Bridging Cultures: Communicative Experiences along Chinese, English, and German

“Pardon?” A Chinese would rather politely say 不好意思 or «I am sorry, I did not listen exactly”. Instead of an impolite 啥？(What) one would reply in a neutral way 能再说一遍吗 or «Could you repeat that».You might be surprised how differently Chinese speakers handle difficulties of understanding each other. All the more so in case of thanking, apologising, declining something, criticising, shaking hands or exchanging business cards. Haiwen Dong, a linguistics graduate describes his experiences in Chinese, English, or German interaction, and offers some practical suggestions for being polite and courteous in spoken, nonverbal, and written communication.Reading time: 14 minRead more ...

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