Judonna and Candice were shopping at the mall. Judonna needed to go to the other end of the mall to get something. She said to Candice, "Meet me at 2:00 in front of Sears." Candice thought that 'in front' meant outside in front of the parking lot entrance. Judonna thought that 'in front' meant in front of the entrance on the inside of the mall. Judonna and Candice spent two hours waiting for each other. What language problem is reflected in this situation?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The language problem reflected in this situation is bypassing. Bypassing occurs when the speaker and listener attach different meanings to the same words or phrases. In this case, Judonna and Candice attached different meanings to the phrase 'in front.' If they had clarified their understanding of the phrase, they could have avoided the miscommunication and met each other at the designated time and location.

Judonna and Candice Were Shopping at the Mall