Introduction to Intercultural Communication

Lesson 1

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 INTERCULTURA
L AUTOGRAPH
HUNT

Let’s get to know each

other!

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 Learning outcomes and objectives

 Students can explain the meaning and importance of

intercultural communication skills

 Students understand and can explain terms and

concepts related to this field of study

 Students can identify and explain barriers to effective

intercultural communication

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 What is intercultural communication?
1. What is communication?

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 Communication is a
 symbolic,​
 interpretive,​
 transactional,​
 contextual​
 process in which people share meanings​

5| Source: Lustig & Koester, 2013

 Symbolic
 Objects, words,
actions represent meaning​
 Interpreted as a message (‘package’
of symbols)​
 Arbitrary and non-arbitrary symbols​

Examples?

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 Interpretive
Different outcomes:

 Understanding is essential
 Reaching a shared agreement

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 Transactional

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 Contextual
Intercultural communication takes place in an intercultural context:  ​

• Physical context​
• Candlelight dinner vs crowded street                             ​
• Social context​
• Funeral vs party​
• Interpersonal context​
• Talk with boss or best friend​

Examples?

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 Process
Dynamic, developing, changing
People create shared meanings

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 What is intercultural communication?
What is culture? Some definitions …

• Basáñez: “Culture is a context phenomenon, a shared system of meanings”

Source: Basáñez, 2016

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 What is culture?
• Hofstede:
“Culture is the collective programming of the mind, which distinguishes the members
of one group (…) of people from another.” ​

• Lustig & Koester:

“Culture is a learnt set of shared interpretations about beliefs, values, norms and social
practices, which affect the behaviors of a large group of people.” ​

Many more definitions! See textbook page 4

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 What is culture?

• Schein: Culture consists of layers

Artefacts of culture

Norms and values

Basic assumptions

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 What is intercultural communication?

“Intercultural communication is the
communication between sources and receivers from different
cultures and good intercultural communication requires an interculturally sensitive attitude,
cultural knowledge, as well as skills in frame-of-reference-shifting. (...) It is also
about developing a creative mindset to see things from different angles without rigid pre-
judgement.” (Ting-Toomey & Chung)

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 Why is intercultural communication important?

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 Barriers to Intercultural Communication
• Assuming similarity instead of difference

• Stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination

Riddle: A father and his son are in a car accident. The father dies at the scene and the
son is rushed to the hospital. At the hospital the surgeon looks at the boy and says: "I
can't operate on this boy, he is my son."

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 Stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination

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 Barriers to Intercultural Communication
• Ethnocentrism

• Perception

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 The danger of a
single story
Chimamanda Adichie
Nigerian writer

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 Cultural
artefact video
Assignment 1

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 What's next?
• First assignment: Cultural artefact

• Fill in the student background file by Friday September 30 noon (Canvas)

• Go through learning path Module 1:

- Discussion forum
- Quiz

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 Course materials
• PPT: Module 1_lesson 1_ Introduction to Intercultural Communication

• Textbook: Chapter 1: 1.1-1.6; 1.9-1.10 (1-5)

• Learning path Module 1

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 Sources
• Basáñez, M.E. (2016). A World of Three Cultures. New York: Oxford University Press.
• Hofstede, G. (1991). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. New York: McGraw
Hill.
• Lustig M. & Koester J. (2013). Intercultural competence. Upper Saddle River: Pearson.​
• Nunez, C., Mahdi, R.N. & Popma, L. (2021). Intercultural sensitivity. AA Assen: Royal Van
Gorcum.​
• Schein, E.C. (2004). Organizational Culture and Leadership, 3rd edition. New York: Wiley
Publishers.
• Ting-Toomey, S. & and Chung, L.C. (2015). Understanding Intercultural Communication, 2nd
edition. New York: Oxford University Press.
• Images – sourced on individual slides, from MS Powerpoint and Internet sources.​

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