WMSU-ISMP-GU-001.

00
Effective Date: 7-DEC-2016

IV. Intercultural Communication

Lesson 1: Local and Global Communication in Multicultural Settings

Introduction

According to science, each person is genetically unique. Except for identical

twins, each person has a unique genetic composition. This uniqueness becomes even
more heightened because of individual experiences. Humans are formed by forces other
than genetics. Family background, religious affiliations, educational achievements, socio-
cultural forces, economic conditions, emotional states and other forces shape human
identities. This situation-the diversity of people and cultures—impacts communication.
People interacting with those coming from unfamiliar cultures may have difficulties in
communication. Most people tend to conclude that miscommunication results from a
speaker’s lack of proficiency in a language. What is not realized is the fact that even with
excellent language skills, people may still experience miscommunication.

Objectives

At the end of this lesson, you can:

1. Demonstrate an awareness of the reality of cultural diversity;
2. Demonstrate an understanding of how cultural diversity affects communication;
3. Appreciate the benefits and challenges of cross-cultural communications.

Topic Outline
1. Communicating across cultures

Try this!

Read the article by Carol Kinsey Goman, (2011), titled “Communicating Across Cultures”.
Answer the following questions:

1. How does each of the items in the following contrasting pairs differ from the other?
a. High-context vs. low-context
Page 37 of 103
 WMSU-ISMP-GU-001.00
Effective Date: 7-DEC-2016

b. Sequential vs. synchronic

c. Affective vs. neutral
2. What does the author recommend that we do to be successful in cross-cultural
communication?

Think ahead!

1. What makes communicating across cultures challenging?

2. How do you apply the ethics of intercultural communication?
3. Comment in each of the following ethical component:
A. Search for commonalities between people and cultures
B. Respect cultural differences
C. Accept responsibility for your behavior

Read and Ponder

It is obvious that someone living in a new culture “must meet the challenges of
language barriers, unfamiliar customs and practices, and cultural variations in verbal and
non-verbal communication styles in order to achieve successful understanding. Ralph
Waldo Emerson once wrote: No man should travel until he has learned the language of
the country he visits. Otherwise he makes himself a great baby—so helpless and so
ridiculous. Issues on language, disequilibrium, and ethnocentrism are part of acculturation
or adjusting to a new culture. Disequilibrium may be dealt with through four coping
mechanisms: assimilation, separation, integration, and marginalization.

See if you can do this!

1. Locate someone from a culture different from your own and interview him or her
regarding the characteristics of a successful communicator in that culture. Include
some of the following questions in your interview:
a. What are the elements of credibility within your culture?
b. What communicative behaviors are least desirable in your culture?
c. What communication skills are valued in your culture?

Page 38 of 103
 WMSU-ISMP-GU-001.00
Effective Date: 7-DEC-2016

2. Define your communication style to the best of your ability by answering these
questions:
a. Do I give my full attention to people?
b. Do I seem at ease or tense?
c. Do I often change the subject without taking the other person into
consideration?
d. Do I deprecate the statements of others?
e. Do I interrupt repeatedly?
f. Do I show sympathy when someone has a problem?
g. Do my actions tend to lower the other person’s self-esteem?
3. If for instance you will travel to another country, what preparations would you make
to minimize the effects of culture shock?
4. Discuss, why is it difficult to know your own culture?

Page 39 of 103