Chapter 6: Intercultural Communication PDF

MODULE: ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT CHAPTER 6: INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION ✓ Define intercultural communication ✓ Demonstrates effective intercultural communication skills in a speech situation...

MODULE: ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT CHAPTER 6: INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION ✓ Define intercultural communication ✓ Demonstrates effective intercultural communication skills in a speech situation ✓ Develop appreciation for different cultural perspectives ✓ Communicate sensitively, taking into consideration a listener’s gender. Definition and Nature of Intercultural Communication Intercultural communication happens when individuals interact, negotiate, and create meanings while bringing in their varied cultural backgrounds (Ting-Toomey, 1999). For some scholars, intercultural communication pertains to communication among people from different nationalities (Gudykunst, 2003). Still, others look at intercultural communication as communication that is influenced by different ethnicities, religions, and sexual orientations. Both interpretations show that intercultural communication takes place when people draw from their cultural identity to understand values, prejudices, language, attitudes, and relationships (Gudykunst & Kim, 2003). Moreover, this facet of communication can also be seen as a bargained understanding of human experiences across diverse societies. Simply put, intercultural communication is the sending and receiving of messages across languages and cultures. Sometimes, intercultural communication can flow smoothly and become very interesting for a cross-cultural group. However, things may not go as planned when communication is disrupted by cultural collisions.  MODULE: ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT When you speak, your speech is continuously accompanied by gestures, facial expressions, and other body movements that add to what you are saying in different ways. For example, nodding means “yes” in the Indian subcontinent, Iran, most of Europe, Latin America, and North America. However, in Greece, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Turkey, Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Albania, nodding indicates disagreement. Moreover, in the case of Japanese culture, silence as a form of communication is more integrated in their customs than in Western languages. It is therefore important for you to acknowledge and understand the many communication patterns present in other cultures. The Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity The Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) offers a structure that explores how people experience cultural differences. According to Bennett and Bennett (2004), it has six stages. These are the following:  MODULE: ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT Once you understand these stages, you may apply it to 1) recognize communication behaviors which differ from your own, 2) take into account what can influence these types of behaviors, and 3) try to analyze how linguistic and cultural communities differ in terms of communication behavior and influencing factors (Allwood, 1985). Characteristics of Competent Intercultural Communicators World Bank (2010) identifies the following traits that define a competent intercultural communicator. 1. flexibility and the ability to tolerate high levels of uncertainty 2. reflectiveness or mindfulness 3. open-mindedness 4. sensitivity 5. adaptability 6. ability to engage in divergent thinking (or thinking creatively) and systems- level thinking (or thinking how each one in a system or organization influences each other) 7. politeness Note that in addition to culture, other elements such as gender, age, social status, and religion must also be taken into consideration when communicating with others. Refrain from showing bias when talking to someone by following the tips below. 1. Avoid stereotypes, i.e., generalizations about a certain group. 2. Challenge gender norms; avoid using “he” and “man” to refer to a general group of people. To remedy this, you may use plural pronouns or rewrite a sentence to avoid using pronouns. The use of his/her is also acceptable. 3. Do not talk down on younger people and the elderly. 4. Be sensitive to the religious practices of others. 5. Be polite at all times; do not belittle people you perceive to be on a lower social class than you.  MODULE: ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT Influence in Gender on the Intercultural Communication The idea that men and women are different in their ability to communicate has been one of the most popular beliefs about gender differences that exists to this day. Whether it is with words, tone of voice, emotional expression, or body language, the way in which males and females communicate have been explored in a variety of ways to distinguish the characteristics that makes us so different. It may seem obvious that males and females tend to use different communication styles. It is commonly generalized that females communicate in a more indirect, elaborate, and emotional, sense that can reflect uncertainty, tentativeness, and a lack of authority. While males are perceived to have a communication style that is direct, succinct, and instrumental. Although it may seem that the female communication style might be the weaker form, it can also be said that females are more able to establish a rapport that encourages response because of their ability to empathize and connect. While males’ conversational style usually centers around their own independence, female communication style reflects their need for connectedness. One major difference between male and female communication style is in the amount of emotion that is used in their conversations. Gendered cultural norms such as emotional expression and communication styles are both learned in childhood through interactions with family members and friends. Specifically, conversations that children have with their peers help them learn appropriate emotional responses which develop their socio-cognitive understanding. For example, females use more affiliative language whereas males use more assertive language in conversations with both parents and peers. The differences in the words we use, the tone of voice, and the way we express our emotion can all cause some form of misunderstanding with communication. The way in which men and women communicate, whether through verbal or nonverbal means, can present differences in how the speaker and the addressee are perceived. Knowing what these differences are can help lessen misunderstandings and build a greater path of communication between the sexes.  MODULE: ORAL COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT https://www.idrinstitute.org/resources/intercul tural-communication/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intercultural_com munication Please click the link below for the Course Overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QWRfWngJhQ