CHAPTER 2
THE ROLE OF LANGUAGE IN INTERCULTURAL BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION
Test Bank
Essay Questions
1. Discuss the relationship between culture and language. How are cultural
2. What are considerations in choosing an appropriate foreign language for
3. Discuss different levels of language competency and illustrate the impact on
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a company language?
5. Christian Sorensen from Denmark is going to do business in Japan. He does not
speak Japanese and will need an interpreter. What advice would you give him for
6. Carmen Garcia from Mexico will use an interpreter for her business negotiations
in Auckland, New Zealand. What should she do to use the interpreter most
7. Discuss the impact of specialized terminology such as jargon and sports
8. How can knowing the conventions for written communication in other cultures
help you become a better communicator? Give specific examples of several
9. How does technology affect intercultural business communication?
True/False Questions
10. The language barrier to good intercultural communication can be eliminated by
11. The physical environment of a culture influences the development of vocabulary.
12. Since all cultures share the same basic values, cultures attach the same meanings
13. The exact meaning for words is always reflected in the definition in the
14. The German and American concept of notarized is the same.
15. One of the functions of the Académie Française is to keep French pure and reject
16. The use of acronyms facilitates intercultural communication.
17. English is the most widely accepted language for business; therefore, native
18. More than 6500 different languages are spoken around the world.
19. The two major Chinese languages are Mandarin and Cantonese.
20. Mandarin is spoken in the northern parts of China.
21. Perceptions of fluency in a foreign language are influenced by nonverbal
22. The United Nations has developed clear definitions for terms such as language
fluency.
23. By law a company must choose the language of the headquarters country as the
24. Technology has made international business travel obsolete.
25. Ethnocentric staffing means that a firm staffs all managerial positions in a foreign
26. In polycentric staffing, managers of the subsidiary are natives of the country in
27. Geocentric staffing does not consider the cultural origin of the manager in staffing
28. Any native speaker of a language can function as an effective interpreter.
29. The cultural background of the interpreter may affect the communication process.
30. Briefing the interpreter on the topic of discussion before the meeting will enhance
31. The industrialized countries have come to an agreement on what is an acceptable
32. The writing of dates can be confusing in intercultural communication.
33. In American English, 6/5/19xx refers to June 5th, 19xx.
34. The recent increase in migration of people around the world has led to discussions
Multiple Choice Questions
35. Language barrier refers to
a. violations of grammatical rules
b. cultural and linguistic violations of communication conventions
c. poor pronunciation
36. The words a culture uses are influenced by
a. the physical environment of the culture
b. the values of a culture
c. the priorities of a culture
37. Which of the following statements is not true?
a. All languages change over time.
b. Many business terms around the globe are derived from English.
c. The Japanese are particularly concerned about keeping Japanese free from
foreign influences.
38. Some say that because English is widely spoken around the globe
a. English will become the universal language in all business transactions in
the near future.
b. there is no need to study any other foreign languages
c. there will be a decline of the use of other languages even by native
speakers of other languages
d. many native English speakers make the assumption that they can do
39. The language spoken in Hong Kong is
a. Mandarin
b. Shanghai dialect
c. Cantonese
40. When you determine which language to study, you should
a. consider the political and economic importance of a language
b. evaluate your career goals
c. find out who the major players are in the industry you are most interested
in
41. Geocentric staffing means
a. managers come from any country regardless of cultural origin
b. managers of a subsidiary come from the country of headquarters
c. managers of a subsidiary come from the host country
42. The use of interpreters
a. guarantees that the receiver interprets the message as intended
b. proves that it is a waste of time to study foreign languages
c. can facilitate negotiations if the interpreter is prepared for the negotiation
43. In order to improve the environment for communicating with a foreign partner,
you should
a. start with a joke to break the ice
b. be personal and use first names
c. know the basics of behavior and social etiquette of your partner
44. Which of the following is not true?
a. The American date 3/7/20xx is March 7th 20xx
b. The German 3. 9. 20xx becomes 9/3/19xx in American English
c. The sum $3,956.70 is written as $3.956,70 in most European languages
d. All multinational companies have agreed to write dates as follows: 5 May,