Cross-Cultural Blog

· What have you learned about cross-cultural rhetoric from this activity? I learned the importance of having general knowledge about the person's background. I also learned to make sure that I was going into such a cross cultural dialogue without any preconceived notions. You have to listen and interact in order to learn from other people.

· What have you learned are the obstacles in cross-cultural communication? Some obstacles are not knowing the background of the person and not being able to use the same cultural phrases that you use with your friends from the same culture. Also, if you're talking about politics, people in different countries are exposed to different viewpoints or slants on the media- not everyone comes in having the same background on an issue.

· How did technology facilitate your cross-cultural communication? Technology allowed us to speak to students halfway across the world and see them. Having the video really made a difference because you could see their body language and immediate responses to whatever we said.

Overall, I initially thought it would be weird to speak to people I had never dealt with before, but the activity was amazing. I was really surprised at how easy it was to communicate with the Swedish students and how fun this activity was overall.

Thanks,
Mai El-Sadany

What did you think of the video conference today?
The video conference was incredible. I didn't know what to expect from this activity but it was very exciting as well as informative.

· What have you learned about cross-cultural rhetoric from this activity?
I learned that although there are differences in cultures and cultural values, there are still some things that are valued across cultures. However, I also learned that in rhetoric, it is important to keep your audience in mind, so that you can make the intended impact on them.

· What have you learned are the obstacles in cross-cultural communication?
Some of the obstacles in cross-cultural communications are technology and different cultural values. For instance, with out the technology that was available to us for this activity, this type of cross-cultural interaction would have not been possible. The great thing is that technology continues to advance and bring cultures from across the world together in a virtual space and allows them to communicate. The second obstacle, is being aware of cultural values of others and being informed about them. From the video conference I learned that some of the things that American's value aren't valued as much, or maybe are valued to a greater extent, in other countries. It is difficult enough to have people agree within a country, much less between countries.

· How did technology facilitate your cross-cultural communication?
Technology facilitated our cross-cultural communication by adding the element of sight to the conferences. This is very important because not only are we able to hear what the person on the other side is saying, but we can see/observe how they're communicating. It allows us to read their body language and have a more realistic experience.

· What have you learned about cross-cultural rhetoric from this activity?
I have learned that the appropriate combination of ethos, pathos, and logos differs across cultures. For example, American leaders tend to rely heavily on pathos--stressing the emotion of patriotism. This exciting, but not entirely rational approach would not work in Sweden.
· What have you learned are the obstacles in cross-cultural communication?
Not realizing the culturally accepted norms for each community will lead to communication problems. One should be aware of the doxa of the situation. Also, the plain logistics of the conversation may make it difficult for communication to occur. For example, the US and Sweden are in two completely different time zones and we would not have been able to do this online activity at 6pm pst.
· How did technology facilitate your cross-cultural communication?
Being able to communicate with the students from Sweden using technology was great. We were able to not only hear their statements, but also see their facial expressions. Communication was easier because we could see if someone was telling a joke or had difficulty understanding what was being said. However, there are a lot of ways technology still needs to advance in order for this type of communication to be seamless. One of those ways would be getting rid of the lag between the audio and visual feedback, so that people's body language could more appropriately mirror what they are saying.

· What have you learned about cross-cultural rhetoric from this activity?
I learned that compared to other countries, American rhetoric is very theatrical. I assumed that engaging the audience in this way was valued worldwide as strong rhetorical style.

· What have you learned are the obstacles in cross-cultural communication?
A big obstacle to cross-cultural rhetoric is understanding a culture's doxa. That includes striking the appropriate balance between ethos, pathos and logos. For instance, Al Gore told a story about life after being a vice-president to a crowd in Nigeria and they misconstrued part of his story thinking he claimed to have opened his own restaurant. The crowd in Monterey, however, thoroughly enjoyed the joke.

· How did technology facilitate your cross-cultural communication?
The technology was very impressive and useful, especially when discussing visual rhetoric as it allowed us to show, rather than just describe, Al Gore's visual rhetoric. The whiteboard was also an excellent way for both parties to share the same notes.

Also, can we get a link to that 2 sentence video about changing the world?

Thanks,
Michael Ortiz

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT CROSS-CULTURAL RHETORIC FROM THIS ACTIVITY?

It was especially interesting to learn how appropriate speaking styles differ so greatly from country to country. For example, it was interesting to discuss the role of religion in a speech. Having watched Benazir Bhutto, who included religion frequently, we then discussed the role of religion in speeches in the United States and in Sweden. We came to the conclusion that it is fairly frequent in the U.S., (though not nearly as common as in the Middle East), because politicians often try to appeal to the "ethics" side of religion. In Sweden, however, this rhetoric would be less appropriate. Politicians do not mix politics and religion.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT THE OBSTACLES IN CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION?

Often language serves as a large barrier. It is important to emphasize clear communication and understanding of connotations, not just denotations.

HOW DID TECHNOLOGY FACILITATE THE DISCUSSION?

Technology enabled us to communicate face-to-face with students in Sweden. We didn't just see typed letters; we heard their voices and saw their faces! Interpersonal communication is especially effective.

· What have you learned about cross-cultural rhetoric from this activity? I learned that no matter which culture one is from, it is important to keep the audience engaged by using different tools such as varying tone of voice, speed, and "owning the stage." If the speaker does not use these tools to engage the audience, he or she will not get the point across strongly, no matter how much logos is used.
· What have you learned are the obstacles in cross-cultural communication?
One thing is that language differences can be a strong barrier. In my past experience, the group we video conferenced with expressed that they were very self conscious when speaking English even though my partner and I were very impressed at their level of English.
· How did technology facilitate your cross-cultural communication? Technology is an amazing tool that has allowed us to connect with people in other continents. Forty years ago, having the ability to video conference like we did on Monday in a class was probably unimaginable. In the past, I have imagined students in another continent going to a university like me. Having the opportunity to speak with them live in a classroom setting was amazing.

Hi Everyone!

What have you learned about cross-cultural rhetoric from this activity?
This cross-cultural rhetoric activity was extremely fun and interesting! I learned how fellow students, from across the world, could have such similar views and ideas about interpreting rhetoric. I actually expected our views to differ from those of the Swedish students based on the fact that we were raised in different socio-political environments. While analyzing Benazir Bhutto's speech, we came to very similar conclusions about the techniques she employed and how effective they were. It was then very rewarding to discuss how her style might have been successful, or not, in our respective countries. Her appeal to religion was our major topic. We concluded it would be more readily accepted in the U.S. rather than Sweden.

What have you learned are the obstacles in cross-cultural communication?
An obstacle of cross-cultural rhetoric is crafting rhetoric that marries one's own goal with idioms and expressions that individuals from all over the world would similarly understand. It's very easy to use colloquial speech that only a small group would understand. Many times, it's extremely difficult to determine you are even using a regional expression in the first place until international reaction reveals their unfamiliarity.

How did technology facilitate your cross-cultural communication? Technology was so useful in allowing for meaningful dialogue and interpretation of a leader's speech. Through Marratech, we were able to use not only audio, but visual communication to express our ideas. The technology allowed us to examine facial expressions and specific word emphases to analyze our opinions at a deeper level.

Thanks for the wonderful experience,
Fidel Hernandez, III

Hi Everyone!

What have you learned about cross-cultural rhetoric from this activity?
This cross-cultural rhetoric activity was extremely fun and interesting! I learned how fellow students, from across the world, could have such similar views and ideas about interpreting rhetoric. I actually expected our views to differ from those of the Swedish students based on the fact that we were raised in different socio-political environments. While analyzing Benazir Bhutto's speech, we came to very similar conclusions about the techniques she employed and how effective they were. It was then very rewarding to discuss how her style might have been successful, or not, in our respective countries. Her appeal to religion was our major topic. We concluded it would be more readily accepted in the U.S. rather than Sweden.

What have you learned are the obstacles in cross-cultural communication?
An obstacle of cross-cultural rhetoric is crafting rhetoric that marries one's own goal with idioms and expressions that individuals from all over the world would similarly understand. It's very easy to use colloquial speech that only a small group would understand. Many times, it's extremely difficult to determine you are even using a regional expression in the first place until international reaction reveals their unfamiliarity.

How did technology facilitate your cross-cultural communication? Technology was so useful in allowing for meaningful dialogue and interpretation of a leader's speech. Through Marratech, we were able to use not only audio, but visual communication to express our ideas. The technology allowed us to examine facial expressions and specific word emphases to analyze our opinions at a deeper level.

Thanks for the wonderful experience,
Fidel Hernandez, III

This cross-cultural workshop was really amazing. I found amazing that when speaking with our group, we felt like talking to someone here at home. If there was more of this, we could learn so much about each others' culture, and develop strong international relations not limited to politics but also studies such as rhetoric.

What have you learned about cross-cultural rhetoric from this activity?

This activity was amazing because there were so many aspects of American rhetoric that I had never even considered to be different than elsewhere around the world. To hear about the huge differences in content and delivery of speeches just between Sweden and the US was incredible. One thing that was particularly interesting was the comment that passion was a key part of American speeches, but this was not true in Sweden. I couldn't imagine enjoying a speech that didn't contain passion and emotion in the rhetoric.

What have you learned are the obstacles in cross-cultural communication?

There are many obstacles in cross-cultural communication. The major ones I discovered were targeting to the cultures and the audiences in both rhetoric and content. Even in our speech by Al Gore, although the speech was good, it was good particularly for the room full of board of directors in the US. It's difficult to form a connection even with such a narrow audience as this one, but to widen that to the entire world, between varying cultures and academics - someone who could do that successfully would be simply a remarkable leader.

How did technology facilitate your cross-cultural communication?

Even with the amazing advances in transportation and communication, it would be practically impossible to fly all the way to Sweden for this conference. This technology gave us an amazing experience that only a small proportion of the world gets to be a part of - it was truly fantastic.

Thanks for all the fun!
Danielle Brining

What have you learned about cross-cultural rhetoric from this activity?

This activity was amazing because there were so many aspects of American rhetoric that I had never even considered to be different than elsewhere around the world. To hear about the huge differences in content and delivery of speeches just between Sweden and the US was incredible. One thing that was particularly interesting was the comment that passion was a key part of American speeches, but this was not true in Sweden. I couldn't imagine enjoying a speech that didn't contain passion and emotion in the rhetoric.

What have you learned are the obstacles in cross-cultural communication?

There are many obstacles in cross-cultural communication. The major ones I discovered were targeting to the cultures and the audiences in both rhetoric and content. Even in our speech by Al Gore, although the speech was good, it was good particularly for the room full of board of directors in the US. It's difficult to form a connection even with such a narrow audience as this one, but to widen that to the entire world, between varying cultures and academics - someone who could do that successfully would be simply a remarkable leader.

How did technology facilitate your cross-cultural communication?

Even with the amazing advances in transportation and communication, it would be practically impossible to fly all the way to Sweden for this conference. This technology gave us an amazing experience that only a small proportion of the world gets to be a part of - it was truly fantastic.

Thanks for all the fun!
Danielle Brining

· What have you learned about cross-cultural rhetoric from this activity?

That doxa, again, is a key term. You need to be very aware of your audience, especially when holding a speech regarding a subject as sensitive as racism. As this is a matter of great extent, you need to know how people might react, and potentiall insultment from a large scale of people. Knowing where you are speaking will make everything easier regarding rhetorical strategies, metaphors and topics. For instance, you would hardly mention religious views as a president in Sweden. It is not in our doxa, while in America it is. Which is quite interesting considdering how many people in America that probably AREN'T religious at all.

· What have you learned are the obstacles in cross-cultural communication?

You can mostly talk about the superficial details, even though we on both sides would be able to go deeper into the subject. This because of lack of time and technologic issues.

· How did technology facilitate your cross-cultural communication?

It is sometimes difficult to hear - partly because of technology and partly since we on the Swedish side were sitting in a crouded room. That can be disturbing.
But we had a successful discussion anyhow!

· What have you learned about cross-cultural rhetoric from this activity?

Rhetoric differs from nation to nation, just as culture differs from place to place. Speakers need to consider "doxa" when preparing speeches and speak to their audiences on a footing that matches their cultural values.

· What have you learned are the obstacles in cross-cultural communication?

It was interesting to discover that different rhetorical strategies are more effective in different cultural contexts. That became more clear as we continued to talk with our Swedish counterparts because we placed emphasis on different aspects of Mandela's speech and drew different conclusions from the meaning of his words based on our different contexts and backgrounds. In this sense, a leader brings a speech to an audience-- but that audience also brings its own set of ideologies to the table that the speaker must connect with through rhetoric in creative ways.

· How did technology facilitate your cross-cultural communication?

Being able to see the people I was talking to made the experience much more tangible, so it was fun to use the webcam! It was also nice to be able to share thoughts by typing on a screen that both groups could see and edit from different continents!

What have I learned about cross-cultural rhetoric from this activity? Personally I have lived in both Sweden and the US, which has made me familiar with the differences in culture and communication. The cultures being very different it is essential to get to know the traditions and cultures of the audience. A political speaker in Sweden uses logos and ethos, not pathos, which on the other hand probably would make it boring at the american stage.
I have learned the value (and the opertunities offered by the new technique) to included crosscultural learning in the educationprocess for the benefit of enabling crosscultural communication.

· What have you learned are the obstacles in cross-cultural communication?
Language is an obstacle, most swedes knowing english fairly well, it still not a native language. The experiences do emphasize the need of language studies for all of us. But we did pretty well didn´t we!
To know how to use the computer is also an essential.

· How did technology facilitate your cross-cultural communication
I haven´t done this before, so I was thrilled to learn how to use it. The technology opens new doors in education, which should be used more in the future.Crosscultural meeting without traveling!

What have I learned about cross-cultural rhetoric from this activity? Personally I have lived in both Sweden and the US, which has made me familiar with the differences in culture and communication. The cultures being very different it is essential to get to know the traditions and cultures of the audience. A political speaker in Sweden uses logos and ethos, not pathos, which on the other hand probably would make it boring at the american stage.
I have learned the value (and the opertunities offered by the new technique) to included crosscultural learning in the educationprocess for the benefit of enabling crosscultural communication.

· What have you learned are the obstacles in cross-cultural communication?
Language is an obstacle, most swedes knowing english fairly well, it still not a native language. The experiences do emphasize the need of language studies for all of us. But we did pretty well didn´t we!
To know how to use the computer is also an essential.

· How did technology facilitate your cross-cultural communication
I haven´t done this before, so I was thrilled to learn how to use it. The technology opens new doors in education, which should be used more in the future.Crosscultural meeting without traveling!

· What have you learned about cross-cultural rhetoric from this activity?

I've learned that no matter how good arguments you have, and how much fact, your actio is just as important. If you only use a lot of logos and don't vary your bodylanguage and voice your performance won't be interesting enough to pay attention to.

· What have you learned are the obstacles in cross-cultural communication?

I think that it was a lot better this time than the previous. However, i think that we in Sweden sometimes can be a little shy to speak english since it's not something we do all the time. This and the limited time we had to discuss our subjects might have made it hard to go any deeper in the discussion.

· How did technology facilitate your cross-cultural communication?

Sometimes it could be difficult to hear, but overall it was a successful discussion!

What have I learned about cross-cultural rhetoric from this activity?

Something that came to mind during this activity and throughout my travels is that our ability to have cross-cultural rhetoric depended on the other party’s ability to speak English, which is something I think Americans take for granted. I also reflected on the degree to which each side was familiar with each other’s cultures and leaders, whether political or social, and how having theses faces in the spotlight can bridge the gap between cultures, but at the same time run the risk of providing a bad name for an entire nation.

What have you learned are the obstacles in cross-cultural communication?

If I have to engage in cross-cultural rhetoric in a different language, namely Spanish, I know that my thoughts would not be as complex and in-depth as I would like them to be. While I didn’t find this an obstacle in this activity, I wonder to what extent language barriers will break down as time passes and globalization becomes increasingly important.

How did technology facilitate your cross-cultural communication?

Technology allowed us to contact students we otherwise would not have access to or probably taken the initiative to set up. However, having the rooms and video equipment set up for us facilitated the process, making it easier for cross-cultural rhetoric to become a common component of our curriculum.

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nice info. thanks for sharing

You've made some good arguments, but I'm sure there are people who will disagree with some points.

I think that the understanding of the basic principles of logic is a vital component to communicating effectively across a global audience.

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