Multicultural Communication

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Multicultural Communication

• Introduction to Technical Writing
• ENGL 2311
• By
• Paul Watson
• Summer II 2008

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Multicultural Communication

• The key concept of technical communications is
  that audience and purpose determine everything
  about how you communicate on the job.
• Our economy depends upon international trade.
• The US exports 1.3 trillion worth goods.
• One in 10 person is foreign born, 1 million
  people migrate to US every year.
• Effective communication requires understanding of
  cultures, attitudes and values, which motivates
  peoples behavior.

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Cultural variables on the Surface

• Political
• Economic
• Social
• Religious
• Educational
• Technological
• Linguistic

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Cultural Variables beneath the surface

• Power Distance Cultures with high power
  distances have hierarchy in workplaces and in
  communication formats. Distance between
  Professional and Personal lives Ranks.
• High Context Low Context Cultures In low
  context cultures communication is explicit.
  Little is left to assumption. Everything is
  stated like in a contract.
• Individual and Group Cultures Here individuals
  are given priority over group. Communication is
  informal and personal. In group cultures the
  group takes over precedence over an individual.

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Audience Analysis

• Primary and Secondary Audience Primary audience
  study documents and take action. Secondary
  audience use document for information.
• Categories of readers The experts, technicians,
  managers, and general readers all need different
  kinds of information.
• Characteristics of Readers The more you know
  about your readers their needs, their
  preferences, and the uses to which they put the
  information- the more effective you can function
  as a technical communicator.

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Contemporary thought on Technical Writing

• Communication between two individuals belonging
  to different cultures takes place in a
  third-hybrid culture Bell (1992).
• When you talk to a person from a different
  culture, you are not talking to a culture, you
  are talking to a person Markel (2007).

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