Unit-7-Improving-Intercultural-communication-Compe

1Unit7ImprovingInterculturalCompetence2Learningobjectives:3SocialCustomsAllofusliveonthesameplanet,sowehavetoworktogethertoensureabetterenvironmentwherepeaceanddevelopmentbringusabetterlife.Importance4ContentsI.InterculturalCommunicationCompetenceII.PotentialproblemsinInterculturalCommunication1.Stereotyping2.Ethnocentrism3.CultureshockIII.Effortsweshouldmake5I.InterculturalCommunicationCompetence.SuccessfulinterculturalcommunicationdemandsCulturalfluencyaswellaslinguisticfluency.WeshouldbeawareofandsensitivetotheculturallydeterminedpatternsofverbalandnonverbalCommunicationwhichspeakersofthetargetculturefollow,howtheytreattimeandspace,andwhytheythinkandbehavethewaytheydo.6Itmeansbeingabletocommunicateefficientlyandeffectivelywithpeoplefromothercountries,toachievemutualunderstandingandtogainbettercooperation.1.DefinitionI.InterculturalCommunicationCompetence72.ComponentsofInterculturalCommunicationCompetenceTherearefivecomponentsofcompetencethatinfluenceone’sabilitytointeracteffectivelyandappropriatelyinanotherculture.I.InterculturalCommunicationCompetence8(1)motivationtocommunicate,(2)culturalknowledge,(3)communicationskills,(4)sensitivity,(5)character.I.InterculturalCommunicationCompetence9Motivationmeansthatyoupossessapersonaldesiretoimproveyourcommunicationabilities.Forinterculturalcommunicationtobesuccessful,youmustbemotivatedtogobeyondpersonalboundariesandattempttolearnabouttheexperiencesofpeoplewhoarenotpartofyourdailylife.I.InterculturalCommunicationCompetence10KnowledgeTheknowledgecomponentofinterculturalcommunicationcompetencemeansthatyouareself-awareandunderstandtherules,norms,andexpectationsassociatedwiththecultureofthepeoplewithwhomyouareinteracting.11SkillsAsacompetentinterculturalcommunicatoryoumustbeabletolisten,observe,analyze,andinterpretandapplythesespecificbehaviorsinamannerthatenablesyoutoachieveyourgoals.12SensitivityCommunicationcompetencerequiresthattheparticipantstoaninteractionbesensitivetooneanotherandtotheculturesrepresentedinaninteraction.Sensitivity,involvesbeingflexible,patient,empathic,curiousaboutothercultures,opentodiversity,andcomfortablewithothers.13CharacterTheideabehindincludingcharacterissimple:ifyouarenotperceivedbyyourcommunicationpartnerasapersonofgoodcharacter,yourchancesforsuccesswillbediminished.Perhapsthesinglemostimportanttraitassociatedwithpeopleofcharacteristheirtrustworthiness.Traitsoftenassociatedwiththetrustworthypersonarehonesty,respect,fairness,andtheabilitytomakegoodchoices,19aswellashonor,altruism,sincerity,andgoodwill.14II.PotentialproblemsininterculturalcommunicationFourtypesofproblems15StereotypingEthnocentrismCultureshockII.Potentialproblemsininterculturalcommunication16ThomasJeffersononcewrote,“Travelingmakesamanwiser,butlesshappy.”Thisadageunderscoreshoweveryonelikesthefamiliar.Youshouldnotfinditsurprisingthatdealingwithanewculturecanproducementalstressandsubsequentcopingdifficulties.II.Potentialproblemsininterculturalcommunication17StereotypingItisameansoforganizingourimagesintofixedandsimplecategoriesthatweusetorepresentanentirecollectionofpeople.Thereasonforthepervasivenatureofstereotypesisthathumanbeingshaveapsychologicalneedtocategorizeandclassify.18StereotypeshamperinterculturalcommunicationforanumberofreasonsStereotyping191.Stereotypesfailtospecifyindividualcharacteristics.Theyassumethatallmembersofagrouphaveexactlythesametraits.2.Stereotypesalsokeepusfrombeingsuccessfulascommunicatorsbecausetheyareover-simplified,over-generalized,and/orexaggerated.Theyarebasedonhalf-truths,distortions,andoftenuntruepremises.Theycreateinaccuratepicturesofthepeoplewithwhomweareinteracting.Stereotyping203.Stereotypestendtoimpedeinterculturalcommunicationinthattheyrepeatandreinforcebeliefsuntiltheyoftenbecometakenfor“truth”.womenhomemakersStereotyping21Wheredoweacquirestereotypes?Stereotyping221.Peoplelearnstereotypesfromtheirparents,relatives,andfriends.2.Stereotypesdevelopthroughlimitedpersonalcontact.3.Manystereotypesareprovidedbythemassmedia.Stereotyping23PrinciplesmayhelpusavoidStereotypesStereotyping24•Generalizationsareinevitableinthestudyofcultures,butexceptionsarealsoinevitable.Overgeneralizationsaredangerousbecausetheyleadtostereotypingandprejudice.•Stereotypingduetogeneralizingmaybeinevitableamongthosewholackfrequentcontactwithanotherculture.Stereotyping25•Allcultureshaveinternalvariations.•Personalobservationsofothersaboutanothercultureshouldberegardedwithskepticism.•Manyculturesoftenexistwithinasinglerace,languagegroup,religionornationality,differentiatedbyage,gender,socioeconomicstatus,education,andexposuretoothercultures.Stereotyping26EthnocentrismActivity5RosamineandMeritaarefromtwodifferentcultures.Theyaretalkingaboutoneaspectoffamilylife.Theyseemtohavedifferentpointofview.Whodoyouagree?Why?27Ithinkit’sterriblethatinyourcountrychildrenleavetheirparentswhentheyaresoyoung.Somethingthatshocksmeevenmoreisthatmanyparentswanttheirchildrentoleavehome.Ican’tunderstandwhychildrenandparentsdon’tlikeeachotherinyourcountry.Ethnocentrism2