Page 552 - Handbooks of Applied Linguistics Communication Competence Language and Communication Problems Practical Solutions

530 Jonathan Newton

other ways that she communicates effectively (e.g., pausing, use of voice quality,
the structure of the message).

Task 3 provides a series of prompt questions that mirror the generic questions
provided above, but with encouragement for participants to consider the inter-
action in the light of their cultural background.

Task 4
a. What does Sara ask her team to do to reduce the number of mistakes that they
make in their writing? What words does Sara use to soften this instruction?
b. Compare Sara’s complaint with the complaint you created [see sample tasks 4
below]. What differences do you notice?
c. Imagine the same situation in your culture of origin.
Would you expect a manager to communicate in the way that Sara has com-
municated here?
In what ways might the situation and the communication be different?
d. Work with a partner to identify five ways to communicate effectively based
on your analysis of Sara’s communication.

The various options for awareness-raising and text interpretation described above
combined with communicative practice offer a varied but integrated approach to
using authentic talk in intercultural communication training for the workplace.

7. Conclusions

Our research in a wide range of workplaces indicates that the sociolinguistic and
sociopragmatic demands of integrating into a new workplace are often very
daunting. Learning ways of interacting which are appropriate and normal in a
workplace is an important aspect of fitting in and becoming an integrated
member of the workplace as a community of practice. Sociopragmatic compet-
ence is an often underestimated aspect of workplace success.
Even those born and brought up in an English-speaking speech community
may find the process of learning how to do things appropriately with words at
work very challenging. Fitting into the workplace involves learning the sociol-
inguistic and sociopragmatic rules of expression which are particular to the spe-
cific community of practice one is joining. Managing workplace discourse,
knowing how to make a complaint appropriately, how to make a joke, how to
disagree without causing offence, and how to refuse effectively – these are
examples of areas which can present pitfalls to people from cultures with differ-
ent norms from those of their co-workers.
Our use of authentic workplace talk in an intercultural communication train-
ing course strongly supports an approach to teaching and training which is