On Cultural Barrier Problems in English Writing

As the cross-cultural communication activities have become increasingly frequent,teaching of writing,one of cross-cultural communication activities,sets“developing students’cross-cultural awareness”as one of its goals.However,traditional language teaching,which focuses on linguistic knowledge rather than cultural knowledge,results in the cultural barrier problems among students.This paper analyzes the manifestation of cultural barriers from the aspect of language and puts forward some corresponding approaches and methods.

A Study on How to Overcome Cultural Barriers in the Sino-US Business English Negotiations

With the growing popularity of intercultural communication, business English Negotiation between China and the United States has also increased. Negotiators will meet many communication barriers of language and culture during the process.If handled improperly, it will affect the outcome of the negotiations and the following cooperation. Thus, a profound understanding of the characteristics of business English negotiations and cultural barriers is indispensible.For different obstacles, summing up the appropriate negotiation strategies can be twice the result with half the effort, which will actively promote business English communication and negotiation.

Emergency physician's perception of cultural and linguistic barriers in immigrant care:results of a multiple-choice questionnaire in a large Italian urban emergency department

BACKGROUND: A poor communication with immigrants can lead to inappropriate use of healthcare services, greater risk of misdiagnosis, and lower compliance with treatment. As precise information about communication between emergency physicians(EPs) and immigrants is lacking, we analyzed difficulties in communicating with immigrants in the emergency department(ED) and their possible associations with demographic data, geographical origin and clinical characteristics.METHODS: In an ED with approximately 85 000 visits per year, a multiple-choice questionnaire was given to the EPs 4 months after discharge of each immigrant in 2011.RESULTS: Linguistic comprehension was optimal or partial in the majority of patients. Signifi cant barriers were noted in nearly one fourth of patients, for only half of them compatriots who were able to translate. Linguistic barriers were mainly found in older and sicker patients; they were also frequently seen in patients coming from western Africa and southern Europe. Non-linguistic barriers were perceived by EPs in a minority of patients, more frequently in the elderly and frequent attenders. Factors independently associated with a poor f inal comprehension led to linguistic barriers, non-linguistic obstacles, the absence of intermediaries, and the presence of patient's fear and hostility. The latter probably is a consequence, not the cause, of a poor comprehension.CONCLUSION: Linguistic and non-linguistic barriers, although quite infrequent, are the main factors that compromise communication with immigrants in the ED, with negative effects especially on elderly and more seriously ill patients as well as on physician satisfaction and appropriateness in using services.

Volunteers breaking cultural barriers

A growing number of young Chinese are visiting Africa as unpaid workers and engaging more with people from countries across the continent.In 2014,a friend told Yin Binbin about the bleak lives of the residents of Mathare,a slum area in Nairobi,the capital of Kenya.As he listened,an idea occurred to Yin-then a sophomore at Shandong University