Abstract
This paper discusses some aspects of intercultural communication in academic settings reflecting the linguistic and cultural differences between Russian and American speakers of English. It examines cultural variation in classroom discourse and the role of verbal and non-verbal patterns in teacher-student communication. Russian professors teaching in the US universities encounter numerous intercultural distinctions in communication, from different terms of address and lack of the tu/vous distinction to dissimilar ways of expressing requests, asking questions, and wording negative answers. The ‘directness’ of Russian is sometimes interpreted as ‘rudeness’ by American students, while the American tendency to use understatements impresses Russian professors as vagueness, ambiguity, and lack of accuracy. Avoiding categorical statements or absolute claims is natural for American students, but alien for Eastern European professors. The subtle distinction in the degree of assertiveness can become a source of confusion not only in a classroom conversation, but also in the way lectures are presented, assignments are formulated, textbooks are evaluated, and student papers are assessed. Intercultural communication is further affected by the different perception of the teacher’s role, the amount and nature of teacher-student verbal interaction, turn-taking rule, length of individual contributions, etc. I discuss the intercultural differences in applying politeness/directness discourse strategies drawing on the observation of class discussions and the analysis of the surveys filled out by students.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Intercultural; Communication; Turn-taking; Directness; Student-teacher
