How to Communicate with Different Cultures

Check out these Readings and Websites!

Hall: High and Low Context

• Read this Article:   https://www.unitedlanguagegroup.com/blog/communicating-high-context-vs-low-context-cultures 

Lewis: Three Activity Types

• Read this Article:   https://www.crossculture.com/the-lewis-model-dimensions-of-behaviour/ 

Hofstede: Cultural Dimensions

• Explore this website:   https://hi.hofstede-insights.com/national-culture 

Quiz Questions

1. What is a strength and a weakness of the Hall Model?
2. What is a strength and a weakness of the Lewis Model?
3. What is a strength and a weakness of the Hofstede Model?
4. Choose one country and describe it using one of the above models with justification.

Discussion Questions

1. Discuss a time when you communicated with someone who was raised in a foreign culture. How was it different from talking to someone from your home country?
2. Break up into 3 groups. Briefly re-familiarize yourselves with one of the models. Watch the short clip from the 2010 Romantic Comedy, Leap Year (I’m making this around St. Patrick’s Day) below. How would your team describe Ireland based on your model?
3. Take 5 to 10 minutes to plan out a business communication to someone from a foreign country. What is similar and what is different?

Extra Bonus Topic:

          4. Is there value in using these models? Do they help facilitate cross-cultural communication? Or do they reinforce stereotypes?