Step4Extension(15mins)Readingpassage:WesternCommunicationStylesThewayWesternerscommunicatetendstoberelativelyexplicitanddirect.Inotherwords,Westernerstendtoputmostoftheirideasandfeelingsintowords,andthenstatetheseideasandfeelingsplainlyandopenly.Itisgenerallyconsideredagoodthingto“gettothepoint”and“saywhatyoumean,“anditislargelythespeaker’sresponsibilitytoensurethathis/hermessageisstatedinawaythatisclearandeasytounderstand.Thiskindofcommunicationstyleissometimescalled“lowcontext”becausepeopleareexpectedtopaymoreattentiontothewordsusedincommunicationthantothecontextinwhichthingsaresaid.Theyexpectothersto“takethemattheirword”;i.e.,tobelievethatwhattheysayiswhattheymean.Incontrast,Chinesepeopletendtocommunicateinawaythatismoreindirectandsubtle,andlistenersareexpectedtotakemoreresponsibilityforinterpretingmessagescorrectly.Thiscommunicationstyleiscalled“highcontext”becausepeopleareexpectedtopaymuchattentiontothecontextinwhichcommunicationtakesplace–whothespeakeris,whereandwhytheconversationistakingplace,bodylanguageandsoforth–andwhenpeopleinterpretwhatothersmean.,theoftengivemoreweighttothecontextthantotheactualwordssaid.Infact,peopleinhighcontextculturesoftenviewdirect,explicitcommunicationasunsophisticatedorevenrude.DifferencesincommunicationstylessometimescausemisunderstandingsbetweenChineseandWesterners.WesternerssometimesfailtounderstandrelativelyindirectorsubtlemessagefromChinesepeople;infact,theysometimesdonotralizeamessageisbeingsentatall.WesternersmayalsosometimesmisunderstandwhatChinesepeoplemeanbecausetheWesternersdon’ttakecontextintoaccountenoughwheninterpretingwhatChinesepeolesay,ortheytakethewordsofChinesepeoplemoreliterallythantheyshould.Forexample,ifaWesternersmakesarequestandaChinesepersonrespondsbysayingsomethinglike“I’llthinkitover(kaolu,kaolu).TheWesternersmayassumethatthereisagoodchancethattheanswerwillbe“yes.”(Infact,thereisabetterchancethattheimpliedansweris“no.”)DifferencesincommunicationstylesmayalsocausebadfeelingsbetweenChineseandWester