Why This Thread Is Important and Should Be Read by People Interested in Better Communication We should all be aware that what we're saying in any language will be heard in a unique way by the listener. What we say might be translated in the listeners' minds to another language. They might formulate their response in another language, translate it in their minds, and then speak it. All this goes on invisible to the other person. Of course, even if all parties speak the same language, they hear words differently -- each word attached to a personal association or connotation. So please, if you are explaining safety procedures to workers handling volatile gases, make sure they paraphrase their understanding back to you.
This sounds like a good storySo please, if you are explaining safety procedures to workers handling volatile gases, make sure they paraphrase their understanding back to you.
Yes, it is a story from life. I once taught a workshop at a national research institute for fuel cell innovation. The health and safety inspectors had put the institute on notice for bad and dangerous communication. They had to correct the problem or be closed down. The institute employed scientists from all around the world. I taught workshops on listening and miraculously they found me. My workshop was called: Chicken Soup for the Inner Ear: Effective Listening in a Diverse Community. It appeared that due to language and cultural differences, safety rules were not being heard and understood. I suggested this in the workshop: 1. An expert is explaining a procedure, and 2. You are not 100% sure that you understand, then 3. It would be a good idea to say, "Please explain that again." or "What do you mean?" One person said, "I could not do that. It is considered rude in my culture." So we had to do some roleplaying and discover a workaround that would prevent them from being BLOWN UP. There were about 25 scientists and engineers in the workshop. We also did this exercise. I asked them to explain their job to the person next to them. The next person would have to repeat back in their own words what the first person's job was. As we began this exercise, it quickly became obvious that rather than hearing what the person was saying, the listener interpreted it in his mind and said it back very inaccurately. So arguewithatree -- thanks for asking.
It is known that swearing in the non-native language is much easier because it doesn't carry the same emotional weight. I can say "Fuckety fucking fuck" aloud without much internal trouble, but still can't bring myself to speak a swearword in Russian without feeling shame.
This is fascinating. One of my favorite classes in college was on cross cultural communication and I've always been super interested in linguistic relativism. Thank you for sharing!!