News & Views
Arabs moving to an Anglo Metropolis
The heart or the mind
Is it more persuasive to appeal to the heart or to the mind? The many distinct groups of people whose first language is Arabic are often said to consider the heart first.
Cross-cultural communication experts say these groups, broadly labelled as Arab, tend to believe that people, not data, logic or evidence, are what make things happen. This is also why they value networking highly.
In the public arenas I get to, the native English raconteur generally includes an aside or a quick joke as a seemingly incidental opinion on something but actually in order to point out their slant on the topic. This is quite common even in formal speeches.
Well, it may not always be the case in Arabic speech. For him or her, a flippant tone suggests you shouldn't take what's said too seriously.
It's hard for non-Arabs to appreciate that tone can be as important as content: only serious tone equals serious message.
Equally, tone that lacks strength is seen as a result of intention that lacks strength to an Arab. A forceful voice with vocal variety is not only captivating but appears more determined to those from the Middle East, while a restrained Anglo-Celtic talker in a business setting may be interpreted by their Arab counterpart as lacking in commitment or intention.
Classical Arabic is highly esteemed. It was the medium by which the Prophet communicated with God. It's a stylistic language and those speakers who exploit this level of the language are usually seen as more eloquent, educated and persuasive. This affects all Arabs regardless of their religion. There is an almost spiritual quality to words in the Middle East - words are sometimes thought to almost be able to influence through their own power.
That's why blessings are enjoyed widely and cursing or even criticising is avoided particularly where social networks are strong. Communicators from the Middle East are often taken aback by the vulgarity or insensitive criticism commonly heard in western media. Meanwhile, the native English speaker sometimes interprets this reticence to badmouth as a kind of superstition.
Native English speakers do not often have such high regard for lyrical and poetic communication. Many non-British English speakers are wary of communicators who possess both charm and talent for words. Eloquence is sometimes seen as unscrupulous rhetoric deserving to be cut down, as seen in Australia, New Zealand and western North America's 'tall poppy syndrome', or in the efforts of the Plain English Campaign worldwide. As a result of this trend, the eloquent and well-meaning Arab may sometimes be mistaken for being shifty or boring.
Manners or no manners
Popular thinking has it that Arabs are more polite than Anglo-Celtic westerners.
They are said to be more understated in their appreciation of property, for example, potentially leading to funny or awkward situations. The most commonly cited one is the foreigner admiring a possession - "I love that piece. Where did you find it?" - the host subsequently offering it to his western guest rather than experiencing envy over it. Quickly, the Arab realises Europeans like to compliment each other on their fine taste.
In conversation, the giving of compliments is also considered to be basic manners. Westerners may sometimes interpret this to mean the other participant has a covert agenda and is being overly nice to serve a certain end.
In the same light, if criticism is due, an Arab may euphemise or deliver it via a third person: basic good manners to the Arab. In today's brutally honest business world, this may inhibit the recipient fully understanding the complaint.
For the same reason, public confessions or confessions from anyone who is little more than an acquaintance may seem disturbing to a Middle Easterner.
In a precedent of apology and openness set in the nineties by Bill Clinton accused of sexual harassment, and then by many public relations and commercial communications people involved in crisis and image management, this has become arguably fashionable in the west - a phenomenon peculiar to many Arabs.
In fact, referring to personal matters such as one's family, particularly female members of the family, is not normally discussed in any depth with acquaintances or strangers.
Nor do Arabs tend to risk appearing nosy when talking about others' personal lives, particularly in delighting in another's misfortune. Communication is a respectful business to Arabs and the Arabic speaker takes pride in being humble and does not blow his or her own trumpet unless asked to.
High-context communication in today's world
The various Arabic cultures back home in the Middle East, the Gulf and Northern Africa, and even to some extent in many a western metropolis, are generally described as what anthropologist Edmond Hall termed high-context. High-context cultures are simply that: participants in communication enjoy a greater mutual or collective unspoken understanding of circumstances.
In low-context cultures such as those found in Germany, Switzerland, Scandinavia and Anglo North America, people rely much more heavily on documentation, contractual agreements and other 'externally articulated' information do go about their more individualised daily lives; whilst in high-context cultures, such as many (but not all) Asian and African communities, there is a greater emphasis on reputation, knowing someone's family, identifying collectively as a group and mutually and silently understanding the terms of a deal.
Certain elements of Middle Eastern conversation might be more indirect than Anglo-Celtic westerners are used to: as high-context communicators, they may rely heavily on mutually understood references and norms whose leaps of inference may confuse a non-Arab. Subtle shades of meaning are extracted by being part of or understanding the context: shared modern mythology and mutually understood customs, loyalties or humour.
This especially applies where topics are sensitive or potentially upsetting. Euphemism is more widespread for Arabs than Anglo-Celts.
'Laying it on the line' in the American way is quite simply rude in many Arab cultures. It would seem very coarse to an Arab to be struck with a direct message when he or she was expecting a more crafted approach, and in the same token, progressive Anglo-Celtics are sometimes irritated when they hear time-wasting circumlocution and not plain English.
Frequent anecdotes may be annoying to the Westerner wanting to get to the point without waffle. Still, to the Arab, anecdotes make information or issues less intangible and more real. Arabs also tend to take a circular approach to ideas in an argument rather than the modern English standard linear style.
Global communication
Such divergence in communication styles can lead to difficulties for global operators. Would native English speakers ever have thought their version of the mother tongue would become a minority to other versions?
As the proportion of non-native English speakers in the world expands, the very idea of English is becoming synonymous with diversity. As a result, cross-cultural influence on the language is huge. Mixed mother tongue linguistic influence is fast becoming a universal feature of English.
Of course, this is all partly due to the global expansion of markets. As most major corporations are sensibly embracing employee pluralism, we charge into a new generation of communication needs.
Yet, at both a personal or company level, vast amounts of money and time can be saved with improved cross-cultural interest and understanding. By getting to the bottom of cross-cultural pitfalls, communicators can understand each other's intentions, avoid feeling affronted and share meaning more effectively.
So, what can native speakers of English specifically do to ensure shared meaning is maximised when dealing with people from the Middle East?
The answer is quite simple, as any effective international manager, cross-cultural trainer or advanced Language Coach will tell you.
Rapport is elemental to communication in high-context cultures, so demonstrate good-will and respect by providing all participants with your full attention. As you explain something, always be ready to paraphrase it in a couple of ways to ensure the listener has a second chance to catch it. Stop, relax and breathe more often to allow him or her a chance for quick contemplation on unfamiliar expressions. Of course, cut down on in-crowd cultural reference, related puns, unfinished sayings, colloquial language and other word play that only native speakers 'get'. As English becomes 'owned' by second-language speakers, this type of language is becoming the language of yesterday.
Tony Corballis, 2004
