Decoding Indirectness

This exercise is the opposite of the one you just completed. In this activity, you are presented with a series of indirect statements and asked to decode them--to explain in direct language what the speaker probably means.

Looking at the first statement, "That is a very interesting viewpoint," remember that the person may mean exactly that, but sometimes it's an indirect way of saying "I disagree with you." In communicating across cultures, you need to at least entertain the possibility that the speaker may mean something other than what he or she has said. Possible ways to rephrase the first statement are offered as an example.

1. That is a very interesting viewpoint.	I don't agree. We need to talk more about this. You're wrong.
2. This proposal deserves further consideration.
3. I know very little about this, but...
4. We understand your proposal very well.
5. We will try our best.
6. I heard another story about that project.
7. Can we move onto the next topic?.