Canadian communication style depends on the region a bit, with Francophones being more indirect and Anglophones being more direct. Francophone express themselves more passionately and use more gestures, while Anglophones are more subdued. Francophones are also more likely to interrupt other speakers, while Anglophones consider it rude to do so. Generally speaking, Canadian communication style is a combination of British (more formal) and American (more informal) communication style. People communicate rather informally, are easy going and polite.
Canadians use low context communication.
Canadians use low context communication, which means they communicate mainly with words. Body language, facial expressions are important to a certain extent, but people generally express their thoughts with words. They say what they mean. They generally do not beat around the bush, do not worry about saving face, protecting feelings and preserving appearances. Social context, social hierarchy and background information are less important that words. It makes communication somewhat easier and listeners don’t have to interpret things like tone of voice, gestures or have background information on all speakers. By contrast, high context cultures, like Japan, China and Korea depend more on body language and context to communicate.
Canadians have friendly and positive communication style.
Canadians are friendly people. They are used to having immigrants around who sometimes have trouble communicating in English, so they always try to understand and help by asking questions and trying to figure out the problem at hand. They smile, make eye contact and greet other people politely. They usually make small talk before starting a more serious conversation. They discuss certain topics during small talk while they avoid others.
Canadians need to feel comfortable when communicating.
Canadians need certain things to feel comfortable while communicating. First of all, they prefer to have personal space and be at arm’s length when speaking to someone. Coming up too close to them may seem threatening or intrusive. Second, they do not like to feel obliged to do something they do not want to do and they give others the same freedom of choice. They want to feel free to do something for you rather than being forced into a situation. That is why, they often use polite language to ask for something. To make requests, they use phrases like:
- Would you mind….?
- Do you think you could…?
- I was wondering if you could…?, etc.
Third of all, Canadians need some time to warm up to other people and share their personal lives with them, so you shouldn’t expect to get close to them too quickly. They think that building a relationship takes time.
Canadians are diplomatic.
While most Canadians express themselves pretty directly, they prefer to be tactful and diplomatic in their communication. They choose their words carefully and show consideration, so that they don’t offend anyone. They also take to considerate people more than to impolite ones.
Useful phrases to make communication easier and more fruitful:
