(Writing) Topic american communication culture in social life Đây là tài liệu hỗ trợ các bạn về kĩ năng viết trong Anh Văn theo từng chủ đề Hy vọng mỗi bài viết sẽ góp phần hỗ trợ các bạn nâng cao được kĩ năng viết của mình và đạt được điểm số cao trong các kì thi
Quynh1 American Communication Culture in Social Life Communication is always a necessary skill for success in life, especially among people in different countries, communication skills should be considered because the world is not only a culture Communication is an opportunity to build relationships especially when studying and living in another environment, another country like the United States America is the third largest country in the world with about 350 million people Each year, over one million people migrate to live and work at this country American communities have their own identities, languages, religions, beliefs and customs However, unlike Vietnam, Americans and the United States have particular traits in the culture of communication that each person must learn and adapt to be able to build good relationships As a Western country with a modern, liberal lifestyle, there are certain standards in American culture of communication In this paper, readers can better understand the characteristics of American daily-life communication culture Communicative culture is the whole of the cultural conversation of each person in society “Communication, through language and other symbolic forms, comprises the ambience of human existence” (Carey, 1989: 24) Finding a transparent definition for a humanities & social sciences concept is very difficult This definition can only be given here from the perspective of each person Communicative culture is a part of the overall culture that refers to the intercultural communication of each person in society (polite communication, friendly attitude, openness, sincerity, showing the respect each other), is a combination of elements: words, gestures, behaviors and attitudes "Communication” is examined as a cultural term whose meaning is problematic in selected instances of American speech about interpersonal life (T Katriel, G Philipsen) Quynh2 America is a country with developed economy, beautiful nature Although the number of immigrants in this country is very large, they still retain their unique cultural characteristics The American way of life and working makes many people in the world admire When it comes to Americans it can be mentioned that factor is individualism In the US, the personal factor is the most important thing in the culture, which highlights the American personality Because of individualism, it has greatly influenced the cultural characteristics of American communication The first trait is personal enhancement Individuality and difference are the pride of every US citizen Unlike Asians, American culture often does not promote a lifestyle that follows the principles of the majority or the community Instead, they tend to educate children With the policy of not following the trend of "following the majority" and teaching them individuality and practicing "ego" very early The American way of life lives up to the concept of "If you want something to be done well, you have to it yourself" or "In the long run, the only person you can count on is you." Therefore, Americans often very boldly expressed opinions though completely different from the vast majority Creativity, difference but not difference is always appreciated in this country The United States is also a country that upholds popular civil rights throughout the world Regarding personal respect, promoting independence is a typical trait of Americans In Asian culture, parents often accumulate for their children and pass on their possessions over generations In stark contrast to Asia, American culture is directed to independence and autonomy American parents strive to forge their children the typical American way of life From an early age, children are taught to stand on their own feet, which is independent Most American students choose their own classes and majors, pay part or all of the tuition fees, find jobs, plan their own marriages instead of relying on their families Quynh3 The next characteristic is that Americans often like to go ahead, like to explore and adapt to new things When in Europe, people lived in the social system established many generations ago, so between people there exists the boundary of class, rich and poor regime, but to America, everything is erased They must adapt the environment to survive and thrive Compared to Europeans and Asians, Americans feel less constrained and quite satisfied in social and professional life Among the displeased people who leave their homeland, many come from rebellious people in the land they were born in They reform the world in part to want to leave what they don't accept in their old society but at the same time they want to challenge themselves to a new purpose Americans always want to move forward, marked by their tendency to grow to the West This means giving up European influence, and developing firmly independently of the American character The rapid development of American agriculture and industry is the result of a process of discoverability in order to find solutions to old problems Americans not hesitate to learn a new career For example, a university professor may quit his job to another job, and then apply to teach again This is the most obvious difference from the East The rich geography and resources make it possible for the United States to apply new ideas, sometimes quite expensive, but in return they find new, better and more effective ones In addition, the US is an open society with sincere and unsophisticated people It is generally accepted by Americans abroad that Americans are quite open-minded, and very friendly, though sometimes they value their individuality, which comes from the experience of settlers and frontier people The migrants left behind all their titles, caste, accepted into their new environment, and in the new world there was no caste discrimination or cruel treatment because they came here with yearn to build a new life These people became open and sincere in association with the hospitable personality of the Native Americans The harsh living conditions created an open hospitality for Americans because they had nothing in the Quynh4 beginning, were hungry, injured, and had to stay and received help from Native Americans Hospitality is to thank the long plates of the people who were conceived in the past In addition, because of economic benefits, so to build a better life, they are forced to be hospitable and open That is why many people are attracted to accompany them to realize their dreams In addition, for the first settlers on this desolate land, distance was a threat So a newcomer will not pose a threat but will give them information about the afterlife, farming techniques The process of advancing with difficulties forced people to unite together, erasing their relationship with Europe in order to create new labor tools to meet the present life With experiences from the harsh life, Americans always uphold the spirit of willingness to volunteer work to help those they consider to be harder than themselves, for example, when they create many non-profit and nongovernmental organizations Americans still maintain the tradition of respecting values of freedom and independence In the past, these people still had no confidence in the government and they felt more comfortable working together in community rather than relying on government agencies So everywhere in the United States, local groups and organizations are found to improve the lives of migrant workers, fight racism, fight crimes and help those suffering from natural disasters And they everything not because they are rich, but from the heart that they think they must Americans look quite cold and reserved but they are really sincere and very good Associated with the austere personality is simplicity, not fussy with the purpose of creating comfort in talking, bridging the gap that makes it easy for everyone to work together In conclusion, all of the above American characteristics have a direct influence on their communication culture “Being social is defined quite differently in the United States than in other countries One important way to acquire new knowledge about self and others in a given local culture is through communication and interaction” (Wang, 2017: 571) Communication culture is Quynh5 expressed directly in everyday life First, the Americans have some cultural traits in greeting Americans have a characteristic culture when communicating that is the culture of shaking hands when greeting Handshaking is a long-standing sign language and it originated in the fifth century BC, signifying a peace commitment that communicators were not carrying weapons Historically there is a notion that this shows goodwill and friendship because there is no weapon in hands For years, US President, Theodore Roosevelt held the world record for shaking hands On January 1, 1907, during a meeting at the White House, he shook hands with 8,513 people However, by July 1977, that record was broken by Joseph Lazaron, mayor of New Jersey (USA), with 11,000 handshakes in just one day Handshakes are the specialty of American communication You can shake hands with both men and women at the first meeting or later Americans have a habit of shaking hands, using both hands, not just fingers to show friendliness and enthusiasm In addition, the handshake firmly shows confidence to the opposite person Shaking hands is a common greeting not only in the US but also in Eastern countries However, the handshake will also show more or less the intentions and messages that if you not learn, sometimes it will be misunderstood or offended from the first meeting Moreover you can easily see greetings such as hugging, rubbing cheeks or kissing softly on cheeks, back of hands on movies or anywhere in the US This culture of communication is often used by women This is a way to show respect and affection for women However, this method is often used for friends or acquaintances who have long been acquainted For first time meeting, they often laugh or shake hands If you are Vietnamese, not be embarrassed or too uncomfortable when communicating with light kisses on the cheek for familiar friends in the US Especially, when communicating with Americans, you should learn some habits to avoid misleading and make a bad impression on the first meeting First, you should not ask for American age or income And even religion, politics, sex are also sensitive areas in the United States, you should avoid these topics unless with close friends Quynh6 Second, when talking, Americans often look directly at the opposite person and not get too close, but the exception is the family members or close friends According to Eckman “Communication (also known as eyes contact) is a major channel of nonverbal communication In which time of making eye contact is the most important.” Therefore, you should also this because this is part of the American culture as well as showing your respect and confidence attitude towards with partners Third, you should avoid all external touches such as putting your arm around their shoulders, holding their hands because these too-friendly gestures also cause discomfort Shaking hands when you first meet or be introduced to someone is acceptable Fourth, Americans not pay much attention to the humble, polite attitude, showing the traditional beauty and behavioral culture of Asians Therefore, it is natural to talk and be able to use gestures appropriate to your expressions Finally, when in a restaurant, you should not wave or point your index finger at others, which means you are accusing or challenging the person You just need to raise your hand up and point your index finger to draw their attention to you The act of raising the middle finger is also considered obscene and challenging So, you should be careful with the gestures on your fingers An important factor you need to pay attention in greeting communication culture is vocative In the US, first names are spelled first and then middle names and last names For example, your Vietnamese name is Nguyen Van An while in America, your name will be spelled An Van Nguyen If called politely, Americans often call the last name along with "Mr." (Mister) for boys, "Ms." (Miss) for unmarried girls, "Mrs." (Misses) for married girls and "M." if you don't know if the girl is married or not A person who has a master's degree or a doctorate degree is often referred to as "Dr." (Doctor) Professors in universities are often called "Professor" (Prof) In intimate cases, Americans call each other by their first names You can Quynh7 call your friends and acquaintances by first name But you should still call teachers, professors with titles and last names For example, you should call Professor Smith instead of Professor John For children, it is always possible to call their own name The officer or the police should call the rank if known or called as officer and followed by them Americans often introduce themselves by first and last name (Hello, I am Sarah Smith) or if they not need to be formal and friendly, they will only introduce their names (Hi, I am Sarah) Your usual answer when someone introduced you is Pleased to meet you Unless that person introduces his / her first and last name (Mr / Ms Smith), you should call them by their first names Usually in work and society, Americans often call each other by their first names However, you should always call professors in universities by title and surname (for example, Professor Smith), unless they allow or ask you to call them by name In addition, when talking on the phone, Americans often answer by phone by saying "Hello" If you call for work, the person answering the phone usually starts with the company name and their name after that If you meet the person you need right away, just say Hello and your name If not, you should politely ask the person answering the phone, "May I speak with George Brown please?" Most Americans usually have an answering machine at home At the same time, most companies often have voice messages for their employees so you can leave a message Give your first name clearly and leave your phone number so they can call you back The messages should be short and to the point As a Western country with a modern, liberal lifestyle, there are certain standards in American culture of communication Despite the cultural diversity, the United States still has a unique cultural identity, especially the culture of greeting In business communications, Americans value the most on time Be on time for your appointment, even if your American partner is late On the other hand, you should not come Quynh8 to the appointment too early because it will be considered impolite, even if you are invited to the gala or bird's nest However, you can allow yourself to be late from a few minutes to half an hour if you are invited to a cooktail The habit of American businessmen is to prepare all documents and materials with the close support of specialized lawyers so that if possible, they can sign contracts immediately, even after the first negotiation They also often discuss business at lunch time (usually starts at 12am and ends at 2pm, called business lunch), even at breakfast at 7am (business breakfast) In everyday society, Americans often like to praise and be happy to receive compliments After a strong, tight handshake (a weak hand is considered a sign of weakness, shyness, cowardice), the eye looks directly into the eye and asks a few questions about health, work progresses Normally, women hold out their hands to the men to catch Americans always avoid the topic of religion, money, politics and topics that can cause controversy and shock such as family planning, sexual harassment Talents are often referred to as movies, books, music, sports, gymnastics, tourism and food So if you often have to negotiate with your American counterpart, you need to know about good movies, famous songs, bestsellers to have something to say to them when taking a break Sometimes the coincidence of hobbies and lifestyles makes it easy for the main job that's negotiating to succeed If you're introduced to an American businesswoman, remember to just ask her a few general etiquette questions Remember never to ask the age of a woman, that's taboo And also remember that giving her cosmetics, aromatic oils, clothes for her is not suitable for American civilization Don't wonder because you don't see your American partner give you a gift after you've reached an agreement and you've given them a souvenir Americans don't give off immediately and wait a short time before sending it to you These are useful cultural insights for everyone working with Americans in their home countries Quynh9 Here are a few American public communication cultures that people all over the world admire Apologies and thanks are always used in public places such as supermarkets, restaurants, buses When getting on and off the bus, passengers greet the driver and vice versa When entering the door anywhere, the first person standing behind to hold the door for the people who come in after finishing their turn and the next always say thank you for the person who kept the door for me to enter When a collision occurs, the apology is always happy to accept People always give in to each other in communication, especially in an order that never jumps in no matter who you are For example, about President Obama's summer vacation in Hawaii, he also stood in line to buy ice cream for children like everyone else In the hospital, when you quickly go to the administrative staff to the procedures, the nurses warmly welcome you into the waiting room, then they go to the doctor to see you The doctors are very dedicated, talking softly with the patient, it is great in communicating with the patient making you feel somewhat relieved Especially when participating in traffic, there is no rushing, winning the road, reckless crossing the road People obey traffic laws as a driver culture At an intersection when the traffic lights suddenly go wrong or the signals are not right, people give way, each direction moves about 4-5 pieces then automatically give way to the other direction 4-5 cars and so on, but there was no traffic jam even though there were no police there In the United States, there is a law banning the consumption of alcohol while driving, but it is important that everyone is self-conscious Internal roads in supermarkets, shopping malls and residential areas, when passing by pedestrians, all drivers must stop to give way before continuing Cars run a lot on the road as well as in the city center but don't have a car horn In the middle of the night, there were no cars, but the driver still waited for the green light at the intersection to light up before continuing Moreover, when shopping, the goods you buy are exchanged or returned within one month after use if you not feel like it (no need for damaged or malfunctioning products) and the seller is Quynh10 happy to receive it back At each shopping place, there is a counter specializing in taking back the goods that customers return, everyone is happy to have no argument between buyers and sellers In the United States, when you buy a home, you will be returned to the owner for a month if you don't like the house anymore American society is formed by a multi-racial community and originated from many social classes, therefore the American way of life and a culture of communication and behavior have its own characteristics As a civilized culture, American communication is also very polite and civilized Because cultures built on American personalities and lifestyles have created a unique feature in communicating that people from all countries of the world appreciate From this research, readers will gain a better understanding of American communication culture in daily life so that people can be more confident in creating a good relationship and have more attractive experiences when studying and working in U.S At present, the behaviors in communication culture are gradually globalized, but the characteristics of communication styles in each country are still very interesting Quynh11 Works cited Carey, James W Communication as culture, revised edition: Essays on media and society Routledge, 2008 Katriel, Tamar, and Gerry Philipsen "“What we need is communication”:“Communication” as a cultural category in some American speech." Communication Monographs 48.4 (1981): 301-317 Wang, I., et al "Why international students avoid communicating with Americans." Journal of International Students 7.3 (2017): 555-582 Weiten, W., Dunn, D, & Hammer, E, Psychology Applied to Modern Life (2009) Belmont, CA: Wadsworth https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Applied-Modern-Life- Adjustment/dp/1305968476 ... through communication and interaction” (Wang, 2017: 571) Communication culture is Quynh5 expressed directly in everyday life First, the Americans have some cultural traits in greeting Americans... characteristic culture when communicating that is the culture of shaking hands when greeting Handshaking is a long-standing sign language and it originated in the fifth century BC, signifying a peace... gain a better understanding of American communication culture in daily life so that people can be more confident in creating a good relationship and have more attractive experiences when studying