Context & Essay WritingContext & Essay Writing•High & Low Context Cultures•Discussion & Reflection•Implications for writing in English

Handout Handout Read the cultural characteristics

and decide if they belong to Korean or American culture.

Based on the definitions above, look at the cultural characteristics and decide if they are representative of high or low context cultures.

High Context vs Low High Context vs Low ContextContextHigh context implies that a lot of

unspoken information is implicitly transferred (not directly expressed; understood) during communication. 

Low context implies that a lot of information is exchanged explicitly (directly stated) through the message itself and rarely is anything implicit or hidden.

QuestionsQuestions

1. Is Korea a high context culture or a low context culture?2. Is the US a high context culture or a low context culture?3. What other countries have you been to that you noticed were high/low context cultures?

Examples of Low Context Examples of Low Context CulturesCulturesAustralian Canadian BritishFinnish German Irish New Zealand Scandinavia Switzerland United States (excluding the Southern United

States)

Examples of High Context Examples of High Context CulturesCulturesAfrican Arab Brazilian Chinese Filipinos French

Canadian French Greek Hawaiian Hungarian Indian Italian Japanese Korean Latin Americans Portuguese Russian Southern US Spanish Thai Turkish Vietnamese Indonesian

How does this affect How does this affect writing?writing?

High context culture High context culture Many things are left unsaid, letting the culture

explain. Words and word choice become very important in higher-context communication, since a few words can communicate a complex message very effectively to an in-group (but less effectively outside that group).

Typically relational, collectivist, intuitive, and contemplative. 

Place a high value on interpersonal relationships and group members are a very close knit community

Tends to be more common in the Asian cultures than in European, and in countries with low racial diversity

Low-context culture Low-context culture In a low-context culture, the

communicator needs to be much more explicit and the value of a single word is less important

tends to explain things further, and it is thought that this may be related to the need to accommodate individuals with a wide variety of backgrounds.

TASK: What differences are you aware of between the TASK: What differences are you aware of between the style features of Korean academic (essay) writing and style features of Korean academic (essay) writing and English writing? Work with your group to list as many English writing? Work with your group to list as many

differences as you can in the space below. differences as you can in the space below.

ENGLISH WRITING KOREAN WRITING

Implications for ESL/EFL Implications for ESL/EFL writing:writing:#1 Directness#1 Directness

The emphasis on directness in low context (western) cultures means that speakers & writers of English coming from high context (Korean) backgrounds will be under pressure not only to use a second or foreign language, but to shift cultural communication styles.

Indirectness in professional or academic writing is considered poor style in low context cultures.

Implications for ESL/EFL Implications for ESL/EFL writing:writing:#2 Clarity#2 ClarityIn a low context (English speaking)

culture, the pressure is upon the speaker or writer to ensure that the message is clear – if the listener or reader has to work hard to ‘decode’ or understand the meaning, then the speaker or writer will be considered a poor communicator.

Writers from high context cultures often struggle stylistically with writing in English, receiving feedback that their thesis (opinion, main point) is not clear, and that their points are not stated clearly enough, not supported in enough detail or not illustrated with enough examples.

Cultural Communication Styles & Cultural Communication Styles & Academic WritingAcademic Writing1. Are any of the differences identified in class

today between English and Korean writing related to differences between high and low context cultural communication styles?

2. How could being from a ‘high’ context culture like Korea possibly affect your style of writing in English?

3. What, if anything, do you think EFL writers can gain from reflection on cultural logic?

Logic & CultureLogic & CultureIn High Context Cultures… Much information and significance is contained in the

physical context (age, relationships, dress, gender, setting, facial expression). Relationships are very important.

Rules are often implicit (understood, rather than directly stated).

Contracts are not all important and may not be very detailed.

Directness & self disclosure may be offensive (lack of respect, losing face).

Flexibility is expected in all situations, change is normal. Listening and reading effectively require knowledge of

the context clues, and it is usually the responsibility of listeners or readers to consider the context carefully, not simply the words written or spoken.

Logic & CultureLogic & CultureIn Low Context Cultures… Important information is contained in the explicit

message (the words used, spoken or written). Words are used for their literal meaning.

Relationships, while still important, have less significance than words, contracts, facts or objective information.

Rules are explicit (stated directly) in work and public life, exceptions are not usually made.

Contracts are binding (not flexible). Indirectness and flexibility may be a sign of

deviousness or untrustworthiness. Speakers and writers should make an effort to be clear

and ensure that listeners and readers can easily follow their meaning. Confusion is often considered to be a result of poor communication by the speaker or writer.