Blog #5: Post-Service

     One thing I know for sure is that I will never forget the Ling family and all the wonderful Sundays that I spent with them. The Ling's are such wonderful, caring people and they taught me more than I could ever ask for. On the surface, the visits may have seemed like simple ESL lessons yet they were so much more. When fluent language is not a valid option for communication, it teaches the value of all the other aspects of communication. Until taking this course I had never given much thought about all the details of interpersonal communication, however when given the opportunity to experience intercultural communication first-hand; these details become extremely present and of the utmost importance.
     Some themes I noticed over the course of my visits with the Ling's were various aspects of nonverbal language, the uses of the perception process and a confirmation of the linguistic relativism theory. The main thing that I noticed about nonverbal language is that it is in many ways universal and can convey messages across cultures in ways that verbal language can not. A simple facial expression can emote a powerful message even when words fail. A smile or look of confusion would quickly clear up any misunderstandings of what someone was saying. Seeing the Ling family use the selection, organization, interpretation and negotiation steps of the perception process in many of my visits was really quite unique. I was able to see how a person takes new material, in this case a new language, and attempts to make sense of it in terms of their own realities. Perception varies across cultures as well as across individuals. Ester and Lion did not always make sense of things in the same way but were still able to eventually work out the same concept. I also came to the conclusion that linguistic relativism as opposed to linguistic determinism plays a key role in how people communicate across cultures. Language does predispose us to perceive the world in a particular way, yet it does not set limits on our understanding of the world and of each other. The Ling family was able to laugh at the jokes in the film Finding Nemo in the same manner that  Liz and I did. This alone shows that language is not a barrier but simply just one of many lenses through which we view the world.
         This experience will shape my future interpersonal and intercultural experiences by serving as a positive memory to look back on and be reminded of all the elements to keep in mind when communicating with others. In all aspects of my life this experience will remind me to be mindful of the various backgrounds, perceptions and realities of others. It will remind me to not be ethnocentric and to take into account that how I see the world may be very different than the way others do. I will know that this diversity is a positive thing and that it does not have to be a limitation or barrier to communication. As a Psychology major, I am fascinated by how humans think and  expect to work with people from many different cultures in my future career. I also plan to travel and experience other cultures first hand and so this course has definitely helped prepare me to be a competent intercultural communicator.

Blog #4: Perception is everything

     The last couple of visits to the Ling Family have really gotten me thinking about how culture has the ability to influence an individual's perception of the world. As per usual, with each visit my partner and I worked with the Ling family on a variety of subjects that involve lots of intercultural communication. We again labeled things around the house, filled out practice applications, played around with money, tried out math problems and practiced reading. On our most recent visit we decided to watch a movie with the family. We chose "Finding Nemo" due to the fact that it has a simple storyline, has lots of English language references and of course is just an overall enjoyable film. It was such a great experience to watch this family whose native language is not English, laugh at and appreciate the jokes in the film.  It really displayed the progress they are making in learning not only the English language but also some of the cultural behaviors of those native to the United States. We talked about the film after it was finished and everyone really seemed to enjoy the story. Even when there was confusion about the verbal language in the film, Ester and her husband were able to pick up on the nonverbal cues that advanced the plotline. While many cultural perceptions are language based, it seems that basic emotions are universal.
     Since verbal language can sometimes be difficult with the Ling family as they are still learning conversational English; many nonverbal cues have been used to assist with translating a message. Repeating, substituting, complementing and accenting are the forms I most often observed when communicating with the family. Many things are said over and over again and lots of facial expressions and hand gestures are used to effectively get a thought across.
    I have also observed some varying nonverbal codes that the Ling family use that are sometimes similar or dissimilar to those typically found in the Midwest. For instance I find that the Ling family has a similar relationship to kinesics, paralanguage, haptics and physical appearance as those in the Midwest. They use the same facial expressions as everyone else I know, as well as using the same types of tones to express emotion. However I have noticed that their relationships to chronemics and proxemics seems to differ a bit. They seem to not have as tight a schedule as many Americans do; they are usually in the middle of something when Liz and I arrive even though we show up at the same time every Sunday. I would perceive this as being less future-orientated than many typical Americans. I also noticed that they are very open with proxemics or personal space; they always invite us to sit with them on the floor and have no problem being in such a close space with us. This behavior actually gives off a warm and affectionate attitude and I do believe it is a behavior that many Americans lack.
     I see and perceive the world through a lens, one that is crafted by the English language and various American cultural values and behaviors. As my visits with the Ling family near their end (if only for a while) I have learned that while cultural differences can sometimes seem extreme, there are always similarities to be found. There is always a way to communicate across cultures and the Linguistic Relativism theory holds much more weight than that of the Linguistic Determinism. In future interactions of intercultural communication I will be sure to keep this in mind as I try to see how others perceive the world.