dynamic
C) always passive
D) inflexible

Question 33

When people talk to themselves, they are engaging in______________.

A) transactive communication
B) interactive communication
C) intrapersonal communication
D) interpersonal communication

Question 34

The rules governing the appropriate use of discourse in social situations are referred to as _____________.

A) linguistic norms
B) social sanctions
C) cultural norms
D) sociopragmatic norms

Question 35

The vocabulary and nonverbal codes that are employed by a cultural group often have no natural relationship with the meaning they represent. In other words, they are _______.

A) dynamic
B) arbitrary
C) artifacts
D) phonetic

Question 36

The international phonetic alphabet (IPA) __________.

A) facilitates the second language learning of phonetic languages
B) serves as a standardized representation of the sounds of spoken language
C) is widely used by foreign language learners, translators, and linguists
D) all of the above

Question 37

When two people engage in interaction with a specific aim in mind, this is an example of __________________.

A) intentional communication
B) unintentional communication
C) arbitrary communication
D) interpersonal communication

Question 38

Intercultural interactions may be complicated by ______________.

A) differing views about gender relations
B) differing expectations about what constitutes 'appropriate' verbal and nonverbal communication
C) both a and b
D) neither a nor b

Question 39

Cultural scripts ___________________.

A) are likely to be the same in different linguistic and cultural settings
B) are apt to vary somewhat in different linguistic and cultural settings
C) are universal
D) are not culture-specific

Question 40

The statement 'we cannot not communicate' means that________.

A) anytime you come in contact with people you are sending messages about yourself without realizing it
B) human communication is continuous, and it is impossible for us not to communicate
C) nonverbal messages are sent to others even if we are not aware of it
D) all of the above

Question 41

When people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds interact they______.

A) share an equal power status
B) are apt to have an unequal power status
C) likely have a similar understanding of their positioning
D) are likely to have the same position in the power hierarchy

Question 42

Through _______, we learn how to communicate in ways that are considered appropriate in our culture.

A) communication accommodation
B) convergence
C) enculturation
D) divergence

Question 43

Melinda tends to tell it like it is. She is often sarcastic and uses many metaphors when she talks. This is a description of her _______________.

A) linguistic style
B) ability to converge in intercultural interactions
C) audience-centered speech
D) ability to shift communication styles

Question 44

Comparative studies of the differences between the speech styles of men and women may __________.

A) raise awareness of the impact of speech on power relations
B) potentially lead to the stereotyping of male and female speech
C) overlook speech variations within genders
D) all of the above

Question 45

The communication accommodation theory (CAT) ______________.

A) tries to explain why people modify their speech communication practices depending on who they are communicating with
B) explores reasons why speakers alter their speech, bringing them closer to or further apart from their communication partners
C) a and b
D) neither a nor b

Question 46

Through the act of _________________ speakers accommodate their speech to that of their addressee.

A) divergence
B) convergence
C) report talk
D) situated discourse

Question 47

In intercultural interactions, acts of divergence may ______________.

A) lead to an increase in social distance
B) lead to a decrease in social distance
C) enhance the interpersonal relationship
D) generate a positive response from one's communication partner

Question 48

When interacting with her grandparents, Aline uses French, but when her South African friends arrive she converses in English. This is an example of ___________.

A) style shifting
B) communication style
C) code-switching
D) linguistic style

Question 49

Low-context communication styles ________________.

A) are most common in individualistic cultural contexts
B) are most common in collectivistic cultural contexts
C) involve the frequent use of indirect communication
D) involve the frequent use of implicit verbal messages

Question 50

Our communication style may influence _______________.

A) the timing of self-disclosure
B) how we give and respond to praise
C) how we deal with disputes
D) all of the above