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).
 pertains to communication among
people from different nationalities
(Gudykunst, 2003).

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)

Intercultural communication is the sending

and receiving of messages across languages
and cultures.
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:
Stage 1: Denial. The individual does not recognize
cultural differences.
An individual in the denial stage might be heard
saying: “All cities are the same; they all have tall
buildings, fast food chains, and coffee shops.”
 Stage 2: Defense. The individual starts to
recognize cultural differences and is intimidated
by them, resulting in either a superior view on
own culture or an unjustified high regard for the
new one.
An individual in the defense stage might be
heard saying: “This culture does not view life the
way we do; our culture is certainly better.” “Their
ways are better than my own; I wish I were one
of them.”
Stage 3: Minimization. Although individuals see cultural
differences, they bank more on the universality of ideas
rather than on cultural differences.
An individual in the minimization stage might be heard
saying: “Once we see through the cultural differences, we
really are just the same!”

Stage 4: Acceptance. The individual begins to appreciate

important cultural differences in behaviors and eventually
in values.
An individual in the acceptance stage might be heard
saying: “These people and I have different values and
experiences, and I think we can learn from one another.”
Stage 5: Adaptation. The individual is very open to world
views when accepting new perspectives.
An individual in the adaptation stage might be heard
saying: “To address our issue, I have to adjust my
approach to consider both my own and my
counterpart’s background.

Stage 6: Integration. Individuals start to go beyond their

own cultures and see themselves and their actions based
on multifarious cultural viewpoints.
An individual in the integration stage might be heard
saying: “I can look at things from the perspective of
various cultures.”
 Characteristics of Competent
Intercultural Communicators
 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: 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. ,vg
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.
Exercise I Read each statement. If it displays bias or insensitivity, write the
group/element being misrepresented (gender, social status, age, religion, culture).
If not, write “OK.” Once done, compare and discuss your answers with a partner.
_______ 1. “Each employee must wear his ID at all times.”
_______2. “You won’t understand if I explain; you’re too young.”
_______3. “Japanese people are so rigid and stoic!”
_______4. “Don’t buy those shades; only low-class people wear those.”
______5. “Lolo, this is an iPhone. ‘i-Phone.’ It is a very complicated device, but I’ll explain
it to you simply. It is used to talk to people from other places.”
_______6. “All staff members have to submit their leave requests before the day ends.”
_______7. “My belief is the absolute truth. Other religions simply got it wrong.”
_______8. “Manang, let’s go, I’ll treat you. I bet you haven’t eaten sushi in your entire
life.”
_______9. “Catholics and Protestants do have big differences, but we must respect each
other’s beliefs.”
_______10. “You’re the youngest person in the family, but I trust that you can handle the
situation well.
 Exercise II Write T before each number if the statement is true
and F if the statement is false.

_____1. Intercultural communication occurs when there is interaction and

negotiation between or among individuals from different cultural
backgrounds.
_____2. Intercultural communication refers only to communication that
happens between or among individuals from different nations.
_____3. Communication that exists between or among individuals from
different ethnic, religious, and regional backgrounds and sexual
orientations is not considered as intercultural.
_____4. The DMIS by Bennett and Bennett (2004) can be used to
understand those who do not recognize other cultures and cannot
communicate interculturally.
_____5. The denial stage could be interpreted as distrust towards other
cultures.
____6. The acceptance stage refers to recognition of
cultural differences.
____7. In the adaptation stage, individuals begin to
integrate with other cultures.
____8. Cultural sensitivity matters in intercultural
communication.
____9. One character trait of a competent
communicator is sensitivity to nonverbal cues in other
cultures.
____10. A competent communicator is a person who is
effective in intercultural communication.