On Different Perception of Time in Crosscultural Communication.doc

On Different Perception of Time in Cross-cultural CommunicationContrast: Following China's entry to the World Trade Organization, the nation further opens up to the outside World. As a significant area of nonverbal communication, the concept of time does contribute a lot to the understanding of culture differences. While different cultural backgrounds conceived different concept of time and behaviors. In a certain degree, people's behavior patterns were restricted and dominated by time concept, which often brings difficulties and obstacles in cross-cultural communication. This paper will focus on analyzing the different time concept in Chinese and western communication and its reflection in reality, in order to enhance the mutual understanding between people in communication with different cultural backgrounds of time perception. Whats more, by which we could avoid communication mistakes and cultural difficulties and obstacles.Key words：monochromic (M-time) polychromic (P-time) cultural backgrounds Different perception of time cross-cultural communication摘要: 中国入世后加快了对外开放的步伐，作为跨文化交际中非语言交际的一个重要方面，时间学有助于我们对文化差异的理解，有助于进行有效的国际交流。而不同的文化孕育了不同的时间观念和行为。人们的时间行为不知不觉地受到时间观念的制约和支配。由于中西方文化差异，其时间的观念和态度也存在着很大差异。文化背景不同所形成的时间观也不同, 时间观制约着人们的行为模式, 常常给跨文化交际带来困难和障碍. 本文将对中西方交际中时间观差异及其在现实中的表现进行分析, 以期增强不同文化背景的人们在交际时对时间观差异的相互理解 ,避免交际失误.关键词 : 单向时间制 多向时间制 文化背景 时间观差异 跨文化交际.IntroductionAs we all know, with the global economic integration and the accelerating of our countrys advancement of modernization, there will be more cooperation and interaction in any fields between China and other countries. It has become very common and inevitable for ordinary people to communicate cross-culturally. However, because of different cultures, when people from different countries interact with each other, the conflict between them is not difficult to witness; especially there are lots of complaint about their counterparts manners and methods of doing things. So it becomes more and more important for us to understand the concept of western time, respect the western cultural-values, in order to enhance the intercultural consciousness, and reduce the misconceptions and conflicts of cross-cultural communication.Literature review2.1 The definition of the time conceptThe concept of time is the scientific cognition or philosophic cognition of people to time. The concept of time in Science fields from Isaac Newtons classical physics. While in Chinese peoples eyes, time is a kind of objective existence. The concept of time is humans understanding, conclude and describe the result of the nature. In China, its original meaning refers to the replace of the four seasons or the recycle of the sun in a position of the zodiac, but in American, What is time? Is it a thing to be saved or spent or wasted, like money? Or is it something we have no control over, like the weather? Is time the same all over the world? Thats an easy question, you say. Wherever you go, a minute is 60 seconds, an hour is 60 minutes, a day is 24 hours, and so forth. Well, maybe. But in America, time is more than that. Americans see time as a valuable resource. Perhaps thats why they are fond of the expression, "Time is money." 2.2 The analysis of current studies of time at home and abroadIn Western, many famous scholars have done researches to explore the characteristics of westerners perceptions and use of time from the perceptive of the systems of time and informal time. (Edward THall , 1983)made a comparison of behaviors in different cultures on the basis of his theory about the two systems of time, that cultures organize time either monochromic (M-time) or polychromic (P-time) (Hall,1959).He found M-time people take time commitments seriously, if possible; M-time people adhere to plans, whereas P-time people stress the relationship between each other(Hall,1990).(Samovar, Potter, 2000)made a comparison of values on punctuality and efficiency in a different cultures and stated Westerners and Orientals treat punctuality and efficiency in a different way. Westerners treat the two factors as the most important things in their social interactions, while Orientals put them in a position where they can be ignored to a certain extent. In the cities, native English speakers act according to schedules. Their time is planned to a quarter of an hour and every activity will be filled in the timetables from one month to one year in advance. Promptness is important in formal social interactions. People keep appointments; otherwise, he will be viewed as unreliable and irresponsible. Tardiness to business meeting is forbidden and the unpunctual are fined as a punishment (Levine and Adelman, 1982). People follow the deadlines rigidly as well. Social etiquette also determines appropriate times for visits and even phones calls in the English- speaking countries. For example, you cant telephone after 10 oclock if nothing serious or urgent happens. If you drop in a friends house without making an appointment, the host may refuse to receive you.In China, some scholars also have done researches about the cultural differences between Chinese and westerners from the perspective of informal time and the systems of time too. For example, (Hu Wenzhong, 1990) stated that people are likely to make plans for activities in the cities of china through the observation of the popular use of timetable. His graduates did a research, in which they found university students are punctual for class and activities. They also discovered the Chinese are punctual in social interactions, but they prefer to decide how much time to spend according to the proceeding of the social interactions. For example, when setting a date, they only mention the time to meet, without setting the time limit for it. This pet phrase “I wont leave until you come,” when making an appointment, shows that people can pay for time (Jia Yuxin, 1997). People consider it quite normal to break the deadline as well (Jia Yuxin, 1997), so it is said that Chinese people are the masters of time, whereas the Americans are the slaves of time. That is to say, the Chinese people tend to use time more free at will and flexibly in comparison with the westerners. As to the pace of life, an American found in china it is slower than the pace of the English-speaking countries. In the 1980s, a time when china began to open itself to the western countries, conversely, the Chinese people in English speaking countries felt pressed and hurried, thus exhausted and annoyed (Bi Jiwan, 1991). Hall thought westerners belong to M-time people (Hall, 1959), china belongs to Asia, and do the Chinese belong to P-time people? (Hu Wenzhong, 1990) proposed that the Chinese belong to M-time people basically? But other professors hold different ideas, they just listed the characteristics of the Chinese in the use of time, and also didnt make a clear difference of the time concept between Chinese and westerners, for it is difficult to make conclusions about Chinese system of time. However, all scholars agree that there are cultural differences in the perceptions and use of time between Chinese and westerners.Since differences in language, social behaviors, attitude toward time and the like can cause many of social contacts to be frustrating or even unsuccessful(Samovar, 2000), what is the main manifestation in different perception of time? How and why do Chinese intercultural communications feel in formal social interactions when faced with foreigners with different perceptions and behavior? Do they show manifestations like frustration or anxiety? What can language teachers do in FLL and FLT to improve language students cultural competence then? This paper will going to analysis and solver these questions.Comparison of conception of time between Chinese and western culture As we all known, every corn has two sides. The difference and similarity of the value of Chinese and American coexists, opposes and blends. 3.1 The similarities existing in Chinese and western cultureAlthough there is a big difference of the time concept between Chinese and American, there also a lot of similarities in the meanings of using time between Chinese and westerners. We all think that time is limited; it will never come back if you waste it easily, while American people take time more serious than Chinese people. We can see it from the following sayings: Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today(今日事今日毕)Lost time is never found again(岁月一去不复返)Time and tide wait for no man(时光如逝水，岁月不待人)Make hay while the sun shines(抓紧时机)Tomorrow never comes(切莫依赖明天). There also the same saying in ancient Chinese, such as the saying “an inch of time an inch of gold, gold-inch inch time.”, and “Those gone with the wind will never return” and such kinds of the similar idioms. In contrast, Chinese people were much free and flexible in using time, while Americans are largely subject to time. In a certain sense, Chinese is the master of time, but Americans are the slaves of time. Now I will analysis the difference between the main parts between Chinese and western.3.2 The differences between western and Chinese cultureDifferent cultural backgrounds conceived different concept of time and behaviors. In a certain degree, people's behavior patterns were restricted and dominated by time concept; while Chinese belong to Chinese nation belong to the annular time conscious. In this kind of culture consciousness, time is usually regarded as a cycle and repeatable thing, which belong to M-time system. While the United States and other western countries are usually taking up Mono-chronic time system.3.2.1 The difference in addressAddress forms had a close relation with social and cultural, under thedifferent cultural backgrounds, people had a big different comprehension to address. If you didnt take it seriously, it will lead to misunderstandings, whats worse; you will fail the communication directly.You will often hear the British and American children call their parents or students name directly, maybe it is unimaginable and mysterious, and you even think that they have no idea about etiquette and scarcely show any respect to old people, because Chinese people are so particular about address. In daily life, Chinese people often use “old man”, “old woman”, “old grandma”, “old grandpa”, or even “laoli” and such addresses to show respect to the addressers. In our Chinese peoples memory “old” means “mature”, “experience” and “wisdom ” . Only in this way could we show at least respect and amity to old people, which reflect the Chinese fellows good fashion of respect the old people, and also contain a past time orientation. Because Chinese belong to the “Past time orientation”, and the Chinese nation have a long history for five thousand years, so people in China attach great importance to history and tradition. Although Contemporary Chinese people also pay attention to look forward, “past” also take an important role in peoples deep heart.On the other hand, people hold a different attitude on the predecessors. For example, here is the case of the bus, if you said to a Chinese old man: “You are old, Please take my seat,” You will receive the old man's sincere thanks. However, if you said these words to a westerner, you may enrage that old man; this is because the clear difference in the attitude to the word “old”. So you must use some euphemism, such as “senior” ,“aged”, “veteran”，“citizen”, ”golden ager”, “elder”, etc. In western countries, “old” means “useless”, “hopeless”, so you cant just call someone “you are old”. At the same time, this also reflects the Americans “future-oriented” conception of time indirectly. They think that past thing are just the past, they never treat past thing as a good thing; Samovar and Porter ever pointed out “compared to the most people in the world, Americans care more about the future, but that doesnt mean they never recall the past, and scarcely consider now.3.2.2. The difference in time scheduleWesterners whom belong to the One-way time system treated time as one linealroad, and could be divided into several parts. So they abide by the agenda strictly even do anything. It is because they are already accustomed to do one thing in a unit of time, so they pay great attention to plan carefully. Those people who cannot finish the stipulated things in deadline are often considered to be impractical person, and should be contempt. In commercial activity, Americans abide by the deadline strictly which both parties agreed, and write it into the contract, by using the means of legal laws to urge both sides to keep that deadline. Even in social activities is no exception. When Americans held a family party, they will send out this kind of invitation: Open house: 3:00 - 5:00 pm. Sunday. Which was considered to be understandable in Chinese peoples eyes, because it run counter to a serious breach of the traditional Chinese hospitality, people who tend to using the Poly-chronic time system, like Chinese, are more focus on time and opportunity, even every action of each step is often based on the surrounding environment, so their schedule is not too rigidly, but more flexible. In social activity, they scarcely make advanced plan; there is no need to make an appointment in visiting relatives at anytime. It is extremely rare in western countries as the saying "There is companion come from afar, you will happy”.Punctuality is another important feature of Mono-chromic time system. In the United States, American lifestyles show how much people respect the time of others. When people plan an event, they often set the time days or weeks in advance. Once the time is fixed, it takes almost an emergency to change it. If people want to come to your house for a friendly visit, they will usually call first to make sure it is convenient. Only very close friends will just "drop by" unannounced. Also, people hesitate to call others late at night for fear they might be in bed. The time may vary, but most folks think twice about calling after 10:00 p.m. when you take a party, if you are late for five minutes, you must apologize for your late, if you late for 30 minutes, it was considered as a seriously disrespect. But in China, five minutes late is only a small thing; we even usually think that VIP should be late. To many Chinese people, their daily wok is not according to the schedule, we like to do many things at a time. In our country, we often meet someone without reservation. We also often hear such dialogues “if you are convenient, I want to drop by!”, “of course, anytime is ok!”, but this kind of hospitality will be misunderstood as just to be a polite lip service for people who arranged their agenda seriously, because it is not convenient for others arrangements without exact time reservation. It is also an embodiment of