Zaina Cummins, Elena Kovalchuk, and Regina Merrill 

What ludic ways of communication do you share in your culture? How far do these strategies of using ludic as phatic communication become helpful in communication across diverse cultures and languages? What do you learn from Suzanne Malley’s research based on three different countries in the world, i.e. Russia, U.S., and South Africa?

In the United States, small talk is a big part of everyday life. Almost every conversation, no matter if it is with a friend, your colleague, or stranger on the street, starts with “How was your day” or “‘How are you”? The conversation can be around everything, weather, sports, weekend, groceries and etc. It’s a natural part of social interactions here in the USA. However, the idea of small talk is not so popular across the world. 

For example, in Russia, no one would talk to anyone on the street, because that is a matter of safety to avoid strangers. Or in Finland people do not like just to fill time or interrupt awkward silence. If they ask how you are doing, they really mean it and do not want to hear the surface-level conversation. Diving into a new culture means getting acquainted not only with what you like, but also what seems awkward, unfamiliar, or inappropriate. Small talk is a very helpful tool in establishing immediate contact and a mood of sociability between speakers. 

This type of communication is all about trying to find a common ground, and it is easier to do so now because never before have so many people been going through the same experience. Although the pandemic has not affected everyone equally, everyone is affected by it in some way, creating common ground among diverse individuals like never before. This reinforces Malley’s research that small talk can be used to break down barriers between different people. COVID-19 is also a shared global experience, so it may provide another opportunity for increased cross-cultural engagement. 

Zaina has personally been working in customer service since she was 16. It took a while to master, but you can always tell which kind of people want to be talked to. Many people have a certain energy, a certain demeanor to them that allows you to sense if they would like a thorough conversation before the main point, or if they are the type to waste no time in stating what they want or what they came for. For example, a person smiling may want a side conversation while you are ringing up their transaction, but then you spot another person with no expression of emotion on their face, which leads you to think that they want to ‘grab and go.’ This goes for clientele as well. Whether it’s getting your nails done or hair done, some people don’t require or need small talk. They simply just want your physical services  Furthermore, this does not mean that the people who don’t desire small talk are mean or rude, it can be for many other reasons such as their culture, religion, or different personal reasons. Some people look forward to those small conversations simply because they usually have zero interaction with anyone else. So someone talking to you about the weather or the style of your shoes can be the highlight of their day!  

Recognizing when someone wants to engage in this type of communication with either members of your own culture or members of another is an important skill to help facilitate successful and wanted two-way communication.