As a result of reading Chapter 6 and participating in related class discussions and activities, you should be able to:

(1) Appreciate the arbitrary yet creative nature of human language;

(2) Realize why language rules often create intercultural bumps and misunderstandings;

(3) Connect the importance of language to its cultural worldviews and values;

(4) Compare the linear worldview and the relational worldview as reflected in different language systems;

(5) Practice mindful verbal tracking and verbal sensitivity in communicating with nonnative speakers from other cultures.