Week 5.(Written Discourse)

Written discourse

Last lecture, it was made known that different culture will exhibit different way of writing. If you are good at recognizing they way the sentence is structured or identify the sequence, one can tell whether the text was done by a certain culture group.

What I’ve learned is that, in class was that these different ways of writing started way back since primary school. Different teachers will input different knowledge to the student on how to write.

Also, mention during lecture by me, different writing style may also come from the way we read. Eg, I’m currently taking Bahasa and it requires me to read a lot of literature. Previously for my first few early compositions, I tend to write it like how I would normally write for Malay Language style. I really thought that I did a good writing because I have yet to get a B grade since way back, but turn out to be poor. Then I realised that I lack some sequence in my writing. I realised that I left the descriptive part of out. This I realised only after reading a few short Bahasa Stories. The way Indonesian writes, contains lots of descriptive context. So now I’ve change my style and my grade have improved.

Initially when I took up this module, I thought that the Malay and Bahasa would be similar, but turn out to be different. Although both are from Malay culture group, but still differ in some ways, like Spoken and Written.

Week 4.( Spoken Discourse)

Last Friday lesson got me thinking back on a phone call which I made to a new friend.

Currently I’m taking Bahasa Indonesia 5 and there is an exchange student in this class. His name is Mark and he is from Germany. I’m currently attached together with him for a Class project presentation. For our current project, it requires me to call and meet up with him whenever free for some discussion. For the past 5 weeks, we have been meeting once a week on Friday

So, most of the time, our phone call will be something like this;
Summons: Ringing (Me calling Mark)
Mark (Answer) : Hello, Mark here
Ghaff : Hey dude, it’s me. You free later at 2pm?

Summons: Ringing (Mark calling me)
Ghaff (Answer): Hello
Mark : Hello Ghaff. Mark here
Ghaff : Hey, what’s up
Mark : Nothing. Just the usual (means meeting up later). By the way, how’s your day
Ghaff : Stressful like always
Mark : I see, you should relax a bit. So you free later at 3pm?

Here’s the thing, I didn’t realise that there was something out of the ordinary until last lecture. Whenever I called Mark, the first sentence is always self identify. I then replied ‘It’s me” assuming he know me by my voice also because his HP has got IDD. I would normally go straight to the topic without any greetings because it’s Friday and I want to be quick in arranging a meeting and would like to go home early.

For Mark, when he calls, he would usually identify me and then himself. For most of his calls, he would usually have a greeting by asking me how my day was.

It is his way or culture I would say to always self identify and identify the person he is calling. He would also have a greeting before he goes to topic. Unlike me, like many of my other phone calls, I do not identify myself nor would I identify the person I’m calling to. Unless his voice is not familiar to me then I will be thinking that I might have dialled the wrong number. The reason I don’t identify myself is because the person I’m calling to would have my IDD saved in the phone so that person would know I’m calling.

Last lecture gave me awareness that this is a spoken discourse. I suddenly realised that I might have been rude for not identifying myself whenever Mark calls and have not provide any greetings whenever I call. Mark might not understand why I answer phone call or make a call in such a way because it my culture or the way I do it here. From the way I’m seeing it, he’s answering and making calls the same way as in Germany. After last lecture, from now onward whenever I call Mark, I would identify myself and at least have a nice greeting before I go straight to the topic.

Be True To Your Culture

Hey, check this funny commercial that I found at YouTube.
It’s about a group of four Indian friends who meet up, behaving like the American Hip-Hop culture and trying to have a conversation with a group of girls. They were interrupted by one of the guy’s grandma.
The commercial ends with
"The world is changing but we should always be proud of who we are"

Week 3.(Speech Events)

Last Friday lecture was quite attention-grabbing, speech event which make up from a series of speech acts. Event such as job interview, market transaction, canteen vendors, wedding proposal and others

A particular cultural group will operate differently from other in the same speech event. One example given during lecture was the Speech Events of a Japanese Marriage Proposal. It came to my attention that when the man proposes to the lady, her reply for yes is; no reply at all, instead its non verbal. The lady would stand silently her with head down. During this lecture section, I suddenly recall back my cousin who is married to a Japanese lady. During the wedding ceremony, he mention about not understanding his wife culture.

When he proposed to her, she too kept quiet, seeing this action he dare not ask for an answer as he assumed that she is not ready yet. Few days have passed and during a normal conversation, his wife asks him “so have you picked a date?” My cousin was surprised, he replied, “when did you decided to marry me?” she says, “The day you proposed.” In the end it work out well and the wedding occasion was a joyful one. This is an example of a cross cultural communication breakdown where one person is not aware of the others culture and the way they respond.

Let’s have an insight of a typical Malay culture marriage proposal. The Genre, topic, purpose and setting is just the same like any other Marriage proposal except for the act sequence.

Let me give you an example,
M: Holding Woman’s Hand
Siti sayang (Dear). We have been going out for 2 years already. What say you if we get engage?
W: Bursting out of enjoyment
Really! You sure?
M: Yes I’m sure... (followed by giving reason for wanting to get married)
W: So when can your parents come over?

Rules of interaction
The man must get ready the reason for engagement when ask

Norm of interpretation
· Usually the men do not ask “will you marry me” instead “let’s get engage”
· Also, it normal for the woman to ask why because she want to be convinced that she is going to get married to the right man
· The part where the women ask when the man’s parents are coming over is usually asked. This is because, in the Malay culture the couple usually cannot get married unless both parents agrees and also the couple do not set the date of marriage but both parents will set on a date of marriage.

Different cultures have different ways of speech act for a particular speech event. One must be aware and attentive to the surrounding, verbal tone and non verbal gesture to better understand the situation.