Outline: ESP and Intercultural Rhetoric

by William Rozycki and Ulla Connor

I. Introduction to Intercultural Rhetoric

A. Definition of Intercultural Rhetoric

 Intercultural rhetoric studies communication between people from different cultures.

 It examines spoken and written texts across languages and cultures.

Simple Explanation:

It studies how culture affects the way people speak and write.

B. Purpose of Intercultural Rhetoric

 Helps teachers and learners understand cultural differences in communication.

 Identifies helpful and harmful influences of first language and culture.

Simple Explanation:

It helps people avoid misunderstandings caused by cultural differences.

C. Importance in ESP

 Students and professionals often communicate internationally.

 Cultural differences can affect academic writing, business communication, and negotiations.

Simple Explanation:

People from different cultures may organize ideas differently, so understanding this improves communication.

II. Early Development of Intercultural Rhetoric

A. Robert Kaplan’s Contribution

Robert Kaplan

 In 1966, Kaplan studied essays written by ESL students.

 He found that students transferred writing patterns from their first language into English.

Simple Explanation:

Students often write English using patterns from their native language.

B. Kaplan’s Famous Diagram

 English writing = straight and direct

 Oriental writing = circular pattern

Simple Explanation:

Kaplan believed cultures organize writing differently.

C. Criticism of Kaplan’s Work

 Oversimplified cultures

 Treated cultures as fixed and uniform

Simple Explanation:

Not everyone from the same culture writes the same way.

III. Development from Contrastive Rhetoric to Intercultural Rhetoric

A. Contrastive Rhetoric

 Compared writing styles between languages and cultures.

Simple Explanation:

Researchers compared how different cultures write.

B. Connor’s Contribution

Ulla Connor

 Expanded the field through her book Contrastive Rhetoric (1996).

 Added ideas from:

o genre analysis

o literacy studies

o rhetoric

o translation studies

Simple Explanation:

Connor made the field broader and more interdisciplinary.

C. Shift to Intercultural Rhetoric

 Focus moved from only texts to:

o social context

o interaction
 o negotiation between cultures

Simple Explanation:

Communication is now seen as a social activity, not just writing on paper.

IV. Understanding Culture in Intercultural Rhetoric

A. Large Cultures vs Small Cultures

Adrian Holliday

Large Cultures

 National or ethnic cultures

Small Cultures

 Classroom culture

 Business culture

 Professional culture

Simple Explanation:

People belong to many cultures at the same time.

B. Importance for ESP

 Students may share a profession but differ in age, gender, or nationality.

Simple Explanation:

Even people in the same field communicate differently because of their backgrounds.

V. Main Principles of Intercultural Rhetoric

A. Texts Must Be Studied in Context

 Writing depends on audience, purpose, and culture.

Simple Explanation:

You cannot fully understand writing without understanding the situation behind it.

B. Communication Involves Negotiation

 People adjust language during interaction.

Simple Explanation:

Communication is flexible and changes depending on the people involved.

 Writing practices come from social and cultural experiences.

Simple Explanation:

Culture shapes how people learn to write.

VI. Genre Analysis in Intercultural Rhetoric

A. What is Genre Analysis?

John Swales

 Studies specific text types like:

o research articles

o grant proposals

o sales letters

Simple Explanation:

Genre analysis studies how different text types are organized.

B. Importance

 Researchers compare the same genre across cultures.

Simple Explanation:

Comparing similar text types makes research more accurate.

VII. Examples of Research Studies

A. Research Articles

Findings:

 Finnish writers use fewer connectors.

 Spanish writers use less personal engagement.

 English writers use more persuasive language.

Simple Explanation:

Different cultures use different writing styles in academic papers.

B. Business Communication

Findings:

 American sales letters are personal.

Simple Explanation:

Business communication reflects cultural values.

C. Recommendation Letters

Findings:

 Americans use personal stories.

 Germans focus on facts.

 British writers include small criticisms.

Simple Explanation:

Different cultures recommend people differently.

D. Websites and Multimodality

 Chilean students struggled with English website layouts.

Simple Explanation:

Even webpage design can differ culturally.

VIII. Research Methods in Intercultural Rhetoric

A. Planning Research

Researchers:

1. choose a topic

2. review literature

3. create research questions

4. collect data

5. conduct pilot studies

Simple Explanation:

Research follows organized steps.

B. Tertium Comparationis

 Means a common basis for comparison.

Simple Explanation:

Texts being compared must be truly similar.

Researchers compare:

 genre

 audience

 purpose

 subject matter

 expertise level

Simple Explanation:

Fair comparison requires similar conditions.

IX. Corpus Linguistics in Intercultural Rhetoric

A. Use of Corpora

 Researchers collect large text databases for comparison.

Simple Explanation:

Corpora help researchers compare writing patterns scientifically.

B. Benefits

 Easier analysis

 More reliable findings

 Statistical comparison

Simple Explanation:

Technology allows researchers to study many texts quickly.

C. Warning Against Overgeneralization

 Not all writers follow the same patterns.

Simple Explanation:

Individuals still have personal writing styles.

X. Translingualism

A. Definition

 Writers combine different language and rhetorical styles.

Multilingual writers mix influences from multiple languages.

B. Importance

 Challenges strict English academic standards.

Simple Explanation:

Some writers intentionally use hybrid styles.

XI. Ethnographic and Semi-Ethnographic Research

A. Ethnographic Methods

Researchers use:

 interviews

 observations

 field notes

Simple Explanation:

Researchers study real-life communication situations.

B. Example: Book Reviews

 Spanish reviewers gave fewer criticisms than international reviewers.

Reason:

 Smaller academic communities create closer relationships.

Simple Explanation:

Culture and social relationships affect how criticism is expressed.

XII. Intercultural Rhetoric in Healthcare ESP

A. Importance

 Doctors and patients often come from different cultures.

Simple Explanation:

Miscommunication in healthcare can affect treatment.

B. Indiana University Health Program

Indiana University Health

 Train medical residents in intercultural communication

 Improve doctor-patient interaction

C. Workshop Activities

1. cultural simulations

2. role-playing

3. discussion of misunderstandings

Simple Explanation:

Residents practice handling cultural differences.

D. Assessment Tools

Residents were tested in:

 grammar

 speaking

 writing

 communication skills

 cultural understanding

Simple Explanation:

The program checks both language ability and cultural awareness.

E. Main Lessons for Medical Residents

 Speak simply

 Avoid too much medical jargon

 Check patient understanding

 Respect cultural differences

Simple Explanation:

Good healthcare communication requires cultural sensitivity.

XIII. Future Directions of Intercultural Rhetoric

A. More Genre Studies

Future studies may examine:

 conference presentations

 grant proposals

Simple Explanation:

Researchers will continue studying new forms of communication.

B. More Focus on Interaction

 Study conversations, revisions, negotiations, and feedback.

Simple Explanation:

Communication is more than just final written texts.

C. English as a Lingua Franca

 English is increasingly used internationally.

Simple Explanation:

Researchers will study how English changes in global communication.

D. Role in ESP

 Helps learners understand acceptable variation in communication.

Simple Explanation:

Students learn not only rules, but also how flexible communication can be.

XIV. Conclusion

A. Main Idea

Intercultural rhetoric studies how culture influences communication in academic and professional settings. It helps ESP
teachers and learners understand differences in writing, speaking, and interaction across cultures.

B. Overall Importance

 Improves international communication

 Helps avoid misunderstandings

 Supports successful academic and professional interaction

Simple Explanation:

Understanding cultural communication styles helps people communicate more effectively in global settings.