VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY – HOCHIMINH CITY Student’s Full Name:

UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

Student ID: No.:
FACULTY OF ENGLISH LINGUISTICS AND LITERATURE
DEPARTMENT OF AMERICAN AND BRITISH
Class Code:
CULTURE AND LITERATURE Instructor:
Full-time Program

FINAL EXAMINATION
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Time Allotted: 60 minutes

Note: No materials or dictionaries are allowed.

ANSWER SHEET
Part I: Write A, B, C, or D. (2pts)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part II: Write T or F. (2pts)

11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

PART III. Write the letters from A to J. (2pts)

21. 22. 23. 24. 25.

26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

PART IV. Write your answers on the blank lines provided. (4pts)

1. Why do both Mark and Javier have such negative feelings?

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2. What does Hiro mean by “... I will do my best.”? What is the cultural problem?

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3. Why did the South Africans in Eastern Cape behave that way? How could Nick have avoided
such reactions by those South Africans?

4. Describe 3 aspects of Korean culture which are the result of the Confucian influence.

=== END OF TEST ===

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 Student’s Full Name: Student ID: No.:

FINAL EXAMINATION
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Time Allotted: 60 minutes
Part I: Choose the best answer to each of the following questions. Write your answers (A, B, C, or
D) ON THE ANSWER SHEET. (1pt)
1. How can intercultural communicators demonstrate cultural sensitivity when interacting with Japanese
individuals, considering honne and tatemae?
A. Directly ask personal questions to build rapport
B. Be bold and direct in expressing opinions
C. Pay attention to non-verbal cues and indirect communication
D. Ignore cultural norms and focus on individual preferences
2. Many South African languages, such as Xhosa and Zulu, incorporate clicking sounds. These sounds
are:
A. used primarily for emphasis or to express emotion.
B. only used in specific dialects or regional variations.
C. a recent development in South African languages.
D. part of the phonemic system of the language, distinguishing different words.
3. Korea’s relatively high Masculinity Index influences intercultural communication by .
A. Prioritizing cooperation and consensus-building
B. Valuing empathy and emotional expression
C. Emphasizing achievement, competition, and assertiveness
D. Encouraging a work-life balance and quality of life
4. Canadian humour is often described as
A. Aggressive and confrontational
B. Self-deprecating and ironic
C. Overly sensitive and easily offended
D. Loud and boisterous
5. When giving a gift to a Japanese person, it is considered polite to .
A. Give an expensive gift to show appreciation
B. Wrap the gift in bright, vibrant colours
C. Give a gift with your left hand or both hands
D. Give a gift immediately upon meeting someone
6. Canada is a multicultural country, and Canadians are generally .
A. Resistant to cultural diversity

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B. Open and tolerant of different cultures
C. Highly individualistic and self-reliant
D. Collectivist and group-oriented
7. “Face” is more important in than in .
A. the UK/China B. Germany/Mexico C. India/France D. Russia/Japan
8. According to Hofstede, what are the highest ranked values selected by American (short-term
orientation) executives?
A. freedom of expression, openness to new ideas and personal achievement
B. personal freedom, self reliance and self-discipline
C. freedom of expression, personal freedom and self reliance
D. individual rights, hard work and personal achievement
9. What is the “Tall Poppy Syndrome” in Autralian culture?
A. Deeply religious and conservative
B. A tendency to criticize and belittle successful people
C. A fear of failure
D. A strong work ethics
10. Australians often use humour, including self-deprecating humour, to .
A. Show respect and deference
B. Create social distance
C. Build rapport and lighten the mood
D. Assert dominance and authority
Part II: Decide whether each following statement is true (T) or false (F). Write your answers (T or
F) ON THE ANSWER SHEET. (2pts)
11. People with internal locus of control believe in fatalism. F
12. People from strong uncertainty avoidance don’t mind changes in their career and plans. F
13. People from restrained culture tend to adhere to strict social norms. T
14. Respect for seniority and high rank is an indication of large power distance. T
15. People from individualist cultures have a strong sense of harmony and “face”. F
16. Long-term orientation societies view societal change with suspicion. F
17. In ping pong communication style, people take turns in speaking and listening. T
18. People with detached communication style tend to discuss issues calmly and objectively. T
19. The second level of competence is conscious incompetence (troubling ignorance). T
20. People who have abstract communication style prefer to communicate by using stories,
metaphors and examples. F
Part III: Match the subject in the left column with its correct information in the right column. Write
the letter (A-M) ON THE ANSWER SHEET. Please note there are three extra options that do not
match any subject. (2pts)
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 21. Concrete A. An American businessperson who values direct communication and
communicators individual achievement.
22. Individualism B. The extreme transformation of ethnocentrism
23. Racism and C. To these people, it is rude to force their own feelings on the others
Colonialism

24. Universal behaviors D. Those that are linked to human instinct and applied in every
cultural situation.
25. Emotionally E. Conveying messages mainly through actual cases and real
restrained situations
communicators
26. Low-context culture F. The tendency to judge other cultures by the standards of one’s own
culture
27. Ethnocentrism G. The belief that all cultures are equally valid and should be
understood on their own terms
28 Cultural relativism H. The ability to effectively communicate and interact with people
from different cultural backgrounds
29. Intercultural I. A culture in which communication relies heavily on implicit
competence messages and context
30. Internal locus of J. A culture in which communication is explicit and relies heavily on
control verbal messages
K. “enjoy-the-moment” or YOLO attitude
L. A Japanese business meeting where decisions are made slowly and
consensus is prioritized.
M. A person who believes that s/he has control over his/her own
destiny and success.

KEY
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
E A B D C J F G H M

PART IV: Open questions. Write your answers ON THE ANSWER SHEET. (4pts)

1. Dialogue: A British executive, Mark, is in Mumbai for a partnership meeting with his Indian
counterpart, Jai.

Mark: “So, the meeting was set for 3:00, right? I was there, but no one else showed up until 3:30.”

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Jai: “Oh, yes! We needed some time to wrap up another discussion. Hope it wasn’t a problem.”
Mark: (Frustrated) “Well, I like to start on time and keep things moving. Could we be punctual
tomorrow?”
Jai: “Of course, no problem.” (But thinks Mark is rigid and rushed)

Question: Why do both Mark and Javier have such negative feelings?

Suggested Answer: The two people come from two cultures with different concepts of time. Jai views
time flexibly (polychronic), while Mark expects strict punctuality (monochronic). Mark sees the delay
as disrespectful, while Javier feels Mark is overly concerned with schedules, creating an underlying
tension.

2. Dialogue: An American manager, Emma, is giving feedback to her Japanese team member, Hiro, about
his project.

Emma: “Hiro, I think we need to improve this part. It’s not quite up to the standard we need.”
Hiro: (Pauses) “Thank you. I will do my best.”
Emma: “Great. So can we plan for a complete overhaul by next Monday?”
Hiro: (Looking uncomfortable) “I think we may need some more time.”

Question: What does Hiro mean by “... I will do my best.”? What is the cultural problem?

Suggested Answer: Hiro means he may not be able to finish by Monday. The cultural problem is that
Hiro is from an indirect culture (high-context) so he is just making an implicit suggestion. However,
Emma is from a direct culture (low-context), so she relies on his verbal language and interprets his
answer as reluctant agreement. Emma leaves thinking Hiro agreed, but Hiro is unsure how to say “no”
directly without seeming disrespectful.

3. Situation: Nick Mills, an English Canadian, had worked hard to become the top sales representative of
the IT company he worked for. When the company received an invitation from a firm in South Africa to
make a marketing presentation for them, Nick was chosen to go to Eastern Cape (South Africa). Nick had
set up an appointment to make his presentation the afternoon he arrived. Upon arrival he was met by the
host firm who told him the presentation was postponed for two days to give Nick a chance to rest and see
the sites. Nick insisted he was fit and ready for the presentation and pressed to have it that afternoon.
Eventually it was put back to the original slot but Nick noticed that none of the executives at the meeting
seemed interested. At the end of the meeting, the South African Vice President suggested they all meet
again in two days.

Question: Why did the South Africans in Eastern Cape behave that way? How could Nick have avoided
such reactions by those South Africans?

Suggested Answer: The South Africans’ initial offer to delay the presentation for two days was their
way of allowing enough time to get to know Nick. As Nick was a 'stranger', none of the South African
executives felt the desire to engage with him right away. South Africans are collectivists and value

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 relationships, so they need more time to build up relationships before they can do business (with
someone they do not know well yet).
Nick could have avoided this reaction by accepting the South African executives’ suggestion, i.e.
postponing the presentation, so that he would have more time getting to know his potential business
partners better and building up their trust in him.

4. Describe 3 aspects of Korean culture which are the result of the Confucian influence.

Suggested Answer:
The Koreans’ traditional esteem for decorum, courtesy, and propriety --> the Chinese long ago
described Korea as “the Eastern country of courteous people”.
Widespread respect for those who are older
The idea of male superiority & female subordination

=== END OF TEST ===

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