Intercultural

Communication
Objectives;
• Identify the aspects of intercultural communication;

• Identify problems in intercultural communication; and

• Identify and apply strategies to avoid intercultural

communication breakdown.
 Accumulated
learned
behavior of a
group of people

culture
Doesn’t have to
be from another
country.
 Intercultural
communication
- Pertains to communication
among people from different
nationalities
5 basic elements of intercultural
communication
1.Cultural Identity

2. Gender Role

3. Age Identity

4. Social Status

5. Religion
Cultural Identity
- is a part of a person's identity
and is related to nationality,
ethnicity, religion, social class,
or any kind of social group that has
its own distinct culture.
- Different culture doesn’t
necessarily mean you live in a
different country or continent.
 Gender Role

- Gender roles are learned and

taught by culture. A culture’s
language reflects the social roles
of men and women.
 Age Identity

- Age identity influences one’s

self-image, language use,
personality, attitude and
communication with others.
 Social Status

- Social Status is determined and

assigned according to income,
titles, possessions, etc. Social
classes in other cultures also
differ from one another.
 Religion

- Religious identity is when someone

sees themselves as a member of a
religious group and may be active or
inactive in practicing their rituals
and customs. Religion plays a big
part in the lifestyle of a person
and seen as sacred and important.
Problems in intercultural
communication
1.Ethnocentrism

2.Stereotyping

3.Prejudice
 Ethnocentrism

- Ethnocentrism is the term applied

to ethnic bias.
- It is the experience of seeing
one's own culture as superior to
other cultures.
 Stereotyping
- Stereotyping is the generalization
“made about a group of people
underestimating their culture”
(Baraceros and Lintao).
- When one stereotypes, you judge
how a person behaves or looks
based on what you believe about
the group where they belong.
 Prejudice
- Prejudice is when one has a
negative preconceived notion,
feeling, or attitude against a
cultural group. These assumptions
are often made even if there is
little or no interaction with this
said group at all.
How to avoid intercultural
miscommunication?
1.Delay attributing meaning

- Non-verbal communication plays a big role in avoiding

intercultural communication breakdown. Avoid interpreting nonverbal

signals made by a person from another culture until you have read

and studied their culture adequately. When visiting another place,

say a province or country, study their culture before the trip and

try to learn more about their non-verbal cues.

How to avoid intercultural
miscommunication?
2. Develop awareness of your non-verbal communication

- Be mindful of how you use your face, gestures, body

language, and voice when communicating. Understanding how certain

cultures react to certain body language can smoothen and make the

experience with other cultures pleasurable.

How to avoid intercultural
miscommunication?
3. Check whether non-verbal messages correspond to

verbal messages

- It is given that you will not be able to understand the

language of another group or culture immediately so you have to be very

observant and persistent in listening when you communicate with them.

Sometimes misinterpretation can happen when the verbal and non-verbal

messages come in conflict with each other.

Diversity is not about how differ.
Diversity is embracing one another’s
uniqeness.

-Ola Joseph
 Role Play
ROLE PLAY PRESENTATION: INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
(5-10 minutes role play presentation)
Group Context:
Group 1- Intercultural communication in the market (language differences)
Group 2- Intercultural communication in the office (gender differences)
Group 3- Intercultural communication at school (social status differences)
Group 4- Intercultural communication at home (differences in age and educational
background)

What to include in your presentation:

1.Make a scenario/ situation or story that shows intercultural communication.
2. Identify two values (e.g., respect, gender sensitivity, cultural awareness,
political correctness, etc.) you wish to highlight in your presentation. You may
discuss what these values mean.
3. Present how the absence of these values can cause problems in an intercultural
communication. 4. Provide a conclusion at the end of your presentation. This
conclusion must be about your insights regarding the importance of cultural
awareness and sensitivity in effective intercultural communication.