Hotspots

The term hotspot is derived from the English hot „hot“ and spot „place“ and thus means hot spot (cf. https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Hotspot).

Definition

Hotspots are so-called rich points, which refer to those places in communication where culture-specific problems occur more often. These include greetings, offering criticism, differing opinions, definitions, or explanations (e.g., duzen/ siezen) (cf. Agar 1994, 100).

Rich points often occur in intercultural communication, but are not necessarily tied to it. This means that rich points exist both within a culture and contrastively when comparing two cultures. As soon as a difficulty occurs in a conversation, Rich Points can be involved. This can be either individual behavior or cultural patterns (cf. Heringer 2017, 166). „Rich points are rich

– because they provide insights into cultures,

– because they teach us to examine our own expectations,

– because they can be considered and dealt with communicatively“ (Heringer 2017, 166).

It is typical of rich points that difficulties arise not only in the intersections of different cultures, but also in disagreements among native speakers. It can be concluded that Rich Points are rich in culture, have numerous different components, and are viewed and experienced differently (cf. Heringer 2017, 166-167).

How can a rich point be better understood?

According to Agar, the Austrian term Schmäh is a Rich Point in itself, as culture and history are deeply embedded in this word. „Rich points signal where the languacultural action is“ (Agar 1994, 106). To this end, Agar compares a Rich Point to a stumbling block over which someone falls. A Rich Point occurs when communication and comprehension problems arise as well as knowledge of cultural background is insufficient. If a Rich Point is suspected, differences to one’s own culture should be elicited. Accordingly, connections should be made between the Rich Point and world views. This could lead to a deeper understanding of Rich Points (cf. Heringer 2017, 168-169).

What is the difference between rich points and hotspots?

Heringer understands hotspots as rich points whose meaning is generalized. For didactic reasons, general hot spots in intercultural communication are identified and listed. Such hotspots are usually obtained from experience (cf. Heringer 2017, 169). Therefore, hotspots are culturally specific situations where misunderstandings occur, such as everyday situations: greeting, saying yes/no, gifts, body language, staying silent, apologizing, etc. This is explained in more detail below. In contrast, rich points, as in the example of Schmäh, are to be understood as an attitude towards life as well as a general attitude to see life and things.

Examples

The choice of Du or Sie in German or the American date are examples of hotspots. Furthermore, the Austrian or Viennese Schmäh also counts. It should be noted that there are differences of opinion in the explanation of this word. Basically, however, this term is understood as a way of life based on irony (cf. Heringer 2017, 166-167). Furthermore, greeting is also counted among hotspots. Here, greeting is performed linguistically, physically, and gesturally differently depending on the language and culture. For example, the American How do you do? or ¿Qué tal? in Spanish does not require a direct response. In addition, there are also different habits on the telephone. While in Germany the called party gives his or her name, in many other countries the answer is only yes. In addition to the linguistic part, the physical part also varies from country to country. Accordingly, a handshake is obligatory in Austria, for example. In Islamic culture, on the other hand, a man never shakes a woman’s hand (cf. Heringer 2017, 169). Furthermore, forms of address are also responsible for intercultural misunderstandings. In addition, personal questions can cause great confusion in different cultures, e.g. in Indonesia (cf. Heringer 2017, 170 f.). Invitations are another example. For example, if a party takes place at 8 o’clock, the German should be told exactly 8 o’clock, the Spaniard 7:40 o’clock, etc. (cf. Heringer 2017, 172).

Moreover, the language problem is a typical example of hotspots. There is the question of which language the partners, who come from different language cultures, should speak, etc. (cf. Heringer 2017, 172). Furthermore, consent and rejection are realized differently in different cultures. To this end, they are also expressed through differing gestures. In China, for example, a completely drunk glass is a sign that the glasses are not constantly refilled by the host (cf. Heringer 2017, 174). In addition, listening habits indicate significant differences in cultures, e.g., silent listening is considered polite in Poland. Furthermore, religion is considered a hot hotspot. To this end, criticism, compliments, and humor should be handled with care, as they are perceived differently in different cultures (see Heringer 2017, 175-177).

Literature

Agar, Michael (1994): The intercultural frame. In: International Journal of Intercultural Relations 18.

Dudenverlag: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Hotspot [29 Aug. 2019].

Heringer, Hans Jürgen (2017): Intercultural communication. Foundations and concepts. 5th ed. Tübingen: Francke.

Rössler, Andrea (2008): Successful vocabulary acquisition in the Spanish classroom. In: Lüning, Marita/ Rössler, Andrea/ Sommerfeldt, Kathrin/ Strickstrack-García, Roswitha/ Vences, Ursula/ Wlasak-Feik, Christine (eds.): Principles and methods of teaching Spanish. The teaching of Spanish as a foreign language. Seelze: Friedrich, 20-25.