Coping with the Challenges

of Intercultural
Communication
Objectives:
At the end of this lesson, you should be
able to:
 a.recognize the challenges of intercultural
communication;
 b.determine the sources of
misunderstanding;and
 c.create a collage of different greetings in the
Philippines.
 It has become a widespread
notion that speakers use of different
languages results in intercultural
miscommunication and
misunderstanding.
 Challenges of
Intercultural
Communication
 Use of different language
 Results of intercultural miscommunication
and misunderstanding
 Lack of shared knowledge, belief and
cultural diversity
 It more complicated to arrive at the
correct inference or interpretation of
meanings.
 NOTE:
 Misunderstanding in intercultural
communication may now always caused
by verbal utterances.
 Misunderstanding may also occur due
to wrong interpretation of the non-
verbal code.
Examples of Non-verbal Communication
in the Philippines
 THE HANDSHAKE

 The handshake is a globally widespread,

brief greeting or parting tradition in which
two people grasp one to each other’s
like,hands, in most cases accompanied by
brief up and down movement of the grasped
hands.
 United states
“ Firm Handshake”
 France
“Soft Handshake”
 Germany
Firm hanshake,for
men, traditionally
accompanied by a
slight bow.
 Japan
Handshake with arm firmly extended,
accompanied by a bow.
 Middle East
Handshake and free hand place on the forearm of the other person.
 Greetings
Is an act of communication in which human
being intentionally make their presence known
to each other, to show attention to, and to
suggest a type of relationship between
individuals or groups of people coming in
contact with each other.
 JAPAN: A BOW

 In Japan, the
preferred way to
greet someone you’re
meeting is to bow to
one another.
 ARGENTINA: Kiss on the right cheek
 In Argentina, men greet other
men with a kiss, so do not be
surprised or offended if this
occurs. Lightly press your
cheek against the right cheek
of another for a light kiss.
 NIGERIA: SNAPPING FINGERS
HANDSHAKEIN
Nigeria, young people usually
greet each other in a special way,
where they snap their fingers in
the progress of a handshake, this
handshake is not very easy, so
you actually need a Nigerian to
teach you how to snap fingers
while shaking hands.
 RUSSIA: A FIRM HANDSHAKE

 A firm handshake is the

standard way for men to
greet one another in
public.
 NEW ZEALAND: HONGI (TOUCHING NOSES)

 Known as HONGI, this

traditional MĀORI greeting
in new Zealand is done by
pressing your nose and
forehead to another person’s
at the same time.
 THAILAND: WAI
 Place your palms
together at your chest
and bow your head so
that your thumbs touch
your chin and your
fingertips touch your
forehead.
 FRANCE: KISS ON EACH CHEEK

The common greeting in France is

kissing on the cheek. Typically, it
will be two kisses but the number
of kisses can vary depending on the
region, as a common starting point,
offer your right cheek and let the
other person lead.
 INDIA: NAMASTE

 This greeting is carried out by

placing your hands together is a
praying position with your
fingers pointed upwards and
bowing slightly when you say
“NAMASTE”
 UKRAINE: A TRIPLE KISS

 Don’t pull back after a kiss

on each cheek in Ukraine.
Here, the custom is to kiss
cheeks three times-left,
right, left-to say hello.
 THE PHILIPPINES
Mano when greeting
elders, take their hand and
press their knuckles
against your forehead as a
sign of respect.
 Sources of
Misunderstanding
 AMBIGUITY

Lack of explicitness on the part of the

speaker in the form of problematic
reference and ambiguous semantics in
which in which an utterance is open
to different interpretations.
PERFORMANCE-RELATED MISUNDERSTANING

Slips of the tongue and mishearing

which may be due to utterances
spoken quickly and unclearly.
 LANGUAGE-RELATED
MISUNDERSTANDING

Ungrammaticality of language
 GAPS IN WORLD
KNOWLEDGE

Gaps in context rather than

language.
 LOCAL CONTEXT

Turns and the within the sequences

produced by the participants themselves,
and the orientation of the participants as
well as the repair moves that follow the
displayed understanding.
Why is there a need to
understand
intercultural
communication?
APPROACHES TO
STUDYING
INTERCULTURAL
COMMUNICATION
-Need to aware or conscious of
other cultures especially those
that you will visit so you can
avoid offending people.
-Due to misinterpretations,
miscommunication occurs.
 -All cultures are equal
though sometimes difficult
to understand.
-No culture is superior or
inferior to another.
 -Appreciate cultural
diversities and learn to live
with them.
-People have different languages,
lifestyles, and ways of thinking,
speaking, and behaving this is the
essence of cultural diversity.
Three Approaches to
Intercultural
Communication
 Three Approaches to Intercultural
Communication
Social Science
or
Interpretative Critical
Functionalist

Disciple on which Psychology Anthropology, Various

approach is Sociolinguistics
founded

Research goal Describe and predict Describe behavior Change behavior

behavior
 Assumption of External and Subjective Subject and
reality describable Material

Assumptions of Predictable Creative and changeable

human behavior voluntary

Method of study Survey, Participant Textual analysis of

observation observation, media
Field study
Relationship of Communication Culture created and Culture as a site of
culture and influenced by maintained through power struggle
communication culture communication

Contributions of Identifies cultural Emphasizes that Recognizes the

approach variations, communication and economic and
recognizes cultural culture and cultural political forces in
differences in many differences should be culture and
aspects of studied in context communications;
communication but asserts that all
often does not intercultural
consider context interactions are
characterized by
power
Thank you!
 Activity
 Instructions:
Create your own design of collage showing
different greetings here in the Philippines.
Criteria:
Content- 40%
Appearance- 20%
Creativity-25%
Cleanliness-15%
Total: 100%