Verbal Communication

Ahmad Fawzan Rohman Rabu, November 30, 2011

Each someone of the world has a culture of language it self based on the place or his village, city, so on. And they have the way how to communicate with others, which one better than others of politeness spoken. Sometimes most of people have not respect to research about what the differences spoken of language in different culture. As we know, each culture has different language usage such as in America and Madura. Automatically, they have different culture it is also different languages style because the language is part of culture. So we will get an information from this paper about verbal communication that used in America and Madura. Verbal communication is one way for people to communicate with others and some of the key components of verbal communication are sound, words, speaking and language.

Verbal Pattern

Have you notice how often American use the expression: thank you" a customer after paying $ 100 for a meal in a restaurant say "thank you" to the person who hands him the bill, in response to " I like the color of your car" an American might answer "thank you" in both of the cases no great favor or compliment was extended yet "thank you" was the automatic response.

American Culture

In American English, for example people say "thank you" exist in almost every language. But how and when it is used is not always the same in your language. Do you thank people for trival as well as important or unusual favor? For American, this expression is used as a polite response to different kind of favor and compliment, and is often automatic (e.g.: "thank you for calling" to someone on the phone or "thank you" to a teller in a bank).

Madurese Culture

According by K.H. Ach, FauziHasbullah : Using "thank you" in Madura is useless, but it's used just influenced of age. Using "thank you" in Madura unusual is like in American style, because madurese people using "thank You" just for unusual favor.

Directness In America English

Compared with other language, American English strongly emphasizes directness in verbal interaction. Many expressions exemplify this tendency "don't beat around the bust" "let's get down to business" and "get the point" all indicate impatience with avoiding issues. If a son hesitate telling his father that he received a bed grade in school, his father might respond angrily with "out with it" or "speak up".

Directness is also seen when information is requested from strangers from people who are not well known to you. For example, when passing a professor's office a student may say "excuse me", I'd like to ask you a couple of questions" her professor may respond, "sure, go right ahead. What's the problem?" in this interaction, the student stated her purpose and the professor responded immediately.

Offer and response to offers provide another example of directness in verbal interaction. At a dinner party it would not be unusual to hear the following conversation:

HOST  : Would you like some more dessert?

GUEST : no, thank you, it's delicious, but I have really had enough.

HOST  : Ok, why don’t we leave the table and sit in living room?

In this conversation between two Americans, the host doesn't repeat the offer more than once. (host may offer food twice but usually not more than that). If guests are hungry, they need to say directly," yes. I would like some more thank you" if they are hungry but say "no, thank you, out of politeness, they may remain hungry for the rest of the evening. A host will assume that a guests refusal is honest and direct.

Limitation of Directness in America

There are many limits to the degree of directness a person is allowed to express especially with people of higher status such as teacher and employers. A male student was surprised at the reaction of his female teacher when he said " what has happened to you? You look like gained a lot of weight" when the teacher replied " that's none of your business" he answered in an embarrassed tone, " I was just being honest", in this case his honestly and directness.

Directness in Madura

In Madura, when the sons get a bad grade, their father give respond for son indirectness. But they gave the other response with other teasing illusion how to make a sons be understand with their father mean.

For example :

"Mun gun matada'a pesse ambu ja' asakola ".

Directness in Madura it's different with directness in America, because Madurese people if they want to ask something, usually they still long wind.

If in Madura are different with American. If American people asked by someone about personality, occupations, and age, automatically they didn’t response and welcome. While in Madura when they asked someone about something above it, they fell happy and show off what they have.

Offering a food in Madura

Offering food in Madura not only once but a host offers the guest up to the guest take a food that offered by host.

Invitations

In English someone might say something that sound like an invitation but than never result in an actual meeting with another person. Of course, there are invitations that require definite commitments. Compare these two invitations :

Invitation I

Jhon: it was nice talking to you, I have to run to class.

Diana: Ok, may be we can meet sometime soon.

Jhon: yeah, love to. Why don't you drop by my house sometimes.

Diana: Great, gotta go, see you soon.

Invitation II

Jhon: sure, I'd love to.

Jhon: before you for your vocation can we get together and lunch?

Diana: how about Friday? Say about 12.30 at my place?

Jhon: that sounds good, see you then.

Madurese Invitations

In Madura there is no informal invitation because madurase people considered that invitation is only formal, there are definite plan, specific date, time and place.

CONCLUSION

From any statements above we can conclude that verbal communication explained three points or problems are the word thank you, directness of interaction, and invitations.

The word"thank you almost exist in very language of American's culture because it is expression that must to do when American's people give a response to favor's someone or get compliment from another. But in Madura is different, it not useless by madurese people say thank you to another. Madurese people use it just for unusual favor.

A directness in America there are three phases are compared with other language, ask questions, and offering food, beside that there is limitation of directness in America. it special for higher status like employer and teacher.

The word invitation always exist in e very country or culture it self, and it has a different ways or forms, such as in America and Madura. America has two forms of invitation are formal and informal invitations. And in Madura has one form only is formal one.

REFERENCE

• Drs. Holidin, M. Hum, (Cross Culture Understanding), Umm Press, Muhammadiyah university of Malang.
• K.H. Ach, Fauzi Hasbullah as a native speaker that gave an information of Madura's culture.