The first intercultural communication book I ever read was a little pink paperback called The Silent Language.
That was several years ago, back when I was teaching German and studying second language acquisition in grad school. Well before I knew anything about the intercultural field. Aaron, my husband, rediscovered the paperback on his bookshelf one day and thought perhaps I’d want to read it.
I was drawn to the book simply because language was in the title and, at that time, I devoured anything and everything related to language learning and teaching.
But instead of adding to my language knowledge as I conceived of it, The Silent Language made me think about culture in a way I hadn’t considered.
The ideas of culture is communication and communication is culture and time talks, space speaks percolated in the back of my mind in the years between reading The Silent Language (and a few others) and becoming obsessed with intercultural communication.
That’s when I realized I hand’t read just any old book about culture. I’d read a book about culture written by an anthropologist often considered to be the founder of the intercultural communication field, Edward T. Hall.
I am saddened to report that Dr. Hall passed away last week, at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was 95 years old.
Dr. Hall’s book The Silent Language celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
Have you read any of Edward T. Hall’s works?
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