Communicating with China: The interplay of language and culture
Presented by Dr Angela Cook and Dr Haiyan Liang, School of Languages and Linguistics at Griffith University
Communicating with Chinese partners can be extremely complex and entails a lot more than simply getting the wording of a contract right. Drawing on their extensive personal and professional experience, the two presenters will highlight key social and behavioural differences between China and Australia in a seminar that combines academic theory with hands-on practical skills. You will see how linguistic and cultural factors interact to impede or promote communication between the two nations. Different values, unwritten conventions and taboos can lead to miscommunication or misunderstandings and make it difficult for Australians and Chinese to build a solid foundation for developing relationships.
Question: Will an Australian cricket team cap make a good gift for your Chinese colleague?
Answer: No, that’s a gift he’s unlikely to appreciate. Saying a Chinese man is "wearing a green hat" (dài l?œ màozi) means his wife is having an affair!
Australians wanting to collaborate with Chinese counterparts in a range of fields such as science, education and the arts or wanting to capitalise on business opportunities in China are at a significant disadvantage if they underestimate the critical role that cultural factors play in interactions. You need to understand Chinese cultural and behavioural norms to develop appropriate communication strategies that will foster deeper understanding, improved relations, greater trust and better collaborative outcomes.
Dr Angela Cook has devoted much of her adult life to the study of Chinese language and culture, including a total of five years working, studying and travelling in mainland China and Taiwan. She has a Diploma of Translation from the Munich Institute of Languages and Interpreting, a masters in Chinese studies from the University of Tübingen and a PhD in Chinese linguistics from Griffith University. She has taught conversational Mandarin and Business Chinese at different levels from elementary through to advanced, as well as intercultural communication. She also has experience working as a business translator/interpreter in Germany, Taiwan and Australia
Dr Haiyan Liang has been working and conducting research in Australia since 2011. She obtained her PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Queensland. She has experience in teaching Mandarin Chinese, English, English/Chinese interpreting and translation, as well as intercultural communication. She also excels in business liaison and communication.
When: Tuesday 17 November, 2015, 12:00 - 2:00pm
Where: Griffith South Bank Graduate Centre Builing S.07, Lecture Theatre 1.23, Queensland College of Art, South Bank campus, Griffith University
Places are limited, please book early to avoid disappointment via the following weblink: http://events.griffith.edu.au/d/vfq7mv. For further information and reservations contact Natasha Vary at email events-gai@griffith.edu.au.