Say Anything to Anyone, Anywhere: 5 Keys To Successful Cross-Cultural Communication

Chapter 10

Words, Tonality, and Body Language

The Three Methods of Communication That Vary with Every Culture

By and large, human beings use three different methods to communicate our thoughts: our words, our tone of voice, and our body language. The way in which we use these methods determines how well others will receive our message. Its meaning is based on the response we get, which tells us how well we used the three methods to convey our message.

The first method we use to communicate is our words.

What to Keep in Mind about Words

• Words are an “assigned sound” that represent something in various languages.
• Words are symbols assigned to an association of ideas that means something.
• Words are entirely subjective.
• Words very rarely mean exactly what you think they do to another person.
• The meaning of a word varies with every person, language, and culture.

And when you compound all of these details pertaining to words with the translations from language to language, they become even more subjective. Ask 10 different people what the word culture means, and you will likely get 10 different answers ranging from “ethnic” to “etiquette”! The concept of culture can refer to the social culture, the corporate culture, or even to being cultured in terms of one’s education and refined appreciation of the arts. Miscommunication as a result of the words used is a constant challenge during an exchange—whether it’s in person, via phone, or via e-mail, text, or some other form of written communication. ...