How to Manage Word Barriers
One of the things I find it good to know about interpersonal communication. Got it from this book by Pearson.
| Problem | Example | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| Bypassing, which causes missed meaning: Confusioncaused by the fact that the same word may evoke different meanings for different people | W.C. might mean “wayside chapel” to a Swiss person and “water closet” to a British person (Americans know this as “the bathroom”) | • When speaking: provide specific examples. • When listening: ask questions to clarify the meaning |
| Lack of clarity: Inappropriate or imprecise use of words | Sign in Acapulco Hotel: “The manager has personally passed all the water served here.” | • When speaking: use precise language whenever possible; provide short, specific examples or indicate the probability of something happening: “There's a 40 percent change I won't go shopping today.” • When listening: paraphrase the message to ensure you understand it correctly |
| Not being specific and using Allness language: Tendency to lump things or people into all-encompassing category | “All Texans drive pick-up trucks and hang rifles in their back windows. ” | • When speaking: say to me before you offer a generalization, to indicate that the idea or perception is your own. Index a generalized statement by using phrases that separate one situation, person, or example from another • When listening: ask the speaker whether he or she means to say that all situations or every person fits the generalization presented. |
| Static evaluation and not being aware of change: Labeling people, objects, or events without considering how things evolve | You still call your twenty-eight-year-old nephew a “juvenile delinquent” because he spray-painted your fence when he was eleven | • When speaking: place your observation in a time frame: “I thought he was a difficult child when he was in elementary school.” • When listening: Ask the speaker whether the observation remains true today or if the same generalization applies now. |
| Either/Or Polarization: Use of either/or terms (good or bad, right or wrong) | “You're either for me or against me” | • When speaking: avoid either/or terms and blaming something on a specific cause. • When listening: ask the speaker whether a statement really reflects an all-or-nothing either/or proposition. |
| Biased language: Use of language that reflects gender, racial, ethnic, age, ability, or class bias | “His mom is a mailman” | • When speaking: be mindful of how insensitive language can hurt someone. Avoid using labels or derogatory terms. • When listening: try to keep your emotions in check when others use inappropriate words or derogatory phrases. You can't control what others do or say, only what you do and say and how you react. Consider appropriately but assertively communicating that a word, label, or phrase offends you. |