I know communicating with someone with different cultural backgrounds and race can pose quite a challenge. There are more likely potential problems of intercultural communication that arise in interactions between people from different cultures.
I wouldn’t suggest it any other way but to get out of our comfort zone and share new experiences with new people. The world is a vast pool of knowledge and how quickly the world is becoming interconnected associates with many factors contributing to this phenomenon, for example the fall of the Berlin wall and revolutionary developments in technology.
Communication barriers have been resolved by translation and interpreting solutions, however to those who have not yet known the beauty of translating and/or interpreting still find a challenge in communicating across cultures. I can’t imagine anyone suffering because he/she cannot communicate as a result of language differences yet there is a pool of translation companies offering language solutions at a global scale!
Expressing yourself in a language with different syntax from something you are well conversant can be awkward.
As Samovar notes, complex nature of human behaviour produces many communication problems – it’s for this reason that we will explore how diverse cultural orientations influence the way we perceive and interact with an increasingly culturally diverse world.
To this degree, we are in the era of global communication. Ones’ potential for success in life may well be boosted or limited by how well you can communicate with people from cultures different from their own.
Intercultural conflicts in diverse settings
1. Interpersonal relationships between people from different cultures
2. School setting students from diverse cultural backgrounds
3. Diverse work groups’ setting – people from diverse cultures working together.
“Teach someone to speak and he will master a language; teach him foreign languages and he will understand the world”
In today’s current globalised world of communications, exchanges and intercultural discussions, learning a foreign language is more than ever an asset. Either learned out of sheer interest or with a clear objective, foreign languages broaden the minds of the learners and also decisively enhance learner’s curriculum vitae.
Intercultural communication allows us to dispel myths, break down stereotypes, foster more respect and acceptance, and build more cooperative relationships with one another.
It is important to acquire intercultural communication skills, to learn how to communicate with people whose backgrounds are different from our own. Communicating with people from different cultural background can be challenging. Misunderstandings and inadvertent offenses are commonplace for example problems between clientele and employees, between employees when one or more people disregard, or are not aware of some of the differences in cultural communication styles.
Communication Challenges In Schools
Schools attract learners from different corners of the world. This implies a single school can have thousands of cultures. What unites them is a common good and language of instruction. However communication challenges often sets in when there is need for teacher- parent interaction. For example in New York city, non-English speaking parents demanded for translation and interpreting services in schools for easier interaction between parents, teachers and principals
Why we hold back!
In purpose of this article, let me breakdown a few factors of the educational challenges of intercultural communication:
First of all, we are afraid that we will have a negative experience with the very people we are trying to reach out to. We are afraid that out efforts to understand and be understood will be rejected or that we will offend someone or be offended. When or if we have had negative experiences with a member of another race, culture or ethnicity, we may generalise our fears assuming that we will always experience difficulty in communicating with culturally diverse individuals of that group.
Secondly, many of us spend more of our time with others we share our own culture with, race or ethnicity. The feeling of safety and comfort is most human’s life pursuit; we prefer occurrences that are familiar to us rather than getting out of our comfort zone.
Forming groups based on similarities advertently creates barriers and excludes people who are different from us. People from different groups may feel like “outsiders” and be hesitant to approach.
Breaking out of the homogeneous groups takes effort. The more we are accustomed to being with people whom we perceive to be like us, the more effort it takes to reach out to others whom we perceive to be different from us. Once divisions are established along cultural, ethnic, and racial lines, it takes a great deal of courage and determination to communicate across these lines. Encountering feelings of discomfort as we reach out to others, or we may fear that others from within our group will disapprove of including outsiders.
We may be unwilling to examine our part in communication barriers, instead blaming all communication difficulties on the other party. Any point, if we desire to reach out to people, we must set aside our fears, give people the benefit of doubt take responsibility for our own part in communication struggles, and share ourselves with others.
Risk of communicating across cultures is real there is always the possibility of not being understood the way we intend. Effective communication is key in developing strong and positive relationships with people. The potential benefits of trying to reach across cultural boundaries are well worth the effort – and the risks of not trying are great. It’s not easy, it’s challenging and it requires consistent attention, energy, and skills.
There are key issues in effective intercultural communication and these are imperative to consider as you meet and communicate with people, I will point them out as follows, not limited to:
– Basic differences in the ways people of different cultures communicate, such as through the different use of words, tone, voice pitch and body language.
– Within each culture there are individual differences in the way people communicate.
– In communication make sure the persons background is considered
– Flexibility in communication style, it’s all about getting out of your comfort zone and understanding the other person’s ethnicity, culture and race and owing respect to that
There are great advantages throughout your life to being knowledgeable, respectful, and open towards others culturally different from you. Being open, caring with mutual respect for the dignity of individuals are essential qualities for effective communication, irrespective of ethnic differences.
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