By definition, intercultural communication reflects the communication behaviors and patterns that manifest between two cultures or more. Lustig and Koester (2018) show that one comprehends that the way multi-cultural communication is viewed majorly relies on how the communication unfolds in the form of symbols used within the intercultural domain. Therefore, the most significant component that enables communication to be effective between two cultures is understanding. Chen (2018) argues that intercultural competence plays a substantial role in understanding each other despite cultural differences. Further, Chen (2018) brings out the opinion that through competence, it also becomes possible to respect the individuals engaged in intercultural communication by embracing the differences in cultural affiliations. Response forms an integral part of communication, not only in intercultural communication but also in establishing an effective, appropriate, and respectful response is essential to achieving constructive and positive relationships.
The basic tenets of intercultural communication competence constitute attitudes, knowledge, and skills and are complemented by personal values held as part of a social group. Therefore, personal values are equally important in how the social identities of different people are represented in an intercultural communication setting (Lustig, & Koester, 2018). With the world becoming one big community, intercultural communication has become a critical aspect of communication since, on a personal encounter, I have, several times, had to communicate with various people from different cultural backgrounds. The relevance attached to competence and understanding in an intercultural communication setting, as Chen (2018) shows, has made it possible to communicate with various people from various cultural backgrounds with ease. When communication was challenging, comprehending that distinct cultural backgrounds have different communication patterns helped ensure familiar environments.
The way individuals perceive things is never the same between people of two different cultures. The distinctions in thought patterns and cultural values have played a significant role in how a similar picture can be interpreted in various ways by various people with distinct cultural perspectives (Fitzpatrick, 2020). The world is hyper-connected, and the view of others is crucial in how two people with unique cultural backgrounds can accommodate each other to offer the proper support for communication. Noticing the relevant subtleties in conversations among group members can change simple communication styles into effective conflict resolution processes (Takeshita, 2016). The various distinct tones, context, words, and thought processes, to some degree, vary in every level of intercultural communication.
What I have learned and has changed my perspective of others in that intercultural communication requires a holistic understanding. Communication contexts make it possible to factor in the various characteristics of interpersonal relationships. As Takeshita (2016) argues, I have embraced the notion that in contact, it is not guaranteed that the way I interpret things will be the same as how the people I conversate with interpret them. Therefore, by assuming the responsibility of listening, I am better able to fathom the conveyed message based on the context of the person with whom the interaction I participate is found.
When an individual realizes that socialization is vital in intercultural communication, it becomes possible to emphasize the use of encouragement towards promoting self-efficacy and esteem. I have learned of myself and those I communicate with that in every conversation, people’s self-images rely on how directly they express their desires (Fitzpatrick, 2020). Intercultural communication can be achieved when both parties are direct and open to talking about their accomplishments and abilities (Chen, 2018). Through this, I have realized that socialization is equally essential in emphasizing self-criticism, which brings about knowledge on how an individual uses hesitations, restraints, and self-depreciation. Further, Shaked (2017) argues that socialization in intercultural communication is central in how people involved in such interactions can respond to others’ praises. When viewed in terms of group harmony, I have learned that socialization plays a significant role by allowing individuals to avoid offending others.
True collaboration among group members is vital in ensuring self-effacement since it allows no group member feels offended or threatened. To Shaked (2017), group harmony comes when persons within multi-cultured groups play down their performance and emphasize the contributions made by others towards the achievement of the group’s goal. Detecting a speaker’s intention and modesty allows the listener to credit the speaker’s self-effacement.
My perception of self and others, in an intercultural interaction dimension, as someone who has experienced otherness, has changed in that I better comprehend my everyday conversation. Realizing that animation or exaggeration, through expressive language, my experience of otherness in daily interactions with people from different cultural backgrounds has enabled me to value different communication styles (Lustig & Koester, 2018). Exchanges, from a multi-cultural, also require that people from different backgrounds practice pauses, silence, and understatements as ways through which people can diplomatically understand conversations. Lustig and Koester (2018) show that with various cultures using various communication styles, my otherness experience has improved since I know that speaking little means control. A silent control strategy that allows others to gain social acceptance while avoiding a social penalty is associated with being socially discreet.
Learning about intercultural communication has been significant in the way I think and act concerning others. Possible ways of thinking and acting have been contributed to by acknowledging that understanding how others communicate is central in saving others from becoming embarrassed in the way they interact with others. Different cultures have different ways that make them significant in making their people relate and observe their ways of life. However, when globalization comes in, and people have to embrace other ways of communicating to open up to others and improve their means of interacting, minimizing conflict becomes critical. Chen (2018) illustrates that by exhibiting emotional maturity and taking time to identify ways to manage potential conflict, an individual gains knowledge that silence allows for calming down.
In a multi-cultural facet, one comes to relate with various people who bring to conversations different distinct approaches through which they best perceive what has to be said and done to achieve effective communication. With the realization, what strikes me as annoying is the challenge that language has in hindering intercultural communication. Communication in an international outlook is fundamental to achieving growth. With it comes an unprecedented cause of miscommunication associated with disorder and conflict. Based on Shaked (2017), the three leading causes of miscommunication are ethnocentrism, cultural diversity, and language barrier. When language becomes a barrier to effective communication, it turns annoying because what is supposed to bring people together is the one thing that sets them apart. With the world having more than 6,500 languages, having a familiar language that brings various people from various ethnic backgrounds is vital (Shaked, 2017). However, not all people have the same apprehension about what it takes to have effective communication.
In the future, several things have to be reflected concerning intercultural associations between multi-cultured people. Acknowledging that different languages are rooted in different dialects is critical in how people in such interactions will be able to establish a guiding principle in how future communications can be achieved (Chen, 2018). Same as non-verbal communication, verbal communication has several rules that govern the general discourse through which communication between different cultures becomes effective. Fitzpatrick (2020) shows communication elements like time sense, facial expressions, and emotional distance between distinct cultures help improve how people interact. However, understanding the elements has to be perceived by comprehending the infinite number of cultural diversities that often dictate miscommunications in multi-cultured associations. Future multicultural interactions should always ensure that diversities in social relationships, values, religion, politics, and economy, among others, are all considered to counter the challenges associated with ethnocentric differences (Takeshita, 2016).
Change is never an easy thing but has to be embraced when trying to meet communication effectiveness. People must ensure they properly comprehend grammar, structure, and expressions when engaged in multi-cultured conversations. With the world becoming one large community, every individual’s mandate to acknowledge the distinct dialects associated with every culture is significant, one way or another, in communication. While people might not have all the knowledge, the different cultures offer a basic understanding of the essential pointers to improve communication between people from various cultures is necessary. Differences do not necessarily mean that what others have to offer is inadequate; instead, it means an opportunity to engage others to uncover what their distinct culture can provide to the world towards realizing effectiveness.
References
Chen, L. (2018). Intercultural communication. Berlin de Gruyter Mouton.
Fitzpatrick, F. (2020). Understanding intercultural interaction: An analysis of key concepts. Emerald Publishing.
Lustig, M. W., & Koester, J. (2018). Intercultural competence: Interpersonal communication across cultures. Pearson.
Shaked, H. (2017). The literacy myth: Cultural integration and social structure in the nineteenth century. Routledge.
Takeshita, Y. (2016). The significance of intercultural communication management (ICM) as viewed by Japanese university students. Intercultural Communication Studies, 25(1), 78-93.