Small Talk: A Missing Skill in the Chinese Communicative Repertoire

Autor/in	Cui, Xia
Titel	Small Talk: A Missing Skill in the Chinese Communicative Repertoire
Quelle	In: Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 38 (2015) 1, S.3-23 (21 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0155-0640
Schlagwörter	Asians; Immigrants; Foreign Countries; Interpersonal Communication; Intercultural Communication; Sociocultural Patterns; Professional Personnel; Cultural Differences; Communication Problems; Sociolinguistics; Values; Beliefs; Self Concept; Australia + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Asian; Asiat; Asiatin; Asiaten; Asiate; Immigrant; Immigrantin; Immigranten; Ausland; Interpersonale Kommunikation; Interkulturelle Kommunikation; Soziokulturelle Theorie; Personalbestand; Kultureller Unterschied; Kommunikationsbarriere; Soziolinguistik; Wertbegriff; Belief; Glaube; Selbstkonzept; Australien
Abstract	There is growing evidence that social interactions at work with local colleagues present a real challenge for Chinese immigrants to Australia (e.g. Tomazin, 2009; Zhou, Windsor, Coyer, & Theobald, 2010), often leaving them feeling defeated and despairing, and the Australians puzzled or affronted. Seeking to understand the nature, origin, and dynamics of the problem at its sociocultural depth, a study was undertaken to examine the problematic social experience as reported by a group of Chinese immigrant professionals, from both their own and their Australian counterparts' perspectives. The findings suggest small talk presents professionally qualified Chinese with an acute problem, andthis is because the nature and dynamics of small talk are new in their social experience. Taking a sociolinguistic perspective to analyse data comprising Chinese accounts and discussions of problematic incidents and Australian commentary on these, the root of the difficulty has been revealed to lie in mismatches in the deeply held beliefs and values of Chinese and Australians about the nature of personal identity and interpersonal relationships, most pertinently, differences in their belief about how relationships beyond the intimate circle should be best managed. The article will present the findings of the study and the implications they suggest. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Applied Linguistics Association of Australia. e-mail: info@alaa.org.au; Web site: http://www.alaa.org.au/page/aral_journal.html
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01