▁distinct ▁prefer ences ▁with ▁regards ▁to ▁them . ▁U . S . ▁clients ▁prefer ▁to ▁communicate ▁frequently ▁via ▁inform al ▁tele phone ▁and ▁email ▁contacts , ▁while ▁Japanese ▁clients ▁prefer ▁ver bal ▁communication ▁and ▁less ▁frequent ▁but ▁formal ▁use ▁of ▁electronic ▁media . ▁ ▁L ingu istic ▁bar riers ▁typically ▁manifest ▁themselves ▁when ▁at ▁least ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁actors ▁in ▁a ▁conversation ▁is ▁not ▁speaking ▁its ▁native ▁language . ▁As ide ▁from ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁one ▁should ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁express ▁himself ▁better ▁in ▁his ▁native ▁language , ▁there ▁are ▁other ▁obst acles . ▁Id iom atic ▁expressions ▁and ▁sl ang ▁are ▁an ▁examples ▁of ▁such ▁obst acles ▁that ▁difficult ▁inform al ▁communication . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Allen ' s ▁Cur ve , ▁the ▁frequency ▁of ▁communication ▁between ▁engine ers ▁dro ps ▁at ▁an ▁exponential ▁rate ▁as ▁the ▁distance ▁between ▁them ▁increases . ▁In ▁case ▁of ▁cow ork ers ▁in ▁a ▁company , ▁communication ▁is ▁often ▁triggered ▁by ▁random ▁enc oun ters ▁between ▁cow ork ers . ▁When ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁significant ▁distance ▁between ▁the ▁latter , ▁their ▁communication ▁decre ases . ▁In ▁fact , ▁an ▁empir ical ▁study ▁was ▁conducted ▁that ▁compared ▁the ▁frequency ▁of ▁communication ▁between ▁cow ork ers ▁from ▁local ▁and ▁remote ▁sites . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁in quired ▁answered ▁that ▁they ▁speak ▁to ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁their ▁local ▁colle agues ▁at ▁least ▁once ▁a ▁day , ▁while ▁speaking ▁less ▁than ▁once ▁a ▁week ▁with ▁their ▁remote ▁ones . ▁ ▁Tem por al ▁bar riers ▁are ▁closely ▁related ▁to ▁ge