Crosstalk and Culture in Sino-American Communication

Linguistic examination of the cultural trappings of talk to explain Sino-American miscommunication.

Linda W. L. Young (Author), John Gumperz (Foreword by)

9780521416191, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 26 May 1994

240 pages
22.3 x 14.4 x 2.1 cm, 0.447 kg

"In seven interesting and often enlightening chapters Young makes a very well documented case for understanding the "crosstalk" phenomenon through Lin Yutang's metaphor of "English meat with Chinese bones," meaning that the words may be English, but the understanding and intention they carry remain Chinese (p.181)....the book should be seen as a major contribution to our understanding of cross-linguistic and cross-cultural influences on miscommunication." Jan W. Walls, Pacific Affairs

Chinese and Americans often unwittingly communicate at cross purposes because they are misled by the cultural trappings of talk. This book aims to clarify their misunderstandings by examining their different ideals and strategies of talk. It draws on cultural, philosophical, and linguistic insights and traces the development of Chinese communicative strategies from Confucius through the 'eight-legged essay' to the boardrooms and streets of Hong Kong. Its formal analysis of taped interchanges and in-depth interviews reveals Chinese speakers' distinctive ways of communicating and relating. Crosstalk and Culture in Sino-American Communication will alert people to the pitfalls of cultural misunderstandings and the hidden assumptions and expectations underlying talk.

Foreword by John J. Gumperz
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. The Ps and cues of Chinese inscrutability
2. Deceptive cause
3. Missing links
4. Backforwardly speaking
5. Effacing talk
6. Mistaking turns
7. Parting words
References
Indexes.

Subject Areas: Sociolinguistics [CFB]