2/7/2021

Week 5 Response to “Cultural Miscommunication Blog”

An American author, coach, speaker, and philanthropist Tony Robbins said, “To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” One of the factors that can build a good relationship is how we convey our communication to others. And how we interpret the meaning that was spoken.  

In the year 2012, I was migrated to Japan from the Philippines. I am a member of the “Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints” I was called as a Relief Society teacher, a group of women in the church from 18 years old and above to English speaking members. I used different kinds of the method in teaching and different eclectic ways of teaching using provided materials and manuals in the church. I will simply say ‘Good morning sisters’ with a big smile with an energetic atmosphere, I used to teach using the high and low pitch intonation depending on the topic that I needed to share my voice is so loud so that they could not sleep or feel boring and you know my strategy is effective into them we enjoyed every time we study together there are different kinds of emotions such as a simple smile, laughter, cry, that makes our class more engaging and enjoyable. Most of the time to show approval of what my students wanted me to say I will give them thumbs up. Fortunately, I was again called as a volunteered teacher in Gospel Essential Class a class of investigators, new members, leaders, are present in both Japanese and English speakers because Japanese is more than the English speakers. As part of my preliminary or greetings, I just give my bow, a bow that can range from a small nod of the head to a deep bend at the waist in 3 seconds to show respect to them. I need to change the tone of my voice again, my voice becomes neutral without a high and low pitch, my facial expression becomes very serious. As an approval to what they said, I give them a simple nod so I always nodding for almost an hour in the Philippines if you can see someone is always doing this for 3 minutes, she/he probably out of his/her mind. I teach them in the Japanese language, as I can see they are very attentive and engaging I can’t see any who wants to sleep sometimes I was wondering if they didn’t get bored because for me as a Filipino this way of gestures or a way of teaching I probably asleep in 20 minutes but to them they can survive even 1 hour I can also see different kinds of emotions smiling, laughter, and sadness. In these experiences, I learned something good that we can learn and adapt to the communication styles of other cultures in order for us to work better with them.

Let me tell you another funny experience of mine I and my friend attended a meeting with 50 people are present and there were the speakers and the leaders seated at the front who hold an important part of the program my friend notice that the one man he slept at his chair and my friend keep laughing at my side because in the Philippines if you slept in the front of many people and you hold an important part of the program you show disrespect and it is shameful and disrespectful. However, in Japan, it shows how hard working you are, how serious you are in your responsibility that even you are so tired you still manage to attend the meeting it shows that you are committed and being responsible. Here another story, I was invited to a dinner with my friend his Japanese husband eating the ramen very fast and very noisy, I was surprised here in Japan it means this is so delicious or you are showing gratitude to the one who offers you food. In the Philippines, if you can hear noisy sound while eating especially on the special occasion like wedding, birthdays, and sessions, it seemed you have no good manner or having no education or no etiquette. These are some of the examples of how cultural miscommunication convey a message through conversation, expression, and gestures and sometimes if we are not aware it can cause misunderstanding, death, and trouble.

To paraphrase Christ’s unity is not subtractive but additive. The Lord wants his children to understand, appreciate, and accept our differences. Bishop Gérald Caussé, Presiding Bishop, said that “unity is not achieved by ignoring and isolating members who seem to be different.” to carry out the Lord’s work. To accept and incorporate what makes each of us unique further unites us even into Christ. There is nothing better or worse about being a woman or a man, Argentine or American, tall or short, black or white, impoverished or wealthy, because “all are alike unto God” (2 Nephi 26:33).

This understanding of cultural miscommunication can help teachers understand their students better learn in the target language, it would be in your best interest to get to know each other communication styles, gestures for optimum collaboration. The students become more receptive to learning if they feel understood they can express themselves freely and can lower their effective filter. Rita Pierson, a teacher for 40 years, heard a colleague that said, "They don't pay me to like the kids. "Her response: "Kids don't learn from people they don't like."I can see that this is true to my experience I believe that students in any classes can best learn if they have a good connection that is real, human, and personal level.