Cover not available
Article published In:
Australian Review of Applied Linguistics
Vol. 38:1 (2015) ► pp.3–23

Small talk

A missing skill in the Chinese communicative repertoire

| Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne

There is growing evidence that social interactions at work with local colleagues present a real challenge for Chinese immigrants to Australia (e.g. Tomazin, 2009; Zhou, Windsor, Coyer, & Theobald, 2010), often leaving them feeling defeated and despairing, and the Australians puzzled or affronted. Seeking to understand the nature, origin, and dynamics of the problem at its sociocultural depth, a study was undertaken to examine the problematic social experience as reported by a group of Chinese immigrant professionals, from both their own and their Australian counterparts’ perspectives. The findings suggest small talk presents professionally qualified Chinese with an acute problem, and this is because the nature and dynamics of small talk are new in their social experience. Taking a sociolinguistic perspective to analyse data comprising Chinese accounts and discussions of problematic incidents and Australian commentary on these, the root of the difficulty has been revealed to lie in mismatches in the deeply held beliefs and values of Chinese and Australians about the nature of personal identity and interpersonal relationships, most pertinently, differences in their belief about how relationships beyond the intimate circle should be best managed. The article will present the findings of the study and the implications they suggest.

Keywords: small talk, intercultural communication, Chinese communication
Available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at [email protected].

Published online: 1 January 2015
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/aral.38.1.01cui
References
Argyris, C., Schön, D. A.
(1974) Theory in practice: Increasing professional effectiveness. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.Google Scholar
(1978) Organizational learning. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.Google Scholar
Butler, S. & Angelo, D.
(1998) Australian phrasebook: Understanding Aussies and their culture (2nd ed.). Lonely Planet Publications.Google Scholar
Clark, H. H.
(1996) Using language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Clyne, M., Ball, M., & Neil, D.
(1991) Intercultural communication at work in Australia: Complaints and apologies in turns. Multilingua, 10(3), 251–273. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Coupland, J.
(2000) Introduction: Sociolinguistic perspectives on small talk. In J. Coupland (Ed.), Small talk (pp. 1–25). London: Longman.Google Scholar
(2003) Small talk: Social functions. Research on Language and Social Interaction, 36(1), 1–6. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Crystal, D.
(1987) The Cambridge encyclopaedia of language. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Cui, X.
(2014) Getting to the Source: An Instrument for Examining the Dynamics of Problematic Interactions. RELC Journal: A Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 45(2), 197–210. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Du, Y.
(2007, March) 当代中国人际关系的传统根基与表现 [The traditional roots and manifestations of contemporary Chinese interpersonal Relationship]. Shiyou Education, 31, 97–99.Google Scholar
Fei, X. T.
(1947) 乡土中国 [From the soil: The foundations of Chinese society]. Shanghai: Guancha.Google Scholar
Fraser, B.
(2010) Pragmatic competence: The case of hedging. In G. Kalenbok, W. Mihatsch & S. Schneider (Eds.), New approaches to hedging (pp. 15–34). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Gao, G.
(1996) Self and other: A Chinese perspective on interpersonal relationships. In W. B. Gudykunst, S. Ting-Toomey & T. Nishida (Eds.), Communication in personal relationships across cultures (pp. 81–101). Thousand Oaks, London, New Delhi: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Geertz, C.
(1975) On the nature of anthropological understanding. American Scientists, 63(1), 47–53.Google Scholar
Gesteland, R. R.
(1999) Cross-culture business behaviour. Herndon, VA: Copenhagen Business School Press.Google Scholar
Gu, Y. J.
(1987) How could you not make a distinction between an insider and an outsider? In Zhang Lao Shi Monthly (Ed.), The mask personality of Chinese: Favour and face (pp. 28–39). Taiwan: Zhang Lao Shi Publishing CompanyGoogle Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K.
(1991) The notion of ‘context’ in language education. In T. Le & M. McCausland (Eds), Language education: Interaction and development. Proceedings of the international conference (pp. 1–26). Launceston: University of Tasmania.Google Scholar
Hirst, J.
(2009) The shortest history of Europe. Australia: Black Inc.Google Scholar
Hofstede, G.
(2001) Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Holmes, J.
(1998) Analysing power at work: An analytical framework. Paper presented at Sixth International Conference on Language and Social Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ontario, 16–20 May 1997.
(2000a) Doing collegiality and keeping control at work: Small talk in government departments. In J. Coupland (Ed.), Small talk (pp. 36–61). London: Longman.Google Scholar
(2000b) Talking English from 9 to 5: Challenges for ESL learners at work. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 10(1), 125–140. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2003) Talk at work and “fitting in”: A socio-pragmatic perspective on workplace culture. In G. Wigglesworth (Ed.), Marking our difference: Languages in Australia and New Zealand universities. Proceedings of Conference on Language Education in Australian and New Zealand Universities (pp. 95–115). Melbourne: University of Melbourne.Google Scholar
(2005a) Socio-pragmatic aspects of workplace talk. In Y. Kawaguchi, S. Zaima, T. Takagaki, K. Shibano & M. Usami (Eds), Linguistic informatics – State of the art and the future: The first international conference on linguistic informatics (pp. 196–220). Amsterdam, John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2005b) When small talk is a big deal: Sociolinguistic challenges in the workplace. In M. H. Long (Ed.), Second language needs analysis (pp. 344–372). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Holmes, J., & Fillary, R.
(2000) Handling small talk at work: Challenges for workers with intellectual disabilities. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 47(3), 273–291. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Holmes, J., & Marra, M.
(2002) Over the edge? Subversive humor between colleagues and friends. Humor, 15(1), 65–87. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2004) Relational practice in the workplace: Women’s talk or gendered discourse? Language in Society, 33(3), 377–398. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Holmes, J., & Stubbe. M.
(2003) Power and politeness in the workplace: A sociolinguistics analysis of talk at work. London: Pearson.Google Scholar
Holmes, J., & Riddiford, N.
(2009) Talk at work: Interactional challenges for immigrants. In V. K. Bhatia, W. Cheng, B. Du-Babcock & J. Lung (Eds.), Language for professional communication: Research, practice and training (pp. 217–234). Hong Kong: City University of Hong Kong, Asia-Pacific LSP and Professional Communication Association, and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.Google Scholar
(2010a) Professional and personal identity at work: Achieving a synthesis through intercultural workplace talk. Journal of Intercultural Communication, 221. Retrieved from [URL]
(2010b) From classroom to workplace: Tracking socio-pragmatic development. ELT Journal, 65(4), 376–386. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Hymes, D.
(1972) Models of the interaction of language and social life. In J. Gumperz & D. Hymes (Eds.), Directions in sociolinguistics (pp. 35–71). New York: Holt Rinehart.Google Scholar
Laver, J.
(1975) Communicative functions of phatic communion. In A. Kendon, R. M. Harris & M. R. Key (Eds.), The organization of behaviour in face-to-face interaction (pp. 215–238). Walter de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Liu, S.
(2011) Acting Australians and being Chinese: Integration of ethnic Chinese business people. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35(4), 406–415. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Lu, L. L.
(2007) We and they: cultural clashes between Australian teachers and mainland Chinese postgraduates (Unpublished Master’s thesis). University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.Google Scholar
Malinowski, B.
(1999) On phatic communion. In A. Jaworski & N. Coupland (Eds), The discourse reader (pp. 302–305). London/New York: Routledge. (Original work published 1923).Google Scholar
Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S.
(1991) Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 981, 224–53. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Orton, J.
(2000) Keys to successful intercultural communication between partners in Australia-Chinese joint ventures. Melbourne: The Australia China Business Council (Vic. Branch).Google Scholar
(2001) What can be learned in a month? In W. Hu (Ed.), Selected papers from China’s 3rd symposium on intercultural communication (pp. 410–435). Beijing: Foreign Languages Research Press.Google Scholar
Ren, M.
(2008) 现代社会的人际关系类型及其互动逻辑 [Types of interpersonal relationships and interaction logics: Expansion of the differential mode of association. Theory for modern Chinese society]. Journal of East Chinese Technology University, 23(2), 50–56.Google Scholar
Renwick, G.
(1980) Australians and North Americans. Yarmouth, Maine: Intercultural press.Google Scholar
(1991) A fair go for all: Australian/American interactions. Revised by Reginald Smart and Don L. Henderson. Yarmouth, Maine: Intercultural press.Google Scholar
Song, Q., & Liao, C. Y.
(2007) 当代中国的人际关系特点分析 [On the characteristics of interpersonal relationships in China today]. Journal of Qinzhou University, 22(1). Retrieved from [URL]
Tan, D., & Snell, R. S.
(2002) The third eye: Exploring guanxi and relational morality in the workplace. Journal of Business Ethics, 41(4), 361–384. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Tomazin, F.
(2009, June 15) Beyond them and us. The Age. Retrieved from [URL]
Triandis, H. C.
(1988) Collectivism and development. In D. Sinha & H. S. Kao (Eds.), Social values and development: Asian perspectives (pp. 285–303). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
(1990) Theoretical concepts that are applicable to the analysis of ethnocentrism. In R. Brislin (Ed.), Applied cross-cultural psychology (pp. 34–55). Newbury Pk, CA: Sage. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(1995) Individualism-collectivism. Boulde, CO: Westview.Google Scholar
Tsui, A. S., & Farh, J.
(1997) Where Guanxi matters: Regional demography and guanxi in the Chinese context. Work and Occupation, 24(1), 56–79. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Tu, J.
(2009) 论差序格局 [An interpretation of differential mode of association]. Social Sciences in Guangdong, 61, 165–170.Google Scholar
Wang, G., & Chen, Y. K.
(2010) Introduction: Collectivism, relations, and Chinese communication. Chinese Journal of Communication, 3(1), 1–9. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
West, B. A., & Murphy, F. T.
(2007), G’day Boss! Australian culture and the workplace. Abbotsford, Vic.: Tribus Lingua.Google Scholar
Wierzbicka, A.
(2010) Cultural scripts and international communication. In A. Trosborg (Ed.), Pragmatics across languages and cultures (pp. 43–78). Berlin/New York: Walter de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Yan, G. M.
(2009) 中西社会结构各自发展的脉络 [On the respective developmental course of social structures in China and Western countries]. Journal of Jingdezhen Comprehensive College, 24(1), 24–27.Google Scholar
Yang, K. S.
(1988) 中国人的心理 [The psychology of Chinese people]. Taipei, Taiwan: Kuei-Kuan Publishing Co.Google Scholar
Ye, Z. D.
(2004) Chinese categorization of interpersonal relationships and the cultural logic of Chinese social interactions: An indigenous perspective. Intercultural Pragmatics, 1(2), 211–230. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Yeh, M. H., & Yang. K. S.
(1997) 中国人的家族主义: 概念分析与实证衡鉴 [Chinese familism: Conceptual analysis and empirical assessment]. Bulletin of the Institute of Ethnology, 831, 169–225. Retrieved from [URL].
Zhou, Y. X., Windsor, C., Coyer, F., & Theobald, K.
(2010) Ambivalence and the experience of Chinaeducated nurses working in Australia. Nursing Inquiry, 17(3), 186–196. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Cited by

Cited by 6 other publications

Hırçın-Çoban, Merve & Betül Çimenli
2023. Collaborative turn construction in paired speaking tests across different proficiency levels. Classroom Discourse 14:4 ► pp. 366 ff. DOI logo
Liu, Gavin
2022. Schema Association Training: Empowering Students for Speaking Assessments. RELC Journal 53:1 ► pp. 216 ff. DOI logo
Mak, Bernie Chun Nam
2019. Doing business and constructing identities through small talk in workplace instant messaging. Pragmatics and Society 10:4 ► pp. 559 ff. DOI logo
Roever, Carsten & Naoki Ikeda
2022. What scores from monologic speaking tests can(not) tell us about interactional competence. Language Testing 39:1 ► pp. 7 ff. DOI logo
Roever, Carsten & Naoki Ikeda
2023. The Relationship Between L2 Interactional Competence and Proficiency. Applied Linguistics DOI logo
Roever, Carsten, Natsuko Shintani, Yan Zhu & Rod Ellis
2023. Chapter 6. Proficiency effects on L2 pragmatics. In L2 Pragmatics in Action [Language Learning & Language Teaching, 58], ► pp. 145 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 28 march 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.