How do gender and cultural differences influence the communication process?

In English as in most any other contemporary language, gender and cultural differences influence the communication process in numerous ways. One gender-related influence is the conventional (if not universally accepted) notion that males tend to communicate more literally and directly, while females tend to communicate more figuratively and indirectly. One culture-related difference is the use of the same expression to denote different things; for example, with 'to table' having opposite meanings in British and American English.