INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

This paper is submitted to fulfill the assignment of Cross-Cultural Understanding

Lecturer : Afif Suaidi, S. S., M. Hum.

Compiled by :

Bernica Salsabila 181230158

Lida Maulida 181230170

Rahmah Antika Zahraa 181230181

ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND TEACHING TRAINING

SULTAN MAULANA HASANUDDIN BANTEN

2020/2021

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 PREFACE

First of all, thanks to our god Allah SWT. Because of Allah, we can finish this paper
entitled "Intercultural Communication". The purpose of writing this paper is to fulfill the
assignment that was given by Mr. Afif Suaidi, S. S., M. Hum as a lecturer in the subject
Cross-Cultural Understanding. We realize that this paper is far from perfect in the
arrangement or in the contents of the paper. We hope that suggestions from readers can be
supported to make it better in the next paper project. Hopefully, this paper can be useful to
increase our knowledge.

Serang, March 10, 2021.

Drafting Team

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

PREFACE.........................................................................................................................i

TABLE OF CONTENT..................................................................................................ii

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION...................................................................................1

1.1 Background Of Study..............................................................................................1

1.2 Problem Formulaion................................................................................................1

1.3 Writing Purpose.......................................................................................................1

CHAPTER II: DISCUSSION.........................................................................................2

2.1 Barriers to intercultural communication.................................................................. 2

2.2 Cultural Learning ....................................................................................................5

2.3 Improving Intercultural Communication ................................................................6

CHAPTER III: CONCLUSION....................................................................................8

3.1 Conclusion...............................................................................................................8

REFERENCES................................................................................................................9

ii
 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of Study
Communication has always been an important need of all societies.
Communication can be defined as the exchange of meaning. This involves the
sending and receiving of information between a sender and a receiver. This happens
not only through the use of words but also through non-verbal factors, such as
gestures and facial expressions.

Intercultural communication, sometimes used synonymously with cross-

cultural communication, is a form of communication that aims to share information
across different cultures and social groups. It is used to describe the wide range of
communication processes and problems that naturally appear within an organization
made up of individuals from different religious, social, ethnic, and educational
backgrounds. Aside from language, intercultural communication focuses on social
attributes, thought patterns, and the cultures of different groups of people. It also
involves understanding the different cultures, languages, and customs of people from
other countries. Intercultural communication plays a role in social sciences such as
anthropology, cultural studies, linguistics, psychology, and communication studies.

B. Problem formulation
1. What are the barriers to intercultural communication?
2. What is cultural learning?
3. How to improve intercultural communication?

C. Writing purpose
1. able to understand the Barriers to Intercultural Communication
2. able to understand cultural learning,
3. be able to improve intercultural communication.

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 CHAPTER II
DISCUSSION
Under the entry for ‘intercultural’, the NSOED ( New Shorter English Dictionary ):
‘taking place or forming a communication between cultures, belonging to or derived from
different cultures.1
Communication has two critical functions:
-Communication is how individuals learn appropriate behaviors and how those behaviors are
regulated.
-Communication is how individuals having one group identity interact with individuals with
other group identities and on a more general level how the groups interact with one another as
formal groups.2

A. Barriers to Intercultural Communication

1. Anxiety
The first barrier is high anxiety. When you are anxious due to not knowing what you are
expected to do, it's only natural to focus on that feeling and not be present in the
communication transaction. referred to not knowing what you are expected to do in an
intercultural encounter. Not knowing what you are expected to do is another way of saying
that you need more information.
For example, you may have experienced anxiety on your very first day on a new college
campus or in a new job. You may have been so conscious of being new—and out of place—
and focused so much of your attention on that feeling that you made common mistakes and
appeared awkward to others.3
2. Perception
The fact that people perceive the same thing in different ways is particularly important in
intercultural communication. The way we perceive is culturally determined, and the general
lack of awareness of this is another barrier to intercultural communication.4
3. Stereotype and Prejudice
The word stereotyping was first used by journalist Walter Lippmann in 1922 to describe
judgments made about others based on their ethnic group membership. The term stereotype is
the broader term and is commonly used to refer to negative or positive judgments made about
individuals based on any observable or believed group membership.
1
Soler, Eva A. & Jordà, Maria Pilar S. 2007. Intercultural Language Use and Language Learning. Page, 7.
2
Jandt, Fred E. 2018. An Introduction to Intercultural Communication Identities in a Global Community Ninth
Edition.
3
Ibid
4
Pujiyanti, U & Zuliani, F.R. 2014. Cross Cultural Understanding: A Handbook to Understand Others’
Cultures. P, 50.

2
 A stereotype is a fixed idea or image that many people have a particular type of person,
thing, or event, but sometimes it is not true in reality. Generalization and categories are
necessary, but when they are too rigid they can be a barrier to the effective interpretation of a
situation. In intercultural communication, it is vital to distinguish between what is part of a
person‘s cultural background and what is part of their personality. 5
For example, the sense of time urgency is characteristic of many of the residents of Asia’s
urban capitals, such as Tokyo, Taipei, Hong Kong, Seoul, or Singapore. It would become an
overgeneralization to simply assume that, because someone was a resident of one of these
cities, he or she would show a constant sense of time urgency. It becomes stereo- typing to
assume that this is a particularly good or bad quality of that person upon the basis of his or
her membership in the group of residents of that city.6
Whereas stereotypes can be positive or negative, prejudice refers to the irrational
suspicion or hatred of a particular group, race, religion, or sexual orientation (Rothenberg,
1992). The terms are related in that they both refer to making judgments about individuals
based on group membership. It's generally agreed that racism is prejudice with the exercise of
power on or over the group through institutional, historical, and structural means (Hoyt,
2012).
4. Interpretation
The example:
Two men meet on a plane from Tokyo to Hong Kong. Chu Hon-fai is a Hong Kong
exporter who is returning from a business trip to Japan. Andrew Richardson is an American
buyer on his first business trip to Hong Kong.
Mr. Richardson: By the way, I’m Andrew Richardson. My friends call me Andy. This is my
business card.
Mr. Chu: I’m David Chu. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Richardson. This is my card.
Mr. Richardson: No, no. Call me Andy. I think we’ll be doing a lot of business together.
Mr. Chu: Yes, I hope so.
Mr. Richardson (reading Mr. Chu’s card): “Chu, Hon-fai.” Hon-fai, I’ll give you a call
tomorrow as soon as I get settled at my hotel.
Mr. Chu (smiling): Yes. I’ll expect your call.
In this case, there are two issues of intercultural communication The first problem is
that there is a cultural difference in each of the participants’ expectations of what face
relationship should be used in such an initial business meeting. The second problem,
paradoxically, is that both Mr. Chu and Mr. Richardson are concerned with being culturally
sensitive. 7

5
Ibid. P, 50-51.
6
Scollon, R. & Scollon, S.W. 2001. Intercultural Communication. A Discourse Approach Second Edition. P,
168.
7
Ibid. P, 136.

3
 Mr. Richardson also is not aware that one means of expressing acute embarrassment
for Mr. Chu is to smile. While within North American culture there is the consciousness of
what might be called “nervous laughter,” there is a general expectation that a smile can be
taken as a direct expression of pleasure or satisfaction. Mr. Richardson misinterprets Mr.
Chu’s embarrassment as agreement or even pleasure at their first encounter, and as a result,
he goes away from the encounter with no awareness of the extent to which he has
complicated their initial introduction.8
5. Culture Shock
Culture shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all our familiar signs
and symbols of social intercourse. These signs are cues that include the thousand and one
ways in which we orient ourselves to the situations of daily life.9
6. Non-Verbal Behavior
Nonverbal patterns include gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, body movement,
touching, and the use of space and time. Gestures are an obvious source of misunderstanding,
because they may have different meanings. However, other forms of nonverbal
communication may cause particular difficulty, partly because we do not think about them
much. Therefore, we may not be able to figure out what is causing the misunderstanding or
why we feel uncomfortable. For example, patterns of touching vary a great deal in different
cultures. In some cultures, people frequently touch, kiss, and hold hands in public. In other
countries, this is not acceptable. In some cultures, people stand very close together when they
talk, but in other cultures, they stand relatively far apart. In some cultures, a person who looks
down while talking appears dishonest, while in other cultures, looking down shows respect.
In some cultures, you are expected to be on time for an appointment, but in other cultures,
you are expected to be late. All of these differences have the potential to cause problems.10
For example, even though the smile is universally recognized as a sign of friendliness, it
has other meanings that are specific to a culture. Germans smile less often than people from
the United States, but this doesn't mean that Germans are less friendly. It means that people
from Germany and the United States have different ideas of when a smile is appropriate. In a
business meeting of people from Germany and the United States, the people from the United
States complained that the Germans were cool and aloof; the Germans complained that the
people from the United States were excessively cheerful and hid true feelings (E. T. Hall &
Hall, 1990).

8
Ibid. P, 137.
9
Pujiyanti, U & Zuliani, F.R. 2014. Cross Cultural Understanding: A Handbook to Understand Others’
Cultures. P, 52.
10
Ibid. P, 53-54.

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B. Cultural Learning

At the lowest level is the belief that all people are alike. Then comes a recognition that
there are differences, and acceptance of the differences, seeing ways of synthesizing the
different ways, selecting, and making things run smoothly.
The process of cultural learning can be helped along with experience, reflection, and
training. Intercultural training not only provides information but also develops skills, and
encourages attitudes to enable people to progress along the cultural learning curve.11
By its very nature, communication generally, and intercultural communication, in
particular, involves people learning from interaction with others, seeking and developing
ways of understanding, and responding to those around them. Three psychological
components are involved in this process: cognitive, affective, and behavioral.
Cognitive
This is to do with knowledge about the people from the other culture(s) involved,
their values, beliefs, and expectations, knowledge of the language they use (even if the person
in question is not fluent in that language), and the communicative strategies they tend to
employ. Without this knowledge, the communicators in question may well make wrong
assumptions, choose an inappropriate communication strategy, and/or cause loss of face for
themselves or the others. Obtaining the knowledge required has also to do with learning by
doing, being open – or cognitively flexible, as Gudykunst (1992) calls it, to receiving and

11
Ibid. P, 55-56.

5
processing feedback. This flexibility also entails being able to take a perspective, to
differentiate between describing, interpreting, and evaluating behavior. The skill of
perspective-taking, according to Gudykunst and Kim (2003), reduces the possibility of
attributing incorrect motives to another’s behavior, allowing instead a search for other
interpretations, which may well allow a more accurate prediction of how others will behave.
Affective
This is component relates to the feelings, needs, and general motivation of an
individual concerning interacting with others from different cultures. If fears and prejudices
cloud feelings about communicating with another, then a person’s motivation will be
negative and they may tend to avoid interaction, even though they have the knowledge and
skills to communicate. The affective component is about applying the cognitive elements,
having the motivation to interact with other cultures, and the confidence to deal with any
anxiety or stress involved in dealing with those from another culture.12
Behavioral
The actual performance of the behavior was felt to be effective and appropriate in the
communication context. As Spitzberg (2000) sees it, competence in intercultural
communication is not just a set of skilled behaviors, since any given behavior may be seen as
competent in one context, but incompetent in another. In other words, competence does not
lie in the behavior itself but the ‘social evaluation of behavior’.13
C. Improving Intercultural Communication
People must research the cultures and communication conventions of those whom
they propose to meet. This will minimize the risk of making elementary mistakes. It is also
prudent to set a clear agenda so that everyone understands the nature and purpose of the
interaction. In interactions with people from foreign cultures and the interculturally
competent person understands the culture-specific concepts of perception, thinking, feeling,
and acting. The basic requirements for intercultural competence are:
1. Break the Assumptions
Everyone makes or has assumptions about others. Assumptions are beliefs rather than
objective truth and are usually influenced by several subjective factors.

For intercultural communication to truly work, people need to assess their

assumptions and ask themselves why they hold those ideas or beliefs. By doing so and
even openly examining them with others, the initial barrier to intercultural
communication is overcome.

2. Empathize
To come to appreciate and understand people from different cultures, empathy is vital.
Through putting yourself in someone else's shoes you come to see or appreciate their
point of view.

12
Browaeys, M. J.& Roger P. 2015. Understanding Cross Cultural Management Third Edition. P, 424.
13
Ibid. P, 427.

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 3. Involve
Involving others in tasks or decision-making empowers and builds strong
relationships. Using intercultural diversity is in essence a more creative approach to
problem-solving as it incorporates different points of view.

4. Discourage Herd Mentality

Herd mentality refers to a closed and one-dimensional approach. Such a way of
thinking curbs creativity, innovation, and advancement as people are restricted in how
to think, approach, and engage with people or challenges.

Intercultural communication can only flourish and therefore contribute if people are
encouraged to think as individuals, bring their cultural influences to the table, and
share ideas that may be outside the box.

5. Avoid Insensitive Behavior

People can and do behave in culturally insensitive ways. By attacking someone's
person, you attack their culture and therefore their dignity. This can only be divisive.
Effective communication depends on the informal understandings among the parties
involved that are based on the trust developed between them. When trust exists, there
is an implicit understanding within communication, cultural differences may be
overlooked, and problems can be dealt with more easily. The meaning of trust and
how it is developed and communicated vary across societies. Similarly, some cultures
have a greater propensity to be trusting than others.
The development of intercultural competence itself is mostly based on the individual's
experiences while he or she is communicating with different cultures. When interacting with
people from other cultures, the individual experiences certain obstacles that are caused by
differences in cultural understanding between two people from different cultures. Such
experiences may motivate the individual to acquire skills that can help him to communicate
his point of view to an audience belonging to different cultural ethnicity and background.
As an example, International students face this issue: they have a choice of modifying
their cultural boundaries and adapting to the culture around them or holding on to their native
culture and surrounding themselves with people. The students who decide to hold on to their
native culture are those who experience the most problems in their university life and who
encounter frequent culture shocks. But international students who adapt themselves to the
culture surrounding them (and who interact more with domestic students) will increase their
knowledge of the domestic culture, which may help them to "blend in" more. Such
individuals may be said to have adopted bicultural identities14

Pujiyanti, U & Zuliani, F.R. 2014. Cross Cultural Understanding: A Handbook to Understand Others’
14

Cultures. P, 57-60.

7
 CHAPTER III
CONCLUSIONS

When you are anxious due to not knowing what you are expected to do, it's only
natural to focus on that feeling and not be present in the communication transaction. A
stereotype is a fixed idea or image that many people have a particular type of person, thing,
or event, but sometimes it is not true in reality. For example, the sense of time urgency is
characteristic of many of the residents of Asia’s urban capitals, such as Tokyo, Taipei, Hong
Kong, Seoul, or Singapore. It becomes stereo- typing to assume that this is a particularly
good or bad quality of that person upon the basis of his or her membership in the group of
residents of that city. Whereas stereotypes can be positive or negative, prejudice refers to the
irrational suspicion or hatred of a particular group, race, religion, or sexual orientation
(Rothenberg, 1992). It's generally agreed that racism is prejudice with the exercise of power
on or over the group through institutional, historical, and structural means (Hoyt, 2012).
While within North American culture there is the consciousness of what might be
called “nervous laughter,” there is a general expectation that a smile can be taken as a direct
expression of pleasure or satisfaction. Non-Verbal Behavior Nonverbal patterns include
gestures, facial expression, eye contact, body movement, touching, and the use of space and
time. Intercultural training not only provides information but also develops skills, and
encourages attitudes to enable people to progress along the cultural learning curve. Obtaining
the knowledge required has also to do with learning by doing, being open – or cognitively
flexible, as Gudykunst (1992) calls it, to receiving and processing feedback. Affective This is
component relates to the feelings, needs, and general motivation of an individual concerning
interacting with others from different cultures.
In interactions with people from foreign cultures an interculturally competent person
understands the culture-specific concepts of perception, thinking, feeling, and acting. Using
intercultural diversity is in essence a more creative approach to problem-solving as it
incorporates different points of view. Intercultural communication can only flourish and
therefore contribute if people are encouraged to think as individuals, bring their cultural
influences to the table, and share ideas that may be outside the box. Such experiences may
motivate the individual to acquire skills that can help him to communicate his point of view
to an audience belonging to different cultural ethnicity and background.

8
 REFERENCE

Browaeys, M. J.& Roger P. 2015. Understanding Cross Cultural Management Third Edition.
Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd.
Jandt, Fred E. 2018. An Introduction to Intercultural Communication Identities in a Global
Community Ninth Edition. California: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Pujiyanti, U & Zuliani, F.R. 2014. Cross Cultural Understanding: A Handbook to Understand
Others’ Cultures. Yogyakarta: CV. Hidayah.
Scollon, R. & Scollon, S.W. 2001. Intercultural Communication. A Discourse Approach
SecondEdition. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers Inc.
Soler, Eva A. & Jordà, Maria Pilar S. 2007. Intercultural Language Use and Language
Learning. Dordrecht: Springer.