Crosscultural communications in English

МИНИСТЕРСТВО  СПОРТА  РОССИЙСКОЙ  ФЕДЕРАЦИИ 
 
СИБИРСКИЙ  ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ  УНИВЕРСИТЕТ  
ФИЗИЧЕСКОЙ  КУЛЬТУРЫ  И  СПОРТА 
 
 
 
 
 
 
К. Ю. Симонова, Ю. С. Елисеева 
 
 
 
 
Crosscultural communications in English 
 
Практикум 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Омск 2021 

УДК  811.111(075.8) 
ББК  6/8:80/84 
С37 
Рецензенты: 
канд. филол. наук, доцент кафедры иностранных языков  ФГАОУ ВО 
«РГУ нефти и газа (НИУ) имени И. М. Губкина» Н. В. Горохова; 
канд. филол. наук, доцент кафедры ОГД СибГУФК И. Л. Кучешева. 
 
Симонова, К. Ю.  Crosscultural communications in English : 
практикум / авторы-сост. К. Ю. Симонова, Ю. С. Елисеева ; 
Министерство спорта Российской Федерации, Сибирский государственный университет физической культуры и спорта. – 
Омск : СибГУФК, 2021. – 194 с. 
 
В издание включены аутентичные материалы (публикации англоязычных СМИ, видеолекции), направленные на формирование у студентов представления о сущности межкультурной коммуникации, ее закономерностях, а также трудностях, возникающих в процессе взаимодействия представителей различных народов. На основе текстов авторами 
составлены задания для отработки практических навыков. 
Пособие предназначено для студентов с уровнями владения английским языком B1 (Intermediate) и B2 (Upper-intermediate), обучающихся по 
направлениям подготовки бакалавров 49.03.02 «Физическая культура для 
лиц с отклонениями в состоянии здоровья», 43.03.02 «Туризм». 
 
УДК  811.111(075.8) 
ББК   6/8:80/84 
 
Рекомендовано к изданию 
редакционно-издательским советом ФГБОУ ВО СибГУФК 
 
 
©  ФГБОУ  ВО  СибГУФК,  2021 
© Симонова К. Ю., Елисеева Ю. С., 2021 
С37 

CONTENTS 
 
Foreward  
4 
UNIT I.  COMMUNICATION 
5 
UNIT II.  WHAT  IS  CULTURE? 
21 
UNIT III.  ENGLISH  AS  A  LINGUA  FRANCA 
37 
UNIT IV.  СULTURAL  SITUATIONS 
54 
UNIT V.  CULTURAL  STRATEGY 
72 
UNIT VI.  MASTERING  TO  SAY  “HELLO”  WORLD  WIDE 
92 
UNIT VII.  READING  BODY  LANGUAGE  AND  GESTURES 
108 
UNIT VIII.  EATING  HABITS  ACROSS  CULTURES 
128 
Conclusion 
153 
References 
154 
Appendix 1 
155 
Appendix 2 
158 
Appendix 3  
171 
Appendix 4  
175 

Foreward 
Due to the expansion of international ties and globalization, which has 
affected all aspects of life, a modern specialist needs intercultural communication skills in English. In the meantime, the active participation of people, 
countries and continents in the constructive dialogue of cultures is inextricably 
linked with communication, which leads to information enlargement, new 
technologies’ development and growth of business and personal contacts. Extending the professional knowledge needed to achieve success in life and 
business, effective crosscultural interaction skills help avoid conflicts and 
misunderstandings in various life situations. 
This publication corresponds to the Federal State Educational Standards 
of Higher Education and the Bachelor’s working program. This study guide 
consists of eight units, which provide authentic texts and communicative tasks 
for developing communication skills with representatives of different cultures. 
The appendicies contain materials on language reference, countries, 
their geographical locations, capitals, nationalities, official languages, currencies, giving general ideas of the English-speaking countries. 
The study guide contains unique QR codes with video links, which 
can become a good motivation to study English properly. It is necessary to use 
an electronic device with a camera, inslalled QR code reader and Internet access. 
 
 
 

UNIT I 
COMMUNICATION  
 
 
 
 
Ex. 1. Here some English sayings and proverbs about communication. What do the  sayings imply? Dis/agree with the quote. 
1. The more elaborate our means of  communication, the less we communicate. (Joseph Pristley) 
2. Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee and just as 
hard to sleep after. (Ann Morrow Lindberg) 
3. I have often regretted my speech, never my silence. (Anonymous) 
4. First learn the meaning of what you say, then speak (Epictetus) 
All noise is waste. So cultivate quietness in your speech, in your 
thoughts, in your emotions. Speak habitually slow. Wait for attention and then 
your slow words will be charged with dynamite. (E. Hubbard) 
5. A good conversationalist is not one who remembers what was said, 
but one who says what someone wants to remember. (J.M.Brown) 
6. Men and women belong to different species and communication between them is still in its infancy. (B.Cosby) 
7.  Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress. (Ghandi) 

Ex. 2. Answer the questions 
1. Who do you communicate with every day? Do you communicate well with 
them? Why/Why not? 
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………… 
2. What forms of spoken and written communication do you like using? 
Why? 
……………………………………………………………………………..........
..............................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................... 
3. What problems can people have with the different forms of communication? 
…………………………………………………………………………….……
…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………… 
4. How do you think those problems can be solved? 
……………………………………………………………………………….…
………………………………………………………………………………......
........................................................................................................................... 
5. When did you last have a communication problem? Who was it with? 
What happened? 
…………………………………………………………………………….……
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………. 
6. Who is the best communicator you know? Why? 
……………………………………………………………………………….…
…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………. 

Ex. 3.  Complete the sentences on the right with the words in the 
box. 
What makes a good communicator? 
 
 
appearance 
charisma 
cultures 
digressions 
eye 
humor 
language 
listener 
nerves 
pace 
rambler 
vocabulary 
A good communicator is someone who: 
1. is a good.............................. and shows interest in 
other people; 
2. has an awareness of body ................................. ; 
3. is not a .............................. and doesn't get easily 
sidetracked; 
4. doesn't suffer from ................................. and is relaxed when meeting new 
people; 
5. is sensitive to people from other ................................... 
6. has an extensive ............................... ; 
7. has a good sense of ............................... ; 
8. has an attractive ................................. and is well 
dressed; 
9. maintains ............................... contact with the listener(s); 
10. speaks at a reasonable …………………… - not too 
fast and not too slow; 
11. has.............................. and can hold the attention of 
the listener(s); 
12. keeps to the point and doesn't have a lot of long 
Ex. 4.  Which of the points in ex.3 do you agree/disagree with? Is 
there anything else you would add? 
………………………………………………………………………………. 
…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………. 

Ex. 5. Which of these words apply to good communicators and 
which apply to poor (bad) communicators? Add 2 adjectives of your own 
to the list. 
articulate  
focused  
reserved  
coherent  
hesitant 
responsive  
eloquent  
inhibited  
sensitive 
 extrovert 
rambling  
vague  
succinct  
fluent 
 persuasive 
…………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………….. 
Ex. 6. Discuss the following questions with a partner.  
1. How do you feel/react when someone interrupts you?  
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………. 
2. What do you do when someone isn't paying attention to you?  
…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………. 
3. How do you deal with someone who is rambling?  
…………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………….. 
4. What techniques do you use to explain complicated things?  
…………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………… 
5. Is it always bad to digress when talking? 
…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………. 
 
Ex. 7 Match the idioms with their definitions, find Russian equivalents and make your own questions using these idioms and to ask your 
partner.  
1. be driving at sth 
2. be on the same wavelength  
3. have a quick word with someone  
4. get straight to the point  
a) talk about the most important 
thing immediately 
 b) share similar ideas  
c) hear about a rumor passed from 

5. think before you speak  
6. get one’s message across  
7. drop / throw the hint  
8. get someone wrong  
9. hear it on the grapevine 
one person to another  
d) communicate what you want to 
say  
e) talk briefly to someone  
f) to misunderstand someone  
g) say sth without getting straight to 
the point  
h) don't start talking until you have 
thought about what you want to say  
i) to imply, to mean sth 
 
Number Letter 
Translation 
1. 
 
 
2. 
 
 
3. 
 
 
4. 
 
 
5. 
 
 
6. 
 
 
7. 
 
 
8. 
 
 
9. 
 
 
 
Ex. 8. In pairs, answer the following questions.  
1. Does it irritate you when people do not get straight to the point?  
………………………………………………………………………………… 
2. When was the last time you felt you were really on the same wavelength as someone else?  
……………………………………………………………………………….. 

3. Dou you always follow the rule “think before you speak”?  
……………………………………………………………………………….. 
4. What have you heard on the grapevine recently? 
…………………………………………………………………………………. 
 
Ex. 9.  Do you agree with the following statements?  
1. Women talk far more than men.  
2. Men talk about sport. Women talk about their feelings.  
3. Women and men communicate differently.  
 
Ex. 10.  Make a list of differences between men’s and women’s 
communication styles. 
Men’s communication style 
Women’s communication style 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ex. 11. Complete the extract from D. Tannen’s book using the 
words and phrases given. What is according to the author the main difference between men’s and women’s communication styles. 
stereotype  
rapport  
verbal  
status  
approached 
 silence 
 contradictory 
negotiating  
the life of the party  
talkative  
gestured  
independence  
observation