Gesture frequency is linked to story-telling style: evidence from bilinguals

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 641-664 ◽  
Author(s):  
ELENA NICOLADIS ◽  
JAYA NAGPAL ◽  
PAULA MARENTETTE ◽  
BRANDON HAUER
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
First Language ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Story Telling ◽  
Cross Cultural Differences ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
Representational Gestures ◽  
Gesture Production

abstractIndividuals differ in how frequently they gesture. It is not clear whether gesture frequency is related to culture, since varied results have been reported. The purpose of this study was to test whether the frequency of representational gestures is linked with story-telling style. Previous research showed individual and cross-cultural differences in story-telling style, some preferring to tell a chronicle (how it happened) or an evaluative story (why it happened). We hypothesized that high gesture frequency might be strongly associated with using a chronicle style, since both rely on visuospatial imagery. Four groups of bilinguals, English as their second language (L2) participated. Their first language (L1) was one of: Mandarin, Hindi, French, or Spanish. Participants watched a cartoon and told the story, once in English, once in L1. The results showed group differences in the rate of gesture use: the Chinese and Hindi L1 participants gestured less frequently than the French and Spanish L1 participants. The participants from Asian cultures were more likely to tell an evaluative story and the Romance-language L1 participants a chronicle. We conclude that these culture/language groups differ in story-telling style. A chronicle style is associated with more gesture production than an evaluative style.

scholarly journals Teaching Politeness Strategies

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 126-136
Author(s):  
Irina Petrovska
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Hospitality Industry ◽  
Classroom Interaction ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Teaching Resource ◽  
Cross Cultural Differences ◽  
Subject Specific ◽  
Politeness Strategies

This paper deals with the politeness strategies potential in subject specific fields and highlights the role of learning politeness strategies as a powerful cognitive tool fundamental to further enhancing the second language learner’s ability to cope with this specialized verbal characteristic in hospitality industry discourse. The paper explores the close interplay between social (extra-linguistic) and structural (linguistic) factors shaping the linguistic idiosyncrasies of English and Macedonian politeness strategies in hospitality industry discourse. It has been argued that the awareness of cross-cultural differences concerning politeness strategies may be exploited as a valuable teaching resource for classroom interaction.

scholarly journals Mental state talk by Danish preschool children

Nordlyd ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ane Knüppel ◽  
Rikke Steensgaard ◽  
Kristine Jensen de López
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Mental State ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Semantic Variation ◽  
Cross Cultural Differences ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
Children's Development ◽  
Mental State Talk ◽  
Children’S Development

Sixteen 4 to 6-year-old Danish children were video-recorded, while interacting spontaneously with their family in their homes. The mental state talk of the children was identified and analysed with respect to three mental domains: desire, feeling and cognition, and was compared to data from a similar study carried out with Canadian families (Jenkins et al., 2003). Our results suggest some cross-cultural differences in children’s mental state talk. First, Danish children produce a larger variation of mental state talk words than Canadian children do, and second, the distribution of mental state talk across the three domains differed for the two language groups. Semantic variation between Danish and English was identified in the study, which may partly explain the findings. Furthermore we present a usage-based approach to the investigation of children’s development of psychological categories in language as well as cross-linguistically.

scholarly journals Cross-cultural differences in social desirability scales: Influence of cognitive ability

2015 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aletta Odendaal
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Social Desirability ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Job Applicants ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Cross Cultural Differences ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Culture And Language

Orientation: The use of personality tests for selection and screening has been consistently criticised resulting from the risk of socially desirable responding amongst job applicants. Research purpose: This study examined the magnitude of culture and language group meanscore differences amongst job applicants and the moderating effect of race on the relationship between social desirability and cognitive ability. Motivation for the study: The influence of cognitive ability and potential race and ethnic group differences in social desirability scale scores, which can lead to disproportional selection ratios, has not been extensively researched in South Africa. Research design, approach and method: A quantitative, cross-sectional research design, based on secondary datasets obtained from the test publisher, was employed. The dataset consisted of 1640 job applicants across industry sectors. Main findings: Moderated multiple regression analyses revealed that the relationship between social desirability and general reasoning was moderated by culture and language, with group differences in social desirability being more pronounced at the low general reasoning level. This suggests that social desirability scales may be an ambiguous indicator of faking as the scales may indicate tendency to fake, but not the ability to fake, that is likely to be connected to the level of cognitive ability of the respondent.Practical/managerial implications: Individual differences in social desirability are not fully explained by cognitive ability as cultural differences also played a role. Responding in a certain manner, reflects a level of psychological sophistication that is informed by the level of education and socio-economic status. In relation to selection practice, this study provided evidence of the potentially adverse consequences of using social desirability scales to detect response distortion. Contribution/value-add: The exploration of cross-cultural differences in the application of social desirability scales and the influence of cognitive ability is seen as a major contribution, supported by possible explanations for the differences observed and recommendations regarding the practice of universal corrections and adjustments.

scholarly journals Cultural Differences in Face Recognition and Potential Underlying Mechanisms

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Blais ◽  
Karina J. Linnell ◽  
Serge Caparos ◽  
Amanda Estéphan
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Face Processing ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Cross Cultural Differences ◽  
Visual Processes ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

The ability to recognize a face is crucial for the success of social interactions. Understanding the visual processes underlying this ability has been the focus of a long tradition of research. Recent advances in the field have revealed that individuals having different cultural backgrounds differ in the type of visual information they use for face processing. However, the mechanisms that underpin these differences remain unknown. Here, we revisit recent findings highlighting group differences in face processing. Then, we integrate these results in a model of visual categorization developed in the field of psychophysics: the RAP framework. On the basis of this framework, we discuss potential mechanisms, whether face-specific or not, that may underlie cross-cultural differences in face perception.

Producing culturally appropriate narratives in English as a foreign language

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 379-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Yusun Kang
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
First Language ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Narrative Discourse ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Discourse Production ◽  
Cross Cultural Differences

Cross-cultural and second/foreign language (L2) studies on oral narratives have suggested that one’s native language and culture affect discourse production in an L2 and have detected areas of difficulty for L2 learners in producing extended discourse. However, written narrative has received less attention, although it can provide rich data on cross-cultural differences and hold important implications for L2 literacy acquisition and pedagogy. This study was designed to investigate culturally preferred written discourse styles and their effects on L2 writing of personal narratives. It explored cross-cultural differences in the use of narrative structural features including evaluation between first language written narratives produced by native speakers of American English and first- and second-language narratives written by Koreans learning English. Differences in first language narrative styles were used to explain how Korean EFL learners’ narrative discourse in English could vary from native English speakers’ discourse norms. Participants were Korean adult EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners and American native-English speakers in the U.S. The findings show that specifically Korean cultural strategies were evident in the Korean English learners’ English narrative discourse rather than the preferred discourse style of the target language and culture. The findings hold implications for L2 writing pedagogy and L2 training in discourse production.

Cognitive gadgets: A provocative but flawed manifesto

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Del Giudice
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Evolutionary Approach ◽  
Genetic Inheritance ◽  
Double Standards ◽  
Cross Cultural Differences ◽  
Cherry Picking ◽  
Dichotomous Thinking

Abstract The argument against innatism at the heart of Cognitive Gadgets is provocative but premature, and is vitiated by dichotomous thinking, interpretive double standards, and evidence cherry-picking. I illustrate my criticism by addressing the heritability of imitation and mindreading, the relevance of twin studies, and the meaning of cross-cultural differences in theory of mind development. Reaching an integrative understanding of genetic inheritance, plasticity, and learning is a formidable task that demands a more nuanced evolutionary approach.

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