Lost in Translation: How to Communicate Across Cultures

Summary

The video script discusses the importance of cross-cultural communication, highlighting the challenges and nuances involved when interacting with people from different cultural backgrounds. It reveals that translation services are a significant industry, emphasizing the need for cultural understanding beyond language. The speakers share personal anecdotes and provide practical advice on verbal and nonverbal communication, including dealing with anxiety, avoiding cultural judgments, and being mindful of idiomatic expressions and gestures. They also address the complexities of using translators and offer tips to maintain rapport and clarity. The session aims to raise awareness and equip viewers with strategies to navigate cross-cultural interactions effectively.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Cross-cultural communication is a significant aspect of our globalized world, with translation services being a $40 billion industry growing at 8% annually.
• 🤔 A large percentage of students in the class, such as 40%, are from different countries, emphasizing the importance of understanding cultural nuances beyond language.
• 🤝 Cultural customs can vary greatly, as illustrated by the example of George W. Bush and King Abdullah from Saudi Arabia, where holding hands during conversation is customary.
• 👂 Cross-cultural communication is often under-appreciated and can lead to misunderstandings due to unexpressed underlying differences in communication styles.
• 🚫 It can be challenging to receive feedback from people of different cultures, as they might not openly communicate misunderstandings unless there's a close relationship.
• 🗣 Verbal communication barriers include anxiety, ethnocentrism (judging others by one's own cultural standards), and different meanings of the same language (e.g., Nigerian/American-English vs. British-English vs. Australian-English).
• 👀 Nonverbal communication can be misinterpreted, as demonstrated by the story of a gesture that had different meanings in Mexican and Argentine cultures, leading to a dangerous misunderstanding.
• 😆 Humor is difficult to translate and can lead to offense; it's advised not to attempt jokes through translators.
• 👥 Maintain rapport and eye contact with the audience when using a translator, rather than focusing solely on the translator.
• 📝 Preparation is key when using translators; share materials in advance and practice to ensure the message is conveyed accurately.
• 📚 Avoid using jargon and colloquial phrases through translators, as they often don't translate well and can lead to confusion.

Q & A

What is the main topic discussed in the video script?

The main topic discussed in the video script is cross-cultural communication, its importance, and the challenges it presents.

What percentage of the class is mentioned to be from another country?

The script mentions that 40% of the classmates are from another country.

How large is the translation services industry and what is its growth rate?

The translation services industry is described as a $40 billion industry with an annual growth rate of 8%.

Why is cross-cultural communication considered under-appreciated in the script?

Cross-cultural communication is considered under-appreciated because the script suggests that there hasn't been a session on it in the class, and it often goes beyond simple language differences which are not always recognized or expressed.

What is the acronym 'LIT' used to represent in the context of the script?

In the script, 'LIT' stands for 'Listen, Inquire, and Test', which are the recommended actions to take when communicating cross-culturally.

What are the three barriers to communication mentioned in Fred Jandt's book according to the script?

The three barriers to communication mentioned are anxiety, judging other groups by your own culture, and the same language having different meanings.

How does the script illustrate the importance of understanding cultural nuances in communication?

The script illustrates this through personal stories and examples, such as the incident with George W and King Abdullah from Saudi where holding hands while talking is customary, and the story of Willem's father using a gesture that had a different meaning in Argentina.

What is the advice given against using humor through a translator according to the script?

The advice given is to avoid making jokes through a translator because humor doesn't translate well and the risk of offending someone is too high.

Why is it suggested to maintain eye contact and rapport with the audience when using a translator?

It is suggested to maintain eye contact and rapport with the audience to ensure effective communication and to avoid isolating or marginalizing the person who is meant to translate.

What is the script's suggestion regarding the use of colloquial phrases or jargon through a translator?

The script suggests avoiding the use of colloquial phrases or jargon through a translator as it may not work well and can lead to misunderstandings.

How can the speakers in the script serve as resources for the audience?

The speakers offer their contact information and list the geographies they have experience with, so they can provide advice, stories, and lessons to help others avoid the mistakes they made.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges and Importance

The video script begins by highlighting the common experience of confusion in cross-cultural communication, where language and customs barriers can lead to misunderstandings. The speakers emphasize the significance of this topic, mentioning that it's under-appreciated despite its prevalence in various settings, such as international markets. They introduce the scale of the translation industry, pointing out its growth and economic impact. The script also touches on the cultural nuances that extend beyond language, exemplified by a handshake custom between George W. Bush and King Abdullah. The speakers aim to raise awareness about these challenges and offer personal experiences to foster 'conscious incompetence' in cross-cultural interactions, providing advice and tips for effective communication.

05:02

🗣️ Verbal Communication Barriers and Idiomatic Misunderstandings

This paragraph delves into the verbal communication challenges in cross-cultural exchanges. It outlines three barriers identified by Fred Jandt in his book: anxiety due to unfamiliarity with cultural norms, the tendency to judge other cultures by one's own standards, and the issue of the same language having different meanings across cultures. The speaker, Funso, uses the example of idiomatic expressions and pop culture references that may not be universally understood, leading to communication breakdowns. He illustrates this with personal anecdotes involving idiomatic expressions and movie references that were misinterpreted due to cultural differences, emphasizing the need for awareness and clarity in verbal communication.

10:02

📚 Nonverbal Communication Pitfalls and Translator Experiences

The script continues with Willem sharing personal stories about nonverbal communication, highlighting the potential for misinterpretation of gestures across cultures, as exemplified by a misunderstanding in Argentina where a common Mexican gesture was offensive to Chileans. George then discusses the complexities of using translators, sharing military experiences where humor, colloquialisms, and jargon were challenging to convey accurately. He advises maintaining rapport with the audience rather than focusing solely on the translator and preparing in advance to ensure the message is effectively communicated. The paragraph concludes with a reiteration of the importance of being aware of cultural differences in nonverbal communication and the use of translators.

Keywords

💡Cross-cultural communication

Cross-cultural communication refers to the exchange of information between individuals from different cultural backgrounds. It is central to the video's theme, emphasizing the importance of understanding cultural nuances when interacting with people from diverse cultures. The script discusses the challenges and the significance of this type of communication in various contexts, such as business, education, and personal relationships, highlighting the $40 billion industry of translation services and the prevalence of international classmates.

💡Translation services

Translation services are professional offerings that convert written or spoken content from one language to another. The script mentions this as a $40 billion industry growing at 8% a year, underscoring the demand and economic impact of facilitating communication across language barriers. This keyword is integral to the video's message about the prevalence and importance of cross-cultural exchanges.

💡Cultural understanding

Cultural understanding is the knowledge and appreciation of the customs, practices, and social norms of different cultures. The script stresses that effective communication often goes beyond language and requires a nuanced understanding of culture. Examples include the differences in gestures between countries and the importance of recognizing nonverbal cues, which are highlighted through personal anecdotes shared in the video.

💡Anxiety

Anxiety, in the context of the video, refers to the nervousness or apprehension one might feel when entering an unfamiliar cultural environment. It is identified as a barrier to communication, as it can hinder one's ability to interact comfortably and effectively with others. The script mentions anxiety as a common issue for travelers and a factor impacting cross-cultural communication.

💡Idiomatic expressions

Idiomatic expressions are phrases whose meaning cannot be understood from the individual words but must be learned as a whole. The video script uses the example of 'break a leg' to illustrate how idiomatic expressions can be confusing for non-native speakers and lead to miscommunication, emphasizing the need for clarity in cross-cultural exchanges.

💡References

References in the video pertain to cultural or pop culture allusions that may not be universally understood. The script cites 'Bueller, Bueller, Bueller' as an example of a reference that could alienate international students unfamiliar with the movie 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'. This keyword highlights the need for awareness of one's audience when making cultural references.

💡Nonexistent words

Nonexistent words are terms that exist in one language but have no direct equivalent in another. The script discusses this concept in relation to translation challenges, where finding an exact match for a word can be difficult, leading to a loss of meaning. This keyword is used to illustrate the complexities of verbal communication across languages.

💡Nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication encompasses gestures, facial expressions, body language, and other visual cues that convey messages without the use of words. The video script shares a personal story about a gesture that had different meanings in different cultures, leading to a misunderstanding. This keyword is crucial to the video's theme, as it demonstrates the importance of being aware of nonverbal cues in cross-cultural interactions.

💡Gestures

Gestures are physical movements or actions that communicate meaning. The script uses the example of a gesture that means 'thank you a lot' in one culture but is offensive in another, highlighting the potential for misinterpretation in cross-cultural communication. This keyword is a specific aspect of nonverbal communication that the video emphasizes as being culturally dependent.

💡Translator

A translator is a person who converts spoken or written material from one language to another. The video script discusses the challenges of using translators, such as humor not translating well and the importance of maintaining rapport with the audience rather than focusing solely on the translator. This keyword is relevant to the video's message about the complexities and strategies involved in effective cross-cultural communication.

💡Colloquial phrases

Colloquial phrases are informal expressions that are commonly used in everyday speech. The script warns against using colloquial phrases through translators, as they may not convey the intended meaning. This keyword is used to illustrate the potential pitfalls of relying on translators and the importance of clear, culturally aware communication.

Highlights

Importance of cross-cultural communication emphasized, with examples of misunderstandings in different cultures.

Translation services industry is a $40 billion industry growing at 8% a year.

40% of classmates are from another country, highlighting the need for cultural understanding.

Cultural nuances are essential for terrorism and cross-border commerce.

Cultural differences can affect communication even when the same language is spoken.

Hand-holding custom between George W and King Abdullah from Saudi Arabia as an example of cultural norms.

Cross-cultural communication is under-appreciated and often overlooked.

English speakers from different backgrounds can have different linguistic nuances.

Challenges of getting feedback from people from other cultures.

Introduction of the concept 'conscious incompetence' to be aware of communication barriers.

Personal stories to illustrate verbal communication challenges.

Three barriers to communication identified: anxiety, judging others by one's own culture, and language differences.

Misunderstandings due to idiomatic expressions and cultural references in a classroom setting.

The challenge of transferring non-existent words between languages.

A personal anecdote about misinterpretation of gestures in Argentina.

Cultural differences in personal space, gestures, time, pace of activity, silence, and touch.

Experiences with translators in the military and the challenges of humor translation.

Importance of maintaining rapport with the audience when using a translator.

Preparation with translators to ensure clear communication of the intended message.

Avoiding colloquial phrases and jargon when using translators.

The acronym 'LIT' as a reminder to Listen, Inquire, and Test in cross-cultural communication.

Offer to serve as resources for cross-cultural communication based on personal experiences.

Transcripts

[SOUND] How many of you have found yourself in

the situation where you're talking to someone from another country, or

from another culture, even from another state or city,

that you don't quite get what they're saying and you're just kind of confused?

Cameron's raising his hands.

You're kind of clueless and sometimes you just, you don't know what's going on.

Well, we're here to talk to you today about cross-cultural communication.

And we think it's a very important topic to the four of us and

we hope it's valuable to you as well.

So, first thing we want to show you is cross-cultural exchanges everywhere.

And some put of a little bit funny picture there but it show you that even

simple places like a market, remote place in China that it still exists as well.

But so the point here is, did you know that translation services is actually

a $40 billion industry and it's growing 8% a year?

Did you know that 40% of your classmates here are from another country?

Did you know that also terrorism and cross-border commerce and

all the things required nuanced to cultural understanding?

That's sometimes actually beyond the simple language.

And what I'll show you here is a picture of George W with King Abdullah from Saudi.

You might find that strange but

it's actually in their customs to hold hands while two mens talk.

It just goes to show that it is really a powerful aspect of communication

that all this cultural differences underline what we say.

So, the things we also want to point out is we haven't had a session on

cross-cultural communication from this class so,

I think it is under-appreciated in some sense.

And sometimes, we all speak English here obviously have GSB but

it really delight some of the underlying differences that people

don't really express from a purely linguistic perspective.

And the second last point is really some of these things are very hard to know

because we are talking to someone from another culture.

They don't really give you a lot of feedback or we lose attention on them.

They don't really give you, hey, sorry,

I didn't understand, that's very rarely happens unless you guys are really close.

So, but the good news for all of you guys is we are here to help.

So today, we are going to talk to you guys about

some of our personal stories from the past, what we experienced,

and hopefully bring to you what JD terms conscious incompetence.

So, you're aware at least when you're talking to someone from another culture

that some things are not going across.

And lastly, we're going to offer you some advice and tips so

you guys have a sense of, one maybe small things we can do to be very effective.

So with that, I'm going to pass off to Funso who's going to talk to you about

some of the verbal communication challenges.

>> Yes, so, what we want you to take away from this class is to stay lit.

We want you to listen, inquire and

test things out whenever you're talking to people who are from different cultures.

But before we even do that,

what are some things that might get into the way of that?

Well, in Fred Jandt's book, An Introduction to

Intercultural Communication, there are three things that we consider to be

barriers to communication when it comes to the aspect of listening.

The first one is anxiety and how many of us have traveled the world and

got into a new country, we're not really sure of the norms are,

we're not really sure of the culture is or how to shake hands or do those things.

Anxiety is the number one reason that people impacted and

affects people's communication across cultures.

A second one is judging other groups by your own culture.

I mean, this may seem common sense, but you might think that everyone does

the same things or acts the same way that you do when you go into a new environment.

And that's another reason why people have found it really challenging to

communicate with people in other cultures.

A third reason is, is the same language different meaning.

I mean Jeff speaks English, I speak English.

Ashton, the other cohort, speaks English.

But I'm speaking Nigerian/American-English,

she's speaking British-English, and Ash is speaking Australian-English.

We're all speaking the same language but

there are different words that mean different things.

And it's important to be very aware that you might be using the same words but

to understand that there might be deeper meaning in those words.

And so, to bring it back to the GSB, what are some common mishaps that happen?

I mean, how many of us have been in a class where someone has said something

go ahead and break a leg?

I remember the first time I came to the US and someone told me to do that,

I was really concerned and backed away slowly.

>> [LAUGH] >> But

that's not what that means an incur event maybe you're about to go on a show.

But these are their idiomatic expressions such as this that

if your coming from another country you may not be very familiar what that means.

And it's important to recognize that you may have to explain that to

another person.

Another expression is references.

A professor in class asks someone a question, to which no one answered.

And she proceeds to say, Bueller, Bueller, Bueller, who knows what I'm talking about?

This is a reference to Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Now, in a class like this where, the class is 40% international,

you may not know what that means.

And you've lost 40% of your class, and they are lost,

they've missed the entire message of what you're trying to get across.

We're very guilty of this, especially at the GSB, and it's very important to be

aware that when you make movie or TV or even sports references, and

not everyone's going to understand what you're referring to.

The third one are nonexistent words.

And what I mean by that is for example if you're speaking Spanish,

there's a word that's using Spanish, but the word does not exist in English.

Those are very difficult to transfer from one language to the other, and

if you find a word that's very close, some of that meaning is also lost so,

being very aware of what that means.

So that's it for verbal communication,

remember to stay lit and I'll pass it on to Willem.

>> So, when I was five years old, my family moved from the US to Mexico,

we made wonderful Mexican friends there.

They taught us local customs, traditions, and then, gestures as well.

Some of these gestures included thank you, and

[FOREIGN] which is also kind of a lot, or it can also mean it's crowded here.

So then, about a year and a half later, we picked up and moved to Argentina.

And this is a picture of a very famous place in Argentina,

it's also one of the worst intersections you can imagine for traffic.

>> [LAUGH] >> Here lanes mean effectively nothing,

direction of travel is kind of a suggestion.

>> [LAUGH] >> And

one day my father was driving my brother and I along this road and

by some weird fluke some guy stopped to let us merge in front of him.

Father who was confused but grateful and

gestures what he believed to kind of thank you a lot and it's also crowded here.

So, he thinks this is like the perfectly efficient use of gesture.

>> [LAUGH] >> And from one second to the next,

this guy goes from this calm, relaxed guy letting us in front of him,

to just kind of maniacal road raging monkey man,

who jumps out of his car beating on the hood and the windows of our car.

>> [LAUGH] >> [LAUGH] So, at this point,

I'm really thankful that when my father steps out of the car his physical

stature alone is enough to kind of resolve this issue.

>> [LAUGH] >> But later that night,

we learned that to Chileans, of whom there are many in Argentina,

the Mexican [FOREIGN] is actually [FOREIGN] which is frequently used

as [FOREIGN] or directly translated as your mother's shell.

>> [LAUGH] >> So,

I will let you all think about the details there.

But this was an example of a dangerous assumption you don't want to

make about nonverbal communication.

So, while it can be an extremely effective and useful tool,

I urge you all to be both aware and

respectful of not only the obvious differences in kind of personal space or

gestures although, I guess not that obvious to my father or eye contact.

But also kind of more subtle and

nuance differences in the cultural understanding of time,

kind of a pace of activity, and the use of silence, and also the use of touch.

So, with that, I'm going to turn it over to George.

>> Thank you, Willem.

>> [LAUGH] >> That was the Mexican thank you,

not a suggestion about Willem's mother, who I'm sure is a wonderful lady.

Has anyone in here ever used a translator, anyone?

It's a very interesting and challenging experience.

I was in the military and I served in the Middle East and then,

in Southeast Asia, and a lot of partners that we worked with to mentor and

conduct their own missions didn't speak English.

They either spoke, a language of Afghanistan, or Tagalog,

which is a language in the southeastern Philippines.

So, I've often found myself dealing with translators.

And so, the tools that I'm going to share with you today are things that I

learned the hard way through a lot of sweat, and tears, and embarrassment.

One of those that I'd like to highlight is that humor doesn't translate

nearly as well, and

through another language, particularly through the filter of a translator.

If you can imagine the downside of really offending someone in another language

is huge, and trying to get a small chuckle out of someone isn't even worth the risk,

my advice to you, don't try and make a joke through a translator.

Something that I am very guilty of, is when I would have meetings,

I would speak to my translator and

I would lose rapport with the audience that I was actually trying to speak to.

So, maintain a conversation and eye contact with one individual as he or

she was meant to translate to the audience.

And I completely isolated and

marginalized this person because I focus on the translator.

So, I encourage you, if you're ever using a translator, in fact,

just be mindful to maintain rapport and body language and

eye contact with your intended audience, not your translator.

Something that to me seems intuitive as I looked back and

having made these mistakes, is something about preparation.

Sit down and present with your translator, or

share your slides with your translator prior to the actual event so

that they can proofread and help you out and actually you own your own message.

Something that's unique about translators is that you think you have your own

microphone.

But what the audience actually hears is the translator's message, not your own.

So, if you're going to own your message, make sure that you

craft it exactly how you want it and practice with your translator.

There's a number of other things that I have stories I would share with you, but

we're running out of time.

One of those is around jargon in colloquial phrases.

I think we've learned a lot about that this morning, through Willem's gestures

as well as the sports metaphors but I just want to reiterate it.

Don't try and make a colloquial phrase through a translator,

because it just isn't going to work well.

And so, when it comes to translators and then, wrapping it up,

what we really want you guys to take away is this cute little acronym we devised to

stay LIT, really do listen, inquire, and test.

Anytime you're going to be communicating cross-culturally.

And lastly, we want to serve as resources for all of you going forward so,

I've listed our contact information behind us and

some of the geographies that we've exposed ourselves to.

So, if you ever find yourself either throughout your career at the GSB or

after business school going to one of these geographies, drop us a note and

we can give you some of the stories and lessons that we've learned the hard way so

that you don't make the same mistakes that we did.

[MUSIC]