Stumbling-Block-in-international-culture-communica

StumblingBlocksinInternationalCultureCommunicationThefivestumblingblocks1,Assumptionofsimilarities2,LanguagesDifferences3,NoverbalMisinterpretations4,PreconceptionsandStereotype5,TendencytoEvaluate6,HighAnxiety1,AssumptionofsimilaritiesⅠManypeopleassumetherearesufficientsimilaritiesamongpeoplesoftheworldtomakecommunicationeasy.ⅡManypeopleareluredintothinkingthat“peoplearepeople”isthatitreducesthediscomfortofdealingwithdifferences.2,LanguagesDifferencesⅠVocabulary,syntax,idioms,slang,dialects,andsoon,allcausedifficulty,butthepersonstrugglingwithadifferentlanguageisatleastawareofbeingintrouble.ⅡAworselanguageproblemisthetenacitywithwhichsomeonewillclingtojustonemeaningofawordorphraseinthenewlanguage,regardlessofwordconnotationorcontext.3,NoverbalMisinterpretationsLearningthelanguage,whichmostvisitorstoforeigncountriesconsidertheironlybarriertounderstanding,isactuallyonlythebeginning.Itistotallywrongconcept.ThelackofcomprehensionofnonverbalsignsandSymbolsthatareeasytoobserve﹣suchasgestures,postures,andotherbodymovements—isadefinitecommunicationbarrier.Itismoredifficulttonotecorrectlytheunspokencodesoftheotherculturethatarelessobvioussuchasthehandlingoftimeandspatialrelationshipsandsubtlesignsofrespectorformality.4,PreconceptionsandStereotypeStereotypesarestumblingblocksforcommunicatorsbecausetheyinterferewithobjectiveviewingofstimuli-thesensitivesearchforcuestoguidetheimaginationtowardstheotherperson’sreality.Theyarenoteasytoovercomeinourselvesortocorrectinothers,evenwiththepresentationofevidence.Stereotypespersistbecausetheyarefirmlyestablishedasmythsortruismsbyone’sownnationalcultureandbecausetheysometimesrationalizeprejudices.Theyarealsosustainedandfedbythetendencytoperceiveselectivelyonlythosepiecesofnewinformationthatcorrespondstotheimageheld.5,TendencytoEvaluateAnotherdeterrenttounderstandingbetweenpersonsofdifferingculturesorethnicgroupsisthetendencytoevaluate,toapproveordisapprove,thestatementsandactionsoftheotherpersonorgroupratherthantotrytocomprehendcompletelythethoughtsandfeelingsexpressedfromtheworldviewoftheother.Eachperson’scultureorwayoflifealwaysseemsright,proper,andnatural.6,HighAnxietyHighanxietyortension,alsoknownasstress,iscommonincross-culturalexperiencesduetothenumberofuncertaintiespresent.Stress,indeed,isconsideredtobeinberentininterculturalencounters,dis-turbingtheinternalequilibriumoftheindividualsystem.Accordingly,tobeinterculturallycompetentmeanstobeabletomanagesuchstress,regain,internalbalance,andcarryoutthecommunicationprocessinsuchawayThatcontributestosuccessfulinteractionoutcomes.Howtobecomeacompetentinterculturalcommunicator?OvercometheassumedsimilarityandbeawarethatpeopleareallcultureboundandculturallymodifiedAvoidexclusionaryattitudesBecarefulwiththeexactmeaningofawordincontextandspeakinanappropriatestyleTrytolearnthemeaningsofobservablenonverbalsignsandsymbolsBeawareofthepreconceptionsandstereotypesofotherculturessuchasthebewildered‘smile’oftheJapanese,the‘inflammable’Arabs,theIndonesiansandMexicansto‘bargain’,the‘argumentative’Americansandthe‘speculative’EuropeansStereotypesinterferewithobjectiveviewingofotherpeoplebutdifficulttoovercomeStereotypespersistandaresustainedTrytocomprehendthoughtsandfeelingsfromtheworldviewoftheotherratherthanassumingourowncultureisthemostnaturalAvoidimmediateevaluationbylisteningempatheticallywithunderstandingAdjustmentorconflictresolutionAvoidtoomuchanxietyandtensionCalmdownandkeepcool-headedAsktheinterpreterforhelpifinlanguagedifficultiesBettertoacquireagoodcompetenceofthelanguagebyoneselfTrytocomprehendthoughtsandfeelingsfromtheworldviewoftheotherratherthanassumingourowncultureisthemostnaturalAvoidimmediateevaluationbylisteningempatheticallywithunderstandingAdjustmentorconflictresolution