This week we had learn the intercultural communication in which the difference between high and low context cultures. I found very interesting that the intercultural communication as a form of communication that shares information across different cultures and social groups. The approaching intercultural communication is with high context and low context cultures, which I would refer to the value cultures place on indirect and direct communication.
Since I am a Chinese, I would apply the high/low context to my cultural experience.
According to the definition, a high context culture relies on implicit communication and nonverbal cues. This culture widely applied on the culture of Asian. For instance, in China people often say “lets talk later, lets hang out someday, or I will go next time”. This text seems to be explicit, but is implicit and in high context because it does not indicates the specific location, time and also involved more in deep meaning. The used of “XXXX someday” is when people trying to end the conversation in a better sounded way, and usually use it to the people are friends that are just in the boarder line of the relationship. This also applied to territoriality when people trying to sound close with each other and as an form of way to engaging someone.
When I was 7 year old in China, my cousins will come back to China once a year from the United States. He always said to me that he will bring me the American version of Barbie next time. I look forward to it every year and always wait for his "return next time." But I didn't get it until now.
A lot of things have been arranged in that “someday / next time”, and so that “someday” must be the busiest day for people.
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