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Analysis of the Importance of Western Culture Understanding
in English Communication Fluency for English Students
Yuhendra¹ dan Albert²
¹Program StudiSastraInggris STBA Haji AgusSalimBukittinggi Email: yuhendra28@yahoo.com
²Program StudiSastraInggris STBA Haji AgusSalimBukittinggi Email: natsiralbert@gmail.com
Abstract - This study discusses the importance of cross-cultural understanding of English communication fluency of the students majoring in English. This study aims to examine how the understanding of Western culture contributes to the communication fluency to the students. As the reference of this research the pragmatic theory was used, especially Cross Cultural Pragmatics by Yule, who saw the importance of cross-cultural understanding in communicating. Furthermore, Hall's theory of cross-cultural high vs low context is also used in this study. This study uses qualitative methods with respondents that are taken from students majoring in English from two English High Schools; STBA Prayoga Padang and STBA Haji Agus Salim Bukittinggi. Total number of respondents is 20. The results showed that students who have a good understanding of Western culture have the ability to communicate in English well and fluently. Of the total sample, there are as many as 8 people who have a good understanding and fluent in communicating. About 6 students are categorized as having poor or moderate understanding of western culture with substandard communication fluency in English. Furthermore, 6 students barely understand western culture with very bad communication skill.
Key words: western culture, cross-cultural understanding, communication
1. INTRODUCTION
Today, the global community's need for English is undeniable. The technological advancements making the world narrower with the consequences of high intensity of cross-country interaction among world community have made English as an important bridge to communicate. As an international language, English makes the inhabitants of the earth to have similar effective language of communication to express ideas, thoughts and to convey messages to one another.
The importance of English in multilateral relations is not only in the formal sector but also in the non-formal sector. Besides bridging governments’s relations, business and industry, education, employment, English also linkages the world community in the friendship interaction. Many people around the globe have friendly relations with different people from other different countries.
However, being able to speak English does not always mean to be able to make communication run smoothly. There are many aspects that make communication between people who learn English with native speakers (the person who use English as their mother tongue) become ineloquent. One of the aspects is the cultural aspect. The English learner's lack of understanding of the culture of native speakers can lead to problems of miscommunication. To avoid this communication barriers, in addition to learning English, English learners should learn the
understanding of foreign cultures or western cultures where English is used as a colloquial language. In this case, the Western culture refers the culture of the people whose in their countries use English as the colloquial language or commonly use English in daily communication.
The English learner's lack of understanding of foreign cultures, let's say the western culture represented by American and British culture often causes non-native learners to experience obstacles in using the language they learn. Cultural differences sometimes also make English students misuse the terms, words and idioms. Cultural differences sometimes make English students difficult to express their intentions so that their verbal communication can not represent what they want to express.
Sometimes because of having different cultural backgrounds, misunderstandings also arise. To overcome these obstacles, learning English needs to be enriched with an understanding of Western culture as a home country of English and where the language is used as the mother tongue.
128 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Language
In everyday life, people are bound to language activity. Language is something people use every day and something they use to express, create, and interpret the intent to create and maintain social relationships and personal relationships (Scarino & Liddicoat, 2009). So to interact among others everyday, people can not be separated from using language.
In building such social interaction, people need to have a common language understanding. It is highly unlikely that one individual can communicate fluently and perfectly with others if they use different languages. Everyone will find it difficult to express their intentions if they do not trade the same code that is equally understood by their communication opponent. To convey and to understand a message, everyone should be in the same language level.
Furthermore, Scaniro and Liddicoat explain that language is not something to learn but a way of seeing, understanding, and communicating about the world. Every language user uses their language to do such ways. People use language for the purpose of communication. While learning a new language should involve the learning of how to use words, rules and knowledge about the language and its use correctly. With such an understanding it will make it easier to communicate to the language user (Scarino & Liddicoat, 2009)
Using language means people need the ability to see and understand the communicating counterpart. Besides being able to express the words, someone in conveying their ideas, thoughts and intentions must also understand their communication targets. Not all codes will be well received without understanding the target rules of communication.
English
The development of English and its culture around the world have become a great event in human history. The development was influenced by two impulses; the formation of the British Empire and the development of American economic technology and hegemony that culminated in the turn of the twentieth century into the twenty-first century (Algeo, 2003). Passing through the great phases of human civilization has made English becomes the language that are well-known and mostly used in the wide world.
As an international language, English is used for a variety of purposes and needs. English is spoken by people from diverse ethnicities and cultures. English has, in some ways, been used in the administration of
powers of great cultural diversity. English is used as an indigenous language by different ethnic groups and many adherents of religion, who live in different parts of the world (Mahadi & Jafari, 2012). English is no longer only used by certain people but has become a communication tool of global community.
Such Developments around the world have influenced the English itself. According to Mahadi and Jafari, English has been expanded and modified by the language users in almost every area where English is spoken. The relationship between the semantic structure then becomes more complicated and different from the relationship between language and culture in the vast majority of community groups. It means, as a cultural product, English has come to color the culture of its user. English users customize the English language itself with their culture.
Communication
Communication is one form of linguistics that is more emphasized on pragmatic studies. According to Yule (1996), Pragmatics is the study of the intent of the called turn-taking. Generally, the conversation involves two or more participants who do turn-taking and only one person speaks at a time. Participants do not speak at the same time. In that case there will be a well inter-change of conversation. culture. In term of ways of life and values, the forms of cultures are knowledge, beliefs, laws, art and customs.
In the concept of culture, Scarino and Liddicoat explain that so far cultural ways have been understood as a framework of knowledge that owned by certain groups of people. This framework of knowledge can be seen in several ways: as a knowledge of inherited cultures or form of artis; as a knowledge of place and institution; as a knowledge of events and symbols; or as knowledge of the way of life. All these ways are attached to a group of people so that they become part of the habit which is done in their routine.
129 change. Culture also can not be claimed will only be used or applied by only one particular group. However it is possible to consider that cultural aspects of information and teaching as a series of rules that can be learned and mastered (Scarino & Liddicoat, 2009).
In everyday life, a group of people or communities who share the same habit will gain knowledge from generation to generation or gain additional knowledge from other groups. Based on the society needs which changes, they will adjust the new knowledge to be used in their habits. It means the culture they have can experience a shift or change based on their needs and time. of "Western culture" is used extensively which refers to the heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems and technology.
Jariya further explained that the concept of western culture is usually linked to the classical definition of the Western world. In this definition, Western culture is a set of principles from literature, science, politics, art, which makes it different from other cultures. Many of these principles are in the West. The Western term is directed to countries whose history is closely automatically becomes an aspect of culture or product of the culture itself. Referring to what Scarino and Liddicoat mentioned above, language stays in the framework of the symbols used by a group of people. Moreover, language can be used as one aspect of information.
This is in line with what Newmark (1988) describes who classifies the types of culture in five categories. Language and habits are one of the categories that he has classified.
When language is taught, cultural and socio-historical aspects should also be discussed with language learners to extend the range of their communication possibilities to the second language. When we learn a second language, we encounter many difficulties not only with the different symbols, rules, structures,
sounds but also the communication disagreements (Narvaes).
Such consideration is also similar with English and Western culture where the English language become the mother tongue. Any English learner would be most helped if they understand British culture or Western culture. The use of symbols, sounds and other rules in the language will be more adjustable with native speakers’s ways.
For English learners like Indonesians, they will find many different language rules between mother tongue and English. Similarly, their culture is certainly much different from the Westerner’s who are as native speakers of English. Some times, Indonesian students convey the symbols that are actually taboo on western culture but spoken lightly in English communication. Consequently when the language is communicated to the international level it will be confused or even worse.
Because English has spread and used by many societies from different cultures, so in order take the perceptions on the same page in communicating, cross cultural understanding is required. It is useful to of habit attached to the human themselves. But culture is also not easy to understand so it can often be a culture. Hall in Rising (2006) suggests that there is a striking difference to what he calls high context and low context culture. In communication, the low context society is more explicit in expressing their mind. On the other hand, the high context language community is more playful with implied expression in the conversation. They use many cues and codes when conveying a message.
3. RESEARCH METHODS
130 culture toward their ability to communicate using the language they learn.
This research is conducted using qualitative methods. The goal is to gain a clear perception of the role of cross-cultural understanding toward communication fluency of the English students department. This method is in accordance with the purpose of the research that wants to get an understanding how a condition could happen as it is in the social world. Moreover, qualitative research requires further exploration of how people experience an event or see a "real-life" context (Beverley Hancock, 2009).
Hancock shares qualitative research approaches in several types, one of which is ethnography. This approach is in line with this research topic because it is used to observe the portrait of a the people and it is also a right methodology for descriptive research of culture and humans. More specifically, this research uses ethnography and case study aproach because it can limit participants and data.
For data validity, the researcher uses three instruments (triangulation) in this research: observational check list, questionnaire (questionnaire), and interview.
This study involved 20 random respondents from two campuses from School of Foreign Language; STBA HAS Bukittinggi and STBA Prayoga Padang.
The steps which are taken are:
1. Asking respondents from two colleges of STBA HAS Bukittinggi and STBA Prayoga Padang to communicate with foreign speakers. The respondents recorded their communications with foreign speakers.
2. Collect the recording of the conversation and make observations on the recording.
3. Researchers also provide questionnaires to respondents to see the fluency of their communication.
4. In addition to providing a questionnaire, researchers also conducted interviews to respondents by using open questions.
Some of the main questions include:
1. When did you feel interested in learning English at the first time? Why?
2. Besides learning English, do you also know about Western culture?
3. How much do you know about Western culture?
4. How did you learn about Western culture?
5. Do you feel that knowledge of Western culture affects your English skills?
6. Have you ever communicated with Westerners?
7. What difficulties do you face when communicating with them?
5. From the results of observations, questionnaires and interviews, researchers analyzed the obtained data and presents the results of analysis in the form of description and interpretative (Arikunto, 2010)
4. RESULTS
As mentioned above, the purpose of this study is to see how far the cross-cultural understanding lesson played a role in cross-cultural English communication conducted by students of English department. This study also aims to measure students' communication skills in terms of culture. Furthermore, researchers will see whether cross-cultural knowledge plays an important role in the way of students’ English communication.
After conducting the research on the samples, There are three types of students majoring in English as seen on the table below.
Students studying CCU (Cross Cultural Understanding):
• Fluent communication with strangers • Good in turn-taking
• Not too high context except in certain situations Students with middle CCU knowledge
• A little less smoothly
• Turn taking is good but with high context inserted Students who do not understand CCU
• Communication is not smooth • Improper turn-taking
• Very high context
The results of questionnaires, interviews, and observations show that most respondents having a good understanding of western culture can communicate well and fluently in cross-cultural communication. Of the total respondents there are 13 respondents who are categorized to have a good understanding of western culture and can communicate across cultures well and smoothly. As seen in respondents 5. From Questionnaire can be seen that respondents deeply understand the western culture and how to communicate across cultures. This is supported also by interviews with that respondent as shown below:
131 class I also used to know a little bit about it. Now I am so confident to chat with Western people. Eventhough I don’t know that everything I learn is true but yaa .. I can chat smoothly .. and we understand each other when chatting. "
From the quoted interview above we can see that the respondents expressed confidence in communicating across cultures because respondents well understood about the western culture. So in communication he can avoid things that can lead to misunderstandings. Furthermore, from the observations the researchers also found the same thing that was revealed by the respondents on the questionnaire during the interview. Researchers learn that respondents who have a good understanding of western culture communicate across cultures smoothly. Respondents are very understanding of every cultural element in communicating, such as politeness, turn taking, and other elemental language. As seen in the quoted dialogue of respondents with foreign speakers (Westerners) below:
Respondent: Hi Gene, would you like to have a selfie with me please?
Gene: Oh, sure! Let's make a selfie?
(After some photos)
Respondent: Gene, why do not you try a duck face selfie?
Gene: Hahaha ... Why not? Show the duck face then.
From the conversation of respondents with foreign speakers above it can be seen that communication between the two went well. It can be seen that respondents use the politeness phrases when asking for a photo to his counterpart. In the conversation it can also be seen that respondents greatly avoid overlapping. Not only that, the respondent also shows a way of explicit communication or being high contexted just like the way of his interlocutor’s culture. It seems that respondents understand the communication ways of Western culture that is being frank and he also apply the same way in communication. So it can be seen that a good understanding of Western culture makes cross-cultural communication works well. So that the speaker can be avoid misunderstandings when communicating.
But interestingly, although respondent can speak openly in general topics but they find it difficult to express rejection. In refusing, those who have learned Cross Cultural Understanding will eventually become convoluted and turn to be high contexted. It can be seen in the following conversation:
Jack: Can you take me to the lake.
Respondent: Yes, of course.
Jack: I think we can go by your motorbike.
Respondent: (Rather pause but still answer). Oh yes. But I must ask my brother if he will use my motorbike. When will you want to go?
Jack: Maybe on Saturday.
Respondents: Let's see. I hope I am free on Saturday.
When researcher confirmed about his responds, Respondent did not directly answer the request to the subject. Respondent admitted that it was difficult for him to reject the request of the Westerner. "I actually objected to fulfill his request because I was being broke. I think it is also not nice to ask for money to buy gasoline and to buy food to him, "
Furthermore, from the total of all respondents there are 4 respondents who are classified as having a moderate understanding of Western culture. Their communicating across culture is considered less fluent, which is shown by some errors during communicating even though the error is not quite fatal. Such findings could be seen in respondents 10. From the given questionnaire, researchers see that respondents do not have deep understanding in the Western culture partcularly in communicating across cultures. Nevertheless respondents can still communicate with Westerners. Although there are still errors in cross-cultural communication but it does not cause significant misunderstandings. From the interviews with respondents it also can be seen that the respondents already have slight knowledge about the Western culture. As seen in the following interview quotation:
"I am little bit understandl .. although it is from brief stories about Westerners slightly informed by lecturer. But sometimes if I have a chat with foreign people, I often forget that I am speaking with people from respondents only understand the Western culture halfly. Respondents revealed that they still often forget cultural differences when having communication across cultures so that small errors still occur when communicating.
132 respondents still often hesitate and forget the context that they supposed to speak like in Western culture way. But in terms of decency, turn-taking is well understood. The weaknesses are seen only in cross-cultural elements, like not being frank. Respondents are still carrying Indonesian culture, especially Minang culture which is too much convoluted and more beat around the bush or high context. It is different from Western culture which tends to be straight to the point or low context. Such description can be seen in the following dialogue between the respondents and the westerners:
Respondents: Do you know? Rendang is the delicious food in the world
Tim: What is Rendang?
Respondents: It is our traditional food. It is made of beef.
Tim: Where can I get it?
Respondent: My mom can cook it, and my grandmother can cook it too.
Tim: So, I can taste it in your home?
Respondent: Oh ... No. Not now, because my mother do not cook it now. You can buy it in restaurant. Many restaurants sell Rendang.
From the conversation above it can be seen that Tim (the western people) became confused with the intentions of respondents to talk about rendang. The respondent acted to be convoluted in expressing his thought. But this situation can be resolved immediately so that respondents do not cause significant misunderstandings.
Different from 17 respondents who are classified as having a good and good enough understanding of Western culture, 3 respondents from a total of 20 respondents are classified as poorly understand of the Western culture. It effect their communicating across cultures that tends to be not smooth. Although communication remains intermittent, but not as expected. Topics of conversation often jumps from one to another and briefly discussed. Respondents also tend to be more silent when responding to situations that do not suit their feelings. This is because the three respondents never gained cross-cultural knowledge or cross cross-cultural understanding and did not know much about Western culture so that they tend to be shy to talk.
"I have not taken the course of cross cultural understanding and honestly do not know much about Western culture. I even rarely watch Western movies because I prefer to watch Korean movie. "
Peter: What do you think about America?
Respondents: It is big country and rich.
Peter: Do you like to go there someday?
Respondents: I do not know. Maybe yes, maybe no ..
Peter: (showing a puzzled expression but then silent without resuming the American conversation).
5. CONCLUSION
Based on the results of research can be concluded that:
1. Understanding cross-culture, especially Western culture plays very important role to create the English communication fluency conducted by English students departmemt. Apart from language skills, those who learn cross cultural understanding are easier and smoother to communicate with Westerners.
2. Anyway, the natural calling of high context that tends to be implicit and indirect happened on the particular matter eventhough the students have studied the cross culture lessons and even understand the Western culture. This is related to the local culture or eastern culture that is still high context.
3. Those who know little about Western culture although face constrains in English communication they can still make good communication with Westerners. In this case, high context or indirect culture frequently arises.
4. On the other hand, those who have not studied cross-cultural knowledge at all and do not know about Western culture, feel stiffly expressed their thoughts. They tend to be a safe player in communication and do not express their thoughts directly.
Suggestions
Despite the analysis, but this research can still be developed further. Research on culture and communication can also be continued using different methods and theories and develop the number of respondents.
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