Burapha University International Conference, BUU-2014

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Cross-cultural Conflict Resolution (CCCR) in the ASEAN Community: Interpersonal Discourse Skills for Cross-cultural Communication
William M Richeson

Last modified: 2014-06-02

Abstract


In the ASEAN community, ‘Global’ English is used in service encounters and negotiations in diverse industries from hospitality to international medicine. ASEAN businesses and service industries depend on English for cross-cultural communication. However, the cultural factors that cause communication breakdowns and cross-cultural conflicts and misunderstandings persist, and English language proficiency alone has not resolved these culturally affected cross-cultural conflicts. This paper and presentation extend work from a growing number of studies outlining and applying aspects of communication process particularly suited to cross-cultural communication. Non-violent Communication (NVC) (Rosenberg 2003) and other communication pragmatics have been synthesized and presented to on-the-job professionals in ASEAN countries. This presentation will suggest ways that English instruction in Thailand and other ASEAN countries could include these humanitarian pragmatics for cross-cultural conflict resolution to prepare young professionals for on-the-job English needs. Data analysis includes the methods of Appraisal Theorists (AT) and linguists using Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). In the data analysis, intercultural discourse pragmatics are shown to lessen the impact of social forces and power relationships and improve cross-cultural conflict resolution skills in participants’ discourse. From the educational view, English courses which include humanistic, global English features can help students be communicatively adept at handling cross-cultural and interpersonal conflicts in the workplace

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