study guide

1. Lesson 1
Culture and Communication

2. Learning Competencies
This lesson serves as a prerequisite lesson for the following
DepEd competency:
● Define intercultural communication (EN11/12OC-
Ia7).
● Show sensitivity to one’s culture (EN11/12OC-
Ia7.1). .

3. Objectives
At the end of this lesson, the learner should be able to:
● Define intercultural communication.
● Demonstrate how cultural knowledge can help
facilitate communication.

4. Essential Question
Why is knowledge of one’s culture important in effective
communication?

5. Warm Up
Warp of the Worlds
1. Let us suppose that you became one of the characters in
your favorite foreign TV show.
2. Imagine yourself interacting with the characters in a
particular scene while retaining your own identity. For
instance, if you are a teenage Filipino in real life, then you
will be mingling with the other characters using this
identity.

6. Warm Up
Warp of the Worlds
Guide Questions:
● What is happening in the scene you chose?
● How would you relate to the other characters?
● In turn, how does your own culture and identity affect the
way you would interact with them?

7. 1. culture (noun) — a system of knowledge, customs, and beliefs shared by a group
comprised of a relatively large number of individuals
Even a subgroup within a nation has its own particular culture.
2. Confucian (adjective) — pertains to the teachings of Confucius, a Chinese
philosopher
Confucian teachings are still practiced in East Asian countries.
3. hierarchy (noun) — a system of social order wherein people or groups are classified
as higher or lower than the others
Traditionally, companies follow a clear hierarchy to establish a clear chain of command.
Unlocking of Difficulty

8. 4. honorifics (noun) — terms used as a sign of respect when addressing
others
Honorifics are usually attached to names of elected officials.
5. save face (verb) — an action meant to avoid losing respect for oneself
One way of saving face is offering gifts to people whom we have offended.
Unlocking of Difficulty

9. Learn about It!
Intersections of culture and communication
● Culture — the system of knowledge; shared by a relatively large number
of individuals.
● Culture is created, learned, and shared.
● Intercultural communication — interaction between two or more
people from different cultures; shows the dynamics of culture and
communication
● Intercultural communication develops self-awareness.

10. Learn about It!
Why is cultural knowledge important in communication?
Stacy, an American, went to Seoul, South Korea to watch her
favorite K-pop group live. There, she stayed in the house of Kim
Yu Na, a Korean friend she met online. She is surprised to notice
that Yu Na calls her older brother “Hyung” and her older sister
“Nuna.” This is foreign to her because she calls her siblings on a
first name basis.

11. Learn about It!
Why is cultural knowledge important in communication?
● South Korea is influenced by Confucian teachings.
● Social hierarchy is observed.
● Americans value individual freedoms and equality.

12. Learn about It!
Why is cultural knowledge important in communication?
Gordon, an Australian vlogger, visited the home of Ka Berto, a
farmer living in Nueva Ecija to film a feature on Philippine
agriculture. When he arrived, Ka Berto immediately asked him
to partake in a meal. Because he is in such a hurry, he told her
that he should begin shooting right away. Ka Berto and his
family were offended by this gesture.

13. Learn about It!
Why is cultural knowledge important in communication?
● Filipinos show hospitality by giving meals.
● If Filipinos or other Asians feel embarrassed, they usually
try to save face.

14. Drills
Identify the term that best completes each sentence.
1. ___________________ is the system of knowledge that is shared by a
particular group composed of a relatively large number of individuals.
2. ___________________ is communication between individuals who have
different cultures.
3. Through ___________________ with others, culture is created, learned, and
shared.
4. There exists a dynamic ___________________ between culture and
communication.

15. Drills
Identify the term that best completes each sentence.
5. To engage in intercultural communication, participants should
essentially understand the concept of ___________________.
6. Knowing who you are and in which cultural and social group you
belong will enable you to relate better to others and to show
___________________ to them.
7. When you identify yourself as being part of a particular culture, you
should share certain ___________________ with members of that group.

16. Drills
Identify the term that best completes each sentence.
8. Without communication, there is no way of ___________________ and
9. ___________________ cultural characteristics from one person, place, and
time to another.
10.The way you communicate with others is largely influenced by your
___________________ of them. (view)

17. Drills
Read the following situation.
Sarah and Mark are both tourists in Bangkok, Thailand. They are taking a
walk and
seeing the sights when they pass by a small group of monks. Upon seeing
them,
Sarah puts her hands together in a sort of praying motion and bows
deeply
toward them. Mark is confused, but he copies her. After they walk a little
further
away, Mark turns to Sarah.

18. Drills
Mark: What was that about?
Sarah: Oh, the gesture I did? That’s called a wai.
Mark: Is it a greeting?
Sarah: Yes, but it’s more than that. It’s a show of respect, too. In Thailand,
you
should do that when you greet people and to show reverence to holy
people and
places. They also make the gesture in front of images of their king.
Mark: I see! I’ll be sure to remember that.

19. Drills
1. In the given situation, who do you think made more of an effort at good
intercultural communication?
2. In the narration, Sarah teaches Mark the appropriate use of the wai. She
first demonstrated the gesture when she encountered the monks.
Which use of the wai did she demonstrate?
3. How do you think Mark demonstrated his own effort at good
intercultural communication?

20. Drills
4. As a tourist, what do you think Sarah did to prepare for their trip to
Thailand to ensure good intercultural communication?
5. What was the main benefit of Sarah’s studying of the culture before
they went to Thailand?

21. Drills
In three to five sentences, write about what you would do to prepare for a trip to
another country to ensure that you will have good intercultural communication
with the locals.
Criteria Score
Content
(Focus on details/events are clearly evident; all the details are clearly related to the
topic) 2 pts.
Organization
(Logical progression of details/events; clear transitions between ideas) 2 pts.
Language
(Use of proper spelling, mechanics, grammar, and word choice) 1 pt.

22. Key Points
● Culture refers to the system of knowledge shared by a
people, and it is created, learned, and shared through
communication.
● Awareness of several cultures can help us communicate
respect and develop mutual understanding.

23. As a senior high school student, how does learning about
intercultural communication prepare you for possible
study and career opportunities abroad?
Values Integration

24. Synthesis
Country Skits
1. Form groups of three. A country will be assigned to each group.
2. Research on the customs and etiquette of your assigned
country, either at the library or online.
3. Come up with a script for a skit set in the country assigned to you;
apply what you have learned about intercultural communication.
4. Rehearse your short skit.

25. Synthesis
5. You are given five minutes to perform your skit.
6. Then, reflect on the following questions:
a. How did you feel about doing research on the culture of the
country assigned to you? Was it interesting?
b. In what ways are the assigned country’s customs similar to or
different from ours?
c. If a tourist in our country would act rudely, how would you feel?
d. Why is it important to learn about a country’s culture and customs
before visiting it?

26. 1. Think of the country that you would like to visit the most.
2. Research on that country’s customs and etiquette.
3. Pretend that you own a travel agency specializing in that country.
4. Create a brochure for prospective tourists; it should include
important details about the country, such as:
a. basic greetings
b. important customs
c. dining etiquette
Assignment

27. Bibliography
Arent, Russell. “An Introduction to Intercultural Communication.” The University of Michigan
Press. 2009. Accessed December 15, 2016.
https://www.press.umich.edu/ pdf/9780472033577-ch1.pdf.
Dunn, Daniel M., and Lisa J. Goodnight. 2003. Communication: Embracing Difference. Boston:
Allyn & Bacon.
Hybels, Saundra, and Richard Weaver II. 2011. Communicating Effectively. 10th ed. New York:
McGraw-Hill.
Neuliep, James W. 2011. Intercultural Communication: A Contextual Approach. 5th ed. Thousand
Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Texas A&M University. “Culture.” Accessed April 22, 2018.
https://www.tamu.edu/faculty/choudhury/culture.html.