Japanese sojourners’ attitudes toward Americans

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Makiko Imamura ◽  
Yan Bing Zhang ◽  
Jake Harwood

Guided by the intergroup contact hypothesis, the authors examined the associations among Japanese sojourners’ (N = 94) perceived linguistic competence with English, communication accommodation of their most frequent American contact, relational solidarity with the contact, and their attitudes toward Americans as a cultural group. Results indicated that participants’ linguistic competence with English and perceptions of Americans’ communication accommodation positively predicted their relational solidarity with their most frequent American contact. In addition, relational solidarity mediated the relationships between both linguistic competence and communication accommodation and cognitive and behavioral attitudes. Results were discussed in light of communication accommodation theory, the contact hypothesis and prior literature in intergroup and intercultural communication.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Junhui Yi

This paper examines the intercultural communication between Chinese international students and American Christians. The growing number of Chinese studying in the United States increases the communication frequency between American residents and Chinese students. One of the out-of-school settings that this type of intercultural communication takes place is in religious organizations. Using Communication Accommodation Theory as the theory framework, this paper identifies several communicative strategies of American Christians in the interaction with Chinese perceived by the Chinese international students. The paper also discusses how Chinese international students receive these strategies and the influence on their acculturation to the American life.


Author(s):  
Jessica Gasiorek

People can adjust their communication in a variety of ways for different contexts, audiences, and purposes. Although these adjustments often improve or facilitate interaction—that is, make it smoother, better, or easier—sometimes they do not. “Nonaccommodation” is a concept drawn from communication accommodation theory (CAT) and refers to adjustments in communication behavior associated with disaffiliation, expressing dissimilarity and/or obscuring information. Nonaccommodation can be defined and described in terms of either speakers’ or listeners’ experiences; it may also be intentional or unintentional on the part of a speaker. Researchers have studied nonaccommodation in terms of both its objective behavioral manifestations (e.g., linguistic divergence) and the subjective perceptions that relate to those behavioral manifestations (e.g., psychological divergence; over- and underaccommodation). Responding to nonaccommodation effectively can be challenging, and what constitutes the “best” or “most appropriate” response often depends on contextual factors and interactants’ goals. In line with the functions of accommodation described in CAT, nonaccommodation can influence communication effectiveness as well as the nature of interpersonal and intergroup relations. Generally, nonaccommodation hinders shared understanding and increases perceptions of social distance between individuals and their social groups. Often it is also associated with less positive evaluations of the people and groups involved, as well as lower levels of relational solidarity. Nonaccommodation occurs frequently across a wide variety of societally significant contexts, including intergenerational, medical/healthcare, police–civilian, family, and educational interactions. As such, it represents an important area for both theoretical and applied research.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mercy Akrofi Ansah ◽  
Mercy Adzo Klugah

The relevance of language for quality healthcare delivery cannot be overemphasised. Within the framework of communication accommodation theory, this paper discusses language barriers in expatriate doctor–patient communication in three state-owned hospitals in Ghana, and the strategies employed by the medical personnel to bridge communication gaps. The study design is qualitative and the data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with 16 expatriate doctors, three nurses and three patients. Furthermore, observation of five patient–doctor interactions was undertaken and notes taken. Both datasets were then analysed using the qualitative conventional content analysis approach. The findings revealed that the expatriate doctors employed convergence strategies such as ad hoc interpreters, gestures, picture charts and electronic dictionaries to deal with language barriers. The study is expected to stimulate further research into innovative ways of dealing with language barriers in expatriate doctor–patient interactions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-81
Author(s):  
Rachyl Pines ◽  
Howard Giles ◽  
Bernadette Watson

Abstract Patient-perpetrated workplace violence (WPV) in healthcare is common. Although communication skills trainings are helpful, they may be strengthened by having a theoretical framework to improve replicability across contexts. This study developed and conducted an initial test of a training framed by Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) using longitudinal mixed-methods surveys of healthcare professionals in an American primary care clinic to increase their self-efficacy, patient cooperation, and use of CAT strategies to de-escalate patient aggression. Results of the intervention indicate that the CAT training significantly increased professionals’ efficacy and reported patient cooperation over time. Findings showed that those who reported using more of the five CAT strategies also reported situations that they were able to de-escalate effectively. This initial test of a CAT training to prevent WPV demonstrates promise for the applicability of CAT strategies to de-escalate patient aggression, and the need to scale and test these trainings in settings that experience high WPV levels.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuhuan Wang

This paper is mainly based on the topic of whether the theory of Communication Accommodation (CAT) is applicable in speeches and how the Empathy strategy is applied in speeches. A case study from a speech by Ambassador Cui Tiankai at the Welcome Dinner Hosted by Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin is analyzed as a sample of intercultural communication practice. The research analyzes and explores the origin of the CAT and its related theories as well as elaborates on similarity-attraction theory, social exchange theory, causal attribution, social identity theory and some major strategies such as convergence, divergence and over-convergence for the purpose of the applicability of CAT in speeches. What is more, empathy as an important strategy is illustrated in detail. After a careful analysis, it has been proved that it is effective and practical for the application of CAT in speeches. Furthermore, the application of Empathy strategy in speeches will create a rewarding outcome.


Multilingua ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 283-311
Author(s):  
Anastasia Nuworsu ◽  
Grace Diabah ◽  
Evershed Kwasi Amuzu

AbstractThis paper investigates the use of codeswitching at traditional inter-ethnic marriage ceremonies in the southern part of Ghana. The study site is Accra, the multilingual capital of Ghana which is located in the south of the country, and was selected due to the high frequency of inter-ethnic marriage ceremonies which take place there. The data analysed were audio-visual recordings of interactions at such ceremonies, collected, by (Nuworsu, Anastasia 2015: Language use in inter-ethnic marriage ceremonies in Greater Accra. MPhil. thesis, Department of Linguistics, University of Ghana, Legon.). They were complemented with observations made at the event grounds, as well as follow up interviews with key actors during and after the events. The theoretical framework employed is based on a combination of Giles’ Communication Accommodation Theory, Hymes’s Ethnography of Communication and Myers-Scotton‘s Markedness Model. It is found that bilinguals who speak on behalf of families participating in the ceremonies often use codeswitching in innovative ways to convey various social messages. Significant uses were: (i) speakers use codeswitching to converge toward the speech of their in-laws in a bid to decrease the social and linguistic distance between the two families and (ii) they use it as a divergence strategy to, for instance, increase the social and linguistic distance between them when they wish to accentuate an ideological, or any other, difference between them. Overall, the study contributes towards insights about inter-group language practices in multilingual African settings, especially in urban areas.


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