Turnbull 1 Mhairi Turnbull Interpersonal Communication Response Paper 2 9th February 2012 Cultural Differences Communication has been

defined over 100 times, but there is a common variable in each definition, which is that communication is a process. There are many elements that make up human communication, but broadly we can determine that we communicate verbally and non-verbally. A large aspect of our verbal communication is language. Language starts at a very young age and usually flows naturally, but when broken down, we see that our words our symbols. Symbols are arbitrary, ambiguous, and abstract, meaning that they always require interpretation, which is part of the reason that communication is a process. Julia Wood (2013) explains that not all symbols are language, but that all language is symbolic. When looking at the arbitrary aspect of words in verbal communication one can see that, all symbols are arbitrary because we can easily use other symbols as long as we all agree that certain symbols would refer to certain things (Wood 90). The previous statement holds true within all cultures, but the symbolism and meaning behind words can differ from culture to culture. Being that I am from a different country, language differences in

Turnbull 2 different cultures are extremely familiar to me. Before moving from Scotland to Texas in 2005, I assumed that when I arrived here there would not be a language barrier, because it is also an English-speaking country. After arriving in Texas, I was shocked that there was such a communication block between my peers and myself; it was almost as though the American culture spoke a completely different language. I was not the only person who experienced this, as it was a struggle for my entire family. I was constantly having conversations with friends and misunderstanding or being misunderstood. While at school, one of my classmates told me that she thought my pants were cute; I was mortified, as I thought she was referring to my underwear. My father also had an embarrassing misunderstanding at his new job. He was setting up his new office and asked his secretary for a rubber, which in Scotland is an eraser. His secretary was disgusted, and neither of them could understand the others confusion. There are also words in both cultural languages that are unique to each society, and are unheard of anywhere else. In Scotland we refer to trash as rubbish, tennis shoes as trainers, car trunks as boots, and shopping carts as trolleys. The list goes on and on when it comes to word differences between the two cultures. Language and culture reflect one another not only in words, but also in sayings. The language of a culture is developed through its history, morals, and views. In America we often hear the saying, every man for himself, which comes from the individualistic society, and the views American citizens hold. In Scotland there is a saying, a mans a man for all

Turnbull 3 that, which originated from a very famous poem by a famous Scottish poet Robert Burns. This saying is often said because of how traditional the Scottish culture is. Many Scottish words and sayings come from its history. Going to the loo, a term used as a way of saying going to the bathroom, comes from a conflict between Scotland and England, when the Scots would empty the bed pans out of their windows while anticipating the arrival of the English. Similarly to cultural language, we also see arbitrary symbols used in ingroups such as families, cliques in schools, groups in the workplace, and also groups like the military. In-groups create language between members as a way of creating closeness and better understanding of one another. The language within these groups is almost like a secret code that people on the outside would not understand. When I was younger, I would often mispronounce words that stuck. Now that I am grown, my parents still use these words that people outside of our family would probably not understand. I mispronounced the word jumping and said yumping, so now when talking about jumping my whole family refers to it as yumping. We also use the word onnimbus instead of omnibus when discussing a series of shows on television. In-group language is also common in football games when referring to different plays. The language is used so that the other team doesnt know what to expect. All in-group terms are only understood by the groups members and create a sense of intimacy, similarly to cultural language, which is understood only by that group or society.

Turnbull 4 Language is developing and expanding everyday. New words help us express feelings and explain ourselves. Our language is dynamic and continues to change; we would be nowhere without the symbols that make up language and our ability to interpret their meanings. I continue to struggle with certain words in American culture, but find it very intriguing hearing new things every day, almost as if I am learning a new language. When we are able to better understand a cultures language, we are able to better understand the culture as a whole, because of how the words, or symbols, originated. Now that I have experienced two cultural languages, I often think that I could write Scottish and American dictionaries because of how many differences there truly are.

Works Cited Wood, Julia T.. Interpersonal communication: everyday encounters . 7th ed. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, 2013. Print.