UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTONOMA DE NICARAGUA

UNAN-FAREM MATAGALPA
LINGUISTICS

Topic: Intercultural Communication

Objectives: At the end of this lesson, the student will be able to:

 Explain the meaning of intercultural communication and

 Develop a written reflection on intercultural communication in the
Nicaraguan context.

Instructor: Julio Roa R.

Questions to discuss

1. Do you like to meet new people?

2. In a dance, such as cumbia or bachata, everyone knows the basic steps.
Why do we dance better with some people and worse with others?
3. Do we usually expect things from others that we haven’t clearly asked for?
4. What is your interpretation for the following phrase: We can´t change what
we can´t see.
5. What is your opinion about this statement: All black people are good at
sports, men are stronger than women, men who like pink are gay.
6. What is stereotype?
7. What is diversity?
8. What is sexual orientation?
9. What is sexual prejudice?
10. Give your point of view for the following situation: In our first year of
marriage, there was a time Tim asked me to move the car in our apartment’s
parking garage. I was in the process of getting new glasses and the ones I
was wearing did not let me see very clearly. I told Tim I’d rather not move
the car but he insisted that I could do it. I ended up moving the car, but I got
very angry at him and actually told him I was too angry to talk to him in that
moment. In retrospect, I saw that my anger surfaced because I felt
threatened and unsafe. I couldn’t tell if Tim had my best interest at heart
when he made the request.
11. Marriages begin to fall apart because of misunderstanding from the
spouses. They fought over small trivial matters which eventually grows and
the battle rages till one partner declares enough is enough and a divorce
gets into their midst. How can you avoid fighting?
 Interview someone: Ask the following questions and take notes. Then write a
report of the responses.

1. How life would it be if you weren’t attracted to individuals of the opposite

sex?
2. Do you treat people the same way or does it change when you talk to a
person of a different race?
3. How can we resolve conflicts in a healthy manner?
4. If you are involved in situations that resulted in misunderstandings, do you
blame others or accept your responsibility?
5. In a classroom: Do you listen to respect to the ideas of others?
6. How do avoid being involved with gossip? What do you do if you work in a
gossip infested workplace

Intercultural communication
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Intercultural communication is a form of communication that aims to share

information across different cultures and social groups. It is used to describe the
wide range of communication processes and problems that naturally appear within
an organization or social context made up of individuals from different religious,
social, ethnic, and educational backgrounds. Intercultural communication is
sometimes used synonymously with cross-cultural communication,
In this sense it seeks to understand how people from different countries
and cultures act, communicate and perceive the world around them. Many people
in intercultural business communication argue that culture determines how
individuals encode messages, what medium they choose for transmitting them,
and the way messages are interpreted. The European researcher Daniele
Trevisani pointed out the semantic distinction between Intercultural and Cross-
Cultural Communication should be clearly specified: Intercultural Communication
properly refers to the study of the "interaction" between people from different
cultures, while Cross-Cultural Communication specifically refers to the comparison
of how people from different cultures communicate. In other words, Cross-Cultural
Communication is a "static differential image" depicting differences in
communication patterns across different cultures, while Intercultural
Communication studies "dynamic interactional patterns", what happens when
people from at least two different cultures meet and interact, and what "frames" are
generated from this interaction, e.g. understanding vs. misunderstanding,
agreement vs. disagreement, cultural adaptation vs. cultural isolation, emerging of
"third cultures", conflict vs. cooperation, intercultural team cohesiveness vs. team
misunderstandings, intercultural projects success vs. projects failure, emotional
improvement vs. emotional deterioration, and any other relational outcome
(Trevisani, 2005). In a broader sense, Intercultural communication
encompasses cross-cultural communication, international
communication, development communication, and intercultural communication's
narrower referent, intercultural communication proper. With regard to intercultural
communication proper, it studies situations where people from different cultural
backgrounds interact. Aside from language, intercultural communication focuses on
social attributes, thought patterns, and the cultures of different groups of people. It
also involves understanding the different cultures, languages and customs of
people from other countries. Intercultural communication plays a role in social
sciences such as anthropology, cultural
studies, linguistics, psychology and communication studies. Intercultural
communication is also referred to as the base for international businesses. There
are several cross-cultural service providers around who can assist with the
development of intercultural communication skills. Research is a major part of the
development of intercultural communication skills.

Problems in intercultural communication

The problems in intercultural communication usually come from problems in
message transmission. In communication between people of the same culture, the
person who receives the message interprets it based on values, beliefs, and
expectations for behavior similar to those of the person who sent the message.
When this happens, the way the message is interpreted by the receiver is likely to
be fairly similar to what the speaker intended. However, when the receiver of the
message is a person from a different culture, the receiver uses information from his
or her culture to interpret the message. The message that the receiver interprets
may be very different from what the speaker intended.
Attribution is the process in which people look for an explanation of another
person’s behavior. When someone does not understand another, he/she usually
blames the confusion on the other’s "stupidity, deceit, or craziness".
Effective communication depends on the informal understandings among the
parties involved that are based on the trust developed between them. When trust
exists, there is implicit understanding within communication, cultural differences
may be overlooked, and problems can be dealt with more easily. The meaning of
trust and how it is developed and communicated vary across societies. Similarly,
some cultures have a greater propensity to be trusting than others.
Nonverbal communication is behavior that communicates without words—though it
often may accompanied by words. Minor variations in body language, speech
rhythms, and punctuality often cause mistrust and misperception of the situation
among cross-cultural parties.
Kinesic behavior is communication through body movement—e.g., posture,
gestures, facial expressions and eye contact. The meaning of such behavior varies
across countries.
Occulesics are a form of kinesics that includes eye contact and the use of the eyes
to convey messages.
Proxemics concern the influence of proximity and space on communication (e.g., in
terms of personal space and in terms of office layout). For example, space
communicates power in the US and Germany.
Paralanguage refers to how something is said, rather than the content of what is
said—e.g., rate of speech, tone and inflection of voice, other noises, laughing,
yawning, and silence.
Object language or material culture refers to how we communicate through
material artifacts—e.g., architecture, office design and furniture, clothing, cars,
cosmetics, and time. In monochronic cultures, time is experienced linearly and as
sometime to be spent, saved, made up, or wasted. Time orders life, and people
tend to concentrate on one thing at a time. In polychronic cultures, people tolerate
many things happening simultaneously and emphasize involvement with people. In
these cultures, people may be highly distractible, focus on several things at once,
and change plans often.

Read the following situation and give your viewpoint.

We had made a reservation at a restaurant for 7pm. We arrived on time to

find a line of customers waiting to be seated. I approached the head of the
line next to the cash register and asked the first party waiting to be seated
if they had reservations. They said they didn't. I then turned toward the
dining area waiting for assistance. As a waitress approached, I said to her
that we had a reservation for 7pm. She acknowledged our reservation and
said our table was ready, and motioned for me to follow her to the table.

The first party then began shouting at me that I was butting into the line and
should go back to the beginning of the line. I was nonplussed, but refused to
go to the back of the line. The two-person party continued to made a scene,
hollering at me. I motioned to my party that our table was ready and we
were then seated by the waitress. In doing so I asked another party waiting
in line if I did something wrong. I was told I should have waited for the first
party in line to be seated.
Did I act appropriately?

Conflicts that happen on the schoolyard or at lunch can provide a learning

opportunity for students.

By Elisa Jackson
Posted November 19, 2010

As teachers, we don't just teach students about math, science, and language, we
also teach them how to become functional adults. One of the lessons that we teach
on a daily, and sometimes hourly, basis is how to get along with others. Conflicts
often occur outside at recess or lunch, but the effects spill into the classroom. Even
though we might not be present when the conflict occurs, we can help students
resolve their problems when they get back to class. Here are a few suggestions for
taking conflict and turning it into a learning experience for everyone involved.
The first thing to do is to pull the students involved aside and have them talk to you
one at a time to see what happened. If necessary, you may need to call on a
reliable third party to get to the bottom of the issue. It is important for each student
to tell their side. You can then use your best judgment to figure out what happened,
even if the stories don't match. Once you have figured out what happened, you can
ask students to explain their actions. They usually come up with one of
two explanations for their behavior; either they say they don’t know why they did
what they did, or they blame the other person saying they did something mean to
them. You can start guiding students to discuss how they could have handled the
situation differently. You can ask them why they chose to act that way, and make
them see how their actions hurt people’s feelings. Hopefully, the guilty party or
parties apologize. Once this has happened, it is important to discuss how this
situation could be handled in the future. Have the students tell you what they
should do instead. It’s important that this conversation be student directed and that
they come up with their own solutions for these types of problems. In this way they
can feel ownership and will feel accountable for what they are doing and saying.
After they tell you how they should have acted and will act in the future, you can
applaud their ideas, but remember to remind them of the consequences if this
behavior happens again. If this type of conflict resolution doesn't work, you may
have to resort to a punishment like loss of recess time.And the last thing to do
before sending students back to their seats is to make them shake hands or in
some other way signify that the conflict is resolved! I know it may sound silly, but it
really makes students feel good and get over what they were mad about very
quickly. Once that is over with, you can also assign the students to do some sort of
 classroom assignment together to create a bond between them. Here are some
lessons to do with your class to give them the skills to solve their conflicts.
www.lessonplanet.com/article/teacher-education/conflict.

Breaking Up Fights
Basic Techniques for School Personnel
by NEA Staff
Occasionally, arguments between students escalate and erupt into fights. It is
important that school personnel know basic techniques for breaking up fights and
dealing with students who are physically aggressive. Here are some suggestions
from Johns and Carr,1995:

o Never ignore aggression. If ignored, small acts of aggression can quickly

grow to more violent aggression.
o Go toward the scene of the violence. Sometimes just the presence of an
adult will stop a potentially violent situation.
o Quickly review the situation. Try to determine what has happened, who is
there, and what is likely to happen. If the situation includes members of rival gangs,
send an onlooker for more adults.
o Look to see if there are any weapons present.
o In a strong voice, tell students that they must stop doing what they're doing.
Sometimes students are hoping an adult will tell them to stop fighting so they will
have a "graceful" way out.
o Tell any onlookers to leave the area. Call students by name if you know
them, and tell them specifically where to go. For example, "Brian, go back to your
class now!" is more effective than saying, "Everyone get out of here now!"
o Tell onlookers, and those involved in the aggression, the consequences of
not following your directions.
o Make a mental note of the names of onlookers.
o Never get between students who are fighting.
o If the situation does come to blows, tell the students to stop. Sometimes just
directing students to stop fighting -- in a loud, demanding voice -- is enough to
make them stop. Again, in many cases the students actually are looking for an
excuse to stop.
o After the incident, document what happened, and share this with other
adults as required.
o Support victims in any way you can. Get them any help they may need.
REFERENCE
Johns, Beverly H., & Valerie G. Carr. 1995. Techniques for Managing Verbally and
Physically Aggressive Students. Hawthorne Educational Services, Inc.

Are You Willing to Build Your Self Confidence by Avoiding Gossip at Work?

by Catherine Pratt
www.Life-With-Confidence.com

Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you.

A Spanish Proverb

Gossip can be found in just about every office. Some will say it’s just harmless fun
but rarely is that the case. In fact, it’s a great way to destroy your own self
confidence. Gossip is seductive though and it’s very easy to get caught up in it.
But, have you ever thought about why you do it when you know you shouldn’t?

Here are the main reasons people gossip:

• It makes you feel more powerful or popular
• To attract attention and feel center stage for a moment
• It makes you feel like you’re part of a group (bond with co-
workers)
• To be seen as “in the know”
• Because you’re frustrated and just want to vent

In other words, we mostly gossip because we feel powerless and not in control of
our current situation. Gossip is an attempt at gaining back that control. It’s also
sometimes used as a way to boost your self-confidence but it ends up doing the
exact opposite. If you find that you do gossip, you need to take a look at what’s
happening in your life. Do you feel like you’re powerless? What positive changes
can you make? It’s important when you’re feeling out of control that you’re able to
take action instead of only reacting to the events that occur in your life. The other
side of this is that if someone gossips to you, you need to ask, “Why are they
telling me this information?”. You’ll probably find that at least one of the above
points will answer your question. This tells you a lot about the person who’s
gossiping to you.

What Really Happens When You Gossip At Work

So, how destructive is gossip to you? Take a look at what happens when you
gossip:

• You lose all credibility with your co-workers and people will no longer trust you.
They’ll wonder what you’re saying about them to other people. They'll also feel if
they tell you something in confidence, you may spread that information. Once you
lose your integrity, it’s very hard to get it back.

• You may find that the person you gossiped to will go and tell the very person you
talked about. Instant office conflict. Also, you’ll probably feel bad about saying
those things in the first place. Or if you have gossiped in an email, other people
could end up seeing that email (walk up behind the person when they’re reading it,
it gets forwarded by mistake, etc.). Also, people tend to keep email forever so
something you said 6 months ago may come back to haunt you.

• You’re going to worry about what others are saying about you. You end up
making yourself paranoid when you probably don’t need to be.

• It creates conflict for no reason.

• It decreases the morale of your workplace which in turn will affect your own mind
set.

• It cuts productivity; yours and others.

• You may end up wasting a lot of energy worrying about things that never happen
(layoffs, change in staff positions).

• You get wrong information (could be very damaging depending on what you do
with the information). Someone says “so and so said this about you.” It may not be
true and now you have bad feelings about someone and a situation that may never
have happened.

• It could affect your career prospects (if management knows that you gossip,
they’re far more likely to pass you over for a promotion). Also, at some point in the
future you may end up having to work for that person you gossiped about.

• Karma – remember the old saying, “what goes around, comes around”. When we
spread rumours and gossip, it will end up coming back to hurt us.

• We usually end up creating a negative work environment and who needs that?

These are all things that end up damaging your self confidence.

Before You Gossip, Ask Yourself These Questions:

Why are you doing it? (power play, to feel like you belong, to make yourself
more popular)
If these are your reasons, then don’t do it. The wrong motives will lead you into
trouble every time.

• Would you want other people to know that kind of information about you?
if you wouldn’t, then don’t say anything.

Usually it’s best to just “bite your tongue”. And the more often you resist the
temptation of gossip, the easier it will get. Gossip is just not worth it.
How to Avoid Being Involved With Gossip:

So, what do you do if you work in a gossip infested workplace? Here’s a few
suggestions for the next time someone starts gossiping to you:

• Change the subject – try to have something else you can talk about. Make it a
positive subject.

• Distraction techniques – "Hey, do you want to go get a coffee?” Get the person
distracted on to something else.

• Don’t say anything – just let them finish and don’t say anything. They’ll quickly
learn that you aren’t interested in gossiping.

• Tell the person – you can tell the person you’re not comfortable about talking
about the particular subject. For example if someone is telling you about the latest
rumour that your department is about to undergo staff cuts, you can say , “it’s a
rumour. I don’t want to think about that until I know it’s true. I can handle whatever
happens. It’s not worth worrying about things that may never happen.” Or if
someone starts talking about someone else, you can say, “Let’s wait to discuss that
until Joe can be here in person.”

Each time you avoid getting involved in gossip, the easier it will get. It’s the first
couple of times that it will be a conscious effort to resist the temptation. It helps if
you can remember the benefits you will gain by not slipping into this bad habit.
You'll find that your self confidence starts to improve greatly and people will have
more respect for you. You’ll probably also find that you don’t waste anywhere near
as much as time as you used to worrying about things that never come to pass.
You’ll be able to focus on what’s important and what you want to accomplish in
your life.
Read more: http://www.life-with-confidence.com/gossip-at-
work.html#ixzz3a3rhulDS

6 Difficult Types of People and How to Deal With Them

By Clay Tucker-Ladd, Ph.D.
~ 5 min read

We all have difficult people we need to deal with in our lives on a daily basis. While
such characteristics may be exaggerations, you may find traits of them in a few of
the people in your workplace, amongst your friends, or even a loved one.
Psychological research has suggested several ways of coping with difficult people
in your life, e.g. hostile co-workers or bosses, complainers, super-agreeables,
know-it-all experts, pessimists, and stallers.

1. The Hostile Co-worker or Boss

Dealing with hostile people requires both tact and strength. Since persons who feel
they have been wronged are more likely to be belligerent and violent, you should
first try to be sure they have been dealt with fairly.

In addition, it would be wise to help them meet as many of their needs as possible
without reinforcing their aggressiveness or discriminating in their favor. Likewise,
avoid interactions with them that encourage intense emotions or threats of
violence. Certainly do not interact with your angry “enemies” when they are
drinking or carrying weapons. Say or do nothing that would incite more anger or, on
the other hand, cause you to appear to be scared, weak, and a “pushover.”

In most cases, strong retaliation against an aggressive person is the worst thing
you can do. Nastiness begets nastiness. Hostility escalates. Threats of punishment
may also work. Remember punishment is only effective while the punisher is
observing — watch out for subtle rebellion.
If you can divert the angry person’s attention to some meaningful task or a calm
discussion of the situation, the anger should subside. Also, offer him/her any
information that would explain the situation that upsets him/her. Point out
similarities or common interests between him/her and the person they are mad at
(you). Let him/her see or hear about calm, rational ways of resolving differences.
Almost anything that gets him/her thinking about something else will help.

The Institute of Mental Health Initiatives provide a brief list of ways to calm an
angry person: reduce the noise level, keep calm yourself, acknowledge that the
irate person has been wronged (if true) or, at least, acknowledge their feelings
without any judgment, ask them to explain their situation (so you can tactfully
correct errors), listen to their complaints without counter-attacking, explain your
feelings with non-blaming “I” statements, show that you care but set limits on
violence (“I’d like to work it out with you but I’ll have to call the police if you can’t
control yourself”).

2. The Chronic Complainer

What about the chronic complainers? They are fault-finding, blaming, and certain
about what should be done but they never seem able to correct the situation by
themselves. Often they have a point — there are real problems — but their
complaining is not effective (except it is designed to prove someone else is
responsible).

Coping with complainers involves, first, listening and asking clarifying questions,
even if you feel guilty or falsely accused. There are several don’ts: don’t agree with
the complaints, don’t apologize (not immediately), and don’t become overly
defensive or counter-attack because this only causes them to restate their
complaints more heatedly. Secondly, as you gather facts, create a problem-solving
attitude. Be serious and supportive. Acknowledge the facts. Get the complaints in
writing and in precise detail; get others, including the complainer, involved in
collecting more data that might lead to a solution. In addition to what is wrong, ask
“What should happen?” If the complainer is unhappy with someone else, not you,
you may want to ask, “Have you told (the complainee) yet?” or “Can I tell
__________?” or “Can I set up a meeting with them?” Thirdly, plan a specific time
to make decisions cooperatively that will help the situation…and do it.
3. The Super-Agreeable

What about the persons who are super nice and smilingly agree with your ideas
until some action is required, then they back down or disappear. Such people seek
approval. They have learned, probably as children, that one method for getting
“love” is by telling people (or pretending) you really care for and/or admire them.
Similarly, the super-agreeables will often promise more than they deliver: “I’ll get
the report done today” or “I’d love to help you clean up.” They are experts in
phoniness, so don’t try to “butter them up.”

Instead, reassure the super-agreeable that you will still like them even if they tell
you the truth. Ask them to be candid and make it easy for them to be frank: “What
part of my plan is okay but not as good as it could be?” Help them avoid making
promises they can’t keep: “Are you sure you can have the money by then? How
about two weeks later?” Tell and show them you value their friendship. Let them
know you are ready to compromise because you know they will be more than fair.

4. The Know-It-All Expert

Know-it-all experts are of two types: the truly competent, productive, self-assured,
genuine expert and the partially informed person pretending to be an expert. Both
can be a pain.

The true expert may act superior and make others feel stupid; they may be bull
headed and impatient with differing opinions; they are often self-reliant, don’t need
or want any help, and don’t want to change. If you are going to deal with the true
expert as an equal, you must do your homework thoroughly; otherwise, they will
dismiss you. First of all, listen to them and accurately paraphrase their points. Don’t
attack their ideas but rather raise questions that suggest alternatives: “Would you
tell me more?” or “What do you think the results will be in five years?” “It probably
isn’t a viable choice but could we consider…?” Secondly, show your respect for
his/her competence but don’t put yourself down. Lastly, if the expert can not learn
to consider others’ ideas, you may be wise to graciously accept a subordinate role
as his/her “helper.” True experts deserve respect.
The pretentious-but-not-real expert is relatively easy to deal with because
he/she (unlike liars or cons) is often unaware of how little he/she knows. Such a
person can be gently confronted with the facts. Do it when alone with them. Help
them save face. They simply want to be admired.
5. The Pessimist

Another “burden” to any group is the pessimist –the person who always says, “It
won’t work” or “We tried that.” These angry, bitter people have the power to drag us
down because they stir up the old pool of doubt and disappointment within us. So,
first of all, avoid being sucked into his/her cesspool of hopelessness. Don’t argue
with the pessimist; don’t immediately offer solutions to the difficulties predicted by
the pessimist.

Instead, make optimistic statements — showing that change is possible — and

encourage the group to brainstorm leading to several possible alternatives. Then
ask what are the worst possible consequences of each alternative (this gives the
negativist a chance to do his/her thing but you can use the gloomy predictions in a
constructive, problem-solving way). Also ask, “What will happen if we do nothing?”
Finally, welcome everyone’s help but be willing to do it alone because the pessimist
won’t volunteer.

6. The Staller

Every group has a “staller,” a person who puts off decisions for fear someone will
be unhappy. Unlike the super-agreeable, the staller is truly interested in being
helpful. So, make it easier for him/her todiscuss and make decisions. Try to find out
what the staller’s real concerns are (he/she won’t easily reveal negative opinions of
you). Don’t make demands for quick action. Instead, help the staller examine the
facts and make compromises or develop alternative plans (and decide which ones
take priority). Give the staller reassurance about his/her decision and support the
effective carrying out of the decision.

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/04/15/6-difficult-types-of-people-and-
how-to-deal-with-them/
 High-Level Description of the Sixteen Personality Types

ISTJ - The Duty Fulfiller

Serious and quiet, interested in security and peaceful living. Extremely thorough,
responsible, and dependable. Well-developed powers of concentration. Usually
interested in supporting and promoting traditions and establishments. Well-
organized and hard working, they work steadily towards identified goals. They can
usually accomplish any task once they have set their mind to it.

Click here for a detailed description of ISTJ.

ISTP - The Mechanic

Quiet and reserved, interested in how and why things work. Excellent skills with
mechanical things. Risk-takers who they live for the moment. Usually interested in
and talented at extreme sports. Uncomplicated in their desires. Loyal to their peers
and to their internal value systems, but not overly concerned with respecting laws
and rules if they get in the way of getting something done. Detached and analytical,
they excel at finding solutions to practical problems.

Click here for a detailed description of ISTP.

ISFJ - The Nurturer

Quiet, kind, and conscientious. Can be depended on to follow through. Usually

puts the needs of others above their own needs. Stable and practical, they value
security and traditions. Well-developed sense of space and function. Rich inner
world of observations about people. Extremely perceptive of other's feelings.
Interested in serving others.

Click here for a detailed description of ISFJ.

ISFP - The Artist

Quiet, serious, sensitive and kind. Do not like conflict, and not likely to do things
which may generate conflict. Loyal and faithful. Extremely well-developed senses,
and aesthetic appreciation for beauty. Not interested in leading or controlling
others. Flexible and open-minded. Likely to be original and creative. Enjoy the
present moment.

Click here for a detailed description of ISFP.

INFJ - The Protector

Quietly forceful, original, and sensitive. Tend to stick to things until they are done.
Extremely intuitive about people, and concerned for their feelings. Well-developed
value systems which they strictly adhere to. Well-respected for their perserverence
in doing the right thing. Likely to be individualistic, rather than leading or following.

Click here for a detailed description of INFJ.

INFP - The Idealist

Quiet, reflective, and idealistic. Interested in serving humanity. Well-developed

value system, which they strive to live in accordance with. Extremely loyal.
Adaptable and laid-back unless a strongly-held value is threatened. Usually
talented writers. Mentally quick, and able to see possibilities. Interested in
understanding and helping people.

Click here for a detailed description of INFP.

INTJ - The Scientist

Independent, original, analytical, and determined. Have an exceptional ability to

turn theories into solid plans of action. Highly value knowledge, competence, and
structure. Driven to derive meaning from their visions. Long-range thinkers. Have
very high standards for their performance, and the performance of others. Natural
leaders, but will follow if they trust existing leaders.

Click here for a detailed description of INTJ.

INTP - The Thinker

Logical, original, creative thinkers. Can become very excited about theories and
ideas. Exceptionally capable and driven to turn theories into clear understandings.
Highly value knowledge, competence and logic. Quiet and reserved, hard to get to
know well. Individualistic, having no interest in leading or following others.

Click here for a detailed description of INTP.

ESTP - The Doer

Friendly, adaptable, action-oriented. "Doers" who are focused on immediate
results. Living in the here-and-now, they're risk-takers who live fast-paced
lifestyles. Impatient with long explanations. Extremely loyal to their peers, but not
usually respectful of laws and rules if they get in the way of getting things done.
Great people skills.

Click here for a detailed description of ESTP.

ESTJ - The Guardian

Practical, traditional, and organized. Likely to be athletic. Not interested in theory or

abstraction unless they see the practical application. Have clear visions of the way
things should be. Loyal and hard-working. Like to be in charge. Exceptionally
capable in organizing and running activities. "Good citizens" who value security
and peaceful living.

Click here for a detailed description of ESTJ.

ESFP - The Performer

People-oriented and fun-loving, they make things more fun for others by their
enjoyment. Living for the moment, they love new experiences. They dislike theory
and impersonal analysis. Interested in serving others. Likely to be the center of
attention in social situations. Well-developed common sense and practical ability.

Click here for a detailed description of ESFP.

ESFJ - The Caregiver

Warm-hearted, popular, and conscientious. Tend to put the needs of others over
their own needs. Feel strong sense of responsibility and duty. Value traditions and
security. Interested in serving others. Need positive reinforcement to feel good
about themselves. Well-developed sense of space and function.

Click here for a detailed description of ESFJ.

ENFP - The Inspirer

Enthusiastic, idealistic, and creative. Able to do almost anything that interests

them. Great people skills. Need to live life in accordance with their inner values.
Excited by new ideas, but bored with details. Open-minded and flexible, with a
broad range of interests and abilities.

Click here for a detailed description of ENFP.

ENFJ - The Giver

Popular and sensitive, with outstanding people skills. Externally focused, with real
concern for how others think and feel. Usually dislike being alone. They see
everything from the human angle, and dislike impersonal analysis. Very effective at
managing people issues, and leading group discussions. Interested in serving
others, and probably place the needs of others over their own needs.

Click here for a detailed description of ENFJ.

ENTP - The Visionary

Creative, resourceful, and intellectually quick. Good at a broad range of things.

Enjoy debating issues, and may be into "one-up-manship". They get very excited
about new ideas and projects, but may neglect the more routine aspects of life.
Generally outspoken and assertive. They enjoy people and are stimulating
company. Excellent ability to understand concepts and apply logic to find solutions.

Click here for a detailed description of ENTP.

ENTJ - The Executive

Assertive and outspoken - they are driven to lead. Excellent ability to understand
difficult organizational problems and create solid solutions. Intelligent and well-
informed, they usually excel at public speaking. They value knowledge and
competence, and usually have little patience with inefficiency or disorganization.

Click here for a detailed description of ENTJ

http://www.personalitypage.com/high-level.html
Personality questionnaires assess personal behavioural preferences, that is, how you like to work. They are
not concerned with your abilities, but how you see yourself in the way you relate to others, your approach to
problems, and how you deal with feelings and emotions. With this type of assessment, there are no right or
wrong answers.

The questions that follow are examples of the type of question you may come across in personality
questionnaires. There are two common formats to personality questionnaires. In one format, you are asked to
rate yourself. In the other, you are asked to choose between different statements that look at different aspects
of personality.

Rating Statements
You may be asked to rate yourself on a number of phrases or statements. After reading each
statement, you would mark your answer as follows:

Select circle 1 If you strongly disagree with the statement

Select circle 2 If you disagree with the statement

Select circle 3 If you are unsure

Select circle 4 If you agree with the statement

Select circle 5 If you strongly agree with the statement

In the example below, the first statement has been completed; the person has agreed that "I enjoy meeting
new people" is an accurate description of himself or herself. Try rating yourself on the other example
questions. Remember there are no right or wrong answers.

1 I enjoy meeting
new people.
2 I like helping
people.
3 I sometimes make
mistakes.
4 I'm easily
disappointed.
5 I enjoy repairing
 things.
Making Choices
This is the second format widely used with personality questionnaires. You are given a block of statements.
Your task is to choose one statement that is most like your behaviour in work situations and one statement that
is least like your behaviour. You should indicate your choices by clicking the appropriate button in the columns
marked "M" for most and "L" for least.

The first statement below has been completed; the person has indicated that he or she most likes trying out
new activities and least like understanding the underlying theory. Try choosing which statements are most and
least like you in the following example questions. Remember there are no right and wrong answers.

I am the sort of person who...

Principio del formulario

M L
1 A I try out new
activities.
B I consider other
people’s feelings.
C I like to understand
the underlying
theory.

Principio del formulario

M L
2 A I have highly
original ideas.
B I am prepared to
tell people if they
are mistaken.
C I am modest about
what I have
achieved.

Principio del formulario

M L
3 A I conceal my
feelings.
B I am nervous
before big events.
 C I review work
critically.

Principio del formulario

M L
4 A I like meeting new
people.
B I enjoy setting
long-term goals.
C I usually feel
relaxed.

http://www.shldirect.com/en/assessment-advice/example-questions/personality-
questionnaire

A cultural misunderstanding occurs when something--a word, gesture, object, social

context, almost anything you can think of--has different meanings in two cultures.

At a psychology conference in England years ago, a woman said to me "I'll knock you
up in the morning." I was initially taken aback by her bizarre suggestion, but it did occur
to me that I might not understand her intent. Eventually, it turned out that what she
meant was "I'll knock on your door in the morning so that we can meet for breakfast to
discuss the panel we're on.