Intercultural Communication

Chinese-Canadian conversations were video-taped and micro-analysed. Intriguing findings include the following. 1) The listeners recalled 50% of the information presented by the speakers. 2) Communication broke down when the speaker was Canadian and the listener was Chinese---there was minimal coordination on process and content. 3) The Chinese looked less frequently and in shorter durations at their partners than the Canadians, indicating a strong cultural difference in gaze behaviours. 4) Backchannel responses such as nodding, okay and uhm might have served as misleading feedback. These findings should be of great interest and curiosity to those who work, study and do business in China to avoid pitfalls and obtain success!

Autorentext

Han Zao Li is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Northern British Columbia. Her research articles have appeared in forefront journals including the European Journal of Social Psychology. She has also published a historical novel, The Water Lily Pond, which is now translated into German and published in Germany.